Allardyce: Rooney and Sigurdsson can't play together

Sigurdsson is a skilful, effective, excellent footballer who can orchestrate a team where all the component parts exist. He's the chief reason Iceland (male 20-30 years population about 20,000) are now an international power in UEFA.

The fact that the component parts existed even at Swansea says all that needs saying about the total bollocks our esteemed (by Moshiri alone) DoF made of the summer window, and the January one to date, unless Moshiri has tied Walsh's hands of course. There's loads of great players who are miles away from the pace department, but if he's given the still missing basics behind and in front of him Sigurdsson, and we, will flourish.

Does it take actual relegation to get Moshiri to extract his head from his arse in realising just who is total crap in his, erm, hierarchy?

Now if he can only figure out that Wayne can play that deep-lying midfield position if there's a ballwinner next to him (Davies, Gana, or Baningime) and Schneiderlin is on a bus to somewhere. Anywhere.

There are many many issues with this absolute oaf but can anyone explain why he's speaking like he has nothing to do with the team?

Sigurdsson may cover a lot of ground but he lacks pace and usually loses out in a 50/50 tussle for the ball.

Now all Big Sam needs is to realise that the fulcrum of the midfield problem is Schneiderlin who lacks desire, pace, can't find a blue shirt with a pass, and constantly puts the defence in trouble.

When Rooney has played further back in midfield, he has had far more impact on the game and that is where he should be playing, preferably in a midfield three. It gives us the control and vision we are sorely lacking in midfield. I would have said a midfield three of Gueye holding, Rooney and McCarthy but his horrible injury has robbed us and the player of that opportunity unfortunately.

With Rooney further back there is no reason we can't play Sigurdsson further up in the same team. To really make it tick we need to invest in an attacking left back to overlap Sigurdsson, much like Baines and Pienaar of old.

Whoever signed Rooney (and I think we all know who was behind it) should be asked to pay Rooney's wages for the remainder of his contract.

Rooney gets 1 pass in 10 right and invariably and inexplicably gives it to the opposition. When we talk about our players being unable to make a 5-yard pass, he is the main culprit probably because his head is still in the bar from the night before.

I also agree with sentiments regarding Schneiderlin, another Man Utd reject. They must love us.

As far as Steve Walsh goes, we are all wondering why he wasn't sacked before Koeman. He must have something on someone because he is the worst example of a Director of Football I have seen.

We haven't got a single box-to-box midfield player on the books .

I agree with you about Walsh and Rooney. But we do have box-to-box midfielders. Klaassen and Davies are both more in that realm. But Sam must have his six man defensive line, so a combination of Schneiderlin, Gana and McCarthy has been his first priority. Now that there is no McCarthy, Gana will be back in there.

It's the idiot version of the 4-2-3-1. Whereas Man Utd play with Matic and Pogba as that 2, with the idea being that Matic is the holder and Pogba gets forward, we just put two players out there that offer nothing but supposed defense. Of course Schneiderlin doesn't even offer that, yet continues to be selected.

Rooney comes in, drops deep to receive the ball and goes further up field to support attack, sets up a goal. Next thing out of Sam's mouth is he and Schneiderlin can't be in the team together. No, it doesn't need to be Rooney. But it could be Klaassen or Davies or really anybody other than Schneiderlin.

Remember that Allardyce was sacked by The FA as England manager for shooting his smug mouth off, not for actually doing anything.

So far at Everton he has spent more time running us down than talking us up or at least singling out the players who did anything useful for praise.

If Allardyce's public utterances are in any way shape or form a reflection of what is said behind closed doors then he has already alienated the dressing room. Possibly deliberately so. He appears, to me, to be a "pay-off manager", and a well practised one at that.

He'll take his 30 pieces gleefully for his severance and be on a Caribbean cruise before "The Gushing One" has delivered his eloquent "It is with deep regret" speech from Finch Farm.

We just might scrape enough points to avoid relegation, but be prepared for a "Wimbledon Finish". Fasten your seat-belts because our horror show season is cranking up for the gory climax.

