Blues end with fifth consecutive home win

Doucoure should have scored before he actually did and I sometimes have to wonder at his reported wage but, before we did score, I was wondering if we were getting enough players forward when Calvert-Lewin chased wide.

Good to see we can try something better albeit when it doesn't matter and Calvert-Lewin gets a yellow card for trying too hard, which circus do they get these Refs from?

Somewhat baffled by the team selection. If Harrison is unfit and given this is the worldbeaters Sheffield Utd who are the opposition, why such a negative approach and replacement?

I know it's currently heresy to question Mr Dyche, but why? What better opportunity to try something at least a little bit different?

Seeing as that was one of the worst ever refereeing performances I have seen for years, given the effing and jeffing I was doing at the screen, she suggested that given the ref's shit performance, why couldn't he be subbed?

Yes, I know it would never happen but a bit of fun nonetheless.
What does ToffeeWeb think of this?

Tremendous achievement by the manager, players and supporters in the circumstances.

Let's go and enjoy the day out at the Emirates.

Hopefully we can bring in a bit of pace and quality on the flanks this summer – and enable some better football and more goals.

Also the commentator didn't know his facts and slipped up repeatedly. He said Seamus came to Everton for £150k, also stated that Chermiti had only had 11 minutes on the pitch this season… and others.

Ozzy never corrected him.once…

I thought Calvert-Lewin played very well, especially in the first half, but Doucouré is a technically awful footballer!! Despite that pirouette in the second half.

Anyway, well done to everyone on what has been a difficult and strange season and it was nice to see Dobbin and Warrington on the pitch today.

The football may not be edifying but it is effective, which is exactly what we need at the moment.

Hopefully selling Onana and some fringe players might be enough. A few more sensible signings with some pace in attack and we could possibly have a shot at Top 10 next season if we can avoid more deductions.

No doubt!

Now comes the big wait in what happens with Moshiri the greatest financial wiz and the outcome for the club. Something needs to be sorted before start of next season so Dyche and Thelwell know what they are up against financially to sort out players coming and going.

But definitely need to sort out the big earners to reduce the massive wage bill — good luck with that!

Unless a miracle happens in the summer I imagine next season will be just as bad if not worse.

At least we can hope to see the backs of Keane, Holgate, Danjuma, Alli, Dyche, Gomes, Harrison, Beto and probably, Onana amongst others.

There's going to be a big reduction in our wages, with a few big earners out of contract, so hopefully we can keep Branthwaite, and Dyche can bring in a few new faces, not Harrison.

Hope the off-field issues and ownership, get sorted soon, we don't want to have to sell Branthwaite to balance books either. Build a side round him and others!

These are the games which give you opportunity to experiment and give your players much-needed time to go on the pitch and express themselves.

I feel Chermiti should have been on the field at least on 55- or 60-minute mark.

Yes, it has obviously been torture for the most part but I can't help feeling immensely proud of what the manager, players and fans have achieved. If we can sort out the off-field mess then we really have a very solid foundation to build upon.

Bring on the Arsenal, you are next! UTFTs

Probably tells you that the Premier League is a battle and that, outside of the Top 6, it's a battle.

Compared to previous seasons, that would be progress. The team lacks pace, creativity and goal know-how, but defensively they've been good and exploited set-pieces.

Another difficult season is coming up, we have to keep the quality we have.

De Zerbi could go to Man utd and the Brighton job becomes available; likewise, Silva could leave Fulham for the Portugal job after the Euros… lots of scenarios could emerge where Dyche doesn't need us — but we actually do need him.

Given Everton's situation, I would not be surprised if Gomes got a 1-year extension. Dyche will want to keep Harrison, whom he selected whenever fit, and don't be surprised if Young is kept for another year.

It will be hoped that Beto and Chermiti will continue to improve. I can't see Onana being sold on. Seamus will get another extension.

Branthwaite may be sold, but there could be a shift if the void in leadership that has dogged Everton for years has more accountability to contend with.

I can't believe you included Dyche in your list of people you hope will leave! Just named April Manager of the Month, several journalists suggesting he should be included in the Manager of the Season running.

He's just finished with a run of 5 consecutive clean sheets which I don't know when that was last achieved. Amassed more points in the last 6 games than Arsenal and Man City! What the fuck do you want?

More total points for the first time since Silva got us into Europe. Having to contend with 8 points deducted for management cock-ups and keeping the team immune from all the off-the-pitch crap.

I would take the same approach next season if it kept us out of the bottom half of the league, move towards the Top 8 and lead us into the new Everton Stadium. There's nothing wrong with a very well-organised defence!

You don't ask for much, mate!

I admit Sean Dyche has impressed me since Chelsea horror show. I'll admit he's won me over, after the many Burnley years. There are plenty of managers who would not get 48 points (not 40) with this squad.

The last several games we have been able to hold our heads high.

The Gunners game is of little consequence although it would be nice to perform well.

We should really be in mid-table above a few others if the Premier League hadn't robbed us.

Oddly enough, Doucoure scored the match-winner in this the final game of the season at Goodison — just as he did last season in the final Goodison game.

I was surprised how young Ashley Young's kids were, I thought they'd be old enough to be at University.

Up The Toffees!

Dyche and the players deserve a huge amount of respect for their attitude and desire to work through all of the obstacles presented to them.

We seem to have gone from a collective position of Dyche having no culpability for results due to the players not being good enough, to Dyche being considered the sole reason that we stayed up. Neither of those polar opposites are true.

Once we're in the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, we go all out Nil Satis Nisi Optimum but, for now, fuck it, little steps and great victories — we beat the Red Shite and we hardly touched the ball!

Them Reds can fuck off and Up The Fcuking Toffees!

Proud to be Blue.

Add the deducted points back this season and we are 22 points clear of Luton — progress, I think.

We all knew that this summer would see some of our more prized assets being sold but, now that Thelwell has confirmed it in his programme notes, we'll just have to hope that the right assets are sold – ones that Dyche might actually be able to replace.

Onana simply has to be sold first. Sadly, his 2 years here have been largely underwhelming and yet somehow we might get close to doubling our money on him. He will probably thrive at a bigger club but, in real terms, we will not miss him.

I'd rather we sold Beto for a loss than see Calvert-Lewin leave the club. Hopefully the worst of Dom's injury troubles are now over and, with a few tweaks to our team, he could easily get back to his best and once again be in the conversation for more international opportunities. Beto, meanwhile, looks ill at ease with the ball at his feet and maybe a move back to Italy might be best for all parties.

Pickford and Branthwaite have been our best players this season, so losing either would obviously leave Dyche with huge holes to fill. If a club were prepared to buy Branthwaite now, but loan him back to us for next season, then that might be the best result we could hope for.

While losing such an outstanding young player will be hard to stomach, if his sale can simultaneously save the club both on and off the pitch, then we must be practical about doing so on the terms that suit us best.

I personally think Pickford has been our player of the season. I'd like to see him stay but, if an offer of £50+ million came in, then it might be hard to turn down. He would no doubt relish the challenge of moving to a club challenging for honours, and I suspect there might be a few takers.

Players will be sold. Players will be moved on. Players won't be purchased. Is there a better manager to get us through next season, other than Mr Dyche? Hopefully Mr Dyche stays? We need you!

Take boring 1-nil wins, all day long. Everton winning makes me happy! Good performances and no points does not! Next season is going to be tough. That's for another day! Sit back and relax!

My final point is we get through by everyone sticking together! Thank you, all Evertonians.

Our 13 clean sheets this season have been the key enabler for 35 points. Dyche deserves enormous credit for making us solid defensively – which should always be the first step in building a successful team.

The challenge for him now is twofold: to retain that defensive strength notwithstanding the loss of key personnel; and to improve our attacking output. That won't be easy given our off-the-field issues. Indeed, it may prove impossible in the short term.

Quite right – it is not about points but, bloody hell, they help.
I, like you, would love to see expansive, creative football but unfortunately we don't have a Messi or Modric.

If we have 2 or 3 upfront, then who supplies the bullets? You can only play to your strengths. If that means playing it tight, then so be it.

Expansive, open football is great if you have a stable of players like Man City. We haven't. It would be called suicide if we try to copy them with what we have.

