Blues almost come back from a dreadful first half

So you start with the good news: No Rondon. Then hit us with the bad: Iwobi plays.

You just knew Rafa wasn't going to yield completely to fan pressure!

After the inevitable defeat, I hope Everton follow Spurs' example, and sack the FSW, for impersonating a manager - and get rid of the board while they're at it!

What's the set up then 4231, Iwobi in the no 10 slot?

Neil , Haley's Comet ! Tickled me that one.

Tosun, Delph, Danny Williamson, Bilic, ADVM, and some kids

Might come down to whether our midfield trio can assert itself against Moutinho, Neves and the two who float between wings and No 10 positions.

At least Rondon has been given a rest, poor bugger must be knackered standing on the spot, for the last few games.

People are mentioning 2 goalies on the bench, throw in the mix Gbamin starting, Rondon goosed on the bench, Delph and Tosun also on the bench, it makes you wonder, just how many subs we could have named, had we not thrown 3 players, who have not started games all season and beyond.

Had Gordon started before Iwobi, I would have been happy with the line up.

Surely to god Iwobi is due a half decent game.

3-2 for Everton.

Best of luck, Blues, be professional, a clean sheet and Tosun gets the winner. Coybs.

I think it's more notable that Reece Welch makes the bench. Adds to the number of youngsters who've made the first team squad this season.

I can't see Iwobi being a No 10?

This says everything we need to know about the character of this team. I didn't expect quality but I did expect a reaction with some fight.

Our tactic appears to be concede possession as quickly as possible and get into our deep defensive shape. I'm truly flabbergasted.

Classis Benitez.

It's like watching a lower league side at a top side, defending deep, no build-up play, players all over the place, some just happy to be part of the occasion. I don't mind getting beat by any team if they have to work hard to do so, but for Everton to effectively lie down from Minute 1 is disgraceful.

ps: Seamus is finished as a Premier League player and only Everton could fail to recognise that fact.

Embarrassing.

Iwobi is a fuckin oxygen thief. How that shitbag looks himself in the mirror is beyond me. Spineless little bastard. Jogs around to seem busy but does nothing. It's playing with 10 men.

Gbamin is utter dogshit as well. Another Brands master class along with Iwobi and Godfrey. How is he still in a job? Seriously.

Zonal marking. Picking Iwobi and the football is turgid and that's on Rafa. Nuno has been sacked for less. He was the wrong appointment to start with and spurs have rectified it, just like Rafa was. This club is run by amateurs from top to bottom is every single position within the club. It's terrifying.

Spurs will Murder us next week and if Mina Doucoure and DCL aren't back after the next break, this team is absolutely shit enough to go down. Without question.

I don't recognise this club anymore. It's an utter shambles of a team and an organisation.

I can't be arsed anymore. It really needs setting alight and starting again.

Disgusting.

An entire back four is needed for starters and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The entire club can get to fuck.

In fact I don't see another way. Unless we match their wing backs with Delph, which I don't like but it could work.

Sick of seeing us try to pass the ball. We're nowhere near that level. We've got three centre backs in the back 4 and two defensive midfielders, just get rid of it (forward). Allan will always look terrible in a team that tries to play build up football.

The above is all tactical, but nothing excuses us winning precisely zero 50/50s or second balls. It's been a disgrace.

But don't worry, lads... Allan and Coleman have given their speeches about “how we have to do better” so we've got that to look forward to.

We had 10 poor performers in that half. You don't fix it with a like for like sub.

Maybe it's not all the managers at Everton after all.

Either way, we've had over a week to prepare and this is the performance we get. I've seen some shit football in my time and this is as bad as I've seen. No pride in their work whatsoever.

These players have form for letting the club down with spineless, gutless, shithouse performances. The whole club needs gutting.

It short, fuck off Everton.

There is no point sacking Rafa, who else would take the job?

Zonal marking is too easily exposed by a decent cross and late run.

Everton's defenders can't play out from the back.

We threaten when we get the ball forward quickly. We don't when we try and slowly build up attacks.

The slow starts and sloppy passing needs to stop. Back to basics Rafa, keep it simple and quick.

@ Benn 46

Seamus is past his best. We all know this. But quite simply, there is nobody to replace him.

Godfrey is not a bad player. Far from it. Something ain't right with him at all. I don't know what it is but it's not my job to know, find out or even fix what it is. But this guy can perform. When he's at his best there are still some rough edges but he's got the makings of a top defender. However, under this regime it seems not. I don't see how you can attribute Norwich's abysmal record this season with Ben Godfrey.

As for Gbamin... Haha! I have said a number of times, this guy is absolutely and 100% finished as a professional footballer. I don't want him to be. But he is. It's simple.

How about bringing back Sheedy from Norwich. Or throwing Kenny on at right back to get stuck in. Branchy up top?

He's doing pretty good so far, la.

Same old shite: it takes us to go a goal or two down before we get a reaction or show some fight. Better second half but a lackluster and ponderous first 45 killed us.

Never thought I'd say be saying this but Delph was good when he came on, someone that can actually pass a ball 5 yards with a little composure.

Roll on Conte's Tottenham.

Overall. Pathetic.

If Gordon doesn't start the next game then I don't know what Benitez is watching. I don't think he lost a challenge. Our clear man of the match in about 10 minutes played.

I wonder if Moshiri, Kenswright and Brands sleep well at night?

Anthony Gordon very impressive in the 12 minutes he had to shine.

Everton, please follow Spurs' example and sack Benitez, and get rid of the board while you're at it.

Bottom half – here we come.

Last year, Davies played the Allan role better than Allan played the Allan role. Tonight, Delph played the Allan role better than Allan plays the Allan role.

Barring the goal, Iwobi did nothing. Gordon created more in 5 minutes than Iwobi did in 70.

Keane gets run past too much, Holgate was the better centre back tonight.

In over 3 years of planning Brands has left us with 1 left back. Godfrey didn't offer much tonight.

A mention for Townsend who played 60 minutes in an unnatural central midfield role and did OK.

Gray looked like he had no confidence, frequently stopping rather than going at players.

Zonal marking undone again, when will managers adapt and stop being so stubborn? Especially since we had the 3rd best defence against set pieces last season. Why change what isn't broken?

Far better second half, Delph made the difference, as did 3 in midfield. It won't be long before the atmosphere becomes very toxic if we carry on like this.

Played better with Delph on, better control and composure. Then Gordon added some great direct and confident play and was unlucky not to get or manufacture the equaliser.

These two have to start next week.

What a dreadful waste of money. Very unfortunate.

Opposition players know the first thing the Everton back line is going to do is try and take the easy option in passing the ball backwards, that's why there's always that gulf between the back line and midfield and, when you have central defenders who panic, it's mayhem.

This will be another season of "What the fuck is happening to this club???"

How many times have supporters said it? It never fucking changes. two defenders needed along with three midfielders. Preferably one or two that score more than 1 goal a season.

Is it too much to ask? Apparently yes, it is. Gobshites.

There was no reason at all not to play a 4-3-3 with Davies and Allan with Gbamin and Delph splitting 90 minutes between them, seeing as they are nowhere near fit enough.

Why did the manager wait until we were 2-0 down before changing the system? Why was Gordon left on the bench until the 77th minute when Gray was contributing nothing at all? Iwobi, too, even though he scored.

This is on Benitez as much as the spineless players. And I really hope Seamus retires soon... he's destroying his own legacy.

Better in the 2nd half and the real highlight for me was Fabian Delph... Who'd have thought it?!

We are also an average team at best. Tonight, we weren't that good.

Keane is the worst centre-back we have had for many years, Holgate not too far behind him. Gbamin is not a Premier League footballer etc etc.

Relegation is finally going to get us this season.

COYB

This is a poor Wolves team, that for 30 minutes we made look like Brazil 1970 out of sheer incompetence.

The second half was a terrible advert for Premier League football, absolutely shocking.

The second half was played to such a low standard that even Iwobi scored.

Terrible, just terrible and it's scary to think where we go on from here.

3 defeats on the trot – a winter of discontent seems inevitable

Too many Everton players look like they made football careers as a tenth choice career path.

We have some shockingly bad players both in terms of footballing ability and intelligence.

Godfrey needs taking out now until after Christmas, give Branthwaite game time and give Brands head a wobble as to why he okayed our other left back Niels Nkounkou to depart.

Holgate should never wear the shirt again, but sadly will.

Coleman should take a look at Leighton Baines and start to ask himself the question about when may it be a good time to retire and make Everton's decision for them, because we will just keep dragging him out until he has absolutely nothing left to give.

Allan is nothing without Doucoure.

Gbamin is never gonna be up to the rigours of the Premier League.

Well Sunday is a must win game now anyway, no win since Norwich and if we don't beat Spurs then that's TWO international breaks without a victory and the first game after the break is away at Manchester City.

I fully expect us to be ensconced in the bottom five by Christmas but as long as we can keep looking at pictures of the building site of the new stadium that's all ok isn't it?

It's all running along smoothly according to DBB, Marcel and Moshi.

As I said on the forum, I'm done with Everton, 45/50 years and this is beyond a joke now. I have said many times on threads, £500 million spent in last 5/6 years and we have probably one of the worst teams in the Premier League. We are an absolute laughing stock of a supposed team.

I have never ever in my life bet against Everton in any game but I'm a gambling man and my money next week will be on a Spurs victory (with new manager) and Kane to score anytime...

I'm fucked with this club – enough is enough, and I bet there's loads out there feeling the same.

Benitez 'fixed' it - but did he cause It?
Has Gbamin been in his ear...I know I would have been...look at this (Watford) shite boss, gizza a job, I can do that job.

Well he had his chance and you have to think, given even Delph looked a vast improvement, maybe blown it.

If we take the 2nd half (...and we will never mention the 1st again - ever) performance, or some version of it...If Spurs don't have a massive new manager bounce, we can see them off.

IF.

Sometimes even good players are bad, like Gray and Allan tonight.

