Blues made to work hard for a point

This is going to be a long night. Our away record is horrid and 3 centre-halves looked good.

I see no evidence of learning about his best team from Koeman. He's all over the place with his selections and formations.

Gareth Barry should no longer start any games. And we don't need two defensive midfielders.

Poor.

Of course Koeman has 'changed a winning side.' It's GOOD management not to risk injury at this manic time of year with so many fixtures squeezed into such a short space of time.

It looks like a flat back four, with a variety of combinations possible forward of that, depending on the game situation.

And unless he is injured, there is probably something in the rumour that Deulofeu could be headed out on loan if, once again, he doesn't as much as make the bench tonight. Disappointed by that personally.

He left out the all important explanation.

If we win, no doubt some on here will be celebrating Koeman's tactical acumen. He pisses me off...

Robbie Earle on NBC coverage said that we're a team "with no identity". That seems about right, and my biggest fear. There's no real sense of progress or a specific approach, even in the nascent stages. We just kind of play, and muddle through or not, without it seeming to be building towards anything.

We should be blowing shite like these away.

Jagielka making howlers and Barry waddling about the pitch.

We talk about Barkley's brain... I think we need to discuss Koeman's brain.

Why is Enner Valencia, a loanee, doing more running than the rest of the forward line combined?

Why is the full-back, Seamus Coleman, the only player willing and able to attack a football in the opponent's box?

Maddening.

If players cannot play 3 games in a week, is that because of their age? Then why Jagielka, Barry & Williams?

No incentive for them to up their game. Demoralising for the likes of Davies and Holgate who are whisked out of the team after performing well.

When Jags, Barkley, Cleverley & Barry are dropped they are always put on the bench. Leave all 4 at home & put Kenny, Dowell, Walsh & Browning on the bench.

Obviously if we don't then it must be down to Jags or Barry or Baines or all of them. They are clearly crap footballers.

We have Galloway & Garbutt back in January so Baines should not be an automatic choice. Barry remember has been given another year so maybe he should be used sparingly & be used to help the youngsters through.

Jags is another thing altogether. His legs are gone & he has always relied on his timing. If his timing is out he gives away penalties, sound familiar?

Examples I think of people viewing the game with preconceived opinions about the player. Jags and Williams have been solid, with no gaffes.

The problem is more in centre midfield with Barry and Gueye. Both have been porous, allowing runners from deep to go past them, and when either get the ball, some of their passing has been woeful, although Barry has been marginally better. Ross needs to be on his toes and moving more than he is.

Hull scoring was inevitable the way both teams started. We've very gradually got a foothold in the game, but we are not competing for or winning enough second balls.

Our passing, as is oft the case, is ponderous and seldom takes opposition players out of the game or gets in behind a deep-lying and packed defence.

The front 3 of Lukaku, Mirallas and Valencia are showing some threat and hopefully one of them will put away at least one chance in the 2nd half.

But -–by 'eck! – it remains painful and frustrating viewing watching this current Everton team.

I would suggest you watch the first two minutes of the game again. Jagielkas first fluff had to be cleaned up by Williams.

Bad bad Everton side this when we make hard work of getting points against Burnley, Swansea, Watford and Hull.

Forget this "Koeman needs time," the performances under him are fucking shocking. We have better players than Hull, Swansea and Watford so why are we not beating them?

We're playing Hull. Hull! Is this it? Koeman is a man who'd ambition outstrips his managerial ability.

Rotating only works if you actually show up and win the match.

What's the point in saving players for a match in another three days time , if you don't win this Hull City game.

And there are no guarantees that this Everton team will beat Southampton...

Stop playing him in that role.

Couldn't understand Gana's performance. Light years away from his best efforts. Switched off ahead of the African Cup?

Only bright spots for me where Mirrallas and Barkley's second half. Davies and Coleman gave it there all as usual.

Always chasing the game.

It happens far too often early on and can't be a coincidence. Stop that and suddenly you have another 6/8 points in the bank.

Not down to individual players really. But Davies looked handy

We don't seem to learn the lessons as a team.

I was watching that game shaking my head, because of so many mis-placed passes, and only Tom Davies was giving me any hope, simply because he looks like he really wants to win.

Jags and Baines (cross assist aside) are finished as footballers. Barry didn't have a great match, and that could be Gana's worst since he signed.

Blame the manager all you want, but when your two most veteran defenders can't defend without giving away dangerous free kicks and penalties, you're going to concede goals.

Let's do Southampton at home and then get some players in – otherwise, we'll continue this type of result against shit teams.

I'm specifically talking about his decision to change an offensive sub to a defensive one after we equalised. He changed his tactics to play out the draw. That's criminal against a pub team.

And he is most definitely to blame for his choice of starting eleven and substitutions... Valencia was our best player, and he hooks him.

The guy is fucking baffling. I'm slowly drawing to the conclusion that he's a bit thick.

Ross has been practicing his heading and fair play.

Poor display, slow start.

Again.

His control when it's played into him is worse than most 12-year-olds. Lost count of the number of times the ball came straight back to them off his feet and chest. We should cash in as soon as we can get a replacement.

Oh and Barry was shit as well. If you give Snodgrass enough chances, he's going to score.

A couple of times, he pulled high balls down out of the sky with supreme skill, his passing was always perfectly weighted, and he was always looking for a killer pass.

Keep it going, Ross.

Okley-dokley. I repeat. Jags and Williams had solid games.

And David Milner. Jagagielk's booking was not because he was slow or outpaced (his speed is still good). The player came out of the blind side and Jags concentrating on the ball caught him. It happens. Nothing wrong with his stamina either.

Their 2nd goal, if you did but note (but don't) resulted from Gueye (who had a very poor game and was lucky not to be subbed out) again made a hash of a very simple pass (as he did all game) to Mirallas. This led to the attack from which Baines conceded the free kick Snodgrass superbly scored from (though having been let off by the same player a few minutes earlier, I felt Robles should have taken more care in setting up the wall and with his positioning to be better able to defend the shot).

I agree with you, David, on one point. That was 2 points dropped, not 1 gained. One win in now 17 games with the pitiful goals for, against and difference they have, away to Hull should be a nailed on 3 points for a team (and supporters) with genuine ambition to challenge at the top of the league.

Ross had a much better 2nd half and Tom Davies again impressed, but I can see why he is still used sparingly by Koeman.

Calvert-Lewin will be rueing the one that got away. He should have scored his 1st Premier League goal and won the game for Everton at the death.

