Checked Out

That the paying fan, and the nature of their support, have anything to do with the spineless, inept performances of the current team.

I never want to see Sigurdsson and Davies in a central midfield for us ever again. It is an embarrassment for the club. They may be doing their best, or maybe they are uncomfortable in the role, but it doesn't cut the mustard. It's not Premier League standard, not top-half Championship standard. Carlo, spare us from any more of it! I can't take anymore.

If Mina, Holgate and Gomes are fit, push Mason into midfield alongside Gomes for the last few games.

We need new tough dynamic central midfielders, two, in the window and, in place of Walcott, Iwobi and Bolasie, get one decent winger or a top-class adaptable midfielder like Coutinho.

Then sell or loan Kean back to Italy and get a more experienced forward in to challenge Calvert-Lewin to start and to keep him on his toes. We need more diverse options up front.

Come September, it has to feel like an Ancelotti side, not a Koeman, Allardyce or Silva side. It has to be 3 or 4 different players with a different mentality and different attitude, expectations and outlook. Then maybe we can get back to our dreaming of success again.

Dave – I don't know what to say to that.

I'll try my best to write my opinion clearly enough, but we all know that can be difficult. But...

I know we supporters like to talk about new players, quality in and deadwood out. And I have done that myself. We can talk about new players in and out as much as we want from here and up to the moon.

I do not see that at Everton, and have not done since the days of Moyes. Until that is in place, it does not help who, what or where we buy.

Best regards from Norway.

The manager doesn't escape criticism either, turning the team out without a tactical clue. He shoulders the blame for some of it. Get tough, and get rid of the shirkers in midfield.

It's amazing that we paid professionals to buy the dross we have bought. I would argue that most of us would have done a better job of spending Moshiri's money...

This season is a write off now. I sincerely hope Ancelloti will drop some of the clowns who have got us into this mess, and give some hungry young players a chance.

Gordon has done okay; Kean needs a few games. I never want to see Sigurdsson in the team again, and Iwobi and Gomes are on borrowed time also, along with Walcott, Bernard etc.

I agree with you in terms of identity, but I think what you mean is what Carlo refers to with his clear frustration today: mentality. Too many of those players lack winning mentality and go through the motions.

As Tony says above, we need to see an Ancelotti side, not this randomly assembled collection of expensive losers.

Look at Burnley and Wolves. Classic example of two clubs who took a long-term look at who they are historically and who they want to become, and built from that.

It seems to that we have bought players just for buying someone ramdomly. No system, no identity behind it.

Colin: haha, I'm actually 37 now. And get my first kid in September. As I told my father-in-law, whio is a RS supporter: If I see any red jersey or effect on my daughter, I'll burn it to the ground. She is forced to become blue!

I know I'll force pain on her shoulders, but at least we can cry together.

How did you become an Everton supporter? You must get some stick off the many Red fans in your country, especially at this point in time.

Keep posting; I hope you are a lucky mascot for the Blues in the future.

Everton had players I liked and could identify myself with as a player myself over the years, and who I would have in my teams if I was a manager. Everton FC also had a clear identity under Moyes which I loved.

I and others on this site could write volumes on the sorrows, and also of the very good times, which are now a long time ago.

The lack of energy and no ambition for much running off the ball, and lack of guts today bar a few, makes you wonder: What's being said or has been said of late at Finch Farm?

Getting read the riot act seems to make no impression on what today were mainly bar a few, spineless and gutless shirkers.

Hopefully we can get at least a new right-back, centre-back, centre-midfield dynamo or two, else another striker.

We live in hope and surely these players have now shown that they don't really care enough about Everton FC.

Hopefully pre-season will bring much-needed optimism and hope, but it's needed as this level of performance is chronically poor and will see Everton in the bottom end of the table next season.

At this moment, I want a shift put in vs Aston Villa. The players can't be knackered because they haven't put a shift in since March. Mentally, this squad is as gutless and as soulless as I can remember of any Everton team.

But surely as we've said, like a broken record, for years now, Everton have now hit the bottom of the barrel.

Let's see what happens on Thursday; hopefully that transcends the negativity and gets us to pre-season.

Davies needs time on loan out in Germany or France maybe. I think he's been infected by the lethargy around him and a period away will make or break him regarding a future with Everton.

Pickford, his head's not right; sell him and get a goalie who can command and can concentrate for 90 minutes.

I had high hopes with Iwobi but Jeez, he can't beat a player to save his life, gets shrugged off the ball too easily and never tackles.

The only player trying today was Lucas Digne, he gave away the penalty but frankly he was trying to do a job for that whole defence and came unstuck; otherwise, he was box-to-box but was let down by the others.

I love Richarlison but he needs to stop having games like this where he gets a strop on and loses focus; there was one shot of him muttering to himself and looking like a spoilt kid... ridiculous.

I felt sorry for Branthwaite, getting your first game and being at fault for a goal is bad enough but worse is to have your name associated with that team sheet.

