Spirit in abundance but lack of quality ends Blues resistance

Calvert-Lewin in attack second time out. McNeil favoured to partner Calvert-Lewin rather than Gray, as some suggested.

COYB...!!!!!!

Fingers, toes and ballsack crossed.

Hard to see what the attacking plan is. It seems to just be to hope something goes for us.

Hopefully something does go for us.

The goal was your classic bottom-of-the-table goal. Poor from Godfrey. Nothing shot really. Wasn't great from Pickford, but a deflection drops straight to the striker.

Gana taking a free kick feels like it sums up the lack of quality in this team.

Tough because there's not really an answer on the bench. I'd put Gray on the wing and rotate McNeil and Iwobi through the middle.

But it is still only 1-0 and a draw is still a possibility. They really have to get to grips with the game in the first quarter of the second half.

The commentators made a big thing of the goal, but it was more luck than good play. Pickford's palming of the ball fell short.

And goodnight.

Poor defence. Next to no attack. Why on earth hasn't the 'manager' changed things?

Oh we brought on Maupay.

Thanks for nothing, Bill and Co.

This guy is taking us down for real. Get rid and total clearout for the Championship.

Is it possible to lose a billion pounds in 7 years? Why yes, yes it is.

Who's gonna play in that stadium after we've gone bust, Farhad?

I assume, like Kenwright said, other clubs' Chairman will be in awe tonight, as Everton always get it right!

I hope he chokes on his Eggs Benedict in the morning!

There's a very ominous ship heading to Bramley-Moore Dock tonight… The Championship.

He brings on Maupay, who's as good as Stevie Wonder in front of goal? Tonight's performance was down to Dyche, we're gone.

Dyche has completely lost the plot.

I don't know if Dyche is any good as we've had so many managers fail. I don't care about the side show of Gordon. Just extremely angry that Kenwright has left us on the brink after 30 years of asset stripping, dodgy deals and inept leadership.

How can one person have the power to bring down a national institution? It's disgusting. Yes, we can still survive so I am not saying we are down (as in relegated) but I am saying we are as low as we can go on and off the pitch short of relegation.

A good manager, Potter, could save us but we'll stick with Sean "I don't look at the table" Dyche and we'll go down. This could be salvaged. Act now, sack Dyche for fuck's sake, he's clueless.

Frank wasn't the problem either, nor Rafa, nor Sam, Koeman, Silva etc.

The problem is at the top – the people hiring and firing managers, the people negotiating deals for people like Patterson on massive fees, or Iwobi, or Gomes, Dele Alli etc and huge wages.

One or more of the managers may have been an additional problem, but who hired them in the first place?

Danny Baily called it right on the previous thread. It will all be decided by Monday. Now after this result they really are in difficulty and the game on Monday is more about Leicester's Premier League survival than Everton's.

For quite a while down Everton's Achilles Heel has been not being about to contain the opposition's play in the first period of the second half. They lose control of the game and the resulting pressure exposes the weaknesses in the defence.

In the run-in, it must be most important that this was addressed and the players were up to doing this. Unfortunately, there are enough of them that are not. The result of incompetent club management.

Once we have the fire sales of Onana, Calvert-Lewin and Pickford, let's hope we buy wisely and have enough to bounce straight back.

Until tonight, I thought we'd survive, just can't see it now. We're fucking hopeless.

I don't understand how we can continue with that right side of defence being torn apart for 90 minutes. Or how we can offer no quality in attack and not bring on the only talented attacker we have in Gray.

It took Dyche 4 games to realise Gray needs to play. How has he already forgotten? Gray's not exactly special but, when you don't have a single right-footed free-kick taker, it should be obvious that there's a problem.

4-1 flattered us tonight. Particularly the 1.

We talked about replacing Seamus six years ago and today we had Ben Godfrey there.

Sad to say but we are one of the worst teams in the Premier League. Last season was a warning that we didn't heed. We've been worse this season than last.

I just want it over now. It's death by 1,000 cuts. We have no Cahill, Horne, Watson, Dunc or Richarlison that can dig in and turn things round.

A bunch of Instagram players that talk a good game but are nowhere near the quality we need. I can't fault the effort but basic errors and a lack of ability when it counts is the difference.

For Newcastle fans gloating, I genuinely wouldn't swap. Their owners murdered. Enjoy your sports-washing owners.

We'll be back.

The trick is to know when a situation is irretrievable; after Boxing Day, there was no way back for Frank, but we persisted. No doubt because we couldn't comfortably afford to sack him.

Changing manager now? No point. We're relegated, and Dyche could have us in the mix for promotion next season.

The players obviously don't believe in him.

What does Scotland's right-back have to do to get a game? 75% of Newcastle's attacks came down their left-hand side and created trouble, and as they say, Dyche fiddled while Everton were burned.

We can all say we are not down until the end, but I bet there will not be many who will place a bet on it.

I pray he has a sacking clause if we're relegated.

One-dimensional, a poor man's Allardyce.

Dyche is doing Godfrey no favours playing him and Godfrey is doing us no favours by playing.

Feels like the end.

I told people on here about how he just sat and watched Brentford dominate the second half against us and did nothing to change it. But because we held on to the slender lead, it was all okie-dokie for some on here.

Well, tonight you've seen the other side of the coin. The persistence with the Twin Statues at centre-back, the obvious dislike of Patterson and the continued selection of a completely out-of-form Godfrey. What the fuck happened to his pace?

No subs until we were 2-nil down... why? The players had no idea what to do besides launch the ball into the box, which led to numerous giveaways.

I never rated Dyche when my Burnley friends and family were raving about him. I saw him for what he is a long time ago. And I'm being proven right in the most painful way possible.

Stubborn dithering idiot.

If we get relegated, half of these won't care because Sheffield Utd or Millwall will probably be stupid enough to take them off us on the cheap. So we the fans get relegated, the players, board, coaches etc will be off and wash their hands of the mess they've created.

I just pray somehow we pick up the points to win. Then that somehow or other we clear out everyone at the club from board to the lowest man at Finch Farm.

My worry is we are now skint and stuck with this Neanderthal as our manager. We are going down, we are in a bad place. Wrexham will overtake us in 2 seasons.

Looking over at how bad Lampard is at Chelsea, it's looking like our biggest mistake was not sacking him sooner. Both he and Rafa were both, bad, bad appointments.

Dyche is stubborn. As was Rafa and Allardyce. As was Lampard, Koeman. Martinez with his tiki-taka. Even Ancelotti got criticised on here.

Klopp or Guardiola wouldn't make Godfrey, Iwobi, Keane etc. any good.

Going at Dyche as though he had real options is for the birds but therein lies a massive part of the problem – delusional supporters knee-jerking at any and every opportunity.

Such a shame Moshiri listens to them – we might not be on the way to the lower leagues if he hadn't.

If we go for it on Monday we have a chance. Don't blame Dyche though.

It's not all Lampard's fault – failing to land a striker at any point in the last few seasons was amongst the biggest.

I could make a list of players never good enough for this fight. Tonight, the back four were absolutely appalling. Mina should be back, Patterson... can no-one make a tackle? Tarkowski has been poor for weeks.

There is an inevitability about all this and we all know why; nothing to do with managers or tactics. We are not good enough now. Decisions made off the field and selling the best we have is to blame…

Why? Because the club bought badly, fell foul of P&S Rules, and didn't buy a striker. God help us.

"Keane, Iwobi, Davies, Holgate etc. How many managers have they had?"

In Holgate's case, I think Martinez, Unsie, Koeman, Unsie, Sam, Silva, Dunc, Carlo, Rafa, Dunc, Frank and Sean.

So we've had 11 changes of manager and yet, at the weekend, Sean decided it would be a good idea to give him another chance.

Out of interest, would anyone know if something like a transfer embargo charge would stand if we were relegated out of the Premier League into the Football League?

I'm just numb and can't think straight.

At this point, I imagine Sean Dyche is going to have to see who's up for it.

Mina, Davies, Coady are out of contract in a few weeks. Would they risk injury with no contract beyond June? Onana may be another trying to avoid risk.

I'm not sure we needed a miracle worker to stay up. We needed someone who could mount some kind of plan to get the team scoring goals. Not lots of goals... just the occasional goal.

Really, when Calvert-Lewin was injured, what was the plan? It was Maupay, it was Gray, it was Simms... they're not plans, that's just changing a player every couple of games. There was no plan.

A plan would have meant we would stick with a style and played the crap forward (s) who suited it best. Instead, Dyche did what he always did. Keep it tight and hope for a corner. That's the manager that we appointed.

While we're feeling very low right now, it's incredibly still not over due to how poor the bottom of the league is this year. 33 or 34 points might be enough – which would mean we just need 2 or 3 in the next 4 ahead of having some kind of chance against Bournemouth on the last day.

I'm at peace now with relegation, I can't even be arsed getting worked up about it.

Let's be brutally honest: look at the Premier League table, the goals scored, the home defeats, the diabolical away form… We deserve relegation, it should have arrived last season but this season it will.

Dyche hasn't brought anything to the table; correct me if I'm wrong but that was why he was brought in.

The absolutely stubborn stupidity over ignoring the right back sitting on our bench and our best central defender in Mina while Keane and Tarkowski are being shredded.

We were defensively better when Coady was there also despite his wobble.

Tonight was the game that's probably told me we aren't winning another game this season.

I thought Dyche was the best man for the job, but I'm mystified by his stubbornness. He replaced Godfrey because he was destroyed by Wilian against Fulham, brought him back tonight and destroyed again.

Iwobi ahead of him totally toothless again, would Patterson have been any worse? And it took him 4 games to play Gray, now he can't get a game?

We were destroyed on the right tonight again, why didn't he change it at half-time with Patterson & Gray?

Dyche is clueless.

It's purely fuckin embarrassing.

Saddest thing for me is my 16-year-old lad saying he doesn't feel like he has one player he really likes in our team. Sad, sad times these.

I suppose we'll get the usual cliches from the manager, "We'll fight to the end" bullshit. He reckons he's got good players at the club. Wish he'd name them. Onana strolls round like some superstar playing to the galleries, it's pathetic.

No way out with these no-hopers. No-one is comfortable on the ball. Hoof and hope is all we have. What a sad club we've become.

In my lifetime there has always been two constants, 1) The Queen, 2) Everton in the top flight. Now both are no more.

