Disastrous defeat avoided by tremendous Everton rearguard action

Lots of central midfielders in there.

I guess we'll know the first time someone has to chase Traore.

Bbc got 3 -5-1-1

Let's stick Gana on the wing - could be fun?

Or is one of Onana/Garner playing wide? With McNeill or Iwobi at left back?

Or is Gana the left back?

How do you fit that many central midfielders into the side?

Pickford

Patterson Mina Tarkowski McNeill

Iwobi Garner Doucoure Gana Onana

Calvert-Lewin

What do you think.

COYBLUES!

Patterson Tarkowski Mina

Iwobi Garner Onana Gueye Mcneil

Doucouré

DCL

1-3-5-1-1

Very clear message to Gray. The squad would need to be down to 10 players before he's getting a start.

I think we might just see Gana at left back. Which is odd too. But you can't organise that selection into any formation without coming up with some kind of oddity.

Wolves were already going to be difficult to score against, unless it's a set-piece it's looking almost impossible.

Crunch time for Everton
Wolves v Everton (15:00)

Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer at Molineux

For the second season in succession, Everton start their penultimate league game under threat of relegation. It is sadly symptomatic of catastrophic boardroom decision making, with owner Farhad Moshiri. chairman Bill Kenwright and CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale culpable and director of football Kevin Thelwell also under scrutiny after January passed with any additions to a struggling squad.

Everton can still put matters right, starting against a Wolves side making six changes today, but what a desperate reflection on those in power at the club that they find themselves in this dire situation once more.

1-3.5-4.5-1-1 with McNeil trying to be a wingbackforward like a madman.

Dyche is trying to sandbag them.

Looks like maximum mobility plus maybe fluidity. Needs maximum effort and clinicality on top.

Come on you blues! UTFT!

Seems crazy to me but let's see.

This is just pathetic.

At least we have Kenwright, Mosh, DBB and Sharp and a Dynasty of "Good Times" over decades! Joke of a club, absolute Killing Joke.

Doucoure is complete rubbish and Iwobi is not doing much better and then we give away a soft goal as somebody thought you could play a one-two with the most brain dead professional footballer at the club, Gana.

When we went to three at the back we failed to bring McNeil into the game at all and without knowing what is wrong with Calvert-Lewin could we not have gotten through the 4 minutes or so until halftime without him while his injury was assessed.

Dyche will need a rethink and new plan at halftime as right now the only thing going for us is that Maupay wasn't brought on and Wolves are not upto much albeit that at the moment that is better than we are showing.

So ‘miracles' now required. Our paper-thin squad is a shocking indictment of our hierarchy.

What else works? This current setup absolutely doesn't work.

Pretty sure it was Doucoure who gave the ball away for the goal.

All over them but cannot hit a barn door at 2 paces

DCL looking promising then injured - no backup striker to note. At least Dyche didn't play Maupey

Doucs awful causing turnovers galore

Gana and Onana think they're playing walking football

Sucker punched and gone to jelly

It's still in ourhands though - COYB!!!

We have a manager that was out of work for 10 months after being sacked by Burnley, just let that sink in.

Our away points have been a massive improvement. People expecting us to thrash Wolves were in cuckoo land. We fight another day.

UTFT

I couldn't believe Dyche's substitutions and while Holgate didn't do too badly at right-back, Maupay managed only to touch the ball three times and shield one over the touchline for a Wolves throw-in. But we looked a total mess with all trace of a plan going off with Calvert-Lewin.

We live to fight one more day.

The competetivenes of that game, the huge home adavntage Wolves held, the great start they made to the game... Yet Everton responded and deserved to have won in that first half but just couldn't pull off the chances they worked to create.

Patterson and Calvert-Lewin forced off, Wolves so up for it, so determined not to lose. Everton somehow kept going through an extremely taxing second half and into 9 minutes of added time. And then a tremendous finish in the very last minute. You couldn't make it up.

Who put that cross in?

That will have sickened our rivals no end.

We can do it now.

It's out of our hands now, because we failed to win

Keane didn't do bad at all when he went forward. I think Craig is right. We had a real paucity of choice of players. Once Patterson went off Wolves could have run riot but they didn't.

I'm made up for the away fans, they stayed right to the end, when it looked like we had no chance of scoring. But there's some massive rebuilding required; no matter what fate has in store.

Now for Arsenal and West Ham victories.

Played decently in the first half, but losing Patterson and Calvert-Lewin was worse than we ever deserved. Tthe midfield had no shape, if played wide, we had no one to knock it into. It was painful to watch, we didn't stop, but no shape, just pressure.

99 minutes. The 1 point that may mean everything next week. Looks like I will have to go to Mass in the morning… it's already 4:20 am.

We ain't dead yet!

Holgate at right-back, and some other chap at left-back would be the way to go. We will score off a set piece and then defend for our lives.

Next Sunday will be a killer – can we get Calvert-Lewin fit and, if not, who plays up front? Will we have anyone fit to play either full-back position?

This club ages you so often but then someone does something to drag you back in. Incredible!!

We are on 33 points, Leeds 31 points. A point for Leeds keeps us above them. If they win, we go into the Bottom 3.

I think it can only really influence in relation to Forest, if we draw and they earn no more points, due to goal difference.

Or if Leicester get 2 draws and Leeds score no more than 1 point.

Maybe the board were right, we don't need a striker.

