Keane a doubt for Burnley trip

Nor would I want to see a three-man backline when we're playing so superbly with four at the back.

I'd say move Myko inside next to Tark. He's the best tackler and header available.

Slot Godfrey in at left back, where he started five games last season and six the year before.

It could be his last appearance for us. Multiple media reports in the past couple of days have us selling him to Spurs in January.

" blows on mike"

Too much information...

Sorry, Paul @ 3, I see you already mentioned Holgate.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67682536

Would love Ben to come in and show he's somewhere near back to his best and ready to provide quality back-up for the magnificent Tarkowski and Branthwaite. I thought he could be great when he first arrived, but seemed to regress after his injury set-backs.

If any recall to be made (bit too panicky for one game) I would rather it be Reece Welch, makes more sense, one for the possible future, against one we are tying to offload, no brainer as they should say ?

Can Holgate (or Welch) be recalled outside of a transfer window and how will recalling him see he gets more game time as aren't Branthwaite and Gana only out for the one game.

All three are utter shite and having them in our team makes us vulnerable as fuck.

Our problems as a team stem from the continued selection of these morons. We're only doing well because they are nowhere near the first team under dyche.

Yes I'm harsh, but when yer paid that kinda money to go and fuck up time and time again then you have to question a) the coach for selecting them and b) the idiots who keep extending their contracts.

I'm very interested to see what dyche does in this situation.

I say miko central with young at left back and Seamus at right back

We'll have to wait and see how Dyche tackles this mini availability crisis. One thing is for sure (from reading the comments) - none of us can agree on a back 4 against Burnley.

Godfrey did very well playing fullback in Ancelloti’s team, but it’s been different under Dyche, although because the team is more confident, he will hopefully find it a lot easier if he comes back in for Brainthwaith.

I wouldn't even be surprised if Onana, if he's fit, starts at CB alongside Tarkowski. He's a closer match physically to Jarrad and a calm presence on the ball too.

The good news is that Dyche tends to find a way of shuffling players about and getting a performance so hopefully that will happen against Burnley.

So Godfrey at CB and offer up a prayer.

Need James Flynn to resume his loan round up...

Dare I say, 3-5-2? Question being Mykolenko or pushed up front as a wing back. Or the other way around? Godfrey as a wing back with Mykolenko in a 3?

Who knows? The manager will decide.

Sorry mate that's a ridiculous post.

The worst thing you can do in any sport is to disrespect your opponent before the battle. I like to see inner confidence, but that sort of disrespect invariably comes back to bite you on the arse.

Keep the momentum.

Then ship him off to Spurs ASAP. Unfortunately it looks likes calamity Holgate could be back.

I don't want to get dramatic, but I've faced many opponents in my life. Terrorists, Serbian, Taliban insurgents and human rights abusers. You always believe you are better, but you never disrespect the enemy.

Anyway, to your point and back to the football. We go to Burnley with confidence and belief. But also with humility.

We won't win them all, so let's not panic if we do lose one. We will win enough.

Totally different era and scenario, but in what is the greatest season in my living memory (84-85), we lost the first two games and shipped 6 goals.

The rest was history. Don't panic as they say. Long way to go.

Wonder what he'll tell our players this weekend if we find ourselves in a losing position !

The problem is, we got rid of our better CB's at the end of last season (Mina and to a lesser extent, Coady), albeit for good reasons, which left us with the dross. Without Branthwaite's emergence as a class CB, one shudders to think of the situation we might have been in.

Not sure what the Mike England comment was about, but what I remember was that it was Mike England who injured Joe Royle with his knees in Joes back. Joe was out of the game for 12 months and had to have back surgery, and was never the same player when he came back. England was also captain of Wales, a decent centre half and not a dirty player at all but doubt Joe would see it that way.

Not sure what the Mike England comment was about, but what I remember was that it was Mike England who injured Joe Royle with his knees in Joes back. Joe was out of the game for 12 months and had to have back surgery, and was never the same player when he came back. England was also captain of Wales, a decent centre half and not a dirty player at all but doubt Joe would see it that way.

