Crazy game at the Cottage as both sides spurn gilt-edged chances

Is this amateur psy-ops hour?

Godfrey, Young and Danjuma all play

Strap yourselves in, it's gonna be a long night.

Ian, enjoy the Arsenal game. We will enjoy your absence from ours.

I'm still interested. I just genuinely don't care how we do
Think of it as like a former lover.

Harrison Garner McNeil middle 3.

Danjuma behind Calvert-Lewin.

Or Calvert-Lewin up top with Harrison in centre-midfield.

My best guess.

Have to rely on what will no doubt be the absolute minimum in terms of highlights on MotD tomorrow. Hope those who get to see it get a decent performance.
COYB!

We have an injury crisis and a lack of players due to finances. FFS get behind the team and the manager unless you know better.

You are free to express yourselves as you wish. If it gets a bit much I will express myself. And please don't use “we” like some jerks on here. If you're down on Everton, I get it. Just don't take some of us down who are trying to keep afloat.

And Ian, sorry if that came across as one of our old scraps. It wasn't intended solely toward you and Jonathan. Times are tough man.

Obviously we all wish that some of the performances and results were better… but mid-table with a squad like ours is incredible.

Those critics genuinely have no idea. The man deserves a statue for keeping us up last season without a recognised striker. But people are keen to overlook that.

Maybe it's a sign of the times: sheer entitlement.

Ian and Jonathan, with lack of bodies in midfield, team selection was never easy, but do not support us says everything about you

Is Onana injured, OR is he being saved for a possible transfer?

Stephen [5]

Please could I have the winning Euro Millions numbers for tonight or Friday now please..?

James [8]

I doubt we'll play a back 5, as Dyche always learns form his previous faux pas', see playing two up top re Luton, and he knows a back 5 works well for us...

Hopefully, it'll be a 4-4-1-1 as per.

Ben [21]

Hardly an injury crisis; Doucs, Seamus and the not oft played Gomes...

However, yes it can be laid at his feet for playing players constantly, rather than subbing earlier and with more players.

Hammering the same favoured 11-12 players, with some without a full-preseason, some over 30 and some having only recently recovered from injuries is just trying to go to the well a little too often. In my oft wrong opinion that is.

A big effort from the players is needed tonight.

COYB!

I am of the same opinion, but I think that it will be five at the back.

Sharing is caring apparently... 😀

Any news on what is apparently wrong with Ama Onana?

I hadn't heard he was injured to be honest. Mind you, El Bobble and Alan Myers got it right about McNeil and Myko not playing... Not!

Maybe false news to upset Silva's plans!?

You called it - not for the first time.

But the lack of goals from golden chances could be the death of us if we don't shape up in front of goal.

For me, it's going to be between us and Forest for the last relegation place.

Fulham battered us tonight, so a good point - even if we could have done a smash an grab in the end.

I thought Beto, despite the miss, caused Fulham loads more problems than DCL did.

Let’s see who we manage to bring in Tomorrow or Thursday we desperately need them!

It's not THAT hard to kick the ball towards the goal. if you practice five days a week you'd after a while figure out how to do it. And you'd think if you're practicing against England's best goalie that you'd become pretty good at it. Maybe we should equip DCL and Beto with giant comedy clown shoes to improve the odds?

I don't think anyone would argue if a pen was given against Robinson the ball hit him square on the forearm but deemed not a pen whilst we all know the big dogs get that decision all day.

I thought the starting 11 put a great shift in. DCL should have been subbed on the hour, he won't ever make a defender fear that a challenge is coming in.

Godfrey defended very well, Dyche must be running out of patience with Patterson.

I hope Danjuma's injury isn't too bad, probably his best game for us tonight with some great work off the ball.

I can't fault the lack of effort but the lack of quality is killing us.

Godfrey my motm.

I still think we’ll be ok but I can’t see where the goals are coming from. Thank Christ we’ve got a decent defence and great goalie.

Godfrey my motm as well.

But gosh we need to be getting some flukey goals or a moment of brilliance if Everton are to score.

I thought Godfrey was excellent and man of the match for me.