Losing faith in Dyche's tactics and timing and personnel of his subs.

Also remember that a coach has only 3 substitution moments, so following 2 subs for injury in the first half, Dyche was left with only one more opportunity to change his personnel on the field.

There would be no more opportunities to replace any players struggling with an injury. It is not the fault of Dyche that he has so few options, we all know that the missing board of directors have a lot to answer for, if they ever face up. COYB.

Forest lose tonight and next week at Palace – which they will.
Leicester lose Monday – which they will. We will need a point in the last game of the season.

I'm sick and tired of the Calvert-Lewin drama – whether or not it is his fault, we desperately need to get rid. Playing well 6 games a season does not help the cause. And he had a good first half today.

he's played very well since returning. That's irony for ya.

There's so many people willing to defend him but even when he is playing he's worse than average in terms of converting chances. It's no surprise that, when Everton were having fire sales to raise cash against our deficit, it was Richarlison and Gordon that were sold and no-one wanted Calvert-Lewin. If we do manage to stay up, we need to move him on to the Championship and buy 3 new strikers.

Lots of twists and turns yet – the fact that we battled to a draw will help confidence which is very important.

he was essentially unsaleable due to injury, whether or not. He's no magician but has made a difference in the last 3 games.

Also remember that a coach has only 3 substitution moments, so following 2 subs for injury in the first half, Dyche was left with only one more opportunity to change his personnel on the field.

I'm not sure that's quite right. He could have made additional subs at the start of the second half but he didn't… I'm not saying he should or shouldn't have. But I believe there was a fourth sub opportunity there.

Maybe next week Townsend can have a Lazarus-like return for his last game and score his season average of 5 stunners all in the first half.

We managed to get the ball in the box quite a bit towards the end, and I bet many Toffees were thinking. "Why the Hell is Simms not on?" Maupay and Holgate!!! Jesus…

If we manage to stay up, I'll say thanks, Mr Dyche, but quite obviously we need to move on from him to progress. He's better than Lampard. Who isn't?

Spot on, Derek (81).

He's made mistakes but it's night and day from Lampard's tenure. We'd be safe if he were in charge for the reverse fixture v Wolves on Boxing Day.

I really don't have a clue what team he will pick next week. Maybe Holgate starting at right-back and Gray up top?

The lack of quality is killing us. After largely controlling the first 25 minutes, Doucoure's lazy layoff and Onana not bringing Traore down cost us the goal. We will always struggle after conceding.

The new Mick Lyons was thrown up top. No idea why Wolves wanted to time waste so much, it cost them in the end.

Mina my MotM by some distance.

It's going to be a long week.

Now we need favours. Will be clearer by Monday, but I do think a Big Sam guided Leeds could get a win at West Ham (not so much Leicester against The Barcodes).

I want Dyche to explain to me why he selects Maupay. Not me personally obviously but just tell us why?

It does not lack for guts or competitive spirit. And that's what will keep us up.

Onana might only be 21 years old, but he's an international footballer. If he doesn't understand that you a) make the challenge and either win the ball or foul the player or b) cover the only other Wolves player (Hwang) involved in the breakaway, then I despair.

Sell him in the summer for 㿞 million or whatever anyone is dumb enough to pay for him because he just doesn't understand what is required at this level and we need the money to strengthen elsewhere.

Well done to the players for keeping going. A draw is a great result considering how the game went with injuries and personnel changes.

Absolutely.

I understand the lack of other personnel but why couldn't a place go to a youngster if only to get experience of being involved in the set-up on matchday?

Dyche gets some stick on here yet Ancelotti gets plenty of praise even though he said he isn't a magician and hasn't got a magic wand.

So what do they expect Dyche to do with a weaker squad than Ancelotti had, injuries before the game with the only fit left-back going down, then two more injuries in the first half to two important players unable to carry on. No wonder the display suffered in the second half.

I never saw the game. I watched the Live Forum posts until Patterson went off, then switched to a good book I'm reading and decided to let what would be, be.

I got back to the Live Forum when I thought the match would be over only to read 1-0 and the understandable moaning had begun, I thought the match was over then "Mina!" came from one post, followed by "Yis!" then another "Goal", "Get in", and so on.

I waited for that fuckin VAR to show its ugly face but it never did. I was literally shaking and had to switch off again.

Now, an hour later, still not relaxed but couldn't give a fuck about the performance and who played good, bad or indifferent. We are still in the fight for another week and the battered squad will line up next week at home to continue this battle with Dyche the manager

He's done better than okay to keep us where we are and hopefully earn the bonus that keeps us up and I don't care how we play next week as long as we stay up. God bless those fans who went today!!

Couldn't agree more. Doesn't even look interested, and I'm sick & tired of watching him roll around like he has been shot.

Which is fair enough, but you and I both know Dyche would pick his favourites like Keane or experience over youth – no matter what the squad was like.

His substitutions, or usual lack of, are baffling. Burnley fans will tell you that.

Either there is a God or the Devil is taunting us.

I hope you are right, and it won't be for want of effort that we enter the final battle in a precarious position, but with hope, and hopefully, decent team spirit.

With 30 seconds to go, with Pickford loping into the penalty area for the corner, we had an “Everton, that” moment as the screen froze. I stormed out, a minute later little Charlie shouted “We've scored, Grandad”. Blimey O'Reilly.

