Brands preaches unity and pledges improvement

Fire in their eyes – isn't that supposed to be before the match. Fuck me! You can't make this stuff up. Dick "oh, you are awful" Emery has left Arsenal FC. What's the odds we will approach him!! I wouldn't put anything past this board...

I accept that players can have loss of form etc but with the odd exception we have been awful all season. Lacklustre, no ideas, nobody taking responsibility for terrible performances. Yet on we go, it appears that terrible runs like this are acceptable to the club as it keeps happening and somebody keeps trotting out the same shit, week after week, when all I want to hear is "This performance was shocking and it will not happen again."

NO professional pride from top to bottom, no ambition, and certainly no empathy for the fans who have to tolerate this shit, week after week. The very least a fan should expect is maximum effort every week, but they can't even deliver that once a month, let alone every week.

Bad runs that go on for months shouldn't be acceptable, why are they? No other half-decent club would accept it – but we do! The board should spend a week with the fans to see how it really affects us day to day, especially those of us living Liverpool, then they really will understand how hollow their words are. Fucking joke club.

According to Marcel after last weeks 0-2 home disgrace to Norwich, we saw “Fire in the players eyes”?

All I witnessed was players shoulders slumped, heads down (or shirts pulled up hiding faces in embarrassment, in fact that's all I've seen from most of our players this last four years.

Evertonian's know a team/player that has fire and desire in his eyes and his heart, and I didn't see anything like enough of that last week.

Normally it's Captain Coleman or another old pro that's wheeled out to spout the chest-beating war cry, even Brands has been roped in now.

They of course have to prove that on the field of play, to be taken seriously, and with the fixture list we have ahead of us, I don't hold a lot of expectation to pick up any points.

Even if we miraculously got a result against Leicester and Liverpool, I would still want them to be looking for a replacement Manager as he has shown in 18 months, that he has made too many errors, and a leopard never changes his spots.

That really gives me a comfy feeling things will turn around. That the players were annoyed after being well beaten at home by the worst team in the league who until that point had only managed 1 away goal all season. So comforting to know they were unhappy about the result. hope someone got them all a warm coco with marshmallows on top to ease the pain.

4 points off the drop zone and 4 points off 8th place – the next few games are quite critical if we're going to move up or get bogged down as the table starts to spread out. Unfortunately I can see us being on the same number of points come Xmas meaning we'll then probably be in the drop zone and about 10 points off top half.

We're really on the verge of being in the shit and we still have the same manager who should have been shown the door at least 2 months ago.

Only Everton – ever reactive and never proactive.

Link

That's a cracking blazer, Marcel.

This represents the first utterances from upper management since the Norwich game. It really doesn't offer a lot. It's basically the bog-standard 'we're all hurting, we're all in this together, we're working hard to improve results' that we have routinely heard down the years from whichever player got the short straw that week to put up for the media.

Now you can't expect Brands to brazen up and bare-facedly say that Silva has got 1-2-3 games, whatever, to save his job. But it doesn't sound as if a radical remedy is on the cards any time soon.

Oh dear.

I do wonder if he might have been better off saying nothing though, lest the fans' anger turns on him as well.

1) If he supported Silva, it's a piss-weak endorsement of him and no talk of faith or the right man, only fear to create instability;

2) If he wanted unity, all this shit should have been spouted last Saturday and not let the club be the media joke all week with Silva on death row;

3) "And, by the way, folks, despite what that clown is doing, I have got his golden boy to sign a new contract with the great squad I have assembled that he can't manage."

"Fire in their eyes" – ridiculous. Contract extension til 2024, when we all know that it's about raising the release fee as we will sell sooner rather than later and to one of our competitors.

I err — not one of our competitors as they currently are Norwich, West Ham, Newcastle, Southampton and Watford.

And I rather think he HAS said nothing in this interview.

Clever little sweetner at the end, throwing in that we are close to extending Richarlison's contract 'cos Everton is a club that likes to retain it's best players, innit?

I totally agree. Spurs and Arsenal are acting like big clubs. At the first sign of a problem, they act decisively.

All our board seem to want is a placid yes-man. That's why Koeman didn't work out because he wouldn't put up with the shit and interference from Kenwright.

We will not progress as a club until that fraud is no longer in the corridors of power at Goodison Park.

They know exactly what they are doing; they are hanging Silva out to dry by giving him two games that he has zero chance in. We are sacrificing two league games so we can then have the fall guy removed.

The board are shitting themselves, let's be honest. They all know even sacking Silva this week (which would have been the sensible honourable thing to do) that getting a new man in with these upcoming away trips to Leicester and Liverpool, the new man would have had a vicious start.

