Is there even a case for Everton keeping Marco Silva now? The jury's out

Whilst I’m no advocate for sacking managers endlessly, I think it will eventually end in relegation if we persist in getting appointments wrong as we are now, there’s no getting away from our atrocious record since the end of November.

We have won four football matches since we scraped past Cardiff on November 24.

Those four wins have been against Burnley, Bournemouth, Huddersfield and Cardiff for a second time.

4 wins from 17 matches.

10 defeats since early December.

A quite alarming FA Cup exit at the hands of a woefully bad Championship side in Millwall iced the cake during this bleak three month period.

Now nobody including myself thought we would be challenging the top six but to have fallen so far behind those clubs given the money spent on players and managers this past three years should be a huge wake up call to the board at this club.

We cannot beat a team of any standing whatsoever in the league, we have failed to beat a top six side since January 2017, how can we ever be taken seriously despite spending millions of pound when we are basically cannon fodder to the better sides.

Worst of all we have become cannon fodder to also ran shite over this last three months, losing to Newcastle, Southampton, Millwall, Brighton, Cardiff, Leicester (when Puel was in his dying embers) another defeat at Watford followed a comprehensive home thrashing to Wolves.

Silva has failed to make this team hard to beat, we are now a pushover let’s be honest about that.

Our next three games are Chelsea, West Ham and Arsenal and it wouldn’t shock me in the least if we lost all three of those, I’m quite certain we won’t win any that’s for sure.

Where we go from this point in the summer I just don’t know, but what’s obvious is yet another huge decision will be coming in May for Moshiri to make.

He headhunted Silva for 8 months and this one is solely on him.

Maybe we need to go back and remember what the club motto is and ask ourselves if we are even coming close to fulfilling that motto.

Man for man we are better than our position in the league. Silva hasn't got us playing to our potential, however will better players make his job easier? If we do keep him on for next season he will have no excuses. I have no idea what's going to happen. Will Moshiri keep him on and gamble by giving him longer? Or gamble by sacking him and trying to find the right replacement? It's all up in the air.

He has to sort out the heads of Pickford, Richarlison and Walcott but doubt he is capable. We are safe so the players should now be playing with a bit of freedom. Our next 3 games will tell us a lot. They have not been able to sustain any kind of momentum. Cant see that changing. We could beat Chelsea and lose to west ham. Who knows...

Silva has got half a team of good players (again IMO) but, if he's been told he's got to have a long term plan, then he's obviously looking at the longer picture, which is how he's going to play when he's got the players that he wants.

I'm not sure if I agree with it; most people won't even agree with what I've just written, but if it's not that then he's fucked, because I've never seen a team play such open football, football which really isolates his two central defenders, and always gives the opposition a chance.

I'm concentrating on the positives for the time being though, because the first hour on Saturday, is football I'd love to watch every week, and as much as the last thirty minutes drained me, I think I'd like to see how we finish the season before any major decisions are to be made?

There are far more things to worry about with Everton and yet another start with someone new doesn't fill me with confidence that the underlying problems will be addressed.

This what Brands is paid for. I will trust him.

But he's got to take some responsibility in sacking Martinez and then bringing in the wrong managers known for the wrong style of football before appointing Martinez Mk 2.

He was made to look foolish by publicity courting and being rejected by Watford for Silva. Then getting HIS man and having to go to court over it. Shambles!

However, I believe Silva should be given another 9 months and £50M for a top class striker whilst being told to sell before you buy anything in addition.

But why give Silva more time? I'm not sure I trust Moshiri to bring in anyone better!

All we and he can hope for is some decent performances between now and then and await developments.

I wish I had as much faith in Brands as you have. He has been quoted recently that he doesn't think we need to spend big on a main striker, and that young players like Lookman and Onyekuru will be playing a more significant role.

Well I read only the other week Onyekuru said he hoped to stay at Galatasary after this season's loan deal is finished. And Lookman doesn't give me the impression of a happy player, and when he has either started or come on as substitute hasn't set the world alight as I any many thought he would.

So I assume rightly or wrongly that Brands believes youth is the way to go, but seeing as Davies, Kenny, Lookman are struggling to nail down first-team places, does this mean a change of manager is imminent. Or has Moshiri turned into Ellis Short or Randy Lerner and has decided he has spent enough on players, as well as committed to a new stadium. So has Moshiri informed Brands that there will be limited funds for transfer activity, so he best lower the expectations of fans for the summer, and tell them that we will be using more of our young players.

We play nice (at times) but we can’t win ugly enough and Saturday was the prime example of digging deep when it went to 2-1 and hold on for the victory.

This summer 8-10 squad players need shifting, whether they will or not is up for debate.

Gana is likely to leave if PSG renew their interest and we could get a decent fee for him.

Williams
Tosun
Niasse
Bolasie
Sandro
Martina
Stekelenburg

All of the above will be expected out because none have what it takes to make a future here.

I would also expect at least one or two to leave from McCarthy, Baines, Jagielka, Walcott, Schneiderlin or Lookman.

Lookman clearly doesn’t seem to be happy here and to be honest if we raked in £20 million for a player that has scored one Premier League goal in two years then I’d take that.

We might get £8-9 million for Tosun?

Then it’s just adding up the rest and seeing what we get.

We then need to bring in two or three very shrewd signings that are vetted in terms of strong character and personality aswell as having some good quality.

