Meritocracy

Eight games worth of crap and only 1 goodun, Hmm?Nowt but a fool would change Saturday's starting 11, except for injury or suspension.

Any temptation at all to to go into full Ranieri / Tinkerman mode for the Watford cup game should be resisted...Bernard, Walcott, Iwobi, Davies, Gomes and Sidibe, have hardly kicked a ball for 4 weeks and our next few games are well spaced.

Silva has found something that works. If he worked it out himself, finally, what took you so long? - all well and good.

But any changes to that basic 11, that really, really, don't have to be made, just tell me he has no clue and mystic meg picked the team numbers out of a hat, like a garden fete lucky dip draw.

Meritocracy? to the 11 who 'should' start on merit this weekend. You're only as good as your NEXT game...same for you Marco.

No, I'm not convinced yet.

I'm sure I wasn't the only blue to look at the team selection before the West Ham game and wonder if he'd been bounced into making such dramatic changes, or whether he really believed in the mass shake-up. If it was the latter, why has it taken him so long to realise what the rest of us saw weeks ago? If it was the former, then he's lost control.

At this point our most expensive acquisition needs to be recast in a deeper role as 4-3-3 evolves. He just slows play down in the 10 role and lacks the fast paced, penetrative pass required. Scoring a world class goal when introduced on Saturday shouldn't detract from the impact Iwobi had in his place IMO.

Schneiderlin has been very poor for sustained periods under multiple coaches but it takes an age for him to be dropped despite there being other options.

Tom Davies or Bernard have an average game and they're benched.

Gylfi and Rich basically don't do anything for 3 or 4 matches delivering 5/10 performances but retain their places presumably based on past glories. I felt that dropping Gylfi and bringing him on from the bench was a good move but it should not mean he starts next time. It merely means he can be very useful from the bench when the opposition are tired and space is available.

I dearly hope Silva doesn't fall into the trap of bringing Gylfi straight back in because we are a better team without him - not that he doesn't have a role to play but for the fluidity of the side for the majority of game time, we might be better without him.

On the meritocracy question, I'm with Michael #2 in feeling that Silva only deserves partial credit for the Saturday shakeup -- yes, he did make the appropriate change of Iwobi for Siggy, and he did go with Richarlison up top instead of DCL, but Schneiderlin was unavailable, not dropped.

I would also point out a key question that we didn't get into (because we veered off onto Uber, the Klan and barbeque sauce), and that's the delineation between the meritocracy issue and the Silva stubbornness issue. His adherence to certain players and his adherence to the 4-2-3-1 are two separate problems in my opinion. He did, apparently grudgingly, change his lineup. He did not change the formation, and I continue to believe it's because he can't -- he's simply not capable of coaching a different alignment.

As I mentioned to you on the phone, what made me the most happy Saturday was the sight of Iwobi and Davies (and occasionally Sidibe) galloping up the middle of the pitch with the ball, taking on defenders rather than stodgily playing the ball out to the wings every time. We got our chances from actually attacking, rather than just overlap-cross-and-pray. Whether this was a strategic shift dictated by Silva or simply the tactical result of the lineup changes, I don't know. But I loved it.

Brighton will not be as poor or as generous as West Ham so we need to be more clinical and that means putting goalscorers on the pitch.

So do you advocate starting Siggy at Brighton? And if so, for whom?

For me Gomes and Bernard introduce a pace and urgency which has been sadly lacking. Davies added in spades to this. And so whether he is 30 or 50% responsible for the outcome, he's 100% responsible to sit up and take note. Only Saturday will tell.

A lot of hypotheticals there.
Keep it simple, Marco, pick the same side for Christ's sake.

