New boys save shocking Everton from cup humiliation

Gana made a difference with his energy and tackling along with two good goals from Beto and Danjuma but the dreadful performance stood out, such a pathetic and miserable forty five minutes with all eleven players culpable and each adding their own little cameos to the pathos, couldn't believe professional footballers could perform like this, absolutely sickening and some were laughing at the end of the game, it must have been with embarrassment.

Who cares some were shitty. Goalscorers. Goalscorers. Now, time for Rowan.

We move on!

He'd Beto come through for us or else.

Not good enough from professional footballers at a Premier League club; whatever the team, whomever the manager, whoever the opposition.

Dyche is a football dinosaur, a serial loser, a manager who has won nothing, a manager who will never win anything, a manager who... will take us down.

“A serial loser who has won nothing.”

Aside from a year at Watford and 8 months at Everton, he has only managed Burnley where they won the league they were in. When they unsurprisingly got relegated, he won promotion again.

Yes, he doesn't have Ancelotti record but he has won the things far in excess of most Burnley managers of the last 70 years. Let's not forget Moyes was a “serial loser” who had actually won nothing at all for 25 years until he finally did 2 months ago.

If in a dozen or so games time, and we still look clueless and have lost a load of games, then it might be the time to sharpen the axes, but now?

If it was to happen, no manager of any ilk will take the job on, no matter what money we offer, and there won't be a huge salary awaiting any newcomer. Patience is a virtue, but it seems that word is an alien concept to some posters.

Awful.

The constant poor passing, no one moving quickly into space, no one coming for the ball, not looking to play a quick short one-two, the sheer lack of inability to pass, move and keep a bit of possession.

Poor, very poor. Every away game: park the bus, play 5-5-0 and shoot from the half-way line.

As for Dyche, I must hope he stabilises us for the next couple of seasons, bloods the youngsters, helps sign some good footballers and hands the reigns over to a footballing manager.

A Howe or Potter type manager in a few years to build on some solid, disciplined foundations.

Until then, for all those that wanted him as manager, enjoy it, if you can...?

Gana showed in the second half why he is indispensable in the current squad. Beto looked impressive with his energy and took his goal well. Let's hope he can maintain this form at Premier League level.

Once Dyche has McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin and Iwobi (if still with us) available, we can assess whether or not he has the wherewithal to lift the club from the bottom. Until then, any judgement seems premature.

As long as we're this dysfunctional as a club, he's the right man for the job.

I am hoping for a new left back on loan or something before the window closes too. then when we get McNeil and Harrison fit, I think we will be okay. This Doncaster game just confirmed what everyone already new, a lot of players aren't good enough. Let's focus on the ones who are.

As for Potter as manager? The club is not set up as Brighton was when he took over. Brighton have a vision, strategy from under-10s to the first team. Everyone buys into it.

We don't! It will take years and perhaps relegation to implement. Dyche is here to keep us in the league. Relegation could financially destroy us. We need 3 years of clear relegation battles and settle into our new home.

Seriously, we need stability going forward. The football may not be pretty but points are far more important.

Sorry but the League Cup has never been kind to us. Big win for confidence building. Next round! Small steps!!

I know I am just echoing what many have posted already. Quite a few players are just not good enough.

If they find it so difficult to contain a team like Doncaster, God help us. From the first minute when the defense tried to walk the ball out at pedestrian pace, they were under pressure.

The players they have at the back and the midfield just cannot link up for possession play out of the deep zone. They just don't seem to be on the same page.

Most of the passing was awful and Everton were then reduced to the big hoofball which inevitably fell short.
Once Doncaster realised this they were confident enough to realize how poor Everton really were.

I don't think any player deserved any praise for that first half and it was no surprise Doncaster scored.

Despite the result in the end, it was embarrassingly as bad as it can be.

Get it sorted, Dyche!!!

He is now the Chernobyl Belt holder of the club... taking its sole ownership from the un-holy trinity of Dele, Gomes and Gbamin.

So yeah, Dyche is responsible for initial conditions but the players have to figure it out when it comes to intensity and impose their advantange. Once Young and Gana settled things a bit, we kicked into gear. That will be a repeating occurrence but we have enough for Dyche to eventually find combinations that work.

