Koeman renews call for striking reinforcement

He's had all summer to replace Lukaku because he knew he was off and he's done nothing about it. No, he's bolstered the squad with leaden midfielders who haven't got a killer pass in them to save their lives!

The lack of pace in that midfield is criminal. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if our players drove their fucking cars in reverse.

Exactly the point – it's all about the mindset. We could have had a peak Bob Latchford up front but if you set up to snatch a draw you won't get anywhere.

The thing I can't understand is Koeman has won there before. His record away against the top 6 with Southampton was great... yet, as soon as he comes here, that goes out the window

It's the same teams, season-in & season-out, that we never win at their place. Chelsea – over 20 years; Arsenal – over 20 years; and of course you know who – we last won there when I was still in my 20s... I am 48 next month.

Seriously, will Everton FC ever compete again? It's been 30 years since we last have. I'm Just embarrassed by everything Everton, from the turgid slow football that seems to be our way for years, to the antiquated, clapped-out wooden stadium that is Goodison Park.

This manager is on ٤ million a year... Moyes was our manager for 11 years, whilst lasting less than 12 months at 3 teams since. The club is rotten from top to bottom.

Nice rest for some players before the next game, hopefully have another striker in by then. Not overly convinced by jags and Williams either if want to push for top 4.

Ball doesn't seem to stick lately maybe lack of striker of just because we playing top teams at the moment.

I know Bournemouth lost yesterday just about but they was setup a lot better to try and beat man city.

We need to start taking the game to the opposition, missing the wide players.

BK - £35m for Ross and we want Costa on loan.

RA- £5m for Barkley and £15m for Costa on loan till xmas.

BK - Deal!!!

RA - Now serve me a drink unless you want to swim with the fishes.

Okay, so we've had a tough start with fixtures and injuries, with more to come, but what is needed is a 'we must and we can' match the top dogs in the Premier League. Only Rooney seems to show that mentality so far. The pathetic display at Chelsea only highlights how far we have to go while playing a two-half attitude, one poor the other just acceptable to fair.

By the sounds of things, Costa isn't looking likely. I'd love it though.

Stranger things have happened than Costa to Everton. The season was never going to be decided on these games. It is about winning against Stoke, Watford etc.

Over 20 points dropped against those lesser teams; bag them and top four is easy, maybe even top two.

The cheek of the man to complain he doesn't have the quality up front. He's all over the place and it really shows in the balance of the team.

The mentality going to the top 6 teams needs to change into "Let's pick a team that is capable of attacking them and scoring goals."

Teams like Burnley just played away at Chelsea and Spurs got 4 points and scored 4 goals. We are too negative in these games and Koeman needs to take responsibility. Our football is slow and boring.

Watching the German Bundesliga and listening to RB Leipzig manager who was explaining their transfer policy, first they decide on how they want to play and how they want each player in that position to implement those tactics; then they go looking for players who they think can match how they want to play... BUT they have to be under 24.

We don't have a clear style of play, and seem to buy players who become available because they're out of favor with their current clubs. We lack speed – not so much in the players but the way we play.

When Martinez first took over, our speed of play is what won us so many games; then he tried to over-complicate the way we played and paid the price.

But the current manager doesn't seem to have a style of play and, as soon as a team puts Everton under pressure, it's not good to watch.

Better players with mental toughness and a belief in what the coach is trying to do is what matters every time.

Some attack would be good, though...

With it now looking possible that Mirallas is on his way out, we need a lot of business to happen in the next few days, don't we?

I doubt any team with ambitions of a top four finish have gone to rival and failed to compete in any aspect of the game. We didn't compete mentally, physically, tactically or technically.

The squad is new and needs to gel but that doesn't excuse the poor use of the ball to this extent. I listened on the radio and it was 95% Chelsea players passing (mostly in our half) to each other, the only time a Blue was mentioned was kicking it out or giving possession back to Chelsea.

Hadjuk Split were threading pin-point passes into dangerous positions all night, luckily with no end product, why can't our players, allegedly worth ten times as much, manage it?

