Fireworks? … I sincerely hope so

We won't of course be witness to what's going on behind the scenes. But for the immediate term, I'm more interested in how things are going to change out on the pitch. And the challenge for Ancelotti is going to be how to harness the spirit and energy tapped by Ferguson and integrate it with what will surely be his personal preference for a more thoughtful, passing, game – including a return to trying to play out from the back.

Totally with you on the Brands issues, by the way.

Ancelotti must be in charge. If the idiots try and push him around, he'll walk. For the first time in ages, we've got a manager – not a coach, a manager – who's forgotten more than any of the staff will know about football – and can communicate well in a few languages.

The league is as open as a barn door, with one unfortunate exception. This was too good an opportunity to pass up. It has to work and it will work, if he's allowed to do a thorough job.

It's an opportunity for Moshiri to use this appointment to get the whole of the club to shape up or be shipped out.

It's surely all in place now. Ordinary managers have been replaced by one of the very best. A poor director of football totally out of his depth has been replaced by one who is very highly regarded.

Half of the poorer players are gone albeit there's plenty left still. There are some good players in the squad and some good ones due back from injury including Gbamin next month?

Money is available and Duncan has found some desire in some players at least. It's all there for Carlo to show what he can do with a very difficult start against City and RS after Burnley. Let's get behind him and see what he can do.

Then in hindsight, Dunc is late to the Managerial game due to his spell of retirement in Spain away from it all, and it represented a risk.

At least Carlo has already been sacked at Goodison before, so he already has some insight!

He'll either do well, and be feted like Howard Kendall eventually was, or he'll be the latest, and possibly final, expensive flop in Moshiri's project.

Either way, we'll continue to support. Enjoy your festivities Blues, and spare a thought for those of us working in dry countries that don't celebrate – although I'm told tomorrow there's a break in tradition and we're getting served a Christmas cake in the office!

Regarding players having what it takes to have the 'big boys' worrying about European qualification, again views on that fluctuate according to results, and fluctuate wildly as results vary.

My own view is that we have a squad of very good players, and quite a few of them would on form readily find their way into the likes of Liverpool. The trouble is, form is affected by how the team is organised. When well organised, players generally look better, and play with more confidence. When badly organised, they're liable to look shite.

Silva failed partly through factors within his control, such as team selection, tactics, and failure to motivate, and partly through factors beyond his control, such as injuries, terrible officiating, and losing Gana and Zouma.

Ancelotti can affect only the factors within his control, just as Silva could. We would hope and expect his tactics and motivation of players to be far superior to Silva's. Only time will tell.

Regarding factors beyond Ancelotti's control, he may well have the same problems that Silva faced. Unless of course, Everton's 'traditional' tendency to sell our best players without having adequate replacements is knocked firmly on the head, the injury crisis lessens considerably, and the officiating becomes fairer (and perhaps it might do given Ancelotti's status and influence in football). Again, only time will tell.

It's all about opinions, I know. For me, though, the first real manager for many many years... you simply cannot knock Moshiri this time, he's gone for the best available manager in the world.

I was like a kid in a friggin sweetshop when I saw the news before the game. This is quality, no question.

Another delightful aspect is it's shown the redshite exactly as they are, the utter garbage dribbling out of their gobs is just fucking hilarious, you couldn't friggin' write it, Neanderthal pricks.

Anyway, best wishes and goodwill to all you Blues.

Like most Evertonians, your nerves have probably gone.

If you were to name a Best 11 and a Second 11 for the entire Premier League this season, and even a Third 11, none of our players would be named except Pickford. Not one. We have players who have shown the potential to get to that level -- Digne and Rich, plus Mina and Sidibe -- but the fact is our overall talent level is currently very far adrift from the top clubs.

What Ferguson showed is that our players were not playing with the fire and passion necessary, and he pumped the bellows to fire them up. But there is still no greatness in the side.

And I'll say it again, as I have ad nauseum -- we did not "lose" Zouma. He was a loan we never, ever had a chance to keep.

