Penultimate pre-season friendly sees a very late winner at Stoke

No comments on the commenting

Have a look at the latest training video and comments on it.

While I share frustration when it comes to DCL, and also worry about whether he is dependable, the hackneyed dress/clothes remarks (that some, apparently, think are so so smart and hilarious) and the sick-note mantra are pure tedium on a page.

Share the frustration RE: DCL scepticism. While I understand it to a certain extent it boils my piss at the match hearing people talking about him breaking. Fingernail etc.

Great, or is it scary, to see the 'Tickets and Travel - Aston Villa (a)' thread up and running! Will watch the Stoke match later, meeting one of my oldest friends in Islington in a couple of hours who just landed at Heathrow after 10 months at the Huntington Library in LA/San Marino!

Ive been working on taking a cue, say from an early Ben King or Anthony Hughes jibe and then I take that thing to logic hell. I even get some fishing done. Good times.

This squad can't afford its striker being injured half the season. And we can't afford a slow start to the season, so we desperately need DCL healthy come the Fulham game.

Him missing today due to fitness concerns scares the bajeezuz out of me.

With the track record of injury, I feel like I'm walking on eggshells when I think of Dom playing, all the while wondering if this Danjuma kid is any good and can he fill in if Dom is injured? And that's a legitimate concern and frustration, because the Dom has been constantly hurt and out of the squad, so the likelihood we're going to need Danjuma to produce is quite high.

It's scary. I'd honestly love a boring, mid-table season this year. Just no relegation fears, no stress, no looking into the abyss. Oh, the bliss that would be.

Here's me thinking Danjuma actually is "the possible other striker".

I don't see us signing another. It'll be fingers crossed Dom stays healthy, and if he goes down Danjuma or Gray up top.

If we pop Maupay up there I'll go postal.

Looking at Danjuma on Utube ( take it or leave it) I think he will have us off our seats at times with excitement and leave us frustrated as well but his flair is something we have missed for quite awhile.

Just get a few more players in and have a steady squad to give us more highlights in a worry free season and a good run in one of the cups.

Has anyone heard anything about the MSP situation?? Good Lord we need the investment! It's like crickets, and that, too, scares me silly.

Can you pop three commas in a nine-word sentence?

We've not signed a competent striker since Lukaku. That was 2014. We got lucky with Dom for a year or so but the list of strikers we've signed since then is staggering. Kone, Niasse, Sandro, Valencia, Maupay, Rondon, Tosun and an ancient Eto and Rooney so I don't hold much faith that we're going to get it right now.

Apologies for the negativity before we play Stoke but if we don't sign a goal-scorer before Fulham I think it's time to protest with our cash. It feels immoral giving these cretins our money when they're destroying our club.

The one thing that gives me some hope is if we do stay healthy, a big ask based upon the last couple of seasons, I don't see us going down.

The starting squad plus 2-3 back ups is way, way too strong to go down in my opinion.

It's losing the tip of the spear that's frightening.

And let's hope Dom has been working his plums off this off-season. I'm sure he has. I don't doubt his effort or commitment, only his health - not his fault mind you, just the way it is.

If I open the Live Forum, would you be a good chap and post over there instead?

This is a club that spent £13.5m on Niasse, when it was a shit load of cash. Did anyone actually watch him, and went yes what a brilliant player?

This is a club that sold Lukuku in 2017 for £75m, and never brought in a replacement to recover his goals. 6 YEARS AGO.

This is a club that got lucky with their £1.5m signing of DCL, and has watched over 3 transfers windows whilst he's gone lame.

This is a club that appears not to know what a good centre forward looks like. The list of duds in the Premier league era is truly frightening.

John Spencer
Mo Johnstone
Brett Angell
Cent Tosun
Sandro
Bakayoko
Neal Maupay
James Beattie
Max Moore
Rondon
Kone
Straqulurci
Traore

I am sure there are others - but gees what a monumental horror show.

Starting XI: Pickford, Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski (c), Young, Gana, Garner, Doucoure, Iwobi, Danjuma, McNeil.

Substitutes: Virginia, Crellin, Onana, Maupay, Godfrey, Branthwaite, Hunt, Dobbin, Onyango.

That said, the situation with Dele, Gbamin and Gomes is problematic. All on big wages. One doesn't want to be here, one we can't shift, the other we can't afford to play. I just hope some nutter will come along and at least take the first two off our hands.

Of which Coleman, Mykolenko and Dcl will come back into the fold, the rest sold or loans.

When they came to Everton, their view was the the transfer of Danjuma was a bit odd “as he's not a Dyche-type player”. Their opinion is that while he is an exciting player and will score goals, he's has never tracked back in his life.

I guess we shall see.

Obviously everyone has freedom to voice their concerns, but not sure what benefit the 'we need a striker' remarks really have. They are less annoying than 'xyz player is shit' or 'we're going to do down for sure' or indeed the 'every single problem we have is down to BK' posts, but would be nice to share something more interesting and (dare I say it) positive ahead of the big kick off!

Looks like I'm not missing much.

Going to see someone in hospital, think that will be more fun.

It's an interesting point on Danjuma not tracking back or being a Dyche type. But you could say the same of Mirallas under Moyes who at times was brilliant. Hopefully Dyche agreed on Danjuma and has plans for him and he's not just being imposed on him by Thelwell.

And we are legged from our in week work. Take it easy. Or don't.

We have to back Dyche but the pressure on having a solid unit defensively this season will be absolutely pivotal because like most years now, goals and creativity will be sparse.Link

Unfortunately not to the moaning though.

He might not be a right winger, but the execution of basics is sadly missing. £100k a week, I think not.

There's a lot of rustiness in the team, errant passing that will get punished in a Premier League match. It needs stamping out before he season starts. Pickford needs to calm down a bit too.

We need a bit more quality in the final third. As ever we need that focal point up front. Someone to grab possession from a forward ball from midfield or win a long ball. Even in this friendly it's obvious we need that addressing asap if DCL is out.

Part of me wonders if Dyche is playing this way to underline that point.

Take your hand off that whip, Ian!

Otherwise, I fear a repeat result against Fulham like back in April where we got done 1-3 at home.

First game of the Prem. season is when it gets serious.

That said- a bit of entertainment would be nice!

Exactly.

These games mean nothing. Dyche is a good manager, pragmatic, and he won't play wreckless. They might be focusing on shape or defensive solidity for all we know.

Fulham matters. This doesn't.

In 2007/08 Moyes had Yakubu, Johnson, Vaughan, Anichebe and McFadden, not to mention the likes of Cahill who scored goals.

If I was Dyche I'd just try and pad out the squad now with forwards of any ilk, can we get three of Vardy, Che Adams, Wout Weghorst, Kelechi Iheanacho or one or two we've chased abroad?

They are hardly glamours but we need numbers NOW.

I also don't think the midfield is uncreative, just needs more upfront to aim at. A target man and some pace.

On the flipside, I don't like to diss any Everton players without due cause, but Maupay seems to have added broad disinterest to a lack of forward talent - he can go now!

Wonder how you'd be if we got beat. 😂

Admittedly it wasn't pretty but they won't care.

Frank thought he could work his magic and the football would improve, he was wrong, because we don't have those type of players and he paid the price. A lack of goalscorer is a major concern, but it's the lack of overall creativity that means we are going to see a lot more of the types of games we've seen during pre-season.

It's not a lack of confidence that's holding us back it's a lack of class players, take Iwobi - yes him - out of the side and we have zero creativity and apparently no funds to add any during the window. I'm far from happy with the situation, but I'm realistic enough to know what we're probably going to see for most of the coming season, I'm not looking forward to it in purist terms, but I'm hoping that we can earn enough points and another stay of execution.