Also, we will have players coming back again soon - pivotal first choice players.

How Robinson, is not judged to have handled the Ball, is what sums up the match officials and var, and is ruining the game.

But gutsy defending, and hopefully Everton, will regroupnfot Spurs.

Danjuma injury, hopefully is not major.

Hopefully soon, Everton, will start scoring and get Doucouré back, ASAP, as when he plays, Everton, tend to play better and more free flowing football.

Jordan Pickford outstanding when called upon, and Godfrey was solid as was Tarks.

All focus on the next game.
UTFTs!

We can't play with this rag-tag bag of bang average players so sneaky little points like this will be are our salvation.

Massively dreadful but hopefully 4th or 5th from the bottom dreadful.

Why do they want to see this club relegated?

Like the title says - both sides spurn chances.

All thing's being equal and away from home, I'll reluctantly take the one point.

People have short memories, cast your mind back to Ancelotti, who knew exactly how to get the best out of him. In a better team, he'd score goals. He runs all day long for Dyche, despite the manager's insistence on hoofball.

There must be statistical data available to work out average number of say penalty box entries per penalty awarded (eg 100)

From there we should be able to look at how often over a season Everton enter the penalty box and then work out average expected penalties awarded (within 2 standard deviations for the mathematicians out there)

If Everton don’t fit within the statistical range then this goes beyond a statistical improbability - it’s a statistical ANOMALY which should trigger a review/investigation.

Alas, the PGMOL don’t care and Everton hierarchy aren’t switched on to complain in the correct methods (eg good PR, statistical evidence, collation of montage review etc etc). Hence nothing will change sadly

100% we are being selected against either consciously or subconsciously

As such they need to have found an EPL club to vilify, the club having no credibility at all within the "football industry", in order to bolster their own so-called "credibility".

Step forward Kenwright and latterly Moshiri, two mega-shysters who the Premier League and the PGMOL had long realised, along with any creature with more intelligence than an amoeba, are sitting ducks in terms of the need the Premier League and the PGMOL perceive as their mission to establish their own accountability.

Jeez, to help them achieve their fanciful status as accountable, after lengthy public claims of Everton's innocence, Moshiri pleaded guilty to their charges - for blindingly obvious reasons.

I hope you and others really appreciate the huge damage done to our club for decades under Kenwright and those he aligned with.

The damage will last for years to come I regret to say.

Meanwhile Moshiri will be tanning his arse on a yacht of his own and the Kenwright supporters club, together with his fabulously enriched at our expense family and friends, will be forever contending him as our greatest ever fan.

As if!

How DCL must yearn to play alongside someone of his quality. If only we had such gifted players, however old they might be, able to control games with sheer class. Instead we have to make do with headless chickens and clockwork mice, who will run aimlessly for ever, without posing any real threat for all their intent and effort.

I was pleased for Ben Godfrey whose performance, especially in the second half, was crucial to us keeping a clean sheet. That was his best game since his first season with us in 2020/21. I had written him off after his last two seasons but last night and at Burnley he has shown he can still operate effectively at this level.

Enormous credit also goes to James Garner, our only available central midfielder, who held the midfield together, was composed on the ball, covered colleagues, was constantly alert to danger and delivered a couple of decent set pieces in the last few minutes.

The finishing was poor with Danjuma’s failure to hit the target the worst example. That said, Fulham will feel likewise with the chances they failed to convert.

In the bigger picture I agree with Michael @43 that at the moment it looks like it will be between us and Forest for the third relegation place especially if six points remains the sanction for any breach of PSR.

We had a small handful of players who showed composure; Branthwaite, Garner and Young. Two of those are still learning the game. The third is past his best but still helps the team play better as a unit.

The line up surprised me and I wondered if we had that many injuries or if we were worried about the pace of our former not good enough Academy graduate which it probably proved to be, but my first thought was why we worry more about what they will do rather than giving them something to worry about. Silva must have scratched his head trying to work out what the dastardly tactical idea was that had two keepers on the our bench.

Then we come out in that faux red colour which somebody in an earlier game asked what difference does it make what colour we play in but if it doesn't make any difference then play in BLUE!

