Ancelotti blames defensive lapses for defeat to Arsenal

The fact is we concede far too many sloppy goals and we never seem to learn.

We blew the Newcastle game with two mental goals in the last 40 seconds, we were 2-0 down to Watford and then against Palace we nearly let our heads fall off after they equalised at 1-1.

My biggest concern is that we never have to be under any real pressure to concede goals.

At no stage did Arsenal ever really pin us back and pepper our goal yet we concede three schoolboy goals, it's happening far far too often with this team and sooner or later the manager needs to look at the personnel that he's selecting and decide if they are really good enough to move this club forward.

I'd just love to see us pinch a goal away from home and defend like our lives depended on it, throwing bodies in the way and closing down every blade of grass.

I don't feel we work hard enough to keep teams out, we have too many players who shrug their shoulders (Pickford one of the biggest perpetrators of that).

Even when we got it back to 2-2 you looked at our players and thought: “Do they really believe they can go on and win this match?”

I just didn't see that belief, they are still so mentally flakey.

It's really hard to see much different from the next three games while we continue to hand so many goals away on a plate to our opponents.

My overall perception is that we are too slow in moving about the pitch, far too passive out of possession and just too damn easy to play through. We desperately need more youth and bite at the back, particularly right-back, right-mid and centre-mid.

I hope we target young, hungry and aggressive players because we need some feckin attitude injected into that side ASAP to replace the deadwood. I can only pray that at least 2 of Sigurdsson, Sidibé and Schneiderlin are gone next season cos they are seriously holding this team back.

We don't possess that, we have players who think they are good at defending but the stats show a different story.

Some of us are saying the likes of Holgate and Mina had good games but can you imagine Liverpool fans conceding three and then applauding one of their defenders?

It's time we raised the bar here at this club not just settle for the mediocrity we are constantly served up.

For me if you concede three goals then all of the defenders are at fault and they are not doing their job.

Sidibe was rank bad yes but there were other defenders plus two defensive midfielders that offer no real cover or leadership.

There is a hell of a lot of work to do at this club.

I'm usually frustrated watching Everton play away from home because of our inability to keep and pass the football, but we did a lot better with the ball today, created loads of chances, but how wasteful is our most expensive player in good possession?

These are the games that will tell Carlo where we are and what is needed? A manager needs to trust his players. How many of our players does he trust?

Players that see potential danger and act we seriously lack. The line-up today lacked pace and energy. Hopefully, the more the manager sees this, more likely to get rid in the summer. Problem is results will suffer.

The summer needs to bring new and out with the old.

Hopefully through the anguish of this defeat, the manager and coaching staff will see the mental brittleness and poor decision-making of the midfield starting line-up.

I don't expect them that started today in midfield to be in contention next week – all shirking their cover duties at various times, and exposing our flanks, which basically gave Arsenal their chances.

Hopefully, the lessons will start to be learnt, but no more soft goals like today. And let's beat Man Utd. They are beatable at Goodison.

I understand people being upset that we lost, but I can't understand people expecting much more out of this team until we have rid ourselves of certain players. That's why I'd sooner take the positive out of today's game, which was that we were much better with the football today, even if I'm aware that we still lost.

Not his fault we lost to our bogey team, obviously, but man, Carlo Ancelotti has got lots to shift on and definitely needs quality to come in in the summer.

On to the Mancs we go...

We already have a young hungry committed right-back. Problem is he is presently in Germany on loan. He will save us wasting 㾸 million on Sidibe, who is no defender, or money on AN Other.

As the earlier comments said, we were not really under the kosh holding on. We were in the game and had good opportunities. The Buffon and Chiellini comments on point also. We just lack a couple of born winners / leaders. The returning Kenny may offer a bit of that (notwithstanding "he's Championship at best", yawn) and it turns games like this into wins.

He needs to be given time. We always seem nervous when the opposition are on the attack. We seem to lack the calmness needed at a Premier League level although the two central defenders did well.

