Everton’s promising season is starting to unravel

An all round embarrassment. The Friedkin Group, who is accountable?

And who is accountable for the woeful recruitment since you took charge?

So, given that, what's the point of this thread?

If you want the better deal, it seems you have to sell part of your soul.

The respective strips weren't the only thing that made me wonder which team was playing at home.

If you are bringing out a one-off Cup kit, at least make it blue and maybe it would have worked if it had been old school 1966 retro look with the old badge.

But throwing some dark blue (black upon my first impression and still is) and frigging pink monstrosity... you really wonder what goes on in their heads.

We have a massive problem playing without a proper No 9, the elephant in the room is that neither striker is good enough to find the net on a regular basis.

Even getting Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye back won't fix the problem; we need to sign a striker this month.

We changed our strip that day.

Some random bloke lifted me above his head when Alan Ball scored! I was 12!!!

The difference between us and Sunderland, Brentford and Wolves (2nd half) was speed of play. Our passing speed, even with out best midfield, is way too pedestrian.

Garner's penalty was iffy but Beto's and Barry's penalties just show how badly we need a striker. People think this team can be world beaters, but their inconsistencies show how average a team we have when we don't have our better players playing.

We have a long way to catch up in the transfer market due to our debts; none of the so-called big managers would touch Everton because they can't buy their way out of trouble.

People blame Moyes but can he really control how many chances our strikers miss, or how many times our players self-destruct or miss passes when they are not under pressure?

The one thing you could criticize him for is not playing the younger players enough. When Dibling comes on, he shows glimpses but that's it, but he loses the ball a lot and doesn't seem to be that committed.

I think the club itself has been so downtrodden for so many years it's forgotten how to stand tall and fight. Stand up, board... question every bad call and demand answers and show everybody no one can walk all over Everton FC!

Anyway,

However good or poor they may both be...even when all the missing players were there, they weren't getting that many chances due to the way the team is set up - this is the real problem.

Branthwaite has been missing for a year basically; when he eventually returns, the challenge for him will be to stay fit, the remaining games of this season will be his pre-season.

Obviously Dewsbury-Hall has had less time out injured but again, with a hamstring injury, you can only hope that he stays okay. Grealish and Ndiaye obviously give us something else but the lack of pace in the side, particularly out wide, is still there, the lack of overall movement and how slowly we move the ball is also still prominent.

They always say the way a team plays and has its style set should not be reliant on individuals, whoever comes in should be expected to play the same way, and you only need to watch Brentford for a great example of that.

Of course we're a better side with our best players playing.
Our best XI is good enough for Top 8, in my opinion.

When I look at the teams at the top of the league, they do have more consistency and less player issues to deal with and strength in depth. I suppose that is something that Everton have to address if the owners have ambitions for Europe, but at the moment we’ve been dumped out of the cups and only have a reasonable league position. Things might improves when we have all the players fit and available again.

We struggled in many games they've appeared in though right?

How about the West Ham home game?

The Spurs and Newcastle home games when we barely created anything?

All I'm saying is we haven't exactly looked unreal even with them fully firing.

I remember the Colchester game but the semi final tie that was next up I still believe is a game that defined Everton for the next 15 years to a sustained period of failure and disappointment.

We are a mid table team from 10th to 14th, we are no better than this. It is however progress from the last 5 years of constant struggle near the bottom. Injuries, suspensions etc are all part of football and have to be accomodated and dealt with as the season progresses. AFCON didnt just happen from November, it was known about for months so complaints about missing those two players are not a viable excuse from the club.

The most distressing aspect of the good ship Everton is that despite the above and complaints about a threadbare squad and the quality of players used as replacements, there is a deathly silence on potential transfers. The ridiculous penalty efforts by Barry and Beto must surely set alarm bells ringing.

I fully agree that even our best 11 is not going to threaten the top 6 places but then surely none of us imagined that so soon?

I DO believe our best 11 can qualify for Europe and we can attract better players on the back of that. As I've said before, the new stadium is a massive game changer for us, European qualification would boost that.

