Mirallas undergoes ankle scan

CanÂ’t see him being back for Southampton, just hope heÂ’ll at least be back for Boxing Day.

It does look like at the very least a few weeks out, just what we didnÂ’t need with three or four tough fixtures coming up.

Our wide options with Mirallas out are not nearly good enough.

Pienaar came out but again looks so far off it these days itÂ’s unbelievable, heÂ’s had so long out that by the looks of him itÂ’s going to take half a season for him to look even fit.

McGeady?. I know he put a good cross in for NaismithÂ’s goal and had a decent shot in the first half but damn he is so erratic and frustrating, basically heÂ’s not top draw, heÂ’s not going to impact games against better sides that QPR.

I just canÂ’t wait for the Cup and Europa League to return.

I just canÂ’t get into the league this season so far, although we won last night, the performanceÂ’s and the whole atmosphere and vibe of the club, the fans just feels so flat.

Again last night there was no atmosphere there, itÂ’s not helped by the slow build up in our passing, I agree, but I what happened to Goodison under the floodlights? ItÂ’s not nearly as rocking as it was a few years a back when we put sides to the sword under a cacophony of noise.

The atmosphere was funereal, at one point you could actually hear the players shouting on the pitch (from the Main Stand). I think that is the result of sideways and backwards passing which just stupifies the fans. When we got a free-kick 35 yards out in the last few minutes, I honestly thought we were going to hoof it 70 yards back to Howard.

The fact also that there was barely a tackle made in the whole game (Mutch's assault on Mirallas excepted) meant there was precious little to get excited about.

He would / will be a big miss for the next few games, but on a brighter note Besic looked decent, personally iÂ’d play him with Mcarthy when possible, Naismiths back , by heck that lad puts a shift in. Also Stones reportably back soon and KoneÂ’s fresh & fit.

In his absence, just wondering if it might be worth switching to a 3-5-2 formation with Barry dropping into a back 3 alongside Stones and Jags. Stones and Barry will be comfortable bringing the ball out of defence and Coleman and Baines will be able to bomb forward more ruducing strain on their defensive duties.

This formation could make us less predictable as the opposition seems to have sussed us out.

Howard
Stones Jagielka Barry
Coleman McCarthy Barkley Besic Baines
Eto'o Lukaku

Playing slowly out of the back is OK part of the time, but there's got to be some attempts to break out faster. I'm a big Martinez supporter, but this every time slow out of the back really plays into the hands of our foes.

I hope John Stones is fully fit for the next game. When he's in the game our play out of the back is much better. I really think it's a big asset for the team when he drives forward with the ball, and he's good at not turning the ball over cheaply in our half.

A couple of extracts that took my eye were the following.

As a fan, I don?t want the manager to tell me that my expectations are too high, I want to go into every season believing that we can win the league. Yes, maybe it is I who is now deluded but, at least if we can?t win the league, I want a manager who at least believes that every game is winnable and sends out his players with the confidence and the tactics that give us a chance of winning. The recent soundbites coming from Moyes reek of defeatism and I don?t like it.

It?s time to change your football philosophy whatever it may be, Mr Moyes, because, sooner rather than later, the fans will grow restless and see through the cleverly disguised excuses that you have started to use all too often. It?s time for you to show some true leadership and return to the principles that you demonstrated when you first took over this football club. Whatever happened to the manager who stated that he wanted fit young players who were proud to represent The People's Club?

Shaun Sparke

At the same juncture of the Premier League campaign Everton were on 20 points following a narrow victory at home to Swansea but the Toffees were twelve points behind Chelsea who sat in fourth place with Man City leading the race on 41 points. So in many ways a very similar season to this one has been so far, but we are a little bit closer to the top four places this time around and a good run could still see us have a good 2015.

To move the ball quickly you need options through the middle to ensure our play doesn't get telegraphed down the flanks every time. With Macca out our midfield is too static aside from Barkley who offers a bit of dynamism and looks to turn and run more, but we need that option further back as well than Barkley usually is.

Same theme is his positivity, it does grate sometimes I admit with his over exaggeration towards player and team performances, but you can see why he does it.

What he says in private to the players about their play will no doubt be nearer the actual truth.

His philosophy of how he wants us to play is the right one, we are just short of a couple of top quality players at the back and in the middle.

We would probably have won the title in 1986 as well.

I see on another thread you are saying there is no need to panic over James McCarthy getting a new contract as he has three years to run on his present contract.I'd say be careful if other players are getting a lot more than him, especially as he was promised by the club they would assess his deal after the first year of his present contract.

He is still waiting!!!!!!!

Don't think McMahon wanted a massive increase in wages, more like just a fair crack of the whip. Kendall may not have rated him or simply didn't like Steve as a person as he wasn't the most likeable chap by all accounts.

It must have been Kendall didn't like McMahon as it would have been hard not to rate him.

And Browning? Well has looked decent from the little we’ve seen of him, but its a big ask for him to do the job Coleman does anywhere near as good.

McMahon was definitely a loss, his best ever game was away at Utd in a Cup QF. We were robbed by a late Macari goal but he was immense in that game, totally bossed the Utd midfield of Robson and Moses.

Although I always loved Tommy Docherty's quote. " for £4m I would have expected the real Moses"