Genuinely I see the genuine chance to begin the resurrection of EFC, in football matters, though it will take time, I'm gut feeling confident he will succeed.

Plenty of bumps on the road to the success, we yearn for, but it must and will happen.

Patience time and he will no doubt already have a hit list of players he’d like to bring in.

Burnley is never easy and will be a good test of the new managers steel.

The Best of The Seasons Greetings to All Evertonians.

I would expect Ancelotti to get more out of these players and bring better players in. The variable is how many we can get rid of and how much difference the expected improvements will actually make.

Of course you're right about Zouma, but from Silva's perspective we did lose him. This was of course beyond the control of Everton, but his loss was a real loss. But Gana, that was down to Everton, no matter what anyone says about Gana's wishes, because he was under contract. Everton have a clear track record of this kind of thing, and I hope it ends with Ancelotti, otherwise he will be another manager who can have the rug pulled from under his feet.

Re Gana, I disagree. He earned his chance to see what his career could be at age 30, away from putzes like Silva and Fat Sam. This isn't 1990, this is modern world football. When a player truly wants to leave and realize his dreams, you let him go. The solution isn't locking up a player who doesn't want to stay... it's making Everton a place where players do want to stay.

I don't think it's a question of 1990 versus present-day. It's more a question of the club keeping hold of a pivotal player until they have an adequate replacement. It's the failure to do this that has contributed to our current status.

Added to this was an apparent lack of aggression by Silva who just didn't seem to worry about anything or he covered it up well and gave me the impression he was just winging it and pocketing a big salary.

The short-lived tenure was brought to an end with no surprise to anyone especially when your hovering around the bottom three in December.

Okay, now to part two of the season and Ferguson has shown that there is some life left in the squad with half decent results against teams we may have been expected to lose against with Silva at the helm.

I am sure Ancellotti has plans but he may wait a few games before wanting to bring anyone new into the fold.

Some players already here have not proved they are anymore than average so his job will be somewhat difficult unless he has a magic wand and can introduce new tactics that gets the best out of what he already has.

No matter your group a good manager gets more from the sum of its parts.

In this case we have an extremely experienced and excellent manager. He will despite the lack of quality in areas get more from it as a team.

He will get results we are expected to, something even standard coaches have routinely failed to do at Everton. He will also get positive results we don’t expect too.

He won’t let the team slide, he will adjust and correct the team and tactics until he gets the players he wants.

I’m all in on Ancelotti, just need lessons from SF to defend the indefensible when it goes tits up. 😂

Happy bloo crimbo lads. 💙

If I was Carlo reading this with the old Three Champions League wins burning a hole in my tracksuit pocket I'd have to be a bit disappointed with that.

He is on ridiculous wages, but whoever was coming in was going to be on at least 6. so we are paying over the expected odds by let's say £5m a year. I reckon he'll earn that back year on year.

Brands now will do as he's told, he'll just make sure that he agrees with everything Carlo does, he'd be mad not to. The big issue as Darren points out, is how much he thinks is available to him to spend.

I've looked at his record, and it's absolutely superb. Following Pep after Munich was always a hospital pass. you can imagine the way had all the training set up. And he's beaten Klopp twice this year, with a moribund Italian team He's the real deal and I'm delighted we've got him.

Living in Sweden I am keen follower of football in all kind of sense and watch a lot of fotball both live and on telly.

Carlo Ancelotti is however you look at it the most succesful football manager active on the globe right now. In my world he is far better and far more succesful than Guardiola and Klopp taken together.

That is not a guarantee that he will be able to take Everton to the place where we all want BUT there is in my mind nobody else with better background for it..

This is also probably the most significant signing for Everton in the last 50 years, that is also probably why the british so called pundits, who most don’t have a clue of international football, question if he is right for the club.

Please give Carlo time, there is a fairly good chance that he together with right financial backing even will bring an EPL title to Everton within 4 years.

It is a funny and interesting old game...

Silva was NOT his appointment; Moshiri had already chosen him well before Brands was appointed.

