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Dave Evans
1 Posted 12/07/2020 at 19:54:18
One myth has been binned for eternity since the re-start.

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

Steve Mink
2 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:00:01
Great point, Dave Evans.

Tony Everan
3 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:01:04
Lyndon, if some of our players were ‘checked in', I am not sure there would be enough of a difference.

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

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

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

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

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

Will Mabon
4 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:08:54
Great report. I sadly have to agree re. Davies. Is this the same guy that outfoxed Yaya "The birthday cake" Touré in that win over Man City?

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

Christian Konttorp
5 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:14:37
Hi. First of all, this is my first comment ever at ToffeeWeb. My name is Christian, I'm an Everton supporter from Norway. English is my second language so if I make some typing and sentence errors, I'm sorry for that. 😊

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

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

But it does not help as long as we lack the absolutely essential: Identity.
As of today, Everton FC has lost its identity in the search for new ambitions. Look at teams like Liverpool, Burnley, Sheffield Utd, Wolves, and to some extent, Leicester. They have a clear, defined identity, playing style and club aura, and bring in players and managers who fit this identity and system. Nobody else! Nor do these players fit just physically and in skills, but not least they mentally fit that identity.

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

Best regards from Norway.

Mal van Schaick
6 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:19:57
If you get beat fair and square having given your best, fair enough, but to roll over with players that aren't trying, then it should be the end for those players. Show them the door, be done with it and move on to players that want to play.

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

Danny Broderick
7 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:27:17
We often refer to midfields as being the engine room. Well we need a new engine. It is embarrassing that teams like Southampton and Sheffield Utd have a better engine room than us, especially when you look at how much we have spent on midfielders in the last few years.

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

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

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

Danny ONeill
8 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:31:59
Welcome, Christian, and don't apologise for putting your view across, especially given you are doing so in a second language.

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

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

Tony Hill
9 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:42:23
Yes, good post, Christian @5. It is very much about our identity.

Danny Broderick
10 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:48:06
Welcome, Christian.
Brent Stephens
11 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:49:55
Bournemouth put 4 past Leicester?!
Colin Glassar
12 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:52:26
Christian, you sound young. Are you sure you want a lifetime of anger and pain? It’s not easy being an Evertonian.
Brent Stephens
13 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:55:13
Welcome Christian. Perfect spelling of all those other clubs, especially that team that plays in red!! I'm afraid you are supporting a team that at the moment has a lot of “dead wood”.
Christian Konttorp
14 Posted 12/07/2020 at 20:58:59
Danny: yes. But then again, we need players that have the mentality to fit our identity. We first have to ask ourselves: Which kind of long term identity, system and club do we want? And then find players we have or which are available to fit those questions of identity.

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

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

Christian Konttorp
15 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:02:18
Danny B. Thank you! 😊

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

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

Dennis Stevens
16 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:05:33
I don't know about "checked out", I think some of them need to be checked for signs of life! I do wonder whether we'll take any points at all from our remaining fixtures.


Dave Abrahams
17 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:05:44
Christian (5), welcome to the club, very good first post.

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

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

Christian Konttorp
18 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:16:59
Dave Abrahams: Good question. I have always had a sense of being "different". And everyone was RS, Man Utd, or Gunners fans over here. In my head, I have always loved teams which had a mentality and stable philosophy or identity.

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

Paul Birmingham
19 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:19:33
Welcome Christian, and to embracing the joys (very few) and sorrows of being an Evertonian.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve Guy
20 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:20:47
I said on another thread only 24/48 hours ago that Sigurdsson is cheating a wage out of Everton and my heart sank when I saw his name on the team sheet today. He didn't let me down. Pedestrian. Negative passing. Pointing at others to pass the ball anywhere but to him. Pathetic ‘challenges' for the ball. Can't even get a corner right.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark Brennnan
22 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:26:00
Good shout on Twitter:

Scott Gemmill is better than Tom Davies.

Danny ONeill
23 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:26:27
I expect a reaction but what a dilemma. The wife is from the West Midlands and the adopted family are all Villa fans, including her.

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

Mike Oates
24 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:29:58
I totally agree that most on show there today, particularly Davies and Sigurdsson, were completely inept at doing the basic things right. How many times did Davies give the ball away, how many square passes did Sigurdsson give?