He didn't have this luxury at Burnley. He also doesn't completely know how the squad responds to some breakdowns. It will take a few painful lessons like tonight to develop the combinations and rotations that won't rattle a mentally weak core. Most of the weakness is simply from the run of losses. There are structural concerns but we won't be undone by them.

I admit it was ugly and painful. Some players will get scorched and will respond. Others will be flat-out replaced, I would think. Overall, the play will come together, be patient and see this as a blip gamble for the two damaged centre-backs.

Mind you, I would be hard-pressed to find a single player who was better than any of their opponents, we were that bad. But if we needed reminding, messers Keane and Godfrey may well have ended their Everton days.

In a brighter second half, more control in midfield, Beto finished well, a cracking header too, and Danjuma must be relieved. I think with McNeil back, a couple of additions, we will look a far more solid side. I still think that's a month away yet though.

Dyche. The story of Everton continues, a group of players who are just not good enough to fashion into a decent team. But we are making improvements to the squad, although we are a long way away from a Top 10 finish.

The manager will succeed in keeping us up but, as I have said before, that won't keep the fans happy, Dyche is where we are right now, he is what we need right now. If he is lucky he will take us into the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Once the fear of relegation is put to bed, fans, like some already, will be calling for a more dynamic manager and a better style of play.

Newsflash. I think it's neither hell nor high-water that will remove Dyche before BMD or new owners, which ever comes first. Dig in guys, we cannot afford to lose another manager. We may not think much of his tactics or quality of players in his squad, but right now, it's where we are with no alternatives.

We are a train wreck of a club without a pot to piss in with a cobbled together group of players – some of which even Merlin would have trouble making into decent footballers.

It is a pity that Patterson has hit a poor run of form when Seamus is unavailable and, although our midfield is robust, we don't have creative players who can make the ball do the work, beat players nor score goals.

This is Dyche's first window and he looks to have already addressed some of the imbalance in the squad. I just wish he didn't have a blind spot when it comes to Keane and Maupay – neither of whom is fit to wear the Everton shirt.

Nevertheless, this is a game we would have lost without Beto and Danjuma so let the man continue his rebuilding and let's not have this nonesense of getting rid of him for Potter.

Yeah, looking at the squad tonight and who signed them illustrates the chaos:

Starting XI:

Koeman/Walsh
No one as we had no DoF or manager
Benitez? Brands?
Koeman/Walsh
Brands according to Ancelotti
Lampard
Lampard
Ancelotti/Brands
Youth team
Thelwell *
Dyche?

Subs:

Lampard/Kenwright?
Dyche
Thelwell *
Lampard/Thelwell

I put * by two because we were linked with both in January before Dyche got the job. I assume Chermiti was probably Thelwell too based on Dyche's comments that “he is very very unlikely to hit the ground running.”

Crazy thing is we had Keane who was regarded as one of the biggest flops of the Koeman/Walsh era yet here he still is while no one remains from later managers Silva and Allardyce.

That genius Brands doesn't cover himself in glory. Rafa didn't seem to know much about Mykolenko so I presume it was Brands? Ancelotti credited the Dutchman for Godfrey and one of them was responsible for Docoure.

No idea if Frank or Thelwell wanted Gana but wouldn't be surprised if it was Kenwright. The same man who was the de facto DOF and manager when we signed Patterson the untried for a ludicrous sum.

I'm guessing the only man in the squad Dyche wanted was probably Young and even then, who knows… maybe it was Thelwell, Kenwright or Moshiri.

I can't think of another manager in our history who has had so little say in the squad he's working with. Yes, Moshiri and Kenwright meddled with Koeman but they bought their guys and let him buy his.

Likewise Ancelotti, for every unwanted Godfrey he was allowed to buy an Allan.

That's why I'm sympathetic to Dyche. His power extends as far as the training field and the tactics board. Last weekend he picked the team that most of us armchair geniuses were demanding and we still lost.

I don't know how good of a manager he is but to me it seems like he's got less control and much greater expectations than he had at Burnley — a team he inherited that were content bouncing between tier 2 and 3, and we expect more from him with less control or money because, until Kenwright came along, we were “big.”

It's kind of like saying “Okay, Chief Sitting Bull, you defeated General Custer now with less troops you've got to try and defeat WW II Nazi Germany.”

I always respect a guy who makes an effort even if he's not that good, eg, Maupay, versus the opposite, eg, Gomes.

