Truly 'Everton, that'

Out battled, out thought and out played.

At least we have taken two steps forward this time before we take our obligatory two steps back.

See Jose Mourinho was in the crowd.
Think he was told Hull City was playing Fulham.

Actually the rot started in the first
minute when Everton's goalie nearly scored in his own net.

The rest of the team saw him get away
with it so they thought they would see if it worked for
them.
It didn't. It was dreadfully
hard to chose Everton's best player today. I'm still
trying.

I'm also still wondering how a team
that can beat top London teams can play so lousy.
It confirmed my appreciation of
Pickford, Richarlison, Sigurdsson and Gueye and Gomes.
Did I say appreciation? They were all
lousy. Might make a good pub team.

Actually, I thought I was seeing
a performance of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The only thing I'm sorry for is the
fans who went down to London.

Perhaps one good thing will come from
it. The Everton Brass now really know who they have to
replace.
Maybe even bringing in Mourinho.

Last, as if Everton weren't bad enough
today, they were showing on SIX channels in Canada.

Being absolutely fucking inconspicuous by his absence in the Everton team, which arguably is more talented

It's the recurring lack of consistency, and all the key requirements for any decent football team at any level, that today yet again this season, were left on the coach or may be at FF.

This inconsistency is seriously damaging for all Evertonians, and this level of performance is not acceptable, and there's no excuses.

We are used to poor officials and Fulham's delay tactics with their physios on at any chance to break play up, is no excuse.

Next week is another massive game as was today, but which Everton team, will, turn up?

The truth is that the culture of the Clubs sole purpose is to survive in the Premier League and nothing else. Most of the players were not motivated to play in the Europa League or want too, they are happy to play in the Premier League next season. The Management bar Moshiri, Brands and Silva are quite happy and have been for years. They get their wages and no extra work. John Moore' s quote often quoted! No chance.

What other team in the Premier League is like Everton? None of them. Until Moshiri really starts to look at the off-field management of the Club, this is what you will get. If I was Moshiri I would tell the players to arrive back at Finch Farm on Tuesday and wield the axe there on Monday, just for starters.

Silva must throw off this creepy disease which afflicts us: the habit of trying to look more noble and honourable than the rest, for scant and dishonest reason. I think I know where this foolish ethos comes from and why it continues to hobble us.

Sentimentality and self-pity coming together to make the Everton way on and off the pitch. Bad, dangerous things - though, these days, we must not say so.

Unbelievably poor performance. The Jekyll & Hyde likeness is well presented. I can't understand how a team of any kind can perform as we did in the previous 3 games and then play so badly they could hardly make a pass of any distinction and certainly never seemed to be able to string 2 passes together.

Jerome#9 and Tony #10 say it all. If the current culture of the club does not match the original motto there is something seriously wrong embedded somewhere deep within the structure. And, even though a few on here wanted Jags to be a starter for this game, it was a stupid emotional decision to do so. The bench maybe but not the starting line-up.

Get real Everton - this is a multi-million quid business and it appears like it's being run far less efficiently even than our family business!

I know plenty of Fulham fans who were pleased but also highly frustrated yesterday asking why they couldn't play like that all season before they were relegated! I know a Leicester fan who was tearing his hair out asking how they could have lost at home to a mediocre Newcastle. I know a Wolves fan who was gutted that in the race for Europe their vibrant team were battered by a poor Southampton. I also know many Arsenal fans who were red in the face after shouting at their TVs watching their efforts against us last week!

We might feel such an inexplicably poor performance is the remit of Everton alone but I'm pretty sure most fans around the country would claim the same. Every loss hurts.

We may finish the season 11th or 12th which would be crap. Or we could still finish the season 7th or 8th which I think would be good-ish. Either way Silva will be here next season I believe. The two things that concern me most are inconsistency (obviously) and the fact that we have still never recovered from a losing position this season. When Fulhan scores first yesterday I thought it the perfect opportunity to rectify that but no. The truth is we struggle badly against teams that let us have the ball and want to counter; Silva has had all season to fix that and has (can) not.

He's not entirely to blame the squad is so short of match winners it's embarrassing. He will be given another season without a doubt, whatever money is available must be spent on players who can add or create goals.

Maybe then we could win matches like the Fulham game, even if we do play badly, by snatching a goal out of nothing, something we just can't manage at the moment at all.

