Smashed teacups at half-time for rare Blues win

It also is similar to the starting XI played well for an hour at Newcastle last week, with the forced change of Mina in for the unavailable Zouma and the (sick) Coleman returning for his last-minute replacement Kenny.

It is understandable people are exasperated and focus on the clusterfuck of the last 30 minutes against Newcastle, but actually, we've played – and competed – well for the vast majority of the last 3 games.

The trick is to maintain it over 90 minutes and choke off any chance of a comeback by the opposition.

Today should be an interesting watch.

There's more atmosphere on the moon as well.

Anyone disagree?

Oh... he is on.

With virtually the same team as he put out at Chelsea in the reverse fixture, when we pressed high and made it hard work for the home side, today we are set up like the away team.

For the first 15-20 minutes we completely ceded the entire Chelsea half to the visitors and the inevitable happened: we were under constant pressure. How we got through that period without conceding, I don't know.

The pressure relented as the half progressed, but there is little or no threat going forward, as well as Calvert-Lewin is playing the lone striker role, he has no support within 30-40 metres of him.

Neither Richarlison nor Sigurdson are showing for, or getting on the ball. Apart from his shot on target, Gomes' contribution to the game has been to give away cheap fouls, getting caught on the ball and coughing up easy possession. Increasingly, I think we can do much, MUCH better than pay hard coinage for him.

Today's boo boy, Ross Barkley, is showing him how to do it. Best midfield player on the park today.

We need a similar high tempo 2nd half as we produced against Liverpool in the last home game to get anything out of this game.

Happy St Patrick's Day to all ye folks, drink and be merry!

I would have rested Pickford. Signal that he's not been good enough and it's not acceptable. It will hopefully help stop this nonsense of constantly passing backwards.

Glad Mina is given a run out even though it's forced. He needs to play more games just to assess if he's any good.

Kenny played well and should have kept his place.

Calvert-Lewin deserves to keep his place. He gets stick for not being good enough but for a 21-year-old playing in an inconsistent team he's one of the better and more consistent players for the past two seasons.

I agree, we should prioritise getting a top class striker but Calvert-Lewin is the best we have in that position until then.

Chelsea have completey outplayed us. But as I'm watching it's the same unsure play and set up from us. Are we supposed to be pushing up and marking them from the off or are we trying to sit deep?

I honestly can't tell. We appear to do a little of both unsuccessfully leaving huge spaces in the middle for them to dictate play. Silva needs to keep it simple and against a superior team in Chelsea we need to sit back for the counter-attack, close the gaps and let their keeper and defender play keep ball.

We have nothing to play for. They do. They will get desperate trying to win so we need to be patient and take our chance when it comes.

Stifling tactics don't work.

Attack!! I'd rather get beat 3-2 attacking than getting beat 1-0 in a bore defence tactical genius!

Get in there, my Blues!!

Great win...

We played very well after the break. Silva must have read the riot act and got a great response.
COYB

This could be vital for Silva

2 excellent homes performances and results. C'mon!!

EXCELLENT performance in the second half.

Did more in the first five minutes – and got the goal – then we did in the entire first 45 minutes. That set the tone for the remainder of the game.

Thoroughly deserved win and three points. Richarlison really came alive in the second half, but Everton's MotM for me – head and shoulders – was Calvert-Lewin.

If I worked for the Premier League, I'd have all the Everton players drug tested, I've never seen such a turnaround.

Whatever they had, I want some, and I thought Seamus was magnificent in the second half — he must've realised it was St Paddy's day.

Side note: just so glad Barkley wasn't on the winning team on his return to Goodison Park.

I think I speak for every fan here, I'm now breathing out that "40-point" sigh of relief.

Well done lads, Coyb.

It's a hard life being an Evertonian!

What's the betting that we win all our remaining games but lose 7-0 to Fulham? Just joking... more likely to be 6-0!

Look at the teams above us. Watford, Wolves, West Ham (for God's sake!) & Leicester.

How far we have fallen.

The teacups should have been smashed a long time ago.