I expect a reaction next game and hopefully Carlo drops as many as he can but the Aegean Stables have got nothing on the clear-out needed

Scott Gemmill is better than Tom Davies.

With us having nothing to play for and my preference to see West Ham go down... Thursday will be interesting in this household – that's for sure!!

Then we had Bernard on, who hasn't got the strength to hold or move the ball, Iwobi who looks like a deer in headlights, frightened to try anything. Add to them, the clown Pickford, and the "I haven't got a clue" Mosie Kean...

Did you notice how many times our players slipped on the turf? I initially thought wrong studs but it became so prevalent that I realised it was down to Wolves' speed of movement on and off the ball, catching us off-guard whilst we walked or trotted everywhere. No pace, no movement – dead.

The players quite rightly took the pain today but let's not forget Ancelotti's input into to all of this. Why are we sitting so deep? The back 3 or 4 are stationed virtually 20 yards outside our box, our midfield 15 yards ahead of them, leaving a 60-yard gap for Wolves to advance without any challenge – no closing down, no press tactics, merely an invite to come and attack us.

This leads to a completely isolated front two of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison who never ever get any midfield runners going past them. Who the hell is setting us up to play like this! Ancelotti rightly has no faith in the centre or wide midfield and plays the safety game of sitting back in basically a 5-3-2 formation. The outcome is no creativity, rely on long balls to fight over, basically Allardyce style.

Too early to tell, particularly with the crap squad he's inherited, but Ancelotti I suspect wants at least 5 players of his choosing to stand any chance of improving us.

This same Tom Davies, were he to replace the magnificent Ashley Westwood or the phenomenal Oliver Norwood at Burnley or Sheffield United, might find himself suddenly feeling and looking at home. Because, at those clubs ,players know their roles and their passing options within a very strong team unit. Tom Davies is struggling but he's not shit. What is shit is the team spirit, movement and effort of the senior players.

Some rot has set in because this is not the team we saw fight their way up the table after Silva left. Something weird must have happened to start with two left-backs, for God's sake.

Who knows. Maybe everyone's really missing Morgan and Oumar?

Most of Brands' signing are occupying places either on the bench or the injury list. Some of them on their generous salaries are going to drag us down for years to come as they will be impossible to sell and if sent on loan we will still be paying most of their wages.

The lack of judgement that has led to this situation has filtered down from the top in my opinion. Moshiri is not a football man and has openly admitted he relies on Kenwright's football knowledge. Big mistake. Indeed Kenwright has only ever been a part-time chairman as he has had a full-time job running his theatre production company.

His main aim has always seemed to be maintaining his position as chairman. He refused to let Paul Gregg bail out the Albert Dock project and take over and refused to even talk to the people who ultimately bought Man City.

It is time we had a clean sweep from the top down. The club is packed with hangers-on and yes men from past years who should be cleared out before it is too late. We are in the last chance saloon.

The only thing in his defence is the argument he has not bought any of this shite but he can't avoid any blame in how poorly he has been in organising and motivating this shower of shite lately. It is disgusting that we are such a soft touch for most teams in this league. I fear we have stumbled upon the latest snake oil salesman and his team of cronies.

Put Davies as a box-to-box player without any ball responsibility. Let him run to create space in attack, and win second balls with Holgate in defence. Put Bernard in midfield as the creative one.

Richarlison and Gordon on right and left wide with Calvert-Lewin and Iwobi or Kean up top. At least for the 3 last games, if Holgate and Mina or Branthwaite are ready.

From there, we put a long term plan about identity, and who we want to be from now and for 10 years in the future.

You are in charge for the day, get rid of Ancelotti. Who do you appoint?

Not being provocative, just interested.

Will #25, to heck with Norwegian... Christian's English is better than most people's English!

But another part of me could already see that that bounce before Ancelotti was short-term. However, regardless, it was the first time in many years we went into games with pride.

My real fear here is that we are totally lost at this moment in time and need leadership and a talisman to group around. In Ancelotti, I see very little evidence that he is the answer.

Once again Seamus and the team are having to look at themselves. Well all they will see is a bunch of greedy overpaid imposters. Do us fans a favour get out of our club, we've had enough.

I think we have to give Carlo the benefit of the doubt and see what he can do when he gets to bring in his own players. Due to the lockdown, he's only effectively had 4 months with a squad he inherited, one that was in genuine relegation trouble and is probably the worst he's ever worked with.

And I would say that about whoever was Everton manager right now, so this is no Carlo "groupie" pitch from me.

Tom Davies is not good enough. He is one of many who are just not good enough unfortunately, but let's not pretend Tom is just not looking the part because of those around him.

Tom Davies is not the problem. I don't know how many times I have to say it. He came into this season as fifth-choice centre midfielder. Do you hear other clubs going on about their fifth choice central midfielders?

Gylfi Sigurdsson cost around 㿙M and earns around 𧴵k a week. If he walked away on a free transfer we would immediately have ٤.5m to spend. We've loads of these high earners tying our hands behind our backs.

