Silva: I’m not worried

Monday, 7 October, 2019 318comments  |  Jump to most recent

Marco Silva says that while neither he nor his players are happy with recent results or Everton's position in the table, he isn't concerned about his ability to rouse the team from its early-season slump.

The Blues dropped into the bottom three this weekend after losing 1-0 at Burnley and Newcastle United moved out of the drop zone with a win over Manchester United by the same scoreline and that has heightened the scrutiny of Silva's methods and ratcheted up the pressure on his shoulders.

The Portuguese was remaining confident in the aftermath of what a fifth defeat in six Premier League games and Everton's fourth straight league defeat, repeating his refrain from the previous couple of weeks that unity, hard work and more clinical finishing up front are the keys to getting back to winning ways.

“I never lose my focus,” he said in The Telegraph. “Never, never never. I never lose my desire, and I never lose what is important in my job.

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“In some moments, you have to be the most calm person to change the team, so you can think and react and show your players what is the way.

“Of course, we're not worried at the moment. I have the same confidence I had at the beginning of the season. The same confidence about our quality and what we're doing every single day.

“We are not being clinical like we should be in some moments, and that is going against us, but I'm not worried.

“Of course, I'm not happy with the results and the position that we are in the table. But by working hard and being braver, more clinical and assertive up front to score goals, we can win the games.

"All the feedback I had in the last few days and last week as well, goes in this way,” Silva continued, referring to his interaction with the club's hierarchy.

“If they saw the game, and for sure they saw, they can analyse and they will have seen the same thing that I saw and I don't see that as being reason for things to change, to be honest."

In the immediate aftermath of the loss at Turf Moor, Silva argued that his team deserved more from the game, especially before captain Seamus Coleman was sent off in the 56th minute for a second bookable offence.

"When you lose a football game it is always like that [disappointing],” Silva said after leading the applause of a frustrated travelling faithful at the final whistle. “I think we did more than our opponent but they are always a difficult team to play against. First half we were the better team on the pitch.

"The game was balanced and after 55-60 minutes the second yellow made things more difficult on the pitch. From set-pieces they were more brave than us. We have to be more brave.

"It is important to keep the faith in ourselves. Of course it is not easy for them [the fans]. They want more and deserve more and it is up to us to stick together."

 

Reader Comments (318)

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Peter Gorman
1 Posted 07/10/2019 at 07:40:44
I'm worried he's not worried. All this claptrap about 'keeping faith', how about you try something new as this shite isn't working.
Derek Knox
2 Posted 07/10/2019 at 07:48:50
Spot on Peter, he is just treading water, he isn't worried because he will be in for another bumper payday with another compensation package, and he is too arrogant and stubborn to believe that he is responsible for the mess we are in.

Like I said on another thread, with his track record, why give him a three-year deal, in the first place? It should have been one year to eighteen months, and if he had succeeded then look at extending it. You would have thought lessons would have been learnt from the Koeman and Allardyce fiascoes.

Steven Smith
3 Posted 07/10/2019 at 07:50:54
Obviously he’s not worried because he doesn’t understand. Let alone the damage he has caused to our club but it has been seen with him before. It’s simple, if there’s something wrong, fix it. Instead, he believes his ideas are correct. What the F is wrong with us lately. We have passionate fans who are left with nothing after traveling to away games and deserve a hell of a lot more.
SORT IT OUT EVERTON !!
Daniel A Johnson
4 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:06:14
Not worried...…...we are bottom 3 Silva mate.

This disjointed football which shows no organisation and no heart is all happening under your daily watch.

BOTTOM 3 !!!!

My big fear is that unless we get the next appointment right we could end up being the next Aston Villa. Blowing cash season after season, changing managers and then the chairman has enough and pulls out.

We are realistically with the teams around us too good to go down (famous last words). But being in the bottom 3 can bring unwanted pressure to the play. We could easily go on downward spiral.

I bet Sam Allardyce is laughing his big fat arse off.

Gerard Carey
5 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:08:33
Not worried, Marco!!?? Well every Everton fan is worried, very worried that you will sleepwalk us into the Championship.
Jerome Shields
6 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:12:27
Silva has a three year contract and probably a job lined up in Portugal, if he's wise. Better than being unemployed as he was previously. No need to worry.
Aiden Doyle
7 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:14:14
I can understand why people want him out but I really have no idea who to bring in instead. The number of managers who are (a) genuinely top class, (b) potentially available and (c) likely to choose us over Spurs or Man United is an awfully short shortlist.
Ken Kneale
8 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:14:28
I too picked up on another thread but it is worth repeating - this is delusional thinking. How an earth if this is sanctioned by the Club hierarchy do we get them to their senses and quickly.
Neil Rogers
9 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:31:06
He isn't worried...???

Well, I tell you what, Marco, we are!

He has no Plan B, doesn't know his best 11, never changes things, and insists on picking Calvert-Lewin up-front every game. Also, Brands must carry the can for making some really bad signings.

Colin Metcalfe
10 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:32:12
He will be given time to turn it around, last season after that Spurs mauling I couldn’t see where the next win would come from but to his credit we start to pick up points.

We are only 8 games in and we have to keep our nerve, we can’t just keep on hiring and firing and another upheaval.

We are in a bad position and Silva has to take the blame for some inept performances but I also think Brands should take a fair share of the blame, no replacement for Zouma, Iwobi is not on Zaha level and this kid from Juventus will need over a season maybe two to find his feet in the Premier League, we.should of got a recognized striker in as well as Kean

West Ham is now a must win game for Silva and I think he will deliver but he has got to change that system and up the tempo of our play, over to you Marco

John Keating
11 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:35:58
Aiden7
Like you Aiden I haven’t a clue who we should bring in
What I do know that this management and players are letting us, the Club and themselves down badly

The proven failed tactics and lack of motivation are purely down to the manager
The lack of effort, self motivation and commitment to Club and support is wholly down to most of the players

I am pissed off with the tactical geniuses and statisticians continuously telling us that we need a youngish, good looking foreigner with a Latin name ending in a vowel, as if all that will make us great again

Would giving the job to Unsworth and letting a couple of his young 100% kids have a run rather than the present failures really be any worse than the shithouses we have just now

Daniel A Johnson
12 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:37:17
it's alright saying keep your nerve but after nearly 50 games in charge we are bottom 3.

We are bottom 3 (-7 goal diff) after playing some mediocre teams too.

Panic stations maybe not but my arse is tweaking looking at the table this morning.

In don't see where our next goal is coming from never mind our next win.

Frank Sheppard
13 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:40:36
He is even more disillusioned than I thought he was. How can he not be worried? He is incapable of getting the team to play for him, and he cannot coach defenders. I genuinely believe our problems stem from the fact that the players cannot understand what it is he is trying to get them to do, in all the various “moments” he goes on about. Replacement ? We have to stop kidding ourselves we can get a top class replacement into this car crash of a club & squad. Chris Houghton would do for me, a good communicator, and a safe pair of hands for a while.
Kevin Dale
14 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:47:22
It is worrying he not worried (I am)! I'm not for changing managers at every set of poor results, but, the fact he does not seem to change anything other than the odd player, plus, he cannot change the way games are going during games is very concerning! The system he plays only ever has one man in the box, the two wings and over lapping fullback are banging in crosses, but because we only have that one man in the box (no matter who it is!) the odds are stacked against, and team have us sussed! Plus, the dreaded poor defending at set pieces! All makes you question his credentials as a coach/manager?

For me its very concerning! we may get the odd good result going forward, but is he capable of taking Everton forward? I'm not so sure now!

Martin Berry
15 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:49:03
Farhad has not met him to talk about the weather ! surely he has been told of dissatisfaction.
I want him to succeed then Everton succeed, the trouble is with this bloke is that you just cant see him changing anything.
Will the zonal marking or the insistence on the current formation that is obviously not working change ? I doubt it, therefore he will be the architect of his own downfall.
A loss against West Ham and ironically I can see Yarmolenko scoring will see him off.
John Keating
16 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:50:16
They can’t be doing much at Finch Farm during the week so a waste of time being there
Might be better making them all do double shifts at Alder Hey for a few weeks
A couple of months salaries donated there might make them focus their attention and motivate them
Daniel A Johnson
17 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:50:31
Funny how man Utd are struggling to score goals with an unproven manager with kids up front after not replacing Lukaku, and are also staring into the abyss.

Funny how that sounds just like us.

The lack of a Lukaku replacement is killing us. Opposition teams just flood Sigurdsson now and we cant score at all. Hence when we go a goal down we never come back from that.

Paul Tran
18 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:54:41
I'd be more worried for anyone who genuinely believes he's not worried!

I think Frank Sheppard has it spot on. I'm not convinced he's getting through to players. These days, coaches have a tendency to over-complicate the game. That means you need to be a really good communicator and it looks like that's not what Silva is.

The next man must be able to communicate clearly and be able to lift the players.

Oliver Molloy
19 Posted 07/10/2019 at 08:58:45
None of you know what you are talking about.
Silva is not worried, so believe him.
Brands and Moshiri might be worried now, for it they if have fucked. again.!
Peter Barry
20 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:01:57
Well he should be.
Eddie Dunn
21 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:03:39
I don't blame Silva for his statement, he has to try to look unruffled, secure in the knowledge that his methods will eventually bear fruit.
His only alternative is to admit defeat and resign, but very few coaches do that these days with the huge pay-offs if they are sacked.
The sad thing is that we all want him to come good, to sort it out like he did last year but all the signs are that he has no idea and his methods do not work, especially without Zouma and Gueye.
These two missing is the mitigating factor.
Bill Fairfield
22 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:04:22
He's not worried, shouldn't think any prem manager being worried playing against us so predictable
Kim Vivian
23 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:05:53
Again - in English please, Oliver 😁
David Woodworth
24 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:07:21
Chelsea with there unproven manager and playing with a few kids seems to be working. The difference between DCL and Tammy Abraham !
A mate who’s a ManU season ticket holder says Utd play like us, sideways and backwards passing, no goal threat.
Moshiri is a businessman, what it would cost to get rid of Silva he’d make back on the league position payout.
On the wider point this was an ideal opportunity to get into Europe, make Everton a more marketable name and get some decent sponsorship.
Get rid before the real footy starts again.
Might be able to enjoy the game again.
Dave Abrahams
25 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:12:25
Everton players came back from their summer holidays in early July, three months later they look like they are still on their holidays.

When are you going to start Mr. Silva. I’m not worried that your not worried, I’m worried that no one at Board level seems to be worried.

When they eventually let him go I hope they take a very long time to sort out and argue about the level of compensation he will receive, maybe that will start him worrying.

At the moment the only people seen to be worried about Everton football club and it’s future is us, the fans and we have a great deal to be worried about, because we care, let someone at the top show they care and more importantly do something about it.

Ian Edwards
26 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:19:33
Our biggest problem is the formation. Two holding midfielders and one isolated forward kills us every game. I feel sorry for Kean. He must be regretting coming to the club. The three behind the lone forward are ineffective. Zonal marking has been a disaster. We had an opening fixture list we would have hand picked and are in the bottom three. Harder fixtures to come. If Silva isn't sacked quickly we are going down.
Dave Lynch
27 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:25:05
Let's face it.
The new manager whoever he may be does not have much to live up to does he.

No trophy since big joe...

Tony Everan
28 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:28:35
The same ineffective sterile formations each week resulting in the same hopeless losses each week worries me rigid.

Why doesn't it worry the board?, Why doesn't it worry Marco Silva?

Why keep to a losing formula, when every Evertonian can see is completely futile to do so?

This stubbornness in sticking to his losing tactics is being dressed up as steely resolve.

That response loses it's lustre after 5 defeats in 6 and 4 on the bounce, whilst we are embedded in the bottom three.

All this after our easiest start for many years.

Shame on the board for papering over this. These are not hairline cracks - the house is falling down.


Dave Williams
29 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:29:44
Harry Redknapps comments over the weekend about our team and lack of marking are very accurate.
What sends the message to me that he is wrong for the job is his failure to appear from his dugout to instruct,encourage etc. I am not necessarily expecting Klopp- style histrionics but he sends the message out that he has given up and has run out of ideas, just like Keegan did against Germany at the end of which he fessed up and quit. These days if the manager sends that message the players will do likewise. At the moment the only thing keeping the spirit of this club going is the supporters and the players and staff should be ashamed of themselves. Do they have no pride in their job- paid obscene amounts of money to deliver entertainment to supporters who love their club and want to be able to idolise their players? At the weekend when I walked the dog I had to leave my EFC rain jacket at home because I was too embarrassed to be seen in it. Not because we are in the bottom three but because we are so inept and no one really seems all that bothered.
Something drastic needs to happen, we need a new dawn before support starts to fall away like it did in the early eighties before Kendall got a grip.
I don’t see this guy doing it.
Christopher Dover
30 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:44:17
I am not worried why should I be? I will keep doing the same things over and over again because I know they will work and everyone else is wrong, if you don't believe then just wait it will happen and I will will keep saying this as we are relagated and as they come for me with the white coats and special jacket to wear all because I am right.
Jason Broome
31 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:49:09
So we need 15 wins out of our last 30 games to come anywhere near eighth.

11 of the remaining 30 games are against top 6 opponents.

We are now considered a soft touch to soft teams.

We haven't suffered an injury to a key defender yet. This will most likely happen at some point. Naive to think it won't.

No Kurt Zouma or Gana Gueye to help defend in open play and curb pointless fouls around the box.

We can't defend from set pieces again for the second season (and this time it is really showing).

Zonal marking doesn't work without a Zouma and or Gueye type player to quickly close the gaps left open by less effective tacklers.

Our main goal threat Sigurdsson is playing as he did at spurs... poor. Kean is not ready and needs time (not his fault). DCL doesn't have what it takes and is as effective as Jermaine Beckford. I would feel more confident with James Vaughan leading the line.

Where are our goals going to come from? Richarlison, Iwobi, Mina? Is this the reality?

Fact. Shit football aside... Allardyce and Moyes were the superior managers.

I would be using these 2 weeks to find a replacement.

But hey, whose worried?

Ian Lloyd
32 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:49:48
Why has nothing been done? Why hasn’t he gone first thing this morning?!! I fear the worse and believe we are unbelievably going to keep him!
Welcome to the championship Everton ! FFS!!
Mike Keating
33 Posted 07/10/2019 at 09:56:07
This man is running out of 'moments'.
Fran Mitchell
34 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:01:59
December is coming fast, From 1st of December to 1st of January we have : Leicester City (A)
Liverpool (A)
Chelsea (H)
Manchester United (A)
Arsenal (H)
Burnley (H)
Newcastle United (A)
Manchester City (A)

That is a scary run of games that could send us bottom, or near, at the start of 2020. Before that, we have 4 league games:

Brighton (A)
Tottenham Hotspur (H)
Southampton (A)
Norwich City (H)

all of these are winnable, and a target of 8 points should be absolute minimum. That could well put us in good stead for the nightmare run of December.

But does anyone have any confidence that SIlva will do that? Can Silva 'turn it around'? Maybe it is not impossible, but the reality is we are risking relegation. Are you willing to risk relegation on the gamble that Silva will get it right?

We are not at risk now, but we could well be in 12 games time when we face Man City on January 1st.

SIlva has to go, and he has to go immediately. Put him on gardening leave (like the italians do, to avoid paying the pay off), and go get a top quality manager (Don't understand the calls for Benitez - his time has passed, his football is woeful, and he's one of them).

Inaction now could send this club on a Nottm Forrest style collapse.

Oliver Molloy
35 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:07:32
Morning Kim @ 23
After reading my post once again, you had me laughing very loud there, so thanks for that.
Apologies for my grammar.
Robert Williams
36 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:08:08
MK33. The 'moment' he is sacked will be an 'unforgettable moment'. A 'moment' to cherish!!
Justin Doone
37 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:09:16
I'm not surprised. We have a great record for our sacked managers to go on and manage top European international teams.

Martinez to Belgium. Koeman to Netherlands. Silva to Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey.. what is there to worry about?

Money has ruined the game. Technology is threatening to destroy it. But before that happens Everton appear to take pleasure from frustrating us all.

I'm not sure Salazar could do much to improve our performance but it may be worth a try.

Jim Bennings
38 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:10:10
Nobody at Everton ever is worried are they?

Why be worried when we can just sit and watch Liverpool dominate the city being the only meaningful club that has any ambition.?

It’s the “7th or 8th will do” mentality that has been the scourge of Everton for the entirety of he Kenwright era, Moshiri, well he’s just fallen victim to the laughin’ gas at boardroom level here at this club.

John Davies
39 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:10:27
“In some moments, you have to be the most calm person to change the team." — But Silva DOESN'T change the team! He selects the same losers and formation, week-in & week-out, and his substitutions during the game do absolutely nothing to CHANGE it!!!

“Of course, we're not worried at the moment." — Oh my days, he should be — because the rest of us fucking are! We're in the bottom 3 after the easiest of starts we've had for years!!!

“We are not being clinical like we should be in some moments, and that is going against us, but I'm not worried." — He's not worried we create so few genuine chances during every game that we have to be 100% clinical in front of goal to have a chance of winning!

Mr Moshiri and Mr Brands: Are you hearing or reading this drivel from your manager? If so, please do us all a favour and get rid. It's all well and good saying there's no-one out there to replace him but you cannot leave this fool in charge of the asylum any longer.

Paul A Smith
40 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:11:02
Gary Neville and co done a talk about United after their game yesterday.
Everytime he said 'United' he could have said Everton.

They have the same problems. They lost top players and have not replaced them even though millions have been spent.

Genius Moshiri can't even see that it will cost a top strikers wage to sack another manager.

A while back a fellow blue said to me, what Moshiri is doing is Randy Lerner on steroids.

That is absolute spot on but we never focus on the key issues.

All those arguments i had about 8th being a long shot this season seem true now already.

Clive Rogers
41 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:18:30
Being realistic I think Moshiri will give him longer, because for one thing it will cost him big bucks. If we are still not performing in the new year however I would give Unsy a go. I don’t think he was given long enough last time. He made mistakes but was quick to change things if they didn’t work. He will be older and wiser and will give his youngsters a chance, knowing which are the best. He would probably recall some from loan.
Kevin Molloy
42 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:19:35
to be fair, you can't expect him to say much different. He will have his way of viewing football, and he is not going to entertain the notion that he's been getting it wrong all these years, and that his views of footy are wrong. much more sense to take the line he is, that we stick together etc. It's all irrelevant really, however he regards himself subjectively, the objective facts are that barely two months into a season when he was granted a stay of execution after last season's appalling fare, we are deservedly in the relegation zone, just like the team he had at Watford, just like the team he had at Hull. And he's only been here three years!
I am hopeful that behind the scenes people are being sounded out, cos a fool can see every week our chap is given is a week wasted.

He must think the English are fucking nuts. I can imagine him telling all this to his gran kids in years to come.'and so, we finished in the relegation zone and got relegated.'

and what happened then Granddad?

another team in the premiership offered me lots of money to become their manager.j this team was called Watford. i stayed there for three months, but they didn't like that we were in the nasty place and so they asked me to leave.

and what happened then

then another team asked me to be their manager, and gave me ten million pounds., but we kept staying in the nasty place and eventually they asked me to leave too.

John Davies
43 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:29:14
Christ! I've just read Silva's comments once more & now I'm really pissed off. "I'm not worried" is his overriding attitude throughout.

Of course he's not worried. He has his millions in the bank. He doesn't have to watch his pennies and put a few bob aside to go and support his team. He doesn't pay hard earned cash for his season ticket.
It clearly doesn't bother him that we fans have to endure the garbage he and his team serve up week in week out.

He doesn't travel a 440-mile roundtrip – like I do – to Goodison Park to support Everton FC. Of course he's not worried. What an arrogant, disrespectful, insensitive interview that was. Get yourself gone, lad.

Paul A Smith
44 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:30:27
Clive I think Moshiri must feel like he has too but it doesn't mean its certain.

Lets look at this way. Moshiri wanted his "exciting Brand of Football" manager.
He got Silva. We don't know why he fancied Silva (maybe he literally did) but he went out of his way to get him.

