But please, Ken, and it's just not you. What's this 'Gana' caper? I thought his name was Gueye. It's petty but it's getting on my nerves. Sorry, pal, it's not you – it's me.

As an avid reader of ToffeeWeb for the last 5 or 6 years, I've never actually posted a comment but always look forward to your match reports as I feel you offer a very honest opinion on our beloved blues.

Your joint MotM of Holgate and Barry I feel was very just in how both performed with the footballing brain of Barry and the excitement of youth with what seems to be a very exciting prospect in Mason Holgate. (Please can we make Barnsley our feeder club??)

It's the thought of an exciting season which has made me reply to your article for the first time today and this is because of our manager. We've had a few sceptical fans with regards to our recent signings as to why we haven't spent our whole transfer budget quickly. I truly believe and hope I'll be correct in thinking that our manager was assessing all of our players to actually see what we require and need as a squad.

These are some of my reasons why:

Gana – when signed, everyone asked who and why? He played for the worst villa side ever!

Stekelenburg – who?

Williams – really he's gonna be 32 soon?

Bolasie – surely we should be signing players from better clubs than Crystal Palace

Our secret new signing Kevin Mirallas, yes, he's a different player to the one we've had the last 2 or 3 years.

Today, we were losing to WBA and our formation wasn't working; this is the first time in my recent memory of our club that our manager has had the balls to take off a senior player before half time to make a telling change early.

I think all of our signings will be great for our club and for once we seem to have total belief in our manager. I've never felt this optimistic about our club going forward and look forward to great things – and to think there are more significant signings to come.

We could potentially have both lads pushing for starts along our back line next season, I think its brilliant.

Also Holgates form is allowing us to seriously consider loaning Galloway out this season, putting him in at the deep end, and seeing how he gets on.

Not sure I see a starting place for Macca. Handy squad player.

For me, Holgate edged Barry for MotM with Gueye (I hope we can stick to one name for him,Gana. What is on the back of the shirt?) not that far behind. Stekelenberg is also impressing despite my first reservations about Fulham's 4th choice and may be another to save money being spent in the transfer market.

Should have been 4-1 though. Big Ron & Big Rom, love the "Bigs", Ken.

Hart
Coleman Jagielka Williams Baines
Gueye Barkley Barry
Bolasie Lukaku Mirallas

with:
Robles, Stekelenburg, Holgate, Galloway, Funes Mori, Oviedo, Lennon, McCarthy, Besic, Gibson, Cleverly, Deulofeu, Davies as useful squad members. We need 1 more world class forward and get rid of McGeady and, Kone.

Sorry about the name troubling you. My reason for calling him Gana is that the player requested that name for the back of his shirt so I just went along with his wishes.
Sorry for any anxiety caused and hope this explanation helps.

I have to put in a word for Barkley who played some good stuff around the box once we'd changed formation.

With Besic and Gibson out, I think McCarthy has an important place in the squad but ultimately you'd think that Tom Davies would be pushing him too. At least McCarthy isn't a crock and he puts a shift in. Gana is the better player though - good spot from Walsh / Koeman / Whoever.

I hope Geri can find his swagger again but Bolasie showed how it ought to be - he's a real threat.

Finally, I know we don't see Mirallas as a striker but he does well as a different sort of forward to Lukaku - I'd like to see him in the box more.

The new Manager is already having a dramatic impact & I can't wait to see how things unfold over the months ahead. Whereas the previous incumbent definitely benefited from the squad he inherited, until he'd undone all his predecessor's good work, Big Ron seems to be starting well despite the starting position he's been handed. That all gives me hope for greater things to come.

Agree with you about Barry, Ken, but I'm not sure how long he will last for us this season? Probably a lot longer, if the manager, takes him out, from time to time, but he looks a bit slimmer, and as the saying goes, "IF YOU CAN PLAY, YOU CAN PLAY".

I'm just hoping Koeman, can turn us into a proper team. It's early days, but the signs are looking good, simply because the players are already playing with a lot more intensity, which will only improve further, once they get a lot fitter.

At 35 years of age and in his 20 year in the top flight what a remarkable footballer we have at the club. He must be a tremendous example for every young footballer.

In a post a few days ago a fellow ToffeeWeber posted a link to a Deulofeu interview. He drew our attention to a question that was put to the youngster "who is our most intelligent footballer"? Without hesitation Deulofeu answered "Gareth Barry - he controls Everton."

As you and Tony suggested it is going to be hard to fill his boots when the time comes.

I've never felt more like singing the blues.

It still wouldn't surprise me to see him go to Sunderland, but if he doesn't, then it will tell me the manager, has got confidence in the boy, and if he can get Martinez, possession at all costs, out of his head, then I'm sure McCarthy, can still become a big player for Everton.

i just love 'singing the Blues' weekends like this. A come-from-behind away win; Rom staying on board; no swearing at the TV when our manager speaks; Heartbreak City romping home in the Ebor backed at 10/1; Burnley sticking it to the rs and finally ..RK turned out smart in a suit while meffy Klopp looks like he's just walked off the set of the Jeremy Kyle Show having just found out the shocking result if the DNA test.
Happy days.

So pleased with Kevin Mirallas' start. Hope that Mr Koeman can really bring out the positives of this player on a consistent basis. Ran intelligently off the ball I thought and created space well.

There seems to be a far better work ethic on the pitch now and the lingering doubts of losing it at the end yesterday did not prevail!

Holgate continues to impress me. An accomplished lad here who will definitely develop under our manager. BUT..... Gareth Barry for me was simply outstanding - wish we could take 10 years off him. Really did put a shift in.Let's see what transpires this week especially given the news re Rom. I'll be interested in the forward he now settles for.

Keep the faith.

And get those brown suede shoes he wore yesterday! I'd swear I could hear him saying to Tom Davies - "don't shtep on my brown shuede shoesh".

Above all else though it was good to see eleven players on the pitch plus three substitutes play as a team doing what they needed to do to win the points. There is plenty of room for improvement of course but we have started the season with two good results. The hard part will be maintaining this form in the weeks ahead.

There does appear to be a common paranoia about player's ages - neither Jags nor Williams can ever be mentioned without an 'in spite of his age' and the distaste that saw Howard hounded out was undoubtedly fuelled by ageism.

Until the 2000s players were always judged on how they performed rather than whether they were on the wrong side of 30 and even the 'greats' like Rooney are not spared from this myopia.

PS. However well he plays the Stek will soon be out of the team although he is older than the fabulous Nigel Martin was when he joined us !

Says it all, really.

Williams, Gana, Bolasie and Stek are players currently in their prime!

I think 35 is the new 30 in thinking a player is at the end of his career. More professional these days less pints after training!

As soon as Williams came on, he was organising the defence, bossing everyone, gee-Ing them up, motivating, making sure no one switched off. Exactly what was needed at the time and what was missing in similar situations last year.

Jon - 19 - made a point which hadn't occurred to me until I read his post. I also rely on the reports from yourself and Lyndon and never resort to Sky/BBC or papers to read about our game, it is all on this website!

One final point about Barry - he will be sorely missed when he hangs up that left foot - I see him as our Pirlo.