Dismal Blues lose terrible game to poor Spurs

Unbeaten in three, Everton travel to Tottenham for a difficult assignment knowing that they will need to keep winning in order to retain an interest in the European qualification picture.

Michael Kenrick 06/07/2020 239comments  |  Jump to last
Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Everton

A dreadful game was settled on a fluky own-goal that came off Michael Keane but this was not a good Everton performance by any stretch of the imagination.

Tom Davies makes his 100th Premier League appearance for Everton, with Anthony Gordon moving to the bench where there is thankfully only one goalkeeper named.

Everton kicked off, the ball launched long and straight out of play! Spurs then won a very early free-kick wide left, Holgate blocking Sissoko wide right. Another free-kick for Spurs, winning a corner. Son swung it but it wasn't cleared properly until Kane was caught offside.

Everton got some possession but went nowhere until Digne fired in a cross that dropped short of Calvert-Lewin. Richarlison was fouled with a high boot from Le Celso. Digne got forward but overhit his cross wildly.

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Davies was playing a strange role wide right, and firing balls backwards rather than forwards, letting Spurs organize and threaten. Richarlison was taking some punishment, Ben Davies catching his Achilles.

Calvert-Lewin was very slow to come back and was offside when Sigurdsson picked him out for a good forward ball. Spurs looked stymied by some solid Everton defending, and Richarlison was fouled again, this time by Winks. But only backwards play by Everton from the free-kick.

Another free-kick, this also going backwards, to Pickford. Everton spurned a slew of chances to play the ball into the Spurs area but were playing a very cagey game, looking far happier when defending than attacking.

It was all so inviting and Moura struck a dangerous shot a yard wide with Pickford launching to cover. A forward ball looked perfect for Iwobi to attack; he just ambled after it, and allowed Lloris to gather harmlessly.

Son was up for it and some determined Spurs play finally paid off, Le Celso with a horrible deflection in off Keane to give the home side the lead. Everton had no-one to blame but themselves for way too much negative and yes cowardly play (from Iwobi).

Coleman delivered a great cross and Iwobi just backed off, letting the defender clear. Shocking stuff from him. Spurs broke well from the back and Holgate had to take out Le Celso, picking up a yellow card for his trouble. Eric Dier fired it inches over the bar.

Holgate paid an additional price for his rash tackle, needed treatment to his right knee. Coleman did well to win Everton a corner, Digne's first earning a second, gifted to Lloris.

Spurs were moving the ball around with intent, the Everton defence having to lock into shape, Gomes giving away a pathetic foul on Son as Holgate hobbled off with Mina replacing him. Kane fired the free-kick off the top of the wall for a corner, Son delivering, Ben Davies winning another corner with a high shot deflected, headed clear by Mina.

A long throw by Digne was repelled, Sigurdsson winning a corner that he took, finding Calvert-Lewin at the far post but Lloris scrambled it behind. Another corner that Gomes lazily wafted at, a really poor attempt at a shot.

Spurs were invited to run at Everton again, Digne doing well to deflect Moura's cross behind for a Spurs corner. Pickford wafted at it, getting enough on it to deflect it behind as Spurs kept up the pressure.

Gomes had a chance to play a great outball but completely fluffed it. Everton were really disjointed going forward, playing the ball around the Spurs area until they wasted the efforts until Richarlison finally decided to shoot, hammering the ball away from rather than inside the far post.

Gordon thankfully replaced Iwobi but Spurs got an early free-kick that Son wasted. Sissoko fouled Richarlison, a nasty challenge, Sissko gets the card. Gordon got space, ran ahead and shot, but weakly, straight at Lloris. Calvert-Lewin appeared to get half a chance to shoot but Winks blocked him strongly.

Son somehow got past Mina and tested Pickford, who saved well to his right. Everton put together a better move through Calvert-Lewin but the ball would not fall for the Blues. Some more adventurous play down the right saw Calvert-Lewin cross in to Lloris from the sideline... Why?

That allowed Spurs to play a bit at the other end, Moura to Son, with Winks firing wide. Perhaps the game was opening up a little, but Everton could not keep possession.

Everton's attacking prowess was summed up by Gomes, gambling forward and, under zero pressure, wellying an awful cross beyond the goal, what a waste. Another fine move from Spurs saw Kane release Soon who curled a shot just wide. Son got through again, beating Davies, and lashing a fearsome shot at Pickford.

Gordon did well to draw a foul near the corner flag, Digne crossing in but Dier defending it well. Sigurdsson, who had also be absolutely useless, gave way to Bernard.

Davies produced a lovely probing ball that was moved forward and looke to surely create something but it fizzled with Calvert-Lewin again coming back late from an offside position. But a couple fo free kicks got them into a classic Sigurdsson position, Digne to take.

After a long pause, and lots of arguing, the Spurs wall stepping infront the foam line, Bernard put it into the wall and Davies's shot blocked behind. Nothing from the corner.

Richarlison was fouled again, this time yellow for Ben Davies. Ancelotti gambled on Sidibé and Kean on for Coleman and Davies. Ben Davies lashed a shot well over Everton's goal. Richarlison fouled again, another free-kick, fired at Calvert-Lewinwho improvised a bizarre back-heel volley that Lloris gathered with ease.

Gomes fouled Llamlea for a yellow card with Everton lacking any idea or intent of rescuing this game, ad Spurs sensing another goal. Suddenly, Everton attacked, Kean down the right while Gordon was cynically fouled by Lamella. The corner came in but Gordon could not keep his shot down. Then Gordon galloped through and set up Kean who fired it at Lloris. No guile whatsoever.

A late volley form miles out flies wide summing up the utter waste of time, effort and desire from Everton tonite. Shockingly poor fayre.

Kick-off: 8pm, Monday 6 July 2020
Referee: Graham Scott
VAR: Kevin Friend

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris, Aurier, Dier, Alderweireld [Y:84'], B Davies [Y:76'], Winks, Sissoko [Y:48'], Lo Celso (90+1' Vertonghen), Moura (82' Lamela), Son (78' Bergwijn), Kane.
Subs:Gazzaniga, Sanchez, Ndombele, Fernandes, Skipp, Cirkin.

Everton (4-4-2): Pickford; Coleman (78' Sidibé), Keane, Holgate [Y:30'] (36' Mina), Digne; Iwobi (46' Gordon), T Davies (78' Kean), Gomes [Y:87'], Sigurdsson (68' Bernard); Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
Subs not Used: Stekelenburg, Baines, Branthwaite, Baningime.

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Reader Comments (239)

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Jeff Armstrong
1 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:05:03
Should've started with Gordon instead of Iwobi.
Martin Mason
2 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:05:14
Looks like a settled side. Exceptional. Draw for me tonight is a good result.
Dave Southword
3 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:07:52
1 win in 9 for Spurs. Get into these, Blues!
Minik Hansen
4 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:08:04
On a positive note, as much as I rather see Iwobi positioned behind the striker, it'll be interesting to see how he does against a London team.
Annika Herbert
5 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:08:43
Can't really argue with the team selection, given current form and injuries. Fingers crossed for a good performance and an even better result!
Jim Bennings
6 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:09:00
Completely uninspiring team.

No pace at all in midfield, Sigurdsson wide left, I mean really??

Gomes and Davies will be simply overrun by the Spurs athleticism.

It's tragic the amount of cash we have frittered away and we can't put a squad together that looks remotely attractive going forward.

I can't see us creating too many problems for Spurs tonight, I hope I'm wrong but it just looks like a team again that is pedestrian.

Tony Hill
7 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:10:19
I agree, Jim, I'm afraid. Let's hope Spurs still hate each other.
Jamie Crowley
8 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:12:19
I trust Carlo. Let's see how they do.
Jerome Shields
9 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:15:26
Looks like Ancelotti is setting up shop to start with. Iowbi more experienced than Gordon. Will be less likely to be intimidated in the first quarter.
Kieran Kinsella
10 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:15:35
Everyone is focusing on Son, but wasn't it Ben Davies who did over Coleman too?
Derek Moore
11 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:16:05
I'd have preferred Gordon as well.

The midfield really does look quite ponderous though. Money or no money, Brands is going to have get the gaffer some options in the middle of the park.

Still, the opposition are in a mess themselves and we've been very solid since the restart. Sticking with my prediction, 1-1 and all still left to play for in the run in.

Tony Everan
12 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:17:14

It's all about the midfield isn't it ? Our back line looks strong and organised and our front two have a touch of class about them. But the midfielders need to come to the party.

An interesting game then to see how our midfield cope and this is where the game will be won or lost.

Tottenham will be aggressive and energetic from the start, we have to match it and not buckle. It's a really tough job tonight for those 4 midfielders, but we will learn a hell of a lot from their performances.

Spurs are vulnerable if we stick in there, and with Richie and DCL we can always poach a goal .

Rob Halligan
13 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:19:23
Kieran, are you talking about the challenge in the Ireland v wales match? If so, I thought it was Neil (?) Taylor who done Seamus, not Ben Davies, but I could be wrong.
Kieran Kinsella
14 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:22:03
Rob

I think you're right. I knew it was someone Welsh other than Barry Horne or Big Nev

Fran Mitchell
15 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:24:24
Siggy wide left lending towards how the team set up Vs Liverpool for the last 30 mins, so clearly Ancelotti thinking on the need of the extra man in midfield.

Shame not to see Gordon, but he'll come on and should provide a real energy when he does.

Dave Williams
16 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:28:59
It really beggars belief why Kidman bought three No 10s with no pace, physicality or athleticism between them. If only Gbamin was fit! Gomes is clearly lacking match sharpness and I would have tried Beni alongside Tom but I guess the only way to recover sharpness is to play.
The formation should start as 4-5-1 and avoid being swamped.
Interesting game this!
Rob Halligan
17 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:30:46
I think people are forgetting we have another game in less than 72 hours. Squad rotation definitely needed at the moment. Against Southampton I can see Gordon starting, and also Mina and Sidibe.
Jim Bennings
18 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:34:00
Dave

For the three number 10's Ronald signed in 2017 and for the amount it all came to I'd rather him have just put the family silver three years ago on moving heaven and earth to bring Jamie Vardy here.

Sigurdsson the only one left and his legs have basically all but gone sadly after the one really great season goal scoring wise under Silva.

Gbamin won't be fit until next January and I doubt we'll ever see him play for Everton again now anyway.

Carlo will want his own players, he certainly needs them.

Mike Gaynes
19 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:39:07
You beat me to it, Rob.
Bobby Mallon
20 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:39:46
Jim Jennings. Who the F do you want him to play, if you don't care about finishing in top 7 then cool play youngsters all over. But as Everton want Europe then this is maybe our strongest of teams. We don't have a great squad and 4 top signings are needed
John Reynolds
21 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:43:02
Looking at that XI, I wonder if Carlo might be setting us up more asa 4-3-3 formation tonight?
Bill Gienapp
22 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:43:57
Team mostly picks itself at the moment, though even under the best of circumstances Siggy tends to be neutralized when pushed out wide. Would rather have stuck with Gordon, who more than held his own against Leicester - though Rob is likely correct re: squad rotation.
Jeff Spoering
23 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:49:13
Hopefully we set with more of a 4-5-1 look. Tom did well anchoring behind Sigurdsson and Gomes and would leave no space for Spurs pacy attacks (less running for Sigurdsson and Gomes too). Richarlison on the right and Iwobi on the left, with Dom up top. Easily transitions to a 4-3-3 if we can keep it in their half...
Joe McMahon
24 Posted 06/07/2020 at 19:51:26
Jim, correct about Vardy, 100 Premier League goals in under 6 seasons. For perspective it took Graeme Sharp 11 years to amass that many, and Evertonians still talk about him now.
Ian Lloyd
26 Posted 06/07/2020 at 20:29:13
Wow! We are so dire to watch, unbelievably slow and so unskilled – we cannot put two forward passes together!
Christy Ring
27 Posted 06/07/2020 at 20:51:59
Bad goal to give away, cannot blame Keane but, as the ball is headed forward to the edge of the area, two Spurs player standing all alone. Gomes and Sigurdsson just watching, nowhere near them, and Michael you mentioned the cowardly play from Iwobi.
Ian Lloyd
28 Posted 06/07/2020 at 20:53:18
Dire.

Need at least 6 new players!

Jay Wood
[BRZ]

29 Posted 06/07/2020 at 20:58:00
Two poor teams and a poor half of football.

Similar to the 1st half at Norwich from Everton. Lethargic, little energy or pace and a disconnect between midfield and the forwards.

The only midfielder consistently showing for the ball, protecting the ball and passing the ball well and progressively is Tom Davies. Gomes, Sigurdsson and Iwobi passengers.

The goal was extremely fortunate. It was going wide. But other than Richarlison's shot on the stroke of half-time, we've offered nothing as an attacking force.

Hopefully we will wake up and improve as we did at Norwich. Otherwise, we're sleepwalking to a defeat.

Simon Dalzell
30 Posted 06/07/2020 at 20:59:44
We're just awful. So many players simply not good enough. Sigurdsson deserves a special mention for his lack of effort. The goal was a bit scabby, but we had enough men back just stood watching. Far too much space to get the shot in. Gomes, Sigurdsson, Iwobi. God help us.
Pekka Harvilahti
31 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:03:38
Gordon for Iwobi, Sidibé for Sigurdsson to right mid. Davies inside.
Gerry Ring
32 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:06:01
Hand on heart, I don't think I've seen an Everton player as yellow as Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Danny Broderick
33 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:06:44
Davies is the only one having a go in midfield so far...
Dave Abrahams
34 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:08:08
Nothing to choose between the two teams, unless you're looking for rubbish. Now I know why I didn't know where the next points were coming from. Only Digne was prepared to run forward and find space, Mina was also the least worse than the rest of them.

I saw Mourinho looking at his watch just before half time, his face was saying “Fuckin hell, we've got another 50 minutes of this.”

The second half can't be as bad as this, but don't bet on it.