I still maintain a faint hope that the latter will not come true.

I know and we were all livid but sometimes even Seamus makes mistakes and gets berated.

The fact is, we have an abundance of untalented players and it's a case of picking the least bad option. Dyche had days to recruit. All our defenders have been calamitous this season. Tarkowski has been the best of a terrible bunch.

Do you think Holgate would be in any of the squads above us? He's Championship standard. Baggies mates of mine thought he was woeful when he was there.

Godfrey is a good athlete but an awful player. Mina is a fraud. Coady is too slow. Keane has too many mistakes in him. Mykolenko has a big heart but is a liability…

Sean Dyche needs to learn, Godfrey can't play right-back, we've seen it too many times, he doesn't perform there. It's probably controversial after tonight's showing but I think also damning he's slightly better at left-back than Mykolenko, who is a one-dimensional player. I think Godfrey needs a break though, he needs to regroup.

At centre-back, we have to have someone there who can play football, read a game. Keane is none of that, he is a brave defender at times but has no class. Mina has to step in alongside Tarkowski. Seamus has to come back at right-back; if not, reluctantly Holgate if Dyche really won't play or trust Patterson.

In midfield, Iwobi has to go, I've had enough of him. I know his assists… blah, blah, but I've had enough. He's not brave enough and to me weakens the team. I'd have Gray on ahead of him.

Onana did okay but I'd drop him and have Garner on instead.

For Leicester:

Pickford
Coleman or Holgate Mina Tarkowski Mykolenko
Garner Gana Doucouré
Gray Calvert-Lewin McNeil

It looks bleak after tonight but it's not over, if we can get a win on Monday, we are back in with a shout.

We were hoping our home fixtures with the crowd could see us through. After watching the last 2 home games, well, that plan is non-existent.

Bournemouth are now safe. I think Southampton are down then it's 2 from Forest, Leeds, Leicester and us. Who would you put your money on staying up?

No real leader without Coleman. Too many nothing players.

Time to get the likes of Simms, Patterson and Garner in the first XI and playing some proper football now.

There's going to be a big overhaul of a bad squad this summer but those three will be part of it – along with Cannon and Branthwaite hopefully.

Sickening but predictable. The club has clearly been readying itself for the drop since Ancelotti left.

Out of the last 18 possible points, we've gained 3. We realistically now need 7, 8 or 9 from the possible 15 points available, a huge upturn – and those above must fare worse.

Lose at Leicester then it's likely 9 still needed but from 12 points. When did we last do that? Won't happen.

How the hell did we end up with him? Try and score off a corner seems to be the only plan.

The decision to play Godfrey at right-back being one of the worst ever! We all knew this before tonight.

I'm interested to know what you mean by that, Robert. I have some thoughts that I don't even like having and can't rationally or factually back, but yours may be more realistic.

Having said that, we have lesser opposition, albeit away at Leicester, coming up and there are a few teams around us still struggling like us.

As others say, it's not over until it's over and we will just have to take each game as it comes, hope those around us slip up and try and grind some results out to stay in the Premier League.

When we signed him, I knew little about him and was curious to learn the views of Norwich fans; not surprisingly, they couldn't seem to make up their minds as to whether he was better at the back or in midfield.

That being the case, you'd have to wonder why we ever signed him in the first place. Dyche has some serious questions to answer as to why he selected him to start. That was one of the worst defensive displays I think I've ever witnessed. He was a one-man demolition job.

It is true that Dyche makes mistakes and is stubborn but Pep Guardiola in charge and we would be the same – because the players are simply not good enough. Five years of poor recruitment has led to this situation.

Only Pickford and Calvert-Lewin would be picked for any other Premier League team. As soon as we recruit a good player, like Lukaku or Richarlison, we sell him.

They just look so lightweight and weak against all their opponents, who usually resemble light-heavyweight boxers. They are not even fast to compensate for their size. Doucoure and Onana are tall but seem to move awkwardly, and they can't do the basic football skills. I can't think any of them will be any use in the Championship.

The club being so dysfunctional, they are all on massive contracts (someone seems to think that if you overpay a mediocre player he will somehow play better) so I don't see how they can be got rid of.

Until the whole club personnel is replaced, from the owner and the board down to the trainers, coaches and all the players, I don't see an improvement and a return to the top level. I think it will happen at some point because we are a big club with a huge fan base, but it won't happen soon.

His use of Simms is baffelling.

His in play management and substitutions are pathetic.

What is Onana's position? he's had one good game and apparently he was going to get the mighty Stephen Defour in to teach him how to play. I'm sorry but I don't see the hype with him I really don't. Below average all season.

Absolutely set up to fail in every aspect, so rigid, so easy to work out.

Why was Garner dropped? Gray should have started.

Ben Godfrey! Pathetic.

This won't even go down to the last day. Over by Monday night, confirmed by City at home.

I'm not sure the players believe what Dyche is saying or have enough personal fight. We need to pick our best players. I don't mind if they aren't the best in training because those who get picked aren't doing it.

Defensively very poor, especially because Newcastle had a lot of strength speed and aggression in forward areas.

No fullback likes the ball played inside them but, when you over-cover as much as Everton's fullbacks have been doing, then it usually ends up with the same result. This is something I was shouting at Godfrey 10 seconds before Newcastle scored their second goal and put the game to bed.

I'm going to bed myself now, and in years gone by, I wouldn't have been able to sleep after watching us get slaughtered whilst getting dragged towards the trap door, but I'm actually quite calm. I only feel sorry for the unbelievable young fans who have only ever seen absolute shite.

Godfrey is not a right back. End.

Okay, we'll sell most of this bunch. Rinse and restart in the Championship.

It's really sad that we are so very poor, and have been for so long.

Godfrey seems without any self-confidence at the moment. To play him behind Iwobi was simply a disaster. Iwobi just doesn't defend. Coleman has got the experience to cover for that, but Godfrey got exposed big time.

Really weird that Patterson is not playing. Either Dyche doesn't like him or he feels that he doesn't have the experience to cover for Iwobi.

Actually Newcastle is a strong team these days and I still hope that the Calvert-Lewin, Onana and Doucoure physicality can give us the points we need in the rest of the games.

I know we are short of wingers, but I would play anyone but Iwobi on the right wing. He played against an out-of-form Matt Targett and still panicked every time he should pass or make a cross. He treats the ball like it is a hot potato.

But at half-time we were not light years away from a talented Newcastle squad who had been instructed to spoil the game with time wasting and feigned injuries which Mr Mariner encouraged by not booking the worst offenders.

I don't understand why Howe went for the bad actor option when he has so many good footballers at his disposal. Nevertheless, had Calvert-Lewin's goal stood on the stroke of half-time, I don't think we would have been humiliated.

But there is a real issue at right-back – we have one who is an international but Dyche prefers Holgate and Godfrey out of position. What the Fuck?

Ancellotti couldn't get out of the door quick enough and the most divisive manager in the club's history was given £1.5 million to spend.

We have since done a bit of wheeling and dealing, but it seems our market was buying players that other clubs didn't really want on the drip, and still we are probably in breach with regards the sickeningly laughable sustainability rules, which are all about trying to protect the status quo.

Then, as is now almost customary, we come out for the second half asleep. As we tired (after eventually waking back up) and Newcastle pressed forward a bit, no change in shape, no subs, gradual fear building and tiring more from running around all loose... then almost panic and defence everywhere, Godfrey 10 feet from his centre back half the time, too far forward the rest of it.

We were doing OK, then fell apart - again. God alone knows what Dyche was or wasn't trying to do about it.

Allardyce, Benitez, Lampard, Dyche. That's 3 x anti-football dinosaur managers, and a nice guy novice. All of them repeatedly choosing older, slower players who can't pass.

The tactics tonight of booting it long were just ate up by a simple instruction to head backwards to the keeper. This nullified the Onana and Doucoure coming up behind DCL hoping to get a clearance. Godfrey at RB is utter suicide. There was no plan b.

Unfortunately I think we'll stick with him. Not just for this year, but next year in the championship too. We'll see same “older experienced” players, playing the same panicked, disjointed game. I really do fear even the championship has evolved too far for that now, but we're gonna find out.

Personally I'd sack him now, and go offer anyone of Viera, Rodgers or Potter with “٣m to keep us up”. Surely the latter would fancy it? ٟm a game, and a month of his life. Not going to happen, but I can wish. Can't believe I am suggesting another kopite and a failed one at that, but at least he tries to play football, and I'd rather go down trying that than being Wimbledon. I'd even offer Forrest Green 𧺬k to give us Duncan back for 5 games. Or Rooney.

Team wise I'd drop Pickford, Godfrey (from even training), Tarkowski, Gana, Onana. They've offered nothing this year. Team against Leicester….go for goals

Begovic
Coleman (please!) Mina Keane Mykolenko Iwobi Garner McNeil
Mills Calvert-Lewin Gray

Going to bed. Might as well dream there instead. Hopefully it's not a nightmare like 7.45pm-9.30pm was.

New manager bounce is needed.

Potter to replace Dyche and if we do go down he will get us back up.

The wheels fell off at Utd when Dyche couldn't do the simple thing of replacing Doucoure with Garner.

Tonight, not playing Patterson and dropping Garner for Onana were massive mistakes.

Nothing to lose now, Potter in!

We just don't have any arsenal (excuse the pun) to win games and the board has proved how clueless they are.

When Richarlison was let go, the board failed badly to recognize that what we had left was totally useless even though DCL was still here he was never a natural scorer just a target man of average quality.

That left us with a less than average midfield group who are just all at sea when not in possession.

Too many teams get into Everton's penalty area with consumete ease.

This has been the problem no matter who has been the manager since Moyes left.

Any thing less than three points at Leicester will be the end of an era which I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

Funny how the Barcodes have re-invented themselves since they got shut of Ashley and after that brought in Eddie Howe as manager. Howe brought in the likes of Wilson who you just knew was going to do a number on us today.

So why do we still have Moshiri and company ?

That was until I read Tony E, who's post's usually give food for thought.

My own view is that the long cross-field pass, has never been so popular, so this means that fullbacks over covering as much as ours currently are, is absolute suicide?

Cry foul at the board or one manager after the other all day long. Our players have been shite for years and they are still here. Some have been here for years now and haven't really even played first team football yet.

