“Well, It's Groundhog Day... Again!”

Atmosphere is dead.

Style of play is mind numbing.

Players don't look arsed, no pride in the shirt, no pride in personal performance (why would you when you still pick up those wages)?

Nothing on the horizon for the summer or next season to get me even remotely excited or believe that we will see anything different.

I don't trust Moshiri to make the right choices anymore, I thank him for the money he's ploughed in, but I don't trust his judgement.

I don't trust the lavish signings we make, I feel they are here only to make money, there's no real desire or will to win for Everton Football Club.

I don't trust the manager to get it right because I don't think he's got the credentials or persona to bang heads together or be flexible.

I don't think Marcel Brands is all he's cracked up to be and stupid statements like “Lookman and Calvert-Lewin being the envy of the rest of the league” is frankly just ridiculous, almost as cringeworthy as Moshiri's own “Fab Four” last year.

The hardest part of it is accepting that right now I see no real answers on the horizon either.

We have sold or lost too many players over the five years that were able to keep us around the top 7 and replaced them with pretty players of little substance.

There's no kid like Rooney coming through in 2002 which was a shining light in a bleak time, but the emergence of Wayne and arrival of Moyes was a boost back then.

There's just no real positive I can see right now about this club.

The defence can be opened up with ease and two nailed-on home humiliations are coming very soon. Jagielka needs to be brought it to organise the most horrendous defence I've ever witnessed. There is no organisation and the marking is non-existent.

There is no excuse for the shambles I witnessed today. It was shocking. And I have no confidence in Silva sorting this mess out, especially as he is the one who has caused it.

The fans probably would have been understanding of what we were trying to do and it would have been hard to question a manager that had spent his entire career in England at the top end of the Premier League.

Since Silva seems incapable of either, he can get to feck, hopefully without derailing us totally.

We will concede from set pieces, make schoolboy defensive errors, persist with zonal marking, we will struggle to get within 30 yards of the opposition goal, we will create little, the team will be unbalanced, disjointed and ineffective.

The fans will have their Olympic flame style optimism extinguished by half-time when reality has snuffed the flame out until the next match. Lyndon will do his eloquent report of the latest malaise; the rest of us will wallow in the quagmire of our never-ending disillusionment.

Does Bill Murray know anything about managing a soccer ball team?

That was not enough for the vocal elements of our fan base. Oh no, "We want open, stylish football", they cried. So Moshiri and the Board gambled by appointing a manager who was to put it mildly unproven at this level.

Now we are reaping what we sowed. The match at Cardiff at the end of the month is likely to be significant not for chasing 7th place but for staying out of relegation trouble.

Wednesday could be seriously embarrassing.

I bet Gana's glad he's staying!

I will no longer attend whilst he is at the helm; unfortunately, I'm a season-ticket holder so will try to recoup some of my hard earned pennies via StubHub.

Another great opportunity missed.

My wariness about replacing him now stems from two main things: 1) The general worry about just continually churning managers, and bringing in new managers who change things again, and there's never any consistency; and then 2) If we change managers again in the middle of the season, we'll just make a rushed decision mid-season that'll make 1) even worse.

I just don't feel like we ever go through a genuinely rigorous selection process. All of our manager hires are painfully predictable, like Kenwright (or Moshiri now, I guess) get an idea stuck in their head and just don't want to explore things in any more detail. You'd have thought Silva's problems with Watford after we expressed an interest in him might have given some pause for thought, or a re-examination of our desire to hire.

Like a few others, by far the minority now, it's better to stay after the final whistle to see the players put more effort in to getting off the pitch, into their Bentleys and head off for a night out.

I would imagine, like Groundhog Day, your headline will be repeated over and over after the remaining games, and that flag will get higher and higher!!

The solution to Silva is not more Allardyce, ffs.

Having watched Cardiff and Niasse on BT this evening, they look much better equipped than we do to escape relegation. They also have a better manager.

