Everton vs Nottingham Forest: Preview, Predicted Lineups and Where to Watch

Patterson does worry me though. And gravel voice will know what a liability Patterson can be and instruct his players to target our right side.

Like Newcastle, Forest are quick on the break and can score goals.

Hopefully Morillo is out which will leave them vulnerable at the back.

We look at other teams and look at rotation. We look at us at Bournemouth and look where we could have rotated. Realistically, the only position was centre-forward and, let's be honest, it's from bad to worse.

Defensively, we're at bare bones. Midfield, we're at bare bones. Up top, we have nothing!

Moyes has to bring young Harrison Armstrong back from Preston.

Personally I wouldn't have him in the team. He has proved consistently under numerous managers that he simply can't do the defensive basics.

Alternatively, Dewsbury-Hall and Alcaraz in the middle maybe, Dibling on wing (or McNeil), Grealish or Ndiaye behind striker, Garner at right -back.

If Keane is fit, Moyes will return O'Brien to right-back and return Garner to centre-midfield.

If not, why did we bother signing him?

McNeil has been the bigger success. Patterson the more natural replacement without disruption to the positions, where as Dibling is the big money buy.

Therefore expect a recovery from Coleman or Keane.

If so this will be another exciting game.

Garner must start in the middle. Right-back? Earn your salary, Mr Moyes.

We are at home. Charly Alcaraz and Dewsbury-Hall can both be disciplined as two Number 8s, like we did against Man Utd.

You are right. I was fearing an onslaught with that line-up. Having little option other than going completely avant garde with say Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall in midfield. Dibling right and Ndiaye left.

But we all know that blue and white dodos would be more likely to show up in the home end than Moyes's brain being able to cope with such a flamboyant set-up.

We dominated the Bournemouth game, surprisingly so. Oh for a striker or goalscorer.

Moyes will not budge from that team (if no injuries dictate otherwise) that started against Bournemouth. Unless Keane is fit, then O'Brien will be bench-warming for sure. However, for me, I'd drop Tarkowski.

Dyche will flood centre-midfield and expose Tim Iroegbunam to gain the upper hand. But I saw most of the first half vs Wolves and Forest were dire. I switched to watch a different game because it was so bad.

If Keane is fit, he will revert to type; if not, I think he will go with McNeil over Dibling and Patterson.

Christ, so he gets pelters for losses, and when he wins, it's no doubt luck.

Gees...

Some posters blamed Moyes for the Newcastle debacle, saying Eddie Howe done a number on him. I defended Moyes as so many players were off it with only Alcaraz standing up and being counted.

Of course he was lucky. Do you think he wouldn't have started Keane? He was even desperate to get Alcaraz off before he played that cracking little ball to Grealish.

I say it how I see it, so no need for your pathetic little whining.

So it's Garner in midfield for me with Patterson at right back and Alcaraz further forward, though even typing that makes me think it's a bad idea.

To be honest, I've no idea what Moyes will do and suspect he'll want to shoehorn McNeil in somewhere. Maybe Coleman will make a sudden recovery.

We paid £40M for Dibling yet no-one thinks he'll start. What is going on?

Not sure if he's fit but I saw him last in the 2nd test game at BMD for the reserves and he didn't look ready at all for big boys' footy.

That has kept him sidelined and he has not played in any Academy games so far this season.

We paid £40M for Dibling yet no-one thinks he'll start. What is going on?

It seems crazy but Moyes does not trust him to do his bit defensively. Hence Moyes doesn't play him... never mind start him.

We are favs at 6/5, Forrest 5/2 and 9/4 a draw approx.
Whatever the team is we seem in the main to squeeze out a decent result, that is if you forget the Spurs and Newcastle games.

We should be regarded as favs, its a home game which should favour us, but we are all over the place because of injuries and Gueyes suspension which are obvious negatives.

I've not a clue what the result will be, I get it wrong most weeks. I'm hoping for another win obviously but I think it will be a tough game.

Hopefully he has noticed the pattern that at Home trying to take the game to more 'expansive' teams like Spurs and Newcastle leads to disaster, hopefully he also noticed how Forest did the rs at home.