Say Moyes came in before the derby on Wednesday and lost it 4-0? He'd be instantly ripped apart by the fans.

The board want Silva as the fall guy; I'd be amazed if he's still here this time next week.

Living in Trump's America, I am only too familiar with the disconnect between words and truth. "Fire in their eyes" — What does that even mean?

Maybe the fire is because they are angry with team mates and blaming one another.

Maybe the fire is because they think the tactics are crap.

Maybe it's phoney and just driven by excuse-making...

Regardless, after 10 years of Phil Jagielka's "We know we are better than this" press conferences, I couldn't care less what anyone says. I just judge them by their actions.

We have all discussed the various candidates and there is no one we are all getting behind. Does this not tell you that perhaps this is not the right time? If we press the button now and get in Dyche or Howe or Moyes or Hughes or Marcelino and they struggle as much as Silva – particularly Moyes, Dyche or Hughes as the team may not suit their style – then what do we do come March? Sack them again and call Allardyce?

If we hold fire now, bear in mind it's November and wait until the window opens and see if reinforcements can rejuvenate the side, then we can still go down the Moyes route if it's not working.

I cannot 'see' all that.

I genuinely have no idea WHAT the board thinks or does, or even if it thinks or does at all!

Sounds to me like the old 'vote of confidence' dressed up in a new suit.

Looking to extend Richarlison's contract is prudent given his age and international profile. Being Everton they're probably planning to give Delph an extension too.

Arsenal just sacked Emery and got someone in and they have a game on Sunday. Not quite. Ljungberg was one of Emery's backroom and so has been working with the players for some time. He does not need any time to acclimatise and can hit the ground running. If we copy them, then it's getting Duncan Ferguson to take over.

I still think something drastic has to happen for him to lose his job before the Chelsea game.

We are told Silva prepares his teams fantastically well prior to games – doesn't show on matchday! He apparently gives our lot a full rundown on what to expect from the opposition – doesn't show on matchdays!

Now our lot have fire in their eyes – after we've just been turned over by the worst team... well, maybe second-worst team, in the league.

Hopefully Brands's support of Silva is the Dutch equivalent of the British Chairman's 'vote of confidence' kiss of death to the manager.

What about a waltz!!! Or a decent manager!!

The only time fans will believe any of this is when results start to improve, and at the moment it doesn't look like that improvement in results will be happening soon. We have a Director of Football who hasn't covered himself in glory, and a manager who doesn't know what his best 11 is. You can put in all the hours you like but, if the plan is flawed, then nothing will change.

I also hoped he'd address the Silva situation more directly, but it's predictable that he'd be reticent about that. Derek #10, I remain certain that the decision has already been made, and that the only reason Silva is still in place is because his replacement has not been secured yet. I'm also convinced we have aimed high for a new manager and it won't be Moyes.

I'm confused about the Richarlison extension, which Brands characterized as "to 2024", since I too recall he signed a 5-year deal on arrival and Transfermarkt lists Richarlison as already under contract thru June 2024.

The only thing that will save Silva at this point would be an immediate and huge improvement in results in the short window of time he has before a replacement is lined up.

The delay in responding has been harsh on Silva as he has been hung out to dry, but the reasons were either: a) after long debates, the board want to give Silva more time in the desperate hope he might turn things around; or b) they have discussed potential candidates and realise none offer a meaningful improvement; or c) they have approached a potential candidate and couldn't get him or can't get him yet.

Certainly, the next manager has to mark a big step up on the last four managers. Who can look at Moyes, Dyche, Benitez, Howe or Arteta and say they would be? Arteta is one who excites, but he would represent a huge gamble due to his zero managerial experience. So, my guess is we are going to suffer for 2 or 3 more weeks. Leicester and Liverpool away will almost be written off as certain defeats, so it all depends on the games after that which are more winnable.

How very lame. Others in far less trouble than ourselves are acting and doing what needs to be done. At this rate, when we do have to sack him all the partners at the dance will have been taken.

Leaving him dangling by a thread is the worst move possible. The team only decays further with a guy the players know won't be in charge in the medium term.

It's an embarrassment, top to bottom. In a week's time, after three losses, we'll reflect why they didn't have the balls to sack him now and how we've thrown away a chance to get points under someone else, even an interim caretaker.

I'm at the point where I feel sorry for Silva, being left to twist in the wind, knowing it's only a matter of time. Cruel.

A week ago, Silva was odds-on to be the next managerial sacking. Since then, both Spurs and Arsenal have now acted as you would expect big clubs to do, and as for Everton????

The players need to have fire somewhere when they playing, never mind in their eyes in the dressing room. Brands needs to pull his socks up big time, he's been very average up to now for me.