It's going to take an enormous amount of courage to watch Everton in every game next season, it's not what we'd like, but it is what it is.

(Talking about “Call Of Duty”

“You go around endlessly in a depressing town, looking for jobs to do, iI's like living in Stoke”😆

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvNuzx-aqWs

I live near Burnley and have family members who are Clarets (my wife's side) they are greatful to Sean but glad he was sacked after 10 years.

Liked young Dobbins energy, but he isn't the answer as centre forward. Nor are Maupay and Danjuma.

The midfield though was my main concern. It was really poor.

Thanks to the person who posted the link to the Portuguese stream for the Bolton game as it worked a treat again today.

Dobbin looked promising and if he can gain sufficient confidence he could do well. That doesn't mean a replacement striker for DCL isn't still absolutely necessary It is essential..

People have to stop knocking individual players or the team and give them a chance to improve and gain some confidence. After all they are OUR players who we are relying to dig us out of a hole and to keep lambasting them won't do any good (even though they maybe deserve it).

My one negative note is that I fear we are not going to add anyone of significance to the squad between now and the end of the window. Shame on Moshiri and Kenwright again of that turns out to be true.

The Danjuma transfer baffles me. There were many occasions in the first half where he was on the touch line instead of near the box, He contributed nothing in the air, and the one cross from Young that everyone in the ground could see where it was going - he was stationary on the edge of the box.

Yet we've sold one striker who would have been in the box waiting for that Young cross, and we won't play another because he's not ready.

Give me a “not ready” Cannon and Simms ahead of a strikeforce of Maupay and Danjuma, who have got 2 premier league goals in their last 50 premier league appearances between them, any day.

Why do we still continue to not put any faith whatsoever in our own youngsters and instead pay stupid wages to mediocre supposedly “proven” players?

Positives:

We won.

Danjuma: He cannot do it all himself but will be a handful for some defenders. I liked him telling his team-mates to get up the pitch.

Young - he adds a lot of quality and will be a good signing for us this season.

Patterson: I have always really liked him. The kid is quality.

Branthwaite stresses me a lot less than Keane. I'd like to see him start vs Sporting.

Dobbin made a difference with his energy, movement, and ambition. Had some chances today and on another day would have buried them.

Garner played some tidy stuff. How can we get him more involved in the game?

Negatives:

McNeill's injury. Hopefully nothing serious, but him heading straight down the tunnel was concerning.

Keane: He's not what we need and I fear the Keane-Tarky partnership is Dyche's preference.

Maupay: We absolutely have to give Dobbin and Cannon a chance if we're not going to sign any decent attackers. Both scored goals against tough defences last year. Yes, lower league defences, but they scored goals. Maupay hasn't scored in forever. Against anyone. I seriously doubt if he scores any in training. He's so bad.

I was doubtful about Young because of his age but he never stopped running, he used his brain well. Him and Iwobi were still looking to go forward in the 95th minute.

For me when Amadou Onana came on, he reminded me of Fellaini (apart from the hair) sometimes clumsy in the tackle but looking for an opportunity to do something.

Jarrad Brathwaite looked really good when he came on.
We do need a striker, the sooner the better.

Negatives
Gueye and Garner were over run in midfield.
Doucoure had a chance and was unlucky but was otherwise not in it.
Iwobi cannot cross and offers no goal threat.
Maupay needs to be jettisoned. He is woeful. He is slow. Lousy touch. Lousy distribution. Cannot beat players. Does not have quality in the box.
Keane. Bench warner at best or the 'NEW' Mick Lyons up front.
Onana is. Onana

Concerns
11 players in our own box from opponents corners and we still look vulnerable.
Throw ins are awful.
No free kick / dead ball specialist player.
We play with wingers and have no striker to cross to.
Crosses into dangerous areas are never met by midfield players or whoever is (in theory) attack.
No one from midfield is coming in. They are generally static on the edge of the box.
When we pass from the back, the opposition get a free go on goal.
Very very vulnerable midfield.
No attacking threat.
No goals in established players, excluding McNeil.

The top 6 clubs have all bought exceptional midfielders.
They are following the 8 (invented by Pep)
Oddly Pep appears to be planning a counter to that this season.

In view of this my concern is how we adapt to that.
Against a lowly championship we were too easily carved via the centre. They were as poor as us up front.

Its getting closer.
My prediction is we may hold our own up until injuries and suspensions.
Another season battling against sides strengthening in depth whilst we remain threadbare.
Aiming for mid table is a mistake as that means we accept numerous defeats.
We have to aim higher.
If we then achieve mid-table that is satisfactory.
Which during a lifetime of being a blue is wholly unsatisfactory.

It's pre-season. It matters when we face Fulham.

Early doors we had those gaps in midfield.

No outlet up front. Nothing new there for now.

Fullbacks targeted with diagonals. It happened a lot last season.

Young looks young. Experience and anticipation as well as attitude. He isn't shy in standing up to the opposition. I'm liking him already.

Tarkowski leads the line. Just try Branthwaite with him. Keane still worries me. Always has.

Iwobi was bright and trying to be creative. Recovered the ball to create the goal. Tarkowski at the back post to put it back in the danger area.

I was impressed with Patterson. The young man has potential.

We have a talent and potential in young Garner.

We did play some neat stuff at times, particularly down the right.

Onyango looked bright, as did Dobbin. The latter is still a bit raw and fluffed his lines a few times, but give him time. Give them both time. They are positive-thinking players.

Onana grew into the game and got the goal. Did it look like he picked up an injury at the end?

Porto next and then the real business starts.

Magnificent turnout today for a pre-season match. Fulham sold out seemingly before it was even advertised. Villa away is on a watch list.

Last thoughts. I know it was only pre-season, but it is relevant. Stop all this added-time nonsense. Just stop the clock as they do in Rugby. Then it finishes on 90 minutes.

And Sean Dyche in an Everton training top and shorts. Not his trademark suit and tie?

I agree with pretty much all your comments. I think we have some very promising young players.

I didn't see anything of Danjuma so will have a flick through the comments. Dobbin has great movement and pace, but I'm afraid that he lacks that goalscorer's knack.

Branthwaite could well play a part this season (I like him a lot). But without a proper signing or two in the right areas, we're facing another slog.

Plusses; Young, who will certainly be first choice and not a back-up. Branthwaite played the ball out well and made one vital interception. Garner looked good in possession and we certainly have a player there. McNeil had a slow start but grew into the game. Dobbin missed a couple of chances but he did more in 10 minutes than Maupay did in 80.

Minuses; Maupay who offers nothing on the floor or in the air. Patterson who was skinned more than once. Iwobi who gets about the pitch but with no end product and his passing is awful.

A part from the lack of threat upfront the huge gaps in midfield are a concern as is our overall piss-poor passing. We won't get away with that in the Premier League.

All in all quite a pleasant afternoon out...apart from the football!

Keane, Gana and Maupay are just not Premier League standard these days. All are squad players at best. On the plus side, I've enjoyed a tour of lower league clubs during the pre-season, a chance to see new grounds, all within an hour or so of home.

But from a football side, I'm not sure what any of them have achieved (except to get fans worried). In all three games, there have been no more than 10 shots on target (probably less) and the play at times has been woeful.

The changes will give no insight to the first XI for the Fulham game and to not try and embed an out-and-out striker into the team so near the big kick-off is woeful.

Today was especially poor against a team who are mid-table Championship. Some had a decent game but with so many changes, it's hard to judge how they will perform as a collective.

I'm not saying we are in trouble, but, without a striker, I can see another painful season ahead.