Let's see if we can come through a positive takeover and sign a few decent players to help us on the pathway to more attractive football. Until that is possible, let us celebrate having another chance to move forward. I have no issue with anyone wanting better, that is only natural.

The worst-case scenario is that, as we sort this ownership mess, we have not only a fire sale that includes Branthwaite and one or more of Pickford and Calvert-Lewin, but also lose Dyche to any managerial job other than leading our disastrous club.

If we limit those losses, and Dobbin and Warrington and Mills take a step up, then hopefully with a few savvy low-cost moves and/or loans, we can be comfortably mid-table next season.

But these next few months are going to be nervy yet again. I need at least a few weeks to unclench my bum before I can handle more of this stress.

Good win today. Too bad we have to try to get a point or three next week to stave off Brentford; otherwise, it would be good to see what a few youngsters could do.

Now fuck off and take that useless peace of shit, Doucouré with you.

Our football has been piss-poor all season. Fucking shit.

I was brought up where you let the ball do the work, not the man. Hoofball, hoofball, hoofball. Count me out, watching this shit football.

It would be good for us to get him back on a loan... but it's Levy, who probably still wants £40M from us for Dele.

Dyche worked wonders in terrible circumstances. The players we have currently cannot do what you desire consistently. I take it you didn't watch the derby.

Christine (41),

I'd have Richarlison back in a heartbeat. I'd even drive him: top player, top man.

But it's also about progress. The same progress anyone on here talking about players to sell, ditch, sign is thinking of.

Over a decent period of time now, we've cashed in everything worth having. To continue on that trajectory, we've signed a manager to basically just work with defence... we've gone past the point where we even develop anything.

It's an absolute slope and the reason why I can't see this season as progress, regardless of whether we picked off some of the bottom half in the last few games (plus a completely out-of-the-ordinary derby performance).

On points won, we might be closer to, say, 6th than we have been for a couple of years, but I'd argue that we've never been further away. We've got nothing in our squad that could bridge that gap.

We score a goal a game which is only fractionally better than one of the worst ever Premier League teams, in probably the least competitive season in the Premier League era.

We are going to have to bring some young players through and we are going to have to give them game time. We are going to have to play just a little bit of football, even if it's pretty agricultural. We'll have to be far braver than we currently are and it's a massive concern that the current approach is being accepted and even celebrated.

I guess you are not a season ticket holder so it will make it easier not to watch, as you put it, this shit football, you can just switch it off.

But please tell us how Everton – with no backing or ownership – is suddenly going to get another manager to play the type of football we would all like to see, with no money to spend, and we have to sell our better players to get money to buy a couple of mediocre players to replace them.. .

Today, I watched 3 teams that got relegated whose managers all tried to play more open football and have failed.

Everton have just played 5 games – won 4 drew 1, scored 7, against 1… name another team or manager who could or have done so well as this.

If it was not for such an incompetent board and owner, we could have been in the Top 10 instead of continually fighting relegation.

We would all like to see an Everton team fighting in the Top 6 playing attractive football, but that takes what we don't have, and that is a progressive owner and board with enough financial backing to improve on the playing and coaching side.

It has been mentioned before that a number of supporters have said that Dyche should be fired but, unless there is a drastic change in ownership and board with the finances to back a new team, Dyche is simply the best of a bad bunch.

It was encouraging to end the game with so many youngsters on the pitch:

Garner - 23
Branthwaite - 21
Onana - 22
Chermiti - 19
Dobbin - 21
Warrington - 21

It never occurred to me we could sell him now to a club who loan him back for next season – but why not? And he is the main player I don't want to leave.

I agree, Onana can leave for as much as possible. Jarrad, Jordan, Dom, and Gana were all superb and Chermiti did well although I didn't enjoy seeing him completely bottle two 50:50 challenges!

I'm pretty sure Sean Dyche didn't participate in the lap of honour yesterday and would have liked to have applauded him has he came past. Modest guy!!

Colin, we are in a different world to where you want us to be and we need a captain for stormy seas – not a cruise ship operator atm.

We will be relegated next season having once again sold our best players.

How can I be proud to be a blue when the reality is we are a joke? Progress… my arse!

Worst-case scenario, we go into administration, get deducted another 9 points, while still retaining some key players, we mount a similar challenge next season. In all probability beating the drop, new stadium, new start, we go again.

In all this fiasco, it has not been the fans who have contributed to this mess but extremely poor administration and ownership issues. We haven't selected who comes in as players, or managers, their over-inflated salaries, but yet we are the ones who suffer the most!

Steve, you can add Patterson and Mykolenko to that list. Even Calvert-Lewin is hardly past his sell-by date. Dwight McNeil is only 24. A young-looking squad with a sprinkle of experience in the likes of Tarkowski and Pickford.

Let's go and enjoy The Emirates. Despite the result the last time I was there after the Palace match, the atmosphere was amazing throughout the match even as the Arsenal goals kept coming! I've not had much luck at that ground, but it has to change at some point.

If, and I hope not, Branthwaite is sold, he's not coming back on loan, as much as I like that idea. Anyone who had watched him will testify he is ready now. Quite unusual for such a young centre-back as they tend to mature later.

He defies his young years and is a joy to watch. He would walk into anyone's first team. He is that good. He is going to be special.

Some people are really determined to be miserable I guess!

Of course we'd all love to be Arsenal or Man City. Or even Aston Villa. But there's just no way of getting there quickly, especially given our financial and ownership situation.

Progress must be incremental. In the last two seasons, we came 17th and 16th with 36 and 39 points. This season (without points deductions) we're in 11th on 48 points so far. Only the most stubborn would deny that as progress.

Of course, to challenge much higher, we will need better players and perhaps a better manager. But that further progress will need money and a solid foundation which Dyche is providing us. To achieve mid-table points total in the affluent Premier League with a negative net transfer spend over last 3 years is extremely commendable.

Considering the points deductions, having to spend as little money as possible, the constant pressure of a club crumbling around you and an owner who couldn't give a fuck anymore… Add the points on and you would say a reasonable season given all the crap this season.

I can't see the next 3 being any different, as we are now a selling club rather than a buying club. There is one thing this club has over the other clubs and that is the supporters. Living in Australia, I would like to thank the supporters who attend the home games and especially the away games: "Thank you!"

I have been a voice of Dyche Out but I remember what it was like finishing 6th to 8th under Moyes and I want some of that now. I know players will have to be sold but selling Godfrey, Patterson, Onana, and getting rid of Harrison, Beto and Dele Alli should see us okay.

If I had to get rid of one of our backbone it would be Branthwaite. But him going to Man Utd will be a bad move for his career as I think we are just as good as they are.

Patterson - 22
Mykolenko - 24
Calvert-Lewin - 27
McNeil - 24
James Garner - 23
Branthwaite - 21
Onana - 22
Chermiti - 19
Dobbin - 21
Warrington - 21.

Even if we sell Onana, there is cause for optimism… but please let's try to retain Branthwaite. Selling hiim would be a tough one to swallow.

Sam @50, 'commendable' is the right word. Everton's net transfer spending over the last 2 seasons is - £59 million, we have huge debts and rely on bailouts from 777 Partners to operate. We are fortunate to still be in existence frankly, and evading adminstration is not guaranteed.

To manage us to 13 wins, 8 draws and one of the lowest league goals conceded totals in the Premier League is excellent progress under Sean Dyche. But, it seems some posters simply can't (or won't) accept it due to pre-conceived opinions.

Thank you, Bill. Stated straight from the heart and with that uncommon thing that is common sense.

Sean Dyche – job done. Stick with us. You are a person of character.

I still watched the highlights and thought the goal was beautifully carved. Long to the centre-forward, great chest pass, then a very quick break, involving three midfielders, all moving the ball on early, and ending with the simplest of headers for Doucoure, after more great work from the centre-forward.

Martinez got sacked 8 years today, I've just read. The list reads: Martínez, Koeman, Allardyce, Silva, Ancelotti, Lampard and Dyche, which means seven managers in the last 8 years.

People don't want Dyche; two younger lads I spoke to said they are not happy with the football, and wondered how long we should give Dyche. I asked them did they think he had done a good job, and could they name me another manager, who they think could have kept us up this season?