Lyndon, what is now is typical was never the case in the 1960's and 1980's.

I have serious doubts whether Silva has what is required to get us to where we believe we belong, it's not as if it was the odd blip, this has happened from the start with more poor performances than decent ones. Even Jekyll and Hyde performances in the same game even, but this was Hyde/Hyde, but no-one should hide from this one.

I will bet that in the back of their mind most Evertonians given are past, could see this result happening, however much we wanted to believe that this club had turned a corner with the recent results.Yesterday felt like being in a boxing match against a 1 armed opponent who had the other arm tied behind his back, but still managed to lose.

Marco Silva said after the game that we weren't aggressive enough, and he has used that same expression on a couple of other occasions when we have lost. Now there are things that take a manager time to get his methods across but surely it shouldn't be that hard to make them more aggressive. Now I know he doesn't mean go out and kick people, he means be more aggressive and positive in our style of football. What is slightly worrying is he has criticized his team for lacking aggression so how come he hasn't rectified the fault. Yes I want to hear him say what is wrong with the team but then I expect him to correct those issues on the training which doesn't seem to be happening.

As for the players well they are one of the most inconsistent group we have had in a long time. Some days they look absolutely brilliant, and the next game you think he is an entirely different player. Without doubt there would have to be a massive increase in their collective consistency to even dream of getting into the top 6. I do think this summer is crucial, both in unloading the deadwood and buying the right type of player. Its quite obvious we need 1 or 2 top strikers, DCL is still very young and shouldnt have been asked to shoulder the main striking role. But due to the ineptness of our previous and current manager, he is the best at the club at present. I hope he will in time learn to convert chances better than he does at present but only time will tell. But our failure up front is not helped when you have Bernard who has scored 1 league goal all season, yes he is a nice touch player and he works tirelessly but he doesnt score enough goals to warrant a regular place in a top 6 chasing side. Walcott 1 league goal since August woeful and Lookman hasnt come on and given a performance that makes the manager have to play him in the next game.

So that leaves us with a team with only 2 players into double figures for goals Richarlison and Sigurdsson. So not difficult to see why we are nowhere near a top 6 position. I am sure with a packed Goodison we will be up for the game against Man Utd especially as they have a very tough game away to Barcelona in midweek. But its the likes of the result yesterday that defines our season and those defeats happen to often.

We are not anywhere near challenging 6th neither next season nor the season after. There is plenty of garbage to clear out at the club, not just those that are out on loans or at other clubs but also players that are regulars.

Good enough for 7th? Yes. Beyond that? No chance.

A post above says there's no team like us, but there is. Wolves and Leicester lost where you would of thought they would win, that's just why we are mid table.

I'm expecting us to finish 7th still somehow.

The title of the post says it all just like the Facebook group.

"EVERTON THAT"

First half against Chelsea was poor; 2nd half a massive improvement. Last week against Arsenal, we were excellent. Spurs at home, a 6-2 walloping could have been more... a lot more. Man City 0-2 won at a canter, we didn't look like scoring, ditto Liverpool 0-0. Man Utd to come next week and Spurs away.

Let's look at the away games: at Liverpool, we were very very unlucky but couldn't score; Arsenal same again; Man Utd away, a penalty and other chances we didn't take; Man City, we were well beaten again, they won at a stroll; Chelsea away we didn't create much but defended superbly.

So it's a big myth that we do well against the top 6; the win against Chelsea being our first against any of them for 2 years!! It's a glaring lack of opportunities that we miss that's holding us back and Silva and Brands badly need to bring in two quality strikers in the summer. Not easy but other teams find them so why can't we?

If it's true that were in for the likes of Rondon and Adams of Birmingham, I genuinely fear for us because them two are no better than what we've got. This centre-forward dilemma has got to be rectified... otherwise, I'm afraid it'll be the same next season: mid-table obscurity.

In recent games it was tough picking out our man of the match. Yesterday there was strong competition for worst player. Sigurdsson was a nonentity. Gomes was largely peripheral apart from his bad tackle which may well earn him a three match ban. Bereft of support DCL could do no more than chase lost causes. Richarlison started promisingly but faded badly. Seamus started badly and deteriorated. One could go on. Only Zouma could hold his head high and look the travelling fans in the eye after the final whistle.

