Everton vs Chelsea

The more time goes by, I'm afraid the more it becomes apparent that F M knows bugger all about running a premier league football club and even when he finally realizes he's made a mistake, he's too much of a ditherer and waits far too long before taking action to correct his mistakes.

Silva should be long gone by now, but I'm dreading him being here in the summer and being allowed to sign more mediocre players for 'his' team. I'm steeling myself for a long, hard season next year, with a potential relegation fight on our hands.

Sorry to sound negative but this is what Silva's reign has reduced me to.

Retrospect makes things very clear and easy but there were decent arguments I think to appointing Silva, Koeman and even Allardyce to a degree. Impossible to know how these things will work out.

I agree with a fair amount of what Silva said in his interview. There have been some signs of promise but just so much inconsistency. Think we are very high up the table in individual mistakes that have lead to goals. It's just not quite worked so far. And that falls on Silva. He's got 8 games to get it right. Although something tells me he might be here next season even if he doesn't.

More pills, Nurse!

What a disgrace!

37 points in mid March, what a disgrace!

It's hard to even care or expect any kind of surprise element result with this Everton side nowadays, we just turn up and don't win most weeks, end of story.

I said weeks ago we would only beat Wolves and Burnley in our remaining home games, nothing much has changed.

Richardson is not worth a start based on recent performances but did well coming on as sub the other week. DCL should start every week without doubt as games will give this lad experience and confidence to go on and do well for us in the future.

Fingers crossed for a draw

Like others I can see next season being very tough. Staying out of the relegation battle will be a challenge unless Silva can build and sustain a team ethic among a group which still looks unbalanced in terms of both skills and personalities.

As regards team selection I would revert to Schneiderlin but also consider if Tom Davies merits a return to bolster the midfield. He was not our worst player before he was dropped. Despite his lack of productivity in the final third I would stick with Bernard. His link up play with Digne was one of the positives at Newcastle, at least for the first hour.

Clean sheets with Scheiderlin/Gana in previous two matches . Concede 3 with Gomes's re-introduction.

Scheiderlin/Gana has become a profanity with many Evertonians due to some of the dross we have seen when it has been used. However, dynamics can change with player form, different systems and different players in from of them.

I think we looked a more solid and organised outfit against Cardiff and Liverpool. First half against Newcastle we played some great football in patches, but were also a tad lucky to be 2-0 up at half time . We were looser in our play and could have easy conceded 1 or 2.

Gomes is easy on the eye as a player, moves well, intelligent and strong. I just don't think he has what it takes to be top 4/6 in the premier league.

It kills me to say it think he is a bit slow, not tenacious enough . Dont get me wrong, the Schneid/Gana combo is not a dream team by any means. I am just saying it looked better v Cardiff and Liverpool. The team looked better, more secure.

Overall I think Gomes is a great player,[ maybe better suited to the spanish/portuguese leagues?], but I don't want us to sign him permanent. I am hoping we are looking elsewhere for someone who can give us a little bit more than him .

Is that a fair opinion or am I for the stocks?

Not sure how we can only beat Wolves and Burnley in our remaining home games when we've already played Wolves?

I hope my fellow ToffeeWebbers who are attending the game tomorrow have a bit more belief.

Full support.

Tell you what, mate, here is a free bit of advice for you going forward in your 'coaching pathway' – if things are not going well and you don't know how to rectify them, then drop the machismo and bloody well ask for help from someone who sees it better than you.

That's why you have a coaching team. It's not rocket science; however, I won't hold my breath.

Football coaching is rife with pretentious people who won't share idea's – colloquially, it's called being full of shit.

It would be at the expense of Sigurdsson.

Keane and Mina at the heart of the defence is another heart breaker, hope it is not as heartbreaking as it appears to me at the moment, but after all that I'm going for at least a draw. I'm hoping a lot of the players will pull themselves together, like for the Liverpool game, and prove that they do really want to play for the manager, as most of them say they do. It won't be 4-0 for our old friend George, but don't rule out a win.

Yep, I'm dreaming, not delirious, but for the life in me, I can see us at best etching a draw. Chelsea can be unpredictable, but I see Sarri, using the game as an opportunity to exploit their good away win on Thursday.

The conditions, if they carry on like today, will make it precarious, for GKs and defenders, and I hope, we get Bernard and Charlie, on the ball, and a Calvert-Lewin, carries on working his socks off, like vs the RS, and Skunks.

Hand on heart, I'd take a draw, but that's the best, I can see, but surprise us in a nice way Everton, and beat them.

The next few weeks are all tough games, surely Marco Silva will be urging his squad to deliver, for some it's the last leg of their Everton journey, the players must play for the shirt and their pride.

