Everton an embarrassing disgrace for Ancelotti

Same last week against United!

Can't figure his team selections out to be honest.

Some build up!!!

Tom rewarded for a really strong performance last time out. Carlo springs a surprise by playing Bernard ahead of Walcott, given this very week he said the wee Brazilian was best suited for home games.

Interesting also that he has retained Keane ahead of Mina. A tweak for the Colombian so not risked, or not happy with his performances and Michael has done well when he has played?

Play as we did in the home game and we can break one vodoo on away grounds.

Hopefully the goal wakes them up.

Amateur central midfielders don't play square to each other. Chelsea are just playing in the two gaps either side.

Gomes is the only one I'd keep... the rest are a crock of shite.

Holgate was blown away by William and Keane versus anyone faster than my mother with her trolley, forget it!!!

Until somehow the shite can be shipped off (not gonna be easy), we ain't gonna achieve anything (just like the past 25 years then). Sigurdsson + Pickford + Keane = 𧴜 million paid. That is a criminal offence.

Count the touches Keane has when he gets the ball. Never less than 3. Why the hell would we want him on the ball? Just give it to someone better. Which is everyone. It can't move this slowly.

Sidibe had better be ill or injured. Because he looks like he's checked out of the club.

Only pass on is backwards. Because no-one wants the ball.

I can't understand blame being aportioned to Pickford for the goals. He has been excellent. Our best player.

The Mount goal was superbly executed. Our keeper was left totally exposed for Pedro's second. That resulted from no pressure on the ball from midfield allowing the through ball and Sleeping Sidibe - once again - allowing his man (Pedro) to run off him with a clear run on goal.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Carlo swaps out Sidibe for Baines because as well as his rank defending, he has misplaced 3-4 simple passes that has badly exposed us to the counter. Digne also looks ring-rusty.

In the midfield, I don't understand why Gerry Ring calls out Tom Davies. He is the one midfielder who is contesting the ball, showing for the ball and attempting to drive the team forward. Bernard and Siggy anonymous. Gomes not much better.

The entire midfield is neither protecting the defence or releasing Dom and Richy.

For the pounding we've taken, we should still only be a goal down. The pass from Richy wasn't great, but Dom HAS to score those sort of chances to convince the doubters.

It will be one helluva transformation if we salvage anything from this in the second half.

Carlo out?

Are you being serious?

They are playing bad in the first half I agree.

But your comment is totally irrational.

Go and sit in a dark room during the second half 😎

How can a team make so many bad passes, week after week??? Three times in the first eight minutes to put Chelsea in good positions.

i doubt if one player is worth more than a five on that first-half performance, so they are all to blame, even Pickford, the good saves cancelled out by the first goal.

Can we keep the score down? Can the whole team put some pride and effort into the second half?

There is no Everton fan that can look forward to a derby game now.

I wasn't calling out Davies, I was genuinely drawing attention to how cumbersome & lethargic he looks for one so young.

4-0 & Mina on the bench?? Looks like we're back to square 1!

Cowardice runs through us. No wonder that we are routinely disregarded in the media.

Forgive my harping on but, if he or Gueye was playing, those two Chelsea midfielders let out of the crèche for the game & Barkley wouldn't be swanning around like they are participating in a “non-contact” training session.

After the derby, it's three weeks with no game then at home to Leicester and away to Spurs (another nonevent of a fixture for Everton).

I'm sorry but can someone convince me Tom Davies will ever become an outstanding performer for Everton? I think Carlo needs to question his team selection today as well, Bernard was like a little boy lost from the first minute.

I hope him and his backroom team now know exactly who to let go in the summer.

Thankfully Chelsea declared after going 4-0 up.

Very condemning that you lose 4-0 and the team's MotM is the goalkeeper.

And I'd swap Ross Barkley for any and everyone of our midfielders today.

Give Gordon a run out now until the end of the season.

Everton thinking of buying Sidibe and renewing Baines's contract, that is the problem right there, it's always amateur hour at Everton.

That was as bad a performance as I've seen from any Premier League team this season, not just Everton. Chelsea were a delight to watch (I suppose) but we made them look like peak Barcelona by being so unutterably shit.

When you watch our players sometimes you question how they actually made it as Premier League football players and some of these frauds masquerading as big internationals (I don't need to name names really do I?).

Compare the disjointed pathetic disinterested shite from our lot to that of never say die attitudes of the likes of Burnley, Wolves, Sheffield United.

Their players actually want to play for those clubs, our players just talk a good game but really they are all sitting quite comfortably on big fat contracts.

I feel for Ancelotti because nothing will change in the summer, it'll just be more recruits that underperform and don't care enough, more “supposed to be this and that's “ and more journeymen castoffs or kids that never look good enough despite the hype.

It's just this club through and through, we are rotten to the core.

The three points we need will have to come from Villa or Bournemouth.

Sidibe - pass on him, I'd much rather have Kenny in tbh, at least he tries hard. Pickford, a couple of good saves but beaten twice from range, not the answer long-term but we have more pressing concerns.

No idea why Carlo Ancelotti is persisting with Sigurdsson on the left; he's well off form and out of position also, he's invisible. Bernard should have played left-midfield.

I think these games should be showing Carlo who has a future going forward.

Lampard is a winner, his team played for him today, and I'll say it again, Pickford, Micheal Keane and Sigurdsson cost us 𧴜 million big ones. The next game against Liverpool is frightening.

Ronnie Goodlass on Radio Merseyside saying much the same thing now.

I wonder how big the contract was for Holgate? He was exposed today.

Calvert-Lewin can score the odd spectacular but, as we saw today and at Arsenal, he'll miss most of the chances he should score... I wonder how big his new contract was?

I think there's a fair bit of warmth towards Gomes after coming back from his injury but, in the cold light of day, he was a sideways crab today.

Kean looked lively for his short time on the pitch.

The rest of them????

Don Carlo, I'm just not sure he's aware just how much mediocrity there is in this team.

We are so slow and ponderous, it is quite unbelievable. No passion or fight.

I think Ancelotti could and should have changed it as soon as he saw us being overrun in midfield but he just stuck with it.

Pointless pointing anyone specific out as all outfield players were a disgrace.

Gomes? Yes great to see him back but he was always hit and miss before so why would we expect him to be world class weekly after a serious injury?

People, including one notorious bore, slated Baines after Arsenal and said we needed Digne back. Now suddenly Baines should've kept his place.

A few facts for you: most of these players have been middling or crap under four managers, various formations and tactics. Losing today, therefore, is no shock if you've actually been paying attention.

You simply can't afford to have a weak point when you play the better teams and we had several. Sidibé, Sigurdsson, Davies and Bernard were all weak points today. That's four (at least) out of eleven.

We lacked ideas, effort and intensity right from the kick-off and got taught a lesson by the likes of Mount and Gilmour to name a couple.

I'll finish with what I started. Too many players just aren't good enough.

Just another day when Everton kick themselves in the head, just when you think it might happen, it turns to shit because we are now behind in points and our goal difference is heading in the negative double-digit range.

The good thing to come out of this is that Carlo now has a good idea of what needs to be done and who to clear out. I think it's going to be an interesting summer in the transfer window but can Farhad dig deep again and Marcel clear out the deadwood?

He must know that Sidibé, Davies, Sigurdsson, Bernard, and add on Coleman, Baines, Delph, Iwobi, Walcott, are nowhere near good enough, nowhere near.

