Flat Everton succumb to defeat on Tyneside

Sunday, 1 November, 2020 1011comments  |  Jump to most recent
Newcastle United 2 - 1 Everton

André Gomes was somewhat harshly adjudged to have fouled Callum Wilson for Newcastle's penalty but the Portuguese had another poor game overall

The bloom came completely off Everton's flying start to the season as, shorn of their most creative players, they paid the price for a turgid and uninspired display with defeat at St James's Park

Callum Wilson broke the deadlock of what had been a pretty lifeless encounter when he was adjudged to have been fouled by André Gomes and Ryan Fraser stepped off the bench to seemingly put the game beyond the visitors.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin snapped up a rare chance in stoppage time but it too little much too late as Carlo Ancelotti suffered back-to-back league defeats as a manager for the first time in six years.

Perhaps hoping to allow his charges to find their feet following the loss at Southampton last week, Ancelotti went for solidity rather than flair in midfield, dropping Alex Iwobi and bringing Fabian Delph in to provide support Niels Nkounkou on the left flank.

The bigger news was in goal where Jordan Pickford made way for the first time in the Premier League since he joined the Blues, with his manager tacitly acknowledging the pressure on the goalkeeper in the wake of the derby controversy by handing Robin Olsen a debut.

Amid a cagey start, Callum Wilson had the only opening in the first 20 minutes when he fired wide on the half-volley after latching onto a ball over the top.

Everton forced their first corner with half an hour on the clock which provided them with their first chance to test Darlow but when he punched clear and Newcastle countered, Allan Saint-Maximin seemed odds on to score but Olsen spread himself and batted the shot away.

Six minutes later, a second corner from the same side when Fernandez sliced behind but when the ball eventually came to Abdoulaye Doucouré, the Frenchman couldn't get the ball out of his feet and could only prod tamely towards the goal.

The second half began in more positive fashion, with Calvert-Lewin leaping to meet a deep Kenny cross but Sigurdsson couldn't get proper contact on a volley in front of goal.

Newcastle were awarded a penalty in fortunate circumstances in the 54th minute, however, when Gomes kicked caught Wilson trying to clear a corner and referee Stuart Atwell pointed to the spot.

A VAR check check held up the taking of the spot-kick but Wilson converted, sending Olsen the wrong way.

Post-Match Podcast

The Magpies then played their way neatly through the defence and Olsen pulle off an excellent save to deny Longstaff a quick second for the home side.

Ancelotti responded by bringing Bernard on Gomes after an hour, the Portuguese seemingly feeling the effects of his accidental challenge on WIlson and the visitors started to apply more pressure as Calvert-Lewin headed into the keeper's arms from a Sigurdsson free-kick.

Nkounkou then made way for Cenk Tosun to make his first Everton appearance in almost a year and the Turk was followed onto the field by Alex Iwobi who replaced Kenny.

Iwobi's first involvement was to win a free-kick but Keane headed it well over with 13 minutes left of the 90 but after Sigurdsson shot straight at Darlow, Newcastle counter-attacked, Ryan Fraser's cross deflected up off Mina and Wilson just had to knock it over the line at the far post.

Calvert-Lewin went close straight afterwards as Everton tried to respond but his effort flew narrowly wide and Sigurdsson blazed a miscued shot off target.

The game had moved into stoppage time before the visitors finally scored as Calvert-Lewin stole in at the near post to prod Iwobi's cross in in front of the keeper.

Darlow had to push Bernard's wayward cross over his crossbar setting up a very late corner but even with Olsen up for the set-piece, Darlow was able to claim and ensure that the Magpies took the points.

Kick-off: 2pm, Sunday 1 November, 2020
Referee: Stuart Atwell
VAR: Craig Pawson
Last Time: Newcastle United 1 - 2 Everton

Everton: Pickford, Kenny, Keane, Mina, Nkounkou, Allan, Gomes, Doucouré, Sigurdsson, Delph, Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Pickford, Branthwaite, Iwobi, Gordon, Bernard, Tosun, Simms

Article continues below video content


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Reader Comments (1011)

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Stephen Vincent
1 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:50:32
Judging by the bench not expecting to have to defend a lead!
Alex Gray
2 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:51:36
Weird lineup itll be very interesting to see if this works. Also says a lot about carlos lack of faith in our other wingers.
Mike Gaynes
3 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:51:43
Forum today?
Drew O’Neall
4 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:52:15
Strange selection by Carlo.

Cahill talking absolute nonsense in the studio as usual.

Pat Kelly
5 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:52:48
A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum.
Paul Tran
6 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:53:45
No forum? Is that an omen?
Mike Gaynes
7 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:54:10
Love this lineup. Happy to see Nkounkou start, Kenny healthy, Delph get a start, and Tosun complete his recovery. Interesting to see Olson start against this lot.
Mark Taylor
8 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:54:34
No live forum?
Mike Gaynes
9 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:54:55
Pat, you're warming up well today. Don't strain anything, we need you.
Pat Kelly
10 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:56:09
Nelly in goal and a start for Niles. Should be interesting.
Drew O’Neall
11 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:56:53
Mike - how are they going to lineup?
Mike Gaynes
12 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:57:46
Drew, all in a circle on one knee to start with.
Jamie Crowley
13 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:57:47
Someone shovel some coal in to the Live Forum furnace.
James Marshall
14 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:58:31
Dropping Pickford v Newcastle is no bad move - he has a tendency to play-up even more against them due to being a Mackem.

For some reason I have a real feeling of dread today. *gulp*

Mike Gaynes
15 Posted 01/11/2020 at 13:59:15
Either NBCSN is showing a monster truck rally, or DCL is late for the game.
Jay Tee
16 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:00:08
What, no live forum. Oh dear.
Dale Self
17 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:00:33
Midfield 3 will strangle them. Let’s fkn go blues!
Bill Griffiths
18 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:00:52
My initial thought was he left Pick's out due to who the opposition is. With no fans though not sure if that applies.
Bill Gall
19 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:01:01
Due to a clock problem the live forum will be an hour late
Will Mabon
20 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:01:03
I think this thread may have to serve as the live forum...
Pat Kelly
21 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:01:04
Unpickedford
James Marshall
22 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:01:52
Can someone at TW please put 50p in the meter
Drew O’Neall
23 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:02:37
Haha.. nice one

Suppose Gomes will play advanced with Doucoure and Delph tucking into the vacated fullback positions with the fullbacks asked to bomb on.

Mike Gaynes
24 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:02:48
There isn't a single player in their starting lineup that would make our starting 11. We should turn these over today.
Steve Lew
25 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:03:34
Wow not much pace in that midfield
James Marshall
26 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:03:52
Delph, Allan, Doucoure, Siggi left to right across midfield with Gomes pushed on supporting DCL by the looks of it at the start
James Marshall
27 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:04:25
Mike G - watch out for Saint-Maxiwotsit, he's a handful
Mike Gaynes
28 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:04:38
James, looks like Siggy up there near DCL, not Gomes.
Jamie Crowley
29 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:06:13
Olsen’s first touch cool as the other side of the pillow.
Patrick Fennell
30 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:06:15
Morning guys... any links would be appreciated.
James Marshall
31 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:06:24
Indeed, Mike, it does now
Mark Taylor
32 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:06:42
Delphi at left back Niels on the wing?
Bill Gall
33 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:07:08
Looks like Nkoukoun is playing left winger
Neal Kernohan
34 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:07:36
Any links please?
James Marshall
35 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:07:50
We're ripe for the ball over the top - our fullbacks are way up the pitch
Annika Herbert
36 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:07:52
Just look for someone waving his arms around and not moving. That will be Siggy
Pat Kelly
37 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:08:22
Dropping Pickford has silenced the Geordies
Tony McNulty
38 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:08:36
Live forum still in lockdown, and no vaccine in sight
Jamie Crowley
39 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:08:36
Remember when Sergio Ramos played RB and was ALWAYS up the pitch like last the damn striker?

Nkounkou reminds me of that on the left.

Jerome Shields
40 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:09:00
Keane caught too wide.
James Marshall
41 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:09:14
Annika - Sigurdsson runs about more than most players. It's his effectiveness which is in doubt (he's been good recently in my view)
Jamie Crowley
42 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:09:44
Tony @ 38 -

It’s a mandatory shut down by those in power for the proletariat. They know best.

Mike Gaynes
43 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:10:24
Nkounkou sure does love to run up and back!
Annika Herbert
44 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:11:12
He certainly wasn’t good last week. Mind you, very few of them were
Emmet McCullagh
45 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:11:41
http://www.hesgoal.com/news/70904/Newcastle_United_vs_Everton.html
Tony McNulty
46 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:11:59
Jamie - it's how I feel when driving in the States - no clutch and gears to operate
Mike Gaynes
47 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:12:49
Great interception Siggy
Derek Thomas
48 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:13:06
Pickfords in goal for Newcastle
Geoff Lambert
49 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:13:07
Pissing about at the back going to get caught out sooner or later.
Jamie Crowley
50 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:13:31
Is Jay Wood in BRZ worried about the fact that the usual LF suspects will take over the thread now?

Inquiring minds want to know Samba King.

James Marshall
51 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:13:45
We need a bloody throw-in coach
Soren Moyer
52 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:14:06
Siggy is truly crap! Broken down our attacks 3 times already single handedly! No need for barcode's defenders to intervene!!!
Derek Thomas
53 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:14:31
Geoff; who? Them or us
Bill Gall
54 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:14:35
See Everton are wearing black armbands wonder if it is for the demise of the live forum
Brian Murphy
55 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:14:50
Jesus have I been transported back 12 months watching this?
James Marshall
56 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:15:16
At some point a game of football might well break out
Patrick Fennell
57 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:15:30
Thanks so much Emmet
Alex Gray
58 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:16:57
Awful so far. Formation doesnt work.
Jamie Crowley
59 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:17:35
I don’t think we’re awful. It’s 15 mins in FFS. We’re in control. Patience.
Jerome Shields
60 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:17:35
Pretty toothless
Paul Smith
61 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:17:49
Awful this
Mike Gaynes
62 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:17:50
I'm in serious danger of falling back to sleep.
Mark Taylor
63 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:18:52
Mediocre stuff so far
David Hallwood
64 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:19:15
To think I've been looking forward to this all day
Jamie Evans
65 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:19:30
We don’t have any midfield runners getting beyond DCL as yet
Geoff Lambert
66 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:20:43
Zero creativity without James and Richie.
Jamie Crowley
67 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:20:44
Southampton did this last week. Our success early was we could play gate-crash football, off to the races.

Newcastle and Southampton last week are playing so deep. There’s no counter attacking opportunities, no way to break with pace.

We have to figure out how to break these teams down when they play deep.

Mike Gaynes
68 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:20:58
Except for one really bad pass, Delph is showing very well so far.
Tony McNulty
69 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:21:10
I was painting for three hours this morning. Off to watch it dry
David Hallwood
70 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:21:29
There's no goals in the team DCL excepted
Jay Tee
71 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:21:33
99 touch build up is doing my head in.
Jerome Shields
72 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:21:42
Sigurdsson doing nothing going forward and Gomes anonymous.
Joe McMahon
73 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:21:43
This is what happens whe our best two players are out. Unfortunatley as we know there is not quality in the squad, and all the good work at start of season goes. We would be better writing to premier league and ask if we can not play Liverpool again.
Andrew Haizelden
74 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:21:59
Not just this game, but, can anyone hear their Dad saying “watch the ball not their legs”?
Drives me crazy.
Mark Taylor
75 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:22:02
Bring back Iwobi...
Pat Kelly
76 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:22:21
What time is the kick off ?
Paul Jones
77 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:22:22
Only 8 minutes until the women kick off!
Anthony Fitzpatrick
78 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:22:38
Serious lack of pace in that side
Soren Moyer
79 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:22:58
20 minutes in, not been in their pen area once!!!
Tony McNulty
80 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:23:01
Mark Taylor woke me up with start
Geoff Lambert
81 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:23:42
My MOM so far Olsen.
Neal Kernohan
82 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:23:45
Links?
Bill Gall
83 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:24:07
Well lets see we are missing both of our attacking forwards the best left back in the league plus a revived attacking right back plus other injuries to regular players eg Holgate and Braithwaite and already we get negativity on a make ship team
Paul Tran
84 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:24:39
Hesgoal.com, Neal.
Ricky Oak
85 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:24:39
So this is fecking boringly painful
Kim Vivian
86 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:24:50
When does this match kick off?
Mike Gaynes
87 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:25:08
Wise decision not to open the Forum today. We'd be deep into the fish puns by now.
Mark Taylor
88 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:25:21
Tony well this game won't right now...
Paul Hewitt
89 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:25:42
Time to watch the women.
Brent Stephens
90 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:26:17
Fish puns being scaled back, Mike.
Jamie Crowley
91 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:26:31
Set pieces will be key. Pump it in the box. Start to draw fouls in dangerous positions. Newcastle were really set up well to stifle.
Anthony A Hughes
92 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:26:31
Something fishy why the forum isn't open
Kevin Molloy
93 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:26:41
if we go a goal down here forget it
Jerome Shields
94 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:27:03
Sightseeing wasn't thinking of going forward onto Gomes pass.
Tony McNulty
95 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:27:06
Mark - if you could just give us a little warning before you do something like that again
Jamie Crowley
96 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:27:17
Anthony it’ll open top of the hour. Clearly a Daylight Savings thingy. 😜
Pat Kelly
97 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:27:42
The women are kicking off. Who'd have guessed ?
Mike Gaynes
98 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:28:08
Nicely worked move at last. First trip by either side into the other's area.
Mark Taylor
99 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:28:33
Will do Tony sorry to startle you..
Mike Gaynes
100 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:28:40
I'm gutted, Brent.
Ray Said
101 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:28:54
Gomes and Siggy always standing facing away from the oppos goal and their first thought is to pass it backwards
Jamie Crowley
102 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:28:55
Kevin Molloy @93 agree. 😬
James Marshall
103 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:29:05
It's like watching 2 teams playing away from home and neither wants to commit
Dale Self
104 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:29:37
Here we go. It will come. Newcastle can’t break and are struggling to get out of their half.
Jamie Evans
105 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:29:40
Allan slipped 2 balls through the lines last 5 minutes, only one to do it so far
Tony McNulty
106 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:29:41
Tim Cahill did call it on Sky. He said it would be hard to break down Newcastle
Kevin Molloy
107 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:30:10
we're being suckered into having loads of the ball when it is clear we havent a clue what to do with it. the danger of a breakaway is palpable
Jerome Shields
108 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:30:27
Commentaters side kick having a go at Sigurdssons performance so far.
Paul Smith
109 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:30:31
Gomes quality there
Mike Gaynes
110 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:30:59
Gomes' passes are perfect today. He's finding the touch line with flawless consistency.
Derek Thomas
111 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:02
Everton Women in the old amber and blue
Anthony A Hughes
112 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:04
We're slightly better of two average teams here
David Hallwood
113 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:08
I think the Son injury has done for Gomes
Pat Kelly
114 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:10
We could have given Pickford a rest and played him
Steve Brown
115 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:17
Every Sigurdsson pass forces his team mate to check his movement to control it.
Michael Lynch
116 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:23
Newcastle have about 15 men behind the ball most of the time. If they nick one we’re doomed.
Rob Lyons
117 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:54
No attacking creativity at all. All 5 midfield are defensive minded. Gordon would go forward and needs to be on. It's like watching crabs 🦀 all day!
Soren Moyer
118 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:31:55
Gomes is no better. Losing position all the time, slow with misplaced passes!
Michael Barrett
119 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:05
Everton Ladies just kicked off in their FA Cup Final at Wembley. It's on BBC1
Will Mabon
120 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:14
Sooner or later, someone is going to try and run past an opposition player, towards the opponents goal... I can feel it.
Ray Roche
121 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:17
Will someone tell Sigurdsson to stop giving free kicks away.
Brent Stephens
122 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:21
Good Olsen save
Ralph Basnett
123 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:34
No live forum because it would just be a siggi slating.
James Marshall
124 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:40
Great save, Olsen
Jamie Evans
125 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:41
Too easy past gomes - great save from
Olsen
Tony McNulty
126 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:50
Nearly fell for a sucker punch
Tony McNulty
127 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:50
Nearly fell for a sucker punch
Geoff Lambert
128 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:50
great save
Mike Gaynes
129 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:32:51
Fine saving stop by Olson
Jerome Shields
130 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:05
Allan done first attacker run.
Steve Ferns
131 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:17
Carlo has had a ‘mare selecting this team. We’ve no width at all. It’s too easy for them to block us through the middle. DCL is too isolated.

Get Sigurdsson and Delph off at half time and get Gordon and Iwobi on. Or at least Gordon on for Sigurdsson and put Delph to left back and Nkounkou wide left.

Bill Gall
132 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:17
Great save by Olsen
Iakovos Iasonidis
133 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:19
That was a good save!
Pat Kelly
134 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:27
Is the women's cup size the same as the men's ?
Andrew Merrick
135 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:30
Olsen first test passed
Andrew Keatley
136 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:33
Watch how Almirante does Gomes from our corner. Why commit there? He is awful.
Robert Tressell
137 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:46
You've got to hand it to Steve Bruce. 2020 has been a terrible year. But day in day out he gets dressed up like a pantomime dame just to bring a little Christmas cheer and a smile to our faces.

No live forum by the way?

Jerome Shields
138 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:33:49
Pickford should be worried.
Robert Smith
139 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:34:17
Gomes and Delph are very effective at breaking up attacks. Unfortunately ours!
Andrew Keatley
140 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:34:30
Almirante? Dear Autocorrect; who is Almirante?
Phil Smith
141 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:34:32
Gomes, Delph and Siggy are just too slow! Davies and Gordon on at half time, please.
Mark Taylor
142 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:35:03
Bring back Big Sam
Darren Hind
143 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:35:22
Gomes pulling a caravan
Derek Thomas
144 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:35:45
Worthy of the LF that was Pat
David McMullen
145 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:06
Happy with Olsen so far
Steven Sturm
146 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:19
Olsen impressive coming out for that cross
Steve Ferns
147 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:22
Bobby Olsen is looking an upgrade on Pickford.
Ian Linn
148 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:35
Gomes 100% passenger
Annika Herbert
149 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:42
Have to say that was a good save
Pete Hughes
150 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:43
Jesus,things must be pretty bloody desperate if we are calling for Davies!?!
Michael Barrett
151 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:48
Olson motm
Ian Price
152 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:36:54
Simply no attacking flair in this current team
Mark Frere
153 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:37:02
Olson so much more commanding than Pickford.
Julian Exshaw
154 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:37:36
Where's the Live Forum??
Christian Konttorp
155 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:38:00
Why do we play Docoure so defensive? Let he be more offensive. Our only player with pace and creativity in midfield today
Kieran Kinsella
156 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:38:12
This is the most boring game I’ve ever seen
Will Mabon
157 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:38:15
Julian - dead.
Kevin Murray
158 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:38:36
Gomes is bringing nothing. Gordon would surely be a better option?
Mike Gaynes
159 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:38:39
I haven't read up on the new COVID restrictions in the UK. Is the Newcastle box under quarantine? Nobody allowed in?
Dennis Stevens
160 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:39:09
Hear! Hear! Phil #141
Brent Stephens
161 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:40:00
Shit. Allan down
Mike Gaynes
162 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:40:10
Allan hurt himself.
Steve Ferns
163 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:40:13
Gomes is the only one who’s trying to make something happen. Why pick him on him when Sigurdsson is on the pitch and his every pass is backwards. I suppose he’s great at pointing though.
Will Mabon
164 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:40:22
Not sure, but I think we were in the penalty area then.
Geoff Lambert
165 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:40:35
Not another injury
Brent Stephens
166 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:40:36
Shit. Allan up.
Mark Taylor
167 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:41:13
Iwobi warming up
Ciarán McGlone
168 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:41:17
Sidewards... and backwards.. sidewards.. and backwards.. Sigurdsson fouls someone... sidewards... and backwards... ad nauseam

Worst number 10 ever.

Paul Smith
169 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:41:40
Thank fuck for Doucoure & Allan last season we had Gomes & Siggy.
Steve Ferns
170 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:41:54
Worst £40m+ signing ever.
Pat Kelly
171 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:42:07
Not even a water break
Steve Brown
172 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:42:57
Gomes and Sigurdsson are slow and immobile for this formation to work. One of them needs to be breaking into the box to support DCL.
Jerome Shields
173 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:43:05
Gomes contribution improving, Sigurdsson offering nothing. Need changes at half time. No shots on target.

Olsen good and reassuring.

Nick Lacey
174 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:43:10
What does Gordon have to do to get on?
Colin Grierson
175 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:43:47
What are they gonna talk about at half time cos there’s nothing to see here!
Trevor Peers
176 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:43:55
Back to the Allardyce brand of football we all love this. Why oh why ?
Mike Gaynes
177 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:44:00
Great work DCL there.
Paul Tran
178 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:44:17
This is like one of those World Cup group games where both teams are already out and can't wait to go home.
James Marshall
179 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:44:24
Looking forward to my halftime orange here
Andrew Keatley
180 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:44:43
Steve Ferns (163) - You like Gomes. We get it. How many more abject performances before you eventually change your mind?
Kunal Desai
181 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:44:46
Evident alot of hard work still to do over the next couple of transfer windows. Still a fair amount of shite at the club to clear out.
Steve Brown
182 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:44:54
Doucoure or Gordon would do far better at connecting with DCL.
Frank Wade
183 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:04
Agree Steve but would say we need at least 2 midfielders capable of breaking into the box.
Brent Stephens
184 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:06
Poor from dcl. Should have passed it left
Julian Exshaw
185 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:08
I missed the first 30 mins but from what I've seen we look sharper than last week. But that's not saying much.
Ian Linn
186 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:18
Moribund
Jim Gore
187 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:20
This is fucking grim
Pat Kelly
188 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:36
Hopefully the Everton ladies can snatch an early lead.
Soren Moyer
189 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:45
The only way we could win this is the ref sends at least 2 New Castle players off. And Kenny can't even cross a decent ball ffs!
Bill Gall
190 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:45:57
Nkounkou is playing wide left Delph needs to put it over their right back to run on
David Hallwood
191 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:46:15
Given the absentees, I'll be glad of a 0-0 and delighted with a spawny 1-0
Steve Brown
192 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:46:18
Algeria 0 Costa Rica 0
Jerome Shields
193 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:46:32
First through pass of the game by Olsen.
Andrew Merrick
194 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:46:42
Nick 174 thinking the same about Gordon, could even put hiim on the right, pace needed here to change this...
Geoff Lambert
195 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:46:47
Delph playing well so far.
Dan Nulty
196 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:46:59
Clear to me why we were looking for a right back. JJK is back up at best. Don't think he has the pace or speed of thought. He has had opportunities to get balls in but gets closed down to quickly.
Marc Hints
197 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:47:13
Boring boring, passing to slow, predictable
Brent Stephens
198 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:47:40
Well that was a long 90 minutes.
Mike Gaynes
199 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:47:42
Delph having the best game I've seen from him in an Everton shirt.
Dale Self
200 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:47:49
Gomes hip check, brill. His best ply of the day.
David Hallwood
201 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:47:56
Siggy having a complete mare
Anthony A Hughes
202 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:48:23
Kenny is nowhere near Premier League quality,
Robert Tressell
203 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:48:30
Presumably we are playing for 0-0. Or the possibility that we pinch a goal. We have 6 centre mid players to protect the inexperienced full backs, rather than to make any offensive play. Boring - but understandable
Kevin Molloy
204 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:48:39
can't believe we're into injury time before we do the reducer on the star player
Will Mabon
205 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:48:40
Why THE FUCK will no-one run past anyone? Like they're all frightened.
Paul Smith
206 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:48:49
Siggy, Gomes & Kenny are not good enough.
Bill Gall
207 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:02
Bring on Gorden in place of Gomes
Barry Rathbone
208 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:22
Can't believe DCL took a shot instead of playing Gomes in - brainless
Mike Gaynes
209 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:25
Bartender, I'd like to order a Gordon for the second half. Straight up.
James Marshall
210 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:26
Delph fannies about with it too much, players make runs and he passes it to the centre halves all the time. Pass f***ing forward!
Geoff Lambert
211 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:27
Last on MOTD day tonight this is a piss poor match.
David McMullen
212 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:31
There are some players just not doing it as others have said. But, we can win this just need a bit more quality.
Jay Woods
213 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:33
Kenny's first thought when he gets the ball: "Who can I pass it backwards to?"
Simon Dalzell
214 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:49:36
I've started a jigsaw. The ' football ' is on in the background.
Will Mabon
215 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:50:00
Bill, no - in place of Siturdsson.
Darren Hind
216 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:50:04
Siggy really is having a Weston.

Bet he wins it for us

Alex Gray
217 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:50:10
Sigi and gomes off for wingers please. I’ve never seen Kenny play well for us. Can’t attack whatsoever. Olsen looks steady though!
Mark Murphy
218 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:50:14
Patience blues - we’re in control of this game.
I’m quite happy with that first half.
Soren Moyer
219 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:50:25
Now we know why schalke 04 didn't sign Kenny permanently.
Kim Vivian
220 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:50:31
Any way we can get Gordon and Tosun on here with dcl?
Andy Finigan
221 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:50:33
Delph and Gomes are continually giving the ball away. Allan is the best passer. Goalkeeper Olsen looks well in command.
Annika Herbert
222 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:51:04
Andrew @180, maybe the same amount of dire performances Siggy had been allowed to display for us?
Ricky Oak
223 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:51:16
Jeeezzz,, but it's so difficult being a Everton supporter,, its literally like peeling the skin offa my face,, got two red shite brothers and just once would like to knock them of there perch uno,, its actually embarrassing tho srs 🤮
Geoff Lambert
224 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:51:21
Three at the back and bring on Cenk for Siggy
Tony Everan
225 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:51:34
Newcastle are absolute shite. We have to get a win here against this championship standard rabble.

Sigurdsson off , Bernard on. inject some creativity Sigg is not offering much

Mike Gaynes
226 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:51:53
Mark #218, that's because you had time to cook a five-course lunch and not miss a thing.
James Carlisle
227 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:52:00
All I can say after that is if only Richie and James could play every week. Completely different attacking side with them playing. World class players make such an incredible difference.
Ciarán McGlone
228 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:52:02
Nobody playing well.. including the manager.
Will Mabon
229 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:52:05
Optimist of the Day Award goes to Mark Murphy!
Mark Taylor
230 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:52:17
Well that was bang average. Playing Sig and especially Gomes in their current positions shows we are badly short there. What is Gordon doing wrong in training?

Wish we had gone for King. He's not top quality but he would offer what we need right now to add some pace and vitality.

David Hallwood
231 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:52:44
with a full side we'd be killing these
Stephen Brown
232 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:53:07
Newcastle are there for the taking that’s the most frustrating thing.

More ambition needed

Pat Kelly
233 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:53:12
This is the squad exposed. Lucky it's only Newcastle. Have to scrape by till January before reinforcements.
Ben Howard
234 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:53:46
Well I don't know about you but I think Pickford should have played today... are no. 10
Mike Gaynes
235 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:54:06
Robbie and Timmy on NBCSN speculating that if Olsen keeps a clean sheet, he'll get the start against ManU.
Des Farren
236 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:54:14
It's painful..Delph to Keane, Keane to Delph, Delph to Keane and so on. Is there no one to inject a lìttle urgency into our play?
Andrew Keatley
237 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:54:19
Annika (222) - Haha! You NEVER miss a chance to slag off Siggy. Steve Ferns will happily lay into the sloppy Sigurdsson, but his precious Gomes gets a free ride? Why? They are both poor.
Steve Ferns
238 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:54:36
Andrew, lots on here seem pleased with Delph. I think he’s been poor. I think Gomes has played well. He’s the only one who’s trying to play the ball into dangerous areas. The others are all going sideways and mostly backwards.

The main issue is the formation. You simply can’t thread a pass through such a congested middle and there’s absolutely no width. Carlo needs to change that. He needs to take the captain fantastic off. He’s done nothing but pass backwards.

Peter Dodds
239 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:54:58
Poor game to say the least but we’ve got the measure of it now. Time to inject some pace. Gordon on for Gomes. Bernard later maybe. Need to be braver and make more runs. There’s not enough trying to find space, nor enough attempts to take a player on.
Martin Mason
240 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:55:02
I'm trying to find something positive but it really is difficult. Very poor.
Brian Williams
241 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:55:05
David#231.
Yeh and with a better face I'd be in the movies!!

Martin. Here's one: it's stopped for a bit.

Colin Glassar
242 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:55:23
Siggi, gomes, kenny just not good enough. Sideways, back and to an opponent, or out of play, is all they can do. We need another clear out in January if we want to progress
Anthony A Hughes
243 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:55:32
Alarming lack of pace in the team
Soren Moyer
244 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:55:39
If we are happy with a 0-0 result against New castle then surely there is something wrong with OUR mentality too. Not just the players!!!
Julian Exshaw
245 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:55:58
Most impressive thing so far is Timmy's suit
Sam Fitzsimmons
246 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:56:03
Slightly off topic but I'm enjoying the width Tim Cahill brings to his lapels on Sky
Bill Gall
247 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:56:07
Once again we are showing we don't have a decent back up squad to cover for injuries and suspensions. Nkounkou is playing as a left winger has the speed but Delph and Gomes are not bypassing their full back for him to run onto. If you want a winger on the left let Nkountou play in his normal position and use Gorden
Pat Kelly
248 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:56:30
There was more life on the Forum in that first half. It can only get better.
Tony Abrahams
249 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:56:44
Not professional Martin? It will be if we win, but if we don’t then it obviously won’t be!
Mike Gaynes
250 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:56:50
Sorry, Steve, but Gomes has been playing the ball into the dangerous areas of defenders' legs... not one good pass yet. Delph has been the sharper of the two by far.
Simon Evans
251 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:57:06
To be fair to Gomes, he's essentially playing out wide, but every time he gets the ball he's trying to play down the middle where theres no space. Just once it would be nice to see him play in Nkounkou, hes playing far enough up the pitch.