By "it" I mean their best days are behind them. The purchase of Williams is still baffling. Tonight Jags, Barry and Williams were tragic. They form the experience and part of our spine. Our spine is looking old, gnarled and slow. It's no wonder we look slow and shite.

Wake up Koeman. It's there, staring you in the face.

School of science, I don't think so. Manager is clueless like the man before him.

The transfer window just about to open and it is like Groundhog Day, the only certainty signing is an unknown youngster, one for the future, joke.

New ground, that old chestnut, well we live in hope. Everton are an embarrassment at the moment, a laughing stock.

Players and manager should take a long hard look at themselves after that performance but do they really care anyway. Let's hope for brighter future in the new year.

I wish I had stayed out!!!.

My son has gone to Hull tonight; I told him not to bother. After 50 years watching Everton, I always expect the worse. New owner, new manager and we are still awful.

The performance tonight was embarrassing, a good team would take Hull to the cleaners. I want to like Koeman but I don't see progress.

Jagielka/Barry are not the future so don't play them. Holgate should start every game with Davies... let them learn. Put Coleman in midfield and get some support to Lukaku, he is so isolated it's a joke.

Considering we were up against a poor, but determined, side, we were crap in all areas. That is not the first time this season either.

I am honestly struggling to take any positives from that performance. While I appreciate Ronald Koeman took over a poor bunch, bar a couple of players, he has his work cut out this coming few Months!

Calvert Lewin and Davies great potential but a big ask to throw them in. Valencia puts a shift in but very average. The over-30 brigade, that's what they are, think slower, react slower and run slower. Ross Barkley, 6ft-2in, yet takes every set-piece... gets in box today and scores a header. His delivery is only average anyway, Rom turns up now and again.

We need at least 4 new players. A big few weeks coming up

However, in typical Everton style, we completely let Hull back into the game and conceded another inevitable goal.

Very stressful, this Everton business... Terrible refereeing too!

All-in-all, a pretty miserable end to Christmas!

Lennon was primed to come on, and he binned that once we equalised. Cowardly.

Barkley never stopped trying and deserved his goal. Mirallas was very good and Davies showed glimpses of the talent he has. I know some people want him on from the start instead of Barry but I would love to see them both on the pitch together, I think we would hold the ball much better.

Our No 1 target for January window should be a player to support Lukaku, still not convinced by Valencia and unfortunately I haven't been impressed with anything I have seen from Calvert-Lewin so far.

Three main observations:

1) we are playing so slowly. We are not moving the ball quickly enough. So many soft passes in the middle of the park. It is so easy to defend without even using too much energy.

2) Nice to see Mirallas. He looked really lively. Worked hard and created a lot of good things. I hope he continues because he should be a regular in front of Lennon and Valencia.

3) Barkley. Good goal and good to see him getting into the box. But he is still so frustrating to watch. Mainly of course because he appears to have so much potential.

When Barkley is on the ball at times it looks really promising. But he never anticipates anything. He never wins a loose ball. He only pretends that he is participating in chasing the ball.

When two Everton players are chasing the ball, Barkley never joins in and anticipates where he needs to move. I think he ought to control a match against a team like Hull but he doesn't. He makes some good things 3-4 times that is it.

I wonder if he played for a team like Man City with a lot of possession if he would shine. Maybe he would really blossom or maybe his limitations would really be exposed. Such a shame he is such a beautiful player when he is on the ball. I really hope he will come good but so far he is the most frustrating to watch.

Five out of the eleven starters have to be replaced.

Our build up play is slow, plodding and so repetitive. We lack ideas, creativity, and in a lot of fifty fifties it showed we lack bottle too. Hull are a very poor side lacking in goals and confidence and we GAVE them both.

I've never wished time to pass so quickly as I'm wishing the next two transfer windows to come and go.

I don't even know who we had on the bench, but if Calvert-Lewin scores that header, I think Koeman, would have been getting a lot of praise for that change.

I'm not convinced by our manager either, and think playing Barry is a complete contradiction, in how he wants us to play, but we had Hull all over the place during that second half, and it was our players who let us down, because they stopped playing, when the game was there to be won.

"Good players step forward, Tom Davies, stepped forward". The rest of them? Well I'm just not sure.

Ed – Copy and paste to the next match to save me a job...

Jagielka made several blunders throughout the match. I simply thought the glaringly obvious one he made within the first two minutes of the game would have been enough to put your synopsis that he was fault-free to bed... clearly not.

The second goal was never a free kick, Baines's arm brushed their centre-back's shoulder and he fell to the floor, as soon as that was given I knew the outcome. Did we deserve all 3 points, I don't think so but young Calvert-Lewin should've buried that header. Would a more experienced striker scored it? Who knows... but I thought both youngsters showed good cameos tonight.

Tonight's game showed we are still some way of where we want to be, do we show patience with Koeman and what he's trying to achieve when he's moulded his own team or do we roll the dice and go down a different route?

Just about any player aspiring to join our club, aspiring as they should be to be part of a club consistent in Europe, will not have been impressed by what we've shown tonight and this season. To gain such appeal demands more than two or three good players now, so that by the end of season we can attract two or three more. Only then will we have a chance of achieving the much vaunted Moshiri project.

January will tell us much.

Holgate must start and it's a back three for me. Set Coleman and Baines free. I felt a Coleman goal was far more likely than a Lukaku goal... how sad is that!

Only Five?

You are very generous my friend, maybe it's the Xmas spirit clouding your perception mate, but I know where you're coming From!

It was no better that Leicester, against two sides both low on confidence and results.

Gifting an early goal, tempo lacking passive in the press n tackle.

The front 4 making the press look like a colander as Hull find their way through.

Barry is just holding Gana back, capable of going both ways quickly, Gaz Baz cannot comply.

Add a mobile midfielder, in this case, Davies, we look miles better, not hard though.

Lets face it that lad Tom looks like a footballer, strong..can pass, dribble, got a gob on him. He affected the game more in 20mins that several more established players did in 65/70mins.

Needless the comparison with Ross was plain to see.

Davies has clear picture of what is next, rarely tonight received the ball under duress. Ross goal and a couple of passes apart was awful, especially without the ball, but as was Rom.

Valencia might be low on quality but he harassed his man so much he created errors.

A deeply shameful performance, led by poor selection n tactics. Followed up by players not to my eye competing to an acceptable level.

Koeman thinks that was okay in his post match...