Bill Fairfield
36 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:49:49
Very grim. The end of another very poor season.
Ian Lloyd
37 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:56:53
Pure hopelessness.
Tony Hill
38 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:57:56
Shameful yet again. There's nothing there, nothing at all. If they don't care why on earth should we?
Kevin Prytherch
39 Posted 06/07/2020 at 21:58:59
Pickford – has his usual flap but could do nothing with the goal.
Coleman – got forward well, faded in second half, needs to stop cutting inside and actually shoot.
Digne – one of our better players.
Keane – solid, unlucky with the goal.
Holgate – solid.
Mina – didn't do much wrong after the first misread of a long ball. His forward play was good.
Davies – best midfielder. Lost it a few too many times but always tried to go forward.
Gomes – you could probably count on one hand the number of forward passes. Gave away too many fouls.
Sigurdsson – anonymous.
Iwobi – anonymous.
Richarlison – always willing but feeding off scraps.
Calvert-Lewin – looks class when he gets the ball, just didn't get it.
Gordon – looked dangerous at times, wasn't scared to run forward.
Bernard – anonymous.
Kean – unlucky with his shot.
Sidibé – worse than Coleman.
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

40 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:00:10
Dreadful game.

Mina and Gordon did okay as subs.

Bernard, Sidibé and Kean brought nothing to the table.

Why Davies was taken off and how Gomes stayed on for the full 90 minutes is bewildering to me.

For me, that's the outside chance of a Euro place gone. A win here would have given real impetus. The defeat kills it dead.

Fran Mitchell
41 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:02:32
Poor. The midfield is clearly below standard. Spurs didn't do much, but they knew by taking Richarlison out of the game we'd be limited, and they did that, ensuring he was always shadowed by 2 butchers. Our lack of enterprising midfielders meant they could afford to use 2 players to mark one.

Gomes was woeful, poor passing, slow movement, weak in the tackle... just awful. Sigurdsson and Iwobi equally so.

Coleman I thought played well, Gordon showed glimpses, Davies looked decent, Mina looked good and I think much better thanks given credit for. Bernard was ineffective again. Kean a no show again. Calvert-Lewin worked hard, but no real chances.

We need a complete renovation of that midfield before we entertain any ideas of moving forward.

Pickford did well though, no fault for the goal, a couple of moments but also a few very decent saves too.

Roger Helm
42 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:02:44
What a terrible performance. Yet again, it is our midfield who let us down. The forwards tried hard but were feeding on scraps, and the defence only let in one flukey goal, but with Sigurdsson, Gomes and Iwobi going AWOL, what chance did we have?
John McFarlane Snr
43 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:05:15
Hi Dave [34] it looks like I made the right choice, it was tough enough to listen to, it must have been agony to watch, only five more games to endure.
Ian Bennett
44 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:05:24
Well Carlo, hope you learned a bit more about your squad and why everyone has been sacked since Moyes.

Gutless, spinless and feeble.

Ian Riley
45 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:05:35
Hard to find words for that. Move on. Thank goodness for hope!
Mike Price
46 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:05:38
The worst recruitment in the history of football and that includes management!

It's a miracle that we're not in a relegation fight and also a sad indictment on the quality of this league.

Brent Stephens
47 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:06:02
As a fan, I just feel as if I'm seeing the season out. Carlo really does need a few key signings. Richarlison hammered away up front and got tactically hammered by different Spurs players in turn; afraid Calvert-Lewin was anonymous. Midfield couldn't get us going.
David Connor
48 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:06:27
What a piss poor team that is. Not one of them is good enough for our once great club. They are a fucking disgrace to the shirt.

Play the kids in the last few games as Europe has gone now. Send a clear message to the fuckers that no-one is safe from being sold. And my opinion is we wouldn't miss any one of em. Wasters.
Kieran Kinsella
49 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:07:54
Gerry Ring,

Sigurdsson has mastered the art of running around in such a way that he technically expends energy but he ensures he is never available for the ball. Total cowardly joker for 45 million quid.

The frustrating thing is we could easily put together an equally adept rabble with free transfers and youth. But year after year we pay fortunes just to bring in halfwit journeymen and Jobsworths.

Craig Walker
50 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:08:39
Spurs can't keep a clean sheet. They play Everton and guess what? Only Anthony Gordon gets any credit whatsoever from that.

Slow, ponderous play with countless sideways and back passes. So many players who are simply not good enough for our club.

A typical Everton performance at one of our bogey grounds. I hear Evertonians saying good things about Bernard and Sigurdsson sometimes.

It just shows how our standards have fallen. Only Richardson is anywhere near good enough. Carlo has a massive task to make us a decent team.

Tony Hill
51 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:08:49
Sigurdsson should never play for us again.
Kieran Kinsella
52 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:10:45
Can we ask the fan with Nyarko's shirt to repeat his stunt with Sigurdsson in the next game? If he has a brother, have him swap with Iwobi too. In fact, he should bring his whole family for the shaming shirt swap.
Tony Everan
53 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:11:00
Grim.

Senior midfield players not good enough. Davies and Gordon who cost us nothing showed up the 𧴜m boys Sigurdsson, Gomes and Iwobi. A shocking state of affairs. Gomes may show up better with a proper enforcer next to him, but the others...

More chance of Elvis finding a cure for Covid-19 than us getting into the top 6 with this pedestrian midfield. Carlo will go down to the Axe shop in the morning and buy a big one.

Craig Walker
54 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:12:21
Digne was at fault for the goal in my opinion. He should know their player will turn and shoot. Just block it. Basic stuff.
Brian Williams
55 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:13:10
The only saving grace is that we're now less likely to qualify for the Europa League which, if we did, would be a disaster!
Joe McMahon
56 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:13:21
Not only for Everton, but for the price paid, Sigurdson must be the worse Premier League signing ever. Possibly post war.
Mike Oates
57 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:14:32
Too slow. no creativity, midfield completely useless, rely on defence totally. Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison living on scraps. Never play Sigurdsson, Bernard, Davies, Iwobi again ever, not good enough at all.

Major rebuild required. Yet we only lost to a widely deflected goal, but wouldn't have scored if we played till midnight.

Worst midfield for many years. Gordon must play in all the games. But who with, even Gomes is being shown up for pace, but at least he has an eye for a forward pass.

James Byrne
58 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:15:49
I don't do a lot of posts on here but after that load of crap I have no choice. Regardless of a fanless ground, that display was a disgrace. How the fuck do Sigurdsson and Davies keep Gordon on the bench!

I also thought the ref had a terrible game. How did Ben Davies not get a red card in that game for at least three 100% yellow cards, but he only got one!

Paul Birmingham
59 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:16:10
Disgrace, and they should be ashamed.

Age old traits of can't be arsed against the poorest Spurs team in recent years.

No guts, no heart and little belief. That must surely tell Carlo that most of this squad aren't good enough and sadly don't care.

Crab passing and deviations forward and then backwards. Hopeless, they'd play all week and never shoot.

A good team would have taken Spurs apart. Nothing left to say, but this isn't football. Get beat but go down fighting. Fine them and extra training this weekend.

They need to get a grip and stop taking the piss out of EFC.

Tony Twist
61 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:16:36
Second-rate and I can't see things changing that much. Southampton's performance, though, was just the basics, was head and shoulders above anything we have done, whether that is with or without so-called Carlo magnifico this season. What are they teaching them at Finch Farm?
Danny Broderick
62 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:19:04
How much have we spent on midfielders in the last 3/4 years? At least 𧶀 million? And yet we still don't have a top midfielder worthy of the name. Iwobi, Gomes and Sigurdsson were absolutely woeful again.

Special mention to Davies who was at least giving it a go and looking to tackle, looking to get on the ball. The others were woeful. Our best two midfielders tonight were Davies and Gordon...

Trevor Peers
63 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:19:27
No chance of getting into Europe. Great chance of another shite season next time out.
Dave Abrahams
64 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:21:38
John (43), yes, the game was one that will stay in the memory, for watching 30 players earning millions of pounds and producing such anti backwards football, and that in-between never-ending fouls.

I could say never again, but I'll be back on Thursday watching the next game with absolutely no guarantee that it will be any better.

John Reynolds
65 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:23:39
It's hard to see any of the four starting midfielders today commanding a regular place in a side that aspires to challenge the top six. Maybe Gomes can come good again and I still hope Tom will step up, but we need to see more evidence. I'm sure Carlo Ancelotti has formed his own opinions.

So many set-pieces wasted in the second-half...

Danny Broderick
66 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:25:22
The lack of quality from both teams beggared belief.
Tony Abrahams
67 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:26:57
I thought the ref definitely contributed to a poor game, James @58, but Everton were very, very poor.

I can't understand how players who have been away from the game for so long because of the lockdown, don't want to run, fight, scrap and play, because isn't that what they get paid to do?

I very rarely listen to commentators, but Gary Neville was bang on about Everton tonight, they need a proper shaking, because we have way too many who don't want to really play.

Michael Lynch
68 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:27:01
Can't believe Ancelotti or anyone else is still talking about Europe. We're absolutely fucking mediocre and will finish mid-table season after season until we can get rid of this generation of over-priced nobodies. I'd keep Richarlison and sell the rest of them. Fucking shower of shite.
Trevor Powell
69 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:27:39
I have had enough of this season. Play the young lads to the end of the season and get ready for incoming players for next season.

Why were we fighting for the last Europa League spot with all its hassles of god know's how many preliminary rounds anyway?

Jim Bennings
70 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:29:19
Most boring team to watch in the Premier League, and that's saying something.

Until we start signing players that are dynamic then nothing will ever change.

We don't need more holding midfielders, no more static one paced no marks, no more rejects just coming here because we wanna offer astronomical wages.

We need a modern day Kanchelskis, another Lukaku, a new Rooney, a new Arteta.

We sign slow slow slow brainless players that don't have passion or the mentality to even dig in when the going is tough.

Until that changes then Everton will continue to be exactly as they are, the modern day Coventry City, a club just happy to exist in the middle to bottom ranks of the league until eventually one day down the line it throws in a season so bad that it gets relegated.

Shane Corcoran
71 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:32:26
Unless Gbamin is going to come good, then two new midfielders are needed.

This isn't knee-jerk. Cash in on Pickford. He might end up being class but let someone else take that chance.

Bernard and Sigurdsson should fetch 15M of some currency. They should have no future here. I'd keep Iwobi and Gomes just about for continuity.

That's it for next season. One step at a time but the process has to start.

I said we should have signed Ings last season when some were wetting themselves over Kean.

Andrew Keatley
72 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:33:24
We've assembled a group of midfielders who've gained plaudits with their previous teams on the basis of other players providing the energy and movement. Sigurdsson, Gomes, Bernard and Iwobi like to have the ball at their feet with runners around them. But they all lack the athleticism, speed, strength, energy, trust, selflessness – and whatever else – to be the runners themselves.

One or two of them in a 4-man midfield is a good idea, but any more than that makes for a very static and lethargic side – which is what we currently are. We rely on Digne and Coleman to do a large portion of running beyond, and it becomes very easy to defend against a midfield 4 who lack the appetite to get beyond the attackers.

Next season, I'd really like to see Richarlison back on the left side and a proven striker playing up alongside Calvert-Lewin – oh, and at least one other midfielder who will gamble and make runs into dangerous areas several times in every game, and then do their utmost to sprint back into position if the gamble does not come off.

Dick Fearon
73 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:35:47
Overloaded with slow-moving midfielders and Carlo swaps one of them (Sigurdson) for another of the same ilk (Bernard).

Jamie Crowley
74 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:37:31
We were shit, but - we looked completely gassed to me.

I thought we might be running on empty.


Carlo, against Southampton, do this please:

Virginia
Coleman Keane Holgate (or Mina if Holgate is injured) Digne
Richarlison Baningime Davies Gordon
Kean Calvert-Lewin

Just play those kids and give them a real go for a few games. Get Dunc in to fire them up. Restore the effort and heart. Give some of the others with wobbly legs a rest please. The midfield and two strikers average age in that lineup is like 7 years old. Just give the kids a chance. They're the future.

Marcel,

Trade Pickford away. Use the money to bring in a quality, quality midfielder please. That's step one. Then offload the veterans stealing a living from Everton. Walcott, Sigurdsson, and what's his face from Man City have gotta go. Can't even recall his name at the moment, he's continually injured. You know, that guy.

Colin Malone
75 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:37:41
Like most sports, Without the supporters in the stadiums, it's not worth watching. Just like the match tonight, boring.
Rob Dolby
76 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:37:50
Mourinho's team talk was to kick the shit out of Richardson and that will be enough.

Our reply was Sigurdsson and Iwobi bottling out of 70/30s.

Season is over now. Gordon and Moise Keane should start the rest of the season.

If we don't sign 3 midfielders next season, we will be in exactly the same position. We have a Ferrari as a manager and are putting in cheap diesel to make it run.

Julian Exshaw
77 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:39:53
How long more will we have to put up with this rubbish? I thought the cup defeat to the kids 'over there' could not be eclipsed but this performance came close.

Are we as a club, as fans willing to tolerate season after season of mediocrity? Every season peters out laden with disappointment and rancour.

This is Everton Football Club. We can't stand for this. Shambolic and a disgrace to the memory of those who made this club great.

Brent Stephens
78 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:40:58
Iwobi doesn't put a foot in. Gomes doesn't put a foot in. Sigurdsson doesn't put a foot in. There's no bite.
Bill Gall
79 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:41:02
It's amazing! I believe Everton has had longer breaks between games and turn in a performance like that with no fight, no spirit, and playing at a level that they played their last game yesterday.

Some of the players today should be ashamed to call themselves a professional footballer, and the manager – instead of having pipe dreams of playing in Europe – should crack the whip and show them, despite what they cost, it does not mean they are an automatic choice on the team sheet.

The manager takes the plaudits for a win and should take the blame for this type of performance from his supposed experienced players.