We already have a problem by losing Zouma at the back and to approach this game with a cavalier attitude would be a big mistake. If we get embarrassed and lose heavily, it will only quicken Silva's departure and it will have been his own fault.

If Everton "go for it", our weekend will definitely 100% be ruined!!!

I still think Coleman is a weakness and Kenny should play. We haven't kicked up enough about Walcott this week, so he will start.

People asking for a Schneiderlin return – God help us... but, if he can make a difference, then why not? I still fail to understand why James McCarthy isn't given a look-in. I'm not saying he was a great player before injury, but at least he showed commitment, which is sadly lacking from most of the others.

It is sad that we have no optimism or positivity but that's where and what we have come too, unfortunately. It seems a bit pointless hoping we'll win 2-0, 3-1, etc etc before every game then afterwards have to post on the dire shite we've witnessed.

This season had alarms ringing pre-season and early doors, though we still hoped when Silva's signings took to the field things would change; unfortunately, nothing substantial did.

We'll still get the 3-0, 4-0 lads coming on. God I hope they're right!!!

I wouldn't be surprised if we found ourselves 2-0 up with ten minutes left only to watch yet another inexplicable calamity befall our motley crew.

Now I have been a bit disappointed in Lookman's performances of late, but tell him he starts the next 4 or 5 games. Richarlison has lost his early season form but, despite that, the lad still scores goals. Seeing that Brands has stated he doesn't think we will be bringing in a top class centre-forward in the summer, then we may as well start Calvert-Lewin till the end of the season.

Giroud and/or Higuain will be ready for the set-pieces coming in and we need to take care of them. Another player who we will have to be tracking and marking very closely is Rudiger. He steals into the box and is a big danger, we have to take him out (99% fairly) or we will be punished.

Tomorrow will be a massive test for our defence, but there is a goal or two to be had at the other end if we play well.

I was at the game. It strikes me that Silva isn't playing 4-3-3; it's more like 4-2-4. Sigurdssun was playing alongside Calvert-Lewin; Richarlison and Bernard pushed up as wingers. This leaves a poor defence very vulnerable.

We either need to play Sigurdsson deeper, 4-3-3, or the wingers deeper, 4-4-2. I hate to say it but even Liverpool don't play their front three plus an attacking midfielder. They secure the midfield and then let the front three have the freedom to attack.

The apathy amongst Everton fans is because we never see the team feature in big games, hardly ever reach a Semi or Final of tournaments either domestically or in Europe.

It's hard to sit and watch other English clubs playing massive Cup games this weekend or the Champions League and Europa League draw yesterday bringing about huge ties for English participants on the horizon next month.

There's only so long you can remain optimists when you are basically watching the same predictable scenario at Everton unfold season after season after season.

I am a natural pessimist but there is being created a vicious circle of gloom and fear between us and the team and it has to be broken. I repeat: the team and manager certainly have the primary responsibility, but we have to make an effort to be more hopeful and vocal in support rather than drowning in cynicism.

Part of that involves being much more realistic as to Everton's current status and prospects. From that recognition, we can build together.

Everton Football Club provide buses on Walton Lane but why don't the above mentioned provide a normal service for two hours after the game?

Sigurdsson plays so far forward that we get overrun in midfield. The only way that the midfield doesn't get overrun is when either the wingers play deeper, or the full backs advance into midfield – this then leaves us vulnerable at the back.

Playing with two wingers and a Number 10 isn't working and hasn't for a long time.

The white-flag wavers always forget themselves. Those claiming we wouldn't get any more points have already had their mug predictions shattered. Sure they were all over these pages during the Newcastle game – but that was only after it had started to go Pete Tong. They seem to have conveniently forgotten the four points we took from the previous two games... Where were they then?

This season has been torture for Evertonians, but some of the Homer Simpsons ("cant-win-don't-try") amongst the ranks are getting exactly what they deserve. They want to raise the white flag before every game, but they are the first to scream the house down if they think the players have done the same.

Try a bit of positivity and less name-calling. Might work.

I'll be back too on Sunday. I can't wait!

I think Mike's point at 34 is correct. We do seem to get overrun in midfield too easily. I think we sorely lack pace there with the likes of Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson and Gomes all a bit one-paced.

I also think that maybe it's time to dispense with the players on loan; we've had a good look at them. Let's see what our players can do and if they need to be shifted this summer.

Pickford
Coleman Keane Mina Digne
Gana Schneiderlin Davies
Richarlison Calvert-Lewin Bernard

"Try a bit of positivity and less name-calling. Might work".

Absolutely!!

