Frustrated Ancelotti criticises Everton's lack of spirit

He is now finding out why most of these players have failed to win things in the past.

How many times did the next match mean that Everton would advance up the table, only to find that most of the players couldn't be bothered. Ancelotti was put on the back foot by Bruces midfield tactics , though. Not enough competition for places , players thinking they will get playing in rotation is another problem.

The only way Newcastle were going to get a result gains us todwas to out battle us and fight for everything. Our set up allowed them to do that with ease.

We are not Man City, we have to battle for the right to win. Only winning the battles will allow the likes of James to shine. Playing too many lightweights in midfield killed us.

As Dave above says, get the hard bastards Godfrey and Holgate. Get some energy back into the side.

Why do I sit and watch teams like Fulham that are in the bottom three play football fast, and commit men trying to score goals despite being a clearly limited side?

Is it all just about the players or is it also down to how the manager sets them up?

Can we not commit five of six men at home to Newcastle and try and score?

Why bring Gomes on for Iwobi instead of pushing Richarlison next to DCL going two up top and take Sigurdsson off and replace him with Gordon on the left?

I'm not gonna sit here and start criticism of a manager that in the past has won endless silverware, but there are times when I wonder if his tactics and setup is just too old school now for the way the British game is played.

The Premier League now, it's fast and it's furious yet we still play the games in slow motion, when do we ever look fit and ramped up?

We keep saying that we need better players well we signed James last summer, we bought Doucoure who is supposed to offer us a box to box energy, Allan is a good player but his injury record now is morphing in that of Fabian Delph, also Allan isn't going to offer any attacking threat is he?

Our academy must be god awful if we can't bring any lad through to challenge players bang out of form like Richarlison, the fact we have two goalkeepers on the bench as well, what's that all about?

So basically we are where we are, again a team struggling to create chances, a team (or manager) not flexible to in-game changes of formation/style, a team that has no other way of playing but just lob the ball to DCL's head.

The loss of Holgate and Godfrey hurt us defensively no doubt. But as many pointed out on Wed, without Coleman and Digne we lack creativity as James apart we have no creative midfielders. If Carlo kept the same team today maybe it would have been 0-0 but I don’t see how we would have won. That said Mina was marking Wilson so that goal still would’ve occurred. Ideally we need Gomez Iwobi Sig and Davies to become good players. Unlikely to happen. Alternatively Godfrey and Holgate improve going forward, or both Digne and Coleman both regain their long lost form

Despite some good wins and very decent performances (team and individual) this season, we have few players who we can expect to put in a very good performance on MOST occasions. Iwobi, for example, had some very good games recently but is there anybody who thinks he has in him that level of ability on a more consistent basis? He's not shown it before, so why now?

As another example, Carlo also squeezed something out of Siggy for some games this season but is there anybody here who has held a candle for him over the last few seasons?

We are more in need of a bonfire of the vanities with so many present-day disgracefully highly-paid self-regarding players... Richarlison (who I actually respect for his defensive duties - and as an aside, did you notice even James covering at RB at one point!) - Richarlison too often has his head where an enema should be. Another who provides magic one moment and Tommy Cooper the next. He looks as if he might have been sawn in half after some tackles - he was only half good today.

We're marking time until the summer transfer window - it's nailed on that Carlo doesn't see this squad as having sufficient strength in depth in terms of CONSISTENT performance AND application as Seamus alludes to. As the next transfer window will surely confirm - and the one after that.

Which of Ancelottis signings do you consider lack spirit?

Our current squad still has too many passengers especially going forward playing with speed and accuracy.

Too many times our midfield players take all tempo out of the game and go for the safe, sideways pass instead of the more direct attacking option which James seems to be the only one doing (and capable of doing).

Many of our players seem like they do not even want the ball and when they pass it they do not go in position to get it back. They just stop and expect somebody to do domething on their own.

We do not have enough technically gifted players who can play a pass first time with accuracy, and we lack leaders.

Is Ancelotti mistake free? No. But we can not keep changing managers and I think he will slowly make us better given time. Our current squad is a result of the total mess left behind from changing managers so often recently (Even if I agree with those changes).

