Koeman calls on senior players to 'step up'

Gylfi Sigurdsson is a great attacking player but looks lost on the left. He needs to be central if we want to get anything out of him. Klaassen has shown what he is capable of in flashes but has still yet to impress. Rooney is no longer the player he once was. We signed too many midfielders and no prolific forwards.

The signing of so many midfielders has meant players like Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman look less likely to play. These two players really impressed me last season.

Whilst Sandro looks like a good signing, he is still very young. He had a good season with Malaga scoring 14 but La Liga is a different place to the Premier league.

Keeping Mirallas may be one of the best moves this transfer window. May not be Koeman's favourite but is one of mine. He has pace and can be a great forward when given the chance. Him and Bolasie (when back from injury) should be starting on the wings, Gylfi playing as Number 10 with Rooney or Sandro up front, Gueye controlling the midfield with the help of Schneiderlin, Davies, Klaassen or Rooney.

As much as I admire Calvert-Lewin, he is still not a solution to our striker problems. He has talent and huge potential. I would love to see him getting minutes off the bench this season. Same for Lookman.

When Everton were successful in the 80's with Kendall as manager, Everton had a terrific goal-keeper and a solid back four, who could defend as well as getting forward. The only aspect of Baines's game is him getting forward. Defending is a shaky part of his game.

When Everton were playing well last season it was because of Barkley and Lukaku. In many games last season, Lukaku was starved of support if Barkley was not playing well, because there was little or no support from the wings. Yet, he managed to be the Premier League's 2nd top goal scorer.

Without doubt, Klaassen, Sandro, Rooney, Sigurdsson and Schneiderlin have not improved Everton but Everton are now worse with them than without them. Yet, by Everton's standards, have paid a huge fortune for them. Again, that's because of the manager.

The manager doesn't buy the players.

In my opinion, therein lies the problem.

Really the guy needs to analyse the game more and think about alternatives to his dreadful tactics, replacing one or two of the under-performing players and playing the rest in their natural positions.

The Under-23 players must be wondering how bad must things get before they have a chance to shine.

Hopefully the team meeting will work as well as it did when Moyes was around. Hopefully the senior players have told Koeman how fucking stupid his tactics, etc have been and he will change them to play to our strengths.

But if Koeman carries on picking players like he has with the dour defensive shite that is getting worse by the minute, then it won't make a jot of difference.

However the club put the effort in to transfer their wages into their bank accounts and the fans put in the effort by travelling to Italy and being shortchanged massively. Koeman said the players were under prepared for Atalanta. He obviously thought they were prepared prior to the game so either he's an idiot or he's overestimated their ability and mental strength to actually win games – something we all know has been missing for several seasons now.

Just look at how we are on the pitch against the RS? Terrified and just wanting to get off the pitch asap. Total lack of pride in the shirt and in their own performance – shameful. Ship the losers out and stop giving the weak minded contract extensions, Kenwright!

and next time the Manager tells you he needs a centre-forward, left-sided centre-half and a left-back – go get them or go for gods sake go. Winners and Winners who detest losing is what we need.

I believe our current set-up isn't working. The manager and Steve Walsh seem to have to agree if a player is bought. We have seen the manager call out the board a couple of times now, firstly with Schneiderlin, and later with Sigurdsson. How can it be that, when he arrived, Koeman insisted on getting physical players in – Williams, Bolasie, Gueye and trying to get Sissoko. Fast forward 12 months, we are now after a completely different type of player – Sigurdsson, Rooney, Klaassen etc.

My own view is that we have a list of targets, and we seem to adopt a scatter gun approach to getting people in. There is no focus on where the team is short, no priority given to certain weak areas of the squad. The manager was in Portugal on deadline day FFS! It's as though the manager filled in a list and left the board to get players in.

This is madness to me – how can this work when the manager is so detached in the recruitment process? We are now left with an unbalanced squad, and no manager could produce miracles with this lot. In my opinion, without a couple of strikers and a winger, this squad would struggle no matter who was in charge.

This season, hyping up a 1-1 draw against 10-man Man City when, for most of the game, we where just about hanging on. Yes, new players and the excuse is to be patient.

No leaders, no direction and fucking worse, no light at the end of the tunnel. We may be living in hope to win a trophy but not to be competitive is a dreadful state to be in.

This will go one of two ways. Look forward to the reaction, if any, tomorrow. No reaction and that tells you all you need to know.