He's got at best regulars – Pickford, Holgate, Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. Gomes was shown up today as not quick enough against the best midfielders, he needs legs around him, he needs energy around him. We are totally unsure about Gbamin yet and maybe never will be as it was a real massive injury.

It's not 3-4 players we need but once again as every few years, a major clear-out and refurbishment. It's a 3-year job, but hey, we said that in 2015, 2017, 2019 – No, it's a bloody 9-year job!!! I hope Moshiri stays.

For me, we lost it in midfield. Neither Gomes or Davies are defensive midfielders. Gomes is a calm creative deep lying midfield player (although he was poor today). Davies is neither defensive or attacking. It's like he is just there. I always want to see homegrown talent do well, but he just doesn't look good enough for that level.

The whole team were piss poor!

Pickford: 6. For his very good saves.
Sidibe and Digne: 3 each for effort.
Holgate and Keane: 3 each.
Davies and Richarlison: 2 each.
Gomes, Sigurdson and Calvert-Lewin: 0 points for their absolute crap.

Anyone connected with coaching and selecting this mob of useless gets deserve a good kicking.

I cannot respond to every post but you represent 99.999% of Evertonians in saying that Sidibe is the worst full-back and the worst individual signing we have made in the last year or so. And that says a lot.

I usually try to avoid being critical of specific Everton players but he is NOT yet an Everton player and I sincerely hope he never is. Unfortunately, today he had ten accomplices who all helped him to continue his dreadful form. Awful game!!!

I am flying home from Canada with two sons specifically for the derby. Unfortunately, the fares are non-refundable. Perhaps I can pick up an award for extreme bravery in the face of danger or Idiot of the Month award. I usually sign off with CYOB but today it has to be HELP.

Sidibé – a complete liability of a right-back;
Sigurdsson – Mr anonymous; and
Theo "is my hair okay?" Walcott – just what exactly does he do/offer??

I felt so sorry for Tom Davies today, he was 1 man against the whole Chelsea midfield. Gomes made some nice passes but his lack of mobility was glaringly obvious today.

Bernard (good footballer that he is) just isn't robust enough for the Premier League. The defence had no chance today as Chelsea just kept scything through at will. I think we would have been better trying 3 centre-backs today, or even Mason in midfield. God help us against Liverpool if we play like that.

Over to you Carlo, this is where you earn your money...…...

But even then, what was that performance about? Passing the ball to the opposition. Slow. Lazy. Uninterested.

It doesn't take much to at least compete. It doesn't take much to be ready for the ball so it doesn't bounce off you or roll under your foot. It doesn't take much to make a forward run and ask for the ball.

That was just rotten to the core.

Have a look at his cv.

This is a gutless team of mercenaries who are happy to take home their absurd paychecks and couldn't give a shit about the supporters.

To me, we need to play the kids; I'm sure we wouldn't want to be anywhere near Europe with that side.

Too pedestrian, last, slow, shocking. No pride in the shirt, and I'm sure Carlo Ancelotti will now see the reality of the task he has. Bearing in mind Chelsea played Liverpool, they looked 10 times fitter and faster and passionate.

There's a stack of players whom I'm not sure we can give away, let alone sell. Stinking, rotten performance and God help us next week versus Liverpool. Chelsea with a few kids in their team, looked like a decent team.

I can't understand why the players played the way, they did today. Hopefully Carlo and Dunc will be showing the riot act to this squad. Hopefully, they'll be named and shamed at Finch Farm, and will be not getting a locker for next season.

A massive job to pick the starting line up for next week. Can an upset, happen? Based on today's performance, it sadly won't happen.

It's a bad day at the office, we have had a decent run of results of late, we should know by now that, when we play the top few clubs there's a chance we are going to get shown up.

There's always the river!

This club is full of players who have won nothing and play like that. How many have a cup medal, let alone a league winners medal? Sorry, but the fact is Silva would have got us in this position in the Premier League. Unless we hand Carlo 𧶀 million in the summer and clear out the average, nothing will change. The team is weak in every area. The spine is poor. Giving five-year deals for what? Average on big salaries.

I'm bored like many with the inept, lazy, can't-be-arsed style of play. However, I do think there is something more than that. Everton are simply a mid-table club. Nothing more and nothing less. Today, we showed and embarrassed our manager. This goes beyond him. This is something that has been going on for decades.

But I believe if we played Chelsea again next week, we might not win but the game wouldn't be the embarrassment this one was.

For the time being, we are a mid-table club, with mid-table players. Maybe we have a top-level manager. Time will tell.

What I can't understand is that they have all had to work their way through the ranks to arrive as "top" players. So how did they do that if they can't tackle, pass to a team-mate, shoot straight, or control a football? What do they do in training during the week?

Ross Barkley (who was very good today, and the booing, what's that about?) said that the training at Chelsea was so much better than when he was at Everton, and he had learnt so much more. I've always felt when I've watched the Everton training on YouTube, albeit a brief snapshot, that there seemed a very relaxed attitude with players generally having a laugh rather than working on basic skills.

The difference in technical ability between the 2 teams today was massive. We also need a strong leader on the pitch to give these divas (divvies?) a kick up the backside when needed, which is often!

Chelsea bossed the middle with 2 kids and Ross Barkley. Jesus Wept.

Ancelotti is undoubtedly a great manager, he isn't a miracle worker.

Trust our luck: FFP comes just as we have a great manager, a billionaire backer, and squad full of pretty average players.

It was embarrassing the way the Chelsea midfield overran ours with a man extra. It isn't enough that their midfield players are better and more mobile than ours, Carlo decides to give them a numerical advantage too.

That's Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea who have all beaten us since he arrived... Moyes, Martinez Koeman, Allardyce and Silva could all manage that much.

He got it badly wrong today. Anybody claiming otherwise watched a different game from me.

It's not long since Duncan Ferguson battered this group of Chelsea players with less options than Carlo had today.

- - Sigurdsson - - finished - - must not play again this season

Ancelotti and Ferguson - - need to fire up the team - - need time - - biggest problem at EFC - - and everyone knows - - is mental strength and awareness - - bravery and courage - - pace and passion

Big job - - of course we are behind them but it can be tough being an Evertonian.

That was embarrassing.

Bernard. lovely touch, probably lovely man, but no pace, power or purpose and is not strong enough for the premier league. Should never be a starter, an impact sub when the opposition get tired at best. At 𧴰k a week, just not worth it.

As for Sigurdsson....

It's an embarrassing trait this club have.

And if i'm really honest, I've come to the point where I don't believe we'll win these games or move up the table when we get a chance to.

This club don't inspire belief, ever!

How much war kitty is granted and permitted this summer is key but to get any reasonable chance of luring a couple of centre-backs, and a dynamic midfield playmaker / captain, remains to be seen.

From the ashes of this defeat, it will be vital to try and stop the rot and upset the odds vs Liverpool.

Scary as the lethargy and pedestrian, slumberland tempo today must be a massive concern for the management team.

Yet again the supporters are let down by another humiliating performance.

4-0... it could have been 8-1.

You shouldn't dislike your own players but am starting to despise some of ours.

The spine of the team is second-rate, as is the width, to be honest. A clear-out is desperately needed but we can't keep wasting money hand over fist.

If we fall foul of FFP, we can only blame ourselves for buying average players who simply haven't done it for us.

They were all over us from the kick-off. Our passing was woeful, our energy and fight were non-existent, no teamwork, poor reading of what was going on.

I have supported Tom Davies but he had a poor game today, not helped by Andre Gomes clearly not fit for this type of match and Bernard and Sigurdsson not contributing anything. Quite why Sigurdsson continues to be selected is beyond me and if someone can explain, I would be grateful.

