Just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse

With James doing his own thing?

We again have 2 goalkeepers on the bench plus Bernard who has done bugger all this season and will be off in the summer. Surely there are half a dozen of the juniors who would benefit from involvement.

I'd have played Siggy instead of Holgate in an attempt to give us some width and I take it that King is now no longer required. We could have saved 6 months wages for all the involvement he has had.

Read somewhere that Nkounkou is the most unused sub in the PL this season.

Sig was poor in James' absence so maybe a form selection? King I'm guessing is injured? If not Carlo must really think he's hopeless

Gonna give it 10 more minutes then I'm gonna read a book, which will be considerably more interesting than the shite we're serving up again. This has to be the most frustrating season after what we were looking at at the start if the season. The buzz of having James has worn off and the Everton camp is not a happy one. Season over.

Taxi for Ancelotti.

To answer those who challenged my comments earlie, I would have left Holgate out. Why do we need 5 defenders? I would have selected Tom to allow Allan and Doucouré more freedom and to permit James to do what he does best. If King had been available, I would have left Mr Sulky out.

It has to change at half-time. This is so poor again. And if King is not available, where is the back-up striker? Are all the youngsters that shit that they cannot be on the bench?

I despair...

Okay.

If the Dickensian selections and tactics continue into next season, then I cant see Ancelotti lasting too long.

Grim.

Holgate's back pass sums him up as a player – terrible... yet Carlo keeps picking him. If I could get into the dressing room at half-time, I would kick the shit out of every one of our players, They are embarrassing.

Everton had a stinker generally and can only improve.

Nows the time to back the team and Ray, I'll have some of the same.

I don't expect it to get any better. Heart-breaking to watch such amateur rubbish.

The goal was comically bad.

Was it first Holgate tight on the right touchline that did a 10-second no-touchee-ballee with the Sheffield player without getting close to tackle or cut off his passing lines?

That alone should have given the defence time to be set and alert to cut out any threat. But no. A simple pass to a simple run. The Blades man breaks through two non-tackles by Doucoure and Allan at the corner of our penalty area. Godfrey switches off and wanders off his man and the 17-year-old debut kid has a tap-in.

They've been breaking through all our 'tackles' since and been passing better through our lines. Marginally, only marginally, Michael Keane and Allan are the only two players looking to break through their lines with the ball at their feet or passing. But Sheffield Utd are snuffling out everything.

Dom already tracking back to the half-way line and even our half to fetch the ball. That's not where we want him. He and Richarlison between them should have equalised on the stroke of half-time. Our corners are woeful.

Holgate. Wow. Where has the player who did so well under Carlo last season gone?

The back pass that almost gifted them a second goal was disturbing. He could see the entire play. If you are going to pass back as he did, then the weight of the ball has to be right. That he could see the play, had time to evaluate what he needed to do and make the play he did points to me a player whose head is just not right at the moment.

It's going to take quite a turnaround from that 1st half 'performance' to retrieve this.

Is there something awfully wrong behind the scenes? Something the players are really not happy about?

It goes beyond tactics etc, IMO, they just don't look up for it.

I've got to make light of it because I don't want to throw the TV out of the window or ruin the family Sunday by freaking out.

Alas sadly as too often this season, no urgency, no stomach, no fight.

A truly stinking bad week for Everton, gets worse. Only 4 or 5 players worth a squad place next season.

This game requires the miracle of miracles, for Everton to win.

Champions League? You'd better hope we don't make that new European competition for the not good enough for the competitive competitions teams. We would most probably get knocked out in the first round by a team of amateur painters and plasterers.

This team is going nowhere but down under the present set-up.

I really did think Carlo was the answer but unfortunately he has not got what it takes.

An absolute disgrace. Ancelotti should leave immediately. The biggest humiliation of the Premier League.

Take the job at Real if they offer it to you, Mr Ancelotti.

By the way, where all the ToffeeWebbers who were predicting a 4-0 or 5-0 win? Ha, ha, ha, ha.

We're those your player ratings? Seem pretty apt

The only times we seem to have any passion is when Davies plays, but Carlo only plays him as a last resort.

Digne plays best with a midfield partner to make overlapping runs, I can't remember the last time he had a midfield partner.

Coleman - see Digne

Richarlison can't play up front, yet Carlo persists with him there.

Sigurdsson can't play in midfield and can't play against tight defences, yet Carlo will pick him ahead of virtually every other player.

If this was Silva we'd all be slating him, but Carlo gets lot more breathing space based solely on reputation. Carlo should not escape criticism, he continues to pick teams and formations that do not get the best out of his players and continually overlooks players based on reputation and cost rather than what they can actually do on the pitch.

What could possibly go wrong?

Great past etc as a player and manager but well past his sell-by date, clueless, no Plan A or B or C and living on past glories.

That's it for me this season, we had a great chance for Champions League or even Europa League but once again we fluff our lines.

Some players also need to have a long hard look at themselves.

Rant over, enjoy all.

It's pure shite served up, week-in & week-out.

Starting to think that Richarlison is a liability. Gomes, Holgate, Keane, Bernard, Iwobi, Delph aren't good enough. Fed up of seeing balls being ponderously played from right to left to right to centre-back to keeper.

No speed, bite, running with the ball. No movement up front and two forwards who play like they hate each other. Problems all over the pitch.

No positives apart from 2 games to go before this sorry season ends.

No question, the Blades totally merited that win. Better organized. Better on the ball. More energy. More bite in challenging for every ball.

By contrast, not one Everton player stepped up to say 'Fook this! Give me the ball! Let's sort this out!'

So many bad performances and so many individual bad plays.

I laughed, but it really wasn't funny.

That was atrocious.

No character, guts, belief, Captainship and desire.

Definitely watching Everton, is bad for your health.

There's some issue with the attitudes in the three games this last week, and since West Ham, they're been poor.

What a let down, and Wolves up next then City.

Wretched season and the cycle of mediocrity looks like to continue, as which decent player wants to come to Everton, after this level of performance.

Hopeless and guileless today, playing crab pedestrian football.

Everton got what they deserved, and the season final positions tell the truth.

We would have been booed off so many times this season with fans in attendance but next season there will be nowhere to hide!

I will watch the summer closely; do I trust Brands and Carlo to get it right in the transfer market? I highly doubt it.

I honestly never thought I would feel like this after one of the worst showings I have ever seen but I, honest to God, don't give a shit about Carlo's team anymore.

A few things are clear: Coleman, Holgate, Gomes, Sigurdsson, and Bernard are not good enough. Add that to the list of others in the squad.

Digne, Richarlison, and James are all seriously out of form. Calvert-Lewin looks to be waiting for the Euros.

More importantly, we are devastatingly slow. Both in movement and passing. Players don't find space, so players in possession run around in circles (literally) before playing a sideways pass.

We are reliant on Calvert-Lewin getting on the end of something, but no real plan to get that something.

We lack width, invention, pace, and we are too easy to play through. Lack of shape means Allan and Doucouré are all over the place, out on the right, over to the left chasing, always chasing.

And then the basics, simple passing and moving, is done poorly, no triangles, no communication.

There is so much lacking.

I still would not put this on Ancelotti. Not that he isn't blameless. But I do think he can improve it. A new manager, a new 'restart', isn't what we need.

Ancelotti can't be happy and will know what he wants to improve it. I'm willing to give him another season to do so.

But our home form is pathetic.

Wholesale changes are needed but are not forthcoming.

Priority must be wingers and a right full-back. Pace and energy. If James does stay, he has to be used in the middle. But equally we need a better reserve for him than Sigurdsson or Gomes.

Sell Iwobi, Gomes, Sigurdsson, Delph, Coleman, Holgate, Bernard. If needed for money, I'd not be against Richarlison leaving for a decent fee but he is better than we're getting at the moment and I'd like to see him play to his best with us again.

How I long for the days of James linking with Digne and Richarlison on the left, with them setting up on a plate for Calvert-Lewin. That playbook seems to have vanished off the earth.

A bone idle manager, who isn't here to blood in the youth, he is here to win games. What a joke. Carlo is a very limited manager who needs established pros to try and preserve his fading reputation.

Unfortunately, the people running the club are just as clueless. The last time things were done correctly was the Moyes era, no short-cuts, just hard work and professionalism. We are so far away from this ethos, it's unreal.

I can't fathom it either. I don't believe the players are not interested, but we seem to be incapable of putting a few passes together (other than the pointless sideways one the defenders make).

The build-up play is so slow and ponderous that the opponents have plenty of time to set up, thus we create few decent chances. And most of these players are experienced internationals.

My daughter (who has no interest in football) watched the 2nd half with me and kept asking why Everton keep passing back when there is little time left and they are losing? I wish I had an answer.

Be interested to see how thy players react in mid-week with fans in the ground.

Well done, Carlo.

He's not going. Get over it.

Five Brands signings started, seven more only good enough for the bench. Can't wait to see what gutless geriatrics he has lined up this summer.

Dreadful.

Seriously speaking, do you think we can get promotion in the Championship with this kind of performance? With this kind of player? Just imagine dealing with teama like Sheffield Utd each week. For sure we will fight for relegation in the Championship and probably we would manage to score a range 10-15 goals in all 46 matches. That is the reality. With any other manager, we will be now in Sheffield Utd's position.

