The fans have kept the club going for the last two years. Where is the appreciation?

I’m glad that Dyche has approached it the way he has because he was the one who told everyone that he wouldn’t have got the chance to manage Everton, if the club were in a better position, so maybe we finally have somebody who knows how big of a football club, we used to be. (And can hopefully become again - one day)

Dyche told everyone that there wasn’t anything to celebrate just because we stayed up and I tend to agree with him, and how many players do the fans sing songs about?

Coleman & Pickford, off the top of my head. There’s probably a couple more but they are probably reserved for away games, and because I rarely travel anymore, I am not aware of many other players who receive a lot of affection from the Everton crowd?

Hopefully this season we can start to find that connection between the players and the crowd, because it’s definitely one of the most important things in football, imo, and if Dyche has got the players super fit, then I’m certain this will really help🤞

I certainly applaud fans like yourself and think it is fantastic how you all make the huge effort to get up at all hours of the day to support the team without getting much reward in terms of entertainment or success from these players, so the very least they should do is spend a few minutes after the game to let you all know that they appreciate the wonderful support the fans give year after year, a little bit of respect wouldn’t hurt them.

Players come and go with only a few (Seamus being a prime example) becoming so imbued with the club and supporters they become part and parcel. It's a different feeling with those guys they are "us" on the pitch but the fact is they are very much the minority.

The vast majority pass through with barely a backward glance and while it's always been that way modern news media makes it more obvious and it pisses us of immensely.

One minute we are in thrall of the deeds of big Rom and chanting his name next minute he's looking for Champions League footy. Fans are weary (and wary) of constantly falling foul of unrequited love.

Of course if players aren't good enough as is the case here they get both barrels on the basis of results, that's just the way sport works.

I just think this lack of a "bond" betwixt fans and clubs is almost universal these days and the sport poorer for it.

The average fan cannot relate to these prima donnas and vice versa

It's our lifelong passion, it's our fantasy to play for Everton...to them it's just a job. With a few very rare exceptions.

Dyche is interesting. He is very focussed and unassuming. He tends to stay in the technical area and does a 360 clap to the supporters.

With regards to the players, it depends. Mykolenko is usually first over to hand his shirt over to a young supporter. Onana is also very responsive to the supporters. Calvert-Lewin more modest but always there. Pickford is also very appreciative and often hands his gloves over. Seamus is usually there too.

Until they left, Richarlison and Anthony Gordon were also not afraid to face the crowd. I still remember Gordon standing there shell-shocked at the end of the Benitez Brentford match as the masses bayed for blood. But he stood there and didn't shirk it.

We have been there before these players. We will be here after they are gone. As I keep saying, I have never know anything different and never will. Cradle to grave. They are stuck with me.

We are not forced, arm behind back, to splash out enormous amounts every season, following the team up and down the country, but if the club knew how much I've splashed out over the past 30 years or so, then I think I would be handed a seat on the board!!

The amount spent, not just by me by the way, there are hundreds, if not thousands of others, doesn't bear thinking about. So as Dave says, a wave or clap from the entire squad, not just those on the pitch at the end would be most appreciated.

Once a blue there is no going back and neither would I want to. I love Everton passionately and to a fault.

Yes, it would be nice to get some appreciation from the players but not getting it will never stop me going to the game. There is nothing other than the inevitable that will stop that and even then I will still be there in spirit!

UTFT!

There is nothing better than following this club of ours and being amongst the supporters.

Like all of you, I've followed them everywhere and always will.

Even when on foreign shores. I can say it now, but I once broke radio silence in some remote area of Afghanistan to request the Everton score. We had lost and I think the Taliban heard my outburst.

Everton are not just for Christmas. They are for life.

We all feel and live it. It's the first thing I wake up thinking about at 51 years old.

I don't recall players applauding the fans at the end of games. I can go back to the end of the 40s, when the players left the pitch to the sound of the crowds appreciation or displeasure, and during the game the crowd would express their displeasure by giving the slow-handclap.

