Sigurdsson: Cup derby result was disappointing

What about the chances in the second half? Oh yeh, we did not create any.

He should be apologizing, not deflecting blame.

I'd be quite happy to have him relegated to the reserves (yet that may still be above his level).

People will say 'cant drop him, he's on 120 k a week, we're stuck with him'.

Ballocks to that.

Drop him, and Schneiderlin and the rest. Make them train with the reserves, and put them up for sale. No loans. No subsidized wages.

If they want to save their careers and actually play football, they can take the fecking pay cut.

You'll still get paid for serving up that shite, though, won't you — regardless of how you "play"?

I'm so glad I don't work on Merseyside anymore, I feel sorry for those who do! Also made worse by the Cheshire Cat impersonation throughout by Klipperty!

It doesn't work like that anymore, mate. The majority of them could not care less if they play or don't play as long as the money keeps going into the bank.

Gareth Bale threatens to stay and play golf

Or maybe not, he probably doesn't give a shit.

There seems to be a lack of accountability and responsibility by players for the games. ‘Oh dear we lost’ isn’t really where it’s at. Hope he’s gone in January!

He didnt even try yesterday and has been an embarrassment all season. I would gladly buy him a bike and watch as he peddles off into the Mersey.

Our squad have no shame and this bloke doesn't ever deserve to wear the royal blue again.

Selling bags of Frozen sausage at Iceland.

"Hey Gylfi where's the 2 for 1 aisle?????"

It’s our own fault really.

We have signed players from too many clubs that have been either fighting down at the bottom of the league, Keane, Pickford, Sigurdsson.

Then we have brought in castoffs that weren’t even deemed good enough for a falling Arsenal team, Walcott and Iwobi.

Players like Mina, Digne and Gomes from Barcelona because they couldn’t hack the pressure of being at a winning club and mentally they are all very flaky when the big games rock up.

We sign absolute dross that other clubs seen right through like Schneiderlin (United must have been pissing themselves laughing getting £24 million for simon sideways).

Delph who is like a tampon, in one week then out for three weeks.

Richarlison who is the most un-Brazilian Brazilian that I’ve ever seen with the ball at his feet in terms of skills or close control.

Coleman breaks his leg so what do we do in summer of 2017, we reward him with a new 5 year contract because he’s “one of us”.

Then delve into the squad and frankly most of them would struggle to get a game at Ipswich.

You reep what you sow and I’ve seen more will to win down the local bingo than I do in our players.

Not one of them has a war face when the going gets tough, not one has a sprinkle of star dust to win a match like yesterday.

Club is rotten to the core.

If he had said it was humiliating, embarrassing, cowardly etc... I could give his weasly excuses a pass but not this. Go fuck yourselves Gylfi and co. Bunch of shithouses!!!

Dont get me wrong £130k is a shit load of loot for a week.

But he is just a bloke who.plays football.

Hes had a price tag to live with,our fault for coffing up.

We aint going to sort out this lack of effort petformance thing until their weekly salaries, reflect the results collectively,also an assessment panel at each game.
We have promotion,relegation.This is catastrophic for the clubs going down.
Utopia, land of gold on promotion.

The bunch of players relagated walk away, scot free.

So we gotta look at wages,bonus and penalties financially to players.

Until clubs insist on something its goung to remain appalling what players get away with,managers to.

So I don't blame it totally on Gylfi,but his head is shot through at our place.Ship him out.
Many more need to move on,cant repair their heads,Koeman,Allydyce,Unsworth, Silva,Duncan, Ancelotti.

God they must all be scared.

Roll on 43 points,safety and then May.

Last time I looked it was the piss awful 2nd half performance that cost us.

Second point. Sig reminds me of lot of Gheorghe Hagi. He was an absolute legend in Romania. They built the whole team around him and he was feted as a hero. At club level he was utterly usesless because he couldn't be arsed. He occasionally scored a "worldy" in spells at Barca, Madrid and elsewhere but overall his club stats were dire until he found himself as a big fish in a small pond at Galatassary where again he had a team based around him, played poor quality opponents and had his ego waxed by the fans. In a nutshell, two egotistical, lazy, Harlem globetrotter like wastes of space.

Spineless, Worthless, they must be the biggest waste of money in the history of sport, I wonder would peltin these pricks or the bus out of it with rotten fruit get the messsage out to these thievin mercenaries bstrds ? living in their cocoons waltzin in and out of GP with their headphones on and stealing a living

We have to get back to this and that yada yada, Heard it all before fkc off out of our club you feckin dirtbirds

You are not worthy of our support

Scuse my french

Thats how you feel when you get to Tesco and they have sold out of something you needed. Try absolutely devastatingly humiliated, and as such I am donating this weeks wage to help the homeless in Liverpool.

Just really highlights the difference between what players think of a defeat and what Fans think. To us the club really means something to them its just somewhere they are working at present.