Of course, we are not privy to what goes on the behind the scenes at the club, so maybe I'm being harsh, who knows!

We are a laughing stock, which hurts the fans enough, but what really fucks me off is that they all expect us to be (and think we are) stupid enough to be comforted by their pathetic bullshit.

If this is the best Brands could come up with, I would prefer him to have simply shut the fuck up.

Carry on, Marco. We're right behind you.

Our leaders haven't the first idea of how to put this right, they should have the courage to make a decision and stick with it. Hesitation spreads panic; if Moshiri wants to back Silva even if it means relegation, then he should publicly say so.

Plus, how can you feel sorry for a millionaire who fails abjectly at his job yet gets paid millions more as a pay-off? Also, he'll probably walk into another job pretty soon. No, I feel sorry for the ordinary guy who gets turfed out of work on a whim through no fault of his own and picks up nowt.

I read a bit of his press conference and, although coming out with the usual expected crap about how he seems to know how the supporters are feeling, it didn't come across too well, especially when he came out with the statement that the same supporters moaning after Norwich were the ones lauding the team when they had previous "moments".

Well, Marco, we haven't had many bloody "moments" in the past 18 months!!!

Bar a couple of them, there is absolutely no fire there whatsoever.

I've praised him many times in the past and think he is our only hope from a footballing point of view. If you're going to spout garbage like this, then that evaluation will definitely change.

I'm inclined to agree with Jim that Marco will be gone after the derby.

Of course, we could win both games...

Quite gratifying for those of us who caved in when we were about 35.

The board may be of the opinion that allowing Silva to keep his job with the hope that his players respond positively to that situation is the right thing to do. I'm not certain that is the correct action for the club to have taken, but we have no influence on these matters and can only hope that the points total is added to in the coming weeks.

Doubtless, by the turn of the year, the true consequences of the board's actions/inactions will be clear for all to see. As a fan, I hope it has proven to be positive; as a long-suffering Evertonian, I know it has to get as bad as it can get until the board grasp the nettle.

I get that there may not be obvious candidates around. Let's face it, Moyes has had his time and would really rip the fanbase apart, and that's coming from someone who thought Moyes did a good job of turning Everton around from the car crash it was.

Now, though, because of poor managerial decisions and very little proactive movement from the board, we are in danger of completing the hatchet job and returning to the very dark days of the mid to late 90s, 95 cup win excepted.

I find it staggering given the awful season we are having, allied to the terrible run last season, that there is no contingency plan for this happening. There is no Plan B. Nobody earmarked for the managerial job, or at least that's how it's coming across. Spurs and Arsenal have both had awful runs and decided that these runs aren't acceptable and acted. We just carry on accepting the shite performances week after week and absolutely nothing happens apart from players and now the Director of Football trotting out banal statements about how they're going to put it right but never do.

When you say something drastic has to happen to lose his job before the Chelsea game, what do you call drastic? Lose both games? Lose heavily? Embarrass the club with bad performances? Aren't these things happening already? We just carry on meandering on, occasionally having a decent win interspersed with a crock of rubbish performances.

We act like a small club tolerating shocking runs like this. For me, there are no mitigating circumstances. Managers are paid to cope with bad decisions, injuries, players coming and going... yet we make excuses as to why we have won very few and lose games we should be cruising.

There are no excuses for the awful effort we have seen over the last few seasons; beating Leicester and Liverpool isn't going to change that. You just know another bad run is just around the corner.

What game was Joe Royle dumped into for his managerial debut with a worse squad than what is there now??

I thought when Brands preached unity, I thought that included the manager — that's why I said he had backed Silva. But maybe I was naive to believe Brands meant we are all in this together, but – like the politicians both in your country and our country – we should never believe anything they say.

I think Brands for me has more questions than answers against him: No recognised striker brought in; biggest fault – he agreed to the sale of Gueye against the wishes of Silva; and he never replaced Zouma.

I hope, if Silva goes, then Brands follows... but that won't happen. He will become the spokesman for the owner, as seems to be happening now. Moshiri's only comment was what he was reported to have said to a fan as he was leaving the stands "Things will get better". When will that start? As, so far, under your ownership, this club has gone backwards at an alarming rate.

That was a different board entirely and a different era.

That was also a squad that included 11 hard dogs of war and would tackle a crisp packet it moved.

We lost to fucken Norwich City, bottom of the league... at home!.

The team survived last season (Silva's first) by eking out some half-decent results after Xmas but, when Zouma left and then Gana, it's gotten worse. I am not saying those two made the difference then but certainly the new additions have been somewhat of a collective disaster. Defensively, as a team, they are woeful and even if the offence stutters, one expects at least to be more solid when not in possession.