Overall, I believe we have a good squad with the exception of an established goalscoring No 9. I thought Rondon showed us what we were missing in terms of hold-up play and goal threat. Calvert-Lewin may be that player in 2 years time but we need someone now.

A good No 9 and Sigurdsson playing 10 yards deeper and things could be moving in the right direction. If Silva plays 4-2-4 v Chelsea, we could be in for a tough afternoon.

Got told a few "neggo's" last year... didn't accept them and defied the 'experts' – looking forward to a Bluetiful Future.

I hope beyond hope that we see the good confident Everton tomorrow. Chelsea are not that great this season so this could be the time. I hope Schneiderlin gets a game because he does what Barry used to do though without Barry's solid impeccable leadership. Everton 2-1 – they play great but nobody knows how they will play in the game after that. It's a project.

Dave @47, I haven't heard anything back yet from John McFarlane Snr, I will give it another 24 hours then I will try to ring him. That sounds like a good a day as any when Andy Crooks comes over for the Man Utd game on 21 April, for our TW soiree. It's an early kick-off so if we say 5:00 pm onwards in Wetherspoons (the old Blacklers in Charlotte Street) obviously will not suit everybody, but I would imagine most will be able to make it.

All Tw'ers welcome as per usual.

I know you'll both enjoy it, hopefully the team will turn up and make it more enjoyable!

Part of the reason we have gone backwards is losing Barry and not properly replacing him. (Both Gueye and Schneiderlin can play that position defensively but aren't leaders and can't pass forward.)

Losing Lukaku and his goals at the same time as Barry without replacements goes a long way to explaining our problems.

Does this man take responsibility for anything? How can players who haven't played for us this season be responsible for any part of the shambles this manager has put out for most of the season??? Gordon Bloody Bennett!!!

You can't really blame them for being negative as we have witnessed some crap this season. Four wins since November says it all cumulating in that disaster last Saturday.

We all want Everton to win and do well but it's just not happening. We're all hoping for a good performance tomorrow against Chelsea but we have to see what Everton turn up? Here's hoping...

The one experienced pro who should have been kept on the staff, ultimately to coach/mentor the young players, was let go... And that, for me, sums up the current Everton set-up.

We are far too concerned about the other side and how they will hurt us rather than how we can hurt them. The last three managers have instilled this mentality into the players.

That is why we are where we are with not a man amongst the team. Silva also is just a very poor man-manager.

If you lose your past and sell away your future, then its actually amazing that we've managed to stay in the Premier League. All of a sudden we had no identity. I hope we can keep that in mind when we inevitably start calling for a sacrificial manager's head when this aggravating inconsistent form probably continues till the end of the season.

I'd go as far as saying he's the most intelligent footballer I've seen at this club in the last 20 years.

He read the game tremendously well and his passing was excellent, it was Barry's presence that allowed Ross Barkley to prosper so much in Martinez's first season here.

It's all about “the team” and it's all about getting behind “the team” because a defeatist attitude will only kill us and, like George said, it's all about defying the experts!

Glad the two “Godfrey old boys” are back at Goodison tomorrow, and like Sam says, let's try and concentrate on the positives, because Everton played some great football for an hour at Newcastle last week.

The common denominator here was 3 midfielders. Barkley didn't play as far forward as Sigurdsson does and, because of his ability, always kept at least one defensive midfielder occupied, thus preventing us from being overrun in midfield.

We can't play two wingers and a Number 10 in the same team.

I saw some great signs from Everton last week but it's all about the result at the end of the day with not enough players willing to give everything for “their team”?

A work in progress or a manager who is only going to take us backwards for loads. Hard to make up my mind but, like people have already said, what's the point in being negative? Especially before a ball has been kicked.

Finding that right midfield blend is going to be crucial next season, whoever is in charge.

"Someone who would have stuck with Sam". So you're the one?

We've been through incredible change and lost some really good players. How in effect we swapped Barkley plus 㿊m for Sigurdsson, who's 4 years older, is beyond me (Koeman's ego).

However, I still believe we have a good squad now (but an established centre-forward is missing). I thought the summer signings were pretty good (Mina still to be proved). I wouldn't swap Gomes, Gueye and Sigurdsson playing as a proper midfield 3 for Henderson, Milner and Wijnaldum.

It's frustrating times but, as I said earlier, if Silva could play Sigurdsson deeper, so we had a more solid midfield, and he could buy a top centre-forward in the summer, things would be better.

I'm old and lucky enough to have seen the 1970 team, different class but also played 4-3-3. Alan Ball (very different class) was the attacking midfielder. Without the ball, he lined up with Kendall and Harvey in midfield, not with Royle up front.

Check these stats out.

Everton have not rescued a point when the opposition has scored first since Newcastle on December 4th.