And Jay (#12), "box-to-box"? You just might want to take a look at Tom Davies, although he won't fulfil Allardyce's tick list as he's not over 30, well known from his heyday some years ago, and massively overpaid.

The guy has played 131 minutes in an Everton shirt and you already have an idea of what "he looks to be"???

Give it a rest.

The only thing worse are his 'lump it and hope' tactics.

Seems Allardyce is trying to outdo Koeman's legacy with the public stuff. I never have and never will see the point, not now in the days of supposedly lightweight, pampered personalities, nor in previous muddy-pitch hard man days.

Just get on with coaching and addressing the problems, please. Most fans can see the shortcomings without being told. It's easy to generalize problems for the media without insults, and few neutrals actually care what other managers say anyway. The team however, might not like it in principle.

No more excuse building, just get on with it.

I'll give him this, past master at it.

● Tosun, might not workout?

● Happy to get a "precious point" against a side that's won 1 in 21 games.

● Now we are relegation candidates.

● And our most creative players can't be in the same side.

We are a fucking shambles of a club.

Jackie (#1) is bang on; they can play in a 3 with one holding mid, provided we have width, its this obsession with playing 2 holders that's making the team so imbalanced and so static; as well as the absence of overlapping backs or wingbacks. I'm not saying management is easy, but the problem is there for all to see.

Allardyce is suppose to be the stat man. Well look at the goal record of the 2 holders (regardless who they are in the last 3 years) and it's miserly, then look at the goals conceded in the last 3 seasons, and it's 50+.

Rooney and Sigurdsson have got to play together; look at the goal that came from a Rooney cross, if he hadn't been forced to replace on of the holders with Rooney, do you honestly think one of them would've been that advanced to have made the cross?

I'm putting the mortgage on Schneiderlin & Gana vs Leicester and we'll see more of the same – what did Einstein say about doing the same thing over and over again?

Pretty agitating that we've reverted to playing Schneiderlin every game again, a la Koeman and Unsworth, and we are fragile again – but it's Rooney's and Gylfi's fault?

No, Schneiderlin isn't an effective defensive midfielder and you need a left-back in the left-back position.

I believe that Klaassen must have more enthusiasm than Schneiderlin, regardless of where he plays.

Schneiderlin needs to go play pub footy. Put Baningime in there. At least he fights and his passes find blue shirts.

As one or two of the more observant TW posters have commented recently, we have no left-back. That we have no cover for that position and are forced to play a very limited third choice right-back is a flaw so obvious that a lobotomised Robbie Fowler may deduce. Until this is remedied the team will simply be weakened and underperform.

If the identified player is not available until Summer, could a pre contract agreement be signed and then a statement be made so the fans are not left pondering whether apparent transfer inactivity is not the case.

By the way, we will not be relegated – it will be a mid-table forgettable season.

They are the creative source in the team and need to be played in each game. No coincidence that Rooney put the cross in for the goal on Saturday. What other team drops their leading goal scorer because they can't run?

Sigurdsson puts a shift in and should be kept in the team as he is a threat same goes for Niasse.

Next he will be dropping Walcott because he can't play with his back to goal or dropping Tosun because he doesn't chase down the channels. Walcott likes the ball in-front of him, it looks like Cenk likes to link up and have players run beyond him how is this going to happen?

How is Schneiderlin getting game time.
Why haven't we bought a left footer? No shots on target but the manager says we have to be more boring!

No structure to our play, we react to situations rather than impose ourselves.

Did anyone notice that it was Kenny's role to mark Rondon from corners, what is that all about.

From Walsh down the club is a joke. The whole thing is a mess.

Rooney lined up alongside Gueye in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but was given the free role of joining the attack. He broke up all their play when in the defensive role and scored a hat-trick, including THAT goal.

Meanwhile Sigurdsson was employed centrally in the 3 behind a lone striker. Rooney has the craft and experience to influence a game from deep and also the desire to come forward and get involved when the time is right. Instead we play 2 'holding' players who get a nose bleed if they cross the halfway line and are surprised when we get out numbered in attack.

