Fantastic second-half turnaround secures Blues win at The Cottage

No Jake... on the back foot for 90 mins.

Good luck, Blues!

Is Dyche back for one last Hurrah?

I'd like to have seen Chermiti given a chance here.

It's just a shame we cannot fast forward these remaining games and close out the season so the building blocks for the summer can get underway.

Howard (19) I think that the one win in the last ten games might have something to do with anti Moyes negativity

We know Keane is a bust, Young is 39 etc.?Why not give Chermiti a run out, even a couple of the fringe players from the U21’s?

Isn’t this a perfect time to look at what we have in the U21’s, rather than give the old, well past it brigade?

A better line up than last week!!!? You have got to be joking. But hey, let’s just forget the fact we only have one win in the last 10 eh?

Moyes will never change, it isn’t in his dna.

But it does feel like he wants a good look at the players that are leaving to see is there anything worth keeping.

Although not sure who could have played CB? Seamus? DCL doing his best Chris Sutton impression?

Bloody Keystone Kop Keane

McNeil and Nd started last week now on the bench
DCL came on last week should give him minutes and Beto comes on later

Keane, well maybe no option

Young already on holiday looking for another Club

If this team pulls something off then he’s the Moyesiah
If it doesn’t then his words about ending the season gung ho on a high will haunt him when he’s behind the couch

He shouldn't be here next year and as such is a waste of a starting place. We should use it on players that are staying.

It's worrying he's a shoe in as soon as he's available like they are going to offer him a new contract.

If he scores the winner it still won't change my opinion, even if it makes me look stupid

Can they please let me eat my words as the Europa league finalists could go above us this weekend otherwise.

Keane to score the winner

Changes yes, but the old familiar failures. Why no new, younger faces if the result doesn't matter ?

Seems like Moyes doesn't really want this job ?
Bring on next season !!!!

I suppose that Moyes feels he needs to know something more on Keane, Young, Doucoure and Harrison although he's probably seen more of them than McNeil, Patterson, Chermiti, Iroegbunam and Calvert-Lewin. Still, he's got another game or two yet.

Young over Patterson. Wouldn't have been my call, but I can see it.

I thought Garner and Gana had a tough time with Doucoure helping them through the work last week.

Not the team I would have predicted. But he doesn't have that many ways to go. Let's see how they play.

The move is said to be just a “matter of time” with negotiations already underway between representatives of both clubs for a concrete agreement.

Are you honestly saying that it wouldn’t have been better to give some U21’s a run out, rather than bring the donkey Keane back in?

If we are going to lose, at least lose by checking out the young players. It wouldn’t surprise me if Moyes gave the likes of Keane an extension. He does c love his defenders.

Going well so far though isn’t it?

We were never getting relegated.
We did not have to pay him off.
Would not have hired Moyes.
New (proper) manager would not entertain keeping Keane, Doucoure, Beto, DCL, Harrison, Young, Mykolenko and Patterson.

Moyes would keep them all!

I guess we could have played Reece Welch instead of Michael Keane today. He is the most likely of the U21 CBs.

That said, he hasn't made the grade this season in the Belgian 2nd division - being returned mid-season after managing just 2 matches.

So it would be a bit weird to pick him for the first team.

I take them back. He's awful.

It's a workmanlike side aimed at a point, snatching a win. Truth is, however, it's bereft of any quality. Most are slow ponderous uncomfortable with a football.

There are not many here to be retained, I include Alcaraz sadly, we need new fullbacks. Branthwaite, Pickford, Gana you can do something with; the rest… no thanks. Big reset in Summer. Get some young hungry players with a point to prove…

Then another soft goal with both Young and Keane in a sort of no man's land marking nothing and not even getting in the way of anything. Indeed, Fulham seem to be making more of a target of Young's side and he's been found wanting.

Doucoure has been his usual rubbish self so maybe he'll turn up in exactly the wrong place to score and while Harrison hasn't done badly without doing anything exceptional, when he does get in a position to cross there's, at best, only Beto somewhere in the penalty box.

We got a fortunate equalizer but if we want to win this we have to get more men forward, I was going to say in support but we need to start working the ball more rather than just hoping to thread one through for Beto to run onto. Moyes needs to make changes and for me Gana and Garner are the men he needs to look at.

He's praised for his save from Wilson but it was his positioning that put him in trouble!

Why didn't they start with this line-up?

Moyes hater's must be gutted he's proved them wrong again! 😁

A pair of useless pricks!

I posted earlier but lost it cause I was underground but I did reply to you cheekily that we were not doing too bad at half time and would love a win and maybe Keane would score.

Now that I'm above ground, can't believe my eyes. Hopefully no capitulation this time!

A shout for Michael Keane, well played, sir. I was wrong to doubt you!

Up till then, we were piss poor.

Moyes, Keane, Mykolenko and Beto all shite, apparently.

What stood out for me is what a different team we look when McNeil is playing.

As such, that plan worked to perfection today.

To be fair, you were right, we didn't win with the starting line up...