I consider it to be a point rescued. It may prove to be our salvation. I thought we played pretty well, particularly in the first half. Anything that could go wrong, did so. We fought hard, which is a big thing.

My fear is that, under Sean Dyche, this limited team has been playing as well as it can. But that will not be enough.

However, the fight is there and, currently, I wouldn't swap places with Leeds or Leicester.

To be fair, my Mrs does have a soft spot for us success-starved blues.

As it turns out, we pulled out a point from the very depths of defeat in what could prove to be monumental momment in our history.

We should have been dead and buried in this game by the 80th minute but Wolves were passing up their chances to kill us off. So our team stuck at it with what looked like a defiant token effort to avoid being booed off by the hordes of blues and miraculously we got a bit of luck right at the death to snatch a point.

Like many have said, I hope never to see most of these players in the blue of Everton again (no choice for next week). I will make exceptions in the case of James Garner, who looks a proper footballer with a bit of bite to him. Dwight McNeill has been great of late and even tonight he showed he can play football in a real challenging unfamiliar role.

Patterson looks like he wants to play for the team and he is learning fast. These players, along with Simms and Branthwaite, give me hope but, my god, we are poor right now with players like Doucouré, Gana, Tarkowski, Mina, Maupay etc. Even Onana looks bang average.

The reason Simms isn't picked was Liverpool and Man Utd away. It was like we only had 10 men. He was absolutely dreadful.

I was convinced we would score, we didn't. Before I wiped that off, we had another corner and scored, I then posted my delayed "Gooooal!"

He'd be more likely to score than Maupay, yes. Maupay runs round but, fuck me, he is so ineffectual, I just don't think we should write the lad off on the back of 2 performances at Anfield and Old Trafford.

Anyway, I'm quite happy with the point today thanks to Big Yerry, granted the performance was a hard watch but we showed a bit of spirit to get a draw at a tough place to go.

At 4:40 pm, I couldn't resist the temptation and got on the BBC football page. When I saw it was 1-0, my heart sank and I felt sick. At 5:05 pm, I was punching the air.

Now I've settled down, I realise this is not in our hands and I'm feeling sick again. Can we depend on others to help us? All we can do is hope and pray Leeds and Leicester don't pick up more than a point from their remaining games.

Thanks, Everton, for ruining another weekend. If we go down, it's our own fault but I'll be lighting a few candles between now and Sunday.

I cannot understand why Garner never stayed with their goal scorer. Instead, they all went towards Traore.

Forest buying 30 fecking players and Leeds pulling another fast one like last season, only this time with Allardyce which adds a certain tinge of irony – they don't deserve to be in this league but mind you, neither do we.

If that fat fuck Kenwright had one shred of decency in him – he hasn't – he'd put back into the club every penny he's made from his share sales and repay every single expense he's taken out of the club.

My son got enough signal for the score, it was 1-0. I prayed for an equaliser and it was still 1-0 at full time. My prayers had not been answered. Then back in signal a 5:00 pm and when on ToffeeWeb it was 1-1 – Alleliugha!!!!!!

So it will be the last game of the season that may decide Everton's fate. It was always going to be like that with this squad.

Leeds will win at a tired rotated West Ham and then at home to a terrible on-the-beach Spurs.

And repeat for that next one.

It's us or Leeds. Leicester will find it hard to rally.

Maupay consistently over Simms? Just don't understand it. Fine margins. I hope Coady is back for Bournemouth to fire this team up.

Thank you, Bill Kenwright, and thank you, Farhad Moshiri. How has this great club ended up here?

The goal at Chelsea is better than anything Maupay has done for us. When we resorted to smashing it upfield today, who would you rather have attacking the ball – 6ft-2in Simms or 5ft-7in Maupay?

It's so easy to say "I told you so" after the fact.

I just hope Leeds and Leicester lose. And if the worst happens… then we deserve it.

Neither are good enough to play on their own. Imo Maupay links the play better.

Simms's goal at Chelsea earned a point. Maupay's goal v West Ham earned 3 points.

At this level, Maupay is a failed striker. Simms is an unknown. With those tactics today, Simms was a better option.

I have seen enough of Maupay to realise he may be good next season if we go down.

Who is in your starting 11 next Sunday?

Maybe I have answered my own question in that Keane is better than both up front!

Pickford
Keane, Mina, Tarkowski
Iwobi, Doucouré, Garner, Gueye, McNeil
Simms, Gray.

And more squeaky bums than Goodison has ever heard !!!

We now rely on Moyes and West Ham Utd – twice, and Newcastle and Spurs. Thank You, Messrs Kenwright & Moshiri.

I feel physically sick as my head is telling me the cherry on this awful-tasting relegation cake will be Allardyce laughing his fucking cock off on MotD next weekend.

I hope to god I am wrong.

My team if players are fit:

Pickford
Patterson Mina Tarkowski Mykolenko
Iwobi Garner Doucouré McNeil
Calvert-Lewin Maupay.

There were too many positional changes to compensate for an injured left-back. Consequently our play was disjointed, at times chaotic. Throwing Michael Keane up front reminded me of the seventies and Mick Lyons but nothing else was working so it was worth a try.

I am afraid West Ham have no interest in the outcome tomorrow. I expect Leeds to win both their last two fixtures. I hope I am proved wrong.

On the contrary. Leeds and Leicester now know it's out of our hands. They'll be invigorated that a win will lift them both above us.

I can see Leeds getting a result at West Ham who have no skin in the league but do have skin in Europe.