We can’t sign anymore flakes that just crumble when the going gets tough or players that take half a season settling or don’t settle at all (Klaassen, Sandro, Tosun etc).

Going into next season expecting to just improve with the losers we have here, it’s not going to change next season, just same shit at a later date.

In calling for a new striker I still believe Calvert-Lewin has a big future with Everton.

I don't like him, but he has been playing with the same squad that have got 4 managers their marching orders.

At some time the players have to stand up and admit that they have been shiter than a shitty stick covered in shite within a pool of shite.

We need a striker and a skilful midfielder, we are not going to do anything at all without these two players.

The defeat at Newcastle was an almighty capitulation, if the opposition put up a fight we always seem to cave in especially against the so-called lesser clubs. This reflects the manager's character, I can only think he got the job because much like Martinez, Silva is charming man, no doubt, he talks a good game, he must be impressive in an interview but completely inadequate as a manager in practise.

The players like him, because under his regime you get an easy ride, discipline is lax. In the ruthless world of the Premier League he doesn't stand a chance of succeeding no matter how much money is thrown his way. Moshiri can't allow him to carry on next season or to make the next managerial appointment it could be fatal if he did. We've become conditioned to failure, something has to change.

I was originally considering Sean Dyche or Eddie Howe before we appointed SIlva.

They have both been poor this season; Burnley fighting relegation after a poor start and Bournemouth now in free fall. Of the two I would prefer Dyche over Howe. Howe's teams are always leaky in the extreme and he reminds me of an English Martinez who's currently in a nice comfort bubble.

I have no clue who our next manager should be. At a punt I would pick Dyche I like him he's a hard character with a real presence who has worked on a shoe string and deserves his chance. That may be an unfashionable choice but if he was called Seanvaldo Dychio and managed Valencia people would suddenly have a different take I'm sure.

I would like to think Dyche would have had some stern words for this squad and also have stern words for our village idiot, Pickford. Is that kind of toughness what we need or would this group of sensitive souls rebel and down tools again for another manager?

I feel the pieces are there we just need the glue to hold it all together. Who that is I don't know... but I don't think we should be hiring a new sexy unknown foreign manager with the vain hope that he's the next Premier League Pochettino.

I agree, but I'd also add that we need a proper hairy arsed central defender with a solid backbone and a foghorn of a voice on him.

Some serious cover at right back and eventual replacement for a clearly declining Seamus Coleman, I love him but he's not going to be the Seamie of 5 years ago is he?

Some serious competition backup in goal to One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (Pickford) wouldn't go amiss either.

As it was made very clear that no money would be spent, and at the AGM, Moshiri made it clear that we needed to do better, the writing has been on the wall in big letters.

The improvement has failed to materialise and Silva has tried to find a combination that works. Of course, there have been halves of good football but they are always followed or preceded by halves of mistake ridden, calamitous capitulation.

The players that show flashes of brilliance for an hour (Gomes, Bernard, Richarlison) then run out of gas and suddenly can't control a ball.

Walcott has not repaid the faith that Silva has put in him and our best defender is a loanee, who won't be playing against his parent club on Saturday.

If the jury is still out, the majority verdict surely must be to terminate the manager's contract.

Any funds being readied for the new striker will surely need to be kept back for the new manager to use.

If we had been nearer the drop zone, he would have been sacked already. Our recent form is relegation form. We haven't beaten anyone in the top half of the table and have lost to Saints in one cup and Millwall in the other.

Our problems at the back persist. We really are no nearer to finishing best of the rest than last season.

In fact, we will surely finish 11th or 12th (or worse). Only an unlikely sequence of results can save his job and I just can't see it happening.

He is a low level manager, got dreadfully shown up when in European competition. Decent for a club like Burnley, who this season are woeful by the way.

But he is tactically limited, he is a manager who can make small clubs perform above their level through discipline, and hard work. But will never progress beyond.

Silva's mediocrity doesn't mean a) foreign managers are shit or b) we should accept a 'solid british manager'.

Said it before, and will say it again, a good solid manager like Rudi Garcia would be ideal for us. Did a good job at Roma, with more than 50% win rate, 2 2nd place finishes, is doing well at Marseille (after the Bielsa disaster) with almost 50% win rate. Decent style of football. Not a flavour of the month name, not an exciting name but a good manager, who has proven at all levels, who has a history of promoting youth, and who would be a great improvement on the current disaster that is Silva.

I don't want to go on dragging up that avalanche of shit that's happened since but I do wonder if we'd got out of Anfield with that morale boosting point (clean sheet too) and maintained that really positive run from October, would the rest of December and early part of this year been different?

We'll never know so it's easier to just blame the pathetic mental fragility of the squad and manager and the madcap stupidity of our goalkeeper as to why the Anfield derby wrecked us.

On the subject of signing a striker in January, it never looked like happening but it's been plain wrong that we've had a winger who's 21 (Richarlison) and Calvert-Lewin who's 22 having to shoulder the weight alone of being target men and goalscorer.

Tosun has been a monumental flop and we should have brought in an experienced striker to help mix our play up at times and also help the younger lads out with advice and also lessen their load.

Now some on here propose the managers of Burnley and Bournemouth. When are we ever going to learn?

I can see absolutely no reason to keep him beyond the end of the season. It's one thing to strengthen the team at great expense and tread water, it's another to strengthen the team and be even worse than before.

No excuses, no "the table doesn't reflect how good we are" bollocks (yes it does by the way, if anything it flatters us), he's the Theresa May of Premier League managers, finished.