So why did we sit back? Carlo's instructions? - I doubt it. Dunc told them to? - yeah right. Because we have a team based around lazy, arrogant, overpaid wasters? Nuff said.

hang your head in shame you useless twat. the minimum requirement is at least some effort, passion and guts. I think I've given up expecting skill.

Makes me wonder after so many managers that the real problem wasn't them but these overpaid wasters

Book a 16 seater, and take another approx. 15 with him, including, but not limited to:
Sigurdsson, Schneiderlin, Niasse, Martino, Sandro, Coleman, Walcott, Delph, Iwobi, Sidibe, Digne
I would also put Pickford, but that started a Trump like reaction last time I put it. Feel free to add/delete/amend where you see fit.

Whatever happens when players join Everton these days most seem to leave their form behind.

Gilfy was never at the game yesterday and like all his colleagues, albeit Mina, looked liked he cared, the rest didn’t give a crap.

Attitude, care, planning, fight, on pitch management, finishing, heart, desire, determination, decision making, team work, marking, was absolute blight yesterday.

It’s unforgivable, the damage they’ve done to EFC, the supporters and the Everton brand.

This really does reset the standards for the club, and if there’s any positive it should accelerate the plans to off load even at loss the 2nd rate playing staff employed on millionaire wages at EFC. And change.

The buying stratedgy, no more has beens, and lazy arses, who don’t give a damm about the club, and professionally about themselves.

It’s gonna be some task to offload” the untouchables “. Untouchable, as they are so poor as professional footballers for EFC.

I sense this is the lowest ebb, in decades of low ebbs, and now surely the club, the coach’s, DOF, must start communicating and working together.

Everton, first team, and coaching looks like light years behind the RS.

Let’s hope the AGM, doesn’t uphold any more bad news for EFC.

True cowards, no back bone, no character, no nous. Everton doesn’t need this ilk of footballer, now nor never.

Alan Brown @46, spot on, Carlo has had the better of Klopp not long ago, Allardyce won with Palace at Anfield (when Klopp was manager), it's not the managers. It's the spineless frauds that week in week out week (year after year) wear the blue shirt and bring shame to the club and the supporters. How on earth can Liverpool Academy teenagers run rings around Evertons highly paid? I'm lost!

He had a chance to say how much it has hurt the players but to say dissapointing in losing a derby against kids shows how far removed the players are from the fans.

If he had said that the players weren't really that arsed last night and that we wouldn't have lasted long in the cup anyhow. Would have been closer to the truth.

Can't wait to cheer my heros onto the pitch against Brighton.
Joke the lot of them.

Um... yes, to put it mildly.

I don't even need to read the comments to know this thread will have Black Mamba-levels of venom to it.

The lack of awareness is truly astounding.

The lads just adding fuel to a blaze which is so far out of control and yet he just trots our some reference to others who missed chances. Perhaps he’s indignant that Holgate and Calvert-Lewin couldn’t finish his set up

Can we crowd find his contract to buy the lad out?

I am boiling.

The players can fuck off if they expect a good atmosphere there against Brighton, the fans have been continually taken for mugs by the club, regular 39,000 sell outs every season coming back being sold the same shit year in year out.

I feel sorry for Ancelotti having yesterday’s disgusting blot on his time at Everton and if he never does bring success in his time here that’s the one stat that his time will be remembered for, Everton’s first team losing to Liverpool’s kids.

Fuck the whole club off!

Get out while you can Carlo mate and save some of your reputation.

Instead he gives us platitudes and a mirrored self defence.

PS: pity you didn’t invest that £36 in a night at the Grafton with Mike Gaynes. I’m sure the entertainment factor would have been higher!

Now last night I watched you gang of wet farts crumble against a team of kids, one of the only joys I have at the moment watching Everton or St Helens RL on tv, I was disappointed bloody disappointed in fact I doubt that sport has ever disappointed me more than last night. I hope beyond hope that Ancelotti fines the lot of you a few months wages for the teams abject failure and cowardice in the face of kids.
Me I'll have hardly any money left before long but I'll have to carry on, you and your like that have the brass neck to pull on an Everton shirt and perform like you did last night will spend more than I have after a lifetime of graft on a night out.
Along with me there will be thousands of supporters who wouldn't give a toss if you and the rest from last nights fiasco never play another game for Everton FC.
In my time from 1965 I have seen some magnificent players who pulled their tripes out for Everton (I would just loved to have seen Alan Ball walk into the home dressing room last night and give it to you straight what he thought of everyone of you) great players who took the club to the pinnacle of English football and wore the shirt with PRIDE. You and the rest have sullied the great name of Everton it's former greats and most of all it's supporters and you and the rest should be reminded of that every second of every day. That is disappointment.

Yesterday's central midfield was slow and out of form. Lack of motivation and desire to make up for it. They both will be sold as Carlo cannot rely on his senior players. They embarrassed him and he didn't buy them.

