Are the pundits right to tell us to keep our expectations low?

Based on performances so far this season home and away - it's clear to most of us that the need for a number 9 is an urgent next step in our climb back.

If Silva and Brands can crack that in January – we are on our way and your well considered projections could be nailed on or even bettered.

I've been home and away for every match so far this season and without falling foul of the ‘what if’ brigade – I can realistically say that a half-decent striker - would have put us in the top 4 comfortably already. That view includes the games against the so-called top 4 – RS, Man Utd, Arsenal and the West London crowd – and last night is a case in point.

I'm not even talking top drawer – a Mitrovic would suffice, for example. Look at the goals against vs goals for, between the 3 teams in 6th – us, Bournemouth and Man Utd. Defensively we are getting there, offensively just 4 goals more scored in previous games so far this season... and wow!

We are making fantastic progress and I have no doubt Silva and Brands are already on the case.

1983, anyone?

We've been waiting a long time for some really happy cup-winning days... so, for me, another year or two will be well worth the wait.

Goals are an issue for sure but I don't think it is as easy as just getting a striker. I don't know Mitrovic would be better than Tosun or Calvert-Lewin. We need more goals from midfield.

I was reviewing stats and Bernard's career record averages about 1 goal every 10 games. Likewise with Gomes. Walcott gets about 1 in every 5 games, Sigurdsson about 1 in every four. Gueye is basically a non-factor with goals. So assuming those trends stay the same, over a 38 games season, those four players would combine to score about 23 goals.

Chelsea were the lowest scoring team in the top 6 last year with 62 goals. To reach that level, we need to find another 40 goals between our striker, defenders and subs. Even if Richarlison chips in with say 20 goals, would we get another 20 between Coleman, Mina, Calvert-Lewin off the bench etc? I doubt it.

Sigurdsson apart, I don't think we will ever get enough goals if we have Gomes, Bernard and Walcott playing with Gueye. So either we replace Gueye with someone more in the Matic mold (eg, defensive midfielder who scores) or we replace two of the other three with people who can get 10-15 goals a season.

Might be useful for predicting the games left as well...

Dropped 3 vs West Ham and 2 each vs Newcastle and Huddersfield, gained 2 at Leicester and 1 at Chelsea. All other results are as expected.

By the formula I used, that would have us on 66 at the end of the season, but I set high expectations and dropping points is easier than gaining them.

We need wins away from home to make serious gains, and we have to be utterly relentless in winning at home against teams below us, which we haven't been.

I am happy for EFC to be under their radar, all the sweeter when they are proved wrong and they will be.

I would love to hear Sheararse's thoughts on not having one his bezzies in the dugout, ie, Obese Sam.

How about comparing last season with this?

15 fixtures played – 23 points; scored 21, conceded 17.

Same fixtures last season:

22 points; scored 19, conceded 20.

Half of the top 7 last season are all doing better except Chelsea (3 points less), Man Utd (14 points less) and Burnley (8 points less).

So, first of all, we are not really out-performing last season in terms of points but, with Burnley falling away, we are more locked for 7th. Will Man Utd drop 23 more points over the next 23 fixtures and finish with 44 points and below us?

I would personally move Bernard into midfield because he has the ability of David Silva of Man City. But not stuck out on the wing!

I think it's imperative that we beat Spurs at the old lady on the 23rd, even if it's just to let the players believe we can do it.

Like quite a few fans I know, I was a little lukewarm with regards to Marco getting the Everton gig, but up to know I have nothing but praise for how he's going about things. Hopefully, the upward trajectory can continue. Oh, and can we please, please, please win one against the RS.

A striker is a priority and, for me, Charlie Austin would fit the bill. Big strong and fearless with an eye for goal and good in the air. We could offer Saints a swap for Toscun or Niasse. We have no-one who can really lead the line and be a target man. Calvert-Lewin is still learning his trade, Richarlison is more effective from the left and Toscun is more of a sniffer.

Pickford's clanger wouldn't have mattered if we had taken our chances last week. Last night, and at Man Utd and Arsenal, we were undone because we couldn't take our chances. Our defence is still getting settled-in and we will concede goals, so we simply have to score more at the other end.