But if you are at a small club

"he is a manager who can make small clubs perform above their level through discipline, and hard work. But will never progress beyond."

Well what more can a Burnley manager do?

As for progressing we will never know until he gets a chance to prove himself somewhere bigger.

His reluctance to even play McCarthy baffles me, wasn't even on the bench, imagine him as sub on Saturday instead of Mina? The Board will really have to make a decision and make it fairly soon, because if he is allowed more time and brings in more of 'his type of player' and it still doesn't come together.

Then the Manager merry-go-round starts again, the new guy wants to stamp his mark on the playing personnel so more money well spent/wasted whatever the case may be.

Jim @13, you had me in stitches with paragraphs 1 and 3 mate, but the last time I checked they all wear shorts these days, know what you mean though. :-)

We need someone who is proven, not someone who 'just needs a chance'. Silva just needed a chance, Martinez just needs a chance where did it get us. Some people even claimed Allardyce, with betted tools available, would play decent football

We need a decent manager, with experience, who is tactically adept, has proven themselves at the top level (Champions League). For me, the best name is Rudi Garcia I doubt it will happen, but he is exactly the type of manager we need.

Not a manager of a team currently 17th in the table.

I'm a yo-yo when it comes to Silva staying or going. But when things go wrong, and after I calm down a bit when they do go in the sewer, my gut tells me he should stay.

Justin Doone @ 5 hits the nail squarely on the head:

I believe Silva should be given another 9 months and £50M for a top class striker whilst being told to sell before he buys anything in addition.

Would he come to or suit us? Got to be worth a try! someone who knows and can bring in quality players. José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix.

He wants Juve, PSG or Real and £200M a year kitty.

Imagine Mourinho having to play Tosun up front .oh my aching sides. He would be hoping someone smashes him on the head so he can wake up from the nightmare.

I've banged the drum of the man I would like to see given the job and received a chorus of negativity from those saying he would never leave where he is and we'd never get anyone successful until we qualify for the Champions League which if we did we wouldn't need a new manager so I don't envy Messrs Moshiri & Brands as they are damned if they don't replace him and on mission impossible if they do.

"Bernard and Gomes have flattered to deceive, Lucas Digne has fared better going forward than in his own half, and the reality that Zouma has outperformed the £28 million Yerry Mina is worrying in itself."

I think that's crapola except for Gomes. Bernard hasn't deceived, he's playing up to every bit of his level at Shakhtar and steadily improving. Digne has been superb at the back except for his brain farts against Millwall, and the inexperienced Mina was bought for his vast potential. He's been fine in his injury-limited time on the pitch.

As for Silva, it's true that he's been handed an unbalanced side not of his own making, and without a striker or an on-field leader. But I don't think there's one of us here who thinks he's done the best he could with what he has. His worst stumbles have come at the moments when we would have expected a good manager to step up and do a job, and I simply don't think he has the ability or the composure.

He should be replaced in the summer. But I'm pretty sure he won't be. Moshiri will buy him a striker, and hopefully a good on-pitch leader like Jim #13 describes, and keep him on. But I predict he will fail and ultimately be sacked by the end of December. I hope he proves me wrong.

By the way, Jim #13, I think you're flat wrong about our right-back situation. I predicted many times here that it would take Coleman two full years to recover from that injury, and I say he's right on schedule. In the last 2-3 games he has been the old Seamus, and IMO he's got at least two good years ahead of him. Furthermore, with Kenny and the youngsters coming up there are many, many higher priorities than right-back cover.

Rudi Garcia or Simeone would be more realistic.

Derek, the same is true for Simeone. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that will get him away from his beloved Atletico after all these years -- he's even going to beat out Real this season -- except perhaps one of the top clubs in the world. Everton wouldn't even penetrate his radar.

Nothing remotely realistic about either of these two.

"Mina has been fine in his injury-limited time on the pitch"? I don't know what you've been watching but, apart from the Chelsea away game, in what I think was his debut (and he did look the part that day), he's been poor. And he looks like an accident waiting to happen. He might come good; he might not... On the evidence so far, I'd go for the latter.

He was pursued, salivated after by our owner, wooed then landed. He was not brought to club on that basis to stand still or go backwards. Implicitly the expectations were much much higher. The results speak volumes.

He was given funds and has brought in good players, I hesitate on Mina who needs to pull his finger out, one decent game at Chelsea apart.

He has been unable to use the rest of the squad and make them better or just maximize their strengths to coax his style from them. He is a feted coach, players he works with will wax lyrical about him. Sadly lads maybe in training but not of the field in the heat of battle. Not one player of the existing squad has improved. Please don’t cite Keane lads, he was playing with a boot the size of Italy last year, he was always going to be better.

Maybe that’s him, a brilliant coach but cannot translate things to managing a side come match day. Certainly the most damning element for me is his selections, tactics and in game changes. That’s manager stuff not coach stuff.

Keeping him now only means a poor start next season and it puts us at the mercy of the fixture computer. Sacking him in Sept/Oct and we return to square one.

That’s why getting rid now/end of the season gives us a fresh sheet of ice.

I’ve posted several times, Everton never have recruited a manager from the top table. Many think it unrealistic but I’ll tell you it’s time Everton went and got one. Because I’m done with all the ‘up & coming’, ‘next best thing’ types. I want a winner and Everton need to pay for him. Then I’d be prepared to stick with someone, they’d have the record to prove it.