Gotta be Coleman's last game.

More bad starting 11 selections by the manager, eg, Gbamin. Why not Gordon?

To give him credit, even Delph stood out as our best player second half. What does that say for the rest?

We can beat Spurs or Arsenal or any other team at Goodison if the players give everything for all of the game, but if they continually give away possession in dangerous areas of the pitch they'll get what they've got in the last few games - nothing.

The first half has to go down to the manager, for his selection, his formation, and not reacting to it not working early enough. He also waited too long, in the second half to make the changes that resulted in Everton actually creating stuff in and around the Wolves box.

Townsend and Gray were not as dynamic as they were earlier in the season, but that will happen when players make an impact early doors, other teams give them less space to operate in. At least Gordon and Delph made a positive impact tonight and that gives the manager some options if he cares to take them.

Rafa the gaffer (0) - as negative and disjointed as anything served up by Sam, Fat Ron or Carlo in his last months.

This shit show is not on the players or manager but solely on the owner who has plenty of money but knows fuck-all about football. Absolutely clueless.

Hats off to Rafa if he somehow makes something positive of this season and himself survives the chop.

Benitez said before the game he looks at players in training so what the fuck did Gbamin do last week to get on the bench never mind starting? Hopeless.

Tactically first half we were a shambles and Benitez has to stop this zonal marking shit. The players haven't got a clue how to execute it.

God knows what's happened to Godfrey but the lad needs taking out the firing line for a while.

Gray was not at the races.

Apart from Pickford, the only one's who showed anything, and it wasn't much, was Townsend and I'm surprised to say it, Delph. Don't be surprised if Delph's out now until season's end.

Only another 26 points...

Not one of those players wanted to be on that pitch in the first half tonight and that's massively concerning.

I take nothing at all from a marginally better second half, it was hardly kitchen sink was it? Wolves pretty much kept us comfortably at arm's length.

I'm struggling really to get my head around watching how shit Everton have been on the pitch and off the pitch this last four or five years, baffles the mind how so much money has been spent so poorly.

How long before he gets off? Not that I'm arsed because every last Everton player at the moment, bar none, deserve to wear the shirt.

And that fat Spanish scruffy kopite should never have been employed!

Delph played well but just waiting to see if he has any niggles before Sunday? Don't understand why Gordon isn't starting. The 2nd half was a big improvement, which wouldn't be hard because the first 45 minutes was a disgrace.

These are Benitez's tactics that have become so easy to play against. Watford figured it out too and I imagine every other team knows how to play against us. It was the same with Carlo with pretty much exact tactics that became utterly dire as the season progressed.

It's the same with zonal marking, how many managers have tried to implement it with this team, and none of them can get it.

God help this squad if Pickford, Richarlison, Gray, Townsend, Gordon, get crocked. Mina is a permanent crock, 3 games and out. But this shows the hand-to-mouth existence of the football institution, formerly the School of Science, Everton.

Climate change is the rage and rightfully so, but by God, this season will be very tough.

I'm not gonna take a Sabatical from Everton, as I can't, but people ask, how and why? Till I die, and in the afterlife.

Like so many, a lifetime's work and watching Everton, risking job, life and limb, and as my Ma, always has said, “They don't pay your wages”. For what?

Madness, as has been said on a TW so many times by Einstein, the definition! Of doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.

Seriously, the power brokers at Everton must realise that they've built a club that can't effectively compete in football, not just now but for many years. The lads in the youth system must wonder what beholds.

The past was bottled and labelled with Love, years ago, at the right time. It's in the past. Now there's a very distant past and a massive void – of failure.

Spurs will be up for it, no doubt, on Sunday. Can Everton put in a shift for 97 minutes, without any Christmas presents?

That first half was the pits.

The problem was highlighted by 3 ale house centre-backs not being given enough protection cos they played so deep. It explains why successive managers are linked with looking for centre-backs.

Maybe it's time to give Branthwaite a chance. At least he will be better on set pieces. Him and Mina for the next game may give Keane and Co a good shake and Godfrey the recovery time he obviously needs.

Although none of us are happy, it is vital we give Benitez a chance.

Night all!

Dreadful first half and we got what we deserved. I don't think I want to watch the re-run of that second goal. Awful.

Better second half but we never looked like truly coming back. In amongst the home fans I got told to sit down when we scored. Fuck off and whatever I told them. They didn't challenge me too much!

Fantastic turnout from the travelling blues as always. I was directly opposite.

Train delayed. On the platform at Wolverhampton. I'll get home at some point tomorrow morning!

How much Wolves gave ground in the second half could be the reason for a better second half performance. On set-pieces, no Everton player was attacking the ball.

I still think there is a lag on performance and a lack of focus on what has been coached.

He is a shadow of himself and not really behaving in a way that will drive the team forward - frustrated, tempestuous, mouthy with the player and crowd (against Watford). If you are brilliant, you can get away with in, but he is not. and it drags the team down.

I know we have other issues – Allan was terrible; Iwobi, say no more; Rondon out; Godfrey has cost us at least 5 goals this season. I could go on...

The board were too gullible, then and in terms of board, do the board have any standards and measures of their plan for success in the youth teams and at first team level?

It's like, G H S Market, great value and deals and yet Everton are still trophyless for 26 years, and no League title for what will be 35 years, and very likely more. Bought so many duff players these last 5 years.

It's reaching a level. How the club plans to get the first team right after so much dereliction of duty will be a miracle. The FFP shackles will take this demise possibly into the next decade bar some miracle.

So till Spurs, and let's look on a the bright side of life, it can only get better.

Possibly the inch-perfect weighted pass of this season by Everton an player was made tonight by Godfrey. But he stuck at it, but his self belief and confidence, look shattered. I hope the lad can get back to himself, like last season, but this is where the club's coaches must help him.

But tbh the back four is to me a block of cheese. Mina can't be relied on, and the rest ain't playing well in any set-up this season when Mina is available.

But hell, that's only my view. Rafa, please play to the unit's strengths, and not play to a system they don't know and don't own in their own box and on the park.

Everton don't have much of a transition plan, the players at the back aren't comfy in playing out from the back, and overall the team is too slow in tempo for 70% of most games.

Hope eternal.

How the hell are we going to offload the absolute dross that is most of the squad? We could not give most of them away, they struggle to do the very basics.

I can't see where the next point is coming from. God help them on Sunday because the first sign of that kind of clueless shithouse football and the cushions are going to rain down, metaphorically speaking like.

Too depressing to think about, and Iwobi might even start as he scored...

11 v 9 from the kick-off.

I must admit I do not feel quite as shit now as I did at half-time, and I never thought I'd see the day when Delph cheered me up. He's a gobby stroppy git but he could, 'could', turn out to be the leader we need. I've said that before, even though I basically can't stick the guy but he earned a couple of Brownie points with me today.

Awful performance first half and once again a goal from a corner, for fuck's sake.

Gordon was great when he came on and showed some real nous. I think he will get a run now.

Gbamin – if he's not come off injured? – wasn't great but did some good things.

So disjointed after the Old Trafford performance – it's hard to put a finger on exactly why but I think the answer is our best players are missing and we can't cope.

Anyway I stand by what I said weeks ago about Godfrey and Colin Todd, we crucified a brilliant centre-half in Todd, by playing him at right-back; we are now doing the same with Godfrey: right-back one week, left-back the following.

Instead of playing one of your best centre-halves out of position, keep him at centre-back.

Last season, Godfrey played the majority of games in the centre. Can anyone tell me how many games he has played as centre-half this season?

Tell me what other club would let Moise Kean go out on loan, when you are lightweight on strikers, and then see Small leave the club, to then allow our only other left-back, Nkounkou, go out on loan as well???

Now we are playing players at right- and left-back, out of their natural positions. Round pegs in square holes again.

Also, have we not learned from zonal marking with Silva that it was horrendous? Now, we are back to zonal marking again, and the same result, shifting in shitloads of goals.

The only positive I can come up with tonight was the impact when Delph came on, and the brief appearance of Gordon.

It might be unpopular, but it's true, the Wolves manager spotted that Seamus could be a weak link in the back four and I'm afraid he was right.

It would be a shame for the popular Irishman to ruin his reputation by playing on for too long. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anybody else to replace him, at least until January.

Only Everton could turn WWW (West Ham, Watford, Wolves) into LLL...

That deliberate complacency has since become more and more like everyday complacency allied with lack of effort. The first half exemplified the malaise; the second half was average.

Throughout it all, the same ex-player coaches have been at Finch Farm, appointed by Kenwright, the epitome of everyday complacency.

I suggest Benitez by now must be fully onboard with recognising that there's something very, very wrong with a training ground where simple passing, control, positioning and shooting is never improved under any manager with these self same coaches for years and years.

And that's before we get to the owner and/or other boardroom nonentities.

Today, Micheal Keane was the lamp post.

You would think that Duncan Ferguson might have a word in Rafa's ear about zonal marking and how our players don't appear to understand the concept – never mind do it well.

Having said that, whichever system is employed at corners, if your defenders allow the attacking team to get the jump on them, it's more likely to result in goals being conceded.

At the other end, how many goals have Everton scored directly from corners in the last few years? Not too many I would think.

You can say it's pathetic, but even the most blue-tinted fan has to have some small concerns that this team in its present guise is more than capable of getting dragged into the mire as the season wears on.

Look up the results for the whole of 2021 and particularly at home, it doesn't make pleasant reading. We really need a couple of wins from the next few fixtures to stop the rot; the longer we go winless, the greater the pressure will get.

Given that we've failed miserably in our last three matches, it doesn't bode well for the next three.

If you get chance, have another look and watch Iwobi, just on the corner of the penalty area, all on his own, until he takes a couple of strides and man marks the ref to perfection.

I swear, I am not making it up; it actually happened.

Yes great to meet you, mate. Pity about the game. Almost back at Wigan and then a wee drive.

A better second half but it's all relative.