I don't expect Barkley or Niasse to kick a ball for us again. Meanwhile Dowell and Pennington are sent out on loan and it's possible Mirallas is heading for the exit. Bolasie, Coleman and Funes Mori are out at least until Xmas; Barry has left and only God knows if McCarthy will play for us again.

I expect to see at least four additional players by the end of the week but am I holding my breath? Two years ago, we turned up in the most important week of the year with one fit centre half and turned in the most embarrassing derby performance ever then lost an FA Cup semi-final we should have won. We were a centre half light all year. I cannot believe we are tempting fate again.

No sign of the Moshiri millions or of a properly resourced squad ignited by Walsh's inspired selections. I hate to go all miserable but are we any further on?

However, every TW poster knows two things about our squad at present. We need a top class targetman striker to replace Lukaku (even partially), and we need some creativity and pace still in our midfield. We are still two signings away from having a fighting chance of finishing above 7th and making a good fist at the cup competitions (including the Europa League). The money needs to be available for this, and I do hope this comes through.

However, it requires Koeman to show he is worthy of this investment. Yesterday's performance, and frankly some very average games before then, regardless of the scores – shows a lack of attacking vision and tactical flair that showed up last season – even with a so-called lesser squad. It remains a niggling worry for me. I mentioned the contrast to the vision of Klopp last season, and the 4-0 result even against a rather sad Arsenal side, is so clearly a result that I doubt Koeman could deliver at present, even with our top 11 available.

I have seen the ghost of the sideways pass I saw too often in the past (with the likes of Higgins et al) which stopped us progressing to the level we needed to from an attacking perspective. We are better at the back lthan last season thanks to Keane and Pickford, and more solid from a defensive midfield viewpoint too. But where are the goalscoring chances coming from at present... let alone the goals? We can't rely on Rooney's hard graft and boot memory all the time!

Bring on Man Utd. The stats don't lie, we should only lose by one goal to them this season. Life as an Evertonian.

Sandro Ramirez is simply not good enough in any way shape or form... Ashley Williams is a total liability. I am sick and tired of watching that 'Curved Backpass' from Jagielka... The whole game we did nothing but go backwards no intent or desire to go forward.. Fucking ridiculous!!

For fuck sake, Everton, do what the Red Shite do – move forward, score first, and worry about defending if we concede; they get away with it nearly every week.

Sick of watching Everton and I've supported them for 45 years!!!!!! Sort it out, Koeman, because you are starting to get on my tits...

Then why did you chase a striker that needed to "Adapt", long before a striker you considered suitable?

Convenient to use this lack-of-a-striker excuse now. Having one of the best of last season in our team didn't prevent the exact same type of performance as at Chelsea being served up in the majority of the away games – with the same lack of success.

We need tactics adapted to the Premier League.

I do think Sandro needs time to adapt and he was played out of position. Calvert-Lewin needs to start every game from now on. On that note, isn't Niasse supposed to be very pacey?

Koeman has assembled a team at great expense who have gone backwards at far as putting pressure on the opposition and positioning themselves as a threat on the opposition's goal. Defensively we are in disarray.

Martinez and Moyes at times where able to do this. Martinez's Plan A did work but he had no Plan B. Moyes could organise and pressurise the opposition. Both had inconsistent teams.

I think I will give this season a miss. I have supported Everton since the 60s. Why did the board run after this Manager given his previous record? All they did was pump air up his ass and give him illusions that he was better than he was. No way is he good enough to manage Everton.

Crazy recruitment considering we only have one winger and a kid up top in the squad.

Not one shot on target. In fact we were hardly in Chelsea's box all game.

Disgraceful at any level.

This is exactly what has me scratching my head. Rooney, Sigurdsson, Klaassen and Davies all want to play the same position. Sandro likes to drop deep too. We are hugely overstocked in the Number 10 role. Meanwhile we have one winger in Lennon and one full back in Baines.

I've never seen a team set up with so many players out of position.

Philip Warrington (#17) talks of Leipzig's transfer policy. Ours is the exact opposite. We buy the players first, then figure out how we can cram them all in the same eleven.