Urgency for quality in midfield was never more apparent than yesterday. Get a move on Carlo.

Sigurdsson - Have a think about the kids who have been ripped to shreds again at school today because you YET AGAIN got scared on the pitch. You pathetic, snivelling form of a human being.

I hate the lot of them, this performance has destroyed every bit of goodwill we had left.

Someone told me today we should keep Sidibe cos at least he can cross a decent ball.
My word, on his money and playing football all week and having been in the French world cup winning squad and I should be happy he can cross a half decent ball? When he's not put under presure, he can. Sometimes.
Fuck, I saw a 12 year old playing for them yesterday swinging in some Trent Alexander Arnold type of brilliant crosses, and no I won't apologise for saying that.
But yes, I should be happy with a Frenchman who seems half asleep most of the time and can't pass a Fucking football.
Get rid.

Like the other one on the other side.
Digne, trying to look hard with all those tattoos yet getting the run around by a Fucking 16 year old who'd also scare the Fucking shit out of him if he bumped into him in the street after dark.
French international v a 16 year old. Pathetic.

The premier league riches have created many vile over privileged young men. I'm not religious but I've go to the point they can all rot in Hell.

A neck like a jockey's bollocks.

Hope he is transfer listed.

He will never be a Everton player, not with hair like that.

Get rid asap and include Iwobi in the deal.

Walcott as well.

I would also add that a poor performance in Sigurdssons role in the Everton side , had a detrimental effect on the performance of other players. His arrogance is breathtaking. This is a players that got a contract at Everton way beyond his actual ablity. He has decided to take the money and does not care about anything else.

Sidebe aleast acknowledged the fans , knowing the team performance was poor and not knowing the reception he would get.

We agree to differ, It isn't the first time, lol. Who's being the pedant now? (joking)

My mate Rob above, Dave Evans and 7,998 others should have been promised recompense and given a public apology today by Marcel Brands, our so-called Director of Football.

Not yet another "Oh well, disappointing but we'll try harder next time" by one of the useless twats that spunked our best ever opportunity of really dicking that shower of bastard sons over the road.

Does the club realise that it took all of 45 minutes yesterday afternoon to totally dissipate the massive feelgood factor of Carlo Ancelotti actually becoming our manager, coupled with Mr Usmanov publicly stating, to all intents and purposes, I'm coming in, the Mersey Blue waters are lovely ?????????

Get out and find yourself a better relationship one that brings you more pleasure...

I binned Everton years ago emotionally I read toffee web daily because I am genuinely intrested in how other humans see the world of football.

All that anger and shame all that miss placed love when your team wins the odd game..Madness

The lad gets asked about the game. When, I don't know. It's not on the club website.
He offers some thoughts, quite possibly while still trying to make sense of it all. Yeah, he could have said we were nowhere good enough. We weren't at the races. We let the fans down. He probably should have said nothing. But he is a footballer, not a trained diplomat.

We signed him a few weeks before his 28th birthday. That we paid Swansea £40million or more for him is not his fault.

Like a lot of the players, he hasn't been playing as well as we would like. But he's getting extra stick for having spoken publicly.

Why am I bothering to defend him, you may ask.

Yeah, these PL players are well overpaid. But the very unsatisfactory state we're in is due to a variety of factors that have been building up for decades (way before Sigurdsson arrived), compounded by various bad decisions.
Post-match comments from Sigurdsson are the least of our problems.

Goodison could turn toxic quite quickly on Saturday. We are still only five points above the relegation zone.

And people keep saying get shut of him, get shut of that fella, get shut of the "deadwood". The club have been trying to get rid of various players (about ten isn't it) for a year or two now. The best they can do in many cases is just park them on loan.

In fact, so many careers have gone down the pan after joining us in recent years, I wonder if there is a danger of some potential signings hesitating to join us.

We're up Shit Creek. Thankfully, Ancelotti's got the paddle.

As for Sidibe being the only player to come over to the remaining Everton fans at the end of the game on Sunday. Incorrect. Holgate did too. He did not come quite as near as he did after the league defeat. But he had taken a lot of stick then.

As for the suggestion that players might donate a week's wages to Merseyside charities, I'd love to see that. In any season. Even just a day's wages would be a pretty penny.

To end on a positive note, it's not out the question that we finish this season in the top six. Carlo has the time now to coach them.

I’d be to embarrassed to speak, and would have to donate my wages to the fans, but this is the type of world that doesn’t exist for some of the embarrassments at our club.

Work hard, fight, and let your football do the talking, or just talk a load of pony, after embarrassing the fuck out of our club, these bastards should be fined just for talking to the press, which actually feels like it’s just to get on our fucking nerves once again, simply because there are no words for yesterday’s ineptitude and cowardly performance.

You can ditch wives, girlfriends, or even boyfriends if you're that way inclined, for another relationship.

You don't ditch your football team and support another. However shit they are.

Everton need a leader on the field as Seamus is no longer the player he was along with a few others like Walcott.

