So we are going to pay him £250k a week and wrap him in cotton wool as if he is bone china?

Granted he didn't play much last season as he was selected but Moyes is acting like he's the aging Stanley Matthews who we can wheel out at the occasional carnival or something.

Time to start bringing in players who are ready to do more than sit on the bench or learn their trade until they're ready for the Premier League.

It's not an apprenticeship scheme we're running. Nor an old folks home.

We really struggled in the middle and though Gana can play better I think Iroegbunam is not yet ready for the Premier League.

How I'd love a play-dictating maestro like Wharton in there alongside Gueye. Garner is okay but not high level. I would love someone like Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart or Agoume. Even Hayden Hackney could help.

But we are in desperate need of a midfielder in the Mangala mould (with Doucoure energy) or we'll be getting pumped rather often.

Grealish should be playing at 10. No point in our best player being wasted on the left.

The brave new dawn becomes a damp old squid.

As for Grealish it may be that he gets more space and time to operate on the left. I think though his career he’s probably played there as much if not more than at 10. Either way we need to make sure we can get him the ball to feet frequently.

Having said that, it does not deter from the fact that it was a piss poor performance by us. We probably couldn’t have picked a harder away game than Leeds to kick off the season. As with most promoted teams, they were on a high and their raucous crowd had their team well fired up.

That first half was a painful watch, made worse by the fact that we were right in the corner, and two rows from the front, in the away section. Not the greatest view, but at least we saw most of the action in that first half, when it all seemed to be down our end. From what we could tell their midfield was given the freedom of Elland Road in that first half, and yet despite their almost total domination, there was very little threat on our goal, and we were even saying after about half an hour they had run out of ideas.

So we were denied what would probably have been an undeserved point by a very ridiculous penalty decision. I read on another thread that why would the premier league or the officials last night want to do us out of anything in the first game of the season? Well just think back to when we played Bolton away in the first game in their new stadium, I think it was 1997, and they had a goal ruled out despite the ball clearly crossing the line. First game or last game, every point is important, and who knows, that point we were denied last night could be vital come the end of the season.

We need to play more attacking football and make use of who we have. Grealish must start; if we use Beto, we cannot be pumping the ball long and in the air.

I would rather see Armstrong in the team. Until we get a new right-winger, I would play Patterson there.

I honestly thought we would start stronger this season. Only one game in so I hope that turns out to be the case.

For every game Moyes managed last season, we were ready and we competed. Sometimes not with high quality, but always fiercely and with total commitment. We kicked ass, took names and backed down from nobody.

That didn't happen yesterday. Not at any point in the game or anywhere on the pitch. We were timid and passive in the face of their aggressiveness and intensity. We lost all the 50-50s and backed off when they challenged.

When individual players don't do their jobs, it's on them. But when an entire team fails, that's on the manager.

If Moyes is looking for somebody to blame for yesterday, he need look no farther than his own bathroom mirror. And anything he says about the injuries and the ref and the window is bullshit as far as I'm concerned. All are valid factors -- but none excuse what we just saw.

The thing that puzzled me about Dyche, and Moyes down the years, is their teams always start the seasons badly. Moyes's seems to peak around February. We would suddenly beat the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea around that time and end the season positively. Then come August we look unfit and disorganized again.

In contrast, Harry Redknapp and Nuno Santos always seemed to come out of the gates flying, then collapse after Christmas.

Surely for the money these guys earn, they could hire some sports fitness analyst or something to help them tweak things so the players are on a more even fitness trajectory over the season.

I just don't understand as a manager like Moyes or Dyche why year after year you want to be talking relegation battles come September, then hope that in the New Year you've turned the page.

Similarly, I don't know why Redknapp and Santos are happy busting a gut for 4 months then watch their teams slowly slide down the table. There has to be a balance there somewhere?

How can the same person make such a huge mistake on both accounts, sat in the VAR room.

If Tarkowski was a penalty, which I don't think it was myself due to his arm being tucked in, then how the hell can he say Rodri, who looked liked he was flagging a bus down, with his outstretched arm, be deemed no penalty?

Had it been someone else in VAR, we would have to take it on the chin, but the same person on both occasions stinks to high heavens.

I don’t think the charade of going to the USA helped. Lot of energy, money and time travelling and would have gelled and learnt more by playing Southport!

It all starts at the top and Everton management seem disorganised and lacking direction. No excuses get your act together Everton and give the supporters what they deserve.

Moyes took over a super fit team... tbf to Dyche, his players were peak fitness, he was just a shit tactician. Moyes has imo let that slide.

I'm not sure fitness is the issue, however, for either the fast starters like Nuno or the slow ones like us. (Redknapp was way before my time.) Every club has a fitness team, and sport science has advanced to the point where most of the principles are similar. It's hard to figure.