Certainly not the white-flag wavers (horrible term from Darren... but I have to admit he's spot-on) who insist on giving their pathetic predictions of defeat seemingly every Match Preview thread.

I don't mind so-called realism but you'd think Evertonians would know by now you cannot predict any result in the Premier League, especially involving Everton.

You think you can, but you can't. So please, just stop!

Calvert-Lewin is finally showing promise and is a weapon for us. If I'd have said that 12 months ago, I'd have laughed at my own comment! He was great today.

Good post!!

Truly deep joy.

I agree with the 40 points though.

Schnids would have closed the Newcastle game out last week.

I have given the guy stick for his performances last season but give credit where it's due he's stepped up this season.

Overall, a great second-half performance – shows what we can do when the fans get behind the team and likewise when the players respond.

Chelsea are in a state of shock and completely baffled.

Well done, Everton. Silva's substitutions where the complete opposite of last week.

Apart from one FA Cup win, the highest place we have achieved in the Premier League is 4th in 2004-05. We have been struggling for years, even though we don't like to think about it.

For me, we haven't had a really great team since the mid-80s when we should have gone on and dominated for years if it had not been for the European ban.

Time to start living in the present and realise we still have a long way to go.

Today we won, let's celebrate.
COYB

I thought Pickford played really well today and went a long way to burying the demons from last week.

Ready for a celebratory beer now. Happy weekend, fellow Blues.

Awful 1st half... Brilliant 2nd.

But I will say this: Sigurdsson should never be let near a penalty again. Shocking miss — and that's three this season.

Gueye had a superb 2nd half... Where has that 2nd-half performance been hiding all season???

Absolute garbage first half and a fabulous 15-minute spell in the second secures us the win.

I honestly don't know what to think, sack the useless git or give him another season because we're in transition and there are signs of improvement.

In the first half, when we defended, we had too many players behind the ball and left Calvert-Lewin isolated up front.

When we were attacking we had too many players high up the pitch and the gap between midfield and attack was too big. We relied on long passes from midfield to attack and these quickly got cut out.

Our problem was, we were too slow to transition from a defending shape to an attacking one and vice versus, so when we won the ball back defending, we had no outlet, when we lost the ball attacking, we had too many committed forward.

Fast forward to the second half and Richarlison especially provided us with that cover in midfield and that body up front when we needed it. He was pivotal in our transition from defence to attack and from attack to defence. Sigurdsson and Bernard played their part as well, but Richarlison stood out for me.

We can't play with an advanced Number 10 and 2 wingers. In the second half Richarlison might as well have been a midfielder and winger at the same time. I firmly believe that it was his performances on the wing at the start of the season that helped us look better and his stint up front curbed the defensive part of his game which makes him a truly class player.

Funny old game. So dire in the first half and yet pretty impressive in the second. Ultimately a very good result against a very decent team.

More please.

It's St Patrick's Day and they didn't get tea at half-time.

The problem with these two is that they chip in with the odd goal and assist, but the game often passes them by.

I'm happy today but we got away with one really. The balance of the midfield / attack needs to be improved over the summer.

Now the good news: The workrate and application by the players was very good, especially second half (notice I did not say 'excellent').

Sigurdsson and Richarlison continue to be prolific in front of goal. Calvert-Lewin may well turn out to be the Number 9 that we need.

Pickford was much improved and actually commanded his area on a few occasions although I wish sometimes he would tip stuff around the post instead of just getting a hand to knock it straight back into play.

Seamus may have lost a yard of pace but hasn't lost his desire.

Mina looked quite settled for most of the game.

Everyone chipped in, but special mentions for Bernard, Mina, Gueye and Pickford. Seamus is slowly getting back to form.

Very pleasing.

No smashed teacups, broken hairdryers, etc. All part of his master tactics, sucking them in first half and then a swift uppercut off the ropes after the break.

Marco is a genius!!!

There will be no pressure on him now, so let's see what he can do in the remaining fixtures. It's up to Moshiri and Brands to decide if he's good enough for another season; playing well for 45 minutes every now and then just doesn't cut it with most fans though.