We were so weak on the right side of the field and I would MUCH prefer Coleman to Sidibe. I would like to see Holgate once more at right-back. He would be missed in the middle but we do have Michael Keane.

Personally I don't really care about getting into Europe, other than the fact that it is the only way to be able to sign top players and we still need some of them. I just hope that Ancelotti has better judgement on new signings than the three Amigos who preceded him.

He gets bullied on crosses to the back post and teams regularly target him because he's small and can't jump. The Baines ‘love in' sums up our acceptance of mediocrity.

Big deal!

I've said it before, measure the manager on the teams we beat. Crystal Palace, Watford...? Come on... Nothing has changed – we're crap and Ancelotti isn't going to change anything.

Why is Sidibe allowed to call himself a footballer? And get rid of that coward Pickford, Dreadful.

Normal service resumed.

If you want to play a high line, like we did today (against Aubameyang for god's sake!) you need expert defenders.

I blame the immobile midfield for the need to push so high but really it wasn't the way to set up away to Arsenal.

We should have been deep and counter attacking down the right in the space Saka (a fine prospect) vacates habitually.

We didn't lose because of Leighton today, but one sad thing: even at his prime, he never won one medal.

I watched the game in the Ship Inn at New Brighton – great little pub with fabulous screens – and I thought like many that we were caught too often with Sidibe not behind his man. With no midfielder in front of him or tracking back, he was caught in no-man's land time and time again. I think it was 46% of all Arsenal's attacks came from that side, way too easy... but it was a combination of no midfield cover and poor full-back play that accounted for the first two goals.

Overall, we deserved at least a point, but the midfield was the killer, no-one following up on chances that went begging for a tap in, no bursting runs from midfield or creative ideas until Gomes and Bernard came on (and made all the difference).

With what Carlo has on offer, I think there will be a few changes before the end of the season. I think he already knows that he has some good, some bad, and some just awful... I think his list is already made but, in all honesty, we are a much better side for his arrival.

The main disappointment concerned the midfield in the first hour. As someone has commented on the main match report thread, the trio of Schneiderlin, Delph and Sigurdsson would not make it into a Walking Football team. The return of the new streamlined version of Gomes will probably improve matters but will not solve all the issues.

We badly lack a player like Gana Gueye, a midfield ferret who can run fast, tackle, intercept, disrupt and is alert to danger. Until we find such a player, we will fail to maintain control of midfield, without which a 4-4-2 formation will always leave us looking vulnerable.

After Saka came on, Arsenal switched the focus of their attacks to their left flank. We were slow to respond, failing to tighten up on our right flank. Iwobi dropped deeper but that allowed acres of space for the opposition to pick a pass, including the one from Luiz for the second goal. Defending effectively is not only about the back four doing their jobs. It is also about the midfield and front players doing their jobs when they are not in possession.

Bernard has arguably been our best player in recent games at Goodison but consistently poor away from home. That was why he started on the bench today.

The man (Silva) he replaced was on target to get us 18th or 19th, so Ancelotti's arrival is indeed a big deal.

We all want European football at Goodison ASAP but, given our start to the season and the frailties we have within the squad, 7th or 8th will be acceptable to many. We still have 33 points to play for and, for the moment, we can still qualify for Europe; today's result was a setback but not a killer blow to our chances.

Obviously we hope that Ancelotti addresses the defence now and in the summer, and that we start next season properly prepared, and therefore make a sustained challenge at the right end of the table.

He was a decent servant in the distant past, end of. Never in a million years would he play for an elite winning team; he was never fast enough, not aggressive enough, just a journeyman pro and all-round nice guy.

Everton got caught twice in the overlap on the right wing as Arsenal concentrated 43% of their attacking p!ay on that wing in the first half, probably following a pre-plan. Sidibe got caught flat-footed and didn't track the runner. Mina was caught again defending on the turn, not challenging by getting in front of the attacking p!ayer at the near post.