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

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

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

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

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

Will Mabon
25 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:49:42
Christian, your English is better than my Norwegian.
Robert Tressell
26 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:50:23
In Tom Davies I see a young lad doing his level best to bail out some experienced professionals with their tales between their legs. He's not succeeding.

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

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

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

Tony Everan
27 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:50:31
Warm welcome, Christian, and a very relevant first post. You are right that we have lost our true identity and need to find it quick.
Clive Rogers
28 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:54:08
We have had 20-odd years of decline mainly through lack of leadership and money. Now, we have an owner with cash, but the lack of leadership has led to large sums being completely wasted. Successive managers and Directors of Football have signed players on massive contracts who are simply not good enough. Half of them simply can't stay fit.

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

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

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

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

Paul Swan
29 Posted 12/07/2020 at 21:58:30
Sorry, but I have seen nothing from Ancelotti to suggest we are nothing but one last big payday for him. Two pre-lockdown games he put us under needless pressure by piss poor substitutions in one case throwing away a 2 goal lead. Bizarre team selections yet again today which did not work and needed changing wastefully with substitutes who had zero influence on the game.

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

Christian Konttorp
30 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:01:24
What I would have tried was Holgate as defensive midfielder, one that "cleans the field" aka a Kante or Gueye type.

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

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

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

Danny ONeill
31 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:06:34
Genuine question then, Paul:

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

Not being provocative, just interested.

Mike Gaynes
32 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:32:28
Christian #5 and #30, welcome and excellent posts.

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

Danny ONeill
33 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:39:57
Agree Mike. And, as I'm sure Christian will testify, so will his Danish & Swedish. I believe the 3 languages are broadly mutually intelligible!!
Paul Swan
34 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:40:34
Danny, I just don't know. It's heartbreaking that year on year we move further and further away from ‘Everton'. I'm not the greatest fan of Duncan Ferguson but part of me wants someone like him who takes the issue by the throat and won't accept a lack of effort.

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

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

Bill Fairfield
35 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:40:37
Time and again the senior players in this squad are an awful example to the young players at the club. Today was an absolute disgrace again.

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

Danny ONeill
36 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:53:43
Fair assessment, Paul. I agree and said that on the live forum today. Passion gets you so far, but ultimately quality and ability shines through. You can have all the passion in the world, but if you can't match it with skill and ability, you will rarely win. And as we see with this squad, it works the other way around too. Good sides have passion, commitment, fitness and ability.

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

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

David Thomas
37 Posted 12/07/2020 at 22:55:11
Robert,

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

Steve Ferns
38 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:01:25
Welcome Christian. Great post mate.

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

Gylfi Sigurdsson cost around £45M and earns around £125k a week. If he walked away on a free transfer we would immediately have £6.5m to spend. We've loads of these high earners tying our hands behind our backs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brent Stephens
39 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:08:20
Steve,

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

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

Danny ONeill
40 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:09:25
Exactly Steve. A great team isn't necessarily the assembly of the best 11 individual players on the planet. It is a blend of different skills and attributes that make a great team.

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

Jerome Shields
41 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:10:03
Good article on the game and the situation that Ancelotti faces. He has described Everton as unprofessional and of having a poor attitude. We have seen this trait before. It has always been unacceptable. Ancelotti has also stated so.

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

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

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

Danny ONeill
42 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:17:35
I lived in southern Italy for 2 years, Jerome.

Friends in Napoli can be very persuasive!!!

Jerome Shields
43 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:36:19
Read Christian Post #5. I would change the word 'culture' to 'identity' in my Post #41, as he defines more concise English. I do hope that Ancelotti has the stomach for the fight ahead. He is going to need all the help he can get.

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


Mike Hughes
44 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:43:37
I can't defend the players and don't disagee with most of the comments on here. But they are not the only ones at fault.

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

Since then we've had:

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

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

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

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

And now Carlo

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

Which is exactly where we are today.

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

Confused? You will be. Tune in next week.

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

Steve Ferns
45 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:49:07
I think it should be clear for everyone to see now that Everton has a culture problem. We have had a succession of managers in a short period of time but things ultimately revert back, like they did today. Managers have different philosophies and yet they end up playing the same brand of football.

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

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

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

John Kavanagh
46 Posted 12/07/2020 at 23:59:14
Oh how I'm missing the lockdown and the cancellation of matches. Weeks spent with no feelings of intense nausea and outbursts of anger. No instances of outright hatred for the morons responsible for recruiting and paying the wasters who stroll around the pitch in a daze and the sick-note experts who don't even have to make it that far to steal thousands every week.

