Koeman: 'Start has been very positive'

I can't help think back to Sunderland, the Barkley sub and the difference when Mirallas and Deulofeu interchanged from right to behind Lukaku and how good we looked. Bolasie got more space because Sunderland had to start thinking of the other forward threat.

Give Barkley a rest.

The knowledge that it could and probably should, have been better is head bangingly frustrating.

The boss is right to remind us to "please think about it". Most of us would have settled for this start before the season kicked off, but I can't help thinking about the easy chances missed by Valencia and Lukaku at Bournemouth and the one Gana missed on Friday.

Unreasonable? Maybe, but when the honours are being dished out at the end of the season these are the sort of things that will make the difference.

Confidence, form, ability, energy levels They're all major contributing factors as to where you finish, but being clinical when opportunities arise is the be-all and end-all.

I would be more encouraged if our run of wins had come in the last few games but, as it is, we go into an international break having lost to Bournemouth and been somewhat fortunate to get a point at home to Palace.

We do lack a bit of quality at times though, and don't look as comfortable in possession at the minute. It's possible we haven't had enough time to work on this side of our game; enough, up to now... and hopefully things will get better now we seem to be slowly getting the dirty side of our game up to scratch.

I'm sure someone with as much experience and knowledge of the game as Koeman will be able to sort out the technical side of our game, but as always, hard work, and then a few new players, must come first!

I thought the manager took a very long time to react; and when he did, I was surprised that he took off Barkley (not having a great game but okay) and left Cleverley who looked slow and sluggish, gave the ball away, and really contributed very little.

I can look that we are 14 points toward a European slot or 26 points for safety. I want to stay positive.

I'm frustrated at the missed chances that have cost points and the apparent lack of goals in the team. What will happen when actually start playing well?

People saying that Bournemouth and especially Palace are not bad teams. Really! Harder games than those two will be coming thick and fast. Let's hope that we can somehow pick up points from the "bigger" teams , over the next few months. Now that would be positive.

Last point: we need players other than Lukaku scoring goals. IMO that would be positive. I know that Lukaku gets critised for some aspects of his game but where would he be without his goals? Last season we would have been close to being relegated. This season we would be hovering around midtable.

Fourteen points looks good. But this time last season we had 13 points.

Can players like Barkley, Mirallas and Delofleu really make positive contributions? Do some supporters linger far too much on past good performances from these players? Hoping that they can reproduce those performances on a regular basis.

Maybe Koeman needs to change things in January. Or maybe start playing a few of our promising youngsters. Now that would be positive. Positive thinking, if nothing else. Banging on with players who are simply not doing is not positive.

UP THE TOFFEES

It's getting needlessly knocked out the League Cup is what pissed me off though.

It's a cliche, but the league table doesn't lie. We deserve to be where we are. We would all love to be higher, but we don't deserve to be.

Every game in the Premier League can be difficult. Man Utd drew at home to bottom of the league Stoke City. Man City lost. Arsenal got very lucky to beat Burnley. Liverpool were one down for sometime. Chelsea have been struggling. There are no easy games and Palace will give a lot of teams real problems with their height, strength and direct play.

In the short time he's been here, Koeman has made us solid defensively. Only Spurs have conceded less, but unfortunately we're still susceptible to crosses. All but one of the goals we've conceded have resulted from crosses.

Making us more potent up front is going to be difficult with the players we've got. We need to buy well in January.

Three years ago, Everton fans were promised by the former manager, Martinez, a top 4 finish; that still remains on the table, but not with the squad of players the current manager possess.

At least with 3 important players, Barkley, Deulofeu and Mirallas, who have reached a level of inconsistency, that would not be accepted by any other team that has any ambitions.

Absolute bollocks. Only those who miss their chances think "if only". How many times have you heard a Leicester fan say "If only" when he talks about winning the League?

Man Utd fans didn't leave last season's FA Cup semi-final thinking "If only", did they? That was us, because we knew Lukaku had enough chances to win two semi-finals.

"Every team" My arse. Winners don't concern themselves with "If only"s.

COYB

I thought Benteke's goal was not "great". He out-jumped a static Coleman who should not have been marking him; it ought to have fallen to someone who is capable of competing against a centre-forward. We used to use Phil Neville for that sort of stupid defending.