John Rafferty makes his point in his usual calm way, Christine adds to it as usual, and then Kieran goes a little bit more in-depth, by analysing the whole Moshiri shit show.

Dyche has obviously ran the legs out of these players during pre-season, and four performances in, it seems like they are only prepared to run at Goodison Park? (I've only watched the Villa game, and Everton were absolutely lifeless.)

Jerome talks about the attitude at Finch Farm quite often on these pages and, although he has been ridiculed by a few posters, I think he makes perfect sense.

Even those who think Dyche is a footballing dinosaur must surely realise that football is “all about attitude” and, until this changes, then the only other thing that will change is that people will unfortunately start calling for yet another manager.

My personal opinion is that we were dead and buried when Lampard was sacked and Dyche hasn't been given anywhere near the credit he deserved for keeping us up. His interview at the end of the Bournemouth game “surely told us everything” but yet once again, Everton Football Club where nowhere near prepared for yet another new season.

This is an unforgivable disgrace imo, and it's why I think that Evertonians should start getting very angry and even sinister towards our current chairman, Gofer (courtesy of John Hall!) and the silent partner.

I'm still on holiday and for the first time in my life whilst being away from home, I can genuinely say, "Everton, I haven't even missed you!"

Let's get these fraudulent bastards out of our football club now!

Just when we needed a bit of luck with a home draw against one of the lesser sides remaining, but Everton don't get the luck...

Our players looked Doncaster level for most of that game, and if they had got that second goal before the hour mark then we were out.

None of our midfielders have any dynamism about them, none can control the ball, carry the ball and none of them can frankly do the basics of football well.

Dyche needs to start laying down some foundations soon otherwise before much longer he's going the Moshiri firing squad.

With a little more luck (and someone like Beto) we'd be on 6 points by now, we were a better team than either Wolves or Fulham, just couldn't finish. Villa totally outclassed us (and may well do in the EFL cup too, depends what team they put out as they are battling on more fronts). 3 points at the weekend and at least one more in the changing room (and 1-2 out) and we'll all be feeling more confident.

With Harrison, Young, Danjuma, Chermiti and Beto (plus Branthwaite back and Dobbin pushing through) this team is already much stronger than the one that ended last season.

Majority of the games will be played between Beto and DCL with cameos from Chermiti. We have good strength in the wings. What worries me more is a competent midfield. We need a good combating and intelligent midfielder.

We have enough out wide and up front to do OK this season once injured players come back. Keeping Branthwaite in the team and Keane well away from it is also going to be key.

Tony (25) For ‘calm' you could substitute the word ‘depressed' in that first half! We were awful. We looked like a team which hadn't played together before, which of course we hadn't. After Dyche made the three changes at half-time we got to grips with the game and in the end might have won more comfortably than we did.

I think removing the current regime is the easier part of the change required at the club. Much more difficult will be preventing a takeover by a new bunch of shysters with fancy promises but really looking to do no more than make a quick buck. I have no clue about how we prevent that happening.

Manure are sniffing round him so we really don't stand a snowball's chnce in hell.

Last night showed Chermiti was well below the standard of a PL footballer and will probably disappear into the big black hole for young strikers that exists at Finch Farm.

Based on the second half if we can get a from 3 of Beto, Danjuma and Harrison working then we should be OK. A creative number 10 would help enormously though.

With Beto, Calvert-Lewin, Danjuma, Mcneill, Harrison, Iwobi and perhaps to some extent Chermiti and Dobbin; we now have the players to get some goals in the direct system that Dyche wants to play.

My concern begins to shift more to midfield and in particular the defense. The back 4 we had last night, despite costing around £80m combined would be probably the weakest in the PL. We can't fix everything in one window but it may be that the priority over the next few days is to bring in better quality at the back.

If it's possible I would like to see a few more ins and outs in the next few days and then settle down and start getting points on the board.

Calls for Dyche's removal baffle me: This is effectively his first full transfer window, given he was left with a busted flush last January? There will be more business done before tomorrow's deadline, and we go into the game in Sheffield with goals(yaay!) and a win, whereas our opponents exited the cup to lower level opposition in Lincoln City.
I feel the manager now needs to switch his key priority to sorting out this defence: to me, we have to go with the very able Garner at RB, Tarks and Jarrad as CB's and Myko at LB, with the option of Young slotting in on the left- or right -flank.