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

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

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

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

Steve Ferns
47 Posted 13/07/2020 at 00:11:08
John, I'm with you. With no Everton to wreck my weekends, I was smiling more myself. I don't agree with the restart. Not only did we come back too soon (we had training before the infection rate had fallen to acceptable levels on the governments own scale). Also, I personally feel football needs fans in the stadium or it's not just football. Maybe I am biased because I am a match-goer?

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

Danny ONeill
48 Posted 13/07/2020 at 00:16:15
Sadly, Steve, it has shown that football no longer needs or relies on the match-going fan. I hate myself for saying / typing that. As long as they could get themselves back on the screen, the clubs / Premier League / Championship where happy as that is where their revenue comes from.

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

Mike Hughes
49 Posted 12/07/2020 at 00:17:34
Steve Ferns #45

I disagree.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not a happy Blue.

John Kavanagh
50 Posted 13/07/2020 at 00:34:47
Steve, the thought of Sigurdsson strolling around again on Thursday with not a single supporter on hand to give him the welcome he deserves appalls me. Can't someone hire a helicopter or drone armed with a megaphone to let him know how much he's appreciated?

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

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

Andrew Keatley
51 Posted 13/07/2020 at 00:48:14
Danny (40) - James Milner is one of the best professionals in the game. He might not be an out-and-out world-beater but he’s an 8 out of 10 every single game, never stops running, is tough, can play in a number of positions, and never lets his team down. If we could find a player like James Milner then I’d be ecstatic. And a player with the appetite, work-rate and competitive streak of Jordan Henderson wouldn’t go amiss either. They have both contributed hugely to Liverpool’s success because they can marry decent technical ability with a winning mentality, and they are prepared to go out of their way to do the dirty work for the team. “Bang right average” you say - I couldn’t disagree more, and the fact that we lack players of their ilk is why we are struggling so badly right now. Right now there are unfashionable players in this league - Charlie Taylor at Burnley, Ben Osborn, George Baldock, and Enda Stevens at Sheffield United (their entire team really), Stuart Armstrong at Southampton, James McArthur at Crystal Palace, Michail Antonio at West Ham, Will Hughes at Watford - who show up our expensively assembled hoard in terms of effort and attitude - and, at present, ability. Our squad needs a serious overhaul, and mentality should be a major consideration when we are recruiting - maybe even the main one.
Danny ONeill
52 Posted 13/07/2020 at 00:52:50
Andrew, we're agreeing more than you think. I used Henderson & Milner as examples and was not being derogatory to their contribution. My point is you don't have to have a team of world beaters. You just need the right blend. And that can include players who as you say, are unfashionable. And, you don't always have to spend top dollar to find them. And your latter point is bang on, the most important aspect of our current squad is lack of mentality.... back to my point about the unglamorous but very effective Henderson & Milner. Be honest; 5 years ago, would we have been excited had Everton unveiled Jordan Henderson as their marquee signing?
Andrew Keatley
53 Posted 13/07/2020 at 01:30:29
Danny (52) - Fair enough. I think Jordan Henderson has become a better (and more important) player at Liverpool since Steven Gerrard moved on; maybe he benefitted from inheriting some of that responsibility. The fact that he has proven himself after his stuttering start says it all really - he kept his head down, backed himself, and has come good in a big way, even in the face of huge scrutiny and scepticism from his critics. I’d love our players to display that sort of character.

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

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

Bill Gall
54 Posted 13/07/2020 at 01:46:48
Was there any positives today ? Yes there was, and that was Seamus Coleman as Everton club captain standing up in front of a National T.V. camera without his managers permission, and laying bare the problems that we as supporters have been complaining about.
Also this is the first time I have heard Ancelotti talk about the same problems without making to many excuses.

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

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

Dave Lynch
55 Posted 13/07/2020 at 02:25:32
Robert @ 26 "In Tom Davies I see a young lad doing his level best to bail out some experienced professionals with their tales between their legs. He's not succeeding."

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

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

Kieran Kinsella
56 Posted 13/07/2020 at 02:26:05
John 50

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

Kieran Kinsella
57 Posted 13/07/2020 at 02:33:49
Steve 45,

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

Ken Camara
58 Posted 13/07/2020 at 04:01:29
Hello First time post from the US. My English is as bad as my Norwegian.

