World Cup: Day 5

Hugely disappointed.

I had high hopes of seeing our former star Shani Tarashaj turn out for Switzerland. Back in the day, I hung on Roberto's every word:

“I feel he is going to bring something very, very special to us. He is probably the best young talent in Swiss football.

“There are a couple of young players with a good reputation but I think he could have really good future… I feel that he’s going to get fans off their feet. He’s that type of young talent that we like to attract to Goodison.

"Shani is an enormous young talent in Swiss football who, without a doubt, will have a great future. We are delighted to have found a young player who believes that our club is the perfect step for him to enhance his quality and to grow his career."

Can't believe he didn't make the squad.

Cameroon looking lively going forward here. I wonder if we've got echoes of Italia 1990 when then beat Argentina and got to the Quarter Finals?

I know it's early days and tournament football can rapidly spin on it's head, but there have been some surprising results and great performances by nations that not many would have predicted.

Nicely worked goal by the Swiss. Nice act by Embolo in not overly celebrating against the country of his birth.

I always think of random things. What language do the Swiss team communicate in? Why are they internationally referred to in the French name Suisse, when the predominant language and culture (over 60% of the population) is German speaking with the other less than 40% split between French and Italian? Shouldn't they be Die Schweiz? Or in Italian Svizzera?

What do the Belgiums do? More than half the population speak Dutch (Flemmish) yet the conception is that French is dominant. The famous WW1 town Ypres is actually known as Ieper by the locals as it is in the Flemmish region.

Sorry, my mind always wanders on stuff like that, even when I watch football.

Our Andros Townsend is commentating.

Interesting South Korea back four and keeper

Kim, Kim, Kim, Kim and Kim.

Is that North Korea masquerading as South Korea, Andrew?

I wonder what happens when someone shouts "Kim's ball"??

Danny...Ha, ha

Also the lone Kim on the bench is very upset to be left out!

I think South Korea is my alternative team.

5 Kims, 3 Hwangs, a Jong and Jeong on the starting 11.

Thank God for Son!

One to watch? Mohammed Kudus of Ghana, wearing 20.

Oh and everyone's favourite No 7 is playing for Portugal.

Michael,

I see said unemployed bloke finally got a two-game ban for breaking that kid's phone. Just another reason (not that we could) to not sign him.

I was reading quotes from Kudus only 3 days ago that he was close to and wanted to join Everton and had actually spoken to Lampard. But Ajax stood firm.

It made me think. Has Onana been brought in as an alternative and that ship has sailed?

He's a slightly different player, more of an attacking midfielder who can operate up front too, so could still be an option if we offload one or two in the window?

His stock may well have gone up now and the £15M we reportedly had bid will not cut the mustard in January, when it's reported he may well move.

The referee in this Portugal v Ghana game looks a bit like Yerry Mina. Does to me anyway. Talking of referees, I’ve not yet seen any of our useless lot in a game, though I have missed one or two. I hope they are not saving the worst referee for probably the best team in the tournament, Brazil, later on.

Neither English Ref has been used yet, Rob, and aren't in line for any of the games up to the end of tomorrow at least either.

A bit odd as the Brazil game is the last of the first set of matches but, when you think it's Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, maybe not so odd.

Yerry has given a penalty to Portugal after the unemployed one fell over.

And the unemployed one slams it home.

On the door with a goal.

How was that a penalty? Am I missing something? I'm eating my dinner so I may have.

It looked like a 50/50 tussle and the Ghanaian defender just clipped the ball away from Ronaldo who then fell.

Andrew,

The English refs probably got dropped after the refs meeting when they clarified what constitutes a penalty and they answered “Whatever Juergen Klopp says.”

Kieran,

From what I've just seen, that's more likely to get them to the top of the list.

1-1. Kudus pulls back from the byline for Andre Ayew to slot home.

Kudus has a sweet shot on him and has just laid it on a plate for the scorer.

I guess his value has just escalated.

We really missed out with this Kudus lad. not a chance anymore, but he's a real baller.

He'll be joining a Champions League or rich club now... Spurs, Man Utd, Newcastle Utd – even Liverpool.

He joins the long list of 'if onlys'…

Hold on, is Chris Hughton one of the Ghana coaches?

He is, Kieran. I think I heard before that his dad is Ghanaian, that's how it came about he got the job.

Rob,

I wondered what had happened to him. Oh dear, Portugal showing their attacking quality now.

Ronaldo was clearly offside just then, but incredibly it took the linesman six seconds before raising his flag. They need to scrap this ridiculous “Waiting to see what happens” before raising the flag.