So year one we have a good steady window, we improve a few positions and by the end of year one, things are looking great. A very good future ahead.

Now forget about every true point thats been made about this years poor window.

Cast your mind back to Klopps first final for Liverpool.
2 goals up and they lose in 45 second half minutes. Why?
He didn't have what was needed to see the game through HIS way.
Not the Director of footballs way, the coaches way.

Now look since they got what was really needed.
Were Man City keeping everyone entertained in the first season under Pep?

We beat that side 4-0 with Davies and Lookman on the pitch. They got what was needed and now look.

Going back to my above Post, Silva and Solskjaer are in the same boat and now people are talking in usual cliches,
"He does the same thing over and over"

Like Klopp doesn't, or Pep doesn't operate the same way of winning every game.

The damage was done before a ball was kicked. Silva isn't helping much but who will?

Moshiri knew quite well he was getting a manager that took gambles on the pitch and requires a certain type to win him games.

Unfortunately our neighbours and City have made football never more easier to understand.

Buy what is required and thats half the job.

Daniel A Johnson
45 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:33:26
Its almost as though I can envisage reading a article in a paper 5 years from now, that goes something like

"Everton were once considering a state of the art stadium on the docks in Liverpool now they have crashed out of the championship what went wrong?

Karl Meighan
46 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:34:52
The mans clueless, the team mirrors the manager. No charisma, style, heart and were left with a dour, boring shite bunch of players.

We have some decent players but quality please, 30m for a boy who cant control or pass a ball. Yes its harsh and I get he's hardly played and is a fish out of water being Italian but I'm just pointing out the idiotic scouting of players.

Defending 2 years and still unable to setup basic defending of setpieces. Markup Marco we should call this clown its words every fan here has heard since about 3 years of age it must get lost in the translation.

Last season with nothing at stake simply papered over cracks he needs to go and go now before anymore damage is done.

Paul A Smith
47 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:35:37
Daniel I still hear people now convinced it will never happen and heard this morning the cost of filling the dock is far more expensive than thought.

Could all be bull but like you say it would be no shock.
We have become a very deluded club.

Mike Kehoe
48 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:39:50
The absence of a proven finisher has haunted us since Lukaku left, no critical analysis needed just patently obvious. As many expressed earlier, before the scale of this crisis was apparent, it will take a few successful windows to have the players at his disposal, and that will be the time to judge. Personally, I have lost faith in Silva because of his refusal to try anything new; his obstinate certainty that his way will ultimately prevail, despite performances and results: so despite the inconvenience of reality. Sadly, he has been unable to achieve any kind of improvement when things go against us, we have never won from being behind, the style is an improvement on the abomination of Allardyce, but his inflexibility suggests ignorance or arrogance, or maybe both.
I recall posting almost identical sentiments regarding Koeman’s tenure, and to a lesser degree Martinez, being frustrated that the only person in the ground who could not see the many problems was the only person able to rectify the situation. It is incomprehensible to me that anyone can be that wrapped up in their ideology to be blinded by the evidence of their own eyes. I was happy with Silva’s appointment as I recalled the huge improvements he brought at Hull and good early performances with Watford; but this is not acceptable. We’ve seen too many of these snake oil salesmen before and WE KNOW the difference between phenomenal moments and dog shit, so bland platitudes and exciting announcements on the new stadium won’t wash anymore.
If the time is right to change once again, who is it to be? However gets the post will be undermined fatally if a quality forward is not secured. A safe pair of hands is required now, and for me that isn’t yet another enigmatic continental with potential: been there done that. We need someone who has over performed consistently and succeeded against the odds; someone with the ability to make a team that is more the sum of all its parts. I speak of course, of Tony Mowbray, our hero in waiting.
Only kidding, I think the best option is Eddie Howe. He has so far proved to be not an imbecile.
Brian Porter
49 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:40:00
If it wasn't so serious it'd be laughable. Silva is apparently unworried, Moshiri is apparently unworried, so that's okay then.

Let's all be unworried, smiling and joking as we disappear through the relegation trapdoor and enter the cruel hard world of Championship football.

Seriously, what are they on? I'd have thought Moshiri would be more protective of his investment. He really is quite probably the worst, least football savvy billionaire owner of all those who have control over the other PL clubs.

He can't see the potential disaster looming, waiting to gobble us up and spit us out in small champioship size chunks.

Are the fans, the only people who care about the club any more? Because the people who should be concerned give no impression that they give a damn

If he can't see that Silva's a busted flush by now, I doubt he ever will, and that seriously worries me. Worse form than Martinez, Koeman, Unsworth and Allardyce but Moshiri isn't worried!!!

He's as delusional as his clueless excuse for a manager, has no idea about running a football club, and cares nothing about the fans who stump up their hard-earned cash every week to watch the shambles that was once Everton Football Club.

Dale Rose
50 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:45:00
Said it before will say it again, we do have a good team. However they don't play pressing football. There is far too much passing in the midfield and not enough forward play. You can't blame our forwards if they are not getting service.

The RS used to play in a similar vein to us which was probing constantly at defences. The difference being that they produced quality strikers. Who were capable of finishing. We don't have that luxury. We have never replaced our goal machine and sure enough we don't score goals. We are a centre back down and therefore concede goals.

All these problems have been there for a long time and sadly the reason for these terrible results.

Christy Ring
51 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:47:57
Silva isn't worried, we're only in the bottom 3, and the only top side we've played is City. He hasn't changed his game plan, or tactics in our last four losses. He has no plan A or B, and reading Harry Redknapp's article, of our basic errors and mediocre buys, is spot on. Time to go.
Daniel A Johnson
52 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:53:44
From the premiership we can only really aim for Eddie Howe or Sean Dyche. Both polar opposites both have serious pros and cons. Outside of that I haven't got a clue abroad who's available and most importantly who would want to come.

Personally I would like to see Dyche given a 2yr contract and see what he can do with our squad. A tough pragmatic manager that will get us organised, hard working, hard to beat and give usn a solid platform to build on and then introduce some quality flair players that can score goals.

Joe McMahon
53 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:55:29
Jermaine, bit harsh on Beckford, he could finish. Remember the one on one at Anfield? I never thought at the beginning of the season we would finish higher than 10th.

Unless things change pronto with our defending corners and no striker and Sigurdsson slowing everything down, we will be relegated.

Remember our keeper has already been relegated with Sunderland/Moyes.

Ken Kneale
54 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:58:35
Christy I have read all you comments on other threads and agree.
Our problem is it looks like he will not volunteer to fall on his sword and the hierarchy seem paralyzed by incompetence/fear to pull the plug.. We are a mess and it looks like Kenwright's final act of reducing Everton's history to rubble is to move on from 'plucky Everton' to 'championship Everton' - no doubt it would make a very fine stage play in any comedy/tragedy/farce genre. I genuinely fear we are replicating Villa and if not careful Bolton!
Rob Halligan
55 Posted 07/10/2019 at 10:58:51
Silva has had several meetings with Moshiri recently, and says he is confident that he will remain as manager and be able to turn things around.

I remember Allardyce saying he had already identified his transfer targets for the next season. About two days later he was sacked!!

Stewart Lowe
56 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:00:12
It really bugs me when people say give it to Dyche. You can guarantee Burnley won't be 4th or 5th at the end of the season so let's get this right. Also, Dyche is very defensive minded, a lot similar to Moyes. Everton fans want attacking football and the last few managers have failed to deliver on it, even though they promised it when they walked through the doors. Teams like Wilders at Sheffield United and Dyches' at Burnley play to shut up shop and hope to knick a goal on the break, better quality players that are essential to break the top 6 won't play in a defensive format like theirs. The best Dyche would do is 5th to 8th, and we want better than that. Dyche would instil hard work, no doubt about that, but that just takes us back to the Moyes era, but to ask Dyche to completely go against his defence first and go all out attack, would be like a square peg in a round hole. He would then be fired for not winning enough games.
Terry McLavey
57 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:02:58
"I'm not worried" — well, you should be! We are!

Or are you still in that deluded state when you don't change anything in a game until it's too late because you think all is well, and when we get creamed it doesn't register with you?

Move over and let a manager in!

Matt Woods
58 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:03:24
We live in a world that is moving too fast for us. In every respect not just football.
I can clearly remember going to Goodison in the early 80’s and watching abject shite along with the worst attendances in the clubs history. Liverpool seemed to be winning the European cup every three weeks when you actually had to win the domestic league to compete in it!
I digress...
Look, it hurts like hell looking at the table, but I can remember as a kid speaking to me arl fella who is now 80. I was dismayed, these pricks had been winning everything for years and I just needed to hear something to hold on to.
‘Son, yes they look amazing but when we do it again, it will feel like nothing in this world’
And you know what?
He was right!!!
Kendall had a young team developing which no one could see. His garage doors got sprayed with graffiti telling him him to fuck off. This 2019 and nobody gets five mins to build a team. Alex Ferguson had 7 years at Utd before he won his first of 13 titles.
I have been at Old Trafford when the faithful sang ‘Fergie Out’ and the travelling a Blues mockingly sang “keep him in”
Silver has obviously made some mistakes, the results are shite, but I would give him the chance to get his favoured midfield together and then see what happens.
I recognise this is an incredibly painful time for Evertonians, especially young ones. However let’s stick together now, and get behind the team. It doesn’t matter what you earn, trying to play infront of frustrated angry Evertonians must be incredibly hard. Please Blues try and back our players, history has proved the turning point is impossible to predict. Oxford Utd.
Karl Meighan
59 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:03:30
Dale you cannot seriously believe we are a top class centre forward and centreback away from challenging them across the park?

Digne is considered one of are better players yet he has been shocking this season, we havent got a midfielder that would get a shirt in a top 6 team possibly top 8 and strikers I would consider bringing Niasse in.

Hardly what I would consider a good team, the league table doesn't lie, maybe we are only 8 games in but make no mistake we are a very average/poor side.

Iain Latchford
60 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:05:38
Jesus, look at the stats. Two goals from...

Watford (bottom, at home)
Villa (promoted)
Bournemouth (average)
Sheffield United (promoted, at home)
Burnley (average)

What does it take to hit the panic button??

Daniel A Johnson
61 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:06:59
Some good points Stewart [56], but we need someone who can build us a team and give us a solid platform to grow and all good teams are based on a solid defence.

Its ironic that its our inability to shut up shop that is arguably costing us matches as we when did we last overcome a 1-0 deficit.

Sean Dyche might not be a sexy choice but he's what we need right now. A good communicator who can get us hard to beat.

Steve Hili
62 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:07:38
Well, as long as Silva is not worried that is fine then!

I hate the idea of Benitez near our club. And I hate the idea of Moyes coming back.

But I am starting to hate the idea of Silva staying even more...

James Marshall
63 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:08:04
He's full of shit. Stuffy old Everton will never change though, and we'll be mediocre till I'm dead and buried.

I've pretty much given up on us ever achieving anything in my lifetime. We're a mod table club, happy to win a few games a season and keep the money ticking over while we all get misty eyed at how we were quite good a hundred years ago... Zzzz.

Joe McMahon
64 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:10:39
Matt@58, football is different than it was 35-40 years ago. Why the hell does Oxford keep cropping up? A game in 1984.

This is the longest barren spell for a trophy in Evertons history so as you can see history doesn't repeat its self. You could argue that since 1997 this team has been waiting to be relegated, it's only a matter of time.

Brian Harrison
65 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:11:18
Not that its any consolation but I have been listening to Spurs and Man Utd supporters ringing radio programmes saying the same thing as many on ToffeeWeb. The manager has lost the plot, he wont change formation, he should play the kids, all the same posts we see here.

I think maybe the fact that Moshiri has fired 3 managers already in fairly quick succession is making him pause. Also maybe Brands who in my opinion bears some responsibility to what has happened is urging caution, as its still very early in the season. But the longer we are down in or near the drop zone it may be when not if for Marco Silva to be replaced.

I have to say I am not enamored with the possible replacements being suggested on here or in the press. I certainly wouldn't have Benitez under any circumstances. We would have lost all respectability to appoint him after his small club comments. Seems strange that the only managers to have won a trophy here in the last 70 years have been ex players.

Frank Crewe
66 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:16:31
“Of course, we're not worried at the moment."

Who's this "We"? As far as I can tell everyone is worried except him. How far adrift do we have to be before he gets worried?
Now common-sense tells us if something isn't working you change it. Yet the fact is he keeps picking the same side and keeps getting the same results. Presumably he thinks the players will suddenly rouse themselves from their fragile stupor and start playing but they won't. If they think they can get away with playing poorly without repercussions they will continue to do so.
Silva is plainly not motivating them or getting across to them what it is he trying to do.
I don't see the point in moping about the loss of Zouma or Gueye. Zouma was never our player and Gueye wanted to leave. With the additions in the summer we still have decent side capable of playing far better than they are right now. If we can beat Wolves and Wolves can beat City I don't see how our players can be that bad.
Freshen the side up. Drop players who aren't performing. Change the line up and tactics. If 4-2-3-1 isn't working then there are plenty of others Silva could try but I don't think he's willing to. That being the case show him the door before it's too late.
Remember all Moshiri's plans for a new stadium are dependent on Everton remaining in the Premier league. No Premier League football no new ground.

Steve Ferns
67 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:18:01
Daniel, what if Dyche came in right now, and won 3 of the next 5. This then left us on 16 points and suddenly we then look up the table and getting back into that top 6 race. Would Dyche be the right man for that? If teams started sitting back and asking Dyche's Everton to come onto them, would he have the ideas to unlock defences? He might well be able to step up his level of management to suit the situation. I haven't seen any evidence of that when Burnley play lower league opposition in the cup, but maybe when he can work with better players he will show the ability to grow. We cannot just give him a two year deal and say take us to 7th and then we'll find a better guy. We'd have to pay him some serious money for those two years for that, like top 5 manager's in the world salary.

I'd rather have a manager who will come in and grow with the side, and be that modern coach that everyone now hates so much.

Mike Galley
68 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:19:10
You're not worried Marco? Well that's a relief as myself, and I'm sure a lot of other Evertonians are having a hard time sleeping at the moment.
We don't score goals, we don't keep clean sheets, we can't come from behind to get a result, the players show no fight or passion and we are now firmly entrenched in the bottom three.
Why on earth should you be worried!!!
Paul A Smith
69 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:20:15
Eddie Howe hahaha. If Bournemouth lose their next game he will do the same things a week later too. Who sees him changing tactics?

We look for the same Clichè's over and over again.

Derek Taylor
70 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:22:29
To all those Evertonians busily choosing our next manager I say don't waste your emotional energy because there is unlikely to be a vacancy any time soon.

My take on things is that having had his fingers burned over Koeman and Allardyce, Moshiri is determined to stick it out with a manager whom he was convinced was the perfect appointment. He may now be relying on Brands to guide him but, again, there is a guy unprepared to admit that some of his signings have been way below their vaunted ability and spirit.

Were this run of results to continue well into November we should, of course, be deep in the brown stuff and the owner under massive pressure to make the change. Then, he might buckle.

So, until we've had another half dozen games, be patient. And who knows, Silva MIGHT just surprise us ! ( MIGHT being the appropriate word !)

Stewart Lowe
71 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:24:13
Matt#58
Great comment and nice to hear from people who have shared the same misery as me, as I started supporting Everton from 1982, so lucky enough to witness our last fruitful era.
Academy's only suits clubs wanting to make a profit on their young talents, because the bigger clubs need results today and right now, so players rarely break through at the biggest clubs. I think almost 17 months and 12 of his own players later should be enough to make a decision and for me he has to go.
Paul Tran
72 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:38:12
Interesting stuff on Dyche, Daniel #61 & Steve #67.

I was chatting to a few folk in Burnley last week. Their take on Dyche was that while they played good stuff in the Championship, they're a bit one-dimensional in the PL, though they acknowledged he's one of the league's most financially-hamstrung managers. Funnily enough, their biggest criticism was that he had no plan B when things aren't working.

This is the gamble. Would the likes of Dyche do better with better players? Or do we roll the dice with another 'up and coming' European manager?

My head is going with Steve, but my heart is sinking at the thought of another laptop-wielding mutterer talking about confidence & mentality as if it's someone else's responsibility. It's a clarity barrier, rather than an English-speaking barrier.

There must be a innovative coach out there who can do the tactics while getting his ideas across and enabling the players to feel they can achieve things, surely?

God knows we're due one!

Richard Cusworth
73 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:39:10
I genuinely don't know what to think any more. Iv always been on the side of loyalty to the manager (Koeman aside) and always feel that the impatience and vitriol towards a few bad results becomes self perpetuating and unhelpful.. Social media, football and life in general is diffent to 20-30 years ago.
Everyone wants everything now and if we don't get it everything's wrong. On the flip side its 24 years since a trophy... Countless false dawns of hope and the feeling of here we are again Disappointed, let down hope scuppered. I do believe we have some really good players (out of form). I had hoped Silva was the real deal... The players seem to like him... To his credit he did turn it around last year when it looked lost for him. Putting the finger on where its gone wrong... Its difficult. Gueye certainly a massive miss in having the pace and energy for the deficient Schneiderlin & Sigurdsson Still lack of established Centre forward and centre back. I also think teams have planned better for us and worked us out and we haven't yet got the right answers particularly from an attacking point of view. So do we stick with Silva and see if the team can blend. We are better than our position no doubt and still when firing a threat to anyone at home. To replace would mean another overhaul... Another squad of different ideas from past ideologies. But then do we roll the dice and maybe bring back Arteta for a chance at Management... Nostalgically I'd love to see it... But another gamble definitely. I will end as I started... I don't know what to think... Other than I am fed up of feeling crap on a Saturday night as a season that promised so much has delivered so little thus far.
Kim Vivian
74 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:41:36
35 - No worries Oliver. I knew what you meant...

...I think!

Daniel A Johnson
75 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:42:04
Steve [67]

All good points...…….I'm at a complete loss of who we should get.

I just think right now we need a manager who can organise and get us solid and stable again which Is why I would like to take a punt on Dyche.

I'm not being anti foreign coach, but after Koeman, Martinez and Silva I'm at a loss of who outside of the UK we could/should bring in. The SIlva experiment right here right now has failed.

Steve Ferns
76 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:42:12
Paul: nagelsmann but it's easier to be confident when things are going well.
Dale Rose
77 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:43:43
Karl #59
Hiya Karl. I'm not saying that. I think if we had a solid centre back and a striker we wouldnt be losing the games we are. Be a long time before we challenge those bastards across the park.

The team seem to be stuck in football purgatory at the moment.

Gary Fenton
78 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:46:51
Not worried well he should F**king be as we are. Unity, being braver in the box at set pieces, 45 goals scored from set pieces for all his Premier teams 22 alone for us something is not right. Everton get it sorted out.
Bottom 3 and a 2 week break where he has very few players to coach as most are away with the International teams, so what new methods will he think up in the break, he never changes.
I have no clue who is available manager wise but he needs to go
Dan Murphy
79 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:49:23
Just watched Bundesliga highlights on You Tube.
Davy Klaesen scored one and won a pen for Werder Bremen!
FFS!.
Hard times, Keep the faith, from Melbourne Australia
Paul Tran
80 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:49:56
Thats a good point about confidence, Steve. I'd argue that these guys are paid top money to display & work with confidence at all times, transmitting that confidence to their players.

I'm fine with 'laptop' managers. I just wish they'd pay more attention to man-management, as to me, that's the big difference between Guardiola, Klopp and the rest.
They're excellent managers, as well as excellent coaches.

Tom Bowers
81 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:52:45
That's just the problem--he would only be worried if Uber shows up at his door and even then he would have his golden handshake-asshole.
He's living in a fantasy world if he believes he has the smarts to turn Everton around and the next victory whenever that is will not change my mind.
He has the core of a good squad to be doing a lot better but he doesn't know diddly about how to mould them or motivate them.
Steve Ferns
82 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:56:17
Daniel, that's why if Moshiri decides to sack Silva, now or at Christmas, then I'd want to see Unsworth get the job. All the managers that people could suggest all have jobs right now and they are more likely to be tempted to move in the summer.