The game was lost because of a midfield which could not defend, could not create, and had zero energy or fight.

Surely Beni is worth a try? God help us next game!

Well, we can only hope cos on today's performance they are all crap!

Less “On the Waterfront”; more “Apocalypse Now”.

Well don't bother — we've heard it all before.

Ancelotti won't be shitting himself about anything at all. He has too many people like you apologising for him and making foolish statements about it only being one game. We have been beaten by all four of the teams I mentioned. These were not narrow defeats.

He doesn't have too high a bar, because you and many like you will overlook all those poor managerial performances because he used to win things with other clubs.

For the first time ever, I went out early to my regular Sunday job, and missed the last 15 mins. I was surprised it was only 4 when I got back. Virtually the whole team is pathetic, gutless, clueless, etc.

We've dropped 8 out of possible 9 points in the last 3 games. After Liverpool, it will be 11 points dropped out of 12.

I don't give a shite about Carlo's CV. I just wished we'd retained Duncan Ferguson instead of wasting money on this charlatan.

We don't have any player that we have returning from injury or suspension, who could give some hope. Desperate times.

To be fair to Barkley, he'd waltz into this Everton side right now and I was never his biggest fan but we've had nothing like him at the club since, someone that carries the ball and can actually shoot.

Our midfielders are a pure embarrassment, do any of them ever take a shot?

When you look at the team Martinez had in 2015-16, most of that midfield walks into this one Deulofeu over Walcott every time. McCarthy (fit) and Barry over Davies, Schneiderlin and Delph every time.

Lennon would give Bernard a run for his money, Bernard could be a good player but at times you can see exactly why we landed him on a free transfer.

We are basically a shit team.

The awfulness of this game was how little we created – 3 shots of which one was on target, while allowing Chelsea 17 shots – 11 of which were on target.

But it is the same team this week that performed so much better in prior weeks. Something just didn't work this week.

I don't see a way out of it because the dead weight of incompetence in the playing staff is too great and there are too many structural obstacles to turn it around in the foreseeable future.

It's because we are not nasty or 'arl-arse enough, that's why we are a soft touch and have been (away from home especially) for years.

I was challenged lately when I said we need more 'arl-arses in the team, especially in defence. Someone said you just need better players but sometimes, as Sheff Utd have shown and other less glossy teams, you just need players that want to dig in and do some dirty work.

None of our players like doing the dirty work, we don't work hard enough off the ball when not in possession.

We are going nowhere with this crop of players.

Since he's arrived, we've had one of the best records in the league. We have a patchwork quilt of a squad, with very few, if any, leaders, a big quality gap in central midfield and a host of players who I think would be pretty good if we had some strong characters around them. We haven't played well very often, but have been organised enough to beat a few teams below us. And guess what, when we come up against the better sides, we fall short.

Today wasn't about tactics. It was about the cowardly mindset of players who lack the mental strength to sort themselves out, who constantly hide in the absence of their own leadership and someone to lead them on the pitch. It was about the unwillingness to do the basics, the unwillingness to drag themselves out of first gear.

We buy lots of peripheral players, who are good on their day. We don't buy enough players who score goals, who are desperate to win, desperate to drag their colleagues into performing. Look at Man Utd. Drifting around mid-table. They bring in Fernandes, he makes tackles, oozes attitude, drives them on, scores goals. Players like that bring out the best in the inconsistent people around them. We don't have that and we desperately need it.

Carlo's the manager, so I blame him for the non-performance today. I'm not sure it was down to tactics. I think it was down to the players being on the pitch, but not present.

It isn't about skill alone; it's also about belief and not accepting second best, which is our default setting. Until we bring in a player or two with that attitude, then we'll just carry on as we are and roll-over instead. The great old Joe Mercer used to say that you've got to play where it hurts them - but we bottle it time and again, our lack of spirit and will to win drives me up the wall.

I said on the Live Forum that I've seen better spirits on a Ghost Train ride at Blackpool. Until we change our attitude, then we'll be as mediocre as we have been and, while old timers like myself can remember glory days, what will the later generations recall? I'd better go for a lie down – and maybe dream about players who gave it all for the shirt and wouldn't accept second best, like Bally, Jimmy Gabriel, Bobby Collins, Tony Kay, Peter Reid, just to name a few. Everton must be the nicest side in the Premier League, the one who they all want to play. Why in the name of God can't we compete?

The difference between the performance we put in with Big Dunc and this was gargantuan. Polar opposite in fact.

I would drop 3 or 4 players for the derby (Gomes, Sigurdsson, Digne and Sidibé) and put 3 U23 players in the side/on the bench.

Well, I hope we do not take the option up of signing him; Kenny is a far better right back.

Midfield is dreadful and pre-match I questioned what Baines has done wrong to be dropped. Beni Baningime has got to be a better option to Sigurdsson or Davies. Even Holgate pushed there and Mina reinstated might give us a better option.

We cannot carry on with that midfield.

I fully understand and agree with what you said about reading the players the riot act, but in the modern game all the players do is completely down tools and sulk if read the riot act.

Jose at Man Utd is a good example and there's plenty more. Modern managers/coaches are now wet nurses, who pick the team and tactics and if it's not working they get the sack, but you can't shout at the players!

We were destroyed in midfield, with no-one to make a tackle. Barkley had so much time. I still can't believe we let McCarthy go for ٠m, especially when we've no ball winner. Holgate or Baningime will have to start in midfield in the derby, or we'll be totally overrun, like today.

Who would you play at right-back if you dropped Sidibé?

Bill @151

They are a global brand like the Red Shite who will always get a helping hand to qualify for the Champions League, it's all about loot.

The big difference to me is how we express our disappointment. I am not one who demands we play like Barcelona, because you can only play that way if you have that type of player, but I do expect that every player should give 100% to the cause.

I also believe that fans have the right to criticise but I find that some of the criticism is excessive and distasteful. I'm old enough to have learned that anything is possible in a game of football, and let's hope that next week we'll be celebrating a great performance and a memorable result. Hope springs eternal.

I do not like his persistence with the under-performing Sigurdsson, talking about a 1-year extension for Baines, and not seeing there are limits to the level that this squad can consistently perform at.

What we got today is a performance we have seen under different managers all too often. Gomes, Davies and Sigurdsson did not play anything like they where coached to. Chelsea were able to hold a high defensive line, confident that Everton attackers could not finish, completely nullifying the Everton attack in the process and pressurising the midfield into submission. They where able to provide extra support to their attack as a result, which was largely unchallenged entering the final third, pinning back Everton right and left, and pressurising the two full-backs.

How many times have we seen this, with poorly motivated performances to match? Little has changed and Ancelotti finds himself back on square one. He will have had all his assumptions and illusions regarding this squad shattered as he goes into training this week, as other managers have done.

Ancelotti has to be thinking in terms of fundamental root change and making clear that all players will have to justify their selection. Moshiri will have to take a hit on underperforming players.

A wholesale change in attitude is needed throughout the Club. If Ancelotti does not realise this, he could find himself under pressure next season.

At this rate, he will be lucky to finish 10th this season.

Thankfully, it's not the only thing that cheers me up and football should be kept in its proper perspective, but jeez, if I had a cat, it would be avoiding me right now.

I hope Everton are stocking up on P45s. These gobshites spend more on a ridiculous haircut than most people earn, and did you see that photo of Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies in New York?