Why are we blaming a 22-year-old who genuinely goes out and does his best, and unlike the rest of the side is an Evertonian. Sure that shouldn't give him a free pass, but, again, he's fifth choice!

You cannot blame Gbamin, but he's been a massive spanner in the works, in the engine to use the analogy above. The guy who was the alternative to Gbamin was Delph. Another high earner who has yet to have a decent game or show any of that leadership quality or winning mentality he was meant to bring.

Gomes has not had a good season, even before the injury. He doesn't look right to me, even before he limped off. His feet are not moving as quickly as they were, and I don't mean his pace. He doesn't swerve and pivot like he did, it seems like there is a problem to me, but I may be wrong. In any event, it may take a while before he's 100% even if the ankle is okay.

The other midfielder who was ahead of Davies was Schneiderlin, but he's now gone, and I doubt anyone thinks he should have been retained, although quite why he left now, whilst we are short and need numbers is another matter.

The team needs a new midfield. We need more than that, but it won't be possible to do the surgery required. So, if we sign one player, then it has to be a high-quality defensive midfielder. This guy needs to compliment whichever of Gomes, Sigurdsson, Delph or Davies Carlo thinks is the one he can rely on for next season. All are pretty slow, so the new guy definitely needs pace, he needs to be able to tackle, and he certainly needs to be able to have Paul Tran's favourite qualities: presence and authority.

One player won't make us challenge the Sky 6, not even like Leicester have threatened to do, but he could improve our midfield, screen the defence and allow us to get forwards without worrying about getting ripped apart on the counter, time and time again. One top quality central midfielder this summer, then the wage bill will ease the following summer as Walcott, Bolasie, Sandro, Besic, Tarashaj, Dowell, and Pennington all leave. Sadly, we will have to wait for two summers for Sigurdsson, Keane, Coleman, Delph, and Bernard to be out of contract.

We don't need to rebuild the whole side each summer. This is what got us into this mess in the first place. We need to improve the side with key signings that fit with the players we have, each time one of our high earners departs. We need to stop this habit of buying expensive players who we think would be quality because they do well elsewhere, ie, Zaha. We need to have joined up thinking. Liverpool have signed lots of players who we all smirked at, thinking they aren't exactly world class, but Klopp assembled a side that is greater than the individuals.

Brands is out of contract himself next summer. This is his third and final season of that first contract. He needs to produce more results on the pitch. And no lads, if Brands goes, the Director of Football will not go with him; we will just get another. It's modern football and you have to accept that.

Tom Davies, “unlike the rest of the side, is an Evertonian. Sure that shouldn't give him a free pass, but, again, he's fifth choice!“

Steve I think that's all people are saying, that Davies isn't a first choice. Though sometimes that's expressed too harshly.

Henderson & Milner have been part of what is currently the best team in England and Europe. Put them into any other team and they are bang right average.

The question is; What is Ancelotti going to do about it and can he do anything? I have always thought that it was a reflection of deeper problems in the Club. Successive managers have been undermined by it and maybe even Directors of Football.

I think it depends on how much Moshiri is prepared to back Ancelotti. It is going to take a complete cultural shift at Everton, which is very difficult to do.

Good luck Carlo. If you have any 'Friends in Naples', I would ask their advice.

Friends in Napoli can be very persuasive!!!

Also, I agree with Christian's team selection. It addresses the gulf in space between Everton's midfield and attack, and would be solider offensively.

Under David Moyes, we were the plucky underdogs - skint but punching above our weight and mostly up for a scrap (particularly at Goodison).

Since then we've had:

Roberto “Talk Shite” Martinez – whose “philosophy” didn't extend to practicing set-pieces / corners but he had his “moments”.

Sam “Dead Man Walking” Allardyce - whose philosophy was, well, to use a BK word “industrial” (with limited effect)

Ronald “here for the money but I can't be arsed” Koeman – but thatsh footballsh

Marco “rabbit in a car's headlights because even I don't know how I got this job” Silva – by which time I couldn't tell you what his philosophy was because I was frequently banging my head against the nearest brick wall.

And now Carlo

Throw in recruitment by Steve Walsh and Marcel Brands who – with the exception of Gueye – seemed to simply splash the cash on overpaid mediocrity and there you have a recipe for disaster.

Which is exactly where we are today.

It's a bit like that '80s American comedy “Soap”.

Confused? You will be. Tune in next week.

If there was a Beatles song for Everton, it would be “Nowhere Man” — making all our nowhere plans for nobodies.

This is not how Carlo instructed the team to play. It was not how Silva, Koeman, Martinez or even Allardyce instructed them to play. Martinez got hammered because he was a possession-happy manager, and when the team played slow ponderous sideways football, it was assumed that this was the team playing to instruction.

