Dire Blues can't escape the ghosts of Everton past

A shocking performance and a shocking defensive line up. Five central midfielders and no support again for DCL. I think most of us probably looked at that team selection and said “what the fuck!“. I am all in for the Carlo Ancelotti project but on occasions I just can't fathom his team selection.

Today's selection was a midfield devoid of pace or attacking dynamism. Slow and sideways, no one bursting through the defensive line, no creative balls and no one making the runs that Richarlison does naturally. Someone please tell me what's going on? I am cracking up with it all.

Today I think the manger was more culpable than the players for the way the game went. The team selected and tactics deployed stank the place out.

Without Richarlison we are mid table team 8th-12th, with Richarlison a fully fit James Rodriguez we are a top six challenger.

On another thread we we discussing Isco. He would add quality. That said, the priority to me is we need a back up forward with some electric pace to support Richarlison and DCL throughout the season. Ismailia Sarr , Sam H suggested Diatta , someone in that mold who can get behind defenders.

Letting Kean go and not getting a threatening forward in with some pace and goals has been another almighty balls up. What would we let him go and not get a replacement? I am hoping we can get someone decent in January.

Wrong personnel again today, primarily in attacking positions, but no need to repeat what everyone else has said about that.

The penalty was never a penalty, but we're in no position to belabour that point after our own jamminess in that regard against Palace.

On the plus side, we can calm down now and stop kidding ourselves that we're contenders.

Gordon is about the only viable alternative at the minute, but he's very raw. It's a big ask to give him the responsibility of being our creative force in this team.

Our creative midfielders have been bought for a fortune. They are mainly earning top money, over £100,000 a week. What are we getting for that money? How many assists do they produce? How many goals do they score? Are they improving and adding value? We all know the answer!

Walcott failed. So did Lookman. The current lot have all failed - Bernard, Gomes, Sigurdsson and Iwobi, although the jury may still be out on Iwobi as he is the newest recruit.

Our creative midfielders are all failing us, (with the obvious exceptions of Rodriguez and Richarlison). We need to pick creative players - the trouble is they are all shite, and it doesn't matter how Carlo (or Silva? Or Koeman?) shuffles them, or what formation we play, they always let us down.

Don't blame the manager - blame the shithouses who fail to deliver! Who suddenly start playing when the pressure is off! Who shit themselves every time we play the top 6! Who have failed to deliver under 3/4 managers now! Who disappear away from home! Who are stealing a living!

But what the manager was playing at today? His team selection and tactics (were there any?) defied logic.

1. Five central midfielders!? None of them getting forward at any time and no tempo to anything they did with the ball.
2. Picking Olsen in goal and then stating no matter how he played Pickford would be back in sticks for the next game!? Based on what he did today he should surely keep the shirt next week.
3. Sigurdsson as team Captain again!? It simply beggars belief.
4. Bringing on a second centre forward in the second half who hasn't played for months!? And then having no-one on the pitch to provide either with crosses from wide!? What has Anthony Gordon got to do to earn a chance to start.

Ancelotti was poor last week at Southampton and today was worse than even the perpetually useless Sigurdsson & Gomez. It's not just the players who are performing badly right now - and it's time for him too, to step up to the mark.

These stats are damning for creative players playing in a top of the table team alongside players in great form like Digne, Richarlison, Rodriguez, DCL.

Gomes is finished. He can't defend and he can't attack. He's a chocolate fireguard.

The negatives start with the selection. Five cms completely nullified our midfield and there was zero space to create any form of chance. Players also didn't know their roles or simply didn't stick to them.

In particular I thought Kenny was atrocious today. He found himself in space on the wing four times and instead of trying to carve an opportunity, he passed backwards snd for me isn't good enough. I've tried to defend Gomes since his return from that horror challenge but the facts are he's not the same player.

The fact we haven't won without Richarlison speaks volumes. He's our only player who can carry the ball and turn defence into attack quickly and for me is our most important player. The only other player in our squad that does it is Coleman when he's at his best. We have plenty of players who can pick a pass but there is zero movement or athleticism to get the ball up the pitch and our attacks happen at a snails pace which was why we hit two banks of four consistently today.

A lot of todays squad need to go. Theres too many of the same player and subs make no impact as they don't solve our actual issues.

Our fully fit first eleven is an effective force and well balanced. Two or three injuries derail our season and we need some squad depth with variety massively.

Digne and James coming back next week is a plus but I don't expect much until coleman and richy are back.

How could Carlo suffer all bar the final few minutes of pointless pass the parcel between our defenders.
One attempt at goal in 70 minutes of dull as ditchwater garbage sums it up.
The much maligned Iwobi was the only sub worth his place. With goals required and Gordon champing at the bit where was his logic of bringing on Tosun and Bernard?

At least in those days we didn't play with 5 central midfielders incapable of going beyond the striker (if we played Cahill or Fellaini they would actually provide an attacking threat)

Today's performance from tactics to execution was so so bad

Olsen - very good. Please keep him in

Nkoukou - okay for a debut. Not great but not awful

Keane - did okay. No mistakes and tried to provide an ariel threat

Mina - this guy is a joke. We've been had by Barcelona. Cost us against Liverpool and cost us again today. He's not good enough

Kenny - not good enough. I don't understand Evertonian's saying to give him a chance... he's one of us. He may be a nice guy but he doesn't excel at anything

Delph - can't stand this guy. Offers nothing going forwards. Not sure he breaks up the play particularly well either. Distribution is average. What does he bring?

Allan/Doucouré - it's like they have caught the Everton disease 4 matches in. Allan was crap against Liverpool and has been anonymous since. I thought he would seek and destroy but now he just sits. We won the first 4 matches because we won the midfield and played on the front foot. We actually engaged with the opposition midfield and bullied and beat them. But now Allan and Doucouré seem to sit off and it's all gone to pot again. What's going on? At this rate we don't need them we have enough ineffective midfielders already

Gomes - since his injury he was excellent against Arsenal and that's all I can remember. He's been rubbish all this season and especially against Liverpool and then again today. Barcelona have done again on this signing

Siggy - at least he tried to make something happen. However, as usual, nothing did happen. He just isn't very good. And somehow can't take good set pieces consistently. What have we bought here?