I thought Koeman was tactically sound when he was at Saints. He seems all over the place here. Very worrying.

Watch the back 3/4 playing it square to each other because no midfielder wants the ball and when do they back up the attack by picking up loose clearances at the edge of the opponents penalty area. No wonder Barkley doesn't want to play for this man, probably doesn't fancy standing in front of his own defence all afternoon.

We were told Koeman knew before the start of last season that Lukaku wanted away but persuaded him to stay one more season. So why only now is he saying we need a striker if he's known that long?

Perhaps while waiting he might ask Sandro to do a little less "productivity" and hold his place as the centrepiece of the attack so that there is somebody to at least aim at in the box rather than passing back to someone in our own half.

Where is Deulofeu when you need him? Oh, yeah, gone the way of all ball players under this manager.

I was roundly panned by the footballing Einsteins and others who were a little too high on the number of signings we had made rather than the quality. "Hope he remembers to put the fucking roof on," I said.

It was as clear as the nose on Andy Townsend's face that we need to buy players who could create and score goals.

Only after a few friendlies did it occur to the guy that Lukaku needed replacing and even then he was holding out to see if the Spanish Andy Johnson could solve his problem on the cheap. It took him a year to realise Calvert-Lewin is far better up top and it's taken him weeks to come to the conclusion we all arrived at yonks ago – you cant put all that burden on such young shoulders.

We are now approaching the eleventh hour. Beggars can't be choosers. If we land a striker now, it will either be on a short-term loan, or we will be forced to pay well over the top for an average one.

Shambles.

Isn't anyone ready to make the step up from the U23s?

Even with a new striker (I notice Chris Wood caused havoc when he came on) it won't make much difference as we have no pace, not unless he plays Lennon and Lookman together which won't happen. Look at the dark side against Arsenal, superb pace and power having made excellent flank purchases, that's what we needed to do.

Mirallas possibly on his way too; not looking good for this usually optimistic poster.

There is always the possibility that Calvert-Lewin was tired but to overlook pace, be it Lennon, Lookman or Mirallas is just naive: it really isn't rocket science. I was guilty of having too much faith in Martinez's abilities, so when we were chasing the likes of West Ham and he would bring on Osman for a forward and the entire ground would scratch their heads and 'what the fucks this' I would be thinking of ye of little faith and expect some amazing transformation: obviously I was never disappointed.

I do think we are better under Koeman but it will take time but it's definitely worrying when we set up so badly, so lacking in threat or intent: that is entirely the responsibility of the manager. Losing is always shit but it's definitely more digestible if you've had a go and can draw some positives. Let's hope we get some quality in: Bas Dost, Mahrez and Sessengeon?

Lots of obvious soundbites to cover over huge chasms in class.

Just taking the money.

Add to this problem Holgate having to learn the right-back role and Baines, who can no longer run on an overlap and you can see the problems Koeman faces. The midfield sits too deep and the likes of Rooney and Sigurdsson find themselves mugged by two markers every time they get the ball. The inability of Jags or Williams to bring the ball out result in the regular launching of the ball back to the opponents.

Obviously we are lacking a centre forward and a winger, but we also need a right-back, a left-back and another tall centre-back. That's a lot of shopping before Thursday's deadline. Like others on here, I wonder what Walsh and Koeman discuss in their transfer policy. How much time do you need to get in a proper striker?

Koeman is to blame; his priority has been to replace Lukaku and he has failed to do that. Koeman promised pressing, high tempo, attacking football; he has delivered (so far), nothing even resembling that.

Tom Davies looks demoralised and lethargic; Sandro looks as if he has woken up in a bad dream; Williams and Jags are so far off Premier League level, it's an embarrassment.

There's no width, no cutting edge, no pressing, no threat. We are in short a total and utter shambles and the po-faced miserable Dutch twat is the reason.

Surely this was far more important than strengthening the squad anywhere else as him going left us completely without a scorer.

Hopefully we will be pleasantly surprised this week but whilst we have bought well there are still some gaping holes in the squad with a proper striker who can be a focal point being top of the list. This plus the fruitless trip to Italy are strange ones to me!

