Pickford brilliant but Maupay lacks cutting edge

Anyway TWAT THESE HORRIBLE WANKERS!!!

Send Turkey Teeth home with his beak pointing down!!

It will be a hard game but can be won, just stand up to them and fight, we can't ask for more than that except some luck from the two referees especially the one sitting far far away in VAR room, take those red glasses off and give us some honest decisions.

COYB 💙💙

Top marks to Lampard on not reverting to the 5 at the back.

Hopefully we make a game of it.

Let's go.

Plus injury time if the Shite are losing or drawing !

Anthony Taylor ? Enough said !

A manager got fined megabucks by FA, last week by telling the truth that AT is not fit to referee any Premier League matches !

But it's the obvious side. And probably the right side given Idrissa's pack of football.

There'll be plenty of energy in this side. So why not? COYB!!!!

11 prick s in red shirts on the pitch today and all some can do is hammer away at one in blue before a ball is kicked

We had them rattled in that half but they'll always have spells with the quality they have.

Feeling better about this side than I have in a while.

I suppose it is to be expected of a lone striker in his first game but Maupay does at times look a little lost and good to see Tom Davies played in his best box to box position. A good half all round.

Very strange that we didn't take a punt on a centre forward.

Well played Blue Boys... very pleased here.

Otherwise can't fault the effort. The late chances to them came down to us being exhausted. And that's going to be a problem when they make 4 subs and we just make 2.

Was the Van Dijk foul looked at by VAR? It certainly should have been.

We could have folded after 15 mins if the second half, but we came back fighting

Some superb performances around the park today. We'll done Lampard. I hope no-one starts using the R word again this season.

Why did the VAR not look at Van Dijk's attempt to break Onana's leg? Disgusting.

We should have won today, but Maupay's miss, although he played well in general, is what you get for 㾻M worth of striker. It was harder to miss.

Special mention to the three 21 year olds, Patterson, Onana and Gordon. Terrific from those three young players, future is looking brighter.

When DCL is back this team is going to go on a winning run.

COYBLUES !!!!

Patterson brilliant and Pickford world class.

I was criticised on another thread for expressing concern about Maupay and general lack of goals up front.

Well, Maupay continued where he left off at Brighton: missing 'bread and butter' chances for strikers which cost us all important points!

We're taking steps forward every round, wins will come soon! COYB!

They started the second half better and at first I thought we were going to sit back again. I didn't think Davies deserved being subbed but it wasn't a bad decision by Lampard. Again robbed by the VAR for having an inch of shoulder over a theoretical line, I'd much prefer if they went back to two defenders between you and the goal, less heart-breaking or maybe it should only look at that which you put it over the line. And Van Dijk should have been off for the foul on Onana.

As for our best? So many, Pickford made several very good saves, Onana and Iwobi looked class, Mykolenko had Salah in his back pocket and the central defence looked solid. If we can reproduce that sort of game every match, then there'll be no talk of relegation.

Not satisfied as we could have won that, but pleased at the performance.

Frustrating but better than a loss and with so much extra time. Bit of character in the side which has been missing for too long!

Meant to say too, Patterson has almost grown quickly into the role, and was a contender along with Pickford for MotM. Gordon played well too, remembering too this a relatively unfamiliar side playing together, I think we will be okay come the World Cup Break!

It's a good job Red Rum is not still alive he would want his teeth back from that Teutonic Prick!

As I stated on another thread. As long as we come out of this without injury is the main thing but also to grab a point is good.

Best natured derby for years. More on football than kicking the shit out of each other. We might not have won but the game won!

Can't he run for even 10 minutes?

They created 6 good chances but some good saves and no unlucky ricochets we managed to keep a clean sheet. I'm pleased with another point, a clean sheet and a much more solid midfield and defence.

One point, if Pickford is so good with passing and distribution I hope his 5 kicks that went straight out of play is quickly improved. It frustrates the life out of me.

Well done blues, take the point and move on.

I believe Onana will be out for a week with his ankle injury which is a real shame. He continues to impress me.

Thought we played well, just need to take our chances.

Gana Gueye makes us stronger.

Patterson and Pickford outstanding. Davies had a very good first half. Cody and Tarkowski solid as a rock. Onana is going to go onto another level with Gana in the team. Iwobi excellent again. Frank made the right call with Gordon as he looked tired.

Last season, the gap between us and the RS was massive. Lampard and Thelwell have closed that gap considerably.

Tom Davies played well and Pickford was magnificent. Delighted to see 2 of the whipping boys proving their worth.

Onana looks a terrific prospect and Iwobi's form is simply unreal. What a turn around the boy has had.

Shame we couldn't snatch the win but a lot to be pleased about in that performance. Mykolenko did a good job on Salah too.

I can't believe the commentators even slightly defended that tackle. Every player knows what they're doing when they put their foot up like that. It's the coward's way out of a challenge.

Midfield is right up there already:

Onana is the new Essien and Iwobi is the new Modric. Gana is still world class as he was playing with Mbappe and Messi a few weeks ago.

Just waiting for Doucoure to return, Garner to adapt to the Prem and Davies to do more Iwobi special training sessions. That looks a decent bench too soon.

Happy weekend ahead.

That back 4 and midfield 3 look tremendous, just need some more quality in the final 3rd. But it's all looking good.

If we'd had Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison up front we'd have won.

Lampard putting his stamp on the team, and a lot more potent with our new look midfield. I have to say, Patterson and Mykolenko are a lot more comfortable in a back four. Calvert-Lewin back training this week thankfully.

Why didn't the VAR check the cowardly tackle on Onana, quick enough last season on Allan. I hope Sue questions it Monday with Gallagher on ref watch.

I'm really liking the guy. I think he'll do what it takes and he's added a bit of a ruthless streak to us. That takes you a long way – up to the point where quality has its say.

No more relegation worries from me.

Wonderful to see Gueye back and sharp.

He is a filthy player whose main part in any game is violent intimidation for which he is invariably not punished. If Onana had not been coming straight forward his career would be over this afternoon.

Is there still retrospective VAR inspection of particularly bad errors by the referee, especially since VAR didn't even bother to review the shocking assault today? Not that I would hope for any kind of justice against a Shitty Six player.

Signing Maupay is a pragmatic move. We needed a forward and he is one. I actually thought he did okay - basically, he played like a forward. Should have scored but had some very good moments, including the chest and cross shot for the Coady disallowed goal.

Also worth noting in the summer Frank said Patterson would have to step up until Coleman was fit. Well, is it safe now to assume Patterson is the first-choice right-back? He has areas to improve but overall I've been impressed with him.

Best keeper in the league.

I do not hold with the idea that being subbed is some kind of reflection of a bad performance. In international rugby, the players who are put on for the last 10-20 minutes are the ones who are expected to win the match by playing against a XV who are exhausted. They are the ones whose role is to outrun and outplay a tiring opposition.

I thought this was exactly what Gana (who played far better even than before he left, he looks stunning) did. Perhaps another 5 minutes of him would have won the game after Tom Davies had battled the RS thugs and druggies to a standstill.

All in all, a very good performance, with, as usual, the best RS player being the man with the whistle, closely supported by the VAR team.

In the past couple of years, they would've been a couple up by half time and we would've been on damaged limitation mode. But we were competitive throughout, rode our luck a couple of times.

Let's not forgot these are a good side, as hard as it is to stomach.

Positives to take from this performance. Back four will get better the more they play together. Patterson gets better every game, few times caught out but he's going to get better. Mykoenko the same, good 1-on-1 against Salah.

Onana is frightening for 20 with Gana in team, he can affect things further forward too. Put a fit Calvert-Lewin in this team and I'm excited to see what is possible.

It's not going to happen overnight but there is a "team" there now where before we had a bunch half-arsed players.

No more the caution we saw under Benitez or the desperation of last spring. Frank has built a tough, professional side full of young players who never take a backward step. With time and transfers, we are going to have an outstanding side.

Regarding Maupay, sorry folks, but that's the player he is and always has been. He's tough, tireless and skilled, and he has a superb instinct for getting in the right positions to score -- he had a career-high five shots today -- but the finisher's composure is absent in him.

And that is one instinct that cannot be acquired in my opinion. You've either got it or you don't. He doesn't. And he won't.

Let's not be having too much of a go at Maupay on his debut, our perfectly legal goal does not get unlawfully chalked off without Maupay putting the ball where he did.

We looked well better with 3 in midfield.

In Frank We Trust.

Looked well better with 3 in midfield.

In Frank we trust.

We'll be nowhere near relegation with that kind of performance.

Back 4 look strong, team led by Coady and Tarkowski. Midfield will come together nicely particularly when Onana and Gueye understand each other better.

It's upfront the problem, and how many goals we can score to get us into Top 10 or Top 15. Relying on Calvert-Lewin to stay fit and knock in 15-20 goals is a bit too much, but I don't see Rondon or Maupay chipping in too many.

As someone said, give Frank a few more transfer windows and who knows what he'll achieve. But as always, can we keep our better players and coaches whilst we climb that table?

It was a good result for us and not so good for them. They had injuries and so did we and our attack is still a work in progress. Maupay will settle in, as will McNeil.

Sure we had a little woodwork luck but that usually levels out over the season.

We played well, Patterson looks a real gem. We all want the win but a point against a league contender (:D hahaha) is decent, considering last season we'd shit ourselves in such games. UTFT

Typical Big 6 Ref performance from Anthony Taylor. Can't have Van Dijk red-carded, Sky would be most displeased.

I urge everyone who has Sky and supports a team outside the Top 6 to cancel their subscriptions and tell them why when you do it. Money talks – we the fans have the power, let's use it.

In a nutshell, I'm proud to be a blue. Everton are back.

Look at the difference. The latter inherited a hard-working team, wasted money on a showboat, destroyed team harmon,y and adopts a pissey antagonistic approach to fans and criticism.

Frank does the opposite in every respect

Unfortunately, since we didn't lose we'll never find out.

Undisputed MotM is Pickford. If it wasn't for him, I'd go for Patterson for the 2nd time this season. He really is coming on now he's settling in; similar to Mykolenko last season, who also had a decent game. Leadership and organisation from the centre-backs. The defence is looking resolute and settled; a combination of experience with youth & potential.

Iwobi continuing his good form. Gray was more cold than hot but had a few moments. Gordon looked fatigued I thought, especially second half. Maupay needs games but done a job in my opinion. And Gueye looked like he'd never been away. I thought Davies was good first half but fell off the pace second half and was giving away possession too often.

I'm not going to have a go at the VAR. It's that stupid and ambiguous offside rule. I heard one of the commentators suggesting Coady's shoulder was offside. What? He didn't score with his shoulder. Honestly, change the rule.

As for Van Dijk, how that is not a red is beyond me. He nearly broke the lad's leg. Onana was very lucky to escape serious injury. The explanation I heard from the "expert" went something like this:

If the impact is on the foot, then it's yellow. If the impact is on the shin, then it's possibly red. Because Van Dijk's boot comes down the shin and the eventual impact is on the foot, that's probably why it was yellow.

John Senior will shout at me, so the money is in the swear box already. Fuck me. We sure know how to make a simple game complicated.

Anyway, I'll finish on a positive. Another good performance from an improving team that has more steel about it than in previous seasons. We withstood everything they threw at us, and by the end it seemed like they had 8 forwards on the pitch. But we also got at them too and were unlucky not to nab the 3 points.

The points will come if we keep the performance levels up. Now to break my Emirates duck and I'll be there for that one.

So the perception he's this always injured player is bemusing to me. If we can get him back, fit, then I think he still has a lot to offer and adds the extra dimension we need.

I enthusiastically agree, and what a teacher he is going to be for Onana.

Did you know they were both born in Dakar? They both speak the same French dialect. Listen and learn, young man. Professor Gueye will help make you a superstar.

Frank Lampard is quoted in today's Daily Mail “……you get an hour and a half on the training ground every day…..” and there, I think, is Everton's problem. Yes, a game is 90 minutes, but why not exceed that in training.

One of the best reports I read was about The Brazilian national side who's training consisted of, forwards against backs, on a full-size pitch, for an hour each way. Then, they'd start training. What else are we paying these footballers for?

It seems to me they are no longer interested in doing their job, but, more in what they can get out of their job.

Aside from not reading comments, I assume you didn't watch the game. What a bizarre post!

How good it is to have Idrissa Gana Gueye back? Comes in after one day training, in the middle of a delicately poised derby, and stamps his class all over the game. A magnificent player.

Who suggested for one minute I am biased?

Hope to see you both at Bramley Moore Pub after the WHU game!

No Ticket? No Worry!

Words of a very popular Bob Marley Song?

Must get my Hearing AId Checked out!

However if Milner took a size bigger boots it would have stood. Take way the outstretched leg and it was way offside and looked it as it happened to me although I did hit the ceiling when it went in. It would have been a lucky call if Milner's leg was an inch longer, and quite an unusual review actually. Have to say though, without the VAR we win that 1-0 based on the rest of the game panning out the same. It would have been wrong but goal would have stood.