DCL - tried hard but it was in vain. At this rate he will out grow us and leave at the end of the season. Such a shame

Bernard - usual ineffective and weak performance

Iwobi - surprisingly decent

Tosun - why put on an immobile and weak striker? Why not even try Gordon and / or Simms

Carlo - this was terrible mate. This is your team and your construct. Just as you took compliments for the start of the season then you must take severe criticism for this rubbish

Oh to be a long suffering blue

He would have known that Sigurdsson would piss about just outside the penalty areas back and sideways passing, often one touch on any hint of a challenge, pointing useless instructions, with bullshit stats. This got worse where it was realised that Gomes was a forward playing shallow. With Kenny and Nkounkou pushing forward with few taking up a position in the penalty area to receive a ball. With Calvert Lewin marked by most of the defense.

The second half with a well motivate and confident Newcastle as a result of how Everton played pushed on through midfield. it was difficult to play out of defense with few available for a pass. Delph ineffective deep. Subs made little difference, though Iowbi did look the part.

We have seen this type of display more often than Ancelotti. He now knows how we feel.

Siggi - legs gone, head not of the inclination to even try,
Bernard - lost what little mojo he had.
Iwobi - Arsenal did us good style.
Delph - not even worth the pittance we paid for him.
Allen & Doucoure - not at the races today.
Kenny - poor today, Germany beckons, If they still want him.
Nkounkou - did enough to play in front of the returning Digne next week.
DCL - zero service but scored a sniffers goal in injury time, speaks well of his commitment and concentration.
Mina - done for pace by Frazer...but he does that to those faster than Mina too.
Tosun - some say he was there on the pitch...I must've blinked or turned over to see how the women were doing.
Olsen - did ok...but so did Pickford last week...all the other offences got taken into consideration I think. Olsen has it until...for whatever reason...he doesn't.
Kean - steady

Ancelotti - got it a bit wrong maybe?? but if just one or two of the sows ears he had to pick got anywhere near some sort of...not even silk...maybe a nice brocade type performance we might have come away with something.

Gordon - he's either turned shit or really upset somebody.

But, top and bottom of it is that we had zero inventiveness, were lazy off the ball and, on top of all this, Carlo seems to have lost it just just now!

I would like to see Anthony Gordon start a few games!

These are supposed to be professional footballers, but they resembled a bunch of mollycoddled prima donnas who don't give a shit about the club but who garner massive rewards for jogging around for 90 minutes once per week. Makes me utterly ashamed to be a blue.

Moshiri has fucked up, massively and demonstrably, ever since he bought in.

Yes, he's spent, but those he's sanctioned are largely the polar opposite of the ambition he so winsomely espouses to Talkshite's Jim White. It'll take several windows from now to rectify the problems Moshiri has sanctioned, if we're lucky.

If we're even luckier the very few gems among our squad will (bizarrely) put aside their personal future fortune and success by staying in a bid to try to obtain success led by an owner/boardroom devoid of any aptitude to make their dreams valid, all the while paying huge public respect to the club's charitable enterprise of course.

Everton - one of the world's most desirable clubs for seasoned loafers, on and off the field

How many times have we heard that one

You let Doucoure off lightly saying he “manfully” tried to make things happen. Essentially he seemed frustrated watching Keane and Mina playing sideways passes to each other so he dropped back and demanded the ball. The problem was that instead of doing anything productive he became the third wheel in the endless pass around outside our own penalty box. Allan really did nothing at all. I know he's mostly a destroyer but against Spurs he was showing for the ball and make some nice quick passes. Today he basically stood on the center spot for 90 minutes.

I must hasten to add, although he has had little to choose from since we have lost our best players, he sees the others every day at Finch Farm, so must know who is capable of producing something that resembles joined up football.

Yet when they get on the pitch, they look like football is a game they have rarely participated in before. Furthermore, I have noticed on several occasions even when we do have most of our recognised first choice, if one player or two, has an off day, it seems to spread like wildfire, and they all catch it.

I watch a lot of football as you are probably aware, and other sides that have gone through bad spells with their so called senior stars have no hesitation in bringing in the youngsters who have something to prove, and that also delivers a wake-up call to the so-called senior professionals.

The above line up is the one that in my opinion gave the worst display ever by an EFC XI - lost to the RS youth team plus Llalana.
Today 3 of that lot started, Mina, Siggy, DCL, plus Delph and Bernard who came on as subs. Only DCL has actually improved as a player from that lot. Mina, Siggy, Delph and Bernard are still stinking the place out. 2 others have gone Sidibe and Schneids, whilst 2 others have gone on loan Kean and Walcott who will not return.

The rest are still with us - Pickford who has his moments good and bad, Coleman who though in the autumn of his career is playing very well, Holgate injured, Digne suspended and before the International break playing as good as I've seen him in a blue shirt, DCL a revelation and Richarlson who after the last 2 games is now indispensable. Please Richy leave tackling to others - we need you on the pitch.

We added Allan and Doucoure in midfield during the summer and before the International break they were excellent, however since it nowhere near as good. I believe Allan is playing with an injury, so he has an excuse. James came in and has been bloody marvellous for us but VVDs marker certainly did leave its mark and his contribution markedly reduced as a result.

After today its blindingly obvious that either some players are not capable at this level or are deliberately not putting the required effort into their performances. If that's the case, they are a disgrace to their profession and the shirt they wear. I get the feeling they aren't actually bothered about losing. That FA Cup defeat by the RS kids has left a long lasting scar on me and I want the following players out of EFC as soon as possible - I said it after the FA Cup defeat too - I'm referring to Siggy and Delph. Others who should soon depart for varying reasons are Iwobi, Bernard and Mina as we will not become a top team with them.

I fear there is a split in the squad, those playing like crabs when called upon and who most probably think they should be in the team every game and those who played in the 1st XI for the first four EPL games and others who are desperate to join in the fun of playing well and winning games. I would ask Carlo to please, please give Gordon playing time before the usual suspects in future. Play him against MU in Richys position but please, please leave Siggy and Delph out and show them the door asap.