Surprised to see Ghana seem so slow at the back. Their hallmark has always been speed all over the pitch.

Rob, agreed, it's idiotic, but it's what the Fifa referee authorities dictate. I can't wait for it to go away, but it probably won't happen until a top player is seriously hurt on a run to goal that should have been halted 40 yards earlier.

Game on!

Shows what a joke FIFA rankings are. Ghana are the lowest ranking team at the World Cup, but far superior to Costa Rica, Qatar, Iran.

Come on, Ghana. I would just love to see Ronaldo seething at the final whistle.

This is the most interesting group. Anyone could go through or exit.

Nearly a crazy ending to the game. What the fuck was Costa in the Portuguese goal thinking of? Always look behind you when dropping the ball. Luckily for him, the Ghana player slipped; otherwise, it was 3-3.

Did the BBC have to use Chris Sutton. Now he's going political.

Can somebody put up the 10? ex-Everton players in this World Cup please. I have 8, but unable to recall the other ones.
..

Oviedo, Stones, Dier, Lukaku, Robinson,
Valencia, Klaassen, Richarlison, Vlasic and...

I haven't seen many matches (cos of work), but I genuinely think England have a chance. No one is standing out so far and Brazil are very disappointing, with slow build up and too many passes.

Richarlison.

Congratulations, old friend. Happy for Rich. What a dream.

Knocking on the door. Great anticipation & follow up.

Isn't that's something like 8 in 7 internationals for Richarlison?

Isn't he a Spurs player, lol?

That's what Keown just said, Danny – I think it's Keown.

They were slagging him off in the first half, saying his record for Spurs has been poor. Now he just "smells of goals".

I'd love to work for the BBC. Sounds like they get you pissed before you start work.

And again!

Oh, that is absolutely brilliant!!!

Anybody beating that one for Goal of the Tournament had better be really spectacular.

Richarlison now showing what we are missing.

That was special.

You'd do a better job Darren.

Class, absolute class finish.

Class by Richarlison, £60M multiply???

And that is why we feel that yet again Daniel Levy shafted Everton. Richarlison is a £100 million player. That's what Man City paid for Grealish.

Hard not to feel some sense of regret watching that

He netted 2, why can't we get guys like him? 🤷🏼‍♂️🙄😡

Let's face it, it was Richarlison, Pickford, and our fans which in the main saved us last season. How we miss him.

After a goal like that, he gets substituted.

That Richarlison fella's not too shabby, eh?

Shame we don't have someone like him.

That was the Goal of the Tournament. And I can't help but smile for Richy.

He was too good for Everton.

Yet he hasn't scored a league goal this season. And he hasn't scored at all for Spurs in 2½ months.

There's a magic to that yellow shirt.

Shooting gallery now. Nobody's gonna beat this team in this tournament without a whole lotta luck.

Game and tournament management taking him off. A lot of football to be played over the next few weeks for this Brazil team.

Brazil, France or Spain for me on first impressions. Need to see England against better opposition but they look good and there's a feel-good factor in their squad. They can be in the mix.

Can you imagine being a fly on the wall in the room as Bill "negotiated" with Levy?!!

Caption competition!!!

Somebody will have to ruin the transfer market to get the Brazil No 9.

38 - Kieran

Kurt Zouma?

Ian, Kurt Zouma is not in the French squad.

Interesting, Mike, but Spain are definitely the new Brazil, IMO.

I knew Richarlison was going to score, what perfect improvisation after a not-so-good first touch!

Tony, I'm sure he did that on purpose. You used to score that way, didn't you?

Danny: "You ruined the transfer market."
Bill: "Yeah, I needed a leading man."
Danny: "A couple of invites to Monaco tempt you?"
Bill: "Yeah, always fancied Amsterdam – shall we shake on £70M?"
Danny: "Nah, you still owe me for Del-Boy."
Bill: "Sorry, Dan – breakfast at the Ivy, loovie, and call it £60M?

Kurt Zouma is a pussy.

If Martinelli and Robinson decide to have a race over 60 yards… My money's staying in my pocket.

Nah, Darren, you'd assess the track conditions, recent races and jockeys, and you'd put down your two quid.

My first touch rarely went up in the air, Mike, and probably because I just wasn't capable of doing a bicycle kick! I think I scored one when I was about 14 but, after the landing, it was something I never tried doing again!

When his first touch went high, I sensed that Richarlison was going to jump and spin. He's probably doing it every day in training and, like you said, he definitely seems to come alive when he puts on that yellow jersey.

I've seen better teams than Brazil though. They possess great speed going forward, but I still think there are better teams than them in this competition. We will see.

