The Art of Treading Water

But there's no hiding from the naked facts of the season... although apparently these can be airbrushed under the carpet and more favourable ones amplified in their stead. (Please visit evertonfc.com at your leisure.)

I think you capture the intense frustrations all too accurately, though. It may become interesting over the next few days as the 'rationalists' – who have been protecting their powder from the collective tears shed over this dismal season – come on here to rationalize how and why he and his team of misfits could not have been reasonably expected to do any better.

I shall not be in the right frame of mind to laugh them out of court.

During the 1990s, we were declining but the club lifted a trophy and at least tried to cling on to its "Big 5" status, if nothing but grimly for a few years.

The malaise and the "jam tomorrow" mentality has just been allowed to fester now for far too long with no pressure or expectancy on the managers (who we are paying a king's ransom for these days) and also the underperforming players.

Yesterday saw us steal 10th from what should have been a nailed-on 8th-place finish if we had seen off relegated Sheffield United at home.

When we won at West Brom in early March, we went 4th in the table.

When we won at Arsenal on 23 April, we had effectively put them out of the race of finishing above us.

How on earth have we managed to finish 10th from those positions?

And then the manager comes out and says it's been a good season! Really, Carlo?

47 goals scored is piss poor, resulting in another minus goal difference thanks to yesterday, while everyone around us scored considerably more... then you wonder why I've always said goals win you games.

Where are the goals in this team?

Tom Davies, Allan, André Gomes, three central midfielders I've just mentioned but not one of them scored a single goal for us all season, that's pathetic if you are a central midfielder.

Iwobi one goal.

Doucouré three goals.

Only Sigurdsson and the elusive Colombian James scored more than 5 goals despite the justifiable criticism both get at times for varied reasons.

Richarlison has been dogshit all season, headless chicken, can't control a ball and his shooting is as wild as a toddlers.

Calvert-Lewin, fair enough, bundled home 16 goals with probably more than half coming from Lucas Digne crosses to his head but, as a striker with the ball at his feet, sweet Jesus... he's a bang-ordinary footballer. I'm sorry but we need a striker that's going to have more tools to bring more to the forward line.

How does this club find itself in yet another summer where a massive overhaul is needed again?

Mason Holgate; get him out for any decent offer that comes.

Michael Keane; squad player.

Seamus Coleman; no sentiment needed, needs moving on.

André Gomes, Fabian Delph, Alex Iwobi; we need to move them all on –they are never going to be good enough.

Bernard will go, so too Josh King.

Tom Davies; never will be good enough for anything other than some cameo performance against Rotherham in a Cup, keep him as a squad player.

Allan; runs in treacle, if we can't bring a proper athlete in next to him, then we may as well just flog him because he doesn't offer enough of what we need.

Doucouré; supposed to offer energy but have I seen it enough? Probably not, no... and also he's terrible on the ball.

James; I'd keep him on but I don't think he's staying, to be honest; we can't rely on him.

Richarlison; if a big offer came in, I'd look to cash in.

Calvert-Lewin; I'd keep him as a backup to a forward who offers a different skillset and brings others into the game more but, if someone offered £80 million for him, again I'd snap their hands off.

No more Rom scenarios, eh.

I think we can all see now what we will get with Carlo. Float around 6th til the big boys get in their stride, and then relapse to 9th. And repeat. The wild card in this though is the Goodison crowd. Cos, if we start in August the way we just finished, which is all too probable, he will be out by October.

If Carlo was making the right noises publicly, saying stuff like "I'm disappointed, this is a bump in the road, but it was expected, and with the extra bla bla we will improve," I'd be more placated. But he's not, he's defending this season, defending yesterday's utter tripe, which tells me we are going to get a hard-faced wait for the boot.

As such, I don't want him spending the money in the Summer; if he does stick around, then all the signings should be Brands. But he won't last the season.

I have a picture in my mind's eye of him joshing with Mourinho: "You bum, that was gonna be my next job' after he went to Roma. I just think he's not bothered.

I do agree but, in my opinion, Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison would be nowhere near the miss that Lukaku was (still is).

£50 or £60 million for Richarlison who blows hot and cold and will probably never progress into a 20-goal player or a particularly super-skilled wide player.

