Everton ease past Burnley to earn date with Fulham in last eight

I don't like that!

On the other hand, Beto really needs to get some minutes under his belt.

If so, then I'm happy with that starting team, though I'd prefer Patterson over Young.

Danjuma deserves a chance in this position, I think he'll be dangerous.

Players only get proper match fit and sharp by playing competitive matches so I'm happy with the starting 11 – fingers crossed we come through unscathed and through to the next round. Hopefully, Dyche can start resting players at half time due to an unassailable lead!!

COYB, 3-0 would be lovely for me.

I think Calvert-Lewin still needs minutes to get 100% match sharp.

A win, clean sheet, couple of subs around the hour mark (one Calvert-Lewin for Beto) and no injuries. Is that too much to ask at home to Burnley?

Also need to protect Garner, he's probably our 3rd most important player behind DCL and Pickford.

I'm disappointed he started Young, because after Patterson played against West Ham, with Ashley suspended, he now brings him back, it won't give him much confidence?

I also believe though, that this team will prevail in some style. Start fast and blow them away, please, Blues! 💙

It will be great to get a cushion in the game ASAP and get Beto and others on to finish the job. Easier to type than achieve.

May the lads earn the fruits of their labour. UTFT.

Overall this competition is small potatoes but in terms of momentum / confidence it's got to be a win.

COYB!

If we get our front press right like Bournemouth, we can put this out of sight. Just need to up the energy levels a bit.

West Ham United
Liverpool
Chelsea
Everton
Fulham
Newcastle United
Middlesbrough
Port Vale

Dyche is doing a great job.

Well done, Sean and the boys.

Second home win of the season! Hopefully another on Saturday.

COYB!

We could have scored more, but I'm happy with the result. There are some good partnerships appearing on the pitch, Garner and Onana seem to be building something and they complement each other nicely – they both work hard and are dogged, can transition play, and seem willing to cover for each other. As a midfield two, they have plenty of potential.

Keenly awaiting the draw…

Pleased to see Beto get an assist and overall Everton very worthy winners with a clean sheet.

Now for some luck in the draw.

UTFTs!

Mykolenko had another very solid game. I'm enjoying watching him play lately, he's stepped it up this season. Branthwaite gave another assured performance. Tarkowski was a rock as ever with a great header for the goal. I thought McNeil got better as the game went on, hopefully playing himself into his top form.

Much bigger test against Brighton but we can go into the game with confidence.

Please not an away tie at Barcodes, Chelsea or Them. I will take anything else.

I'll take that!

We have to do the business.

So one of the semi-finalists will be either Port Vale or 'Boro.

COYBs – we can do this.

We owe Fulham one. Extra motivation.

UTFTs!

I hope the 777 Partners had a few million on a roll-up bet and give the winnings to Everton. :)

Fucken' hate them.

Danjuma looks like a glorified Iwobi. And Beto? Oh, Beto….. can we send him back to Udinese?

Great result but some of the passing and decision-making was dire.

I was hoping they would trip up on the south coast but it wasn't to be, however, we won't meet them in the Semis even if we make it to that stage.

The other lot if they advance, are nailed on to get the winners of Port Vale vs Middlesbrough, it's what they do!

A mate from Italy told me he's horribly inconsistent – sometimes brilliant, sometimes dismal – but no-one is sure if the good or the bad days are the fluke.

Beto was on the pitch for about 15 minutes and got an assist out of nothing.

You're right though, send him back, he's useless. With friends like that, who needs enemies?

At least we got through, another stormer from Branthwaite, Tarkowski was good alongside him. Dominic deserved a goal for his performance but I was glad when the game was over, Burnley with a much changed team were very poor and didn't offer much resistance.

We can go further with a home win against Fulham and see how we fare in the two-legged semi-final against Liverpool?

We owe them one like we owed Villa, so it might be a good omen getting them.

Aww, we all know you miss having Iwobi around!

If Calvert-Lewin gets crocked again, I'll be less worried than in the Rondon - Maupay era. Not saying much, admittedly, but I'll be keeping an open mind on him.

On Beto, I think we need to be patient. He looks awkward but we have to give him and Chermiti minutes every chance we get. We've criticised the club for having no Plan B after Dom. They need to give them chances so they are at whatever their best is when Dom needs to miss. Also gives Dom some rest.

Pleased that Dyche gave Danjuma a run. It's the right decision regardless of how he played. We need to know if there's a viable alternative to Doucoure -– and Doucoure offers little in these kind of games anyway. Danjuma seems to make constant poor decisions but they won't improve without involvement. Who are the other options?