A well earned point there today. Allisson had a good game, Pickford was immense and is turning out to be a decent captain in my opinion - I liked the way he gee'd Onana up when he was struggling after the assault. Maupay should have hit his chance first time - I thought it was him who hit the post actually but it was Tom I think. He'll settle in okay. That was his first game after a move just a week ago. He's definitely an improvement over Rondon. I just WISH we had bought a big centre-forward in the window. Calvert-Lewin will obvs make a difference but I do worry how fit he will stay.

Pleased to have pegged the RS back another couple of points and delighted with the spirit today. Fingers crossed for Onana.

We've had other draws in recent years, but they usually felt like we just dug in and survived; this is the first time we really went hammer & tongs with a Klopp side (obviously Ancelotti had some success, and even managed to get a victory, but not having fans felt like an asterisk).

On a side note, I can't believe how good Patterson already looks. Remember when that journalist started some bullshit rumor about how he was going out on loan and people started ranting about what a terrible signing he was, and how he'd never cut it in the Premier League? Life moves pretty fast.

I thought we played as a team and fought for everything, played some good football and deserved a draw. Dick Van Dijk is a bully and sly with it, then he went over to make out he was sympathising but snidily telling Onona to get up. Prick! The ref (as per the norm when the Shite dangerously foul) didn't see it.

Rough tackles, we got a fouls against or a yellow card. And when they did them he started gesticulating to our players that we were acting!

I think the Red Shite got a bit of a nasty surprise today. No rolling over and surrendering to them, we were getting stuck in and going toe to toe with them, and could have had three or four ourselves. Maupay might have missed a sitter but he was in the right place and did fine in his general play. Gana Gueye is just class!

I thought Patterson was my star man; but all players did really well. Onana is some player and is going to be a star for us. I still think our first target is to move away from relegation and stay away.

I also think Frank has made a good start, with a sound defence, plenty to choose from in midfield. Our forwards gave them headaches and it was a shame we didn't put our chances away, but a good display all round!

Finally, this bloody VAR is a horrendous contraption. The quicker they give the decision-making back to the referees, the better.

Anyone who is paid millions for kicking a ball would naturally become a lazy pampered man. Even years ago, if you wanted to find a footballer, look in the pub near the training ground, they would be in their most of the day playing cards.

No wonder a lot of so-called pros have glaring omissions in skill from their game and never seem to improve?

Well done Frank and the boys against the hated shite. Once again we are robbed by far. Never mind, I'm sure Klopp is more upset than we are.

I was fearing the worst when the game stretched in the second half, but we had just as many good chances to win the game as they did. How it ended goalless is beyond me.

If that performance is a sign of things to come, then we'll be absolutely safe this season with the chance to add a bit of firepower up front in future transfer windows. Proud of the club, fans, team & management today… keep it up.

Mostly Harmless
14:42
Good news for Liverpool fans, M62, M6, M1, M40 and M25 no major holdups.
Good news for Everton fans, MerseyTravel buses are all running a good service this afternoon.

We own this city.

And what was the FA doing? They gave us one more day to recover and that lot had to play extra time on Wednesday night as well. Who messed up the fixtures and was meant to give them more rest than we would have? I can see a sacking on the cards.

Well done you boys.

I thought Anthony was a bit quiet today. Maupay buzzed around but looks a tad slow, Gueye was very good when he came on, picked up where he left off.

Taylor was a disgrace as usual, Tsimisas should have been carded before Onana got a card for his first foul. I couldn't see the offside or Dick van Dijk'schallenge from my spec but overall a good performance and the general consensus around me is we will be alright.

Green shoots.

Strong resilient performance which augurs well especially when we have a fit Calvert-Lewin.

Up the caralemos!

Still look a bit light up top so hoping that will improve as goals win games. Well done, Everton.

Iwobi was immense. Was good to see Maupay playing as a proper centre-forward and hopefully he will get sharper.

McNeil looked knackered 4 mins after coming on. What's that all about?

We have a tough young team with some older experienced heads to keep it together. Unbeaten in four and a clean sheet against the RS. Our first win will come soon if we keep up the work ethic of today's game. COYMB.

Commentators and pundits etc seem to me to be looking at things wrongly by focusing on Milner's boot. It looked to me that Coady was marginally behind the ball when the pass was struck, even if he was a midge's dick beyond said Milner boot. You can't be offside if the ball is closer than you to the goal line when the pass is struck.

And even if I am talking out the back of my neck above... look again at the incident, Allison got his fingertips to the ball as it came through to Coady. Doesn't that have some influence on matters these days?

He's been exceptional for over two years. The best since Big Nev

Well done, lad.

I say that with no bias whatsoever, honestly, 🤔😜🤦‍♂️ I hate them with a vengeance. Okay, only one point but hopefully give other sides a blueprint on how to thwart them, while that will build our own confidence too!

A settled back four making a big difference. No need for Mina or Keane to return back into this side.

Midfield looks much stronger, with plenty of options, still think we could have done with another focal point up front (not Rondon).

Goals will be hard to come by, but we're on an upwards trajectory.

This team is coming together very nicely under Frank's leadership. Yes leadership because he's energising, inspiring, engaging, motivating and building an industrious and increasingly skilled team, both around him and on the pitch. He's stood firm in the firing line after the mess we were in and all signs are we're coming out the other side. Nice to see Frank smile today - he deserves it!

On the pitch, solid and resilient. The midfield will be monsters with a few more games under their belt. No doubt. Barring injuries (how that nasty snide DVD got away with that deliberate gross foul play is beyond me).

Pickford, Onana, Cody, Tarkowski, Gray and especially Patterson great displays. I continue to struggle with Mykolenko - composure, accuracy and footballing skills aren't at the top level we need. He's doing OK but we need to be aiming beyond OK imo. There's clear space between him and Patterson. The competition from Vinagre should help.

If we continue to improve, I'd expect a mid-table finish. That will be an improvement for Frank to continue to build on.

Our biggest challenge is goals. Goals win games.

We're lacking striker firepower still. Maupay did OK today - nearly a nice assist but he missed a great chance and he's not the solution (I hope I'm proven wrong). Sure, as we improve, the rest of the team will chip in but we need DCL back, fit and firing to realise our true potential this year. And then to strength with quality as soon as we can.

Onwards and upwards! It's coming together very nicely.

I genuinely believe if that VD tackle had been the other way round, our guy would have got a straight red - fucking joke.

Talk Sport, biased all game, after the ball went out after 30 seconds the commentator said Everton wasting time already, then he went slagging off Goodison.

Peter Reid came to our defence few times, but well out of order.

How the fuck did VAR not ask the ref to look at that challenge ?

Not counting chickens just yet

But 2 draws puts us only 1 point less than the same fixtures last season. Shows we had a tough start. Can only get better. Lots of green shoots.

Enjoyed the game and thought we performed well. Our team is still very new and it will take time to settle players in properly but the future looks very bright.

Talked to a couple of RS supporters on the walk back from the ground. They were impressed with how much we have improved and thought we should and actually deserved to win! I don't think they were on anything either and their English seemed very good.

Anyway, great to see real fight in the team and looking like they wanted and believed they could win. Long May it continue.

Disappointed not to win but very proud and encouraged by further improvement. 5 games unbeaten in all competitions,

UTFT!

I drooled over Gana's cameo performance; effortless winning the ball; effortless in evading a tackle; sublime in his distribution. Who said over 30 is over the hill? This will be the best £2m we've ever spent.

Frank is quickly moulding a team out of various established and new signings. A team of narks.

Defence very good especially Pickering, Patterson, Myko. Midfield ditto - Davies again so good; Iwobi say no more! Onana has settled in SO quickly.

Very satisfied with that performance.

No one had a bad game. The midfield was solid and compact and Davies had a good game but I'm really looking to Gana being a regular starter and allowing Onana to be further up the field.

One thing I will say is that Taylor was woeful as the ref. How he booked Onana for his challenge when he let that Greek fella off for repeatedly fouling is beyond me. Plus, why was the Van Dickhwad challenge refered to VAR? It looked a red to me on my one live view of it.

I think for the first time in a long time we looked physically present today. Full backs, centre mid and wide players have good physical attributes and stamina. We can compete. Add DCL to that team and we will be really good.

Really like Patterson and Onana. Going to be big players for us.

Michael @ 132, I hope John of the McFarlane Clan, is okay, we go quite a bit back with TW Get Togethers. Having another after the WHU Game at GP (18/09/22) Bramley Moore Pub again, not the easiest place to get to, and can fully understand if John can't make it, but I have never known him to miss one yet !

If he can though, and anyone else for that matter, will always be made welcome !

Your being bit unfair to Maupay arn't you Micheal, the lads not unpacked his case yet, yes he had a great chance to score but so did Davies.
Nobody had a poor game and Pickford had a blinder no doubt, running him close was Iwobi who was all over the field again, aswell as showing some nice touches.
Patterson needs to be given a pay increase because he will be on the top 6 clubs shopping list very soon. You can put Iwobi on that list as well because he had another standout game.

Actually - since the game and posting I have looked back at, replayed, slowed down and paused that offside and I must recant some of what I was saying. I thought it was Milner who was nearly playing him on with His outstretched foot but it was in fact Van Dijk they were looking at. It was close and I struggle with the VAR offside rules but we seem stuck with it. No longer will we see a "level with..." ruling until they change the parameters. Humbug...

Yes - the forum is hard work recently but I'm sure Michael and Lyndon are working on it. I continued reading but didn't really contribute today. I did post all that on the forum (blind - as the dialogue box lags about 2 minutes) but don't think it appeared, so may have repeated myself if it did.

Also, I'd like some clarity from the authorities about freeze frame selection when deciding VAR offsides. Who chooses ? , is this process fully open to retrospective scrutiny?

If not the capacity for corruption or bias is massive. Many games are won and lost on these marginal decisions.

One thing Lampard has learned over summer is making us harder to beat, we are far more combative and tougher.

That game could have finished 3-3, best derby since the Martinez one in 2013 and most entertaining 0-0 since the Nigel Martyn show at Anfield in 2004.

Take the clean sheet and point.

I think it was Maupay over on the touchline by the Enclosure. He initially got wrestled by the Liverpool player who proceeded to then effectively throttle him around the neck.

Bad enough that it wasn't a free kick. Whoever the BT expert was suggested that Maupay was playing for something???

Honestly.

Hope you enjoyed your first visit to Goodison. No goals to see but plenty of action and excitement to enjoy.

How much have you aged this afternoon, btw?

This team we've assembled under Frank is something I'm very happy about. I thought we played very, very well. Unlucky not to get all 3 points.

Maupay is such a breath of fresh air. He can actually run and doesn't look as if he's been scarfing down hamburgers.

I thought Tom Davies was excellent. A few "Tom" moments of giveaways, but he played really well overall.

Onana is just brilliant.

How good was it to see Gana Gueye back?! And for anyone saying that acquisition was poor, "never works second time around", etc, those 20 to 30 minutes on the pitch should put that to bed. Still covering every blade of grass, winning every ball, tenacious little shit I love him.

Pickford was immense. BUT! Man at 0-0 having played so well, his time-wasting antics at the end of the game drove me mad. Go on and grab three points at home! The game was there to be won. Why are we settling for a point at Goodison??? That mindset needs to change, and fast!

Patterson is great. That kid is the real deal, he played wonderfully.

Gray drives me nuts. Holds the ball fractionally too long every time. Runs into cul-de-sacs. He just, for whatever reason, drives me mad.

Iwobi can't be dropped. He's developed into a fantastic footballer. 㿅 million is now a bargain.

Finally, the goal was offside. Unlucky as fuck. The roof blew off the Crowley house when that ball went in. The second I saw the freeze frame replay, I knew it would get called back.

This squad under Frank is looking very good, very exciting, and I'm very positive about the future.

UTFT

No doubt there will be talk of bad organisation, victimisation and poor crowd control in the Albert, the Arkles and the Cabbage Hall. Not their fault obviously. They were probably enticed to storm the turnstiles.

Same city. Different worlds. They more than anyone else should know better.

It really sickened me given what some of their genuinely-innocent supporters suffered in the past. Having been found not quilty of stroming the gates at Hillsborough, they continue to storm the gates elsewhere.

So much to be happy about in that game today.

Great having Gana back. Good to see him geeing a clearly hurt Obana on. Fair dues to the boy, he didn't hide and at 20 doubt he got such a kicking in the French league. Can see him and Gana being our new dogs of war.

That gaping Calvert-Lewin-shaped hole in the team is a worry though. Hope he's back and firing soon. Frank was very impressed with his fitness and attitude pre-season so hopefully he slots straight back in.

Gana is a class act and those around will develop playing with him. Iwobi continues to impress as did all the players. Bit unfair headline about Maupey given he's had little time to even meet the team.

He'll come good with Calvert-Lewin up top. Have young Garner waiting in the wings. An exciting prospect. There's a decent squad developing now having got rid of some of the overpaid dross. Onwards and upwards. COYB.

Yes, he missed a chance.

He also created a great chance in the first half with that chested ball he controlled and put across the box.

He ran his nuts off. He dragged defenders with his runs.