I cannot fathom why a fit Mina has not been our first choice centre back. Similarly Patterson at right back. Dyche must shoulder blame for recent selections and tactics.

Perhaps inquests are premature, but 'The Fat Lady' is almost certainly clearing her throat for the final encore.

I'm contemplating the Championship now, wishing the season would end immediately, saving further humiliation. We have been in terminal decline for many years now, suffering an insidious illness rooted at the heart of the club. Anyone who has witnessed a loved one in such circumstances knows that the end may often be welcomed in order to cease unnecessary suffering.

There is no point in wishing for a miracle to preserve our Premiership status, knowing full well that we will endure the same fate twelve months from now, if Kenwright and his band of charlatans remain.

My hope for the future now? A complete clearout starting in the boardroom. A final season in the Championship at Goodison, lifting the title and an immediate return to the Premiership playing at our new home Bramley Moor. The emphasis next season has to be on youth. Give our youngsters a chance. They couldn't possibly do any worse than the current imposters in Blue.

I've watched Everton in the top flight now for over 60 years. Never did I ever feel as resigned to relegation in all that time as I do now. But if that is what it takes to turn around the fortunes of our once great club, then so be it.

Should be a carnival atmosphere against Bournemouth. Hope it's sunny.

After this result and performance I don't even think we'll beat a Bournemouth side half on the beach last day of the season. We have such an odd collection of players thy barely manage to string a couple of decent passes, I guess the result of changing managers so many times in the last 4 or 5 years.

Even if we stay up by some miracle, just how the hell can we finally get rid of Kenwright and the rest of the board? This shit will just keep repeating itself until then.

Came to terms with relegation months back kind of as a defense mechanism, so what will be will be.

But as I listened to the Blades fans sing “We are Premier League, we are Premier League” I reflected upon that promised land. It's purely a money-making machine (although, like any bubble, it will eventually burst); I believe the system, aided by referees and VAR, is corrupt; players and managers are milking the game, pundits are thriving on controversy so it is being manufactured, and it is very expensive to watch. And our opponents tonight did everything possible to reduce the amount of playing time we had paid to see.

I know the history, I have lived plenty of it, but I am less and less concerned about whether we continue to keep our snouts in the trough. A part of me feels that the relegation I have expected for some time might be a lot more interesting than the boring fare we have had to witness for 30 years.

Pickford league career at Sunderland (relegated) but he is England's number one.
Godfrey (Norwich - a relegated) club)has done little since his bout of Covid
Tarkowski (Burnley a relegated club) good stopper but is slow on the turn and loses concentration.
Keane (failed at OT and joined Burnley a Relegated club) very similar to his partner but I'd say he has more about him mentally than most of the squad.
Mykolenko, Looked a good prospect but is sadly not good enough for the Premier League.

Iwobi (Arsenal reject and possibly the most frustrating player I've ever seen in an Everton shirt)
Gueye (Not that great first time around, but in a poor team, his deficiencies are more apparent)
Doucoure (Watford a relegated club) flatters to deceive, not the worst but nowhere near good enough)
Onana - looks like a Rolls-Royce of a player but performs like a mini-metro

Calvert-Lewin - has to be supplied with the ball more often, else he is little more than a passenger, certainly not a 15 goal plus every season man, but is the best of a really bad bunch of attacking players at Goodison, a survivor rather than a fulcrum.

MaupayProbably the worst signing that Everton have ever made, he can't fit into the system and we can't adapt the system to suit him. So not all his fault.

The rest of the squad is more of the same, one good game, three indifferent ones. Only Seamus is the player who has the heart but seeing as he should have been replaced many moons ago, it's testament to the inability of the recruitment team that he remains one of the most influential players in the squad.

I defy any manager to mould a competent team out of the current squad, never mind a team that shows consistency. It is mostly made up of individuals who for whatever reason can't maintain a team ethic, probably because they are all undermined by their own individual lack of ability.

The fact is we still have a remote chance to survive, but that defeat tonight has highlighted what we all knew prior to the game, and have known for quite a long time, this Everton squad isn't worthy of our support and most will be long gone, whilst we the supporters suffer the slings and arrows of the club's self inflicted misfortunes in the future.

Potter, Dyche, Lampard, it doesn't matter who is in charge.

Turns out that we have a bunch of below-par footballers who simply don't know how to win.

We are nailed on to go down, sadly.

Same players - true. To an extent. 4 of the team weren't here last summer (6 with subs) and even less 18 months back. We keep getting everything wrong. This manager just the latest mistake.

Getting behind your team on ToffeeWeb, as some call for, is easy but no substitute for getting behind them at Goodison and at away games. Well, the fans do that, get behind them at GP and away games - but to no avail. Great reception by the fans tonight, but all for nought.

We're as good as relegated. That's not defeatism, it's realism. I can't be defeated, only the team can. That doesn't mean I'm not "behind the team". It's just seeing what's in front of us.

After Everton pulled one back Newcastle scored their fourth goal which was unbelievable with the Newcastle winger coasting along the goal line past three or four Everton players in dreamland or hypnotised and passing the ball right past more bemused Everton players to his teammate who tapped the ball home, it's hard to remember such a laughable and poorly defended goal if there ever has been one, it should be shown in coaching manuals in how not to defend a goal.

This goal was followed by a mass rush to the entrances which was bigger than the previous exodus after the third goal, I stayed to the end out of politeness and to listen to inevitable boos after such a pitiful performing cave in by the team.

I will be watching the game on tv on Monday fully in awe of those terrific Everton supporters who will be there again to try and roar some life into these imposters purporting to be professional footballers, really and truly embarrassing in that second half tonight.

Came home and listened to my distraught grandson trying to come to terms with what he had watched tonight, he couldn't believe the lack of fight and pride in that team who he has watched since a young boy, twenty six now and like loads of his mates and thousands of other young fans hasn't had one trophy to cheer since he started watching them but will be there next season. The club takes them and all of us for granted.

This will be no quick fix. Championship football may be the norm for a while. A lot of average players on big contracts may not be moved on. A new manager? Probably, but must be given time. A sad time for us all but we will be back. Yes, it's not over but from tonight's showing I am more sure than I was yesterday relegation is going to happen.

You are universally despised by the fan base. You will never be allowed near Goodison during daylight hours, not even to get your portrait of yourself from your office. Your stewardship of EFC will be used for years by business schools throughout the land as an example of how to run a business into the ground while making yourself rich.

I'm sure you'll find some comfort in London amongst your theatre friends. You might even become a regular at a cozy little club like Fulham. But never again will your smirking, obese gob be seen on the big screen at Goodison. And you can forget about ever stepping foot in BMD.

What a fitting ending for a slime ball.

That goal yiu referenced where three defenders literally let him stroll past unfortunately reminds of games like the Atalanta one when it's obvious the players have given up. At the best of times these couldn't win away now we've two away games followed by City. If that defending is indicative of what's to come City may be D day or R day. But as I posted earlier I can't see us changing the back like as Mins and Coady are hardly likely to bust their asses knowing they out of contract in a few weeks. Maybe roll the dice on Patterson or one of the under 23s? I hate the phrase “couldn't be worse” but I think it rings true here. Also I'm not blaming Dyche but he doesn't help himself. Gray is the one player who occasionally scores and he can create something out of nothing which is useful
when the midfield create zilch. I would play him despite his deficiencies because as I say he occasionally does something versus most of these other losers.

It's delusional. I have no confidence of us picking up any more than a couple more points this season.

Leicester (A) - loss
Brighton (A) - loss
Man City (H) - big loss
Wolves (A) - draw/loss
Bournemouth (H) - draw/loss

#132 Ian, I think you may be right about Championship football becoming the norm. The majority of this squad don't have the quality or fight to keep going for promotion.

That goal yiu referenced where three defenders literally let him stroll past unfortunately reminds of games like the Atalanta one when it's obvious the players have given up. At the best of times these couldn't win away now we've two away games followed by City. If that defending is indicative of what's to come City may be D day or R day. But as I posted earlier I can't see us changing the back like as Mins and Coady are hardly likely to bust their asses knowing they out of contract in a few weeks. Maybe roll the dice on Patterson or one of the under 23s? I hate the phrase “couldn't be worse” but I think it rings true here. Also I'm not blaming Dyche but he doesn't help himself. Gray is the one player who occasionally scores and he can create something out of nothing which is useful
when the midfield create zilch. I would play him despite his deficiencies because as I say he occasionally does something versus most of these other losers.

Kenshite doesn't even have theater friends I have it on good authority from a leading actor of a long long running BBC sci fi show that for his sake I won't name but unlike Everton keeps regenerating itself that he is a tight wad skin flint hated in the industry for low balling actors etc.

In his own unique way he was telling the owner and us the best way to repair the damage of the past 6 years.

When a player is clearly a good half foot offside fair do, but your talking a matter of centimetres, that's even if the freeze frame is stopped at the exact frame the ball was played.

Go in at 1 all and it's a different game altogether.

I do not need to tell anybody that our right side has now be mauled twice by Fulham and Newcastle, we can see it clear as Day, once that second goal went in we folded like a deck of cards, shocking second half.

The way the defence is set out is to compact the penalty area, which is leaving both right and left back out of position, as soon as a ball is played from one side of goal, to the other, our defenders are out of position and allowing the freedom of the pitch to their wingers.

It's not just Godfrey, when Patterson came on the other week the same happened, ball played out wide and our right back in our own penalty area, ball over his head to their winger and ball crossed before our full backs can close them down.

Twice now Godfrey has been absolutely roasted in two home games, but who is giving the instructions for our full backs to stay more central, rather than stay further out wide, to try and close the wingers down.

That fourth goal was shocking, dribbling past three players on the touchline and not one prepared to at worst give a corner away.

There is still time to save ourselves, but on tonight's second half performance, it is not looking good.

Bielsa knew most of the first teamers were too slow and not good enough, given time until the end of the season, he would have coached some of our youngsters, and come up with a forward thinking plan b, for next season.

Now it looks like we will be going with the usual suspects again next season, have to admit at the time I thought he was crazy, but now I can see where he was coming from.

For large parts of the game I thought that if we had played like this for most of the season we wouldn't be where we are and at other times it showed exactly why we are.

