Brighton & Hove Albion vs Everton

The Brighton betting is 3/10 Brighton, 4/1 draw & 8/1 Everton. That's ridiculous, we are in with a much better chance than that for sure, I think that 6-0 win overrates them somewhat. They are a good side but their not that good!

We will never improve if we keep buying players to improve the bank balance and not the team.

Like a lads' holiday in Magaluf, we had our moment in the sun, got sunburnt, then shit-faced drunk, chatted up a porker and got an STD. Now we are back in the drizzly UK with nothing but a memory of the "good times" Bill told us all we'd had.

As for him possibly moving on, I'm not sure we would buy to build around him and we presently don't have compatible support for him so he could be going. I would think he could receive a decent offer and we would not have to deal him. He's one of the few tradeable assets we have.

Garner is safer on the ball and will enable Doucouré to get up in support of Calvert-Lewin.

Throw Demarai Gray on for the last 20 minutes to grab the winner.

I was an Intasun rep that summer. Ticked all those boxes and got the tee shirts, PLUS saw us beat Watford at Wembley in 30 odd degrees with a skinful of ice-coated bottles of San Miguel….

Those were the days my friend!

And I mean crap.

Plays within himself in games and is far to safe in possession. Rolls around the floor every time he's been tackled, yet somehow manages to pick himself up just long enough to wave his arms at us in the crowd to try and get us going.

Sorry, mate, but you need to give us something to cheer about, you proper fraud.

The size of him as well. He could have the lot this lad if he was arsed. He could be a world beater – and let's face it, once he's off in the summer, he probably will be knowing our luck – but virtually every game he offers nothing.

Dyche clearly loves strong strappin' lads and yet this joker is substituted most weeks. Why do you think that is ?

Bollocks to you mate. You should be taking games by the scruff of the neck, not hiding and playing the ball back straight away to whoever has just given it to you. Try getting on the half-turn and having a shot at goal. More interested in not getting injured then helping our cause I'm afraid.

Oh well at least he won't be with us in the Championship. This fella would be taking covid tests before games … “You know, just in case like.'

What a waste.
What a waster.

I think Jay is hyping Onana up a bit, I don't think Onana is anywhere near as good as Jay is making him out to be.

Absolutely brilliant and absolutely true

Surely Patterson will get a start if Coleman is not fit enough.

Garner did well enough to retain his place, Onana will have to fight for his place now. Maybe that's a good thing and will get him focused and motivated to make a difference when he gets the chance.

Even better outcome is Garner Gana and Doucoure play very well and get us the win and Onana isn't needed.

Imagine where we'd be as a club if we'd managed that a couple of times every year. Not staring down the barrel of relegation and contemplating if Cannon and Simms canl fire us into the Championship play offs next season.

I hope we stay up, I hope we keep Onana and Brainthwaite (who I'm much more attached to and have the highest of high hopes for this lad) and the like but the reality is we will need to keep selling to rebuild for quite sometime.

He is going to stick with Keane.Cody on loan must not have the right attitude and Mina definitely doesn't have it.Attitude to Dyche means alot.But I could not understand the return of Godfrey and I was so relieved that when Seamus got injured that Patterson came on instead.

Dyche's comment on Keane was a bit of Phycology, rather than practical deduction.

Coady - can't play in a flat 4, Wolves, and even Frank knew this. Part of reason we got in shit.

Holgate - let's not even go here.

Mina - will go off half way through any game, leaving you with a pissed off keane only.

Get he's a problem. But he's the only real option.

They have some very quick and very skillful players most of whom nobody knew last season. No wonder they let Maupay and Trossard go. Pity they didn't keep Maupay.

That was a tough game today and hopefully they may be a little jaded when they play Everton (we wish).

Isn't that referee Andre Mariner crap !!!

I watched Brighton's games v Wolves and Forrest. They slaughtered Wolves who were woeful but Forrest won the physical battle. That is how we can win on Monday night.

It's 4 3 2 1 for me.

Pickford,
Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko
Gueye, Garner, Onana
Doucoure, McNeill
DCL

Up the Blues!!

16 - Forest 34 pts (win at So'ton, draw at Palace)

17 - EFC 33 pts (draw one of Brighton, City, Wolves,win home to B'mouth)

------------------------

18 - Leeds 32 pts (Home draw with Newcastle)

19 - Leics 31 pts (Home draw with W Ham)

20 - So'ton 24 pts (Draw with So'ton away)

If Forest fail to get anything at Palace that would leave us 16th on GD. So in theory, 33 might be enough. If we can get 3 pts from Wolves and one from City/Brighton I think we will be comfortably safe on 36.

