Limited Blues come from behind to avoid serious embarrassment

Baningime not even on the bench. If he can't even get minutes in this injury-depleted and under-performing midfield since the re-start, you have to conclude this signals the end of his Everton career.

Time to show some pride. And move about a bit.

Disappointed.

I chickened out of the last two, but am going to suffer this one. Maybe I'll bring them some good luck. Let's see...

I'm curious about this 2 keeper on the bench malarky. Why 2 keepers when clearly won't be used? Is it to introduce Virginia to the first team set-up while respecting Stek? Is it to send a message about lack of options? Are the youngsters really so not up to scratch to even be on the bench?

Quite clearly Gordon and Braithwait are the only youngster to have made an impression if they can't even get on the bench.

Only so much Carlo can do with the team selection. I would have liked to see Holgate given a go in midfield, but with Mina out, that's off the table. Calling for the kids is all well and good, until you see what happened to Branthwaite in all of 60 seconds last match.

There will be a few of these today playing to show they have a future at Everton. Its time for those players to put it on the line and show what they can do. Some of them will not get many more chances.

Scrappy but , Everton 3 Aston Villa 1

Yet another game lacking the intensity of a PL game.

Branthwaite again impressing since his introduction. He and Keane mopping everything up that is played into the penalty area.

He is very composed, can pick out and play a pass and I liked how in the last minute before half-time he tracked the runner rather than try and play for offside.

Davies the best of the midfield. Little of note from the forwards.

The side with the greater intensity in the second half will win this.

Any club that considers Tom Davies a Premier League player has serious problems.

So much for a positive reaction eh?

I honestly can't see where this team is going next season unless we put out virtually a new starting eleven and Ancelotti realises that you actually need to start going forward to score goals, or even look like scoring goals.

Not very constructive I'm afraid!

A truly determined side after the no-show at Wolves would have got at Villa like terriers. As it was, neither side showed any great intensity.

They scored one. We scored one. The end.

There are players who have got something about them going through a bad spell.

There are other players that had it, but longer possess it.

There are players who promise a lot, but seldom deliver.

Sifting through that lot, moving on those Carlo cannot trust and recruiting players that will make a difference is going to be an interesting watch this summer/autumn.

Villa could and should have won.

I think we all know that Gomes and Sigurdsson cannot play together yet that appears to be Ancellotti's go to. Davies is weak but other than Sigurdsson, who else can play CM at the moment? Where was Benni today? We desperately need someone who can put their foot in. Awful!!

What does Kean have to do to start?

2 keepers on the bench??

Can't see this improving for Sheff Utd.

Bournemouth will probably be down by next weekend, the pressure will be off them and they will give us a spanking like so many other relegated sides have over the years... Forest, Sunderland, etc

Frustrating to say the least

More spirit, but that's the minimum but not enough class and brain and initiative.

May be some of the players know their days are numbered.

Looking forward to the Sheffield game and let's see what happens.

Disappointing but it's reality and the squad is not good enough by light years.

Veterans football and no desrespect to veterans, show more effort and focus than these players. Sideways and back., won't EFC many games.

Offensively the style must change, and belief must be shown soon. The basics must be shown and then they must deliver or be dropped.

Iwobi, Davies, Sigurdsson and the rest of them are just plain average.

We need a quadruple by pass.

Of those who played today, who could you just NOT afford to let go? Who you would say "hang on, too good to go! difficult to replace"? Who could you say "no great loss"?

If you can't name more than 5 or 6, then it maybe speaks volumes about the poor quality of squad we have?

Pickford (?!), Digne, Holgate, Gordon, Richie (even though he was poor today), DCL (?!). If we can't list more than that, it just shows the task Carlo is facing (and that doesn't mean to say he hasn't made any mistakes in the (relatively few) games he's had with us.

We are so slow it's painful, and I'm still struggling (I so want to) see DCL as a finisher, poacher, striker, scorer. He's had plenty of games but he's no Marcus Rashford. At age 21 Harry Kane scored over 20 Premier League Goals. I know Kane is on a different level, but we need to stop bigging DCL up.

Them two plus Holgate, Richarlison, and Digne is some sort of starting point for next season. After that, I wouldn't entertain any of them. All had their chance and proved woefully short.