Gomes off, Gordon on!

Anthony A Hughes
252 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:57:07
Gomes played well? low bar there Steve
Dale Self
253 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:57:37
I think we’re setup to create width w/ Kenny’ and Nkou2. They don’t have the time played to find fluid linkups yet. The limited movement up front doesn’t help but hey, we’re minimizing the risk of going forward here. think Italian.
Neil Cremin
254 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:57:41
With the exception or first game, we haven’t maintained a clean sheet all season. I would think that is the first priority of Carlo.
We have options on the bench to open it up later on with Gorden and Bernard for Gomes and Siggy.
Jeff Armstrong
255 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:57:43
Can’t believe someone used the words pace and Bernard in the same comment
Michael McIvor
256 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:57:46
Very pedestrian. Cowardly football. Anthony Gordon please for some attacking prowess.
Mike Gaynes
257 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:57:58
'Tis, Julian. Purple is the man's color!
Colin Glassar
258 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:58:06
Pat, what happened to the Forum?
Andrew Keatley
259 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:58:41
Steve (238) If that 45 minutes constitutes Gomes playing “well” then I have serious reservations about your ability to analyse a game of football.
Eddie Dunn
260 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:58:45
Have to agree with Steve Ferns...Gomes, despite one or two wayward passes is the only one who looks likely to play the killer pass. Everyone has played within themselves although I think we started to get going towards the break. Hopefully St max will struggle with that dead leg. Siggy has been our most depressing player, has he no peripheral vision...backwards, backwards...
Trevor Peers
261 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:58:46
Should be Gordon, Tosun, DCL up the front against these, go for the win not park the bus, disgraceful, zero entertainment.
Craig Walker
262 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:59:07
It’s too pedestrian. Forward then backwards. Left full back to CB, out to right back, up to midfielder back to CB. Only Allan if the outfield players looks up for it. Another 20% intensity and we can get 3 points.
Jim Bennings
263 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:59:13
How badly do we miss Richarlison, absolutely a team with zero movement or creativity with one or two key injuries.

I still think we f#cked ourselves up in the window leaving ourselves short of attacking threat.

Paul Smith
264 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:59:39
Gomes played well ? He tried one forward ball the rest he’s found touch with.
Jamie Evans
265 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:59:51
Got round the box twice in the last 5 minutes thought DCL made the wrong decision both times. Can’t fault him for shooting though as a striker.

Build up is too slow, Gomes and Siggy playing in awkward positions for them in their defence - both huffing and puffing with fair few sloppy mistakes.

We absolutely can’t concede first in this match. Here’s hoping for a clean sheet and we can pinch a goal.

I’d like see Gordon for a more direct running threat, space in behind their wingbacks

Barry Jones
266 Posted 01/11/2020 at 14:59:56
I don't know how people think Delph is playing well. He moves the ball way too slowly, and then sideways or backwards. Siggy invisible and slow. There's no movement off the ball an we move it way too slow in possession. Bring on Gordon. Is Bernard on the bench?
Paul Smith
267 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:00:21
Allan our next player by miles
Pat Kelly
268 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:00:49
Colin, I think the Forum has been overfished.
Brent Stephens
269 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:01:11
Gomes looking to make a killer pass isn't Gomes making a killer pass.
Duncan McDine
271 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:01:50
Did someone say Gomes played well????? The guy has less desire to play football than I have to go shopping
Steve Ferns
272 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:01:57
Andrew, all it takes is for one of the passes attempted to put DCL through on goal. The others all passing backwards and sideways aren’t going to make it happen. Only Gomes is taking risks. The others all play safe, all the time. Gomes needs width to have more passing options, stretch the opposition and have space.

Sigurdsson cannot do what Gomes can do. He’s not capable of it. And Delph isn’t either. They just lack the passing ability.

Eddie Dunn
273 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:03
first team to score will win..
Benjamin Dyke
274 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:14
That was no advert for football. Ridiculously overpaid men being bad at their jobs was a better description
Clive Rogers
275 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:14
Gomes is off the pace and losing the ball persistantly.
Nick Lacey
276 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:16
Sigurdsson passing accuracy is a whopping 47%. That shocking.
James Marshall
277 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:17
Basically we have no runners, we just have ball keepers in midfield. Keep ball, pass ball (backwards)
Christy Ring
278 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:24
Need an injection of pace, and Sigurdsson has to be called ashore. Calvert-Lewin needs more assistance, Richarlison is a huge loss.
Viv Sharma
279 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:53
Hoping for Gordon for Delph, (he’s been good, just need a formation change), Bernard for Gomes 4231 Allan Douc, gord bern sig, DCL
Bernard in the 10 role
Ricky Oak
280 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:54
Can we go top with a win?? Can someone tell the blue Boyz!!
Mike Oates
281 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:56
He wants a point mat the least today and has put a side out to ensure we don’t give goals away, but it’s boring to hell.
He will give it 75 mins and then put Gordon, and Bernard on.
Colin Glassar
282 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:02:58
Gomes is becoming the new Iwobi ie useless! He can't pass, tackle, create, shows no heart or brains. Bloody useless.

I think the Son tackle buggered him and he'll never be the same player again.

Michael Barrett
283 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:03:00
What has happened since the international break? We've been shite since.
Eddie Dunn
284 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:03:20
It's a big pitch crying out for a winger...Gordon???
Jay Harris
285 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:03:25
I think Carlo is playing it craftily.
I said before the game that this would be a KITAP1
We neede to watch them on the break and then get that goal.
I forecast Gordon to come on at 60 minutes and either him or DCL score the winner.
Jay Harris
286 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:03:25
I think Carlo is playing it craftily.
I said before the game that this would be a KITAP1
We neede to watch them on the break and then get that goal.
I forecast Gordon to come on at 60 minutes and either him or DCL score the winner.
Will Mabon
287 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:03:31
Michael, I agree. All the talk is of passing. Someone needs to remember the lost art of moving forward with the ball, actually going past players, through lines, with some movement ahead to go with it. It's all completely static, rigid and slow.
David Hallwood
288 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:03:34
Toscun or gordon on
Rob Birks
289 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:03:38
Gomes not suited to the premier league at all. Treats the ball like an hand grenade with the pin pulled out. Get rid next window. At least Siggy is making runs behind, albeit not spotted or ignored. Poor performance against a poor Newcastle side defending in 2 blocks of 5! Needs livening up 2nd half if we are to be recognised as a top 6 side.
Dale Self
290 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:05:09
Carlo does not look upset. We were just waiting for the live forum to open before we score.
Mike Gaynes
291 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:05:45
That's the third poor pass DCL has made in the box.
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

292 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:07:20
Tell you what, Newcastle will have to relay the pitch 20 metres either side of the half way line the time we are spending passing it sideways in that zone.

Carlo has tightened up the formation from last weekend, with Delph and Doucoure dropping back allowing Nkoukou and Kenny to get forward, but no one in midfield with the courage or pace to break from midfield to unbalance Newcastle's rigid lines.

Allan has shown the sharper most incisive and inventive passing in that area. Sigurdsson is actually having a decent game. Gomes isn't. DCL's hold up and lay-off play excellent, but getting nothing to attack facing the goal.

The Barcodes more than happy to simply concede territory to Everton when losing the ball. The challenge is to pull them out of position with quicker play and someone with willing to carry the ball through them, rather than continually attempt to play through and around such congested lines.

Olsen's done well with everything he has had to deal with. Just need to speed things up across the pitch.

Derek Taylor
293 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:07:37
What would we be without Siggy ? I know, I know, -- a better team ¬
Neil Cremin
294 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:08:09
Like watching paint dry
Kunal Desai
295 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:08:18
Lazy footballer. Should be renamed Sigturdsson.
Derek Thomas
296 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:10:14
The women's game is a bit better, not hard I know, but at least both sides want to go forward-ish

And with that City score from a corner

Mark Frere
297 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:10:38
Kenny started second half well.
Michael Barrett
298 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:10:52
Getting beat in the final.
Pat Kelly
299 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:11:10
This game's not over yet. Unfortunately.
Mike Gaynes
300 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:11:16
Come off it. Siggy hasn't had a lazy moment in this game. Not effective, perhaps, but he's been nonstop effort running off the ball.
Colin Glassar
301 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:11:19
Are we back to the days of waiting for the oppo to score before we wake up?
Craig Walker
302 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:11:37
FOAG
Brent Stephens
303 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:11:38
Shit penalty
Kunal Desai
304 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:11:46
Pen newcastle
Mick Davies
305 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:12:16
Gomes has done nothing all game - except give away a penno FFS.Get Gordon on
Mike Gaynes
306 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:12:33
Brainless Gomes.
Anthony A Hughes
307 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:12:36
Gomes having a mare
Brent Stephens
308 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:12:39
Come on old son
James Marshall
309 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:12:41
How is that a penalty, Wilson was behind him!
Bill Gall
310 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:12:50
penalty time to go home
Paul Smith
311 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:12:59
I rest my case about Gomes a fuckin liability
Will Mabon
312 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:13:08
Brilliant.
Colin Glassar
313 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:13:33
That's the only tackle Gomes has made all game
Andrew Keatley
314 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:13:58
Steve (272) - I played the game to a decent enough level to not need you to explain things in the way you do. Having players in your side who possess great passing range and vision is a terrific thing, but I always judged those players (myself included) on how often they were successful with those passes, not how often they tried them. Some of the worst players I played with were ones who tried to play ambitious passes when they weren’t on.
Brent Stephens
315 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:01
Getting two now is a too tall an order.
Derek Thomas
316 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:04
Gomes total liability defending...total liability anywhere really.
James Marshall
317 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:05
FFS 1-0
Anthony A Hughes
318 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:27
Get a fucking grip now Blues..this is garbage
Simon Evans
319 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:32
Well I enjoyed the start to season. Back to business as usual now!
Jim Bennings
320 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:45
Pathetic performance in all honesty
David McMullen
321 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:54
Pretty shit right now.
Kunal Desai
322 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:14:58
Add Gomes to the scrapheap. Done fuck all since coming back from injury
Julian Exshaw
323 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:01
How the hell was that a penalty? Ridiculous.
Colin Glassar
324 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:04
Back to normal service
Andrew Merrick
325 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:11
Time for a change please carlo
Kieran Kinsella
326 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:15
Gomes looks like he’s a hungover homeless guy stumbling all over the place
Alex Gray
327 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:22
Pathetic performance all around.
Brent Stephens
328 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:26
Great save
Pat Kelly
329 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:29
Play like that and you deserve everything you get.
Ricky Oak
330 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:31
What the actual fuck!!
So a player can run in front of our man who's kicking the ball, and they get a pen!??? Corruption is rife yet again,, could you honestly see anyone getting a pen like that against any of the sky loveys?
Andrew Keatley
331 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:36
Gomes makes a simple defensive mistake. Again. Anyone want to defend him for that one? Slow, unaware, awful.
Jim Bennings
332 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:36
Get Gomes and one of Delph or Allan off
Will Mabon
333 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:36
Players feeling guilty about being high in the league.
Pete Hughes
334 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:38
Piss poor this !!!!
Mick Davies
335 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:43
No more Pickford as No 1 now
Simon Dalzell
336 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:43
Negative set up again. Gomes a liability as usual. Never a penalty. More joke refereeing.
Simon Dalzell
337 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:45
Negative set up again. Gomes a liability as usual.
Mike Gaynes
338 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:46
Great save Olsen
Craig Walker
339 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:48
Gomes is awful away from home. There’s just no urgency is there?
Mark Tanton
340 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:54
The old midfielders making the usual contribution.
Jamie Evans
341 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:15:59
Great save that. Looking awful
Now, need subs and system change ASAP
Annika Herbert
342 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:06
Game over the way we are playing,
Mark Murphy
343 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:17
never a penalty! Total shite refereeing that!
Benjamin Dyke
344 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:20
Dreadful match by us so far. No players deserve any credit except Olsen.
Kevin Dyer
345 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:36
Poor decision. Gomes is trying to clear the ball, how can he anticipate Wilson jumping in front whilst coming from behind. He's swinging his boot and has no idea Wilson's there.
Andrew Clare
346 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:49
This is dire stuff.
Mark Frere
347 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:52
Cowardly tactics from Carlo for this game! Time to put on some firepower. Fortune favours the brave.
Brent Stephens
348 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:54
Bernard on
Mike Gaynes
349 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:16:58
Kenny lost his mark on that chance.
Darren Hind
350 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:17:17
These fuckers do not deserve to be leading. They have shown less ambition than any home team I can remember
Jim Bennings
351 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:17:41
Gomes days look numbered, he offers nothing really does he
James Carlisle
352 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:17:46
Looks easy for Newcastle really.
Bill Gall
353 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:17:46
Getting 1 would be hard enough unless we can teach out players to go forward 2 will be practically imposablle if all you want to do is defend
Andrew McLawrence
354 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:17:48
If we were any more static we would renting a pitch in a caravan park somewhere.
Kevin Murray
355 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:17:54
Andre Gomes has not recovered from that injury and unfortunately may never do so.
To have him and Sigurdsson in the same team is a poor decision in my opinion. Hard to question Ancelotti but why oh why do supposed experienced managers regularly play players out of position as they are supposedly 'better footballers'. Ridiculous really.
Ciarán McGlone
356 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:18:04
Gomes cant be blamed for the penalty... ludicrous decision
Anthony A Hughes
357 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:18:10
Gomes off Bernard on whoopie fuckin shit.
Gavin Fennessy
358 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:18:41
Not sure how that was judged a penalty. Surely not dangerous or intentional foul play?
Dale Rose
359 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:18:51
Just a fucking awful game.
Mike Price
360 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:18:52
Kenny is Pub league, Gomes needs to go to a slower paced league, he’s done in the PL
Mick Davies
361 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:19:26
No penalty that, but Gomes is finished anyway
Pat Kelly
362 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:19:32
Gomes, another player I never want to see in an Everton shirt again. The list goes on.
Jeff Armstrong
363 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:19:34
Conservative Carlo strikes again Bernard ffs
Mike Gaynes
364 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:19:39
It was a clear penalty. Wilson got ball. Gomes got Wilson.
Derek Thomas
365 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:19:43
I think so far, that shite is too good a descripion for this...erm shite.
Julian Exshaw
366 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:19:44
I've really hoped Bernard would be the man for us. He's never really shown us anything apart from the odd moment. Time to step up now.
Chris Williams
367 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:20:01
Gomes didn’t know he was there. How can that be a pen?
Ralph Basnett
368 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:20:51
The awful realisation is that we are poor and NUFC are shit.
Anthony A Hughes
369 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:21:25
A nice burst of slowness from Bermard
Mike Gaynes
370 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:21:29
Whether he knew Wilson was there or not is irrelevant. He nailed him.
Bill Gall
371 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:21:40
I think the Everton players think they need a passport to cross the halfway line
Simon Dalzell
372 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:21:41
Spot on Chris. Shocking.
Tony Heron
373 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:22:01
The games finished if that's a penalty. Can't help thinking the Derby "incident" is influencing referees attitude towards us.
Pat Kelly
374 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:22:16
I think the Kenny question has been put to bed.
Mike Gaynes
375 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:22:17
Nice ball, good leap DCL
Mark Taylor
376 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:22:34
It's taken an hour but we have finally troubled their goalie
Tony McNulty
377 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:22:34
Question for the team: do you seriously want to lose to this lot?? Do you want to read this score in tomorrow's paper??
Simon Evans
378 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:23:04
1st shot on target! Only took 65 minutes.
Phil Smith
379 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:23:33
If that’s a penalty...
Bill Fairfield
380 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:24:17
What’s Carlo seen in Newcastle to set up like this.Woeful
Mike Gaynes
381 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:24:25
Tosun coming on
Dale Self
382 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:25:05
Hold on, Bernard may have the long studs on this time.
Marc Hints
383 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:25:14
Back down the table we go, hopes dashed again, boring football. We moan about pundits not talking about Everton before the game, no surprise really watching thus dire rubbish again
Jim Bennings
384 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:25:18
Newcastle must be quaking in their boots, lethal Cenk coming on lol

Our squad is still shit

Barry Rathbone
385 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:26:12
Going through the motions again as we have done for many, many decades.
Viv Sharma
386 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:26:22
Doucore: overrated
Geoff Lambert
387 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:26:46
Cenk on
Stu Gore
388 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:26:48
Very ordinary this. We still need 5 or 6 players I think.
Derek Thomas
389 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:00
Wilson was between Gomes and where the ball was going to be, pity Wilsons leg(s) got in the way of a volleyed clearence. Penalty.
Michael Lynch
390 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:05
My link has gone but I'm past caring
Pat Kelly
391 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:06
A top half finish is the best we can hope for with this squad. And I wouldn't put money on it.
Julian Exshaw
392 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:09
Come on Cenk lad. I like Tosun.
Mark Frere
393 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:21
Can Delph actually pass the ball forward?!?!
Steve Lew
394 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:30
Delph must be on a bonus for passing backwards. good god
Jamie Evans
395 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:40
Where’s our goal coming from?
Bill Gall
396 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:43
what the fu---k has Gordon done wrong bringing on a questionable fit Tosun
Jerome Shields
397 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:51
Not ideal for Tosun. Very weak third quarter play.
Paul Tran
398 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:57
I'll tell you what we clearly need - a fit Richarlison, James & Digne.
Geoff Lambert
399 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:27:59
How long before we get another red card?
Viv Sharma
400 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:28:00
(And hard to spell)
Mark Taylor
401 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:28:24
It feels like our balloon has been comprehensively punctured
Ralph Basnett
402 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:28:46
No threat whatsoever, yes the bubble really has burst!!!!!
Andrew Merrick
403 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:28:51
Phew we are toothless today, cenk Gets a run out and Gordon spectate...
Mike Gaynes
404 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:28:58
Strange that Gordon is getting enough right in training to make the bench... but not enough to get into the game.
Mike Price
405 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:29:27
How does Kenny get paid to play football?
James Marshall
406 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:29:44
We couldn't score in a brothel
Paul Whittaker
407 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:29:56
We are going to pick up yellow cards and red cards all season as we are just so bloody slow
Anthony A Hughes
408 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:30:16
The squad depth has been brutally exposed the last two matches
Ricky Oak
409 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:30:29
It's the lack of passion and heart that kills me
Steven Sturm
410 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:30:46
Link finally back up
Andrew Ellams
411 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:09
I don't think I've ever seen a team with so little pace. It's like walking football.
Drew O’Neall
412 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:10
The 4-3-2-1 formation was working fine. We weren’t under any pressure and had most of possession. Correct sub of Bernard for Gomes when we needed more quickness of thought and foot in there.

Needed to work it left and right to get the 1 on 1 with the fullback. Was just starting to happen as the game opened up when he abandoned it.

Two poachers doesn’t open up a low block.

Alan McGuffog
413 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:14
I've a plan. Come January, buy more players. Come summer buy some more. Repeat, until eternity
Tony McNulty
414 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:14
The absences of Richie and the Live Forum are to blame
Geoff Lambert
415 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:16
Mid table performance from mid table players. Squad not good enough to replace a couple of key players missing.
Pat Kelly
416 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:18
Tosun, Sigurdsson, Delph... It's a recurring nightmare.
Will Mabon
417 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:23
January:

"Rodriguez and Richarlison linked in double swoop by big six club. 'We want a chance of success' say South American duo".

Bill Gall
418 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:37
Glad the live forum is not working my laptop would have been on fire
Phil Smith
419 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:46
Second week running I have to blame the gaffa. No pace or speed in midfield again. Once again, crying out for a couple of our younger players to drive from their, but instead plays Gilfi and Gomes - as much pace as man old man! Shocking management and as if we’ve gone back in time again. Pathetic!!!
Colin Glassar
420 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:52
I refused to jump on the top 4 bandwagon so early on in the season as I recognise that our first team squad is paper thin. We need at least 4 more quality players to replace shite like Iwobi, Gomes, Kenny, siggurdsson etc They are just not good enough.

Mick Davies
421 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:54
Rome wasn't built and all that; a decade of mismanagement can't be fixed overnight. Carlo is the man we need, but he needs another transfer window or two to get the shite out and better players in. A couple of years from now and we'll be up there challenging. The proof of our lack of depth is on show here
Stephen Vincent
422 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:54
So we bring on a guy who thrives on crosses and take off the guy who can supply them, don't get it. Need to get Gordon on.
Kevin Molloy
423 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:31:58
at least we know now where we stand.
Mark Taylor
424 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:32:03
Bad luck Stephen
Paul Whittaker
425 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:32:05
If I was Kenny I would retire. If you look out of your depth in this game you don’t have a future in the game.
Ralph Basnett
426 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:32:16
What the hell does Bernard offer?
Mike Gaynes
427 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:32:41
Just awful from Bernard there... good work back by Siggy.
Des Farren
429 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:33:10
Delph has the look of someone who doesn't give a shit.
Mike Gaynes
430 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:33:20
Now Iwobi coming on. Gordon left out again.
Kevin Molloy
431 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:33:41
hang on, there may be one last hope
Steve Ferns
432 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:33:43
Gordon must have really upset Ancelotti by demanding to be in the side. Since Carlo said about him knocking on the door, he’s not played.
James Carlisle
433 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:33:48
Iwobi coming on. The final nail.
Jamie Crowley
434 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:33:56
No urgency to move the ball forward at pace. Just turn and play sideways. Have you ever seen a team so happy to concede possession as NC is presently? Infuriating.
Benjamin Dyke
435 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:03
That Bernard 'touch' sums up our current form. Yards of space, room to turn and move forward and he miscontrols under no pressure direct to a Newcastle player
Mike Gaynes
436 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:04
Lovely pass Allan. Unfortunately it was to Kenny.
Brent Stephens
437 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:07
Iwobi. Now we have hope!
Anthony A Hughes
438 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:08
January window striker cover, A quick wide forward, some right back cover and another midfield playmaker
Drew O’Neall
439 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:11
Excellent football.
Alex Gray
440 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:22
Iwobi about to come on. Crisis averted.
Ralph Basnett
441 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:22
Ironically on and falls over, says it all really.
Will Mabon
442 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:30
Mike, it's nuts, right?
Pat Kelly
443 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:41
Welcome back Everton
Geoff Lambert
444 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:41
Kenny fails to get the ball in again
Bill Gall
445 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:42
IT says something when your supposed creative midfielder is behind the back 4
Jamie Crowley
446 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:46
JJK off. This is defo throw the kitchen sink at ‘em
Colin Glassar
447 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:34:51
Iwobi? I give up!
Jerome Shields
448 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:09
Don't think Kenny has got one ball into the box all game.
Julian Exshaw
449 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:10

We've come full circle. Iwobi is on.
Mark Frere
450 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:10
Iwobi coming on to complete the set of serial failures. Couldn't make it up !
Geoff Lambert
451 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:31
We are saved alex the great to save the fuckin day..
Dale Rose
452 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:37
Only quality on the pitch Allan.
Anthony A Hughes
453 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:40
What game are you watching Drew?
Ricky Oak
454 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:45
Hahaha, could not make it up,, Kenny starts playing, gets taken off,, for,, wait for it,, ffs starting to doubt the Don now seriously
Kunal Desai
455 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:48
Carlo has been on the red wine too much. Fuck off with Iwobi sub. FFS
Viv Sharma
456 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:35:52
Iwobi on, me off. If we lose to Manure next week that’s 1point from 12.
Drew O’Neall
457 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:36:04
Iwobi (shudder)
Steve Lew
458 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:36:41
Be honest...how many of us thought we would win here today...then see this midfield..no pace blah blah blah
Derek Thomas
459 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:36:44
More shape in a sack of hammers
Derek Thomas
460 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:36:45
More shape in a sack of hammers
Derek Thomas
461 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:36:45
More shape in a sack of hammers
Simon Evans
462 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:36:59
My god, this really is the final kick in the nuts... why is every fringe player at the club coming on before Gordon? What the hell is Carlo playing at!
Poor poor team and tactical selection today. Every one can see it.
Derek Knox
463 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:00
Colin G, he may get a hat trick mate ! 😜
Phil Smith
464 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:03
Iwobi? Seriously? He has a great plan A with all of his A-players in but miss a couple and he’s fuckin’ lost!
Mark Murphy
465 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:07
If I can slightly revise my half time thoughts...
This is shite this Blues!
Tony Heron
466 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:12
OMG Iwobi! What has Anthony Gordon got to do to get a game?
Geoff Lambert
467 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:17
Going to be 2-0 this
Anthony A Hughes
468 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:18
Its Iwobi time!!!
Jerome Shields
469 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:31
Lucky there.
Rob Birks
470 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:31
to go... kenny, gomes, delph, siggy, mina, pickford, iwobi, tosun, the list goes on and on
Alan McGuffog
471 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:34
Positive thoughts. We don't have to fret about the bubble bursting. Bit like when you're baldy you can stop worrying about losing your hair
David Foster
472 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:41
Just shows that our squad isn’t good enough.
Steve Brown
473 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:37:41
Ancelotti should substitute himself. He’s had another shocker.
Julian Exshaw
474 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:38:04
well...it was fun for 5 weeks.
Geoff Williams
475 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:38:09
My faith in Ancelloti is totally shattered now, for Christ's sake Iwobi. He started off with a team selected not to lose and now we have a team deigned not to win.
Colin Glassar
476 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:38:09
Normal service resumed. The Everton curse is back! Nothing really ever changes, does it?
Drew O’Neall
477 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:38:14
Anthony 453

Fuck off, they had one chance. Which game are you watching?

Jamie Evans
478 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:39:10
Delphs crossing is abysmal
Jamie Crowley
479 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:39:12
No one is playing any forward, cutting passes. Allan simple, Delph sideways, Doucoure just doing what he does.

This is supremely frustrating. We’ve played exactly the way Newcastle would want us to.

David McMullen
480 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:39:16
Wheels have come off. Some of the effort has been absolutely shocking today. Hope Big Dunc will have fkin words
Geoff Lambert
481 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:39:21
Have we had a shot on target today?
Bill Gall
482 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:39:37
Amateurish, Amateurish, from someone that has managed top teams, he is getting a taste of what it means to be an Everton manager,and the stigma that surrounds it
Ralph Basnett
483 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:39:47
If Iwobi was a predator I would fancy my chances even with his thermal imaging.😁
Ricky Oak
484 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:40:09
We've been sucker punched by all the negative press by the rs seriously,, the press has mullered us!!
Dan Nulty
485 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:40:11
Have we put a cross in in the last half an hour?
Derek Thomas
486 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:40:33
As false dawns go its lasted longer than most
Kevin Murray
487 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:41:04
Nkounkou off and Delph kept on at left back.
Then Iwobi? Iwobi?
Honestly I am beginning to think the club has some sort of gas leak at Finch Farm that gets in to managers and poisons the rational thinking part if their brains.
What has Anthony Gordon done so wrong he can get in to this team?
Only Everton eh.
James Carlisle
488 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:41:06
Imagine if we hadn't had a decent summer window and were stuck with another season of this week in week out.
Pat Kelly
489 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:41:24
Is Doucoure what anyone expected ?
Luke Welch
491 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:41:39
Normal service resumed, crab football with direction or creativity
Brent Stephens
492 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:41:40
Bollocks
Paul Smith
493 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:41:48
Mina awful
Hugh Jenkins
494 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:04
Guys, we have had one reasonable transfer window in the last ten(?)

Since then, when we have out first XI playing we look good.

When not, we don't.

Since the mid-60s it has been a squad game and whilst our first XI is excellent our squad isn't.

We need another couple of windows to really "compete", but you can see is coming.

I know the word "patience" has been used ofttimes in. the past and is abhorred by many, but it is what we need now!

Just a little more time.

Jamie Crowley
495 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:10
Fuck off
James Marshall
496 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:10
Oh dear
Mike Gaynes
497 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:12
Absolutely awful.
Phil Wood
498 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:13
Oh Anthony Gordon, Oh Anthony Gordon, Oh Anthony Gordon,
Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,Oh Anthony Gordon,

Better than this crap.

Brent Stephens
499 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:15
Poor from Mina
Soren Moyer
500 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:18
Delph= shite, Iwobi= shite, Siggy= shite, Kenny= shite and so on.
Derek Knox
501 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:21
Geoff, they all had a shit on target at half time when they went for a synchronised crap !
Ralph Basnett
502 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:21
Oh fuck, we get Bernard for free they get Fraser.
Steve Lew
503 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:21
There we go.
Rob Birks
504 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:28
It's patently obvious that Carlo needs backing in at least 2/3 transfer windows in order to sustain a go at the top 6.
Viv Sharma
505 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:29
Big Sams Pie-dey senses are tingling
Ciarán McGlone
506 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:34
We deserve to lose this.. defensive shite against a mediocre team.

We'll finished around 8th this season..

