Encouraging signs as Everton earn first win under Silva

As Steve says, barring Richarlison, there were ten of the team from last season; it does bode well for the forthcoming season. With reinforcements yet to come in, we may just have a side capable of holding their own in the Premier League and possibly a Cup.

Although, having said that, the defence still has me worried – especially from opposition counters and set-pieces.

As Steve says, so far what we have seen is the same bunch of players we all dreaded last season, playing with a new intensity. That’s down to Silva and his relationship with players. The new signings have me salivating to be honest. How much better can we get? That is the question.

Defensively we will tighten up as he works more with them. It will be any two out of Mina, Holgate and Zouma in my opinion.

Really positive outlook from Evertonians is great to see.

Loosing Schneiderlin was actually quite a pivotal moment. We were destroying them before he went off and a slight reshuffle left us more open. Although Tom Davies played really well it was slightly further forward and that barrier that Schneiderlin and Gueye created was gone.

I would have been interested to know why he didn't swap Richarlison for Lookman? You'd imagine there's no better time to bring Lookman on than against a knackered full-back on a yellow card?

Last season, these took four points of us. Think about that for a minute...

Si @16 – Great point on Schneiderlin and the rotation of the midfield as he went off. Gana does not play the quarterback role as good as Schniederlin and Davies doesn't do the press from the front as good as Gana. Therefore, the more physical approach of Southampton gained traction – and any continuity in passing or movement was worn down by bad refereeing and Southampton's tactics.

The sun baked down on the Old Lady and walking around the stadium twice to see all the pictures of the old heroes was very emotional for me.

I was in the Bullens Lower Tier and the ground looked the best I can remember and the atmosphere and togetherness of the fans and the team was palpable.

Great day to be an Evertonian – we just needed Theo to convert that one and we would have been in party mood with the opposition in tatters. I still enjoyed the nervous last half-hour, which left me and the kids emotionally knackered at the end!

Yes, Schneiderlin sits and Gana roams more. Davies and Gana both roamed.

A "pivotal" change.

Zonal marking only works if you have giant centre-backs who win everything in the air, hence the purchases of Mina and Zouma. Keane was also very good in the air for Burnley.

If you don't make the initial clearance, then you're immediately in trouble as you haven't a clue where your man is. We saw this yesterday and it's a big worry. Zonal marking also allows the opposition to have a free run at the ball as our boys are not tight to them. It may all come good with the introduction of Mina, but we must be more alert to the opposition drifting into space.

Silva obviously thinks it will work, but I think we're in for some shaky moments until the players get a grasp of it. I just hope that he'll be prepared to ditch it if necessary and doesn't share any of Martinez's stubbornness to tactical change.

So far, so good. Silva has been impressive.

With Mina, Zouma, Bernard and Gomes still to come into the team, things are looking very positive. Last season, apart from the number 10 position, there was no competition for places; now, there is competition for every position. How nice to see Sigurdsson play in his proper position just behind the front 3 – his best game in a blue shirt for me yesterday. Holgate was another who had a good game; pity Schneiderlin had to go off as he and Gana had a grip in midfield. When Tom came on, we didn't quite have the same control, but he and Schneiderlin are different types so the game was bound to be more open, which suited Southampton.

I think the win was very important, to follow up a draw with 10 men last week. The win reinforces to the players that Silva's methods are working, and the win gives the same belief to the fans. We all know what getting off to a bad start creates; last season, albeit a tougher fixture to start, we were on the back foot from Day 1. The players never recovered from that poor start and the manager lost his job.

Yes, there will be tougher questions as the season progresses but, with the additions to the squad, I think we will be better-prepared for the harder games that are ahead. I also think it's easier to come into a side that's winning, but it's a whole different ball game to come into a side that is struggling.

So... Bournemouth away – who have started the season with 2 wins, so their confidence will be high – then Huddersfield at home. I think another 4 points from these 2 games will give us and Silva a solid base from which to build on.

Pickford got out of jail with his save, other than another dodgy parry he did well.

Coleman and Baines both impressed down the flanks. Silva obviously put emphasis on the wing play as this is where we destroyed them, Walcott and Richarlison were very good. Richarlison work rate and willingness to defend both stand out, I reckon £40 million could be a steal in a few years.

Tosun played well, however it is concerning that he can't get into a goal scoring position against the likes of Southampton.

Although Sigurdsson played well, he is not the creative focal point we need and it's telling that Baines probably took the majority of set pieces. I reckon he's probably got 3/4 games left before permanent replaced if Bernard is up to scratch.