Wolves can pass so easily into the box. Hwang Hee-Chan can easily breeze past Keane like cone practise... I can't imagine us playing against Man City and any team with some good pace.

And also, we ship goals every game in defending set-pieces. Sort this mess out, Rafa!

If we need to play one more midfielder, so be it. Give us a boring 0-0 draw. Get that clean sheet first. Start from the back!

Add to that, we don't have a midfield... and then we are well and truly fucked.

It must be true because I've never seen any other player always on his heels.

A little more disconcerting with Godfrey joining the unreliable but that is the nature of the contagion of no confidence. Not going down.

Which brings me on to Alex Iwobi. The man goes through the motions defensively in such a gutless way that I do not understand how he doesn't get an earful every game from his team-mates and the management team. There is no intensity in his defensive work, and it's unforgivable.

Gordon has improved considerably in this regard since Rafa arrived, while Richarlison, Townsend and Gray are generally honest players who always work hard to retrieve possession and close down the opposition. I can only assume that Iwobi lacks the desire, character and bravery for the penny to ever drop.

It was interesting to see Gbamin start a Premier League game. Sadly he look completely out of his depth, and watching Jimenez, Trincao and Hwang constantly drop into the pocket behind him, and him consistently fail to cut off any passing lanes into them, was frightening to watch. No awareness, no ability to impact the game, and never seemed to break out into anything more than a light jog.

The difference between Gbamin in the first 45 and Delph in the second 45 was night and day. Good luck to Gbamin – he's had so much bad luck thus far – but I cannot imagine we'll see him start a Premier League game again this season, and possibly ever again.

You know what you get from these players. Iwobi has deficiencies that make him barely a footballer. Just forget him. Delph slots himself between the centre-backs and turns one pass between defenders into two. Then he breaks a toenail and has a month off.

These players seem to improve in standing the less they play. I'd play literally any junior with some character ahead of them.

You've got to look a lot further than "Delph should play" or "Iwobi shouldn't play".

We had no right-back, no striker, a style that doesn't suit any of our defenders or midfielders (even when all are fit). And it nullifies our wingers.

Add to that, we had the most insipid effort for an hour. We didn't win a first or second ball, we barely made it to a contested ball. We lacked any kind of bravery in the way we moved the ball. It was slow and sideways. The irony of such limited footballers trying to play 'safe' and just putting themselves in more peril due to their limitations.

No-one escapes criticism today. It was absolutely rotten. From the tactics to the effort.

For a few weeks, we had an identity and it's gone in a flash. Everton work hard, Everton play direct, Everton fight for each other, Everton play the game at pace. It wasn't necessarily the sort of football that wins leagues, but it was effective and decent to watch. And it was the best use of this crop (not a typo).

I don't know the answer, but it's not trotting out the same old rotation of names in the same tired style. Someone has to get these players playing to a clear style of football and fighting for the team, or send them to the reserves in exchange for someone who will give it a go.

However, today in the first half, we showed a total lack of effort and desire and that is inexcusable. We were slow to the ball, weak in tackles and generally just seemed to be floating around the field as though they were on holiday.

I read an article today about how many young people in their twenties and thirties have been very significantly affected by Covid. I feel this must be the case with Godfrey because he is just not the player that he was last season. I think he must have the potential to get back to form because we certainly need him at his best.

I hope Benitez is able to get through to the team that there needs to be significant individual improvement, intensity and effort. I try to refrain from personal insults as seen by Ben (46). I do understand just how he might feel but such garbage directed at individual players only satisfies his over-the-top anger. We are all equally disappointed.

I think Allan played well but was covering Gbamin.

Gbamin played like a 16-year-old, unsure what to do and where to be. Like a 16-year-old, I can see potential but it's a No from me. Sell before he gets injured.

Delph the same. Sell. He did the basics well today, helped because Wolves sat deep whilst 2-0 up in control trying to pick us off. For those thinking he could be our best option, don't hold your breath. Injury-prone, slow and simply not good enough.

Tom Davies would have been blamed for all our problems if he had played today but I'd back him to have got stuck in.

It shows you how poor both sides were in the 2nd half - we were just, by a short head less poorer. All he did (maybe it was all he needed to do or can do, for that matter) was get the ball, run with it a bit, and mostly find a blue shirt with it... It was hardly Maradona leaving Reidy trailing in his wake.

I don't believe that it's a lack of talent per se, more a lack of fortitude and belief that undermines this set of players. Also I don't think the manager has helped the team in certain situations, whether that's the style of play or the tactics, it's clearly not working.

Earlier in the season, there seemed to be a togetherness within the group, but tonight especially, there was quite a lot of bickering and some players blaming each other for being in the wrong positions or failing to do their jobs. I'm not against players giving each other a rollicking when necessary but there are times when they should just roll up their sleeves and work harder.

When you are on a run like Everton is in now, passengers cannot be in the team, and Iwobi in particular is a passenger most of the time that he's on the pitch. Others too seemed to go through the motions in the first half.

If the game plan included Digne right up until the teamsheets were handed in, that doesn't help if all of the training was for a different back four than the one that started. That doesn't excuse that first-half performance where nobody put a foot in and Wolves players ghosted past too many statuesque Everton players too often.

If this set of players don't realise what is acceptable to the 3,000 travelling fans by now, they never will. If they repeat the same frailties on Sunday, 35,000 Evertonians will not be shy in reminding them.

Just watched the 'highlights' of our display. Iwobi performed exactly as I expected. His goal only makes the situation worse – it means the manager will persist with him. (he would anyway, but now he has a ready-made excuse). Rondon brought on, but for what?

Seamus has been seen as our weak link since the start of last season, but opponents are now also gifted with our zonal marking system. Based on tonight's first goal, if we had 30 players on the pitch for a corner, we'd still concede.

You can visibly see the confidence ebbing away from Townsend and Gray as the Everton malaise sets in.

Same again on Sunday, no doubt. If so, I won't bother watching then either. Even after 50+ years, you can only take so much.

I realize Tom is slow and weak but at least he has those basic attributes. Maybe he thought Gbamin would be the inverse Iwobi: shit in training but good in games?

After decades of this, and despite some truly awful managers and players, the thought that I could ever want the team to lose leaves me cold. I can't, it's just pathetic and I said so.

The reaction is somehow in keeping with the issue at the club. Yet another blue who thinks that travelling to away games makes him a super fan and above the rest of us. But I spent 25 years doing the same thing and can't recall a single moment I wanted us to lose, anything, anywhere to anyone.

This third defeat in a row is so hard to take though and no mistake. But, for me, the villains never set foot on the pitch. A couple of years ago on here I and a few others dared to criticise Mr Moshiri. I now find that our thoughts at the time were spot on.

The owner is largely responsible for managerial appointments and a raft of player purchases that have brought the club to its knees. The FFP disaster is just that, a total disaster that he was warned was about to happen by supporters and pundits alike.

We are now seeing the results of the mess with a squad so poor beyond the first 13 that any injury has the potential to lead to lost games and when we hit a bad run of injuries as now that impact is magnified.

But where in all this are the Board? We have a very clever and likeable CEO who you almost never hear talk about the footballing side of the club, just EITC and BMD. The Director of Football gets ignored by most of the last few managers and was it seems refused any involvement in actually picking a new manager.

The medical staff at the club have repeatedly seen repeat injuries blight our chances at senior level. In other words, the infrastructure from the owner down is just terrible and getting clearly worse.

How we ever break out of this, I don't know... but it's not by wanting us to lose and seeing support drop as a result. Maybe those injured players really will come storming back and drive us up the table.

They better had because the last two dire results in particular have a nasty whiff of another relegation fight. OTT? we always say “perhaps” at this point but hell these recent humiliations suggest that by Christmas it may not feel OTT.

Desperate for injured players back. Desperate for a better run. We're all just bloody desperate, full stop!

Staysafe all.

The only players to come away with any credit from that was Pickford, who made two incredible saves in the first half to somehow give us a fighting chance in the second half, and surprisingly Delph.

Iwobi, who was piss poor throughout, was getting dog's abuse from blues fans, when he was playing down our left in the first half, before he switched over to the right. Surprised he then stayed on the right in the second half, and apart from his goal, which looked like he scuffed it anyway, did diddily squat all match.

Poor old Gbamin looked totally lost in the game, and was no surprise when he was subbed at half time. Surely Anthony Gordon would have been better playing instead of Iwobi, and, although some may disagree, Tom Davies instead of Gbamin?

Okay, the second half was a "lot better" than the first, couldn't be any worse, but for me, it was a poor starting eleven by the manager. I never wanted Benitez in the first place, I don't want him now, and if Newcastle come calling then let him go.

It's amazing how last season, it was all the fault of Ancelotti, yet this season, with almost all the same squad, it's the fault of the players. Injuries or no injuries, in my opinion if Gordon and Davies had started, we could have got a result from tonight's match.

Just watching the game on Sky Sports, and I take it back about Iwobi's goal. Certainty wasn't scuffed, but it did appear the ball came off his shin. Was a tidy finish anyway.

Any Evertonian who wants Everton to lose for any reason to my mind can't call themselves an Evertonian.

I'm certain that there are a number of Blues who would like to see Benitez removed and wouldn't care how soon that happens. There is a larger proportion that wants Everton to do well and if that means that Benitez is the boss. Whilst this happens, then they will accept the Spaniard without declaring their undying love for the man. There are some Evertonians that believe that this manager is the right man for the club at this time.

Injuries to key players always affect a side, but the only way to overcome those losses is to work harder for each other and help each other with and without the ball. At the end of the day, every player on Everton's books is a professional footballer; some are good and some not quite so good, but they are all paid handsomely and the least they can do is to put a shift in.

Whichever camp we belong to, tonight's game, and the previous two to an extent, have shown up the limitations of the players and the manager. He deserves a certain amount of criticism for team choices and tactical aspects but he can't be blamed for individual errors by individual players. He also has to take some responsibility as to why in the first half his players didn't proactively seek out the ball and weren't hungry to run off the ball for their teammates.