Delighted with the win, still feel there's lots and lots of squad improvement to be had.

We won but this team needs a massive dose of ability. UTFT!!

A deflection for the first goal, an elementary keeper's error for the third, and a hand ball decision flagged away that could easily have been given.

He's doing a good job. Forget the past.

Shite that Moyes, eh, Michael?! 😜

I was disappointed with Alcaraz being subbed as he was our best player carrying the ball forward but will look forward to Moyes's press conference and next week's team selection.

Keane was excellent as was Harrison. McNeil also excellent, but he wasn't fully fit to start, we know that from last week.

Moyes certainly deserves credit for the team selection. Patterson and Ndiaye both deserved dropping after last week and McNeil isn't 100% fit yet. Moyes got it spot on.

Keane might be a useful backup. Young can still play, but he's too old to be given another year.

Dom and Seamus are also saying their final ta-ras.

Alcaraz is worth buying.

Good day for the boss, there.

Andy Walker, Harrison was great? He looks like he's playing piggy in the middle ffs.

Well done, lads, and the away support was terrific.

McNeil made a hell of a difference. When we go on the front foot, we're a well better team.

Brilliant refereeing as well. Is just me or does McNeil look like he's gained a yard of pace?

But, all that aside, it was a horrible starting line-up, and most honest fans said so. They were no match for Fulham who steamrollered them to the fist goal., then eased off the intensity that had gotten them the lead.

After that, some massive, massive luck: The Mykolenko deflection. That's usually a block and not a goal.

Then the corner. Brilliantly taken and exquisite far post pile driver by Keane... but was it that corner which didn't even touch a Fulham player and should have been a goal-kick? (I know we had one earlier go their way...)

And the third goal... well, Leno apparently saves those for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But not today.

And the penalty VAR non-call? Remarkable considering what they normally do to us.

But hey, that's football. If you think it's down to Moyes's brilliance, have at it. A great win in the end but he and we were very lucky.

"It didn't look [like it would go] that way after the first 20, 25 minutes. I thought we were terrible on the ball but we stuck at it.

We are a resilient crew and the players did a good job in the end.

"Michael Keane was terrific today, he was a proper centre-half. Keano scored a really good header, it was a really good goal."

On Beto's development: "He's done great, he's improving. If he was a 19-year-old striker you'd say he's got a bit to go; he's not but he's certainly improving. Let's hope he can get goals in the remaining games.

"I have been pleased [with performances away from home]. It was a worry for me how this game would go [missing key players] but great credit to the players, we hung in a little bit but certainly improved in the second half."

On referee Darren England standing by his decision not to award Fulham a penalty after being sent to the pitchside monitor: "I clapped him. I would have had a Mexican wave. I saw it on the iPad and I saw the boy was running so I don't know where you'd expect his hands to be. Isn't it great we have someone who is willing to go to the screen and stick with his decision? We want referees to go by their own decision, and from what I've seen, the correct decision."

On next week's final game at Goodison Park: "I have just said to the players we have the biggest game of the season next week, and we are all ready for it."

Because Ndiaye and McNeil from recent observation did not have 90 minutes in them, then Harrison and Doucoure were the obvious starters to protect a very vulnerable backline. We did not want to lose and hopefully could snatch a win.

The anti-Keane and anti-Moyes hysteria was comical to observe, especially when both Keane and Beto scored.

Well done to all today and I'm going to enjoy that winning feeling this weekend.

Given what was available through injuries and, after last week when Ndiaye and McNeil both looked knackered well before the end, it was a starting lineup and bench to do a job away from home, which it did.

Oh and we weren't lucky either, outfought Fulham all second half and thoroughly deserved the win.

McNeil was excellent and Charly Alcaraz much improved once he went central. He's wasted playing out wide.

Good second half and we'll deserved win.

If we'd won all our drawn games, we'd be on 72 points now.

Those who feed it won't acknowledge it though.

However, after a dismal first half, and bringing on two players I thought he should have started, off we went!!!!

Great result, regardless of performance.

Pity the other 3-1 result at Celtic Park didn't go the way I wanted.

Still midweek!!!!!

https://youtu.be/Bo7zkd0kRS4?si=QCuHrdQ8nYjkK_GP

We were terrible in the first 25 minutes due to the team selection and the lack of intensity from the players.

Second half was much better when Ndiaye and McNeil replaced Harrison and Doucoure. So the manager got it wrong in the first half, but made all the right decisions after the break.

I thought Alcaraz really grew into the game.

Just to see rat boy's ugly mug…

As soon as I see your name Neil @ 158, I know the same tired cliche is on its way.

Ironically, you are almost hysterical yourself in screaming about anti-Moyes bias.. usually preceded by “I never wanted Moyes but.” Sure buddy.

At least try and come up with some variation to it, so we are not all bored to death.

However, a Moyes masterclass if ever there was one. Bringing the calvary on when they're really needed. Those thousand odd games in the Premier League count for something.

