Gbamin scores in second training match

No idea what sort of a team Blackburn had out but I remember them outplaying us in pre season not that long ago!

Thanks for the updates Sam.

https://www.evertonfc.com/news/2192038/gbamin-on-target-as-evert,on-beat-blackburn-in-practice-match

Still young with potential.

Lots of changes at half time, a win and and a clean sheet!!

Nearly every other club of standing has their own channel, even the 'lesser clubs in Scotland' on a tight budget, are way ahead of us! This is a point I seem to have made or brought up ad infinitum, yet little changes. Even when the U23s & U18s have an important match it is usually the away side's TV who has coverage, and we are at home in Southport! Shameful and ridiculous in my book.

Plus we have 6 central mids, 4 centre backs then Branthwaite and Gibson. Then there is lwobi. Delph and JP (can they stay fit).

If we can move a few on then Brands has to get the recruitment right. Doesn't look likely before the Florida trip which is a shame. I think our squad is way too big. Too big for the likes of Gordon, Smalls and Simms to progress into. We do have good players but still reshaping, which is hard to understand.

Now a couple of sheepish confessions:

1. I completely forgot about Anthony Gordon being on this team. Completely. Looked pretty sharp.

2. I have never heard of Charlie Whitaker. Details, someone, please?

Whittaker and Warrington both got game time for U23s earlier this year and neither looked out of place. Both midfield, Warrington (I think) the more defensive.

Champions League here we come!

Andy, l was actually wondering if our best midfield duo could actually be Delph and Gbamin. How mad would that be.

How many times have we seen Everton players pass the ball around rather than taking responsibility and getting a shot in? Well done, Jordan Pickford. That augers for me belief and positiveness and well done.

Seen the RS hydras, out their depth at Crosby beach today, whilst goading James.

But let's hope this season is a Renaissance for Everton, and a unity on and off the pitch, across EFC.

About bloody time we stopped rolling over, having our tummies tickled, while all those around us see us as a soft touch.

Terry #20, you must be joking. I can't find the shoes I wore last night. I can't even remember Anthony Gordon. Trust me, my brain's hard drive is maxxed out.

Rob and Bill, can't blame those PSG bastards for trying. They've already had an insanely great transfer window, and the only player they've spent real money on was Hakimi. So of course they think they can get Kean for free. Fuck 'em.

It's a pre-season match against Blackburn, so we can't read too much into it. And I know it doesn't always reflect who is staying and who is going, but it was interesting to see the players who were on the pitch.

I thought Kean looked much more positive. And Gbamin for the goal; good positive forward running from a midfielder and he kept running forward after releasing Kean to be in place for the rebound. Kenny looked good as well. I still hope we sign a right back, otherwise he may have to prove me wrong.

One phase of play and 3 minutes plus of highlights doesn't give you the full picture, but some positives to take.

I once saw a central midfield pairing of Claus Thomsen and Gareth Farrelly in a derby game at Anfield, nothing could be more mad than that, and we drew 1-1. If Mick Madar hadn't missed the sitter of all sitters at the Kop end, we might have even won!!

We need several more ingredients before we can bake a cake.

Hope he stays injury-free but it's a big ask and not someone to rely upon.

hat really takes me back to days which were far more bleak than now. How could anyone ever think that a partnership like that could compete in midfield in a derby? It makes me feel quite ill to think of it.

I have watched the highlights and the training clips and Gbamin is looking fit and strong. The training clips indicate an emphasis on moving the ball very quickly with one touch to control and one touch to pass. Interestingly Kean and James appear to be enjoying themselves and James looks a lot sharper. Gordon is also looking good.

Early days and regardless we need some new blood but maybe Rafa can turn things around for some of these players.

It got bad, but my word, sadly we've had worse!!

Gallery: Everton 1-0 Rovers at Blackburn Rovers' website.

Who's that wearing #48 for the Black Watch?

I think it must be Kyle John...