We have the most dreadful, pathetic, and lack of commitment players in the world. Apart from a couple of them (Coleman, Digne, Calvert-Lewin, maybe Allan) no-one deserves to play for us.

Also, get rid of at least eight of the players who started tonight. Unsworth's U23 squad would at least put an effort in, unlike this bunch of shitbag mercenaries. Unless his team score first, Carlo does not have any idea what to do.

Why the hell I keep supporting this club, I don't know, I think I'll have a serious talk with myself and maybe try skydiving instead.

Europe? You must be joking!

What you have is a significant amount of the squad and backroom staff downing tools on the manager as they have done with other managers. The fact it is Ancelotti makes no difference to this lot. Ancelotti probably is thinking this is the worse squads he has ever managed.

No other words except that Goodison looks a huge pitch, when these second rate teams have the ball, and yet it looks so much tighter when Everton have the ball, and it's like this every time Everton's main tactic moves away from defending as a team.

We made McGoldrick look like Xavi tonight and every team that comes to Goodison out footballs us. We don't even show the fight and passion that some of our poorer sides in the past at least showed. I despair... I really do!!

Newcastle, Fulham, Burnley, Sheffield United, etc haven't just beaten us...they've played us off the park.

And I'm very, very worried about Carlo being allowed to bring in more ageing 'stars' who have no real interest in the club and can barely be arsed playing unless they happen to be in the mood.

Nkounkou should definitely have been given more minutes this season. Even as left winger, just like we used Seams on the right wing 10 years ago.

McGoldrick looked like the classiest midfielder on the park. Passing slow and underhit so many times apart from the aimless lumps into their area. So many wrong choices.

Don't really know where we go from here. Ancelotti will be praying he gets that call from Real Madrid.

Where to from here?

Keep:

Pickford
Godfrey
Davies
King
Mina
James ... just.

Sell everyone else.

Carlo is finished as a top manager, his enthusiasm has gone and the players know it. Get some ruthless fucker in there who isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers. If the players don't like it, let 'em fuck off. Need to lose at least 10 players from that squad, 7 of which played tonight.

Unforgivable from top to bottom. Them and the manager are clueless. Our season is over. Just hope the fans let their feelings be known against Wolves because it's another defeat coming up. Moshiri must be wishing he had never purchased the club.

Looks like Carlo is good with Champions League sides but maybe not with our class of player. For me, every player but Pickford, Calvert-Lewin, Allan and Godfrey can go this summer. If Moshiri has about £200m going spare, we may have a competitive team next season.

The buck stops with Carlo. He looks trapped in the headlights. Well said, Derek. Bielsa would get considerably more out of even these wasters.

The manager to me has been a huge disappointment, for all his so-called knowledge, he looked clueless. There is no pride, endeavour or willingness to get stuck in and fight for the shirt.

I could weep how badly we have lost our pride and spunk... nil satis nisi optimum... don't make me laugh.

The majority of players need to hang their heads in shame; I wonder who's turn is it to come out and explain the game plan?

Most of this squad are on easy street at Everton and basically don't give a shit. At other clubs, drastic changes would be made... but hey, this is good old Everton – as long as Kenwright remains in a position of influence, not a thing will change.

The demise of a once-proud football club.

Leicester City yesterday made me cringe – how we have become such a complete non-entity of a club!

Yesterday's news!!! Going nowhere! How do you legislate for a performance like that! Does anyone really care within the club?? I'm not sure they really do?

Embarrassing! 3 points to help get into Europe.... nothing!!! Awful!!! I wish I didn't care!!

At 68, I have just been diagnosed with heart arrhythmia and expect in July to have a cardioversion procedure to "reboot" my heart via an electric shock.

Could someone give the procedure to this team as soon as possible, including the whole management team.

Really ashamed of what is happening at a club where I saw my first ever game in 1961.

No point picking out individuals, and let's face it, I think Holgate will be sold, as he should be, along with 7 or 8 others..

Utter, utter tripe. Cannot be bothered to break it down and analyse because the truth of the matter is, no matter how you set up a team, if too many players aren't good enough, then they all sink.

Clear them out and start again. Thank god this team won't be in Europe. Rather sad to be a Blue tonight; I am over being angry.

Coleman is our right winger and Iwobi is his back-up. Gomes, Sigurdsson and Bernard brought on to try and change the game.

Half a billion spent and just look at our squad. I deluded myself thinking when we got players back, we'd be better... but these bottle-jobs have played this way under Martinez, Koeman, Silva and Fat Sam. Brands should be sacked on the spot.

I honestly don't care who the manager is because the only threat we carry is our left-back. We're an utter joke.

I'd like to profess that respect loudly again. For me, precious few if any of this playing group have earned your belief nor have they repaid it.

A last-minute Liverpool winner to their goalkeeper, immediately followed by the most recent effort we just witnessed today, is the most compelling case for the defence you could possibly offer. That was a uniquely dreadful and wholly Everton experience.

Another very disappointing day to be an Evertonian, sadly. I hope we get a team soon that can repay some of the faith, but hope is all it is.

All the clubs we have lost to have worked harder. Interesting that a lot of the clubs have been in the bottom half of the table!

It was stated we don't need to sell before we buy players!! Oh yes we do!! If we do not sell we are in trouble next season. Our away form has kept us in the league.

Carlo must give the board a list of players that won't be given a squad number next season. Move them on!!!

Please tell me how we are 8th in the league??

All season, we have had an unsettled team selection which cannot help the players. We have a very unbalanced squad with no wingers, yet we have sold Vlasic, loaned out Bolasie, Walcott and Gordon, leaving us with no real threat from wide positions.

James has not worked for me – no effort, too slow and certainly not a world class talent now. He cannot be accommodated in a team like ours as his moments of magic are outweighed by the fact that it is like playing with 10 men.

Carlo can moan all he likes about some of the players he inherited – little effort, no bite or aggression, no will to win – but he has persisted in playing them. Are we the only team in the Premier League with no youngsters who can be thrown on for half-an-hour to add some enthusiasm? Why bench the most forward passing and most aggressive midfielder we have in Tom Davies?

People say he must be given another transfer window but what will he do? He cannot buy players at the end of their careers – we need athletes with pace and aggression who are desperate to win every game, not guys around 30 who can't sprint.

This is serious stuff and we may just have a guy in charge to whom we are contracted to pay a fortune over the next couple of years – when does his contract run out?

I do blame the players to a large degree but team selection, substitutes and tactics are down to the manager and he has been very poor.

Two consolations: we didn't have to spend time and money travelling to Goodison to see this shit, and we took 4 points from Liverpool.

Truly dreadful!!!

Fuckin absolutely embarrassing!!!!

Never lost 9 at home ever. Even the 2 seasons where they had to win the last game of the season just to stay in the league wasn't this pathetic.

The fact you think King is worth keeping above the rest of the squad says it all. A ghost, with no meaningful physical involvement in our season appears relatively better than the people playing. Sad state of affairs but I can see how you got to this point.

We are lifeless. That is absolutely not the players' fault. They are clearly not being coached properly.

The question that I have now is, 'Does Carlo have the hunger to correct this dreadful dip? I'm yet to be convinced.

I think if Real Madrid came for him now and offered him a 3-year contract, he would go. Under normal circumstances, Everton would want his contract paid up. But this ain't normal. I'd let him go for free and start again.

I fear that Ancelotti will respond by trying to tighten us up even further.

Roll on when we can be back in the stadium and roar to get them forward and slag them off when they cop out and pass it back or pass the buck.

Lol – that and plans for his testimonial will be announced to distract us.

We are a club built for Premier League survival – nothing more.

I'm not just surprised and bitterly disappointed, I am shocked by that performance.

If Carlo is that magnifico then just doing that one thing should be child's play. No doubt I am wrong but I don't think he is up to it.

The manager was a bad fit. The club is a nightmare and love is turning to hate; it feels like I want a divorce.

The club hierarchy seem more focused on receiving accolades for EitC work and take more pride in this. The People's Club – my arse! Rotten to the core from top to bottom. I've had it with you.

The rot has been infesting for years. How the hell was Koeman/Walsh given the go ahead for landing us with so much expensive overpaid wastage that now one else would even look at. 45 million for Sigurdson is beyound words, bring Rooney back on 160k per week, it is not how any professional business should operate.

I'm sick to the teeth of years of nothing but false hope, every season. I'm sure like many blues tonight (particularly after the RS doing it late again just before we kick off) the tank is empty, every drop is gone. I shall not pay another penny to watch Everton again, until we have a team with fight and worthy of the shirt.

Please no comments of "call yourself an Evertonian" etc, we all have our reasons and our lives, but we are all Blues and no one ever could accuse us of being Gloryhunters, we are propper fans, and we deserve a team to be proud of, we just haven't had one for a very long time.

Totally pathetic

Around the 13th minute a pass to Richarlison was intercepted resulting in Digne getting injured and the ground level camera inadvertently showed Richarlison in full on couldn't give a shit mode. The overrated lump was still trotting from his original run with his back to play completely disengaged from the game.

If you've played the sport you can spot this shit a mile away sideways and backwards passing without purpose is fraudulent football it is nothing more than going through the motions. It may look like we have no pace but that is not true we have no urgency and it is because we are not a team.