I’ve seen the word ‘punt’ on this thread a few times, isn’t time we took a more calculated decision rather than a punt!? Sums things up for me we take a risk on unproven young coaches andnever think ourselves good enough to poach the real deal.

Problem is his name is Sandro Ramirez, who Real Sociedad are reported to want to send back to us after he failed to score in his 17 La Liga games with them.

Add in the 14 games he played with Sevilla while also drawing a blank, and we are left with another player we are going to find hard to shift on.

Where do you find a proven winner who will come to Everton for money alone?

How much would you pay him? How much would you pay to the club currently employing him to let him out of his contract?

If he's recently failed at a big club and therefore available (Solari, Di Francesco, Stoger from Dortmund, Thierry Henry, and of course The Special One), does that disqualify him as a "winner"?

It's not enough to say "it's time"... if you're running our club, who would you go for, and how?

He has adopted on many occasions what people would call the 'Moyesian mentality' in big games against big teams – Cup Finals, Champions League.

I also have no doubt unless catastrophe happens they will rightly give him until the end of the season before we know one way or the other.

If he is to be binned I would imagine in these days of international agents, soundings will have already taken place.

Question is if Moshiri keeps him how long can he afford to keep him if next season starts as this season ends.

We have hoped since pre season, it seems after every game, that we would somewhere see some sort of significant improvement. In my opinion we have not. Not even green shoots. A bit more adventurous than last season, that wouldn't be difficult for anyone, but in the big picture we still can't play 90 plus minutes, still can't see out games, still have questionable tactics and substitutions, same as pre season.

It would have been great if Silva would have been the one, but based on this season, unfortunately he isn't.

I'd kidknapp Simeone until he wins a trophy. I'd use a crack commando squad of ToffeeWebbers for the mission: ‘Dixie's Bramley dozen'.

Who would be on that list?

We deffo need a Spanish speaker, a leader for sure, oh the madcap random cigar-chomping maverick yank (no baseball shit please this is association football only) to appeal to our global audiences, dual nationals; Brexit could be a thing, a funny bastard to keep our spirits up and Phil Walling to keep us grounded (that ones a lock Phil), the dozen must show inclusion and diversity; so left footers too, and maybe an official to organize things and to shout at when it's goes tits up.

Name on the list lads for Mission. “Commence operation Degsy Simon”

Have I missed anything?

Long and short Mike the point is we aim higher than the managers of Preston, Wigan, Southampton & Watford. Pay them whatever they want to get it done. Money is everything.

If we want to be up there with them at the top table we will need to pay our way.

Bobby #39, money only talks if we can afford to pay them a lot more than they're getting, which wouldn't work for Garcia and Simeone or a semi-retired multimillionaire like Blanc. Your list is more realistic, but I doubt your suggestions of Neville and Bilic would go over very big here... neither is a winner.

Cocu is certainly a possibility. But your Gallardo suggestion is the most fascinating IMO – huge winner, fluent in English and French, played for Monaco and might well be interested in coming back across the Atlantic for a big raise and a higher profile. Only thing is that his son is now in his squad there.

Personally, I want Silva to succeed. I don't see him getting sacked unless we get done over 2 or 3 games, in South London, 4th Round FA Cup style in January. But the reality is very high and it could happen.

I see Moshiri and the board with Brands, giving Silva at least until October, for consistency and improved results. Then, if the mediocrity has continued, I don't see how he can stay.

Who next, if that was the case? Assuming no embargos on overseas managers working in the UK, I'd go for Simeone, and if he won't, come to EFC, someone with a proven winning track record. There's another huge challenge that would take wads.

As many have said, it will take another cash wound into the finances of the club...

This summer is huge, as who, and how the dead wood is moved will take some doing and getting any good and ready new players, will also be a challenge.

If nothing else it's interesting times at Goodison Park, but sadly not for the merits of first-team success on the pitch.

He has the final few games to keep his job.

We have the players to be doing better but let's face it 7th is going to be the glass ceiling until we get better players and a better manager.

Maybe this has dawned on Moshiri that £50m doesn't go very far when the top 6 pay that for fullbacks and goalies.

I don't buy into to the Anfield derby defeat as the catalyst for the horrendous state of affairs that have since ensued. We were chucking games away earlier in the season to lesser opponents than Liverpool... Bournemouth away springs to mind.

I think it's fair to say none of us expected miracles this season – just a little progression maybe? We certainly didn't expect Marco Silva to be the managerial equivalent of Davey Klaassen.

I think it best Silva goes sooner rather than later so a new guy can come in and spend the summer reshaping things. Sorry, Marco, you've got to go.

Unless we get truly annihilated in some of the remaining games, I expect he'll be manager at the start of next season. What happens beyond then is anyone's guess, but I'd be surprised if Marcel Brands isn't developing a contingency plan.

His record of goals conceded and continuing to concede at record levels should preclude him going beyond the end of the season.

You cannot build a successful side that ships goals all the time something Klopp latched onto a year or two ago.

The problem we have is United will go for Pochettino and Chelsea may well empty Sarri out.

That will leave us competing with Spurs and Chelsea for the top managers who might come to the premiership.

Im really depressed about EFC cos I think weve missed the boat for the foreseeable future thank to Kenwright and his mediocrity.

How can we even get a seat at the top table when we are now behind the likes of Wolves, Watford, Leicester and West Ham.

From top to bottom we are a mediocre club now and it really hurts me to say that.