It is a collective problem and it looks like some dissension in the group. It was all kicking off against Leicester and again tonight between Mirallas and Gueye.

God we need some new blood, new energy, new pace and power and aggression.

My God, we're bad. Really, really bad. Those of us on here talking of bright futures are fooling ourselves, aren't we?

There will arrive voices on here soon telling us to look at the bigger picture and how it is a project and how we are miserable, negative bastards. I should know, that's what I've been saying recently and following this club is an exercise in self-contradiction.

But here's the final truth at least for me, this is Everton right here in front of us: this long, slow, ongoing fart of mediocrity.

To judge Jagielka's fluffs, don't just count his fouls and miss-kicks. Count how many times he is out of position, causing problems for the rest of the team. It's getting more and more common. Anyone who thinks he isn't a poor footballer is sentimental to a fault.

To judge Jagielka's fluffs, don't just count his fouls and miss-kicks. Count how many times he is out of position, causing problems for the rest of the team. It's getting more and more common. Anyone who thinks he isn't a poor footballer is sentimental to a fault.

To judge Jagielka's fluffs, don't just count his fouls and miss-kicks. Count how many times he is out of position, causing problems for the rest of the team. It's getting more and more common. Anyone who thinks he isn't a poor footballer is sentimental to a fault.

Now to us . very average. Barry started poorly but to be fair he did get better as the game wore on. It seemed clear as day to anyone that Hull would use their wing-backs, yet I lost count of how many times they were given free reign to up and down the flanks. Lukaku's lay-offs were poor, and I thought he could have used a lesson from Mbokani on how to hold up the ball well and bring the other attackers into the game. Why we play Valencia on the wing when it's been shown with West Ham that it is not his best position I have no idea, Mirallas I thought did ok, and ultimately it was Baines and Coleman's deliveries which nabbed us a draw / almost won us the game if DLC had got his header right. Seems a bit harsh though to be critical of the young lad. Less said about Jags, the better . if we go three at the back v Southampton, I can only hope Holgate is back.

'Howlers' - 'Fluffs' - 'Blunders' - all in the plural attributed by you to Jags (in your condemning opinion)

Care to list the 'multiple' howlers Jags made, not even across the whole 90 minutes, because (evidently, again in your all-condemning opinion) they would be too numerous to mention, but just in the opening 10 minutes when you first levelled the charge Jags was 'making howlers' ..?

I will repeat a 3rd time: IMO Jags and Williams had solid games and were not culpable in Everton only drawing. The failings laid elsewhere and with other players tonight.

Mori, Holgate, Davies to start is my bet plus Ross might earn a start too again

Gana had his worst match for us and was kicking off against Mirallas.

This just makes the January window even more important, I can't honestly say weve played well for the full 90 minutes of any game. Most of these players have had enough chances

We desperately need a Barry replacement. Maybe Schneiderlin is the man for this...?

Why didn't Koeman stick with a winning side? Very strange... Martinez used to do that.

If you choose to ignore them, that's up to you.

Jagielka had a poor game, and I've no idea why he was allowed to start.

You can keep saying he had a good game until you're blue in the face, it won't change my opinion of his game tonight.

Blowing put of his ass early on the game, struggling to maintain his control over Mbokani who is awful.

The most balanced we look is with a back three. Simply Williams is a better organiser, Holgate n Mori are mobile enough to pivot.

Time to move to a back three, Baines n Coleman struggle with defending now and perhaps the balance to get them forward has less risk.

But hey ' Koeman is Koeman he does what wants'

Why ? Change a winning formula. Only he knows that, but I for one think he's a busted flush already. He like Martinez think they know better.

Ciaran, we're all allowed our own opinions, just that some of them are crap, I mean, some people thought Valencia had a really good game. I didn't . Doesn't automatically make me right. (Even though I am)

Apart from the header he scored tonight, while he was like, standing at a bus stop waiting for it. To all those pro Barkley supporters,I would like to propose a hypothetical question...

Supposing you needed to buy a car desperately to get to work, or, whatever and you saw one for sale, at a really knockdown price, that suited your budget... a real steal. You inquire to the reliability of the car and the vendor replies... Squire, this jam jar is as reliable as Ross Barkley! Would you part with your dosh?

I've already said that I think it's a contradiction playing Barry, and after listening to what Carragher was saying, I think he's pointing out a second selection flaw, for a manager who wants his team to press high (Lukaku = 3?) and also stay compact, with his centre-back pairing tonight.

Both have been great servants to the club so I am not going to slag them; however, they have now both run their race and shouldn't be selected as part of the first eleven. Both are too slow and therefore give away cheap free kicks or penalties and do not cover sufficient ground across then pitch.

The modern game of the successful teams is based on pace and interchange of players, not static and stay-in-one-position personnel.

The balance of the team doesn't look right to me. We don't have an ideal central defensive partnership, and the balance in midfield is not right, either centrally or out wide. Great teams have great partnerships running throughout. I can't think of any great partnerships in that team tonight. Oh for the days of Pienaar and Baines.

Jagielka and Barry are finished at this level and never should be starting, let alone both together! Robles is a disaster waiting to happen.

2 points dropped. Again.

"I don't care to list them (if that's even possible). If you choose to ignore them, that's up to you."

A couple of points here. As you were so quick out of the blocks to condemn Jags' multiple howlers, I thought it would be easy for you to offer some examples, not impossible.

That you choose not to is your right, but it doesn't help you validate your opinion, which is also your right.

And ... having given my alternative opinion to your own ... how can I 'ignore' the 'howlers' you attribute to Jags (that I personally did not see in his performance tonight) if you choose not to put up examples of the same for debate?

If we play 3 at the back, I would like to see Barkley next to Gana against the middle/bottom teams. Off course Barkley would have to work harder and smarter (he would have to anyway) but with three defenders maybe we could run the risk.

Tonight, Hull were nothing above average yet we managed at times to make them look good. They set up with 5 in defence and 9 when it mattered, it was crying out for swift play down the flanks to stretch their defence, this never happened as we went tippy-tippy through the centre.

Baines, Coleman and Mirallas all played with pace and ran the flanks under Moyes, why is this not happening under Koeman who likes pace and counterattacking.

Valencia was shocking and should be returned immediately, Barkley was little better. I like Jags but his time has come, has as Barry's.

The pressing was poor, the passing was poor our thinking and play was far too slow and Gana had a bad game. Lukaku is lazy but really needs the right service and that isn't happening.