Quality signings in Richarlison, Digne, Mina with the last two arguably a snip and all worth far more than we paid.

Bernard on a free; although one of the highest-paid he is still quality.

Gomes first on loan and then a bargain fee. Class on 2 legs!

Sidibe on loan and, now that he is playing most games, is one of our most consistent performers.

Moise Kean and Iwobi, although not cheap, both have potential if not currently pulling up trees.

Criticism could be laid at his door for not signing a quality centre-half but had we done so would Holgate have been one of the most improved defenders in the Premier League?

It is not Brand's fault that Walsh was in post when the club spent extravagantly on Sigurdsson, Klaassen, Kean, Walcott, Tosun and, prior to that, the previous regime on an over-priced Bolasie. Poor signings who have either left or would NOT be in many of first 11s.

The quality of signings has improved significantly under Brands. We have the core of a quality team and better luck with injuries and a manager who picked better balanced teams, would undoubtedly be much further up the league. Oh and a manager who isn't tactically brain dead.

Merry Christmas to everyone, especially Lyndon and Michael, who provide me with the platform for the only addiction I’ve got left in my life!

He needs the tools to get us and keep us in the promised land. Yes, we have good players but they are not quite at the level of the very best players in the Premier League.

If he doesn't get an improvement in personnel in the squad, he will fail like all the rest, as sure as night follows day.

We have three quick games, starting on Boxing Day, if the players were looking knackered against Arsenal they surely will be when we play the reds.

I just hope and pray he and we can get three points against Burnley, it won't be easy though we know exactly what they will throw at us up front.

And I think he has done a very good job of jettisoning a substantial portion of our deadwood in just 18 months on the job.

Darren has always been unconvinced by Brands. I've been impressed.

No "knives to gunfights" off this lad.

The fact he was lumbered with an incompetent manager/coach wasn't his fault and the crop of injuries was out of the control of them both. What probably was his fault was a failure to find a striker and cover at centre back but, as has been mentioned elsewhere, this has enable Holgate to emerge as a half decent player.

At the start of the season I thought we had the best squad in years and I still think so. The fact we are in the bottom and not the top six is solely down to injuries, poor referreeing/VAR but primarily because of inept management by Silva.

Duncan has shown that even a dispirited, tired and injury ravaged squad can pick up points when properly organised.

Ancelotti's immediate task is to try to rescue something from this train wreck of a season and then to, hopefully, kick on next season.

If he makes it known just which sort of players he want, young or old, long or short term, then I really hope he and Brands can make a good partnership when it comes to building that future team. If we need some older hands onboard along the way to ensure that platform being stable, I won't be unhappy about it.

But we need to make sure that our U23 players (and below) learn to play the sort of game that will give them the best chances to merge into the senior team. I haven't particularly paid attention to the U23s, but it seems strange that after all their accomplishments, so few of those have been eligible for even try-outs with the main team. The U23s success is pointless in itself if they forget/fail to prepare future players for the senior team's needs!

What Ancelotti does is immediately to invert the smallness of Everton over the last few decades. As Darren notes, he's not going to be detained by the input of board members on footballing matters.

What I think may be the measure of this man, of his natural grace and manners, is that he has effortlessly and straight away shown respect to both Ferguson and Brands. He has discreetly let it be known how he values them both, the two people who may have felt most exposed by his arrival. That may not be his actual opinion but that's not the point for present purposes.

Behind the style, I am sure there is steel. That is the Everton combination of our title-winning sides. With a fair wind and the acquisition of some good players (to be decided, I suspect, by Ancelotti), I believe we are in for a fulfilling few years.

Until then, all Blues should leave a slice of Panettone and a glass of Chianti out for Il Santa and Rudolfo, and repeat slowly and quietly "Koulibaly, Koulibaly, Koulibaly" until gently nodding off to dream of the January sales.

A merry, peaceful and family-filled Xmas to all Blues. The future begins on Boxing Day.

As I've said on recent threads, this appointment is going to be very costly indeed, no matter where Ancelotti takes us. I think, if Moshiri has deep enough pockets, that the January and summer windows will be enough for Ancelotti to sign the sort of top players his reputation and talent are built on, to get us top four next season — or else, what's the point in signing him up?