'Subject to any conditions imposed by the Board in the exercise of its
discretion under Rule V.4.2, the minimum period of a Temporary Transfer
shall be the period between two consecutive Transfer Windows and the
period of a Temporary Transfer shall not extend beyond 30 June next after
it was entered into, save that the Board may, in its absolute discretion,
permit a Temporary Transfer to be terminated before the commencement
of the second Transfer Window (subject to such conditions as the Board
deems appropriate);'

So, you can only get a termination, if you are mates with the Premier League.

Can't see a problem for Everton there.

I couldn’t see him playing Onana there either if I’m being honest, and I would have that same opinion even if Gana Gueye wasn’t suspended.

We are a nightmare for teams away from home with our set up so I'm still confident despite the enforced changes. I also think the other players will encourage and help Godfrey get through the game, especially Tarkowski and Seamus will help him too from on or even off the pitch.

Pickford
Patterson - Tarkowski - Godfrey - Myko
Harrison - Onana - Garner - McNeil
Doucs
DCL

If we're looking comfy after an hour give a rest to Dwight, DCL and Garner as they're so key to us creating and scoring.

Whoever walks on that pitch gets my backing.

I've looked at a very young line up at Stamford Bridge, admittedly with trepidation. And the then even younger Branthwaite scored the equaliser right in front of me stood in in the Shed End. At the next visit, albeit down the other end, Ellis Simms slots one in.

Nothing is impossible. Fear no-one.

I don't care who is playing for Everton at the weekend. They are playing for Everton whoever they are. That is all that matters.

For God's sake, it's only Tuesday!!

If you knock a lads confidence then don't be surprised about poor performances. At this time total support is necessary all round.

Early on under Frank, Godfrey and Myko had a couple of solid games together. They appeared to understand each other’s tendencies with the ball. McNeil will obviously need to help getting the ball out of the left side.

Just leave the decision to Dyche, he seems to have mellowed a little in player selection, and so far, no player has really let him down.

As Danny and others had said, whoever Dyche selects, it's for a reason, and he is not going to pick a team or player to lose.

At least if Garner or Onana, or even Doucs have to come off, we know Dyche has the confidence to reshuffle the pack,

As Danny says it's only Tuesday... Keep the faith and believe. We're on the up, and not on our uppers!

Look at the difference in Gordon at Newcastle now he is in a different, more appreciate environment.

Giving the players support and not dogs abuse really helps.

They're the 3rd lowest scorers in the league with only Sheffield Utd boasting a worse defensive record. My hope is that they come to play because I reckon we'll murder them if we let them have the ball.

Our confidence is sky high, and it's teams like Burnley we should be taking it out on.

While I agree with your sentiments, I also very much doubt whether any players ever consult, not only TW but any Fanzone Online site, to see how they are doing !

The Devil's Advocate side of me thinks though these players are paid a lot of money to perform, and entertain, and while some can have an off day (like us all) if consistently poor I believe there is no harm in 'calling them out'.

No mention of this on the OS though.

The likes of Godfrey, Gomes, Alli and Keane train intensively with the rest of the squad, and I suspect there is a lot of camaraderie, so the less we dip into vitriol towards incoming squad players, the better, IMHO. We need all of our players to feel the fans are backing them. This includes making allowances for those getting used to the intensity of PL football. especially the "Dycheball ".

Godfrey has played a lot of his poorer games, when he has been played as a right back, which is not suited for a left footed player.

I do not expect a Beckenbauer performance from the lad, but with Tarkowski and Mykolenko alongside him, I think he is the better option than Keane.

If you look back to McNeils early Days, he was employed to play down the right, it was only when McNeil was moved to play on the left side that we saw his strengths and hasn’t looked back since.

If there is anything to get out of Godfrey, then we need to keep away from playing him as right back.

When he first came in he looked marvelous. Bags of speed, solid, he looked great.

Then he got covid. He's never, ever been the same since he contracted the virus.

I do not like Godfrey at either RB or LB. He was and is a CB. I'd not play him out of position. I'd slot him right next to Tarks and have a back four of Patto, Tarks, Godfrey, Myko. Those four can handle anything Burnley throws at us.

Dyche has been a master at improving the players off the bench. With all the training Godfrey has had under Dyche, I think he'll be fine, especially against Burnley.

It's better to slot in one-for-one rather than upset the norm and move Myko inside.

