Another day of derby misery but our time will come

The fact Richarlison is our best bet despite not being classed as an out and out forward really says it all and it does show at times that the lad doesn't hold the ball up well enough.

Silva has clearly seen enough to have made his mind up on Niasse and Tosun and I wouldn't be at all shocked to see both leave for the Turkish league in January.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin isn't up to that level yet, again he will run and work hard but you can't say that he's the answer to beating the sides at the top of the table and enhancing our chances of finishing in that top 6.

We need more goals, you feel if Sigurdsson or Richarlison don't score, then where are the regular source of goals coming from?

I've said for many a year now that we don't win this fixture (or any of the top 6) because we are rarely clinical in front of goal.

Look at the games at Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, in each one of them we were presented with numerous really good chances that at Premier League level you'd expect to be taken.

The sum total of our goals scored from the four visits so far to the top 6 is one penalty by Gylfi Sigurdsson at Old Trafford.

Until we find a clinical edge and ruthless streak in front of goal, then the same problem which has held us back for years will simply persist for another bunch of years.

It is a freak result but, when looking at the bigger picture, look how far the club has come in a short space of time. Brands and Silva have only been at the club for a few months. They have already brought in quality players and will do so again in the summer.

We are heading upwards; with the addition of another two or three players, we will look an even greater force. Who would have imagined that, after the shite from the last two seasons of Koeman, Walsh, and Allardyce, we'd be in this position already?

Let's not forget, we are still in 6th place with two home games to come. Onwards and upwards.

Gana has his worst game of the season and we continue to waste chances. Any of the strikers in the top 5 would have pushed us further up the League. 1 point away against Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea with 1 goal scored says it all.

In my opinion, the manager chose the correct starting line-up and his understanding of match tactics was good (not perfect, but good). The players understood what was required from them and performed admirably. We created good chances and we were unlucky not to have converted our chances.

In a cruel twist of fate, and in typical Red Shite luck, we were undone. Pickford is young and exuberant; he did make some irrational kicking decisions, but also made some superb saves. He is still learning.

I am pleased with the effort and application of the team, they look like they're pulling together, and this is a good sign of things to come. Well done on team effort; learn from it and move on.

Link

We could finish above Man Utd but it's again unlikely.

As an Evertonian, as usual, the most satisfaction we can get before Christmas now is praying we avoid a top 6 side in the FA Cup Third Round draw tomorrow... and then hoping Napoli knock those smarmy flag-waving knobheads out of the Champions League a week on Wednesday.

Anything else involving Everton really isn't going to do an awful lot to make up for that gut-wrenching feeling from today.

They are not going to catch Man City, whereas we are developing at a rate I have never witnessed. I truly believe that under this coach and the backing he seems to have, by the end of the season, there will only be Man City that are in a different class than us.

I get the feeling that the whole set up including our fans cant wait for the Goodison derby and all that comes in between. Okay, I'll calm down but there is something about today's derby defeat that is different and I refuse to be disappointed by it. Roll on Wednesday!!!

I would still prefer Richarlison on the wing – he is not a centre-forward, and I still think that with the right service Tosun would be a better option at the moment; however, we need a proven goal-scorer ASAP and games like that will go our way!

If you follow the Premier League stats for the 2017-18 season, Pickford comes in behind De Gea and Nick Pope for errors leading to a goal. Out of the 58 goals conceded, two of Pickford's goals came from errors (3.4%). The error percentage for Schmeichel, Cech and Lloris were 4.2%. 12.5% and 14.2% respectively. Pickford, of course, was forced to make more saves than the other keepers mentioned.

Just imagine if we applied the same percentages to strikers and shots on goal or midfielders and passing efficiency? Pickford is a first class keeper and we are fortunate to have him in our club.

Overall, Everton have improved beyond recognition. I think that Klopp's Liverpool are at their limit and on their way down. I think Everton are on their way up.

I also saw Andy Gray and Richard Keys attempting to say that Allardyce would also have got an Everton team under his tutelage to play as well as we did today at Anfield given more time and more money – really?

Which brings me to my main point, compare and contrast this current Everton side and the one we were watching barely 12 months ago. I'm confident that if the team continue to perform to such a high level over the next few months and become far more clinical in front of goal, then the future is bright for us as Everton supporters.

The need for a striker – isn't it always the case at Goodison? – is paramount, not just any goalscorer but a top class finisher who can turn all of the good approach play into goals and points. Not cheap, not easy to find, but without one we are destined to be good to watch but lacking in that most expensive and rewarding of commodities – goals!

As for today's opponents, I couldn't give a monkey's about their prospects or what they may or may not achieve, it's all about Everton FC and nothing else for me, until the reverse fixture next year.