I see there are still plenty of noises surrounding Sulemana and Cornet, as well as Elvedi the centre half from Borussia Monchengladbach. By all accounts he has a touch of John Stones about him, which would be something we'd all enjoy

Dyche will keep us up this season and I am not sure if there are many other managers out there who would.

I would love to know who is doing the wheeling and dealing as it looks to me that the kid from Portugal who we signed recently is certainly not a ready to go type, maybe one for the future. Unfortunately, we cannot afford too many of those types at the moment.

The worst run club in the country.

I hope Sean Dyche has them in Finch Farm today and makes the lot of those very poor performers in the first half, and some carried on like that in the second half, watch that first half again and again and also the reaction of the frustrated fed up Everton fans who had to watch that disgraceful, dreadful and dying performance.

An utter pathetic effort, no effort is the wrong word there was no effort or thought in that turn out, hopefully that was the nadir of the season and the rest of it will be on the up.

Dyche may be underperforming, but a large part of the cause of the financial straitjacket we find ourselves in is the fact we've sacked one manager a season (or in Carlo's case, paid off) since... 2017.

We're buying players on the never-never because we're sacking managers.

It has to stop.

Last night was horrific. But our injuries have partly caused it. Things will improve.

Our finances won't if Moshiri sacks yet another manager and coaching staff.

What they say in public is not the same as what they say privately to players, so taking their public comments with a pinch of salt should be the norm.

Managers are not going to come out and slag off their players left, right & centre - that would be be both damaging and foolish, and you wouldn't last long in the business if you did that.

There are public and private personas in all walks of life - we all do it in our working environments, and our private ones with friends & loved ones - professional sports people, and those in the public eye do this every day of their lives.

I am also starting to get just a little concerned over Sean Dyce, despite us lacking a goal threat he still picks 4 non goal scoring midfield players. He also promised we would be the fittest team in the Premier league I see no signs of that so far. I hope he starts to change things quickly and hopefully when McNeil and Harrison are fit he can start to change things. But he cant afford to lose his next 2 games otherwise it will be difficult to see how he survives. I read last week our ex player Victor Anichebe suggested we should have thanked Sean for keeping us up last year but appointed another manager he suggested Potter.

Finally it looks like we have at last signed a centre forward, a proper centre forward who is big and powerful and knows where the goal is. I know we were playing the worst team in the whole football league but Beto did all anyone could ask of a man making his debut after only 1 training session with the team. We now don't have to worry about how quickly and or how long DCL will play, or if its a choice between a winger or Maupay to lead the line or 2 young boys in Dobbin or Chemetti. I cant quite understand why Dyche hasnt given Tom Cannon a start scored 8 in the Championship last year and both Norwich and Preston both want the lad, and I understand Norwich have put a bid in of £7 million for him.

It's all about opinions, and not evenOnana's biggest fan or even his mam would have said he was excellent.

For my two cents worth: I see Onana's future potential now and again in the game what I mostly think and see for a great part of the game is he could become a great big large and lazy lump — — — if he improves!

I leave the last word to Doncaster's fans, a quote from their own fan forum about the match, which is sobering:

"Everton were a team of athletes, but with very little skill or ability (Notts County and Mansfield looked far better teams on that score), who took advantage of Rovers tired legs in the last 20 minutes to run through us."

Christine [20] totally agree with you on everything you said! Stability is one thing we absolutely need right now. The board and investment situations are a complete shambles...chopping a manager now isn't going to help much, it's part of the reason we're in such a mess. Constant changes and on pitch visions have led to a Frankenstein team of players suited to different managers tactics, instead of a cohesive unit. That only comes with time and consistency. Genuinely think we should have went for Howe when we had the chance, but we are where we are and we need to ride it out and see what happens, it's still early days.

That first half though was an absolute sh*tshow though. Don't know what was going on with the terrible passing and total lack of fight...apart from the fact we still seem to have no leaders on the pitch at all.

Beto looks the real deal though. Quick, powerful, hungry and not afraid to take his chances quick. Maupay actually looked really dangerous and useful being used in a 2 up front with him. Never understood why 2 up top isn't something we do more of, just makes sense to give opposing defenders much more to think about than one target man.