As it stands today, even a rip-roaring last-day win does not guarantee us safety. We could win 10-0 and still go down.

The result today has definitely sickened me though.

Cue the apologists talking about potential.

I will wait until tomorrow to write something more coherent, because I have all kinds of emotions running through me right now.

As did those leaving the stadium at the end.

I tried food, but the body wasn't having it.

It's not over.

Calvert-Lewin is not playing next week and neither is Patterson. The next start for Maupay should be in the Championship – regardless of club:

Pickford
Holgate Mina Tarkowski Mykolenko (if fit; if not, McNeil)
Iwobi Garner Gana Doucouré
Gray or McNeil (Simms if Mykolenko is not fit)

Regardless, we need to win against a team that have battered us twice this season.

We weren't great but we weren't shit and no-one hid. Wolves have been strong at home and we were seriously depleted when we lost Patterson and Calvert-Lewin.

Proud of the team.

UTFT!

If we play Simms on his own up front, we are royally fucked.

Yes, proud of the team to get a point from that given the in-game injuries.

Good to meet you, Neil and Martin for the first time today, and Danny of course.

I got home about an hour ago.

And why play our most recently effective forward player McNeil at left-back in a must-win game? Garner should be central controlling the game. And both Doucouré and Onana in the same midfield is only ending in a mess at the moment.

My Saturday mornings are spent watching my lad's under-12s – they were more organised than us in that awful second half today.

Credit though for throwing the centre-backs forward to do the striker's job. That could be an important point.

Right – moan over. I'm switching off.

We can still do this!

And with Maupay we are…?

We have struggled for goals all season because managers have persisted with one up front with an uncreative midfield.

Massive celebration on the goal with many of us still not knowing the scorer even as we left the ground. Thanks to Neves for the added time. Let's beat Bournemouth and then see where we are.

If we are to play him, then we need someone alongside him like Calvert-Lewin or Simms. You'd think that would be obvious.

He may turn out to be the player who fires us to promotion next season?!

I feel really sorry for those regular away supporters who will still be saying "It's not over yet". Sorry, you are starting to sound like the band on the Titanic offering encouragement while knowing the ship is sinking.

You have done your best for the club and it is sickening that those who have more influence within the club could not offer as much, but chose to bury their heads in the sand and plead innocence.

I sincerely hope that we stay up but we have relied on other clubs to fail for too long instead of relying on our own abilities. Today we've seen the 2nd-place team whose league position never changed with a loss, against a team that, with a win, stay in the Premier League. This shows you can't rely on other results; our league position is our own fault.

No amount of rah, rah, rah speeches or unbounded optimism and faith will keep us up, only the final result at Goodison and other grounds will determine our fate.

Thanks, Moshiri and Kenwright — you've played a blinder… Twats.

Also how it was realized after several key injuries in an already patchwork eleven. They fucking did what we've all demanded at their most heavily weighted moment of pressure and anxiety. They fucking did that so please just take a moment to get right with that and give them their due.

It might work out so don't go overboard before the ship requires that of you.

Today, when Calvert-Lewin and Patterson went off ,we did well to get a draw. Anyone saying otherwise doesn't know much. We had no full-backs plus other players out of position on the pitch.

Leicester are 1/8 and Leeds are 1/3 to be relegated while we are best priced 11/8. The bookies appear to have more faith in us than we have, I'm not sure I agree with those odds myself.

We are in a very vulnerable position.

First 25 minutes, we were well in control,; after that we allowed them to dictate. That said, they never looked like scoring.

2nd half, we were dreadful and I and my two mates on our way back to the car couldn't believe we'd just equalised — we were shell-shocked actually.

But what the fuck! It's another point gained. If someone had said 5 points from Leicester (a), Brighton (a), Man City (h) and Wolves (a), we'd have snapped their hand off.

Selling your best players season after season lies the problem. Relying on other clubs to save us now is how low we have come.

Still a chance and hope!

If we go down, it will be overwhelmingly their responsibility.

Gonna be a tense week!

To now be dependent on other results to have even a hope of survival is a way more than appalling legacy from those in charge, and yet today's match has generated a mere 150+ posts thus far.

Seems to me that most of us are long since rightly 100% aware of the grim fate bestowed on us.

Jeez, even if we survive this season, where does anyone with a modicum of reality see an escape from relegation next season given the gross negligence and recklessness alive and well at the top of our club?

They've already comprehensively fucked us for seasons to come.

Let's enjoy next week for what it is. We have something to play for; we've had very little to play for for a generation.

It's not in our hands but all we can do is go and win the game next week.

Well done, Blues.

ps: if circumstances mean no Calvert-Lewin next week, I'd like to see Keane up front.

Effort is the only thing that has given us a chance. I believe that the players are battling despite poor managers and a history of dreadful recruitment that has left us with a ramshackle set of players.

We're now in a position where we go into the most important match of the season not even able to play a recognised formation with the players we have available. That's an absolute disgrace.

I can only hope, as the board watched that first half and saw McNeil wasted at left back, Keane floundering at full-back, Garner struggling positionally on the right wing, and then the tough calls made when our only viable striker exited the game... they thought, "Yeah, these fans might have a point. We've cocked this up and should go."

We're lucky Wolves went for the counter-attacking option. If they'd taken the game to us as they did after Patterson went off, then we'd be a point and goal difference worse off. The Keane change was an absolute shocker, even if the player himself showed admirable qualities in that second half.