I've been up the wall today so didn't manage to watch the game, but I wasn't coming on expecting some massive turnaround. I'm not expecting Iwobi to suddenly start putting 5 on a plate for Danjuma.

Wasn't expecting Michael Keane to suddenly turn into some Cannavaro-esque centre-back or Patterson to start marauding up the wing, Baines-style.

What I was expecting was the usual, no chance this season, same again, down by Xmas comments even before I knew what type of performance we put in.

Fans need to get on board with the slow evolution of the team that is going to need to happen. We are not suddenly going to start playing like Man City!

We don't have centre-backs who can play cutting long balls; we don't have wing-backs who can push on; we certainly don't have 1 or 2 technically gifted ball-playing midfield players to unlock defences; and at the moment we have no out-and-out goalscorer or focal point. But we have a solid base, we will be hard to beat under Dyche's tactics.

It's going to be a season of battling for every single point. None are going to come easy. Get on board, guys, or be disappointed before it even kicks off!!

To be honest, I think pre season has set our expectations accordingly. It won't be pretty. We won't score many goals. And at times we will rely on Pickford and Lady Luck. But we will hopefully pick up gritty draws and jammy wins.

Till we shed our wage drains (Gomes, Gbamin, Alli etc) and pay for the new stadium, then things are unlikely to get a huge amount better. Even getting Calvert-Lewin back or buying Dia (or whoever) is not gonna turn us into free-scoring merchants.

The chickens are home to roost and there's not much anyone can do about it. Luckily Dyche has been in such situations before and should hopefully make us hard to beat and keep us up. Don't expect to enjoy this season much and you should be fine!

Dcl will improve us of course but he needs a supply. Teams will see our supply coming from the wings and try to snuff it out. We need a player centrally who can make chances.

We all know we need a striker but spending all your budget on a striker wont work if we don't have a supply to him.

It's like waring a Hugo boss suit with Lonsdale trainees.
It won't work and you will get laughed at !!!

Pickford was largely untroubled, and can play decent passes up field.

Branthwaite gave us real balance at left centre half. Will be interesting if he gets the nod vs Sporting.

Young I think will be first pick left back.

Patterson does like to push on down the right. Just needs to stop the silly challenges when he's not going to win it. Petulance will cost him injuries.

Tarkowski is a natural leader. For me captain.

Onana shows that he can be a strong holding midfielder. His recovery tackles can give the full backs more confidence to go forward. He's the physical presence to dominate against lesser teams. Just play him.

Garner is a proper footballer, and would be in my midfield. He does have less power than others, but he is a capable passer - and the others aren't.

That leaves Iwobi, Gana and Doucoure fighting out the advanced midfielder in a 4-3-3. I'd pick Iwobi I think. He works equally as hard as the other 3, has better feet and is more likely to create. Yes he's capable of a brain fart, but that is a team that can score goals.

Danjuma right, Mcneil left, Dcl up top if fit.

Good height in the team, and will threaten set pieces. Dyche is capable of keeping the team in games, rather than the deadly lampard combo - no clean sheet and can't score.

Bench for fulham
Virginia, Godfrey, Keane, Mykolenko, Coleman, Gana, Doucoure, Gray, Maupay,

I'd like to see new players in, but it's looking like a deadline day special if anything.

Still, your overall point about lacking creativity is bang on. It's been a problem for a long time. Iwobi just doesn't do it for me, especially out wide. Only McNeil ever gives me the feeling that something might be about to happen.

Yes we need a couple of forwards, but the core structure seems solid and difficult to break down.

Pre-season games are all about match fitness, trying different things and using the full squad. Whilst the football on show has not been world beating it's not been terrible either. 3 wins and a draw represents our best preseason for some time (statistically at least).

What is it about so called supporters though? I had the misfortune to be sitting next to a right bell end who was chastising Keane, Iwobi and Maupay at every opportunity - it's preseason ffs! Give them a break! I am not a huge fan of any of those 3 but will still encourage them.

As I was making my way down to the exit another “fan” was telling Iwobi that he wanted him to die as he went down after a heavy challenge. Normally I am very calm but I couldn't resist asking him wtf was wrong with him (the fan that is, not Iwobi)? He had a young lad of around 9 or 10 with him too. He went bright red and shut up so perhaps I embarrassed him enough to make him think twice.

Another point I noted was how poor the Stoke following was. We came close to out numbering them. We are obviously not the draw that we once were. I know 2 or 3 Stoke supporters and will be having a word. I appreciate it was a friendly but no wonder they are mud table championship!

Overall though, what a fantastic turnout from our support for a training game.

Dyche has real problem with the offence given what he has to start the season with but one never knows.

We would all like to be pleasantly surprised by the unknown and those first half dozen games may give us more points than we anticipate.

Dyche has all the experience needed and with half a season behind him might just be able to make Everton a much more competitive outfit.

We do not create or threaten enough.

I'm sure supporters are sick of seeing Maupay even mentioned.

When are we ever going to get a (some) goalscorers. Danjuma was looking very lonely today and is no Demarai Gray.

Defense looks reasonably solid despite reservations about Keane and Young looks a shrewd acquisition so please Everton get us at least one goalscorer and get rid of Maupay.

Although Dobbin missed the target today, he looks like he's too good for the Championship. He looks good enough to come off the bench most games this season when defenders tire.

My opinion is the goals will come because his pace allows him to get into better goal scoring zones than Maupay. A bit like Dom, if you have pace a player can slide the ball through or across the box and the quick players like Dom, Vardy, Martinelli or Haaland can nip in front and slot chances home. I think Dobbin can be the one played in, in the last 20 minutes in games.

If somehow we're near the relegation zone come Christmas and Maupay is still playing but not scoring, then the constant whining will seem justified. Until then, I'm getting on the mild optimism train if only because I trust in Dyche from what he's shown us so far.

We will not know if he really is injury-prone or it has just taken a long time to get over serious injuries and, in the position we were in last season, he was brought back to soon.

We will have to rely on some of our young players this season as well as getting rid of the unnamed unwanted.

Dobbin is exciting because he's fast and brave. The question is, does he have the quality? I haven't seen enough of him to answer that but yeah it would be a huge bonus if he had an Anthony Gordon-type break-out season following an okay-ish loan.

We're skint. We have a manager and DoF who recognise what the rest of the football have long recognised, namely that their personal reputation will not be damaged by relegation, on sole account of our pathetic owner/shyster-chairman.

So, the two of them are free of the stress every other PL manager/DoF has to endure. They're already made for life should they get the boot from Moshiri/Kenwright.......

BUT.......can that release of stress enable the pair of them to bizarrely find a way to remove the threat of relegation before the last match of next season?

I hope so, but I have no higher expectations.

Right-winger snf striker needed before Fulham – it's that simple. I can't watch Iwobi attempt to cross a ball anymore – it's just too painful. Not even gonna mention Maupay, no point, I nearly turned it off when he attempted a bicycle kick.

Onana looked sharp when he came on and Branthwaite is already miles better than Keane.

I put more store in performance in these games than results but If these friendlies are more about fitness and trying various players to see the best combination then you might expect some kind of improvement or even some idea of a first game line-up.

But I'm beginning to wonder what the feeling might be if we get hammered in a final lacklustre, lackadaisical performance vs Sporting. We might not even feel that Mr Dyche will have it right on the day as he has been there before. Or even if bringing a couple of new players in at this late date won't take time to have an effect.

Vincent Kompany took over Burnley and in a season got them promoted and playing great football with a combination of the same players Dyche had, a few loans and some youth.

That's all I've ever wanted for Everton is for the team to play every week, like we did at Brighton last season. Is it too much to ask? I know they can do it because I watched it. I just want Dyche to be brave.