It just hasn't happened. Silva still doesn't know his best side, seems unable to manage a game out, often ending up throwing forwards on in a vain effort to rescue a point.

Silva has failed on every count. His record, since the start of December, would have resulted in the sack at almost every other Premier and Championship club.

If he is still in place next season we will be having the same debate come October. The form, since November is, clearly,relegation form. Translated over a whole season it would have us firmly in the bottom three.

If we keep him that is where we'll be this time next year.

If our form doesn’t greatly improve very soon then Marco Silva will well and truly lose the fans, and once you lose the fans as Martinez, Koeman, Allardyce all found out, there’s only one way that things end.

If we lost heavily on Sunday to Chelsea or lose the next three games then I believe it’s going to be very hard for Silva to be kept in this job.

It’s 4 wins in 17, if we don’t win any of Chelsea, West Ham or Arsenal then that’s 4 wins in 20.

Silva will be looking at this group of fixtures knowing it’s crucial that points are on board ASAP.

For those saying he inherited an unbalanced squad, well that is true to a degree, but a decent Manager should be able to get some results, with the resources we have, okay, I don't expect to win every game, but I expected a bit more than he has achieved.

Anyone can play Football Manager by buying the best players around with an unlimited war-chest, but it takes a Manager with nous to get the most out of what he has, and then build on it.

Patience amongst Everton fans is wearing thinner and thinner with each passing year and it’s not helping the fact that our neighbours Liverpool are knocking on the door of major success every season now with a great side.

At Everton we see more failure and whilst it’s nothing personal against Silva he’s just not going to get patience and is a victim of what is becoming a very hard time being an Evertonian in this city.

Unless Silva improves he’s on his way out certainly before the end of this year if not much sooner.

But the man is damned by the evidence - atrocious run of form and an embarrassing record on set pieces. The aim should always have been to resurrect the club to former glories and Moshiri spoke big on this and flashed his money about, but Silva is completely under-equipped to take us there so, as we ask ourselves every year since Moyes departed, why do we persist with a duffer.

Moshiri clearly knows fuck all about football and I fear that in his case a fool and his money are easily parted. My hopes, therefore, rest entirely upon Marcel Brands as the one with the vision to run the club. Surely Mr Brands is singularly unimpressed with the stupidity of Silva and will be whispering the right words in the ear of Moshiri.

It’s very difficult to take any positives and merits from this season, aside Digne, as possibly the Best Buy, but none have been superbly stand out. What else is there to take out as genuine positives?

It’s sickening and like a long standing show with the same standing every season, it’s become predictable.

I hope they go hell for leather v Chelsea’s and there’s a proper reaction. But would that be enough to beat Chelsea?

What next?

I’m not sure even going hell for leather against Chelsea would be enough to beat them.

Our version of hell for leather against the top six sides is basically to just play all out defence and don’t lay a glove on them, I mean we’ve played Liverpool and City twice, United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal and scored four goals in those eight games.

I can’t see us troubling Chelsea in terms of beating them, at best maybe another dogfight 0-0 draw, and I’m not sure really another draw does anything to raise the spirits in this awful season.

We have won one measly home game (Bournemouth in January) since November, that’s shite.

People have made there mind up on Silva, very quickly, but how many people were over the moon with Martinez, after his first full season at Everton?

When, if and how this happens, only time will show. Hope eternal as Evertonians, but Old Nick is rising again. Bad news..

We live in hope.

We are seen by everyone except fellow Blues as second-rate and the club proves this time and again. We have a cancer at the heart of the club. The players are weak-minded and cowards and so is the board – just happy to be there but never wanting to win.

Billy was a coward, didn’t want to run, didn’t want to get on the ball and work hard for the team, but he had some flashes of brilliance, and he also came into a very settled team.

Bit harsh calling Bilyaletdinov a coward there?

I personally believe in hindsight Moyes fucked up playing him as a wide midfielder, he was never a wide man because he didn’t have the pace.

If he had played behind the striker we would have seen the best of him (he prospered brilliantly there for Russia) and had a fantastic left foot on him scoring some of the best goals I’ve seen from an Everton player in the last 20 years.

Bily was unlucky that back then we were so blessed with players to fill that role like Cahill, Fellaini, Arteta, he was never given opportunities to shine there, but he was never in a million years a winger.

Bernard for me, I like him but he’s not progressed since his early promise of September and his head still falls off every time he gets near the penalty area.

I think it will get to the stage when Bernard scores in the Premier League we riot lol

He had bags of ability, but he never had enough fight, and if you haven’t got that in England, then you are never going to do that well?

I think Russia have been shite for years Jim, can’t remember them doing anything as a footballing nation since they lost to Holland, in the European final, which seems a very long way away now? (And it’s the reason I think that if Moyes fucked up, it was when he actually bought Billy!)

Shame really because they used to produce some absolutely fantastic technical players, but maybe the discipline has come out of them, since the wall came tumbling down?

Bily was never Sheedy but I think he was undervalued at times, certainly there’s nothing in our team currently that massively outweighs what he did.

So working on the showing fight theory I’m not sure if I’d sign Gomes because every time the going gets tough he goes missing, he’s ok when things are running smoothly but his arse goes when teams get stuck in.

Bernard has a big heart but he’s just swatted aside most of the time.

We haven’t really got many battlers that are effective in this team, the likes of Bernard and Gomes would have been ok if they inhabited a squad when Cahill, Fellaini, Carsley were on the scene.