We ripped them apart that night, so any notion that we can't play these guys in the same team is absolute rubbish.

As we know, Sigurdsson is one-paced but he also looks weak in general play. I think his lack of a pre-season remains a factor. Klaassen and Davies have been similarly poor this season. Schneiderlin's continuing selection is indeed a mystery

The lack of conditioning in our side is obvious and I don't understand it. We are always a half-yard off the pace and we get brushed off the ball more often than not.

Whether Allardyce should be saying any of this is a different matter. If he said nothing or told us that it was all going to be fine would we be pleased? As for players' morale, it's time that they took responsibility regardless.

Sick of the same over complicated shite now where there seems to be a unwritten law of having TWO holding midfielders that never cross the halfway line.

This is Rooney's swansong season, he certainly won't be starting many games next season (if he hasn't retired) as his legs have gone. Sigurdsson is our record signing and we should build our team around him.

Muppet!

We have to many players all around a similar level with that level not being good enough to wear are fucking shirt. To many players without commitment, will to win, love for the shirt and more than happy to pick up wages that have not been earned.

There is not a player maybe the keeper apart who I fear losing, any ten to fifteen players and imo it don't matter who, need shipping out, the problem being who would buy them?

Just totally reversed now!! All the worse for it.

We could choose someone else to play that role rather than Rooney, but then we lose his goals and assists where nobody is creating anything. Certainly not Sigurdsson – there probably is a player hidden there somewhere but it's bloody well camouflaged at present. Rooney has gained us 15 points this season himself in addition to 3 assists for goals. And before someone says "it is a team game", of course it is, but Real Madrid retain Ronaldo despite his patchy form these days he can do things at the age of 32 that other team members will not be able to do in their career.

As for the claim that his pass completion rate this season is 1 in 10, I will check that but his percentage success rate might be weakened by being one of the team with the nuts to look for a forward pass.

Yes 2-3-5 was fun. Until the Magyars came to Wembley and destroyed England by dropping their centre forward deep and having 2 attacking midfielders. Fun is good. Winning games is what we need now.

Blackpool were entertaining in their season in the sun. But where are they now. The same can be said of Wigan.

He knows damn well there are over ten worse teams in the league but making this point covers his ass for the crap being played.

He was never my man, and I honestly do think the Board bottled it but I will never accept we were in danger of going down bar a 'down tools' or massive injury crisis.

Agree with many, Schniederlin, what a shame to lose McCarthy the way we did.

Sack him now and give Silva a good look at the squad on a 6-month deal and see if he's up to it!?!?

No manager can come in and give players quality. I've read hundreds on here calling for Sigurdsson to play central, it may only be one game but, if that's what he offers, oh dear.

Encouraging start for Walcott. Not so encouraging for Tosun. I hope he learns quickly to hold the ball up instead of constant flicks and aimless back heels.

A good manager will get the best out of what he's got, just like good players will usually try and get the ball to their most dangerous team-mates. I'm afraid we are badly failing in both counts at the minute.

Lookman, never got a pass for 20 minutes after he created our goal at Anfield, and nobody tried to really bring Walcott, into the game on Saturday, until Rooney started hitting some ridiculous cross-field passes. It worked in the end, (although it was more like a cross, for our goal) so I was glad about that, but we haven't got a proper good midfielder at the minute, so maybe it's time to change the system again?

Like for like Sam, has got to start doing more with this squad of players, and he can start by playing players who don't agitate the crowd, because if he doesn't and the crowd do turn, then it's not going to do anyone any good, given how fragile most of these players seem to be?

Thanks for adding some balance to the thread.

Rooney 78% passing accuracy – same as Sigurdsson, plus he's our top goal scorer; so the general consensus is – to get shot of him.

Let's play him deeper alongside 1 defensive midfielder and see how that works out.