They've done a very good job of passing the stress onto the supporters. And it has been stressful. Very stressful. Inhaler moments as I took big intakes of breath and forgot to breathe out on numerous occasions.

Lining up sacrificial lamb after lamb of managers to deflect blame and supress the masses. Even the response to the demand for the board clear out this summer was a half-baked effort.

The decision to remove 3 board members was almost like "that will keep them quiet" when the 3 musketeers were put to the sword and gave up their already vacant seats in the Director's Box. If they are available for Fulham, I'll take one.

But the obvious still remains. As such a big Evertonian, surely he can see through his supposed blue-eyed mist and realise he has long lost even the most moderate and impartial of supporters? There is no going back for him. I don't know if he reads these pages, he probably wouldn't want to. I appreciate it may not account for 100% of the views of Evertonians, but it is pretty close in my opinion.

Do the honourable thing if you really care for this club like we do. We will 100% and more get behind the team every single minute of every single match. But a toxic cloud will remain as long as he continues to be associated with Everton Football Club.

Will that solve everything? God no. You can't undo 30-plus years of steady decline quickly. But you can move in a different direction and build something special. We are about to move to the most iconic stadium in the land and have such an opportunity. But only if we grasp it.

The communication has gone quiet in typical style of the Moshiri era, other than being told on the official website that Fulham is already sold out.

Even the stadium updates. I got more off my brother yesterday, who took a few photos for me. Half built, it is already looking majestic.

Who knows what the future holds? But we need a different path with different people so we can realise the potential of this great club and reward its fantastic supporters.

As I have said before, forget talk of a sleeping giant. We are a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.

I don't mean to sound negative, most who know me and read my posts know that I am ever the optimist. I will always will be. Annoyingly so and sometimes it has people shouting at me to try and put sense into me.

But like all of you, I care deeply for this club. Very deeply. Always have and always will.

Meanwhile, we've got a season to get ready for.

"A lack of goals is always a concern because you need to score to win games. We showed in the second half of the season that we needed to find different ways of scoring goals and we are going to have to do that going forwards. That is part of football." Source: BBC

That line "construct deals that can work" tells me, either we have no cash to spend or that Moshiri won't sanction any major deals, until or unless we sell somebody?

Number one is (as Dyche has explained) our inability to land our transfer targets.

This time Sean has been able to see that even with plenty of time (unlike his last window); we lack the money to interest clubs and agents. Our financial impotence is there for all to see.

Add to this our image of being a club in turmoil and it is enough to put off decent players with other options.

Number two is that on the pitch we are paper thin up front. Still no sign of Calvert-Lewin and yesterday it was poor Danjuma who had to look isolated on his own with no service.

Our midfield is lacking in creativity and Iwobi, despite his hard graft, would be better suited in a central role.

The fitness might improve but our lack of quality is clear for all to see.

It must be soul-destroying for those players who are doing a decent job (Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, McNeil) to see their teammates inability to do the basics.

Dyche will be so scared of conceding that we will be forced to watch more of the turgid, rigid, frigid football like last season.

Even if we do get Domenic fit, we are buggered if he gets injured. We need a back-up, even Ings, Vardy, Ianeacho, just a guy who could lead the line and score 5 or 6 goals. It's not much to ask... is it?

Your post and some others have given me hope. Dyche does concentrate a lot on getting the players doing things right in their positions, which creates an overall cohesiveness. This was the main reason that Everton survived last season and it is something he can build on and appears to be building on.

It is in fact the only concrete improvement he can build on. There is still a month to get players that can do a job in the forward line. This may be existing players available or a low-cost addition that Everton with limited funds can afford.

It will probably be a player who has presence to add to the forward threat building on the cohesiveness rather than an out-and-out goalscorer. Of course they will have to be able to take chances to be taken seriously in the Premier League.

This isn't going to change anytime soon, so I can't see why there's any surprise or increased expectations.

Like most clubs, most of our business will be done at the end of the window; I'm regarding anything earlier as a bonus. Not because I'm 'happy' with it, but because that's our reality.

It's only going to change by showing some competence and stability on the football side, and by bringing new people in to do similar on the business side.

What Dyche should've said it's a tough market when you've got no money to spend. All the other clubs are signing players – even the newly promoted sides.

Great article and summing up of our situation and it is a very grave time for everyone at Everton, except Chairman Bill, he's made it very plain that he doesn't give a toss about Everton as long as he is okay.

I agree we've been reasonable at the back, but again against lowly opposition, it's what you would expect from a premier league side and we're stronger defensively than in attack.

It's obvious that Calvert-Lewin isn't going to be match fit for the Fulham game as he's had no actual game time in pre-seaon, he may well be taking part in training but that's not match fitness, so it doesn't look good at the moment for Fulham.

Possession was 51% / Everton 49%.

Stoke had 9 corners to our 3. We did manage 10 shots to their 8, but most of them posed more of a threat to the fans than their keeper.

As you say, there should be no surprise about signings (or the lack of, or the quality of) at this stage in a transfer window that is still open, given our dire financial straits, the threat of financial sanctions, and therefore our weak bargaining position in the transfer market.

I agree with every word, and I would add that while this owner is still here, we have major problems. The problem is, to limit his losses, Moshiri needs the stadium to be completed and our Premier League position retained.

Seems it's obvious there is no money to buy a striker of any quality or Dyche would have already done so. But this team has lacked goals for at least 2 seasons and that problem still persists, and even a quality striker will need help.

Last season, McNeil was our top goal scorer with just 7, and let's hope the knock he got yesterday won't keep him out of the Fulham game. Calvert-Lewin, Alli and Gray have had no minutes so far so hard to see any of these 3 starting against Fulham.

Seeing that we allowed Mina to leave because he was out of contract, surely we are not going to allow Iwobi to do the same? If he won't sign a new contract, then at least get some money for him; otherwise, come January, he can talk to European or further afield clubs.

It's just a nonsense to allow this situation to prevail and no doubt the same will happen to a couple of other players on our books.

As many have predicted its hard to see anything other than another battle against relegation.

Negatives — Iwobi is crap and we still have no decent wingers.

I'm always looking for positives, the word that comes to mind when I'm watching Branthwaite, is class. Still I feel it's wrong to expect 45 games from him, so hopefully some quality support can be hired and his progress to being a permanent fixture is managed well.

Another positive is Lewis Dobbin, a long way from the finished article, but showing enough pace and determination to be an asset. I can see him getting 30 minute cameos to cause problems to tiring defenders and the burning desire to make something happen . It's important we have that option from the bench. Fantastic opportunity for him to show that he is more than that and say “look I'm a starter”.

Onana looked bright and more forward thinking, scored and put a killer ball in to Dobbin who should have scored. Onana looks like he will push on this season.

I understand the transfer issues and it's better to say you are skint than to say oh yeh we've got £35m to blow and get fleeced for it.

If we can t get a £30m striker like Toure then we have to start acting in a more pragmatic way. As Mick said, ‘you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need'.

There is a tier of striker who will serve a purpose and do the job of being a focal point up front. Someone to occupy defenders, hold the ball up, win possession, distribute and allow the midfield and defenders to breathe. Even a ten goal striker in the right profile can be an asset to the functioning of the tram.

As Robert, and Sam have said on numerous occasions, there are options in this tier. We need to choose the best fit for our system.

Cue the Flight of the Valkyries music…

Play him alongside Garner with Alex between them, Branthwaite with Tarkowski and Danjuma and McNeil out wide and all we need is…!!!!

Less than two weeks to go and not much sign that he will make Matchday 1.

The problem is that nobody is creating the opportunities for them to score – and the priority is a creative midfielder. What we have is:

1 box-to-box midfielder
2 defensive midfielders
1 midfielder who is an emergency right back.