One notable point from today's derby was there were five Brazilians involved and only three Scousers in the squads.

Onwards and upwards Blues!

I know we played very well and contained them and could have even won it but, once Gomess' header didn't go in, I feared we wouldn't get better chances and thus would struggle to score.

I totally accept and respect the transformation that M&M have made and had on this team. And I really really believe in the project I know they can and should achieve more with us.

Definitely need a striker;
Definitely need Richarlison back at left wing;
Definitely need to rest Walcott (or try him up top instead of Richarlison);
Definitely still unsure about Bernard (seems to regularly fluff his lines at the important moments);
Definitely need to give Lookman a go;
Definitely still feeling gutted.

You correctly hit a nail on the head in your first sentence. Near the end when we had a good attacking situation on the left, instead of looking for a cross into the area we were content to start messing around, eventually losing possession and seconds later found ourselves conceding a corner from which Origi nearly scored. Attack is usually the best form of defence.

This was a game in which our players rode their luck at times but held their own for long periods. Ultimately they, and we the fans, were badly let down by a bizarre, calamitous error by our international keeper. He let us down with his indecision when Van Dijk scored from a corner late in the January cup tie. He makes brilliant instinctive saves but lacks a cool head in key moments.

His early slice to concede a corner undermined our effort to gain a foothold in the game. At the same time, we must acknowledge his superb first-half save from Shaqiri kept us level. With Pickford we are forced to take the abject with the excellent.

Given his experience at international level it is worrying that he shows little evidence of maturing into the safe pair of hands we need him to be. Hopefully he will recover quickly. If not, he may be in for a few difficult weeks; once opposing teams perceive any poor decision-making, they will certainly seek to exploit it. He may also be in for even more critical scrutiny from a media which is always looking for ways to undermine high-profile players.

This is an extremely good RS team – not a bunch of clobbers. Two goalkeeping howlers cost them the Champions League last season. This season, they are matching Man City stride for stride and they had to rely on some outstanding saves to keep a clean sheet.

We gained an inferiority complex over the years and have been done over by inferior teams in the past. The 2012 Semi-Final was the embodiment.

But we shed that and went up and attacked them. That lack of fear is surely the first step toward redressing the balance.

They did. We were hanging out for the final whistle.

Yes, we matched them, we worried them, but we lost to them. But, like the other games against the bigger sides, we look like we belonged there.

The pattern was the same yesterday. Started well, missed chances, faded a bit in the second half. Like the Chelsea game, I didn't think we'd concede. You can't allow for an error like that. One thing I would like to see from Pickford is him developing some presence when the ball is in the air close to his goal.

Yesterday and for the past few weeks, we've looked like the 6th/7th best team in the Premier League. Capable of playing good football, well-organised and falling short against those above us.

Light years ahead of last season, but if we're going to get some joy, we need to start cuffing the teams below us, while sourcing reinforcements to get us up the table. For starters, we need a goalscorer desperately and a right back as good as Digne.

As Mark Wilson says, it's all about winning. To get there, a team needs to develop and start playing like a team that wants to win. For the long-term, yesterday's performance made me feel better than that embarrassment at Anfield last year, point or no point.

This next step is the biggest one. I think we can do it!

Solid defence – tick (Coleman & Pickford still need a top class backup), significant midfield now all tried and tested against Champions League opposition (still need squad strengthening, backup for Gomes). We need goals (one in three games now?) – possibly via a big aggressive striker but that seems a bit out of date to me (still useful though) to free up Richarlison. We need goals from the right too, the clock is ticking on Wallcot unfortunately. We need to take more of our chances.

I'm really pleased the way we are containing top-class teams now, but we need more composure and game management in the last 15 is important.

Considering where we were in May, I give it a remarkable 9 out of 10. Plenty of scope for consolidating that this month though – a huge squad test and ours is relatively weak for the top level.

They may be our neighbors but ultimately they are just another team. Winning our next 4 or 5 matches would make me far happier than having got a draw yesterday.

As for how they do, I pay little notice. Of course I'd rather they don't win any trophies but they are still a fair way from doing so.

I focus on Everton. My Xmas is not ruined or any nonsense like that. Beat Newcastle and Watford, get results against Man City and Spurs and I'll be happy. I don't see 8th as our destination this season, I think we've got a real shot at 6th maybe even 5th and either would represent a very decent first season for Brands and Silva and a platform from which to really challenge next season.

On the goal itself, my memory tells me that in the eighties our title winning team gave away corner kicks like they were toffies. We defended them very well, preferring a corner kick to open play when defending our goal. Neville Southall claimed high balls into his box and would take out anyone in his way, even his own teammates!