As for Sigurdsson, where is he supposed to play for an outlay of £45 million?

Can't agree with that. Any players, moreover those purchased this summer are good players. Not average or poor but good.

We have settled on a Director of Football model, and it is the coach who has to be able to have more that one plan up his sleeve.

Everton have simply picked the wrong manager, remember he agreed to the set up so was well aware that Walsh buys; he coaches. Time to start doing the latter, scant evidence of that to date.

Koeman has proven to be inept with two sets of players in transmitting his message across. Lukaku covered all manner of deficiencies last season, you just needed to scratch beyond the surface.

For me its not so difficult. You fit a system around the players you have; you don't impose a system on players who cannot execute it.

Like Danny said, why wasn't he in his office on TDD? He should've had the three stooges under lock and key until they got him the three players he said he needed.

So, if they don't step up, they're still in the team. Sure, if we get tonked tomorrow, and then again in mid-week, and then again next weekend, he might – just might – have to give Kenny a game. But otherwise, this is the team, there is no alternative. And no talk of changing tactics or playing the senior players in their best position.

We're doomed.

The players he has bought are good players. He needed, and still needs, more to create a balance. We are trying to at times play counter attack football away from home. To turn defence into attack quickly enough to be effective you need pace. We haven't got it. We can't press high because teams with pace will cut us to ribbons.

We have half a team pressing and half not. A good side will exploit the gaps that leaves in between the lines. In the short term, I would go 3-4-3. Only one defensive midfielder (Gana) to sit in front of back 3. Holgate right of back 3.

Martina and Baines as wide left and right of midfield four negates the need for two defensive mids. Klaassen in advanced centre mid.

Martina, Sandro, Klaassen, Calvert-Lewin are not Premier League quality.

Why spend £45 million on Sigurdsson when he has nothing to aim at?

Hopefully it will be his last game in charge. Time for Mr Unsworth to step up.

Are all managers daft? If you play an unbalanced side you are going to struggle, if your going to play a team of old gezzas you are going to fail. The introduction of youth generally has a positive effect on the team, discounting them is a big mistake.

Koeman comes across as an amateur with regards creating a strong team and relying on captains and senior pros in the hope that they make a difference rather than him having to earn his money.

Supporters call on Koeman to 'fuck off'.,"Koeman calls on senior players to 'step up'".

Supporters call on Koeman to 'fuck off'.,,,1,13:24:28,,217.43.75.247,ok,3413,09/16/2017 13:24:28,Duncolatory,reader,, 850991,35495,toffeeweb,16/09/2017,John Pierce,johnstuartpierce@gmail.com,"Calling in the senior players?

This is the same patriarchal shithousery as usual. You treat the squad as one not some bullshit to cleave the squad into factions.

Erm lads "if you're over 24 stand here, if you're played over 100 games stand here, if you still wear nappies don't worry I don't expect you to understand and you can go away, and feel excluded from my secret squirrel shit I'm telling the big lads".

Its' just archaic and from a forgotten era.

One message to the whole squad, harmonised with a clear objective. If there is one way out of Sunday's slaughter its youth and energy, and yet by exclusion he just tells them he has no trust or faith in them.

Manager not recruitment

The side is unbalanced and that is down to the manager and the Director of Football, I find it strange that clubs pay managers a fortune yet appoint Director of Football or worse committees to buy the players. I know this happens in the rest of Europe, but if their is a conflict of opinion between the Director of Football the directors and the manager then you have got problems.

I don't think the players aren't trying but it sometimes looks that way, and now he has had this meeting what happens if over the next couple of weeks and months he doesn't get the response he is looking for.

I have heard him say numerous times after games we were not aggressive enough, well the answer is make them be more aggressive on the training pitch. He has also said we start to slowly again then tailor your training to start every practice match at a high tempo.

I think we just might surprise a few people tomorrow. 2-1 Calvert-Lewin, Rom and Rooney.

These players, with Rooney are stifled as they don't fit together. It wasn't rocket science. The farce of the Giroud pursuit as well.

I do blame Koeman. He does sign the players. It is a joint agreement. The whole scouting smacks of laziness. Too much emphasis put on premier league experience has led to us overpaying for average players and, in my mind, passing over players who could well be better for us.

Too little consideration of how the team will play has left us in this mess. No pace, no guile and a team hoping for a Sigurdsson free kick or Rooney to do something.

