From My Seat: Burnley (A)

A game that will take some forgetting but all we can do is hope that Big Ron and his staff can work wonders with what we have now and try to strengthen window by window. On today’s showing we are a few players short even for the short term.

Ken Buckley 22/10/2016 40comments  |  Jump to last
Burnley 2 - 1 Everton

Another three o’clock kick-off on a Saturday so we had a leisurely run up, had a look around and nothing seemed to have changed since we were last here two years ago. It seems to me one of those places that time sort of stands still. Nice friendly people and always a good welcome in the ale house.

The teams were pored over as they arrived and no major shocks, just two changes, including Barkley for Cleverely. Most approved of that and we all hoped Ross could finally find some form and run the show. He had a good go I will give him that.

They kick off and right away we win the ball back and attack which saw Burnley have a mix up at the back which allowed Mirallas a shot on goal but straight at the keeper. We kept up the pressure and a ball up to Lukaku saw him execute an exquisite turn and in one movement leave his man and sweep the ball to Bolasie whose shot was blocked for a corner. From the corner the ball was worked back to the taker Mirallas who had his shot blocked but it went back to Bolasie who fired in an overhead kick wide.

Burnley worked a breakaway and Lukaku was back to help defend but made a hash of an attempted clearance which resulted in a melee in our box and we scrambled out for a corner which, when taken, the Burnley man shot over bar. All this before the 15-minute mark and really it told the story of the game. Everton would have all the attacking; Burnley would have breakaways that we would not defend well and so it was.

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I noticed we were trying a different corner routine today with Barry standing close to the taker who was Mirallas and he would pass to Barry who would then try and find the best ball to get us in on goal but I think it needs a tad more practice as it was no more successful than any other we have taken. It maybe the start of something, who knows. I checked my watch with around 20 minutes or more gone and more of the same taking place. Everton attacking well and reaching the edges of their box but always breaking down at the last for a variety of reasons. Poor touch, shot off target or straight at keeper, lack of care and vision plus a lot of damned good Burnley blocks.

From the half-hour mark Burnley started to look more of a threat and it started with a terrible free kick from Jags who tried a ten yard pass to a Burnley player instead of one of ours. This led to a bit of panic as Burnley now looked for an opening and worked the ball wide but our man Stek coming out well and gathering to relieve the pressure. We went up the other end and Lukaku looked clear onto their keeper but a defender slid in and took the ball off his toe. Another poor free kick by Jags gave the ball to Burnley who broke forward but Oviedo did well in tidying up his mess.

No doubt Burnley were gaining in confidence as, although we had all the attacking, our failure to hit the net was giving them that feeling they could nick one. Lo and behold, Lukaku failed to take the ball clear from the half way line and Arfield profited, running on goal with a shot which he seemed to scuff but our keeper seemed bewildered by the miss-hit and went down a bit late, only weakly parried the ball into the path of Vokes who netted. Oh, the disappointment. Stek, saint last week sinner this week, eh?

From the goal we looked visibly shell-shocked, which was reflected in our passes being without much conviction and were either too strong or too weak. This led to a bit more panic when they attacked and Coleman was soon booked for a daft challenge. I thought I will be glad for the H/T whistle but not half as glad as Big Ron. The whistle went just as another miss-hit cross sailed wide. How apt, I mused.

H/T 1-0 down

The H/T chat wasn’t very constructive as that feeling of we have been here before many times and know only too well that feeling of disappointment laced with, ‘Here we go again’

We were first out for the second half and we were full of hope that the H/T team talk would see us mount the fight back and gain all the points. Well it should have done but...

From the off we attacked and earned a corner and again we used our new routine, Mirallas short to Barry who looked up and found Ross on the edge of the box. He got a shot in but not a very good one and the keeper easily dealt with it. We got to around the hour mark and it had been all Everton. Surely a goal is on the way I thought as we gain a free kick. Mirallas took it and gained a corner as the travelling faithful reached full voice in support of our lads. You might say trying to suck the ball in. The corner came over, the whistle went, Ashley was deemed to have fouled. Drat.

