Richarlison has lofty goals for himself and Everton

I would rather see him staying away from the national team for as long as possible.

Even if he makes the Brazilian national team, I have a feeling we will offer him a contract he can't turn down to stay and achieve his dreams with us. We have to lose this small team mentality and think big. If we don't, we won't achieve anything.

Big club mentality will be achieved once the fat controller, Bill Kenwright, has gone.

My only concern is how much kicking can this young man take. We still need a proven centre-forward or a 15- to 20-goal machine unknown to be found.

It started when he name checked Marco silva 7 times in 3.5 minutes in his interview and referred to him as a father figure.

If he maintains this level of happiness and the connection with the fans and we can make progress to the champions league, then I think he would stay.

In any event, he's been here two games. Let's enjoy him before we talk selling him. He's been brilliant so far so let's wait and see.

Also, we're 2 games into the season; let's not put too much pressure on the kid yet.

After also Man Utd are imploding, we might stay above them in the league.

Oh, and Charlie, less of the theatre and dramatics on the pitch, leave that to Salah — he's got enough of that for both of you, but keep scoring like him, just leave the cheating out.

Eugene – I "hear" what you say.

So did Romelu and Ross. But both never talked up getting us into the Champions League, it was just that they wanted to play in the Champions League.

For me, this is a change in mentality. If Charlie is talking Everton in the Champions League, and the likes of Silva, Bernard (who we've yet to see), Gomes (ditto), Tosun and Walcott are all thinking it too, then maybe it is achievable. Why did I mention Silva, Bernard, Gomes, Tosun and Walcott? They've all played in the Champions League regularly. Silva with Olympiacos, Bernard with Shaktar, Gomes with Benfica and Barcelona, Tosun with Bestikas and Walcott with Arsenal.

Man Utd are wobbling badly this season, Mourinho's typical third season implosion is dominating the back pages, and Arsenal are bottom of the league and will be under immense pressure unless they win a load of games quickly. There's a real opportunity for us this season. We're far from the finished article, but some early season belief, a bit of luck, some good performances, and surely we can mount a proper assault on the top 6?

Maybe then even Victor would be a happy blue.

So yes, I was supporting on the Forces of Darkness, but I hardly gave a cheer. I also found it difficult to suppress a snigger at Karius antics.

My dad was cheering on the Reds though, but that's just the guy he was. As I said on another thread, he always told me that surely I'd want my uncles and cousins to be happy, and that I should think of the Reds I love when I think of LFC, not the idiots I don't know.

It is very early days in his and Marco Silva's career at Everton but they have both made decent starts. The good thing with Richarlison having a very close relationship with Silva is that if he fulfils his first 2 ambitions it will take a massive bid from 1 of the worlds top clubs to tempt him away. Now should he achieve his 3rd ambition and get us into the Champions League, then that would be brilliant. Let's hope they all come true.

Zidane.

Hopefully teams like Real do start paying him attention. It will mean he is playing at an exceptional level and we will be the immediate beneficiary.

Two games in and we are being told his defensive methods will not work. Let him work with them for a few months on the defence then we can judge.

That doesn't mean if we finish a strong 7th (won more games than we lost) we should be disappointed, as we can be happy with the progression from last season's mess.

Dave 21 very wise words, we are only 2 games into the season.

On a lighter note Arsenal v West Ham 6 pointer!!! Only joking😀

Surely if we can build on our good start then most of our good players will want to stay and be part of it.

If things peter out, it will be inevitable that heads will be turned and offers made. We have to progress and keep the ship on its course.

Full steam ahead to the Champions League!

I would be more than happy if he fulfilled his target, but feel if for some reason, he grossly underachieved, he would be left looking rather silly.

Geoff and Gary, you had me creased there with Victor MeldYu.

Anyway, he was making the point that he can be top scorer in the PL and Everton can get in the CL, and then he'd be in the Brazil team.

My point is that he is talking about achieving goals here, and not leaving to achieve them. But he's just joined so he would say that? Well just look back at a similarly aged Lukaku when he joined, he was talking about using us as a stepping stone. Not our Charlie, and that tells me a lot about the lad.

Anyway, it's two games in. He did something similar last season and was on 5 goals, and it went downhill fast. I really do believe he's in a different place (physically and metaphorically) this season and so he can sustain this period of form and treble last season's total.

Alongside Walcott and with Sigurdsson just behind, he can take us to the top if the defensive side of the team can tighten up.

Looking at the squad on paper now it's not such a stretch to imagine a real good international striker t want to join us.

If said strikers sees a Brazilian wonder kid feeding him on one side, Walcott on the other, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Gomes etc... Why not?

It looks to me that we are slowly building something; yes, some will come, some will go... but that happens — even to the mighty Barca and Real Madrid.

After all, we all spent a good few seasons laughing at Man City once the sheiks moved in.