The guy I feel sorry for is Moshiri he has come in and allowed Walsh and Koeman to spend a fortune on players in the summer, so rather than pushing on from last seasons 7th we have regressed. He has 22 days into the window allowed Walsh again and Allardyce to spend nearly 㿞 million, and we were lucky to draw at home to the 2nd bottom team in the league.

If you were referring to me, I never mentioned Rooney, I was just pointing out that Allardyce said Bolasie isn't yet up to speed then why not play Lookman who is up to speed?

Yes we all hope Bolasie gets back up to speed, but tell me were was the sense in bringing him back into a starting position when, as the manager admits, he isn't up to speed.

Bolasie had a very bad injury and should have been nursed back – not thrown in after 12 months out and only 40 minutes in an Under-23 game.

With regards to Lookman and Bolasie, the Anfield cup tie cameo apart Lookman has looked a long way away from being ready for the Premier League, far enough to probably justify a loan move in fact if the situation was different.

So, because of that, Allardyce is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't regarding Bolasie. You only need to look at the number of commenters on these pages who are starting to throw blame at Kenny and Holgate to see what happens if a youngster doesn't turn out to be the next big thing from the off.

No effort, no heart everything that is wrong with the modern footballer. Would play anyone on that field instead of him.

I take myself back to the days when I hoped for an investor under the David Moyes era, now we have the money we have pissed it all up the wall it seems.

This team has been in a rot since Martinez second season and it will take more than someone just buying new players all the time as the answer. I remember Everton playing and winning without any recognised strikers because we had heart and direction.

The team lacks sufficient attacking impetus playing 2 holding midfielders at home. they are responsible for feeding the ball to the 3 in front of them but they don't do so. When one of the 3 does get the ball the lone forward or the other 2 with him aren't close enough so he has to either beat a man to make a pass or go backwards. Usually they go backwards.

We have a very poor defence. Williams has never done a decent job. Holgate is probably the best of a bad bunch. Both full backs are horrendously poor. Particularly Kenny who leaks goals

If I can see these tactics aren't working why can't the Management team.

Some good discussions about the insistence on playing two defensive midfielders each game. If we had both Baines & Coleman in their prime bombing down each wing then it makes sense as we need the two defensive midfielders to drop back in to cover their slots. But when we are playing with a makeshift left-back and Kenny at right back (who I think has done admirably this year in the role) that aren't offering pace, and aren't attacking as much as defending then we are basically just inviting teams onto us and putting ourselves under pressure, as their midfielders don't need to worry about wing backs or tracking back.

Either get a left-back with some pace and attacking guile to help change the dynamic, or stop playing that flaming formation and persisting with two defensive midfielders Surely the horrible man in charge, who is being paid a fortune, should be able to work that out.

Rooney should be a sub. He can have more impact for the team coming on with 30 minutes to go than from the start.

But as is so often repeated on here, Schneiderlin has to go. Yet with McCarthy's injury, not gonna happen.

Gueye and Davies, Klaassen, Bannigime
Sigurdsson
Walcott, Vlasic and Lookman or Bolasie
Tosun or Calvert-Lewin or Walcott

Rooney and Niasse on bench, always.

One thing is certain, it's a mess.

Sadly, Everton never look like having the desire to win a game right from the first whistle and that has been an alarming fact in so many games even before Allardyce.

Changing the personnel is always an option but not always a solution as we have painfully found out this season.

Whilst still in freefall Everton can still be in a relegation dogfight . Points of any description are becoming so precious so it is doubly important that Allardyce gets this defence sorted out.

Going behind so early against teams like Albion has become so frequent one wonders what is in the players minds when they come out of the tunnel.

If Gylfi and Rooney don't have the legs then perhaps they should be permanent substitutes.

They are getting paid so much money and yet don't have the ''pace'' (what a waste)

Rooney maybe but surely not Gylfi who is a lot younger.

This statement by Allardyce explains something we have known all season that Everton have no drive or pace from midfield that can create space for the forward players.

Gana can run a bit but far too often screws things up much like Tom Davies.

Okay, they may recover just enough to stay in mid-table but more new signings are inevitable before next season.