James Carlisle
507 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:39
Dreadful.
Will Mabon
508 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:41
There we go.
Andrew Merrick
509 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:41
Such a poor showing this, carlo may well feel a silk purse can't be sown from the cloth hes got, but ffs this is awful
Bill Gall
510 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:43
that is the final nail in the coffin
Craig Walker
511 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:51
Mina. Again. Not good enough. Neither is Bernard, Iwobi, Gomes, Delphi, Tosun, Sig.
Jamie Crowley
512 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:42:56
Mina is like John Stones - always has an error in him.
Geoff Lambert
513 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:02
Champions league were having a laugh. Championship more like.2-0 told ya
Pat Kelly
514 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:12
Ancelotti out
Anthony A Hughes
515 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:19
You fuck off Drew you prick its 2-0 now dickhead. We've had one attempt on target and that excellent football?
Julian Exshaw
516 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:34
The curse of Bournemouth strikes again but now for this horrible Newcastle team.
Peter Dodds
517 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:36
Paying the price now for a cowardly cowardly team selection and first half go-slow from the whole team.
Jerome Shields
518 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:39
Nkounkoushould have been never subbed.
Mick Davies
519 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:43
No Coleman, Digne, James, Richie = no creativity therefore, no goals in 3 hours of play. We make Newcastle look like Real Madrid. Only hope we get rid of most of this shit in January. . oh how I hate Silva and Koeman
Danny Baily
520 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:48
I enjoyed the wild ride while it lasted. Normal service resumed!
Paul Whittaker
521 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:43:54
Typical Everton - our best player has already been told he’s dropped for next week.
Brian Williams
522 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:11
Nothing more than this showing has deserved.
Total lack of urgency, guile, and worst of all, effort!
Colin Glassar
523 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:12
No pace. No creativity. No fight. No clue! Is Marco Silva back?
Soren Moyer
524 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:15
Top 4!!!!!!? More likely bottom 4!!!
Steve Ferns
525 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:17
That was dreadful. Carlo has had a lot of plaudits. He’s got to take this one on the chin. He was dreadful today in his selection and substitutions.

The reality now is we are clearly a long way off the top 6. Carlo needs to up his game for United.

Ricky Oak
526 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:21
Enough to turn ya too drugs this
Michael Lynch
527 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:23
At least we know where we stand now. At anything less than full strength even a team like Newcastle can beat us.
David McMullen
528 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:30
Well go fcuk yourselves Everton
Tony Everan
529 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:33
That's it boys, what a shithole of a game and performance . One of the worst teams you will see in the PL has beaten us 2-0.
Brent Stephens
530 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:36
This IS a weak squad. With Richie, Coleman and James out, we are playing people like JJK, Delph, Iwobi, Bernard, Tosun, God help us with that lot. And Mina.
Alex Gray
531 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:46
Until we get rid of the poor half of our squad we’ll always be mid table. For gods sake tosun is playing. Let that sink in.
Jamie Crowley
532 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:47
OMG DCL what a ball by Iwobe. Where’s that been for 85 minutes??
Colin Metcalfe
533 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:44:56
You got to laugh this is so Everton mid table beckons
Graham Haines
534 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:45:07
Add Mina to the get rid list, must be at least 6 players out there today that need moving on. Nowhere near acceptable, cant remember their keeper having to make a serious save. Terrible
John Pendleton
535 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:45:15
Andy Carroll scores and it’s an even worse day
Geoff Lambert
536 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:45:23
Lewin back to normal service then.
Barry Rathbone
537 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:45:45
Looking so Moyes-like
George McKane
538 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:45:58
Very poor - Mina continually costs goals - poor decision making by midfield - weak mentally - need all new men fit for every game.
Mike Gaynes
539 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:46:00
Jerome, Nkounkou was accomplishing nothing. We needed a change.
Alan McGuffog
540 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:46:19
Colin mid table ? Here's hoping
Ricky Oak
541 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:46:22
We will lose Ritchie and anyone else who's any good in January you watch
Will Mabon
542 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:46:24
Our sad, fragile team spirit takes another hit... and from these players, the response will be to collapse even further in coming games. A team mostly composed of losers, mentally.
Andrew Ellams
543 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:46:46
It's going to be a long winter.
John Pendleton
544 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:47:01
We’ve got two minutes before they scored their first at Goodison - fingers crossed
Kunal Desai
545 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:47:03
Lets be honest, we got lucky in other games, palace never a pen, RS third goal and Pickford, WBA red card changed it the game in our favour. Brighton at 4-1 up we defended desperately.
Chris Leyland
546 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:47:14
Woeful lack of creativity in this side without Richie, James and Digne. Slow and ponderous passing it round with zero penetration. Gordon would have made a difference in this second half running at peopel with a bit of pace.
Colin Glassar
547 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:47:17
Almost every team in the prem has a core of players with heart and courage bar Fulham, and Everton.
Anthony Murphy
548 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:47:19
I can’t believe we had the chance to go top today and have been beaten by this lot
Gerry Quinn
549 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:47:23
I have already had enough of this season!!!!!!
Drew O’Neall
551 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:47:51
Which of these kop out artists is going to get himself sent off this week?
Neal Kernohan
552 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:01
I blame Ricky for getting sent off against the shite in the last minute!
Ralph Basnett
553 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:05
Things we have learnt over the last two weeks:

Olsen is better than Pickford.
Iwobi and Siggi should be knows her near the squad.
Bernard is useless.
DCL has to be told to stay central.
Mina not good enough.
Etc
Etc
Etc

Tony Everan
554 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:13
Ricky...Richie already said he is off if we don't qualify for the Champions League, in so many words and that's looking rather unlikely.
Derek Knox
555 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:28
Andrew Game of Crones !
Steve Brown
556 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:30
Been a supporter of Ancelotti, but you know that manager has lost the plot when you finish the game with two central midfielders at full back.

Mad starting line up and tactical set up, even worse substitutions.

No idea what he was thinking today.

Phil Rodgers
557 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:35
2 absolutely abysmal performance's back to back. Completely unacceptable to be honest regardless of the players out. Really embarrassing.
Brent Stephens
558 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:35
2-1
John Pendleton
559 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:41
Here we go
Geoff Williams
560 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:43
Tactics, team selection, substitutions the manager for the second week in succession has shown he's not taking his medication.

Is Delph the most negative passer of a ball?

Mick Davies
561 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:43
Bout time
Bill Fairfield
562 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:48:51
You can see why Anthony Gordon is asking questions of the manager,the same tried and trusted failures get in ahead of him. Very poor team and tactics today Carlo
Geoff Lambert
563 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:00
We are Everton and don't you forget it. Usual dross is back.
Brent Stephens
564 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:01
WELL taken dcl
Jamie Evans
565 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:04
Fair play to Iwobi created more than Siggy has in the last 2 matches
Mike Gaynes
566 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:06
Well, at least DCL got one!
Jerome Shields
567 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:14
Mike thought him going off on top of Kenny imbalanced defence.
Jamie Crowley
568 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:15
C’mon. Hope springs.
James Carlisle
569 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:23
I was really hoping I would never see last season Everton again.
Ralph Basnett
570 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:26
DCL stays in the box and scores and another Lawrenson prediction for us comes to fruition!!!!!
Bill Gall
571 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:54
As believed the only change should have been at half time and replaced Delph with Gorden, ,and let Knoukou play in the position he was bought for.We were chasing the game before they scored and did nothing to change it until they did, I blame the manager fully for this defeat and display and we could have played another 10 min even though DCL has scored
Derek Thomas
572 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:55
1 back go the blues
Ricky Oak
573 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:49:57
Absolutely pooh,, shameful,, and here's the faint excruciating hope...
Annika Herbert
574 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:50:02
Poor team selection today and the boss has to take the blame for that. Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Delph etc, they just aren’t good enough. We need at least another 2 transfer windows before we can think about the top 6. I would rather see the kids play when we have key players missing because, beyond out first choice 11, we have little to no quality senior back-up’s
Andrew Heffernan
575 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:50:08
We could have had points from this game; squad still requires massive overhaul
Stephen Tyler
576 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:50:13
Utter shite! Clueless!
Geoff Lambert
577 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:51:10
Siggy fucks it up again.
Phil Wood
578 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:51:25
Bring on Utd. Licking my lips already.
Pickford in for Richie probably.
Stu Gore
579 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:51:28
Ball into the box. Goal. Funny how we’ve waited 90 minutes to try it
Mike Gaynes
580 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:51:35
Ah, Carroll just can't finish anymore.
Pat Kelly
581 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:51:40
Here's to next season
Nick Page
582 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:52:13
Said it yesterday. Having fucking Sigurdsson and Iwobi on the pitch at same time we may as well have 9 men. Frauds of the highest order
Jerome Shields
583 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:53:06
Hesgoal. up the left Who scored. ? Tell me it was Tosun.
Ralph Basnett
584 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:53:38
Why do we wait for the 95th minute to try!!!!!
Will Mabon
585 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:53:51
DCL scored.
Derek Knox
586 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:54:18
Mike G, he'll probably get one at Christmas Caroll! 😜
Jerome Shields
587 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:54:33
As long as someone scored.
Geoff Lambert
588 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:54:35
RS texts coming through thick and fast wankers
Ralph Basnett
589 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:54:43
Poor.
Poor.
Poor.

Just poor.

Graham Haines
590 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:54:44
what a load of absolute shite, same old Everton
Steven Sturm
591 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:54:53
Still 25 minutes to go for Everton Women. 1-1. Live on ESPN+
Julian Exshaw
592 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:55:13
Brutal.
Tom Bowers
593 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:55:13
Normal service has been resumed. We are now in freefall.

Everton screwed up by not having decent strikers in reserve.

We flattered to deceive for the first few games and now the rot is in even if the others return.

It's just the mentality of this club every season.

The squad just doesn't have the determination to succeed and after all the euphoria of DCL and his England success I am afraid he has been hung out to dry.

Three games, no wins and one very lucky draw. Does the same, old same old never end. Carlo it seems isn't any more capable than his predecessors even Big Sam.

Mike Price
594 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:55:15
How can you book someone for time wasting then not add the extra time on!!
Jamie Evans
595 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:55:19
Siggy has had 2 absolute stinkers - how is he captain and playing.
Will Mabon
596 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:55:34
Geoff, I aint reading any til tomorrow.
Ciarán McGlone
597 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:55:49
Ancelotti is to blame. Selection.. formation.. subs.. tactics..

All wrong.

Graham Haines
598 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:55:53
Should have played the womens team in this game, we would have seen more fight and determination
Ricky Oak
599 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:56:03
Rs get moody pen to help them win,, we get moody pen to help us lose,, who'd have thunk it
Jim Bennings
600 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:56:05
While you keep conceding two goals every game it's highly unlikely that you continue to accumulate too many points.
Si Cooper
601 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:56:08
Didn’t understand the starting XI and the first half showed that bunch just couldn’t build any tempo, express some urgency.
Newcastle are poor but we just shot ourselves in the foot with a far too casual approach. No one seemed bothered at gifting free kicks, throw-ins and corners. We’ve seen countless times before that we rarely rouse ourselves from such a torpid start.
JJK seems to have gotten worse from his time in Germany, Delph and Gomes both want far too many touches / time to pick a pass.
Now we are having a late rally to try to pick up a single point.
Allan, DCL, Bernard and Olsen didn’t do a lot wrong and Nkounkou wasn’t given the support / opportunities he needed from Delph and Gomes. Doucoure a shadow of himself basically reduced to covering the RB position.
Mick Davies
602 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:56:11
Makes you wonder why we can't start like that
Pat Kelly
603 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:56:17
How many more points do we need ?
Will Mabon
604 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:56:42
Even Hesgoal's played a stinker today.
Mike Gaynes
605 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:56:44
This one is on Carlo. His subs just bewilder me sometimes. No excuse for losing to such a crap side. No excuse.
Bill Gall
606 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:03
Four words can describe this performance, Disgraceful,Disgraceful, Disgraceful, Disgraceful.
Kieran Kinsella
607 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:15
63 percent possession but about 62 percent occurred on the edge of our box
Neil Cremin
608 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:21
I think we need to focus on the women who have just eaualised
Craig Walker
609 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:24
Same old Everton. We all talk of top 4 and beating the RS with the likes of Mina, Iwobi, Delph, Tosun, Gomes, Bernard, Sig. Prople said Wilson and Fraser weren’t good enough for us. They looked better than most of our lot. Allan did well and the keeper takes credit. Mina has a mistake in him in every game.
Tony Everan
610 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:35
Without Richarlison, we cant cause any problems.

Against Southampton we created nothing, and against a very very poor Newcastle side, we created next to nothing.

Very worrying that we can't function without Richarlison.

Steve Ferns
611 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:40
At least the girls have equalised. Should be an entertaining end to the cup final.
Jay Tee
612 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:48
More life in the Women's team than that lot today.
Michael Connelly
613 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:57:52
Gomes such a passenger, and cost us that game.
Mike Price
614 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:58:11
We’re 2 years from unloading the deadwood. Just don’t sign any more shite on long contracts.
Ernie Baywood
615 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:58:30
Dreadful. But I'll just say one thing to piss off the live forum types on here today - Gylfi Sigurdsson was the only player who showed up for us today. He worked harder, got more involved, created more than any other player, and went right to the final whistle.

Request for Michael - can we have a live forum for the next game?

Jay Harris
616 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:58:36
He’s turned into the mad professor.

Wtf taking both full backs off Snd putting Tosun and Iwobi on.

I don’t know what Gordon has to do to get a game.

If ever a game made pace this was it.

Will Mabon
617 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:58:37
Tony - and we may not have him next season.
Paul Smith
618 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:58:59
Ah that comfortable and familiar feeling of knowing we’re a bit shite and having few expectations. A relief from actually believing.
Kevin Molloy
619 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:59:19
we've played two pretty ordinary sides and been comfortably beaten.
We're going nowhere
Ciarán McGlone
620 Posted 01/11/2020 at 15:59:26
"Gomes such a passenger, and cost us that game."

Bollocks

John Keating
621 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:00:24
Poor selection and subs
Down to Ancelotti I’m afraid
Dan Parker
622 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:00:31
Needed the creativity of Bernard from the off. Olsen had a good game, hope he starts the next. Not looking great for the end of the year fixture wise.

Carlo needs to work on ironing out the errors.

It’ll take a while for Carlo to manage out the weaker players. Annoys me when the likes of Delph and Sig come in and fail miserably to stake a claim.

Tony Hill
623 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:00:33
Another utterly shameful performance against a poor team. Why do we allow ourselves to dream? We're just gutless and the team's failure - over years now - to do the basics well is inexplicable.

There is nothing there, is there? Awful, and I'm afraid I won't be indulging myself any more with foolish hopes.

Always a Blue, but I haven't got enough years left to waste on this indescribably frustrating club. Above all, we lack courage, and that is unforgivable.

Mick Davies
624 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:00:34
Unlucky 13 points - all the trouble started when we played Satans Afterbirth. They really have got some kind of curse over us. As for those slagging Siggi and Iwobi, normally I'd agree, but today they both had a go, which is more than Gomes has done all season
Chris Leyland
626 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:00:35
We’ve got a good starting 11 but absolutely nothing beyond that. The squad players like Delph, Kenny, Iwobi, Bernard, Tosun offer little or nothing. The lack of creativity without the liens of Richie, James and Digne have cost us
Ciarán McGlone
627 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:00:44
Ernie..

I'm never on the live forum.. Gylfi 'treacle feet' Sigurdsson was utter shite.

Richard Lyons
628 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:01:00
I’m expecting Ancelotti to start using the word “moment” soon, like Martinez and Silva...
Ricky Oak
629 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:01:42
Agreed Ernie B 100%
Julian Exshaw
630 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:01
I agree Ernie and I was going to say that earlier. Siggy was actually OK.
Kunal Desai
631 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:13
Shame all the early season optimism has well and truely evaporated. Still hopeful of top 7 finish but that might be wholly dependent on bringing further reinforcements in Jan.
Jerome Shields
632 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:16
Everton absolutely woeful in final third. Sigurdsson did he made a forward pass all game in the final third. Bernard poor. Tosun was never going to do anything with play like that around him.

Jerome Shields
633 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:17
Everton absolutely woeful in final third. Sigurdsson did he made a forward pass all game in the final third. Bernard poor. Tosun was never going to do anything with play like that around him.

Ernie Baywood
634 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:21
Well Ciarán, I think we've disagreed on Gylfi for a few years now.

I don't know how you could form that opinion today.

Geoff Lambert
635 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:22
And now just two points above the mighty Newcastle Utd.
Will Mabon
636 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:32
Ernie, he maybe got a little more involved today, later on. Trouble is, even when he does his previous quality is diminished, and he simply doesn't have the physical anymore. It's rare to see him even look bothered.
Tony Everan
637 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:40
8th ?
James Carlisle
638 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:02:43
Gave Newcastle a very easy game today. Incredibly disappointing.
Brent Stephens
639 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:03:10
The thing is we had such a wealth of talent to select from today, for the starting X1 and the subs. Yeh, right.

When you have Iwobi, Tosun and Simms on the bench... And that breath of fresh air, Bernard...

Stef Busby
640 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:03:14
@Tony 610 - Richarlison we are fucked without him.

Delph. my god. Bring back Pembridge. All he did was a bit of pointing, passed the ball backwards and crossed like a tosser.

As for Carlo - Tosun? Has Gordan been caught nailing his missus?

Fkin embarrassing.

George McKane
641 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:04:12
I cannot stand the 'victim" syndrome - - cannot stand it in The City or here - - BUT - - you have to be able - - physically and mentally - - to battle - -to fight for decisions - to make people aware you will not take crap - - or we will continue to get penalties - - Red cards and Yellows (how many today in an incredibly non-physical game) - - we have to make football aware that we are ready to battle and not accept garbage - - much work needed here.
Barry Jones
642 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:04:17
Dreadful. It took 85 minutes to start moving the ball quicker and forward. There is no movement because nobody wants the ball. Especially Siggy. How anyone thinks he played well is beyond me. We need a number 10 who is in motion demanding the ball and being brave and creative with it.
Kevin Molloy
643 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:04:29
I'd really encourage us not to blame the second string here. This is all on Carlo sadly. No shape, no press, no nothing. What the fuck do they do all week, that he thinks a five of Gomes Siggi Allan Docure and Delph will go anywhere? it's basic. The set up was appalling, and the application even worse.
Christy Ring
644 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:04:41
After the awful performance last week, team selection today, was every bit as bad. Starting Sigurdsson, and playing beside Gomes, no pace whatsoever, and totally imbalanced. What has Gordon to do, to get a game. and Davies not even on the bench. Newcastle were there for the taking, but Carlo's team offered nothing, felt sorry for Calvert-Lewin, lone figure, and bringing on Tosun, who definitely wasn't fit, was Simms not worth a chance?
Nicholas Howard
645 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:04:55
James Carlisle

Nothing to see here.
Ineffective Everton last season is officially back.
Gomez..as clumsy as last season...always given up fouls near dangerous areas..today, he finally paid for it.
Delph. he slows everything down even after we were trailing.
Siggy man way way past his prime
Sorry JJK really shows we desperately need Coleman back.
Keep playing these players...we would be heading towards mid table at best

Tony Twist
646 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:05:01
Might as well give RS the premiership now. Absolutely pathetic. No excuses. I thought with more of a heart in midfield we would have a reasonable team, how wrong I was. There is very little improvement. It was nice whilst it lasted, absolute joke of a team that just makes excuses for itself.
Gordon Crawford
647 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:05:11
Another woeful performance. We just don’t have the legs and guile on the wings. We need wide men who can beat a player and put the ball into the box. Siggy, Gomez and Delph just don’t cut it. They have no pace and keep giving the ball to opposing players.
And playing with one striker is useless when you have those three behind. Bernard did more when he came on than those three. Also what happened to Gordon?
Think Carlo got this wrong today again.
Stef Busby
648 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:05:41
And Gomes. He needs shifting on.

Mina. the list goes on.

John Pierce
649 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:05:49
This reminded me of one of the many performances under Silva, safe and more passes in our own half than you can count. We go a goal down and that’s it over no way back. To further the similarities, Carlo’s subs barb subsequent shape just dissolved. That’s was as poor as you get.

Out-coached by Bruce who realized we had little creativity no one to pull his defense out of shape and just say, got a break then played counter attack.

Not one player showed any bravery on the ball, not one midfielder ran beyond the ball consistently to aid Calvert-Lewin. Make no mistake Newcastle are terrible, so this makes Carlo’s tactics and the players performance much worse than being beaten by a good Southampton team last week.

Unacceptable.

Steavey Buckley
650 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:05:53
Doucouré is not the player who played for Watford. The Everton Doucouré now plays very cautiously and passes from side to side, when at Watford he would burst forward and make things happen in and around the penalty box. Doucouré sums up Everton's performance today, very cautious and lack of energy to win the ball and make things happen up front. But does not hide the fact, Everton played with one striker up front for most of the match that allowed the Newcastle defence to have an easy match until late in the match when DCL scored.
Paul Birmingham
651 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:06:11
A ridiculous penalty but no where near enough belief in this team. We weren’t playing Bayern Munich.

Clearly not enough strength in depth, but why oh why didn’t they take this game to Newcastle from the start?

Sickening defeat and it looks like a tough run in to Christmas. It seems like we have become so reliant on Charlie and also without Hames, no final pass or vision today.

For me Gordon should have started and no support for DCL. To have 60 odd % of the possession and get only a couple of mediocre efforts on goal, is killing this season. Gomes for me doesn’t do enough and you knew as soon as Fraser was on they had capability to nick a goal.

We get up and go next week, it could be a long day v the Mancs at this rate, but surely the team must come out of this self imposed slumber?

Gerry Ring
652 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:06:47
It says it all that today’s captain was Sigurdsson. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an Everton player with such a yellow streak. He blatantly opts out of challenges & shows no urgency or leadership whatsoever. Can’t figure out Gordon’s obvious exclusion either. Should have started today. Having gone 1 down, we played as if we were 3 up! Exasperating!!!
David Hallwood
653 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:07:01
I think most teams would struggle without 4 of their starting 11, we looked disjointed because it's difficult to get any rhythm going without such important players.

Looking forward to after the international break when we might see Holgate, and even Gbamin in with a shout.

But it's obvious JJ Kenny isn't the answer at right back, and siggy had a mare of a 1st half was marginally better in the 2nd and needs to be moved on.It's been a year since Gomes was done by Son and he's not the same player.

Positives, was the GK and not much else, but we've got a good 1st 11, it's just the rest that needs to be cleared out

Andrew Lum
654 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:08:19
Another lethargic performance, no movement, no pace. Delph slows the game down and offers nothing in midfield or left back. He had three opportunities to put the ball in the box and they all couldn’t even get past the defender. Awful.
Paul Tran
655 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:08:27
That showed that without Richarlison and James, we're a dull, functional team waiting for someone to do something. Olsen looked like the calm, boringly efficient keeper we've been looking for. We could talk about a daft penalty and the deflected cross for the second, but we didn't look like ever doing anything. And yet we're still second!
Peter Dodds
656 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:08:48
The last 15 minutes showed we can create a few opportunities if we just have the cojones to have a go. Iwobi did well and slipped in DCL. Bernard got a couple of crosses in. Siggy has a few wayward shots (again).
Eddie Dunn
658 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:09:12
for 3 games on the bounce one of our players has done something stupid and it has cost us. Richarlison/Pickford, the Digne and now Gomes.
A soft pen perhaps but you simply can't go putting your knee through the back of someone leg, in the box.
Dumb and dumber.
The line-up was to keep us in it but it is always a risk. The tinkering was mind-bendingly daft. Gordon sat on the bench as Iwobi and bernard come on, but Siggy allowed to play all game. Taking off the full backs and then Mina gets done on the break.
Ancelotti's fault 100%. This Newcastle team is very ordinary.
Pat Kelly
659 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:10:05
Richie will be off next season. And maybe Digne. DCL likewise. The game is up for this lot.
Bill Gall
660 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:11:07
Tony we will never create anything if the only player you have to replace Richarlison is a young left back, i don't know who Ancelloti was trying to fool but after the first 10 min you could see it was not going to work, and that made any sort of attacking threat down the left useless. If a player is supposed to be your replacement for your first choice left back why was he being used as a winger. Even if you have no faith in Awobi playing a young untried left back as a winger to my mind was inexcusable, and that showed with the slow build up with Delph one of the main culprits. 100% Ancelotti's fault.
Ajay Gopal
661 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:11:40
This performance was as bad as the worst performances from last season. Nkounkou and Kenny did not take their opportunities. Allan, Siggy, Gomes, Delph and Mina slow down the the game to crawling pace. Horrible game to watch, we belong to the league of mid table teams, battling it out with West Ham, Newcastle, Sheffield United, Aston Villa. No way we are as in the same league as Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester, Wolves, Man United. Heck, even Southampton and Leeds are more attacking and fun to watch.

Absolutely no service to DCL, hopefully the addition of Digne and James will add some bite to our play next week. And we badly need Holgate back - Mina is a total disaster. The only positives from this game - Olsen is not bad, and DCL gets back to scoring ways.

The bubble is indeed well and truly burst.

Johan Elmgren
662 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:11:49
My god that was poor... but that one was on Ancelotti. With five, slow ponderous central midfielders in the starting lineup, there could really only be one outcome. And how on earth did the extremely poor Delph stay on for the whole game?? Why isn't he picking Gordon? That's the biggest question of them all... He was the only player available with pace and creativity... Some substandard managing there Carlo...
Alan J Thompson
663 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:11:56
Nobody looked interested until Bernard came on. We can carry on about that penalty but it was pathetic and more a case of the Newcastle player putting himself in danger than any intent on Gomes part. Oh for a winger who can take on the full back and get a cross in and I don't really care who it is until Richarlison is back but we must play a second striker. Pathetic!
Jamie Evans
664 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:12:01
Outplayed by a good side last week, this week Newcastle hardly played well. We just didn’t do enough and only attacked last 10 minutes with any purpose.

Stick to simple formations playing players that suit the position

Kevin Molloy
665 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:12:02
Pat
don't you mean us lot
Jim Bennings
666 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:12:42
It sometimes baffles the mind why we always seem to start so many defensive minded players yet still struggle to keep clean sheets.

I always feel like Everton will never truly progress as a club until it steers away from this morbid fascination of defensive midfielders.

John Hall
667 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:12:42
Mike @ 360

Most of them looked like pub team players today

Geoff Lambert
668 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:12:51
Hold on a minute playing shite we are still second and only 3 points behind the mighty champions elect. We have our best players to come back and push on again.
If you would have told me at the start of the season we would be in this position, like most of you I would have laughed my cock off. Lets see what next week brings us.
Justin Doone
669 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:13:04
Poor line up. Poor game. Poor penalty. Poor subs. General play is too slow and sloppy.

Why take off natural pace and energy of the full backs?
What did he expect Tosun to do? No impact.

Playing a high line without pace in the centre of defence.

We didn't go for Fraser. Pace and energy. We didn't go for King. Pace, energy, attacking threat. Why?

It's been a bad week. Lot's to nick pick at but we need to move on and win our next game. IMO change of players and formation is needed.

Kase Chow
670 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:13:05
Absolutely rubbish

I can take losing I really can. BUT the rubbish performances are unacceptable

Allan and Doucouré have been infected by the Everton curse of no energy, no motivation, no skill and no pressing

That was a shambles very similar to Southampton game

Colin Glassar
671 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:14:21
Total lack of leadership in the team. Everton have been spineless for the last 10 years or so. I know his English is poor but make Allan captain. He's the only one who shows any fight.
Mike Price
672 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:14:58
The RS dark arts working perfectly since the Derby, soft decisions in their favour and everything going against us.
John Williams
673 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:15:09
Well the latest false dawn didn't last long. Absolutely dreadful performance, from both players and manager. Losing badly to Southampton is one thing but being beaten by a very limited Newcastle is something else. Don't know why I'm so disappointed, no point in expecting anything from a midfield of Sigurdsson, Gomes and Delph, then asking Bernard, Iwobi and Tosun to save the game. We are now back where we were last season after the post-lockdown resumption.
Mike Oates
674 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:15:24
Ancelotti once again picks a nonsense team, as last week with Godfrey behind Rodriquez and today 5 midfielders. Go for it, give Gordon a game, he’s the natural Richarlison replacement. The lad must be gutted, Tosun a game after 6 months away !!!!
Vijay Nair
675 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:16:39
Eddie (658) that was no penalty. Look at the replay. It was Wilson who stuck his leg in front of an unsighted Gomes who was just looking to clear the ball.

Even Townsend and Osman in the studio didn't think it was a penalty.

We certainly did not do enough to win this game but we did not deserve to lose either, as Newcastle were just as poor.

Brian Harrison
676 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:17:12
Well the only pluses from that was the impressive debut of Olsen and DCL getting another goal. I know its difficult when you lose probably 4 of our best players, but we have to show more ambition than we did today. I don't think Ancelotti had a lot to choose from in the way of replacements, iwobi and Bernard wouldnt have been on to many fans starting line up, and for some reason Gordon not used again.

I hoped when we signed Doucoure we would see him occupy the same role he did for Watford, breaking from midfield and joining the attack but for some reason Ancelotti is playing him in a much deeper role, which I find strange. I have said in many posts Richarlison is our most important player he gets teams on the back foot, no other member of the squad does this.
This was a poor performance from players and manager alike, we gave a very,very poor Newcastle for to much respect, should have thrown more men into attack from minute 1 than trying to keep things tight and pinch a goal on the break.

