Calvert-Lewin niggle a concern ahead of the derby

It's good news the scans on his hamstring showed nothing. Maybe he just needs a run of games to get the body used to it again, rather than getting his fitness in the gym, but best leave that call to the professionals.

I'd take 14 games out of Rodriguez last season and right now.

I hope Dominic can get back to where he can be.

Personally and just an opinion, I think it's in his head as much as his body.

He nearly got 2 goals on Saturday. One might have change him. As a striker that's all he needs.

The lad has been run into the ground as our young lone striker for seasons. I have no surprise he is fatigued.

On another young player, great to see Tom Davies' attitude from the bench watching the highlights. It was like watching a supporter on the bench. Could have been me!!

Maupay might play well (okay) in a Brentford/Brighton type set-up, but he wouldn't suit being the target man as we all saw on Saturday. The only possibility is to play Simms therefore.

Maupay might suit being alongside him, similar to how Vydra might have played under Dyche, but even he didn't play very often.

If Dyche doesn't think Simms is ready, the old Fellaini/Cahill system of chucking a midfielder up there is up for debate? Onana or Doucoure perhaps?

I think Ellis Simms is a lot better than many people give him credit for. How many loan spells has he had with different clubs and he always manages to score at any given level?

We have to utilise what we have in our locker, and Simms and Maupay may just work as a pairing. I was very disappointed with Frank at times who was so reluctant to use the young subs at all.

Also saddened that Tom Cannon and Lewis Dobbin were allowed to go on loan when we were desperate for striking options ourselves.

“He has pace, he's lightning. You can give him a bad ball and he'll make it into a good ball. That's an attribute not many people have and when he gets into those positions, he can put the ball away.” Our ex-player Beni Baningime when Simms joined him at Hearts.

Or Dyche may be tempted to play Demarai Gray as our lone striker. He shouldn't change his basic 4-5-1 which served us well against Arsenal.

Come on, mate, cast your mind back to when you were 25. You can play 5 times a week when you're 25.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe letting Rondon leave was a mistake?

The clubs failure to bring in another striking option could be fatal to our hopes. It's a huge part of our gameplan with Dyche.

At end of the day, we need 3 points more when we play Leeds, Forest, Wolves et al than against Liverpool. And I'm sure Dyche can have a gameplan I'm case of his absence. But it will be a huge miss if he doesn't make it. Hopefully, the game being on Monday and not Saturday, will give him a better chance.

Hopefully Simms will be up to the required standard, and if not, a return to good ol'days of defenders playing up top in a 4-4-2 to win aerial battles. Maybe Keane could be the new Steve Watson.

Having a striker who can occupy central defenders, hold up the ball, and win flick-ons is crucial to the style of play Dyche implements. I worry that we don't have an effective alternative to Calvert-Lewin and if/when he succumbs to longer-term injury, it will be seriously detrimental to our survival chances.

Maybe he could use Onana or Doucoure as an alternative but I'm not sure Simms has the same skill set from what I've seen and read of him (though maybe it could be coached?).

We had drive, discipline, energy, and our midfielders were also cutting off the gaps, making interceptions, and generally just helping each other out, like good team players are supposed to do. Keeping Dominic fit is essential because we just don't have a replacement at the same level as him.

The more we play, the more the ball will go into the centre-forward's feet; then we will begin to develop little second and third phases in the attacking third, hopefully. Once it does start going into feet more, then this should benefit Maupay, although I'm not sure what Ellis Simms's strengths are.

Don't go down the "Calvert-Lewin is our talisman" route. He's not and never will be… so try Simms and Maupay together up top.

I think many underestimate what it takes to play sport at a sustained and constant level. Especially such a high standard.

I played to a decent standard. Not the highest, but most of us had experienced trials with or playing for professional clubs.

But playing 3 games in a week even at my level required a squad and you were all knackered by the end of it with most of us carrying some kind of injury.

Dominic has literally been on his own and I suspect a victim to his physical commitment. He's broken and we need to recover him physically. It's why we shouldn't have been or continue to rely on him or we will break him more.

Step into the frame, young Simms, and show us what you can do.

Plus the unknown Simms; nobody in the Premier League has seen him so that alone should be an advantage, and he really could really make a name for himself.

