Fine exhibition for a solid Everton win

At least Gareth Barry was seen talking to Ronald even if he hasn't ventured onto the pitch.

Watching on a live stream and the announcers just said no gimmes for Everton this pre-season. Barnsley and MK Dons? If they aren't expected victories then Everton are in big trouble.

http://www.streamsarena.eu/events/20160723/Everton-vs-barnsley-live-stream-3.php

Very impressed with Barkley's cameo. Mirallas and Geri were good too, whilst Tarashaj looks a bundle of tricks.

Robles is not a No 1. Can't command his box.

The rest didn't stand out at all but as expected McGeady was poor and Galloway's concentration continues to be a concern.

McGeady, as we already knew, is finished in an Everton shirt. I wish him well but he has no place even competing for a place on the bench.

One person who will be warming the bench come August 13th is Robles. He lacks the confidence and command to be our Number 1.

The team however, played with more confidence than I've seen in years. Quick incisive passing, lots of one-touch stuff with no fucking around at the back. Gerry will be deployed as a striker from now on I suspect – which explains McGeady's inclusion (to confirm he isn't a ready-made replacement for the right wing).

Barkley was head and shoulders above everyone else and one suspects on that evidence the England Euro fiasco only encouraged him to kick on. Classy Everton performance all round. So far so good, Mr Koeman.

Great comments from Koeman about wanting to see balls played forward and not back to the keeper. Interesting comments form Tom Davies about being asked to play right back.

Congrats but you can still do better.

I really hope Ross can kick on this season and by the end we'll be talking of him as a player of the season. Martinez and that charlatan of a former England manager were guilty of grossly mis-managing Ross (amongst a lot of other things).

That he didn't get thrown into the mixer purely for his skill and shooting against Iceland when we looked hopeless still leaves me in disbelief.

When Hodgson didn't use him against Slovakia, that was his tournament over. I'm sure Ross felt vindicated on his resignation. On the evidence of today I'm sure the Barnsley players reminded Ross of Woy's blindness after the full-time whistle.

Bobby's mistake with Ross was allowing him to take as long as he wanted on the ball. Koeman's philosophy of quick movement and high tempo football will bring out the best in Ross.

That said, I know enough about our squad right now to say I would feel so much more relaxed if there was the option of a couple of physically imposing, hard-case centre-halves.

Just a pair of big, fit, determined scary bastards who could get their heads on the majority of balls into our box.

Not that results in these friendlies make any difference, but it's true to say we could (should?) have so easily conceded at least two goals in both games from crosses/corners.

It's always been incredibly physical in that box when you've got big muscular strikers and (opposing) centre-halves looking to get on the end of balls and right now, I don't believe we have what we need to combat that particular threat.

No the coaching team have made him wear boxing gloves to give his wrist a rest.

I heard that Barry had a slight knock so wasn't risked but it does look like Koeman has susssed the squad pretty quickly and the other two are on their way, and hopefully McGeady with them.

Good to hear we played with more energy and pace; early signs encouraging.

Michael K, what did young Tom Davies say?

That he'll be played less makes sense and is likely. But why get rid of him?

We also need Lukaku back, obviously, and a decent backup for him because I don't think Deulofeu really cuts it as a striker despite his goal. And play Davies where he wants to play – in midfield. Wasted at right back.

I had a great afternoon anyway and feel positive about the new season. A couple of high-calibre signings would just do nicely now!

D'you know those plastic bucket type things dogs wear round their necks when they've had an operation? When I was fourteen, I had one of those on my right wrist. To save my sight, apparently.

Great to see the lads passing it about whenever possible but not above a ball into the channel to mix things up. Let's not forget this was the regular Barnsley side against a team of Blues who can't be that used to playing together. I thought Deulofeu up front was an interesting tactic, and three pretty inexperienced defenders acquitted themselves pretty well (remember the nightmare Jags and Stones had at Oakwell a year ago).

As other posters have said, Robles has a fair bit to do to convince as a No 1, while Barkley was extremely impressive, his goal fitting the "worth the admission money" profile.

One final point - took my 4-year-old son to his first Blues game today. He wasn't hugely into the match but enjoyed the atmosphere and watched a fair bit of it. But his highlights were the lads behind us who shared their chips with him and chatted during the game, and the two little Blues who had a half-time kickabout with him. Thanks everyone for welcoming him into the Blue family. Classic Everton class.

Roll on the season proper.

First thing to say was that Barnsley gave us a very good match – thank you. So did the players look like they were trying, doing well, any different to the way they had become in the last two years? Quite definitely. The Moyes team – good earners – were released to play in the first season with Martinez, but nothing happened after that. Decline set in.