Has he got the money, though?

If this doesn't work, then I am afraid that we should all be worried that the curse won't allow anything to work.

Fair comment.

Bet/hope he does.

Merry Christmas, folks!

I am sure that the backers of RS are paying a fortune to Klopp and the squad of class players he has and that is why both they and also City are dominating the last few seasons.

I don't expect Leicester to maintain their form of the first half of the season and RS will see them off on Thursday. It's Christmas and we need some really nice gifts over the next few weeks. COYB.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I tend to go along 100% with Mike Gaynes @12, on the value of the present squad. I also agree with Kevin Malloy @22 who feels Darren would have preferred David Unsworth for the job.

I am assuming that the recruitment in the last window fell below lofty hopes because some players weren't persuaded by Marco Silva's ability, and that work has been proceeding behind the scenes especially following the decision of Chelsea to retain Zouma and the subsequent injuries to Gbamin and Gomes.

The January window is generally a tough one so, if a few players of real note can be signed, then that will indicate the worth of Brands and/or Ancelotti.

We have to have more / better options in defensive midfield and the centre of defence. Gbamin was mentioned earlier in this thread. Is there any concrete news on his recovery from injury?

Recently, I've seen a little bit of Lukaku playing in Italy and surprisingly he seems to have learnt to trap a ball. Now that we've appointed an Italian manager maybe we'll see some improvement in some of the players already here.

Let us be brutally honest: we do have some poor players, some reasonable players, and some abysmal players... but, apart from three, I can think of no quality players. This manager will be showing us how good he is if he starts with getting the dross out and builds from there.

I am 83 and as you can imagine have seen, like all clubs, highs and lows. Even my brother-in-law, who is a Kopite, admits at one time you had to look around the Kop to get a light off someone.

Let's get right behind this guy and hope he brings us another Bobby Collins or Alan Ball. Please Carlo soon, I haven't got that much time to waste. Happy and peaceful and Successful future to us all.

My perceived change of heart has gained me admission into The Don and Brent`s club for "True fans"... Unfortunately, I will have to decline. I don't do unquestioning happy clapping.

I tend to mix in circles where people change their view in accordance to the circumstances. May be we are the UNtrue fans... It's just the way it is, I guess, I have always preferred the company and the conversation of people who question everything. Always have done. I'll leave the "pretending" to the Kelly Maloney's and the "true fan" club to the "true fans"...

I stand by both of my articles because they were submitted under very different circumstances. I said I didn't want Ancelotti and I meant it. The reasons I gave did not suddenly disappear because he has been handed the gig...

However! His appointment has been confirmed and I will support him in his task. It may be difficult for some to understand, but it would be in my interest for him to fulfill my dreams. So there we go. A fresh start. A blank canvas.

Only my love for the club is unconditional. My support/respect/love for its employees comes with a whole barrow load of conditions.

If Carlo shows a similar passion and respect for the club as the big fella. I won't only be on board at the beginning, I will stay on board... but if he sets up to play boring football – like Allardyce; disrespects the fans by talking to them as if they are 5 years old – like Koeman; or becomes obsessed with a system that clearly isn't working – like Martinez and Silva, you can be very assured I will be all over him like miner's lamp on chips.

"True fan"???? LOL. I have enough trouble coping with being an ordinary Evertonian!

Have a good one.

Happy Christmas to everyone, be nice and looking forward to many more civilised arguments on this cracking site next year!

We will come again, and soon!!

Well we've had enough damp squibs in the last few years, what with players and Managers alike, about time our fortunes are due for change.

We have a few tricky fixtures coming up, let's see what they can do, Carlo will learn a lot bout what they are made of, and have an even better idea of what his shopping list is in the January Window.

Koulibaly, Zielinski and a striker would be a good start. It would certainly stiffen up the defence and the midfield, then hopefully the goals will start going in.