Even in the second half, Townsend on a couple of occasions was in possession of the ball, but when he sought to pass the ball, nobody was close enough to him to receive a pass.

The next win can't come soon enough. As for the hierarchy, they too have a lot of questions to answer, and this time it won't be enough to just replace the manager and simply press reset.

How unlucky Godfrey was in an unnatural position. Hopefully Rafa and the team learn from this.

Like it or not, I was positively surprised by Delph. Without Doucouré, I think he should start.

I feel with you my fellow fans. Onwards and upwards, COYB.

Totally agree. I'm not a psychologist but suspect this “I hope we lose” is borne from some kind of childish “If I can't have it my way, I want to ruin it for everyone.” But psychology aside, we don't want “fans” like that. The RS will have room for them.

Nil satis nisi optimum. Load of bollocks to this board, managers (including Unsworth at Under-23 level) and especially the players.

Those mentioned plus any individual supporters who will argue with this are a poison chalice to the club.

Things I never thought I'd read in tonight's twilight zone forum:

“Why are we subbing our best player (Iwobi)?”

“Delph is our best player”

“Let's support Rafa.”

People moaned about last season but just 12 months ago could you have imagined any blue saying any of those things? How far have we sunk? Out! All of them, Kenwright, Brands, all squads of every age group, every coach, the toffee lady, the tannoy bloke, Rafa, Moshiri, club ambassadors, DBB... Maybe Dan Meis can stay but that's about it.

We can keep changing managers, we can keep buying players, but nothing is going to change – ever – with these people running things.

So on Sunday, if it goes tits up, don't shout for Rafa Benitez to go... instead, do the right thing: Shout "SACK THE BOARD. SACK BRANDS. WE WANT MOSHIRI OUT!!!"

Get behind the team – they are going to need it.

There is no way this team, glaring in the backline, has put the work and effort into preparation. What's more, they have been let to get away with it. After the International break, the writing was on the wall.

Tonight's performance, following the same first-half performance of play, was effective disengagement that has been the same in all three games, with an attempted surge in the second half, when the other team is standing back.

Throughout the game, set-piece plays are well below the standards required. There is no way that this team is following the manager's instructions. Even Allan is having to argue with Keane to bring forward the defensive line during the game.

I get the distinct feeling that Rafa has been left out to dry by the internal management of the club and some of the players.

Listening to many blues on the phone-ins last night, it would appear any goodwill Rafa may have thought he'd earned has gone right out of the window... And having seen the anger directed towards Nuno by the Spurs fans at the weekend, I reckon Goodison will be no place for a footy manager this weekend.

I guess this is why they get paid the big bucks.

We did look in deep shit last night. Deffo John Ebbrell's fault.

Although I have often scratched my head and questioned, how an allegedly top accountant can be so blasé in squandering a fortune, yet seemingly not batting an eyelid, while allowing a total prick to play with his very expensive train set. It just doesn't make sense, especially with Jabba the Hutt (Usmanov) hovering in the background. Let's face it, these guys didn't become billionaires through mindless or reckless Investments.

So what is the difference now? It would appear to the unenlightened, that it is some sort of Money Laundering Scheme. You simply just can't waste that amount of money without serious questions and action being taken to halt the avalanche of money disappearing altogether.

Okay you maybe expect a couple of mistakes in buying players, that happens at most clubs (horses for courses but not a complete stampede of them), and the question that has been raised so many times: For all the money spent, what have we got?

I don't think either the blame lies with Rafa, although his recent team selections and game-plan do raise serious doubts, but I think the first half against Wolves was a rude awakening for him. Second half being a vast improvement and, if the first half had matched that, I'm sure we would be talking about a draw or possibly a win.

It will be interesting to see what the reaction is by both Rafa and the players on Sunday, against Spurs who are not exactly pulling up trees themselves, and are in somewhat of a transitional period, sacking Managers every few months. The result of having a trigger happy knobhead as a Chairman again! How do these people get to be in the positions they are in?

Some more general observations:

1) We cannot play 2 in midfield without Doucouré, as no combination of the other available players works.

2) Regardless of what he is showing in training, Iwobi should not start ahead of Gordon.

3) We need a ball-playing centre-half, full-back cover for Coleman and Digne, and another forward... all with no money so better get creative as we did with Gray and Townsend.

4) Benitez has been handed a hospital pass with this job. I didn't want him but firing him would make no sense right now.

As regards the 'who to blame' argument. 2020-21, it's the manager's fault, not the players. 2021-22, it's the players' fault, not the manager. Both these contentions are self-evidently nonsense as it is a combination of manager turnover, imbalanced squad due to different managers recruiting to suit their playing style then getting sacked, an uninfluential Director of Football, poor managerial decision-making, together with appalling attitude, standards and commitment from senior pros.

The answer will take a lot longer to figure out!

I did not want this manager either and wanted us to go for Graham Potter, as I think he is a forward-thinking manager who has done well and has an exciting future as a manager. This manager has been poor with his selections, playing Rondon for 6/7 games until finally dropping him tonight.

Starting Gbamin was a really poor decision and dropping Gordon after the Man Utd and the Watford games was also poor after he had done enough to keep his place.

Michael Keane: has been awful all season mistakes costing goals lack of concentration, constant ball watching and general tardiness has been shocking.

Yerry Mina: it's saying something when you can argue that, when fit, Yerry has been our best defender.

Lucas Digne: can anyone remember his last decent performance. Been awful for a long time both in his defending and crossing. He's been out of sorts for a long time.

Seamus Coleman: still our main mouthpiece as captain but year-on-year the on pitch returns are sadly diminishing. Lack of competition keeps him in the team.

Mason Holgate: you look at him and he seems to have everything in his locker, yet he displays nothing at times; slow and weak and struts around chewing his gum not giving two fucks.

Ben Godfrey: his confidence is on the floor. But right now he's not even doing the basics, not attacking the ball, easily pushed off the ball, bottling 50:50s, caught out of position. A massive fall from grace, hope he's not turned into Jonny Heitinga.

With no pot to piss in, this lot need coaching badly. With zonal marking appearing again it's like Marco Silva all over again.

Is it coaching, confidence or general ability as all our main defenders are abject shite at the moment?

Has to be said but I wish we never let Zouma go.

How many managers do we have to try? The old saying "football is a simple game" is correct yet we make it look the opposite. Spineless and effortless – how long must we suffer?

He was 10 sec behind the play all night and it was made even more obvious as he didn't have Doucouré doing the hard work for him.

Allan has been awful all season.

Observations:

Our earlier season form was based on the quick counter-attack. We depend on players running with ball; Wolves countered by long accurate passing and good first touch.

Godfrey's error was not due to him playing out of position but a terrible first touch which he then tried to pass back to Pickford to get out of jail.

On using zonal marking, the keeper also has a role although Jordan did make great saves I do not think he commands his box at set-pieces.

On passion, I only saw two players getting agitated about our formation, Coleman and Allen. Rafa also has responsibility here. He is our best bet in the long run but team organisation is his job.

Finally and most worrying was Richie's performance. Typically he works his socks off putting pressure on defenders and keeper. I didn't see the same commitment last night.

Thank god we've got Brands as our DoF spotting all this talent from around the world and bringing in it to supplement the non-stop conveyor belt of talent that Unsworth has been producing after 7 years running the academy.

Anyway, enough of worrying about on-field matters, what news on the colour of tiles for the bogs at the new stadium? What new award has DBB won for work in the community?

Coleman tries hard but his legs have gone.

Godfrey completely out of sorts. Needs a break.

Keane and Holgate both woeful and nowhere near good enough.

Allan can be effective sometimes but, more often than not, his lack of mobility is exposed

Gbamin, after the injuries, is never going to be capable of playing at this level.

Iwobi what can you say just completely useless and in my opinion one of our worst buys ever.

Townsend good honest pro whose been more effective than I thought he would be. However, he's not the quality that's going to really move the club forward.

Richarlison probably will leave in the summer. Goes down too easily and shows his frustration but gets absolutely no service.

Gray had a great start to the season but has gone off the boil a bit recently. Need him to get back to form ASAP as we need his ball carrying skills desperately.

I still read the match reports here; watch highlights on YouTube – yet I still often feel that the club is stealing much more time from me than they actually warrant or deserve.

The idea that grown men, ten and more years my senior, are sneaking into the home end to watch this sort of shite somewhat boggles my mind. It truly does. I understand that we're all unique individuals and every single person's circumstances are totally different to anybody else. I get it.

That said, and for my part, I just can't even imagine a scenario where I had the spare time and/or money to waste following this rubbish in the flesh. Kudos to you Danny (and others); I think I'd get more pleasure setting a thousand quid in fivers on fire and posting a video of it on social media. I really do. ​

​I'm at the stage where I figure giving the current Everton regime any of my hard-earned money – and thus tacit approval – is roughly akin to giving a jakey a bottle of whiskey, or a junkie a bag of heroin. Want and need are often two very different things. Everton want your money; they need a kick up the arse from here to Huyton.

Watching Godfrey play that backpass on YouTube doesn't have me writhing with remorse either – as you might imagine. I tip my hat to many of you guys, I just don't know how you do it.

If Everton was a horse, you'd shoot it. We seem to be very lucky this year in that there are three teams that are much worse than us. But for that, we might be in some real shit. And if one of those clubs turns things around it could get sketchy very quickly.

Wake me up when that happens, or when we again get some competent people running our club. Until then expect more – many many more – days like this.

Jonjoe Kenny
Cenk Tosun
Gylfi Siggursson
Seamus Coleman
Fabian Delph

But with Kenwright in charge, I am sure he will give new contracts to Jonjoe and also Tom Davies as they are one of us!

As I have said in a previous post, Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Mason Mount all improved as players and are now England Internationals. Tom Davies has not improved at all and I don't think he will.