Gomes and Mina were injured when they were signed, and took a while to get fit, but the rest of the usual starters have been remarkably injury free.

I did say Billy, came into a settled team Jim, but he never done a thing to improve it IMO,though.

Gomes, looks a good player, but like most players who come to Everton, and show a bit of quality, then a lot of the supporters go overboard about them, again IMO.

I like the look of Bernard, and think like Silva, it will only be really fair to judge him when he’s been here a bit longer.

I know loads don’t want to give the manager longer, but for a man who criticises Calvert Lewin constantly, surely you must be aware of how difficult it must be for quality footballers to have to play without a real centre-forward?

Maybe Everton also played very well as an attacking force last Saturday, because the kid had a very good game, and was even holding the line up for us at times?

Or, we can wake up to ourselves as may years ago our noisy neighbours did and demand our mob of shysters frauds and sychophants to get physically and mentally fit or get the frigging Hell out.
Please excuse this brain fart. It was probably brought on by watching the other lot, god bless em', thrash Bayern.

However, it's been a season of immense frustration, baffling tactics at times, individual errors and nobody seems to be able to stay cool when things go wrong – including it seems most of the fans.

We have to give him longer. We do. But it's not going to be easy.

I remember a man who came from Blackburn – young with potential, took nearly 3 years for him to come good, we had some disasters (0-5 at home to Liverpool) some awful signings (Biley, Thomas, Ferguson, Johnson) and eventually. Howard Kendall Mk 1. Times may have changed, money may be everywhere, but getting tactics, personnel and a motivated culture in place takes time and always has done.

Are we brave enough to wait?

We need a spine. A foundation upon which we cant build a team. Keane, Zouma, Mina and Jagielka all need shipping out. Collectively they have about as much composure as a spotty teenager getting his end away for the first time. They're appalling footballers. Not one of them comfortable in possession. They all have a mistake in them. If I'm a forward playing against them. I lay in wait and ambush them every time they try to play, because I know if they don't give it to me, they will panic and give it to one of my teammates.

Newcastle's first goal must have had every Evertonian tearing at their own faces in frustration. When Keane misjudged the flight of the long ball, allowing Perez all the time in the world to comfortably head down to Rondon, we were not seeing that movie for the first time; it happens every single game. Time and again, we see these highly paid professionals make errors that would earn a Sunday morning player a bollocking from his teammates. It never seems to end. if we signed the two best strikers in the world we would still struggle to win games. This is basic, basic stuff.

If Silva can't or won't address players failing to do the basics, he doesn't deserve to be in the job. His intentions are noble and after the previous two, I guess that's what has bought him his extended honeymoon period... but patience is wearing thin. We may have played some decent stuff on Saturday, but many a manager has been given the last card in the pack after a performance like the one his team served up in the second half.

I wouldn't be surprised to see both Keane and Pickford left out against Chelsea. Silva must be at the stage where he is thinking "It's me or them!"

I agree with what you are saying, but I'd like to see Mina have a run of games before he was cast-off as total shite; and, as bad as I think Keane is (no Zouma Sunday), I would hate to be a centre-half in Silva's present system because it doesn't half isolate this position.

Kendall might be something to cling to, Karl, but with four English teams, through to the last eight of the Champions League, I think it's so much harder to be amongst the best teams now.

Silva, Pickford, Keane, Zouma and Gana all have tasted it.

Saturday shows that when the going get tough. Well they give up and watch us lose. There has beeen very little fight from the team in general but the collapse on Saturday was worse than having Bobby brown shoes back in charge.
Pickford has got RSI in his back as he's that used to picking the ball out the net. We will follow Villa if we carry on in this manner.

I'd like to be the fly on the wall in the end of season meeting where he will justify keeping his job, because can't see a reason for him keeping it.

Luckily Chelsea haven't been at their best recently, but I can see Barkley scoring the winner in front of the Street End.

That said, I'd leave Jagielka out of the criticism as he's been a great player and servant for us. The other three, I wouldn't give them a push off the side...

On the Silva question, I'm pretty torn. There have been moments of promise but a woeful lack of consistency. I really want to like him and support him but it's getting harder to do, the longer we struggle to put a good 90 minutes together.

I said a while ago that, if we finish in top 10, I think he should be given some more time and if we don't then he should be replaced. It sounds a bit arbitrary but results are what matters most over the season and for the amount we've spent and quality we have we should not really be finishing in the bottom half.

A new manager would be a crapshoot but then retaining Silva would be as well. I'm not one of those who blames Moshiri, getting the right manager is closer to magic than science. I can see the logic behind the appointments of Koeman and Silva, even of Allardyce to a degree. Inconsistency of managerial style and philosophy has not helped us and I expect Brands to remedy that. The new man in will likely also be someone who wants to play attacking football with fast, technical players. A Spanish or Portuguese speaker might help too. Marcelo Gallardo is an interesting shout, though his River Plate are struggling a little this year.

13th or 14th is were we will finish, and that is if we manage to collect another 5 points, which I don't think this shower of shite will manage to do.

"Let's give him more time" they say... WHAT!!! This guy is clueless! Give me any of the last three incumbents over this clown.

My old dad used to say, "Buy shite, buy twice" — you would have thought Mr Moshiri would have figured this one out by now.

I have seen every manager since Buchan and apart from 3 we have won nothing. What a sad indictment that stat is on our club. We proudly display on the screen at every home game that we have had 4,500 + games in the top flight, yet clubs who have spent half that time in the top flight have won so much more.