We can only pray that Young returning was a rest for Patterson. I don't care how Young played tonight, he's not any kind of answer.

Expected more from both Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison, who both had almost gilt-edge chances to increase the score tally but wayward shooting only succeeded in knocking the pie out of a supporter's hand in Row Z.

Fulham, if they play like they did at Goodison, shouldn't present too many problems, but again the watchwords are take our chances, and minimise theirs.

I felt for Danjuma, he just couldn't get into the game but he was close at times and perhaps needed to run a little harder. I agree Tarkowski was solid but I thought Mykolenko and Branthwaite were excellent. Perhaps Mykolenko's form recently is down to the trust and cover provided by Branthwaite?

Beto frustrates but there's determination there in that goal he created. Rather laboured but he's powerful and a handful so hoping he sharpens up. Great night and we will be back for the Fulham game and perhaps a little later.

Moshiri is a muppet.

Others deserve a way darker description.

I thought or surmised that Moshiri put in a very rare appearance both tonight and on Sunday at West Ham, because of the tributes to the departed Kenwright. Maybe wrong, but it does seem coincidental!

I am almost sure, if memory serves, that the commentator on Sunday mentioned something to the effect that all Directors (and including Moshiri) have been staying away from Goodison because of threats from fans. Another load of tosh that is bandied about by the media to put us all in a bad light!

I was a bit concerned first half when we did the usual and sat back on a 1-goal lead but thankfully Dyche got into them at half-time and we dominated the second half.

Great leading the line and showing pace and determination by Dom; it's a pity Danjuma didn't read the script for the support position. Also thought Harrison and McNeil were hit and miss but at least we are starting to win games now.

Brighton will be a more difficult proposition and we will have to be better than tonight.

We've had a respectful pause for Kenwright but the time for mourning is over. We've lost great Evertonians on this site like John Boon, Harold Mathews, and Dick Fearon to name a few. But the cycle of life continues. We salute them and we accept we have to move forward. C'est la vie.

I hope the club don't get so caught up in mourning another fan that we let his shadow linger over our season. Howard Kendall dying was a shocker and he far and above anyone else in my lifetime was truly “The Greatest Evertonian” as a player, manager and fan.

Trying to apply that title to anyone who never even played the game is ludicrous but, as he would probably have wanted we acknowledged it, we mourned, we moved on. If we can move on post-Howard, then there's no reason to keep evoking the memory of a former Chairman.

Beto needs patience but showed with the third goal how he can be effective as he grows his confidence – the guy is an absolute unit when deployed in the right way.

If we can add to the squad in January and the summer (full-backs, centre-half, advanced midfielder), keep Calvert-Lewin fit and finish the clear out of high earning under-achievers, then things will begin to look more stable as we move towards the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

As for the points deduction threat, beat Brighton, Palace and Man Utd and we can tell them to stick their 12 points where the sun doesn't shine.

You sound bitter because Kenwright was in the right place at the right time and saw his investment grow.

Decent draw for the next round. Stay concentrated, Blues. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but you can do it and bring home the trophy that has eluded us since its introduction. And give our young supporters the hope and belief that older generations have bored them with for decades!

Kieran, I have to disagree with you on Howard. As much as I admired him as our most successful manager, there is only one for me in terms of ex-players, coaches and mangers and that is Colin Harvey.

Now, I will caveat that by saying there are thousands of others either attend weekly or when they can or those who get up at ridiculous hours of the morning across the globe. They could equally be deserving of that accolade.

But in the context, it has to be Colin Harvey for me.

Let's go and beat Brighton.

I prefer both eyes on the ball, and on the Cup and League positions! :-)

Nice to be able to play averagely yet still beat a Premier League team fairly comfortably.

Bring on Fulham and Mr Iwobi!

Onana and Garner are a good balance in the midfield. Calvert-Lewin still remains a top striker.

Mykolenko looks far happier alongside the excellent Branthwaite, whilst Tarkowski, Pickford, Doucoure and McNeil are good Premier League players.

That only leaves Ashley Young who fails to convince, and shoehorned Jack Harrison on the right. I like Jack, but having a player that can't go on the outside is a real problem, particularly when playing with Young.

Danjuma showed why he's on the bench, with Beto still looking clumsy and raw. He doesn't know what he's doing, which makes it harder for defenders – that is my only real observation.