I don't see anyone being crazy enough to shell out £70-80 million on Calvert-Lewin, however; most wise managers will work out he's a 6-yard bundler – nothing much else to it.

I don't see the point in sacking another manager and keeping these flops, many of which have screwed three managers over.

One more year for Ancelotti but he's got to show much more for me, more ruthless streaks and more attacking intent with better players signed – not just more defensive-minded crabs.

I don't see a market for Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison. Earlier this year, the press were drumming up rumors about a Man Utd bid, but the striker market has changed suddenly.

Kane wants to move, Inter have to sell Lukaku to balance the books, Messi's contract expired, Juve want to offload Ronaldo's wages. All of them are more attractive targets to clubs with money to spend than Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison.

Beyond that, you could probably nab Tammy Abraham for less than Everton would want for either.

You mention a team that was leaking goals at the start of the season, we conceded 7 in our first 5 games at 1.4 per game, but scored 14 at 2.8 per game.

Since then, we've conceded 41 in 33 games at 1.24 per game, but only scored 33 in 33 at 1 per game.

He didn't exactly shore up the defence, but he did stop us from scoring.

Also, people will mention that “we finally won away at Liverpool”. But put it into context, Liverpool were in the middle of an 8-game losing streak in the Premier League. My son's U13 side could have beaten them at the time, they literally couldn't buy a goal or a victory.

Carlo Magnifico turned a free-scoring exciting team into a boring negative dour spineless team with little or no direction.

Nevertheless, I would give him one more season but, without marked improvements, he should be gone next season.

They don't turn players that were not performing to the standard expected into world beaters that their predecessors also failed to do so. The key there is the players.

Carlo has got a lot wrong this season, particularly the latter part. But to change the manager after 18 months? Not for me. That squad needs ripping apart and rebuilding. Just as most of us have been saying for the last several years regardless of manager.

I agree with the obvious statement you're making: we have stagnated. I also think we should have finished higher up the table, even with this bunch of witless numpties.

Where I differ is with regard to Carlo. What's the profile of the manager we need if Carlo is "past it?"

Koeman did well on a shoestring budget at Southampton, he's also won trophies in 3 other nations. Silva was ordained as the next Jose. Martinez played nice football and won silverware at Wigan. Fat Sam got Bolton playing pretty football at one point and near the top of the table. Moyes was the long-term hard-working Fergie wannabee. None of them got us to where we want to be, and (Moyes apart) none of them were given a lot of time.

So... do we keep the cycle going of paying off a coach, then hiring another and handing him a "war chest" to blow on his targets, then repeat the same thing 18 months later?

Maybe he needs to look at Abramovich: he sacks managers who don't perform and he doesn't give them more than a season to prove their worth, even managers who have won leagues for him but struggle the following year, they are shown the door, and it hasn't hampered their progress. They are always in the Champions League and the managers are under no illusion about getting time, as Lampard found to his cost. Despite Abramovich being ruthless, it still doesn't stop him attracting the world's best managers.

Where we have mainly appointed managers who have won next to nothing, probably why he appointed Ancelotti, but has Carlo still got the hunger and desire and the know-how to turn this club around?

Should Carlo fail, I dread to think who Moshiri will appoint... and, whoever it is, will they still have to put up with Brands buying most of the players? All Farhad's appointments have not got us near a trophy or a Champions League place, despite him pouring in the best part of half a billion pounds.

On your 'progress' point, the teams you mentioned are in a different cycle and I believe are all markedly younger than our squad. Let's see if they maintain that form. On the general form, there is still no way to tell if Carlo got the best out of this team on the fade or if he got it wrong. While he won the narrative there are arguments for players losing form due to his playing them out of place. On the "he has the same players" thing, this is a fallacy. Once players are exposed to dysfunctional turnover their individual skills and team cohesion suffer. Moving Bayern to Flick is not the same as moving Everton to Ancelotti.

I think the rest is a judgement on Carlo saying he is past it and good luck with that line. His composure and message at those press conferences laid it down that he would not stand for such an interpretation and more importantly he has ideas on how to solve the problem he faces.

I think your first sentence is at the very heart of the problem. Standards need raising right through the club.