Sums it all up, Davies walking around in his dressing gown and purple slippers – must have thought he was playing at home. Twat!! Strolling down Easy Street – pity he can't stroll around a football pitch, oh! Wait a minute... that's exactly what he does.

It was pure Everton – and that tells us something about the club which is even more troubling.

What a disgrace of a midfield unit... and, as far as Sigurdsson's leadership qualities go, he should never be entrusted with the armband again. Having said that, I would be reluctant to play him at all in any capacity.

Alas, he was not alone. I have always had hopes for Tom Davies but, yet again, he proved today he is little better than Championship standard and that is being generous. Keane, as was Sidibé too, guilty of giving the ball away and ball-watching.

I don't know what it is about players getting new contracts at Everton, but both Holgate and Calvert-Lewin were both strangers to their team-mates and at times to football altogether. I blame Pickford for two of the goals that had a similarity about last week's from Bruno Fernandes about them.

The only saving grace for any of them was the performance of Anthony Gordon as sub, and Moise Kean who had little to feed off.

I would have posted earlier but have desisted from doing so as I was seething from another lack-lustre performance.

Pickford
Holgate Mina Keane Baines
Walcott Davies Baningime (he'll get stuck in at least) Richarlison
Kean Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Stekelenburg, Gordon, Adeniran, Sidibé, Iwobi Bernard, Digne.

Something changed for me today, a breaking of my denial, I can see the truth, we have many poor players and need to get rid: Sigurdsson, Kean, Digne (gash all season), Schneiderlin, Sidibé, Delph, Walcott, Tosun, Bolasie, Niasse, Sandro, Davies, Iwobi... what a mess.

I was told from an early age to have pride in whatever job you do, don't shirk your responsibilities and earn the pay you are given. The performance from most of Everton players lacked any of what I expect from supposed professional footballers; if most supporters gave this performance in their place of employment, they would be fired.

Keane and Holgate were also pressured into playing badly today trying to cover the wide play to no avail as Chelsea were great through the centre too. Great performance which dramatically exposed our limitations.

Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin had no chance with our midfield and defence so overrun; a real wake up call.

During Silva's spell we scored 16 and conceded 27; since then, we have scored 21 and conceded 19.

Put another way: we have, since Duncan took charge, taken 23 points from 14 games and Everton have played Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea both home and away and Man City at the Etihad since that derby match.

At the point of Silva's departure, I would have taken a 10th place finish to the season, in fact, I would have taken 17th. To say that Carlo isn't the right man for the job or that Silva would have achieved the same results is both premature and downright wrong.

Obviously nothing excuses the non-performance today, or the lack of desire or fight on display. Most of us knew that this squad has many faults and, until there are improvements made with additions to the squad we will remain mid-table.

We all hoped that we could achieve an improbable set of results a few weeks ago but, deep down, we also reasoned that we wouldn't.

I am not as passionate as I used to be, and if I used inappropriate language in my younger days, it would have been in the company of a few friends. The contents of these threads are broadcast worldwide and, with that in mind, I'm never tempted to use such language on this site.

Man City win only one of the next two games meaning Liverpool can win the league at Goodison Park or Man City lose both of their next two games and Liverpool are Champions before they come to Goodison Park and we have to give them the guard of honour.

Neither is an attractive proposition. Who wants to be an Evertonian this week!

Well put!

The amount of time and room we gave Chelsea was criminal; it seems we learnt nothing from our last away trip to Arsenal. You can't hold a high line if there is no pressure on the player with the ball, and just as we did when Aubamayang scored with no pressure on the man with the ball, we did exactly the same thing for Pedro's goal.

Every time Sidibé plays, I am just waiting for his mistake to cost us a goal and he didn't let me down again today. The midfield pairing of Gomes and Davies were overrun, just as they were in the first half against Man Utd last week.

Up front Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison did very little except the chance that Richarlison created for Calvert-Lewin and he should have scored. Our wide players were anonymous; both Bernard and Sigurdsson did nothing offensively or defensively, just shows how poor our squad is when these 2 start games.

I am sure, like most, I am dreading our next home game. If the youngsters at Chelsea can do this to us, then heaven help us when our neighbours roll up.

So, although Ancelotti and Ferguson have been getting a tune of sorts out of this squad, they will between them need all their guile to instill their fighting spirit into these gutless players and have even the slightest hope of some sort of a result in just over a week's time.

Digne or Baines will have to play right back next week because Sidibé can't. To play Sidibé, we would have to go with 3 centre-halves and play Digne and Sidibe as wing backs and that would be too much of a change.

I don't envy Carlo picking a competitive XI for the derby at all after today.

I suppose we can hope that the government on Monday decide all football games are to be played behind closed doors. That way, we wouldn't have to be there to see either of those 2 horrible scenarios you paint.

Even better, not only do the government ban fans from all games for the next month or so, they also ban large gatherings – so no celebration tour bus for our neighbours.

The team was totally unbalanced with three central midfielders and one wide man. As much as I dislike Walcott, he should have started to give the side balance.

We are not going to get top four – or top five as it is now, so we could even give Gordon a start.

It's either contractual or he is there for his set-pieces but a decent one from him is rarer than rocking-horse shit. I'm confident Ancelotti will get it right given time and money, but the deadwood has to go, starting with Gylfi.

Mount spent last season on loan at Derby. Abrahams was on loan at, I think, Villa. Both came back improved players. Quite similar to Holgate at WBA and Keeny at Schalke.

The difference with Chelsea's youngsters is that they come into a set-up that wins trophies and qualifies for the Champions League. Our youngsters often have to carry the team because our 'senior professionals' go missing on the pitch.

It's our 'senior professionals' that need changing, not the youngsters.

We were shell-shocked from the off, with absolutely zero pace in midfield, or in the centre of our defence. What a pleasure that young Billy Casper Gilmour was to watch, even if I never enjoyed him as much as I should have done, because he was absolutely destroying my team.

I thought we were getting better, but this squad have never been able to play away from Goodison Park when the opposition are up for the fight. So I've again learned something I already knew, but I don't want to be down on my team, so I'm just going to take it on the chin, but no way am I letting these shitbags get me down.

Let's have it right: Holgate was awful today. He was all over the place and played a brainless stupid pass, something he does all too often, straight to a Chelsea player to give them the lead-up to the second goal.

No matter how many try to defend Davies, the lad is never going to be a top-class midfielder. He doesn't score goals; he doesn't create goals. What is his remit for being on the pitch?

They really should be ashamed of themselves and I hope Carlo tells them as much.

Now if Holgate is anything to go by, hopefully Jonjoe Kenny will come back a good player and save money on signing Sidibé. The midfield was slow Sigurdsson, Davies and Gomes. However, the later should be excused. Would Davies be any better if he went on loan? Personally, I think he would struggle to get into a Championship side.

We hear about our great youngsters winning things. Where are they? Other Premier League teams seem to get the youngsters to settle into the team quickly. Well, this will test Carlo Ancelotti on his abilities with all the shite we have at the club. Fuck me, it's the derby next.

I said before the game that Stamford Bridge is a tight pitch but Everton's formation and lack of effort made it look like an Aussie rules pitch for Chelsea. Although hindsight is a wonderful thing, we needed more strength and more pace in the wider areas, and an extra body in midfield.

Football is about winning... so, for our next game, I'm picking my team early, and feel we will have no chance if we play 4-4-2 against Liverpool.

We have got no real energy in midfield, so I'd play our two forwards from today out wide, then it would be three across the middle of the park, and Moise Kean up-front.