Flat game today...second half was abysmal. But I think that Carlo's strategy was not terrible - to play Siggy and Davies back, not forward, to help the defense, more than help the offense. (Baines is solid in D, and Walcott did a good job of tracking back). That strategy was ugly, but worked somewhat for the first 45 minutes. 0-0 until the penalty. Penalty, and easily conceded immediate second half second goal = no will to continue. (bad attitude for professionals)... Without those goals against, In the second half, Carlo would have planned to be a bit more expansive, and maybe nick a goal on the counter attack. But, the front two, were so far adrift of seeing any good passes, that it became impossible.

Not defending anyone, but Siggy is a different player under Carlo - Carlo realizes that he is the most expensive player that EFC has signed, and has had kid gloves on but he has no role in this team. He made a name for himself with great running, tight dribbling, and set pieces. Now he is not fast enough to shake most defenders, chooses to pass backwards, rather than confront the opposition, and cedes set pieces to Digne.

Conspiracy theory - did he have Covid, and is now just starting to get back to fitness - (Carlo mentioned that he had a fever)? ( I think that his lack of effort betrays him, and that is giving him too much benefit of the doubt). I see alot of people all rail on Davies, who is local and 22, and at least is trying to dribble past people. I would like to argue that he can be a good sub, solid back up, and can slot into a couple of positions. But he showed no pace today, and I will not die on that hill - agreed that TD needs some time away from the club to mature and develop. If he does well, he comes back and plays, or we sell. I still think that you have to give Brands two summers to fulfill Carlo's needs.

It is almost humorous that we keep getting into the same financial hole with non performing / injured players. Hopefully 1 year will break that cycle. Carlo has shown that he can coach, by his record, and by bringing us out of the bottom of the league. You have seen his face on the sidelines, with disbelief that someone on his team made a basic mistake, or failed to find the right pass. I hope that he is given a chance to bring in the players that will benefit from his coaching and desire. I also hope that a number of our players can remain as back ups, but would try to build around Digne, Mina, Holgate, Gomes, Iwobi, Richy, DCL/Kean. This is likely to be our last year with Richy and Digne. Gbamin would be a plus. Expect that we sell Kenney, and Coleman becomes back up/mentor to someone we bring in. Not sure what to do with Pickford - he is good, but does not seem to be able to stop making the occasional dumb mistake. Worried that if we sell him for $$ this offseason, that we will not replace his shot stopping ability.

If we bring in another defender, and have a strong line in front of GK, that might help us to sell him at a profit later, and ease someone else into that spot. Biggest buy this offseason is one or two creative midfielders with some pace, a CB, a RB, and a midfield destroyer(or is that Gbamin?). I think that Richy is talented and still maturing, DCL is a good poacher, Kean was probably used to having better passes fed to him in Italy(closer to Richy than DCL). So a young striker would be good to challenge the above also. I saw a rumor that Baines would not play in the second half anyone hear more details on that, or just twitterati ramblings? Apologies for the long post, but lots to stew on after that bad of a game. at least the NYRB looked good last night.
Arnez Desmond
60 Posted 13/07/2020 at 04:58:02
This Everton lack pace, youthful energy, quality, powerful combative midfielders and drive (leadership) to become a winning team. I hope that Ancelotti was experimenting to look at the dynamism of the players and realise that his job and reputation will be on the line if he keeps the current ones. Brands need to get rid of the Koeman, Silva and Big Sam signings. No players from "big" clubs looking at a final payday. They must want to win things. Everton needs to back Ancelotti and give him his own team or succession will be a problem as top managers will avoid Everton like the plague. Brands needs to clear the decks quickly, identify good players without hefty price tags (uncover diamonds like Leicester) and the Everton board may want to write off some contracts (e.g. do Morgan Schneiderlin type deals get some money and offload players) to to free up payroll. Cut losses early!

Suggestion for the next game/next season:

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

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

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

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

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

Tony Hill
61 Posted 13/07/2020 at 07:06:05
Good to see you on TW, Ken @58.

