Grealish finally shoots.... and Scores!!!

Hoping for a good reaction to Saturday's result. coyb

Jake will bring pace to the defence and allow us to push up while Garner will give us a bit of attacking threat and delivery.

This makes this game more interesting

Fifa is set to press ahead with plans to have VAR checks on the awarding of corner kicks at the 2026 World Cup despite domestic leagues rejecting the idea for the wider game.

At an October meeting of the International Football Association Board (Ifab) - which determines the laws of the game - there was agreement that VAR could be expanded to cover incorrectly shown second yellow cards that lead to a red.

But Fifa's proposal to review corners was rejected, meaning world football's governing body will need to effectively create a trial to use it in the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer.

The measures will be discussed further at the next Ifab meeting in January, but Fifa

has regularly applied trials to its competitions.

Semi-automated offside technology and referees announcing VAR decisions to the crowd are two examples, and it could use the same mechanism to start reviewing corners.

Pierluigi Collina, Fifa's head of referees, has been a supporter of the change as part of a wider review of VAR protocol.

Collina is open to going further, too, believing that any error that can quickly be identified by the VAR could potentially be communicated.

But like Dave I'm worried about the subs. One more injury in this team and we won't have a choice about bringing Armstrong back -- we'll have to.

Selling that defence of theirs is coming back to haunt them, yes we aren't nothing special but we are more than capable of beating them.

Sneaky little 1 goal win to the Toffs.

O'brien at centre half is a worry. I know he's barely played there for us, but the few times he has he's been shocking.

I can only see us getting a hiding tonight

Finally, I would have preferred Beto. I was all for giving Barry a run but he is not strong enough physically or mentally. He has more skill than Beto but way to fragile for PL

I surely hope not.

We shall find out early in this game if we come out half asleep again.

Back to the Premiership authorities who I think are sadly lacking with their instructions to the referees and VAR guys.

Any over the ball challenges especially on the instep or lower ankle should be a red card right away. It seems to be quite common for players to do this and a yellow card is too lenient.

Betancourt of Spurs did a bad one against Chelski and only got a yellow

Then a real warning in the final seconds. Ndiaye having a terrible time -- the ball is just not rolling for him. Grealish had a shot! But blocked at source.

We're cooking, boys!

What's Barry got to do to catch a break?

Onwards and upwards!

Great team effort.

Midfield looked a lot better, and Garner offered a threat at right-back.

3 points off Champions League. A very good win.

Enjoy your night Blues.

Better performance, the side is better with Alcaraz, just a bit more dynamic.

Looked better playing a bit deeper. Much improved performance from Iroegbunam.

Just brilliant to see after the disaster against Newcastle, roll on Saturday.

Safe journey home everyone.

So right mate, so many whiners on this thread before the bloody game had even started, and where are they now?

Three wins out of four and at Man Utd and Bournemouth, where in the past we have been lucky to win a throw-in!!

There are many strange results in the Premier League every season, just because a team has a bad one, it doesnt mean the team is poor.

We're in the top half and have a nucleus of a good side. Yes, we need full-back cover and a striker but we're in a different place from 12 months ago and we should be grateful.

A massive win after Saturday, solid performance with Garner, Dewsbury-Hall and O'Brien immense.

Big improvement from Tim, but another yellow has him banned for our next game.

Safe travels back from the depths, Blues!

Barry was very unlucky tonight, I thought. He's not as bullish or as strong as Beto but he is a much better football player.
Looking from the outside in, he seems like a real loner.

Question to anyone at the match: Did he even celebrate the goal tonight? I wonder what he is like on the training ground with his team mates.

I very much hope the goal is coming for him - Saturday would be good! COYB.

But the man who scored the winner will probably get MotM because of that goal yet he was one of Everton's poorest players tonight.

I said before the game that miracles happen sometimes and one happened tonight —- where did you think that shot was going before it hit the Bournemouth defender?

But they all count and I hope he plays as poor as he did tonight v Forest and scores another winner.

I think when we all saw that squad and subs bench before the game, we thought we'll be lucky to win tonight. I don't think we were lucky; we were probably the best of two poor teams and those 3 points are very, very welcome.

Wrap those players in cotton wool ‘til Saturday and for fuck's sake, keep them away from Finch Farm — that's where they are all getting injured!