Am I confident for this season, not really, but the addition of Beto to the squad has made a massive difference. Still need to be patient with him, but with the new faces that have came in I think we'll see a change in playing style when they're all available. You can only use what's available to you, I mean, you can't make stew with just a parsnip.

Why I have made a couple of critical posts is because the performance last night, overall, was really beyond description, it really was one of the worst, if not the worst, I have seen from an Everton team, unforgiveable, but as I said I hope that was the nadir and the rest of the season will surprise us, in the nicest possible way.

Dobbin had a lot of work to do to make the grade, he'll get some cameos but really another loan deal would be better for his development rather than being a bench warmer.

Godfrey is playing like he doesn't know what a football looks like. He is in total shock and panic if it ever comes in his direction. He's another who needs games to get his confidence and a modicum of composure back. How does he get them? He won't be getting too many chances at Everton on this evidence.

Beto, looks the real deal, came on at HT and took the bill by the horns. So refreshing to see an Everton player being proactive, trying or force himself on the game, force the issue up front by testing the defenders all the time. It was half a game against Doncaster, but still you can see he's going to make a difference.

I am hoping now for one or two more good signings, hen most of all a period of stability. Another manager change is the absolute last thing the club needs. It needs a mid table season we can build upon.

I said to my lad at half time. If I didn't know about both clubs I would pick Onana as a prem player, the Doncaster right winger and centre mid, the rest where awful.

The subs at half time did the job.

Patterson for me needs to be moved on. He has nothing about his game to suggest he has a long term future with us. Garner is the better full back with much better quality.

Godfrey is a 400m runner or middle weight boxer masquerading as a football. He has nothing at all.

Gana and young showed their experience. Good in possession using the ball well.

Mykolenko had a much better 2nd half until going off injured.

Doucs and Danjuma did very little to impact the game besides Doucs setting up the first and Danjuma scored.

Chermiti and Dobbin on last nights performance don't look ready for the first team.

Beto looks like he has a bit about him, decent in the air and quite mobile for a big fella. The supply to him will be the challenge for the rest of the team. He looks like he can replace DCL as our main striker, early days but he has started very well.

For anyone calling for Dyche to go, please suggest a replacement that can coach this group of square pegs any better. The Moshir habit of sacking managers every 18 months has spread to the fan base. Instant fixes only exist in fantasy football. Stability is a major factor in football management.

The night is darkest before the dawn. maybe halftime in this game was the lowest point, maybe not? Beto gives us hope and returning creativity from McNeil and Harrison is something to look forward to.

Our Fullback position needs urgent attention before the Midfield in my opinion. I don't see a future for Mykolenko, who offers no intelligence in his positioning or play and has zero attacking instinct/ability.

Patterson is worrying and would ideally join a team on loan that's winning. Its always said that the time to integrate young players is into a winning team, well all poor Patt has been in is a serially bad outfit since day one and the pressure of making a mistake or taking a risk weighs heavy on him now.

FB is THE attacking impetus for modern football. They must be instinctive Wingers who can learn to defend, not Defenders who have to figure out the concept of how and when to cross. Garner is the only one we have who perhaps reluctantly shifts his career from Midfield to FB, but it would be far better for us to go out and find some natural attacking ability for the position.

Finally, the best thing about Beto last night was the shank and miss. Didn't let it get to him and just carried on, scoring minutes later, just like Richarlison, Lukaku and Yakubu would have done.

There are other players who repeatedly make the same mistakes season after season and never improve, Michael Keane is the obvious one in that case.

Maupay isn't for me, he hasn't played well in most matches. I couldn't possibly say he has but he's been played upfront as a lone striker most of the time, 5ft-8in, against two giant centre-backs!

How is he expected to get the better of them, no doubt about his effort, his control could be better, last night playing deeper and off a good striker he looked a lot better. Yes, it was against a League Two team, maybe he will used in this transfer window to help to strengthen the squad, very few fans would moan, I know.

I hope we get a few more good surprises in this window to ease all our worries.

By the way, Rob, you never said what your son said back to you about Onana!!

Ps, I also get a fair bit wrong ! And would appreciate if someone could tell me is it Beeto, or Betto as the pronounciation.

