Late goal for Bournemouth destroys Dyche's gameplan

Including Harrison, it would take the 3 worst performers out of the team.

It would have been quite simple to fix this;

Play the same back 5, two central MFs.

Then put Patto at RW, put Harrison at LW and drag Ndiaye to the #10 slot.

You then have the option of Lindstrom to cover 7, 10, 11 in old money. Young and Patto can link up, youth and experience, and Jack is in his correct wing, and can help out Myko if necessary.

Jack has had his best games at either #10 or when he has switched with McNeil and gone to the LW.

Shame Seamus is crocked (again!) as he could have started instead of Young, so that Young could have covered multiple positions too!

A warm PLF greeting to you Shaun, and everyone on here👍🙂💙

He's on the grass but not selected..? Dyche fit, not maybe?

Lack of PL experience maybe?

Or maybe just doesn't 'smell' that it is Roman's time just yet?

Maybe Sean thinks that if we nick a lead, he can bring a second keeper on to really keep us in the game, and the second pine-rider is for the chance of injury...

On a side note, why don’t Dyche go back to wearing shirt and tie on the touch line? The “good luck” tracksuit top has lost its flavour.

It does not sound like the players love SD and are not playing for the 'gaffer'

The bad news is that we are almost unbelievably terrible. I suppose we look like what we are, the second lowest spenders in the Premier League. This squad needs enormous amounts of money to even look like a mid table side.

This is absolutely shocking, we've created absolutely nothing in 50 minutes of football, get this twat out of our club before it's too late.

Torture.

Broja wellies the floor and is injured again.

These players are not playing for Dyche as they are all looking to lay the ball off for safety. No movement and no passion.

And Branthwaite's yellow was a bit rough as he slid in got the ball then Bournemouth player ran into the line of the slide. It's like they just want five-a-side standing tackles only and there have been others let go which had more intent.

And with Broja off it doesn't look like we'll have two fresh strikers(?) if we need then at any time.

I don't see it. There aren't that many things he can try with this squad but he really hasn't tried any of them.

Pairing Patterson with Lindstrom down the right side to get some run out of defence leaps off the page as an option.

Changing out a number 10 who basically chases opposition defenders and midfielders would be an option. In fact it's almost a prerequisite for calling yourself a manager.

Getting someone closer to the striker would be an option. Maybe Ndiaye, maybe a second striker.

Dyche just changes shirt numbers from time to time. His claims of working hard and trying endlessly just tell me that he's completely out of ideas before he's really started.

We have so many poor players the only positive is that it's still 0-0.

Doucoure has to drop deeper to at least try and help out the midfield.

If there are 3 worse teams at the end of the season we will have been very lucky as this is the lowest quality team that I have seen.

It can't be lucky. He's working harder than ever. Endlessly, in fact.

Edit: don't worry it's a defender for a winger and a midfielder for a midfielder. Doucoure is still there.

Doucoure has misplaced 6 passes, done nowt and killed 2 attacks.

Harrison Armstrong has done more positive play in 5 mins than Doucs has done in 55 mins!

Good to see Patto on.

Why doesn't Ndiaye just look for the simple ball, instead of running into traffic every bleedin' time!?

I fear I missed a good afternoons entertainment in giving up watching the Elvis films 🙈

The criticism should be aimed at the fact that we only defend.

Zero shots on target again. We are completely irrelevant as a footballing entity.

Another 90 minutes from Doucoure. Young moved onto the wing in an attacking move?

I don't know how our travelling support continue to do this.

Fact is, Dyche brought on Armstrong and Patterson but we actually looked worse. Incredibly, the team he choses is the best we have.

Unless Ipswich and Leicester carry on losing, we are relegated. We simply don't have a good enough to team to keep ourselves up like we did before.

Bournemouth with a 6 out of 10 performance easily beats our 2 out of 10.

Branthwaite ducking under the volley epitomised the team performance.

Clear signs the manager hasn't got a clue. Thelwell needs to earn his money and sack Dyche and bring some half decent players in, is that asking too much?

Patterson and Young both playing right back and while Armstrong looked neat on the ball he half gave up after a couple of runs with nobody to pass to, it was so disjointed up front.

Pathetic.

Sickening though. So few positives in so many years. Embarrassing to be associated with.

Apart from the fact he's always out of position, is tactically incompetent, can't head the ball, is a poor tackler, has no pace, can't cross and can't shoot…ffs!

Thelwell and Dyche have to go, it's just when?

That's down to Dyche and I thank him for nothing. Appalling performance yet again. Get him gone tonight.

I've a feeling these Friedkins won't do nothing until the Summer; by then, it'll be too late. You can only play Russian Roulette for a certain amount of time and we've played it for long enough.

Everyone could see what his aim was there today: protect what we have… Disgraceful tactics and no other board in world football would tolerate it.

If these Americans are serious about moving us forward, remove this negative anti-football imposter of a man and his 2 mates asap because he's taking us down.

That's now 11 games in which we've failed to score this season — disgusting stuff.

That's got to be the final curtain call for me on Sean Dyche.

Why wait for the next three against Villa, Spurs and Brighton, none of which we'll win let's be honest.

Why wait??

Over to the new owners.

Of course he could have been looking at the news that family sized packets of Porridge had just gone up again.

Moyes to return to Everton by Thursday or will he just be hunting cheaper porridge at the local cost-co?

Unfortunately I think Dyches time is up. Not that I fully blame him as the so-called players have to look at themselves.

Not sure but I think the goal stemmed from a ridiculous free kick given against Tark????

Thank God those around and below us didn't get a result.
Fingers crossed Ipswich and Wolves get beat or we are really in the shit.

Patterson and Armstrong coming on should represent attacking progress. But when you make that change by removing a winger and putting Young ahead of Patterson, and by removing a footballer in Mangala and moving Doucoure into midfield... it's not progress.

Dyche keeps on claiming that he's trying to find ways to be effective in attack. Yet he's sabotaging his own moves.

Bring in a ball player, remove one. Bring in an attacking full back, park a second full back directly in front of him.

This stuff isn't that difficult. I'd have some respect for him if he came out and said "You've seen my career. I'm a defensive guy, that's just who I am. I'm playing for 0-0 and hoping that there are three teams worse than us".

I nearly turned off at HT, then I remember Danny O, saying don't leave the ground, don't turn around, back the team.

Same as last week vs Forest I'm confused again.

DCL is our best forward, but maybe not our best goal scorer.

Doucs had a try at goal, missed, and I would have forgiven his PP performance if he'd got us a point.

Patto definitely makes mistakes, but he adds more than gives away.

Young defensively was OK, but his attacking (not offensive) play was poor.

Broja should go back to Chelsea, we'll pay his wage, but we need a more effective forward.

Has Myko actually fully recovered mentally from his injury? His positional play is way off the pace, and he seems to have lost pace.

Tarks was hot and cold, as was Jarrad, ultimately shown by ducking under the ball when he could clearly see that JP was forward to his left!

Mangala didn't do much, Gueye bless him looks like the little Dutch boy trying to put his fingers in holes in the dike.

Lindstrom was good for the first 15 mins and then faded, but the intent was there, other than that stupid shot at 30 mins! Then he got hurt/injured.

Ndiaye just does my head in, I've noticed that he is predominately RFd, so why don't we try Ndiaye on the right and hope for a cross, rather than him running inside all the time, as he obviously doesn't fancy his LF.

Then why not play Jack H on the LW and see if he does OK, otherwise why keep him?

I like Beto, but much like DCL he doesn't get the correct service, he needs balls playing in front of him, rather than to him... Oh, and a run of games.

Armstrong (as Alan J said) he tried, and gave up, as other than DCL, and occasionally Ndiaye (and once Young) there were no outlets to pass to?

Oh, and lastly, why oh why don't our players seem to have the composure to trap the ball and take a beat to see what's on...?