How many goals did Lukaku or Lineker score on their own? How many were through balls they ran on to, crosses they came in front of defenders, etc?

Okay, I may be wrong about Maupay. But having a player at centre-forward who runs around trying to win the ball back so he can beat 4 defenders on a mazy run and slot it into the back of the net doesn't exist. It is the creative midfielder that is key to more goals.

There's no point trying to compete with Atalanta for a player when they can offer European Football and the Italian lifestyle. Plus the online videos of our fans chasing players and their families in their cars has done terrible damage to the club's image and attractiveness to players.

If we want to sign players, the club is going to have to lower its sights.

Before yesterday's game (and still in my heart), I believe that we only need a few decent players to become a half-decent team but after the match, my brain tells me otherwise. There is no goal instinct at all in the team except for McNeil and Calvert-Lewin when fit. That's why we can't sell Gray in my opinion, despite his inconsistency.

Our centre of midfield looked wide open, the defence shaky (yes, I know we have only conceded a single goal in the friendlies but look at the opposition). Iwobi should be scoring 5 to 6 goals a season but never does, Gueye is a decent destroyer but offers nothing going forward, Patterson is decent box-to-box but a poor defender (got skinned several times) and runs out of ideas at the edge of the opposition's box.

As Steve Brown said @245, we need a centre forward, a creative midfielder, another central defender and another right back to even begin to be competitive.

I think everyone knew it'd be a tough window but we've had 2 years to plan about which strikers to get. If plan A doesn't work, B, C and D should be ready to go.

Failure to get a goalscorer in at this point shouldn't be accepted by anyone at this point. No other club in the Premier League has to put up with this incompetence and neither should we.

If the season starts and nothing's changed, we're a weaker squad than last season. Forget the excuses and reasons why – this is a results game on and off the pitch. Dyche has not been able to spend a penny in two windows so far and I'm so sick of excuses.

Keane is now a starting centre-back 6 years after we knew he was dire. We have more goalkeepers than strikers. We can't score and have a midfield that can tackle but can't make 5-yard passes. Our game plan yesterday was crosses into the box for an umpa lumpa. The whole thing is incompetent.

The board hasn't even changed and the MSP deal is no closer to being completed. There's people on here who have a go at us moaners but I don't see a single thing positive about this club. The club crashed the Titanic into the iceberg and, as we sink, the captain is blaming the passengers for being angry and scared.

Here you go again on the hobby-horse of "It's all the fans' fault for putting the club in a bad light and players don't want to come." If Everton were able to pay higher wages – which it can't – for a player, that player would come to Goodison.

The Saudis aren't exactly awash with great PR but they have the dough, so the players make a professional decision that lines their own pockets.

it's been that way for ages. there was a time when money wasn't the be-all and end-all, but not now, it's all about the money for players past their best or not being good enough for the very top teams.

It's comments like yours that make me wonder how much more the average Evertonian can take, lambasted by fellow supporters, dissed by the owner and the board, and having to watch our club sliding into oblivion, with the prospect of worse to come, and for an extended time-span, if the stadium eats all of the ready cash in loan repayments.

I was having a reasonably nice Sunday but Ian, you have just ruined it – again!

The problem is good creative midfielders are as rare as hen's teeth and consequently cost a lot more than we can currently afford to pay. So unless Dyche and Thelwell can bring in some cheap undiscovered gems, I don't see what we can do about it.

Of course there is the option of being a strong defensive side and win games 1-0. It's not just about how many goals you score but also how many you concede.

After all, under Moyes, we finished 4th with goal machine Marcus Bent up front. He only scored 7 goals all season. We won nine games 1-0. We only scored more than one goal 10 times and that includes draws and defeats. So sometimes a strong defence can be as good as a strong attack.

While there is a case for saying we need more creativity in midfield, even if we had David Silva in his prime and Bernardo Silva, our attackers just aren't natural goal scorers.

Phil in his article says all our strikers can score. Well, last season, Maupay had 1 in 11games, Iwobi 2 in 38, Calvert-Lewin 2 in15, Gray 4 in 27, McNeil 7 in 28.

That dosen't suggest to me these can score enough goals to keep us safe, never mind finish mid-table.

As Frank said, even Haaland would have struggled to get 10 goals with the service our midfield would have given him.

Danjuma gives the option of selling Gray, with Iowbi offering cover. Midfield I doubt will change. There is too much deadwood and Dyche will be expected to get a tune out of them as back-ups at least.

I think they will risk dependence on Calvert-Lewin AND bring in a young forward. Cannon seems to be the Simms replacement. A young back-up with potential that can be sold on for the centre-forward position, as a low-cost transfer addition.

Maupay as part of a swop deal is a possibility, but it is more likely that he will be coached for an improvement in taking chances. He does put in a good work rate, but lack of threat is a big problem in the Premier League. The opposition tactics will just ride over the top of him.

I'd say, if we create more chances, each one of them players' goals-per-game would improve. Bring in a creative midfield player!

We know we need a striker but, if you are not making chances for him, it's hard to improve the Goals For coloum.

It's been our problem since James and Sigurdsson have been gone. Everything comes from Iwobi on the right, who's never a winger, and now McNeil on the left. Decent teams can cope with it. We need a supply through the centre.

What do we want – a player the same as Calvert-Lewin or an option, an alternative, a player in the Vardy, Owen mould, a pacy, to run in behind striker, who can finish?

I'd like to see someone like that alongside Calvert-Lewin, chasing the knock-downs and flick-ons.

Have you not seen what Italian fans get up to?

Chasing cars is a walk in the park.

One player was chased by some kids; IN HIS CAR!!! Nothing to see really, and easily forgotten. What IS damaging to the club, is the world knowing that the chairman has lost the confidence of the fans, and doesn't even attend games any more, but STILL won't leave (allowing Moshiri to place a temporary chairman in charge), which is fuelling a toxic atmosphere at the club, and more than likely deterring potential signings to go elsewhere.

Until that man sheds the arrogance and greed that have made him cling on to power for so long, and finally realises that it's 40,000 to one against, then Everton FC will remain in limbo, and as much as you try to blame everything on the fans, ask yourself who loves the club more, us, or a man who has made close to £30m while bringing the club as close to destruction that it has been in its 140 year history

You could be right about Ian being Kenwright… prospective players don't want to come because of all he says, fans chasing players' cars... no European football, unattractive club.. also the fact that we haven't actually bid for anyone.

It's a wait until 10:45 on the last day, I am afraid.

Oh, not Allardyce, though to be fair he only got about 500 mentions. Please, please give it a fucking rest with your single agenda hatred of fellow Blues. Find something new.

We don't know if the reports of £30M bids for strikers are real and, if they are real, are they structured over years with minimal up front? We could outbid Bayern for Kane in theory, if Levy would accept £90M over 90 years!

This is where we need to be patient, clubs want replacements before letting players leave. The longer players are left in limbo, the more they agitate for the move, the more the selling clubs need to compromise.

The rich clubs can just splash the cash, we are playing a cat 'n' mouse game hoping to get the best deal for us.

The job Thelwell has to do is like going to Cash cConverters with a broken black-&-white telly and trying to come out with a 4k flatscreen while paying £2.50 a month.

We have Maupay (black-&-white telly);
We want Toure (latscreen).

On Thursday 31 August, the moon will be even closer – a mere 222,043 miles (357,344km), with its peak at 2:35 am (BST). And because it is the second full moon in a month, it is called a blue moon. Source: The Guardian.