Everton had wide players like Billy Kenny, Joe McBride and Ronnie Goodlass who all showed a lot more spirit than Walcott who has been a poor acquisition.

Needless to add that RS got the draw they wanted for the next round but it will be tough as they may have to put the first team out.

Fuck him off among the very first batch of these cheats who need to be shown the door. He and others have no right to wear the shirt ever again. I wait with interest to see Mr Ancelotti's team selection for our next game.

I’ve stuck by Siggy this season in the hope that his form will return. But comments like this just show him to be another mercenary who really doesn’t give a shit, it’s just a job after all. Can’t see CA putting up with this attitude, see ya Siggy.

I’ll be there Saturday, but I won’t be clapping or cheering.

A convincing win against Brighton will not convince me or Carlo that we are a crock of shit!

First time in years I’ve used an expletive!

Where did you drag those names from.

Billy Kenny was a centre mid.
Ronnie Goodlass and Joe McBride both pretty average wingers in my opinion.

As others have stated, less excusing yourself and keep it shut. Time for Siggy, Schneiderlin and a few others to go!

I know you should never hate one of your own players, but this horrible little shit takes the biscuit, time and time again.

I don't advocate violence but I would willingly pull the switch on that cretin!

Get shut, if that is at all possible! Both of them!

I was in the front row of a 'If Davy goes I go' march around Goodison and would've thrown a cushion at the directors only where I was standing there were no cushions.
Please can Saturdays match goers make some kind of demo against the charlatans that have disgraced our club.

Season ticket holder!
Why do I bother?
Because I’m an Evertonian.

However, as previously posted the round trip is taking its toll (health) and for 55 yrs since 1964 as a 13yr old through thick and thin I’m coming to the end of the road, and I’ll be watching from home next season, unless Ancelotti has a magic wand!!!

Now to read the rest of the comments, but I won't be too far off the mark

It occurred to me Ancelotti might want out of the FA Cup, to concentrate on the Premiership. and be outputting pressure on the hierarchy to change the squad. ??????

The only reason Sigurdsson, Schneiderlin, Walcott and Tosun get playing is because they cost so much and are on big wages. To a certain extent Brands transfers play for the same reason.

The squad has just got a collective kick in the arse, which shows no signs of abating. The Everton fans have never been this pissed off. The next game at Goodison is going to be a bear pit in front of the equivalent of a lyncht mob.

The shirt doesn’t matter. The fans don’t matter. The club is just the club of the day...it doesn’t matter either.

As long as the cheque doesn’t bounce.

This could be a bit harsh, but he’s pulled a Schneiderland on us, and has more or less clocked out for the season.

'I'm not angry, just disappointed.'

Also, a few mentions of the Arsenal v Leeds match have been made on this thread, mainly how brilliant Leeds were and that Everton players should be watching, but these comments were made mostly during or at the end of the first half. I watched the game. Leeds should have been out of sight at half time. It's all about taking the chances when offered.

It seems that Arteta had a right go at half time as the second half, Arsenal were transformed.

We might need a Duncan Ferguson rant to get our lot fired up..

As others have said more eloquently on this thread, they don't care. As long as their bank accounts are topped up by ridiculous amounts every week, they don't care.

How many Everton fans were left grieving after last Sunday's game? I'd wager hundreds of thousands, and they still are this morning. And the players!? Probably out for late Sunday dinner at some posh hotel, but they don't care.

Another season gone, halfway through. Out of both cups, still not completely clear of the relegation trap.

Unless something happens in the transfer market, we are stuck with this cowardly lot of useless players, and that includes you, Siggi, to get us to safety.

Ah but, it's a tad disappointing, Siggi... just a tad!!!!???

It looks like the manager and backroom staff give clear playing instructions before and during the game and the players disobey and play differently. The captain on the pitch should take some responsibility for this.

Let’s hope this debacle is sorted out sooner than later. It won’t be long before Ancellotti stamps his authority on this bunch of misfits.

It is not until you get involved in the care of an elderly person that you realise what a screwed-up country this has become.

Care of elderly people is a growing challenge and one that something successive governments have failed on, kicking the can down the road to the point where the system is in crisis.

The social care system in Liverpool and neighbouring areas is at breaking point. I would have liked to have seen the city council get a rent of several million pounds a year from Bramley Moore to help with this.

We see footballers going into hospitals at Christmas. I would like to see them do a shift in an old people's home. The majority of carers in those places are unsung heroes, as are those who go to people's homes.

Len, I hope everything goes as well as possible for you and your wife.

No game is won or lost in the first 30 minutes; we had no shots on target for the last hour ffs.

As the creative force in the middle, he should stand up and take some responsibility and admit his error by not going across to the supporters at the end.

It's the kids I feel sorry for. The abuse they'll take at school because of that shocking performance.