It's Mourinho v Allegri for Real Madrid. However, Zidane is fighting back and now they are back to the top, I think he will be pretty safe. Max Allegri is also living in London and learning English. I bet his plan was to get ready for the summer and be Chelsea's plan B, once the ban is lifted. Instead, I think he will be looking at Man Utd. Which would leave Mourinho waiting on the next big club to get trigger happy without any contenders.

Benitez has just gone to China. He is on a fortune. I don't know why everyone thinks he is desperate to come "home" to Wirral. Again, he is more likely to be available at the end of the season. But would he really work with Brands? I'm not so sure.

Pochettino, if he leaves Spurs will not be desperate to take the first job he's offered. He will not want another Spurs style project. It was a lot of hard work and so far has not delivered any trophies. He will be tempted by the big money and the easier route to trophies with Real Madrid or some other massive club that will come calling.

Everything points to a summer change. If we have to change, then it should be Unsworth until the summer. Brands would also need to be certain that Unsworth can come in and unite the squad. There's some big egos in that dressing room and a lot of them were not around 18 months ago and they might not be too impressed by a temporary manager. Unsworth would need some stability by having the job until the end of the season to be able to make radical changes by playing the players he knows will play for him and play for the jersey and that might see a far weaker side on paper.

Gary Willock
83 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:56:32
The lowest points per game ratio of any manager since Smith according to TalkSport. All that with a mind boggling amount of money spent.

The very fact he’s still here this morning tells you a lot about just how mismanaged we are right now.

Mike Doyle
84 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:57:13
There is an interesting section on Wikipedia (don’t laugh) entry for Jürgen Klopp’s appointment at LFC. It suggests that the Liverpool owners decided to avoid popular opinion and sought the advice of a mathematician to apply a ‘moneyball’ type approach to identifying a coach.
No idea if this is true but sounds a lot more analytical than our recent approach... find an “up & coming” bloke. Must be foreign. Helps if he’s presided over a relegation from the PL.
Derek Knox
85 Posted 07/10/2019 at 11:58:37
Dave Abrahams @25, spot on there Dave, and worrying times for us fans, we are the ones paying in one way or another to support them, and the ones getting massively paid and not producing, are worry free! You couldn't make this sort of stuff up!
Justin Doone
86 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:01:13
Dyche is more Sam than Moyes. A good manager making the most of the players he has.

Great for Boltons, Burnleys, Stokes and the like but a very different style of football that I don't want to witness each week, we don't have the players that suit the style and is limited in success and consistency.

I understand the argument better players may help make a better manager but no good European team play that direct style of football because it is so limiting.

Howe for me is still a few seasons away from proving he's good enough. Doing a good job playing good football but just like Silva and Martinez he's defensively inept and conceding too many goals from defenders taking unnecessary risks week after week.

I'm hoping Mo has learnt a lesson. He's not going to panic and will ensure a manager is lined up before ejecting the current one. However another 2, 3, 4 games without a win and change is inevitable.

Short term I'd be happy with Unsworth or the more experienced Moyes. Both should hopefully instill a more solid defensively minded game whilst quickening up our attacks.

Mincini has been my number 1 managerial target for several years but we may have to wait until after the summer Euros as he's managing Italy.

Steve Ferns
87 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:02:12
Paul, is Klopp really an excellent coach? He's just a cheerleader, the coach was Zeljko Buvac. They were best mates and had played together for a long time. They made a pact that whoever got a job first would take the other as assistant. It was Klopp and so Buvac was his assistant. It was for the best as Klopp is that rare breed of German with a lot of charisma (note that the Portuguese are not famed for their charismatic personalities) whilst Buvac was able to get the best out of the players on the training ground. Klopp acknowledged Buvac's influence and call him his "brain". I've no idea what Klopp and Buvac fell out about, but he's not worked since. Klopp's results have got even better so either he is much better coach than he is credited with, or he has that skill that Alex Ferguson and Clive Woodward had of finding the best coaches to implement his vision.
Joe McMahon
88 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:07:17
Like that Mike. People seem to forget that Moyes is also a relegation manager.

RE that lot they got the right manager this time after the awful king Kenny. Klopp was making his name at Dortmund and Arsenal and Man U fans were screaming for him.

Everton will continue the slump until Kenwright, Fergusson et al finally leave. Gushing over tales of Catterick, Ball, Z cars, Kendall MRK 1 is cringeworthy and embarrassing. Football is a business and we ain't very good on or off the pitch.

Steve Ferns
89 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:10:43
Justin, I never understood your infatuation with Mancini. The guy is highly combustible character. He's very highly strung. He's got the touch of Glenn Hoddle about him, in that he finds it hard to relate to footballers who cannot see what he sees or play like he could. He can still get on the training pitch and hit passes that the players cannot. He's been blighted his entire coaching career by problems with players and divided dressing rooms. He was even worse than that as a player. Most people who know him say that he's a not very likable chap. His football is as defensive as you would expect from an Italian, and would not go down well with our fans over the longer term. I just cannot see how he would fit our project of working with good young players and developing them. Even if we wanted to, we couldn't go and get him the best players like City did for him, as FFP prevents that. I just do not see how his style would fit with Everton.

But don't get me wrong, he's not a bad coach, I think he'd win the league at Real Madrid and those massive clubs with the best players. I just don't think he is suited to a club in our position and with our resources (as limited by FFP).

Adrian evans
90 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:11:07
The board,Mr Moshiri need to take a look at the Pirtugues 1st Div FC, Femalcao top,just promoted.

Sousa our No 2,Silva'No 2 for ten years took over in summer.
He left Silva to manage alone for the first time.
Silva taken us to bottom three.He looks clueless picking a side,tactics,subs,motivation.
Well he hasnt got Silva to ask????
Sousa top, Silva bottom three.That ssys it all.
We have been kidded by Silva,proof is right there in blacl and white.
Silva cant manage alone,Sousa is the main man,the brains.

What do we do.Survive in the Premier League again.Mid table,top ten would be a great result with a new manager having to come in.

But Marco Silva cant manage alone.

Brian Harrison
91 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:12:01
I think it is just worth mentioning that Silva at least had the bottle to go towards the Everton fans at the end of the game and applauded them for their efforts. Not like some of his players who sloped off, obviously not wanting to hear or see what the fans reaction would be. The football aside I think he looks like a decent bloke, his players seem to like him and respect him. But football is a results business and if you keep getting poor results then the sack becomes inevitable. I do wonder how big an impact losing his long time assistant Jao Pedro Sousa has had on him and the players, as he had been with Marco Silva throught his managerial career. I wonder how his replacement Luis Boa Morte has gone down with the players, an assistant manager is usually the sounding board between the players and the manager.

I also think Brands is just as culpable as to what has happened this season as Silva. He has brought in a young 19 year old Italian, who is having to learn a new language, in a new country in one of the hardest leagues to acclimatize too. Surely a proven striker was needed more than a young man who will need time to produce his best, added to the fact that he was virtually the only competition for DCL another young player learning his trade. But for me Brands biggest mistake was letting Gueye join PSG, he was so integral to the way we played he was going to be a massive miss, and this player wasnt in the last year of his contract he still had years left, so there was no pressure to sell. Yes probably it was a dream move for Gueye but shouldnt club priorities come before the players. The reason I lay this problem with Brands is right up to Gueye leaving Silva was in the press saying he was still trying to persuade Gueye to stay. Kurt Zouma made it very clear that he would be returning to Chelsea when his loan ended and with a transfer ban in place and a new manager at Chelsea he knew he would get a chance. But still Brands did not bring in another centre back.

Paul A Smith
92 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:14:29
Nagelsman, my word it gets worse this. Mourinho done great so every next club to need a manager went the Portugese route.

Now the german route is popular.

If everyone wants a winner and al of a sudden not bothered about style of play, Mourinho is free.

The Trouble is nobody truly believes we are that ambitious.

Steve, I don't get how much of what you say seems to be an obsession with coaches and has very little substance.

Buvac has left Klopp. They have since won the Champions League and gone top of the Premier League

Steve Ferns
93 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:18:23
Joe, the RS took a gamble on Klopp. He'd done wonders at Dortmund and then he'd had that awful season were he was doing worse than Silva is now (he lost 7 of the first 10 games). Then he slowly picked it up (still losing 4 of the next 9 games) before finishing strongly (winning 9 of the last 15 games) and getting to 7th. That season they lost more than they won. They were knocked out in the 1st knockout game in the CL, thumped 5-1 by Max Allegri's Juve, not known for their big European wins. It was worth noting that it was not until 13 February 2015 that Jurgen Klopp got Dortmund out of the relegation zone.

So yeah, great coach, great CV, but when they got him, he was a man who reputation had been tarnished and something of a gamble. Fair to play to them for taking it though.

Steve Ferns
94 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:22:12
Adrian, Sousa is managing a Jorge Mendes club. This is a club that was bought as a vehicle for the super agent to pump millions of pounds into, to dump a load of players into and then sell them off for profit.

Sure, Joao Pedro is doing great. He's not put a foot wrong. Everton are struggling, and his loss is firmly felt. Let's see how Sousa does next game, when they play Benfica. I hope he wins. It might not be the romantic story it first appears, but it's still good to see a new name amongst the Portuguese elite.

As for Sousa being the brains, no, he certainly wasn't the power behind the throne, and it's worth noting that his side are a clone of Silva's team and Sousa is very thankful to Silva for what he taught him.

Trevor Peers
96 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:29:19
Silva must have had a word with Moshiri to come out with a statement like that. The fact that he's not worried means he's not in any danger of losing his job, not surprising really.

I'd be surprised if we escape from a real relegation fight this time because the conditions are all there, clueless manager, deluded owner, the inertia not to act swiftly. It's going to be a disastrous season but at least we know what's in store, best to just accept it because there's nothing any of us can do about it.

Drew O'Neall
97 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:35:17
Hmm.. does he have the mooted Sporting job lined up? He has ‘previous’.

Does Richarlison go with him?

Sacking him could be catastrophic, Brands needs to be strong here.

Steve Ferns
98 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:41:00
Trevor, the clubs never listen to us fans though. There's never anything any of us can do about any of it. Just look at how unsuccessful the Newcastle fans have been at ejecting their owner over the years. He never listens to them over the choice of manager or whether he should stay or go either.

Sure, if 40,000 make their displeasure known, week in, week out, then the press picks up on it and they can out pressure on Moshiri, but it's not been at that point, at Goodison, yet. I say yet, because no doubt a loss against West Ham will see it in full force, and further defeats would amplify it.

The fans didn't want Martinez, if we had had a say, I think I'd have convinced more on here (TW) to go with Bielsa in 2013. Then in 2015 I think Lucian Favre was in the running and a lot wanted him, he's worked very well at Dortmund.

Steve Ferns
99 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:44:53
Drew, Bruno de Carvalho has been ousted from Sporting, so he might go back there one day. I would not expect him to leave here of his own free will. Not having just bought a house in the last 2 weeks, and having a young family.
Kenn Crawford
100 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:45:05
I have only one thing to say about Silva: Delusional!
Ian Edwards
101 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:47:12
Martinez should have been given a transfer window by Moshiri. Highest ever Premier League points in one season and two semis in next.

Then had an average season and was sacked. That season was still better than anything from Koeman, Allardyce or Silva.

John Belshaw
102 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:48:34
Hmmm... not only is Marco Alexandre Saraiva da Silva‘s time up but so too is Marcel Brand’s in my considered view.

Player recruitment has been patchy at best. Furthermore, the club continues to sell its best players! That allied to the poor coaching and inadequate player conditioning have all contributed to Everton’s current sorry state.

If the Board had any real ambition they would go all out and try to recruit a proven winner. Jose Mourinho is a name that immediately springs to mind.

Unfortunately, the club under the disastrous stewardship of Bill Kenwright has been suffering a collective mental breakdown for many years, afraid of achieving any kind of real success and constantly peddling the long term project excuse whilst at the same time looking back and reflecting on past glories for comfort. I for one have had enough!

Justin Doone
103 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:55:18
My belief in Mancini is first and foremost that he's a proven experienced winner, both in the Premier league and abroad.

That brings a reputation and belief in turning a struggling club such as us (City) into a proper team. As well as respect, trust and contacts.

I'm not saying he'll deliver us the Premier league title but I fully believe he'd improve us. He won city's first trophy in over 40 years. He got rid of talented strikers like Sturridge and Robinho because they wouldn't work for the team.

The fact he's not a media nice guy may be what we need. Being a divisive manager is when they fail (ie Silva etc.) or demands improvements and will drop players not performing.

Defensively solid but likes attacking players with flair. He's used to working with big name players and mixing it with youth. Maybe Kean could be used more effectively.

He's not everyone's cup of tea but unless your winning trophies playing exciting attacking football who is.

I think his style will suit our players. Wanting to play football but happy to clear the ball rather than take silly risks.

Being positive Bernard could be our David Silva, Mina our Kompany, Richarlison our Tevez and we're a quality Vieira or Toure away from a serious team. His name could be Gbamin.

I feel better already.

Derek Knox
104 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:58:36
Steve F, while I admire your loyalty to Silva, as you have always championed his cause, but I feel he (Silva) is so stubbornly arrogant and verging on stupid to keep persisting with whatever system he thinks he has, but it purely and simply is not working.

Whether it be the players not wanting to participate in his ideas, or his ineptitude to get them across clearly, it certainly isn't working. I can't imagine anyone being so doggedly reluctant to change either personnel or system and still expecting to achieve some sort of result.

Daniel A Johnson
105 Posted 07/10/2019 at 12:58:37
Ian [101]

The disgusting 4-0 derby performance at Liverpool was beyond a joke and is the one reason alone that Martinez got the sack.

Steve Ferns
106 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:00:32
John, I really love the Mourinho story. I think his CL win with Porto is the single greatest managerial achievement of the 21st century. I think that Mourinho is one of the greats.

This version of Jose Mourinho is not the same guy. I think he's too far removed from the next generation of player. He understood the likes of Lampard, Terry and Drogba. He could relate to them, and them to him. He knew how to motivate them and how to get the best out of them. That great Chelsea side all talk about what a great man manager he was.

Counter that with the Man Utd version. He fell out with his star player. Not just him, but half the side were constantly criticised in the press. He said that his best achievement ever was finishing second with Man Utd. Looking back he might not be that far off. But he said this whilst still there. Imagine how demoralising that would be to you as a player. The manager just said how shit a team you were collectively and you only got 2nd because of him. That's not how the old Mourinho did things.

Then there's the worst thing. The money. Jose Mourinho was on DOUBLE what Guardiola was on. £24.5m a year. He had it written so that he could do his best to get himself sacked and still walk away with mega, mega money. If we go all out, then we're talking £50m or so to get Mourinho in, and it'll be such that first sign of trouble he can throw his toys out the pram and wait to be sacked, just like Koeman did.

Mourinho would be a massive gamble.

Karl Meighan
107 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:00:47
Dale @77, I agree, a solid spine is always a great starting point. The lack of creativity is a big worry, if we can't pass through teams, lets at least get the wide players to put crosses in for the striker to attack. Do we really need to set up so defensively against Sheff Utd and the like?

I think we're all getting sick of repeating ourselves. Two seasons and unable to mould a defensive unit.

Bill Gall
108 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:03:35
Steve #99, the fans don't listen to them when they go, it's when the gates start going down they get worried. It is easy to get the fans in when you are winning but when the fans stop going it is hard to get them back. I can't remember what season it was but the lowest gate at Goodison was about 15,000. Silva may not be worried but you can be sure, if the support drops, the board will panic.
Brian Harrison
109 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:09:59
I think there is a disconnect between what Brands wants and what Silva wants, and this is perfectly illustrated by the fact that we spend £50 plus million on Kean and Iwobi yet both are struggling to cement a place in the team. Last season Brands brought in Mina and it looked like Silva bought Zouma, even when Mina was fit Silva still preferred Zouma to Mina. Also within days of signing Iwobi Silva said he needs to improve his goal Talley, unusual for a manager to critisize a player before even playing him.
Steve Ferns
110 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:13:10
Justin, fair enough but I just don't see it myself.

Derek, the formation might not change but the system changes. I think you need to watch the shape, the closing down, the movement off the ball and you will see there is differences from match to match.

for example, against Bournemouth we pressed very effectively, very high up the pitch and got them to repeatedly cough up the ball in dangerous positions. It may surprise you but we are the best at this in the league. No one has won the ball in the opponents third more than us since Silva came in. The fact that we fail to convert this into clear cut chances and goals is a fault of the players.

If you watched the Man City game at the ground, and not on the TV, then you'd have seen that the pressing was the opposite. We did not press high up the pitch, we dropped deep. The pressing was only to slow them down and to allow us to recover shape. This again worked extremely well and we held our own until they went 2-1 up.

You need to observe more carefully. If you do, you will see that he often changes it mid-match. You know when he's meant to be stood there motionless with his head in his hands, or sitting on the bench looking defeated, if you watch him in the ground you will see that he's always trying to control the game from the side-lines.

Daniel A Johnson
111 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:17:10
Steve,

Simple question would you get rid of SIlva or persist?

If you did get rid who would your preference be?

Bill Watson
112 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:18:01
Neil #9

I don't agree that Brands has made bad signings. Silva just isn't using them in the right way.

I think we have (on paper anyway) the best squad of players we've had for 20 odd years. Silva's tactics are sucking the life out of them and us.

I reckon any half decent manager would get this side up the table pretty quickly.

Dan Parker
113 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:18:44
Wolves beat City, we accept we can't beat them because they're champions. Herein lies the problem.
Iain Latchford
114 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:18:44
The only thing that can save Silva is moving to the system he supposedly prefers. 4-3-3. This should have happened weeks ago.

The back four picks itself, although i'd consider dropping Pickford on recent form. Try to get Zouma back in Jan.

He can then have three up front from DCL, Kean, Richarlison, Iwobi, Bernard, and even Tosun.

Midfield can be three from Gomes, Delph, Davies, Gbamin (when fit), and Sigurdsson. We should never have let McCarthy go. He could do exactly the same job as Henderson does for the RS. I won't even include Schneiderlin as an option.

As I see it he now has nothing to lose. Go out fighting, as he's sacking himself with the current system and subsequent results.

Craig Walker
115 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:19:19
Silva : I'm not worried.
Me: I'm worried every single time we concede a corner or free-kick around our box.
Paul A Smith
116 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:21:31
Brian I think you are spot on. I mean come on, what club (supposedly) bids 65mill for a player and when it is (supposedly) rejected we turn to a 30 million man instead.

That just doesn't make sense at all and not only that we buy one who isn't playing regular and i don't think Silva wanted Iwobi at all.

All the reports said no chance of Zaha, Lampard said clearly you are not getting Zouma, weeks before the window closed.

Then we bid for Dacoure, 30 million was it? That was a comical as Johnson bidding 12 million for Shearer just after Newcastle bid 15.

Its a big con these days, I didn't miss a league or cup game at home for 23 years until they messed Koeman around.
No way I am giving this lot extra money to still see Schneiderlin and Calvert Lewin in front of my eyes.

Remember Koeman wanted Depay and got Bolasie.

Steve Ferns
117 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:26:00
Daniel, I would persist and I would expect him to have us back in the top 8 by the end of the season. I think we are badly missing Gueye and Gomes. sure Gueye is gone for good, but his replacement has yet to really play.

What annoys me the most about Silva right now, and there's quite a bit, is his refusal to drop Sigurdsson and play 433. sure, I would play Schneiderlin and that would annoy most on here, but Gomes and Delph flanking Schneiderlin and a front three of Bernard / Iwobi / Richarlison on the left, Calvert-Lewin in the middle, and one of Richarlison / Kean / Bernard on the right. A much narrower formation. More compact. More running. Against Burnley I would have had Gomes (if he really had been fit - he wasn't) sat deepest as the defensive midfielder and Delph left and Davies right. Schneiderlin for West Ham though.