Silva has earned enough credit in recent weeks to withstand this poor performance. Indeed the defeat may prove a blessing in disguise if it dispels the notion that we already have a bunch of hugely talented players ready to challenge for a top six place. It should also help Brands to resist the temptation to throw away an exorbitant sum for the services of Gomes who is a decent midfielder but no more than that.

1. If Keane was fully fit, then playing Jags was a serious criminal offence!

2. If that Gomes 'tackle' had been any later, it would have featured in NEXT week's highlights!

3. Buy Mitrovic immediately!

He should be shipped out along with Big Dunc and other backroom spongers employed on Kenwright's soppy sentiment – otherwise, we are simply mortgaging out a decision that will have to be made next autumn.

Well that was as bad if not worse than anything we've seen this season.

So today's excuses are??

Would it not be possible to somehow reimburse those that went yesterday, and to the other abysmal efforts this season?
Speaking as not a proper Evertonian, of course.

I do not accept the view, expressed by some, that we are going to be stalled in and around 7th in future seasons (a view I have expressed myself before); I think Brands, in particular, is a proper operator with a distinct strategy for enduring success.

Gomes is a difficult one. He brings out the purist in me and he has a lovely style when on form. I would very much like him to be our player and I think he will be better and fitter next year. But I do start to worry that there may be an underlying lack of focus there. That's another thing for Silva and Brands to decide upon, of course.

Incidentally, why oh why did the "press" disappear yesterday?? It's not like Fulham didn't have the ball? Solve that problem and we would be in the top four.

Every team at any level needs, the basic air and water mindset along with motivation, guts, passion and skill.

Did the coaches tell them something about none of us know about the club, that can't be disclosed, did they change the players boots etc...

There's no rational for being so unprofessional yesterday. My nephew was in with some Fulham fans at their home end and they couldn't believe how the way Everton played, after previous 3 games.

To be realistic to challenge the top 6 you must be consistent, something that's proving impossible the last few seasons.

It's starting to seem like the players are being put into a trance every couple of games; what do they coach them at FF, about game management taking ownership, fighting for the cause, playing every minute of the 95 or 100 minutes..?

Diablo match, and they need the riot act, this week. It's a loss but the lazy way we lost is the worst and seemingly the belief they had the previously month had gone.

You'll not win any trophy with this approach and mentality.

Now praying for a Lazarus come back against Manure.

Time will prove.

Give me 11 youngsters giving 100% for the cause than these shysters every day

We are on peanuts compsred to this lot and follow them all over, season and preseason, staying in some right shitholes while they are in the lap of luxury

Rather than pandering to these no marks its about time the whole lot were made to play for fuck all and give every penny to Alder Hay

Tossers the lot of them

I think Silva has it in him to do similar for us albeit by different means to suit their different personalities (I know you and many others think that's nonsense); but he/Brands must become ruthless and must stop being in any way obedient to the management-speak, "Everton are a Family" tosh; that's what allowed Grandpa Jags to play yesterday.

They must pull us up by our bootstraps and if that offends the people who think we are more than a club then so be it.

When Klipperty rode into Mordor, with his gengenpressing, it wasn't an overnight success. The demands put on the players who wasn't use to the system meant that they'd play brilliantly for 4-5 games, then run out of fuel and get tonked by a relegation candidate team, as was the case over Christmas a couple of seasons ago when they completely collapsed.

IMHO, the same thing is happening to us, because Silva also wants to play the high pressing game. It can't be a coincidence that our recent good form came after 19 day break, where everyone was fresh and raring to go.

This is a problem for Silva to solve; if he wants to continue with the high pressing game he's got to weed out the players that can't cope and replace them with players that can, or found a way, like Klopp has, of managing games better otherwise it'll be up & down, up & down.

Life will be unbearable if Old Nick wins the EPL, even tonight, some are talking like they've done it already.

There's a month of fixtures in the EPL anything is possible, including City winning the EPL.

I really hope EFC get into United next Sunday and give us all some spirit for the last few games of another mediocre season.

You are right that other fans feel the same way about their teams. But I have always believed that Everton as a Club have the potential to compete at the highest level. I admit for years even finding false dawns was difficult, and when found it was inevitability false. But during this season and especially this last two games I have seen potential on firmer ground. I posted prior to the game that Everton would need to be careful regarding this fixture ( pretty obvious), but to see on the first half performance that they hadn't even turned up, I knew that the second half would end badly.