I was surprised that Godfrey was in the starting line up and then when Maupay was brought on I wondered what you have to do to get dropped, two of the most consistently poor players. The whole thing seemed to fall apart when Onana went off and none of the substitutions made much sense unless you think just wellying it down the other end makes any sense.

We were on top for the first 25 minutes but only managed 2 or 3 tame long range efforts until 2 or 3 players just stood and watched rather than blocking the shot Pickford palmed out and then what was Keane doing on the back post when it was obvious that he should have been on the player who scored. The next few goals showed exactly how poor Godfrey is at defending.

I'm also starting to believe that VAR is adding to the poor refereeing as it seems they want it to bail out poor officials and the lack of replays explaining how they get to decisions isn't helping. And Onana's yellow was for next to nothing, a shirt pull in a nowhere position when the Ref let far worse things go.

What's left to say? Goodnight to the folks Gracie and let's see Bill out there this season with his written speech on how we will never let this happen again.

Regardless, we are terrible. Or at least far from good enough to deserve staying up. I'll hope for a miracle, but like others I've resigned myself to relegation. Didn't think we'd be here when I fell for Everton 7 years ago, but I'll be there next year and for many years after that.

There's obviously some hope that the last year at Goodison sees us move back up, but that all depends on if our young squad is good enough. We will find out if Mills, Warrington, Cannon, Simms, McNeil, Garner, Branthwaite, Patterson, and Mykolenko can form a young hungry squad next season. I assume we sell Pickford for 50£ million, and if the price is right then DCL and Onana, too, but who knows, maybe no one wants them because of DCL's injury record and Onana's mediocre season? If there are buyers for Gray and Iwobi, then you have to sell for 10£ million. It's easy to say we won't be good enough in the Championship, and I have no idea being an American who's never watched the league, but it's not impossible we pull it off next year.

One last chance to find an away win at Leicester like last year, the best away scene I've ever witnessed as our incredible traveling fans refused to stop singing. We can all dream of one shining moment this year, no?

Mate rationally I'm right there with you but the only reason I'm holding out from saying it is the vain hope Rob Halligan, Danny O'Neill, Neil Copeland and the rest of the frequent traveling fans can stay positive and provoke some kind of life into this useless team.

I don't blame Dyche for the state we are in, the damage was done long ago. However, putting Godfrey at RB YET AGAIN, has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever seen by an EFC manager. Godfrey after Covid and his leg break is nowhere near the player, who played well as LB under Ancellotti. If Paaterson is worse than Godfrey, why did we pay Rangers 㾻m for him ?

Mina is the best CH we have. Yes he's injury prone we all know that but we also know Keane is not a good CB and when he plays we must sit back due to his lack of pace. Tarks looked better alongside Coady but I'd like to see him with Mina alongside him. It can;t be any worse.

Mykolenko is the only left back we have who is fit, so he picks himself.

Should Colma be fit he plays at RB. If not its a toss up between Patterson and Holgate. Patterson for me.

So for Leicester -

Pickford, Patterson, Mina, Tarkowki and Mykolenko.

The midfield should be a 5. Gray, Garner, Gueye, Doucoure and Mc'Neill.

DCL up front.

As for what happens long term I would suggest the following, even if we stay up.

Moshiri to sell the club as soon as possible. The new owners, to bring in a new Chairman and Board, all based on expertise in football and business.

A new manager to be appointed who is forward thinking. A manager who can build a team and take us forward on the field. I would suggest Graham Potter, A new owner and board might make him take up the reins.

The following players should be shown the door, either sold or just let go. Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Mykolenko, Gueye, Onana, Maupay, Townsend, Vinagre, Lonergan, Gomes, Alli, Gbamin, Virginia and Iwobi, whether we are relegated or not. These players have demonstrated too many times that they are not good enough for the Premier League. If we are relegated then DCL and Pickford will go anyway.

Begovic, Coleman, Davies, Doucoure, Mina are out of contract. Only Begovic and Coleman are worth a contract extension.

If we stay up we are left with Pickford, Patterson, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Garner, Gray, McNeill, DCL Simms, Nkounkou plus Begovic and Coleman if they stay, Of these I see Gray, Coleman, Nkounkou, Begoviic and Simms as squad players. However if a team is willing to cough up a decent amount for DCL, say 㿊m plus, given his injury record, I'd let him go.

Youngsters who may come through are Welch (CB), Kyle John (RB), Ishe Samuels Smith (LB), Stanley Mills (RM and Isaac Price (CM), Tom Cannon (St) and Lewis Dobbin (LW).

As we are skint a few bosmans will be necessary !!

At RB I would suggest Matt Doherty ex Wolves and Spurs and Republic International or Semedo the current Wolves RB.

At LB, Raphaël Guerreiro from Dortmund.

MF - Ellyes Skhiri from FC Koln and Florian Grillitsch of Ajax.

ST - Moussa Dembélé from Lyon, Chuba Akom of M'boro, McBurnie Sheff Utd,

Slim pickings mostly but when you have been so mismanged as we have, these are the players you can go after. They are all available as of June 30th 2023 as per Transfer Market.

We will need to buy a couple of CBs, at least 3 Midfielders and a couple of decent strikers. Were that money comes from will be from the sales of the players that go,obviously.

Should we stay up I expect a 6 points deduction, which will make recruitment even more difficult. If we are relegated and get a points deduction, I hate to think what will happen. Maybe the EPL will give us a points reduction if we are relegated, so we officially finish 20th. To show the government they can keep their own house in order !!!

I can hear a blackbird giving it loads outside. He's obviously not an Evertonian, no Evertonian could sound that happy this morning.

Because we will, won't we?

And for what it's worth I actually think we'll stay up on the last day. Not because of our achievements but because Leeds and Forest won't see more than a couple of points each.

If we stay up I'd imagine that we won't celebrate this time. I don't think I'll feel like it.

Even Jesus would have to say say, “I can do miracles but getting this shower of shit to play winning football is beyond logic and, as St Thomas Aquinas demonstrated, omnipotence cannot transgress the Aristotelian laws of logic, specifically the notion of self contradiction, so sorry, you're stuffed.”

It wouldn't make the slightest difference if this atrocious shambles of a club won the next three matches. It's like the Führerbunker in April 1945 with Kenwright ordering armies which consist of three 14 year olds armed with one bent Panzerfaust to stop Zhukov's onslaught.

At the moment, I cannot see any way of Everton FC surviving the next two years. The authorities will want to find a scapegoat for their own corruption, so piling all of the sins of the tribe onto one club with an august and proud history will be perfect. Expect fines, transfer bans, points deductions and, in all probability, charges of corruption and criminal manipulation of funds against Moshiri.

We have just seen the wholesale invention of charges from a corrupt legal establishment in New York, where an out-of-time misdemeanour of extremely dubious status has been confected into a federal felony (which the state authority has no right to bring). Does anyone think that the EPL/UEFA with their match rigging VAR, their cementing of “favoured teams” into positions of permanent financial dominance by means of the “who gives a shit” “Champions” “League” competition with its vast revenues would be above the invention of charges?

The destruction of Everton is now well under way.

If I were traveling with you fine fellows to Leicester I'd surely sing for 90 minutes as loud as I could, whatever the outcome. May you once again do us proud come Monday.

A special thanks to Chairman Bill as if we do go down it will be forever attributed to you as your years of leadership has led to our long decline. I hope you are pleased with yourself.

The iceberg hit on boxing Day, and we let Frank have a kickabout with shards of ice on the deck for far too long.

Godfrey came across as not having a glue how to defend. Keane was his usual self and Taz bordered on being Godfrey.Pickford saving, but palming into a danger area continued.

Actually I thought Onana played well, as did Gueye, but they where pushed deep and overwhelmed as usual in the second half as Everton's Defensive retreated in disaray.Iowbi becoming his ineffectual self, as the high press evaporated

McNeill played well. but any threat was extinguished by bad play around him.Calvert Lewin looked Ok and his rating are skewered by a goal that did not count.

Dyche made the mistake of dropping Godfrey to play Holgate, only to play him again.There was a air of giving up in that decision, with Patterson on the bench.But Dyche as other Managers have found the squad is the remains of what has been sold off, to shore off appalling Club Management at all levels.

It really has now turned into the complete rebuild, we all knew it was, to get Mid Table in the Championship.The reason for no new investment or owners, is not because there are none,but because they are waiting on the bargain that the Club will end up being.I include our illustrious Chairman as one of such rats.

Etnie#166

That could be the final turn of the knife for Evertonians.Relegation has now turned into a release.At the end of the day there hopefully will be a team to support in some type of a Division

It's not over but the hole is getting bigger and bigger.

An in form Newcastle was always going to be a really tough match and Leicester away may be a better barometer of our chances. If we can get a point there (or hopefully a win!!) along with a decent performance then who knows.

We looked ok for 45 minutes but obviously confidence is wafer thin.

It's all so deflating and when you look at Newcastle it really clarified how bad a job Kenwright and Moshiri have done. It's not easy but it's also not that hard. Bring in a well respected DOF who knows how to run a football club well. Let him do his job! Bring in a decent manager who can play in a style that DOF wants. Recruit sensibly based on actual ability rather than reputation and don't let the owner be making final transfer calls! Run the club with pragmatism rather than sentiment (ie stop giving jobs to under qualified ex blues).

I'm not accepting just yet. Still a few twists in this one despite the distress of last night.

Fans have been happy to see the likes of Mcneil, Maupay etc come through the door. Give them a chance, they're good players. No they're not. They're players that shit teams don't want.

If you used a draft system to assemble a squad, no one else touches about 20 players in our squad.

They're the worst players by position in the league. Yet we are paying some of the highest wages in Europe.

We have had all the money, and not a clue how to spend it. Its been Brewsters Millions. And now we are fucked.

Before that we are down to Chelsea and still fought our way back. With that kind of fighting spirit it's possible to stay up. Somehow we just lot it. Is it because of missing Doucoure? Probably.

Against ManU away we know it will be tough so even a lost was sort of expected. But against Fulham we had clearly lost that spark. Now the momentum is gone. A big rally at home still can't re-ignite that spark. I'm counting on Coleman to come back in time.

At least to fight a good fight.

On a serious note, we're proper fecked. Main culprit imo is Moshiri, but BK isn't far behind, and between them, they've overseen the most expensive destruction of a football club.