As for who to replace him, long term I have no idea. I'd love Nagelsmann. Doubt he'd be interested in us. Sam's suggestion of Adi Hutter is interesting, but I think he's still unproven. Anyone we could get would come in the summer. Anyone of note that is. So, short-term I would like Unsworth, and I hope cross my fingers than he could deliver and take the job permanently.

Paul A Smith
118 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:26:13
If my boss told me to get the job done with worse tools and if I get it wrong I am sacked with compensation, I wouldn't worry either.
Steve Ferns
119 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:27:44
Pail, but at the time Silva said he wanted Zaha and Iwobi. Iwobi is meant to be the Sigurdsson back-up. Silva wanted a proper forward. I don't see Iwobi as a proper forward as he lacks the finishing.
Alan Bodell
120 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:33:21
Was it Einstein saying doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result was plain stupid ?, this zonal system has lost us numerous games under this genius.
Paul A Smith
121 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:34:11
Steve I can't remember a manager arguing with the club publicly, can you?

If he said he wanted Zaha I suspect he was telling the truth. I don't believe he wanted a worse version of him.

What is your take on Pickford Steve? You give a lot of depth on coaching which i'll be honest I find tedious and lacking substance..

You want Nagelsmaan who hasn't won half his games as manager and state another has not enough experience but also want Unsworth.

Very very contradictive but i'd love to know if you have this much depth on Pickford?

Alan, that Enstein quote has been used and abused now by anyone who wants to use it their way.

Pep does the same thing over and over and he wouldn't change for his wife nevermind a frustrated fan.

Steve Ferns
122 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:38:48
Going back to the article. Silva was asked a loaded question: are you worried?

He gives the only answer he can give, I am not worried. He tries to explain why,

If he said, I am worried. Well he may as well resign on the spot. Saying he is worried is saying he has lost confidence in his own ability. If so, how can anyone, from the players to the board have confidence in him?

Managers in these situations always come across like tits. From Moyes to Silva and everyone in between, and everyone at other clubs. You have a really pissed off guy. Someone hurting a lot. Then you shove a microphone in his face and start asking loaded questions. Silva's job is to make sure he gives an air of confidence about himself so he can still lead the players in the dressing room.

Of course, he is worried. You just need to look at his face to see how frustrated he is. Yet again we lose a game were we had more of the chances and the better chances. Criticise the set piece defending by all means, but that was a great finish on the volley from a tight angle, our players are simply not getting the rub of the green or the bounce of the ball. Silva is wondering what he has to do to get some luck, as he thinks a jammy win and some momentum our way and things will go right. There's such fine margins in football.

Anthony Hawkins
123 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:39:50
Geezus F’ing Krist!! Not worried? What does he know that we don’t? I get we’ve got injuries but we have to be winning games. Buying a 19 year old with an eye on the future is great but we need to be scoring NOW!

I don’t get it.

Michael Lynch
124 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:47:09
I dunno, half of me wants Silva gone (I never wanted him in the first place), but the other half says we might as well stick and see what happens. The more I mull it over, the more I blame the players for where we are now. They've almost all been utter shit this season. Digne is a shadow of the player he was last time around. His crossing - which was his strongest point in a long list of strong points - is abysmal, Gomes has lost his A game, Richarlison looks lost and his tracking back is now the best thing about him, Keane has been average at best, all Coleman seems to be left with is his massive heart, and Siggi is creating very little - half the time I forget he's even on the pitch.

I too would like to see Silva tweak the formation and go narrower, with Richarlison and Kean either side of DCL. Maybe swap Iwobi for Siggi too and see where it gets us. But I'm at loss for the rest of midfield. Last season, once Gomes found his form, he looked as good as any player I've seen in a blue shirt in years, but that seems to have gone. Delph was awful at Burnley, spraying appalling passes all over the pitch, and Schneiderlin never does more than the bare minimum to keep his place. I'd love Davies to be the answer but he rarely is.

Whoever manages our team right now will have the same problems. Man Utd look very similar to us right now, and I reckon both of us will have to see it out til the end of the season before we can see who might be available. Right now, my main worry is that Silva seems to believe that if we keep doing exactly what we're doing, it will all work out in the end. That's really not something I want to see after the break. The atmosphere could get really toxic at Goodison if West Ham race into a lead. Because, remember, under Silva once we go a goal down we lose every single time.

Paul Blaxall
125 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:52:13
It's the hope that kills you,top 6,you are having a laugh....
Iain Latchford
126 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:52:56
We're not privy to what is going on behind closed doors. One thing is certain, if the players have stopped playing for the manager then that's the end of the road. I'm not saying it's right, but 99 times out of 100 the manager loses his job.

I hope they're all still trying to pull in the same direction.

Dave Abrahams
127 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:53:37
Steve (122), ‘ That was a great volley from a tight angle ‘ referring to Burnley’s goal, Steve the player was on his own, the ball shoukdn’t have even reached him, the same scenario happened in the first half, it would have happened versus Sheffield Unt, but Mina got his shoulder in the way before three Sheffield players got the chance to put the ball into an empty net.

Let Mr. Silva sort his tactics out, sort his selections and substitutions out,have all the players put a full shift in and we may get that bit of luck you are talking about, sorry Steve we need a lot more than a bit of luck at the moment, and I really hate to have a go at you personally, because I know you are a genuine fan who cares about the club.

Karl Meighan
128 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:54:14
The best squad in 20 years possibly as we have and have had piss poor players in the main.

This squad is littered with players who cannot pass a ball confidently or find it difficult to control the ball and have it under there spell with one touch.

I can accept players lacking in pace or not having the awareness that top players have but no first touch or a game based on strength and trying hard? Ffs we might as well of just went lower league and spent a fraction of that as been pissed up the wall.

Ian Lloyd
129 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:55:02
Steve 110 - Carry On watching Silva “change things during the game” I’ll carry on watching us looking awful and getting beat every week

Deary deary me, the guy couldn’t coach an under 11s successfully

Craig Walker
130 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:55:22
It feels very much like the start of the 2017-2018 season under Koeman. Lots of optimism over the summer with a lot of new signings but a failure to get in a proven goalscorer. A fortunate 1-0 win in our first game at Goodison and a draw away from home in the first two matches. We then went on a disastrous run of results in 2017-2018 with three consecutive defeats. A fortuitous win against Bournemouth at home when Niasse saved our blushes and Defoe missed some chances. Then a 1-0 defeat against Burnley in early October. There is one big difference though between the two seasons: our first 10 games of that season included games against Man City away, Chelsea away, Man United away, Leicester away plus Arsenal and Spurs at home. Apart from Man City at home, who have we played so far? We've lost to two newly promoted teams already. We lost to Burnley at the weekend but put 5 past them in the equivalent fixture last season. Up next is West Ham, who thumped us at home last season. Lose that game and the atmosphere will be toxic.

I just get fed up of the Groundhog Day nature of being a Blue. False dawn after false dawn. Until we become a team that can win away from home, we'll never get beyond 7th or 8th. When our home form capitulates, we'll be down at the bottom. It's basic arithmetic that if you can't get points away from home, you'll never crack the top 6. If you play with a back 4 that leak goals at set-pieces and a forward line who don't get goals then you won't win too many matches. All this talk of formations, presses, shape etc. is over-complicating it. Football is a simple game. We need defensive solidity, a capable goalkeeper, creativity, bite and pace in midfield and an effective forward-line, managed by an astute manager who can react to different situations. We have none of these things.

Jack Convery
131 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:56:32
Pelligrini has given the WHU players two weeks off. As long as we get a couple of corners and a few free kicks we'll be fine, so off you go and have a jolly good time and see you all on the 19th.
Kieran Kinsella
132 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:58:02
He sounds like Sandro who has now hit the two year mark without a goal and insists things will turn around
Paul Blaxall
133 Posted 07/10/2019 at 13:59:37
I certainly am worried,what a sorry start to the season.Has anyone noticed Koeman and Martinez have both gone and become successful managers albeit at international level,rediscovering their mojo.There is something rotten at the core of our club,no will to win,promising youth not coming through or being played,and seemingly no urgency about the current situation,as others have said we haven't even played anyone decent yet and look were we are same old same old whatever manager is at the helm...
Kieran Kinsella
134 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:02:34
Steve

You could apply the rub of the green argument to Brett Angel but 45 set piece goals isn’t bad luck it’s a serious problem.

Marc Hints
136 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:13:58
See Fabian Delph injured now, doesn't sound good hamstring
Steve Ferns
137 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:16:41
Dave, we had the chances to win that game. We do need a bit of luck. Hendrick was unmarked when we had 10 men. Someone should have been other in that zone. We had a warning shot a little earlier and someone should have gone there. That does not change the fact that Hendrick scored from a harder angle than those we missed. We had the chances, yet again, and we failed to convert them.

Paul, I like Pickford. He's a very good but flawed keeper. His shot stopping is excellent. He gets about the goal well. However, his decision making is poor. His distribution can be exceptional but is very inconsistent and not as good as he thinks it is. The problem is that I think Silva would prefer a taller keeper. It's no surprise to me that Silva has signed two keepers, firstly Joao Virginia and secondly Jonas Lossl. They are 6'4" and 6'5" respectively. I think that for zonal marking to be more effective, we need a dominant keeper and Pickford cannot be that with his height. I don't think you need to be much taller than Pickford to be a good keeper, but when it comes to zonal marking it is much harder it your keeper is only 6'0".

As for how he is coached, no idea. I do know Hugo Oliveira is a very well respected coach and worked with Ederson of Man City at Benfica and Silva poached him when he came to England. No idea as to whether he deserves his reputation, only time will tell. Chris Woods was clearly a poor coach as no keeper got better under his tutelage.

Nagelsmann is a top young coach. He's been in the job 3 seasons. First two were great, the last was mixed. His win percentage suffered as a result. Kendall and Catterick are the only two managers we've ever had who could beat Martinez' 42.9%, and yet he's one of our worst ever managers? So, I wouldn't be so sniffy about a manager with a 40% career win ratio who has done it at a smaller club. This season he is on 60%. Unsworth has a 50% win ratio in the Premier League, having won all 3 home games.

I don't know what you find so contradictive. I'd stick with Silva. If we have to change, there's no one out there we could get, so I'd give it to Unsworth until the end of the season and see what happens.

None of us can pick the next manager, none of us can interview him, and all of us rely on what others tell us about them. I would love to interview the next manager. First question would be, so tell me how you will win Everton the league. Anyone who does not immediately come out with a plan would be shown the door. I want a guy with ambition and ideas about how to get us back to the top, not just keep us up, or get us to 6th. 1st is all I care about. I'm prepared to be patient to get it done though.

Justin Doone
138 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:18:35
Wolves have started slowly but they gave every team in the legue last season a really hard game.

Not the best players on paper but team work, tactics and a couple of talented players with vision and passing ability make it work. Multiple players making forward runs knowing the ball will be played. 3 central defenders to cover gaps left by attacking fullbacks.

I know a back 5 or a back 3 isn't a fan favourite but if a team can't defend, constantly concede the first goal and defending set pieces is a weakness then it's worth considering.

For this I think Koeman was right to mix it up trying to get the best out of a new team and several new fairly inexperienced midfielders.

Holgates pace and height may help cover the gaps left by Coleman that we seem to struggle with as Keane and Schnides can't.

Colemans suspension may help plug that gap meaning Richarlison and Delph aren't having to come back out of the position so often.

I'm a fan of Coleman but poor tactics and wrong players elsewhere unbalance the team.

It will be interesting to see how well Sidibe fits in and the knock on effect with other players.

Iain Latchford
139 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:26:12
I'm not very comfortable with "seeing what happens". That seems a bit risky for me given the situation we find ourselves in. What could happen is relegation.

If a change is to be made we need experience to ensure we avoid the unthinkable.

Steavey Buckley
140 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:31:23
Everton's league position does not lie, which reveals that Everton are the 3rd poorest team in the premier league heading for the championship. The rot set in with Koeman, who paid huge amounts of money for very average players. Then Allardyce paid 50 million for Walcott and Tosun, who are very poor. But when Koeman was forced to sell Lukaku, the best Everton striker since Graham Sharpe, there has been no replacement, and is one of the major reasons why Everton are 3rd from bottom. Silva should be worried because most Everton fans would have sacked in the morning.
Mal van Schaick
141 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:33:44
Started the season with high expectations with the board giving Silva their backing. Now Silva is making Allardyce look good. Silva is gambling on this start being retrievable. I have my doubts, and why has he stop playing Bernard and other options on the bench, and persisting with players who are not getting results.
James Stewart
142 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:41:55
The fact that he hasn't been removed yet says a lot about the total malaise we are in. No self respecting top 10 side, would accept these pathetic performances.
Justin Doone
143 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:53:02
On player recruitment and sales managers have far less say these days so I don't think you can blame our past 4/5 managers after Moyes.

They may suggest but generally they prioritise positions and key strengths. Others ie Brands and chief scouts draw up a short list that a manager may help priorities.

There's always exceptions, Richarlison being an obvious example of a player the manager has almost demanded.

Pickford for example was identified by Scouts and would have remained a key target no matter who the manager was.

The lack of an experienced striker almost makes this inexcusable because I'm sure since Lukaku was sold every manager would demand a good striker. We have potential but I don't think anyone manager would be happy with our situation.

I've been surprised with some posts stating they have been impressed with Kean. I've personally been disappointed.

Like DCL his first touch, passing and decision making has been average. Along with Richarlison, they all need to bulk up but also learn how to ride the bumps and pushes and be smarter in winning free kicks.

Jay Wood
[BRZ]

144 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:55:24
Steve Ferns, I will join with others in defending you from posters attempting to goad or mock you for your long-held (and continued) support of Marco Silva.

That said, there most definitely is a discussion to be had about the manager's position given how the season has panned out thus far.
Let's put aside the hypotheticals of who could replace him and how they might perform. Let's discuss what IS, in the here and now.

First, a quick resume of Silva's tenure with us to date. Although the initial results in his first season were a bit patchy, I was hugely encouraged in how he set up the team, primarily concerned with us playing our game and challenging the opposition to cope with us. Even his substitutions were telling in their timing and tactical tweaks.

The first time I felt he ‘blinked' in this bold approach was away to Man City when he went with a back three for the first time, against completely the wrong opposition. Only when we went two down did he change to a flatter 4-4-2 and we greatly improved, but still lost 3-1.

For the first time in years, we went to Anfield with genuine confidence and were very good… until the 97th minute and Pickford's dreadful blunder. It impacted hugely on our season.

Including that game, our record in 14 games until the 3-0 away win at Cardiff – more than a third of the season (3 months) – read:

P 14 W 3 D 2 L 9 F 16 A 24 Pts 11 (from a possible 42) GD -8.

The goals for column was greatly boosted in a single game – the 5-1 away win to Burnley. Our only other wins in this spell were a 2-0 home win over Bournemouth and a very squeaky 1-0 away win at doomed and hapless Huddersfield.

In this dreadful run, we started seeing Silva's bizarre inclination to make schoolyard substitutions in losing positions: a throwing on of as many forwards as possible available to him, sacrificing both defenders and midfielders. In doing so it worked to the detriment of the overall balance and effectiveness of the team.

That ‘strategy' has already been evident again this season. Not once, to date, has it salvaged a game for Everton…and we are up to 22 games and counting with Silva that he has failed to comeback from losing the first goal and recover to win the game (Lincoln City in the LC apart).

In the final 11 games of the season from Cardiff onwards our form and performances picked up:

P 11 W 5 D 3 L 2 F 18 A 7 Pts 18 (from a possible 33) GD +11.

We impressively kept 8 clean sheets in those 11 games against some top opposition. One of the 2 loses was self-inflicted having cruised to a dominant 2-0 interval lead at Newcastle before meekly capitulating in the second half. Best not mention the total no-show away to already relegated Fulham.

In summary, an encouraging transition period from the new manager at the start of his tenure. A total collapse of form which, even in the congested fixture list of December, saw the manager pretty much send out the same team week after week with little or no tweaking of formation and tactics to the point that the likes of Gomes were running on fumes and playing from memory. To an encouraging upturn in fortunes in the final run in.

At different times there was some genuinely scintillating football played by Everton, albeit too sporadic at times even within single games.

Now to this season. From that squad only Gana Gueye (a player you repeatedly mocked all season long, Steve, as being ill-disciplined and not a Marco Silva player) and Kurt Zouma are no longer with us.

Brands is starting to get some heat for (as some regard it) his poor recruitment this summer. Having also let Jags go, we certainly needed another centre back if it was not possible to land Zouma. I think we were unfortunate with the last minute trade of David Luis to Chelsea or we might have covered that one with one of Chelsea's other centre backs.

Delph and Gbamin came in to fill the not inconsiderable gap vacated by Gana Gueye's departure. I would argue we most definitely needed more proven (not potential) firepower for the central striker role.

Gbamin's injury has been a set-back in covering for Gueye. Delph is proving adequate, but not great, in the role he is playing. At times he brings some much needed composure to midfield. At others – as at Burnley on Saturday – he is a real mixed bag. Longer crossfield Hollywood passes sail over players' heads into touch. Even his short passing goes astray. Gomes' absence also hinders us (although I have yet to see the consistent playmaker some claim him to be).

Even with such (arguably) incomplete recruitment, the squad has more than enough about it to have garnered more than 7 points from a very, VERY favourable opening 8 fixtures and to be sitting in the European places, rather than in the bottom 3 as we are.

So what is different between the encouraging signs at the end of last season and the start of this?

Although it didn't always work, by the season's end we had ‘partnerships' working effectively throughout the team: Pickford, Keane & Zouma; Digne & Bernard; Coleman & Richarlison; Calvert-Lewin & Sigurdsson; the seek and destroy heat missile that was Gana Gueye and whoever played alongside him. Those partenerships also dovetailed nicely with other partnerships.

That is simply not happening this season on a consistent enough basis. Yes, there have been 15-20 minute spells when it looked like coming together again (home to Wolves, away to Villa and Bournemouth), but in the main it has been disjointed and any good spells all too fleeting and not sustained.

I believe there are two overriding factors why that is so:

1) Gana Gueye. His absence is showing just how key he was in any ‘success' Everton enjoyed last season. He did more than simply stop the opposition playing. Where he won the ball and moved it on (he was not as forlorn a passer of the ball as some made him out to be) also kept us on the front foot, pushing back the opposition into areas they were not comfortable in defending.

2) there is a yawning chasm of space between our different units – defence, midfield, attack – and the aforementioned partnerships. This makes us easy to contain, repel, overwhelm and attack. We simply need to be more compact across the whole park and better support and offer ourselves to the player in possession.

As if anyone needs reminding, here is our league form to date this season:

P 8 W 2 D 1 L 5 F 6 A 13 Pts 7 GD -7

And this from a very benevolent fixture list.

Which is this more akin to of the earlier listed form of last season I put up?

Like it or not Steve, but the longer this malaise, this miasma, continues at Silva's Everton, the scales will tip against him. Results, not performances or words, will determine his future. And right now there is a considerable body of evidence weighing heavily against him.

James Carroll
145 Posted 07/10/2019 at 14:59:03
"I'm not worried"
That is an absolute insult to every Evertonian.
How dare you. Shameful.
Are you "not worried" because this is just another job for you - your 6th managerial position in 6 years... just another paycheque.
Insulting.
You might as well as have said "I don't care".
Please go away.
Rob Marsh
146 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:14:18
Steve Ferns # 67

Steve, I believe Dyche put that Burnley team together for about £38m, he's not doing to badly, have a look at the table.

Year on year he keeps them up in the worlds most competitive league with a lot less money than even Moyes had and has got them into Europe. How much money has Silva had to play with?

Paul Tran
147 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:16:16
Completely agree with Jay's analysis of Silva and his sadly necessary support for Steve, who does nothing more than put forward articulate & thought-provoking reasons to support Silva that I happen to disagree with!

I don't like social media pile-ons.

And I'll reiterate my view that anyone who really believes that Silva 'isn't worried' needs to take a look at their thought processes.

