Everything yesterday was so wrong even before kick-off. I groaned when I saw the starting 11 and blew a fuse when I saw Mirallas and Pienaar swapping wings. Anichebe is a waste of space, Osman should've been dropped months ago.

WTF is the point of buying a RB in the window and then not playing him when all your RBs are injured? Neville must be pushing 50 yet he gets a shirt before the best young defender (Stones) in the country?

Leroy Fer scored for Twente at the weekend and was man of the match? We all know this deal was a stitch up and the whole club and supporters became deflated after it. What integrity does Moyes have left, going along with this shite?

This was always going to be a tough time of the season, we needed to build up a big lead over the chasing pack early on in the seaosn and then hoped it last through these games. We couldn't do it. Injuries to Mirallas, Gibson and Hibbert have proved crucial. Loss of form from Howard, Distin and Jelavic in the early season also did. Add in any combination of bad refereeing, mental weakness, bad luck, freak goals against, and you have the dropped points. The push for fourth was lost against Newcastle, Liverpool, Fulham, Reading, Swansea, Villa, Wigan, even Chelsea. Games we should have won but ended up losing. See all the reasons above for why we didn't. If we had we would of been home and dry, but every other club in the league can go on about ifs and buts.

As it is now if we are to have any chance we need to win away at the big grounds. Funnily enough not many teams do because most of these teams have great home records, much like ours usually is. However Moyes' approach to big away games (we've only had two this season) is nto the reaosn we haven't finished top 4. He gave us every chance of doing it earlier in the season so we oculd have something to hang onto now but the players weren't good enough, which leads us back to the depressing reality that these things are not just repeated coincedences, mental weakness, defensive mistakes, profligacy in front of goal are all hallmarks of teams outside the top 4. Basically we're not as good as we all think we are.

We probably will beat Oldham, but Rodgers showed that its not some sort of Moyes disease that leads to some of our cock ups. Whatever 11 he plays will be good enough to beat Oldham and if they don't then it is the fault of the players, as it is when they repeatedly miss guilt edged chances or repeatedly make defensive cock ups from long balls.

No – and neither are Everton – no matter how much we want it – we have a tiny squad, with some good and some very average players and we would struggle in the Europa Cup, never mind the CL. First steps first, I'm afraid to say. We are a very long way from CL. Get there properly, do the job right – but get European Experience in the Europa League and see how those extra games work out on our PL placing next season.

"If you had given me two draws against United this season to give me two points, I would have said 'hey, that's great'. But we've actually taken three points off them, so that's even better."

Fuck me. No wonder he hasn't been able to inspire a team to win at Old Trafford during the entirety of his reign.

Didn't he come out with this same bizzaro logic last season immediately after the Anfield derby debacle? Something along the lines of 'we played Spurs & Liverpool in the same week & I would have been happy with 1 point from each of those games, but we beat Spurs so we're actually 1 point better off.'

We lose Distin just before kick off and Heitinga steps in to give them a 2 goal advantage (The second one was not Neville it was Heitinga pushing the back 4 forward when it should be the full backs who keep everyone in line).

And you honestly think Moyes and Kenwright (for all I detest the man) do not want 4th place.

The truth is we put so much effort into the first half of the season and some players are carrying knocks that would normally have them rested but because our squad is so thin we cannot rest them.

At this point the supporters would normally lift them and be excited at the prospect of potentially achieving top 4 but instead of that support is being divided because they want to blame Moyes, Round, the players, Kenwight and Uncle Tom.

Do you not think the players and manager are not feeling the pressure and the hurt.

Moyes is a very principled man which is why IMO he will see his contract out and no more than that.

Anyone who cant see that over a season money and quality count and we just don't have either in sufficient quantity must be deluded.

We should be getting behind Moyes and the players to help them get over the line instead of carping like spoilt children who do not get the Xmas present they wanted because their parents couldnt afford it.

Yes Moyes and the players make mistakes (like putting Hietinga in) but to castigate them like them in this way is total overreaction IMO.

Shame coz the rest makes sense but have to admit I have written pages of shit on TW over the years !

Give the kids some playing time. Play the season out... Moyes hopefully will take his dour negative self elsewhere and we start with a clean slate next season with a new manager. I guarantee whoever takes over will win at one of the so-called top four inside 10 years!