I think we've brought good players - in that I believe the players level is not as bad as they have shown to date. Obviously we have some serious gaps still.

I'm not a massive fan of Barkley and don't see how he would improve this team. He would be just as lost as the rest of them, like he was for the majority of last season under Koeman, even with Lukaku in front of him.

As John states, Koeman is trying to play counter attacking football with no pace. When attacking, he's using a system where we need a target man, with no target man. It's baffling and I hope the senior players have told him as much.

So as I say, I believe the players are good signings in general but it's his tactics, etc that are not giving them any chance.

John (#17). I don't disagree with what you're saying as is similar to the point I was trying to make.

Pickford is a good keeper, if still inexperienced at the top level. Sandro is a young man in a new league and country, Calvert-Lewin is a baby in football terms.

Our best player has gone. Our second best has been pilloried by manager and a significant proportion of the fan base. Great times.

Last Saturday in the Lower Bullens I heard the first shout of "your shite" to a miscontrol and poor pass directed at...Tom Davies

What the fuck gives st this club? Where has all the hype and razzmatazz gone? All the bigtime Charlie talk – where is it? I'll tell you where it is it has gone – the same way as the stadium down the fucking pan.

Those in charge, whoever it may be, know they have fucked up with appointing Koeman but they are too skint or too scared to fire him.

This shit is about to get much worse and go much deeper into the season than any of us could imagine or want. Nobody will act and press the eject button on Ronald Koeman and I fear the worst.

If we get done over really bad tomorrow at Man Utd, the board won't act and guess what – neither will the Everton fans. We lap this shit up.

Imagine how long Koeman would last across the park. That's the difference between big club mentality and the weak feeble excuse of a club like ours.

As for not signing the players, he may not have put the pen in their hand to get them to sign the contract like Moyes did, but he they are his selections. If Koeman wants a player and Walsh doesn't, Walsh still signs him. Walsh works for Koeman in terms of signings for the first team. Outside of the players Koeman wants, Walsh is in charge of transfers.

The manager doesn't buy the players. If he does, as you say, why didn't we end up with any of his well publicised targets on TDD? Why didn't we even get someone in on loan?

I agree that the players we have bought are good players. However, they can't showcase their talents currently because we are so dimensional in the final third. We have no pace, no width and nothing up front!

You can be the best midfielder in the world, but if you have got no pace and movement either on the flanks or up front, you are going to struggle...

He could drop back and cover for Baines, he protected the back 4 and he was cool as a cucumber compared to panicking Jessies like Williams and Schneiderlin. Criminal, bloody criminal.

Certainly, until the offence can be improved the defensive side of things has to be rock steady which it hasn't been for these last 3 games.

They will need some good breaks tomorrow to get something, maybe 3 or 4 penalties but then you need to get someone in the opponents penalty box first with the ball at their feet.

Realistically though, Koeman has to raise the belief in the team that they are good enough to compete with these top teams but one shouldn't have to tell that to the ''senior'' players.

He plays them so they must have a say. Hopefully they stand up to him, they must know enough between them to know the problems?

At least he's acknowledging we have major problems, quite surprised me, hopefully he's prepared to listen if they do speak out. I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures, they can actually bring out hidden depths in a person; only when faced with adversity, do we see the true character of a man.

Walk in that dressing room Ronald, look at Martina, and say the immortal words" This is Everton", whilst kicking him a la Sparta down the hole you put Niasse.

At least he hasn't buried his head in the sand, like Martinez; there may be hope yet.

Err, not for Everton they are not... until they prove me wrong... and the clock is ticking on theirs and Koeman's futures.

If he can't turn things around then his stock will have fallen and he will struggle to get another top job. If we sack him, he will walk into another top job straight away with some excuse about Everton; make him stay and sort it out!

Yes we have a new team that needs to gel but he was surprised by Spurs and now by Atalanta. I was too but I work in an office not coaching a team.

Also agree with comment about Barry, you don't get to play that many PL games by being shite. The most booked player in PL history knew when he had to take on for the team. Something we could do with now.

Who actually signs the deals for transfers on behalf of our club I do not know but ultimately all deals will be sanctioned by the board on the recommendation of personnel within the club designated to do that. The manager/coach has numerous responsibilities primarily, of course, 'coaching/managing' his squad, and I perceive the DoF as the person (not exclusively) delegated with the primary task of identifying targets, and to help him (the coach) with that. He will have his own network working for him and will also share some admin roles as set out by his board.