I started by saying I don't know what's wrong, some of these players were good under Moyes, some were good under Martinez and Koeman was good at Southampton but none is coming together now. I can only think Koeman is clueless when he his outside his comfort zone.

This lack of legs means there's a complete disconnect between defence, midfield and attack. It's no coincidence that, once Davies came on, he allowed Ross more freedom to concentrate on getting forward.

I would love to see a midfield of Gana (who was poor tonight) with Davies and Hughes, with Coleman and Baines playing as wing backs. Balance, strength and mobility – something we are woefully lacking right now.

Thank you, Henrik, you're a gent. I thought Davies did well, very impressed but he garnered a stupid yellow in pulling back Maguire(?) when there was already a defender covering him.

And after his outburst, admittedly justified, when he was pulled back he was lucky not to get a second one. The referee gave him a let off there.

We have to toughen up fucking big time. Too many players sucking the life out of the club. They need to be moved on even on free transfers. Just get rid for Christ's sake... Koeman included.

Get your fucking act together lad. We are getting pissed off

Good night.

Happy New Year to all blues and thanks for the great web site that is ToffeeWeb.

I've drunk too much today, the blues have again given me... well, the blues, so I am off to bed.

NSNO. mmm...

We were set up all wrong for a game against the league's poorest side who are odds on to go down. You just knew a slow start was coming. There was a ponderous look about the midfield. It all felt lacklustre.

Okay, we did improve but had we arrived here with the same formation as Leicester I honestly think it would have been a really different game for us.

Barry is really struggling. We will not miss Gueye quite as much as I thought but hoping his time at AFCON gives him a boost because he's not quite the influence he was at the start of the season.

Season's over already for top four; well, it wasn't ever on was it. Still time to recover and have an exciting run at sixth. Sigh.

Four weeks of what is usually a crazy window to get quality in at even something approach reasonable cost. We so need this to be the best transfer window ever bar none.

We cannot use a pressing game with the players we have at present so, rather than continue farting about changing things weekly, Koeman needs to persist with the set up that has brought us most success – 3 at the back, Holgate, Funes Mori and Williams central.

In my opinion, we have to stop this 2 defensive midfielders every game and get extra legs in midfield like Davies.

Jags, Barry, Mirallas, Ross Barkley... why oh why do we revert from a winning team and formation against the bottom of the table side that should have been a walkover?

I have pleaded patience with Koeman but I am very disappointed with his team and tactics tonight.

I agree with those who think Jags was poor – his distribution has always been very poor and now he's a defensive liability. Our downfall was giving away stupid free kicks in dangerous positions given they have Snodgrass.

Ross took his goal okay but, that apart, he was his normal ineffective self –– he wouldn't look good at Man Citeh... he has no football brain.

In spite of our other short-comings, our biggest need is for a decent creative midfield player – our build-up is far too slow which is a big factor in Rom not getting hold of the ball enough.

Davies should have got a penalty – clear shirt-tug on him. Has anyone noticed how Baines gets caught out of position so often? I think the lack of defensive aerial ability in our full-backs is an issue although our 2 aging central defenders struggle in that department too.

Three windows needed to get us really competing at the top.

Carragher and other technical analysts can draw their charts but the massive deficit at Everton for 30 years has been one of self-belief and courage. We are pussies, great at pretence and charity distraction, but a perennial soft touch. Find me leaders; – hard, ruthless, nasty ones both off the pitch and on it. I thought Ronald and Farhad might fit the bill but evidence so far says not, not at all.

Nasty winners are what we need, but nasty is what we never get (except perhaps in boardroom manoeuvrings).

This guy makes Moyes look like a tactical genius, at least Moyes tried to learn from his mistakes. Koeman probably never will, sometimes he gets lucky with enforced changes, eg, at Leicester, but he never see's the big picture and I don't think he ever will.

I am not happy with the way we play, we are awful to watch, we have poor tactics and we look like we should do better.

That said, we are 7th in the league, and the squad we have can't merit a place above that position. Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs have squad who are much much better than what we have, so to be behind them in the league is no disgrace.

To add to the above Ronny hasn't had a chance to build his own team, he chops and changes and can't get the best out of many players.

Williams wasn't the answer to our defensive problems, Jags is finished, Barry should be a bit part sub at best, and we haven't got anything that can resemble a consistent wide man.

The squad needs majorly revamping asap, most players need moving on.

Baines, Coleman, Gana, McCarthy, Lukaku, Bolasie and the youngsters are the only players worth keeping, players like Besic, Robles and Barkley could argue there points, other than that the rest should be moved on.

Even Williams should be moved on imo, sooner rather than later so as to recoup as much money as possible on him.

I honestly don't enjoy watching us, not even when we win, I honestly can't think of one game we've played well all season. Ronny has to start to work things out in the next two windows as I'm sick of watching this shit.

Fucking passive Everton, get an 18-year-old scouse kid who works hard, shows for the ball, tries to win it back when we haven't got it, and looks like he really wants to win, but we must protect him?

Protect him from what exactly? Because he looks like he's got more natural desire than the lot of them, and only by playing for the first team will he learn how to become less raw.

Which top clubs want to sign Ross?

Please list them and show us the evidence.

There are deep, ingrained and obvious problems with the present (senior) squad that, if ignored, will simply mean more (and more and more and..) of the same.

We're physically not up to it.

We're too quiet (ie, fucking mute)

We have no brains (or guile or savvy or whatever euphemism you prefer).

In short, right now, we are just (about) treading water.

And until there is an obvious and real change to the thinking of the coaching staff, I'll simply expect... more of the same.

Barry to be kept as a squad player and given a coaching contract. Let's see if the intelligence on the field translates to training players?

Jags free transfer to Sheffield United.

We simply play higher up the field without them. In turn the distance to Rom 'the island' Lukaku is shorter. Gana was poor this evening but Barry cannot keep up with him.

We are frankly a mess at the moment, rudderless as General Koeman waits for his Calvary to replenish the veterans of too many campaigns.

What next, should the Calvary not arrive in January? Will he force the old timers to soldier on or force the youth to the front and sacrifice them too?

My anger towards all things Everton is less and less nowadays, the acceptance of mediocrity is stifling.

If you're going to play Fantasy Football, I'd like to see midfield of Busquets, Modric and Iniesta.

Let's stick to talking about players who actually play for Everton.

As Garry Neville said before the game, this is a team in transition and Koeman will eventually get the players he needs to play the high pressing game he wants.