Ancelotti also changed tactics from long balls and high pressing the opposition back line, to more of a possession game playing out from the back in the second half. As you suggest Klopp told his back line to push up in the second half compressing the midfield and providing support for the attack.

This is what the bottom half of the table have been doing with success against Everton most of this season. Without fail Sigurdsson becomes anonymous as a result and Schneiderlin gets himself pinned back, going into his shell role. The two Everton right and left backs got pinned back as well. Silva seemed to never cop on. what was the problem. These tactics expose the glaring weakness of the midfield trio, that when pressurised they are useless. Gomes by the way is the same.

Trying to play out from the back just played into the oppositions hands, given Evertons weak pass completion distribution by the Everton Centre backs and poor ability to clear their lines, was the never going to work. Players like Holgate, Sidebe, Digne, Colman, and Richarlison are brought down to the same level by those around them. The opposition where able to high press at wil!, without a glove being laid on them.

If Everton had have continued with the same tactics of the first half they would have been more successful with more space to run into as the opposition pushed forward and Everton did have the right subs to increase the pressure.

It's seems that Ancelotti made a tactical error at half time and persisted with it, refusing to change tact even though it was clearly obvious to him what was happening. Klopp could not believe his luck.

I have offered alternative theories why Ancelotti did this. I just can't believe that a Manager of his knowledge and experience would manage a game play so badly, with the writing on the wall in front of him.

Maybe he took the hump over Klopp sending out schoolboys against his team and not being ahead at half time again st them.
He then took the decision to change tactics at half time and was too embarrassed to change, when his error became obvious.

This does not exornerate the Everton players, but it's a strange one from Carlo, at Anfield of all places.

Your second one tells of the brilliant carers who work for a pittance in hospitals and care homes, they make life easier and more bearable every hour of every day for those in their charge. The people who look after their partners, mothers, fathers etc are truly saints and save the country millions of pounds with the care they provide and they do it out of love. All of them have my utter admiration, God bless every one of you.

The fact that Ancelotti did not see the problem and make the necessary tactical changes is what worried me the most.

I understand why he want's to play football from the back as all good team's do but he has to recognise we haven't got the players to do so.

Be interesting to see what system and how we perform on Saturday after last Sunday.

It was disappointing.

Footballers sometimes say things.

It rarely goes well.

Kicking little round things into big rectangular things is hard.

Squirrels.

Having said all that, although Sigurdsson has not been a great signing, he's not been useless or generally lazy. Last season was a good one, scoring 15 goals, and the midfield with him, Gana and Gomes was one of the best in the Premier League. He was also one of the hardest grafters in the team, to an extent that there were some posts on ToffeeWeb saying that he surely won't be able to sustain it given his age.

This season has seen a big drop in form, to the extent that he generally looks shite. But then that applies to most of them. Digne is another example, absolute class last season, relatively shite this season.

Now, a lot of posts are telling him to fuck off, obviously based on his bad form this season, the shite we witnessed on Sunday, and the unnecessary and unwanted verbal utterings. Well, he's not going to fuck off, because he's under contract, so let's get real.

What we need is for the new manager to sort this lot out. That's what he's supposed to be good at, otherwise there's no point in paying him megabucks. So I'm not telling Sigurdsson to fuck off, and personally I've never told any Everton player to fuck off, and probably never will. But I would like the players and management to shut the fuck up and get on with the job of playing football.

...we’d have done the same had any of the players come out and said ‘I/we were disappointed’. It’s not the words were want to hear. Probably an extreme example but it’s the same message as ‘I was disappointed my son shot someone’. No, you’re not disappointed - unless you’re playing mind games like parents sometimes do ‘I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed...’

We, the fans are angry. We want the players and club to feel the same way. To have a sense of ownership or at least empathy. It’s clear some of the players do not.

I’m not disappointed in Sig - I’m angry and don’t want to see him in a blue shirt again! (We probably will though).

Walter Smith lost 3-0 to Middlesbrough in the cup semi and his response was "Disappointing". He got sacked days later.

Why do are our players lack so much fitness compared to other teams?

I'm worried that Carlos played Sigurdsson and Schneiderlin as Centre Mids. They have no athleticism. I hope he's now seen them for what they are and picks a different midfield against Brighton. If it's the same team, we've had it.

What about if he said something like that?

Has he any gardening or cleaning skills, with his football skills he is not going anywhere.

Cowards the lot of them

I hope we do, but its the same line every year.

The players should be going all out for a top six spot and European football,there's no distractions now and no excuses. Our fans deserve no less .

I've tried to forget the result, but every now and then I remember, and experience a jolt to the stomach. It's utter shame I feel. Shame our cowards got beaten by kids. Shame this result signals the end of our hopes of ever beating them again at Anfield. Shame at being an Evertonian.

I've taken two days to load up ToffeeWeb. I couldn't stand reading the comments that were sure to come. I've reflected. I've calmed down. I still can't shift this feeling of shame.