I also believe our current best eleven will NOT be our best eleven this time next season. A whole new back four (Branthwaite and O'brien included) at least one pacy winger who can cross the ball (I don't think Jack will be with us beyond this season, nor am I sure he is the answer if we want to change - and I'm worried NDiaye will move on to "bigger and better") and, of course, a striker who can beat a stationary keeper from 12 yards at least.

For the record - I don't want Moyes as manager from the last kick of this season but I do think he's the best man for the job in hand and I do think he's done a good job since he came in. I was livid on saturday but when the dust has settled, saturday wasn't his fault.

My worry is, and I think this is shared by many, is that David Moyes will simply continue to sign steady eddies (eg, Soucek ) and isn't the man to take us forward. We need to radically change our approach to the modern game and that, to me, means a change of management AND recruitment. There's no point signing fast attacking minded players if we still have a safety first, percentages manager. Similarly theres no point bringing in an attack minded coach and expecting him to work with most of the current squad. Bring in an attack minded, progressive coach and give him the lead say on transfers in.

We where at home

We need progress up the Premier League in the next couple of seasons, 8th or 9th next season minimal.

The following season, we should be looking to push for European football. Won't happen overnight.

I misunderstood your post.

If the reports are true, why are we looking at him?

The FA Cup rules at the time stipulated that in the event of a clash, both sides must wear an alternative kit. Colchester United's primary kit was blue and white stripes, which clashed with Everton's traditional royal blue home kit.

Colchester United played in red for the match, while Everton wore their amber and blue away kit. "

Football has become so complex and political, as well as ludicrously priced for the value you get; it's no wonder so many teams are underperforming – 6 Premier League managers so far this season have gone.

All we want is effort, straightforward styles of play and aggressive defending.

We need 17/18 players who are good enough for first team football. That's why I would keep Harrison Armstrong past January.

With the lack of depth, we are always 2/3 absences away from a crisis.

Looking at Harrison Armstrong's performances since he was brought back, and finally given a chance by Moyes...

Not only should he stay, but he should be one of the first names on the team sheet.

Now that he's got them he clearly doesn't rate them (Barry only plays cos we have no one else). I don't know what the recruitment process is - whether there's a committee etc - but I would be very surprised if he didn't have the final (or a least a very big) say on transfers.

I disagree.

I think it can happen overnight, if you have the ambitions but I must stress, you have to have ownership and people at the club that want to reach goals quickly, that starts by setting the ground rules on day one and instantly improving the correct people on all levels.

This club is perennial underperformers and one of the reasons for that is we have too many fans that constantly say it doesn't happen overnight.

Another is that we continue to allow sentimental decisions override logical ones, you only need to see the constant contract extensions to players that have continually failed here or well past their best years.

This club hasn't been to a single Cup Semi Final in either of the domestic tournaments since 2016, and no Cup Final appearance since 2009.

That's an absolutely abysmal return for a club with our history, and just a club that's been a too flight club in that period, its uncanny.

If only we could play Forest every week... but seriously Everton have been lacklustre to say the least and the next few games are crucial to scrape a few points and climb back up.

Unfortunately Dibling and Barry are not tough enough. I think if they are not ready yet, then perhaps they never will be.

We create so few chances per game making it a strikers' graveyard. Even the best strikers miss one or two chances in a game but it's not a worry for them because they know more chances will be created.

With Everton if those one or two chances aren't taken goals will not be scored because no other chances are created.

Hire defensive minded managers and this what you get. Football played with defending as the number one priority.

It's alright screaming "We need another striker" but who are we going to get with hardly anything to spend? Plus, we hardly create anything anyway, the midfield are either tackling machines or side-to-side merchants.

Dewsbury-Hall has improved the midfield definitely but, besides him, the others are just much of a muchness. We don't create pressure, we don't pin teams back, the crowd get bored, and the atmosphere is virtually non-existent because the team are giving us nothing to get behind.