Don't you just love these World Cups being an Evertonian?

● Kudos coming only for it to be called off late in the window,;
● Pickford now got a big money move according to trash outlets;
● Bloody Richarlison scores a world.

Roll on Boxing Day.

I think this makes me sad. But apparently a humble lad who bought into the community stuff whilst at Everton.

Spirit of the Blues: Richarlison and Mina edition

Remember the placard. SACK CATTERICK. KEEP YOUNG! Shame we never had one saying SACK KENWRIGHT, KEEP RICHY!

Super player whose attitude and desire matched our own. It's frightening to think all we have is Maupay. Reinforcements up top can't come quick enough.

Good luck to Richarlison. I turned it off though. I just find it upsetting that the odd time we get a top player who my kids want on their shirts, they get sold to be replaced by dross.

Typical Everton.

Kenwright sold Rooney, so he could keep Everton….
Kenwright sold Rooney, so he could keep Everton….
Kenwright sold Rooney, so he could keep Everton.

But he's been some fuckin Evertonian, if you like a slow painful death.

Young, Ball, Kendall, Lineker, Rooney, Lukaku, Richarlison.

Everton have a track record of Self Destruct. They sell top players at the drop of a hat. Even the likes of David Johnson (who passed away yesterday aged 71, RIP David), selling him needlessly, and he ended up at Liverpool, winning medals.

What's the betting Pickford will be next.

For 50 years, Everton has been directed from the boardroom by a bunch of amateurs who haven't a clue how to compete at any elite level. They act like spivs lining their pockets.

Richarlison was too good for such a trashy brand of football management, and Everton could never put him on the stage that his talent deserved. The only question for me is, why the hell did he go Spurs, who never win anything? He's too good for them as well.

Stan – totally agree.

I'd add that we also have a great track record in offering contract extensions to the non-deserving. I think Besic is still on the books and due a testimonial.

Loved Richie's second goal, and I'm made up for him. He might not be one of us on paper, but he'll always be one of us in my mind.

If I bump into him at the match one day, I'd happily buy him a pie.

I feel sorry for all these poor fans who are boycotting the World Cup. Just think, they'll never get to see that moment of brilliance. That's sad.

Richarlison...just a reminder..Mr Kenwright sold hom for £50m

How many more reminders does it take of the bungling ruin inflicted on our club by Kenwright and the ventriloquist doll he controls as our alleged owner before concerted publicly reported protest at Goodison Park takes place to register to the world that there is still just about a viable Premier League football club on the Mersey, albeit only courtesy through us fans/supporters?

Brazil have great attackers yes, but they also have a strong defense and arguably the best two goalies in the world.

I sat watching today so sad that on reflection most teams have talismen.

Ours was Richy with the flare in his hand and goals in his boots

Sacrificed due to a bungling board and badly run club.

We should have been building around him like we should have with Rooney but the club has no ambition and the players know it.

Hope we have a sell on clause for Richarlison, as he will move onto a bigger club than shabby Spurs in a couple of years.

Stan @76,

Sobering thought and very good point.

Maybe Lineker was partly down to circumstance at the time. Or certainly a contributing factor? Similarly and later, Gary Stevens and Trevor Steven?

But no excuses and there is no hiding from the fact that in 2 key eras when we had built a platform for potential continued success, we failed to capitalise. We sold our best assets and went into periods of decline rather than sustain and build.

Even for an 80s kid like me, we can lament the injustice of Heysels all we want. But it didn't stop other clubs thinking ahead of the 5 year ban and investing in the future beyond the ban.

Manchester United had 7 titles to our 9 in 1987. Hadn't won the league in nearly 20 years and couldn't see were the next one was coming from.

But they had a vision, strategy and a plan beyond next week, next month and even the next year(s).

It's Friday. I should be looking forward to the football. But its not Boxing Day yet.

Kieran 38 - Adam Davies Wales keeper?

Danny@85: When Alan Ball was sold in 1971, I was 16. It was unexpected, and it shocked me. I wondered what the hell Everton were doing. But then at that time every time I walked past Goodison and saw ‘Everton Football Club Co. Ltd’ it occurred to me that they were simply a business focused on a quick profit, and didn’t really care about ‘the Club’ or ‘the supporters’ or ‘the Holy Trinity’, ‘Golden Vision’, or indeed anything to do with the essence of Everton and football glory.

This latest situation with Richarlison typifies Everton since then. They can’t even maximise potential profit, and are hopeless as a business. So they have nothing going for them. The only things significant about Everton are our history up to 1970 and a few years in the mid-80s, and our supporters. Therein lies the glory. All else is just crap, and not worth supporting.