The key game is the next game win that and we should be out. Wolves are safe and could provide a rare 3 away points and Bournemouth last game should be 3 points. Although form would say otherwise there is no reason why we shouldn't pick up 6 points in the next 5 games and we could pick up 10.

Nottingham, Leeds and Leicester probably only have one win left so with the two wins we will be ok.

Hard to get too excited about though. We either scrap our way to staying in this league and have another crap season full of misery, or we suffer the pain of relegation but with a chance of winning a few games next year.

It's lose/lose now.

There aren't three worse teams than us in my opinion.

One away win all season. It will have to change on Monday night or its done. We are going down.

There is little hope of success in any division until the virus is contained and eliminated.

Everton v Forest 1-1
Everton v Leicester 0-2
Everton v Wolves 1-2
Everton v Southampton 1-2
Everton v Villa 0-2
Everton v Fulham 1-3

I'm not angry like a a growing number now, this has been on the cards for a few seasons. A team that does not prioritise goals will need a water tight defence (Moyes Years) or be battling in the wrong end. 25 goals this season speakes volumes. To catch Forrest/Leeds Everton need to win games (3), and I just can't see it now.

Sean Dyche was not the right appointment, years of being a one dimensional manager (as previously stated I see a a fair bit of Burnley). As easy appointmnet for the board with no imagination or research. But we can't do anything about the past (inc the last 3 months).

Buy Championship players then it shouldn't come as a surprise ending up in the championship.

Forest play Saints at home and will surely win. That gives them 33 pts. Leicester have West Ham at home last day and should win. We will need to win at least 2 games to get to 34. I can't see wins v Brighton or Man City. Leicester will have too much firepower and best we can get there is a draw.

I see our only hope is nicking a win at low scoring wolves and somehow beating an on the beach Bournemouth.

As for Dyche as I said on the forum last night I've demanded so many sackings that we need stability. But in all honesty I have no faith in his ability to keep us up this season nor bringing us back up next season,

Why he thinks continually playing Onana, Gueye and Doucoure will create scoring opportunities is puzzling. It just leaves us light going forward. The three of them don't even protect the Defence. All three are total frauds and should be binned.

Teams don't storm the Championship with 3 CDMs and an isolated forward with powder puff wingers.

Danny @188, you forgot Micheal Keane, relegated with wait for it......the combo of Burnley/Dyche

Pickford
Tarkowski
Godfrey
McNeil
Gueye

Maybe Doucoure also with Watford?

When you constantly buy players who have been relegated elsewhere, and then mix them up with a few Holgates, Mykolenkos and Maupays, it's no surprise where we find ourselves. Can we realistically get 7 points from our games against Leicester, Wolves and Bournemouth? With our away form? It's looking dubious. I don't expect us to get anything from City and Brighton.

Can a team that has won 6 games all season win at least 2 from 5 now? It's looking highly doubtful…

That's the biggest condemnation of the people who have run us into the ground without a whimper endlessly buying shite midfielder's and crap defender's who can't score or create goals, and the obscenity of paying them huge wages, all contributing to a team that plays without any entertainment or propose.

Little wonder then why we will of have dropped out of the premiership, if you can't score goals in any division the inevitable will happen RELEGATION. The blame firmly lies squarely with the owner and our treacherous chairman who quite simply haven't got a clue. Until they are gone nothing will change. We could drop straight into league 1next season under the control of these two clowns.

Tyrer
Patterson Tarkowski Branthwaite Nkounkou
Mills Warrington Garner McNeil
Cannon Simms

Bench: Leban, Welsh, Gueye, Dobbin, Gray, Samuels-Smith, Alli (pay the £10m?) ….and whatever other under 23 can step up too.

Complete fire sale on the rest.

Unfortunately Dyche will do reverse.

I go along with Peter Mills, and have very similar feelings to the ones just expressed by Martin Mason.

The most ironic moment of the match came when I was just about to leave Goodison Pk last night, with Anthony Gordon getting booed onto the pitch. The third scouse kid to be slaughtered for leaving Everton, after being stitched up by Mr Kenwright.

My thoughts immediately went back to Wayne Rooney, and how Evertonians were robbed of watching the finest young talent of many generations, so you know who could survive.

Coming to terms with the championship will be very painful, but Everton badly need a reset, and we definitely need to be rid of the Kenwright curse.

The sad thing is, it's imbedded deeply into the corridors and every corner of our great football club, because this is the only way an inept dictatorship survives.

If we go down, there'll no doubt be many players who'll ask for a move to stay on big money elsewhere. Pay reductions will kick in on most of the contracts. We also have half a dozen or so out of contract in any case so I can see us shifting 10+ players this summer regardless. No new contracts should be offered to anyone until we know our fait and manager for next season.

New players coming in, all I ask is we get gritty players with flight, pace and a bit of nous about them. Our spine is too soft and as soon as a goal goes in heads drop all round. A few decent, quick and hungry youngsters would also be good to add some pace. Can we also finally have 2-3 proper strikers. All the teams around us have options up front. We haven't had 2 decent strikers in the squad for about 20 years! We never score enough goals - I wonder why?

Squad rebuild can wait until we know our fait but either way a massive clear out is needed, again. Club also needs to decide on a manager and just leave him in place for at least 2-3 years so we have some semblance of a squad that makes sense. Also, appoint a manager who has experience, not another dreadful decision like Lampard.

All depressing but until the owner and board are changed, an changes just seem futile.

Looking forward to Millwall away next season!

I said to the people around me after twenty minutes, that I thought we needed Demari Gray, on the pitch, and I couldn't believe he still hadn't been called upon after another fifty minutes had passed?

I'm beginning to like McNeill, but would have definitely brought him inside last night. He lacks a bit of pace, but he doesn't lack much else, and it was clear watching Everton, that we didn't have nowhere near enough going forward last night.

Good positions out wide, but always two spare defenders waiting to anticipate the cross, because only Dominic was in the box. We fought as hard as Newcastle for seventy minutes, but whereas we lacked cohesion, this was never a problem for them, simply because their players have a lot more quality on the ball, than ours.

The club apparently tried to sell him last summer. They eventually did in January.

Rooney came out recently saying the club tried to sell him to Chelsea. Once he knew they wanted to cash in, he decided it would be a club of his choosing.

I don't recall Lucas Digne demanding to be transferred to Aston Villa.

I remember hearing a radio interview with Alan Ball years ago on a road trip. Saying how upset he was that Everton wanted to sell him and he didn't want to leave. He confided in his dad who told him, if they don't want you, it's time to move on.

We should have learned that it often isn't the player.

At this moment my emotions are still very raw so thought best I didnt go into detail about certain players. The only comment I will say is we didnt lose because of lack of effort we lost because we lack quality in all areas of the pitch. As Roy Keane said some months back while commenting on one of our games he said the problem with this team is they have a lot of Championship quality players.

Everton clearance sale coming up - and we'll be left with the dregs who have got us into this flaming mess

Supporters who come from America, North and South, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and all over Europe will all be thinking about the possibility, (a lot will feel its probable.) Those who can't go the match for whatever reason, are as much Evertonians as those who go. So say your piece, your true Blues, as we all are.

Charles (154) Excellent post. Whether we stay up ot get relegated, What's happening in New York is giving our authorities a great example at throwing the book at us ( they're probably still adding chapters to it just for us!)

I just looked at the man who stood on the touchline last night in Newcastle colours and, if I'm right, an Evertonian too. I think he's the man we should have got instead of Koeman.

Anyway, last night I wasn't expecting us to win, but hoped we could nick a draw and we almost gave ourselves a chance of doing so, until CL's fine run and poke was adjudged offside. But almost right from the start, Newcastle had seen the acres of space available on their left (reminded me of the cup final against chelsea!)

All through the match Godfrey was over towards our left and they made full use of it.

There were plenty of examples of poor players on the pitch that we're stuck with and last night we were up against a side who (apart fron their rolling round in agony) were light years ahead of us in class and were well managed. I thought they were an example of what we should be aspiring towards;

but we'll have to wait. Wait until it's all over, one way or another and see where we end up. Then see what happens to us from the extremely fair Premier League authorities and the Independent shower of neer do wells who will decide our fate.

My hopes are that we do get a takeover, or at least investment once our future is known. Whatever happens, as long as Everton FC still lives, then we can support them.

Then see them get rid of Kenwright so he can go and count his millions he's got out of Everton, so that he can go and sit in his museum, and think of all the good times he's given us.

So many top class posts on here.

My own view is that even if we survive, what chance have we got of surviving next year whilst being restricted by such a financial straight-jacket, brought upon by the incredible incompetence, shown by the people at the highest levels of the club?

A lot of these players are on champions league wages, and yet how many of them would be missed if the expected fire sale happens?

My answer would be “not many”, but I genuinely don't think there will be many takers for a lot of our ordinary players.

Players have won trophies and never experienced the passion from the terraces that these players received just for staying up, but I genuinely couldn't fault many for a lack of effort yesterday, which is probably the most worrying aspect.

All leading to the mad appointment of Benitez and 5 bob to spend.

Everything after was a delay of the inevitable.

This is it for the foreseeable unless we get big oil money no matter what division we're in. It might satiate frothing hatred to get rid of the present board but it won't make a scintilla of difference without the dough.

The playing side is where it is at because of the shambles that club has become, and the shambles is becoming worse. Even with inevitable new owners, whoever that might be, we are going to be clobbered and stifled by sanctions surely. With the exception of the appeal of the new stadium it feels almost like our position is irretrievable and the club is nigh on finished. It's going to take a bloody miracle to recover from the total mess we are in.

Seriously hurting after last night. Monday is going to be bigger than massive but as I said, how can we survive even staying up, never mind going down?

Relegation is the inevitable outcome of years of decay followed by a sudden influx of cash that has basically been pissed up against the wall with no plan/business model/ strategy etc etc, followed by a sudden its all gone and we are now being investigated for cooking the books and being in cahoots with dodgy Russkies.

Until its confirmed I will still get behind the team, but the fallout from the big R is going to be catastrophic. Do you really think the clowns in charge will have a plan to get back up?? It will be full on panic mode.

Needs to be a scramble for tickets for the last home game this season as its likely to be the last top flight game at Goodison.

What a sad sad way to depart when I have so many happy memories from the past 50 years even though they are now very old ones.

Sound like Bullshit Bill now, so time to go.