Look at the list of managers we have had. Most of them got the sack with better players, so let's keep the players and get rid of the manager once again! 🤦‍♂️

Disappointed he wasn't played in a two yesterday. He's got pace, and has the ability to hurt teams by running past Dom. Looks more of a footballer than Beto.

This isn't the kind of footy which makes you proud to be a Blue, but it's keeping us going whilst the shitshow behind the scenes gets resolved.

I've only seen highlights of yesterday's game, so can only go by what I've heard about the rest of the match. What I did see was two fabulous moments of quality from Calvert-Lewin. The touch to bring the ball under control before setting up Doucoure's first chance was sublime. Then the goal, which was all about Dominic. Classy centre-forward play which bagged us 3 points.

Now Moyes is available, I say bring him back to help with the recruitment side. Not the playing side.

Crazy? Maybe but he is the only manager who, regardless of how we get them in, brings in players who are better than what we currently have.

This is where we've lost our way. Simple fact of just buying better than what we have, rather than buying what Harry Redknapp recommends.

Latest in the gossip column is Iheanacho. I mean, come on, someone is now just taking the piss… perhaps we'll be in for Ryan Shawcross next week.

West Ham fans are split - many glad to see the back of Moyes after 3 years of European Qualification and a trophy because he didn't play attractive football.
We are split (as Bobby #52) shows glad to get rid of same David Moyes after 7 or 8 years of top 8 finishes as the football was not "as exciting as I want".
Now we have Dyche, similar style who kept us up last season and produced a team which would have finished 10th or 11th without paying for the ineptitude of the previous management (after Moyes left) and people are looking for a more adventurous manager.

Before you make confirm that is you choice, tell us, which did you prefer as the last game of the season at GP? Last year when we had to beat Bournemouth to not be relegated or yesterday? There are a lot of cardiologists on Merseyside who are so happy with Sean Dyche. Waiting lists have reduced.

I think, if he had a midfield general and a winger with pace, we might be surprised with what he can come up with.

I think he could because I'm aware of his introduction to professional football. But, until he gets the chance to work with better players under better circumstances, I don't know if he genuinely can or can't.

What I have problems with is the ‘going back' syndrome. I feel it seldom works out well. Similarly with Barkley.

Move onwards and upwards — not backwards and downwards.

The last thirty seasons have provided little for us to boast about but here we are now near the bottom of the slope in the premier league- we’ve seen nearly the worst of what could have happened but I am positive that slope will level out and the good days are coming back, it won’t be a quick rise, how can it be with the state the club is in—— but it’s coming and those young Blues who have seen us win nothing and are in their late twenties and thirties will see what it is like to see silverware paraded around Bramley Moor many many times, I hope to see one. or being greedy, two of those times myself and celebrating afterwards with Christine and Laurie and a few more, especially Brian Williams after he has rang that bell, I’d love that last bit Brian.

Well done Sean Steve Ian et al
Supreme.
Congratulation players.
You did us proud (ahem. )
You beat the shite twice.
The first on the pitch and the second at the (not so) Premier League.

Did Moyes ever beat the RNS ?

Moyes OUT !!!!!
Too early ??????

We have a poor squad, been threatened by the Premier League all season with sanctions and, as usual, had dodgy decisions against us.

During that time, Dyche has remained calm and kept a positive message to the media and the team.

Sorry that you can't see Barca-style football but guess what: Koeman and a few others spent the kitty and went to the loan sharks to boot. Jeez we even had the Spanish waiter in charge!

But yes, Dyche can fuck off! Unbelievable!

Plus he beat Liverpool at home for the first time in 14 years, in what was a decent performance.

Oh and Doucoure scored the goal that kept us up but he is still shit.

True grit, and belief, and Sean Dyche has been the manager in a terrible season where the club has incredibly held fast against the slimy play book of Mastets and his cronies. May be Masters is conjuring some more shit for Everton.

But Sean Dyche has been the spokes person for the club, due to the lack of ownership and accountability at board level.

Sean Dyche deserves every accolade he receives and what he has achieved this season is exceptional in English football.

UTFTs!

'until he gets the chance to work with better players, under better circumstances, I don’t know if he genuinely can, or can’t.'

Paul's comment @70 also makes a great point.

'Sean Dyche has been the spokes person for the club, due to the lack of ownership and accountability at board level.'

He has had to step up at most press conferences and interviews and carried them out with dignity and some humour.

I have a fair bit of time for Sean Dyche and in my opinion, whilst I do wonder at some of his on-field decisions and subs, he deserves his chance.

I'd also like to see Dele Alli be given a year's contract just to see if there's anything there...but assume he's off somewhere else...closer to 'home'.

I assume he wasn't at the ground yesterday for the walk around.

Having said all of that I think the football I am watching is some of the worst I have seen in nearly 70 years of watching Everton. But the general opinion on T/W at least is we know the football is awful but as long as we stay a Premier league club thats all that matters, and I can understand that argument even if I don't like it.
Having just won the last 5 home games, I thought it was quite telling how quickly the Park end emptied on the final whistle. I know there may be many reasons why people left on the final whistle, but was it anything to do with this being the 3rd season we have survived relegation or was it a statement on the football we have watched this year.

But we are in such a desperate state that we have to hope that Dyche stays and with what will probably be a weakened squad he still manages to get enough points to ensure we leave Goodison and enter BMD as a Premier league outfit.

I hope your comments were tongue-in-cheek.

I have been critical of some of Dyche's decisions this season but give credit where credit is due, lad. He has kept us up and I'd say this morning the managers of the 3 relegated teams are now wishing they didn't play their expansive open football.

Otherwise, we would have been in the soup.

I think the manager has done a very good job, considering what he has to work with. If the points deduction had not happened, we would have finished 11th, what does that say about the clubs below us?

I have followed Everton for over 70 years, I do not believe I will ever see them win another trophy; it's sad but that's the way the Premier League is operated now.

But if we're to actually enjoy watching Everton again we need to find some genuine talent to go with the workrate and positive attitude. Players of the ability of Richarlison, Sigurdsson and Gordon - three players who would absolutely transform us now.

Such players are hiding in plain sight in Champions League club benches / academies, the lower leagues, Scotland, France, Portugal, Belgium, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, the Balkans, South America etc etc - cheap and consistently productive markets. If the likes of Forest can source players like Murillo and Danilo from Brazil, then surely so can we?

The off-field issues need addressing and addressing now. Everyone at this club, manager, players, and fans have played their part.

Over to Farhad Moshiri, do the honourable thing and bring in the right ownership providing the stability we need as a club to move forward which will give us some direction over the coming years.

Dyche has done the best job as Everton manager since Moshiri took over.

It's not a reasonable comparison. It's just another part of the myth that we've got nothing to work with. Or you could call it acceptance of ever reducing standards and expectations.

The city was blue and the atmosphere very relaxed.
Even the Sheffield United fans were in good spirits.

Great day, 3 points, and another clean sheet (regardless of the opponent).

Hopefully, the off-field issues can be sorted out now.

There are still some with one eye who still apparently hate his guts because he is classed as unfashionable in the media – he will never be fashionable if he is never in charge of the very best players.

He spent a lot of money and produced a team without any real method, and was an incredibly poor football manager, who took us back years.

Which bit of that post #78 was untrue, Raymond? I don't think I even offered an opinion.

I absolutely concur this is the best way to take the football side forwards. Early stage recruitment of young players with very high ceilings is a proven formula that ticks football boxes and financial boxes whichever way you look at it.

Got to give credit to Thelwell on recruiting Garner and Chermiti.

I'd even add that Thelwell say to the recruitment team you have £5 million budget a year to bring in a minimum one U19 player every summer to develop. Stops them dithering and gives the recruitment team a goal. This is financed from a fraction of the recouped player sales money. Really can't be overly hard for a team of scouts, recruitment and ex-professionals to have a list and decide on at least one player a year to bring in that's highly talented. They got Chermiti, Branthwaite and Calvert-Lewin: this should be an annual thing. It should be two young players each year ideally. When in the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and there's no stadium costs going out and more revenue coming in, more budget can be allocated to this.

Additionally, young players that get into the first team create value too. I don't mind top pros coming in for free in their 30s or the odd loan because usually they are very good players, but there's no sell on so the value of the squad goes down which puts you in trouble 2 or 3 years down the line – basically similar to what happened after the crazy period of paying for the likes of Walcott and Schneiderlin and no sell-on value.

