Magnificent Everton serve up Easter misery for United

As you pointed out we've played Arsenal, Chelsea and utd and not conceded a single goal, was the better team 5 out of 6 halfs of football (Chelsea really should have lead at Goodison in the first half), and 90% of comments have been how poor our opponents have been.

We screwed up big time v Fulham, no blue deny it, but against the above mentioned we've played with a confidence, style and most importantly a proper shape !

DCL and Bernard have played big parts in our recent success, they haven't scored goals but they play thrre position in a way you want from them. DCL gives us a presence and a willingness to work defenders in a way we've not had in a long while, and Bernard gives us something easy on the eye, he's a little magician who can take the ball in any space and keep it moving forward.

We are growing as a team, we need Zouma and Gomes to sign up ideally, but without them signing weve seen what's needed.

On to the next game and let's hope consistency of this performance level, becomes the normal standard.

If we can get into the Europa League it may help retain and attract quality players.

All to go for now, and if, we'd beaten the Toon and Fulham ?

I have been smiling all day and I think I'll continue all week.

Today, we hammered them, absolutely tore into them and outplayed them. It was better.

I'd had the feeling we'd sneak a win but not 4-0. Shows up the performance vs Fulham as others have stated.

Difficult again to select a MotM. Digne, Sigurdsson, DCL, Bernard, Zouma and Gana would be in contention for me but it was the team performance as a whole that was impressive again.

Just an observation - not sure which Utd player it was but it looked like a late stamp on Digne's foot shortly before Digne was subbed. I haven't heard any rumblings about retrospective action as was meted out to Gomes. Maybe not as clear as The Gomes incident but still similar in intention.

Something Silva has to do next season is be able to stop the rot and turn us around quicker during a slump. He started quite well and seems to have ended quite well, but during the middle we slumped badly, going out of the FA Cup and doing awful in the league.

Hopefully that has passed and the players have seen the light and bought into everything Silva wants us to do.

If DCL and Bernard can add goals to their armoury, then we definitely have a Top 6 team. Plus, of course, some depth in the strikers, midfield and full back positions.

Don't be expecting goals from him. Just enjoy what he does.

It was interesting to note how effective the midfield was without Gomes. Of course it is an area we need to strengthen but I am not sure we should be lashing out £30m for a player with few goals and some question marks about his ability to maintain consistency over a full season.

Qualifying for the Europa League would make this a decent season. I know some people don't want it, but managed correctly the Europa League should be a huge bonus, allowing us to keep a bigger squad match fit and giving young players game time. I think some blues are scarred by how badly previous managers have dealt with the situation. (This was typified for me by Martinez not playing Christian Atsu for a month then starting him twice in four days - the exact opposite of how the Europa League should be managed).

It doesn't have to be that way. A few years ago Spurs played a separate XI on Thursday nights, got out of the group and used it as a stepping stone to being competitive in the Champions League. They're still reaping the benefits now and frankly, who knows what they're about to achieve.

Bob #8, it was very worrying to see Digne go down in such distress, but I don't think there was a stamp or any intent from Pogba. The two came together and Pogba lost his balance and trod on Digne's foot, but he was looking the other way and it did not appear intentional. Just a frustrating accident. The two are French National teammates and swapped smiles and handshakes throughout the match, so I doubt there was any intent. It was nothing like Gomes' dirty challenge.

Seriously though, a club of Evertons size and stature should be in Europe every season. The idea for any football club at the start of the season is to have an objective to aim for. First it's to win the league, then finish in the top four, then to win a cup and finally qualify for Europa league. Also by winning one of the two domestic cups qualifys you for Europe anyway, albeit straight into the Europa league group stages. For about 60 or 70% of the league, their aim is to just remain in the premier league, and I know, or hope that the Everton hierarchy don't want to be in this category.

Whilst at the moment Europe is out of our hands, to be in the frame, providing man city win the FA cup, is an achievement itself considering the dire run we had between the start of December up to the end of February.

'We're going live now to Robbie Earle'. And he pipes up, 'and this isn't Barcelona we're talking about here.

I bet man Utd thought it was deja vu yesterday, thinking this is Barcelona all over again. Outclassed and battered by a far superior team.

As Lyndon says, consistency now is key. We have the quality, proven.

Excellent, top performance from Gana Gueye, he was imperious and the quality his replacement [if he goes] will be crucial to next season.