I don't blame players like Davies, Holgate, DCL, Kean, Richarlison - they tend to leave everything on the pitch. I do blame the senior players. You know, the ones earning an absolute fortune. The ones who look like they don't give a shit. The ones who never actually hurt when losing games - Walcott, Sigurdsson, Schneiderlin etc...can anyone really say they give a shit?

I want them out, and I cannot actually see a way how they can ever justify putting the shirt on again. They should feel professional humiliation, not disappointment. They got out-thought and out-fought by a very inexperienced Liverpool Team. Shameful.

I actually don't think it's the Liverpool players that scare our senior players, I think it's the Anfield crowd they're scared of. Bunch of fucking shithouses.

I've been struggling to find much to share with these players in the recent past. No affinity to them. No love. I now despise them. I actually fucking hate some of our players. It takes some doing that!

If you've bothered to read this post, I apologise. It's bitter and twisted, but a fair reflection of how I feel. I'm not going to be reading anything Everton related for a while. I won't say I'm done. I will say I'm stepping back. I cannot support a team that I feel is full of horrible fuckers who don't care.

Sadly, I think it would be only local lads who could get so wound up for a game like last Sunday, and unfortunately we had none playing.

Playing crap is nothing new, it's a habit. Everton are a team of losers, and have been for most of my adult life (I'm 46) and for me I don't feel as bad as I once did. The fight has been beaten out of me supporting Everton and I'm slowly but surely drifting away from bothering to care anymore.

Of course the lifelong addiction is there, and at the time it hurts - the hurt goes away a lot quicker than it once did though. Is that age? Or is that supporting a team that never delivers on expectation or hope?

Answers on a postcard.

It's tragic though when we're running out of superlatives for how gutless and weak the team has become. I'm actually discouraging my son from supporting us, to spare him the sorrows I endure.

Now that we're out of everything, it wouldn't surprise me if their form picked up. This lot did best last season when the pressure was off.

Perhaps this stellar manager will focus on attaining this modest target whilst he gears up for a higher finish next season. Let's just demand that he and his players don't further insult us Evertonians in the way they did at Anfield.

Another wasted preseason playing the Gambian postal service in Banjul and a couple of 20 minute kickabouts in Transylvania.

Millions squandered on more mercenaries that don’t understand the demands of the Premier League.

I’ll bet my bottom dollar that this time next year we’ll be saying the same thing as always “it takes time”.

Doesn’t matter how much money these cowards earn in their careers, they can’t take it with them. Respect and reputation always matter more and the likes of him & possibly the biggest shithouse to ever wear the shirt Schneiderlin have irreparably fucked theirs up. I no longer care whether they care or not but I’ll do my bit by denigrating the latter in particular to whoever listens for the rest of my days.

He lists our team who played against Liverpool, their credentials that led us to buy them, or their credentials in getting a game ahead of others in the shape of Calvert-Lewin and Holgate.

Then he goes on to quote George Graham. Some great pearls of wisdom here:
1. the key to building a team was to
a. buy players on their way up, or
b. buy players with a point to prove
2. Never buy a player who's taking a step down to join you: "He will act as if he is doing you a favour".

Dunno about you guys, and he obviously was not talking about Everton, but George Graham has just nailed exactly what is wrong with Everton with that one. Our players do act as if they are doing us a favour as most of them have taken a step down. The ones who performed well in recent months, consistently, are the ones who fall into the first category, either a or b.

Kay is pretty scathing about our players in his article, and critical of Brands, and he compares us to Tony Fernandes era QPR, and how Fernandes could never understand why a group of players with their careers in decline did not rise collectively to the challenge of slumming it at the bottom end of the Premier League.

The Article compares the trajectories of Everton and Leicester who have been at similar levels in recent years, yet Leicester have got young, hungry, and cheaper players in and grown a side, whilst we have flashed the cash, made big statements, but Sunday's debacle speaks volumes.

It really was pathetic. Really sh1t. Probably the worst I’ve felt as an Evertonian and trust me, there’s been far more bad days than good

After Sunday I honestly disown that group of losers. They were so pathetic in the performance and the score line - it was lower than losing in the 96th min last season, lower then getting trashed this season by their B team on Sunday we got handed our backsides by their C team

And everyone is culpable:

- The awful awful players those idiots can never ever redeem themselves in my eyes (and before any wise crack says ‘even if they win the league don’t embarrass yourself). They are clowns and deserve pure apathy

- Brands people wax lyrical like he’s god gift but when we needed a proven goalscorer (in fact 2 proven goalscorers), he manages to find a kid worse than Sandro. You couldn’t make it up. Did he actually believe he would get us 10-15 goals this season??? Never mind about leaving us a centre back short. This guy is a problem - make no mistake. We have no spine through the team and he’s to blame

- Moshiri he has no plan. Literally no plan. He hires a series of grade 2 managers and expects grade 1 results. He has managed to oversee a worse tenure than Bill (yet Bill still gets the blame?!?!!).