It's a fragile set-up. Keep that core together and we will be fine. A couple of injuries, and it's a mix-and-match from the lost property section with soiled underpants on show. And yes, I am talking the serial car crash that is Michael Keane.

I thought Everton got stronger the longer the game went on, but I wouldn't be getting carried away because I personally don't think the system is quite right just yet, although we are definitely beginning to look a much physically stronger team, which is a big plus, imo.

Agree with Lloyd about Danjuma, not running physically hard enough, which is possibly why he won't start many games out wide. I personally think that it is in these wide areas that we need a bit more pace, unless the full-backs can start getting forward, like Patterson did towards the end, when he hit the pass of the match to the rusty Beto.

I still maintain we were an Alan Hansen handball away from lifting it in 1984. And then being at Stamford Bridge to watch James McFadden in front of my very own eyes try to score when he could have done an easy square pass for a tap in. Then Lescott getting outjumped by Wright-Phillips (yes that giant of a footballer) at the back post at the end. I could go back as far as Grimbsy. This competition has haunted me over the years.

But maybe, just maybe, we have a chance?

Win this and I can move on to our 6th FA Cup and to come later, our 10th League title.

I do like even numbers.

Given the draw, we have a reasonable chance of making the semi-final but I do recall that Fulham turned us over on their last two visits.

Anyway, the quarter-finals are weeks away and a lot can change form-wise between now and then.

Brighton next, we did well at their place and they did well at ours last season. A good test of the level of our progression and hopefully we can take something from the game.

Where the convo included great bands seen way back in the day. All because Jimmy Jimmy (G) got felled by the ball.

Thanks everyone and that includes Mr Dyche's Inglorious Bstds 😁

COYB

We seem to be making a habit of winning football matches and that's two clean sheets in a row. What the hell is going on?

That's because he is no longer rattling chicken bones and chanting incantations (formulated in the Boys Pen) from some deep cellar underneath Goodison on match days.

Was that too soon? 😬

As for the game, we started brightly and scored early which always helps, but I felt after the goal we went into "don't concede" mode, which sadly for me we do too much of.

Obviously Dyche must have rousted them at half-time and they came out more aggressive and positive in their approach. I thought Onana was neat and tidy in all he did and Garner put in a shift.

I thought the back 4 individually and collectively were very good, Branthwaite continues to impress; I also think again Mykolenko put in another solid performance.

I thought our forwards weren't at their best, Harrison works very hard but he lacks quality in the final third. Danjuma was a huge disappointment, you would have expected at the very least he would have put a shift in but for me I am puzzled to see what he gives us.

Apart from the exquisite ball from McNeil for our first goal, I was disappointed in him in general. You can see Calvert-Lewin getting fitter and sharper with every game.

Doucoure made a big difference when he came on and you can see and feel how much the fans have a great affection for Beto who created the 3rd for Young. Funny that Calvert-Lewin doesn't seem to resonate with fans like Beto has done, don't know why that is.

I think Kompany needs to give these young players a break. Making them play out from the back may be okay for defenders who were in the Championship last season now and again is fine, but they got into trouble time and time again with this tactic.

Similarly, when they attacked, they were trying to create the perfect goal like Man City often did, but I feel that by trying to make these kids try and play like City is footballing suicide.

So a good win, pleased with drawing Fulham at home and onto a far more difficult task on Saturday against Brighton.

The amount of times we had players eager and able to win back the ball or prevent an attack, right up to the final minutes, was great to see. It seems the players are really buying into Dyche's "Minimum requirement is maximum effort" mantra.

I think Dyche deserves a lot of credit for our improvement and those who accuse him of just playing "hoofball" are well wide of the mark.

If we do beat Fulham then it will be our first semi since Martinez in 2015-16 right?

It was a joy to watch, worth attending the match in itself.

McNeil hasn't yet got properly back in his stride either – and will give more when he does.

I love the fact with Branthwaite that he brings a calmness and balance to the defence and it radiates out to team, he knows what he is doing on the ball.

At the same time on the odd occasion, he is not precious enough to know when he has to to give it the Row Z treatment when necessary. Will be a bigger test on Saturday, but bring it on.

McNeil is doing plenty now to please me, a proper team player up and down the field constantly looking for support from others throughout the game, I wish we had a few more players like him.

Intrigued to see him go head to head against another prodigious talent this Saturday, in Brighton's Ferguson. This is worth the admission on its own, just to witness this contest between two young players performing at the very highest level way beyond their years.👍

McNeil is a cracking player – beautifully flighted cross for Tarkowski that James Rodriguez would have been proud of. Plus all the hard work for the team.