Just a minute later and Barry found the pass of the match to slide Lukaku through on goal and then the comedy bit as Lukaku found Bolasie running alongside him and had the temerity to outmuscle him and speed on goal and hit a shot across the keeper and into the net. The roar was heard in Spellow Lane, L4. I believe that was his first goal for us. The fans sang the Bolasie song and many other chants. Now we could turn our superiority into more goals and a win—well we should have done but...

Everton attacked and attacked again but that final ball or piece of magic in the box was absent and move after move ended in sorrow rather than a goal. I think one now could have opened the flood gates but getting one was proving elusive. Time was ticking on and we put a move together where I thought, "this is it". Coleman and Bolasie combined and made ground up our right, Coleman overlapped Bolasie who fed him in at just the right moment and Coleman from the by-line put in a great cross that looked like a tap in for Lukaku until a sliding Burnley centre back got his toe to the ball a fraction before Rom and a corner was all that great move was worth.

Clock ticking down fast, it was all Everton but a determined Burnley threw heads and bodies in where angels fear to tread. With 15 minutes to go both teams made subs. For us it was Deulofeu for Mirallas. Deulofeu was soon running at them and either getting a good cross in or a poor one which was a shame as he was seeing plenty of the ball. We were peppering their goal now and doing everything but score.

Bolasie tried a long range thunder bolt to try to catch the keeper off his line but the keeper did well and got back and tipped over. Burnley made another sub and Flanagan came on and the whole travelling end booed — I wonder why? Then Big Ron subbed Gueye for Cleverley. I didn’t quite understand that one as I thought it weakened us a bit in midfield but Gueye could have a twinge or tweak I suppose.

With the clock ticking, we continue to pepper their goal. Lukaku shot, Barkley shot, Bolasie shoot, among others, but all shots are either blocked or deflected as we go into 4 minutes of added time. All of a sudden I felt cold as we gave away a foul near the half-way line and their keeper sent everyone forward and prepared to take the kick.

I came over with a horrible feeling that said to me, ‘surely we can’t give it away now’. The keeper took the kick. I seemed to view things in slow motion as first we half-cleared and the Burnley lad shot and hit the bar with some pace and came out into play but straight to the Burnley man Arfield who hit it back into the net. I joined in with the hush then finally realised we had LOST.

I don’t remember much after that. Oh yes for two minutes Enner Valencia replaced Jags. A horrible feeling. We battered them to a 2-1 defeat.,

MotM – Barry and Gueye were as good as any.

Well, that game will take some forgetting but all we can do is hope that Big Ron and his staff can work wonders with what we have now and try to strengthen window by window. On today’s showing we are a few players short even for the short term. Still crazy game this football and in a league where anyone can match anyone and consistency is fleeting who knows?

See you for breakfast in L4 a week tomorrow and hope it is our day.

UP THE BLUES

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Clive Rogers
1 Posted 23/10/2016 at 10:04:36
Apart from Lukaku, there are no goals in the team. Gueye for example has only scored 7 in his entire career. He's a good defensive mid, but it means goals have to come from someone else and there is no-one at the moment.

Ross is not scoring; Mirallas has gone right off, and Deulofeu can't hit the side of a barn. Roll on the January window.

Jon Withey
2 Posted 23/10/2016 at 10:32:11
Some intelligence around the box needed – easier said than done though. If only we could afford a David Silva!
Craig Fletcher
3 Posted 23/10/2016 at 11:19:39
At the risk of getting laughed out of town, I'd suggest against teams like Burnley who pack in a five-man midfield and pull everyone bar the striker back when they don't have the ball, we should go with two up front. Whether that's Valencia or Kone to partner Lukaku I don't know, but all too often Rom can get easily isolated as we don't have an Arteta-type to play a killer pass. A striker to partner Rom plus Bolaise and Mirallas or Deulofeu on the wing could be the answer.