Barkley was rightly booed every time he touched the ball. He's a lucky boy because his ability doesn't match the reported 𧵘k a week he picks up, we're well rid of him.

It ain't what they call rock 'n roll.

And the Sultans... Yes, The Sultans played creole...

The,n a game when we battered European Champions Aston Villa 5-0 ... at Goodison 1982? And also a 3-0 win over perennial cup winners of the time, Spurs, a few games later.

The point being, those games were hit and miss and in between hammerings, and then the rest is history, as they say.

My point is, until the whole team is Silva's, then let's give him until then, hey?

I for one wanted rid of Kendall in the dark days... so let's give him a go?

Second half what happened, something in the tea or what? If a neutral was watching that he could well be forgiven, to think it was a different team second half. So if they can do last week's first half, and this week's second half, and somehow string them together, with the same players, we would be happy.

While I can enjoy what is left of the weekend for a change, I am not totally convinced we have turned any corners, and still not sure about Silva.

We really didn't turn up in the first half with Sigurdsson and Richarlison leaving us to play with nine men. Second half and they were both prominent and the full-backs also came into it as an attacking force.

Whatever Silva said at half time clearly worked and all credit to him, though why we played like we did in the first half – no passion, no fight, no guts – is beyond me.

Calvert-Lewin had a cracking game, as did Pickford. I also thought Mina and Keane were both excellent after the opening ten minutes and little Bernard never stopped working. There is undoubtedly potential here and it remains to be seen if Silva can instil consistency.

Huge bonus at the end of the weekend and very well done. The crowd woke up in the second half too!

Mina has a presence so I hope he can adapt to the rigours of English football and, although we rode our luck, it was great to see the crowd stay with the team, and for us to get our rewards in the end.

I didn't think Sigurdsson could get into the game and it might just be because of Silva's tactics but it's great to see Calvert-Lewin improving and showing what can happen if you give people a bit of time?

Sure, he didn't smash teacups or get the “hairdryer” out. But not many do these days.

All part of a master plan? No, he made it clear he was angry at the performance. No great tactical shift, just good old fashioned motivation and got the players to really get after Chelsea the way they were meant to in the first half.

We lost a game we should have won last week, we won a game we should have lost this week.

Season over? No, there's a lot to play for, pride and places in the side next season, and still Silva's job unless he wins a few more quickly.

One thing that has gone, though, is Europa League. Even 7th is not enough for that now. The FA Cup finalists will get it, ie wolves or Watford. They're also likely to take their foot off the gas now, so 7th is very attainable.

While I was, to say the least, elated at this unexpected good news, I was one of those thousands who wrote us off from the start as we continue this erratic and unpredictable series of results which ultimately disappoint as we continually clutch at straws.

A suggested a few weeks ago that Calvert-Lewin was almost imperceptibly improving by the week. And so again today. Winning headers or at least preventing clean headers from their defence. Holding the ball up. Good passing. I think he might just be developing into a striker of worth.

Yes, Calvert-Lewin coming on very nicely as well, thank you.

Great result and puts the relegation talk to bed.

Gomes frustrating today, he really has to try to grab the games by the balls. You can see his effort but struggle to impose himself.

I thought Mina did well today, Calvert-Lewin too all game while Bernard and Richarlison lost themselves chasing back in the first half. So something to build on.

Now we just need Mr Consistency to pull on a shirt for us.

There is a good side in there somewhere but I think it has to include Tom Davies and it mustn't have Richarlison as an additional right-back. He is capable of causing havoc but not as a back tracker, have a midfield player do that and let Richarlison be available up front.

I eat humble pie, I did not see that coming and, after the 1st half, thought "This is it." How wrong was I?

Apparently next season it would be ruled no goal?

"I'm sorry but people who think we should have played 1st half like we did 2nd half don't get it. Silva obviously decided wisely that the 1st half was all about not going in behind."

Sure about that, Terry?

Here are Silva's own words about our 1st half performance:

"I said we have to do everything different to the first half. They tried but not in the way we planned.

"[The first half was] everything I don't want and the second half was everything the way I want to play."