He was good today.

This TW burn him at the stake narrative - spurned on by folks bitter we didn't pick up Grandma Wheelchair with an "ST" in front of her name indicating position - is laughable.

Just pile on fellas. Just know your narrative is blind and full of shit. The kid was good today, and he's a MILLION times better than Hamburger Rondon!!

Also gave Gray space to have his best game this season.

1. Pickford is a great keeper, his saves got us the point, as they kept us up last season.

2. Our defence looks very solid, we seem to be a team hard to beat these days. Still don't think Patterson and Mykolenko offer as much going forward as did Seamus and Bainsey or Digne.

3.Our general trajectory is upwards, certainly since last season's 1-4 debacle.

4. Onana, Iwobi and Idrissa are going to be a very good midfield. Also reasonable back-up with Doucoure and Tom.

5. We will struggle for goals as McNeill and Maupey don't impress me yet, hopefully they will improve as the season goes on. A big load on DCL's shoulders.

6. We look much more of a team now, well done Frank.

7. Liverpool supporters are rubbish, barely audible today.

8. Overall, considering our position, I thought we played well and had chances to win, with a bit more composure in the penalty area. Feels like a point won rather than two points dropped.

Sometimes it's "tyranny of the majority" mate!

I'm with you!!! Minority wins!

Imagine being a young full-back with those 3 developing you.

I was really surprised at the strong police presence along Walton Road before and particularly after the game. There was a helicopter monitoring things also. It struck as being odd that it was so much evident than normal even when we play Man Utd or Man City.

Based on your observations, perhaps it is a case of Merseyside Police knowing what to expect when our cousins are in town. Shameful and embarrassing if so.

I don't think we can criticize any of the players today.. I feel they did us proud.

Don't know who pissed on Taylor's chips but he seems to have it in for us.

Van Dijk's challenge on Onana wasn't even referred to the VAR.

The last touch before Coady scored was off a Liverpool defender and should not have been ruled out for offside

Their left back (can't spell his name) should also have had 2 yellows but he gives Onana a yellow for a dubious foul.

He created 4 chances, had 1 saved and ran 11.1 km (that's 6.89 miles in old English.) more than any other player. He played very well on his debut.

What Everton need to do as a team is get their pass completion above 80%. We should then not have as many chances against us.

Now the eternal optimist that is me is going to add an air of caution.

We have 2 great young full-backs that are brimming with potential and demonstrating that.

Some had written off Mykolenko after one or two games, others Patterson before they'd even seen him play because of some internet rumours about opinions of him at Finch Farm. Keep in mind he was injured for most of the time after he joined last season. So his starting point at Everton was delayed from the Ukranian Scouser.

I genuinely think we are fortunate to have them. But be patient with them. Like all young players, they will make mistakes. Despite being my MotM after Pickford, Patterson did today when he overhit a pass to Coady, which resulted in a dangerous corner.

Don't crucify them. Encourage them. They'll come good.

I thought we were great today. We gave everything against a far superior team. We rode our luck at times but could have easily won it. We had no luck with decisions.

TW is getting a bit too depressing for me. We all want to win but surely people can see what we're trying to build? Smell steps but there's some spirit and we played good stuff at times today. I gave Iwobi and Pickford stick for years so I'm gonna cut the likes of Maupay and McNeil some slack.

I really hope Lampard is given a fair crack because I can see progress after years of signing flops and mercenaries. At least these are a group of players who look like they want to compete for our magnificent fan base.

Well bloody said. Since when did going through the back of a player not constitute a card and how the fuck St Virgil didn't get a red card is beyond me.

The commentator (I think it was Jenas) said it wasn't a red because his studs hit the shin pad and then rolled down onto his ankle. I said it was a straight red, for fuck's sake.

I think you are right mate, they really are a bunch of classless gobshite pricks.

Let's hope we continue to improve as the new players bed in, if we do then Danny's start of season predictions might come to pass.

Maupay will make a positive contribution going forward.
This was his first start.

Mykolenko, Patterson and Iwobi have all been written off but are now showing their worth. The manager has helped to turn Iwobi into a very effective operator.

The future is blue!

On a whole, very proud of the performance from the lads how many times over the last few years can we say we genuinely had the shite under the pump like we had at times today.

Lampard is deffo building something, we showed fight, determination and could've won it just as much as them (I can't be arsed going into the whole VAR shit show). Gueye slotted in like he'd never left, giving us a glimpse of a very exciting midfield 3 of him Onana and Iwobi. Onwards and upwards lads. UTFT

ps: That Nunez looks utter shit... Andy Carroll with a fancier name.

We would need to beat the RS 5-0 for you to even start looking for chickens, never mind count any chickens. Yes, we rode our luck at times, but so did they.
They may of had a few more golden opportunities than us, but what did they pay for their front 3? 𧵎M? Give or take. Our front 3? 㾼-17M.

We matched them, it shows that spirit, desire, determination and discipline can make a team perform beyond the sum of their parts. A couple of years ago, we would've had a team that cost 𧶲M+ and get walloped easily.

I've been impressed with Lampard from Day 1. He's not perfect, but he knows that. Making a team outperform the sum of their parts is anmark of a good coach. The players seem to want to play for him, want to give their all and are slowly building a spirit that we haven't had for a long while.

Can anybody honestly say they wouldn't rather watch this team than the shite we had under Koeman, Allardyce, Benitez or Silva?

Let's trust him now; be patient, it will take time, we will make mistakes but imo we will progress and get better.

COYB

Yet again, lack of goals is the issue, and the one thing we needed more than any other in this window was a quality striker. Why didn't it happen?

It's good to be talking tonight to Liverpool supporters and not have them gloating or even worse patronising us. Pickford played his best game and I thought the back four were brilliant. The much-maligned Davies was excellent and nearly scored a great goal. COYB.

Gordon with his runs forward at pace really has come on a lot. Iowbi was everywhere. The back four were excellent, particularly Patterson. I was impressed with Everton's team performance, I could see a lot of potiential.

Liverpool will consider themselves lucky to get a point. They should have been beaten. They were so lucky to get a perfectly good goal reversed by the VAR.

Maupay would benefit from Ancelotti's one-touch philosophy. He is looking for time to control before shooting. Trying to overdo it to make sure. He would be better to shoot first time. With a bit more confidence, he will. He is getting into some good positions and his passing inside the box is good.

Aside from that I thought we played very well today against the so called best team in the world.

A draw was a fair result from an exciting and end-to-end game which was as open a game as I've seen at Goodison for a long time let alone a derby match.

Everton today reminded me of the 1-1 draw at Goodison under Kendall when only a missed penalty stopped us from winning. You could see the makings of a good team that day.

I thought that today, I bet the Liverpool players were surprised at the fight we showed, their supporters did, never hardly heard them and I was up in the Upper Bullens with them.

We are only a striker away from having a good team and better results – and he could be back very soon.

So in this instance today the VAR lines should have been drawn from the front of the ball, was this the case?

He may well have been still offside due to his leaning forward but it was close. His foot onside his shoulder off?

Also I'd still like some clarity on the freeze frame selection process and the degree of openness of those decisions for retrospective analysis.

“A player would not get adjudged as committing an offside offence when:

Receiving the ball 'directly' from a throw-in, a corner, or a goal kick or when they are:

Inside their own half of the pitch.

Level with the second-last or last two opponents.

Level with the football or behind the ball.

Not 'actively' involved in the field of play.”

Lately I beginning to wonder if you're not my doppelgänger?

I agree with you far too often these days. Great post, well said.

Frank is the man, he needs time, and he's clearly moving the team in the right direction. Instead of questioning him at every turn, here's a novel idea – get behind him!

Game's gone.

I can relate to the players again and really like them! I particularly like the ‘snides' we've bought. Tarkowski, Coady, Onana, Patterson are all horrible to play against! I love it!!

I think Maupay has that snide in him too. I think he will be a good addition.

Precisely. We've had so many years of fragile (physically and mentally) players barely going through the motions. Coleman and Rich were of late the only two with the visible passion of say Cahill or even Naismith not to mention old school heroes. But all of a sudden that's changed.

Still, it's hard to survive if you don't win the games. We just need a good striker and we don't have one. Calvert-Lewin might take months to recover if he ever finds the touch he had a year ago. Maupay is a good striker but not good enough.

That's a good analogy. After four consecutive draws our position in the table, does not fully reflect the improvement in performances in recent weeks. The squad is bigger, the players are better the mentality is stronger, the playing style is more positive and most of the fans are onside with the team and manager.

I left Goodison today thinking better times are ahead but, with our next game at top of the table Arsenal, we may need to be patient a little while longer.

Diego Costa until January?

It's the same situation in the other 2 games, great effort, but only 3 points to show for the last 3 games. Just not good enough to pull away from relegation threats.

On another day, we could have 2 or 3 albeit, we could have conceded a couple as well.

I'm delighted with the result but it could have been 3 points instead of 1.

But I will not pick on Maupay for any perceived lack of striker-uberness! The guy was thrown into a danged derby for his first game, for Heaven's sake!!! I'd guess any detractors for the actual game input either only play Fantasy Football, or live in la-la land...

He was lively, missed a sitter (okay) in his first game, could have been the assister for a crucial goal, if the VAR hadn't disagreed...

So, 4 points in a row, with a totally unrecognized lineup from the shambles presented during most of the previous season? I'd say we'll only get more hard to beat from now on, and we'll probably win more than we'll lose!

How many did we lose by more than one goal against us this far?

He is not and will not be a prolific goalscorer but he'll get a few and worry better defences than we saw today.

Let's not write him off just yet.

It's what 㾻 million gets you these days.

I hope you are right because the majority of teams in the Premier League have had victories and scored goals. Scoring and winning matches is crucial in building confidence – I am a little concerned about Everton scoring just 4 goals and winning no matches out of 6 games played already.

The interpretation of the rule is at fault here in my opinion. Change the rule.

I'm with you there on giving Maupay a bit more time to settle in, remembering of course that he has played no part in Brighton's new season games to date (I don't know about pre-season).

Bearing in mind too, he wasn't purchased as a prolific goal-scorer (1 in 4 average) but he came fairly close, and as has been mentioned made a nuisance of himself in their defensive area.

Had he been prolific, no way would Brighton have let him move on, and definitely not for 㾻M or thereabouts. One thing I can say he appeared to be 'more at the races' than Rondon!

Just how good did Gana Gueye look when he came on? Cool as a cucumber and very vocal. He's going to make a massive difference to the team.

I think that the headline of this thread "Pickford brilliant but Maupay lacks cutting edge" doesn't back your claim.

Now that Alex Iwobi has found his true position, Maupay will have to share the criticism that Tom Davies, Dwight McNeil, among others have been subjected to.

As for the shite – offside goal was marginal, but the Van Dijk challenge wasn't.

Only a few days ago, they got an additional 90 seconds to grab a winner. That's 2 very contentious decisions in a week.

We should at this point be talking about how a red card left them with 10 men and losing a key player for 3 games. Likewise, Newcastle should have been coming away from Anfield with a well-deserved point, but here we are...

I know Tom is popular amongst a lot of fans but I see the poor lad treading water in most games. No one can doubt his commitment to the cause but the game passes him by and he has no influence.

Once Onana and Gana are up to speed, along with Iwobi and Doucoure, Tom will struggle to be anywhere near the first team.

A great derby, and one of the best nil-nils I can remember. I feel a lot better about the season's possibilities now.

Fair enough, a few fans around me at the game were asking that question. I haven't watched the highlights yet but I'll take your word.

Also, I thought that he played well alongside Davies and even complemented Davies's play.

At one point, I screamed for Gana to play it forward to Mbappe, but alas it was Maupay.😁😁

Keep it going Alex. Him, Onana & Gana look a great mix.

"Just pile on fellas. Just know your narrative is blind and full of shit. The kid was good today, and he's a million times better than Hamburger Rondon!!"

Good stuff, Brother! Agree 100%. If what he did today is what we're going to get every time, this is a good signing.

Bet Calvert-Lewin is going to be happy having him in the side, too.

Wonderful to see him back with us having benefited from such an experience - and we have him for a relative pittance.

A great bit of business and I think he could be with us for another 5 years or so given his body type and natural fitness.

Maupay worked his socks off and he did okay today. He ran 11 km – more than anyone on the pitch. The RS knew he was there. But 1 km and a goal would be better. He should have burst the net and I'm sure he'd agree. He's definitely a welcome upgrade, despite the low baseline. Glad to have him as we need him right now.

The question is can he score 15-20 goals this season? Can't see it but would be elated if he can. Totally agree, it's step by step, but (stating the obvious) goals win games and that's where we need to improve.

I know it's a different level but I saw the U23s play last season. Tom Cannon hardly touched the ball and didn't run that much. But he scored twice with one-two touches for each and was impressive. His finishing was deadly clinical. That's what our senior team needs next.

Happy day today – onwards and upwards indeed!

In a different era, 1958, Everton lost their first six games, scoring 4 goals and conceding 20, finishing 16th of 22 teams, a feat that can be repeated.

Keep the faith.