Let's have it right, that team first half should of been able to keep a team bottom of league 2 comfortably at bay.
Keane is a nervous wreck, Godfrey is a shadow of the player we bought, Patterson was poor again which is worrying. Garner & onana were out played, out fought & out thought in the middle. Dobbin had little impact and myko was skinned again and again. These are meant to be premier league players.
That's not the manager that's players not applying themselves, not being professional, not arsed !!

Just gana keeping the ball and having the bollocks to wait for the right pass made a difference, instead of just getting rid like the first half.

Of course Beto wad crucial and won us the match along with danjuma who never stops trying.

But now we have Beto, Dcl, mcneil, Harrison, iwobi & danjuma our problems are in the centre. Cb & cm
We need a play maker a passer, a player who's not scared to look for the right pass, even if it means holding on to the ball for longer than 3 seconds.

The first half was rank, and I was looking at WSAG, number 60, this morning and that first half reminded me of some of the MIke Walker era games, lack lustre, playing like strangers and no collective responsibility on the Park. Absolute crap.

The changes in the second half had a good effect and in Beto, first game and all that, playing effectively the bottom Div4, Team, he played like he cared and done a professional job.

Every player should be aiming high and the bare minimum.
No fekkn excuses, as this season, will not wait for teams in half done perform, and Everton must learn and avoid the perils of the las 2 seasons.

So Everton, have Villa up next, in the Carabou, but before then, to start winning League games.

I hope Jordan Pickford, can cut out some of his sweeper keeper tactics, within his own 6 yard line. and some calm can flow throughout the spine of the team.

I'm hoping now that some business can be done between now and 23.00 hrs 01.09.2023.

If we can get £15M for Iwobi, great and if we could get some money for Gbamin, Gomes, that would be a bonus.

But let's enjoy the win, and a better 97 minutes v Sheffield United, and to the 3 points.

UTFTs!

Essentially, we have paid a lot of money for a player from Rangers' reserve team who happened to play well for Scotland as a wing-back. International football often deceives when it comes to assessing a player. How they perform, week-in & week-out, with their club is a more reliable guide. It won't happen in this window but Nathan is a player who needs a spell on loan at a lower level to find his way in the game.

Onana is a footballing version of Meadowlark Lemon. Those moments of undoubted skill are inevitably followed by a piece of clowning ineptitude. He needs to grow up and quickly. I am still unsure to which role he is best suited.

In the central holding position, his lackadaisical approach in possession spreads unease among his team mates. Further forward his finishing is poor.

Dyche's positive comments for public consumption will, I trust, be complemented by honest, detailed feedback behind the scenes.

Glad to see Danjuma getting on the scoring, these two players just may save our season.

All of the back 4 are weak links in my view, which is why none of them are first choice. Dobbin and Chermiti were like rabbits in headlights – absolutely nowhere near the mark.

Garner, Onana, Danjuma, and Doucoure were not enough by themselves to make up for the deficiencies elsewhere.

Thankfully it looks like Beto is up to the job. If you add the first choice back four to the side, and throw in McNeil, Gueye, Harrison, Gray (or his replacement), Iwobi (or his replacement) Calvert-Lewin (for a few games a season, anyway), then we have a better side than last season.

We should be looking to move these two on. They've had enough chances to show what they can do.

Will Everton get relegated: why keeping Sean Dyche was a mistake

The likes of Rooney, Ross Barkley were head and shoulders above others at their age that's why they came into the team at the age of 20 and pretty much made the position their own.

Others had technical accomplishment like Leon Osman who broke through a bit later at 22 years old but I think that's rare in most cases, and I believe it was Osman's ability to use two feet comfortably that helped him along.

Not many young lads we've thrown in at 19 have ever remained.

We've seen decent starts but career flops like Franny Jeffers, Danny Cadamarteri, Michael Ball to name a few.

Jack Rodwell was another waste of talent due to varied issues.

I don't class Dobbin, or Cannon or any of the others yet as anywhere near Barkley or Rooney's ability.

Right now we need a team that's going to be savvy and clever and have nous about it.

Until then, we should hold back from hiring our 8th permanent manager in 7 years. Clubs who keep sacking manager sink, as we have narrowly avoided in the last 2 seasons.

Beto seems like a character as well as a player, which seems like something we need. I think Mina may have been similar.

Steve # 79, yes we need some stability and Dyche (and Thelwell) need time to sort out what remains a dysfunctional squad. Having sorted out the forward line, clearly everyone is now looking at the CB pairing, full-backs and midfield. There's still a lot of work to be done.