Excellent game, lad.

Our crossing is so poor, we did get into a few good positions but Iwobi, Coleman, Bernard and even Gordon couldn't put a cross in all night.

Walcott changed things with his energy and of course his goal, but I'm beginning to feel that Richarlison has had enough of this crap. He made so many good runs but only once got a decent ball to run onto but Mings just beat him to it. DCL looks like the player 12 months ago not the goal scoring machine from earlier this season.

I'm getting edgy with Ancelotti teams, formations, tactics but he is trying to do something with a basket full of bad eggs. Anyone and idea why Ferguson doesn't seem to get asked his views when Ancelotti turns to his coaching staff for advice on how to get out of the mess we find ourselves in most matches.

Given we are safe and have nothing to play for, is he hanging them out to show them as the "dead men walking" they are? Have many already been told they have no future?

Every aspect of the club suggests an unofficial target of finishing just outside the elite contingent on "lower" clubs behaving as they should. Unfortunately clubs like sheff utd, wolves etc don't always play ball and we finish 7th to 12th.

Until a strong leader appears somewhere at the club we will continue this ludicrous delusion of believing we are in any way relevant

You can't polish a turd, and you can't make an omelette without eggs. We need new blood in there. We started at a decent tempo for once, but we soon ran out of ideas. Ancelotti's hands are tied until he can get at least 2 midfielders in...

Unless big money is spent one of those managers may be here by November. If 3 to 4 of the first team players are not moved on this summer then mid table here we come. I'm bored season after season being in the same position. I feel having Carlo is like owning a mansion but can't afford to furnish it. I hope Carlo can do it but I do fear the worse.

Carlo has to get the best out of them. This is the hand he will be playing with next season.

He looks like he doesnt know whats hit him

Also Richarlison should be wide left as that solves one midfield problem. Buy 2 quality midfielders and a centre forward and we'd be getting somewhere. Easier said than done but could make a significant difference.

Who'd want to come here though? Can CA use his connections in Real Madrid or Bayern Munich ?

Depressed!!

What to do with Moise Kean?

Me, I was just happy with another undeserved point, although to be honest Villa never bust a gut, considering they should be fighting their hearts out to stay up.

I think we might beat Bournemouth in the last game, if they already relegated!!

I noticed Pickford at the end, when it was 1-1 and we had a chance to push for a winner. He was in no rush to get the ball rolling again, his body language saying he felt a draw was okay, let's not take any risks here.

What we have at Everton is institutionalised mediocrity, an acceptable level of blandness. But on the plus side, we're number one at doing stuff in the community because it's all just one big family...

On a general level I would like to see Eveton put in a performance against Sheff U, beat Bournemouth and bring an end to this never ending season of woe. I STILL think Ancelotti should be given money and time to develop his own team. Playing to an empty stadium is for the birds, although I do understand why it is necessary.

Ancelotti must wonder a what the hell have I got myself into here, yes he is being well paid but he would not want failure.
Whats the point of continually changing managers if the playing staff don't measure up to our ambitions!

As Danny said earlier, you cant polish turds.

Them 3, along with Holgate, Davies, Richarlison and DCL makes for a very young, promising team. Possibly add in Kenny next season and we could realistically start with 8 players 23/24 or younger.

I reckon we could all take 1-1 if we were giving all the young players as much time as possible to make mistakes, but 1-1 with the likes of Iwobi and Sigurdsson on the pitch is slightly more difficult to take.

Glad Branthwaite have a good account of himself, it means we can concentrate on other areas of the pitch in the transfer window - hopefully 2 wide midfielders and a central midfielder.

Dare I say it but, grasping at the very few positive straws, Sigurdsson looks slightly better and more positive when he comes on as a sub doesn't he? I mean it's all relative, he's still underwhelming, but he seems to get on the ball a bit more and try a few more incentive passes when he's only got to play for 30 minutes...

What has happened to Seamus Coleman? Why does he not run forwards anymore?!

Defence is ok and we clearly have a good prospect in Branthwaite. Pretty much everywhere else on the pitch needs major surgery. Good luck Carlo...

I believe it's "Thomas the Train" and not "Thomas the Tank".

Personally, I'd love Thomas the Tank. But nowadays that's a bit too violent for the kiddies. Not PC.