Steve – as always well put and considered posts but Dave Abraham makes a good point in that we need to walk before we can run.

It was only a very short few weeks ago when sensible posts on TW were urging patience and to give M&M the time they need to get us where we all wish to be – ie continuous Champions League challengers and a cup or two.

Only two games in and the bar has already been set higher even ridiculous talk of Charlie being sold to the highest bidder! Incredible!

I am just as anxious as the next supporter to see us fighting for the top 6 (or even four) but nothing has changed – it will still take a little time even for the new signings to bed in and influence matters on the pitch.

Underlying excitement with a little patience is still the name of the game.

Abso-fucking-lutely!!!

"I don't believe it!!" :-)

Now I understand for some international football is not a big deal, even resented. But it is a big deal in many countries, possibly nowhere more so than in Brazil.

There was live coverage of the squad announcement on Brazilian national TV. All manner of different images were shown of player reactions on hearing their name called out. Tears. Wild yelping. Group hugs from family and team mates.

Next year, 2019, Brazil hosts the Copa America, the South American equivalent of the 4-yearly Euros. For job preservation, Tite needs to do very, very well in that, all the more so given the disastrous home WC of four years ago. That was the only time in their last six international finals Brazil has reached the semi-final. The pressure is well and truly on.

The 24 man squad he called up is for two friendlies in the US against the USA and El Salvador. It retains just 13 players who went to Russia. The other 11 players are mostly 'virgins' at international level and still young, in the 21-23 range. Out goes the like of Marcelo (BIG surprise), Miranda, Paulinho, Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus. They may well earn recalls for competitive games, but Tite wants to look at a new generation of players.

To add further context to Richarlison specifically, he has a LOT of good competition for the position and role he could fill: Coutinho, Willian, Douglas, Arthur, plus some of the young guns called up to this squad.

I can understand Richarlison watching the announcement anxiously in Liverpool, wanting to hear his name called out. I can understand why it wasn't. If he continues playing and scoring as he has for Everton, he will get noticed and as the player himself said:

"I watched with great anticipation, but unfortunately it was not this time. Even so, I continue with hope and I want to be prepared if the opportunity arises in the future."

The best way to prepare for an opportunity with the Brazilian national side is to be in great form for your club. Everton can only benefit by such drive and ambition as young Richarlison declares.

Nice to see ambition from the player though!!

Of course, then you have all the other distractions like the media deciding that other clubs are looking at him, other players telling him that he's too good for us, the wrong side of the Liverpool nightlife, women, being young and rich, missing his family, getting stick from the crowd after a bad game, not being able to walk along the beach in Brazil with all of those beautiful sights in front of you and how about playing a night game away to Newcastle in the freezing cold with snow everywhere in February when he should be dancing Samba in the Carnaval. Poor kid!

Must be horrible being a footballer, I reckon!

I bet you wanted to use Stoke as your example!!! Won't be the same without that “rainy Tuesday night at Stoke...”

Funny you should mention Samba. So does Richarlison at the end of the original interview!

In reference to Mina (who of course also played in Brazil), Richarlison says:

"He is very opinionated! [this can also mean 'strong personality' in Brazil]. He arrived dancing, promised to repeat it when he scores a goal and said he wants to learn Samba, which he doesn't know yet."

Sounds a happy dressing room.

Mind you, that doesn't stop the Geordies wearing tee-shirts on those freezing nights.

Going back to your earlier post on the players getting picked for the national team.

I was in Brazil back in 2000 and I remember reading about the corruption in Brazilian football where average players were getting thrown into the national team just simply to put them into the shop window and also give them the game time needed as a pre requisite of European policy of bringing players in from Brazil.

Quite a few players were getting picked up by European teams for substantial fees and of course lots of this money filtered through to politicians and sports executives.

My missus worked at The sports journal ‘Lance', in Rio and I also read a few bits in the daily edition. One of the players who I saw close up was Jo after we got him on loan from Man City. He had the worst first touch I've ever seen (on a Brazilian footballer) and this summed up what I had read in those articles.

Back to our very own Richarlison, I have seen enough of him briefly to tell me that he is a very clever and technically gifted player with a hunger for goals but as you mentioned the Brazil squad has lots of them. If he gets in that team then it will mean he is doing the business for us.

I have it on good authority that both Margaret and Mrs Warboys have insisted that he refrain from any comments whatsoever. :-)

Man Utd are a mess. Arsenal are not.much better, Chelsea is still a war zone and Spurs are still a 2- or 3-man team. Liverpool and Man City look streets better than anyone else in the Premier League.

If Silva really could get this lot to gel, this could be a surprisingly good season for the Blues. Richardson may get his wishes earlier than he expects.