I don't think this is a false dawn with this bloke. Hard-headed, a winner. Mirallas playing as he should, Gerard putting the fear of god into (very decent) defenders, and Ross doing a sort of circus act with menace are stand-out details. But there was a lot more to it than that. Set-backs to come, of course; you won over 2000 Evertonians there, and loads more of us on-line today boss.

ps – I feel sorry for Ossie. Played out of position for years by Moyes, Martinez eventually realised that he should be playing up around the box. Had he been a few years younger he would have been out there today performing with the best of them.

I'm shocked you never sent a link for two big scary bastard centre-halves you're right like we do need a couple.

Del in a more central roll, Miralas given another chance, Tarashaj and Dowell giving the youthful buzz around the team, and Mori given his first run out after a lot of game time and travelling with his country.

All in all a great day for the lads.

It was only Barnsley we played and the results don't really matter at this stage of the preparations, let Koeman get the team and squad ready in his own way he at, the very least, seems to know and understand football, which makes me more comfortable about the way the club is going.

Whilst long balls played into the box should be easy enough for a big strong dominant figure at the back to deal with, I just feel both fullbacks and wide midfielders can do alot more to close the space and stop danger before it happens.

I saw a photo of the coaches yesterday and they looked like a mean bunch of sods. I hope they can instill that attitude into our nice bunch of lads.

Nice goals from the lads yesterday – I can see all three scoring for fun this season! Always an optimist and always a blue! COYB!

Looking back in hindsight we were a shambles last season. We could, and did, score goals but our MF and defence were a mess. Injuries played a part as we never had a settled team and Roberto didn't help himself with his playing players out of position and out of form.

OK he recovered to make a challenge in most of them but in the Prem he would have been skinned.

He has also had a poor run in the reserves where his concentration in particular was being questioned.

I think the lad has ability but needs a lot more awareness and concentration before he can be considered for the first team.

By contrast Holgate (who I consider to be the lesser player) was a model of consistency reading the game well and making a number of good interceptions and passes.

Leave it to the manager, he was a star defender, after all !

A great result guys and I hope to see us ramp up our quality as we play ever higher quality of opponent. I look forward to a slow improvement next season, hopefully good signings that will improve the squad but even more so, the blooding in of our promising youngsters into the squad.

Nobody can win anything with kids Hansen said about MU and he was wrong and this route is far more credible for Everton given the stupid prices being quoted for rubbish players. I will respect Everton for not overpaying for the rubbish that is available just now. There is value and we will find it.

Martinez had Coleman and Baines pushing up over the halfway line and Barry and McCarthy coming back to pick the balls up from the back 4.

Needless to say this tactic is very easily sussed out and teams were able to push forward on the break and get in the space behind the full backs and exploit the back 4.

Stones, Jagielka and Funes Mori were regularly pulled out of position by trying to cover the full backs. In other words, chaos ruled. It was never like that under Moyes.

You watch the difference under Koeman with some evidence of it at Barnsley, even though quite a few of the kids were playing. There was a more assured comfort about our play.

I'm talking about the first 20 or so games when we were still scoring - the team got worse when Martinez tried to do something about it as he was so out of his depth.

The goal Everton conceded against Watford (away) in the last seconds of the first half was down again to poor defending. Nothing whatsoever to do with playing high up the field and getting 'caught out.'

No instead he said he does not believe in admonishing players who make mistakes and he doesnt believe in clean sheets.

Any clues there for you as to who was responsible for the 3rd best defence in the country to become a shambles.

Please just give RK a chance and you will see a major difference in those players especially Stones if he stays.

In the old days, 'little teams' got pasted, but nowadays not so much due to their better preparation, fitness, orginisation etc, aka, 'Good Habits'. These are the things that you can do something about.

Yes I know there were always cup upsets and giant killers but that usually said more about the beaten team than the winners.

By the time of the Chelsea 3-6 result early in the 2nd season, Martinez had coached all the Moyes out of the team, aka 'Bad Habits'...and we all know that bad habits are easier to form than to get rid of.

Koeman's had them for a couple of weeks, we're not going to thrash Spurs with our new found brand of Total Football...or what ever it is that Koeman will instil into them...I also don't see them thrashing us either, before people accuse me of defeatism.

It's going to take a lot of work and repetitive practice until Defending becomes, once again, 2nd nature.

As somebody never said; Rome wasn't burnt in a day.

FFS, he can be a right sparkly pink Princess. But, he can play football.
He can play football at terrifying pace.

An undervalued lad called Vardy did that last season with an easily dismissed club. Be careful what you wish for ? Be even more careful with all that you dismiss.