I don't think there is anything wrong with a 4-2-3-1 formation, its the personal you deploy in those positions that change the way the system works. On Saturday he employed 2 attacking players to play in front of the back 4 and they both moved the ball forward and quickly. As opposed to Schneiderlin and Delph who are defensive by nature and often look for the safe ball ie back to the back 4 which allows the opposition to get back in position. So when the ball was played early to either Iwobi or Walcott or Bernard they had space to attack, which created problems for West Ham.
Now I know West Ham werent that good but because we didnt start every move with the back 4 exchanging 6 or 7 passes before we move the ball forward, they struggled to cope with our pace and movement which resulted from playing it early from midfield to forwards.

I was impressed with Sidibe, and even though I totally disagree with the comments, that Seamus is gone too slow, and the crap that he's not able to get up and down the pitch, the team shouldn't be changed for Brighton.

I hope Silva was impressed with Davies's performance, considering he was a last resort, with Schneiderlin injured.

Dave #10, ;-)

But my worry is if we don't get a good result he will quickly revert to type and pick Schneiderlin and Siggy again. Schneiderlin in particular has been given multiple chances and I really hope Silva now offers the same opportunity to Davies and Iwobi over a decent run of games - not just Brighton.

The main things were tempo and ball pace, we created a number of ‘grade A' chances but were wasteful, we played in their half (albeit with a frighteningly high line) and a alternative to manage the game when we run out of steam.

I'm still an advocate of 4-3-3 and he has to transition there at some point, but if we play at tempo and squeeze the opposition then 4-2-3-1 will work for now. I'm even happy to accept the highest of back lines if we can take our chances and put a game to bed. There's no escaping that one ball over the top will kill us.

As to personnel, it's obvious to all who he retains and if he chooses to revert then he clearly is angling for the sack!

I think Mina won't be fit and even if he was I'd sacrifice Keane for Holgate. Simply because if we do most the attacking we only rely on Holgate to cover the 1v1. Mina's injury might be another blessing for Silva?!

I'd also bring Kean in for Walcott. Let's not sugar coat this, one decent game does not detract from a player who is trending downwards in his career. Playing Kean as an inside forward will offer the same pace as Walcott and he has more upside. It's gives him a graded introduction without the burden of being CF. I get Walcott (work rate) protects Sidibe but if we are to progress both are going to have to learn some positional discipline.

The hole Silva has dug for himself means no less than three points will do and it's needs to be done with more than a laboured 1-0. A touch of panache please.

We want verve and vigor, not sideways and stolid! UTFT!

A goal ruled out by VAR, offside by millimetres, and with the cross taking a deflection off a Chelsea defender I was wondering if they've got the decision wrong?

Christy #14, agree with you on Seamus... glad there's someone besides me going against the "slow/lost it" consensus. But Sidibe does bring something Coleman can't, and it's something the side needs right now.

John #18, there's no scenario in which I could view a potential Mina absence as a "blessing"... he's been our best defender. But I agree on Kean -- I'd enjoy seeing him in the role Theo played last weekend.

I think if we play how we played on Saturday you simply cannot play both Mina and Keane.
I guess what I'm hoping is Silva might be forced into picking Holgate (Mina injury from Sat) and then can see the balance it will bring. Eventually Holgate and Mina based on that outcome.

I think if the impending Tomori loan had come through back in the summer, Holgate would have been sold.

I think in the modern game so few teams are built around massive players, the traditional center forward has long waned from the game. I think the more progressive managers focus the players ability with the ball at their feet, even at center back.

Speed is more important than aerial presence, as more forwards are quick, small and very good at changing direction.

Whilst Holgate might no be the answer is best qualities blend better with Mina or Keane. Most pertinently are more suitable to the high line.

Marco, time to change what you believe to be true and try some shit.

Wouldn't it be great just to see us play Champions League games?

Brighton looked like they had some little fast forwards when they played at Villa, and I hate watching Michael Keane trying to defend against this type of player, so hopefully the best form of defence on Saturday, will be to attack!

Holgate will probably play against Watford, but I can't believe we are short in such a key position though?

