Everton battle to stay unbeaten under Big Sam

Interesting...

Sam obviously doing some heavy rotation due to the intense fixture congestion?

Flu bug according to the Echo. Holgate and Williams as well as Rooney have it!

Jags and Keane... on their last appearance together at Southampton (and for a great deal of the season), that's a worry.

Here's hoping they've got their act together a bit better in the down time they've had.

Let's hope the others can stand up and be counted, not sure where the goals will come from, if any.

Massive game for Jagielka and Keane. Plus Schneiderlin really needs a performance here.

Surprised neither Vlasic or Lookman made the bench but it's great to see Bolasie back on it.

The threat of Moses and Alonso down the flanks and the space they have at times is a worry, but Jags' double goal line clearance apart – excellent work! – has Jordan Pickford seriously been called on, other than the Pedro shot?

The latter chance resulted from a poor pass from Keane who still doesn't look right to me.

We've actually had a couple of decent ops ourselves. On the stroke of half-time, sly little blindside shirt pull by on Calvert-Lewin on Christensen before nicking the ball off him. Again, a good game by Calvert-Lewin, but if he had just lifted his head rather than take on the shot...

We are totally unwatchable... And when that happens, it becomes pointless.

Very few could have sorted this mess out. Still, I love the smell of those burning season tickets from the high-principled types on here.

Season's greetings to all true Blues.

Given how the starting XI was depleted due to a bug before KO... given how the early 2nd half Gana injury meant Sam had used up all his subs by 50 minutes, I thought it was more than a honourable, hard-fought draw.

Sure, we all want tikky-takky ole football. We don't yet have the players for that.

There are many aspects of football and one of them is being solidly defensive. That is now very clearly restored under Sam Allardyce.

It kept us in the game for the whole 90 minutes. Too often this season, the stadium would empty long before the final whistle because we were dead and buried.

I have no doubt, no doubt whatsoever, that how we played under either Koeman or Unsworth we would have been ripped a new one today.

On my commentary Michael Keane was named MotM by Alan Smith. Whilst he improved 2nd half, I thought our big call outs today were Schneiderlin who is improving, Jags, but most of all Martina.

He saw off first Moses, then Zappacosta and any one else who came into his area of the field.

Well played Blues!

The Alamo, that's all I can say!

However, we are awful to watch and fans want to be entertained – not just watch our team hanging on at home.

Someone said we don't need to spend much in January – they must be joking.

By the way... £45 million for Sigurdson – money well spent?

The main issue we have is that we offered no attacking threat. Calvert-Lewin did a solid job but had no support; Sandro was a passenger and Chelsea knew it and could pile everyone forward. Despite his limitations Niasse would have been a much better bet pressing their defence today IMO. Excellent point today, and we get the wins against lesser teams.

The better our league position, the more attractive we are to players with the window open. Onwards and upwards.

How many times have we been slaughtered trying to beat a regular top 6 team playing open football? How many times have we even got a draw?

Some folks are never satisfied!

We had Rooney out, an injury to Gueye, which then meant no chance to change things around as we had used all our subs!

Consider that we couldn't call upon Bolasie, Coleman, Baines, Funes Mori, Barkley or McCarthy, had to change 50% of the defence, then yes, I will take that performance.

We need a striker more than anything. A big, strong target-man who can hold the ball up and take the pressure of the defence and midfield, that was so obvious.

Schneiderlin was a lot better today too!

Added bonus is another few days wait (at least) for the gloating when we get beat.

Our biggest problem this season is that we made too many major signings in too short a space of time. What we need now is consistency, continuity and the opportunity for this squad to get. More upheaval has as much chance of causing problems as solving them.

I would have taken the point before kick off, to be honest; if nothing else it will boost confidence.

Martina did well, I thought. Gueye was playing well. I think even Schneiderlin did okay with some good tackles. Calvert-Lewin and Sandro have to do better at retaining possession and bringing other players in. We need more guile and speed but Sam knows that. Bolasie coming back should help.

We're also getting our fair share of luck, for a change.

The game before Christmas 2016, we lost in stoppage time to the RS at home. Fair play Sam. Happy Christmas fellow TWers and Blues!

But a point, and as others have said defending is part of the game. There's a beauty in defending. And finding that beauty is clearly necessary nowadays.

The result was good. The defending was excellent. Feels a bit like the Liverpool game to me...

Positive – liked Big Sam's adjustments at half. Went with two holding mids and basically three up top to get on the end of it and try to create something. Defensive priority with an eye to a counter / nick. Yes it ended up all hands on deck defending by the 80th, but it looked to me Big Sam did try to set us up to get a goal coming out at half.

The bad – hate to say this: I think Sandro is crap. A poor man's Naismith as he does try but he's simply not good enough.

A great result! Especially as I watched it with my (Chelsea season-ticket holding) father-in-law who got me a seat in row A (Matthew Harding Lower) behind the goal at the Bridge for the 5-0 dicking last season.

Pickford, Kenny, Jags and Keane excellent. Martina largely did well in defence but he looks petrified going forward.

Sandro tried to do everything at 100 mph; he needs to be a bit smarter on and off the ball or he won't make it in the Premier League. Calvert-Lewin gave gallant chase, winning headers, closing down defenders; considering he often had to wait five seconds for any supporting blue shirt I thought he was outstanding, and made the 3 Chelsea defenders wary throughout. No mean feat.

Thought Schneiderlin was good; marshalled the midfield well and worked hard. First time this season I've said that.

No-one could have taken over the mess that Koeman left and had us playing joyful soulful football. This will take time.

There needs to be someone supporting Calvert-Lewin as very few players can be expected to do it all alone. Nonetheless, our defense has improved by miraculous margins and that gives us an excellent foundation to build upon. We must now find ways to remain solid whilst being more effective with the ball than we were today.

Simply no reason for it as one is a proven Premier League scorer and the other is yet to score in the league... a baffling managerial decision.

I thought everyone did their part and ran their nuts of for their teammates today... something that was so obviously missing pre-Sam. We're still a long way off the team we'd like to be, but for now I'm more than happy to see this kind of football if it continues to earn points.

Watching Sigurdsson today and I think he's just smarter than the rest of our players. If we can get our wingers and Calvert-Lewin on the same wavelength we will start looking a lot better in attack.

Kenny, Martina, Keane, Schneiderlin, Jags all played well today. The point they won was against the odds and so all the more precious. Just a few weeks ago, we would have been toast.

Its a different game today if we had a top flight target man and winger on the field, We are playing counter attack without the actual counter attack. Bolasie with Dembele, Giroud, or Batshuayi anyone.

Baningime shows some nice touches and an awareness of what is around him. I'd like to know why the central defence was completely changed from the last couple of games.

A point is a point, I suppose, and Mr Allardyce has said he will try more expansive football if we are in with a chance of a higher position toward the end of the season. I hope I know when that is.

I would not expect it from you. There are one or two who can't wait for Sam to fall on his face.

Another good point, mate. 👍

Clear evidence of coaching, drilling and fitness as the team defended well, kept its shape and kept concentration.

Now, let's see if we can keep & pass the ball better, while getting men forward to support Calvert-Lewin.

Sam talks a lot of sense, I like him and I'm glad he's our manager.

It's a results driven business, live or die by the numbers.

A few weeks ago we would have got absolutely battered with the same team on the pitch.

All those calling for entertaining football need to get real. Against teams that are man for man a hundred times better than us we would get overrun. God knows we were getting embarrassed playing shit football earlier this season.

Every game gives us more and more confidence and self belief when that comes so will the performances.

Other teams presently below us will start getting results as well as us and we might find we still need to do a lot more to stay safe. The season has been a write off since before Allardyce arrived let's not start blaming him for not giving us great performances they were shite under Koeman and Unsworth, at least noe we are getting points.

You are saying we should buy nobody in January. Why do fans say rubbish like this? – it's not like it's your money.

Not a single shot on goal at home and you think everything is okay as it is? Behave yourself.

Predicting 3 draws against top 4 teams by this stage of the season 3 months ago would have qualified for a fast track to the asylum. We are now starting to look, with continued squad and playing improvement, as though turning some of those into wins, especially given the injury and sickness list, is a distinct possibility.

Our squad is proving with the right mentoring to be considerably less crap than they tried to demonstrate under Koeman. Another six points by this time next week, a clean sheet against Spurs and onward to the FA Cup game at Anfield.

What's not to look forward to?

ps: Mike – I don't agree with your "turgid shite" description. We know there is a huge gap between the respective squads today for the reasons we all know about, and we dealt with that pretty soundly I'd say – with some improving performances across the pitch. I would single out Martina, Keane Schneiderlin and Pickford. That is as viewed from my sofa, not at the game.

COYB

We're back to the days of David 'Get to 40 Points first' Moyes but somehow even less watchable. Yet everyone on here is loving it. It's crazy.

That being said I acknowledge completely that the results have been good. Now... if we can only play like Barca.

Not great, but easily Schneiderlin's best game this season, Keane's too – and in spite of obvious limitations, it's hard not to admire Martina.

Sandro needs game time – he is easily a better player than Niasse and that was a very difficult game for our front players to impress in, given the lack of quality service – Chelsea clearly have much better creativity than we do, but in truth they didn't create many clear-cut chances.

I didn't want Big Sam, but he's doing what was needed in organising & improving our defence, and the results, mainly against poorer opposition have boosted morale & confidence considerably.

Don't expect much in the January window – top quality players won't be queuing up to join us at present.

Merry Christmas to all & COYB

That was like watching Moyes's more pragmatic cousin managing us today. Keep it tight and hoof one. KITAHO.

I will never forgive the twats who have wasted hundreds of millions. Some are still there. The crowd cheered at the end like we'd gone top of the League. What a strange club we are.

There is a balance to be struck here. I get that we need tighten up and gain confidence, but this was embarrassing. We played exactly the way a non-league club would have played against Chelsea in the Third Round of the FA Cup. No shots on target for a home game (apparently the first time in six years).... Not acceptable.