I just meant he's still finding his fitness after injury and is still not yet at his best.

We've now got a great spine to the team, from Pickford to Calvert-Lewin, however out wide, as your school report used to state, needs more work.

I'm baffled by Dyche's preference of Young over Patterson as we are screaming out for overlapping options to give Dom, who don't forget Pep called the greatest header of the ball in Europe, more chances.

Mykolenko who's playing at the top of his game but sadly his game isn't in the attacking end of the pitch, so what we need is for Patterson and Harrison to form a Steven/Stevens (yes I know both players aren't at that level) to give us threat on the flanks.

But at the moment I'm enjoying looking forward to the next game instead of dreading it. Weird experience indeed.

Mykolenko and Patterson are improving with each game. It's up to the others, ie, McNeil, Gueye, Harrison, Doucoure, Danjuma etc… to up their games and make the competition for starting places white hot.

If we continue to improve our passing, and composure, a top 10 - 12 finish is on the cards. And, when can we start singing, Que Sera Sera….?

Wins against Villa, Brentford, West Ham, Burnley and Bournemouth may not mean the second coming but wins are wins and that's a good thing in anyone's book.

Apart from that awful game against Luton and that iffy reverse against the RS with 10 men, things have been good.

Confidence seems to be on the up and that had been missing for quite some time.

Let's all hope they continue the good form against Brighton.

I will always remember dad saying to me in the coach on the way home (I was 10 at the time, “You lucky get, your first long journey back from a cup game and we've won! This would have been a horrible coach-ride if we'd lost. I should know, I've been on coaches when the result didn't go our way, many times!”

Another heroic failure until 4 years later. Seems it was longer than that now.

We are making improvements all over the Park.

I hope the FFP result goes in our favour. That would be a massive millstone removed from our necks which we can hopefully resign to the bottom of the Mersey and move forwards and upwards.

But I wonder if the use of Young is because Patterson has had a very difficult time of it with injuries over an extended period.

Maybe it's just a precaution until Patterson's body is up to it. Not unlike how Calvert-Lewin has been handled.

Whatever the case, I expect Patterson will be our regular right-back once we get to the later stages of the season.

Again I struggled picking a motm as it was a good solid team performance.

We aren't spectacular, we are functional. A threat on the counter and set pieces.

We are still wide open when we try and expand play as we do lack pace in areas.

We have some good youngsters the club needs to hold onto otherwise it will be the same old sell for the highest fee and buy from the bargain bin.

The squad is much stronger than last season.

Beto or Maupay, I know who I would rather have. Beto needs to get used to the style of the prem. Without doubt, he is a handful for the opposition if used correctly and a handy deputy for Calvert-Lewin.

Do you think Dyche might just be checking out Patterson's ability to play in a more forward position? Either as a contingency or as part of his development or both??

We may have had better quality individual players in some position in the meantime but not the balanced setup on the pitch.

Brent are you suggesting a TAA type change?

It will be interesting to see who takes the right-back spot on Saturday. Mitoma is one of the more dangerous left-sided players in the Premier League.

It's up to us as the home team to nullify that advantage by keeping the ball better and making them run. Essentially we've got to ‘do a Brighton' on Brighton.

Could go either way but last season at home was an embarrassment.

I'd keep the eleven from today but with Danjuma dropped for the far more influential Doucouré.

I'm actually looking forward to it. But was looking forward to Luton.

Hmm.................

That's because everyone knows Dyche and the coaching staff come here for vital advice after a loss or bad performance.

This of course is not needed when things have gone well.

Wash yer mouth out, Colin! Not sure I'd want to make the comparision in ability at present (crosses for example) but Patterson does like to go forward at times.

I think Martinez first season was the most balanced team we had. An experience keeper, a stable defence, a midfield blend of youth and experience and an attacking line that could create and score.

Just a short post to tell you how sorry I was to hear of your mother's passing. On our short walk to Goodison from the Harlech the other week, you mentioned your mother a couple of times and the advice she gave you. It was very obvious how much you loved your mother, the more you love someone the more it hurts when they go.

See you soon, Brian, sincere sympathy to you and your family.

Will #104 puts it better.

Ah, I guess my theory of ToffeeWeb being mostly populated by negative moaners must be well wrong then? :-))

Now with McNeil and Harrison, we have a balanced line.

He was very poor; essentially all he did was stand in the middle of the pitch and pass the ball backwards when he got it. Shame he couldn't make it for us.