It's a funny old world where somebody like me who's default position is usually that Moyes is too cautious now thinks he should play Dyche at his own game and maybe half sit back - even at home.*

*I can rationalise this to my self by saying this is just a canny bit of horses for courses coaching

Strange days indeed.- but hey, like the man said..."Whatever gets you thru the night, It's all right, it's all right"

I can only assume that Dibling would be getting minutes if he was earning them on the training ground. I don't think Moyes is a fool or has a personal disregard for the kid, so that's the only possible interpretation in my view.

Raymond #28, I'm just hoping Keane is healthy enough to go. If not, I dread seeing Patterson but it's a lower-risk option than playing Charly or McNeil at defensive mid.

BTW I answered your question from the Robinson thread -- according to a Patrick Boyland article this week, the core of the recruiting team is Moyes himself.

Pickford
O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko
Garner Dewsbury-Hall
Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Grealish
Barry

I think that would be okay. Where it gets interesting is if Keane isn't fit. I wouldn't start Patterson for a big clock so I would leave the back four that started at Bournemouth intact. That would be okay also.

No, Moyes is the problem because I don't think we have another, as Darren Hind describes them, “tackling machine”. What will he do to overcome that problem?

Here is my solution:-

Pickford
Garner, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Mykolenko
Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish, McNeill
Alcaraz
Beto.

About Grealish. I have been going on about this for a few weeks now but I think Moyes can get a lot more out of him if he gives him a more central role. He drifted into the middle a few times against Bournemouth and slotted one terrific pass to Ndiaye (I think) and looked very comfortable on the ball.

Often we have players who hit a pass that might get people saying unlucky, but the one thing that Grealish doesn't really do that often is give the ball away.

He has said that the manager gives him complete freedom, and I love seeing him move inside when the opportunity is there, but I really think he likes being out there in the wide-open spaces where he has time to put his foot on the ball and contemplate the meaning of life.

The £40M superkid doesn't do enough defensively... so he doesn't play. Moyes approved his signing -- of that we can now be certain, thanks to Paddy Boyland via Mike Gaynes. But Moyes says, despite 30 games last season in the Premier League, he's not ready to play in the Premier League.

It could easily be a downward spiral that has now destroyed whatever spirit the kid came with, and that's now affecting his game. He obviously wanted to play but had to earn his way into the team in training? If he has the skills commensurate with his £40M pricetag, plus the Premier League experience, there should be no question of 'deserving' it -- he should have been integrated into the team from the earliest possible moment. That has simply not happened.

The 5% is on Dibling’s confidence. In the short time he was on the pitch against Newcastle? he nutmegged his marker, got in behind, and cut the ball back to the edge of the box. Nothing wrong with his confidence at this stage going on that.

Garner and McNeil wingbacks with Myko, Tark snd Obrien in back.

Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall in the middle.

Alcaraz and Jack free to roam behind Barry.

I appreciate we are short of bodies but the above also means we don't have to play McNeil. He looks so slow and lethargic nowadays.Loses the ball, then drops his head and literally lumbers back. The opposite of dynamic.

If we must bring someone in, it surely has to be Dibling, not McNeil, otherwise what is the point of us? We can't flash the thick end of £40M and not play the bugger.

Worst case (but not worse than playing McNeil and/or having Jimmy play full-back) is play Mykolenko at left centre-back and Aznou at left-back. Again, what is the point of acquiring these players if they can't be played in an injury/suspension crisis? And yes, we need Harrison Armstrong back from Preston.

I think 2-0 with Grealish scoring again and Tarkowski with a booming header.

The excellent gameplan and tactical set for the last two away matches were all the manager.

We have been undone in the home games against Spurs and Newcastle by physicality, set-pieces and crosses; Palace also almost profited from long throws into the box. Hopefully, we have been working on these in training.

Whatever happens, they have two in the middle who are streets ahead of anyone that we can turn to at the moment: Anderson and Morgan-White. We have to get the middle right. Stating the blind-bleedingly obvious, the game could well be won and lost there.

What does someone have to do to train badly? What does Dibling not do that others do? Keeping himself in shape? Less effort? Always being on the losing side when they play keep-ball? Not running enough? Moaning? Always on the losing side in 5-a-side? Lacking fitness? Slacking in the gym?

And all this week-in-and-week-out, one day after another.

