Calvert-Lewin unlikely to play before Christmas

All my venom goes towards the Board of Directors for creating one of the weakest threadbare squads in the Premier League.

Even if we do call a taxi for Benitez after Arsenal, all our fundamental problems will still be waiting to overwhelm the next poor sod.

I don't like to see Richarlison playiing centre-forward as I think he is more involved and dangerous playing on the left.

How about a 4-3-1-2, Richarlison paired with Gray?

Pickford
Coleman Keane Mina Godfrey
Allan Delph Gomes
Doucouré
Gray Richarlison

I concur.

Just cos you bought them and they don't fit or suit you, no need to be like that!

You do have a point though. :-)

As we have witnessed with Doucouré it appears these days the longer you're out, the longer it takes to be able to pass to a team member – let alone run.

We've got a crap April so fingers crossed he gets up to speed by then to model the summer collection.

I dismissed it at the time… I'm wondering now whether it has any legs?

I am not too sure about that though, Kev; he was scoring early doors, more chance of a move if he plays and carries on his goalscoring.

It's still inexcusable that we don't have a squad, another sign of the total lack of planning and mismanagement of funds.

Anyone got any idea what the average points is for 17th place since the Premier League started and in the last 10 years?

Rafa's Plan A, Plan B and Plan C is to hit on the break, get down the wings, and get crosses in early doors for a big, mobile centre-forward to get on the end of. Doesn't that sound suitable for Simms?

Sit deep against Arsenal with Delph protecting the back four, Allan and Doucoure just in front of him, and get Gray and Richarlison bombing down the wings, pinging balls into the box for Simms.

I am in full agreement that Calvert-Lewin should not be posing for 'fashion shoots' at a time when the team is struggling and he is not available to play. Not very intelligent imo.

When he returns, he is unlikely to hit the ground running after such a long layoff. He has become a good goal poacher more than a good goal creator and will only thrive if he gets the right service.

Maybe Arsenal see him as another fox in the box!

Simple point: on Wednesday night, Benitez clocked up the club's worst run of results since 1994. Let that sink in. Which Premier League manager would survive presiding over his club's worst results since 1994?

We are desperately poor. Those who were there know we were poor in the wins against Sothampton, Burnley and Norwich.

We have to roll the dice because that might change things. What else will? Norwich, Newcastle, Watford, Aston Villa, Man Utd, Spurs have all made the change. Which of them made a mistake?

Who would you bring in?

I'm beginning to think this is Gbamin Mk 2 and we won't see him again, except on the catwalks. Similar injury, same outcome.

If we continue with Rondon, we will be relegated. Tosun will almost certainly be used if Rondon isn't fit.

Simms should have left rather than sign a new contract as he won't be used under the present regime until he's 32.

The odds on getting a result against Arsenal are lengthening by the hour.

The state of our club brings me to tears but bellends unleashing continuous bile and regurgitated nonsense makes me sick. I honestly thought we were better than that. We could well be relegated and this type of carry-on makes that prospect more likely.

I maybe wrong but having a glance at the form table over the last five or more games, we are bottom of the league. Can we get more than three points out of the next five games? Coyb.

The teary twat is trying to cover his back and probably absolve himself of any blame.

This sounds like a stupid thing to say – some will say that's because it is stupid – but it almost doesn't matter who replaces Benitez; what matters is that we have to replace him.

Many people's answer to 'Who's the luckiest person in Britain not to have been sacked years ago?' would be 'Duncan Ferguson'. But the Board could give him a go as a free shot.

I'd go for someone young and thought to be talented and hungry – a manager, not a Duncan Ferguson, and not someone with a name, eg, Lampard, Rooney etc.

Wayne Rooney... for fuck's sake, mate, give your head a wobble.

If true, does our situation improve with Rafa's strengthened hand? I think I believe that.

Football is all about opinions and passion. You are out of order calling people who are passionate Blues "bellends" as they don't share your opinion.

Personally, I can't stand Rafa, his football is from the dark ages, he is never ever spoken about highly by ex-players, he's done nothing for years and, in my humble opinion, was an atrocious appointment.

I've seen this coming miles off. We should stand together – not decide some Blues are "bellends" as they dare to voice their beliefs.

Brands does all the purchasing and, if that fails, they may bring a "specialist" in below Brands as he stays at Board level.

Are Kenwright and Brands as close as ever and willing to throw Rafa under the bus or are cracks appearing?

One thing we all know is that Kenwright will do anything to stay involved. If Moshiri is as set on Rafa as we are led to believe, Brands had better watch his back.

It does matter who replaces Benitez!

Give us a name?

I personally can't come up with one and many on here also can't and it also looks like the board will struggle too.

Who would want to come to our basket case club?