At least when Kone partnered Lukaku in October last year, it was one of our few bright spots last season at home v Villa and Sunderland.

Clive Rogers
4 Posted 23/10/2016 at 11:31:52
Craig (#3),

I don't think Ron fancies either of Mirallas or Deulofeu. Expect them to be gone before next season.

Geoff Evans
5 Posted 23/10/2016 at 12:39:34
I don't think the manager can play the style he wants with the players he's inherited. A big clearout is needed, the sooner the better.
Paul Tinsley
6 Posted 23/10/2016 at 12:42:58
Ken, good report as per usual. However, I disagree with the 'roar of the goal could be heard in L4'.

I was sat next to our fans in the Burnley end so obviously had to keep my gob shut when we scored but the Blues fans were so quiet during the game, even when the goal went in.

A couple of the Burnley residents even commented between themselves remarking how quiet we were.
Frank Crewe
7 Posted 23/10/2016 at 13:02:44
What happened to the days when one defensive midfielder was considered enough? Now it's two or even three DMs.

It appears that not losing has become more important than winning. A draw has become a good result. One proper forward on the pitch. What's next? No forwards at all?

The idea of removing a DM to put on another attacker has become an anathema to modern managers. They'd sooner watch their lone striker huffing and puffing against four/five defenders than risk putting a second attacker up front to give the defenders something to do.

More than half the clubs in the Premier League are happy to grind out bore draws or narrow one-nils just as long as it keeps them in the Premier League and the all that lovely money rolling in.

Until the offensive minded players start to outnumber the defensive minded players in the first eleven, these kind of results will continue to happen.

Tony Hill
8 Posted 23/10/2016 at 13:21:14
I think that's an important point, Frank, about the tedium of so much football now. There is a great deal of "overcoaching", very little of it directed towards attacking options. Money and fear rule the day, and as a team we have been terrified of our own shadows since about March 2014.

There are some exceptions (Wenger, despite his faults, has never succumbed to that style nor, I regret to say, does Klopp). But most games I watch now, domestic and (especially) international are mind-numbing.

Cue a 6-4 in one of today's games.

Derek Thomas
9 Posted 23/10/2016 at 13:43:46
To the point as usual Ken.

Craig @3; I'm not sure just what Koeman's 'favourite' formation is, or if the players he might need to play it are a) at the Club; b) available; or c) affordable.

It could be a radical, out-of-the-box, sea-change in formation is called for... one as radical as the move away from the 2-3-5 of the '50s.

I used to watch all football, but now it's all a bit boring and 'meh' sometimes it takes me all my time to watch us... well live with a 2 am finish... but that could just be me.

60-odd million in the Country and BT get 400k for their Champions League games...

Does Ron have the inclination to do something even mildly out of the box? Will he be given the time or money to follow it through.

Something needs doing, but he'll have a hard job in getting the gold Bentley mob out of their present lackadaisical attitudes.

Graham Darlington
10 Posted 23/10/2016 at 13:46:20
Tony – Martinez never succumbed to that style either and look where that got us.
Ian McDowell
11 Posted 23/10/2016 at 14:40:05
If you look at the 2 most improved teams in England over the past couple of seasons. Leicester and Liverpool. You could argue that the new managers haven't really altered the personnel drastically. They have improved the existing payers and got a system that really suits. Firmino, Lallana and Vardy were all pretty much wrote off as rubbish 18 months ago.
Patrick Murphy
12 Posted 23/10/2016 at 15:07:07
Ian (#11),

Didn't one of those most improved teams very nearly win the title not too long ago – in fact a whole two and quarter seasons ago (2013-14) and didn't they very nearly win the Carling Cup and the Uefa Cup last season?

It's not like the current boss took them from mid-table obscurity to the higher echelons of the Premier League without investment, is it? I'll give you Leicester City, no problem.