Stekelenburg was rooted to the spot in concrete boots. I don't rate him which is why I am being critical. Watching Benteke out-jump Seamus was like watching a car crash. As the ball floated over I shouted to my missus "It's in, far post" and that was before he'd actually finished heading it. A great goal??? really... I've seen better.

Excuses and I don't see why... just come out and say once again we were still not quite at the races. We are a team in transition. Just be truthful. It was not pleasant to watch. Do not turn into Roberto Martinez. Please. I hate weak management. Be supportive, be constructive. Talk about the things we need ti improve on and pick out some good points. You don't have to be negative but don't say Benteke's goal was "great".

Bravo is going to cost Man Cty a lot of goals with the way he tries to play out. The games I've seen already, he is putting himself in trouble by trying to be clever.

Lukaku needs to push right up on him when he has the ball, and whoever plays wide needs to cut off his options of playing the ball wide, which tends to be the City centre-backs.

This is not La Liga where Bravo could get away with it with Barcelona. Could make for an interesting game if we play it correctly and press City hard.

What is evident is favoritism among the refs? Perhaps. But what is more evident is quality teams keep going to the final whistle and beyond. Then do not get exasperated, temperamental, depressed, frustrated, they just put their heads down and go for it. It's amazing how often they manage to pull it off. Congrats to them.

I think there is something deeply flawed in how Everton conduct themselves during games and it has been around for 3 years plus, if not longer. This is already identified by Koeman and it is what will bring about a gradual root-and-branch overhaul of the squad. This is what Moshiri is paying him for. Let's give him a reasonable amount of time to sort it out.

I think it's time for a similar mental refresher for fans as well. We need to be patient, realistic, take the medicine that a real sonofabitch of a hard-nosed manager is going to have to dish out.

I was really impressed with Sean Dyche's response to the appalling referring, just shrugged his shoulders and bollocked his defenders for allowing Arsenal the opportunity to take the advantage. We need more of that, or this season is going to get ugly.

I love watching Ross, Rom, Gerry and Kevin at full throttle; however, they are not doing it often enough. Gana has been MotM for what, 4 or 5 games out of 7? Now that is what I call class and quality. We have some wonderful prima donnas but very little true quality throughout the team.

Every team can point to poor finishing or poor refereeing. For people to say that we would be higher in the league IF we had beaten Bournemouth or Crystal Palace is pointless. Every team could say the same thing and point to missed chances.

Darren, you have a way with words. No, actually you don't. You just come across as a cantankerous and rude individual. Very many of your comments are absolute bollocks, but I wouldn't be so rude as to say that.

We've recognised that from watching the bungling Bravo trying to justify Guardiola's decision. If we don't get a goal from that shambling game play, I'll eat my hat. I just hope Koeman is on it as we speak....

And with the inevitable of the top 5 teams always reinforcing season after season, it is going to take a mighty leap in faith to predict that Everton will finish 4th this season or the next. Because, unfortunately, finishing in 4th is a 'red line' – anything less should be considered a failure.

We're a work in progress and arguably there are 6 teams (excluding us) who at the start of the season would have said top 4 is their realistic target/expectation this season (and I don't even include Leicester here). Taking that into account, we're doing very well so far – admittedly tougher games on the horizon but it's great to be averaging 2 points a game.

So far so good.

We don't expect overnight success but the influx of Stekelenburg, Gana and Bolasie gave some indication of future success.

A poor run of 3 games without a win and only one goal (that being a fortunate free-kick award) has knocked us back a little but ,if ever a game was made to use as a rebound, then it's the next one against Man City, who proved they are not invincible yesterday and against a Spurs side without Kane.

It won't be easy but at least they have 2 weeks to prepare; if they frustrate Man City early and keep Silva quiet, then they could snatch a favourable result.

That's right. 30 years. Many Evertonians have never followed a team of proper winners, and that is very sad.

We have a new manager, his team has accumulated 2 points a game. I don't for a minute believe that he has turned things around, but it's an excellent start.

You have to beat what's in front of you. Sitting in 5th with a return of 14 points is excellent. I wouldn't put it past us to go to Man City in two weeks and get something there.