Luckily I'm off for the Chrimbo and won't be back until the game at Anfield. Hopefully we will start to see an improvement which stretches beyond packing 9-10 men behind the ball and asking them to spoil the game.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

People keep saying we have a shite team. No, we have a complete lack of attacking intent. Time after time when Chelsea had the ball with their keeper or defenders we had only Calvert-Lewin in their half. Literally every single Everton player has already dropped back well into our own half. When Sandro came on he and Calvert-Lewin were the only two players in the Chelsea half while everyone else simple dropped back toward our box.

That's madness. There is no reason to simply concede 75% of the pitch to the opposition. The point of football is to score goals and win the game. It is not to simply hold on and hope for a 0-0, especially at home. You don't have to send men flying forward. But these tactics are surviving on borrowed time. We were very lucky in the derby, with what was a lucky penalty. And today we relied on Jagielka twice clearing off the line and numerous other close chances.

And I'll tell you another thing, you're not going to attract a single attacking player with any ambition or class with this type of football. It's not about picking option A or option B. You can do a bit of both, defend and attack.

Actually there isn't more to football than just results. Just ask all the managers who have been sacked this season.

The facts are that fans love attacking football when their club is winning but, when they are losing, it's all the manager's/owner's/this or that player's fault.

That was a good solid defensive display and we could have nicked it right at the death. All in all a good result.

What is extremely worrying is the board at our football club were about to spunk more millions on the Watford manager who has lost about 5 on the bounce. They got The Samster by default.

At the moment we have to be happy(ish) with defensive solidity and a high workrate. Whether Allardyce is the manager for the next stage is unanswered, but after the start we had, this'll do for now.

When Everton have the players to counter attack effectively, we will be winning more of these low-scoring games. It all starts with a solid defense. Glad the three year plan is back on track.

The quality of football is not being enthusiastically welcomed by Evertonians, and we anticipate much better. But there is a lot of justified relief after the state we were in. The cheer of the crowd no doubt reflected that.

I would like us to play like the Everton I grew up with, the real School of Science and NSNO, but at the moment I'm appreciating the fact that we're developing a solid base.

Merry Xmas to all fellow blues and a special thanks to Michael and Lyndon for maintaining such a marvelous site.

I can see where you are going with the point, I don't think anyone will be thrilled with what we are watching at the moment. Bit surely a bit of credit is due.

We would have lost that game and conceded 3 or 4 under Koeman or Unsy.

Results this season Before Sam? And quality of football (defence and attack). You know the answer to that!

Opposition today? Chelsea, who cost a fortune. And had an expensive bench. Odds on with the bookies and neutrals to win this one.

Our squad? Injury after injury. With, apparently, the dreaded lurgy knocking out some players. Some of whom (Williams and Holgate), nevertheless, had to be prepared to take the bench, with one of them actually having to step onto the field from the bench. Were Keane and Davies subbed because of the lurgy?? Gana taken off with injury early second half, and the substitute, Beni, then almost immediately takes a knock to the side and can hardly run.

What do some people want? Ah, attack, attack, attack. With what? They would have taken us to the cleaners!

Actual result, against all those odds, a point that felt like a win. A fine defensive display. No goals against in the last 5 out of 7, did I read?

And the (other) positives? Jonjoe Kenny continues to grow, as does Dominic Calvert-Lewin who ploughed a lonely furrow. Pickford excellent in goal. Keane seems to have regrained something. Martina wasn't taken to the cleaners.

I can't believe some of the moaners, he is unbeaten as the Manager, tactically spot on, he knows what he is doing and performances will improve.

He hasn't even had a transfer window yet, and his seat is barely warm!

Seasons Greetings!

Maybe if Sam had the right players, he would be playing a more expansive game. It would take a world class left back, a midfield box to box playmaker and a 20-goal-a-season centre forward. That will be next summer. Will Moshiri stick or twist?

It worked.

Darren nails it, we are playing like a non-league outfit in the Cup. A dangerous precedent to set. Standards are set by those at he top. It seems after our record spend, just maintaining our position in the Premier League is our new ambition.

I'm not blaming Allardyce or his staff, by the way, they haven't had the requisite amount of time to sort this mess. I'm shocked that some are so accepting of our new Huddersfield type gratefulness at gaining a point against certain sides. We have some of the highest paid players in the world pulling on the shirt. Surely we have to expect better?

Some big performances from Calvert-Lewin, who held the ball up magnificently, and a special mention for Martina, who has shown great tenacity, out of position and often targeted by the opposition.

Schneiderlin also looks a different player to the lethargic passenger of a few weeks ago.

Jay, (#25) – exactly.

George (#29) and every post of yours I can remember... Merry Christmas!

Right now, against the defending Champions & Kopites, Row Z will do for me, all day; 2 similar game plans that worked out quite well given our vulnerability.

We looked nailed-on relegation candidates during the Atalanta - Southampton week – that was the nadir.

What Sam has done (and did today) is precisely what was needed.

I couldn't care a jot whether I'm ‘entertained' or not. At the game today, I was fully appreciative of just how hard the players had to work to stop a team that's put 12 past us in the last 4 meetings – the lads worked their arses off for that point...and for me that counts for everything at the moment.

I'm pretty sure that once the ship has fully stabilised, the confidence and maybe the swagger will return.

(Cue a dire, last-30-seconds-on-MotD snooze-fest at the Hawthorns on Boxing Day...)

I watched us play at Goodison, with only 30% possession, no shots on target, with the opposition having 26 shots. I saw two shots cleared off the line by Jagielka, one cleared off the line by Williams and multiple other shots stopped by a diving Pickford. What did you watch?

Be thankful that we are going to be safe this season. That is all that matters; anything else will, as they say, be gravy. I believe we'll be having some of that anyway, but a little gratitude for our salvation wouldn't go amiss.

He's doing something right.

Try again to understand. Some of us want us to do both, defend, and attack. Not attack in equal measure and quality as the likes of Man City or Chelsea. At least make some sort of an effort to threaten the opposition. Get men into the opposition area.

If I go to watch a game of football, I expect my team to kick the ball on target at least a few times, to enthuse passion in the crowd who are now clapping excitedly when Kenny passes a straight 3-metre ball to Jagielka. Maybe I need a new beer...

Each and every one of us has our own individual and different perspective on all things.

Here on TW that primarily relates to matters concerned with Everton FC.

My perspective on today's game, both in itself and compared to the whole season to date, is this:

* under both Koeman and Unsworth the performances were mostly awful to barely mediocre

* on average under both managers we were conceding 2 goals a game, often more, and had zero defensive quality

* the primary issue that was preventing Everton from achieving even a draw - our defensive fragility – has clearly been addressed by Allardyce in his six games to date: four clean sheets and only 2 goals suffered in 540 minutes on Sam's watch

* such solidity keeps Everton in the game for the entire 90 minutes – even when being pounded for the vast majority of a game as was the case at Anfield and again today

* I seriously doubt that Everton, playing as they were under both Koeman and Unsworth, would have escaped with a draw in either game vs the 'poo or Chelsea

* the half time changes Sam made today were, for me, positive ones. I believe his intention was to sit with a solid back 3 to pick off the fluid front 3 Chelsea set up with. This in turn allowed the full backs Kenny and Martina to play more advanced and protect the flanks better, further from our goal, rather than retain the narrow deep-lying flat back 4 of the first half

* This intended strategy was further enhanced by sacrificing one of the midfielders with Sandro as a support and additional out ball up front with Calvert-Lewin

* Sam and Everton was unfortunate that 5 minutes after effecting that tactical switch, Gana went off injured, meaning Sam couldn't add further attacking options as was his pre-game stated intention, to get Bolasie on the pitch at same point

* Who and how the opposition play determines a great deal how and who we play to combat them. They are not passive traffic cones we simply pass around

* The hope is that before much longer Everton can be in an 'and-and' situation, rather than an 'either-or' situation as some are trying to portray it. That is, we are not limited to only being defensively solid, or alternatively being only all-guns-blazing offensively. As in many things in life, it is a question of finding a happy medium between the two

In conclusion, I don't consider myself easily appeased or with limited to low ambitions for the club. I am not content with heroic backs-to-the-wall 0-0 draws at home only. I want to be competing for trophies, not just making up the numbers.

Nor do I claim any greater degrees of tolerance and patience than others in relation to Everton. But given performances and results under the 2 previous managers this season, I will continue to express my continued support and contentment as to how Sam Allardyce and his coaching team have rapidly brought some stability to the turbulent waters on which SS Everton was cast adrift before his arrival at the helm.

If Allardyce was hailing our fantastic attacking performances I could understand the frustration, but he's agreeing that we need to be more potent. It will come.

Schneiderlin played well overall today but look at him to his opposite today, Bakayoko. Schneiderlin can't get around the pitch like Bakayoko who without playing great, has the luxury of supreme runners around him.

I saw again today the complete lack of technical ability in our side. The simple ball. How many times does Gana win the ball back then give it away. Schneiderlin passed responsibility to Davies 2 yards to his left because he can't play a simple ball wide.

Calvert Lewin held the ball up great a number of times then overplayed his hand and lost it. Decision-making in these games is massive and ours were poor on the break again.

But, if we're expecting anything different than today against the top 6 (under Allardyce), think again. History says this is how it will always be.

I'm collecting splinters here on this fence. I appreciate the tough defence, but when all we have to talk about is how well our defenders played and our oppositions chances, then there is nothing to celebrate.

I point blank refuse to celebrate a goalless draw at home. That said, this situation is not Allardyce's fault. It's a sad state that a guy who scored a hat trick in this fixture a few years ago, sold now, would walk straight into this team..

Great to see Keane and Schneiderlin. I've been ranting all season against him playing very well so looks like we've got 2 more playing with confidence.

Pickford superb again. Happy Xmas everyone.

Apart from the horrendous injury list, we were in the last few weeks relegation candidates after the Koeman debacle, today playing the Champions and recent European Champions in whom over a billion pounds of dodgy Russian money has been spent filling the squad with world-class talent. I think a point today was a great achievement.

We have the most unbalanced squad, 3 defenders in their 30's, with the worst defensive record, and I for one was very worried to say the least. Now we are 9th, unbeaten and conceded 2 goals. We got a point at Anfield, with 2 attempts on goal, and with all their possession, they had 3 shots on target? Today we had 1 chance from Keane, and their best effort was Williams header? It's a huge turnaround.