Car stops, driver asks pedestrian for directions to Manchester.

Pedestrian says "If I were you I wouldn't start from here."

Sam Allardyce walked into a club which had a large and unbalanced squad that was failing to perform to expectations.

Everyone knew we were light up top, all have now recognised that there is no right/left balance in the squad. I remember being shouted down by several regular posters last season when I made the case for a strong left-sided centre-back! How times, and opinions, change.

Another aspect is the dearth of players who have physical presence. Williams is one, whatever his other failings, and the only other was Gareth Barry. We also lack leadership on the pitch. These two qualities often go together.

The other issue is of course pace. Whoever manages the club needs to see these things and to address them.

Koeman signally failed to do this. Walsh's role, and the relationship he has with the manager, the owner and the chairman in decisions to buy and sell, needs to be understood before anyone calls for his head. The blame game is easy. We will not be told who recommended who, to whom, when and with what outcome so give yourselves a break and look at what is known.

Look at what the manager says and see if the decisions he makes make sense.

You can avoid defeat by not conceding. Sort the defence out. If you want to relieve pressure on the defence you need to have a strong midfield that can win the ball, retain quality possession and move the ball (quickly).

If you don't have pace at the back you have got to have pace up front. Get some into the team.

When you get the ball up front you have to keep it there by supporting the man on the ball. Second ball wins are critical.

Allardyce has bought a striker, two if you count Walcott, and he has bought pace in the latter. He plays Bolasie, a player I never rated, but he does have pace and Allardyce knows that he won't get faster and fitter if he doesn't play. A gamble.

He started McCarthy as soon as he could in preference to Gueye and Davies. Leave abilities to one side, these are physically weak players who are not capable of driving the side forward. Look at teams above and around us. Most have an emphasis on power in those positions. He plays Schneiderlin because, aside from his glaring faults he is stronger than the others. He doesn't rate Besic. He doesn't pick him. He doesn't think that Baningime is ready, although he has said positive things about him. He doesn't get picked.

The little we have seen of Tosun in a blue shirt suggests that he is one to get stuck in in a way that Calvert-Lewin and Niasse don't. They chase everything when we have lost the ball but rarely put a foot in. When fit Tosun will get the shout ahead of the other two.

Supporting the man at the point of an attack to develop second balls needs pace coming off the wings or from midfield. Potentially Walcott and Bolasie can do this, Allardyce has made it plain that Rooney and Sigurdsson can't. If he is to play one Sigurdsson, being the younger with excellent coverage stats, will be the man.

We don't know what funds were available this window. First chance Allardyce has had, he has gone for forward strength. To read the critics on here you would have expected to him to buy hairy-arsed grocks to play at the back and a couple of lumpen thugs to growl around midfield. He could have, he didn't.

We are in a precarious position in many ways. We were going down previously, we still could. I have been puzzled by just two things Allardyce has not done so far.

The first is to buy in a decent left-back. Unlike many posters I don't think that Baines is finished at this level, his defensive quality is still there and his creative abilities are never going to re-emerge as they did when he had Arteta, Pienaar, Osman and Cahill playing him in. We will need a strong replacement soon. The choice for the manager may be stop-gap, proven quality replacement not available, or stick with Martina until Baines is fit. His choice, he lives with it.

The other related puzzle for me is his persistence with a shape that doesn't give any cover to the vulnerability of Martina. This was most exposed at Spurs but it is a consistent feature. He must have his reasons. He has answered questions straight-forwardly and honestly in his public comments. That's what generated this thread, so how about a question on that from the hacks? At least they might shed some light for once.

All teams need a balance of power and guile. The great players have both. Rooney had that, if he is to play further back he needs power alongside him. His coverage stats are far from poor, it's that yard of pace, often generated from his first touch taking the ball away from challenge, which has gone.