The Moyes does not like what he sees in training stuff seems a tad inferential to me, conjecture. Has Moyes ever said he doesn't train well?

Since when did Boyland become scripture? This must be. according to the word of Boyland. That's ridiculous. Is he infalible?

Now, I might be silly, but because Boyland says that Moyes is at the epicentre of wheeling and dealing, I for one am not going to treat this as the truth. I like to question.

(1) What about the ace recruitment team that we keep hearing about?
(2) Does anyone think that TFG would allow Moyes to have the final say?
(3) If Moyes is at this epicentre, then he must have loved our Tyler.

Has their bromance fallen apart? Might it simply be that Moyes is not convinced by him and that he was not at the heart of this decision?

Simply because Moyes is known for wanting to be at the core of these things and Paddy scripture Boyland said that he was, is not enough for me. I've also read on there that Moyes was not behind the Dibling deal. We should, I think, respect that opinion too.

Could someone perhaps copy and paste the article in which Boyland states this, as it would be intructive to see what he bases it on.

Not saying he's wrong by the way, but in my profession we have to be sensitive to evidence and its source. I simply want more clarification than a bare statement.

Neither he nor anyone else has characterized the Everton recruitment team as "ace", but merely reported the facts of their own backgrounds, resumes and recruitment.

Per request, this is the entire Boyland article from The Athletic, which every reader is welcome to judge for himself:

Everton Transfer DealSheet: What to expect in 2026

By Patrick Boyland
Dec. 1, 2025

What next for Everton?

That is the question on every supporter's lips as the January transfer window fast approaches.

The club signed nine new players over the summer, and have shown signs of improvement this season, but there was always a sense internally that the squad would need to be rebuilt over three or four windows.

The gaps are obvious. Everton lack a reliable goalscorer and quality at full-back. Depth will also be tested during a challenging festive schedule in which key players depart for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

But how likely are they to find reinforcements in January? Who could the new recruitment setup target? And just how much money is likely to be available?

The information found within this article has been gathered according to The Athletic's sourcing guidelines. Sources with knowledge of transfer dealings, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, have been spoken to before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment.

Who will make key decisions over the two windows?

In the absence of a director of football — a position Everton dispensed with after Kevin Thelwell's exit towards the end of last season — David Moyes has taken on a key role in the club's recruitment operation. The Scot sits on the transfer committee chaired by chief executive Angus Kinnear and has the final say on transfers, with his backroom staff often also watching and giving their opinion on potential targets.

Shortlists will be compiled by new director of scouting and recruitment James Smith, hired from Manchester City over the summer, and his team — with input from Moyes on the specific profiles he wants. Head of strategy Chris Howarth provides a data overview and apparatus through Insight Sport, the company he founded and sold to Everton's owners, The Friedkin Group (TFG).

The cycle of change continues behind the scenes at Everton after TFG's takeover — they are seeking to take even greater control. Smith has been a regular attendee at Everton matches both home and away so far, with the scouts he manages doing the bulk of the groundwork when it comes to watching players at other clubs.

Negotiations with clubs and players are conducted by head of trading Nick Hammond, who counts Reading, Celtic, Newcastle United and Leeds United among his former clubs. Well regarded in the industry, Hammond has also been known to pass on useful market information. All moves need to be signed off by TFG.

New technical director Nick Cox is not expected to have a recruitment brief.

What positions will they be looking at in 2026?

The January window is seen as a less-than-opportune time to do business. But Everton's priority at present is strengthening at right-back, the main problem position not addressed in the summer.

The feeling internally is that left-back Adam Aznou, signed from Bayern Munich during that window, is not yet ready for regular Premier League minutes (the club pulled the plug on a deadline-day move for Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell this summer). But the addition of a right-back and Jarrad Branthwaite's return from a hamstring injury, which led to surgery in October, would add to Moyes' defensive options. Branthwaite is seen as one of several players who could fill in there if needed and is expected back early in the New Year.

There is still a chance that Everton could also look at the striker market if goals remain a problem.

Are there any players they are already looking at?

Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney, now with Saudi Pro League team Al Ahli, has been tracked by Moyes over an extended period of time. The 29-year-old is, in many ways, seen as possessing the ideal profile to thrive up front for Everton, but a deal would be complicated.

