Richarlison would be okay with a new striker

I'm not writing Calvert-Lewin off, but England U21 and Premier League are some way apart.

A striker would occupy defenders and provide movent for Richarlison to hit or exploit.

"I've been playing well, scoring a lot of goals, working hard."

I would have preferred something more along the lines of

"It has been a tough season. Expectations are high at a club like Everton. I would have liked to have scored more goals. I haven't quite found my form yet. I admit I am immature and tend to dive a lot when things aren't going my way. The boss has made it clear I need to up my game. It's one thing to have potential but it's time for me to man up and show that I am a £50 million player."

I would buy a Dzeko-type player to take the heat off the younger players. I would not be gambling on a youngster to come here with the hope he might improve!

Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin & Lookman are those players!

As for Calvert-Lewin, I'm a fan. Yes, he needs to improve, and isn't a top class striker, but he has so much potential, along with Lookman.

Not the best in the world but, as far as British or English talent, they are both amongst the best in their age group.

Let them learn this season, playing together along with Richarlison and Bernard. Some players, such as our Richarlison, just seem to mature and have that instinct at a younger age.

I hope we keep hold of the three of them because, in another couple of years, they could be seriously good! Not what people want to hear for this season but that's my hope and belief.

I am a big believer and have said it on here many a time, that it is with any player, not just strikers, very much a case of 'horses for courses' and therefore a gamble; some work out, others don't.

Having said that, I can never remember so many over-priced misfits at Everton as those in recent times, or basically when we eventually had money.

Richarlison has proved he's no centre-forwrad and let's hope the penny has finally dropped with Silva. He's much more productive playing wide left and running at defences so put him back there.

Play players in their best position. Keep it simple!

"KEP IT SIMPLES"

Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top
Richarlison, Bernard, and Lookman behind him.

I still think if you give Bernnard 4 or 5 games at the No 10, he'd be a revelation.

It seems glaringly obvious to me it's the way forward. But, for whatever reason, managers see things differently:

Moyes not playing Rooney.
Moyes not playing Coleman.
Moyes playing Lescott at left-back.
Moyes playing Osman out of position.
Bobby not focusing at all on set pieces.
Bobby not caring enough about defending.
Bobby continuing to play Alcaraz.
Koeman... Well...
Sam not doing a-single-fucking-thing and playing shite football, never looking to even try to score.

The stubbornness to not change in the last decade is overwhelming.

Marco – try my front four. Change it up. As if you're listening!

Calvert-Lewin
Richarlison Bernard Lookman

That would be my top 4 for the next month. Pace, work ethic (bar Lookman possibly) and hopefully some goals.

It's rubbish because Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin and Lookman don't deliver on a regular basis. I'm not convinced Lookman has too many goals in him; great feet, yes... goals and regular end product, no.

I want to see one of them take off like Rashford or Kane did at a similar age.

We have always been very good at talking the talk but walking the walk is something completely different.

Getting in a new striker makes no sense to me. Just play what we have and plan for next season.

If we totally write this season off as many would (disgrace of an attitude to me) then it simply gives players an excuse to put in half-arsed performances until May.

If we finish this season in 11th or 12th then there won't be a long queue of top players waiting to join us in summer.

To have any impact next season, we need at least one top striker and one other striker that will do the dirty work and give us a varied dimension that we don't currently possess.

We need a right back. And we need a replacement for Gueye, who will at some point undoubtedly leave.

In the meantime, a little bit of hard work on the pitch might not go amiss from the players, as it's becoming embarrassing getting outfought by the likes of Southampton and Brighton.

I'm not saying the team should give up. I'm saying that we should not be ploughing more money into this shit-show right now.

The players have to stand up and prove themselves. If they want to be at the club, it's time they started showing it.

I'd have thought the one thing we've learnt from the last few years is that throwing money at the problem is not the way to fix things.

If that makes me a ‘disgrace' in your book, then so be it.

I don't think we should throw big money on anyone either and that goes for the summer too, I'd be tearing my hair out if we seriously considering paying £40 million for Batshuayi for example.

We obviously need a striker and right back, but I'd be shopping around the Championship or the Premier League to see if there are any decent deals. I want to see these players work hard and really stake a claim for their places.

Hard work should not take six months or a run of ten games for a player, hard work should be seen instantly.

I just don't get why he keeps starting Richarlison as centre-forward when there is no need. we have two recognised strikers in Tosun and Calvert-Lewin who could do the job instead. or he could be really wild and play both at the same time. Silva's comments about Calvert-Lewin don't make sense either – for me, he has okay pace and is perfectly prepared to run the channels and chase balls down that go behind the other defence.

I would agree that Richarlison's own personal assessment of his season to date needs work too. To say he's scored lots of goals and been playing well is a stretch, to say the least. Maybe a sign of how low standards are at the moment if he truly believes that. Don't get me wrong: he has done alright and I like him but he should not be getting too big-headed about it all.

Bench Sigurdsson and Gomes who look totally shot and replace them with Davies and Bernard.

We not in any danger of going down (even allowing for the fact that this is Everton and what could go wrong etc) so they should play with freedom and what's been missing this last couple of months – intensity.

I don't think January is a great time for 'deals' most good players are badly needed by their current clubs so prices hike. Batshuayi is about the best we could hope for. I agree with Phil.

It's time to get some consistency into the team and see who can cut it or not. Give minutes to the young players where possible as a few of them developing into Premier League stars a la Kane and Alli is probably our best shot of competing with the top 4.