Not showing enough aggression? How about starting with showing some passion? The completely ineffective zonal marking Silva doggedly retains blind faith in clearly doesn't suit our system and has cost us at least 5 games this season.

His persistence with "past their sell dates" Walcott and Coleman leave us wide open down the right. The lack of service from our "wingers" limit Tosun who has proved he can score around the box.

The pressing high up the field has disappeared up Silva's arse, there's no counter-attacking and Gylfi is so isolated with "headless chicken" Davies that we are starting games 4 men down.

It is Groundhog Day and I wonder and worry when or how Silva can turn this round.

In between, we've scrambled to unconvincing wins against Bournemouth and Huddersfield.

Mr Moshiri; end it now.

When was the last time we had a good, competent manager? Big Joe maybe, and that's 25 years ago.

Too many failed signings from previous managers still at Everton, all need to be shipped out... But I expect the clubs they are on loan to will send them back cuz they're shit Those players aren't Silva's signings though and I do think he needs at least till Xmas next season or we have to pay off another manager anyone got any stats on the money we pay the ex-managers??!

This season is completely dead, several long weeks ahead... our only hope is Man City winning the league.

Desperate times at Everton again.

Yet he blames the players for his tactical mistakes. He is so far out of his depth it, has become embarrassing to watch him on the sideline and his team on the pitch.

Silva must go, with hindsight, his appointment was abysmal. Put up the article — you know you must. You have influence. Use it.

Let's be honest – today's result was not a surprise. Wolves have progressed as the season has gone on. We have gone stagnant. The club have sold quality and bought average. We are paying for that method. Don't worry, though – we have our history.

But, on the plus side, I received my season-ticket renewal form in the post this week...

I don't know how I'm going to defend them in work this week. Absolutely awful right now.

Sorry, we need to start afresh soon. Everton won't be the first team or last team to continually change management to achieve success.

I just can't bear to watch what's happening to our Club. Big Duncan for manager with Rhino as assistant sorting defence out. Back to basics, please.

Before Silva was appointed, you wrote an article on here in full praise of Silva's 'attributes', largely based on supposition.

Together with a few TW posters, you all 'supposed' that, given the right environment Silva could be a successful manager of our football club.

It seemed to me, at that time, that in the main, all the 'evidence' for your support of Silva being our next manager, was based on nothing more than 'ifs' and 'maybes' and – given the previous fiasco with Martinez – I was pretty gobsmacked that you, of all people, had chosen to 'throw your hat into the ring' with (in my opinion), fantasists.

Every one of you chose to ignore his previous Premiership record and it prompted me to post for the very first time. Whereupon, when arguing with a well known Silva supporter on here, you decided to interject (as a poster) on his behalf.

There then followed a pattern on this site where it appeared preference was given to pro Silva advocates and anyone dissenting was allowed to be abused and subject to name-calling. Indeed, I think it's fair to say, you lost a lot of old and interesting posters because of TW's blatant pro-Silva stance.

When the abused (such as myself) became abusive (in some editorial eyes) in return, they were immediately banned or had posts altered.

Since then, most readers have been subjected to what I would consider Groundhog Day. Interminably long and dreary posts from a very small amount of posters preaching their own opinion on all things Portuguese and Silva, and championing their own uniqueness in 'seeing' what the rest of us plebeians are incapable of.

You allowed the 'negative' people to be abused and barred any right of reply on the groundless basis that 'some' might take offence. Therefore, in my opinion, this thread appears somewhat hypocritical.

Will you now accept being abused as a 'dickhead' a 'negative bastard' and so on and so forth, for merely stating your revised view in this article?

I very much doubt it, just as I very much doubt this post will be allowed in its entirety. After saying all that, it may surprise you to know, that as a loyal Evertonian of some years, I still hope that I am wrong regarding Silva.

Although, once again, I very much doubt you will believe me and I very much doubt that I am wrong.

No; let's not upset our apple cart...

What's the reason for his crazy, expensive decision??

I just don't see it and, like Lyndon, I really, really wanted to as well.