The board need to make these tough decisions and get rid of players who are not good enough but I fear, with Kenwright still Chairman, this will never change. I could probably put my mortgage on Kenwright giving Tom Davies a new contract.

We need to stop being sentimental and giving ex-players coaching roles, it will be Seamus Coleman next! Because they played for Everton for a few years does not mean they are great coaches.

And how did David Unsworth get a contract-for-life job?

Dire though the first half was,we could have won this in the second half if Richarlison had capitalised on the keeper's mistake and Gordon's header had found the net. With a squad lacking in almost every position, depleted by injuries and arguably wrong selection decisions, it could have been a lot worse.

Delph and Gordon made a difference when they came on — Delph?? What am I saying?

So come on,guys, heads up, we go again at weekend... let's ditch the negativity and get behind whatever team we can put out and the manager. Whatever you think of him, it's stability we need at the moment – not more change.

Anyway 2 positive points to finish on: Iwobi scores an away goal! And we dodged a bullet with Nuno!

What Benitez saw during the week in order to pick Gbamin is baffling to me.

Allan was certainly left out to hang and dry in that first half. Surely Benitez could see what we were all seeing from the first minute and not bring in the wide men to help Allan out.

Instead of sacking the manager every season, how about doing the obvious and sacking the Board because they clearly are not performing!

Who is responsible for our appalling transfer record where players are being let go for free after running down their exorbitant contracts?

Why are so many players at Everton constantly underperforming?

Is the entire coaching staff good enough because I don't think employing Everton Old Boys is the answer?

Why is Duncan Ferguson assistant to every manager?

What has David Unsworth actually produced and what is his remit at the academy?

This is a professional football club – not a museum... nor is it a charity. Paying fans want to see good aggressive football from players that care and can justify their wage. The club is sinking fast and time for action is now.

Thanks in advance.
Concerned,
Nick

What must go through our young players' minds (Dobbin, Onyango etc) when they see Tosun and Gbamin and Rondon and a second fucking goalkeeper getting on the bench before them? I'm sick of the same old managers letting us down.

I thought Gbamin done okay, but he clearly needs to get match fit. This is a bold shout, but get him fit and he's a potential Declan Rice style midfield enforcer. But fitness and injury? That's the problem with him and he's a similar age to Rice.

I feel unclean saying it, but chatting with a few London bound Evertonians late last night, Delph actually gave us some leadership on the pitch in the second half.

I got an extra half hour's sleep than expected, getting home at 2:30 am, but the dogs still had me out at the crack of dawn.

Everton. You can't help but love them. Like my dogs, they're for life!

Spot on!

Rondon is awful. Gbamin is worse. Godfrey isn't good enough on the ball to play full-back in the modern game.

If you are an U23, you are looking for a new club. This was started by eyebrow man and continues under FSW.

He didn't look awful when he played those 2 defence-splitting passes that opened up Brighton and led to our 2 goals.

Farhad has been a complete disaster at Everton. He's actually managed to take us backwards even after spending almost £500M on utter shite.

I would rather have Alisher in charge than Farhad.

Ron @140, has me nodding my head in agreement, except I'd replace overseeing, with it has already been overseen, and whilst this continued deafening silence is what us supporters are being treated to.

I personally think it's time for us to put some pressure on Moshiri, because it's only our majority shareholder who has the power to implement real change.

Hindsight is a great word, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but would Delph have been a better option to start from the off? I slated Benitez for bringing Delph on at half-time (got slated from one of me mates for having the audacity to criticise Benitez and shouting “you don't know what you're doing!”), and fully expecting him to be carried off with one injury or another, but as I said, hindsight is a great word.

So maybe Benitez did know what he is doing... in which case, Why didn't he start Delph instead of Gbamin? Why didn't he start Anthony Gordon instead of Iwobi?

Listen, I know at the moment we are crippled with injuries. Had we had Mina, Digne, Doucouré, Gomes and Calvert-Lewin available last night, I've no doubt we would have ripped Wolves apart. To an extent, Benitez does have his hands tied behind his back, but I still think his starting eleven was totally wrong.

Okay, he made the change to withdraw a very in-effective Gbamin at half-time, but to wait until about 10 minutes from the end to replace Iwobi with Gordon was just too late. As for Rondon, did he actually touch the ball?

In 4 weeks time we've got Liverpool. God forbid if the next three matches go tits up, then the banners will be out in force in the away section with “Agent R-r-r-r”, no sorry I can't say his first name. So Benitez has got to get his team selections spot on for the next three games; otherwise, that game against Liverpool is going to be un-merciful.

Why feel unclean about speaking the truth? Delph has mostly been a very poor signing. I expected better from him but he has been mostly been injured and never been fit for any consistent period.

Last night, he not only offered leadership but much-needed composure in keeping hold of the ball, looking for men in space before parting with the ball; other Everton players were looking for him and giving him the ball to make the play.

Only 45 minutes but, if he can stay fit, he will be a big plus in these injury hit times. Who else held the ball last night for a few seconds? The ball was like a bleedin' hand grenade to the lot of them – except young Anthony Gordon when he came on.

Once we scratch the surface, we have little. Nothing, Nichts. Ninte.

Long night last night, but I'll be there Sunday. No matter what, I can't stop loving them. I wish they had just some of my desire.

I think with a more sensible optimum structure in place at Board level we wouldn't have wasted so much money… 2018 being the prime example when we seemed to have three people pulling in different directions on transfers with no clear strategy.

Remember Moshiri was brought in by Kenwright… he was sold the idea… and he was the “investor” Kenwright wanted so he could spend (or direct spending) of the effective capital injection.

I think Moshiri has largely been had and has been fire-fighting ever since due to poor advice (also remember he's not on the board, so is reliant upon them). I'll reserve my judgement on him until I've seen clear change at the board and operational level.

Thanks to out magnificent goal difference.

Rob, I think with more match fitness and sharpness, Gbamin might offer us something. I get what you're saying, I just think last night, he was showing the signs of not playing regularly for 2 years.

You around Sunday, Rob? We can celebrate a win over Tottenham!

Benitez plays to a system, he doesn't have the players (yet) to affect the way he likes teams to play.

Coupled with injuries, we are in a bad place but it will get better; players bickering with each other last night told me that they were not following orders and drifting out of position.

Only my opinion but I haven't given up hope yet. This season will be a write-off if you expected Top 6. Me... I expected transition and a tough one.

We need answers on strategy and direction, internally from those that run the club. Kenwright's MO in these situations was to go into full North Korea mode and shut down all fan disquiet… and disappear for a while until it had blown itself out, usually under the auspices of some “illness”.

I think we deserve to know this at a minimum:

● What has the DoF role achieved?
● Why are we now under FFP sanctions?
● Has any other club in the Premier League suffered this ignominy?
● Or is it yet another “Everton first”?
● Why is the youth set-up not functioning – the RoI on Finch Farm is Zero?
● Why is Barrett-Baxendale the CEO and how is she qualified for this role?
● Etc, etc, etc.

According to Kenwright, he must be asking Everton what they would do in this situation.

Still wounded and very tired!

Thankfully no Rondon but Gbamin looked exactly what he is; a player who's been out for 2 years. Wolves should have been out of sight by half-time and we were lucky to keep it to 2-0 at half-time. It should have been 4 or 5.

Surprisingly, Delph made the difference after half time, knitting the midfield together and enabling us to actually get into their half. That's the best I've seen him play so let's hope he can build on that and stay fit.

Gordon was like a breath of fresh air when he came on, making his presence felt and taking the game to Wolves – but why didn't he start and why did Benitez, once again, leave it so late before taking Iwobi off?

At least Gbamin has an excuse after being out for so long with serious injuries. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Iwobi. He may have scored but that was all he did. He was off the pace, he neither attacked nor defended, totally impotent.

He can't play for Everton again. He has had chance after chance yet he continues to be useless.

It was only when Delph and later Gordon came on we looked like we had 11 men on the park. I would expect to see both of them start against Spurs.

To cap it all, we had Calvert-Lewin on Sky in that hideous Zoot Suit. Maybe he got his dates wrong and thought it was Halloween?

Kenwright is a Dinosaur in a modern world.

In his own deluded utopia, he is still in the Boys Pen watching Harvey, Kendall and Ball in our midfield.

I fear he will be with us for a few years yet.

No doubt Kenwright would say “Well we need to change the Chairman and also get a new CEO”.

Then in the same breath, “No, wait, I'm the Chairman so you can't get rid of me, and we can't get a new CEO because the one we've got is my Little Miss Dynamite, who is doing a stirling job with EitC”.

Get rid of both of them, NOW!!

I got in at 2:30 am, but sat up with the dogs. They were sympathetic and looked at me with a concerning glance.

Still had me up at 6 am though. Not so sympathetic.

Everton's focus should be on the football pitch. We are a football club. Our efforts in the community are a by product of what we have achieved on the football pitch. Not our sole focus.

Any 50/50 balls and he holds back; if he thinks the oppo player is going to get there first – he holds back!!! Even if he doesn't get there, he should at least put the player under pressure – not stand back and allow him room to manoeuvre.

Time is up, I'm afraid. No-one at the club can hide any longer, the rot needs clearing out ASAP – starting at the top.

Iwobi touched the ball twice in the first 25 minutes. Because he is so bad this may have been a deliberate tactic.

Holgate tried to concede his usual penalty but his timing was six inches out. He doesn't learn.

Gordon really has to start games. The penny seems to have dropped and he now looks like he could be a really good player.

I thought Sunday was going to be a battle of the disgruntled fans but, with Conte's arrival, it'll just be us.

I agree with almost all of that. Perhaps we should remember that that was only the third game that Gbamin has started, if he was a new signing we would give more time than that. Unfortunately the run of games over the next few weeks does not lend itself to a gradual introduction and I very much suspect that he is going to get found out. I feel sorry for him.

