Silva: We have a lot of work to do

The players want to be labelled top athletes. Then why can't they run more? Our opponents do run more, and so they win.

Maybe Silva is to blame, he is the manager. But the team is not giving 100 percent, and in the Premier League, 95 percent simply is not good enough.

Pre-season was nowhere near intense enough, it bordered on a joke really.

Too much faffing about in parks in the Alps, walking-pace matches with players being involved that every man and his dog knew would have no part to play again for Everton, the likes of Niasse, Mirallas, Joe Williams, Fraser Hornby, why were we building pre-season plans around these?

Why were players YET AGAIN signed too late?

Why, when it was plainly obvious that we needed a proven experienced striker, did we sign a 19-year-old novice and instant understudy to Calvert-Lewin?

Now Moise Kean might become amazing but is he really going to be a “here and now” player that we have desperately craved for 2 years?

It's just a symptom of the summer failings again.

Pre-season is a joke every year. We seem to get into July before we even arrange any games.

Whose responsibility is it to arrange the pre-season programme? I guessed as much, I have never been an admirer of Silva, but was prepared to back him if there were any improvements, and inheriting a squad that was a mismatch of some good, some bad, but mostly ugly. Most of the uglies have gone, whether it be permanent or on loan, he also has had time to prepare with the Transfer Market.

I admit the failure to land a centre-back was possibly attributable to Marcel Brands but, in all fairness to him, I am led to believe that a loan deal for Tomori was all but signed, sealed, and then David Luiz jumped ship, which scuppered any potential move and made it too late to get anything else sorted.

As many have mentioned, the sight of Silva in the dug-out with head buried in hands and looking like he was on Death Row, and the sound of the Execution Party's Footsteps were getting louder, was nothing short of disgraceful. He's supposed to be the leader for fuck's sake!

Of course, it had little to do with him, did it?

We needed a fast CB and got none.

We needed an authoritative all round CM; we got Gomes (who for my money is not athletic or consistent enough, so far).

We needed a striker to get more goals for the team and got Kean who may well prove a superstar in time but was never likely to hit the ground running.

We needed more creativity and got Iwobi who I think will prove a good signing.

We needed a Gueye replacement and got Gbamin who we are yet to really see unfortunately.

It was a 6/10 window for me that left us with some serious holes this season. I would certainly take West Ham's attack this season over ours and Leceister's midfield. Our fully fit and functioning first XI is pretty decent but the squad still needs work. I'm not that surprised that we lost to Bournemouth and Aston Villa (who spent £130M themselves this summer).

Davies must be given a chance; not just 5 minute cameos. He at least tries to get forward. I'd have booted out Schneiderlin and Mirallas during Unsy's spell in charge because their attitude was undermining the whole team. Their reprieve was a huge mistake. Compare with Moyes versus Ginola and Gazza. Silva needs to get a grip as our squad exudes negativity.

And I'd have Walcott out in January if any club is daft enough to take him. Sadly, Coleman is now on borrowed time (unless he's carrying an injury) and seems to be getting slower with every game. Sigurdsson just seems to treat us as contractual appearance money between performing for the mighty Iceland. Time to give some of the hungry youngsters a go.

I'd give Silva another 6 - 10 games and if there's no marked improvement then it's P45 time.

Calvert-Lewin, despite scoring, was – to put it mildly – terrible, and yes, I know I will get slaughtered for this but he is never going to make it, he is Championship quality at best.

Yet Marco seems obsessed with him, much like Walcott. Under Marco we are going to keep on being good-ole Everton, the gift that keeps on giving.

Too slow and not brave enough to have a shot. If you don't shoot you cant score.

Okay, we all have our views on this but when the defence is struggling it helps to be scoring goals which Everton's strikers are not. I said after the Wolves game that the team is leaking goals and the two that Lincoln (lower league) scored came far too easily.

I know it's only 5 games into the season but unless Silva gets this sorted soon then they will be struggling even more so and the axe has to fall. I see almost all teams have ten outfield players behind the ball when not in possession but when Everton do it they look so porous it's alarming.

Change the players or change the fuckin' tactics, Marco, but don't keep having the same players making the same mistakes.

You cannot allow a striker to get goal side if that's your man… ever, Wilson ripped Keane a new one.

We made a MASSIVE mistake not buying 2 centre backs – not 1. Even Jags has better position, aerial abilities than those two, but of course no pace, but if you know game management you can control a fast striker if your partner has pace.

They can't organize a back line to save their lives. Dark times till January.