James Carroll
148 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:16:47
Also - Koeman lasted 9 (premier league) games at the start of 2017/18.
5 were losses (2 wins, 2 draws, too) - but these losses were against Chelsea, Tottenham, Man U, Arsenal (and bloody Burnley!) rather different from the likes of Sheff United, Villa, Bournemouth!!
Koeman even managed a draw with Man City - and we beat Bournemouth.
How has Silva lasted???
Kim Vivian
149 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:17:08
It's the next 10 league games that worry me. Looking at the fixtures, unless something changes pretty radically we could struggle to find 9 points and find ourselves firmly entrenched in the bottom 3 on Christmas day.

West Ham (h) - 3 points
Brighton (a) - 1 point
Tottenham (h) - 0 points
Soton (a) - 1 point
Norwich (h) - 3 points
Leics (a) - 0 points
RS (a) - No comment
Chelski (h) - 0 point
ManU (a) - 0 points
Arse (h) - 1 point

I don't think that's unrealistic, some might say optimistic. Start of the season I would have said maybe 15 - 17 from that lot.

So, yep - I'd be worried.

Daniel A Johnson
150 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:17:49
Jay [144] well said
Kieran Kinsella
151 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:20:23
Rob

The thing with Sean Dyche is style. He has proven very effective at getting the absolute best out of middling players using a direct style. History has shown that long ball merchants can crack the top four at times (Taylor got second at Villa) but that style hasn't proven compatible with actually winning the league. Also, as seen under Sam, the fans don't much care for long ball.

So the question is, can Dyche change his style given more money and supposedly "better" players? Graham Taylor tried to do that with England but it wasn't a success. In Dyche's case though he may have a shot. He was along with Warburton, and Brenda, a student of the Watford coaching school. The other students all seem to have adopted an attacking, passing style. So I am assuming Dyche has that in his armory and maybe could be worth a punt.

Mike Kehoe
152 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:20:55
Einstein said the definition of madness is persisting with zonal marking and refusing drop Sigurdsson because of his price. He said something about not replacing proven goal-scorers and general relatively. As for Dyche as a potential manager, fuck that, he is no more than a diet Allardyce.
Iain Latchford
153 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:23:02
Dyche is a big no for me. They were pretty awful to watch on Saturday, but we just happened to be worse.

If I was going for a manager who keeps a small club in the league i'd go for Howe, as his brand of football is far more attractive. I'm not convinced he's the answer either though.

John Davies
154 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:24:24
My sincere apologies gents. Just seen posts 39 & 43 pop in. I withdraw my previous comments and apologise once more.
Andrew Keatley
155 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:26:10
Steve (117) - So you’d persist with Silva on the basis that he switches formation and does what you think he should do? That’s not Silva then, is it?

I watched the Man City v Wolves game. Espirito Santo worked out how to set up his side in order to stifle City; he played two up front to put pressure on their makeshift defence, moved Traore to right wing-back to match up with Sterling’s pace, and he made sure that the midfield and wing-backs knew when to counter, well-aware that this might only be a few times in the game. Silva would have played 4231 and hoped for everything to magically go his way. The man has proved himself unfit to manage this club. There is literally nobody in the first team squad who is playing anywhere near the top of their ability - which tells me the players, to a man, are not enjoying their football right now. Why would you advocate more of the same?

Rob Sachro
156 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:26:45
Of course he's not worried! He's a football manager... succeed, get top jobs and paid loads of cash (as he's doing). Fail, get fired and walk away with a massive payout... Win, win for football managers at the top.

Let's face it, most managers don't have any connection/affinity with/for the team they're managing, most (not all) use it as a stepping stone to a "so-called" better job. Having said that, Silva saying he "isn't worried" is an insult to every Evertonian and the club! He should be worried, because if the current form continues, he'll be gone by the end of October... with a massive payoff, no doubt... Succeed, earn loads of money; fail, still earn loads of money... Nice job if you can get it.

Fran Mitchell
157 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:27:19
Indeed James, saying "I am not worried" is a slap in the face to us fans. It's like a corrupt politician, caught red handed with an envolope of 50s under the table, saying "I'm not worried, I paid of the judges".

Silva should be worried. He should be saying he is fuming, that the situation is not acceptable. He should be saying he is working 24/7 to try and get out of this malaise and turn it around, because he is worried about losing his job and his reputation.

But he's not worried. Gonna blame it all on 'moments', and gonna continue doing the same over and over.

And as you say, if he does get the sack, he'll get a nice payday, then get a plush job in one of europes B leagues, and probably sit in the sky studio giving his 'expert' analysis for 5k an hour.

Kieran Kinsella
158 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:30:24
The "I am not worried" comment aside, I am more worried that he keeps saying "working hard" is the solution. He doesn't have to reveal his hand per se but if he said something like "things aren't quite clicking, one or two players are struggling a little but we are going to make some tweaks and try something different." His comments suggest (and his actions support this inference) that he plans to essentially pick the same players, same formation, same tactics, use the same subs again and again and again. It comes across as stubborn and or delusional to me.
Daniel A Johnson
159 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:31:04
Kiarean, it doesn't matter if Dyche's style wont get us winning the league were light years away from that anyway.

Right now some long ball top 6 self respect would do nicely, rather than bottom 3 embarrassment and real fear of relegation.

Any team would look at us right now and known we are there for the taking.

Paul A Smith
160 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:34:30
Steve Ferns I agree with most of what you said about Pickford. Size and Zonal comments definately true.

You did put it a lot nicer than I would have too mate. I am total fed up with the whole club, everything about it reeks of awful practice.

There is a post further up about blaming players which is so often overlooked. I had the same opinion from my dad this morning who believes they get away with a great deal of things.

Kieran Kinsella
161 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:35:00
Daniel 159

You say that now, but people were saying the same last year when we hired Sam. He saw us finish 8th which was decent considering how we started. But he was hounded out of the club because of the style. The other thing is that while finishing sixth would be an improvement, people wouldn't be satisfied with that glass ceiling as we see from criticism of the Moyes era. Yes, there is a long way to go but surely our aim is to win the league. A pragmatic Moyes type just kicks the can down the road.

John Pierce
162 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:35:18
I’m I worried? No Silva will be sacked, now or come the end of the season.

Sadly if the board take their own sweet time about it, it will only hang Silva out to dry, with unnecessary derision and mirth at his expense. That’s unfair and would be the boards fault.

Is Silva worried? He should never have given the interview.

Steve, Silva believes Pickford cannot be a dominant keeper and that why he bought Lössl and Virginia?! That’s mitigates why we are a colander at set pieces?

Dominance is primarily a personality trait, a mindset not a physical attribute. Our greatest ever keeper was dominant at the same height as Pickford in an era were physical protection for keepers was far less that it is today.

So if height is the key as you hint at, why hasn’t he changed the keeper to fit his set piece defending? Does he not have the courage of his convictions?
Or has he realized Pickford, not without his flaws, is the best overall package he has and then adapted the set piece defending to play to Pickford's strengths?
He has done neither, instead the system exposes the goalkeeper he has and we get the worst of both worlds.

Pickford is more than capable of commanding his area, however if you want your keeper to come then you cannot play zonal. If he misses or is challenged the guys marking space are always going to be second to the ball. In fact if the lad comes and gets it augments his talent for quick distribution. Pickford has been confined to his line and often left to react, mostly to pick the ball out of the net.

Goalkeeping is about being proactive. Silva is all to often reactive. This is just another example of his addled thought process.

Fran Mitchell
163 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:35:48
In terms of replacing Silva, for too long we've had these stupid aspirations of 'replicating' Spurs. Young progressive manager doing a 'decent' job at a small team ready to take a bigger team to the next level.

Korean failed woefully, now Silva is again.

I feel we need to aim just an 'ok', a 'decent' manager. Top 8, cup run, sensible decisions. Too long we've considered ourselves best of the rest ready to take the step up. We need to be realistic. We are not beat of the rest. We need to establish ourselves again.

I'd have no problems with Dyche for a couple of years, he could even win us something. But there are plenty out there more tactically astute than the current guy, Heck, I know crack heads who would make smarter in game decisions than this charlatan.

If we keep persisting with Silva, we could well be relegated.

Never to good to go down. And these players don't have the bottle for a relegation battle in them.

Ian Edwards
164 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:36:18
Richard Keys just tweeted an article saying Silva will be sacked soon and Benitez would walk back from China for it and tried to get it before Allardyce and Silva.
Steavey Buckley
165 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:37:30
Everton are the only club in footballing history who have wasted so much time and money trying to replace Lukaku. That's the reason why Everton are 3rd from bottom. Every club in the premier knows Everton are shot shy and easy to beat.
Greg Mckerracher
166 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:37:37
Marco was in the exact same situation last year before the Cardiff game and fought through it before going on a really impressive run. Unlike when Allardyce was at the helm - I really hope he turns it around but he needs to beat West Ham Saturday morning or it’s back to Toxic Goodison. He's young, he has the right image for Everton and I like his fast/aggressive style of play. Wish he would just employ a well established defensive coach though.
Brent Stephens
167 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:38:30
Jay #144 that’s a powerful analysis. I think you rightly identify lack of compactness as you call it which gives too much space to the opposition to play in.

And I’d add what for me is the biggest problem when we have possession - the slow pace of our build-up play. Others have also identified it, I know but it really annoys me. Never an element of surprise; defences with time to retreat should they need to; defences able to recover their shape if they need to.

I see Moise Kean as dying under this. He needs to receive quick ball so he can run at a retreating defence. At the moment he gets the ball with his back to well-organised defences. Silva will kill everything this lad offers. Compare that with the speed with which our U23s can break.

Kieran Kinsella
168 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:38:51
Ian 164

Richard Keys? Really. Does anything he said even warrant repeating?

Ian Edwards
169 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:40:04
Kieran. He knows more people in football than you or I...
Iain Latchford
170 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:42:04
Greg, what "fast/aggressive style of play" is that? Have you watched us recently? We are the complete opposite of that.
Andrew Keatley
171 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:44:40
Greg (166) - Maybe we should hold off sacking him because his image is right. Sure, he’s massively underachieving, seems to lack imagination and flexibility, and the results are awful, but his image does seem to be right...

Iain Latchford
172 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:44:57
Benitez is on £12m a season in China. If he was to come it wouldn't be until the season. It could be too late by then.
Andrew Keatley
173 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:45:38
Iain (170) - Bang on the proverbial money.
Iain Latchford
174 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:47:50
*end of the season.
John Boswell
175 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:50:22
Haven't read all comments yet but 7 points from 8 matches equals 33.25 over 38 matches.
Cardiff relegated last season with 34 points, 3 points from safety. COYB.
Kieran Kinsella
176 Posted 07/10/2019 at 15:50:33
Ian 164

Keys didn't say Silva "will be" sacked and replaced by Benitez. He said he "should be." He has been banging on about Silva being useless since before he was even hired. While I don't disagree with him, this is an opinion piece and doesn't suggest any outside source material or inside knowledge.

Steve Ferns
177 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:00:44
Jay, no one says it is going well. I note you stop short of calling for his head.

John, I never said Silva bought Virginia and Lossl because Pickford was too small. I merely noted the height of them, which fits in with the height of previous goalkeepers and how having a tall dominant keeper in the area assists with zonal marking.

That is not saying at all that Silva wants to drop Pickford. Far from it. He clearly sees Pickford's strengths, of which there are many, and so overlooks his flaws. Whilst Lossl and Virginia might solve our zonal marking issues, there's no guarantee, and I doubt either of them would make as many saves as Pickford from open play.

So, like Silva, I would play Pickford if it were up to me. Then again, i'm English and so would go with a man-marking system that I was brought up playing at school. That doesn't stop be recognising the strengths of zonal marking and the fact that it's the continental manager's system of choice. It's also a "get out of jail free card" for our defenders when they fail to do their job and win the ball, because it's not their fault, it's zonal marking's fault, ie it's Silva's fault. Our players keep getting beat in the air and they would whether it was man marking or not.

Rob, Dyche has done a brilliant job with Burnley no doubt about that. the question is when he plays a side like Burnley, with a side like Everton and he has the better players, and more of the ball, can he coach his side to break them down and get through the low block? Can he play a more attractive style of football with better players, or at least with money to buy better players?

No one on here will know the answer to that. We might have an idea. We could look for games where Burnley have the better players and more of the ball as a clue, but in Dyche's defence he's working with his players for a week or so before those games and getting them to play a totally different way to the norm, rather than playing the same way week in, week out. So he may be capable of doing so. I doubt it, but no one knows for sure.

Ian, Richard Keys tweeted that 2 weeks ago.

Oliver Molloy
178 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:10:04
Get a grip Kim...see below


West Ham (h) - 3 points - agreed MASSIVE 3 pts !!
Brighton (a) - 1 point - 3 pts
Tottenham (h) - 0 points - 3 pts
Soton (a) - 1 point - 0 pts
Norwich (h) - 3 points
Leics (a) - 0 points - agreed
RS (a) - No comment - 1 pt
Chelski (h) - 0 point - 3 pts
ManU (a) - 0 points - 3 pts
Arse (h) - 1 point - 3 pts

Paul Kennedy
179 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:13:20
How arrogant of the man. He may not be worried but we sure are.

Therein lies the difference – we care and feel for the club, while he will get a nice little payoff. We cannot afford to wait – act now!!

Ash Moore
180 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:13:40
You've got to bake a cake before you get to show the world you've mastered ganache.

The information age is amazing and has changed things so rapidly for the better that it's unbelievable. But one significant downside of it has been the rise of the armchair expert. Watching Bake Off doesn't make you a pastry chef no more than being good at Fortnite makes you competent for the SAS. It wouldn't hurt to see this sort of nonsense called out a bit more here. It's one of the main reasons I seldom post. At any rate, it's exasperating.

For all the rubbish being spouted here, and it is largely that, it is astounding that the set piece defending and the awful record when conceding first are not the major talking points. The first points to a lack of fundamentals, the second indicates we don't have the capability or mindset to chase a game. It's like trying to make that cake without flour, or expecting it to cook without turning the oven on. But do carry on lads, it's fascinating to hear the reasons why the ganache is the problem.

Fannying about at the margins when the page needs to be torn out and rewritten has been the modus operandi here for far too long. Not all posters are guilty but so many are that - for me at least - this site has become almost as pleasurable entertainment as watching Silvas Everton themselves. See you all when we squeak a one nil against the Hammers. I expect we'll get pages of nonsense on how everything has magically been fixed based on ninety minutes of scuffling, soul destroying rubbish.

It'd be funny if it wasn't so painful.

Eddie Dunn
181 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:16:29
John Belshaw @102. Very true. We sell Lukaku with no replacement, then we let Gueye go despite him having plenty of time left on his contract. We lose Zouma after the defence was looking solid (after that wobble) and we failed to convince him that Goodison would suit him more than the club who had repeatedly sent him out on loan.
Perhaps Lukaku, Gueye and Zouma were less than impressed with the club's ambitions.
The manager has had the loss of two key players to deal with and injuries to others but as others have said, his stubborn persistance with zonal marking, and two defensive midfielders and one up top has made us predictable and pedestrian.
I think the squad is capable of much better and what we witnessed at Burnley was a team who had no confidence in their coach's instructions.
The morale looks shot to pieces and the bit of good fortune needed to restore some of it has been lacking.
It's a depressing scene and I simply can't see Silva turning it round.
A new face might.
Bill Gall
182 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:24:30
This mess started when the transfer window opened. We needed. in order of importance ( A) a proven striker, pay what ever was demanded to get one. The absence of Lukaku, like him or loath him the difference can be seen at Everton and Man Utd without this type of striker.

(B) a midfielder to replace the loss of Gana Gueye We may have signed a replacement in Gbamin's but we will have to wait and see until he is over his injury.

(C) replacement for Zouma. this is the one that I believe the whole transfer window was wasted on. It was no secret that Chelsea were under transfer restrictions and brought in a new Manager. the new Manager said he would not be selling players until he had assessed their performances and the needs of Chelsea F.C. At this time Everton should have put in a bid with the understanding that they were interested if they changed their mind on Zouma, and concentrated on looking for another central left sided defender in the rest of the transfer window.

This left us with 1 replacement for 3 critical positions. In Mina we had a player who it seems Silva was not in favor of, but he is performing better than what was expected, so that really leaves us with 1 player Ghana Gueye missing from last season, so how is it that Silva who is supposed to be a qualified coach and tactician, with a full backroom staff that are supposed to be knowledgeable football people, cant even get supposed professional players playing to style effective in a tactical formation at a high tempo.

Other managers with different formations, some have players with less talent seem to manage it, I believe it is called teamwork. (if you cant stand the heat get out the fire ).

Salim Rehman
183 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:27:48
It's simple, Silva should change his tactics/formation, and maybe also his backroom staff especially Duncan, promote Unsworth to his coaching staff, bring in a goalkeeping coach as well as a forward coach as our strikers do not know where the goal is, if that can't be done then maybe go for wholesome changes, meaning sacking Silva too, Our next coach should be some who has achieved something, someone like Jose, Ancelotti, Simeone, I'm not interested in coaches like Dyche or Howe, if that's what you want then go for Arteta or Patrick Viera, we need someone who has a big character and can motivate these players.
Brian Harrison
184 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:34:18
Most sides in the Premier League play a variation of zonal marking, many use the system where half are man-marked and others take up zonal positions. But we seem to be one of the teams that are 100% zonal.

So, if you look how we set up, we have 5 or 6 defenders on the 6-yard line, but nobody at the far post. So Dyce knew that and identified where we were the weakest at the far post, he was also clever enough to make sure that Tarkowski didn't allow our defenders to get anywhere near Hendrick attacking the space at the far post. And just to show how poor our defenders and coaches are, they tried the same move earlier in the game.

Now you would have thought that alarm bells would be ringing to say "Make sure we have someone looking after the far post" ... but we didn't. We have conceded so many goals from this exact position, to not rectify the problem is criminal.

Also with this rigid zonal system were the first of 5/6 defenders stands on the edge of the 6-yard box it makes it easy for sides to play a ball short of the 6-yard box, which has also led to us conceding goals from this position. So it's not difficult to see why we concede from so many set-pieces. And this is with 2 centre backs over 6'-4" and Calvert-Lewin another over 6 feet. Compare that to Man City who, apart from two centre-backs, have no height in their team, yet very rarely concede from corners.

Steve Ferns
185 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:45:54
Brian, the City keeper isn't much bigger than Pickford either at 6'-2".
Ian Edwards
186 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:46:20
Steve 177. The Keys article is dated today and includes discussion of Managers under pressure after the matches just played at the weekend.
James Carroll
187 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:50:10
Here we go - Richard Keys...:

Link

Les Moorcroft
188 Posted 07/10/2019 at 16:55:28
Eddie Howe for me. Blue as well.
Kieran Kinsella
189 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:00:03
This comment from Keys:

"He's a deeply unpopular character with all his staff at Goodison, let alone the players."

Directly contradicts multiple reports both from players' mouths and other press who indicate that the players like him. In fact, maybe they like him too much and he is too nice if anything.

James Carroll
190 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:03:16
Yes - it's interesting that he says "deeply unpopular" and that he refers to "all his staff, let alone the players".

This sounds like he knows something or has been told something rather than speculating. If it was speculation, he would have just said the typical "he's lost the dressing room" line. This seems very specific and the emphasis on "deeply" is intriguing.

Mike Gaynes
191 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:05:10
Ash #180, can't say I care for your derision towards the other posters, but I wholeheartedly agree with your point.

All of the analysis of system and space and formation and goalkeeper height is utterly irrelevant to a side unable to execute basic fundamentals (like set pieces) or show any belief in the face of adversity -- a defeatism projected by what John P accurately describes as Silva's inability to be proactive. Paralysis in the coaching box is highly contagious.

Ash, I enjoyed the flavorful "ganache" metaphor, but the accompanying condescension soured it for me. You might want to leave that ingredient out of the recipe next time.

Kieran Kinsella
192 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:08:18
James

I doubt it. Could be as simple as Tom Davies tells his mum he's upset about not playing. His mum tells his uncle and adds he got more games under Koeman. His uncle mentions to Gray and adds his perception that he's lost the dressing room, Gray has a few whiskies and embellishes some more then Keys reports an all-out rebellion as fact.