Problem is, the more you press the bigger the gaps you leave and the more vulnerable you are to quick passing counter attacks. You need the whole team to press further up the field from where they are doing so currently and the pressing has to be unified from all 10 outfield players.

Quite simply this Everton side is some way from getting the hang of this and overloading with players like Lukaku, Mirallas, Deulofeu and Barkley, suggests they never will.

I did not miss the point. I just think it was simplistic nonsense.

Try to get your head around a point before you challenge it. The people who take their chances don't ever look back and think "If only".

I want our strikers to score when they have open goals. You are clearly happy to adopt the "shit happens" philosophy.

Take it from a "cantankerous" old bastard. It's bollocks... losing bollocks.

Darren – every team misses chances and lets in weak goals... and if it costs them points, they then postulate how their league position would look if for them... and only them... those chances went in and those goals were saved.

But if that happened to everyone then – hey presto – the league table would look exactly like it does now. One team's scuffed goal is another team's "weak" concession. One team's missed chance is an equaliser or winner completely discounted by their opponents in calculating how many points they "should" have had.

It's neither simplistic or nonsense. It's got nothing to do with wanting or not wanting our strikers to score goals.

Koeman was brought in to win and achieve either a cup or finish 4th and above, any poppycock about projects and windows is rubbish. Koeman will be at the helm at the most 3 years based on his own ambitions, he will owe us nothing. He can therefore be judged quickly and as harshly as you like.

I for one like the physicality and the better defensive shape. But his team cannot do anything well for more than 30 minutes. His selections betray the players' lack of adaptability and his own limitations to use players who don't possess the power and stamina he demands.

Based Moshiri's changes off the field, the manager has become dispensable, as we now have a set-up which is not beholden to the manager. My opinion being, if Koeman doesn't achieve this season, he will be vanquished or under severe pressure to be at it from game one next season.

I welcome this ambition and expect it; no longer should we be treading water, waiting for the manager to get it right. We had 18 months of indifference, 5 months of apathy and then a full on mutiny. This paucity of form that damaged the image of the club so much, it did appear to influence potential targets to stay put or go elsewhere.

Many have criticised Levy at Spurs for his revolving door of managers, even when they delivered good league results. He kept firing and hiring until he found a guy that could do it immediately and under pressure.

Moshiri should and I hope will do something similar with the club now able to absorb sacking a manager. Koeman I suspect gets this model and will not unless pushed, indulge in youth players, or persist with mediocrity. He lives in the 'win now' world. So Tom Davies et al may have to wait, and perversely Ross won't get dropped, because – however crap he has been – he can do something others cannot.

UTFT

If we (that would be Everton) score our open goals (not a great deal to ask), then we will be finishing far higher up the table than we will if we continue to miss them.

This is an Everton website (the clue is in the name); I'm not interested what other fans are saying, although I KNOW Man Utd and Leicester City fans were not saying "if only" as they paraded their trophies around.

Shrugging the shoulders at missed sitters and saying "it happens to everyone" may make for an easy excuse, but it will never make for a successful football team.

If we (that would be Everton) are ever going to get back to the top, we have to make sure we grab our opportunities... a bit like Leicester did last season, often against the run of play.

If we want to stay where we are, we just have to continue to accept missed opportunities, that "shit happens"... we can even make ourselves feel better by claiming it happens to "everyone".

Three domestic trophies are up for grabs this season and I guarantee you that not one of those clubs who win them will be parading their trophy thinking "if only"...

That suggests to me we've done something about it, we're more organised and have tightened up defensively. No 'if only' involved here.

The harder part is being effective in their box. We have one goalscorer who scores plenty and, like all goalscorers, misses some as well. Problem is, we don't have any others, so when our only one misses, it's a disaster.

If we're going to get rid of the 'if onlys', we need some goalscorers to emerge from this team, or from our recruitment.

For most of my life, we've been surrounded by 'if onlys'. On the rare occasions we've been successful, we've sorted out them out ourselves and we must do that now.

I thought Darren, had a touch of The Boomtown Rats yesterday, but he has got a point because the oldest adage in football has got to be "look after yourself".

I think Paul, usually talks a lot of sense and hopefully, now the defence is starting to look a bit stronger, we can now start to concentrate on our forward play a bit more.

Now let's start looking to get more men into the other team's fuckin box!