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Mike Gaynes
1 Posted 08/12/2019 at 16:44:10
Your usual fine report, Paul, and spot-on with the player ratings, but I'm even more interested in your interaction with club management. Had you had previous contact with DBB that made you feel comfortable in emailing her? And would you feel comfortable posting, or at least summarizing, McLeod's response? We'd be most interested to hear his explanation.

And you are absolutely right... no way we'd have seen a remotely similar performance under Silva. He simply wasn't capable of generating this kind of passion from the players.

Kieran Kinsella
2 Posted 08/12/2019 at 16:53:49
Being pragmatic, Ferguson has shown he can inspire. We need 7 wins from 22 games to avoid relegation which is the fear driving the Moyes return. Surely this negates the need for an interim firefighter appointment as I imagine Dunc can at least get us seven more wins. So if we can’t get a long term coach we really want right now I’d stick with Dunc
Brian Harrison
3 Posted 08/12/2019 at 17:12:07
For the last few years all we hear from people in the media is asking what do Evertonians want. Well they got their answer in spades yesterday, a manager who showed as much passion as the supporters, I don't think I have ever seen an Everton manager show so much passion as Ferguson did yesterday. When he ran down the touchline and lifted the ballboys in the air it oozed a man who new how much this meant to the fans. I have to be honest I didnt think it was the right move to appoint Duncan Ferguson as temporary manager. But I am glad to admit I was totally wrong.

Duncan has admitted himself at the moment he isn't the long term answer, but a few more results like yesterday and whose to say he wont be the long term answer. But if they do appoint someone else lets make sure they have the same attributes that Ferguson displayed yesterday. Many like me have questioned what Duncan did at Finch Farm, and how did he survive when he was part of the coaching team which has lost managers. Well I didnt see any of our previous managers brave enough to play 4-4-2. So maybe he has been stifled in what input he has been allowed to have. Lets also hope that Ferguson is allowed more involvement with the first team than he has over the last 3 or 4 years.

Derek Knox
4 Posted 08/12/2019 at 20:45:35
Good and candid report, Paul, I enjoy reading your regular contributions for a home match and can almost experience it with you.

Although you must have had many disappointments recently, after making the effort as many do to travel to every home or away match. Probably questioning, is all this time, effort and money being rewarded with entertainment and seeing a decent game of Football?

Your loyalty and patience were rewarded yesterday, in buckets, not a brilliant display but a brilliant result, a blood and gutsy performance that completely took the wind out of Chelsea's sails.

I can only endorse what Mike G @1, requested, regarding your email to the Club, and more importantly the response you received. We as fans get fed little enough information as it is, which leads to speculation and conjecture.

More often or not based on whispers, via a mate of a mate, who works at the Club, said this or that. While the story most probably does have credibility, like Chinese Whispers at a party, by the time the message has reached its final destination, it bears little or no resemblance to its original form.

Like the old story which I think happened in the First World War where the technology was almost non-existent, field telephones which had to be wound up to produce some power to transmit or receive and was often garbled and difficult to decipher, if it had worked.

"Send reinforcements, we are going to advance."

Interpreted as "Send three and fourpence, we're going to a dance"!

Arthur Westhead
5 Posted 08/12/2019 at 20:51:09
Great report as always, Paul. I agree with most of your ratings, although would give a bit higher to Richarlison and one lower for Morgan.

But I'm amazed you were so upset at Silva's departure that you emailed the club. I don't know a single blue who wanted him to stay. Even his few supporters caved in last week.

You make some good excuses for him, but what about his complete inability to change tactics (until last week!!) playing the same ineffective way every single week? What about not being able to motivate players? What about playing poor performers every week? What about total lack of real organization throughout the entire team?

We were at serious risk of a relegation battle with him in charge. It was such a clear decision to make.

Danny O'Neill
6 Posted 08/12/2019 at 21:48:12
You know something, Paul, I have nothing to add.

Let's be honest, we rode our luck yesterday but in this age where a tendency to over-analyse football exists, you capture the moment & sentiment.

It was just great to walk away feeling good that the team gave 100% effort and won the game. Passion, desire, commitment.