I think West Ham - Leeds will be a draw, and Newcastle will beat Leicester, therefore our survival will be in our own hands. Can we do it though?

But hope was never going to be enough, cruel to lose Seamus and Patterson, cruelties still having to play Keane and Maupay. But the sickening reality is the abject failure of the club to have a squad depth were there is a total absence of quality cover in key defensive positions, and ultimately the one, key catastrophic failure to bring in ANY strikers to replace Richarlison or critical back up for DCL.

That, single failure may well be the most damming failure to the survival of the club. Moshiri knew it, promised a striker, never happened.

We all know why we are here, it's not been bad luck even if it feels like it, we had a badly shaped team who didn't give up, a manager, like those before him, who couldn't get the same performance from players week in, week out.

I don't care what Leeds or Leicester do, our focus is to win our last game, we have points on the table, not a game in hand. I will take that anyday

We Only! have to win once...we Have! to win.

We can finish on 33, 34 or...the preferred option...36pts

Leicester need 2 wins and 'only' finish on; 30, 31, 32 33, 34 or 36pts plus a better GD...but it doesnt really matter if we finish 18th or 19th

Leeds is the key, they also need 2 wins but may potentially finish on anything from; 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 or the nightmare / doomsday senario...37pts

That Fat Lady is stood in the wings waiting for her cue.

We can only win or draw and hope the gods of diminishing mathamatical permutations let us off the hook.

Win!

Team-shape/transition/injuries/suspensions fully occupy every PROFESSIONAL football club every week yet those useless prats who've managed to spend £hundreds of millions to now deliver our years-to-come perilous predicament are still there, postulating their completely unrevealed notion as to how they'll show one iota of know-how when it comes to either relegation of the skin-of-the-teeth survival they once again pray for.

Moshiri is just like a mega-balloon such as Gerald Ratner, who destroyed his own Ratner jewellery chain to the tune of £500,000,000 by telling the mere truth.

That said, truth from the Everton boardroom is as scarce to anyone not in it as the final destination of the Arteta money, and way more besides.

With these clowns we're fucked - period.

I was probably too young to understand the mismanagement it takes for a club like Everton to be in that position so soon after a successful period. I just blamed Liverpool and bad luck. Everton were still by far the greatest. And I'd been too young to appreciate our successes in the 80s.

That said, my sense was that we couldn't possibly go down. The Street end would suck the ball across the line. We were defiant and it was the greatest day of my life until the 95 Cup Final.

I've since left the UK and will defer to current matchgoing Blues, but my sense is that it was similar to the Palace game (even ignoring the sequence of goals) but with more ferver and desperation.

This time feels strange to me. More Coventry than Wimbledon. I don't think that Palace lightning in a bottle moment can be recreated 12 months apart.

In all truth we absolutely deserve to go down. We're a mess. We look like the sort of club that needs to be put out of its misery and relegated. I found myself laughing at Michael Keane ambling down the wing in the first half. Nothing against his efforts; it just summed up our club. The game was reminiscent of when Skinner and Baddiel used to do the 'Saint and Greavesie Endsleigh goal of the month' sketch on Fantasy Football. Possibly Doucoure is our own Ricky Otto.

Staying up really isn't enough. I've never been at that point in my life. If we stay up and little changes, then we just do this again next year and go down in humiliating fashion. We are the worst club in the league. We need wholesale changes just to make survival worthwhile.

Edit: you've also reminded me what our younger fans have experienced as Evertonians. I'm in my mid 40s with vague early childhood memories of the late 80s and one Cup win in the 90s... I feel robbed. You must feel absolutely screwed over!

Hi Joe, funnily enough I always thought we would beat Wimbledon. Even with Walker at the helm. We had players who genuinely gave a shit like Southall, Watson, Horne, Rideout, Stuart, the fantastic Limpar and a decent goalscorer in Cottee. Don't get me wrong the start we had nearly gave me a heart attack but I always felt we were capable of beating them. You only have to look at the following season when Royle took over. The same side beat all the top sides and won the cup! There was only Parkinson that hadn't played a part in the relegation fight. All the other players were at the club who started in the final.

I was far more worried about Coventry. I thought they would turn us over. Bolton had got some momentum in there few previous games and were playing a London side with nothing to play for in the league but had a European Cup Final to play, oh the similarities!! Still haven't forgiven the Chelsea fans for booing their own team! I understand West Ham don't particularly have any affection for Leeds so hopefully they cheer their side on.

This Squad isn't that nervous as such...though we'd better wait until Sunday to really see...its just collectively not as good.

I have worried about this fixture for ages. They play with verve and know how to score goals. We, on the other hand will surely be wothout our front man.

We will have a better chance of success with Mc Neil wide left but what we do at right back will be equally important.

Perhaps Iwobi will play there and with Gray wide right.

I wonder if Townsend might make the bench? One of his 30-yarders would be nice!

I digress - back to the match. I couldn't get a stream working yesterday and have watched MotD so that and the LF comments are what I have to go on. I haven't read the comments on here yet but It seemed to me that we were only a smidgen of luck and a downward header by DCL away from a win.

At 5:00pm yesterday I felt like I had won the lottery.This morning, in the cold light of day my realist head is back on and nervousness for today's 1:30 game has kicked off. I said on the LF that the irony of having our fate resting potentially in the hands of D Moyes is palpable, and my predictor a few weeks ago had us finishing 17th with 33 points.