With still no Richarlison for the Man Utd game it will need a massive improvement to get anything from that game. Lets face it Southampton and Newcastle are at best mid table outfits, so if both of thses can beat us it doesnt augur well till we get our suspended and injured players back.
I think most of us know we have a decent starting 11but not much else in reserve. Yet another simple ball over the top gets Mina in trouble again we need Godfrey and Holgate back in their either alongside Keane or with each other.

Tony Twist
677 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:17:15
I think Ancelotti has got it wrong the last two matches. Gordon is the replacement for Richarleson, if he is good enough he is old enough, he should be playing. Siggy should be nowhere near the first team, that goes for Iwobi also, what Brands saw in him I do not know. A great opportunity, after the international break, thrown away by poor management.
Stef Busby
678 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:17:48
@Geoff Lambert 668

So was you happy with that performance?

What if we get further injuries / suspensions?

If we were playing shite and winning, no problem. But today and last week!!!!

Michael Stevenson
679 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:18:52
Been supporting Everton for 50 years and I'm just getting so sick of all these false dawns now. When will I ever learn to not get excited everytime we string a couple of results together.

It's worse this year somehow after all the hype we had at the start. It's even more humiliating this time.

And yes, I agree with Pat, Richarlison will likely be packing his bags come May. We can't blame him really.

Mike Powell
680 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:19:36
Just goes to show, we have a good first eleven but nothing after that. We need at least five more players we need two full backs another midfielder a winger and a striker to help DCL
Jamie Crowley
681 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:19:37
A lot of people calling out players.

Does anyone think Delph is abysmal?

He receives the ball and completely destroys any momentum. He holds the ball for an age.

I don’t want him in this team. He can look decent, but looks deceive. he completely destroys any forward movement up the pitch.

A totally and utter liability.

Stef Busby
682 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:22:12
@Jamie Crowley - 681

He's fkin sheeeight. Simple as that.

Tony Hill
683 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:22:12
Ajay @661, yes, we're not as good as those teams. We will finish 10th or thereabouts despite our current position. We will do our usual thing of playing 3 maybe 4 good games and we will then fold again. It's what we do, season after season after season.
Stephen Brown
684 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:23:18
Most frustrating thing is that Newcastle are abysmal!
My 6 year old son said during the game - why don’t we ever pass the ball towards their goal?
Martin Berry
685 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:23:48
Great finish by DCL if only he had more service today from a poor outfield.
Olson deserves a good mention with two excellent saves.
Carlo has some thinking to do.
John Pierce
686 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:25:28
Delph for me took the piss today, he spend the entire first half receiving the ball, doing his little roll his studs on the ball and slowed the tempo to standstill.

The outstanding feature of our early games was movement and first touch play, a rhythmic tempo which pulled teams about.

I ask how many touches did all our players take, 3/4/5 every time adding nothing to our play? Only Calvert-Lewin used his meagre touches well.

How can any coach not adjust from a centre forward having to go against three centre backs? Only late on did the extra forward create gaps because they had an extra man to pick up. Really poor from Carlo.

Daniel A Johnson
687 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:26:03
Players have been given the chance and failed to shine. Newcastle away minus the crowd should be 3 points for us.

Delph, Siggy, Iwobi & Gomes are just not good enough.

Mind you any club would miss the quality of James and Richarlison.

Raymond Fox
688 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:26:17
Unfortunately the game and the result are what I expected.
There are excuses, missing some of our most creative players being the main one.
I thought all the hype up to now in the media was somewhat over the top.

Ah well back to reality.

Jay Tee
689 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:26:25
Ancelotti needs to make them watch the Women's performance over 90 minutes so that they can all see what effort is.
Stephen Brown
690 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:27:41
Daniel
The worrying thing there is that quartet cost over 100 million pound and are in 400k a week. Shocking really
Shane Corcoran
691 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:28:50
Hard to know what Carlo could've done with the players available, but that was tripe.

A wake up to us all that we still have a serious amount of dross on our books.

We need a new sponsorship deal with a cotton wool provider to make sure James doesn't get hurt.

Sigh.

Tony Hill
692 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:28:59
It's not about individuals, it's about the collective mediocrity and fear; it's in our marrow and I don't think it's ever going to change.

What else is there to do? Perhaps an allotment, or collecting old train timetables.

Clive Rogers
693 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:29:27
Shocking performance. No creativity whatsoever. Far too much sideways and backward passing. Kenny turns back every time he faces a defender. Nkounkou is not ready. Allan is OK but nothing special. The rest all average. Olsen looks better than Pickford on that one game.
Brent Stephens
694 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:30:51
We go into a game with a match-day squad including Tosun, Simms, Iwobi, Siggy, Bernard, Mina, JJK, Delph, Nkounkou, Branthwaite, Keane, Gordon.

All due respect to those with potential but how many of that list of 12 would start for a top 6 side?

Graeme Beresford
695 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:31:14
Everyone watch it back. When Bernard’s cross/shot gets tipped over in injury time. Watch DCL be dragged down at the back post. Clear pen, not given. Fall out from VVD continues. ?
Kevin Dyer
696 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:32:02
Massive overreaction on here. We were missing our 3 best players and our lack of depth was exposed. Newcastle sat deep with a back 5 and just looked for balls over the top to fast runners. They were not the better team, at all. The pen was very fortunate for them, Gomes had no clue Wilson was going to throw his leg in the way of his clearance attempt. The second goal was just us getting caught out on the break chasing the game; it happens.

Wilson and Fraser are not the players we should've been after, neither are good enough for top 6. This result doesn't change that.

Our formation/selection was questionable but if we play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 the moaning arses on here would have thrown their toys out of the pram as Iwobi or Barnard (maybe both!) would have played out wide. We controlled the game but as feared lacked creativity and players making runs and our wide threats - JJK and Nkoukou - were easily contained.

I groaned when Iwobi came on but he made a couple of key passes in his time on the pitch, so fair play. Delph was solid, as was Allan. Sigurdsson provided a threat from range and if you think he stunk it up today (as he did last week), you're blinded by bias. I expected more offensively from Dacoure. DCL was starved of service until the last 10m. Olsen had a good debut and looks capable of putting Pickford under threat. Bernard played well when he came on and is clearly a better player in a more central position than on the left.

So yeah 3 points dropped and it is disappointing but not completely unexpected. All our missing players were our wide options, that's a test for any team, especially considering Ancelotti has had just one transfer window and with limited funds. So let's not throw the baby out with the bath water just yet. Digne and (hopefully) James back for Man U then Richy for Fulham.

Brent Stephens
697 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:33:17
Everton women's team now into extra time in the final.
Simon Dalzell
698 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:33:35
no massive over reactions for me Kevin.
Jim Bennings
699 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:34:29
It was good while it lasted to be fair but we knew that seriously we are just not a top 6 team yet, probably we are not even where the likes of Wolves, Leicester or Southampton are and that's the thing that irks most.

One or two injuries and we have seen the end result, squad players coming in that are just nowhere near top half of the table level.

In my opinion we needed back up for DCL and we failed to sign it.
If we'd had Josh King today we probably would have created Newcastle miles more problems, but we didn't, once again we had square pegs in round holes and subs coming on that made no difference whatsoever.

I'm loathe to criticise Carlo but today was on him, he knows his players better than anyone and he should know the likes of Sigurdsson, Gomes and Delph should never be on the pitch together at the same time.

He had the option today to give Gordon the run out (he must be doing something awful in training) but he chose again to try and fit players in that don't work.

Jay Harris
700 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:34:38
The main problem we have is apart from Gordon we don't have any winger capable or willing to take defenders on and beat them.
Michael Connelly
701 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:35:10
Don't know what game you were watching Ciaran (620). Gomes strolls around because he can't run quick enough; offers little on the ball, and then f*cks up and gives away a penalty to concede the first goal because he moves like a snail and Wilson was too sharp for him
Ernie Baywood
702 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:35:31
Jamie, yes Delph is abysmal.

He does nothing. But the amazing thing is how much of the ball he has to do absolutely nothing. He does an amazing amount of nothing and always makes himself available to do nothing.

I don't know why anyone actually passes to him. You know he's going to look very calm, look very assured, and do nothing.

Ralph Basnett
703 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:35:40
Not one team in the premiership has the lack of pace that we have.

Not one pass seems to go forward.

So much basic stuff not getting right.

Tim Gerrard
704 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:36:01
Gomes not suited to the role he is being asked to play on the left hand side of midfield. Spent too much time, particularly in the first half, playing with his back to goal ahead of the ball. If he is going to play, it needs to be in the centre of midfield in a deeper role with players making runs ahead of him. But the system we want to play with everyone available won't allow that. We should give Gordon a run in the side on the left of midfield.
Will Mabon
705 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:36:03
You nailed it, Tony (692). We've said it often enough (and yesterday). There is something deeply wrong right down in the fabric. Periods of good performances and results are the blip, passive mediocrity is the default.

No guts, no leadership, no character - and as said by others (many times) it seems to infect most incoming players. Players generally get worse when they come to Everton, not improve, most performances have the same dour inertia to them.

A serious look is needed at the whole way the team/squad functions.

Lisette Davies
706 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:36:38
Why is it that, whenever we play a mediocre team who are looking for a result, we turn up and make them look like Brazil!!! Can anyone explain that to me because, at the moment, the Toffees are doing my head in and I'm a supporter since 1961.

I'm also a new member on the ToffeeWeb site so Hi to you all. I've followed the site for a number of years and enjoy reading all your comments and thought it was time to add my twopennarth, for what it's worth. I don't always agree with everyone but most of the comments are very informative and I hope you will all enjoy mine. Stay safe, ToffeeWebbers.

Ian Riley
707 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:36:39
Today we were Everton of old and told us the money we have spent on average players. In the real world of business goodison would have been boarded up by now. These players are staying unless we can find another club as desperate as we are.

Oh yes does anyone know if the club are doing a dvd for first 3 months of the season. Let me know, I want a copy. Good while it lasted.

Please keep safe all!

Jamie Crowley
708 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:37:24
Sir John @ 686 -

You nailed it. I ask how many touches did all our players take, 3/4/5 every time adding nothing to our play?

In a nutshell, that's the issue. And Delph is the KING at fucking around and completely destroying positive, forward movement. He's a cancer to our play.

If you're going to fuck around on the ball, please at least do it while driving forward and taking any space offered.

Delph really annoys me. More so than just about any Everton player I can recall.

David Pearl
709 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:37:33
Im surprised playing both Delph and Allan in the same side. Way too defensive and low confidence from players and its hard to work out why. We need the 4 back asap but overloaded in midfield, so hopefully we can swap 2 of them out for 2 pacey forwards in January.
Rob Dolby
710 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:38:25
Not enough shithousery from us.
Soft pen from a dive, not enough of our players throwing themselves to the ground to earn free kicks or time waste. What has the beautiful game become.

No idea what Ancelotti is doing with Dacoure playing like a 2nd right back or Gomes playing like a left winger in diving boots.

The wheels come off without Richarleson.

Justin Doone
711 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:38:27
We set up to be solid but once again our defensive mids were no where to be seen when needed.

The lack of pace, energy, creativity and movement up front is terrible. So our defensive player's try to get forward and create.

We revert to being wide open at the back. We should have pressed or sat deep. We did very little of either and looked confused.

You could see Allan asking the bench whats going on, who plays where. That is evidence of poor preparation for a plan b.

As strange as it was poor. We have thrown away our confidence and momentum. Come on Carlo. If we can't play well at least demand they stay solid and get a clean sheet.

Brent Stephens
712 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:38:36
Jay #700 "The main problem we have is apart from Gordon we don't have any winger capable or willing to take defenders on and beat them."

I'm desperate to see him reproduce what he's done in the U23s but only rare glimpses so far for the first team.

Anthony Murphy
713 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:39:27
Hard to take that defeat given the quality of the opposition, but regardless of other criteria, our stand in players just simply aren’t good enough at football. No point in spending too much time analysing this performance - the players brought in to replace first 11 choices simply don’t have enough to compete at this level. I’ll excuse Olsen and Nkoukou, but none of the others have what it takes - shocking given the money spent really.
Barry Rathbone
714 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:39:38
Thing is Digne, Richarlison and James are the only players above mid-table standard at the club and you can't do anything based on 3 players.

I said pre-season the hope was Carlo understood the urgency of the situation, that he had one chance to produce a genuine rebuild in the window and produce a courageous, aggressive high tempo team the club has needed for decades. He hasn't done it.

The delusional bollocks that "we have a top first 11" as though the same 11 appear week in week out at other clubs could become his epitaph if this shit continues.

Steve Ferns
715 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:39:38
There’s no overreaction. We are now just one point better off than last season on the same games. We’ve got some tough games coming up and we will see if we really have improved or we carry on being slightly better than last season, ie a team good enough for 8th to 12th.
Pat Kelly
716 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:40:26
Any negativity is not overreaction. It's acknowledging that the squad is threadbare. Once exposed it's back to last season. And it takes very little to get to bedrock. Six games in and the wheels came off. It was a good patch up window. But that's all it was. A lot more windows and money required.
Ciarán McGlone
717 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:40:45
"Don't know what game you were watching Ciaran "

The Everton game, Michael.

To suggest that Gomes (who had a crap game along with every other midfielder) was responsible for that shambles.. is... er... bollocks.

Jamie Crowley
718 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:41:10
Ernie @ 702 -

Yes. Exactly friend. I couldn't agree more.

And I can't emphasize how much it gets under my skin.

Iwobe, to be fair, drove forward multiple times and is responsible for the DCL goal with a beautiful pass. He has a TON of faults, but he will push forward, take space, and rarely fucks around on the ball.

The much maligned Tom Davies will concede possession, but isn't afraid to play a ball forward.

Give me both of those players, warts and all, before Delph every single time.

Will Mabon
719 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:43:12
Kevin, 696;

I don't think it is an overreaction. When most teams are missing a player(s), they look like the same team, slightly compromised in the position(s) of those missing players.

We return to this slow motion, low energy dirge performance, that is neither offensive or defensive - and it has looked basically identical under a handful of different managers. There is no underlying chassis to the team.

Someone said it earlier - it looked like we were playing a final group game in a competition in which we were already out.

Something long term is seriously amiss here.

Ralph Basnett
720 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:43:12
Isco no long interested in joining his mate James at Everton, obviously watched our last three games.
Tony Twist
721 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:43:41
The squad is good enough to manage if the right decisions are made. You have to have the right balance of attacking and defensive players, if you go overly defensive you need players who can provide drive, can provide pace, can provide chances, can cross the ball, things won't change until Ancelotti wakes up and stops playing it safe. You don't have to have won every cup or championships to know Siggy is not a captain or to know that Siggy thinks he's had a great game if he has a worldy shot on target, plain and simple he shouldn't be picked. Ancelotti is mainly to blame for the turnaround in form not injuries or suspensions it is him trying to play it safe. Wrong choices by someone who should know better.
Soren Moyer
722 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:45:14
Add Kenny to the growing list of deadwood! How didn't we sign a right back in the summer window is beyond me!! JJK not good enough. Colman is aging!
Barry Jones
723 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:47:19
Jamie #708. Totally agree with your assessment of Delph. He totally kills the game with his ponderous approach. As you said, many times in possession he had the time and space to drive on, but he chose to wait 10 seconds, spin around and pass back. Dreadful!!!!
Robert Tressell
725 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:48:20
Without Holgate, Digne, Coleman, Richarlison and Rodriguez - we are a poor side. Not sure why Gordon isn't getting a chance. Last year's dreary bunch of Sigurdsson, Delph, Gomes, Bernard and Iwobi are not exactly shooting the lights out.
Brent Stephens
726 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:48:42
Everton women's keeper having a stormer. End of first half of extra time.
Drew O’Neall
728 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:49:40
Anthony 515

Do you even remember your argument keyboard hardman?

He’s changed the formation and the personnel since my comment and my point was that was the wrong thing to do.

We conceded domination of possession, had more shots to defend and generally looked worse.. you’re making my argument for me you cretin.

Jamie Crowley
729 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:51:08
Tony @ 721-

We need to offload Delph, Siggy, and Cenk (never mind Bolasie and Mo) ASAP.

What in the hell is a manager to do with midfielders who think looking this way, switching feet, looking that way, two taps, and 6 full seconds later they get rid of the ball is a good way to play footy?

What I will say is if you put a single player from my list above into the team, we're fine.

When you have Digne, Rich, and James all out at once, you have to play a more aggressive midfield. Delph and Allan should never be allowed in the same line up. Carlo can take some heat for that, and hopefully he understands you can't fill midfield with ponderous players who kill they game simply through their "style" of play. Touch touch, look look, touch touch, look look, pass.

Bernard should have started. Delph should have been on the bench if Allan was in the game. And i'd have played Gordon.

Carlo got some stuff wrong, but it's really the players who should get the criticism in my opinion.

James Stewart
730 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:51:50
Idiotic starting Xl and bizarre subs. A bit worrying that Carlo was tactically outfoxed by Steve Bruce, albeit aided by the hopeless Gomes and Mina.
How many goals have those two clowns cost us now!
Gerard Pauls
731 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:51:57
Are So called Everton players allowed to saunter around at home by their better halves...no I don't think so in the main. So why are they allowed to play at Newcastle today as if it was a chore to turn out for the shirt. Too many players on easy Street not giving a toss as long as the money keeps pouring into their greedy coffers. No fear of a bollocking from the manager..maybe a raised eyebrow at most. Ferguson sitting on the naughty step arms and legs folded in frustration... obviously told not to undermine the manger by trying to motivate the dross on the park. Just listened to one of the phone ins on the radio with Ancelloti being treated with reverence and kid gloves...is it built into their contracts that they can't ask relevent and awkward questions of the manager? They represent the supporters and should ask the hard questions and put both manager and players on the spot otherwise what's the point of the interview in the first place. All we get is yes please, thank you kind sir, doff me cap and walk backwards so not to offend... pathetic..for once can't we let genuine evertonians ask these millionaires the straight questions and see the buggers sweat and wriggle?
Jonny Flynn
732 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:52:50
Surely Carlo has seen enough of these fringe players to even consider giving Bolaise a run out. At least he's direct and, God forbid, might run in the direction of the opposition goal.
Dave Evans
734 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:55:58
Where has the forward thinking gone?
Where is the risk taking?
Where is the freedom?
Where are the forward passes and movement?

All sacrificed on the elusive desire for control. A control that stifles. A control that we don't have the players to deliver.
Don't be a mug like your predecessors Carlo. Give us what we want:- forward thinking, high energy, risk averse football.

Bill Gall
736 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:57:09
Well it was a poor performance / but thinking back how would the R/S have made out with both of their full backs plus Mane and Salah missing., puts it more into the problem of what what we were missing. I definitely would have preferred Nkounkouu stayed at Left back instead of being used more as a winger.
You cant avoid injuries and suspensions but the for players we are missing, it will cost a lot of money in the transfer window to provide reliable replacement for them when they are injured or suspended. Lots of players are irreplaceable and unfortunately we have four but it is still inexcusable for players who are given the chance not take the opportunity to impress. Arsenal look a better team than UTD..
Jerome Shields
737 Posted 01/11/2020 at 16:57:48
Christy#664

I Agree.

Sigurdsson on because he was the only dead ball specialist available. None of his dead ball play round a Everton player.

This season has now turned into a transition season, since it obvious that some players are not up to the job. Same old story.

Sigurdsson didn't play one through pass in the final third all game. Did not make one run into the penalty area of have one shot on target.

Kenny did not play one successful cross all game to a attacker. I

Nkounkou had to double back when he played with no runners attacking the near post all game.

Gomes did attempt to play forward passes in the final third, but was easily cut off.

Allan and Docoure' where faced with no players available for a pass except the wings.

Gomes made his usual ill timed tackle in a dangerous area.

Mina got caught on the turn as per usual.

Iowbi was slightly more effective than Bernard.

Tosun was on a mission to nothing, with no final third forward passes.

Need new players introduced who can play a through pass in the final third. Tosun, Simms and Gordon would benefit. I don't know about that a great difference with such a blunt supply. I don't know about the introduction of the latter players in the present regime. .

My immediate advice would be to get in Iseo and get rid of Sigurdsson, the main architect of Silva system as soon as possible.

Every the Commentators side kick was onto the non productive Sigurdsson in the first half.

Newcastle where not that good.

Trevor Peers
738 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:01:20
We're a poor side without Richarlison and a fit James. Not much to go on, but better than last season I suppose.

Carlo doesn't help himself playing so negatively, that was unforgivable against a team as poor as Newcastle. We started the game with 1 striker enough said. Zero for entertainment.

Barry Jones
739 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:01:39
We spent 90%of the game passing it around the back four and holding mids and that was the extent of our ambition and creativity. I would rather have big Dunc's approach of push everyone up, knock it long and fight like crazy to win the second ball.
Kevin Dyer
740 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:02:06
#719 Will, some of the reactions are overblown and - to put it mildly - childish. I see the same lazy remarks that have accompanied every subpar performance for the past several years.

Newcastle played a low block with 5 defenders. Even City can sometimes struggle to play through that and we are not them, even when full strength. It's much easier to stop a team playing than to play yourself; Sam, Pulis etc have made careers realising this basic tenet. People seem to want us to zip the ball around, fire forward passes and take men on facing that defensive setup and that's exactly what Bruce wanted because we're not actually good enough to do that and would have been exposed on the break.

Consider this: remove Mane, Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson from Liverpool's lineup, they'd look a lot less effective. OK they could replace Mane with Jota, but he cost £40m - more than our net spend this season (assuming James cost zero). If Carlo had another £40m to spend last summer pretty sure he would have but you can't rebuild a team in one window on a budget.

Jamie Crowley
741 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:02:15
Dave Evans @ 734 -

Excellent rhetorical questions.

Today was like the dark days of Roberto - possession for possession's sake.
No intent to drive forward.

That type of football is dreadful.

To use a word from last week that, for me, perfectly sums up and describes this week and last: flaccid.

It has to stop. Three weeks in a row of that and I'll be livid. Carlo better get to work this week.

John Pierce
742 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:02:46
I might posit that we all know who we were missing. In most worlds that’s a chance for players to step up. So yeah we were short but you cannot defend the lack of energy, effort and utter sloppiness for those picked.
Kevin Dyer
743 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:04:51
#721 Tony - ridiculous. So Ancelotti doesn't know how to manage his team resources now? Just read what you've typed before hitting the fucking Submit button ffs
Phil Wood
744 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:05:58
Watching Everton Ladies under the cosh but leaving everything out on the pitch in the Cup Final.
Well played girls. I wish some of the men's Team could follow your example.
Credit to the Club Ladies.
David Connor
745 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:06:58
The last two games proves what we all know – that squad is absolute dogshit. Far too slow for the Premier League. If we don't get rid of Gomes, Sigurdsson, Iwobi and Delph, we will always struggle.

We need more speed in the midfield and another striker. Until we get them in and offload the dross we have its more of the same. Preferably at least one midfielder who chips in with a few goals as well.

But getting rid of these useless bastards isn't going to be easy. They are very comfortable picking up their massive wages whilst producing zero productivity. Criminal!!!

Kevin Dyer
746 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:07:51
#722 Soren, JJK coming back from injury, doubled up on and blocked off all night. Deadwood after one EPL game? Baffling.
Jack Ledwidge
747 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:08:05
Clueless ponderous and pedestrian. Delph reminds me of the Sunday league player who’s played higher stuff but he’s doing you a favour turning out and we all should be grateful.
Brent Stephens
748 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:08:12
Sadly the women have lost.
Anthony A Hughes
749 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:08:59
Drew, I'm not a key board hard man mate. I spent 25 years of Karate training and represented our wonderful city in National Competitions. I don't need to hide behind a keyboard mate. Back to the footy we were shite today but you described the the performance as excellent. That is what I picked you up on before you told me to fuck off
Paul Tran
750 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:10:45
Where's the risk-taking? On the treatment table/suspended. The likes of Gomes Bernard, Iwobi and Siggy are only near good enough when there is genuine pace and creativity around them. And that pace and creativity is on the treatment table/suspended.

That was a very ordinary team that beat us today. Even the team that was picked should have been good enough to win. That defeat is down to Carlo and the 'solid' players.

Hope to see James & Olsen in next week's team.

Stephen Vincent
751 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:11:53
More fight and passion in extra time from the women than I've seen from their overpaid, dull male counterparts.
David Pearl
752 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:13:41
I'm xena, princess warrior and l say we were shite for second game in a row, and our manager was no better.
Sam Hoare
753 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:14:43
I’d say we currently have two top class players on our books. Richarlison and Rodriguez. Without those two we are really quite ordinary I’m afraid despite the fortunes we’ve spent.

Carlo played the attritional game today and lost. A good portion of blame lies at his feet I think, despite the missing players.

Are people finally realising that Gomes does not belong on a pedestal? Decent touch and fantastic hair have elevated him above his actual talent level.

It all feels horribly familiar and with Richarlison still out next week I’d be surprised if we manage to turn over Man United. Mid-table beckons once more.

Jay Wood
[BRZ]

754 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:14:47
Well, I enjoyed that!

Goalkeeper outstanding.

Fought like tigers all over the pitch.

Never gave up even when trailing.

Lady Luck just not smiling on them.

Pity Man City added a third at the death to give them a flattering scoreline.

Or am I on the wrong thread..?

Anthony A Hughes
755 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:15:35
Anyway Drew.,,this cretin is off for a nice bottle of Shiraz to put this shite result behind us. Enjoy your evening.
George Cumiskey
756 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:16:40
Siggy captain that sums up were we are !
Geoff Williams
757 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:16:59
I simply don't understand the manager's thinking when it comes to his use of substitutes. Tosun hasn't played a game of football for months, why him over Gordon or Simms who scores goals for fun. Why Iwobi over anyone.
Anthony A Hughes
758 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:17:11
Xena, princess warrior...now your talking😍
Bobby Mallon
759 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:17:39
Kevin dyer well said. Some on here think we are the finished article well we are not. We have had a great start but that’s it. We are a top 6 to 8 team with our full side fit. This is going to be a tough season
George Cumiskey
760 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:19:34
Jay Wood brilliant, spot on I watched the end of the cup final
Graham Hammond
761 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:19:43
Disappointed with the penalty decision that handed the win to Newcastle today, disappointed with the penalty decision that handed the RS their win yesterday. Predictable but very disappointing. Carlo got it wrong picking Sigurdsson last week against Southampton. He got it wrong again today. Both Sigurdsson and Gomes as the two (devoid of pace) attacking midfielders???? DCL rarely creates anything himself, he can run but rarely opens up and runs at defenders so Gordon was needed today. Why no Godfrey either? Gordon and Godfrey are our future, if we do not play them then another club will take them and will. I would have preferred Vlasic and Lookman today instead of Sigurdsson and Gomes but too often those two were also on the bench watching shite Everton football unable to get a start, just like Gordon today and last week.
Will Mabon
762 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:21:05
Kevin,

I agree with you re. the blocking structure. It's a fact this has become more a part of football too, even by more attacking teams when on the back foot, causing even offensively-capable teams some work.

My point with Everton however - we didn't even look like a team at least fighting to break, disturb or overcome that set up. We were totally slow, flat, over careful, unimaginative. There's no switching in play, no change of pace, no real running (on or off the ball).

Any slick combinations of a few games back - gone. Nothing tried. There looks to be a complete lack of drive, enthusiasm that goes beyond the actual players involved.

We really shouldn't be so deeply affected by missing personnel.

Kevin Dyer
763 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:21:07
#757 Geoff, I think Gordon's been unlucky not to feature. I can only assume Ancelotti is not seeing what he wants in training? I never wanted to sign Tosun for reasons I outlined back then: too old for a player who's never played in a strong league and who took a while to get going for Besiktas actually. Saying that, Simms has zero top-flight experience.
Conor McCourt
764 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:24:07
He put 5 midfielders on that pitch and arguably not one was played in a position to bring out their strengths.

Delph may not be a holding midfielder but when he has played there we have been at our strongest defensively. He should have been the sole pivot.

Allan played some lovely little balls forward on occasions but he is playing way too deep to have an effect and is poor at protecting the defence.

Gomes likewise is a creative force from deep with his intelligent passing but Carlo fancies him as the next Richarlison, bizarre.

Doucoure is the only midfielder to have the legs to get beyond the frontman and is essentially box to box but Carlo plays him as a sitter as well despite another whose weakness is defending.

Today we had no goal threat or striking options so Siggy should have been the one moved forward alongside Dominic to get him closer to the goal if Carlo really doesn't rate Gordon.

Bizarre set up equals poor result


George Cumiskey
765 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:24:12
I'll never understand that penalty decision so you go to kick the ball and someone jumps in front of you and they get the free kick ? Mind boggling
Mike Price
766 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:25:39
We don’t need Isco, we need PACE!
Kevin Dyer
767 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:30:05
#759 Bobby yeah I admit it was exciting seeing us top after 4 games but realistically we knew we were paper thin and very reliant on several first-team players. We have the core of a top 4 team - Keane, Digne, Allan, James, Richy and DCL. Possibly Dacoure. Hopefully Holgate or Godfrey can claim the other CB spot. Right back we're making do with Seamus this season, expect a new player next summer. Can Gbamin stake a claim? Jury out on whether he can come back, but Gomes is not a top 4 midfielder. Obviously Pickford probably needs replacing. This will all cost money though.
Anthony A Hughes
768 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:30:49
Pace is required but we need players who can just actually run.
Shane Corcoran
769 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:31:13
George, you forgot the bit where Gomes kicked Wilson after he jumped in front of him. The onus is on the defender to not kick the opposing player regardless of how recently he appeared in front of him.