Not really; there are many of us and we have many theories on why we are defeated... some may even be correct.

A decent victory is hard and a bit churlish to argue against.

Big test at the weekend, keep churning those results out lads.

Beningame had been out injured for a long while. He just needs time to get back to full fitness.

I also offer condolences for the loss of your Mother, at times like this football is insignificant.

I think the numbers may show that there's a majority who only seek to post negatively and when there's nothing negative to post about, they don't post.

But I don't want to get into an argument after such a great night.

As an aside, Martinez was there last night, and I was told he was really upset. Seemingly Kenwright kept in constant touch with him after his stint with us and they were quite good friends.

Thanks John, much appreciated.

I guess we all have a moan now and then but sometimes it does go ballistic.

A lot stayed on the Live Forum last night while waiting for the draw (me included) and maybe that took a lot of the comments.

I hope the interest in this cup isn't waning: it's been under attack for so long as an "unimportant" competition, which is crap.

ps: Sorry about your mum. I can't believe the loss on TW this last week.

It's a pretty established trait of the internet that negative events or stories get more attention and engagement than positive ones. It's something the likes of Twitter, Facebook etc realised long ago and why many of their products are so toxic.

What it says about human nature, I'm not sure… but suffice to say that people love to argue and moan. At least on here!

Yep Sam you've hit the nail on the head and it's something I wish was different.

I'm not advocating ridiculous over the top positivity but the opposite is so draining and soul destroying.

But heyho, more results like last night and I'll gladly settle for shorter, less populated threads.

UTFT!

I'm off out to mock the rs neighbours!

He does like to get forward but his quality when he gets there needs work. Hopefully, he will improve over time as Mykolenko is begining to demonstrate.

They had far more of the ball than us, more corners and to my way of thinking passed the ball better. Against a better team who can use the possession more effectively, we will be in trouble.

Maybe Dyche plans for each opponent accordingly? But let's be honest we should have battered them.

It's time to change that 'story' and hopefully a good sized crowd and a great atmosphere will help, although as it's scheduled for Christmas week, will that prove to be the case?

We have plenty of games between now and the encounter with Fulham, but at least it's something to look forward to.

Below is a list of previous Quarter-final ties, as seen on ToffeeWeb.

QF Shrewsbury Town (a) 1-2 Young
QF Manchester United (a) 3-0 Dobson, King 2
QF Leeds United (a) 1-4 Thomas
QF Oxford United (a) 1-1 Heath
R Oxford United (h) 4-1 Richardson, Sheedy, Heath, Sharp
QF Liverpool (h) 0-1
QF Manchester City (h) 2-0 Heath, Sharp
QF West Ham Utd (a) 2-1 Osman, Yakubu
QF Middlesbrough (a) 2-0 Deulofeu, Lukaku
QF Leicester City (h) 2-2 Davies, Baines 2-4 on pens
QF Manchester United (h) 0-2

League Cup Record

I was just thinking the same thing. Where's the news on the penalty we supposedly face? Went a bit quiet, which tells me that Telegraph article was a bit sensationalistic? Surely if it was assured Everton would get a 12 point deduction and that was actually leaked, the judgement would come very shortly thereafter?

If there was a leak, and you wait a week or two to announce the verdict, that looks crap / circus-like in my opinion. Surely they recognize this?

I dunno.

I bet that pint you're nursing is half-empty rather than half-full. 😉

I'm sure something did happen in that first game at Oxford, I keep getting the name Kevin and a bad back-pass, but it was such a nothing moment, I can't be certain. :)

My wife would of course reply with: “You wouldn't? You do so many times!”

Although Burnley had the majority of possession, Everton stood firm in defence with Tarkowski and Branthwaite looking a good partnership. The full-backs did their job, but Young was a bit wasteful, and looked better when pushed into midfield late on in the game, when Patterson came on.

Pickford hardly had a save to make, but his distribution was poor. Calvert-Lewin led the front line well, but lacked support on a lot of occasions. Harrison gives us better balance across midfield and Onana was strong in the centre and won quite a few tackles and got his goal. McNeil played in fits and starts but did win a few tackles.

As Burnley pushed to get back into the game, we counter-attacked and got the rewards in the last 10 minutes of the game. Danjuma was anonymous and needs to up his game if he wants to stay, or else get rid. Beto was happy with his assist.

Overall, Dyche has the team well drilled, playing in banks of four across the back and midfield and he just needs to work on a bit more creativity.

Onana and Doucoure interacted with the fans at the end, giving shorts away which was a nice touch.