So, with Silva, Brands held a higher level of responsibility for signings but under Carlo there will be a more equal standing. But Brands job doesn't stop at signing players, and his recruitment brief goes beyond this season and the next, but he is looking to build a structure that produces players/teams long term, so the club has a clear identity or style of play. If the manager changes the recruitment policy and type of player that comes in Will remain similar.

And his role goes well beyond that. There is still plenty of deadwood to move on. He needs to have an overview of the finances and admin, so the manager isn't burdened with such concerns.

So far he seems to have done a decent job. The fact that Kean is not a full first-team player is no surprise. He's 19. Iwobi started brightly and seems to have lost his way but has show. Promise and is at a good age. Richarlison is a qualified success, as is Digne and I would say Sibide. Gomes was signed at a good price. Mina has question marks, and Delph's injuries have regrettably been predictable, but in fairness he probably wasn't signed to play week in week out.

Silva didn't make the grade. Even with the players currently available Carlo has few excuses for not at least getting up to 10th. You pay top dollar for quality. Yes, he will want to bring in his own players but until he is able to there is enough quality should they be utilised better.

During his short tenure as manager, Unsworth showed even less animation than those who came before and after.

One question I would like to ask is: As you are first to admit, you are still deeply suspicious of Ancelotti, who do you think would have been a better choice that would have come?

Merry Christmas to all. Thank you, Lyndon and Michael.

Love me some TW. God bless and have a very merry Christmas.

It’s about time we dared to dream and daring to dream that this football club can become great again but this time with a modern spin on it.

The club should have embraced the Premier League era of 1992 in the same ambition that the likes of Arsenal did, to be decisive, bold and forward thinking, after all Everton along with Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester United were the original “Big Five” long before the financial dominance of the Sky era came.

Ancelotti is the first real managerial appointment that makes me actually sit up and take a real notice that maybe this club believes it should be back up the top.

Time will tell but if you don’t try then you’ll never find out.

Merry Christmas Darren!

I'd also argue that our last lot of managers have all been literal “law of averages”; this guy is in a different league to them. The very least we will learn from our years of underachieving is if it could've all been solved with a simple solution of having a coach who knew his arse from his elbow, something that even Man City had to realise before they got to where the owners wanted them to be.

Merry Christmas all, onwards and upwards!

He comes across as a very nice guy and he could become a massive success although I believe he has inherited a dreadful squad and success will be difficult in a position he hasn't been in for decades.

As you say, it is critical that he takes control and excludes the rotten luvvy core of the club from having anything to do with team affairs. He must also be strong with Brands.

For example, Andre Gomes needs to play in a side where he has lots of pace, not just to sweep up behind him, but also to maximise his passing ability. For me, he will be much better in a 4-3-3.

Bernard is not quite a winger, but not a Number 10, not in the Premier League anyway. He lacks pace and strength. He's best when he is on the left of a 3 in a 4-2-3-1 with a pacey left-back and other technical players to play off.

Gylfi Sigurdsson is the best player in a journeyman team, typical of the lower half of the Premier League, where they can put 8 workers behind him and a big striker up top. Allowed to roam and pick up space and to do whatever he wants. If he has to play a more rigid role, then he struggles to get into the game. So many games go 20 minutes or so without him getting a touch, and the team needing someone like him to take charge.

If we are to play 4-3-3, as I am sure Silva wanted to, then the basis of a good side is there:

Richarlison Calvert-Lewin N
Gomes Gbamin D
Digne Z Mina Sidibe
Pickford

N being someone like David Neres who we were in for, D being Doucoure and Z being Zouma. Of course, that's three massive signings that could cost anywhere between £100m-150m.

The point is that, with some careful additions, players to suit the best of what we have, the team can be transformed into a top side. Maybe not quite top 4 without a top 4 striker, but certainly one to close in on the top 6.