You might be interested to know that part three of, 'The Ups And Downs OF The Original Twelve'. is on the general forum/messages thread.

I'm lucky enough to get to all the away games but I rarely hang around for the players to come over. The cynic in me thinks most of them are just going through the motions anyway.

Two exceptions were the away games at Leicester the season before last and, of course, last season's incredible result v Brighton. Maybe that's the clue; we so rarely have anything to celebrate and there's no way I'll be applauding players who've just rolled over to yet another away defeat.

When we lose, which we too often do, the players should just get off the pitch. Coming over to the fans after a heavy defeat just invites vitriolic abuse which serves no helpful purpose. The same applies to whoever the manager is at the time.

On a separate note, I've just seen the trailer on Sky for The Open at Hoylake… loads of clips of the redshite shoehorned into it, and not even a token mention that Everton exist.

Merseyside used to be world-renowned for having two footballing giants, but is now seen as something similar to Barcelona and little Espanyol. I shouldn't be surprised, but it hurts!

Surely you understand that as a fan of the club you are committed and invested in than any of the players, no matter what soundbites we may hear from them?

If any one of our players was offered a deal in Saudi right now, it would be "Fuck Everton, I'm off!"

And I agree with, John above, regards heading to the fans to take abuse most of the time – would you?

Some were young lads with their dad and imagine how chuffed they would have been to see the players go over and say thanks for their support. They should have been told to do this – great PR exercisen– but instead completely ignored them.

I can understand first team players being desperate to get off and avoid abuse but this was a friendly for the youngsters to show what they could do and surely a thank you to the fans would not have hurt.

My problem was that there was also quite a few young kids on the train (there always is when Everton travel) and I remember asking these stewards would it be possible to let a few of these kids go and meet their heroes, because it would be better than any Christmas presents they were going to receive a few days later?

The answer was a resounding No, and the reason was because the players were resting. It got a bit heated when I told the head steward in no uncertain terms that the players wouldn't even have to get out of their seats. But it achieved nothing except, for the next couple of years, this certain steward always used to look at me like I was a troublemaker. 🤦‍♂️

We all see it differently, but if I was a player on £60k a week, the first thing I'd do every summer is pay for one hundred season tickets to give a little something back to the fans. Honestly!

You'd buy 100 season tickets for the fans? You haven't said a dickie bird to me when you've seen me scrimping and saving to pay for my season ticket for this season!!

You'll get a shock when my will is read out, mind you so will everyone else, I'm leaving it to the church!!

St. Domingos? lol

Neil, John, Rob and all,

We are the same. If am there, I feel like I have some sort of control even though I know I don't. If I am watching on the box I am pacing and upsetting the dogs. I gave up listening to the radio years ago. It freaks me out.

I can get to Wigan tomorrow on the train. I'll figure out how to get back given the strike situation. Probably National Express or an early start on Sunday.

Stoke next week.

The fans were the difference in the relegation dogfight and will be part of the reason for improvements this coming season.

The 2 games that spring to mind for me are Leicester and Brentford season before last. I remember at the Brentford game Allan not being able to give his shirt away and, as Danny has already said, a very shell-shocked Anthony Gordon, stunned by the abuse he was getting.

The Leicester game was bizarre, the relief the fans felt with our first away win in 7 months was overwhelming. Lampard was there by himself trying to ramp up the atmosphere, when surely he should have been down the tunnel with the players.

Everton have always seemed distant from the fan base though back to Catterick. When my Dad was 80, I wrote to the club and asked if they could do something a little special for him, he had been a ticket holder since before I was born (1955). I just got a menu card for the Alex Young suite!!!!

I also think that on too many occasions the crowd at Goodison can remain too quiet in certain matches, and that may be down to doing what you advocate, i.e. cutting the team some slack, but that's more problematic for me and possibly has a more adverse effect on the players, than being given the bird when they stuff things up.

"The only people you have to answer to is the audience – the least you can do is do it well and look like you are bothered – else why should they care?'

Too true from The Man! Now he was The Chairman Of The Board! Bugger off Kenwright!