'Proud' Ferguson stresses all focus is on Chelsea game

Please

I know a lot of people give him stick on here, but we all have one thing in common, in that Everton should be a club we can all be proud of.

I wish him all the best.

I'm all for being a Man City, Chelsea and god forbid one of them in terms of trophies, but it strikes me that Everton just don't seem to work in the same way. We needed a major shift in how we are all thinking, and I hope we have got one now.

I think attitude and motivation mean everything in all walks of life, hopefully we have got ours back.

Come on you Blues.

If he wins, keep him.
If he wins, draws against Utd the same.
Nothing to lose, sign the manager of course but if Duncan gets the reaction keep him in the seat as long as the points are coming in.

Drop Pickford, Sigurdson, Walcott & Beningime. I wholeheartedly wish the big man every bit of luck and hope he galvanises the players to a produce a great performance. My team:

Lossl
Sidibe Holgate Mina Digne
Richarlison Davies Iwobi Bernard
Evans Keane

Subs: Pickford, Walcott, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin, Keane

He's quick, I'll give him that, but technically, physically, tactically he's about as strong as a wet paper bag. Ffs, he couldn't even foul their player to stop the 5th goal going in. He's crap and should be sold in January along with Walcott, Tosun and all the other tossers on our books!

I talk to the cones
But they don't listen to me
I talk to our stars
But they never hear me
The breeze hasn't time
To stop and hear what I say
I talk to them all in vain
[Chorus:]
But suddenly my words
Reached someone else's ears
Touch someone else's (fanbase majority) heartstrings, too
I tell you my dreams
And while you're listening to me
I suddenly see them come true
I can see us on a December night.

Come on down Dunc the Time is Right!
You know I have a good feeling about this and the Board they need to know!

Whether this will pan out longer than one match who knows, but he is the only one apart from Unsy, who has the Club at heart, that has been given a real chance.

I think Dunc has more skilled players at his disposal, than Unsy did but do they have the fighting spirit?

Does failing to dribble past a defender negate a gorgeous through pass?
Does creating a key scoring opportunity get wiped out by an errant pass?
Does not tackling much stand taller than high passing percentage?

Iwobi was 21 for 29 passes on Wednesday, btw. He also created 3 of our 6 chances. So if he's bad, what does that say about the other 9 position players on the pitch?

Final question: if he sits, who do you play in his spot & at what position?

The board and Moshiri are fair game. But let's leave the slagging off of individual players till after the Chelsea game eh?

Re: Iwobi, I think he's getting a little too much stick on here. Yes, he's wildly uneven and it often feels like he produces one great pass for every 2-3 poor give-aways... but at least he's producing those great passes. On a more clinical day, he might have had multiple assists at Anfield. He's the one player who always seems to be driving us forward and, like Mark says, if you drop him, what then? Sigurdsson?

Also, claiming that the gooners were laughing at us is inaccurate. I'm sure some of them were, but I know plenty of Arsenal fans - and saw plenty more on social media - who were genuinely upset that he was sold.

But even so, are we judging our players simply on the basis of their last game? That seems...well, dumb IMO. Sidibe had a terrible 30 minutes against Liverpool, does that wipe out his clear-cut MOTM performance against Leicester? What a fickle bunch!

Oh, and my favorite piece of evidence that Iwobi-haters cite is: Arsenal fans hated him! I had no idea that they had such a critical eye when it came to evaluating talent!

Wait, what's that? Oh, Serge Gnabry is on the other line? Yeah put him through. Sorry, gotta go!

Iwobe was great when he finally got moved to the 10, and he's been great since.

Everyone (just about) had a poor game at Mordor. Throwing Iwobe into the scrap heap after that game is a bit too much, for me.

There's a player there, for sure.

Steve Ferns - Leeds are in for Cenk?? Whaaaaa???? Just, why? Bite their hand off!!!

I'm a Big Dunc fan, so it would be amazing in my eyes if it worked out. I still think how Unsworth was treated was shocking though. It doesn't really matter what he does, as long as we don't get smashed... and even if he went on an unbeaten run for a month (even with the fixture list), a slip up at Brighton would work up the "not good enough" brigade.

Reading about Vitor Pereira doesn't fill me with confidence. The idea of Moyes makes me nauseous, I like Howe but the defensive frailties Bournemouth show just makes me me feel there won't be any progress.

Feom the list, Marcelo Gallardo is who I'd like to see... but whomever comes in I will back them.

I reckon the atmosphere will be brilliant on Saturday. At first anyway.

I'm not reading too much into Unsworth's role. Having been a caretaker manager himself, it probably makes sense not to have him alongside Dunc for this game, and have the potential confusion that might cause.