We are Everton.

It turned out to be a game of missed half chances that came about more by accident than intent. We looked purposeful moving forward but when we got near their penalty area it looked disjointed with few seeming to know what to do next, which applied to both teams. We have to thank Pickford for that marvellous save in 75th minute and that may have just edged him passed Godfrey as our MotM.

From Linesmen to Ref's Assistants but perhaps we should now refer to them as "Throw-in Indicators" as they don't seem to be doing much else amid another display of poor officiating.

Almost sorry I delayed breakfast with the highlight now moving to our appeal to get some points back as heaven knows we need them.

Thank you Marcel Brands for signing him.

Tonight he was MotM after weeks of non-selection.

He's very quick, plays the ball well, has huge heart and, in a good team, would be a regular as a central defender or even a defensive midfielder. Hell, he's even a good fullback, either side.

But since he signed for us he's struggled in the desperado abysmal football mantra that's shattered us for decades.

Like he alone can do anything about that!

Everton's final third play hasn't been great for years, being dependent on outstanding individual moments .Pass completion in the final third has always been one of the worst in the Premier League and finishing has always been poor..

A well-worked goal, a defender coming up to score at a set peice, and channel runs are a rarity now. Forwards do not get into space, get in front of their marker, attack the near post, or lay the ball off effectively as they should. Accurate crossing is hit-and-miss as is midfield passing. These two areas are sloppy.

Defensive errors are not as predominant and Silvas's predominate wing play seems to have been a surprise and something that Dyche was nervous about. Everton as a team are putting in the effort, but composure and confidence appear to be a problem.

Dyche needs to get back to his stats-based enhanced performance and improve individual performance, especially in the final third. The point gained hopefully has settled things down, though the immediate fixtures give little respite, and the Premier League can be concentrated on.

Let's be honest: if it wasn't for the corrupt Premier League, we'd be on 28 points in 12th, that's only 4 points off 7th placed Brighton. We're missing our entire midfield which hopefully will be back soon, plus there's still 16 games to play, that's 48 points.

I'm still convinced we will get more than Luton. I'm also convinced we will get some if not all our points back.

As cruel as it is to him… he has misjudged it and it should be a penalty.

Obviously we would appreciate it more if we were getting wins at home. That is the conundrum that needs solving asap.

It is as simple as getting Doucouré fit again, I suspect. Get well soon!

Beto is a bigger problem than Calvert-Lewin. The dog's abuse he gets on here is pathetic. Like everyone, I'm disappointed by the goal drought, but watch him in that match – right position, tracking back, lay offs, holding the ball, multiple decent attempts on goal.

He works hard. We need him. He is not the complete Number 9, never has been, and I'm not his biggest fan, but Calvert-Lewin will make us proud again. The supply needs to be better and so does he; his periodic lapses are magnified by his importance to us.

Ross putting balls through to Calvert-Lewin, in our dreams… He would 100% have scored that Beto howler. Calvert-Lewin is class; Beto is a trier. Calvert-Lewin cost £1.5M; Beto cost ...

Calvert-Lewinis a confidence player, nothing wrong with that. Fucking support him, the way the away lads and lasses do apart from that silly but not fully informed minority did at that game ... Dyche does ... his teammates do.

And then there's Sean O'Hanlon @56 and his ilk.

The truth is Calvert-Lewin's goal return has been lamentable, and his all-round game pretty, pretty moderate at best.

Not writing him off yet but his improvement needs to be rapid. He's certainly hiding his 'class' at the moment.

I've read that the clean sheet was Pickford's 8th this season, the best of any keepers so far this season. So we are doing something right defensively. If only we could do more going forward.

Am I right in thinking Jack Harrison did his best stuff for Leeds playing more on the left than the right? Might be an idea to see what he could do from there and perhaps give McNeil a rest which would allow McNeil to learn that he also has a right foot.

I can't believe players can get to this level without being reasonably proficient with both legs. Don't start me on Messi!

Simon, I agree, I probably would substitute 'good' or 'very good' for 'class', now I think about it.

Thank you.

I'm surprised he's not singled out more for criticism.

