Ancelotti hails great spirit but notes room for improvement

A Big Club should be recruiting a Big Manager with the record to prove it. Man United and Arsenal are falling into the same trap. Why ? Because Big Clubs end up eventually with duff internal Management, who think they know, when they actually know nothing.

Ancelotti has seen this many times and in the main has survived. In Everton he identified a Big Club who are about to turn the corner in this regard. He would not have joined Man United, Arsenal or Tottenham who haven't and will not for years.

At last after 20 years Everton have turned the corner and are back to reality of what it takes to win.

In early Dec I thought I would never live long enough to see that day.

We certainly do have reasons to be cheerful:
1. Silva & his rigid style have gone.
2. Duncan gave us back some real belief and now
3. This guy. This guy plus Dunc. Haven't looked forward to getting up early to watch the game like I did this morning since waiting for the bloke in red to arrive back home in Whiston.

Instead Carlo gives a cool analysis of it. When you've won 3 Champions Leagues, you don't get excited nor complacent about a win at Newcastle.

The next few games might be tough yet by late February I think we will be enjoying ourselves.

Interesting stat I heard today, no Everton coach in Premier League history for us has won their first two matches other than Joe Royle, David Moyes and now Carlo Ancelotti. The first being our last trophy winner and the second being the closest to it in nearly 20 years.

He's setting a standard that he wants the players to aspire to.

Confidence will be sky high and everyone will be on time at FF on Monday. I'll bet he could even make the trains run on time.

I've lost count of the number of formation changes in 190 minutes, but they thrill me - Mike Gaynes is good on these counts, and follow-up analysis. And in each instance the eleven on the field after an education in substitutions have responded beautifully. To think, only a dozen days ago, someone on here called for gingerbread for two years with the pigeon fancier as his shadow. Seems like night and day.

This current squad is very good and collectively astute. It was not coached with its potential in mind until a week ago. Yes, we need incoming and Brands and Ancelotti will sort that out. Imagine, an EFC gaffer who turns quality players heads. Just watching him on the touchline gives me goosebumps. That perfectly tailored shift from the immaculate conception white shirt to the silky blue/white classy stripes tie lying meaningfully below the winterish smooth waisty enveloped by a jacket that never moves too far to the right or left. Classically arranged, like his selections, formations, and substitutions, Look what he has done for our Icelander and him in return in erm three days. Welcome back Guilfi. The corners were spot on today. Look at Tom Davies. How proud must his uncle be.

The bard of Boundary Road - Darren Hind - has been calling it so for over a year about Dominic - any second thoughts Jim Benning. Calvin was a joy today. And who could ever put Leighton Baines in the past tense. These players play for each other, their gaffer, and us. I always disliked the they-could-not-give-a-shit stuff. The embodiment of this is Richarlison. Our jewel in the crown, for whom tracking back is part of what he is, pace is at least the third round of the Olympics, footy instinct is innate, goal-sniffing is Sheeds twice-taken free kick, heading ability is, well, Dave Thomas good, and he listens when wiser heads advise don't be a fanny on the ground. I shudder to think what Richarlison will become after twelve months under Ancelotti's wing.

I've seen it all since 1969 and this is nowhere near the best of times but it's an optimistic time. How did we get this great manager - I applauded when we got Cypriot-in-all-but-name Michael Walker, he had done so well at Norwich, right

It''s astonishing to me that a manager who only knew these players and staff by video and word-of-mouth has gelled so well within a week.

Grazie signor Ancelotti, per averci fornito le tue conoscenze di alto livello. Grazie per aver creduto in noi. Grazie per la tua prima settimana Grazie per l'impegno che hai dimostrato in wow una settimana. Non vedo l'ora di vederti a Bramley Moore con I trofei. Ciao

Just contrast this with the Newcastle away game last season where the team and Silva melted.

Brilliant start from a very pragmatic and thoughtful manager.