I agree Silva will manage Everton next season. I would even go as far as to say that he will see out his contract. I also think that two areas of weaknesses you mentioned, have not been addressed. I hope that Silva will address them next season.

In my opinion, this performance is the symptom of a deeper malaise as Bobby@16 has highlighted. Everton FC sole aim is to survive in the Premier League and not get relegated. This is the culture that pervades at the Club and has done for years.

At Finch Farm in the week prior to this game there was little or no preparation done for this game. Silva may as well have talked to the man on the moon, because the pervading attitude was we are home and dry. Challenging for a Europa League place was the last thing on Coaches or Players minds. As for caution regarding the Fulham game it wasn't heeded.
This attitude comes from the Senior Management of the Club and currently supersedes any plans that Moshiri, Brands or Silva may have.

Those of you who are addicted to highs and lows of following this club need to check in to rehab clinic for the deluded...

The reality is what it is Everton are a also ran mid table has been football club...

There is a film due out this year called Howards Way... I'm looking forward to that... only because I can relate to it as a luck fan ti have witnessed the mud 80s glory years...

The game and culture of football is ever evolving and Everton have been left behind to reflect on the past with little hope of a glorious future...

Wether Liverpool win the title or not they are still top in the media eyes and the eyes if the billions accriss this crazy planet...

My advise is enjoy the good wins like a night out at the movies but lije the movies if the film was shite then just hope the next movie is a bit better...

The need for a top 15-20 goal striker won't go away. We just have not got the goalscorer, the threat or someone who can manfacture a goal out of nothing.

Even when we are completely dominant we only score one goal and miss a glut of half chances. Games are rarely killed off when we are on top and when we are behind there is no way back.

Without this player we will remain a million miles away from the top 6.

If the club is serious about where it wants to be , watch this space for the striker we sign. It will define our ambition and our league position over the next few seasons.

Given the almost constant turmoil team affairs have suffered since Moshiri 'bought in', this has been almost a season of tranquillity - even throwing up the hope of the much coveted seventh place finish during more than one sequence of results.

With the prospect of a new stadium looking more and more a goer, we of the Goodison hoi polloi really must learn to curb our 'on field'expectations. Premier survival will do for now and Silva has shown he can deliver it.

Unless we can string at least ten games unbeaten, we will just tread water.

I just can't see a trophy-winning side anytime soon... Sorry, folks.

Anyone who thought we were going to win our remaining games is as daft as those who claimed we would lose them all.
The fact is; We are not a good team. Good teams have consistency and have a solid base, we have neither.

I think we have all seen that we have players capable of competing with the shite, Chelsea and Arsenal etc and It would come as no great surprise to anyone of we beat the Mancs, but we are capable of losing to any team at any level. That's been apparent all season. Anyone attempting to bully our defenders will almost certainly succeed.

No team can play well if their defenders are running scared.

Yeah we need a marksman, a powerhouse in midfield and a creative lock picker, but until Coleman, Keane, Jagielka, Baines, Zouma, Mina, Digne and Pickford are replaced, poor teams will always have a chance. Decent players "on their day" but every one of them has a howler in him

The good teams will try to come through Gana and that often plays into our hands. The poor teams are more direct. They will bypass him . . Then we're fCUK`D

The microscope is firmly in place now on Silva as he is still way off course in turning this team around.

Consistency is the key and this lot just don't have any except to consistently turn in lousy performances every week even though sometimes they get lucky and win one or two.

On another note Klopp says he was proud and overwhelmed at RS's performance !! Really, Chelski whom even Everton managed to beat with a lukewarm performance. Come on Kloppy say something sensible.

The three good recent performances saw us press as a team, squeezing mistakes out of the opposition and protecting the back four.

Yesterday reverted back to mid-season, no pressing, no energy, which meant no-one supported the attack and a midfield open as a barn door, giving no protection to the defence.

A goalscorer or two would help, not just with goals, but also by giving the team the confidence of having a reliable outlet. And as you say, a physical, passing presence as the cornerstone of our midfield would help.