Unless we see miracles in the next few weeks, Xmas will be miserable for most of us except Silva who will walk away with a big compensation pay-out. Everton should have made him sign a pre-nup.

After all... he could always resign.

He might resign if we lose handsomely on Sunday, as he will know the sack is imminent, he doesn’t need the money does he.

The lack of mental strength in our players means that any positive result in the next two games is extremely remote regardless of the boss at the desk.

As I've said many times, I think Brands has done well. He's replaced 2/3 of our starting lineup, sans injuries, and cleared out most of the deadwood in just 18 months on the job. I don't think we've missed Zouma's unnamed "replacement" one bit because Mina's doing a fine job -- Norwich was his first poor game. As for Gueye, in today's world you simply can't keep a player against his will if he wants to leave, and he had been promised a year earlier he could move to Paris. We'll find out next year if Gbamin is a good replacement. And as for a "recognised" striker, I always ask who and for how much before I characterize that effort as a failure. Given how few opportunities our midfield creates, I doubt a striker would have made much difference.

Where I’d criticize the club with regard to “hanging him out to dry” are the leaks. You get wild rumors always but creditable sources (eg McNulty on the BBC, Echo plus all the tabloids, Sky) have the same info published as fact. That Kenwright has been talking to Moyes and pushing for his return. The only deviance is on timing. The Sun say it’s been ongoing since April. Others say since Burnley or last weekend. Based on the volume of reports I believe it’s true. Given only a handful of people would be privy to such info then where is the leak? Jim White has been too quiet for me to blame Mosh. I don’t see Ryznatsaev having great media contacts. Brands seems to keep a private council. Which leaves us with DBB and her master Kenwright. That is the issue to me. That BK and or his lackey are stirring the pot, spreading innuendo.

You can certainly share your belief that Kenwright is trying to pull in Moyes and "leaking" to the papers to help that process, but is there any factual basis for it? If not, you're creating a rumour.

Emery inherited a mushy-soft defense and made it worse... they gave up 31 shots to Watford. 31. That's extraordinary. And like Silva he has failed to establish a leadership structure on the pitch. He actually gave the armband to Xhaka, which is ridiculous.

I think he's been brilliant in the past, but he's probably not what we need right now.

We are relegation material

"There's no transparency, we don't know what's going on, the Club never says anything to its supporters!!!"

*Club makes a very public statement spread across all the socials, with insight to what the Board has decided (temporarily or not)*

"What a garbage statement! He's just the latest 'yes-man' to capitulate!! The Board is still clueless!!"

I think most of you would rather he have said, "Well, we're in the process of polling our fans to determine what we're going to do."

Honestly it's hilarious, you can't write this stuff. Though I would agree that these public votes of confidence are typically the precursor to drastic change. It's very much that way with US sports, 9 times out of 10 (if in fact this was a 'vote of confidence').

Well, Marcel, everything's okay then – you see fire in their eyes.

Well my eyes witnessed abject misery, and half-arsed effort against BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE Norwich.

"Of course I sleep," said Silva. "When you give your maximum every day, why would you not sleep?"

I dunno, but if I was failing in my job and was on the verge of the sack, I would be losing sleep, regardless of how hard I thought I was trying. If you're not losing sleep, you just don't care enough.

If he did, other clubs would therefore have actual evidence to deride us, other players of consequence will therefore have actual evidence to avoid us, and potential fans will have actual evidence to find something else to support to entertain them instead, such as the Mongolian Log Rolling League perhaps.

Silva was all Moshiri, was pursued as far back as March 2018, hired in May 2018. Brands was hired in June 2018 (almost exactly 30 days later). I'm not certain but I thought I remembered it being reported that Brands had 1 meeting with Silva before being hired.

On Monday, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he would be "massively surprised" if Everton were not in the relegation zone after a run of six games that ends with a home game against Burnley on Boxing Day.

Yes, things are dire right now, but if that twat's comments don't motivate the team going into the next few fixtures I don't know what would.

"3) "And, by the way, folks, despite what that clown is doing, I have got his golden boy to sign a new contract with the great squad I have assembled that he can't manage."
--Very funny and like all good jokes it has more than a nugget of truth about it.

Reading between the lines and the lines also, Silva is DUST folks if he wasnt already !! I don't even think he will get the "vote of confidence" dreaded or otherwise

Who would you have Everton act on and bring in?

This lot need to be seeing "stars in their eyes" alright, from being slapped repeatedly until they see straight and pass straight!
You gotta laugh at this, or you'd go barmy!

Reading between the lines.

This Richarlison announcement has taken the place of the customary stadium announcement after another dire performance, he's probably our best player and hasn't turned up for most of the season, doesn't say a lot for the rest of them.

