Guileless and Goalless

Ok last night was a point with a decimated side, but the bigger picture tells us how far this side is away from sustaining a genuine tilt on the top four and a trophy.

From the manager to the DOF they all need to smell the coffee this summer and start making radical changes to the kind of players we pursue and also change the mentality of why we approach every game with the intention of just not losing.

So far under Ancelotti, even when he's had a fully fit side to choose from I've seen no real style of play, it's only ever been work the ball wide and cross it to Calvert-Lewin, we never play through the middle or commit men to score enough goals.

I'm rather underwhelmed at the moment with the whole thing, I doubt the club is heading where Moshiri expected this far down the line either.

We've not improved all that much since Silva first arrived three years ago next month.

I don't know what the answers are anymore but we sure as hell aren't reaping any rewards year in year out.

You'd put money safely on us finishing 10th or maybe even 11th right now.

Roy Keane was not only right about the trophies, he was also right about injuries to Everton players. Our strength and conditioning coaching needs to be seriously reviewed.

Watching last night, I could predict where the next pass was going to go. Boring football, no flair without leadership. Badly need a Roy Keane or Peter Reid type who didn't have flair but drove their teams forward. I thought Allan might be that person but, like so many Everton players, he is also injured.

We live in hope but not in confidence.

It's professionalism and concentration we lack – not brawlers and bullies.

We need a new type of football and a change in ethos; we shouldn't look back – we need to try something new, a reinvention. In my own role, we have to be creative: think of new ways to move forward... why can't Everton do this?

Injuries have played a part, a condensed season on a smallish squad has played another part, but we need another centre back, another fullback, and a couple of midfielders with energy.

We also need a pacy wideman and another forward, so that's six players, and another fortune, although I'd settle for four, as long as they're quick and energetic of course!

Defensively, Keane wasn't clear-cut in anything he did and Carlo was right to put him on the left, away from Everton's vulnerable left flank. Holgate in midfield is a shadow of last season's effective distribution. Davies is okay defensively but is very loose going forward, and James is lightweight under targeted marking. Richarlison has never learnt how to pass a ball, which is quite frankly unbelievable for a Brazilian.

Movement of the ball was virtually non-existent, resulting in slow ponderous sideways football. Seamus Coleman and Digne were the exception in their play and Coleman looked the most likely to score on initiative alone. Gone is the set-piece threat of pre-Xmas, Mina being tidy at the back only. Sigurdsson's corners and crosses are now hit and miss. Olsen was safe and solid and I would be nervous of the return of one-mistake-a-game Pickford, so tight are the margins. Iowbi at his best has movement and postioning, but will never be clinical.

With all Ancelotti's experience his tactics are those of a relegation midtable battle with 9th being bottom and 6th safety, with European qualification. 7th or 8th would be a improvement on last season.

So it's down to this: Is Ancelotti a better manager than Big Sam? That is the question. Most of the Everton players have a low retention rate of what Ancelotti coached them, which appears to be a Finch Farm norm.

I expect defensive mode till the end of the season aimed at 0-0 draws, and attempts at nicking all 3 points. Low risk, with a high-risk squad, as Everton limp to the end of the season. No pre-holiday mode, please, which is usual at end-of-season Everton.

Carlo is well on his way to Shit Street if he thinks this sorta stuff is acceptable for the rest of the season. The emperor's new clothes are being revealed as no more than big hairy bollocks!

The season is coming to a spluttering halt unfortunately. In a way, it might be best not getting involved in Europe: with this squad playing 2 games a week, it would be embarrassing!

We can't build a team around the likes of Allan or James (as world class as he is) because they don't play enough games.

We can't build around the likes of Davies, Sigurdsson, Iwobi and Gomes because they are not good enough and we can't build around the likes of Coleman because his career is coming to the twilight year's.

We need a domineering energetic central midfielder similar to Doucoure but can pay a bit more than the Duke.

We need two genuine pacy wide players than contribute also to goals.

We need a creative midfielder that can play more regularly than James.

In my opinion (and this is not me having a pop at Calvert-Lewin) but we need a better striker if we are to challenge the top sides too.

I don't know if it's possible, I don't see Ancelotti as being a guy that can work well with limited players, he's needed world class talent at his disposal at the clubs he's been at.

Will it work long term him being at Everton, who knows but we need to sign some of those player that I've just mentioned and then let's see what he can do.

Failure to address these problems in summer will see the club become perennial mid-table inhabitants which is basically what we have become now.

In fairness, Olsen, Godfrey, Coleman and Holgate were fine. James did well the last the 90 minutes and showed some nice touches but Siggy and Charlie offered little and DCL's value to the team was obvious in his absence.