PS: I thought Olson played well today - good job wasn't it.

There are so many aspects of yesterday's game that need to be looked into, but most have been covered in previous posts other than what I have suggested above.

I was really looking forward to meeting you before you had to cancel your trip to Liverpool, due to the aforementioned. Still, I live in hope that it may still happen in the future. Hope is a thing we Evertonians know a lot about, having had it dashed on so many occasions, but I suppose it keeps us going.

Anyway, take care John, and all the best to you and your family.

John#32

CL was completely marked out of most of the game. The Newcastle defenders had loads of time to do it.

Yesterday's performance and team set-up was a carbon copy of many of last season's pathetic showings. We have some shockingly bad players at this club, some of the worst in living memory. Yet, for some reason, our current manager – just like the previous two – keeps playing these inept performers. I can't see any point in persisting with Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Pickford, Kenny, or Gomes, who hasn't yet recovered from Son's friendly tackle.

Carlo Ancelotti has had his day. The golden years are over. Carlo is a nice guy but there aren't many managers in the world aged 60+ who are actually winning stuff. I can't think of any. Football has changed, as have players.

Everton never changes: we just keep treading water. 10th place finish, here we come – unless January brings in some help. I mean how long has it been since we had more than one recognised striker? (I don't include Tosun.) It's a joke.

The crab-like congestion in the middle of the pitch was mind-numbing at times. Did we really need Delph on ? Wouldn't it have been better to let Gomes sit back with Allen and let Doucoure move further up ?

To be fair I felt we were slowly getting on top before the second goal but we were done by something we didn't have on the pitch - pace.

Positives ? Doucoure is a good player. Olsen seemed fine. DCL scored again. No more red cards (although Allen was getting frustrated and I was beginning to wonder). We now have 5 CBs to choose from...

Worst of the lot ? Mina for that second goal and the manager who needed more aces up his sleeve.

It was rubbish to have have my post-Southampton fears realised - this team is a few missing players away from being lower mid-table again.

As frustrating as it is, we might be better off focusing on a clean sheet with Manchester United - perhaps that is what he thought for Newcastle but it unravelled.

I found the team selection a bit strange with both the out if form Gomes and Sigi picked, however, on paper still capable of besting Newcastle

Once the game started and Delph and Dacoure dropping deep to allow the full backs to go up and it failing miserably Ancelotti persisted
Sigi contributing nothing, Gomes unable to pass to another Blue shirt, no width, no service to DCL who was playing in midfield, Ancelotti persisted

Width and pace were needed at half time not after we went one down.

The subs were strange, however, the one time we got both a bit of width and DCL in the 6 yard box at the same time we scored.

Regards the goalie, next week I'd drop both if them. The best keeper we've got, by far, is the young kid playing for the Ladies team.
Ancelotti might regret saying before the game Pickford will be back for United.
Play like the last two games and we'll need all our keepers between the sticks

Without naming names, but you don't have to be a latter day Holmes, ably assisted by Watson, to figure out who. Barcelona don't let players go if they consider them to be reasonably good, okay there may be the odd exception.

Having said that, I have always been a believer in ' horses for courses ' and some do buck that trend however we have a couple of horses and don't have the right course for them. Any takers?

But they are failing time and time again. None of them are good enough.

Kenny was poor, bu maybe unfair to write him off already basically as it was his first start, he only just got back from injury, and down the right he had nothing to work with. But, if he doesn't improve, then that is clealy somewhere we need to strenghen.

The failure to use Gordon seems shocking. Playing with 5 central midfielders, of which only 2 have played at any decent standard this season, was an odd decision that Ancelotti has to answer to.

There was literally nothing out wide, and made us incredilby easy to defend against.

I'd rather play Bolasie to Sigurdsson, at least he give width and pace. And Gordon was the natural replacement for Richarlison and has been completely left out.

Very disappointing, and a sense of back to reality. This time round, the International break will be welcomed. Time for a rethink, we can't spend a season so dependant on Richarlison and James. When those two are on it, yes, we can beat most teams. But we need to learn to play without them.

At Utd, We should go with Digne/Nkounkou on the left and hopefully Coleman is fit again and partner him with Gordon down the right.

We should then put James if fit in the middle ahead of Allan and Doucoure.

Sigurdsson and Gomes are finished in a blue shirt - both are cowardly players who will always play safe and in doing so simply pressurise themselves or a team mate into a mistake over the duration of a game - both a liabilities and will never allow us to reach higher if their services are retained - they sadly encapsulate all that has been wrong at Everton for many, many years.

Delph for me similarly captures the final big pay cheque mentality - remember when we had so called 'squad players' of the calibre of Kevin Richardson - a player who given a sniff of opportunity took it with relish despite knowing that the place in the team may never be his own.

I keep repeating myself on different threads, but Walsh and Brands should be hung out to dry in shame for the unbalanced, overpaid and characterless squad of players this club currently employs - meanwhile we are sadly suffering the ongoing and oft repeated performances their scouting and fiscal incompetence deserves.

Andy Crooks sums it up for me on another thread - after decades of support I have never felt so divorced from the club we all love.

I realize his choices were limited with neither Iwobi or Bernard deserving of a starting position, given their poor displays so far this season. Why didnt he start Gordon who has pace and could have provided some much needed support for DCL. I think the commentator said yesterday that Everton havent won a game since 2018 when Richarlison hasnt played, what a sad indictment for the rest of the squad that statistic is completely embarrassing.

The performance yesterday was reminiscent of performances we saw regularly under Allardyce, Koeman and Silva, I thought this season we had put that back and sideways passing to bed, but clearly not.
Carlo there is still a great deal of belief in you from most Evertonians, please don't let this become another false dawn. I hope that having won what you have won this display would have disappointed you as well as us fans. So I would hope we see a very much improved performance against Man Utd. We as a group of fans have had so many false dawns over the decades that another false dawn will be neither here or there in the great scheme of things. But I and many others believe in you but there are some who will be only to ready to start a Ancelotti out campaign, if results don't improve and quickly. Most Evertonians didnt expect to go from bottom half of the table to challenging for a top 4 spot in 1 season, but we do expect when we play to see a pride and an endevour in our play and both of those have been sadly missing in our last 2 games. So as the master of the ship the onus is on you to turn it around and I believe you will, otherwise whats the point of supporting a club if you don't have some belief that things will get better. Rant over.