Just other than changing a mind set, and the same ole same ole, tactics, what can Dyche do with this squad?

I think somebody joked about bringing Rooney in as a coach.

Well, I'm not suggesting Rooney, but maybe the squad does need a new voice and new coaching methods.

There is not much left to say now it has all been said repeatedly and we are running out of excuses and games with little money to spend and a couple of more injuries with Broja going off and Mangala was surely injured or he wouldn't have been substituted at half time.

Definitely going to the Peterborough game just to see a very rare win.

"Bournemouth are seventh - three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea who occupy the final Champions League spot."

Meanwhile us lot are horrified that we are beaten by such upstarts.

We are like Tories sometimes, pining for the empire that collapsed long ago.

But recently, on more than one occasion, I've had to force myself to watch the game out of a sense of loyalty. Last Sun when we played Forest, my girlfriend asked me if I was excited about going to the game in a few hours, and I had to say No!

It's the worst football I've ever seen on a consistent basis and I've been following our club for over 30 years!

He's got to go now.

It's also exactly why I won't hear of the 'improvement under Dyche' last season. As a team we have regressed throughout his reign. This point right now is where his brand of football has been taking us from the moment he set foot in Finch Farm.

Given longer in the job, he will only continue to do more damage. He's not the saviour, he's part of the problem.

Quite simply, a distressed asset, which has been very, very badly run financially; which in a short period of time generate lots more than it has ever done, and whether TFG keeps us, or sells us, he'll make a proverbial killing.

IMHO only that is.

I'm really really fed up of hearing this bullshit from him. If he stays, we will be relegated and start at our new stadium in the Championship.

Frightened to say it, but it's sad but true: If we stay up, it will be pure luck.

I think next time, rather than watch is on a dodgy stream, I'll give that a miss and chew my arm off instead. It might be more fun and it can't be more harmful to my well being...

Dyche's football is like death by a thousand cuts.The football is miserable, the players (a lot of them) are not giving 100% and most of them are clearly not good enough anyway.

Dyche has to go I just hope the new owners have a plan. We need to see positive things happening at the club.

How does this pass as football? It's got to end now with this manager. TFG have to put their new plan in place or we're doomed to the Championship at the new stadium.

We're watching Doucouré, Gueye, Young, Calvert-Lewin and Mykolenko in the same team. It's like watching your favourite boxer who's all washed up and getting battered by no marks, with Bournemouth fans taking the piss out of us too. 😡

Simple answer mate.

Anyone is an improvement on this manager.

He's conned folk into thinking this is the best we can hope for.

The media are terrified of questioning him with any real issues.

He's been here two years, worked two summers with our players, many of them are his men yet he's still barking on about Everton struggling to score goals before he arrive.

You've been here two years Sean, it's up to you to work on that.

Bournemouth manager isn't harping on about losing Dominic Solanke last summer is he

So in a simple answer, he's got to be relieved of his duties now, for me there isn't a possibility of any other realistic outcome for him.

If the Friedkin's haven't seen this, haven't watched how it's all been developing and haven't got a choice of their own in place by now, then I do question how good they will be.

Dave 84- "looking forward to the Peterborough game to see a rare win". Peterborough not been playing well of late then Dave? Fuck, if you don't laugh, you'll cry.

We are in a massive downward spiral. It's a total recipe for disaster.1 goal from open play in the last 16 hours of Football. Failed to score in 8 of our last 10 games.

Sack Him Now!

Can we also have another 10 players please. Preferably better than the shite we have now.… Please!

Are you really that confident of this tripe beating Peterborough, because I'm not.

Don't know if you've noticed but we don't score goals, maybe it'll go to pens and we'll get lucky.

I get your point on Bournemouth's form and likewise Forest 0-2 doesn't look as bad in that respect. But the problem is we lay down and die against out of form "good" or "big clubs" as we did against United. Then backs against the wall against city when they're on their worst run of form for 30 years. So if we expect and accept failure against "big" clubs be they in or out of form, and "small" clubs if they're doing better than expected, it doesn't leave us much leeway. Who's left Ipswich, Palace and Leicester? And did we blow them away?

One Premier League ready manager with tactical nous, two fullbacks with pace who can cross a ball, a sweeper to keep things tidy, a composed attacking midfielder who can run at defenders and create openings, a wide boy who can do that plus cross a ball or beat his marker, and a fucking centre-forward who knows where the goal is...

So yeah, keep Jordan and Ndyiae and start again.

Knowing we can only score off a set piece, we finally earn one in the late minutes via Armstrong... and then Young, the veteran, the 700-game man, chokes and hits the front man with the free kick.

There is no recourse when a player designated to do a job doesn't do it. Young had one responsibility in that moment, to get the ball into the mix and give us a chance. And he failed.

Do we need a new manager to bring in a new strategy? Of course we do.

Will it change anything in terms of results? It will not.

Because what we have on the pitch isn't good enough to get the job done.

Changing managers, changing lineups, changing styles... won't do it. We need players. Good players. Players who can pass a ball and strike a decent shot and put a freaking free kick in where it's supposed to go.

And yes, we need Jimmy and Dwight and Tim back from injury, but we need a hell of a lot more than that.

It's time for Friedkin to act now, to protect his investment and to protect Evertonians from having to endure this dire football, match after match

Since the start of the season, Dyche has been an embarrassment. People say "Be careful what you wish for" but could anybody be any worse?

No shots on target most games, very few goals from open play, one of the worst win rates in our history, and confusing tactics and team selection.

"How d'you watch this every week" the Bournemouth fans sang. They are right.

We turned up like a rancid visiting aged Grandparent at Christmas and made the whole 90 minutes a fucking misery.

I live in Dorset and only get to see my beloved team play seldomly. I could have got a ticket for today and chose not to because I knew that it would depress me and I'd have to watch this shite.

Get him gone, I fucking hope these new guys have a carefully formed plan.

I guess it would, if we get promoted back up in one or two seasons. Anything longer and I doubt it.

As FSG said, and nearly every other Yank owner for that, the British football scene is ripe for 'enhancement' of the financial and commercial kind.

However, I doubt very much that TFG would want EFC to get relegated. Probably something to do with the $Profit/Loss column.

The manager, his coaching staff, Thelwell and 7 of the players who appeared today (plus 5 squad members who didn't) are out of contract in June.

This cannot be helping and our new owner's need to start taking action.

Any players on our books that may have or had any quality are being destroyed by Dyche and his coaching staff.

It is totally clear for all to see: our players have no confidence whatsoever – a lot of them are just not good enough anyway, but Dyche isn't going to inspire fucking anybody to their potential. He and his coaching staff are firefighters – that's it!

A very very poor manager incapable of nothing other than coaching for draws – in my opinion, he has to go.

Otherwise, it'll get harder to salvage with every game.

The damned lot need removing. And I mean the lot. This organisation needs to start from scratch again – if that involves relegation, so be it.

Everything new, without any previous attachments to this relic. If we as fans remain loyal (which is a given), this Icon will come good again, but complete ruthlessness is the requirement.

Oh, and Dyche, take your money and go talk to your mirror – the only person who believes what you say is the one looking back at you – you are a coward.

On the evidence of Roma, TFG are football novices so, whatever the next four weeks bring, they may prove to be little improvement on the idiot they've replaced!

Woe is me.

We deserve to be relegated and full a cleanout is required from top to bottom.

However, the old saying "Act in haste, repent at leisure" springs to mind.

Do TFG have plans to bring in players, when they haven't even formalised the Board yet?

We're still waiting on a CEO, and a decision on the DoF and the Manager?

Why hasn't all of this 'background' groundwork been done during the takeover process, in preparation for the highly likely takeover?

This 'Limbo' pervading the club since 19 December is unsettling me.

Yes, I fully understand with the issues that have arisen at AS Roma, they will be intent on getting things right. Yet... When will we see action?