That is one of the reasons why we are spending the January transfer window getting rid of overpaid deadwood rather than getting much needed new faces in.

I hope we can add attacking quality in the summer (Our defence is fine), thereby improving both our starting 11 and our squad depth.

This season is over as far as Champions League goes.

Remember Leighton Baines comments when we signed Aaron Lennon halfway through the 2014/15 season?

"He's shamed us into hard work"

That suggests we have been a club that's been on easy street for too long now, players too comfortable in their positions, no pressure or expectations.

As for Carlo Ancelotti's comments tonight, well my question would be..

Are we going to see a reaction on Wednesday night at Elland Road?

When I look at this group recently I’m not seeing any belief or spirit in the side. It needs freshing up. We’re the only side in the league (other than perhaps Burnley) who haven’t mixed things up over the difficult festival period and it’s showing badly.

On paper, our 11 is much stronger than theirs but the reputations mean nothing once the game kicks off.

A real lack of heart from the usual suspects put us up against it. Dropping lads that aren't as technical but want to win games cost us. Holgate, Godfrey and Davies should be in the 11 against Leeds.

I thought the ref was poor today. No way would he let some of those fouls go unpunished if they were against one of the Sky darlings.

Carlo taking the first step to shit street by publicly calling out players.

You would think a man of his experience would realise managers never win this battle, but no, it must be the realisation his complacency in the summer has began to bite him on the arse - as predicted.

I, among many, said he had a single window to create a revolution because of the harsh reality of modern day footy but events proved he and his compadres were of the it will be "alright on the night" mindset and barely scratched the surface.

Looking grim if things don't improve pronto

1st goal free header surrounded by three Everton players

2nd goal surrounded by no Everton pkayers and poor technique by Pickford.

Quality my ass, most not bothered. Same old Everton attitude. Never a Top Foyr attitude.

Allan is our holding midfielder; Doucouré is our box to box so we lose drive and impetus if he sits, Davies should have started with Doucouré playing ahead of him.

Gomes should never pull on our shirt again. Richarlison is having a dog of a season and Calvert-Lewin has no competition but we loaned out Kean and Walcott and have quite literally nothing to replace them.

It's a fucking shambles from Moshiri, we should be looking at a striker, winger and central midfield signing big. Instead, we have got rid of Tosun, Simms, Bolasie etc.

Very very poor and Ancelotti must be questioning his decision to join us.

Pickford
Holgate Mina Keane Digne or Godfrey
Allan or Davies
Doucouré Sigurdsson
James Calvert-Lewin Richarlison

We could have won playing Holgate and Godfrey the way we won our last couple of games: by headers, corners, or free-kick headers. As I understand football, presence and confidence in the players is what makes a good team; Holgate and Godfrey were playing really well out of position. So Digne and Coleman, although great players, should've waited.

Again: why change the ONE clear thing that made us win so many games lately?

Ancelotti talking about lack of spirit, and what about that question? What about it?

My point is that Holgate and Godfrey weren't scoring those goals or taking those set pieces. It was James, Mina etc. Those guys didn't get it done today so I don't see how Holgate or Godfrey would have helped us get an actual goal.

You can only sprinkle a bit of glitter on it, which doesn't last long; they have a couple of decent games, it soon rubs off and you're left with what you started with.

Nicolas @ 31; I used to think that but I'm not too sure. This 4 of a kind at the back / aka, 'The Wall', was stumbled upon by Ancelotti when Delph got Injured breaking into a trot vs Burnley, but I'm not sure if he has properly worked out when and when not to use it or, for that matter, how to feed in the odd change to it...and when to do that either.

I think he likes it, and it may appeal to his Italian defensive nature but, as we've seen, no two teams are alike and one size doesn't fit all, every game.

He picked the 'right' team 'in theory' for Newcastle on 10 games without a win... but they for some reason, more than likely this new coach Clark, who should know how to get the best out of Wilson and Fraser, didn't turn up, didn't stick to the script.

All aided and abetted by the, as seems usual for Everton, insipidly charitable performance for the benefit of those in need of a win or a goal.
Short version: We 'Evertoned it' good style.