There is a question mark about whether Al Ahli would be willing to sanction what would almost certainly need to be a temporary move, given the money they have invested and the favourable tax situation for Saudi-based players.

Toney is likely to want to push for an England World Cup place under their coach Thomas Tuchel but the expectation is that Champions League sides would also be interested if he becomes available. The Athletic's David Ornstein wrote in last week's Transfer Radar that Toney will not be on the move anytime soon.

Who will they be looking to sell?

In general, this is a window in which Everton will be looking to strengthen their squad. Injuries and AFCON, held in December and January, could well leave parts of the squad stretched.

Iliman Ndiaye — one of two players, along with Idrissa Gueye, set to compete in AFCON with Senegal — is being tracked by clubs both in England and on the continent. Everton, though, rebuffed an enquiry from Serie A side Inter during the summer and want to keep hold of their star forward.

With Gueye's AFCON participation leaving a hole to fill in midfield and summer signing Merlin Rohl injured again, Everton are monitoring the progress of on-loan midfielder Harrison Armstrong at Championship side Preston North End.

They will weigh up whether to recall Armstrong in January, but have so far been pleased with the 18-year-old's development at Preston.

The ideal scenario would be that they have sufficient cover to leave him at Deepdale until the end of the season, but they will wait to see how their midfield is shaping up come the new year.

There was summer interest from Ipswich Town in midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, but he is likely to be part of the solution.

A decision will be made on whether to send Aznou on loan, while goalkeeper Harry Tyrer is another who could depart, either on a temporary or permanent basis.

Right-back Nathan Patterson was close to leaving on loan in the last window and could also be made available.

What moves have they made already?

Everton have extended goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and defender James Tarkowski's contracts, securing two key players on longer deals.

Smith is expected to make changes to the recruitment network in time for the summer window.

Apart from that, it has been relatively quiet.

Which players' contracts are expiring? Who will they renew?

The versatile James Garner's deal expires at the end of the season, but Everton have an option to extend his contract for a further year. The club are set to offer the 24-year-old midfielder fresh terms in the near future.

Gueye's situation is similar. His deal, which elapses at the end of the season, also contains an option for the club to extend for another year.

Full-backs Vitalii Mykolenko and captain Seamus Coleman are both out of contract at the end of the campaign, although Everton have an option to extend the former's deal for an additional year. Rohl's loan from Freiburg contains a mandatory purchase option should Moyes' side avoid relegation.

The club also have a £50million ($66m) purchase option for Jack Grealish, but would be more likely to attempt to negotiate a lower price for the 30-year-old winger with Manchester City.

A decision will have to be made on out-of-favour winger Dwight McNeil, whose deal expires in the summer of 2027. Without a renewal soon, Everton would almost certainly have to look to cash in on the 26-year-old.

What is their PSR position? What sort of budget do they have?

That information is not publicly available, but club sources, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to do so publicly, suggest there is at least some PSR headroom.

They will be backed in the market by TFG where possible, provided the right players become available, but there is a sense Everton are not yet in the bracket where they can spend £50m-£60m on players.

That was part of the reason why striker Thierno Barry, then 22, was signed from La Liga's Villarreal last summer as someone who could be developed over time.

The France Under-21 striker has had an itinerant career to date but, after a slow start, is determined to make his mark at Everton. Heavy financial losses mean Everton are not in a position where they can afford to make costly mistakes in the market that later need rectifying.

The other issue is whether the right value is available in January, during a notoriously difficult window, and with rival clubs also expected to be active.

As such, it is possible they also look to the loan market for additions.

What will be the manager's priority?

Put simply, Moyes wants more goals from his strikers. Between them, Beto and Barry have scored just once in the league this season.

Expect Everton to dip into the market for a finisher in 2026 unless that record changes.

By Patrick Boyland
Everton Correspondent

That article doesn't say that at all.

"The Scot sits on the transfer committee chaired by chief executive Angus Kinnear and has the final say on transfers, with his backroom staff often also watching and giving their opinion on potential targets." (My emphasis)

Seems like the core function to me. Would you suggest a different word?

He's a young writer not long out of school, and he's learning both his craft and his new prime subject. Good for him.