There is enough evidence against Silva without inventing stuff.

Mike Gaynes
193 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:11:12
Keys certainly has some interesting views -- I'm not familiar with him, but he has a nice light writing touch. Any opinions on his overall credibility?
Daniel A Johnson
194 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:15:35
Ash [180] the reason why we cant overcome a 1-0 deficit is that we have no goals in the team.

As soon as were 1-0 down, we're mentally stuffed as the players know they can't score 1 never mind 2.

We always start well and then our soft centre is revealed, we're 1-0 down, and we may as well get on the bus and go home then as its game over. Sheffield Utd showed how impotent we are up-front.

John Graham
195 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:22:53
Every manager has their own level where they are doing a good job.
Silva might not be the answer at Everton, but Eddie Howe got sacked by Burnley.

Admittedly he is doing a good job at Bournemouth but he has been given plenty of time to develop the team without the pressures he would get at Everton.

For me, I think we need to hold onto Silva and hold our nerve. He has put together a good squad of players who played well at the end of last season and, with more confidence, will play well again.

Mike Gaynes
196 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:24:30
Daniel A #194, it's not just the players, it's the manager. If the manager projects belief and makes the necessary in-game changes, breakthroughs are possible. Silva cannot.

Great example yesterday. Wolves, a club just as goal-shy as us, was under siege and seemingly doomed at City. Espirito Santo changed his alignment to enable counter-attacks and up top he posted Traore, who had scored only one goal in 72 Prem appearances but is among the fastest players on the planet, and told the other players to spring him loose. And you saw what happened.

Derek Knox
197 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:24:32
Mike G, @191 I think Silva has his ingredients for "ganache" mixed up – he is using pure bullshit instead of chocolate and expecting it to taste the same! Ugh.
Paul A Smith
198 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:24:48
Suggestions of the fat Spanish waiter that called us a small club.
My my how the goodness of Everton has totally gone.
Daniel A Johnson
199 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:26:42
John [195]

Stay with SIlva because he had a good end to last season?

Well, he's had a whole preseason a transfer window and 8 winnable games since and were now bottom 3.

No progress just horrible regression.

Kieran Kinsella
200 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:27:05
Mike,

Keys is a former Sky presenter not a football man or journalist. He was sacked for crude sexual remarks. He has no credibility.

Oliver Molloy
201 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:28:21
Keys was sacked for being an arsehole and was apparently deeply unpopular with all at Sky especially all female staff.

Silva is being targeted because it is easy to do so.

Daniel A Johnson
202 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:31:32
Kieran [200] & Oliver [201],

Maybe but he's still entitled to an opinion, as is Carragher apparently who gobbed in a young girl's face on camera but still gets a healthy prime-time wage off Sky.

The difference being Jamie Carragher is an ex Red so Liverpool TV (Sky) deem him to be unsackable.

Rob Dolby
203 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:36:28
I don't think Moshiri will push the panic button until mid-November.

Although the mess we are in is similar points-wise I have a better feeling about us this time around rather than under Koeman.

Under Koeman we seemed to ship loads of goals with an unbalanced team that didn't have the stomach for a fight and a manager that didn't seem to care.

The current team do have quality in certain areas and we are creating chances.

The manager still has a chance to turn this around by getting the players to move the ball quicker in the final third and sorting out the marking at set-pieces.

Kieran Kinsella
204 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:36:30
Daniel,

It isn't a matter of opinion it's one of credibility. He can say what he likes but it doesn't make it true and or reasonable. He is also best mates with his partner in innuendo, Andy Gray.

He being the man who talked himself into the frame for the Everton job with years of criticism for incumbents. Then when it was offered to him he chickened out. Now he just talks about what a better job he would have done than everyone in the role since he was linked to it.

Mike Gaynes
205 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:36:55
Cheers, Kieran and Oliver.
Oliver Molloy
206 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:37:00
I agree, Daniel, he is indeed entitled to an opinion, as far as Carragher goes Sky bottled it with him, more than once by the way.

Silva is very 50-50 with players – like all managers.

Daniel A Johnson
207 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:38:57
I still think now what got Koeman the sack was being seen out at a posh restaurant on a night out just after the drubbing by Arsenal.

Steavey Buckley
208 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:40:49
Oliver Molloy, Silva is being targeted because Everton are 3rd from bottom and not another win in sight after spending a huge amount of money.
Colin Wordsworth
209 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:40:52
I cannot believe the Silva apologists on this forum.

Yes, we had a decent end to last season on the back of two midfielders playing for away. Remember that Gueye played all over Xmas and in the awful defeat to Millwall, which were true low points!

The football presently being played is crab-like, our defending insipid and any pace seems to have run away from the players. We created more chances under Allardyce, for god's sake, and he achieved more points per game, got a tune out of Walcott and goals out of Tosun.

Just what has Silva done apart from spend a fortune and not bring in a striker which has been needed since Lukaku left? He has to go – we are presently so boring to watch.

Oliver Molloy
210 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:43:32
Get a grip, Steavey, the man will is a genius. Silva didn't spend the money — Brands did.
Pat Kelly
211 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:44:52
Not for one moment is he worried, sitting on his fat contract.
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

212 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:44:57
Steve @ 177 “no one says it is going well.”

With respect Steve, but a number of your comments in recent weeks have been in denial of what is unfolding under Silva.

After the Bournemouth defeat, you bewailed that we were only 3 points off third. I agreed with you it was far too premature to enter panic mode and call for the manager's head, but for balance I also pointed out that it could equally be claimed we were only four points off the relegation zone. Conclusion: nothing could be read either way into our position at that time.

Including that game, our last four games now reads:

P4 W0 D0 L4 F2 A9 Pts 0 GD -7

Now, Goodison is no longer a fortress. Our abysmal away form continues. We are now 8 points off third. In the bottom 3, a mere 1 point ahead of Norwich and behind the pre-season relegation candidates such as Brighton, Newcastle and Sheffield United.

That's today's reality.

In the Burnley post-match thread you admitted you didn't see the game, so you couldn't comment. But then, you did just that and – sight unseen – you scapegoated Sigurdsson and said he needed dropping. I pointed out how unjust that was of you.

You went further, saying “Silva has got plenty of time to turn things around. He's far too good a manager and coach not to do so” (More than a few might contest that last sentence).

You threw in an absurd hypothetical: “I bet Silva would rather we signed Haller than Kean and had we done so, I think we'd be much higher up the table.”

You then took a pop at the overwhelming majority of fans that, not unreasonably, are less than enamoured of Silva at the moment:

“It's not Fifa on the PlayStation. We're not swapping out a player for a new player who is better at Fifa and will make all the players better instantly.

“The mob is nearly always wrong. They get het up and make rash judgements. They don't look at things rationally.”

Sorry Steve, but that reads as a rather haughty attitude towards
your fellow Blues, positioning anyone who doesn't concur with you as juvenile PlayStation wannabes, part of a baying irrational mob.

The harsh facts are that Silva is falling well short of the qualities you have continued to attribute to him over the past 18 months.

Tactically astute, with Plan A, B, C etc to turn to? Nah! It's very easy to predict the team and the formation Silva will go with every week.

Inspirational and dynamic? Nah! 22 games and counting in which Everton has conceded the first goal in the Premier League under Silva…and still we await his turning a game around to win from a losing position. His schoolyard tactic of randomly throwing on as many forwards as possible in a losing position has yet to yield a positive outcome.

Knows how to organize a defence? Nah! A league high 22 goals conceded from dead-ball situations on Silva's watch – 45 in all his 100 Premier League games with three different clubs – strongly suggests otherwise.

Good one-on-one coach on the training groundd? Difficult to assess this without witnessing what goes on at Finch Farm. Suffice to say, whatever it is, there is little or no evidence that it is being transferred to the white heat of match day.

As he did last season and several times this season already, before the Burnley game Silva repeated he only knows one way to improve things: by hard work.

No one can accuse him of being a slacker. He genuinely does appear to apply himself to the task. However, perspiration is a given. Fans quite rightly expect that from all the players (and manager), every game.

What we need more of is not perspiration, but inspiration. Sadly, that vital ingredient time and again seems lacking in Silva.

Like it or not Steve, but the clock is ticking on Silva and he needs to start delivering results.

NOW!

Ash Moore
213 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:45:32
Mike G, sorry you didn't care for my plain sponge, cooked with a realistic view of my own talents as a cook at the forefront of my mind. I hope you will also note my care in not noting which chefs I feel have over-estimated their ability or that spend four or five hours on their bourbon honey glaze and put it on a steak that resembles charcoal.

A dose of healthy realism every now and then would be a welcome addition in my view. I suggest some of the other diners have resorted to what I do. Stopping by every so often to see if the Restaurant ToffeeWeb has gone back to its former glory days serving wholesome, honest fare without pretentiousness.

Unfortunately, it's not the case so we shrug, forget about the place for a while and then try it again for the same results. Some of my fellow diners, like Mr Ruane or Tony Marsh, seemingly fit into this pattern. It's a great shame that once was a working man's cafe - err, diner I guess you'd call it - with very high standards has become a student hangout with truffle oil shoveled liberally over my steak and chips. Did it really have to be this way?

It's something I ponder as I'm off to the fast food at Reddits. Yes, it's crap but at least I know that when I walk in. I'm able to keep eating there until I'm satisfied as well. Sadly, much of the menu here appears divine but has me dashing for the toilet shortly afterwards.

Bon appetit.

EDIT - The timing of my exit was amusingly appropriate I thought. I'll be back for a quick drink when we turn over the Hammers in two weeks. Adieu.

Jamie Crowley
214 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:46:18
Is anyone else surprised he’s not gotten his marching orders?

It’s 5:45 over there, the work day is done, and I honestly believed we were going to fire him today.

Roll on mediocrity I guess?

Lord, we are a patient club. I couldn’t see any of the Clubs we aspire to overtake not wielding the axe immediately.

Brian Wilkinson
215 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:48:03
Football is a really basic game made to look hard by over complicated tactics and systems.

All you need is focus and 11 players, singing off the same hymn sheet, each having trust in their team mates, helping out, playing a simple ball.

You never saw Neville Southall laughing or having banter with the opposition fans, he was fully focused on the game.

You never saw defenders get caught out, without another defender scurrying to help out.

The midfield stood firm and took the game forward to centre forwards, who in turn made a beeline to get into the box and making sure they got on the end of a cross.

What we have now is over complicated zonal marking, marking space instead of players, a space will never move, but opposing players will, we need to get back to simple basics of marking players from set pieces.

In midfield cut out the possession stats of touchy football, playing backwards or sideways, drive the ball forward, when the ball is played to Lewin, bust a gut to get close in support to receive a pass.

For the time being the players are playing an over complicated system, we need to get back to basics and not over complicating it.

We certainly have the players to be doing much better, but do we have the manager to sort it out.

I have seen nothing yet where we have changed our formation for away games, or players.

Ditch the zonal marking, try two in attack instead of Lewin being isolated, cut out the sideways football and win those second balls.

Keep it simple and we may just get out of this crisis, but changing nothing and repeating the same every away game is asking for trouble.

We can certainly do it, but the manager needs to come up with a plan b.

Paul Hewitt
216 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:49:22
Why should he be worried? He has no emotional ties to the club. He will get a big fat compensation cheque. And some other mug will employ him. Like I said, why should he be worried?
Kieran Kinsella
217 Posted 07/10/2019 at 17:59:30
Jamie 214,

If he is going to get the sack, expect first to see the following sequence of events unfold:

1. The Sun report a sensational swoop for Diego Simeone who will get a £300-million war chest.

2. Alan Myers dismisses The Sun report as nonsense.

3. Bill Kenwright heads to London for crunch talks with Moshiri. Matt Lawton says Silva will be sacked.

4. The Echo's sources say Silva retains full support.

5. Jim White Tweets saying Silva is getting sacked.

6. The Echo say he is definitely definitely not getting sacked.

7. Silva is sacked as revealed by Phil McNulty on the BBC.

8. The Echo say "Contrary to reports, our sources say Silva is still the manager."

9. The new manager is appointed.

10. The Echo say, "Silva may be under pressure."

11. The new manager presides over first game.

12. The Echo promise to ask "sources" about Marco's whereabouts for the last match as their "sources" indicate he is till the manager.

Mick Conalty
218 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:03:45
Talking about being worried, I bet Tony the Blue is, being opposite Ben the Red in the Radio Merseyside football phone-in. I don't think I'll listen. Don't like blood sports.
John Graham
219 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:05:03
Well I am sure Fat Sam would sort us out again for a few million if we are still in the bottom three in January… then everyone will be happy.

Or maybe not.

Gerry Ring
220 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:05:24
The bottom line for me that Silva has shown himself to be totally out of his depth, totally inept and there is no evidence to suggest he has a plan. He persists with Walcott & Schneiderlin. Has discarded Davies & dispensed with McCarthy without giving him a chance.

This is his track record and, if we stick with him, it won't be long before we are playing Championship football. Now is the time to recruit a new manager before Man Utd start looking in the next few weeks. Silva is so poor that it would be difficult to get anybody worse!!!!!

Paul Smith
221 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:06:57
Prick should be.
George Cumiskey
222 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:07:26
When I read Steve Ferns's posts, I must admire his ability to write so many words and not actually say anything constructive.

He keeps persisting with belittling some very good managers who have won leagues and cups, all in the cause of championing a manager who's done nothing of note and looks like he never will.

Steve, where does all this faith in Marco Silva come from or are you a personal friend or relative? I just can't see all the positive things you can.

Or maybe it's me who's got it all wrong.

Andrew Dempsey
223 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:10:23
Did we really have the better chances to win against Burnley, as some still defending Silva have said here?

We never looked like scoring for the entire game. Iwobi should have scored, and Richarlison hit one straight into the keeper's arms. That's about it.

Iwobi is a terrible signing, Bernard would have finished that chance.

Look, the point is, Silva should be sacked immediately for the way we react when going a goal down (forget the Lincoln game, their League One opposition for Christ's sake, and we should have beaten them about 6-0).

You knew there was no chance we would even look like equalising when Burnley scored, or even show some kind of desperation and willing to do so.

On this alone, and the fact we've never won in the Premier League from going behind, Silva should be fired. It's only going one way with him. This kind of non-reaction to going behind highlights his inadequacies as a manager, not a coach, a manager.

Steavey Buckley
224 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:11:30
Brian #215,

Football is a basic game when scoring goals, but becomes very complicated when players don't know how to score them. Everton can get forward with many passes and dribbles but when the ball does not continually end up in the back of the net, why bother?

Steve Ferns
225 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:12:59
Ian / James. Richard Keys is good mates with Sam Allardyce. He's been hammering Silva since Day 1. He hammered him throughout last season and he started with this again on 23rd September 2019. He's rehashing the same argument. Lots might agree with him now, but he's not saying anything different or profound. He's just being Allardyce's mate.
Tony Everan
226 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:14:47
I don't think they will sack him until they have someone lined up, and they are probably having some conversations about who is available and who to approach.

Mid-season is tougher, but I would be amazed if they are not active in getting someone in who knows what they are doing. There is a 2-week window of opportunity to put this miserable episode behind us. Get someone in by the weekend and give them a full week to prepare for West Ham.

Things are not improving, Burnley was a massive opportunity and, for me, the last opportunity for Silva to show something, anything, that he knows how to be creative with his team, drop out-of-form players, change the system, motivate. Nothing happened, fuck all, the sending off changed nothing, just a nothing performance, worse still an entirely predictable outcome from the moment the teamsheet was written.

Have the board not seen enough of this? After Saturday's insipid performance in a massive game for us after 3 straight defeats, why do they expect improvement going forward? If he can't get them performing against Burnley, what makes anyone think he can against West Ham , or Brighton away?

One or two actually predicted the minute [72] we would concede from the set-piece from the corner and were having nightmares of Theo warming up to come on to save the day. [Turned out he was given the day off.]

Time is of the essence; we can halt the slide if the board are decisive and take the action now.

Brian Porter
227 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:15:05
Hasn't he gone yet?

If he's not gone before the next game, I won't be watching Everton again until he's out the door. I'm not prepared to drown in Silva's pond of mediocrity any longer

Jay Harris
228 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:21:53
Can we please stop banging on about Sean Dyche.

Having watched his gang of thugs against us at the weekend I would sooner keep Silva than have that mongrel-faced excuse for a football manager manage Everton.

I would sooner have Allardyce or Moyes than him and I don't want either.

If you look at replays of the Burnley goal, you will see Schneiderlin trying to get to the man to block him but being clearly held by Barnes. What happened to VAR or is that only for the RS benefit?

For me Silva's major problem is his demeanour and arrogance. He cannot motivate himself let alone the players and looks like he thinks he is too good to stand on the touchline screaming at the players.

He simply takes the view once the players step onto the pitch it is on them.

IMO that is why he will never succeed. I used to always say Howard Kendall's great management was to take pressure off the players. In Silva's case it is to put more pressure on the players. "We have to work harder" after every poor result.

No, Marco, we have to work smarter!!

Andrew Dempsey
229 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:24:17
Look, it's simple. Get Tim Cahill in as the motivator, man-manager we desperately need, with a more tactically astute No 2 as his assistant manager.

Give him a contract till the end of the season, but don't be foolish enough to give him the gig full-time, a la Solksjaer. And let's have some fun watching Everton.

I guarantee we wouldn't be relegated, we might even finish 6th just through the joy/novelty factor alone.

Rob Halligan
230 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:29:54
The following is taken from the Red Echo
Silva fails to fix long standing problem
Everton's form is a big worry.

But another huge concern for Marco Silva is his inability to fix a long standing problem.

It was a problem for him at Hull. It was a problem for him at Watford. And it's a problem for him at Everton.

Set. Pieces.

Theo Squires explains: “The Portuguese has so far failed to solve a continued problem he has faced on Merseyside, and indeed during his time in the Premier League, and it is one that, having been Everton's undoing once again against Burnley, could undermine his future at Goodison altogether.

FFS, how easy can it be to fix it, in other words don't use zonal marking. It's clearly obvious we can't defend set-pieces using zonal marking. I've said many times on here, for me man-to-man marking is far more effective. Little on little and big on big. Stop your man from making a run on the ball, the way Keane was blocked off from getting to the ball on Saturday before Hendrick was given all the time and space to score at the back post.

I said yesterday that I am prepared to give Silva time, providing he ditches zonal marking, two defensive midfielders, particularly at home, and all this dangerous passing along the back line. Will we see any, or all, of this happen against West Ham? 19th October will be judgement day for me.

Raymond Fox
231 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:32:33
Brian #215 - Just what I was thinking mate.

Making a simple game into an IQ test, there is no substitute for natural ability. Next, they will be having coaches to tie their boots up.

Brian Wilkinson
232 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:33:57
Steve @224, we play one striker he wins the ball but no-one in support to lay it off to if he cannot get a shot off.

I have always said Calvert-Lewin is not an out-and-out striker, he is a midfielder who has been pushed to play a strikers role. However, with another striker alongside him from the start, then we may stand a better chance.

Tosun has played the odd game, normally from the bench, I know some will say he's slow, but our slow build-up play gives him the chance to get into the box.

Playing Calvert-Lewin as a lone striker is asking for trouble. Surely Tosun deserves a run of games, until we can bring a proven striker in.

Mike Gaynes
233 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:35:43
Tony #226, fine post. If the powers that be have decided Silva's time is up, it will be interesting to see whether he is sacked immediately and an interim (presumably Unsworth) named, or whether they withhold the axe until they have locked in a permanent replacement. I would expect the former, because secrets tend to leak out, but you may be right.

Ash #213, I enjoy your way with a flavorful metaphor. Personally, I generally use the drive-thru at this establishment, sampling on the run but only pulling in for a larger serving if something on the menu looks sufficiently interesting.

Rob #230, I'd give ya another hug if I could. Can't imagine how miserable Saturday must have been for you and your traveling mates.