Was curious about Dunc's coaching qualifications. Looks like he's got all the UEFA badges - B, A, Pro, so it's not like he's just been sailing along without showing a genuine interest in learning more.

Every club has members of the coaching staff who are constants, and stay there throughout different managers and those managers' core coaching team. Nothing wrong with that kind of stability, I don't think any of us knows enough about his role to make any judgement on his abilities yet.

We'll at least have some enthusiasm tomorrow. I think we'll have a different team lineup. And go from there and see if we get a worthwhile new manager soon.

Admittedly he is far too slow for the pace of the Premiership, but played correctly which he has rarely been afforded whilst with us, he can score.

In all fairness to Cenk he was head-hunted by that genius we had the misfortune to have as Manager, Lardiola!

Getting back to Bielsa, he is considered a genius himself, not my words, but has been endorsed by Guardiola and the likes, but I think he is probably at the wrong age to take on a difficult project such as we are at the moment.

Which is even more annoying when you consider what has happened to us in the last four years, the money wasted, not to mention time too, but I could imagine Tosun doing alright at Leeds.

We need a younger man with ambition and an ability to se the long-term picture, with a strict but fair regime and above all patience.

I already refuted you, feel free to go re-read. /fin

Derek, I was trying to make a funny comment in a concerted effort to condense my posts. Way to ruin it :-D

Question - if Duncan wins a couple of these games and a new guy is still brought in; who's going to tell him? Might have to be via a phone call from Monaco!

If I close my eyes and just listen, I heard a man who's coached about 500 Premier League games, and knows what the hell he's doing.

Of particular interest to me, was when he gave Chelsea credit for their attacking potency, and said Everton have to press, but they need to be intelligent when deciding to press.

I read that as code for, "No more high lines, as long as they let me run this ship."

Good.

He needs to gather confidence and to take a breath and with that will come better concentration and focus, but I think he's a potentially excellent player for us.

If we actually play to the players strengths, I think we'll see a marked improvement.

For me, that starts with the two CBs in Mina and Keane. They are not built to stop counter attacks, nor are they built to play a high line. They aren't mobile enough. But they are, both of them and they've both shown it before, good defenders.

Start playing them a LOT deeper, making sure the game is in front of them and they're not chasing attackers and back-peddling, and watch how quickly their form changes from gash to damn good.

I think Big Dunc sees this.

Both had coaches so far out of their depth they were anchored to sea bed. Both teams sank.

Both had talented squads but could they fook find a way to get a tune out of them.

Both have novice interims whilst they find their man.

Both play teams beginning with ‘Ch this weekend

I'm grasping at straws that aren't even there.

Please win lads.

Bring back Martin Brodeur behind the bench! Team legend! Then the parallels continue!

Mark -

If that's what it takes to get 3 points, I'm on board!

So much offense in that Devils team, got to be unleashed. Two no.1 picks, Hall, Palmeri, Gusev.

Hynes has them playing like Athleti. It was grim and dour.

Ugh, just when things can't get worse I have to read NJ Devils talk. ;-)

Historically, that's the Devil's way. They practically invented the trap. Scotty Stevens, Broduer in between the pipes, no one could score on them. And it was the most boring hockey ever.

They won a few Cups though.

Back to the footy.

Hopefully the team will keep its shape and take the chances that we make.

A win would be momentous.

If he's as passionate as he says he is, he would've told Silva what he thought obviously he didn't so he would keep his job.

“Legend”? My arse!

Ever told your boss what you thought and how he's doing it all wrong? If so, how did that work out for you?

As I have said on here many a time, and I reiterate that, in we don't know what goes on behind the scenes, so it is unfair through my blue tinted eyes, to surmise without being in possession of the facts.

Oh, and your Leg End is near your arse, how very true!

I agree on Tosun. He'd be a good signing for Leeds and would slot quite a few in the Championship, which is about his level.

He reinvented himself as the 12th man in the side that finished 4th and now he is back in charge albeit for one match.

He loves Everton and I hope the players realise that and don't let him down. I suspect the youngsters will fight for him as the likes of Tom were toddlers when the big man was a talisman for us. Just hope the others get this.

If this is Duncan's only game as a coach, our players must give everything for the fans and for him to feel proud.

Great article in yesterday's Guardian by Barney Ronay. The club is a dysfunctional mess from the top down beginning with Moshiri and his sidekick, Grima Wormtongue, whispering in his ear.

If Moshiri is serious about turning this ship around then he needs to carry out a Saint Valentine's Day massacre at board level

That's how I see Iwobi, a decent player, who could become a very good player, if he really wants to, maybe?

