Sloppy moments cost Everton dearly as they lose at home yet again

Probably all of them at some stage...

These are games we need to be comfortably winning.

Wine chilling. Let's go.

Because Everton, in the main this season, don't do 'width' unless it's provided by the overlapping full-backs.

Be nice for Dom to get back on the scoring sheet.

Opposition managers must look these days and wonder what they're going to face...

Most Inspirational - Seamus Coleman
Toughest Trainer - Tom Davies
Best Teacher - Fabian Delph
Quietest - Richarlison
Funniest - Nkounkou
Natural Leader - Mason Holgate

Personally I always find these insights from inside the locker room interesting.

I hope Iwobi and Gomes are up for the fight in midfield. The creativity level was non-existent against Chelski.

Maybe it's being too optimistic to expect much else from our midfield these days.

Needless to say, an early goal will help open the game up.

Brilliant, isn't it.

Keeps them guessing, our Carlo!

If he is played there it is a big opportunity for him, but the selection looks like it will be wing backs today.

He has been missing games over the same tight calf muscle since he arrived. He needs to decide if he wants to play in the Premier League – with the cold, the rain, the physicality and the hard pitches – or not.

Presumably because we're scared that Chris Wood will keep sprinting in behind Godfrey? Makes no sense at all.

Too narrow with players on top of each other. Most of the ball but nothing really being done with it. Holgate virtually useless as a wing back.

Looked better when Iwobi moved out wide.

I think we have enough to get into this. Be an absolute travesty if we lose another home game against relegation candidates.

Burnley, for their part, did earn the right to play. They've been physical, thrown challenges in and then played some great football. I reckon the first goal is a foul but the second was a career goal for McNeil.

We've shown a lot since. Tried to match them for intensity and that was a great goal to get back in the game. Say what you like about Tom but he's got character and that's what we need.

This game is wide open. Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin look dangerous and there are more goals in this game. I've been despondent at home when we've been behind, but this doesn't feel like one of those games. Time to get stuck right into these. COYB!

I think we are very lucky to still be in this game, and just hope we get to grips with the second half at a very windy Goodison.

I thought we started superbly. Iwobi was excellent in the number 10 role. Richarlison getting the ball between the lines and running and shooting well. Burnley weren't in it.

Then...WHAM!

Poor turnover by Tom. Thumping finish by Wood.

Still we were playing well.

Then Allan is too easily beaten by McNeil, but the finish again...oof! A worldy and Burnley start playing well. REALLY well, as well as I've seen them play.

Carlo changes it to push Iwobi wider to make us more compact in midfield, where he and Davies combine. Great cross by Tom. Thumping header by Dom.

We continued creating chances. Missed header opportunity for Dom from Gomes' free kick. Dom again not quite getting the ball under control from Allan's superb outside of the foot past. Richy again finding space to turn, run and shoot on goal.

Worrying that Pickford had to go off. I wonder if playing with the wind in the second half will benefit us.

All 3 results possible from here.

It ain't dull!

For our, hopefully first, goal it was a great run and delivery by Davies.

As for the call for a penalty against Holgate, I rather thought that the Burnley player holding him down with an arm was what forced Holgate's arm up and he was more fouled against than handling the ball.

I was also surprised that Iwobi, looking good playing more centrally, was told by Ancelotti on the half-hour mark to go to that more touchline hugging position.

It seems like a game where there may well be as many goals in the second half as the first.

Two more possibly not good enough to start in a top 6 team.

Fair way to go to be a side challenging for the Champions League.

Offered nothing, and negated half the pitch from being a threat.

Horrible.

Terrible result against a team who are honestly bang average.

Pray for a miracle next week then another naming rights cash boost to improve the squad in the summer.

Godfrey superb.

Great strikes by Burnley and deserved winners.

Why are we so afraid of going forward with a quick pass? Everything so safe and calculated.

Awful attitude from the off!! No leadership and 1 or 2 of the players were completely embarrassing.

Second half was a bit of a wash. We get in good positions but don't have the quality to make it count.

Teams are very happy to let the ball be pushed out to Iwobi. The guy lacks a fundamental ability to strike the ball correctly, and he'll never have it. Holgate too, though he also looks like he's trying to remember how to play football rather than having any kind of footballing instinct. Neither of them could really be described as footballers. Possibly athletes, but not footballers.

We had chances but I couldn't honestly say we showed enough.

I wouldn't have taken Tom off, and I thought it changed the game. But it happens most weeks so we're used to it.

Newcastle, Fulham, Burnley, just throwing a European spot away...

Another few notes: Why don't we start playing players in their actual positions!! Digne is not a winger, Holgate is not a right-wingback, and why on earth do we keep playing King as a bloody winger!!

Doucouré is our linchpin in midfield and, like Chelsea, it showed again today. I'd normally try and look at the positives but the display today was amateur.

Creativity was needed today so he leaves Sigurdsson and Bernard on the bench!

This side is a long, long way off being seriously competitive and it is not the work of a couple of transfer windows to fix it. Our lack of basic touch and technique is alarming and I'm afraid Calvert-Lewin.was one of the biggest culprits tonight.

Thoroughly demoralising because there is nothing good to take from that game.

Nothing in the way of creativity and this has happened too many times this season now at Goodison: Burnley added to the list of Fulham, Newcastle that have won comfortably.

Ancelotti seems so tactically naive at times, as soon as I saw that starting line-up I said "No creativity, again".

We need six new quality signings all to go straight into next season's team, no room for sentiment – and I include Calvert-Lewin. in that, been a great target man for us but not good enough to get us where we want to be, like pretty much all of them sadly.

We desperately need a player or two who can beat a man and carry the ball forward as our play is so predictable in the sense of we rely on getting it wide and hopefully scoring from a cross.

I fear this is the game that has spiked the chances of Europe I hope, I’m wrong.

I’ve not been so pissed with an Everton result off in a long time.

Goodison hoodoo, but Leeds done us a favour and we spew it yet again,when the stakes are high.

Too many players miles off the mark, and too much respect for Burnley. It could have been 1-4, being honest.

Sick to the back teeth.. No excuses and some of these players need to face reality tonight..

Carlos body language today in my view, suggests this is the day where he’s made his mind up.

FairPlay to Burnley with two outstanding finishes, but Everton, will regret this result today.

Fekkn tales of the expected again, at Goodison Park.

All have a good weekend, the ale will go down tonight, but for the wrong reasons.

Someone tell Iwobi to be a man and get his hands out of his sleeves!!

Really pissed off with that...

I saw him push to the middle every time, hold the ball like it was his cock, and then turn it over.

Only one natural lefty, who was shite again. So everything slows down because they need to move it to their right foot.

Iwobi? Discuss... but without expletives – actually, don't bother. There aren't enough expletives.

Next Saturday could be dreadful.

Other than a golden 10 minutes for Burnley when they scored their goals and played really well, I thought it was an evenly balanced game. They defended better than us in the key moments.

I thought Gomes was excellent. Richarlison disappeared 2nd half. Dom not quite on it. Dreadful corners from Digne easily negated one of our biggest threats.

Iwobi awful? Don't be silly Jamie. He looked very good in the Number 10 role. Quick. Mobile. Imaginative in his passing. That got sacrificed before half-time with a change of shape. And even in that role he was far from awful.

Awful was King. He has his supporters on here. Personally, I've yet to see anything of note from him in a Blue shirt.

He stunk today and for most of this season. If he was as good as he is arrogant, then that would be something. He's playing like an extra player for the opposition.

Godfrey is a great buy.

Didn't understand the substitution and thought that Allan would be the man rather than Davies. Gomes, I thought, was our best player (MotM) but it has to be said that the young keeper did well in different circumstances.

It was a more entertaining game than recent games but not the result. Top 4, Top 8? Do we still budget for an 11th place finish?

I hope Carlo is steaming after that game, cos that's his season down the pan right there.

I'm so disappointed with Allan: he runs like Peter Reid, but unlike Peter, he doesn't give a shit.

We won't beat Man City mate, not pessimistic just realistic.

City won't get out of first gear, they never need to when they play us now. I can only see an easy 3-1 win for Pep's men.

Gomes was very poor first half, stepped it up the second half.

The weak link for me is Holgate.

There's little movement up front and nobody who can unlock a packed defence. Even when we're a goal down, we continue to play triangles in our own box. It's baffling. After 20 mins, you get the sinking feeling that it's gonna be another of those days.

I like Ancelotti but, if he can't see that Iwobi and Gomes aren't good enough, then he isn't the amazing manager the pundits wax lyrical about. How Iwobi played the whole game today is a complete mystery.

We need 5 or 6 new players and need to target players with pace.

Very disappointing considering some of our away results.

It's football Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it...

When it comes to a scrap for the points, we fail. We don't fail now and again... we seem to fail again and again. Why? Well I'm honestly fucked if I know.

Blaming the manager, IMO, is easy and lazy. Pretty sure he doesn't instruct them to over-hit passes, lose their 50-50s, and generally fail against inferior opposition.

True, some of the substitutions are head-scratchers. Why Tom was hooked before Iwobi who, Jay I have to disagree, was poor, I'll never know.

I'll agree on another point though, Jay, King has been underwhelming though he hasn't had long on the pitch.

It just confounds me that we can't win these type of games, for fuck's sake.

Poor poor performance all around.

Gomes trained on Crosby Beach last week by invitation of Carlo, surely when the Iron Men ran rings around him and outsmarted him too, that should have sent a message to our beloved leader, but no, he let him continue from where he left off.

Iwobi, for all the criticism, which he has deserved, wasn't that bad today, although his final ball remains to merit the questions why, what, where and who was that to? Davies wasn't as good as he has been but at least was having a go, and there were candidates who deserved substitution way ahead of him.

Disappointed? You bet I am!

I spotted out Holgate about 3 years ago and said I was never convinced by him – even though I was shot down on here by his supporters.

I've never rated him; a Championship player – nothing more.

Fed up of saying it but our midfield is like dad's army compared to nearly every other team. Burnley midfield bossed the game and enabled the win. Poorer technical players but with more desire, speed and aggression.

Holgate is well out of his depth at full-back, he offers nothing going forward and struggles passing forward.

Does anyone know Iwobi's best position yet?

Davies should have stayed on for Gomes. King has shown nothing to suggest we keep him.

Another bad day at the office. Man City next up, can't wait.

Come back Nyarko, all is forgiven.

So much Carlo and this woeful bunch could learn. Thank heavens that I can get some excitement watching a team I really want to see win.

Someone like McNeil has to be signed, can produce a moment of magic from outside the box, hardly has to be in the box to create as well when the left...

Also, a centre-mid like Neves who can score outside the box, which also draws out centre backs to close him down and out of good defensive positions.

Of course, two right-sided players that can produce great runs and crosses from the right, possibly a right-back and a right-midfielder.

It's fine lines with us; we're not great... neither are we shite; our results reflect as much.

Although I am puzzled by the hype around Allan.

By replacing Pickford, it reduced the number of outfield players we could replace, so I think, just for his dead-ball crosses alone, Sigurdsson should have come on. We had enough dead ball situations, corners of free kicks, to really put pressure on their back four.

As far as qualifying for Europe via a league placing, I think that avenue is now closed. It's the FA Cup or nothing.

Jesus wept.

Okay, Chelsea wasn't the end of the world, everyone accepted they are a cut above But did anyone see how Leeds played against them today? Leeds were a class apart from our performance and gave as good as they got. They didn't roll over like a little puppy dog wanting to get its belly tickled. Shame on Everton.

So, all is not lost, we can make it up against Burnley and get the momentum back for a top 6 finish.

Too many slow players, the slowest team in the Premier League means we always pass back, no-one's fast enough to escape their marker. Allan is rusty still, Tom a bit rusty too after their respective injuries. We missed Doucouré. It meant the midfield was way off the pace.

Iwobi for me is finished for Everton, how many chances does this player get? Too slow and lethargic, never sprints or gets close when closing down. What does he do? What does he bring to the table? How can a player get away with sauntering around week after week? If he cost us £2M instead of £27m he would be nowhere near the first team. I have enough of it, yet again.

He plays average or poor, we have our pick of these players, but we're paying a fortune for this, get rid!

Iwobi (see the sentence above)!

Let's hope but realistically, this is the zenith of this squad, and a slow burning rebuild, it seems from goalkeeper to forward line.

It's a nap today but the conditions and the weather are the same for both teams.

Burnley wanted it more and Everton were outplayed at home. Transition is too slow, in the team, now to clear the decks and go again.

Let's hope Arsenal and Wolves can do us a favour over the next two days.

The effort and will to win was there, we just lack ideas and great movement in attacking areas.

Bizarrely, Europe is still a solid possibility, though I'd happily take Europa League, if offered it right now. If we somehow qualify for Champions League, we'd be exposed without huge recruitment. A year too early, at least. It is clear that we need about 3-4 serious additions to solidify next season and make a first of a Europa campaign. Right-back is glaringly obvious – Seamus has run his race and Holgate is inadequate. A quality creative central midfielder. A right-winger, possibly one who can play on the left if required.

Pickford beaten twice from range, it's definitely a weakness and looks like their players had been told to take shots from range if on. I was happy with Virginia, solid league debut. Borderline foul on Davies for their first goal, responded well to get us back into the game. Good ball over the top for Calvert-Lewin too, just before getting pulled, so possibly a fitness issue behind that.

Allan and Gomes controlled midfield but couldn't pick that incisive pass. Calvert-Lewin a handful but could have done better on a couple occasions. Richarlison struggled to get into dangerous areas. Defence played okay overall. Without James and Sigurdsson we struggled with attacking set-piece deliveries.

Not a fatal loss, but more momentum squandered with Chelsea being held today.

I'm not expecting anything from the Man City cup match, we're not in their class.

He’s obviously a talent but we have to carry him and he’s one of the first who’s head goes down if we’re struggling.

There were few moments of genuinely class from Everton tonight, but Digne provided one of them at the start of the 2nd half. On the right flank still having delivered a corner, with his back to goal and a high ball dropping over his shoulder, in one touch he brought the ball under control, got half a yard on the defender and with his 2nd touch contorted to put in a great cross with his right foot on to Dom's head.

2-2!!!! Noooooo!!!!

Dom got it all wrong as his clear frustration showed.

I'm beginnning to worry about hanging onto Godfrey, this kid is bloody good, there has to be some money clubs looking at him?

Now is the time to poach him before his value goes up too much.

Holgate
Davies
Iwobi
Gomes
Keane

Would any of the following try to sign them?

Man City
Man Utd
Chelsea
Spurs
Leicester City
Liverpool

They may have the quality to do well in some big games – when the commitment is a given – but on a normal banker against a poor but honest side like Burnley (and half-a-dozen more) this is easily the worst team in the league.

There is no pace, no commitment and no leadership on the pitch. If anyone can tell me what to look out for so that I can see the Carlo transformation – please let me know. Cos I can't see it.

He seems a decent sort. Puts in a half decent shift for a winger. Gets in some good positions. And he can look reasonable on the ball. There's nothing inherently dislikeable about the guy.

But that's all preliminary stuff. When he has to actually deliver, he falls so far short. A cross, a shot, even a ball in behind. They go everywhere. Through-balls are delivered at waist height. Crosses bend the opposite way to what you would want in that position, or they barely leave the ground. Or he floats them at the corner flag. Remember, the guy is an attacking player.

He lacks the ability to strike a ball correctly. You either learn that as a junior or you don't. If you don't, then you don't play at a high level. His status in the game is a miracle.

It's like proclaiming me to be a great lover because I look decent when I undress (which isn't true). There has to be something of substance beyond appearance.

Iwobi hits the first man or loses it 9 times out of 10. Gomes slows the play down too much for me. Neither of them can shoot. Not good enough.

In what way is Iwobi better than Lookman or Deulofeu? He doesn't even look bothered to me. I'll give Gomes a bit of slack because of the injury but you can't play both of them in the same starting XI as it's like being a man down.

Tom H. I agree, Godfrey is class. MotM today with Gomes. The only two who tried.

Holgate – rates himself higher than I do.

Gomes – doesn't impact the game enough but can at least pick a pass every now and then.

Holgate is not a right-back and always looks brassed off.

Allan looks well off the pace of the game as yet. How many times is Keane going to do that short pass to a man marked by two players?

Godfrey had his usual decent game. Digne's crossing poor. Davies did okay ish. Iwobi thought was tip of the diamond but reverted back to his right-wing role with poor crosses again.

Gomes okayish. Richarlison tried hard as usual. We just don't seem capable of passing more than 10 yards accurately, unless it's backwards. We have more sicknotes than Holby Hospital.

That said you should really be beating Burnley at home! I go back to a point I made earlier the lack of focus from the players in the tunnel was disgraceful! They should all be lined up as a team ready to go with a steely focus (Roy Keane Esq) not pissing about and sniffing whatever Holgate was sniffing, or leaning on the wall! High fives as if we are so good we just have to turn up!

I'm not sure where to go with it really? Can we raise our game to beat Man City next week? If we don't, then the season could effectively be over!

Been here before...

I thought Iwobi had a decent game, especially in the first half. I'm a fan of Godfrey but didn't think he was his usual standard today, but still much better than Keane. Davies was a scapegoat again, but the midfield will continue to struggle, especially without Doucouré.

I don't expect we will get much better than this the rest of the season and the season could finish next Saturday when Man City come to visit in the FA Cup, although might be me believing in miracles if we are to get through.

The only player we have with those capabilities at a high level is Rodriguez. Probably next to him would be Sigurdsson, though he has limitations which impact his qualities final third.

After those two, we have players that are good on the ball and can pass, obviously but cannot be relied upon to break open a well-drilled opponent that sits deep. Gomes for example is a good technical player but his number of assists throughout his career is quite low.

So it is not lack of effort, will or anything like that. Richarlison is essentially a striker, or wide forward. He's great in space or on the counter but will struggle against a packed defence and is not creative.

Neither is Calvert-Lewin, he's a target man with pace. Digne can cross. Coleman can't. Iwobi is good travelling with the ball in terms of retaining it but rarely beats a man, can't cross the ball and is not a dangerous passer. Not seeing much from King to justify a permanent move.

Calvert-Lewin should have buried the chance just after half-time and on another day either he or Richy would have had another. A frustrating game of passes not quite going to feet or coming under control.

We should give Burnley credit for playing out of their skins and for some glorious finishing rather than finding negatives just with Everton. I thought Gomes played well, so too Iwobi. Mason needs to be replaced when possible – the way he dives in at least twice every game is a problem.

I can't understand why Carlo persists with Holgate, he doesn't want to go forward and is always looking to pass the ball backwards.

I think that was Allan's worst game by a long way – he should never have allowed McNeil to go past him so easily.

Well, Iwobi wanted to play in his preferred position and he did and still produced absolutely nothing. Calvert-Lewin... I have seen camels with a better first touch, his chance with the second header was far easier than the one he scored.

I think that pretty much has put paid to a top 4th spot which in all honesty this team aren't good enough to play at that level. I also think it will be very difficult to qualify for a Europa League spot.

I don't think Carlo can be absolved of our recent run of home results, this team seems only happy playing the top teams with 10 men behind the ball. But, when the onus is on us to take the game to so-called lesser teams, we have been found wanting.

So Carlo you need to change the mindset and get this team playing front foot football, as after losses to West Ham, Newcastle, Fulham and now Burnley at home I think having no crowds inside Goodison, is at present a blessing for you and the players. I can only imagine what the scenes would have been at the end of today's game.

The answer would be maybe if they were on a free, or you pay us to take them!

You don't think Keane would be a better option than Dier or Bailly?

Davies has improved hugely this season. It was a borderline foul to dispossess him. More highly-regarded midfielders than him have similarly lost the ball in similar positions this season.

He could have dropped his head but came back, showed for the ball and got us back in the match. Could've had a second assist if Dom hadn't been unlucky with his takedown.

He is a more creative passer than Gomes, Doucouré or Allan. Personally, I rate him over Man Utd's centre mids and he would definitely be a strong addition to Spurs and Leicester.

He's like a fucking headless chicken at times, couldn't cross a ball to save his life (not the only one in our team).

Holgate – sell him.

Calvert-Lewin was guilty of missing at least two great chances.

Keane guilty of clearing the ball into the middle of the penalty area. I mentioned before he got away with it against the red shite, didn't this time. I can not believe he made the same mistake again - fucking clear the ball.

Desperate display in my opinion, don't give a monkey's fuck how good, physical, organised Burnley are – they are fucking Burnley. Rant over.

The times today when Everton had a good position and gave away possession via unforced errors, effectively conceded this game to Burnley.

Two superb strikes by Burnley and fair play, they will be safe, I'm certain to stay up. Tom Davies, if he keeps his fitness and belief, will be first on the team sheet this summer.

New players needed and this may happening the summer, but I don't see no more than x4 players coming in, in the balancing of this Everton squad, but that's only my view.

It's a killer when Everton spew every opportunity to make ground this season when in a good position.

I must disagree with some comments. I thought Gomes had a decent game. Two shots at goal and his passing, for the most part, was accurate.

Iwobi and Gomes may have looked good on the ball but our midfield off the ball is what made Burnley look like scoring with every attack.

I would take all of their midfielders over ours tonight.

You have to match the opposing team's effort before trying to play. We just haven't got those types of players.

However we don't seem capable of doing that, even when we have had Doucouré and James on the pitch we have struggled in this regard.

Love Carlo but really wish he had been a bit more positive tonight with perhaps King and Coleman starting from the off. The goal aside, we lack any kind of threat down the right.