Who is holding Ancelotti to account?
Who allowed Rodriguez to fly home on a private jet during a pandemic, the same day we were being torn apart at Man City?
Why aren't our players arsed when play was deliberately stopped to allow Aguero on?
Why aren't our players laying into each other and asking questions during such a humiliating defeat?

No one seemed hurt yesterday and at times it looked like we were participating in a pre-season testimonial. I know in isolation such issues may seem petty, but they build a picture about what is wrong with the culture at Everton. Carlo hasn't delivered, but he's under no pressure to. I want Carlo to stay and to make us competitive, but he needs pressure put on him...

The youngsters never get a look in, surely he could have used Niels more than he has... it's just been a huge disappointment and probably one of the most boring Everton sides I've seen.

Let's hope, when he gets his ”own players”, we improve... but I'm not optimistic.

Jim Bennings, I totally agree about Calvert-Lewin.

Let's play a game.
Which of our players are good enough to start for Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, or Liverpool?

I could take some solace had we battered those poor sides but came unstuck on the odd breakaway, refereeing decisions, or just bad luck. But those dreadful sides, and we can all name them, hammered Everton at home.

For me, be it the coaching staff, management or the players, that is unforgivable.

Rather than repeat, which I myself am getting sick off, I will give you one word reminders.

Kenwright
Board
Accountablity
Absentee Owner
Finch Farm
Culture
Stalwarts
Rest Recovery
Injury prone
Contracts
Exorbitant Wages
Youth policy
Career perception
Midtable patterns
Finishing
Third quarter non-passing
Pass compeltion
Spinless
Midfield bypass
Pace
Deep
Motivation
Winning mentality
Clueless
Not bothered
Secure Jobs
Boat unrocked
Bad company
1980s today
Pigshit Happy
Status quo
Resistance
Power Shift.
Same plan.
Long Suffering.
Europe a dirty word.

I think I will disappear till August; transfer bullshit I can do without. Anyway, Moshiri does not release funds till the third week of August. Enjoy your Summer.

The answer to your question is none. Do I win a prize?

True. Koeman was quite content at Southampton until Moshiri offered him a king's ransom. Then we tapped up Silva, which cost us extra cash, plus Brands said it forced us to pay over the odds for Richarlison. He also was the one who wanted Tosun.

For all Bill's sins, I don't see his hand in any of those three costly mistakes.

Great list!

With apologies to Bullseye.

Time for Carlo Ancelotti to truly put his stamp on Everton

"Progress is West Ham from 16th to 6th" – and probably back down to 16th again next season with the Thursday / Sunday effect.

"Progress is Leeds finishing 9th in their first year following promotion." Funnily enough, the exact same position Sheffield United finished in their first season back after promotion. Look where they ended up this season.

"Progress is Aston Villa going from 17th to 11th" – who, by the letter of the law, and if Michael Oliver's stopwatch had been working properly in their game against Sheffield United, should have been relegated. But hey, Hallelujah, well done Aston Villa!!

Regards the comment that Carlo is "past it" – in that case, what does that make Marcelo Bielsa, seemingly everyone's new favourite manager? Carlo will turn 62 years old in June, while Bielsa will turn 66 years old in July.

I sniggered when people wanted the last manager out and said we should get a world-class manager, get a Pep, a Carlo, a Tuchel – why would any of them come to Everton? And then one did. I couldn't believe it; I still can't.

Yet that manager has led us to 10th, clueless football, no style, little direction. We finished higher under Allardyce, and he started just above the relegation zone. Let that sink in.

I'm not advocating for a change in manager, because, I just don't see the point. We've been through this cycle repeatedly, and I honestly can't see who we would get. So I think our success will be driven by Brands.

Carlo can clearly do it if he has the right players and, to be fair, he has a current collection aligned to very different styles. Keane is one of the best defenders in the Premier League if you play a deep line; Gomes is one of the best sprayers of the ball if you play him deep next to a defensive central-midfielder – but if they are not the tactics you are employing; both are fish out of water, and there are many more examples.

I think we need to play a high defensive line, that will squeeze the pitch, allow our midfielders to press 15 yards higher up, make us much more compact, and make quick, short passes much easier.