Thelwell is a stealthy fucker.

Easy does it.

Iwobi's improvement is possibly due to the manager chatting to him and asking where he thinks he's most effective, listening, and then playing him there for a decent period of time instead of 25 minutes like Ancelotti did!

Also seen a massive improvement in Holgate under Frank and lately Davies, who knows we might be on the verge of something here,

I've not felt this positive about EFC for a long time.

He played well. I agree with you that he may not be first choice soon because we are assembling a very promising midfield indeed. But you do not give him his due for today.

Pickford did play well today, but there is no doubt this will be followed by his usual clownish mistakes in subsequent games – which will cost us goals.

I mean look at Patterson, how good could that lad go on to be? Immense today.

Mykolenko did an excellent job on one of the best forwards in the world with Salah frustrated all game.

Onana looked like the best most experienced midfield player on the pitch. At 20!!!

Gordon always trying to make things happen, not his best match but he's started the season brilliantly.

Add to them, Godfrey, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin and the future is bright.

Then look at Iwobi. What Frank has done with him has saved us 㿊M, he was nowhere under other managers he's shown that Frank and his staff can improve players. It's going to be a journey worth the wait, IMO!

I'm sure Duncan did his best but there must be top notch former players/coaches available. Of course, we do have to have enough strikers to be coached, but I'm sure they'll be arriving.

I hope we're going to find someone to suit as a specialist attacking coach. What's Drogba doing?

My concerns for Everton this season is that we don't have goal scorers in the team. Since Everton sold Lukaku, they have still not been able to replace him, while spending millions on others.

Lukaku made a huge contribution to the goal-scoring efforts for 4 seasons. His presence clearly helped Everton avoid relegation struggles after the first season, when Martinez took Everton to 5th in the Premier League.

Been a long time since I've seen so many leaders and in-their-face attitude, Pickford, Coady, Tarkowski, Patterson, Onana, Maupay, all clenching their fists and rousing the crowd, finally starting to build a team of fighters.

Small steps but certainly promising signs, certainly one of the best goalless derbies I've seen.

Everton have been crying out for this type of forward for years. With the strength shown throughout the team around him he will score as he gets more game time.

This was a Merseyside derby in front of one of the most passionate home support in the country. It was Maupay's Everton debut. He is not only better than Rondon, but also the mythical Calvert-Lewin who appears better when he is not playing.

And the very first game he's thrown into is in a derby vs Liverpool?

Get real, people!

The team and the atmosphere is making me feel confident. I'm confident this squad will surprise a few this season. We surprised them today and kept their usually animated manager subdued.

You don't need me to say it, but the biggest judges are the Evertonians. They will always let their feelings be known and right now they like what they are seeing develop.

Forget results. Forget the league table. It's irrelevant right now.

Credit to Thelwell and Lampard. I'm not naive enough to think it's all sorted. But, for the first time in a few years, we have a plan and a strategy.

First win is coming.

Gana is a better player now than when he left us. I saw a lot of him playing with PSG and could not get over how much he had improved the offensive part of his game.

We all know what he can do defensively, but we now have a player that can pick a pass and link-up play. Onana, Iwobi and Gordon are going to move up another level with Gana playing behind them, and I think our days of playing 3 centre-backs are in the past with Gana in the team.

Whisper it but I also see signs that McNeil will come good, he's an unusual player who needs to find himself. It's all about getting the mind composed.

The defense looks more solid in the main though still caught out for pace by the occasional long ball.

The big concern will be scoring goals but we created some chances today and by winning the ball in midfield or higher up the pitch you always give yourself a chance.

Gordon and Gray should continine to bag a handful each so if Maupay can get 8 and Calvert-Lewin manage 10 or so we should be doing ok as I reckon Tarkowski, Coady and Patterson might all get one or two as well.

We looked better organised and clearly much more mobile around the pitch.

Lampard said after the game that progress does not go from one end of the spectrum to the other in an instant. It's a process and we will not be dominating games and possession for a while. But we are certainly looking hard to beat and, if we maintain that, it should be enough to be safe and hopefully a platform to build upon.

This team already makes me feel connected to them in a way I haven't felt since Martinez's 1st season or before. We have leaders, fight and skill! Every player gave their all, but standouts for me were Pickford, Patterson, Iwobi, Onana, Gueye (when he came on) and the solid pair at the back.

Still gutted we didn't win (I have a big bruise coming up from the goal celebration after bashing my leg on the seat in front)!

I'm looking forward to seeing this team perform this season and will be right behind them. Not a chance we will be fighting relegation when the team beds in.

COYB!

We were very good all over the pitch. Frank and his team have made us tough, resilient, stubborn, it's great to see after years of being pathetic. I agree with all the praise being given to Patterson and Pickford, but Tarkowski was immense, doing his own job whilst talking to everyone else. And from my particular position in the ground, I had a very good view of Mykolenko in the second half, his handling of Salah was excellent.

Irrespective of the accuracy of the minutiae of the offside decision, does anyone really want to be attending a highly emotional event, see a goal scored, celebrate, see the teams gather to kick off, then discover some people miles away are looking for reasons to disallow it? “Look what they've done to our game, Ma”.

A late bright spot of the day was meeting an RS pal in the pub after the match. He was fuming, having been due to win 𧺬 if 3 named players received yellow cards. 2 RS players took him to the brink of claiming the cash, but Anthony Gordon let him down. It almost made it feel like a win!

Finally, a great Evertonian, Ian Cockbain, passed away suddenly yesterday. He should have been at the match with my brother, to whom he was a great pal. Ian was a very enthusiastic sportsman, he would have been pleased with our level of commitment today.

Both Davies and Onano are box-to-box. Gueye is a great defending midfielder, seems to have added an assured command to his game and the added ability of playmaker.

I couldn't get to see the game but so pleased to see we are seeing the making of a solid hard-to-beat team.

Great to hear Gueye had a positive impact, he is class and will no doubt add some real steel to the spine of the team plus a fantastic role model for the younger players.

Onwards and upwards, Blues – can we get that elusive win at Arsenal?

The fact that the VAR only works for certain clubs is a disgrace, and West Ham fans must also be spitting feathers after today and it will continue for the foreseeable. Wasn't it brought in to right the wrongs like Frank Lampard's ghost goal against Germany etc?

Marginal offside decisions used to go in favour of the attacking side, but the fact that people's big toe, knee cap or elbow can rule them offside is utterly ridiculous.

The most concerning aspect of the VAR is how varied the decisions are based on the club badge that it will go against. Was Van Dijk's challenge any less of a poor challenge for the yellow given to Allan against the barcodes that was then changed to a red after the VAR has asked the ref to look at again?

Either it works for all teams, or it gets scrapped

But the majority of teams that visit Goodison will not attempt an all-out attacking game like Liverpool did today. We hit them very well on the break.

Against teams that will sit back and try and counter-attack us, we will require more creativity and intelligence to unlock a tight defensive system. That is our biggest challenge this season – winning the games that we ought to.

Maupay is an astute piece of business I think. He will allow us to play with 2 up top when Calvert-Lewin returns as he is capable of front onto the right or left when out of position. He'll give his all, is a nuisance and knows how to affect a game when the pattern of play is not gifting him chance after chance.

And to all those supporters who thought we never had a good transfer window, today showed the type of player that we have brought in, that have raised the team to a higher level.

Derby games are always difficult, but one of the qualities you have to show in one is the ability not to back down from the opposition, and Everton players achieved this as a team.

Our league position does not look good but I think the future looks promising and not being involved in Europe gives us a week off before the next game.

Shame he was written off before kicking a ball at first.

Unless I've missed something, your post baffles me. Our problem will be keeping him.

One hell of a future ahead of him. If I've got you wrong, sorry!

In 8 months and one transfer window, you have produced a teamwe can be proud of. My wife and I sat in front of the tv, wearing our respective colours (where were you Christine?), and she actually admitted that Everton were a tad unlucky!

I was so impressed and proud of the lads. That was a great derby game.

In Frank I Trust

I think Tom is valued highly by the manager, even though it probably means him being taken off for an impact sub in many games. He is far better than some give him credit for.

I think it's a reference to when a rumour came out that he wasn't even League One standard and that we had signed an absolute stinker.

It was all unfounded but, at the time he'd hardly played, so just made a few question the signing.

That's a Top 6 team.

Someone chooses when to freeze play. That's not an exact science and milliseconds matter.

Then there's drawing the line down to the ground. If you look at what they used it's just plainly incorrect. They draw a line from Coady's shoulder and conclude it's about a yard ahead of his right foot. If that was true then, unless he's Michael Jackson incarnate, he would have fallen over before the ball got there. His shoulder is marginally outside his right foot and knee looking at how he's standing.

It's no coincidence that shoulders seem to be off so much. They've got their physics wrong.

"Right kids, you two go up and have fun around that 18-yard box by the Gwladys Street, Daddy will look after things back here."

My comment was very firmly tongue in cheek – after the false rumours earlier in the window that Patterson would be loaned out.

He was magnificent today and has been good all season. Pat Nevin was raving about the kid when we signed him and he has been proven right.

Hope you are not basing that on one Maupay debut and one season under Ancelotti, Calvert-Lewin scoring 16 goals.

A top striker in the Premie League, according to Alex Ferguson, needs to be scoring 20 goals a season.

Re Patterson, all I can say is thank you, Rafa Benetiz, for signing Patterson and Mykolenko.

Otherwise that's all he did for us, imo 👍👍👍

How the Board allowed that sale only to sack Rafa days later baffles me. Incompetence at the highest level, but we don't see how it works on the inside.

Not many teams will enjoy playing against Gana, Onana and Iwobi in midfield with Doucoure to come on against tired legs.

Sam, don't forget our boy Garner! I have really high hopes for this kid, he might foist himself into the midfield mix.

It's been said a lot on this thread, but I'll say it again just for personal satisfaction. I'm really bullish on this squad. We have the makings of a truly good side in the works.

Maupay ran just under 7 miles today. I'm pretty confident a central midfielder runs between 7 and 8 miles per game on average?

That's seven miles run by a center forward / striker!

Not to mention he created chances and almost bagged one?

And we're being critical of that debut in a derby?

Jesus above! Speaking of which, I think some would actually be critical of Jesus himself if Frank put Him up top!

I'll take Mykolenko over Digne at this point. Watched them both today against the best competition possible. Our young man was better. He obviously has nowhere near Digne's attacking nous yet, but he's the superior defender, and it's not close.

Jamie #292,

I agree wholeheartedly on Garner, but let's make sure we emphasize patience. Garner has played exactly 8 minutes of top-division football in his career, and it was 3 years ago.

Completely agree about the patience with Garner. I just think under Frank he's going to shine.

He was incredibly impressive with Forest when I watched the playoffs. Looked fantastic in my opinion, so I'm just hyped about his future.

But ya, the kid's what? 19? So patience for sure.

"Everton fans may be slightly concerned by their difficult start to the new season, though the current side's plight pales into significance compared to the side of 1994-95.

That season, Everton failed to win any of their first 12 Premier League fixtures, though somehow managed to survive despite four teams being relegated as the division dropped from 22 to 20 teams."

What a team player too. Always covering gaps. Seems a bargain now. Just needs that bit of composure going forward but that will come.

Pickford saved us the point today. Top class. If he could only stop kicking the ball into touch, he'd be hard to have a bad word about.

I'll sleep sound tonight knowing Klopp's sat up in bed wondering what he got wrong.

No discussion on VAR decision. Mentioned Liverpool's poor start to the season. Reluctance to give Everton credit.

They show the Van Dijk foul from a couple of angles, and it's clearly a red but, without explaining why, they say "Ah, it's a difficult one..."

No, it fucking ain't, boys, it's a clear red, and would be every time.

Why does anyone think there will be any provenance from it?

More corrupt than Sky.

That is absolutely hilarious!

Thank You – that's a great story. Literally laughed out loud.

Given how accurate he usually is, I had the definite feeling that Pickford was deliberately kicking the ball into touch for positioning, rugby-style.

Later in the game, especially after Gordon came off, we had Munchkinland up top -- nobody over 5'9". The RS were winning all of Pickford's long balls with ease, and rolling right back down the pitch in waves. At least by giving up throw-ins, he was making them begin from a standing start.

No way to confirm that, of course, but when was the last time you saw him drive five balls over the sideline in one half? To me, it looked suspiciously intentional.

You see – despite being a millionaire footballer – he can't kick with his left foot, so he uses his right foot, even though he's completely at the wrong angle to do that. I would have him in five days a week just shooting with his left foot. Tom Davies, you are a fucking plonker!

Saint Van Dijk, you dirty bastard! Trying to break a fellow pro's leg! Klopp stating that he hopes Nunez didn't react to Everton players targeting him! You hypocrite, Klopp! Two-faced hypocrite!

Carragher, and many other ex-professionals who were ale-house players, do bring the game into disrepute every week via media.

There's a few decent ones working in media, but not many.

Shearer and the Troglodyte on MotD, with Lineker, what a poor showing.