Cushions would fill the sky for less back in the day, which, I suspect, is why they got rid of them. Nothing said 'Booooo' to The Board more eloquently than massed squadrons of cushions.

With no spectators, we can't even vote with our feet.

Pickford
Holgate Mina Keane Digne
Davies Godfrey Doucouré
James
Calvert-Lewin Richarlison

I would drop Richarlison for the next game – that would send out a clear signal that no-one is irreplaceable.

He tried to introduce more attacking intent with the inclusion of Coleman and Digne at fullback, but that simply resulted in the team becoming weaker to set-pieces without improving our work down the flanks. Play a back four of Holgate, Mina, Keane and Godfrey for the remainder of the reason, select Davies every game to cover until the injured Allan returns and build out from that.

Regardless of the formation, these are a squad largely of internationals. Their attitude and application in this performance stunk. Complacent and lazy through the entire team.

Every time this club has the opportunity to make a big step up, it bottles it. Been the story for almost 30 years.

Technically, we are much better than Newcastle... we just didn't want it enough. That, for me (and most Evertonians), is unforgivable.

Gomes didn't have the impact I'd hoped for when he came on. I thought he might bring more balance to the midfield pairing; clearly Sigurdsson is ill-equipped for that role so, when I saw the line-up, I had some reservations about yesterday.

I would say the likes of Holgate, Godfrey and Davies have that hunger whilst the likes of Mina, Iwobi, Gomes, Sigurdsson etc came for the money.

Also, how fired up do you think Wilson was when he saw he could tickle Mina and he would fall to the ground like a baby? He must be the least intimidating centre-back ever.

Carlo got it wrong, fair enough; let down by his players, quite a lot of them, but what does he say to them at half-time, because they got worse – not better. Then he brings on Gomes not to replace Sigurdsson but to line up with him like a pair of sideboard ornaments – the only substitute he made! Start earning your money, Carlo, you're being paid plenty of it.

Off to church now, can't even light a candle, they've been banned because of the virus. Wish I could ban one or two useless ba... stop, Dave you're going to church!

Well, you get the drift, I'll say some silent prayers instead.

We have obvious shortcomings and some new faces, bedded-in with a proper pre-season will no doubt help (that is if we can fit a pre-season in). In the meantime, our squad looks short on cover up top and, although we have a plethora of midfield players, each one (Allan excepted) with flaws. Defensively we look sound although the goalkeeper flatters to deceive.

It's the halfway point in the season and to get top six (I will forget top 4 ) we need to replicate our form from the first half. This included a couple of good winning runs. As others have said, Richarlison hasn't warranted a starting berth for some time... in fact, since the derby.

Yesterday Shelvey looked streets ahead of any of our midfield. I have seen him in previous games this season where he has been ineffective. As for Mina and his pathetic attempts to get Wilson sent off – it was embarrassing.

Although James looked to be our only player who wanted to get on the ball and make things happen – did anyone else think he was stifling Digne and Coleman, as he got in their way? I thought he slowed our play and his lack of pace made him easy to mark.

It seemed that our players had been told to give it to him whenever they could. Stop James and you stop Everton. As he got more frustrated, his passing got worse, he came deeper looking for the ball, and he eventually got booked.

We have scored most of our goals from either crosses or long punts from the back. James looks good on the eye but he holds it too long, plays too deep, and is a ball-hogger. If he had been pushed up alongside Calvert-Lewin, it might have got interesting but Ancelotti only made one sub. The game had been drifting away from us for half-an-hour and he patiently stood and watched.

Next game, I would bench James, put Iwobi on the right, and Digne on the left. Bring an extra body (Davies) into midfield and go back to the four centre-backs.

Oh, and if we don't get another forward in on loan, then we are doomed.

I think it certainly is the case that he overestimated what he had at the club but what has really disappointed me is the seeming inability to change the mindset of the players.

What really does go on in Finch Farm, in pre-match talks, half-time and full-time de-brief when we see the kind of flaccid display of yesterday — which is a repeat of a now significant number of games in the manager's tenure???

Either he or the coaches are failing and it is clear and obvious we are a soft-bellied squad, so why is that?

