Getting our Everton back

The goals and the wins will come, the sooner DCL is back the better.

Agree with Francis above, looks that a corner has been turned. Finally a real team performance, a genuinely contended match where we played our game, rather than only reacting to the opposition's game.

The very important elements of spirit and belief returned yesterday. They will make a huge difference, all the difference. I hope we can make it stick.

The issue is the recruitment strategy and the development of players.

Toney needed game time in the lower leagues to learn his trade. He plays now in a team that plays to his strengths having nurtured him for a few years.

Having reassembled a good but not great squad, we need to start buying players of very high potential and be prepared to develop them. It takes time.

Not seen gonads like it since bobbys unforgettable 3-3

Three points (a shame it wasn't) I would make to amplify you interesting excellent summary.

I watched all the games on TV this weekend and have to say, without commenting on any particular match, that VAR is a disgrace (a bit of a sick joke) and it seems nobody is happy with it so it needs looking at urgently to find something that works properly. How, I don't know but what we have today is substandard and not doing the game any good.

Secondly, I posted this on another forum regarding Nathan Patterson. I hope it finds agreement on here too. I'm very impressed with him. He seems to get better every time I see him. In fact his class and skill reminds me very much of Alex Parker who was one of the Scots who excelled in late '50s or thereabouts. Jimmy Gabriel, Bobby Collins, The Golden Vision (Alex Young) and Alex Parker plus one or two others from north of the border were all class players who were wonderful to watch. I am lucky to have been around then.

I think, luck allowing, that he will go on and become an Everton legend the same as those guys from yesteryear did.

I wish we had signed a goalscorer to provide competition for Calvert-Lewin but I don't think that was ever intended, more's the shame, but apart from that, Frank and Kev have guided us through the window well.

If Brands had been allowed to do his job unmolested, I think things might have played out differently these past few years... but his vision was essentially scuppered the moment Silva faltered and Ancelotti arrived.

I've criticised Gray a bit since last Christmas, but by god that lad has got some pace and no little skill either, he's getting back to his first few months' form.

I'm not getting carried away because we could so easily come crashing down at Arsenal next week, but keep that up and who knows what's around the corner.

I can't fault any of them, even the chances Maupay had, he looks lively and he did well, I have no complaints over him.

Davies was unlucky, good effort would have been great if he buried that.

The whole midfield worked its arse off and the defence was solid.

Patterson is now our new right-back; sorry Seamus, you have been great for us for a decade but the time has now come to move aside for the Scottish Cafu.

We are in good hands with Frank Lampard. He's a football man, a popular guy that you can see that in the way the players are with him, he's won everything at club level as a player in recent years which is important I think.

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I think he looked like he played with a bit more "swagger". Such a confident performance for someone in their first game back, being introduced on 60 minutes, in a game as pulsating as that one.

I guess that lording it up with Neymar and Messi for a couple of years would give a bit of a boost to your confidence!

If Everton can keep the momentum going, then the barometor of Everton's progress that this fixture has been for years, may at last swing in the right direction.

Frank has not only given us belief, he has begun to build a squad. Striker aside, we now have a good bench – something we have lacked for years.

The only mistake made was letting Ellis Simms go out on loan again; he could have been very useful on Saturday. Maupay was knackered towards the end.

I was very impressed with a number of performances in the derby. The performance of Gueye was so assured and he reads the game so well.

It provided me with great excitement over the possible midfield combinations with Onona looking a sublime purchase; from early performances, he looks like he'll just keep getting better. Add any of Garner, Iwobi, Doucouré and possibly Davies and Allan – it's a squad that has depth and options.

Once injuries reduce, we'll have options at the back too, leaving our strike force as the main area of development.

I took my grandson to watch Sunderland last week whilst I am home on holiday in Blighty.

Ellis Simms was pretty shocking at that game and looked well off the pace even in the Championship.

Many around me in the stands were shaking their heads at him as he showed he has very little pace, doesn't run the channels and tends to ball watch.

I doubt he would ever make it in the PL.

Best things he did all night was to clear several corners when Sunderland were defending.

Left winger for Sunderland was a younger signing from Man City at 10 million pounds last season. Scored a beauty and made the other two. Way above Championship level.

Great crowd, lovely friendly people, good ale inside the ground at decent prices.

Looking forward to the next Everton home game as this could be my final trip back to Blighty. C.O.Y.B.