Anyway, Everton is all that counts and Sky, MotD, really don't have any emotional connection for me these days in football terms of the Premier League.

UTFTs!

The RS brother-in-law went as far as to admit... it was more than a yellow, probably not a red though... more a very deep shade of orange.

Based on today, it will be with time and history perhaps a baseline to move forward on all levels at Everton and, dare I say, create a new level for football club excellence at Everton.

But today, Everton didn't turn up and to stand off, they got into Liverpool, with no fear, a Spartan approach, and fearlessly they gave their all and showed the Premier League that Everton will be fighting every game this season for the points,

UTFTs!

I'm in The Paddock and I've seen a lazy bastard who never helped his left-back, just strolling without any direction.

Pull your socks up, Gordon. You're not as good as the media think you are. I've been watching the blues for 50 years, season ticket holder. Without going into detail, Anthony Gordon, you are shite.

Frank needs time and patience to build his own team but so far think he has a nice balance of youth in Mykolenko, Patterson, Onana, Gordon and hopefully Garner and McNeil.

Also we have Warrington and Mills to hopefully come through next season. We have added 3 good experienced players in Gueye, Tarkowski and Coady. Mid-age players that are hungry and have lots more to give in Calvert-Lewin, Maupay, Gray, Pickford, Davies and Doucouré. The squad is taking shape.

Nick @315, Agree with every word.

I thought they all played exceptionally well. Some perhaps more so than others, but there was much to be proud of. With a fully fit squad, we will now be a match for anyone. It's fair to say that they all played their part. If we kick on from this confidence booster today, then we will be climbing the table in no time. It was hard to single anyone out in such a fine display.

I felt a little hard done by for Tom Davies when he was substituted, as he had contributed as much as anyone and was unlucky not to score. But his replacement Gueye, slotted in seamlessly and showed us what we've missed these last years with some classic touches.

Let's get big Dom back and really start blazing a trail now.

Credit goes to Frank and his crew, as well as the leadership of guys like Coady and Tarkowski. Who knows where Frank will take us, but it sure feels a lot better today than most of the last 5 years, even when we were too half with Carlo.

In response to a few points that have been debated above. Today is not the day to criticize Davies or Gray. Tom not only played really well but he used the outside of his right boot because it was the quickest play on the ball, had nothing to do with not having a left foot. And Demarai created our best chance of the day with that run where he serves up Maupay, and that alone deserves credit where due.

As for the refereeing, VVD was a red card all day long. I'm convinced he wasn't sent off as payback for the Pickford foul on him a few years ago. Finally, whether we like it or not, Coady was offside for as long as we have VAR, which is forever.

Oh, and Pickford was just massive today. Who cares if he screams a lot, that's just his nature. And if he kicks a few goal kicks out of bounds, it's worth it for his shot stopping. He's been our best player for the past year, and any suggestion we should sell him for anything less than 㿲 million, or really at all, is ludicrous.

Let's take down Arsenal next week!

The VAR has done us again because, if it's that close and needs looking at for that long, then it's a goal. We just have the wrong name for those pricks who make the decision.

Anyone calling out Tom Davies for not scoring needs to have a close look at that effort because you don't get time to adjust your feet so he took his chance with the outside of his right foot and almost scored an absolute cracker.

Very clear to me that Frank Lampard has a plan and has been drilling the team in training with clear improvements on so many players. Biggest of all improvements is to stop conceding goals and avoid defeat and the wins will come.

Seems wrong to be happy with a draw at home but I can look beyond that given the battle that our boys put up.

I'm in full agreement with your first paragraph, and you are spot on with the air, of not only pure optimism, which most of us have had for far too long without any tangible feedback from the team, but a genuine feeling that Frank is steering us in the right direction. Play like we did today and I believe we won't lose too many matches.

We have a good blend of youth and experience which seem to join together seamlessly. My only cautious concern is possibly the lack of goals that today proved to be the difference between winning and drawing. Of course it doesn't help when dubious VAR decisions deprive you of them too.

I suppose the yardstick will be next week against Arsenal, if we can stop them scoring and possibly nick one ourselves, I believe that will get us well up the Table, and also send a message out that we mean business this season.

My god, it felt good! Great game of footy, unlucky not to win it, we were the better and more dangerous side as the commentator said (thank you Optus Sport).

I said Gana was wrong to return; I should have kept my mouth shut… stunning level, way above what we have seen in recent years.

I also said this game was the beginning to our season, absolute marker. When you see Everton play like this, you understand why so many of us were hurt and angry about how far we had fallen. I stand by my earlier remarks that we could push for Europa League this season; on that performance, it's more than achievable!

A few points stood out for me:

Pickford – nothing got past him today, world class. Alisson, same.

Maupay ran his legs off but I think he isn't as fit or match fit as the rest of the team; a few more weeks of intensive training will sharpen him up.

Gray almost have an excellent game but his deliveries are random, it lets him down badly.

Defence is going to be awesome this season, as is midfield Onana, that tackle by Van Dijk warranted a red by anyone's standard, it was intentional and should be looked at again by the referees, a disgraceful player in my opinion. I almost think it was Karma the way Pickford crocked him a while back...

Funny but didn't think this was one of Gordon's better games.

Iwobi... there was a player inside him trying to get out for so long. He looks class now.

The trick now will be to give this level of performance to put wins on the board against other teams, but it's reassuring to see that the quality and effort was there in abundance, they looked like a team for the first time in years.

The offside goal? if the ball came off two players at once, it cannot be offside. I have to agree also that a defender leans forward and so does the attacker, this gives an unfair advantage to the defender when assessing the VAR.

It has to be based on feet on the ground or clear daylight between attacker and defender. You cannot split hairs by making the lines thicker or if someone's elbow plays them offside... ridiculous law and stupid interpretation by idiots.

Well done blues!

But as I said earlier, in such a short time, Frank has produced a team we can be proud of. Long may it last.

Thought having a mobile, hard-working forward on the pitch made a huge difference. Sure, Maupay should have scored his chance but he worked incredibly hard and kept their centre-halves busy.

Right — as opposed to the perennially injured Delph, Gbamin and of course Gomes. Massive improvement in the new personnel and a massive improvement in the surviving Iwobi since Frank came on board too.

What did he then do? Pointed to his temples and urged the players to refocus and carry on as we were. Captain material and a leader's response if ever I saw one. Fantastic player.

Liverpool, according to them, have 30 games to improve this season, with no mention of Everton. No acceptance of that clear dirty Van Dijk foul, a definite red and no VAR discussion – afraid to, they attacked VAR left right and centre in previous games.

I never liked Lineker as an Everton p!ayer anyway. A great team was sacrificed so he could become a top scorer. If I am tired, MotD can do one from now on.

I thought we were great. We gave them a proper game. We were even taking quick free kicks with minutes to go, which shows that we believed we were good enough to win it.

For their first derbies, I thought Patterson and Onana were fearless, particularly Patterson who was 100% into it from the start. Onana, to his credit, grew into the game after his booking. I think we've got ourselves a real player there.

Even though Davies was decent, Gana oozed class from the moment he stepped on the pitch.

I'm finding Iwobi a joy to watch. So tidy in possession, and tireless running. Iwobi, Gueye and Onana could be quite something.

Last word for Pickford. Not the first time we pick up points due to his brilliance.

Laying in bed last night after watching again on 'Match of the Day', basking in the glow of matching and almost mastering Liverpool in every department. The thought occurred to me that there are distinct parallels in how our team is now growing, along with our stadium, back to greatness, where we rightly belong. We are indeed now 'On the march with Frankie's army!' All the way to Bramley-Moore Dock.

Make no mistake, every Kopite who witnessed our resurgence yesterday will be gutted by the prospect of what is in store for Everton in the next few years to come.

Beware, Herr Klopp, we are on our way back.

I thought the game could have gone either way with both goalies MotMs for their teams.

We need to get quality players in quickly to surround Onana as that lad has a serious future in the game.

Over the years, we go into derbies having to face 12 men with the ref generally giving us nothing. Yesterday we had 13 against 11. The VAR is manned by the same incompetent retired refs that we have all had to suffer for years. There is massive bias towards the top teams, the same teams that tried to form their own Super League!

Their left back doesn't get a booking for multiple fouls but Onana gets one for his first foul. Would the red have changed his yellow for Van Dijk if Onana had a broken leg with that studs-up rack down the shin.

The game has gone. Match going fans are being short changed. We pay our money to watch footballers and the beautiful game not to watch an egotistical bureaucratic non footballers ruin the game.

I have to mention the so-called 'friendly derby' is now being treated like an old-school '80s hooligan game by the police. I am in the Park End and could not access and exit via the Bullens. We had to make our way out of one exit for the whole stand which felt totally wrong.

Anyhow, rant over. Coyb

"Anyone calling out Tom Davies for not scoring needs to have a close look at that effort because you don't get time to adjust your feet so he took his chance with the outside of his right foot and almost scored an absolute cracker."

Very surprised nobody else has mentioned it.

Game could have gone either way, with both keepers having stand out performances. However, that dirty vile rat, Virgin Van Dick should have seen red, no question whatsoever, which could have totally changed in the game in our favour. Allan last season had a yellow card upgraded to a red, despite his challenge on Saint Maximim in no way being dangerous, cynical yes, but not dangerous. Just the other week, Kieran Trippier had a straight red overturned after a knee high dangerous challenge on De Bruyne. Both decisions made by VAR during the game, yet it seems that VAR decided not to intervene in that disgusting challenge by that rat. Or did they, I don't know, but normally you see on the screen “Possible red card review for dangerous play”, so I doubt VAR did review it.

As for the disallowed goal, I'm reading one or two comments on here that the ball took a deflection off Milner before Coady put it away. I always thought it was when the actual pass was made which determines if you are onside or not, so in that case was Coady offside, even though Milner touched it, I don't know?

I always say would take a point before every derby, so feel slightly disappointed to have only drawn if that goal should have stood. But then again, we all know why the VAR was introduced into the Premier League, to help the so called big six clubs out, be it to help them hang onto a win, or until they can find an equaliser should they be losing. Look at the disallowed West Ham goal yesterday. If that is a foul by Bowen on Mendy then football in this country is finished. Never in a million years is that a foul. Bowen was trying to jump over Mendy but caught him. Doesn't make it a foul though. Mendy had fucked up with his attempt to clear the ball then pretends to be injured.

Anyway, that's it, apart from one thing………..Loved it when Iwobi took the piss out of Salad with his drag back and turn on the touchline on the main stand side. Salad looked totally gobsmacked!

The piece of skill from Iwobi was sublime, one of the best moments of the game. It shows how far Iwobi has come to demonstrate confidence of that level.

Bring on the Arse! (you know what I mean).

UTFT

Apart for that. It was great to be sitting in the Upper Bullens and not hearing the RS supporters; right throughout the match and after...nothing. I don't know weather they sang cheered shouted or just shut up. What was great, was that we sang, cheered, roared, booed and generally supported our team through every pass, tackle shot or save!

I'm sure the Reds were unpleasantly surprised, by the game our lads gave them. Everyone of them played their hearts out, we played a lot of good football, looked cohesive and organised. It was a mixture of skill, determination, Character and energy. All those who have been praised on here, deserved it and I agree. However, I just want to make a couple of points about those players who I thought did really well; but maybe didn't get as much as they deserved.

I think Maupey had a good game. His all round play, challenging their back line, sometimes on his own, his link up play, coming back to harry them when they were advancing and his effort throught the match was encouraging. He might not be up to speed yet, but he got in positions to score, at least three times. He was in the right place and the goals will come. I think Gray will be a goal threat theroughout the season and he is excellent on the one twos and crosses.

Overall, we were a team, and that includes the supporters.

He also snatched at the chance that fell to Maupay, after initially, cleverly pulling himself back, when Grey burst into the box, so maybe the occasion got to him after what must have been a very stressful few weeks?

Maupay, worked hard but I'll bet you he didn't get much sleep last night, because he should have won us the game with a nutmeg, after initially showing a great first touch and loads of calmness, before eventually rushing his shot.

Anthony Taylor, so poor, although it can't be easy for these refs when you consider the power certain managers and teams have? Two things that most people hate though is injustice and double standards, and Taylor definitely proved himself with my second gripe, on more than one occasion yesterday, even waiting until the 96th minute to book Pickford for time wasting, which proves (to me at least) that these refs constantly have each other's back's.

This is something that definitely needs to be stamped out of the professional game, and although we were told that we would be able to hear the conversations taking place, between the ref and his mate in the VAR room, at the end of games, has anyone heard such a conversation up to now?

I was reading yesterday that in this window the Premier league has spent £1.9 billion thats more than La Liga, Serie A and the German league put together. Amazing how football has lost all touch with reality, we have fans collecting for foodbanks outside grounds, and clubs are spending these amounts of money. Something has seriously gone wrong with our society when this happens.

I thought Gordon was a bit off the boil too, maybe all the transfer talk has got to him, but he'll be back.

The performance was superb, so different than last season. Different attitude, great work ethic and a desire to get the ball forward quickly showed what we have been missing and why fans were becoming so disaffected.