I hear people giving Calvert-Lewin a hard time in previous games but he's a poacher, he needs balls into the 18-yard box or he's never going to score.

I still think we can achieve a decent finish this season, it's been an improvement but I think we are all so frustrated with the home/away form flipping on its head. On to the next game!

Burnley at home is a game we should not lose. But we have. The problem is our complete lack of creativity. Against a team sitting deep at Goodison, we just can't find enough opportunity to break them down. We don't have players clever enough to do this.

Carlo didn't sign most of these players.

Everton did have play through the centre, but Calvert-Lewin was a huge let-down technically, which seems to be normal, with Richarlison tracked and crowded out.

More and more wing play and really poor crosses, too short or over hit. Holgate produced a identical overhit cross to a cross of his in the Chelsea game and Digne completely lost his crossing touch. His corners were diabolical. Digne looks like a knackered player to me and needs a break. King really didn't contribute and is light years away from a shot on target.

I thought the spirit was there throughout the game, only to be undone by the wrong tactics early on and poor technical ability in final third play.

Injuries have played their part in the team not being able to implement Ancelotti's tactics. The out-of-shape King is going to take a while to shape up, but not quick enough to get him a contract extension. Lucky he was brought in on a short contract.

A damning statement about the quality of our midfielders, and to some extent the ability of our defence to defend with only 4 of them there. Basically open up our games and we will get destroyed by any team, from bottom 3 to top 4.

Bye-bye, Europe.

We also get rid of Lookman, who looks decent at Fulham, and have £27ucM man, Iwobi, stuttering around the pitch like he's overdosed on caffeine.

Also, can no-one cross a fucking ball or whip a corner in, for fuck's sake... it's absolute dogshit. If the crowd was in Goodison Park, these useless cunts would be getting torn to shreds! Fuming!

I thought your report was good Michael, but I thought we were well on top when Davies was replaced by King, which changed our formation again, and suddenly it was Burnley who looked dangerous again.

Calvert-Lewin let us down tonight, but not as much as Richarlison, or the manager, who could have just taken our Brazilian off for King, and kept us playing the same way when we were well on top, instead of disrupting the flow of the game.

I thought Gomes was dreadful in the first half, and our best player in the second half, but Everton are crazy, pushing for a Champions League place, yet showing relegation form at home... Argh! Well, I'd sooner win next week, and at least we showed loads more energy in that second period today!

If we have a good recruitment team, then I'd be understanding at selling Richarlison, as it means we make a huge profit, and buy a new version with money left over, like Dortmund do all the time, and just get bettter.

However, that's our big if! I think we can do it as Godfrey, Branthwaite, Kean (gone up in value) and Nkounkou give me hope that our recruitment is getting the hang of the type of quality young players we need to bring in.

I've always thought if Moyes just bought and sold a bit more when some players were peaking, he would have got us into the top 4. Of course on the flip side, it's easy saying we should definitely just sign him and him and assuming it just gets done because we want it done too. And also managers can only plan 2 years ahead it seems. So, down to the recruitment team to get that list right for this big summer spend.

I thought Iwobi did well until he was moved wide. Our right flank is poor and will not improve until we buy new players. Digne has been poor for quite a while and I would sell him to generate transfer funds as we have Nkounkou and Small waiting in the wings. They will need some patience defensively but would add a lot of pace and youthful energy which we sorely lack.

All season and last, we have been way too slow to close players down around 20-25 yards from our goal and it costs us time after time. This should be coached.

The same people who praised Holgate last season are now slagging him off. He is a centre-back, not an overlapping right-back, and it seems that looking arrogant is a crime – again, folk were saying last season and this how we lacked players with a touch of arrogance!

Our squad is not good enough to compete in the Premier League and Europe next season but hopefully this will be sorted in the transfer window. Sell Digne and Kean and we should have £70M in the kitty for starters and that would also boost our Financial Fair Play position.

Iwobi is totally out of his depth, looks like he's never played the game before and certainly not at this level. Others, like Digne and Gomes have struggles after injuries

We don't have the squad necessary, and so we go on dreaming in hope for the next transfer window, like we do every season.

Without the home crowd behind us, we are seriously lacking to fight for the cause. Something not quite right. Where's the team spirit that won at Anfield?

Yes, he was shite against West Brom but not at all tonight. Many others performed worse out there. When Iwobi was playing centrally (more like a Number 10), I thought he was one of the very few positives in the first 35 minutes. When he was pushed out wide, he was often drawing three or four players out to him and, more often than not, running inside and switching play and thereby taking those Burnley players out of the game, albeit temporarily; that to me is intelligent play.

The movement in front of Iwobi was often shite so he chose to move cross-field, not a problem for me. Alex cannot cross a ball, I agree on that, but how many players can?

The crossing tonight of Lucas Digne was equally poor. If lumping the ball in high (to Calvert-Lewin) is the sum total of our attacking efforts, it just shows we are a one-dimensional shite team that cannot work the ball. This is very often down to a lack of work-rate and poor movement off the ball, in my opinion, which we still need to address.

Iwobi played quite a few quality balls forward tonight that were wasted by others, hardly his fault. Bombing a 24-year-old who is reasonably quick and usually stays free of injury (unlike many 28- to 31-year-olds), and who has the potential to improve further, out of the club would be stupidity in my opinion. I look forward to the day when we have a starting XI and a bench full of players who are better than Alex Iwobi; sadly it ain't gonna happen any day soon!

We're bumping into teams who are game and overflowing with team spirit and we're not matching them.

Taking Davies off again was unbelievable: the only player trying to make something happen, the only player showing drive and passion for his team, and yet Ancelotti takes him off – cos that's what he does – takes Davies off whether he's playing well or not, cos it's 70 minutes... Tom, you're off, mate.

You would expect to see a much better game plan at home, from a guy of his experience. It's a total lottery regarding tactics, which is unacceptable and worrying. All now depends on his summer signings, because this season is a total write-off with home form like ours, which is a massive disappointment.

But, if you could get £60/70 million for those two players and go and invest another £30 million, it might be beneficial to us in the longer-term, I definitely wouldn't argue with that.

The answer to your question: "Where's the team spirit that won at Anfield?" can probably be found in your final paragraph. The lack of fans helped us win that game as much as anything else. Who knows how that game would have panned out if the ground was full of Liverpool fans, urging their team on?

The early goal obviously helped us, just as much as had that shot from Richarlison gone in early on in the game tonight, then I think we would have gone on to win the game.

There are lots of away wins now that there aren't any fans.

Out-thought and out-fought tonight by a team with character.

Ancelloti has just said on Sky, we try to open up and control the game but we haven't got the quality to do this and our strength is to defend and rely on counter-attack or set-pieces, ie, we can't move, pass, control, we haven't got the technical quality in the side to do this.

Totally agree with that. Where have you gone, Ball, Kendall and Harvey? Blue Nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Woo woo woo.

Sigurdsson was on the bench but apparently carrying a knock from Chelsea. Physicalities seem at their lowest point and even the fittest of players are losing battles they wouldn't normally lose.

Same old, same old for me. Blame subs, tactics, whatever you want but, if Calvert-Lewin's touch is better, we should come away with at least a point.

Gomes stepped up to play too late, Iwobi does what war is good for, Holgate can't get us up the pitch and, when we lose the physical battle, we usually lose the game.

I should take stock after a bad result because just about everything bugs me. I do think we're progressing but it's disappointing when you think where we could now be sitting in the table. Normally it's our away form that lets us down. We cracked that but then our home form becomes our Achilles heel.

That's the current squad summed up. Cruel but true.

But I'm not paid £10 million a year to spot that 4 months later, am I... someone else is.

The second half was what I expected, Burnley sat in and us being completely unable to break them down.

Joking aside, and let's be honest, if fans had been allowed in the stadiums all season, would we have won nine away games (so far)? Would Liverpool have lost six games at home on the bounce? Man Utd losing at home to Crystal Palace, Sheff Utd, conceding six against Spurs... Arsenal seemed to lose fairly regularly at home early in the season.

I'm sure there are plenty more. It just seems that, once an away team takes the lead, they go and win the game, as there are no home fans forcing their team on to fight back. The only team it doesn't seem to affect is Man City.

I was expecting more from Josh King, who always impressed me when he was at Bournemouth. I won't write him off just yet – but, at this stage, the short-term loan looks a wise move.

I'd give him another go; he was the only one on the move for defenders to hit and, when found, the ball stuck. Moves didn't collapse around him and he was always looking to progress. The boy did okay.

"We can't move, pass, control, we haven't got the technical quality in the side to do this".

What else is there left? Ancelotti finally saying he has nothing to manage.

He also said Ibramovich was in this category of leader. The leaders take care of the game on the pitch, the manager has done his job, good teams need leaders to implement the plan and even have the guts to change it if it isn't working. "Leaders you can trust," he calls them.

What have we got? A technical leader, Rodriquez, playing once every 4 games, and maybe Digne on song. I think he bought Allan to be our first highly driven leader, but it's not quite working out. I don't see any other leaders in our squad.

I see technically incompetent players like Davies, Doucouré, Iwobi, Holgate. Mina, whose first touch, ball control, and passing ability is poor. Admittedly Davies is improving but, like today, a poor touch and we are a goal down.

Godfrey, once he‘s settled, could be a Ramos in the making... who knows? But where we are today is miles away from any team Ancelotti has in his mind. I think he's also at fault trying to get more from a team he knows can't deliver, and I think today was the last time we will see him send out a team out to control the game – he knows he hasn't got quality, legs, pace and the leadership in his squad.

2-3 more players? He's being kind to his squad; he needs at least 6 good technical, driven leaders and totally adequate cover players. 2-3 transfer windows away yet, if he's given the chance.

I was surprised at the 2-3 players comment. Thought he was blowing smoke a little on that one.

Successful teams win the battles. Until our manager signs players who win battles... forget success. Today was about a positive result, not performance. Burnley don't let you play but we tried and failed. We are yet to play well this season, yes and in mid-March. We have got good results... but good performances consistently? No!

Away wins have saved our season from being a relegation battle. The management team must reflect that something is wrong either tactically or in team selection. Again, top teams work hard to be successful. It's the basics of success. Ability alone wins nothing.

Very good.

The game is up, we are short of talent, hallelujah, but we/he knew this a while ago, so let's back him for at least another season and a couple of windows, and see where he can take us.

But taking Davies off tonight?? Fuck me, ridiculous.

Calvert-Lewin should have had a hat-trick, mis-controlled twice when clean through.

It's also technical quality to do the basics: move, pass, control – that we lack.

Iwobi is embarrassing, avery very poor player and I don't see why Carlo keeps playing the lad. I'd rather have Sigurdsson playing.

Arghhhh... pissed off big-time!

Their 1 touch quick passing was simple and so effective against our plodders. We know and Carlo knows the pre-match talk and setup was wrong. Thats when player's need to quickly adapt and fill in, mark the player's, drop back and adapt.

Don't stand in shape and let the game pass you by just because of the pre-match plan. Thats when you need leaders, to instruct and encourage the younger and inexperienced players or those who are ineffective and unsure what to do.

It's easy to say I disagree with the line-up and formation but the players didn't react quick enough to whatever was happening. To many standing off. We lost space and individual battles.

What baffles me about most managers is the subs. Why take Davies off, our most effective and creative midfielder?

Yes he was at fault but so was Keane in passing to a player being quickly closed down. It was the wrong option to pass the ball to Davies.

After watching replay, I think on another day Davies would be given a freekick for the push from behind for the 1st goal. The 2nd one is a worldy. I think the built up of our goal is pretty good.

Disappointed but not unexpected. We've been struggling to deal with teams that we think we can beat. A mentality issue?

We were doing well enough but we panicked when they went ahead.

We look - and have looked for years, bar the odd interlude - as though the ball is our enemy. You can feel the terror: "please don't pass to me... oh my God, he has... what do I do now?...oh fuck".

How do you cure that?

I don't think he has his Milan side surrendered a 3 nil lead against the shite in some nob'ead game in Turkey.

Technical competence before character appears his preference and is a blind spot he needs to address because in this league kicking people in the gonads is integral to making a go of things.

Gattusso was a bit of a pussy cat

That’s the killer blow to this season, and for any team with aspirations of making a European position at the end of the season.

Goodison, was once our Bastion, but it’s not been normal times as many have stated, on other threads, but getting the basics right, means that, you win or don’t lose many of your home games.

But there’s more twists and turns in this crazy season, and who knows, what could happen.?

But this season, there’s no guide to consistency bar City, whom, in the first quarter of the season, where by their standards, bad.

Let’s hope for some miracles for Everton, in the EPL and FAC.

It's a team game and whether it's down to the system, the tactics or the formation, this team just don't seem to play well together. It's not down to one or two players, it's down to a complete lack of cohesion as a team and lack of a decent gameplan, and unfortunately Carlo has to take some of the blame for that.

For the record, I thought Gomes was MotM tonight and Iwobi was not far behind, so I was obviously watching a different game to some. The one player that seems to be swerving any of any criticism at the moment is Allan, who looks a completely different player since he came back, but hey I guess it's just easier to blame Iwobi for all of our problems.

Iwobi was better than Richarlison; Allan was bang average, Gomes was better than... err Holgate ... so was Broadhead! But the best player in our team was taken off at 70 minutes, and someone said on the Live Forum, it was to save him for the City game! Joke.

But, in context, it's massively disappointing today. But overall, year on year, in my view, Everton on and off the pitch are progressing in the right direction.

But imagine if Everton won the FA Cup this season?

It's a massive long-shot in view of the next game vs Man City in the Quarterfinal, but Man City can be beaten.

Let's hope for a miracle next Saturday, and keep the embers going to the end of this season.

I understand why Carlo put King on but it should have been for Gomes or Iwobi. Gomes was the one player close enough to Wood before he scored. Watch the fucking replay, he just needs to foul the fucker but he didn't, he just trotted towards the area, not arsed, for fuck's sake.

Someone said above, they thought Iwobi was MotM... Wow! What game was he watching? He can't fucking cross himself – let alone a ball into the box!!!

Since you mention Gattuso hope you don't mind me mentioning some of the rest for context:

Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Pirlo. Seedorf, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo. Costacurta, Rui Costa.

Conclusive proof Carlo goes for technique before fighters.

He has no choice. Just look at the bench and that confirms the team pretty much picks itself. It is going to take another two seasons at least for him to have his squad.

People saying things like "Well, there's Champions League gone". Ha. As if we ever had a chance this season.

I have taught myself to not get too excited when we win and not get too down when we lose. I believe that Carlo, given the right time, will get us challenging but we have to stick with him.

I'm amazed we are where we are in the Premier League. The main reason we are where we are is due to dogged defending as opposed to quality.

I should add that I thought that Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin were terrible today. Our attacking play is not great at the best of times, but those two were away with the fairies all day (Calvert-Lewin's goal apart).

On one hand, some progress in terms of improved signings and better away form. On the other hand, our home record is atrocious.

It is not just the results but the dull and lifeless performances. Imagine the abuse Big Sam would get if he presided over it?

I wish we could get the fitness coaches Moyes used as we always look weak, slow and tired. Sadly, the cold reality is that, apart from 18 months under Joe Royle and a few years under Moyes (around 2008) and Roberto's first season, we have been dire and just making up the numbers for 30 years.

1. We will never win home games with a midfield of Gomes, Allan and Davies.

2. Gomes is useless. He shouldn't be selected. Back-pass after back-pass.

3. Ancelotti has weakened the squad. Walcott is better than Iwobi. Tosun is better than King. Bolasie is better than Bernard. Someone should have put an arm around Kean. Loaning him is negligent. Whoever is at fault has badly dropped the ball. He should be recalled in the summer and tied to his contract.

4. Holgate isn't a right-back

5. The defence sits too deep.

6. We haven't scored a second-half goal at home since September. That suggests when behind we can't break teams down. When ahead, we've parked the bus to sit on the lead.

7. Ancelotti must not be given a contract extension. It's not deserved. The home form is relegation standard and the worst for decades.

To the credit of this squad they have give nearly everything they can possibly give considering the lack of quality.

Calvert-Lewin has a decent goal return and his ability still has a lot to be worked on. I'd always have him around the side but we need a top striker that can score and make goals out of nothing.

I think we need a real right-back, a real left-winger, a central-midfield player, and a top forward before we can compete more consistently.

Actually, first off Calvert-Lewin had enough chances to win us that game.

Second. Gomes played okay. Iwobi second half played okay. Tom was taken off to change the shape... fair enough but King is not a wide player. If he comes on then, Richarlison should go left so he can go up top with Dom.

Why we lost the game? Simple. Holgate was asked to push further up... so we lose the ball and the defence is exposed. Then, every time lwobi gets the ball he comes inside, Holgate doesn't overlap and the final ball from lwobi... well we know the outcome.

Without James we are not the same team and Carlo has had enough fucking goes at finding a solution without him.

Next up. Bring back Mina, Sigurdsson and Coleman. At least they have balls. Iwobi probably can't find his, they hang to the right instead of central. If he does play central then how about playing someone that will overlap on the right? Coleman? Richarlison? Give them runners. Balance. Options.

Or is our manager going to hide behind not having the players? How many of our players would play regularly for Burnley and Newcastle? Half of them, or nearly all?

Enough is enough, Carlo. You win games with a balanced team. Find that first.

Our quality is Digne, Rodriguez, Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin. Our fighters are the defence, Allan and Doucouré. The rest are making up the numbers.

Clive 163. How was Allan to blame for their first goal? It's obvious that you don't rate him but you can't blame him for that.

That is outrageous. Is that the best we can expect after his third transfer window? No Everton manager has ever spouted such shite.

I'm sure the Carlo fanboys will defend him with their usual disingenuous nonsense.

You totally lost credibility with me when I got to Point 3.

I wonder why Walcott has been out of the Southampton side for over a month now? Tosun is Turkish league standard and Bolasie is finished as a Premier League player.

In my opinion, the defence should have consisted of Holgate as right-back and Godfrey as left-back with Keane and Mina as centre-backs with Allan as cover and under orders to priortise this and move forward with caution. Mina is more suited to Burnley's in-front direct style.

In front of Holgate and Godfrey, I would have had Colman and Digne. Though Bernard as an alternative to Digne would be desirable, since I think Digne needs a break. In midfield, I would have Gomes and Iowbi, his prefered position, since Davies has not got the physicality for the role and can be targeted.

Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin up front. King I would bring is as a sub for Calvert Lewin, who needs more competition in his role, and Davies as an addition to midfield playing further forward.

This selection would have at least secured a draw and maybe even a goal from a set-piece. I expect something like this will be Ancelotti's objective till the end of the season at home. The spirit of the team was okay.

Ancelotti has tried to individually coach players to increase standards , but these players in most cases haven't sufficiently improved to take a risk till the end of the season.

So good that there were other Premier League clubs queuing up to bid...

Ancelotti asked the question of his squad to show they want champions league football. They have answered him emphatically: NO!

There is plenty of talent in the squad but the application and desire is not there.

Just why we insist on Jordan Pickford passing to our defenders in or just outside our own goal area is bizarre. If they do this in comfort at Finch Farm, it's likely because we have few players able to press in the energetic way Burnley, and almost every other team, did today; our defence having to sit deep, as ever, given Keane's chronic lack of pace.

The truth is that, money aside, and I support his now 5-years-old ambition, Moshiri and whoever he's been advised by, have improved little on the pitch, where we're still slow, devoid of heart, and moderate in possession as a result, chiefly, of the £100's of millions squandered on mediocre transfers.

I remember someone on here said he was better than Stones. I wish!

Here is me thinking lessons were learnt after the Fulham defeat. We've beaten Liverpool at Anfield and won two on the bounce afterwards. Ok lost to a strong Chelsea side. But still lessons may have been learnt. Un-fucking-believable.

Cowards the fucking lot of them. This was our big game. Forget the game in hand or the Man City game next week. This was vital that we won this game. But no once again "yellow belly" Everton return like the pathetic spineless twats they are. Forget Europe now. The European dream is out the window. Not with that squad anyway. Fans saying the mentality has changed around the club. Has it Fuck!!!

Another game to put a marker on and we have blown it. Like Newcastle like Fulham and now Burnley for fuck sake. What does Carlo say to these players before these type of games? Do the players genuinely believe they are better than what they are? I'll tell you what it is. Mentality: frightened of being in control.

Andre Gomes has got to be the slowest player in the league let alone at the club. Done with him, he can fuck off.

Alex Iwobi giving it the bigging this week about playing number 10. Yet the prick has played nearly 2 seasons for us in the league and scored twice and assisted twice. Shocking buy, he can fuck off.

Mason Holgate's attitude fucking stinks. Sick off seeing the lad acting like he is Billy big bollocks with his chest out and chewing his gum like a wannabe hard man. Cannot defend, cannot cross and has the awareness of a child. He can fuck off.

Richarlison is either boiling or freezing.

Calvert-Lewin is not a top striker, I am sorry but he is not. The likes of Kane, Vardy and Aubameyang would have scored at least 3 tonight. But despite the goals he has got he couldn't control a bag of cement. Far far from a top striker.

Josh King looking more and more of a pointless signing.

As far as I'm concerned its gonna be ugly next week. We're out the cup, 26 years. Disgusting from a club with this history. City will just take the piss. Probably not even their biggest game of the week.

Ancelotti is not immune to criticism by any means. However, it amazes me how he has got the squad – this mid-table squad – in 6th right now. No wonder the media don't take us seriously when our own players can't take these type of games seriously. Laughing stock. Slow, boring and a no Plan B system.