Where one can lay the blame for the lack of success in chasing our primary targets (Sigurdsson excepted if painfully protracted) I would be unsure. Koeman has to remain proactively involved in the task right up to the final whistle, and I would assume the scouting team barely sleep throughout the window (ha ha), and the board need to get their fingers out and get deals done as swiftly as possible once a target has been identified who seems agreeable in joining.

So far as Giroud goes, there was much discussion generated on here highlighting many different views (I was very much in favour although not particularly optimistic), but there was very little actual rumour or talk about an actual offer that I recall so was not at all surprised when a deal never materialised let alone fell through. Indeed, I recall no early comments from Koeman about the guy at all but most saliently, surely we must have other plans up our sleeves (and I discount the loan attempt for Okaka as a serious plan B).

There should have been a driving force pushing up to and throughout the window trying to get deals done. Who was doing that I really do not know, but rightly or wrongly I believe RK in his role as manager/coach should have been that driving force, and the most incorrect signals were being sent out on DD. We should have seen the light when he waltzed off on holiday right after getting the job with us, but that is water under the bridge now.

I have rambled off your topic a bit here, Colin, sorry about that - but you get my point I hope.

It really is a case of playing players in the rightful position.
We have two/three no10s. Only one can play, the other on the bench. Thats not hard.

We have no geniune wing backs at the club, expect for Coleman. Even when he's fit we still have no left wing back. So don't play 3-5-2 or any variant of.

Play 4-1-4-1, play 4-3-3, play whatever along as you have the personnel. I guarantee the balance brings cadence and assurance. We'd be fine with the correct players in their right roles in the top third.

I'm not for one minute saying 2/3 centre forwards shouldn't have been bought in. But we pay Koeman the big bucks to handle that problem and find a workable solution. To date, abject failure

I would, if given those hallowed reigns, play either 4-4-2 or a geniune 4-3-3 (wideand high), and stick to it as base from which to work from.

Koeman is talking absolute shite and it's plain to see he hasn't got a bloody clue how to turn things round. He reckons the senior players are letting us down so his answer to that is to push out the younger players and... Erm.. Stick with the senior players who are letting us down. Now, is that tactical genius or what?

Ffs, we are paying this charlatan? ٤m a bloody year! Will someone please put him out of our collective misery before it's too late?

1. We have a decent keeper now with good back up.

2. We have no right back and who knows if Seamus will ever be the same again.

3. Baines was a great raiding left back but has lost the legs to get up and down. He's 32 and we have no back up.

4. Keane

5. Funes Mori. Jags now 35 and Holgate and Williams 33 as back up.

That leaves six places we have good options for defensive midfielder and a wealth of talent for the number ten position and Bolasie when fit as a wide player with the rest as back up. We are actually critically short of about five players every single game. Is it any wonder we're getting our arses kicked?

We're in the richest league in the world and we're playing the cream of them with no premier standard full backs, average central defenders. No wide players or main striker. We should have set out to spend all of the TV bonanza and perhaps a bit more. Moshiri is clearly in it for the money, like that other parasite who's plagued us for the last 20 years.

He is the one who brought these players in, picked them to play and selected the tactics. Now he's blaming everyone but himself, the owner should have him in the office giving him a severe warning.

But then he's already said his job is safe while good old Bill is in charge, and that's why while Kenwright still here we will always be a Mickey Mouse outfit.

Too easy in the Premier League 2 is it??? Go say that to David Unsworth He fucking won the title beating all the so-called super teams with our youth players!! I hope he smacks you in the teeth, Koeman, you disrespectful arsehole!!

So does he recognise names like Colin Glassar, Kevin Tully, Steve Ferns, Paul Tran, Michael Kenwright (I did that on purpose), etc?

Even last season when we were playing pretty well, we could never last a whole match.

The essentials just aren't there and it's very difficult to see where they're going to come from.

The simplest thing would be for Koeman to be fired this evening, and either run the team as a collective with the players deciding who plays and how (could that really be any worse than what we've seen this season) or Unsworth gets to give them a 2 hour briefing tomorrow morning – actually if he's smart, he takes the U-23s and plays them, with Pickford in goal.

