PIckford: Blues won't be in bottom 3 for long

Not only have you been our best new signing, you have quite literally been the only player on the pitch who has never let anyone down this season.

When your mates and your manager (whoever he may be) start performing up to the standard you are setting, we'll be Everton again.

In my opinion we need to grind out the I'd draw and rare win at home.

We have to be working tirelessly right now to bring in 2 strikers, 1 pacy winger to compliment Lookman on the other flank to give us balance and competition for Bolasie when he is fit. A left back with pace is a cert, and also a centre back.

I say 2 strikers because it would be the luck of Everton to buy 1 striker and he break a leg two games in. That would certainly take us down.

This has to be whatever we need to pay for the strikers as getting relegated could have far more crushing ramifications.

This season has set us back two years.

I was very impressed by the teamwork, passing and running from them as a unit. It was only after thinking about it; they were almost in freefall (Wolves) not so long ago after a succession of manager's had all failed.

Now they are top of the Championship, and although it's early days, look like the best team I have seen in that Division.

I am not advocating going for Nuno, but just drawing a comparison; that from a seemingly hopeless position, success is not that far away, with the right personnel in place, whoever they are.

Which leaves the following:

The new signing come good.

The youth step up and pull one out the bag.

We get a manager who can make the team greater than the sum of its parts.

Feet up till Jan and hope the window brings in someone good.

Pickford still has much to learn but is a great improvement on Howard, Robles and Stek whilst Rooney has ,at least, found the net !

Very confident of a win today but then what the hell do I know about football !

This is making him look small in the goals hence "Big Nev" is same height. Cannot remember him having a quiet game this season and that is saying alot

Plan A) Push the back-line up nearer to half way line and let the full back's attack. Play one defensive midfielder press with 4 or 5 in their half always and attack, attack, attack, attack. (to be top 4) Guardiola

Plan B) Counter leaving fast wingers high up to support a striker, drop off deeper with full backs staying narrow. Play direct and high tempo (top 6) Ranieri

Plan C) Deep defending with wingers playing as midfielders rather than attackers, Moyes style, you don't need a description of this one, we watched it for 10 years. (top half)

Plan D) Mix these together and get relegated...because you don't attack without belief and numbers, you can't counter without tempo and speed and you cant defend without protection and cover. We need to pick were we want to be and choose a suitable manager.

And to be fair to the board they have tried up until this point to do the right thing, their choice of manager will show our ambition and then as fans we can adjust our expectations accordingly (probably back to how we were). Pick a plan and do it properly.

Sunday could be our 4th consecutive home defeat and I cant ever remember seeing that before.

So I have concluded that rather than kid ourselves that we should get a hot shot manager to chase trophies, what we actually need right now is a proven scrapper against relegation with the ability to turn a rubbish side into one that is at least a challenge to beat.

In other words I fear we need an Allardyce before we can even think of a Tuchel.

I'm struggling to get a strong view on the next manager. Strong whispers for Dyche, who I'd be happy with. Gets the best out of his players, good man-manager, good organiser. Even bought a striker in the summer. Liked the fact that he didn't whinge about his budget when Burnley got relegated, then took them straight back up.

Not one Martinez signing was in our starting eleven on the opening day of this season, and only a couple of starters had actually played for the man.

We have changed too much of the squad way too quick, and we just need someone to settle us down, and start playing the same formation, with most of the same players every week.

...I definitely don't share his assessment. Honestly, even the couple of games we've won we didn't really look like winning. :)

Their lack of cohesion and spirit is so bad they are now bottom of the Championship too!

There is no point grumbling on and on about the inadequacies which are obvious, we have to turn it around by force of collective will as Everton supporters. It may take time, it may not happen tomorrow, but in every game we must outshout the opposition fans home and away for 90 minutes.

It sounds a bit cheesy but it has to be done. This is our club, not Kenwright's or Moshiri's or anybody else's, and it's up to us to make that very clear indeed. Nobody else is going to do it so we have to rediscover Everton's soul ourselves, and I am sure we will. Week after week after week.

The thing that pisses me off most, is those who say "I'm not going to anymore games, or renewing me season ticket until things improve, or if this manager or that manager is appointed". Well do you know what, you won't be missed. It's almost like you want the club begging you to carry on supporting them. Let someone else have your ticket who will give the team their full support.

The concerns over Pickford are valid. He has some excellent skills, but he is often too eager to affect the game.

Perhaps he could confine his kicking, especially on his right foot to percentages rather than an arrowed pass which often loses possession.

He can be rash, the first goal on Thursday a case in point, and rightly pointed out he goes hard at the ball so his rebound control needs work.

A young goalkeeper, with improvements to make. He needs to walk before he can run. Goalkeepers need to be calm not hyper, he often is. The greatest ever, big Nev was a calm and assured, it transmitted to his back four.

Its fair to acknowledge the changing cast of rubbish in front of him, and he has often kept the score at bay.

But the results & performances should not disguise the improvements he needs to address.

As for the team settled side, drilled formation and keep with Unsworth until Xmas. The readily available candidates are poor. Mancini would be my choice.

If desperation sets in of all the dourness out there, Moyes over anything Sam or Dyche have to offer.

Whatever people say about the sour end to his reign, he would be better than a firefighter.

If I remember rightly Newcastle and West Ham fans where saying how bad the football was with Sam in charge and alright he keeps teams up but we are know where near that situation yet. Dyche's Burnley are terrible to watch, so if we get either of those two know one who doesn't like the style of play can moan because you already know what your getting.