All on Carlo that

That was beyond words!

We supporters deserve much more than this guileless effort, every move was orthodox and done badly, not one player tried anything adventuress, only Pickford showed any passion, same as Ferguson on the bench trying to get Carlo to listen to him, to no avail.

Some people on here have been asking Darren Hind to show up and say something, I Carlo has spoken for him, eloquently, during the last two games, no need for Darren to say a word, but I doubt very much that he will gloat about the failures, he will be as sick as most of us.

I said it elsewhere - I love Everton, but it sure doesn't feel she loves me back.

If we're playing a back 3 because Seamus can then get on the field, well that's not enough of a reason, because we can't attack that way.

Everything tonight channeled through the middle, easy to defend.

The subs? Sigurdsson as kind-of a left midfielder. Just no. One good pass to put Richy in but little else. Just congested in the middle with James, DCL etc coming deep, no one offering movement up top. Bernard who we are actively trying to sell on. Gomes, who we should be selling, on. Davies, impressive against WHU, unused. I don't care what Nkounkou looks like in training, in the games he's played (not Newcastle, but everyone stunk in that) he's offered pace, high tempo direct play, a decent touch and impressive crossing. One of those matches was against a WHU cup team which was probably better than Sheff Utd. Put the lad on and see what he can offer, over repeat failures or those with no future at the club.

The players are the ones failing but Ancelotti has to set them up to give them the best chance to succeed and tonight, that did not happen.

Big problems in the relationships on the field. DCL and Richy as a front two stink the gaff out, zero interplay. Agree also, Kevin that Digne is twice as effective with a midfield partner.

Just awful and as shit as we've been at home this season even I didn't expect that horror show. Blimey, remember when Pickford was a problem? Without him tonight we'd have been hammered.

Big clearout in the summer, and not just the obvious, but guys like Gomes etc who are offering very little.

Good report though.

"Just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse - you realized there's still two more games to go!"

How's that?

Not only beaten by a Sheffield United team that has done poorly on the road, but Everton was shown up to be an extremely poor outfit, who appeared badly coached, badly motivated, and unable to carry out the basics that are necessary at any level of the game, never mind the top level in England.

If Everton was a racehorse, there would be a stewards inquiry every time it competed. How is it remotely possible to play worse and worse each time they take to the field at Goodison? I begin to wonder if someone is making a small fortune betting on Everton to lose at home and win away.

I've seen many poorly equipped Everton teams in my time, but I don't think many of us have seen such a lack of bite, fire, or fight that this squad displays on such a regular basis.

Who is responsible for this state of affairs? If it's not Ancelotti's fault, then it must be Brands fault if it's not Brands it must be the players, if it isn't the players, then I give up. I don't think anybody on the planet can explain Everton's poor displays at Goodison this calendar year, and the actual results have been kinder to us than the displays have merited.

Although if the players realise that their own manager doesn't rate them, it must be hard for them to perform to the best of their abilities, or perhaps this is the best that they can do? If that is so we might be looking at some very anxious times next season and beyond.

This was Everton going full tilt for a place in Europe, taking the game to the humiliated and adrift Sheffield Utd.

Conclusion : We cannot ‘take' the game to anybody. We are just not good enough to.

Tinkering with the squad won't do.

Major surgery is needed. Four or five first team starters need to be signed.

Four or five need to be moved on.

The line in the sand has been breached.

We are a meant to be a football team - we are not playing football, and we are not a team.

Yours, Totally Pissed Off Everton Supporter Who Expects Better.

'Jay, you were right to laugh at that performance, it will help to keep you sane.'

Not so sure about that Dave. My laughter definitely had a manic ring to it!

Too much of our play when in possession is predictable to the point of embarrassment. This season we might have been better at home to have conceded possession to the opposition, pull everybody back behind the ball and play on the counter-attack. We beat Chelsea and Arsenal playing that way in December. Using those tactics might have brought us at least half a dozen extra points, enough to have kept us in the top six.

Ultimately though we badly need to find players who will offer different attributes to those we have. We have a bunch who all want the ball at their feet, want time to turn and play a pass. Few of them offer a goal threat, even fewer have the pace to stretch opposition defenders.

He's correct !!

We've learned to defend and counter the top teams, but at the expense of losing the ability to beat *anyone* who sits back against us. We look crap with the ball, and appear arrogant, lethargic and unimaginative all round.

I'd love to think it's all part of a transition, but that was 4/11 ths Carlos team today. He's also now had a full season to improve the others. Whilst I would love to keep believing his track record is the most valid point, there are a huge number of concerns. Some of the primary ones include.

1. Left CB and RB where clearly a concern in the summer, why did we fail so spectacularly here?
2. How much is this project the “Carlo and Son” show, and what impact is that having?
3. Why do players who come in and do well (Davies) get immediately dropped for favourites who don't offer any obvious improvements?
4. Will he force recruitment in the summer to be old hands like Allan, and not the next generations like Bellingham or Tielemans?
5. What is his preferred system, and why is he always changing it?

Huge summer ahead. If we let him throw £100m at 30 somethings he's enjoyed gabbing with in a past life, we could be left in a state that'll make Koeman and Walsh feel nostalgic.

Not sure it's quite at the stage of calling for his head yet, but only so long the past can be a life vest. If the last 6 months had been Sam, Ron, Bobby or Marco we would ALL be saying “enough” right now.

Sorry to say it, but maybe time to stop splashing big dough. Tell him he's got ONE big signing, and the rest need to be “Nkounkou” type players for Nkounkou type money. Get a tune out of what you have next year (top 6) or it's time to try again with the manager merry-go-round again.

So poor but it's not even a surprise anymore. Finally at 'full strength' and we got deservedly beaten by the worst team in the league.

Special mention for Richarlison who I thought was absolutely dreadful.

You would have thought every player who put an Everton shirt on today knew they had to give 110% to give themselves a chance of playing European football... but no. In typical Everton fashion, they played like they couldn't give a shit about Everton FC.

The better players will just move on to another club and the rest are getting paid such high wages, they're accumulating a nice retirement fund. So that's where the problem is.

All the managers so far play the so-called experienced players who have all had their day and are just counting out the days until they retire injury-free, instead of playing some of the youngsters who have a bit of hunger about them and would give the so-called experienced players a kick up the arse. As sure as hell, they couldn't do any worse.

Remember when Roberto Martinez was sacked and we did that "Everton, we're a completely different team"? Then the new manager came in and went back to the so-called experienced players. And we have been shite ever since.

I like Carlo but we must set him free!!

Best post of the day

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I bet he privately hates a lot of his players. It must be incredibly frustrating for him to see his players unable to do the basics eg pass to each other, find space, create chances, tackle - yes, tackle!!

He's had the likes of Maldini, Schevchenko, Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Ibrahamovic etc under his command now he's got an ageing Coleman, supertanker slow Keane, perma-injured Delph, the sulk aka Richarlison, spinning top Davies, stretch Sigurdsson and Iwobi, fucking Iwobi ffs!!! This would drive anyone straight to the looney bin.

Not entirely unexpected. Sheff U will not be coming back to the prem anytime soon but won nearly every battle and 2nd ball all over the pitch. Anyone watching that would struggle to pick the relegated side.

Hopeless performance just underlines how poor the players are. As much as Ancelotti should shoulder responsibility he can't take the blame for players not being able to compete for the ball or even pass the ball to another blue shirt.

McGoldrick who is 33 at one point dribbled past all 4 of Allan, Gomes, Sigurdsson and Bernard highlighting our chronic lack of pace.

For their goal Doucouré, Allan and Godfrey should have done better.

I can't see us getting another point this season.

So frustrated.

I hope not making Europe doesn't effect our spending plans. We got positive messages that we'll spend big earlier in the week. We need 4 first team players and a GK. We need buy the likes of Aarons, Diaby, Rabiot and Toney. Whether we can pursued the 4 to come is another matter.

Ancelotti should be sacked, just like Mourinho at Spurs, his ideas are now sadly outdated. But I fear it will take a string of bad results next season before the penny finally drops and the hapless Moshiri is forced to act. Usually around Xmas, just like he did with Koeman and Silva when the spectre of relegation rears its ugly head.

Moshiri is hopeless at picking managers and should bring in team of knowledgeable football gurus at board level to advise him as he obviously hasn't got a clue how to find success.
If he alone is allowed to pick another manager, without help, it could spell the end for us in the premiership.

WTF was that... I am honestly lost for words and can't add anymore to what's been written.

I'd like to say a big thanks to the 11, plus subs for the past 90+ minutes of turgid, unadulterated fucking shite I've just had to endure.

Wankers!!!!

Carlo said after the game our spending will be different based on whether we are in Europe. That contradicts what he said a month ago. Maybe he assumed we'd make it or maybe Mosh isn't happy

I've just looked at our bench, and I have to say it was a crap bench. We had 2 keepers on the bench again and no striker! Why have Ellis Sims out on loan if we have no strikers at all in reserve! Why did we allow Bolasie, Gordon and Walcott to leave if we have nothing behind them? I assume to get the wage bill down, but don't cut your nose off to spite your face. Keep one of them at least!

The whole club is rotten to the core. We have managers and players whose contribution is hit and miss. The recruitment is shoddy. Our team was all over the place tonight, with a crap bench, so much so that we ended up bringing the 3 subs on I've already mentioned. There doesn't appear to be any joined up thinking which is very worrying.