Allegedly, there was an experienced and highly rated Sports Management and Consultancy Company looking at assisting with the takeover and looking at assisting with appointment decisions… Where is the proof?

Maybe, they are the ultimate 'poker' players and are giving Dyche every chance to keep us competitive without any outlay (I mean they've only splashed out £66M to get A-Cap off our backs, paid Moshiri £450M for the club (or was it £400M?) and hopefully, out of that figure, gave Moshiri £260M to finish the stadium and keep the lights on till they had the keys to the gates.

Maybe I still don't fully realise how bad a state the club is in.

However, I still think calling for Dyche's head without proper planning and some player acquisitions could actually lead us to greater issues down the road.

As always, time and tide wait for no man (or woman!)

Let's just hope that the opening match at the new stadium is with us still in the Premier League. 👍💙

We've desperately clung on over the past couple of seasons, rode our luck at times and Dyche deserves some sort of credit for that.

However, we are now in a completely different scenario. New owners, new ground. This should be the start of a new beginning.

There are 19 league games left. Plenty of points to play for. We can't change 10 or 12 players but we can change the coaching, the direction, the mindset. The time is now.

I'm fully with you, mon ami!

The first thing I'd love to see is the whole of Finch Farm sent packing, and the site modernising. It is not state of the art, and the staff there have been too unaccountable for too long by being distanced from the Liver Building and Goodison Park.

Then the commercial, finance and marketing teams want to be completely over-hauled, alongside the ITC team responsible for the EFC website, and social media, and team content, and improve it so it mirrors that of the TFG website and online comms.

Then, by season's end, everyone at the club should have been reinterviewed and either let go and replaced by new staff, or kept – if the staff member truly holds up to the "Nils satis nisi optimum" motto.

If we're going to a new stadium, let's change all the bad old ways, to new and best practices.

The next step is to get a new manager who can organize a team and play better football. I am sure candidates are identified. Some options could be Max Allegri, Potter, Moyes, Mourinho, Terzic, etc. Most likelyier option is Moyes on a short-term contract.

With regard to players, we need to get rid of:

1. Doucoure
2. Beto – only because it will help us raise money.
3. Chermiti – on loan to get games
4. Terminate Harrison's loan

Calvert-Lewin needs new manager who can help him score more goals or impact games more.

Signings:

1. Striker with pace and eye for goal
2. Right-winger replacing Harrison
3. Left-back who can straight away fit in place of poor Mykolenko
4. Jake O'Brien – If we don't intend to play him, then sell him and replace him.

You've just nailed it, fella. No more to add.

If not... why not?

Sacking the manager is a given for every new owner.

Whoever comes in has to evaluate the squad which is terrible. What changes can be made with the current squad?

Ndiaye centrally? Patterson right-mid? Play 2 up top with Beto and Calvert-Lewin? I really have no ideas how to improve this team.

Under Benitez or Lampard, I knew that, if we packed the midfield, we would be okay as we had goals in the team; it was their tactics causing us issues.

With this current squad, I am resigned to us losing over and over; I just hope there are 3 worse sides.

Nothing more to be said really. Roma could not have been as bad as this when the new owners arrived in Italy.

What you accept will persist.

Ultimately, the manager takes the can, and we cannot go on like this.

I did mention that I thought Dyche would go if we didn't pick up 3 points against Bournemouth; I still believe that.

I am really fearful for us as we are getting marooned with a few others at the bottom.

Fingers crossed Ipswich and Wolves fuck up.

Spreadsheets and possible future earnings are their bread and butter, they have to consult other people to try and understand what is happening when it comes to the game and how a club is performing out on the pitch.

TFG were aware of Everton in the summer, they decided against buying us at that time, and then 3 months ago, they decided to go ahead with the deal.

Surely in that period since September, TFG would have had some idea about the product, whether it was giving value for money to its customers, whether or not it was in danger of losing a great deal of money should the unthinkable idea of relegation become a distinct possibility.

It's possible that TFG are only interested in the new stadium whilst the staff and the players can carry on regardless, which is precisely how Moshiri handled things and look where that has gotten us.

It might be a tad impatient of me, to criticise a group who have only just become the new owners, but action of some sort is needed – and quickly. Appoint a CEO, get us a working board, and then decide what needs doing for the good of the club.

"A really tight game. First half we were not at the races and I made some changes. I thought we had a stronger performance second half, and asked some questions. Taking our chances has been a challenge since I've been at the club, it still is and was today in those key areas where people are trying to pass it rather than shoot.

"You look at the goalscoring records before I was here, it's been an ongoing challenge. I don't know whether you've noticed but the players to do that cost a lot of money. You have to develop a way of playing but equally it comes down to individuals when the moment of truth comes."

Well, that's a relief… and here's me been thinking all this is something to do with the coaching.

Sean certainly isn't:

“The run is still not really, on paper, a bad run… if you had wins in it.

We haven't had wins”.

Time's up, Sean!

I suppose, looking at it, they're not far wrong… Surely Dyche needs to go right now?

You're right mon ami. As in, there is no quick fix to our playing problems.

I have just been lying down though and thought about your post, I don't agree that the squad is terrible. Poor maybe, terrible no.

The problem I see is that Dyche wants to play a flat back four, but unfortunately this season Myko hasn't been at the races after his injury in the derby last season. I don't know if that is physical and or mental tho?

On the other side we've tried FIVE players at RB;

Seamus
Young
Garner
Dixon
Patterson.

None of them, for whatever reason (age, lack of pace and or experience, and confidence (maybe even fitness)) has secured the position as there own!?

So maybe the first problem is the defensive formation?

Plus, Branners has been crocked, and is still making more mistakes this season than he did for most of last season; and Tarks had been playing thru a back injury, and this season, again, doesn't look anything like the player he was last season?

All this of course means that both wingers have to help cover the FBs, and a CM has to cover the CBs, which leaves one CB, whoever is playing at 10 and the 9 to attack?

This is probably why we can't score as the opposition to maintain parity whether they play three at the back or four don't need to commit their midfield to stop us in the final third. They do that at source in the midfield usually; hence the continuous ariel bombardment from us?

Our current system will never work in this league (unless playing a severely depleted or a just as 'ineffective' team as ourselves), and asking players to work like 'Cafu' just leads to knackered players very quickly!

So, why hasn't an adaptation been made, or the FB issue been addressed? Either by formation change or recruitment?

Also, I'll put this out there because of Allan's great post at 133:

"Would relegation help or hinder the rebuilding of EFC?"

Seriously starting to question my sanity! It maybe time to find a new pursuit…..

We've had wins, three of them in half-a-season, what more do we want?

Four unbeaten until Forest, but five without a win since Wolves.

Didn't that Labour party spin-doctor, Alastair Campbell, support Burnley? He must be helping Sean with his pressers.

Clearly this isn't just about the players, who were woeful, but the total lack of motivation from the manager. His inability to set up, motivate or tactically influence a game is shocking.

For that single criticism, he deserves to be let go with immediate effect, but sadly it's quite evident that, what little confidence players had, is gone under his tenure.

There seems little stomach for removing him from TFG;that may prove a costly misjudgement but fixing this broken team whilst fighting relegation is a massive ask, one I am not sure anyone would relish. The longer it goes on, the more likely is relegation.

TFG may have thought keeping Dyche and rebuilding in the summer a plan, but clearly not from the Championship. We keep hearing they are ruthless in dealing with issues, yet we are sleepwalking through a nightmare.

With the exception of Pickford and Armstrong, not a single Everton player looked interested. It has to change.

"I don't know whether you've noticed but the players to do that cost a lot of money. You have to develop a way of playing but equally it comes down to individuals when the moment of truth comes."

We could have 10 Haalands in our team and would still not score because of the inadequate and pathetic service up the top of the field.

Everton boss Sean Dyche said: "It was a really tight game. First half we were not at the races and I made some changes. I thought we had a stronger performance second half, and asked some questions.