We need to accept where we are and hope to improve with some quality additions in the summer.

Leon Bailey and David Neres will most likely be available in summer. They will help. Olise at Reading could slot into the place of James Rodriguez.

Both have been linked with big name champions league clubs previously so will struggling for 8th not playing in Europe Everton really motivate either of them?

Seamus' post match interview when he claimed we don't want to us injuries as an excuse, unlike other some other clubs. Really touched a nerve with Carragher.

He said: "We don't want to be harping on about injuries. There's plenty other teams doing that.

"Unfortunately for us, we've missed quite a few lads through injury but, as the manager touched on beforehand, he never complains about the players who are out. It's about the players who are playing.

"Saying that, we're six points off fifth with a game in hand. We've got Tottenham at home coming up and we've got something to play for between now and the end of the season."

Carragher replied by saying: "You're not talking about Liverpool there are you, Seamus?", which Coleman simply laughed off and said: "That might be in your head, Jamie..."

All the optimism that we had a few months back has evaporated and we seem to be back in the same position that Koeman, Silva and Allardyce had us in both positionally and in style. Seems a long way from the team that started the season playing good attacking football and scoring goals for fun. Yes of late we have had injuries to key players, and that will of course effect the way the team plays, but can we just put the regression solely on the injuries. I think top 4 is completely out of the question and I doubt whether we will qualify for the Europa league, Carlos target at the beginning of the season. Should we not qualify for Europe then that will be a big blow and instead of this season being one of progression, failure to qualify will be seen as a massive failure.

I am a fan of Ancelotti, you don't win what he has without being very good at your job. But this close season will I think be a defining time for Carlo and his coaches, they have to make the right purchases that allow us to play a more attacking attractive game. As I think although he is greatly admired by Evertonians at the end of the day results and style matter. if we fail to make Europe this year, then next season that will be the minimum the fans will expect. So Ancelotti will be under pressure to deliver and so he should be, but most of his teams have played good winning attractive football, and next season we need to see more of that approach than the pragmatic defensive approach we have seen used in the last few months.

The one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is any new player brought in may give a boost to the team initially but they also appear then to be dragged down to the level of crap we have all become accustomed to it is beyond belief.
If we bought Messi Aguero Mbappe and any other Galactico they'd be playing like a pissed up pub team before long What the Hell is it about This Club.

How Can the likes of Walcott who up to coming here has had a great career we drag him down to our level let him go to Southampton and he started where he left off at Arsenal. I hope the defence, who are playing something like decent especially Godfrey aren't dragged down to typical Everton level.

And Iwobi my head is bleeding with me scratching it over him he was absolute garbage then bucked up the beginning of this season now you may as well play with 10 men he is an even more expensive Niasse but without scoring the odd goal. For Christ's sake somebody empty his locker and give him a bin bag hopefully he will get into it on bin day.

I find it ludicrous that, at the start of the season, no conversations were had about the squad...

Brands - “So Carlo, if Digne or Coleman are out, we play Nkounkou or Kenny right?”

Carlo - “No, don't trust them two. Let's just hope that Digne and Coleman play every game. If not, I'll shove someone out of position.”

Brands - “Not the best plan. What if Calvert-Lewis is injured, are we using Tosun?”

Carlo - “We'll probably just play without strikers, it'll be fine. Calvert-Lewis never gets injured.”

Brands - “What about Iwobi? Will he be coverinh by h nbbj g the attacking players?”

Carlo - “Not exactly. I can use him at right back, but if the attacking players are out, I'd rather just pack the team with defenders.”

Brands - “That's sorted then.”

I can understand your frustration about new players coming in and making an impression and then drifting into mediocrity like many of their teammates.

The very top players and in particular the ones you mention are far to good to let slip their performances, but therein lies a lot of the problems we have. We haven't been a top team for decades and top players only play for top teams, so the level at which we can buy often determines the type of quality player we can buy, which is quite a few levels below Champions League quality.

That's why, when a club like Leicester win the Premier League, it's such an eye-opener, but the reality is that these occasions happen very rarely. The top clubs get the best players and that has always been a fact, our problem is how do you get to be a top team again, so you can attract top players?

Money helps but even the money Moshiri has pumped in still hasn't seen us breach the gap to the best teams.

Carragher himself gave out about Liverpool giving out about injuries. Nice dig by Seamy all the same.

Same again, just need to calm the f-down.

Of course our squad doesn't have the quality in depth, but all the people on here screaming why wasn't something done about it? Are the same people screaming at the end of last season that Carlo's first job is to sort the midfield out. He does that, but apparently it's not enough. What do they do, sign 11 new players? Get real.