If you are going to play Tosun you need players who can play to feet. Neither Walcott nor Richarlison are able to complete a pass. Walcott because he is peripheral and Richarlison because he is the worst Brazilian passer of the ball in history.

The midfield needs a defending midfielder. Wolves just waltz through. Coleman should not be playing and neither should Baines after his injury. Silva cannot and never will be able to coach defending set-pieces.

Silva looks like an unemployed Manager who was given a job he knows he is not up to. . . .

Even if Everton had Wolves' Portuguese Manager, they would still struggle with the worst Board and Backroom team in the Premier League, which would also struggle in the Championship.

The Everton performance has the threat of relegation written all over it. What is Moshiri going to do? Sack the Manager. He needs a clean out of the off-the-pitch Management at all levels

It showed miles more movement than any of our slag heaps.

I feel gullible on here sometimes because I will still engage with those I have never agreed with. I don't think there are many like that.

I have had the editor's names brought into posts and wondered if people just want popularity or a chat about the game or club.

Looking forward, I will seek out your posts, Tom, and be open-minded on your opinion.

Yes, I understand they have much better players, but they also seem to have a model on what they want. They get managers who seem to want to be disciplined, Italian style managers like Mourinho, Conte, Ancheloti, Avram Grant and so on; they've now got Sarri who's similar. They only once tried an outgoing attacking manager in big Phil Scolari who didn't last long.

I don't know why they chose this model, maybe it's about keeping rich superstars in line, I don't know, but for me it's a model, a philosophy or whatever you want to call it.

Liverpool had Rodgers, they've now got Klopp, both very attacking managers.

Even a Swansea had Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup, Monk and so on, all managers who want to keep it down and play.

Southampton want managers to promote youth etc.

My point is we don't have that.

After Moyes, we went with Martinez, all smiles and happy-tappy football. He went and we changed up to Koeman. Koeman for me is similar to a Chelsea style manager, a man who rules with discipline, an iron fist etc, a complete change.

Once Koeman flopped, we went with Sam, a man who hits long balls and plays off second balls, a stat man who demands percentage football.

Now, we have an expansive style manager who plays the football you want to see, but he's unable to defend set plays etc.

Hopefully Silva works out but if not then for me we need to set up a model of what we want to be as a club, we can't make up a new identity every other year, we can't continue to do that as the players can't change up, as shown in recent results.

Hopefully Silva gets his mojo back, he jibs zonal marking which isn't working with this group of players, and truth be known hasn't worked at all with any of his 3 Premier League clubs, but if not we need a manager with similar ideas or Digne, Richarlison, Mina and co will end up looking like Schniederlin, Williams, McCarthy and Co who looked good at stages under previous managers but don't fit into Silva's style.

Stick or twist, it doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned, we just need to work out what we want as a club. It comes from the top, Moshiri has to work out his model for Everton as a club and move forward accordingly.

Nuno Espírito Santo is the latest in the host of opposing managers saying we are a good team before laughing all the way home after they have taken three points from us. We are such a soft touch, they wish they could play us every week.

Anything less than 40 points must bring about Silva's departure in May, along with that of his virtually anonymous support team. I would be delighted if we could reach last season's points total and position in the table but that looks increasingly unlikely.

You say “we went with Sam, a man who hits long balls”

Have you watched us the past few months? That's all we seem to do, but it takes us 20 square passes before we pass it back for Pickford or the defenders to hoof it long.

Then you say “Now, we have an expansive style manager who plays the football you want to see” — Sorry, Simon, I haven't seen any of that.

Apart from being unlucky in the derby and not getting a point at the Emirates, overall we have got exactly what we deserved. In fact, you could say some of our points have been very lucky.

If we don't move quickly, we will become another Aston Villa. The football is slow and predictable at the moment; only Davies and Gomes and perhaps Kenny looked up for it today, and Pickford does not command his area.

Oh yes, we also seriously need a striker which, for a club the size of Everton, is unforgivable. Silva out for me. I'm on the fence re Brands.