Was I watching a different game than the one he's talking about? 🤔

Great post! 🤗

Then we have this sick note Kenwright signed from Rangers as a defender who cannot defend. A couple of geriatrics, a group of extremely limited players who could be functional in a functional team, and the least effective widemen since Oster last turned out for Everton.

All this being overseen by a smug manager who thinks he is above rapproach and a DoF who like him couldn't care less cause they both like Calvert-Lewin and half the squad are counting down the days till their contracts expire.

Defend for a 0-0, hoof it long.

We can't score goals, only Southampton have scored les, and we don't have a plan B when we go behind. Oh and we have a coach and most of our first team who are on contracts that end in the next 6-18 months. Literally no one running the ship or playing gives 2 shits about the long term of this club as they are all gone.

You've some nerve having a go at Blues who travelled to watch that.

Not sure I agree... Ian Edwards is up there as well.

Think we need VAR to have a look.

His time should be up now, with the FA Cup our next game.

But so was our performance.

No, if Ipswich and Wolves win their next games, we'll be in the Bottom 3 on Monday night.

Dyche has to go.

If it's my post you were originally referring to, I suggest you read it again.

That none were on target was due to a lack of ability on the part of individual players. In that regard, we are badly missing McNeil who is our only attacker with the ability to shoot accurately from distance.

Out best chance today came when Patterson, having done the really hard part dribbling past two defenders to get into the area, spoiled his work by hoofing his shot well over the bar. It was not dissimilar to Ndiaye's shot after five minutes in the Forest match.

Our problem is twofold: obviously we can't put the ball in the net but the more fundamental issue is a failure to create clear chances. That is not owing to a lack of ambition but rather the inability to find the pace, the incisive pass or cross in those split seconds which determine the outcome of games at this level.

The squad is threadbare. Earlier in the season, Dyche was criticised for not playing more of the summer arrivals. Today, four of them started. By the start of the second half, three of them had been replaced, all of them loanees.

In terms of the way forward,we urgently need new players whoever is the manager. Sacking the manager is not in itself a solution. Players – not managers – win football matches.

If I could only use one word to describe Everton's performance today, it would be painful, but I prefer to use three words because it was just “very fucking painful”.

No problem, I think we are all in a depressed state at the moment so any attempt at humour is brave I think.

There was only embarrassment in watching our team today, all over the field – well, in two-thirds of it… we never got into their last third very much.

Not sure if there is anyone on the staff who can get us out of this depressing and deflated position we are in. Maybe giving Peterborough a good thrashing on Thursday will inspire these players — I dare not think of any result other than that!

And I wonder why that is?

This manager, DoF, and squad of piss-poor average players are shit — that's why it's depressing.

I've seen nothing from him apart from being offside.

Being hard to beat is one thing, lack of creativity and goal scoring is another issue.

The teams below us propping us up, does not tell the true story.

Just watching Doucoure give the ball away 3 times in the opening 15 minutes with simple passes to nobody was enough.

The save Pickford had to make right at the start of the 2nd half was because Doucoure fell over the ball with nobody around him. Embarrassing, and Mangala gets taken off!

The players must be so pissed off with having to be so negative. Commentator got it spot on when he said without Pickford we would be in the Bottom 3

“Has he been sacked yet?”

keep up.

I'm sick of speaking about Dyche's tactics. If he stays we're down this time.

Pickford made some excellent saves today, but something I hadn't noticed watching live on TV today, made me wonder did he shout to Branthwaite that he had the shot for their goal covered? Watching it twice on Match of the Day, Branthwaite appears to duck, when he was actually in a position to head clear.

John Raftery @ 163; I know it's all about opinions - but of course he did.

Having not even thought about Villa on Wednesday, my instant take, given who went off (and I didn't think Lindstrom or Mangala were all that poor) was - we're defending our 0-0.

Ever since the Takeover Dyche seems to have been earlier with his subs...hey Boss, looka me doin proactive manager shit.

Due to OPTUS being shit I didn't see much of the 2nd half, but did I see Patterson behind Young, surely the young legs get the box to box wing back midfield duties?

Molyenko and FBs in general still too narrow.

Dead man walking here, walking the Blue Mile.

At the start of last season Dyche used the xG stats to say (with some justification in my opinion) that the performances were more encouraging than the results. And so it proved. But right now we are dead bottom of the xG table.

Yes the finishing is poor but we are creating less than anyone in the league and that makes it extremely hard to get points however good your defence is (and this season ours is midtable).

The players are not great but there’s no way Dyche is getting the best out of them this season. I can understand that TFG would prefer to make changes in the summer when the pool of managers to pick from is wider, but I’m worried.

I don’t think relegation is an answer or a needed ‘reset’. The Championship is notoriously tough and many ‘big’ clubs have gone down to never resurface.

There’s no guarantee a new manager sees an upturn in results but it would surely see an upturn in hope, and that’s a commodity that we seem to be losing fast.

At one point Linstrom, who is an AMF was brilliant at Eintract then went to Napoli who put him on the wing and struggled, we get him on loan and….play him on the wing, not only that pick Doucouré over him; but I digress. Lindstrom had the ball looked up expecting to see a runner, and pointed to the empty space the runner should’ve been running into, but the midfield was 20 yards behind the play in shape, and of course no width from the backs.

Finally, I’ll finish with DCL. We all know that Carlo told Dom to operate in the penalty area between the goal posts, and the goals flowed. Now we have a very different Dom operating in a very different area of the field, and spoiler alert, it isn’t working. Now either Dom has taken it upon himself to position himself away from the final 3rd or he’s playing to instructions. I know which one I’ll put the money on.

Dyche has weaved this narrative that the squad is stacked with really poor players; now I’m not saying we should be challenging for a European place, with this squad we should be comfortably 6-8 points better off.

One of my favourite quotes is from Frederick The Great of Prussia, he who defends everything, defends nothing. I think that sums up the broken Dyche philosophy. Get him gone, the sooner the better

do you ever post without the name Kenwright in it?

It’s really tedious,and boring and I just skip over your posts cos I know what they’re going to say, just like 90% of ToffeeWebbers,

try to forget about Kenwright,

Lose your obsession, please, people might actually start reading your posts.

Your so boring,let him RIP

Apparently, Broja sneaked back on in the second half and was taken out by Adams.😀

Can't imagine McKenna will actually play him when it matters.

“Oh, hi…. Jesper! How can I help… can’t give you too long mind, tons to be getting on with, you understand…. hope it’s not this thing with wanting to play central again. You do remember we tried it that afternoon back in October and it didn’t really work out very well did it?”

“Well yes Boss, but you also insisted on trying Myko on the right wing, Tarky on the left and Driss as the target man that time and I just thought….”

“But that was all evened up by putting the kids - Roman, Obie, Harrison and Patto – against you, wasn’t it? They are so young I doubt their ‘sense of smell’ is fully developed yet, ha, ha …. Remember reading something about foetal development - that’s foetal not football, mind – in the New Scientist one time. Could dig it out for you if it’s something you are interested in? Got boxes full of ‘New Scientist’ going back decades, I’m obsessed with that sort of stuff. Got to broaden the mind haven’t you? Some people try to tell me some of it’s probably out of date but its ‘science’ isn’t it, and ‘science’ is facts, and facts never go out of date, do they?”

“With respect, Boss….”