I had to watch out of the corner of my eye this afternoon, but the commentators summed it all up. They were not complimentary of Everton in the least.

This season can't finish quick enough.

Sigurdsson put in a terrier like performance. Our midfield went at them like terriers. Bernard, fuck me, Jesus wept, was like a terrier. Here's the thing, though,being a fucking terrier should be the default position of any man who has the honour to wear our shirt. They do not get it, Jay.

Now he's sobered up and he's thinking, "I didn't fuck that, did I?

Honourable mentions to Digne, Gordon and Gomes (..?) tonight too.

Last question: Why was Pickford trying to do cartwheels on their free-kick when they scored? If he'd watched the ball, it would have come straight to him, or he'd at least have had a chance to save the attempt on goal. As per, it has to be Hollywood or bust!

The players, if they are professional, must take a proper look at this season and their efforts.

They've let themselves down, the club and supporters. The break will be short and I hope that, for next season, they battle to take Everton back; it will be a long campaign, taken up with vigour and passion.

As ever, the time-honoured cliche, “this window” is the biggest and most important ever, for EFC.

I think it is. Hope eternal.

Meh.

And don't start me on Bernard, Besic, Sandro, Tosun, Niasse and that crew – who approved those contracts?

The worry now is that, after wasting all that money, there is none left for signing proper players.

The trouble is that now we are looking at 30-odd years with only one major trophy and I really do now believe that the manager's job is a ‘poisoned chalice'.

I don't know what the problem is but there is definitely a major problem with Everton. I feel sorry for Villa that they didn't win against such a duff team as our beloved Blues.

You rightly insert a question mark after the name of Gomes. Until the last five minutes, I thought he was terrible. In the first half, he was dispossessed on at least three occasions in the middle of his own half. He also gave away the free-kick from which Villa scored.

Bolasie, Ramirez, Bernard, Sigurdsson, Delph, Walcott, Mina, Iwobi and Tosun – at least half are Brands signings.

But some clubs may, could stake out some of players, but the likes of Leeds, I doubt will look twice at outperform deadwood. But hopefully some teams will.

Let's hope so.

For me, the 2 best players on the pitch were Branthwaite and Mings.

It sums the game up that they are both centre-backs.

Thank god for Brathwaite and Gordon, at least they are both having a go.

I said on the Live Forum that Gomes reminded me of the Titanic – so slow to turn and a disaster waiting to happen.

He reminds me of a lad I played with when I was younger, we called him "Hollywood" because he was always looking for the fancy pass and, more often than not, got caught in possession.

In my opinion, the league table rarely lies. Villa are where they are because of the way they have played all season not just because of the last few matches. Just like Everton. We are mid-table mediocrity; they are likely getting relegated.

So it seems most of our problems are to be solved when the window opens. No, they are not; there is no reason why the players Everton have should be putting on performances like we have witnessed in the last few weeks. Every team in the Premier League have something to fight for, it may be points to avoid relegation or points to compete in Europe or points to move up the league to earn extra money, but there is no reason for experienced players like Everton have to play as if they don't care.

Ancelotti may be an experienced manager, but the least we could expect is the players he plays, all put in the same amount of effort and hopefully behind the scenes he is giving the players the hairdryer treatment as he is judged by what goes on on the pitch.

We're quite lucky that we've got two of the most promising up-and-coming centre-backs in the Premier League. It makes you wonder whether we should prioritise a goalkeeper over a centre-back and try and buy Donnarumma from AC Milan this summer.

Holgate back too soon, which is a sign of desperate / poor decision making.

Only 2 more games to go in this dogend of a season. Big clean out still needed... how many seasons is that now?

If I was Brands, I wouldn't be looking forward to my year-end review... but, as happens all to often, nothing changes... just like Everton.

The people signing players and offering contracts are incompetent; there was no need to give Calvert-Lewin a massive, long-term contract 6 months ago, he was contracted for another few years anyway. We instantly turned a sub-standard but saleable asset into a massive liability. It's the Everton way, most of our players are liabilities.

I've never seen it worse; stupid ownership, incompetent or unsuitable management, and a pathetic playing squad with zero fight or character. They even look like they don't really like each other.

It's torture to watch us and we've got a vested interest; any casual watcher must absolutely hate everything about us.

