Holgate acknowledges selection challenge as he nears return

Ironically he seemed to be well on his way to finding his way home when injury struck. He has been really good since Lampard arrived.He played a huge part in our survival battle in the latter part of last season. He started this season well too.

There is no automatic route back into our back four anymore. He finds himself down the pecking order.

I suspect Mason's ship may have sailed.

I'd imagine within the next year, Keane and Holgate could both well be moved on if the price is right – and Mina too who unfortunately will always be injury- prone.

My question on Mason is that I don't know his best position? Maybe he's one of those players that managers like because of the versatility.

I'm not questioning his ability, I just don't see where he can make a position his own. And once everyone is fit, as he acknowledges, there is a lot of competition in that space now, which is good for us.

I may get laughed off the park here, but I'll go with the instinctive thought that came into my head. Is he a Phil Neville type of player?

Never quite good enough to nail a specific position down, but versatile so very useful to have in the squad in an ever-increasing football world of rotation. A manager's dream; a Teacher's Pet – even though not the best?

Obviously the big difference being that Neville was a leader and had presence. I don't see that in Holgate. Although, did that only happen for Neville when he left Ferguson's dynasty and became the big fish in a small pond with his countless medals in comparison to those around him?

Godfrey to return and Holgate looked okay at the beginning of the season. Personally, I don't dislike him when he is showing some stability. Sadly, last season he was poor for long spells.

According to the Red Echo, inter Milan are interested in buying Yerry Mina in January. I think Mina is a decent centre-half, but, as we all know, he's just too injury-prone, and therefore best if we can move him on.

Personally I would send him out (to prove himself) on loan next season as we will have Branthwaite back. Davies is another that needs to show us that he can consistently perform at this level.

Gomes looks like he's struggling in the French league, so Lille aren't going to be takers.

Man Utd could have been 5-1 up at half-time; if we are so solid, how do teams as shakey as Southampton get 22 shots against us?

I'll have to counter that, Mick. Could have been 5 -1 up but they weren't. Southampton had 22 shots but we won.

The Moyes generation would be lauding this. Close matches where we're never too far away from the points or a point.

We are definitely more solid at the back. Last season it would have been 5-1 to United and we wouldn't have beaten Southampton.

I've seen him play well at right-back, centre-back and in midfield. He may be the sort of player who fills in when we have an injury or suspension crisis in the defensive midfield position, while covering a number of positions at the back.

He certainly would get my vote to play at right-back if we had 2 games in a week and only Seamus as an option. As others have said, he may not be in anyone's ideal starting eleven, but his versatility makes him an asset.

He is still young enough to improve. The coaching staff we have will help him with that. He could become the latter day Alan Harper. Unsung, but extremely effective.

Holgate has had a frustrating Everton career. He looked like a potential England player towards the end of Ancelotti's first season but it was not to be. Probably better suited to a back 3 than back 4 also.

No need to be sentimental though – as with Keane, he's not as bad as made out, especially if played to his strengths – but it's time to move him on at the end of the season I expect.

Although Harper seemed to be able to play anywhere on the pitch!!

Different era but in him and Richardson, we never worried too much if a player was out or had to be replaced.

Kevin Richardson. Not a household name and couldn't hold down a regular place at Everton.

But leagues titles with both Everton and Arsenal. A European Cup Winners Cup Medal, FA Cup winner and League Cup winner (Villa). Good honest humble professional and not many in the game can claim that medal count.

I think Mason can be a very effective squad player. And now we have to use the squad more.

Glad to see him on the road back.

Yes, lack of belief could be one of Mason's problems although I think he is better than a Jack of all trades and master of none. He was rated, potentially, better than Stones when we signed him, by some coaches at Barnsley. Maybe he can learn from Coady and Tarkowski and take over from them in the future.

Mina and Keane will soon be gone and Branthwaite could prove to be a top-class centre-back with Godfrey also coming back and able to play there while also cover for the full-back positions.

It could be that David (#1) is right regarding his contract. He did develop an arrogance telling the Gwladys Street end to "Fuck Off" at one stage.

Now he is coming back from injury again and is concerned about the work he is going to have to put in.

And would either be considered before say Mykolenko or Vinagre?

Whatever, if Branthwaite comes back improved, then a central defender or three may be on the move.

He'll put in a shift and is definitely a fighter although a bit petulant at times. His main problem was playing with Keane and having to deal with the obvious disappointment when we all knew that was all that was healthy enough to suit up.

He did much better for a couple of games with Godfrey, I think, but then that broke down.