How many times have we seen teams, either home or away, have minimal possession yet still walk off as victors at the final whistle?

Maybe that is part of Dyche's plan, let the opposition tire themselves out, run down blind alleys, then hit them on the break. I wouldn't advocate it myself, but if it works, long may it yield results for us!

It happened early this season at Goodison Park: Fulham, Wolves and Luton! Let's hope there are no repeats !

I also watched the game from the Upper Bullens but via a TV camera :-)

Burnley passed and kept the ball well and had some tidy passages of play but in truth, much of it was barely past the halfway line; almost irrelevant.

I can see what Kompany is trying to instill but I thought there was too much dallying for the sake of it from the back: was waiting for a bad mistake/turnover that nearly came more than once. Still, it ended around 2-to-1 in possession, I think.

Funny, but in the second half I remarked to myself how good some of Pickford's distribution was. He made some long passes off the ground to the wings like a good midfielder, right on the mark.

Two key players in making us compact are McNeil and Harrison. Although they lack pace they both use the ball sensibly and work like trojans off the ball.

I just hope the players can produce the same level of energy and teamwork on Saturday having failed to do so against Luton three days after our win in the previous round.

Fulham have won on their last three visits to Goodison. It's time to end that sequence.

Just in case I am perceived as one of those moaners – and I do moan when we are rubbish which has been often in recent years – here's a post to add to the numbers.

Actually I felt less able to post because I didn't actually see the game apart from the miserly highlights on ITV late at night which give little insight. Shame really given it's rarer than hen's teeth that we win 3-0. How many hours have I spent without seeing us lose or fail to score? Now I can't even be excited about seeing us win because I don't know who deserves the praise.

But I guess you can't usually win so easily unless most if not all did well, so good stuff.

It would seem that Sean Dyche wants most of his first-team players involved, whatever the competition, whomever the opponent. However, many would argue that given such a relatively small squad, that might not be the best way for this current squad, long-term.

As an Everton supporter, I prefer to see mostly first team players out on the pitch, in every match, as I believe, players, missing matches, unless due to injury or suspension, isn't the way to build the team or the team spirit required, if you want to compete properly.

"The challenge you've got is, if you want to be successful, you've got to play a lot of football. I want the players to know that they can play three games in a week, they can have that mentality to play these games and take them on. The care and support systems we have in place nowadays are better than ever. I want the mentality to be, 'I want to play every game.'" Sean Dyche – 1 November 2023

I remember terrible traffic on the M6 for the semi-final against City in 1969 and not getting in the ground until
after half-time.

Generally good performances from the players but as I have
posted before I don't think any of the new signings are going
to set the world alight. Harrison certainly won't if he is kept on the right.

I've commented on that several times over the past year. Pickford has massively improved that part of his game, which was once a weakness.

He'll never be Ederson on the ball, but his long-range passing has become really good.

As the younger players mature and work out what works for them, the team should perform even better by next spring.

Let's hope Thelwell continues this momentum and brings in more like Garner, Calvert-Lewin, Branthwaite and Chermiti. Need more young players with very high ceilings just needing Premier League experience to come in, polish a bit, and improve with experience.

he's even stopped throwing the ball as much, even when in his range, and he throws pretty well. Guess that supports the improvement.

The unease with crosses is the only real weakness. I think he'll keep improving yet, still relatively young, jitters are under control.

When was the last Merseyside cup final… 1989?

Would be great for the city and fantastic when Tarkowski lifts the trophy!

I can think of no greater nightmare than a Merseyside cup final. Precedence makes the event a mental torture guarantee.

I’m not unhappy I’m glad we appear to have a more competitive side but that is only going to take us so far.

Pickford is a top class keeper who has improved in every year he’s been at the club. There is a reason he’s been No.1 for England for 6 years.

His temperament has improved, his decision making has improved and his shot stopping puts him up with the very best in the world.

In hindsight £25m was a cracking piece of business.

I suspect I'm the only one who thought it, but my favourite moment was provided by Beto ramming his way down the wing and across the goal line followed by a perfect cross. It was the kind of thing that confident, successful teams do.

"Isn't it strange that after a great win last night there're just over 100 post but for the Luton defeat there were 374"

Not really mate

The Luton loss was on a Saturday. This gave frustrated fans all Saturday night and all day Sunday to criticise and lament a weekend ruining performance. We were not due to play for another week which meant the thread dragged on and people were still postings long after they had gone back to work on Monday.