Ridiculous situation we are in.

I think it's down to Dyche and if he's brave or not.

That is probably the most accurate of the predictions.They will survive on the last day by the skin of their teeth.

That will put the cat amongst the pigeons, since after seeing the Chairman of Aston Villa interviewed by Beth Rigby on Sky, I think there are a few Premier League clubs looking for a scapegoat to get them of the hung, with government regulation imminent. Everton's relegation would help a lot.

Sean is thinking long term about centre-halves. Mina has broken down so often, he would be a risk and Coady will return to Wolves

"Keano" till the end of the season, when Branthwaite hopefully returns.

Anthony - I agree but those shock results are the ones you can't predict of course so I tried to be as realistic as possible (without blue tint specs on). One could argue that all the teams might collect more than form dictate which would level things back again but what does seem clear to me is that of all the 5 teams, we have the best chance of avoiding the drop if we can just manage not to implode in the next three and a half weeks.

Like a few have said, the next two games are pretty much free hits so if we can pick up a point or two from those games we can go into the last two cup finals with confidence on the up. I genuinely think we will survive and the next couple of weeks will not leave me resigned to the drop if they go badly. I just hope we can somehow build some confidence from those two games.

The players seem pretty geed up so my glass remains half full.

Pickford
Patterson Mina Tarkowski Mykolenko
Garner Gueye Doucouré Onana McNeil Calvert-Lewin.

Iwobi is to much of a risk.

So, Mina or Coady in for Keane and a MF of five; Onana, Gueye, Doucoure, McNeil and Garner.

4-5-1

This is our Dunkirk!

A point would be good a win dream land.

Neither of them would be in Everton's team if we had someone remotely better than them, that's the reason why they are in contention to play.

Onana will get bypassed by Brighton - they're way too quick & technical in midfield. The best you'll see from him is one of those spider leg tackles that ends with the ball in the stand, and him fist pumping with excitement at making a tackle in the middle of the park that achieves very little.

Everton all over.

I watched the Brighton game last night, and if they play like that against us, we're toast. Mitoma, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Enciso, Buonanotte, Gilmour et all are all far superior to us and as a team they can be breathtaking.

I fear we'll be going home with nothing more than a worse goal difference and zero points.

I fear Keane will get ruined if played.

Anyone calling for changes to the lineup are going to be routinely disappointed.

We severly lack anyone with any technical ability and composure and I thought having Garner in midfield on Monday really gave us a bit of composure in there. It's chaos watching Onana, Iwobi, Doucoure and Gana.

Garner also gives us better options on set pieces and free kicks so I can't see how Onana walks back into that side.

Link

Who cares if he's brittle? Every minute he's on the pitch is a minute less of the other chap. At this point, I don't see how Keane doesn't have a hand in at least two goals on Monday. It's just bizarre.

Oh for the return of pre-injury Kevin Ratcliffe. He had tremendous speed and his ability to recover was quite amazing.

Despite him having the footballing ability of a banana.

What exactly has Mina ever done for Everton? Apart from those silly dances when other players score, missing headed goals and being injured.

He could be an option in the centre. Unfortunately we just don't know as we never play him in his actual position.

A lot of Evertonians bring this up, but Godfrey is only a centre half by name because it was mooted when we bought him - in reality he's a fullback and not a very good one. His pace is the only thing keeping him at the top level. Take away his pace and he'd be playing Sunday league.

He has attributes which will attract a number of lower table teams I believe, or possibly a move abroad.

But we should fight tooth and nail to keep Branthwaite and install him as first choice next to Tarkowski. Then Godfrey funds can go towards a couple of replacements, ideally with centre defenders with the ability to play wing back/midfield also.

When you see Brighton's first choice being Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster, you don't need glamorous players to have a functional and solid defence. The they have players like Gross who can play in both midfield and defence without much hassle.

They have something like 8 games in 30 days after an exhausting semi final that went to extra time. Injuries and fatigue will come into it.

Will that help Everton, probably a bit early, but beating United could be like after the Lord Mares show on Monday. A scruffy point would be welcomed, bit I am scratching to get to that view.

Aren't we?

But if we go down, could we be sure that the board would do the honourable thing and slink away, to make way for people who actually know how to run a football club?

I fear Brighton away more than City at home. The Goodison crowd can drive us on to points we wouldnt normally expect.

None of the fixtures can really be predicted with so many teams desperate for points and others with their flip flops on already or totally demotivated.