We were awful tonight. Carlo mentioned the word embarrassed. All of the playing squad, management and recruitment teams should be embarrassed and ashamed looking at that tonight.

At the mic, in the papers, don't care but let's have an ungentlemanly discussion about the situation. Just to emphasize, I'd rather see the club take a hit on transfer values than implicitly signal that we will tolerate this. Seriously, use the club's influence to kill the rot whatever the short run costs.

He says we are not a possession team then still tries to play like one through the middle, even though he has James wondering wherever to get on the ball and Siggy on the left instead of the middle were he can make a difference

We gave away Kean and Walcott, and though not the greatest they were capable of provding some of the width we lack. I believe Bernard, Delph, King and Nkounkou all had more to offer but Carlo continues playing the same way each home game. Some top manager, some millionaire genius.

Doucoure and James were not even fit, and you could tell. Davies and Delph might not be everyones cup of tea but they are better than the opposition. He has played Gomes wrong all season too.

Another manager would get more from these players. However, l believe we are stuck with him. So its over to Brands to bring in some quality and then to hope Carlo can find a way for them to click and stay that way all season. Fat chance.

Can we find new homes for Holgate, Kean and lwobi? Those are the first 3 l would sell. Surely thats close to £80mil? I would give Carlo till xmas.

And honestly l would even have Martinez back to bring at least some style to our play.

He actually made a half time change. Is that rhe first time this season??

I bet you could tell from the play though, which was the relegated team.

If the team had qualified for Europe, some of the players would be gone and replaced in the summer; by failing to qualify, there is a better chance of those current players remaining in the squad. That in itself stinks to high heaven, and perhaps it's time to tear a few contracts up and ship the shirkers out of the club.

Listening to Carlo's post-match interview, I don't believe he is going to leave of his own accord and I can't see the board sacking him either unless by Christmas we are in the Bottom 5 or 6.

Probably best to do something else more productive in those 3 hours and save yourself more pain.

I really like him but he's had a rubbish season, just as bad as the players who yet again have left us down. He's really been little better than any of the others since Moyes.

Yep, we are a few points better off and haven't really flirted with relegation as we have done previously. But we are a terrible team to watch, devoid of flair, always ready to lose winnable games, and frankly there's just not much to look forward to.

Any other manager would be facing the sack by Christmas if no dramatic improvement. But I sense we'd have to be in the Bottom 3 on 25 December to bring that prospect close, and still I don't see it happening.

A season of utter crushing disappointment. Just another in a long line of failures and shamefully bad performances along the way.

See you on Wednesday, the 6,500. Self-inflicted pain is what we do best.

This shower of uninspired professionals have done nothing for the recent games where we could have secured a Europa League spot with ease. We on here could all see how uninterested they all where weeks and weeks ago.

I would cheer the manager if he dropped half the team and we all know who I mean. Drop them for the remaining fixtures and have done with it.

Alisson across the park has more enthusiasm in his big fat bonce than our entire team put together.

Drop them and tell them to go on holiday early because that's where they are in their own little minds, on a beach earning 20%. Pathetic shower of the proverbial.

If Ancelotti cannot inspire them to "want" European Football, he should take a rest too and leave it to Dunc.

Moshiri chose Silva and Koeman and it wouldn't surprise me if he chose Ancelotti. He's shot himself in the foot by bringing the Directors of Fooball he has with the above managers.

He needs to clear himself out along with the other wingnuts, dingbats and brass washers you mentioned, then give the job (and money to spend) to a proper football CEO to run the club.

The players are not sharp enough, fit enough or tough enough compared to almost all of our competitors. Other teams seem to have a few extra percent on us, energy and fitness wise, every week.

Any team that closes us down rapidly and injects a bit of intensity at Goodison, we crack. Every team in the Premier League knows it, and every team and their two-bob manager now brings it to the table every time and we just flake away as expected.

Why can't we cope with it time after time for months on end? There's got to be a reason why we are continually going under to these tactics.

It's become the norm, unfortunately. Tonight was diabolical, but it was really just more of the same and eminently predictable.

Sean Dyche manages Burnley one way for 7-8 seasons. But here comes Everton on the schedule some weeks back and he sends his boys out, from the off, the way Bielsa sends out his. Sean Dyche!

Run, Everton can't keep up.

As it stands, we've given up 41-42 goals. Not to shabby. We won't score 45 goals this season, though. It isn't Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin; it's our near-invisible midfield.

We have nobody at the club to change things from the bench; certainly the above would have made it worse. We've tried them all, including Nkounkou and Kean, and not one of them stepped up.

Getting rid of this bunch of wasters is going to take a couple more seasons as there are too many to bin in one.

I really am glad, really!

Glad I didn't get up at 4am to watch that.
Glad I limited myself to the 15-minute 'highlights' package.
I'm glad for the 17-year-old Jebbison, who scored a neat goal from a well worked move, a goal he'll remember all his life... not many of us will forget it in a hurry either.

I'm even glad Allison headed a 95-minute winner – it shows what having a go for the whole game is all about. (And why not? it doesn't affect us, except to put another 'tick' in the 'Everton That' column.)

I'm also glad now that Michael spiked (Well I can't find it) my contribution in the Premier League Week 36 & Cup Final thread... maybe... who knows, for being so fulsome in my praise of Leicester's Cup and League wins. Damning of the fact we've been shite since 1995. I'd be glad if he could send it me back so I can re-write it in even harsher terms.

I'm not sure if I'm glad about reports from Madrid... but then again – I'm not sure I'm not.

"I'll buy you one more Frozen Orange Juice
On this fantastic day
We'll walk the sunny hills of Madrid
Laughing all the way"...(Peter Starsted)

From inside the club, I think you are correct. Does anybody really think the manager is living in Crosby for anything but £9 million a year? He's a joke and a relic... but he is likeable, for fuck's sake!

Nearly every team in the Premier League has more value than ours; I'd rather have Newcastle's or Palace's squad than ours; at least there's a bit of quality to build around.

Did anybody see Leeds play with power, speed and purpose yesterday? I can't remember the last time we saw our team do that and that's a total disgrace. How we've got more points than them and a few others, shows how bad the Premier League is and how incredibly lucky we have been this season!

Let's be honest: it wasn't the world's biggest shock ever.

Having worse home form than Mike Walker and then having the best away form since Howard Kendall won the title is showing that Carlo doesn't appear to know how to set up at home against lesser sides when we've beaten the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. Were the fans a factor in those 2 games?! Or did we win those games because those teams let us play like we do away?! I guess we'll find out about the fan factor against Wolves.

I don't ascribe to sacking the manager, bringing someone else in, and starting from scratch again. We've had our best player recruitment in the Moshiri era since Carlo's been at the club. The likes of Iwobi, Delph, Gomes, Bernard etc aren't in the class of James, Allan, Doucouré and Godfrey.

I'm still positive under Carlo if we can have an intake of 4 players in the same quality as last summer. I haven't been able to find the post match interview where Carlo says funds will be affected by not making Europe but that is slightly concerning.

Good players have the balls to go with it. Poor players go missing; it's not really their fault, they just don't have the balls they were born with. They're okay for mediocre teams who just want to stay in the big league, but will never be adequate for trophy-winning teams.

Also, good players accept criticism because they always want to improve and realise when coaches require a reaction on the pitch. Poor players are unable – in fact, incapable of understanding this.

Football is not only played with the feet, but in the mind also.

I am a big admirer of Ancelloti but, if you are waiting and hoping for him to start screaming abuse at players in dressing rooms, you will have a long wait – it's just not his style. He is very obviously furious and bemused at the inconsistency and desire amongst this group.

He has called the team out, in an understated way, and I feel the group, because of its fragile nature of player, are unable to raise their consistency.

The owner has a huge decision to make: stick with Ancelloti, but give him money to buy decent players and lose big money on the current dross? Or sack him. The only drawback to that is that the dross will remain, the new man will take 2 years to settle in, and the cycle of mediocrity at Everton continues...

I don't doubt this fella can be successful at Everton, just not with the rubbish at his disposal that only Everton seem to buy. It's going to take money, and lot's of it.

Take a bow mate! Love it!

That first line placed underneath the title of this piece is all that's needed to sum things up, no essays or replies.

Well done!

This is what Carlo said in relation to transfer strategy:

“For next season, we are going to change. We have to analyse the season. Certain aspects are really good – away we did fantastic results, at home really bad. Double face.

“To be ready for Europe, you have to be in Europe. We have to try to win the two games and see if we are in Europe or not. If we are, we will build a squad to be in Europe. If we're not, we'll build a squad to be better in the Premier League.”

I suppose that means he'll have less to spend than he thought... or maybe Uefa's FFP not being a factor could increase his spending power? It's likely to be the former though.

Last season, Richarlison was a top player, like Lingard at West Ham or Eze at Crystal Palace, dancing past midfielders and defenders. This season, at times he's going into Danny Wellbeck or Benteke terriory. Hard to explain why unless the foul and injury to himself against Thiago has lost him a yard of pace as he can't get away from anyone anymore when he goes past people.