Graham Hammond
80 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:41:22
My first thought (again!) before the game kicked off is how the hell have we spent 䀆M on Sigurdsson, Iwobi and Gomes??? We have a horrible set of players, most of whom should not be in a blue shirt.

But I am the stupid one tonight; I forgot to put a bet on a Spurs win. Free money, if ever there was such a thing, given the run Spurs are on it was always going to happen.

So Everton. Calvert-Lewin baffles me, he should be on an ever-upward curve right now but seems to lack the hunger to drive at goal. At least Moise Kean has that in his locker.

Dave Williams
81 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:42:45
Tony Everan #53, absolutely agree with you. Those three were chicken, gutless and incapable of forward movement. Tom was good, moving forward, going past men and played a good game. Gordon was decent and looked up for it, not afraid to get stuck in.

Mina tried hard to pass forward and did it well. Bernard way too lightweight against a strong physical outfit like Spurs.

Europe is out now, we won't go down so please, Carlo, show what you are made of, ditch the cowards and get Baningime in centre-midfield and give him a chance.

Silva would be crucified for a display like that and Carlo is escaping for now because he hasn't bought the players.

We need at least two winners in midfield who will not tolerate cowardly play/ attitudes from the rest. Who are they? I don't know but Carlo and his staff should!!

Jim Bennings
82 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:43:47
Julian 77,

That's exactly why we are completely invisible in this city now.

It's embarrassing having to see the Redshite win something every season, endless celebrations whilst we just get worse every year with no real prospect or concrete structure in place for improvement.

At least in the dark days of the '90s when we struggled, Liverpool weren't winning anything themselves, plus we had the derby record over them.

These days, we are a complete nonentity here.

Christy Ring
83 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:44:29
Absolutely dreadful, and I won't criticise Carlo, he inherited this squad, so hopefully he gets the players he needs this summer.

Our midfield is so poor, I thought Davies was the only midfielder who even tried, and shouldn't have been subbed. Gomes needs a full preseason to get himself back physically and mentally after the horrific injury, so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Sigurdsson was a disgrace again tonight, when Moura took the ball off him, in their half, ran the whole way to our box, and set up Son, he ran the whole way beside him, didn't even put in a tackle. He was substituted just after, that sums him up, shouldn't get another game. Iwobi on the other side, equally as bad, Arsenal fans are still laughing... 㿏M.

Against Southampton, play Baningime and Davies in the middle – what have we got to lose? Gordon on the left, and anyone else on the right.

Tony Hill
84 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:48:04
The sad thing is that this was horribly predictable. Our brave boys do it year in year out. Serial floppers, and yet we persist in our faithful delusions.

Mike Connolly
85 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:48:27
Chelsea all over again. Though Tom should have stayed on and Gomes taken off.

Lot of things about our bad performance but would be too long to write. So I'll just say, Gary Neville – spot on with everything he said.

Derek Moore
86 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:49:46
It's been said by many in this thread already. Spurs were awful and hardly looked like scoring themselves and I've seen pre-season games with more bite to them.

The players would normally be on the beach this time of year... "Well fuck it, if we can't go the beach then the beach will have to come to us" seemed to be the attitude. It was very very poor.

I know there's plenty of Brands backers on this board even now, but I'm definitely not in that camp. The man's remit was to move on the dross, if possible, and add some quality to the squad that fits with an overarching football philosophy.

We're still on the hook for Bolasie, Walcott, Sigurdsson, Ramierez, and now you can seemingly add Iwobi and (sadly) Moise Kean to that list. The one decent player we've recruited, Richarlison, was a Silva addition.

For me, Brands simply has to start performing, and quick. Moshiri has spent hundreds of millions, up to and including hiring Ancelotti. I've got a sneaky suspicion that, if our present gaffer can't turn it around, then Moshiri will just shrug his shoulders and call it a day.

And Ancellotti himself would not be happy with the squad at present; he clearly didn't come here to spend his final years in the game with this lot.

So it's over to Brands. The recruitment at this club has been simply diabolical for many years now. We desperately need Brands to get it right this window, and not just right but spectacularly so. I'm hoping, hoping he can do it.

But, I have to tell you, it's only hope and nothing more. Because nothing I've seen suggests our Dutch board member maestro has any more clue than Walsh, Koeman, Allardyce or any of the other chancers that have reduced this club to what it is today.

Carl Manning
87 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:50:04
Not a great game, but I'd rather be us than Spurs next season! What has Mourinho done to those flair players? Imagine Carlo with Lucas, Kane and Son!

The game showed the usual short-comings that rear their head against better-than-average teams. As everybody knows, the real urgency this window is midfield. We need a midfielder that does the hard yards, like Gana did, and we also need one that will have a shot!

Sam Hoare
88 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:50:15
Grim. Not sure anyone deserves praise for that game bar Gordon and possibly Digne. Poor all round with Gomes, Iwobi, Sigurdsson and Calvert-Lewin especially poor.

Having said that Spurs were equally poor and really 0-0 would probably have been about right.

Difficult to know what conclusions to draw from these crowdless games but clearly we need legs in midfield and a little more explosiveness out wide.

Personally, I'd be starting Kean and playing Richarlison out wide as much as possible for remainder of the season.

Colin Glassar
89 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:50:28
A team without flair, personality, mental strength, creativity, desire, fight etc... have absolutely no chance of winning. And that's just the midfield!
Kunal Desai
90 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:52:55
Moshiri should give Marcel Brands one final season to deliver some better players in the next window.

To date, Bernard, Delph, Iwobi, and Sidibé... Would be kind to label them as mediocre.

Jury still out on Gomes, Mina, Gbamin and Kean.

I hope this is a different summer in the transfer market with Ancelotti as manager but just feel it'll be more of the same: short on numbers and quality.

Dick Fearon
91 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:53:17
Calvert-Lewin kept up his fantastic average of 1 shot at goal per game.
Mike Price
92 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:54:21
We could have sold the bang average Calvert-Lewin but gave him a ridiculous contract for 5 years and now we couldn't give him away.

We offer Baines more money for another year to do nothing. The squad is full of characterless mercenaries and Ancelotti isn't here for the quality of life.

The whole club has become a disaster zone and we're a long time away from a proper clean-out.

We should have offered Klopp 𧺬k a week before he signed his latest contract.

Paul Birmingham
93 Posted 06/07/2020 at 22:56:55
And the spawn of Old Nick, desecrating the Dixie Dean statue.

Adds fuel to the anger with current first team. Surely a ruthless clear out is needed now and no more pedestrian players, but who the hell will buy our deadwood? And attracting proven players will be very difficult.

Let's hope we can hold onto our better players and tell the lazy players who couldn't be arsed fighting for the cause tonight to get a taxi home.

Seriously, this is bringing the name of Everton into disrepute. God help us vs Southampton and Wolves.

The starting team must have some bite in the midfield... so, if Beni Baningime is fit, I'd start him, but we don't have many options.

Time yet again, and how many times over the years have Everton been in this position? I'm starting to think that a Finch Farm is not connected with reality of Premier League mental and physical requirements. The mentality and guts is now part of the DNA, at this Everton.

Deco Carlo's toughest ever job... I believe he will turn it around but needs money and some time.

Anthony Murphy
94 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:00:18
Some things never change. How many times over the years have we failed to win away at any of the so-called Big Six – even when they are as mediocre at Spurs were today??? Different players, different managers... same outcome.

We very rarely come from behind to win, we very rarely score 3 or more, very rarely dominate games, very rarely entertain. I can't wait until this dreadful, nonsense of a season is over.

Paul Jones
95 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:03:33
Notably, Sigurdsson and Iwobi pulled out of tackles – both probably know they are surplus to our needs for next season. A needless deflection for the goal probably cost lots of people the 0-0 they were betting on.

Two wins and a loss is better than our usual start/resumption of a season. This phoney end to the season cannot come quick enough.

Jim Bennings
96 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:03:58
I think I was enjoying reruns of the old World Cups or the Euro 96 tournament on BBC more than watching the mundane tepid shit I've seen so far.

At least back in the day, football was played as the game was meant to be played, to entertain, to score goals, to be aggressive and to actually friggin run.

It's like watching a chess match watching Everton nowadays, a bad chess match at that.

Niall McIlhone
97 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:04:11
The point was made earlier by Tony about that Southampton performance against Man City. It was the antithesis of what we saw from Everton tonight. Isn't it just typical?

That was a six-pointer tonight and Spurs look like a side who are lacking self-belief themselves but, apart from the endeavours of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, with a mention for Davies, it was a cowardly and lethargic performance. against a side who seemed content to give away fouls and waste time.

Roll on The end of this wretched season. We can only hope Carlo and Brands can completely overhaul this mediocre playing squad in the summer.

John Raftery
98 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:04:30
The only way Gomes will ever be effective is if we sign a player in the mould of Gana Gueye, a player who can do his running for him. Gomes lacked pace before his injury. He will not be any faster next season.

Richarlison took a physical battering tonight, at least seven fouls by my count, three in the first 16 minutes. Carlo should highlight that in his media briefings in the way other managers do, to seek protection for their best players.

Rob Dolby
99 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:08:46
Is that the first Sky game where nobody was given Man of the Match?

I really didn't want the restart of Premier League football for obvious reasons.

The players must feel the same – they aren't robots. And whilst I am frustrated to watch the lack of effort, it is kind of understandable. Players that couldn't be arsed pre-lockdown still can't be arsed.

We moved on Niasse, Schneiderlin, Martina and Garbutt... hopefully that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Drew O'Neall
100 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:11:46
Ancelotti should have been able to make the changes to beat, or at least test, that really poor Spurs team.

With the exception of Digne's moment and sloppiness for their goal, we looked composed at the back. Good. Tick.

Davies can receive the ball, he can run with it and draw players to him but there's no point in him performing his 10-yard bursts from inside our half. He's brave in possession and prepared to be fouled, unlike Gomes who perpetually passes backwards.

Davies should have been receiving the ball where Richarlison was, in the No 10 position. If Davies was there and Richarlison stayed up top, we would have had a chance to build something.

I would have switched Calvert-Lewin for a wide player or moved him out wide and gone to Sigurdsson and Gomes playing deep with Davies back to goal at No 10 and Richarlison upfront.

Calvert-Lewin turns like a cruise ship because he doesn't have the first touch of a Richarlison. He can do a job in straight lines and in behind but they weren't his conditions tonight.

Ancelotti needs to learn and understand the profiles and identities of these players if he's going to do anything with them and he needs to analyse what's going on in a game and make the changes.

Last, I didn't see one of those players give a teammate a rocket or (with the exception of Gordon) sprint from Spurs man to man and dive into a tackle. I saw a team of losers happy to play their part in a respectable loss – we need some winners if we are going to get anywhere. I hope Ancelotti's still a winner but I suspect he's a nice old fella pleased still to be coaching.

John Davies
101 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:17:58
What a disgraceful, embarrassing set of fraudsters we have playing for my football club. I've been a Blue since 1963 and this lot tonight take the biscuit.

Sure, we've had some poor sides over the years but none with so little fight, commitment, effort. leadership, passion and respect for the club and its supporters.

None of them should be paid this week. All wages to the NHS – an organisation that puts them all to shame.

FRAUDSTERS!!!

Jamie Crowley
102 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:19:42
I kept saying on the Live Forum, we're not factoring in the absolutely disgusting Spurs tactics.

Hack Rich. Foul. Slow the game down to a crawl. Hack Richarlison again. Foul. Is it any wonder we never found a groove?

But what truly, truly pisses me off, is that everyone knows how to combat that.

Turn the game into a bruise-fest. Did we ever put in a tasty challenge? I can't remember a single hard tackle other than Holgate and Gordon. We're getting kicked all over the park, and the maddening thing about it is we just take it.

I know they're tired – and I'm not making ninny-like excuses. I thought prior to the game this trip to London was going to be the one we ran out of steam.

But Jesus, man, have some pride. They continually kick Richarlison all over the park. Someone, anyone, put in a jarring, bone-crunching tackle in retribution just once please!

All of this in the first game back against a team who has a player who cut down one of ours from behind and made the dude's foot go sideways. You'd think, maybe, we might be up for a physical challenge with that little fact hanging out there?

What did we get?

The sound of fucking crickets.

Play the kids. Let's see some heart moving forward.

Mo Guindi
103 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:21:30
I thought that playing without fans was actually helping us. Actually, maybe it did – otherwise, this would have been 3 or 4 against.

I think our defence wasn't bad apart from the own-goal but, as has been pointed out repeatedly, midfield was nowhere.

We need a hard defensive midfield enforcer along with a creative non-Sigurdsson in front. Dire stuff against a dire team.

Christy Ring
104 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:21:48
Criticising Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison... You could have Ronaldo and Messi upfront but, with Iwobi on one wing and Sigurdsson on the other – good night, Eileen.
Jerome Shields
105 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:22:59
I thought Mina played well.

Christy #194

Calvert Lewin was poor; got caught offside twice, because he was slow getting back. One lucky shot on goal. Continually tried to lay off rather than turn to face goal. Often poor laying it off. Did not challenge for the ball in front of goal. Never looked like scoring.

Moise Kean. . . hopeless.

All Tottenham had to do was kick Richarlison out of the game.

Mike Price
106 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:25:50
We are a joke and lots of individuals are setting themselves up for life because we are utterly inept at identifying and recruiting quality players and/or leaders.

We could have had Adama Traore for Besic a couple of years ago and lots on here were saying that, but our multi-millionaire experts thought better and we paid 㿞 million for Walcott and Iwobi instead!

Ancelotti is a mercenary and has never developed a mid-level team like ours... another very costly contract just waiting to be paid up! Do you really think he wants to live in Liverpool!

Our ownership just gets taken to the cleaners again and again and again! If anyone actually took notice of our club, we'd just be a complete laughing stock.

Mark Boullé
107 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:26:16
Not much I can add that hasn't already been said, that was disastrous.