I think and hope that 34 might get safety which means we need two wins or two draws and a win.

The only thing that is certain is that NOTHING is certain. COYB

Man City, well we got a unlikely draw last time, so we can only hope for the best.
Wolves away is winable and Bournemouth at Goodison certainly is.

All we can do is give it a go and hope for the right results from Leeds, Forest and Leicester.
We can do it, luck has not been kind to us, I think we are due some.

Like Mark, I'm looking forward to the game, we are ok with our 451 with DCL leading the line. We're 8/1 to beat Brighton someone said, here goes we will beat them with a brave performance. We will take the confidence away and repeat it against a weakened Man City at Goodison.

Go into both games with pride and intention to battle like lions, strange things happen in sport, make it happen.

Brighton, after beating United and with upcoming games against Arsenal and Newcastle will be thinking they have an outside chance of CL qualification, ordinarily I wouldn't begrudge them that if they managed it, but it means they'll probably have to beat Everton to do it, and I worry that might be enough to end our hopes of staying in the division.

Like every game it can be won by Everton, but not this season as every team that has been technically better than us, has shown us up, apart from maybe Man City at the Etihad, although that was a lucky point to get too.

I would like to see a 4-5-1 formation with players breaking from midfield to support Calvert-Lewin. We cannot play open formations against teams that are better than is, if we want to stay up.

Smash and grab against Brighton and take all the points by defending for our lives.

We might scrape a draw against a team that has smashed us twice this season and that will be the only other point we get.

I cannot hold with your perspective that we were lucky against Leicester. On the balance of play, a draw was a fair result.

Both sides could or should have won it, chances for Calvert-Lewin and outstanding saves kept Leicester in it and we could have easily scored 4 goals or more. But so could they; if we had a shedful of luck, they had a busload of it too.

There was no way Leicester were technically better than us on the night and with a full first team on the pitch we are far better than the teams around us.

All season we have been trying to compensate for no first-pick striker, or any striker of quality. Now Calvert-Lewin is back, the team looks and performs better.

We still have big issues in the lack of creativity, with a defence prone to individual mistakes and an absence of sufficient quality in the squad over and above the first eleven, but I think the last 4 games of the season will see us perform much better than many expect.

Will it be enough? That depends on the clubs around us, not just those we play.

I felt the same about Crystal Palace away too, both opportunities spurned, to get additional points, whereby now we're hoping for a couple of miracles to gain single points from our next two fixtures, because Man City and Brighton are very much technically better than Everton.

Credit to Dyche, he's made a fight of it. Wins against Spurs and Leicester would have made all the difference. Fine margins.

I walked home from games in the 70s and early 80s in despair but, by 8 pm Saturday night in the pub, we were the greatest and couldn't wait until next week. We feared no-one, teams nor fans, and swamped their towns and cities with the Blue Streak hoardes!

Tonight, I asked Alexa to play my favourite songs and got Psycho Killer, Walk On The Wild Side, Sympathy For The Devil, The Passenger etc, and I was nostalgic for those “crap” times in the 70s…

Keep the faith, Blues – greatness is more than than a five-year trough. We are fucking magic, koppites are gobshites and fuck the rest!

UTFT

Looking for soul food and a place to eat

went to the Apollo

You should have seen them go go go

They said hey sugar

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE!!

What a tune Mark, and hopefully Mick Lyons has been in Sean Dyche's ear telling him

WE SHALL NOT BE FUCKING MOVED!!

You've got me listening to music now Mark. Try the stranglers singing about the nastiest thing that came out of our childhood, and probably claimed more victims than anything else during th Thatcher Years.

Another tune for you (B) All or nothing…
Still makes me cry….

I might even go and get myself a few cans of Guinness, and give my body a little bit of alcoholic poison, before it gets battered tomorrow, during a family party.

I think I'll stick to the edibles, much nicer and so much easier on my body!

He's going to dedicate Once In A Lifetime – Talking Heads, to me and he's promised to do Penny Lane – the ear worm of my childhood – later.

Nostalgia is a killer but it's a warm and friendly killer when you think of life without our happy years. I can't imagine my life without the Blues and I hope they'll give me more pleasure before I clock off! (I'm 64 so 20-plus years yet to win the fucking league!)

UTFT

Psycho Killer great track from Talking Heads:

I can't seem to face up to the facts
I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax
I can't sleep cos my bed's on fire
Don't touch me I'm a real live wire.

Yes, stick to the edibles. If I see you on bottles of Guinness, I'll be doing one when you are on your sixth!!

