Brazil advance at the Olympics as Richarlison sets up crucial goal

We can only hope that his success at the Olympics will mean he'll come back motivated & firing on all four cylinders. The flip side being, as often happens in tournaments like this where the whole world is watching, he'll want to move on & we'll get $50M for him when that figure would have been doubled in other times.

He'll certainly come back brimming with confidence, Paul... something he appeared to lack a bit at the end of the season.

I didn't think we should allow him to go, but it may have positive results after all.

Hope he doesn't exhaust himself by the time he comes back to us. It's going to be a hectic 2021-22 season with a World Cup coming up next year!

He's gonna need a break until frickin' Christmas.

You can picture him now at Finch Farm with his Olympic medal, surrounded by admiring teammates (Chairman and new Manager, or couldn't even Olympic glory manage that?) and thanking Everton for allowing him this honour.

Altogether now; "Don't you ever let a chance go by, go by..."

Brazil will probably lose against Mexico (Vamos Mexico!!) and end up crying like they usually do. One of my few pleasures remaining in football is to see Neymar and Co cry like a little baby after a loss.

Hope we manage to keep Richie, I like the guy and he will only get better, and get shut of Kean, Gomes, Delph, and others on the Deadwood Stage. Need a couple or three more quality signings in, Right Back, Dynamic Midfielder and another striker.

Yes we do need more striking options but will Everton stick with what they have for now.
With Richie, DCL, Kean, Tosun, Gray,Townsend all on the payroll and a few youngsters emerging it would appear they need to move someone out before any new ''class act'' comes in.
The first month will be crucial to see who is looking good and who isn't.
There wasn't much in the way of goals from the current midfield batch but Iwobe, Doucoure and Gbamin may change that scenario especially with the wing options of Gray and Townsend.

Watching Gray playing that through ball for Kean in Florida I'm not convinced he be spending all his time on the wing. He made the point when he signed that he can play anywhere across the front. If Rafa plays 4 4 2 I can see him being a foil for DCL and Richie wide left.

Ray(#9);

Is that 4 or no goalkeepers?

Sorry, Ray, that is "I can see..." not 4 4 2 1, apologies.

I have a feeling that, when Richarlison comes back hopefully with an Olympic gold medal, he will have been the star of the tournament. He really does want to play as the central striker and won't be satisfied with being asked to play on the wing. Carlo gave in to him and let him play a central attacking role. Will Rafa be so accommodating?

Finding a solution to the Calvert-Lewin - Richarlison problem seems to be a nice problem to have, but it will show us how good his 1 to 1 communication skills are. He says in his interview that he likes to think that is one of his strengths; well, we shall see very soon!

David, I could see Richarlison doing well in a Cahill(-ish) sort of role – working his nuts off, being a huge pest, and breaking into the box late. Gray and Townsend on the flanks enables this – with some interchange between the three.

Maybe that's how it would work. Or maybe playing just off Calvert-Lewin in a 5-3-2 or 5-2-2-1.

Not since Silva's penultimate season have we found a good blend (personnel and formation), so that's one of the priorities for Benitez.

Robert, I don't think Richarlison will be happy with playing the “Cahill” role. For quite a while now, he has shown that he wants to be the main man and lead the attack. The problem we have is that is what Calvert-Lewin wants to do and has shown he is capable of doing it.

So Rafa will have to really find a solution which satisfies both players' ambitions. I have a feeling that Richarliosn will never be happy until he is the #1 attacking player. He is becoming a very ambitious player. Carlo's saying a while back that he could be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or didn't help the situation.

Colin (6),

If there was a Ballon d'Or for crying or floor rolling, Neymar would be a cert. I can't stand him or his antics. The most pathetic sight in international footy was the World Cup when he got injured and they had his empty shirt on the bench.

He could be so much better if only he'd cut out the theatrics, Ray.