Maybe we have to do a Leicester this summer and accept a bid and buy the next version? Pity as overall he has been great for us in some games this season, like Anfield and the FA Cup game against Spurs. But this season, he has just performed like a match winner in only a few games for some reason.

We've known for weeks we need pace with the ball, especially at home. And every loss makes the importance of the recruitment team getting it right to give the manager in the seat fantastic players even greater. Or the manager won't have the tools to beat good defensive set-ups like what we just saw. It's the most critical part of the football calendar as it decides how well we do in the season, and we can't go into the summer without a list of quality.

A 17-year-old debutant outwits £55 million worth of talent to score against us.

Life and times of an Evertonian. Fuckin' shite. See you all next season.

Let's see if the board have got the balls to take needed drastic action. I bet that team played better football than the shite dished up by Ancelotti.

Mike Walker was only sacked as they knew he'd win the derby and become “bomb proof”.

He said so himself, so it must be true.

Also, how little time our players have on the ball compared to what we allow the opposition; part and parcel of what you say.

I think another problem is our woeful record of developing our own youth players – hardly any good enough to play in the Premier League (please don't talk about the bench-warming sicknote, Barkley). What have Unsworth, Ebbrell, Jeffers (good news is that he's just left) & Co been doing? Living off memories and talking about the past, like our Chairman. Bringing back Rooney (thanks, Bill Kenwright!) was crazy and marked us as a backwards-looking and selling club, especially when we flogged off Lukaku cheaply to Man Utd in order to get him.

Carlo has to take some responsibility, but he didn't sign some of the very poor players we have, eg, Delph (who was always injured at Man City), Iwobi (an Arsenal cast-off), Gomes, Bernard, Holgate (although he did look good in the second part of last season), Keane, Besic, Bolasie, Tosun – to name a few. Seamus has been a great servant but is now a liability as a player – he should have been replaced as a starter 3 seasons ago!

Bill Kenwright should be got rid of – we need people who concentrate on the future, not live in the past. And top coaches etc who are very good at their jobs – if they're ex-Everton, that's great, but not a pre-requisite.

The best young players at the club, apart from Tom Davies maybe Anthony Gordon, are ones signed from elsewhere, like Calvert-Lewin, Godfrey, Richarlison, Pickford, possibly Branthwaite and Virginia. We have some other decent players, like Digne, James, Sigurdsson, Allan & Doucouré to be in the 1st team squad.

Hopefully, Carlo will stay and with Brands he will be able to add more this summer, but it won't be an overnight fix, as they've both said before. The qualities we need injecting are pace, energy, physical and mental strength, and midfield goals.

I would think we'll still spend a similar amount as last summer, especially with the money we'll bring in from Kean and couple of deadwood players.

I hope Newcastle still want Holgate. I would drive him there if we could get £15M+ for him.

Also rumours going round about Carlo wanting to bring Isco and Aaron Ramsey to Goodison Park this summer!!! God help us!

'Get Graham Potter.'

After that performance, I'd be happy with Beatrix Potter!!

According to David Peate (176), you'd lose that bet!

I see the ‘we are not fit enough' claim has been bandied about again. Is there really any evidence of that? Who is fitter than Godfrey or Calvert-Lewin in their positions? Or Seamus for his age?

Do many fullbacks really get more work done in a game than Digne when you take into account he takes pretty much every throw-in on the left and a load of the deadball deliveries as well?

The other objective yardstick should be how do the players do when they turn out for international duty? Is there any evidence that they are shown up in those circumstances? I've never heard anything that would make me think that.

Our mental weakness is a much bigger factor than the fiction ‘we are obviously blowing out our arses after 60 minutes' if you ask me.

You could go "Stat" with individuals such as Godfrey etc but the truth is, we're an undynamic, low-intensity team that looks less fit than most others.

God help them on Wednesday, when fans are in the ground. There again, it will not matter, some of those have thicker skins than a rhino. It will be water off a duck's back to some of them. No pride, effort, fuck-all attitude.

Don't worry, fellow Blues, I am feeling the hurt, humiliation and sense of let down of every single Evertonian.

Brian, are you landed gentry?

For us, it is exactly the opposite. It seems like the players do not train together at all, they look clueless, like they have never played together. Fighting spirit seems to be a forgotten concept among Everton players. Also, the strategy used by Ancelotti is just not understandable. Using setups that are bound to fail etc.

You do not have to be Einstein to understand that playing football with no fighting spirit and no sound strategy would end in a big failure. That is what happened today. Ancelotti has managed to make expensive players look like shit.

I bet we won't have one after game 38. Even when we came 4th we went to Arsenal and got humiliated 7-0 to probably make us the only Top 4 Premier League team ever to finish with a negative GD (about –4 as I recall).

I think that is application you are viewing, not purely fitness.

Some of our players (too many) are dead slow or lightweight due to their basic physiology and that is a terrible weakness, but there is no evidence that they are empirically less fit.

As I said, if you compare our better natural athletes, they out-leap and out-sprint those they should be compared to, and do it for the full 90 minutes. The internationals just wouldn't get to play in the international fixtures if they came up short in training.

Being switched on, focussed, on your toes, dominant, combative and confident are what you are perceiving as physical superiority, but they actually come from the player's mental state. Being fit simply isn't enough on it's own.

Best you stay away from Goodison on Wednesday!

Whilst there are athletic variations and other factors and details, as a team we look less fit than most opposition – less able to press, close and compete for space for as long as other teams; out-powered.

Incidentally, application – both mental and physical – is highly dependent on fitness.

The internationals just wouldn't get to play in the international fixtures if they came up short in training.

There are variations in fitness among even top level athletes. Sometimes natural genetic maximums, sometimes due to diet and training. Players often play at below their best, "Carrying an injury" and some look fitter than others: "Good engine" etc. As a team, and by comparison, Everton look lower on fitness than most opposition.

Alex Ferguson once advised a manager to ship out some of his players or else they'd ship him out. Carlo should heed that advice.

So I'm not convinced that the “sack Carlo” brigade are onto a winner here. As Bill Watson said, let's focus on getting rid of the players.

Sounds like you're ready to go Basil Fawlty. Not a bad idea...

Unfortunately, after that display, the only thing I am positive about is that I am positive that we do have a lousy team with no fight, grit, determination or even skill. Sad but far too obvious.

I will still be an Everton supporter for ever but I really have no more interest in this season. Just what has happened after such a bright start to the season?

There can be no excuses any more, surely. I have always said that money, or rather mountains of it, has largely ruined the game we all love. All these ridiculous wages and contracts that no other professions that I can think of comes even close to matching it.

It seems to have bred a culture among players: "All I have to do is turn up, go through the motions (if we're lucky), and "Kerching!" Easy money, so why break sweat?

2018-19 +8
2016-17 +18
2015-16 +4
2013-14 +22
2012-13 +15
2011-12 +10

Source: footballdatabase.com

Another Calvert-Lewin "What does anyone see in him?" performance and our MotM would be a cruel joke if it wasn't for the one man who plays a game the rest seem incapable of, James.

During added time, the camera focused on Ancelotti and the look on his face seemed to be, "I wonder what it's like in Madrid right now?"

Before considering tying one on, I suppose Mr Ancelotti will be ringing Mr Brands to see what time he is free in the morning for a lengthy chat.

As for the board, well a turkey won't vote for Xmas so no way will we see people there who are top of their professions. Everton really is some deep sinister inner circle of ineptitude. The owner entrusts totally the wrong people who are made for life as soon as they get an obscene contract.

Ancelotti's son just like Koeman's brother, just like ex-players, just like an admirable Everton in the Community CEO, just like a Chairman who will hang in for grim life until the new stadium is built at Bramley-Moore Dock, so as to get some vague praise.

Not Carlo's fault... and I doubt she sees or cares about any of that. He's the wrong fit for us. He obviously excels at fine-tuning a talented bunch – not starting from scratch with maybe 3 or 4 premier quality players.

As for Marcel Brands.... Kerching! Although I don't envy him trying to offload Sigurdsson, Gomes, Bernard, Keane, Iwobi... Replacing Seamus, a great servant, and so on.

After today's pathetic performance I didn't think there was any point in calling you! Nothing to say! But I will keep your number and maybe give you a call later this week when some of the pain has passed.

Somebody please explain this to our experienced Manager because I seriously doubt he has a clue After that Comment!!

Have 86 mins to play catch up and still can't score a goal. This Richy and Dom combo clearly not working. And also, how many chances we have to create for the strikers to score a goal?

James was clearly not fit. Says a lot when he'd rather play Coleman right wing rather than Iwobi or Bernard even.

There lies the problem, Moshiri calls the shots for obvious reasons, but doesn't have a clue when it comes to recognising top quality footballers. Ancelotti has been pragmatic in his approach to managing us, he recognises the lack of quality in our squad, particularly from an attacking perspective, so has played a style of low possession, defend and counter attack football. It's worked against top offensive minded teams, but the Achilles heal is exposed when we are expected to take the game to the opposition. We simply don't have players good enough, or suited to do this. (Gomes, Davies, Delph, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Iwobi being the obvious).

I can only hope Ancelotti persuades Moshiri to accept he's wasted £100s millions and a reset is needed. If not, nothing will change.

We played 5 in defence last night against bottom of the league, with no striker on the bench and 2 GKs on the bench! It's laughable!