I've got to say Arsenal looked very very poor yesterday.

Calvert-Lewin is learning and Sandro could play off the main man, but most of the other top ten clubs all have a recognised striker that we would probably be envious of.

As it would appear that the club have seemed to over looked Lukaku's replacement, in hindsight, maybe it would have been prudent to have waited to have seen how much players were going to go for in this transfer window and then tried to hold out for a greater price. But maybe if we did that we possibly would have got more money but wouldn't have been able to have brought in the players that we currently have.

Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson as a central two. Schneiderlin in front of the back four allowing Sigurdsson to go forward and support the attack. Klaassen and Lookman out wide.

Full backs: Martina (until Coleman is fit) and Baines overlapping the wide players and Keane and Williams in the middle. Also, if you plan to defend two banks of four and make the opposition break you down is always best.

We have plenty of players and on paper we are stronger than we were last season. This is what squads are for. If Koeman wants to buy another striker (something he's had all summer to do) then buy one. But I would still play 4-4-2 because we lack pace in the middle of the park but we do have great passers in Sigurdsson and Schneiderlin so let the ball do the running.

But if we don't watch it we are going to undo all the good work of the summer by becoming obsessed with acquiring a top striker at such a late stage of the window and convincing ourselves we are in for a rubbish season if we don't.

I very much hope I'm wrong (and I usually am) but I sense we're going to be disappointed come Thursday night.

It seems to me that there's simply no-one out there who is both good enough and available. So we'll continue to bore ourselves with mid-table mediocrity for yet another season.

It's been a bad day, by the way...

Meanwhile, I thought Calvert-Lewin was excellent again yesterday, and clearly should be starting every game in the absence of an experienced front man. Sandro is energetic but I don't really know what he is for. He linked up nicely with Rooney a couple of times, but Calvert-Lewin offered more threat in his first five minutes than Sandro did all match.

Sigurdsson out wide on the left seemed a bit odd too. Again, he looked a lot better when he tucked in a bit and Calvert-Lewin was offering runs.

I really don't see the point in scraping the barrel for a journeyman forward when all the real business has been done by now, then letting Calvert-Lewin sit on the bench. Give the lad a go.

4-4-2 is seen as old-fashioned these days. Apparently any other line up is preferable even if you don't have the players to suit it. As we witnessed yesterday with Baines and Holgate as wing-halves – even though they were totally unsuited to it.

How old is Dele Alli again?

We actually look like a side three divisions below these teams, and have done for many years now. That's unacceptable, and we will never achieve anything until we address our obvious underdog mentality.

Might upset a few, but I can't wait to see the back of our dilapidated stadium. Maybe a shiny, multi-million pound new arena will wipe away our inferiority complex which permeates throughout the whole organisation. We just can't shake it off, and I don't think we ever will as long as the same old faces remain. We're just too nice, there is no ruthlessness.

This isn't a knee-jerk reaction to one defeat, it's 25 years' worth of rolling over to have our tummies tickled. It's getting old.

New stadiums are not the panacea for poor performances. The best cure is managers who play to win – such as Mourhino, Conte and Pep.

I can't understand the need for 2 defensive midfielders or even one. The term insinuates that they can't play with the football.

Let the back 4 defend and the midfielders dictate the game; one goes forward and the other one sits and let the other side worry about defending against us.

Also, we must assume that the intended Lukaku replacement must have given some encouragement and then backtracked; else the level of incompetency at the board level is disturbing.

If the manager doesn't get the tactics right, and use the existing players to the best advantage, no amount of new signings will change anything much.

We bring players in, and start criticising them, like Klaasen, when in fact any player will struggle more if the tactics are crap.

Koeman needs to get the tactics right, that's one of the main things he's paid to do. But he so often doesn't do it.

A new waterfront stadium may just go a little way towards helping dispel our underdog mentality. You can't deny this exists, surely? We are not talking just any stadium here either. If the plans do come to fruition, we could be playing in a world class arena.

