When the players start going through the motions…

I will be very surprised if Benitez isn't still in charge for the fourth round tie. He does however need to start delivering an early, sustained improvement in performances and results. One of the problems he needs to address concerns the shape of the team. We make the pitch far too big with the back three sitting too deep and the front three pressing too far up the field. The 3-4-3 works reasonably well when we have possession. Out of possession with the current personnel it leaves us vulnerable. The wing backs are not only unable to close off the midfield but are also left exposed by routine long balls played into the channels.

Another obvious issue is the way we routinely present the opposition with a goal start. Misplaced passes in the first minute of games undermine confidence and create anxiety among players and fans. Making sure their first touch of the ball is a good one is something which should be second nature to professional players. Some of them need to be reminded of that.

Finally fans chanting abuse about the team manager pre-match and during the match does nothing for team morale but encourages the opposition. Every manager I can recall from Carey onwards has had vehement criticism. Even during our 1969/70 championship season there were some saying they had had enough of Catterick after a third round cup defeat at Sheffield United. Fortunately social media did not exist in those days to lend credence to tired and emotional complaints.

Keane, even though he had an okay game, will never be either a beast or a Van Dijk who dominates in the air and on the floor. Godfrey also played ok but we seem soft. They both made great forward runs but don't inspire confidence in anticipating and nullifying attacks.

We seem to let all teams, whoever they are, be the best version of themselves. I've no idea what the solution is, but Rafa had better find one soon.

The issue is we have a very moderate squad barely capable of scraping enough points to avoid relegation with a cup exit almost guaranteed.

As we plod into the now familiar routine of nothingness, we will continue to demonstrate the point until Benitez can effect wholesale change. Only then can we judge him.

Benitez is serving up shit as bad (I'd argue “worse than”) as anything Martinez or Smith served up.

Until his house was violated, and his daughter and family fled the country, Carlo had the squad comfortably at the right end of the table.

Rafa has added 7 players so far and spent twice as much as the entire hull team (who just had 52% possession against us) cost.

He's a dinosaur, divisive, fat, kopite pleb and it's embarrassing there are still people making excuses for him. Gray and Townsend have done well, but no better than the James/Dignes/Keans might have done if this tit hadn't ran them out.

Worst run since 1999. Battered by Villa, Watford and a shit United. Knocked out by QPR…….he's pallersyce, although that'd be unfair on Sam, who at least taught us to defend and attack set pieces.

But, I do wonder, when watching them, if it is a case of them being set up wrong from the start, or whether they are nervous little lambs, or the manager is trying to put square pegs in round holes.

What I do know is that watching Everton is hard work and can very easily grind you down. I think I lasted all of 45 seconds against Hull before I was effing and blinding!

It's because of the attitude at Finch Farm that Benitez has to stay. He has taken on this attitude early and will need till the end of the season to break the back of it. The lack of tracking back, poor shape, and below-par performances have been the end of too many managers at Everton. They are trying it on earlier this season.

They may not want the extra games of the FA Cup and won't want a backlog of fixtures to play into March. No wonder Ancelotti could not enthuse them for the European Conference League.

When they have possession, unless it is Gray or Townsend charging forward they don't seem to be creative.
Sacrificing an attacking midfielder for an extra back four player is so negative.

Everton need a much stronger midfield to get control of games like the top teams do.

Far too often, opposing sides, even the weaker ones get down to Everton's penalty area too easily, too often and exploit Everton's shaky set-up.

Until Rafa sorts that out (if he ever does) then getting results will continue to be a struggle.

Then again if we still can't defend a set piece maybe everything else is beyond them.

Mina maybe simply on his usual winter break with no enthusiasm to be part of the present offering. He could be missing his photogenic mate Donachie or has the longest hamstring injury in history. Recovery alone for two weeks in South America was not much help.

Whtether we like a manager or not he is Everton at the moment and this wave of anto sentiment does the club and the players harm.

We have to put into context the amount of injuries to our best players and the fact that the squad he inherited was already weakened by the Iceman's situation.

It takes time to build a good team just ask Klopp who struggled across the way for the first two years so we have to be patient and get behind the team at least until there is some stability then take a view on an alternative route.

IMO now is not the time to turn on the manager and/or the players.

When they have possession, unless it is Gray or Townsend charging forward they don't seem to be creative.
Sacrificing an attacking midfielder for an extra back four player is so negative.

Everton need a much stronger midfield to get control of games like the top teams do.

Far too often, opposing sides, even the weaker ones get down to Everton's penalty area too easily, too often and exploit Everton's shaky set-up.

Until Rafa sorts that out (if he ever does) then getting results will continue to be a struggle.