The shooting last night, with a greasy ball, was terrible.

Richarlison has been a good signing but Bernard and Walcott have disappointed. Gomes is still a loanee but should he become permanent then it will be a big plus.

The defence is still pretty solid and should be even better for next season with Mina and Digne getting settled in after a delayed start somewhat.

They are probably still at least three class players away from being a real challenge to the top echelon. However, there is still reasonable cause for being cautiously optimistic for the rest of the season especially after this month and the early Christmas present they handed RS.

Like Jim and Dave #1 & #2, I feel we have to show some patience with Marco Silva but that the good times will return.

We have to remember that the club has stagnated over many years and I like Silva's "one game at a time" approach while at the same time working with Marcel Brands on taking a longer term view of what needs to happen.

I just wish collectively we could all try to take the long view; young Lookman gets a first start last night, doesn't score a hat-trick, and there are people coming on TW saying he's had his chance and didn't take it. Incredible!

Bit of a wildcard suggestion for a centre-forward: there's a young striker starting to come good in the Bundesliga called Dodi Lukebakio. He's been promoted Fortuna Dusseldorf's best player so far this season; very fast and he knows where the net is. He's a Belgium U21 international and signed for Fortuna originally on loan from Watford. I wonder if Marco remembers him or maybe it was before his time there? In any event, one to watch.

We are currently the 6th/7th/8th best team in the league. We're well-organised, play some good stuff but are short of goals throughout the team.

The top five are pulling away because the gap between their best & worst performances is narrower than ours.

If Richarlison & Sigurdsson don't score, we struggle. The other midfielders have a poor scoring record and the team lacks conviction in the final third, particularly against the teams above us.

So what's the solution? We could keep things as they are, which I think would see us finish 7th or 8th. We could find ourselves a goalscorer and/or a goalscoring midfielder. How easy will that be next month? I'd also like us to secure Gomes's signature, find a right back and another midfielder who can pass under pressure.

Of course, it's possible that this squad will achieve greater consistency and mental strength in time, bit I'm not convinced.

Either way, we need that best - worst performance gap to narrow. I've got every confidence in Silva, it may take longer than we'd like to build the right squad. And I'm happy for us to be under the radar, like we were in 1984-85. My eyes tell me we're improving, I don't need anyone on the telly for that.

I have felt for the past 15 years though, that it's good old Goodison that gives us a dated and unfashionable image in the eyes of the media and public (who don't give a flyer about history, Dixie, Z-Cars etc - why should they). Until we finally move into the new stadium, we will always been seen as little old quaint Everton.

A small step would to actually make the group stages of the Champions League, something Everton (as we all know) have never done since re - branding in 1992. I do think that M&M will be able to give us that, but it may take at least 3 years.

So either we replace Gueye with someone more in the Matic mold (eg, defensive midfielder who scores)

I don't see him getting forward much so checked his record 1 goal in 48 games for Man Utd and a slightly better 4 in 121 for Chelsea, hardly sees him much better than Gueye's record of 3 in 78 for Everton.

Replacing our best ball winner with a midfield scorer is not the answer. We would be operating with a lot less possession for a start.

If we can't, over the long term, see off Bournemouth etc. we don't deserve 6th... and I won't cry if we don't qualify for the Europa League either.

The FA Cup is there to aim at, then the Summer window. This time next season, we need to be contesting in that next small group above us.

Hard, I know... but let's try and take the future the proper way: patiently... One Game at a Time.

Yes I agree, we need more goals. It will be interesting to see if this "need" is addressed in January.

Last season, the goals we scored put us 12th in that category and goals conceded put us in 14th. This season, we are 8th in goals scored and 5th in goals conceded. So it is obvious we have made the biggest improvement in defense, but we have also improved on goals scored.

But to progress further, and "possibly" push for 5th, we need to score more, wherever those goals come from. A more productive striker seems to be the obvious place to start.

1. Guaranteed Europa League participation (which is important for profile, player retention or acquisition, revenue and learning the ropes for future Champions League campaigns).