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

Arnez Desmond
62 Posted 13/07/2020 at 07:57:08
Tony@61. We hope that Richarlison and Digne will stay of course. We now need the Blues board, Brands and Ancelotti to come together and clear the decks of unwanted, uninterested and injury prone players. What I can't understand is with the injury record that Fabian Delph has, how did Brands sign him? We have several others to are fragile as well. Our good players get injured because there are passengers in this team.
I wish we had a Dave Watson or a Peter Reid/Paul Bracewell type in the centre or a modern Roy Keane or Gravesen. I want the opposition to fear us...there is no one in the team that does it. Expecting Gomes/Gylfi to play def mid is like asking Richarlison to play centre back. no pace and cannot tackle. I recall in the late 80s when Everton beat Forest 4-0 I think, Brian Clough called his team a bunch of pansies...Everton today seems a lot like that...soft and fragile.
Jim Bennings
63 Posted 13/07/2020 at 08:03:21
What Latin for

"We shit ourselves when we face anyone".?

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

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

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

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

Diabolical.

Tom Dodds
64 Posted 13/07/2020 at 08:05:01
To think that with all the money in salaries/agents fees/and initial purchases of these recent players (sic)..you would never of thought in a thousand years we would of been better off financially keeping Gueye/Lukaku (even Barkley) till their contracts finished and let them go on a free.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Simon Cartwright
65 Posted 13/07/2020 at 08:29:06
Hi guys. New to this myself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bill Fairfield
66 Posted 13/07/2020 at 09:04:58
Is this the worst squad of players in the clubs history?The lows this season have been staggering and it just gets worse.Even the teams that flirted with relegation in the nineties had more about them than this lot.We are looking at yet another reaction on Thursday,but it doesn't last very long does it?
Martin Mason
67 Posted 13/07/2020 at 09:05:03
It was generous of Carlo to play with two inexperienced wing backs for Wolves to play past so easily. I've seen some rubbish dished out by Everton in the 60 years I've been watching, I've never seen spineless rubbish like they turned out yesterday. our prospects are terrifying.
Bill Fairfield
68 Posted 13/07/2020 at 09:18:12
Jim @63

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

Christopher Timmins
69 Posted 13/07/2020 at 09:18:17
Yet another bad performance to go with the long list of others during the course of this never ending season.

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

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

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

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

Colin Hughes
70 Posted 13/07/2020 at 09:36:50
Some indictments to go next to this season- We are on course to finish a bigger points margin behind our local rivals than we have in our entire history, currently 48 points. If Villa, Bournemouth and Norwich go down it will be the first time since the war that all three relegated sides have beaten us, previous most was two.Finally as of today we haven't won an away game this season by a two goal margin,even the bottom three have managed that, Norwich doing so at our place.
Darren Hind
71 Posted 13/07/2020 at 09:59:41
Sorry Lyndon. I'm a big admirer of your work, but I cant agree with any of that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Raftery
72 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:00:20
Christopher (69) You have provided an accurate picture of where we are currently. We have been in steady decline since 2017 which saw the departure of Lukaku and the arrival of a huge bunch of over priced mediocrities. The immediate task is to halt the decline. Failure to do that will see us drawn into a proper relegation battle next season.

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

Martin Mason
73 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:09:00
Darren@71, 3-5-2 defaults to a back 5 when defending. Lyndon was correct in his observation.
Clive Rogers
74 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:09:51
Tom, #64, you are correct. This club will never progress as long as Kenwright remains as chairman and exerts his influence. The whole club is packed with his yes men and “Everton family” members and is run with a holiday camp atmosphere. Since Moshiri took over there has never been a much needed clear out of his hangers on.
Paul Jones
75 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:13:10
The simple digestive cavity of a jellyfish acts as both its stomach and intestine, with one opening for both the mouth and the anus. No guts.

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

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

Rick Tarleton
76 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:14:29
Neves's pass for the third goal Wolves scored, it was a great long pass by a Portuguese midfielder. Gomes, our version off Neves, hits sucjh passes every match he plays, unfortunately, they are across the field to Digne or Coleman, not through the defence for Richarlison or Calvert-Lewin. It may be unfair to pick on Gomes who wasn't even playing, but it's symptomatic of a midfield where no one knows what he is doing.
Each player has such glaring weaknesses that it is impossible to put a valid unit out. Sigurdsson lacks energy or drive, Davies has energy and drive, but his confidence has gone completely, Gordon is young and may become an excellent player, but has been peripheral so far. Walcott is irrelevant when you put on Bernard and Iwobi as substitutes, I wonder what question is being asked if they are the answer.Gomes hasn'tthe energy or drive and his passing ability is used as a virtuoso turn, not to threaten the opposition.
Signor Ancelotti, you have a lot to do.
Charles Brewer
77 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:20:04
I wonder if there isn't another explanation for all that's going on at present. Yesterday we saw Spurs and Arsenal play a crap match, Leicester hardly bother, and Everton spend 90 minutes wandering about and not getting involved. Even Burnley weren't particularly exercised, apart from their goalie - who's playing for an England place and a big transfer.

