Familiar story for rusty Everton against stubborn Palace

Richarlison, Kean and Iwobi to open their accounts next game.

What was worrying though that, despite the possession, there was very little created in the way of goal-scoring chances, and the ones that were were fluffed by Sigurdsson and Calvert-Lewin.

Everyone (fanwise) was geed up for this match, after a mediocre pre-season, but a fair Transfer Window; it's a pity the players didn't share in that enthusiasm.

I hope next week produces an antidote!

Coleman and Digne made good wide runs but, in true Hibbo fashion, they failed to deliver a decent cross.

Sigurdsson disappeared entirely as the game wore on.

Bernard showed lots of good ball control that went nowhere.

Richarlson was a hard-working unimaginative trier yet probably our best forward.

It is like taking candy off a baby for opponents marking Calvert-Lewin.

Until his brain snap, Sshneiderlin was okay as was Gomes. Our best by a long chalk were Keane, Mina and Pickford.

We have got rid of 27 players, 11 on loan but 16 sold or released, yet we still need to allow Silva 3 more windows to get the squad he wants.

Over the course of the season we will have Delph, Sigurdsson, Gomes and Gbamin all fit, Kean will get up to pace and Iwobi will be in the starting 11, then and only then will we see the real Marco Silva side for this season. For now, we are without Delph, Iwobi, now Gomes (who's withdrawal made us lose our foothold in the game), plus Gbamin and Kean haven't had a full pre-season so aren't where they would like to be.

All-in-all, a clean sheet is good news, especially for Mina, an away point isn't the worst start to a season, and if we can help some of the new lads, along with Richarlison and Sigurdsson (who didn't look there sharpest) get up to speed quickly, we should improve going forward.

First game of last season was a draw in which we ended with 10 men (v Wolves), same for this season's curtain raiser, let's hope we step up the next few games as there are plenty of winnable games coming up.

Let's take 3 points next Saturday and go from there.

What possessed Schneiderlin to repeatedly thump the floor like a petulant child for his first yellow? He gave the Ref no option then but to produce red for his subsequent silly trip. It spoilt a reasonable display from him I thought, up until then. Given the competition to stake a claim for a shirt, he did himself nor his team mates any favours.

We must get tighter. We must take our chances and be more clinical in our finishing. There is simply no room for error at the highest level. Had we capitalised on first-half opportunities, victory could have been sealed, well before circumstances allowed Palace back into the game.

Mina played well and so did Keane. Schneiderlin was, as ever, an accident waiting to happen: both yellow cards were marginal. Fouls? Yes; cards? Maybe...

I'm still gutted we didn't get the marquee signing, the "statement of intent" player Moshiri supposedly wanted. And don't say a teenage striker from Italy is it, good though he seems to be.

The positives are we still controlled the game as best as we could with 10 men and we created chances.

I thought the ref was harsh on Schneiderlin and lenient on their skipper.

On yesterday's brief performance from Gbamin, I now understand why we bid for Doucouré.

Calvert-Lewin shouldn't have been brought off, his hold-up play was good yesterday. Sigurdsson stunk the house out and should have been subbed for Kean.

Playing 2 up top for 20 mins would be an act of intent; obviously, the sending off changed that.

I thought we were solid at the back Mina and Keane did well; creativity from midfield was stifled once Gomes went off. Maybe Tom Davies should have been brought on at that point instead of Gbamin. Tom looked sharper.

I thought Richarlison was great in his defensive duties. Bernard was okay and Calvert-Lewin his usual workhorse efforts.

Trouble is, there was no exceptional offensive play from any of our forwards, and Sigurdsson was off the pace yesterday.

I was watching Man City and what struck me is the timing of their forwards' runs from deep, sprinting towards the opponent's box, and breaking the defensive line.

Their goals/assists nearly all come from these runs, and the ability of the man in midfield possession to clip the perfect ball in, beating the offside.

We need to study Pep's offensive strategy — we need more of it.

I have no doubt we will see the same against every team we play home and away this season. Slight change in personnel but same formation and tactics.

