Mirallas has settled in quickly

Just sayin'...

Admittedly Bily looked really exciting to start but from memory only in his first game for me, and he never really lived up to those flashes of potential.

Mirallas seems to be the other way round, I think he looks a class act (strong, pacy, very skillful, agressive, intelligent etc) but you sense we've not seen him at his best yet. He got dug out by plenty on here after his League Cup performance last week but I thought he was OK to be honest, particularly first half.

Not that it means anything but the Times gave him 9/10 for performance on Saturday - the only other player in the Prem they gave a 9 was Suarez. Interestingly they gave three of our other players 8 (Jelly, Osman and Fellaini - more than any other team so I think we essentially got performance of the weekend from them on that basis).

So - for me he looks like a class act who's only going to get better. My enduring feeling when I see him play is that we're lucky to have picked him up, I think he'll be great for us and if we do achive something special he's going to be an important part of the formula.

Bily was so slow and had no confidence. So even if he was capable of the killer pass, he never did it. He is never a winger in a fast paced league like the prem, and never a centre midfielder because his positional sense is poor.

That's why I completely disagree with Nick, Bily had a fantastic debut in Europe (he made all the goals I think) but then he fizzled out. He has had some good games though. Mirallas has had some consistent games, a couple of outstanding ones and one bad one against Leeds. He looks so much more promising than Bily did earlier, and I hope the Belgian Ronaldo can continue his good form!

The first problem is socio-politico-economic in nature. The Soviet players earned very little money, but were willing to bleed for their country. In spite of having the referees and Fifa/Uefa against them – eg, the farcical games against Argentina in 1990, Belgium in 1986, disqualification from the qualifiers for 1974, not to mention the shameless pitch invasion of the Rangers fans in a European Cup Final – they used to fare reasonably well and were among the best teams in the world.

After communism, Russian football became a pastime for the oligarchs. Billions of roubles were pumped into the clubs and ridiculous wages were paid to mediocre and/or lazy footballers. Arshavin and Bily belong to this generation of talented yet lazy bastards representing the leisure class.

I remember a clip I saw of despairing Russian fans who had been granted an audience with Czar Arshavin after the Russia had been knocked of Euro 2012. Instead of assuming culpability for Russia's exit, Arshavin told the the fans that they themselves were to blame for their coming all the way to Warsaw to watch Russia. Russia's exit was the fans' problem and not that of the players. This is not what you tell people who come all the way from beyond the Urals to watch their country play in Europe!

To me, Arshavin's words epitiomised the attitude of the of the modern athlete: a spineless bimbo devoid of social conscience. When I see Arshavin sticking his tongue out, Ronaldo lying there by the swimming pool, or Mourinho telling the world what an extraordinary phenomenon he is, I feel like pissing all over the television screen.

As for the second problem, the Russians proceed patiently from the back. Midfielders are a natural part of the plot. It is hardly surprising then that Bily was caught in no-man's land all the while Everton were playing hoofball and ping pong. Look at Kinkladze: let him dictate the game and he will set the world alight; restrain his freedoms, as Joe Royle did, and you have caricature of a footballer.

This is no rocket science god damn it. Footballers are like the rest of us. Some of us do not mind letting others dictate their agenda, whereas some among us are like wild and majestic beasts of prey who cannot do without their freedom to roam the steppes.

"He'll do, he'll never be done to." (Morrissey)

It will be interesting to see who we can bring in if we can maintain the run, particularly with Pienaar away at the Africa Nations Cup. The TV appearances are racking up which hopefully will add to the coffers. With United looking weak in the middle, can we resist a Christmas bid for Fellaini?

If anything, the opposite of Julian's theory would seem to apply – that they need their freedoms restrained in order to play their best. For instance, Lobanovsky's Dynamo Kiev and USSR in the late 70s and 80s. Superb football, and a million times more entertaining to me than Spanish possession play.

Mirallas offers more physically than Bily ever did. Beyond the physical, the critical aspect; self-belief. In the end, even some of us believed more in Bily than he believed in himself. The same self-belief quality radiating off Mirallas.