The interesting thing here is that he hasn't backed Silva at all, "Marco is working very hard" is not the same as we "We believe he can bring us through our current precarious position, we've got the right man, have faith". It sounds like Brands has walked away from him.

"Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan!"

Just like the team Brands has disappeard for most of the seaon and now that he has turned up he's put in a poor performance. All PR, when I really wanted the football man telling me what's gone wrong

I had a dream I won the lottery last night, it was nice while it lasted.

I don't really know, there are names out there... but, if I were a top Manager/Head Coach, I would be very wary about going to a club in EFC's position... for any Company/Club to function properly & successfully, it has to right from top to bottom...that has not happened in the last 30 years yes, I'm sorry to say, 30 years of mis-management...!...and as for players having "fire in their eyes" one name comes to mind...Pat van den Hauwe…!

Actions, deeds - not words.

'Various team building exercises' Its a wonder they didn't revisit the site of the infamous chinese restaurant team building fight.

Does anyone honestly believe something of real substance, with a well reasoned plan is being DONE presently? There is not one shred of evidence that is the case. We are dysfunctional from top to bottom and the board has ended up with the manager and team it deserves for the utter contempt it has treated the fans and the clubs heritage. They should hang their heads in shame, including Marcel Brands for his failure to secure key positional players and for agreeing to be the board member coming out with this contrived claptrap that most seasoned supporters are sick and tired of hearing because Kenwright's. Barrett- Baxendale's and the manager's credibility to make such cretinous statements is all used up.

I seem to remember Jamie Carragher shaking his head when we brought out a DVD of our 3 - 0 derby win, he was right.

It was an embarrassment and you can see why these small club or world cup final sentiments exist over there.

Well said, couldn't agree more..!

I think I'd have to agree with you on Emery but I brought it up because, like, Mike, I'd have been very happy to have appointed him instead of Silva. At the time he seemed like the very best we could aim for.

The best name we could attract now would have to be Benitez and I've done a complete U-turn on the idea of appointing him which is a very sad indictment of how the clubs drifting. If we take away the RS connection and what he said, he's definitely the best guy for the job. The Chinese league also ends in a few weeks. I wonder if this could also be the reason why Silva's not yet been sacked?! I for one hope so.

It's TV that pays most of the clubs income now, us the fans leaving a game early in disgust no longer frightens them as in the time of Sir John.

Our opinions in the grand scheme of things just don't carry that much weight.

And with his Dalian club mired in the bottom half and his family still back in England, you can bet Rafa's Chinese adventure ends tomorrow as well.

He's been living like a maharajah and being paid like one as well, and the club ownership has likely already typed up his settlement check and his air ticket and ordered up his limo to the airport.

So can you assign blame/criticize (or defend/praise) when you don't know? Usually "not a shred of evidence" would mean not guilty until proven otherwise, so why does the management of a football team equal the opposite? It's very entitled to think they own anyone full transparency when in truth they don't owe you anything whatsoever.

Rafa tops the list at the moment.

Unfortunately, we've now found Silva out too. Boring as it is, I think Dyche is the man to help us regroup, improve the fitness, discipline and motivation in a patchy squad. He's good at that, and the supporters would respond well to a team that visibly tries hard.

I can see Holgate, Keane, Kenny, Davies, Calvert-Lewin all responding very well to the appointment. Maybe less so the South-Americans. With almost anyone else, there's a genuine risk of relegation. We can have another go with a trendy foreign mangager in 3 years from now.

My evidence in the absence of anything emanating from the club is the evidence we see (or as is sadly the case, do not see), every week on the pitch then the media drivel Brands comes out with here. It simply is not credible.

At the risk of sounding deliriously positive...we are 3pts off 9th and 4pts off 5th.

The football has been awful and the manager is a clown...but I don’t think we need to make a rash decision before the right person becomes available. I certainly don’t think Brands is the one who should be held to account for the current situation.

Silva, clearly.

The man who persists with zonal marking despite looking like the most fragile team ever to defend a set-piece.

The man who has absolutely no ability to change a game through tactical alternation.

The players also deserve blame of course. However sacking them all is probably not an option.

Silva may stay, Kenwright will stay, many fans will stay – but I will go. I've had enough of the bullshit. Had enough of the 'Stevie Wonders' of ToffeeWeb. Makes me sick.

ps: MK 56 - That's right, mate, tell it as you see it – don't accept the crap these people spout.

Even though Liverpool beat us hands down on quantity of trophies won, we win hands down on the quality we had at our best compared with the quality they've had at their best. In this respect, the character of our expectations is different from the character of theirs.