We should expect to win every game, anything else is just an excuse for low standards – and it doesn't matter who we are playing, all this just highlights the lack of quality and ambition killing the club.

More than a tenth of the season has gone and we're still looking for our first league win yet you would think we were flying, such are the low expectations that have infected our support – worse than long Covid!

I have been watching on and off Simms for the last couple of years and now that he is at Sunderland for the season, I am afraid I have to agree with you.

I wasn't sure whether we should have kept him to ourselves, given the paucity of our striker situation but, after watching them on TV last night, I am pleased we let him go. I thought when I fist saw him that he had potential but needs to put himself about a bit more and work much harder to fully capitalise on his talent.

He hasn't improved at all. I don't see him coming back here on a permanent basis.

It wasn't just the draw that I was celebrating, it was 'who the opposition were', and the manner in which the draw was attained.

I know that one game early in the season isn't a guarantee of success, but I saw application that has been missing for a long time. I can't recall when five players last attacked with such pace and purpose.

I feel sure that the players will have been told that now they have shown what they're capable of, they have set the bar for the rest of the season.

I don't consider celebrating a result to be a sign of ''highlighting a lack of quality and ambition''. I've learned down the years, that expecting to win every game, is not the best way to approach games.

I attend games hoping to win, but recognising "That anything can happen in a game of football". Some other people will disagree, but each to his own.

I love the base and the spine of this side already and for years how we look much more comfortable in possession. It's hopefully a good base to build from and it will be interesting to see how Frank looks to improve further in future windows, a Neves/Odegaard/Mount type playmaker is missing perhaps.

I think even with starting the season without a striker, it is not too optimistic to say we could have come away with a win in most of the games, and we have 3 tricky away fixtures out the way and two home fixtures which are expected to finish in the top 4.

Just looking at the next Arsenal and West Ham games it appears they both come off tricky away Europa Conference fixtures on the Thursday before our game. So you could say a perfect time to play both of these sides and we won't get a better opportunity to get 6 points which would just set this team up beautifully for the season ahead and take the pressure off.

Now that we've beefed up the midfield and defence, I am looking forward to seeing them flower and grow.

I hope Gordon does develop his shooting skills (not a bad start but let's see) then we'll have the goalscorers in our squad we're looking for. It'd be great if we find a really prolific scorer; but until then, we can improve our goalscoring as it stands

I was thinking the same thing about Patterson. He reminds me of a mixture of Jimmy Gabriel and Alex Parker. What a young player we've got! her bossed ant red who came near and took no prisoners either.

Then on top of that, he's brilliant at getting forward and contributing to our attacks. I too was lucky enough to see our Scots contingent in the Sixties, and he looks like he'll be able to stand right up there with them.

Julian, yes, they both have lots of top-class players as do Liverpool, Chelsea and Man Utd. But we are where we are.

We have good players who we haven't made the best use of. On top of that we have a strong defence; and in Onona and Gana, we've brought intop class into our midfield.

The chances were there on Saturday to see off Liverpool, just inches away from scoring at least three before their late blast.

So I agree with Jay, that our team can provide lots of chances to score now, so maybe Gray and Gordon can relish in the forward play, rather than coming back as much, to help out our defence as they had to previously. I also think (probably more like hope but who knows) that Maupay will settle down and enjoy his football with the rest of the lads.

ps: Pete, I also agree with you about the VAR, the way it's run is scandalous. I'd rather see a referee or linesman make a decision and get the stick he deserves if he gets it wrong!

It's a matter of opinion, but our best 3 players when Frank arrived imo, were, Calvert-Lewin, Coleman and Gordon. Price: ٟ.506m. We know Gordon's been here all along but the others were nurtured in to the quality players they became.
Let's get more like Calvert-Lewin, I'd rather spend 㾶-15M on a few younger players who may come good than the gambles we have taken in the past few years.

Time is the key, same with the team Frank's putting together if we know it's going to take time, we know there will be defeats and bad days but can see the progress of players and the team, I believe most Evertonians will be on board.

Some won't, like the ones who are saying why are we applauding a draw against Liverpool. Well those who see the bigger picture, understand the stepping stones it's going to take to get back up the league to be competing.

Really good report, exactly how I feel, we are getting our Everton back, and we are making excellent signings once again. My weekends are much better!