I also foolishly said at the beginning of the season, that, with the favourable fixture list we had on paper, providing we didn't "do an Everton", we could be in a strong position come the end of August.

Well, we done an Everton. But credit where due; the club (eventually) acted decisively and finally appointed someone with true pedigree rather than the experimental appointments we have endured previously.

We now sit 5 points of 6th, 6 points off 5th & dare I say it, 7 off 4th. European places are within 2 games reach. Going back to my pre-season observations. Tottenham will likely be mentally scarred from being nearly men for so long and missing out on the Champions league. Chelsea are experimenting with Lampard (with 4 losses in 6 he is only getting away with scrutiny because he's Franky Lampard). United, although starting to grind out some results, are still inconsistent & living with making a hasty, emotionally influenced decision on Solskjaer. Arsenal well, they're just Arsenal & all over the place. All of that still stands but to date, only Leicester have capitalised.

To reiterate, don't listen to my predictions, however my point stands with it all being there for the taking. Now, just maybe, we have the manager to install the mentality into the club that we can be one of those to take the opportunity.

Beautiful.

Can't get carried away, but at the same time

Carlo Ancelotti is our manager. Brings a smile everytime I say it.

Spot on. I'm still in awe of our club finally showing some ambition (not since Walter Smith have I been so excited about a managerial appointment, despite the 3.5 years of disappointment that followed)

Easy to get carried away but feel the club is in great hands and CA is saying all the right things while acknowledging this is going to be a long term project. But who knows, win next Sunday and he might just become a legend before hes even begun.

I, like many others, have questioned the team selection, tactics and game management of previous managers; in Carlo, with limited choices, he's excelled so far, plus his comments after games have taken young Dom to new levels.

I really liked the way young Moise Keane patted him on the back after being subbed, a far cry from previously and one that bodes well for the future.

Imagine what he must say to the players, and how that can help them. For about 5 years our players have been running on auto-pilot. Getting by through their ability alone, without guidance.

This has lead to a seeming lack of plan, and thus ideas, and thus confidence.

Davies, after bursting into the scene, has looked lost, not knowing how to play. I can Ancelotti guiding him and leading to great improvement.

Sigurdsson has essentially been limited to his shooting ability, and never fitting into the team if Ancelotti guides him into a deep lying midfielder using his passing range, that alone could transform the team.

And so many others. Some players are lost causes, but I think this second half of the season couple be a treat.

And I believe my pre-season prediction of DCL making the Euro squad could well come good.

Interesting stat from yesterday was who covered the most ground over the 90; Sigurdsson. Not something he is renowned for & something he has often been slated for not doing.

I have to call out Newcastle as I was talking to a Geordie friend throughout. What a god awful & ugly approach to football. I was particularly pleased with the initial build up to our 2and goal. We let them run around like headless chickens thinking they were Liverpool under Klopp as we stroked it around, tiring them out. Trying hard may please the natives, but will only get you so far.

I think the reason Davies gets leggy is two fold.

He doesn't get runs of games so recently when he came back he'd not played a full match for months.

Secondly, he's running around and "the legs" for immobile players like Gylfi so is bound to get knackered as he's over compensating for certain team mates.

A run of matches and playing in a settled team would do him good.

The only one as I saw it that didn't compare to the others was Theo Walcott.

Maybe for Tom, Gilfi & all the players its clean slate time & an opportunity to listen & learn from someone who has coached the best.

He's not that good.

Sidibe, however, looks like he has no fear going forward, his passing and crossing are very good, and the manager will hopefully develop his defensive game if he stays with us. It would be unfair to write off Theo, who has put a decent shift in when selected, but, to me, having the option of Sidibe bolsters our options in defence, and in tight games where we need to make the most of what crossing opportunities we have.

Having just watched Arsenal, I am pleased that we did not get Arteta. A great player but still an unproven manager.