We are not there yet but our new management team is clearly taking our club in the right direction. Not half of one season yet, only one transfer window, wow what a difference!!

I agree with you regarding the forward line. What it all boils down to is better quality in the final third; better pass completion (though it has improved); better decision making; better positioning; and better finishing. Tosun and Calvert-Lewin out of consideration. Shooting practise on the training ground would not go a miss.

Watch the highlights of Arsenal v Spurs to see the difference an elite level striker (or 2) can make. Of course these guys are in short supply, but I'm confident Brands & Silva will rectify this area of weakness – although it may not happen until the summer.

I expect us beat the likes of Newcastle and Watford. Against Man City, I wouldn't be surprised if we play very well but fail to score again.

I agree with the sentiment above that Wolcott has to yield his place. Lookman absolutely electrified the game when he came in.

All I can say is we scared the shit out of them last night, and I am certain we are going to rip them a new one at Goodison.

Yesterday, the first half, in particular, was so good. We didn't outplay them, but both sides had two very clear chances which were missed or saved by the respective keepers.

In the second half, they had more of the ball but we defended well and still looked dangerous on the break. Mina was excellent and Gomes had a great first half. I wish Lookman started games and we used Walcott as an impact sub, rather than the other way round.

The great keepers have a degree of coolness that at the moment Pickford lacks. Southall would have simply tipped it over. Pickford is brave, anticipates well and is a very good shot-stopper, but he is inclined to panic under pressure. He'll learn, we hope.

I'll try and be positive: it was our best display at Anfield this century and, being old, I can still remember when an Everton team lacking many of its stars went to Anfield in September 1965, led by a brilliant Colin Harvey, and won four-nil. Such memories can help beat the tears, but younger fans have known no success at Anfield for a generation.

Gomes was outstanding and for me the best player on the park which is worrying, because he will not be here next season as understandably Barcelona have told Everton they are not interested in selling him. So we are building a team with him as the main focus point but what happens next season when he is not here?

Then there is also the worrying fact that again Barcelona have built in a guaranteed buy-back clause for Mina which they can activate in the next 2 years. As they did with Deulofeu and they recalled him inside the 2-year buy-back clause. Also, Zouma is also only on loan and has given no indication that he wants to stay long term.

So I would say to Silva and Brands if we want to break into the top 6 then top 4 then start acting like that. To my knowledge none of last year's top 6 clubs had a player in their first team that was on loan, and also don't allow agents to write in release clauses.

You can't build a firm foundation when players are only on loan or have a guaranteed buy-back clause in their contract. My worry is we will have a very good season but we could lose 3 regular first teamers in the summer.

I would also suggest that Lookman starts against Newcastle and keeps his place for a run of games just like Walcott and Bernard have been given a run of games despite their poor form. As I fear, if he thinks he is only going to play cameo roles from the bench, then maybe asking for a transfer may be something he might consider in the summer.

It is an issue for me that we don't score enough goals and the reason we don't score enough goals is because, outside of Sigurdsson and Richarlison, we have had no real regular source of goals.

Our striking options are bare minimal and no matter how people dress up Tosun or Calvert-Lewin, whenever they start a match they look pretty restricted in terms of being Premier League class; they do a job as late subs and might pinch the odd goal every now and then but they aren't enough.

Walcott hasn't scored a League goal since August and after a good start he has cut a very frustrating figure and has missed numerous sitters over the last few weeks, and it's time to consider the change for Lookman to find out if maybe he can add some much-needed goals from wide areas.

Bernard hasn't scored yet despite getting into many good positions so that's another concern.

From central midfield, we have only had one player contribute this season, Gylfi Sigurdsson, so again that's another disappointing return.

The challenge is to produce more goals from other areas of the pitch on a more regular basis.

One thing is certain: if they had not signed those players on the final day of the transfer window we would not be playing with the attacking style we are now seeing. Obviously, if we cannot secure these players on long-term deals replacing them with permanent signings will be a challenge for next summer.

I suspect Silva has had in mind for a few weeks a full game for Lookman against Newcastle. I will be amazed if he is not selected on Wednesday in the starting eleven. Whether or not the young man can deliver over 90 minutes, or even 75 minutes, remains to be seen.

Mike (26), Safe journey. I look forward to meeting you again on your next trip.

To say I'm gutted we lost is an understatement. To me, the least we deserved was a draw. Okay, they had 2 great chances to score in the first half, but so did we. And, while I don't think we had any clear cut chances in the second half, the Bernard shot which went wide apart, we defended well, so well that their feared front three was reduced to one.