We need a striker.

The ones we have aren’t working and we need a new one and this one is available.

We need two full backs and a striker asap.

And we’re looking at one of those at least.

That’s a good thing, right?

It's going fine. Certainly an improvement. Another proper transfer window under stable management should see us recruit where we need to, depending on player availability.

Additionally, the new kit being worn at home... that's just the way the game has gone. Moaning about it is as pointless as moaning about players wearing an alice band.

It's going fine?

I'm glad you are satisfied with a dinosaur manager, elimination from both cup competitions in mid-January, two useless (not just misfiring) strikers and a rip-off 4th kit outrageously usurping our proud blue and white colours at a home match.

Clearly you are not a season ticket holder like me who has endured three of the worst performances imaginable, involving a 20-mile car journey, standing on a packed Merseyrail train followed by a mile walk in freezing weather with long queues to get in the stadium.

Apologies for pointlessly moaning about it.

Personally I'd rather us not waste money on January panic buys. We've already got enough duds.

Our squad, even if we add at the end of the season, I doubt would be good or big enough for League and European competition.

Just get 4 more wins and totally reassess in the Summer.

We are what Coventry were between 1971 and 2001, a perennial mid table team with frequent relegation scrapes and the odd top 7 finish, that's us in the last 30 years.

The club is never trying to elevate expectations just constantly downplaying what it should be achieving.

As for panic buys in January?

There is no such thing as panic buys in January.

These so-called scouts that are on a king's ransom are working all year around to identify players available, it's not a case of someone opening a PVC window and everyone looking in and seeing what's available, Jesus Christ, pardon my blasphemy but it makes you.

Moyes is doing a good job at the moment with his hands tied behind his back but, like one or two, I would like him to stabilize the club and pass the reins over to a more progressive manager.

Our biggest weakness right now is the weakness of the squad with only a handful of what I would call "Premier League quality" players.

Until we start to match the spending of the likes of Spurs, let alone the B's (Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth), we will not see the standards expected by NSNO and Blues supporters.

Years of running down the club by "The greatest Evertonian" have decimated the club but we shall prevail.

There no doubt its hard to find and then to persuade top quality players to sign for us. We do find the odd gem like Ndiaye and Branthwaite -- although what the future holds with Jarrad must be in doubt.

On the whole, we have failed badly signing players, it's definitely the one area where we need and can do a lot better.

I don't see us in the top half and as for Europe, well I'll have some of what you're smoking. The reality is, whoever we play against, I don't see us as an easy win. Bournemouth, Brighton, Sunderland even Leeds, even if we're at home are tough games for us nowadays.

We have a long way to go before we can think of Europe; this squad is nowhere near. The best 11 is for sure moderately competitive but no more than that and with the weaknesses we all talk about repeatedly that limit our ceiling substantially. We know the problems that come is we get more than a few absentees, but actually that is inevitable (and in the case of Afcon, nailed on certain).

This season is basically dead. I'm (just about) okay with giving this window a miss unless it's a great deal. My bigger worry is how much more the Friedkins have?

My fear is last summer was, by their measure, a big spend bazooka and so don't expect a repeat. Yet even a net spend of £100M, even if spent more judiciously, would barely be enough to buy a team capable of Top 6 or 7. The air is very thin up there...

Why is it hard to find good players though? Do you have an answer to that?

It hasn't stopped those massive clubs with great golden histories, Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton, from scouring Europe and the globe and signing some absolute gems has it?

Excuse for excuses at Everton you see.

Yeah, going fine. We've had years of instability resulting in a gradual decline to becoming relegation fodder.

What we need is a period consolidation, so don't lose your shit over a few bad results. The overall trend is one of improvement.

If you hate going to the game so much, stop doing it, but don't expect me to get the violins out because you're miserable.

He has subbed on for Morocco in all five games at Afcon with no goals. They play Nigeria in the semifinals in about an hour, so anybody curious can watch him on Bein Sports.