Our footballers have had years of coaching before any of our managers get their hands on them. When most of us over the age of 40 where kids, and we played, if you were under pressure, you'd hoof it up the pitch. Modern players don't do that. The modern footballer is smarter than that, their idea of passing the hot potato is to simply find a teammate. Any teammate will do, it doesn't need to be a decent pass, it just needs to complete and their stats will be okay and they can point the finger elsewhere. They even under hit the pass to make sure the teammate gets it. We've seen it so often over the last five years and they were at it again today.

The only hope I have here is that, unlike the previous few managers, this is not a manager they can throw under the bus. This is not the guy they can wait out and see off. The only problem being that too many seem happy to linger around and pick up their paycheques, like a bad smell, and there's little we can do about some of them.

Also, no strange feelings of deja vu that I've somehow seen the 'last chance saloon', 'big clear out needed' and 'if we get 3 or 4 players we can turn it round' statements years before. And no need to put in insurance claims for replacement TVs.

In short, I had the happiest Spring for years, only for it to be ruined by the resumption of fixtures and having to yet again endure the unendurable.

There's a lot to be said for the new virtual football clubs in the USA that sell replica kits etc and have supporters clubs but only actually exist in cyberspace. Some of them even have virtual stadiums very similar to those first invented by Bill Kenwright years ago.

In the real world, Everton Football Club is now too awful to contemplate.

I just feel like the season is being rushed through to satisfy contracts, the money men, and the like. It seems Everton's players cannot be bothered with it either. If they hadn't already started taking my money for next season on auto-renewal, then I think I might have reconsidered spending my hard-earned cash on something that seems to only make me miserable these days.

Being submissive to the broadcasters is the rod football has built for its own back. They talk a good talk about the importance of fans but they have just proven that the virtual fan is more important.

I disagree.

The succession of managers in a short period of time has affected our identity / mindset resulting in a clueless bunch of misfits. The Simpsons look less dysfunctional than our lot.

But our culture problem comes from the top and has been here for decades. It long predates any managerial changes of the past few years.

Our culture is mediocrity that is happy to survive in the top flight and dwell on past glories. Our successes are less internet age and more grainy black-and-white portable Binatone TV.

Sadly, we are more of a charity now than a business - on and off the pitch.

Our motto of Nil Satis sounds more like a pipe dream than our DNA. And that's despite all the money flushed down the bog.

The cash we've had has simply exposed what an inept operation Everton Football Club is. It's embarrassing and shameful.

Not a happy Blue.

And why can't Sky's virtual crowd use old Goodison Park recordings with loud shouts of 'You're a load of crap, .......' (Fill in name of player as appropriate)? It would do so much to help recreate the atmosphere we would normally expect later this week.

Failing that, why can't we at least replace Z-Cars with something more appropriate for our current squad like Embarrassment by Madness?

I think we, the average fan, get excited about transfers because it offers us the opportunity to add in the two or three new names that might just transform our team from nearlymen to winners. We want to be linked with exciting talents that light up YouTube with their best bits - showing cherrypicked moments of incredible close control, dribbling ability, outrageous pace and piston-footed shooting. But YouTube lies. We, the average fan, shouldn't get sucked in. Instead of crossing our fingers and hoping that the expensive mercurial arrival will magically transform us we should be hoping for trusted earthy professionals like James Milner to give us some much needed backbone.*

* I thought Delph might be such a player. It's not an exact science...

Here's hoping that the next meeting at F.F. there will be a clear the air, no holding back even if it gets heated, discussion on these problems, and the players are firmly told that this is the end of the line for some of them if they don't smarten up.

Well done Seamus, because I doubt if any of the players read any negative comments.

In Tom Davies I see a player who in professional terms, is pedestrian, can't pass a football, can't tackle, has no vision and can't head a football.

I don't give a fuck who's around him, they are the basic prerequisites of a premier league footballer and he possesses none of them.

Lol nice idea. The giveaway with old recordings would be the names. For example Davies loses the ball “you useless homegrown midget. Osman.”

Exactly. We've basically played the same way for five years, boring, nervous sideways passing. Here and then the defense is better or worse. If you look at Martinez at Wigan or Belgium, and Sam Allardyce anywhere there's no way these two polar opposites would have hit upon this genius plan to play the exact same bag of shite tactics. Then Koeman, Silva and Carlo all despite their varied backgrounds think “yes this is the way to go. Forget the last four managers used this and got sacked, this time it will be brilliant.” The other thing too I am so happy about is as the first poster pointed we can no longer blame the crowd. All too often we've heard shit like “Barkley, Davies, etc play badly because the crowds on their back.” Or we hear “Goodison is a library the away fans put our lot to shame.” Well folks now it's clear it's not the fans fault, it's not the managers tactics it is purely and simply the shower wearing the shirt

Suggestion for the next game/next season:

Sell: Pickford, Gylfi, Iwobi, Walcott, Delph, Besic, Gbamin, Kean Roma swap with Belotti), Ramirez, Tosun, Dowell,

Release: Baines (promote to Coach/Ambassador), Sidebe,
Not good enough (anymore).