For me, we played the better football without having that final cutting edge, which needs rectifying in January with the purchase of a quality centre-forward.

I've seen some posts saying Richarlison was not at the races, but how many times was he hacked down? For me Gomes, again, and Bernard were our two stand out players. Please Everton, get Gomes signed up permanently.

Regarding Pickford, whilst it's hard to accept his error, we need to remember the points he's saved us, including some great penalty saves.

Finally the celebration by Klopp. The only words to describe him is a classless piece of shit, a prick and one big gobshite. Should he be punished for his antics? I seem to remember a ruling whereby no manager was no longer able to celebrate a goal by running along the touchline. If that's the case, then this piece of shit should get at least a minimum 5-game touchline ban for celebrating in the middle of the pitch.

Finally, finally, to Mike Gaynes. Go home with your head held high, mate. The team done you proud yesterday despite not getting the result you wanted. Have a safe flight home and hope to see you again soon.

I accept that with such a short timescale for transfers after the World Cup they may not have had a choice in how they acquired the players that we desperately needed. But my worry is that these players become very central to the way the team plays; then, come the summer, these players go back to their clubs and we are back to square one. So the problem with acquiring players through this system, is it becomes a short fix to a problem rather than building for the future.

Jim @29

I have been saying the same things for months, Bernard and Walcott don't score enough goals, and Gueye very rarely has a shot in a game so the pressure on Richarlison and Sigurdsson is huge. Last season Spurs front 3 scored 20 goals each, Liverpool had a similar goal return from their front 3 as did Man City. So if we hope to bridge that gap to the top sides then we have to have people in the wide positions who score more than our wide men do.

I think Gomes will add goals but our defenders don't score a lot either. I am sure Marco Silva is more aware of the problem than we are but I accept these things can't be fixed in 1 transfer window. But, until we do produce more goals, then 6th or 7th might be the best we can achieve this season.

It is sometimes revealing to hear what an outside view sounds like. As he said, he is not inclined to watch very much of Everton but felt we were close to being the best team they've played at home this season. He thought Gomes was world class and that, if we keep the current side together, we should be candidates for a Champions League spot, not just top 6.

That sounds ambitious to me, but it is encouraging if that is what others see in us. Hopefully, Marco has the players believing in that too.

Aside from Gomes, who has certainly had a big impact on our playing style, it was good to see Bernard getting back into some form. In addition to clearly being highly skilful, he has a work ethic and a bit of narkiness about him I like.

I think we've seen enough of Lookman to believe he would add more than Theo currently does. Walcott did not have a dreadful game but he always looks a bit lightweight, whereas Lookman, despite his size, seems a much more powerful, forceful player.

It was an awful mistake by Pickford, truly shocking technique or more likely, simply a bad misjudgment in trying to catch the ball to prevent a corner. But I don't think we should be on his back for that; he is still a good keeper – just needs to judge situations better.

Still sick over yesterday's result when we lost to a ridiculous error by Everton's goalkeeper, watched it a few times this morning, still can't believe how stupid he was. There was no bad luck involved yesterday – we lost in the end to a very poor error of judgement by the goalkeeper.

Liverpool were understandably elated because they knew how lucky they were winning the game, but you either have class or you don't. And they don't.

I don't recall Zidane acting like an over-excited tosspot when Karius shovelled the ball in his own net in the Champions League Final.

I don't think we'll ever have our day against that lot, I can't see it happening. There was positives, yes, but so hard to be positive after such a gut-wrenching finish.

Someone pass me a bowl.

Unless we call such terrible errors what they are then we will never become winners again. "My bad", "hold my hands up", "we win and lose as team" are all excuses for the mediocrity that has summed us up for decades. So I hope Silva told him clearly that he has to improve or he will get dropped.

Everton continue to leave the back door open for RS to win these derbies and no team in the history wins more games at the death than RS.

One mistake and all the good work counts for nothing.

Another sad day but surely Everton's turn will come.

"On Pickford, it is easy to make excuses for him and point to key saves he has made in the past and even in the game itself. But it is about professional standards. The rest of the team met those standards and he didn't."

Steve, I didn't see any player on the pitch have a game without errors.

We had an excellent team called the Red Shite, who are yet to lose at home, playing our ever-improving blues, and pipped us at the post.

I think his pitch invasion is a testament to how lucky Klopp felt with their winning goal.

If previously we had gone to Anfield and one of our players was MotM, it would be a defender or 'keeper and not our midfield general!

We were bloody unlucky and now need to keep this sort of form running to our next game.

The irony with us is we will probably get our first top-six away win at Man City and do them a favour!!!!!!!