Pity the occasion was marred by the not untypical behaviour of some Liverpool fans, but that does not excuse the moron throwing a bottle towards Klopp. We definitely do not want kind of behaviour from Everton fans

I remember being in that clock end for that game in 85. We lost to an iffy penalty (Charlie ridiculous) but then went on an amazing 20-game run to lift the title.

Personally, I would have a VAR from abroad. Fly them in the day before and home the next day. This would allow a different perspective and take away any questions about supporting the top 6 clubs in getting big decisions.

Sadly it may look like bigger clubs get the big decisions but pressure and being human can influence decision-making. All I know is the Premier League is entertainment and the brand must deliver.

Lampard makes his point as Everton fans buy into improved showing

Wonderful people, the Evertonians. Blue taxi drivers all thought I was here to see Liverpool, no thanks, mate, it's all Everton! Until next time, UTFantasticT.

Maybe the transfer saga caught up with him. He still has to negotiate his new contract with the numpties at Everton, who wanted him transferred. Frank successfully threw a spanner in the works. But it still leaves Gordon wondering.

Pickford was excellent. Even had defenders organised to cover saved rebounds.

Lampard is slowly restoring our self-respect. Let's just hope it's not another false dawn. COYB!!!

More positive than most media will allow themselves for Everton, even when it's fully justified, but with the obligatory snipe at Lampard's persona (which I absolutely do not see with even a most objective outlook; he's obviously resented in that world for some unknown reason).

Still, any positivity from any of the usual suspects is a step and an indicator, I guess. Btw, it was The Guardian.

Don't know what posts you've made elsewhere 'til I've read everything, but that above is not enough... article on that first visit needed, I think...

As Liew says, it looks as if Lampard is a manager who is learning his trade, who has made mistakes, but who is prepared to learn from them. Assembling a squad with a balance of youth and experience, grit and guile; a squad with a long-lost and longed-for narkiness. Getting performances (consistently!) out of the likes of Iwobi that we would never have imagined.

Add the quietly-executed football and business nous of our new DoF. All left to get on with it with no interference from others.

It was the Observer I read it in – hard copy. Soft copy is Guardian-linked. Same stable.

No! Surely not...

I'm only surprised he even said it. Corruption runs deep, loyalty to corruption, often even deeper.

I have to disagree with your best XI, Iwobi has shown his best position is where he's playing now, as an attacking midfielder, he's not a winger.

I did wonder after I posted, about standardization and sharing. I've never actually bought a physical newspaper in 30-odd years so am not up with the intricacies.

Let's face it, the whole debacle is essentially one thing anyway. "Easter Bunny" will ring a few bells with some.

I made my first trip to Goodison when I was 7 years old. It took me so long as my dad, and brothers, was a red and he couldn't understand my choice and was really uncomfortable going to watch Everton. I think once he saw my face (sheer joy and enchantment) he gave up any hope of ever converting me into a Red Shite.

Despite all the pain and disappointment over the last three decades I've never regretted my divinely inspired decision. You either get it or you don't. Like Mike Gaynes, and others, once you've made your first pilgrimage, there's no going back.

A very true and accurate assumption, sadly most articles and pundits on Sky, BBC and BT are ex redshites, and have their blinkers on and can only see one team.

Granted, they rode their luck as teams have to against the attack force of Liverpool but everyone performed admirably and, although it may be unfair to single out one player above the others, I have to say I am so impressed with the advancement of Gordon, Patterson and Iwobi.

Demarai Gray is really showing his speed and Onana looks like a real steal as well as the real deal.

I was hoping for a fairytale debut for Maupay but that only happens to other players at other clubs.

I've got up today, and can't shake the notion of why these referees, have already got pre-conceived ideas in their heads. Like the journalist articulates so well, football never leaves us, and that's why it bothers me so much, because these pre-conceived ideas, take away from notion (to me) that the sport is supposedly being officiated fairly, which means that thousands of supporters often feel cheated, every week.

We only want to see a good game of football, and although this was witnessed yesterday, and the draw felt like a fair result in the end, sometimes it still felt like Anthony Taylor favoured Liverpool yesterday, but maybe that's just because I'm an Evertonian? I will speak with one of my Liverpudlian mates tomorrow, and see if he can change my mind!

Oh, my, was it really that long ago?

Theres no doubt the Top 6 teams get a 10-point lead before a ball is kicked each season.

Iwobi has fast become close to our star player, the lad had a blinder again.

I've already mentioned Patterson, I like Gray also, he nearly always looks dangerous when he runs at the opposition.

I just hope we can miss serious injury to our best players, we are due some luck surely.

The Premier League looks particularly difficult this season, there's little to choose ability-wise from 9th to 20th, so I fancy it's going to be a hard slog.

Sounds a bit corny but we have to grow with him as besides his in-game management being a bit ropey, I'm sure that will improve with at least a better bench.

Although I didn't attend and add to the cheering, it's a wonder you didn't hear me shouting at the TV and the injustices, I live in Chester over 20 miles away, from both the RS players and the unbiased referee(?).

I don't know about you, but I felt that this just could be the start of a new era, with our present squad. It's a long time since I saw that desire and passion in a game, along with a good blend of skill, and as I said I believe we deserved all 3 points. How they finished with eleven men too, also a mystery.

A mystery?

What am I talking about?

It was just downright daylight robbery!

Players might need to start prosecuting each other before the disgusting fouls of the elite clubs are taken seriously.

We could see a team developing. We could see the gulf that had existed between them and us was closing. I remember the feeling like it was yesterday… in fact, I experienced it again yesterday.

I'm not saying we will win the Premier League next season, but I think we are witnessing the laying of foundations upon which a team to compete with the best is being built.

We had our chances. Davies was desperately unlucky. The ball was not passed to him. It arrived at him very quickly from a block challenge a hard away leaving him no chance of adjusting his feet. His improvisation maybe deserved a little more.

I thought Maupay should have buried his. He had time to take a touch and anything either side of Allison or along the floor is in the net. He'll miss other chances too, but his attitude and effort was top class. I was made up with him. He'll get his share.

I was quite satisfied until I made the mistake of watching MotD just now. Listening to Shearer try to claim St Virgil's cowardly tackle only warranted a yellow made me want to throw up.

This lot have done nothing but bleat and whine since Pickford's challenge on him two seasons ago. Pickford is a goalie trained to smother and spread himself and his challenge was clumsy. But RS captain is a defender who earns a living tackling other players. He knew exactly what he was doing. He intended to maim.

I'm not a regular user of the C-word, but I'll make an exception for the Liverpool captain.

Cunt.

Yesterday gave me feelings similar to the first ever all-Merseyside Cup Final, Dave, but I'm not going to get excited just yet, especially because football has moved on and there's a lot of strong teams around right now.

The team has a different mentality now and that is the thing that encourages me so much. I definitely think we are on our way back.

A massive police presence with riot gear is strange because they are the most humorous and misunderstood fans on the planet. Rather die with our history than live with theirs. Total bandwagon lowlives… fuck 'em. We are on our way back.

Credit to Thelwell and Lampard. Without getting carried away, but in one window, you can see a plan and strategy to building a team.

Enjoyed that article Brent. Thanks for sharing the link.

The reporter is somehow bemused as to why we as Evertionans even bother turning up and supporting our club through what has been some terrible years.
As if we should just support one of the sky 6 as its been so long since we've had success.
The swipes at lampard a bit low. Now he's the Everton manager he's fair game for knocking down a peg 2 by the media. It didn't happen when he was chelsea manager.
In fact the media claimed Frank was harshly treated at Chelsea, yet keeps us up, under extreme pressure, with a terrible squad to call on, with a bad injury list, yet seems they don't want to give him any credit for it, as if it was a given we should of been safe.

When fans who watched us last season know when Rafa left, he left us in utter disarray, totally lacking in desire,effort, discipline or organisation.
What frank and staff have done in a short space of time is immense.
You get the feeling the media are just waiting for him to slip up to jump on him.
Yet they continually support the lego head at villa, this is the narrative that we need to turn in our favour, to create the spirit and togetherness. Frank seems to get it and using it to fire up the players.

Ian - conditioning.

A long way to go so trying not to get carried away but like Dave Cashen, I had the same thought yesterday as I did in 1984.

We are definitely on the way back, need to keep it going, the players fit and the fabulous support booming!

Hilarious when he turned up for our 2-0 win at Anfield, expecting that Justice Would Be Done.

He's in decline anyway. Like a few others in that side - pleased to see the Rat Robertson all over the place.

We don't need to dwell on them. We're defining ourselves.

Its bent as anything, their centre half with that tackle. If thats the other way Onana and I know hed been booked, walks.

were going to have to bite the bullet because it wont get better itll get worse, because theyve got a brand to protect, and they wouldnt like to upset the market in the Far East etc.

Remember that line from Richard Scudamore when Leicester were going for the league. Itd be better for the brand if United won the league. Shocking, the irony was Spurs were their nearest challengers.

Our performance was excellent, but we have to back it up with more of the same, with some wins to get points on the board.

You're only as good as your Next game.

And Christine ill tell you why it wasnt looked at. Its because it was Them. Could you imagine Bingo if that lanky streak of piss had been sent off, there would have been questions in Parliament. Knocks me sick.

What really annoys me more is having just watched match of the day, none of them thought it was a red card, or more important had the balls to tell the fucking truth.
Is Shearer really trying to tell us if that tackle had been made on their new stiker Isak on Weds he would have said the ref got that right - no chance -, absolute cowards and corrupt shower of fuckers.

And then there is this fucking idiot
"Speaking to BT Sport, Walton claimed: “The threshold on that one if there's any force used against the foot it's a yellow card. If the force is used to the shin it could be elevated to a red card."
Is he fucking blind.
VAR decisions on these offside decisions because of a fucking elbow or whatever has to be looked at.

Also, Referees and VARs should be interviewed after each game.

It's billed as technology to change the game but it's not like the goalline technology, which is definitive.

I like the idea of having a ref who is not watching the match but when var is called for it is presented to them in a simulation style, so no team, players or stadium is shown it is an anonymous decision. They would not know which team or players are affected by the decision.

Sky, BT and BBC all already have and use this technology. It's already used for the over the goal line decision.

A trial would be interesting, to see if the refs are affected by the teams, players or what's happened in the rest of the match.

I am pretty confident a lot of decisions would go differently if these refs were not under pressure of the money, enormity and repercussions of their decisions.

But surely this is not what the clubs who benefit would allow, an even playing field??

Look at Mike Dean's wrongful decision that cost Chelsea against Spurs. Tuchel got fined for questioning the decision, and Dean wrote in his column in the Daily Mail, which he gets paid for, he made a mistake. You couldn't make it up.

I say it again, look how professional the Rugby Union officials are, treat the players with respect, decisions that go to the TMO are discussed with the ref, the captains, players and the fans can hear everything, and the decisions are 100% correct, and take less than a minute. But the FA are too arrogant to follow their lead.

"Is he blind?"

I doubt it, mate, but those Sky blinkers really do seem to restrict the vision.

Meant to say earlier. If that Patterson thinks for one minute that he can swan into this club and win the hearts of the faithful in the same manner Seamus did... he isn't half going about it in the right way!

MotD, will be getting a low priority now, you can't make it up.

Fuenes got sent off at our old ground for a very similar tackle 5 years ago.

I'd love to have a live debate with these pundits, who reckon they are the oracles on all matters football.

Young players seeing the Dutch clogs tackle from yesterday will see its as allowable.

But the reality is the Premier League is pro-media and is seemingly unaccountable for the quality of the VAR, and is driving a culture of shithouse referees on the whole, who won't take responsibility in a match.

For me, it's killing the game and the spontaneity is gone. The Premier League could easily afford to have a VAR at all grounds rather than at a control hub in Stockley Park.

Now for Arsenal and hopefully Everton can start with the team which finished the derby.

Two gratuitous challenges, it's not an exaggeration to say James was never the same player afterwards. The other thing they have in common, he puts his whole weight into the challenges.

When he 'accidentally stepped across James, and when his motion 'accdientally took him right over Onana. The ball was nowhere to be seen. When you compare that to the totally accidental clash with Pickford and the hullabaloo which still follows it to this day,

I think that's been the worst thing about the last couple of years, buying players that we thought were going to be great, and they were so offing bang average ie Allan and Doucoure. and we weren't buying potential with those two, we paid good money for them to be oven ready.

And for many games, they were crazy bad. Allan flying into tackles and leaving the whole field behind him, Doucoure, just losing fifty fifties with players half his size..what a nightmare. Thankfully that's all behind us now

The VAR is proving to be a disaster and, instead of making the game better and fairer, it is killing the game.

I have a different view of Tom's snap shot.

Tom clearly felt that he didn't have time to take a touch to put the ball on his left foot, so elected to hit the ball with the outside of his right boot. Nearly became a hero.

If he had opted to take the touch, he would have been crowded out and the chance would have been snuffed out. Just my take on what I saw.

Still, we have a team on the up and when the goals start coming Everton will climb the table. COYB

40,000 family members reached down and offered their hand to Onana on the floor..