If he gets sacked after tomorrow's game he'll blame the sale of Lukaku and the failure to replace him. His response to being sacked will be "okay, Where shall I go next? He does not give a fuck. Why should he, we've made him a millionaire before he's even started his tenure as manager.

It's a bizarre turn of events but he'll leave and we'll be left holding the baby. He annoys me more than Martinez. He frustrates me more than Moyes did. He's about as good as Mike Walker. He's an ex footballer with no acumen of how to set up a team to win. What's his problem with Kenny??

He'd rather play Martina who is shite simply because he is older. The man is deluded. I don't care how we do tomorrow because I want him sacked. He is not a Premier League manager and I want rid of him and his entire team of staff and he can take Martina & Stekelenburg with him. I think the players will tell him tomorrow what they think of him. It won't make good viewing.

The problem is while Kenwright wallows in his goodness the proper clubs are getting farther away from us. It's all good and well being the People's Club, but don't forget the fans are the most important people.

Get rid of this clown.

However, once we are out this crisis, I desperately want to see him starting all of those three on a regular basis and bring Barkley back as the centre-piece of the side. If this means ditching Rooney, Sigurdsson and / or Klaassen then so be it. I see Spurs are using a diamond in midfield and think that may be a good option for us at the moment- so for the time being I would go with the following.

Pickford

Holgate
Keane
Williams

Martina
Baines

Gueye
Klaassen
Sigurdsson

Rooney
Mirallas

You couldn't make that up.

I expect the team to be fully prepared , in fact Uncle Bill should send him a memo.

"Dear Ronald, don't forget to prepare the team before matches, if at all possible."

At least Martinez had a good first season; Koeman's first season was creditable, but we weren't exactly playing exciting football – Martinez had us doing that. Now Koeman has taken us to a level like the darkest days of Martinez, season 3, without the intervening mediocrity of Martinez, season 2.

My biggest fear is that the board will keep faith with Koeman until it's too late.

Moyes, for all is faults, should be given some credit. He stabilised the club and created an organised team on a much lower budget.

His time has been and gone though, football has moved on. Saying that though I'd be surprised if his team weren't prepared and fully drilled. The defence would be solid. (Say nothing about entertainment though.)

Martinez brought a much more exciting approach but neglected the defensive and fitness sides of the game, and so was caught out. He also seemed unable to learn or react intelligently to adversity, going into his shell rather than admitting problems and tackling them.

However, both of them brought something very good to the club – the first, survival, the second, excitement (until the wheels came off).

Koeman has brought a miserable attitude, appears to have bought terrible players at huge prices, has alienated both the players who were already at the club and the young players (who have actually been winning in the competitions they play in). So we have the dourness of Moyes, without the resilience, fitness or spirit, with the inability to learn of Martinez.

It is perfectly clear that he hasn't got a clue, and didn't even give us the fun of Martinez Season 1. Everton FC is now in the relegation zone. And I don't see any prospect of leaving it with this man in control.

Koeman Out, NOW!!!

We will be adrift at the bottom of the league by next January. He has to be replaced NOW!

To clarify, many more signings would have accrued and therefore the pressure would have increased on those already comfy at Finch Farm. Hence the lack of effort for self-serving reasons and fuck all being given for the fans and the club who pay their wages.

Anyone else think the latest mega-influx of players may again have frightened the indigenous poor old millionaire dears still poncing about at Finch Farm, regardless of when they joined us? I say poncing about because the lack of effort, intent, fitness and ability to play an accurate pass of even 10 yards is painfully apparent.

Pickford
Keane Wiliams Jagielka
Holgate Schneiderlin Gueye Baines
Sigurdsson
Rooney Sandro

Or 4-3-1-2:

Pickford
Holgate Keane Williams Baines
Gueye Schneiderlin Besic
Sigurdsson
Rooney Sandro

The best we'll do is a 0-0 draw, as we are not going to score from open play.

It's Everton who are the common denominator here making very average teams look good because we offer nothing to challenge them - - nothing at all. Before you make any changes in your life, you have to look hard at yourself and see who you are and what you stand for. Not sure Koeman's Everton quite know who or what they stand for.

Big big decisions to be made at this Club if we want to move any way forward.

I would also be happy with Howe or Allardyce. The former is courageous and calm and has an eye to how the game should be played; the latter is consistently underrated – apart from the Bolton team already discussed on here, I thought he had Palace looking very impressive before he quit and he has publicly respected Everton.