Evidently, based on the manager's own words, our 1st half performance was not part of Silva's grand 'master plan' as your post presumes.

Good win.

"AND THAT'S EVERTON FOLKS !!!!!"

Too right, Dave - players, manager, club and fans. Play like they did in the 2nd half every week and Goodison will be rocking every game, no question.

I hope we do the same plan against Arsenal. Throwing caution to the wind against the top 6 is dangerous.

So we can still hope that Man City wins the FA Cup; Watford and Wolves lose focus in the Premier League, and we magically end up in 7th. And play in those Europa League qualifiers early July!

In days gone, Mike would have been in The Grafton tonight celebrating... and ‘on the pull' of course.

What this means for the future, I have no idea. Is it a sign of Silva's potential? Or is it just an exception to the rule? Not a clue, tbh. I guess the rest of the season will give us more of an idea.

A special word out to Calvert-Lewin. The lad is getting better, his excellent header made the first goal and his general play was of a high standard. Compare to Higuain, would anybody swap? Compare to Mitrovic (whose slow play broke down almost every Fulham attack against Liverpool, yet many on here have said he'd be a good option)? The lad is 21 or 22, has a decent goal record, has all the attributes. He would fetch 㿀 million if we sold, but he could well become a 㿞 million striker.

Keep the team as it was today for the run in. Only changes – Lookman to take Walcott's place as sub. Davies to get more game time as a sub. Rotate Kenny and Coleman. Introduce some of the young lads (Gordon and Co) for a few sub appearances.

A good day.

For some reason, it was just too difficult for some (actually, most) to see that a young player might benefit from regular games in his position.

Might never be a global star, but he's a Premier League centre-forward alright.

Maybe at Bramley-Moore Dock if we're lucky.

If we'd simply held our nerve in that game, we'd be looking at 10 points from 12 and (possibly) four straight clean sheets. That's not to dismiss what happened last week, but there's definite life in the Silva era yet.

Mina's a bit of an odd duck – it almost feels like he plays to the competition. He's actually looked quite good against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, but then stumbles around clumsily against teams like Newcastle. If Zouma's not going to be here next season, then Mina should really start the remainder of our matches – he needs the minutes.

BTW, we've now produced three straight clean sheets against Chelsea, which isn't bad, considering they were smashing us 5-0 not too long ago.

I like Calvert-Lewin, but I would swap him for Higuain. He's been one of the world's best, but still has a few seasons left to offer. I think he's still a top-class finisher.

It was the first time I'd ever heard of it... What will they think of next, why don't they leave the game as it is?

I think the idea is that Kepa saved it and it's “unfair” that Sigurdsson taps it home for a goal after he missed. Can't say I agree.

I agree – stop tinkering with the game – unless it disadvantages that team from the other place.

Tinker with something no-one gets upset about and leave alone massively dated laws that fundamentally affect the game.

West ham are very erratic, but then again, so are we, don't know if this International Break, will help or hinder our preparation, but I am really pleased for a change with our result and three points.

I thought more would have posted after an unexpected victory. :-)

Speaking of penalties, not quite sure what's happened to Sigurdsson – he was something like 23 of 24 in his career from the spot before his World Cup miss. He seems a bit in his own head now.

Not really sure who the alternative would be? Baines barely plays. I've heard Tosun actually has an excellent record taking penalties, but he barely plays either. Richarlison? Not after that ghastly miss in the League Cup. Digne *seems* like the cool-headed sort who'd be good at it, but I have no idea if he actually is.

Or, more uncertainty, as the ball comes out from the keeper's save, Sigurdsson and Calvert-Lewin go for it together and you can't say which boot it came off as it goes in the goal. More aggro.

Or the save comes back sharply to the taker, Sigurdsson, who has turned his back to goal thinking it had been going in, and it goes in off Sigurdsson's back. No goal?

I'm not saying Steve Ferns is wrong, but I cannot find anything to say otherwise that there is a change to the penalty kick.