The second goal was an untracked run as well. Delph in the first half was a yard away from the play. There was little link play between the midfield trio of Schneiderlin, Iowbi and Delph. Sigurdsson did put in a shift in the first half, but there was little quality ball in the final third. Iowbi looked pretty headless. Set-pieces and quality ball kept Everton in the game.

Baines is perennially weak cutting out crosses and a cross caught Sidebe, Mina and Pickford out with poor concentration. I thought that Mina should have positioned to get in front of the attacking player to cut out the cross. The Everton players dealt with through balls better on the right wing in the second half.

Gomes and Bernard were much better in the second half and Delph improved with them on the pitch. Everton pressing in the second half was better, but Sigurdsson, our most expensive player, caused momentum to be lost twice at important stages in the second half, something that is not good enough in the Premier League for a Number 10. He also looked knackered, blowing like a goldfish.

Everton had enough chances to draw and win the game but, though final-third play was good, finishing was not clinical enough, as usual. Moise Kean looked too much like Iowbi for my liking. Pickford had his customary headless chicken period, but lucky wasn't exposed with a score, which would have really pissed us all off even more.

Everton are not quite there yet and have failed at a crucial game that would have been essential for them to progress up the table once again, as they have done for years.

A better performance, but it is obvious some players more than others are not up to the necessary level – and may never be – to progress Everton in the Premier League.

I'm still pretty pissed off.

Carlo has to during this half of the season restore belief and actually keep the ship afloat and achieve some progress. But he is assessing who is who what is what etc and who's up for it and who isn't. The interesting wind of change is happening; let's not be fooled.

Yes... we shit ourselves big time today and showed what's good and what's totally rank in one game. I'm disappointed, of course, but we took that game to them... should have got something but imagine today with Moyes, Allardyce or Silva. Yes... probably defeat but Carlo's lot has a bloody good go.

It's Not There Yet But We're Getting There...

Baines, cash limitations to one side, is probably in his last season which has been as second-choice left-back and, if there is a problem, it is that a promising young left-back was let go for a pittance.

Others have panned Pickford and, while some of it is justified, I can't believe those who say he doesn't make enough one-on-one saves. Of course, we'd all like him to save them all but if he manages one in six he's done excellently and one in ten is also good.

The problem though isn't with a keeper not making enough one-on-one saves; it's with a defence that puts him in that position. Then there's those questioning why he passes it out to defenders. I suppose they'd be happier if he just wellied it in the general direction of somebody at the other end of the pitch.

And lastly, with Pickford it is felt that every cross or corner is going to lead to a goal. Why do you think teams cross it into the penalty area, just to see how poor the zonal-marking, hopeless-at-heading, centre-half is?

Criticize by all means but let's be a bit sensible and give it a bit more thought first.

Coleman is a much better player than Sidibe and I'd rather have had Kenny there as back-up. Apart from a couple of decent crosses earlier in the season, Sidibe offers very little and I hope we don't sign him permanently.

I've said this earlier in the season and still believe we need to introduce the likes of Adeniran and Baningime into the first-+team squad to support the midfielders of Gomes, Delph and Davies. Enough is enough. Time for Ancelotti to get ruthless.

Need a centre back (did at start of season)

Need a defensive midfielder who actually covers the back line (did at start of season. Signed one, been injured ever since)

Need a right sided player (as identified by both Carlo and Brands in January)

We have needed a strong centre mid for seasons and look better with Gomes in the team

Silva ultimately paid because he couldn't make a decent fist of the situation and get enough points to buy himself another crack at the market to fill the obvious gaps.

Carlo has got results from a group of players who were underperforming. But even he can't patch over the obvious deficiencies of in the squad. But at least he got the team competitive.