Wait until after the transfer window, when Sam makes his signings, and changes the squad, then judge him.

Tony Hill I agree mate. Knowing we won't win the league and Europe being a long shot, as somebody who likes to analyse where we can do better (even if we win). These performances have great substance for me.

And today's opposition enhanced the beliefs I have had for ages. We are way off top level. Working as a unit is the first thing we need to do to change that. That's happening right now. And it wasn't there.

I'll take 0-0 against the top teams any day of the week.

We're hard to beat, and that's what's important in football matches – I share that philosophy with Big Sam.

We were in freefall a few weeks ago, and now look at us – our defence is mean as fuck and we barely give teams a clear cut chance all game. Chelsea had a lot of shots today, but probably only one or two of them were actually decent chances and we defended like demons front to back.

Yeah, we all want to see us play like Man City but you have to accept the reality of supporting Everton at the moment just isn't going to be like that.

It's not just a striker/s we're in need of but two or three players with the ability to make things happen. Unfortunately it's not likely to be young Onyekuru as he's done his knee ligaments and will be out for a long time. Injury curse strikes again!

"I felt that with just one up, we were getting nowhere in the first half. So I put two up to stop their centre halves coming out with the ball and also to get down the side of their centre halves."

Allardyce

He does want us to play better folks. However, how do you legislate for poor passing. My biggest criticism was that the midfield didn't support the strikers quick enough and Niasse should have been on instead of Sandro. If, and it is a big if, Calvert-Lewin had squared the ball to Sigurdsson when free, who knows what might have happened.

Rooney was out today, the flu decimated an already injury hit squad, we changed both centre-backs and still kept a clean sheet, the 5th in 7 games and we are 9th as opposed to 18th. I understand that people want more entertainment, we all do, but sorting out a defence that was incredibly leaky to the point of 5 clean sheets in 7 games really is laudable me thinks.

We need a proper seasoned number 9 who can hold the ball up and be physical with the opposition players, that would change things drastically I reckon! We are 100% heading in the right direction, something I deemed impossible just over a month ago!

One of the most important things about Allardyce is that he is generally not a fool on match day and he doesn't seem to fall for the sheep like theories that make idiots like Martinez talk his way into troubled tactics.

Of course I'd like to see us with more possession and creating chances, but a month ago we'd have lost the game by a distance – so first things first. Every player put in a shift, and in my opinion, the whipping boys, Schneiderlin and Martina had far and away their best games of the season.

The test now comes against Bournemouth and West Brom – can we hold onto the ball, make space and pass and beat sides we should be beating? If we can, I will, for the time being, accept draws against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd.

Defending crosses is a lot easier than defending passes through your defence – it's Big Sam's tried & tested method, and it works.

We've conceded 2 goals since he took over, and lost zero matches. I'm alright with that. :)

On the other hand, we had next to nothing going forward. Hard to accept but against Chelsea and the RS, we have looked way below their standard, almost embarrassingly so. But one cannot knock Allardyce if he is able to eke out points in such circumstances. None of our more recent managers would have done. I'll cut Calvert Lewin some slack, he is as isolated as a leper in a nudist colony.

I liked Allardyce's half time subs. Davies may have tried to be positive, but he was headless chickening again. I think the idea was to try and free up the FB's to get some width, stick Siggy in the middle to slide in a few passes and give DCL someone to feed. The problem was that Sandro and DCL never got close enough to each other for this to work (in the end, the latter was operating more as left sided defensive midfielder) and Siggy again sank without trace. Where is the player who was worth £25m?

Thin gruel it may have been, but it's another point and not very long ago, we'd have been opening the Moet for that

That's the Sigurdsson I see every week. It's funny how we all see the game so differently.

You describe his game plan perfectly.
Full backs narrow and give up the space wide.

If we can get Schneiderlin back to his best then we should all be celebrating. He's a class act but he has a temperament which needs managing. It seems that he's responding to Sam.

If we wanted (yet) another defensive midfielder, they are available for less than £45m (I was being a bit sarcastic saying £25m, because that is all Siggy was ever worth).

He was bought to be our game changer, who can change the momemtum with a moment of class, deliver great free kicks and score a few goals. He is not that player, not for us anyway. And while he is clearly trying, he is not actually that good a DM. Barry could have done that job better in the role you describe, if we actually need three of them in one game (God help us).

The only thing that surprised me is that he didn't play central with Davies playing wide.

However it must be said he put in a real shift so credit to him. I'm sure if he was played in his best position he would shine.

Another great result against a far superior, in every department team.

Oh yes... bollocks to this School of Science crap. I watched every game during our School of Science period and can't remember seeing a great deal of it!! Results are more important for the next month or two.... after that, then let's see if we can play a bit.

Allardyce has definitely added defensive steel and spirit to a very average set of players. The main reason we're so much poorer at times this season, is the sale of Lukaku, who was giving us a real threat up front.

Hopefully the January window will provide a genuine goal-scoring replacement, then I'm sure we will start to compete with the best. Rooney is a class act, his creativity was badly missed today.

Our team has been woeful all season, and Sigurdsson has, in my view, been a victim of our previous management's struggles.

He's a central midfielder, a Number 10, we all know this but he hasn't been played there = we're seeing a different side to his game.

I don't see how anyone can create a direct correlation between performances and fees paid for players anyway. That doesn't really mean much to me, but I do see what you're driving at, Mark.

Us supporters tend to waste an awful lot of energy criticising our own players – I did it for years, then got older and softer and nowadays I tend to try to see the good they do more than the bad – it's a lot less stressful!

When I saw the surprise team sheet today, there were two things cheering me: Lennon on to keep working with Kenny (well, it worked defensively...), and Sigurdsson on the left with Martina! Sigurdsson is doing so much defensive work, I'm surprised he can do so well forwards as he does!

I said early on in the Live Chat that I hoped Keane and Jags had been watching closely! And those two sorry players from early on, played beautifully! It looks like we have a proper back-6 to choose our back-4 from now!

With our patched-up team, I'm very happy with a shut-out and one point! That's one point each from Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea so far! Happy!

He hasn't played in his favoured position because none of our managers set the team out quite like Swansea so it does make me wonder what purpose he was bought for – that question is aimed at Koeman.

Now he is here, we need to get the best out of him, but that means sometimes not playing him because he doesn't fit the playing style. I actually feel a bit sorry for him because he clearly cares, but is also shorn of confidence.

Honestly, did anyone expect OCM to play any other way?

On the other hand, he is a proven fixer of dodgy teams, especially if there is a modicum of ability in the squad. And I do not regard him as neanderthal – he is actually quite visionary (one of the first, as far as I know, to get into dietary regimes for example).

That said, one cannot ignore the evidence of our own eyes, how miles behind the top 6 we are, and as a blue for over 50 years now, that hurts a little.

I'll go for pragmatism any day to steady the ship! And every interview with Allardyce I've seen so far, says that he wants us to play as good, attacking and flowing as the nay-sayers say he hinders us doing! That we only have seemingly decent players compared to the Top 6 (although they were in disarray earlier), and money to only buy slightly better ones here and there if needed, seems irrelevant to these people who can only be happily unhappy if Everton is not playing like we had Messi, Bale and Ronaldo in our team...

Why are we light-years away from a team that was in the third tier of English football in 1998.

Well pleased with a point, let's face it under Bobby Brown Shoes and Koeman we'd have been well beaten, 0-2/0-3 (take your pick).

I'm with James Marshall, with regards to Siggy, and think Dean Cooper called it right earlier in this thread, and also think, if he wasn't so disciplined, he wouldn't be getting played out of position.

I also wouldn't want to watch that every week, but it's an indication of how poor we had been this season, before this manager came in, and for the first time in a long time, at least we are getting properly organised. Giving up 75% of the pitch is much better than half pressing and half defending too deep, so it will do for me for now!

Now I know it was a draw, and I know it wasn't pretty, and I know our passing in the final third leaves much to be desired but that was like watching fucking Juventus in the 1970's!!

That was Cattenaccio at its best. Not for one moment was I shitting myself waiting for the inevitable goal I just felt confident, after 10 mins, that they wouldn't break us down.

I was watching the players without the ball and everyone of them, including Martina, knew where they had to be – it was like watching a chess match being played by a Grandmaster.

The only disappointment was Sandro who looks clueless but I'll give him time. Jags, Keane, Gana, Schneiderlin etc all superb. COYB and Hail King Sam!

With the best will in the world, they outplayed us today. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is.

I take it from your post that you are the "kind of Evertonian" "The kind who wants to attack the current champions, even if that means getting turned over"

Are you also the "kind of Evertonian" who is happy to walk around town after playing dire against Spurs at home 0-3. Man.Utd away 0-4, Arsenal at home 2-5, Atalanta home 1-5. Soton away 1-4 etc etc etc etc???

For me Jamie I would rather not get embarrassed watching us getting hammered every week, getting us involved in the bottom of the league rabble, sitting with my grandkids at the match fed up telling them how good Vernon and Young were and then watching Williams and co make mistake after mistake.

No for me, Jamie, right now in our present time and situation I am quite happy us picking points up against the current Champions and our near neighbours however it might be.

I'm just that "kind of Evertonian".

Link

I suppose some would rather be in the position we were in a month ago, getting twatted by 4 goals every week. Can anyone tell me what style of play it was we were playing before Allardyce came in because I don't know what it was.

I was happy we got Allardyce at our club... in fact, we should thank the Lord we got him, we are blessed. Allardyce is doing a fantastic job at EFC. If you don't believe me, look at the before and after stats if you need convincing...

Moan all you want but facts are facts and Big Sam has stopped the rot..

I didn't see another Everton player create a moment like that?

They had better wide players though, people who could run with the ball, and give his team-mates a little respite, but it was built on a strong defence nonetheless.

Allardyce, has been here for six games, and we have conceded a lot less in those games than we had in just one match previous to his appointment.