Paul Smith
13 Posted 23/10/2016 at 15:08:37
Common theme from most threads is the salvation of the next window. Where are people getting this idea that we're gonna be spending shit-loads of money? Or that we've even got any?

Granted, the players Koeman has brought in have stood out from the rest and, with more financial backing, I think he can take us places; I just can't see him getting it.

I've set my sights on a new home and mediocrity on the field; why not both? It would be nice, but after 45 years of being a blue, any progress is a blessing.

Steve Hogan
14 Posted 23/10/2016 at 17:37:59
I watched the game (in the local pub) and almost predicted the end result as inevitable. At the current time, Koeman simply doesn't have the personnel in the squad to radically change things around as he would wish.

There is simply an obvious lack of real goalscorers in that team, Lukaku apart, and we simply don't possess any quality in the final third of the pitch.

He must be as frustrated as we are, and I believe he has probably reached a decision already on the future of the following players: Mirallas, Lennon (who never gets a game, even as sub now), Cleverley, Deulofeu, Kone, Gibson and possibly McCarthy.

Seven players in all – and I might have been a little conservative there – is a lot to lose from a squad, but if he wants to be brutally honest, these players have all been given ample time to prove that they can take the team forward, and most flatter to deceive.

At the moment, he can only work with what he's got, and hope for an improvement in the players he picks on a regular basis. It's tough at the moment, especially with the 'other lot' steaming ahead in the league, but their manager has had a lot longer to develop his squad than Koeman has; let's judge his team in 12 months time.

Peter Mills
15 Posted 23/10/2016 at 17:38:57
Thanks Ken. I'm in the wilds of Scotland so have missed most mention of the match other than the outpouring of frustration, anger and despair on TW last night.

It's good to know at least that we battered them, it sounds a very tough last-minute defeat to take. I've had a fine day walking in the hills, no angst... maybe I should spend matchdays that way.

Geoff Evans
16 Posted 23/10/2016 at 18:07:40
Steve (#16): Top thread. Koeman needs time to get rid of most of what he has inherited and to bring players in worthy of wearing the shirt.

Eddie Dunn
17 Posted 23/10/2016 at 18:45:26
Today I listened to the 5 Live report from Chelsea, and Mourinho had a word or two in Conte's ear at the end of the game. The commentator speculated that he may well have been tipping off his fellow manager about the backstabbers in the Chelsea dressing room!

Player power is more influential than ever. When Martinez took over, he had a problem convincing the old Moyes clique to change their ways (rightly or wrongly), and this current crop seemed to down tools and get Martinez the boot.

It was interesting to see Lukaku and Mirallas at the Euros laughing in disbelief at the breaking news of Roberto's appointment as Belgium boss. Guffawing like naughty schoolboys!

Koeman needs to get his own men in and quickly.

Tom Bowers
18 Posted 23/10/2016 at 18:58:07
Much as some people malign Rom, and I suppose the same people will do that every time he doesn't score. The problem is that Everton do not have a good replacement at the moment unless Koeman gets bold and starts experimenting which may seem a little early yet.

Everything and anybody is to blame when they are not winning. When Rom fails to get clean control, the attack usually breaks down. It would be nice if Bolasie could interact with him by being closer for the long passes and I suppose he is playing under instruction but it worked fine for the goal against Man City.

At the moment a big problem is the lack of incisiveness from any of the midfield players. This was a game Everton should have won easily but they blew it much like they did at Bournemouth and came away with nothing. Barkley is a problem, looking good on the ball but generally not having the confidence to do what he used to do when he first started in the first team.

Robert Workman
19 Posted 23/10/2016 at 19:30:38
I was at the game and, being amongst the Burnley fans, had to try not to react. Managed that when we scored but when those 2 crosses just evaded Lukaku (one of them being a great fingertip from Heaton from just under the bar) my hands instinctively flew to my head. Fortunately no-one reacted, probably because I had borrowed a scarf which just happened to contain quite a bit of claret and blue!