Liverpool are struggling big time!! So I can but dream and hope for a miraculous 2-1 Win...

The only way we can reasonably sell Calvert-Lewin is if he stays fit enough for us not to want to sell him.

There always have been on ToffeeWeb some who see injured players as swinging the lead. It's like a big HR department who want attendance aggressively managed.

I imagine any club that can afford his wages won't be taking him off our hands to take a chance on him.

As for now, if someone comes in with £25-30M, we should take it. It will be sad, but as George Harrison said "All Things Must Pass"!!

That goal against Palace was worth his weight in gold, he is just unlucky with injuries!! Someone said earlier playing the lone striker really is a killer, and takes its toll on your body, Poor Dom is now paying the price sadly...

Our most sellable assets now are Pickford and unfortunately Onana, even at this early stage of his Everton career. Sadly both have brilliant attitudes towards the club.

But right now, we don't meet their standards.

I just hope we keep it together. We have the makings of a squad with a blend of youth and experrience.

And now a Sergeant Major in the dugout.

Sell him if he is injury-plagued or at least read the riot act and get him back on board for the remainder of the season, and then, if he wants to go, let him.

He's so accomplished at malingering that he was able to dodge the World cup. Proper thrashing is what he needs.

It is highly likely we will sign that player in summer when our fortunes are clearer.

In the meantime, Dyche will figure it out. Might be a combination of Calvert-Lewin, Simms, Maupay and the midfield all making their contribution.

I think we'd all be delighted if Simms were to step up.

Let's see what happens between now and the end of the season because I'm certain playing up front in a Sean Dyche team might just really benefit our centre-forward.

In fact, on Saturday against Arsenal, that's the most aggressive I have seen Calvert-Lewin in a long time. Obviously with all the injuries he has suffered in the last 12 months, it might mean he is always scared he is going to breakdown again, but I am sure Sean Dyche will be telling him how important he is and will reassure him regarding his hamstring problems.

I know you played professional football (and Danny has played at a decent level) so I have to give way, but just think of our former heroes who used to play more games on terrible pitches, without the mollycoddling that the so-called elite athletes of today enjoy.

If the modern player (like Calvert-Lewin) is constantly being asked if he has any tightness etc, it could have a detrimental effect.

He has been suffering these problems for too long now and still finds himself as the only senior Number 9 in the squad. It has been ridiculous that a Wood or an Ings hasn't been snapped up in all of this time.

However, it would be good to see Simms get a start.

The quad injury he suffered was a very serious one. Not as bad as the one that killed Gbamin's career with us but close and both players suffered different serious injuries after they recovered from the first – Gbamin ruptured his Achilles, DCL injured his knee – and that (along with the successive niggles) could be due to a change in mechanics after being out for so long or because they're sub-consciously trying to protect the thigh that was injured before.

I've also seen it posited that his injury problems started after he bulked up so much during lockdown – all that new muscle putting strain on other parts of his body or, again, changing the mechanics of his running, etc. Who knows? I'm no physio but it's interesting.

I’m going to bore you now Eddie, but something that has always made me fume, was not winning the FA youth cup. We were going for four cups towards the end of the season when I was playing one year, and only ended up winning the league.

We lost a semi final against Arsenal, another semifinal against Swindon, and a final against Leicester, and I’ve always blamed the stupid bastards, who took us to a tournament by coach to Metz, in France, that Easter.

I played in seven, 60 minute matches, in three or four days, and remember falling asleep twice in 5 minutes, after getting back on the coach to go through customs at Dover. I had the same dream twice, (nightmare) and it was half time in both of them!

Honestly, I remember getting back to Nottingham about 2pm, going the chippy on the way home from the ground, and then going straight to bed and sleeping until the next morning.

We blew up after that fucking ridiculous tournament, and I remember Archie Gemill, screaming at us that we were fucking shite, and completely overrated, after getting murdered 4-1 by a very average Swindon team.

We weren’t shite, we were absolutely fucking shattered, and had been on a six month unbeaten run, before some stupid bastard decided to take us to France, and I’m certain we would have finished with at least 3 out of 4 of those trophies, unless that little horrible Scottish bastard, was actually right for once!

Sorry for being boring, but that was years ago when you could actually plod through some games, but the speed is completely different nowadays imo,Eddie, and football is played at a frightening pace.