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

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

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

John Salmon
78 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:28:58
Having read all the comments, on various sites, it is without doubt that the so called team are absolute tripe, If I was Carlo, pre season starts straight after the final whistle of the season, no holidays, as it looks like they are on them already, work them everyday get them to watch videos of their performances, no golf days, report to FM, at 9am, till 6pm, and if they don't like it let them resign.
Jim Harrison
79 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:46:51
All the criticism of our club fair and accurate, but worth considering that Wolves story isn't just the last 6 years. They were bank rolled onto a new stadium years ago, given a free hit by a benevolent owner who sold them for nothing so the next guy could invest in the club not just the purchase.
And whilst it worked out well, had the gamble on the investment they stuck in didn’t work out they were up shit street. They have also spent best part of 250 million quid over past 4 seasons.
They have of course spent better than Everton! But they did take a punt that they would stay up last season.

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

Eddie Dunn
80 Posted 13/07/2020 at 10:54:39
Dave @ 1, on the contrary Dave, the paying fans would have reminded those players what they should have been doing for those wages. Especially at Goodison were they would have been booed off.
As for the criticism of Sigurdsson, he was playing the holding role in front of a much changed defence, which then had to be adjusted further after Mina's injury. His main task was to cover the space in front of the centre-halves, and initiate our play out from deep. He was clearly instructed to push the passes to the left wing where Baines and Digne were looking to go down the line. The movement of DCL was so poor that there were few opportunities for the midfield to hit balls to him. DCL never came deep to pick the ball up, and nor was he able to win possession from long balls and off load.
Of the midfield, I think Sigurdsson was the best of a poor bunch but he was no more culpable than anyone else.
Gomes and Sigurdsson are capable of seeing a run and dropping a ball on a sixpence. The main reason why they haven't been doing that and passing left and right, is that Richarlison and Domenic have become so predictable. They only look dangerous on the break.
If DCL was to study Kane, he would see a guy willing to run the channelsm come to halfway to pick the ball up, drag defenders out of position to make space for others to exploit.
The pair of them were jogging about not doing th high press, giving Wolves all day to build from the back.
Richi was rightly hooked.
Next game I would start with Kean with Sigurdsson at ten, with hopefully Delph to stay deep.
Everyone needs competiton for their places including our "star" players.
Kevin Molloy
81 Posted 13/07/2020 at 11:03:26
I think the fans need to dig deep on this one, cos the club is in a real pickle. It cannot just jettison these bums cos they are all on monster contracts. Our only hope out of this mess is to cajole them back to some sort of playing consistency, and wait for their contracts to run down.

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

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

Rennie Smith
83 Posted 13/07/2020 at 11:33:52
You're right Kevin@81. We all have knee-jerk reactions me included, but some realities need to be remembered. I've seen loads of posts saying get rid most of the team, but it's never that easy and the fair play conditions make it even harder. I saw one post saying sell Gbamin, jesus we've only seen the lad play 5 minutes and who the hell is going to buy him?

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

Tom Bowers
84 Posted 13/07/2020 at 11:53:29
Rennie, I agree to a certain extent but 3 games in a row with little or no attacking prowess is disturbing. We can make a few excuses and some may be valid but, even since Carlo took the helm, there hasn't really been much improvement.

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

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

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

Kevin Molloy
85 Posted 13/07/2020 at 11:57:12
At this rate, Bournemouth are going to knock us into the middle of next week.

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

Kevin Prytherch
86 Posted 13/07/2020 at 11:58:26
The comments calling for a whole new team are ridiculous. We’ll be in the exact same mess as we are now.

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

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

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

The only immediate focus is our midfield

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Bennings
87 Posted 13/07/2020 at 11:58:46
Moshiri must be pissed off.

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

I'm sick of hearing of three year projects.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rennie Smith
88 Posted 13/07/2020 at 11:59:30
Tom: "Iwobi tries hard"?