Buy (no players above 25/26): Goalkeeper, Left back (maybe Antonee Robinson Wigan need backup; Baines is done and $10 million still affordable or from U-23s), Centreback Gabriel (left footed centreback or Lewis/Jarrad if they come good), Defensive midfielder, Left winger, Right Winger, Attacking Mil
Stay away from: Coutinho, Allan, Rabiot, Yeferson Soteldo (too small) - to play in the premier league 6 ft and above, pacy, combative and skillful etc.

Next line up:
Goalkeeper: Stekelenburg / Joao Virginia (Drop Pickford)
Defenders: Coleman, Digne, Keane, Holgate (Lewis Gibson/Jarrad Branthwaite),
Def Mid (2): Besic, Beni Baningime - Both to tackle everything that moves..to feed the Mid/Attacking Mids and strikers
Mid/Attacking Mid: Left (Bernard/Baines) Right (Richalison), Centre: (Gylfi/Anthony Gordon/Davies/Bernard)
Striker: (Calvert/Kean)

Davies being played out of position. He is not a def midfielder and he likes to go forward and is a centre mid. Players need to be played in their natural positions. We have nothing to lose now, no chance for Europe, give the young lads a chance to prove their mettle. Either they make or break. Get the stinkers out before the good ones Richalison, Digne, Holgate decide the grass is greener elsewhere.

Arnez @60, I think the threat of losing Richarlison and Digne this summer is serious. But I don't think they'll be allowed to leave. At least, I hope not.

"We shit ourselves when we face anyone".?

That's what our new motto should be because it's true, derby side we face we are completely on the back foot, scared of taking responsibility, scared of taking risks.

It's not even football the we play really is it?

Football is meant to be about excitement, entertainment even in the struggles of the 90's there was more exciting anticipation and more hunger amongst the players.

This shit now, I'm not even sure what you'd bother to call it but I don't know how any of them ever made it as professional footballer's let alone international player's.

Diabolical.

Of course hindsight is the greatest gift we all will Never have.

Speaking of thousand's... as in amount of times I and others have continuously pointed out the identity of this club is akin to a deteriorated old stick of saggy crumbling rock which still has the Kenwright letters running right through it.
His interfering handywork is written all over player/manager buying since Moshiri took over.It was even mentioned in the Guardian by Andy Hunter (supporter) quite recently.
The simple logic to this scenario is written all over Moshiri's countenance he is an Accountant through and through and has not a single jot of perspective about running a Premier league football club.

This mug was actually snared by BK and was then immediately Wormtongued into his outdated teary-eyed ideology.. Fact.

So where to from here ??
Extricate that Jonah immediately from this club and

HIRE A REAL COMMERCIAL CEO THAT KNOWS HOW TO
RUN A BUSINESS.. As every fucker under him and that includes CA,DOSEN'T KNOW how to.

To my mind there is only Usmanov who could force this club back upright because right now this ship is sinking and next season could be our last in the premiership.

Funnily enough, I sent a very similar message from what I'm reading above to a Wolves mate when he messaged “I bet that was hard to watch” after the game.

Midfield simply not good enough. Sigurdss=son passing sideways. Davies and Iwobi would look out of place in the championship.

What has happened to Pickford? Mistakes every game. He is the new Joe Hart. Pep had the balls to come in and drop him so why don't we. Henderson from United would be nice.

Calvert-Lewin has come on ok but is not what we need. He hasn't looked like scoring since the restart. He's an impact sub for me at best at the moment.

We just seem to have no passion, no urgency, no creativity and are being shown up by what we would consider to be average teams. We perhaps need to face the truth that we are an average team now.

How many of our players would get in to the teams in the top 9? Digne, Gomes (before the injury), Richarlison at a push. He is not playing well but maybe that's because of the dross around him.

I loved Bernard for a bit, what has happened to him as well. I hear a lot about a young midfielder at Leeds, Philips is it? And also watched young Roberts at Middlesbrough the other night – he had more creativity than Iwobi and Walcott put together.

We could get these players a lot cheaper than what we've spent in the last few years and then 3 or 4 real ballers (Allan, Coutinho, Gabriel, Cengiz Ãœnder) to get us ticking. Let's hope we have a decent window with Don Carlo bringing in his own players.

Cas nos ipsi in nobis quis faciem, should be on the club badge

When we hired CA surely we knew what we were and were not acquiring. I don't see anywhere in his CV that he has vastly improved players or implemented a unique style of play. His CV tells us that with good players in his possession he can develop a style of play that best suits their talents and is capable of winning trophies. His contract is long term and we have to hope that over the course of the next three summer transfer windows he will be given the tools necessary to allow him do his job. There were no acquisitions during the winter window and he has had half a season to run his eye over the current squad. He should now have a clear idea of what's required to push us into the top half of the table next season and hopefully in a position to obtain Europa League football in the following one.

The transfer window of summer 2020 is a big one for MB, who to date has been a disappointment, not to the same extent as Walsh, but a disappointment all the same, he has to start producing the goods.