That tune Sugar Plum Fairy can't be the same as the one I loved when I was a kid The Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy – classical music. Although I did like The Whole Of The Moon and the way it was loved by those who liked a bit or a lot of cannabis while I was happy to stay and get carried away on pints of brown bitter.

While another very long story but that song saved my life.

UTFT

We have plenty of time.

I reckon Everton can get a result v Brighton and will beat Wolves and Bournemouth. Man City ,with their Champions League campaign, could have an off day; as we all know, football is a funny old game.

Hopefully Southampton, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Spurs can do Everton a few favours over the next few weeks in their fixtures v Nottm Forest, Leeds Utd and Leicester City.

UTFTs!

I was in Wickwar five weeks or so ago doing some family history research (discovered some ancestors who were baptised in the local church in the 1500s).

My own favourite gig was going on a guitar course on Crete for a week with John Renbourn the year before he died.

Re, Everton, am I the only one who remembers that the last time we were in real relegation trouble, a certain party came out and said: "This must never be allowed to happen again"?

Man of the world, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac.

Guess I've got everything I need,
I wouldn't ask for more,
And there's nowhere I'd rather be,
But I just wish I'd never been born.

COYBB.

Keep Leeds and Forest close and the Wolves and Bournemouth games will give us more than a fighting chance.

What we need is City to be chasing a first-leg deficit before they play us, the second leg is a few days after our game so good chance Pep might rest De Bruyne and Haaland.

It isn't just the board who aren't fit for purpose, it's recruitment, scouting and DoF.

We need a complete reset.

That has been the case for years. But what happened was the Board was able to reinforce their uncompetitive structure. Even having the cheek to call it a Strategic Review recently.

I still think Everton will survive – the results went their way today. All to play for on Monday. Actually, Big Sam managed to curtail Man City today. Nottingham Forest against Southampton will be interesting.

Actually Barret-Baxendale got so carried away she backed independent regulation, when on the Premier League Advisory Committee.

Oh, and Brighton.

Brighton a massive ask but we need everyone fit.

Yes, we conceded but I was actually excited about it. 23 shots – what the fuck? – was it actually Everton. I'm going tomorrow and I'm going to make a day of it. I'm going for a double: Mawj in the 1000 Guineas 12/1 and an Everton away win. COYB

I know Iwobi scored in his last outing but his overall play, lack of courage, poor passing ability, pathetic decision making is killing us in the final third.

As for Keane, words fail me. Slow, indecisive, nervous, useless, clueless…….

I am desperate for Everton to stay up but with Dyche in charge and these two playing I can't realistically see it happening.

So if we do go down, to paraphrase a regular poster on here:

Regroup,
Rebuild,
Reform,
Revenge.

There's not much in your characterisation of him that I agree with.

So pleased that Seamus will recover. One of my favs of all time and hard as nails. I was so frustrated at Goodison Park against Newcastle when it was crying out for changes and Sean Dyche didn't make them and then it was too late.

I think he could have made them at Leicester and fresh legs could have won the game. No point in having 5 subs and not using 3 of them every game!

There's been no sudden moment of realisation on his part. He'll have known that wins are the currency down at the bottom.

He needed 6 or 7 wins. He's had a good go, but he's on 3, with four games to go. We came close against Spurs and Leicester; wins in those matches would have given us a real chance.

6 pointers

West Ham v Leeds

Forest v Southampton

Leicester v West ham

Leicester City: Fulham (A), Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), West Ham (H)

West Ham: Man Utd (H), Brentford (A), Leeds (H), Leicester (A)

Nottingham Forest: Southampton (H), Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H), Palace (A)

Leeds: , Newcastle (H), West Ham (A), Spurs (H)

Everton: Brighton (A), Man City (H), Wolves (A), Bournemouth (H)

Brighton is do or die. A point is an absolute minimum.

Fans would have been appalled doung that at hime to Fulham but wed provably be a point better off (with Dyche branded a coward and a dinosaur).

Hopefully we can sneak the win at Brighton - and if so Iwobi may be influential again as youre right he is one of the few with a forward pass in him (along with the frustrating play).

Yes we could win the last 2 games and stay up on 35 points. But pressure on and Winning away not confident.

Brighton, When Forest took the game to them they folded at the back. I don't think Dyche has it in him to motivate them to give there all. More likely Leeds will start to win under, whom we should have got Allardyce.

I think Forest and Leeds are the most vulnerable so the Forest v Southampton match in particular is a massive one. After this game tomorrow they have two nightmare games against Arsenal then Chelsea away. If they only get a draw tomorrow it will be a big result for Everton, as I think they will really struggle to stay up.