Otherwise the Sky propaganda continues with no mention of the handball decision in the footage.

Never would have considered that.

I also have a feeling that Thelwell is furiously working behind the scenes to come up with a loan deal or two before the deadline.

I sometimes wonder if I am watching the same games as those who hammer him relentlessly. He is not a Salah. That would cost 100m today. He is a 1-5m signing who despite being appallingly mismanaged, has proven he is a tremendous asset to this team. He was our best player last night..and on Saturday. Two games in which he was starved of service.

Some simply cant see past stats. They see Symptoms, but they cannot identify the cause. They see excuses, because they don't see the reasons. The guy has proven that if you play him as an out and out striker, he will score goals. Likewise, if you use him as a work horse. he will work his arse off.

The RS paid nearly 90m for a striker who has missed chance after chance after chance. Did the kopites abuse him ? No they continued to chant his name every time he played.

The Rs are now seeing the rewards for the support of their player. while we have a section who simply want to batter away at the confidence of ours.

Beats the life out of me

However as I’ve posted before all the pre season acquisitions have basically been a waste of money.

Dyche is having to shoe-horn players into the side and he's getting a tune out of them best he can in my view.

We're missing 4 nailed on starters plus Gomes who's been good for us when he's played plus the players are likely being affected by the 10 points, and all the noise of further sanctions and yet people are still saying how shit they all are?

Remember, we should be 12th as things stand so you can't blame Dyche or the players for the position we're in, in the league. It's a false position and not their fault at all.

He schooled the much vaunted Onana on Saturday.

The side gave 100% but you need a little bit more than effort to win games. Everyone knows we aren't the same side without Doucoure and with Onana being injured and Gueye unavailable Dyche had to make some changes.

I thought Godfrey did well at full-back and that for me is his best position, and he can cover both flanks, I think when Coleman isn't fit he is a better option than Patterson or Young.

Despite Sean Dyche being here 12 months, while he has made us more solid at the back, but is that at the expense of a more attacking approach?

Considering how much money the club have spent since Moshiri took over, it's a sad indictment that we still haven't found a striker to replace Lukaku.

Our lack of goals is there for all to see and seeing as we won't be able to change that in this window I do worry as to where the goals will come from to help escape the trap door.

Maybe the most important person working for the club at present is the KC we have defending our 10-point deduction, as I feel unless he can get that reduced, we may struggle to survive for another year in the Premier League.

On the game, Pickford made a great save but I really don't want my keeper to be 25 yards out of his goal taking a square pass from our centre-back. I didn't see Virginia doing any of this nonsense and I don't see the point of it.

Calvert-Lewin can't buy a goal but we don't have many better alternatives and while not scoring he is still important to the team.

Seems Harrison can do no wrong as Dyche has started him in every game other than when injured. He offers nothing as an attacking option and his passing is woeful, don't know if anyone noticed against Luton we cleared the ball to Harrison about 15 yards from our box he lost the ball which ended up as a corner to Luton from which they scored their 1st goal.

But Branthwaite ran over and had a right go at him for losing the ball in such a dangerous area. Onana is another who offers very little going forward, him and Garner very rarely want to run at the opposition and very rarely venture into the opponents' box.

Yet you watch many teams in the Premier League and see how their midfield players carry the ball or make runs into the box without the ball, something you don't see from our 2 centre midfield players.

I think we have a very good back 4 especially when Coleman is playing but the 6 we play in front of them are the problem.

In our position, Dyche has done the right thing in making us hard to beat, which is not pretty but it's the right thing to do. From there you also try to win a few games, but the most important thing is not losing tons of games.

He's done that with one hand tied behind in back for so many reasons we all know – the players are definitely trying hard, they're just playing a lot of the time with the handbrake on. We had 21 shots last night, Fulham had 25 – it wasn't for the lack of trying, but there was a lot of decent defending going on as well.

Oh, and the VAR with Robinson's clear handball.

But he's a bottom end of the Premier League player and isn't going to improve. A player like that is a decent quality sub – but that's it.

He's one of the players who makes us hard to beat, even if his end product is sketchy.