Everton unfortunately are still nothing but a mid-table team. I look at the team directly below us, they have Barkley (should still be an Everton player) and they score goals (we don't).

As stated above, even without Kane, we won't beat Spurs. Season over again. At least we can look forward to another Bramley-Moore Dock update soon, Unsworth's tales of the next big thing from the Academy, and EitC receiving another award.

One other issue which was worrying, was the performance of our centre backs. They both particularly Mina seemed to be intimidated by Wilson. They need to be stronger than that. I hope word isn't getting around that if you're nasty to Yerry he doesn't like it. But I''ve seen Cavani and Wilson both front him up to our disadvantage in recent weeks. He needs to start kicking some of these characters into row z for a few weeks.

We don't need to be so strict, but the profiling and general ethos makes sense.

Otherwise we just go from season to season trying to break the big 6 through buying expensive players (fee or wages) who aren't good enough for a big 6 side.

You lost me when you said you would drop James for Iwobi.

James is by far our best player. He is on a different level from the rest of the team. His magic is in the final third. Newcastle were happy to see him pick the ball up deeper as he would generally keep possession but not be able to provide the killer pass.

Digne did get forward a lot yesterday but his delivery just wasn't there. Coleman couldn't get forward too much as generally Iwobi either fired the ball back to him or lost possession.

Yesterday I saw a collective lack of will to win a game of football. Watching your best players continually getting hacked down and nobody getting within 2 yards of the opposition to even put a challenge in is unforgivable.

I would play Holdgate holding centre mid for the rest of the season. The lad is quick, aggressive and can pass. You never know it could save us £50m on buying another centre mid.

The Leeds game will be interesting, their movement will no doubt cause us problems.

I totally agree, we need more aggression in the team. We are far too easy to play against. I wouldn't lose any sleep if I didn't see Iwobi, Sigurdsson or Gomes in a blue shirt again.

Probably would have ended up 0-0 though, so better at least, but I'm not sure how we get the win.

Ancelloti chose Digne, Coleman, Sigurdsson, Iwobi and James to open up a crap side. They failed.

Also, the fact is that Richarlison needs a rest / some competition and shouldn't currently be starting. DCL is not yet 100% and can't do it on his own.

Ancelotti will not be blind to any of this. Expect we will set up much more solid against Leeds.

I know the game has totally changed but I find myself going back to Peter Reid talking about Marwood’s challenge on Heath during Howard’s Way! Looking out for each other.

We need a more nasty horrible edge to the team. Godfrey and Holgate seem to have it so we missed them, Allan also has it ! Yesterday we simply didn’t have that edge hence the treatment of James continued!

I’m still so disappointed about yesterday. We just seem to choke everytime we close to something! Trying to keep some perspective but it really does pay to be a pessimist when supporting Everton !

If a team like Newcastle is coming to disrupt and fight like dirty bastards to get a result we have got to expect it. It is naive in the extreme if we parade an array of ballet dancers across our midfield and then expect to win the battles that are inevitable.

I think where we differ is that I would want James Rodriguez in the team as our creative genius. All the other players are there to battle for every inch of turf and battle to win the ball and for a yard of space.

Play Godfrey, Holgate and Davies yesterday for Sigurdsson, Iwobi and Coleman and there is a different level of toughness, energy and resilience running through the team. It annoys me greatly that Newcastle were not worn down at all, they were still firing on all cylinders in the last quarter of the match. We didn’t stress test them in any way.

After Leicester Ancelotti said that the point was a good point, only in the context of getting 3 against Newcastle.

He will be furious with that performance and I hope he has learned a lot from it.

A damning statement.

Gauntlet firmly threw down.

Much of our attacking play had been based on the combinations between James and Digne with Richarlison down the left, opening up space for DCL in the box.

But yesterday, and against Leicester, Richarlison was woeful. So Digne was reduced to hopeful crosses into a crowded box. Dignes most dangerous moves this season had been low crosses to the near post. But that option was gone as Richarlison was neither there, nor pulling defenders out of position.

Same with James, he would look up hoping to see Richarlison making a run in behind the defenders, but nothing coming, so he'd take another touch, turn, beat a player before eventually spreading it wide.