Another example is sportsmanship. We want to win, to be top dogs, but we want to do it not at all costs, but sportingly, whereas they're happy to win at all costs and to accept cheating to do so. Of course, it would be nice just to win, but ultimately there are these other conditions as well.

Although technically the Club owes us nothing, in practice, it owes us a winning mentality that embraces quality and sportsmanship. If this weren't the case, it wouldn't be Everton, it would just be a generic Club with no soul.

We talk about management 'getting Everton'. Well, the above is Everton. That's all they need to get. We want and need to win, but we demand it to be done under certain conditions.

There are very, very few examples of this in the U.S., especially in the professional sports. College football (American football) is a different story. That's the closest comparison I can make. With the pro teams, they move to new cities with a frequency that would shock you! I imagine if a football club even thought about moving in England it would be akin to a tidal wave of controversy.

(that said, due to where I am, I don't believe they owe the fans anything but I can see why you guys do)

It’s not the same. We feel entitled because we feel like the club belongs to us, no matter who owns the shares.

Following sports in North America is a full time job. I used to obviously keep in touch with all things Everton. Then the Wpg Jets, The Blue Jays, The Ravens and on occasion The Raptors. Come to think of it... l wonder if that’s why the misses left me...

Although technically we are owed nothing, the crowd of course can influence a game, which is why managers mention the crowd as the 12th man and often ask for that in crucial games. In return, in practice they owe us certain things.

As you indicate, a club like Everton moving to another city is inconceivable, unlike (say) what's happened in the USA with some American football teams, like the Houston Oilers, I believe.

I also mostly gave up on the full time job (spot on) of following American sports, except my beloved Yankees, and everything else very casually. Then again, in addition to living & breathing Everton football, I watch quite a bit of Bundesliga & La Liga, so apparently I just changed jobs lol.

Stan @121, I completely get it. It's weird to me/us, but it makes perfect sense to hear how you guys view it, especially those of you who've been invested for decades. For whatever reason, basketball teams move the least, then hockey, but it's borderline common in baseball & football. Plus there's always expansion where teams are added to the league without "earning" their spot via promotion.

We are simply not going to beat them by trying to maintain and hold them. We need to attack.
Now... I’m not talking throwing 5 attackers on the pitch in hope like he did against Sheffield Utd. What I mean is deploying some pace and power and youth in the line-up.

A few have mentioned Holgate in the holding role... I’ve advocated this for a while however... Keane against Vardy. not convinced.

I’d still look at a front three of Bernard Kean and Richarlison with a midfield of Davies, Sigurdsson and Adeniran holding.

Sidibe, Holgate, Mina and Digne as a back 4

I’d be tempted with Lossl but feel I’m wasting my breath.

On another note if ANYONE does know of a spare for the derby then please let me buy it!

David surely you know someone who doesn’t wanna go!

Good grief.

My only thought is that if he was indeed the best guy for the job, I certainly wouldn't disqualify him for having managed the RS or having pettishly called us a "small club" 12 years ago. But then again, I'm not a Merseysider and wasn't steeped in the rivalry.

I doubt that any of the players showed fire in their eyes, they just wanted to get home, after being exposed for the soft preparation and loafing about they had done in preparation for this game.

Brands seems to have been more involved in preparation than we thought. He states after a game he likes to sample the attitude in the dressing room to gauge reaction, as if the poor sensitive players may need a lift. Prior to the International Break, they all knew they were going on holiday, so that really was an accurate way to assess them. Most of them where darn right useless in the Norwich game and should know and be told that their performance is not good enough,

Brands's solution is to have team-building initiatives to lift them out of the disappointing/it appears not deserved, result against Norwich, another input which would really help out at Finch Farm. They must be laughing down their sleeve at Finch Farm.

I remember my son's first game. The team he played for were getting beat at half-time. They sat in the dugout which was lower than the pitch, with the Manager on the pitch giving them all the biggest bullocking you could image, with plenty of swear words. My son was the youngest and in the front row. They came out in the second half and won the game, my son played like a terrier.

What is Brands at with this pussyfooting about? No way have they anyone approached or lined up to replace Silva.

I expect that Everton will have done some preparation for the Sunday game and will play better, having been on holiday during the preparation for the Norwich game.

Everton are just a bunch of Luvies, according to Brands.

I will be in Toronto for the game. No doubt l will be in a bar surrounded by gobshites. They don't seem to have the same camaraderie... though it wouldn't stop me running up and down if we score.

Mark, l heard the Raiders were moving. They look a scary bunch dressed in black. At least you've tasted a bit of success with the Yankees.

Pekka, nobody knows if and when he will go but a good 90% of us think he should be gone and want him to go regardless of forthcoming results. He's being paid millions.

