Recent Reader Responses

Below are the most recent comments posted by readers to threads across the website. For context and to add your own reply, you can access the article in question by clicking the link appended to the item in question.

• Thus far in his career Jordan has had to play every single season behind a very unreliable team, to say the least. Maybe this season that won't be the case and as the team improves, so will he....
  Don Alexander in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• I think anybody that comes in will definitely have the opportunity to move above Mina in the pecking order, eepcially if they have a bit of pace.If Carlo had got Gabriel over the summer he'd have been straight into the starting XI....
  Andrew Ellams in Gibson set for Reading loan
• I’m not sure CB is any area where we need to spend big on. I’d be happy with Mina, Keane, Holgate and Branthwaite with Gibson on a call back clause. Gbamin to hopefully come back soon too!? I’m with Drew I’d be wanting Gibson to play on Wednesday with Mina to give Keane a breather! ...
  Stephen Brown in Gibson set for Reading loan
• The difficulty in bringing in another C.B in, is most of the names mentioned seem to want a move for more playing time. At Everton they are looking for a back up to Keane, Mina and when they are fit, Holgate and Braithwaite. So unless who we sign is a lot better than the fore mentioned, they will not get the playing time in the first team that they seem to want, and they will be a squad member with no guarantees of regular playing time. ...
  Bill Gall in Gibson set for Reading loan
• Maksimovic looks a bit lumbering to me. And will cost about £15 to £20m, I expect. That's a bit much for a presumably unbudgeted for stop gap.There's Ezequiel Garay - 33 year old Argentinian with good credentials - and released from contract already.Someone like that may be the answer. Mike - if you hated the idea of David Luiz, then brace yourself for inevitable rumours of Phil Jones... ...
  Robert Tressell in Gibson set for Reading loan
• Chilavert was only partially tolerated but fundamentally he was a great keeper. Sadly his antics never got him a move to big club. One of my all time favorite keepers. Nev DasayevChilavertPfaffHis perfect versus France in 98 was up there with Nev’s v Holland. ...
  John Pierce in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• Ive played and watched a lot of footy over the years and while statistics are useful I would only use them to back up what my eyes are telling me.To me Pickford has good reflexes and "normally" good distribution.My criticism is that he seems to be a nervous wreck and does not organize his defenders creating uncertainty as to who should go for the ball. I also hate this palming away and punching lark but it seems all keepers are being told to do that these days.It does seem that Carlo has done some work on him over the close season and at this point I would say hold rather than twist because I don't see many keepers substantially better that are available.Lets see how he does in Carlo's first full season and continue to monitor the situation.CB and a wide player are much more pressing issues for me....
  Jay Harris in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• Tony,I was thinking exactly the same thing. I watched Chelsea quite a bit over the last few seasons and to me Rudiger looks to be their best CB. I was thinking he was injured until I read an article this morning saying he wants out.I think Lampard is leaning too far towards youth especially at CB where experience and a bit of nous is needed.I also understand Tomori is available again although having watched him in a couple of Shalke games he does not inspire me with confidence.The City lad is a good shout because he has had a couple of years in the championship and came away with good reports.Dont know much about Bremer except he looks a beast of a man but didnt we say that about Yerry....
  Jay Harris in Gibson set for Reading loan
• Martin Reppion @7, Pickford should have belted that backpass into the top balcony NOT try and pass it to one of ours. But I agree the midfield and defence where at fault for their goal he should have been f***ing chopped down. Their second was a worldy no goal keeper was stopping that...
  Bobby Mallon in Calvert-Lewin treble ensures Everton pass Baggies test
• Thoughts with Gylfi and family. ...
  James MacGlashan in Gibson set for Reading loan
• Tony #32, interesting shout. Maksimović is another tall CB, almost as big as Mina. He's very good, but if we're looking for CBs with pace (and we are), he ain't it. Robert #31, I don't hate you, just the suggestion....
  Mike Gaynes in Gibson set for Reading loan
• Mike @496. It's interesting when stats seems to be contrary to what our eyes suggest.Neuer and Pickford for example are two quite high profile goalkeepers who we've seen making stops in international tournaments and in the PL or Bundesliga/Champions league.They are also two quite loud and exuberant characters. Quite showy. Yann Sommer has always struck me as an excellent keeper but he's a bit quieter and plays for unglamourous BMG and Switzerland. Could that affect our perception?Of course the stat only really measures shot-stopping and not a keepers ability to claim crosses, sweep up at the back or organise his defense (all qualities that Neuer excels at). It's just that people keep saying that Pickford is a great shot stopper. He clearly isn't!...
  Sam Hoare in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• It,s reported that Rudiger is unhappy at Chelsea where he has yet to be selected for the first team. Now there's an enforcer of a centre half. How much would he cost I wonder ?...
  Tony Waring in Gibson set for Reading loan
• Sam, Robert I agree Adarabioyo is the most likely now. That's if he is prepared to fight for his place, he may want a guaranteed starting berth at a lower club. The competition will be fierce once Mason and Jarrad are back in a month or two.A name that keeps reoccurring is Nikola Maksimović of Napoli. He is entering the final year of his contract and Carlo knows him [which is a good pointer]. We could be after him now or on a free next summer with a January pre-contract. If that's the case then a mature stop gap for a year could be an option. There must be a few reliable defensive mercenaries that would love to come to us for a year....