Who knows if Gbamin will ever actually play for us, but getting that role filled is of the highest priority. Keane and Zouma looked great at the end of last season, playing behind Gueye on top of his game. Schniederlin just doesn't offer the energy in that position. Delph may improve alongside Gomes

As for Baines? Not just a great servant but has been a great player. Can still avail himself well enough but it's time we moved on.

Gomes and Bernard changed the entire dynamic of Everton's game. I was amazed at how good Gomes turned out to be. Iwobi and Kean are quite useless, which is so, so disappointing. Everton have paid big bucks for these 2, but I don't think they will ever make it in the Premier League.

We should cut our losses and get rid. As others have mentioned, I would rather see Carlo give opportunities to Simms, Baningime, Gordon, Adeniran than some of these useless donkeys.

Given a proper transfer window and with progress, we are going to be challenging strongly for a European place, albeit probably next year.

I think he also noted that, but more on point is that he recognised that conceding cheaply just after the break, having got back to equal terms after throwing the advantage away, was most damaging, as he rightly saw they would tire. That was naive play from our lot and meant that, rather than bring fresh legs on at equal terms, our subs came on chasing the game.

It's all conjecture, but how would they have stood up to 45 mins of pressure? Home team, expected to win by their fans. We have seen how fragile these players have been.

Regarding them taking chances, if we had Aubameyang, we would have won the game. Calvert-Lewin is making great strides, but he isn't at the top level yet, unsurprisingly given his age. He is the reason Arsenal are not way down the table, and that's the real difference between us and the “top 6”.

We can argue where quality is needed most: goalkeeper, left centre-back, midfield or right-wing. We should be in the mix for top 6 at least if all that comes together next season.

I would definitely rather Pickford wellied it forward 'cause, if it's won back by the opposition, at least it's away from the goal.

We return to our normal place. Cannon fodder for the Big Sky Six. And that won't change anytime soon.

Everton players still not closing down. Still not showing for the ball. Even when we were chasing the game still passing back to our keeper instead of trying to pressurise their keeper I would have thought that by now Carlo would have stopped that.

The subs started to change the game. Moise must have more game time; otherwise, he'll never get up to speed and gell with the others.

We appear to have talented younger players but you'll never find out until you throw them into the 6-foot end.

The fact that he was not challenging Arsenal meant they were able to play at will in the final third, picking their passes to timed runs. Not once in the game did Arsenal lose possession in this pre-attacking area, because they were never challenged.

This has to be addressed in the subsequent games, or else Everton will be punished by other teams, especially Man Utd and Chelsea, as they were by Arsenal, who will thrive on having unchallenged possession in those areas.

The through-balls passed by Sidebe where unchallenged through passes, which suited Arsenal.

For most of the away games, Seamus started and Sidibe was either on the bench or played in front of him. It was obvious that Arsenal pinpointed Sidibe as a weakness yesterday.

We played with some fluency when Gomes came on in the second half and we are getting better.

The End.

You should share your mind-stretching, enlightening, positive thoughts far more often – or even write a book.

Delighted to see Gomes return, but in midfield, when we're under pressure, Iwobi and Sigurdsson are totally toothless, and Delph and Schneiderlin are slow and pedestrian, and our full-backs can't defend.

I said multiple times on the Live Forum yesterday – we were not bad at all. In fact, the performance was very good. I can't remember a game in the last 3 years we had so many goalscoring opportunities.

The issue is individual mistakes at the defensive end. My hope is simple, and two-pronged.

Firstly, Mina is still relatively young. He looks like Bambi on ice-skates at times, but I do think he's an excellent footballer and one we simply must be patient with. As Carlo said, we have to learn from these mistakes. I genuinely believe Mina will.

Secondly, Sidibe will not be signed over the summer. He's got one hell of a cross on him but, as so many have said this weekend on various posts, he can not defend. Americanism: He gets roasted two to three times a game. Kenny will be back after what seems to be a very productive loan spell for him, and he'll be our right back under Carlo moving into the future.