None of our current crop of centre-backs, Williams and Funes Mori excepted, have power and/or pace. None of them will be permanent features in a future top-six side. Keane may be okay in a stronger unit. We are treading water at the back. Kenny has many qualities but he is lightweight, Garbutt is the same. Ironically I could see Galloway and Holgate making it at full-back but they are a long way from the finished article and Galloway may have missed the boat.

Looking at the U23 squad in general, there is little there. A strong LFC side ran over them and spoiled the party at the end of last season. Baningime could be the exception.

We can judge who Allardyce doesn't rate because he doesn't pick them when he has alternatives. Ramirez, Niasse, Lookman, Klaassen and Gueye fall into that category. I suspect that there are others there on sufferance.

He has said that the squad is too big. You can't give people the odd chance to develop in those circumstances. It needs slashing. It certainly doesn't need younger players named to encourage them by not giving them game time.

With a clean sheet I would start pre-season with these in the squad

Pickford, Stekelenburg
Coleman, Kenny
Williams, Funes Mori
Baines
McCarthy,
Rooney, Sigurdsson,
Walcott, Calvert-Lewin, Bolasie

maybe Keane, Holgate, Galloway, Gueye, Baningime.

I never agreed with the calls last year for half-a-dozen or more new players. We did that. Lots of mediocrity. Other teams have done the same in the past. We need to buy proven quality. two dominant centre-backs, with pace and one with a left-foot to start.

A strong centre-midfielder, left-sided would be a bonus, someone like, err, Gareth Barry. A left-sided wide midfield player would complete the shopping list.

Final comment re Lookman. Great potential, already very skilled and balanced. Never going to be a power-house but will flourish in a team that has more power and pace than we have/are likely to have next season. If I was him I would be off to Man City. They'd buy him as well.

Happy New Year

Take the over-paid, under-performing bunch of misfits on some warm weather training. Then train them until they understand how to play together and you have an idea what is the best line-up. Also get their eyes tested for colour blindness as they can't seem to pass to anyone in Blue.

One last thing wherever you go please leave Schneiderlin behind. Either that or a file a missing person report because that bloke on the pitch is an impostor.

Martinez tried that, took them to somewhere nice and warm and when they came back they played worse than they had been before they went.

There is a chance in the next ten days to get them fitter, much fitter than they look and to work out some tactics that will make us play better than we are at the moment and have been for most / all of this season. Start earning your huge wages, Sam.

If only your brain was as big as your ego. It's so simple that almost all on TW agree on how to do it which in itself is almost unheard of previously.

It's very, very simple you anti-football genius so please try to keep up. Here we go -

Play Gylfi Sigurdsson centrally just behind our main striker.
Play Wayne Rooney as a central midfielder.
NOT a holding midfielder.
NOT an attacking midfielder.
Just a central midfielder.

He can perform this role comfortably providing there are some legs next to him, i.e. Gueye and not Schneiderlin.
Cover should be provided by Davies and Baningime.

Lesson over, Sam. Just 4 more wins needed and we are safe.

Altogether now, 'We found love in a hopeless place.'

Craig Shakespeare is supposed to be observing in the stands; so surely he must see it; and pick up the vibes of many a disgruntled supporter.

Maybe he does; and Sam is that stubborn he won't be proved wrong; either way I think Sam has shown that he will be on his way come the end of the season; if we manage to survive.

I also think it is possible to accommodate Rooney and Sigurdsson in the same team, Rooney in a deeper role alongside Gana or Baningime or Davies, and Sigurdsson behind a pair of strikers Tosun, with Calvert-Lewin or Niasse, Walcott and Lookman or Bolasie on the wings.

Although he has said we won't be getting a defender in before the window closes; I also think it essential to at least get the left-back sorted, and possibly another centre-backtoo.

It really is impossible to warm to Allardyce, isn't it? I can almost hear Sam's heartfelt explanation that Schneiderlin is a big lump who manages to get in the opposition's way and then spread it laterally to a teammate; he's reliable; he's professional; he makes up in size for what he lacks in courage.

Thing is Sam, unlike McCarthy, Davies, Baningime, Gueye, Schneiderlin frustrates the balls off the fans because he plays in a way that rips the guts out of the dream. Which is why we want Silva here to replace you asap.