The big 6 bias, that we all moan so much about, is not quite the conspiracy we think it is. It's just laziness. The journalists want to watch the exciting games, namely the box office games. Everton drop off the radar, and when they do watch us, we're the victims of the big 6, cannon fodder served up for them to beat.

You would have thought, though, that the last three games against the big 6 (I notice the BBC seem to be leaving the Liverpool result out of our current run against the big 6) would have led him to have a more informed opinion, but still he comes out with a lazy statement:

"They were up against a team with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Bernard at the top end, who are not the quickest". So a team with DCL, Bernard and Richarlison are not the quickest? Yet he excludes Richarlison on purpose as he's the exception, our quickest attacker? If he's so lazy, he has not watched us enough to know his statement is factually incorrect, then why's someone at the BBC not sending his article back and telling him that DCL is one of the fastest players in the Premier League? If our front 3 are not the quickest, then who is so fast that they make us look slow? I'd put our front three up against City, Spurs, Chelsea, and indeed United for pace. Liverpool might be quicker, but not by much, and Arsenal have two fast strikers but no one else.

Why do we have to read these lazy articles? Why are ex-pros always held up as experts? The likes of Merson know about their own sides (ie Arsenal) and little else.

Back to yesterday all 14 played really well and fully deserved the 4-0 victory. Sigurdsson was the stand out player for me everything we did came through him. Gana Gueye the man must have triple duracell batteries he just never stops, we just cant let him leave this summer.

We were back to pressing high up the pitch again and everyone did it not just one or two. Full credit to Marco Silva, I was delighted when we got him as manager but my only reservations were could his teams keep clean sheets, and could he turn things round when things werent going well. I think the last 4 home games have allayed those fears. So we now have to show the same desire away from Goodison.

Finally I think the group that calls itself the Originals 1878 deserve massive credit for the way they have helped transform Goodison into the bear pit it has now become again. I feared those days had gone, but now the atmosphere inside the ground is so positive. For the first time in a long time the fans are 100% behind the manager and the team and the team are responding to this and the fans are now seeing how their massive vocal support is transforming this team. I would just say its easy to get up for games against the top 6 sides lets make sure that same intensity is there for the Burnley game.

We still have 3 games to play and lets hope that what happened after Arsenal won't happen next weekend.

The standard has been set and now its a case of improving on the level of consistency. If we play like we did in the second half against Chelsea and the whole of the West Ham, Arsenal and Manchester United games then we will pick up a lot of points during the course of a season.

Lets enjoy the moment and hopefully we will see 3 similar performances before the season is out.

Checked the media afterwards to tally what they thought with what I'd seen with my own eyes - sure enough, absolute garbage from the usual suspects like Garth Crooks 'United should be beating the likes of Everton'. Oh well, sorry to bust your small-minded world view. The BBC really need to freshen up their punditry, it's so out of date now. Shouldn't Crooks be retired ?

Back to reality and we played some great stuff - United must have been having Barcelona flashbacks - after all, we do have players from Barcelona - if Robbie Earle had bothered checking.

On the left there was some great little triangles and defence-splitting passes from Digne, Siggy and Bernard. On the right, Coleman and Richarlison were direct and aggressive.

Gana was doing a great job in the middle to break up play, Zouma, Keane and Pickford were excellent most of the time - although there were a few hairy moments.

DCL worked hard and fought for everything - he is a handful, if not the most skillful - but then neither was Lukaku. Schneiderlin was fine and kept things ticking over.

The size of the Utd team compared to ours really struck me - you get a good idea of what their recruitment policy has been - but we just passed it around them and snapped at their heels to get it back.

I wondered how we would manage without Gomes but the whole team stepped up.

The media coverage and bias is annoying but fame and fortune is fleeting. We made be rightly proud of our history but with no silverware for 24 years we ain't the top dog. So when we do play as well as we did yesterday, unfortunately it is a surprise.

Stat I heard yesterday, in the first 20 years of the PL we only managed 4 wins, Just 4 out of Forty league games. Since then we have won another 4 and drawn 2.

So we can all be a bit indignant but yesterday was hardly another day at the office. Anyway - Souness and James 'the phlegm' Gobshite should fuck off as soon as possible.

DCL is very quick - perhaps deceptively as he is a big guy. I wouldn't describe Bernard as slow, he tends to rely on quick thinking and quick feet rather than running in a straight line.

They are insignificant and they can pine every week as far as I'm concerned because if Everton can make Europe next season, grow and develope this squad, and then kick on with consistency, the world will have to take note.