Looks like Senegal are going to the final. Up 1-0 on Egypt and Salah at 80 minutes. Gana is playing but Ndiaye is on the bench.

Not a bad resume highlight. Fingers crossed.

Senegal just won.

Once they got through the quarter-final they were there for the duration anyway, even if they lost today, with the pointless 3rd place match.

I'm miserable after 31 years of winning nothing and having to put up with a leopard who never changes his spots in charge again.

Don't insult me by suggesting that I am only bothered about the last 3 matches.

I suspect Moyes will never please you. Even if he wins a trophy, you'll be on here not giving him any credit.

I'll say it again in a different way: we've been fighting relegation for years, properly circling the plughole. Everyone would have taken mid-table, which is where Moyes has got us to so far.

The squad needs surgery, but you just want to bin off an experienced manager a year in and replace him with someone who will probably last 18 months after buying a load of players... Madness! Utter madness!!!

We've only had 3 managers since WW2 who have won anything, and challenging for a trophy in the modern era is much more difficult than it traditionally has been.

If Moyes can get us back to being "the best of the rest" we'll have a good chance of getting lucky with a cup or getting regular Champions League. He's the right man to build the platform.

He won't be winning any trophy for Everton anytime soon, Jason.

Injuries, Afcon obligations, shocking indiscipline and poor recruitment will have done for us!

So you would be happy for Everton to just be the best of the rest? Which is exactly what we were in Moyes's first spell in charge.

Some of us have higher ambitions than that, something I highly doubt Moyes can achieve.

If your sole aim is mid-table mediocrity, then yes, Moyes is the right man. But I want better than that.

Lucky with a cup run? Moyes has no ambition when it comes to the cup competitions; mid-table is the summit of his ambitions

Sorry that realism upsets you, but we are where we are. I want us to win a trophy too. However, the odds are stacked against us. We need to consolidate, build a capable team, and have a go at going deep into competitions. We are nowhere near that level. Moyes has proven that he can build a competitive team.

Or, you know what, let's sack him and get a flavour of the month manager for 18 months; I'm sure that'll win us next season's League Cup against Moneybags City.

We need Champions League money. But, for now, we need to avoid being relegation candidates every year.

If I had my way, we'd win the Premier League, the Champions League, the Nobel prize for football, the Fields Medal, the bingo, and the NASA prize for being excellent at excellence.

But, right now, we need a stable platform and to break away from being plughole surfers. That doesn't make me less ambitious than you, just more realistic.

Given recent seasons and a limited investment in the squad thus far, and most of our best players to come back, I think we're doing okay.

Most of us accepted that mid-table, and easily safe, would be progress this season, with European footy a Brucey bonus. I'd say this is still realistic, and I am not downhearted.

I think we'll finish the season strongly when our players return... I really bloody hope I'm right!

Good lord, that match was fucking awful though.

Shocking, wasn't it?

The chance to save the season was there on 1 January when the window opened. A proper organised club have a few players lined up to help fix the starting 11 and keep the season alive.

Whereas a fucked up club like ours have our best players (Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall and Branthwaite) coming back to our season being over almost before the Xmas decorations are even down.

Piss take.

That's the spirit!

Michael published an article on here in December, but I can’t find it.

Here are a couple of external links:

Link

Link

Although, they did publically communicate their plan to issue new shares to allow greater investment on the club website.

Link

Therefore, they publically communicate investment in the club not taking money out of the club.

But if you are forever content with constant mid-table, then good luck to you. Not to mention the god awful, defence first, football Moyes teams regularly supply.

As for the cup competitions, tell me the last time a Moyes team went deep in any cup competition?

So how long would you suggest we need this all important, stable platform, that only Moyes can apparently supply?

Whilst he is building this stable platform, is it a requirement we get bored to death with the Moyes style of football?

If it puts 2 fingers up to Masters and The Premier League, then I can live with it...

So much for our previous owner -- The Billionaire Accountant thanks for the new ground though Mr Moshiri.