Calvert-Lewin logs 45 mins in Monza friendly

The club are a joke, a goal-scoring centre-forward is a must. The defensive stability Coady and more Mina provided when it mattered is long gone so it is clear we have to score a lot of goals to have a chance to stay up.

Any injury to Pickford and we lose about 10 points off our total, I just feel Moshiri is fiddling whilst all around him burns!!!

This is in the hope that he can contribute to the 60 minutes in each of the first 4 or 5 games while we try and do some wheeling and dealing at the end of the window.

As for transfers in, I think our goose has been well and truly cooked there. The disgraceful reaction by all press to what has clearly been peaceful protests, labelling the club toxic.
Man Utd and Spurs? Wheres the press headlines of vitriol and hatred at them?

The fabricated stories of headlocks, assaults and threats leading to the ex bored (sic) and owner no longer being "safe" if attending have clearly done what they were intended to do. Isolate us.

The two main protagonists of whom we now rely on bringing in new players.
Does that make them hypocrites ?
What confidence does any player have in anything they say ?
Both caught in a lie.
Everton cannot be toxic and unsafe and a family club with great community ties and family spirit at the same time.

Add in 'ffp' and no cash to spend, agents are clearly swooning elsewhere for their 30 pieces.

If anyone does come in it will be by a minor miracle and nothing to do with Dumb and Dumber.

'Fiddling' is allegedly what Moshiri is good at, but I don't think its the type of fiddling that you meant!

This stuff really irks me. I am a layman regarding legal issues but if what is written above is actual fact, then the club should take both him and his agent to court for breach of contract.

If the club were successful hopefully his wages will be off the accounts and his agent can be found negligent in his sale of "goods" and the club recoups the money he garnered through the deal.

SMH.

That is a good point, the legal action would be worth it.

I agree with your point but you may want to rephrase the sale of “goods” part mate. I’m sure you meant no ill intent but when you talk about human beings as “goods” that can easily be misinterpreted mate.

Is it just Everton he doesn't want to play for or is it football in general?

But we are making assumptions based on comments he made a few months ago. No-one has said he didn't show up for training.

Maybe he is injured. Maybe the club told him to stay away and find a new club. We are jumping the gun here demanding legal action when we don't actually know what's going on.

If a player publicly states he won't play for a club again, surely that club has a right to cancel his contract, without any need to go to court.

To be fair to Gbamin, there doesn't seem to be any evidence that he's actually said this.

I'm certain Calvert-Lewin will get at least 30 minutes today, playing behind closed doors away from the public eye?

I'm still chuckling an hour or so after I first read it. I just love the Calvert-Lewin clothes, hair, appearance jokes. They might well be the funniest things on ToffeeWeb.

Yes, Maupay!

Minutes for Calvert-Lewin and Mykolenko. Good.

Goals for Dobbin and Maupay. Good.

McNeil's injury against Stoke was to his knee. Not good.

If he has refused to train, then surely the club could suspend him and not pay his wages?

It essentially gives us another week to bring in players.

As always our club is soft as shite. Forget anything to do with “wont play again” gate, 2 years ago he drove his car pissed and caused a crash.

Don't see that as any different than Adrian Mutu having a line or two. It's a criminal act, he should have been sacked on spot and the same compensation line that Chelsea used on Mutu pursued in courts.

He's shown us zero loyalty or commitment, why does “People's Club” equal letting him lose us £25m-£30m we don't have?

I think Young in front of Mykolenko is the answer to left-hand side. Danjuma or Doucoure behind Calvert-Lewin or new boy in the middle.

There is a drug workaround. Gomes could become an asthmatic, like most of the RS squad.

Do you honestly think he'd want to lose £50k+ a week?

Nothing much has changed. Coleman is essentially finished. Calvert-Lewin is a game away from another spell out of action. And we're still allegedly chasing strikers.

The club may have thought they'd get a fee for him at the time. Or maybe they're just soft, clueless, etc.

And Christy is right, there's no way he can decline to train or play if Dyche wants him to, otherwise he's in breach of contract.

And on it will go. How about allowing freedom of speech but limiting the number of times one can express the same opinion to twentyfive thousand.

I think he would have been ear marked for a loan but perhaps we’ll see him replace Gray now as an option off the bench.

1) he’s stated recovery “going well but no idea when back on training pitch”’ (I recall similar words from Townsend last year during summer too).

2) Experimenting with Hoggins and Welch in todays behind closed doors. I’m assuming Welch went in back 3 and Garner got moved to RB.

Reckon it’s another position we’ll neglect and pay twice for. Garner is a CM and the more he is played at RB the worse it is for him and us.

Godfrey and Branthwaite both played full games so Dyche is definitely focusing on their capabilities for the season. Onana played a full 90, Danjuma 75. Sounds like they are being very careful not to rush Calvert-Lewin, hopefully he comes out of this run out in good shape. He will still be a couple of weeks behind the rest and will need more minutes, the Fulham game is likely to come too early for him to be a starter.