No team can play the way Everton have this season and hope to flourish, those ugly defensive tactics we have witnessed are hopeless and decades out of date, but it looks like things are set to continue in much the same way.

Next season is going to be another awful season of zombie football no matter who Carlo is fortunate enough to sign up. Let's face it we are not an attractive proposition for any player with ambition.

Where is the pride in players? Why can't a player take it upon himself to take control of the ball or show passion on the ball?

If I am on that pitch my sole desire is to not look stupid against a relegation side. Its absolute soul destroying we can't score a decent goal while Lucifers lads score from their keeper heading the ball into the net.

Absolute shameful this team and the club is a laughing stock.

I know the noise is about 2 or 3 quality signings but it's the wrong approach - because it means we will remain reliant on failed players.

There's now a very good chance we could finish as low as 11th having played atrocious football in the process.

We need about 5 players with the athleticism to play in this league. We don't need players like James and Allan - we need players like Godfrey - young, hungry, fast and aggressive. The players are out there and don't need to cost a fortune either.

The only decision Carlo seems to have to make is whether to start with Tom Davies or not. That's it. What the fuck else does he do all week? Certainly doesn't seem to be coaching, or motivating, or trying out new ideas.

I actually can't believe we've not been in a relegation battle this year, the way we've played. Our position in the table continues to flatter us. There hasn't been one game in which you could say we've been unlucky to lose, but plenty where we've been lucky to scrape the three points.

We can't continue to be this lucky forever though, so next season could be the one in which we finally go down to the Championship unless there is a massive change in personnel or attitude.

For those calling for CA to be sacked, really? Start 'the project all over again. We done it all, the Stella name, the new kid on the block, and now we've got the 'won everything ' manager.

Be honest, the problem is running, or to be more precise, strolling round the pitch, internationals all over the place, not San Marino but English, Brazilian, French, so why do they need a manager to motivate them?

Serious attitude problem through the club. In Carlo we trust, but not for the first time, a big, big summer ahead

We have become so predictable and dull now even the most inexperienced coaches are outclassing the 'master' without needing to relay too much on inspirational ideas of their own.

He has plenty of players with varied experience and skill at his disposal, just as the rest of the managers have. He has Finch Farm for giving them their drills on what to do and how to pass the ball. He is one of the most decorated and experienced managers in the world... so what's gone wrong?

I think he can only work with elite players whose skills and brains are generally good enough to take on all opponents but, based on the past season, it looks not only like he cannot get more out of the players we have, but he has in fact made them worse.

David Cooper at 233. I think there is a lot more pain to come this week!

Personally I think we should be thanking Carlo because without him this sorry load of shite would have had us relegated this season playing the most turgid football seen from an Everton team for many a year. The only game we dominated was Sheff Wed in the cup! We play the worst football in this league bar none, as was proved yesterday. How we are 8th going on 11th beats me!

Sheffield Utd have lost alot of games by 1 goal and we have won most of our 3 pointers by 1goal. It's very small margins!

Being in the Prem is all we have. It's ok for you living in NZ but we have to live here with that other lot. Going down would be my worst nightmare. We would do a Man City, Leeds and Sunderland and go right through into League 1. Big clubs sulk lower down and the shock takes years, if ever, to recover from. There is no cash and the players we would have to buy would be even worse journey men than we have now. Any good kids we got would be snapped by by better teams in the Prem. No thanks!!

This attitude comes from the top and has permeated the club for twenty years now and I can't see it changing unless the chairman changes. We have had lots of players and managers in that time, but nothing has really changed.

It is frustrating for those of us who can remember the glory days, but we have now morphed into a medium sized club albeit with a big fan base. Other clubs like Chelsea, Man City and now Leicester have overtaken us. Sad but true.

Picking a line-up with 5 defenders and 2 deep sitting midfielders away from home against WHU and Villa is understandably. It has got us results away from home all season so the ends justify the means, no matter how ugly.

But to take that approach at home to relegated Sheff Utd was a disgrace. Then to come to the press conference and say he is baffled and doesn't know how to solve it? That sort of response shreds your credibility.

Ancelotti also keeps making illogical selection decisions. he should have given Holgate a break from the team as he needs to ease the pressure so the lad can regain his form. Tom Davies should have remained in the team in the last 2 weeks to anchor midfield so Allan /Doucoure / Sigurdsson could push further forward. DCL and Richarlison have been a complete failure combining upfront so why continue with the experiment?

I have been a big supporter of Ancelotti not his coat should be on a very shaky peg after that game. The squad needs to be recast and we have two saleable assets in Kean and Richarlison. I think we need to make decisive moves right now.

The problem is not about players not caring or not being fit, but those labels are often flung about carelessly. What I think is fair to say is that the mentality of the squad is fragile and in a pressure game we underperform, hence the numerous blown opportunities this season. This shows itself in the odd mixture of low-tempo, passive possession play and forcing passes when we try to be progressive, which gives us a disjointed look. Add into this a real lack of creative playmaking ability in the squad and lack of running power/speed.

Clearly, to improve and not just read water we need to correct these imbalances. Previous transfer windows have seen a scattergun approach to recruitment, notably in Koeman's 2nd season, but also under Silva. Last summer was the first, probably since Bobby's first season where we added players intelligently. Allan and Doucoure hugely improved our midfield, adding energy and guile; it is unfortunate that both have missed significant chunks of the campaign and this couldn't be anticipated as both are not injury-prone, at all. The compressed fixture list has not helped and a foot fracture is just one of those things. Godfrey adds athleticism to the defence. James was a gamble, due to his spotty injury record but he's added class and creativity when fit. Hopefully next season he can stay fit. All four of those players have the right mentality.

So, we need more of those sorts of players and some of those linked suggest that's the way we are going to go.

People gobbling up every random story linking us to X, Y, Z players need to realize that if we were actually in for all these players we'd have a bigger squad than Chelsea and be bankrupt! Bale, Coutinho, Ramsey and Aguero are even less likely than Ivanovic ffs!!

One of the reasons we are inactive in the January is that Brands sees no value in that window, so why would be offering 200k p/w and huge signing bonuses to 30+ year olds who may also be injury-prone? James was a calculated gamble, based on his previous relationship with Ancelotti.

Personally I think we'll offload the debris left over from other regimes and also move out several who've played a fair bit this season, such as Iwobi, Gomes, maybe Holgate and/or Mina. Moise Kean will be sold for a large fee, I'm thinking £50m+. This will give us leeway to add 4-5 starting-calibre players for next season, replacing some and adding much-needed quality. We could end up spending about £80m but should recoup most of that and I don't think the overall wage bill will actually increase at all, possibly it could drop.

Re: Ancelotti. I've been disappointed that he's not been able to improve our play overall but sacking him is beyond stupid. I think he's been as frustrated as us in his inability to get the team to play the way he wants or to seize opportunities. I don't buy this nonsense that he's only able to manage top teams: he served his apprenticeship in Serie B and at some less-than-stellar outfits, albeit a long time ago. I do think he is used to getting a positive response from his players though and think this and our overall lack of quality has come as a shock. No doubt he is working to correct this by replacing those players he can't motivate or improve. He gets the additions he wants and by next summer we've failed to climb the table and are still stinking out the gaff with our play, then questions need to be asked.

Personally I believe Carlo Ancelotti is the wrong fit for where this team is right now but I've also come to the conclusion that he will still be in charge when we move to Bramley Moore Dock unless he has us staring another slide towards a relegation battle in the face. Don't expect much in the way of silverware or European football between now and then.

Sheffield did a number on us last season and played exactly the same way yesterday so what was Carlo thinking of with his 6 man defensive set up at home to an already relegated side. Richy was M.I.A. most of the game and looks to be disinterested and DCL was as anonymous as he has been for the most of the second half of the season.

That was Carlo's midfield trio on show yesterday !!!

Full backs acting as wing backs need a midfielder and lively forwards in front of them when they break out and not two defensive midfielders behind them. Sadly we have no such options as most are all very one paced.

Terrible end to another average campaign playing dire football. As season ticket time approaches no doubt the worn our management rhetoric record will be played once again. Fools are easily parted with their money as the saying goes.

Think the Nil Satis Nisi OptImum sign needs re-hanging in the kit room broom cupboard.

In the 2nd half of the season, he has been all over the shop trying to be everything to everyone, making up for holes and just trying to get the bloody ball.

Richarlison has been anonymous for the past month or so, even his tracking back has started to ebb, at one point after missing winning out on another bad ball, he turned his back on play, he had given up on expecting to get it.

The midfield to a man went missing. The number of bad balls / slow play caused by no movement off the ball, was horrendous, no one wanted it. How often did we see balls played back, sideways and back again before hail mary passes by Keane?

No width, Coleman and Digne are full backs, raiders.. stuck out in the cold without the ball..

The list goes on, but more than anything was the feeling that they just were not bothered. If we had a second team I would have dropped the lot of them. Played the kids,put players on the transfer list, told others they had played their last game in blue. Christ, this lot make the Straqc and Niasse look brilliant!
Skill is great but I want a few hard nosed sods who want to win.

This lot has seen off a few managers, I got the impression some of them know they are out the door at the end of the season and are not going to try anymore. Drop them.

imo Ancelotti has made a couple of big errors this season, in attempts to correct problems that appeared after our great start playing a progressive 4-3-3, one of which is moving Richarlison from the left to up top.