The club needs to think out of the box and get conditioning coaches and psychologists etc from other sports like rugby, American football and American basketball, where these things are better managed.

Send them to Sweden as that is colder, as long as we leave Morgan behind in lost luggage. he seems to be just baggage at the moment.

Don't know what you expect! We are turgid and terrible to watch. At last he's finally realised you have to play Sigurdsson down the middle (think of the goal at Anfield) and you can't play Rooney there as well as they are not quick enough to cover other areas when needed.

Only place for Rooney is deep lying midfield (think West Ham) and I think you can play the pair of them, just not close together. The penny will drop on that one too eventually.

Just as it will that Lookman should be on the left, Walcott on the right and Tosun through the middle with Calvert-Lewin an able replacement. Bolasie way off the pace just now, should be Lookman's deputy not the other way round.

Holgate and Jags at the back with Keane and Williams as the stand ins. Gueye next to Rooney, Coleman ahead of Kenny eventually, but his deputy until match fit. Get the lad in from Bristol asap, Baines injury a serious one I think.

First choice team: Pickford, Coleman, Holgate, Jagielka, Bryan, Gueye, Rooney, Lookman, Walcott, Sigurdsson, Tosun.

Stand-in team (same formation): Robles, Kenny, Martina or Baines, Williams, Keane, Schneiderlin, Baningime, Davies, Bolasie, Klaassen, Calvert-Lewin.

Then pick that first choice team injuries allowing for 5 or 6 games and give them a chance to gel.

He's like a blind man trying put a jigsaw together. To be fair some of the pieces don't fit very well, Koeman dropped the box on the floor and some bloke called Steve keeps trying to help but makes it worse.

One day, he will work it out. It will take time, patience is required. His honesty is refreshing in my opinion.

What he could never learn from Catterick is how to produce a team capable of playing football. Allardyce's whole philosophy is based upon avoiding "the beautiful game". He was a yard dog as a player, bereft of anything admirable.

Relegation for our beloved Everton Football Club would be dismal and humiliating. For me, having Allardyce as manager is finishing 17th.

Fingers crossed Tosun is a lot better than Walsh's other signings so far. If not, we should play Rooney as a striker until Calvert-Lewin is good enough to play week-in & week-out.

Two new full-backs please and you'd see a lot more of a difference than replacing Schneiderlin. In the whole, Sam talks more sense that people realise. However, Rooney is capable of giving the ball away in the wrong areas. I don't know why.

Who is our top scorer this season? Oh yes... it's the ale-house Rooney. Sigurdsson tried hard. I'm not sure about Tosun. Does he have the pace and presence required?

Niasse won a few in the air the other day (maybe helped by Big Dunc) and deserves to start the next game as he hardly put a foot wrong and linked up with Walcott well... he also would give Rooney the out-ball he is looking for.

Jesus, I hate this club right now although I am a supporter of 55+ years – and I'll be there to watch us get turned over by Leicester. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Rage, absolute rage is the overriding feeling right now.

We can't do anything manager wise until the end of the season so we may as well get behind the only man who can make a difference and apparently the only one prepared to take a basket case on.

Popping a chill pill as we text!!!

We'll find someone who will do the trick, though, I'm sure. Someone who just shouts loudly enough at the team about the Everton way, until they understand it and puff out their chests, and show us what we've been missing for the last 30 years.

So how many more managers do you think we'll hire and fire before we get the right one? How much do you think it will cost?

There is a complex of reasons for Everton's misfortunes and I now doubt that there is any manager who can turn us around in the foreseeable future. I fear instead that we are on a dangerous downward slope. I was being ironic in my earlier post.

I think there are many people, though, who believe that if we get rid of Allardyce and find another manager (I predict Fonseca or Silva will be the majority preferences) then the clouds will part and the sun will shine upon us. At least that keeps their hope alive, I suppose.

Allardyce take note.