We probably have a (net) better squad than last season, but a weaker 1st 11. We went into the summer transfer window knowing we needed a top-quality centre half and a top-quality striker. We got neither and I wonder if it's entirely fair to lay the blame for this at Silva's door. I thought it was the Director of Fooball's job.

"You cannot allow a striker get goal side if that's your man ever, Wilson ripped Keane a new one."

They don't have men mate, that's zonal marking for you!

Let them push it wide, give them possession and then hit them over the top on the break.

Everton are too predictable and if a few players don't turn up we are doomed. Fail to handle set pieces, even worse.

And that is Silvas fundamental problem. He won't deviate from a fixed system and he doesn't have a Plan B all he does is swap players or go 4-2-4 to chase a game.

What is wrong with 5-3-2, 3-4-3, 4-4-1-1 or even 3-3-2-1?

Only once this season has he changed his away style. Okay can say what you like it was only Lincoln, but a different set up produced a decent result.

If we keep setting up the same away from home, we will get the same results, teams have worked us out.

Can Silva correct all of this? I do hope so or my 500-mile trip for Sheffield Utd will be tough going!!

Our centre backs are nowhere near as good as the RS pair and often found wanting. Should you compare Calvert-Lewin with Mane and Salah the men in white coats would drag you away.

Silva must make wholesale tactical changes and damn quick. Two or three defeats over the next month and we will be staring down the barrel of a relegation fight.

Morgan really wasn't up to it. He wasn't alone, for me far too many players had loose touches and wayward passes. Too many times possession was surrendered with poor passes.

I don't think you can blame the manager for that. I think his share of the blame sits with not making the changes he was planning 10 minutes earlier. The team was on top at that stage.

In training they are going through the motions. The only time they are focused is when the fans are able to get at them. What does that tell you about the motivation of those that train and coach them?

Silva can work as hard as he likes, but he needs to kick some arses around him, both on and off the pitch. At the moment, in the main, they are taking the piss and getting away with it, both on and off the pitch.

They don't hurt like the fans when they get beat. However the people who run the club are just as bad.

Liverpool are going from strength to strength while we stand still.

It all happens on the training ground, or it doesn't happen there more likely, it's patently obvious these players are not as fit as they should be.

Mr Brands has done a very decent job up to now, in my eyes. I hope he spends a lot of time at Finch Farm and gets to sort that part of the club out; they have it far too soft there, players and coaches.

Going through the motions indeed, stop them doing that and the club will be much healthier on and off the field.

Sickens me to admit the same thing.

When we struggled in the 1990s, our city rivals we not winning that much and also we had them over a barrel in derbies.

These days it's depressing that our answer to them being European Champions and top of the league is to struggle to put anything together against shite like Villa, Bournemouth and Palace, hell we even struggled past Watford.

There's been no pride in the shirt at Everton for too many years now. The lack of characters in this team alarms me and Mr Delph must wonder what he has let himself in for by joining us.

If you are a winner, Fabian, then bloody hell, mate, you are going to certainly find out a lot about losers in your time at Everton.

Surely a modern manager and players should be able to change and vary tactics during a game? I like Silva and he has got us playing good football in spells but overall it seems to be taking a long time to click.

I think we have now got a quality squad so what can the problem be? Apart from more tactical nous, it has got to be motivation – something that it appears only a very small handful of managers are good at.

When you see Silva sat on the bench on Sunday with his mouth shut rather than doing what he is paid for and standing on the touchline trying to spark his team back into some form of effort, you can easily imagine how easy his regime is in training.

The point about us looking unfit was made this time last year too and like this year followed on the back of a pretty easy pre-season (albeit an unsuccessful one).

Could it be that Silva is a decent coach but not a decent manager? Possibly but if so why has he not sorted out the glaring deficiencies in our defending, the dreadfully slow play which allows defences to organise themselves so that we don't have enough space in which to play?

Why has he not recognised that Seamus is struggling? Why has he not acted over the negligible contribution from Sigurdsson – if Tom was in the team and contributing as little as Gylfi he would be dropped immediately.

Would this squad be different with an inspirational manager? I think so as we showed enough at home last season when the crowd got behind the team. It just seems to me that we have potentially a very good team here which is in need of someone to spark them off. Delph will try to do it on the pitch but the lead must come from the manager and looking at him on Sunday he would only inspire depression in me.

If Silva has what it takes he has to kick ass( as our American posters might say) and do it now. Drop the undroppables and show some passion – start earning that huge salary Marco and give us all some pride back. The tools are there for you – use them, man!!

Andre Gomes signed permanently for us, which most people welcomed. World cup winner Djibril Sidibe joined us on loan so I think it's fair to say that Silva has plenty to work with.