If Ancelotti goes down the 4-4-2 route, then there is the makings of a decent side as follows:

Richarlison Calvert-Lewin
L Gomes Gbamin R
Digne Holgate Mina Sidibe
Pickford

L and R just being the wide midfielders. These are very different to wingers in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, and Walcott might be able to switch on enough to go a half-decent impression of one at times, but he's much more of a forward. Richarlison cannot play that deep, he needs to be up the top end. Bernard also cannot play that deep, he is also better much higher up the pitch. Iwobi again is a forward and not a wide midfielder, having shown how much of a liability he can be when deep.

I think that, even though I think we need 3 players to play the 4-3-3, it will be much easier to put the side right in this formation and get us propelled up the table. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ancelotti go for the 4-4-2 double six using the same team as for the 4-4-2 but having two of Bernard, Sigurdsson and Iwobi in central positions ahead of Delph and Davies (deputising for Gomes and Gbamin):

Richarlison Calbvert-Lewin
Bernard Iwobi
Delph Davies
Digne Holgate Mina Sidibe
Pickford

I agree that Ancelotti will go with 4-4-2, and select the players you predict. The worry will be Burnley setting up shop, and the fact that Arsenal, though a poor team, did successfully set up shop and gain a foothold in midfield with similar tactics to Leicester, restricting Everton to no shots on target.

Ancelotti will want better possession and want quality ball to forwards to lay off. He will also wants more speed /movement in midfield, with better quality possession. Minimising errors will be a priority.

His substitutions will be interesting. I expect Keane to play a part and would not be surprised if Niasse come on. He will want increased firepower.

On changing your view; no problem in this camp with that. I was fully behind Moyes in the first 2 thirds of his reign because I totally got that is what we needed at the time. I got frustrated towards the end with the lack of ambition & changed my view on him; surrendering in the semi final against Liverpool was the point that tipped me. Many of my generation participated in the "Kendall must go" leaflet campaign in late 1983 yet were worshiping him as an absolute God 12 months later. Changing your view is simply a sign of following the club with heart & passion, calling them out when it's not right & applauding them when it is, regardless of who the manager or players are. That's true support; like a marriage right??!!

A couple of thoughts on some of the themes discussed earlier. I believe we do have a group of talented players who could get into some top teams. As others have previously stated, it can come down to how they are coached, motivated, physically & mentally prepared as well as how the team is organised. Like I've said on other threads; ability alone won't win. But then passion & desire (Dunc style), will sadly only get you so far. It has to be a blend of all of the above; that's what winning teams do & possess.

With that in mind, the would or wouldn't get into Liverpool's team discussion; Digne or Milner? Gomez or Henderson? In terms of footballing ability, and genuinely without my blue tinted glasses on, I'm opting for our boys. It goes back to the manager. Let's be honest, 3 years ago who honestly would have touched Henderson with a barge pole? But, motivated, coached & inspired; surrounded by players in a winning system with a winning mentality, the guy now has now lifted the Champion's League above his head.

So, we have a very good squad of talented players when all fit. Yes we need an experienced striker & central defender for depth, but a squad that despite failings at managerial level has still managed to hit the 7th/8th glass ceiling the past few seasons.

Now we have a genuine top drawer manager. I hope that finally, we have someone who can inspire an underperforming squad in the short term to perform to his standards and then add that missing ingredient that breaks the 7th/8th glass ceiling that we keep bruising our heads on. Sorry to revert to the painfully obvious, but Klopp & Liverpool anyone??

The much maligned 4-2-3-1 is actually one of the most complete systems in the modern game, IF you have the players to play it. The German national team mastered it and won the World Cup with it.

I agree with you, with the players we have now, 4-3-3 would be the best option.

As with anything in the modern game, it has to be fluid, and whilst not quite NFL, your formation needs to morph depending on whether you have possession & are in attack compared to when you lose the ball & go defensive.

I think that's where Carlo's adaptability will become apparent.

Danny@64 I very much agree with you. Carlo's just taken over and has had little time to drill the players he has been handed. He should talk with Duncan and others about players' strengths and weaknesses as well as what he has picked up from watching recent games. Then play them accordingly to gain some quick points in the bag and then firm up on what he needs to add and delete to build the team formation he really wants.

I'm looking forward to today's game.