As good as Zouma and Gomes (at times) have been, I'd probably be tempted to stick with players who are definitely ours. I'd try starting this team for the next 4 or 5 matches:

Pickford
Kenny Keane Mina Digne
Davies Gueye
Lookman Bernard Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

You could play Siggurdsson instead of Davies but I'd like to see the lad given a run of starts to see how he responds. I think he's capable of much more than we've seen from him in the last year or two though maybe I'm being too kind on him. I still remember when he broke into the team and looked a player who could pick a decent pass, make a few meaty tackles and had energy to burn; but there's not been much to commend him recently.

He is planning to play Calvert-Lewin there and give him a proper run in the team until the season's end. It would do Calvert-Lewin the world of good to know he is being backed to produce the goods. He comes in for some criticism but, more often than not, he plays better than the senior players around him!

From what I have seen, he has talent, toughness, a great attitude and is single-minded. He is improving gradually.A run in the team may be the making of him. It's a glorious opportunity and we all should show faith and back him to do the business for us.

January is a bad time to be signing important players; better to carefully plan and make good decisions in June.

If you want something to give you a boost on this horrible grey morning go and watch it!

I actually bought ten tickets but was escorted out of the building after three hugs.

What the fuck is wrong with telling a player he has beautiful hair???? ;-)

Yes, he is a good footballer, but there has to be an end result and so far there isn't, and I don't believe playing him behind the striker will improve his goal tally.

So, if he believes they are ones to score the important, nigh essential, goals, why doesn't he start with them, get the lead and then indulge in his passing game (if he must) which would be much more effective against opposition desperate to score?

He just needs a few appearances as sub to refresh his body and mind. But right now, our midfield looks one-paced and plodding and literally the three midfielders are providing very little in the way of positive movement

Some players over the years have just been better as impact subs, Anichebe, Vaughan were fantastic sub options during the Moyes era if you were looking for something different to worry defences.

Whenever Calvert-Lewin or Tosun have started they have had little impact and looked lightweight and tired after 45 minutes.

It's more an act of desperation when Silva throws them on late to salvage another losing position.

From the sheer majesty of 1970 in Mexico to now... how far the Brazilians have fallen is truly shocking.

I think you could keep Sigurdsson's goal threat in the team by playing him deeper instead of Gomes, where he can arrive late for those precision finishes of his at the edge of the box, like the consolation against Southampton.

Pickford
Kenny
Keane
Mina
Digne
Lookman
Gueye
Sigurdsson
Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin
Hornby

I believe our obsession with a Number 10 diminishes Gueye's ability to function as part of a midfield. Gueye was brilliant, as were Everton, with Schniederlin and Davies forming a midfield trio.

Gueye and Gomes do not function, neither do Gueye and Schneiderlin, Gueye and Davies or Gueye and anyone else.

Dropping Sigurdsson would allow us to play 4-3-3 and get the most out of our midfield.

Sadly, although Sigurdsson is our biggest goal threat, and Gueye is our best performer, I don't think we function as a team with them together.

I think it's a choice between them.

I imagine most of us could pick a team to beat Millwall so result is a foregone conclusion. Or maybe not.

To call any of them duds would seem very premature. To imply that they are inferior players to the very untested kids in the U23 team, who I've watched a fair bit, is lunacy, I'm afraid.

He is a great little dribbler but can't score goals, can't tackle and is too easily knocked off the ball.

By comparison, Sigurdsson is one of our highest scorers, puts a shift in and can tackle.

It will never happen but for now I would put Sigurdsson and Richarlison up front in a 4-4-2 and bring McCarthy (if fit) into midfield alongside Gueye.

Siggurdsson could then hold the ball up and release Richarlison if were on a breakaway or allow the other to move up the flanks.

Our problems are lack of strength in midfield, not Sigurdsson.

Since that pig of a result against Liverpool, the morale and intensity has hit rock bottom and almost all the opponents since then have found it quite easy to play against Everton – even Lincoln.

I feel for Richarlison who has the natural scoring skills but no real target man who can play up the middle and help him out.

We can throw a few names about but Tosun, Calvert-Lewin and Walcott have not been able to supply the right support.

However, there has been very little creativity coming from the middle of the park, so I believe any finger-pointing should be aimed there before criticizing the strikers too much.

It's hard to see any evidence at all that things are going to change anytime soon and the failure to bring in new blood is so frustrating to the die-hard fans.

Talk of financial prowess or a new stadium is not what we want to hear when things are so dire on the field.

I don't know where you get your stats from but Opta are showing Sigurdsson with a 70% tackle rate and Bernard with 62%.

Over the 20 games he has played, Bernard has made 29 tackles, 3 blocks and 15 interceptions.

Sigurdsson over 232 games pro-rated to 20 has made 24 tackles, 15 blocks and 20 interceptions.

Sigurdsson has also had more assists, more shots on goal, and more goals per game.

Although I like Bernard, I know who I would sooner have in my team.

Oh God... I've heard it all now!

And please let's hope it will never happen.

Even in your stats, though, Bernard is making more tackles per game! He does more defensive work than people give him credit for.

Jay's stats are compiled from Sigurdsson's Premier League history, which includes his time at Swansea and Spurs.

This season, Bernard's stats for creating chances are better, as are his tackling per-game stats. They are equal in interceptions.