Would love to see a few of our youngsters come through; I'm just not sure if any are ready yet to be given minutes. Except in an "emergency". Maybe yesterday was such a moment to give Simms some time instead of Tosun? Who knows? If that hadn't paid off, the view would then have been that we should have brought on Tosun instead.

Gordon is a different matter, of course, but he's also yet to show for the first team what he has shown for the U23s.

I wouldn't do Carlo's job for the money he's on. OK, maybe...

The Italian will probably fulfil Moshiri's ambitions for the team as long as the stadium build is 'not inconvenienced' by a shock relegation beforehand.

Just the latest chapter in the history of a 'know nothing' billionaire who has brought little but scorn on the club 'he saved'. That's when we're top four - just wait until Xmas !

The confidence that was running through the club has been allowed to dissipate what the hell is it with Everton that drags everyone down to a level of crap that is endemic in Everton Football Club Ltd.
I know the whole world is against Everton thanks to the devil worshippers and their media cronies but that is the big chance for Everton to say F*^" You and give 150% to show them what we can do. But NO the current whipping boy Iwobi is described as being decent speaks volumes for the rest.
I saw Tosun run on as a sub but he then seemed to vanish into thin air Turkish he may be Delight he is not.

According to the fawning press the RS played a young centre half as a replacement for God Almighty and he apparently played out of his skin. Good old Everton replace class with dross not eager young players who will be off to pastures new the first chance they have.
Wearing a hair shirt and whipping yourself until you bleed is nearly as bad as being an Evertonian.

Things have gone tits up since the derby, with injuries and stupid suspensions not helping. Even with the absentees, we should have been doing better, and it seems typical Everton to fall off the cliff as usual. But getting rid of a bunch of players and trying to replace them is not a short-term answer, and possibly not a longer-term answer if the issues are to do with the mentality at Everton.

All that can be done is to try to get through this big blip, and recover the form we had before the international break, rather than proclaim it's all a disaster and we need to reset again. Keep calm and carry on. But it's all very frustrating.

Gomes came with a bit of a reputation at Barcelona for being a tad flakey at times and clearly didn't possess the mental strength to succeed under their demands.

Even when he first arrived, yes he put in some stellar performances but I always felt he didn't really have enough to change the dynamic of a team, always the type to need energy besides him.

Gomes, you look at his goal return, creativity and overall nuisance factor for quite a big physical fella is also disappointing, for me he should win more physical and aerial duels.

For me he's not the answer now, we have waited long enough.
Same with Delph, Sigurdsson and quite a few more.

Any manager who picks an eleven that includes Gomes, Siggy and Delph is just asking for trouble. Against a bang average team we were dreadful. Given the way we played the only surprise was that we actually scored one. There has be a reservation about the manager after this. I expect him to make the best use of the resources available to him but that was not the case yesterday. Some of the younger players like Gordon must now know that they have no long term future with the club when they see who started and came on ahead of them.

One positive from the game, Olsen, any talk of him not starting next weekend is laughable.

- Delph thinks he's far better than he is.
- Gomes comes from the Paul Scholes School of Tackling.
- Mina needs to focus rather than trying to play stupid games with attackers, he could learn a lot from Keane.

But I don't believe Carlo sent them out to play the way they did and for some, you can't polish a turd.

Did any of our 5 midfielders possess any of those absolutely necessary attributes if you want to do well in the PL ? Gomes Delph and Sigurdsson are half-way line midfielders. That line of paint is like an electro-magnet that doesn't let them get 10m from it.

We never, ever, play well any more with Sigurdsson in the team. If Carlo wants to try to get a tune out of him it is as a no10. Playing him anywhere else should carry a health warning.

Iwobi should have started on the right in a fluid 4-4-2 to support DCL, attack the full back or switch inside. Sigurdsson should have been on the bench. Or Gordon could have been the option to try to create something. Or both either side of DCL in a 4-3-3.

The amount of knee-trembling fear and total respect we showed to a limited Newcastle with our starting line up was mind numbing and an act of cowardice. What a bitter disappointment yesterday was.

I just hope that defeat was the enema that has cleared the bowels of our blocked system.

Look at other teams and they break forward in numbers of six or seven men swarming into the penalty box.

Now I know people will say to me players like Allan, Delph ect are defence minded but my answer to that is why keep playing or signing this type of player when you know that you lack pace going forward in the team and one or two injuries and you completely lack goal threat?

I'm not going to criticise Ancelotti but he knew that we were really short up front, it's all on Calvert-Lewin let's be honest, we have no genuine proven winger at the club and you look across the entire squad and it still looks like one of the slowest in the Premier League.

Allan would be a good signing if we had players in front that were fast, but it's like when Martinez signed Gareth Barry, he'd have been ineffective at his job without the likes of Barkley, Lukaku, Deulofeu, Mirallas in front of him.

Doucoure, we seem to have trained the box to box style from his game in less than six weeks look at his performance at Spurs in the opening match, brilliant full of energy but sadly he's been "Evertoned" already.

Nothing else to add unfortunately.

I believe the current squad can compete at the top. But now (after the derby) it's difficult to see this happening, and if I had to put money on it I'd bet on the usual ups and downs ending in a midtable finish, in which case we'll probably then lose some of our better players to other clubs who can provide the Champions League. Because it seems the Everton way, even though we keep expecting better.

Compared to the rest of the team and he's way ahead than anyone else (Allan 74 touches, Doucoure 80, Siggy 76, Gomes 34).

The point I'm making is if you're putting yourself forward as the boss of the team, the creator, I'm in control, then fine but don't waste our time and the club's money by going through the motions. A player of his experience should have been able to control that game yesterday and drive the team on. But he's happy to live off an old, and out-dated, reputation.