The lad has ploughed a lone furrow for us for years, carrying the burden of a lone striker and running his body into the ground for the cause.

He is now starting to feel the niggles of that effort on young legs and deserves a bit of support and encouragement.

Like Danny and Tony I played at a decent level, signed by Tranmere at 17 but never realising the dream due to a drunk driver.

That was back in the late 60s and the game now is light years ahead of that. Faster, more technical, more physical in a different way. Be in no doubt these lads are supreme athletes and very conditioned.

Speaking of Ellis Simms he does have a goalscorers knack but he doesnt win many 50/50s and is not great in the air despite his size. He is more of a Maupay than Maupay in that I believe he is a better finisher but has a poachers instinct rather than an imtimidating presence.

Only time will tell if he can make it at this level but unfortunately IMO he reached his ceiling at championship level.

Very telling that the first utterance from no nonsense Dyche was to say the player is not as far removed from fitness as he thinks. Be a real boost if someone in the squad takes on the centre forward role effectively so we can bin this character.

viable suggestions, it could be any of many answers. Even with the incredible demands of the game today though, it is unusual; general vulnerability to injury usually shows earlier than this.

Maybe the mechanics thing has legs (sorry). I do know pro' cyclists can have problems if the height of their seat is out by just a few millimetres. Or perhaps the quad injury has not fully healed, which would be bad news.

I'm no physio either.

I broke two legs and two ankles as well as having ligament damage on the latter. They were easy to recover from.

But the Quad was the hardest to come back from. You think you're good but just break down quickly. It goes again just when you think everything is okay.

I'm not going to crucify the kid. I just want him back to his best. He's not far off. He nearly got two goals on Saturday and might do on Monday.

The blue God in Heavan willing.

In fact, he’s still trying to do a job for us despite (and obviously) not being fully fit. It’s immensely frustrating because it’s the area we have least depth and it’s the over reliance on Dom which has likely led to him becoming injury prone: we have no like for like replacement.

This is why I was so down on transfer deadline day: Dyche could well keep us up but he needs to be given the tools. Even 1 additional strong striker would have helped so much. But the absolutely useless cretins that run our club just couldn’t make it happen.

Good luck Dom. Get well son, we desperately need you

Looking back we were very disciplined, and this is the schooling that gave Everton’s current manager, and his two mates, their introduction into professional football.

It’s stood them in great stead, I’m sure, and although it’s early days, Saturday was the most disciplined Everton performance I’ve seen since the days of Carlo Ancelotti? I just hope it continues

Let's hope Dom puts a couple in the bag!

Come on Everton. We love, live and breathe you.

Maupay for all his lack of goals and pace could be the sort of niggly irritant we need against them but I'd love to see Ellis thrown in at some point baptism of fire and all that.

After listening and watching him move discs around on his tactics board, it resembles what he used last weekend against Arsenal.

His key phrase is “Crunch the Play” which is another way of saying of pressing and condensing the area where the ball is. In his description he talks about how important Tarkowski and McNeil are in delivering his tactics.

Finally I get the feeling we might see more of Maupay for his disruptive style of play. Dyche had that pest Ashley Barnes do that job at Burnley. I wouldn't be surprised if we signed that little shit in the summer!

Cause that's what we'll do, right?

Proven that with Arteta, Stones, Lukaku, Richy and now Gordon. We sell and we use the money to sign better more reliable players.

SELL, SELL, SELL

Yes, Everton failed to get good back up for his position and what's left now doesn't appear to be favourable.

There is only Ellis Simms who may not be the answer but who else is there..

If DCL has a hamstring then they had better start playing the ball along the ground more instead of swinging in high balls or long punts downfield.

Having said that they could throw Onana up front (haha).

Seriously though, we all wish him well and hope he is okay for. the Derby

It's easy to say sell him but who pays big money for a crocked striker, even when they are in short supply, even more so if English?

If anyone offered £50m, I'd bite their hand off right now, but they won't. Not unless he's proved he can play regularly, at which point, we might as well keep him, given we don't exactly have a great record at spending wisely and he's not all that bad.

It was apparent after about twenty minutes on Saturday, that any bad touch in the midfield area, would not go unpunished, and this was the key to Everton looking like a completely different team imo.