Gana was excellent, bar one dodgy pass to Baines.

Schneiderlin was disciplined, and offers the defensive protection that Keane needs, however I think the biggest difference between him and Davies was that Davies always looked for a forward pass when he came on, whereas Schneiderlin played sideways and backwards again. I prefer Davies; however, I also think it's telling that Davies played well when introduced as a sub and less pressure on him.

Holgate was excellent, Keane had his moments.

A win is a win; however, it's only Southampton at home and we should be winning these by more than one.

Southampton were Stoke on steroids. They systematically kicked all our front 4 by rote until even that dozy sod of a ref booked one. Hoedt and Lemina in particular were worthy of an early bath.

Lapses in concentration let them back in the game, along with our profligacy, esp Walcott.

Good early signs as some of our link up play was scintillating, and a more settled defence can only improve us further.

Gana's passing still a concern, and our venerable full backs are starting to look their age in the latter part of matches, more so given the terrific tempo we now engage.

Early days, but halcyon days ahead?

Watching MotD we had 9, maybe 10 blues in our box yet not one picked up Ings on the edge of the six. It was laughable. Zonal mark, clonal mark, atonal mark, but not no-mark! Jeezuz, call it what ya want, but do the important part of the phrase... mark!!!

I was anything but a Neville fan and still don't understand how someone with such a lack of talent or skill had the success he did (making it through the Premier League). He did, however, on MotD, highlight the offside goal, which the programme's editorial team deemed unworthy filler for our cut of the game. He even went so far as to correcting himself when he said 'our', revealing he may still have a soft spot for us. We need every head we can get in the media world, but less so if the positive shoots of Silva - Brands - Moshiri reign will make us hard to resist.

Results on the pitch are the be-all and end-all. Hopefully with style and flair, and as I said, so far so good. Yeah, yeah, happy clappers and optimism get shot down on here, and I also watched with the same 'typical Everton will concede' feeling.

Is there any manager as galling and depressing as Sparky? A perpetual wasp chewer...

Your report covered all aspects of the match. Hopefully we continue to make progress by playing attacking, attractive football.

Things are looking good because Pickford can play better, so too can Coleman, who had a difficult day against Redmond and Bertrand. Holgate is coolness personified. Keane gives me the jitters but he is better so far this season.

Baines has obviously decided rumours of his demise are very premature. Gueye played well and was given a lot of praise by Silva, which makes me think Schneiderlin will be out for a while. Schniederlin is doing better but I'd rather we went out and got a replacement in January if possible.

Theo can defo play better and should get a lot more freedom than Richarlison has so far. Richarlson is a star and he too will only get better. A certain starter for Brazil in the 2022 World Cup. Tosun is working his socks off and I reckon he will get us 15 goals at least this season.

It was good to see Davies play well and he was getting better as the game went on, making me think its all about confidence with him. Silva is the type of manager to give him that.

Calvert-Lewin is still a work in progress and this season is going to be very important for him to prove he can be part of EFCs future.

Niasse is Niasse and makes me smile as he causes defenders to have kittens when he harries them. He's also the only one who Carried On Smiling during the very dark days of the recent past. All of this comes without Lookman, Digne, Mina, Gomes and Bernard — good, isn't it!!!

Sorry but nothing will make me pro zonal defence. Perhaps it's the way I've been brought up; mark your man, space never scored a goal etc. But the fact remains that Ings was free in the box and couldn't miss and I feel we'll see a lot of goals like that this season.

But the "what's hot" easily outnumbered the "what's not", so it's onwards and upwards.

His overall positioning and ability to play the obvious pass with care and weight cannot be understated. The peak, an interchange with Walcott which should have been buried.

My hope with the zonal marking is that it is honed. However, if Silva sees it is not for this group of players, he is shrewd enough to change it. In conjunction with that, with pace in the team, not to see all XI back at corners/free kicks.

Both Richarlison and Tosun are good aerially, I'd like to see Walcott left up top.

The cup tie with the Millers should see a debut or two! Onward! UTFT!

Lack of concentration from Keane yesterday. It happens.

Watching the Man City game, John Stones was fast asleep again on Huddersfield's goal.

Mason deserves to stay in the side, I'm not sure what the left/right balance is with outer new centre-back signings.

Like many on here, I'm encouraged by our start. Aside from the effervescent Richarlison, it's the same players as last season but Silva is already getting a different tune out of them. Defensive errors are a concern, of course, and I'm looking forward to seeing Mina and Zouma putting pressure on when fit.