Everton have not won when the opposition has scored first since Swansea in December 2017.

He should have been sacked after the embarrassment that was the Millwall game.

5 wins in 19 matches and two of those were against Cardiff.

Last week's debacle was gut-wrenching but merely added to the many poor results, not to mention performances, giving us little hope for next season under Silva.

Not being able to really dominate games and put average teams away has been a real problem which shows that, no matter what starting eleven is named, there is no real unity.

Silva has some players he doesn't pick and others out on loan but surely they can't do any worse than what we have seen who are commanding big pay packets.

Wolves, Watford, West Ham, Leicester, Bournemouth are all above EFC at 5pm on Saturday 16 March. If ,by a miracle tomorrow, we win, we will jump back above Bournemouth. Anything less and we will stay below all 5 of them.

But I have good news! We will be top of the bottom 9 teams! How far have we fallen since the heady heights of 6th!

The saddest and most worrying outlook is that I would not mind swapping most of our team and manager for any of the 5 teams above us. I can't even begin to consider the Sky 6.

We have been in the shit before and climbed out it at Oxford and against Wimbledon. But even those teams had fighters in them. Who are our fighters? I don't see any.

Yes, the future looks good! 5 U21s in the England U21 team and Gibson and Gordon in younger England teams. U23s sit proudly atop Premier League 2. That's a least 7 Blues who couldn't be any worse than what we have endured recently.

I really hope everything I have written here blows up in my face as we get 3 points tomorrow!

COYBs

Everton as they were are simply no more; this is a new Everton side trying to make up a team. It is going to take time as, right now, Silva has only had a limited number of players relative to the full squad size and limitations in both of these windows; he's largely inherited more than some undesirables.

There were, at times, watching the side we call Everton, prior to the Liverpool game at Anfield with Pickford's faux pas, seasonal Annus Horribilis, where, even under Silva, it was like watching an Everton team schooled by Barcelona. It was eye-shockingly good football, more than just attractive quick-flowing football. Jaws – aka flip-flop-Klopp – even ran onto the pitch like he had just watched Liverpool win the Champions League and the Premier League title at the end of that derby game.

I don't know how many you've had tonight so far but Everton have not once looked like Barcelona in terms of “eye shockingly good football”.

We looked half-decent at times earlier in Autumn, half-decent with some half-decent results – nothing outstanding.

I'll have a bit of what you have been sipping tonight.

Everyone going on about what a great 60 minutes we had at Newcastle but conveniently forgetting that, once they scored, the writing was on the wall.

People are only passing opinions on what they are watching week after week and the steady decline of the performances all season.

You've got Darren Hinds talking about Evertonians waving white flags... I don't see any white flags in the ground, mate, but plenty on the pitch.

It's the daft optimism that gets me – not the constructive criticism that some people offer.

Further forward he has to make a decision to include Lookman over Walcott and ignore the niceties of Bernard to use Richarlison as a winger. Let's hope the Brazilian is at his nastiest.

I'm looking for at least a point as our record against Chelsea is more than reasonable. A win would remove any objection this apology for a manager has for failing to use the massive squad at his disposal!

As for last week's terrible loss, it was not playing Gomes instead of Schneiderlin that caused Everton to throw away the game, but Silva's disastrous substitutions, when Everton were coasting 2-0 up with ½-an-hour to go.

Turmills is now the designated EFC bar!

Link

Link

Of course, we shall not go down this season but we could well get pretty close to the drop. What is it about Silva that makes you think next season will be any better? He looks a typical 'Villa' manager to me.

Money has a lot to do with it, but we are not a well-run club, the management structure isn't built to succeed – we just don't have the right football people at board level. Just look at our transfer dealings as an indicator, they have been a total disaster and we have squandered millions in an embarrassing fashion.

No wonder there's a complete lack of optimism amongst the fans. We've been totally hoodwinked, with false promises of projects. Now we're totally dependent on Brands bailing us out, he's our only hope on the horizon at present, because nobody else at the club has got a clue.

Interesting to see what tactics will be used, but Chelsea, whilst having a huge squad,it's not the seasoned and proven squad of 10 years ago. They've had a long week, but if we are honest this season, most of the weeks, have been long, such is our inconsistency.

I just hope that we turn up and play with effort and can walk off the pitch, with pride.

My fear is that, in today's pressure environment of instant success, they will never be given the chance to make it.

Moshiri made it easy for Silva with his ‘youth' comments. Silva could have got away with some bad results because he was budding the young players, instead he's made a rod for his own back by largely ignoring them and still weighing in with bad results.

Question for anyone...

Would you be happy effectively writing next season off to blood as many of our young players as we can and see if we can create a team for the future??