In our current case, I believe the cause is more mental. Brainfade and Brainthwaite. (Yes, I know I misspelled his name but I'm trying to make a point.) I think young Jarrad is a monumentally important presence back there. His speed and aggression are crucial and contagious. Last season, we looked shite starting the season without him. This season looks like the same.

We will get our stuff together and perform, I'm sure of that. But as usual it'll take us until the first turn to get out of first gear and we'll be ten lengths behind on the backstretch.

Dave #16, I didn't think we looked unfit yesterday, just unprepared mentally. The body language was awful from Minute 1.

Frank #15, I believe the USA trip helped our transfer budget. The revenue we pulled in would have been intended to assist our PSR situation and given us more space to buy players. We'll never know but that's my theory.

Half our defence was on the injured list, besides 80% of our players are only just moderate, expecting them to suddenly play like Top 6 quality players is asking to be disappointed.

That's where we are just now: anywhere from 12th downwards. We will sign more players and we will get much better — I've no doubt about that.

You surely didn't expect them to play as badly and like they didn't understand where or how they were supposed to play as they did.

It's been a long time since I saw a worse 45 minutes like last night's first half at any stage of the season.

To see such a diffident Everton was a shock. Worst I'd seen since Spurs last August.

We need an actual elite centre-forward asap… Also, don't we have any right-backs or left-backs in the Academy or U21 teams who can fill in and get a game?

Pep plays bloody Rico Lewis, who's about 18 years old, and others. I just don't understand any of it.

How come their combined career total of top-level goals is 1, versus 32 for Beto?

Problem Number 2: Both our left-backs are injured so we play a right-footed midfield player there with no pace and consequently sit deep.

Problem Number 3: We don't have a goalscorer nor a hold-up player as Beto is neither of these.

Problem Number 4: For some unearthly reason, Pickford has started his "I am the best long pass player in the world" routine and proceeds to kick the ball straight to the opposition with Beto isolated and unable to control the ball.

Problem Number 5: Midfield was a dog's basket of unfamiliar setup and positions such that nobody knew who to give it to or where to play.

Sort it out before Sunday, Everton, or this could turn embarrassing.

As you know I was pleased with Moyes coming back and against the odds got us to safety very quickly and playing some decent football. But last night was one of the worst performances I have seen for a long time. To be honest I said to my Sons that we havent looked good in our pre season games and thought we lacked a real goal threat. I know people say don't take any notice of pre season games as its about getting players fit, but its also about confidence and other than Port Vale we failed to win any game in pre season.
So we have mainly got the same squad as we had last season plus DBH and Grealish whose only had 15 minutes so why have we gone backwards so quickly compared to how we played at the back end of last season.

I also notice Beto's price tag seems to go up every time he has a poor game too. He cost €25.00m which by today's exchange rate is £21.59m. And that was increased because we paid nothing in year one - a very favourable financial deal negotiated by Thelwell.

If he sticks to this historic tactic, he'll soon need Doddy to return to these columns to help save his job!

If he wasn't getting balls played through to him all game, he still wouldn't get into double figures all season. Yes, he had a purple patch last season, I think it was 5 goals in 8 games… wow, but the lad is a truly shocking footballer and anyone else telling me different is only kidding themselves.

That said, I'm not worried. We get in a right winger or two, and a few more fullbacks, and we have the making of a decent team. Getting them in though is always harder than it needs to be for us. Pay the money for Dibling. Now.

I think we are now playing to KITALOI - which is easier to say for a start - and means "Keep It Tight And Let One In".

That made me chuckle (sadly) lol

Are you watching the train wreck at Ibrox?

Stop messing around try to save a million here and there. We need European football next season. That’s where the money is, not languishing around the bottom of the league season after season.

The only improvement in Everton's revenue picture since TFG took over has been the sales of Goodison and the women's team. We have no new monies flowing in yet from the new stadium or kit sales. So we're likely operating under a lower ceiling than Forest. They're going to Europe and we're not. Not this year and not next. (Sorry.)

Also, it's not a million here and a million there at this point. On players like Dibbling it's more like £10m.

All I know is this so called elite recruitment team is looking anything but and Angus Kinnears silence is deafening.

It might be lower than we think. Or, it might be higher.

Anyway, they did look mentally shaken or something of that nature. They seemed forced into something in which they had no faith.

There was no driver of that bus, all passengers. I kept thinking a good tackle or defence splitting pass would wake them up but they were confused and completely lacked confidence at kickoff.

Whereas we may have been expected to attack at Leeds, there may be no such delusion v Brighton. That could be a relief for Moyes.

We have to find a way to dig in against the Gulls without causing post traumatic Dyche disorder. These players cannot withstand more relegation pressure, they may crack.