Tonight he asked me “If Maupay scores in a deserted stadium, does it really happen?”.

Maybe play 5 more games behind closed doors, tell everyone he's scoring hat tricks and we might get 1 3rd of our money back on him 🤔

Peter, it never makes a sound, only vibration. In the brains of creatures that can detect this, the vibration is presented internally as "sound". The vibrations are there whether witnessed or not.

Maupay – I can't help with that one...

Got to be super careful not to rush him back too soon. Even just have him play every other game or only 60 minutes at a time for the first half of the season. Anything to help him stay injury-free.

Also good that Mykolenko's getting a run out. Some green shoots – just a shame re McNeil.

Maupay's spent lots more time in the box than that elusive cat, but the cat is way ahead on chances taken – at least so far, anyway.

If he hits another half-decent run of form, I'd sell asap.

I can't understand all the negativity, unbelievable!

It was only yesterday I was watching the film 12 Angry Men and thought to myself, there is a certain poster who could give Henry Fonda a run for his money on here in defending the accused, even with nailed-on proof.

Lyndon sat as the judge, listening to all the hard facts, while every bit of evidence and facts, are swatted away by the one lone juror defending the guy.

If they can make some money on the Demarai Gray deal, it would help towards getting someone like Che Adams.

Would be nice to see Calvert-Lewin get another 45 minutes against Sporting and have no ill-effects.

What bollocks evidence does one have?? You couldn't pay people to act so stupid with the endless love of posting stupid posts on this site. Beggars belief.

In the circumstances, it seems Dyche and Thelwell are working well. Thelwell is the first DOF we've had who's offloaded players for cash versus paying their wages to play elsewhere until their contracts expire.

It's a bit like how VAR operates.

So you consider Calvert-Lewin bang average and Gray one of our few talented players?

That being the case, why isn't Gray showing us how good he can be on a regular basis? Or do you believe a new club will instantly uncork the hidden magic?

Apart from the odd game, I would say Gray is bang average.

Injury, loss of form, confidence, mental issues, or just falling out of love with the club, football or themselves – all can be pointed too. But the fact is, in many cases, we took a punt on players who, for one reason or another, had failed at other clubs or were past their best.

Gray, Rondon, Maupay, Dele Alli, Gana, Coady, Mina, James, Allan… the list is long but a familiar one. When one adds to it our own set of ageing or below-par players, the list is lengthy.

We took too many risks on too many players, paying too much for them, then too much to them on too long contracts. Most ending in loan exits or free. Bad management calls at almost every level, short-term thinking with long-term costs. It was never going to make sense.

The two players spoken of in this article, Calvert-Lewin and Gray, are probably not in that category, but injury to one and inconsistency in the other have resulted in a sense of unease.

We know what happened without a replacement for Calvert-Lewin; it's nearly cost us our Premier League status.
With Gray, his light flickers but there was a reason we only paid what we did for him. The lack of overall consistency and ability.

Overall, it was the fact he has only a few tools in his locker, cut inside and shoot being his best. If that's negated by a good full-back, then he is lost. So in short, he doesn't offer enough to warrant his place, but he was the best we had.

Same for Maupay, certainly hasn't warranted his place but was the only one we had (okay, Simms, Cannon neither of whom where or are yet to be deemed up to Premier League standard either).

Calvert-Lewin is a good target man, Ancelotti had him working solely in the penalty area, first touch, shoot. He can hold up play, lay off, defend. But he has been prone to injury; we need at least a back-up or replacement in case.

Rather than the players, I see the problem as being a club with a dated culture run by a club management from a long past dated era that does not exist in the present Premier League. To a certain extent, Evertonians are also yearning for this era of a saviour centre-forward, an Alan Ball type midfielder, and a solid centre-back.

A lot of the players purchased were of the style of this past era with the entitlement to match the club culture reinforced by off-pitch facilities that gave the impression of professionalism that did not exist, though the wages paid and titles seemed to spell otherwise.

What Dyche has done is try to bring the playing team into the present era with suitable player goals and organisation. Existing players have been improved as a result, but Dyche had to make do with the inadequacies they have always had.

Players have gone and more will go if possible who don't fit the required criteria that Dyche requires for his modern system. Attempts are presently being made to bring in players to cover basics and it appears in the remaining month that upgrades on existing players will be attempted with part-exchange deals.

This summer's transfer policy does reflect the reality of a post-relegated team, which is not surprising given the club management that still exists and has brought Everton here. I do think it has been a successful transfer window and pre-season so far.

In the coming season, the team will be more competitive in the Premier League with application, cohesiveness and organisation. This is what Dyche has been about from the day he started, something that Everton has needed for years.

Is it possible to equate Maupay with goals without having a 'no' in the sentence?

If you look beyond his injury record and his work rate (I actually thought he worked hard when on the pitch), James was a huge creator for us that season. Alongside that, with Richarlison, we had someone who runs off the ball and took defenders away from Dom.