When we got rid of RM as manager of the alternatives I wanted Koeman, but he has hardly changed much in his time here. I also worry about his man management he seems to fall out with players very quickly. The latest being Mirallas if he had doubts about him why give him a 5 year contract in the Summer. You can add Niasse,McCarthy,Deulofeu and Barkley to the list, yes you want a strong manager but surely the idea is to keep the players on your side as you may need them.

So at the moment I have more questions than answers over RK, has he defined what style he wants to play I don't think so. Whenever we come up against a top team who play 3 at the back then he also goes with 3 at the back. Yet each time he has tried 3 at the back it doesnt seem to work. He changes players from 1 game to the next which says to me he doesnt know his best team. When managers don't know their best 11 then you have got problems, as chopping and changing has never done any good when this happens.

I was reading that yesterday our 3 were the players with most passes in the game. That is surely a problem given the shortcomings of 2 of them on the ball. Plus a lack of recovery speed means they sit deep and have the slowest of them, Williams, sitting in the middle of the 3.

This drags the midfield back too and negates the attacking players. No wonder Rooney was visibly frustrated and exasperated.

To play this system you also need dynamic wing backs who can attack and defend well, are fast and energetic and can get up and down the pitch. Hence the amount City have spent on these positions.

The system is both attacking and defensively effective, if used effectively. To us it's purely defensive with negative effects all over the pitch.

We clearly don't have the players to play this system, so either get them in or stop playing the fucking thing.

I think you can argue extenuating circumstances about the programme, fatigue, missing players, gelling in new players , match fitness. But only up to a point.

Having looked at that abject, joyless display yesterday, the root cause was the structure for me. We could and should have made better use of the players at our disposal. We might still have got beaten, because they are a good team with class players all over the park, but for fucks sake have a real go, play to our strengths, and give us something to hang on to.

I'll be disappointed if Mirallas goes and isn't replaced, we need pace, letting him leave without a replacement would be a step backwards just as letting Deulofeu go out on loan without a replacement last January was.

As for yesterday's game the set up was all wrong, we failed misearably with 5 at the back in this game last season and looked awful against Stoke in the first half with it so why play it again? Makes no sense.

There's a theme of Keoman falling out with flair players Deulofeu, Barkley and now Mirallas. As others have said without creativity it doesn't matter who is playing up front, Koeman is squeezing the creativity out of our squad and not replacing it.

We seem to be shoe horning the players into the team rather than playing a recognised system. As I and many others have been saying we are totally devoid of pace and width. I never thought I'd be desperate for Bolasie to be fit as at least he provides both!

Rooney, Sigurdson and Klassen all want the same spot! One or two will have to sit out if we are to play a system that provides width!

I dumbfounded that RK cannot see this? He's been a brilliant player and decent manager plus has many advisers around him! I'm in the give him some time camp but it seems to me the problems are obvious?!

Two DM players at home v teams parking the bus?!

Holgate wing back ?

DCL wing back ?

These are obvious mistakes, are they not ??

Lose to the Mackems in the League Cup and I will want Koeman gone!!!

Will Deulofeu gone, Mirallas a spent force and Lennon also past his limited best, we have no pace out wide.

We need 2 forwards at least I feel. We should Go for Luan from Grêmio and maybe try for Martial from Utd. If not, then Dembele from Celtic. A bid of 40 Million for Mahrez would also transform our attack.

Imagine having Mahrez, Rooney, Luan, DCL, Sandro and Dembele to choose from. Those 3 would cost basically the same as Lukaku. Sell Mirallas and Lennon.

That would show we really are targetting top-4.

We need forwards with pace and dynamism.

I won't rehash what positions we are short in - it's abundantly clear to all posters on here and indeed every Evertonian with a brain.

Vardy for 40m would be a ludicrous signing. We need continental players with speed of thought as well as body who cost less than that. That's what Walsh is supposed to unearth with the king's ransom we pay him...

RK now only talking about a striker as well. No left sided defender? What the hell do we do if Baines gets injured? And can he be expected to play every league and Europa game anyway...?

Worried, very worried, despite what seemed a promising start (until Saturday).

And Ashley Young!