Davey will need to lay it out to the new players and get some buy-in to an agricultural first phase. I don't see us finding our rhythm in possession, our lack of speed is a ball and chain.

When is someone proper going to get hold of this club and stop this utter madness.

I feel there is an element of us having ideas above our station and we are beginning to pay the price. Some of the links have been completely unrealistic and unachievable. Luiz was one. Delap another.

I expected a pragmatic transfer policy. We have been shite for years and are not an attractive outfit. We need to get realistic and get some players in. We once again seem to be completely disregarding the Championship.

There are holes all over the place. A utility player who can play in front of the back 4 and full back would be extremely useful. Zinchenko perhaps? There's Rico Lewis, however I doubt he'd come here.

If we don't sign a competent and experienced front man who knows the score then it is going to be a very long season, by the way.

Barry - young and raw - is not the signing the club needed at this time. We need an experienced, reliable front man who can perform all the basics of front play. We don't have one. I'm not expecting loads from Barry this season. Same applies to the kid full back.

As it stands, this is shaping up to be a disastrous window.

You can buy all the players you want but is the man at the helm the man to take this team forward?

We need a right side and an athletic centre mid to replace Doucoure.

We got baby Beto for £30m
Kdh for nearly £30m
And a young left back who on face value doesn't look prem ready.

Our recruitment has been a disaster in this window. The icing on top on the cake is Grealish who is obviously a good footballer but without legs around him this team will make him look very average.

There wasn't a single positive to come out of last night.

But Moyes is definitely the guy to keep us safe and stable until the long process of accumulating quality players is completed.

Christy and Robert... Ferguson? A 20-year-old who can't stay healthy? Must say that's the first time I've seen a guy who has missed 30 games before being old enough to shave described as "less of a gamble" than one who has never been injured. And truly I've not seen nearly as much from Ferguson as I have from Barry in terms of pure talent.

Rob #53, I have never for a moment expected that we would fill all the gaping holes in our squad within one window, or even two. And I'm trying to remind myself that we're building a squad for the future, not just the present. Not stocking up on young talent would be shortsighted in my view. Even if they're not ready to be PL starters right away.

KDH and Grealish are for the present, Barry and Aznou more for the future. We need both kinds.

If I was a manager no player that I didn't want would come though the door.

If Moyes is having to rely on other peoples judgement of players its a poor process, he's getting well paid regardless of how results go so I suppose he could grin and bear it.

He will want to spend up to the maximum we are allowed to spend though, any manager would.

Assume a new manager will be able to double up at left back, right back, centre back, defensive midfield, right wing, and will be able to hold the ball up top. They'll also be able to cover the bench as a left back, right back, centre back, multiple midfielders, wingers and strikers. Perhaps they can sort out Ukraine whilst theyre at it. Champions league here we fucking come.

Been a basket case for years. A change of manager is exactly what we need as we head to the last knockings of the transfer window. Be sure to tell the Friedkins, they'll value that type of quality input after one game.

Theres some sensible people that should know better. We are ill prepared for the season with a threadbare squad that has its better players injured or lacking fitness. It was a shit performance, that shouldn't come as surprise after the US tour.

We need to get players in, get the injuries sorted, and get through a bumpy period where results & performances will be sub optimal. This is going to be a shit show until Branthwaite is back in all likelihood. Any new signings will take a period to bed in, and likely to lack fitness.

Tough, but no one said supporting Everton would be easy.

He'll do a better job under what appears to be pretty limiting circumstances than anyone else that we might attract.

Hardly the first time one of his teams has performed abjectly, but that doesn't change the facts that he has proven ability as a Premier League manager.

Something is not right with player recruitment and it needs sorting out, we haven't got our priorities right. He has made it perfectly clear how he feels about that but he has got to wind his neck in now and get on with his job as a coach. If he can't, or won't do that he'll be gone soon, and I'm not sure we'll be better for it.

We won't be relegated under DM, but I'm likely to step away from watching and listening to the abject shit show that this season will be for us under the man who singlehandedly took all aspiration away from a large group of fans and, guess what, he's doing it again.

Fingers crossed Mykolenko is fit this weekend and we get some decent signings in, it was a depressing performance but only one game and things can change quickly in football.

No sane club is going to sack a manager after 6 months, with the record Moyes enjoyed. 4 league defeats last season, the Friedkins arent getting to say goodbye for £10m plus after one defeat/poor display, that turned on a decision that everyone with any brains knows wasn't a penalty.

Carragher & t bag might have backed the decision, but they like Sky are just playing to the script of a plucky promotion side winning the opening fixture. That decision would not occur in 80-90% of the time, and spit boy would be doing his nut if it was against his precious red shite and they lost.

We need players, and we need them quickly. The irritation is the links have been quiet for days, and we are likely to be picking up others strong rejects or unproven kids.

