Young Blues trio sign new contracts

Would love some positive news on Barkely, but it might take a miracle to turn him round. I think he's been ill-advised. Hope for the best and all that.

It feels like the summer is back!! Hope this current bubble doesn't burst so quickly.

Dominic already looks 10 times the player Kone or Valencia were and Jonjoe is becoming the player we all hoped for.

Mason is looking solid alongside his buddy Ashley Williams, so all-round a happier place than we were a few months ago.

I read all the threads although I try not to get too involved, and I've noticed in the last few days there seems to be a few contributors exceeding the limit, and I confess that I too am guilty of doing so.

My plea for clemency, is that I thought that I may well have missed the armistice declaration.

I was growing concerned that he was perched awkwardly between fullback and centreback, without quite fitting the mold of either, but his pairing with Williams these past few matches has looked very heartening indeed.

I have to admit I'm still unsure about Dominic. He's improved in difficult circumstances. but he is not a good finisher and needs to be more aggressive. Happy to keep an open mind. A good day for the club.

I'd like Barkley put his John Hancock on a new contract; trouble is he will be able to command a bigger wage packet now This situation has been largely caused by that jerk Koeman, to add to his other many mess ups.

I actually think he will sign a new contract with the club; I hope he does.

I'm too lazy to surf the interweb to find out, can someone please enlighten me?

Ross must be giving it some thought. If he wants out of Merseyside, why not just move to Cheshire?

Holgate has surprised me as I thought he was awful at centre back against Lyon at home (when he gave that penalty away early) but he has improved and the jury is still out imo if he can stay there. Tom Davies has gone backwards from last season but like Holgate he might improve.

Lookman is the one for me, he has everything and can score goals but he needs to get the physical side of his game sorted out, as he seems too nice and needs more of Jonjoe Kenny's temperament when he gets his chance.

Kenny starting to impress especially against Liverpool.

Holgate maturing well at centre-back.

No-brainer to sign them up.

Hopefully the new coaching team can help develop Davies, Baningime, Lookman and Vlasic too – and it would be great to get Dowell and Onyekuru back.

We could do with an experienced striker, left back and centre back.

Some of the squad just aren't worth keeping – Mirallas, Besic – and some like Klaassen and Sandro you wonder what to do with them -– wait?

Kenny has settled and is slowly adding the attacking component to his role we all know he's capable of.

Holgate like many players, benefiting from being played in his position and regularly.

Calvert-Lewin doing a job expected of a player more experienced than him.

Now I hope Allardyce backs this up with actions when he buys in January and keeps these three in the squad and team. This is a key element to me being more open to Sam.

Sam could go for Seamus to play wide right – what is currently the Lennon role. More solid at the back; more likely to score;

Not bad!

He played there not long after he first broke into the team I recall, just in-front of Hibbert.

Hope we could tie Dowell down to a longer contract as well.

All of these young guns at Everton play the game the way you hope they would; enthusiasm, adventure, technique, hard work and with a smile on their face. David Unsworth has done an excellent job of developing the Academy talent. In the words of the less than dearly departed... PHENOMENAL!

(Ducks for cover!)

I know he's not a lot of people's cup of tea but I think Ashley Williams gives it all he's got in every game, and that's one thing Evertonians always look out for in my view.

At the risk of being lacerated by your intelligence and wit, how in the hell is Barkley a "snake"??? Boy wanted more money and was being treated like shit by Koeman!

Good news on the hat-trick youth signings!

“Jonjoe's decision-making for such a young man is very impressive and part of the reason he makes the game look simple. He is also an excellent defender, very grounded as an individual and he has an innate desire to succeed. He's hungry and his choice of ball possession is first-class for a young man. He is an outstanding young man at full-back."

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“I've made the point before that Jonjoe's decision-making for such a young man is very impressive and part of the reason he makes the game look simple.

“He is also an excellent defender, very grounded as an individual and he has an innate desire to succeed. He's hungry and his choice of ball possession is first-class for a young man. He is an outstanding young man at full-back.