No need to panic, we'll get that unknown superstar striker on the final day of the window – even Everton should be able to strike lucky once in a blue moon? Having said that, we've allegedly been linked with a French striker by the name of Le Mon.

In defense of Ian and your analogy.

Okay, a player looking at Al Hilal may see video of Khashoggi being butchered in the embassy, maybe a few dozen public beheadings, indiscriminate bombing of kids in Yemen. People being arrested and tortured for being gay, playing music, looking into other religions.

But three teenagers saying “What the Fuck, Anthony?” several times is surely so much more terrifying that any sane man would pick Saudi over Everton.

The fans are truly terrifying sometimes even holding peaceful sit-ins which are much worse than any of the violent coach attacks at Anfield. Ian has really identified the root of all our problems.

Yes, we definitely need a creative midfielder, but to suggest we don't need forwards is bizarre. Maupay and Iwobi have both failed to convert good chances on numerous occasions, especially the former.

At Bolton the other night, they should have scored a couple each. We need a striker, urgently. Maupay's 1 in 40 speaks for itself – whatever mitigating circumstances there might be, that is pure shite.

And to think so many of us foolishly thought things like poor signings, financial mismanagement and Kenwright had an effect on our problems. How silly we all were to miss the obvious.

I never thought of you as being so naive, mate. The club has been by far the best and most professionally run since Chairman Bill got involved – a footballing masterclass.

Then those young ruthless assassin thugs ruined it all. They were going to take out Anthony you know. Put us back decades they have, good job we still have Bill in charge.

My eyes have finally been opened!

Then we must dig out those videos that Ian's on about and get the police to investigate and bring the scoundrels to justice. Then we must get the police to fully investigate HeadlockGate.

It seems only fair and reasonable that Bill and Denise are excused all failings for our fall from grace. Get the scoundrels found and let's have a public flogging in the centre circle at a forthcoming home game.

Kenwright staying on, the current squad without two or three incoming, Rob (Halligan) having to miss a couple of matches, another 10 months of well-known martyr Ian Edwards, or our violent, vile and disgusting fans.

I'm more concerned about some of the 'realists' who come on here daily to tell us that we are 'definitely going down' this season. I'm concerned that one of them may combust in fury.

The upside is that, like last season, they keep up the prices on Betfair so we can make a few more quid backing us to stay up. Not that there'll be the same value this time, mind.

If this is fact, 'Sack the Board' will have a hollow ring about it as he takes his seat for our first game next season.

"He wouldn't dare," said my informant.

"You wanna bet?" says I.

Be afraid… be very afraid. 🙏🙏

I worry for them too, they maybe doom and gloom yawn-fest misery guts merchants, but they are our doom and gloom yawn-fest misery guts merchants.

Oh yeah, go watch it, Konsa goes on a FIFA goal run. I shit you not, go watch it, marches from inside his half with the ball strolling the whole way until he can drive the ball in from ten yards out.

It was a draw, 3-3, open game, a few good goals, some good play, on the one hand; some pretty awful defensive play, on the other.

Why should we be "very afraid"?

This is a decent thread, with some very good knowledgeable posts, and this is probably what attracted me to this website years ago.

Moshiri promised the fans a striker in January, but they are still waiting in August; if this doesn't change soon, then the mood will change from one of frustration to one of real anger.

A decent workmanlike squad needs more players with better quality and, even though it's not looking good, can Moshiri really afford to gamble with his investment one more time?

Evertonians are remarkably calm at the minute, but if things don't change then this isn't going to last. I've said it before but rather than give the phoney bastards little excuses to use against the fans, with help from their sycophantic friends in the media, why doesn't every single Evertonian turn up at Goodison next week, but boycott going into the game?

I know I'm a militant, but it's just one pre-season friendly to use and tell the whole world we don't want Moshiri or Kenwright at our club, because we have lost every single ounce of faith in them and believe they are only going to lead us into the Championship if they stay. Even the players must be getting very frustrated at the lack of signings now.

Imagine the outcry on here if we conceded 3 goals in a game? Dyche will make us very hard to beat this season, it won't be pretty, mark my words. But I do believe it will be effective and enough to keep our heads above water (again).

Who knows – if they are able to get a couple of creative players and/or a goalscorer on board, we may do even better. Let's wait & see before writing the manager and the team off completely.

The pre-season games we have had to endure are dire, a million zillion light-years away from most Premier League clubs. I can't blame Dyche – that "Blame the manager merry-go-round" stopped years ago for me.

No, the real blame lies at the door of the fool and the con-man. Until they are gone, we have little hope of improvement.

I contemplated writing an article on the fact we are now a club that is so badly broken, no-one wants to come to us. We are on our own. Even the journeymen pass us by.

It's a hard road being a Blue at the moment; hang in there.

1. “We have been fighting relegation for two seasons.”

2. “They can offer European Football and the Italian lifestyle.”

3. “Online videos of our fans chasing players and their families in their cars has done terrible damage.”

Plus we're skint.

Jesus, Christine, you've nearly got me in tears with your honest and realistic picture of what's happening to our great club. 😭

But a lot more damage was done on the morning of the Southampton game by Quislings who should have known a lot better than to treat passionate Evertonians as the enemy, just because they were demanding more professionalism right throughout the club, but specifically in the boardroom.

Okay, since we haven't had much direct back and forth, try this. No question there were some very tired tackles in the second half. McNeil was grabbing shorts at the 35-minute mark. Only Young looked fit and that's your final clue that Dyche has run the hell out of them.

They likely scheduled Stoke away knowing they would have a leggy squad to test some road toughness. Played sloppy in places as one would expect but seemed to bring it together for some cohesive moves about 12-15 minutes into each half. Then closed but stronger than I expected given how Stoke dominated around the 80-minute mark.

We knew it would be a test of stamina more than a display of football. We kept Pickford fairly unbothered. We nicked a goal for a late win on the road. Well then, by all means and against logic, let's have a goddamned freakout.

I'm more sad than angry. I've bought my season ticket but it will only be getting used by others. This is a decision that hasn't been made lightly, especially because I'm aware it will have zero impact in the grand scale of things. But, with my biggest disdain in life being towards liars, I just can't allow myself to accept the lies that continue to come out of our football club.

Maybe I'm wrong, and Bill Kenwright is going to leave soon, but I've never been wrong about the man with regards his Everton intentions before, and something tells me he's going nowhere whilst Moshiri remains at the club. I hope I'm wrong.🤞

There's two sides to every argument and usually some truth on both sides. Yet some fans get so entrenched in their own opinion, they are sometimes blinded from the reality.

Yes, the scenes of scallies chasing players and their cars like some crazy stray dogs did no good for the image of the club.
However, I don't see any agents honestly turning their players away from signing for us because of that. Agents want fees and, if we are paying, the agents will bring the players.

The truth is they (players and agents) probably don't entertain us because of our recent reputation as the worst-run club in Europe.

So, imo, kids running after cars is a sideshow we can do without, but it's a skidmark stain on us compared to the giant turd Billy & Farhad have covered us in.

Obviously, likelihood is another shit season!

Talk about a joke of a club. You could not make this up.

I might go cap in hand to you at some point this season, as I want to see my Dad's final resting place behind the Park End byeline for one last time before the move to the new stadium.

We'd have to have a few beers before the game, mind. One of the highlights of my last trip to Goodison was having a drink with your dad before the game.

No one has given up but given we need around 3-4 forward or offensive players to bolster the squad and quality (and ideally a centre-back and creative midfielder).

Yet we seemingly cannot attract a striker of quality (who was the last one we bought in? Richarlison 4 seasons ago?) and we've just about survived relegation the last 2 seasons.

Then it's justifiable for the natives to get restless.

