Silva hails Digne's winning mentality

Silva now needs to be tough; identify and disregard who he needs to (who we already knew), play the strongest 11 possible on the weekend and find some rhythm. Fingers crossed.

I wouldn't as far as ten, but I agree at least another 4 or 5 top signings are required.

In fact, I would say we should retire the shirt once Schneiderlin leaves the club as he was truly peerless as a No 2!!!

But it is funny and true.

Richarlison has the No 30 – and so does Holgate!

I assume official numbers are not out yet. Just wish the No 2, 5, 7 and 11 were still available.

To think we started last season basically without a left side!!

Thats been fully rectified!

Centre-back and centtral midfielder now please.

Not bad signing a replacement left-back about 3 years too late! Hope the kid does well from the off.

Now for 2 centre-backs and a creative midfielder.

It's hardly an LFC crest and I'm sure the tattoo has greater meaning to him than just being a RS fan, but we could have done without that. Let's hope he scores in the Kop end and moons the Norwegians.

Steve, I'm assuming it's religious. It's a line from a Christian song that was a big hit in faith circles a few years ago.

I will never, ever, ever walk alone
You are with us, for us, always holding on

Etc. etc. etc.

"3 years too late"???

In the summer of 2015 we had Baines at his absolute peak, a recovered Oviedo, and a still-touted Galloway. Last thing in the world we needed then was an left-back.

At least we now have Baines, Digne and Robinson. So we're sorted at left-back for the next couple of years, even when Baines leaves / retires.

Anyway, like you I'm delighted with what we have there now. Trust me, you are gonna love Digne.

Another way of looking at things is that he's been at 4 clubs and is only 25, ie, he couldn't hold down a place at any of them...

Just saying.

Hmm that's true indeed another way of looking at it.

Although trying to oust Jordi Alba at Barcelona and break into this current star-studded France squad is no easy task.

Time will tell.

Well apart from; Williams, Schneiderlin, Mirallas, Besic, Martina, Bolasie...

Now the Goals can be down to Baines being the penalty and Free Kick Merchant, but am hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

If we can get 4-5 good players in this window, then maybe 2 in January, that sets us up nicely to remove the rest of the dead wood next summer, whilst showing potential quality targets the style of football on offer at Everton.

Denis (#35), off target as usual. Digne was the full-time starter at Roma during his loan there three seasons ago, before Barca snapped him up. He was also a full-time starter at Lille three years earlier, at age 18. And of course he was the starting left-back for France in the World Cup at age 20. As for not starting at Barca, well, two words: Jordi Alba.

It's my 6 year old sons first 1st team game, I would like to try get to the ground early with him Saturday to see the players going in, maybe get a photo or 2... could anyone give any advice on how early I should try get there with him?

Thanks!!

Come on blues ! Looking forward to the new season.

Thank God Digne didn't play in the World Cup (not good for him though, as I imagine he wanted to), he'll be hungry and full of energy.

Hope he's playing v Valencia.

Best of luck and I hope your little boy enjoys his first game watching the Blues.

Personally not arsed about the Tattoo, I just want him to put a shift in when he plays.

Two of my favourite Everton players Dave Watson and Peter Reid supported that lot as kids.

Really happy he's signed and hope we can add a bit more quality to the squad.

COYB.

Negative? It's like working in Max Spielmann's darkroom.

I am assuming that the official number allocation has not been done yet but maybe the pre-season numbers (sans name on the shirt) were a clue.

I would be gutted for the 3 supporters who have bought a "Schneiderlin 2" shirt that it would need to be changed. Given our youngest's ability which included shirts Kanchelskis (1996), Rooney (2005), Arteta (2009), perhaps we should make it 4 supporters. If any on here would also like to chip in, we can get him a Mirallas 11 and a Sandro 9 and hopefully it is too late to waste the money on a Williams 5.

“After I spoke with the coach the feeling was very good and I said I wanted to come to the Premier League and to Everton.”

So, we tapped him up then.

And that's the No 12 shirt Kieran Dowell has been wearing in pre-season. Guess the new kid gets to choose, but it may also mean Kieran has not done enough to impress (have any of them?).

The same must have applied to Richarlison coming in and 'stealing' Mason's No 30 shirt... As if there aren't enough to go round!

There should be more though. After multiple warnings to batten down for The Great Cull, only one player actually left us in the entire month of July.

Silva is setting out the attitude that a player should have when playing for Everton, but which some players don't have – and they are currently affecting the team's attitude.

He is also saying that whatever needs changing will be changed to achieve this. This is the root problem at Everton and Silva has identified it and is trying to do something about it.

The source was Prince Rupert's Tower, which I believe is a US fansite. It didn't specify the details of what led to this happening.

As I was reading the article I was hoping Schneiderlin, Bolasie and Pennington may have been there too, but four out of seven is not bad.

Like many said at the time, neither should have been allowed back and shown the door there and then.

These contracts that these players have, surely there is some manoeuvre by the Club for disciplinary breaches, to either terminate, or apply strict financial penalties, or do they have it all their own way?

Either way, I like that Silva has identified problem players and is taking a firm stand with them. Can only be good thing for the team as a whole!

With a bit of patience and support this might all work out beautifully for us!?

My assumption is that the players who will be on their way out have been told to train separately as you wouldn't them going to other EPL clubs with knowledge of our training regimes (movement, set-pieces etc).

I don't mean 'lose' in any final, catastrophic sense. Just that there might have been a noticeable downturn in effort and focus since certain players were told that they were surplus.

They've only been isolated recently. Have we really not practised anything related to how we're going to play this season with only just over a week to go until the big kick-off? Seriously?

Wont set-piece routines/training methods and such like be pretty similar to whatever Silva has done at previous clubs anyway? People are pretty routine/habit based and take their ideas and the people they use to implement those ideas with them wherever they go.

maybe thats just a glass half full view, but I think he's touching some nerves that will work out for the best in getting rid of the attitudes.

In terms of downward turn in for, its impossible to tell in preason games. Who knows what experiments have been tested and trialled, but I think a lot of the bad form comes from a mix of the above, the fact it takes time o get used to a new manager and tactics and simply a lack of adequate competition for places and some squad members just lacking real quality

I see your point, Grant. Yes, we've been practising Silva routines form early on - I guess at that point he didn't know who would stay and who would go.

If the cull survivors think it is ok to relax a little then I wouldn't be surprised to see them on the list before long. Either way, Silva gets to see who he can and cannot rely on. Something we fans already know.

Of all the recent players to come in before Silva, it is pretty evident that only Pickford had the required attitude. I thought Klaasen might but he turned out to be a wet blanket, and has been moved on with admirable ruthlessness.

As awful as some of this pre-season fare has been it is hardly surprising. So far Silva has responded very well.