Compared to the rest of the team and he's way ahead than anyone else (Allan 74 touches, Doucoure 80, Siggy 76, Gomes 34).

The point I'm making is if you're putting yourself forward as the boss of the team, the creator, I'm in control, then fine but don't waste our time and the club's money by going through the motions. A player of his experience should have been able to control that game yesterday and drive the team on. But he's happy to live off an old, and out-dated, reputation.

I've seen quite a few teams this year and it is noticeable how much faster and fitter teams look. Even outside the Sky 6, teams like Leeds United, Villa, Wolves, Southampton, Leicester look far faster than we do. We also never get centre midfield players who can shoot or score.

I'm back to the mindset of hating myself for going along with the optimism. We have some good players in Digne, Richarlison, DCL, James, Allan and Doucoure. Keane has improved massively. Coleman is defying the years. Holgate could potentially be a good player for us at centre-back and Godfrey hasn't been tested in that position yet. Nkounkou and Branthwaite are ones for the future. Other than that, we have a lot of players who are nowhere near good enough. The only optimism I have now is that we have taken big strides to get rid of a lot of deadwood and brought in a better calibre of player in just one transfer window. In two or three windows, we might be in a position to challenge but the league doesn't stand still. We can't keep giving chances to the likes of Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Bernard, Delph (and Gomes can be included in that category now). They simply aren't good enough.

We hope that the magical vaccine is on the scene sometime in the next year to be able to see an Everton game live at a packed Goodison. I was able to take my other son Andrew "Goodison" to see the Derby game in 2018. By the time we make the next trip Ancelotti may have had time to weave some magic. I still have hopes but we need speed speed and more speed. Against Newcastle it was back to slow motion football.

All the best Derek and the same to all patient Evertonians. We will Overcome SOME DAY. very soon hopefully

In my lifetime instantaneous transformations (which is what we have needed for decades) have been accomplished by mass clearouts - Docherty at Utd, Keegan's Newcastle, Clough's Forest and Shankly at Monkey Island.

Until someone comes in and grasps this basic truth AND acts accordingly we will continue along the road of middling cack.

It is time to earn your money Mr Ancelloti

Next game, please.

I have a genuine question: If our most expensive signing of the summer (Godfrey) is not even on the bench in the midst of a crippling injury/suspension crisis, then does it not indicate that that was a position which we should not have spent so much money on? I mean, when every one of our CBs is fit, we will have 5 players vying for 2 positions (not counting Gibson who is out on loan). We had 2 games when we had a bit of a RB crisis, in which Godfrey played, but in a worst case scenario, we could have played anybody else (Davies/Delph) with a similar result - 1 draw, 1 loss. In hindsight, it might have been better to spend the money on a genuine right back or right sided midfielder - like Max Aarons from Norwich or Sarr from Watford. That would have genuinely improved our squad.

Next game, I would like either of Gordon or Bernard given a chance to start (I prefer Gordon, but Bernard when he gets a chance to set the tempo of the match, does much better than when coming off the bench).

Also, Holgate and Branthwaite give me more confidence than Mina, any day. If Holgate is passed fit, I would play him at Right Back in place of Kenny.

Pickford
Holgate Keane Branthwaite Digne
Davies Doucoure Allan Gordon
James
DCL

Iwobi and Siggy are better coming off from the bench. I wouldn't give up yet on Kenny, Nkounkou and Tosun. Beni Baningime is involved in all the practice sessions, I would dearly love to see a miracle - him coming back to what he showed a couple of seasons ago in a few cameos - I really thought we had the next Viera in the making! :-)

It's todays brain-dead youth for you mate, they want their five minutes of fame and the "look at me, I'm that bellend in the middle" behaviour.

I can't stand today's problematic society in Britain, think criminal damage is funny.

Each season we seem to predictably take one step forward and two steps back. We sorted out the midfield, but should also of been actively seeking out forwards in the last window, at least two with pace and a proven goalscoring record, instead we signed Godfrey a CH.

We will continue to struggle whenever there's an injury or suspension to any of our meagre forward line, get a grip Carlo and sort it out in January. This is basic stuff and must be addressed in the next window, or this season will end exactly the same as the last five or ten, same old garbage, mid- table dross.

Apart from the fact that there must be loads more RS there now.

What have the Romans ever done for us?!

Iwobi has mostly been very poor for us this season. Especially against Southampton. But yesterday he came on for 14 minutes and got an assist whilst also creating another really good chance for DCL with an excellent through ball. He did alot more in 14 minutes than Gomes and Sigurdsson did most of the match and yet still people want to slate him for his contribution! If Simms had come on for 14 minutes and got an assist and created another big chance people would be purring.

With a lack of wide players I think Iwobi will have to get more minutes till we can hopefully buy someone in January. He's capable of some very incisive passing. 2 goals and 2 assists in 300 minutes or so is not terrible; he just seems to have some very poor touches and drift out of games. I think he's really lacking in confidence currently which is a shame as I do think he's better than what we've seen, but I'd say he's marginally better than Bernard and quite a lot younger. Hope he can prove more useful but doesn't look likely currently.

Iwobi has it all to do to win the trust of Evertonians, me included.

For me it seems he is much more effective playing on the right, and either he attacks the full back or comes inside to try to create something. Either supporting DCL in a fluid 442 or deputising James's position in a 433.

When will the penny drop with him that he has to commit defences, and attack them vigorously with some pace and dynamism. Any old average player from any level can stop and pass it back to the midfielder or full back.

The lad has to take the bull by the horns and attack with gay abandon. He needs to believe in himself and bet on himself to beat a player and whip a mean cross in. After all that's what we paid 29m for.

There's glimmers of it happening, but he needs to start on the right if he will ever succeed.

It's a shame he didn't start the game instead of Siggurdson, he has more to offer .

Especially so yesterday as we were devoid of any attacking verve or creativity from midfield or from wide positions.