He may have been unfortunate with injuries but is he utilising his other signings to their best potential? I was among many who thought he would keep an unchanged team (apart from the injured Gomes) against Bournemouth, ideal we thought for Kean to maybe register his first goal for us. But instead of sticking with his winning team he tinkered and played Calvert-Lewin instead of Kean. Apart from the goal it's generally agreed that Calvert-Lewin was crap.

Moise Kean is never going to be a Premier League player if he isn't given a run of first team games to get himself up to speed in the league. Every time he's played so far, even as a substitute, there's been a buzz about the place when he's on the ball, rather than a groan when the ball falls at Calvert-Lewin's feet in or around the area.

Silva's full of excuses and refuses to admit his own failings in terms of team selection, substitutions and general game management. His insistence on using Schneiderlin and Walcott has got fans scratching their heads. We surely can't all be wrong about those two.

Tosun scores twice for Turkey in midweek. Silva's reward for his performance... Not even on the bench for the Bournemouth game. He's another that just might come good given game time on a regular basis.

How long is Silva going to be allowed to get by on a diet of excuses? I think that time is past.

I'm not convinced by him but anything is worth a go to see if it works. Walcott brings nothing to the table and doesn't look as quick to me as he was.

Jim Bennings says that our pre-season was not good enough, but Jim most of his squad were away on International duty so all he had left was squad players.

Dave Abrahams says were not fit enough, I disagree and the stats prove we are one of the fittest teams in the league with the high pressing. Dave also says he is happy with the job Brands is doing, and I would agree up to a point.

But for me to have left us with no back up centre back and they knew Zouma was going to stay at Chelsea, and even worse, not to have signed a quality striker, was unforgivable.

We seem to spend money on wide players, so much so that we have Iwobi, Bernard, Richarlison and Walcott, but our choice up-front is two young strikers learning the job.

It was clear to everybody that Silva didn't fancy Tosun or Niasse, but still Brands didn't get in a quality striker which was sadly lacking in this team and still is.

if that substantial amount is more than we paid for him, £28M, then I'd say yes, but it will leave us desperately short up front if Calvert-Lewin or Kean suffer an injury. Is Silva prepared to chance this?

If we do sell Tosun, then give the lot to Chelsea in January for Zouma.

As I said I don't think Silva has any intention of playing Tosun, and I think if Calvert-Lewin or Kean get injured I think he will play Richarlison in that role.

Dave, I don't think its a lack of passion or determination, I think it might be a lack of quality in certain positions.

I also think that we lack pace in our 2 holding players whether it be Schneiderlin, Delph or Gomes, so the chances of them joining a quick attacking break is nil.

My own opinion is that you can't play a high pressing game unless you have pace at the back, because a defender who is worried about getting done for pace, usually has a tendency to drop off.

It smacks of players on different pages, and leads to confusion throughout the team, which is exactly how we looked on Sunday afternoon, and that's before we talk about a lack of character running right through the spine of the team.

We must disagree re passion – I saw no collective determination to fight back on Sunday with players still passing square and not really getting into them. Delph, Kean and Richarlison exempted from that. They seemed to me to reflect the despair shown on the bench with no Plan B – made me think back to Keegan in the Germany game when he threw in the towel because he wasn't up to the job tactically.

I'm not scratching my head, Brian! I'm livid! How anyone can play Morgan Schneiderlin after the shite he served up in the Big Sam season, I do not know! He's so slow, he makes a three-toed-sloth look like Linford Fucking Christie!

If he never plays for us again I wouldn't even remember who he is!

Walcott? He just looks like he's on holiday at Camp-Everton – the home for washed-up players looking for an easy street to retirement!

I agree when you mention a lack of character running through the team. I see Gary Neville has said "It's still a fragility with them and a belief issue, it's certainly what frustrates me about them so it must frustrate Everton fans".

I think he has hit the nail on the head, this team is mentally weak. They don't believe they can compete at the very top, that's why when the pressure is on to make a statement they blow it.

Now how you fix that belief and fragility issue I don't know, but I know until they do fix it there will be no trophies or Champions League spots coming to Goodison.

God knows what the players make of some of this stuff during team talks. Perhaps it is best that some of them still have difficulties with English.

Defence is lost without Zouma, let's hope Chelsea will sell, but ai fancy they'll want part exchange, for some of our higher potential players, certainly we have no consistent stars.

I actually don't expect much these days as long as they put in a shift for 97 mins, but when was the last season Everton played like a proper team consistently?