The only partnership I can think of on the pitch is Williams and Holgate and that is not a good one. Actually to be fair Davies and Niasse play together although rarely feature, particularly together.

Literally every other player we have plays as an individual. I've never know such a lack of team.

It's scary to think how lucky we have been this season as well, we could be far far worse.

I just don't understand how bad we are and unfortunately it seems our manager can't either. I feel very sorry for all fans and Moshiri.

With Niasse, Lookman, Vlasic, Williams, Davies, Baningime, and Robles on the bench.

However, after 6 posts (apart from Mike Gaynes), the negativity of posters leads me to switch off, I get fed up with it.

I realise Allardyce is not everyone's cup of tea, but give the guy a chance, and at least appreciate his honesty.

I think views just get more extreme to counter the extreme opposite view just expressed. But sometimes if you stand back, they can be unintentionally very funny!

Rooney and Gylfi weren't part of the same recruitment strategy were they? Gylfi was a Barkley replacement and Rooney was a bonus / makeweight to sweeten the Lukaku departure. I doubt Koeman had any real say in that one and probably didn't intend to rely on Rooney, but the real ‘oops!' moment was whenever the penny dropped that Klaasen was simply not going to be able to step up to the pace of a typical Prem game.

We could really do with an Axl Witzel, Moussa Dembele, Nemanja Matic type of midfielder but there doesn't seem much hope for that since the Nzonzi rumour sank without trace.

Perhaps it is easier for him to only have to worry about two players. All problems solved... WOW! – he really is a football genius.

Like the words of that old Joni Mitchell song, 'Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone!'

Yep, in a side already devoid of pace – with Jagielka, Williams, Baines, Schneiderlin and Keane – we thought we'd corner the market in slow playmakers. Brilliant stuff.

It seems that the philosophy was:-

We must play Wayne as he is the returning prodigal son (who is also allegedly on 𧵎k a week) and we must play Sigurdsson as he is our record signing.

I am glad you and many others regret slagging off the Barkley.

Lukaku, Stones and Barry were similarly slagged off, when we had them, by the tide of opinion on here. People let their emotion cloud any sense of perspective. Always have, always will.

Perhaps similarly, the conclusions of some and the vitriol in the above posts are also wrong?

Part of the reason is that I agree with Sam that our team/squad is severely lacking in power and pace, as shown most clearly when we were swatted aside by Tottenham.

Too often this season, I have seen our players pushed off the ball, not fit enough to track runners or not quick enough to find space. Our midfield in particular seems to be bypassed far too easily when we are defending despite the fact that we often play 2 if not 3 defensive midfielders, meaning we are poor going forwards too.

Despite our surplus of central midfielders we don't seem to have any who are able to both defend and attack with any consistency, no-one who can both pass and tackle effectively. Oh for a Dembele, Pogba, Kante, Fernandinho... I'd even take an Emre Can.

Opinions eh? What is it they say, they're like arseholes, everybody has one.

Or is it arseholes with opinions, everybody is one?

Or maybe it's opinions about arseholes, every body etc etc

I'm going for a little lie down now.

Until we have players who move into space and 'show' for a pass then Sigurdsson will continue to struggle in this Everton side, as did Barkley. Even the best midfielder in the world will look crap if none of his teammates want the ball.

Tosun looks like he's happy to move the ball on quickly up front too, so hopefully there's going to be a lot of work on that in training before the Leicester game.

Beyond that our problem is we have no pace and no players making overlapping runs at all.

Even with 2 wide players on the field we still have no runners from deep. This is why we're so slow and laboured.

Sigurdsson needs to play centrally. Simple.

Europa League qualifier not one dead ball situation all open play. Dead assist Williams has two headed goals from Gilfy deliveries, already somewhat more than Barkley last year.

Finally it wasn't £45 mill it was £40 mill with add-ons. Let's support the players and for the record Gilfy covered 90 meters to slot against the RS.

How did Alfie Mawson and Harry Maguire escape the attention of our wonderful Director of Football whilst he was paying top dollar for Keane?