I am warming to Big Sam by the day. For the first time in a long while, I can understand the Everton manager's post match comments and feel we were watching the same game.

Like the others on this thread, who watch the U23s, I would be very disappointed were we to lose Liam Walsh. I hope the Bristol City interest is for a loan.

"I'd like to offer a nod to Ashley Williams for his recent displays – centre-backs need a partner, and without Williams I think Holgate would have struggled".

I agree, James. I also think it has something to do with one of them, Holgate, being comfortable on the ball, which Williams isn't (ditto Jags). So we don't get the ball being passed to and from Williams and Jags, as neither wants responsibility to move the ball on. So Williams, I guess, has more confidence in playing alongside Holgate in such situations.

James, 36 - good points well made. I'm one of those who thinks Williams one of the crudest top-flight centre-halves ever, but he is top-flight class because he defends like he means it and shows leadership. That must have been helping Holgate.

Everton have a number of other good prospects: even Keane is only 24 and should be able to prove himself. Davies is another young player who appears to have lost his confidence just lately. Fans need to be delighted to have such good prospects, but they also need to accept times when they do not play well. That is when they need the "Blue" support the most.

It must be devastating for a young player to have forty thousand people jeering at you and writing in letters saying you were "crap". Most people in regular jobs have enough difficulty when their boss, just one person, tells them that they aren't working hard enough. Imagine if you had an entire factory or office screaming and swearing at you and telling you that you are crap and have no chance of ever being anything but useless. Those kids need you far more than you need them!!!

In time, they may unite to play like Man City are now. However, remember Man City fans have put up with far more rubbish and bad times than any Everton fan ever did. Unfortunately today, money, along with great coaching and patience, has provided them with a team that every football purist really admires even if you hate their guts.

I have seen my beloved Blues win the league and the Cup. I have also seen them relegated. Perhaps our time will come again... If so it would be really great to have our young, home grown players in that team. If so they will need your cheers and not your jeers.

As for my wit? I suppose a lot must get lost in translation.

So I guess Ross Barkley not signing his new record-breaking wage structure Soccer Contract with the Everton blue franchise may annoy some Everton patrons?

Encouraging words from Sam too.

Lookman, Vlasic and Baningime are going to be outstanding too, the future is looking good.

On the OS, he reckons Mason Holgate is too good looking to be a centre-half – to me, there speaks a man that appears to be very comfortable in his job...

Yes sorry about Beni, blame Ian for that. I just thought automatically that Beni Baningime was on Ian's list!!!!

Calling a man by his last name only would be more of an "affectionate" greeting in the States. Not meant to be flippant but rather, over here, a greeting more of congeniality. And again, the "intelligence and wit" was a compliment – you're no dummy. As you say, lost in translation.

Points taken. I don't blame Ross a bit. I'd actually argue with Koeman at the helm he realized he was on the outs, and no amount of money mattered if he wasn't playing. I actually am hoping he signs.

The real task to keep a hold of Barkley and this trio is not just making them sign a paper which entitles us to a big fee if they leave, but making us a big enough stage for them to spend their best years with us.

So yes, good news we have locked in the rights to a fee but Mr Moshiri still needs to keep delivering the goods to ensure that our best talent remains at the club if they are good enough. That includes Ross Barkley.

A point about Tom Davies, who I think will be a tremendous asset in future. I'm not too concerned about his recent downturn – which can only be expected in a young player and was probably not helped by 3 different management teams within 6 months, all with different methods of dealing with tactics etc.

Finally, not quite on subject but has anybody else noticed the general improvement by contributors recently? Much less foul language and more thoughtful comments – still many different views, of course.

Hope to see Garbutt added to the senior squad come January.

I believe some of the dead weight in the squad needs to be offloaded as well, such as Mirallas, Schneiderlin, and (the injury prone) McCarthy. I haven't seen anything from Klaassen to see what he brings to the team either.