I had friends working in sports science as coaches in cycling and football with Seville. I was being coerced into following them or Barca or Real but could never commit. Even though l purchased 5 Everton shirts, they all ended up supporting Liverpool because of the Fat Spanish Waiter, Alonso, Reina etc.

I thought the DOF decided a style of play, bought the players and hired a coach to make them play this style of play. Brands style of play appears to leave a lot to be desired as does his choice of players and coach. Just saying...

Finally, a North West football journo I met on Wednesday said there’s a rumoured extra marital between DBB and Unsworth...

I wouldn't touch rs rafa with the shitty end of a clean stick.

Warning; may contain unsubstantiated opinion and mixed metaphors.
Pochettino has started a slow motion game of managerial musical chairs. When everybody has been picked and the music stops, like a playground game of footy, we'll be left with the fat kid with the glasses...or Silva...or Moyes - some choice. But, a god of your choice willing, it won't be that rs twat rafa.

Karl, you make a good point about Brands preference being governed by the style of football he likes to play. Then again, wasn't Brands DOF at AZ Alkmaar when Louis Van Gaal was there?? In which case Gaal and Silva and polar opposites in their style of play so we might go for the best manager over a similar albeit better coach than Silva.

Derek #132 I hear what you're saying about Benitez. I think he's still going to be a bitter pill to swallow even for supporters who concede he's the best manager available.

We're going down if we keep this up. I don't subscribe to the theory we are too good. We have a pretty middleing to average lot of players. In the main, second stringers but, in combination with Silva, we are trouble.

Why push this narrative? Brands doesn't decide on a "style of play" beyond looking for a certain type of player. Is he finished doing that? No. Are most of the players he's gone after of a similar style? Not sure how you could say they aren't. Brands didn't "choose" the manager. Moshiri did. He may have missed some elements thus far, but it's only been 2 summer windows. He's planning for 4 years; Silva won't be here for the next 2. If he does get to choose the next manager, and there still isn't alignment with the players? Then he will have failed.

Maybe you prefer Keane, Coleman, Schneiderlin, Sigurddson, Tosun and the pre-Brands players?

Everton just made Norwich look better than they where, with a performance that would have made a Conference team confident playing against them.

Steve Ferns what ever your smoking its clouding your judgment...

Silva is out on his arse sooner or later because the fans excpet you have turned on him.. the only reason I can see hes still here is after the next two games the Billy big lies board will think the fans having the ginger one back might not be that bad after all..

We might once again escape relegation but at this rate and with the luck forever going against us we might not.

Im looking forward to getting a copy of Howards way soon and will be happy knowing I was there

'Silva not losing sleep over future'

"Of course I sleep," said Silva. "When you give your maximum every day, why would you not sleep?"

If indeed he did say this, things are even worse than I thought. The man is delusional.

The Club annually and weekly are pleased to take money for Season Tickets, Match Tickets and to a lesser degree merchandise. As with any business that anyone patronises on a regular basis, the customer IS ENTITLED to see value for money, otherwise they would vote with their feet.

Apart from the obvious differences between a Football Club and a business, say a Supermarket, instead of food the supporters who have made the effort, in may cases travelling 4/5/6 hours to get to the match, are entitled to get something in return.

That something is in the form of seeing their beloved team, not only perform to the best of their abilities, but to entertain and hopefully win as well.

That sadly has been missing recently, apart from the odd game, which unfortunately are too few and far between. I can't help thinking, it's probably the cynic in me, that the more these already highly paid players get, the quality of football and commitment decreases.

Mind you having a Manager with a recognised game plan, knowing his best formation, motivating the players into believing they can match anyone on the day, would help immensely.

However, and I believe this is the core point. The relationship between Everton and me is like a friendship. I didn't choose it, nor did they, but it happened, as friendships do. With any friendship, you can stick with it or walk away. There's no formal contract.

But there is an 'emotional contract' for want of a better term. In reality, there are friendships that you stick with for life, without necessarily choosing to do so rationally, but because it just happens naturally. The commitment is just there, and is purely emotional.

Everton FC is a business, but not a purely cold capitalist enterprise. It is like enlightened capitalism in which money is not the sole criterion for success. There are other criteria, the main one being the search for glory. If we don't search for glory, there's no point in it all.

Glory equates to having the hairs stand up on the back of your neck when Goodison is in full voice, and ultimate glory is this plus winning trophies. In Everton's case, we need to win trophies, and we need to do it in style. By 'we', I mean Everton FC and its supporters.

It's a business, but it's also more than a business. If it weren't we wouldn't be having this discussion, and ToffeeWeb probably wouldn't exist.

Meanwhile, while 'Spurs and Arsenal take decisive action we soldier on with a manager who is plainly out of his depth.