I was thinking that very thing the other evening with the exception of Chelsea, if we gel and travel to Arsenal and Man Utd early and beat them – no draws, beat them – it will be a massive boost to the dressing room. Get everyone playing well and great team spirit, sensible rotation then why not.

Unlike Koeman last season, Unsworth and Allardyce, Silva gets a good run at most games. This good recovery time, time to reflect on the last game, prepare for the next game and time to drill.

Emery and Sarri have no time at all and they are opposites of the manager they replaced.

We have an opportunity I think. Whether we can be in a position to take advantage remains to be seen.

Can he be truly world-class? Too easy for sure, but that workrate won't be out of place for sure.

Did we chat on another thread some months back about your time in Brazil? There were two ex-pats recalling their time in Brazil.

Ironic that, today of all days, you reference corruption in Brazilian football at the highest level when the former president of the CBF - head of Brazilian football, Jose Maria Marin - has just been sent down for 4 years as part of the US investigation into corruption at FIFA.

There is a very dark side to the recruiting and marketing of Brazilian footballers, as you and your missus as a journo in Brazil will know all too well. Sadly, it is all something deeply cultural in Brazil in all walks of life. The daily stories and astronomical sums coming out in the wash as the Lavo Jato case plays out is eye-watering.

Brazil would be right up as one of the world's richest and most socially evolved nations on the planet if its natural resources and monies from the public fund weren't systematically drained by literally thousands of corrupt politicians at every level of governance, hand in glove with big business happy to foot the bill for their own extreme avarice.

Speaking of Jo, he's had something of a renaissance. Last season he helped steer Corinthians to the league title, ending the year as the league's top scorer. They flogged him to a Japanese club for a profit and have struggled to get goals this season and are meandering along in mid-table. Watching Corinthians live now against Fluminese. Just gone 1-0 down.

As for the topic of the thread, Richarlison, he really isn't on the radar here in Brazil, but if he continues scoring and playing as he is for Everton, he soon will be.

As you rightly say, if he gets into the Brazilian team then it will mean he is doing the business for us.

The one and only time I've seen and heard Everton mentioned as a news item on Brazilian national news was...Hibbo's testimonial!!!

They dedicated a good 2-3 minutes to his Everton career, never scoring a goal, showing highlights of the game then Hibbo sticking that free kick in and the crowd - living up to the promise! - 'Hibbert scores, we riot!'

Loved it!

Brazil has everything to be the richest nation on the planet but lazily still rely on so much foreign technology to get things done. Obviously bent politicians have a hand in most decisions made.

I read a story one time where a foreign investor had come to sign a multi million dollar contract and it was officially done on the beach at Ipenema. Lots of distractions going on whilst this was done of course...

The way the kids grow up playing football is beautiful though as it seems all of the tricks they do are natural to them. They generally play with a swagger and a smile and I loved watching it on the beach everyday.

I have been waiting for us to sign a genuine footballer who loves having the ball and Showing that will to get forward. It's early days but looking promising and Silva may just be that man to let him flourish in the Premier League.

All that matters is the next game...

I'm gonna put a fiver on the red shite to win the league coz it's a win-win situation...

I like this guy!

This season, we have a reasonably 'easy' start, and this could be a platform to build confidence to take for the rest of the season.

Man Utd are there for the taking, Arsenal are too (in fact, look at the Arsenal team and there are not many players who we'd take). So 5th is there for the taking, then with confidence and luck, we really can challenge Chelsea and Spurs. Not a given, but challenge we can.

On Richarilson, I said when he came and got dismissed by many, but I see him as a centre-forward in the long run. He has a bit of Thierry Henry about him.

If Lookman manages to kick on, what a strike force Lookman-Richarilson-Walcott could be.

Ricardo Teixeira... what a beaut he is!

To give you a notion of just how deeply culturally embeded corruption is in Brazil, Teixeira, of course, is the son-in-law of Joao Havelange, the man who ousted Stanley Rous as FIFA President in the 1970s.

It was Havelange who ruled FIFA as his personal fiefdom and started commercialising FIFA into the cash cow (his personal bank!) it now is.

He taught his disciples well. Who was his protege at FIFA who eventually succeeded him? Sepp Blatter.

Havelange and his son-in-law Teixeira are believed to have milked $40 million in bribes during their association with FIFA.

As you say, he has never been sent down for his proven corruption. The arrogant prick openly boasted to the Brazilian press who were hounding him ahead of the home World Cup in 2014 that:

"I couldn't care less about the charges. I will do whatever I want during the World Cup, including denying press credentials to anyone who criticises me. I'll change the match schedules if it pleases me!"

Nasty, nasty piece of work. And all too typical of exposed politicians and businessmen caught with their hand in the till in Brazil. Absolutely zero humility, remorse or acknowledgement of their crimes. And the creaking justice system and the glacial slow legal process works very much in their favour, as you and your wife are probably all too well aware.