It takes until we're the only football on TV and there's a proper critical pundit in Neville to say to the nation what we've all known for months – Gylfi Sigurdsson is now a sorry excuse for footballer. Watching him, in particular (dishonourable mentions for Gomes and Iwobi also) trying to run and press is embarrassing, it's staggeringly slow! That moment in the second half when Sigurdsson lost it to Moura and then tried to chase back, falling further and further behind until he gave up, was unbearable.

I don't blame Sigurdsson in a sense. He's being asked to play wide or as part of a 2 in centre-midfield against today's athletic, mobile players and he just can't. Surely, surely that's it for him in this team now?! I think he played one incisive pass between the lines all game – for a 㿙M playmaker, it's totally unacceptable.

Gomes, I'll just about give the benefit of the doubt and a proper pre-season to, although really in the extra 3.5 months recovery time he had, he should have been able to build up some body strength again at least. Where is the player who was strong as an ox, impossible to knock off the ball and running our midfield...?!

Final whinge, I'm constantly tearing my hair out at the slowness not just of the movement off the ball but the passing. Our players don't rap crisp passes to teammates, for the most part, the ball sort of dribbles across the pitch, ponderously reaching its target some of the time, almost never in front of him for him to run on to. It's so cryingly basic but has been a problem for ages. God knows how that gets fixed along with everything else...

Jamie Crowley
108 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:26:57
Not to belabor a point, but why didn't someone in our squad, after Richarlison getting cut down time and again, try to decapitate Son or Kane?

In any sport I played, if someone kept taking cheap shots at one of my teammates, I'd run 'em. You can't let that happen.

Isn't that a given?

What.

The.

Fuck?

Rob Dolby
109 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:29:09
Mo, I totally disagree with you re; playing without fans.

We have a fantastic away following. We would have sold out our allocation tonight cheering the players on.

Believe me, the fans aren't the issue. We need players who want to run their hearts out for the fans. Take the fans away from football and you have exactly what you see tonight. Passionless chess between two teams who aren't arsed if they win or lose.

Mike Price
110 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:33:02
You're right Jamie... pathetic, weak-minded players with not an ounce of aggression. Anyone would love to play against us, you can take liberties without consequence. Pathetic.
Kase Chow
111 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:33:36
For anyone supporting Everton since 1988, then that is the most awful experience of football ever.

Supporting Everton since then has been an absolute labour of love. We are atrocious, boring and without energy.

Loris had a massive go at Son just before half-time – I can't recall our players tearing strips off each other... they just don't care enough.

When Pickford lets the ball through his hands, no one actually cares...

When Sigurdsson fails to play the ball forward, no-one ever digs him out because it doesn't matter...

We are a stepping-stone club for anyone that's half-good and a retirement home for anyone that was ever half-good. And that's it.

The boring boring awful display today was a disgrace. But we were the same against Norwich. The same against Liverpool and in large parts against Leicester. We are crap to watch.

We ARE tragic!!!

Gerry Ring
112 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:35:01
Kieran #49.

I commented after the Leicester game about Sigurdsson's blatant avoidance of anything that resembles a tackle. When you think of our former midfield players like Peter Reid or Paul Bracewell, to name just two, it's disgusting to see Sigurdsson pretend to engage in a tackle, but making sure he is nowhere near the action.

It should not be tolerated by the manager. Out the door as quick as possible. Horrible trait in any sportsman.

Derek Moore
113 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:35:10
Jamie Crowley @ #107 is spot on. When you're getting physically bullied – kicked all over the park really – and the officials appear to give less of a fuck about it than the cardboard cutouts in the stands, you've only two options.

You either meet fire with fire... or you allow them to kick the shit out of you.

Guess which option we plumed for?

Jerome Shields
114 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:39:56
Rob #99,

Gary Neville must have refused to name Man of the Match – or Sky decided that no-one was going to take the piss by getting it.

Steve Guy
115 Posted 06/07/2020 at 23:40:43
Absolute Crap.
Dave Bowen
116 Posted 06/07/2020 at 00:00:27
I was sat watching the game with an RS mate, and he was slagging off Everton – tbh, I couldn't really disagree with anything he said. Spurs were there for the taking, but we were just so insipid.

Calvert-Lewin is a shadow of the player we were watching before lockdown. Richarlison just got kicked off the park and no-one, other than Holgate, laid so much as a finger on them.

Davies is limited, but at least he had a go. Iwobi is, well, cowardly and Arsenal must have been pissing themselves laughing when we came in with a bid for him.

Gomes was awful, but clearly not match-fit, so gets a bit of slack. Sigurdsson... well, I was so pleased when we signed him, if well overpriced. Looked fantastic that first season under Silva, now looks totally shot. That said, wide left has never been his position.

Hopefully Carlo can find a formation that suits Sigurdsson, because there is a player in there, provided his legs are not totally shot.

Defence looks fine. The game had 0-0 written all over it until that unlucky deflection. Keane had Kane in his pocket.

Pickford however, scares the shite out of me. Brilliant one second, dropping simple crosses the next. Oh and launches a high ball deep in stoppage time to the shortest player on the pitch. Brain of Britain he ain't.

Jason Leung
117 Posted 06/07/2020 at 00:01:46
Maybe our defence has improved but, in attack, I see no difference than under all previous managers since Moyes, Silva, Allardyce and Koeman.

There's absolutely no imagination, creativity or speed. When we do get into attacking and threatening positions, we pass it all the way back to the keeper!!!

Some players are just not up to it, especially Sigurdsson, who is an absolute disgrace to the shirt!!

We are just so frustrating to watch!!

Darragh Farrell
118 Posted 07/07/2020 at 00:04:40
Fed up with it, same story for how many years now? Players too weak, how many times do we win a 50-50?

The team can't string together more than three passes, always a hospital ball in there or a miscontrol. We're too slow in moving it forward. It goes backwards or breaks up. Full backs can't get around the opposition.

We can all see this, for years, and how many millions have been wasted trying to rectify it? Is it that difficult to fix?

Andy Crooks
119 Posted 06/07/2020 at 00:07:05
That was special in how poor it was. Gerry and Kieran are really onto something re Sigurdsson. He has made an art form of busting a gut in an effort to hide.

We lack urgency – which is down to the players and coach – and guile, which is down to what would require a dissertation to explain.

Nothing left to play for other than preparing for next season. I actually don't really care... which is new.

Kieran Kinsella
120 Posted 07/07/2020 at 00:26:45
Andy Crooks,

I'm ashamed to admit but the reason I cottoned onto Sigurdsson was because, in my mid-30s, I suddenly turned shit at local 11-a-side... so I did the same thing as him. Takes one to know one, right!!!

Derek Thomas
121 Posted 07/07/2020 at 00:33:47
KITAP1; but without the keeping it tight and without pinching one.

The worst sort of boring Moyes-esque-ness.

Jamie Crowley
122 Posted 07/07/2020 at 00:59:54
Andy at #119,

That was special in how poor it was.

I just wanted to let you know, Andy, the situation is not funny in the least, but that did make me laugh.

We witnessed something truly special, I concur.

Gavin Johnson
123 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:18:27
A boring game that had few highlights.

Like the Chelsea away game, I think Ancelotti dropped the ball with his team selection. Sigurdsson should never have started. I know we have injuries bit it's still as though this guy still gets picked because he's our biggest signing.

I'll be very happy if we can offload him to an Italian or US team this coming window. It'll be a relief for us and a slower-paced league will also suit Sigurdsson who, for all his skill, must be one of the slowest players in the whole Premier League.

I'm more sad about the RS idiot who damaged Dixie's statue. They're a breed apart. They win their first title in 30 years and instead of enjoying it for what it is, a lot of them seem more interested in trolling us. They should be ashamed of themselves. It was bad enough with the fireworks fired at the Liver Building.

I only read the Daily Mail when there's a story linked by Everton NewsNow, but the trolling on there is vile, and it's a 24/7 job for a significant group of Liverpool supporters. It's like they have to define their whole existence by EFC.

Jay Harris
124 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:24:16
Jamie,

I totally agree with you and said something similar in the live forum.

Spurs were screaming for every throw in every foul, even creating fouls while we were like a bunch of kids at an adult party –timid and shy and so passive it was hard to believe any of them have ever had fire in their bellies.

Carlo has them better organised but, without an aggressive midfielder that scores goals, we are wasting time with this team.

absolutely no fight in them whatsoever. Throw Baningime and Adeniran in for a couple of games and at least we will get some passion.

Barry Jones
125 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:34:47
One of the worst performances I've had to sit through in a long time. Jim Bennings got it right, a pedestrian midfield with no guile, no speed and sadly, no guts. Bring back big Dunc with the "hoof it forward and leave your guts on the field mentality".

I blame Brands for stealing the clubs money; he is a fraudster. Also, Ancelotti is supposed to be a genius. How can he not see that the selection he made was totally unbalanced and devoid of anything creative ; and sadly guts, as we didn't want to make any tackles and we were nowhere near winning the second balls.

Doesn't Mosiri care that people are flushing his cash down the shitter and turning the club into a laughing stock? This squad is going nowhere.

At the end of the game they were milling around and smiling with the spurs players as though they had put in a shift. That angered me as much as nything. They should have been hanging their heads in shame. Please dock them each a months wages. It may be the only language they understand.

Kieran Kinsella
126 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:38:30
Do you lot not recall the cup games against the RS kids? That surely was the nadir. This is just another reminder
Barry Jones
127 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:42:40
Kieran, its one long extended nadir; please show me a glimpse of light at the end of this fucking long tunnel.
Michael Long
128 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:45:20
Pathetic and gutless performance tonight. Tonight has proved exactly what we are: a mid-table mediocrity club. Our record in any away game let alone the "Big Six" is disgusting and embarrassing.

People call for Gary Neville about being too hard on Everton. If you ask me he is spot on. Boring and mentally weak when going into games that matter or at least put our marker on paper. No wonder other clubs, media and pundits do not take us seriously. And tonight proved why they don't. We're no threat at all. Needs changing ASAP.

Gylfi Sigurdsson should never wear an Everton shirt again. The gutless fucker is in the category of Alcaraz and Williams. Couldn't give a fuck. The same player who did not touch the ball at Anfield for twenty minutes and he was the captain. Not managed a successful tackle in 195 minutes of football. And we paid 50 million pound for him. Get rid of the ghost.

Tom Davies is not cut out at this level. Championship player at best.

Andre Gomes is just not good enough. Couldn't pass water let alone a fucking football tonight.

Iwobi - Right now. Arsenal have pulled our kecks down there.

Bernard - Not cut out for this league I'm afraid.

Anthony Gordon did more in 45 minutes than The ghost, Davies, Gomes and Iwobi combined throughout the game. Start him every game till the end of the season.

Time to stop being the nicey nice club, and start being more ruthless. Like what Klopp and Pep did Liverpool and Man City respectively. No time for sentimental, just if your not good enough out the door.

I genuinely do believe that, if Ancelotti cannot win us a trophy or get us into Europe in the next 3 to 4 years, I don't think I'll see us ever moving forward, or winning silverware.

Mentality needs sorting, players need binning off, better players need to come in, and Brands (in my eyes) is on his last chance this summer. I'm sick of seeing the same yellow bellies, season-in & season-out. No time for happy-go-lucky shite and start having the motto that is on our badge. Because right now, instead of "Nothing but the best is good enough", it's more like "Second best is Okay". Needs sorting!!!

Gavin Johnson
129 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:45:32
Kieran, the RS rarely get mentioned on TW, and rightly so, but I thought I'd mention it because the damage to the statue, and my shock when I went through one of the threads on a Daily Mail story. It was shocking how much they hate us. It's hard to believe that it used to be friendly derby. Personally I blame it on Gerard Houllier and then Rafa for not understanding the uniqueness of the derby and them both digging us out in the press.

But yes, I agree. Losing to their kids was probably the lowest point, and the saddest part is that it wasn't a surprise we lost.

Barry Jones
130 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:48:50
Gavin, offload Sigurdsson to one of the Chinese teams? It would be difficult to offload him to a Chinese restaurant... maybe a swap deal for the meal for four.
Kieran Kinsella
131 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:49:16
Barry Jones,

Some light is maybe we can get better players if we offload Sandro and Sigurdsson... though Ghislaine Maxwell has a better chance of being cut loose.

Gavin Johnson
132 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:52:26
Good one, Barry lol. I actually forgot about China. But, yes, I think we should keep our fingers crossed that a team from there don't take him and pay him an obscene wage. Same with Theo.
John Pierce
133 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:53:01
Now then. Wasn't that the most nothing game of footy you've ever seen?

Whilst the players were horseshit, Carlo deserves a massive dollop of it too. It was clear to anybody the lack of major rotation so far and the way we had to battle to see out the Leicester game, a lot of changes were needed to freshen up the side. Why the fook not, Carlo?

When you use 4-4-2, it's vital the midfield has to have energy over guile. Just think for a moment how much work Gana did for both Gomes and Sigurdsson? They are completely laid bare as luxury tools.

I'm very surprised with Carlo, it was pretty rank management to be fair. He deserves pelters for it.

If he doesn't change it up dramatically for Southampton, then he's gonna get a hiding from me. This is on Carlo, I'm afraid.

Barry Jones
134 Posted 07/07/2020 at 01:56:02
I am glad that you have some optimism, Gavin, but the problem is that, when other clubs see how badly these players are performing for us, it may well be money flushed down the drain (but I am hopeful that there are bigger suckers than Marcel Brands out there).
Barry Jones
135 Posted 07/07/2020 at 02:00:54
Kieran, maybe we should sign Ghislaine Maxwell.
Barry Jones
136 Posted 07/07/2020 at 02:07:46
I know that everyone is raving about Anthony Gordon, and I like the lad, but once again, he has no pace, so why are we playing him wide?

His favoured position is centre-midfield. So is Ancelotti saying he doesn't have the experience to control the centre so I will play him wide? I do not get this logic.