Let's not rework old ground, he's has plenty to improve on, but in the context of the rest of the squad and their flaws he can actually hold his head up, just!
I support him because he takes risks, often ill conceived ones, but compared to his peers like Gomes and Sigurdsson who play with the brakes on he's is streets ahead of them.
Before his assist yesterday he played a great pass in to DCL who poked his shot just the wrong side of the post. When was the last time Gomes or Sigurdsson did that?!
He still looks better coming, rather than starting because I feel he reads the game and can see what wrong. The one things I will say which counts heavily against him is his game without the ball.

Is he judged fairly on the pages in comparison to his peers when the goals and assists might say otherwise?

Newcastle set up to snatch a break away goal. I still don't understand how we set up to win the game.

Gomes has to play centre mid or may as well be left out. We haven't seen anything of Dacoure going forward as he has covered Rodriguez or played like a false right back as he did yesterday.

Full backs pushing into midfield whilst Delph and Dacoure played like a full backs. Baffling decisions.

Sigurdsson showed again what a complete shit bag he is. I swear he is scared of his own shadow and he was our captain!

John@93 the criticism is excessive, perhaps due to the price tag, but it's getting harder to support him. I'm just not sure he's a wide player, although he used to beat his man quite often at Arsenal. I'd like to see him play a bit more centrally and to ball carry a bit more positively. Not sure we'll see it though.

Firstly many are skewed in their praise of our midfield enforcers because they are Carlo's signings. Last season despite having three managers with what some describe as the worst midfield in our history we conceded 1.47 goals a game. The previous season it was 1.21 when we fluctuated between Schneiderlin, Gomes and Gueye in the defensive roles.

This season despite having largely the same goalkeeper and defenders we are currently operating at a pathetic 1.57 despite apparently signing 'the best defensive midfielder in the world' and Dacoure for that exact purpose. Against West Brom, Liverpool and Southampton they all targeted the space in front of the back four with great success yet people like Pickford, Siggy, Gomes, Bernard and Iwobi are the whipping boys to take over the mantle of Keane, Schneiderlin, Davies, Delph and Kean from the previous campaign.

The Second myth that I continually see perpetuated is that our first eleven is a match for anyone. This negates the fact that our keeper and first choice back four have all been written off last season as not being good enough and all have been individually questioned. I personally believe we only have a front three which are a match for anyone and it's the quality of output from James that has led to this overall assertion.

This feeds into the third myth of how good we have been this season. I have been one of Carlo's fiercest critics because I have doubts whether he can truly compete with the new breed of elite coaches. For the first time under Ancelotti against Spurs I questioned myself and thought it possible. We played with flair, control, quick tempo, silky interplay and ambition that I thought that we must have worked so hard in training to produce such an exceptional performance. We looked like a really well coached outfit and I got excited.

However despite how delighted I and everyone of blue persuasion has been with our magnificent start I have felt we haven't got close to that opening standard. For me the Brighton and Palace victories were tactical master classes by Carlo with Dominic exploiting Brightons physical frailties and sitting deep against Hodgson's men and forcing them to find the solution. They were similar to many of Carlo's victories last campaign.

The West Brom result I believe was really flattering as I felt we were second best for sixty minutes, fifteen of which they had ten men. A brilliant goal by James out of nothing changed the game, their full back lost the head and once we got the third we took over, began enjoying ourselves and they folded. Our attacking prowess was in full flow. On the downside our last three performances were similar to those post Lockdown last campaign also.

The table I believe given a false sense of optimism. In reality while it has still been a very decent start and one we would have all taken at the beginning of the campaign, we are a couple of points above expectations and have only played two teams who are guaranteed top half finishers. I was encouraging us not to go overboard when we were winning, now we must not feel all is lost as a good win against Utd will get our season back on track.

Great post, agree with every word

The rot has to stop, and Carlo, must know, he needs to pick a team whom can put in a performance against Manure.

They have some decent pace and I can't see the point in picking Siggy, Gomes and Delph, as well never get beyond 30 yards from our goal keepers line.

I'd play Gordon, Iwobi, wide and if fit Hames in a floating role. And Tom Davis, if available will give blood, sweat and tears in terms of effort, and that's been missing and the energy, and fast transition from defence to attack.

But surely the lessons, from the last two games are learnt.

Carlo over to you, to read the riot act and get in extra training this week.

Get back on track and beat United.

But injuries aside, the team has got to turn up and start believing again.

"there aren't many managers in the world aged 60+ who are actually winning stuff."

You can take the "aged 60+" out of that statement and say their aren't many managers in the world winning stuff. For the last decade, whoever happens to be at PSG or Bayern Munich wins everything in France and Germany (Carlo Included), whoever happens to be at Juventus (Old man Sarri included), whoever happens to be City (Old man Pellgrini included) whoever happens to be at Celtic (every Tom, Dick and Harry living north of Berwick). There's not a lot of variety among the winning teams, regardless of whether they are run by Fergie, Sarri, Carlo, Guardiola or Mourinho.

I have to question several of Marcel Brands's purchases for the Club!

Delph was dreadful, totally negative. If he thinks that passing the ball backwards for 90 mins is what is expected of him in a game, then there is no hope. One of the reasons we couldn't push forward is that Sigurdsson hides. He clearly does not want the ball and makes no effort to show for it, and forget 50/50s.

Ryan Frazer is an average player but look how good he looked when he came on against our immobile bunch. Tony #63, I would killed to have Mount or Ward-Prowse in the team. We need to pick up some players with pace, guile and end-product, who can play wide or central. Jack Harrison, Dwight McNeil and David Brooks spring to mind.

Both of these issues need to be rectified in January if we are not going to slip into mid table obscurity by the end of the season.

That doesn't mean that Ancelotti gets a pass when his team selection, tactical formation and substitutions are the root cause of a defeat. I have seen posters who questioned these decisions challenged as irrational, but demanding consistently high standards is not irrational at all. Isn't it the trait that all winning teams and successful clubs display?