We looked like a relegation team; we now look like a mid-table team. Although we all want more craft, the first thing is being hard to beat, and this is something our players look like they are starting to believe. If Keane hadn't missed the best chance of the game, we might even have nicked a victory, simply because we had defended for our lives to keep a clean sheet.

I have experienced relegation (in 1951) and I can assure anyone who hasn't suffered that disappointment, that it is a harrowing experience.

The discomfort we feel regarding poor performances, hopefully a temporary situation, is nothing compared to relegation.

I also think that expecting Everton to play in cavalier fashion before establishing a respectable position is an unrealistic stance to take.

Sam's remit was get us out of the shit. He knows we have not got the players to play free-flowing football. A lot of the times we can't string three passes together.

Sam realises when we have less of the ball we can't make as many mistakes. Give Sam time to assemble his own team; I recon it won't be as bad as the one he inherited.

Okay we should be creating a bit more but we simply do not have the squad that will allow us to play an even moderately attacking game, when some of the long term unfit players get back (hopefully) to perform and a couple of signings in the first week of January then if things don't improve, fair enough, moan to your hearts content. But for the time being give a little leeway to the new manager and his coaching staff.

I'm one of the biggest moaners when we don't perform and was on my feet a few times today at the very poor passing by some players; there is no excuse for that. But getting through the games for now and gaining points is helping me to stay calm and hoping the team will be much better in the New Year, starting at Anfield.

It just amazes me that people with 2 working eyes that have watched Gana give the ball away how often? Schneiderlin go 2 yards sideways or backwards how often? Davies hacking at players he's chasing how often? Can they go and play free-flowing football?

Williams, Holgate, Jagielka can't kick a ball. And they want better football? My word...

Some people were, rightly so, despairing at the utter tosh we were playing and at the awful results we were getting, not so long ago. A few on here were even saying that we were a dead cert for relegation. Our fortunes have improved tremendously, not just in terms of results, but also, yes, in terms of fortune itself.

What I am mainly disappointed with is watching hugely expensive people like Sigurdsson still under-performing (his good goals of recent games don't detract from that). But some people hold a grudge against Sam Allardyce – whom I won't call 'Big Sam' – and will keep on moaning, while daydreaming of the good old days of the School of Science, Harry Catterick, Ball, Kendall and Harvey (a team that I watched with great pleasure, of course).

If, come the end of the season, or even the early stages of next season, the football being served is still as 'turgid' (to borrow a word much in vogue on these pages) as some people think it is now, then I'll be the first to criticise the manager. Until then, give him time to build, for heaven's sake!

Season's Greetings everyone!

I just love Sam's interviews. He is the most professional manager and the most straight-talking guy we have had at the helm... and he cares. He talks about players with their first names, is honest about the positives and the negatives, and where we need to improve.

We are solid and the attitude of the players to be professional and know their places and positions when in defence is the best since 1985 to 1988 – Love it!! Guess what – we have a lot of young players who are only going to get better!

It is about time we got behind the players instead of waiting to howl at any misplaced pass. The players we had today did a great job against a top Chelsea side, that's Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City who have failed to take three points against us, two of those away.

Not pretty to watch but, until Sam can reinforce and make the team better shaped, we have to take every point we can. The defence is looking more solid and teams are no longer banging in two and three goals against us.

It takes time; for now, Sam is getting points in the bag. Once we land a striker and get players back, we can then start being more adventurous and playing attractive football – just be a little patient.

Assuming you are correct, then yes it is a very easy answer. This is now and that was then and they played us off the park, even with ten men.

Sadly.

Pickford, Kenny, Holgate, Keane, Davies, Lookman, Baningime, Calvert-Lewin, Vlasic, Sandro, Walsh, Browning, Hornby, Feeney, Garbutt, and I forgot Kieran Dowell who is the top scorer and player of the season already at Nottm Forest.

U20 World Cup Winners, Premier League 2 Champs, La Liga winners, Premier League players and England caps in there at top level and at all levels. There is something else – a winning attitude, a professional attitude – and they have each other!!!

14-plus bench – non 23 years yet!!!

Under the old system we would have had our pants pulled down against Liverpool and Chelsea, possibly Newcastle too. We are becoming hard to beat and gaining morale all the time. Baby steps guys, baby steps.

On the subject of babies, checkout on YouTube Baby Metal "Road of Resistance" but only if you are into teenage Japanese girls singing heavy rock. Mmmmmm, oops sorry.

He is also keen to tell us that he wants the football to improve in the final third and that's a message to the fans. I'm sure he will want the style to be nicer on the eye to change the perception people have of him.

But currently he wants to make the defence solid, increase points and confidence so that he gets a longer contract in the summer. I am sure we will finish 7th or 6th under this regime but the telling part for me will be how we get on with the FA Cup.

Incredible that we are now looking up – well done Sam and the whole team!

I voted, in the ToffeeWeb poll, not to have Sam, on the basis that his experience didn't match Everton's level (one of averaging nearly 60 points per season over the last decade or so). However, I realise that, on the evidence so far, I was wrong in my judgement. Rather than not matching our level, he brings the discipline, organisation and leadership that we've needed but lacked for a few years.

I have been surprised that he comes across as not only straight talking and logical, but also as charismatic, in that he exudes authority. Someone for whom the players might want to perform well, as opposed to just going through the motions as we saw under Koeman.

Now, I'm not putting him on a pedestal, simply looking at the detail of what he's doing. And the devil is in the detail. It's the detail that makes a team improve, rather than high-level philosophies. Those who are currently criticising our style of play should remember that we had an habitually hoof-ball style of play under Koeman, but whenever that was raised most folks would ask for him to be given time. Well, the same should apply to our current manager, since it's early days and we're avoiding defeats, which is what was primarily required.

Today was not exactly easy on the eye, but there was much to admire about the defending. A solid base is being created.

With the defensive shape, I also see a winner's mentality and a reaction to the ball and game that we have not seen since the mid-eighties. There is a kernel of a philosophy and a winning mentality that can see us go all the way – and I mean all the way!

This type of stuff has to carry on for 12 to 18 months minimum before it 'seeps in' and becomes ingrained. We saw under Martinez how fast bad habits develop.

Then, and only then, can he (if he can!) start adding flair to the mixture.

We will lose – everybody (except Man City) loses – and it will be to somebody 'daft'. His next battle is against early false confidence.

However, he must be given credit for taking over a team that had completely lost its spirit. He also took over a team that was such a complex mixture of young players with lots of potential and older ones that are very close to finishing their careers. Everton have relearned how to defend. Not too pleasing on the eye and likely to cause some with a nervous breakdown.

We all feel better when we are winning, and if possible to do it with style. Despite present reservations about depending mainly on defence, I honestly think that given time and some suitable signings he will slowly introduce a more adventurous and attractive type of football.

Today we got a point. The main reason was because Allardyce has introduced a system that requires discipline. Every player seems to now know what they expected to do. Many of them are very ordinary players, but Sam seems to have improved every one of them. Thaey all look more confident. Hopefully even better things are to come, but we all need to be patient. We never really know what is around the corner.

(I realise there is a context to apply in the original article as Chelsea were all over us.)

Right now, this is the bad-tasting medicine we have to take to get better. I welcome Sam Allardyce's approach. And for those who, under the circumstances, don't think taking points off Liverpool and Chelsea is not commendable, then I pity you.

Unbeaten after taking over a shambles of a squad (with injuries and illness as well) is a superb achievement that all true Blues should welcome.

If it was an exotic-sounding manager (Fonseca, Simeone) achieving what Sam has done so far, then he'd rightly be getting loud applause all round on here.

Get in there you beauty. Well in boys. So, the cheers were real at full time after all. I know one poster who dislikes expletives. Apologies in adavance, but sometimes you just have to. Fuck me, look at this club of ours.

I also see a winner's mentality in Sam Allardyce.

Tickets 㿙.00. Can't wait.

Our improved financial status should have had us competing with Barcelona by now. It is of course almost total bullshit. Our two top players over the last 2 seasons were Lukaku and Barkley. Take the top two players from any club in the Premier League and tell me if it doesn't effect how they play.

We will be able to compete with any team in the Premier League eventually. We will attack them at home. We will attack them away. We will attack attack attack them. We will never surrender.

You can see Sandro was trying to hold up the ball and link up with other players. It isn't quite happening for him at full tilt, but that is obviously what the manager was intending by pairing Sandro with Calvert-Lewin.

Niasse is the difference, as Andy Gray was the difference. Gary Lineker was predictable, always had to run onto the ball and was easily dealt with, hence Everton where not as successful when he arrived. Sandro is nowhere near Lineker's standard. Miracles are not going to happen. Bad decision by Big Sam. We could have won.

To be fair Mark, Sigurdsson scored a sublime goal to give us the lead against Swansea on Monday, then delivered an excellent corner kick in added time today, which Keane narrowly missed putting on target. So he *is* doing those very things... perhaps just not enough for your liking.

Re: Sandro – he may ultimately prove unable to cut it in the Premier League. But we aren't going to know for sure until he's given an actual run of games. Bringing him on at half-time, against a top opponent, in a match that we're playing hyper-defensively, with very little in the way of offensive build-up or clear-cut opportunities, isn't going to reveal much one way or another.

Re: Schneiderlin, he was actually quite solid today. But he's got so little credit in the bank at this point, I suspect he'd have to do something genuinely superheroic on the pitch to start winning supporters back over.

He did actually try to change to a more attacking formation at half-time – three at the back, the wing-backs to push forward and pin back Moses and Marcos plus Sandro up front with Calvert-Lewin. It didn't work because of the players' lack of quality in their passing.

Schneiderlin is a different player and today Keane had his best game so far. Maybe the ones who don't make the bench are still stuck in the mud and hopefully they will soon find new opportunities. I will be surprised if we finish lower than 7th.

Conceded a lot more this season though.

Stand up all those who wanted to "Give Unsy 'til Christmas".

Don't you feel stupid?

We have a manager who will be honest about what he tries to do, owns up when it's wrong and explains the changes he makes. He, according to the players, let's them know in simple terms what they need to do and doesn't make it complicated.

He isn't shy of admitting that he wants it better, more expansive, but he is realistic about maintaining results on the journey.