I'm only thinking ahead because these “old arl-arses” need to be taken out for the good of the team. My other worry was that Holgate must have found out how much Calvert-Lewin is now earning, just before the game, although I will give him a second chance, because of who his partner was today.

Yes, Holgate, Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies should be judged the same as the rest. Unfortunately, they are not. They are judged more harshly – just take a look at the bile on this thread. Sidibe and Sigurdsson were as bad as I have seen in a long time.

Also, the coach was shit. To make the lamentable Sigurdsson captain was jaw-droppingly inept. I think Ancelotti will get the job done but he is not beyond criticism. Today he was very, very poor.

We must have the slowest midfield in all of Europe. But those who think Jonjoe Kenny is the answer to our problems are deluded. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and, in his case, there has been a big increase in his fan base on ToffeeWeb since he left on loan. Strange. His performances for Schalke are average, some good moments and some quite poor.

We need an awful lot more than Kenny to have a chance of Europe. We need a completely different mindset and midfield. And 10 players who are capable of scoring goals and chipping in.

This is one of the worst performances I have seen in a long time and I can't see how we get out of it with the attitudes on display today. Embarrassing and shameful.

Sure, the bar is low, but Coleman and Kenny are nowhere near capable of his passing range going forward. So yeah maybe we don't sign Sidibe because defensively he's poor but, for me, Kenny is not the answer either.

Apart from the odd game, he put in some decent performances, but was dropped as soon as Coleman returned.

Whatever other problems we have in midfield, Yyou can hardly call anyone 'deluded' for wanting Kenny as right-back over Sidibé.

Whatever Chelsea are, they're so far ahead of us, it's frightening. And let's not forget the other top side up there: Leicester. They've got even more points than Chelsea and are even better?

Hi Eric [210], although I didn't witness the game, it seems obvious that you are correct in stating that we were beaten by the better side. With regard to people threatening to stop watching Everton, I would say, "Your leaving will be no great loss". I'm not sure about getting into the real world, approaching 82 years of age I'm more likely to get into the next world.

It's Ancelotti's call to pick the team. He clearly got it wrong today and didn't pick the correct starting 11. (Sigurdsson should not be on the left when you have Bernard or Iwobi.) He didn't change things quick enough either.

I switched the game off after the 4th goal went in. I'd seen enough. I feel sorry for the supporters who travelled down to London to watch that shite.

I have said this many a time on here: I can reluctantly accept a defeat if the team has given their all, and ultimately been outplayed. However, I refuse to accept that today's performance was anything remotely resembling such a scenario.

They were awful all over the pitch, but the midfield and defence almost reached new lows for incompetence. These are professionals enjoying mind-blowing salaries, and yet they played like rank amateurs.

No, sorry... amateurs would have tried a lot harder than that and at least come off the field with some sort of credibility and their reputations tarnished but not obliterated.

I was at the edge of our support, beside the gap to the Chelsea fans in the lower shed. The language and behaviour of many of the Evertonians towards the Chelsea support was appalling.

It started almost as soon as the match and got steadily worse as the goals went in. Of course, the Chelsea fans responded but with nothing approaching the filth and bile from our lot. It beats me why it is (rightly) accepted as unacceptable to hurl racial abuse at a match yet apparently okay to call others by all kinds of sexualised insults – ‘paedos', rent boys etc.

I raised it with one of the Everton stewards outside, with the suggestion that a few Everton stewards in these conflict areas might be a start. ‘Happens every game' was the response. All the more reason to do something about it?

50 years an Evertonian, 40 of them travelling from Belfast, but no more away games for me.

ps: My flight back from Gatwick is 3 hours delayed.

Not since Moyes's day have we put out a fit, strong, combative, motivated team. Why can't we do what Burnley, Wolves and Sheffield United are doing?

Marco Silva lost his job due to clearly losing the squad and had us in a precarious position, he underperformed. Why are you comparing someone who clearly failed this season to highlight Carlo's perceived success?

If you are bringing the hapless Silva into the argument why don't you mention how with virtually the same squad we were hammering Man Utd 4-0 at Goodison and getting a deserved point at Stamford Bridge last season and in the process producing a standard much greater than anything served up under Carlo so far.

Some believe our manager should be held to some sort of account in defeat as in victory. When we were beating badly out of form teams at the time like Burnley, Newcastle, Brighton and Palace, we were being told what a world-class manager we had despite some of those teams wasting guilt-edged chances and some mediocre performances. He got plenty of kudos. When we produce performances like Liverpool, Man City and today then it's all due to our shit players and Carlo is working out his squad.

Carlo himself is talking up the chances of Champions League qualification next season so he clearly believes in the majority of them. Most of our players were awful today but Lampard attacked the spaces behind our two-man midfield, targeted Sidibe, and put Giroud onto Holgate. Even one of their goals involved Pedro's pace alienating Keane. He ruthlessly exposed us, winning the tactical battle and the technical differences in how they are coached is patently obvious with a clear identity for all to see.

Chelsea's midfield today were their reserves yet they were hungry, dynamic, controlled the game and made us look slow and stale, as all of the better teams have done in large parts under the current regime regardless of the quality of player.

Carlo is a tactical coach similar to Mourinho and Emery. His concern is entirely centred on the opposition rather than building our own ethos and, unfortunately, we are unlikely to perform with the swagger and panache that Chelsea did – no matter how many players we sign.

There is no doubt the lack of effort, fight and spirit shown today is down solely to the players and is certainly an aberration under Carlo's watch but the lack of technical control is the norm. He preaches balance yet we have conceded 13 goals in our last 6 due to inviting pressure onto a non-Italian defence.

It's surprising how many absolving our maestro were the ones foolishly predicting 9 or more points from these 4 games because we now have a winner.

Carlo is talking about qualifying for the Champions League tomorrow by playing the football of yesterday. We may improve from Silva due to Carlo's wiliness in outmanoeuvring similar and lower quality teams but the elite have, and will continue to have, nothing to fear from us.

I'm not taking sides but just agreeing with what Andy said.

It also amazes me just how many good young players they've brought through from their academy this season. Players who would incidentally walk into our side. Billy Gilmour is the latest one.

I've said on other threads, that while it was nice to win some U23 trophies, the main focus should always be getting players ready for the first team squad. I'm not sure that's always been the case with our academy. Hopefully Brands's restructure will see us produce as many quality U23 prospects as Chelsea.

The last few months have been almost interesting but we're back to the sleepwalk now. Familiar feeling.

Roll on May.

You think you're right and I don't... but that's the point of this site, isn't it? Exchanging views which may be polar opposites but, at the end of the day, we are all on the same side... or at least most of us are!

After today's showing, I'm unsure that I agree with Ancelotti's assessment that we can challenge for Champions League football. I do, however, believe that we will challenge the season after, because we'll then offload the likes of Walcott, Tosun, Bolasie, Sandro and Schneiderlin – who will all, if I'm not mistaken, be out of contract.

The concern I have with this game was that most ToffeeWeb posters, with their long experience, could see the writing on the wall prior to the game, but Ancelotti seems to have got sucked in by the Finch Farm bullshiters.

After their defeat at Goodison Park, it was obvious that Chelsea would up the ante and be determined to take Everton on. Ancelotti, you would have thought, would have set up the team in a defensive formation, with an emphasis on counter-attack.

Keane and Mina at centre-back, with Sidibé and Digne instructed to say safe and deep (something I admit they are not great at); Holgate in a defensive midfield role, in the absence of anything else, to break up central attacking play; and Walcott & Iowbi haring down the wings.