Interesting we support a Club owner by penny-pinchers. Mirallas, Jela, Gibson, Naismith, Velios, Pienaar even. All this wonderful talent just hanging there to be plucked from the vine.

Kenright etal. If you're intent on retaining ownership, shake some more loose for Moyes come January. You have money to burn. Bily being brought up here, he's the only big-money signing failed. Pretty good right?

I thought we had missed our chance in 2009 and were on the slide, unable to defy the reality of how to achieve success in the top flight of English football. Fair credit, our activity and dealings since January this year has produced what I firmly to believe is our best 11 since the 1980s in terms of quality & attacking potential. Yes we have had to sell to buy but name a business in the world that doesn't work to that simplistic model - even the monsterous Premier League with the exception of Man City and Chelsea.

I am a football pragmatist. Just as I never drink from the cup of gloom and call for heads / bay for blood after a poor run of results or bad day at the office, I am not about to get carried away just because we have had a good start.

We look worryingly suspect at the back; we don't have the balance or solidity typical of earlier Moyes teams. Is it due to form or an ageing Distin or the result of playing more attacking minded, football which inevitably leaves you more open and exposed to a counter attack?

What I will say is what I said at the beginning of the season before a ball was kicked. This current batch should expect to finish top 8. Top 6 is a realistic target and dare I say it, with lady luck on our side injury wise and in an ideal world (which we don't live in) we would have to be an outside bet for top 4 if Chelsea, Arsenal or dare I say Utd slip up.

Sky and Talk Bollox (sorry Talk Sport) never acknowledge us but I tend to prefer it that way, leaving them to focus on their media darlings. We're Everton and will never be fashionable however with the best 11 out we are currently (in my opinion) on a par with Tottenham and better than Newcastle. And, unless I am totally biased or missing something, man-for-man we are better than Liverpool - currently fielding the most average team I have witnessed to come out of Anfield in my memory. I would have said Reina & Gerrard, but right now I would not swap any of their team for any of ours......born in 1971, something I've never been able to say in my life time, even during the brief period of success in the mid 80s!!!

Sorry, went on for longer than I wanted to. Original point; Mirallas - great buy!!

Neck injuries are notoriously finicky, and Felli gave himself one at the end of the game on Saturday. Naismith might just get a chance in his old Jelavic-supprting role at Wigan.

Irrational, but there you have it.

2-1 to us, since you're asking.

Danny O - the idea that we're Everton and we'll never be fashionable is going to be challenged in my opinion. Playing great football on a reasonable budget, one of the most recognizable players in world football (now putting in the performances to match his hair), the best left back anywhere, lethal forward, and what looks like an excitement machine in Kevin.

People won't talk about those kind of players as overperforming very soon.

I hope your prediction comes true....I think!

On one hand I get frustrated with the lack of recognition but on the other I sometimes prefer being Everton. I just hope that should we push on and progress, we don't lose our soul.

Either way a great start and great football from a team that is showing genuine potential. Let's see where we are at Christmas and then get really excited!!

He is the player Drenthe could have been if he looked up every now and then when he went on a run.

Bily was a huge disappointment, but was a completely different player/story.

Mirallas looks class, I can't wait until he hits full fitness.

Considering he should get more clued-in and stronger, not much chance of a tail-off in his performance level if he stays fit and continues to work hard.

Terry (#474) - on the subject of Phil Neville (or any other player) I would hope that no-one's place in the team is inviolate just because the overall effect is benign, and that adequate or satisfactory will always find themselves under threat from better and best when available.

Sorry if I hit a nerve!

Great to see people defending Capt Phil. We all know his limitations – but he’s doing the necessary right now – and against the Saints I thought he kept us in the new, patient build up format – rather than ‘Shit, we’re losing, the crowd’s got the hump, let’s start wellying it up front”. Even Howard seems to roll it out to the defenders more now rather than always booting upfield.

Whatever Phil lacks in natural talent he makes up for in determination, pride, drive and a will to win. A superb example to others in the squad. People above have been rightly slagging modern players for their attitudes – and even if you don’t rate Neville at all as a player – you cannot slag his attitude and professionalism. (But, on this website, no doubt someone can).

Can someone please slag Moyes off – I can’t believe I’m on the correct site anymore.