Young players would include (probably not all at the same time) Robinson, Kenny, Holgate, Davies, Williams, Dowell, Vlasic (still hold hope for this guy), Lookman and Calvert-Lewin.

Include Europe and pre-season in that!

White flag wavers, may arse.

Pickford is, I predict, maybe our best player with reflexive saves. He's good at that.

I would love to see McCarthy pair up with Gueye in defensive posture.

It's not the fans waving the white flag – it's the players and manager.

New manager to sell off as much of the deadwood as possible. The key is to get a manager with past experience of building balanced squads, on a budget or otherwise. Cowley is from Lincoln if they get the Imps promoted this season. Can't be worse than Silva.

Thinking small time has got us where we are!

I've no problem with people talking about who should start, how we might play differently, or what went wrong in the last match. But I, like Darren, have less time for people who only come on to say we are crap, we've got no chance, we're a laughing stock, we're gonna get hammered etc etc. That's not constructive criticism in my eyes.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion but the defeatism can get quite overwhelming!

Oh, and by the way, I'd love to know if these posters who are bigging up the fat Spanish Sam Allardyce as their choice of manager are actually from this city? I'd guess not...

I've asked hundreds of Evertonians if they would have that horrible bastard as coach and not one has said "Yes". Just screwed their faces up in disgust.

The day he walks into the corridors of Goodison Park is the day I walk out.

If someone says, based on the season so far, they can't see us winning at home any of the remaining games against the top teams, then those supporters are not true blues?

Do you think that whatever anyone on here says is actually to blame for whatever happens on the pitch? Some do...

Of course, they are right to be angered. But we must not help to kill the thing we love.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man Utd and even Liverpool are big clubs because they are run like big clubs and not like the mom-and-pop store on the corner.

I do believe that Silva and Brands need to be given the time to get the playing style up to speed. Last season was dreadful from start to finish; this season, we have seen fleeting glimpses of improvement. For half a game last week, we played as well as we had played in years.

We will get there but the only thing that is really guaranteed to screw us up is another panicky manager change. Marco Silver may or may not be a world-class manager but he is definitely good enough to take us to at least the top six which, considering the shambles he inherited, would be a freaking miracle.

Let's just rip Chelsea apart tomorrow. Hope always begins with the next game.

If there is another person on these pages who has been called negative more than me, I haven't seen their posts.

Your outrage is a little bit misplaced there, fella. You don't seem to get the difference between roll-over defeatism and opinion.

You moan about the daft optimism on here, but I don't see that. I do see the usual made-up nonsense about non-existent posters people claiming we will win 3-4 nil every week, but ask those who make these foolish claims to point them out and they never can... know what I mean?

You claim that the people who have been coming on here for weeks predicting we won't get anymore points are simply giving "constructive opinion" – are you sure about that? Do you even realise the odds of it happening? And how is it constructive when they disappear every time their predictions go down the pan, only for them to reappear for the next game?

These people are not even waiting to see who is playing for us or the opposition. They don't even know who will be in charge. That's not constructive criticism – it is out and out defeatism. They have already quit, months in advance.

Please don't tarnish those who travel all around the country watching our team or those who regularly support from afar with this depressing defeatism expressed by 2-3 people on here. If you travel around, you will know that couldn't be further from the truth.

I consider myself to be ultra critical but, like most people, I take each game as it comes. I don't go in for the half-witted crystal ball nonsense.

There is no "daft optimism" as you call it. You're not part of some sort of exclusive group who sees what other people don't. Everyone who has watched us this season can see we have been shite... but how many will throw the towel in so readily??

I have not been happy with this club for years. I systematically criticised previous managers' style of play on these very pages, but I would never, not ever, raise the white flag before a ball has been kicked.

It was obvious that the Goodison crowd gave him a real lift in the derby game so the Newcastle result would have left him more gutted than we are.

I think the best thing for us to do is get behind him and the team. The only qualifier I would put on that is that everyone of them has to give everything they have got.

John @106, I'd never accuse anyone on here of not being a true blue. I've no issue with people saying they can't see us winning but I do get a bit worn out by certain people who every single week state with total certainty that we have no chance of winning.

As for having an effect on what actually happens on the pitch, it's hard to say. I wouldn't rule it out entirely. Certainly within the stadium, the mood and expectations of any fans are likely to transmit to the players to some degree.

I guess that's what happens when you take notice of bullshit.

As you see, everyone every week has a different opinion on what they see.

Gomes was Man of the Match... Gomes was shit. Pickford needs dropping; Pickford needs keeping. We all see things differently.