He also, for the first time I can remember since Brian Clough, used his position to make a political statement (about food banks).

If nothing else, you have to respect him for these things.

Merry Christmas, Sam – and thanks. Mine will be a lot better than it was likely to be if it wasn't for your appointment. Pity it wasn't done during the international break.

Yes the football is shite but guess what it has been for years. I cannot believe that Sam does not want to improve the football. Sit back and take a look at what is happening to the players individually, there is a marked improvement in many, confidence is also growing.

With the confidence that results bring will come better football from the team. We still need better quality players in many positions.

For now we are improving at a pace most would not have felt possible a few weeks ago and like it or not that is down to Big Sam and his team and the wining mentality they are bringing to the club.

The cake isn't finished until the icing is on top. We're still at the "mixing" stage. Lighten up, Steve Brown.

I think the naivety is only matched by the shortness of memories by (in many cases) the very same people who literally 2 months ago were distraught at the fact we kept leaking goals and were going to be relegated.

Last season, this team put 8 goals past us in 2 matches... EIGHT. And, for all our attacking approach then, we scored exactly the same number of goals we've scored today...

Chelsea have better players, a more balanced team who have been playing together for years, and strength in depth. Last season, we had a pop and it didn't work. Would you rather just keep repeating the same approach even though it was virtually guaranteed to be a heroic failure? Is getting beaten 5-0 more 'entertaining'? It sure of hell doesn't entertain me.

Presumably the same posters would also rather we 'had a go' at Anfield too and got soundly spanked there as well in the name of 'entertainment'?

Yes, we want to score goals; yes, we want to attack the opposition. But that is happening also – we've averaged 2 goals a game over the last 7 (including Unsworth's last match, admittedly); it's just that we're being smart for once. Rather than play the same way regardless of opposition, we're picking our fights – so far, that's meant 4 wins (against teams below us) and 2 draws (against teams above us). if you don't think that is genuine progress on where we were 8 or 10 games ago, then frankly you're wrong.

Yes I'd love to see us being more expressive, but I'm frankly tired of rolling out the 'School of Science' crap time and time again. I've been a supporter for about 34 years now. We were an incredible team when I really got into following football; we won the league and were challenging for honours each year... and we were playing great football.

Since Kendall departed, and especially since the Premier League began (25 years ago), we've been largely a poor relation, harking back to past glories. We spent around a decade vying with relegation – yes there were some high points and some great players but it was only when Moyes came in and started building from the back first (like the vast majority of successful managers in world football – barring Pep and Klopp) that we actually started to become a more serious challenger in the league – fixing ourselves for most of his tenure around the top 6 or 7 and getting a chance to play in Europe again (albeit primarily the second tier competition).

Since 1987, the solitary honour we actually won was hardly earned with flowing football, was it? The 'Dogs of War' tag attached to Royle's 1995 cup-winning Everton was deserved for a team that fought their way to an unlikely victory.

In conclusion, do I think that we should resign ourselves to defensive football? Not in the slightest; I want us to be expansive and creative and we have in the likes of Siggy, Rooney, Davies, Lookman and Bolasie (plus support from Coleman, Kenny and Baines and Barkley if he stays) players that are more than capable of delivering that for us. But to do so, we need both confidence (which really only comes from winning), the right supporting players (a target man or two would be a start plus a fit left wing-back), and opposition that aren't just so talented they'd likely smash us on the counter (eg, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal).

First and foremost, we need points and that means keeping clean sheets and scoring goals – both of which we've been doing. 11 from a possible 15 (or 14 from 18 if you include the handover match) will do for me, that's 'European' form and has us 6 points off a likely Europa League slot and 9 points off Champions League at the half-way stage of the season. With two winnable games coming up before the end of the year, we'd hope that gap will continue to close and we can kick off against Man Utd with even more confidence (and hopefully a fit Rooney, Bolasie and Baines).

Maybe, if we're still playing the same 'defence-first' football this time next season, then maybe I'll join the moaners; but for now, I'm going to get behind Big Sam and the boys and hope we can continue our unbeaten run!

Whether we should have better talent at our disposal – in order to play more expansive football – is an entirely different question.

Happy Christmas all.

All the best, mate. All the best to everybody. Enjoy your Christmas Day and keep talking Everton until we get what we want.

And then talk more Everton
X X X

Sam got tactics correct yesterday. His only 'error' was to put Sandro on instead of Niasse. Now I know we set up defensively, but after 10 to 15 minutes of being under the cosh, it just did not feel inevitable that we were going to concede (a feeling that I'm sure most of you are aware of). In fact, I felt confident that we wouldn't. We were still in the game by the 90th minute and, dare I say it, 'unlucky' that Keane didn't put away his header for all 3 points.

Also, if Sam was appointed earlier on in the season, I would be currently looking forward to another European away trip.

Now, pleasing on the eye, it is not... but don't be swayed by the kopite media bullshit about Sam being an anti-football dinosaur – if he was a young Portuguese manager, he would be hailed as a genius.

The game was what it was. We might rip a poorer team to bits in February or March. But not yesterday and not against Chelsea.

Let's approach 2018 with confidence folks. Keep the faith.

Have a very Happy and Healthy Christmas and New Year everyone.

Another unfortunate yesterday, was the injury to Gana, for he had already made a double substitution, Sandro being one; not only will Gana be missed for four or so games.

Hypothetical I know, but Gana had to be subbed too; I think he would have had Bolasie on later, but it will have to be the West Brom game now at some stage, imagine had Niasse been on instead of Sandro, and Bolasie had come on?

Some of the players don't seem to be able to pass and retain the ball under pressure particularly well. I only wish we would use our wings more as we do have some pace in the squad.

Gana is a miss – can Baningime fill in?

The comments saying he was poor are true but nobody was allowed a yard from Chelsea who were desperate to win and Sandro hasn't found a minute of form all season. Again this is a clear point of what we are lacking. Lookman wasn't even on the bench.

It's going to be very difficult to sign many top players in January but signing one can make all the difference. It's now Moshiri and Company's time to turn somebody on.

On results since the Sams arrived, if they'd been here from the start of the season we'd not be too far behind Man City! Okay, I realise that's a stretch but it's results we need just now not flamboyant football.

Moaners, give it a rest and accept this is a transition that we needed. Same players, different results. Positive not negative. OMG some are never happy!

I still think Sandro is crap though.

The finished product is a bit agricultural, but I like what I see so far after a handful of games. He's honest about where we are, which is refreshing after the foreign guff we've had from the last 2 managers. He's not a coward like Moyes either. Other teams aren't going to enjoy playing against us, home or away, particularly the big 6, so getting under their skin will be pleasant.

I still believe in the School of Science, and I love the Old Lady when it's a bear pit. Early days, but I am interested in this project.

There's no blaming Allardyce – he is the man for the moment – and sees hoof-ball as a necessity given the players he is stuck with. But there's only space for half-a-dozen football teams these days and, sad to say, Everton will never again be one of them.

We have to be pragmatic. The so called Sky 6 have had at least a decade to spunk money away on great players (and not so great players) and build a squad before FFP was introduced so the nouveau riche have little chance of competing on the financial front, being hamstrung by current regulations. And the likelihood of Johnny Foreigner opting for London as his preferred destination.

Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool have spent billions developing their squads and Global stature and whether we like it or not we are late to the party, standing at the door holding a bottle of Blue Nun while the others have carried in cases of Chateauneuf du Pape. It is what it is, and Allardyce, like him or loathe him, has made us hard to beat and propelled us up the table.

The good football can come later when we are safe. All great teams started with a great defence.

We were relegation certainties according to some when 3rd from bottom and we were letting goals in by the bucketload. Did anyone really expect the new guy to come in and play good football from Week 1 and collect points to steer us clear of trouble?

It can't happen chaps- we were in trouble because we weren't playing well, the team couldn't defend and we had no balance in the squad. Sam can't change the squad til next month so had to patch things up in the meantime.

Everyone knows you start with the defending – don't let one in and you win a point. Don't let one in and pinch a goal and you get three points –simple! Then look at how to score more goals and that is when a change in players can change the style of play, from a position of strength knowing that, if a move breaks down, we have a team which can defend.

I heard Sam say last week that the players look very good at Finch Farm and he is waiting to see that form appear in a proper match. I recall howard Kendall saying the same after our capitulation at Anfield in 1983 and sure enough with a few lucky wins the confidence came and wow!!!

We have players who we need to move on: Mirallas, Besic, Klaassen most likely – but there are signs that Schneiderlin may get his form back, Sigurdsson is starting to show himself and our youngsters are doing wonderfully well though Tom could probably do with sitting down with Sammy Lee to be taught how to play as a top class midfielder.

The transfer window will be interesting and Sam is on the right track. Williams and Martina look much better, Kenny improves every game, Calvert-Lewin is a star in the making (so like Sharp but better at this age) and Holgate looks very good at centre-back.

Reasons to be cheerful – give the manager some time!!

You know who you are.

The run-before-you-can-even-walk brigade.

Yapping about the negative style as if we're a latent Barcelona being deliberately fettered by the manager's tactics.

Are y'all really that thick?

But these are not normal circumstances. We're still turning things round. We've not completed the recovery yet. We're not even close.

So far we've beaten two promoted sides and the bottom of the league. We got a very good point at Anfield, but only by the skin of our teeth.

That's not enough to throw caution to the wind and attack Chelsea. Yes there is a chance we could have beaten them and our recovery would be speeded up, but imagine we conceded early, we could have easily chased the game and ended up with a hiding. Where would we be then?

Like him or loathe him, Allardyce is who he is, and he is not easily influenced by the media or the fans. He did what he thought would work and executed the plan well, and achieved his objective.

This is Allardyce's fifth league game. He's still trying to set the team up his way, we're still trying to rebuild confidence, and we've still got a long way to go.

The issue is not playing like that in December, it's if we are playing like that at home at the end of the season.

Now we are becoming solid and a team that most others will look at the fixture and think “this is going to be tough”.

I understand that it's not pretty and possession needs to be used more effectively but some on here, although entitled to their opinion, need a reality check.