If they had anything about them they shut up to the media this week and do all the talking with their feet rather than giving it the "We're learning everyday" or "It was a poor result but we'll be up for the next one" from the likes of Seamus and Keane. Do the talking on the fucking pitch!!!!

Tosun has a proven international scoring record. Not a brilliant player but better than King.

Bolasie can at least run at defenders and has pace. Again, not a brilliant player but Bernard offers nothing.

Walcott has been out because he is injured.

Even a place in the European league is starting to become difficult as we look as we will be fighting Liverpool and Aston Villa for 8th place.

As has been said, it is our home form that has let us down: out of our 14 home games we have only won 6 / 2 draws and 6 defeats.

I don't know if Ancelotti is trying to fool people, but his comments today simply told the opposition were our weakness is and how to win at Goodison, the fortress where the drawbridge has collapsed.

Every team has injuries and play through them and I believe that some of these positions should have been strengthened but that is in the past.

As has been said that if we keep up our average points we can get into the high 60s points but so can our other competitors that we have to play.

We are constantly throwing away points when the chances come to move up the league and the attitude at the moment seems because we beat Liverpool we can live with the past glories.

There are no favors in the premier you have to earn them, not expect them. other teams don't expect they earn.

As manager, don't offer excuses – do something about it, you have players who are performing badly; don't play them!

Ian @201. How many players has Ancelotti bought over those 3 windows and how many of those buys have made us a worse team?

The technical ability was flattered in the early weeks of the season with those first two home results against 10-man West Brom, who will definitely be relegated, and Brighton, who may be.

We had James, Allan and Doucouré fully fit and Calvert-Lewin firing on all cylinders. Even in those two home games in which we scored 9 goals, we looked vulnerable defensively with gaps between the midfield and defence.

Another fucking weekend destroyed!

Why the fuck can't I switch this off???

His shares now increased to over 91%, you can put your last penny on Kenwright still having his 4% shares.

Carlo tried to play an attacking formation tonight but, as he has now admitted, we didn't have the quality to do that. The problems tonight were due not to a lack of effort but to poor organisation.

In regard to Iwobi he actually did okay in the first half-hour playing centrally. He is not a right-winger obviously. Digne's crosses with his left foot were poor. His only decent one was with his right foot from which Calvert-Lewin ought to have tested the keeper.

Godfrey was our best player. Davies was caught in possession for the first goal but otherwise was solid; Allan likewise but the midfield had nobody with the power and pace of Doucouré and the guile which James offers when fit.

Couldn't agree more about the attitude of the majority of the players. It stinks and they are stealing a living from EFC.

We've had years of their media hype followed by poor performances on the pitch. But I think the spotlight is beginning to turn on Carlo and I think rightly so.

Now I am the first to admit that he is the best manager we could have got by a mile. And I hope he is a great success and stays for many years. My concern for some time, however, has been the lack of motivation once they cross that white line. You can count on one hand the number of times we have shot out of the blocks from the first whistle. It very rarely happens.

Time and time again we are slow starters, allowing the opposition to dominate. It's so predictable.

What goes on at Finch Farm in the days before a game and in the dressing room beforehand? Why hasn't Carlo got them fired up? Why isn't Big Dunc working his magic?

In any industry, a successful manager gets the most out of the resources at their disposal. They may not be the best players and yes he needs more time to change the personnel but he should be getting more out of them and their motivation and will to fight for the shirt should be beyond question.

Criticising Carlo is frowned on by many but he has to be accountable.

The £200 million will consist of £50 million in cash received in November 2020, £50 million of cash received this month, February 2021, and the conversion of £100 million of existing shareholder loans to equity.

The board will also authorise that the additional 33,333 shares issued but not allotted, may be allotted to Blue Heaven Holdings at some point in the future should it be required. This will allow the club either to convert more shareholder loans to equity or be in receipt of further cash injections from Blue Heaven Holdings.

The new share issue strengthens the balance sheet of the club and brings Farhad Moshiri’s investment in Everton to £450 million since February 2016, 5 years ago. The balance sheet will now carry £250 million of shareholder loans.

As a result of the allotment of 66,667 shares, Blue Heaven Holdings will increase its shareholding in Everton from 27,031 shares (77.2%) to 93,698 shares (92.16%).

The club and Farhad Moshiri stress the desire to continue a “positive relationship with minority shareholders”.

As an aside, Bill Kenwright’s shareholding in the club drops from 5% to 1.72%

I'm one of those who has singled out Iwobi. It doesn't mean I think we lost because of him alone. I also think he did okay in the middle. I just expect more than okay. And once out wide, he's woeful.

For me, Godfrey is probably our most consistent player at the moment.

Ancelotti is answerable to one person, and one person only: Moshiri. Man City wasted millions before finally settling on Pep. Chelsea have wasted millions on compensation alone paying off managers. Moshiri has sacked a few and it's cost him a few quid, but it was worth it just to get rid of that dinosaur-cum-fraud, Allardyce. Anyone who thinks Moshiri will get rid of Ancelotti is in for an awful long wait. Ancelotti is here for a long time and, if you don't like it... tough fucking shit!

Funny this is the Carlo banshers are slagging him off for subbing Davies. During the first half, on the Live Forum, the same player was “Championship at best.”

Meanwhile, the players are too happy apparently which is a switch up from Richarlison and Kean being too miserable. Holgate chewing gum is seemingly an issue too!

Reality is most of the players aren't any good. As Carlo said, they can set up to stifle an opponent but lack the quality to attack unless all of our better players are playing and playing well.

Digne, Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin had an off day, James and Doucouré were injured. It just showed up the shortcomings we all know we have.

We are a unique club despite "If, yer know, our 'istory" (which is a toe-curlingly embarrassing mantra to me in this day and age). Every agent, player and company identifies this delusion we have as an indication to rodger us blind on contracts and for the last five years Moshiri and his advisors have made their day.

Every agent and player therefore knows we pay better than the likes of West Ham, Leicester, Wolves and any other top six aspirant club (no other club outside the top six, and a few inside it, have a history even close to ours of course) for players that, basically, none of the top six are interested in.

Hence we've signed players at enormous expense to us, under Moshiri's regime, advised as he states he is by our pseudo chairman, now in his "enhanced role" (and that's a quote from Moshiri).

"Dead wood" has been a term rightly used re our squad, for years now. In truth, Moshiri created a "dead jungle" of players on mega contracts, the like of which really comfort our competitors.

Credit to Brands, he's now reduced the jungle to a large forest, but successful teams don't endure, as we have had to endure, the inept performances so regularly delivered to us, courtesy of mega contracts and players and agents identifying us, until Carlo arrived, as the softest touch in the Premier League when it comes to signing players.

Finch Farm still resembles a greenhouse to me, full of windows where we need a foundation and walls, and it'll take more than a few windows to seal it up as a viable, winning entity.

Up the fucking long-enduring Toffee supporters.

Digne is in the very opposite of the form that persuaded us to presumably hugely increase his wedge.

Iwobi and Gomes are playing poorly at the same time. Burnley wandered through the centre-midfield line, it was a blue desert, empty of anything that might resemble a barrier. Allan was disappointing though I think most accept he needs games after a long lay-off.

We have spent an entire season from game week 5 getting and failing to take opportunities to drive forward into the top four and now we have ten games to look promisingly at 5th, then fail to take that opportunity, and 6th which quifies us for some competition that is immediately getting billed by supporters as the Consolation Cup?

5th or 6th may still be possible given our run-in but only if we collectively realise that we have to attack teams and need to go back to a defence of Coleman, Keane, Mina, Godfrey.

Perhaps the current position feels positive but, truth is, I cannot see any real progress on the pitch. Several decent players but it's same old, same old failures, it's about winning and we just don't do that when it really matters do we? Hope I'm wrong, of course, and 10 on the spin here we come. Don't hold your breath...

Great and very candid post, that us older supporters can totally identify with. For far too long, as you say, we have had promise only to be doomed. I thought when Howard Kendall (Mk1 that is) eventually got us to the height we had always dreamed of, and it wasn't an easy journey, we had finally realised a new era.

Of course, all that was dashed, through no fault of our own, 2 Championships which should have signalled the start of a European Adventure which possibly could have been successful for years to present day, but never achieved, when everything collapsed.

Too much money and agents in the game today have seen us fortuitously have money to spend in the Transfer Market, only to make unwise acquisitions with overhyped players on lengthy contracts, who have apart from glimpses, in most cases, never consistently produced.

I can't argue for one moment that our present Manager has all the credentials and experience to possibly get us into those upper echelons again, but I sometimes scratch my head as to his team selections, which more often than not have proved to be our undoing. I am glad we have him, and I also appreciate mostly he has inherited a colostomy bag of personnel, but that is little excuse for parading the same under-achieving culprits week after week.

My weekend is now pretty much in ruins as I pinned so much hope and faith on today, as I have other weekends, when other results have done us a favour, only to see us blow it again against a decent but not unbeatable side. Games in hand are a joke if you don't make full use of that advantage, and I can't help thinking that these players, who let's face it, are all millionaires, don't take their failure as serious as we supporters do.

Injuries have hit us hard in the last few weeks. We seemed to have a settled back four until Seamus and Mina got injured. Forget about who plays where for now, Keane and Mina were doing ok as a central defensive partnership.

Ben Godfrey cannot be dropped, so unless he plays at right back Lucas Digne has to play in front of a left-back Godfrey. Allan was doing fine until he got injured at Leicester. James is in and out but boy is he a major player for us. Now Doucouré is probably out for the season.

Our strongest possible eleven is without doubt, a match for any team in the Premier League, but it only needs one of two cogs to go missing and we suffer, simply because the squad is not really strong enough. At the start of the season we all thought it was. Unfortunately we still had too much deadwood (hate that word) in the squad, but most should be gone by this summer.

Carlo has only had one transfer window, despite what some may think, to build his squad, but as I say, the injuries have affected us.

Holgate is not a right back, and I would look at even selling him. He seemed to have a great season on loan at West Brom a few years back but has clearly not kicked on.

I think qualifying for Europe via a Premier League placing will be extremely difficult now, so it's the FA Cup or nothing.

But the budget version had things you can't buy... effort, fitness, motivation and a simple plan, well executed.

This season on the Live Forum, 'the cushions' get increasing mentions... and it had to be very bad back in the day to get the cushions flying – very bad.

I think I've seen more 'cushion' performances in the last 28 games, than I did in 23 years prior to them being withdrawn... due to a dislike of overt public criticism of the The Board.

Right this minute, I can't find much to fault Michael Stancis @ 213.

If we can't attack, we have to defend; against Man City it has to be back to basics,
extreme KITAP1, with the wall of 4 at the back, as many fit bodies... fit bodies, not reputations, 'famous' names, or big transfer fees, one decent game in 8... as we can manage to put out in the middle... and hope for a miracle.

1. Your opinion.

2. Gomes was okay today but his limitations are final ball creativity, pace and defensive abilities. He needs replacing as a starter.

3. Daft. His only summer transfer window has transformed the team. Rodriguez, Allan, Doucouré, Godfrey are nailed-on starters.

Walcott did little, is ageing, on huge wages and is injury-prone. An uptick in form at Southampton means nothing. He had loads of games for us. Bust.

Bolasie over Bernard? Well, Ancelotti doesn't want Bernard, never starts him, didn't sign him and tried moving him on recently. So what's your point?

Bolasie is Championship-level, hence why he's at Boro. When Bernard moves on in a few months, it'll likely be t a higher level than that. I'm surprised you haven't suggested Besic!

Kean wanted out about 4 months after arriving. He was shite for us. He scored for Juve and is scoring for PSG, the super-teams of their respective leagues. I watched both PSG games vs Leipzig and he was probably the weakest player in the PSG side. If he was scoring for Lille or someone, I'd be more impressed. We are going to sell an immature, wantaway player for a big fee (£50M+) this summer and that is a great bit of business.

4. No kidding.

5. Kean and Mina are exposed by a high line, Carlo has stated this himself.

6. This is no mystery. We lack creativity in the squad.

7. Ridiculous. Possibly no fans is skewing home results? Should Liverpool fire Klopp for losing 6 home games on the bounce? Ancelotti has the best winning percentage since Howard Kendall Mk 1. We are lucky to have him. His presence massively boosts our status and will attract players we'd have no shot at otherwise. He's also forgotten more about winning matches than I (hell, maybe even you) will ever know.

Amazing post.

Dream all you want but until we get rid of Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Gomes, and even Pickford we will struggle all day long.

Seen it all before with certain players not living up to expectations. Until Carlo gets a settled team it will be the same. Until the end of the season and then he can have a clearout, get rid of the dead wood, bring some reliable players in then go again next season hopefully.

The right mentality speaks volumes when you play the so-called not-so-good teams and we have no mentality whatsoever. Simple passing and moving into good positions seems to be so hard for us to do, man marking, getting to the ball first, laying it off. Fuck me, is it that hard really?

Once again, I feel gutted for the young supporters of this club having to watch the dross being served up every week by this lot. No wonder the Red Shites laugh in our faces. I hope things change before people throw the towel in.

Tosun? Panic buy of a mid-20s player with no pedigree in a major league. Even took the guy some time to get going with Besiktas.

I questioned the wisdom of signing him on here, at the time. Since then he's done almost nothing and suffered a serious knee injury. Great move offloading him.

Fat Sam spunked £47M on him and Walcott. Jesus wept.

Billy, seen the mighty Burnley also do Liverpool and Arsenal on their home patch as well. Funny old season, isn't it!

1) Have a real go at the FA Cup;
2) Introduce some youth in the remaining Premier League fixtures;
3) Abandon the fiddling around at the back. Get the ball in the opposition half as quickly as possible. Push more players forwards and try to outscore the opponent.

In his defence, he has a lot of injuries in the squad. James came on a free. I think we are seeing why now. Calvert-Lewin started the campaign on fire but, apart from a routine header, he showed that there is still a lot to be improved on within his game.

Holgate is not a right-back. He is a capable (if unspectacular) centre-half. Godfrey is better at left-back than centre-half.

A lot has been said about our 'slow midfield'. If you look at the movement for them to play quicker, it's non-existent. That's why so many passes go sideways or backwards.

Burnley got numbers going forwards. We attacked mostly by looking to get Digne in space on the left. Iwobi is no threat on the right and everyone knows it. None of our midfielders seem to want to score from the edge of the box. Apart from James's goal vs Leicester, I can't remember us having a decent effort, nevermind a goal, from range.

We seem to be marginally better than last season. Overall, the football is dire to watch. Much to do this coming summer.

The players selected in the starting XI had enough talent to win that match. They just decided to not play well. Davies, for all his improvement, is too easily bullied off the ball and is one-footed – centre-midfielders need both feet. Holgate is worse at crossing than a protestant at mass. Keane is a good defender but far too slow. Digne hasn't been playing well but is suffering with a lack of a left-sided partner.

As for Calvert-Lewin – how can a professional footballer be so clumsy with the ball at his feet? It's infuriating and probably the main reason we lost the match.

Kevin #232, that's a beautiful vivisection of a truly bulimic post. Well done.

Derek #231, yes, there have been too many "cushions" this season -- but there have also been some truly spectacular moments against Spurs, Wolves, Leicester and Chelsea, the last-second equalizer at Old Trafford, the 5-4 over Spurs in the FA Cup, and of course that wonderful, magical derby. I'll remember those moments a hell of a lot longer than I'll remember the dross.

And having picked us for 8th, I still consider this season a success so far for those reasons.

Keep calm and carry on.

It may in part be due to Digne, like Iwobi, not being an out-and-out winger but I've noticed that before Digne used to cross the ball first time or as he hit the byline but now he and Iwobi seem about to cross the ball and look up to see who is where in the box and then pause.

Could the problem be the positioning of Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin or should they be told just to cross to the back post and let the strikers worry about it, or must we only ever find them in the 6-yard box?

It did appear that Burnley learnt (if you don't like that word, then I'm sure you know what was memed) from the Chelsea game as Tuchel said that he put his speediest players who also played quick one-two passes in midfield to counter-act anything of which our midfield was capable.

I can't see that Ancelotti will improve some of our players in midfield. In order to make any progress next season, he will have to move some on and rebuild.

Just when we think that we have a run of easier fixtures, we put an inconsistent performance like that in and we don't know if it will get any better in the next game?

The teams we have lost against and generally at home arrive with a game plan – which works. Everton appear to have the attitude that they only have to turn up do not appear to have a game plan and do not seem to target the opposition's weaker players.

Our passing is woeful; our crossing of the ball yesterday was dire (except for the goal).

Who is to blame? What do you do?

The players we have are not good enough. Yes, we have the occasional glory match but we do not possess consistency or that ability to change things if the plan (if there is one?) is going wrong.

I would like to see Carlo manage better players but know this needs time and, as has been said, are we going to attract top players when not in the Champions League.

I sit on the fence and live in hope.

We could have finished in that top four, we really could, regardless of whether we are ready for it or not, it was there to be taken.

But once again clubs like Leicester are probably going to seize the moment which is just so maddeningly frustrating.

We won't even finish above West Ham let's face it, they are good at what they do and they do it in most games, that's the difference between them and us.

Watching us, we only have one way of playing and I've said this all season.
It's just work it out wide then cross the ball to Calvert-Lewin's head.

Part of the problem is the lack of creativity in midfield but you also wonder if another problem is they know Calvert-Lewin is pretty poor with the ball on the deck. It's never been an area he's excelled in and despite his better scoring form he still looks a very scruffy bundling striker with ball at feet.

When all is said and done we need better players, don't we? They have done as well as they can this season but we can't sit on our hands in summer and be all sentimental dishing out contracts to players now exposed to the fabled glass ceiling.

I still think we need at least five quality players to walk straight into our starting line-up, if we really want to push that top four that is.

It depends on our levels of ambition in summer; stick with this current squad and add one or two average squad fillers, then expect more of the same again.

I don't think the selection was too questionable given what was available. Tactics? Maybe it's just me, but please, please, please don't play the diamond. Personally, I'm not a fan as on paper it leaves a gaping hole in the middle; that was apparent yesterday. I guess it works if you use the width and play with urgency. There, above all yesterday, lieth the main problem, not necessarily individual performances.

I won't dissect every individual but it is interesting how we see things different.

I actually thought we started well and were finding a decent ball into Richarlison between their midfield and defence early on. Iwobi, I thought, done okay in that position until hooked. Davies made the mistake for the goal but then played a beauty of a pass that was crucial in the build-up to our goal that kept us in the game. I will refrain from slating Holgate as he's playing as a makeshift right-back. I have been a huge fan of Godfrey, but that was far from his best game. I'd go as far to say he seemed to be struggling at times.

Urgency, or lack of. I called at the time just before they scored the first. Forget Tom being bullied, if you watch again, look how Burnley overload us very quickly like a swarm of wasps; with urgency. As soon as they turned possession over, they were all over us rapidly as they zoomed in for the stinging punch.

For me, if I look through the result, that didn't feel quite as bad as Newcastle and nowhere near as despairing as Fulham. But frustration is still an understatement.

I still prefer the Moyes days when we're the same, but we often over-performed, and used to be top or second in the mid-table league.

Have we progressed since? I think not.

We need to have a good summer – and by that, I mean not leaving any position short going into next season. We need at least 4 first-teamers and possibly 2 or 3 squad players off the bench.

The recruitment needs to be there in quality and in numbers.

If a back-line player has the ball, there should be 7 or 8 spare players working their socks off to provide forward passing opportunities.

For me, Carlo got it wrong again, once more ruining a chance to make a top 4 berth, let alone a top 6.

He thinks he can tinker with the system and he wants players who can do more than one thing, yet he was out-thought easily by Dyche whose team did what they do every week.

Obviously we still have a big problem at right-back and, although Holgate is doing his best, we lack penetration on that wing. Mason's crossing is dreadful; when Coleman came on, the play improved considerably.

Of course we try to get crosses on to Calvert-Lewin's bonce and Burnley probably have the best aerial defenders in the Premier League. Our build-ups are slow and predictable and our inability to go through the middle has cost us.

He brought on King too late, and on performance he could have swapped him for Richarlison, who had disappeared into a sinkhole.

Then, finally removing Davies was a mistake when Iwobi was stinking the place out. The theory that he was being saved for the FA Cup game I find very doubtful. On this shit-show, Manchester City could put out their Ladies and we would lose.

Carlo has a limited squad and has successfully papered over the cracks with square pegs in round holes in many games but he has also displayed worrying tendencies in his systems and selections. I know he has few options but he has blundered like a rookie manager at times and his mistakes have cost us as many points as his cleverness has gained.

I see a man who is not feeling the pressure. If he was at the helm at Chelsea for example, I think he would be less inclined to shrug off another defeat. Just as players get into a comfort zone, I fear our manager has slipped into one himself.

He knows that top 7 will be an improvement; he knows that he won't be criticised if we lose to this season's stand-out team in the FA Cup, and he has that win at Anfield in the bank.

Time for him to step it up, take personal responsibility, and admit his mistakes.

The day after a massively disappointing defeat is probably a better time to have a balanced view. I was sick and fuming last night, yet again.

Carlo's comments to Sky after the game were accurate and damning in equal measure. We just don't have the technical ability to play it out of defence. As a team, we can only defend resolutely and then win from a counter-attack or set-piece. These tactics come almost by default in away games.

Carlos is a diplomatic manager. He knows he has expensive players who are just not good enough for his aspirations for the team. He knows that 3, 4 or more of these high-cost high-wage players need to be moved on in the summer. He can't come out and say so without destroying this season's morale and further depreciation of their value.