The mindset is numbing and a good pub team could have beaten us on Sunday due to the lazy pines and lack of game management on the pitch.

I've said on a few previous threads, painful as it is, but now we must give the Captain's job to Delph, who has shown signs of kicking some arse on the pitch and he cares about Everton.

They can't keep approaching and playing Premier League games at home and away, like friendlies. The book stops with the manager and his coaches.

It's crazy that up to first-team level our teams have generally done very well for the last 6 years, but the transition to the EPL, seems too much of a gap to bridge for our youngsters, but let's hope soon some are knocking on the door and will play and fight for the Everton shirt with pride. That lack of guts and the now perpetual hope, is killing off the spirits of a few generations.

Bramley-Moore Dock, if it happens, will make the pain worse if the team doesn't step up to play to the level Evertonians expect.

Let's see how Sheffield United turn out, no doubt Jagielka will have told them the trade secrets, but that's not too hard to suss out after only a handful of games this season.

As for Silva cowering in the dugout, he wants to wise up. He is a far better coach and manager than any of that shower. Does he really think that the backroom staff are worrying or give a dam about the result against Bournemouth, they are probably sniggering away somewhere. Silva is worrying about his job and they are secure in theirs. Since when did an International break and FA break mean a break at Finch Farm.

Everton should be taking advantage to increase training and bring players up to speed. Obviously, the new head of coaching is being given the run-around. The guys before him were treated the same.

It is pathetic that Posters on this site are calling for Silva's head. I have supported Everton since the sixties and It is obvious the problem is at Finch Farm, and it is a big established problem supported by a Management hierarchy.

My advice is to get behind the Manager and start attacking the real cause of the problem. Maybe we should campaign to get access to training for fans and organise shifts to make sure someone is in attendance. Always two at a time, just in case Big Dunc takes umbrage. It would be more productive than depending on that Shower at Finches Farm. Stars of the 80s and 90s, so what.

My advice to Si!va is not to get ulcers, but give them to that shower at Finch Farm. Start saying you want new blood in and sack a few and let Kenwright deal with it. Start with the Head Physio, who Martinez shifted and boomeranged back. Never should have been back. Then the message will be clear.

Hard work, they don't know the meaning of the word. Sack the lot.

I watched the Aston Villa v West Ham game last night, and you could see the desire from both teams to get all three points. Sadly a desire, that seemed to be missing from our team, (apart from a couple) against the mighty Bournemouth.

Zouma has fallen down the pecking order a tad at Chelsea, following a couple of un-characteristic horror shows and two own-goals I think. Whether he is doing that to drive both his desirability and price down, is a matter for conjecture.

Having said that, although he seems to be on the bench, I still doubt whether they would consider letting him go in the January Window with their ban still in place. There again, we may have a different Manager come the Summer who eyes different targets, so who knows?

We as fans, have always been treated like Mushrooms: kept in the dark, and fed a load of shite!

He has always turned like the Titanic and shown signs of a lack of awareness and concentration but that seems more pronounced this season.

Keane is the problem, not Mina, and that is compounded by the tactics and setup in front of him.

You cannot play a high press game with centre-backs like Keane – something Klopp found out so he signed Van Dijk and banished the self-called "Best centre-back in the World" (Lovren) to the bin.

If Zouma is scoring own goals to facilitate a move to Everton, then “No thank you” — who would want such a player?

I highly doubt that is the case.

Brands hasn't given up on the academy. He frequently attends games, has coffee with Adeniran. I think he's actually getting the academy back on track but focusing on top young talent as opposed to buying average 20-year-olds to help us win the U23 league each year.

I did say it tongue-in-cheek, but point taken.

We have already started the own goal routine, with Delph (who wasn't too bad overall) showing the others how it should be done!

Hopefully they don't catch on too quickly, or at all. :-)

I like Michael, don't get me wrong, but he is not the quickest, and is prone to some stupid, almost schoolboy errors. We definitely seem to be more solid with Zouma, once he settled in to the job and became accustomed to the style of play (whatever that is).

The shortcomings of Silvaball

As an example, last season, we had Bernard and Digne working as a unit, supporting each other and offering an option for each other. Gueye was so mobile he could also join in making a little triangle. Despite Bernard's lack of end product, the unit was productive as a whole.

It's those triangles that cut the space down between our players, make the distance less, increase the chances of a successful pass and allow us to retain possession and make progress as a unit. If we lose the ball then we are close enough to have a good chance to get it back or at least close down the opposition.

Now we are spread out all over the place-way too much space between players and, since Guye has gone, no one mobile enough in midfield to get around and make up the little triangles. The end result is too much space between our players, no combinations and big spaces when we turn the ball over.