It's still very early days in the season, so lets see how the likes of Godfrey, Mykolenko, Patterson and others are shaping up in a couple of months. Dyche has a good track record improving defenders in particular so let's see what he can do with this lot.

There can be no excuse for last nights embarrassment. We were playing Doncaster Rovers and were second best to everything conceivable in the first half.
Yes their goal was offside, however, they were more than deserved to be in front
We did improve slightly in the second half but a slight improvement on horrendous is still horrendous

It really was unbelievably bad. I was actually watching and laughing because I couldn't take it seriously.

Sacking Dyche would be knee-jerk. As others have said, the guy has had very little chance to bring in who he wants but the squad is looking better with Beto and Danjuma. Harrison is an upgrade and Mc Neil will soon be back.

Dyche frustrates me but any manager would. We all have our opinions but we don't see training. I was wrong about Gueye. Thought he was poor on Sunday but we looked terrible without him.

I hope we can get a right winger as then Garner can play centrally. I would alternate Onana and Doucoure and there won't be room for both when all are fit.

That Doncaster fan summary is pretty fair re. the later stages. Had to laugh at the "team of athletes" observation though. All relative I guess.

Tony @ 66:

That's an interesting extra angle, having you as a lip reader. Please post more when you spot them! And it's Betto.

Without Iwobi or McNeil, the integration of the new forwards will be up and down. We may need to go 5-3-2 to cover our weaknesses until then. I think I'm optimistic about the Blades just because I feel that bit of nervousness saying it. That Everton thing.

Godfrey looked a decent player when we bought him but we have ruined him and could do the same to Garner.

Where are all the players with a bit of spark, like Andy King or Tim Cahill or Stephen Pienaar – do they not exist anymore!

I'm surprised Chermiti is apparently being dismissed as not good enough already. He had very little to feed off in his 45 minutes on the pitch but was definitely trying to be involved. From what I saw Dobbin was the worst of all but I am putting it down to simply feeling the immense pressure to try to get the team on the front foot.

Mykolenko started as he started his Everton career, very poor and weak, but markedly improved as the game went on. Still not the complete full-back though with his delivery remaining generally poor.

I think Patterson is also getting a rough ride. I don't think we've had a properly industrious right-winger who will consistently back up the full-back for years and I don't think Garner has shown any real ability to be the perfect foil as the right-sided attacker although he can whip the ball in / be creative.

My understanding of that is the way they are having to structure the deals, to navigate through this season's FFP regulations, meaning that a lot of the money, the bulk of the money that they would have to pay the selling club for said player, has been moved on to pay for next season.

'At the moment they just can't afford the outlay. I don't know the inner machinations of the Beto deal, from my understanding the way that deal would have been structured also would be a large chunk of that money being paid further down the line and kicking the can down the road.

Everton Summer Transfer plans: Massive Financial Fair Play cloud

After extensive research, Tony Everan, it's a short "e" sound so BETT-oh.

And what has happened to poor Ben Godfrey? He seems to have the footballing equivalent of the golfing yips. He looks mentally shot. That's what playing next to Michael Keane will do for you.

The accounts will contain the same amortisation charge, whether you pay this year or next.

If we have issues, it will be about selling players way above carrying value. Gray, Branthwaite, etc.

Also for the goal, the extra bit of pace to get in front of the defender, and the cool flicked finish stood out for me, impressive for a big man. He's got determination too, there is much more to him than just a target man which makes all the difference.

Also I liked the way he didn't go wandering Angus, he knows his job and where he needs to be. An ever-present nightmare for the two centre-backs.

The header had a touch of the Michael Jordan's about it. He hung up there defying gravity!

An aside, check out Michael Jordan's super yacht M*Brace, my goodness, that's the highlife!

You're likely to be right, but I was trying to show Andrew that we are up the creek without a paddle, regardless of why the deals have to be shaped in the way that they are.

What I don't understand is why so many refuse to accept that the club is in a parlous position, but still they cry 'Why can't we be like X or Y club?' or 'Why aren't we in for this or that player?'

At the end of the day, these are "professional" footballers.
I don't think any of them go into a game thinking "I'm going to play crap today."

The manager can only do so much. Professional pride, effort and belief must start with the players.