Not sure which games you've been watching!

Robert Tressell
89 Posted 13/07/2020 at 12:14:08
Kevin @81. Interesting point you make. Moyes leaving Everton after 11 years of stability and consistent 5th (ish) placed finishes marked a sea change. Not unlike Ferguson leaving Utd after their consistent 1st (ish) placed finishes.

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Bennings
90 Posted 13/07/2020 at 12:40:02
Robert

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

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

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

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

Fran Mitchell
91 Posted 13/07/2020 at 12:45:24
We need to re-evaluate our goals.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And we need players who can pass.

Benn Chambers
92 Posted 13/07/2020 at 13:35:39
I watched Sheff United take apart Chelsea the other night and they did it without one single marquee player. Let’s be honest, before a ball was kicked this season, not one single person would’ve took any of their players over any of ours and yet look at where they are. A team that’s built of compete trust in the manager, a well drilled machine that knows it’s strength and weaknesses and sticks to its game plan. Most of all though, a team that leaves the pitch dripping with sweat. Leaves fuck all out there and is willing to run to exhaustion for each and every one of their team mates.

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

Rennie Smith
93 Posted 13/07/2020 at 13:42:28
People talk about how much money we've spent, but I've said before the main reason for that is because we've chopped and changed the managers. Every one has demanded his own players and the majority haven't worked out. Some of those managers absolutely deserved the bullet, but it would be nice for once to see a settled period where a team/identity is developed and not forced with luck.

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

Robert Tressell
94 Posted 13/07/2020 at 13:52:01
Jim I don't think one or two signings will sort things out on their own.

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

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

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

Sam Hoare
95 Posted 13/07/2020 at 14:18:45
Benn@92 you could put half of the Sheffield United team in our team and it would make very little difference. It could even (if possible) make us worse.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Bennings
96 Posted 13/07/2020 at 14:21:46
What Ancelotti needs to do is real character references.

Are players mentally strong, do they arrive with baggage?

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

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

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

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

Ken Kneale
97 Posted 13/07/2020 at 14:30:44
Jim - you would think any professional business would carry out such assessment as part and parcel of due diligence - I remember Harry Catterick and his backroom team always wanted to know whether the player had the desire to 'want' to play for Everton - we have so many in recent years including a majority of the current first team that clearly have no such characteristics that it seems inconceivable it forms a sufficient part of the recruitment process - I like you hope it is reinstated - it is an integral part of the requirements of background checks before pen is put to what is proving very expensive paper.
Mike Doyle
98 Posted 13/07/2020 at 14:39:16
Robert #94] I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.
The difference between Carlo and our recent managers may be that he won’t stick around waiting for a payoff. I suspect that either he’ll get the players he wants - perhaps over 2 windows - or he’ll walk.
Kevin Molloy
99 Posted 13/07/2020 at 14:42:31
Carlo's hand has been strengthened hugely by City showing up FFP to be a load of nothing. The Mosh is now all out of excuses as far as Carlo will be concerned
Mark Dunford
100 Posted 13/07/2020 at 14:55:00
Beni has been on the bench throughout this entire sequence of game. He must surely merit a chance in the next three dead rubbers - the combination of Siggy, Bernard, Iwobi, Walcott and unfortunately Gomes and Davies hasn't done anything of note since the Leicester victory. Davies looked slow yesterday. The only value in the first four lies in the savings made in losing their wages - can't see anyone buying them or Bolasie, Sandro, etc. Delph hasn't done anything since he arrived and Schnederlin has departed. More deadweight. Can we afford to lose the first four plus Delph which would leave midfield empty? More pertinent question is whether we can justify keeping any of them? We need an entire midfield.

Brent Stephens
101 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:07:55
Mike #98 "I suspect that either he’ll [Carlo] get the players he wants - perhaps over 2 windows - or he’ll walk."

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

Bill Fairfield
102 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:16:52
Never seen so many players careers stall and fade as Ive seen the last three years. Everton is becoming a graveyard.
Paul Richardson
103 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:23:34
To our new Norwegian follower. my idea of Everton's identity is, loosely, steel and silk. Watch the Howard's Way video. At the moment, we have too much of the silk and not enough steel.
Bill Gall
104 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:26:06
The comments are all on the same theme with numerous supporters offering their solutions to what the problems are, and how they should be fixed, me included.