Who is this young and talented manager you speak of? The chances are there's other clubs looking at him and he won't want to come here.

The journos will rip on any amateurish attempt to deflect blame and keep the comfy seats undisturbed. These types aren't good at taking their share of the blame and so there is a real test of character here.

Not sure Moshiri has any good ideas at this time.

I think there's been a curious (or telling?) absence of names as potential replacement for Rafa. It would need to be somebody who was available, better capable than Rafa, willing to come, for the salary on offer, knowing the squad deficiencies and the limitations of funding replacements (replacements needing to be of better quality than the current crop and also willing to come, in January), with the prospect of little time to turn things around with this squad and get us away from the relegation zone.

Would love to hear names...

Misread the post, all the best mate.

I couldn't agree more that we need to stand together. Like you, I'm no particular fan of Rafa Benitez and didn't want him. However, my problem is not with anyone whose opinions differ from mine but bellends who shout comments like 'Fuck off, you Spanish cunt' and make stupid comments that the manager is happy we got beat.

If you want to object, it's your prerogative but personally, I believe that you should do so in an acceptable manner and one which doesn't send parents and young children scurrying for the exit.

Brands has to go, revert to the manager, whoever it is, picking the team and transfers without boardroom interference… and Kenwright's retirement would help.

His role is to sit in the school book depository while Blue Bill and Moshiri make their getaway from the grassy knoll. You'd have to have Kopite levels of gullibility and stupidity to fall for this one.

Brands, if he had any self respect or professionalism should have walked months ago, refused any non disclosure agreement and spilled the beans on what really went on e.g. with the managerial appointments, three no.10s, Our Wayne, Iwobi et al.

I will be happy only with a full and open account of what's gone on in the Moshiri era, not a token sacking to appease a justifiably angry fanbase (that applies to Benitez too).

I don't know if anyone on here has experienced it before but it's a terrible injury in terms of getting back on the pitch. After a few weeks you feel fine and can do everything, run, jump, turn and then you try to play football and it just goes again with the first unnatural movement and you're back to square one.

You'd think DCL would be getting more care than I did, but the fact he had a 'setback' last month indicates that maybe he's not. It took me three or four months to realise that it needed three or four months of rest. Pretty much took a season from me and you don't really know if you're back until you're back.

Someone's got to decide whether we can go into the market or trust a kid... because I wouldn't be banking on DCL not breaking down again.

"I'll give you a name. Now this is right out of the left field. This person has won 4 league titles. Emma Hayes, the Chelsea woman's manager"

Why didn't Chelsea put her in the dugout after Lampard left? They'd have been guaranteed more Premier League titles.

How about someone like Urs Fischer who has taken a very average Union Berlin from a decade in the Bundesliga 2 to a decent mid-table team in the top German division to now occupying 4th place after beating Leipzig tonight; all with minimal budget and some decent football.

I'm not necessarily advocating for sacking Benitez (who, whilst not my choice, has not had much time) but there are always options out there.

For the first time in our position, I don't favour rolling the dice. My decision feels strange even to me. I didn't want Benitez, but I agree with most of what he's done.

The squad is fucking useless, this has been proved by every manager we've had since Moshiri came.

Better the devil we know...

He is very well paid for his day job and deserves the flak in my humble opinion. Personally, I find it highly offensive to be called a bellend because of my, or similar peoples views. But, if you don't think zero wins in eight is bad or worrying or deserves any stick, I'm happy for you both to be worried how poor Rafa feels.

You and Liam and fans like you are why we as a club accept absolute mediocrity.

1. One centre-forward.
2. One decent centre-back who is always injured.
3. Only one left-back on the books.
4. No right-back worthy of playing at this level, week-in & week-out.
5. One mobile centre-midfielder.

You'd probably add a back-up keeper to that list as well, as the drop-off from Pickford to Begovic is significant also.

£300M spent, and Brands is still there. What a joke.

Sounds daft. Mina plays 3 games in 10 days for his country but 'picks' up a slight strain and can't play for the club that pay his wages and has been out for several weeks.

Calvert-Lewin – the wannabe male model, catwalk star and fashion icon – seems fine wearing fashion accessories but not getting fit to play for the club who pay his wages. Does he really want to be a footballer?

He has now been out for 4 months with an initial 'niggle' that we were told would only keep him out for a couple of weeks. Now we hear rumours that Arsenal are looking to buy him – ideal for a fashion star currently masquerading as a professional footballer! The bright lights of London, fashion capital, Carnaby Street, West End... Eeh, Boys Pen Billy, is it really paved with gold?

Tongue-in-cheek but could there be a nugget of truth and reality in the above??