I expect loads of people will be after the ticket for the derby, and I might even get a couple of new mates, but feel free to ask me when you want to go to Goodison, Paul, and try and give me a little bit of notice beforehand!

1. Pickford is going to be busy.
2. We will rarely score more than one goal per game.
3. We will be the most boring team in the league.
4. Calvert-Lewin will be sold before the season starts.
5. Liverpool will hammer us at Anfield and Keane will be sent off.
6. Dyche won't see out the season.
7. We won't have a cup run.
8. Kenwright will still be chairman at season's end.
9. We will be in the Bottom 6 most of the season with a threat of relegation but likely stay up by a few points.
10. There will be no improvement or sign of better things.
11. The new ground won't be ready.
12. Ashley Young will be the best outfield player.

Nothing earth-staggeringly surprising there, just the reality of supporting a club run by knobheads.

Never a truer word was spoken when you said I know I'm a militant, but it's just one pre-season friendly to use and tell the whole world we don't want Moshiri or Kenwright at our club, because we have lost every single ounce of faith in them and believe they are only going to lead us into the Championship if they stay. Even the players must be getting very frustrated at the lack of signings now.

You aren't a militant but you are a true Blue who expects proper governance of our Club and to be told the truth when they do speak to us. Neither thing happens. Things have been going downhill for some considerable time and you are spot on when you say that us fans aren't angry yet but they sure as hell will get that way if things don't change pdq.

Personally I'm lost for words wondering what is going through their minds. My only thought is that they are both hoping that we get relegated and stay that way for a long time. What else are we to make of their actions?

It's why I can't accept that he has been a real and genuine Evertonian for all of his life. Once again, I might be wrong.

He's right, but not in the way he thinks...

And his ego won't let him leave without a 'high', so he wont be going anywhere till we're taken over by people who can run a business with governance.

Not even got the fight to post a meaningful comment on ToffeeWeb, my expectations have hit rock bottom and not even a buoyant Danny O can wake me from the fear of what is about to happen to our great football club.

Sorry to be negative for a change, but Bill has sucked the life of our football club.

But it's time for him to go. Dale 313's post sums up the toxicity around the club and the need for a clean break. A misunderstanding leads to that same knee jerk reaction.

A fresh narrative is needed. But we also need to accept that our current predicament is not all BK's doing.

Only logical conclusion is we are trying to get relegated. Can't see the logic in that, but it's the only explanation there is.

The question was: what was there in the Villa/Brentford game that should make us "very afraid"? To elaborate: what was it in those poor defensive displays that should make us "very afraid"?

You made it a question of this match George, you've dived and ducked ever since.

"My god [you say] … has anyone actually watched our preseason games???"

We all have, don't insult people. What was it in THAT game you mentioned that you saw that should make us "very afraid"?

Plucky little Everton, would have ended up playing in Kirkby, if Bill Kenwright would have had his way, even though he said he was glad that this move was eventually knocked back. Surely this means he must have known all along that moving to Kirkby would have been a long term disaster for Everton Football Club? Even if it would have given the club a chance of receiving more footfall!!!!!!

Considering how quietly everyone becomes when they are asked to leave Everton, I'm curious to know if people have to sign a confidential disclosure upon departure? I'm not really, I'm actually bored to death of the speculation now, and can't see anything good happening to our club until we have new owners, and new people in the boardroom.

Cheers

We have some potentially OK players, albeit not enough, and a decent manager but I'm not sure that cuts it these days.

Part way through last season I said there was a clear and present danger of the club disintegrating before our eyes. I see no evidence to change that opinion and that, while not certain, we have if anything, moved closer to that point. These are scary times to be a supporter of this club. My heart goes out to the younger generation who have not had the pleasure of seeing two truly great world class sides to leaven the pain

People can say he got lucky with Moyes, but he still chose him, and that turned out to be the best decision he ever made at this Club.

Moyes' success in building a team, spotting players, developing players, selling players for profits masked the ineptitude of the board to back it up with the commercial strategy and plan to grow the overall business.
It was David Moyes that gave us the only "good times" under this chairman.
The board failed to capitalise they just sat in the background expecting Moyes to buy cheap, develop and sell players keep us at that best of the rest level.

When it became clear Chairman Bill would never have the funds or intelligence to compete with the new super rich owners like abramovich, it became about money & protecting his investment.

That's fair enough I like to look after my money, but when his actions are actually damaging the very thing he is supposed to care about, then he can't hide.
He kept a stake when he sold to Moshiri to see if he could make another load of money if successful.
I'd bet he's hanging around to see if there's any way he could wrestle control back, should Moshiri sell.

A narcissist, someone who has a unreasonably high sense of their own importance.
He believes he's the only one who can "Save " Everton. He's the only one qualified, he's the best man for the Job !!!
Why this is dragging on to the start of this new season is just ridiculous.
It stinks, Moshiri must either be scared that Billy knows too much of his dodgy dealings, or is being held to ransom by Bill who could bring moshiri, the new stadium, the club and the whole pack of cards tumbling down.

I

In fact, it's possible that any demonstrations at this juncture may harm any prospects of either or both men leaving, due to the likes of MSP getting cold-feet on any deals, which may be in the pipe-line.

Perhaps, that's the strategy, string the fans along, get them good and angry and then they can blame us for prolonging the demise of the club as potential investors walk away into the sunset.

“ The shots, taken by Daily Mail photographer Bruce Adams last Wednesday, illustrate what still appears to be a fairly skeletal structure.

Everton say the 53,000-capacity venue, on the banks of the Mersey, should be open ‘in the final months of 2024' but there are concerns they may have to remain at Goodison Park for another two seasons.

By comparison, Tottenham's new home opened three years after the project was signed off in 2016.”

As a dedicated respected and wise away fan nutter who travels the world supporting Everton when I saw you saying “I don't know where else to share this” I was hoping you'd found the Arteta money, patched the hole in the Kirkby ring fence, found the fortress fund check lost in the mail or negotiated the signing of a new striker. The return of Ross doesn't really cut the mustard mate. Try again we need GOOD news

No kidding. I was just reflecting on the fact it's about a year since the three of us endured watching Dele in his pink shirt missing sitters in the humbling at Inchys hands. Whatever anyone wants to say about this pre season it's got to be better than that one — in the field anyway — off the field was a lot of fun.

It makes me appreciate the anxiety supporters feel when things aren't going well in pre-season, knowing that a very mediocre Minnesota United could make us look that bad last year when we were fielding a mostly full-strength squad. I think I was just so happy to see Everton in person that I didn't care.

It was a good time. All these miserable gits who moan about ToffeeWeb being negative. It's brought a lot of us together in person or on the phone, eg WhatsApp my mate Derek Knox etc. Cheers to Lyndon and Michael for that.

And it wouldn't be sport without the bitching and moaning, so a small price to pay for feeling a part of something much bigger than ourselves and all the relationships built on here and in person.

Of course it's also nice to play attractive football once in awhile, too, which hasn't been our strong suit of late.

As it is, I haven't watched a minute of preseason for the first time since they became available online. They're on in the middle of the night for me – and what am I going to learn?

I'm moderately interested in seeing what Danjuma is about. That's about it though.

I'm actually dreading the new season. We pretty much already know what is going to happen. We're going to circle the drain again and then find out whether it was the last time around or not.

You must be physic, because you have outlined exactly how I feel in respect of our beloved club.

I first went to Goodison in 1964 aged 13, albeit I supported them before that, not being allowed to go (another story).
I am not a vindictive person by nature, but find myself constantly berating Bill Kenwright.

We have to painfully wait for him to go (please) before the tide turns. He's not 100% to blame, but in the middle to high 90%, along with his cronies and Moshiri, who is with us for one reason only! Money, and staying only until he recoups his investment with his pal Usmanov.