Dewsbury-Hall was excellent as was O'Brien. Alcaraz can be hit and miss but he's always positive, always looking to shoot, which I like about him. He proved tonight he can play in the same midfield as Dewsbury-Hall.

Great win. We can all calm down again.

Tim much improved tonight, booking puts him out for Saturday. Going to have to be quite inventive in midfield.

Didn't hear any update on Keane, could do with him back to push Garner forward, though he did well at right-back.

Is it AI content to get us talking or not, or maybe to keep things going? It does just not read right and the comments appear very superficial.

Is it just me?

Judging by the negative comments early on in the thread, I think a few of the regulars are still knocking about. :)

All had good games but they got their spirit back tonight. Why are we always playing against 12 men?? Well done, Moyes and the boys!

Can he even get a toe poke or deflection against Forest, to get him off the mark?

Spurs and the Barcodes have both stuffed us at home -- but beneath us in the league.

What would we give for a Lukaku, Yakubu … even an Andy Johnson or Jelavic? Is Bob Latchford fit?

I've no idea what to expect at the weekend with Dyche's return. Hope he gets a good reception but leaves empty-handed.

COYB.

Whither Darren Hind? A man who could be counter-intuitive and intelligent and argue a case.

There used to be room for debate on here rather than “Iroegbunam is Shite” “Moyes Out” nonsense.

Credit to all of the players and the away fans who were brilliant spurring the players on and getting a great result away from home. Great team spirit got us over the line.

Watched in the pub with no sound so couldn't hear the away support, very happy for those who made the trip down south to see us win. Have a great trip home, you beautiful Blues. 💙

Jake O’Brien was easily Man of the Match, one of the best centre half performances I've seen in a long while from us and allowed us play in their half. Brilliant on the ball, composed, read everything, and just like Jarrad does, he made Tarkowski look like a different player.

What a game from Tim Iroegbunam in midfield. Absolutely delighted for him — the best I've seen him play. Ran all over an English international tonight.

A big shout out for Dewsbury-Hall, a player with so much talent but frustrates the life out of me at times. Tonight in the second half he constantly played forward, such a contrast from Saturday. Great energy levels, attitude and desire to go with his quality. He played with swagger tonight.

First game for a long time Pickford was redundant. Great to see. The balance of the team was so much better. First time we created proper chances in a while.

Finally I thought it funny that Moyes was desperate to take Charly off just before he played that lovely weighted pass for Jack. It certainly was our night.

well looking at it from behind it would have been on target and their keeper would have had to save it !

Yes, fair enough it was on target I thought but the ‘keeper was moving in the right direction ‘til God intervened!

With being on the site for a while and seeing regular conributers and now seemingly similarly expressed comments by unfamiliar names, something feels not quite right mate on that score. I know a little about AI generation.

Anyways, I will put the criticism in first. In a number of games this season — including tonight — the opposition just seem to break and move the ball faster and create more off their opportunities.

That said, 3 wins in 4, so it cannot just all be down to the defence. There is definte guile in the team — but man we are slow at times, the opposition gets behind the ball quicker than the breakways by Everton, meaning it takes attrition to break them down, but not the skill that could be possibly employed!

Not enough overlapping tonight on the wings!

What do I know? it was a win — and a good one.

We seem finally to be headed out of the ditch we've been in.

I thought Barry just looks clumsy and obviously has no confidence at all atm. He just needs to carry on and hopefully it will click for him. He has about 3 weeks to convince Moyes he is the answer in my opinion. But can't fault 3 wins in 4 really. We are heading in the right direction

I'm beginning to think KDH is the best signing since Peter Reid. He can be a catalyst.

The signs are there for a positive future. UTFT

Although Moyes did him tonight, I want Iraola in for next season.

Important now we get at least 2 or 3 more players through the door come January.

I hope the Moyesiah keeps using Charly, it gives us that lift we need. Now stuff Dyche and Forest at the weekend, COYBs.

Really good performance all round. Barry will get some goals. He's getting closer and closer to scoring.

Petty Iroegbunam took a 5th yellow card so can't play our next game. I thought he put in a good performance against Bournemouth.

We also need one of the 'various someone's at various clubs' who seem to have no difficulty in finding the sort of fast and effective players we think we require.

David Moyes drives me mad with his tactical rigidity, stubborness in selection and refusal to use his subs. But this from the BBC match report made me think.