' As a former professional journalist, I have found Boyland to be the most reliably accurate Everton correspondent in any media outlet, and the fact that the New York Times signs his paychecks would tend to indicate that he knows what he is doing.'.

There are lots of shite professional journalists just as there are plenty of shite historians. Journalists come in many shapes and sizes. There are also a fair number of NYT journalists who I would consider to be less than able, although I too elevate the NYT and Guardian.

Again, Boyland is not scripture or infallible but sometimes he is treated as the last word by a few on here. I've met him. I liked him. He's knowledgeable and likes good wine. But treating what any journalist writes as scripture to rely on is absurd.

It troubles me that Boyland, who I like, is elevated to the status of truth by some on here. Even my favourite cynic MK has fallen into the trap. He might now be our own version of papal infallibility but check out, for instance, Benedict IX, the 'demon from hell', Sylvester III, Gregory VI, Alexander VI - 10 illegitimate kids - and Leo X - riding round Rome on little elephants with young boys, while Luther was busy putting the 95 theses together.

He predicted we would go bankrupt weekly, never complete the new stadium, be forced to sell the new stadium, have 200 points deducted, sued by every club who ever played football, and taken over by Tom, Dick and Harry (all of whom were themselves going bankrupt).

An absolute fantasist and ugly to boot.

I think we were taught by one or two of those at St Mary's in Crosby.

I judge a journalist on what he writes, and I've not read anything from Boyland that subsequently turned out to be inaccurate, which I can't say for other reporters currently on the Everton beat. Thus my confidence in his work.

As to not revealing a confidential source, it is the farthest thing from cowardice -- it is the highest principle of journalism, a principle adjudicated at the Supreme Court (I worked closely with Paul Pappas, one such case) and for which reporters in the US have gone to jail and for which journalists in other countries have been murdered.

No investigative reporting in American history, from Watergate to My Lai to Teapot Dome, would have been possible without it. It is a trust given and kept, whether the story is about Iran Contra or Ivan Toney.

Perhaps you might devote a bit of your next historical research to this foundational ethic.

The manager identifies the profiles he wants and has final say on the players that the recruitment team put forward from their search. The normal job of a manager, wouldn't you say?

As for Dibling, he'll get his chance during the Afcon. He can show us what he can do then.

Difficult game tomorrow, hopefully we can nick it.

As for the content, it's as I would have expected, a recruitment team with Moyes having final sign-off. He's the core, as you say.

Anyway, the only conclusion I draw from all this is that Dibling must be really shite in training!!!

I write books and articles on 16th and 17th century England, so that aint gonna happen.

I have no idea who the founding fathers are.

However, your point is very valid.

I believe being called a football manager these days, means you are the coach.

Yes, I think they can give their thoughts on players, but it goes to a higher level and they decide who they want and how much they will pay.

Basically, its how it was done abroad, managers/coaches come in and are around for a couple of years.

There are certain players who have come to Everton in the Summer, that were not Moyes choices, but he has to get on with it, until his time is up, then he can look at his bank account and say, it was worth the hassle.

Different times in English football and too many foreign owners.

Do you want to email it over to harry.diamond@moveup.media and I'll get this fixed for you.

Patrick Boyland a reliable source of information, and is usually correct.

The only issue I have with it all is does Moyes have the final say in ALL transfers. Having seen all his transfers first time around, someone might correct me but I cant remember him buying too many youngsters, yet in the last transfer window we bought Barry, Dibling and Aznou for approx £70+m. He also added KDH and got Grealish on loan and brought in Travers. Also in his first spell it was commented on how often he would go and watch a player before signing them, in Lescotts case he apparently went to watch him 27 times before he signed him. I doubt he would have seen very much of Barry and Aznou before signing them. Also last season at times Moyes was critical of Beto, and I cant believe he would have wanted a youngster who has struggled except for his last season at Villareal.

I think its quite obvious Dibling wasnt his choice, to have our RECORD summer signing sitting on the bench seems farcical.

I know you were a journalist Mike and they don't want to have their passes revoked to future press conferences, but surely one of them could ask why he spent the most money on Dibling yet the lad doesnt start. Also the excuse that Ndaiye and Grealish are playing so well in his position doesnt wash with me we already had those guys before we signed Dibling.