I haven't read the whole thread so this may have been covered before, but I thought that Holgate was truly dreadful last night. His lack of effort for the Jimenez goal was shocking. I really hate criticising players but he really does deserve any pelters coming his way. What is the matter with Branthwaite?

The zonal marking thing just isn't working, maybe they just aren't intelligent enough but to concede the same number of goals from set pieces in 10 games as we conceded in the whole of last season is ridiculous and is entirely down to coaching.

Craft beer and pie night in the Olive in the Village on Thursday night if you're up for it.

When I look at other teams, there are players who can strike the ball well consistently even in a mid-tier team. Tielemans, El Ghazi, Ward-Prowse... the only one I can think of for us is Townsend. We really need a right-back who can cross the ball well.

I know dogs and they were looking at you in hope of food. They aren't arsed about Everton.

I wish I wasn't...

I've wished for an Everton team for years that could find even 25% of the desire shown by the travelling blue army. I think this desire will spill-over soon enough, with fans possibly turning on each other. It wouldn't surprise me to see a few thousand begin to vote with their feet, even though they have already paid for their season tickets.

I honestly got home last night, and didn't even try to put the game on because it would have meant too much messing (dragging my telly back into the living room would have taken 10 minutes) but also because I'd listened to 10 minutes of the commentary on Radio Merseyside, and I didn't feel like getting wound up watching a top-level professional football team not really playing for each other.

A totally unbalanced team lacking footy smarts or even a positive belief to our play, as many have said on the Live Forum... We simply let average teams look like world beaters against us. We are so slow starting games that I now think it is ingrained at the club.

We allow teams to waltz through us and sadly a tonne of back-passes are still evident game after fucking game, which just results in Pickford putting it into touch or giving it straight back to the opposition... why do we still do this?

Time to get our lads totally fit and focused for the month ahead, play some young lads (Gordon has to start), recall loan players (if possible)... jeez, I'd even play Tosun up-front... but try something new, different, fresh, positive...

Surprise us, Rafa... Now! – Or face the wrath of the faithful!

Spurs (h)
Man City (a)
Brentford (a)
Liverpool (h)
Arsenal (h)
Palace (a)
Chelsea (a)

Being very optimistic, I think we can get maybe 5 points, the question then will be where will that leave us in the Premier League? And if it resulted in being in the Bottom 5, would Moshiri sack Benite?.

If he does sack him, we are getting relegated.

And we won't be coming back up anytime soon.

Okay, maybe 10.

I was merely asking the question. I think changing managers as often as we have under Moshiri has been a disaster. Seeing as we know Moshiri is quick to sack managers.

I just ask the question if the scenario I paint comes through and, if it did, Goodison would let Moshiri know they weren't happy. Do you think he and Usmanov would gamble their whole BMD strategy by sticking with Benitez should this happen?

The guy's been in the job 2 minutes, dealt the hardest hand I can remember, and our reaction is to what? Boo the poor bugger who's trying to right the ship. I think a spot of encouragement would be the better path.

We're stuck with this dreadful squad, but shouting at them will be entirely self-defeating. It's one big difference, though I hate to say it, between us and them. You could name maybe five times in the last 30 years when Liverpool have turned against their own team; we seem to do it nearly every other week, and it's utterly disastrous.

There'll be little money available in January, according to some reports, so if the gaffer was sacked, which right-minded professional manager would come to Everton?

As for Kenwright, if he has less responsibility within the board, as Clive suggests, is it not time to appoint a new chairman? At least then we would all know for sure that his fingerprints won't be found on any of the crazy goings-on at Goodison.

The club needs a reset and the only way that will happen is if Moshiri finds a buyer daft enough to purchase Everton FC.

The fans I fear may begin to vote with their feet, as pointed out above. Screaming and shouting at the players is unhelpful and will prove counter-productive, but fed-up supporters may decide to view the games on TV between now and the New Year, rather than make the effort to visit Goodison.

I cannot see us winning any of the next seven matches, so becoming part of relegation dogfight is a possibility. Benitez will panic and play Calvert-Lewin and Doucourè before they are ready and will risk aggravating their injuries.

To date, he has made good players look ordinary, ordinary players look awful and he believes that Rondon and Iwobi are footballers.

There was no press, it was purely defensive from the half-way line and they easily passed through our ponderous defence. We were as static as the monuments in a graveyard.

We could not pass the ball forward and, when we managed it, the ball never stuck and came right back. Iwobi was particularly awful.

They came out with a little fight in their bellies after half-time but the game only changed when, I hate to say it, Delph came on. Everything started to go through him and he started to push things forward.

Having said that, there was no polish up front to finish anything. We then had the dubious pleasure in seeing Rondon come on, with his portrait of walking through concrete.

I am in a state of despair for the upcoming games. I presume though that Tosun being on the bench last night means he is near fitness. Even at half-fit he will be better than Rondon and might pick up a goal or two with service from Gray and Townsend. Here's hoping!

The same players defended set pieces really well last season. This season, we are back to Roberto standards without Jagielka or Distin. Surely Ferguson should point this out to Benitez.

I feel that Benitez is trying to run before he can walk with the lack of quality in the current squad. He has to be more pragmatic. It took us to go 2 goals down before trying to shore up the midfield last night. The game was more or less lost before he tried something different.

I can see maybe 1 point from the next 7 games. We don't look like scoring and always look like conceding. Not a good combination.

If Benitez lasts until January, he'd better have a long list of players to replace the current lot or he won't make it past Winter.

Looking at the upcoming fixtures, I honestly can't see an obvious one that will give us a single point. Man City might be our best hope as they seem to struggle to finish off shit opponents on occasion. Palace under Vieira will see us as a relatively easy 3 points. Brentford perhaps?

We just have to hope there are three worse teams than us until we can get players fit and pick up a few new faces in January.

I think it's fair to presume if you comment on an Everton game that you've taken the trouble to watch it. (Although there are some commenters who don't even do that, openly admitting they didn't watch the game but still commentating on the performance.)

Each of us watches the game with our own eyes. The evident diversity of opinion every game reveals there is never ever any universal agreement.

Through my own eyes, having heard the manager saying in his pre-match presser that the team had worked all week on defensive solidity and being more compact, none of that was evident in the first half.

Between the perimeter of our penalty area and the half-way line, there were acres of space for Wolves to play in. They did so unchallenged.

I don't know how late the call was made on not playing Digne and so enforcing a re-shuffle, but the entire back four – not just one player – stiffly sat too deep. Neither full-back was venturing forward. Neither Iwobi nor Townsend were dropping back to bolster the numbers in midfield as we had done so effectively earlier in the season. Gray and Richarlison were isolated. Gbamin was... nowhere. Allan, as he appeared to play all game, was tasked to play further forward.

After Wolves scored the ruled-out goal, Keane and Allan had words. Both had a case. The defence needed to play 10-15 yards higher to squeeze the space more. Gbamin and Allan needed to be occupying better the space in front of the defence. None of that happened in the first half.

I wondered why Gbamin was selected ahead of other options. The only 'quality' he brought to the team which alternatives don't have was his height. Was he primarily selected to reinforce the defence on corners and the like?

If so, he wasn't effective at that either. I had a queasy feeling on the corner they scored from when I saw 3 Everton players – including Gbamin – up against 4 Wolves players around the penalty spot where teams are clearly targetting us now.

It was a carbon copy of goals we conceded against both West Ham and Watford. High ball to the centre of our box that a tall strong player can attack and head home. We are simply not blocking off those runs.

That is now a systemic failing which needs correcting. On this, we have missed Richarlison, Mina, Dourcouré and Calvert-Lewin, who are good at clearing out such challenges.

Those bemoaning zonal marking forget that, after the shambles of the same under Silva, the Ancelottis quickly had it working a treat for us. Played properly, zonal marking works.

Essentially, the same personel that have shown they can play it well are still at the club. The only factor that has changed is the manager. It is reasonable to assume that Rafa is simply not coaching the team as efficiently as Carlo did on this aspect of our play.

However, there is a coach who was present, observing and learning from Carlo (his own words) who is still at the club: Duncan Ferguson. Has there been any input from him to the effect that “This is what we did last season that worked so well”?

Thankfully for both Gbamin and us, he was withdrawn at half-time. The defensive line moved higher. Delph brought better positional sense, possession and passing to the midfield. Allan's contribution also improved as a result. Both full-backs played far more in the Wolves half than they had in the opening 45 minutes. We were getting in and around their box a lot more.

Our goal was just reward for our 2nd half play, no matter who scored it. Like others, I believe it was the only positive contribution Iwobi made all night. It's not the basis to justify giving him a starting berth, IMO.

I thought Anthony Gordon was excellent when he came on. Immediately into the game. In glimpses I am seeing something has 'clicked' with Anthony. He is giving me hope that he can indeed be a Premier League player.

In the brief time he was on, he was sharper and more incisive than not only the man he replaced, but also the likes of Townsend and Gray.

The header he nearly scored from, but for a good reflex save by their keeper, was very clever. From his starting position, he first looks and steps backwards which gained him space on his marker who followed the false backward movement when Anthonly then quickly moved forward and leapt to head the ball. Smart football.

On the question of Ben Godfrey, for me there are two issues. Firstly, as someone who endured long Covid myself and just how impactful it is on both your physical and cognitive levels, I see evidence of the same in Ben.

He has openly admitted it himself. His turbo-speed isn't there. Again last night – as in other games this season – he had a dreadful brain-fart moment.

It's all well and good saying take him out of the firing line and give him time to recover. Can we really afford that luxury given our injury list and paucity of alternatives? The latter is another debate altogether related to recruitment and retainment.

Secondly on Ben, sorry, but through my eyes I wait to be convinced by him playing at centre-back. He is a smidgen short for a centre-back and he doesn't have a good leap or great heading ability, nor the positional awareness to compensate for that. Yes, he is good at running at speed in straight lines, but he really isn't that great on the ball.