Regrettably, Christine, I won't be around to see the phoenix rising from the ashes, but that's the joy(!) of being an Evertonian.

People might say you are being negative or even overly dramatic but your post is the way I feel about our club. Part of my life, a big part, crumbling in front of me.

And I bet many more Evertonians are feeling like that. We are an empty shell at the moment and a long way from challenging for silverware. Nothing can be said to change that view, it's a fact; please prove me wrong, Barry Rathbone!

I'm going away for a brief holiday. I will be back to attend the Sporting Lisbon game. I hope there will be some surprises for me by then, pleasant ones for a change!

Facebook is a right mix of some truth and some very bizarre stories, let's just hope this one is the latter.

Tony Abrahams, you are no militant, just a very frustrated Evertonian, as are all of us.

Some sussed Kenwright early, others later. But the vast majority now cannot accept him remaining. Even the last bastion of those who offer some sort of rationality must see it? I really can't understand why the owner can't.

Without knowing the facts about potential investment, once again, seeming indecisiveness is crippling us and the lack of meaningful communication alienating the support base.

He has been the consistent factor in the gradual decline from the position of being League Champions twice in 3 years. Almost 3 times. As with any walk of life, once you realise you are out of your depth and it's not working, you make the decision or are told.

I'm going to sound as repetitive as others. When we found a Billionaire, that was surely the time for change at the top. We didn't. Some would argue sooner, but I don't know what options we had.

How the entire board didn't get relieved of their duties after two seasons of near catastrophic failure, sailing as close to the wind as you can get, is beyond me.

It has happened 4 times whilst he has been on the shift intermitted by being happy with our mediocre lot and a reckless spending spree that seems to have crippled the club for now.

Another repetition alert. As much as I love her and as much as I am looking forward to that first match at Bramley-Moore Dock, Goodison Park is still virtually the same Goodison Park I went to as a kid. Apart from a plastic roof on the Gwladys Street and a cheap stand at the Park End.

Then, in comparison to the same era, I see Old Trafford, the Emirates, the Tottenham Stadium, Lucifer's Den rising above Stanley Park, St James' Park, Stamford Bridge, Villa Park, Brentford's new stadium.

We stood still.

But in a couple of weeks, we get behind the team because it's what we do. I'm with Christine. Hang in there. We could surprise ourselves.

And the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is rising.

On we go.

But I really don't see how the Chairman can remain. I really don't.

I sound like I'm being very far-fetched but I've often stated that I don't trust Kenwright – and Moshiri is also definitely in this same bracket now.

They must be very worried that some fans are going to really start delving into matters Liverpudlian style with regards Moshiri's connections to Usmanov, putting two and two together. Why else would Kenwright have Moshiri by the balls?

They will also know that the only thing that is keeping a lid on things is that the new stadium is getting built. Keep building it slowly, but make sure the masses know that without this new stadium, Everton are going to be in no man's land for a very long time.

This should keep them off our backs just enough because even these Evertonians aren't stupid and they only have to drive along the Dock Road to see the stadium is coming along very nicely. No wonder I don't want to speculate anymore!!

I don't want to go to Goodison because I'm angry, I thought I was just doing it out of principle, but you have just told me the real reason why I've come to make the choice that I have.

If Kenwright goes the game, it'll get very toxic, and if Kenwright doesn't go the game, it makes it easier to understand that he should already be gone. (If this makes sense…)

Agree with you 100%

My view on your comments regarding Kenwright is that he has something on him that keeps Moshiri from pushing him out of the door!

Unfounded I know, just my take on the situation!

"The shots, taken by Daily Mail photographer Bruce Adams last Wednesday, illustrate what still appears to be a fairly skeletal structure"

Of course it is, what do they want to start with the seats first and work down?

I'm actually amazed at the progress they've made, they conveniently forget to mention the dock had to be filled and secured first as well.

Don't trust anything written in the press about on- or off-the-field affairs

The Daily Mail article doesn't mention that the site had to be cleared of old warehouses etc, or that the dock had to be filled in. A gobshite rag……

Everton's new stadium is far from completion after 2 years of building work

Everton agree 900-year extension with Kitbag worth at least £10

So, based on shots taken from outside (no inside knowledge; no knowledge).

"Appears to be" - that's pretty definitive, then!

"Fairly skeletal" - ah, those technical construction terms!

Same with that joke Goodison News site, don't give them clicks, too many snide headlines to be a coincidence.

“Kenwright has something on him that keeps Moshiri from pushing him out the door”.

It doesn't begin with sh and end in t does it?

We've been here before: the longer we leave it to buy our forward option (a), the less time the selling club has to get in their replacements which means either (i) they'll say ‘no', and/or (ii) said forward options will cost a premium

We've been down this road so so many times before… why can the idiots in charge of administrating this club ever learn anything???

I don't for one second believe we were in for the lad that went Atalanta. Loans and free transfers is all we will be signing.

And I don't believe anything I see or read in any the press cos they're all fucking lying bastards with an agenda. Journalism died years ago.

It's taken a while but it's good that everyone now accepts that Kenwright is the worst thing to affect Everton since 1878. Like several posters above, I do believe Kenwright has some dirt on Moshiri and that's the reason he's still kept on.

It's long been my view that Kenwright will never leave. Well, I suppose he'll die eventually. So what's to be done?

I think the fans need to boycott matches and stay away until Kenwright has gone. Sky won't tolerate a largely empty Goodison and that could force him out. It's drastic but it's the only way.

The alternative is to watch on as the club goes to League One in successive seasons.

From what I can see ...

The Mail is like being told off by your Women's Institute lecturing Aunty who is always telling you off.

A nothing story. Most know that it is highly probable we will wait for the next season rather than move half way through. That has been reported and discussed for about 6 months. It isn't breaking news.

My brother took a few shots for me over the weekend. I don't believe we go this far without finishing the job.

It's just beggars belief that Kenwright is still in situ.

Christine has it spot on when she refers to the lack of interest in any young talent pitching up their tent at Goodison Park for the 2023-24 season. For many in the football community, we are a no-go area.

If there is no juicey disasters to get them salivating, they have to fill the gap with made-up tripe like "as it's been rumoured" and such like.

For so long you were the only one on here who pointed out Kenwright's failings, frailties, and foibles. Nobody else, just you, and for that we are all shamed, humble, chastened, but very grateful to you in retrospect as we remember you ploughing your lonesome furrow.

We also now all recognise how inspirational and courageous of you it was to call so long ago for Goodison boycotts, and I, for one, am admiring but feeling self-failure at the same time with those wonderful pictures of you leading the demonstrations outside the once great Old Lady.

I have begun a petition, and I firmly believe that Lyndon and Michael will give it their full backing, that ToffeeWeb should be renamed Taskerweb.

I think its important that your courage and leadership should be recognised, not least by yourself.

Ownership sets the tone and establishes the moral priorities of an organisation. Owners determine how a club aligns itself with its past and its fans, encompassing longstanding supporters and newcomers. The decisions made by ownership shape the club's orientation and its ability to honour its history while meeting the expectations and values of its supporters in the present.

Manchester City's ownership tests the values and connection of a fanbase

As someone who has been watching games since 1948, I am not as passionate as I used to be, but missing a game that I am able to attend is out of the question. I'm aware of the club's problems and who is responsible for them, but as I have stated once or twice on this site, "When there is a game at Goodison my world is 120 yds x 70 yds". I also say that I appear to be programmed.

Somebody did stump up the cash to buy the club but Kenwright would not sell all of it, and he won't sell all of it now, so someone won't buy us – we are stuck.