We need pace and guile wide. Either play him in his best spot or leave him out. Man City have the guts to play Foden in the centre.

Gavin Johnson
137 Posted 07/07/2020 at 02:10:44
I thought Tom Davies was one of our better performers. He also looked very good when he came on in the 2nd half against Leicester. I still think he needs a loan like Jonjoe Kenny. If he plays every week he might take that final step in his development, unfortunately he isn't going to have the luxury of time like Calvert-Lewin. We need an athletic midfielder right now.

Anthony Gordon also looked very good again, and he does look the real deal. He has excellent awareness in reading the game for such a young age.

Kenn Crawford
138 Posted 07/07/2020 at 02:16:11
Totally rubbish. No desire, the midfield is too slow and pedestrian. We need a creative midfielder, Bernard is not good enough for Sunday league. Sigurdsson and Gomes pedestrian at best... and as much as I want Davies to succeed, I just cannot see it.

Defence is okay but needs strengthening and an excellent keeper to pressure Pickford. Once we get a creative midfield, I believe that our forwards have the ability to score goals but they need a supply.

Oh well, another dreary and dreadful display in the capital. I for one cannot wait for this disjointed season to finish.

On the positive side, our brilliant away supporters did not have to waste their hard-earned money and time on this useless bunch.

Barry Jones
139 Posted 07/07/2020 at 02:18:34
It was evident once again today that Davies is too slow. Because of this, he cannot escape his opponents and he mis-times his tackles.

I did not see one Everton player out there today who deserved special mention; and please get rid of Pickford ASAP and buy a real goalkeeper.

Jay Harris
140 Posted 07/07/2020 at 03:47:48
I can see why Sigurdsson gets criticized but to single him out is to let the rest of them off the hook.

I think it's unfair to blame Carlo; he can only choose from a limited squad... a very limited squad – and a blind man can see we don't have a midfield player worthy of the shirt.

Tom Davies tries but is not good enough for a top 6 club. Gomes from the day he got here got undeserved love. No wonder the Spanish fans were glad to see the back of him. Bernard couldn't hold a paper bag off the ball. Iwobi would run through brick walls and maybe that's what he should stick to and keep on running.

The only player with heart and quality is Richarliso and the smart teams just kick him off his game.

The back 4 is adequate but not top drawer... and the less said about Pickford the better. Every time a ball comes into the area, my heart rate goes up as he flaps about with no real command of his area.

I'm afraid we need at least 𧺬M to get this club back in the running – and that's if we can persuade players to come.

Right now, Wolves and Leicester look a better proposition... hell, even Burnley and Sheffield Utd are embarassing us.

John Daley
141 Posted 07/07/2020 at 03:52:00
Over 100 international caps between Sigurdsson and Gomes, yet both happy to simply coast through a game, trotting about and refusing to take any responsibility. Davies, for all the criticism he receives and any technical deficiencies in comparison to his two more naturally gifted midfield colleagues, is the only one of the trio actually willing to try and drive the play forward and then keep trying no matter how many times it fails to come off.

I suppose Sigurdsson, at least, has shown in the past he has a goal in him and, given the lack of players in the squad who contribute on that front (outside of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison), then you can kind of understand him being selected in the lingering hope he might dredge one up, despite loitering around on the periphery for the most part.

Gomes though is the sort of player who is far too often given a free pass, and whose effectiveness evades scrutiny, simply for operating under a perceived veneer of elegance.

Like Schneiderlin before him, he was prematurely lauded and labelled as ‘class' by far too many on the back of a few nice touches and an apparent air of composure when spreading simple balls sideways and backwards, while shying away from any effort at trying to make a more telling contribution.

Basically Vinny Samways with a Vandal Savage beard, but somehow viewed as a sensible buy when signed for 㿀m+? It's like lubing up the Golden Goose and it shitting out a Lindt egg. The shiny packaging may fool some at first glance, but peel it back and there's little of real value or substance underneath. It cracks under pressure, turns soft when the heat is on and does fuck all for your form.

Many will be prepared to put his sluggishness, propensity to turn back as soon as he receives the ball and his persistent bundling into opposition players like Big Hero 6 saying bollocks to social distancing, down to him needing more time to fully recover from having his foot helicoptered.

However, bar a couple of games where he looked fired up like he had something to prove and was actually prepared to venture forward and try and contribute further upfield, he was offering exactly the same mixture of easy-option coasting and clumsiness prior to said injury.

Giving the illusion of involvement in the game by getting on the ball consistently, but generally in areas where he would be expected to have little impact, simply shielding it, knocking it square, laying it off and moving like the fucking Michael Jackson Moonwalker rabbit.

He was shocking today and was far more deserving of the hook than Davies.

John Boon
142 Posted 07/07/2020 at 03:52:24
"Much Ado about nothing"

When this season restarted I thought immediately "What a complete waste of time." I must admit that I do watch the games but I really just don't care what happens.

The players probably are as fed up as I am. No fans adds to the delusion that these are any more than practice games. I just cannot be bothered being critical of players or the team and definitely not the Manager.

When the new season starts, I will care again. Liverpool's season will be forgotten. I feel that I will have new inspiration and a new Everton will arise. Mind you I have felt like that since I first watched an Everton game in the late forties. You just have to be a first-class optimist to be an Evertonian.

To help all supporters feel better just remember that this just was not a real season. It was a Monty Python season with Marco Silva being the Basil of Fawlty Towers. We now have one more new manager who is destined to lead the Blue Legion to glory.

The Spurs v Everton was just an illusion in a season that was not a season. All games for the fiasco that ended in March are practice games that are being played behind closed doors. They are games for nobody, played in front of nobody. And nobody should really care. I don't.

Tony Hill
143 Posted 07/07/2020 at 05:15:56
Mark @107 makes a telling point in his last paragraph. Far too often our basic football skills and awareness are just not present. A general sloppiness and lethargy infect us. Neville made the point that these defects are accumulated over years of bad practice.

This is a poor team in need of radical surgery and I am very sorry to say that I think the disease may be too deep-seated. It's true that these are not normal playing conditions but we've seen versions of last night's debacle a sickening number of times.

Hard to find reasons to be cheerful.

Gavin Johnson
144 Posted 07/07/2020 at 05:28:11
John Daley, now will you say what you really think about Gomes?! lol

I thought we might have a different John Daley posting until I realised it was John, with talk of golden gooses shitting out a Lindt eggs and other Daley-esque analogies.

Yes, I agree Gomes does seems to evade criticism. I don't think we'll have the full measure of him until he has a big athletic player like Gbamin playing alongside him. But at the moment he does very little other than playing safe passes and niggling the opposition like a poor man's Diego Costa.

Personally, Gomes's absence to try things is why Tom Davies has stood out because he does try forward passes. The only problem is, personally, I don't see Tom getting much better and I don't know if that's because he's not having a specific role and only playing sporadically, or it's just that he's limited in some areas of his game.

I'd love us to buy two quality midfielders in the next window and then loan Tom out to a club where he'll play, week-in & week-out.

Danny Broderick
145 Posted 07/07/2020 at 05:43:40
Our best midfielder this season has been Mason Holgate, when he played there under Dunc. Apart from Tom Davies, none of the others have any energy or fight in them.
Michael O'Malley
146 Posted 07/07/2020 at 06:19:54
I hope this isn't the style of football we're going to be watching under Carlo cos that was awful, boring and tepid, Yawn!
David Currie
147 Posted 07/07/2020 at 06:32:22
Watching Sigurdsson and Gomes is like watching two middle-aged players, they are so slow. On Thursday, I would play Gordon and, if fit, Holgate in the centre of midfield.
Lester Yip
148 Posted 07/07/2020 at 06:32:31
As others have pointed out, not effectively replacing Gana is the reason the midfield looks so bad. Gomes and Sigurdsson are not known for their defensive abilities.

Also, it seems like we still have too many No 10s in the team. Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Bernard and Gordon? And not any all-out wingers? Walcott and Bolasie?

Bill Watson
149 Posted 07/07/2020 at 06:45:26
Kenn #138,

Exactly my thoughts during last night's debacle. I was thinking of how much I'd saved by not being there. At least 𧴜 and a day recovering from stiff 'coach' knees.

The other positive is that Carlo will now be under no illusions as to the job facing him. It could be argued the Liverpool Cup game was a one-off as we could/should have been three goals up by 15 minutes.

No such arguments can be offered for the Chelsea and Spurs games. These were our normal fall back positions for away games against the so-called better teams and, as we all know, the cause is rooted in a dreadful midfield which has no pace, aggression or the ability to find a telling forward pass. Much of the time they struggle even to find a blue shirt!

At least Tom Davies tried, Gordon offers some hope for the future and Gomes has the excuse he is playing himself back in after a dreadful injury. He starts because we have so few alternative options.

No such excuses for Iwobi, Sigurdsson and Bernard who offer little, or nothing, to the team.

Forget replacing the goalkeeper or spaffing money on a goalscorer. Any money we have must be invested in top-class midfield players who can impose themselves on a game.

Jim Bennings
150 Posted 07/07/2020 at 07:04:37
The whole team needs a new stronger spine though, it's not just in midfield.

Pickford needs better competition to start with or replacing as, for me, the guy seems put together in Frankenstein's lab mentality-wise.

Coleman, legs have gone now as modern day up and down fullback requires.

Digne, needs to pull his finger out of his arse or be replaced.

The whole midfield needs to go, and I include Davies, yes, we need more than just someone trying or being steady, we need dynamism and not one of our midfield players in my opinion would break into a team above us.

Richarlison can stay but he's another one really who doesn't get involved in enough games especially on the road, is he irreplaceable? Not for me not if we had a good eye in the transfer market but sadly we don't.

Calvert-Lewin should be ok as a squad player but again whilst he's unproved this season and had a good midseason purple patch, he's still not a striker that's making himself feared and needs too many sights of goal before scoring for me.

If we really want to challenge the top clubs, then we need to be ruthless and quit the sentimental judgements on players that just won't propel us any higher than 8th.

Bobby Mallon
151 Posted 07/07/2020 at 07:08:25
People keep saying it will be better when we get a couple of mobile energetic midfielders in. Really, like who are these midfielders who really wants to come play for Everton?

We are shite. Unless we pay them extortionate amounts of money, it will be the same injury-prone ex-Barcelona shite of the past.

Fuck, I could go out and broker a deal for shit players from a big European club because they want rid to any fool team willing to take them. I wonder how much Brands gets in back ganders for buying them. Makes me so angry.

Andrew Hight
153 Posted 07/07/2020 at 07:22:54
Spurs were poor and beatable. Defence and front line not to blame. Echo comments above. Gomes still recovering maybe, Iwobi and Sigurdsson did absolutely nothing as usual. Two players who, in an ideal world, would not play for Everton again.
Eddie Dunn
154 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:03:44
Recently Carlo had a few plaudits for tightening things up. It is true that we are more compact, we have reduced the space between the lines to stifle the opposition.

Going forward is our problem. There is little pace in the midfield and we fail to pick out good forward passes to our two willing runners Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

So many games now where our team fails to create anything of note. I was most disappointed with Gomes, but I suppose it is a miracle that he is even playing.

The team looked tired, it seems that the current regimen of two games a week is a little too tough for these pampered poofs. In the '70s and '80s it was the norm but this lot (Spurs players too) seem to be feeling sorry for themselves.

Of course it must be really tough for them not staying in the nice hotels, not getting little nick-nacks in from the sponsors in the hospitality boxes. The lot of them were just thinking about where it is okay to book two weeks in August.

Gordon did well, but I wonder how long it will be till the attitude rubs off on him and he withdraws into his shell?

Richarlison is our only quality player and I suspect that he is trying harder than the others because a top 4 club or European giant will soon swoop for him.

The rest of our team is littered with average Joes and mercenaries. How do you motivate millionaires? Some won't be around next season, some of them don't fancy Europa League games in Ukraine on a Thursday, and away games in Newcastle on the Sunday. Others are never going to improve to a level to get success.

The defence is adequate, the midfield terrible and the attack needs at least one more option. Three new faces (not journeymen, not sicknotes, not OAPs). Two in the midfield and one striker please.

Mark Murphy
155 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:05:39
Jim @ 150,
I've just posted the same on The People's Forum. Our footballers are just not technically gifted nor astute enough to play us into the top 6.

I've noticed for some time – seems like years even – that when heading the ball our players seem to head it away rather than to a team mate. Our passing is woeful and we never ever get players in the box unless we have a corner. Poor Sidibé for example had a looping ball to deal with last night so headed it into touch. An Under-11s right back would have been annoyed with himself.

It's going to take more than 2-3 signings. I'd keep Holgate, Digne and Richarlison (if we can) and possibly Calvert-Lewin and replace the rest.

First lot out: Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Moise Kean, Bernard (sadly – I want to like him), Sidibé, Pickford (should still raise some funds).

I just hope Carlo can see what needs to be done and gets the backing to change it – otherwise, we are an eternal mid-table club.

Tony Abrahams
156 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:06:16
Gomes needs a big energetic midfielder next to him, but the manager looks like he's going to continue to play 4-4-2.

It's been a long time since we witnessed 4-4-2 but, when played correctly, you need two energetic players in the middle, players who can do a bit of everything, and you need at least one wide player who can go past a man and put a cross in.

Ancelotti surprises me by blaming the midfield because the players he selected will never make a cohesive unit, which is possibly the easiest thing to understand if you watch them play every week.

Trevor Peers
157 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:22:02
Shameful to suggest the defence and forwards are blameless in Everton's current plight. To be successful, the team as a whole must play as a collective unit and I've seen nothing to suggest that will happen anytime soon or that our forwards and some of our defending is anywhere near good enough.

Last night, we had one moment of attacking venom in the whole match and I'd say that is a huge part of our present problems. The defence is far from perfect and midfield is non-existent.