If you read all the posts above, a few have suggested, probably based on our season so far, that they can't see us winning tomorrow. Their opinion, they might be wrong, they might be right, but just because they gave their opinion the day before or the week before doesn't make them less of a blue than anyone else.

For anyone to intimate that someone with a different view or opinion is less a blue than anyone else is a disgrace, as I am sure you will agree.

Instead, in the span of 25 minutes, the Silva era may have been crippled beyond repair. Fine margins indeed.

Silva has produced, albeit very patchily, the best football I have seen from Everton for a very long time (with a short nod to Martinez's first season, with better players). I mean the pure quality of that football, however fleeting.

That is a cause for reserved optimism and we would do well, as supporters, to try and blow the sparks into flames.

There must come a point when that loyalty is questioned, when it does not appear to be repaid by the players, Manager and staff. Especially when more effort has been afforded by the support attending in all weathers, to grounds 4 and 5 hours away, than is reflected on the pitch, only to be let down time and time again.

I have always advocated that I can reluctantly accept defeat, if it has been by a better side, even a couple of bad refereeing decisions, or just bad luck, provided it has been matched by 100% effort by all on the pitch, and the Manager making sensible team selections and substitutions. Sadly that has not been the case for a while.

Of course, if we beat Chelsea tomorrow, that changes everything.

Let's hope so for tomorrow.

Hopefully, Silva has learned a lesson from that game.

I also hope that Jordan Pickford gets his head down and concentrates on putting in a solid, professional performance. If Jordan gives the defence some much needed confidence we may get something from the game.

As for optimism vs pessimism; I always go to Goodison Park thinking we can win. Why? Because it is Everton playing at home.

100% agree with those saying the crowd needs to be vocal, it makes such a difference.

Though I felt Gomes played well first half, in the second half, it was proved he was not up to 90 minutes.

Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin played well but, once Silva abandoned supporting the forward line and cancelled it out of the game, no-one would have made a difference.

Bernard rather that Walcott, please. Lookman a big question mark???

I am convinced that Silva will be in his job next season. Maybe Moshiri has copped on that the problems run deeper than the manager at last.

Brands is the main light and Denise in Cannes – beside Monaco – is taking ‘Kiss my ass' too far.

Calvert-Lewin will have a tough task today but he is showing signs of clever hold-up play and flick-ons and buying fouls in the right areas. He even followed through on one of their centre-halves last week, showing a bit of controlled nastiness. His header was superb.

Let's get behind him and enable him to be as good as he can be and it might be good enough. Rip him to pieces and it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Same with Silva.

Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinions but surely you can leave the negativity until after the game has been lost.

Others prefer to look at the facts and judge him by his record past and present. Not very good at all.

We all hope we win today though 4-0.

Very good post that, Dave, because you made me a much better footballer with some of your criticism “after” I'd just played a game of football, even if I never liked it at the time.

Paul @122, that was the first thing I thought at the end of last week's game, mate. It was Silva's fault imo, so let's see if he learns off it, because if he does, then last weeks capitulation might just have even been worth it?

Just because he's made mistakes, and not quite found the right balance yet, doesn't mean we should just quit on him. We haven't turned the corner but, in the first half against Newcastle, there were moments that made me believe we were close.

Why not support the man and not be so ready to chuck in the towel? He's young, he makes mistakes, but the team and Silva will perform better with our support.

"So we have to play a very important match, and a very difficult game."

Hahaha! He hasn't watched us play much this season has he!

If we are to get anything at all out of this game, the one thing we must not do is score. Easier said than done like.

Man for man, they have more quality than us, I just feel a surprise coming as they are not ripping up trees themselves.

Logic decrees that maybe a draw is the best we can hope for but one can live in hope.

It wasn't that long ago though when Naismith got his perfect hat-trick against them. I say perfect, because he scored one with each peg, and one with a header, he was never the best player in the World, but you could never fault his commitment.

Of course, he is also fondly remembered for the extremely unselfish work he did for the homeless, ever mindful of those less fortunate than himself. He even purchased Season Tickets and each home game, two Evertonians who were unable to afford to go to the match, were allowed to use the them.

How many of the current group of millionaires would do that? ... answers on a postcard please!

Moyes knew he had the Man Utd job right then? Kidded everyone who went along with “The Prince and the Pauper” double act, but the saddest thing about it was that he tricked himself the most.

Eleven years without a trophy? Silva has been here for 9 months and, just because he's had some money, let's look at the shambles he came into.

England's top six are all into the European quarterfinals of their respective competitions and, if Silva is a loser, he his just getting added to every man who's had the Everton job since Joe Royle.

It's no good being able to attack if you can't defend, I'm very aware of this but it's no good going the match if you're not going to get behind the team, surely even the realists know this?