This was how you manage your playing resources to get maximum effect. COYB!

Taking off Doucoure and Harrison changed things around. Harrison was doing well, but Doucoure was atrocious. Beto was poor and he got lucky with his goal, really poor goalkeeping.

Keane played well – not only the goal but the couple of pinpoint cross-field passes that he played were quite breathtaking. And he was solid most of the game. Enough to convince Moyes to give him a new contract? Possibly.

But well done to the players and David Moyes. Huge improvement in the 2nd half to overturn a 0-1 deficit.

That will have influenced his decision to play Doucoure and Harrison, to avoid being left wide open against two lads that are not first choice away from home.

His bench gave him the opportunity to change it up. I think that's key in the last 20 minutes of Premier League games, and so it proved.

As has been said, it's why hes managed a 1,000 games, and remains a respected figure in the game.

Less said about the 1st half, the better!

He took over a sinking ship utterly devoid of confidence and he has us doing well with the bare bones of resources at his disposal. Let's at least give him the summer window and a pre-season to see if he can get anywhere near some of your impossible expectations of him so far.

Not the best performance first half, far from it in fact, but it's a points game, can't wait for next season!

Well done, Moyes and Everton. I've just cracked a beer. COYB.

But you often see keepers make mistakes when the striker takes the shot early. They don't get 'set' properly.

He was left a shit hand but has dealt with it brilliantly.

4 cracking away wins at Palace, Brighton, Forest and Fulham, not many managers in the league with a struggling side would come away with maximum points from those.

Yes, the home form has been shit, thanks, Sean, but sign off with a good win next week and we will all go home from our last ever game at the POld Tart more than happy.

Onwards and upwards at the new cathedral then!

We all know some of these players are limited but Moyes doesn't have a lot of options (and the options he does have are coming back to fitness, which is why they're used sparingly).

Let's get behind Moyes and the squad and see this season out.

I couldn't have said it better.

Of course we dream but dreaded Everton v Shrewsbury or someone in the new stadium.

Now stop whinging. Just a few months ago, we were fucked. Reality.

For some reason, with 10-15 minutes to go, he kept on kicking the ball into touch. Weird boy.

If you read my posts, they have consistently stated that I believe he was the only option available.

I'm also bored with the same old culprits constantly looking to find fault.

Thus is what I tried to post at half-time. I didn't think I was prophetic, I just found it again, so posted for its irony. No offence intended. No, just looking for some balance.

I'm not pro- or anti-Moyes. I definitely didn't fancy Dyche to keep us safe so we did need a change. I didn't see too many candidates putting their hand up for the job so Moyes was probably the only option at the time.

1:1 Not too bad so far but would love a win. Maybe Keane to score it? [Tongue-in-Cheek joke]

His name on the teamsheet causes dread, anger and incredulity. We are all fully aware of his shortcomings.

However here we are, and there's a guy who hasn't played for ages. O'Brien is out – still not sure why? Keane steps in and, in my opinion, he was the Man of the Match

Just can't work it out? No doubt he'll go seasons end but someone will pick him up. Good on him.

When better footballers came on, I also hoped that Alcaraz would be kept on and moved central. Moyes used his subs well today, he didn't last week, and the brains did a lot more than the brawn and got us the points.

I thought we deserved the win but again why was VAR used for Everton's second goal and Mykolenko's handball?

There was nothing to see over the goal although they had a very long look, desperate to find something wrong.

It was great to see a referee sticking to his decision rather than be persuaded by those interfering part-time refs in the studio.

Just get us that win in the final game at The Old Lady and get the points that gets us a lot more money for a higher position and leave us all with smiles on our faces and a final winning memory.

The fortunate goal before half-time allowed us to do that (mix it up). And our manager did it. I have reservations about Davie, but he managed that 2nd half superbly.

I'm absolutely made up for everyone who travelled, it sounded magnificent, and it must have been brilliant when Séamus came on.

Finally, top marks to the referee. It looked as though the faceless ones were trying to tell him that Mykolenko handled it, but he was, rightly, having none of it.

Keane had to play because O'Brien was injured, no problem with that. But were we right, because when Moyes replaced Harrison and Doucoure with McNeil and Ndiaye, we were a much better team. The 2nd half was a complete contrast to the 1st, so totally vindicated.

Having said that, I'm totally lost when Michael and Co start saying how lucky we were with the first and third goal, guys credit Moyes, that's football.

Now we just have to beat Southampton in the last game at Goodison to finish above the media darlings.

One thing that bugs me enormously though is VAR's determination to overturn our goals or give a penalty against us. A blind man could see Keane's header was not offside so why check that after deciding there was no foul on the keeper? And as for the penalty review, it is becoming tedious now. The ball was a yard away from Mykolenko. What was he supposed to do? Chop his arms off.

If it takes 3 or 4 minutes to review a referee's decision in real time then there is something wrong with the individuals doing the review.

Fair play to Keane — he had a very good game.

Steve #172,

Who are you calling old? You are a bit of a dinosaur yourself...