That's still possible but please W Ham and you Geordies win today for the good of our health, and leave our fate in our hands.

To me this time it feels different, the injuries, the abject failure to buy a striker last summer, then ridiculously compounded January. The blinkered persistence with the way out of depth Lampard beyond the Bournemouth debacles , at the same time Villa was getting rid of Gerrard and appointing Emery. In short, just how much incompetence can a club take before it breaks?

As ever, I'll be praying to the football gods to intervene and give us a reprieve. Only this time I think it will take even more of an effort from all concerned. Leeds and Leicester have not been better than us lately, so it's still all there to fight for.

The goal yesterday came from a last gasp punt, we created nothing in a game where we desperately needed the 3 points.

Like everyone on here I'm desperate for us to win on Saturday to seal survival but I just can't get up for a big celebration afterwards, no pitch invasion, no lording the players.

I wish I didn't love Everton - life would be so much easier. A week of torture ahead starting with a hung over WHU, then a Monday night supporting the detestable barcodes.

In the last month I've been rooting for RS, Man Utd, random teams that used to be in league 2 like Brentford. God it's hard work!

Like the rest of us though I'll be there doing it ! Get it done

The point means Leeds need a win today to escape the bottom three, not a draw.

I'd go with Gray up top against Bournemouth. Hopefully Myko is back, so Holgate can come in at right back. Gana, Onana and Doucoure in midfield, with McNeil and Iwobi wide.

This season we sold Richarlison, didn't replace him. Sold Gordon (great business) without replacing him. Bought Maupay (because we could?) and tried to reinvent him as a lone striker. Kept Lampard during the World Cup break, when it was clear to most of us he was finished. Brought in Dyche just in time to give him no players. If we'd brought him in during the World Cup break, I think we'd be safe now.

We need a big, big performance on Sunday. We need to score first. As on all the previous 'relegation' days, someone or something has to unexpectedly turn up for us.

I think you summarise our position compared to last season perfectly, we had Richarlison who was our talisman last season who helped get us over the line.
I think most of our problems were created by our last manager who failed to replace Richarlison and even had Gordon and Gray playing in the main striking role for 5 games, before finally buying the ineffective Maupay. He splashed £33 milion on Onana, who again proved yesterday what a poor decision that was. He signed Vinagre who has had about 15 minutes in a Blue shirt. As you say had this board acted as they should pre the World Cup then I doubt we would be here if Dyche had have been hired back then. Yet there were many on these pages still saying stick with Frank right up to the day he got sacked. The narrative wasn't that he was any good, just that we couldnt keep changing managers, but when they are as bad as Lampard you have too.

Dyche has not been able to sign a player, took over a squad that had lost all belief in itself and folded as soon as they went a goal down. He has had little or no striker due to DCLs injuries and Maupays ineffectiveness. Yesterday he loses his only fit right back and again DCL broke down all before half time. So a team lacking any real goalscoring threat once DCL went off, and because of Mykolenkos injury was forced to play McNeil our only naturally left footed player at left back, which severely hampered our attacking options.

I know that many have as you say resigned themselves with the thought that we are down, but at this stage I would rather have the points on the board than games in hand. Yes if either Leeds or Leicester win we would be in the bottom 3 going into the last game of the season which none of us want. I would just say Moyes has a lot of effection for this club so he will I believe have his team motivated to win today.

Onana didn't strengthen the midfield he weakened it and he affects Doucoure's game.

Moving McNeil to left back further weakened the midfield that became disjointed, and took away an important attacking strength.

By far the lesser evil would have been to play Samuel-Smith or Holgate at left back.

The main reason why Everton are relegation fodder is the same repeated error's players are making.Putting a player in a position he is unacustomed to adds to the risk of errors from such a player and requires adjustment from other players which increases the risk also.

Dyche has felt the need to change things game after game.It just shows you how confident he has in the Everton Squad and the players recruited.

The main reason why Everton are relegation fodder is the same repeated error's players are making.Putting a player in a position he is unacustomed to adds to the risk of errors from such a player and requires adjustment from other players which increases the risk also.

Dyche has felt the need to change things game after game.It just shows you how confident he has in the Everton Squad and the players recruited.

You are quite right, Doucoure is one of our attacking threats and his energy is also an asset, the rest of his game is suspect.

A centre midfield of Gueye the tackling covering player, Garner tackling and passing, and Doucoure's hassling and energy and goal threat seems to work.

Onana for me does not enhance that midfield, it just gets disjointed.

Most of these players stealing a living on massive salaries will be off like a shot if we go down. What's left will not survive in the Championship as it will be youngsters, plus a few journeymen. Rondon was on 40K plus per week, Deli Ali 100 K, Gomez 110K, Maupay 45K. The list goes on with Mason on mega bucks on a lucrative 5 year deal. Gueye the top paid player alongside Doucoure who is only a few grand behind him both on over 100K per week. Utter madness and stupidity with the loonies running the asylum but without wearing straight jackets.
69 years old in July and been following the team since I was five years old. Glad I did my bucket trip in August last year and actually saw a win against West Ham under feeble Frank. Maupay scored the winner which is his only contribution since signing for 10 million quid and getting 45K per week. Probably the most expensive goal ever scored in the Premier League. I need to say this just to get it off my chest but he is "the worst Everton player I have ever seen" and I have seen some shite in my many years of watching Everton. Got to assume that one of the inmates in the asylum was on a high when that was agreed to. I could go on and on but bitterness wont solve the crisis so here's hoping that Moysey does us a big favour and gets one over on big Sam.