There is something clearly up with his mentality. He looks like he isn't enjoying his football. And everytime he has a chance, and misses, rather than looking like he is determined to score the next one, he looks frustrated and annoyed.

DCL still held the ball up well, and had good touches, but his threat is in the box and we simply didn't get near it.

Coleman also offers nothing down the right. He's neither an attacking threat nor defensively stable.

Most sides in the modern era quickly adopt a clear established way of playing so you can at least see what they are trying to do.

With us we have one way of playing, that's get it wide and cross it.

Have Leeds got better individual players than us?
No I don't think they have.

So why can we never evolve the way we play, why do we sign international footballers, seasoned Premier League players but produce no different any year?

A petulant, spoilt footballer for me.
A big girl
Not a knee jerk reaction either.
I posted similar to you a while ago.

The Manager can't help it when his players don't show up. It happens in every single sport, it happens in life, etc. People put in a position to complete a task with passion aren't up for it.

The difference between a good manager and a bad manager is the ability to immediately reverse that phenomenom and right the ship.

I fully expect a different Everton side against Leeds. They're going to come out flying.

They may not "dominate" because Leeds is a fantastically coached team as well - they will play the "prettier" stuff.

But our effort will be like night and day from New Castle to the Leeds game. I'd bet the house, wife, and kids on that.

Pickford should be fined a weeks wages every time he passes it to a defender in or just outside the 6 yard box it is regular the opposition run into the area and the defenders are faffing about with a hot spud, criminal.

This is madness. Rich is a ridiculously talented footballer. He was our only real quality prior to the Doucoure-James-Allan window, and just about the only thing we had to look forward to when it came to going forward.

He was the shining light in the Silva ball of shite.

He was our only player prior to said window who would have commanded 50 million plus.

We are, unquestionably, a better team with Richarlison in the squad.

He's simply going through the proverbial purple patch thingy.

Three men who may be the most intelligent and level headed on TW, and I can't agree at all with the calls to cash in on Rich. We'd be so, so worse off without him.

But I will grant you this - if Rich doesn't stop rolling around on the deck after every tackle moaning like a gigantic pooss-whah, I might just break his leg myself.

By that I mean he's not really an out and out wide player, he hasn't really got that searing pace to be a dazzling winger and he's not what you'd call a true centre forward.

We play him on the left because prior to this season that's where he's flourished mostly.

I look at him and I feel though at times stuck out on that wide area that he's just anonymous now, he's wasted, he's not particularly super skilful.

He's a pretty competent finisher (not a great one I will add).
I still think he's a slightly more composed footballer in front of goal than Dom who in fairness is a good six yard box player but he's not exactly a dynamic Lukaku type striker.

That's not me advocating swapping Richarlison for DCL but I'm just thinking at certain moments in certain games could Ancelotti look at mixing things up?
Surely in training we try different things?

Whatever, the only thing that's obvious is that Richarlison has had a really poor season by his own recent standards (two 14 goal campaigns) I did think he'd push on again and get 15-18 goals this season and take his game up a level but it's not happening.

It's a conundrum and we really need to find out how to get him something like he was this time last year.

And how dare you call me level-headed! I can be as ridiculous as the next guy!

It's worth pointing out to those footballing Einsteins who dismiss him as "championship at best", Just what happens when they get their way and he doesnt play

He didn't play at Southampton - We lost
He didnt play against Newcastle - we lost
He didnt play against Man U - We lost
He didnt play against Leeds - We lost
He didnt play against Man U again - We lost
He didnt play yesterday - Guess what

Nobody needs to be told Tom is NOT the scouse Perlo...but the evidence would suggest he is a proper proper team player.
Maybe he just does what he is told. Maybe he just carries out Carlos instructions to the letter... Maybe he is the archetypal foot soldier, but he has got a far better win rate then the much missed tackling machine from Brazil- He played in most of our loses and gave the goal away which cost us two points at Burnley.

One of the stattos may well prove me wrong, but my gut instinct tells me that OUR boy has the best points-per-starts record at the club this season.

Just saying

Great post IMO.

Brent -

Have it your way, you're as ridiculous as the horde. 😂

Are you saying Tom is a better player than Allan?