James Carroll
234 Posted 07/10/2019 at 18:36:10
4-4-2

Just try it!

Dare you!

Darren Hind
235 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:03:16
Difficult to believe that people actually believe he is not worried. Of course he's fucking worried. The guy looks haunted and haggard. I mistook him for someone who was in our class the other day.

I wonder what the people who are so outraged by the fact that he is "not worried" actually wanted him to say?

Jamie Crowley
236 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:08:57
Darren,

He's absolutely worried about losing his job. You can see it. It's plainly obvious.

What he's not worried about is his financial future. 😜

Dermot Byrne
237 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:12:32
Darren- bang on. There is the fact that he will have no money worries but once you reach that position your own ability and reputation is more important.

And his is seemingly buggered.

Stephen Brown
238 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:17:32
Well, I am worried!

Worried about the defence!
Worried about our attack!
Worried we haven't won a trophy since I was 16!
Worried that we won't build a new stadium!
Worried that we have no creativity!
Worried that the manager is an emotional vacuum!
Worried we don't generate enough money!
Worried Moshiri will walk away!
Worried Brands isn't as good as I thought!
Worried Richarlison isn't as good as I thought!
Worried Sigurdsson hasn't scored all year!

For the first time today, I'm worried we might get relegated!

Marco I'm worried sick!!!

Mike Gaynes
239 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:20:06
In case anybody's interested, TheSackRace.com lists the following odds on our next manager:

Moyes 5/4
Wilder 5/1
Benitez 6/1
Arteta 8/1
Mourinho 9/1
Howe 12/1
Neville 20/1
Bielsa 25/1

...and Fat Sam, Dyche, Ferguson, Gracia, Machin, Martinez, Puel, Viera, Southgate, Unsworth and others at longer odds.

Peter Thistle
240 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:22:12
He's tactically inept. Not going to turn it around and he'll end up being sacked, just a matter of time.

Finding a replacement is the hard part. We could maybe tap-up Bielsa from Leeds, apart from that, I'm stumped, just like Silva.

Tony Twist
241 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:28:54
It's bullshit, of course he is worried but he's not going to say that to the press is he! He will never be as worried as us as we are fans but you can tell he suffers on the touchline.

The issue is he is an average manager who hasn't a Scooby do how to make it right again and therefore reverts to type. He lacks the presence to bring this back from the brink, it would take a God-like manager to influence these cowardly players.

Come on Brands, it is now that you need to show your quality. If Brands was any good, he will have dissected the on-going problem and already established the replacement required. It isn't who we haven't got, with regards players, it is the decision making, player influencing, quality coaching that is lacking.

Silva was always talked about as being a good coach, players loved the sections, I don't want to hear that! I want players dreading training and loving match play. I want players dead on their feet after training and fighting for their lives in the game so they don't get more training.

The effects of Silva's coaching has been his biggest disappointment. All we want is competence from our coach, time to shine Mr Brands, bring us a replacement that is a winner.

Dennis Stevens
242 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:29:49
Whoever may, eventually, emerge as Silva's replacement will need to be able to make a silk purse out of sow's ears – it's a prerequisite for the job, although the Board seem to forget this somewhat during the recruitment process.
Darren Hind
243 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:30:50
Rob

Couldnt agree more. I said over a year ago that zonal marking would eventually cost him his job.

We are susceptible to both short and long corners. Coleman and Digne have no idea what they should be doing. Schneiderlin and Calvert-Lewin only ever react AFTER the ball is in the net. Pickford is rooted and don't get me started on those two lighthouses masquerading as centre-halves.

Defending set-pieces is all about desire. You have to show more desire to defend your goal than the people attacking it.

As George Graham said to his famed back four "I don't care how you do it. You are the defenders. Organise yourselves. Just don't fucking dare come back in here having to admit the other guy had more desire than you."

Jim Wilson
244 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:31:16
It's shocking he hasn't gone.

Having spent loads more money we are in the bottom three, 17 pts behind Liverpool already and there is a no brainer who we can appoint without poaching him.

We will once again miss out on a big manager.

Our club has no idea how to move forward.

Tony Abrahams
245 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:33:02
Moyes did okay at Everton, during his last season his team played some very good football, but what an embarrassment the man turned out to be once he’d been given the Man Utd job.

So naive, so very unprofessional, it was very easy to understand why he won so few big games whilst our manager, but he’s got a whole lot more experience now, but please, please, no, please not back at Everton.

Tony Twist
246 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:43:11
Jesus, just seen Mike's post showing the next manager betting odds. Moyes! Wilder! (typical Everton getting him in), Neville!

Christ, I thought I was depressed until the impact of that post!

Tony Everan
247 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:48:57
Mike 233, We all need a hug!

Darren 243, well said, and bloody obvious too, It's too easy for opponents isn't it? Just fire the set-pieces in to the far post, Coleman and Digne will lose out to the well-drilled poorer side. Sometimes with two players to contend with. A goal or chance will ensue. Every single game the same tactics are employed by our lesser opponents, every game the same inability to defend this continually repetitive, obvious strategy against us.

Our opponents don't have to do homework on us anymore, it's common knowledge. Sit tight, close down, men behind the ball, give us no space and wait for the corner or free-kick which they will score from.

It's far too easy, and why oh what are we week after week, just giving our opponents the same set-up and tactics and ending up with the same dire results?

There is only one answer to that.


Paul Tran
248 Posted 07/10/2019 at 19:56:33
Darren, you're right and missing the point. The best Everton side in my lifetime marked zonally. The best sides play zonal.

Where I agree is the lack of strength, desire and knowledge what they're doing. God knows what George Graham would do with our back four!

So might the issue be how things are explained/misunderstood, rather than the 'system'?

Kevin Ratcliffe recently said they played zonal, but 'it took some getting used to'. One thing Howard was great at was getting through to the players.

Either the players are hopeless, they're deliberately downing tools, or Silva's confusing the heck out of them and they're not going the extra mile for him.

My money's on the latter. Within five minutes of me starting work at Burnley last week, two people separately told me they thought Silva had lost the players.

Darren Hind
249 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:01:20
Mike do NOT take a bet on the sack race.

There is a huge market for betting on Managerial changes. However its also one of the few areas in sport where the bookies don't have a clue.. . They invent a market where the can't lose.

These bogus moves are to create an illusion in order to tempt mug punters to follow the so called "smart money". It's one of the few markets where the bookies don't fundamentally agree. While Betfair want you to believe there is a huge wedge being punted on Moyes by making him 5/4. Paddy power are playing a different game and are now offering 10/1.

Dont rush in. Silva hasn't even been sacked yet. If he doesn't get sacked, the bookies make a killing from a market that never really existed. It's even more win/win than it usually is for them. Watch how serious they become if he does get sacked.

Those who want a fun flutter should go on Odds Checker and compare the odds on offer, but wait until he has been sacked and there actually is a market.

Failing that just look out for little hints from Paul Tran. That fella has a habit of seeing the writing on the wall before the wall is even built.

Tony Abrahams
250 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:08:17
What type of people were they who told you this, Paul?

Paul Tran
251 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:09:39
Awwww, Darren, you're too kind.

I was thinking that the bookies had been looking at ToffeeWeb, with all the voices calling for Moyes, Royle, anyone else who's worn Blue and the back to basics calls for the likes of Dyche & Wilder.

Next time we've got a manager in trouble, I'll be on Betfair backing to lay these candidates!

Mike Gaynes
252 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:10:07
Darren #249, I would never dream of putting down a dime on that particular race -- I assume, like you, that the bookies are just trying to generate bets and revenues. (Heck, you can get bets down on asteroid collisions with the Earth if you want... just good luck collecting after the mass extinction, right?) And you're right about Paul -- anybody who speaks fluent "racehorse" is a man to be reckoned with when it comes to picking outcomes.

And PT, with regards to your three alternatives, I suggest there's a fourth: The players aren't confused, they're very clear on Silva's system, and they know for absolute certain that it's not going to work. So they're not "downing tools"... they're just depressed as hell. Like the rest of us.

Did you happen to notice there were no smiles after Calvert-Lewin's goal against Man City? The players gathered around Coleman were as solemn as Easter Island statues.

Tony Hill
253 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:11:12
It's the lack of strength and desire which worries me most about us. We're a soft team and not only in defence, far from it. The ease with which we are bundled off the ball, the slackness of touch and the dwelling for fatal seconds and half-seconds when opportunities present themselves are all massively handicapping us.

These things have been in the side for a long time and the warning signs have been there, only alleviated for short periods. When such weakness takes hold, it becomes the main characteristic of relegation candidates. Rooting out the fearfulness is the key but we also need to be generally tougher. I pray we have time to do it.

Dave Abrahams
254 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:17:16
Mike (239),Wilder 5/1, I’m having some of that, I think Tyson Fury has gone backwards, worth a tenner of anyone’s money.
Paul Tran
255 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:17:36
Tony #250, I'm running some training courses at Burnley FC. Not with the club itself, it's the venue. Some of the delegates are season ticket holders. They couldn't believe how slow & dull we are, couldn't believe Kean isn't getting a game.

Mike, I'd put your fourth option under downing tools. I get the impression that these days, players give the manager a bit of time and if they don't like the cut of his gib and things go less well, they mentally down tools. Happened for two months last season, happening now.

Ian Edwards
256 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:21:03
The zonal has always been flawed. Rush used to stand between our Central Defenders and scored more than 20.
David Connor
257 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:21:40
So Sylva isn't worried. Well, he bloody well should be because we are absolute shite. Every other Premier League team play the ball faster than us and have scored more than us. I for one ain't worried... I'm very worried.

This standard of pedestrian shit can't continue. Lose against West Ham and I hope he is sacked. Personally, I would've sacked him after Saturday's garbage showing. The fella is clueless and not good enough for our club. Get rid before it's too late to save our Premier League status because this man's record is disastrous.

Mike Doyle
258 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:24:22
One of the few (possibly the only) players to win trophies playing for both Bill Shankly & Brian Clough was Larry Lloyd.

About a year ago, he was interviewed about the tactics these two revered managers deployed. He said he didn't recall either spending any time on the subject. Instead, they explained to every player – in very simple terms – what his job was. Every time he stepped onto the pitch he knew exactly what was expected of him.

I think Joe Royle did something similar in '94 when brought in to save our top-flight status. I can't see Silva adopting such an approach, but at present, it might be just what we need.

Darren Hind
259 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:25:00
Kinda agree with you about getting the message across, Paul… but you need your Goalie and central defenders to be the communicators once you are out there.

Pickford is on his toes desperately trying to see whats going on. Mina is usually busy telling a centre-forward that he is going to break his head and Keane is like a Trappist Monk. What was that weak-arsed pointing about when he saw the Burnley player unmarked?

Could you ever imagine a team with born communicators like Dave Watson, Tony Adams or John Terry conceding a goal at the far post so soon after a screaming warning sign? They'd have had somebody marking the goalscorer if they had to physically throw him out there.

Nobody could get these players to successfully mark zonally. They are simply not cut out for it. I just don't understand why Silva persists.

Rob Halligan
260 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:25:33
If Silva is going to persist with zonal marking, then he needs to set up the players to cover the whole width of the goal and six yard box, not have them all at the near post.
Ian Edwards
261 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:27:56
Paul 198. We need to face reality. We are a small club. One or is it two away league wins at the big 5 since Moyes arrived in 2002. That is a disgraceful stat. If Benitez can change that, then I'll welcome him with open arms.
Paul Tran
262 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:30:17
Good point, Darren. Too many weak characters. I'm hoping Mina & Delph will step up in that regard. Pickford's shouting & laughing is a front, I think he's a very nervous young man.

Incidentally, I've just checked the odds. We're 1/33 to stay up. Under Unsworth I got 1/1 and 4/6. Second biggest bet I've ever had.

Denis Richardson
263 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:35:40
Read the title and just laughed.

I bet you're not worried! You're going to get a cheque for about £4m in the very near future.

Twat.

Dermot Byrne
264 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:36:35
Just our luck. We get Arteta, Citeh collapse and RS win everything!
Robin Cannon
265 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:38:23
Silva has had, what, 50 games or so in charge now. And in that time we've had one worthwhile run – at the end of last season – and regressed from there.

I dunno...I don't see any signs of a plan other than "Do the same things again, play the same formation all the time". I believe in patience when I can see what a manager is trying to achieve, but I don't see that with Silva right now.

Regarding potential successors... any manager we hire will be a risk. If we wait another 8 games, and we're in the relegation zone or thereabouts come December, then we'll be more likely to panic and choose a "safe pair of hands" like Allardyce. That's a recipe for mediocrity in the long term.

The appointments with the most chance of taking us to a next level probably also have the highest chance of blowing up in our face. Arteta, Unsworth, maybe Howe, maybe Dyche. All people who either haven't managed before, or haven't managed a club this size or with these resources.

Choosing someone who has a vision, and a plan to implement that vision, and giving them at least a season where – acknowledging things may not be perfect – that's the minimum amount of time to see if there is progress towards that vision.

Rob Marsh
266 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:39:58
Paul A Smith #198,

The goodness may be gone, but some ruthlessness will be back and we'll probably do something we haven't done for 25 years – win something?

Tony Abrahams
267 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:40:47
Mike @258, I think Clough used to think that footballers were thick, which might explain why he kept things very simple.
Rob Marsh
268 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:45:42
When Silva says he's not worried, he probably means it in a relative sense compared to you and me.

If I'm told I'm about to get the sack, I will worry about the bills that have to be paid, Silva doesn't have these worries.

He's probably thinking "I'll do what the previous two jokers did before me, make the club payout and bluff my way into the next opportunity that comes along – and also blame the club or Brands for providing me with crap to build a team."

He is ever so slighty worried his professional reputation could take a small dint, but not in the sense that we get worried!

Paul Tran
269 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:47:20
Tony, Clough thought everyone was thick. He was so sharp and canny, he was like a top racehorse trainer who can look at a horse and notice everything.
Rob Marsh
270 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:47:27
Tony #267,

It's their agents that are clever!

Mike Kehoe
271 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:50:40
Einstein said the definition of madness is playing two holding midfielders if one of them happens to be Morgan Schneiderlin.
Rob Marsh
272 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:54:14
The definition of an Idiot is doing the same thing over again if you know it doesn't work.

Messrs Moshiri, Brands & Silva please take note!

Charlie Dixon
273 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:56:26
4-2-3-1!!!! — How long have we played that fucking formation? We've had our past 6 managers (including Unsworth) insisting on playing it every week, regardless of who we play, home or away.

It's like Stockholm Syndrome. It's so ingrained into us fans that I'm guilty of it. When Gomes or Gbamin are injured, as recently shown, then we panic about who the two holding midfielders are going to be!

It's absolutely mental to have only one system. It's a decent set-up away from against the best teams in the league and, to a certain extent, the best teams at home, but to play it every single week regardless of the opposition or their quality is insane.

I don't blame Moyes, he had what he had to play with and actually showed some variety occasionally. It sort of worked with intimately for Martinez and the same with Koeman. Less said about that big fat bag of shite Allardyce, but why, oh why, do we insist on playing it every week???

Play two centre forwards against the shit teams with two wingers. It's not rocket science!

Charlie Dixon
274 Posted 07/10/2019 at 20:59:30
Don’t get me started on Zonal marking, Anthony Gordon or Sigurdsson... sort it out you useless useless knobend
Rob Marsh
275 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:07:35
Mike # 252

Good points.

The same thing happened under Koeman & Martinez and I think probably happenss under every manager that has hung on for too long.

Begs the question: What game is Brands watching? Moshiri is an accountant and I wouldn't expect him to see the "fault lines" unless he can bring similar experiences from other parts of his working life.

If Brands does see what's happening, then the implication is that he's got no power to do anything about it and Moshiri is making the "football" decisions?

If that's the case, we've got Randy Lerner Mk 2!

Les Moorcroft
276 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:19:36
Eddie Howe, any one? 🙄
Tony Abrahams
277 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:24:48
The sad thing about it, Rob, is that the agents don't even have to be clever. Way too much money has made most football owners very stupid. You only had to read Mirallas telling everyone how all's they had to do the other week was sit tight!
Steavey Buckley
278 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:26:51
Why would Eddie Howe want to manage Everton when he has players at Bournemouth who can score goals?

Although, if Everton change the name of their ground to the Vitality Stadium, it may bring more energy to EFC.

Rob Marsh
279 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:28:04
Les # 276

There's no reason why he shouldn't be seriously considered along side Dyche and a few other Brits even though British managers don't seem to be fashionable anymore.

The fact he kept his team up in the Premier League is always a positive and he plays an attacking game.

I'd be paying for someone who's been there and got the T-shirt myself, with a few wins under his belt.

Chris Hockenhull
280 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:33:41
Les @276,

Dear Lord... why why why does this media Lucy who plays his teams so dull but everyone thinks he's a wonder, our new tactician, keep getting wheeled out constantly... week in week out... jeez.

The Bournemouth mates I have wax lyrical about endless no Plan B... sound familiar???... Bring back Bobby Brown Shoes. If that's the model?

Oh hang on...he supported us in the day of the 84 Cup Final... well yes... we were trendy... on the up... media liked us... we were going places... so lots of little chappies in their blazers latched on too.

So let's forget this Boyhood Blue who talks the talk etc. No thanks, please!

Rob Marsh
281 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:51:31
Tony # 227

Bosman and the EU; another good reason to leave.

Robert Williams
282 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:52:34
''Ian / James. Richard Keys is good mates with Sam Allardyce. He's been hammering Silva since Day 1. He hammered him throughout last season and he started with this again on 23 September 2019. He's rehashing the same argument. Lots might agree with him now, but he's not saying anything different or profound. He's just being Allardyce's mate.''

Steve Ferns – You more than anyone would probably know where Keys is coming from given that you are in exactly the same position – being a good mate of Silva??

Stan Schofield
283 Posted 07/10/2019 at 21:54:50
I think we should forget about another managerial change at this time. Silva has already shown he can get a turnaround in results, last season after the 3-month bad spell. He's also shown he can getting us playing excellent football, indeed the best football for a long time.

Losing Gana and Zouma were probably beyond his control, and the failure to get an experienced centre-half and striker was not down to him, indeed it was despite his statements that we needed to strengthen further.

He has to be given time, since we need an opportunity to establish not only some decent results but also consistency of them, to get away from this cycle of changing managers to no effect.

Ian Riley
284 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:11:44
Two wins on the bounce and we are in the top ten. That's the margins. Silva will never say anything else. He is worried.

In the next two weeks, Mr Silva, go over all the matches this season. Review the tactics and systems. You may have survived the chop for now. This is your opportunity to change it. Even seek advice from mentors. Next five games will decide your future!!

If Everton sack him, he is done with British football!

Rob Marsh
285 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:14:21
Ian #284,

"Two wins on the bounce and we are in the top ten."

That 's probably the what's keeping him in his job, watch that points gap grow and he's gone.

He performs like he did at Burnley in the next two games, he's gone!

Les Moorcroft
286 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:20:23
280. You never give your choice? If our lord took Silva's job, there will be people saying he's finished.

"You can please some of the people some of the time..." you should know the rest.

Jamie Crowley
287 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:24:38
Ian -

Two wins on the bounce and we are in the top ten. That's the margins.

Problem is, we've lost to Villa, Bournemouth, Sheffield United, Burnley, and drawn at Palace.

Where in the world are these two wins on the bounce going to come from that you speak of?

If we beat the teams we should have, we'd be on 19 points and in second place. We had an amazing opportunity to start fast, and really send a statement of intent to the footballing world.

You say the next five games will decide his future? I ask, what in the hell are we waiting for? Silva has had his opportunity to succeed, and blown it in incredible fashion! Five games??

Home West Ham - maybe 3 points?
Brighton away - based on form, 0 points. We're awful on the road.
Watford away - see Brighton
Home against Spurs - 0 points
Away at Southhampton - see Brighton

There's a real chance we will be on 7 points after November 9th! If we take 12 points of the possible 15, we'll be on 19. Safe, mid-table.

Is that what we expected starting this season? Is that what Moshri should expect after dumping millions into players? Players that surely have the quality to win most games?