As to the game I thought we played well without being able to make that final incisive pass or avoid shots being blocked. Burnley's 2 central defenders and goalkeeper won them the game. My worst moment came when the 89th minute shot came back off the bar and I was in a direct line with Arfield – as soon as he hit it I knew it was going in.

My Burnley supporting friend said that we deserved to win and, like myself, was very impressed by our aproach play. I thought that Bolassie had his best game so far and I was amused at how easily he shoved Lukaku off the ball before scoring. Just imagine the reaction from his pal if he had missed!

Gana, as usual, was very impressive. I thought that his substitution was very strange and it may have cost us the game, as it was a foul from a tiring Barry that led to the winner. If Gana had still been on the field, surely he would have been challenging for that ball.

Ray Robinson
20 Posted 23/10/2016 at 20:00:06
You must have been near me then Robert. Me and my mate were just left of the goal when Arfield's shot went in. I had managed to contain myself all game but when that goal went in, I remained stuck to my seat. Dead give away actually – but I got away with it!
Clive Rogers
21 Posted 23/10/2016 at 20:41:13
We have to accept that Kenwright and Martinez have left us with an absolute shambles and it is going to take time to turn around. The squad is poor with ageing and substandard players. Without Koeman's signings, we may well have been relegated this season.

Kenwright has given Moshiri a bill of £11M to get rid of Martinez, who in turn has left a player who nobody wants and we can't get rid of at a cost to the club of £26M.

Mike Hughes
22 Posted 23/10/2016 at 21:05:09
Patrick (#13),

Thanks for cheering me up. I'm clutching at straws this weekend but the memories of Crystanbul and Slippy's finest hour are still sweet. (Does anyone remember the 'Saturday Dilemma' thread on here ahead of our match with Citeh that season? What a time that was – but it turned out well in the end.)

Back to more important matters – the Mighty Blues. Regardless of minor blips like the Burnley result (sickening as it was and so typical of EFC down the years) as well as the re-building job required for the next season and a half, we're still moving in the right direction for me.

Getting rid of the previous clown was even worth the £10m pay-off because we were heading the way of Villa, Newcastle and the Sheffield clubs under him. Let's not forget how bad things were before we get too down-hearted.

I still think we'll finish top 6/7. Under Mr Snake Oil, Man City would have smacked us for 6 and we'd have had justifiably very low expectations of anything against Burnley (not to mention enduring the drivel that came out of the Spaniard's mouth every week).

When Koeman and Walsh have had another year together, that's when we can hopefully start to see things take shape – ie, teams filling their kecks at the mere mention of our name. (In the meantime, for now, I continue to wish the current Barcelona manager well.)

Having said all that, we need a couple of quick wins to maintain momentum.

Great report as usual, Ken.

Joe O'Brien
23 Posted 23/10/2016 at 21:08:11
Major transfer activity needs to be made but will we get the quality we need with no European football and poor finishes in the last two seasons?

I agree with all your players listed, Steve (#16). They all seem to be in trouble. Surprised and disappointed with Kev and Del, I thought they would have showed what they could do, but they only seem to get lazier.

Unlucky yesterday but I'm getting well tired feeling this way. Will be at Goodison next Sunday praying for 3 points.

Jeff Armstrong
24 Posted 23/10/2016 at 21:40:33
Mike Hughes, spot on with your analysis re Barcodes and Villa, people have already forgotten how much in free-fall we where under Martinez.

If Kenwright had had his way, we would be bottom 3 at the moment facing a long hard winter. As it is, we are top 6 and looking quite solid defensively; a couple of tweaks in midfield and attack and a top half finish would be a massive improvement on what was likely to happen, ie, sacking Martinez in November and scrambling around for a new man to save our season.

And I think we all know who Kenwright would now be turning to, given his current predicament... (Clue: Kendall Mk 2 all over again.)

Raymond Fox
25 Posted 23/10/2016 at 21:42:28
So Clive (#23), our squad was supposedly a top 4 -6 side last season according to plenty 'experts'. All that was wrong was deemed to be the manager; now, with 1 or 2 exceptions, the players are not good enough – that's rather bending the facts to suit your argument.