As a fan I want my manager to tell it the way it is. If Mr Silva has not realised the first step to the sack is coming the politically correct to fans when they are seething from a poor performance. Then its time to go.

Protect yourself Mr Silva or your players will sink you.

You would think so Dave, but cowering away in the dugout Silva looked an isolated figure. He isn't the only Manager who has looked like that. The Finch Farm shower, have seen Managers come and go, they may have even helped some of them on their way. The pattern of Everton-s performance is systemic of something. The Aston Villa and Bournemouth performance are not new to us.

The side that played Bournemouth lacked preparation and training. I know there are a lot of posters caught up in tactical analysis, but to be a yard short or technically off par or not give a toss in the Premier League means you are dead meat.

I genuinely believe Silva gave instructions and enthusiastically coached, but went those around you are cheats and secure in their jobs, Silva is on a mission to nothing. They may buck up when the pressure is on, but will revert to type again. All they need in Premier League survival, they are not going to earn more, or leave no-one would want them.

Brands doesn't seem to be able to make a peg of them either and as Dave #27 says some of the players don't seem to give a toss, when seen in the flesh. This crowd is well embedded and it will take a ruthless and well backed effort to sort them out.

Kieran# 48,

Glad to hear Brands is showing interest and thank you for letting me know. But I am disappointed regarding the development of younger players and feel Finch Farm has something to do with it. Vlasic and lookman couldn't wait to get away and a lot of young players are looking away on loans. Granted that some may be as part of Brands plans, but not all. The former Manager of Wales complained that a young player Everton had loaned to him was never contacted by Everton while with him. Basically abandoned.

Negative, pessimistic point of view? Without doubt, but also very realistic. When I read about Rob's Herculean effort to attend the game, I got so mad at the thought of minimal effort some of the players gave. Even if they became aware of the fantastic effort our supporters gave, it probably wouldn't change their outlook.

He is copping out, Tony: not my responsibility; you are on your own, Marco; Marco is wrong, but I am right, but useless.

If his hands are tied, what is he doing about it? – Getting paid for nothing.

How could Silva depend on that?

It's hard to believe that this is the attitude of some multi-million pound players for most ToffeeWebbers and Everton fans in general, since we all would love to play for Everton and the team achieve.

But due to previous mismanagement: in transfers, a parental attitude to some players with extended contracts and a parental attitude that gives a over the hill player a coaching job till they get the old age pension, means Everton is full to the gills with people who believe they have a right to be there and are actually worth the money they are getting paid. No other Club would have them, except Man Utd.

What's more Moshiri has re enforced the point by being a Sugar Dad to a hierarchy of Management, who previously could not achieve anything, other than demoted the Everton Foot Club from it previous high levels of achievement.

We all know about the deadwood in the Club, the extent of it is way beyond players sitting on overpriced contracts. There is not just deadwood in the Club, but a severe case of dryrot, and it is in danger of affecting any progress.

Silva needs to see out his contract, Brands needs to keep reducing the deadwood. His appointment to the Board was a good move, though unorthodox, Moshiri needs to get more control of the Board and there needs to be a collective effort to sort out the arm side and Finch Farm.

This will not happen overnight and will take time but, with the above poor attitude, Moshiri, Brands and Silva are going to need all the support we can muster, because previous Managers have been usurped by this shower. They are capable of busting a billionaire. Look how much money Moshiri has already lost and look who has gained.

Alex Ferguson the manager knew everyone from the tea lady to the chairman not only by name but what role they played in the running of the club...

If Silva thinks his hands are tied then dose that mean he has no respect from others who work at the club..

Ferguson was a winner even before he got the Man Utd job.. Silva has shown a weakness with this statment and he will be on borrowed time if results and performances don't improve...

If players can't or won't give their all for the shirt then Marco must play the players who will...

And there lays the cunundrum... play Tom Davis a lot of posters say... at least he will give you the energy the drive etc... however, some say he is a headless chicken...

Player power is riffe at Everton and a weak manager has been found out...

If the manager fails to motivate the players and his ideas the players just go through the motions simply because they can..

If the manager fails to kick them up the arse or motivates them to up thier game then expect more of the same..

Everton fans always expect more from thier team they want passion.. style and most importantly they want a team that wins.. rolls thier sleeves up when the going gets tough and fight..

These players up thier game at Goodison coz they can't hide infront of 38 thousand passionate fans...

Last season's good run in was the spring board for fans to be optimistic about a new season... sadly though it's back to the same old reality of hoping of better things to come..