I watched our game after watching the Baggies win by 3, a relegation bound team, and they created chances, had pace and tried. Who are they managed by I wonder?

Moshiri must be wondering how he can have spent so much on so little.

"we are the worse team in the Premier League to watch", really? Ok last night was a snoozefest but are the 12, that's TWELVE, teams below us better?

Secondly, being above other teams does not make us better to watch. For starters at least 3 of the teams below us have scored more goals. We are a horrible team to watch, probably the most boring team in the league.

Because we were last match of the weekend to be played I show more interest in the other games (When we play first I barely take any notice of the other matches) is anyone else the same?

However it meant I watched most of the games this weekend and that was by a country mile the horriblest game I watched. Entertainment wise I thought Man U were brilliant. There is a team more than any other wanting to play fast and forward.

I honestly thought my pulse had stopped last night such was the excitement.

After some decent results early on we were cruelly lulled into a feeling that this may just be the season of turnaround but as usual we end up a boring mid-table team.

There is always some bright new talent coming through every year but the experienced stars just don't cut it often enough and Injuries are no real excuse as all the other clubs have had their setbacks too.

Carlo has to take some blame as he has not been able to motivate these players to the high level of intensity needed to compete and dominate especially early in games.

The defense is way too slow in moving the ball out and getting in the opponents faces. Everton's game is far too deliberate and laborious to put the opponents on the back foot.

It's sad to say that the season has only had one or two real highlights, those being the first game at Spurs and the RS win. Even the two cup ties against Championship relegation fodder were a struggle.

Cannot for the life of me see a win on Friday.

My whole point is one bad performance and people love to say how shit we are. I'm not saying everything is fine, I'm just looking for a bit of context.

Yesterday reinforced my view that we can't spend a limited budget on Koulibaly, cracking player though he is. He won't help us win the games we're not winning. We need goal threat and pace to do that.

Had we had a fully fit first team, I think that we would've beaten Brighton, but even a fully fit first team wouldn't take us to the next level of Champions League football.

The owner and manager have to have a summer of reflection, and then cull this squad (with the exception of maybe seven decent players). We definitely need a quality striker and a bunch of quality midfield players.

Instead, we got the usual from Iwobi and Broadhead got about 5 minutes.

Totally agree on Koulibaly too. If we can the defensive side of the midfield right I think the 4 CBs we have are more than good enough to take us to the next step.

For me there is no point singling out just 1-2 players (the usual characters no doubt). the simple fact is that only a small number of our players are good enough for a "top 4" team. Only Pickford, Godfrey, Digne, James, Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison would command decent fees, and only Allan and Doucoure would join them in my personal "don't sell even if offers come in" bracket.

Everyone else we should consider letting go if a reasonable offer comes in.

Assuming that Kean will dig his heels in and demand that Raiola is given his payday (poor man must be in the poor house after Covid window), that means we are at least another 3-4 players from having a good first choice 11. let alone decent backup for a cup run and competition.

Scary stuff. Only hope outside of that is that the loans make the likes of Gordon, Simms, Branthwaite etc good enough to push out Sigurdsson, Delph, Holgate, Mina, Bernard etc. At least enough to get rid of their wages and hope Brands can find more like Nkounkou and Godfrey anyway.

Another massive summer ahead.

But I also thought with his experience he would be able to get a tune out of the misfit bunch, we have collated from the previous bunch of muppet managers!

But no. Carlo has been outsmarted by a fair few who most would deem not worthy to be his assistant.

As for the football on offer, I have to say it's pretty dire, no style, no plan; never taking the game to anyone - most managers could do what he is doing with the squad available.

Carlo has sprinkled a bit of glitter with the signing of James.. But that's about it.

Our players always looked stretched, trying passes with little prospect of successful completion, receiving passes that bounced off them. We need to be a bit calmer, work for each other a little more, find an extra yard of space and things will improve.

It is both the heart and the brain of any team. It is the provider that puts the food on the table for the other players.

Without Allan and Doucoure the team doesn't function. It can't get a grip on a game, we have no shape. Any plan that Carlo had just flies out the window from the first minute. Without them two, we are a mid-table team, 8th to 14th, take your pick.

It's blindingly obvious then we need a young quality midfielder with resilience, mobility, goals and the ability to drive forward with the ball in the summer to compliment / rotate with these two and another young potential midfielder as back up. Keep Tom in the squad as he is on a relatively low wage and move on Sigurdsson, Gomes and Delph (if we can!). Gbamin should not enter calculations for one second. If he recovers and comes good it will be a near miracle.