This time last year there were many on here throwing mud at Jake OBrien, that he mustn't have been training well, that he must have the wrong attitude and that he was a waste of £17million. There was nothing to support these claims, it was a decision by a manager who favours experience over youth.

It's very easy for a manager who leaves a player in the cold to fuel scenarios about that player. When the player doesn't perform like Messi in the few cameos he gets, then the manager can justify his stance to the supporters. What little evidence there is, whether he is set up to fail or not, validates the exclusion.

It must be noted that, with OBrien under Dyche and Dibling under Moyes, both managers were very complementary about the individuals in terms of ability and character. Indeed they had spoken about age, experience, settling in, PL know how and senior players doing well as the reasons we hadn't seen more.

However the Dibling and OBrien situations are better analysed through Harrison Armstrong. This is a young player who made his debut last season in August and who had already proven himself in the Championship by this summer.

There was no barrier to game time as he didn't have to compete with Grealish and Ndiaye. Indeed in preseason he was clearly Evertons best midfielder so performance or merit could not be a valid argument for his exclusion. However what was noticeable was that reporters were already insistent that he would be loaned out at the start of summer ie that Moyes had made his mind up before he had even looked at him. Fast forward, even with Rohl prone to injuries, Garner needed at right back and Armstrong further enhancing his reputation, Moyes is still keen on the lad remaining with Preston.

We really need to tie Garner up on a long term deal asap

I hope Dyche gets a good reception, like him or not, what he achieved in the basket case we were during his time was remarkable.

If only Moyes was more like a T-rex or even a Godzilla (not bringing a raptor to a T-rex party!)

Apreciated & you should have received.

Danny

Nothing in my inbox or junk. Can you send across again for me, please?

Thanks.

I would expect Moyes would be involved in the transfer process in some shape or form. I suppose it all comes down to how reliable Boyland's informant is. It's the best information so far, so thanks for that.

You know the old saying though -- Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see!

Jimmy #50, the guy with the final sign off isn't the core. Say your manager gives you a task to do and when you present your work he approves it. Who did the core of the work? The guy with the final sign off or you?

And if it's the guy with the final sign off then that's TFG accorsing to the article.

#Excited!

It looks to me like TFG have gone for a halfway approach. They see the future as having a DoF sort to shape the style and culture of the club and recruit players and managers to follow that edict, but they didn't have the opportunity to set that up from the start, being in shit street.

So they got in a manager for a couple of years to steady the ship and gave him some money to get who he wanted but, at the same time, giving the recruitment team some money to buy for the future.

But just what that future is and how we get there with still some PSR restraints is the big question.

They were disappointed to lose Dibling but pleased with the fee. They saw him as a chink of light, playing without fear, lots of potential, in a dismal Saints team.

They also said he drifted out of games, sometimes failed his defensive duties, sometimes his head went down. He's a kid.
So I presume we knew what we were getting, huge potential with lots of development needed.

I can see why a TFG strategy of invest for the future would go for that. Less so Moyes, using up a significant part of his budget on longer-term potential, with himself on a shorter contract, being judged on near-term performance in a highly competitive Premier League where a few wins have you looking to the European positions, a few losses have you looking downwards.

I think Moyes would have preferred seasoned pros, immediate impact, with some modest investment in potential gems (Branthwaite, Stones etc).

I hope we see more of Dibling during the Afcon absences. He needs some playing time for his confidence. Many months of training under the Moyes's coaching team should have addressed his areas of weakness. Hopefully we haven't completely dampened his flair.

If Moyes turns wholly to McNeil in the coming period, then that will be deeply disappointing for all, especially the lad himself.

He goes on to inform us of who we signed last summer and that it is generally accepted that although there has been an improvement... any real progress could take 3/4 windows.

He tells us we need a striker and a full-back... then demonstrates how in-the-know really he is by pointing out that players going to Afcon could weaken our squad.

Then (looks over both shoulders) he reveals that we may be thinking about recalling Harrison Armstrong.

We don't have a DoF, so Moyes is taking a key role for decisions on who we bring in... Who knew?

There's outside interest in Ndiaye... Really??????

We've extended the contracts of Pickford and Tarkowski -- What a relief that will come as to the two Evertonians living on the moon who didn't know that.