The whole club is pathetic

I hope Ancellotti is the man to sort it but I’m really not sure. His tactics on Sunday were atrocious and the fact he allowed us to be outnumbered in midfield + gave instructions to play from the back hugely HUGELY contributed to our loss. A good manager finds a system for his players (like Dunc did) not try to shoehorn players into a system (that clearly doesn’t work for them)

I fear it’ll get worse before it gets better

Gerry like yourself was a good amateur footballer with various clubs during a long career, including some time in the Welsh league.

I’ll let him know I’ve made contact with you because he kept mentioning you knew me and Tony but couldn’t get your name, but is always loud in praise of all the people at Marie Curie and I’m made up he gets a lot of pleasure out of it, as are all of his family.

Thanks for the summary.

The George Graham quotes are especially interesting.

"Never buy a player who's taking a step down to join you: "He will act as if he is doing you a favor".

Out of our current squad, the following may be thinking that they are doing us a favor, when in reality they are in a professional crisis of their own.

Think about it.

Mina (Barca)
Digne (Barca)
Delph (MC)
Gomes (Barca)
Schneiderlin (MU)
Kean (JUV)
Walcott (Ars)
Iwobi (Ars)

All players who've been told in one way or another, are not good enough and can go elsewhere.

So we have made a policy of signing players who are, in effect, traumatized. We've made a policy of signing the "Flop of the moment". We have got a squad full of players with a big F on their CV. But not just the players mentioned.

Sigurdsson proved himself "productive" enough at Swansea, for us to fork out £45M, having previously been hopeless at Spurs. Another F.

Keane came good for a season at Burnley having had his hopes and dreams shattered by United. In come Everton. £25M on more damaged goods.

We also spent a combined £90-100M on gambles Tosun, Niasse, Klassen, Bolasie, without any serious competition for their signatures. All total flops.

A further £30M was spent on a recently traumatized, insecure, relegated keeper. I wrote here after the WC we should have sold JP while his stock was so high. GoalKeepers are only ever a few mistakes away from Joe Hart and in Pickford, we should cash in while he's still the England No.1.

The squad members producing the most, leading Goalscorers Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison both arrived at Goodison progressing their careers and not trying to save their careers. Happy instead of demoralized, they arrived with momentum and are both still on course to one day play on the big stage with one of Europe's elite clubs.

I would say that Mina, Digne, and Gomes all had something to prove. Gomes and Mina came here with Barca fans voting them in amongst their worst signings of all time.

I would prefer future signings to be like Maddison, soyuncu, Vardy, and so on. But it would be hard to see Ancelotti working with them, and he's a bad fit from them too. Instead, we will have to rely on his ability to massage egos and bring the best out of our expensive flops.

Dave Hickson.

Johnny Morrisey.

Andy Gray.
Peter Reid.
Kevin Sheedy.
Alan Harper.
Paul Power.
Peter Beardsley.
Andrei Kanchelskis.
Nigel Martin.
Richard Gough.

Not one had any get up and go once they descended to Goodison ?

Serial losers ?

My arse !

Continuing with this logic, we should be swerving the likes of Rabiot, James and Zaha, all of whom had opportunities at the top and blew them.

Anyway, the message is clear, and yes I'd be steering clear of James Rodriguez and Adrien Rabiot for sure.

The article mentions how, to give him his due, Steve Walsh insisted on Gana Gueye despite all the video scouting evidence from an appalling Villa side showing him being constantly bypassed in midfield - a tide even he couldn't stem. But Walsh was able to discern that the was a better, pressing superstar in there somewhere. Kay goes on to refer to Gbamin's "all-action" debut in August and how it augurs well" for whenever he is fit again.

I don't think having a Gbamin available all season would have seen us up in the top 4, but part of me still feels that if he and Gomes had been able to play together and form a proper midfield partnership we might still have a youngish Portuguese coach in the dugout...

Lets see if Ancelotti can get rid of these drains on our resources, pushing Evans, Gordon, Baningeme, Gibson and others into the ranks and toss these wasters off so once again the club is deserving of (y)our support.

They have been absolutely class over the years and have given an unstinting support, home and away, and in all weathers.

I urge those who are serious about walking away, to rethink, we all say things when we are angry, that we don't really mean.

And I can fully understand that anger, and rightly so, because of the frustration against those players who seem to put less effort in ninety minutes, than they do in supporting them, and often travelling hours and back again, to meet their part of the relationship.

In ToffeeWeb, I believe we have the best bunch of supporters on the planet, and a great website to not only air our annoyances at the team with those of similar chagrin, but also to, on occasion meet them and become friends for life!

They also allude to those c**ts at The S*n who are saying we're open to flogging Pickford as well.

I know, it's all bollocks.