“Ah yes, respect! Woany always says you… Swedes?... Scandies! Yes, you are big on respect…. R.E.S.P.E.C…t. Great stuff!... Mmm,… respect… swedes…? Oh yes, that reminds me, if you see Tarky can you check he didn’t forget the fruit and veg this time? Otherwise she just makes do with a tomato cup-a-soup to eat a ‘balanced’ diet… it’s funny how you end up looking after them after they were the ones whose job was to look after you! Really ironic…. Did I say I was busy? Would you believe they even need me to find time to sort out some contractors coming in to spruce up my office?…. Stoney’s different to Woany mind… his mantra is ‘keep it simple, stupid’! K.I.S…s. Moving you around doesn’t make sense when Dwight is sure to be back soon, does it? Jacko’s happy to job share with you on the right, and he’s actually better on the left…. and he’s had longer to adapt to what we need him to do… you to do. Well thanks for popping in, great chat. Really need to be getting on, tons to do, etcetera, etcetera…. Don’t forget to close the door after you…. Thanks. Now where’s that memo….here it is…..mmm, ‘D. Moyes office clearout’… mistake with that apostrophe…. and that full stop…. don’t need a capital C and pretty sure clearout is one word or hyphenated but not two….. hang on a minute!”

When the fixtures toughened he stopped talking about xG.

We'll have a higher xG against lesser teams. That doesn't change what has been happening. He came in and made us more defensive with a high reliance on set pieces. I doubt anyone disagrees with that. Over the course of his tenure we have bothered less and less with attack.

The course that he (and his appointers) took has been leading to this point. The path was obvious, the demise quite gradual but predictable.

He's not the misunderstood guru that he and his staff claim he is. He's a defensive coach and a bullshit artist. There's no sudden change in his approach that should earn him the sack - he's been consistent.

This season the defence has worsened and even our effectiveness from set pieces has declined.

It’s results not approach that gets people the sack. If we had 2/3 more wins and were on our way to 48 points again then his job would be safe.

If you want to defend the "V", you must have a bloody good strategy for counter attacks and set pieces. Guess what? We don't.

The difference between us now and Allardyce is we had Rooney and Gylfi back then, players who could do inspirational things. Since Richarlison left, we have nobody of that ilk.

Dyche won't resign. We supposedly can't sack him. Hopefully we stay up and then the new board can act with sanity.

Kenwright, albeit endorsed by Moshiri latterly, destroyed our credibility decades ago as the proud top club he took control of, and to me the abject state of affairs we (and Friedkin, now) are facing is a direct result of his knowing malfeasance/utter ineptness.

Still, let's all knee-jerk blame Dyche eh, or any of the other many managers preceding him?

That's exactly what ever-evasive Kenwright would want from his grave, and from my point of view the plethora of TW'ers now, yet again, rightly demanding root and branch evisceration of those who contend they "get Everton" whilst still employed there tells me that I (and many others) have a very valid point of view.

If you find it tiresome that's your problem. Kenwright would applaud you and those like you.

Happy New Year though . hopefully for all of us.

We have been consistent in approach... and performances and results have steadily declined. We weren't great last year and suddenly now terrible this year. We've been gradually declining as a result of playing terrible anti-football.

I think back when we were a 'good xG team' I described the football that we were playing as just slowing the pace that we were circling the drain. Slowing a decline feels like relative stability, but it is decline and you do end up at the bottom eventually.

He didn't take us down last year. He could take us down this year. He almost certainly would next year. It's the trajectory that his brand of football puts you on.

Of the 19 games still to go, 2 are against the RS - so no points there. I know we beat them last season at home but it won't happen this season, ( Though how I would love to be wrong ).

At home we still have to play
Villa, Spurs,Leicester, Man U, West Ham, Arsenal, City, Ipswich, Southampton.
I estimate 11 points. 3 wins 2 draws.

Away we play, Brighton, Palace, Brentford, Wolves, Forest, Chelsea and Fulham.
I estimate 4 points at most. 4 draws.

Add the 17 we've already got, that's 32 points. Even if you go plus or minus 3 points, that's a spread of 29 to 35 points. It's not enough. He has to go.

This season has been really bad but to suggest it was inevitable or indicated by results last year is plainly wrong I’m afraid.

I got the same response from a friend who underwent a religious conversion and couldn’t stop talking about it. When I suggested he change the subject once in a while, he declared that he was speaking truth and accused me of denying God. The friendship ended about 30 seconds later.

The only part that Dyche seems to understand is "Nil".

I've been consistent in saying that:

- From the start under Dyche we were playing progressively worse football with less emphasis on attack.
- Less emphasis on attack would inevitably lead to a decline in results.

We may have improved statistically in his first full season. But that's benchmarking him against Lampard's time - which became untenable to the point he was sacked. The football very clearly declined - it was a massive anomaly that we managed to snag so many close wins via set pieces. And that also came in a season which had some absolute fodder in the league. Without being bothered to check I'd say it would go close to being the worst bottom few teams I've seen. We also had the siege mentality effect - supporters and players rallied. Yet with similar methods we are now seeing something of a malaise... which is absolutely fair when the football is so sickeningly dull.

Last season had a couple of freak runs. It wasn't an improvement. The football didn't deserve the outcome. Now we're getting the deserved outcome. Possibly we're even over performing considering what we're putting into games.

But I still think you are struggling to concede to the facts here. Yes you can talk about freak results, poor teams, undeserving football or streaky runs but over a season these things tend to even out.

Dyche won 48 points on the pitch last season. At least 20% more than the previous two season under Lampard and Benitez.

The quality of football may or may not have declined under Dyche. But the results last season clearly did not. This is not really contestable as is written plain in the history books.

Evertonians deserve better than this. I hope our new owners do something about it very quickly.

It’s been pretty much the same for 5 years. New manager after new manager have proved my point repeatedly.

Dyche did brilliantly to keep us up last season but he can’t keep performing miracles with a poor squad of players and not enough money to buy decent quality.

No point blaming Dyche? Well, whose fault is it? We've won 3 games all season, failed to score in 11 of them, won 8 games since last December, and are absolutely abysmal to watch. Witness the Bournemouth fans chant yesterday, and how right were they!

I'd say categorically it's on Dyche. This is the worst I've seen since going the match since 1965. I actually go expecting us not to score – let alone win, that's how much he's lowered my expectations.

No manager will be able to come in and significantly improve a squad lacking in players with top quality natural ability, or players who may have had it in the past but are now past their best.

The players we have are clearly putting in a shift every week, they are playing for Dyche, but most of them are just not good enough technically to compete at the highest level.

This has been the template for Everton's season: they fair a bit better against a higher opposition defensive line. Statically, Everton do look good, but worsening set-piece stats and an increase in player errors has made them prone to defeat.

Teams have coped on to Dyche's team of scorers approach where play will always be in front of their defence. This will require focus and dealing effectively with breaking balls, which is bread and butter to a Premier League defender, especially when he doesn't have to worry about defending on the turn, through balls, or Everton players running beyond them or overlapping. It is easy to spoil the play of Everton forwards as a result, especially when their confidence has been battered anyway.

We were awful and set up to defend against a team we tore to pieces for around 80 minutes earlier in the season. Perhaps Dyche sees yesterday as progress having only conceded 1 as opposed to 3 in the home game? In both games, his tactics have cost us.

Like many, I am very grateful for him keeping us up but we have gone backwards despite bringing in players.

We are Everton not (and with all due respect) fucking Burnley or Bournemouth or Brentford or whoever… Everton! We expect more and the support deserves more.

He needs to go, enough is enough. 8 blanks in 10 games is some record.

Dyche out — and No, we didn't chant it yesterday.

I appreciate there will be differing views and that is fine, each to their own, but increasingly at the match and with my family and friends, the tide has turned, in my opinion, and many I speak to, want TFG to have the taxi ready tomorrow morning.

My poor suffering son was fuming after watching that yesterday. My season ticket holding nephew was following his father, my brother-in law (a Kopite) around the room, saying he wants Dyche out. The momentum seems to be growing.

Onto yesterday: Once again, we were subject to totally negative tactics. Most of the team spent a lot of the match closer to our 18-yard box than Bournemouth's. Our strikers isolated. Again.

No shots on target, we've only scored one goal in open play in 10 games. We seem obsessed with playing it back to pump it forward to said isolated strikers. That's down to tactics from the bench, not the players.