Vardy, Bissouma, that ilk of player could arrive if we are lucky. Are they good enough to go where the fan base wants to be? Nope.

Recruitment has been a known issue since last April. The plan to address it hasnt been good enough.

Going after good players, and being told no, they needed to up the strategy. Like every club that's made that transition from shitness to great, it needed some over payment at the beginning- like city, like Chelsea etc.

I know Moshiri could be acused of that. But the strategy was flawed by signing players that had no shelf life, and no jeopardy of not improving.

Having your price and prudency is all when and good. But if weve money in the bank in November, bottom of the league and in dire trouble, it'll count for precious little.

We have signed two reseve keepers, kept a player we had on loan two players Moyes refused to start and a young LB who may or may not be injured.

I've heard people wait until the end of the window, what and just throw the first few games. We have winnable games at the start a good start sets the tone and build confidence.

It’s not stupid to seek out value by waiting till the end of the window to confirm deals.

TFG are not just building a squad for this season. We won’t / can’t peak this season - that was always impossible.

If they get the right flank sorted and one or two others in it could still be a really good window. We just have to cross fingers.

We were unfortunate not to get a draw in the end so it was not a disasterous display.

Its a given that we need reinforcements with 2 or 3 class players among them, whether that will happen is anybodys guess. How much have we left to buy players, do we have any idea?

I think we will be good enough when things are sorted, although I doubt we will be seeing any glory.

As soon as the recruitment is sorted out and Moyes picks a team with players playing in their correct positions, then I think that performances will improve and we will look more balanced and the players will be happier with that.

Garner is a right footed player and should never again be asked to play left full back. O’brien is a natural centre back and he should be playing in that role, not right full back. I hate this business of playing right and left footed players on opposite wings, they always cut in and use their correct foot to pass or cross.

Play players in their natural positions and stop tinkering, even to the point of bringing youth into the team.

Can we not just move on to something else now?

What's the point of raking over the same thing repeatedly other than to generate site traffic? These are all effectively just clickbait threads.

I'll sum it up for you.

It was a penalty. We were awful. We need more players. Injuries cost us. Everyone hates the manager. We lost. Next.

The squad is thin, and just a couple of injuries have left us completely unbalanced. Even more worrying is our inability to create chances and get shots on goal.

Moyes sits on his hands and was content on Monday to see the game out. A point was all he targetted and our lack of intent reflected the mission.

We could be three games in on zero points before Moyes fills his roster.

They have 12 days to sort out something they've had 10 weeks to do.

Tyrell Malacia, Man Utd, plays left back, can also play right back. Barely played for Utd, could be available/useful.

Ben Chilwell, unwanted at Chelsea.

Zinchenko - rarely gets a game at Arsenal.

Davide Calabria, AC Milan, plays right back, was out on loan last season, surplus to requirements at Milan.

Lucas Vasquez, Real Madrid, another right back/wingback. Tons of experience, 34 but still decent. Good cover in the Ashley Young mould.

Javier Manquillo, Celta Vigo, right back and ex RS, Sunderland and Newcastle. At 31 not too old and again, offers good cover.

The last 3 are all free agents by the way.

Discuss.

We played well and deserved to win 🤣

Ashley Young was a success for us in the main in my view and Vazquez would be similar. We should be offering him a contract ASAP. He's fit as a fiddle training himself and actively seeking a contract.

I see zero downsides to this sort of deal.

I can understand the club breaking Dyche, but with new owners and a brand new ground, I would assume that David, should be a lot happier?

He’s been backed, I keep hearing. But I do wonder if he’s feeling the same way?

My own view is that he’s been backed enough to just keep us relevant, but definitely not enough to move us forward.

The window hasn’t closed yet and we should hopefully do quite a bit more business, but when I read people talking about other clubs, being in the same boat, my only thoughts are that the only team that matters to me is Everton.

I used to feel embarrassed driving past Goodison, when Kenwright was our owner and we had a big banner across the back of the park end roof, saying… NIL SATIS NISI OPTIMUM.

nil satis nisi optimum, has a particular meaning in Latin, but this is something that sadly no longer applies to our once great football club, and they will just continue to be very hollow words, until we get people inside our club who want to make us great again.

As regards the current squad, I do hope there's not a them and us situation. Also I do wonder how many of the oldies, were miffed to see Doucoure and Young go, whilst Keane and Coleman agreed new contracts. Two players who were bit part players last season, when the team got their act together and moved up the table. Somethings wrong, as they certainly didn't play as a team on Monday night.

Buying Barry, for later and leaving the club with only Beto, to lead the line, is a backwards move imo, because if we don’t improve our strikers, we are going to continue to struggle to score goals, and if we continue to struggle to score goals, we simply aren’t going to be able to move forward.