Anyways, Dyche done good. I still think if he gets a chance to get some fast attacking players, Dyche can get this team into Europe. We need Thelwell to start recruiting the next Kudos or Martinelli soon, ready for 2 or 3 years time, or it will be a long wait.

Maybe there's one or two bargains to be found in the relegated teams. I know we don't have two beans to rub together but
there's no harm in speculating.

You don't like Dyche, I didn't like Kenwright, and we both probably bore(d) most people to tears with our incessant ramblings about the two different people, who we don't believe are good enough for Everton!

But implying that the relegated teams might wish they'd used Dyche's tactics is bit of a dodgy comparison.

Those teams just don't have the players for this league. They rank 18-20 on wages and the cost of their squads. And it's not even really close.

In comparison, we rank about 10th. We spend multiples of the sides being relegated.

People are claiming that it's incredible that we stayed up. It really isn't. Failing to amass 29 points would be a catastrophic failure – that was beyond even our basket case of a club.

But what he has made us is very tight defensively, and that's of critical importance in the Premier League – just ask Burnley.

On that note, we would be insane to let Branthwaite go this summer – the lad has proven himself a real gem and shows traits of a future captain. If he doesn't push for it, it will be a dark day when he is sold.

Dyche has done a fantastic job managing a shifting situation with integrity and leadership. The players have obviously responded to him and believe in his methods. He's created an improved culture around the team as evidenced by our results and a more resilient and professional approach by the players under his watch.

To comfortably keep us up in our current environment is quality work. Dyche has not earned another season with us – the arrogance of saying that – it's maybe that we can hang on to Dyche. It really wouldn't surprise me if Man Utd come knocking for him this summer.

The off-the-field politics and ludicrous fan expectations are not unlike the Everton situation, albeit with a lot of money to buy players. Dyche has demonstrated elite leadership and man-management skills this season, something that those complaining about him don't seem to understand, this will attract Jim Radcliffe as he will make this a requisite at Old Trafford to try to eradicate the reasons for decline and create a winning culture.

Who knows whether Dyche can develop a better brand of football? I don't think he particularly cares, he's interested in results. He's a professional and that's how he sees it.

Obviously we will be losing one or two big players this summer. If we have to cash in, then I am comfortable with Onana going and, if another has to leave, I would choose Branthwaite. My reasoning is we will be able to manage that with less disruption.

Dyche knows how to coach a defence but, if Calvert-Lewin was to move on, I'd be fearful – he is absolutely key to our attacking play and is irreplaceable. Obviously, Pickford is our other big player and we cannot afford to lose him either, he's a match-winner.

Well done, Everton and Dyche, for giving this supporter a calmer end to the season. Hope he takes his seat in the dug-out with us next season, but I think it will depend on what happens down the M62.

As for his 'elite leadership', it showed at the end but where was it for 15 games when we couldn't win???

Get a grip.

When did I advocate the sale of Branthwaite? I said if we have to sell big players to raise money then he's the one I'd go with after Onana. I'd rather we didn't have to sell anyone one.

You should have gone to Specsavers mate.

What Dyche has done is what stellar managers do: Assess the squad’s weaknesses and don’t put them in situations for which they are not well suited. From here we have a coherent system [break time for impatient readers who either yawn, laugh or scoff]. Young players will know what is expected of their positional work. They will have stable expectations of what their adjacent teammates will try to do and the likelihood that it comes off.

Those tendency basics have not been installed by the manager since Carlo. The managers before and after tried to liberate players to express themselves with the ball and many had little to say for themselves or teammates.

Our style is limited by personnel. Dyche found a way to give the players a formula to wn by. Be as impatient as you wish but this is a foundation not the finished template for our football. Get onboard or fuck off with Hinchy.

I think Ancelloti had us playing some good football until his daughter got mugged.

Son-in-law Jonno and grandson Mo travelled over on the coach from Sheffield. The coach stopped at a pub in Huyton on the way to the match and they were treated very well there.

Jonno and Mo walked around the ground to outside the Winslow after the game and said that, once again, all the Blues they met were good fun and made sure they knew how to get where they were headed. Just decent, civilised behaviour, but something you don't always get at football grounds.

Don't ya just love footy snobs? Your side winning is never painful to watch. On the other hand, watching them lose is. If Everton won every game one-nil and won everything, I doubt anyone would be complaining that it was painful to watch.

The fact is Dyche did the right tactics for the players we had. There weren't many goals in the squad so the best thing to do is keep it tight at the back. Now we didn't slaughter anyone this season but, more often than not, if we got our noses in front, we usually came out on top because we were hard to break down.

If we have to do the same again next season, I have no problem with it. Our main aim is to still be in the Premier League when we move to Bramley Moor. Then we'll take it from there…

So we don't want any unrealistic hopes for European football. Just a nice peaceful mid-table consolidation to steer us clear of any more relegation worries. That will suit me, and I have no doubt many others as well.

Link

Although our salary spend is a disgrace. Andre Gomes and Dele Alli have managed 14 games between them this season at a cost of £11 million in wages. This will improve next season.

But it is not as though we have marginally evaded relegation. The true gap between the bottom 3 clubs and Everton is 22 POINTS.

But he’s won me over. Whether he is the long-term answer remains to be seen depending on the ownership situation, but he definitely deserves a chance to continue.

His dignity and keeping the team focussed on the pitch in adversity and being the only person communicating to the supporters has been admirable in the absence of leadership. Without the imposition of the Stalin like Premier League points deduction, he’s got us close to 50 points.

And for those who watch closely, he’s no Allardyce. We actually play some nice joined up football at times in addition to being defensively tight.

To Dave’s point, I feel for those young supporters I have watched all over the country as much I watch the football. I have a younger brother, who was only 5 years old when we last won a trophy and barely remembers it. My son was 5 months old. But that generation has inherited Everton and keeps going. Total respect, living off stories from the likes of me.

You should see the young supporters at the away matches. They amaze me and give me pride.

Well done Sean, you’ve earned my respect for what that is worth.

Depending on the weather forecast, take your sunglasses and water to the Emirates as that corner section this time of year is a proper sun trap.

It saddens me when I hear our own descend to their level.

Pickford, Keane, Patterson, Mykolenko, Godfrey, Onana, McNeill, Gomes, Doucoure, Beto, Chermiti... there's some big money in there. All over 10M, most around 20-30M. Certainly the kind of spend that the relegated teams don't come close to.

You could get a Luton for the price of Doucoure and Onana. Damn right we should be well ahead of them - it's not a miracle; it's a vastly superior group of players at a much bigger club.

It is near miraculous that we haven't been relegated in the past three seasons.

Here are the weekly salaries of players who we will probably/ hopefully release or move on in the summer:

Gomes - £112,000

Alli - £100,000

Keane - £80,000

Gueye - 80,000

Godfrey - £77,000

Danjuma - £52,500

Onana - £100,000.

Of that group, only Gueye has added any real value on the pitch this season (I would actually trigger his extension). We are paying Onana a silly salary, but will hopefully recoup that and more on his transfer fee.

Compare that to the more recent signings, who have actually contributed on the pitch this season:

Garner - £30,000

McNeil - £25,000

Myko - £58,000

Beto - £50,000

Chermiti - £30,000

Young - £40,000

Patterson - £28,000

There are a couple of outliers - Tarks earns £100,000 but came on a free transfer. And amazingly we are paying £90,000 a week for Harrison on loan!

So there is a clear plan to reduce net transfer spend and wages over several years. This defeated Benitez and Lampard but not Dyche, who has faced the most difficult set of circumstances of any Everton manager but delivered improvement.

One thing that goes apparently unnoticed is the value of a good fit or whatever you call that stuff that creates the stuff that is more than the sum of the parts. That is what creates opportunities for clubs like us who are always outspent. Add to that the nature of the underdog and how less talented players have to study the game harder to find what can work for their substandard initial conditions. Dyche brings those types of intelligence to a club desperately in need of exactly those qualities and is ridiculed for anti-football.

Keep having a dig at the guy while Paul Tran begins upgrading his vacation portfolio with some outside European place wagers.