When Carlo talks about quality I think he needs much more than that. As well as qualified need to be faster, faster to the ball when closing down and more aggressive throughout the team, particularly in midfield.

In part mitigation of yesterday's performance, Allan and Davies are not fully up to speed yet, they're off the pace, Allan more so than Davies. To compound this, Doucouré being out was a big loss.

Moreoever, our play is boring to watch and predictable, with only flashes of brilliance from James (if we are lucky to see him play) and Richarlison.

Our play continues to break down whenever we play it out wide to Digne, who if he is having an off-day, means we are unlikely to score (save for Tom Davies popping up out of nowhere).

Who is accountable? For starters, we need a captain on the field. If Coleman is club captain, why isn't he playing, week-in & week-out, save for injury?

I understand Carlo's predicament: he needs players with energy, movement and pace; he hasn't got them, so is forced to juggle players around. Doucouré, one player with all the above, was missed yesterday and will be for the rest of the season.

Is Nkounkou fit? Is he struggling with an injury? He is getting hardly any football at all, not playing for the U23 and only about 12½ minutes in the FA Cup. He also has pace, energy, and looked like a player with lots of ability earlier in the season.

Maybe you will surprise us against Man City, Carlo, well absolutely astonish every single one of us to be honest, and get us into the semi-final of the cup, now wouldn't that be nice.

By the way, it's Mother's Day today, anyone going to the cemetery with some flowers for “your mam”, give the supermarkets and florist shops a miss with their rip-off prices and give the flower sellers outside the cemetery your money. Standing outside the cemetery gates in all the rain, wind and cold their prices are around 50% less than the shops.

"Fortress Goodison has become a pop-up tent. A few gusts of wind and down it comes. 14 matches and only 5 wins."

Spot on there, my mate! I would go even further and add that a half-decent fart would have the same effect.

This continual back-passing, or across and back, when under no threat whatsoever, smacks of players who have no idea what they are doing and very low on confidence. The amount of times Gomes receives a pass only to give it back to its original creator when unchallenged and facing the wrong way is doing my head in.

I respect Carlo and I know he has few options at the moment due to injuries, but I think most of us could choose better options with players who would be more committed to the cause, even if it means using the U23s.

We all know who should stay and who should go ideally, but the immoral and lucrative contracts some of these are on mean it's almost an impossibility, unless incurring more heavy financial losses, and I think we have enough of those already.

You can almost guarantee this season, whether it be other results going our way, or having games in hand, we blow it good style. I have always advocated, that most of us can reluctantly shoulder a defeat, provided that every player has given his all, and we have been beaten by either a better team on the day, or by sheer bad luck. Recently, there has been no evidence of either.

Once again, you start moaning and slagging Carlo off when we loose. Where were you after the Liverpool game, the Saints game? Very quiet.

We all understand we need to improve. But you keep coming out with shite statements. What the fuck had Walcott done for Saints? They haven't won in 10 games.

Bolasie is struggling for Middlesbrough, and Kean doesn't want to play for us.

Also, what are you on about 3 transfer windows?? Explain yourself. He's had one transfer window where he got 4 top quality players.

Even the last 8 home games from last season reads as follows.

Bournemouth (L) 1-3
Aston Villa (D) 1-1
Southampton (D) 1-1
Leicester (W) 2-1
Liverpool (D) 0-0
Man United (D) 1-1
C.Palace (W) 3-1
Newcastle (D) 2-2

So, as you can see, two wins from the last eight last season, hardly any clean sheets. It's the same this season, we are just losing more instead of nicking draws.

Carlo needs to solve this conundrum of playing at Goodison and start coming out and taking the game to teams.

One of the things that's impressed me is our ability to find a way to win against the odds (our often patched-up side).

But, we're making a really unpleasant habit now of losing at home to crap teams. And deservedly losing too (albeit Calvert-Lewin had enough chances to win us the match yesterday). Ancelotti needs to find a way to stop these appalling losses.

Obviously, without a fully fit first 11, we're really not good at taking the initiative. We are much more adept at digging in and nicking goals.

The tactics and mentality need to improve but I look at the first 11 and options on the bench – and it just keeps coming back to the fact we need better players. So next season should be better on that front.

In the meantime, we can't keep approaching home games as we are doing. Either we play it like an away game and dig in for a 0-0 or 1-0, or we get more attacking players on the pitch to peg back the opposition (eg, King, Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison together, with Digne and Iwobi on the flanks). The halfway house is not working.

As we are still seeing with Bolasie, Besic, Tosun etc, we can't just say "Thanks for the memory" when no-one is daft enough to take over their big contracts. That's the predicament with these players... but, Nkounkou (when fit) and Onyango really need to be bedded in soon.

For one thing, it will give us a chance to see their energy and if they can step up. We can't go into the last 10 games with Carlo just shrugging his shoulders, saying "What am I to do?"

One bonus is I'm glad I'm not paying close on a £100 for a ticket, bevy and scoff to watch that at the moment.

Burnley were set up to defend and counter, with key Everton players targeted. The latter formation would have countered these tactics.

Ancelotti has gone from targeting lack of spirit to realising that his players are technically not up to his tactics.

Everton will now be set up defensively at home, as they are away, for the remaining matches of the season. Calculations will be done and plans made to get the points required. It's a pity they weren't done earlier.

We all want our club to do better... and yes, the manager at times needs questioning for his actions... but for some to want him out, fucking stupid.

Some on here saying we should have kept Walcott, Tosun, Bolasie etc. The same people wanting them sold before Ancelotti came, better than what we have... really? Saying Carlo has had 3 transfer windows... really?

I hope Carlo takes us to the top and, when he goes, we move on to the next manager who has won loads. No more like Koeman or Silva... we want winners.

The season started with such promise; the challenge in the summer is to obtain much-needed quality additions that don't have an injury record. We don't need to worry about extra games in Europe next season, that's for sure.

There's games to play for and every game is massive and the nature of results this season means there's a long way to go.

This season is not over yet, disappointing yesterday and if Everton had scored first, I believe they'd have won.

Interesting scenario in the goalkeeper situation, Jordan Pickford looked in some pain when he came off.

But the chips are down: it's time to rally to the cause.

Funnily enough though, you're right about him: “MIA after a win. We beat Liverpool and I think he popped up with a comment, not to criticise but commend the performance. Then nothing. We beat Southampton and West Brom, nothing. We lose to Chelsea and there he is!

There are four of us who go to all the away games together, and we have our own little WhatsApp group. One of us – jeez, he would make Victor Meldrew look like a real happy chappie – he posted after the Fulham defeat moaning. We beat Liverpool, Southampton and West Brom and guess what, nothing.

We lose to Chelsea and up he pops, just like Mr E. My mate also loved Ancelotti, just like Mr E.

Bloody hell, you've got me thinking now, is my mate using a pseudonym, is my mate really Mr E?

Point is: that team on the pitch should still have enough to beat Burnley, Fulham, Newcastle etc.

I don't know the answer and I absolutely believe Carlo will deliver when he has his players in but I struggle to name more than two of Burnley's players (Nick Pope and Bertie Mee). Something is wrong in the team's mindset, manifesting in the turning back and passing backwards... Confidence? Belief?

Clearly Carlo's aim is for us to be a proper football team that can play out from the back – the benchmark in the Premier League being Man City. The problem, which he has effectively admitted, is that at present he doesn't have the personnel to do it.

Being realistic, this will take another 2-3 windows to achieve. Meanwhile – and like other posters – I expect to see us adopt our ‘away' strategy in all remaining home games, ie, defend deeply / try to nick something on the counter-attack.

Sorry to say this but go to a long-ball game, play in their third of the pitch and deny space to the opponents. For us, get our slow players further up and hopefully win second balls. Rely on Godfrey to sweep up and cover Keane and Mina. Allardyce-esque... but we haven't got the quality to play football and haven't got the quality out wide to get behind.

Today's match could have been a mirror image, how we were playing 10 years, 5 years or a month ago. Slow players, no desire and in some players no ability. As for the home record less said the better.

I think back to fans on here saying "Get off the players' backs at the home games." However, these spineless players have obviously responded to the heckling from the fans in the past. Hence our home record prior to Covid-19.

Anyone thinking the FA Cup will save the day is deluded.

Typical Everton luck, get Alan fit and then Doucouré gets injured. Never mind... rugby league starts soon. A sport where every player gives 100%, not like these overpaid pricks prancing about the pitch.

By the way, Derek, remind me again, who are Jedward? 😀😀😀

This isn't something new. You have all watched 95% of this squad for more than 2 years and should easily know it lacks quality.

Ian Edwards, start asking yourself who would take our best players? Who would you buy from Everton for Man City?

The manager is spot on and it might hurt your blue ears but our best attributes are to fight for results. Not to walk through them.

Name a side in the top six with a forward that is a worse passer and decision maker than Richarlison? Name a midfielder that does less dictating, assisting, shooting or scoring than Gomes?

I bet there is defensive midfielders in the top 6 with better attacking stats than Gomes. McTominay would make his stats average.

Name a goalkeeper that gives 10 goals away a season guaranteed? This is what the manager has to work with; if you can't let it sink in, you are in for much more frustration.

I suggest you put your endless lack of reality into energy that makes it clear we need more quality and strive for what will make us more successful.

That is, better players.

Sitting in the corner, I saw three old regulars I knew from "the old days" – Eugene O'Neill, Joseph Conrad and good old Herman Melville (three Great Evertonians).

[Please note, Dear Blues, these three have each written about their trips along this part of Regent Road... drinking and looking for “ladies”.]

I sat with these heavy and hardened drinkers and asked them a simple question: “You three, being men of thoughts and words and travellers, what do you think is going on at Everton?”

I must have shocked them... they put down their dark rums and set their eyes heavily on me for a moment. Herman picked up his pipe, took a breath, and slowly blew out white smoke – as if in surrender – into the air. He said it was easier for Captain Ahab to find The White Whale than to answer such a direct question.

Sucking again at his pipe, “A man thinks that, by mouthing hard words, he understands hard things,” he went on, “and Heaven have mercy on us all – Evertonians All – for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.”

Blowing another cloud of smoke into the air... “Truth is in things, and not in words.” That made me think for a moment and there was quiet around the bar table. I realised that I asked these imaginative and deep-thinking men a question that was perhaps even beyond their understanding. Silence continued for a moment while smoke swirled in the evening air...

Looking through The Bramley-Moore windows, Herman pointed with the stem of his long white pipe towards The Dock and cried “Thar She Blows!”

We all laughed. I looked to Joseph – a man I knew well enough and who had seen the world from Kiev to The South Seas, and to here on Liverpool's Regent Road: “My goodness, George, we came here for a night out before we sail, looking only for Dark Rum and hopefully some nice local ladies... Alas, only rum here... but, as always, it's good to see you and talk about Everton.”

“I believe,” he said, “that even finding Kurtz would be easier than deliberating truly on that question – and even Kurtz I believe said himself, when asked about some of Everton's performances this season, moved his hands across his head and cried 'The Horror, The Horror'. But let's be positive, like Lord Jim. Evertonians are inside good people of good hearts and will find redemption, peace, and a bright future...”

“Remember, George, we Evertonians can never cease to be ourselves; life is short and success is not very far off. We have a Captain – Captain Carlo – who has travelled through The Heart of Darkness, through the South Seas, and has now landed here in our Port and will bring to us here the Treasures, experiences, customs, from his great travels.”

“He is for us The Lord Jim of Football. Have no fear, George, my friend – we have to go through the storms and winds to land there on the sunny and pleasant shore within the reaches of those treasures and titles we desire.”

At that, we all picked up our glasses of rum and sipped at once, holding the glass to our lips for a moment and looking quietly at each other. Eugene, rather shakily – he was still recovering from his afternoon bout of drinking, his moustache slightly brown with nicotine and wet with droplets of rum, wiped his arm across his mouth and stared at us three, his eyes slightly moist...

“Well, fellow Blues, we know that our Journey is long... and, although full of past great history, is also full of pain and fallings. Indeed, A Long Day's Journey Into Night. I am so far from being a pessimist; on the contrary, in spite of my scars, I am tickled to death at life. We need above all to learn again to believe in the possibility of nobility of spirit in ourselves. Being an Evertonian – I will be an Evertonian... or nothing!”

We four sat there, looking quietly at each other. Together, we leant forward, lifted our glasses simultaneously, touched glasses, and then, lifting them in the air, together, we four said – loudly and proudly:

“To Everton – It's Great To be An Evertonian!”

We drank up and walked out of the pub, opposite the site of our future, our dreams... We turned left together and walked back towards The Lighted Royal Blue Liver Building, arm in arm, laughing and singing...

I woke this morning and immediately said, on opening my eyes: “It's Great To Be An Evertonian!” and I walked upstairs to my front top room and saw in my mind's eye a ship sailing out of The Mersey and my three friends waving with their Blue Scarves wrapped around their necks.

Carlo began with an albatross around his neck: a poor, patchwork of a squad and a club mentality whose only ambition for decades has been Premier League survival and a few half-arsed cup runs.

Now we have an ambitious owner, who's willing to invest, and a manager who's willing to rebuild the team. What more can you want?

I never got too excited after a few decent results as I've always said, with our midfield, we just aren't good enough. Yesterday proved my point to a tee.

A pint-sized Tom Davies who's too weak and slow. Gomes? I've seen sloths move quicker than Gomes. Iwobi? Give me a break! Then we have duds like Gbamin, Delph, Bernard, Sigurdsson etc... none of these guys would get near a top 4 side.

If Carlo can get his midfield and fails, then we can talk... but, in the meantime, we have to plod on with this bunch till the end of the season.

When Tom Davies is showing better form, I cringe at some of the positives thrown his way because he's finally playing better.

That is all it is for me, he's playing better, not great, not top level... just better some weeks.

Some posts come across like that's the player they want to see for 5 years in the middle for us (and still knowing it doesn't work against most sides). I just don't get it.

Can't it just be said he's playing better but we still need better to compete with the best?

This isn't just in Tom Davies's case either, and I wish he was as good as the hype he's had lately, but he's never going to be top level, sadly.

A lot of the side has stood out for the work off the ball this season and stopping the opposition from playing their normal way. On the ball, we lack so much, we have to dig out every win we get.

The thinness, both in terms of numbers and quality of player, has been gradually taking its toll. Doucouré was and will continue to be a big miss. The manager applied his first patch with the 4 main signings last summer. He knows probably more than us what else is needed next turn of the wheel and beyond that to turn this squad into something that can consistently perform the way he and we want them to.

Dave (@255), I stopped and bought off a road-side seller yesterday. I feel I have done my good deed for the weekend and totally agree with your call to support local merchants.

You're like a scratched record. First of all, you say we'll never win a home game with a midfield of Allan, Davies and Gomes. With all our injury problems, tell me who else he could have played in midfield yesterday?

You say Carlo has weakened the squad? Allan, Doucouré, Rodriguez and Godfrey, the four players he has bought are definitely an upgrade on the players previously bought, especially Bolasie, Walcott and Tosun who you seem to think should still be here. The reason our squad is weakened, is the injuries we have suffered. Come the summer, Carlo will sign 2 or 3 more players who will bring us to the next level.

We know you detest Gomes, did he not have a good 2nd half? When we won the derby, did you even praise Carlo? And by the way, calling him a 'dinosaur'... childish to say the least.

Onwards and upwards with a proven winner as manager.

It was just the type of performance you see in vain from a midfielder that is desperate and trying to force the play because the damage was done.

He is there to be better than what Burnley throw at us and he wasn't better than any Burnley midfielder sadly.

And that goes for our other midfielders too. They lost their battles on the day.

People talk about more quality players but without the desire to battle against lower league opposition. Then, really give me Gravesen, Parkinson or Carsley. I want my team to jump off a cliff for the shirt. We are missing the bite that put fear into teams coming to Goodison Park.

Unless we get stronger in midfield next season, then we will struggle against lower opposition. We are soft in that area. We may even be down the table, fighting relagation. Quality alone is not enough.

Bring on Man City...

It's easy to criticise but the solid defence with five players across the midfield has made us hard to play against. But a midfield four, using players who prefer to play centrally, does the complete opposite, in my opinion. And surely a man of Carlo's experience should have cottoned on to this the first time he used this system with these players?

Gomes has been fine for the last two games. Never going to be the fastest but nowhere near as immobile as some make out. Yes, we still need more from him or he will need replacing but his attitude looked spot on yesterday and he's definitely not resorting to a purely safety-first approach. I can't remember him losing anything particularly cheaply.

Iwobi also was better than he often has been, but again needs to add 10-20% more, game after game.

Tom Davies did one thing poorly, one thing brilliantly, and everything else fairly averagely. No injustice in him being subbed.

Allan grew into game but needs more game time to get properly match fit.

We will miss Doucouré whilst he is injured. I hope his detractors note there is no other player we have to give our midfield that drive and physicality.

Mason Holgate looks less like a right-back the more he plays there, but I don't think he would pick himself for that role if he had the option.

Calvert-Lewin had a ‘nearly' day. If he brings down a couple of those passes that have him racing into space behind their defence, or converts his headed opportunity from Digne's wrong foot cross, then he's the hero. He didn't... so he was inadequate overall.

The rest all okay but either very average or just not on top form.

John Moss showed zero footballing knowledge on at least two occasions. No real advantage with Richarlison on the ground and out of the game when the ball went to a poor crosser of the ball, and Digne knows he will get hit in Brownhill's follow-through so his clearance was adversely affected. He has to give the foul.

How does Ben Mee get away with (or even get praise for) using arm strength to both hold and climb on the defender? He's not up through his own spring and so he is not merely coming down on the defender, or just sustaining his jump with a bit of a free ride at the end.

MotD coverage as bizarre as ever. Shearer declares Burnley fully deserving win but Jenas and Lineker both admit it was a competitive end-to-end game. Not that you saw much of the Everton spurned opportunities. I don't think any of the Calvert-Lewin half-chances got shown despite there being plenty of time.

I have to admit Burnley defended resolutely as expected, and also showed great quality and slickness in patches when attacking, which was less expected. Still required poor Everton play and one worldly finish to secure the win.

‘Expected' goals was still greatly in our favour, which isn't automatic with a two-to-one possession advantage.

We are predictable and so easy to play against, it's no wonder teams enjoy coming to Goodison Park these days. They watch the videos and see a high press always works against our back four. We like to play out from the back, but aren't very good at it.

The midfield is static so they have no-one to pass it on to, so it goes sideways and backwards which inevitably ends up being punted upfield and then it's a free-for-all. I'm no coach but, if I can see this, then Carlo can, can't he? Pass and move, for fuck's sake.

Apart from the goal, I think Calvert-Lewin had a shocker. You don't get many opportunities in the Premier League, but he failed to control any provided to him, either at feet or head. Digne, Holgate (penalty for me) and Gomes weren't much better.

As for taking Davies off and leaving Iwobi on, I'm at a loss on this one as he was the only one on the day who was creative. Iwobi should be charged with impersonating a professional footballer.

In a way, it puts paid to our Champions League ambitions as we are a million miles from being able to compete with the best in Europe. I'm not even sure we could handle the Europa League with this squad. The problem is, I reckon Richarlison will be off if we fail to get in either.

Whilst, in spite of the millions spent since the coming of Moshiri, much of his investment has been squandered on the mediocre, whatever the manager's input into signings, he has disappointed in another of the main requirements of the job – the ability to motivate and inspire the players he has to hand, on anything like a regular basis.

I suspect that too many of our 'stars' think they know better than dear old Carlo and prefer to do their own thing. Okay, they will get us 'top half' and claim 'improvement'. The truth, of course, is that, as ever, Everton is going nowhere other than to Bramley-Moore Dock.

Not so much Apocalypse Now but Apocalypse every other Saturday... Oh for some light in this Evertonian heart of darkness!

The hope of having 2 games in hand with the possibility of going 4th (and somehow in contention for 2nd!). Having beaten some solid competition and given displays that promise so much more, only to put on displays that seem woeful and we lose to teams we should arguably beat.

We all know the squad is thin with quality. We all know the squad have played poorly under a number of managers, but we hope for European football and silverware.

We hope an elite manager in Ancelotti may be able to drag performances out of players we know haven't been the best. We hope in players like James and Allan who come in and could make a difference.

The reality is we have a generally poor squad and have done for years. We've had various managers who have got great performances on the bounce. The same players who've underperformed continue to play the same way with sparks of improvement.

Godfrey and Allan have been immense signings, as is James on a typical day. When the stars align and the players click, we can match any team. The reality is those stars don't always align.

What I don't understand is why we consistently fall at the last hurdle – the one where beating a team like Burnley means the squad have a meltdown and can't perform. It's not simply the manager, as it's been the same since I can remember.

The only manager I remember to have the balls and mentality to get us into Europe (in recent times) was Moyes. I'm no Moyes protagonist but look what he's done at West Ham. No, I don't want Moyes back at Goodison Park and I believe Ancelotti will make things right.

Until then, yesterday was an eminent disappointment and a stark reality of where we really are at as a club. The best I think we can hope for is top 8. Europe seems a stretch and, even if we did, would we do ourselves proud or get stung by it?

I hope I'm wrong. I always hope!

I have seen brilliant midfielders who dictated the play and pinged passes all over the pitch who hardly moved from their central position. Le Tissier, Hoddle, Brooking, hardly had a run in them but they could run the midfield and score some fantastic goals.

Going forward, Davies is improving but, like other "Individuals" in Everton's midfield, can't pass to his own team-mates. When he gets the ball outside his own area, facing his own goal, he crumbles like a packet of cream crackers you just dropped on the floor.