Injuries to and lack of full backs didn't help and I expected that seeing how we've bought more additions to midfield than any other part of the team, with the possible exception of goalkeeper or goalkeeping coaches, I expected to see a better performance from that part of the side but none of them seemed to know where they were supposed to be never mind the others in midfield, and that has to be down to Moyes. It didn't matter how well or not Beto played as we never looked like mounting any sort of effective attack or build up.

Then the true villains in the piece. Somebody in the Premier League management or refereeing body needs to quickly sort out what is or isn't handball or if there is even any allowance for "ball to hand" and to see some consistent interpretation and application.

And then the man who seems to be getting very little criticism, Tarkowski. Quite often he falls back too far hence his blocking stats and I'd more prefer that he was nearer the man shooting than being the last man between forward and goalkeeper as he seemed to be. Most keepers dislike anybody getting too far back and too far away from the man with the ball, they just become an obstruction and if Tarkowski had been nearer the shooter he may not have done or as it was the shot looked as though Pickford would have dealt with quite easily as it seemed to be going straight to him in the middle of the goal rather than for any top or bottom corner.

Ok we have brought in a number of new players but critically the areas that needed addressing, RB, left sided defensive cover, defensive midfielder, and right sided forward all remain unfixed. Yet we now seem to have, two young players who have been bought for the future, two attacking midfielders, in Dewsbury Hall and Alcaraz who both want to play in the same position and Grealish who in our circumstances has to be an unnecessary luxury particularly if he is to play on the left hand side where we already have two players fighting for a first team place.

I appreciate money may be limited but in our circumstances surely every new player that comes in has to be ready to play in the first team and in a position where we currently have no cover.

I know we see ourselves as football Managers and have our own solutions and there is nothing wrong with that.

What I saw was tactical tweaks needing to be made, After around the 60 minute mark, I would have made a minimum triple change, I would have brought Harrison Armstrong on for Iroegbunam, Grealish for Alcaraz but played Grealish as a number 10, and put McNeil out on the left, I would have give it 10 mins and then look to put Barry on for Beto. That was the way I saw it but sure more options and changes for different personel will be popular with other posters.

I think we can all agree that at the very least, we should have made a triple substitution, sooner rather than later.

Finally Tony in regards to Barry, That is why a couple of weeks ago I suggested getting Vardy in for 12 Months, to help Barry improve his game, we could use Vardy sparingly, but his experiance and knack of sniffing a goal out would certainly improve our forward squad and give us the option to send Chermiti out onloan.

I know I will get pelted with too old, one last pay Day football journey man the lot, but I think Everton will get more out of Vardy, than the player himself and will be a useful squad member at no risk or transfer fee.

Strikes me we understand and forgive those who served us. Even badly.

Dignity we have I reckon...once 24 hrs have passed since we won, drew or ambled around as at Leeds.

"Not us that"

Agree but game with petulant little boys spouting good quotes they would need a God (agent) to write for them.

"But Mummy...!!!!", he cried. "I want (insert list here).

Prob with tech for this old man. Will try and post link in a sec.

Moyes is the same manager as when we were getting some outstanding results when he took over. Talk of getting rid of him after one loss away from home is gormless.

Plenty players from last season have left and we are now lacking replacements, who's to blame for that situation? As I posted earlier we don't know for sure who has the final decision on who is bought and for how much. I know from experience too many people making decisions about the same thing can paralyze the process.

Yeah, we can rattle on about who we might sign and what the future holds – or we can rattle on about the past and who did what right or wrong.

I prefer to be forward-thinking, rather than backwards-thinking. Something Everton and Evertonians are all too often guilty of.

Get some players in asap or this could be another horrible season.

Change the narrative Everton, ffs, stop just existing and start competing!

Everton need bodies in first and foremost…. good coaching set-up and tactics. Then trade up the assets. Only Everton make this exceedingly difficult.

Until I see tangible evidence to the contrary, I'm still of the opinion it's a comfy boys club run by members for members. Please prove me wrong, Everton.

But strange Grealish being on the bench and getting minutes to get his fitness up, yet we name 2 goalkeepers on the bench, rather than give Aznou some minutes to build his fitness up.

We all know we have to get a right winger in and for me another striker for sure.

The defence was not the problem on Monday, it was the players in front of defence, the midfield and attack was dreadful, every ball nearly a back pass from our midfield.

Aznou has played Champions League, Club World Cup, etc; he's ready. Moyes is not the manager for these young lads.

I've just looked at Barry's record: 132 games he's played, scored a lot; these lads are ready, same as Armstrong. We need a manager to take a chance.

That's the role of us ToffeeWebbers...

Today, Forest have signed Douglas Luiz from Juventus on an initial loan with agreement to make the deal permanent. Palace have agreed in principle to buy the lad at Leicester that we were supposedly interested in, and there is also speculation they may put a bid in for Dibling.