Mike Gaynes
7 Posted 08/12/2019 at 22:21:18
Danny #6, I'd say whatever luck we "rode" was luck we made ourselves -- made with, in your words, Passion, desire, commitment.

It's amazing how lucky you can get when you bring those elements to bear.

Danny O'Neill
8 Posted 08/12/2019 at 22:25:23
Agree Mike. You make your own luck in any walk of life. But sometimes fine margins right? We were great yesterday and I was absolutely proud of the reaction. But (and sorry to be negative, Dan), I wouldn't have been surprised to have seen a 2-2 draw. Fine margins.
Dan Murphy
9 Posted 09/12/2019 at 00:36:37
Well written and fair Paul, especially in regards Schneiderlin who has actually been okay this season but has become a whipping boy so some will never give him credit for anything.

I would draw attention to Duncan's subbing on Davies for Richarlison. It was an effective tactical sub at a time when Chelsea had a bit of momentum, and it swung things back our way.

Regarding 'mixed' reactions among the players to Silva's sacking, the post-match interview onfield with Calvert-Lewin and especially Theo Walcott was quite revealing. No mention of Marco and lots of 'This is how we want to play, keep it simple, get out and have a go' talk. Suggests they were over him and hadn't bought in to whatever it was he was trying to do.

Andy McNabb
10 Posted 09/12/2019 at 06:18:44
Thanks Paul - always enjoy your posts and it's good to be able to share a bit of positivity. Agree 100% with your Iwobi analysis. Lots of energy and the ability to get into good positions but also a frustrating knack of consistently losing the ball.

I never really 'got' Ferguson as a player. I may be way wide of the mark but it appeared to me that he turned up for the big games and then often seemed disinterested when we played the so-called smaller clubs.

But on Saturday he was exactly what we needed. Passion and drive won't always get you the whole distance but it will take you a fair way down the road.

Danny O'Neill
11 Posted 09/12/2019 at 07:19:36
Exactly Andy; you can't win games without passion & desire. But you also can't win without ability. You can have all the ability in the world, but without passion & desire, you're into the type of territory we've witnessed most of this season. You can have all the passion & desire in the world, but without ability you're into (eventual) "huff & puff" territory. Winning teams have all of those attributes plus the key ingredient; consistency.

Regarding Ferguson the player. that's an interesting point. I seem to recall reading that he was a reluctant player; that he'd rather have not been a footballer. Whilst I appreciate the injury problems, maybe that was also a contributing factor to why he never lived up to his potential if true. Arguably the character was bigger than the footballer; as Joe Royle coined it: there was a danger that Duncan would become a legend before he became a footballer.

Kevin O'Regan
12 Posted 09/12/2019 at 12:33:04
I have to say I was very impressed by Richarlison's tracking back and at one stage he seemed to be covering every blade of grass like a madman. Just hope this performance rubs off on everyone – it was really the EFC we love and deserve.

Well done, Dunc.

Mike Gaynes
13 Posted 09/12/2019 at 12:58:36
Kevin #12, actually he's been doing that all season. He's our leading tackler, ahead of our fullbacks.
Steve Ferns
14 Posted 09/12/2019 at 14:12:14
Great article as ever Paul.

I am not sure about the word “mixed” as used by Duncan. It's implied everywhere that mixed means the players were for and against Marco Silva. But, if that was the case, why would he have to pick them up off the floor? Could the ambiguous word also mean a conflict of emotions such as upset, anger, frustration determination to put things right. Who knows?

Steve Ferns
15 Posted 09/12/2019 at 16:16:01
Just seen this amazing stat:

Richarlison has more tackles (41) in the Premier League this season than Van Dijk, Matip and Gomez combined (29).

Dave Abrahams
16 Posted 13/12/2019 at 09:44:20
I think your headline should have read “ Blues fight with
pride thanks to to one man backed by 39,000 fans’ don’t under estimate what we fans did on Saturday, let’s see how the team performs without that tremendous support on Sunday. That is in no way taking anything from the magnificent support Everton have at every away game, it just doesn’t get the performances from the team that it warrants.

By the way I always appreciate your take on the game Paul, carry on, your reports are always welcome.


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