Keep it Going COYB

My point exactly, the rules are daft. In my view, they should let the game be run by human beings. All these rules, VAR, all of it, not my bag. The only one I like is goal-line technology.

It's all over sanitised as far as I'm concerned. I couldn't care less if Klopp runs on the pitch. Good luck to him. As Marco Silva said, I might well have done the same thing.

We need to spend big on a quality striker – even sides BELOW us have better strikers than we do.

And his attitude wasn't right from the start. He sliced a clearance in the first minute of the match that resulted in a corner and put us under immediate pressure. He walked back to his goal laughing and I remember thinking "What is so funny?" Set the tone for his whole performance.

The incident you refer to where he grinned (he wasn't laughing) after slicing the ball was obviously directed at the RS fans who were ridiculing him for the miskick. I saw it as showing that he was calm and in control and not bothered by them trying to give him stick. I was pleased with how he handled that.

He went on to have a good game and made a number of saves, including an excellent one in a 1-v-1 with Shaqiri.

I believe it is critical that we get behind Pickford and show we support him and forgive him for the error. Your comments, along with the many more more critical and even abusive ones I've read, serve no purpose whatsoever.

I agree Lukaku has never been replaced which is still a disgrace considering he left in summer 2017.

I'd much rather not have wasted the £50 million on Tosun and Walcott and bought one elite striker like Lacazette but he was only ever going to choose Arsenal over us.

We bought Richarlison for £45 million and he has bundles of talent but he's not what you'd call a true striker and I believe if we had a Kane, Lukaku, or Lacazette in our team, then Richarlison would be on the left with Bernard as a more than able backup.

Attracting that top striker is the hard part and I don't think fishing around in Turkish, Greek or Dutch Leagues will really serve us well.

That's a regular lament on here. In fact, I've said it myself that we are lacking a top striker.

On the other hand, we're not alone there. The team we played yesterday effectively don't play with a striker because they don't have one good enough. Arguably neither do Chelsea at times. And Man Utd aren't exactly blessed there – is current Lukaku any better than what we have? Arsenal have some quality in that area, but they seem to be the exception.

Who would you put on your list, either already in the Premier League or abroad, bearing in mind, a la Morata, they often struggle in English football? Whenever I'm asked who this striker would be, I struggle...

Even Bernard for all his silky skills goes to pieces when he gets sight of goal and Gomes and Gueye are not goalscorers.

Even when we had Lukaku, we relied too much on him as, apart from the declining superKev, we didn't have anyone else with a decent eye for goal.

But for Sigurdsson and Richarlison, we would be in the shit.

As you know it takes time, usually two to three years to build a team. Finding the right pieces, fitting them into the jigsaw, learning to win, being mentally strong, turning bad luck into good luck are all things which develop gradually. They require patience as well as ambition.

As regards Klopp, I was not overly bothered about his antics. He just looked a bit immature. Unlike Phil Thompson and Emlyn Hughes in the seventies, he did not direct any abuse at us. Not that I am one to bear grudges for too long; only up to 50 years!

We are improving, but we still need more quality to be added to the team. Maybe pair Sigurdsson with Gomes and push Lookman or Bernard into the Number 10 position?

I think Gueye has improved lately but quality on the ball is everything, especially when you're playing against the teams at the very top end of the league.

Klopp couldn't contain his emotion; hard to take if you're a blue, but better than the way he was laughing at us near the end of the Martinez reign.

We lost the game yesterday, but we also lost “our fear” and that is the most important thing that came out of yesterday's game for me.

Interesting post there. I would keep Sigurdsson in the No 10 position.

His ability to see an eye-of-the-needle pass means he stays there for me. One pass he made to get Walcott in yesterday was unbelievable. I have watched it back 3 times and still can't see how he got the picture to play the pass.

And you're dead right, mate, about the gap closing. They know we are catching them and it frightens the life out of them.

Every Everton fan including me will get behind Pickford as that goes without saying, but I hope Silva told him clearly that his error was unacceptable if this club is returning to levels of competitiveness and standards that we all hope for.

If Southall had made such a calamitous error in the team that featured Reid, Ratcliffe and Grey, 'support and forgiveness" would have been lower on the agenda. That team were winners.

Pickford's standards have lowered this season. I hope he builds back up but another clanger like that should see him dropped.

Grateful, Steve. Good man.

Mark Wilson encapsulated this view with the following hit list:

You get no points for travelling in the right direction;
You get no points for making progress;
You get no points signing a few decent players;
You get no points for being unlucky;
You get no points for nice midfield passing;
You get no points for working hard;
You get points for a draw or a win, end of.