Okay, the 2nd half was better than the 1st, but overall it was a solid team performance and they worked hard, for what was a well deserved 3 points. There's not that many games to go, so hopefully we can continue to perform well and maintain a winning momentum before this season draws to a close.

I can kind of see it. No need for players jostling around the box or debates over whether someone entered the box before the kick was taken.

But the rule change got dropped. It isn't happening.

Also great to see Seamus still strong at the end, winning the ball and brushing off his opponent.

We did ride our luck in the first half — I don't know what plan the lads failed to implement but thank god they did later on.

Mina looked fine in a back four, and Gomes looks classy on the ball, Gana worked hard and Schniederlin did his job.

Finally, Pickford not only made good saves but played in a circumspect manner which suggests he has been told off, and has learnt his lesson.

Silva looked determined on the sideline and his love for his players was demonstrated clearly at the end with his hugs and pats. He really likes Gana!

I think he has a good football brain and is often ahead of most of his team-mates, my only criticism if you can call it that, is that I would like to see more attempts at goal from him.

The changes for next season are mainly:
1. No attackers in the wall.
2. Subs leave at the nearest point.
3. Yellow and red cards for coaches.

Calvert-Lewin looked like a proper centre forward today and, at the moment, seems to improve game by game. He seems to be getting stronger and his control is getting better. Long may it continue.

I was impressed with Mina also; he did not allow himself to be bullied, held his own in the air and the defence looked good.

Silva seemed to learn the lesson from Newcastle that at 2-0 it is better to close the game out through the midfield than tinker with the defence.

Did anyone find Barkley applauding the supporters when he was substituted a bit strange? Bear in mind he was being booed and reminded of the score at the time.

Overall, I thought we did well although it would be refreshing to get a full 90 minutes performance.

Now let's see what Lookman can do.

Both goalscorers have Irish blood. Sigurdsson is descended from Irish captives taken to Iceland from Clare by the Vikings... and Richarlison's great great grand father was one of the O'Ristearlas's from Kildare who left during the famine.

You're right about the luck of the Irish in the first half, Pickford's sins of St James's Park were truly absolved then!

Mina's tackle... There's a good defender in there. A clean sheet by him at Anfield (ahem, you know what I mean) and a clean sheet today. Decent.

If only we could summon St Patrick to get rid of all those snakes across the park. That would be his finest hour

Shocking season that can only be redeemed if Satan's team don't win their inevitable double.

Great song!

Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler are my fave band.

In all fairness, Mina didn't play too bad but he does not look one bit a top defender – he is very unorthodox.

Eden Hazard, who I think is a great, great player (wish we had him) has not been himself or as influential in games, since he has been linked with Real Madrid, or a move away from Chelsea.

Personally, I think Seamus is still the clear first choice (of those two) and wouldn't rotate unless Seamus himself said he wasn't up to week-in & week-out selection. I honestly feel that the gutsy and hardworking Kenny has still yet to prove that he deserves to be the expected successor for the right-back role. He was floundering quite badly at times throughout the game against the Barcodes.

I am surprised Gomes hasn't had more appreciative comments after the second half today. He showed real flashes of class I thought. Yes, he hasn't been as consistent as you would want but I think that isn't too surprising given the rollercoaster his career has been on for a while. Once he has settled (and I hope he does come to us) I think the consistency will come. He will need a brick wall and a terrier to back him up, but I think he could spearhead a midfield for us long-term.

Despite two and a half excellent performances since then, the same voices were in evidence yesterday, stating there was no possibility of getting anything out of today's game. Many of these voices wanted/still want Marco's head, decry Calvert-Lewin, write off Seamus, lambast Pickford, and see little positive in anything at all.

Worse than that, too often posters who try to be positive or plead for patience are decried and belittled by the apparently embittered loud few.

There's life in us yet. A Big Six team beaten. Onwards and upwards.

I'm not sure just how many cylinders we had working, but we had more power than Chelsea. What we had today was KITAP1-lite, it worked and it is just what we needed.

Silva's 17-day Kevin Brock moment: decent performances – 3; Blips (at Newcastle) 1

I'm having an Oliver Twist moment... I want more please.

Happy St Paddy's Day, sir.