What is sacking Silva going to achieve in the way of change to get us out of Groundhog Day? It's that bad, it will achieve nothing.

The cause of the problems are deep-seated and as predictable as a goal against the Everton defence from a set-piece.

I think we knew well in advance that Silva would be the next Everton Manager. He was the only candidate for the job. I myself was looking for positives in his selection for the job.

In the dark days of Big Sam, it was important that Everton at least tried to play football. I even thought that Silva would be able to develop existing players and with a few additions gel the team together. But the previous transfer / contract mess that existed was a real barrier.

The inability of Silva to change and adapt where weaknesses arose only emerged as the season progressed. It also further became obvious that Silva could not coach a defence to defend set-pieces or similar type attacking plan.

Silva's team selection today was never going to be a team that could beat Wolves.

In the article, I pondered whether he had the potential to be the next Martinez or Pochettino – and the latter had a similar pedigree to Silva when Southampton hired him. I said in the piece that, in the absence of a bona fide top-class coach, sometimes you have to put your faith in an up-and-coming progressive manager; and, in the context of Moshiri's pursuit of Silva in late 2017 (and the assumption that he was going to be first choice to succeed Allardyce), I was highlighting his positive attributes, yes. But I also weighed those against the negatives, particularly his time at Watford. Again, I didn't throw my hat into the ring at all – it was a balanced attempt to take a look at someone who was still something of an unknown quantity.

So, I'm not sure where you got the impression that this was a "pro-Silva" website. You may well end up being proved correct for writing Silva off but there was no way you could know for certain and neither could anyone. So, if I was guilty of anything, it was trying to look for the positives in an imminent decision but I suppose it makes a change to be lambasted for being optimistic after years of this site being labelled as negative!

Anyway, as I explained to you at the time, members aren't censored for their views if they are put across in a non-abusive fashion as you have done so above. There is a natural discrepancy between how posts might be viewed by different people on the moderation team (i.e. Michael and myself) and there may be times when certain posts and threads aren't vetted at all. And I don't ever recall anyone being "barred any right of reply on the groundless basis that 'some' might take offence." But if you or anyone feels they are being abused and name-called, I would ask that you simply flag the offending posts so we can deal with them. (And there is, obviously, a difference between actual abuse and vehement, sustained disagreement.)

Unfortunately, the alternative seems to me to be old-fashioned man-to-man marking but, given the flaky characters throughout the squad, I very much doubt they'd be up to the challenge of man-to-man either. Man-to-man demands physical courage to put your anatomy in harm's way regardless but the modern "professional" player seems to me to to be more willing to shag a black cat than make a committed challenge in play.

Others have commented as I have on just why it is that good players at other clubs seem to almost always deteriorate once they've gone to "work" at Finch Farm. I really do think that, unless Moshiri urgently gets to grips with the fact that the so-called good ship Everton he thought he'd bought is, below the surface, home to huge numbers of useless barnacles who only hamper progress, caused by a previous owner who searched the world for decades to find a proper land-lubber buyer who wouldn't know anything at all about his indolence in causing what was going wrong below the surface, we really will soon emulate other "great" clubs by being relegated.

And what then for us fans and supporters?

Silva may want to read this.

Looking at Silva's early games vs top teams we missed our chances and fell short but you could see that this was a more progressive way to go about things. A huge shift from the play for a point, no shots on target mentality. I'm as disappointed as anyone at our inability to find any sort of performance post derby but it wasn't all going to be plain sailing. We've had our confidence shook and are struggling to get it back.

There is no miracle manager or magical players on the horizon. We gambled on a promising young manager just as we have to gamble on promising young players. We can't afford the flawless ready-made stars and need to love and build what we have. We aren't going to see any fulfill their promise if we don't show them our love and support.

We seem like a failing marriage, we remember the good times fondly but feel angry and bitter about our current situation. I don't know how we fans can get therapy for this but we do still love them.