At least try to make a coherent argument based on the manager's competence. Six Premier League clubs have managed to replace their manager this season without the pre-requisite of having the fans verify the name of the new hire before the decision was made.

Imagine applying that logic to other businesses. Nobody would ever get fired. If you are going to make a coherent case for Benitez, then focus on that. Nobody wants another managerial change, but the results are forcing it.

Perhaps start with this question: How many more defeats would be acceptable before the January window opens?

So who qualifies as "better"? Who are you comparing the current manager to?

I don't think anybody is saying it's up to the fans to make the final decision, to "verify the name of the new hire before the decision was made". That's the club's decision, as you say. It's just that, if you say there is better, then who is better (and available)?

Oops.

Rodriguez might just sit down in the middle of a relegation game and decide not to play.

If you're going to play Kean upfront, why not just play Iwobi? They're both cut from the same cloth.

We've just got Kean off the books for no loss, just pretend Iwobi is Kean! They both dawdle around the pitch and flatter to deceive.

Getting rid of Benitez now would be a huge gamble and is a roll of the dice far beyond the risk averse accountant. I would love to think Ferguson could be our saviour, but that kind of romantic thinking seems more akin to an exciting musical production than the evidence offered by reality.

The soul of the club has been dying for a decade. The current situation is critical with a potential exodus of players likely, severe financial impositions, and very little (other than money?) to attract quality players. We are now managed by an ex-RS manager and I feel he is our only viable option to avoid the unthinkable.

The club has been so badly managed from the boardroom for far too long and that is where change must be made. As much as it would be devastating, relegation may well be the awful medicine needed to rid the club of the poison at its heart.

Ernie @54. I was the same. Quad injuries are a nightmare in terms of recovery. I'd go as far as to say the worst I had and I came back from breaks and ligament damage over the years. Just when you think everything is okay, you break down as soon as you try full training or playing. Well, that was my experience. I appreciate everyone's body is different.

Sam @56. That is a good shout and I was of a similar mind in the summer. I wanted Rangnick with a younger coach under him. Pretty much what he will now implement at Man Utd.

I fancied Terzic, who was assistant coach at Dortmund. He was made interim first-team coach last season following the sacking of Favre, turned their season around and won the German cup. He is now back on the coaching staff. He was also assistant to Slaven Bilic for a period at West Ham for those who insist on understanding of the Premier League (not I).

I know I bore everyone with my talk of German football, but look at it. Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd now have German coaches. The last 3 Champions League winners were managed by German coaches. If I was Everton King for a day, that's where I be looking to find the next hidden gem.

I'm not one of those calling for a change right now, by the way, but if it comes, that's the type of change I'd like to see and suggested in the summer. Be different. Be bold. Restructure the footballing side of the club top to bottom. It needs it.

Fem Dom..

Seriously, if anyone thinks he's going to be anything like fully fit this season then dream on folks.

The guys game is all about jumping high for headers, foot injury like he's had then it's gonna be in the back of his mind that any landing could set him back another six months.

We need a striker in January, absolute fact!

And, fully agree about the goalscorer requirement in January. First week of January at that. Too important to overlook.

I think Dominic will be ready for the 3rd Round of the FA Cup, for which the draw will take place on Monday 6 December at 7:00 pm.

Calvert-Lewin is going to struggle, as it has been pointed out. His game relies on physicality, aerial battles, 90 minutes of running. It will be Easter at the earliest before he is anything near what he was.

This manager hasn't got a clue. Think back, folks, Duncan took charge, in his first game he sorted us out, played to our strengths. Route 1, Pickford was brilliant. But we ain't got a No 9 to do that now.

We are seriously in the poo. Love him... hate him... indifferent as long as he keeps us up. Big Sam has many ways of playing depending on the cards he is dealt. Pick the phone up, Mr Moshiri, eat humble pie, get us out of this mess.

I think Newcastle just won, bonus it was Burnley. Southampton won too. We are deep in it. Leeds will beat Brentford.

Not panicking yet, but Rafa cannot be in charge come Monday. He will set us up to get beat.

Rafa has dispensed with the club's medical director. Not professional to say, but something hasn't been right for a long time.

Rafa has had a reputation for having some of the best treatment, rehab, and sports science in football.

I was part of the revolution in the '80s that pointed out to football it had to have professionally trained people. Wow, it has now, clearly our club has, it was behind the curve in so many areas.

A deeper squad. Why didn't we buy Keiffer Moore Wales, he was at Wigan. He gave the Cezch back two a nightmare. He's at Cardiff.

My god, the No 9 at Stockport County is better than Rondon. Did you see it stick to his foot.

Why do we have just one No 9? Go get Andy Carroll, game by game. There are players who would duplicate Calvert-Lewin. Not as good... but Rondon??