Moyes told Kinnear and his muppets before last season finished when we were well clear of relegation that we needed more quality. We have signed Dewsbury-Hall and Barry, a couple of squad players and Grealish on loan, and made Alcaraz's deal permanent.

Moyes quite rightly looks totally frustrated with the whole transfer debacle and must be concerned as to what sort of additions we will get in the next 12 days. Instead of us signing players to move this club forward, other than Grealish on loan, none of the others at present are better than what we had.

Moyes wasn't that keen on Beto but got a tune out of him but knew long term he wasn't the answer and it will take Barry some time to adjust to the Premier League, maybe we should have kept Doucoure.

Aznou isn't ready and again will take time, so maybe as well as keeping Coleman we should have kept hold of Young. Many would argue that we would be just standing still had we done that, but at the moment we look as if we have gone backwards.

Does the title at the top of the piece give you some idea of what this is about, Monday night?

Sounds like my beau coming home after night out!

Shit man. be boring when when bloody fanciful transfer window closes.

We seem to watch whole market and moan we missed out.

My prediction?

Blah blah blah for price of north east Africa GDP secured.

Moyes, back on Cheap Football TV explains it was tricky.

One thing with Young was, he was versatile. There's players we can get and a lot will happen last minute as always.

Seen fans laughing that Sunderland got Xhaka, but I'd have had him, to come off the bench.

I feel like we are looking for quality players, which is great, but you can build a squad too, using players that are not fancied, players that do a job well.

We are at the point now where most clubs have done their main business, they know their budgets going forward, they probably know they don't have to sell their star players, or even important players. We are left with the players deemed surplus now. Doesn't mean they are bad, or won't do a job.

Leeds are not packed with wonderkids, or with teams queueing up to buy their players. They have a squad, balanced, players who know what's expected, know what the manager is trying to achieve, and they are are running for him, showing enthusiasm, energy and commitment.

On Monday ,we looked like when the players had given up on Sean Dyche's tactics: they had no enthusiasm, no desire, no energy to do what the manager was asking.

This would enable TFG to put their systems in place, which would be based on measurement of performance and accountability. This they have done with definite purpose. I am also sure everyone was consulted and had an input, as Moyes would have been.

These changes were necessary to put a TFG performance culture in place and to implement an agreed strategic plan, which has been absent from Everton for years.

But I did feel that Moyes is out of step with the progress needed. He is still harping back to the old ways and Finch Farm on the training and medical end has not moved forward either.

The squad is unprepared: not up to speed, and training has not resulted in the necessary injury resilience. I expect that TFG will be monitoring this situation closely and will be looking for change.

It is obvious that the agreed transfer policy was to reduce the age profile of the squad. Having implemented change, TFG will expect better data on youth development.

Moyes is a step up on a relegation manager, he naturally will want seasoned professionals around him, rather than being dependent on youth. He is all about mid-table security.

TFG will not allow him to secure his job at their expense, they will be continuously looking at data and looking for generic improvement from the players they have, and that they bring in with their strategic plan development objectives.

What we got against Leeds was an attempt to set up shop. Though the defence played well, the midfield was in disarray as Moyes waited for the mirage of forward quality — which was never going to materalise with no forward plan or proper selection.

He is harping back to a seasoned veteran performance, when what he has been caught short on is his failure to try to ensure the strategic plan he agreed to is implemented and bringing his previous skills of organisation to bear in achieving that, instead of pissing in the wind as he is currently doing.

I don't think Moyes is a problem, it's the fact we haven't got enough Premier League quality players at the moment; he highlighted the fact long before the Leeds game.

If Everton give the officials the slightest of chances to give a penalty or disallow an Everton goal, they will.

With some teams in red, even if it is a blatant penalty against them it won't be given.

That is the truth.

Another thing I noticed during the game, after the penalty, was that their goalkeeper had hold of the ball, which to me seemed a lot more than eight seconds. Kavanagh said sweet FA to him.

Yes, of course he is, but that would still leave us without a right back. We have just bought a left back who is not fit for purpose, and apparently the £27 million striker isn't either! Oh, did I mention we have on loan a left winger, who is right footed but in his whole career has only played there 17 times. Are all the recruitment team Catholics? Because they all seem to be left footers.

They may be fancy assumptions to you, but in the World Soccer Magazine two years ago this appeared.

"The veteran coach wants to focus on British players with Premier League experience. This is quite clear in West Ham’s links throughout the summer. The club has already had offers rejected for James Ward-Prowse, Conor Gallagher, Harry Maguire, and Scott McTominay. As none of these deals are close at the moment, the Hammers may be entering the 2023/24 campaign with a light squad.