I love to see Alcaraz pushing forward and releasing Beto to score. Beto is great when he has that service.

Well done, Blues, and well done to the travelling Evertonians who have always given incredible support to the team. Wish I was there.

Garner
Gana
Alcaraz

Ndiaye
McNeil
Beto

I assume that's the side people wanted to see.

To me that looks decent going forward, but weak out of possession away from home. There is a lack of match fitness in some also, and on a bad day would be shipping in multiple goals.

It also leaves little genuine game changers from the bench. Last week, the combination of McNeil, Ndiaye and Alcaraz didn't work, so trying again from the off was unlikely.

His enforced selection had me worried. But credit to them for staying in the 2nd half, and then hitting Fulham.

The snipping from those that don't want Moyes is tiresome. He's come in and turned it around. Please give him some credit and please reserve any judgement until he's brought his own players in.

Every one of us want the blue boys to move forward. It's clear that there is going to be no sackings to bring some hipster to take us to a promised land of make believe. The club needs stability and it needs good players coming in. Moyes over the next 2 years is the best bet to achieve both.

To me, Moyes just demonstrated he is a superior manager to Dyche. Facing some similar constraints, Moyes has continually come up with solutions more favorable to the players' skill set and desire to play proper football.

Typically, this group would try and would somehow experience a relapse. Whether by bounce or actual tactics they now show some resilience. That's not a new manager bounce or luck, that is possibly a feature of team spirit Andy talked about. Moyes gets credit for that.

I don't like the move, and I am with those who think we would have survived. That said, Moyes is preserving a lot of potential transfer value that the club desperately needs to turn the squad over.

It's not like anyone wishes for Moyes to fail just to be right. On the other side, there are clear similarities in what Dyche and Moyes bring to clubs at different levels. This level was perhaps a bit above Dyche's but around Moyes'. If you were asking for a revolution from Dycheball, there is room to believe that you did not get it with the arrival of Moyes.

It may turn out to be a sensible move in tbe uncertainty of funding what needs to be done in the next few transfer windows.

'Michael Keane sent a bullet header that almost burst the Fulham net.'

100 out of 10 for our truly amazing supporters. Relentless from start to finish.

The new Pickford song is great. At one point, it seemed not to stop.

We even got a rendition of "Everton, oh we love Everton" at half time on the concourse.

Good to see team running forwards. Good result today. Well done, Mr Moyes, cant beat a win in the sun!

Watching Springsteen on Wednesday night, last game at Goodison on Sunday.

However, regardless, this kid Alcaraz, well if they're talking £12-15M?
Seems a steal!

Great result today. Pickford and Keane were immense!

For example pairing Patterson and McNeil on the right from the start last week we payed the price. Patterson was all over the place and even on a good day McNeil doesn’t provide sufficient cover to compensate.

But today Young and Harrison were solid, as was the much maligned Michael Keane, with Mykolenko probably having his best game yet in a blue shirt, and Gueye & Garner were outstanding. That solidity kept us in the game, and despite all these TV pundits talking us down, we kept Fulham’s real chances to being few and far between, and even their headed goal was a defensive misjudgement by Branthwaite and Mykolenko.

But Moyes played his hand brilliantly by bringing on the subs at the point when the Fulham players were tiring and the likes of McNeil and N’diaye could have maximum impact, unlike last week where both were on from the start and neither looked fit and had minimum affect. So hands up, Mr. Moyes you’re more of a manager than any of us👍💙

That landing was how you do rotator cuff injuries. And they can be a real prick of an injury and even worse of a surgery/recovery.

Hopefully he's dodged it.

Pete #200, you beat me to it. Too quick.

A first half, where we were initially outplayed by a good Fulham side, came good for us and, by the end of the half, we had equalised and were the better side. Their goal was a superb header by Jiminez, ours a decently worked effort by Mykolenko.

In the second half, we were superb and neither goal was lucky. We took over the game completely, breaking down their attacks and playing the ball out really well.

Our Men of the Match? Jordan as always but this time Keano too, superb not only defensively but his play out of defence was superb at times. Garner and Gana top class.

Who had a bad match? Nobody apart from Jack Harrison who tries so hard but looks to be not up to this level of game; everybody else played well overall.

Substitutions? Really well done and at 60 minutes to give time. All subs knew what was needed of them and all fitted in to improve the team.

A superb performance, a beautiful day on a beautiful ground, with beautiful friends and a great bunch of travelling fans at the ground. I could possibly raise the odd criticism but why after a performance like that?

Two awful VARs and 10 minutes overtime but Fulham by then were never going to touch us.

My Mother told me that there'd be days like this.

Nice to see Beto get his 10th goal of the season in only 1500 minutes. He’s certainly got things to work on but seems to get the ball in the net by hook or by crook.

I'm not sure why some (not all) posts have descended into oneupmanship and gloating over "Moyes haters".

We've just won a game of football some this morning predicted we wouldn't.

The supporters had a great day out, as I'm sure those watching and listening at home did.