Link

https://www.football365.com/news/transfers-premier-league-five-year-net-spend-man-utd-man-city

I had a call after the game from an old uni mate who is both an academic and top blue. We debated the Dyche thing – he is more sceptical than me - he said there are 2 statistical indicators of winning football games (things which cannot be pure chance): where they are played (home or away) and how much the wage bill is (more players, better players).

After your first post I remembered his words and checked. In the old Div 1 EFC played 1740 at home and won 989, 1740 away and won 471. So that seems right. EFC wage bill this season is 10th and, without the points deduction we would be…. 11th on goal difference.

As you point out, Lampard and Benitez couldn't do what Dyche has and I think he deserves credit but, despite the unevenness of the squad, maybe he had some quality to work with too. Next season might be a lot tougher.

BTW - the 3 lowest wage bills are Luton, Sheff Utd and Burnley.

They will want a sexy, high-profile, Hollywood manager - and that sure ain't Sean. He may be recruited elsewhere but he is not going to Old Trafford.

What I was trying to show in my post @ 105 was that a large number of the higher salary earners have not contributed on the pitch this season. Therefore, the salary bill, although a disgrace, is perhaps a bit misleading as an indicator.

Dyche has relied on players whose lower salaries reflect our future cost base and achieved good results. That is a positive trend that I hope continues next season. But it will be tough ask to repeat it unless we reinforce the squad - given our level of net spend has been bottom 4 for several years I am worried.

Of the top earners left, both Doucs’ and DCL’s deals end in 2025 leaving Pickford as the last high earner left in the squad.

Along with tactics and substitutions "style" is a favoured trope from the easy solution box but we are no longer an elite club; not even a middling club, we are bona fide relegation walahs on the brink of administration.

No options exist, the only route to survival is low risk footy amid fire sales of our best. It's a grim reality and clearly some are not having it but personally i I’ve warmed to the honesty of Dyche and his limited squad in these circumstances.

I just hope some financial wizardry happens over the summer otherwise the first set of bad results will see Dyche chased by the hibernators.

You well know that transfer spend and wages does not equate to quality. Andre Gomes cost £25m and is on £120k p/w and yet was a very peripheral figure whilst Jarrad Branthwaite cost peanuts and earns between 15-35k per week but was instrumental in our season.

It’s no secret that the money spent on our squad correlates very poorly with the quality available. But you’ll happily ignore that.

I agree that we should not have been relegated. I thought around 40 points and 15/16th would be a decent return for Dyche and actually in line with our squad value (transfermarket has us at 15th). But we have exceeded that and have 48 points already, despite selling two of our best attackers and total chaos off the field. Dyche more than deserves credit and it’s pretty clear why some are unwilling to give it.

We have purchased hard working players but not skillful ones.

The club have sacked many managers costing a fortune.

Yes, we want more but so does every fan in the world for their club. Relegation may have brought the end. The championship would have docked us points, players gone and probably administration. Let's imagine that.

Sadly, it may have made some happy for relegation just to say "I told you so, Mr Dyche is crap." A new owner may bring a new manager but to what cost? A style of football our players are not capable of? West ham are a fine example. Let see what happens there?

We are in a hole but Mr Dyche has never used point deduction or board room talk as an excuse for bad results. Come next may. Survival is success again and move forward.

We will rise again. Previous owner/chairman has passed. A new board will hopefully change the culture at the club. All this takes time. Survival done. Over to the owner now to do wants best for this wonderful club.

“So another for the stats lovers. The last 54 games of Benitez & Lampard got us 44 points. Sean Dyche has 69 points from 55 games. He is levels ahead of Benitez & Lampard as a manager, who were stealing a living.”

You and me both mate!

1) Kenwright destroyed us

2) Transfers paid are not necessarily a reflection of how good a player is. Everton have paid massive amounts for awful players. Consistently. A major factor why we are where we are.

3) Pre Kenwright, Everton were not a club that paid top wages. As such attracting superstars was an issue. Kenwright paid ludicrous amounts out that were both unjustified and unaffordable in the majority. Creating a millstone around our necks.

NB:-

Re 2 & 3 I have taken "market factors" into consideration and that Everton have to pay more because we are a mediocre team with little hope of European football over Kenwrights tenure (I include the Moshiri years)

4) Dyche frequently states we have talent in the first team. But realistically, we don't have enough in the first 11 let alone the squad.

5) I have watched Everton since 1973. Up until we won the league there were some spectacularly dreadful teams. Regularly scraping away from relegation at the final moment. This would be repeated post Heysel. I have seen worse.

6) You can compare our team to lower sides. Because that is where we have been pre Dyche and his first season. Because we paid stupid money does not mean that our first 11 is vastly superior to those teams.

7) How many of our players are named as wanted by top clubs. Branthwaite. And for some reason Onana. Pickford is probably the best keeper in the league alongside the Villa guy. But he doesnt get named.

Allison, Ederson et al are massively over rated. NVG. Kelleher (rns reserve I rate highly)

8) Yesterday we played some very good football. It was the final pass that either just failed or was unlucky. We can outpass teams. We create bucketfuls of chances we don't have the players to finish because we have no natural strikers (Chermiti looks a prospect and Beto finds the net albeit he is somewhat erratic). On many occasions we have been entertaining and very watchable. We have also been woeful too. Watch most clubs who fart about at the back from goalkicks. After about 5 or 6 passes they get themselves in trouble and pass back to their keeper who hoofs the ball away (or into the oncoming striker) The amount of teams who concede from "footballing their goalkicks" is quite alarming.

9) Football (like the world) has changed significantly. The influx of vast revenue has turned a local spectator sport into a diverse international watchable commodity. Premier League Clubs are no longer run by the local businessman made good. Agents have become a fixture like barnacles on boats. The lure of the lucre has brought with it what money always does. Bean counters and lawyers and chancers.

10) We all agree that we will have to sell to buy. Anthony Gordon and Richarlison amongst recent players we moved on. A threadbare squad stretched further and further.

COYB

The stupid money contracts and purchases were only handed out when Moshiri arrived. You would have thought an accountant would have better handle on finances but it looks like I would have done a better job.

50 plus years, a season ticket holder. I've got fed up seeing our centre-forward winning an aerial ball and there's no one within 5 yards of him.

Our Number 10, Doucoure, just goes around chasing the ball without doing anything at all.

Some of the things that are written on this website at times really enlighten me at times.

Expansive football is enabled by footballing full-backs, wing forwards and creative midfielders. We have no real quality in those areas – apart from McNeil who is painfully slow in a position that typically demands electric pace.

Good possession wasted is a real pet hate of mine and this will possibly only be rectified by getting better players into our team.

I say 'possibly' because there is also a possibility that our players have been playing under pressure for that long now that they have forgotten how to really relax and stay calm in key moments.

I keep saying I'd genuinely take quantity over quality, whilst Dyche slowly puts some foundations back into the team but It doesn't even look like we will be able to afford to bulk up our squad, unfortunately.

“So another for the stats lovers. The last 54 games of Benitez & Lampard got us 44 points. Sean Dyche has 69 points from 55 games. He is levels ahead of Benitez & Lampard as a manager, who were stealing a living.”

Exactly this (thanks Sam).

People need to stop moaning. We are where we are and Sean Dyche deserves a bloody medal. Kenwright & Co got us here. The diabolical parasite. If you supported him then you're also part of the problem (and you know who you are). The club needs a massive fresh start, and investment will be incoming. We move forward.

Forza Everton

He hasn't turned up all season.

I've taken West Ham and Chelsea supporters with me to the Saddle and on County Road.

Never any bother and they loved it.

Like you say, it doesn't happen at all grounds and we are often faced with "home supporters only" signs.

A credit to our supporters. It's what frustrates me about the recent trend to segregate and escort the supporters at derbies. For goodness sake, most will meet up and travel home together!!

Because of the numbers, the police had no choice but to "escort" them. To me, it's just another shithousery move by the deluded from across the park.

I'll be meeting with my Evertonian sister and her Liverpudlian son this week as they are down to meet the new born Zachary. I've threatened to make him an Evertonian!

One of my cousin's husband and her son have been Anfieild season ticket holders for years. They went to Istanbul and Athens.

There's very rarely an issue other than lively debate at family gatherings!!!

It was also challenging that Bill shelled out high salaries from the moment he became chairman which was not the case.