If I was being kind/hopeful, I'd point across the park, where it took Mr Ed a while to get his team pressing consistently strongly. That's Silva's prime task right now. Brands' is to get us at least one reliable goalscorer.

And if the rain falls in Exeter overnight, watch out for my other horse, Blackjack Kentucky, tomorrow!

Is the traditionally 'nice' Everton team spirit degraded to such a degree that we now only have Team Captains who'll interact with the referee? Will a kick up the old a$$ make the atmosphere unbearable for the shirkers mainly looking out for their own ars..., umm, a$$'s? :/

Its far easier to press the teams who believe they are better than you. They will have enough confidence to knock it around at the back and draw you on.

Lesser teams will be more direct, Fulham defenders were getting the ball forward, down Channels for the lummox to exploit and bully our defenders. Their full backs were Bombing on. This why we come unstuck so often when we play lower teams. We were playing the Geordie's off the park until they went rout on. Then we simply collapsed

You cant press opponents who are not playing with the ball.

Silva is in very real danger of becoming a one trick pony. If plan A doesnt work he does not seem to have a plan B. Benitez did him like a kipper in the most basic manner. Millwall demonstrated that we can be undone by the crudest of tactics.
Alehouse football wont be leaving the EPL anytime soon, Too many coaches can steal a living by playing the percentages.
If these defenders cant cope with it, they need to go and if Silva doesnt see it, He needs to go.

We have some good players and we're not as far away from the top six as people think, but we also have some poor players and we are just as close to the other end.

We are making the huge gap between 6th and 12th seem like the thickness of a cigarette paper.
As Lyndon says "Everton, that"

Exeter eh ? Noted

Benitez did him alright, but Silva helped him by giving them the initiative. He'd have been better off being a one trick pony that day.

He'll only run tomorrow if the ground's right. And I'll keep you posted regarding Trump's next run after his brilliant show on Friday.

We will only become consistent when all of the players consistently play well.
We have been like that for the last thirty years so that every season we will continue to say, "Just wait until next year" Not trying to use a pun but it really is like waiting for a Blue Moon.

I try to be philosophical about this, typical Everton against a team that we never found it easy to beat at home. In contrast to us, they were confident and played without pressure as they are already down.

Also, given that Jags had been given the run around why wasn't he substituted at half time, in fact why was he picked? What we needed was a bit of drive and passion in the midfield. When Gomes struggles especially in a physical game, the team starts to fall apart. The trouble is that there was nobody on the bench to do the required job. Why isn't McCarthy given a chance as this game was made for him.

As is usual, when the team struggles for possession, Sigurdsson gets more and more marginalised. Then we have 2 vital players not involved. We need to have players who can cope with a physical game and turn things around with passion, drive and commitment.

Basically, Mo has gone and McCarthy isn't getting a kick. Gueye is good at what he does but struggles without support. If he goes, we will have major problems. As for Schneiderlin, he remains unpredictable. Gomes is basically a very good player but needs to be able to adapt his game and proper backup from the bench.

Dom showed his major problem, that of scoring goals. He wasn't good but he should have scored at least 1. Even at his best, he doesn't score and has some way to go. We need a strong goal scoring striker in the summer.

Yes, we are on a par with top teams but simply don't have the consistency. If we lose our players who are on loan in the summer, we can expect a difficult season next year.

..didn't work out at Barcelona? In you come.. couldn't make the grade at Tottenham? Welcome.. All the top teams already got a better player in your position? Come down to our level, we'll make it worth your while..

No wonder our players aren't motivated, our club's a halfway house to get nearly men back in their comfort zones after the trauma of actually competing at other clubs.

The rs are challenging for the title and the CL. They brought in a good coach, have stuck with a core group of players, and they are reaping the benefits of consistency and quality.

Spurs are in the semis of the CL and will probably get a CL spot this season in the league. They brought in a good coach, have stuck with a core group of players, and they are reaping the benefits of consistency and quality. They didn't even make a move in the transfer market!

Everton have brought in a good coach. He can frustrate, but they all do. I think he's a good coach, and is making steps in the right direction. We have a core group of players. We need to stay the course, make a few signings to plug some holes, and stick with it. We have some quality, we need consistency, and we'll see this group, and a few additions and youngsters stepping up, start to perform and climb up the table.

Patience is a virtue.

Lord, grant me patience, and be quick about it.