Discipline is key, and when discipline is applied with intelligence, then suddenly nobody will be looking forward to playing against you. Hopefully Everton being a soft touch is going to disappear, and Anfield would be the perfect place for us to demonstrate this🤞

However, it looks like we're now going to give him the support he needs to be his most effective. On Saturday, he could have had 3 goals with some great crosses coming him to give him those chances. McNeill was doing brilliant in sending in crosses. I think, if he can stay fit, DCL will sharpen up and will put more of those chances away. That's where he's most effective.

The first season Digne was here and for the first half of that season, it seemed to me that Dom scored most of his goals. 2nd half, teams had cottoned on to Digne and the supply was more limited.

On Saturday, we had crosses coming from both wings and headed chances and Onana's great run and cross on the deck all gave Dom chances. He looked faster than he did in his last game, where it seemed to me he was playing well within himself. (understandable)

On Saturday he was a smidgeon from scoring a hat trick against the league leaders! So, although I don't rate him as a goalscorer of the highest order. He can help win us matches. So while he's playing for Everton, he's our centre forward and a decent player. Until, and if, we get a more prolific C/F, we use him the most effective way; and I think Sean Dyche will

As for Maupay, he gets a lot of stick, but he's one of our players! Therefore, I'll support him. I think he can be more effective, he's scored goals in previous seasons, so we need to find a way of giving him the best chance to do so again. Mind you, I was made up the way he kept Arsenal's defence really wound up and occupied, with one of them deserving to be sent off.

My view is, all the players we've got, might well be called on to play. Injuries and suspensions are going to come along. We're not likely to bring any more in so, like Saturday, all our players will pull their tripes out, Sean Dyche will not stand for any less. from anyone. That'll do for me.

I've repeatedly said that Dominic is limited, but can be effective if he gets the right supply.

He missed Digne when he was out and Digne missed him having nothing to aim for when Dominic was out.

He is an in the box striker who needs good delivery and as you call out, McNeil can do that. With a bit of sharpness, he could have bagged at least a brace on Saturday. Let's get him back to full fitness.

Kane reminds me so much of Graeme Sharp, who I've fallen out with right now. Complete striker. In the box, in the air, but could also stoke the odd 25 yarder. I doubt you get that from Calvert-Lewin.

If Dominic can come close to that moment on Monday night, he becomes a legend. I won't just be ecstatic. I will be beside myself with sheer joy.

McNeil to do a Sheedy free kick moment in front of that horrible place.

I think I'm getting carried away.

Makes you wonder why he is picking up so many now but never used too?

Not sure I would sell him right now tbh but it's clear we need a top-class alternative to come into the team moving ahead, if he is going to miss a bunch of games each season. Relying on one player to succeed is never a good idea, especially with how few games he has played lately overall.

I think Simms is a good shout for now and deserves his chance to show what he can do for the rest of the season. If he does well, then we have the back-up we need (and also proper competition for DCL even when fit). If he doesn't, we look for a striker in the summer.

We must start giving the best young players a chance to make it in the first team and Simms has shown via his loan spells what talent he has.

Mal, why do you think any player would want to give up the chance of getting paid a fortune to do something he loves. He's a young man with a potentially long career ahead, and he'd risk that by feigning injury. Give our lads a chance. It's mor likely his major probem now is the fear he'll break down again if he tries to give his all. So he'll play within himself until he can prove to himself, he's over that injury. I think you've beenm a bit unfair mate.

God almighty, what makes anyone think that we can "move on" anyone? Imagine you are Director of Football at say, well.. any club in the world.

"See Everton are "moving on" Calvert-Lewin. Hang on, he was a great prospect, must be really injury-prone on big wages. Yep, we'll offer £25 million."

Just getting this off my chest ( or the last time). But... there should be a ban on anyone suggesting we get rid of dead wood (not that Calvert-Lewin is any such thing). We BUY dead wood. (Delph, Delph, Delph) We buy injury-prone players in the hope of a miracle; we don't sell them.

If Calvert-Lewin becomes ready to be "moved on", it will be when we want to keep him or a club more gullible than us appears from nowhere. Forest might be an option.

We simply can't rely on him right now to string a meaningful amount of matches together.