I can take a defeat and Bournemouth are a good team, 3 points off a European place. What I can't accept are those types of performance, and we've been watching too many of them most of the season.

We've got a fantastic new stadium, a change of ownership. There is one piece missing and if that doesn't happen soon I dread what may happen. We cannot carry on playing like this in the hope there will be 3 worse teams than us.

Briefly on the match, Branthwaite did well. Armstrong showed some glimpses when he came on. Ndiaye was his usual industrious self, and Pickford kept us in it. I feel a bit of a fraud nominating an Everton player of the match for that, but it has to be Pickford, who didn't look best pleased as he walked off at the end.

The club should refund those supporters at least their travel costs to watch that in the freezing cold.

Ever the optimist, it's difficult even for me right now. But, we have an FA Cup fixture next week and then Aston Villa home. I have tickets for both, so will make the trek from London and live in hope we will turn this around, because something needs to happen soon.

Come on, Everton, you are better players than those tactics are making you look. Express yourselves and make us smile again.

But realistically, without a Premier League quality coaching staff, it's all hypothetical dreaming.

Only one place to start with this predicament: clear out the coaching staff — and don't delay another day.

Someone has already mentioned that our full-backs are too old or their lack of attacking abilities really restrains us from playing a better attacking game.

So I think where we are now is not really Dyche's fault. But I'm not against the idea of bringing in an interim manager to get a bounce. But who will come?

But for the last 10 to 15 minutes, we sat back defending on our 6-yard line and paid the price. We now play every game with 10 of our players within 30 yards of our box for 95% of the game.

Even with these players, we need to push our back four up to the halfway line to allow our midfield and attackers to press higher up the pitch. Currently only Gana presses. Doucouré pretends to press and on the odd occasion he wins the ball he immediately gives it back to the opposition.

If we played higher up the pitch, the gaps between defence midfield and attack would be much smaller meaning you wouldn't need a so-called box-to-box midfielder like Doucouré.

We have no outlet with the way we defend on the edge of our box. How many times is the ball just lumped to safety and straight back to the opposition?

Firstly, I’m no great fan of his, but Patterson in for Young would give us the ability to overlap down the right wing. Doucoure needs to be dropped. Perhaps start with NDiaye, McNeil and Lindstrom up front?

What else can be tweaked to make the attack more potent? I’m at a loss to see where goals are coming from in what is possibly the least threatening attack I’ve seen at Goodison in 64 years watching. Dyche has lost the plot but it’s not as though this lack of goal threat couldn’t have been foreseen at the start of the season.

Not out of it just yet, but an uplift in form with the same players as his predecessor.

This fella cannot keep this team up. The stats are saying he's done. We can't stay up just hoping to get a clean sheet or a set piece from Dwight Mcneil. It's suicide.

All that Dyche offers, is less games to get the points required.

I look at our remaining fixture list and honestly cannot see single game where I would be optimistic of picking up a win. Leics at a push but otherwise a few draws at best. A very poor Southampton side have already beaten us twice yet are the only team scoring less than us, Wolves have been reborn under Pereira, Ipswich have already beaten Chelsea and Spurs and don’t understand they are punching above their weight.

DCLs return is atrocious yet given how isolated he is, any incoming striker would struggle to score. Anyway, who would we bring in? I wouldn’t trust Thelwell to do my Asda shop. With very limited funds he has wasted £25m on Beto and now likely to depart in the Jan sales, £12m on Maupay and brings in Broja knowing his injury record and that he would be out till Xmas. Not content with those, he blows £20m on O’Brien, a useless defender destined to be given away. Granted, Ndiaye is brilliant yet as a non dart player, I bet I could hit a moonshot 60 every now and then. Thelwell had to go now before he squanders any more of our limited funds.

The next two weeks are critical to Everton’s future. A window for change. Sod the FA cup, give the youngsters a run out. We can’t afford any more injuries to an already threadbare squad. A win would lift morale? Whoopee, we’ve beaten a 3rd tier team at home. Anyway, with 41 goals to their name already, they will probably have to much in the bank for us.

Changing a manager always carries risk. Sometimes it works out. Wolves have benefitted from the ‘bounce’ and on current form should soon be fairly safe. Sometimes it backfires as Leics, Soton and Utd are finding out. Nevertheless, I would sooner see us relegated playing for unlikely wins rather than the current ‘backs to the wall’ approach, regardless of the opposition. We need at least 5 more wins and Dyche is incapable of delivering those.

Forget the Director of Football role for now. Bring in an experienced coach who is familiar with the Premiership and its demands. Potter would be my choice though it would have to be an attractive package to entice him. He has had enough time out to have compiled a wish-list of players. Under Dyche, we would be lucky to pick up more than a point in the remaining Jan fixtures. The first of Feb and we welcome Leics to Goodison in the first of several ‘must win’ fixtures. We CAN still stay up but only with a drastic makeover and a totally fresh approach on the field.

The fans should be on free travel, imo, such is their unbelievable commitment they show to the team, especially the ones who travel absolutely anywhere to watch what can only be described as pure unadulterated shite.

I have spoken to someone who has been inside Everton for years and he said this is what happens when you sign championship players. I get his meaning but four of our five defenders yesterday have got England caps, and the other is a Ukrainian international. (Something is badly wrong with this kid)

Yes, he's shit.

If you're 24, the standard you're at is about as good as it's going to get. Yes players allegedly reach their peak around 28, but there are zero signs of Lindstrom improving. He's just not very good, but he fits in perfectly with the other 10 players who are also not very good.

Also, the best players are the best because they're consistent - we have nobody with any consistency bar Pickford.

I would hope that any buys over this window are for players who walk straight into the team. Although a Coleman replacement is desirable, two more strikers are essential. Beto is not up to the job and is likely heading to Italy anyway. Whether he wants to stay or go we simply cannot sell DCL in this window. We have to assume that at some point he will phone in sick anyway which would only leave a fragile Chermiti up front. Great as clean sheets are, they won’t keep us up. We have to start scoring and playing with a solitary striker and no support will not bring wins. Very few, an aging Vardy aside, can play that role successfully.

Lee 224, I admit I’m getting desperate mentioning Lindstrom but it’s him or Harrison. What other “forwards” do we have? Persist with DCL? I’m assuming Broja is injured again? Beto? Impact player at best.

The emergency is in the middle of the park. Every phase of play needs decent midfielders to either be providing options, finding passes, closing space, or winning the ball back.

A season of Doucoure, Gana and Mangala would have any club fighting relegation.

Watched the Bournemouth first half yesterday and you could hear their fans signing “how do you watch this every week” and even Lineker at the end of MOTD said “I love Everton I really do but boy are they a hard watch this season”

We have to make changes now. Come on TFG, get rid of Dyche and give us all some hope

You also need at least one top class creative midfielder. We don’t have one.

You also need a top class striker capable of putting away a high proportion of chances created by others, plus with the ability to occasionally create a goal for themselves out of nothing. We don’t have one.

All the teams in the top half of the EPL can claim to have most of those bases covered. They can play a different style of football.

We’ve been through the sacking of multiple managers, it doesn’t work when the squad isn’t up to scratch. Dyche is trying to play a pragmatic game with the sole objective of maximising the chances of a point from each game and maybe nick a win. That’s all any manager could do with the state of our squad.

Get Thomas Frank, McKenna at Ipswich, Carrick at Middlesbrough, the managers at Sunderland and at Sheff Weds are doing great jobs. We missed the opportunity on the West Brom guy who has gone to Valencia.

There are plenty of options out there who would play much more progressive football than the turgid stuff we are watching right now.

Other candidates like McKenna and Frank won't move mid-season - but will be looking most closely at the situation at Spurs in any case, where Postecoglou looks likely to be sacked at the end of a disappointing season.

We can definitely get a new manager in, but it isn't straightforward by any stretch.

So, no, I don't think this the worst performing squad of all time at Everton - as someone suggested earlier - it is simply the worst squad.

