Silva hopeful over Gomes's prognosis

Anyway, I digress, I do hope that Andre Gomes's injury is only minor, as his absence was noticeable; from then on, the midfield lost any semblance of a plan.

Hopefully too, Alex Iwobi will be available for selection, although I would be surprised again if he was to start.

Gbamin was ropey today but long term his partnership with Gomes is key. Gbamin is fast and strong and a very decent passer. He will just have to adjust to the league and realise there will be less time on the ball for him.

If Gomes is out next week, then it will be Gbamin and Davies, which could be interesting!

It probably tells us much about what the manager thinks of Davies that he throws Gbamin in so quickly.

Forget about last season's captaincy for Davies, that was a long time ago; clearly Silva and his coaches watch Davies all week and he doesn't justify inclusion regularly enough for the weekend. We don't know what happens in training all week so it's a bit daft to say “Why this and why that”?

You could well justify the inclusion of Schneiderlin because he ended last season in pretty good form and is more disciplined at sitting in the holding role than Davies, who wanders, but for the red card (the first yellow harsh too?), Schneiderlin was arguably 6/10 steady.

It's the general lack of movement going forward from our attacking players that let us down. Bernard needs to be more dynamic around the box and I've said this for a while now. Plenty of nice flicks but too much of it doesn't hurt the opposition.

Sigurdsson and Richarlison need to get shots off quickly (like Richarlison's one snap shot that went wide)

Up top, Calvert-Lewin just isn't anywhere near aggressive enough, not in away games when you need to show up and be big and brave. His runs are also clueless and everything just feels rather half-hearted with him when attacking the ball.

The same should apply to every position! The best teams should have no players who are automatic picks!!

Mina looked good; it will be interesting to see how he and Keane cope with the top guns.

Please don't mention the word “transition” so soon again!

It feels like we've had 10 years of "transition" with the same problems, year-in & year-out, and no real tangible progress.

Delph is already in his accustomed position on the treatment table. He is not dependable.

Sigurdsson is anonymous most of the time. Can't see that turning around.

Bernard is a show pony but delivers nothing in terms of assists or goals. The sooner Iwobi is ready, the better. Hopefully he will settle in well. I think he has something promising.

Mina and Keane were solid and need to be as their cover is weak, which is worrying.

Up front, there are no goals. Calvert-Lewin and Tosun have shown they can't be relied upon to deliver. Much now depends on young Moise Kean. And Richarlison making a better contribution.

The pre-season was pathetic. We are far from ready. I see a fraught season ahead. Forget Top 6.

Do you feel that our pre-season was not quite intense enough?

For me one of my gripes were that we spent too much time pussyfooting about on local parks in the Alps and playing kids that were frankly never going to kick a ball for the first team this season and including the likes of Joe Williams and others like Kevin Mirallas, just why?

Other clubs were playing in big tournaments like Spurs in the Audi Cup, even West Ham and Wolves found themselves in big company.

Our best pre-season ever was 2013 in America against some European giants and what followed was a well-prepared season which was capped off by 72 points and 5th.

This whole summer felt a bit of a fanny about.

Wenger, for me, got the Ray Charles / Stevie Wonder award. Must have spent most of every game in the queue for the pies.

Unfortunately, the first month of this season is now our real pre-season. And it will show.

So how is he injured and how long will his recovery be?

Seems odd to be concentrating on Gomes without providing an update on Delph.

My sentiments exactly!

While I get it when people say it’s “only pre-season” if you get into too much of a mode where it’s all changing squads and players involved that we knew won’t be even up for the slightest consideration playing in half arsed games then it does take an edge away.

Every game should have an edge to it pre-season or not.

The fact we also played just the one match in the U.K. was also a bit mind boggling.

The only real remotely intense matches were Wigan and Werder Bremen.

I’d have like to have seen maybe a game up at Celtic get the juices flowing a bit with an England v Scotland rivalry.

Too much time in training sessions in Switzerland and Kenya and then that pointless 60 minute tournament in Germany which gleaned nothing.

I think if Bobby was still in charge, when Gomes came off (looked like tweaked ligaments to me) he would of replace him with an attacker and dropped Siggy back maybe. Though to bring Davies in was probably the call. I'm guessing Silva just wanted to give the new guy a go... with absolutely nothing to do with tactics. l think we all know that apart from his plan A he has less in his locker than Niasse will by the end of the month.

I've said before that Gbamin is more a replacement for Schneiderlin than Gana. No wonder he wanted Doucoure but good to know that even though we have 5 central midfield players we are still missing a 'key player' in that postion. The window closing so early has done us no favours. Guess we will have to wait another year before Silva has the team he wants on the pitch so he doesnt have any more excuses.

How is possible to again make 6 or 7 signings and still be short of what we actually need. It took 5 years to replace Baines. We are improving squad wise yes but still lacking those 2 or 3 players that would take us into the top 4.

Already Delph is injured, Gomes is injured, Schneiderlin is suspended and Gbamin looks like he will require patience.

So we are left with Tom Davies who whilst he works hard, what is his real outstanding talent?

We are over reliant on Sigurdsson to score, when he’s shit like yesterday we call for his head and ask for him to be replaced by Bernard in the middle but our little Brazilian, whilst I love him, he’s another one who can’t hit a bulls arse with a banjo so I don’t see what he’s going to offer in the middle that Gylfi doesn’t?

Out wide Richarlison continues to be hit and miss, again while he’s talented, does he really really have enough impact on games like yesterday?

Up front we need to start Moise Kean and give him a baptism of fire next week, 19 or not, he’s played and started for Juve and Italy, we can’t sit there and watch DCL toiling away aimlessly again with no hopes of scoring.

Iwobi needs bringing into the squad and needs to really push Bernard I think, if he can offer more of a direct threat to goal then maybe it’s time to start him?

Home against Watford with Gbamin and Davies in midfield. 3 points easy.

Don't you think he was holding Davies back to shore things up in the latter stages as he trusts him more.

As most of the first team, we're away on international duty and hadn't reported back due to the two-week rule. We played the kids and fringe players out of necessity.

Win or lose on the booze if we draw we'll have some more. Above all, we are EVERTONIANS; the rest are just that. The rest. COYB NSNO

Pre-season is now a fallacy thanks to the competitions played in the summer – this summer, South American competition, Afcon, U21 competitions, etc etc. No serious competitions should be played from mid-July to mid-August, with the season starting on the 3rd Saturday of August.

It's Football authorities with their clamour for more and more money that is ruining pre-season. The Europa League kicks off in July, ffs – it's ridiculous. The other thing I'd like to see changed is the transfer window.

Uefa should instruct all European Leagues that is must end 2 weeks before the season starts. The weekend the season starts should be the same for all European Countries. That way all teams / squads are up and running and on an equal footing.

For the next 2 weeks, European teams can buy from English teams. What happens if Real Madrid came up with £200m for Kane what would Spurs do or Barca with £90m for De Gea, what would Man Utd do? Both teams could have very unhappy players on their hands – good for us but you can see what I'm getting at. It's a nonsense.