I said Silva needs to get off to a good start or the knives will be out... well their ceretainly being sharpened, Marco!!

If we take our Everton tinted glasses off, we'd see it's never been the case in recent years. "Once a Blue, always a blue" ring any bells? Attitudes change when you're at the pinnacle of your game, and money (agents) talks.

Yeah, we all say we'd die for the badge, but if you had the choice of playing for one of the top five clubs, with a chance of winning the Premier League or FA Cup, or becoming a Legend at Everton, what would you choose?

Obviously, for 99% of us, this is a rhetorical question, because it's easy to state you would play for nothing. However, once you're in the top 20% of the footballing world, playing in what some call the finest league in the world, I imagine your attitude would change.

Kenwright spent years looking for someone who had money who would act as a silent partner, so he could still run his train set.

There is far too much cronyism, it's run like a charity, not a ruthless business operation, and the players get away with murder because they have the power – not the manager and coaches.

I wonder (as I don't know the answer) how this compares with our friends across the park or Man City?

It was not Silva who said when tackled by Fans that 'My hands are tied'. It was Duncan Ferguson. A poster on ToffeeWeb was the fan who tackled him, and posted it on this site. It was posted by him genuinely, but he failed to seen the significance, accepting Duncan's lame excuse. In those circumstances, I would have probably accepted as it was meant to be interpreted, as the poster did.

I am not singling out Duncan for criticism, but highlighting the attitude within the Club, which probably other backroom staff may have, and is reflected in the Everton team performance.

Man Utd are Everton 5 years ago. They need a serious cleanout. Alex Ferguson was capable of Managing the team, the backroom staff and any Management that he had to deal with. A man I knew in Glasgow who knew him, all his life, told me Ferguson was every type of Manager from a bastard to a best friend and was ruthless and singleminded in achieving an objective. He was born like that and never changed, throughout the years He knew him.

Ferguson's mistake was that because he found it easy, he thought Moyes could do it, because he came from Glasgow and also thought that players would behave as he demanded and did.

His other mistake was not offloading Rooney earlier, when he asked for a new contract. I put that down to the mellowing effect of old age.

I don't want to see him sacked right now, but at the same time that doesn't mean that I think he's going necessarily in the right direction.

10 more matches need to produce a platform for him to build on; if it's still not working then, well I honestly think Moshiri will be polishing the gun.

At the end of the day, we are nearly 4 years into the Moshiri era now, there's no way he can be satisfied that Everton are barely much further down the line than when Martinez left.

Football changes so fast but, at Everton, transition and progression seems to take far too long.

Stop playing Sscneiderlin, try Holgate with Mina (some might say Keane) and start getting the players to think for themselves sometimes (like Richarlson did when he hit the bar), rather than just looking to get the ball wide, (which wouldn't be so bad if we then got bodies into our opponent's box).

The important communication must happen away from the media and I hope it does but anything in our direction is hollow. Actions speak louder by far. So let's judge only by that and not some irrelevant bla bla interview.

I agree, but that was way back in 2016 and we can't keep on looking back; otherwise, in 10 years time, we'll still be saying look at how bad 2016 was.

In the last 3 years, we should have progressed to the stage where we go away to teams like Bournemouth and Villa with the aspirations to win the match not just hope to not lose, it's this fixation with static holding midfielders that I can't get my head around.

I don't want Silva sacked yet; I'll be honest, I want him to succeed badly but it's not up to us, it's up to Moshiri. If things don't improve by Winter, I think he'll remove Silva in the way he shifted the lavish Dutchman in October 2017.

I think we have progressed. Certainly on the pitch. If you look at the team now compared to the team that Silva inherited, I would say it is markedly better. And younger. We now have 5-6 players who are in the mid or early 20s who would be worth more than we paid for them and stand a decent chance of getting in or around the top 6 teams.

On the pitch, things have improved too, though less clearly.

Last season, we finished the league with 5 points and 22 better goal difference than in 17-18. If we were to make the same improvement again this season in points, that would give us 59 points which usually would be enough for 6th or 7th.

I think we went to both Villa and Bournemouth with the intention to win and we started both of those games very positively. My main worry with Silva is lack of resilience. We seem to struggle badly when going a goal down and his substitutions from losing positions rarely seem to influence the game positively.

But it's still early days. I agree with you that he should get at the very least till Xmas. If, by then, we are down on last season's points and languishing in the bottom half it may be time to see who is out there and interested. Though few managers out there will be able to deliver the type of progress that many on here seem to demand.