In terms of goals conceded, there has been rotation at full back due to injuries and suspensions. We have conceded a higher ratio of goals per game this season, but that is partly due to the vulnerability of 4-3-3 to opponents over-loading the flanks. We have also focused more on the offensive part of our game and, let's face it, defence has been an afterthought in the PL this season. And we can't ignore the fact that Mina and Pickford have a mistake in them as we have seen this season. Holgate will replace Mina when he is fit and Olsen at least gives some competition to Pickford.

Squad rotation is also inevitable during a season. There are definitely regular targets on here among the replacements - Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Delph, Davies - but to say they are all useless is clearly nonsense. What is clear that is that the performances of the replacements is inconsistent and they all seem uncomfortable in their roles when they come into the team. There must be reasons for that but I am unsure which are the main causal factors - motivation, attitude, clarity of their roles, team formations, lack of game time?

I do think that the squad is still short of quality in depth. Rooney said in his Sunday Times column two weeks ago that Everton need cover for DCL and Allan - spot on. After the Soton defeat, I said we should target James Ward-Prowse and Danny Ings in January. They are always excellent when I watch them and bring energy and intensity to their team. There are a number of options about how we can reduce the salary bill to make space for them, in addition to their transfer fees.

That Everton has conceded two goals per game in 5 of their 7 PL games this season doesn't look good. But let's take a closer analysis of each goal, game and circumstances rather than only ponder on the 1.57 goals conceded per game stat that Conor puts up in his post.

First game v Spurs, clean sheet with the home side having only one real chance, superbly saved by Pickford.

Next, home to WBA. I don't quite know how Conor considers that ‘we were second best for sixty minutes' when the 5-2 scoreline was completed on 66 minutes with DCL's hat-trick goal. We effectively declared after that and coasted the last 25 minutes. But let's look at WBA's goals.

Yes, Everton were sluggish in the opening 20 minutes and WBA took the lead on 10 minutes when, just outside the Baggies' penalty area, James played a sloppy ball into Gomes, who failed to control it. Allan moved in to retrieve the loose ball but it was nicked away from him to Diagana still three-quarters the length of the pitch away from the Everton goal with lots of space to run into as Coleman from right back was supporting the attack.

The WBA man was faced by Mina who did a lousy job, never getting close, never jockeying his man wide from a central position, back-tracking to the edge of his own penalty area, allowing Diagana the time and space to shoot. To compound his non-engagement, Mina half turned his back as the shot came in. Pickford blameless, although some chose to apportion blame to him.

WBA drew level straight from the KO of the 2nd half when Gomes again too easily lost possession. Allan, back in position in front of the defence, coughs up a free kick trying to retrieve the loose ball. Pereira scores an absolute worldy. No matter. Within 19 minutes we slot in 3 further goals.

Next goal conceded, away to Palace from an excellent corner by Townsend with good movement and header by Kouyate. Allan and Doucoure very much to the fore in repelling a determined Palace in another good win.

Allan was missing from the next game home to Brighton in an entertaining game with Everton in cruise control for the most part. Yes, Maupay equalised thanks to a dreadful Pickford howler, They got a 2nd deep into injury time to give Brighton a flattering scoreline after poor play at the back by Digne and Delph, then Walcott not closing down Bissouma who hit another worldy.

In the Derby v them, we started sluggishly and they sharply. Gomes lost easy possession on the right touchline just inside our half. The ball came to Salah who mishit a crossfield pass which found Robinson, who too easily skinned Coleman to get a cross in for Mane to score from close range. Everton improved and equalised before half-time and were definitely the better team in the 2nd when Mina dealt poorly with a nothing cross from the right and Salah smashed in his weak clearance. Again, we didn't wilt and equalised.

Southampton away. We were well in control in the opening exchanges, but Godfrey at right back was an obvious concern. Before the game Carlo had said Ben had trained all week to play right back and shown he was capable of doing so. That didn't translate to the game and both the manager and the team could and should have done more to protect him because that's where Southampton attacked again and again.

On 25 minutes we dozed off from a throw-in and allowed Ward-Prowse in too easily. The 2nd was a collective disaster from the entire defence. Godfrey was way out of position, half way into Southampton's half, when the ball got turned over. He had the option to drop back but chose to chase the ball which he was never going to get. The ball was played into the space vacated by Godfrey's absence.

Take a look at the complete disarray the defence falls into as a result. Mina moves right out of position into the left back position to confront Ings, but again, without actually engaging with him or jockeying him away from goal. Godfrey makes a game effort to get back but is totally ineffective when he gets there. Keane moves across from left centre back to right centre back to cover the space vacated by Mina and ends up guarding the near post. Digne, for some reason, sprints right across the area to end up beyond the 6-yard box at the near post in no-man's land. Allan has also tracked back there, with Siggy getting back to the far post with TWO unmarked men to cover. Unfortunately for Siggy, Ings' cross is a good one and clears the Iceman's leap. It falls to Adams who has time to control and despatch the ball beyond Pickford, in spite of Siggy's despairing block and the ball deflects off him.

At Newcastle, I'm hard pushed to recall a more defensive set-up by a home side against us. They got lucky on the penalty call against Gomes. With both full backs off and Everton chasing the game, a long ball over the top was poorly dealt with by Mina and Newcastle again got lucky with a deflected looping ball that gave Wilson a tap in.

All of the goals had little or nothing to do with a perceived ‘failure' Conor claims that Allan and Doucoure are not protecting our backline. Two names are prevalent in the goals conceded: Mina and Gomes. Carlo has explicitly criticized Mina publicly that he needs to put greater pressure on the ball in certain situations.

I would also mention a stat Conor doesn't reference. He focuses only on the negative, the 1.57 goals per game being conceded. (we were conceding at 1.8 a game under Silva last season before Dunc then Carlo took over, BTW).

We are currently scoring at 2.14 goals per game. The highest goals-per-game average EVER by Everton in the PL era. That is also due to Carlo's tactics and recruitment. Something we as fans demanded from last season: engaging the opposition higher up the pitch, around their own penalty area.

Absolutely pivotal in that has been the forward presence of James and Richarlison, with the wing backs Coleman and Digne supporting them. Guess what happens when all four are absent as was the case v Newcastle, or two of them absent as v Southampton?