If you are, you best get that Bushmills back out

A "purple patch" is what we over here call a hot streak.

The British word for slump is... um... uh... never mind. Forget I brought it up.

Our players need to work harder. Carlo couldn't defend that performance. Remember it's not evertons reputation on the line but his.

Just put a shift in lads!!!

Jamie (61) I’ve never honestly seen Richarlison in the same light as yourself, I think if you gave marks out of ten for every game he has played for Everton he would finish up with an average of six, and that’s being generous but I stress that’s just my opinion, we all differ in our assessments of players.

By not bringing in a competent goalscorer or two, he's condemning the club to another season of tepid, awful mediocrity, with only the FA cup to go for, a really difficult tie against Spurs at home where we seem to be most vulnerable.
I've been a big fan of Carlo but he seems to have lost the plot by selling or loaning out 5 forwards and bringing zero in. That can't be the way forward, he may get away with it this season, but next season he has to sign the forwards we need or the pressure will begin for real to remove him.

It appears that who ever the manager may be at the club Koeman, Allardyce, Silva or Ancelloti they all have this crazy insane notion that Pickford, Coleman and Sigurdsson must all be shoe-horned in to the side at the expense of anyone else. Each time the managers are sacked the next fool picks up the baton and carries on with the madness. WHY is it written in the managers contracts they must play these players??

The mini winning streak we went on just before Xmas starting at Leicester came about by accident not by design. Due to injuries Carlo had to play 4 center halves at the back. Godfrey, Holgate, Keane and Mina. We never have looked so solid at the back which allowed the rest to go and play up the pitch. Soon as the two lightweights Coleman and Digne are fit the gameplan goes out the window they come back in we stop winning. Dropping Godfrey for Coleman is a fucking disgrace.

Like I have said previously this rebuilding job at Everton is far to big for Carlo Ancelloti. Carlo is used to his teams being ready made full of world class players all he had to do is a tweek here and there and buy the odd player. You are guaranteed to win trophies at PSG, Bayern, Madrid, Milan and Chelsea. This is a whole new ball game. Rebuilding a club from top to bottom is not like sending PSG out on a Sunday afternoon to beat a team of grape farmers 7-0 is it??.

I would get shut of Ancelloti now. Carlo has no passion no energy no desire and no fucking clue whats needed here. Give Duncan a crack or do what the likes of Southampton, Wolves and Villa have done. Find a manager with some ability to manage in the modern game. Winning trophies at elite clubs 10 years ago means nothing today.

We have blown the best chance we will ever get of a top 4 finish. If the fans had been in the stadiums we wouldn't be putting up with this Shite would we? Maybe we would plenty of our lot use Carlos CV as a guage of how lucky we are to have him. I would sack him today.

Considering Ancelloti is such a genius he has left us in the same situation as the previous load of wasters who had the job before him.

One striker at the club and little to no pace in the squad. Yes sure looks like Carlo is the best manager in the world like a lot of our fans keep telling me. I just cringe when I hear this said.

Which of the 5 forwards you mention would you like to see staying?

1, Pickford dropped and replaced by Olsen. He is too erratic and does not give the defence confidence. Olsen appears much more steady and calm.

2, Coleman has to be a bench player from now on. He has lost it.

3, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate appear to be the organisers of that defence and keane is the best centre back we have but he is slow. Therefore Mina cant play along side Keane. I would think Godfrey alongside him with Holgate at RB and Digne at LB would be our best back 4.

4, Allan is a massive miss and we need to play the next best player we have who plays the same way. I believe that is Tom Davies. Clearly not as good as Allan but can cover for him. Gomes nor Sigurdsson can!

5, Sigurdsson can only play in the number 10 position. Nowhere else. James should play there so Sigurdsson is a bench player.

6, Richarlison needs to be dropped. Something is going on and he needs to be rested or shown he's not too big to be dropped.

7, Iwobi is a confidence player. If he plays well leave him on the team. Dont swap him or play him left back etc!

8, we really need another forward player. Especially a centre forward who replace Calvert Lewin or play alongside him.

Do the above and we'll get top 6. Easy at that!
COYB!!

Crosby?