If we were to acquire three improvement in each of the next three summer windows then come the start of the 22/23 season we would be in a position to challenge at the top end of the table. That's the best we can hope for at this point in time.

Over the past four seasons we have shown that we are mid table at best. You are unlikely go from mid table to Champions League in one season.

I did not see a 3-5-2 system in operation yesterday. I saw a really defensive mish mash of a system that seemed to confuse the players. Every time Wolves came forward we dropped into very rigid five across the back. You couldn't have straightened them anymore if you'd used a set square.
It wasnt so much the system that bothered me. It was the personal used.
It defied belief that Ancelotti dropped a natural attacking right back and asked an attacking winger who doesnt have a defensive bone in his body to do the job instead. Complete waste of a player.
We had two none-footballing center halves so nobody was going to step into midfield with it and relieve the pressure and to add an almost comical twist to things we played two left backs..Both of whom wanted to play left back.
Young Gordon showed some promising touches, but I bet if you asked him what his roll was he wouldnt be able to tell you.

Evertons midfield has been the talking point since well before Ancelotti got here.
Its long since been identified as our main problem (You yourself devote several paragraphs to it).
We all know that if Gomez, Sigurdsson and Davies were in a four way race with Brian the snail, They would be competing for minor honours.

So why, oh why, Oh why, does Ancelotti insist on getting them outnumbered ?. He only ever plays two. Any coach worth his salt will look at the lack of mobility in whichever two he selects and counter it with a three. Meanwhile we have somebody (usually Iwobi) standing out by the touch line like a spare prick.
Ferguson identified this problem. He did not hesitate to bolster numbers in the middle of the park.

I don't contest the main trust of your argument Lyndon. Most of the players are not good enough. They are gutless and they do need an almighty kick up the arse. but I think you are giving the manager a very easy ride here.

Wolves are by no means unbeatable. They are a very decent side, but if you match them for organisation and effort you have half a chance. That chance evaporates if you are scared of them.

How on earth can we expect the players to fight to the death when the manager is surrendering in the dressing room before a ball has even been kicked ?

A positive aspect is that the recent poor results and performances have quashed any false hopes that the squad is anywhere near the standard required to fight for a place in European competition. To that extent the resumption of the season has served a useful purpose for our club and Ancelotti.

A jellyfish has no ears or eyes or nose and no brain or heart. They do not even have a head. Their body is almost totally made of water and is soft having no bones at all. Jellyfish are invertebrate animals. No spines.

But what is a group of jellyfish called? Many refer to groups of jellyfish as blooms or swarms, but they can also be called a 'smack'. Or 90% of the current Everton squad.

Since this post season fiasco (perhaps best characterised as the "How can we award the Premiership to the Redshite" event) started, there has been about one decent match - the Manchester City - Southampton game where City decided to give a demonstration of how football should be played. The rest of the clubs have performed half-heartedly because there's nothing to win, apart from places in various unwatched European competitions, and nothing to lose for all but around three or four clubs struggling against relegation.

After the past two games of serial assaults unprotected by referees, I'm surprised that Richarlison didn't spend the entire match either offside or making sure he never got near the ball, that's what I'd have done - there's no point risking your career in absolutely meaningless games in empty stadiums with zero atmosphere. Anyone who pulls out of a 50-50 ball in the current series of games is being entirely sensible, when you can't win anything, why both risking losing everything?

This crap fag-end of a shitty season is a farce and the fact that most players in most clubs are starting to show that it is a pointless waste of time is more a testament to their intelligence than anything else.

How different it could have been had we got Nuno and not Marco.

We can't afford to pay them off and replace with like for like. it is a desperate situation, but when you give huge contracts to unmotivated players around the age of 28 you are asking for trouble.

We have been run in an appalling manner ever since Moyes left. No forward planning, no nothing. And we've wasted a quarter of a billion. But there it is.

I'm sure changes will be made, but don't expect a brand new team come September. And remember, pre restart we weren't actually doing that bad bar the Chelsea result. So we're going to need to get behind them, which I don't underestimate how difficult that is at the moment.

It appeared Holgate and Keane were getting it together recently, which was a good sign for central defence, but the midfield area was still a big problem. Gomes (before his injury) and Gbamin may have formed a good double act but we may never know. Iwobi tries hard and Moise Kean doesn't seem like he is going to break through.

Southampton played us off the park for the first half and if they had been in the top four, I may not have worried... but they were below us in the table. Go figure.

Even though we have Villa and Bournemouth to come, I shudder to think what may happen if they play as bad as they have done in the last three games.

If we keep it tight at the back, though, I 'm confident we can get the draw against Aston Villa.

Goalkeeper - we need a new one or for Pickford to actually concentrate for a whole game. I think we'll stick with him.

Defence - this is ok, as long as Holgate is fit. Keane and Mina are decent partners for him and full backs are fine for now. Defence is not a priority unless we are signing a top class partner for Holgate and moving either Keane or Mina on.