Leeds ‘Waterloo' moment is the home game next week against Newcastle, lose that and they're in big trouble too.

Whatever happens it will likely be going to the wire. I think the overwhelming likelihood is that we will have to beat Bournemouth on the last day to stand any sort of chance.

West Ham: Man Utd (H) D, Brentford (A) D, Leeds (H) W, Leicester (A) L
5 points

Nottingham Forest: Southampton (H) W Chelsea (A) D, Arsenal (H) W, Palace (A) D 8 points

Leeds:, Newcastle (H) L, West Ham (A) L, Spurs (H) W
3 points

Everton: Brighton (A)D Man City (H),L Wolves (A)D, Bournemouth (H) W
5 points
its going to be tight

Forest v Arsenal They would have given up by then. Forest might win this

Leicester City: Fulham (A) L, Liverpool (H) L Newcastle (A) L, West Ham (H) W - 3 point

Nottingham Forest: Southampton (H) D, Chelsea (A) L, Arsenal (H) L, Palace (A) L - 1 points

Leeds: Newcastle (H) L, West Ham (A) L, Spurs (H) D - 1 points

Everton: Brighton (A) L, Man City (H) L, Wolves (A) D, Bournemouth (H) W - 4 points

Cannot see us staying up with 33 points We need 5 points minimum

I hope with all my might they prove me wrong. Heart says win/draw. Head says loss.

As for the teams around us, we must keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best, ie, that three, hopefully four of them have a very poor set of results in the final few games.

Getting behind the manager and players, regardless of what many perceive as their failings, is called for now.

The 15/2 for an Everton win is overpriced for me, in a two horse race I think I might have a little tickle on that 15/2.

Hopefully Fulham will do the job so anything taken against Brighton is a bonus. Whatever happens, we almost certainly need to beat Bournemouth, who'll be on the beach by then so there's still hope.

We're not down yet, even if we lose tomorrow and against Man City. Personally, I think Southampton and Leeds are gone and it's between us and Leicester City.

Bill - 147 - you're way off beam if you think Forest are not going to lose again. I can see a win against Southampton, a draw away to Palace,and losing to Chelsea and Arsenal. We need the ex-Everton connections of Lampard and Arteta to do us favours in those two. I would prefer them to stay up than Leeds though.

Both those teams are way better than us and will be difficult games.

I think we'll be lucky to get another point this season and could well lose all 4 remaining games.

If we stay up, I too will shit a live Ostrich and streak down the Goodison Road by way of celebration.

Burnley had already won promotion and Vincent Kompany threw in a handful of fringe players for a match during their busy schedule.

The EFL have written to Burnley who may be fined or even hit with a points penalty if found guilty.

The Clarets are adamant that they made changes because they were using their squad to the full and some fringe men needed a game.
Apparently the rules are in place to punish teams for weakened sides.

Its a big day tomorrow, we need something out of the Brighton game for starters and I think we may do. I certainly don't think we are a 7/1 shot to win, that may be through my blue glasses but I think it will be a close game.

We need to get lucky with the other results also, we have been ptetty fortunate up to now.

“I don't buy into this notion of teams being 'on the beach' anymore. There are huge financial incentives for finishing positions, which is relevant to both Wolves and Bournemouth.”

Huge? Compared to the lottery-sized sums they will already be getting for retaining their status as Premier League players?

And it remains just an incentive, something that might get mental attention when inevitably all the emotions the players feel will massively wane if they feel they have done enough to beat the drop, which will have been haunting them for months.

I don't think the psychosomatic drive is that significant. Of course, players who are released from intense pressure may find they actually perform better when relaxed a bit.

So, if I had to bet, we'll get beat tomorrow and against Man City and Wolves, but then get a one-nil win against Bournemouth, with Leeds and Forest only getting a draw each.

He hasn't a clue how to change a game and, if you compare this to Sam Allardyce and the subs made against Man City, it would be a big mistake to carry this on into the Championship.

“The next four games not only affect people's futures but people's lives and livelihoods” he said. “That is football. That is the challenge. That is the reality. Our job is to create a new reality, but that is the current one.”

The Everton manager's sole focus is on the next four matches but he acknowledges rebuilding work must be done this summer that is not tied to which division the club finds itself in.

“There are certain core values about how a club should be operating and it is not about the plan of which division you are in. It should be operating that way, full stop. That is my opinion. That is what I am hoping to build over time. In the immediacy, we need to win enough games.