Gomes and Davies in midfield (not great but, with Holgate in position, it would have had them play more forward and out of harm's way), with Sigurdsson dropped, because of consistent under-performance. Bernard as a sub; according to Ancelotti, he is not a suitable away player. Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin concentrating on the high press.

What we got from Ancelotti was a formation with two barn doors wide open, an outnumbered midfield and dysfunctional final-third play, which allowed Chelsea's defensive line to push into midfield. Coupled with this, we got an unmotivated Everton team, a by-product of Finch Farm on an intermittent and regular basis, so much so we are all able to recognise similar performances to today's over years.

It is the 'rotten to the core' syndrome we have witnessed at Everton for years, which has undermined successive managers. Ancelotti has to get this rooted out or he will end up like the rest.

The only good things that came from today were the performance of Kean and Gordon. Pickford did play well, but inevitably fluffed his lines at stages, as he does every game.

He's seeing some of these players as they performed under the past two or three managers.

That's a good thing, and will be unacceptable to him. We need this level of clarity. Soon, the wheat will be separated from the chaff. Do not despair.

Get paid.

Jerome @ 236

Is this a bad time to point out that The "Finch Farm Bullshitters" hammered Frank Lampards Chelsea a few weeks ago? And that, when Carlo was calling the shots, we were humiliated?

You suggest the Finch Farm culture (something you have no knowledege of) has undermined a succession of Everton managers; I would point out that all known evidence and fact would suggest it is the other way around.

While managers from outside have been paid ludicrous wages to squander fortunes on substandard players, only to get us in deep shit, it is always somebody from within the ranks who steps forward to get us out of it and... still you apologise for the mercenaries.

My first reaction when I see the likes of you, or a few others on here who are always pointing an accusing finger at Finch Farm, is to challenge one of you to put up a detailed article informing us of the poor Finch Farm practices which have so marred our performances down the years.

My second reaction is to not bother issuing the challenge because (A) I know you don't have any idea whatsoever about what goes on there, and (B) I suspect you know your claims will be shredded by people who are prepared to give the matter a little more thought.

Almost everybody on TW knows certain players need to go and new players need to come in to replace them and that the new players need to be fast, strong (physically and mentally). We do have a nucleus for the team rebuild. It is on the shoulders of Brands and Ancelotti to sort this out for next season.

Today, the game may be faster and players given specific, dare I say individual, roles and if they don't perform then the whole plan falls apart. How many games is it now that Ancelotti has called over one of his midfield to tell him to pass on what looks like positional instructions to another player?

At one stage, we were worried about escaping relegation and would have settled just for getting through the season and, but for soundbites about qualifying for Europe, we might have just let Mr Ancelotti have this season as a warm-up for the job ahead. However, the decline in effort from several games ago and players being picked regardless of form (or lack of replacements?) has again given rise to the frustration of another false dawn.

We must be touching over a combined 70 years since our team won at Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal, so that's 70 games without one victory, and so many different people must have been involved in these failures.

Who convinced Moshiri so quickly that he didn't expect his new expensive toy to win at these bigger teams, a man who has spent over 𧶲 million, surely must expect a hell of a lot more?

It runs deep because, without Goodison Park, Everton would possibly be in the bottom six every season. Maybe they wouldn't even be in the big league anymore, and this is the biggest crime of all.

I still expect to beat Liverpool a week today, even though we couldn't beat their combined second/third team the other month, and this can only be down to one thing. We have mostly a team of shithouses and scaredy-cats; until we inherit players with real character, then it's only Goodison Park that's keeping us in the big league, imho.

I know our original kit was black and pink stripes but whoever thought this kit was a good idea needs shooting. So stop the speculation and analysis, get rid of the pink.

Thank you for your comments. Haven't time to get back to you just now, but will when possible.

You can't compare our home performances with the away ones and, if it wasn't for poor finishing at Goodison, they would have beaten us there as well – they had umpteen shots on goal and had us pinned back for long periods.

Ferguson got the crowd up for that game and the crowd was the main reason we won that game.

Away from Goodison, it is patently obvious, and has been for many years, we are a very different one to the team that plays at home. One reason is we have possibly the best away supporters in the league, they go year after year and in their hearts they believe they will see a good performance, even though their heads tell them differently.

Things will get better, not just yet, not with too many uninterested and mentally weak players.

We had Gomes and Davies, who are not quick, agile, commanding, strong, but are slow both on the turn and on the straight and, in Davies, one of the worst passers in the Premier League. They were up against Barkley, Mount and Gilmour who just totally overwhelmed them completely, quicker in thought, pace, movement, you name it they had it and we didn't.

Our wide two in Sigurdsson and Bernard could offer no support to their full-backs in managing Pedro and Willian, both who have pace and control which bamboozled our defence. And Giroud had our two centre-halves in his pocket. Many thanks!!! to his missus, who I believe has cost us a wasted 3 years since we lost Lukaku.

What could Ancelotti have done differently? I really don't know with a squad devoid of any midfield pace – even Iwobi is slow! I think his only possible action was to play Calvert-Lewin as a lone striker, with Richarlison and Walcott both quick wide players, and play Gomes, Iwobi, and Davies (if Delph is injured?) as a midfield 3 – at least to get bodies in there to deny space.

He can't keep playing a 4-4-2 with the current crop of midfield misfits we've got.

I think the players knew it from the first 5 mins that they weren't equipped for the game; Sigurdsson's post-match comments reflected that feeling.

I know as much about football as the next man – in other words, just a bit more than fuck all – but, if I saw that, what did Carlo see?

As Dave says, "Michael (246), anyone who disagrees with your post should have a look at the extended highlights of that home game with Chelsea; they were much the better team and should have won that game with the many chances they had".

I despair at the quality of squad Carlo has at his disposal. He's going through a learning process with this squad, and he's also honest about where his strategy might not have been right on the day.

"Things will get better, not just yet, not with too many uninterested and mentally weak players", as Dave also says.

No wonder Ferguson shied away from the permanent job.

Football is a very emotional game, and the posts on TW often reflect that. I 'hate' Everton losing and I despise Everton not performing, but I also see that we are in a better league position now than we were before Christmas.

Davies and Gomes looked so poor and slow because their wide midfield colleagues did not contribute at all, leaving them completely overrun by the quick pass and move from the three central midfielders of Chelsea. Likewise, our full-backs were pulled apart because their wide midfield colleagues did not contribute at all.

Add to that Keane and Holgate standing off Giroud and it is easy to blame the whole debacle on the manager making poor decisions and then failing to act quickly. It was crystal clear after 5 minutes what was happening and he needed to get someone – Iwobi maybe – to play between Gomes and Davies, both of whom could then sit deeper so that the Chelsea boys could not play around them.

Carlo has and will make mistakes but he must learn from them in time for next week. Defeat I can stomach but, if we lose, we must go down with a fight and let them know they have been in a game.

Dave, Carlo Ancelotti is a man in his later years and with a wealth of knowledge and experience, we're paying a lot for this extra he has and yesterday we were short changed.

When Silva was being dogmatic and sticking with personnel and formations through a considerable losing streak, there were a great many who said we need a proven manager with experience instead of the 'up and coming' type. We've got the one we wanted and he's doing a 'Silva'.

Now, if Carlo Ancelotti could not see how immobile our midfield was just by looking at the team sheet then I'm worried, perhaps his mind is not as agile as it once was?

Combining this with my doubts about Brands, I'm starting to feel slightly uneasy.