I can’t remember who I was going to watch though because I’m sure Nat Lofthouse was suspended! but it did make me realize that watching football has suddenly become important once again. I wonder if I can get a ticket for Saturday now, because surely Big Rob Halligan, won’t be wanting to go, just in case he jinxes us!

Burnley aren't a ‘lump it' team under Kompany, so his speed might be useful.

How many goals did centre-halves Ratcliffe, Labone etc manage between them? While he wears Royal Blue, he deserves our support and he is clearly getting his respect for his work-rate and commitment in training!

Absolutely spot on. This hammering of our own players before a ball is kicked is like a weekly ritual.

"If they're consistently poor, I believe there is no harm in "calling them out". Words fail.

As Danny points out, it's only Tuesday, for fuck's sake.

Godfrey and Keane can't be called out for being consistently poor because one hasn't started since August and the other hasn't started a game since the season started.

I agree, when we first got Godfrey, again the general consensus was that we'd got a proper player.

He then gets Covid, which develops into long-covid.

When he returns, in his first game back, he gets a broken fibula (outside bone in the lower leg), is out for 3 months and seems to have been over-looked since.

At the summer break, I was one saying he should probably go out of loan, and try to recapture his form and fitness. Or play him in the junior squad. (Which stops a younger player from developing.)

As a few above have said. He is one of ours and as such, forget history and look to the future. With a run of games, much like Patto, he can only improve, and the team need a confident and capable backup at centre-back.

Right now, it is time to stop grinding axes, and voice our support.

As George Mac would say, send positive vibes, and not negative ones.

Burnley in reality is a must-win game. As we need to focus on those five or six clubs around us and prioritise them as 3 pointers.

I usually ignore negative posts unless I need to admit that I should be eating crow. Yet, as you say, "If they're consistently poor I believe there is no harm in "calling them out". It beggars belief! It really does.

If I was at work, and trying my best, but everything was going pear-shaped, and I had work colleagues or, even worse customers, telling me how poor I was doing, I know exactly how I would react and it wouldn't be positive.

Whereas if someone said, "Just chill, it's not your day. Focus on what you are doing well, it'll get better..." Well, that would help my productivity a lot more than the former.

Mutual respect, support and effort, that is what builds a positive culture. I believe.

Trevor [77],

Very well said, Trevor, absolutely this. Why kick one of your own when they are known to confidence problems... Makes perfect sense... not!

Please don't recall Holgate. Why not try Beto there? Okay that's caused a titter or two but I have been impressed with what little we have seen of him so far and would love to see him start again. He is big, strong and really puts himself about.

At the back, I would go with Mykolenko as long as he knows he cannot go forward and leave Tarkowski exposed.

They should be able to manage Burnley with what we have available but Spurs are coming up and we need to field the best of the squad.

Why would we go to a back 5, Mykolenko has been superb at left-back.

Slot Godfrey in and leave the rest as is. Not only would I do that but Dyche – who loves consistency – will definitely do it. Not the ideal solution but it is what it is. Our squad is thin and this stuff will happen more so as the season progresses.

Dyche will look to minimise disruption and make as few changes as possible. Burnley will look to play the ball on the deck anyway, so I'm less concerned about Godfrey's heading ability.

By the way, and sorry for repeating myself, I did say this on another thread, but where have those people who were calling for Graham Potter to replace Dyche gone to? They're very quiet wherever they are.

He's got a fantastic attitude, very athletic, and will throw himself under a bus. Absolutely no disrespect to Burnley but they are not Real Madrid. If we turn up and play with total commitment, the points are there for the taking. UTFT!

Dyche gets well paid to figure it out and get it right. Our job is to support his decision and get behind whoever he picks. Nothing more, nothing less

Having seen that such a level of performance is within him, I hope it has not disappeared permanently. We spectators have little knowledge of the impact of serious injuries upon players. Of course, they can wreck a player's career. But, other times, they simply need time and patience, commodities in short supply in the Premier League.

Ben is the obvious choice to replace Branthwaite on Saturday — if he is given the chance, I'd love to see him grab it.

Why do people question the manager's selections?

Because it's a blast!

Also, I've seen countless managers try to "out-think the room" and they deserved to be questioned. They think they're so savvy and intelligent, they make baffling decisions with lineups, players, etc.

Ever watch Greg Berhalter manage the USA?? Holy shit man, you'd not rhetorically ask that question if you had!!!

