Holgate: We need to prove we're good enough

I have a few in my mind that I would still move on, who have had their chance and they are still not good enough.

I’m sure Frank will weed the weak links out and deal with them in the summer transfer window.

I thought he looked a lot better on Saturday, and he’d be in my team tomorrow night because of that performance, which was simply just all about having the right attitude, and playing with 100% concentration.

You know I do not go in for slagging EFC, players especially, but it is okay to be critical. In the 10 minutes that we wobbled and Brentford scored, watch again and see Holgate lose a tackle and just turn and walk back while play was on. And check out the penalty: Toney just runs away from him and again he stands there... he is, in my opinion, very very weak – lack of concentration regularly.

Tough times ahead, tough games, tough decisions... we need tough players.

Same with Keane – one very good pass does not give him forgiveness for defensive mistakes but I believe we need Keane and Mina in the middle for up-and-coming tough games.

I wonder if he's thinking we are going to play with a back three again, and he wants him making those little diagonal runs across our very square defenders?

Or if he's thinking down the sides in between the fullbacks and the centre-halves, if we play with a flat back four?

Mike 2 - you say he used to be humble, is he not now? Genuine question. If you don't know then maybe you shouldn't assume.

Derek 3 – "as if everyone's played as badly as he has" – well yes, several members of the squad have played significantly worse, including possibly all of the defence.

George 6 – I can't remember the tackle you were talking about so I can't comment on that. For the goal, he stepped up to play Toney offside but Mykolenko wasn't concentrating behind him. To his credit, he didn't just stand there, he was back towards the goal line when Toney was brought down.

Not saying he's perfect, but give him a chance when he's doing okay.

On Saturday, I initially thought Michael Keane had done a Michael Keane and got caught being dozy and ball-watching as the striker drifted off him. But the more I watch it back, it is Holgate and a lack of communication between the two that created the situation.

In Holgate's defence, he has been playing in an underperforming team under several managers so has been passed from pillar to post during his formative years. Not a great setting for developing a player.

Some have used the same defence with regards to Tom Davies.

The question is are they good enough for what we want? I personally don't know but despite the mitigating circumstances, I'm unsure. But both are good enough to be in the current Everton squad. But good enough to be where we want to be?

He played left side of a three yesterday and it was the only part of our defence which looked secure. When you are playing a back three and a players runs from left to right, you pass him over.

Mina worry's the fuck out of me. Scored a great goal, but he seems to misjudge the flight of every ball knocked or chipped over his head. Did it three times against Villa and did it twice again yesterday.

One (just after their goal) presented Tony with a chance most strikers would have buried. I think opposition coaches have sussed this and are targeting him.

Good at attacking a ball in the opposition area, but absolutely riddled with twist or stick when facing the long one in and around his own. It will cost us if he doesn't sort it.

Mina is supposed to be playing centre of a three. Take a look at where he is when the ball is played in.

7 points from our next 3 league games and I might have more time for the rhetoric.

On some days he wouldn't get into the Boreham Wood side, simple as that. They'd soon fuck him off for not trying

Nobody has more to prove than Holgate himself. First time in two years he's played well enough that anybody wanted to interview him afterwards (although the goal was a gift from heaven).

Maybe Saturday will prove to be an overdue first step in Holgate finally starting to play up to his physical talents.

Personally I think we're more likely to see a squadron of pigs flying over Goodison in military formation. But I've been wrong before.

Welcome Frank, hopefully enough sense has now been hammered into our owner and boardroom for you to be given, with your hopefully effective coaches, at least until summer 2023 before they start to consider who'll succeed your contract.

In the meantime it'd be good if young footballers of talent (and Holgate had talent before drowning in the whirlpool of managers thrust on us by the owner and board) can at last develop the core talents that have gone AWOL, to such an extent that we might soon regard them as footballers worthy of a Top 4 club. That'd save many tens of £millions too, as an accountant of any credibility would surely appreciate.

Let's give Frank and his staff some time eh?.... as well as the young players in our haphazard midst, through no fault of their own.

Mina should be commanding our defence. He's the most experienced we have regardless of age.

Darren; most of our defenders do the watching the ball go over their head thing. It's why I've been screaming (literally) for a centre-back for over 2 years.

For now, they're what we've got and in different ways, they're all decent players. I obviously only reached a certain level, but I don't know how difficult it is. Especially with a 3. Two markers and one always covers the space once the ball comes in. Anticipation; read the game.

That said, I don't want to fall into the trap of "every goal can be avoided" and, as George says, I just enjoyed that on Saturday. If we have to be in a position of scrutinising one goal conceded when we've scored 4 more often, I can live with that!