To my mind, Holgate is the next line in both form and potential. Jagielka is now past it and I'm not yet convinced by Keane.

A good start! Let's hope we can build on it!

Flaws all over the place yesterday so we could nit pick all day... but I'm made up with the way we went about this game.

We won't really know whether this coach is a top notch winner until we get to the business end of the season, but this will do very nicely for now. He not only allows his players to play — he seems to be insisting upon it.

But my point of admiration is the effect he has already had on Baines & Sigurdsson. He is the first player since Pienaar to be able to hold the ball up on the left. That physical trait has immediately emboldened Baines who trusts him both to hold it and cover.

In a season where there are legitimate doubts about Leighton's physical limitations, our Blue Brazilian might afford him an Indian Summer?

That same skill has drawn Sigurdsson more into the play; allied with the Iceman's ability to select the right pass with the right weight, they look a very dangerous ‘Troika'.

That's what has me foaming at the mouth!!!

I agree, Schneiderlin deserves credit for how he had been playing before being forced off. Hopefully not too serious because I do feel that his injury disturbed our midfield cohesion and was key to them getting back into the game. Crazy that I’m saying that.

I think the most important thing we are seeing is not any individual player or performance, but it’s how the team is playing as a TEAM. They are all working together, communicating and giving effort for each other. That is massive and the manager deserves credit for getting that from them because it’s clearly been missing for a few seasons.

I maintain that this season is a building block. I don’t think we can say we’ll know about this manager at the business end of the season. I expect to see this team continue to grow, the football to continue to improve as the cohesion and understanding among the players grows week after week and month after month. We have to remember that this is going to take time. But I’m really enjoying watching this team play football.

I've never seen one player get so much grief over a price tag that he can't control. He's given the lad pelters for last season when he was just 20, played a very long season after the Brazil league and internationals, and lost a manager who believed in him. An absolute joke.

John #35, great point about Richarlison's effect on Baines and Siggy with his holdup play, and I would also emphasize his defensive work, which enables Baines to get all the way forward and operate with much more freedom. Now use that napkin, please.

Darren #34, I noticed that little lookaway too, very stylish. I give Silva full marks for giving his side the relaxed confidence on the ball that is enabling touches like that all over the pitch. Some of the little passing moves yesterday were among the best I've seen in years.

Aside from that, what I like about Silva's work so far is the intensity he's injected into the side -- everybody working hard, closing down, swarming the ball. Not a passenger to be seen anywhere.

What I hate about Silva is the zonal marking on corners. Before Ings' goal, we gave up three free headers on corners. Our defenders were lined up like the subjects of a firing squad, complete with blindfolds -- nobody paid the least attention to Ings standing alone in front.

Brent, welcome back from The Other Side, but your posts were better when you were a spectral figure. Sorry.

Like you say though, as long as we make him eat his vitriolic words, it will act as a spur to not only Richie, but to the rest of the team.

Although it's still early days yet, and having the benefit of watched all the other Prem teams, apart from Spurs, Man City, Chelsea and of course the RS, I can't see any reason why we shouldn't get something out of playing the others.

The only proviso being that we tighten the defence, we could have so easily ended up with only one point yesterday, when it looked at one stage we were coasting.

Richarlison is called Charlie by his teammates — not Ricky or Richi.

I also enjoyed Seamus having a chat with a couple of the Southampton players about their rough-house challenges.

Excellent also that the tragic passing away of Jack Riding was marked with a standing ovation in the 18th minute, by both sets of fans.

Richarlison is a very good player but is very quick thinking also. That reverse pass to Walcott was lovely and a goal then would have seen us as comfortable winners.

Tosun works hard for sure but he definitely lacks that burst of speed over the first few yards so he will never be prolific. Any striker having Walcott and Richarlison close by will get goals though and I reckon we will see a bit more of Calvert-Lewin soon.

Surprised at the praise Schneiderlin has been getting because, in my eyes, the guy should have long left us. He can't really pass it well, or lesser still forward; we may well have slowed Southampton down with him on but that also slows us down. Davies did very well and should grasp this chance now as it is a position that needs a strong player.

Happy with the win and the confidence it brings. Next up is against the manager I thought we should have gone for so hopefully Silva proves me wrong.

Lots of Blues here in Vancouver. 7am starts are great, especially in winter. One can get up, watch the footy over coffee, and then spend the day skiing. It's just the 4:30am starts that are a pain in the arse.