Let's turn the form book and give the media mob something to talk about.

Yep, no mean task today against a good team but it's not the Chelsea of yesteryear, they are beatable with the right attitude and effort.

Pickford
Coleman Keane Mina Digne
Davies Schneiderlin Gueye
Sigurdsson Calvert-Lewin Bernard

Subs: Stekelenburg, Jagielka, Baines, Gomes, Walcott, Lookman, Richarlison

An opportunity for Mina, Bernard and Davies to cement their places until the end of the season. If every one of the team puts in a 100%, we should give Chelsea a tough match.

You wouldn't need anything as large as a postcard.

There is no comparison of Evertonians what makes a good one or a bad one just a different way of seeing and saying things.

I prefer to try and see some future in most things and something positive - - makes me no better or worse that others - - just a different outlook - - but if I really believed things were so poor and so bad I would rethink my future or DO something about it.

Enough of all that for me - - rather get into the music and some poetry and then head off to The Dark House for some jollies and put my 4 - 0 bet on.

I just did a little Live FB for TDH - - I normally do on match day - - showed the scene outside my top floor window - - The River bending around from New Brighton towards Runcorn - - a gap above the Blue Liver Birds of silver and gold light with grey clouds about with an incredible ( The Young Bloods - - Get Together is on now - - - lovely) gold reflection on The Mersey - - Bluetiful - - like a Whistler or even a Signac - - - my usual routine this morning - - breakfast - - second cup of coffee in the front room in the morning light - - when I was ill I would sit here for hours looking out of the window - - "My Treatment/Recovery Period involves a great deal of sitting and resting - - allowing and permitting time for meditation and contemplation and catching and appreciating “moments “ - - The snow is melting in the winter sun and translucent diamond like drips are falling from the leaves outside - - glistening and twinkling in the light - - slowness has its qualities" - - I know that when I couldn't get to the game I missed it dreadfully - - missed the camaraderie of TDH of sitting in The Park End with my family and friends - - lyrics from Joni Mitchell Big Yellow Taxi and even James Taylor Fire and Rain float through my mind - - and Van of course - -
"When I wake up in the morning I'm gone
And I need a friend to lean upon
Why don't you see what you can do?
See me through"

Love it when Harry Dean Stanton sings this in Cool Hand Luke after Luke's Mom dies. Beautiful.

Oh I know thing are grim at Everton - - my logic tells me its all crap - - but this - - this - - is my preparation for the "fight" - - I fill myself in my warm room
- - surrounded by my loved things - - postcards, photos, quotes, colours, sounds and sometimes silence - - fill my repaired heart and untouched soul and my soaring unquenchable spirit - - fill them with my beauty - - with the things I love and find beautiful - - these words:
"The coolness of the riverbank, and the whispering of the reeds
Daybreak is not so very far away
Enchanted and spellbound, in the silence they lingered
And rowed the boat as the light grew steadily strong
And the birds were silent, as they listened for the heavenly music
And the river played the song"

- - fill me with positive energy to face anything that the outside world can throw in my face and try (but not succeed) to discolour my day and my love of life - - so I can stay home this Sunday in my dressing gown - - wonderfully warm - - put TV on and watch Everton with replays and commentary - - or I can go out into this cold day - - and this day is a cosmic illustration to me of being A Blue - - looking out of my window I have seen the Golden Vision on The River - - then hailstones and wild wind - - followed quickly by Blue Sky and then again rain - - so is today a right off and negative day - - is it a lost day - - or is there possibilities:
"Way, way back, way back
When you walked, in a green field, in a green meadow
Down an avenue of trees
On a, on a golden summer
And the sky was blue
And you didn't have no worries, you didn't have no care
You were walking in a green field
In a meadow, through the buttercups, in the summertime
And you looked way out over, way out
Way out over the city and the water
And it feels so good, and it feels so good
And you keep on walking
And the music on the radio, and the music on the radio
Has so much soul, has so much soul
And you listen, in the night time
While we're still and quiet
And you look out on the water
And the big ships, and the big boats
Came on sailing by, by, by, by
And you felt so good, and I felt so good
I felt I want to blow my harmonica"

- - for those of you who can hear me - -all you have to do is close your eyes and open your minds - - I will pick up my harmonica and give it a blow - - there you go - - Blowing My Feudal Horn for Everyone.