Is 4-4-2 not allowed any more? Is it against the laws of the game? Could we not try it against certain opposition at certain times? We could draw Stevenage in the League Cup at home and Silva wouldn't change anything.

Teams have sussed us out and we haven't got a clue how to break them down, either personnel-wise or tactically. Until we shake things up nothing will change league position-wise.

The disappointment for me was not the game itself but that we don't seem to have improved at all. It's early yet and our new players need to blend in.

Difficult to judge the new players in any favourable light but I can judge Silva in his defence of Schneiderlin. Tom Davies showed that he deserves to be picked.

Still I hope next week, the injuries are healed and we start with Moise Kean upfront.

I see a lack of self-belief now in Calvert-Lewin, and his confidence is eroding every match. But we must get some pace and movement in attack, as we are too pedestrian.

Watford will no doubt be up for it next week. It's a must-win game.

Positioning and movement off the ball from the forwards is key. Calvert-Lewin isn't up to it, hopefully Kean is.

Let's hope we start to see a better Everton emerge next week. Positives in the defence but, if Keane or Mina get injured...

You're living in an alternative universe if you think Davies is the answer to our creativity problems in midfield.

The writing was on the wall. Who would like Costa now? Yes, first game of the season but the best teams in the league are those that can score goals. We don't.

Richarlison is wasted out on the right-hand side in this system. Let's hope we find our shooting boots at home.

Brands fans turning on Everton fans before a ball is kicked because they are concerned about the squad.

The season has started in true Everton fashion and, because of all the hints Silva gave in his pre-match press conference (the ones everyone ignored), the season will continue to be a tough rebuilding job.

If Silva finished 8th with this squad, he has done a great job.

A Leicester team that lost their best defender in the summer? A Wolves side that were in the Championship until May 2018 but somehow have a better squad than us, even though we've had a billionaire owner backing us since 2016? A West Ham or Watford team that got destroyed yesterday?

Ours have come in and rebuilt from day one. Sold anyone that was Champions League potential and gave all the managers less quality to play with.

I know that all sounds totally hurtful and there's always an excuse but tell me where the manager has more quality than he had before? Where he can definitely push the side to go and win at Arsenal? Or even have them ready for Palace?

Nobody can say a 19-year-old Kean is better than Calvert-Lewin right now (I hope he is and have nothing but respect for the lad) or Iwobi is better than Bernard?

And somehow people are expecting this squad to leap over Arsenal and Man Utd?

Again, a manager has been left to start the season with an unprepared 11 and he told everyone in his press conference that it's a tough job again.

Other than that, I thought we looked solid enough, and should really have had the game won in the first half. Iwobi and Kean should make a difference once they settle into the side because we're desperately short on players who can make the telling pass and the telling run to get us goals.

A point at Palace isn't too bad in the grander scheme but the lack of menace up front remains a real worry. Calvert-Lewin holds the ball up well and brings colleagues into play, yet I wonder if he'd be more effective with a partner. We don't really play that way. Impossible to judge Kean on such a cameo. Bernard is still reluctant to shoot.

On a positive note, defence looked solid and Mina got stronger as the game went on.

However, I am sure the new boys, when settled in, will improve this side immeasurably. I was very pleased with the defence today.

Jon Moss was very poor, he kept allowing the sly Milivejovic with 5-6 fouls which were worthy of yellow cards. Gomes's injury changed the match, I agree Silva erred in bringing on Gbamin so early. Davies was clearly the better choice. But, I thought that Gbamin quickly adapted as the match wore on and he actually started upping his sharpness.

Sigurdsson was poor, Calvert-Lewin is a good player to have in the squad, but he is not the main striker yet. Hopefully, Kean or Iwobi can grab that spot. A midfield of Delph, Gomes or Sigurdsson, and Gbamin or Davies, with a front 3 of Richarlison, Iwobi or Bernard, and Kean or Calvert-Lewin might be the solution.