Sigurdsson was excellent from where I was sitting, pushed much further up than he was last season and playing a lot of those trademark little through balls and one-twos.

Really look forward to the rest of the season.

Pete (#45) – I totally agree, other than defensive discipline (basically an extra body at centre-back), I don't see what Schneiderlin offers. With two decent centre-backs, I think his role will be redundant and definitely don't see the praise that's given to him. He's basically playing better than the crap he was last season – playing slightly less crap and totally safe and within himself.

A right-footed free-kick coming in just needs a touch from a Tosun, Mina, Keane etc – and in it goes.

Sigurdsson has pace in front of him, and competition on the bench. I am expecting a lot better season.

I've heard a range of opinions, from calls to get rid of him, to claims we've got a top-notch striker on our hands, and everything in between!

Personally, I thought he had a great game against the Saints. His first touch, strength and ability to lay the ball off is excellent. I don't think he'll ever be a 20-goals-a-season striker, but his presence will certainly result in decent returns for all the players playing around him.

He had loads of balls pinged into him from midfield, and I don't remember one of them bouncing off his shin, he always seemed to be able to keep the move going. This really helps us transition from midfield to attack a lot quicker as he brings in the other forwards into play around the penalty area.

I feel his style is integral to the current game plan. I like it. I'm pretty sure Richarlison, Walcott and Sigurdsson will be liking it too!

Now if he can at this late stage develop a scoring instinct similar to the young Hughes I'd be delighted. As he is, he looks useful as a scorer rather than spectacular, in other words, exactly what we paid for him. He does put a shift in though.

He might not get more than 15 a season but he pulls defenders around, holds the ball up, and gets others in on goal. He is doing a hell of a lot of donkey work, and it's appreciated. He does it well.

He'll go on a run of goals at some point but, more importantly, he'll work his ass off and is skillful working with the other attackers in the team. Next season, that might be a different story.

Siggurdsson and Gana were excellent.

Tosun played bloody well too – a centre-forward is about more than just scoring.

Our central defence is young and relatively inexperienced; it will improve, but we'll need to breathe and go with the mistakes for a while.

If you're going zonal at corners, someone has to spot and call the gaps.

Davies played well – much more controlled than I've seen previously, but he didn't fill the Schneiderlin role which therefore exposed Keane and Holgate and shows the tactical value of a true holder.

Richarlison - he'll do.

Oh, and Mark Hughes is, was, and ever will be a first order twat.

Your last sentence should be pinned to the homepage of this site.

I tried to get a ticket for a mate of mine who wanted to travel up from Northampton. I was told by the box office that the game was sold out, I know another guy who was told the same, but during the game I looked across and saw lots of empty seats over by where the Upper Gwladys meets the Upper Bullens.

Somebody needs to tighten that up. Empty seats and disappointed fans.

Mate of mine used to work at Man City, said Hughes was the most arrogant, rude and obnoxious person they've ever seen at the club. Refused to speak with employees and the tunnel police, refused handshakes, etc.

Apparently Erikkson was an absolute gentleman.

Is he hurt?

I also, like many, think we need Cenk and Theo to score more. Things are looking much better, and having Mr Brands makes a difference, and a manager who knows what he's doing.

All we have to do now is sort the two central defenders out. I think Holgate will make the grade but unfortunately Keane just doesn't convince me. He ball watches too much.

To my way of thinking, if you are a centre-half, you attack the ball when it is in the air – full stop. So I guess that means I don't rate zonal marking.

Things are on the up.

So I return to something I have said on here before, that we must be patient and give Silva time, even if games go against us, as they surely will later. If he chooses zonal marking, then that is good enough for me. For me, Southampton scored because one of our guys was beaten in the air at the near post. The guy was marked, but at dead-ball situations we have to get to the ball first. If zonal marking doesn't work, then Silva will change it when he needs to.

But definitely, things are much better already. The ten guys from last season played better than before, and Richarlison is a great addition.

So I am a Silva fan and we must give him time. Optimistic but cautious.

I only wish he had been firmer with the constant fouling by Southampton, who in my opinion were sent out by Hughes to rough up Richarlison, Sigurdsson and Tosun.

Well I’m glad to say it didn’t work and if Hughes stays Southampton will go down. He all but took Stoke down last year.

2 games in and he’s already blaming others instead of looking at himself. He wore the shirt once, but does anybody talk about him favourably, no, end of.