I don't think we did start well away to Bournemouth or Villa really, we started passing it around yes and won a few corners but they allowed us to do that, they sat back and knew we had little way to hurt them and then caught us out with fast tempo counter-attacks.

It's too predictable and too easy to defend against the way we play away from Goodison Park.

I don't see us often enough really take the bull by the horns in away games. Bournemouth were so wide open that I'll bet my bottom dollar someone will hit them for 7 this season, but we spend too long working the ball slowly out wide. It's just one plan, we don't have a Plan B.

Silva concerns me with his substitutions also, it's always the same: throw Walcott in... which results in nothingness.

He needs to quickly learn.

I do think we started both those games relatively well. I remember we should have had a penalty against Aston Villa for a foul on Richie. At Bournemouth ,Calvert-Lewin had a one v one where he should have lifted the ball over the keeper and Richarlison smashed the post unluckily.

We started both games on top but did not convert opportunities and possession and were undone by fairly soft goals.

I certainly don't think it's fair to say we did not set out to win those games but I agree about the lack of Plan B. We don't rebound well when going behind and that needs to change pronto if we are going to progress further this season.

Having said that, it's still relatively early days this season. Beat Sheffield this weekend and after 3 home games and 3 away games we should be in the top 7 or so. Like it or not I think that's about where we belong with this squad. Brands has done decent work but we have holes in a few places with a slow midfield, a slow defence and a real lack of experience up top.

With all this it is frustrating that we have not taken advantage but we are well in the mix at the moment but we need to sort ourselves out quickly before the rest of them do and start to pull away.

The manager's hands are not tied. Ferguson's are because he can't rant and rave at the team on the touchline – that's the manager's job and Duncan would be overstepping his authority.

Silva has complete control over training, coaching, selection and motivation and his pathetic public show of ineptitude on Sunday was hugely worrying. He has to get a grip quickly now, sort out his team selection and drive his team forward not sit on his hands and look depressed.

If I was a player I would get zero inspiration from him on Sundays showing and it would be easy to take the view of “Well if he's given up then so will I because that's clearly okay”.

Coleman's place is under threat, or it should be. If Kenny was here he would be my first name on the team sheet and I haven't seen the new guy enough to say whether he should replace Seamus. I

'd certainly try Holgate with Mina and reinstate the partnership between Bernard and Digne. Schneiderlin would be out, not because he has been poor but because he is too slow and negative and we need some dash and verve in the midfield.

Sigurdsson would be out for the same reason.He has lived on a reputation for being a dead ball specialist since he joined us but his delivery is usually crap. Digne is the man for this and Siggy is just too slow for me. Yes, he is capable of playing a good pass and last season scored goals but there is a reason why he didn't make it at Spurs and we are seeing it.

Iwobi would be my choice in Sigurdsson's place with either Gomes or Tom in place of Morgan. Gomes is not quick but his brain is and with Iwobi adding pace and energy I think those two plus Delph could be a good mix. Tom to come on as first sub if needed.

Up front, we have got to play Kean as he will only acclimatise with games. Richi has to play so tell him to get closer to Kean and likewise Iwobi.

We haven't got the defenders to sit tight and catch opponents on the break while we are so flimsy so send out a team to score goals before too much damage is done.

Something like this:

Pickford
Sidibe Keane Mina Digne
Gomes Delph Iwobi
Richarlison Kean Bernard

You could drop one of the centre-backs for Holgate but I'm not convinced he's the answer. I think that's a team with more pace and dynamism in it. You could maybe play Sigurdsson for Gomes as he offers more creatively but the Portuguese is (marginally) better defensively.

Silva really needs to detach himself from the 4-2-3-1 which is restricting our options in my opinion.

We all have our opinions but everyone seems to agree that he has to do something different to spark this team into proper action.

Silva arrived in the summer of 2018, and the football club he came into after Ronald, Steve and Sam, was nothing short of a disgrace, so let’s think things through a bit Jim, like you have when you said it’s all down to Moshiri.

I think he’ll give Silva time, because he can’t go on sacking managers, whilst he’s still clearing the decks of the shite left behind by others?

Having said that if Mina and Keane keep conceding soft goals we'll have to try something. I saw Zouma was subbed off last night. I rather expect to see him return in January or maybe next summer as he seems down the Chelsea pecking list, real shame about their transfer ban!

We are so short of options there and I did wonder if Schneiderlin can play there which again wouldn't fill me with confidence. Holgate might work or it might be awful but assuming Gibson and Feeney are not considered ready yet who else is there?

Zouma appears more likely now in January as he is having a tough time but there's around 20 games to play before that even becomes possible.