In all the time I have watched we have a European Cup Winners Cup trophy and reached the quarter finals of the European Cup as it was called back then. How long is it since we actually got to the group stage of this competition decades ago? Yet we still peddle the myth that we are a top club, well not if you judge teams on what they have won were not.

The only thing we have to look forward to is our new stadium, mind some of us might not be alive to see it at the rate we are going. The club spent weeks consulting the fans who overwelmingly wanted a 60,000 stadium, but it seems they are sticking to their original plan of a 52,000 seater. So why did they even bother to ask the fans what capacity they would want at the new stadium?

I think there's a good chance that we'll finish bottom half but I wouldn't bet on it. Everton has a recent history of playing better when the pressure is off and football is an unpredictable game.

Each and every player in the squad has at some point been the 'who to blame this month' fall guy.

Until recently it was Richarilson, before him Siggy before him Coleman. With recurring attacks on Calvert-Lewin, Davies, Gueye, Keane, Walcott, Lookman.

The fact is, all of these players are good players. Some maybe not good enough for our ambitions, but better than relegation-form players, some much better.

The problem then cannot be resolved with 'drop so and so, and play so and so', it cannot be resolved with 'play x formation'. The problem is about management – not style of play, not formation, not team selections, nor even substitutions,but management.

Motivation, inspiration, coaching, guidance, attention to detail - this is where silva is losing it.

The whole "the team was a wreck when he came, give time" arguement doesn't wash.

Because we have got worse, since December it is relegation form – we are luck that the bottom 3/4 clubs are so bad, because if it wasn't for them, we'd be in a right mess.

And Mike Gaynes, I think we could entice a manager like Rudi Garcia. At the end of the day, a chance at the Premier League is always tempting, and he is at a club with limited resources (they have a billionaire owner, but not the PSG strategy). Maybe he would have is eye on Spurs, with the Pochettino situation – yet I can't see Poch going, now Zizou has returned to Madrid, Utd are 99% likely to hire Solskjaer.

There are obviously others, but for me this is the profile we need. No flash-in-the-pan, flavour-of-the-month managers. No 'new Mourinho' or 'new Pochettino' managers, and no 'won it all last decade' Benitez or Pellegrini type. But a solid, in his prime (46- to 54-year-old) manager with a proven track record.

I don't expect miracles, we can't keep hoping the manager we get will suddenly transform us into a top-4 team, winning silverware etc, playing like Barcelona. But a manager who plays decent football, and knows how to set up in a pragmatic manner when necessary, who has tactical knowledge, who gets the best out of his players.

Our Premier League position is destined to be 7th, 6th or 5th for the foreseeable future (with a good manager); for me, this is okay, so long as Saturdays are enjoyable again.

I would hope that we have a wage bill and transfer budget to outstrip Marseille and most managers would see the Premier League as a step up from Ligue 1. If Silva were to go, then Garcia would definitely be on my shortlist and is a much more realistic prospect than the likes of Simeone.

After years of crap managers, we need someone exactly classified as 'very decent'. Otherwise, we burn ourselves trying to get 'the new whoever'.

And to throw in a 19-year-old against a resurgent Chelsea is to destroy the lad before he gets going.

PT #75, no thanks, that's one meeting I would skip no matter what species I was!

How interested is anyone in what is going to happen between now and the end of the season?

What are the team and the manager going to give us so we can become excited by the end of the season?

It's a results driven game, if Silva can't deliver he has to go, these last 8 games will determine his future.

Silva surely will know time doesn't wait in a results-based business, like football.

You think that what we get generally at EFC the last few years, isn't consistently close to good football.

Watching Barcelona's dynamic last night is fantasy football. Even the neighbours have a style and manner which is winning them games, consistently. Why oh, why didn't Bobby Browm Shoes go for Van Dijk 5 years ago, when if true it was mooted he was available at the right price?

The horse has long since bolted... I hope this Sunday there's a full and positive reaction.

Using the boxing parlance, we seem to be able to trap them in the corner plenty or have them on the ropes with good build up play, but never deliver the killer blow.

And then keep walking onto sucker punches as in the Barcodes game.

Where have you been?

Pickford was a good goalkeeper last season. He had a good World Cup. He will get better and hopefully he will serve this club for years... but if ever a player needed dropping.

By making excuses for him on more than one occasion, Silva has clearly tried the arm-around-the-shoulder approach. Anyone who has witnessed Pickford's selfish self-indulgent antics lately will have seen it clearly isn't working.

Sorry, but its time for the boot up the arse.

The issue is the quality of replacements. If we still had Joel Robles, for example, then I'd throw him in but I'm less sure about an extremely rusty Stekelenburg and a 19-year-old without a single minute of first-team action. Virginia must be tried with first team in pre-season and if he's not up to it then we clearly need a second keeper who can put a bit more pressure on Pickford.

I was amazed by the tremendous applause Pickford received from the Everton crowd after the Anfield cock-up, he hasn't taken that on board and his performances and demeanour since are not those of a top class goalkeeper, but I expect him to play on Sunday.

On the other hand, best way possible to kick Pickford up the backside and maybe he will play a blinder. We literally have nothing to lose.

I know what you are saying, but...

Every Premier League game is important, but we can't go too far up the table and we won't go too far down. There will never be "less" important games in this league.