A major flaw in our attacking play is that we rarely attack as a team. The only game we did was against Brighton and ironically Dom played the Richarlison role, taking defenders away, allowing Doucouré to arrive in the box with space.

Forget trees, as long as Calvert-Lewin isn't a plank this season.

What's happening now, the cull, a plan, had to happen. The players involved either do not fit the plan, or are just not good enough. Some are better than others but even the few good ones may have to make way as a means to an end. Pragmatism? Possibly refreshing, but inevitable.

Sean Dyche may save this club from relegation, but I doubt once we have security his tenure will not be guaranteed unless new ownership sees a better plan.

Surely the question is will anyone break the stunned silence of disbelief should Maupay ever score again? It would certainly double his transfer value.

You have explained it better than I have and your conclusion is 100% correct.

I think Michael and Lyndon should carry out an experiment to see if AI can repeat some of the stuff on here. Also AI might explode when simultaneously trying to make sense of fallen trees and the removal of deadwood.

This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Dailystar.co.uk ' s editorial research. A content editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors.

Dobbins goal👀 pic.twitter.com/pNaeZ8pVDL

— Tarscouseki🍬 (@KyleG1878) August 2, 2023

His decision-making in the final third has definitely got to improve, but defenders hate playing against players who have got both skill and pace, and I think Dobbin has definitely got both of these major attributes.

Who gave the assist? I love those little clever five yard passes that take defenders out of the game. Let the ball do the work! 💙

Dobbin is the type of player that will get the fans on the edge of their seats… but don't berate him for any short comings – give him time to develop. 🤷

Who started the move with the first pass - was it Onana or Doucoure? Whoever it was they were in the box at the far post in very quick time. That is encouraging.

On the other hand, Gbamin's agent has been criticizing the club for playing him when he wasn't fit, believing this has definitely helped contribute to the player's injury problems, and also couldn't believe that the club never tried to play him in a few reserve games so he could acclimatize to England and the frenetic pace of the Premier League.

So hopefully things are changing, and Everton are slowly going to turn into a proper, clever, hard-nosed professional outfit once again, please god.

That is the main necessary change that Dyche is attempting to bring to the table. Everton for years have been an unfit squad of players, both physically and technically. This had been allowed to develop because those in charge owed their position to the patronage of Kenwright rather than their ability. They were never going to be held accountable for the team performance. They weren't even bothered by team performance.

To an extent that is still the case. But Dyche from the start has concentrated on getting the players organised to compete in their positions by making the right decisions and trying to get them fit enough.

But it is not just what happens at Finch Farm, it was the importing in of unfit players that other clubs had deemed a waste of space in their regime and standards of fitness, both technically and physically.

At Finch Farm, they found their spiritual home on contracts they would have never have got anywhere else. Whilst they were a hodgepodge of different styles because.of different managers, they ultimately reflected the attitude that prevailed inside Everton.

They all professed to be Evertonians and loved the club, but in truth they loved their contracts and had little interest in their football abilities that they may or may not have had.

Whilst Everton need new players in various positions, they need to be fit, both physically and technically. It would be a waste of time bringing in anyone if improvements are not made in these areas.

After Dyche has achieved that, Premier League survival should be restored. But, as has been said many times, the conundrum of the Moshiri - Kenwright relationship still raises its ugly head. To me, it seems that Kenwright has become Moshiri's essential mentor on how to survive as an owner of a Premier League club. I am not even sure if Moshiri's ownership is as it seems.

Anyway, Tony, you know all the above already.

Quite correct to point out that Calvert-Lewin's best season was when James Rodriguez was supporting him. Mentally and reaction-wise, they were on a similar level, the result was spectacular goals delivered at a regular rate.

Rodriguez could judge Calvert-Lewin's runs to perfection with quicksilver timing and precision. Nobody before him or since has provided Calvert-Lewin with the same ammunition. He's had to feed off scraps and unselfishly more often than not had to run himself into the ground, for little return, while operating as a lone wolf. Richarlison also, was the perfect foil for him in that particular scenario.

I honestly believe that if Calvert-Lewin can finally overcome his injury dilemma, then with the right service, he could be a world beater.

Unfortunately, I don't think that will be with us. I'd love to think it might be.

Whoever managed to get a clip of Dobbin's goal, could have a Zapruder film on their hands of the moment Maupay lashed one in. Strange that only one goal has been shown throughout various sites, someone must have a clip of his goal.

Another goal created by @LewisDobbin 😮‍💨⭐️ pic.twitter.com/T7vscWqk3P

— Tarscouseki🍬 (@KyleG1878) August 2, 2023

Brian, the film may have passed through the lab for frame doctoring.

Great run from Dobbin but disappointing that the midfield did not bust a gut to get up in support with only one player running way behind Maupay who made any effort.

I guess Twitter don't like me. I don't like it, so fair enough.