We're not miles off. Sort out some defensive issues, we're creating the chances offensively, our future is still very, very bright.

I'm bullish on Everton presently. The result yesterday won't change that. Carlo's got the right of it, he can see the issues, he will address them, we will improve, it will take some time.

Roll on, Man Utd and look for a strong response to this loss.

If it were me, and it is not quite obviously, two things would change our fortunes just a bit to possibly garner 3 to 6 points more over half a season or so.

Seamus Coleman at right-back.
Mason Holgate at central defensive midfield
Michael Keane at centre-back

Now there's a lot of Keane bashers. I don't mind Keane, but I understand the criticism. The reason I'd lobby for his inclusion is to make space for Mason at central defensive midfield.

With Keane in the lineup along with Coleman, you're effectively benching Sidibe and Schneiderlin. We're a better team under that scenario, even if you'd see mistakes from Keane, we'd be a stronger side in my opinion with a back 3 triangle of Mina, Keane and Holgate and Coleman replacing Sidibe.

Sorry, I can't go along with your theory, so you suggest moving our best centre-back into midfield, and bringing in Keane who is by far the worst of our centre-backs.

Plus, if you move Mason into midfield, he then can't become part of your back 3 although your back 3 is made up of 4 players: Mina, Keane, Holgate & Coleman... now I am really confused.

I completely agree with your assessment: we're totally lacking a physical defensive midfielder.

Against Watford, Carlo pushed Holgate into midfield, when Delph was red-carded, and he made a massive difference. Holgate is our best centre-back, but Keane played well against Palace, and because we're so lacking in midfield, it's the best option.

As for Coleman, it's more important to have a full-back who can defend; Sidibe certainly can't.

When I say 'back 3', I don't mean a flat line, I mean (triangularity including the back line and the CDM):

CB CB
CDM

So the line-up:
Coleman Mina Keane Digne
Iwobe/Wlacott Gomes Holgate Bernard
Calvert-Lewin Richarlison

Holgate plays deep in front of Mina and Keane, Gomes the play maker pushing further forward.

We are much better with the above than we are with this:

Sidibe Mina Holgate Digne
Iwobe/Walcott Gomes Schneiderlin Bernard
Calvert-Lewin Richarlison

Take Schneiderlin and Sidibe out. Push Holgate to midfield in a defending role in front of the two centre-backs, pair Keane with Mina.

Hope that clears it up!

If the player 5 yards from the keeper is facing the right way, then he can welly it to the far end; if he is facing the keeper, then he shouldn't be there and it wouldn't happen... but you just keep blaming Pickford.

I enjoyed the game aside from the result but the result is history now.

Let's get the best league position possible this season and let's see what the summer brings from Ancellotti and Brands. Ancellotti is assessing players in all games and he will know who stays, who goes, and who he wants to bring in.

It involved using Delph as an outlet on the left side of defence. I had not seen him do this before but it was what Delph did at Man City when he had to play left-back. Rather than Baines getting the ball in the defensive third of the pitch, he pushed up wide to the half-way line and Delph dropped into the left-back position. Not sure if this was because it was Baines and not Digne. Nothing much came of it offensively. Neither did Delph help Baines defensively.

It will be interesting to see if this was a one-off or it happens next week against Man Utd.

I think you may be right with right-back. I suspect Sibide was selected with an eye more on pegging their left side back than on his defensive side. But, without a Gana type mopping up to allow him to get forward, he is too easily caught forwards.

Not keen on having all 3 centre-backs on the pitch at once. I would hope that, with Gomes back, we are in better shape in central midfield.

It's been a while since our teams looked better than them on paper and on the pitch but to concede 3 is unforgivable. They were there for the taking.

I'm no fan of Theo. I don't mind Iwobi as much as you and a lot of others.