If we get hit with sanctions, fines, transfer embargoes, points deductions or whatever those are obviously aimed at the Club and essentially a "punishment" for the irregularities of the club as controlled by its custodians.

If we were to get new owners, and a total clear out at the top, would there not be a case for sanctions to be targeted at those responsible for the Club's failings, their failings and irregularities rather than the playing side and the fans. I mean, they (besides not being very good at football) have done no wrong. Surely the ignominy of relegation would be punishment enough.

It seems unreasonable, and I can see no benefit, that the playing side, fans and new owners should suffer further for the failings of a few individuals if those individuals are gone.

They should just go after the individuals. It may be a lengthy process but might make others in the future think twice.

You need footballers who can play football, players with a bit of quality - we have a team of players who've been relegated, or are mere journeymen picking up a pay cheque. A lot of the players that were much maligned by our fans 2/3/4/5 years ago were at least footballers who knew how to play the game. I'm talking about players such as Barry, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Delph, even Schneiderlin knew how to move the ball around. Our midfield now is like a cub team, yes a cub team, not even a pub team.

Name our best player, and it's our goalkeeper, the rest of them are useless headless chickens with zero end product and very little footballing sense. Onana shows a bit, but he's all over the place half the time - or on the floor waving his arms about.

One of the greatest weapons in modern football, and the thing that gives a team balance is fullbacks - we keep playing centre halves at fullback and it shows massively. We get pinned back, and have zero attacking threat as a result. It's not rocket science, play fullbacks at fullback.

We will get relegated, of that I have no doubt - the squad is rubbish, a mishmash of players brought in by different people with different ideas, and it's been left to other managers to make them play - it won't work and does not work. We can't score, so we can't win games, so we'll go down.

I wouldn't be surprised if they don't win a single game between now & the end of the season.

The worrying thing is this was a Brands scouting special, convinced Carlo by all accounts after we missed out on Gabriel to Arsenal. Now for me 5 mins watching the lad you can see he is too small, can't jump, can't use his feet a series of poor signings from Brands who needs to take some of the blame for this, although his role was interfered with no doubt, what he is accountable for is not good enough.

In all probability we won't even be able to move on some players because the wages they receive are that high they will stick with the money they will get, not earn, from Everton and refuse the lower wages other clubs will offer them, that's if any other clubs are interested in them.

Either way this club is in a real mess and unfortunately it will be a very long time before we sort it out.

Relegation simply puts the seal on a business that stopped functioning years ago with any efficiency.

Lately, and last night in particular I kind of feel nothing, a weird numbness, an expectation and realisation of what isn't happening, it's happened, and I think I've come to terms with it, I just want it over.

This isn't a club I identify with, watching Dyche try and assemble a group of players with no dynamism or idea try and fail to muster the most basic sunday league attacking threat has worn me down to total acceptance.

Hopefully a good time to re-build with a good young, hungry, technical fast side that we can enjoy watching next season with some identity at least.

We are not down yet, but can you see us beating anyone, we cant put the ball in the net.
I fear it will be the same senario against Leicester, they have far more fire power than us, in fact every team has.

Hope springs eternal and all that, I'm hoping for a miracle but I fear its a forlorn hope.

We can still survive but if so it will probably be with the lowest ever points total.
There are a few here saying it might be better to go down, but that would surely
only be the case if we got a points deduction this season. If we went down and got
a points deduction next season god help us.

It feels as though the majority are realising we're toast. Championship toast.

Still, if we come back up first go, it'll be in the new ground. Oh wait...

A night's sleep, followed by reading some posts that point up the relative difficulties of the remaining fixtures of the few teams at the bottom, and the heart starts to again tell me that we might, just might, slip the hangman's noose. My ballad of Goodison Park? De profundis?

I told myself that Fulham at home was one of our last chances; but a nail is banged into the threatening scaffolding of relegation. Then Palace away, I tell myself the same; yet another nail is banged in. Then last night, the same words to myself; almost the final nail is hammered home, the structure almost complete, the noose in position. A loss to Leicester has to be that final nail, that trap door, the noose now tightened.

My first matches at Goodison. The Boys' Pen. My first season ticket. The new stand in Goodison Road. Alex Young. The league in '64. The FA Cup in '66. The stumbles along the way since then, the faltering steps; but the almost inevitable ability to steady ourselves at the last minute. The moments of triumph interspersed between the moments of dread.

The noose cast aside once more? Or no more?

The trap door under our feet no more? But why is it no longer there?

The moment of truth draws ever nearer.

That's the most sickening thing, the belief drains so quickly on a setback and we are like a boxer who can't defend himself, except there's no referee to step in and call it off. The fans do that themselves; the mass walk-out at the second goal tells you all you need to know. The fans know it, the players know it; all we are waiting for is the mathematical moment, probably before the Bournemouth game even kicks off.

It's not defeatism, it's reality. We've got nothing to fight back with. The only sign of a fight after the second goal was Maupay kicking one of their players and getting a yellow card. Iwobi even seemed to need some sort of counselling from a team mate after the third goal.

There's still a slim but getting slimmer chance but it's going to require some change of form and attitude now. I don't think we are capable.

Prepare for relegation. You can be sure nobody at the club will have a plan for it except the player's agents who will be planning escape routes for their failing clients.

Personally, of the 14 players involved last night I would be happy to never see most of them in Everton blue again. The exceptions; Pickford, but he deserves a transfer to a trophy challenging team, McNeil, he's battled recently, Onana, potential but he'll go anyway, Simms and Garner, we'll need them in the Championship.

The rest will be in the fire sale at knockdown prices if there's anyone stupid enough to buy them.

The optimistic part of me sees a fresh, renewed, young, modern team playing bright football and bringing a sense of enjoyment back to Goodison next season under an innovative, forward-thinking manager and board. That's the best I can do but how far away is that?

I also agree that it's not about managers. Or even tactics and formations. All valid topics for discussion but I think our troubles lie firmly with the players.

Over the last few years, we have seen time and again that they cannot handle pressure and fail to perform in important/ must win games. We have the odd result when they finally get it together (like Palace last season) but in general they fold like a deckchair when any sort of pressure is applied.

Last night was the same. Must win game, pressure on at home - and they get spanked 4-1. Same as the 3-1 against Fulham. It comes down to mentality, bottle and character - which not many of our squad have. That won't change for the remaining games.

It's not being negative or giving up - it's just a realisation that relegation is upon us. We concede, we don't score enough, players aren't good enough/don't show enough character and our form is poor. We used to rely on there being 3 worse sides than us to get out of trouble - can't say that this season either!

Best we can do is try to take some positives out of going down. It's gonna happen so we might as well. Head in the sand is not an approach which works after last night and the games we have left.

At least we will finally get rid of most of this squad who have let us down so badly over the years. They will be off like rats leaving a sinking ship most of them. Give us chance to rebuild a proper team full of players with bottle, character and better quality.

Will finally give us chance to see some of the best young players in the side too. Might also be nice to win most weeks hopefully and be up at the right end of the table for change!

I don't know what's happening at Board level or with the owner, but how can they not make any meaningful statements in this time of 'existential crisis' have they protected the club by doing some sort of deal with football's power brokers in order to ensure the club can carry on trading and 'voluntary' relegation is part of the equation?

Whatever has happened, I really can't get at all excited about facing league meetings with Plymouth, Rotherham, et al in future seasons, but that's where we are heading and like all fans of all clubs we have to suck it up and make the best of it. The bitter taste of this abhorrent failure by the Owner and the board, will probably last until my final breath.

We are in a bad time at present but sooner or later things will improve again.

Nobody other than City, maybe Arsenal, and possibly teams like Chelsea/RS/Utd have a hope of getting anywhere near league titles any more.

A part of me quite likes the idea of playing in the Championship and at least being competitive. We haven't been that in the league for 30 years or more so at least it might be fun, and not just a pointless stress week in week out.

I'd quite enjoy watching us compete at the higher end of a league for once. Unless we're total shit in the Championship as well!

We'll all still support the team, regardless of what division we're in - the Premier League is not the promised land, unless you're one of the aforementioned.

Our fullbacks were dreadful, absolute zero attacking threat, and both of them over-covering, by a large percentage.

Two of our midfielders really fought, but lack genuine quality, whilst the other one who has more quality just stayed on the periphery of the game, once again.

Iwobi, one surging run when he had to much pace and even strength for the Villa left back, which definitely makes me question why he didn't keep pulling wide and demanding the ball?

McNeil, lacks pace, doesn't lack honesty, but never had much in front of him, except one centre forward, who was often outnumbered by too many Newcastle defenders.

Tarkowski, aggressive but lacks a lot of calmness, Keane is more calm, but lacks aggression massively.

A mishmash, a team assembled by around five different managers, or two directors of football, with very little style or cohesion.

The only player who can really dribble was left on the bench,

The club hasn't had an identity since Moyes left.

It wasn't always great, and I don't want him back but at least there was an identity back then, a few more million, one or two signings away from winning a Cup maybe or finishing 4th and actually reaching the Champions League.

Fans could get behind men like Baines, Jagielka, Cahill, Pienaar, Arteta, Osman etc etc because we got something back from them, we got performance levels to their maximum capabilities.

This lot of 2023 I can't have any connection with any of them, frauds, weaklings, mercenaries, flakes, you name it.

There's nothing left.

I was thinking that last night as we were better than the second-most in-form team in the league. We didn't capitalise on our pressure by scoring. They broke and created chances, with players who can score.

If you want to know why we're in the bottom three, there's your reason. Not the managers or their tactics.

Wherever we're playing next season, that's the thing that must change.

Leicester and Wolves away and Bournemouth at home will determine our destiny. All three have better attacking options but not significantly better. Perspiration might make the difference.

I have no doubt that Gordon had to be sold and the proceeds from his sale may keep us afloat. The Auditors stated that a Going Concern issue may arise if we were to be relegated. For an Accountant like me it does not get any more worrying than that.

My Burnley supporting mates have had a great time this season, thats all I can cling to, but then I watch Sunderland Till I Die and think that more likely.

Moshiri has done an Ellis Simms on us

Newcastle relegated twice in 2009 and 2016.

They are both doing okay its not the end of the world we can and will bounce back.