BBC seems to have given a rare realistic summary of the game, but the hard work at FF must continue and the players keep that belief and desire for what will be a very tough but winnable game at Selhurst Park, this Saturday.

It would be great to take this form and mental approach into the next three games, and achieve “Consistency”.

That would be a good end to the season and kick us on for next season.

The idle rich at play.

Same again next week down at Palace please Lads.

Perhaps he's wondering what you're going on about ?

That went uncorrected btw.

We all know what we've seen and more of this will do for me.

Paul @40, very true.

1. Much as I am thrilled that we beat Man Utd, it'll take some time for the media or anyone else outside our fanbase, to think that "it's only Everton".
And can we blame them?
Season after season, other than Martinez's, Man Utd could always count on beating us at least once each season.
There were years when they always won 6 points. That's a whole generation of fans who never saw the glorious Everton teams of the 80s.

2. James McCarthy could be our ready replacement for Gueye, if he is able to get back to full fitness. Especially when we consider that McCarthy is actually younger than Gueye.

I am thinking the same about Lukas Digne, the lad is pure class.

There will be one or two very rich clubs trying to get him on the cheap [<80m] because he is a left back. I am sure they will use all the dark arts to try and unsettle him and try to generate a cheap move from what they perceive as a soft touch club.

The reason why I mentioned Gueye is because there is the likelihood that he might be going in the summer, having being prevented from going to PSG earlier on.

It'll be quite a setback if we lose both Gueye and Gomes (not that we have him, as he is on loan), but I think they are still our strongest midfield pairing.

Morgan Schneiderlin has done well yesterday, but when we have to take the game to teams, he doesn't seem to be able to step it up. However, Gomes has a more offensive set of skills which would allow him to do that against more defensive teams.

Gomes, to go back to John earlier, has every chance of being a better player next season than he's been this season; that's a very exciting prospect. I'm just worried he'll go to an established Champions League team rather than choose us.

Davies has many qualities and is a good all rounder, and I'm also extremely keen for him to succeed, but I think there's a lot of work to be done on developing him into a particular role in midfield. He's not quite creative enough to be a ‘ten', not quite athletic enough to be an ‘eight' and, compared to Gana, not pacey enough to be a ‘six' who can close down and intercept at will. None of these problems is insurmountable, but I hope someone is working hard, and intelligently, with him in training.

That said, I must acknowledge yesterday was a particularly extreme day from many a talking head about our game, exposing as Steve Ferns says above, poor research and understanding of the subject(s) they were pronouncing on.

At half-time Yosser Hughes Souness gave me a genuine laugh-out-loud moment when he said Richarlison's goal should have been disallowed for dangerous play. As another poster mentioned, Souness calling anyone out for dangerous play is jaw-dropping, given that every time he crossed the white line he was the very definition of 'dangerous play'.

ALL the post-match focus was from a Manchester United perspective. Numerous commentators made similar comments "This was against EVERTON!" The emphasis making us sound like a lower division side teams like United should always be putting to the sword.

Jenas' comments - "this was Everton, with a slow attack of Bernard and DCL." 1) DCL slow???!!! 2) Speed is not only about pace over the ground. Increasingly, Bernard's speed of thought and vision is leaving his full back for dead, giving him space and time to do serious damage to the opposition, all the more so with the Baines-Pienaar like understanding with Digne.

The pundits really are not paying close attention to recent results and performances from Everton, against the best opposition in the league.

And you know what? As Paul Tran says @ 40, I'm happy for us to stay under the radar. Because if we build on this form, recruit well in the summer and carry this over into next season with more prolonged consistency, we can challenge the top six cartel.

The kicker though is what did we expect? The RS win every week and yet their style is boring, but they win. We go to Fulham and looked as bad as man u were. Liverpool have consistency, we have style, pundits want winners, not inconsistency, makes their like easier.

If we can just raise the consistency without sacrificing style of play? That will be Christmas every Saturday. Well done you blues!

We were the home team and were treated as an afterthought. It felt like sky tv's panel was spitting in the face of Everton FC after another scintillating performance.

They should issue an apology and get rid of one or two [or more] of their ridiculously biased pundits. Fans up and down the country must be sick to death of it.

The way Michael Keane dealt with Lukaku! I remember Lukaku bullying him for a goal when we beat Burnley a few years back! He's growing into a top centre back!

We must do everything possible to keep Gueye! We can't be a sell our best players club forever!