With 9 games left of another poor season, there only remains the miracle of beating Liverpool and, after yesterday's performance, Klopp could well be thinking of putting his 'B' team out again against us. Everton just cannot defend so what hope is there?

Carlo seemed to be turning things around, albeit slowly, but the last 3 games have us absolutely bemused.

Calvert-Lewin missed an easy chance in amateurish fashion which could have put Everton back in the game but alas proved he is not the long-term answer. A class supporting act for Richarlison is vital.

If the defensive side of things was solid then at least Everton could salvage points but 7 goals against in the capital and sloppy play for Man Utd's goal last week have shown what work needs to be done and they had better get it done by the next game otherwise Liverpool will pound us also.

Whenever the press start talking about us in a favourable light then we will always revert to type and not turn up. There were problems all over the pitch again yesterday. We just couldn't get the ball off them and it looked like men against boys from the first minute.

I don't really follow Chelsea but I've seen more from their Gilmour in two matches against us and Liverpool than I've seen from Tom Davies in 4 years, or so. Sigurdsson has to go. Nowhere near good enough. Sidibe was awful yesterday. I prefer Baines over Digne. Keane is way too slow. I really like Gomes when he's on the ball and dictating play but he can also be anonymous, like he was yesterday. Bernard is too lightweight for the English game. Calvert-Lewin has improved enormously and I like the lad but he isn't a predatory goalscorer and is too wasteful. A top striker would have made it 2-1 with that chance. There's only Richarlison anywhere near the quality we need to get us a top 4 finish next season.

There is an awful lot of work for Carlo to do for next season. He needs to get what he has to work with fired up for next Monday, like Duncan did in his first few games.

Crying out for a central midfielder with some pace and positional sense. Losing Gbamin all season was brutal, not replacing him was criminal.

Ancelotti must be aware by now of the failings of some of his more pricey players, yet continues to play and get let down badly by them. The supporters understand we do not have a strong squad but I believe Ancelotti should be more ruthless and replace players who under perform quickly.

I seem to remember and other people may agree, Jose Mourino replaced 3 players at half time because of their poor play. It may have been difficult to pick out the 3 players who were playing bad on Sunday but it may have injected some sort of fight in the rest of them.

These supposed top-class international excuses for footballers should be fined, not paid, for the dismal performance they showed on Sunday, and the club should reimburse all those proud supporters who demonstrate what it takes, with expenses, delays, harassment from other supporters and officials that travel to all the away games that show up the players on the pitch for loyalty and commitment.

Showing videos and pictures of a new stadium and hiring a top class proven manager is great, but, it is the team that plays in the premier league on match day that is supposed to be the showpiece of the club that is seen worldwide, and if this display was a show in the West End it would be closed after 1 night.

We do not want to hear any excuses as they mean nothing; we want to see performances on the pitch that world wide supporters and home supporters can see that Everton are a club on the way up, not a yo-yo club, up and down.

Ancelotti is supposed to be a proven experience manager, and as such must realize that nice guys finish last, and prove that sometimes, being nice is not enough to have any sort of success at Everton.

The midfield is the biggest problem and I have always said that is where games are won or lost. Siggurdsson, Gomes and Davies run for 2 or 3 yards then swivel and go backwards with no idea how to release the ball early to the front runners.

Of course it may be the system they are playing too, as many teams do this, but Everton's players just cannot keep the ball long enough before getting the ball forward.

Hate to say it but Liverpool have speed throughout the team and use it to great effect, high-pressing dilatory opposition players who try to play keep-ball.

I saw the midfield and saw Gilmour and Mount – not masses of experience – and Barkley. Whilst Pedro and Willan cannot be ignored, I thought we had enough there.

Sidibe had another poor game; Chelsea saw him as the weak link but to be fair to him he had no help from the likes of Bernard who in turn looks absolutely wasted if he doesn't play in the middle.

Gylfi as usual a complete passenger but the whole midfield was out-fought and out-played. Really disappointing performance.

Someone earlier in a thread said that a lot of our midfielders are really wide players or number tens forced into midfield and I agree, usually 50% of the midfield is made up like this.

As Man Utd have shown, signing the right midfielder can transform the team. I think we may have to wait for the summer and see who we can bring in but the European chance was probably blown at Arsenal.

Chelsea were in a different league from us and always had options and movement that we sadly lacked.

Carlo and Marcel have a mountain of problems to sort out in the summer window.

The reason people can say we beat this Chelsea team a few short weeks ago is because it is and irrefutable fact.

Yes, there is a stark difference in our results at home and our results away, but there was an even greater difference in the way we approached the game.

Chelsea are a better team than us and it showed in both games, but under Ancelotti we were subservient; under Ferguson, we were defiant.

Under Ancelotti, we were outnumbered; under Ferguson, we were matching them up all over the park.

Under Ancelotti, we were lethargic; under Ferguson ,we were harrying and chasing for the whole game.

Under Ancelotti, we couldn't wait to get off the pitch; under Ferguson, we had climbed out from under them and didn't want the match to end.

I can accept the performances are different when we are at home than when we were away. But the contrast here was too great for Ancelotti to escape accountability. We were as bad as bad can be and it was on his watch.

I stated a few months ago that I believed Ancelotti will not win anything with these players. This particular poster has cast it up on no less than four occasions. So it gave me a huge laugh to see the penny has finally dropped when he admits "I despair at the quality of squad Carlo has at his disposal."

Better late than never, I suppose... But then he comes out with this little gem: "No wonder Ferguson shied away from the permanent job". Absolute Bollocks. Ferguson repeatedly said he would take the helm as long as the club wanted him to.

His response when asked the question directly was simple. "Its a dream of mine to be Everton manager, but let's be realistic, my remit is to get a result. This is a fantastic club. Who wouldn't want to be the manager of Everton. I'm sure there will be many top managers up for this."

Shied away? My arse.

Also, Darren, I am going out now, so will not be about to debate, cheers!

My own take on the situation is that, whoever was in charge with this essentially spineless, leaderless and painfully slow set of players (some notable exceptions, of course) would struggle to get a string of performances out of them – and that includes Ferguson. After all, we were pretty flat in the Arsenal home game under Duncan.

I will reserve judgement on Ancelotti until he has had time to change things in the close season. No manager has wrung consistent performances out of this bunch.

We had the new manager bounce with Dunc and with Ancelotti to a certain extent but we've now seen this team (most of the present players anyway) fail under four (is it?) managers and the reason is as obvious as can be, they're just NOT good enough!

Not true. Been saying it for ages.

And have a look at just this one random example of what Ferguson said at the time:

Link

Just one quote from Duncan from that article: "I think in the future I'll look to progress to be a manager. Now I know I can do it in one game, but of course it was only one game."

"the future".

Nothing subtle about my a "preparation" I can tell you right now how I will comment on Ancelotti.

If he wins and we play well I will praise him and give him due credit as I have done so far in his reign.

However. If he isolates a right sided player out on the left and a left sided player out on the right and hangs a youngster out to dry by partnering him with a player coming back from injury who has about as much mobility as Long John Silver against three much more skillful and mobile players. I'll be screaming the house down.

I am happy to give him the full length of his contract, that does not mean I will refrain from hammering him when we have been hammered.

What is it you want for him ? A free passage ? Its not going to happen.
If I stop watching the match tomorrow. There will still be tens of thousands of others who will not apologise for the sort of rubish we saw on Saturday.

My Mrs could have set the team up better than that

3 top players – preferably with a player like Reid, Gray, Southall, Cahill or Carsley who has that hate-to-lose mentality – would make a massive difference.