Why has this happened? A combination of factors. Coleman lacks the athleticism to get up and down the flank. If he gets forward he can't get back and Rodriguez lacks the pace to cover (plus we don't want him that deep anyway). We lack any natural alternative player on the right as all are either crap or can't cross. Solution? Play Seamus at wing-back. This necessitates moving Richy off the left flank. He wants to play striker and we lose a lot of his unpredictability and tracking back when he's up there. So DCL has to drop back, completely contrary to the way Carlo was instructing him to play, with great dividends. Now, a 3-5-2 (or whatever we are playing) can work well, but the obvious counter is to force the wingbacks back, in which case we end up with a back 5. it's also reliant on the form of our only 2 options to play the positions: Digne and Coleman. As someone has said, Digne plays better as a fullback with someone ahead of him to combine play with and Coleman, much as I love the guy, cannot cross a ball. We have two midfielders, often operating against 3, DCL drifting around all over the place, Richy not a great target man, little movement up top, Rodriguez dropping too deep trying to get on the ball and finding passing lanes easily blocked by the opposition, zero width = appalling attacking play.

So. it's for want of a nail, really. Not replacing Coleman when he got injured. or subsequently has had huge knock-on effects, unbalancing the whole team.

Now, personally as decent as Coleman has been the entire desired shape and playing style of the team cannot be altered to suit the limitations of one player, club Captain or not. Other solutions should have been sought to allow us to retain the 4-3-3. Now, assuming finances were limited, if we'd acted early enough we could have brought in someone like Florenzi on loan (before he arrived at PSG) or, as part of the Kean deal brought in one of their right-backs on a loan.

I don't know where to start with this one. We had chances and could have won that, however the mentality wasn't right from the onset and those who have crossed the white line will hopefully understand when I say that within 10 minutes I knew we were not winning that one.

I've been optimistic all season, arguing the toss that we've stayed in touch of where we thought we could be. That we were still in the mix. That we were still in the fight.

Well you're only in the fight if you fight for it when it matters. You hold out until the 12th round but then you have to land a blow.

Carlo has a hell of a job on his hands this summer to rid this squad of the systematic bottling, choking mentality that grips us every time we have an opportunity to progress.

I agreed with Jay (BRZ) yesterday that I never look forward to the end of the season. I'm doubting myself with that now. So disappointed with them and I won't even bother dissecting or analysing individual performances.

Please excuse my frustration. Still raw.

Why has this been the typical EFC story for at least a decade? This forum looks for easy answers so will demand a new manager, pillory Kenwright and (most mysteriously) demand the appointment of Ferguson. It is now crystal clear that no matter how many millions are wasted - Everton will continue to be a team of uncommitted mercenaries.

I am sure that the answer lies with the fans. We demand instant success - so a superstar but fading manager will bring it? Or signing a world class but crocked midfielder? Or fielding Brazilian forwards who obviously want to be elesewhere? Or kidding ourselves about homegrown talent that have bought into their own publicity and give the ball away for fun then shrug?

Everton needs to be rebuilt form the bottom up. Clear out Finch Farm - get rid of the dinosaurs and the links with the past - it is nearly 40 years since we had a team. Then be prepared to wait whilst a progressive manager supported by competent coaches puts together a team with commitment, a method and, most importantly, the desire to play for EFC. We have none of that now. We kid ourselves about the amateurs at Finch Farm and the managers and players only ear for the money. We have allowed the homegrown talent to kid themselves. We either accept that a complete rebuild will take 3 to 4 years or settle back for season after season of EFC's own brand of delusional mediocrity.

I'm afraid that Carlo is looking increasingly like the new Walter Smith, with James and Allan standing in for Gazza and Ginola. Faded stars and sick notes are not a recipe for Premier League success - they are its very antithesis. The EPL demands players who can consistently perform over 38 matches, not half a dozen. What we got last night wasn't so much catenaccio as cantbearsedatall football and the manager who decides on the team and tactics has to bear responsibility for that.

“ They're not a team
they are a series of miss calculated purchases by five managers over seven years that can't play football”

The other issue is Stockholm Syndrome. Carlo has not just become convinced himself that the team can only play in a defensive formation with a similar mindset, he's now convinced the team that that's the only way they can play. Hence when it comes to home games any natural attacking qualities or tendencies have been completely neutered, not just tactically but also between their ears. They no longer have the freedom or the confidence to play progressively. Indeed we're not even a good defensive team - look at how many goals we concede, and how our lack of pressing and bite allows visiting teams to suddenly look like Barcelona. I'm not sure what we are any more.

If Carlo and his coaching staff for some strange reason were locked up somewhere before this game and the players had to manage themselves, would it be reasonable to expect 11 highly paid players (many of whom are seasoned internationals) playing on their own pitch, to be able to come up with enough footballing know how to beat an already relegated bottom of the table all season team? Yes or No?

My answer is yes. Which can only mean one of two things:-

Carlo is hobbling them or they don't care.

If they wheel one of them out to say we know the fans are hurting I think I will go completely off my rocker.

For all Blues living on Merseyside I feel for you today - it's easy for me 12000 miles away - I just bury my head in the sand for a few days waiting for the next debacle.

Is anyone else fearing what Traore will do running through our pedestrian midfield and central defence on Wednesday. On motd last night he ran from well inside his own half twice to the edge of the Spurs box and then passed to young Silva who wasted 2 good chances. Faced with Keane he will just go straight through on goal. His pace and strength is impressive.

It changes at Goodison, we usually play with less structure, and it's given us one of the worst home records in the clubs history.

I'm sure we all feel if we could pick the team ourselves, we could have all done better than Carlo, in our home games, so this is why it's understandable that people are currently not very happy with the manager?

But then I can't ignore it. The dog had me up at 5:30am as always and the first thing I think about? Yes, Everton. I stomp around the local show grounds shouting at the dog when really I'm shouting at Everton!!

Separate but I also sometimes feel patronised when loudmouthed Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham fans tell me they "don't mind Everton". That tells you a lot about what other clubs think of us. They don't mind us because we are not considered a threat.

"You want Grumpy? Wait until Liverpool score a spawny winner in the last minute and Everton get stuffed by the worst team in the league!"

What odds would I have got on that one?

I can still picture him playing on the left for Watford at Goodison and cutting in from the left, waltzing in to the edge of the box and burying it in the back of the net. Like a knife through butter. From there, he is a 15-goals-a-season player.

It is really starting to bother me.

Derek # 276 - Traore is the first player we should sign this summer if we can. Unfortunately we will probably see why on Wednesday because unfortunately I don't think our lot have got it in them to pick themselves off the deck.

I will always live in the hope that we will be great again but with this lot and their multicoloured boots, at the moment, it is more a case of “how are the mighty fallen”.

If you read this I fully understsnd. Disappointed beyond words. Even though I have lost interest for this season, we still have two more games so perhaps??? Maybe a chance to share complaints because this has become the norm since January.

Tactically we do have a striking partnership. Proved beyond doubt by the astonishing fact that Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison have three assists between them all season. has Zero!

We are plainly not as fit as almost any other team in the league.We start games as though we have just finished ninety minutes and we always start slowly as though mesmerized by the opposition

Unfortunately we seem to have lost all energy, drive and desire to beat the opposition. Losing so many home games is a puzzle that nobody seems able to solve.

Brian (235),

Sorry but no connection to "Samaritans". I am certainly not the good Samaritan as could be observed by anyone around me after the 90 minutes of "Rubbish" witnessed on Sunday. However I did wake up to sunshine, I am still on this earth and whatever happens I am still an Evertonian. With that in mind, I probably need to see a therapist.

Sigurdsson wasn't good enough for Spurs when we were better than them but we signed him 5 years after Spurs for £45 million. The majority were happy with it and if we didn't hype shit players, we could urge them out of the club a lot quicker.

Affection shines through too many posts and I love this club as much as anyone but there is way too much poor judgement for average players and it just keeps continuing year after year.

I get stick for giving a signing stick, then 12 months later, everyones at it but nobody owns up to admiring the idea in the first place, do they?

This is why I stopped calling for managers heads. Average players get away with far more. I can't talk about these players like they are a member of family or I know them personally when they frustrate the life out of me – and they'd drop Everton like a bag of shit if Man Utd come calling.

When I was a kid, I got the impression that we had players who hated losing: Reid, Southall etc. Who do we have in that mould now?

This lot take to social media and write meaningless twaddle about “working hard”. Try working with Liverpool fans for a week and see how you like it.

Netto
Troussard
Lapety
Bissouma
Aarons
Buendia
Cantwell
Perreira
Raphinha

And a decent mobile centre-back.

I then also got frustrated with him as time went on. Hands up, in line with your comment about over-hyping to start with and then realisation hitting home.

This season though, he has re-convinced me he can make a difference in a game. Played in the right position and surrounded by the right players.

It goes back to building a squad. Sigurdsson could have been a decent member of a good squad. Maybe not a pivotal player in a top side but a good squad member.

That's our problem. We (fans) are thinking too much about the current players we have as the starting 11. We need to build the squad. Keep most of what we have now; I think we've gotten rid of most of the deadwood. But a lot of what we have now becomes backup in an improved squad. Sigurdsson included.