There aren't many players that give me the heeby-jeebies when they get the ball but unfortunately they all play in midfield for Everton. It appears that, instead of progressing with experience and confidence, our midfield are like strangers who have been thrown a kit and told they are playing but they have never seen a football before and are instilled with what not to do with a football to win games, and it hasn't clicked as to what they must do to win games.

I think Sigmund Freud would be beaten by this lot... Oh, hang on, nah... surely they couldn't beat him.

i absolutely 100% agree with you, great post!

I heard Carlo say after the Chelsea game that, just like the games against Man City and Liverpool, we don't have the quality to play an open and attacking game. But yesterday, I watched a Leeds team full of players that played last season in the Championship go toe to toe with Chelsea and were unlucky not to win. So, if Bielsa can get his Leeds side to go head to head with Chelsea, why can't we?

But let's accept Carlo's point that we don't have the quality to take on some of these sides; we also struggled to impose ourselves against West Ham, Newcastle, Fulham and Burnley. Now surely we have enough quality to play a more open attacking game against these teams?

I just think we have become so used to sitting back and hitting teams on the break, that we have lost our ability to play front-foot football. We must be one of the worst teams for putting passes together in the opponent's half: most times our attacking options break down after 2 or 3 passes in the opponent's half.

I think we could well finish lower in the Premier League than we did under Allardyce... now wouldn't that be a sad indictment on the players and the manager, should that happen?

But, as I said, I am a fan of Ancelotti and I have faith that he will turn things around. But, to do that, he has to buy players in the summer who can turn us from being a side who can't play an attacking game to one that can. As I fear that, unless we do that, then, with fans probably being allowed back inside grounds next season, they will demand a more attacking approach, than we have seen at home this season.

I.W.O.B.I.

I Will Often Be Irrelevant
I Will Often Balloon It
I Will Often Be Incompetent

Just about sums him up and he cost us £30 million plus. Arsenal saw us coming on this one. I have seen some poor players in an Everton shirt over the past 60 years but he must surely be one of the worst ever. Offers absolutely nothing as he can't cross, can't tackle, can't head a ball, can't take a man on, and runs like he has two left feet.

Dyche must have been licking his lips when he saw Iwobi and Holgate paired on the same side. Both get nosebleeds when past the half-way line.

So poor yesterday... but I'm getting used to it.

Tom has undoubtedly improved since he tweaked his game to take less touches when on the ball. Tom gives 100% every game.

But... the bottom line is he's not a good enough player if we want to progress to Champions League.

Not his fault; a player can only give you everything he's got.

If we lack creativity on the right, with no pace, movement or crossing ability, then play King there. He deserves a chance to start rather than coming on when behind in games.

Stop passing backwards. It may keep possession for a few more seconds but offers nothing, other than starting from the back again, putting keeper and defenders under pressure.

The ball can move quicker than any player. Take advantage of its pace and energy rather than running out of position and steam. Quick in mind, body and ball!

On Allan, I wonder if his last injury is fully healed / recovered because he has lost half-a-yard of pace. Does he realise this himself because he may benefit more than most from letting the ball do the leg work. He had a bad game but is generally a good passer.

Roll on / over City!

You have misunderstood my post. I wasn't saying Bolasie, Tosun and Walcott are better than the new signings. I was saying they are better than our squad players like Bernard and King and would have been better options on the bench.

Yes. I did congratulate and thank Ancelotti on here for the derby win.

Playing three holding midfielders at home is unacceptable. It's Stone Age football.

Ancelotti has never taken a mid-table club and improved them. He takes over Champions League clubs, wins trophies when the clubs are still riding high, then gets sacked.

As for Gomes, I don't detest him personally. I just think he is a very poor footballer.

People keep parroting "Who else could he pick?" ... Well, how about playing Richarlison in the hole with King and Calvert-Lewin up front? Before you all say "King isn't very good", ask yourself why, after three transfer windows Jurassicarlo has left us with just King as the only other forward option???

it's not an excuse but our best 11, and we can all agree/disagree on that (for the record mine is. Pickford, Coleman, Godfrey, any of the other 3 CB Digne, Davies, Doucouré, Allen, James, DCL, Richie) have never played together. The nearest to that formation was at the start of the season before the first international break substitute Gomes for Davies.

Onto the game. Agree with people who said Iwobi looked neat and tidy as a no 10, but no movement around him from the midfield.

Gomes. had a better 2nd half and looked better when Davies went off. But I can't think of a more frustrating footballer in a blue shirt. Surely the aim of playing out from the back is to give it to the midfield to, as they say these days, transition the ball up the field. I lost of the times when it was given to Gomes he give it right back or square, didn't even bother to turn to see what was on.

I think he'll never be the same player pre-injury; lots of players speak about this when they lose their powers either through injury or age, they play it ultra safe, because they go onto the field knowing they're no longer the player they were.

The Davies incident; I've run that back 10 times and can't make my mind up whether it was a)Keane's hospital pass, b)Tom not being strong enough or c) a blatant foul in front of the worse ref in the history of the game, or a combination of all 3.

What I would say to all the Davies haters out there that Burnley still had a lot to do to score, and the closing down was non-existent. In addition if we're talking about culpability, Allan was a lot more at fault for the second goal, albeit a worldie. He's a seasoned international and shouldn't get done like a Sunday park player.

Carlo's post match, was both brutal and revealing and if followed through will probably see an exodus of 5-6 players in the summer.

We didn't play 3 holding midfielders. It looked like a diamond to start with then went to a flatter 4 with Iwobi moving right. No matter the formation, those 4 chosen were not good enough. Burnley's midfield wanted it more.

With Doucouré injured for probably the rest of the season, we have to get some legs into that central midfield area. I would look at Onyango or even put Holdgate there.

For Man City, I would be bypassing the midfield and go early to Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. Liverpool have had success against Man City playing like that.

Easy said with hindsight but we missed the boat in January in bringing players in.

There is a lack of fluency to our attacks. No partnerships or understanding down the flanks. Digne looks better when Richarlison or Bernard plays in front of him. Coleman is a threat going forward but doesn't have anyone to link up with. Frustrating seeing both full-backs constantly checking back. It's not easy playing full-back if your midfield isn't showing for the ball.

That first goal, my take on it: Keane makes those passes repeatedly, he did it the other night vs Chelsea, again passing to Davies, when Davies was well covered. Then watch Keane, after Davies was robbed or fouled off the ball, the ball comes into the penalty area, Keane throws his foot at the ball, flicking it to the goalscorer, great pass.

I'm constantly amazed at the praise Keane gets on here. I haven't bothered to comment on it for months. He is still unaware of his position, constantly bullied by opposing strikers, as yesterday; no aggression in his tackles. Watch him at corners, defending, marking nobody, jumping from a standing start, loses a lot of his one on one heading duals, yet two fans on here have called him flawless, flawless? Not very good is closer to the truth.

Davies is the lad who gets a lot of stick: some like him, I'm one of them. He's far from perfect but never shirks and has had some very good games lately. He was doing okay yesterday until he was removed. I don't think we improved after the subs were made and his energy will be needed for the remainder of the season.

Our defence is open down the flanks because there are no wide midfielders to provide cover. Not Carlo's fault and hopefully he will sort these issues out in the summer.

David, that opening gambit @311 made me spit my coffee out!

I think Paul A Smith captured it best earlier after I said Gomes done "okay". The word there is "okay". Not outstanding, not brilliant, just okay.

Tom has recently received a lot of rightful praise because he has played well and has been much improved. Again, "played well". For me, I think Tom can be a very good and useful squad member.

The reality is, the manager made 4 excellent signings in the summer. But they are just 4. Beyond that, it remains the same squad that had us pulling both our hair and teeth out previously. Most of them are "good" and "okay" but not the standard we, and dare I say, Carlo, knows we need.

If he can make another 4 or 5 signings of the same calibre this summer, then we will again progress, but this time on top of more solid foundations.

Looking through the fog of frustration that is still hovering, there is still a lot to play for this season. I'm not throwing the towel in just yet, certainly not with an FA Cup quarterfinal next week and the discussions taking place that may see 20,000 fans allowed to attend the FA Cup Final at Wembley. I sincerely hope, expect even, the players to be the same.

We missed an opportunity but are still in the fight.

Think of Martinez, pushing for top 4 in his first season and gets rolled by Crystal Palace at home.

Koeman had his chances, and so did Silva.

It's a mentality thing. Let's face it.

If you want to focus on Tom, focus on that peach of a cross which, due to its pinpoint accuracy, I could have scored.

We were shite all round but, thinking back, what pisses me off as much as anything is that, all-in-all, young Virginia had very little to do once he replaced Pickford. We just didn't have the guile, desire, tenacity or aggression to make anything happen.

Still pissed-off... really pissed-off.

Thank you George for an uplifting tableau.

A shaft of golden light through the storm clouds.

I feel better for reading it.

You still haven't answered my question about Allan, Davies and Gomes in midfield. Who would you have picked in midfield yesterday, considering Doucouré is out, Sigurdsson is carrying an injury, Gbamin still out, also the waste of space Delph???

Bolasie is in and out of the Boro' team, Tosun totally inconsistent, Kean had discipline problems, turning up late for training etc, but I do agree that Walcott was probably our best option on the right wing – a lot more effective than Iwobi in my opinion... but he's crocked now at Southampton.

There's already a few writing us off against Man City next week. Now that's a mentality thing. Before a ball is kicked, we're doomed... doomed I say, doomed!! Man City might well beat us but, for fuck's sake, let's all get behind the team in the coming week and not write us off completely before a ball has even been kicked.

I woke this morning with Conrad and O Neill and Melville in my head – all of whom did visit pubs along The Dock Road so I decided to convert them into Blues and just allowed myself poetic license.

Cosmic Blue Waves All The Way.

I can't believe that there is a single Everton fan who enjoys the current style of play, it is frankly dross, whether we win or lose.

More than a few of the players we have are clearly not fit for purpose, but that does not mean that they should be allowed to stroll around the park, apparently without a care in the world.

Will we qualify for Europe? No. Do I care? No. I see no progress either in terms of position or style or planning over any of the previous 4 permanent managers and have no desire to travel across the continent to watch us lose heavily to teams that would struggle to get into League One.

I would ask who will be the happier fans at the end of the season: Leeds fans whose team finishes 11th and plays free-flowing exciting football? Or us, who finish 7th and have been bored out of our trees at almost every single turn.

I feel so sorry for Moshiri who has put his money where his mouth is and has been let down time and time again by a load of over-paid prima donnas who really couldn't care less about the club – and I include the managers in that assessment.

Of course, we all want success. That is natural. But why is it that Everton consistently bottle it?!

Ancelotti came here with nothing to lose, and a club that is consistent with the grandeur and history of clubs he has managed. Would he go to Brighton or Southhampton? Probably not.

Since then, he's found out the reality of what this means. A mid-table club, living off its history.

Yes, let's get behind the team. I desperately want that. But, for the most part, the team is always sitting behind the 8 ball, too scared to have a go and actually get out there and win.

Talk is talk. Action is what we want.

Was it a foul? It might have been... but it wasn't given, so play on. He wasn't at fault, the problem was the same as last season, that we thought we had cured, but due to injuries and having a weak squad, the problem in the midfield is still there.

Ancelotti knows the problem and has tried to cure it by switching formations; that has worked in some cases but never worked yesterday, mainly because he was let down by other players. After his comments after the game, there may be a few of them missing next season.

This is a team game and there were mistakes all round yesterday and no one player can be held responsible for a defeat; you win as a team and you lose as a team – and that includes the manager.

Criticism is fine and during the game, I am one of the worse but, like other supporters, I am a glutton for punishment and I watched the game again. In my opinion, we should have had a couple more goals but we didn't, and one goal – no matter how it was scored – should not have affected the result, but it did. So all the players and the manager are responsible for the loss, not just one of them.

Holgate joins him as the worst Everton players on the pitch.

I do think Davies was unlucky not to have been given a foul, but he should be better than that at protecting the ball – I would say 8 out of 10 refs would have blown for a foul on him.

Other than this, Burney hit the post, should have had a penalty, while our best chances fell to Calvert-Lewin who couldn't take them.
Earlier on in the season, Calvert-Lewin said that Ancelotti had told him to focus on one-touch finishes - there's a fucking reason for that!!

Still really angry with this result.

As a wise monk once said to me, “We can travel far further in our minds than we can in this world”.

I know it feels like we should be able to squeeze more out of what we've got. But every club below the rich 6 (and even within it) faces the same issue. And the clubs that win things / make top 4 almost always have the stand-out best players.

I wager it is not this team that starts next season. We took action last summer and the additions of James, Allan, Doucoure and Godfrey improved the calibre of the squad. Do the same this summer and we progress again. I know a few seem to think that he should have come in, sprinkled his dust and turned a few of our okay players into Maldini and Ibrohimovic overnight, but that is like asking me to turn £10 notes into £50 ones by tomorrow.

Players are human beings. Human beings have their own individual limitations that no matter what, they will not overcome. Some can improve, but only to a certain degree. Unfortunately we need to replace more than nurture. That was never going to happen overnight.

I know it's easy to point to Ancelotti only having managed super-clubs in the modern context of European football, but that isn't strictly true. He served his coaching apprenticeship at 2 modest clubs in Reggiana & Parma, achieving relative success at both. This isn't necessarily new ground for him.

I tend to agree with Rob on the mentality thing starting with us fans. I get frustration and anger in the midst of another disappointing opportunity missed, but I will continuously repeat myself. Still a lot to play for. Dust off, move on, don't wallow in it.

Our fundamental problem remains: we have a bunch of shite in midfield excluding Doucouré, Allan and James. As 2 out 3 of them are often injured and as a minimum 1 out of 3 of them are nearly always injured, this leaves a huge problem every game. Add to that, no proper right back now Seamus has passed his best and is often injured, we have weakness down the right side nearly every match as well.

I'm sure Carlo knows this and this summer will hopefully see a few more decent acquisitions. But, as long as the likes of Davies, Iwobi, Bernard, Sigurdsson are able to get into the side even when we have injuries, we know we aren't good enough.

Players come and go. Players get injured (eg, James & Allan) and rarely play. It all starts now with the assets you've got.

How did Leicester City win the Premier League? On the back of Vardy? I think not. There was something about that team that clicked. There was spirit and desire.

Everton FC Co Ltd is a business. The manager is paid to perform. We lose to teams we should not. Okay, the odd shock loss here and there happens. But not to Leeds, West Ham, Newcastle, Fulham, and now Burnley at home. Hell, even Peterborough made us look like a Championship side. It's consistent and embarrassing.

I'm calling a spade a spade and the results aren't good enough – mediocre players or not.

We put ourselves under more pressure than the opposition do.

Surely a world class manager should be able to spot that and change the style of play. At least, if the ball is in their half, they can't score.

And I appreciate the "We've been here before" sentiment. Genuinely do (hence my original "been here, seen this" comment).

But (always a but!) this manager, I believe, can be different. The four players he brought in were improvements on the standard we had. Only two of those were on the pitch last night, so he has to resort to what he had previously. I guess that makes me an apologist (not you're words, by the way, Scott).

Next season, if he brings in four or five more of similar calibre and improvement, we cope with injuries, that inevitable part of football, much better than we can now.

"Up for the league and up for the cup. Everton on the up and up" in my view!

Gomes didn't have a poor game. Allan, though not at the level we have come to expect of him, had a decent game as did Tom Davies.

The major problem was on the wings. The inability of Iwobi and Holgate to simply cross the ball was disturbing. Digne's delivery from corners was of Sunday League standard and he rarely got in a position to cross the ball from open play.

Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison don't complement one another and are rarely on the same wavelength, so playing them both centrally isn't working. We also lose the valuable defensive work Richarlison does supporting Digne.

As limited as he is, Kenny is a much better right-back than Holgate and Gordon is a better option than Iwobi out wide... but both Kenny and Gordon were loaned out.

I agree with that, we do seem to have had a bit of luck winning and drawing games where arguably we have been second best. Lord knows where we would be otherwise because there is no fight or slickness about this squad.

My pre-season shout was 7th to 12th and, despite the early season purple patch, nothing has happened to change my mind.

Hopefully those assuming "Carlo can see this" (insert obvious issues) are right because the truth is, this season is proving to be nothing more than the usual mid-table fare.

Unlike an Iniesta or a David Silva, Tom doesn't possess the skills or the football mind to play himself out of trouble. Now very few players can compare to those two but, for a small midfield player, spatial awareness and bags of talent are a must.

Spot on. The football under this Manager is absolutely woeful. Dull. Boring. Built on defend deep and try and nick one. Fans are making excuses and ignoring Ancelotti's failings that the last 4 managers were hounded out of the club for.

The style of football under Allardyce was better and anyone who says otherwise is deceiving themselves. The only plus that Ancelotti has that Allardyce didn't is a win at Anfield. But he can't dine out on that forever. The Cup defeat to Liverpool's youth team is still in the minus column.

Just to counter that argument, it helps the midfield if, when they look up, there is actual movement and intelligent running ahead of them. Otherwise, they will check, come back inside and inevitably go backwards or sideways to keep possession rather than punt it forward for the sake of it.

We done okay in the first 10 when we kept finding Richarlison in a pocket of space.

So yes, the midfielders needed to get the ball forward more and quicker, but they also need assistance from those in front of them to do so.

And the trouble is this has been the case for years - Moyes and Martinez both built v good first 11s but there was nothing in reserve. So we fell short.

Apart from aberrations like Leicester and the occasional cup win, the spoils always go to the teams with the best players.

So yes we should be beating teams like Burnley, but in all likelihood we won't make material strides as a club until the playing squad is much improved. That's irrespective of manager.

Colin, I feel a Duncan Ferguson call coming on. If I recall, I think we've had it before.

This season, watching Everton at home is liable to lead to brain damage. In reality, it seems to have affected the players in the same way.

Robbie Mustoe on NBC was, as you lot would say, gobsmacked by Burnley. Said it was flat-out the best performance he had ever seen by a Burnley side in the Prem. Ever, in five years. Think about that. McNeil's goal was genius -- left a fine footballer, Allan, in the dust and cracked the best shot he will ever hit. Goal of the Year candidate. #2 on ESPN's Top 10. He's never done anything like that before. Even dazzled Alan Shearer.

Any Prem team can rise up to brilliance on a given day, and Burnley is a Prem team -- bottom half, yeah, but never relegation fodder since coming up.

Amidst all the whinging, roasting and rage here, nobody has given them proper credit. They were great, start to finish.

Sometimes you have to give the opposition credit and Burnley deserve that for last night.

I watch a game with a completely clean slate. I don't stick rigorously to preconceived notions about the manager, individual players, the team, or the tactics.

This is how I viewed yesterday's game.

With the players unavailable (James, Doucoure, Delph and Olsen. No point in mentioning Gbamin), together with those returning from injury (Coleman, Mina, Allan and Davies), plus being cautious with Siggy who wasn't able to fully train since the Chelsea game, the starting XI pretty much picked itself.

Yes, you could make a case for a couple of positions. Could Coleman and Mina both been recalled to go with a back 4 or 5 of Coleman-Mina-Keane-Godfrey-Digne and Holgate dropped? But then, we don't know if either Coleman or Mina are fit enough to last 90 minutes, if needed.

Simalarly with Allan and Davies. Are either both fully back up to speed to play 90 minutes? Has Josh King really shown enough to merit a start?

Given that in the last 4 games we have seen a bulk use of untried academy players on the bench - Virginia, Tyrer, Astley, Nkounkou, Kyle John, Onyango, Broadhead - serves to highlight just how deeply injuries are biting into the squad.

You NEVER hear Carlo use absentees as an excuse. On the contrary, he always states 'we can manage'.

I was initially encouraged yesterday because we actually started very well. Iwobi was excellent playing in the hole of the number 10 position. He is more mobile and busier than, for example, Siggy in that position. Contrary to what some believe about the player, he is technically gifted. He moves very well with the ball at his feet. He can beat a man. He looks to play progressive incisive passes through the middle.

He was particularly combining well with Richarlison, who was finding space between Burnley lines close to their penalty area. The Brazilian got a couple of shots off and tried to play in Dom in this spell.

Then totally against the run of play, Burnley took the lead. Small margins. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with Keane's ball into Davies. Even as a park player, I would welcome and accept such a pass.

I watched it numerous times and I cannot come down in favour of saying Tom was fouled. He lost out to the Burnley player being stronger. The problem thereafter was that Holgate was out of position, well in advance of Tom, so there was a huge gap down that flank for McNeil to exploit.

The cross came in, Keane attempted to clear, didn't get good contact and the unchallenged Wood finished with aplomb.

For the second, I originally thought Allan was too easily beaten by McNeil, but playing it back, I wonder if Tom Davies could have done more.

McNeil is very clever. Basically, he stood still holding his position with the ball being played around on their right flank. Allan is sitting deep inside our penalty area. Tom remains stagnant just outside the 'D', looking around. Not once does he make a move to get closer to McNeil, even when the ball is played to him. Who is alert and does move out of position to challenge McNeil is Allan, but McNeil is skilful enough to skin him and then hits a worldy finish.

When you see the play head on (from the Park End camera) Tom really has no one in front of him to occupy him. For me, it was Tom who should have got closer to McNeil, rather than expect Allan to step out from his deeper covering position.

2-0 down, Carlo implemented a change, pushing Iwobi out to the right from the central position he had been playing effectively, presumably to make us more compact and better match up to Burnley's 4-4-2. Alex was instrumental with Tom in setting up Dom's goal.