Dyche for me has done really well up to now. Win on Saturday and it's a different ball game.

Danjuma – loan
Young – free
Chermiti – £2-4M upfront, the rest in installments.
Harrison – loan
Beto – £25-30M with nothing up front.

Thelwell has basically got all these players in for the fee received for Ellis Simms!!!!

If that is not some decent Dell boy tactics, then I say its whichcraft !!!

Do people remember the days of:
£30M Bolasie??
£50M Sigurdsson??
£25M Gbamin??
£40M Iwobi??

Dyche may not be our long-term answer but he's the right man for now. Thelwell could be the key if he is kept long enough to implement his strategy over a few years.

If money's available, we need another centre-back to challenge Tarkowski, and a decent right-winger. This should get the squad through the whole season.

Let Keane or Godfrey go to help them find a comfortable career elsewhere. We can't change 11 positions in one summer window, but this is the last need for me. Good centre-backs can save any mistakes and really affect goals against, so for me I'd want one more decent centre-back.

The evidence so far looks like Thelwell isn't going to waste the money on tosh, so might as well let him continue the revamp until the final second of the transfer window.

If we do go for another winger (how many do we need?) then I'd like Sulemana (Southampton) and get Kelvin Phillips in on loan.

Absolutely dreadful against 92nd in the league...

Chances are he might bring in a proper right winger who can dribble past a full-back, cross, and score goals. Sounds normal, but the squad's not had a proper right-wing specialist in years.

So don't blame this on Dyche. We can definitely not fire him. We will have to have some patience here. We will be improved as new players set in. If we sack Dyche now, we will hit the dark ages.

Bad luck and bad refereeing! Not poor tactics and piss poor finishing.

I feel so much calmer now... and await our charge up the table.

To think that bum has three major winners medals for not lifting a finger is a joke.

If yer gonna slag the "pineapple headed bum" get his name right man. 🤣🤣🤣

He's a dinosaur who needs to be replaced by Potter.

Potter is/was just a fad.

Potter? We'd destroy him. Chelsea pretty much did. He was used to being at a well run club with low expectations, which allowed him to exceed beyond expectation because of how the club was run from the top.

And there is the crux of the issue. Thinking of the individual, Everton would be a bad move for him as an individual in my opinion.

Through fear of repetition, and this is no criticism of what he achieved, if he came to Everton, he could end up being the next Mike Walker. We are a knowledgeable crowd, but also unforgiving. Because despite what this current regime has done, they will never remove our expectation. Ever.

I keep saying it. The fundamental problem isn't the manager. Whoever they are. And let's face it we've tried a few in the past seasons.

It is how the club is being run. We are not setting up managers and players for success.

Anyway, we've got Sheffield United tomorrow. That's the focus. We get 3 points on the board.

Dyche played 442 at Burnley with 2 big men up front to contest the long balls hoofed up to them. It worked to a degree, with the 2 strikers scoring most of Burnley's goals. It stopped working though a couple of seasons ago, as more and more teams had by then, started playing modern progressive football which generally trounces this outdated style of play.

Dyche has now brought this outdated style of play to Everton, but what makes it even less effective is he's trying to play it with a 451 formation, plus his defence is nowhere near as solid as it was when he was at Burnley.

It's a recipe for relegation.

Whatever ‘progressive' system Potter uses, it doesn't translate itself into a winning system.

“X was felt by many commentators at this time to be one of the most promising new managers in English football, and he was praised for the positive, attack-minded passing game played by his side.”

“X had to pay substantial compensation to Y to secure his services. But he failed, however, to meet the high expectations of a bigger club”

The words above weren't written about Potter but they could have been.
They are instead words written about his 90's equivalent, Mike Walker.

Happened time and time again at Villa, wasn't addressed at half time and obviously not addressed since. Doncaster picked upon that, scored from a short corner routine (albeit offside) and created mayhem with others.

That is just plain down to training routines. How can that not be addressed?

I suppose if you spend you evenings getting off to Dyche's interviews you may think others do the same to other managers. They don't and neither do I. Still each to their own eh Chris. You're in a minority though, that may be a shock to you, sorry.

Fetishist is a word with either sexual connotations, or can be used to described someone who has an obsession with an inanimate object (that is, not a living being). You're clearly thinking the former I know, but as I say you're in a minority.