None of the above applies to Dyche really. His subs? Yes, at times he waits too long. But I do trust his decision-making when it comes to starting line-ups.

Like you, I was made up when we signed Ben and he started off well, looked a good confident player, then he broke his leg, first game last season, caught Covid and since then he looks a different player, slower and devoid of the confidence he once had. A couple of weeks ago, he played for the U21s and looked drained, didn't want the ball, couldn't use it when he got it.

I want him to do well for Everton but there is a huge gap between the lad who came here and the way he is playing now. I would be surprised if Dyche played him at Burnley but he might be the only option.

There's the rub – you've mentioned the “confident” word twice.

It's one of the most important words in life, and there's only one way it can be obtained – get stuck in there, take a chance, don't be afraid to fail… if you do, try again.

Fair enough but I'd be very nervous watching him try and grab that chance and my nerves are on edge as it is most games although we had some welcome relief at the end of the Newcastle and Chelsea games!

So if Dyche picks Gordon, then hopefully he will respond with the right attitude!

Best wishes, Pinocchio!

Tongue in your cheek there, Peter.

“I'm surprised you were nervous, Dave — neither result was ever in doubt.”

I'd have loved to be sitting next to you when both games were 1-0 in our favour, I thought I would have needed a change of kecks in both games at that stage!

Gordon.

Tony meant Godfrey but that name has got seven letters Gordon has only got six, easier to spell!

Just winding him up.

I think the Evertonians missed a very big trick last week by not singing “Gordon is a Moron” maybe next year, or maybe at Wembley? We will see!

Absolute must of a watch, I promise.

So if anyone can copy a link over on here, it would be a treat to fellow blues

On the YouTube search, it comes under the search "Everton the big match highlights 1969 1983".

From Alan Ball, all the way through to Heath, Sharp, Sheedy Southall, and a few forgotten ones: Smallman, Telfer, Mick Ferguson, Alan Bailey plus a lot more thrown in over the years.

Link

Is this the one?

Well worth a click in David's link.

Godfrey has played numerous times as a central defender and will try harder to become a regular, but with no chance of replacing Branthwaite. He is still a young player and, the more games he gets, the higher his fee will become if transferred.

We would all like to see the same team selection every game, but unfortunately they are human beings not machines and I am sure that Dyche and his trainers prepare for coverage in case of injuries or suspensions and have been training for it.

However, if the talk around repayment of the 777 loans and potential administration has any truth, can the income from the sale of any player be applied directly towards repayment of those loans? Can it be as simple as that?

It is the nightmare scenario. Being forced to sell your best player(s) to avoid a further 9-point penalty and then getting relegated because of the loss of your best player(s). It is such a mess which is being masked, in part, by the fine form on the field, but which will not go away until the current sanction is overturned or reduced and some financial stability, even if shortlived, is confirmed.

In the meantime, whoever plays on Saturday should have our wholehearted support but why do I worry that Burnley may turn out to be "one of those games"?

The red of Wales may have been the one he was wearing when he poked the ball in the net.

Now they put a 10-point deduction on Everton in the hope of us going down. That's not working so I can only guess they are doing all they can to delay the ownership going through, until after the December accounts are published.

We know they have to scrutinise the new ownership, but the very fact that the Premier League brought in P&S Rules was to stop clubs going into administration, yet in their own actions, even with Everton working hand-in-hand with them for 2 years, selling players as advised, they could end up putting Everton into administration.

When the ref made a mistake in the Liverpool - Spurs game, the very next home game, we got a player sent off, they escaped a player being sent off and received a penalty. Seems they evened it out for them, yet after the unbelievable Rodri handball, we got a letter of apology, but the next three games, we had three players sent off and went almost a full season without receiving a penalty.

Something stinks and is not right within the Premier League.

That is a genuine football offence deserving of a relevant sanction: points deduction…11 post-match red cards etc. It is not a financial off-field rules breach.

However, we all know what the outcome will be.

Hold onto your hats. You can absolutely see Keane and Tarkowski playing against their old club.

Obviously, we'd like to be victorious at Turf Moor, but it'll be a tough game and they'd really like to beat us for obvious reasons. Thankfully last week provided some room for error, but not much, unless those deducted points are returned.