Richarlison has to, or is ordered to, drop deep and gets kicked off the park at every away ground in the country. There's no potency down the flanks and the other two forwards at the club, Calvert-Lewin and Kean, are incapable of creating a chance for themselves out of nothing and are clearly substandard.

Untill we address this a unearth a genuine goal threat we will always be the worst team to watch in the Premier League. Especially away from home, we are truly woeful.

Peter Mills
158 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:22:20
It's a neat strategy to try and dispose of our deadwood to clubs further down the food chain from us.

However, we need to be aware that it would not be a unique wheeze, having been adopted some time ago by clubs like Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal and Barcelona.

Whoever would fall for such a cunning plan?

Martin Berry
159 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:25:52
In our defense, the defense is solid, the front two can be excellent but the midfield...?

Here is the conundrum: how does Carlo improve it? – which he must, and he knows he must during the transfer window.

Sigurdusson finished his career last night; Carlo knows what he saw. Iwobi appears hopeless at the moment, where exactly does he play? We have no left- or right-sided players and Brands has gone on record that we need a right-sided player... that means Walcott has gone.

The whole balance of the midfield is non-existent. We need young energetic players in there and I think Davies and Gordon will play more prominent roles in the future. Over to Carlo and Marcel and Farhad's wallet again (poor bloke).

Derek Knox
160 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:34:23
I couldn't/didn't post after the match last night, because basically I was fuming and disgusted in equal measure. I say 'match', using the word loosely, but Spurs were a 'match' and were as woeful as we were, and basically with a bit of effort were there for the taking.

I couldn't really criticise too heavily the defence, as they did what was required (apart from a couple of brainfarts again from Pickford); luckily we got away with them.

We weren't so lucky, as was Michael Keane, when the ball ricocheted off him for their goal. He has been playing a lot better recently, so I will lay off him. The midfield as has been mentioned is a shambles, a mixture of lethargy and lack of creativity. No wonder the forwards had nothing to feed off.

Gomes earned a lot of respect on here after that horrendous injury, and the way he made a speedier recovery than anticipated, but he is quickly eroding that with displays like last night. He should have been hooked well before Tom Davies, who was marginally better, and at least showed a bit more effort.

Liam Reilly
161 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:55:02
Awful watch.

Neville was right with his commentary. Everton have a defeatist mindset going away to any of the so-called 'Big 6'. They are beaten leaving the tunnel. As soon as we concede, the game is over.

There was a stat showing in the game, where Everton have not won a game since 2015 when being behind at half-time. 5 Draws and 35 defeats or something like that. Embarrassing.

Sigurdsson and Iwobi pulling out of 50-50 challenges, is an utter disgrace and as for the Brazilian wizard 'Bernard'; the commentator was generous by saying he went low with the free-kick.

No nonsense, winning mentality starts at the Training Ground, but we'll soon be posted pictures of more laughing and joking; whilst Seamus is led out to tell us all that they are hurting and are working hard... blah, blah, blah.

Play the kids - give us something to look at for the remainder of the season and Brands needs to work hard to get shot of the deadwood.

Mick Conalty
162 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:55:10
Good news and bad news from Finch Farm:

The bad news is that there is no good news.

Apart from it's now time for the flip-flops.

Andrew McLawrence
163 Posted 07/07/2020 at 08:56:45
The article near the bottom of the ToffeeWeb home page about Brands not planning major overhaul looms larger now.

If the majority of this team starts next season, then we will sooner or later be in a significant relegation battle. I can't help but draw comparisons with Sunderland. Staggeringly poor effort that.

Christy Ring
164 Posted 07/07/2020 at 09:10:12
David Bowen @116

'Hopefully Carlo should find a formation to suit Sigurdsson' — are you serious?? I'd say his best hope is Playstation.

Wherever you put him, and the same with Iwobi, it's like playing with 9 men. Did either of them put their foot in last night? No.

If they are lucky enough to get a pass, because they certainly won't fight for it, they get rid of it as quick as they can. Waste of space.

Jim Bennings
165 Posted 07/07/2020 at 09:37:58
The defeatist mindset Gary Neville talks about away to the top six has dogged away at Everton for decades.

Fans might not like to admit it but only Roberto Martinez came remotely close to shattering that losers mentality and getting this club to believe in itself a little.

He's still the only manager to have broken the Old Trafford hoodoo and but for an absolute twat of a linesman in the 98th minute at Chelsea back in January 2016, he'd have broken that curse too

No Everton manager anymore seems to have the bottle to try and play an expansive team, all it ever is now is keep it tight, keep it tight, it's bloody boring that we just don't seem to evolve, year-in & year-out.

Mick Conalty
166 Posted 07/07/2020 at 09:43:16
Andrew #163,

We have already been relegated!

We are now in the second tier of the Premier League.

Joe McMahon
167 Posted 07/07/2020 at 09:46:46
Julian @77, the defining moment for me was the FA Cup semi v Liverpool when Moyes did his trying to defend a 1 goal lead, and lose. Backed up by the 0-3 defeat to Wigan. I now spend more time with my other half, it's less stressful than Everton, as I've come to realise we just cannot compete.

Liverpools recent successes just underline what an awful basket case club Everton have become. I don't blame Kenwright for everything, but the Kings Dock failure did the damage.

Laurie Hartley
168 Posted 07/07/2020 at 09:52:04
Gerry Ring # 112 - there was another one apart from Sigurdsson - Iwobi. If anything he is even more tackle shy.

If it was up to me neither of them would get another game this season.

Jamie Crowley # 108 - you are correct - they tried to kick Richarlison off the park. Tim Cahill or Lee Carsley would have sorted that out very quickly. We need a hard man.

And someone who can see what's going on in front of him.

Clive Rogers
169 Posted 07/07/2020 at 10:03:23
Joe, 167, I do blame Kenwright for everything. The worst chairman of my lifetime. He ran the club down. No ambition, no business acumen, bad appointments, just a determination to remain as chairman and in the limelight. He has presided over the worst 20 years in EFC's history and it continues.
Lester Yip
170 Posted 07/07/2020 at 10:15:34
The defence is getting better because we kept a deeper line so our slower CB will not be as exposed. But the result is that our midfield has more grounds to cover in transition. Their lack of pace and energy is exposed. There's no easy way to get it sorted out quickly.

So I agree Carlo's strategy at the moment. Tighten the defence first so we don't lose to at least get a draw. If we can counter or score from set-pieces, it's a bonus. Until we get better personnel in, try to play expansive against the better teams will only get us exposed and lost by big margin which could damage the morale further.

I also want us playing beautiful football but it seems we at least a couple of transfer windows away.

John Kavanagh
171 Posted 07/07/2020 at 10:28:19
I blame Carlo for last night. He should have explained to to Gomes, Siggy and Iwobi that you don't apply the 2 metre social distancing rule while on the pitch. Anyway, all three have now done their bit for the future of football. There's thousands of 9 year olds out playing today after seeing that lot and saying 'I can do better than that'.
Tony McNulty
172 Posted 07/07/2020 at 10:44:59
When Andy Gray signed for us he said, "you give me the service, and I'll score you the goals."

Some of the time DCL has started coming away from striking positions and instead hunting the ball in midfield or on the wings.

He does this because the service, especially from midfield, has been poor. This must be one of the best Everton teams ever at the science of the "misplaced final pass."


Kevin Molloy
173 Posted 07/07/2020 at 10:59:07
Lester yes I agree. If our tactics suddenly make our defence look stronger, then that usually impacts somewhere else. Gomes looked like king of the world sometimes in his first year under Silva, at the same time M Keane looked worse than useless. And we as fans are so often not aware of these strictures upon how a player performs, we just see the end result. same thing under Moyes, world class centre backs, hopeless forwards. It wasn't just down to the personnel
Brian Williams
174 Posted 07/07/2020 at 11:06:28
It's a sad state of affairs when the only players who actually want to carry the ball forward and are prepared to take responsibility are Young Anthony Gordon and, when he came on, Yerry Mina.
I'm glad Gary Neville pointed out Sigurdsson's tackle avoidance tactics last night, and the fact that it was shown in a replay, as now it can't be denied. He wasn't alone though. Iwobi was at it too, and does it regularly. He'll approach the opposition at top speed and slow down to a stop a metre or two short. If Walcott had been playing he'd be demonstrating the "skill" too.
I can't remember ever seeing a midfield so lacking in the desire to go forward and create.
Tom Davies at least had a go while he was on but he was mostly on his own, and expecting the youngest midfield player to be the leader is a travesty.
Major revamp of that midfield required or we're going nowhere, fast!
Joe McMahon
175 Posted 07/07/2020 at 11:21:58
Clive @169, on reflection I do 100% agree with you.

Another person I'm agreeing more with is a certain Mr Darren Hind. Academy players on much lower salaries at least putting effort in compared to very expensive flops just strolling around avoiding tackles.

We do however need Carlo to have involvement with a transfer window as this must be addressed, sadly it wont be Clarence Seedorf.

Stephen Brown
176 Posted 07/07/2020 at 11:58:46
£75m plus for Sigurdsson and Iwobi! I almost feel sick! How much would we realistically get for them now?

Sigurdsson £5m ?
Iwobi as he's younger £10m ?

Who would take them?

This is a criminal waste of money. We have paid so much over the odds for these two and others!

Although he didn't say it out loud but I could sense from CA that the penny had dropped with some of these players tonight! Just not at the right level! Ok players but you can't teach will to win, guts and determination! Too nice and Gary Neville is spot on in his analysis !

I can't really name many players in the squad I'd be sorry to be exchanged or sold?! Richarlison, Digne, Gordon, Holgate. That's about it?! Hopefully they've been told they are all in notice ??! Somehow I'm not sure many will care ?!

Roger Helm
177 Posted 07/07/2020 at 12:03:53
In the old days it was said a midfield needs a buzzer, a passer and an enforcer. None of our players could be called any of these.
Sean Kelly
178 Posted 07/07/2020 at 12:07:54
What a shambles. I was so annoyed watching that tripe last night I couldn't comment on here for fear of being banned. Many posters have nailed it here about our midfield but I would call it cowardly. Siggy is a bottler full stop. He's a fifty million plus FRAUD. I think he now knows his number is up and is going through the motions. He simply does not want to get injured. He probably sees the shit medical rehab at finch farm and says "fuck that" Gomez on the other had has had the experience of Finch Farm rehab and doesn't want to go back there. Either way they are done. Davies is an honest player but limited. He needs honest hard working players around him in midfield to flourish. He needs a Gueye type player to mob up his mistakes.
Carlo is not a miracle worker. He need s to identify the players he wants and tell Brands and Moshiri to get them. Then he can mold a team together. If Brands cant get him ten tell him to fuck off. Some of the current deadwood has his finger prints over it.
We haven't had a proper midfield for years. Currently there's more movement in Madam Tussaud's than in our midfield. This is going to take time but I trust Carlo to get it right if he's allowed to do it his way. As long as there is improvement after he has had a transfer window or two to get his players in I will be happy. No more passengers or wasters please Carlo.
Tom Bowers
179 Posted 07/07/2020 at 12:08:58
The usual expected dismal performance after 3 fruitful results that gave us a glimmer of optimism for the rest of the season.

It's so typical of what we have come to expect.

Thrashed by Chelski and tossed out of the cup by a RS ''second eleven'' are two of worst performances of a season filled with them.

Carlo has a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in time for the new season. The deadbeats showed up again yesterday and it's time to get the axe out.

Kevin Molloy
180 Posted 07/07/2020 at 12:21:48
we are a team in desperate need of a nark. United used to have a team full of them, all eager, desperate to win. This team doesn't care enough. It was illuminating to see Lloris and Son arguing last night, you just couldn't imagine that happening with our lot, they are more likely to sulk, for five minutes and then try and think about something else.
Kenny Smith
181 Posted 07/07/2020 at 12:24:20
In a way I'm glad that happened last night. If anyone thought that Sigurdsson and Iwobi could play in the same midfield then there's your answer. Personally I don't think they should be at the same club. £80 million + squandered again.
We lacked any kind of imagination, power and pace in the final 3rd. Spurs were as poor as us but once again we have fallen the wrong side of the line when it comes to luck being dished out.
But saying that you need to make your own luck by forcing the play and we are not capable of that no matter what combination of our midfielders we have starting.
Time to ship out some of the has beens and never beens and start again with hungry players who have ambition. We say it each summer but it's vital we get the right players in this window because this can't go on.
Fraser Auld
182 Posted 07/07/2020 at 12:49:33
The midfield has been a disaster this season, it hasn't worked out.

The grand plan to flog Gana and play Gbamin, Gomes and Delph in a midfield three just hasn't materialised due to injuries.

What football is Brands directing in his role as “director of football”? This switch to 442 has left a lot of his signings looking like square pegs in round holes. He's meant to be implementing a strategy so that every time a new manager comes in we don't have a big rebuild. Otherwise he's just a glorified head scout doing the transfer negotiations.

No combination of the central midfielders look comfortable in a 442, their deficiencies are exposed. We've got Bernard, Walcott, Iwobi and Siggy all signed with a view to playing 4231 or 433 - they're utility forwards, wingers, number 10's. None of them are traditional left, right or centre midfielders for a 442.

What is Brands going to do this window? It's going to be very dispiriting next season if the majority of them are still here and we're still trying to play the same way. It's literally just a case of waiting, like we did with Schneiderlin, watching folk we know aren't good enough, until their contracts run down to the point they go for a nominal sum or free at the end of their contracts.

Sake

Stephen Brown
183 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:09:05
There has to be merit in going back to 4231 or 433 with the midfield personnel we have?

At least Sigurdsson offered some goals in that formation and the midfield wouldn't be so overrun!

Derek Knox
184 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:12:40
Kevin@180, " we are a team in desperate need of a nark " how very true, apart from a large pool on TW, where can we get anyone else who fits the bill!

Seriously, there is no bite or guile in midfield at all, what worries me is that post Covid-19 and what looks like another mid-table finish (barring a miracle) will funds be made available?