West Ham has already lost their captain Declan Rice. The England international was previously sold to Arsenal for around $130 million. Despite having plenty of money to spend, the Hammers have so far found it difficult to strike a deal".--

Kindly provided by Kieran Kinsella's brilliant research.Thank you Kieran

More fancy assumptions, Raymond ?

Moyes is front and centre of the problem, as the trend points to.Moyes was in dispute with the West Ham Technical Director at the time , aka the Strategic Plan.

UNLESS somebody in the club can sell players hardly anyone wants to pay for OR somebody at the club can persuade a very good young player or three to sign for us to further their personal status as a potentially great player, our club being a decades-long basket-case as far any observer less than 50 years old can remember, OR Friedkin can bribe the EPL to accept a massively unfair overspend by us, rather like they've done for years in regard to Citteh, owned by total bastards who make Kenwright look like a guardian angel.

None of that's going to happen though, is it?

If so, whilst he's a bit limited, Adama Traore from Fulham would provide much needed width and pace. Think he's in the last year of his deal so would be cheap.

Just so you know, I don't expect us to beat Brighton either. Maybe a draw at best.

If we don't sort RB and RW and a proper LB (even if only a real reserve) we will get relegated.

And then the club goes and buys something nice but not necessarily needed because we need to be ambitious? We seem to be stuck in a cycle. We may work our way out but it is looking more circle than spiral at the moment.

I actually think the Grealish move was alright given this transfer window. Overall though, even up to the manager, the service to the club is becoming purely professional and contractual. That is not a problem if there is some inertia for success in the methods of the organisation. However, when people start talking and it doesn't get the response requested, upstairs or down, it could be perilous.

Sorry to babble but the thing about the club breaking Dyche struck me.

Do you expect Moyes to announce ar the press statement pre game that he doesn't have Mykolenko, Branthwaite and Aznou?

Read the club report. IT SAIDS HES INJURED.

All of what you say is right.I don't believe that Moyes was a low cost option though.I believe he is exactly what they wanted.He gave continuity and a basic formula which was a step up on Dycheball, which was all organisation, that provided the addition of a developing attacking option.This to be right a the beginning and end of his tenure last season..

But the second part of the way forward was a Structural and Cultural change of the Everton organisation on and of the pitch based on data and accountability.This was based on a Strategic Plan which now exists and will be fine tuned.Moyes was involved and formulated this plan.

Where this has fell down in the performance on the football both on and off the pitch.The Commercial side is full steam ahead.

Finch Farm has not changed enough and performance wise is poor, injuries and levels of fitness.Moyes has went along the same as usual in this regard.There still as many couch's in the recovery room as the day he arrived.

The transfer team has been built to develop on the changes to a data lead regime with expectations of increased performance in development and training.Generic growth.Growth from within the Club.

The problem is that Moyes has never been left dependent on generic growth, he like all survival managers was dependent on hardened professional who where mostly British.The problem with such Professionals is they are in demand and don't want to play for Moyes.They want to win something.Everton are more interested in Younger players now and the Manager working them into his system.They are not going to pay out money to keep Moyes as he is accustomed too.There are few Clubs in the Premier League that would.

The result is a injury hit squad and a Manager who is not use to developing and playing Youth and whining after what he can't get.He was not able to get it at West Ham either.He therefore is positioning himself that the blame falls on the TFG who have money, the transfer team who are following the Strategic plan he is part off and the transfer markets that had not given him a sniff of what he wants.

Moyes has thought he could engage in the Strategic Plan and continue as normal doing what he has always done and not bother Finch Farm. Mid table happiness., but the goal posts have moved at Everton and in the Premier League.

Christine TFG are pouring over the data as we speak.They will be looking for solutions . They will be onto problems alot quicker than expected.
Moyes and Finch Farm are about to find that out.

I expect Moyes's selection and organisation to improve for the next game.Meanwhile Everton will be busy in the loan market.

Maybe Moyes is finding that he is out of his comfort zone.TFG will be into pushing everybody out of their comfort zone.They won't be paying people to sit in their comfort zone.

David #131

I did have a perspective on Grealish prior to Moyes's comment on consecutive games, now I am not that sure.

Is he a dominate enough player to impose himself on the game ? Is he a leader and playmaker?Is he a Barry?

If he depends on other players then their is a problem.I also hadn't thought of his no doubt keenly negotiated contract, as you allude to.

He will add to the attack. but Everton need more than that.

If he was permanent player, and if you wanted him to take responsibility for his on & off the field habits, a manager would make him Everton captain. Harness that drive, someone to get into the refs ear and someone that sets the bar for the rest. If Howard was here, I think that's what he'd do.

Best player at the club by a mile, and I think it would raise his game with the responsibility.

Hypothetical, as not a permanent player. And perhaps would follow Don Hutch and Ferguson as unlikely skippers. But first he needs to win a long term contract.