I sat next to a guy at the Lincoln game who was so nervous and worked up, even against such lowly opponents, he could only spout negative bile. It was clear he loved us but the relationship had reached a point where he was expecting to moan... and didn't know how to do anything else. This was the default setting.

I feel this at Goodison now. Its either this or, even worse, apathy. We've had so many let downs we feel like giving up. I like Brands, straight talker with a vision, plus the experience, self-confidence and presence to suggest he can carry it out. Managerial comings and goings shouldn't deviate the plan too much with him at the helm.

Let's try to keep our knowledgeable calm, patience and positivity rather than joining the ranks of media drive knee jerk buffoons riding the faux extreme joy/despair from match to match. If we change in the summer, so be it, but difficulties like this hopeless run should have been expected.

I loved that team that Moyes built with Baines and Pienaar, Coleman, Jagielka and Distin. Arteta, Cahill and Fellaini... Of course a top striker would've made the difference, close but just short.

So fast forward to today and we have contracts to the likes of Mirallas and Sandro that I don't even want to think about. We look expectantly at this new team given the investment but nothing has gelled.

Allardyce was hated but I know he would've got a hell of a lot more from this squad. So too Martinez, and that first season we played some wonderful football... and again I'd of kept him as with some money spent on new defenders I think he'd of turned it around.

The first game I watched under Koeman I knew it wouldn't work out as I saw no style of play... maybe a hangover from Martinez. This time, however, I want Silva gone. Look at Walcott's dead-pan emotions to tell you how he feels. People say he's finished along with a few other older players. I say that Silva is falling way short on the training ground.

A lot of top teams play zonal marking... yet fingers are pointed at the system as we fail consistently to implement it. We need a manager that can galvanise the players, someone they look up to. That's not Silva. If we can get Henry Onyekuru back from loan to take a look at him, that would help.

We've drastically reduced the age of the squad... lots of young players with big futures. Too much expected of Davies and Calvert-Lewin and too soon. But l do believe the future is bright. As long as we get rid of who we need to and keep building, I'm sure we will challenge again for the top 4 in the next couple of years. We are not that far off. A couple top additions (and a change of manager).

Still our next result will upset Liverpool.

I am all for going for a top manager with real success and whom will gain respect but is the owner going to hand a further two hundred million to rebuild the squad? I don't think so. Is this squad capable of reaching the top four with just a world class manager? No!

I like Silva but no area of the pitch are we progressing. Any player stand out? Style of football depends on the players you have. We are not improving. I don't think we will be relegated but it may come eventually in time. I base this on the young players are not good enough at this level and the squad lacks real quality.

Next four months will tell us more about Silva as a manager. If things don't change then he must go in the summer. Whatever people say Moyes and allardyce they could turn a team heading south around. My expectations of our squad is mid table. They haven't disappointed.

While that gradual deterioration was happening our board of directors that included some of the country's richest tax dodging multimillionaires were shown in the destination Kirkby enquiry did not put a single penny to benefit the club.
All in all it has been a sad and sorry state of affairs and my sympathy goes to those wonderful supporters who have not seen any glory yet are still loyal to the cause.

There have been times when I have been a small voice but more and more are also refusing to accept self serving bullshit from any quarter.
I see ToffeeWeb as the voice we need .
Please keep up your good work.

The next question is what the board and owners are doing to protect their investment? The investment being EFC, not Marco Silva.
Every match, actually every minute of the play we are currently witnessing is pulling the club and team down, making it more difficult and considerably more expensive to get the right people in to correct things.

Sounds like a terrible way to make a living.

You can't teach stupid... If he doesn't learn, he deserves the sack.

Yes, I was referring to the parallel.

Now, Everton have a squad of players and many players out on loan are nothing more than average that all could be sold and replaced with a manager who knows what he is doing, if such a person exists for Everton FC.

If that's all you got from my post, mate, then I'm flogging a dead horse !