To the second half and again we started well. Gomes forcing Pope into a full-length save. Iwobi playing Dom through whose first touch was excellent only for the ball to fall unfortunately on his other foot to just knock the ball away from him. Gomes' excellent cross field pass to Digne from a cleared corner, which Lucas brings down beautifully and somehow dig out an excellent cross which Dom, much to his own frustration, got horribly wrong.

Burnley batted back to regain a foothold in the game. Their defending, blocking, heading, was excellent. We huffed and puffed, had some 'nearly but not quite' moments. They took the points in an evenly balanced game.

My own personal assessment is this:

This is Carlo Ancelotti's Everton. His players. His tactics. He doesn't get a pass because, as some ask, he hasn't had enough transfer windows to get in the players he wants.

He has shown he can get a tune out of this squad. He is doing very well on some metrics. Our away form and our results against 'better' teams. He is doing extremely badly on other metrics. Our home form against 'lesser' teams.

The former of those two metric groups needs to continue. The latter needs to radically improve, but it isn't. He and the players simply have to find a solution to that failing which is time and again torpedoing our chances of securing a top 4-6 place.

On the players who made the pitch yesterday:

Pickford. In this thread I read he should not be beaten twice from outside the area as he was. No keeper in the world would have stopped those. Give credit to the Burnley players for their quality finishing.

Virginia. Other than a flat-palmed flap in the coming together with Godfrey in the 2nd half, he did just fine.

Holgate. Continues to disappoint for me. He hasn't been right all season, but I'm not willing to give up with him as some in this thread. His best position is centre back, not right back. He was one of our standout players last season after Carlo arrived and promoted him to the side and made him a fixture. That player is still in there, challenging as it will be to hold down a place with the competition at centre back.

Coleman. Brought some much needed energy and more effective forward support play down our right than Holgate offered. If and when fully match fit, he has to come in for Mason.

Keane. Not a lot wrong with his play yesterday. He remains our best ball-playing centre back. In the second half he could often be found helping out midfield playing well into Burnley's half. See his excellent pass to Coleman inside the full back late in the game. Still our best centre back this season.

Godfrey. Personally, I don't think he performed to the standards we have come to expect from him yesterday, but still one of our players of the season.

Digne. Since coming back from his injury he doesn't look quite right defensively. He is getting skinned and blindsided quite a lot. Other than the cross to Dom in the second half, his delivery from open play and corners was well off. Not a great day.

Allan. Another who, for me, since his return from injury is not quite on it. He still does some good defensive work. He can do some 'wow' stuff, like the pass from deep with the outside of his boot through to Dom in the 1st half. But he was also untidy and inaccurate too often yesterday. Possibly got (a little) better as the game progressed.

Davies. Stuff like the challenge for the 1st Burnley goal happens. As already mentioned, he could have done more to close McNeil for their 2nd. Great cross for our goal. Never flagged once and was trying to get us playing forward. Unlucky to be substituted, but he always seems to be the 1st to get hooked around the 60-70 minutes mark under Carlo.

Gomes. Even before his injury, I personally have never been convinced or swooning about Andre as some are on here, but yesterday I thought he played as well as anyone in a Blue shirt. He became more influential as the game progressed.

No way, as some claim, was he abdicating responsibility and only passing backwards and sideways. He was stronger on the ball than has often been the case. He ran at the Burnley defence. He displayed a wide range of FORWARD (accurate) passing.

Iwobi. Like many, I find him an exasperating player. Unlike many, I can acknowledge when he plays well. Yesterday he played very well, especially in the number 10 role. Even when the tactical switch was made to move him wider, he continued to play well.

A regular complaint some make is that our midfield and general play is too ponderous and pedestrian. Iwobi, when on his game, is a player who can quicken our play. Can Carlo tap into that?

Richarlison. Started very well and was a threat playing between their lines. Virtually anonymous in the 2nd half when we needed him to step up. Other than his recent burst of goals, not bringing as much to the team for a good part of this season as he previously has. Needs to do better.

Dom. Nice to see him back on the scoresheet with his thumping header. Can't agree with those emboldened to claim he has a poor touch, incapable of running with the ball, and is not of the standard required.

Again, small margins. Yes, he should have done better with the header off the Digne cross. Got close and unlucky on the Allan through ball in the 1st half and Iwobi's pass in the 2nd half. Definitely one we need to build the team around going forward.

King. Sorry, but personally still waiting for him to produce...well...anything, really. Giving us no good cause to extend his contract beyond this season.

Overall, very frustrating how we continue to spurn opportunities to really cement a place not only in the top 6, but the top 4.

I did forget to mention the young keeper who I thought done really well.

It is easy but understandable to get carried away with results both good and bad. It is more challenging to look through that at the performance. Yesterday wasn't great, but it wasn't Newcastle or Fulham as I originally said here.

League positions don't lie. We remain in a very healthy league position in comparison to 12 - 18 months ago.

Post of the thread lad.

This spirit crushing Zombie football is a blight on the good name of the club.

I was the most relieved man in the world when big Sam got the push...But this manager has somehow managed to make us even uglier.

Carlo's bleatings fall on deaf ears as far as I'm concerned. He chooses to play this anti football, Its not forced on him There are about 14 EPL clubs with less overall talent in their ranks. None of them are as consistantly as bad a watch as we have been these past 15 months.

I just hope with all my heart we will finish above TGT.

No thats not ambition. Its more a desperation to avoid further humiliation.

If people want Moyes back as manager they should simply say so.

More like 30 years bar Royle's dogs of war (effort not guile), the odd Moyes year where he grew a pair and Martinez's first season.

That aside, regardless of manager, it's been pretty dire whoever the manager has been.

This squad is inherent of years of neglect. It seems some expected Ancelotti to wave a magic wand and transform many average players overnight. If he didn't those who are suspicious of him will use that against him. That's fine, we all have views and opinions.

Was never going to happen. Unfortunately replacement is the surgery needed for this squad, not fixing what we have. The sign of years of neglect that will take time to repair. I believe we have a manager capable of recognising and doing that. Not overnight but over time and I don't mean several years.

What was Holgate sniffing in the tunnel before the game?

Waved under the nose, the smelling salts stimulate the vagus nerve—the "motor nerve" of the heart and bronchi. The ammonia provides the punch and is essentially a gas-powered irritant that jolts the nerves—and the mind—into sharp, sudden wakefulness.

Unfortunately Holgate didn't check the use by date on his. Eithar that or he was in a hurry and picked up a sachet of fucking brown sugar by mistake.

Allardyce had a worse squad? Not sure about that. He had Rooney, he had Sig and Walcott three years younger than they are now. He still had Baines and Jag. He had Schneiderlin —- hear me out. On paper Morgan was a Rolls Royce and hugely experienced so his lousy performance is to an extent a reason to criticize his manager. Gomez similar story but he has improved under Carlo versus Morgan under Sam. Overall I’d say the squads are fairly similar. The fact we wasted money before Carlo came is irrelevant. Sam had Klaasen, Carlo had Iwobi and Bernard, all our crap bought by their predecessors.

The mad thing is, who would have thought 6 months ago we need Tom, Gilfy, Keane and Pickford as some first names on the sheet to feel like we are competitive?

Obviously Carlo struggled with the players he's inherited to do more yesterday. Truth is: Doucoure injured is potentially our biggest blow as his position is the one where any replacement in the middle of the spine doesn't have all his tools. For example if Dom is out then Richie can fill in pretty well down the middle. We'll still finish much better than last season as Siggy is back soon, and then James - hopefully sooner rather than later.

Holgate is a good centre back. It's like asking an head accountant to fill in for the HR Manager while off sick, some management skills and understanding payroll overlap, but will be like a fish out of water.

In the next transfer window with a few more excellent signings we should look like a very good footballing outfit next season. On reflection, against Spurs, Liverpool, and Leicester we have shown a good clinical cutting edge when most of our best players are fully fit. We're really not that far away from being a very good team/squad. It should be easier next season to rectify losses against lower half teams with a better squad with more tools, than trying to figure out how to beat the best teams like Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd - so I'm keeping faith in Carlo.

I’m sure Bobby and the rest of us would like that but since we don’t have the players we play in a way that best suits our squad. If we get young quick players who are good enough (as opposed to Leeds who aren’t good enough to play that way successfully) then I imagine we will play better football but right now we have a team of snails

Good analysis. I missed that early in the game Iowbi occupied the number 10 position. Disagree with you regarding Calvert Lewins touch. You are right that the fittest of Mina was a unknown. I had meant to highlight the good performance of Virginia, glad you did.

You can be Lewis Hamilton and put him in a Lada in the Grand Prix, do people actually think Hamilton would be able to use all his skills and knowledge, to win a race in a Lada.

That is where the problem is, in regards to what Carlo has to hand, Allan, just back from injury, Doucoure now out injured, Gomes nowhere near the player he was before that horrific injury, James in one week, out the next 4.

There is very little option we can do in midfield, do you not think Carlo knows who we need to bring in.

For the players we have available, we have performed better than I expected, some awful losses against teams we expected to beat matched with wins against teams we thought we would struggle against.

He has brought in 4 players, everyone of those 4 players, have been upgrades on what we had.

Get a few more in next season, and hopefully the injury front is kinder to us as well.

Plenty of over reactions on here expecting a miracle.

Those first 7 games before we started getting injuries, showed when we have our strongest 11 available, we are a match for most teams.

Even Michael Kean said in his interview that we looked a yard short in pace, never won any 2nd balls and were disappointing. Some truth coming out now after 5 months of total non football.

Can see us dropping and dropping down. As Ancelotti really knows and can’t say, but we need 6 new players, not 2-3 as he’s forced to quote. A statement of truth would totally turn off what meagre goods we are getting at the moment from this poor squad.

'Brighton, Southampton, Leicester, Arsenal, Spurs, all are miles ahead of us in quality of passing, movement, pressing, technical quality.'

And yet, in our fixtures home and away against those very teams this season, including the 5-4 cup win v Spurs, reads:

P 8 W 6 D 1 L 1 F 15 A 9

Go figure.

We might get something from those games.

Agree with your last paragraph but we are still in the game this season despite last night's disappointment.

Kieran. Totally agree. No more slow, money grabbing aging primadonnas if the project is to build a long lasting, successful team for the years to come.

Martinez had a very good first season, and faded fast, followed by The Clog, who couldn’t be arsed.

Big Sam, brought in some positional stability playing the worst type of football I’ve seen at Everton, including Mike Walkers stint.

Marco Silva was a football tactician and theorist and never a manager, whom was out of his depth.

Now Everton is in transition with Carlo, and this will over time lead to a transformation in playing more on the front foot.

Let’s see what happens these next two months, and see where Everton finish.

But strong foundations are needed at Everton after decades of mediocrity and neglect.

I had the Pope conversation with my brother earlier. Jordan is equally a good shot-stopper. If we want to improve on the keeper (not an immediate priority in my opinion), then it has to be someone who commands the box and controls / coordinates the defence. Installs confidence in them.

Pope has had his moments this season but agreed, is a good shot-stopper.

He brought Allan and James because he had managed them before, Allan looks a very good player and organiser, when fit, and since he came back from injury he hasn’t looked as good, hope it just temporary, James, I’ve praised him for some parts of his game, looks tremendous with his dribbling, passing and a few goals, but never over ninety minutes, goes missing for large parts of each game, seems to be out of games over little niggling injuries, up to now each of them, Allan and James haven’t been value for money, that’s with over two thirds of the season gone, so I hope Carlo’s signings in the summer are better able to stand up to the rigours of premier league football than these two seem than these two.

All sorts of stats can be produced to prove that Everton have done this or that or haven’t done this or that, whether we are good to watch is down to each fans opinion, for me we have been poor to watch many more times than the good performances, to some fans winning is all that matters never mind the performance, over a long season that could never do for me.

I do not, however, recall Carlo saying publicly we only needed 2-3 players. I'm quite certain he knows better. Can you cite a source for that quote?

And I don't agree with you about the inevitably of dropping down. We may be inconsistent, but this team doesn't exactly suck.

Not sure if you mean purely because of their performances? Or because, in part, they've been injured? In any case it's relatively early days in their blue careers.

"to some fans winning is all that matters never mind the performance, over a long season that could never do for me."

Dave, I wouldn't mind winning the league like that next year and then pushing on with some more quality signings so that we can play nice football as well as winning the league the following year!

I don't think we were ever going to turn around to being easy on the eye quickly; that's the bit that takes time. But the difference is in the league position.

Season isn't over yet (as I have been scratched record on all season), but then I appreciate that works both ways. Carlo will be judged in May as to how successful this season has been.

What is Everton? Slow, dull and hoping to 'nick' a goal from moments of James brilliance or the head of DCL

Danny (410), yes everyone has a different way of looking at things, I like the optimism in all your posts and you are, in part I think, motivated by wanting your son to see Everton win something, Inwant the same for my grandsons and great grandson so I certainly understand that, I can’t see it us winning any silver in the near future to be honest, doesn’t stop me wishing and hoping though.

Two or three new players

Not sure whether Olsen is one of the two players.

Rewind a generation, me in the late 70s (Gordon Lee years) and early 80s when Howard's reign mark 1 didn't get off to the best of starts. I had to listen to my father talk of Alex Young, 1966 and Kendall, Ball and Harvey to keep me going!

We all want it. I think we have a better opportunity than in recent years to do something. I have to believe that.

Need 2-3 midfielders,

Gomes did not have the best of games for Carlo Ancelotti’s team
losing out on 100% of his duels as well as failing to make a single successful dribble,
clearance or tackle, while losing possession of the ball no fewer than 19 times in the match,
the second-most of any player to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Holgate was one player who did not cover himself in much glory,
losing out on four of his duels and failing to record a single successful dribble,
clearance, interception or key pass from the right-back position,
as well as losing possession of the ball no fewer than 17 times,
the joint-third most out of any player to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Danny (419) yes Danny it is an age thing, when I first started watching Everton I went for a long period, fifteen years, before we won anything, then it didn’t matter to be honest, because until John Moore’s came along I don’t think many fans expected us to win honours.

Strangely, just thinking about it now, my first senior game as a supporter was on March 13th 1948 versus Arsenal in a 2-0 loss, so yesterday was my 73rd. anniversary as an Everton supporter,as John Mac says “ Doesn’t time fly when you are having fun” Wish I was just starting to watch them now, then again!!!

The only hope I have is that carlos signings this summer have all been successes.

We need another box to box midfielder, a right back, two wingers and another option up front to challenge Dcl.

If we make Europe itll be down to other teams slipping up but with our current injuries I feel like its going to be mid table again.

Superb posts. I would only disagree with you on Allan. I think he is one of the most over rated players we have had in years.

"The Brazilian Peter Reid" ?...Hes not even the Brazilian Lee Carsley.

Time and again he gave the ball away yesterday and after his howler at Burnley I suspect Sean Dyche would be happy to play against him every week.
I know the Live forum was swooning about an outside of the foot pass..but he was appalling. Young McNeil's shimmy sent him so far down Wessie road, He could have popped in the chippy and ordered himself a fish cake.

I know he as had his fair of injuries but this guy offers next to nothing going forward. Tackling the lino doesnt win you C L football. His partner is no better. Doucoure may be an impressive Galloper...But I've seen more creativity on a Sunday morning stroll.

Both decent workers, but when Carlo blew most of the kitty on these two. He kinda forfeit the right to whine about lack of creativity.

Ross Barkley plays for an inferior side. He has struggled every bit as much as these two with injury...But I bet he ends up scoring more than the pair of them put together this season...Thats Some progress !

We must be the only team in history who have a world class manager, using his amazing puling power, to bore the arse of every neutral in the game.

You either develop creativity, or you sign it. What you don't do is moan about the lack of it when you have spent north off 100m (including wages) on players who only know how to defend.

My first was a pre-season friendly in Germany against Braunsweig (Brunswick) sometime in the mid to late 70s. I was only 5 or 6 and we lost 5 or 6 nil!

All generations of Evertonians have had their ups and downs following our birthright. I feel for the younger ones who just have to listen. But it does finally feel like something positive is happening at the club in the strategic sense.

When I was watching Burnley looking dangerous every time they attacked us during yesterday's first half, it was apparent to me that it was because of our formation. It reminded me of the Fulham game, with us having too many big gaps, which was leaving our players too far away from each other.

We have done well this season when we have been hard to play against, and we have been deservedly beaten by three of the bottom six recently, because we've been way too easy to play against, using tactics that possibly don't suit the players maybe.

Since Allan has come back from his injury, he doesn't look 100% fit and he hasn't played as well as I thought he did earlier.

Tom Davies is another who doesn't look like he is properly fit either, although I thought he played well yesterday and didn't deserve to be subbed.

We are playing with a very poor midfield and that is the root of these poor performances. It doesn't look like we will get any better for the rest of the season, in my opinion.

At least don't play the diamond if you don't have the players to suit the system.

I am biased; I don't like the diamond!!

Burnley did out-play us. They also out-fought us. That is not acceptable.

Re Carlo and only 2-3 players, please see Post 418. Ancelotti basically quoted only last week he needs only 2-3 players.

Still, we are in a position to get a European place. We are blaming players but the results at home against teams below us are the manager's fault. It's happening too often. Marco, David, Sam and Ronald would have got what for on here for those performances – let alone the results.

This season, we have not played well consistently but got results. That's part of getting lucky and it will go the other way. No crowds has helped us away from home and hindered us at home. Sorry, but Carlo must look at himself as those performances are down to him.

Compared to those post-Moyes years you mention, we may just now have a manager who can advise the DoF and club on how to spend that money more wisely. I think we done well with the 4 signings last summer. If we at least replicate that this time around that will go a long way to actually improving us vice the awful scattergun approach in the post-Moyes / pre-Ancelotti years.

For those who despise him, Carlo Ancelotti will not be our manager in 3 or even 4 years time. But if he can use his standing in the game to improve us and attract better players in the interim, I am comfortable with that.

He may even win a trophy on the way.

Okay, the managers after Moyes have been crap but you can't lay the fact that they recruited badly at Carlo's door.

Leeds will be happier than Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool too come the end of their first season back in the Premier League.

I doubt free-flowing Brighton will have fans swapping positions with us having still not climbed into a safe position given all their quality play.

I think a season without fans has been an advantage for the likes of Burnley and Brighton but they still struggle.

Mike Oates 435, I saw that article from Ancelotti. I am starting to wonder if he meant in midfield alone. (Wishful thinking...)

All of that is correct, but back when Moyes was manager, there where only Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool who could go out and buy expensive players and they did, they bought the lot and Everton and the rest had not a pot to piss in and had to shop at Aldi.

Come forward to today, everyone has a billionaire as an owner and FFP has reared its head, every team can now go buy £40/50 million pound players and all teams have and they have got better with it. We are not the only team to have spent money, but it's been spent poorly. So we now have a top manager and a chairman who wants to back him. Have faith.

Look how lauded Sheffield United were last season and look at them now.

I can't see any point related to our dull football because it is dull most weeks. We have dull players. Apart from Doucouré who else could match Leeds's high energy?

Our football will remain dull until we get more exciting players in. We've all seen us go at teams and we just get picked off and beaten.

Since 10 games played this season, the games we have tried to go more direct or free-flowing have either lasted 20 mins and failed or been in vain after we have gone behind.

I fail to see how anyone can say any different?

They love the journey they are on, but they are characteristically prone to a second-half season collapse. "Leeds are falling apart again" as the chant goes. It took them 3 shots to eventually come up, but they do entertain.

Well, after tonight we are very much still in there. A frustrating weekend but we are in a very good position in the league with a quarter-final to look forward to at the weekend.

This definitely feels better than last season.

But, that's been the story of our season and most of the other teams. The home advantage doesn't exist right now and we have beaten teams who you would've thought we would of struggled against: Leicester, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs. However we seem to struggle against the teams below us such as a Newcastle, Fulham, Burnley.

However, whereas we seem to turn up against the big teams, maybe these teams turn up against us because we are bigger than them. I do agree that we seem to have an issue against these lower teams. However, we all need a little reality check. Burnley have had a jammy deflection, after a clear foul on Davies, and then scored an absolute worldie goal. We seem to have been done over in a few games this season where players score goals like Leeds at home and now Burnley.

I think our big thing is our depth. Players are injured and we don't have anyone to replace them. The midfield looks poor and we don't have anyone who can get the ball and find a killer pass, especially when James doesn't play. Gomes, who we all hoped would be that guy just doesn't seem to have it, goes sideways far too much.

Calvert-Lewin had a few chances to get the ball, control it and strike yesterday but his touch let him down. It's defo something he needs to work on. He's been great this season and he's a killer from the 6-yard box but he needed to score a second last night. It's the difference between being good and class. He will know this, he's a smart lad.

We all have to remember: Carlo has been here one year. I'm sure he will look back at the end of the season and the 5 losses at home to Leeds, West Ham, Newcastle, Burnley and Fulham will be the difference between top 4 and not. We need to learn how to draw a game or two as well. If we would of drew all of those games, we would rue the fact we never won, but another 5 points would right now have us 4th. We seem to win or lose.

However, Carlo will know this. He will know who is good enough to stay and who needs to leave in summer. Delph, Gomes, Iwobi are probably three players that we need to upgrade. But, who do we replace them with? Who is out there that will make that killer difference to us? Anyone got any good ideas?

I've still got massive faith in Carlo and his experience. Sure, we have lost games, we have also got to the quarter final of the cup, we are 6th after 28 games and we haven't really had a full-strength team for most of this season. Carlo will make some calls and I've got no doubt we will have a big summer. Oh, also, I would drop Holgate for Coleman, or have Holgate centre-back with Godfrey right-back. That's one of my only tactical criticisms over the last game or two.