Jay Harris,

Jay, again, you're comments are pretty accurate, Heitinga at fault, jaded squad with insufficient (quality) numbers to push forward etc. But the lack of numbers is down to Kenwright and also Myoes. The Fer deal should not have been the only plan we had. £8m? For a player all the world of football knew had had a cartilage op but who had played, without effect, 17-18 games since. And we somhow managed to cock it up, if it were ever likely to be a realistic deal in the first place. This season has been our best opportunity for years to take advantage of the other contenders for CL football having a lower than ususual season, but they've invested, we haven't.

Whilst I don't believe Moyes wants the club to fail, just maybe he has made his mind up to move on and finishing in the top 4 may just make it a little bit harder for him to let go so perhaps there is just a little piece of him holding him back. Or is he just making the same old cowardly, dithering mistakes he makes every year that costs valuable points every season. And no I am not talking about losing at Man Utd because better sides than us will suffer the same, but the manner of the spineless, gutless, cowardly performance is unacceptable.

Not quite sure about the opening statement but have to agree that we can all pick fault with the 'strategy' for success apparently employed at EFC at managerial and board level. Some in desperation may interpret this as a desire to not actually succeed.

I am in agreement on your on-field suggestions and no, I don't train with the team day-in, day-out but sure as shit can spot the obvious on occasion. I dread the prospect/inevitability of Moyes sticking to his team choice and tactical inertia for the remainder of the season and then point to 'funding' as the underlying cause. Have a go for Christ's sake... we're not getting relegated and the top 5 is slipping rapidly. Yes, placed means pounds but this is Everton... Nil Satis.

As I stated on the day it fell through, to me it seems the Fer transfer was taking the piss. Not in that we didn't want the lad but in Everton's desperate tactics employed in the deal. History of a knee issue... let's leverage an unrealistic payment plan as we don't have a pot to piss in. Everton will be given a wide birth by others in the transfer market from the microsecond it took for the word to spread. Sad indeed.

For me the Anfield derby will a personal season definer and I have to say I'm dreading it already. Time to stand and be counted Moyes and Co. As far as the board goes, your chance has passed.

At that point this article had already lost any credibility so I stopped reading.

As for the suggestions on the squad I agree Jelavic must be told to just hit the box it frustrates me like mad when he battles on the side tackling and tracking he looks absolutely knackered and has no chance of scoring so deep.

Our tactics are dire, we all know what's going to happen so it's not surprising opposition managers have worked us out. I totally agree regarding Jelavic, I never want to see him on the wings looking to play the ball into the box again. This is the fault of the manager.

I also think Mirallas will suffer the same fate, he looks confused as to what he's supposed to do which will mean safety first, see that pass to Neville in the first half which then saw a Neville special floated into the box.

Moyes doesn't fancy his youngsters, this idea of him blooding them won't happen. There isn't much between teams in this league and at the moment our lack of goals and our creativity has dried up, what next? More of the same from Moyes I can assure you. What's that definition of insanity...?

The point I was trying, and apparently failing, to make was that Moyes and Kenwright lack the ambition to get us to fourth. The Fer deal, the tactics and the air of depression that now surrounds the club are down to the faults of the hierarchy of the club. An ambitious club would have done something about this, not stood by and try to pull the wool over our eyes.

Finally, Ged Simpson, I assume you read the article to your Kopite friends as we all know they can't read?

However, he's never been able to do the same against the likes of Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal particularly Liverpool. We all know we're not going to get anything from Liverpool or Arsenal away unless Moyes changes his outlook.

You have to look at the FA Cup Final in 2009 we work so hard to get there and play excellently during the 2008-09 season yet play awfully in the final. We bottled it; if we'd played the way we had done at Chelsea a month before to get a 0-0 draw, we would've probably won. Instead we just resort to hoofing to ball up to nobody. He takes off Saha and puts Vaughan on instead.

Moyes will always be a good manager but I don't think we'll ever win a trophy with him as manager — or get into the Champions League, sadly. I don't even think we'll ever win against Liverpool at Anfield under Moyes, which is very frustrating.

I think it was a typical Kenwright stunt (similar to Manny Fernandes) to try and placate Moyes and the supporters.