“The bigger picture has to shape the whole club to get it in the right direction. It can't just be: ‘Oh we have stayed up again.' That is not building anything. That is just surviving. We do not want to be just surviving. We want to be growing. That is a different ballgame.

“The job when I got here – and it was well documented before I got here – all the problems, the noise and negativity around the club has been there for a long time. You can't turn it around in one moment. There is loads to do and loads going on behind the results, but the results are still the key thing at the moment. We need to get the job done, get to the summer and then start all the big stuff. But the key at the minute is the games and that is the focus.”

Source: Andy Hunter via the Irish Times

Meanwhile at the Daily Mail via Dominic King:

The next four games not only affect people's futures but people's lives and livelihoods,' said Dyche. ‘That is football. That is the challenge. It is right there in front of your eyes.'

One of the things that gave Everton an identity was David Moyes referring to it as ‘The People's Club', where players knew the importance of who was backing them from the stands and who was working to help them behind the scenes. Would that motivate the current squad?

‘Motivation does not win games,' Dyche responded. ‘Performance wins games. Motivation adds to the performance, of course. We have shown enough that we can win games. It is piecing it together at the right times.

‘The key moments are in the games. Things around that in the departments still need to be done. Otherwise you are just putting a sticking plaster on something.'

Personally, I just wish we'd win a few games, it's of no use showing that we can win games if we continually fail to win games.

UTFTs!

I hope it's Coleman giving the team talk tonight.

Pickford
Godfrey Mina Tarkowski
Patterson Doucouré Gueye Garner McNiel
Calvert-Lewin Simms.

Iwobi and Onana to come on for Garner and Doucouré at 60 minutes. But we all know Dyche is too cautious and wouldn't consider this.

These players have proved all season, regardless of tactics, manager etc, they can be opened up and make mistakes dead easy.

Goal difference may come into the equation come the end of the season.

The bigger match for us today might even be Forest vs Southampton! If they lose that, then they'll really be trouble. If they win, they'll be looking good to survive.

I'd expect another similar lineup with Patterson probably coming in for Coleman. He could get savaged against the tricky Mitoma but then Godfrey has struggled too.

Brighton are in form and pretty lethal. I don't think playing an open game against them will go well. Have a strange feeling we might do okay tonight but history suggests such feelings should not be trusted!!

I might disagree with some, but Onana has the potential to become a very good player. Only 21 years old and joined a disfunctional club and team in disarray having changed managers yet again. Senegalese origin, Belgium national having landed in to L4 – I'm not surprised he doesn't know his arse from his elbow.

He will become a good player, but I don't think with Everton.

Those words from Dyche are wise. Regardless of what happens, the club needs the long overdue reset, that we have all discussed at length. It can be done from lower starting points than Everton.

Tonight's opposition and Brentford are good examples of how well run clubs can rise from the ashes. Brighton in particular who at one point didn't even have a stadium and played on an athletics track.

I too would like to have a conversation with our current manager about Michael Keane's abilities.

Anyway, the debate can wait until the summer. Change is going to happen.

Right now, I don't care who plays later. Whoever they are, just perform.

And mind the flanks.

For those travelling, see you on the south coast. For those who can't or are thousands of miles away, be there.

I think we have seen enough to know that the only way this team wins points is by a 4-5-1, keep it tight and grab a goal, from a set piece or take one of our chances from open play. With DCL back our chances of achieving that are improved a bit.

Two in midfield will be suicidal against Brighton, their midfielders Caicedo and Mac Allister need closing down and snuffing out as best we can.

Iwobi and McNeill will have to work their socks off today like never before, protecting their full backs as well as trying to get some crosses in to DCL. Mitoma is a tricky player, but March on the other side is equally if not more a dangerous player. Iwobi especially will have to step up to the plate with his defensive duties, it's now or never.

Colin 178, I think too that 35 points are needed as a minimum. The teams that stay up will be the ones who can pull a rabbit out of the hat in the next four games against a European challenging team. And there will be at least one club who pulls it off.

For us that means getting a win against Brighton or Man City, or just possibly a draw against both.

COYBLUES!

Moshiri might not be a football man but he's not an idiot. He's a billionaire business man and I reckon he's negotiating terminations at the top.

Meanwhile, once again like the fool I am, I'm looking forward to the day ahead!

UTFT!!

yes, at the moment I think our greatest strength is the ineptitude of our rivals. They are all stinking the place out. I don't see them changing that over the next four games (hopefully) so yes, I think low though it is, 32 points may just be enough.