Remember Nani's red card in the CL for United a few years back. Awareness needed. Especially in your own area.

Sam Hoare
770 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:31:19
If you’re going to be compact and hard to break down you need a counter attacking threat. We had Gomes and Gylfi! Two of the slowest midfielders I’ve ever witnessed. Bizarre from Carlo today I’m afraid.
Tony Twist
772 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:32:38
Kevin Dyer #743, really, two losses on the run, you can't get simpler than that. Two clueless performances with the manager and players embarrassed by the opposition.
Anthony A Hughes
773 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:33:23
George #765. Footballs gone mad but the whole world a fucked up place right now
Si Cooper
774 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:33:58
Barry (723), some of us sussed Delph long ago, even when others were seeing solid performances. His game used to be based on mobility and energy; he lost those things before he came to us and he’s no Gareth Barry.
Bit surprised Allan is getting some proper stick. I thought he tried to get things going through the middle but too many times found it coming back to him for no good reason at all. One thing he got wrong, like others did today, was trying to nick balls from the wrong side rather than electing to take up a good defensive position on the goalside and simply force Newcastle to retreat.
Kevin Dyer, JJK has performed like that every game he’s had since he came back. He seems to have lost a yard of pace which really doesn’t help when he’s needed to get beyond his oppo to deliver the crosses he is capable of.
Talk of lack of strength in depth or Newcastle parking the bus are missing the point. We were flat, ponderous and far too conservative in our play against a poor side. Southampton are miles better than Newcastle (and us as well going on the last 2 performances).
Penalty was a bit soft but if you allow someone on the blindside to get a leg in front and then kick it then you will get penalised. Gomes is still failing to grasp the lack of time he will be given in this league. You can’t afford to wait for the ball to arrive, you have to be on your toes and moving to meet the ball as soon as possible.
John Raftery
775 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:36:00
This was a nothing game, the outcome of which was largely determined by one moment of clumsiness, inadvertent though it was.

We have yet to win a match without Richarlison since his arrival in 2018. For those yet to be convinced, that statistic serves to emphasise his importance to our team. It was a frustrating afternoon.

With Manchester United our next opponents the challenge for Carlo is to find a way of stopping the rot. As others have said we need pace in the team. The only option we have in that regard for next weekend is Gordon.

Julian Exshaw
777 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:40:31
Where do they make attacking left-footed wingers these days? This team is crying out for one. I haven't a clue about tactics in football but even I was surprised to see so many CMs in our line-up. In the second half Carlo then took Nkounkou off which reduced our width even more.
Injuries aside, this was bad. There wasn't a spark of creativity, pace or most worryingly fight, well until injury time. The initial excitement rendered by our early start is rapidly turning into a dread of performances past.
There is a lot of justifiable criticism of Gomes but where is he supposed to be playing? What is he? Is he a Ronaldo or a Peter Reid?
It's a big game next week, a game we must win to get 'back in the groove' as it were. Richarlison and Coleman can't come back quick enough. Oh please Everton, don't let us down again!!
Kevin Dyer
778 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:40:45
#762 Will I agree, we lacked guile but not sure what options Carlo truly had. We lost the midfield battle last week, he wanted to win it today and we did. We had control but lacked the guile and flair to open them up. On balance Bernard playing instead of Gomes may have worked, though I'm certain a lot of people would have shot that idea down before a ball had been kicked.
Dave Abrahams
779 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:42:09
I haven’t read most of the posts so it might have been already said but, I’m no fan of Iwobi, today either by accident or design he did more than most when he came on, that tells me how very poor we were, very poor doesn’t describe how bad we were, Olsen the goalkeeper looked okay. Everton would give an aspro an headache.
George Cumiskey
780 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:42:31
Shane if you've swung your leg how can you stop the momentum when someone jumps in front of you ? It's impossible
Colin Glassar
781 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:43:18
I have no doubt whatsoever that we will improve once the likes of Seamus, Digne, James, Holgate and Richarlison return. My concern is for the players who replace them.

Gomes, Kenny, Sigurdsson and Iwobi just aren’t up to scratch. Replace these 4 with decent, hardworking players and we still might have a chance of doing something this season.

Kevin Dyer
782 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:44:49
#770 Sam, how do you set up to play counter attack against a team sat back deep in their own half?
Darren Hind
783 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:45:38
Do they get double bubble for working on Sunday at the excuse factory ?

We can dress this up whichever way we want, but for the second week running we have been comfortably been seen off by an inferior group of players.

Unfortunately Carlo has not been fantastico for years, but I never thought I'd see the day when Cushion Face would do him with a string of journeymen.

Why are our fans always so quick to hand out the accolades and bouquets before we do anything of note ? It always comes back to bite us on the arse

Sad day. Not because we lost, but because once again we have lost in an inexcusable manner.

Benn Chambers
784 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:46:30
I’m afraid that one lands solely at Carlo’s door. The team selection to start with was fucking awful. 5 centre mids ???? You can not force square pegs in to round holes. Last season proved that. You have Gordon and Bolasie who are out and out touch line hugging wingers with pure pace and neither can get anywhere near the squad or pitch yet Iwobi and Bernard can ??? It baffles me. He then brings on Bernard and Iwobi and goes 433 and had DCL running channels? He’s turned him into a poacher and then sends him wide in a 3?

Andre Gomes is finished. He’s a disgrace. I’m bored of watching that lazy bastard swing lazy legs out costing us foul after four after foul. It’s not on. Post injury he’s not the same player. Fuck him off. Mina can take to the bench now Holgate is back too, no excuse to constantly drift so high when you know you have no pace to get back. Stick to your strengths and defence the box. Holgate’s pace is a huge help at the back.

Richarlison has a lot to answer for as well the petulant little fucker. He needs to grow up because he’s as much at fault for the last 2 defeats as anyone, for not being available when fit. Without him we are toothless. Its painfully obvious that our first 11 with Coleman, Digne, James and Richarlison is a match for anyone and we’d maul Southampton and Newcastle with them but our options are horrific. The squad depth is shite and no where near top 6 let alone 4.

Kenny is dreadful, slow and clumsy and he couldn’t cross the road let along a ball, he needs to go back to Shalke ASAP it’s his level. Iwobi is as bad as it gets, Bernard is a hobbit and offers nowt, Gomes is finished slow and lazy. We need to beef the squad up in January and players like Isco would be a start but we need pace through the middle and out wide. Speed kills and we must be one of the slowest teams in the league. Only DCL and Richarlison have genuine pace. It’s just not enough. Bizarre decision to not replace Kean as well. Very very poor decision and we’re paying the price now. We could be 3 defeats on the bounce by the time Richarlison is back and 3 games that were very very winnable.

Lastly, I’ve read Carlo has already said Pickford is started v Utd which is mind blowing considering the performance Olson just put in. Solid, big and commanding. He was superb and Pickford is as out of form as a keeper can get.

That defeat was carlo’s fault for the shite selection, piss poor formation and the even worse subs. Granted it’s not like him and his best players are out but I can’t help but think that Gordon starting in place of Gomes and DCL with support in a 442 and we’d have beat Newcastle even with a depleted team.

Let’s hope he learns from it and keeps Pickford on the bench as we welcome back Coleman, digne and Hamez before Richarlison.

Jay Wood
[BRZ]

785 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:47:58
As for the men, Carlo's starting XI did what many asked for ahead of KO, to make the side more compact and less open.

Due to injury and suspension he had to go with his two underplayed second string full-backs. Having decided on 'resting' Pickford for Olsen, he wasn't going to shake up the centre back pairing as well.

Picking Delph alongside Doucoure and Allan stiffened the midfield with the obvious tactic of Delph and Doucoure covering for JJK and Nkoukou as they attempted to be involved further forward with Allan playing a more advanced transitional role.

Unfortunately, the home side out of possession were happy to surrender territory and just choke the space in their defensive half. A horrible watch.

Without the inventive guile of James or the pace and aggressiveness of Richarlison there was no-one in Blue to carry the game to the Barcodes, run at them or open them up to break their rigid lines.

It strikes me that many in this thread have assessed the likes of Siggy and Gomes on their preconceived notions of them - good and bad - rather than how they acutally played today.

For me, Gomes was poor in an admittedly unfamiliar position, a kind of further forward wide left midfielder. Siggy was considerably better than a few call it. To suggest that the Iceman is incapable of seeing or playing the kind of incisive, insightful passes that Gomes has in his locker as suggested by some is to seriously misread the capacities of both players.

The most consistently inventive player in Blue today was Allan. Whether Carlo was bold or wreckless in his substitutions is open to question. All 3 were forward thinking, sacrificing both starting full-backs and the most ineffective midfielder (who had given up what appeared a really soft penalty).

Mina's poor alertness - stopping to challenge Fraser rather than keeping goalside of him to prevent him having a free run on goal - put paid to any comeback hopes, although DCL's goal from Iwobi's pass gave us fleeting hope. And even their 2nd goal was laced with luck how it looped up from the lunging Mina to give Wilson a tap in beyond Olsen and Keane.

Of the subs, did Tosun even touch the ball? Bernard continues to offer very little when he enters the fray. Iwobi actually had a couple of very incisive plays which again, based on preconceived notions of the players, many have seemingly ignored.

Could the pace of Anthony Gordon have been a better option than Gomes? The high-energy, quick transition and forward passing of Tom Davies a better option than Delph? The first alternative didn't get the nod from the bench. The second didn't even make the bench so we'll never know.

Hopefully Digne and James can return next week. But our understudies are not making a case for themselves to claim a starting berth based on the last two games.

Ajay Gopal
786 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:51:09
The Digne - Bernard combination worked well during the good periods of Silva’s reign. Ancelotti should consider it next week. Will Holgate be fit for next week? Then I would play him there instead of Kenny. And definitely drop Mina for either Branthwaite or Godfrey.

Pickford
Holgate Keane Branthwaite Digne
Gordon Doucoure Allan Bernard
James DCL

Annika Herbert
787 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:52:04
Agree with the Gomes comment, totally disagree that Sigurdsson was considerably better. They were both abysmal in my opinion
John Pierce
788 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:52:35
All we ever had was the illusion of control. Newcastle didn’t ever bother to press until we got into their half. They allowed our poorest players to have the ball at the back and midfield just hid between the barcodes.

How many players first touch took them forward? How many played at near walking pace? It was about courage, and those charged with advancing the ball, they had none.

Sigurdsson frequently had Kenny outside him, his passes were lazy, often poorly weighted and forced the full back to check back or readjust.

To sum his lack of bravery up. Last minute, one last corner to salvage an unexpected point and he floats the corner in, famed for his set piece prowess and he hangs it up.

Bill Gienapp
789 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:53:46
Just reinforces what we already knew - at full strength, we're a side to be reckoned with, but start removing pieces and it all falls apart very quickly. No James and no Richarlison might as well be a death knell.

Kenny really is neither here nor there as a player - an okay backup, nothing more. And while Nkounkou is a bright and exciting prospect, those writing Digne's obituary this week were a tad premature, I think.

Delph is a tidy player, but offers no creativity. Gomes was lackluster again. I'm not sure why more of the attack wasn't going through Doucoure. Sigurdsson looked semi-lively around the box, but offered no meaningful link-up between the midfield and Calvert-Lewin. Olsen looked the part - a couple good saves and offered that stoic, calming presence people have been craving. But two goals conceded in five of seven league matches this season? No way is that good enough.

Gary Willock
790 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:53:47
A little perspective is needed here folks, being without Richarlison and James is like the shite being without Mane and Salah, Spurs being without Son and Kane, City without Jesus and Aguero, etc, etc.

However, we feel the loss of Richie most of all because (outside of DCL) he is our main goal threat. Lose either of those two and we’re half the team. We lack teeth completely. Letting Kean go with no replacement was a very poor decision.

We need to find more goals from around the team. Sigurdsson isn’t prolific (one decent season), Gomes/Iwobi/Bernard don’t offer any real threat. Doucoure is needed in the engine room.

Maybe Tosun can help, maybe Simms can come through this year, maybe Gordon is just a spring being loaded by Carlo but they are very BIG maybes. We MUST find ‘goals’ in January - ideally from the right hand side in order to allow James to go into a 10 where he’ll hopefully add even more threat.

Outside of that, I think the other big problem is unfortunately Big Yerry. He should be battling Keane for the ‘strong in the air’ slot, not playing next to him. The team needs more pace there, so either Holgate or Godfrey need to come in and get a run.

Hopefully just one more game without Richie. fingers crossed!

Ken Kneale
791 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:55:03
A very poor team led by a very poor captain. This club deserves a high tempo team playing with a swagger - for decades now we have only had football with a stagger. How on earth Sigurgsson gets a game is beyond me - how he is captaincy material is mystifying - he cannot motivate himself let alone the other players. Everton Football Club prove the old adage that if you keep doing the same things, do not be surprised if you get the same results. Carlo and Brands missed a trick in not supplementing the froward line in the window and are now paing the price - I hoe Brands earns his considerable wages at the next window with some quality arrivals and the exit of some of those playing today
Dave Williams
792 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:57:15
You cannot play Delph, Gomes and Siggy together in the same team. Silva kept doing it albeit with Schneiderlin instead of the injured Delph but they make the team play way too slow and therefore easy to play against.
Tom should have played as should Gordon to inject some youthful energy into the team. Why not give Simms a go from the bench rather than Tosun? Why mess up the team by removing the full backs?
Some strange decisions by Carlo today which took me back to post lockdown games last season.
Billy Dawber
793 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:58:26
Like I said last week, mid table mediocrity coming up. Rubbish.
Billy Dawber
794 Posted 01/11/2020 at 17:58:54
Like I said last week, mid table mediocrity coming up. Rubbish.
George Cumiskey
796 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:02:22
Spot on Annika
Ciarán McGlone
797 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:07:08
Newcastle didnt park the bus.. we parked it for them.

The inexcusable being justified on here.

David Hallwood
798 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:07:10
If you think we've got problems watching Man u v Arsenal and they're both at full strength
Steve Carse
799 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:08:35
Some poster earlier said "you simply can't go putting your knee through the back of someone leg, in the box". That's a poor description of what happened today. Gomes was essentially in possession and the Newcastle forward nowhere near getting the ball. He was also attempting a (illegal) tackle from the back. What would anyone have expected Gomes to do at that point? Stand still and check over his shoulder that no yardog of a forward was preparing to smack into him?
The decision should have been a free kick to Everton. If you're going to win a penalty for this sort of thing then why bother trying to block the ball, just dangle your leg between ball and opposition player.
A much more obvious penalty was the foul on DCL late in the game when he was dragged to the floor to be prevented from getting involved in a cross into the 6 yard box. But no, VAR was obviously switched off at that point. And of course, in our true tradition of playing to the Corinthian spirit of the game, we didn't bother clamouring for the VAR official to turn his screen back on and take a look.
When we were winning things in the 80s, we were doing so not just because we had very good players, a great system of playing, a tactically astute manager and a great team spirit -- it was also because we were a narky shower of bastards who kept on at the ref even when he was favouring us. Nice, gentlemanly teams never win a thing.
Will Mabon
800 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:08:44
Kevin, we did for the most part have the middle of the field closed to them. Thing is, although Allan tried a few through passes, no-one ran forwards with the ball. No-one. How many times have we seen Doucouré burst at the defence while at Watford? Today, not once.

It seemed like a whole safety first, wait for a gap to appear affair - not likely the way Newcastle sat. If there's nothing happening out wide, then someone has to change pace, move forwards, pass players, change the shape. No risk, no reward.

Not like it wasn't possible - the latter part of the game finally showed that, and DCL scored.

No drive, no spirit, no belief - a lacklustre mentality, for me.

Dave Abrahams
801 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:10:05
What did we do to deserve that load of nonsense, I’m not a fan of Iwobi, but when he came on either by accident or design he did better than most, that tells me how lifeless and pathetic we were, Olsen seemed okay, it’s going to be a long few weeks until January and that’s saying something in these very miserable times.
George Cumiskey
802 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:10:35
The United v Arsenal game might be a bit boring but our match makes it look like the 1970 world cup final !
Michael Lynch
803 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:12:48
Disappointed Nkounkou didn't get to stretch his legs more, but that was mostly due to the Barcodes playing a low block, and Delph etc being incredibly slow to get the ball forward. Plus a lot of our forward balls were behind or straight at our full backs, slowing down the moves.

Without Coleman, Digne, James, Holgate & Richarlison we're ordinary. But most teams in the Premier League would struggle without five of their first choice players. Only Citteh and possibly the Shite have the kind of strength in depth in their squad to overcome injuries and suspensions like ours.

Anthony A Hughes
804 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:15:52
You're last sentence resonates Will. We had the the chance to go back to the top of the league but the lack of desire was disgusting. They should have been balls out fighting with passion to reclaim top spot, regardless of the personnel
Joe McMahon
805 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:23:03
Anthony @804, the lack of desire and passion probably explains why as a club Everton don't achieve anymore. A one off in 1995 as we know was a long time ago. The kopites match going and never been just love little traditional Everton.
John Kavanagh
806 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:27:21
This match was lost as soon as that team was selected. You cannot hope to win an EPL game with such a slothful set up. Even Fulham or West Brom would have taken that outfit to the cleaners. I tried turning my telly upside down to create the illusion of us moving the ball forward into their half. Instead, I settled for putting my boot through it, which is more than our toothless midfield achieved.

Credit to DCL though for an excellent instinctive finish. Carlo could have had Gordon and Nkounkou linking on the left to provide a genuine threat and goalscoring opportunities for DCL, so I'm afraid this fiasco is down to him.

I thought he would have learned from the Southampton mistakes instead of doubling up on them with Gomes, Sigurdsson and Delph starting. To give Sigurdsson the captaincy is an absolute insult.

Old Everton selection = old Everton results. Three on the bounce next week and back to our old familiar position for Christmas.

PS Great anticipation by the mods suspending the Live Forum in anticipation of the result, thereby avoiding placing the NHS under huge additional strain from coronary and stroke call-outs.

Fran Mitchell
807 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:27:26
Why isn't Gordon being played?

But the fact is, Liverpool bring on Jota, Everton bring on Bernard.

Our first 11 can compete with anyone, our second 12-18 are relegation fodder.

There in lies the problem

Christy Ring
808 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:27:31
Bruce even admitted it was a soft penalty. I still can't understand, Iwobi and Siggy were our worst two performer's last week, and Siggy not only starting again, but still Captain, and Iwobi coming off the bench. I always thought, the Captain was a leader, with drive and heart, I must be mixing it up? Was Davies injured, because he has pace, and drives forward, not backwards, like Delph. I'm also mystified, that Tosun got a run, good to see him back, but no football for the last nine months, would Simms, not have been the better option, scoring regularly for the u23's, and what does Gordon have to do, to get a game. I know Carlo sees them all in training, but you don't need to watch Sigurdsson and Iwobi in training, we saw what they offered against Southampton, nothing.

Kim Vivian
809 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:29:18
I was astonished at the pace of the game for the first half hour. I think our lethargic start took Newcastle by surprise to some extent and, maybe expecting more of the cut and thrust they would have seen from us this season so far notwithstanding our absent personel, they sat deep to counter that, but it was them that stepped up a gear before half time. I (only half flippantly) posted at about 2.30 to ask what time the game kicked off because we looked as though were knocking the ball around like it was the pre match warm up. I mean that literally.

The sideways - backwards - sideways - pass the ball in to touch - backwards sideways game we were watching from Delph, Sig, Gomes, JJK was painful to behold. At one point I thought I will count the number of consecutive forward passes we completed and gave up at two (eventually) after a few minutes.

The substitutions, I agree with most on here, were bizarre but I would just have a quiet shout for Bernard who I did not think was quite as abject as people are making out. As usual he lost the ball a couple of times and ran into trouble but he did seem to make a difference to our energy levels with his busyness, and set up a couple of crossing attempts.

Quite why we can't start playing the way we did for the last 10 minutes about an hour earlier I just don't know. Is it fear? A lack of drive? Under instruction? Anyones's guess. Pleased at least that DCL scored to help my Fantasy Team but all said and done another bad day at the office. The ladies can feel proud after their effort against ManC this afternoon unlike their male counterparts.

So - Man U, and lockdown to look forward to.

Someone's God please give me strength.

Ian Horan
810 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:33:23
To be fair poor team selection, wrong substitutions. We appeared to go for a KITAP1 approach very disappointing few weeks. Trying to look for positives???? hopefully James and Seamus back next week digne back. Utd next up, who look a shambles on the plus point win next week we will be averaging 2pts a game and there ends the positives
Jim Bennings
811 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:34:37
It's about big club mentality though isn't it?

We want to be a big club, that's why we have appointed Carlo Ancelotti but we still find it hard to kick old habits.

We still go out in my opinion to stifle mediocre opponents instead of just throwing caution to the wind and letting them worry about us, that should be the case regardless who we put on the pitch, that's what the top clubs are like.

I personally hate the two holding midfielders thing we have rigidly stuck to since the David Moyes era, when it doesn't keep clean sheets then it has little value and lately to us it's overloaded us with a lack of creativity.

Be bold Everton or be prepared to stand still wearing a slightly shinier coat than normal.

Jeff Armstrong
812 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:34:54
Ancelotti is so conservative with his team selections and subs, same old same old with Gomes, Sigurdsson,Bernard, Iwobi,
he never takes risks, Simms, Gordon etc, the point is though he is taking massive risks by constantly picking the same failures over and over,as the last 2 games and most of the post lockdown games have proven.
Gavin Fennessy
813 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:35:16
Very disappointing performance from the manager and the team on the pitch. After the Southampton game I expected to see some reaction even though admittedly there didn't appear to be much wriggle room in terms of selection. The first half was a flashback to the pedestrian crab-like passing that has marked many of our worst periods under this and previous managers. There was no penetration and creative instinct and players seemed unwilling or unable to spot the pattern and try something different. Nkounkou at least did try to beat his man on occasion but this is a kid with next to no first team experience. Where was the leadership? Newcastle are a limited team and were fortunate in my opinion to be awarded a penalty. The second goal also had a deal of good fortune as Mina's attempted block looped up perfectly for Wilson at the far post. It doesn't change the fact that we did not deserve anything out of the game. We were too slow, too predictable and lacked quality. JJK is not and I fear will never be a decent PL player. I hoped he would develop a trick or two on loan at Schalke but unfortunately he remains well short of the standard required. Gomes looks finished. He was never quick but increasingly he looks unable to make space and pass. Siggy, he tries and runs but is woefully short of pace. Put the two in any midfield and the team will struggle. I suspect they are acutely aware of this - we all are. How can the manager pick a side with both of these players? I know we aren't blessed with that many options but I think no-one is surprised at how Gomes & Siggy performed. We'd be more surprised it it had all clicked and we had carved open a limited Newcastle outfit. Similarly, I think Delph tried to get on the ball and was about as effective as I expect. He is neat and tidy but also physically weak and easy to beat. He too is very fond of a sideways, backwards passing fest.

It will be very interesting to see how the team is set up versus United. I think Mina will drop to the bench, especially if Holgate and/or Godfrey are available. Digne will come back in also. Would want Holgate ahead of JJK if available. Gordon needs to be started ahead of either slow coach. I cannot understand the tactic of saying that Pickford will start against Utd before seeing how Olsen did today? It may be a kick up the arse for Jordan to be dropped but what does it do for Olsen to know he could be the second coming of Big Nev and it wouldn't mean he'd get a run in the team?

Howard Don
814 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:38:23
Can’’t believe Antony Gordon didn’t get on ahead of all three subs we used. He made the most impact of all the subs last week. For me he was the only guy there with the potential to break down the Newcastle rearguard, given his pace, which we were desperately lacking, directness, ability to go past a man and also shoot from distance.
Darren Hind
815 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:42:04
Why are people falsely claiming this was our second 11 ?

We had all the goalkeepers available for selection.
We had the two center halves we paid 60m quid for. We had a left back who had been deemed a wonder signing.
We had Siggy and Gomes playing who cost us 70m.
We also had the "New Reid and Bracewell" in the middle of the park.
In front of that lot we had The leagues highest scorer.

Digne. Seamus and James didnt play up there at Christmas, but we still won comfortably So why is their absence the reason we lost this time ?

Progress ?????

These excuses just rub salt into the wounds after such a painful defeat

Paul Smith
816 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:45:11
Darren Hind it all makes sense now.
Sam Hoare
817 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:46:19
Darren, because Richarlison was playing that day? He’s our best player and a lot depends on his dynamism and energy.

I’m not excusing today but we were missing our three best players and of course that is likely to make a difference. The others (and Carlo) should have done better though.

Anthony A Hughes
818 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:47:16
Our first choice 11 consists of Coleman,. Digne. Richatlison, James and Pickford. It looks like we're missing half a team. So any team not with these players is a second 11
Paul Birmingham
819 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:48:26
Everton ladies put in a shift and gave their all.

Today the 1st team was going through the motions in hope mor than belief and desire.

The sad facts is this is the worst Toon side in a long time, and Yet Everton played as if they were playing a European top team.

Seriously big week and a big game next week. Next week we need a different game plan. The spark has gone out for sure and I can’t seen where the spark to reignite will come from. I hope Anthony Gordon, starts next week, but we are playing too pedestrian and the opponents can walk to press out attacks as they are so slow.

Very few positives but the GK, looks safe, but next week, the team needs some spark and confidence and believe Everton, can win.

Next week I’d stick with Olsen, but let’s see what Carlo does.

Andy Crooks
820 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:49:08
Just what was expected really. They always disappoint when there is any possibility of being special. What surprises me is how little I care. I was gutted two hours ago but now I really don't give a fuck. Think I really need to take a break from Everton, there is plenty to ruin the day without investing emotionally in these second raters.
Anthony A Hughes
821 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:49:17
But hey Carlo isn't Unsworth is he?
Colin Battison
822 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:53:25
That was a painful watch to put it mildly. Where was the tempo, energy? Absolutely nowhere. 5 midfielders and not one that is attack minded.

Newcastle are a terrible side and even with our depleted squad we should be beating them. As soon as the team was named you thought, hang on a minute, were are the goals coming from here 1-0 down and were still strolling round the pitch playing backwards and sideways passes.

Complete and utter dross that. No lessons learnt from last week, we should have been at them from minute one. It wasn't until the 6th minute of injury time when we actually decided to have a go.

Unacceptable piss poor showing that, could of easily fell asleep watching that rubbish.

Jason Wilkinson
823 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:53:51
Nothing more than I expected. Newcastle played to stay in the game. They stifled us in midfield. There was once again no pace to our game. We played it very safe.
Olsson made a good stop in the 1st half. We looked in control of the game. 2nd half I thought Gomes or Gylfi might have been hooked to make way for Gordon or Iwobi. We started in a similar fashion. Again no pace. Very little threat where it matters. We gave away a soft pen and it looked like we would struggle to get level.
I don't agree with those that would radically alter the team. I think Ancelotti has enough experience to know his players and put the best 11 on the pitch. There are very few teams in europe that would play well without their captain, playmaker, best player with assists and a 2nd striker of Richarlison's quality.
The next two matches will show whether the wins earlier were against poor opponents. A big test against Utd next. If we win I can see us picking a good few points up between then and Christmas.
The squad players will be told to up their game by Ancelotti. If they cant it will be arriverderci. UTFT
Jonathan Tasker
824 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:55:57
I never wanted Ancelotti and have pointed out before he was sacked from his last three jobs. This isn’t a knee jerk reaction. The last two performances were so bad that it’s as if there was no managerial contribution at all.
Of course, we’ll do a lot better when Richarlison and James are back but, in the long run, nothing will change and the club remains in sinking sand.
Anthony A Hughes
825 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:57:55
Who would you have as manager Jonathon?
Tony Marsh
826 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:58:25
Ancelloti at fault today with that starting 11.Carlo doing Silva and Koeman type mistakes and has done since he arrived. The Sigurdsson saga is now a joke. Tosun, Iwobi Bernard I mean come on. Gomez looks disinterested.

Our players need to get some intelligence. It's obvious that VAR and the refs are kicking themselves over the Henderson Derby fuck up and have every intention of equalling things out against Us.

Pathetic display today and now it's hard to see where any points will come in next 4 games. Utd home Fulham Burnley away then Leeds at home. Going to be a bleak long lockdown watching Everton revert to type.

Football Genius Carlo gets schooled by Steve fucking Bruce. You couldn't make it up.
George Cumiskey
827 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:58:56
Can't we draft some of the womens team in, I know they got beat but they played with heart, determination and aggression everything that was missing from the mens team today !
Paul Hewitt
828 Posted 01/11/2020 at 18:59:20
It doesn't matter who the manager is, who the players are. They end up performing like that. No heart, no desire, no will to win. Fed up now. Don't care what anyone says money has taken the determination to win. Happy to pick up there big fat wages. Can't be arsed anymore.
Justin Doone
829 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:01:35
Although it was a disappointing display all around I want to pick a few positives.

I will defend Delph in that he didn't have space or passing options to drive forward. Siggy started to have a few shots instead of attempting the impossible through ball.

I'm not criticising Nkounkou but I wanted him to be busier. To be a nieve young full back that simply wants to get forward and attack. He actually played sensibly in not wanting to neglect his defensive duties. This is a positive for the near future. Just needs more experience and understanding of when to attack or not.