Enjoy it and Match of the Day in an hour.

Wrong selection, good changes. Who cares? We played well once we woke up. And Everton won. Thats what matters.

"He's a Maccam, he's a blue, he's a toffee through and through. He hates Newcastle, he hates the white, Jordan Pickford is dynamite"

Link

I'd have gone for "the shite".

The team did alright too.

Well in blues. UTFT!

Today, I don't think he was lucky at all with his goal. I think he caught Leno out by striking the ball well and early.

That's now 8 in 28 league games and 12 in 33 all competitions. That's really not bad at all in fairness.

By contrast, Liam Delap has 12 in 38 (all competitions) - and he gets a lot more support in a very attacking Ipswich side.

Inflation runs higher in the transfer market than normal life. And just think of the price of a pint these days.

It's 8 goals in 15 full games equivalent (1350 minutes).

He's also missed 10 big chances. He's getting into goal scoring positions.

Will be interesting whether we are prepared to sell that?

Maybe if we view him as a useful prem ready squad player, that's enough..

Gangly, clumsy, couldn't trap a bag of sand etc. But does have a goal threat. Not to be sniffed at.

Since David Moyes’ first Premier League game back with Everton (15 January), only three players have scored more goals in the league than Beto: Isak, Salah and Mateta.

Asking Delap to hit the ground running at a bigger club is a challenge, see Hoiyland, so to me id keep Beto - and lose dcl.

Yes Dcl is a more of a neat footballer, but if he"s not getting chances or converting them, isn't what we need.

Danny quite often calls out those who criticise the "Moye's bashers".

Never seems to intervene to the same extent to defend the Blues who are supportive of the manager.

Spot on mate !

I'd just rather the conversation didn't go that way.

We can all debate the manager and players and that is fine.

That's a bit unfair to be honest Brendan mate. I will call out people with my own views. I don't see why I should defend anyone's on either side of the divide.

Unfortunately, his re-appointment was always going to create this. I'd rather just concentrate on the good job he's done so far and hope he get's the backing to build on it in the summer for next season.

I'll question anyone, just as anyone can question me. Big shoulders and I never take offence.

Let’s finish ahead of Utd, Spurs, Wolves & the Hammers!

Vs Fulham we go behind early then win 3-1 and (some) people aren't too happy.
Vs Bayern we go behind early and win 3-1 and it's the greatest game ever.

Who said football fans are fickle?

My sense is that there will be better alternatives internationally, but it would be great to hear who could be considered.

Definitely a game of 2 halves (I long for a full pint of Everton one day).

I watched the highlights on MOTD early this morning, and felt the edit showed that they were trying to show a game of two halves.

I felt Myko was at fault for the 1st goal, but to be fair, I think that was Raul Jiménez's 6th goal against us (?) and I wasn't surprised he out-jumped Myko.

Later in the game it was shown that Myko misplaced a pass - I couldn't be arsed to rewind to see who it was - but someone in our midfield played a horrible ball to him, and unfortunately he doesn't have legs like Inspector Gadget.

Good goal from Keane. "Celebrated" like someone who knows he's gone at the end of the season.

I know Beto's goal was assisted by Leno, but he hit it first time, which I think caught Leno off guard.

The pundits gave Pickford MOTM - by some distance. Now here's my controversial point. Does anyone think Beto looks a different player under Moyes (pretty much in the same team he was labouring under Dyche previously)? Moyes made the point in his post-match commentary that if he was 19, you'd work on certain areas... Beto himself said he feels like he's improving - as long as he's playing.

That's now 10 for the season... not bad in that team? So would you try to cash in on a 27/28 year old or keep him as a back up (not sure he'd like that himself, but it's a squad game).

This is all if's, but's and maybe's, but if DCL does decide to stay on, and on the assumption we have a limited budget and other priorities, I personally don't think going into next season with DCL, Beto, Chermiti (another year older etc.) and a.n.other or someone stepping up, would be the worst outcome.

Also partly as I still have sleepless nights of some of the shaftings we've had when buying big-ticket strikers in recent history.

If the budget is £30m, that's really not a lot of money for a Premier League transfer - especially a striker. It's less than Villa paid for Ollie Watkins nearly 5 years ago. It's £20m short of what Wolves paid for Cunha 2 years ago.

In world football, there won't be many who would cost that little and deliver more than about 8 to 12 goals in their first season.

On that basis, for the £30m release clause, I think Delap is probably one of the best options out there.

Other good options would include:

Ferguson (Brighton) - although probably costs more than £30m.

Castro (Bologna) - again probably costs more than £30m. He's the most talented and potentially gettable striker out there.

Bonny (Parma)

Barry (Villareal)

Emegha (Strasbourg)

Arokdare (Genk)

The latter four could kick on and develop into a Marcus Thuram quality player - but equally might be more likely to plateau out as a Beto standard player (or like Onuachu at Saints, fall well short of Beto).