There are more than just a couple of decent players needed to rectify this crock of shit. I've always believed that we had a decent nucleus to build on, but after last night, which could have been a debacle had Spurs not been equally as poor. I am seriously rethinking my belief.

It seems the more these players get in wages the less committed they become, they're doing a job at the end of the day, and are expected to deliver, okay people can have an off-day, but not the whole team!

It might be a saving grace in many ways that fans are prohibited from attending matches, paying good hard earned money to watch that load of horseshit.

Rant over, till Thursday anyway, I hope I am not repeating it on Friday.

Kim Vivian
185 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:18:07
I almost weep whenever I think of Sigurdsson (not arsed if that's spelled wrong). I did not want that deal to happen when it was all going on but hoped I would eat my words (thoughts) after he joined. On rare and brief occasions he lived up towards the hype but has been a £15-£20m (at the time) value package at best. Interesting to note that Spurs bought Aurier for about half the cost of Sigg the same month.

I'm weeping again.

Kevin Molloy
186 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:27:50
I'll tell you what makes me weep Kim.
The carefree abandon with which Koeman blew £250m. It will take a generation to recover.
Kim Vivian
187 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:37:45
Kevin - I was just about pulling myself together - you've started me off again.
Roger Helm
188 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:41:45
Richarlison was being kicked all over the park. Spurs have been dirty bastards for years now. It is a tactic used by some teams to take turns to kick the opponent's best player.

The rugby league authorities dealt with the problem by introducing team warnings - if the referee feels there are too many fouls, he puts the team on a warning and the next player to infringe, whoever it is, gets a yellow card and ten minutes in the sin bin.

It is a system that works well, but we will never see it because FIFA don't like to learn from other sports.

John Kavanagh
189 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:45:21
Stephen #183. And therein lies our problem.Changing shape, tactics etc. in order to fit in can't be arsed players simply because we wasted loads of money on them. Niasse's non locker is now free so it should be given to Siggy today. I doubt whether he'd get into the Iceland squad on the basis of this season's 'performances' - come to think of it he wouldn't even make the Aldi or Netto squads. Get him off the wage bill asap.

Time to give the kids a go. The conditions are perfect - no risk of relegation and no crowd to get on their backs if they mess up. I'd sooner see the youngsters trying even if we get a hiding rather than put up with the lazy cowardly displays we've had to endure all too often this season. Oh and we need an expert to treat Pickford for his ADHD pronto.

Brent Stephens
190 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:47:48
Roger #188 - it's not just team warnings in rugby that would be good in football. It's also the "retire 10 metres" rule at certain set pieces - immediately (and certainly don't encroach) or you have to retreat another 10.
Brent Stephens
191 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:48:23
Roger #188 - it's not just team warnings in rugby that would be good in football. It's also the "retire 10 metres" rule at certain set pieces - immediately (and certainly don't encroach) or you have to retreat another 10.
Brent Stephens
192 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:48:47
Oops! Sorry.
Allan Board
193 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:53:04
Didn't watch, we always lose at spurs! I agree with the consensus to play the younger players now. 10 year's of buying everyone else's cast offs or shit teams best players and this is what you end up with. Or is it 30 years of buying dross?
The only thing to keep reminding ourselves of, is there are probably 15 other really shit teams full of shit player's in this league.
I look at it this way, older players can't run, young kids can run all day so sack off the oldies and teach the young ones how to play the game in your training. Why clubs persist with old player's is a mystery to me, they've had there time, and are finished.
It's a quick game now, for young lads with iron lungs. Most of the Everton midfield look like old men with smokers lungs.
When they hit 30, look to be getting rid Everton.
I wish Ancelloti all the luck in the world, I like him, because he is going to need it.
Gonna take him 2 years just to put an adequate squad together, let alone a regular winning one.
It's a long road, but he knows what it takes to be successful.
I am just not so sure about the abilities of our player recruitment team!
Back him, or you will still be here in another 10 years Everton.
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

194 Posted 07/07/2020 at 13:57:45
The two Brents @ 190 and 191.

Football trailed this and binned it without making it universal.

This link to a very dated-looking BBC Sports page will show you just how long ago.

Retreat 10 Yards

Brent Stephens
195 Posted 07/07/2020 at 14:13:33
Jay #154 I thought it had been tried. I don't know why it was ditched. Another reason for penalising teams not retreating at free-kicks is the time which the delays take out of the game.

I noticed one of the comments in the piece was from a certain "Les Tuckwell, South Wales". Worked with him in Newport, if it's the same guy! Haven't seen him for years - a blast from the past.

Christy Ring
196 Posted 07/07/2020 at 14:18:36
What sickens me, is that Sigurdsson has 2 more years on his contract at over £100k per week, which tells us, he's going nowhere, no one would even offer him £10k a week. Brands signed Iwobi on a 5 year contract, and a salary of £60k a week, so he's going nowhere either, and lastly, Brands other signing, and injury prone, even before we signed him Delph, has 2 years left on a salary of £80k a week, so he'll be going nowhere either. So I hope Ancelotti is sole in charge of transfers this summer.
Steve Carse
197 Posted 07/07/2020 at 14:19:12
Roger (188), I'm not in favour of sin bins for several reasons.

You can bet your bottom dollar that it would create more reffing inconsistencies and incompetent decision making. Refs (and VAR) are bad enough as it is without more controversy, particularly since their decisions would be creating uneven numbers on a regular basis. Would you really want games of 9v9?

I would also expect it would reduce the spectacle, with the side finding itself with the numerical deficit choosing to run down the clock through time wasting and tedious possession keeping (neither of which I would guess are as feasible in rugby league).'

John Pierce
198 Posted 07/07/2020 at 14:35:20
The biggest problem Carlo is going to have is to move the average position of the team up the field. Dropping deeper to accommodate Keane's one dimensional playing style just drags the whole team deeper. Despite his plaudits you cannot play that deep regularly.

The midfield are not getting any further than the half way line and the full backs are exhausted doing 70yd ‘doggies' to provide width and a vertical threat to the team, because we don't have numbers to retain the ball upfield, they are frequently caught out in transition. The affect on the front two is evident, one becomes part of the defensive shape the other becomes isolated.

So when we do get forward, it's sparse and with no midfield back up. Any ball played onto the box leaves the forwards outnumbered and with not one midfielder backing up the play up. There's no chance we win a second ball.

Sat so deep it allows the opponent to saturate our half, gives them outnumbered situations, and pins us in our own half. To be honest I'd rather play Mina, and a much higher line if you want to persist with 4-4-2. If you do not rotate the midfield you are asking for it, I'd love to see a fresh two on Thursday, but I'd don't think we will.

Terry McLavey
199 Posted 07/07/2020 at 14:39:27
I thought dropping Sigurdsson for the last match would create a reaction, how wrong can you be?

The man's performances show complete contempt for our great club, it's shameful how he is rewarded with thousands of pounds a WEEK for his apathy shown of the pitch. He should be shown the door toute suite and suite the tooter !
Kieran Kinsella
200 Posted 07/07/2020 at 14:42:49
Tim Cahill is always very measured and avoids criticizing individuals but even he said we've had poor recruitment specifically with players who cost 30 to 50 million. So in other words, Iwobi and Sig. The sad truth as another poster pointed out was that Holgate has probably been our best midfielder this season.
Kieran Kinsella
201 Posted 07/07/2020 at 14:45:25
Sean Kelly

Madam Tussauds lol so true

Mick Conalty
202 Posted 07/07/2020 at 15:01:17
If Silva watched that last night,
He must be avin a laf.

Giz a job Mr. Kenwright I can do
Dat. Go on Giz a Job.

George Carroll
203 Posted 07/07/2020 at 15:27:32
AWFUL GAME, AWFUL DISPLAY BY BOTH TEAMS, AWFUL REFEREE,THEONLY GOOD THING THE WHOLE NIGHT WAS GARY NEVILLE. AT LAST THE MEDIA PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE CO WARDS IN OUR TEAM. LETS HOPE THEY EITHER HAVE SOME PRIDE IN THEMSELVES AND RESOLVE TO DO BETTER OR THEY ARE BOOTED OUT OF THE CLUB ASAP
Craig Walker
204 Posted 07/07/2020 at 15:35:18
I think Brands gets an easy ride. Remember the praise he got for showing some attention to Moise Kean's mum? It was like he'd got Messi to sign for us. The guy is moderately better than Steve Walsh. He's been joint culpable of wasting the best opportunity we've had in a generation. Only Richarlison looks like a good signing and Silva probably was instrumental in that.

If you'd have told us 10 years back that we'd have a billionaire owner, a new ground in the pipeline and Ancelotti as manager I don't think anybody would expect us to be mid table with zero wins against the RS in that time.

Dan Nulty
205 Posted 07/07/2020 at 15:49:22
Agree with your thoughts on brands Craig, yet to be convinced. I think a lot thought Kean was a massive coup in the summer. I do think if anyone can get the best out of him in England it will be Carlo. Have to wait and see.

Moshiri must be furious at the wasted money so far. It is depressing.

Have to give Carlo time though, if he can't turn us round and get us in top 6 next season then I genuinely don't think anyone can.

After all the shit, aren't we due a bit of bloody good luck. It is depressing.

Colin Glassar
206 Posted 07/07/2020 at 15:50:08
Deja vu anyone? We've seen this picture before, hundreds of times probably over the years. Lacklustre, weak, pathetic, uninterested etc It's something that's been accepted for decades now by everyone involved in the club.

Our expectations and standards seem to be far lower than most of our competitors. Nothing will change while boys pen Bill is hanging around, mark my words.

Mike Doyle
207 Posted 07/07/2020 at 15:56:37
John #198] makes a very good point about M Keane. His presence (and lack of pace) necessitates a deep defensive line. This in turn pulls everyone else back towards our goal.
We've seen this in all 4 recent games and expect more of the same on Thursday.
Jim Bennings
208 Posted 07/07/2020 at 16:15:15
Brands definitely doesn't escape criticism.

The signing of Iwobi at the ridiculous fee smacked of desperation after the failed Zaha pursuit.

The fee we got for Gana was nowhere near enough knowing full well that he was absolutely crucial to the way we played.

The signing of Gbamin has been a cursed one, but as soon as we signed him we hear rumours that he probably suits defence more than midfield.

Character checks on the likes of Gomes before signing him permanently should have been done as apparently he was always a bit flakey at Barcelona and it's hard to imagine Moyes going after a signing that had a bit of a fragile mentality.

The signing of Delph who has proven to be a big time arsehole was a waste money and wages, surely there was a hungry player in the championship that would put more effort in?

Moise Kean has been another poor signing that arrived with major question marks about his attitude, again under Moyes whose stringent homework on signings personality, probably would not have touched this arsehole, another Balotelli in the making.

Brands has a lot to answer for.

Stephen Brown
209 Posted 07/07/2020 at 16:29:01
Kean is probably worth a big fee but another bad season next year and that's another 25/30m down the pan! Is he worth the gamble? I'd sell while he has value!

Could we get money for Iwobi ? £10m maximum I'd say! Who'd take him? A promoted team?

Siggy, the reality is with that contract and his age you could be looking at a free transfer !

Delph - I forget he plays for us!

Don't forget we still have Bolasie, Tosun, Walcott, Sandro all contributing nothing.

It's unbelievable mismanagement. If this was a FTSE 100 business would have heads rolling! What must Moshiri think? What must Usmanov think?

As others have said if Carlo Ancellotti can't solve this we may as well forget it!

Brian Wilkinson
210 Posted 07/07/2020 at 16:36:52
Craig, you are right about Brands, what I have said in the past is ever since we brought a director of football in, starting with Walsh, we have gone backwards and wasted god knows how much.

Do we really need a director of football, it seems to do more harm than good.

Ditch them and get back to the good old scouting and negotiating with other clubs on potential signings

Roger Helm
211 Posted 07/07/2020 at 17:13:50
Steve @197 I am not suggesting sin bins as I don't think they would help the game either, but something should be done to protect the likes of Richie and to discourage those sides like Spurs who foul a lot. A team yellow with enough yellows equating to a point penalty? The EPL has become a lot faster and the players bigger and stronger - they are all built like middleweight boxers these days - and I think the authorities have to keep on top of dirty play.

While I am at it, the goals could be slightly bigger, as we are still using 19th century goals but modern goalkeepers are a lot bigger and more athletic. Making scoring a bit easier would encourage attacking play.

Tony Hill
212 Posted 07/07/2020 at 17:18:47
Colin @206, those running the club lack the skill and judgement to turn us around. I think it's as simple as that. What made us a force has long since disappeared and we are fuelled only by memories.

I don't know why, but I found last night particularly crushing. Perhaps because it somehow crystallised our plight. We keep going because we can't help it, but I have spent the last couple of years trying (and generally failing) to dilute my intense love for Everton. I looked at that disgrace of a performance and felt tired of persuading myself that we are still a great club just awaiting our time to rise again. We're really not.

Colin Malone
213 Posted 07/07/2020 at 17:32:22
No way can you play cup finals in this climate. It's bad enough now but Imagine walking out in the Champions League / FA Cup finals to an empty stadium? Please don't do it. A joke's a joke so stop the pantomime.
Christy Ring
214 Posted 07/07/2020 at 17:32:55
John@198, I think you're a bit hard on Keane, it's not that we're dropping deep to accommodate Keane, the problem is, we have no physical presence in midfield, and teams are walking through the middle, with Gueye gone and Gbamin injured.
Fraser Auld
215 Posted 07/07/2020 at 18:49:25
Agreed Christy, thought that myself when I read John's post.

We're not playing deep to accommodate Keane, although it does suit him. I've seen it a few times - get in a quick centre back for tug boat Keane and we'll play a high line and push up the pitch. Yeah right.