Good to see Tosun has recovered. Olsen given a chance. Hopefully answered a few Carlo Q's about personal and trust.

Danny Broderick
830 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:01:51
Darren,

We were missing our supply line today. No Digne, Coleman, Richarlison or Rodriguez means no service to DCL. It’s not rocket science.

Instead of them, we had 2 rookie full backs playing (both good prospects but not yet at the level of the players missing). The manager clearly has no faith in Bernard and Iwobi, so he tried to keep it tight and played Gomes and Sigurdsson in a narrow midfield. This plan was undone by a soft penalty award, so the manager then had to turn to Iwobi, Bernard, Tosun etc to no avail.

In any case, I would suggest Gomes, Sigurdsson, Bernard and Tosun are finished at Premier League level (Iwobi did at least offer something when he came on.) They’ll all eventually get moved to the States, or Turkey, or Portugal or whatever.

You can’t polish a turd. Our fringe players are either shite or raw. The manager is showing the board that we need reinforcement.

Bill Gall
831 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:07:38
It is a shame that the only way an Everton player can pass to another Everton player is either sideways or backwards. I am sure this is not practiced at F.F. during the week so why in a game at the weekend.
Ancelotti was fully aware of who would be unfit for the weekend so where was the game plan for the weekend game. I could round up 5 part time amateurs to pass to each other side to side and backwards , why cant we have expensive professionals be given a plan that doesn't allow the opposition to stand back and wait for the mistake when they try to go forward. Yes we had top players missing, but we replaced them with professional footballers, who most have been playing since they were in 12 and under. Not as gifted as who they were replacing but surely over the years they have learned the KISS method.
A good manager should be able to get the best out of what he has and not always rely on help from the transfer window, and Ancelotti should take most of the blame for the last 2 games.
Loose next week and that will mean we will have earned 1 point from a possible 12 and that is not a top 6 performance.
Brent Stephens
832 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:11:01
Is Michael Kenrick ok? I notice this thread has Lyndon’s name on it when the match day thread is normally Michael’s.

Hope nothing is up.

Stan Schofield
833 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:16:41
It was almost obvious that things would go tits up, as they usually do with Everton, after the derby and all the shit that went with it. We get a bit of momentum, but Everton, as we’ve got used to, are expert at making that momentum come to zero.

All we can do is hope, as we always do, that the slump can be corrected sooner rather than later.

Jerome Shields
834 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:17:52
Connor#764

A good analysis of what happened and what should have happened.

Pat Kelly
835 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:22:31
Coleman is getting to stage where he'll miss more and more games through injury. We have no decent backup.

James, while brilliant, is brittle and could be out at any stage. We have no decent backup.

Richarlison will always be targeted and will inevitably be sent off or injured again this season. We have no decent backup.

We rely on DCL for goals. We have no decent backup.

Digne. as we saw today, no decent backup.

Luckily Olson is decent backup. He's going to be needed. But even he can't save this lot.

Michael Lynch
836 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:34:40
What does Olsen have to do to oust Pickford? He was solid as a rock today, and commanded the penalty area like a decent goalie should.

Maybe it was because he didn't score when he went up front for the injury time corner? Yeah, that must be the reason Carlo is dropping him for the Man U game.

Barry Rathbone
837 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:38:39
Keegan's Newcastle, Clough's Forest, Docherty's United and unfortunately Shankly's you know who are the models of instantaneous change transforming fortunes (Chels and City don't figure being money projects).

We nearly had it with Bobby bringing in or promoting Rom, Geri, McCarthy, Barkley and Stones. With the requisite dough to replace the entire old guard things might be very different now.

Thing is Carlo is a good manager but no revolutionary and like his predecessors will not be able to polish a turd.

Anthony Jones
838 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:41:35
No width and a lack of pace. Surprise, we get beat. Looked like a Moyes midfield with all those central players.
Jonathan Tasker
839 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:44:12
As long as Kenwright remains at Everton it doesn’t matter who the manager is. The club is destined to fail.
Bobby Mallon
841 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:46:27
Tony twist 772. I’m gob smacked
Kieran Kinsella
842 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:47:36
Godfrey stunk the place out last week and is another of the deadwood crew that needs moving on in Jan albeit he has little resale value. Him, Gomes, Sig, Tosun etc just aren’t up to the job
Oliver Molloy
843 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:48:51
I've just watched the match back...again.
Amazing how many times Delph did not pass the ball to Nkounkou when there was a clear opportunity to do so and plenty of grass in front of the young man.

Overall, we were poor and this result as well as last weeks shows we are very much lacking quality, game changers when required.

Utd next week, who knows?

Grant Rorrison
844 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:53:03
Awful team selection. I put the result down to total lack of ambition from the manager. We should be taking the game to teams like Newcastle, players missing or no players missing. They've grown in confidence having seen how limited our aims were and we've deservedly been punished. Awful result and performance. So much for our decent start to the season and new found optimism. Everton for you.
Ken Kneale
845 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:53:22
Steve Carse - Nice, gentlemanly teams never win a thing s you say. However my take on this bunch is that they are second rate, characterless and gutless - sadly those types don't win games either. This Club needs a ruthless streak to eradicate the horrors the directors and management have allowed for over 30 years and I sadly don't see a quick fix just becuase we now have a manager with pedigree. We are still paying the price of the Walsh and Brands spending on players of less than adequate quality and even lower character. I really don't beleive Carlo did his due diligence and his selection last week and today shows he has the same blind spot as his predecessors on recognising that what occurs at Finch Farm does not equate to a performance when the team needs it.
Steven Kendrew
846 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:53:29
I see the ‘woe is me’ brigade are out in force today. Poor result and our creativity was not great but we were without four top players. We also had two unlucky breaks for the goals. Otherwise, our passing was pretty good, possession was good, just not enough forward. Could have been 0-1 or quite easily a draw. The squad still does need strengthening though.
I think we will beat Utd next week if James plays and if we do we will be off again with Richie back for the game after.
Andrew Keatley
847 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:56:21
Paul Birmingham (819) - “Worst Toon side in a long time”? Nope. We were hugely disappointing today, but let’s not fuel the fire by making sweeping statements that do not hold up to scrutiny. Newcastle have a decent enough squad which Rafa Benitez would have loved to have had when he was performing minor miracles there five years ago.
Bobby Mallon
848 Posted 01/11/2020 at 19:57:56
I have watched the game again the main reason for sideways passing is no movement of the forward players and players taking one touch to many when they could have played a forward pass to a player overlapping
John Pierce
850 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:02:43
Olsen made two extremely good saves, the 1 on 1 and the reaction save to divert the ball over the bar, he collected several crosses and was calm.
His distribution was neat and tidy, no miscues with his central defenders.
That would be a harsh if he was dropped.
Brian Williams
851 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:03:06
Our passing was pretty good?
Ffs what were you watching?
On second thoughts the passing along the back line or from the backline to the defensive midfielder and then back along the back line left to right, then right to left, and then back to the keeper and then left to right getting the idea yet?
Any passing in the final third was abysmal, as was the overall performance, four players missng or not.
Newcastle are/were woeful and couldn't believe their luck at how poor Everton were.
Sometimes woe is me is justified because that today was absolutely awful.
And coulda woulda shoulda gets you no points at all.
Andrew Keatley
852 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:03:24
Kieran (842) - Move Godfrey on? Is that a wind-up? Has to be. But just in case it isn’t he’s a good young centre-half who has filled in for 150 minutes as an emergency right-back. He shouldn’t be the target of any negativity at this point.
Kieran Kinsella
853 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:03:42
Bobby

Exactly, Delph didn’t slow it down he was waiting for someone to make a move but they were all stationery

Anthony A Hughes
854 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:04:00
The lack of forward passes was due to the fact that the two defensive midfielders have zero creativity in them.
If you're going to play two sitting midfielders then one of the them has to be able to move the ball forward.
Allan and Delph are a pair of tackling crabs
Eddie Dunn
855 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:05:38
Steve Carse 799, that poster was myself. I watched it "live" and saw one replay, now perhaps I have misread it but I recall Gomes kneeing the back of Wilson's leg. It wasn't imagined, he did it. Bruce conceded it was a soft one, just like they had against them last week. Surely the point is that Gomes was unaware of Wilson's presence. Now he has eyes in his head, but he didn't use them. He also clonked St Maxim before half time, which was very clumsy or nasty. In fact, every time he plays he shows a stupidity, and nastiness that doesn't help the team, but costs us.
I thought he was trying to put incisive passes in for DCL in the first half but as his poor fitness was exposed, he started to cost us in the second.
Siggy came into it more as the game slowed but his pathetic little backwards passes to Delph or Keane epitomised our team's lack of endeavour.
Such a lot of pocing about between the backs and midfield making the possession stats seem like we were bossing the game! A joke selection and a lazy gormless display. We better beat the Mancs next week.
Peter Mills
856 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:06:49
We are 3rd after 7 games, that’s a satisfactory start to the season.

The last two games have highlighted our shortcomings, but we knew they were there at the end of the transfer window, so we should not not be too traumatised when they manifest themselves.

There is always plenty of chat about our worst and best ever players, but I would put forward Fabian Delph as our most boring. How I hate that stylish twirl on the ball followed by the backwards pass.

Anthony A Hughes
857 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:07:47
And if you're playing wide forwards the very least they need is pace. A disjointed team today with too many players playing where they shouldn't be but then outside of the first 11 the squad has no quality cover to speak of.
Pat Kelly
858 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:08:43
The players should be made watch the game again, twice. And fined if they fall asleep. Facing this prospect after every dismal, gutless performance might shake them up. I doubt a manager like Bielsa would put up with this dross week after week.
Andrew Dempsey
859 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:09:09
Bad managerial decisions and selection in the last two games.
The team was set up to get a draw from the off in both matches.
The side picked for this game is worse than anything we’ve seen under the previous four managers, and trying to get a point away from home is very old school thinking.
It wasn’t even a case of trying to nick it with counter attacking as they were sat deep as well, and we never picked the quick players needed to execute any countering opportunities.
The players were awful, but I don’t think they knew what they were supposed to be doing.
Craig Walker
860 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:09:13
Jay @754. A heartbreaking cup final defeat. We’ve all been there before.
Jonathan Tasker
861 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:09:18
Very poor management to state unequivocally that Pickford is in goal next week.
Pickford is a total liability and the stats prove he is the worst in the division.
Olson was one of our few players to come out of the game with any credit.
Brian Wilkinson
862 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:14:19
That game was crying out for Gordon, why we did not use the guy god only knows.

We had no one to get past their backline, no one making any movements and still we stuck with the same personnel’s until the game was dead and buried.

Stan Michaels
863 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:17:26
Another poor performance by an average mediocre starting eleven. Love Carlo but he got his selection and tactics completely wrong today. How Anthony Gordon is not getting selected ahead of Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Bernard and Delph is way beyond me. Has to start against United but would not surprised if he doesn't.

Today was all about how we we're gonna react after the poor result and performance last week. And we never saw one. Flat from the first whistle to last. Against a poor side which let's be honest they are. We couldn't get a shot away in the first half. Shows how much we miss James, Richarlison, Digne and Coleman. Olsen and Calvert Lewin only players who played well.

The likes of Iwobi, Bernard and Sigurdsson have all blown their chances to come in and show Ancelotti they can be there when one of James or Richarlison are out. A combination of 83 million on Iwobi, Sigurdsson and Delph. Shocking recruitment.

The fact we still also have Tosun at the club too says it all. We offer big wages and contracts to players who are not arsed in the slightest. And also Jonjoe Kenny is NOT a replacement for Coleman.

Heard some fans say this week that Yerry Mina is our best centre back. If thats the case to them. We are in a lot of trouble than I even thought we are. Man is clueless majority of the time. Holgate or even Godfrey start before him in my eyes.

Another poor performance.

Craig Walker
864 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:18:03
Gomes is slowly morphing into Schneiderlin for me. He looked great when he signed but he’s getting worse and is totally ineffectual away from home. Not the same since the injury, unfortunately. It seems a long time ago since he played a blinder at Anfield.
Paul Birmingham
865 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:21:12
Andrew, I respect your view, but I make my statement based on what I’ve seen of Newcastle, home and away, when they’ve played us, the last few seasons. I also have a good workmate who lives on the Toon, with an ST, and he and many Geordies, aren’t happy with the style of football, being served, under Steve Bruce.

So I’m being honest and saying it as, as I see it and you have your view, which is fine.

The Geordies, know their football like we Evertonians do.

Newcastle are poor this season, Everton, a month ago would have won today. But the squad devoid of its best players has shown the limits of this squads strength in depth.

Today overall the Everton team, didn’t have the belief to win this game. There’s no excuses today, to lose in that manner, but it’s a work in progress and we are still third, which all considered is better than expected.

This performance today for me, the positives are Olsen and DCL, in the goals again.

But next Saturday let’s see if the squad, can get motivated and play better, and get a victory.

Don Alexander
866 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:22:55
Gutless, guileless performance, again. That said, would Liverpool manage if they lost Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, VVD, Salah and Mane, because that's what we were minus today.

Regarding Jordan he now knows he HAS to eradicate his errors because Olsen today looked like a top international goalkeeper.

Jim Bennings
867 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:30:30
Gomes even prior to the awful injury was always prone to snooze-like performances and since the injury he's sadly regressed into a man that runs in treacle, doesn't create, doesn't score and can't run.

Delph is Delph, a very poor man's Gareth Barry.

Sigurdsson was ok until his legs turned to jelly about a year ago and he's finished as a Premier League top performer.

Allan you'd think will be at his best when Doucoure improves his levels and James and Richarlison are back fit but Allan without those players at a high level is pretty much a very limited effect player, not creative and isn't going to offer anything going forward.

How we somehow managed to go from having about twenty quality wingers under Bobby Martinez to now currently not possessing a single genuine winger that can comfortably hit the byline, work that one out!

Eddie Dunn
868 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:33:29
Don, the players have been too reliant on Richie, Digne and now James.
Those picked today didn't seem to have clue what to do. Perhaps they looked up, saw DCL marked by 2 centre backs and nobody else up front and fearfull of giving away cheap possession push left or right.
Not enough attacking options until the dying embers of the game.
We need to have confidence that we can win without just giving it to James or Richie.
And Don, our red cousins have managed to win without various players, but none of their kids or older players are afraid to run forwards or play an early ball. God knows what these were told to do today?
Anthony A Hughes
869 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:37:54
The squad is crying out for a couple of flying wide men but they it has for a long time. Over to you Marcel
Derek Taylor
870 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:45:23
I was one of the minority, happy to see Pickford beneath the posts. When Olsen appeared, I was prepared to give him his chance -up to Christmas say -to make his case for the gloves. And he made a good steady start to claim his place.

So what's all this talk of Carlo going back to Pickford next week ? Is he trying to destroy the confidence of both players because he's seen Mariniho play those games at so-called top clubs ?

Strikes me our manager is already out of his depth and has a 'butterfly' approach to team selection. He won't last long at this rate ! None of them do.

Kevin Molloy
871 Posted 01/11/2020 at 20:56:59
this was a key game so I think the disappointment is understandable and merited. We realised today that the changes we have witnessed are skin deep. Nobody expected the team to function to the same level as when the world class players are there, but it was the other bankruptcy, poverty call it what you will of our play. Carlo's been training them now for nearly a year, so to see so many players look up, and think 'what the fuck do I do with this' is so disappointing. I know I am comparing him with the best, but it would be impossible for a Klopp team to perform in that way, where they literally did not know what they were doing. they shoudl all have been drilled by now in a style of play, and quite clearly, they have not.
Danny Broderick
872 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:08:32
Don (866),

Best comment on the thread. How would Liverpool cope without Robertson, Trent, Mane and Salah?

Carlo’s not a magician. No manager is. There’s an illness at Everton at the moment (and at some other clubs) where the fault always lies with the manager. The heat is never on the players. They can turn up, do fuck all, earn a fortune and they get a free pass. They can even do it under several managers and it will never be their fault.

The focus today should be on our creative players who were missing in action. Are Gomes and Sigurdsson capable of passing the ball? Yes. Are they capable of passing it forward? Yes. Well why did they either give it away, or lay it off backwards or sideways every time they received the ball? They were both playing behind the striker!!

Bernard came on, what did he do to justify his wage? At least Iwobi got on the ball a bit and created a goal - he stepped up this time.

The players I have mentioned have all been in and out of the team under Carlo. They should be fighting for their places, but they are going through the motions.

Blame the manager. Blame the tactics. I know who I blame - the shithouses who go missing every time we play away from home. The same shithouses who have done the same thing for 3/4 managers now. The same ones who shit themselves every time we play a top 6 team.

We’ll be ok again once we get Digne, Coleman, Rodriguez and Richarlison back in the team. Until they do come back, God help us...

Stephen Brown
873 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:09:54
Richarlison owes us big time when he comes back in
Jonathan Tasker
874 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:17:15
Sigurdsson and Gomes were virtual passengers today. Again this is a massive indictment on Brands.
Kenny is never going to make it. It was quite apparent immediately that nearly all of our attacking intent was down the left via Nkounkou.
Ancelotti has had almost a year now and we should be expecting better. The first eleven is fine but there’s absolutely nothing below that. I honestly believe we have the weakest level of players outside of the first eleven. The squad strength is woeful.
Derek Knox
875 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:20:52
Deliberately haven't posted up to now, why? because I'm still seething at another lacklustre performance. Okay we had a few injuries and suspensions, that's what having a squad is all about.

I don't think anyone is naive enough to expect that with a couple of special players missing, we would just carry on as if they hadn't been missed at all. What we do expect is those who have been given a starting berth, or coming off the bench even, put a decent shift in.

Instead what did we see? a bunch of highly paid spineless, clueless, rudderless dickheads going through the motions as if it was a friendly or Testimonial where the result didn't really matter. They didn't even look like they had ever trained together before.

Who do we play next? Manure! Who seem to be getting their act together better than we have. God help us, but at least we have a couple back.

Ian Horan
876 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:29:15
On the positive side we are still top 3. With all our attacking flaire to come back within the next 10 days. Relax. There is 31 more games to go we currently average just short of 2pts per game. 62 more points would probably guarantee top 4 finish, its a crazy type of season
Robert Tressell
877 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:31:01
Unfortunately, just as Brands reduces our pile of deadwood another pile emerges. Unfortunately Sigurdsson, Gomes, Tosun, Iwobi, Bernard, Delph all probably need to leave.

More unfortunately still, Richarlison might end up leaving before them.

Perhaps weirdest of all, Bolasie might just have made a positive difference today.

First 11 very strong, but not much depth. How close are Simms and Dobbin to first team appearances?

Martin Mason
878 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:40:16
We must stop wetting the bed over this defeat because it has simply highlighted the problems that we have and will hopefully put our feet on the ground again. We now know that our first team is potentially table topping but that the squad quality is desperately shallow with no squad players outside of the first team yet ready to replace them without seriously weakening the team. The shadow squad is almost relegation potential so we're in a stew. We must also face the fact that Everton FC is in a big way Richarlison FC because we're lost without his devastating physical presence and believe me he'll be gone possibly next summer. We can get a lot better but we have that Championship potential group of Iwobi, Siggi, Gomez, Delph, JJK, Bernard, Besic, Bolasie, Davies bleeding the club dry and blocking squad places which should be filled by people who can and want to play. They have to go before we can grow. Has Nkounkou got it? Not based on how he played yesterday. Newcastle set up well knowing exactly how to beat us and they played the system well. Many others will beat us when we don't have the first team playing.
Martin Mason
880 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:51:02
We should note how well Southampton are playing too to put last week's result in perspective. They are a good side.
John Pierce
881 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:56:14
Someone said it last week. Richarlison should be sat at home focused on his rush of blood. His sending off was so unnecessary, and has shown he the real heart of the team.
Kunal Desai
882 Posted 01/11/2020 at 21:57:26
Pickford, Mina, Coleman, Kenny, Bernard, Sigurdsson, Delph, Gomes, Iwobi, Tosun.

That's the enormity of the clearout and the job Ancelotti and Brands have. I suspect in two seasons times none of those lot will be at the club. Some we'll receive offers for others will run down there contracts.

We'll need to be patient but ultimately be summer 2022 Carlo will have all his own players.

Martin Mason
883 Posted 01/11/2020 at 22:17:26
Sorry, I forgot Tosun in our squad members who aren't even good enough for the Championship. Mina? Definitely not.
Kunal, I don't believe that Moshiri will finance replacing all of those donkeys.
Paul Saleh
884 Posted 01/11/2020 at 22:19:04
It's going to take Carlo his full contract to turn this around. We have so much deadwood to clear. Yes, we have a strong first team but, ideally, we need two solid players for each position and we are a long way off from that.
Mike Price
885 Posted 01/11/2020 at 22:21:56
I too was not thrilled to get Ancelotti. He’s been sacked a lot, is costing 11 million a year and seems a blasé.
The only thing I thought he could bring was a few renowned players, which he has, but still no pace. I was worried about some of the lifeless, lacklustre displays last season which suggests a flatness and lack of motivation from the management.
He’s famed for being liked by players, he makes things easy and comfortable for them. He’s had success with mega clubs where he could put a swathe of superstar/winners on the field and let them get on with it. I’ve seen nothing to suggest he can shape a team like ours. No way would you get two displays like them under a manager like Klopp or Bielsa.
Christy Ring
886 Posted 01/11/2020 at 22:41:14
Kunai #882 Naming Coleman in that list, is an insult. A fabulous servant, quality full back, back to his best this season, who wears his heart on his sleeve. What irks me, he wears the Captain's armband with pride, leading by example, but as he's out injured, Carlo makes Sigurdsson Captain, a leaderless figure, who stands with his hands on his hips, no drive, won't put his foot in, and shouldn't even be in the first 11, Unbelievable.
Kunal Desai
887 Posted 01/11/2020 at 22:56:01
Christy I put Coleman in that list not because we need him off the books but moreso that we will need to replace both him and JJK in the next season or so. Coleman will soon be 33 and has suffered with quite a few injuries. No doubting his committment to the club and the servant that he's been, however we need to be looking forward to bringing in a more accomplished RB next season. I'd be more than happy to see Coleman as a back up and JJK moved on, but if the aim is to kick on further from this season then the right side needs major surgury and that includes bringing in a new RB.
Gavin Johnson
888 Posted 01/11/2020 at 23:10:38
Ancelotti dropped the ball today with his negative team selection. He's not been culpable of this since the heavy Chelsea defeat last season. And while I could see the logic of giving the full backs (who were meant to be operating more as wing backs today) more protection by putting the likes of Delph in there as he could tuck-out and cover. However, it was just too negative and it left DCL too isolated because the fullbacks weren't up to it, and Gomes and Sigurdsson offered nothing offensively and were passengers again.

Iwobi stunk the place out at Saints but IMO he did more than both Gomes and Sigurdsson in the minutes he came on, putting a good ball into the box, before making a similar pass that found DCL for the goal. He's clearly not the long term answer but I think he'd offer a lot more centrally and would do better than Gomes or Sigurdsson.

I am glad we dropped Pickford. With or without the Newcastle fans in the ground. This was the kind of game where he'd lose his head and have a brain fart. Olsen looked assured and he'll no doubt be getting more games this season.

A very depressing game and it's clear that we're a very different side when Richarlison, James and our 1st choice fullbacks are missing. We have the same fragility at the back but offer very little going forward.

Don Alexander
889 Posted 01/11/2020 at 23:11:13
Rats, bloody BBC meffs!

Just watching MOTD2 and none of our October goals feature in Goal of the Month.

Just because players at other clubs can be confident and skilled enough to lash in a screamer or two, or confident and skilled enough to create an accurate passing/running chance for an accomplished finish doesn't mean our dead-ball-mainly scrambled goal approach is worthy of the typical media derision does it?

Just asking, for a friend.

Barry Williams
890 Posted 01/11/2020 at 23:15:04
It has been years since I commented on here, too much personal sniping, but I still go through the articles and comments on a regular basis.

We are 3rd. We are in the 1/4 final of a cup.

Of the 14 players on the pitch today, only 4 were Ancelotti signings, the other 10 weren't. Those 10 haven't really covered themselves in glory previously, have they?

I am not blindly defending Ancelotti, he has made mistakes in my opinion, what manager hasn't?

However, we are miles better, overall, with him in charge than we have been for a long long time.

Plus, no Coleman, no Richarlison, no Digne, no James, no Holgate. Any team would struggled with 5 nailed on regulars not available.

Long term injuries to Tosun, Gbamin and 3 right backs not available last game.

Add the media witch hunt to all of this, and yes, we have dropped off.

The man appears to know what he is doing - we are going in the right direction, we have a great 1st team, but not a great squad - that, as most know, will take a few windows to sort out. Many managers, many players. many systems have been rolled out with these players.

Ancelotti is a good manager, he has improved us massively, but he is just a manager, he cannot change things overnight. If he was here just for the money, why not just go to China or America.

We are better for him being here and the players he has attracted.

Koeman, Silva, Allardyce or Ancelotti ?

No brainer really, for me at least!

He'll sort it.


Brent Stephens
891 Posted 01/11/2020 at 23:30:00
Barry did you throw hammer for the UK?
Soren Moyer
892 Posted 01/11/2020 at 23:41:38
Kunal @882. Add Besic and Bolasie to that list!
Barry Williams
893 Posted 01/11/2020 at 23:45:48
Brent Stephens - 891

Unfortunately not! My sports were boxing and kickboxing, but at near 50, not any more! Sill keep the training up though! Played in the Zingari league as a teenage keeper, must have been the shortest there at 5'10. But my sporting achievements are modest! Hey ho!

David Pearl
894 Posted 01/11/2020 at 23:55:03
Don, l thought Doms derby header was a great goal. Not many, if any could score that.
Steve Brown
895 Posted 01/11/2020 at 00:05:32
Conor @ 764, you sum the madness of Carlo's team selection up perfectly. Only matched by the tactical shifts that resulted in us finishing the game with two central midfielders as full backs and, more unaccountably, Sigurddson still on the pitch.

My son messaged me when the team was announced to say he literally had no idea what the plan was for the game. Unfortunately, it appears the players didn't either. Ancelotti had a shocker.

Jay Harris
896 Posted 01/11/2020 at 00:05:59
I sometimes feel this has turned into an alcoholica anonymous forum.

My Name is Fred and I'm an evertonian, help.

We are still 3rd after 7 games with the mighty Man U 8 points behind us and City, Arsenal and Chelsea still below us.

On the other hand like most posters I an concerned about Carlos tactics and team selection in the last 2 games.

Our strength has been the interplay between the full backs and the wide players where we have been able to open up the "park the bus merchants" that we always seem to have a problem with.

One of our weaknesses has been the lack of goalscorers in the team apart from Richy and DCL.

James was part of that solution and Siggy used to be that man.

The only other player I can think of who could help with that is Gordon and I cant understand why Carlo is so reluctant to give him a game.

I felt it was right to play a strong MF today but go 4-4-2 with Gordon and DCL up front and with Nkoukou and JJK overlapping.

We need at least 2 upront to pressure their defence and keep the game up the pitch.

With only one up front they can pick out the long pass and hit on the break like they did for Mina's own goal.

I thought Gomes in particular had a 'mare again today and just couldnt string the game together.

Likewise Doucoure is supposed to be box to box which doesnt mean the 6 yard box to the halfway line.

Last week we didnt show up but today we should have won that game comfortably but just couldnt impose ourselves on the game due to tactics and poor players.

If we can just get a second wind till January and then clear the decks and get some proper quality in we stand a chance.

If we don't then it will be another 7th or 8th position if we are lucky..

The only good things coming out of today were Olsons performance, Keans continuing improvement and DCL's sniffing out of chances.

Jason Wilkinson
897 Posted 01/11/2020 at 00:10:36
I was disappointed to hear Carlo rule Ollson out of the Utd game. I was impressed by his performance today.
Gomes, Siggy and Delph were poor today.
If fit I would play the following against Utd.
Ollson
Coleman
Digne
Keane
Holgate
Docoure
Allan
Bernard
James
DCL
Gordon.
I would like to see Gordon used as a second striker. I think he has what it takes to be a poacher in the box. He also would worry the life out of Maguire and Lindelof.
Brian Wilkinson
898 Posted 02/11/2020 at 00:18:45
I agree Jason, I think Olsen has earned another game, very little he could do about both goals, wicked deflection for the second one, but overall I felt more relaxed when we faced a corner or a high ball coming into the box.

Drop this guy now and it will hit his confidence, while at the same time saying Pickford will still walk back in the team, very poor management if Pickford comes back in after only one game dropped.

Be interesting to have a poll who should be in goal for the utd game.

P.s Lyndon, you have Pickford in the starting 11 and on the bench as well in the lineups.

Nicolas Piñon
899 Posted 01/11/2020 at 00:23:40
What makes me afraid is we are too reliable on our 11st
And if we don’t add players in January we won’t get to Europe as suspensions and injury’s inevitably happen. I heard Zaha or Isco are being targeted.
The positive of the game: Nkonkou; great young talent there.
Yes, we rely too much on Richarlison, but he will probably be learning with this he doesn’t have to do that again. I still have faith in this season, no matter what is said here.
Lester Yip
900 Posted 01/11/2020 at 00:27:27
I don't think Ancelotti made a mistake with his first eleven.