He made the right substitution to change the game and not react to it. Schniederlin for Gomes was right, the Portuguese was tiring and offering nothing. Ironically it was the right sub... only 8 days too late. He also kept the team going forward and didn't invite Chelsea on once we were ahead.

Make no mistake had we been 2/3 nil down at HT there could be no complaints, were offered no counter to them at all. Passive and impotent.

Both last week and today were mirror images of each other, finishing stronger gives a better sheen to the game but let's be fair as performances go there were remarkably similar.

Whilst a trope, it's irks me Silva has not managed to get Everton out of the blocks at home; most of the better part of the games at home have been the second half.

It should be great cause for joy we beat a top-six side, but we know Chelsea are nowhere near all that. It means little in context of our season because we are competing for nothing. For me I was just mildly surprised but not shocked.

On to the players, Calvert-Lewin was stand out today. The only outfielder who could hold their head up in that apology of a first half. He was dead after 70 mins and needed to be changed. But the run of games is yielding a better player. I actually think his effort against Van Dijk will have made him understand what the bar is.

Pickford was focused, did everything calmly and with purpose, a performance which should be a given; more please.

Mina was steady; if Zouma is not committing next season, then sorry, Kurt, Yerry has to play; you can get splinters until May.

West Ham next; they are a schizophrenic as we are... so who knows?

It's a cracking result, totally unexpected, and overall deserved in as much as the turnaround in the second half took us from being toyed with to dominating large passages of play and scoring twice. And not conceding. Amazing.

Calvert-Lewin was very good in his support play today, hadn't seen too much of that before. If only we had someone to play in a two alongside who knows.

Richarlison looked almost like the player who spent two months at the start of the season putting one finger up to those who slagged him and the club off for spending 㿘M on a Watford player.

But then I started to see the absurd reaction online. Posts which suggested we've turned a corner. Posts that had you expecting the announcement of an open top bus tour for reaching 40 points and attacking any of us who, with 36 pts on the board and ten games left were concerned at our firm and the much better form of a group of clubs beneath us. Like they all knew we'd be beating Chelsea, for certain crazy.

The biggest sorry now is that some Evertonians are going to turn this into a kind of cathartic experience. Don't. We have been utter shite all season. We face a nightmare summer transfer window trying to get shut of so much deadwood, it's not true, and a desperate attempt to reduce therefore a wage bill which rewards that total shite with absurd wages.

We face more conditioning statements from Mr Brands and the Board who, deep down, understand that the owner may well be pulling his support for quality and yes expensive squad building because he and Mr Walsh and three ex EFC managers have wrecked our transfer dealings. Money will go to the new stadium and my gut feeling is that the only cash available will come from a kitty comprised of any sales capital income, saved wages, plus around 㿊M to 㿔M only of the Sky TV Year 2 new contract windfall, with the rest of that 𧴜M propping up the running costs inc wages of the shite we fail to shift.

The sum the above produces is going to be a long way short of finding the three or four top quality players we need. And anyway they won't come here. So we are left praying for the well respected Mr Brands to deliver us what I guess is part of his rep, ie, some Premier League ready decent non-top-six players in the summer at purchases in the ٥M to 㾻M category that he and his scouts believe can realise their potential, and quickly. It's a very tough ask as alongside this Marco Silva will still be here and he needs to up his game, massively.

I can't wait for this dire season to end. Seventh place looks lost, the Newcastle surrender almost certainly sorted that. But you never know, this is Everton after all.

My feelings tonight are made up with that win which saw us get a little bit of luck that had deserted us in the last few months. But unless we win every game left it's 9th or 10th and honestly after watching our football and chaos at the back for nine months I'm struggling to see why some are doing cartwheels at achieving 40 points. Sorry, it feels like we are denying what has gone on.

I see a lot of balanced posts doing no such thing, but rather honestly acknowledging the paucity of the first half compared to the vastly improved second half which deservedly earned us our first victory against a top-six side in 2 years.