The atmosphere in the stadium is electric! Huge credit to the architects of the sirens, flags, singing etc

I don't want the season to end now! A few weeks back I couldn't even be bothered to watch ( even though I did!).

On the pundits, I cancelled sky a long time ago and cited this reason when some call centre teenager asked me why !

This summer will be very interesting and i'm really excited to see who Brands and Silva have earmarked. Just imagine this team with another 4 players of the quality and effectiveness of Digne and Richarlison coming into it! I think more than Gomes we will miss Zouma, he has formed a great partnership with Keane over the last month or two and I find myself in the strange situation of hoping Chelsea win their transfer appeal as I think thats the only possible way that we will keep him!

I still want to see more from him, more consistently, because his talent is so huge but when he plays like he did yesterday, he's just a delight to watch. We're assembling, quietly, a team for the connoisseurs.

The Kouma situation is difficult. I now think he would want to play for Everton. Mina is another guy that needs to work harder to get fit.

Still don't agree with his Everton comments but nothing more annoying than a pundit who does not check his facts eh?

The television company's have been in cahoots with Liverpool all season, seemingly helping them to get more rest by spacing out their fixtures, or maybe I'm just being paranoid?

Re Manc Derby. The stars are aligning for the RS no doubt. It's a nap after yesterday Pogba will put in a MOTM performance, Lukaku will score and DDG will pull off a string of brilliant saves.

There was still no segregation in those days so prudence dictated keeping a low profile even when we scored.

For those of you getting upset about the biased tv punters... food fir thought some on hete think that Everton should automaticaly beat teams with less history status than us mighty blues... how dare we loose to such inferior small teams...

Anyway its always good to win in style... but I for one wont get to excited for on tge whole Everton have been shite this season...

I suspect next season will be much the same as if Ganna and Zoma don't stay replacing them with the same quality aint going to ve easy... so yet another season of transition...

The media love in with the red shite will continue because its all about MONEY...

Enjoy the last 3 games I hope they are as good as the last one or two at home...

Its always
interesting being a blue...

- I love Bernard. I couldn't care if he doesn't score, he tracks back so well and helps transition the defence into attack brilliantly. Just effortless skill at times and it's been years since an Everton player has me "oohing" at what he just did. Just look at the simple pass for Siggy's goal that enabled us to get further forward.

- DCL - I was screaming at Theo to pass it to him because he deserves a goal so much, so selfless, but very effective

- Digno - genuinely multi-talented full-back who works really well with Bernard

- Zouma and Keane - best central defensive partnership in the league now, I only really see Van DIjk/Matip as a better pairing (much as that hurts to say)

- Overall, these kind of performances is what we saw sporadically at the start of the season. You could see something was being done, but just not successful. Now that is coming, we just need a few more players and I believe that we can properly compete.

- Siggy you are a master when your team earns you the space

- Richarlison, Digne, Zouma, Bernard, Gomes - These 5 players were signed in the summer during our manager's / DOF's first transfer window and they are fucking mint. I trust Silva and Brands to improve again.

- All players that were here before have improved - DCL, Coleman, Schneiderlin (yes him) Keane, Gueye plus others have all improved under Marco

For the first time in my life (since Colin Harvey took over as manager), we're moving in the right direction

Selling the Utd loss as a hysterical disastrous collapse of the club rather than just a team outplayed on the day - which is what anybody who was there saw.

No doubt Utd can play better and we can play worse - the difference was that we can now punish a good team who don't turn up - in the past it might have been a cautious draw.

I like the fact Silva wants us to attack as the first principle - and that it isn't in a reckless way.

Now don't throw it away at Crystal Palace, please.

And saying 'Siggy is great, BUT'. sorry, but what? he isn't Zidane? He's certainly our best player, runs his socks off, is our top man in both assists and goals scored and is at the top of his game. The lad has more of a role to play, he is the first name on the team sheet as far as i'm concerned. The whole 'he goes missing' thing s bollocks, no player completely runs game in game out, not even the very best. But when he is making or scoring, he's always running, he suits the 'high-press' game, and we aint getting any better than him anytime soon.

We should go all out for Wan-Bissaka on the right, Grealish on the left/centre and maybe another striker, i'd like Pavón from River Plate, and that'd be fine and dandy. Shame we wont have 200 million to buy them all (plus Gomes and Zouma)...hey ho

My favorite from RP would have been Quintero, Mina's Colombia teammate. But I heard something about him blowing out a knee recently. Sad if true. Electric player.