Danny #19, re "not something he's renowned for"... you are incorrect, sir. In fact, Sigurdsson led the entire Premier League in ground covered his last season at Swansea, was 3rd in the Premier League during his first season with us, and was 9th last season. I've certainly never seen him slated for lack of work rate -- he's the club leader in almost every game.

https://www.90min.com/posts/6299626-the-10-players-who-have-covered-the-most-distance-during-the-2018-19-premier-league-season

We're on the up, even if it is only 2 games.

Many younger coaches deal in perfectionism, Silva was right up there, the lack of realism was pap

Players need simple messages. One or two ideas that they master, then you layer on top as you go.

The best manager I ever had gave us as a team three things to combat the opposition. Then he'd go round us all in the warm up and individually tell us what he wanted.

At half time that message was reinforced or if we'd cottoned on he'd give us another objective to build on.

Patterns of play, technical issues or set pieces were never discussed. It was always in game adjustments.

Ferguson looked to have conquered this immediately, Ancelotti has built on it, we will know more after this week ahead. I reckon we might nick one of these massive games.

As for Siggy, I always respect a player with the heart of a lion and the lungs of a blue whale, and to me his relentless effort is inspiring. But at age 30, after 400 games of always being the hardest-working player on the pitch, he's lost a step or two that he couldn't afford to lose, and I believe he needs to lay claim to that DM position in order to continue his career at Goodison. With Gana's replacement injured, the job is open.

The whole fixation with this 'no10' figure has bugged me ever since Koeman highlighted it as an essential element. But this position has essentially been made redundant in the modern game.

With such levels of pressing, and the fact that teams attack in numbers, means having one player 'floating' in the middle is just not possible yet we have persisted with it because we spend 45 million on one. This has limited Siggy to long range shots, the occasional pass. And as a result, most comments regarding him this season were 'siggy gone AWOL again' just zero impact.

If we can have him playing deeper, then his technique and passing range can benefit greatly our attack, and his work rate (which has never falted) used to help the team when out of possession.

Look forward to Gomes' return too, and hopefully GBamin can return and set a high level. That could actually give us real competition for places and will be interesting to see how Ancelotti takes that one thing is for sure, the current trio have a chance to really cement their places, and this is probably Davies' best chance to cement his future as an Everton player.

Going back to Sheedy, and I remember he played in the middle because of injuries, and what a complete masterclass he gave. I remember being on a coaching course with a Leicester player who played against Everton during this period, and when I was raving about Reid, he told me it wasn't that hard playing against him, but he never got a kick against Sheeds!

1. We move the ball forward very quickly now, and it's wonderful to watch

2. I truly believe Moise Kean is going to turn into Carlo's pet project, and whereas he was invisible under Silva, we're going to see a lot more of Kean.

It's not about how many miles you run, it's what you do with that round thing that matters. And what you do in front of the kop after you smash in a free kick.

When you do that you get more goals, more free-kicks within striking range, you occupy more of the opposition's defence and midfield, and by inference the speed and effectiveness of their attacks.

What's not to like?

Whether he plays deep, as yesterday given our injuries, or further forward I expect him to now play like the player he can be, given the tools.

Maybe the older players legs lose a yard but their brain should be able to take in new information to utilise their football skills..

I hope big Dunc is learning from the master and that will be good for the future of our club...

Andy #37 and Tony #40, even playing in an attacking position Gylfi has always been up with the club leaders in tackles and recoveries. He ain't Gana, but he's a ballwinner, as he showed by triggering the winner against Burnley. And positionally he's a far, far better defensive player than Gomes will ever dream of being. Gylfi wins twice the balls with half the fouls.

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks, and a footballer is a footballer. Given the chance, I think he'll prove out. And it looks like Ancelotti will have to give him the chance.

Baines was excellent yesterday, as was Holgate once again. DCL put in a great effort and performance, as did Richarlison. Good team performance.

It was good to see Moise Kean get a start. I thought he did quite well, although occasionally, he looked a little lost after an Everton attack had broken down well up the pitch. More game time please for him - he looks like he has it in him to do very well.

Still in shock we got him at Everton!