He was told he was there as a stand-in – "My remit is to get a result". He was never offered the job... How the fuck could he shy away ?

Every word he utters tells you that, if he ever was offered the job, he would snatch Moshiri's hand off.

"Shied away" – what a snide statement.

Loving the back-tracking on Ancelotti's chances with this squad...

In the meantime, the only way to compete for the remainder of the games would be to switch to 3 at the back and then this can give us extra width and speed from the few quicker players that we have.

Sigurdsson must be left out. As well as being anonymous, he is dreadfully slow, and that is the reason he commits so many clumsy fouls. I would try something like the following:

Pickford
Holgate Keane Mina
Coleman Digne
Gomes Iwobi
Bernard Richarlison
Calvert Lewin

For next season, we need to get some players with pace, stamina and good decision-making, especially in midfield. Three homegrown talents that may not break the bank would be Dwight McNeil, David Brooks and James Ward-Prowse. Hopefully, Carlo can also pluck 4 or 5 gems from Serie A.

If he hasn't started to turn the ship by two full transfer windows from now, I'll certainly question the need for his contract to run to maturity. But I'm confident that he will.

I just don't think comparisons with Ferguson are meaningful. The euphoria gained with Duncan would have blown out eventually.

“We need the best manager in the world to manage Everton Football Club and I've not got the right experience. I'm all for us bringing in a top manager and if I can be part of it, brilliant.”

Hardly a rallying call to say he was ready to take the job full time was it?

The squad isn't the greatest. I don't think anybody would argue to the contrary. But it is better than we saw yesterday.

If he has performed badly (and he had a proper Weston yesterday), I'd rather people said it than come out with daft arguments about where we were when Silva was in charge.
We are paying him 㿞M. We are surely entitled to set the bar a little higher than that.

Ferguson is relevant to the discussion because it was he who stopped the freefall. We were not in the bottom three when Ancelotti arrived, as so many seem to believe. He has moved us up a place or two and got us knocked out of the cup... I'm afraid that's all I've seen so far.

Chris

I`ve put up the quotes. They are as clear as daylight to anyone with a brain.

Any Statements made after the approach to Ancelotti cut no ice. None whatsoever. They are messages of support for a guy with vastly greater experience. Ferguson stepped in when we were in a relegation spot and in free fall at that. this place was awash with panic. It was a poison chalice. He was the one with the balls to pick it up.

The claim that he shied away from the job was a particularly snide one. I won't dignify it any further by continuing to discuss it.

Tosun and Walcott panic buys by Sam, Klassen, Sandro, Niassee, Bolasie, Sigurdsson the list goes on.

Carlo has come in, evaluated the current squad, is trying to get a tune out of what he has.

Make no mistake, by the summer transfer window, expect top-quality players to be brought in, not just to make the numbers up, but to improve the team.

It is frustrating when Sigurdsson gets picked every week, so a bit of rotation would be nice.

I will judge Carlo when he has been able to bring players in.

Every previous a Manager has been given funds to bring in players, so it is only fair those doubting Carlo should at least give the manager time to build a team.

Nar, I don't see it, mate... there's no way we will be getting top pick of whatever talent is around at that time. We will be just buying more fuckin' mercenaries... and 2020 will be like 2017, 2018, 2019.

If you think you can ship the shite out, think again. These fuckers will dig their heels in... sad, sad days I am afraid.

Next season will be a case of bringing a couple of players in.

All being well, we get the stadium build in progress and things will start slotting into place.

For me the season after will be where we can really get rid of the big earners who are sat on their contracts and start to try at least get a team assembled.

I also don't believe for one minute that Dunc shied away from taking the job. At the same, I do feel Dunc would be aware and canny enough to realise that working as a No 2 with someone like Ancelotti will mean he's going to be the heir apparent and a credible successor when Ancelotti eventually leaves. And I say 'eventually' because I don't envisage us ever sacking Carlo.

Of course, he got things wrong yesterday and he isn't beyond reproach but, when you get down to brass tacks, prior to yesterday, we were in the top 5 teams in many areas, including being 1st for scoring most goals from set-pieces. He's done exceptionally well and people talking about him being sacked and replacing him are quite frankly talking out of their arses.

If Dunc had taken the job full-time at Xmas, it wouldn't taken very long before people would be saying he's out of his depth after a few bad results. It was always a poisoned chalice. Of course, the successful internal appointment is what everyone wants. Especially those who grew up with football before the Premier League idealises when it was common to appoint from within the club. Having a manager who has won everything, and while expensive and costing millions in wages, who actually cares when you're getting the best in the game and who gives us the best chance of achieving initial success that can be built upon from within the club by appointing the Blue working alongside him to eventually succeed him.

Make no mistake, Dunc will learn so much from Carlo and, when the time is right, I reckon Dunc will take the job, but certainly not for a few years yet.

Brands needs to come up trumps in the summer or sack him.

The fact is that his 11 games in charge have yielded only one more goal and one more point than Silva achieved in the corresponding fixtures last season (with Silva's sides conceding 7 fewer).

Some have mentioned what a sterling job Duncan Ferguson did, and quite rightly so, but on Ancelotti's appointment, Ferguson said "what a brilliant manager for me to learn from". There has also been mention of David Unsworth again, who said only the other week, "for the first time I am in awe standing alongside Carlo on the training ground".

I never saw either of Ferguson or Unsworth say any of those things when Koeman or Allardyce or Silva or Martinez came here. So surely if 2 lads who stepped in as caretaker managers are impressed, shouldn't the rest of us follow suit?

Turning this club around will take all of Ancelotti's skill and, with the help of his assistant Duncan Ferguson and his Under-23 coach, I believe he will turn things round. But it will take longer than one transfer window.

He also overseen the development of an exciting young squad and when rightfully sacked he left the foundations of a brilliant nucleus with which Moshiri had every chance to build a great team with our new-found investment.

Contrast that to what has gone since both on the pitch and off it. For the stat lovers, we are apparently the most attractive team for the polar bear community since Roberto was dismissed. They love us because they get to see all our important matches in the season and still be able to hibernate for winter.

Darren, you are lucky because you have seen us as a great team when I only was a 6-year-old boy then, when we ruled the roost. Despite many ridiculing him, he gave me the best year I remember supporting this great club and many exciting memories that I haven't had since.

Steve #295 I was referring to the statistic from Carragher interview with Ancelotti on Sky Sports where they went over Carlo's tactics. Unfortunately I haven't got a link but it was a really good interview and the numbers were amazing. Under Ancelotti we're one of the best teams in the league in a number of areas, and we were actually top of the league for scoring goals from set-pieces prior to last weekend. At the end of the day it's early doors and while we shouldn't be blindsided by Carlo's reputation and just accept Sundays performance we've come along way from the side that played under Silva this season.

Hopefully he can get the funds to bring some top players in. Ferguson saved our club, and has given me one of my all-time best Everton experiences vs Chelsea at home, he turned it round when we were on the floor game after game. Hopefully, by working and learning from Carlo, one day he'll be ready to step up. COYB

That's a challenge, but for now let's get behind the club for the next game against the neighbours.

Often, if you have a "backslider" or shirker in an organisation, giving them bit of promotion and responsibility for others galvanises them and gives them a sense of self-worth. It can "make a man" of them.

Alternatively, you can find that there is no hope nor redemption for them, they are what they are and so it will remain.

I think Carlo now knows exactly where he stands with Sigurdsson and will rapidly be planning the player's route out of the team and out of the club.