Schneiderlin would be a little more mobile than Keane, I fear. Feeney the same. Gibson might be an option though Holgate is probably safer than him currently. I also wish West Brom had played Holgate at centre-back last season so we had a better idea of how consistent he could be in that position.

Silva was given a 3-year contract and it is important he sees it out. The 3 years, in my opinion, is significant, in that, at the end of 3 years, progress will be assessed, not only in the case of Silva, who may have set a self target to progress or move on. But, Brands will also assessing how the Everton Project is going and so will Moshiri.

In the case of Brands, who has recognisable ability, will he see a better future else where? and I think we all will agree he will have plenty of offers. In the case of Moshiri he will also be assessing progress and making a decision whether progress is fulfilling his expectations and where he decided to commit money for investment in a new Stadium.

In the context of this 3-year horizon Silva is the only show in town, and I doubt either Brands or Moshiri will want to prolong the horizon, with a new manager. The problem is that there is an element within Everton, who do not care about any horizon as long as they are getting their money. But, the clock is running and Silva, Moshiri and Brands may have limits to there commitment to the Everton project.

The whole club needs to be singing off the same hymn sheet and needs to be progressing this season, because next season, they need to be there or thereabouts as far as the three gentlemen mentioned will be concerned. The rest could be left to their mediocrity, you can only flog a dead horse for so long.

A good start would be to make sure the team playing is well prepared and fit, which wasn't the case against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, whatever the organisation or tactics.

I have never made it a secret that I do not like him in an Everton shirt, he may be a decent fellow off the field (which I doubt too), but once he puts that shirt on, and is capable of fulfilling so many supporter's dreams, he has failed to deliver and been over-financially rewarded for that in the process.

I think I can count on one finger, maybe two, the decent games he has had with us, to me that is a disgrace, which, is bad enough but our so-called leader keeps picking him.

Has he got a gun to his head or what? As has been mentioned so many times before, he persists in picking the wrong combination (especially away) and further exacerbating it, by selecting, and bringing on the wrong substitutions, in what is more often than not, a lost cause by then.

When was the last time we drove forward through the middle, I have seen players on the edge of the box and instead of having a go at dribbling past players in the box, or try and get a shot off, they either pass behind, or play it out wide.

Once out wide, the defenders just pack the area and win the ball.

Anyone who has stats, I would like to know what our goal conversion rate is from corners we have won.

That is the problem: teams have us worked out and know there's not much danger coming from the attacking middle of the Park, and that it will eventually end up wide.

Too many players are scared of having a go at goal and would rather pass.

Really? Do you think we've lost far more games with Schneiderlin in the starting 11 than without?

The worst season he had (and he certainly wasn't alone) was playing in front of Kenny, Williams, Holgate and Martina. Go figure!!

In my blinkered eyes, he's not had a bad game for over a year.

I guess the next article will be...

"Walcott: A Bentley of a Player."

Never a fan of him from the 2 seasons ago lack of commitment, but more often than not, he has come in and done a job over the past year, could we do better, most definitely but to put the sole blame on Schneiderlin is making a scapegoat, so until we get that player, we will have to have Schneiderli covering the back four, now that Gueye is no longer here.

Delph and Davies for me are more advanced midfielders and need to be further forward, which leaves a Schneiderlin as the only more defensive midfielders we have.

Morgan is okay, no more or less than that but Siggy has been a problem ever since we signed him. Probably because of his fee he has been undroppable but goals apart he contributes little. He works hard enough but doesn't tick the boxes for me.

Central midfield has to be Delph, Gomes and Iwobi with the Bernard & Digne partnership restored.

Easy for some to attack Schneiderlin, but we simply do not have another defensive midfielder covering our back four.

It was Gana's role but in all honesty he was too good for us and deserved his move to a top European team.

Against Bournemouth, Seamus 'can't cross' Coleman was a good attacking outlet but his final ball isn't good enough. Also, no-one was covering his position because the remaining CBs and Schneiderlin are to slow and out of position.

King made 4 or 5 good runs almost unchallenged in the second half down our right side. It was an obvious flaw that didn't get resolved.

More often than not, it was Richarlison trying to get back and cover, unfortunately giving away the free-kick that resulted in their 2nd goal.

But I'm not blaming Richarlison for it, the wall, marking and general readiness just wasn't there. Similarly for their 3rd goal, defended not switched on, pushed up too high and all to simple. Pickford also in no-man's land, again.

Ronaldo went for £80 million at the age of 32. And I'm not saying Gana is anywhere near Ronaldo's level. But £26 million is a steal.