That, by the way, was told to me by one of them lot I"m unlucky enough to know. The same person who has "five" season tickets, three of them belonging to people no longer with us, which he sells for ridiculous amounts to foreign tourists. Flight, hotel, match ticket and he makes thousands over the course of the season.

Would I have a Liver bird tattoo if it meant us winning the league? Yeh, on my right forearm the day before I had it fucking amputated.

Bitter, me? Maybe slightly. 😉

But the difference between us and the teams going down is still there. We have players like Calvert-Lewin and Pickford who make a difference. When we have injuries we can go to the bench and use someone like Gomes – he's been a let-down but he's still got quality that those teams would love to turn to in a player that is 'peripheral'.

It's why every team finishes within a few spots of their position in the 'wage league'.

I've given Dyche some credit. He took a team with a mid-table defensive record and he improved it to a Top 4 defensive record. That's an incredible ability to get people doing the things you want them to do.

I just don't think that defence at all costs is sustainable.

As an analogy, if you had a business with falling revenues, then you could improve it by reducing costs. But once that's done you start running out of opportunities. You can't keep on reducing costs – at some point, you have to increase revenue or you will simply shrink to a point of not existing. For clarity, goals are revenue and goals against are costs. They're what ultimately decide our results.

I see us on a path to shrinking to nothing. I don't blame Dyche – he's actually good at what he does. But if this club is to stop shrinking towards oblivion, then he's got no track record for being the kind of coach who can improve us.

Be realistic. Who cares if the football's shit? I want Everton to remain a viable concern. Had they been relegated, or if they are relegated next season, the consequences are dire.

Many of us have had doubts this season. But those of us who actually have a brain recognise that while Dyche will never play sexy football, he will keep us in the league, despite the patchwork squad he has, and the shoestring budget.

I'll watch other teams to be entertained, thank you.

Fact is, if we'd put away chances yesterday, or earlier this season, we'd have far more goals. So shove your "the football's dog-shit" down the nearest black hole.

I get helped out by trusted friends and family.

The sort of exploitation you mention is out of order.

Get the blue bird. The city is ours!!

Crucially I’m not sure your analogy quite works because actually Dyche has scored more goals (39) this season than we did last season (34). To use your analogy he has grown revenue while dramatically reducing costs.

I think there is a valid question to be asked about how far he can take us with this style of play but for this moment at least we are moving in the right direction and I think that is worth enjoying.

The future is an unknown land but this season we have not shrunk, we have grown.

With you all the way.

Kenwright's malevolent reign in charge of the club commenced when he purchased it from Peter Johnson in December 1999, five years before he appointed himself Chairman.

Phil 137, agreed. Rob 134, spot on mate, Dyche has worked a miracle this season.

The already Beneficially Meaningless Stadium will very soon be shown to be just so, for decades folks, on account of the gruesome twosomes' hideously damaging legacy.

"I'll watch other teams to be entertained, thank you."

Take a bow, Rob Jones.

Any poster on ToffeeWeb has the right to offer an opinion on the manager, a player, the owner, board etc. Anyone reading through this thread will see that opinions on Sean Dyche vary greatly.

I suggest you re read my post @ 61 in that context and you may perceive that I was attempting to compliment him on what he has achieved this season.

It will be a great honour for the manager who sees our club into the new stadium.

As with any stat, I could offer my views on some reasons but I guess we might just end up debating the veracity of the stats rather than the underlying reasons, as we've done for the last few months.

My sense is that we probably both take note of a couple of elements of each other's views even if we present as polar opposites.

I think I'll leave it at that for now. For all my grumpiness when using the written word, I actually do enjoy the range of opinions on this site and respect a well presented counter view. I'm fairly sure we all want something similar.

For anyone going to Arsenal, enjoy the day out. And let's hope by the time we get to August the club looks and feels a bit different.

Out of interest (and I promise not to argue further!) what stats would you use to denote our declining attacking threat. I know you're not a fan of xG but ours for this season is currently 63 goals (we've dramatically underperformed this, with DCL the worst culprit). Last season's xG was 49 goals and the season before 44 goals. The 20/21 season before (under Ancelotti) our xG was 50.5.

All summers at Everton (and I guess every other club) seem crucial but this one even more so with the very existence of the club as a going concern still in the balance potentially.

Whatever happens off the pitch I feel confident that Dyche's pragmatism offers our best bet at stability and security next season (though I understand you do not). It will be harder with better teams coming up and I really pray we do not have more deductions to contend with.

My hope is that the next few months will see a sensible new owner come in who can re-structure our debts and lower our costs accordingly. I'm hoping we can get away with selling Onana, Maupay and any deadwood and keep Branthwaite for another year with DCL signing a contract extension and some pace and creativity added on the wings and through the middle. No doubt it will be workmanlike but a bit more genuine pace would help us counter more productively when turning the ball over and add more intent.

Let's hope that the last season at Goodison can be a positive one.

Yes, at times we sit deeper than I would like, particularly when we are defending a slim lead, but we often did under Moyes.

Yes, sometimes I get frustrated with Jordan Pickford's Rugby like punts and Tarkowski's long diagonals.

Yes, we don't have that cutting edge.

But when we watch closely, we play decent football and could have been on 50 points.

As my years have gone on, when I attend an Everton match, I don't sing or chant. I tend to sit or stand, arms folded, analysing the football and watching the crowd. As I always say, I'm not always looking at the player on the ball, but where it should be going next. I was taught that as a player and later as a coach.

For me, respect to Dyche and the players for the job they've done.

On Arsenal, my luck has to change. I've watched us get some right batterings on their turf. Then again, I've watched us beat them 6-1 at Goodison, with “Champagne” Charlie Nicholas getting constant stick throughout for some reason. I thought he was a really good footballer.

This one is up there too:

Don Alexander 140: 'The already Beneficially Meaningless Stadium will very soon be shown to be just so, for decades folks'.

North of 70, Don, sadly you might not be around to see what bollocks this is.

As for the stadium, the heritage angle is key. The capacity isn't great, and the structure internally is pretty conventional. But I've posted before to say that it could be to English football what Camden Yards was to MLB, and set the standard for stadium building in this country for a generation.

That retro look externally, coupled with the location and a designated fan area outside the ground could be a real winner. We just need the club and matters on the field to stay on track while we settle in.

And if Gomes, has already had his good half of football, for the season, then we can bring on Deli Ali!

If Everton are shrinking towards oblivion, then people should have heeded the warnings all those years ago, and instead of defending a man, who was always more interested in himself, than he was in the club, we should never have allowed him to split the fan base.

I understand what you're saying Ernie, but do you have the name of any manager, worth his salt, who would have got better results than Dyche, this season?

It's subjective I know, but our manager got no money, two separate points deductions, (the first ten point one was incredibly extreme) and was managing a football club, that wasn't even getting governed, and he also had the bollocks, to stand up and question the players, with a few home truths, instead of hiding behind excuses.

This tells me that we have got a man that cares, managing our football club, through unprecedented turbulent times, so even though you don't like the man, can't you see that he's helped save us from oblivion, twice inside 17 months?

For me, watching the 80s side live had my eyes wide open and not just the results, but how we played. I'm sure those who experienced the 60s will testify the same.

Yes, it's a result business, but we pay to be entertained.

Ask any Arsenal and Manchester United supporter. Look at Manchester City. You can win and entertain. We aren't there right now and just need to grind out results, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't aspire to be there.

I don't often post, but was compelled to after reading some of the offensive nonsense about Dyche so it was a bit of a rant.

Your post reminds me of a joke I've heard about an Everton fan who's lying on his death bed. All his family are there with him, when one asks him has he got a final wish?

Yes, he replies, I want to become a Liverpool fan. I want to be enrolled as a member, I want a Liverpool shirt and scarf, I want to hear YNWA played, and I basically want to be a gobshite!

Shocked, his family ask him why? He replies, “Because when I die, there will be one less redshite on this planet”

Bitter, Nah!

😁😁😁😁

You may be right – and a Hollywood appointment at Man Utd would of course be the norm (though Ten Haag seems more Hollyoaks than Hollywood).

But judging by some of the things Radcliffe has said and done over the last few weeks, I'm beginning to think he's trying to move the club in a very different direction. No idea whether he'll succeed but a left-field appointment like Dyche would fit with the way he seems to be moving.