I didn't like those words of Dyche. I will try to be fair and acknowledge that he is under tremendous pressure, and that the continuing use of Keane is aggravating me. Nevertheless, I don't want to hear from him about the negativity around the club, and of what a mess he inherited. I don't think I'm being over harsh when I say a good manager would have righted the ship by now. I'm starting to think that one of the issues we have with him (and this is obv just pure speculation), is that he's not really fallen for the club. I don't think he feels that comfortable around the fans, perhaps he didn't like us when he was Burnley manager who knows. But I thought it was strange him not encouraging the fans to greet the bus until the last game, why not use something like that? Or maybe it's just that he's not an extrovert, but you've got to be wide open in the big jobs Sean, and at the moment I think he's hot fully engaged.

I also didn't like the bit about the job being about much more than the results on the pitch, and there being no point in just surviving. Hmmm, I'm not going to think it much consolation if next year when we're in the Dakota League that we've got the best marketing team out there.

And finally, if Everton get relegated Sean the least important thing is 'livelihoods'. Yes, Everton is an employer, but that's not really the key point here mate. Maybe at Burnley the loss of a hundred jobs would be felt keenly in a small town, but that doesn't quite capture the disaster it would be if you take us down.

We're going to need 35 points at least, and that's too big an ask from here I think.

Defend well and be clinical with any opportunities that fall our way and with a bit of luck we will nick something.

It is obvious that some players can only play in a particular formation that effectively protects them from their inadequacies. Once they are put under pressure they are exposed.

The biggest mistake that Moshiri made recently was not sacking the Board after the' Surprise' referral to the Independent Commission.It firstly would have helped appease the complete lack of confidence in the present Board that the Premier League has, and secondly such a momentum of change would have filtered down to motivate the Manager. Players and Fans.

Everton have simply been run into the ground by the directions of the Board.

Twist and turns yet to come. Strap up and buckle in.

As others have pointed out, anyone can win in a two horse race. But we have been in a lot of two horse races in recent times, especially away from home and trailed home lame.

I understand why people fear playing Keane against a nimble Brighton attack. I feel that fear. But then you consider the alternatives and there aren't any. Mina is off at the end of the season and won't risk injuring himself. Holgate is a question that answers itself. At least Keane might stay on the pitch. Godfrey is injured but is he a better option than Keane, low though that bar is? Now is not the time to swap to a back 5 so that rules out Coady, in any case, you still need the extra CB. Branthwaite would be handy to have as an option.

Head and heart. My head says that a team that is useless away from home will be roadkill against a dynamic, form team like Brighton. My heart remembers some of the 'wins from nowhere' elsewhere this season and recalls we haven't really had one (the draw with City was not a win) and so this is our time.

Up the Blues

It would be great if our brilliant away support could witness only our 2nd away win of the season. They more than anybody connected with this club deserve Premier league football next season. While a draw wont be a disaster a win would be massive.

Today it's all about Everton getting at least one point, it won't be easy but it's possible and give us plenty to look forward to in the next three games.

I think it'll take a small miracle to stay up, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we lose all 4 and go down with a whimper. My only tiny hope, is that with DCL back we might score a goal, but even that appears unlikely.

We won 6 of 34 games before today, that's a win ratio of 18% across the season. We might need to win 2 from our last 4 (you can work out the win ratio required) and apart from DCL being back, I can't see why our fortunes are suddenly going to change so radically.

Brighton are streets ahead of us, and firing on all cylinders at the moment - they have better players, a better manager, better everything. Brighton are one of the most stark contrasts to stuffy little Everton that exist in the Premier League today and good luck to them, they deserve it.

We also deserve what we're getting. Relegated.

The kid will probably develop into a star, let's hope it's at BMD over the next 10 years.

Did title chasing Arsenal with only one defeat all season up to that point come to Goodison expecting to lose?

It's the business end of the season and year after year relegation threatened teams do win games to get themselves out of the mire. I for one will be watching tonight not thinking we are beaten before a ball has even been kicked.

Under this owner, board, manager and team we are going nowhere fast.

It just takes one unexpected result to change things.

I don't expect anything out of the next two matches, but live in hope.

I feel like we have to at least match Forest's result. If Forest win and we lose its hard to see how we stay up.

As far as Forest and Leicester are concerned, all we can do is to wish them all the worst luck in the world and hope they get beat.

Not very charitable I agree but it is what it is.

Other results going our way and a win tonight could put us close to that position.