The squad have shown little sign they can 'improve the situation' and the inevitable consequence of 'sticking together' will be relegation.

Derek @141 like I said before, I get why some feel that way, but just because you invest time/money means diddly squat, to use a technical term. You can buy a new BMW every 4 years for life and they wouldn't owe (or give) you a single thing other than perhaps a really nice Xmas card.

Stan @143 again, extremely well-stated. You have a great way of looking at the Club/supporter relationship.

I think good managers are the top of the football rareity pile,in front of even good strikers at the moment.

I hope though, that if we do manage to snare one mind, I hope that Moshiri and Brands keep that fuckin Jonah Kenwright locked up in a diving Bell a million miles away from him.

37,000 loyal Evertonians show up every week. 4 years of diabolicle decisions on the managers, purchases of players. Mr Moshiri has to take some blame but he's been badly advised.

So Bill Kenwright has to let go, no more trying to advise Moshiri on football matters. Brands out too. I don't like to say it but beg Big Sam to come and sort it all out again please. 6 games from now, we will be on our knees begging.

For God's sake, give Sam 3 years... 4 even, and £250 million. Get into the new stadium, turn Goodison into a fortress again.

I'd rather watch Sam's football than the shit we produced against Norwich and many others. Clean sheets, etc. Not saying it's my first choice but who is going to want to come in here after 3 January?

Rafa has won Premier League, Champions League, oh and the Championship. We got more chance of having won the Championship in 2020-21 than the other two at this rate.

Rafa, Sam???

We gotta chance right now to avoid it. Get Big Sam in here right now, for Christ's sake. Give him the weeks he needs to sort out the squad to play the way needed to stay up. Who else are they going to get in who can keep us up?

Please don't gamble, Mr Moshiri or Marcel Brands. I am not saying Bill Kenwright. He's been amazing over decades, but time to step out of football decisions unless he gets Big Sam in.

Brands, Moshiri, Silva and the whole fucking bunch of overhyped mercenaries we call the team should be forced to watch it and understand what it means to be an Evertonian.

Listen to the likes of Royle, Harvey, Big Nev, Reidy, Andy Gray, Trevor Steven, Sharpy etc talk with real fire in their bellies about what it meant to play at Goodison Park and make them feel embarrassed by the gutless performances this shower force us to endure week in, week out.

I don't know whether to cry or puke!

Wherever we arrive next season, I would imagine it will be a young British manager guiding us and hopefully with Tim Cahill on his staff. An Aussie with true grit. We need to get back to basics and find our identity again.

His match Anfield will be his last I think.

If Moshiri and Brands have any sense they will let Kenwright go plus a new Head Coach.

Has to be someone with real confidence and combative mentality.

Powder puff players the lot of them.

The lad was scoring in Italy for both Club and Country, and generally hailed by many to be not only a star of the present, but one who would improve in the future. Our genius of an incumbent, who I doubt could spot anything in reality deemed not to even have him on the bench for many matches.

As far as CB is concerned Chelsea because of their Transfer Ban would not allow Zouma to come back to us because of his experience, and they could not recruit till next Summer.

However they DID AGREE to let Fikayo Tomori come instead for a 12 month loan, it was nearly signed sealed and delivered but David Luis rocked the boat and defected to Arsenal a day or so before the window closed.

This threw that plan out of the window and was cancelled, having little time left to organise a replacement Marcos Romo of United was willing to join us, but United could not agree terms and that deal too was scuppered with a matter of an hour or so left in that window.

So what was Brands supposed to do? And how can he be culpable or blamed unfairly for a series of of unforeseeable events?

The physicians would wear those ' beaks ' which were filled with sage, and other herbs, believed to combat the foul air which was believed to carry the virus.

Imagine waking up after being the victim of the aforementioned disease, and being lucky or healthy enough to have combatted it, and seeing such a sight, it would at best induce a heart attack, and your recovery would have been thwarted.

Have to go, trying to find my pitchfork and associated public disorder kit. 😂😈☠

I watched it on Saturday night and then went the game yesterday and realised there isn’t one person at the club now whose got 1% of the passion of Ratcliffe, Southall etc.

I would love to have a Reid in the changing room nowadays the current squad full of over hyped and overpaid foreigners and completely out of their depth youngsters wouldn’t know what’s hit them.

The only and major problem there being that the Manager is an over-hyped and overpaid foreigner too. :-)

They would have to have counselling after a Reidy team talk, and besides they probably all have a clause in their vastly remunerative contracts that they can't be shouted at, or told what to do with a raised voice. Probably with a Decibel limitation in which they all have meters to record such outbursts, and report the bellicose offender.