I also don't think Moyes particularly wanted John Stones either Moyes has gone on record as saying he just gives a list to the powers that be and they do the rest.

You could see the look on Moyes face after the deadline. He looked as frustrated as the rest of us.

You need to have a word with your bookie. You said on another post you had a quid on West Brom at 13/2.That should get you £7.50 not £7. You appear to have the same head for figures as Kenwright!

I think you're right about Fer but the Fernandes deal, as far as I can tell, fell down becuase Fernandes, or his agent, pulled the plug after agreeing to join. Or so we were told.

Mirallas's pull back at OT was behind him – otherwise he would have walked it in for another goal, and he has scored a few. Goals should mean confidence for this guy. Even if the rest of his game isn't up there with the best, 15 goals a season and I don't care what else he does. I know it will probably not happen but I would love him to make it.

How is he being coached? He's been on our books forever and still seems to have no confidence in his own ability. Can't Duncan teach him a thing or two about staying on his feet and never, ever letting your opponent know you've been hurt. Does this lad stay in after training just to practise on his finishing for an hour every day? If not, why?

He either wants it or will stay a big sulk. I know what I would want from him as a manager. We're paying his wages, might as well do our very best to make him the best possible player he could be.

Why on earth would either of them not want us to qualify for the Champions League??! That makes no sense!!

Oh and while I'm thinking about, can we please leave just one fella somewhere up the pitch when we concede a corner!

Anichebe deserved his chance to play at Old Trafford...he has earnt it more than Jelavic has lately.

And everyone is moaning about our fixtures, and ignoring the relatively easy home fixtures in the process. One question though...who has the following in their next 8 games? West Ham (A), Arsenal (H), Liverpool (A), Fulham (H), Swansea (A), Everton (H), Chelsea (A), Man City (H).

They're Spurs' fixtures for the next eight matches btw...and if they lose a couple, they will wobble, because of what happened last season.

Two questions for the pessimist on here -
1) Why give up now?
2) Would anyone have not taken sixth position, and six points off fourth, on the opening day?

If in two matches time that six point gap has widened, maybe I'll have different sentiments. But I think we can beat Norwich away, and will beat Reading at home, and I think Spurs will drop points. We will need to avoid defeat against Spurs and Arsenal away... but I think we can do that, and I think the United result was an anomaly.

I also think it shows how far we have come, when after an away defeat in which we controlled chunks of the match against easily the best team in the league this season, we are all so universally panning the team. Come a week on Saturday, Mirallas and Gibson will be back to real fitness, and hopefully we will have a right back close to returning. I'm confident the team can still do us proud this season.

I didn't know Spurs had such a tough run-in but I would still rather have their run in with 6 points in hand. I can't see us over taking them or Arsenal.

He must have watched a different game to me then. I saw his lieutenant on the pitch constantly give the ball away and foul the opposition (not to mention the comedy throw-in). I saw a beast of a centre forward spend a fair amount of time with his arse on the grass beating the floor proclaiming a foul. I saw Heitinga make Per Krøldrup look like Franco Baresi.

I didn't see any belief or craft or anything like what I expect of an Everton team. If Moyes had come out and said we were like kids playing against grown-ups then I'd have more respect for him. The fact that he thinks that was a spirited performance tells us everything we need to know about our manager.

Fulham (A), Reading (A), QPR (A), Swansea (H), Southampton (A), Villa (H) were all 'relatively easy' fixtures. We didn't win any of those. I think Tottenham will drop points but so too will we. I hope I'm wrong though.

I also think the RS will overtake us. I know they lost last night which cheered me up no end but I think they've got a much easier run-in than us or Spurs. They also have to play us, Spurs and Chelsea at their ground and have a good record against Chelsea and we never win there. I think I'm right in saying that we have never finished above the RS in two consecutive seasons, even when we've been champions.

We'll miss out on Champions League football because a) we drew too many games and b) Moyes wasn't backed in January.

I think we'll look back on this season as the biggest chance we've had in years. Miss out this season and surely a few of our better players will be lured away.

My lad's just turned two and I've taught him to say 'Come on you Blues'. Can I really subject him to this for the rest of his life?

Please, someone explain to me why David Moyes finds such a simple task so complicated !!!!!

"That's why their manager's so special, because he picked the team and got them in the right frame of mind."