I suppose I was suggesting the two go hand in hand. Dyche and the club will no doubt have targeted 10 wins this season (typically enough to stay in the league), and we've exceeded that.

But,in a good season, you might expect 20 or more wins. Odds are you cannot achieve that number of wins without playing entertaining football, no matter how the team is set up to play.

No, I don't rate xG. I'm not going to go to a stat - though it would be interesting to see a heat map showing if there was a shift in proximity to our striker. I suspect that has changed.

I'm going off what I see from watching every minute of the season. Yes, it's convenient that I quote a stat when it fits and then go to my subjective view when it doesn't. But there you go, we all do that to some extent. Dyche certainly did (you noticed he stopped talking about xG right?).

@Tony, I just fundamentally disagree. You might not rate Gomes but he's a better last resort than others have. We simply have better players than the relegated teams.

Dyche took a very conservative path to safety. Fine. I believe we can be better. And then I saw us do it against Liverpool.

If we had those players today, we would be challenging
for a Champions League place.

How many of the current squad would get into one of his sides.

The original post to which I was responding was that Kenwright's whole tenure handed out vastly inflated salaries. I said it only happened when Moshiri came on board. So informing us that he was on the board in 1999 clearly shows that he didn't give inflated salaries.

I know many hate the guy – but I am in the camp that Moshiri is the main culprit.

This has been the case with us where, opposite to earlier this season, we have actually won a few games recently despite being behind on xG (which is why Dyche has stopped mentioning it).

If that trend continues, then we may hopefully score a few more goals next season, whilst staying solid at the back. Which would make us both happy I'm sure.

It will be interesting to see what people's expectations are for next season. Much will depend on this summers sales and recruitment. Given that we will once again be selling more than we buy I feel it's difficult to expect great progress. If we have another negative net spend then I think 13th-15th (with no point deductions) would be a reasonable return. Stability and solidity till our financials are on firmer ground.

Thank you, Mr Dyche.

Rob, are you getting the train down or the coach?

Neil, your returned kindness is greatly appreciated. We look after each other.

As for you, Peter Gorman (141), place the remark in context. Very few people have enjoyed the last few seasons. Supporting Everton has been a labour rather than love. As such, most fans focus on results, and would rather watch other teams, because it's not stressful.

Nice attempt at bait, but you're not worth the effort.

Still nothing from Moshiri over what is happening regarding 777 Partners; are there any talks planned with alternative buyers?

The clock is ticking and seeing it looks unlikely 777 Parthers will fund the day-to-day running of the club, and Moshiri seems unwilling to put another penny into the club, then what happens after the latest £8m injection from 777 Partners runs out?

And please Evertonians, don't sing that awful London chant "Your support is fucking shit." It's awful and doesn't belong with our supporters.

While there is no doubt the lad puts a shift in, but £90,000 per week for a front 3 player who scored 3 goals this season, that's exactly the same amount of goals as our defensive midfield player Gana Gueye.

Surely with resources so tight and the transfer cost as well as wages, there must be better alternatives out there.

You are wrong. If you know your history… Yes, the dead one had no money. He made an oath to move Everton on promptly, to a rich benevolent owner, like all the top clubs were doing.

He lied. He clung on to Everton for decades, dropping it deeper into debt by various and nefarious means, whilst reducing the quality of the playing staff. He would not go – remaining in charge of making a humongous mess of financials and player deals.

Reduced to a laughing stock. Of little to no influence anywhere, ie, in the Premier League's hallowed halls, on the pitch, in Europe.

Yes, the man was there until his bitter end, relentless and unsympathetic about how he devastated Everton FC. Now, we are about as desirable an investment as a huge stately, yet strangely beautiful, gothic mansion teetering upon the edge of a crumbling cliff. Awaiting that final moment of impending doom where we are dashed upon the ragged rocks below.

Mr Dyche, with his team of salvage and restoration experts, have shored up the potentially catastrophic landslide. That being despite the owner and authorities doing their damndest to send that historical monument crashing down.

We fervent followers – armed only with song and appreciative encouragement – have rallied behind him. The unbalanced dissenters who are attracted to providing negativity under such circumstances are unwelcome and ignored.

That's an excellent post, mate.

I recently went back into ToffeeWeb archives to see some fantastic stuff from people like Colin Fitzpatrick absolutely nailing the shortcomings and deception of Kenwright. Current posters like Andy Crooks, Christine, Eugene Ruane and indeed Michael Kenrick can be seen, front and center scrutinising and exposing his deception.

One thing you won't see from any of them is the claim that Kenwright overspent on transfers or wages. Those prepared to give it a bit of thought will remember the suffocating glass ceiling all too well.

The spending spree did not start until Moshiri, Keyser Soze and their clueless DoFs got here.

Things have to change next season but, given that money will inevitably be tight, it is likely that pretty much the same culprits will take to the field in August, almost certainly shorn of one or two of our better players.

So please, Mr Dyche, during the close season, can you please ensure that your charges learn how to pass a football to another team member, preferably in a forward direction. Our pass completion stats have us in 18th place.

Don't get me wrong, while I was not a massive Sean Dyche fan, the job he has done this season has been extraordinary. His omission from the Manager of the Season short list is nothing short of scandalous and just gives more credence to the view that Masters and his cronies have absolutely no interest in maintaining any sort of relationship with our club.

The absence of Jarrad Branthwaite from the Young Players list is a quite staggering snub, not only to the young man but also to the club. We should absolutely ensure that Allison, Brittain and Masters are nowhere near our new ground when it is formally opened.

The Premier League allows teams to have 25 players named in the squad, but 8 of them must have spent at least 3 years as a youth player in an English team. In order to comply with the regulations, Man City have 38-year-old Goalkeeper, Scott Carson, who started at Leeds when he was 15 years old.

I reckon we have 14 at the moment so maybe not, but I also wish it was Harry Tyrer on the bench each week. Mind you, he won't get much experience doing that.

Thelwell has already said that players will be sold, and at least one of those deals will have to be done prior to the 30 June to comply with P&S rules. That may mean other clubs are aware of our need to sell before the 30 June and will no doubt bid much lower than normal.

Seeing that Sean Dyche has already said there isn't much coming through from the U21s, we might be really stretched next season.

I think what is also necessary is a complete overhaul of the club from those in recruitment to the coaches, now maybe with all that's going on, we may need to look outside the existing managerial set-up to carry out that process.

I think, had he been younger, Colin Harvey would have been the ideal man to carry out the root and branch reform of all teams outside the first team. But seeing it probably can't be Colin, I would quite happily see Joe Royle, Peter Reid and Alan Stubbs asked to do a full report over the next 6 months to see where changes need to be made.

"I would quite happily see Joe Royle, Peter Reid and Alan Stubbs asked to do a full report over the next 6 months to see where changes need to be made."

Oh dear me... you're are sounding a little bit too much like a certain ex-Chairman, recently deceased, blindly continuing the questionable trend Tony incorrectly labels as "nepotism" that has arguably been at the root of the decline seen throughout the club these past wasted decades.

I think I would rather see competent and experienced professionals, preferably a lot younger than this crew of ageing Blues, coming in with real and valid proven credentials for working in football, who have the drive and flexibility needed but perhaps tinged with a lifelong love of the Blues?

Kevin Thelwell may just be thinking that if we are to freshen up the squad we will have to sell. £80M for Branthwaite might mean 3 or 4 decent prospects in other areas.

GK: Marek Rodák (Fulham) – Played in goal when we lost the penalty shootout… or was that threw it away? Ta Onana. Slovakia International, 27

RB: Vladimir Coufal (West Ham Utd) – Czech Internatonal, 31. Fitness record very good. Played 46 games this season. 7 assists.

LB: Charlie Taylor (Burnley) – Kompany's preferred choice at LB. Dyche knows him.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham) – Had a great season with Fulham. Age 26. Best replacement for Branthwaite should he leave – fingers crossed he doesn't.

CB: Lloyd Kelly (Bournemouth) – Newcastle want him.

DM: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) – Age 27, 53 caps for Nigeria. 32 games this season in the Championship with 4 goals and 5 assists.

CM: Josh Brownhill (Burnley) – Age 28, has played DM / CM. Dyches knows him - enough said.

CM: Josh Dasilva (Brentford) – The next best free CM out there but currently injured. Age 25.