By the time most people got home last night it was bed time. We must also remember that a huge percentage of last night's crowd would have got up this morning and gone straight to work and school. I doubt this thread will get beyond 200 posts because we have another game in less than 48 hours against Brighton and attention will inevitably switch to that.

I know you are right Brian. Even in identical circumstances a defeat will always attract more post than a win, but I have a slightly different theory to you.

A match can make or break your week. A defeat leaves you miserable and frustrated and you are far more likely to come on a forum and vent.

A win changes everything. You smile for days. You can't stop thinking about the joy you felt when that winning goal went in. The desire to post on a forum is lessened when you are strutting about your daily business like a dog with two dick's.

Throughout the game last night I was thinking how much we are lacking a No.10 with some guile. It was only this evening I remembered we have one on our books, but hoping Dele can come back is very optimistic.

The others (Richarlison excepted) were certainly competent passers, and Arteta and Pienaar both had moments of inspiration, but overall nobody was going to bring you out of your seat with a dazzling defense-splitter.

I think McNeil, Onana and perhaps Garner have the ability to be just as good. McNeil's cross for Tark yesterday was elegant, and Onana's setup for Garner at Villa was one of several classy passes he has executed this season.

You are very wrong about Arteta, Pienaar and Baines.

Great forward thinking players with ‘creative magic’. They also did it for a lot longer than James

attitude, tenure and durability can be questioned and compared - but James was on another level of ability.

Undoubtedly the lad had real magic. You don’t be the best player in a World Cup if you don’t have that.

But his career was ultimately one of unfulfilled potential. He lacked the thing that’s required to be a really great player. Mental fortitude.

Give me an Arteta or Pienaar any day and he had more talent than either of them.

Baines' assists came mostly on perfect crosses, not creative killer through balls. Arteta and Pienaar were competent playmakers, but that's all. Arteta averaged five assists per season for us, Pienaar four. Real creators like De Bruyne, Fabregas, Giggs, Lampard and Rooney produce 4X that many.

Our guys were very good. They weren't remotely magical.

I think the hope was that Gnonto would add a bit of sparkle but we were priced out of the deal.

The problems off the park, don’t seem to have impacted the squad and the play with belief and expression.

It’s been a decent couple of months, Mordor, was destined to be rigged and so it proved. We move on, and look forward.

Next game is the most important, and getting to 22 points plus, before New Year, will be massive, all aspects considered. The AFCON, will impact January, as it will most EPL clubs, but every point gained by the end of December, is massive.

What may or may not happen, regards any FFP, matters, who really knows, but the mental strength and well being and resolve of Evertonians, will help Everton, get through the tough times, that will be met during this season.

BMD, is majestic and in time will be the home ground of Everton Football Club, and is awe inspiring in the cloudy, dark mornings, and the murky and clear autumn evenings.

There’s loads to look forward to this season, despite the take over issues, and this squad and Sean Dyche, are getting their act together, and long may it last.

UTFTs!

The definition of straw man argument. I never compared them to any of those players. None of them are even close.

But all of them are streets ahead of what we currently have. You know the point I actually made.

I thought one of the best passes I’ve seen for a long time, was played perfectly into Beto’s path by Patterson, last night. The kid has got loads to learn, but only players with real ability can hit those type of passes, imo, simply because I believe the better players, do things a little bit earlier?

Some might say it was a cross, but it was done that quickly and so crisply, that it definitely caught out the very raw Beto, another player who I think will also improve, given time?

I sadly concluded that James was/is one of those relatively rare professional players - a footballer that isn't hugely into football above the rewards and lifestyle once the early years have passed, injuries or not.

All the more frustrating and ironic when such ability is involved. Staggeringly good but ultimately some way wasted.

I think that’s fair enough. I’m not unhappy with our progression. I’m just pointing out this current squad lacks real creativity

Branthwaite 21
Onana 22
Garner 22
McNeil 23
Mykolenko 24
DCL 26
Harrison 26

With Dyche focus on fitness, I think the squad can compete with any other at least on work rate

Gotta get that inferiority complex out of your system. I’d take a final appearance if offered regardless of opposition.

The 80s was such a mental decade, we were in so many finals you just expected it at seasons end, year after year. Even if we lose, a proper Wembley day out (ie a final not a semi final to pay for the stadium) is the least the fans can expect for the crap endured for over a decade.

Can’t believe 2009 is the last time we made any final and for some bizarre reason we’ve never won this trophy.