That's the problem with trying to buy "ready made". At that price, all you're really doing is stock piling players who are no better than the players you already have.

Personally, I think it is better to hunt around for players of exceptional talent aged 16 to 20 - and then try to develop them over a few years. Even then, many of the most likely have already moved recently - Tzimas (Brighton), Harder (Lisbon), Oskarsson (Sociedad), Tel (Spurs) and Kroupi (Bournemouth). But Franculino (Midtylland), Stassin (St Etienne) and Ivanovic (Millwall) stand out as interesting options amongst dozens and dozens of much younger players.

Other options might be Mika Biereth, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Lucas Stassin, Tolu Arkodare, Mikkel Bro Hansen, Hugo Ekitike (likely too expensive), Manfred Ugalde, Franjo Ivanovic, Simon Banza.

Bireth is a good shout Sam but now likely to cost more than £30m.

Keep an eye on Jackson at Chelsea if hes surplus to requirements. Ekitike is as likely as Jonathan David sadly.

It's going to be hard to find a better goal scorer than Beto. I do think he can score 10-15 goals over a full season if he's given the minutes. Yes, I cant believe I typed that.

Not the most polished clearly, but he's getting chances. It's when strikers don't get chances you've an issue.

I think an all rounded striker like Guessand is the way forward. Ekitike looks to have an all round skill set too but will be too expensive I suspect.

Depending on what money is availbale I think its quite possible we go into next season without a new striker (maybe another option if DCL leaves). It will be harder to improve on Beto than it will be at RW, RB and CM.

I don't think Ferguson will cost more than £30m any more for what it's worth. He's had 2 dud seasons (due to injury mainly) and is 21 soon with less than 15 club goals since he broke onto the scene young. Could be a risk worth taking for someone but I'd be surprised if he cost more than £25m at this point.

Beyond that, probably better to stick with Beto and stock up on a few high potential teenagers who cost up to around the £20m mark.

Wilson, Ings and (of course) DCL are available as free transfers. So could provide cover (although wages are high and injuries an issue)

And I could see a decent logic to giving Broja another go on loan. He has talent and once he gets a run of games could start scoring.

For the first goal Myko didn't hit the shot particularly well but it got a great, for us, deflection and went in.

For the third goal Alcaraz's pass to Beto had a real touch of good fortune in that the pass itself ended up being the pass he intended only because it caught the defender's leg and fell very nicely for Beto.

Beto's goal itself, which he hit well, but in most games the keeper would have saved that rather than failing to deal with that bounce just as it got to him.

I make the point not to denigrate any player but, as I said, just to show how very small margins can have a huge effect on the outcome.

Yesterday those small margins went very much in our favour but, as we all know but lots seem sometimes unable to accept, the difference between scoring and not scoring doesn't always make the player attempting to score a donkey, or useless, or "get rid" material.

Sorry Billy # 227, I know it was you. I guess it’s so easy to forget past results at some grounds, whilst some stick in the head ie Anfield, OT, Stamford Bridge etc.

Definitely a game of two halves. A couple of decent saves by JP to keep us in the game until a (in my opinion) flukey equaliser by Myko took us in level at half time. Another great save by JP to keep the game level until Keane and Beto stepped up to finish the game. Plenty of debate between our gang as to whether it was a foul by Charly on their defender for the corner from which we scored. I say it was a fair shoulder to shoulder, whilst Dave thinks it was a push by Charly. And why the long VAR review for the goal? First of all the screen said possible foul, then possible offside? Having seen the goal on MOTD, there is clearly no foul by anyone and no flick on to Keane, and we all know you can’t be offside from a corner, so what were they looking for? The third goal, another break by Charly, we’ve definitely got to sign him up, and a first time shot by Beto, with a massive helping hand from Leno to finish the game. I can just imagine the uproar on here if JP had made that error!!

The traffic report flashing up on the screen towards the end of the game did not make good reading…….Putney Bridge closed, meant a long walk to Hammersmith, meant we didn’t get back to Euston till about 18.30. Still enough time for a couple before the 19.40 train, when we were joined again by the team!

So overall, a good day out. I’d say JP was MOTM, and I can’t wait for the visit to Skunksville in two weeks time when the new song for JP will be booming out up in the gods. The skunk maggots will definitely be dragging their knuckles when they hear this one!!

I will personally apologise for the trains. I think it is me. I am cursed!!

Brian, I'm still on a high from yesterday. Transfer talk can wait until the summer as it isn't going to affect the next two matches.

I'm just enjoying a great win and looking forward to the next one.

The only players that can deliver that are the ones we have now.

Sometimes the manager will get the rub of the green and therefore have got the tactics right. Sometimes the ball just won’t go in and the manager will be incompetent.

The manager has to decide. That's his job. It didn't pay off, but he changed it, which did.

I would respectfully disagree

When I saw the team I also raised my eyebrows and went straight to the subs to check if Jake was there. When he wasn’t I think I understood the logic.