“Since the Scottish boss's first away game back in charge of Everton in January, only Arsenal (30) have won more away Premier League points than Everton (27) and no side has won more away games in that time than the Toffees (8).”

He isn't the Moysiah or Dour Davie either, but he has done well with what he has. Right now, he is dealing with a barebones squad due to injures and suspensions so TFG need to back him in the January transfer window.

Dewsbury-Hall played well at No 8 because that it his preferred position, Alcaraz is the best option at No 10 (provided he presses) and it was right to put Tim right back in after his nightmare game.

As Conor said, the manager tends to stumble into to formation changes. Being forced to select Garner at right-back and moving O'Brien to centre half made a big difference to where we could set up the defensive line.

Welcome to Sean Dyche at the weekend. However much some of our supporters dislike him, he saved us when we were in maximum peril as a club so I hope he gets a good reception. Best wishes to him at Forest after we batter them.

Good post. One thing Moyes is good at is carving out the 1-0 win. I seem to recall in his first full season we won 6 in a row, most or all being 1-0 wins and that was the moment we realized the prior era of constant relegation battles was over.

Likewise agree on your point about Dyche. A very rigid guy like Moyes but I don't harbor him any ill will. It's kind of nice after missing out as a kid he's gone full circle and landed the top job at Forest.

Obviously I hope we thrash them but I don't harbor any ill will to the guy, unlike Rafa, Brands, Moshiri, Kenwright etc etc etc all probably wealthier than he is but completely inept and less hard working.

Thank God Keane isn't in the squad. I'm sick of watching him. Always out of position, always jogging back when he should be sprinting. He confuses the entire defence with his brainfarts. The odd clearance might look good on a highlights package, but the rest of the game he's absolute gash.

I can't remember when -- if ever -- I read such shite on this site. What an uneducated, gratuitous, snide piece of trashy doggerel.

Well done Andy (12)!. 'Sneaky little 1 goal win to the Toffs'

KDH

What Dyche and Moyes have in common are dull pedestrian pressers with tendencies to gaslight. That Bournemouth gaffer gives a good presser and while we're on it, the Palace gaffer will be available when the season is done.

We are now on 21 points, achieved on December 2. In the previous three seasons we reached 21:
2024: February 24
2023: February 18
2022: February 12

And some folks here want Moyes sacked.

I think he will wait the season out and see what's available. I don't think we would be high on his wish list.

To be fair that is an excellent record.

Despite lacking a goal threat and any sort of counter attacking pace, to operate at that level is showing the club is moving forward. Away performances are tough in the Premier League, and for too long Everton have died on the road.

Those that continually knock him need to balance it a bit. Good performance, played football, and 3 points. I am sure Michael K will agree.

But I do see a scenario where we might be able to persuade him that we might match his ambition along with the usual nutty salary. The next two windows will be crucial and guaranteeing transfer funds will be critical because, unlike Palace, we simply do not have a track record of buying/nurturing talent and selling on for a big profit.

Totally disappointed after the weekend.

Totally ecstatic after last night.

Get the tactics right and these players will perform. It’s as simple as that.

Rest were outstanding.

On a very positive note it is just turned December and we are half way to safety. Onward and Upwards.

Bournemouth don't look as free flowing as usual.

I can't complain about effort, they all put a shift in. Barry is improving but still terrible in front of goal. He is a Carl Leaburn type, holds the ball up ok but offers little goal threat.

Good to see Tim have a steady game in centre mid.

No idea what's wrong with Keane? If he can't make Saturday then Patterson might get a game...oh dear.

on that display but we looked pretty solid. An impressive reaction after last week’s

shocker.

I said it on the forum, by the way: 52 points from 35 games, with this Everton team, and this pair of strikers, is actually a hell of an achievement for David Moyes. Other than the Spurs and Newcastle games, there have been no real disasters, and the points return has to be considered a success given the squad.

David Moyes isn't the future. But he is the right now, and after YEARS of utter shit, midtable is more than acceptable in the short term.

The var situation is becoming even more farcical. O'Brien is pushed when going for a header, the ball hits his elbow next thing the game is stopped for var.

Spurs Newcastle game another awful var decision. At some point people will start turning their TVs off. I love watching football at all levels but var is killing it at the top level.

The same refs in the championship let tackles go that they give straight reds for in the prem. Madness

1. KDH

2. O'Brien

3. Garner

But all round the team looked good.