If it's rumours we need

Everton now in the panic buy aisle of the transfer window superstore with the tannoy announcing closing time.

No guarantees, or refunds either. Fortunately the store takes Chinese credit so we are lucky we can blow stacks on an grossly overpriced forward who can't score goals.

Maybe there's a loanee left on the shelf from a mega club whos not made it, but hates cold weather.

A plucky unknown from the championship?

Ill be amazed if we get anyone near what we need.

Personally with Wenger all over the shop, and making it known players can leave l'd still be throwing the moula at Giroud. Distinctly 4th choice at Arsenal.

But its all got very messy, and very much how Everton do deadline day.

Giroud, Rondon, Dzeko

Niasse in the next match day squad? 👀

A few have suggested Koeman inquired about Costa on loan and talk shite have been going with it on and off today - I know, I know

But the clock is ticking and we are in dire need.

Let this be true

No pre-season, not the sort of lad who is naturally fit. Had a very good time in Brazil this summer by all accounts?

Only with us for a paltry 4 months, we would used to get him fit for Madrid and see little or no benefit from it. Some one proper pulling our pants down, and we're letting them!

He's good for a sending off, add a nice suspension in for good measure.

Unlikely Athleti, his eventual destination, would let him play European footy?

We have 17 league games before Jan 1st, how many is he really gonna be match fit for?

Even by our previous panic deadline day actions that would be right up there.

To borrow from an Edinburgh Festival line, if he doesn't know what a couple is, I wouldn't be surprised if his marriage is in trouble.

On Costa, if we are struggling to get anything in long term that Koeman finds acceptable, he will more than do short term. I remember United once bringing in Henrik Larsson for a 3 month loan. Costa can lead the line, he makes runs in behind, occupies center backs, can link and net.

But we really need some out and out pace. A striker that can run the channels and stretch sides. Without that the backs to the wall, soak pressure up performances will be the norm away from home against top sides. We have to possess some threat to get out and break. We have none. We are neat, tidy and inoffensive.

We also badly need a wide player. Not necessarily a winger. We lack a wide attacking midfielder to add some verve to a very one paced midfield. They tried to get Sissoko. Thankfully we missed that bullet, but I assume Walsh/Koeman had reasons for wanting to take him? Had perhaps identified in him some qualities that we lacked? We need to add legs and goals to our midfield. We need someone who can do that wide in a 4-4-2 and play wide in a 4-3-3, preferably left and right.

And there's also the thorny issue of the left sided centre back who can cover left back.

My observations about the observations, is that there will be a lot of disgruntled fans come the end of the window, no matter who they don't buy.

Some great views and rightly so concerns. It is though early day's so I'm still optimistic, for now. I think being involved with the Europa will be detrimental to our push for top 6. I also still think Koeman has been brought in to do what he did for Southampton, build a few good teams after selling our best players for big profit. The stadium project if it's real will have been taken into consideration by the owner and he will have had a long term plan, not the short term throw loads of stupid money at over inflated average players.

So my prediction is, a average run in the Europa, a Premier league finish of 6th or 7th and a lot more moaning fans on TW. Same as the last 20 odd years.. The shite will come close to winning nothing, City as champs with United on their coat tails all the way or the other way around. Spurs will be Spurs and ermm I don't care...

If we were prepared to commit serious money then we'd have a striker now. We don't. I cannot see anyone out there who'd we get now.

Who knows? DCL might go out and score 20 goals but this is looking bad now and we'll be nailed on to finish an uninspiring 7th once again.

Quite evident the legs and the mental side we looked unsurprisingly jaded. Sandro and Gana probably risked and not match fit. Anyone expect Baines and Rooney to do three full games in that space of time...?? Several injuries, and people point to tactics.

Get real. Two good signings and a rest, we can now start to gel. BTW, it might take till January to settle things down 8-10 new players always does take time.

Sorry, but no. We're seven games in, and haven't played well yet. We sneaked though in the open round of qualifiers as well, against real poor opposition. And we don't just have this season to look at.