Above all, I want to see a man in charge who will have Everton playing as Everton should. That does not mean titles and trophies straight away, but it does mean playing with style, grace and bravery – or trying to, at least. It can be done.

I know there is scope to dismiss all of the above names, but we can't carry on embarrassing ourselves and our heritage.

Our full backs: Baines gets some stick lately but if you actually watch him play his defending had greatly improved as has his reading of the game. His forward play has diminished but perhaps that's due to not having anyone in front of him.

Time for Koeman to sort out this mess now. He can't expect to shoehorn players into an 11 and expect it o work. At least Martinez had a way to play and encouraged pass and move. The first time in maybe 30 years that we've had money to spend to reshape the team. What a waste.

And Walsh?? I don't get it. Who is actually in charge of player recruitment? What other top 15 team would of given Martina a contract? Will Klaassen ever show anything? Will Sandro ever score a goal?

At this rate so far this season the so called favourites for the drop will be increasingly confident of doing us home or away.

Will the bad run finish soon? It's as if the season has been spiked already..

One day..

James, you're right there. However, we should be asking why, and what's being done about it, by Koeman and the coaching staff. Davies had an excellent run in the team and was not profligate at all. Lookman we've seen less of but the drop off is apparent.

Whilst understanding as much as I can without being in the melee, the demands of Premier League football today, I get rather irked at this recent concept that all younger players must inevitably have a serious drop in form.

It shouldn't be a given, and the main problem many do face, a higher vulnerability to fatigue, should be managed as well as is reasonably possible, by rotation. To be labelling Davies to the press as now struggling, after what he contributed last year, is commensurate with the kind of man management we've come to expect from Koeman.

In the case of Davies right now, I guess he's falling prey to nerves, at the confusion of what Koeman's "Trying" to do with them – much like the rest of the team.

Kim, I suggest anyone that hasn't watched Koeman's United pre-match press conference, go and do so. The smarmy arrogance and demeanour around the Palace comments is a little unsettling when set against the recent backdrop.

A goalkeeper - we got one and a good 'un at that.
A Centre Half - we got one and he looks ok to me.
A Left sided defender - who could cover for Baines - No.
Cover for Coleman - Cuco ? Never a right back. (A Loan might have been better for someone else).
Centre Forward - No.
Cover for said Centre Forward - Sandro - erm not sure at all.
Creative No 10 - Siggurdsson and Rooney - not bad at all.
A Midfielder who could chip in with 10 plus goals - Klassen - not done it yet but would in a team playing well - a luxury player, who has a great first touch and a football brain.
Winger - Vlasic.

So the so called great window when you look at it appears very iffy despite the money spent. EFC knew Lukaku was going and if someone really had no Plan B if Giroud said no, then the club is run by idiots. I suspect it is and has been for a while.

The following players needed to be replaced: Funes Mori (not good enough), Jags (Well past his best), Barry (Great brain but too slow), Robles (Jittery at best), Lennon (Not good enough), Mirallas (Not good enough), Barkley (Over hyped and found out - no football brain - any one offering 㿅m plus bite their hands off).

As a person I find Koeman aloof, arrogant and someone with ideas above his station, ie, thinking he will manage Barca one day. He is Moshiri's man - he is not Kenwright's and for me therein lies the problem. I kid you not, Kenwright would have Moyes back in a heartbeat.

The club is split into two camps from what I see on the pitch and the way the window was handled. 3 players Koeman wanted never materialised and he knew it was going to happen; that's why he went on holiday to play golf. He did not want to be around when Kenwright and Walsh screwed up. Also the fact he read from a prepared statement about Rooney, told me he was no longer in charge of his own destiny, The non performances of the players lately confirm it.

Can't wait for the biography - How EFC Ruined My Chances of Barca Job.

Don, you are on the money. Too many losers in our great club, so no progress will be made til they are gone. Very sad.

Nigel, has he ever had one? I think he's too cool to be wound up by Williams. Vice versa, Williams. There is that little spat they had on the pitch. My dough's on Williams. Sportsman's bet?

Can't say I would be overjoyed if that happens but might be a short term option to at least stabilise the club while we look for a long term and sensible appointment.

Taxi for The Project.

Anyway, I imagine that if Koeman goes it will be Unsworth, if only to start with.

Let's hope for a magical turnaround tomorrow.