I would have taken a punt on Alfredo Morelos purely because he scores goals.

Sorry Paul but I agree with Simon @102, but I would add that Calvert-Lewin's career at Everton has been more managed with expedience in mind, rather than his well-being and development. Dyche has worked on the first to his credit, but the second needs catch-up work.

Calvert Lewin also needs himself to get back the necessary focus and thinking that Ancelotti told him about. He also needs to be taken out to the wing and asked how he expects the ball to be got to him if he is running between two defenders, not trying to get first to the ball in front of his marker, and not attacking the near post.

By the time Beto comes on as a very late substitution, the ghost has been given up by the wingers, though their attempted crosses could get over the first defender more often.

A few times last night, especially in the 2nd half, he was off the pace. The header on the back post should have hit the target and with more aggression he clatters into defenders when those cross-field balls come in, making them aware of his presence rather than acting like a ghost. Saying that, he is still the best striker we have. Dyche needs to get him on the raw meat before games.

Beto caused more trouble in 10 minutes than Calvert-Lewin did in the 2nd half purely on aggression. I can only see a bench role for him until Calvert-Lewin tires in games.

Harrison and McNeil are key to how we play. They play every minute due to the lack of quality behind them. Harrison played in the Doucoure role last night whilst McNeil played centre mid. We are threadbare across the squad but can't buy or attract loan moves. The effort out all of the lads last night was admirable. We are still fighting.

Barkley not signing in the summer was probably more to do with his wages than ability. He will always drift out of games and is clueless off the ball. Not one for the trenches imo. Oh to have the lad from Wavertree back, the one that shafted us out of £15M whilst he rode off into the sunset. No thanks.

On a few areas commented on here:

1) Harrison plays because his pressing stats in the top third of the field are the second best in the Premier League... behind Doucouré. But, his creative contribution to the team is not impressive at all.

2) The quality and quantity of crosses that our wide men and full-backs deliver into the box is the main reason why Calvert-Lewin hasn't scored for weeks. Given any sort of service, he will score, but I am concerned about him getting over-worked in the role Dyche has given him.

3) We need additional midfield cover on loan as starting with one specialist midfielder is a massive worry. Given the absence of Onana, Doucouré, Gueye and Gomes, the players filling in did great. And to think some are advocating accepting a bid for Onana in this window!

4) Godfrey has not featured regularly in the team as his form for 2 years has been very poor. Dyche rightly has concerns over Patterson's defensive positioning and concentration, therefore he would have considered Godfrey as a replacement for Coleman had his form in training given him any reason to. if he is finally turning the corner, then great. My suspicion is that the upsurge in form and motivation is linked to his desire for a move – he is in the shopping window and knows it.

5) It would be madness to consider replacing Dyche. He has inherited a Bottom 5 squad in terms of quality, a dysfunctional working culture in the club, but navigated us to 12th spot if the 10-point deduction is excluded. That is good work and, frankly, I don't give a toss about the quality of the football this season given we are in an existential fight for survival.

As for Barkley, the Luton manager's reluctance to confirm the length of his contract seems to indicate he is on a 12-month deal.

Instead, he grafts for the team, defence, hold up, close down... what a waste of talent. But let's be honest, the way he is been asked to play has destroyed his confidence and belief in his own ability. He is the wrong player for the way Dyche wants him to play.

My second point is an observation: how one or two players of real quality can lift a whole team and make individuals play far better than their average. They lift average players, average teams.

Average teams without stars go nowhere and strggle. Dyche strikes me as an honest, hard-working bloke who doesn't carry anyone, not for him outstanding quality. There is a reason he was so long at Burnley, why we are being replicated in the same image: hard work, lots of running and bang average if you're lucky. And that's his best points!

Don't get me wrong — it's probably what we needed to survive, it will be a couple of seasons yet, but I doubt he will be leading the team out in the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

I know he doesn't get loads of chances but that's because he plays for us. I saw Maidstone beat Ipswich on Saturday by converting the only 2 chances they had.

He's not clinical in the way Dyche plays, never will be.

How do we play a more open expansive attacking based football with the current squad without getting battered every week?