Last nights performance is what should have happened on Saturday.

People, myself included, need to realise that that early goal completely wrecked our game plan. I really believe that if we'd kept that out we would've at least drawn against Newcastle.

I know if my aunty had balls etc but sometimes shit just happens.

We have the makings of a very good team - just missing several decent squad additions plus a goal scorer, well, durrrr!

I actually enjoyed watching our football last night and I was even strangely confident that they wouldn't snatch the draw at the end.

I'm worried about N'diaye though - he looked distracted.

I have to admit I didn't fancy us against Bournemouth but they proved me wrong again.

As Mark just said that early goal against Newcastle blew up our match plan, apart from the Spurs and the Newcastle game our defence even when disrupted by injuries has proved suprisingly very good.

We do have a problem defending high corner kicks into our box though.

Anyway onward and upwards, considering we are all over the place with injuries and daft suspensions we seem like we are getting the old 'backs to the wal'l mentality that we had in the 70s.

I think if you know my posting, I am very rarely with the majority on anything, I call it as I see it.

Jake O'Brien was different class last night and did so all game on the left-hand side which would have been more difficult for him. Go back and look at that game again because it was just like having Jarrad back, a Rolls-Royce performance.

If you think he was inferior to Tarkowski last night, I would worry for Jake as he must sound like Jack and hope that I don't have to listen to your boring vendetta with him on every thread.

Yes, Tarkkowski had a very good game but he did so playing in quite a high line -- something which is a bit of a rarity. Have you noticed that he wasn't camped in front of Jordan Pickford, which has been problematic for us all season and caused us numerous goals.

If anyone had given the Man of the Match to O'Brien, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall or Iroegbunam, I wouldn't argue. I think how well Tim Iroegbunam has done has gone under the radar as, first half, he was left exposed at times and had to do the job of two men. That will have gone unnoticed.

Second half, Dewsbury-Hall was the outstanding player on the pitch while Garner kept Semenyo pretty quiet and offered a threat all night.

Many will argue that VAR gets too much airtime. For me, especially in its current usage, it isn't getting enough. In some games, VAR undoubtedly re-referees games. It wasn't brought in to referee, it was brought in to assist in specific circumstances.

Some of those specific circumstances have become farcical and totally inconsistent. Particularly handball in the box, and red card fouls. You'd hope automatic technology could get offsides right but they've chosen to screw that up with totally inconsistent calls on interfering and not interfering.

Somebody needs to hold PGMOL (or whoever controls it) to account. To highlight the inconsistencies, to show how farcical they've made things and to demand they do better. If you listen to Howard Webb they think they're doing a good job and want to extend the interference. Ruining the game.

Rant over. Apologies.

We know it's all about the viewing figures and not the sport or fans.

Wolves the only club to table a motion to remove VAR and not one club backed it up is 2 fingers up to the sport and fans.

It's legalised cheating.

If my constant criticism of Jack gets to you it's because I also call it as I see it and I haven't seen Grealish have an outstanding game since he got here but I won't be saying it too much in the future because more and more fans are seeing the same Jack as me and posting it.

About those problem goals don't you think Pickford had quite a bit to do with them as well along with the other constant mistake he makes with crosses coming into his six yard area and the constant ranting and raving throughout the game but keeps his mouth shut when he should be letting the defence know when it's “his ball”. He's a great shot stopper but has plenty of faults as well.

Some, and I include myself sometimes, perhaps reluctant to swallow the dose of humble pie from the previous game's grumbles. There's nothing wrong with calling it out both ways as the performances dictate. I note Evertonia had 30 comments on the back of its match report.

It doesn't help that there's often a plethora of articles post match which dilutes comments and loses the post-match moment. These should be spread more I think.

Last comment, as a few others have mentioned, another shout out to the superb travelling Everton fans down at Bournemouth. Completely dominated the airwaves and gave fantastic support on a horribly long trip.

They are getting some well earned reward on their travels these days, wasn't that long ago travelling Blues used to reminisce about Everton's last away win.

With 21 points at this stage of the season, it ain't brilliant, but it ain't half bad either. The times they are a changing… gradually.

Everton had played 18 games and would have been on 26 points by Christmas 2023. Hopefully we can get a couple of wins in our next three games before Christmas so Moyes can better that return of Dyche, and with a game to spare.