Now on to the main man, a man that can hopefully generate the passion inside Goodison that has been missing forever. I've criticised Duncan on these pages many times, but the people who read posts more thoughtfully, will know it's been more about what I perceive as the unprofessional nature of the club, rather than just a dig at our caretaker manager.

Good luck Duncan, I hope you have a great first day in charge of the team mate, and even if you don't it won't be for a lack of trying, because you are definitely a true blue Evertonian, who obviously loves “our club”

Talent is of no use if you don't know how to apply it. Most of our players have it they are just too fucking clueless to employ it. I hope Duncan can change this pathetic, weak-kneed, gobshite attitude prevalent amongst this gang of overpaid morons.

Hopefully he picks a team that can give their all.
Personally I'm getting fed up hearing all these stats. As Tony says can stats measure commitment and pride, which are as important as all the shite stats people come out with.
G rating, miles run, pass completion etc etc etc. All mean shit. I'd be happy with Iwobi or anyone else ballsing up 20 passes as long as one results in a goal for us.
Why can't we play 442 ? Why do we have to go after all these nomark foreign managers. Because it's the latest fad? Maybe I'm just wishing we could step back and go back in time.
Maybe we do need a committed Blue just now to get us out of this situation

Hopefully he picks a team that can give their all.
Personally I'm getting fed up hearing all these stats. As Tony says can stats measure commitment and pride, which are as important as all the shite stats people come out with.
G rating, miles run, pass completion etc etc etc. All mean shit. I'd be happy with Iwobi or anyone else ballsing up 20 passes as long as one results in a goal for us.
Why can't we play 442 ? Why do we have to go after all these nomark foreign managers. Because it's the latest fad? Maybe I'm just wishing we could step back and go back in time.
Maybe we do need a committed Blue just now to get us out of this situation

Obviously don't want players constantly giving the ball away, but obviously do want players constantly trying to get on the ball and make things happen, because that's how I measure bravery.

Players who constantly want the ball and are therefore not scared of getting kicked, are how I determine bravery, players who want to make things happen, instead of hiding behind their mates, waiting for someone else to do something, and hopefully now Duncan has got his chance then maybe his nature will rub off on to some of our players? Now wouldn't that be a great way to start!

Even when we won (4) games we looked brittle and nervous. There was never any confidence in that team. Players looked lost and confused. I could see it and I'm sure many on here could see it as well, but Dumb and Dumber couldn't see the warning signs even if it smashed them in their respective gobs.

Big Dunc, or whoever the next manager is, has a Herculean job trying to install some belief and backbone into these players. But he'll also have to manage the owner and his board of incompetents. That might be his most challenging task.

We also have a habit, due to our low standing in the game these days, of buying players on the way down, rather than the way up. We have a HUGE amount of players who we bought from *ahem* bigger clubs, who couldn't get a game at Arsenal, City, Utd etc so they come to plucky mid table Everton for a guaranteed start, but lack the motivation to succeed.

These are 2 of our main problems in my view. We can't attract the best players, the ones with footballing IQ and workrate, and as a result the players we do attract lack motivation.

Of course someone will counter that with Moise Kean as an example, but he's the exception rather than the rule. We sign a lot more players on the down than we do the up.

Sigurdsson has been a massive, massive disappointment. As for the rest I never had any high hopes for any of them. Schneiderlin was good at Southampton but has deteriorated ever since.

I chose Iwobi because he was particularly useless against the rs. He constantly lost the ball, missed easy passes, ran into cul de sacs, chickened out of tackles, clueless when in possession, never looks up etc... I might be wrong, there might be a player in there. somewhere. But Royston Drenthe and Theo Walcott come to mind ie speed merchants with no end results.

I'll give Iwobi the benefit of the doubt but so far I haven't seen anything to make me feel differently about him.

Colin~83. Agree about Sigurdsson. He just needs to stop smoking the 40 a day he must be smoking to be blowin' for tugs like he is after a short run!

Where's the Swansea Sigurdsson and the Southampton Schneiderlin? What makes good players become utter shite at Everton?

Schneiderlin was a hard working player for Southampton. He was box to box. At United they tried to make him the new Carrick, only he was shite! So we took him. There's no reason for the decline of Schneiderlin other than what's in his head. He just seems to have lost his desire.

Oh for an Andy Hinchcliffe - now there was a player who could hit a corner.

Confidence is also key. So I do Ferguson won't be telling the players they are 'utter shite' on the morn of battle. It doesn't work.

The crowd will get behind the team today. Chelsea at the moment aren't exactly old Stoke on steroids, so with more of the above plus a bit of movement, we will beat them.

In recent years most supporters have learned to live with faults with he team but fragility will never be one of them.