Seamus is not what he was so I would like to see Sidibe in for a few more games with Digne continuing his fine form.

Holgate will never be the commanding centre-back we would like to see and will continue as a bit-part player much like several others.

One would like to see some trade-outs come January and a couple more solid signings.

Where he likes height is in defence, the two centre-backs and usually a third guy from midfield. He likes a tall keeper too. This is all for zonal marking reasons.

Big units like Doucouré are not the norm and he was signed for Silva by the Pozzos and not by Silva himself. Although, Silva clearly loved him and wants to bring him here. Presumably so he can use his energy to go box-tobox alongside Gomes.

Silva's best teams have all been underpinned by their pace on the break and it's no surprise that we have been signing so many quick players. Other than the centre-backs (and don't forget Mina is not slow and Zouma is the only other one signed and he is quick), nearly every player we have brought in has decent pace, even Bernard, the only exception I can think of is Gomes.

I was at that Wimbledon game. All I remember is the likes of Marcus Gayle running riot against our slower defenders.

You are right though. I remember that side could really play hence thrashing Spurs at Elland Road and, with more silky additions, turning Saints over 18 months later. Royle just could not quite make the leap either at the back where he liked headers of the ball as opposed to ball players (Craig Short) or up front given Amo was never trusted and he was determined to always lead with Ferguson or Rideout.

We played a 4-3-3 on Saturday far more than we did a 4-2-3-1, regardless of how the pre-game infographic lined them up. When not trying to move the ball around and create space, Iwobi spent a lot of time between Gomes & Davies. Walcott - when not helping cover for Sidibe - and Bernard were up on the front line with Richarlison. We definitely didn't play the lone striker. Teams can and do morph their formation in the middle of games.

Also, regardless of your personal thoughts around Walcott (and mine likely mirror them), he did not one single thing to say he shouldn't in Satuday's starting XI. I want Kean on the pitch arguably more than anyone, but you yourself pointed out that Walcott was invaluable in helping protect Sidibe. Who incidentally plays forward more than any RB I've seen. If you think Kean can play that role, I'd put forth that you've never seen Kean play. It's not what he does, so asking him to do so would be idiotic.

Let's just see what the team who played so brilliantly against West Ham can do again.

We've finally got to a point in this season where there are signs that that original disruption to the season might be being overcome. It's all very well apportioning blame to Silva and/or individual players who might just be off form to add to the injury woes, but I would suggest it's a tad naive.

Last Saturday the side gelled. It does not mean that that same side should be played every game. There is a squad, to handle the pressures of the season and ranges of opponent.

Just tell them to finish better.

Yes, you are correct, the same team doesn't have to play every week... but it does have to play with the same tempo and forward movement — especially movement, that was one of the key elements of the improvement.

Agreed, our major problem has been an inability to move quickly through the middle. We can get down the sides but some opponents take pride in defending against that whereby they remain compact so spaces don't emerge so our crosses have to be pitch perfect and their defenders need beating.

I think the pace through the middle has been restricted by Sigurdsson and Schneiderlin who, at different points, slow things down.

If Iwobi, Davies, Gomes et al charge through the middle and draw players towards them, the likes of Richarlison and Bernard can peel off and find space.

However, as fate has shown, one swallow doesn't make a Summer and Everton need a whole flock of swallows to gain back the confidence in we long-suffering supporters. especially as to what's going on across the park these days.

The Brighton game is, as it always seems, another banana skin and will present a stern test for Silva's ''unworried'' demeanour.

We would like to see the exuberance, particularly on offence emerge early in this game to quieten the crowd and knock the Seagulls out of their stride.

This was helped by the open way West Ham play. It might be that, against sides that are not so open, players like Schniederlin and Delph may be better suited, if Silva continues with these tactics in midfield. They have not been given the chance most matches to play in such a tactical midfield.

We have to be careful judging players in a game which actually suited them. To start to apply templates and stereotypes is jumping the gun.