Dyche has impressed me more than the impression I had of him from his Burnley days. I think he is a lot shrewder than people give him credit for.

Under the last 2 managers, the same players have been unable to adapt to their tactics, whereas Dyche has us playing to the players' strengths. Hard to beat, not messing around too much at the back, and getting a tune out of Doucoure. He has us playing as a team. We are creating lots of chances that are being missed.

His biggest challenge is keeping the fight going within the squad and up to now he is doing it despite all of the surrounding noise.

I couldn't agree more with both your comments concerning Calvert-Lewin and Dyche who you summed up perfectly.

Since his return from a long lay-off with a career-threatening injury, Dom, as you say, has given his all for the team. It has to be said he has missed some golden opportunities, but there can be no denying his ability.

It is a thankless task for any striker who is starved of quality service. Apart from all of the things you mentioned, Christine, his running off the ball, when usually the pass dosen't arrive, is exhausting and frustrating in itself. Most other centre-forwards in the Premier League would be banging on the manager's door for a transfer.

I watched Arsenal recently, their build up play was exceptionally good. My immediate reaction was that Calvert-Lewin would be the perfect fit for their pattern of play.

I certainly don't want him to leave us but, as I hear the murmuring mob grow louder in their criticism of him, part of me would love to see him show his real talents elsewhere to shut them all up. Sadly we need to make at least three or four new signings for him to make that happen in a blue shirt.

Dyche? I like his honesty and he's doing his best. Which will only ever amount to mediocrity. He's been in the game long enough for that to be very much apparent.

Calvert-Lewin is being asked to do a job which he does very well, he back-tracks, holds the ball while the rest make their leisurely way into the attacking third, and he defends well at set pieces. However, all that work leaves him with little energy for the task that Christine, myself and many others want: the energy to score goals.

There are two facets to this problem: firstly the wide players give him few crosses to feed him opportunities and the midfielders are (Doucoure excepted) unable to offer him any support around the penalty box.

Secondly, his work all over the pitch leaves him without the energy and composure to convert the few chances he gets. He is not and never will be an exceptional clinical striker like Haaland or my own favourite Everton striker Roy Vernon, but like Andy Cole he could score one in five as I think it was Hoddle who disparingly described him thus. The difference was that, at Man Utd, Cole probably got at least five chances a game.

We need McNeil to start contributing goals again and Doucoure to be fit to offer Calvert-Lewin some support. Otherwise, the converting of our few chances is going to remain a problem.

Doucoure 6 in 18 games
DCL 3 in 18 games
McNeil 2 in 19 games
Mykolenko 2 in 17 games
Harrison 2 in 16 games

The rest of the squad have scored 1 or 0 goals so far.

I thought we were pretty decent apart from the 25-minute period from about 50 to 75 minutes where we were massively under the cosh and I was keen for Dyche to make some sort of change which was, as usual, slow in coming.

To get a point away at a tough ground with only one fit central midfielder is commendable. It's also a point gained on Forest who I think will be one of the relegation contenders hopefully.

As for Calvert-Lewin and his goalscoring woes, I can tell you that he has certainly been getting some chances. The xG models have him around at around 8 goals whereas he only has 3 in reality. Put basically, that means that even with an average level of finishing (and opposition goalkeeping) he should have 5 goals more (and how many more points for us?).

This –5 deficit is actually one of the worst in Europe. Sadly it is a trait throughout the team and the only players currently scoring more than their xG are Dobbin and Gomes, who have barely featured (so a very small sample size) and Mykolenko.

We lack quality with the ball, nothing new there, but we have kept a lot of clean sheets this season, not to be forgotten.

28 points from 22 games is a vast improvement on last season.

I assume Gana will be back for the weekend and, once the others return, we will get back on track.

Any criticism of Dyche is unfair, we should be mid-table and not under a lot of pressure. What should he do? Try to play like Man City? That won't work for obvious reasons.

The players are producing chances but can't put the ball in net often enough – that's the problem. On the plus side, we are very often nilling teams.

My biggest concern is the form that Luton are showing.