Jags, Williams and Barry can't play this high intensity game, even Bainesy is struggling, so they need replacing. Valencia isn't good enough and we need a goalie ASAP. Plus we need to get rid of a bunch of players who will never figure – we all know who they are – and replace them with younger, better players.

This will take a few transfer windows to happen but I, for some reason, trust Koeman to get the job done.

How can Barry be starting games in the top half of the Premier League now? I think 90% of mistakes came from him tonight and silly fouls early on. He still has the brain an often the grace on the ball but these small details are costing us points.

I have seen a few people comment on Carragher tonight saying he is spot on and I agree but this is nothing new. The media don't class fans as experts but we have said this for a long time.

The spine of the team is stiff and laboured, its cost us for a long spell. Its not good enough. The staff around Koeman need to fix it before we drop more points we should be claiming in 2nd gear. The likes of Mirallas and Lukaku hit form and the little tweaks we forget to heel stop us getting that extra 1% out of them.

Got to mention Gana too. He's had great praise this season and overall done well but he's awful at playing a quick ball even when he's got space. The amount of times players are coming backwards to receive his passes is unreal lately.

Hopefully Ron will turn it around with a good transfer window and start to build a proper team with a structure and method but I am not sure he has the ability to do this. Far too many old players and yet again Ross was far better once Davies was on the pitch.

Two old centre-backs with a 36-year-old defensive midfielder to protect them is not the way forward and hopefully this will be addressed in the window. I like Colin's suggestion of Will Hughes to play alongside Tom and Gana but really there are so many areas which need work.

Ron has a lot to do – we will see in a few weeks time whether he is up to it.

Those with blind loyalty seem to believe it'd be what Ross needs, and some say the same of Rom. Me, I've no idea except to say that in common with just about everyone not in defence or defensive midfield, the whole team reeks of a lack of desire, fitness and courage. To me that's shameful.

That's what needs to be addressed in January. Desire, fitness and courage can be aligned with skill. Other teams show it to be so. In our team, they always seem mutually exclusive though. It's the job of the owners, their manager and their Director of Football to sort it out starting NOW.

But we are where we are – a midtable team who will finish midtable. No really good players will come to Everton, so we have to take a few punts and grow our own. We can't do anything else.

I was logged in to the Live Forum and it was quite depressing. There's still people going on about relegation, ffs! Get a grip lads.

You're right of course, it's the job of the coaching staff to sort out the tactics and team selection, not the posters on TW.

If the new owner really is ambitious he will allow Koeman to gather the minimum 40 points plus, required for safety, then sack him and try someone else.

At ٤ millon a season, the owner is entitled to expect more, even at this stage of the season, than the shite that's being served up, week after week. I really can't see Koeman improving matters, no matter how many windows he has.

An athletic and mobile midfield would keep Wayne high up the field playing those balls in front of Rom all day long.

A risk? Yes, of course but for Everton to progress we can't buy our way out. I personally would sell Barkley for Wayne in an instant.

If we want to be seen as ambitious then we have act it too. Big big January...

The first goal was a combination of Jags and Barry going missing at the corner, and as for the second, it was an excellent free kick by Snodgrass, I don't think many keepers could've got to that one.

As soon as he stated aim of European football cannot be achieved the manager should be removed.

Short-term re-evaluation is what Everton need. Any 'investor worth his salt should be clear about it up front and apply that pressure to his manager.

I have no problem with it as we've stomached 20-odd years of the other way however financially handicapped we were. The irony being we actually finished higher with the "squeezing blood from a stone" mentality.

Koeman is treading water, and HIS reinforcements better deliver or he, his bro, weird xmas tree, and dodgy twitter account can push off to China with Oscar n that.

I hope he gets confidence from the goal and kicks but my head still says I hope we sign a player in Jan who can do the defensive work well while being a magician further forward.

It's the best I can come up with to help lift the gloom from us Evertonians.

Thought you were trying to lift the mood?

But rather wish I'd stayed at home now – especially as I took a Kopite from work with me!

2-2 against a team bottom of the league and out of all ideas since the beginning of the season. ٤ million a year? You're having a laugh –😂

We conceded from a corner (yes poor) and a pretty good free kick (Robles bad positioning – maybe) but they created little cos we didn't allow it. We hit the posts a couple of times and created a few good opportunities to win. All-in-all, we should have 3 points.

I'm not going to claim we're playing entertaining free flowing football but we've tightened up and are tougher to play against.

I thought back to last April and May and the quite disgraceful performances at Sunderland and Leicester and realise progress is being made. Not at the pace we want but we are not the gutless crap we experienced last season.

What has Koeman done so far, apart from show indecision, a defensive mindset, allegiance to favourites, the continuation of our inferiority complex, and a complete inability to get the players doing what he says he wants them to do? Can anyone tell me one thing that distinguishes him, and this team, from his two much-criticised predecessors?

Twenty one competitive games and I'm still waiting for the first sign. There is not one shred of a plan – even one in embryo form – to reassure us that change is happening.

We reluctantly accept this won't happen overnight (although that would be desirable), but we do expect to see a green shoot of recovery here and there. Instead, all we get is tumbleweed: a team collectively devoid of ideas, inspiration and confidence, without a sign of any clear vision for the future that they appear to be subscribing to.

The only way we have earned every point this season has been courtesy of a flash of inspiration from one particular player at one particular time, and to a lesser extent, the occasional good fortune that gifted us our first equaliser tonight. In not one single game have we bossed it from beginning to end. It's been complete fits and starts. We have no identity and therefore, no belief, no ethos and no conviction.

It's like watching England play: great on paper, but as soon as they kick-off, you immediately find yourself thinking: "here we go again." They are clueless. And who's responsible for that: our mannequin of a manager. Up the creek without a paddle and completely rudderless. Is this what we are paying Koeman ٤m for?

He had better have a transfer window like nothing else we've ever experienced at Everton, because he has singularly failed to generate even a one per cent performance improvement from the existing players so far.

I am about as hopeful of that as I am us playing Southampton off the park and beating them 4-0 on Monday. We are just hopeless right now and have been in every game he has been in charge.

We are stuck with this guy for the next 18 months, at least, as can not see him being kicked out until then as 'we have to give him time' – which is bollocks. If things he was doing made sense, I'd be right behind him. But nothing he is doing is making sense.

My new years wish? A team from China come along and offer this clown £20 mill a year. I can dream....