If he started with Ndiaye and McNeill I think we would be in danger of capitulating like last week. They are attack minded players. As I posted already, I think Harrison and Doucs were selected to protect an inexperienced defensive lineup until the game opened up and then bring on the two. Don’t think either are up to doing 90min yet

I think its really worrying to see you say it was better he started with Harrison and Doucoure to protect inexperienced defenders. Keane and Young have played 100s of games, Branthwaite has been a regular for practically 2 seasons and Mykolenko has played for the last few years. We should be starting with our strongest side which in my opinion doesn't include Harrison and probably Doucoure, the fact we went 2 up against Ipswich then gave up the lead was nothing to do with having attacking players starting a game it was silly individual mistakes that stopped us winning that game.
Have we been ground down so much over the last few years that some fans are now wanting to see players who can fill a defensive jobs rather than creative players.

Quite a few were a bit concerned that young Jake didn't feature at all. I certainly must have missed any reports of him being injured.

It was good management by Moyes yesterday. I think in the main the criticism of the starting line up was the persistence with Doucoure and Harrison. He's obviously got his reasons and I'm guessing that's work rate, but you couldn't question any of those players in the second half for work rate off the ball.

Poor Beto was, once again, running on empty, but kept going.

I can’t believe some people on Twitter are now suggesting we should keep Keane (Doucoure/Harrison) because he showed some basic competence as a defender yesterday. And the other two for their work rate,

This is why Everton needs a total mentality reset. NSNO needs to be respected, and obeyed, again.

Besides, we had Gana and Garner sat in front of the defence to do that job.

Just like we shouldn't get carried away with a half's worth of a decent performance and result this week, I don't think we should judge on last week's either.

We were very poor for nearly 45 minutes yesterday and it would have been no surprise had we headed for the tunnel trailing at the break. Possibly by more where it not for a very good save by Pickford.

Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Pereira, Wilson, Sessengnon, jimenez are all good ball players. Better than ours at least as a collective.

Tactically he will have decided that the counter press was the way to stop them playing.

Defeatist? I am not sure a midfield of Garner, Gana, Alcaraz, Ndiaye and Mcneil controls thst midfield- and with Keane and young that's a fair gamble away from home.

4 wins away from home in the last 8, vs 1 in 21 previously if I heard it right.

As Brian points out earlier, this was a game of fine margins. We did deserve to win in the end but got back into it with a lucky deflection.

As all of our past 4 managers have concluded, our limited attacking talent means we're more likely to get a good result playing conservatively.

With someone like Ipswich's McKenna as manager - we would definitely approach the game differently. Players like Ndiaye and McNeil would start and we would take the initiative and attack the opposition.

However, that leaves us vulnerable on the counter and space in open play to pick off an exposed 40 year old full back and slow as a snail Michael Keane. Our defence is so good because the whole team prioritises the defensive effort (none more so than Harrison and Doucoure), not because the defensive players are good.

You might have been more likely to get a 4-3 Fulham win than a 1-3 Everton win.

At some point I would like us to go with a manager like McKenna - but realistically, he is probably the sort of guy who might takeover once Moyes has steadied the ship and sorted out a firmly bottom half bunch of players (especially in attack / wide). In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if McKenna does join us after being sacked by Spurs in a couple of years...

Robert, I'll have to be convinced by McKenna. It might be me being harsh or uneducated, but I instantly think of Graham Potter or, worse still, Mike Walker.

You are right about Moyes. He can and should stabilise us, but I don't see us lifting up any trees with him at the helm. I genuinely hope I am wrong. Time will tell.

The summer will tell us a lot about our ambition. Not just the manager, the club.

This is the thing that gets me so exasperated.

Of course Moyes will not pull up any trees in the next two years. In June we will have a squad of 13 first team players, quite a few of whom aren't very good. It also looks likely we'll have only a modest kitty (anything below £75m net spend being modest these days compared to what the likes of Palace, Bournemouth, Forest, Brighton etc have all been spending).

So if you want someone to play front foot football next season (which Moyes generally won't) then you have to accept there's a good chance our results will be worse, not better (albeit we'll see more goals).

The thing that is really stopping us from playing successful front foot football (and choosing managers who do that) is the crap squad.

And he's a ringer for Kurtan Mucklowe from 'This Country'

The game did not change because Doucourie was substituted. it changed as a direct result of his persistence which lead to our equalizer.

Without that goal, we go in at half time trailing having been comprehensively outplayed. Fulham, on the other hand would have gone in leading after completely dominating.

They say goals change games, but so does a kick in the bollocks. Fulham simply didnt recover from from a 48th minute kick in the bollocks

I don't do band wagons. Not even against puppy dogs.

That means I wont say a game changed when a player went off the pitch when I clearly saw it change when he was on it and he had contributed to the change.

Who knows best — you or Everton's coaching staff? Not being funny but we must also accept our own shortcomings sometimes.

I like Doucoure. I thought he was better at Watford than he is for us. He’s a big lad who causes defences trouble, but players like that are ten a penny. We need someone who can trap a ball, defend a ball, pass a ball. These are qualities Duke lacks.