  Tony Everan in Gibson set for Reading loan
• In my sixty plus years as an Evertonian, I have seen two players who by their skill and charisma excited me above all Everton players. There were better players, more effective players, better battlers and leaders, but these two epitomise for me what Everton are all about.They were Alex Young and Duncan McKenzie.I think I'm about to add a third: James Rodriguez. His touch, his confidence in his own skill, his innate ability to see what lesser mortals cannot and the sheer charisma of his play make him able to be admitted to the august group.I look forward to seeing him play in the flesh. This is a player that younger Evertonians can idolise and who can help Everton to achieve a level they havenot reached for almost forty years....
  Rick Tarleton in Calvert-Lewin treble ensures Everton pass Baggies test
• I'll keep it short, it's great to be an Evertonian again.It's been a mere 35 years......
  Francis van Lierop in Calvert-Lewin treble ensures Everton pass Baggies test
• Brian #491, I think that number has to be judged in comparison with other teams and keepers. 14% might be low... or quite high, relatively speaking. Fran #488, good post....
  Mike Gaynes in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• Lot's of sensible posts here. Fran makes a geat point that I agree with - with the Euros coming up this is the best version of Pickford we're likely to get. And perhaps Pickford really will develop consistency along with many others in the present playing group. I've seen enough of Pickford to have made my mind up. I don't feel he'll ever develop the concentration to be considered among the top echelon of keepers, and his distribution has regressed mightily since he arrived here as well. At the highest level, it's your weakest link that will be usually found out. To my mind, and on this team, that means Pickford. I've got nothing against the lad, and at his best he's good enough. But I've seen enough concentration lapses, poor decision making and a panic mentality to see the obvious. We can and should aim to do better. ...
  Derek Moore in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• Paul 495That is a great point and one not raised often enough when judging a goalkeeper. Trust and predictability are hugely important when assessing a keeper and how they fit into a defensive unit. A spectacular save is quite literally a last resort. Pickford is excellent in one on ones and regularly makes outstanding saves, but I think that’s only half the story. It’s the one area of the pitch where a ‘maverick’ is not really tolerated. Maybe Chilavert. ...
  Phil Sammon in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• Sam #485, thanks for that statistical rundown. I've never seen that stat before and don't know its value, but it seems to be a snapshot in time. It does rank the undisputed best keepers in the Prem up at the top, but I'm also noting that the other keepers down there in similar "negative" numbers with Pickford include Patricio, Dean Henderson and Lloris, while those above in positive territory include Ryan, Dubravka and Fumbles Fabianski. Are the latter three better shot-stoppers than the first three? The chart says so. The similar stat chart just below, ranking the Bundesliga keepers, would indicate that Yann Sommer is a much better shot-stopper than Manuel Neuer. I think every footy fan's eyes would say different. Not saying this statistic doesn't have value, I'm just not sure what it is. ...
  Mike Gaynes in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• Sam, I think Gibson must be deemed in need of some competitive games at Championship level before being ready. That's fair enough. No point exposing the kid before he's ready. Shame that Holgate, Branthwaite and Gbamin are injured. We shouldn't really need a new centre half but the luck is against us.Tomori or Adarabioyo look likeliest candidates but could honestly see something random like (don't hate me) David Luiz on a free just to get us through the injury crisis.Ps. Final thought to Gylfi and family. Shocking news and he must be completely traumatised at a personal level. ...
  Robert Tressell in Gibson set for Reading loan
• A great result in the end but a few of last season's deficiencies reared their ugly heads before we took over after the red card. That's no bad thing because it reminds us all to not get carried away and this is still a rebuilding process.Pickford - hospital ball that made him look nervous early on, but not his fault. I think we need to get off his back a little because he's looked more solid in the last 2 games. Absolutely no chance for the freekick, no keeper would have saved that. The first goal was a strange one, why are we looking at Pickford when the lad has been allowed to run from his own half without even half a challenge? At least push him out wide. Sam@3 "the shot goes pretty much in the middle of the goal" have another look mate, it hits the back corner, that's not the middle of the goal. Seamus - outstanding for me in the first 2 games, particularly as he's doing the job of 2 players. As much as I love James and what he's brought to the team, It's going to b...
  Rennie Smith in Calvert-Lewin treble ensures Everton pass Baggies test
• Amidst all the Everton keepers I've seen, from West to Pickford, I've seen plenty of mediocrity with the odd good/great one.Big question I've always got is 'Do I feel confident with him in goal? Do I trust him?' With Pickford, the answer is no. He was very good at Spurs, more of that and I'll happily change my mind. He was OK on Saturday after a shaky start.As Fran rightly mentions, our best hope is that as the rest of the team improves its consistency, he follows suit.For now, like so many of our signings in the last few years, I'll label him as talented and sporadocally effective. Is it him or our managers? We'll find out this season....
  Paul Tran in Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
• Frank,If you read the reports about Virginia's performances when he got to Reading, you will understand why he only played twice. They lost their first two games and he was at fault for at least one of the goals in each of them. Then they won a League Cup tie with the reserve goalie saving penalties and he was out of the team.Reading didn't want to play him - for the reason they could not rely upon him. ...
  Phil (Kelsall) Roberts in Gibson set for Reading loan
• Derek@24, Adarabayio makes sense to me. Tall, quick and has been good in 2 seasons in the championship. Lots of City fans are loathe to let him go which bodes well. He'd probably cost between £6-11m which is doable.It would be strange to let Gibson go when we are so short at the back. I can't see Tomori coming and both Holgate and Brainthwaite are 6 weeks away minimum. Perhaps you could play Digne there (he's surprisingly decent in the air) and use Nkoukou at LB but there don't seem alot of options....
  Sam Hoare in Gibson set for Reading loan