Attack - any 2 of Richarlison, DCL and Kean will do for next season. Hopefully Simms has shown enough to be 4th choice in case of an injury crisis.

The only immediate focus is our midfield

Wide midfielders - Walcott is probably our best option - which says a lot. We need at least one top class wide midfielder. I would continue with Gordon for the other.

Central midfield - I would retain Gomes, Gbamin and Davies. That leaves space for one other top class midfielder, who will hopefully bring the best out of either Gomes or Davies (or Gbamin further down the line).

2 top class signings in the right areas will get this team pushing for Europe. Then we simply improve on the worst areas every year - next season (if we don't do it this season) will probably be centre back and keeper.

That does leave a lot of players to get rid of
Delph, Sigurdsson, one of Iwobi or Bernard (the other will be back up for now), Besic, Sandro, Bolasie (unless he surprises us all by coming back) etc...

What we don't need is a Delph like signing who might do a job. Either top class signings, or players with potential (Branthwaite, french left back etc)

He's thrown millions of pound on this project that four years down the line is still seeing clubs like Sheffield United, Wolves, Burnley finishing comfortably ahead of us.

I'm sick of hearing of three year projects.

Did it take Sheff United three years to have a right good crack at the Premier League on their first season back?

How long were Wolves up before being a upwardly mobile attractive football team getting European football?

Did it take Leicester three years to win the league under Ranieri?

It's always "this time next year" with Everton.

The fans make an easy life for the club too because in my opinion we are too patient and not demanding enough with the rot we keep on seeing right up until yesterday.

It should NOT take three years to get players busting a gut and working hard and running, look at the few games Duncan had in charge?

I'll stick my neck out and say I don't think we'd have performed so poorly at Anfield against Liverpool's kid team if big Dunc had been in charge, but what do I know?

I'm not paid millions of pound to try and gee up a load of millionaires am I.

Not sure which games you've been watching!

They've tried Moyes, Van Gaal, Mourinho and Solkjaer. It's only now coming together after a few peaks and troughs. And they're still a way off where they were 7 years ago.

We've tried Martinez, Koeman, Allardyce, Silva and Ancelloti. We're miles off where we were 7 years ago. It might be because we're still transitioning from plucky spendthrifts to new money. The personalities in the squad never quite seem to fit what a new manager is after.

Ancelotti is very experienced so is well placed to sort it out.

It's interesting that Solskjaer, who looked out if his depth to me, is now really building something having added Maguire, Wan Bissaka and Fernandes. But he also, with the help of these new signings, rejuvenated Martial and Fred - and brought through Williams and Greenwood.

3 signings made a big difference. 3 quality signings this summer can help Gordon and Davies + may rejuvenate those who look lost like Kean and Iwobi.

I'd only be "helping" Davies, Iwobi and Kean to find the exit door.

Bullshit when these players can't put a shift in, Davies more worried fixing his hairband and Iwobi could pass a spelling test.

Kean I've seen nothing but a head down clueless player that brings pain in the arse baggage wherever he's been playing.

If you think one or two signings will reinvigorate these frauds then that's why at Everton we get served shit on a plate every year, fans too forgiving.

When Moyes was manager, we were consistently 'best-of-the-rest'. We'd hit a glass ceiling and the goal was to break that ceiling and start challenging the 'top-4'.

Since then, through a succession of failures, we have regressed desperately. Whilst the 'top-4' dominance has also broken. The top-4 became a top-6, and now that is even breaking with the emergence of Wolves and Leicester (and relative fall of Arsenal). So you could say there is a top-8.

This demonstrates our absolute failure, we had one target, to break the ceiling. That ceiling was broken, buy we crumbled under the shards of broken glass.

Well organised yet limited teams like Burnley and Sheffield Utd are better than us, and we first must accept this before we have any chance of moving forward.

When we talk of summer transfer window, we always start with 'to challenge the top-6 we need...'. this is our first mistake. It leads to us signing the exact wrong type of player: Gomes, Bernard, Sigurdsson, Iwobi and more. Players with the wrong attitude, and not a good as they think they are

We need to focus on signing players based on attitude, and on precisely the role they will play. Where will they fit, what will they bring to the team.

We need to focus on challenging Sheff Utd and Burnley before we get ambitions of challenging the 'top-#' whatever they are.

And we need players who can pass.

Sadly, our players are living off their name and past glories at other clubs. Hardly any of them are fit to wear the shirt and apart from Digne, Richarlison and DCL, I'd take every single one Sheff Uniteds squad over ours. They're a team I can relate to. I don't recognise this Everton team. I can't relate to spineless shitbags.

Obviously some people can't wait that long, but let's get back to the fact that we have a highly successful, well respected manager (can't believe some people are digging him out like they know better), and back him all the way.

I do think a couple of leaders will make a difference (as per Maguire and Fernandes).