It's just underachieving personified. I can't wait five games man! If we wait, and it goes terribly south, we're in serious, serious trouble.

David Pearl
288 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:27:14
Maybe he should promote Unsworth to assistant manager. Boa Morte was strange in the first place. It may be cheaper to replace the backroom staff with people that know what they're doing.

Yes Manager (Prime Minister)!

Sam Hoare
289 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:32:42
Here’s a little list (not mine) of ‘next bright young thing’ managers. Would not be surprised if a few of these names are in the mix though a few have only just got new jobs.

Quite like Adi Hutter as an option myself.


-Marcelo Gallardo
-Adi Hütter
-Marcelino
-Mikel Arteta
-Graham Potter
-Florian Kohfeldt
-Erik ten Hag
-Marco Rose
-Paulo Fonseca
-Gerardo Seoane

Jamie Crowley
290 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:36:26
I feel my temperature rising a bit.

Why in the world have the board not sacked our manager yet? What's occurred this season is wholly unacceptable.

Someone needs to take the bull by the horns, find their man-parts, take action, and change the course this Club is currently heading NOW. Not in two to three weeks time.

There is just no excuse for our current predicament. It is infuriating having a board who will tolerate this level of performance. Infuriating.

What metric are they using to evaluate where we are presently?

Go ahead, wait until it's too late. Watch your investment in Everton drop 60% to 70% in value after you've reacted far, far to late to avoid the drop.

I don't think we'll actually go down, but when it's this secure in the, "oh fuck, this might happen" column, you fucking do something about it.

I've owned my own company for 14 years. I've worked tirelessly to have it grow. If I hired a manager who'd been on the job 18 or so months, and was completely fucking up my investment and years of back-breaking labor, I'd make a change immediately.

Does obscene wealth buy you more time, or just stupidity?

Tony Abrahams
291 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:38:54
Not for me Rob, a vote won on immigration, is how I saw it, but it's done now, so the sooner it's over, the sooner this country can get on with its new life, and although I'm very grateful for all the European money our city received, I'm hoping a trade deal with America, might just open up the shipping lanes once again, because life really only stands still for us long-suffering Evertonians, but I'm sure “Our day will come!”

David @288, Unsworth seemed the logical choice, and Boa Morte, was the only at Everton choice!

Daniel A Johnson
292 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:38:56
Silva reminds me very much of Andres Villas-Boas. He got found out in the Premier League at Spurs and Chelsea, just like our own Marco Silva will with us.
Derek Knox
293 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:41:05
David @288, that would be a cheap alternative to ANOTHER compensation package; however, I'm not sure it would work in practice, as well as it sounds in theory. Can you imagine, with the arrogant stubbornness of Silva accepting any input from Unsworth?

How that Boa Morte just happened to get the job, is still a mystery as he appears to offer less than the Finch Farm Cat.

Stan Schofield
294 Posted 07/10/2019 at 22:51:50
Jamie @290: You're absolutely right about a manager who totally fucks up. However, I'm not convinced that Silva has totally fucked up. He's been at fault with some things, but regarding fuckupedness, I think it's EFC who've fucked up yet again.

Just like we let Lukaku go without a replacement when we didn't strictly need to, we let Gana go in a similar way. Both incidents were typical of a club that aims to make a profit whilst maintaining midtable mediocrity.

And the trouble with that mediocre attitude that's been so prevalent at Everton is that when it goes wrong it can do so big time, with midtable suddenly becoming yet another skirmish with the bottom.

Oliver Molloy
295 Posted 07/10/2019 at 23:10:12
When a run of results like we had comes around, it takes strong characters to turn it round.

Silva, like many managers will always believe they can sort it out because you do need be able to take the flack when things are not going wrong.

The players, no matter what the tactics, are the ones who play the football and currently this Everton team (did I say team) are absolute shite.

Brands the genius according to some also has to take his share of the blame.

Anyone guess why he's saying nothing!

Ian Riley
296 Posted 07/10/2019 at 23:17:20
Rob# 285 and Jamie # 287. My belief is the owner has thought this is a possibility. I try to see the possibility Silva will do this. I'm trying not to fear the worse because I must sleep. We need more from everyone now. No wins from the next two matches and fear may rise to the board room.

Something very deep seeing us in the bottom three. Even my rugby mad friends look at me with pity. Pat me on the shoulder with real empathy. They see my pain and fear of the unknown that lies ahead. I know it out of my control but doesn't stop me worrying. It's a waiting game now and all we can do is hope.

Derek Knox
297 Posted 07/10/2019 at 23:27:10
Stan, I do agree the non-replacement of Lukaku was a major factor which has affected Everton since his departure, and should have been addressed a long time ago.

The same is being mentioned about Zouma and Gana Gueye, they knew Zouma was only on loan and with the Chelsea Transfer Ban there was little chance of him making the switch at the end of last season.

As for Gana, the player wanted to go, and did have the chance to go in January, but stayed and instead of sulking played almost better than before. Players who have contracts but want to move on these days, are rarely denied that move, because they won't give their all if they stay.

Hypothetical I know, but just imagine if he had picked up a career threatening injury, and there was little chance of him ever playing again. Silva would HAVE HAD to alter things to accommodate such an important loss, why hasn't he?

No instead he insists on two DM's, home or away, one of them Schneiderlin, whose name on the team-sheet triggers loss in my estimation each time, and I think the stats will bear that out, apart from the rare exception.

A decent manager must make contingency plans as in the hypothetical case above, players do get injuries and suspensions, which affects the balance, and losses should be compensated with players who will put a shift in.

Silva has been proved to be clueless, time and time again, and still persists with the same old strategy that never worked the week before, so why so should it conceivably work the week after?

Brian Porter
298 Posted 07/10/2019 at 23:42:04
Jamie Crowley #287 & #290, I, like you am seething with anger tonight at the weak-kneed, limp-wristed, cowardly bunch of ditherers, that make up our board,

Any other club with an ounce of self-respect would have sacked 'head down, looks like he's about to burst into tears' Silva immediately after the Burnley debacle or at the very latest, after Newcastle had beaten Man Utd to send us into the bottom three.

But no, they sit on their hands and wait for... What exactly? Are they expecting a miracle, some form of divine intervention that will suddenly turn serial loser Silva into a tactical and motivational genius that will suddenly produce a run of six victories to turn our season round? Even if he did, the fact that the clubs above us will continue picking up points in the meantime, we would probably still be in the bottom half of the table.

Like you, I've run a business and also like you, if had (and sometimes did have) a manager who despite having his failings pointed out to him, failed to change, I would conclude that the person was incompetent and take the necessary steps to dismiss the individual.

So Why is Silva still here?

Will they wait and wait until we're mathematically unable to escape relegation before waking from their zombie state and finally take action, too little too late?

If we head into November in the drop zone, it's going to become harder and harder to get the results needed to escape relegation.

Jamie, I'm becoming filled with despair and disillusionment with the state of our beloved Everton. I've already decided not to watch any more games while Silva's in charge. My angina has seriously got worse since the beginning of the season. I can do without this stress and strain when watching your football team is supposed to be a pleasureable experience. Under Silva, it is anything but that.

Silva is a cancer eating away at our club, and it is now on the verge of entering the terminal phase. Only the board has the cure in their hands, but do they have the guts to act before it's too late?

Oliver Molloy
299 Posted 08/10/2019 at 00:27:01
Brian,

So did you sack your manager in your business or what and, if so, did you have a new manager lined up already?

Mike Gaynes
300 Posted 08/10/2019 at 00:56:22
Brian, don't let this situation tinker with your ticker -- you've only got the one. And if possible please find another metaphor to describe this manager... some of us are a bit uncomfortable with the c-word. ;>)
Brian Wilkinson
301 Posted 08/10/2019 at 01:22:48
We have had a fixture list we would struggle to hand-pick better than this, for start of the season, yet we are in the bottom three, possibly West Ham, Watford and Brighton, although debatable are points we may pick up, other than that, I am struggling to see any other team that could not pick us off.

This could all change in January, should we land a proven striker and manage to get Zouma in, but we could certainly be in deep trouble before the transfer window reopens.

December's fixture list is shocking. We are relying on three teams being worse than us, at the moment, I am struggling to name three.

Last season we finished the season well, chances of that happening again in December is very slim, with the system and same players being selected.

The board needs to act now, the perfect time during a break, to bring someone in and get back to basics.

In the past, I have always felt there were poor teams below us, this time the gap has closed, we always had fighters in the team who could roll their sleeves up in a relegation battle, This team is weak with the system they are being forced to play. Leave it any longer and we could be deep in trouble.

Stan Schofield
302 Posted 08/10/2019 at 01:38:34
During the 3-month debacle of last season, ToffeeWeb had quite a few threads like this one, typically with 300 posts. After an international break, Silva had got his shit together, and we had a decent end to the season, with more positive threads containing about 100 or so posts, with many happier Evertonians not needing to post.

The same or similar could happen again, indeed I'd put money on it. That's how it tends to work with Everton, ridiculous ups and downs. Assuming another upturn, sooner rather than later, and one or two more signings in January (perhaps including Zouma?), things could be a lot brighter. Especially so if the Brothers of Dracula across the park implode (even a little) and Man City find their mojo.

Ed Prytherch
303 Posted 08/10/2019 at 02:18:09
Boa Morte got the job because he speaks Portuguese.
Jamie Crowley
304 Posted 08/10/2019 at 02:32:51
Brian -

I'm with you. It's maddening to me. Cling to hope brother.

Stan -

I've thought the exact same thing. Hell, I'm a hypocrite. After the turn-around last season post-international break, I said I'd give Silva three seasons.

It seems within the realm of possibility we can turn this around, especially with three winnable games next up.

But what puts me over the edge is seeing the Premier League landscape. Man U in chaos, Chelsea in transition, Spurs a bit of a mess, Arsenal still not firing on all canons, Wolves with Euro commitments, the list goes on. The door was wide open to walk through, and we've simply, pardon the expression, shit the bed.

I don't feel, despite a heck of a lot of posts on TW to the contrary, it's the players. I've watched intently, through my elementary and naive prism of American eyes, at our system and play this season. I've seen nothing to give me hope. I've documented why on other posts, so I won't rehash. But I firmly believe this set of players under a different manager and system would be much, much further up the table presently with the weak schedule we've played to this point.

And I don't see us breaking through any of the top spots this season. Again, when that door has been opened about as wide as I can ever remember.

And for that reason, I just feel he's got to go, and now.

I long for the days of 100 post articles, post-victory, on TW. Reading this much is almost a second job these days; cutting through 600 posts in an article! Posts full of anger, vitriol, remorse, flabbergasted wonder, etc.

But I don't blame anyone. When something you love is doing well, you leave it be.

When your kid is out of the house, with a good job, in a solid relationship, and happy, you wait to hear from them.

When they are struggling, hitting hard times, and unhappy, you reach out to them. You don't wait for them to call, you call them. Why? Because you care.

I see this analogy as valid when comparing the number of posts when things go wrong for Everton.

Something has to give. We have to affect change, not wait for our fortunes to change. Like right now.

Brian Porter
305 Posted 08/10/2019 at 06:10:03
Oliver #299, on each of the two occasions I had to take drastic action, I placed the assistant manager in temporary control while interviewing for a new manager. On both occasions the assistant managers applied for the job but weren't ready to step in to the top job.
It took a few weeks to find the right people, but it was worth the wait.
I appreciate this is a very different situation but the point was that in both cases, results and general performance began to improve as soon as the failing managers were removed from their posts.
Mike #300, I'm sorry if the c word makes you feel uncomfortable but rest assured it makes me feel the same, having lost my mother, sister, and most of my peripheral family members to it, so I don't use it lightly.
Let's just say, he's a canker, presuming you have that word in the US.
Karl Meighan
306 Posted 08/10/2019 at 08:44:57
I don't see how a striker is going to change much, this team does not create chances. We don't go around teams hit the byline and put crosses in for strikers to get on the end of. We slowly play through the middle hoping opponents lose patience or make a mistake, the problem is are players are much more likely to give the ball away or hit a poor pass.

New centreback again unlikely to change alot, the goalkeeper never claims crosses or comes for corners. Any centreback or defender will be under pressure defending this way.

The joke defending has never gone away we just had a little more luck and got away with it post Millwall in the cup.

Silva has us set up not to concede goals 2 defensive midfielders yet we look more vulnerable than ever. I have no confidence at all in this squad.

January cannot come quickly enough, its never a ideal time to sign players but unless we sign a handfull at least for the 1st team disaster awaits.

West Ham a must win game eh Silva, Anderson, Haller, Rice and Yarmelenko to name 4 would walk into are team and have the type of quality we can only dream of. Siggurdsen, Schniederlin, Calvert Lewin and any of 4 I know which group I would choose.

Mike Corcoran
307 Posted 08/10/2019 at 09:21:50
Cant we just dig out the threads from exactly 12, 24 and 48 months ago and just repost the comments. Save everyone a lot of time. Good squad, shit coaching, shit shape, shit tactics, jog on Silva and your support staff.
Greg Mckerracher
308 Posted 08/10/2019 at 16:10:29
Right - I’m going to get barracked for this but what the hell. For people who are saying how Silva has only had one little decent spell at the end of last season. This is not true. Do you not remember the Sam Allardyce games? They were living hell. His condescending press conferences? This was Silva’s first spell in charge;

Wolves (A) 2 -2 (played well, should have won)

Southampton (H) 2 -1 (won)

Bournemouth (A) 2 – 2 (Draw away from home. played well with 10 men, should have won)

Huddersfield (A) 1 -1 (hard fought draw)

West Ham (A) 1 – 3 (won – ran rings around West Ham, could have won by 5 or 6. Football was outstanding)

Arsenal (A) 2 - 0 (lost – played really well again. Plenty of chances to win and Arsenal were really lucky)

Fulham (H) 3 – 0 (won resoundingly)

Leicester (A) 1 – 2 (amazing performance at a really difficult ground. Sig scored Brazil 82 goal)

Palace (H) 2 – 0 (solid win against a really well organised Palace side)

Man U (A) 2 – 1 (lost – but again had multiple chances to at least equalise. Played decent)

Brighton (H) 3 – 1 (another solid victory with some great play)

Chelsea (A) 0 – 0 (solid draw away at the bridge. Played decently again)

Cardiff (H) 1 – 0 (solid win against a team set up with 11 behind the ball)

Liverpool (A) 0 – 1 (played brilliantly against arguably one of the best sides in Europe. Should have been a well deserved draw had Pickford not done a Pickford. Could easily have won this on another day)

Then we went on a really bad run. I just want to point out he has had two good spells. I share the frustration - but I think he deserves these October fixtures. We can’t keep sacking managers or no one will want to come. There is another international break in November if there are genuine relegation worries.

Jamie Crowley
309 Posted 08/10/2019 at 16:16:47
Greg -

I'm not bollocking. Please don't take this the wrong way.

You're citing a run of games that saw three draws against inferior opposition that should have been wins, and not a single three-pointer against any team above us.

This was before the rest of the league figured out Silva's style of play, and have summarily shut us down since - 6 goals from 8 games being the example, against garbage competition.

Can't buy it. Sorry. I take your point. I just respectfully disagree.

Jay Wood
[BRZ]

310 Posted 08/10/2019 at 16:39:49
Greg @ 308.

See my post @ 144 in which I acknowledged how encouraged I was by the opening fixtures you list (but you DO get your WHU appraisal wrong: we were run ragged and lost 3-1 at home to the hammers, giving them their first win of the season. I'm guessing you got mixed up with the impressive 2-0 away win at der Hammers in the closing fixtures of last season).

And all those results do, together with the collapse in form mid-season followed by a strong close, is cause puzzlement and exasperation. It's feast or famine under Silva. No in-betweens.

The players ARE capable. He HAS got the team playing well at times. So why has he failed to consistently do that, or build on the solid finish to last season from this season's benevolent opening fixtures?

Based on performances in the here and now, the team has regressed, not progressed, when the overwhelming majority of the players should be well-drilled and well-versed in what he wants them to do.

Greg Mckerracher
311 Posted 08/10/2019 at 17:04:49
You are right - I’ve got the WHU games arse about foot. They had us on toast that game. Point taken.
Kase Chow
312 Posted 08/10/2019 at 20:29:04
What a complete clown!!! What is he not worried about exactly? Absolutely idiot

I’m worried we won’t get into the top 6. I’m worried we won’t get into the top 8. Should I be worried we will go down?

Is he similarly worried we won’t get into the top 6??!

If not, why not?

Has he seen enough from us to suggest we WILL get top 6? If so he’s mad

If he hasn’t seen enough from us to suggest we’ll get top 6 then why ISN’T he worried ? What is his bar of aspiration? Of expectation?

I actually don’t understand a word that comes out of his mouth what exactly is this clown not worried about?

Kase Chow
313 Posted 08/10/2019 at 20:33:10
To add,

If he’s not worried about getting the sack great. That’ shows his ambition

If he’s not worried about relegation then great I AM worried about relegation. But why are we even talking relegation when we supposedly have a very good squad?

What is this man not worried about? Can anyone enlighten me please?

Ash Moore
314 Posted 08/10/2019 at 20:37:44
To be fair Kase, this is a good example of why sometimes it's best to say sweet FA.

Of course, if you don't come out and say something you will get blasted for hiding in a time of crisis. But no matter what you say it's going to piss people off.

This is why Marcel Brands has been conspicuously quiet. There is nothing to be gained by saying anything - so say nothing.

If you don't believe me, then reflect for a minute and please tell us what Silva would or could have said that would have made you feel even marginally better about him and the club at the moment?

I'm not a Silva apologist, just trying to be a realist here. The man isn't fit to pump up a football let alone manage a premier league team IMO.

Kase Chow
315 Posted 09/10/2019 at 00:46:59
Ash #314

I'd be happier if he'd said any of the following:

"We need to be more incisive and create more chances. I need to look at the team and address the style to make us more productive"

Or

"We aren't playing well but we need to find a way to avoid losses when not playing well. Then we need to find a way to win when not playing well."

Or

"The players are underperforming and they need to show the quality or they'll be replaced."

Or

"We have to avoid conceding from set-pieces. It's simply not good enough. At this rate, we need to score 2-3 goals a match to win games. Right now we're struggling to score at all."

His team selections are so dire. Where's the goal potency? Where's the goal power? We're boring to watch and we can't get results.

I expect improvement of sorts: either results or performances (if not both). I'm starting to hate the man.

Jamie Crowley
316 Posted 09/10/2019 at 01:30:23
Greg @ 311 -

Thank God you noticed that! Issue solved. Very happy we're on the same page now. ;0)

George Cumiskey
317 Posted 09/10/2019 at 11:57:14
Well said, Kase Chow, I agree entirely.
Max Murphy
318 Posted 09/10/2019 at 20:16:09
If I hear that expression, "Our next match is a must-win game" I'll shoot myself! At Everton, every game should be a "must-win" game.

Another thing, people go on about our strong finish at the end of last season. Man Utd were shite, and everyone was beating them, and Arsenal and Chelsea were mediocre.

Also, these games were at home. What happened at Newcastle and Crystal Palace away????

Tony Dunn
319 Posted 11/10/2019 at 14:29:41
Of course he's not arsed, that's why he continues to play Schneiderlin, and stick to his non-working system he's paid more than most of us could ever earn in a lifetime of graft. Since he's been in England, he's learnt you don't even have to be good at your job to get anywhere.

His CV is shite, yet we pursued him. And got fined for it, FFS. Sooner he's out, the better.

Brian Porter
320 Posted 13/10/2019 at 07:21:05
'Course you're not worried Marco, you leave that department to the nearly 40,000 fans who turn out faithfully to watch the dross your team churns out at home and the loyal travelling following who, it seems has at last turned against you too.

So, don't worry about a thing Marco, at least you can go home after another defeat and check your six-figure bank balance. Should give you a warm glow, that.

Us plebs will just shiver and freeze as we trudge home feeling even more depressed than we did after the last mauling at the hands of another relegation-threatened team.


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