As for Conor's dismissal of Carlo not being able to compete with ‘the new breed of elite coaches', who are these coaches in the PL our Italian is going up against?

Guardiola? Klopp? Mourinho? Rogers? Hardly new kids on the block, are they?

At a push, you might include Arteta, Lampard, Santo at Wolves, Hasenhüttl at Southampton, even Solskjær. But labelling any of them as ‘elite' (or even 'new' in a couple of cases) is generous in the extreme. Three of them have considerably buying power and remain unproven, whilst if any of them go on a bad run and they are far more likely to get the sack before Carlo.

Could the manager, starting and back-up players be doing better in some games this season? Absolutely. You may strive for perfection, but never achieve it. But there are also mitigating circumstances and a considerable body of evidence challenging the notion that the goals conceded are directly attributable to a failing in central midfield by the new boys, Allan and Doucoure, as Conor attempts to portray it.

I think the first goal against our neighbours will sum up my argument. Doucoure is asleep and ball watching rather than being aware of Mane. Likewise Allan can see everything in front of him but is also fixated with the ball that he doesn't attempt to get round on the cover. These players don't sense danger. Had we a Carsley and Parkinson partnership I believe four of those five goals would have been avoided.

Steve if you think I am being harsh I will tell you that Doucoure reminds me of Sidibe as when everything is in front of him he is decent defensively but has a similar penchant for dreaming and lacks awareness. I think it was Q Flores who played him as a sitter and it cost him his job because it took away his strengths and made him a liability to the team.

Allan lacks discipline, wants to go hunting and,like an analogy I used to describe Gomes to Mike G, he is very much like the Saturday Night Taxi driver who arrives to pick you up when everyone has gone home. If you don't agree with me I won't harbour the point any longer as this will be like a movie in the mould of Sidibe which will continually be replayed time and again.

As for arguing that Ward Prowse would bring intensity, that was what we were told the aforementioned were suppose to bring? I do understand my views on those players and performances comes down to personal opinion but that's how I see it. I know there are some who disagree with me that have judgement records like American Pollsters.

We have got 2 chances to get them - a dogs chance and no chance.

I would prefer the likes of Pulisic (no chance) or someone else who knows where the net is. That is what we are sorely lacking especially in the absence of Richy and James. I thought Doucoure would have made a contribution but so far he has been far from box to box.

The last sentence says it all.

Conor is also spot on in his criticism of Allan and Doucoure in recent games. Southampton and the shite went through them time and again like a knife through butter. Even the Barcodes journeymen out played them.
I don't want to be too critical of either of them because they are finding their feet and they have given a a decent account of themselves in some games. I DO expect a lot more from them though.. The trouble is, We need them to be Paul Bracewell and Peter Reid. Unfortunately, in the last three games they have looked more like Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid. They need to sharpen up. They need to stop ball chasing. They each need to be more aware of where the other one is.

James has been a joy, but when somebody tries to accredit our improved scoring ratio to Doucoure and Allan it says everything about their understanding of the game. There's a lot more to it than bare stats.
We have seen how effective they are going forward when Richarlison and James are missing. They have to give us more.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been in terrific form. He is a terrific player, but I don't believe he is a natural goal scorer and he will have dry spells.
James Rodrigues often borders on Genius, but he will miss plenty of games.
Take away the goals of the "Championship" player and what have you got left ? A few magical spells, but only when the magician is feeling up to it. These two talents will not mask other people deficiencies for ever.

One defeat can be seen as a minor set back. Two can be dismissed as a bad couple of days. Three on the bounce and we all start to worry.

Time for Allan. Doucoure AND Carlo Fantastico to start earning their corn...They`re getting plenty of it

We have conceded 14 goals more in those games than in the same fixtures in the previous season. We are now letting in the most number of goals per season for the first time since before Moyes took over.

Great we are scoring but we have a team which needs to score at least 2 every game. 6 clean sheets in 27 games needs to be improved. Defending does not rely just on the back 5 but the 6 in front of them.

I agree that the criticism of Doucoure is fair. He has struggled with his positional play when screening the defence and he misses the runners into the box. He would be better in a more advanced midfield role to enable him to make runs into the box.

The criticism of Allan is a bit harsh though. He was the only midfielder trying to play balls between the opponent's line against Newcastle, he covers a huge amount of ground and has bite in the tackle. His problem is that he is covering the positional indiscipline of others and trying to do so much. If he had a player like Ward Prowse beside him, our midfield shape would improve dramatically. We spent money on midfield during the summer, but I always thought we needed more. Sigurdsson and Delph are not fit for purpose and both Gomes and Gbamin might not recover properly from their injuries.

On our defensive plan, I am just happier that this is a discernible plan! It was effective against Spurs, but I do think we have been undermined by repeated individual errors and the loss of Coleman in particular since then.

Carlo used a weird system against NCL, presumably to clog up the play, protect the full backs etc and come away with a nil nil or maybe better. Obviously we were atrocious and it didn't work.

We're now seeing some of the players for what they are:

- Doucoure, good engine but not amazing

- Allan, really good but can't do it on his own

- Rodriguez, brilliant but will miss games with injuries (obviously hurty bollocks was unfortunate)

Which means we'll have an up and down season. Carlo will get it right more than he gets it wrong. 4th is a stretch too. 6th remains a real challenge but doable if our best can stay fit or avoid suspensions.

Very important to avoid defeat against Manure - and a win gets us right back into the mix

I think you sum up the situation perfectly, although I don't think we have seen the best of Doucoure as yet, but I think used further forward could be a great asset. We are woefully short on attacking options, and the ones we have were never good enough, so when James and Richarlison are missing we are going to struggle. Lets face it just to follow Darrens analogy saying Doucoure and Allan were more like Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid in the last game, we could suggest that Jimmy Krankie would be more use than Bernard and possibly Whoopi Goldberg would produce more than Iwobi. Their goal records are atrocious would love to hear why Brands thought either would offer us. Mina is a mistake waiting to happen, neither him and Keane have any pace so when we need our backline to push towards the half way line you know we are very susceptible to a ball over the top.
The only plus was Olsen looks a decent keeper.