But it all comes down to Ancelotti. Will he break the malaise hanging over the club or will it break him.

The players we have (when all fit) are already about the 7th best in the league. The problem is that they all look completely demoralised. He needs to weed out any bad apples and motivate the remainder. It's a big job - too much for Martinez, Koeman and Silva in the end.

As much as it may look like it I can't believe that our players (or the majority of them) do not care. I just think they are confused and lost and not working together as a cohesive unit.

Chris Wilder has had pretty much the same squad for 4 years at Sheffield. He's been able to build a well-drilled unit who may not be superlative individuals but can work together very effectively in a style that he has cultivated. They've had consistency both in terms of playing staff and style, along with a smart manager able to get the best out of his players.

We on the other hand have had a revolving door of players and 7 different managers over the last 4 years if you include the caretakers!

That's a huge issue for us. Consistency. We cannot keep chopping and changing players and especially managers. As Rennie says above.

We are not going to have a big clearout (at least of the players on display yesterday). We are not going to sack Ancelotti.

We must hope that Ancelotti and his team can get more out of these players and that Brands can add the energy and pace that we sorely lack in the middle. I think if Gbamin and Delph were fit they'd help to this end.

Ancelotti has not dealt with a situation like this for a long time (arguably ever) and much rests on his ability and appetite. His CV would suggest he has the former and when I hear him speak about Everton I see the latter. Fingers crossed.

Are players mentally strong, do they arrive with baggage?

Some of the things I heard about Andre Gomes worries me, the fact that he was too upset to leave the house when he played for Barcelona because they were on his back, you couldn't imagine a Roy Keane or someone being like that?

It doesn't fill anyone with confidence when players can't front up to criticism.

Moise Kean arrives with bad boy baggage and so far it's been more off-field antics rather than on it that's overshadowed his time here.

These kinds of references are crucial in signing the right type of players.

My guess as well. I really doubt he's here just for easy money. I doubt he'd want to tarnish his reputation by getting a load of money and not making this team significantly better. Millionaires also have their pride (talking from guesswork not experience at the moment!). And if a promise has been made for more dosh, that has to be provided and he has to do something significant with it.

Lets face facts the only person that can turn this around is C.Ancelotti. The 2 things that stood out to me after the game was the reaction from S.Coleman and C.Ancelotti. First Coleman stood up and lambasted his fellow professionals on T.V. unknown to the manager, and that was followed up by Ancelotti's interview on practically the same theme.

It may sound like these interviews were planned but what we should realize is, that finally Ancelotti has finally lost his patience with the under performing players and hopefully he is going to show them that his reputation was not achieved by always being Mr Nice Guy.

Thursday,s game against Villa is the one that will show if there is any reaction from the players, and should show by the team selection who Ancelotti may want to keep next season., and if he has got the backing of the dressing room.

There are only 3 games left to the end of the season but I believe it is going to make or break some of these players future at Everton, As nice as it would be we cant buy and sell 11/12 players, no matter what Man City got away with.

You step into your Bentley, souped up Range Rover etc, switch on the radio and here the whole of the countries press are commenting on how awful Everton's performance was, devoid of backbone, clueless and that was the mild ones.

Then you look at your bank statement, a nice little £30k has been dropped in for too many weeks to remember and then your £200k sponsorship is also showing and we then ask them to give a shite!

The modern footballer, devoid of loyalty, self esteem, professionalism etc but rich as fuck .

You quite correctly mention the job Chris Wilder has done at Sheffield Utd, and you can add Sean Dyce as another who has done well with limited funds.
But we had a manager who for practically a decade kept us in the top 6/7 but the fans wanted more and rightly so. So once Moshiri became our major shareholder and money was no object, we appointed managers who had won nothing, and ably assisted by poor DOFs spent £250 million to finish about 4/5 places below were Moyes had us most years. Now that takes incompetence to a whole new level. We now have many players who are on loan or have been sent back from loan spells, collectively costing us millions per month, just dead money. How long it will take to put that right I don't know.

But I don't see Ancelotti seeing out the remaining 4 years of his contract unless he is given the backing he will need over quite a few transfer windows. I am sure if he feels the assurances he has been given don't come to fruition then he will walk away. As he has said himself he doesnt need the money, and I certainly cant see him letting this club trash his wonderful CV. One thing that does concern me is when Ancelotti came he and Ferguson were talking constantly during games. But since we have come back from lockdown I don't see them talking much, I hope this is through social distancing and nothing more worrying.

With various agreements since the premier started the players and their agents hold all the cards as previously club (a) told their player they had sold him to club (b). Now you have to go through a players agent to see if he wants to move, or if a player wants a move he tells his agent what club he would like to go to.

As they say progress does not benefit all, but it seems most of the rules benefit the player

A lot of these players cannot be in his thoughts for next season. From his point of view, they are beyond redemption. He came in whilst we were hovering around relegation, fixed it and inwardly I believe he has now switched off.

The focus now is replacements. A busy summer ahead for Brands and himself.