Given specific defensive responsibilities and some time with Onana, he is absolutely functional. If he improves significantly, yes, it would be tempting to move him on but that is in no way a given. Give him a chance with Frank; it may be what Frank does best.

And on that note, Frank is getting some criticism for what we all knew was his weakness. As he gets his system installed and can develop a reliance on a regular XI, we will be able to finish off games when in winning positions.

Frank may be the kind of coach that recruits and rebuilds a team better than his level at coaching but he will take that as a challenge and get that right over time.

You may not have noticed but Frank had blood in his eyes during one sideline camera shot. He was livid that we didn't make more of that lead and were chasing the game at that point.

He did play mostly error-free football during the relegation battle last spring.

However, he still passes the ball like a 5-year-old, and the knucklehead who forgets to mark his man on corners and got sent off in 8 minutes against Spurs a year ago is still lurking in there.

Squad player? Cup ties and emergencies? Okay, fine.

Starter? Never again, thank you.

Everton as a team are slowly but surely improving, with some setbacks like Sunday. But there were some positives from that game.

He didn't just win the ball at the edge of the box. He won it so cleanly, it landed in the Spurs half. Yeah, his momentum took him through the Spurs player, but for many (me included) the sight of the red card being brandished confirmed the game has gone South and we were now being governed by idiots who don't understand the game while watching the VAR stills.
Compare that tackle to the one St Virgil did a few weeks ago at Goodison.

I"m happy to criticise Holgate for his lack of concentration and focus and given that he had shown he can play football, I'm even happier to criticise his careless sloppy passes, but I will never criticise him for making the sort of challenge the fans were screaming for when the rest of our players watched on as Spurs took control.

The VAR stills and slows are being judged by morons… GRRR!!

If you win most games 3-2 then the two goals against in those games are not analysed but anything less comes under close scrutiny.

I remember well a game in the seventies at Goodison that we won 5-4 against Albion with Alan Ball scoring 4 but we didn't worry one iota about the 4 goals against.

Holgate is much like John Stones – very quick to read the game but arguably prone to craziness which makes him a liability but one can also look at other defenders we have who for different reasons can screw up – even the keeper.

The answer to this is keeping strong control in the middle of the park, having players who have the energy to high press and keeping the opposition in their own end longer, not to mention having adequate striking options that will get you ahead in the game early thereby forcing the opposition to rethink their game plan.

The trouble we are faced with is actually finding someone to take him off our hands.

I love Yerry as a defender, don't get me wrong, he's a mountain when he's fit, but he's just never ever fit and when he is, it's a matter of how long before the next injury is just around the corner.

If memory serves we were cruising at 4-1 just after half-time. Baggies drew level and I think we got a very late penalty to win. 1967?

In 8 months, he is out of contract anyway. I suspect he will be here until then.

Yes, that Baggies fightback certainly cured my constipation. 😳💩

I would argue the exact opposite, that Holgate has always been a very poor reader of the game who uses his remarkable speed and athleticism to recover from his failures to anticipate opponents' runs. He's one of the best last-ditch tacklers I've ever seen... because he has to be.

I saw some improvement in this area in the spring run-in, but partly because Lampard had him lying deep. He was also clearly under instructions to hoof any clearance opportunities rather than attempt to pass the ball out of the back.

Kieran #27 and Jim #25, I'd suspect if Mina's healthy in January and another club has an urgent need, we might ship him for a few million then. It'll be a great sadness for me, because I love the way he plays and love his spirit and passion. He could have been a club legend if he could have stayed fit. But enough is enough

Ashley Williams got into a fight with the opposing coach at his son's U12s game in Manchester. The FA has charged him with violent conduct. His spokesperson says he was defending himself and has 45 witnesses, and wants a personal hearing to contest the charge.

I presume he won't be calling Ashley Barnes, Ollie Watkins or anybody at Bristol City as character endorsements.

As for Holgate, I'd hate him to mature at another club after the crap he's put us through. He's working with proper defenders now so, if he doesn't learn, he never will.

A few years ago, I had a good chat with Alan Whittle about his debut and how he set up 3 of Alan Ball's 4 goals; he added that he didn't get a thank you for any of them!

I didn't realise that was Alan Whittle's debut, he scored the other two of Everton's goals that day.

He seemed to have everything to go right to the top of the football ladder after his first season with us, in fact there was a long poem written about him singing his praises. It all went to pieces for him and one or two other players after a game at Nottm Forest and some scandal materialised about them,

Alan was transferred to Crystal Palace not long after with David Johnson going to Ipswich Town as well.

I think J Morrissey & J Royle Scored the other two and we all know what happened 2 months later at Wembley.