Just walked over to the window - - looked over to the City - - at The River - - - breathed in - - blew it out - - looking down on the City - - eyes wondered over towards Goodison - - nearly lost all this last year - - going to enjoy every single second of being an Evertonian - - going to soar above it all in the cool cool Blue Sky - - breath it all in - - going to fly - - let my wings take me to The Holy Ground - -don't need a car or public transport just going to fly there - - - like Icarus or Mc Murphy or Vincent Van Gogh -- Lovers Artists and Poets - - Flyers - -come on you Blues Take Off your Shackles - - pick the locks - fly with me over Goodison - - just like to in Miracle in Milan or young Ivan flying over the farm in Ivan's Childhood.

Rave on you Blue Boys - - Rave On - - and on and on - - - cosmic grooves over The River from New Brighton and a Blast on The Old Gob Iron.

There you go. George.

I am sure you will both bring us much needed luck. I am having a couple of quid on your 4-0. Will send the winnings up to your project.
COYB

Rave on Thy Holy Fools.

Gazing out from Crosby beach gives me that reset, a feeling of freedom and a cleansing of the soul. I need to be there but my opportunities are less frequent these days.

It is a wonderful thing that our beloved Everton will have a home next to the river. The club is a hallmark of the city, more loved than anything in it, it will be a shining jewel in the city's crown when it built.

Have a great day George, cosmic vibrations in a blue psyhcoplasma being deposited on the ether for you, your family and all Evertonians.

Inspiring stuff, George. Great to see you can get get back to GP. Don't fly too high or too low, mind!

I fear a loss. I will cheer for a win.

Watching the Irish striving to score deep into "overtime" even though it would make no difference to the result, was Inspirational. And to have officials who are not only efficient but totally in charge. If only football was the same.

I agree going with a strong midfield can help but, with what Everton have at their disposal, they all need to be at the top of their game to get the result and sadly that has not happened this season.

Some attacking players, like Richarlison, Bernard and Walcott, are sadly lacking in consistency when tracking back to help out... and, although Richarlison gets goals, neither Walcott nor Bernard have done enough in that department.

Gana and Sigurdsson drift in and out of games and Lookman and Davies seem to be out of favour for the most part as starters.

It's been a woeful season but we all hope there are one or two more decent wins one way or another before it is finally done with and forgotten.

Oh for another day like that. I bet most current Chelsea fans have no idea how ordinary their team was back then.

Okay, Chelsea and Man City have overpaid for occasional flops, but they have still had other players to carry it over the line, and although they have chopped and changed Managers, in the main, most have got the job done.

I'd like to see Sigurdsson given the job of getting close to Jorginho – and Gana vs Kante will be pretty intriguing.

I also have a feeling that there may be a few clashes between Calvert-Lewin and Luiz, and that might be key for us; I think Calvert-Lewin might wind him up rather well.

If we can get through 90 minutes without Walcott or Schneiderlin entering the fray, then that would be great. If Pickford gets the nod, here's hoping he'll show the maturity he lacked at St James Park.

I am strangely hopeful – despite our consistent lack of backbone. It's odd. This club does that to us, doesn't it? Plus Chelsea are hit-and-miss themselves at the moment.

What I can say is, I didn't get Syd Barrett either but he, like you, made me feel that there was more than a fixed view of the world.

Great to read your stuff again. To someone who gets to few games, you are part of my match day experience .

When Wales are playing, you have to have the best referee in the world as they are masters of cheating. Unfortunately the ref yesterday missed so many infringements, even the Welsh supporters around me couldn't believe some of his decisions against the Irish, but gladly accepted them with cynical smiles.

Let's hope St Patrick is at Goodison Park today to bring us victory!

I completely agree. Sigurdsson is so far forward he sometimes almost playing as a second striker. The way Silva's setting up hasn't been effective for months, with or without the ball.

Combine that with frequently playing wide men either side of Sig, add the full backs pushing on and we are wide open. The center backs get really exposed, such as Spurs at home, when they had no chance and were set up to fail.

If your going to play like that you at least need another genuine holder in there. Its one of the reasons why the away form is absolutely chronic.

George, delighted to see your poetic wanderings again, and warmest congrats on your recovery. Especially appreciate the Cool Hand Luke callout.

Anybody interested in Rooney's hat trick: http://www.espn.com/videohub/video/clip/_/id/26284305/categoryid/0

4th goal is a peach.

If we as fans can identify all these anomalies,, and Marco is allegedly a stickler for detail and analysis, it doesn't say a lot in his favour does it?

Be interesting to see how he sets up today, although I have a feeling in my water (quick Nurse!) that we may do alright this afternoon.

People are still going on about Pickford, and yes I do realise he has been guilty of lack of concentration on the job in hand, and arrogantly laughing it off, but I think the penny may have dropped (hopefully) and he will be more consistent.

Can I just remind everyone of the alternative, for those that are asking for him to be dropped, his replacement would be Stek………….. enough said!