With respect, the above represents an over-simplified reductive view: namely, it is only ever about gathering points.

Very, very rarely in any field or walk of life does an individual or the collective – which Everton FC is – make a quantum leap from mediocrity to excellence in a single bound.

Mark may have a point that we are not getting points now against the very best opposition in the league, but by lumping all together the listed items as he does, he makes the mistake of heavily implying it is a worthless pursuit to even attempt to achieve them. That there is a magical and mystical quicker route to achieve his stated desire: 'I want a win at any cost, any way, any how. Winning is all that really matters. It honestly is.'

In writing in this dismissive way, Mark (and others) are failing to take into consideration our entire history since the formation of the Premier League; the mismanagement at every level; the paucity of our bank account; the damage done in the first two years under Moshiri by poor managerial appointments and a wreckless transfer policy which blew the first truly big wedge of money the club has had in the Premier League era.

To take Mark's own check list, I think it is reasonable to acnowledge the following:

You cannot arrive at your desired destination without first setting out to 'travel in the right direction.' For 3 decades now, we have not dared to look towards the horizon, let alone take a step towards it. We have stagnated, even regressed to the point where our mediocrity became our comfort zone.

Moshiri, Brands and Silva are daring to journey and are following a map. There will be pitfalls and wrong paths taken, but... at least we are moving forward, rather than navel-gazing or looking back nostalgically.

We are 'making progress'. We have played four of the top six away and seriously competed on equal terms with all four of them. Did we get the 'only thing that matters' to Mark in every game — points? No. But both the performances and the results were far better than just last season when we lost 4-0 at United, 5-1 at Arsenal, 2-0 at Chelsea and (what Mark claims to want to prioritize) a mind-numbing 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

Hands up those that think long-term Sam Allardyce's tactics in the drawn Derby game at Analfield would bring us sustained success in such fixtures? Now, hands up those who think Silva's 'no fear' tactics is a more productive route to follow?

Next, who thinks 'signing a few decent players' (of the right age and calibre, as Brands and Silva have done) has, and will, continue to improve the team, as opposed to our previous transfer policy of signing the aging and aged, the 'never-beens' and 'has-beens', by shopping at Poundland?

Each and every one of our summer recruits have added considerably to the squad and the quality of our football. Given the bloated unbalanced make-up of the squad they inherited, Brands's and Silva's first transfer window was stellar. There is a plan and structure in place, which can only benefit us, long term.

On 'being unlucky'. As in life, you make your own luck. And if you recruit well, if you train well, if you apply yourself well on the pitch – guess what? 'Luck' comes your way. As the oft-quoted golfer Gary Player said: 'The more I practice, the luckier I get.'

If Mark believes you get 'no points for nice midfield passing', I suggest he takes a look at all modern day football teams that have had success applying that very strategy. That is what Silva is instilling into his team; not a game of aerial tennis from front to back to arrive at the POMO – the 'position of maximum opportunity' popular in its (very distant) day.

Likewise Mark's next claim: you get 'no points for working hard.' Oh yes, you fuckin' do! All successful teams have this essential element in their game. And the numbers are showing Everton, this season, are right up there as one of the hardest working sides in the PL.

Mark is right in one fundamental thing: you get points for a draw or a win. Ultimately, that determines whether the manager, the team, the players, the club, have been successful or not.

Silva is a mere 14 games into his managerial career at Everton. By just seven games into his league career with us, he has given us a solid, mean defence; got us playing proper passing and possession football, from back to front, on the ground and far more rapidly than anything under Martinez; sprinkled proper footballers throughout the team.

To express delight and to feel encouraged by how things are developing at the club – particularly on the playing side – is not a passive acceptance of continued mediocrity, of knowing our place' (among the also-rans), or of 'lacking ambition'.

I want my team winning trophies and sticking it to our leading rivals on our own patch.

Taking everything altogether, like others, for me there is a wee tingling, a growing belief, that we are on the cusp of something very, very good happening at Everton FC.

We were all fuming then of course, but I wasn't fuming at Pickford, I was fuming at the tiresome inevitability of yet another derby crushing my footballing soul.

I still disagree with your idea that Pickford should be told he didn't perform to the standards of his job and that it was unacceptable – that serves no purpose. He knows the mistake he made and I'd say he understands the impact of it on his teammates and the supporters.

I also disagree with your assessment of his miskick early in the game and his reaction to it setting the tone for his performance. But so be it; we all want the same thing really and the world would be very boring without differences of opinion.

It is a disgrace considering nearly 4 transfer windows since he left. Plenty out there, it's been well documented we are looking at Barbosa. I'm sure the likes of Marega, Belotti etc will be on the radar too. I have confidence in Brands to sort it out.