It appears that, with the players at his disposal, Carlo has no more a clue how to fix it than Marco did.

I would think his squad would be turned away by The Repair Shop as bad for business the one that was just broken and beyond their considerable expertise..

I am fascinated as to the transfer window and what transpires... Also, I have my glue, usually used for Airfix at the ready.

The players don't like each other.

Pickford is shit, Mina is shit, Iwobi is shit, Gomes is shit etc.

Ancelotti is past it, only here for a payday.

Do we really post this shit when the whole club has been in a different place than NSNO since Moyes's best years, when we had the chance to invest in better players and could have attracted them? But Billy boy would not let go of his trainset until he found another mug prepared to back him as Chairman.

That man is so like a Cardinal Richlieu, scheming in the background to get his own way and line his own pockets. If we can see it, what do you think the people inside the club see from day to day?

It is so divisive and I get the impression there are 2 or 3 cliques going around the club which undermines every manager, DOF or scout or whatever else you call them – and Moshiri is no better. He sees a player have a good game somewhere and then tells the DOF to get them (Saha?). Then we have Black Bill with Rooney (Man Utd must have laughed their cocks off to get him off their wage bill).

When we say something is rotten at Everton, this is the only logic. Why does manager after manager come, start well and then the whole thing turns to shit? We can blame the players but there has to be more to it than that.

When the heart and brain is dead, there's no hope at all for the body that is Everton FC.

I will reserve comment for Digne, who couldn't possibly be playing for us next season. The lad is fighting a losing battle as both our best defender and the only player trying to make things happen at the other end of the pitch.

They're sleepwalking to the end of the season and that tells me a lot about their character. It's the sort of character that will go missing when we really need them because we're in a fight (whether for good or bad reasons).

So that would be my transfer approach, in much the same way as it was Moyes's approach.

Get the right characters. Footballers with ability are ten a penny. We've even got some. But you need a few players in the team who will be brave, show pride, and try to make things happen even when it's all going against you or it seems like there's nothing to gain.

Toothless bunch of crap players bar 2 or 3. The manager should have taken off Bernard at half time at the latest. His first touch was crap. Gordon was so much better. Branthwaite did really well IMO.

So frustrating, to say the least!

Yes, it wasn't Jim Beglin, it was the other guy, but I only wish what he said was true.

It really would take a Wizard to get rid of Gollum.

Or us fans...?

No deffo a Wizard.

There's no ‘Spirit of Kendall' in this club.

I agree, we will I think be looking for character and I wonder if this is why we are looking at Hojbjerg? Hassenhutl made him captain until he refused to sign a new deal.

We need leaders, players who will stand up and be counted, up for the fight with some mettle. Koopmeiners is another, captain of AZ Alkmaar at 22. I'd like to see two centre-midfielders come in like that.

People are moaning about Hojbjerg but I believe he is the best we can afford right now; Premier League experience is a major bonus. We won't be shopping for players like Allan in this window (queue Usmanov announcement this summer, why would he??).

Another decent (perhaps more of a box-to-boxer as well) centre-midfield addition and a hard working right-midfielder who can create and we would be a very different side. I don't personally believe Kenny has what it takes to improve us next season so I'd like to see a new right-back too to push Coleman.

I think we will have takers for Kean in Italy. I wish more than anything we could shift Sigurdsson and Tosun for fees this summer but I doubt it on the wages they are on.

I think a lovely wind-down stint at Inter Miami as their marquee overseas player would be a lovely fit for Sigurdsson! Brands needs buyers for our dross, not an enviable task. What a basket case of a club, we are the English Valencia without the recent upturn in fortunes.

Please can someone talk me through Branthwaite's performance: What sort of player is he? Does he play left side of a centre-back pairing? How does he look on the ball?

As you say, there will be other clubs prepared to take some of our deadwood off our hands, but nobody will pay the wages. We're stuck with them.

When the Yanks were taking over at Anfield, I laughed and cheered: "More American businessmen who know nothing about football."

One of the Yanks on here (I can't remember which one) came on and warned me about them. I'd known nothing about them and this prompted me to do a little research... I stopped laughing.

Have you noticed how Liverpool never seem to have any deadwood? How they always seem to get their man? Have you noticed how they don't pay over the top for their players? Have you noticed how they ALWAYS seem to get top dollar for people they are selling?