I pray everyday our club does not employ won fuck all and done fuck all Big Sam or Sean Dyche.

Southall was interviewed a couple of years back. He predicted the end of the 6’6” keepers. He said they would get smaller again.

His reasoning was that the height was only needed to pluck crosses out of the air and that part of the game was gone. Southall said that footballers don’t hang crosses into the box anymore (except for Martina) they’re hit flatter and so the keeper doesn’t need to be as big.

I’ve not seen Southall evaluate Pickford but he may was well have been predicting him with his analysis.

I think Southall knows a thing or two about keepers as well.

https://youtu.be/t05cShAqOj0?t=17m59s

Tried to find the interview. This is not it. But this is a perfect example of a winning mentality. The video is all about goalkeeping, but being big Evertonians, I'm sure some of you will find it as fascinating as I did. Especially the bits where big Nev says keepers should still be getting better and better at 36!

Big Nev and Shay Given discussing height

Watching those two videos back reminds, the lack of big Nev as a coach or manager for anyone is a massive loss to football. The guy is such a deep thinker on so many aspects of the game. And he really should have had a role in the game. So what if he's a bit outspoken, footballers need that, they're all too mollycoddled now anyway.

Enjoy the vids fellas.

Has Moyes recently presided over a relegation? Yes.

Has Allardyce recently presided over an escape from relegation? Yes.

Those 2 metrics are all that matters in this micro debate.

We have spent £145 million with no premiership striker and we ship goals. Let's face it we are in no position to question, who's not big enough for Everton?

Relagation is not an option with our wage bill. Let's get safe and start again. It's not going to be pretty but give me mid table and then move on from there. If that's allardyce then so be it.

Tosh maybe but Sam is nothing more than a walking megaphone for his own services. And overrated ones at that.

I’m afraid ‘the debate’ is wider than the metrics you cite.

His one chance at a job compromable to Everton was Newcastle, that was an abject failure.

Everton are not Palace nor any of your regular relegation candidates, if thats what you believe we truly are.

Everton require a longer term view.

On to Moyes, derided in part for the way he left sure, why not kick the boot in? I’ve no issue there for a chance at something better. He owed us nothing. His record for in the premier league is vastly better than Sam’s. Several top 6 finishes to that of Alladyce, and throw in a couple of relegation survivals himself.

Sam, has never built anything not worth ripping apart, perhaps at Bolton but that fell apart like the preverbial house of cards soon after.

Not relegated? Is he ever around long enough to see something through? Maybe not I’d suggest.

And even if his fabled powers are to bebelived its more likely he won’t succeed. Trying to revive a club after club in disarray is like Russian roulette.

He’s due a bullet. No thanks.

Name a club that he saved and wasn’t a mess after he left. Look at palace, West Ham and Sunderland. He might have kept them up but there was nothing long term but debts for the successor to work with.

He’s a crook. He’s not fit to be our manager. His football is utter shite and it will take years to undo the mess that he will leave us in. We’ve got enough mess to sort out thanks to Ronald.

We need a coach. We can turn this around by good coaching and that is tuchel or silva. If you want defensive and English then Dyche is better than Allardyce and he’s no crook.

I cant believe that some people think we're really good and just waiting to a get a couple of good results and then we'll climb right up the table. Make no mistake about it, we are shit. We are in big trouble and relegation, currently, seems pretty inevitable.

I have dreamt for Everton to find a wealthy owner for decades. Now that we have one We can't make it count because every other club has money and the best managers aren't interested. I feel cheated.

The money has come 5 years too late to build a dominance and begin a legacy. So more of the same then, league position 5th to 17th, and a couple of thumpings by Liverpool each year.

After supporting Everton for 35 years, I'm very very close to calling it a day. I think I have stressed enough over that time to now call it a day supporting Everton, I'm genuinely beaten.

COYB

I can understand why people are saying it; but I think we have had enough disruption of late, and another short term fix would only increase that disruption.

Hypothetically, should that route be adopted; we stay in the Prem; whoever managed goes; we get another appointment; he wants to get rid of certain players and bring in his own choice; more settling in and disruption again.

Whoever gets the job should have a plan; be allowed to implement it, and let it mature.

There are a lot of ageing players who are showing signs, that their best playing days are well behind them, coupled with the deadwood, which all amounts to considerable change anyway.

Let's make sure the next choice is the right choice, and not a sticking plaster, where stitches are needed.

And as for Allardyce? That would just about break me. After Moyes, would be the worst appointment we could make. The football 'entertainment' would be worse than Koeman. I'd be embarrassed to call my self an Everton fan with this guy in charge.

Dyche, I could just about cope with. Just. Even though I don't want him either.

Fingers crossed the board have been busier than just 'talking to Sam' and they have a German ace up their sleeve . or are confident Unsy can progress.

Pickford had been great for the first 10 games or so, but little things had started to annoy me. He flies off his line too much, particularly against Lyon and Watford. He seemed better placed to stay on his line as there were still defenders around to make tackles.

He seems to get beaten at above head height too easily. I don't mean out of jumping reach, I mean at a height of around 7 feet, were he could easily get an arm up to it. I am keeping an eye out to see if it is a thing or just how the goals have gone in.

Kirkland has a much better eye than me, he's seen far more than Pickford than me. Pickford has been by far our best signing, and seems a massive upgrade on Stek and Joel. He might just need a clean sheet and to get some confidence to settle him back down.