Then a forward/wide man with spring, pace and skill to get past a full back. Someone who can counter-attack like a coiled spring and put opponents on the back foot as soon as they lose possession.

Just imagine next season, Everton attacking with pace and crosses coming from the byline for Calvert-Lewin to nod or poke home. I'm daydreaming about it as I type.

One can criticize the training or short preseason but to some extent players are probably physically exhausted on top of the mental stress of being a player in a COVID environment. Not making the excuse there since other teams are not getting hit like we are but the lack of any inherited system of play/acquisitions and less than convincing locker room vibe has us paying for that lack of support that can prevent a tailspin.

Tempting to ask if we missed Gomes yesterday but now isn't really time for jokes. How a club like Everton has worked itself into this position is a legitimate and critical question but I think Carlo could acquit himself if he weren't a gentleman knowing it would damage the club's reputation.

If you think one of the other clowns in the Premier League rotation have a better skill set for what we face in a frozen transfer market, list them; I'm interested in that discussion.

You hit the nail on the head. The reason Carlo bought Allan and Doucoure was because our midfield was non-existent last season; with both players missing, we're back to where we were last season.

Sigurdsson and Delph have to be shipped out and two pacy wide men brought in but, with the money they're on, they will sit and see out their contracts... no-one would even offer them half of it.

The only way we will offload these fat cat wasters like Delph is if we set up some kind of Adrian Mutu honey trap and ply them with coke. Then we can terminate their contracts and sue them. That apart, they'll stick around until they have bled us dry.

Give them a portion of the transfer fee to make up the shortfall in wages.

Who would pay any kind of a fee for Delph? Worse still was his transfer deal

"Delph signed for City's Premier League rivals Everton on 15 July 2019 on a 3-year contract for an initial fee of £8.5 million, rising to £10 million in add-ons."

Not sure of the add-ons but, hazarding a guess, I'd say they might be appearance-based? In which case, we're probably not due to pay out yet – after 20 games in 2 years. But, depending on the figure, we may be at the point soon where we let this muppet play a few games and it ends up costing us £1½ million extra.

Apart from Kean, the only money will be raised from players like Mina or Holgate who we'd have mixed feelings about releasing.

Doing the same with players who would command a bigger fee would see us wim finacially as well as removing the unwanted player

You give him £4M – that tops up his wages to £80k over 2 years – with zero net saving to Everton. In fact, given the opportunity cost of money, paying him that up front is a loss leader. No need to pay him for more than 1 year anyway as his contract is up in June 2022.

Yea, okay, it might get him out of the club... but when has that ever happened? As I recall (Van der Meyde, Niasse), they prefer to hang around like bad pennies stinking the place out on their fat Everton wages until the last day of the contract.

The only one to buck the trend recently has been that goalie from Huddersfield we never played... Jonas Lössl. No hints as to what the settlement of that contract involved... but yes, it can be done.

Rarely.

What would your thoughts be for a similar situation with a player on say £80k with 2 years left on his contract?

Meanwhile, in the Real World... like I said, it just rarely ever happens. Can you cite one case for a player on a decent wedge?

Actually maybe Real Madrid and James Rodriguez coming to us on a relatively reduced salary – how long was left on his contract? But then again there was no transfer fee... unless we paid him a massive signing on fee???

Please tell me I'm wrong but we have the look of "not a clue"? I watch our matches with very little expectation! Why? Its what we have become. Never have I been so disappointed with the lack of hunger, desire, and effort to win a game. Our attitude playing lower league teams has been of poor attitude or not up for the battle? If we had an half decent home record, top 5 in the league would be in the bag.

Carlo has to clear the decks before recruitment can happen. You cannot bring new players into a squad with this lack of hunger in it. New players may fall into the same attitude. Changing the manager again is not the answer. These players are not showing their worth to wear the shirt. Pay them off or sell them. We have had less talented players in the past with more hunger. I'm bored with the absolute dross we are showing. Something must change!!!

Today it's been suggested on Twitter that EFC has the highest list of players current injured.

One absentee from both the bench and the team's official list of players injured was Besic.

I'm curious as to why a squad player, with 45 international caps, who wasn't injured didn't make the bench. Yes his contract is running out and he may be off to Reading but football is a team sport and if it meant him coming on for 10 minutes to replace some tired legs it would be a contribution.

⦁ Richarlison £35 million (rising to) £50 Million (Been on and off this season,
was great last season has lots of talent but needs to start showing it more
often on the pitch) Confidence player thrives off the fans.