Holgate has no such Covid excuse. Since getting injured v Spurs in the run-in to the original Covid impacted season which caused him to miss the remaining games, to getting injured pre-season last season, Mason has got nowhere near to the levels and consistency he started playing under Carlo, who was the first manager to make him an automatic pick.

This season, he has had one outstanding game, away to Brighton, in which he appeared to be 'back'. He was attacking both the ground ball and high ball with intent and won all his battles that day.

Last night was further evidence of how far he has fallen.

In conclusion, I am sure Rafa did not instruct the team to play as they did in the first half. However, he did select Iwobi and Gbamin whose non-performances directly impacted on the lack of cohesion and compactness that only improved after the interval.

Our injuries expose the paucity and lack of depth in our squad. That doesn't excuse either the manager or the players for how poorly we played in that first half.

Bill Kenwright has been pushing that line for a while. Back when Walsh & Koeman were here in the Directors Box, he told a group including a relative of mine that he has no power any more and it's all Moshiri's people and was uncomplimentary about them.

But at the same time, multiple times since then, he has popped up himself boasting about how he negotiated certain deals, interviewed candidates etc.

So I think he plays whatever narrative suits him. If something seems good, he's involved; if it goes bad, he washes his hands of responsibility.

We have a decent first eleven and a couple of back-up players but, unless Rafa can bring in some decent players in January, I can see this bunch in a relegation fight.

We improved a bit in the second half. I thought Delph did well, at least he looked to want the ball, and Gordon showed more in his first few minutes than most of them did all night.

It doesn't matter who the manager is, this bunch will let us down. Not looking forward to the weekend against a fired-up Spurs.

The Athletic had a recent article about how Bill Kenwright not only negotiated the Godfrey deal with his friend Delia Smith, but also that Kenwright spotted him as opposed to the scouts, Brands, or whoever.

Coupled with an awful injury list, it's all he has to play with until he gets a decent transfer window to play with. Rondon was a free, in case someone mentions him, and but for Calvert-Lewin's injury, would not get a start.

There is though, a part of me that really wants him to stir some proper shit at boardroom level so they have to take action and move on the rotten core that exists at Finch Farm. Somebody has to do this because we are like a ship lost at sea with lots of passengers and no crew. Either that or somebody puts a banner out in front of Moshiri with a question or two on it.

What we can't do is start booing the manager and players because they are fragile enough and likely to down tools.

I got more enjoyment watching some average players in the 70s than these modern-day so-called elite players who are paid absurd money for doing a simple job. It's actually embarrassing how poor our football is. No leaders, no intelligence, no organization, no identity and no skill.

It's disgusting that the club's owner has not taken action to rectify this and I would rather he sold us now than carry on running the club like this.

Here's hoping Benitez can force them into taking action!

They show every half chance 2 or 3 times even though the game is going on, or they focussed on Gareth Southgate sitting in the stand.

Then they cut back to the game and you think the ball went out on the right for a throw in to us yet when they get back to showing the action the other team are 10 yards inside our half.

I just get so frustrated, and screaming at the telly "Just show us the game!" doesn't seem to work.

For the record, the corridors of Goodison Park and Finch Farm are filled with Kenwright acolytes and anyone who knows the "Machiavellian" nature of the man knows that the only time he won't be able to influence things at the club is when he is far removed.

Nuno has been kicked out of Spurs and I am afraid it won't be too long before the swinging doors of Goodison see Rafa on his way.

Without the injured players, it's obvious the bubble has burst and the confidence is suffering also.

Right now, I don't know who is up next but I really don't care after the last 3 games. It could be Marine and I would still be worried.

Back in the day, he'd have been brought back up to speed in the old Central League, playing against a mixture of returning players like himself, old pros on the way down, but experienced (and hard) and up-and-coming young players who either cut it or were sold on to the lower leagues.

I've started watching the really young kids playing football again, and some of them have outstanding talent. Some of them do things so naturally, with many showing a real desire to get on the ball, and go past other players, with many also possessing real honesty.

Then I watch international footballers playing for Everton, who I honestly feel are not even playing as a team.

Kids have a fearless way to play and enjoy the game but, somewhere along the line, they land in a place where some coaches fill them with fear and too much info to absorb and their game goes to pot.

I know every year there is a team that surprises everyone but I am really enjoying watching Brighton play. Everyone one of the players can play good football with lots of intelligence. None of them are superstars but it shows the results of good coaching. They may not go on to great success but it's at least enjoyable to watch.

Apart from the Man Utd game, we have been average to poor with expensive internationals filling our team. Is it the players, the coach, or is there a serious lack of discipline and organization running right through the club??

The only disagreement I have with you is calling it the Allan position because it is not (though I know you are only doing so for clarity). Like his predecessor, Schneiderlin, he is a box-to-box player reincarnated because he no longer has the legs to get around the pitch.

As dreadful and cowardly as Schneiderlin was he at least had the discipline and defensive awareness, if not the defensive ability (aggression, tackling, commitment etc) to play the role, plus we got one good season out of the Frenchman... which will be one more than the Brazilian.

I put up a piece last season showing Allan's performance when playing the defensive midfield role. We conceded 1.63 goals per game in the 19 or so games he played for 60 minutes or more. In the games where he played more advanced, or didn't play, there was a staggering difference as it was 1.29 per game. This despite the fact we were using allegedly inferior players who were part of the apparent worst midfield in our history from the season previous as his understudies.

All last season, I watched as opposing player after player performed as their Man of the Match for destroying us in that space in front of the back four. Early on, with Diangana and Ward-Prowse, through to the understandable Bruno Fernandez... but it got worse with the likes of Barkley and unbelievably ended with the defining point imo of his Everton career was when he turned David McGoodrick into Zinedene Zidane and seemed to be tackling people in our dugout, such was his supercharged Tasmanian Devil routine paraded in all its finest glory.

This season, despite Benitez consistently screaming at him to maintain position and attempting to put a lid on his 'Tasmanian Devil' instincts, the team has continued to leak goals at 1.6 goals per game. Moreover, last night showed how the difference in protection when Delph patrolled that area was immense, coinciding with our two centre-halves looking like totally different animals from half to half, and emerging with a second-half clean sheet to boot. It's no surprise that all our centre-halves look like cack with Allan as their protector; I think he would make Baresi and Maldini look vulnerable.

After Allan's atrocious performance against Watford I wasn't shocked to see Davies emerge as the fall guy. However, the second half last night clearly seen Benitez lose patience and finally address the issue and his bravery in discontinuing to employ Allan as the shield may be a defining factor in attempting to keep his job.

Kevin, what is most disconcerting about the player is that he's been here for a season and a quarter and yet the only time he had a performance to rival that of Delph's second half display was his second half against Spurs on his debut. Indeed, the irony for me that Gbamin, who was understandably poor having not played for two years and is getting slated on here, still looked more mobile, less sluggish, had better awareness and played marginally better than his partner in that first 45.

To those harping for Ancelotti, the fact that we appointed another dinosaur who has done a poor job at his last six clubs, as I went into detail prior to his appointment, doesn't excuse last season's debacle. What I do agree with is that Carlo's team early last season were much better than the shit Benitez is serving up against similar opponents.

This is apparently the honeymoon phase so I dread to think what we will be like later on and the only decent performance I have seen so far was the Brighton game which is ominous considering he won't be allowed to walk on water or see fans whoopy doooing over the dogshit we were lucky enough to endure last campaign.

Allan, Gbamin, Davies and / or Gomes.

Without Doucouré, we can't have the two sitting in a 4-3-2-1 in my opinion.

Interesting discussion about Allan, that. I agree to a point... I thought he did ok in the 2nd half once Delph was on. (Can't quite believe how much of a difference Delph made, mostly in terms of composure and pass selection.)

But I can't agree about Gbamin. He looked lost and, out of possession, he was a nightmare – no way did he eclipse Allan. He looked like what he is – a guy who has no Premier League experience. How patient we should be with him, I don't know.

Having said all that, it was hard to read the game properly because the scumbag home fans above us kept throwing things at us. First beer, then spit... and finally coins. My 12-year-old lad got hit by a bottle, thankfully plastic, and narrowly avoided a 50p piece. The police were scarily ineffective, though they assured me that CCTV would be checked.

Shame, it breaks my heart to think of family no longer with us who wouldn't believe the utter depths our beloved club are plumbing. They just wouldn't believe how Everton's support could let the standards slip to this without any real dissent.

'We got one good season out of [Scheiderlin] which will be one more than the Brazilian'

and

'What is most disconcerting about the player is that he's been here for a season and a quarter and yet the only time he had a performance to rival that of Delph's second-half display was his second half against Spurs on his debut.'

(Plus other barbs).

Comedy hour started early today I see.

What is it with this Gbamin talk?

He will never be a top pro anymore – not with the injuries he has had and the operations. He should be paid off instantly. How many competitive minutes has that lad played in the last 3 seasons? About 60 I would say.

What do our young central midfielders have to do to get a game before him and Tosun and Rondon and a third goalkeeper, for fuck's sake.

Worth a go like,at this moment we need to think and do things COMPLETELY differently!.

I think he was billed as the Brazilian Beryl Reid, surely?

Yes, we are going downhill but this all started when we suddenly lost Coleman, Calvert-Lewin, and Richarlison through injury. We were starting to steady ourselves and then we loose Doucouré through a long injury. We also had Gomes and Delph on the injury list and one who shall not be named unavailable.

Through poor recruitment and injuries with some of the younger players, and lack of decent talent coming through the youth system, we have ended up with what you could call the perfect storm. Last night, another injury happened with Digne failing a last-minute fitness test.

I will repeat myself, I did not want Benitez as manager, not because of his association with the Reds, but because of his reputation of negative football.

There were glimpses in earlier games that he may change if he has the right personnel but, of all the managers we have had since Moyes left, he has definitely been given the short end of a stick.

I don't now how many postings on here have previously wondered why Gbamin was not given a chance and no-one was complaining before the game. Last night, maybe he should have been just on the bench but I suppose players who look good in training have to be given that chance.