Danny 85 ] Spot on. We can't keep blaming Heysel. In addition to Man utd.. In 1985 Man City were in the old 2nd Division. By 2002 Man City they were in the old 1st division - 10 years later they won the title - and in the last 10 years they have won the title 6 times, while not finishing lower than 4th.
Remind me again - which other club were Man City's owners (allegedly) interested in?

I think that some players who move to other clubs and have a good career will for me always be Evertonians. Bobby Collins, Dave Hickson, Alan Ball, Wayne Rooney and latterly Richarlison they will always be for me our players who moved on for a variety of reasons. Yes maybe we might have kept Rooney for another year but we couldnt possibly have won what he won at Man Utd. For those blaming Kenwright for the sale of Rooney I suggest you check the facts on how that transfer came about. Paul Gregg wanted out of Everton but knew the club didnt have the money to buy his shares, so he contacted Freddie Shepard who was the chairman of Newcastle, and he told Shepard that if he put a bid in for £20 milion Everton had no choice but to sell him. When Newcastle put the bid in and it became public Alex Ferguson said they would have waited another year before trying to buy Rooney but once Newcastle had made their bid he had no choice but to trigger Utds bid.
Bobby Collins was sold to Leeds because he disagreed with how Catterick had set the team up. Alan Ball was sold to Arsenal after the famous training ground story were he said in front of the whole team to Tommy Eggleston the first team trainer how can I play with this lot. It was just Bally expressing his frustration and never meant a word of what he said and was heartbroken when he was sold. Dave Hickson despite being everyones favourite at the time was probably past his best when we sold him, and Richarlison wanted to play in the Champions league and the last 15 months at Everton showed him he would have to leave to achieve that.

Ian at 86...superb-that is the tenth!

Current World Cup players:

Pickford, Robinson, Coady, Dier, Stones, Gana, Onana, Vlasic, Klaassen, Lukaku, Richarlison. Sub Valencia.

How would that team fair in the Premier League and how much better is it than our current team??

For those lamenting the sale of Richarlison – excellent goal last night, by the way – he wanted to go. Spurs were the only club bidding for him for £50M with add-ons. That's around £10M more than we might have to pay for Dele Alli.

I think Kenwright was involved in the selling and buying price of both these players. Richarlison wanted to go so Everton had no option but to sell him, maybe Kenwright could have got a bit more for him – although no other clubs entered any bids for him.

I know you weren't his biggest fan Dave and that's fine. It's a game of opinions. I think he needed to move on from a personal and professional perspective.

I think he's showing what he can do surrounded by better players on the international stage. Couple that with how much it means to some players, particularly Brazilians and South Americans, to represent their country.

I think Tottenham are struggling to fit him in given they have Kane and Son.

If he has a good World Cup and establishes himself at White Hart Lane, I can see him moving on from Tottenham and would hedge a bet that Levy will get more than his money back on the investment.

Hopefully we finally get to meet at the next one Dave!

Dave@92: Yes, we reached the position some time ago where top players would want to leave once they’d established themselves with us. Lukaku and Richarlison are examples. But what has got us into this position is the chronic problem which has existed for half a century, of Everton being on self-destruct as highlighted above.

It was inevitable that Richarlison would leave, but that inevitability reflects the decline of Everton over that half-century.

We became a feeder club rather than a trophy-winning club. It would take a revolution at Everton to change that.

Dave, can you seriously see us paying £40M for Dele Alli? Whatever, a ridiculous piece of negotiating by Kenwright.

WHERES THE APOLOGY KENWRIGHT? (For the two Bournemouth debacles).
KENWRIGHT OUT!

I wouldn't be going overboard on Richarlison Brazil were all over what looked like a pub team and prior to his goal Richarlison was like a little boy lost wandering ineffectively up front.

And if the defender had been braver and not moved his head out of the way the second goal doesn't go in.

On the subject of pub teams there's loads of them out there technically this is the worst set of international players I've ever seen. Never seen so many incapable of basic ball control

Stan at 87. Selling Alan Ball had little to do with profit. I’ve posted this before. At a sportsman’s evening in Wigan many years ago, Harry Catterick said that Ball was sold because of Alan’s gambling debts.

Barry 96
We have watched 2 different games. Serbia are no mugs ranked 21st in the world just behind the Coffee house and Dog and Duck!

Richarleson had 2 chances and scored both. Between him and Pickford last year they saved us from the drop.

Les@97
Catterick was also quoted at the time as saying that it was ‘good business’ because we’d had his best years and doubled our money. Whichever, I was gutted when he left.