He knew Newcastle will play low blocks defensively and counter attack with Saint-Maximin, who has both pace and size, together with Almiron and Wilson. Without James and Rich it would be difficult to unlock their defence. Also, knowing that our defenders are slow, Doucoure and Allan cannot go too far up when attacking in case of losing possession. We probably go for a clean sheet and wait for set-pieces opportunities. I would say the 1st half went on as planned.

This is the kind of game which team score first would win. The penalty was a joke. I think Gomes should not stand still but approach the ball and clear with a header. From that point onwards is a cat and mouse game. If you don't put more attackers in, you're gutless and get slammed. The moment you put more players upfront the higher chance you get countered which was the case.

So I don't think Carlo is tactically outwitted. He made a bold change to replace Pickford. It all comes down to players quality, plan execution and luck of course.

Playerswise, Gomes is not in form. He passes the ball behind Nkoukou when he was making a run. The weight of the passes is also inaccurate. Siggy is better than him at the moment. He had a few shot attempts which was not far away. Last week his shot hit the crossbar. The goal will come if he keeps trying. Iwobi, too inconsistent. Bernard did alright. He would perform better if Digne was playing instead of Delph.

We are still a few players short to be a real contender of top 6.

David Hallwood
901 Posted 02/11/2020 at 00:40:17
Oh come on Derek(#875) a few injuries? Half the team out more like. Wonder how the rs would perform without Salah, Mane, and the 2 FB's

They've got better cover players, because they're further ahead with 'the project'. We're all disappointed, but let's get the Man U game out of the way and hopefully get a few bodies back.

My concern is Gomes who looks like the injury has finished him.

Andrew Dempsey
902 Posted 02/11/2020 at 00:44:53
We need a new right wing back who’s shit hot - Max Aarons from Norwich maybe? There’s a few good ones out there.
Is there a case for a back three of
Holgate Godfrey Branthwaite, eventually. Two fast, exciting wing backs, Allan Doucoure in midfield, James and Richarlison supporting DCL up front.
Gives James and Richarlison a license to roam with DCL staying central.

It’s easy in Football Manager though isn’t it?

Derek Moore
903 Posted 02/11/2020 at 01:13:45
It wasn't great. I actually fell asleep at half time, it being the early hours of the morning here in NZ. I just watched the second half on replay then.
Don't have a clue on what the Ancelotti approach is on Pickford. Olsen played very well and has further muddied the waters, which was utterly predictable really.
The rest of the starting lineup was a sad indictment of our recruitment, the most recent window aside. Of course, we miss James and Richi. Most teams would. Of more concern was how little cover he have at fullback. Digne and Seamus were huge misses today and we were painfully narrow all game.
I thought Kenny tried very hard but is ultimately very limited. I cringe when I imagine this lad at Goodison with the fans back, the abuse Davies gets would be comparatively mild.
Keane was far from our worst player, but had his worst game of the season so far. We really need Holgate back as we were a candidate for the ball over the top of the center backs for most of the day. Someone pointed out Mina has an error in him every game and I have to agree.
I've never thought Gomes a good fit for English football. He really needs the rest of the midfield to act as his legs to be effective. As it stands, post injury he looks to have lost too much pace to be of any real value, particularly when you consider the lack of speed of our central defender pairing.
Siggy and Gomes absolutely can't play together anyway, the speed of movement was glacial. Doucoure was extremely reluctant to get into the final third in open play, I'm sure the marshmallow like consistency of the spine of the team was a consideration as he declined to get too far forward.
I'm not even going to bother offering opinions on Delph or Bernard.
It was a toothless team performance in truth. Olsen was close to our best player, the French lad looked nervous but not out of place and Dom had an assured game with little service. But the bubble has burst well and truly and it's United next week.
I suspect at the end of the season this period we're presently enduring will come back to bite us. Let's hope not.
Derek Thomas
904 Posted 02/11/2020 at 02:11:36
Did we ever find out what happened to the live forum?
Darren Hind
905 Posted 02/11/2020 at 05:10:38
I thinks some are plunging new depths here.

Why the fuck do we always refer to the RS whenever we are looking to excuse our own inadequacies ? What the fuck has it got to do with them ?
Those asking the mealy mouthed question of what they would do without 4-5 players need only look back to the cup game earlier this year when they rested 9 men.... Is that answer clear enough for you ?

Anyway. Fuck Liverpool. This is an Everton site.

I despair at some of the reasoning here. Point out that we won up there without James, Seamus and Digne ealier in the year and you will get the "yeah but we are missing Richarlison...Our best player" It's as if they have completely forgotten that when we were playing the worst football in living memory, Richarlison was very much part of that.

"BREAKING NEWS"...We are going to get injuries and suspensions all season. We are not asking the club cat to cope with them. We are paying a "professor" 60m quid to deal with them.

We cant keep praising the manager for victories and blaming the players for not being good enough when we lose...That argument is for the birds. Player for player, the team we put out on Saturday is miles better than the Newcastle one.

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich did not turn their noses up at James because he doesnt have the class. They lost interest in him because they do not believe they can get him on the field often enough to justify keeping him...That's another thing people are going to have to get used to.

Jim Harrison
906 Posted 02/11/2020 at 07:00:55
Shite performance

Only player I thought looked up for in was Dacoure. Gomes was woeful, and for me Allan was playing too far up the pitch

Carlo got this one wrong. Not least by taking off Kenny (who was pants though) which for me cost the second goal

Kim Vivian
907 Posted 02/11/2020 at 07:27:38
Derek - no live forum, but we're not far short of 1,000 posts for this thread.
Is that a record?
As someone mentioned earlier - I hope all is well with MK.
Billy Dawber
908 Posted 02/11/2020 at 07:45:03
Sick and tired of looking for excuses for this lot. Time after time we get our hopes up and sure enough the bubble bursts and we all go home wandering what the fk as just happened. I don't really know what to say anymore except surely our time to win things will come around again but many of us will not be around to see it. I saw us win things a while ago as we all know and I still get a buzz thinking I was there to witness it. I feel sorry for the people who have not seen it yet but have faith, it will happen again it's just when!
Drew O’Neall
909 Posted 02/11/2020 at 08:11:48
Anthony @ 749

“you described the the performance as excellent”

Oh did I? Where?

Drew O’Neall
910 Posted 02/11/2020 at 08:37:01
If you are referring to one isolated comment of ‘excellent football’ that was in reference to a single move.

This was my comment which was critical of the changes:

The 4-3-2-1 formation was working fine. We weren’t under any pressure and had most of possession. Correct sub of Bernard for Gomes when we needed more quickness of thought and foot in there.
Needed to work it left and right to get the 1 on 1 with the fullback. Was just starting to happen as the game opened up when he abandoned it (reference to Nkounkou sub).

Two poachers doesn’t open up a low block (bringing on Tosun).

Ricky Oak
911 Posted 02/11/2020 at 08:49:17
We are going to help manua kick start there run, it's pre ordained, Everton will never be aloud to compete whilst we have no voice to battle the corruption and biasedness that goes on with tv/media etc,, even the ex Everton commentators are compliant, it should be Everton goggles on, Everton first, last and always,, like wtaf, no noise about dcl foul, no noise about bs pen for them, no noise about absolute bs yellow cards everytime we try going firm but fair as in what every other team is allowed to do to us,, the reffing is corrupt always,,, we class it as a bonus when we get a ref who is only 60% against us,, fucking joke club with no gumption, and all on bundles
Ricky Oak
912 Posted 02/11/2020 at 09:08:35
Should be screaming from the rooftops about the sick abuse ' our' gk getting, nah, we all heap it on him, trash our own players every game, and put so much pressure on returning players, it is impossible to live up too, who then in turn get dogs abuse for not saving us,, starts at the top tho,, when will someone with some sort of kudos start fighting back against the biased commentary, the corruption in the media ffs, still haven't got over that ref being able to come ref our game, even tho he was retired!!, then blatantly fucked us over,, then, retired again!!!, I mean, come on,, its like I'm compliant with cutting my own balls off!!
Jeff Spiers
913 Posted 02/11/2020 at 10:21:03
Ricky Oak, spot on, mate.
David Hallwood
914 Posted 02/11/2020 at 11:46:08
Just watched the game again ( yes I'm into bondage and S&M) and we were comfortable they troubled us once in the 1st half.

IMO the problem was a lack of courage on behalf of the 5 CM to go beyond DCL or even run into the box. God knows why because there was plenty of cover.

A shithouse performance from them and will give CA food for thought.

Pete Williams
915 Posted 02/11/2020 at 11:52:11
I've not gone back through many comments but I think the general tone is that the manager got the selection wrong by playing one up front and five slow midfielders who didn't support DCL. Missing 1st choice FBs also didn't help, but no real other choice.

Having said all that the players he put out then didn't perform. As many have said Gomes is too slow and off form and others coming in haven't shown why they should be first choices. The manager can't be held responsible for players not performing. That's down to the players, but he can't take the same approach next game. Maybe having Luca back and Holgate at RB might be better? Maybe Godfrey instead of Mina? Rashford, etc will kill us with pace otherwise. Mina turns like an oil tanker and Kenny struggled even against Newcastle.

One player that maybe could have solved all this was Gordon? He can play just like Richie and get us into the final third, but he doesn't even get a chance. With Nkonkou he could have given DCL the service he needs. Unfortunately the manager seems to be falling into the trap of trusting old heads instead of young talent. I hope that changes for United or else we will lose again.

Christy Ring
916 Posted 02/11/2020 at 12:50:14
The injuries and suspensions are killing us, but Carlo's decisions haven't helped. We had no pace in midfield, Siggy and Gomes together, what has Siggy to do, to get dropped? I'm not defending Gomes, but he was playing completely out of position, and Delph was so slow. We were missing our two fullbacks, and Carlo brought off there replacements? How easy Fraser turned Mina, for the 2nd goal, where Kenny should have been? Against Newcastle, why play Calvert-Lewin as a loan figure upfont, and no pace whatsoever, with a 5 man midfield., We had no balance, starting Bernard and Gordon on both wings, would have put us on the front foot.
George Stuart
917 Posted 02/11/2020 at 13:06:20
Ok. The game that defies description.
First of all there was only one way that Newcastle team were ever score against a not great Everton team was if one of our players had a rush of blood to the head and gave away a penalty. Gomes fixed his sight on the ball from a piss weak corner, swung a desultory leg at it and was astonished some c**t jumped in front of him. No blame there. Apart from the referee.
Secondly, given that the game had opened up, their second goal was a peach. The little nipper that scampered away deserves a bonus £££. Fair play to him. He exposed what an indifferent player Mina is.
Delph? God, he buzzed around and did nothing. Maybe the make weight defensive player surrounded by class midfielders otherwise not good enough. Like his spirit. Make him a psychological coach.
Biggest mistake, Anchellotti's for playing Kenny and the French kid. It's not over for the French kid but it should be for Kenny. Devoid of guile and skill. Ponderous and predictable. Siggourdson ? Should stick to modeling. Easily the most tasty looking guy on the pitch. All that steaming Nordic angst. Did NOTHING. Repeat, NOTHING. As some one pointed out, constantly played balls behind moving players. For a professional, unforgivable. One screamer goal every eight(?) games is not good enough of a contribution.
I liked Bernard but really, how many times can you watch a player stand on the ball or have it come off his heel? Iowobie? Enigma.
Worth keeping.
Calviert-Lewin? Class. Never gave up.
Olsen ? From our squad ? Evertons number one. Specifically, didn't drop the ball at a strikers foot. Did well.
Tosen, blinked. Missed him. Allen was ok.
Way too many yellow cards. And why ?
They were shite.
Newcastle. Ooo. Will get religated.
Sorry for the spelling mistakes. Wine is to blame.
Pissed off.
Karl Meighan
918 Posted 02/11/2020 at 13:35:36
Whats killing us is conceding 2 goals a game, so in a way I can understand the team selection yesterday. Lets give them nothing, was working to a point until the dodgy pen imo. In saying that the challenge was poor defending.

Also the run of the ball and that bit of luck you need away when 4 of are better players this season were missing was never going to happen. After the Derby it wasn't going to be long before a decision or 2 went against us.

Going on the front foot and attacking them from the off may have been better tactics but the performance at Southampton put paid to that imo.

Matthew Williams
919 Posted 02/11/2020 at 13:36:00
To me, Gomes is a fucking liability. As soon as January comes round, we must bid for Cantwell at Norwich. How a player like that still playing in the Championship is beyond me!
Ben Attwood
920 Posted 02/11/2020 at 15:40:38
The last 2 performances have been totally unacceptable.

I know we had 4 starters out yesterday but I did not understand the team selection. Newcastle were set up defensively to soak up pressure and counter attack. We handed them the initiative from the get go. Their back 5 was under zero pressure all game. DCL received no support, was outnumbered and surrounded. We had 5 players all doing the same job in midfield. Cue lots of me to you sideways and backwards passing. No pace. No one taking the game to them. No one trying to get in behind.

Why not start with Bernard and/or Gordon instead of Gomes and Sigurdsson? Gomes and Sigurdsson should never be in the same XI btw.

The dodgy pen changed the game as until that point it had 0-0 written all over it.

Big game on Saturday.

Word on the refereeing - how come whenever we commit a foul it seems to be a yellow and yet the oppo have to commit 4 or 5 fouls to get one? I don't rate any of these refs.

Will Mabon
921 Posted 02/11/2020 at 17:14:36
Darren @ 905;

I can't disagree with any of that. I will add my oft-opined view that there's something more behind all this, a dyed in the wool, deeply ingrained cultural thing that frankly baffles me.

Somehow, through several managers, perhaps ordinary but different in their way, and despite a good number of personnel changes by now, this team conspires to produce a shite default performance given any excuse, that is so consistent in nature, it looks almost coached.

Supported only Everton my whole life so don't know the prevalence of this view by other fans of their own clubs. I do know such fans often have a less informed but similar overview of Everton as perennial under performers, nearly men - a head-patting take of a "Nice", non-threatening team.

Or at least they did. I don't remember such widespread condemnation of us or anyone else as a dirty team since Leeds in the 70s (OK Wimbledon). A thread yesterday on another site about a different match/team was unbelievable.

Exaggerated as it is, this aspect can stay for me. Great that we ruffled enough feathers in five games. If only we'd continued, at least with the endeavour - if not the results.

All but the best players will be ground down by this enigma within the walls. They look unfit, lethargic, lost, leaderless. Carlo alone will not fully fix it - nor will new signings, for any duration.

There is no spirit. There are no guts. That strange, esoteric "History" thing - and I will mention the RS. It's why they have done well in Europe (and expect to) in thirty years of not winning the league, with lesser teams than they have now. It's why they always beat us.

Behind it all, we are the polar opposite. I think we need to bring an exorcist in.

Rob Hooton
922 Posted 02/11/2020 at 18:06:16
Anthony Gordon must be wondering if he needs to leave the club to get any game time if the manager won’t pick him over the dross that played yesterday- he is the closest thing we have to Richy and has performed well when given minutes. I was shouting at the tv angrily yesterday with the subs, Carlo got this one wrong big time in my opinion.
Colin Malone
923 Posted 02/11/2020 at 18:26:15
Callum Wilson admitted he cheated and no one said nothing. Cheating bastard.
Sam Hoare
924 Posted 02/11/2020 at 18:28:28
It’s possible that the manager got things wrong but that players missing also had a big effect. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Anyone who thinks missing key players isn’t going to have consequences on performance needs their head examining. Of course it will.

To further demonstrate this point, that I’m surprised needs demonstrating, here’s something I just read:

Everton have created 68 chances in the Premier League this season. Forty-two of those 68 chances were created by players who weren’t in the starting XI this weekend.

Gerry Clarke
925 Posted 02/11/2020 at 18:40:58
Matthew @ 919. Totally agree re Todd Cantwell he really is a class act. I've no doubt he'll go on to be a full England international. Don't know what fee it would take for Norwich to let him go but at 22 years old he would be an investment. He would be a real creative force beside Allan and Decoure.
Martin Mason
926 Posted 02/11/2020 at 18:43:29
Is Anthony Gordon near to the level of Phil Foden or Mason Mount? I'd say he is a division below and that is the problem we have. We have a big gap between the first 11 and the squad and between the squad and the academy. We have no stairway to Heaven only a stairway to continued quality problems. Should we play our home bred players instead of thieves like Siggi and Delph? Absolutely.
Will Mabon
927 Posted 02/11/2020 at 18:44:45
Sam, missing players have their effect for sure. So do tactics, and the commitment of the team whoever's in there. When the best are out it seems, out goes the drive, the spirit, the football brains, all of it. That shouldn't be. Replacements are performing below what should be expected as a team I believe.

We aren't party to the team instructions etc. but I doubt Ancelotti anticipated such low energy flatness.

Martin Mason
928 Posted 02/11/2020 at 18:51:41
Darren@905, you need to learn the difference between causation and correlation. That Richarlison was in the side when we played badly doesn't mean that he caused the side to play badly.
Tommy Carter
929 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:13:50
Comparisons of Gordon to Richarlison are wide of the mark. It would be outrageous to expect AG to properly cover for the Brazilian. Richarlison is one of the outstanding forward players in this division. Whereas young Anthony Gordon has yet to score a senior goal.

That said, I would’ve started him on Sunday. And he should start this weekend as he is certainly more worthy of a place in our starting XI right now than Iwobi, Gomes and Sigurdsson.

Kenny continues to struggle at the top level. I’ve said it for an incredibly long time now but he is simply not good enough for a team with aspirations of top 6 PL finishes. However, with better support around him, it would less expose his complete inadequacies as he will give 100% which is a lot more than some others are giving.

It’s time for Yerry to leave the starting XI and I think Godfrey should be given a chance alongside Keane at Centre Back. It is his natural position and He deserves to come in and show us what he can do as much as Yerry deserves to come out on the back of him showing us what he can / cannot do.

Bernard, there is a place for the Brazilian currently as he is the only player who is fit in the squad who can remotely identify an opportunity to play between the lines and most importantly, play a pass forward.

Delph. He’s not a player I love but again, there’s a place for him currently. At present he must start ahead of Andre Gomes who is simply not performing. Injuries aside, re-watch his pre-injury performance away to Villa last season. The regularity of inept performance from him is a major concern.

An interring post above referred to Bolasie. I hadn’t even considered him but I absolutely agree, he can be no worse than a number of players who took to the field against Southampton and Newcastle. At least he does off some kind of forward thinking threat.

Personally for Utd I’d be looking at the following:

Olsen

Kenny Godfrey Keane Digne

Delph Allan

Doucoure

Bernard Gordon

DCL

Billy Roberts
930 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:27:25
On a side note ?
Can anyone explain to me how this thread has got to 930?
I've never seen a TW article get past 450 ?
Is it all our Rodriguez followers?
Genuinely puzzled by this.
What a miserable result, it was predictable which made it worse, a chance to knock Liverpool off the top yet we choke once again.
Losing the players we did depressingly left us back in old territory.
Brent Stephens
931 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:29:23
Billy I wonder if there’s something wrong with Michael K.
Darren Hind
932 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:30:27
It drives me mad, Will. We never seem to be able to get our stars aligned. I spend my days thinking "If only..."

If only we could have gotten Ancelotti in before we allowed fools to squander such fortunes on players they had no idea what to do with. If only we still had all that money to spend instead of being Hamstrung by Financial Fair Play.

People think I'm down on Carlo. I'm not. I think he is completely charming. I just think he is the wrong man for us. He is used to arriving at clubs that have lost their way. If only that was all that was wrong with us... We have been a complete basket case since the day and hour the Premier League was formed.

I think he likes it here and I'm beginning to suspect winning a trophy here would mean the world to him. But for me, he is a fish out of water.

The club has repeatedly tried to clean itself up from the outside in, but it is my deep-held belief that we will only ever succeed by doing it from the inside out. By asking those who already know where the problems lie to solve them.

On a more positive note, I have been hearing very heartening things about "Daddy's boy". From what I can gather, Davide is loving Finch Farm and is impressing everyone. Seems he has a lot more to offer than just having a famous dad. Maybe we will see some of his work coming to fruition as the season progresses.

It's gonna be a while before we challenge for the Title, Will, but I don't want to give up on the hope that we may land a cup or two while we are waiting.

Jeff Armstrong
933 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:43:21
Billy, I think it is because the live forum was down yesterday, this thread went Bismarck when the game was being played.
Dave Abrahams
934 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:47:22
Billy (930),Billy I think the simple explanation of this thread being so vast is because there was no “ Live Forum” for this game. If you look at most of the posts at the beginning of this thread they are mostly one liners, these are usually used on “ Live Forum”. So Live Forum, hopefully, will be back next week and the thread after the United game will be back to normal, depending on the result!!
Michael Kenrick
935 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:49:17
Lotsa things wrong with me, Brent (#931!! – are we going for the 1000 here or what?).

Moving house, everything takes 4 times longer than you think, while no Sky and no Broadband does slow me down a bit.

Still, finally here in a nice little place in the heart of the Blackdown Hills – An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty... or so I'm told. At least it was until we arrived!!

Darren Hind
936 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:50:41
Martin

I think its you who needs to understand the difference between cause and correlation.

Nobody suggested Richarlison was the cause of these bad performances.

Stan Schofield
937 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:51:04
It’s all very strange with Everton. In the first half-dozen games ToffeeWeb was full of praise for the existing players finally performing well given the presence of the new signings James, Doucoure and Allan. Lots of comments that finally, good organisation and spirit were all that was needed to get our act together, to produce sparkling football, score goals freely, and generally be taken notice of by the world of football.

Then we get the international break, and the derby, and all of a sudden we look almost back to last season, pretty much shite. Just like that, as if the first half-dozen games of togetherness had not existed. Don Carlo had suddenly gone from being the world-class Professor to being just like his recent predecessors destined to struggle.

Similar has happened before, so many times, at Everton, and it’s always a mystery, as if our falling off a cliff is inevitable but unfathomable. We seem to start off with such hope and expectation, that this time feels different, that we’re finally getting there, only for it to be dashed yet again. It’s so predictable, that immediately after the derby, I thought “That’s it, we’ve blown it again, shot ourselves in the foot, typical Everton”.

It does your head in, this constant cycle of being tantalisingly shown what can be achieved, and then being kicked in the face just when we think we’re onto to something big. I’m absolutely sick of it, but it’s not possible to get free of it. All you can do is soak in the disappointment, keep a stiff upper lip, and carry on.

Brent Stephens
938 Posted 02/11/2020 at 19:53:12
Good to hear you’re ok, Michael.
Roger Dangerfield
939 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:08:24
I've been an Everton supporter from a lad and I'm 75. I've seen some great teams over the years and I had a season ticket for well over 18 years till I moved from Liverpool to live in Newcastle 40 years ago. I'm very frustrated over the recent years with the following:

Our attacking approach is to slow and when we get into the opponent's area, we always go backwards. The biggest thing for me is the lack of urgency within the players and I'm sorry to say this, the quality of some players is not good enough.

We've had a great start and hopefully we will get the players back to winning again, but I hope I'm not witnessing the same old story: promises, promises. We now have great manager so don't let him down.
Filipe Torres
940 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:19:07
I have to say, Don Carlo chose the wrong starting eleven. If James can't play, Bernard has to start, he is the most similar player.

I can understand Iwobi for Richarlison, but Bernard is the only player with the same level of skill. Bernard on the right side could cut inside like James does, and do pinpoint passes to Digne, or whoever is playing on the left wing.

I'm pretty sure we would have kept the same level of performance and got a decent win had Bernard been picked.

The penalty decision is just a Sky Six cartel move, especially after the derby.

Jeff Armstrong
941 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:28:07
Watching Leicester v Leeds and the speed of football from both teams is immense, especially Leicester,what chance Gomes, Siggurdsen, Delph, Iwobi or Bernard getting in either of these pacy teams? Zero chance, they wouldn’t accommodate even one of them,and yet we play with all five snails some games.
Stephen Brown
942 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:31:32
For all the debate about players quality I still think we still lack players who hate losing! We could do with an 18 year old Rooney now! A snarling, horrible to play against pain in the arse!

We’re still too nice! Allan has potential to be nasty I’d say but having Sigurdsson as captain doesn’t help this aspect of play!
Holgate has potential for this too ?!

Stan Schofield
943 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:36:14
Jeff@941: Leeds and Leicester are shite, tedious football, not to be emulated, and their marathon runners are to make up for a lack of skill.

When Everton were playing well, before the international break, we were making the ball do the work, Rodriguez in particular showing masterful touches that can change a game, without the need to be a greyhound.

We need to restore that form and style, a style that was a refreshing change from the turgid gegenpressing shit that has become so predominant in the Premier League. I wonder how much of this cross country running shit is drug fueled?

Billy Roberts
944 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:42:52
Jeff & Dave @ posts 1005 and 1048 !!
Thanks for the replys, yes that makes sense.
A strange monday was getting stranger!!
Can't get my head around the Fulham game starting at 5:30 or something on a Monday afternoon wtf ?? But in a world where I have to go on a website to log on so I can buy a jacket potato in a pub so I can have a pint without my friends I suppose it all makes sense.
Jeff Armstrong
945 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:44:37
Stan, so you wouldn’t swap the 5 I’ve mentioned for Vardy, Barnes, Tielemans,Mendez and Praet?(ok maybe not Praet , he is shite) to actually add pace and then compliment the likes of Rodríguez, DCL, Allan Doucoure,
I know I would.

Btw shite Leicester are currently second!

Stan Schofield
946 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:48:21
Jeff, no I wouldn’t. Vardy is an overly aggressive and cheating carthorse. An ugly facet of football. PIf Everton relied on shit like that, I would pack in watching.
Nicholas Ryan
947 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:53:32
Mina. if only he was!!
Jeff Armstrong
948 Posted 02/11/2020 at 20:54:28
Stan your still watching OUR shite though?
Vardy more of a racehorse than cart horse, leave that description to the likes of Billy Whitehurst and Bernie Wright!
Stan Schofield
949 Posted 02/11/2020 at 21:00:02
Jeff, we’ve been shite the last three games, and I don’t wish to watch shite like that, just as I don’t wish to watch shite like Leicester. But I did enjoy watching Everton prior to the international break, because our style was slick, elegant, entertaining and effective. That’s what we need to regain, not the ugliness of sides like Leicester. But if you enjoy watching the likes of Leicester, crack on mate.
Jeff Armstrong
950 Posted 02/11/2020 at 21:01:18
Come on you Blues
Stan Schofield
951 Posted 02/11/2020 at 21:09:11
Jeff, I’ll second that.

But since you mention Bernie Wright, that was a low point in our signing of a player. My reference point to aim for is Ball, Harvey and Kendall, and not mediocrity at the level of Leicester or Bernie Wright.

Soren Moyer
952 Posted 02/11/2020 at 21:09:36
Matthew Williams. Agree on Cantwell. Get him in before RS go for him. Remember when James Maddison was available but we went for Sigurdsson for more than double of what Leicester paid for him?

Laurie Hartley
953 Posted 02/11/2020 at 21:42:31
Stan 937 - don’t throw the towel in on us yet. I am as disappointed as you - we were terrible against Newcastle but it would have been different outcome if Coleman, Digne, Richarlison, & Rodrigues had played.

Mike Oates
954 Posted 02/11/2020 at 21:47:34
Where was Godfrey !, why Branthwaite before him.
Joe McMahon
955 Posted 02/11/2020 at 21:58:06
Stan, I'm not a fan as Vardy as a person, but he scores, and Leicester are a good outfit, with some very good players. For perspective he has scored over 100 PL goals in less than 200 appearances. the only Everton players anywhere near that kind of strike rate (as far as I know in the past 50 years) were Latchford, Lineker (in a season) and Lukaku.
Stan Schofield
956 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:02:04
Joe, that’s true, but he’s a cheat, and gets away with it. Constantly in the faces of officials. I wouldn’t want the likes of him anywhere near Everton. His style would suit Liverpool, because they’re cheating cross-country runners with a win-at-all-costs attitude that is ruining football.

Compare the likes of Vardy with DCL, who is the opposite of a cheat, and much more skilled. That’s what we want at Everton. The football we were playing only a month ago.

Joe McMahon
957 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:06:08
Agree Stan 100%, but Everton have been lacking in the win-at-all-costs attitude for decades, and it's why we don't actually achieve anything.
Stan Schofield
958 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:12:49
Joe, we want a winning attitude, not a win-at-all-costs attitude. The latter makes football not worth watching, and that would include Everton if we got up to the tricks of the Leicesters and Liverpools of this world.
Jeff Armstrong
959 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:17:00
Hmmmmm who are the current perceived thugs of the premiership?
err let me think
Sam Hoare
960 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:20:19
Worth pointing our that Leicester managed to beat (thrash?) Leeds despite missing Ndidi, Pereira, Soyuncu, Castagne,, Amartey etc

They have managed to build a very impressive and young squad with less money (just about) than us. Very well run club.

Stan Schofield
961 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:28:43
Jeff, is that supposed to be rhetorical? You joining in with the media propaganda?

Sam, are you seriously admiring Leicester? Is that a benchmark you would look for in Everton? Leicester, ffs!