Everton would have little trouble in filling the vacancy should it become available, the money on offer would attract quite a few applicants, whether they would be better or worse than the current boss is open for debate.

This cloud cuckoo land must be full of Evertonians and TW posters because so many of us appear to reside there, I wonder if I could rent a nicer apartment a bit closer to the centre?

Chill Neil it's only a game of football and a distraction from the real world

Greetings from cloud cuckoo land. I think Benitez's tactics are naive, antiquated and unsuccessful. I think his man management skills are antagonistic and provoke discord within dressing rooms. Maybe ask any of the following shite footballers Alonso, Torres, Ramos or Ronaldo about his management style so his treatment of Digne isn't a surprise.

Perhaps you are comfortable with 3 points from 36 and the first ever home defeats by Watford and Brighton allied to clueless tactics employed at Palace, Brentford and Wolves??? I'm not and not least when this joker is pocketing 6 million year.

His increasingly bizarre media appearances are laden with excuses and it's no wonder our brilliant travelling support are sick of him.

If you don't buy a ticket you won't win the raffle.

Excuse 1: We must get behind the team
Truth: anyone who goes the game will know the fans have done exactly that, until it became utterly untenable. Patience is not unlimited when you can see the destructive path.

Excuse 2: Rondons not that bad
Truth: get the fuck out of here you utter weirdo.

Excuse 3: We couldn't get another manager
Truth: Every team in premier league, Europe and the world attracts managers. The idea there is a scarcity is simply spin doctoring.

Excuse 4: working with limited budgets
Truth: OK, this is fair so far, although he's been allowed to bring in 7 players in half a season. Time will tell on latest two, but first 5 have helped us to worst run since 1999. Not convinced we are any NET better of because of it, and the fact the budget constraints are here to stay makes his lack of use of kids even more horrifying.

Excuse 5: he's had injuries
Truth: yep, so has EVERY club this year. It's part of football. If his cover (Rondon) hadn't been so shit this may still be a point.

Excuse 6: we need root and branch reform, and he's stubborn and aggressive enough to do it
Truth: zero evidence he's ever done it anywhere other than maybe Valencia (20 years ago?). He's been ran out of every club since for causing division since, and it's odds on he will be here too. How low can he go.

Excuse 7: he has his players network and is like a DOF and manager in one.
Truth: there are farrrrr more aquillani's in his CV than there are Aimars.

Probably just stop there. As with most issues these days, people won't listen, they'll just lock in…..Benitez for me is the worst mistake the board have made. It's going to get a lot worse until he goes.

It is funny how we all see it. I was with Steve on the other thread, I thought Gbamin done alright when he came on. I agree with Gray followed by Gordon and also, Allan was up there.

I had the debate with my brother about Townsend's goal. He was in the camp it should have been saved, but he always says that. I thought the pace and swerve on the ball caught the keeper out. Small margins, but the flight of the ball beat him by the all important inch or two in my opinion.

My lad and my neutral mate Greg both thought that needed to be stopped.

Interesting how differently we see it indeed.

Read the sentiments or minor variations Barry cites on here many many times Dale Self. No "straw man" for me, I'd rather play the ball not the man in these sorts of debates all day anyway.

Ironically if anyone could be accused of straw man tactics it should actually be... you!

Kenny was at least equal to Mykolenko. Gbamin was definitely not the worst on the pitch by a mile, he made some good touches and covered a lot of ground, but did seem to be out of position a few times (Allan anyone?).

Then we have a bunch of young guns who know they are as good as the players they are supposed to be studying, and getting more disillusioned with there pathway to the first team. Benitez says they're too young but fuck most of the top teams play 18- to 21-year-olds if they are the best player for that position.

How Rondon is better than Lewis Dobbin at this stage of his career is defying logic. Be interesting to see if Jarrad Branthwaite plays in the next game…

As always I enjoyed the pre and post match elements of your report, however, your report on the game and your subsequent ratings do not tie. Gomes on the same rating as Gray and Gordon, I can't have that. Our mid field was only ok and if it were not for our goalkeeper, and the two boys up top we would be out of the Cup. Rondon did not deserve a 3.

Next weekend fixtures, assuming all game go ahead, may determine the manager's position for the rest of the season.
If we beat Norwich I cannot see any change for the remainder of the season.

Strongly agree with your comments and especially your final paragraph. This sort of abusive stuff doesn't help anyone, least of all those on the field.

I too recall the anti-Catterick brigade and a decade earlier the same negative stuff in Carey's time. It was corrosive then; now, in the social media age, it can only be totally destructive of club morale and thus a major boost to opposition teams.