Keane hospitalised with infected leg

The events at Goodison and down on the Farm get more Ridiculous with each passing second. Words have not yet been invented to properly describe it.

Vlasic sounds like he wants to jump from a sinking ship!

Disappointing on both counts. Vlasic has been one of our better players so far. I find it hard to believe that he's throwing his toys out the park though. From everything I've read, he seems an exceptionally driven individual.

Keane has been a let down for me. I was pleased with the signing but he's not really impressed in a Blue shirt. Hopefully he gets fit and comes good because heaven knows what has happened to Ashley Williams over the last 6 months.

Hard times being an Everton fan!

Let's get it right, Vlasic has been erratic. He is capable of sublime moments. Some fantastic dribbles, but he switches off, and when he does it has lead to goals. He needs to learn.

If I was picking a team that had to be relied on to win me a game, I don't think he'd be in my first XI. However, if we pulled up the table and we were winning games, I would start picking him. Right now, when the pressure is cranked up to max, we need error-prone players off the pitch.

That said, there's nothing we can do about the back 4.

Steve, the trouble is we have error-prone players everywhere we look from old heads like Rooney to young guns like Davies. At least Vlasic is capable of creating something.

Bit odd this with Nik. Maybe he is not too happy about Koeman leaving after he got him in.

I thought he was sending out good vibes just recently about being with us. It must be a bit disappointing though to find oneself stuck in the middle of this mess but I am surprised at this if it's as it sounds. I was surprised not to see him in the squad for Leicester so it will be interesting to see if he is selected on Thursday.

He seemed like a bit of a panic buy when we got him and I was pretty sceptical at the time but have been pleasantly surprised since, and thought he could become a key figure us.

That's correct Eddie, but if you were in charge wouldn't you go for what you know and what you trust right now?

If you wanted to play two wingers, then that is Mirallas and Lennon. It's then one of Vlasic or Lookman, and he went with the lad he knows best. Lookman would probably have got on 2nd half but for Unsworth ditching the wingers.

Steve Ferns, he made a mistake for one goal – just like Williams, Schneiderlin, Holgate, Kenny, Baines, Davis – the list goes on. He is better as a winger than Lennon and Mirallas.

Steve @4 Totally agree, Vlasic can be brilliant, but as we have seen, totally switches off. He's a skilful lad, who can play upfront/wing, I'd like to see him given a chance at 9, against Lyon, what have we got to lose?

I'm in the minority it seems. Along with Unsworth and John Ebbrell.

I really like Vlasic but think Steve Ferns has a point. Unsworth is trying to make us more solid and opting for players who have the experience (like Rooney and Lennon) who are less likely to make a goal-conceding mistake.

The trouble is that at the moment the senior pros are not really playing any better than the young guns. In fact Rooney gives the ball away more than most.

I actually think Lennon did okay vs Leicester and in 45 minutes he should have had 2 assists, were it not for a bad decision by the ref and a bad airshot by Calvert-Lewin. At least he runs in behind.

As if things weren't bad enough. I wondered why Macca didn't play on Sunday. His tackling is missed as the other two and Schneiderlin do not have his tenacity.

Keane out is also a blow because they now have to go with two aging centre backs and Baines all past their prime. This is fast becoming Aniss Horribilus.

Tom

Sadly McCarthy has tweaked his hamstring again, it is suggested he will be out for a further 2 weeks. Thats why he didn't travel to Leicester.

Vlasic was fit to play? Appalling decision to leave him out altogether. We need a manager and fast!

Macca is the 21st century Darren Anderton.

It's just constant bad news at the moment. Biggest problem for us is obvious. We never replaced Lukaku with someone even half as good and unfortunately we can't sign a centre forward till January. Calvert-Lewin not good enough and it's unfair to expect him to step in and fill the void on his own because he's still quite young.

Don't know what's going on with Sandro. Had high hopes for him and although I love Niasse's attitude his ability leaves a lot to be desired. Bearing all this in mind we need to make ourselves hard to beat. Clean sheets need to be the priority and hope we might nick the odd 1-0 until we can get a striker (or 2) in in January. Because we have nothing up front it's putting the whole team under pressure because we have are on the back foot all the time.

When Joe Royle came in in 94 a few eyebrows were raised when he picked a midfield full of tough tackling midfielders & sacrificed flair players like Limpar (at least till we starting winning games and climbing the league.) At the moment we're too soft and need to get teams dreading playing against us.

Put Besic in midfield with Gueye and young Beni, rattle a few feathers and playing a pressing game & take a bit of pressure off our back 4. Add McCarthy to that if and when he's fit. Come January see where we're at, sign a couple of strikers and whatever else we might need. Bring back Onyekuru and Dowell if possible.

Sam Hoare (#12) – Could you imagine Vlasic doing even half of the things that Lennon did in the first half against Leicester? (rhetorical question)

Steven, you seem to have a real issue with Vlasic. You previously slated him on the live forum and now any thread you get the chance. I fail to see how a 19-year-old kid who has played a handful of games could have offended you so much.

Vlasic is a talent and the only player who has managed to get me mildly excited this season. No other player looks likely to beat a man or make something happen.

He was at fault for one goal in a game where we were useless all over the park and going to lose anyway. He has been our 2nd best summer buy behind Pickford. Save the slating for the many that deserve it. How he doesn't even make Unsworth's bench is beyond me.

Vlasic looks talented, yet when the team as a whole is so bereft of confidence, he isn't ideal.