Would I have taken 9th position and a sizeable gap from the bottom 3 six weeks ago at the expense of Galactico football?

A resounding Yes!!

One of the many things I like about Sam is that it is clear he is in charge. He communicates extremely well and the players know what their jobs are. Barring something drastic, I am willing to give him until this time next year to re-build and gel these players, put a bit of a stamp on this team with a few of his own players, and move the type of play in the direction we all want.

Is Allardyce the answer? How can we tell in such a short space of time. Are Everton, the most pragmatic football club, in the land? I reckon we would always be in the top-three in this league, but we had been getting so far removed from our roots by Roberto and Ronald that we didn't even know what we were supposed to be doing anymore?

I couldn't watch that type of football for too long, I don't think that too many of us could either, but Everton were all over the place just the other week, and were definitely on course for the Championship imo, because they had forgotten the most important thing in life. When things are going wrong, Phil, they had forgotten how to fucking fight. (Sorry John.)

I learn the most about Everton managers when I listen to people like Darren. He thinks we are too quick to praise, and I could say we are the same about the opposite sometimes. Let's give him time, we aren't stupid, we all know what we want, and we got at least 50% of it yesterday.

Just look at what has happened at Stoke where Mark Hughes has tried to 'pretty it up' and found himself losing game after game. Same goes for Pulis at Albion and many other pragmatists.

Hoof-ball ain't just for Xmas!

I can't see many over praising Allardyce.
I can see plenty ripping the back off him.

Too early either way.

All Allardyce has done is to 'steady the ship', and made us much harder to beat. Why is it so many out there badly want him to fail?

At least give him the opportunity to put HIS stamp on the side. After all, we gave the deluded Spanish one that, as well as affording the same courtesy to the arrogant but equally hapless Dutch Master.

Happy Xmas, Phil (If that's possible!)

The style of play is not easy on the eye and will have to improve if we are ever to challenge for the top 4, it may well pan out that our current manager cannot develop our style of play to allow the needed improvement to occur; however, he deserves time to try and implement a more progressive style of play.

Safety first is the modus operandi. Everything else is secondary.

Question is: Can Sam nurture a creative, attacking team.

We may see some green shoots in January, with one or two new signings and returning senior players. Here's hoping.

However, those who think the style of play will change under Sam , will I believe , be sorely disappointed. This is how Sam plays. It is no coincidence that he was run out of town by Newcastle and West Ham exactly because this is how he plays. Great for the short term (?) Long term – personally I hope not.

Still I was there cheering the nil nil with no shots on target at home, with everyone else yesterday. I actually thought less people left the game early than in recent weeks. Though the ground was still very quiet for most of the game.

Each poster has invented their own argument, then patted themselves on the back for an alternative viewpoint which nobody has even mentioned! It's like the twighlight zone on here sometimes. I'm sure I've stumbled onto the wrong thread, but no.

It seems it's negative to want to see the home side, with players earning Champions League wages, to actually show the minutest of attacking intent. Not School of Science, not Man City or Barcelona;, you know, have a little foray into the opposition half once or twice, or get a cross into the box for a striker to attack. Merry Christmas.

Of course the current style of play is horrible, but we have a season to rescue here first before we can start fancying ourselves to be a Champions League side.

Some fans are so happy with our points haul and staving off the threat of relegation they can overlook the complete lack of entertainment.

Other fans prefer their sport to be entertaining and perhaps worry about the long-term, given Allardyce's reputation in the game for grinding out results at the expense of playing football.

Sounds all very ToffeeWeb to me. Merry Christmas everyone.

Bit of realism required, mate, given the start to our season and the way we were leaking goals.

Have a good Christmas mate. Regards to your dad.

Watching the game back, it was bloody obvious all the players knew what they were supposed to be doing, especially in the apparently 94 minutes Chelsea had the ball.

I'd settle for half-a-season of functional football and rebuild rather than what looked more likely... years in the wilderness following relegation.

Cast your minds back to two successful sides from when they won the Premier League. Do you remember the chant: "One-nil to the Arsenal, one nil to the Arsenal"?

Pass the ball back, pass the ball back, pass the ball back, Liverpool?

These two teams cannot win a trophy because of their poor defences. We are unbeaten in 6 games... what more do you want, at this present time?

Some people may be sincere in their longing for quality football, but the fact is that, apart from brief spells under Martinez, that is something that has been absent from our teams for quite a long time.

In all honesty, I think the phrase 'expansive, free-flowing football' has become a euphemism for 'I don't like Sam Allardyce', uttered by people who don't think they can actually frontally assault the man, given his excellent string of results.

The moment we go on a bad patch, as all teams inevitably do, 'free-flowing football' will be replaced by 'Sam out!', or some such utterance.

Suddenly, this supposedly crap bunch of players are deemed capable of playing 'expansive, free-flowing football', and the only thing that is preventing them from doing so is the fact that we have hired a man who, according to legend, can only set his teams up to play hoof-ball. There is a failure of logic in there.

"Blues actually celebrating a goalless draw without a shot on target has made me realise something... Get in there you beauty. Well in boys. So, the cheers were real at full time after all... Fuck me, look at this club of ours."

Now I am possibly misreading this, but this to me implies both match-going supporters and posters on TW are too easily appeased and are somehow culpable for what Everton FC has 'become'.

Very, VERY recently Kevin you repeated more than once the damning statistic that every team in Premier League history that had conceded 28 games by the 13th game of the league season was relegated. Everton hit that number with the 4-1 trouncing at Southampton.

All season,it has been blindingly obvious, on both statistical data as you offered above, and on empirical evidence – simple observation by any sighted person - what the core problem was with Everton: a total inability to defend all over the pitch, regardless of the personnel selected.

In the 5 league games under Sam's charge, with just 2 goals conceded in 540 minutes, that one has been indisputably 'checked' on his 'to do' list.

Any one who truly knows the club and supporters will tell you one thing about their support: you don't have to first prove yourself to be a Fancy Dan, prolific goalscorer or any other attribute skill wise to earn their support or appreciation.

The most fundamental and basic thing you have to do for the supporters as an Everton player is... TRY!

Show us effort. Show us passion. Show us commitment and we will show our appreciation.

Game after game after game this season, under both Koeman and Unsworth, that effort, passion and commitment was totally absent. I asked at times, during games, is there any one wearing a blue shirt who actually cares...?

It no longer is the case.

Now that effort, passion and commitment alone is not sufficient to be genuinely challengers for trophies. But it is necessary. It is a starting point and a vital building block in what, I hope, Sam and the club wish to construct.

Maybe Kevin, just maybe, those cheering at the final whistle and expressing pleasure at the new-found resilience Everton is now showing are acknowledging this sea change in our season.

It is not a blind, sycophantic, passive acceptance on the overall quality of our football. If better, more joined-up football doesn't follow, expect a rising tide of dissatisfaction of the manager, the players, the team.

I repeat, I for one enjoyed the performance yesterday, not for our lack of aesthetically pleasing football, but for our sheer doggedness, discipline and resilience.

And why? Because there were no slackers. No shirkers. Every last man of them TRIED.

Personally I'm happy and relieved we've achieved the results we have under Allardyce. His antics as England manager lost any chance he had of me respecting him as a man (not that he'll give a damn admittedly) and his history with basket-case clubs doesn't inspire confidence in him as an entertaining manager.

But he might just fancy glistening his own ego by now using us to show the football world that, with the (marginally in some cases) better players he now has and, more importantly, financial expenditure on a par with the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool, this is what Moshiri inferred would be the case when he bought in; he can become the Dudley, gum-chewing version of Guardiola.

Without such support from Moshiri and the board, he might just have to reconcile himself to a continuing reputation as an overweight, boring masticater.

Clearly there is a decent player in Siggy, albeit not a 㿙m one (though that isn't his fault) but we have barely seen it, aside from a few glimpses. As I say, I feel sorry for him, he is played out of position and his confidence is shot.

I felt Sandro was a decent buy and I would be unwilling to entirely give up on him just because he is struggling in a side that can't or won't attack. In fact, I think it is perhaps a compliment to Calvert-Lewin who I feel has been doing a great job in almost impossible circumstances.

A few commentators were criticising him when he didn't pass when he made that half chance. Well have another look at the replay, and see how long passes from the time he sets off to chase the pass, to the point when he gets in the box. It is a good 10-12 seconds before anyone else even appears. Did no-one think to get running to offer him some support? It doesn't take 12 seconds for a pro footballer to run 40 yards.

I agree Schneiderlin was much better today. He is never going to be a creative force but again, he has proven at Southampton that he is a decent player. My impression is, he's a bit temperamental like Mirallas, so he can blow hot and (very) cold.

I'd be pretty happy to get him or Giroud in either permanently or ideally on loan with a permanent fee agreed.

One of those plus Shaw, Bryan or Chilwell would do for me.

This squad is good enough to push for 6th/7th and a cup run. Even after the Koeman disaster, we are still 9th in the league where many people had us down for relegation certainties.

I think those of us who support Sam, the current results, and our club's play right now do not disagree with you as much as you think. I believe we are willing to give him more time to improve play based on where the club was when he took over. There will come a time when Sam settles in and has a chance to put a stamp on team that we, like you, will expect or even demand a more progressive type of football. For us that time is not right now.

This community disagreement over Sam and playing style is only a matter of degrees. In the end, all of us want our club to play attractive football.

I find it difficult to understand that the people who are calling for a more attractive, and attacking style of play, can't see that our tolerance of the present method is only a short-term acceptance, and that we are just as anxious as they are, to see an improvement in performance.

Equally I think most of us accept the need for pragmatism. Certainly I do. We were in a massive mess a few games ago. Sam is doing a good job as I expected him to do.

Personally, I think his management is somewhat maligned. Bolton for example had a lot of flair and attacking capability – no surprise when you see the calibre of player he brought in on a shoestring budget.

Once we stabilise, I think he is more than capable at improving us offensively, though I expect this to be a very incremental process, as it should be.

In other words, I think it is entirely possible to be supportive of what is happening, whilst also being realistic enough to see that we are a mile away in quality from where we would like to be.

As I truly believe we are out of the relegation battle, let's hope that performance isn't the bench mark for Allardyce's tenure.