No city, no Arsenal, no Spurs, no Utd. Long way to go but am hopeful we’ll get through the quarters. Then one game away…..

You know how it is these days, a player hits form and is consistently good, next thing Agents and Cash Rich Clubs turn their heads and we end up losing them. We should be doing the opposite, keeping them, and building for the future. Hopefully good times ahead, but watchword, early days so let's not get carried away !

It would be nice to be, once again, undoubtedly better than they are but until we are we shouldn’t shy away from any relative success just because it would trigger their usual over-the-top crowing.

And I'm just saying that whatever qualities those guys on your list had, magic wasn't amongst 'em. Competence passing the ball isn't genius. True magic is a rare gift, and none of 'em EVER had it. Except James.

Besides, comparisons to top players aren't really beside the point, they ARE the point. In my mind only top players should be considered contenders for the title of "magical", and only one of the guys on your list was considered to be an elite player, worthy of ranking with the Prem's best. And that was Leighton Baines.

Courtesy of a recently departed shyster we also, ahem, were "entertained" by Messrs Gascoigne, Ginola and Eto'o who'd all had "magic" in their possession, but way way before we got to watch them playing for us.

In this century "magic" has only been delivered to us by Rooney (briefly) and, mercifully, Jordan Pickford on very necessary occasion.

Pienaar, had no real pace, and because he was about 8 stone wringing wet, he never had any real strength either.

After he left Everton, I watched him play for Spurs, in a big European game, and although I thought he was the neatest and cleverest little player on the pitch, he simply never had the speed or strength to really influence the game at that level, so it was no surprise to see him land back at Goodison, not long after he had left us.

My point is that he had obviously been very well coached, and that’s why I would love to see someone like him heading up our academy system, once we get new owners with a plan, and the club gets a total revamp?

I would rather not face the other lot at any stage and definitely not in the final. We'd have to share the day out, the media coverage, and all the other trappings with our not-so-nearest-and-dearest, which would undoubtedly be shared unevenly.

Then we come to the fact that our record against them is possibly the worst derby record in the last 25 years, of any club in all of the major city derbies. The outcome of the match, would likely end with another major trophy for the neighbours and we'd have to sit there and watch it live and in the flesh.

Once again, no thanks, however, if it happens, it happens and there is always an outside chance that Everton would win on the day, but the overwhelming evidence is that it would be a fruitless day-out for Evertonians and yet another day of glee for the rivals at our expense. Anyway there's the not so small matter of beating Fulham to get to the Semi-Final before we worry about any cup final at all.

I'm sure I could guess the word, but look at the facts, we haven't beat them on home soil since what is it 2010? We've won once at their place during that period, and they've knocked us out how many times in cup matches during that time?

Like all Evertonians, I hope the club does make it to Wembley and lifts a trophy, but the chances of Everton doing that against the other lot are remote, even if our team has a good day and theirs a bad one.

It's not a case of being scared about being beaten by the other lot, after all we should be used to it and be able to handle it. However, it's the scarily pathetic record that we have against them in all competitions, for most of my time watching the Blues, that makes me wary of facing them in a final.

At present, on our day, we have the foundations of a good team, if we keep them together and are able to add depth. Even when we lose it mostly tends to be small margins. Room for improvement and it's going to be a long journey, but who knows?

Don - Duncan McKenzie is magic. Some of my earliest memories. I didn't appreciate too much at the time and used to get a clip for looking at the crowd more than the match but used to sing along!

Kevin Sheedy was magic. Had to get that one in!

It was a shame about Rodriguez. A shame we didn't see more of him, but, but very few players play every match these days. I'd have taken 15 games a season from a player of that calibre. I would have loved the Goodison crowd to have witnessed him in the flesh on the pitch. Then we would have seen his abilities.

Jordan Pickford - good shout. That Anfield Derby debacle aside, and his occasional recklessness, he has literally given me breathless moments where I held my breath longer that when I used to challenge myself for how long I could swim underwater.

Big Joe Royle is the only Everton manager, who has really been able to put the boot on the other foot with regards Liverpool, because he got right under their skin, and I personally believe this is one of our biggest problems whenever we play the other crowd?

Don't get me wrong, they have had a really good team for a few years now, whilst Everton, have been all over the place, but I honestly don't think it's fear that has been our biggest problem (except for the last time we lost to them at Wembley) but rather because we hate the bastards that much, and looking at things logically, then I genuinely believe that this affects almost everything?

I would love to beat them at Wembley.

Tomorrow however is about beating Brighton.

See you there. In person, spirit or soul.