Jerome (187) Your first paragraph is spot
on. But talking to fellow Evertonians on the way to the game yesterday not one of them thought it would be a good idea to persist with Holgate. The outcome of course was several positional changes were made which disrupted the rhythm of the team. And we ended the game with Holgate on the pitch anyway.

Great trip up with Danny and Mark. Met some new faces such as Neil Copeland and others who I'll have to ask Mark about and a quite exceptional performance from Everton given the circumstances.

Make no bones about it, we are in general a very poor side and badly organised but without any real full-backs, our only forward gone and a goal down, we did something the Blues don't do and got a point at the death.

They worked bloody hard and nobody didn't turn up or wouldn't get off their asses. A massively important point too. Great support as always, although understandably a bit downbeat at times. My 4th away game and 8 points and a wonderful day out and game.

Well done to Moyes today who recognized that Zouma was struggling and took him off at half-time.

Over to Newcastle now to complete the job.

It's not like Keane has the height advantage like he would have over Maupay. I just don't get it.

WTF have you been smoking? ;-)

I do think you're right, Grant. Leeds scoring 3 is highly unlikely. Just can't bring myselfy to say "impossible".

Also, likely come last game we'll have no DCL and no FBs. If DCLs got a hammy his season is done. Thankfully we're at home so can't see the Bournemouth players being that up for it. No idea what team to play, whichever won't lose.

Interesting point. Keane can get you a goal, Maupay can't. We don't have anyone else. Too much pressure for Simms on this one. I'd rather have Keane fucking up in the front than at the back.

This comment is an appalling indictment on the club.

However, a decent weekend so far - Everton come from 1-0 down to rescue a point, West Ham come from 1-0 down to win 3-1, Crosby Stuart Under 9s come from 1-3 down at halftime to win 13-3!

I think we will draw with Bournemouth. Spurs will be Spurs and batter Leeds (Kane masterclass) and Leicester (after getting stuffed by Newcastle) will win their last game but to no avail as they will be relegated with Leeds and Southampton.

This has to stop here and now or some of us are going to be six feet under very quickly.

You'd fancy Newcastle to do the job tomorrow to guarantee 3rd so hopefully we go into the last game with it all in our hands.

Also, if the Bournemouth lads know what's good for them and they want to get out of GP in one piece, they'd better be focused on packing for the beach….

Overall I'm feeling a lot better and given the board won't even come to the ground you'd hope the club is finally sold in the summer.

If it was you, dear reader, please step forward!

And our league is the oldest in the world.

If you're hoping for despair from Allardyce, you'll be disappointed. It's an easy payday for him. Four games against the Champions, a Champions League team, a European finalist and Spurs. Nobody expected them to survive. If they do, he's a genius; if they don't, he's been in the impossible job. Either way, he gets a fat paycheck.

As for Moyes, apparently he refused to let the West Ham players celebrate after Thursday so they could focus on the Leeds game. I don't imagine that had anything to do with deliberately helping Everton and was more classic dour Davey. But it was to our advantage.

Personally, I'm not in the anti-Moyes brigade. I think he did the best he could with us and better than others have with more money. But I don't pine for his return or indeed any of our ex-managers' return. Even Howard Kendall couldn't roll back the clock.

Staying up is a must financially and for our great fans but, if real change doesn't come, then staying up will be pointless!

Give me strength and leave David Moyes out of this. If West Ham lost today, so what? It's down to us! The league table never lies.

Sad but true that the David Moyes era was the most successful since the '80s. Yes, very sad! He tried with average and did well.

All I know is, if new owners come in and we keep our Premier League status, then on the field is no quick fix. Buying our way out won't happen. Therefore the manager will need to buy on the cheap and find a style that gets points.

Forget Man City and Top 4 or Top 6. Staying put and being competitive is key. Actually, a manager used to a tight budget and being competitive is required until the stadium and finances are stable.

Really, we all need the season over!!

But league title glory, I believe, has passed us by forever.

Of course he has always been backed to the hilt in terms of money wherever he has been, but it's no easy task to manage big name players and of course he is totally involved in the hiring and firing of all players and coaching, and there is no doubting this man makes great players even better - I like him!

I think the the holy grail of Champions League winners is nailed on this year - surely they won't blow it this time.

It's a crazy thought, but if the stories are true about the owners of City wanting us before they spoke to them, Guardiola could have been managing us !

Who knows what will happen down the line, but if we stay up next Sunday, as others have pointed out - we have sunk so low that a few pints in the pub celebrating survival in the premier league is the best feeling we are going to have for a right few years !

It is truly awful the downward spiral this great club is and has been on these last five years.

I forgot to add - how the fuck Allerdyce compared himself to Guardiola is not even funny!

Kenwright has a lot to answer for.

I'm not convinced that Leeds, have the belief and brains, to beat a flat Spurs, but the last day of the season, always turns up some strange results.

Hopefully this time next week, all Evertonians, are celebrating, staying in this League, and then to gaze, and consider, what happens next. Fair play to West Ham, today, who out classed Leeds.

This club, the Evertonians, can survive these decades of slumber and the last two chronic years, then, we can survive literally, any thing this League can conjure up.