Garner's, Gueye's, Coleman's and Mykolenko's contracts are up at the end of the season. We have a £50M purchase option on Jack Grealish -- Bet you didn't know that!!!

And what about this one? Barry was apparently bought as potential which can be developed rather than the finished article? And If that doesn't amaze you, Boyland goes on to reveal that Moyes wants more goals from his two centre-forwards. Wow! Who would have thought that????

I suspect the sources that "cant be revealed" are the scallies who offer to "mind your car" when you turn down Boundary Street. Let's face it, every single one of them knows more about this club than Boyland. He may impress ill-informed Yanks, but anyone who takes even a passing interest in this club will read this piece and be screaming "No shit sherlock!!!"

Patterson's goose is not just overcooked -- it's carbonised.
Dibbling is at the What The Fuck stage.

It's not their fault, but the inclusion of Barry and the lesser selected Beto has become embarrassing. I'm guessing Moyes hasn't the mental nor tactical capacity to switch to a line-up with neither present.

With no resilience in a bereft squad, an academy of no hopers, and a manager with zero adaptability, it's going to be a propped-up selection with a heavy dash of bench warmers who should be -- but infuriatingly won't be -- in the starting XI. COYB

Very specific and not normal journalist interpretation or what Darren describes as the 'scallies' would tell you.

That was actually pretty funny and accurate. They are only one step ahead of The Echo with their endless clickbait stories such as "The shocking truth about Coleman" -- "he is injured" type guff.

A win would be nice.

Michael both gives and gets a bit of stick from me from time to time, but he's doing a great job keeping this website going and I've been impressed with the leadership qualities he has shown since this website went into meltdown the other week.

I never mentioned anything about Jack Grealish's position, Mike, I just said that when it comes to retaining possession of the football, then I think he's the best at doing this, in our squad. Now you have mentioned it, I do wish our three highest midfielders could find a little bit more flexibility because I believe it would make us a better team.

Just want to get the frame of this right before I contribute my nothingness to the discussion.

I'm available for hire.

Great post. I've had more genuine information from ‘the man in the street' than any professional journalist. I gave some to Dave Prentice, Ken Rogers and Phil McNulty when he worked at the Echo. Phil even swapped one with me when I gave him one story, telling me “Here's one you won't like but it's true — Howard is coming back for his third go as manager”.

He knew I liked Kendall first time round but his best days were long gone. I don't think Phil was happy with Howard coming back either but kept his council on that!

Darren, now that you've got your foot back in the door, don't let it close on you — I'll keep the kettle on low for a brew when you call in!

Darren likes his bit of fun, he'd start an argument in an empty room.

He livens the site up, he's missed when he's gone awol.

I don't believe Barry or Aznou were his signings either, but it seems he agreed to them, at the late stage of the pre-season when they were signed, he probably didn't have much choice!

I think you're splitting hairs or misunderstanding me when you talk about whether he's the 'core' or not. He's obviously leveraging the most control on there.

Danny

Boyland is writing for an American audience that largely does not follow Everton on a day-to-day basis, so of course he includes what is blindingly obvious and repetitive to those of us who do. That's why I usually post edited clips from his articles and leave out the stuff everybody knows.

I only posted the entire article this time in response to a direct request for it, knowing that it would give some folks the opportunity to sneer at it.

But Mark #77, I hadn't seen the information about the workings of the club's recruitment team anywhere else, had you? Isn't that what's important, finding out stuff we didn't know?

But a deeply religious anchorman with whom I worked at the start of my career insisted that the principle went way farther back.

At the end of our news director's annual lecture on the topic, he'd pipe up, "If Matthew, Mark, Luke and John protected their sources, we should too."

Many of their supporters thought there side looked leggy against Wolves.

Many happy if the took a point at Hill Dickinson.

I'll take your point on having to 'water down' content for US viewers, it was just that it seemed you were suggesting this guy has the best insight, and if he does, it is not apparent from that article, as Darren rightly points out.

You and others may find it hard to imagine that Moyes sanctioned the signings of Dibling and Aznou, but I find it even harder to imagine that Kinnear -- who has no player recruitment background and comes from the marketing/sponsorship side of the game -- chose Dibling and Aznou and forced them down Moyes' throat.

That simply makes no sense.