He Will try to make cute passes and Nice dribbles, but It Will mostly come to nothing because of the team. Eventually he Will try a cute pass and mess it up as he is 19, and us being so poor, It will result in a goal.

But, It Will be the likes of Vlasic, Barkley, Lookman, Calvert-Lewin, and Davies who Will drag us out of this malaise.

Get Tuchel in. He Will use and improve these young lads.

Tom, you're right, it's all a horrible anus.

Chris (#19),

You are not alone in noticing this!! Very strange indeed, Maybe Steven is a Serbian

I'd fancy Unsworth's chances of looking more likely to beat a man than Vlasic, Chris.

Seriously, what are you all watching? Does someone have a clip of him beating a man? Or looking likely to? I must have missed that.

It's the same with Calvert-Lewin too. He cannot win a header, poor first touch, struggles to bring a ball down and I don't get why people keep saying he has bags of pace. He doesn't. Ask yourself this, would you prefer Calvert-Lewin or Anichebe from 6-7 years ago? There's not much in it and that's says a lot.

Age shouldn't matter, if you are selected in that 11, you need to be good enough in my opinion and be able to perform.

They are not the answer, not at the moment.

We need a fit James McCarthy and to persist with Lennon, Mirallas and Lookman on the sides of midfield and give Niasse and Sandro a run of games together.

Steve, I have seeb hum beat a man with skill and look neat and tidy. Also seen him give the ball away.

But your agenda seems odd.

The fact is everyone has been poor, hence the position. But the 19.and 20 year olds who have started few and made some sub appearances, out of position and with little to work with are not outros problem and shouldnt be the focus of criticism.

Put Keane in a consistent, functional defense and I think you'll see a significant upswing in form. So far this season he's been jostled between a back four and a back five, paired with Williams, paired with Jagielka, paired with Holgate, in addition to Holgate, Martina and Kenny all being rotated in at right back. It's no wonder he's looked unsettled.

I'm a bit surprised that nobody seems to be saying the obvious here that Keane's less-than-stellar form is likely a result of playing with this damaged foot for five weeks. He has taken a lot of stick that turns out to be somewhat unjustified. I still rate him highly and hope this infection clears up quickly (they can take weeks), because the last thing we need right now is a depleted backline.

Fran #21, Tuchel is an extraordinary developer of young players (Weigl, Pulisic and Dembele at Dortmund) and he'd be ideal with our youngsters. He's tactically brilliant, which we need. But he's also reputed to be an arrogant prick, as cold and distant as Koeman, and has a history of difficult relations with ownership, players and fans. He lost the locker room at Dortmund even while winning the Cup. Anybody who wants a heart-on-the-sleeve type of manager will find Tuchel distasteful.

Steven #25, you've missed a half-dozen lovely Vlasic moves. (Sorry I can't send you clips off my DVR.) In fact, he's the best we have at beating people off the dribble, except perhaps Lookman. And yes, I've seen him do some of the same things Lennon did Saturday. He's young and inconsistent, but the talent is obviously there. However, your agenda is already well established.

Mike 28, I read something along those lines about Tuchel. I agree that might be a problem but a much smaller problem than what we have now. Perhaps we can get him a therapist so he can open up more as manager? LOL

Among the other names mentioned, only Ancelotti and Howe interest me, though Ancelotti will be a short term fix while Howe has been underwhelming this year.

How does a player at a top flight club manage to get an infection in a cut in this day and age? They're molly coddled to within an inch of their lives.

I was told recently that it costs sixty quid a day in food for Kevin De Bruyne. When the dietician at another club can spend that much on one player, why can't Everton have capable medical staff?

Oh wait, it's Everton.

Keane , if part of a two centre back partnership with someone like Mee would solve our central defence problems.However, then we need a fully-fit Coleman, possibly Garbutt, Davies, Vlasic , Lookman, Niasse or someone better. An interested and involved number 10, Barkley perhaps, or if Sigurdsson thinks he could bebothered to play for a club that paid almost £50 million for him.
Oh, I forgot we also need a manager who can organise and motivate an under-performing bunch of relegation material players into a team.
There you are, all solved.

Kieran #30, infections happen. Doesn't have anything to do with how much money is spent on medical staff. Ascensio missed Real Madrid's CL opener with an infected hair follicle from shaving his legs -- ridiculous (and hilarious) but not uncommon. NFL players here in the states have been knocked out by staph infections even though the teams spend beacoup bucks on medical resources.

Beginning to think this club is cursed. No, I'm not joking!

Agree with Mike, infections happen, my wife had sepsis last November when we had a harmless trip to London, apparently it could have killed her, 5 days in hospital and a month recovering.

Nikky Vlasic think he's got some 'Get Out Quick' clause in his contract, just in case, well.. what has happened (that we're doing sh*!).. happens? You know what they say about sinking ships and rats! And just ask Joe Pesci what happens to rats!!!

Rick,

That is true of Keane. He is good within the box where space is compressed and on defending set pieces. He is slow laterally and cannot turn and is easily exposed outside the 18. Mee, Lowton, and Heaton covered for a lot of his errors. That said, he is still a good back and if paired with someone more mobile who can get outside the 18, like Funes Mori, he should prove himself to be a long term regular for Everton.

Interesting comments Jim, I cannot disagree with what you say, and bow to your superior knowledge of Burnley last season, I couldn't be bothered to watch them beyond match of the day.