But the board, must be replaced and a new era of rebuilding, no and healing the relationship, with the fans must be a priority. Takeover, part buy ins, who really knows, what's fact or fiction.

Until, this is achieved, I see the same volatile, gung ho, madness, which has brought the club to its knees.

But one step, at time, and for the Skunks, to beat Leicester, tomorrow night, and then Everton beat Bournemouth, and Spurs can, draw or beat Leeds, next Sunday.

UTFTs!

My old man always used to have a bet on the opposition in important games on the basis if the worst happened he would at least have a little sweetener!
He could swallow losing his money if his beloved team won.

Matt Leicester are crap and won't get anywhere at the Skynks place. They will qualify for CL when they tonight so they will be up for it

Then you take a moment and think is that how low our football club has sunk, celebrating escaping relegation for the second season in a row, should we survive, I feel sick just thinking about it, two f a cup finals since 1995, and almost the same amount of time, bar 1 year, we have survived a relegation scare on 4 different occasions.

Was that f a cup final loss to Chelsea our so called good times,because I cannot recall many good times, apart from the odd Derby win or two.

Unbelievable how low our Football club has sunk, something has to be done this summer.

Wholeheartedly agree regarding Onana. He definitely weakens us. I'd sell him to the highest bidder. Its almost as if Evertonians are willing him to be something he clearly isn't.

He's slow of thought and movement. He lacks imagination and creativity and far too often simply strolls through a game. The master of the back pass.There is no way in a million years we'd have achieved the Brighton result had he played.

I hear people say, he's one for the future, or he'd look good in a better team. Nonesense. There has been no conclusive evidence whatsoever to substantiate those rash claims.

Against Brighton, quick slick passing, tenacious tackling and lightening reflexes brought the goals.

From what I've seen so far, Onana displays none of those attributes.

Considering that Holgate has previously played well, when selected to play a defensive midfield role by Duncan Ferguson in the past, I'd even give him preference over Onana, if the circumstances demanded it.

Link

Keep the faith. Leicester to lose tomorrow and we beat Bournemouth. There's lots to talk about regarding Everton. But right now there's only one thing I care about - stay up.

If we can't draw at home with Bournemouth when our survival is on the line then we deserve to be in the Championship.

What a terrible season it's been. I actually think Dyche has done pretty well considering the appalling squad given to him and he's had a tough fixture list as well. The only result he's had which was really disappointing was against an annoyingly useful Fulham.

although it might not seem much, getting a last-gasp goal like that could really boost the teams mentality going into the Bournemouth game. We should be able to beat them at home and am confident we will - but this is Everton we are talking about!

Injuries are the obvious concern for our last game. I think Patterson and DCL are out if they have picked up hamstring problems. Holgate in at RB for me and Gray in up top. Not ideal but best option for the situation we will prob be in. Just hope Mykolenko is back at LB or it will get tricky again!

I would seriously think about sticking Michael Keane up front in a 2 with Gray if we are losing with 10 minutes to go. Get it long to him and let him knock it down for Gray/Doucoure joining in. He seems to be something of a magnet for the ball in the opposition box (as at the wkd) and has the composure to pick the right option. Good striker of the ball and good header too.

Final comment - I truly fear for DCL's future in top level football. He seems stuck in this cycle of injury, months off, handful of games and then injury again. Been happening for a few years now. Even Dyche's kid-glove approach this time hasn't worked. I think injuries could do for him unfortunately and see him retiring early. Massive shame if that does happen and hope I'm wrong.

Your last paragraph I agree with. DCL has been snake-bitten with injuries.

There's simply some players who get hurt more often than not in every single sport on earth. Hell, Everton have had a few through the years: Louis Saha and Darren Gibson spring to mind. Both were damn good footballers - Saha could just score and his touch was immaculate, Gibbo's range of passing and his positioning on the pitch were fantastic. But neither of them could make a difference as they were constantly in the treatment room.

Dom is no different. Amazing hold up play, excellent striker, but continually hurt.

It's sad, but we have to recognize the repetition here and move on. Dom is not an asset because he drains resources (read money) and there's not enough of a return on investment for what we're receiving back. We should be learning these lessons from experiences like Saha and Gibbo.

With a heavy heart and as amicably as is humanly possible, with well-wishes pouring, I'd trade Dom this summer and invest in another striker.

You can have all the talent in the world. If you only play 15-16 out of 38+ games, and you're in and out of the lineup ruining any continuity in the squad, you're not an asset. It's just that simple. Ruthless, but true.

Everton can not afford another season without a goal-scoring striker. Dom's injury woes are directly proportional to where we've finished the last two seasons. And we can't let this shit happen again. Two years in a row is simply unacceptable.

After this season I think we should move on from Dom.

But some players do just seem to get injured a lot. James Vaughan had a knack of picking up weird injuries including a severed artery! His style of play probably contributed to that.

I'm hopeful for Dom. The injury (quad) he first had last year is a terrible injury that causes all sorts of problems and takes ages to get right. Hopefully he can have a decent pre season and stay fit. Regardless of who he's playing for.

Still, it's pretty obvious that we need to bring in more than one striker at the club. In fact it's at best negligent or at worst self sabotage that we didn't do it in July or January.

Might be best all round to let Dom move on. But with our budget, can we really trust the club to sign potential rather than another couple of Maupay's?

Bellends I think is the Scouse vernacular.