But the two things that most impressed me were the “fuck the media love-in” attitude of the Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp, and the Wrexham lad (Mullin) who scored one penalty, missed another and despite being obviously injured insisted on going back onto the pitch until he really couldn’t play any more.

Both showed the attitude of players with a fierce will-to-win, committment well beyond the “my mental health may suffer if I stay on after I’ve missed a penalty” or “someone in the crowd shouted something nasty (but true) at me”, or “I’ve run about a bit, now I’m tired and somebody waved their arm near my face”.

This is the attitude that Dyche must bring to Everton, we’ve still got Coleman,who’s playing superbly well past his sell-by date, Tom Davies is still loved by much of the crowd for his attitude and refusal to hide even when he is way off form and having a stinker, and I suspect there is some decent steel in the likes of McNeil, Tarkovsky and Coady.

A bit more of the “fuck the media” attitude of Billy Sharp, and a bit more of the “I’m a young man who can take a bit of stick - and give it back” of Mullin will see Everton on a proper course once more.

Meanwhile FUCK OFF KENWRIGHT.

In other words, “ Give us our old game back this one stinks”.

Loved your last line – a musical could be made of that line, I wonder if Kenwright could produce it.

The scan showed no damage but he is still complaining of stiffness in his hamstring. I wonder if this is ever going to get any better or if he will end up with less games than Mina?

We will see… but it's sad that a lot of our hopes are resting on a centre-forward who hasn't been properly fit for around 18 months and also very, very worrying.

The problem is we'd have to cough up £15 million to terminate his contract. I guess the club hope he can play a few games here and there or maybe sell for a nominal sum, £500,000 or so in the summer.

I'm sure that Maupay will be in the team alongside Gray on Monday – Maupay can wind them up and, who knows, score an actual goal, and Gray can go at their defence. I can also see Dwight McNeil sitting on the bench on Monday.

It all seems pretty minor but, every time you think you're fine again, it fails under pressure or when you make an unusual movement. And every failure is right back to square one.
Then you get niggles everywhere because you end up basically doing nothing, trying to give it time to repair. And play within yourself because you've got no confidence it won't go again the next time you stretch yourself.

Everything I see in Dom is completely relatable.

We seemingly did the right thing and eventually gave him a long rest but then brought him back at the end of the season out of necessity. Ideally he'd have been given a long rest and then a clean slate for the new pre-season.

We're now in a position of needing him again. Whether you rate him or not, I don't see how we stay up without him.

TLDR: Don't blame Dom – he's been playing when he shouldn't have. Blame the recruitment that has left him as our only decent striker

I'm curious because, when I look at Dominic, I think he looks very stiff, like a lad who's spent way too much time in the gym. So the question I want to ask is: What is the best remedy once you have recovered from this type of injury?

It wouldn't surprise me if Dominic has been doing a lot of running away from the team this week. But maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part because I think it's imperative that we get the kid fit.

The logic behind this is that he doesn't need a ball to get fit, and he might actually be better training without it for a little bit.

If Dominic's scan showed nothing, then surely he must be doing a lot of running and stretching? These are the two things that he definitely needs to be doing to get ready for those red bastards!

If he's not reporting any more quad issues, then it's probably just a case of getting him through the niggles. Ease him back in, slowly build him up to being able to withstand the rigors of 90 minutes and training every week.

Would probably be a bit short-sighted to roll him out again on Monday if he's got a hamstring issue but, with less than half a season to go, we have to be pretty short-sighted.

Yet, the club wonders why there are protests against the people who are responsible for the major decisions, like transfers etc?

Of course, they can't foresee injuries to key players, but the fact that they've sold two players who could find the net, and bought one who doesn't appear to know where the goal is, plus he's a completely different type of player to Dominic, tells us that they haven't got a clue about football.

It was only when him and Yerry Mina got injured after a few games last season, did the trouble begin for Benitez, because he had got us off to a decent start.

After reading Ernie's description of a very serious injury, then Calvert-Lewin, has simply got to have enough confidence in his body to learn to run again. His little spin during the second half was a good sign, even if he was lucky that Everton retained possession!

The Chuckle Brothers could make a better fist of running our club and poor old Barry Chuckle is dead.

“To me, to the Championship.”