I hope Danjuma's injury doesn't stop any transfer deals today or tomorrow, we need another industrious player in desperately, preferably one who can play in two or three positions!!

Everton are currently being stretched to the limit and this hasn't been helped by the masters of the Premier League who decided it would be much better to weaken us before they punished us.

Numerous chances were created that showed the midfield was working in both attack and defending. The major problem is we have no one to finish the game off. I believe we could sign Mbappe and Everton would be the first club he hasn't scored for.

Fulham is not an easy ground to get a result from so a point was well earned, and that we have no one who can score is a poor recruitment policy that is now putting the club in a real serious position.

The manager can only use what he has available and the players he is using are letting him and the supporters down. It does not matter what formation he is using if the players don't perform to their expectations.

It's easy to pick out the chances he's missed in a game, because you can count them on one hand. Look at all the chances Man City's top striker Haaland gets; he scores plenty, but he misses a fair few as well, but because they're so offensive, you don't notice.

We don't have many options and, as Dave says, we are missing Doucoure and Idrissa.

As with previous recent games, if we have them, we win that.

But a good night out with my son and the fellow Blues we met up with.

Now in the most obvious period of strain, we see Doucoure getting credit for his tireless work to make the previous setup at least functional if not productive. This gives you a window to how fucking difficult it was to design (that's fucking right ‘design') the system that produced our point tally.

Now think of yourself as a defence coach and how easy it would be to stymie that system with targeted tactics. You wouldn't need to commit the whole defence just control that area of the pitch. Dyche gets less than zero credit for dealing with that kind of aggression and keeping us competitive. I thank the football gods that Dyche doesn't give a fuck what football fuckwits think.

Alright, sorry, that last bit is a bit much but that just lets you know where I'm at on this matter. Nothing personal.

Last night, with a makeshift team and only one genuine centre-midfielder, we created four or five decent chances. Dyche's squad are creating chances, especially away from home.

There is a big difference under Dyche, a definite improvement, and we should have more points on board —we all know why we haven't. If we could solve that problem, we would be much better off and not worrying about the 10-point penalty, as unfair as it was.

Unlike Saturday's game there were positives, all of them in defence. We have two teams on the pitch. A very good defensive team and a shockingly bad attacking team.

Once we (or Dyche to be clear) find a way to get Dom scoring again, we'll climb the table.

We have to accept it is where we are. We have no cash to spend, we have a very average squad, and we now have a team running the club who are trying to turn us around akin to a cargo ship at sea.

Over many years, we have been run into the ground by an appallingly bad Chairman (RIP, Bill Kenwright) and by a clown of an owner. We sat and watched monies being spunked on dross for years and did not foresee the mess we were actually in.

I think, under those circumstances, Dyche is doing okay and we have to hope the points are overturned. Then we need to knuckle down, as we did last night and we'll be okay but we cannot go back to booing Calvert-Lewin or blaming him. It's not his fault or the fault of the players. They are trying (very trying, lol!!)

Seriously, we just need to keep supporting them. UTFT's

I think the xG model is not necessarily appropriate with Calvert-Lewin and I think that John Rafferty explains why. It is about confidence and, on my view, a player who knows there will be more chances on the way will be better placed to take what he gets.

There is much more pressure on Calvert-Lewin than Haaland or Salah. One miss from Calvert-Lewin will likely cost us the game. Salah can miss a bagful and Liverpool will still win. Calvert-Lewin would score more, in my opinion, for most other teams in the league. He gives 100%, never hides and we are a better team with him in it.

The sense of entitlement of some on here is jaw-dropping. We have a poor threadbare squad who have been robbed of 10 hard-earned points. Dyche has worked a miracle and Calvert-Lewin has helped him.

I haven't felt, since the days of Lampard and Benitez (still can't believe that was real), that any of our players are not putting in the effort – it's simply that they aren't good enough.
I'm not Onana's biggest fan and I feel he's playing for his own stats rather than the team, but I still think he's putting in the effort.

I despair at the poor quality of our passing but I can't fault the hearts of the players we've got available.

https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/big_chance_missed

So it's obvious where the problem is, we all know it: we don't score enough, but it's clearly not that we are not creating — we are just not putting them away.