If, four weeks ago, you were offered two points from the Liverpool and Chelsea games would you have taken them?

"I repeat, I for one enjoyed the performance yesterday, not for our lack of aesthetically pleasing football, but for our sheer doggedness, discipline and resilience".

For sure. I would like to see aesthetically pleasing football eventually, but for now I can enjoy the results – and the individual performances of people like Kenny.

Good posts in your defence of Sandro. Like you two, I couldn't see how Sandro was going to make a big difference in the attack when, for most of the time, there was only him and Calvert-Lewin battling against four and five Chelsea defenders. Like Bill said, let's see him in a more attacking Everton team. He may not make it here, let's give him a proper chance before writing him off.

For many reasons, we don't have a top 6 squad yet. But we are where we are and it's great to see the players organised, trying their best and not giving games away.

With this attitude, a good January window and return of injured players the New Year could be a good one.

However, that was painful to watch and if that ball retention part does not improve, then patience of Big Sam will wear thin very quickly.

I don't expect our current midfield to start passing the ball around as I firmly believe it's not in Gueye or Schneiderlin to do this in an attacking sense but, to move forward, then we need at least one top acquisition in this role. If the board give Big Sam money to spend, then I expect he is here for the long term but, if he is not given money, then our roller coaster will continue.

I'm not talking about four weeks ago, I'm talking about now. Like I said, I think we're out of the relegation battle so a bit of attacking isn't too much to ask for, surely?

Excellent points.

Koeman did not appear to have any passion for EFC and that seemed to reflect on the pitch.

SA is getting so much more out of the same squad of players.

We might be 9th now – thanks to Sam Allardyce. Without him – or a similarly impactful –change - we were relegation certianties, in my opinion. Hindsight is 20:20 but we were clueless prior to Allardyce.

Onwards and upwards.

Personnel will always dictate how you approach or play games. Like I have said before, would Allardyce have Barcelona or Man United playing long balls from out of defence? (Which hasn't even often happened here yet) I very much doubt it.

And again, I have wondered who we have that can match the levels Arteta and Pienaar reached. Or who can bully teams like Cahill did? I don't see much of that in our squad; hence I don't see a very good footballing side.

People say Allardyce is a long-ball manager but he's not. Its just a another easy lazy theory. He's a manager that has never had a squad of quality when he has arrived at a club. Hopefully we buy him some quality.

Confidence is building game by game. We attack Chelsea, get done on the counter, and lose heavily... then confidence is back to Square One.

No sir, we're watching you, and we're putting you on notice that, if you don't start playing champagne football soon we're going to be very angry. I mean, beating the teams outside the top six and drawing with teams in the top six every week is all very well, but where does it get you? Well, apart from the Premier League title with 90 points, but fuck that. We're watching you Sam, and we want the School of Science!

Do you know what, if the team carries on playing like this, winning against the teams outside the top 6 and drawing with the top 6, it looks like I'll be the only one cheering the open top parade through Liverpool. The rest of you will be sitting at home with your faces to the wall watching videos of the Alan Ball years.

Well said. You won't be alone cheering the open top bus. I'll be cheering as well.

Sam Allardyce is doing a great job with limited resources, illness etc. Any criticism of him is ludicrous.

Hahaha! That about says it all really. :)

Lot's of improvement still needed and we all agree on that but Rome wasn't built in a day.

Just a few short weeks ago this team was being battered by Southampton and Arsenal, showing nothing but relegation form.

Things are turning around slowly and, given that some players are coming back from injury and January just a week away, we could be forgiven for thinking that Sam is going to get this team together and do something,

Okay, they won't make the top four but top eight sure sounds better than bottom four.

If you listen, you will appreciate that he has started at Step 1 and he is working his way forward. If you put that with his comments about team performances and tactics, you will recognise how far along we are.

Once he'd described Step 7, he intimated that you were getting the maximum from the group and the only way forward was to buy better players.

He reached that stage at the two clubs he was sacked from. The clubs and fans wanted more than could be gotten from the respective squads. They wanted the West Ham way, the Newcastle swagger. Remember when those clubs did that successfully? No, I don't either. The additions he was allowed to make were too often low value, average quality. Look what happened to them since.

He has already begun to wring better out of the players. Martina, who has looked abysmal, stopped Moses from getting past him to the extent he was subbed. His replacement did no better. As the whistle went, Martina was on his beam ends and absolutely goosed.

There are others who he has moved to better. Schneiderlin is beginning to look better, playing in different roles in each of the last three games, miles better than than he was. And yet in his interview Sam made it clear that he needs to deliver more.

We are beginning to move through the walking stage from being flat on our back in a spin. Expecting rapid movement to greater fluidity is naïve.

Moyes has done a great job at West Ham. Yesterday his team set out to run before they could walk consistently; Newcastle, remember them, no points in last nine games, turned them over and the final score could have been six.

Leave the man and his support team to get on with the job. If past interviews are anything to go by, he'll tell us what his expectations are and when.

Patience patients, the prognosis is good.

Bar from a couple of players this is the same group that played with more attacking intent last season and finished a very comfortable 7th.

Yes we have picked up the points in the 5 games Allardyce has been in charge, but we could and should have lost to Liverpool and Chelsea and even Newcastle hit the post twice. So, with a bit more bad luck, the points tally may have been significantly worse. We even allowed Swansea to dominate the first half.

Beautifully put.
A voice of sanity and reason.
Happy Christmas pal.

Notice the "last season" could have been 20 years ago. So what??

This season. They are more or less the same group of players who have embarrassed the Club and supporters, couldn't score a goal and shipped them in regularly. Got the Club in a totally unacceptable league position with no sign of getting out.

Difference = Allardyce and his staff. Thanks Sam.

Of course, I'd have bitten your hand off. And to be clear, I am okay with the means justifying the end, for the time being.

I've said throughout my posts, how desperate our plight was only a short while ago and that I thought Allardyce was a good choice under the circumstances. However sleazy he might appear (though I actually thought his England sacking was excessive), he has more to offer than some seem to think. More than just fixing the basics, as I think it is clear he is already doing.

But we were totally outplayed in those two games and I think we had a fair bit of good fortune to the extent that I don't think over time we'd get too many draws in the sort of game like the RS, when it could easily have been 4-0 or 5-0.

That's the reality and I'm a realist, I know we have made bad choices over recent management and signings, so we need to keep expectations well in check. I just can't help feeling a bit sad when we hardly ever attack beyond hoofing it up to Calvert-Lewin.

I think he's done a great job so far but agree with his own assessment that we have not been good on the ball for long enough periods yet. Hopefully that's to come in the New Year.

I get your point; we are doing much better than we were, but don't over egg the puddin'! Five teams out of nine have drawn at Anfield in the league this season.

If we the second-best team to Man City in terms of form the last few weeks, that transformation by Sam and Co has been truly miraculous. Now, when he wins at Liverpool in the FA Cup, you may just have a point; at least you are very positive.

Me too mate. It's not good to watch and young Dominic will be burnt out at this rate. It will change though as the team and squad develops.

However, I fully understand Kevin Tully and others lamenting the turgid anti-football that was served up yesterday. I accept it, Sam needs time and I believe the expansive football will come.

What is distasteful is how the phrase "School of Science", has become pejorative. We all know what has to be done but surely to God no Evertonian should be whooping with delight at it.

It seems to me that there are supporters who are prepared to accept Allardyce and leave it to him and his staff to determine how we play in order to gain points and confidence. Also, are prepared to leave it to him and his staff to determine if and when we do "open up" to play a more expansive game. Maybe next week... maybe next month... maybe never.

There is then a group of supporters who are in denial that we are/were ever in a precarious state and want us to play some sort of open attractive football and be entertained regardless of the result.

A final group consists of some supporters who refuse to accept Allardyce at the Club regardless. As we are all aware they have intimated to take a sabbatical from supporting the Club until he leaves and in some cases refuse to even go to the games.

Allardyce knows exactly what he has to work with and their capabilities. He knows we have to do more attacking in games. He, as you have mentioned, has identified the path ahead.

We've had some crazy managers and played some dire football before and after Kendall and I can't remember anyone getting more stick, more expectation and more requirements to succeed than other managers.

Why we can't just let him get on with it, I really do not know.

I haven't read all of the posts. Of the ones I have read I haven't seen any gloating. Subtle or unsubtle. Can you point them out please.

John, if they stop going to the game hopefully they will give their tickets away.
It's difficult to get a ticket now.

But so what? 'It's the points what count' – so we better get used to it and keep our traps shut about that Fancy Dan football the likes of Catterick used to lay on for us 'when we was kids'!

Some good sense getting talked on this thread, but when the presumptuous John Mc, who has seen more than most, talks, I think he spells it out for the majority of Evertonians in his post@230, were he his basically saying short term pain, will hopefully lead to long term gain?

We have seen some shite down the years, but as Jay & Peter say, once you get the commitment right then hopefully we can move onto better things? If not Michael and Lyndon, will just have to re-introduce the original ToffeeWeb poll, which was 80% against Allardyce to begin with!

Merry Christmas to everyone on ToffeeWeb, I'm hoping my present doesn't arrive until the first Friday of the New Year!!

I could not have put that better myself. That is exactly how I see things.

I support EFC above any single person. But Sam Allardyce needs to be given a chance. I have found the lambasting of Allardyce quite annoying / illogical and think that, as a result, some of my own posts have over-compensated in his defence. He will never be treated fairly by some.

The stats indicate that he is doing a good job. The crappy football is a necessity to get points on the board due to the shambles Allardyce was left with.

I think / hope Allardyce has it in him to evolve into a more progressive style. I'm more optimistic with him on board than Koeman or Martinez. We all want to see that.

He does seem to have passed the early litmus test. Whether you like the present type of play or not, he has done everything right so far. We really don't have truly great players at the present time. Hopefully he can get them and we can play the brand of football that we would all like.

We need to be defensive at the present time. However, we should never need to lower our future expectations. We have as much right as any team to actually be the best... yes, the best!

Love it. Imagine changing "It's a Grand Old" song to "Fuck you... we did it with Sam"

To the tune of ?