Defense. Keane cannot play this system and therefore has to be the one to go. He's by no means our worst centre-back, but he doesn't align to the system. Ideally, he'll get a call up for England and we get a little bit more for him. Coleman too, who at best can be reserve right-back.

So sign a quick, tall, decent tackling centre-back – Koubaily (dreams) or Konsa from Aston Villa, or anyone else Brands can find. Equally a decent right-back, be that Aarons or whoever.

Now we play higher up the pitch, we need a decent defensive central-midfielder. Everton have two: Gbamin and Delph; to be fair, the fact neither has been fit can a tiny bit be pointed to why we have struggled. A solid, stable shield in front of the back four is a necessity. I don't mean a Gueye or an Allan, but a proper defensive central-midfielder like Fabiniho, or Declan Rice.

From here, our hunters can press much higher up, à la Liverpool, so Allan and Doucouré are chasing down, turning over play, releasing the potent and dangerous front three.

Richarlison would suit this style, but needs pressure on him. We need a right winger – maybe Allan St Maximin? and another winger to add pressure to them both.

Not an easy shopping list, added with a reserve keeper and probably a back-up striker. I trust Moshri to put another £75M into the club (poor bloody fella) and I suspect there will be some outgoings:

Kean – £40M
Keane – £15M
Iwobi – £10M
Bernard – £4M
Kenny – free
Delph – free
Gomes – £5M

On the plus side, we missed out on the two Mickey Mouse European coemptions. We'll be fresher than most and, with the right signings, next season, we'll be much much better.

Hope springs eternal.

Carlo is virtually a busted flush after introducing his cruel brain-numbing defensive tactics to an unsuspecting Goodison.

All of the Top 6 sides would have said "Arrivederci, Ancelotti!" by now... but not Everton; us supporters must suffer for another season.

Why? Because we are so badly run by an owner who hasn't got a clue and clearly needs help in choosing his managers.

We are seeing first-hand why he got the last card in the pack from his previous jobs.

The article is rather harsh... but it's also rather accurate.

Moshiri must come to terms with the fact that progress is not being made and therefore, he must think what needs to be done in order to see progress in his investment.

If Moshiri puts his trust in Brands, and listens to Brands's insight as to what we have achieved given the recruitment that we have made, then we are in for more of the same next season, and I cannot see how Moshiri can reward Brands for his failure.

75 percent of the current Everton squad are not the recipe for progress; if we do not cull those players and this time rebuild properly with quality and most importantly players that understand what is required of them to be an Everton player, then next season will be a repeat of this one or worse.

He deserves credit for this season. But it's one season. I guess he was drinking champagne in the interview just as he was when we fluked 4th in his 3rd season.

And then flopped miserably.

Funnily enough, we were also 13th following Ancelotti's first game, and win, over Burnley, but I guess that's were the similarity between Ancelotti and Allardyce ends.

I wouldn't say "most Evertonians" want to keep the sacking cycle going. People tend to say more when they're unhappy but, even on here for the last few days, I'd say at least 50 percent aren't in favor of sacking – even if they have some concerns.

Then there are the 6,000 who were at the ground, singing about Carlo, less than a week ago. Although, I am not sure if our video review expert ever got back to us to substantiate the singing. I imagine the silent majority are disappointed with 10th, expect Carlo to stay, and hope we improve next season.

I think he likes to claim the previous game and wherever we were positioned because he was in the stand but Unsworth took the game. Again, please correct as I haven't looked it up but I just don't remember us being 17th or wherever it is we / he claimed we were. Where actually were we on his first game in charge?

I'm no Unsworth fan, but that is twisting statistics to suit your own narrative.

Not yours, Rob. Just the person I wish had never been our manager.

How Allardyce can take credit for that West Ham win is well beyond me.

I was being sarcastic. My hearing is perfect. It needed to be to hear a few inside the ground sing it fleetingly on the box. No wonder I missed it at the match.

I laughed out loud at the suggestion on this thread that 6,000 people sang it. We don't even get 6,000 singing when we have a full house.

The point still stands. Carlo will be destroyed by the faithful if he doesn't grow a pair next season and try to "magic" up a bit of footy.

A couple of hundred kids excited to be back in the game after lockdown won't change that.