But no: we got Jags and Barry. My feeling is that Koeman is playing around with the team unnecessarily. The back 5 worked against Leicester and we haven't lost a game when Holgate has played.

My hope is that this is the tinkering of a new manager who is using different formations and players in order to access who is 'in', and who is 'out'. You'd hope tonight's showing would be conclusive proof to Koeman that Gareth Barry is finished and slows down attacking play. His one year contract extension seems as bewildering as Darren Gibson's new contract last summer.

I'm not a fan of Carragher but his assessment of Williams and Jags was spot on. Their poor positional play is due in large part because of their age and only one of them should be played at any given time, and that should be Ashley Williams.

It's going to be an interesting window. I still wonder if Koeman will cash in on James McCarthy if the rumours are true that we want the Danish lad, Thomas Delaney as well as Morgan Schneiderlin.

One positive from tonight's game was the performance of Ross Barkley. He played well, and looked our only attacking threat at times. He deserved his goal.

As fans I think we're generally delusional in hoping that many of the current squad would ever make it into a team realistically qualifying for Europe on a regular basis.

Well before the end of January I expect, given their promises, that all of us can be confident of better play and results on behalf of those in charge.

I predict another lousy transfer window with old bullshit excuses churned out and the stadium carrot pulled out of the cupboard to appease the deluded ones who are so desperate to have one over the RedShite.

I have to go... Santa is coming around to deliver some good news.

These players were supposedly playing for their places tonight. Hate to see them on a soft day... or maybe I did? No passion, leadership, craft or application. Absolute dross.

Nothing but the best... not anymore. Just nothing.

I sincerely hope he puts his best eleven out for the cup game, because that's our only hope of anything this season.

It takes a poor team to make Hull look a Premier League outfit, but Everton managed it with their set-piece defending.

Why do we always start with an alehouse punt forward? Garbage In, Garbage Out... and a fine servant Jags has been, he's now a liability and his booking was a good indication that his fitness and game management are no longer up to it and Barry's motor is now too slow for a game in the EPL. Keep Davis in, coach the defence and midfield to playing to the forwards strengths.

It's become as dire and predictable as any previous bad patch the last 40 years and it's reached the point of an SOS for this team and the club. So predictable, conceding poor goals early doors, bad game management, and thus we show how far we have to go to try and get closer to the top 6.

Ending the year on as low as we have been for years, and The 3rd round next week, with their best players back, bar a miracle will see the cracks in this team exposed, but what if we do business early doors rather than 10 minutes before the xterm window shutdown?

As much as I hate to say, the RS are very average but we are not even close in terms of fitness, game management, enthusiasm and passion.

Life in 2017 for Evertonians, let's hope it improves. All The Very Best to Evertonians everywhere! Slainte!

We need a quick left sided centre half to play alongside Williams. As mentioned above we can't set up high up the pitch because forwards will run away from the two of them.

Knock-on effect is a gap between the lines that is simple for opposition to get into.

So when I looked at the line-up against Hull last night I was honestly disgusted. None of the players he dropped to the bench was due to fatigue, so Koeman can take full blame for the defensive frailties. It was within the first minute or so that Jags completely fecked up a backpass, only for Williams to come to the rescue.

Williams is not without fault himself, but I feel sorry for him when having to partner Jags right now. I agree with others that Ross and Mirallas both played well with the right kind of mentality, also Baines seems to be hitting form – but their second goal came from his silly foul.

So Ronald, we just kept our first clean sheet in 'God-knows-how-many', and you completely change the defensive personnel and formation... WTF???

We are now halfway through the league season and realistically the best we can hope for this season is the position we currently occupy. Would I have been happy with that pre season? Yes probably.

The acid test for me now is our performance in the second half of the season. This means several things.

Assuming a decent window, I would like to see more points in the second half of the season, say a season total of 65. An average of about 2 points a game. This performance would get top 4 in most full seasons.

I want to see a marked improvement in our football on the pitch, with a settled defensive unit with speed and power in the key central positions, centre backs and holding midfield, allowing the whole unit to move higher up the field.

I want to see pace and power and energy in the offensive positions, wingers and central midfield, with some guile too (Sigurdsson?) with a decent striker to play off or instead of Rom.more goals needed across the team

What this would mean is a new central midfielder, possibly Schneiderlin, at least one wide attacker, maybe two, with some goals in them and a striker.

We could probably shore up the defence by bringing in Holgate and Funes Mori, if ever Ron stops twatting around, and Davies could certainly contribute while Gana is away, as could McCarthy if he stays.

So subjectively that means Schneiderlin or similar, Sigurdsson or similar, a minimum of one wide goalscoring attacker (Depay, Lookman) and a good goal scoring striker.

That is a minimum of 4 players, maybe five. A new centre half would be nice, but we can maybe cover that as long the midfield doesn't leave them exposed, as they are currently.

So that plus more game time for Holgate & Davies means a new spine to the team, plus a final chance for Ross unless he is sacrificed to help what is a massive outlay unless Walsh works his magic.

Interesting January then, but we must see some real signs of progress in the second half.

Oh and a decent cup run too, please!

Let's be honest, these players are not that great – have they/will they ever be?

The reasons for the continual rotating of the team could be down to Koeman wanting to see what the abilities of the squad are in general before deciding who to let go. It seems he has made his mind up on a few already. This is his decision as a coach.

However, as I have said before, my worry is that Kenwright and Co have no intention of spending big and Koeman has been told to make do and mend as is the Kenwright way. I hope I'm wrong but have an uneasy feeling about all of this.

This would explain why aged players are given new contracts and are still being played as Koeman now knows he has to keep them sweet for now or risk a complete collapse of the squad in terms of morale and effort. This would result in relegation, and he knows it.

Instead of calling for Koeman's head, I suggest the vitriol be turned against the owners and some bloody straight answers sought from them.

I maintain – give this fella the required funds, get Kenwright and his cronies out pronto, and EFC will begin to change, become more professional and successful on the pitch.

Happy New Year!

Consider the following (as it stands this morning with us having played one more game):

We are 6 points adrift of Man Utd and just 6 points ahead of Stoke in 13th place before today's games. With Burnley to play Sunderland you could probably read that as Stoke (or Burnley) in 14th place. 6 points below that and you're in the drop zone.

Liverpool in second are hunting down Chelsea, trailing by the same 6 points. It saddens me that after today Liverpool may be further ahead of us on points than we are on bottom placed Swansea. Everton must capitalise on the chance to accrue so called 'easier' points because if we are not damn careful we will start a precarious slide towards a fight we do not want.