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

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

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

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

Karl Meighan
105 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:32:02
The central midfield yesterday shows exactly the massive problems we have. One a 50m buy and the other a academy graduate. Does anyone at this Club have any pride in there jobs? Vastly different ways of putting players in are shirt, yet both absolute shite. How its possible to get things so badly wrong is almost impossible.
Ralph Basnett
106 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:36:31
So you are an Everton player and you have just pulled up in the club coach at Finch Farm post the Wolves embarrassment.

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

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

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

Nick Page
107 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:37:38
Bill, agree with all of that but we can’t even give players away - they are that shit - how do we mean sell them? Everyone of these mercenaries is just happy to sit in on a massive contract and run it down. It’s like we ended up with a team full Winston Bogarde’s. So we are basically stymied for the next year at least AND if we do manage to sell will have to take a massive write down through the P&L making FFP restrictions even worse. This is what terrible management gets you - in a fucking mess.
Brian Harrison
108 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:43:22
Sam 95

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

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

Bill Gall
109 Posted 13/07/2020 at 15:52:30
Nick # 107
I understand were you are coming,from I wrote the same thing on another thread a while back.
Ive always wondered what happens when a players contract runs out and the club refuses to extend it.
Yes we will loose money selling some of these poor excuses for professional footballers but I am not sure if it costs more keeping them, to honor their contracts. Who knows what was signed between the club and their lawyers, and the player, his agent and their lawyers.
Ian Horan
110 Posted 13/07/2020 at 16:50:03
The value of the cost of a player diminishes across the length of their contract at the end of the contract they reflect 0 as an asset. Barcelona have similar atm with coutinho and Dembele. So to reduce cost to Everton we need to forget so and so cost £mill. To get rid of the shite, sell for whatever it cost to pay their contract up. Anything above that value is a bonus...
Bill Gall
111 Posted 13/07/2020 at 17:50:37
Ian #110
The problem with wanting to get rid of a player seems to be if we reduce the fee drastically to sell I doubt very much if his agent in contract talks with another club will refuse to lower his wages, and I believe that some of the wage demands are the problem in trying to sell.
Also the wage contract signed with Everton on top of whatever the agent managed to squeeze out of Everton is the reason some players don't want to leave, as Nick #107 says, and will rather just sit it out.

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

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

Rennie Smith
112 Posted 13/07/2020 at 17:58:34
As you say Bill, players won't go for cut-price deals because
a) both the player and agent get a % of the purchase price
b) the likelihood is you're selling to a "lesser" club who won't be able to afford a similar wage.
So it's lose-lose for the player and their agents, apart from the good-old-meaningless adage of "I just want to be playing regularly". You can play for a lot less money or you can sit on your arse and pick up a wedge. I think we know which option every one of use would choose.
Bill Fairfield
113 Posted 14/07/2020 at 10:16:31
I hope our squad were watching Southampton's performance against Manchester United. That's how you see out a season, with guts and determination and looking forward to the next challenge.
Jack Ledwidge
114 Posted 14/07/2020 at 10:44:21
There was one thing very noticeable and it happened at 0-0 during the first water break. Whilst the Wolves manager was busy issuing instructions Carlo was quiet and I don't think said he even said a word to the players. He had a look on him that spoke greater than words.

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

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

Brian Murray
115 Posted 14/07/2020 at 11:00:38
All the more reason for a salary cap and eventually the laughing hyenas (agents) will have to look elsewhere to put their nose in a trough. In other news, Rodriguez reportedly not keen on a move to Goodison! Doesn't he realise we are only seven players and a chairman away from the cusp of greatness??
Paul Jones
116 Posted 14/07/2020 at 17:40:17
It would appear to me some already know that they will be moving on/being paid off hence the nil tackles. Owner really needs to consider the value of the Football directors he has appointed as they seem to have paid a lot of money for some real duds with no resale value. Calvert-Lewin, Gueye & Digne being the exception.
Ancelloti has done the "Fireman Sam" part of the job he has now seen the limitations in ability and character of the players in the squad. Next season I would anticipate he has identified what he needs to make the necessary improvement. If he does not get the necessary tools for the job expect him to move on as he did at Napoli.
Simon Dalzell
117 Posted 15/07/2020 at 22:15:36
Welcome, Christian. Many good points, and your commands of the English language is much more betterer than wot mine are.

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