However, Silva is a manager with focus on tactical details and we play very tactically disciplined with the wingers tracking back defending in a 4-4-2 and the wingers in a key role protecting the full-backs. Walcott is doing that. Bernard is doing that and Richarlison when playing wide is doing that.

I was watching Lookman closely yesterday and he did not track back on a number of occasions. He just switches off and on done occasions got lost in the middle and suddenly Gomes had to cover his area. Robertson exploited that in the last 30 minutes and we will be targeted in that area if we play like that against the top teams.

No way Silva will start Lookman against a top team as a winger unless he improves that part of his game. I then hope that Lookman will be given a start in a home game against one of the non-top-6 teams. But I suspect that Silva is having high expectations when it comes to tactical awareness also defensively.

Kendall's team were just beginning to take shape, and starting to perform at a consistent level that year, resulting in the FA Cup win at the end of the season, but they weren't quite there at the time of the League Cup final. The next three seasons they were undoubtedly the best team in Europe.

I think Silva's Everton are developing along similar lines and I think he will deliver silverware sooner rather than later. Let's hope that, when it does, our Satanic neighbours don't balls it up for us again.

The point is, we're now a very good side, so much so that we anticipate a win against any side. But things can and do go against us, and shit happens.

We just need to get on with it, focus on the next game, then the next, and so on. We now have a winning mentality. Onwards and (rapidly) upwards.

Oh, Walcott is still shite and shouldn’t start again. Lookman ffs!!

That final ball sometimes missing, and a few lost balls but, all-in-all, we kept them at bay and matched them all over the park. We've come a long way.

Is it time for Lookman to start a game? Yes, it is.

It's also time for Silva to experiment formation-wise up top, a bit of tinkering. We also have Calvert-Lewin, Davies, Dowell and Holgate in much need of game time so they don't stagnate, January is coming.

What a way to lose a derby. What luck. Up to us now to keep our momentum and win the next couple games as we are up there.

It's up to Silva now. He's steadied the ship and got a shape that we lacked last year. He can push on, I hope.

We're all gutted because of the late late goal. But for that, we'd have drawn, not won.

You can't win without scoring. We don't do that enough because we can't afford those players who can. Get used to it until we can afford to attract the best.

It really is 'fine margins' now in terms of the results (all away from home) against Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool. In none of those games were we outplayed. In each of those games, we rattled the opposition with flair, skill and high pressing. We now put fear into the opposition.

We're creating chances, the midfield is as good as anyone's, and we just need to score more goals. Unlike in the past, we no longer have a systemic problem, but a problem that can be righted quickly, either with a change in form, or with the acquisition of a single player. That's a measure of where we now are under Silva and Brands.

And look at the defensive work rate Pep gets from his wingers and offensive players. They are very tactically disciplined (and making tactical fouls to stop any counterattack).

Lookman will have to step up on that side to be a starter (or make a hat-trick every match!).

A pacy striker and a right back as good as Digne and we would really be in business.

I don't know if it's Walcott's fault but Seamus has been crap as well. I know he's loved by most Evertonians but he's not the same player, meaning our right side is weaker than the left (Digne and Bernard).

Seamus no longer goes past players to whip in great crosses. Gone are the days when he would cut into the opposition box and cause havoc. Even his passing has become average. I love the lad's spirit but I think next summer we should find a replacement (if Kenny isn't good enough) as he's not at the same level as some of our more recent arrivals.

The same goes for Walcott, Tosun, Schneiderlin etc... Good players for a mid-table team but not good enough for a top-4 seeking side.

Yesterday still hurts, but we have come a long way in a short space of time. Maybe, just maybe we are on the verge of a new era.

I say this with a very heavy heart but, long-term, Coleman needs replacing. He's lost a yard, or more. It can't be helped, he got that injury at his peak when he was bang at it. He was flying. But you don't come back from that injury in your late 20s as the same player. I knew it would be this way. You can recover and rebuild your career in your very early 20s, but not at this point.

Seamus is trying manfully and I think he has done very, very well to get back and be playing regularly at this level – look what happened to Oviedo, he was totally done as a top-flight player. Contrast that with how Coleman managed to get back and block that near post cross yesterday when they were breaking.

In a way only a man like Seamus Coleman, that I totally respect, could recover from that injury and, at 30, get back to playing and captaining the side. But he's lost about 20%. The old Seamus Coleman has gone and, deep down, he will know it.

I think he can maybe do another season as first choice. Maybe. But long-term we need a new right-back, same profile as Digne.

Aside from those two positions, right-back and striker, tie Gomes down and that side is ready to go.