Why? Why not?

I couldn't find your telephone number. Can you email me: davidbcooper1952@gmail.com and we can commiserate together!

Allan just gives away free kicks. Doucouré is a huge let down. What does he offer. Two goals a season? Rodriguez is like a car that continually fails to pass its MOT.

Having said that I, feel Ancelotti should have at least tried something different such as Richarlison as attacking mid. I also feel Dowell was never given a fair chance. Give him the ball and he'll create.

Ancelotti has asset stripped the squad depth. For a Premier League club to not have a forward on the bench is downright negligent.

But we do need additions to the midfield and in particular additions that add energy and pace. I won't contradict myself, I don't necessarily mean physical pace, just urgency and pace of decision making. In his defence, I saw (again) James looking up last night and getting frustrated because there was no movement in front of him.

I was hoping to see this myself yesterday, as a matter of interest. With a back four and three up front, Richarlison and James wider. It was Sheffield United after all...

Well spotted. He pulled his foot back three times to play the pass but checked because no runs were made.

Happened with Allan to. He carried the ball, taking more touches than he would prefer. Nothing happened in front of him and he lost possession. He stood with his arms stretched as if to say what the fuck is happening here.

I am off to learn golf, speak Italian or play the guitar.

Good luck to the lad.

If we could play Allan, Davies and Doucouré, with Richarlison and King either side, in a 4-5-1, I'm sure we could have won a lot of these home games.

At Goodison, the balance has rarely been right, and for that, Carlo Ancellotti must take a big part of the blame.

You can see the manager doesn't fancy many of the current squad, but playing Richarlison alongside Calvert-Lewin hasn't been a good decision, imo.

Each new manager that comes in buys players who he thinks can improve the team but is still using the previous managers squad. Not every player the manager buys is successful but the next manager is stuck with them, and he has to play them in a different system that he prefers.

Our present manager is the same: seeing the problem in midfield he brought in new players with Allan,and Doucoure the most successful before their injuries. James with out a doubt is a brilliant player but is not at a Premier League standard in his fitness.

We can all offer our own opinions on who we should play and who we should buy and be critical of the manager and players, but we can't change things or make our feelings known just through the media, we need the crowds back, as I am sure a few thousand of unhappy paying customers will soon let the management be aware of their displeasure at the standard of play.

We have to get stability in the team structure overall; if it means we have to suffer sometimes by poor performances, well that is nothing new. We have to find the right manager for the job.

I am not offering any excuses for Ancelloti as I have been as critical of some of his selections, substitutions and tactics as many of other supporters. What I do think, is he should be given another season to see if through his transfer dealings he can improve, not only the 11 players on the pitch but the overall squad and develop more younger players through the Under-23s.

I do not believe that Ancelloti is just here for the money, as any successful manager has pride in his work and has no wish to tarnish it by being incompetent. He must feel as bad about some of the performances as the supporters, but the difference is he is the one that has to do something about it; let's see if he can.

I saw a Twitter spat among Villa fans earlier with some calling for Smith's sacking. The argument against was: “We don't want to be another Everton sacking their manager and rebooting every year.”

If he plays, it has to be wide left. King must be stinking the gaff out in training, mate.

In the sense of rebooting I was thinking that this is all we do.

As cynical as it sounds, we either have a very good season and a good performer or two leave, or we are shite and need new players like now.

The grace we get this time as in keeping better performers might just be Ancelotti. Any other manager couldn't argue the toss but he can surely say "This is pointless; if I lose my top players every year, why did you want me?"

That argument won't happen for a while anyway because we are shite but if he gets new signings to improve us, then he might be allowed to gain continuity.

I think your suggested midfield would be very uncreative. We need attacking pace in there. Those three offer nothing going forward.

Not gonna say it's the answer – desperate measures etc.

I think that's why Richarlison has dropped off - to not get injured.

He prefers to play No 9 so Carlo has no choice rather than fall out with one of our better players. Anyway, I think there is a good chance he is gone in the summer. Time to do a Leicester and buy a top replacement.

Hard to blame the manager as he knows his stuff and he can't change the squad after the summer window months ago.

Next window, we can only hope the recruitment team have all the lists prepared with outstanding gettable players, with scenarios for if some players want to leave like Richarlison. That is where we should have a moan if the recruitment side has not been well prepared.

We need to make our mediocre players become better players. No easy task, but very rarely do we see our present players playing up to there own personal best.

We are so, so, so disjointed.

Yes, I know I used three 'so's... because we have been such a "so-so" team of late.

Instead, we play tippy tappy on the edge of our box with 10 mins to go. 1-0 down in a must-win match against shitty Sheffield Utd (no disrespect).

It's not his style, but maybe it should be. He should be screaming from the sideline to do just that, but he's cool though.

You do write an awful lot of nonsense on here, as if it's your local fiefdom. Most of it is pretty innocuous and can be safely ignored. But this post about Sigurdsson is a complete joke.

Change a game? When did he last do that? Okay Spurs as someone else has said, that's the only game it seems where he's had a motive to rise above the interminable dross we have tolerated for far too long. And let's not even talk about the free-kicks... Why you would even want to defend him defies comprehension.

"Keep most of what we have now; I think we've gotten rid of most of the deadwood. But a lot of what we have now becomes backup in an improved squad. Sigurdsson included."

I would worry about my sanity if I wrote such nonsense in public. Of the confirmed deadwood we have left (and whichever way you cut it, there's still an awful lot), at least Besic, King, Walcott, Bolasie and Pennington will (hopefully) join Connolly and Adeniran in being released at the end of their contracts this summer.

That leaves the following incredible list who have another year on the Finch Farm gravy train: Delph, Coleman, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Kenny, Tosun, Baningime, Markelo. Presumably you're happy to see them all continue in this ridiculous hope that they can somehow become worth keeping amongst a better squad of players? No; Get Rid. But guess what? Your wish is granted because of those ridiculously generous contracts they are on.

And that doesn't even include the largest piece of deadwood in Iwobi, who we are stuck with for another 3 years!!! Argh!

You are much better than describing people's views as nonsense in fairness.

Okay, What I meant is that I thought most of the deadwood is out of the squad. It doesn't mean we still don't own some of it but a lot of it now isn't near the first team. That leaves us thin.

I apologise if I write a lot of nonsense. Like many, I only come on here to give opinion and debate with other Evertonians. For the record I would never consider myself better than anyone else so the local fiefdom jibe is a cheap shot.

If that's the vibe I give off I will refrain and apologise.

But he stressed it will not be a period of wholescale change as he attempts to fine-tune his squad.

Ancelotti said: "We don't need to do a revolution. We have to follow our plan, it was a good plan last season when we signed good players"

"We have to do this season, following our project and our plan. Absolutely no revolution. To improve the squad we do not need to do a revolution."

The three-time Champions League winner accused his team of lacking 'a strong personality with the ball' after defeat to Sheffield United and insisted once more he will look to address the flaw this summer.

Ancelotti continued: "Of course we have to improve the quality of the squad in this sense for the next season, this is for sure.

"But you can play football in different ways, not only with the quality. You can get a result not only with the quality.

"It is true I won a lot of trophies but I do not know how many trophies I won for the quality, instead of the spirit, the concentration, the sacrifice, the personality.

"It is not only a matter of quality. But I agree with you the quality of the team has to improve next season."

I'm hoping that this means he will be a little more hands-on and start to make sure the players turn up to each and every match, but those expecting sweeping changes will be disappointed as it looks like we'll largely make do with what we already have and at best reduce the squad to a more manageable size due to contracts expiring with perhaps with one or two additions. I expect Sigurdsson will get an extension too. As Michael says above... Argh!

I'm a big fan of his, and he's an incredibly high profile guy to have at the helm, but the things he's said in the last couple of days are giving me a really bad feeling about next season.

The idea that we are better without the ball than with it, that you can aim to play football without quality, that we aren't good enough to be a possession team, that we don't have a strong personality with the ball, yet we don't need wholesale change is worrying.

There was one recent game, I can't remember which, where it seemed like him and James were starting to get a bit of an understanding going and it also seemed like he was enjoying it for once.

For those dreamers expecting wholesale changes and miraculously a whole new quality team appearing, it's not going to happen. So we need to think about who could add value to the squad and out of the usual suspects list to get rid, maybe he is one to keep?

Listen, I'm no fan of Sigurdsson of the moment (not a big fan of any of them to be honest), but I get your point Danny and Michael, not everyone's opinion is complete nonsense by default.

Ben Godfrey
Speedo Mick
The steward in UB4 Upper Bullens Stand
Big Dunc
The cat that ran on to the pitch against Wolves in 2019

The above seem prepared to give their all for the club. The rest - get rid.

You can use OMG nowadays like the kids do.

I also vote for keeping Big Dunc holding up the giant subs board thing. You can tell he's made up that he knows how to work it, I bet he tries to show off to Carlo like you're showing your nan how to use an iPad.

Consistent every week player? No. Still has a part to play in the squad? Given where we are and what is needed I would say yes.

Keep the awkward and embarrassing half time competitions. The ones where most are checking out the scores elsewhere or on the concourse grabbing a sausage roll and a pint taking no notice of Jim from West Derby shooting with his other left foot after a dodgy pre-match session induced run up? Quality!