We know we can give anyone in the Premier Leauge a game now. It's a benchmark.

Onwards and upwards.

Even they asked the question, what do you think of the tackle on Onana, which seemed to suprise Frank, he responded by saying, I have not been asked about that by anyone else, you are the first, then replies it's a Red card.

Yet with the witch hunt for over 2 years on Pickford by the media, not one of them asked Frank the question about why var did not advise the ref to have another look.

And that my friends are what we are up against, a corrupt var to help the big boys, and a media that will not dare go against the big teams, but will openly stir trouble and even end up Pickford receiving death threats, all because of a daily media campaign against Pickford, yet the silence on vvd is deafening.

One final note, after all the 8 minutes drama of the Red shites winners in midweek, the ref covered his back, by booking Pickford in stoppage time, should they again get a late winner, after the additional add on time. He then has a get out of jail free card on the Pickford booking.

We stuck it up them yesterday, every single player should hold their heads up high, brilliant performance and effort.

We may have been screwed over, but the Green shoots of recovery are there, once we get Calvert -Lewin back in, I see a strong team there, Deffo on the way back.

At last Everton have got their identity back, bit of patience guys, we are getting there.

Agreed. It shows his confidence is up. Remember a year ago he had a much easier chance and more time and elected to pass to the offside Mina.

I did get annoyed with his lack of pace and ball control once when Gordon played him through and he lost it. But in terms of his very limited ability to play football, he is currently maximizing his potential at the moment.

I have stopped watching MotD because it has become so vanilla. The talking heads are so inconsistent and biased that they have turned me off. The show producers are way too timid, sadly, to highlight the inconsistencies in refereeing, VAR and the EPL / FA.

Yesterday post-match, in a throw-away comment, a commentator said of Virgil van Dijk, "He is nowhere near the player he was before his injury, he never recovered."

He is playing on a flawed reputation that will end in ignominy, in a cesspit of his own making, wait, he is there already...

An instinctive first-time hit just a few centimetres away from a goal. On a few other occasions, we had chances but took one touch to set it up, then it was snuffed out or saved. Tom's not an attacker but that was good play from him there.

I'm hoping Frank can drill into Maupay and our other forwards the importance of one-touch finishing and practice it as it gives the goalie no time to adjust. With regards this, I hope Calvert-Lewin comes back in his Carlo / Inzaghi form; I think the service will come to him if he does.

If we can sell him back to London in the next window without losing too much money, do it!

Why would we want to sell a young, hungry performing midfield player who is on the up?

Midfield has been an area where we have lacked for many years. Alex along with Onana, Gueye and hopefully Garner bring great energy and talent which should improve us.

Not sure if you're just being controversial or not but if not…..Iwobi moves the ball forward. He retains possession. He's strong in the challenge. He sets up play. He's become an all-action sensation.

His next step is to add goals (5–10 a season) to really become top class.

If you've ever played the game then you'll notice how he closes players down, accepts the ball under pressure (without losing it), tries to play forward, provides a screen when the opposition have it.

Sounds patronising but it's really hard to explain if you can't see it (as in it's pretty obvious). But then if you don't play the game then maybe not (that's the only explanation I can think of if you're being genuine).

Not played professionally but did play for England U19s and semi-professionally.

I really want to get on board with this Iwobi love-in because I love Everton but I'm just not seeing it at all. It's like the Emperor's New Clothes to me.

Onwards and upwards!

Iwobi has the most passes in the Everton team this season. He made the most passes in our team yesterday. He's making us tick, running his heart out, tackling, intercepting, tracking back, playing forward.

Our most improved and consistent performing player this season and for a good chunk of last season.

I'm one of many who doubted he could hold down a place in the team; I hold my hands up. I thought he would be another big contract weighing down the club while not playing.

But credit to the lad and credit to Frank for getting the best out of him.
I think he's improving still too. He's playing where he's always wanted to, but never got the chance. The more he plays there, the better he will get too IMO.

You are entitled to your opinion, Mike, but I have a feeling you are watching a different player to me.

Van Dijk should hang his head in shame for this. Everybody who has ever played the game knows what this is:-

Over the top

I believe Gana and Onana will give Iwobi the chance to affect things a bit further forward this season. Hopefully meaning he will end up with more goals and assists. He is the one who can play through the lines. He sees the passes that others don't. Probably our most technical player.

If Frank can do this with a player who, let's face it, most of us had written off, maybe we shouldn't write of Tom Davies either just yet. Frank obviously trusts Tom, more than he ever did Gomes, and even Allan it looks like too.

I'm not a statistics watcher, players can play 10 quick passes to each other, under no pressure, just to improve their stats. Midfielders can play safe and keep possession rather than attempt a killer pass.

I think I can recognise a good player and an overrated one.

I often said one of his virtues was that, as much as he confused himself and our players, he was that unpredictable that he equally confused the opposition.

Since Lampard came in, he has definitely grown in stature and confidence. If you watch him closely, he has a knack of retaining possession in tight spaces, winning the ball back and recycling as well as wanting the ball. He is an asset if he has confidence and belief.

Like a lot of our players, he is now comfortable on the ball and wanting the ball. He and they are not afraid of the football.

The Alex Iwobi I have watched since January is a very different one from the lost soul I watch prior to that in his Everton career. He is an asset to the team.

I hope you're right, but whenever I watch him I feel I'm hoping for something positive but fearing mediocrity. I've honestly not seen a thing that changes that apart from a bit more effort than when he was getting slated by everyone!

I don't think you'd get a long line of clubs willing to pay what we paid for him, despite the hyper-inflation in transfer fees.

Some stats from yesterday's game:

Touches - 47

Shots - 1

Successful passes - 32

Successful forward passes - 22

Successful attacking third passes - 11

Chances created - 1

Pass accuracy - 86%

Recoveries - 7

Clearances - 3

Successful tackles - 1

Them stats are not bad against the best team that ever walked this earth according to the shitbag media.

Alex is no world beater by any stretch, by god though Frank has turned him into a very vital cog in our midfield, a turnaround of major proportions for what we have witnessed since his arrival from Arsenal.

If you haven't noticed his passing ability improve under frank, or his ability to make space & play the ball forward (against Leeds for Gordon's goal) then I think you might have to watch past games before Frank & his coaching team rocked up.

I've seen the difference, it may just be me.

I'd add to what everyone else has said about his vision, composure on the ball, and pace that not only is his workrate incredible, but he never dives, never complains, and goes about his business in a humble way that belies his tenacity.

I'd also echo the comment above about how he's had so little time to play the central midfield position that he's always known is his best and that he plays for Nigeria. If he keeps this up all season, I have no doubt the top clubs will come calling with at least 㿔-50 million on the table.

I'm in just as much awe with his turnaround as everyone else. He's clearly a confidence player, too, and now he's got it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlsw6LWN4Z8

Someone, who thought he knew more than others on football, stated that I didn't understand when Coleman,not under pressure and with time, in our own half (not far off the halfway line) looked up then gave it to Pickford and ran forward.

By moving with the ball it creates space or he carries it forward towards the opposition penalty box, Onana looks to do the same and it's something that has been missing may be as far back as James, it creates space by making the opposition commit and maybe give them less time to get organized.

Gordon and Gray can do it further forward, and we're told McNeil also, which gives us so much all over the park especially if our striker can keep the central defenders occupied.

Apologies if anyone thinks I'm teaching them to suck eggs.

Special shout out to Pickford, Patterson, Iwobi and Onana. Maupay grafted, I would say to those already writing him off, this is his first game of the season and the guy ran his arse off for us.

I talked about 'green shoots' after Brentford, again after Leeds, now I can see something emerging which might even resemble a football team. It's been a long time.

I would however suggest a little caution for those who are now claiming we are Barcelona. I often go on and on about our unrealistic expectations fuelling our perpetual disappointment which translates to the players in toxic negativity.

I for one am nurturing a feeling of optimism we may actually be able to compete this year, I will however be trying to temper that and replace it with a realistic sense of what might be possible. I will take a cup run and mid-table mediocrity if there are continued signs of development. That would be progress.

Onana, Patterson, Myko, Garner et al are going to get better and better and are all young. They need time, patience and our support.

Manage your expectations, guys, and if we stay behind Frank and the team, we might raise a few eyebrows this season. Now for that first win. COYB.

I noticed that Van Dijk missed his tackle on Davies and his foot landed into his ankle joint, just after Tom had fired his shot.

This is a poorly timed tackle and a foul in any other part of the pitch. On Saturday, it just goes completely unnoticed, unpoken of, not an issue for anyone.

If Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz was the recipient of that from Tarkowski, they would be rolling on the floor with their hand in the air, demanding attention from the ref and the VAR.

I've seen it before, it's an in the box oddity, if the shot gets away, any foul after it gets brushed aside as irrelevant.

We are still winless though and that needs to change asap. Good performances are not enough on their own.

I fear our lack of cutting-edge and no clinical goalscorer currently will continue to be our undoing. Maupay is not the answer – his stats and chances missed over the last few years show that.

The club should have moved heaven and earth to sign a proven goalscorer to give us a cutting-edge before the window shut. Big mistake to not do that and could cost us points.

We cannot afford to put all our eggs in one basket and assume DCL will be back soon, stay fit, and find his form quickly. Dangerous game to play if none of that happens. Bit like when we wrote a large portion of last season off on players coming back from injury to save us and because we had games in hand that turned out to be not much use.

The other major issue that came up again at numerous games over the weekend (including ours) is how shockingly bad referees are currently and how rubbish the VAR is. Something needs to be done about this before it kills the game.

Time to ditch the VAR as a failed experiment and tackle the inept standard of refs. Refs were better when they were amateurs years ago – not sure how they can have got so much worse since turning professional!

Make them accountable, make them available for interview after games to explain decisions, get more ex-players into it who know the game and stop making refs god-like figures who cannot be criticised. They should be shown respect but that does not mean they are beyond criticism.

What do you want Iwobi to play like?

We are all frustrated by the obvious lack of goals and wins this season but that is a team and manager problem.

He is given the role of closing down, winning back possession and keeping it simple. Without doubt the biggest turnaround in form that I can ever remember of any Everton player.

I am not saying he is a frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard or Paul Scholes but he is better than anything we have and must be one of the first names on team sheet.

I think the majority of years Moyes teams were better than mid-table, but I take your point that the lack of a top goal scorer made a big difference. That's why Martinez was successful early on when he got Lukaku in and had Moyes's solid defence to rely on. But his attitude to drilling his defenders and working on defending corners cost him his job.

While I was not enamoured when Lampard plays 5 at the back, hopefully with signing Gueye he will now play 4-3-3. They looked much more comfortable playing that system, and I think Onana in a forward role will help enormously.

I think it was asking the impossible in one window to go from a relegation team to a mid-table team, but I am more positive now than I was a few weeks back of avoiding being back in the Bottom 3.

Despite all the improvements the new signings have made, we still look like a team with very few goals and everybody knew Maupay wasn't even in Lampard's thinking a fortnight ago but he was forced into the move when his other options weren't available. I have read Brighton supporters saying he works very hard for the team but misses too many good chances, which was highlighted again on Saturday.

I am also not convinced the return of Calvert-Lewin is the answer to our problems. No team can rely on just the striker to score goals, that's why Richarlison was invaluable with his goals from the flanks. Now if we had this team with Richarlison and a top striker, then that would be something to be excited about, but that ship has sailed.

I just hope we can find enough goals in this team to keep us away from the relegation zone. Yes, there are many positives in this squad but goals win games and, even with the improvements, this is the one area that is sadly lacking in this squad.

Calvert-Lewin got 5 in 17, being unfit for many of those appearances and often playing in an awful team. He will probably get about 15 this season if he plays about 30 games.

I think the strategy this season is that Calvert-Lewin, Maupay, Gray, Gordon and, to some degree, Iwobi and McNeil share the goals between them.

The latter two have by no means been prolific but, in a good team playing a 4-3-3, they can and will contribute.

Top 10 this season, properly competitive for Europe next.

Yes, Iwobi has improved enormously in the last few months and is at the moment an asset to the team with his energy and improved play but, when it gets to the final third of the field, then he doesn't take control and responsibility, is too eager to give the ball away rather than use the space and have a shot on goal.

He's proved he can score but still doesn't have the confidence to take control and use the ball in the penalty area. His energy is used to intercept the ball, he will never win many 50-50 tackles, he still shies away from fighting for the ball.

You can't have everything and he is worth his place. Maybe if he watches Gana, he will learn how to really get stuck in and tackle for the ball but I doubt he has got that in his locker.

We have scored 4 goals (1 own-goal) while the Top 4 teams are all in double figures. Of particular concern is midfield where we will be lucky to accumulate 5 all season. We can not rely on just one striker to provide all the goals.

Richarlison was brilliant for Spurs on Saturday. He looks a better player with better players around him. Their front three are capable of scoring 40 goals in a season. Maupay doesn't look to be the answer.

I just hope who I think will become our most important player's ankle is okay after that thug (another media favourite) stamped on it.

Iwobi and McNeil have played 10 full Premier League seasons between them and neither has ever scored more than 3 in a season.