He's playing deeper because that midfield 4 in any combination have got no mobility, tenacity, dynamism, positional sense etc. Try play a high line with that slugfest of a midfield pressing and you're going to see teams running at our back four with lots of space to attack or options to play round them and we'll inevitably concede goals. True, we might score more but Carlo's prioritising keeping it tight first and foremost. You might agree with that or not but it's not all down to Michael Keane.

Kevin Prytherch
216 Posted 07/07/2020 at 18:55:28
Roger 211 - I agree about the goals. Maybe they could look something like this (3:15)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BhHq4m_Bi5g

Mike Gaynes
217 Posted 07/07/2020 at 19:03:41
Off-topic, but congrats to our old boy Davy Klaassen... not good enough here, but now Werder Bremen's leader and best player... just moments ago a 2-2 draw with Heidenheim in the promotion playoffs that keeps them in the Bundesliga after being deep in the cellar much of the season.
Derek Taylor
218 Posted 07/07/2020 at 19:35:32
Type or paste your comment here. PLEASE capitalise initial letters of proper names and use proper grammar. No txt-speak; all-lowercase posts are likely to be deleted
Derek Taylor
219 Posted 07/07/2020 at 19:54:11
Brian@ 210, I have to agree that our two ' DIRECTORS of FOOTBALL' have achieved nothing more than waste Moshiri's not inconsiderable investment. Indeed, their combined efforts have taken us back - almost to pre- Moyes days ! Three crap managerial appointments and more than a dozen piss poor signings,

It's ironic that we will have to admit that the old trio of manager,chief scoutand chairman did a far better job. And that's just about the kindest thing I've ever said about Bill Kennwright !

Hugh Jenkins
220 Posted 07/07/2020 at 20:07:39
I've read a lot of criticism on here about Brands. It may, or may not be right - I don't know, but, what I also don't know is what precisely his job entails.

To my minds the DoF should:-

Negotiate contracts and terms with agents and / or players;
Find suitable homes for players that are either not needed or not wanted any longer at the club;

Agree a playing strategy for the whole club with the First team coach and then ensure that it is implemented throughout the club so that any players aspiring to rise up the ranks can move seamlessly into the next level;

Organise the scouting network so that we, as a club are kept abreast of all developing players worldwide and become aware immediately anyone becomes available that can improve our playing staff;

Take instruction from the first team coach on they type and nature of the players the coach requires in any given transfer window and use the scouting team to find suitable candidates who can fill the role, are willing to come to the club and are within the club's budget.

It is on this last point that I think Brands is currently being judged and if my understanding of what the job entails is correct, then he is being judged harshly, in my opinion.

Each coach that he has worked with will have had to say what type of player they wanted and then say yay, or nay to the suggested candidates to fill the roll.

I don't think (but again I might be wrong) that Brand's remit is to turn up to a coach and say' "whether you want him or not, I've got you Sigurdson, or Iwobi, or Kean, or Keane etc."

Someone else, as well as Brands, will surely have to have signed off on these players ( e.g. Tosun and Walcott in the case of Allardyce)?

We are all disappointed, but let's see what type of player Carlo Ancelotti asks him to get and who he actually acquires.

When Carlo has had a bit of time to train his new squad and the new players have had a chance to integrate, then, and only then, can we make a judgement on both DoF and Coach as, until now,Brands hasn't had a coach of Ancelotti's calibre, telling him who he wants to bring in.

I am hoping and praying that this will be final new (not false) dawn that we have been promised for years, and that, at last, it will all start to click into place.

Paul Birmingham
221 Posted 07/07/2020 at 20:13:23
Tony @212, I agree, it's the hopelessness, these days, that killing us.

Few clubs have spent so much and made no improvement.

What kills me is the lack of care, effort and pride. Most of that squad have never put a shift in and grafted in their lives.

They aren't connected to the supporters if they were, that level of crap fest would be a rarity, but over the last 20 odd years the fragile mentality on the pitch is consistently so brittle.

They played with such a lack of desire, last night, what the hell is the captains job these days at Everton?

Too, soft, and weak and we need a big effort to put this defeat right, on Thursday night.

Paul Birmingham
222 Posted 07/07/2020 at 20:23:46
John@198, spot on summary.

It's self limiting to the point of almost total impotence in the oppositions 18 yard box, and almost self inviting pressure induced by the opposition.

We live in hope but this next transfer window will be very tough. Surely lessons will be learnt from the past few transfer windows.

Joe McMahon
223 Posted 07/07/2020 at 20:28:26
Jim @208, I often agree with you but sorry Moyes and Strikers just didn't work for the main part of 11 years. I'll get slated but his best 2 were Yakubu (even though he was 45) and Beckford, his strike rate was not bad for minutes on the pitch, plus he scored a well taken goal at Anfield.

Under Moyes it did become a phrase "Goodison the strikers Graveyard"

John Pierce
224 Posted 07/07/2020 at 21:02:45
Christy, you maybe right, I'm always overly harsh then relent a touch. Keane has played well and his better spells have come when a clear structure is in place. One quick example of why I think it's the nub of the issue, but not the entire thing. In the Leicester game Vardy had Keane out on the left and side, he eviscerated him, I'm afraid he ‘got away' with it because we played so deep.
However you are right to point out about the lack of dynamism in the middle of the park, my post definitely alluded to that too. However even if we had two box to box types, I think we are still to deep to help us spend more time in the opponent's half. Do that and you take the pressure of the defenders, right?
Mina is not as bad, better on the ball and will if needed concede the foul Keane won't make, ultimately they are both squad players, a quick centre back is what we need.
Jim Bennings
225 Posted 07/07/2020 at 21:35:28
Joe

Louis Saha was hardly a poor signing?

Might have been 30 and a tad injury prone but when he was fit he was probably technically the best centre forward Everton have had in the Premier League era.

Everton Football Club has been a strikers graveyard for many a year, the only one that truly broke the mould consistently scoring goals was Romelu Lukaku, who was criminally sold and never replaced.

Brian Wilkinson
226 Posted 07/07/2020 at 21:42:02
Hugh@220, to be fair, I think our transfers have gone down the drain in large parts, since we brought a d.o.f in.

Ok we signed a few duds before then, but on the whole, the players we sold we made a very good return on what we originally paid for them, the ones we have now that we bought, you could argue Digni and Richarlison would still be good investment, but the rest we will be lucky to pick up a few million for them.

In my opinion we have wasted so much on bang average players and put them on big wages and contracts.

Me personally, I would get rid of the d.o.f and go back to the old ways of the Manager and chairman sorting these targets out.

Anthony A Hughes
227 Posted 07/07/2020 at 21:43:06
It wasn't even as interesting as watching paint dry last night. If Everton was paint we'd be Magnolia, bland, uninspiring and boring. We have such an unbalanced midfield and we definitely don't have the players to play 4-4-2.
Joe McMahon
228 Posted 07/07/2020 at 21:43:16
Jim, yeah correct I forgot about Saha. If if was5so injury prone UTD wouldn't have sold. And Roms record was the best strike rate we have seen since Lineker, and over 4 seasons. But of course he wasn't a Moyes signing, who you were referring to.
Dave Abrahams
229 Posted 07/07/2020 at 21:51:47
Hugh (220),,there is a lot of truth in how the DOF works with the manager in securing players, at least that's how it worked with Walsh and Allardyce. According to Walsh, on stage at the Philarmonic Hall at an Everton AGM, he stated him and Allardyce would go and look at a player, and if they both agreed the player was good enough he would be signed, if one of them didn't like the look of the player they would give him a miss.

Beats me how they both agreed. Tosun was good enough but apparently they did, same goes for Walcott, but that's how it worked with Walsh and Sam.

Roger Helm
230 Posted 07/07/2020 at 22:00:31
Kevin 216 - Very funny, how did you find it? But OMG - David Baddiel blacking up! Baddiel must fall!
Christy Ring
231 Posted 07/07/2020 at 22:40:45
John@224, Cannot disagree with your assessment.
Lester Yip
232 Posted 08/07/2020 at 01:05:27
I think the claim of Rom was a better striker than Yak and Beattie by simply looking at the number of goals scored is not looking at the overall picture.

Moyes played a deep defence with lone striker. Kick the ball upfield, tried to draw fouls or corners. And we scored from set pieces by Cahill or our CB. I don't think Yak and Beattie suddenly became so lazy, with poor attitude and can't kick a ball once signed for Everton. Moyes knew chances would be few and rare. So he needed someone who can convert them when those rare chances present. Therefore all these prolific strikers were signed.

Martinez played more attacking football. If Rom played under Moyes, he would be asked to drop deep and help defending. He'll be by himself chasing loose balls and holding it for seconds before help arrive. I doubt he can score 20 goals.

Jim Bennings
233 Posted 08/07/2020 at 07:16:59
Lester

I always liked the Yak, cool as a cucumber in front of goal and had a beautiful finishing technique.

I also agree that James Beattie didn't become a bad striker overnight, his goal return for Southampton spoke for itself, in the two seasons prior to joining us he scored 23 and 17 goals.

The problem with Beattie is Moyes didn't really know what to do with him, Beattie needed a partner (he succeeded next to Kevin Philipps at Southampton) and he also needed a genuine winger supplying crosses.

Moyes signed Simon Davies in the hope he would deliver, and whilst on paper you can understand that signing as he was decent at Spurs, he failed at Everton this pretty much meaning Beattie failed too.

However I think whilst Martinez was miles more offensive than Moyes, I still think Lukaku would have been a regular 20 goal player under the Scot.

Rom would have fed off the likes of Fellaini, Pienaar in his pomp, Cahill, Arteta, I actually think Lukaku would have thought it was birthdays and Christmas rolled into one.

Whatever we think about Lukaku's attitude, the last two seasons under Martinez and in stages his first season here on loan, he was absolutely unplayable and a quite devastating goal scorer.

We will probably not see a striker as effective in front of goal here again.

Michael O'Malley
234 Posted 08/07/2020 at 11:33:54
Rom could also pick the ball up on the half way line beat a couple of players and score,he scored one away at city a few seasons back, something our current strikers seem incapable of doing, and to think some fans thought he wasn't good enough for us! I would have him back in a heartbeat, when he got upto speed he was unplayable at times
Chris Cooper
235 Posted 08/07/2020 at 12:03:03
The key for me and the most difficult part is off loading the shite already here sandro, sigurdsson, bernard, iwobi, tosun, pickford, delph etc. Other players like baines, coleman who have been good pros over the years are not what they once were retain the latter on the coaching side maybe. There can be no sentiment here, flush the crap out now. Slow boring play with no cutting edge is not the way. NSNO does not apply with this set up, Promote the youth push our club forward show some spirit, hunger, and fight. Inject some pace into the way we go at teams. Everton have spent loads trying to improve we have not stoodstill in our quest for success, flush the shite out now. Put some pride back in the blue jersey. ffs COYB.
Marc Hints
236 Posted 08/07/2020 at 12:13:37
This would be my team for Southampton:

Pickford
Coleman Keane Mina Digne

Richarlison Holgate Gomes Gordan

DCL Kean

If Holgate is injured then try Beni

Peter McEvoy
237 Posted 08/07/2020 at 12:50:11

Having just watched our pathetic display against Spurs, I think all true fans need a reality check. I think we need at least six or seven new players.

Pickford is a liability, makes at least one howler every week;
Coleman, what a servant... but not the same player since his horrific injury, it pains me to say this;
Digne, I would keep him;
Holgate is really overrated... if clubs want him, let him go;
Keane tries hard but is not good against quality opposition;
Davies is very lightweight, never passes the ball forward; Sigurdsson... I do not know what is going on there – no heart, 㿞 million – what a joke!
Gomes is far too slow and not creative; Calver- Lewin has he the physical presence and is widely rated but I am not sure;
Richarliison will score goals and takes some stick; Gordon should be persevered with, a young prospect; Bernard can be decent but very inconsistent;
Walcott is plain awful;
Tosun... no thanks; Mina is just a liability.

Serious questions as to who we bring in. I think Carlo has his work cut out but he is not stupid – the 㾷M will help.

Who scouts for Everton? I know for a fact that our scout in Northern Ireland is a Liverpool fan.

I am afraid that about sums our club up. A shambles at the minute. I feel so sorry for our wonderful fans of The People's Club... Pity I can't say the same for our team at present.

Roger Helm
238 Posted 08/07/2020 at 13:15:11
Recruitment has been awful since Moyes left, with a few exceptions like Barry, Rom, Digne and Richie. We never get good, hungry players from lower leagues, such as Tim Cahill, Jags, Coleman, Lescott etc. Perhaps replace Brands with Moyesie as DoF or chief scout? Despite his other faults, he knew how to source players.

Of our current lot I would keep Pickford, as he is young for a goalie and should mature, Davies as a squad player as he is I guess on low wages, DCL, Richie (if we can), Keane, Mina, Digne, Coleman and the youngsters.

But how we unload the others, on such long and lucrative contracts, I have no idea.

Jim Bennings
239 Posted 08/07/2020 at 14:12:39
If you ask me, half of our troubles started when we began to introduce these Directors of Football.

Better to just let the manager get on with the job of scouting pretty decent players, it was always the bosses duty before so why change it.

Too much smoke blown up the arses of the like of Brands and Walsh before him.

Mike Doyle
240 Posted 08/07/2020 at 14:29:07
Holgate will miss Southampton game... but Alex Iwobi fit to play!

The Lord giveth - and the Lord Taketh away.

Mike Doyle
241 Posted 08/07/2020 at 14:31:53
... in more good news Delph remains unavailable (there's a surprise!)
Frank Crewe
242 Posted 08/07/2020 at 16:15:14
Lets face it if Carlo had the money outside of Richarlison, Digne, Holgate and possibly Gomes he would replace every player we have. But he doesn't so he can't. Our biggest problem is our puny midfield. Until we get some craft, energy and athleticism in there we are going nowhere fast.
Alan McGuffog
243 Posted 08/07/2020 at 17:22:03
In the case of EFC the Lord taketh away. And then thinks, "I know...I'll taketh away a bit more "

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