Forget what style Silva plays, he's clearly struggling, but his full-backs push on and he only plays one holding midfielder, that in the Premier League is classed as an expansive style.

My main point was to show we had no long-term model, nothing more or less; we need an identity as a club under Moshiri and Brands – no matter what manager runs the team.

And Sunderland are called the Black Cats.

Spooky.

The manager and players are paid the equivalent of lottery winnings every week. Fans pay their hard-earned wages to see them at least give their all for 90 mins. They are athletes at the peak of their fitness, or should be. Week-in & week-out, they are short-changing the paying fans.

We don't expect success against better teams but we do expect them to put up a fight. That fight has gone out of this team.

Allardyce, for all his faults, bought to my knowledge two players: Tosun and Walcott, both of whom he got a tune from last season and played well.

The buck stops with Silva, he has had two transfer windows to improve the side and spent over 𧴜 million in the process, he has failed.

Similar historical comparisons include Clemence at Liverpool, Southall at Everton, and Schmeichel with United. Pickford will never be joining that list. Not now, not ever. Do not be fooled by the odd acrobatic leap or penalty save. His positional sense is not in the same league as these goalkeepers.

Until we sign someone who is. we will never compete at the highest level. This I believe is the root cause of our present ills. It needs to be addressed above all else in order to progress.

I know very little about goalkeeping, but one of the most important aspects of this position has got to be about the saves that they don't have to make and this is something Pickford has got to really improve on if he's ever to become a “top-cat”!

John Moores, Harry Catterick and Howard Kendall were in my view the three responsible for the Everton of my love and lifetime. All set high standards and insisted on School of Science football to do it. <>If they are looking down from 'Blue Heaven' they must be as sick as we are at the dearth of style and elegance on display by just about all connected with Everton currently.

Come on, Lyndon – get our views noticed at board level as soon as possible.

Even the above (#64) post starts off talking about 'the work once put in [presumably by the coaching staff AND the keeper] on the training ground' before jumping to saying Pickfords not as good as Shilton or Southall (okay, who is???) then jumping again to saying him not being of their level 'is the root of all our ills'.. What the fuck... Really???

Undeserved scapegoat-mongering at the lowest level or what??? Without Pickford, we'd be several places below where we are now... simple fact.

So sorry-not-sorry, but I'm calling the snide comments for the total bullshit they so clearly are!!! And now flag me, as I don't actually give a fuck when it comes to saying what I think about such utter drivel!!!

Maybe this marking at set pieces is only an issue for managers who come from the Iberian peninsula and whose name ends in a vowel?

Pickford our one true top player? Sorry but where do you get off with a statement like that???

The derby aside, he's been poor all season and, if he were to be dropped, which I very much doubt, I don't think anyone on here could complain.

Coming off the back of a good World Cup, the kid started believing his own press. He's been average at best and it wouldn't bother me if I never saw him between the sticks again for the rest of this season.

Also, Pickford was always revered for his distribution – what the fuck happened to that??

He has been more animated, twitchy, nervous and all this means his composure is currently down the drain. So, what's my point? In sports that have goalies (Football, Ice Hockey, Hockey etc) the GK sets the tone of the play. A good one will slow the pace at times, will speed the distribution up at others and give the side confidence that their backs are covered.

A good GK will distribute well most of the time and with purpose. In Ice Hockey, the GK is a Top Dog signing situation . Shots on, Shots saved etc etc etc are vital stats.

Coming back to Jordan, he's still a youngster. One skill he hasn't lost is his response/reaction times in making fab saves (witness Huddersfield with 2 world class saves when we were down to 10 men). But in too many aspects his lack of composure has put considerable pressure on the outfield players (including utter frustration).

My view is not to sell him now (but with hindsight you might well be proven right in future years). He's young and he needs a great GK coach, who understands the psychology associated with the position, to bring him back to where he was! IMO only. I've been a coach but never a Goalie!

We are clearly too fragile in the face of such a cock-up, and have been for a few years now. Unless that mentality changes, it's always going to be an uphill struggle.