The new players brought in have improved the squad but we are still a middle-of-the-table team, that need 2 or 3 'star' players to make us serious contenders.

Same old story, how do we attract 'star' players???

Clive Rogers
26 Posted 23/10/2016 at 22:55:45
Raymond,

Certain players are showing their age: Jagielka, Baines, Barry... while others have lost form: Barkley, Mirallas, Deulofeu. Coleman has been average this season.

Martinez only really made one decent signing in Lukaku, the rest added nothing to the squad except numbers. Niasse is an embarrassment while McCarthy, Lennon, Kone, Cleverley etc are just not good enough.

Moshiri and Koeman must have now realised the size of the mess they inherited. We need a big clear-out and some quality signings. As you say, they are difficult to attract.

Brian Porter
27 Posted 24/10/2016 at 06:01:54
We talk about the lack of goals from midfield, yet we have Aaron Lennon who I believe scored seven last season kicking his heels on the bench. Why doesn't Koeman at least try him in place of Mirallas or Deulofeu? He's hardly had a chance to try and impress so far this season and at least we know his work rate is always of a high standard.

I confess to being a little disappointed that Koeman doesn't seem to be trying anything new, or rotating the squad as he was known for at Southampton. Okay, we don't have great strength in depth but Funes Mori should be getting game time, as Jags is well off the pace recently and Lennon surely has more to offer than the current alternatives. Tom Davies too looked at first as though he was on the brink of at least occasionally getting on the field but is now being ignored.

I'm not overly impressed with Koeman's apparent inflexibility, a fault often exhibited by OFM. I hope it's not a case of history repeating itself.

Phil Walling
28 Posted 24/10/2016 at 09:33:17
You and me both, Brian. I'm heartily sick of being told to give managers and players MORE TIME. We had one manager for ELEVEN years and he still hadn't delivered on his vision when he buggered off to more lucrative pastures, our patience having netted him £16M and the Club not a single honour.

Of course, I always thought Martinez to be a football idiot (I suspect he now has as the job of Pep's scriptwriter – they spout the same shite) and he took the club for c £26M!

Of course GIVEN TIME and Moshiri's hidden money, Koeman MAY be able to restore almost forgotten glory to Goodison but he's a long way from the magical manager we welcomed back in June. Idrissa Gueye apart, it's the same old, same old. But, given time and fill his pockets and, who knows, we might make top eight... given time....

Eddie Dunn
29 Posted 24/10/2016 at 10:47:44
Brian and Phil, good points from you both. I think that we are all suffering from the idea that a new manager (that had got Southampton playing some good stuff) would make all the right decisions regarding playing staff and tactics, after the intransigence and insanity of our former boss. Obviously the early results led us all to be too optimistic and subsequently we have been underwhelmed at the performances and some of the subs.

I will always think that the manager should do this or that, buy x and y, and shift out a and b, and until I get the job myself, I will be pissed off at times. I would like to see more of Davies, who Unsworth was happy to play, and like Brian above, can't understand why Lennon has been underused. Lennon was treated the same at Spurs, and we don't see them in training so who knows what Koeman is seeing that we don't?

I am hopeful that he will get it right,and I for one like the look of Bolasie; I would like to see us play 4-4-2 with Bolasie up there with Lukaku. It was a better performance on Saturday but a win against the Hammers is essential to keep the spirits of the fans and the players up.

Kevin Gillen
30 Posted 24/10/2016 at 11:09:53
We have now been beaten by Norwich, Bournemouth and Burnley in the past few weeks and were lucky to get a point against Palace at home. I'm sick of getting outfought by these teams. The top Everton teams never got outfought by anyone.

Someone has got to get in where it hurts and score a few and I'm sick of people on ToffeeWeb giving excuses for players who plainly are not performing. That said it was criminal we came away from there with nothing.