Regards all these Leeds comparisons, can I throw it out there. Who would prefer Bielsa over Ancelotti?

Our current manager for me, he's only been here just over a year.

We can all cherry-pick who's staying or going but, as we have seen with the likes of Bolasie, Tosun, Besic, Gomes and Delph. These players will hang on for grim life to the bitter end and no-one on this planet is daft enough to take over their contracts (Walcott included). They really are holding us back from the next level until we can get rid.

I'm saying nothing original – I'm just another frustrated Blue who's seen it all before... Never-ending but at least I have seen us dominate. It's my kids I feel sorry for.

You make a valid point about the need to draw a few games. Brian Labone used to quote Harry Catterick saying "You go out there with a point. The least I expect is that you come back in with a point!"

Whilst our first game (a creditable win at Spurs) was followed by our biggest win against woeful 10-man Albion, we have witnessed many very poor performances against teams they should not have lost against.

For the most part, we do not have the speed to attack quickly on the counter unless Richarlison gets free. Our midfield is a tad slow in all positions and really struggles at times, attacking and defending.

Holgate is awful as a right-back and I saw that a lot of his poor play when he was on loan at Albion.

Gomes has no speed back-tracking and is nothing like the player he was before his injury.

I agree that there are a number of players not active on a regular basis who should be turfed out before next season: Bolasie, Besic, Bernard, Delph and Walcott to name a few.

If they go out of the cup next week and lose a couple more Premier League games soon after, then Carlo should look to starting some of the youngsters who have shown good promise.

(1) Today's football has become increasingly more boring with 1-0 and 0-0 considered the norm.

(2) Most teams just try not to lose.

(3) Good hard tackles are a thing of the past.

(4) Rolling around the field when injured is acceptable.

(5) VAR has merely lengthened the boredom of dull games.

(6) Too many lousy refs.

Most Evertonians could probably think of 20 more reasons...

Football, as we know it, is dying John.

Completely agree. I have stopped watching games, except Everton cos of some misplaced weird loyalty I have dating back to my first game in 1980 and a Latchford hat-trick. I am an Evertonian and it just seems that is the way it is!

Egotism: It was always in football, but now the narcissism levels are beyond belief. Oh, look at my hair and new dance!

Cheating: Let's dive and also try and get a fellow pro – who may be an ex-teammate or international colleague – sent off!

Loyalty: Does it exist, except amongst a few?

Win at all costs: regardless of the cheating.

Bias within the media: It truly exists.

The disdain with which fans are treated in: TV times dictates the time and day, no regards to away fans, although fans have always been at the bottom of the list.

Ticket prices: Obstructed views!!!????

Agents!

Crazy wages: Don't blame the players cos most of us would want the same.

Lack of local players at the club: You can have zero English players too!!??

Pink boots and pink goalkeeper tops! Look at me – a giant Durex.

Betting adverts...

The holding fans' intelligence in low estimation with the endless crap that comes out of players' mouths after a defeat: Roll the player out who the fans like, to say "Blah, blah, blah, blah!

Ron #418 (and Mike O), thanks for the source of the Carlo quote.

Any ounce of hope and confidence I had against Man City in the FA Cup has diminished. Put it this way: if we beat Man City next week, that will surpass the win at Anfield. But it's just gonna be men against boys.

And as for the season, our luck will run out. I've seen it all before with them. Especially with that shower of shite's luck. If we cannot be motivated at home to Burnley, Fulham and Newcastle while in a European race, then what chance do we have?? And players having the egos thinking they are better than what they actually are, showing arrogant attitudes, and having egg on their faces.

Nothing would thrill me more. But we're just a club and players frightened to be in a position of control and pressure.

I just wish we could find the form from early season, but with Doucouré and James out it ain't gonna happen.

Cheer up, it might never happen. I thought yesterday's loss was the best out of Fulham, Newcastle, Leeds etc.

Calvert-Lewin should've scored at least... If you don't think Ancelotti is the right person to take us forward, then we might as well turn Bramley-Moore Dock into a leisure centre.

We need two more transfer windows to sort out the mess from previous managers.

I can't see Everton being near City for a long time and it would take something drastic to sustain.

I recently looked at the last 20 europa league winners and it seems absolute pointless that we could enter and win it.
Its usually a CL drop out or a side that just missed the CL places.

Barry Williams has just pointed out everything we have to digest as football fans now (especially outside the elite) and his post has really hit home with me.

When FFP was brought in, I predicted it'd be another 30 years waiting for a trophy at least and its hard to see how the odds fall in our favour?

Why do we keep these players? Just pay them up or put them on gardening leave. Don't let them train; they will soon want away.

And I think (without checking) that is the answer to your question.

Since Bosman, the player's contract rules. Termination (with full pay-off no doubt) can be only by mutual agreement and that has been very rare, for exceptional circumstances. At least, that's my understanding... but I could be wrong.

I don't see him making clever runs that creates a chance for him or his teammates, the goal Richarlison scored against Liverpool and Southampton I couldnt ever see Dominic doing that. On Saturday he was given 4 excellent chances to score and only converted 1. But even the best miss chances but 4 gilt edged chances. I think like quite a few of our players he has a poor first touch which doesnt help, and he certainly doesnt ever go past a defender and burst into the box and shoot. I know many say he hasnt had much service in some games and that can be true, but if he wants to become a top striker sometimes he has to create chances for himself and his team mates and he doesnt.

One of the downsides of not being allowed inside the ground, means I can only see what the camera shows, so when our midfield pass square or backwards is that because there is no movement from our forwards. As I said Dominic has improved a lot but for me he has to improve an awful lot more if he is to become the all round striker we will need to help us challenge for a top spot in the league.

I am sure many posters will fervently disagree with these sentiments and thats what this forum is about. I am not trying to say that Dominic is the reason we failed to beat some teams we should have, and I am well aware without his goals we would be in a far worse position. I just hope that the manager and coaches work on his first touch that will help him and the team be more successful.

As a footballer he is without doubt Manufactured and his all round game is a long work in progress.

His feet are dreadful, he can't shoot and appears to be unable to run with the ball.

He can still be useful for the team with his physical game but you are right that we do have to play a certain way for him.

Bar last summer our recruitment has been up there with the worst in the league. All it takes is one injury to a certain player and we have nobody who can then do that job effectively. We replace james with iwobi, coleman with holgate, doucoure with davies, Richarlison with bernard/king. Our squad is an utter mess of players who can only play in one way and with our current injuries are now left with a team so utterly imbalanced and also means we don't have a style or way that we play. Look at other teams looking for europe. Utd chelsea city and leicester (bar Vardy replacement) have squads that can deal with injuries where we are severely impacted the second one player gets injured. We should never be in a position where if Doucoure gets injured our season ends up in tatters. Other teams have drop offs when they get injuries. We go into crisis.

Poor recruitment.

People mention chances he misses. However, out of the top 5 scorers in the league, 4 of them have also had the most shots. The exception - Calvert Lewin. Harry Kane as had about 100 shots to score 19 goals, Calvert Lewin has had about 60 to score 14.

Calvert Lewin is a handful for any centre back, he finds pockets of space between defenders which unfortunately we are not exploiting at the moment. He rarely loses the ball, he wins countless headers and also wins his own flick ons. (I’ve not seen many players do that). He wins countless headers in defensive situations and has a burst of pace that troubles any team (Liverpool or Utd penalties for example).

He had an unfortunate game against Burnley (bringing the ball down for it to hit his other foot for example, or jumping too early for the header he missed), but still scored.

When the lad was playing across the front, he was slated for not scoring. When he plays centrally his is limited.

Agree Richarlison offers more movement, but how poor as our Brazilian been the last two games?

It’s why I’ve wanted Josh King, to start, because although I’m not sure if he his good enough, (won’t find out at this rate) but other than Dominic and Richarlison, I don’t see another forward thinking player in our squad, and often think those two need a lot more help than they’re getting.

Barry @461. Second person this past week to trigger me on grass roots!! I'll spare the now well worn and boring lecture, but like you, I'd love to see more home grown English / British players in the league and at Everton. I like to flip the argument around. Rather than impose a quota on clubs, If we can sort our grass roots out and produce players of the standard required and at scale, we won't need to go shopping abroad as much. That said, I think a blend of foreign and home-grown is healthy and to be encouraged.

Paul A Smith @469. When it was first introduced, the concept of FFP, at face value, appeared a welcome move. But the more you dig into it, the more you realise it is there to further cement the elite club of clubs. Just look how City got treated. No way would that have even been considered for Liverpool, United, Bayern or Barcelona. How dare an upstart secure investment, use that investment wisely and threaten to gatecrash said elitist establishment.

I get your point but you can also argue that Kane is a threat anyway from 40 yards so he is taking shots no one else would even try. But for what it’s worth DCL has certainly improved tremendously.

I'm always a bit reluctant to compare strikers as, in my opinion, it's one area of the pitch where they are all apples and oranges. Very few are alike. Comparisons with Kane are not really fair.

I haven't done my research here, so shooting from the hip slightly. I would guess Kane played in midfield before being identified as a striker whereas Dominic probably switched between centre back and forward? He is more one dimensional than Kane and that is not a criticism, just an observation on styles.

Do we force clubs to use British players so that they invest or do we invest more in our broken grass roots so more better quality players come through and clubs do not need to go abroad as often?

I'm more towards the latter; if we leave it to the Premier League clubs, it becomes a closed shop for the few that make it to the academies. I'd rather see a system like they have in Holland and Germany where it is a true football pyramid built from the bottom up. We have become the house that built the roof first, with the foundations shaking underneath due to under-investment.

For me, the best gauge of our standards is international football. 1966 and "celebrating" a semi-final with comedy breasts is not on a par with Germany, Italy, Spain and France. And in context of population, throw the Netherlands into that mix too.

The counter to that obviously will be that if we don't blood our players, they won't get to the standard. I know where I stand but I accept, like I said at the start of this post, it is a chicken and egg debate.

a) The contract expires.

b) The contract is terminated by mutual agreement.

c) The player can terminate the contract with sporting just cause.

d) The club or the player can unilaterally terminate the contract with just cause.

Those are the reasons but when you actually read all the rules it basically states unless a player takes banned drugs or does not train for a significant time then s club can not unilaterally terminate a players contract. Also a player can really only unilaterally terminate his contract if a club fail to pay him or try to force him out.

In terms of performance levels it was not to far off the one against Southampton at home or WBA away. We just are not a very good team and with a goal difference of plus 4, mid-table rather than Champions League qualification is where we are at present.

Tom Davies was at fault for the first goal, not helped by the pass out from the back and maybe unlucky not to receive a free-kick for the challenge but he should have been stronger. He was our best midfielder and I assume that a lack of fitness was the reason for his substitution.

Iwobi was not too bad when played behind Calvert-Lewin but, once he was shifted out to the flanks, he faded. He is either a No 10 or nothing, given that we have James and Siggy, he is probably surplus to requirements.

Gomes is Gomes, nothing really to add about the guy at this stage. I don't expect to see him feature in 2021-22.

Allan was cleaned for the second goal; hopefully, with more game, time he will be sharper.

Holgate is a central defender and not a full-back. If he plays, it should be in a back 5 with Coleman in front of him as a wing-back.

I am beginning to think that Digne is also a wing-back rather than a full-back as defensively he is suspect.

I don't blame Pickford for either of the goals and he will be a loss given his current form.

If offered a 6th place finish today, I would take it at this stage.

Not easy being a blue, the performances post-Anfield have been disappointing... indeed, the performances pre Anfield have been disappointing.

It was never a thought until Man City done a Chelsea and PSG done a City.

Moshiri would have 5 top earners here without Brands if it wasn't for FFP.
Sadly his ambition has been stained by awful transfers from people he trusted to improve us.

Back to Calvert-Lewin. Does anyone remember Kane being talked about as most improved player? That's the title you give a novice and carries the most empty meaning possible.

Comparing his shot ratio to Kane's is a bit scary for me: I can't even see the point in that? Bamford has been involved in more goals and hardly anyone here would want us signing him.

A 'limited, manufactured footballer?'

Who 'limits how we play?'

Who 'doesn't make clever runs?'

Who 'doesn't create chances for himself or his teammates?'

Who 'has a poor first touch?'

Whose 'feet are dreadful?'

Who 'can't shoot?'

Who is 'unable to run with the ball?'

Who 'never goes past a defender?'

Who 'can't burst into the box and shoot?'

Who is the Dominic that some of you speak of, 'cos it sure as hell isn't the Dominic Calvert-Lewin who plays for Everton.

There are scores of examples that negates all those claims.

Calvert-Lewin is an outstanding talent already, with enormous potential to grew. An extremely serious and dedicated professional.

Rest assured, if he cannot fulfil his ambition at Everton, if and when he leaves the club, we will get a lot of booty for him.

How come no media outlet suggest the same, like every other well-known talent out there?

Go on then, what side above us takes Calvert-Lewin?

Leicester, West Ham, Chelsea over Werner's current form – to name a few.

It's the ones who never get any better we need to worry about.

Dom reminds me of Sharpe, who "only" scored one in three for us in his career, but our current midfield isn't a patch on the mid-80s team. That's the difference to me. If Dom was being fed by Steven, Reid, Bracewell and Sheedy, he'd be scoring way more than one in three IMHO.

Leicester City and Man United would take him to name but two.

As a raw 18-year-old, getting the occassional sub appearance when we still had Lukaku.

Your point being..?

He turns 24 tomorrow and clearly (well, for some) continues to make year-on-year improvement.

'ToffeeWebbers have him linked to sides above us?'

Neither Christopher nor I said that at all. That's your invention.

'How come no media outlet suggests the same, like every other well known talent out there?'

So, what are you saying here? That a player can only be talented if their name appears in the column inches of the less than credible football gossip fillers?

Strange criterion by which to evaluate a player's skills.

But if that represents a legitimate claim in your eyes and you insist on an answer to your final question:

'Go on then, what side above us takes Calvert Lewin?', here goes.

The Manchester Evening News reported United were interested in Dominic in the last January transfer window.

United's Rumoured Interest in DCL

Just last month in February, the Daily Express had Arsenal linked to him:

Arsenal's Rumoured Interest in DCL

Back in October the Manchester Evening News quoted the Manchester City legend Shaun Goater saying his old club should go for DCL:

City Should Sign DCL

Now to me transfer rumour 'news' is all bollocks. But you did ask.

Exactly. But then, I'm not the one who asked for 'evidence' of interest in the media as proof of...what with regards to DCL's football abilities, I'm still not sure.

And the other two examples?

The first key number for Dom is 24. That's his birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday, young man!

The second key number is 132. That's how many minutes Dom has played per goal this season. To me, the single best measure of goalscoring productivity is frequency. Harry Kane is scoring a goal every 87 minutes on the pitch this season, which is phenomenal. Dom's goal every 132 minutes may not be Kane level but is actually really good (exactly the same as Salah this season).

What's striking, however, is how much that number keeps improving. Last year, Dom scored every 202 minutes. The year before that, every 296. People here keep talking about what Dom "needs to work on"... but it's obvious he's working very, very hard and improving rapidly.

So he's 24 and already one of the most efficient scorers in the Prem on a minutes-per-goal basis, and he is improving. Fast. And some people think we can do better.

How many top teams would take him? Let's not find out. I say keep him right here and see what he turns into next year, and the year after. And to those like Paul A who disagree, I simply ask... who would you rather go out and buy this summer who will be better, and have more potential, then our birthday boy?

Godfrey & Davies Make England U-21s Euros Squad

Don't. Get. Injured.

Everton have a chance of finishing in 5th or 6th place and this is going to be a fight with West Ham, Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa. We have to improve our home form to have any chance.

On Saturday, we did not play well but, on the other hand, Burnley played outstanding and 4/5 goals conceded would not have been a surprise.

I don't know what the problem is at home but it seems like the other teams believe Goodison Park without the crowd is no longer a fortress, and you just have to raise your game for a win.

Ancelotti and the players have got to realize that you can't allow other teams to get a foothold at the start of the game even if sometimes a long clearance is better than playing across the back. Burnley's first goal was all from playing around the back and passing to a player – makes no difference if he was fouled or not – who was marked.

We would like to see Everton play in Europe for the exposure if you do well, plus there is some financial gains, and better recruitment of players who want to play in Europe as well as the Premier League.

You can't continue to dodge the bullet as your expectations will fail, you have to start to fight for what you want. Mr Ancelotti believes we don't have a squad as good as other teams, but what we do have is a squad of professional footballers who, as professionals at this stage of their lives, should be able to pass a ball to a teammate more than 10 yards away.

As supporters, we would love to see Brazil-like performances but realize we don't have a Brazil-like team, but what we don't like is the continuous home performances that show lack of effort by some players and what seems to be a lack of respect for the opposition.

I mentioned the media because, when we have a real talent, the media sell him for us because they know the takers are there.

I like the lad, I just won't overstate where he will be after Everton. We all knew where Lukaku was heading because it was a daily theme from basically everyone because he's an obvious talent.

Calvert-Lewin is still a work in progress at 24. He shares a birthday with me so I'll always like him... but top level? Nah. Nowhere near being a top team's forward yet.

Aguero will be finished soon, let's see who is on their list. I don't even believe Spurs would go for him to replace Kane but also your support of him is great, Jay. I wouldn't knock that and I want him to succeed greatly. I just don't believe the hype behind some theories – and 3 sporadic reports from yesteryear doesn't flatten my opinion.

Every man and his dog knows when a big team is sniffing a player out, especially one of ours.

You are a pain, Jay, but you make good debate ,I must say, and believe me, I hope you are not wrong too.

However, it might be that Olsen heads back to Italy after the horrific robbery. But I think that just means we get AN Other in as reserve keeper, like Romero from Man Utd, as well as our 2 or 3 first-teamers.

I expect we'll also buy a couple of prospects, like we did with Nkounkou and Jagne this summer. So the actual numbers in might be more like 5 or 6.

On the other flank, Holgate is simply not a full-back and can't cross the ball. On Saturday, Iwobi was moved to the right flank to give width, but he can't cross either. A right-wingback is a priority in summer.

You made the challenge: 'Go on then, what side above us takes Calvert-Lewin?'

I gave you hard evidence that totally negated your first claim which – based on your own criterion – demonstrated that top clubs are interested in Dominic.

Having provided you with the 'evidence' that you said didn't exist, you now say:

'I just don't believe the hype behind some theories and 3 sporadic reports from yesteryear doesn't flatten my opinion.'

Two things:

1) The reports aren't from some distant 'yesteryear'. They are contemporary. The oldest is 5 months old, the others are 1 and 2 months old.

2) If you now say you don't believe 'the hype', why make your original (incorrect) claim that an absence of rumours in the media of top clubs being interested in Calvert-Lewin was 'evidence' of an implied lack of quality in the lad?

I repeat again, I personally give no weight or credence to football rumours. You (bizarrely, to me) made it the basis of your evaluation of Dominic... until your last flip-flop post, that is.

I fervently hope that Dominic can fulfil his talent and ambitions at Everton, because that will mean the club is doing very, very well.

And should the day ever come when we do sell him, if he continues to progress year-on-year, as he has, we will get a lot of money for the lad.

Sheer unadulterated luck that he's the fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League.

Calvert-Lewin is light-years behind Graeme Sharpe who had way more to his game than Calvert-Lewin has. There is no way in a million years he's scoring that goal at Anfield, for starters.

And, as coincidences go, Sharpe was virtually the same age to the day as Calvert-Lewin is now when he did that.

He reminds me of Andy Cole who had the touch of a slaughterman but scored quite a lot and, of course, the dearth of goalscorers in general would mean he would fetch a lot if sold.

I also said he doesn't create much for himself or his teammates, and I have just checked his stats which I probably should have included in my original post. Last season, Dominic played 36 games and was credited with 1 assist, and this season so far he has played in 25 games and has no assists.

Now, however big a fan of Dominic you are, surely that's a stat that is extremely worrying... well, it is for me anyway. Yes, his primary role is to score goals, but to have only created 1 assist in nearly 2 seasons highlights for me his biggest problem.

Calvert-Lewin has shown tremendous improvement and is scoring goals. That's all he is paid for. He does enough to create space for Richalison to do what he does best and that is score goals also.

The problem is that the rest of the support players are just not consistent enough to do this, week-in & week-out. James has done well but has missed a few games now.

It's not fair to compare Calvert-Lewin with Sharpe as Sharpe had a far better team behind him and of course the game has changed a lot with the ''park the bus'' attitude by every team and too often Calvert-Lewin is isolated.

To be fair, however, he has a massive responsibility that none of the other top scorers in the league has – winning the ball. Salah, Kane and Vardy don't have to jump against opposing centre-backs 8 or 10 times a game to win headers 40 yards from goal.

And also Dom spends more time alone up top than any of the other top goal-getters in the division. He doesn't have partners with him in the box, like Kane has Son and Rashford has Fernandes.

So, while Dom certainly needs to work on his creativity, Everton's system and personnel are also contributors to his dearth of assists.

A couple of games he has mis-controlled or missed a decent header, that aside, he has been one of, if not our best player this season.

It is not just his goals this season, but him winning the ball as well; our link-up play is the problem.

Some players have under-performed this season, Calvert-Lewin is certainly not one of them.

If his ability is being questioned, why isn't Richarlison's? Has the Brazilian's game improved since he joined the Blues? I for one don't think it has.

Like Dominic, Graeme was an 18- or 19-year-old when he joined Everton from Dumbarton.