I'd give young Virginia the experience and try to focus Pickford's mind at the same time. Could do them both the world of good

He is the reserve keeper and so should be willing and able, and good enough to play. Simple as that. Put Pickford in the Under-23s, put Stekelenburg in goal and Virginia on the bench... now that would focus his mind.

This is apparent as soon as we concede; the heads drop and any belief with it, leading to panic stations for the rest of the match. This was the same in Martinez's final season, where any two-goal lead meant spending the rest of the match behind the sofa.

This is all down to coaching and thus ultimately must sit with Silva. If his support staff are not performing then he needs to wield the axe and replace them: Conceicao, Sousa and Goalkeeping Coach: Oliveira might be okay in Portugal but aren't up to the Premier League and need to be replaced. If Silva is not able to make those decisions then he may well find himself working with them again, back in his homeland.

Whilst everyone is talking about players and moshiri I have said for years that Everton have lacked a proper assistant coach since David Moyes and Irvine. The case was highlighted when Phelan left United and now amplified even more now he is back at OT.
Too many assistants literally just sit back and watch things unfold with a 'yes sir' mentality. What we need now is someone who will tell Silva a few home truths. Set pieces, substitutions have fell exceptionally low since the earlier part of the season.

All I can say is that the wage bill needs reducing and id like to see more of Aaron Mooy and Abdoulaye Doucure signings who will offer fight and abit of quality than just fancy players who play well on the front foot but crumble under the nitty gritty.

As it is, the results have been poor against even semi-decent opposition.

I don't see any point in letting him go now but Brands would be foolish to not be looking at alternatives - we will likely need a contingency plan for next season if this form continues.

I'm not sure that Howe are Dyche are what we need - but I like the way Howe has built Bournemouth to be a Prem regular.

It's so rare that second tier teams achieve much more than comfortable survival - arguably only Tottenham have managed to get up there without silly money. Leicester was a strange exception. I guess the hope was that Silva could be a Pochettino but there isn't much evidence of that.

Makes my heart and my head ache being a blue these days...

I suspect Burnley couldn't wait to get out of European competition, they have a limited squad and the extra potential 20 games to win the Europa League, just isn't worth it.

Staying in the Premier League is their goal, I don't judge him too harshly on the Europa League.

Silva has a mediocre record and is totally unable to organise or motivate his players. However, I don't see an obvious potentially great manager waiting for the Everton position.

Brands said this was a long term thing and took the job on that basis; Silva said today he has a passion for the club and I suspect he does. Not a Kenwright "passion" of windy sentimentality, but a winning passion - albeit we are currently losing rather a lot.

Keep these two together. I see neither of them as mediocre.

"Bernard and Gomes have flattered to deceive, Lucas Digne has fared better going forward than in his own half, and the reality that Zouma has outperformed the £28 million Yerry Mina is worrying in itself."

That is a perfect Statement of fact!!!

But, as usual, you do not see it.

So, what are we? What do we want to be? We are miles away from having the resources and playing staff to be top 6. A cup and the Europa League seems to be it for the short- to mid-term.

Is Marco the man? Let's see in May. I think he deserves that time at least.

So please let's not get carried away thinking Silva has suddenly got it right. He hasn't. We had a great second half, they didn't show up and we reaped the benefits of their sloppiness.

There's plenty of time for Silva to screw things up again in our remaining games, which I fully expect him to do. Give him time? He's had enough time and virtually wasted an entire season without us really seeing any vast improvement over Fat Sam's tenure. In fact, overall, I'd say we've got worse!

Comment #114 is casting an envious eye to Wolves! Seriously! They will probably not be in the Premier League in 3 seasons time.

Comment #115 is claiming we were lucky against Chelsea, but surely we were equally unlucky against Newcastle?

Silva deserves at least one more season to try and build on the few decent performances he has presided over this season surely? Anything else would be madness surely?

Why were we lucky v Chelsea and not unlucky v Newcastle

I don’t see any logic mate?

We are talking the here and now.

Logic says that Wolves will finish above us this season, a remarkable feat having just come up from the Championship.

On our current form it is likely that we will not be in the Premier League in 3 seasons unless something changes dramatically.

It sounds like you want Silva to fail? It seems like many fans who have already written him off would rather see him fail than succeed. Would you not prefer to be wrong and see us flourish under Silva?

There have been many positive signs in the last 4 games, including the loss at Newcastle. I'm quietly optimistic that Silva and the players are slowly going in the right direction. I also like the man and would love to see him succeed.

Silva's Everton have potential and are experiencing stability as a squad. When they do gel, they can perform well. The weaknesses are redeemable. There is an underlying self-development of player potential, with changes in selection and the utilization of most of the players. Players will improve as they get more familiar with Silva's system and their role in it.

There will be increasing competition for positions and a Summer transfer window similar to last Summer, with an emphasis on reducing the wage bill. This may be upset by FIFA regulatory requirements and possible action against Everton, but the same trend will continue.

Next season, Silva will be able to demonstrate consistency.

I'm curious about these regulatory requirements and possible action that you foresee FIFA imposing against Everton?

Do tell.

I am also talking here and now! I just wanted to highlight the extreme over-reactions shown by Evertonians after certain events/results. Wolves will finish above us this season as they are playing way above their weight. If they qualify for Europe next season they will be a good bet for relegation.

The Newcastle & Chelsea games just highlight Evertonians bemoaning luck when we lose and then saying we are lucky when we win.

The recent results have been much better in a very competitive league. Silva deserves one more season at least.