Onana joined the right club at the wrong time. He won't stay long. He is one for the future. I don't disagree Christopher, Garner is a tidy footballer, but needs runners in front of him. There is our problem. Maybe Demarai Gray? Ironically, James Garner is only 5 months older that Onana. Both young with still a lot of development to do thrown into a relegation fight in a club that is dysfunctional club.

Right now I'm focussed on getting to Brighton on time and Everton's result today. The rest can wait.

The Bernabeu is Real Madrid's stadium, but I take your point!

Exactly regarding Brighton - forward thinking, contingency planning at all times. Unlike Everton who seem to buy any old player for whatever sum, with zero factoring in of the variables that might go along with it, or what is likely to play out over the course of their contract.

We've bought countless players who are useless, injured, or barely play for whatever reason, and then let them go for bugger all or when their contracts are up. Then we fire a manager every 12 months without any idea who to bring in next - we're the absolute polar opposite of Brighton, and what should be done to run a club properly.

Garner has been playing in this country for a number of years, Onana has just arrived and his transition will take longer as a result. Not easy for him trying to adapt while playing in a struggling team. He has shown enough to suggest that he has a bright future.

We won't be stuck for offers if he has to be sold and that's something that cannot be said about a number of our playing staff.

One other sad reflection, the best run club in the division are playing the worst run club in the division this evening.

Tony # 232 - very clever!

If the remaining games have opposition playing anywhere near their potential I doubt we'll get a point.

Coyb.

Mina - be injured by half time.

Coady - so shite in a two he's a big part of the reason we are in a fight to begin with.

Holgate? Having a laugh?

Brighton are a good side but not unbeatable.

The question is Can this Everton side do something that they have failed to do since Saints away and win on the road?

It's unlikely but we really are in the last chance saloon and even a point from there will have us needing to win at Wolves and still need a point or three in our last game.

So the lads could make life for all of us a lot more bearable if they can actually win a game of football.

If it is another lack luster performance coupled with Forest and Leicester getting points then it could be the end of the World as we know it.

We all hope for the best and will rely on a stalwart performance on defense and a possible late game-winning goal to put us in a upbeat position for the last two games. That may be just wee bit optimistic but the other clubs have the same pressure.

C.O.Y.B.

That can be reverse lucky right?

Looking forward to it and meeting a few. Let's go and do this.

Get written off we seem to pull a rabbit out of the hat, this could be one of those Days, you just never know what to expect with Everton, years of that have taught me well.

Whatever happens today and Sunday, I will be happy if we have Forest, Leeds and Leicester within a point of us still at worst.

Wolves and Bournemouth are a little more favourable, whatever happens before that is a bonus.

That's the two games I have down to giving us a chance, if the other teams around us fail to win their next two games.

We could win today, but so could the other teams, that's why we have to hope the other teams do not pull a win out of the bag this week.

Anyway whatever happens, it will not be decided today, a win would be nice though.

Guess these kick-off times have been devised to heighten the tension of all the relegated candidates. I guess Forest will know the results of us and Leicester which may give them a slight advantage but it just might put more pressure on them.

You can do it!

It would be great if we could video clips / Gif on this site.
COYBB.

It means nothing but strangely I'm getting a good feeling about this evening.

On balance, I guess we want a Saints win later on. Admittedly that drags them back into contention but sooner that, than risk Forest pulling away. Love him or loathe him, but it looks like Fat Sam has at least got Leeds motivated and just a bit more confident so Leicester and Forest look like the two we most need to stay mired...

More than anything I want Leeds to go down, do not want the Manager taking all the credit for 4 games.

Brian # 264 are you having a laugh, you would be happier with

Souhampton, Leeds and Everton gong down rather than a

Southampton, Forest and Leicester scenario?

Beggars can't be choosers, anyone but us for the drop!

Leicester will pick up a maximum of 3 points between now and the end of the season. We can catch them.

The one fly in the ointment is West Ham, they could donate some points to them but that's about the size of it.

Better luck next time Pat.

Last season, prior to the Palace game, one of your posts sub-subconsciously referenced Wimbledon and Coventry City, the teams we faced in previous great escapes.

Well, it certainly turned out to be a good omen. I hope your journey today via Platform 13 has the same effect, big Yerry to score the winner perhaps.

I've given Moyes a fair bit of stick down the years but we need West Ham to beat both Leeds and Leicester. One worry is that Forest have Southampton and Chelsea. The latter would be a hard game on paper but Chelsea have been dreadful for months.

Incredible how much our former managers could impact us. Really wish we had beaten Fulham at Goodison. That result felt like it would be significant.