Next Up: Everton vs Fulham

But if Moyes starts with the same line-up that he has stuck with, it will be an uphill battle!

No Beto, no Barry for me. False nine, anyone of the skilled forwards, including Dibling, I would have filling the role instead of playing hoof ball to a lone striker.

It's about time Moyes realised, time for a change. We now have the players to attack teams... just let them go, they are big lads, I'm sure they can work it out for themselves.

Two-one win for the Boys in Royal Blue.

Even so, we should and must win this one. We can... can't we? COYBs.

I know who I'd bet on to win the game then.

We always seem to do badly against teams with bad records. And if they've got a player that hasn't scored in 3 seasons?

It seems the better you play in the training sessions, it just gets you a place on the bench. If you go ahead, then it is just hold them out, not go for another goal; and to think we got rid of Sean Dyche for the same.

We have hired established managers for at least the past 10 seasons and, for some reason, most of them have not worked out. Isn't it about time we changed our attitude and, instead of safety, we go with a younger more progressive manager?

I know that there is more chance of Dan Friedkin showing up for a match, but could you consider it, if only for a minute? It would make significant numbers of blues cheery.

There might even be a buzz flashing round the ground like those annoying lights. It would get you some brownie points. There would be more smiles and Blues will bounce up the stairs rather than take escalators where available.

First XI: Jordan Pickford, James Garner, Michael Keane, Jake O'Brien, Vitalii Mykolenko, Merlin Röhl, Tim Iroegbunam, Tyler Dibbling, Jack Grealish, Carlos Alcaraz, Iliman Ndiaye

Subs: Mark Travers, James Tarkowski, Nathan Patterson, Adam Anzou, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, Idrissa Gueye, Dwight McNeil (Not to be used in any circumstances!), Thierno Barry, Braiden Graham.

There are enough options to leave them out and mix it up. No lone striker continually conceding possession, a more progressive approach.

He could mix things up in midfield and at right back too.
Try a more possession-based approach.

The chances of this happening… absolutely none.

It also sees the demise of many managers, we've seen it at this stage of the year with Sean Dyche, Marco Silva, Benitez and Lampard left in January after torrid winter spells.

We've got to beat Fulham -- it's as simple as that.

Another international break so no Everton game for 16 days, in which a return to one of our "no chance we win at that place" venues: Old Trafford.

December is a cruel looking month with a midweek trip to Bournemouth, tricky home games and Arsenal just before Christmas.

We then went on to hire some of the worst defensive-minded managers possible in Allardyce, Benitez, and the worst of all: Dyche... and now Moyes is carrying on the tradition!

We really have been served up some shite over the last few years. Personally, I would have stuck with Silva; we would never have gone down that season.

Let's hope Moyes shakes things up at the weekend and makes a few changes. I want him to stick with Barry but the midfield needs changing.

Let's see Dibling from the start, drop Gana cos he has been woeful, and let's have a look at Röhl. I'll go mad if it's the same 11 again! UTFT

I think one thing that sometimes gets overlooked is that there was a major overhaul of players last Summer, so it will take time to get the right balance and alternatives when the first plans don't work.

Also, we have moved into a new stadium, so that no doubt takes adjusting to for those players who were used to Goodison.

Up steps Everton . The gift that keeps giving!

At least they stop us throwing bricks at the television !

Throw one at Moyes, it may just knock some sense of balance into him !

Give him a day out.

Pickford
O’Brien Tarks Keane Myko
Garner KDH
Ndiaye Alcaraz Grealish
Barry.

David Moyes spoke very highly of him when he joined the club: ""He's got a terrific energy and work rate. That is required if you're going to come and play for Everton. He's also a good passer and a good player. Hopefully he'll make us better with the ball. His willingness to work hard fits in exactly with what we've got so far."

What Moyes didn't say was that he knew Davies was troubled by shin splints, and would need to be completely rested for a day after each game, thus missing the vital training sessions where they worked on synchronizing forward runs and making incisive passes.

Davies spent much of his first season battling through the pain barrier as a series of niggling injuries and negativity from certain sections of the crowd took their toll on his performances.

But he did score 1 goal for us that season, which I'm sure you remember, Dave?