Which is hardly surprising considering how little it cost, and that the few good players we have had recently have been sold to meet PSR requirements.

Again yesterday, Pickford kept us in the game until the very end, if the other 10 players put as much effort in over the course of three seasons, we would not be in the mess we are in, and that includes before Dyche came.

People either like him or have faults with him, he will never be Neville Southall, but he is certainly one of the best we have had since the big guy.

People might think there are keepers out there that can come and catch a ball, but they will never be in the same class as Pickfords reactions and shot stopper.

Not often Pickford gets praise, even when pulling on the England jersey and at times he has the odd Pickford moment, but we are so lucky to have him between the sticks, he is the one player we cannot afford to get injured this season.

Well done Jordan.

Everton now offer a new manager a chance to build a team, with (hopefully) solid financial backing and a pretty low bar to improve from. Re-awakening a sleeping giant will hold appeal to a number of managers with romantic dispositions.

I reckon we should be able to attract some decent managers, presuming we are still in the PL.

1 Some believe it's the players who are shit. This argument doesn't hold water when you think we are operating much poorer than last season when he lost 2 players who didn't make his first eleven and has brought in 6 players 2 of whom are now constantly in his first eleven. By his own actions we are better than last season. He has also fleetingly used 3 of the 4 other additions with only O'Brien not helping his squad.

2 Some believe he has to play this way due to his poor players. I believe this to be total bullshit but this can only be proven if a more proactive manager is appointed. Every one of his attacking players has better statistics when not playing for Sean Dyche. It was the same with Iwobi.However I would ask those to have a look at Dyche's approach yesterday who feel he can only work with what he has got. These tactical mistakes in doing what he is supposed to do best are a constant theme throughout this season.

When Lindstrom was taken off I wasn't sure if he was injured because I thought he was lively in that first half but I could see Kirkez with his energy was their most potent threat. When Patterson came on I thought yeah that makes sense. Patto will get forward and provide crosses and force Kirkez to defend and has the athleticism to cope with full backs drive. They could cancel each other out while Young is quite solid if unspectacular at the back.

Unbelievably Dyche puts on Young wide midfield and Patterson right back. Now you have a defender whose job is solely to defend which is Patterson's weakness and a midfielder who can't run and offers very little going the other way. Kirkez run riot as Young couldn't live with him while Patterson made a number of errors. with his decision making.

The goal came from both their weaknesses and was solely down to a ridiculous decision by the manager. He argued we got stronger 2nd half due to him when in reality we lost the game because of him. All second half it was clear his decision would have inevitable consequences and so it proved yet he sat on his hands as it unfolded.

3 Some posters defending Dyche now are having a pop at his predecessors which I find strange. I think we all agree that both were ridiculous appointments for different reasons. Lampard had 14 points after 13 games. He then went on a run of picking up a point from his next 7 games. He was eventually sacked with 15 points from 20 games. I don't think I saw one Evertonian defending him since the Brighton game, everyone wanted him out and thought they had acted too late. We have 2 points more with 1 game less now, that being Liverpool, and what would have been a worse points per game tally had Lampard been sacked when he should. He is operating in the same ballpark as arguably our worst ever manager so that should sound the fire alarm.

What is the argument for keeping him? Is it because there are 3 poorer teams than us? Do we have to fall below Ipswich before posters believe he needs to go? Or is the argument we have shit players, nobody can do better so if we get relegated so be it? Just placid acceptance of our fate?

Gordon, Richarlison, Robinson, Iwobi, Dobbin, Deulofeu, Digne, Gbamin, Gibson, Simms, Allan, Small, Mina… oh and James Rodriguez.

All in the last few years too.

Brian @235. There were some eye-watering comments. "If we'd have won a few matches, it would be considered a good run".

Maybe, but we didnt"!!!

Well said other Brian @245.

I was surprised not to see O'Brien feature and what has Dixon done, not to at least get on the pitch? He gives us that much need commodity, pace to burn.

As for Doucoure, someone needs to check his boots are on the right feet and remind him we playing blue.

As for some of the managerial suggestions, I tend not to speculate. Terzic and Thomas Frank would be summer appointments. They won't touch us right now.

Moyes and Potter feel lazy British media reporting. As I've said previously, Potter somehow reminds me of Mike Walker.

I don't know about McKenna, but he could feasibly get Ipswich relegated. We've been there. Martinez, Dyche was sacked when Burnley were in the drop zone.

Let's see, but I'm in the change camp.

Firstly, overlapping full-backs. In total agreement; we need them as it's now a major part of the modern game attack-wise.

Problem: Dyche is on record stating he doesn't like attacking full-backs — in his eyes, backs are there to defend.

I'll give him some leeway, most attacking backs leave a lot to be desired defensively, but then you set the team up to cover the deficiencies. Think, Baines, Coleman, McCarthy and Barry.

Secondly, lot's of posts about how poor Lindstrøm and Harrison are. Now they may well be right and the two of them may be piss-poor players, but I'd counter that by saying I'd like to see them given a run in their favoured positions before making the judgement.

From what I saw of Harrison, he looked a decent-ish left winger or wide player, whereas Lindstrøm was on the top clubs' radar as an attacking creative No10 at Eintracht (ironically, a position we're horribly short of).

So I'll reserve judgment on both of them until I've seen them given a run in their favoured position. And can Lindstrøm be any worse than Doucouré?

Hear, hear, Brian!

Why is it even up for debate?

Dyche out now before it’s too late.

Abraham in!

After all it's something we do through choice, nobody is breaking our arms behind our backs making us go on them. Maybe once a year though, on these long-distance coach journeys would be nice.

Yesterday's coach journey down was fine. We got outside the Vitality Stadium at 12:25, which must be a record. We set off at 7 am and even had a 45-minute stop.

However, coming home was the complete opposite. It's not the quickest ground to get away from, and to compound things, there was a major accident on the road leading upto the M27, which slowed us right down to a crawl for the best part of 45-60 minutes.

There was also poor weather conditions on the way back, meaning we didn't get back to the Rocket until just before 23:00. Being stuck on the coach for 6 hours is not exactly the comfiest of things!

McNeil, Garner and Iroegbunam will be a huge addition, but Dyche will still stick to his dour game plan. It's time to cut ties now.

I always wonder why it takes us being a goal down with 5 minutes left to start playing urgently and getting it forward but Mangala plays that way for the full 90 minutes and I love it….

Our team could indeed play attacking football and pick up more points. Mykolenko is maybe a weak point but he gets forward quite a bit and his 1-on-1 defending is good to be fair, and we've got one of the best goalies in the world!

Let's have a fucking go at teams!! It's 100% down to tactics, our team is decent on paper and we have 10 or 11 internationals on the pitch any given day.

I don't think Dyche is the answer anymore.

I have been saying the same about Harrison not being played in his favoured left side. I totally get it when McNeil is in the team, you play McNeil on the left, but these last few weeks were a chance to play Harrison on the left.

He played on the left for Leeds and scored 24 goals and a number of assists from that side. I just cannot understand with McNeil out, why Dyche has not tried Harrison over on the left side of the pitch.

They know their limitations, they have to soak up some pressure but they collectively play further up the pitch. They commit some players forward, they get men into the opposition box.
They're learning, they have a manager that adapts.

They're better to watch than us. As things stand, they look better equipped than us, but they don't have better players.

Dyche's negativity is sucking the life out of us. Players have no confidence, no belief. It has to end. I don't believe a new manager could offer less… whoever that may be.

Harrison is simply not up to it while his replacement Lindstrøm is more of a centre-midfield player which can be seen by the way he tends to drift inside, very rarely getting a cross in.

On the left, Ndiaye also is just not a winger. I have watched him closely the last few weeks and have seen that he never gets a cross in. I have not seen one cross from him in about the last 8 games. He prefers to dribble and cut inside.