No-one is happy with that display last night and it was unbelievable that the display in the second half was like night and day from the first half. I think those players in the first half should have a long look at themselves as changing one player should have not made that much of a difference.

Changing the manager will not make any difference – we have tried that 6 times!

Watching from the side of the pitch, halfway inside our half in the first half, it was unsurprising but disappointing to see Michael Keane frequently positioned 5 yards behind the rest of the line. That suggests once again he lacks belief in his own ability to deal with early through-passes or he is unsure about the abilities of those around him. Possibly it is a bit of both.

He was not our worst defender last night. Far from it but Michael will never be comfortable pushing up unless or until he has a Kevin Ratcliffe type of speed merchant alongside him. We have nobody remotely like that in the current squad.

The central midfield issue was obvious from the opening few minutes. Gbamin might as well not have been on the pitch. Allan was left trying to do the work of two jobs and failed. From what I could see, Townsend and Iwobi were instructed to move 15 to 20 yards inside from the touch line to help out. That didn't work defensively, leaving gaps on the flanks. We were very fortunate to reach the interval only two goals down.

Delph was our best player but no sane person would put money on him staying fit for more than a couple of games, especially if he is required to play 90 minutes. Doucouré cannot return soon enough. The same applies to Calvert-Lewin. Richarlison is not a centre-forward. He was wasted last night chasing too many lost causes and trying to press without support. He needs to play off somebody with a physical presence.

Gray had an indifferent game, unable to shake off his markers and looking out of sorts when he did have possession. We were warned by some pundits not rush into premature assessments of his worth until he had played 12 or 13 games, the point at which he started to fade at Leicester. I hope he is not about to follow the same pattern here.

Always refreshing to see somebody call it as he sees it instead of sailing with the prevailing wind by hammering away at the same few players every time

Allan must have been gutted when Tom Davies didn't line up next to him. But the guy who has barely played for 2 years proved to be an able stand-in as the fall-guy.

Good to see an ever increasing number now holding him accountable. Perhaps they will get a better reaction than those who want to let him dine out on one really good game.

I don't think the board care about fans.

They have just had nearly 2 seasons without fans.

We are missing 3 crucial players through the middle of the pitch so we can't expect miracles... although a bit more effort and cohesion last night would have got us at least a point – nevermind the fact that it took a ridiculous mistake from Godfrey & Holgate to give them the 3 points.

Certainly, fans are far less important in the grand scheme of things than they used to be, but many empty seats (when people are allowed in) would and should make a statement that makes the board stand up and take notice.

They still need fans to attend and they are not shy about the need to increase the prices for them in the coming seasons.

It's going to be the same as for the next few weeks, as far as team selection goes with the injury crisis.

Will the cash saved by offloading James give us something to spend in the January transfer window?

I can't research the whole of Everton's history to provide the information that you requested; however, I have done a rudimentary table which compares Kenwright's time as Great Leader to our new owner Mr. Moshiri's.

Owner PL W D L GF GA Pts W% D% L%
Kenwright 618 239 180 199 831 746 897 39 29 32
Moshiri 210 81 52 77 275 284 295 39 25 37
Tot 828 320 232 276 1106 1030 1192 39 28 33

If the table displays properly, you will see that our loss rate has increased by 5% under Moshiri, but the win rate has remained steadfastly the same.

I never knew that stats backed that up so much. Allan is blatantly not, through either subjective viewing or stats, a defensive shield.

We do seem to end up with midfielders who can't cope as part of a midfield 2, Allan being one of them. The first few games he was compensated by Doucouré in the middle with him, who does the work of 2 players, and Richarlison on the left, who covers so much defensively, it's unreal.

We seem to have had it for years, neither Schneiderlin, Gomes, Gueye, Davies, Allan nor Delph seem to have the qualities to operate as a 2-man midfield. Although their limitations can be compensated though by a midfield 3, as shown against Wolves.

Unfortunately, successive managers fail to see what we mere mortals can see on a weekly basis, either through incompetence or sheer stubbornness.

Delph did well in the second half because Gbamin and Allan were so poor in the first half, and let's be honest: Wolves sat back as well, being 2-0 up.

If you think he's our saviour, I wouldn't hold my breath, and it shows how poor we are.

Some might argue that the team hasn't had a spine for many years...

Seriously, if you were to choose 3 players not to be injured for any length of time, Doucouré, Mina and Calvert-Lewin would be most people's picks. I read a stat today that claimed that Everton's results suffered greatly when Mina wasn't in the team.

Everton's win percentage drops to 24% from 57% in the last two Premier League campaigns when the Colombia international doesn't take to the pitch.

The Blues also have managed 1.9 points per game with their centre-back, compared to just 0.9 per match when he is absent.

And they concede more goals when Mina is absent too, averaging 1.7 every game compared to 1.1 when he is in the side. Source:Liverpool Echo.

The 'daft brigade' will ask who could possibly be the next clown to take up the challenge – as if the owners are incapable of finding yet another no-hoper from the thousands just waiting to apply.

Good thing is that I have a feeling the Honorable Chairman may 'feel the drought' at the same time!

We're constantly outnumbered and on the back foot.

A third midfielder, even an uninspiring one, provides more protection to the defence – and more freedom to an attacking trio.

I'd go further. That I found myself thinking “I hope Delph is available for the Spurs game” tells me how low my expectations have fallen.

Not sure exactly what this chap's remit was – most mentions of him seem to involve the Everton Women's team.

I was wondering whether the plan might be to replace him a more experienced ‘heavy hitter'?

Either way, I look forward to an announcement from Little Miss Dynamite.

Next up Spurs and lots of questions. How long a losing run can Benitez go on before he loses his job? Will it be fair... probably not. At the end of the day, we are playing on the back foot and those tactics aren't good enough.

I thought Townsend did well in midfield so l would keep him there with Allan and Delph. Plus play Gordon, Gray and Richarlison ahead. The defence depends on who is fit. Gbamin should be tried off the bench, as should Tosun.

I'm guessing Benitez has between now and the beginning of the transfer window to suss who is worth keeping, and then as ever it's over to Brands to find loans to lower our wage bill (yet again). With those meagre savings, we can perhaps pick up a few players on loan.

Has anyone mentioned we need full-backs, a playmaker, and another winger (just to start). That's after £500M spent, of course. We are like a broken record. I just don't know how long he can continue this losing run for. If the crowd turns really ugly, we all know what Moshiri will do. Really though we have to grin and bear it and give him the next transfer window. At this point, l can't see us making the top half of the table unless Calvert-Lewin, Doucouré and Mina come back fit and firing. It's just unbelievable how a team can spend so much money to go backwards.

You mean we are not one at the moment, Roger?

"feel the drought"?

or

"feel the draught"???

I'm always thirsty but I think you meant the latter?

I agree with a lot of what you say but it's not £500M spent, it's actually a net spend of circa £260M since Moshiri arrived. To draw a parallel Chelsea, they spent £480M in Abramovich's first 5 years, Man City spent £523M in the Mansour's first 5 years.

During this first 5 years for each club, Chelsea and Man City added to their team year on year. Everton have sold during the 5 years. Lukaku, Deulofeu, Stones, Barkley...

I would also say, given the times of each team initial 5 years, Chelsea early to mid-2000s and Man City's 2010s to mid-2010s, the money went far further and wages far lower than what Everton have had to cough up...

The figures above are from a very informative piece on another Toffees Fan Form. Just think we need to stop being hung up on the £500M Everton have spent to stand still... We need to identify exactly what are problem is and then actually deal with it. No more good money after bad...

I was watching the Norwich game and Matthias Normann looks like one hell of a player. How come Norwich can find players like this for cheap and we pay fortunes for dross?

I'm just watching Calvert-Lewin on a Braun shaver advert. Weird. It will be Tom Davies selling dresses next.

The first thing we have to do is obvious: to overhaul our squad and try to make better signings to replace them instead of worse. All clubs live and die on recruitment. Benitez has to be the man to change it but him bringing in Lonergan and Rondon is a kick in the goolies. We are in a scary place.

These 'jobs for the boys' under-achievers, Unsworth, Ebbrell and their sorry ilk continue to feast on the tragic carcass of our once-great club and show little or nothing in return. Charlatans and parasites, one and all.

Marcel Brands has been rewarded with a place on the board, rendering him virtually unsackable, for his recruitment policy of signing bums and leaving us with a multi-million-pound deficit. Little Miss Dynamite will almost certainly be complicit in these deplorable affairs. Unsworth's position will no doubt be safe while she's around... but that's another story.

I would not trust Kenwright with a corny Coronation Street script, let alone the running of a Premier League football club. The man is an untrustworthy pathetic joke.

As for Moshiri, the kindest thing I can say is that he is a naive pawn in a game played by a shady oligarch. And so to our manager... forget for one moment his history and ask this one question: Who, in their right mind, would want the job of managing Everton given their current sorry state of affairs?

I have a certain amount of sympathy with Benitez. He has inherited a squad which is without depth, to say the least. Many of the players are seemingly injury-prone. Confidence is low. Money is not available for new signings and – most unforgivable of all, judging by last night's first-half showing – the players are devoid of team spirit. The essential ingredient required for even the most talented teams – which clearly we are not.

May I suggest we book that bugler who played at the start of last night's match, for our final game of the season? Because, unless radical change is forthcoming, my real fear is that we will be needing his services to play 'The Last Post' once more.

As for your question “Who in their right mind would want to manage Everton?” At the moment – only a madman or a money hungry scheister. We are a basket case.

That leaves us with Rafa Benitez. As I see it, out of the lot of them, he is the one we have to back.

Tonight on Sky 121 or Virgin 278 at 10:40 GMT...

Everton: Howards Way – 2 hours of better days!

I hope so...

Don't expect anything on Sunday! A draw at best. I'll stand corrected, but not the right time to face Spurs!!!