Jason Wilkinson
962 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:33:29
Over the years I have seen some (on paper) piss poor Everton teams. I have also seen the reverse. Most of you on here wouldn't argue that the '85 side was possibly the best team since the days of Kendall, Harvey & Ball. Cast your minds back to those heady days. Dont remember the Bayern game or the 4-1 demolition of Sunderland. Try to remember the horrible 1-0 wins where we ground it out. There were plenty.
What made that side great wasnt any individual. Nor was it that we had the best 11 in the division. It was hard graft. A will to win. Comradeship and pride.
Apart from one or two. The vast majority of our squad don't look like they give a monkeys when we lose. I know the game has changed but pride and commitment hasn't. I hate to say it but the RS do have these qualities and that is why they were last seasons champions.
Until we can find that one player who wont put up with his colleagues being mediocre then we will be also rans. I believe Andy Gray was that character back then. Along with Reidy and Rats.
A Roy Keane is what's required. Someone the rest of them are scared to let down.
In short WE'RE TOO F@@KING NICE.
Shane Corcoran
963 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:46:08
What's wrong with what Leicester are doing Stan?
Stan Schofield
964 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:48:57
Jason@962: You’re right about the mid-80s Everton. But I would disagree with the remarks about the current Everton. Prior to the last two games, we had all those ingredients of unity, cohesion and comradeship (in addition to style and fluid football). But when the cohesion goes tits up, the unity and comradeship can appear to evaporate when in fact things just aren’t gelling and players are frustrated.

That’s the frustration now, that we were showing all the right qualities until the last two games. The trick is to regain the cohesion, then the team spirit is self-generating.

Jason Wilkinson
965 Posted 02/11/2020 at 22:57:02
Stan,
I didnt see anyone hurt walking off the pitch during the last two games. It needs to mean more.
Stan Schofield
966 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:00:06
Jason, we’ve got enough players hurt! Do you want more?!
Tom Bowers
967 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:07:01
We are a long way from that team of the eighties unfortunately but the game has changed so much tactically. These days it's all about survival and by that I mean the monotonous keep-ball syndrome.

The teams that do it the best and have some class strikers will continue to rule.

Unfortunately Everton are still trying to find that happy medium and after that fairly decent start we have fallen flat again.

The last three weekends have seen three mediocre performances despite the draw against RS.

Not getting the opposition behind the eight ball early has been a problem. All three teams scored first and the last two teams scored first and second ! The rash undisciplined challenge by Richarlison may be some excuse for what has happened since offensively but there is no excuse for the rest of the team not being a tight unit. The midfield has failed miserably to establish any real control and sadly is reminiscent of what the team was doing last season.

Well paid professionals like Siggy, Gomes and Iwobi are just not up to snuff and although Seamus, Luca and James are missing these other guys should be able to hold up their end of things.

Now, it may well be that Carlo just can't cut it anymore despite his successes at other clubs and if he can't turn the tide soon then it's back to mid-table again.

It would be nice to think that with Richarlison only having one more game to serve, Tosun fit and maybe Gbamin coming in that the tide will turn but our optimism always disappears too soon.

Surely the next game against Manure will be lot better.

Jason Wilkinson
968 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:07:46
Stan,
I meant emotionally hurt. Angry, upset.
Whilst I'm having my rant. I don't like the antics from Mina. I would rather see him stick the nut on an opponent than feign injury when he was tapped in the midriff with a football.
I know that there is gamesmanship these days but it stinks.
Jason Wilkinson
969 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:07:46
Stan,
I meant emotionally hurt. Angry, upset.
Whilst I'm having my rant. I don't like the antics from Mina. I would rather see him stick the nut on an opponent than feign injury when he was tapped in the midriff with a football.
I know that there is gamesmanship these days but it stinks.
Eddie Dunn
970 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:16:23
Jason, the man is an embarrassment.
Jason Wilkinson
971 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:21:33
Eddie, Stan.
I'm not condoning getting sent off. Nor hurting an opponent. I want to see Everton footballers rub it in by playing 100%. Coming off the pitch with no more to give. We were shite at times under Dour Davey. However. I loved the commitment.
Geoff Lambert
972 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:30:01
Win on Sat and we are back on top. only 3 games in November we play utd on Sat which I can see us winning and the little assassin getting the boot. the rest of the month all the other teams around us play each other.
Mick Davies
973 Posted 02/11/2020 at 23:54:09
Some idiotic comments on here about the manager; had to stop reading them, so sorry if I repeat someone else's post. Carlo has been here for a year, and really only had one transfer window to help change this awful squad of useless down-and-outs. He's also had to face what no Everton manager ever has: a global pandemic and complete lockdown within months of joining us.

Yet already, he has – with minimal recruitment – made us a much more formidable outfit at any time since Bob's first season. The bizarre and rapid deterioration of our squad, losing most of our best players at once, has been disastrous and is unprecedented in my memory so early in the season. This has resulted in having to promote players he doesn't really trust, and probably hasn't expected to have in the first team.

He set up to counter the pace of the Skunks' attack – probably because he couldn't predict how the garbage from last season would play. He's spent his managerial life working with top-class players, and I would bet that he has never witnessed shite like Gomes, Siguurdson, Iwobi etc at the top level. We can get away with carrying one or 2 players, but not 5 or 6.
Let me give an analogy: I am confident that if Lewis Hamilton was put in a shitty banger similar to mine, and we raced around a housing estate, I'd leave him standing, and that's what happens when a top-class coach has to work with 3rd rate tools.

Now let's pack the knee jerk criticism of the present boss, and just look at who has been running (ruining) this club for decades i.e. that fat tory cunt in the boardroom who has made a fortune out of this club, and given nothing back. He's responsible for allowing crap managers to bring in useless mercenaries for top wedge while praising them for keeping us in the top flight. He is the reason there hasn't been any ambition at this club for decades, and now Farhad has started making his own decisions, it looks like we are a club moving up... but it won't happen overnight.

Will Mabon
974 Posted 03/11/2020 at 00:15:53
"Let me give an analogy: I am confident that, if Lewis Hamilton was put in a shitty banger similar to mine and we raced around a housing estate, I'd leave him standing."


Mick, trust me, you really, really wouldn't, by a margin that would stun you. Choose another analogy!

Geoff Lambert
975 Posted 03/11/2020 at 00:38:21
Will! I hope you keep your car keys safe. You have not seen Mick going round our council estate.
Stan Schofield
976 Posted 03/11/2020 at 07:57:02
Jason@969: OK, I understand what you mean. But just have a look on the faces of our players, and see the difference between those faces when we struggle (like in the last two games) and when we play well (like up to the derby match).

I have never agreed with this idea that they don't give a shit (apart from the isolated occasions when a player might want out). I believe that when they gel, everything becomes easier and they enjoy their football and camaraderie, and we do too. But when they don't gel, they struggle, there's less economy of effort, things don't come off, they don't enjoy their football, and neither do we. It's simple human nature.

Stan Schofield
977 Posted 03/11/2020 at 08:10:57
Shane@963: Sorry, I didn't mean not to reply. I think my answer to your question is encompassed by the earlier comments I made about Leicester's style. It's not what we want at Everton, we want far more than that.
Martin Mason
978 Posted 03/11/2020 at 08:18:22
Sam@960, I agree about Leicester and yes I'd love to see Everton play with their shape, skill, work rate and consistency. If there is one Manager I'd swap Carlo for it would be Rogers.
Hugh Jenkins
979 Posted 03/11/2020 at 08:51:39
Tommy (929) - I'm not 100% certain on this, but I think we have named our "squad" for the season to the EPL and cannot now alter it (by bringing in a senior player like Bolasie) until after the next transfer window. We can add to it with "home grown players" who have come through our academy - but that is it-as I understand the current rules, until after the next transfer window.

If I am wrong I trust that someone on the site, who is more knowledgable than m, will let us know.

Joe McMahon
980 Posted 03/11/2020 at 10:05:37
Mick, sorry but Hamilton would beat you no matter what you were driving. Quality, skill and determination always wins.
Graham Lloyd
981 Posted 03/11/2020 at 10:09:03
Wow - 980+ comments!

I can kind of see the logic where Carlo came up with that midfield. In his post-match he pretty much said they were set up not to concede and bar for the rather odd penalty, it was succeeding to that point. Once we concede then the odds of getting one back is pretty low with that line up.

I don't undertand why Bernard and Iwobi came on before Gordon after they scored. It must be something they see in training that we don't as I was sure he would start on the left. I thought Bernard was, ok, but with little impact in the final third. Iwobi just seems to be going backwards and needs a break for now.

No clean sheets since the first game is a worry on the surface. But looking at the teams that have, I was surprised (Wolves 4, Villa/Chelsea/Saints 3). It's been a high scoring start to the season with very few clean sheets.

Richard Mason
982 Posted 03/11/2020 at 10:19:56
To be honest, I don't know what's happened to last 2 games. Every game before that, I felt even when we conceded a goal we were always gonna score more. There was no fear, swift passing (forward) and direct football.

I know we were missing 4 first teamers but I'm sorry any player coming in to replace should be playing with the same mindset and fit into our new style of play.

The experience (except for neils) that Everton had on show should have had enough for Newcastle.

I love Everton but boy did they depress me the weekend, it's hard enough been in lockdown just wish Everton would get back winning to help with it

Dave Abrahams
983 Posted 03/11/2020 at 10:22:07
I think most fans were happy with the team before the Derby game but quite a few, on here, were saying about the mistakes that cost goals “ it doesn’t matter because we are scoring more at the other end of the pitch” or words to that effect. We are still making those mistakes in defence, by all of the defenders, but not scoring at the other end, the defence is not good enough even when we have our strongest team playing.
Chris Williams
984 Posted 03/11/2020 at 10:32:49
Mina’s error for their second goal, out of position, wide right and on the wrong side of the attacker, is one he has made at least once before.

Carlo referred to errors post match. This was probably in his mind

11 goals conceded in 7 games, many self inflicted, is too many and over a season that rate will not lead to a good final position.

Brian Harrison
985 Posted 03/11/2020 at 10:33:27
The trouble with this squad is we don't have many players who posses a passionate will to win. Most seem to lack self motivation, and thats why the majority of this squad have over the last couple of seasons have one of the worst records of away results and not being able to come from behind in games. I mean the Iwobi signing was strange I thought, here was a player who struggled to get into a struggling Arsenal side, and having watched him since he has been here you can see why he wasnt a regular at Arsenal. Mina another who couldnt get a game at Barcelona, and again you can see why he didnt get selected very often as he always looks as he will make a mistake that often leads to a goal. Gomes another who couldnt get into the Barca side. Now I know Barca usually have a better class of player than we do and its harder for players to break into their team, but other than Digne the other ex Barca players have all seemed to have lacked something. Even Deloufeu who I liked was still very inconsistent.
Sam Hoare
986 Posted 03/11/2020 at 11:07:11
Stan@961, of course i'm admiring Leicester! Are you not?! They won the league a few years back with little resources and have become a better contender for the top 4 than us despite spending less.

They currently sit above us despite our excellent start and despite the fact that they are missing alot of first teamers. They have a team with lots of young talent (Maddison, Barnes, Fofana, Tielemans, Ndidi, Justin, Under, Soyuncu, Castagne etc) who will only get better over the next few years.

Think them and Wolves have shown the way to do it for mid-table clubs with aspiration. We have not!

Andrew Clare
987 Posted 03/11/2020 at 11:19:38
Ancelotti does not manage by inspiration or passion or motivation. He is a manager that requires top players to makes his plans work. So until he has recruited fully we will not see the full picture.
Duncan Ferguson as manager probably would have won against Newcastle because the players would have been highly motivated.
Eventually that style of management fades whereas Ancelotti’s style endures as long as he has a full quota of top class players.
As said above most of the players we have signed have failed to make it at the top level simply because they are not good enough.
Stan Schofield
988 Posted 03/11/2020 at 12:02:14
Sam986: No I don’t admire Leicester at all, they’re a midtable club with a once-in-a-lifetime league title. And they’re cheating bastards like Liverpool. Everton’s aim is to be a top club, and a consistent one, not the likes of Leicester.
Tony Everan
989 Posted 03/11/2020 at 12:10:26
More Midfield Issues

I would add that a successful team now has to pay at an intense and very high tempo. Ponderous possession midfield is dead. A midfield now needs zip, energy, tenacity speed of thought and forward passing. It needs an electric tempo.

Chelsea, Southampton, Leicester, RS, Man City, Tottenham even Leeds all play at a massively higher tempo than us. They all have fast accurate passing (a quality that doesn’t get talked about enough) and rapid closing down.

Since that opening win with our fully fit team we have been lacking it, the squad players seem not to be not willing to put in the graft in training that makes players puke. They need to match these other teams for hunger, tempo and closing down or we are going nowhere fast.

The other teams mentioned have the midfielders who are naturally able to do it or have been trained and conditioned physically to the limit, by their training staff and a dedicated regime to achieve it.

Something is amiss with the training and conditioning of Gomes, Delph, Sigurdsson. They need to be fed raw meat and be 20% fitter. In their current state they are not fit enough or hungry enough to start matches.

They cannot be allowed to get away with this ‘comfort zone coasting’ , it’s costing us. They make think they are super fit, but it’s all relative isn’t it ?, to the midfielders you are coming up against.

Sam Hoare
990 Posted 03/11/2020 at 12:23:04
Stan, if you don't admire a team that can come up from a decade in the Championship to win the Premier League within two seasons and establish themselves as a top ten team with the young talent to launch a sustained attempt on the top 4, all whilst banking over £250 m from having to sell their 'best' players; then who do you admire?

Of course there are bigger clubs but most of them have financial resources and operations that we cannot match.

Don't really see how you can possibly contest the idea that Leicester are a very well run club; which is what I said in my original post.

Stan Schofield
991 Posted 03/11/2020 at 12:31:27
Sam@990: I admire Man City. I see them as the modern-day equivalent of our 69-70 title-winning side. Money is a necessary but insufficient condition to achieve that level consistently rather than once-in-a-lifetime. In my lifetime I’ve seen us win 8 trophies, and I want that quality and consistency again. The liked if Leicester don’t even enter into such considerations.
Richard Mason
992 Posted 03/11/2020 at 12:42:51
Just read an ancelloti interview, regarding Tosun.

It's what he said at the end that worries me.

If it wasn't for the penalty at Newcastle it would have been 0-0 which would have been a good result.

Is this the message he relayed onto his players before kick off

Sam Hoare
993 Posted 03/11/2020 at 12:45:03
Stan, each to their own I suppose, but i'm far more impressed by teams who can upset the apple cart against the odds than those who buy their way to success.

Either way Everton are far closer to Leicester's situation than Man City currently. I think most on here would be delighted with a one off title win at this point!

Stan Schofield
994 Posted 03/11/2020 at 13:54:21
Sam, I agree, we would be delighted with a title win. But preferably in the City style rather than the workmanlike Leicester style, and preferably with much less cheating (ideally none at all) than Leicester get up to. Whatever, Leicester is not and should never be a role model for Everton.
Derek Thomas
995 Posted 03/11/2020 at 14:10:25
Richard @ 992; I would have taken 0-0, it wouldn't have helped us in real terms as the damage was done at Southampton, but that's hindsight.

Another 0-0 (I'll take a win too) this week will keep us in the mix and off we go again after the break...one game at a time.

Joe McMahon
996 Posted 03/11/2020 at 14:28:02
Stan where have you been? Man City get just many soft penalties as as Liverpool and in fact all the other Sky/BBC darlings. The name Harry Kane = penalty.

The bias of it all is in the days of playing at Maine Rd they got as many penalties as we Everton do now.

Justin Doone
997 Posted 03/11/2020 at 14:42:29
To defend our defenders, when in possession of the ball they need options. Very rarely was anything on.

Without good forward options they fall back on tactics as issued by the coaches / manager.

So, our less skilful players are responsible to either play it forward (a punt as no obvious options) or play it sideways and backwards to keep possession, (encouraging opposition to close us down or stay in shape).

It's this phase of play that we have failed to improve on until James came along. He drags defenders out of position and creates space for others. This is simply down to his clever movement and talent on and off the ball.

Bernard is the only other player who tries to do this. He's not near James's level so opposition or less likely to be worried or break shape.

We need more energy and movement from the forwards when in possession. We need a game plan that simplifies it for our defenders to play forward.

Otherwise get big Dunc on and go route one.

Stan Schofield
998 Posted 03/11/2020 at 14:46:57
Joe, yes, I know that. Cheating is rife, but Liverpool are particularly adept at it, always have been since Shankly, and Leicester (who are a sort of Liverpool lite) are also particularly unpleasant. The saving grace with City is that they play superb football, in contrast to workmanlike Liverpool and Leicester.

Leeds circa 1970 were cheating dirty bastards, but they also played great football. We, on the other hand, played even greater football without the nastiness. That’s what we need to aim for now.

Jay Harris
999 Posted 03/11/2020 at 14:50:03
Justin,
It would help if we had players forward instead of a static MF and fullbacks.

Nobody pushed up at all vs Newcastle that is why we should have had someone like Gordon making runs and pulling their defence apart instead of Siggy who stands like a lamppost

WE know we cant keep a clean sheet so we might as well go for it..

Rob Halligan
1001 Posted 03/11/2020 at 15:25:44
Ooops, pressed submit by mistake. Still at least I'm the 1000th post!!
Alan McGuffog
1002 Posted 03/11/2020 at 15:47:30
Quite right Stan though I recall Howard saying years later that if a team wanted a football match we'd give it them. If they wanted a war ( or words to that effect ) we'd oblige.
And of course we had Johnny Morrisey...say no more
Tony Everan
1003 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:10:59
Stan 998

Salah looked like he had been electrocuted by a taser a few moments after the West Ham lad touched him. If that isn’t blatantly deceiving the referee I don’t know what is.

There is a reason Liverpool cheat, it’s because for some reason they always get away with it. It’s like they have a get out of Jail free card when things aren’t going their way.

Stan Schofield
1004 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:14:53
Exactly Alan, play to be fair but take no shit. Morrissey told Charlton he could put him in his little black book, after Charlton had tried to take him out but came off the worse for wear. Similarly, Giles and Bremner couldn’t handle either the skill or physicality (when it was warranted) of Ball, Harvey and Kendall.
Will Mabon
1005 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:20:31
Rob, that was cheating worthy of the RS for that 1,000th post.

Thing is, this is Everton, so there will be no cup.

Rob Halligan
1006 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:26:44
Tony, how Salah has never had a red card for his continuous theatrical dives, or even a retrospective ban, is beyond me. The way he goes down always reminds me of those westerns when you see a cowboy killed by an arrow, who slowly falls to the ground with his back arched before falling forwards, arms and legs spread eagled. It really is comical to see. Sooner or later some referee is going to punish him, and then just watch Bingo go ape shit.
Rob Halligan
1007 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:28:02
So Will, was a genuine mistake!!
Will Mabon
1008 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:28:31
Tony, penalty or not, Salad's "Work" was cheating as overt as you'll see.

Repercussions? No, tumbleweed...

John Pierce
1009 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:32:40
A lot of debate about the penalties in particular this weekend and the players who drew them. In general penalties are on the rise, roughly coinciding with the heralded arrival of VAR and given an extra bump with the lack of fans in the stadium.

There has been a psychological shift in both the players and referees.

Without the cauldrons of English football stadia every noise and action is seen more keenly, the players are exploiting it, the referee’s are more inclined to give it. Mix in the VAR has now reduced contact in the box to a binary call it’s not hard to see the knock on.

If I were Salah, Kane or Wilson I’d eke out every chance I’d get. The scream of pain now unmasked without the ‘hubbub’ fans is more likely to factor in to a referee’s (wrongly) decision, and if it comes down to VAR the contextual things we all use to rationalize a call are removed. Was there contact? Yes, so Salah and Wilson get their penalty and it wouldn’t be overturned. Kane’s is a different matter, let’s not digress.
Mix in that a dive (YC offence) cannot be assessed by VAR then player trying to win a penalty now has the nap hand.

It’s one on the eye for those who believe in a purer game, I’m sure Tony Abrahams is cursing as we speak! Sorry Tony! Sadly the game isn’t going backwards only forwards.

So what of Everton, well simply we have to get in the box and go down when there’s contact, and exacerbate it. Get practicing lads!

Will Mabon
1010 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:47:55
John, maybe now more than ever it really is a game, rather than a match.

I'd rather not go down the "Get with it" route. It's not about believing the game should be a certain way, it's about what football is supposed to be, and everyone knows what that is. It's a very poor evolution that shouldn't be encouraged.

David Cooper
1011 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:48:54
Tony Everan (989) has hit the nail on the head when talking about our midfield. Talented they may be but and athletic (except Doucoure) and young they are not. Not one of our midfield 5 against NUFC were under 25.
Age should not be something to categorize players by but if we had older players who had speed of thought and foot it would not be a question. I think Doucoure is 26. If you look at any of the top 10 teams in the Premier League they all have U25 in their teams. Given how successful our Academy has been why have we not developed those types of players. Neither Barkley or Davies have speed.
Justin Doone
1012 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:53:22
Your only a cheater if you get caught, otherwise it's clever play.

I agree we do appear to get more decisions against us than for us. I think this is partly down to the perceived attacking intent, or in our case a lack of it.

If your defenders have more time on the ball or a team is often left chasing back, I think unintentional bias goes in favour of the attacking player.

VAR will not help unless it's in and around the penalty area. So we appear to give away more free kicks because our players are out of position, make mistakes in losing the ball, chasing back or not clever enough.

To say we are to nice or do not cheat is simply wrong. All players commit fouls, all players try and get away with it and sadly more and more players blatently cheat by 'diving'.

The problem is VAR shows this as clever play, attacking player's initiating contact or slow / stop momentum to ensure contact. It's still a dive in my book but apparently the rules allow it.

So moan and disagree but our players and coaches need to wise up. Ric probably does it to often, but he's getting away with it more, therfore cheating less (somehow). I don't like it but advantages are there to be won through clever play.

Allowing this to continue spoils the game. But it appears referees have stopped booking player's for diving. If this is allowed to continue why would players stop? It's like robbing the bank of a 50 note at monopoly, too easy.. oops!

Will Mabon
1013 Posted 03/11/2020 at 16:54:47
Barkley has always been a curious divider of opinion in this area, David. Whatever he is, he is not slow. Running forwards with the ball, a match for most. Davies, I agree.
Brian Harrison
1014 Posted 03/11/2020 at 17:03:42
I wonder what will be the make up of this team come the middle of Jan, yes quite a few months away I know. But I would be absolutely amazed if we didnt make a couple of additions in Jan and I think Ancelotti will want quality not just squad players. Without Richarlison and James there is nobody at the club who can give DCL any help, although I am hopeful that Gordon starts on Saturday. The stats state we have never won a league game if Richarlison hasnt played, so who could we bring in who could if Richarlison is out do a similar job. For me there is only 1 stand out candidate thats Wilfrid Zaha. He takes players on has pace and scores goals, he has practically singlehandedly kept Palace were they are. Plus he does this while opposing teams sometimes double up on man marking him. I would love to see him on one wing Richarlison on the other and DCL in the middle, with the maestro James in the number 10 role pulling the strings. Maybe we could suggest to Palace you can take Tosun who they had on loan plus any of Gomes or Sigurdsson and possibly Bolasie all surplus to requirements.
Also buy a Centre Forward as I don't think Kean will come back here somehow. We have got the choice of 2 quick young Centre backs in Godfrey and Holgate who could play together or possibly partner Keane if needed, which means we can sell Mina as well. So we could get in 2 top quality players and use the deadwood in part exchange or just sell them to offset the cost of improving the team.
John Pierce
1015 Posted 03/11/2020 at 17:05:59
Will I couldn’t agree with you more. Far from encouraging it I just want Everton to be equal to it. I’m not promoting it or actually giving the position I posted my endorsement just that we need to get wise or like many things we will get left behind.
Brian Wilkinson
1016 Posted 03/11/2020 at 17:10:09
We have one final game before Richarlison is back from his ban, one final game to give Gordon a starting place in the team.

I am just baffled as to why Gordon has not been given a better chance, has always impressed when he has come on.

Surely after the last 2 matches, he has to give Gordon a starting place, or the very worst bring him on as a sub.

The only one who will go past players and also make forward runs, so why on the last few games, have we left him on the bench.

Will Mabon
1017 Posted 03/11/2020 at 17:13:07
It's not easy, John. A choice between join the party or be a lone (losing?) voice in the wind. Not much is above gaming today, would be nice to see football try to retain its roots.
David Cooper
1018 Posted 03/11/2020 at 17:34:09
Will as regards Barkley, agree with you about going forward with the ball. Not so sure about other parts of a midfielder’s job description. Tracking back, covering space, tackling and winning the ball?
Kieran Kinsella
1019 Posted 03/11/2020 at 17:40:49
Will/John

I feel like cheating is worse this year also because of the pandemic and financial ramifications. Players being asked to take wage cuts etc. Champions league could be the difference between a lucrative new contract and no contract. Case in point Pogba. The BBC report that he favors a move to Madrid but Madrid can't afford him. His alternative is a lucrative deal at United but United are wary of committing unless Champions League is assured. So there's is probably real and or implied pressure to do whatever it takes to get an edge whether it is diving, shirt tugging, time wasting etc. The frustrating thing is the inequality. Niasse gets a ban for "diving" while Callum Wilson publicly boasts about it and there's no action. The other issues is handballs. They have adjusted the interpretation after the early games but conceivably points earned by Everton, Palace, Newcastle early on with "ball to hand" could make a difference at the season's end. Other teams having similar "ball to hand" experiences won't have the benefit of a penalty. Seems unfair to me to change rules mid campaign.

Will Mabon
1020 Posted 03/11/2020 at 18:02:28
David, now we're talking mental vs physical... and that's been more than well discussed when Barkley was here! I was just saying that I feel he's quite fast though some think not.
Will Mabon
1021 Posted 03/11/2020 at 18:19:58
Keiran,

seems everything is moving gradually toward a state of flux with the rules, more change, more responses etc. You're right, it can have marked effects. Remember when changes only came in with a new season. Might help if they actually applied them too. Niasse as you mention, and one other player I can't remember, then... nothing more. I just read Callum Wilson's words too. As for the squeals when kicked...

Pogba; has there ever been a more entitled footballer (or employee of any sort)? Would be nice to go a fortnight without hearing yet more permutations about the future and options of this hugely coveted, ever-pursued elite football asset - and yet he's still at United, having used his talents to any real impact in maybe half a dozen games.

John Pierce
1022 Posted 03/11/2020 at 18:44:58
Will/Kieran,

I've long whinged about the rules and their suitability for technology, what we are seeing is bunch of unintended consequences because VAR fundamentally don't fit with the rules as they are currently written.

I'm by trade a guy who can create systems for companies through SAP, Citrix etc. which are basically interfaces, each change has to be user tested from beginning to end and using the most bizarre scenarios to ensure durability and nothing unintended happens.

VAR hasn't been had enough user acceptance testing in IT parlance, those who have created it haven't thought through enough scenarios or looked at how the system will be exploited. The rules don't neatly fold into as series of binary answers to give you a result, so it's ripe for exploitation. There have been no, that's zero, YC for simulation this season. Strike you as odd? Well the only way that's happening is if there is absolutely no contact, and its called in real time, any review will be of the foul and not the simulation, as players only really dive in the box there is little to no risk.

It's a huge flaw, sadly one we need to exploit until they close it.


David Cooper
1023 Posted 03/11/2020 at 18:48:37
No problem Will! A more interesting question might be would we welcome him back?
Eddie Dunn
1024 Posted 03/11/2020 at 19:34:33
John, very interesting, and I bet the boneheads in the FA/PL won't have even thought about it in that way.
Will Mabon
1025 Posted 03/11/2020 at 19:43:20
David, I'm not going near that one!

John, I'm not going near the human-technology interface either, nor how it plays out/can be played out, we could be here for days. SAP, that takes me back; twenty-plus years ago SAP, mind!

Will Mabon
1026 Posted 03/11/2020 at 20:04:42
Geoff @ 975;


thanks for the heads-up - will review my vehicle security.

Allan Board
1027 Posted 03/11/2020 at 22:27:17
Read through the comments and I understand the frustration of some. However, the 4 lads missing are responsible for the majority of our chances created. We should all, by now realise that the majority of our bench isn't up to much, which will be changed in January and next summer resulting in continuity when injuries /suspensions occur.
Ancelloti will make sure this happens, bringing in the players required and ditching the dross. We have started better than I ever imagined and even accounting for 3 wins in the Cup, it's still 7 wins out of 10. That's 70 % win ratio!
Our 2 full backs provide crosses and Digne is a great out ball for the switched diagonal. Coleman has looked somewhere back to his old self, for which he and the staff need much praise. Richarlison is an out ball anywhere across the pitch and is our road runner as well as creating for DCL. Once he starts scoring again nobody in this league will stop us from scoring. As for Rodriguez, well, he is just a privilege to see in an Everton shirt and needs to be nursed carefully.
All 4 operate as a pivotal unit for our team, cleverly put together by Ancelloti to operate as one.
Get our best players back and the wins will return.
Let's give the manager another year to sort the dross out folk's!
Justin Doone
1028 Posted 03/11/2020 at 22:49:18
Barkley, Zaha, no but oh why them (again)?

Both have certain qualities that appeal, pace, strength, skill and have Premier league experience.

Non of that matters because they lack energy, desire, a never give up attitude the top players have. They have proven that they are good player's but no better.

Both are inconsistent and ultimately fail to make the right pass, run or movement throughout game's as they have throughout their careers.

I'm still waiting for then to mature and fulfill their potential. Sadly it gets no better than their current play.

Yes Barkley is fast but not lightning quick. He lacks stamina and energy to match. Zaha has quicker acceleration but probably not much faster in terms of top speed. I think Zaha has better stamina too.


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