RM: Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Fulham) – Age 31, played 40 games for Fulham this season. 7 goals and 4 assists.

AM: Callum O'Hare (Coventry City) – played 31 games this season scoring 6 with 3 assists.Age 26.

CF: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) – Age 32, scored 12 and had 2 assists this season. A better option then Beto?

The best free transfer DM out there is Gueye.

No LMs / LWs of note are free in either the EPL or the EFL.

I will take a look at European Leagues' free transfers on another slow day.

I definitely agree with some of the comments that the way we are operating is unsustainable. If we carry on as we are, we will be relegated sooner or later.

As I see it though, it is not Dyche or his football that is unsustainable. In fact, quite the contrary, Dyche is the main reason we stand a chance. He has now kept us up against tremendous odds two seasons in a row. Given the material improvement in points haul in his one full season, I'm pretty confident he can keep this going. Without the deductions we would be nowhere near relegation - and if we had a kitty to buy a ACM, RW and RB then we could be pushing hard for Europe next season.

The reason things are unsustainable is that we have a minus £70m level of investment in the playing squad in the past 3 seasons, compared with event the likes of Forest, Bournemouth and Palace who have each spent more than £250m net in the same period.

As the article 2024 Reset attempts to show, it is going to be difficult to field a better team next season - due to sales and departures and further (probably substantial) negative investment. Unless we can somehow manage to find some genuine talent to replace the likes of Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Gordon, Branthwaite, Onana and the aging Coleman, then we won't be able to field a team capable of competing in the Premier League.

I am sure you don't need reminding that the only time that this club has won trophies in the last 60 years is when an ex-player has been in charge. So I thought rather than hire a DoF with absolutely no experience of winning a trophy, hire 2 men of vast experience 2 of whom have won league trophies and also managed clubs as has Alan Stubbs.

You and Tony can call it nepotism although I don't think our ex chairman hired an ex-player to be manager, maybe if he had we wouldn’t have waited for a trophy.

Yes, he hired Jeffers and Baines as coaches but tell me what trophies they won, and hired Sharp and Stuart as ambassadors, just a meaningless role.

Walsh, Brands and latterly Thelwell, have overseen no improvement in either first team or the junior teams. Most of which are like the first team in the bottom half of their individual leagues.

Michael, you are probably right – we need younger professionals with valid proven credentials, what like our 3 previous DOFs, yes they have really improved this club. Maybe you could enlighten us who you think these competent professionals are.

Grossly unfair on Thelwell.

Walsh and Brands were given hundreds of millions to spend, whereas Thelwell was given a pot and was told he could piss in that.

Even with DoFs, Koeman, Carlo and Sam squandered more money on players than Thelwell and Dyche.

The silence on the 777 front is deafening.

Walsh did god knows what. Brands got sucked into being part of the board, which I think distracted him from what he was supposed to be doing.

Thelwell is helping Dyche steer this ship through stormy waters and doing okay. Both he and the manager are running this club right now, because no one else seems to be. The captains leading the generals, or lack of them, keeping the troops calm.

Keep going, and when you come over to the travelling blues at the weekend, you will get the praise you deserve. Step into the crowd, you will be welcome. If I could, I'd take my Ridgeback boy. He's had a torrid season listening to me. Poor lad.

Everton the Gear.

"Thelwell was given a pot and was told he could piss in that."

Not quite:

Onana – £30M
Garner – £10M
McNeil – £20M
Maupay – £12M
Beto will be £25M

Was it necessary to buy Gana, Garner and Onana when none of them really offer much of anything creatively and that was our biggest issue at the time? Could some of that money have been spent on players with pace and creativity?

Stats, videos and reports are useful but having an ex-player who has experienced playing here and knows the expectations of the fans is a tried and tested method that still has some use.

Just to say I wasn't advocating Royle, Reid and Stubbs do any coaching, just to asses what they believe needs to be done in both recruitment and coaching for the teams below the first team.

Dave is correct: Walsh and Brands were given far more money than Thelwell but under him, as well as the ones Kieran lists in his post, you can add Danjuma (I don't know what he earns a week) and Harrison, who is reportedly on £90,000 per week and Young so it's not as if Thelwell hasn't spent any money.

We have had Gordon, who has come through from the junior ranks in the last few years, and yet our neighbours seem to produce homegrown talent. Even going back, they managed to recruit Fowler, a boyhood blue, same as Macmanaman and Michael Owen's father played for our reserves. So if we can't attract young local lads who supported Everton then something is sadly amiss.

So this problem has gone on for many years and needs fixing.

Brilliant to see the players connecting with the supporters and out there with their families being part of it. Forget the People's Club. We are the Family Club.

Best moment, Idrissa nearly being taken out by his young lad! Maybe he's got something of his dad in him?!!

It will have been footage but hearing We Shall Not Be Moved was emotional.

Out:

Mina – off wage bill
Sigurdsson -–£50M
Allan – £4M
Gordon £40M
Moise Kean – £25M
Simms – £6M
Samules-Smith – £4M
Iwobi – £22M
Cannon – £7.5M
Gray – £8M

£166M in fees alone into the coffers – not to mention getting rid of some high earners who were bleeding the club dry.

In:

Onana – £30M
Maupay – £12M
Gana – £2M
Garner – £12M
Chermiti – £12M
Beto – £26m
Tarkowski – £0M, zilch… nada.
McNeil – £12M.

We still don't know about Beto or Chermiti, but If we sold all these signings we would probably get close to our money back

The guy has not only lightened the wage bill. He has brought in about £70M more than he has spent. he has had to sell to buy. Yet we still accumulate more points?

If the club really wanted to give Thelwell a pot to piss in, they came up about £80M short.

Talking of wages, Tarkowski "zilch" came in as one of our highest earners too.

Thankfully I'm not in recruitment and based on your suggestions, I don't think you should be either.

You really think a trio of retired Everton legends who are now out to grass could really contribute to the restructuring of EFC better than properly recruited professionals, on the basis that they have won a trophy or two for the club?

Royle has already been involved with youth development at the club when he was a fair bit younger, so what do you really think he would have to offer that he hasn't provided already?

Peter Reid's last professional involvement in football looks to have ended 7 years ago. What really makes you think he could suddenly jump in to what should be a high-level ultra-professional Premier League club aspiring to improve, and offer anything of value?

Alan Stubbs (did he even win a trophy with Everton?) looks to have been out of football for 5 years, leaving his last managerial job after less than 3 months in charge.

I can just about understand the endless wallowing in nostalgia that goes on here but to seriously suggest that such aging and yes, past-it legends should be brought in as trouble-shooters is taking it just a little bit too far, don't you think?

That was in large part because none of us knew what the ownership situation will look like by the start of next season, as well as some nagging concerns with Dyche that good results can assuage, for a while at any rate. I wonder if we get new owners who would rather not have Dyche in charge.

We need, of course, wealthy balanced and measured owners. Wealth and balanced minds don't always go together, needless to say. But if we could only get financially astute owners who bring thoughtful understandings of football with them, we would be in a better place and that would almost certainly be good news for Dyche who would stay in post.

We have been crying out to buy young and cheap and then sell on. Branthwaite will be a clear example. Onana will be another.

Thelwell has a strategy.

We're 14 points above the drop zone, in 15th, and would be happily sat in 11th if it hadn't been for the points deductions.

Never mind manager of the season, he should be up for whatever annual award The Magic Circle gives.

On Thelwell's watch. Tarkowski signed for no fee. His wages don't come close to covering the transfer fees paid for Mina or Keane and guess what ? He actually gets a game.

Thelwell doing OK. Very OK

The January window opens on Wednesday 1 January 2025 and closes at 11 pm on Monday 3 February.

A Premier League statement released today reads: “To ensure harmonisation with the major leagues in Europe, the closing dates were set following discussions with the EFL, DFL, Serie A, La Liga, and LFP, who will all close their summer and winter windows on August 30th and February 3rd respectively.”

Everton will learn their Premier League fixtures at 9 am on Tuesday 18 June with the campaign beginning over the weekend of 17 August and ending on 25 May 2025, taking in 33 weekends, four midweek rounds of matches and one Bank Holiday.

Over Christmas/New Year, teams will be allowed more rest time with no club playing within 60 hours of another fixture.