2. Helps to smash this Big Six nonsense (which sadly isn't nonsense at all).

I think we'll finish 6th or 7th. We have more than Bournemouth and Man Utd (and possibly Chelsea) are in a bit of a wobble this year.

A new striker and new right back (and Gomes signed up) needed over the summer. Then we'll be ready for a Top 4 crack and Europa League success

My own personal assessment is Silva is trending in the right direction, doing so in smart fashion. However, it does feel we have missed a very good opportunity to have another 4 or 5 more points than we have.

2 points from 3 home games against West Ham, Huddersfield & Newcastle is a very poor return indeed. More pointedly, the performances in those games deserved the return.

Work to do, lessons that haven't been learned against teams who sit in and the need for striker in the window might decide whether we do finish 5th or 6th.

Ultimately I think that, as always, European qualification constitutes a successful season. I wouldn’t worry too much where we finished if we win the FA Cup, but anywhere below 7th is a backwards step from last season, at least results-wise.

We aren't clinical enough in front of goal when we are running the game. This to me is the biggest problem and why we got fuck all from Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd, Newcastle. Some of the missed chances are just terrible across the entire team. But for a team that has struggled in recent years, they aren't suddenly going to turn into a top scoring team.

The defending has been largely better. A couple of games we've been poor from set plays or just unlucky. Arsenal offsides, Liverpool keeper error, Man Utd getting a penalty that wasn't, Wolves marching a free kick 10 yards forward. Ill-discipline against Bournemouth. These have all hurt.

Really the only performances where we didn't turn up was Huddersfield and West Ham. Both games we missed a lot of top players, with the under studies by in large not being good enough for a top 6 side.

For me a big improvement under Silva. A braver style that needs to ensure that Gomes and Zouma stay for the journey. Plenty of transfer activity ahead needed to still slash the unused players – and up the quality of the starting 14/15 .

I think it shows that, at this stage of the season, although performances have improved immeasurably, we need to keep translating these into points or we'll end up pretty much the same as last season.

To break the top 6, we don't need to beat the top 6, we do however need to consistently beat the likes of Newcastle at home.

If you look at the number of times we are getting crosses and balls into the box (Newcastle was a case in point) this season, a half-decent striker on the front foot would have made a massive difference.

Richarlison's goal on Wednesday was the first we have scored from the last 83 corners in all games... tells a story, I think.

Yes, we need a "proper" striker, but we also need the centre-backs and midfield to contribute more. We got 14 corners against Newcastle, with the centre-backs we have, I would expect more goals than the solitary Keane goal so far this season.

As regrettable as a lot of the appointments, and money misspent on over-priced flops is, it is no point 'crying over spilt milk'. Let's learn from those mistakes, making sure they are not repeated.

I have every confidence that eventually, our Club is in good hands from top to bottom; we are nowhere near the finished article yet.

Using the 'Rome wasn't built in a day' analogy I still consider that we have made giant strides since Marcel Brands and Marco Silva took over, which is just 6 months ago in reality.

I concur totally with the demand for a striker in January, not an easy order by any means, but there again, not impossible either.

I would be a lot happier if goals were coming from different areas consistently, and without sounding like the proverbial broken record, if Richarlison and Sigurdsson don't score, there is little chance that they will come from anyone else.

I think the last two games shows that we are not making as much progress as some think. Everton played out of their skins against the reds and still got beat. The Newcastle game shows that we are still far from being any were near good enough to compete against the top 6.

I can't see us bringing in a striker until the summer if at all. A proven striker is out of our reach both financially and status wise. Brands and Silva will be looking long-term in building a solid in-depth squad and if lucky will either turn Richarlison into a top striker or unearth an unkown top talent.

Granted, Silva has got the team playing more attractive football than Allardyce could ever manage but paying off about two dozen players, replacing them with phenomenally expensive newcomers, is a recipe that has yet to prove itself.

The apparent failure of the much vaunted Unsworth project is yet another false dawn as not one locally produced player can currently merit a first-team place.

The suffering goes on.

fabregas
willian
Ross b
loftus cheek
morata

Just about says it all really. Apart from the known quantity, the rest we would all love in our team, even fabregas (in his football dotage )