Players have zero energy, no ideas and no drive... ie, no pride in the jersey. That is an embarrassment for the players and management as well as us fans. They need to sit down together and start screaming at each other, listen to real fans as well as ex-players who love this club...

As it is, things are as depressing as a dark November afternoon. How in the name of the big fella upstairs is it possible to have zero shots on goal in 90 minutes?

It's always felt like chewing gum to be a toffee (pulled and dragged, blown up and burst, stretched and never ending...) – but this team really takes the biscuit. Even if my abilities are limited and things are not going my way – how are you ever going to get any success if you don't even make an effort? How difficult is it to give 100% on such wages?

I know money is not everything but bloody hell – it at the very least means that you have a job to do. Not even trying is a kick in the face of all supporters.

On Friday night, I took a few teenagers home from an indoor tournament in which they came last... I asked them if they were disappointed to lose to which I was told... "No." Reminded me of the toffees. Carefree. Makes me speechless that.

Interesting that you decided "Players have zero energy, no ideas and no drive... ie, no pride in the jersey. That is an embarrassment."

I have to say it doesn't really jive with what I saw of the players and the effort they put in yesterday. Yes, the tactics are shit, but the players – well, except Calvert-Lewin – do seem to me to be running their bollocks off. They're just not very good as a team... with the ball... (not) going forward… as we all know only too well.

I don't like modern analytical stats too much but I wonder what a comparison would show for the last 5 games? Were the first three the only ones where the team played with effort and commitment?

My perception, watching all 5 games, was that it had been another solid defensive defence with Pickford once again outstanding, but for an excellent strike from Brooks. For me, that was the only difference. That defensive resilience and Pickford's brilliance had seen us secure three draws against top teams which were well-received by most fans.

But I really think for others on here a lot is down to the perceived reputation of the team we are playing, and the actual result is judged only in comparison to the 'expected' result based on the opponent's reputation (and not necessarily even their current form).

For me, each game is winnable, each gane we have to defend, each game is judged on the merits of the performance, as well as the result.

Pretty much — and a couple of new faces wouldn't hurt.

This twat has to go!! What's the fucking delay!! … we would be sinking like a stone with any other goalkeeper. He's the best in the Premier League and is single-handedly (no pun intended) keeping us out of the Bottom 3.

It's not Dyche!!! Jordan is keeping us afloat by his fucking self and the streets will never ever forget. Ever!… If we stay up this season, then Jordan is an all-time club fucking legend akin to Seamus…

I dog him heavy for not coming for crosses and talk shit sometimes, but the streets will absolutely never forget this season if we stay up. He's a Goodison Giant.

Leaves us with Calvert-Lewin our only fully fit centre-forward available. Let's hope we have a couple lined up.

Perhaps there's an option to recall Maupay!

That is the worst midfield at the club for decades.

Eternally grateful for keeping us up the last two seasons but I think his race is run. If it wasn't for Pickford, we would be bottom. Ipswich and Wolves have goals in them, we don't.

Additionally, last season, the Bottom 3 were abysmal; this season, besides Southampton, they aren't.

Three wins in nineteen games is not acceptable. The style of football is turgid, 15 goals to date, again not acceptable. His time has come.

I don't see how you can make that statement unless you think all of them have had the same chance to showcase their abilities.

Plenty of posters (including me) don't think that the manager has operated an equal opportunities policy.

We need more creative tactics that target on opponent's weaknesses.

I'll tell you that for large parts of that season we were trash in an unusually poor league. Devoid of confidence and goals. Then we had a little run of wins at the end against some poor teams (one incredible performance out of the blue against Liverpool excepted) and Dyche has suddenly improved this team?

We were actually really poor in those games too and got some significant slices of luck to claim 4 narrow wins. Brentford, Forest and Burnley outplayed us only for a combination of bad misses, dreadful refereeing, and a ball booted straight into Calvert-Lewin to give us 9 points. Then we scraped home against one of the worst teams the league has seen.

Since Dyche came in he abandoned attack. His attacking midfielders have largely been Gueye (remember all that xG with him?) and Doucoure. Two players selected in that role primarily for their defensive qualities.

Every message he's sent has screamed defence. Gray was frozen out well before the fall out. You can't get an attacking full back near the team. And Doucoure got a new contract and seemingly almost guaranteed selection.

We are getting worse, and have been since he came in. A few wins across a mad few weeks don't change that at all. All that did was buy him time that he didn't deserve.

And here we are. We've added to the team and yet we're worse again. The emphasis on defence is producing exactly what anyone could have predicted - a team that can't create anything.

I know we blame our forwards, but it doesn't seem to matter who that is they always look shit: Broja, Beto and Calvert-Lewin put in an effort but are chasing balls they only have a 40/60 chance of winning.

The odd times they win balls, they look up and have zero support. So they take shots they have very little chance of scoring from, then people wonder why their confidence gets shattered.

Teams play us knowing at worst they will get a draw, but they don't fear losing against Everton, which is why it's going to be another maybe till the end of the season.

The new owners I believe will not stick with Dyche, so remove him now, even if they appoint someone intern until the end of the season, it may save us. If not, we will have the best stadium in the Championship because, sooner or later, our luck will run out.

I think you will get your wish when the three injured midfield starters return.

It could easily be argued that whoever is playing on either flank is having to spend far too much time (under manager’s instruction) helping out the fullbacks to be a truly effective attacker.

Only one from Doucoure, Gana and Mangala with the current availability of options would surely leave us either light in the middle or missing a player from where they’d be needed. Name the team / fixture you would have played them in.

Really not sure what problem you have (for the most part) with Gana, Mangala or Ndiaye.

The strike is isolated because of the tactics. Although we occasionally come out, we spend a lot of time parked on or near the edge of our own box. Furthermore, when the manager through his subs on, I was struggling to see the shape of the team.

Forgive my ignorance, but I am unsure of your age. I'm 53 and the best midfield I watched was Reid and Bracewll, with Sheedy and Steven either side of them.

I have also seen some bad midfields. Howard Kendall Mk3 with the exception of Limpar. I personally didn't rate Barry Horne, despite him achieving cult statue with "that goal".

And then the 97-98 team that somehow stayed up on the last day.

Each to their own. We all see it different and come from different generations.

We have some decent players. They need convincing of that, organising and Dyche is not the manager to do that in my opinion.

Dyche won’t do that. He doesn’t trust Patterson to get back and sit alongside Young but he trusts Young to do that job.
He trusts Doucoure to play false 10, really to sit alongside Gueye/ Mangala. Rarely gets up alongside our striker.

He’s coached Ndyia and Lindstrøm to sit deep and cover fullbacks ( you never see them held up front getting one on one with a fullback). Mykolenko tucks in all the time, frequently leaving winger in space.

It’s all Dyche plan, stifle, frustrate, cover, crowd, bore. It works sometimes. It nearly did against Bournemouth.
But it’s bloody hopeless, soulless, confidence sapping football, and club destroying.
Some argue it’s what’s required to keep us up. I think it’s a recipe for taking us down.
It is draining the very soul of the club, making us a laughing stock. It will take a long time to recover from. If we are in the Championship then we may never recover.
There is an alternative, we’re not stuck with this.

Baines for Peterborough and a new manager for Villa? He will need funds for at least a couple of players. Thoughts?

It's still speculation at the moment. It could be that he sees out Peterborough and Villa.

Either way and whoever comes in, the objective doesn't change. Keep Everton in the top flight of English football.

The fans need a lift before the Villa game and keeping Dyche in position a moment longer doesnt help the club at all. Everybody has said for many months the worst football we have had to watch in a long time, even Lineker said on MOTD I love Everton but they are a hard watch. Expecting Dyche to turn results and performances around is way beyond his capabilities, I also think most of the players don't believe he can turn it around. Put him and us out of our misery.

Praying your best player keeps the score to nil while the other 10 hope to get a half-chance off a corner isn't what I'd call a gameplan.