Digne looked a bit rusty. Keane was the better of the 2 centre-backs, I thought, Mina was always looking for the safe option of passing back to Pickford, which is fine for now knowing that it is the 1st match of the season, and you don't want to do anything silly.

Silva has his work cut out: he needs to work with a plan with the resources that he has.

When you consider the costs incurred by fans, including being herded like cattle on and off transport and in and out of grounds, then at least we should have athletic officials. I've had enough of fat old men panting after sauntering more than 10 yards!

The clubs should force the FA to sort it out. There is so much money in the game now that at least we should expect competent, athletic officials and fair decisions. Benny Hill would be an improvement on at least 4 of the present crop of so-called referees!

Only my opinion and early days yet but this is if I had to give a summary and prediction based on the Everton I know of the last few decades.

Silva isn't the coach we needed; he has serious problems trying to force players who aren't suitable, into his system and not being able to change his system to suit the players we have (ref Sigurdsson). His support for Schneiderlin with respect to his ability and attitude just doesn't sit with him having judgement.

We are way, way below the level of the Top 6 and if anything we have slipped relatively since last season. Many teams below us seem to have improved.

I believe that this season there will be tears and we will have yet another new manager. I hope for the best for us but somehow fear the worst.

Schneiderlin tried to fill the gaps left by the Gueye transfer but was not fit enough.

But I think when our new players have bedded in, this will become less of a problem. I am more concerned about our lack of cover for the centre-backs. If Sigurdsson had scored and we'd won 1-0, there would be less emphasis on his overall performance, and Schneiderlin's sending off. As if these alone were the cause of our overall performance. People need to find scapegoats.

I would agree with others that have looked to Schneiderlin's circumstances in the game. The first yellow was unfortunate, but he was all pumped up for it. Most of you would be the first to moan if he wasn't "up for it" and giving 100%.

Also, if the outcome of our season is dependent on Sigurdsson playing every game well, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. He's like every other player. And it was our first game. I think he's a cracking player, but we're all human, regardless of what we cost and expectations.

I took positives from this game, which could have been a banana skin. We blooded two new players, lost Gomes and spent a significant part of the game with 10 men. But apart from 3 occasions when Pickford and/or Coleman had to intervene, I never felt like we were in danger of conceding. I thought we bossed it overall, and our weakness was not converting chances. So much to be positive about.

I'm hoping we can break into the Top 6, so of course I'm disappointed. But I'm pragmatic too.

Digne, Bernard, Coleman and Richarlison are successful with that part of the plan. Where it fails is our lack of a good central striker who can get on the end of crosses supplied by said four. Until we find such a striker, Silva must come up with an alternative plan.

We have 4 players consistently on the wings, and one in the middle easily crowded out. We could have Ronaldo in the No 9 position and he'd fail to score in those conditions.

The 2nd half showed up that we don't have a real and effective "team" strategy IMO.

He came from Sheff Utd and was probably brought up on that style while they languished in the lower leagues. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes at the end of the season to a team that plays a 4-4-2 because I don't see him adjusting to what is needed in Silva's formation.

Let's not throw all the toys out of the pram at the end of match day one!

Our crossing is so poor from both sides, unless lucas crosses, and by that point, we have waited for 30sec to a minute before hes is able to, allowing the defence to reorganize, and our striker to of made 4 runs without being found... we are so slow in attack and in finding our striker, we had a couple of decent crosses from Coleman yesterday tbf, and 1 early cross from Richarlison late on for Kean.

Silva wants a left footer on the right and right footer on the left, so automatically creating poor crossing or delayed crossing..

Both Mina and Keane looked good yesterday, but not exactly "up against it" they will mop up most things in the air, but the thought of Mane, Salah, Rashford, etc, quick players put the fear of god in me.

I would love to see if Liverpool signed all the players we signed, the Echo would call it a great window.

And by the looks of it, Silva wanted Zaha, Zouma, and Doucouré. Instead, he gets a babysitting job.

However, I would like to see us playing with two up top. This would be great not only for DCL but also for Kean, both young and relatively inexperienced being asked to ply a lone furrow in the EPL is a big ask.