If we can hold on to 7th now, it would be miraculous. Looking at the points we have already squandered against teams below us in the league does not fill me with confidence that we can cling on to a top-half finish unless we can revive the form of the first few games.

The point of this post? It seems the urgency of our position is not being fully appreciated by both management and team. After dropping 2 points to Hull I do not want to hear the post match commentary about chances, best game this year, blah, blah. How about being a bit pissed off and emotional that we are barely treading water.

I agree that we could of, and should've, won that game last night and we did have some good spells, and there is some comfort in that, but we need to grow some teeth... and movement off the ball might help a bit as well.

It really is time to wake up and smell the coffee as they say before another 6 points slip through our fingers.

With the new directive issued at the start of the season, ANY protestations with the Officials warrants a yellow card, hence Jags being booked for arguing with the ref after he was clattered into the advertising hoardings recently. And Jags was Captain. Davies was fouled and felt it necessary to argue his point, fair enough, but the WAY he made his point with such invective would get him a yellow off many refs, a point that was made in the commentary that I was listening to as I watched the game.

Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, there is no consistency in referees so some will, some won't, a bit like the wrestling at corners that only Mike Dean has tried to put a stop to by adhering to the other directive to stop the shirt pulling etc at corners.

I still think that, if Moss had not carded him for the ridiculous foul on Mcguire he'd have carded him for the outburst.

Ray, seems to me that you know your footy, and it's obvious you love Everton, so surely this young kid, who plays like he knows how lucky he his to be wearing the Royal Blue Jersey, should be one of the first teams on the team-sheet at the minute.

The old adage has never seemed more apt when I think about Tom Davies at the minute.

Notice how much Barkley improved with a mobile mid fielder to link up with when he came on? I hope Koeman saw it.

Linesmen are just robotic muppets who don't even have the nous to flag a clear throw in from ten yards. They wait for the ref, 40 yards away, to tell them which way to flag, their only value is to give off sides and that appears to be the only input that a referee will trust. In his defence, though, last night that foul should have been given by the ref, the shirt tug was on the linesman's blind side.

We were led to believe that OFM wouldn't have us practising dead ball situations which could explain this, however he is now well gone and the same failings persist... why?

I honestly thought Davies, got us back playing last night, especially with his willingness to run, but the thing that summed him up best for me was when Hull got a free kick in the middle of the park, near the end. The camera was right on him when he gave a little signal with his two fingers, said there's two here with a little glare, to one of his team-mates, and then Ross Barkley, came walking into the picture.

An 18-year-old kid was letting Barkley know, that he won't get away with things so easy, whilst he his on the pitch, and could actually be the leader we have been looking for? Stupid statement to make about someone so young? Of course it is, but I love it when footballers have a natural confidence about themselves, and feel that all the best teams have these types. They win you games when the chips are down, by making sure everyone does their job, and no-one gets any time to feel sorry for themselves.

What irks me is, as Duncan (#165) put it, the constant change in formation. No wonder the players never put in a complete performance – they are always adjusting to a new system. If Koeman had Southampton in mind on Monday, then so be it, but by constantly changing shape and formation, IMO it is not helping things.

Tom had more influence on the game in 20minutes than any of the other midfielders.

Thing I love about him is his choice of pass. He always looks for the forward pass first, if that's not on he looks square, if that's not on he will go backwards to keep possession.

We all know he won't play 19 league games remaining.I would look to start him in the next half dozen or so and see how he goes. Either way, we have definitely got a player here. The fact that he has a blue heart is a bonus.

With a mean free-kick on him and puts his heart and soul (like last night) into his football, we could do a lot worse.

He just seems to have that "up an' at 'em" attitude that we sorely lack at the moment.

The way he plays also gives me hope, because it's obvious the kid has been getting coached the right way after coming through our Academy and hopefully we will see a few more follow in the near future?

Along with a good few more, there is a centre-half I have heard good things about coming through but I can't remember his name. Unsie said the only thing wrong with him is he's got red hair.

Hopefully Liam Walsh will force himself into the first team squad in the new year, wishful thinking I know, but he's got all the attributes that Davies has. I would love to see him get a chance. That's if he isn't carrying a season ending injury.

There's been no news of his present injury. Preventing him playing for the Under-23s... Where he's been immense.

It's interesting how hard the likes of Bolasie and Deulofeu have to work to get a cross away. Both harrying for the byline.

Snodgrass crosses easily and accurately without having to beat a man. Deulofeu actually went through a purple patch of doing the same, come to think of it. Sometimes less is definitely more.

Tactically, it's just pathetic. Knocking balls up to a bloke who can't or won't control them. At what point will Ronald acknowledge it isn't working and isn't going to work? There are many things he could do to change it and he's choosing to do nothing.

Honestly, I'm more convinced about Koeman's lack of nouse than I ever was about Niasse's lack of ability – and I was pretty certain about Niasse.

The evidence is clear.

I am afraid that that's the reality, and many clubs and fans would swap what they have for this.

As a team ,we don't play to our strengths. Ernie, above, points out that Lukaku "can't or won't" control long balls played to him with his back to goal. So why do we do it? Play to HIS strengths, not the opposition's. Give him the ball on the deck where he can run at defenders like he did at Leicester. Morgan emptied his bowels when he saw Lukaku coming at him.

Barkley needs players moving ahead of him so that he can act on instinct, without having time to think. Leicester for instance... We play Gormley's Crosby Beach Boys instead.

Baines likes to get forward, but looks afraid to venture too far without knowing that he's covered. So why don't we cover him? It's improved slightly of late but...

We play in-swinging corners to a 6ft-6in goalkeeper. Yeah, good plan. Where's the variation. Same with free kicks. Baines, Mirallas, Lukaku, Barkley etc. all line up and smash the ball into the wall.

Try something different. Like the link below... the last one is a belter.Just turn the backing music down...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0plUZvj1wDg

I suspect that the Southampton game is THE game for Koeman. I expect to see what the coach believes is our strongest eleven. I expect pace, imagination and grit.

I believe we will win well and our season will start.

Hope so!!

I think we have been extremely fortunate to gather many of the points we've won this season. A route one goal against Leicester gave us something to hold onto and the performance against Arsenal was good but generally speaking I think we're poor.

This season is a write-off other than to let Koeman get the players in and let his system bed in.