For right midfield, I'm more than open to suggestions! I didn't see any alternatives, other than:

Coleman Mina Keane Digne
Richarlison Gomes Holgate Bernard
Calvert-Lewin Kean

And whereas I really like that line-up, I just don't see it happening. Not yet at any rate.

All this lineup talk is simply conversation. The bottom line for me is we played a good game. We had individual errors in the back that cost us dearly. We're improving. I'm not going to get too worked up about any of this.

Cheers.

I also would have had Richarlison in front of him for his work rate, and would have put Kean up top.

Iwobi is a really disappointing player: no work rate and has struggled in every game he has played for us.

I couldn't agree more. Iwobi isn't half as bad as many make him out to be, in my opinion.

A lot of people bring up Big Dunc's success while he took over. I distinctly remember Dunc in a post-game interview saying how much he liked Iwobi. Dunc's opinion of the player will do for me.

He's young, too. We have a really young team. Shit will start to gel over time, probably the next two seasons.

I certainly have far more belief now that we have a manager who recognizes strengths and weakenesses, AND does seem to act on his observations.

Link

I think they highlighted the flaws well and indeed this was exactly how Arsenal defeated us.

I disagree with how they set us up in attack as I think the wide midfielders tuck in a lot more. I don't think we quite have two midfielders holding hands like in their diagram.

Still It's an excellent analysis and worth a watch.

Walcott's career stats and the fact that he has been regularly picked by every manager he has played for is probably an indication that he is nowhere near as bad as made out.

He is certainly getting towards the end, and hasn't lit up Goodison, but he must offer something. Carlo is no mug. He may not have an array of options but he certainly has a few. He picks him more than not.

Had he been fit perhaps our right would have been stronger defensively? We need someone to pan, he is the leading candidate at present.

We need to get a bit closer and stop opposing teams getting the space between our midfield and back four.

That is my view on it anyway.

The defending wasn't great, but Arsenal had too much space and were not challenged enough in the space you mention. It was noticable in the first half that Delph was going too deep in his defending, inviting the attacking player into the space and even allowing unchallenged shots.

Schniederlin was content to allow the attacker to play in front of him unchallenged. Iowbi had little rhyme or reason to his play. Sigurdsson contributed little to the high press and completely wrecked Everton's momentum on two crucial occasions in the second half.

The big weakness was allowing Arsenal to play their own game in the space you mention.

The midfield improved with the introduction of Gomes and Bernard. Just my opinion.

Exactly right. In fact, it is usually the main reason why we give up goals so easily. Anyone who has ever played the game at any level should know that a forward who is given too much space often runs riot and is given an easy game. There is nothing worse than a defender who closes in and constantly nags the forward, but particularly so for wingmen.

We MUST get close and prevent crosses. Sidibe in particular gives forwards far too much space which is why I much prefer Seamus until we get another right-back. For obvious reasons, it is easier to find a right-back than a lefty. I feel that most of the right-backs in the Premier League are FAR better than what we have now. Seamus has been a great Evertonian but he is on the back end of his career.

I think everyone is agreed that our midfield was poor plus Sidibe. I have a starting midfield 4 of: Walcott, Gomes, Davies, Bernard. Bring on Baningime and Gordon towards the end.

Isn't Beni Baningime still injured?

As for the rest, they can get game time when they are good enough.

Davies looks decent in patches but has a habit of taking a touch too many and running into trouble in dangerous areas. Doesn't seem to learn from it.

I am all for bringing the youth through, but this season is far from over and the best players should be on the pitch.

Yes, Davies is frustrating sometimes, but is he any worse than Siggy/Iwobi at the moment? I don't think so - in fact, he is very good at closing down spaces, and trying to move the ball forward.

Next week, when we are leading 2-0 against Man Utd, I would like to see this XI closing out the game:

Pickford
Coleman Mina Holgate Digne
Walcott Baningime Gomes Davies
Richarlison Simms

Simms, Davies, Baningime coming on for Calvert-Lewin, Bernard and Delph respectively.

I thank you.