Of the pre-season matches that neat summer, Moyes said, "Simon has been getting mentioned because he is doing well. That's great. He's giving me exactly the type of competition we need in the midfield areas," Moyes added. "He is technically gifted. He can play two or three roles for me." -- just none of them all that well, it would seem.

However, after being subbed in the season opener against Watford, Davies was rarely selected, and the frustration was getting to him as he continued to play full internationals for Wales, with the player himself suggesting he may have to leave Everton in January 2007.

Which is just what he did.

Seriously though you are correct he did suffer badly with injuries while with us and was never able to show the ability he certainly had elsewhere.

Don't get me wrong there have been some exceptions out there over the years because that player has simply been so good at his trade, Kanchelskis, Rooney, Lukaku to name a few but in the majority of the last 35 years we have stranged the life out of attacking players.

Clubs like Bournemouth sign players that if they came to us then you'd probably never even see them, but they seem to enhance and vastly improve careers.

We sign players and it does seem like it takes roughly three months to train the talent from players.

Glad he's finding his feet, and Preston with Harrison doing brilliantly.

I agree with that statement, but we had one of those that the fans were desperate to see the back of in Roberto Martinez, and to a lesser extent Marco Silva.

Roberto left with much stick, much of which was justified, but for whatever reason, looking back in hindsight now, I'd much prefer now to have given him the funds we spunked on Ronald Koeman.

Who knows what lies ahead for Moyes and for Everton this season, but there's no real clue with TFG because they have been very quiet in most of their time here; no real insight into what ambition they have, what direction they want Everton to head in.

Can I recall Messi and Ronaldo too? I'm sure they were our players at one time or another… :)

I think TFG’s ambitions will all revolve around this: they are here to make money.

Silva has at least gone on to restore his reputation as a decent coach but Bobby Brown Shoes has managed some of the greatest talent in the world and still won nothing.

Moyes may be an obstinate and frustrating SOB but he does have the best record of all our recent managers, including the young upcoming Frank Lampard.

I still think, with the addition of better quality players up front and defence, we will see major improvement both in form and performance.

I know it's difficult but a little more patience may be required. 😊

Not long after joining us, our new CEO outlined the path forward for Everton.

It was evolution rather than revolution and he talked of progressing up the league and the prospect of reaching a cup final with Champions League qualification an achievable but not immediate prospect some years down the line.

He also spoke in glowing terms about David Moyes.

Of course these may simply represent his own personal views but I suspect Kinnear and TFG are on the same page in this regard.

Martinez probably needed to go unless he brought in a defence specialist to his staff.

They are not fans.

And how do you know they are not fans? Just because they don't come to games? That means nothing. I was a Blue for nearly 30 years before I ever saw the team play in person.

There are two hit TV series on in the US right now -- one about the actors who bought Wrexham and the other about a talk-show couple who bought a lower-league club in Italy. None were all that interested in soccer, and none had ever heard of the clubs they bought until they started negotiating for them. It was for the fun. Of course they quickly became soul-deep supporters of the clubs and towns they bought into, and they live and breathe it now.

Naturally Dan Friedkin isn't going to buy a club unless he sees a business opportunity, but I guarantee you he has become a Roma fan over the past few years and is rapidly falling for Everton as well. This isn't a soulless business guy. He makes movies and buys wildlife reserves.

My basic point is just that he would have gotten a much better investment return from spending his half-billion Everton dollars on commercial real estate in Dubai or buying into an AI tech company. But a football club is way more exciting.

'Guarantee'! That means I'm 100% right. A strong word indeed!!

Can you please provide the evidence that Friedkin 'is rapidly falling for Everton'. Do you have a quote from the mouth of the man, for instance, along the lines of 'Boy, I'm rapidly falling for Everton'???

I'm okay with owners trying to make a business commercially successful, especially if they actually know how to do it (unlike the last muppet).

As for the wildlife reserve, Pablo Escobar had one as well.😉

Friedkin mustn't be watching the games, cos surely he can't be falling in love with that tripe!

He's still very popular in Medellin though.

Moyes: "Och no Pablo... when I said I was gonnae throw wee Barry under a bus... I did nay mean... "

Later, when he was in a luxury prison, he similarly hosted games there.