I don't believe we have had a relegation standard squad for a few seasons now, although things weren't looking good last season until Dyche allegedly told TFG he'd had enough.

It's why I don't want this stability word to stay hanging around for too long because it reminds me of the times when people used to utter "Be careful what you wish for".

I hope Paul Hewitt is correct and The Friedkins want to take us to places we haven't been for years. Coming from someone who doesn't want to see our manager sacked, my opinion is that, if he can change his spots and learn to manage a squad (properly), rather than just a team, then hopefully he will bring us some silverware.

Didn't remove his shirt, never made any hand gestures etc. Is it just because he plays for us?

I noticed the first real foul we commited ended up in a booking, yet they had numerous prior to their first booking. #Paranoid.

85 posts on a thread is quite excellent these days.

Erm, point deductions?

The lengths that some people will go to to warp/bend things.

You bring up a good point and I was thinking about that last night with regard to Moyes's record v Dyche in their respective "first" seasons.

The Dyche stat you mentioned is a bit skewed because at this stage we had 17 points after the same number of games to the very day in fact: 2 December. But the win that day ironically against Dyche's current club started a run of 4 consecutive wins. Then though we had that horrendous run of 13 games without a win before another good run including victory over the RS where we won 5 of 7.

But as we know, it's a marathon, not a sprint, which is why Arsenal never win the league despite leading the way until Christmas every year. So whether we win one in every 3 or have 5 or 6 game consecutive winning runs, what ultimately matters is where we are at the end of the season.

In Dyche's case we earned 50 points but were docked 10 so ended on 40. Right now we are on course for 57, but prior to last night we were on course for 52. Lose the next game and we are on course for 53, win it and we are on course for 60.

But obviously, projections don't mean anything as it is all about the results and we are about to have a tough run of games followed by the Afcon. So it will be interesting to see where we end up versus Dyche.

I would argue Dyche had a a similiar defence. The only difference being we had a 38-year-old converted left-winger as fill-in right-back as opposed to a centre-back or centre-mid. Dyche did have Calvert-Lewin whose meagre 7 goals in 38 games looks a lot better than we have had so far this season.

But I would say Moyes has a better midfield. Onana, Doucoure and Gomes have been switched out for Ndiaye, Grealish, and Dewsbury-Hall. Plus we have Iroegbunam and Röhl (if fit) in place of Dele Alli (never played) and Onyango (hardly played). So Moyes in my view should do better than Dyche did with what he has.

I'm honestly not that bothered in comparing but we live in a world where this is what people are constantly trying to do these days. I just moved the goalposts a little bit to explain that a man who not many Evertonians seemed to like did an equal job to a manager who is now getting lauded.

I'm intrigued to see how Dyche does at Forest, to see if he's good enough to be taken out of the box that he alleged he had been put in because of his style during his previous jobs. I'm also intrigued to see if David Moyes can also change the box that I believe a lot of old school Evertonians currently place our manager in.

Moyes has done a very good job since he returned, but I also thought Dyche had done a very good job in possibly the worst period in the history of Everton Football Club. Although he had to go when he did, I will always be grateful for the job he did when he first arrived into a club whose soul had been stolen.

I'm going to be very disappointed in Sean Dyche, if he can't get the squad of players he's got at Forest, playing football that is easy on the eye.

We appealed and got it reduced.

Forest got a goal chalked off after a 5-minute review. Technically correct but another one of those very subjective decisions, simply because of the keeper's footwork, which told me he had guessed wrong and would have never saved the header anyway.

Fair enough... but then we got another additional 2-point deduction as well, bringing it back up to 8.

Tim Iroegbunam justified my belief in him, because he made me question his abilities against Newcastle...

Only turned 22 this summer, and yet still can play fairly good in the Premier League, I hope he gets better. Because I suppose if I use Tom Davies as an example, he didn't get better than what was expected.

Now sort the midfield out against Nottingham Forest. No Gana, no Iroegbunam.

Charly Alcaraz (Everton) was shown the yellow card for excessive celebration. I didn't see anything untoward but there's no protesting a yellow card.

(gist)The Referee controls the game, assisted by blah blah blah all the usual suspects and the video assistant Referee / VAR
Not the other way around - the clue's in the name Assistant!

Sky funds/pays The PL, The PL funds/pays PGMOL. PGMOL funds/'pays' The Referee and presumably VAR.

Follow the money, so they say. While we the fans, pay the price.