He did Ray. It was at the same function at Goose Green labour club. Like you I was absolutely gutted.

Rob (95), I certainly hope not Rob, my main point was that a person like Kenwright is still negotiating multi million pound deals for Everton and although it is very unlikely we will be paying Spurs a lot of money we are still in a very sorry situation with Ali, he’s not wanted by the team who took him on loan and we will get handed back having paid the bulk of his vast wages with another twelve months to go on his contract, no club likely to come in for him and we will have paid £13M for literally forty five minutes of football from him.

The last resort, I think, is to send him for a dip in the waters of Lourdes and see what transpires from that!!

Brian H, how long did Trevor Birch last, after telling Kenwright that there was only way to survive, and this was by selling his only asset?

Everton stood still, because Kenwright wanted to remain our owner, even though he never had the money to take us forward. He begged stole and borrowed, turned the once mighty Everton, into a plucky little football club, that was allegedly punching above it’s weight🤮, sat back, sat tight, eventually found someone who was prepared to buy the club, but keep him on as chairman, and made an absolute fortune in the process.

Blame solves absolutely nothing, learning from your mistakes solves almost everything, and until Evertonian’s realise this, and demand better, our club will remain nothing more than a relic, of the football club it used to be.

Tony 102

Just to be clear I want Kenwright gone along with Moshiri, but to blame him for selling Rooney was wrong, and yes he does do the deals with other chairmen but thats how it works. Lampard and now Thelwell decide on their targets and Kenwright then deals with the other club and player regarding price and salary and length of contract. Lampard listening to uncle Harry wanted Dele Alli and Kenwright did the deal, now it might be an awful deal, but does he do the deal to keep the manager happy or does he walk away and say its to expensive. Frank also decided rather than replace Richarlison he would rather the club bought 4 non goal scoring midfield players, instead of replacing last seasons talisman and leading goal scorer with 1 or 2 goal scorers. the reason Everton struggled last year was apart from Richarlison the other forwards apart from DCL scored only a few goals each.
So it should come as no surprise that we are again near the relegation zone, and now Lampard is talking about adding a couple of strikers in the Jan window.

I agree that Rooney wanted to go, Brian, but I also think that this was a very, very convenient outcome for Bill Kenwright in his quest to remain in control of Everton FC. Bill Kenwright has, imo, played Evertonians like fools in his very long tenure with the proof in the pudding, unfortunately.

Our longest spell without a trophy and our Everton supporting chairman incredibly telling some fans, that we have had some good times? Is it any wonder that I often question the man's Evertonian credentials whilst shaking my head at some of his very condescending and sickening statements?

What would Everton do, they ask? How shameful. What do you think any decent Evertonian would have done if he never had the money to take us forward and was therefore holding the club back?

Bill Kenwright hasn't kidded everyone but I'm sure the suffering must be much worse for the people who have always wanted better for Everton FC and can see that it was more about what was better for the chairman rather than what was better for our club.

Les @97:

Everton broke up the best midfield in the world by selling Ball for double what they paid for him in ‘66. I'd take the gambling debt thing with a pinch of salt. Everton have been shooting themselves in the foot at least since then.

In football, the effectiveness of individual players depends on how the team is set up and who the players are. Ball, Harvey and Kendall was greater than simply the sum of its parts. Harvey was a very good player before the Holy Trinity, but became a fantastic player within it.

Everton has failed to cumulatively build, and the ready selling of top players has been central to that failure. They have consistently let Everton supporters down.

Brilliant by Gakpo.

That boy Gakpo is pricing himself out of our price range.

It amazes me, how many club chairman and Premier League managers we have on this forum. Perhaps these guys should tell us what their occupations are or were in their earlier lives?

I am waiting for someone to blame Kenwright for the horse manure left outside the ground by the Mounted Police.

The Rooney situation was started by Dalgliesh and a dodgy agent, along with the Shepherd at Newcastle and Dalgliesh was a director of their agency, along with a couple of other managers.

This forced Man Utd's hand to buy him, as Newcastle had no
intention of buying Rooney. Once Rooney knew of the Man Utd deal, he wanted to go. Using a Glasgow thug made Rooney's original agent step aside.

John (108), no matter what happened in the sale of Rooney the fact was his sale saved Everton financially, the club was near to bankruptcy without the sale.

All sorts of people were mentioned in the removal of Rooneys agent, some from London and Liverpool, never heard anyone mentioned from Glasgow apart from Dalgliesh, I don’t know if Kenwright was involved with horse manure but he definitely has been involved with piles of bullshit over many, many years.