McNeil hasn't scored for 18 months.

Iwobi has averaged 1 per season for us. I can't see them suddenly becoming prolific, I'm afraid.

I'm mildly surprised we spent as much as we did and, if the numbers I've seen our correct, I suspect we face another Richarlison-style sale immediately after the season ends to balance the books.

While one could argue we have disinvested in attack, we have increased strength in defence and especially midfield. Building from the back seems like a sensible policy when you don't have the resource to do it all at once.

I'm also pining for that first win, but I feared a more depressing start than we have had and there is the makings of a halfway decent team there.

We haven't got a midfield that will create an abundance of chances for forwards and forwards that are prolific goal scorers. I think Roberts is a little optimistic talking about Top 10, although I hope he's right obviously.

Maupay did score 8 goals out of 25 starts last season which is far from terrible, we need to get behind the lad not knock him.

The last three games have seen a step up in quality and four at the back must be retained.

Defence looking solid, the two young full-backs are impressive and Gana will help midfield so we don't get overrun each game as we were last season.

However, the lack of goals is a massive negative and one that I fear will keep us in the bottom 6 or 8 until it is resolved.

Something was going off at the Park End as we arrived at the ground and the Park End exit nearest to Bullens Road was blocked off at full time.

I noted in my earlier post:

"I was passing the entrance to the away section about 40 minutes before kick off. Wow, did it kick off. Those feckers know how to be nasty. Not just the smoke bombs set off, but the barriers channelling the queues upended and stormed over. I noticed the turnstiles were then kept locked for a while - should have stayed shut."

What was also noticeable after the game was the central reservation of Walton Lane, going from the Park End in the city direction. A PC every two or three yards, and all with heavier boots etc than usual plus many carrying protective helmets on their belts. I wonder if they'd had a tip off or their own intelligence told them something was afoot.

Frank in a short space of time has transformed the look of the side. Solid, energy, tactically aware and comfortable on the ball. It's a young side as well which can improve.

I'm with you on Calvert-Lewin. He's not the answer to everything but, when he gets a run of games, he will get goals. He will also take some of the defence's attention, hopefully giving the wide men, Gordon, Gray & mcneil a bit more space.

It was only one season, last season, he suffered with injury, so I don't get why Calvert-Lewin has been labelled injury-prone. He played over 30 in the four years before last. Hardly a Gbamin or Mina, is he?

People can make judgments and have opinions on players that's all good, but some posters will ignore facts, like with Iwobi. One poster said "they are not a stat watcher" well stats don't tell the whole picture but they are facts and not conjecture, or opinions.

Stats cut through the hearsay and the myths & things that are repeated so often, people start to believe them as facts.

Like the myth Calvert-Lewin is and always was injury-prone.

We look competitive and a lot more stable and secure at the back too,even though we have a few tough games looming,am sure we'll be tough to beat and we'll improve further still.

Looking forward to this season now...but that VAR is still shite!

Sam Allardyce has a 100% winning record as England manager.

Massive Howler not signing Diaz. We may well have won.

Obvious red for Van Dijk. Leg-breaker.

I have already expressed my opinion on that tackle, but listening to Dermot Gallagher on TalkSport this morning (here) justifying a yellow and not a red... said the tackle wasn't dangerous because he didn't go flying in and contact was down along the shin toward the foot.

I had to go look at it again and look at your link and would say with absolute certainty that he is wrong. Your link, picture of contact, clearly shows a number of things:

1. Van Dijk's leg is straight with his body side on. It's not a stamp, it's foot up, over the ball.

2. Straight-leg contact is at 90 degrees with Onana's leg, with Van Dijk's standing leg braced for the impact. It was intentional.

3. Onana's foot was firmly and fully planted on the floor, no give possible from any forward impact above the foot. That's why it's a leg-breaker.

4. It wasn't an accidental or poorly timed tackle, anyone who has played the game knows he intended harm. Straight leg, studs up to ensure the impact is doubly effective to exact damage on Onana's forward traveling leg.

I have seen that tackle by nasty alehouse defenders on Sunday mornings countless times. It was no different. What goes around comes around. Despicable player. That's why I called it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5aao9bytceotsp5/IMG_3269.jpg

Re that tackle – I have played competitive football for many years; I have coached teams over the years, and I have been a football referee for several years as well and I say that, without question, that it was a red-card tackle. End of.

"But in this instance, Virgil van Dijk's foot actually slipped down the shin and ended up on the foot which is why it's a yellow card."

What? Really? Did I read this wrong?

So let me get this right, should I or any player start a tackle with our studs showing and make contact, but make our way down the body to the foot, it don't matter where the tackle starts according to that dickhead.

So a thigh-high challenge with studs showing working down the back of the leg and ending on the back of the foot is only a yellow because the challenge finished on the foot?

Don't think so. Absolute joke of a game these days with decisions like this.

Not sure why you think Diaz would have ever wanted to go to a non-Champions League club, or how we could have possibly afforded $67 million for him, but I certainly wouldn't describe our not signing him as a "massive howler."

The kopite Diaz was apparently very close to signing but we need Rodriguez off the books to finance his wage. He wouldn't leave at that time so that was the end of that according to Tofffe TV (Baz).

I'm not losing any sleep over it. I would rather have Onana anyway. As for the Blackburn Diaz, that might still happen in the next window although their valuation is too high for us.

As others have said, they check the club badge first before anything. All this weekend proved that and imagine Klopp's antics if them three big calls went against him.

The goal and the sending off especially. There would be hell to pay and he would want it raised in parliament.

Same with West Ham, Declan Rice apologising for speaking the truth. No, stick to your guns and maybe something will be done about this big bias or influence the bigger teams have.

Then Allan's ugly but totally physically harmless trip gets upgraded to a red and three-match ban. Note – similar but worse tackle from Trippier three weeks ago got downgraded from red to yellow after review.

The system has no common sense, no consistency and is being run by amateurs pretending they know what they are doing.

Other match officials (two assistant referees, fourth official, two additional assistant referees, reserve assistant referee, video assistant referee (VAR) and at least one assistant VAR (AVAR)) may be appointed to matches. They will assist the referee in controlling the match in accordance with the Laws of the Game but the final decision will always be taken by the referee.

Note it says final decision is by the ref, so if that is the case, why did var make the decision to rule the goal out, without asking the ref to go and look at the monitor, the ref disallowed the goal, on the say so of var, without going to have a look himself.

If the ref does not need to go and have a look then I stand corrected.

The ref and linesman gave the goal, a good three minutes later, as the players lined up to kick off again, why did var alert an obvious mistake, then take a further 4 or 5 minutes, if it took that long then surely it is not an obvious and clear mistake.

The only way forward is to make all var officials take an exam each year, on the rules of the game, if they fail, they do not participate in any games, until they get a pass rate.

Not as it appears now...first check the badge; then apply 'a' or 'b' to
give the result that best suits the all the usual suspects.

I said this would happen, but was told to - get with the program, aka, don't be an arlarse dinosaur...it won't take long to iron out the kinks.
They've tinkered with it twice now and it's worse.

Our 'goal' was offside, VD rightly got a yellow card.

Yes, there were a few other inconsistent decisions as I think Tsimikas (their left-back) deserved a yellow and Onana's was a little harsh.

But in general good refereeing and a good football match.

He looked and sounded very unconvincing, especially when trying to say that it didn't matter if Milner touched the ball before Coady scored, because he hasn't meant it?

Then it was explained to him why he did go try and block it. They started laughing and he couldn't explain himself.

It's okay, it's only Everton. Embarrassing excuse for a man and an ex-ref.

The VAR system is fine, it's the retired referees like, Dean and Mason, given cushy jobs now, being the VAR, who are the problem. It's bad enough getting the decisions wrong, but then telling referees to go look at it again, putting doubts in their mind, and changing their decisions.

They were poor referees, and now they have moved on to be poor VARs. Mason is stood down for this week; they should be axed completely when they fuck up.

We all watched the game to witness top-class Premier League footballers display their skill and ability. The highest standard of player, conditions and tactics ever in my opinion.

2 world class goalkeeping performances. Counter-attacking at its near best.

A young potentially world class centre mid pitting his wits against an established top player.

Yet the main talking points are down to the officials who crave the power and attention making more and more random decisions every week – and that isn't just in our games, it's in all Premier League games.

Fundamentally if older refs are being the VARs, we are already witnessing their same failings of the last 15 years.

Peter Walton or Dermot Gallagher love the attention and money Sky is throwing at them for contradictions of decisions week by week.

At one point, I wanted the VAR as I thought it would reduce obvious errors. Instead, it is turning the game into a bureaucrat's paradise and killing any form of fan emotion, reducing the spectacle to Antiques Roadshow excitement levels.

We are normally on the wrong end of decisions against that crowd so nothing new on that front but, other than that, the ref got all the calls right!

We are 4 points lighter this season due to Milner 'not playing the ball' – whatever that means and Demari Gray's armpit hair. Is that really what the beautiful game has been reduced to???

Lampard may attract frequent ridicule for his faint veneer of salesmanship, the head-boy superciliousness, the carefully curated public persona.

I'm curious if anyone feels this has any degree of accuracy when describing our manager?

Salesmanship? He doesn't need to sell anything, he just needs to get his players to perform, which he is doing, and to confront the ingrained media biases with personal authority, which he is doing.

Head-boy Superciliousness? I don't know which school you were at, but he comes over more as an honest grafting barrow-boy from the East End – at best, Fagin's head boy perhaps.

Public Persona? Maybe I've been taken in but surely all his own, although I could see his Christine trying her best to make him into something he's not.

What a load of tosh!

What club did you play for when you represented the England Under-19s?

Because you say, "Never played professionally but did play for the England Under-19s, and semi-professionally".

Just curious.

The writer Lieuw is an RS-loving toad: I have tried to respond to his myopia in the New Statesman but not printed.

He's not worth thinking about…

Then idiots like Dermot Gallagher an ex ref laughing when he's asked by Mike Hacket to explain himself over the offside goal. When tonight's new system is up and running in the Champions League and World Cup, the Premier League and managers like Klopp will have nothing to bail them out of a tight game like the derby.

That quote from The Guardian is absolute horse shit.

Complete and overt bias and an opinion not grounded in reality.

There's my reaction. The English bias in your sport is sickening.

I bleat on about NBC here in the States and how good their coverage is, and I'd urge anyone over there with a VPN to tune into the American coverage, and completely swerve the English crap you're "forced" to digest.

"...carefully curated public persona."

Like, just, how???

Does Frank have a PR team? Does he perform practice pressers? Is he continually looking and seeking for revenue streams outside of his managerial duties?"

How in the actual fudge does Frank have a carefully curated public persona??? If anything, he screams "what you see is what you get."

What an absolute load of steaming poo!!! Pisses me off, to be honest.

Whenever I watch the feed from the US and the pundits (apart from Beglin), I am astonished at how unbiased they are and what sense they speak compared to the dull mofos we have to put up with on our channels.

Jonathan Liew is a bit of a sensalitionalist. He's a very crafter writer, and fun to read, but he pretty much always likes to set up a strawman argument and capture the Zeitgeist as he wants to see it before puncturing it with what he wants to say (which he may or not actually believe). Note in this article he said "people are saying ABC" (familiar to those in the USA, you know who) and then "what you need to really see is ABC".

It's a bit annoying stylistically but if you go back and read him, he basically likes to write a piece, pats himself on the back for his own brilliance, and then forgets what he wrote. He might write the opposite piece three weeks later. It's like he is an editorial chameleon.

Clearly Liew has a future in politics.

I found the article a bit patronising.

"25 seasons and still they come"

As if we should just give up and support Chelsea or Man City.
Supporting your team is a life sentence.

We do not choose, we are chosen.

There are teams with longer barren spells. I mean where were Chelsea, Man City and Spurs 25 years ago?

The digs at Frank are a bit personal. As I said before, he's fair game now he's Everton manager. The media want to knock him down a few pegs. I mean the "Carefully curated public persona" line made me laugh.

This is a guy who's played and achieved it all at the highest level and having the utmost respect from teammates and managers for his ability and good-natured character. That's not curated – that's a nice fella.

My missus would divorce me tomorrow for the handsome bastard. Liew just comes across as jealous.

Now it is carrying on through to this season, even without a centre-forward we have improved beyond belief, but these players are being cheated for their hard effort and graft, the fans are being cheated, but yet it continues.

Unless we are a few goals behind against Arsenal, you can bet your last penny, we will once again be talking either about a none penalty, a disallowed goal, or dubious decision in Arsenal's favour after the game.

Playing the top teams is tough enough, but no matter what good performance we put in, we are battling against the refs and the VAR as well.

Is that Ian Cockbain who played cricket for Lancashire and then Minor Counties for many years?

I played against his father Ron many years ago. Was it Ormskirk? A very talented family if the same Ian, and still very young.

I think it is. There's a nice obituary on the Lancashire CC website.

VAR can and should be the solution. What is being masked is the crux of the problem. The officials. VAR or no VAR they have been and continue to be the issue.