Yeah Brands started that crap of buying players who don't score or assist eg Bernard, Gomes and it's continued ever since. Not rocket science that goals win games

The whole thing stinks

We have the opposite, an owner who hasnt a clue, a chairman who continuously lies and lives in the past, a CEO who should be running the local foodbank.

We wont be ok if relegated.

Am still hoping for a miracle... it was not so much losing to Newcastle - that was a shoo-in - it was the manner of the defeat and the paucity of ideas by Dyche. But I will be very surprised if we win another game this season.

Relegation - well, who knows? But I'd say if it happens, the domino effect will be catastrophic. Administration? I think so. Then what? Could someone come in and buy us for nothing? Clear the debt and start again? I have seen some strange things happen when businesses go into administration... anyone get any ideas?

Poor recruitment. The problems started with Walsh, not the worst decision from the board in getting him in following his pedigree with Leicester but it didn't work. With all the money our big roll of the dice ended up with a bunch of overpaid players on big contracts which set us back years. Brands came in and did the same.

Newcastle with their big roll of the dice have done exactly what we didn't. When they have spent big, they have all worked. Bought to fill a required position, right mentality and quality for a system they want to play.

We have been hamstrung with a squad of players who nobody wanted on huge wages who ran their contracts down, which landed us in FFP due to their value dropping to zero (too many to mention).

Teams have also come up from the championship better equipt than us in the last 2 or 3 seasons, Villa, Leeds, Fulham etc, and the group of teams who were always worse than us, has finally and slowly deminished.

Didn't Keown himself walk out of Goodison and in fact pull on an Arsenal shirt instead. What a tosser.

Both scenarios need major decisions from the top to bottom. The first is up to Moshiri to make up his mind in he either want's to sell, or he just wants someone to invest in buying shares with positions on the board, that will bring in experienced personnel on running a football club. The second is a manager, not brought in as an emergency, but someone that has got some experience in rebuilding in the modern game and is showing success.

We are (hate to repeat it ) going to have a rebuilding time, and I think it should be a manager that is not set in his ways with previous teams, but has studied the modern game and type of players needed.for success.

I am not familiar with coaches or managers in Europe or elsewhere, other supporters may have ideas, but I don't believe S.Dyche is the future for Everton F.C.

Regardless of the outcome of the last few games the future is what matters, and I simply cannot understand why an Owner can be either so stubborn or stupid to not understand where the major problems are. I am not faulting him for his financial help, just his head in the sand attitude in assessing the upper management in the club.

After that lets get a win on Monday.

Ancelotti had inherited more or less the same squad. It was Koeman who spent massive money on average players, giving them huge contracts, remember he bought 3 No 10s and no striker after selling Lukaku.

He was the biggest mistake and we're paying for it ever since. Ancelotti saw what he had to work with and ran.

We have been mismanaged for a long time and I'm not talking about our team managers although obviously some have not performed very well.

The Premier League as a competition is a sham though, the table has taken its usual shape: the Top 8, with the exception of Brighton instead of Chelsea being 8th, and Aston Villa doing better than expected.

I mean, what's the point when you know you're going to be out-classed again and your ceiling is mid-table mediocrity?

Koeman 16,
Allardyce 6,
Silva 18,
Ancelotti 17,
Benitez 6,
Lampard 12.

Everton fans have been truly amazing – they have sold out home and away for years and have held the board to account in a dignified way when action was desperately required.

Whatever happens to the club, the fans can hold their heads up high and be extremely proud of who they are. Walking out is for so many Blues a last resort – desperate to do their utmost, but when all you've got fails, you walk away – it's not forever – and we will return.

The only one of countless Managers who knew this team were too slow and quite a few not good enough, who had the forward-thinking of wanting to coach the youngsters until the end of the season before then taking over the first-team squad in the summer.

Every other manager has taken the job, thinking they can get something out of these players, who have cost previous managers their jobs. They all go the same way, sacked, due to these bunch of work-shy bunch of cowards.

I can now see clear as day, Bielsa's forward thinking on working with the Under-21s first, to build some of the youngsters for next season.

We keep going round in a debate, we cannot risk youngsters in a relegation scrap, same season after season, they are not ready, need go out on loan, about 5 years running now been the same on ToffeeWeb not ready the youngsters.

No wonder Price left, cannot blame him one bit.

Can you see what you have done to me Laurie, with your sensible post about Bielsa?

Keown did not walk out of our club. We sold him for ٠M as we were skint – as fekkin usual.

I think we are probably down but a possible bounce from that could save us! Continuing with Dyche, I can't really see another win this season now.

He made some mistakes admittedly, like Klaassen and Schneiderlin, but was also massively undone by Kenwright, being forced to accept the return of Rooney.

Koeman never wanted Rooney back and had to use up 𧵎k/week of the wage bill for his return which buggered up his search for a decent striker during the summer transfer window. His main target and wish was Giroud.

People seem to forget we finished 7th under Koeman in his only full season with us. The following season started out with Rooney coming back and us not having a proper striker (sound familiar?) but 3 No 10s (one of which was an unplanned Rooney), it was never going to work and ended up with the inevitable. Koeman just got more and more fed up – and who could blame him?

Don't blame Koeman, blame Kenwright.

I would just have a go for the last few games. Play Simms and Calvert-Lewin up front with Gray just behind and just launch it and snap up some loose balls around the box.

I would go:

Pickford
Coleman Mina Tarkowski Mykolenko
Davies Garner Iwobi
Gray
Simms Calvert-Lewin.

I really don't think Davies is any worse than Onana, Doucouré or Gueye. He's a blue and will give 100%.

'Hear that Mr Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability…'

Dyche strikes me as an unlikely Neo, with one bound springing us free. There is no point in denying the evidence in front of us, the squad is rubbish. Just how bad is demonstrated by the fact that we sold out two supposedly best players, yet neither have managed to get a starting role. What does that say for the rest of the players?

We may well start next season with a 6- or even 9-point deduction as a welcome to life in the Championship. There has to be a total re-set. In addition to the ones out of contract, we will maybe be able to offload some, most likely to the newly promoted teams looking for Premier League experience. After all, even we fell for that one.

I foresee a core of Patterson, Branthwaite, maybe Mykolenko, Garner, McNeil and Simms. Plus some of the better youngsters, if we have any, and then shopping around in the lower leagues.

Hopefully we can get some money for Pickford, Calvert-Lewin, Maupay, Keane, Godfrey, Iwobi and Onana. The wage bill will have to be cut by at least 70%.

On the upside, we get re-unions with the likes of Plymouth and Rotherham – we haven't played a league match with those two for 70 years.

If we stay up by some miracle, the board won't sack him because it will cost them to sack him.

Either way the next season is flawed before it starts.

From what I have listened to and from what I have seen he is not what we need.

We need a Potter, a long-term fix. We need to let him do what he did at Brighton and re-set.

Keeping Dyche is like staying with a partner cos you can't be arsed to get rid. I've been there. We've all been there. We need to draw a line in the sand and say "Thanks but it's time to part our ways, bye."

Whatever happens, Operation Goodison needs to become Operation Get Potter, simple as that. The very top clubs won't touch him at the moment. We need to grasp that nettle and get him.

That's my last word on it because I know they haven't got the foresight and I'm wasting my breath.

I've been consoling myself today with the thought of us having to build a young team with our own players. The likes of Warrington, Simms, Cannon, Braithwaite, etc. A young, energetic team tearing up the Championship next season or League One the season after.

I'd like to see Potter brought in. Granted, the Chelsea job was too much for him, like Moyes at Man Utd. But he did great things at Brighton and I'd much prefer to watch his football than the utter shite Dyche has made a career out of serving up.

I'm resigning myself to dropping to League One within the next few years and it will be heartbreaking. But, then comes the Fightback!! Just like Leeds and Sunderland, etc. Eventually we'll see our team climb back up the ladder and we'll have some great seasons to enjoy.

That's as optimistic as I can force myself to be at this moment. Last night destroyed any hope I had of an escape.

It is an unforgiving league and far more competitive than the Premier League. At least half the league are capable of going on a run and getting in the top two or the playoff places.

My worry with Everton wasn't them going down but going out of business. How about a rescue take-over by Liverpool? Could anything possibly be worse?

What did Potter do at Brighton to make you think he could get us promoted? Chris Hughton got Brighton promoted. Then under them they finished 15th and 17th.

Under Potter they finished 15th, 16th, then 9th. So for two years they did just as well or badly as they did under Hughton albeit playing more attractive football then they finished 9th which isn't exactly Earth-shattering.

In his one year at Swansea he finished 10th.

Just read that back again, that is why we are in the position we are and demonstrates how far we've fallen! Given our away record it does seem a bit of a stretch to suddenly turn the form book around.

Our only point in the reverse fixtures being a draw at Man City away bizarrely, fingers crossed Demarai Gray can conjure up a worldy again this time round. But I doubt it.

Him leaving was a disaster. Benitez had nothing to spend and was forced to jettison James for personal and professional reasons (ie, fair play). Then, our other source of creativity was suspended for a year leaving us with next to no-one, apart from the energetic Iwobi.

Hence, the lack of goals. If we were scoring for fun, the odd calamity at the back is okay. It's the scoreline that counts.

Without change, we could have Guardiola in charge and it wouldn't make a difference.

If we stay up he would be kept anyway, but survive or drop it looks like the board are toast one way or another so would another board keep Dyche?

Who knows – but the answer is probably "No, Sir".

Other thoughts – I am right on the same page as Kieran unfortunately. I can't see any financial lifebelt right now. The club is drowning.

I agree about Bielsa. It was a weird dilemma at the time but he clearly, to me, saw the writing on the wall. Difficult for us to accept at the time and water under the bridge now but that would have been an interesting watch.

This is Brighton we are talking about. His CV is solid and had he not been bought half a billion pounds worth of talent in 5 days he'd have been a success at Chelsea.

You reckon keep Dyche. That would be your argument for not going for Potter. If not Potter, keep Dyche? Really?

Most clubs want goal returns with a low injury record for any attacking midfielder or striker.

Sorry - early 30s!

He can't beat anyone. He can't pass. He can't finish.

Thats all!

Potter's replacement carried it on, Potter failed at Chelsea?

"Brighton were 4th or 5th when he left," right a few months into the season. I remember one year Ipswich under Burley were 5th just before Easter then ended up just avoiding relegation.