Another big one for me though is Pickford, we seem to be conceding every shot we have at us lately.

Changing the defence each game results in bad understanding between the defenders which leads to mistakes. Elementary, Ancelotti!

Keep doing this right up to the derby and we will pay a high price!

This squad in general is poor and needs 5 or 6 proper player's in it, with several dumped, which I am confident will happen in the summer. The season was destroyed by Xmas, it is better, some of the forward play is lovely to watch but the rest is under consideration.

Wait till Xmas this year before making judgements, he's good, but a miracle worker he is not. Hate to say it, but Rome wasn't built in a day!!

Short answer regarding Davies? Yes. He is worse. I am not trying to bash him. He is a young player with talent. Sigurdsson is doing a decent job out of position, and hopefully with Gomes back in we will see him play where he is strongest

A few games for the Under-23s. Sorry, doesn't cut it for me.

The red echo are saying Werner could go for €30. We've got to be in for him surely. We can't standby and let the shite snap him up.

We all argue about selections, but at the end of the day we simply don't have 11 consistent players. we don't have 11 winners. We don't have 11 players forcing him to pick them every week.

He's has and will continue to give them all a shot – although I wish he would sit Pickford down for a few games. That may focus his mind.

When players are as inconsistent as ours, it's harder to gauge how good they could be.

Then that just leaves the keeper, and I think Ancelotti will definitely start with him next season, but I am sure he will be looking for an improvement from him next season. The problem is our high wage earners are either on loan like Sandro and Bolasie because they are not good enough for the team, and our other high earners are not performing anywhere near the levels we need ie Sigurdsson, Delph and Schneiderlin. That leaves Davies and Keane two young players who would have hoped to have had more starts but their performances so far have left a lot to be desired, but lets not forget they are still young and hopefully improving.

The big question is what sort of kitty will Ancelotti get in the summer, and how many of the high earners will Brands be able to get off the books. There is also the constraints of FFP rules to consider.

He's been anonymous in the fabled Number 10 role. He's average in midfield, he can't play out wide. The only time he's looked good is in Silvas formation against the better teams – which Ancelotti is unlikely to employ.

I'd say at the moment Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson play with a little more discipline that Davies, which is why they probably get the nod. However, Davies pushes us forward more, shows for the ball more and tries to recycle possession forwards more than either of them two do. I think both Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson are living off their price tags and, if they had of come through the ranks like Davies has, would never get a game without it.

What did Allardyce say? Why would I play Lookman when Bolasie cost 㿈 million?

Why play Davies and Baningime when Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson cost 㿵 million?

OMG – I'm lost for words.

I don't see it as based on cost, but on a career record established over multiple seasons.

So yes, number 10, or at least as a more advanced centre mid. Gomes tends to play deeper, and an pick a decent forward pass. Sigurdsson is still pretty much the only player we have who scores from distance and, whether he has shown it so far this season, is technically a very good player.

Schneiderlin is also playing fairly well at present. I know he isn't rated on here, and I hope that we are able to move him on in the summer.

I think Davies doesn't get in the team, just as he hasn't under multiple managers, because he just isn't reliable enough.

Interesting to note, George @95, that whilst you consider his performance to be sub-standard, he has been a regular starter in an in form team. He has played a role in than form. He will never be a quality centre-mid. But he wasn't signed to be. He is there because we are short on players.

I would bring Keane and Coleman back in and therefore a back 4 of Digne, Keane, Mina and Coleman with the explicit instructions to man-mark, win the first ball, get shut etc., In other words, the basics.

In midfield, we need ball winners and passers; for this reason, I would play Holgate, Bernard, Gomes and Davies again for the rest of the games with Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison up front. The rest would be on the bench for me, no more pissing about. I believe, with what we have available, that is our strongest team.

Just saw your comment. Yes, we were unlucky.

My take on players and positions is strictly for conversation. FFS if I were manager we'd get relegated.