He could be better at finishing and attacking, but because of his dual role – particularly the offensive contribution aspect – he is ahead of Lookman, who is an out-and-out attacker. The offensive aspect of Lookman's game needs developing.

Bernard gave the ball away as much if not more than Walcott. He also fell over twice when running.

Bernard looks like he has got a lot more desire; if you have got this, then you usually find people give you a lot more patience in return.

And no calls for Zouma to come back in speaks volumes.

A fantastic defensive display had limited one of the top ten attacks in Europe to a handful of chances and they needed a rare mistake to prevail. It's nothing short of sensational how well the new signings have gelled together and the new balance they provide – 5 new signings combined with a rejuvenated Gylfi and Keane. It's a huge credit to Brands and Silva.

Revenge in Goodison please.

Sunday, Lookman excepted, showed we lack true game changers for the last half hour or so. Calvert-Lewin might come good in a few years.

The fact that Tosun didn't get on and Silva went for Zouma to see out the draw rather than go for the win.

Are Sturridge and Origi any better as a pair on the whole, than Calvert-Lewin and Tosun?... No, not really.

I think Silva knew this – hence he played the Zouma percentage card. Klopp knew, with Man City 4pts ahead, only a shit or bust Hail Mary go for it would do him any good.

So, as far as you go, a right-back and Costa type is spot on but, until we get more depth and one of either Bernard or Walcott are fighting for one spec on the bench, the side is not ready to go.

In our case, not only are we 'ready to go', but we can beat anybody. Well, that's what I believe, and I think it's what Silva believes. He's making the team believe it too. It's called a 'winning mentality'.

As for the derby, painful yep, but I believe that we'll do the spawny, jammy, flag-waving, penalty-loving fuckers at Goodison Park.

Some of our big players failed to show on Sunday, we need a new front three, change it around and give others a go... we need goals, badly.

I get you, but conversely perhaps it encourages people to overlook the negative aspects?

I thought Theo played well. He didn't set the world on fire but kept trying and ended up coming off because of injury.

Bernard played well too... but, as I say, fell over twice, I think, just running with the ball, miscued a very presentable chance, and gave the ball away a fair few times.

I just feel Walcott has become the new scapegoat.

As Derek (#86) and others have posted, he's nowhere near his best, he's not producing, there is zero end product.

It's true. That's not scapegoating.

Similarly Bernard. I love his movement... until he trips over his own feet. Not scapegoating, just what we can all see when we watch him play.

[ps: I consolidated a few posts on this thread that were focused on Klopp over to the Silva thread. Let me know if any thread-post cross-ref numbers are not right here.]

Barcodes tomorrow and we move on. Hopefully M&M can do a deal for Gomes and, as a priority, buy a proven centre-forward next year, sooner than later.

Not an easy ask but key to getting this squad to the next stage. We have genuine hopes and let's start with doing the Barcodes and the Spanish waiter tomorrow night.

I don’t blame Jordan Pickford. Yes, I get that people say he should have tapped it over, or left it completely, and yes, that would have meant a draw most likely but that’s easy for you and me to say when not faced with the pressure of that situation. I think Jordan could do the exact same thing 100 times and the outcome would never be the same as what happened. It was ridiculous luck, and would only happen against us, against them.

And you have to move on, and it’s just as well we’ve got two fine-looking home games coming straight up. Win those two and with six more points on the board and the derby will feel rather distant.

While I can’t accept defeat, it’s easy to be positive. We weren’t just good at Anfield, we were REALLY good. The best I can ever remember us playing there (bearing in mind my Everton diet has largely been Walter Smith, David Moyes, Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce). For the first time, I can recall we were a match for them, as we have been at Chelsea and Arsenal.

It reminds me of a quote from the great Neville Southall, about the 1984 Milk Cup Final when we were cruelly denied a clear penalty for a goal-line handball by Alan Hansen which stopped a certain goal. The referee didn’t give it and, as you’ll know, typically enough, Liverpool went and won the replay 1-0. Neville’s words about that game are something which rings a little true for me:

“Although we would eventually lose it after a replay, for me the 1984 League Cup Final represented a turning point in Everton history. Because we matched Liverpool every single step of the way. It confirmed my conviction that we were the best team in the league.” — Neville Southall, The Binman Chronicles

Now the “best team in the league” we are not... but “match Liverpool every step of the way” we did. Surely Sunday’s game in particular will give our lads that belief they can kick on from here. We’ve got nothing to fear and I hope Marco and his team are quick to instil this into the lads to keep on doing what they are doing, and don’t fear anyone.

Heads up, Blues. Exciting times are on the way back.