We also have last season as well, which saw some really dire attacking play and the same poor tactics that we've started with this season. A persistence with loading the team with defensive players. A system leaving the three attacking players isolated and stretched from the 7 mostly defensive players. A system persisting with at least two defensive midfielders even when at home against relegation contenders. A system that many would claim to be three at the back, but in fact was 5 at the back with 2 defensive midfielders.

We've known all summer we needed to replace a top quality striker. We heard the manager talk about needing more productivity up front. So how does that reconcile with starting a match with only Rooney, Gilfy and Sandro in attack? We had a man advantage for more than half the game against City. We completely folded and did nothing but defend. At the weekend we were down 2, but the manager would not sacrifice a defender for an attacker.

Our squad has no wingers. We haven't replaced the star striker we lost. He overloads the team with defenders. We have no attacking philosophy to speak of.

I'm going to assume the delay is because Ron thinks he can get someone who offers 15-20 goals a season. That would be someone on Costa's level.

We'll see. I don't think we can yet pick up that top striker and reckon we'll end up with taking a chance on someone or plucking Joe Average out of the Championship. Either will do for me right now but not signing anyone isn't an option.

Conte told him during the summer he has no place at Chelsea any longer. Costa only wants to go back to Atletico Madrid. But they have a transfer ban so can not sign any players to be registered with them this season. Hence, the reason for a loan to be rumoured until he can end up at Atletico. Until then, Costa is AWOL in Brazil.

Costa and Conte clashed middle of last season over a move to China I understand and fitness issues, which ended with Conte texting Costa that he's out of the door before pre season kicked off.

Costa said "Fuck you" and stayed in Brazil saying it's his destiny to go back to Atletico Madrid. Whilst tucking into some majitos on the beach and no doubt a few half dressed models.

Madrid can't buy any more players until January because of a ban. The solution the media (?) have come up with is Madrid to buy him but loan him to us. Which solves all the issues.

Except that it'd take Costa at least 6 weeks to get fit meaning he'd only have about 6 weeks or so actually in our team. Actually, forget that. Koeman doesn't seem to care about fitness and if Sigurdsson can play 2 full 90 minute games in 3 days with only pre-season training behind him, then I'm sure Costa will be in our starting 11 as soon as he's off the plane and finished off his kebab. No doubt with chili sauce still dripping down his chin.

Crouch could do a job for us! I'm hoping we can do a bit better though.

Then use the money to get in a Mahrez or Luan (or a bid for Sterling worth a try) and make an agreement for Dembele or Dolberg for next season post Costa. And agreement for that for Ziyech from Ajax also. Giving these players another season of development, and planning ahead for next season,

And get Sakho to partner Keane.

Too much to ask? Ok let's lose Barkley for 10 million in January, sign Beneteke for 48 million in the last minute of the window, and pay 5 million for cancel Galloways loan.

"The extraordinary story of Everton target Nikola Vlasic – 30,000 goals and a family of sporting champions"

And we fall for this shit and want more coverage?

Are we stupid or do we have Attention Deficit Disorders.. etc

10 goals in the last three years. 30,000 in the 10 prior. That's a hell of a loss in form. There's no way he scored 3,000 per year in organized football from age six. His Dad must be including goals from kickabouts with his mates. In which case I must have close to 50,000 including with a tennis ball when the goal was the living room couch.

My only hope for redemption is getting a manager, or management team from within the club – Unsworth, Ferguson etc. Otherwise, doom and gloom for another 20 years.

Koeman is not the answer, and he should return to Holland and pick tulips for a living.

He will be waiting for an eternity for someone to generate enough enthusiasm and skill to pick out a decent pass to him whilst performing his pressing duties as against what he should be doing which is, receiving the football in a timely manner and having that priceless skill which is a shot on goal.

We Webbytoffers will have to settle for the usual 40 points unless a miracle happens.

Just a thought, has Tom Davies realised that being in this team at the moment isn't going to do his future prospects any good at all?

Pure, solid gold bollocks.

In the spirit that your comment was intended, I was completely unaware that pure solid gold bollocks was your family crest. Please accept my unreserved apology to you and yours.