⦁ Gilfy Siggurson (Been average, can score some cracking goals the odd assist,
but he doesn't do it enough) £40 million (with £5 million in potential add-ons)
Average! Need to see more.

⦁ Alex Iwobi (Garbage) £28 million! Enough said.

⦁ Jordan PIckford (Garbage, Joel was better and I don't care if he's England's
No.1 either, we should never of signed him under koeman) £28 million!

⦁ Cenk Tuson (On Loan) (Garbage) £27 million!

⦁ Theo Walcott (On Loan) (Garbage) £20 million!

⦁ Moise kean (On Loan) (Attitude problem) £24 million

⦁ Yannick Bolasie (On Loan) (Done nothing, Garbage) £25 million

⦁ Andre Gomes (injured again) £20 million (Been average at best)!

⦁ Allan (injured again) £21.7 million. (How many games has he missed now?
Average, needs to do 10x more than he is! Another midfield who doesn't
know how to get forwards and shoot)!

⦁ Abdoulaye Doucoure (injured) £25m million (been alright nothing special,
yeah he runs about a lot has a good engine, but he can't pass a football to
save his life)!

⦁ Yerry Mina (injured) £21.4 million (Good solid defender, decent buy)!

⦁ Luca Digne £18 million (Decent buy, lost his form of late, needs to do more
than he is! He's coasting along)!

⦁ Michael keane £25 million (rising to) £30 million. (Been decent, good
defender on his day, he's on and off too! But is he really worth that much, I'm
not so sure)!

⦁ Ben Godfrey £20 million (rising) (Looks like a good signing, very solid, can
play anywhere along the back four, has potential to get even better, Decent
Buy!

⦁ James Rodríguez free transfer! (Wages only)! (He's been okay, could do a lot
more)! Good coup for free though. Coasting.

⦁ Jean-Philippe Gbamin (injured again, done absolutely nothing for 2 seasons
now on a 5 year contract) £25 million (Waste of money)!

⦁ Bernard £9 million (decent footballer, has bags of talent, but he never plays)!

⦁ Holgate £2 million (been solid since he joined the club, nearly always fit, good
defender, good attitude, always trying to improve, great buy)!

⦁ Fabian Delph £8.5 million (waste of money done absolutely nothing since he
joined the club)! Pathetic.

⦁ Séamus Coleman 60k EFC Captain (What a signing by David Moyes)!

⦁ Joao Virginia undisclosed fee. (has potential that's it)!

⦁ Calvert-Lewin £1.5 million (Brilliant signing from the football club, he should
be the blueprint for us signing players going forwards)! Very Impressed with
DCL even though he's gone missing since his England call up funny that! Top
Signing from Everton! Well done!

⦁ Joshua King (On Loan hasn't even kicked a ball yet, so why is he even here)?

⦁ Robin Olsen (On Loan not a bad Keeper, does his job without being erratic)!
for 2/3mill he might be worth to keep at the club for next season! Disgusting
what happened to him!

⦁ Muhamed Besic £4 million (what's he even done for the club nothing)!
Pathetic!

⦁ Tom Davies (came through the academy wages only)! Never get's forwards
enough or has a shot on target all he does it pass the ball, average at best
needs to start bucking up or he'll be gone. Coasting along.

⦁ Kenny (On Loan) Came through the academy, Doing okay at Celtic not sure
he'll be here next season, he's top lad JJK with a grounded attitude
wish him all the best if he does move on.

⦁ Anthony Gordan, Ellis Sims and Jarrard Branthwaite are on Loan also!

⦁ And people wonder what the problem is at this football club!

⦁ We need to stop all this mindless spending as a football club! For £30 million
you should be able to buy 3 or 4 solid players who will do a job for you all
season! it's needs to stop right now! I honestly do not have a bloody clue
what our scouts actually do at the club!

⦁ This is exactly why I want to sign players like Kevin Nisbet! He scored again
against Rangers on the weekend, He's just been called up for Scotland also!
5mill/8mill we could get him off Hibs for and for the life of me I do not
understand why we aren't looking at these type of players as a football club!!
I don't think he's been injured all season either! He got left out the squad
because he handed in a transfer request in January by now Jack Ross has got
him back into the side and he's playing well & Don't tell me he's not good
enough for Everton either because he is!! (Look at the list) I'd rather have 3 or
4 solid players like him all day of the week over some of the crap on that list.
This needs to be addressed by the football club, it's a disgrace.

⦁ Conclusion! Stop all this mindless spending as a football club Everton! I'm Off
for a beer after that.

Everton last 2 games: one goal, 2 points.
West Brom last 2 games: 8 goals, 6 points Aren't they managed by that other bloke... erm... wotsizname?