Just come off another thread after reading he could be another journeyman footballer like Rodwell, so I think I should stop going on about him for now.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERTONIANS EVERYWHERE!

Happy New Year to you too. And Blue Boys everywhere.

It should stunt the careers or the likes of Cleverley – who I don't particularly dislike – but whose progression is unlikely to ever benefit Everton.

It may surprise you this, but we had no devine right to win last night.

Especially as they are more organised and working harder than us for their survival.

I only hope we can push on with the help of a few additions to the squad and a bit more savvy management.

After that, it's a group of mediocrity which is exactly where we belong. Well win some matches, continue to draw or lose to the likes of Hull and Watford and Southampton, but those same clubs will lose and draw so we'll end up 30-odd points off the top in our usual mid table garbage finish.

Then we'll have people on here saying we just need to add a couple of quality players, then explain at the end of the window that we couldn't get those players because we're not in the Champions League. And the cycle will continue because we treat a 7th place position in the table as some great accomplishment.

I know you keep an eye on the kids coming through; I will back your judgement.

There is so much talent but so much underachieving both as a unit and individuals. One or two have played up to par but the rest have a lot to do in the second half of the season.

I wanted like most to give Koeman the first half of the season which we have but the product on the pitch is a lot less than we expected and he has a lot more work to do even with possible new signings.

Being seventh is flattering to the Blues but maybe they can justify that position and a higher one come the next few weeks.

If Moshiri was the driving force behind the signing of the manager I would have thought that such a successful businessman would have clauses pertaining to results and league position etc.

Re Williams being slow, getting caught out of position. Koeman stated that he doesn't get involved with the buying or selling of players so who signed him? Wasn't this spotted?

Even if he doesn't have the best players to work with I would have thought by now that he would have improved their work rate. We are playing very poorly at the present time. Could this be dragging Gana down a bit? Is he losing heart?

Baines caught out of position last night several times then having to sprint back like Linford Christie. In the 29 min. Coleman was right up in the Hull half, harassed their player and won the ball. Two more Hull players joined in, he still kept the ball but by sheer weight of numbers he lost it. Not one Everton player showed for the ball or to help!! Pathetic.

Tony Hill (#134). Everton is a cross we all have to bear.

It's time for Moshiri to spend big. I'm sure Koeman will get it right with the correct personnel.

Barry absolutely ran the show, barely putting a foot wrong.

Barkley was garbage in the first half and perhaps had different instructions or a pep talk in the interval. His bullet header was a joy, from a beautiful cross.

Valencia was busy, neat and tidy and offered some good attacking presence. He may still be important this season.

Lukaku, as often discussed, was stranded most of the time up front and did a reasonably good job of taking the game to the Tigers.

Mirallas was repeatedly bollocked by Robles and Williams for not tracking back in the first 20 minutes.

Jagielka is absolutely gone at the game, and getting murdered by Mbokani is just embarrassing.

Do you really think so? Mediocrity, really?? What you feel the blues will achieve is what matters, not the comments you read on TW. I mean Top 4, seventh or maybe in the top 10... fuck, it's like a lottery really and I'm afraid we, as in Everton, do not have the pennies to match the points.

At Everton we spend what we get from selling. Full fucking stop. Kenwright will spin it otherwise but anyone can see that the transfer figures, for say the past 5 years, are all in favour of... Kenwright.

With our current squad, take out Lukaku and Coleman, maybe McCarthy on a good day and your left with a whole lot of a team, a bit like say West Ham. But, as always, every seat is almost sold for games at Goodison and away games are nearly always all ticket.

This is the joy of Everton and it will always be a privilege to be seated at Goodison, watching the team that you love.

Happy New Year and COYB.

I'm honestly of the opinion that the best we will ever hope for under the current state of the Premier League is a cup win, never in a squillion years will we win the title.

We simply do not have the resources or the kudos to attract the big names, we all know the history of the club and what it stands for but the money driven whores that prostitute themselves (I include fans and player in that) don't see it that way.

Nor will they ever.

Half-time I would of brought off Jags and Barkley, yes Barkley scored the equaliser and made up for him but offered very little and in fact slows our game down then runs down blind alleys.

If Ronnie wants us to play a compact pressing game he needs to go with a 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 formation. Again personally I would go with 4-3-3 as you defend from the front.

Enough of my waffle expect 4/5 new signings in January and a further 4/5 in summer, you heard it here 1st.

Happy news years eve and wish all my fellow Evertonians a healthy, bright and prosperous 2017.

Anyway, Happy New Year folks. Bah!

How would his ego cause him to not want to look and see the opportunity to get a second chance at the goal? Honestly, that's just so absurd.

People on here act as if he's the only player who looks to the skies when their shot is saved or goes off he post. His ego, my God...

The funny thing is that if he would have turned and demanded the ball be passed back to him from that player you'd probably be on here saying it was his ego causing him to be selfish and always wanting the ball.

More disappointing for me was that he seemed to complain about balls passed into him that weren't accurate but then had the gall to throw his arms out when players didn't get to his own misplaced passes. He has the look of a player who is fed up of this team, club or maybe just the way we play.

There was criticism on here for negativity shown after the similarly poor performance at Leicester yielded a win. This is why people were negative. Playing shite will still get you some points but we'll have more bad days than good.

I had some sense of optimism during the dying days of Roberto's reign. It was generally due to feeling that the next guy couldn't do any worse. I think this fella is doing worse... right now the football is shocking. He's still getting some application out of them but that won't last forever.

Struggling to see any future for us that doesn't involve a toxic atmosphere and a managerial sacking right now.

Happy New Year!

Wish it wasn't so, don't want him to go, but do want to be beating off clubs queuing up to buy him, but that ain't happening is it?

I think this team's ability to keep hold of the ball for any reasonable time, and then to find a colleague rather than a member of the opposition team, is the biggest single failing it has of many, and now players who erstwhile were better at it than most (I cite Barry and Gana), seem to have caught the same malaise.

I wonder, do they actually do basic drills at Finch Farm, such as passing practice?

Yes we did well to beat Arsenal at home and draw with Man Utd but I really can't see us catching Spurs, Man Utd or whoever else above them. Last season was very different with the big guns slipping up and Leicester playing out of their skins but if we want to be one of those top six big clubs we need huge changes in personnel and mentality.

For this year it would be nice to get a run in the cup but Leicester will be a tough start. I hope we buy more attacking players in thus window and not defenders or defensive midfielders. Schneiderlin perhaps... but we need more goalscorers.