As for Harrison? No comment

Sorry, CC, I just re-read your previous post and it seems we do agree about Doucoure.

"You need to accept" that you maybe.... Actually, you are, definitely are talking shite.

It wasnt just me who saw Doucourie's contribution to our equalizer. nearly thirty thousand people inside Craven cottage saw it too. Not to mention the millions who saw it on their TV's.

"Not being funny" but I didnt mention Selection. Moyes, or his coaching staff.

Id say yes, it's a very good turn around compared to the prior 4 or 5 years. Add in the squad quality and injuries.

We won all three of those.

So he / we can do it. We all know the limitations of the current players, but there are enough in the team to do it.

That's why my main point was that the summer will tell us a lot in terms of ambition. And for next season, not 2 or 3 years time. It will be a stepping stone, but we should expect forward (no pun) movement.

I mentioned Doucoure in my own report, which is yet to appear. I did mention him being involved in the equaliser, but aside from that, he was poor. But then so were most of the players in the first half, Pickford and Keane aside.

We all judge players on performances, be it individual games or over the course of season(s).

We bought him the cheapest ticket we could - last row next to the away fans. Somehow (?!) he just waltzed in with the away fans and ended up in the away section.

He was over the moon, had the time of his life. What a game to see! Three goals. He sent us videos and you'd of thought we'd won the league! 😂. He'll never forget it as long as he lives.

Someone named Paul bought him a beer. Paul said he knew me through TW. When I asked, "Paul who?" My son, bless him, replied, "I don't know." 🙄

To Paul - please identiy yourself so I know who bought him the beer, and thank you!!!

I did it myself for the second half. There is no segregation on the concourse, and the stewards don't check. Everyone stands anyway, so as long as you could squeeze in next to someone, it was fine.

He was just thrilled.

It was hilariious. On the second goal he sent video and you could hear him give three quick but strong, "WOOO"s.

My family was like, SO American...

He probably stuck out like a sore thumb but didn't care at all. 😂

Liverpool away was a better performance.

I thought they managed the game very well against city, with it going city's way after the Tarkowski injury. Before hand city didn't look their normal self.

Villa I thought it was a brighter performance, despite him only have the players for a day or two. I remember getting done on the counter-attack by Watkins, with Calvert-Lewin having some very presentable chances and a good penalty shout.

Certainly not a lot between both those sides, whilst they stayed in the game against Chelsea. Certainly an improvement on the prior year at Stamford Bridge.

Limited squad, injuries to lots of players. Biggest defeat by 2, once, and three 1 nils.

Having said that most agreed that the lineup was strange and didn't give us much confidence about winning.

However footie being unpredictable as it is, there was always the outside chance especially as they had unexpectedly beaten Forest a few weeks back.

Not surprisingly the first half was awful except for the fluke equalizer and the performance was still shaky until the substitutions.

I was glad to see Robinson not playing especially with Young at right back. Young's tackling is poor to say the least.

Alcaraz for me was excellent and I do hope he is kept as a starter.

Thanks for it, and very best wishes to your lad.

Thank you. Sincerely hoping I find out who the "mystery Paul" is.

Hewitt? Can't be Ferry he's stateside. Kossoff?

Colin is already in Rome now. He's doing the smash n grab Euro tour. Then back to London for a week for his study program, then to Dublin for 2.5 days.

His father wouldn't let him go to Europe without seeing the Vatican and going to Ireland. 😜

Very nice story on the lad. I watched the game back yesterday and there's a lad in a black top in the seat nearest to the 3000 going apeshit when we scored.

Lots of folk on here just read and choose not to write and that might be your Paul.

Kids are lucky these days, they have such amazing experiences. A trip to Cornwall for our hols was the most we could expect when I was a nipper.

I always enjoy reading your posts even if we don’t always agree. You make your points really well, and that makes them very interesting.

I have never once read you critique a post as “anti-Moyes brigade” simply because a fellow fan posted that a differing opinion on the team’s selection, gameplan, performance or substitutions.

If a poster wants to set out why Mr Moyes has done a brilliant job, then great. I think he has done a good job overall so the differences are marginal. In certain games, I think he has surrendered the initiative to high quality teams in poor form due to his caution (as he has done for most of his career).

But, I admired the way he changed things against Fulham after getting the initial line-up, frankly, completely wrong. Decisiveness, willingness to make changes and go for games will win Mr Moyes admirers from all Blues.

In the last 11 games, he has smacked into the reality of a poor quality squad, made worse by injuries to key players. He needs serious backing in the transfer market in the summer if we are to progress. If he doesn’t get it, fans should focus on the owners not the manager.

My main memory of our holiday to Cornwall was that the car broke down outside Newquay, and my poor old man spent the first few days of the break fixing it.

Were you hiding from the round again??

We were in The Rocket near Putney Bridge before the match, then headed straight back to Euston afterwards.

Sorry that we didn't get to see you in the Eight Bells, Rob.