One big disappointment though is that, after Rob Halligan's recent stories of European trips in days gone by, I was hoping that he might be planning to start a new ToffeeWeb feature “From my European Seat” (chapeau to Ken Buckley for the inspiration). Sadly, we'll have to wait at least another season for this.

The problem is expectation brought on by the weird delusion Moshiri was in the Mansoor or Roman league (it's still there) and would lead to a repeat of the Chelsea & Man City invasion of the Premier League top table – pure fantasy.

Get real, understand we are a 7th to 12th Premier League outfit akin to the Newcastle, Aston Villa, West Ham Utd without the relegations and things don't seem so serious. Look at Spurs – they've been spending top dollar signing worldie players for years and have hardly made a dent.

You need a load of luck and the ability to go unnoticed, like Leicester, if you haven't got loads and that will never be us.

They're doing a great job when viewed realistically.

Only Everton and Oldham have had nothing to celebrate.

I wish you hadn't posted that though mate, because he's not the messiah, he's a bloody genius.

Everton had won at least one major honour during every decade they had existed, and then along came the saviour... and, two decades later, absolutely nada.

We are all hurting, because the Club means so much to us. I try never to fall out with anyone on here because we all have different ideas but only one ambition, to be winning and singing your favourite song.

For what it's worth, I want Carlo Ancelotti to remain in charge (I don't for a moment think it's in doubt). The season has been mixed, to say the least, but he has vast knowledge and experience, more than the rest of the club combined.

He's reportedly worth £2billion by now but is listed as only the fifteenth wealthiest club owner in the Premier League. Hmm.

So, my dear Farhad, having at last splurged on a manager with a track record of winning things, are you now (and I mean right now) going to sign the players he and Brands hopefully agree we need, thereby effectively making 2021 "Year 1" of your football project?

I'll wait another 3 years if you are.

If you're not, what was the point of signing Ancelotti please?

So we haven't had the joy of celebrating promotion... there's actually a more positive way of spinning that.

23 years without a major trophy and a spell in division 2. At least we got to celebrate promotion though!!!!

With a legitimate contender for worst midfield in the League; finished 10 points off 3rd Place. 8 points off 4th.

Every signing [Plus Right Back] this Summer has to be attacking midfielders.

Claims that Everton were League Champions until football resumed in 1945-46 are perfectly valid. Professional football in league form was suspended after around 6 games in September 1939 with us as reigning champions and, in the opinion of my father at any rate, the finest Everton team of all time with Lawton, Mercer, TG Jones and Ted Sagar – still all in their prime.

My dad had exactly the same view, and he’d been watching them since 1916.

I also got told that, when Everton were winning 4-0 at Oldham in the 1954 promotion season, it was decided at half-time not to score any more goals in the second half because we didn't want to be Champions of a Division that we've never belonged in!

Is the hunger to succeed still there? ... Methinks not. Then there's his wages... has he earned them?

Has he improved us as a team? What is our identity? Our style of play? Do we even look like a team that could improve with Carlo at the helm?

We need to look down at the lower leagues for our next Gaffer, someone who has worked at the sharp end in lower league football, has been through the highs and lows and has risen through the ranks to achieve even relatively modest success but is hungry for more ,a manager who could be brought in on a low salary, on a shorter contract, who can then prove his worth and given incentives to improve the given squad (first), to gain any type of European football, to win us domestic silverware etc.

Someone who is ruthless but shrewd, who doesn't bullshit but is a real character, someone who can build from day one, someone we can all relate to as well wouldn't hurt.

I know the very man in question (it isn't Slippy, Keiran, so rest easy lad).

Keeping Carlo will just bring us more woe, I believe, Blues!.

🗞Real Madrid are considering Carlo Ancelotti as the club's new manager

(Source - @ellarguero )

I saw that. Given their problems I can’t imagine Carlo going back. If he does he does but I think it’s unlikely unless he wants to have an HKIII experience.

They all have the qualities you mention though Albert may struggle getting to training these days. We may have to employ Marjorie Stokes as his assistant

🗞Real Madrid have opened talks with Carlo Ancelotti 4 days ago. Everton have started looking for a replacement if he decides to leave and join Real Madrid.

(Source - @La_SER )

I just hope the Blue footballing God's are smiling down on us with this one!.

Loved that list Rob #75.🙊