To me what seems far more likely is that Moyes wanted and endorsed these players -- and then found out in training that they weren't as mature and developed as he had believed.

I did ring the New York Times and offer to do Boyland's job for half of the money they're paying him.

They told me to fuck off. My credibility went out of the window when I told them we had left Goodison.

He's not better, at this time, than Grealish, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall or Alcaraz. And he can't play right back. He, and we, need to be patient.

The 3 most crucial aspects which tell us that Moyes is not front and centre are:

1) He was given 2½-year contract -- not the Ferguson, Wenger, Klopp seal of improvement that this man going forward as the epicentre of Everton Football Club.

2) The new modern recruitment strategy is obviously designed for all the complexities of transfers including scouting, agents, delivery, loans, financials etc. This supercedes the old model of the likes of Ferguson and Gill as well as the Director of Football model that we have seen under Walsh, Brands and Thelwell.

It is noticeable that, when Klopp was in charge, our neighbours did away with many aspects of their recruitment team, and returned to it when Slot was appointed.

3) The age profile of many of our signings would go against Moyes's typical and desired age group evidenced by West Ham.

Moyes's admission today that he rarely gets the chance to watch the underage teams tells you about his remit. He will definitely have an input into our signings and will sign off on them and presumably have some sort of veto but most of the foundations will surely have been out of his hands and moreso going forward with the recent additions.

TFG will certainly have done their homework on Moyes especially in his most recent role at West Ham. They employed him because they spoke about stability and will have been impressed with his on-field achievements at West Ham. They will also be fully aware of the criticism of the transfer regime under his watch and won't want the same thing happening here.

I doubt Moyes was even aware of Aznou or Barry in much the same way Ancelotti had admitted he had never heard of Doucoure.

They definitely need a harder edge than they've been showing recently.

And I'm confident you would have delivered! 😉

I agree with you that the midfield I suggested Moyes may go with would not be the one you or I would prefer; indeed, we both agree that we need to compete with them as they are very strong centrally.

However, I would be similar to Dale in wanting to go with a back five with two disciplined midfielders in front. I would actually want to use McNeil there due to his physicality and Aznou at left-wingback and keep Garner for right-wingback as I would view Dewsbury-Hall and Garner as too lightweight against Forest's midfield.

But everything we see from Moyes is an approach of least resistance. With Alcaraz normally 12th man, McNeil is now 13th. He could just play Patterson as he likes Garner centrally but I suspect Moyes would view that as being a gamble; either way he goes, he will probably decide as the lesser of two evils.

The chances of him playing Dibling, Aznou or changing system, I would say, are remote.

I'm pretty sure that's the first time I've ever seen the word "physicality" applied to McNeil.

My Saints supporting mate didn't rate Dibling... happy with the fee though!

Now that is being the core of the recruitment drive, not saying 'find me a right-back and a striker for the January window' and being told Antonee Robinson might be available.

Put another way - 40,000,000 pounds sterling or $53,321,449.

What on earth is going on? Has Dan Friedkin asked anyone that question? After all, it's his money! I just cannot comprehend this. Who said the world hasn't gone completely bonkers?

Moyes is going to leave me with egg on my face by starting him on the right wing, isn't he?

If Keane isn't available, Dibling's got more chance of starting centre-back.

Today, Dan Friedkin is worth almost $8B and, per Forbes, there are more than 400 people in the world who are richer than he is.

If that isn't proof that the world has gone bonkers, I don't know what is.

Start Patterson, if fit, in wide midfield with Garner at right-back but announcing them the other way around and then change them after 25 minutes and something similar in the second half, even if it's just to play with Dyche's mind, but it would mean moving Ndiaye inside.

There were a lot of multi-millionaires in USA on 28 October 1929, but on 30 October they were just blood stains on the pavements of Wall Street.

If Friedkin's worth $8B, what the fuck is he doing allowing cretins to buy Barry? (Rhetorical) Come to think of it, why did he allow the idiots to waste money on a left-back deemed not good enough and Moyes wont play to match the right back he won't play?

Three goalkeepers and a £40M bench-warmer he clearly doesnt like. (Rhetorical #2) Are we back to a manager and a clueless DoF running parallel ideas of what's required?

It's like a child being asked what it wants for Xmas, then the parents giving it presents full of junk.