If you've noticed all above, you will also have noticed that Liverpool Football Club hold the world record for paying Agents' fees. Last season was the third year in a row they spent more than any other Premier League club.

These "know fuck all about footy" Yanks know more than enough. The first lesson to learn from them is right there.

If you're prepared to get in bed with the devil, you will get far more bang for your buck – so to speak.

I've just seen your post there. You have pulled off the seemingly impossible this morning by making this grumpy arl bastard quite simply laugh out loud.

You've altered the landscape.

Left-footer, plays in the left centre-back position. He looks like he can handle himself.

A ray of hope for the future, although it's early days, I really like the lad, and am fairly sure he will grow into a very accomplished centre-back.

No, it's "Thomas the tank engine".

I've got all the DVDs. 😂

I looked at Sigurdsson, Gomes and Bernard going backwards again last night and recalled Pickford's tongue hanging out in the previous match and wondered just what are they feeding them at Finch Farm?

Hopefully someone will take Bolasie for ١M and Sandro will stay at his current loaner club in Spain.

I can't see Iwobi being sold yet or Kean.

I thought Douglas Luiz looked good for Villa last night, loads of energy and bite. He could be our next Gana if the price is right

I thought Keane was our Man of the Match, he's been dominant in the box of late, made some good challenges and was talking constantly to young Branthwaite. Well done to him on his recent form.

Digne was very close for our Man of the Match, good in defence and after a wobbly start under the high ball competed well in the air. Going forward, he seemed like the only player with any drive. He's generally been good since the re-start as well.

Branthwaite looked very promising, a monster for an 18-year-old with composure on the ball.

Other than that, nobody got pass marks again!

You can see that the opposition are going to nick one. Different managers don't seem able to spot it though or change anything. When it happens, we then throw on some attackers and have a go. Usually, we have hard luck and still lose. Occasionally we nab a point.

Contrast this with the RS. They can be 2-0 down with 5 mins left and you still feel they're gonna get back into it or even win it.

There's a whole mentality that permeates our once great club. Players who are like rabbits-in-headlights. So many players down the years who can put in a performance every now and again but on the whole, aren't good enough.

Only during Martinez's first season did we recruit well. We had a good defence and midfield and a potential goal threat.

Until we have a proven goalscorer, some creativity, tenacity and speed in midfield and a solid defence we will always be a mid-table team at best. When our home form desserts us, we'll be relegation candidates.

I cannot remember if it was just before lockdown or the restart that Carlo did an interview and said he was very impressed with Branthwaite's training with the first team and if he keeps it up will be hard not to give the guy a chance and then allowed Gibson to go out on loan in January.

I like Gibson a lot, rate the guy highly, but have a feeling we got to see yesterday what Carlo has seen in training in Branthwaite, a very very good player.

Time will tell but I would imagine Branthwaite will be higher up the selection, even when Gibson returns.

Who knows, both could be playing alongside each other in a couple of seasons. But, for now, I would say Branthwaite has the better opportunity with the likes of Gibson and Baningime not even getting close to a game, even before Gibson went out on loan.

Hate to be the voice of doom but custodians of our club are either not remotely interested in us getting even near to compete or couldn't handle big players with big ambitions in this Sky modern football clique.

Carlo, trust me, has never experienced such opposition in a club from within.

It's always seemed ironic to me that having learned the game elsewhere and cost a transfer fee, you are always first in line for the first team break. It must cost a fortune to develop our own so why the recitence to try out the locals?

But well done to the big fella – I hope Carlo will keep the faith in him.

That warning came from me regarding NESV and EL Poo.

As soon as they bought them, I warned everyone on TW that they'd be successful and this wasn't another Gillette and Hicks.

How did I know?

They ended an 86-year drought with my beloved Red Sox, and run that organization beautifully. It's the single best run sports team in the world, period. There is no better run team on planet earth at this moment.

Sorry to say I nailed that one.

They do many things well - and I'm not lauding them on these pages to rub salt into wounds, or be some douche, I'm mentioning this because I wish to God Everton did the same.

1. They RARELY overpay for players. They will buy 1-2 players and pay an enormous sum for them. The rest of the team fits into a salary model and also a team model where they have a specific role to fill, and they fill that role.