After his first two seasons, aged 20, Sharpy had made 3 first-team appearances and scored 0 goals. His breakout season came in 1981-82, aged 21, scoring 14 goals in 22 games in the old First Division.

Aged 22 in the 1982-83 season, he scored 13 in 32 league games, plus 2 more in 6 cup games.

Aged 23 in 1983-84, he was in and out of the side all season, although scoring in the winning FA Cup Final vs Watford. He scored 6 in 21 in the league, 3 in 8 cup games.

Aged 24 (the same age Dominic turns tomorrow) in the 1984-85 Championship winning season, Graeme's return was 18 goals in 32 league games, plus 6 in 13 cup games.

By contrast, before moving to Everton, aged 18, Dom was playing his football in League One and Two with Sheffield United and his loan club, Northampton Town. Between 2014 and 2016, in 31 lower league games, he scored 5 goals, plus 3 in 6 cup games.

In 2016-17 aged 19 (now at Everton), Dom played 11 Premier League games (mostly cameo appearances as sub) scoring 1 goal.

In 2017-18 aged 20 (the season in which we started with Koeman, had Unsworth temporarily, followed by Allardyce), he played 32 Premier League games and scored 4. In 12 cup games he scored 4.

So, by the same age (20), Graeme Sharpe had played 3 times for the first team without scoring; Dominic (at a time of great tumult at the club) had played 43 Premier League games, scoring 5 goals, plus 4 goals in 12 cup games (which included Europa League games).

In the 2018-19 season, aged 21, Dom played 35 Premier League games and scored 6, plus 2 goals in 3 cup games.

In 2019-20, aged 22, (another tumultuous season at the club in which Silva, Ferguson then Ancelotti managed us), Dom played 36 Premier League games, scoring 13, plus 2 more in 5 cup games.

This season, aged 23 (24 only tomorrow), Dom has 14 goals in 25 Premier League games, plus 5 in 5 cup games. To that we can add 2 goals for the full England national team in 5 games.

To directly compare Graeme Sharpe and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the age of 24, the numbers read:

Sharpe in 88 First Division games: 51 goals. In 27 cup games: 11 goals. Total: 61 goals in 115 games. And this, remember, was Everton's FA Cup and League Title team.

Calvert-Lewin in 139 Premier League games: 38 goals. In 16 cup games, 12 goals. Total: 50 goals in 155 games. In two of his seasons, the club hired 3 different managers in each.

All things considered, the boy (Dominic) is matching up well to the fellah who is second only to Dixie Dean in Everton's all-time record scorers list.

And more than that, against the backdrop of such turmoil, people are expecting Champions League / champagne football.

The club was a total mess.

Ancelotti is sorting it out well. Calvert-Lewin is very good.

Plus the small detail that Graeme's games by the age of 24 were all under the stewardship of the club's greatest ever manager.

I didn't think it'd be taken so literally but my fault. The media frenzy would be obvious and all you just proved is there is no frenzy. Just one or two admirers.

It's my own fault for anything that's mixed up in context because I have rushed my posts at work, sorry.

Why compare him to Graeme Sharp though? In response, I take it? Like suggested above, there's no sign whatsoever he could pull goals off like Sharp did.

Have you seen him shoot from any real distance? That's hard evidence.

Why not compare him to Aguero, Cavani, and Vardy seeing as the sides above would happily take him?

All my posts have come in response, by the way, and I gave all the reasons why I believe none of the sides above us would want him until he vastly improves.

And again, I still hope you are right and there is a media frenzy because that'll mean he's hitting new levels.

Tom Bowers nailed it.

Strangely, our most successful season in the last few decades was with Marcus Bent up front. That season he scored 7.

Again, without trawling through facts and stats... How does Duncan Ferguson's stats stand up to Calvert-Lewin's? Does it make Ferguson any less of a player?

X wouldn't get in their team, and Y wouldn't get in their team, but how many forwards would do better in the current Everton side?

Silly question, I know, but we've got a big centre-forward being asked to lead the line with only one other genuine attack-minded player in the team every week. So, even though he's got loads to learn, I genuinely couldn't look past Calvert-Lewin as being Everton's Player of the Season up to this point.

That's a fair enough question.

If, as I think, you are asking me: Would I trade entertainment for league positions? I would have to give that a little thought. If it meant Champions League football, I guess I could accept it... but it doesn't... and it won't.

As a kid, I -bought into the School of Science mentality – lock, stock and barrel. We were not just a football club, we were fucking peacocks. We didn't 'play'... we strutted.

The eighties team didn't possess the dazzling ability of The Catt's side... but still had enough to have you on the edge of your seat, and by fuck did they have passion!

Big Joe's team could easily have changed the club's motto... to "Come on, let's 'av it!" I loved that team. They all played like they came from Greaty or Woodstock Gardens or Stanley Road. Big Joe hated the tag "Dogs of War"; he felt it devalued the amount of talent in the team. He was spoton, of course.

I guess your past shapes your outlook on the game. If I can't see School of Science, I want to see passion; if I can't see passion, I want to see "Let's 'av it!"

It cuts deep with me to see my team playing the sort of stuff we have witnessed for so long. Would I trade 6th place, playing the way we are, for 11th place with a little razzle? Yes, I guess I would.

I know it's a personal choice, but I also believe with all my heart that it doesn't have to be one or the other... is it too much to ask to want both?

We've been garbage for so long, we have to get the VHS tapes out to remember when we were kings... If we, as a club, want to change, we have to change what we are doing. We cannot continue to preach "Jam tomorrow" while we watch our football from behind the couch and we cannot continue to make excuses for it. This way lies eternal disappointment.

Barry, to my earlier point, strikers are probably the hardest to compare as they are individually the most unique. Usually; more so than on any other area of the pitch in my view. And for those of us who have played the game, aren't they the most sensitive bunch who need a hug, an arm around them and constantly telling them how great they are?!!

Sharp was a very different player to Linekar. Apples and oranges. Linekar different to Lukaku and Lukaku different to Sharp. Aguero is unique, Salah a freak convert of a winger. They are all different.

I see why some would draw comparisons with Dominic to Sharp in some aspects to his game, but then I would say (in my view), Dominic is more athletic than Sharp. But then I don't see Dominic knocking a volley off the shoulder of a Liverpool defender 25-30 yards out in front of the Anfield road. A majestic header from six yards yes and good hold up play, but that is where the similarities end.

Probably just before my time so I'd have to ask my cousins, but is Dominic more Bob Latchford? Would need the 70s gang to comment with authority.

Apples and oranges. Dominic is Dominic. Strikers are generally the most individual players in a team. It's why they are strikers. They have to be be individual and selfish more than any other position on the field of play.

Also, we didn't know how good Sharp was going to be and let's face it, in December 1983, none of would have predicted how successful he or that team were going to be. Had toffeweb existed then, it would have been in meltdown on a scale no-one here could imagine. Let's see how Dominic goes, he is developing into a fine striker. Let's hope he can become a great one.

That's my take.

Give it up, Paul. You're just chasing your own tail now.

YOU were the one saying there was nothing in the 'meedjah' that top clubs were interested in Dom.

I showed you there was.

I'M the one clearly stating...so what? Who seriously gives such gravitas to idle football gossip?

YOU are the one saying 'yeah-but, no-but, yeah-but' trying to defend your totally exposed original claim.

YOU are the one that tried to pass off the absence of transfer gossip connecting Dom to top clubs (which you were indisputably WRONG about) as proof positive that he isn't all that.

As for the comparison to Graeme Sharp, that was in answer to another poster.

I agree with Barry Williams that it is difficult to compare players across eras, but IMO you can make legitimate observations about their evolution and stats (as I do), as well as highlight the quality of the teams each played in, the managers they played under and the respective stability at the club at similar ages.

For me, saying Dom could never score a goal like Sharpie's in that Derby game is superfluous. A goal is a goal. And Dom has also scored some crackers in his time.

And if you have but noticed, not once have I bracketed Dom in the same class as Kane, Aguero, Lukaku, or whoever else you name.

Once again, that's you not properly following what has actually been posted.

Not a personal choice and not too much to ask. Pretty much what we all want.

I think we will get it next season.

It's not blind loyalty to Ancelotti. Not from me anyway. If we are not playing good, fast progressive football this time next year, the manager will deserve the stick he will get.

Of course, it's a personal choice.

Not for me in the long term. I go to the game to be entertained. I can put up with it for now until better players arrive... but definitely not a long-term outlook.

Not for me in the long term.
I go to the game to be entertained.
I can put up with it for now until better players arrive but definitely not a long term outlook. ,,michael.kenrick@gmail.com,1,19:17:55,,213.205.242.178,ok,23848,03/15/2021 19:17:55,Tomrichards2@outlook.com,reader,,,no 1140127,40575,toffeeweb,15/03/2021,Danny O’Neill,dannyefc26@gmail.com,"It's not too much to ask for both.

Whether we get both is like waiting for the lottery to come in but both is what we want. Will we sacrifice having both for a favourable league position that brings European football or a trophy won not being the most entertaining? Right now I'd say yes.

But ultimately we are all bought into the school of science and want both entertainment and success.

Want. But if we can't have both, I'll take success in terms of league position that allows us to progress and build something that can be successful and entertaining. Which is what we all want.

Mike @516, yes, I agree he does have to do a lot more than many strikers in the Premier League.

FFP is anything but fair play. If they were truly serious, there'd be a cap on the amount you could spend per season.

Danny O'Neill - 482

Yes, get players in from the local set-up, it would be cheaper and the possibility that they may be more loyal, although Jeffers and Barkley certainly weren't, despite being local lads. It's a long time since I played regularly, I was in both my school's football teams, a number of Sunday league teams, but can never remember receiving any proper coaching. Merseyside has a lot of decent young players, I have played with some who you just look at and go wow, they are so many levels ahead. Saying that, you have to be exceptional to make it in the top flight.

Danny O'Neill - 528

Yeah, I do see some traits of Sharp in Calvert-Lewin, the hold-up play for instance and I think players are definitely more athletic these days – you don't see a Billy Wright (the Everton one), Chris Waddle, Le Tissier type player today.

Jay Wood [BRZ] - 529

It is only natural that we compare, I guess; it happens in all sports, and we can come to some conclusions. As said, certain elements of Calvert-Lewin's play do remind me of Sharp, and there were times in the early days that Sharp didn't look like he would be that great. I think he credited Peter Eastoe with teaching him a lot. Or did I just imagine that? He also had a tough act to follow in Latchford.

When you play a pass into somebody with their back to goal, you have to fizz it into their feet, it has to be accurate. Keane put nowhere near enough on it and he played it to the side of Davies... a shocker. It gave the opponent a chance to challenge. Some called foul. I called poor ball.

His attempt at clearing the resulting cross was equally poor... I blame Tom.

In our last four home games, we played deep against Southampton and kept a clean sheet, but the minute we try and step up, offering our defenders less protection, then three teams in the bottom six have each scored twice against us, so the jury is still very much out on Michael Keane imo.

Keane does well with protection, Lewin on the other hand is usually battling against two big centre backs gamely, and usually with very little help or support, and that’s why I think he’s been our most important player this season.

He gets very little rest, having to play almost every game he’s fit, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he puts Saturday behind him and helps us knock City out the cup, but maybe I’m dreaming, unless we can play to Dominic’s strength, and John Stones biggest weakness, by putting plenty of crosses into the box🤞

Foul? Not for me. Could have been stronger and anticipated better? Yes. Give the benefit of the doubt because maybe the communication from Keane wasn't great? Yes.

But, lost possession in a dangerous area, which led to us getting quickly overloaded and swarmed upon. Credit to Burnley for that.

So it was an error. In 90 minutes of football which player is ever error free? Davies went on to play a pivotal part in us pulling goal back with a beauty of a pass.

Liking what I'm seeing from Tom of late. Definitely a player who has a future in Carlo's squad.

Keane is much improved. But because of how we have been set up. That is the manager playing to the strengths of the players we have.

We rightfully bemoan sitting deep and playing backwards / sidewards. To play more expansively and entertainingly, we need to play higher up the pitch. That is where Michael will get exposed. Ball over the top, loss of concentration, watch it drift over due to lack of reading the game and then the realisation he doesn't have the pace to recover.

He's good in a deep sitting team that stays compact. Not a criticism, he is what he is.

We use Calvert-Lewin more like the way we used Dunc and that comparison is more favorable to Calvert-Lewin

Until the balance of players and playing to a team tuned in on the offensive, and more offensive support, then I'll take what Calvert-Lewin is doing.

Thid00ssssssssssss season the goals wouldn't have happened.

So let's go for bust in the last 10 away games.

The points about Michael Keane's distribution are valid and the kamikaze pass in and across our own box and into no-man's land playing his teammates into the crap house, with no genuine chance of getting the ball and no call, is it the first team. But he's not the only player this season at Everton to do this.

Get the basics right and yes he's done well this season, but the fine lines between success and failure in each game and over the season, are magnified and proven by such mistakes.

Bouncebackability, is needed now at Everton and to fight our every game.

Anything can happen, as this season has proved. But, to make it happen, the squad has to want it and be up for it, for 96 minutes every match.

I agree. But whatever us armchairs focus on or overlook, Inchy has the last laugh when he looks at his trophy cabinet.

Stuart Barlow smashed a hat-trick against me in a Sunday league game. Every one was a screamer from outside the box.

Tony Kay played against us for Crawfords after he was suspended, I believe our right-winger has still got the bruises.

In fairness, half-a-dozen others weren't much better.

Bottom line is we're nowhere near as good as many of us hoped we were. And certainly nowhere near good enough for top 6, let alone top 4.

Depressing.

Funny how the blame turns to Tom Davies every time. His passing was better than that of the "Brazilian Peter Reid" all day. He created a goal and he stayed away from Wessie Road

Still his fault though.

There is more chance of Davies still being here in the future than Sigurdsson, Gomes, Iwobi and Bernard.

To me, Davies is having his best season so far, after way more than 100 games under various managers, which probably hampered a better development.

The fact remains, however, through no fault he can do anything about, that he is light-weight, literately. This means he, without the innate skills the truly gifted player has in terms of instant ball control, is regularly unable to take control of the ball when physically challenged. Film shows this, repeatedly.

Yes, free of pressure, he can nearly purr in midfield but that's the conundrum Ancelotti has to address. We need skilful midfielders who don't understandably inspire the opposition to consider our midfield as a fish-in-a-barrel piece of cake, exemplified up to now by the moderate Tom (and others admittedly), on a good day.

Doesn't mean he's "Championship at best" or to blame for the loss. But, in the moment, he was at fault.

Peter Eastoe, now there's a blast from the past, and as you say a very under-rated player. His ball control was superb and often overlooked, or taken for granted.

I saw him several times receive a high ball at speed and bring it out of the air and kill it in one movement, superb stuff, and how long ago? You don't see many modern footballers do that now, and the balls were not like beach balls then either.

Rob @550, how many had you had the night before?

Darren @554, that vertical trampoline's got an airing again, I see. :-)

I think your theory is a tad flawed. You are assuming that the opponent would have stood still too. Doesn't hap.pen that way, as you probably know.

Those who have played the game (maybe you?) will know that the Burnley player's eyes would have lit up when he saw the inaccuracy and slowness of the pass. If I'm the Burnley player, I just know I'm winning that... against anybody. It wasn't just the awful pass which made Keane totally to blame for that goal.

Quite what he thought he was doing when he twisted to play the resulting cross right into the path of the oncoming Woods is anybody's guess. It was so much easier to just ease it over the line for a corner. He has had a good season but, right there, are two total howlers.

Godfrey stood and watched instead of charging Woods down and Gomes chases back with all the desire of a lamb. All very poor decisions.

As pointed out above, this nearly became a Tom Davies thread (again) but I defy anybody to look at that goal and not see two howling errors from Keane. Awful lack of effort from Gomes and poor judgement from Godfrey when deciding not to narrow the target by charging down Wood. The goal is still readily available for anybody to see.

I think there is a section of our fan base who are very embarrassed by the fact that they totally dismissed young Tom as a Premier League player. Six different managers and he will still be one of the youngest players to reach 200 Premier League games. They will now look to blame him for everything by virtue of the fact that he is on the pitch... Long may this embarrassment live.

I tell you what though: the dazzling Brazilian and the guy from Barcelona who played in there with Tom were a bit special, weren't they? £50 Million that glamorous duo cost, not far off double that if you count their wages. And the "League One" player is still out-performing them... Now that is definitely his fault!

Aside from that, Tom Davies played okay and, as said above many times, played a great pass in the build-up to the goal.

You are displaying the blind loyalty you accuse the Ancelotti supporters of there. Along with Keane, Tom was at fault for the goal.

Iwobi runs into their box and is clearly tripped, however he stays on his feet and we lose possession. Can someone tell me if I am clutching at straws because I am convinced that was a clear penalty.

Two years for Michael, one year for Tom – suspended, because he was let down by his elder international friend!!

Poppycock.

Despite having hundreds of appearances, he still has the innate tendency to rush out for challenges, exposing himself to a quick turn and then being out of position for an opposition attack. In addition, despite being that protective shield, he is often caught wandering so, if the ball is won in midfield by the opposition, they then have a clear run on goal.

Despite the tuition by a series of successful managers, he was not courted by a successful team and ended up at Everton. The fact remains, however, through no fault he can do anything about, that he is light-weight, literately.

How come reports like this don't seem to enter your responses? Or is it just because you wait for the first opportunity to slate one of our best performers simply because he is local?

Personally, I believe that, if Davies had played the Allan role instead of Allan against Burnley, we'd have stood a better chance of winning.

The case for the defence rests.

Keane's sloppy pass out.
Davies poor control, foul?!?
Keane's pass right to their man.
Allan getting skinned for the goal.
Calvert-Lewin's poor control a few times when he's away.
Calvert-Lewin's poor header from a yard out.

We can blame everyone for mistakes but it's football and these things happen.

I see players receiving, and dealing with, that sort of pass, team after team, player after player, game after game, week after week.

Speaking of stadiums, shouldn't we be hearing from the govt about our submission any day now or does it come under the over-used Covid excuse delay?

Although I guess Thomas will remember the words of Brendan Behan who once said, "I was court-martialled in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence".

Yes. We got this this very morning.

Government wants more time to review Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium

I rested the case for OUR defence

Brendan Behan.
A fine man

I'm more interested in how we can create and score more goals. Faster build up, faster passing, faster positive forward runs and movement.

Surely King is a better option than Iwobi, Bernard, Siggy etc.

You'd make a fine ref, Dave!

I cannot remember seeing Eastoe play as a kid, but might have done. I do remember my Evertonian mates wanting to be him in our kickabouts. I think I wanted to be John Gidman - always a weird kid!

Link

Just because you aren't paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't watching you!

I think Godfrey played his best at left back galloping down the wing creating chances with Mina and Keane in the middle

Unfortunately for him Digne has been well below par lately after his injury in all fairness plus he doesnt gel well with Godfrey no interplay

But we must play to our strengths and for me Godfey there is currently our much better option

What does the Forum think ?

I suspected that Dominic was more Latchford if we are going to make comparisons. Sharp always had the odd spectacular long range or volley in him. Not yet seeing that from Dom.

Ultimately he is Dominic really and will be - like you say, let's see where he goes but the signs are promising.

Secondly, the Echo article. Big brother is always watching! Isn't the Echo the worst website? Not just it's red swingings, but the adware and popups. Irritating.

What really irks me about the Echo, besides all the ads and pop-ups, which I have mostly blocked, is seeing Klopp's face on videos plastered all over the Everton pages. You go to read about Everton, the first thing you were hit with was a big Liverpool FC article. It got ridiculous earlier this season!

Yes, Calvert-Lewin will be Calvert-Lewin. I don't think him and Richarlison make a cohesive partnership though; I could be wrong!

The top solcitors in town always employed a clerk who knew his way around. A legitimate link between both sides.

Do you recall George Starkey.
Worked for Silvermans.
Good north end lad.

My mate who I still see on the odd occasion, Pete Keenan was a very good friend of Brian Labone, and the Eagle was a regular spot for quite a few ex-footballers. May sound like I'm name-dropping but Ian Ure used to go there too when in Liverpool, ex Dundee, Arsenal and Man United, and I had many a good chat over a pint with him.

We didn't view it as a big thing then, because footballers were revered in most cases, because they had fulfilled most of our boyhood dreams, but having said that they weren't on the ridiculous Film Star wages of today and silly contr(ick)acts, and didn't think, or act, like they were Superstars.

Maradona couldn't kick the skin off a rice pudding with his right foot. But he'd never have gone hungry - he could have opened a tin of beans with the left.

I often get frustrated when players at this level can't use either foot including their least natural to some level. It can make small but important differences; a full back giving a corner away instead of a throw in for example because of the angle of the challenge depending on what foot is used.

I am also a fan of using players on their natural side wherever possible.

But every now and then, you just get a player who despite being so one footed, you just accept it. For Everton in my lifetime, Kevin Sheedy and his magic wand (left foot).

Wiki says " At Everton he made 357 appearances (12 as substitute) and scored 97 goals." Not bad, eh!

My hope is we'll soon be signing a similarly-gifted creative player - don't know who but...

I am 50 Derek, so maybe I just cannot remember Eastoe live, as when you are a kid things look a bit different. Just checked my first match in 1980, and he did indeed play and scored!

I think the players had a little more interaction back then and players could actually be seen in local places.

Their was a mixed clientele in Johnny Macs.
I got in as a guest of a mate
He wasnt in the legal profession.