One thing I do agree is that Tom is nowhere near as bad as some people make out and he was right pick for yesterday’s game. At least he tries to go forwards sometimes - unlike Sigurdsson.

A small ripple at most.
The vast majority are still behind him.
Opinion on TW tells you that

Fan Boy websites ? Do one. I'l leave them to those who prematurely ejaculate because we have signed a Brazilian who makes Tommy Graversson look composed...

YeahbutnobutYeah...Have you seen his tackiing stats"

Must be acutely embarrassing for you excuse makers to see The championship player pissing all over the Brazilian superstar. Especially after Carlo used all his "pulling powers" to get him here.

"Wait till he`s back. then we`ll be more solid"....Yeah of course we will

Get paid 😁😁

There for me mate. 😁😁

Go on. I will indulge you. Explain how you arrived at that conclusion, please.

Hes harmless.
Few more Bushmills he will be on singing Chumba Wumba songs

He should be dominating and leading and should have looked after his mate James yesterday... complete pussy.

What makes you think the dinosaur was called Crosby? Anyhoo, you're incorrect... I have it on good authority from Ian Edwards that the footprint belonged to Carlo Ancelotti.

Go on, mate.

I would enjoy a pint with Darren. I would have a decent bet he would be exactly the same as he is on here.

Maybe at the TW do...

It was more to do with me feeling it was impossible, because to much money had already been squandered before he got here, and it looks like it's time to finally start balancing the books.

Hopefully one day we can all meet up for a pint.

After we got the "your a c**t"
"no its you yer fuckin divvy" out of the way we would have a riot

Unfotunately you are right. I do think. there was a collective attitude, Manager and Squad thought that Newcastle was going to be a easy win. How they exspected to get into the top four with that attitude was never going to happen. Now Ancelotti finds what ever his plans where he has to gwt a side that will beat Leeds. I doubt he is fully confident in these players he has or a mudfield that was torally outplayed by Leeds the last time and both Leicester and Newcastle where able to. pass through. like a sieve.

But wbat really bothers me is the latter of awareness and implementation of basic coaching by quite a few pkayers in. their role. In otherwards no continued improvement in their roles. This tells me that Everton largely have a squad who are not bothered wheather they progress or not. Wilson last goal accompanied by three other Newcastle players and most of the Everton team watching from the opposition area not bothering to get back in pisition says alot regarding attitude.

Jeez. Off the mark. This is where I normally cue the movie Airplane and the line, "Excuse me stewardess, I think I can help. I speak Jive."

Squad 1 and 2 are mixed again, due to whatever and instead of ABCDs or VWXYZs we get !%#&@WTFs??
If a player can't repeat the basic things he did from Wednesday to Sunday how can the manager plan for anything.

If it wasn't before and Ancelotti and Brands didn't know it before...which they did, because they're not total dummies.
This season always was a...
'Potential write it off, get rid of deadwood and anything we acheive is a bonus season.'*
* but this - "Time to do stuff 'goodwill' thing won't last forever, both in the Board room or on here."

Our GD, tells the true tale, we were/are in a false position...*looks over at Moyes and W Ham...and you are too matey.

We're currently dead half way in the season; P 19, 33pts.
Come the end of the season we won't be on; P38, 66pts
The top 7 teams will be, in some permutation or other...the old top 6 + Leicester...(with Arsenal as the only big worry in this accumulator)
We could at best be 8th or 11th due to GD.

Covers arse...or there could be a decent signing(s) at the 11th hour to pep our season up.
But I don't hold out much hope with these inconsistent bottlers.

I realize that this phenomenon happens to every club, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any more palatable when it happens to Everton.

The question is whether Ancelotti has any answers. I think, with his experience, he will.

Part of me wishes we could have 2 mangers, with Carlo drilling the players and planning tactics will big Dunc actually managing the players and choosing the teams. He’d have them fighting at least, which is surely our identity (certainly over the last 20 years). Did anyone notice Fergusson pleading with Carlo to bring someone on during the last game and the boss keep shaking his head saying no? Big Dunc not afraid to sub a sub if he’s not giving 100%. Carlo has his faves fo’ sure, no matter how shite they’re playing.