Answer: he is such a willing lad, he's paid a price, we paid a price, a terrible price. Simms is Calvert-Lewin 2.0. Rooney was 16 years and 262 days old, Moyes played him. Are we going to wait till Simms is 24??

Rafa has brought this on himself. Stubborn, tactically niave in the modern game, or he ain't got a clue... Did he play Spanish Sunday League??

Big Sam for me; I was delighted with what he did for £5million. I'll have another £5million worth.

Why has he been out so long? Is there no detailed report because the board do not want to risk his transfer value when they sell him in January or in the close season?

For him to have been out this long really does beggar belief that we have a professional set-up and a knowledgeable medical entourage.

Answers on a postcard as to Calvert-Lewin's problem(s), but let us hope we see him soon – and not in an advert, but on the pitch.

Look at the service Rondon gets (yes, he is shite); Calvert-Lewin is not going to thrive in those circumstances, hard as he may try.

Would anyone blame him if, having watched the drivel served up since September, he fancies playing somewhere else – and escaping a future in the Championship???

In any case, it's going to take more than a striker to sort this out.

Things would be a lot more special...

Get rid of this red useless tit, please.

However, even if Allardyce tightened the ship it would be another toxic appointment. This is all on Moshiri. He signs the cheques. Did he really think he could splash the cash without any strategy?

Benitez got rid of the classiest player we had in a personal vendeta. I want him gone but l also want stability. I can't have both, for now. So we support the team and hope we can bring in some players. I want some ball players, Bernard but better.

Arsenal game, l'd put Holgate next to Keane and have Godfrey at right back to give Seamus a break. Delph also needs to play. Our manager needs to think outside the box. If that's possible.

I missed that story reading the Daily Star today but I did read “shopper stunned as nude Roman statue is missing bollock.” I kid you not. Quality newspaper.

As much as James Rodriguez was a class player, he didn't want to be at Everton.

He was only here because of Carlo and even Ancelotti had a hard enough time towards the end getting any consistency from him, a pure luxury player.

If James still thought he could cut it do you really think he'd be plying his trade in Qatar at 30?

For a team with zero creativity, his six goals and four assists would come in useful this season. When added to the six and five assists that we lost with the suspension of the the nameless one, that has had a big impact on the team.

It was another muddled decision from the manager who has led us on our worst run since Mike Walker in 1994.

He was never going to be a difference maker this season. Indeed the biggest difference may well be that the £7.2m fee and saved wages allows us to buy a right back or some other reinforcement January.

The bigger miss is Sigurdsson, since he may well have played every game this season - adding more materially to our goal contributions.

I can only claim a free go on the lottery, you have the ability to transcribe a conversation almost three days in advance. I think you should copy and paste it onto the Brands thread but claim it as an exclusive scoop!

Tosun, Brands,??? £45 million peanuts compared to what was wasted. 8th sacked or paid off.

Seriously, you wouldn't take 8th at the end from the mess we are in.

Championship for us at this rate.

I'll go pick up Sam's lot.

Not my cup of tea, given that I'm pushing 50 but he could wear a mini skirt on matchday for all I care, as long as he scores lots of goals.

Think about that. We get rid of Rafa to bring back Sam. On so many levels no, no, no!

If we want a battling, long ball, anti-footballing team with very little entertainment or chance of silverware or continued success we should at least get the younger modern version in Sean Dyche.

He may save us a few pennines too.. thanks but no.

We have started to recruit player's that can actually play football. Player's with pace, technically better, more direct, attacking football.

But we have a small squad and still need several key positions to be upgraded. Our recruitment of players and manager's need to stayed aligned to how we wan't to play football.

Quick, athletic, technically good attacking team players to play counter attacking or high energy style of play.

The DCL injury reads similar to Gbamins. That is a huge worry. 2 crucial positions that we need to bring in first team players for.

A top class commanding midfielder and an athletic goalscoring forward.

Not easy, but if Rafa can find a few gems I could warm to him.

I have a feeling he is waiting for Gomes to play the deep playmaker role ie an Alonso or Shelvy ball player.

I'm not sure Gomes is good enough or will stay injury free long enough to be the player he wants.

I think it's Christine who is writing the script. So, Christine, without giving the game away, is it worth me booking a train ticket and accommodation in London for 14th May?

We all have our opinions but either way the situation is dire and needs some positive action. We are 5 points from the drop zone which can evaporate very quickly and then every game becomes so much more of a desperate battle.

We would all like to think that when DCL comes back that things will change. Without the support from midfield and some better defending he will be hard pressed to make a difference to the results.

We have not been a competitive force in any department since September and a couple of scrappy draws against Manure and Spurs just doesn't cut it.

Today would be a good time to stop the rot !!!!