In terms of defence stats, only the top 3 are better than us but, for scoring, we are worse than everyone save Sheffield Utd and Burnley.

I know stats aren't everything but it's clear to me that there's not an awful lot wrong fundamentally with this side that wouldn't be cured by an ice cold assassin up top but it's also clear that we haven't the money to go out and buy such a player unless we get really lucky with a loan or free transfer.

Lukaku made goals for himself but his workrate and chance conversion were patchy. He also had supply from Barkley, Mirallas, Deulofeu and excellent attacking full-backs.

The lack of goals isn't resolved by swapping Calvert-Lewin for A N Other.

Sorry, mate, but you're wrong,

Lukaku definitely improves this team.

I think you have a fair point that is supported by Maupay. He was an 8- to 12-goal-a-season guy at Brighton and scored what, one goal for us?

The difference being at Brighton he missed five or six chances a game whereas at Everton he had maybe two shots per game.

If you look at the stats for teams who have missed the most big chances, not half chances, we are joint top with Newcastle, the only other bottom-half team who are anywhere near us is Brentford.

So, the skunks might actually win something then?

Who now would get in Martinez's best XI of:

Howard
Baines
Coleman
Stones
Jagielka
McCarthy
Barry
Barkley
Mirallas
Deulofeu
Lukaku

Maybe Pickford and Branthwaite? And by the way, I think Calvert-Lewin might be doing okay himself in that side.

Yes it's true that many fans on here don't like/appreciate Lukaku but that's because he used to shout his mouth off every international break.

But it's not a popularity contest. The guy could guarantee 15+ goals a season – he had an eye for it and strikes the ball properly. He also has a self-belief that translates to goals. The guy just loves scoring goals.

Many a time, we don't appreciate what we have. If we'd have got Barkley back on a free, he'd have been brilliant (look what he's doing at Luton) but I suspect he'd have got pelters.

I'm not a Godfrey fan but I thought he had a great game last night, especially considering he hasn't played for a while.

What a difference a half decent striker would make!

Howard Kendall once said he preferred to talk about what a player can do rather than what he can't do. As fans, we often do the opposite.

Luton took a chance on Barkley last summer, gave him a 1-year contract, was there anyone else offering him a chance? Do you think he played consistently for Everton, Chelsea, Aston Villa or anywhere else he played as consistently as he is playing for Luton?

It looked like the penny has dropped for Ross, the talent was always there, he just didn't apply himself. He could be brilliant, poor and casual in the same game. Now he has, maybe, grown up and realised how good he can be. I hope he keeps it up.

He will be offered a good signing-on fee and wages plus a 2- or 3-year contract next summer by a few clubs if he continues like this. Last summer, he was in a very different position and begging for a chance; Luton gave him that chance and it's turning out nice for them.

I don't see any lack of effort at the moment. The fans have had a rollercoaster season again but the squad have had it much tougher in my view and deserve some leeway at the moment.

The players have had a decent mid-table start and were no doubt starting to look up the table a bit. Through no fault of theirs, they were thrust back into a relegation battle.

They responded brilliantly and are now going through a tough spell of injuries in key areas. That will come to an end with any luck.

Our season will only partially be decided on the field... very little point in getting stuck into anyone unless the energy drops off.

The squad have earned the right on the field to be comfortably mid-table and only 4 points off 7th place and probably 2-3 wins away from Premier League safety.

That they're in a relegation battle with all the pressure that brings is not down to how the team have played or are playing at all.

We have what we have in terms of players and they have done the job on the field. There is no positive outcome to having a go at the players as far as I can see.

All we can do is hope like all fuck that we get some good news out of the next few months behind the scenes... this time is going to be hard enough without getting stuck into each other.

Couldn't we have hi-jacked that deal?

Our recruitment is fucking pathetic!!

Pissed off and with real tough games looming which are on the TV too... (which every Blue knows doesn't end well for us).

John Raftery on Lukaku.

Dave Abrahams on Ross.

I hope Ross finds himself again. Just a shame it wasn't in the blue shirt he grew up with.