It seems to me we now have a mix of players who are:

● Unable to play more than a couple of games on the bounce without getting injured;

● Emerging youngsters who are not yet ready to perform consistently in the Premier League;

● Older players who are past their best and unwilling or unable to do it anymore;

That is not a good mixture for any team! Getting young talent that is on the up is all well and good – but they must be ready to come into the team and perform every week now. We have signed too many like Moise Kean, who might be good in a few years, which is not what we need. Similarly, signing sicknotes who play 10 games per season or washed-up older pros is poor.

It is time to start signing players again who have the right character, don't get injured lots ever year, can come into the team and perform now while also being in the right age range (ie, not too young or too old).

On another subject: Mina has to go for me. I know people are convinced that there is a world-class player hiding in there somewhere but he is not cut out for the Premier League. He is too slow, too full of mistakes, lacking in concentration and turns like a tank.

Hickson, Sheeds, Reidy, Gray and Power jump out for me - all of them winning awards, trophies and legendary status with every right minded Evertonian - after they'd 'descended' to us.

I'd also dispute at least a couple of names on that current list - Gomez and Digne - although you'll get no argument from me with a few others on there.

In any case - I wouldn't place much value on anything that came from George Graham - unless it was in a brown paper bag.

I agree that continuously buying players taking a step down, brings with it questionable intent and an attitude that stinks. They lack the motivation to succeed, and have zero cares in the world regarding the club they play for, or the fans who support them.

The old players from the other list were all working under an entirely different landscape and climate, both in footballing terms and financial terms.

Thank you for sharing a summary of Oliver Kay's article. I have admired George Graham and the team he build at Arsenal. It was build on the traditional Arsenal strong defence, something that was eroded by Wenger, and a interchanging midfield trio, playing in a triangle type formation.

Grahams philosophy on the purchase of players is spot on and can be observed at Everton flawed transfer in policy. Moshiri seems to have a accountant s type attitude to transferred in players. He seems to the think having purchased them for big money with big contracts they should be getting first team football playing time and the onus is on the Manager to select team.

Throughout the reigns of all the Everton Managers since Moshiri has arrived highly paid players have been selected, though they are obviously below par in their performances.

The old saying that' You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's lug ', holds true in that no matter how much money you spend on a lug of a player you are never going to get a Silk purse of a p!ayer.

It is obvious that some players at Everton lack self motivation, having got a good long term contract.

It has occurred to me over the years, that the problems Everton have are recurring and I seem to be constantly covering the same ground as other ToffeeWebbers again and again. I would also say that they seem to be uniquely Everton and is predictable.

No more lugs please and get rid of existing lugs.

Just who the fuck do these no mark players think they are?

I want the lot of them gone before they get yet another manager sacked!!!

The group of seven fans arrived at the Finch Farm complex, in the Merseyside town of Halewood, on Tuesday.

Everton lost 1-0 against an under-strength Liverpool team on Sunday.

Brands spoke to the assembled fans for around 20 minutes in what is said to have been an amicable exchange.

It is understood Brands - who joined Everton in 2018 after working as PSV Eindhoven's sporting director - addressed the supporters' concerns over Everton's display and a perceived lack of commitment from the players against their city rivals.

Everton are also expected to speak to midfielder Fabian Delph after he appeared to get involved in a social media confrontation with a supporter following the defeat.

Liverpool's selection of a host of younger players - including match winner Curtis Jones - raised Everton's hopes that tcould end their winless sequence at Anfield, which stretches back to 1999.

The loss was a second in four matches for manager Carlo Ancelotti, who took charge following the sacking of Marco Silva on 6 December.

Sad toxic times at this club now and it’s proven that supporters aren’t bothered about anything other than performance on pitch.

I feel sorry for Ancelotti coming to the club at this time, it’s probably two years too late because this club has turned sour beyond repair almost.

Not only George Graham but our own much-maligned Moyes had the policy of sourcing hungry players from the lower leagues - Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Lescott et al. Unfortunately this involved a lot of actual hard work thoroughly scouting them beforehand, not just a phone call to an agent.

Exactly. Plus he accuses the fan of hiding behind social media while squaring off in the same medium.

3 days later and my pain and shame has not subsided 1 bit

I’m sick of them. Complete pampered fools

Absolutely hate them - I can’t think of any of them that have shown character when the going has gotten tough

Maligne Moyes all you want but he was called Dithering Dave because he took ages sourcing a players character as well as ability. Sir Alex was famed for doing the same

Meanwhile we now sign:

Kean (we have found Sandros long lost brother)

Delph (Mr injury prone when he’s not Mr sideways)

Walcott (a never has been)

Schniederlin (I’ve never actually achieved anything in my career but I’m too good for you lot)

They are just an embarrassment

By the way folks, Sigurdsson is right, it WAS disappointing, very disappointing. Let's remember that this is all about 22 fellas kicking a sphere of leather around a football pitch. If folks don't like what they see, or think the players are overpaid, don't go to watch. It's not compulsory, unlike income tax. Now, there's something that's beyond disappointing.