As to whether Koeman is safe given the Board we have, he wouldn't be safe once the fans at Goodison turned against him. And if the pattern of the last three games continued tomorrow and on Saturday (forget the League Cup), surely the fans would turn. Because it's one thing to lose - quite another to turn in three consecutive shocking performances. Palace haven't done that, no other Premier League team has.

As Neville Southall said in the Summer, patience will be required. Things will improve.

Meanwhile, reading some of the negative, unrealistic shite posted on here is too much for me. I'm taking a break from this website till the New Year at the earliest and will leave you miserable lot to argue amongst yourselves. I'm out of here.

Man city play 4:1:3:2 . 5 defenders 5 attackers, they have their bolase in sane or sterling, then they have their 2 string pullers in KDB and silva. Plus two pacey strikers up top.

We need to copy their system, drop the 2 defensive mids. Morgan needs.dropping, Gaye is our number one CDM.

Rooney klassen siggy cannot all play.together too slow. Pick two to pull the strings.

Lennon or lookman have to play that bolase roll. To give pace and width attacking options.

Up top take your pick from DCL Sandro or Niasse, but we have to play with two.

Back 4 Keane jags Baines, and either coco or Kenny. Williams simply not good.enough.

However expect to see 4:2:3:1 at old Trafford, same team same shit and we get pumped 5:0 Lusaka hatrick

In the mean time Tuchel is also available. https://www.transfermarkt.com/trainer/verfuegbaretrainer/statistik

I hope we smash Man Utd because I will be the first on here.

Brilliant stuff Karl, don't over-react whatever you do.

It's all too often the case, for a manager to blame the players, but let's face facts, apart from a couple, they are all his buys.

It's so easy to blame someone else, but come on, man up, and take the blame yourself, you bought, and chose most of the team on match day, yet you blame them.

Okay, players have a lot to answer for, but playing out of position, etc, is not down to them. Stand up, Ronald Koeman, and take it on the chin, it's down to you!

The terms of the deal were that, if Barca wanted him back within the specified time period, we had to sell at the pre-determined price!

They did -– we had to!

Nothing to do with Koeman – not his choice – not his decision!

Exactly like the whole Barkley debacle being endlessly summed up as a simple "He wants to leave", which applies a very different slant onto a very condensed version of events.

The idea of Koeman gathering the senior players together for a discussion as if it were a project management meeting is ridiculous. Then as the project manager to publicly start apportioning blame to his 'foremen' is quite simply wrong. It's a sign of weak management.

Koeman needs to do his job and cease blaming others. The club has a successful blueprint in the U23 set-up and way in which they play footie, why not adopt that ? There would also be seamless, time efficient transition from U23 to 1st team and reduced wastage re: resources.

Koeman just ask and I'll be happy to school you in project management for starters. Meantime a little analysis to assist re: "senior players" quid pro co:

Stekelenburg is a liability. Lacks presence, nervy, poor distribution, does not command his area, he's poor, it must unsettle the defence.
Jagielka never was or ever will be skipper material. He can only play the RCB position. He too has poor distribution, stop him passing out.
Baines form is too variable, simply not good enough for a team with top CL aspirations. Great 5 years ago, average now.
Williams - huge disappointment, hoped he would become skipper but is generally woeful and so slow.
Schneiderlin . big problem, too many negatives to list he is the antipathy of the progressive footie we should be playing. Furthermore he causes confusion in defence. Re-invent as CB in a '3 system' or better, sell !
Rooney . can no longer play #9 however he still passes well, has vision and tackles as good as anyone else. Tell him you want him to perform a Pirlo type role and make him skipper.

Final word Koeman's comments re: the U23 players are disgusting. Not content with destroying the confidence of the 1st team now he's after the ressies too. Koeman is a very poor manager which ever way you look at it.

Barry is being sorely missed. He maybe slow but still has a better football brain than anyone we have at present. Like Funes Mori, Barkley suffered from Martinez's lack of coaching skills and again from Koeman's weird and wonderful tactics, and the same goes for Mirallas who still possesses one of the few goal scoring threats left at our club.

All these players would, I suspect, perform at a far higher level under a coach who really knows what he's doing and has a real tactical brain and knows how to set up a balanced team with an effective game plan that allows for in game changes as and when required.

Fluidity of movement /formation is an important part of the modern game but it is a coaching skill well beyond Koeman and his equally robotic brother. Don't be too hasty in dismissing international players, who are still seen as integral components in their nations' squads.