With ya mate.

John @257 I agree with most of what you say but I don't think there are many (any) who want entertaining football regardless of the result. I think there are quite a few who believe we should be capable of getting both good results and having decent football. Even though my competitive nature has me very results focused, I think this is a fair demand.

I think those same people are prepared to let Sam get on it with but equally feel entitled to point out if the performance is not as appealing as the result.

But as I've said, Allardyce himself feels the same way. I personally am more than happy to keep winning ugly while he gets the personnel and platform he needs to make us competitive at the higher levels.

The mind boggles why some managers address only one element.

Apart from Sam's example, I could not find, and believe me I hunted, another. So, I'll have some humble pie. Also, I think it has made me think about scanning a thread with a closed mind. I like my opinion endorsed as much as anyone but even Tony Marsh' s post (damn it) wasn't gloating.

As previously stated, for every OTT pro SA post, there are several more OTT anti-Allardyce posts that defy logic and reason and that require balance. (Read them all for a clearer view.) Not getting into any discussion on the matter.

I'm an Evertonian. Sam wins, we win. Simples. The 'how' is not too important right now given we couldn't buy a win a couple of months ago. And it's all down to Sam Allardyce because it's the same squad minus illness victims and injuries.

But, what the hell!!! This is getting very, very dull. I'm off here until Boxing Day when I hope to have a good old gloat later that day (it'll mean we've picked up some points folks.)

Why not join the festivities? Be positive and focus on the good points, not the bad ones. A bit more like Colin (#135) amongst others.

Greetings to all true Blues. The Christmas wrapping has been completed (just); full tank of fuel (for tomorrow) and now off to re-hydrate.

Back on Tuesday. (I promise).

What happens when we produce a player who they deem good enough to play for them? Invariably they get their wish.

If we expect any manager of ours to finish in a top 4 or even in a top 6 position, then they will be odds on to be fail each season. When we face teams inferior to us, I agree there is no excuse for not opening out our play especially at home; it's very early days yet though. Allardyce has said that we are not performing well going forward a few times in interviews, so he is aware that is a weakness at the moment.

I have confidence that, when he has had a good look at our squad and maybe added 2 or 3 more, he will have us playing good football. Maybe not Man City football but as entertaining as possible!

However, he is not very attractive – a bit of a bulldog chewing a thistle – and has a very unfashionable accent. He was therefore somewhat naive when talking to a couple of journalists – who in no way might have been acting on instructions to nobble him – about a hypothetical circumvention of rules.

Gareth Southgate may not be Arsene Wenger, but he will be a much more acceptable England manager than Sam.

In my view, Allardyce was set up. And if anyone doubts that, just have a look a the stories in today's Sunday Times and Sunday Mail about how bent coppers and a dodgy journalist set up a government minister.

I reckon that, below the thicko Midlander image, Allardyce is a man who would love to have a real success on his CV, and at 63, he's probably got no more chances. There is universal appreciation on this list of his on-camera performances: no nonsense, clarity of thought and while we'd all like to see Manchester City style football from Everton, it's not something that will come within two months of being the No 1 relegation candidates in the Premier League.

I think Sam Allardyce knows that he's in the Last Chance Saloon, that he's landed the best job he's ever had (excepting England) or will ever have at the only club where he has any chance of being a real success and laying to rest the "agricultural" reputation he has in most of football.

I should be utterly delighted – and perhaps less surprised than I ought to be – if Sam Allardyce stays for 5 years and retires after winning the Premier League, with a team composed almost entirely of young English players, who also form the backbone of the England 2022 Qatar World Cup winners. (Dominic Calvert-Lewin getting his second World Cup winning goal.)

I think he just may view us as his biggest opportunity to prove what he can do (yea, Eng-er-lund not withstanding!); until he mimics latter-seasons Moyes and bores the arse off me, I'll keep a watching, supportive brief.

What I find very telling is the number of kopites telling me we "won't need a groundsman" and "you'll all get stiff necks" – they appear quite miffed we are no longer certs for the drop.

I agree, apart from where you say that Sam has a 'thicko Midlander image'. I've not been aware of anyone saying that, and he certainly doesn't give that impression to me. On the contrary, he comes across as intellectually sharp.

Unlike a number of managers (Koeman and Klopp spring to mind) who open their mouths without thinking clearly beforehand, and make themselves appear inept. Thankfully we don't have to endure that now.

We all do the same. In our sheer desperation to see our side win a trophy, we go off-tilt now and again. No worries mate. I have seen the good times in the sixties, early seventies and eighties. The days when you went the game knowing not hoping we would win. The cup win 22 years ago is an added bonus.

It's the kids who have seen us win nothing and still love this club unconditionally that hurt me. My season ticket holding grandkids especially.

I would give anything for them to be at Wembley and see us win a trophy.

Keep the faith brother. We will get there one day.

And so, as Tiny Tim said... "A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, everyone!"

If we managed to achieve another 14 points from the next 6 games and are still in the FA Cup, then I wouldn't give a monkey's how we got there as we could start thinking bigger then! Only time will tell what happens, my glass is half-full so Cheers!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

I don't think anyone else could have had the impact Sam has had. We were as bad as anything I have seen at Everton in 50 years when he took over, although Unsy made a start at improving us.

Only 4 weeks to get us clear of trouble and relaxed. So a nice Christmas glass of wine or two, no talk of relegation, kids proud to wear the colours around the city, looking up the table, and rows with the reds in work. Great stuff.

Merry Christmas, all true Blues.

My personal opinion is that the man is made of sterner and better stuff than the image the media has pinned on him.

The players themselves are the best placed to assess if that opinion has merit. As I have said many times on TW – men follow men. The signs are there for me that they have already made up their mind about him.

As far as his mistake is concerned there has never been a man or women born who doesn't deserve a second chance. Barring None.

I just hope that he keeps his health. Farhad Moshiri will support him and I expect towards the end of the season to see Everton playing a very good brand of football.

Hopefully the next stages will be worked through quickly. I remember the 0-0 with Coventry well, I was one of the first members of the Young Evertonians (ٟ.50 in the Street End). I could have brought in deckchairs and a parasol for me and my bird it was that empty. Couple of months later Inchy gets an equaliser and it's all change. She'd jibbed me by then though!

Happy Chrimbo Twebbers

So many varied comments about our manager. He seems to be having a little success from our recent results,and at the present time that's all you can ask for. For twelve moths or so our motley crew have been unable to pass,run,defend or attack!!!

Why would anyone think that they could start playing expansive football? People post about what Real Evertonians? True Evertonians want. I know what I want. As an Evertonian. I want my team to play the basic game correctly. To pass the ball to a teammate more often than not. To be competitive for 90 minutes plus, score goals, give us winning football, and to wear the Royal Blue with pride. That's what I would like but I don't expect it in the very near future.

However, I think our management team will whip the crew into shape and we will see improvements built on a solid foundation.

I thoroughly enjoy reading all the posts. So many clever, knowledgeable, funny, intelligent, ridiculous, stupid, thought-provoking and dream-enhancing ones (George). I also read the ones that call into doubt posters' eyesight, brain power, veracity and their loyalty to Everton. The abusive ones. The ones with snide remarks.

Over the year, my brain has been battered by ToffeeWeb. My emotions abused by Everton FC... and my wallet used by my family.

I look forward with optimism to 2018.
Keep posting.

Most of us wanted these results but some of us don't want how its being achieved as it makes us look like minnows. Most of us wanted Koeman gone without the thought for the next step but would we be 9th now with Koeman still in charge??

Who knows, but I am happy with the rapid progress made in the past few weeks and love the fact that it has been achieved without any change in the players. I hope that we get a top quality midfield ball player and striker in January to show we can mix it up a bit with the top teams and still get results.

It is Christmas after all (at least in Oz) so what's wrong with dreaming.

Best wishes to every blue out there.

But I will leave you all with these words:

Big Sam – The man who saved Christmas!

The rest, as they say, is history:

Trophies won = 0
Wins at Anfield = 0
Average league position = 9th.
Managers from Preston, Wigan, Southampton and Marbella retirement home!

Merry Xmas to all long-suffering Blues. Have a few drinks!

I very much doubt we would be ninth with Koeman still in charge. More likely we would be level with West Brom and facing a desperate six pointer relegation battle tomorrow.

It amazed me that Koeman failed to realise that with such an unbalanced squad. The only way he could deliver a top half position was to batten down the hatches in defence and grind out results with clean sheets and making the most of set pieces. I would have dismissed him after the shameful performance in Italy on 14th September.

Had Sam arrived at that stage I believe we would never have sunk into the bottom three and would possibly now be sitting level with Spurs and Burnley.

It's not finalised, but aren't we supposed to be in the running?

Think it would be a big mistake, with all due respect to Brighton, if we let that one slip through.

What pleasure do you get from your involvement with EFC? Merry Christmas.

John, I remember the players looking to the bench at Atalanta after five minutes for instructions about how to deal with Atlanta overloading both flanks, pushing up and ignoring the centre. This wasn't the game plan. Arms folded, the Flying Dutchman ignored them and sat down.

A useless, arrogant waste of space. Agree with all you've said about timing. I reckon we might up there with Burnley, Spurs if we'd only made the change at the international break. All the best, might bump into you tomorrow.

(1). We've averaged 58 points and league position of 8th over the past decade. To realise Moshiri's stated aim will require raising that average to about a dozen points higher, to comparable with the likes of Liverpool. Readily achievable, IMO, if we are well organised, making best use of the players we have.

(2). To get to the level after that (which is what Liverpool and Spurs are trying to do), where we would actually win stuff and consistently so, would require a further average (about) 15 points, to be comparable with the likes of Man City and Chelsea. Not as readily achievable as (1), obviously, and probably needs cash injections on a level greater than Moshiri (say, Usmanov?).

At the moment, I believe we're at stage (1), trying to get beyond the 'Kenwright era' performance that you highlighted. So, reasons to be a bit positive?

Merry Christmas to you and all other Evertonians.

Ends up swinging from favourites to best – which we all tend to fall into – but an education and a half. Visit it and leave a comment of your own faves.