Seriously, I've been coming on here as you put it for as long as the place has been around and boy I must have talked my share of rubbish but today's post, well, I guess I'm just too fed up with a season of failure to get carried away by one win against a top six team in two years, and by the way, that's certainly the impression I get from you this season. Cheers, Mark.

Liverpool and first half last week, we have been very good... but, make no mistake, if we had conceded first half yesterday, we were heading for another loss.

Could Silva be here next season? Stick two decent halves together in the same game and he might.

He is going to be a real centre-forward as he has all the tools – they just need polishing, which will come in time.

Is it personal motivation, team motivation, or something Silva has suddenly twigged, or did Chelsea (who have not been their usual self recently) have another off-day?

While I agree in the adage, better late than never, and as you so rightly say 7th has that more lucrative position than 11th. Someone said yesterday, when we were all euphoric, that even getting to 7th we would still not qualify, for Europa League because of the Domestic Cup (FA) permutations for runner-up spot.

I too hope that this is the start of a decent run-in and building a proper base for next season's assault on the Premier League. Or am I only dreaming and letting the win yesterday, cloud not only my hopes, but also reality?

Jagielka's and Baines's contracts are up, and we have Robinson and Holgate as replacements. Bolasie is tearing it up with Anderlecht and I think he might stay. Martina is staying at Feyenoord.

No harm in keeping Schneiderlin as back-up. McCarthy would be snapped up, although I'd keep him; Mirallas was doing okay until injury. Callum Connolly will be bought by a Championship side. I think Sandro is the only player we will struggle to get rid of.

As Man City won the League Cup, the team finishing sixth gains entry to the Europa League, and if man city also win the FA Cup, then the team finishing 7th also gains entry into the Europa League.

So as far as I'm aware, this still applies, unless it has reverted back to the FA Cup runners up gaining the place in the Europa league. Of course, Watford or Wolves will be in the final, and could also finish 7th anyway.

Apologies if this was discussed elsewhere on this thread, but I can't be bothered reading back.

What has changed is the Europa League 2 competition. This starts from the 2020-21 season. (Is it just me or does 2020 seem like the far future rather than next year?). The EL2 will take all those smaller clubs that play in July in the EL. In order to guarantee the big TV money, the Premier League clubs all stay in the EL and not the EL2 and so we go straight into the groups with qualification and we would play our first game after the PL season starts.

This puts right all the EL problems but one, the problem that remains is that Champions League clubs still drop into the EL. That's revised slightly and the group winners get a bye in the knockout round, whilst the runners-up all play the CL drop outs for the right to play the group winners. It's a shorter competition more in line with the CL format.

The CL also loses it's qualifying rounds and those teams drop into the EL as well.

I noticed 2 simple changes in the second half.

Firstly we played forward balls, usually down the channels that Calvert-Lewin or one of the wingers could run on to. Very simple. If you can't find a simple pass to a team mate do NOT pass back to the keeper, hit it down the channels into space which moves the ball and players in the right direction.

Secondly there was more support and movement in and around Calvert-Lewin to win second balls, create space and enable a quick 1-2.

Chelsea are a better team with better players and passing ability but once we were moving forward their fullbacks had to stay back to defend. This changed their whole shape and threat.

Silva said 'desire' was to strong a word but I disagree, I think desire, belief, effort and a basic passing it forward quicker plan all contributed.

I'm still critical of the centre-backs playing it too slowly or backwards. Colemans simple miss placed passes and Gomes needless tug backs when the opponent is turning and running away from our goal but we got away with it today.

I want shut of Schneiderlin. In the 20 mins he played, I saw 2 interceptions, a poor defensive header and one forward pass. But others will disagree and point to his contributions to another win and clean sheet.

But today is about the win.

Next game hopefully more time for Mina who done okay.

I posted this numerous times, but the reason why the team play like strangers is because the players are. There's Coleman, Gana, then comes Tom Davies and Kenny all the rest came either last season or this one.

So sacking the manager would start the process all over again, and consistency will bring rewards. Personally, I've seen enough this season to believe we're on the right track, but unfortunately also seen more to believe we're on the wrong track!