2. They create a team atmosphere. Any dissenting, bad influence is shipped out immediately. The buy good guys - don't know how else to say it. And if they are suspect, the rest of the team love them, so there's no locker room drama.

It's what I've been banging on about the last couple of weeks on TW. We need HUNGRY players that don't cost much, surrounded by 1-2 QUALITY players we'll need to pay a lot of money to. We need to stop buying the middle of the road dudes who cost 㿅 million. It's a wast of money. I'd prefer young, hungry players at 㾶 million surrounded by one or two studs who cost 㿷+ million.

We have the young hungry players – Gordon, Holgate, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin, and now I'd throw in Branthwaite too. We have to stop recruiting the “maybe” men around them who basically give up and take the money. We need real, real quality surrounding these kids and we'll change our fortunes.

That's a Red-Sox-esque approach. And again, they know what they are doing and have really adopted this model for years to great success.

I remembered it was you after I had pressed the submit button.

You'll take no pleasure in the fact that you were right I know, I just wish you were a little less right.

I don't think the bastards will be going away any time soon either.

Absolutely typical. The shite end up being run by this crew and we end up with the Iranian Viv Nicholson.

Leeds, of course, have been up and down a number of times since then but I can't think of Brentford as anything other than a lower league club.

I think Leeds Utd is a "proper club". Their stereotype from all I gather over here is a one-city club, hard, hard core fans worthy of an ascent back to the top, and a seriously well run football club.

Their new owner, their DOF, and their nutty, lovable, odd, brilliant manager aren't hard to like from the outside looking in.

Americans are disgustingly bandwagon jumping, shallow fans. I can see a helluva lot of Leeds Utd jerseys and "supporters" springing up over here next season.

I remember watching Moneyball (2011) about Brad Beane(?) and a 'Sabremetrics' guru, and how they turned around a very poor Oakland A's team (Baseball), into a majorly good baseball team by selling their 'name' players and buying players who'd fit a system.

I've often wondered just how we recruit,and how we scout and evaluate players? We just never seem to get it right? Kenwright?

I also remember watching the Christmas lectures last year; see this video and go to 28:05 thru 36:45

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q4DrUHKC0Q

I again, anecdotally, believe that a similar system is used for player evaluation. Apologies that it is the Reds, but it points out what Jamie said.

Another article that highlights LFC's quest for excellence, when their Head of Medicine (Chief Doctor) announced his resignation; instead of just recruiting some old Joe with a good CV, or promoting from within, they looked at the best doctor in the Premier League, and made an offer he couldn't refuse. NB and a v good physio too, it would seem. They don't hire mediocrity!

https://talksport.com/football/675561/liverpool-physio-man-city-arsenal-doctor/

If we want to start competing with the Hateful 8 (Thank you, Martin Samuels), then this is how we need to start thinking going forwards.

Unfortunately, until Moshiri realises he needs to do a clean sweep of Goodison, and replicate Mansour at City; or he gets a troubleshooter in a'la Sir John Harvey-Jones, this club is not going forward, and will always be stuck looking back to 69-70 Kendall I and '95.

Let's be honest, over all these dismal years, players and managers of varying quality come and go, and the results are mainly the same. The SINGLE remaining constant is Blue Bill.

At the next AGM, there should be a 'Vote of no confidence' in his Chairmanship, same as for Denise Barrett-Baxendale and even Moshiri's own DoF, Alexander Ryazantsev.

They keep increasing their salaries, while the commercial, financial and playing fronts are all static or in decline!

By getting rid, is the only way to have belief when you say NSNO in the future.

Give Brands and Ancelotti patience and 2-3 years without interference from above. (Fuck off, Bill!)

That Oakland A's GM is Billy Beane, he was played by Brad Pitt in the movie.

I'm with you all the way until the ‘no confidence' vote. I think Moshiri has tried – he's dumped 𧺬 million into the Club. I also believe Brands hasn't done near as poor a job as many people would have you believe.

Be that as it may, our situation is unacceptable. ‘Moneyball' isn't quite what I'm advocating, but pretty damn close. We need to turn it around quickly.

As the negatives... far too many to list, sadly.

Woeful football... AGAIN!