People are naive if they think clubs start looking in January; clubs ready have deals in place now, it's an ongoing business.

This squad of players has zero goals in it.

Moyes himself, obviously, is not ultra-attacking, I don't subscribe to the theory he's super cautious because we did develop a very attractive football team under him around 2006-09 with a better standard of players joining.

The gripe with Moyes was always the results against the Top 4, or nowadays the Top 6 as it is.

Already since returning in January we've had three matches against Liverpool, two against Man City, one against Chelsea, one against Arsenal, one against Man Utd (although hard to say they are a top club now still perceived as much) and won none.

It is time to give the likes of Röhl and Dibling a chance, move Garner to right back to offer support for Dibling, drop Tarkowski and move O'Brien to centre-back, let Röhl or even Iroegbunam fill Garner's spot in midfield...

Move Ndiaye in and leave Beto and Barry out, try a different formation.

You're having a Giraffe! :-)

The only attack Moyes has ever mustered was measles when he was 9 years old !

First XI: Jordan Pickford, James Garner, Michael Keane, Jake O'Brien, Vitalii Mykolenko, Merlin Röhl, Tim Iroegbunam, Tyler Dibling, Jack Grealish, Carlos Alcaraz, Iliman Ndiaye.

If only Moyes was you.😁

Now there are over 200 of 'em. It's an ecological catastrophe.

I'll ask you again: can you please provide evidence for your 'guarantee' that Friedkin 'is rapidly falling for Everton'? Do you have a quote from the mouth of the man, for instance, along the lines of 'Boy, I'm rapidly falling for Everton'???

Remember, this is your 'guarantee'.

This is a time, I really feel, for some rethinking and imagination. The international fortnight is ahead of us. Use Fulham to do something different and take the break to think through the ups and downs of any changes.

But we drew 1-1 on Monday and for Moyes that will be enough to change nothing.

As I said, there's more chance of Friedkin or that loudmouth NBA knobhead showing up for a match.

Back to business blues, play like the first 20 minutes for 90 and we are winning most games.

The Moyes game plan is always rigid, we shine when players find their own rhythm.

Play to our strengths, yes, but mix it up for God's sake, stop being so goddamn predictable.

Most weeks, the weakness comes to the fore and undermines our game, badly -- no variation is stagnation.

Use what you have better, Davey.

They are capable of much better.

Also, every manager we've had has gone through bad spells with fans demanding they were sacked. Howard Kendall was getting dog's abuse before he turned it around. Even Ancelotti served up some shite after Christmas.

Marco Silva's side played some decent stuff at times, I loved watching us when we had Bernard etc and we finished 8th. Okay, the next season wasn't the best but we had our usual over reaction to getting beat by the RS and so Silva was gone.

We weren't exactly marooned in the Bottom 3 when he was sacked so we should have just let him carry on... but no, we started employing dinosaurs and, lo and behold, we've watched some eye-gouging stuff since.

I'm also happy to see Frank Lampard doing a really good job at resurrecting his reputation at Coventry. They are scoring bags of goals and have been solid at the back. I was gutted it didn't work out for him here as he is a likeable fella and he was proud of being Everton manager.

Proper sliding doors moment when we let him go.

Why can't we be fucking optimistic for once and look forward to a game?

Up the fecking Toffees!

I can't wait!

We have 9 other out-field players in the team, most of them can't put the ball in the net either, at least not often enough.

The betting is 5/4 Everton, 9/4 Fulham, 9/4 the Draw approx.

The pressures right on and anything can happen.

The performance against Spurs was awful so anything like that tomorrow will bring out the boo boys for Moyes.

Everton let Iwobi go and he has been very consistent at Fulham and I think someone like him would really improve our midfield which is rather tame at times.

Only if he gave them some Coke before the match.

You have done this before and you need to be called out. There was zilch 'evidence' was there for your 'guarantee', just your own fawning narrative.

Message to ToffeeWeb: please take anything Mr Gaynes says about TFG with a big pinch of salt, unless, of course, he can back up what he types.

Why the fuck would anyone come on here with invented crap?

Scored twice today and Iwobi was anonymous.

Paul Griffiths, Mike Gaynes often goes AWOL when challenged.