The honeymoon is over for Koeman, though. I expect changes for the next game and youth to be given a chance at least.

Paul Conway
31 Posted 24/10/2016 at 11:34:57
Ian McDowell (#11),

I agree with you to an extent about players reinventing themselves. But, these are rare cases. Plus, those players probably had a decent team to carry them.

The situation with us is we have far too many average players, all playing at the same time. There's no chance of carrying them. We would need a Dr Frankenstein type on the coaching staff, to do some brain and limb transplanting!

Tony Hill
32 Posted 24/10/2016 at 11:37:40
Yes, Kevin, it's the lack of "oomph" in the team which is most worrying and which I hope doesn't reflect some deeper problem. We looked different in the first few games but the bite has gone.

Much of the anger and frustration expressed here comes from the perception that some players are not trying hard enough and there is a sense of lethargy again about us. People would be more patient, and perhaps take a somewhat longer view, if the basic commitment and cohesion were more obvious.

Laurie Hartley
33 Posted 24/10/2016 at 11:58:40
Eddie (#29) – I think you're on the right track with the 4-4-2 suggestion playing Lukaku and Bolasie as the two up top.

But to do that, Koeman would have to bring a player like Drinkwater or Shelvey into the squad. A vocal, physical, player with a passing range and ability to tackle is what we are lacking at the moment.

Brent Stephens
34 Posted 24/10/2016 at 12:17:58
Phil (#28), "You and me both, Brian. I'm heartily sick of being told to give managers and players MORE TIME. We had one manager for ELEVEN years and he still hadn't delivered on his vision when he buggered off..."

Phil, unfortunate to refer to Ginger and the 11 years in trying to make your point against "giving manager and players more time". Koeman's few months doesn't equate to Ginger's 11 years. Give him more time!

Andy Meighan
35 Posted 24/10/2016 at 19:17:36
Kevin (#30), great post. But sorry, pal, you can expect changes all you want for the West Ham game – you won't get them. He might tweak it a bit... but there's no way any of the kids are getting a start. Sorry.
Paul Tran
36 Posted 24/10/2016 at 19:49:18
It's the lack of nous that's the problem. The lack of nous that showed itself when Moyes's teams were in a big game. It showed itself when Martinez's team had 4th place at their mercy.

Our teams of 1970 & 1985 had it in bucketloads. Gueye, Barry and Williams have nous. The rest of them haven't.

More nous, asap, please, Ronald.

Richard Dodd
37 Posted 24/10/2016 at 20:17:32
I think Koeman has three years to make a difference, Brent. But I suspect he will only ever get what we make on transfers out and, if he doesn't give the kids a chance, we are stuck with the 'magic round-about' of Deulofeu, Mirallas, Lennon and Barkley. None more than average against top-level opposition.

I'm home to serve my 'ninety days' next week but with no great longing to see this dreary lot up close, I can tell you!

Dave Abrahams
38 Posted 25/10/2016 at 01:06:55
Richard (#37),

Lennon hasn't been on the magic roundabout, he has hardly had a sniff of a game to try and impress the manager. He will certainly do a lot more than the other three you mention, who have quite a few chances to show what they can do, but have failed miserably to prove they can do a job consistently.

Lennon certainly deserved a run of games, he can't be written off without a chance, that's for sure.

Kevin Gillen
39 Posted 25/10/2016 at 10:15:26
Thanks to Tony and Andy for their comments. I suspect Andy is right, in that there won't be changes but an injection of local youth might well see a bit more commitment from the team.

I saw Barkley reluctant to put a foot in and Lukaku watch the ball harmlessly passed around him at times on Saturday: it appears to me Lukaku already has his sights set on another club.

I don't know what you do with Barkley, I would dearly love him to succeed at Everton but at the moment there is no end product from him.

Terry Underwood
40 Posted 25/10/2016 at 13:27:35
If the Premier League were based on Winnie The Pooh, then Everton fans would be Eyore.

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