1 Jordan Pickford (G)
31 Joao Virginia (G)
53 Harry Tyrer (G)
63 Zan-Luk Leban (G)
NA Lewis Gibson (D)
2 Jonjoe Kenny (D)
4 Mason Holgate (D)
5 Michael Keane (D)
12 Lucas Digne (D)
13 Yerry Mina (D)
18 Niels Nkounkou (D)
22 Ben Godfrey (D)
23 Seamus Coleman (D)
32 Jarrad Branthwaite (D)
38 Ryan Astley (D)
48 Kyle John (D)
51 Thierry Small (D)
64 Reece Welch (D)
6 Allan (M)
8 Fabian Delph (M)
10 Gylfi Sigurdsson (M)
16 Abdoulaye Doucoure (M)
17 Alex Iwobi (M)
19 James Rodriguez (M)
21 Andre Gomes (M)
25 Jean-Philippe Gbamin (M)
26 Tom Davies (M)
34 Beni Baningime (M)
34 Nathan Broadhead (M)
60 Isaac Price (M)
62 Tyler Onyango (M)
NA Ellis Simms (F)
NA Shani Tarashaj (F)
7 Richarlison (F)
9 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (F)
14 Cenk Tosun (F)
20 Bernard (F)
24 Anthony Gordon (F)
27 Moise Kean (F)

Having Gbamin fit again and the likes of Doucoure etc. could be the basis of a more competitive midfield but of course it depends on consistency and injuries.

Alan, Gomes, Davies and Delph have all had opportunities to establish themselves but just don't seem to cut it o a consistent basis and on reflection they all seem a yard off the pace necessary to be top class.

Up front is still a big problem with too much on the shoulders of DCL who really improved over the previous season but lacked real support far too often from James and Richarlison who we all know have lots of talent but who both faded in too many games.

Whether Kean will be a factor this season we can only guess but this may be his last chance to prove himself worthy of the Prem.

It does seem most players were wearing their correct numbers, which is nice of them for a training game.

Pretty confident of calling out Baningime at 30 in this game. Some sources had him at 36 last season, not 34, so I think 30 is his new number going forward. That means Broadhead must have been 34.

Also, in the second half, someone played wearing 7… which could be a worrying sign that Richarlison is not coming back!!!

Look at this nonsense from the Echo: "this was technically Gbamin's first goal for the Toffees though the match isn't being considered as an official friendly."

Err... I know he's missed a lot of training but I would happily wager that 'technically' he has scored at least one goal in training before now. How stupid do you have to be to write for the Echo?

This is a quite difficult conundrum IMO. During my coaching days I have always felt it necessary to have a point or points of difference in the team. Strangely enough this has meant a mixture of speed and football brain in the defence and good sense and speed in position of the attack, particularly wing or wing back to accept the pass(es).
Can't be too difficult to create if you can buy the right players????!????

Put a hard working and creative midfield pairing in there and we should have the right mix. Shouldn't mean we must pay big bucks. Just buy or have the right defenders already.

Some players that haven't actually got a number, merely used the numbers of those players who were absent.

Calvert-Lewin's No 9, for instance, was worn by a youngster.

You mean there is still hope for me getting a job there? Mind you, I would be too Blue biased, and probably wouldn't last the week out! 😜😂

Yes, that list is from soccerbase.com

Richarlison and James are the two real quality players that we have, they both enable so much of the play that gives us an edge and a threat. James, although not an 'every full game' player, is still a quality asset when used properly. Richarlison, although loco, is feared by every team he plays against and they have to adjust to try and deal with him.

Gutsy hard-working team effort with the aforementioned type of quality is Moyes-era football which is gone and past… the game has moved on. We are always playing catch-up with the real money boys but gutsy is gone for good, remember never winning against anyone in the Top 4… forever, that's what gutsy gets you.

17-year-old, now a 2nd year Scholar who's really an attacking midfielder, No 10 type player. He had a breakthrough year last season, scoring goals, playing behind the striker at U18s and moving up to the U23s, scoring more goals, including a hat-trick in one match against Southampton.

I was surprised to see him with a No 9 on his back, I don't believe he's ever been asked to “lead the line” as a No 9, but great that he's getting game time with the first team. He's likely to be a standout performer in the U23s this season.

This is information (names and numbers in full) you just won't find anywhere else! If I was the Echo, that would qualify as an 'Exclusive!'