The other thing is that, if we are relegated, we need someone who knows how to actually win something, eg, promotion. Potter's record is of keeping teams roughly where they are but playing nice football. In that respect he is a poor man's Trevor Francis who got teams slightly above where they otherwise would be playing nice football but winning nothing.

Very different times and completely different type of Everton squads.

1927-28 League Champions
1929-30 Relegated to 2nd tier.
1930-31 Promoted to Div 1
1931-32 League Champions
1932-33 FA Cup winners

I would suggest that a relegation this time around, would lead to our longest prolonged spell outside the top division in our history.

Next game, same players, same tactics, it's a given. The man is stubborn. He works on the statistics that if you feed a Lion cabbages he'll eventually become a Veggie. It won't, it's a fucking carnivore. Play Maupay enough times he'll score. No he won't, he's shit.

I'm indifferent to Dyche, I just don't see Potter as the man we need.

Given the financial position we are in, we won't have the money to sign 'big name' managerial talents for quite some time.

Last night, we should have sat tight, defended deep and try to hang on for 60 mins before having a proper go. Coming out of the blocks like loonies might work for 44 mins but brings on tired legs.

We still have a slim chance of staying up. A defeat on Monday will almost certainly send us down but a draw still gives us a chance.

Like most posters, I am resigned to going down and have no confidence of the current set-up bouncing straight back. Just wonder if I am going to get a bit of a refund on my Championship seasons tickets next year.

I think it serves a dual purpose. On one hand they get to play the victim card and act like the toxic fans are a problem. On the other hand they avoid the awkwardness of watching Rome burn from the Collosseum if we actually get relegated. Kenwright doesn't want an awkward moment in front of the crowd like Joaquin Phoenix at the end of Gladiator.

You're right. I also imagine that any outgoings will be based entirely on us accepting any offers we get to raise any cash we can. Meaning we might end up selling Cannon or Simms for a million or so just to keep the coffers flowing even though it would make sense to hold onto them longer term.

I really don't see us offloading our seasoned huge salary guys. Most have at least another year to milk us before they are free agents. No one will match or better the money they're on here.

He would wait till the summer if he was interested.

"A source told Telegraph Sport: “Players who were signed in the summer have relegation reduction clauses in their contracts, but not everyone who was there beforehand has one.

“The club have tried to be responsible after almost being relegated last season, but it has created a strange situation in which some players are facing pay cuts and others aren't.”

So McNeill, Maupay, and Tarkowski get a deserved pay cut but Iwobi, Keane, Holgate, Gomes, Dele Alli et al carry on earning a king's ransom.

"However, because the Toffees weren't counting on him, they agreed a loan that's seen them pay 60% of his wage packet this season, with Gomes also cutting back on some of his earnings temporarily.

There are ‘potentially large bonuses' included in the deal and other sources suggest Lille have paid more but L'Equipe's information is that Everton have been paying at least 60%.

With that in mind ‘it seems unlikely' that the Portuguese midfielder, who has a contract until 2024, will still be at the French club next season as they simply can't afford to get anywhere near a figure that would satisfy him."

He made a big mistake taking on the Chelsea job and I think he knows it.

1) Everton get relegated.

2) The Premier League impose a 50-point deduction, for whatever they make up that day (which will be punished far more than murdering a bunch of Italians or leading a breakaway group intended to destroy the Premier League).

3) Everton goes into receivership.

4) Liverpool buy the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for 㿞 million and need only a couple of hundred million to finish it.

As for Potter and Swansea, he's developed as a manager since Glen and has learned his trade.

Anyone remember Howard Kendall at Blackburn?

We on the other hand recruit exceptionally badly – and as we all saw in January, not at all despite desperate need.

Might he have done better than Dyche? Possibly. I suspect with the squad available we'd be in much the same sort of place, poor results and football that's not coming together.

It's desperately sad but the issues run so deep, it almost doesn't matter who the manager is. Certainly nothing will be fixed by simply appointing a "decent" manager.

Calvert-Lewin was very unlucky with his offside goal but, with better delivery of the final pass, Everton could have been ahead last night. Goals bring confidence and good sides punish the basic mistakes.

But the season is not over and the maths are not set for who drops. Leeds I don't see winning another game, and losing them, all, and Forest I see winning their game at home v Forest.

Everton, can't and won't give up the ghost. The future of Everton FC, is at stake.

Last night emotions were high, and until noon, today.

But there's hope with bloody blind hope that Dyche will have learned some harsh lessons these last few matches, about himself and his players.

There was a stench of resignation in the air long before their 3rd goal but Leicester is the six-pointer that Everton must win at all costs.

Dyche will make changes for Leicester; if Seamus is fit to play, that's a bonus, he's a leader on the pitch, but let's focus our positive energies on the Leicester game.

There's 5 games left; in a season of some surprising results, Everton can get their surprising results starting on Monday night.

UTFTs!

That's the main thing – new investment, new club management, better recruitment and avoiding a points deduction. Do all that and we might magically find our manager suddenly becomes more competent.

Oh dear …make that 1-2

In my opinion, for 70 minutes, we more than matched the Skunks, and would even say we were the better team. At 1-0, we were always in the game, until three mad minutes when we gifted the game through some abysmal defending.

They clearly had seen Ben Godfrey in our recent game at Man Utd, with anything over the top or a pass inside leaving him totally out of position. The least said about the fourth goal the better. That was truly comical, jeez, there were five defenders around Isak and he just skinned the lot.

If we can play against Leicester like we did for the first 70 minutes last night, and also cut out the slack defending, then there is no reason why we cannot win on Monday.

Finally, the two disallowed goals. For our “goal”, that linesman must have eyesight like a sewer rat to raise his flag almost immediately, what happened to letting play go on before raising the flag? There was literally millimetres in it, so no way could it be clear there was an offside.

Then with regards to the Skunks disallowed goal, Dan Burn was clearly offside when he played the ball, jeez, he's about 6'-7”, impossible to miss, yet no flag was raised.

So just imagine, if there was no VAR, our goal would have been disallowed, as it was anyway due to the flag being raised, and their goal would have stood. And I'm still not convinced Calvert-Lewin was offside!

The linesman didn't flag until after the goal had been scored, which is what they do these days. The fact that the VAR took so long to decide means that it wasn't as obvious as it looked to me.

You're right in that he let play go on, albeit for a couple of seconds, just that when Calvert-Lewin scored, I looked at the linesman and the flag was already raised. The fact that it took what, about 2 minutes to decide clearly showed it to be very tight, until the VAR decided it was offside.

Why wasn't the same linesman so quick to raise his flag for their offside goal? In fact, why didn't he raise it all, when it was clearly offside?

I think you need specs when you suggest that DCL wasn't offside but insisting that all will be well with our remaining matches is stretching it a bit far, don't you think.

To win 3 matches after seeing the last two dismal performances is beyond my wildest dreams and one which isn't feasible in the current climate of zero confidence (among the players and supporters) is too good to be true.

Happy dreams but you have got to wake up soon.

We huffed and puffed but really Newcastle kept us at arms length, apart from Calvert-Lewin's disallowed goal, we created nothing and Newcastle had about 8 corners in the 1st half to our 1.

Once the 2nd goal went in, everyone in that ground knew the outcome.

I was genuinely shocked when we scored and even that was a freak, but in typical fashion we lose a goal immediately.

I'm saying this now, we won't get another point this season.

Regarding Calvert-Lewin's goal, I'm emphasising he was unlucky and has looked sharp the last 2 games with very little decent passes to feed off. At Leicester, it will come good for him.

There's massive stakes and the viable future of EFC is on the line, the Leicester game is the 6-pointer.

Hope eternal, UTFTs!

The only chance we have is if Dyche goes for it like he must do and changes the side, but he probably won't.
I would start with both Calvert Lewin, Simms and Gray has to come back in.

That will require new ownership with plenty of money and a plan, business savvy management and finance team, a director of football that knows about footy, manager and coaching staff, new players and a great big dollop of patience. The only things worth keeping are the stadium, offices in the Liver buildings, Finch Farm facilities, and of course the fans.

Pity Bielsa has the Argentine job

When the scaffold did the promo for thank you very much, Mike Mcgear, McCartneys brother insisted on having it filmed in front of the Kop, the video was shot minus Roger McGough, who refused to appear in front of the Kop with being a Blue.

Someone desperate? Where hope trumps pragmatism?

I take your point but then all he has to do is pass a medical and I've a sneaky suspicion he could manage that quite easily for a new club.

Frankly I'm more concerned with the flotsam and jetsam that still have a year or more on their contract and have a lot less saleability than even DCL. How do we offload Keane, Gueye, Iwobi, Holgate, Maupay and of course the real hanger on-ers, Gomes, Gbamin and Dele who would be of zero interest to any EPL club, even on a free. That's getting close to half our wage bill, right there.

Despite the goal being ruled out, it was a pretty impressive finish that cool dink over the keeper. More of a quality and improvised strikers finish than a fox in the box, one touch finish.

Since he has been pigeonholed as the latter type of striker, I thought this cool finish was an encouraging sign. I bet he feels hard done by.

I haven't been watching that much football, but I've just seen a picture which suggests that the outstretched leg of John Stones was offside the other night?

The camera doesn't lie, but the people operating the camera, do seem to be able to change the angles, but maybe I'm just going around the bend.

I don't have an issues with the VAR. It should make things fairer.

There are two issues with its application to football when you consider similar technology has been implemented in other sports.

Competent officials. Both on the pitch and behind the cloak and dagger corridors of Stockley Park.

And the offside rule. Change the rule. Clear daylight, obvious but not based on someone's toenail being ahead of an adjusted line.

Just draw the lines from the feet. It would make for easier, clearer and faster for VAR decisions and make for a more exciting and flowing game.

Decisions like Thursday's one, where Calvert-Lewin's upper bicep was ridiculously deemed 2 mm ahead of the Newcastle defender's foot would be condemned to the distant past, where it belongs.

There's no VAR in the Championship. There's no goal-line technology in League One.

This is supposed to be the same game. Football's great strength is its pyramid.

Personally, I'd like to see anything that cannot be implemented at grass roots be removed from the game at the highest levels.

Thinking back to yesterday's matches, I'm not even sure the VAR can be applied fairly at the top level. Specifically the Crystal Palace penalty; at a modern stadium like the Emirates, there would be more camera angles to view, which would likely have led to the penalty being overturned.