But that's fickle football fans for ya – we should be patient but we aren't, and I still think they'll be more bumps along the road. But the managerial merry-go-round doesn't benefit medium-sized clubs, which unfortunately is what we are these days.

We obviously overpaid for him but I think the lad is top quality he really came to the fore in the second half... just keep him away from penalties in future.

I was shouting at the telly urging us to play the ball in behind their fullbacks if no other forward pass was on. It seems so simple and the sort of thing Sunday league players manage every week.

As for Morgan Schneiderlin, I too think he should be shown the door. He had ability but it seems to have left him. For a defensive midfield player, he has an amazing knack for being wherever the ball isn't. He needs to move on to have any chance of becoming a Premier League standard player again.

This is the question for many of our players, and this is why we are held back at the moment.

Chelski lost Solanki because as an U20 reserve – he wanted more than the 㿔k per week offered. Man Utd's keeper was offered 𧸖k per week, Sanchez at Man Utd on 𧹡k per week. Rodwell on 㿲k per week in League One with Sunderland, they agreed a pay off for him to leave...

None of it makes any sense. We need to focus on can we get better for the wages we pay? The above examples show where EFC are pitching just to have the bog average Premier League players we have in many positions. The money is merely a result of Football selling it soul to Sky in the early 90s. Very sad times.

Steve # 138, I didn't notice that. It's no wonder some people think he's a bit thick.

Martin #149, I am not if polishing his tool will improve Calvert-Lewin's game!

Brands has a job to do in the summer and it won't be easy.

Hear me out. If you take out the Spurs game where Silva had a nightmare and tried to match them up without his sniffer dog (Gana) I think our better performances have come against the top teams.

All season our inability to defend the long alehouse ball has been ruthlessly exposed by inferior teams, long balls that should be meat and drink to professional defenders, but we don't have a single defender who can cope with them. We saw it at Millwall, we saw it highlighted by Sky TV last week against Newcastle and we saw it again yesterday.

Chelsea only knocked two over the top and on both occasions Higuain found himself in. Mina misjudged one so badly Higuain was able to spin and take the ball right up to the 6-yard box.

It would be logical to suggest both Arsenal and Man United only have to do this and we will be beaten... but will they? I don't think so, its not their style. They tend to leave the alehouse ball to the Newcastle's of this world. Its a little too Sam Allardyce for them. They will believe they can play through us.

Our defenders are excellent at last ditch tackles and blocks. They are far more comfortable defending on the floor and I think with the crowd doing their part, we will have enough to trouble at least one of these teams.

I'm acutely aware of our record against the big boys, but it was the first time Silva's team played Liverpool and Chelsea at the old lady and it will be the first time for Man Utd and Arsenal too. The good thing about playing the top boys is you get very generous odds for a win.

I'm not saying we will win these games, but I am saying I will be availing myself of those long odds.

I thought they all put in a shift yesterday, even in that Mr Hyde first half.

And a well done to Martin Mason who tipped us to win 2-0. Take a bow Martin.

Mina should be mentioned as someone who started the match and did a good job helping to prevent the opposition from scoring. His extra height and strength were a great help.

I hope he will still be around next season after completing a preseason, which he was denied last season due to injury. In fact, all of Silva's signing are great improvements on the last manager's signings, that's where most of Everton's problems stem from.

But still fail to understand why it has taken (allegedly, master tactician Marco Silva) this long to produce the right game plan, and glimpses of what the supporters want to see.

I am holding reservation, as it has only happened in two different halves, in different games, and not getting carried along on the wave of euphoria.

Neither am I thinking that Silva has eventually emulated Archimedes, running and publicly exposing himself through the streets of Syracuse, and hailing his 'Eureka' moment!

I do hope of course that he has, but another of those damn International Breaks has halted any possible momentum built from the second half against Chelsea, hoping too that he doesn't use that as an excuse if we just happen to revert back previous form.

Good post. This season, we've played better against the top sides, which is what most of us have been wanting. Not getting the results, of course, but bad officiating and some bad luck and the occasional cock-up haven't helped.

We just need to deal with the ale-house teams better.