Some people give you quite a bit of stick, or have done over the years, but I tend to think you might have some inside information because of the way you write? (There has definitely been a lot wrong at finch farm for years, imo)

Keep it to yourself either way, (I’m not interested in who or where the information is coming from; that’s even if I’m remotely close, mate!)

Just keep giving us the information, especially on the day that “real change” finally happens, and although it looks like I’m defending David Moyes, the fact is, he has been sold very short, with regards being prepared for the new season, proven by the part where you talk about an injury hit squad.

We have got two defenders injured (three if you include Patterson) and this meaning we have got an injury hit squad, shows me how short of numbers, Everton Currently are.

It’s clear that Moyes could have prepared us better, but it’s a lot clearer that he simply hasn’t been given enough players to bolster his squad.

I can understand people questioning Ake, for the reasons you mention Jerome, but if I was a manager on a short term contract, then I’d definitely want experience and a defender who can play in two or three positions (he could be a very good sweeper, in a three man defence) whilst I didn’t have the biggest of squads.

For this reason alone it’s imperative that Moyes, isn’t being told to just get on with it, unless we are definitely going to be getting a few more decent players through the door.

Football is not anything like selling cars for instance, football is much more dynamic and risky.

The owners must think they can make money buying football clubs, I do think they got a long term bargain when they bought us, I hope they are right.

Here David, you lost a lot of players, but because a few of them were on loan, we have managed to sign you get you a marquee signing on loan, another three on permanent’s, a couple of goalkeepers, and hopefully now we are going to sign you a few more on loan.

Don’t worry about your contract David, we don’t really expect too much to begin with at the start of the season, because it’s not as if we have really helped you with numbers to begin with.

TFG, have backed the manager to do what exactly? I suppose it’s probably just best to wait and see what the next ten days bring, because as it stands, I’m genuinely getting past worrying.

I agree it would be unrealistic in reality but in the absence of knowing what their expectations are, or what their actual football experience is, exactly why have we not signed players?

I thought that Moyes had just set up shop to avoid a West Ham result. They got beat 3-0. The midfield had no mission, like I would have expected from a Moyes midfield. It seemed he had got Drewsbury-Hall and Iroegbunam mixed up. I'm not even sure if the hoof ball was meant for Beto. The attackers were left with no supply.

I would have expected a lot more from a Moyes midfield and expect the next game we will. Moyes is just going to have to push on and do what he knows best and can do.

Moyes will continue as Everton Manager, but will have to get used to the drive of the TFG strategic plan and his agreed part in it. He will not get sitting in his comfort zone.

Moyes seemed determined from the start to get control of transfers. He probably misread the ending of the Director of Football role going. What it was replaced with was the Chief Executive who brought in Hammond and wanted to bring in Penrice, both from Leeds, who he had worked with.

Moyes wanted his former West Ham transfer team, according to reports at the time. It seems that Moyes got his way with the appointment of Smith from Man City, instead of Penrice.

Both Penrice and Smith are ex-Everton. Smith starts in September, so the current transfer team is Kinnear, Hammond and Moyes. Moyes has publicly attacked the transfer team. I don't think this helps anyone.

Dyche also accepted Finch Farm, thought he told Tony that half the Staff would go under a new regime. Moyes's first comments in rejoining Everton was on the number of staff at Finch Farm and the number of couches in Physio.

What has he done to address these issues and has he supported efforts to address this? The answer to having less available fit players is somewhere there.

I am just a humble poster with unfortunately an Everton obsession and I am not infallible. If wrong I will admit it.

I note also that the Leeds midfielder Ampadu made the Beeb's team of the week & is credited as the catalyst for their victory – rather a damning reflection on our midfield performance, imo. Surely, it can't just be due to Garner being switched out of midfield to cover left-back?

There was no rhyme or reason to Everton's midfield against Leeds. I put it down to Moyes.

Then he came out with his "needing a quality attack" comment. An attack needs quality balls; they got none from midfield. There were no wingers.

It also didn't help that Pickford decided to play Hollywood passes the length of the field which came straight back at us.

Such is the paucity of our squad.

In the first half it was like the Alamo but second half we had a reset and were the better team IMO.

I don’t think an opposing midfielder being the catalyst for his team’s victory, is always a damning reflection on our own midfield performance Dennis, and although we never really got a hold of the game the other night, I thought it was a lot easier for Ampadu, (who has impressed me in the past) because Leeds, had a lot more natural width on the pitch the other night?

I think it’s a lot easier playing in midfield, when you have got players who stretch the pitch, especially when you’re playing against opponents who concede most of the pitch?

I don’t think this will happen to Moyes, but it’s not really conducive to being a real professional outfit, if this kind of culture, did actually exist?

Moyes said he will find the mole, who has been passing on information at finch farm, but I don’t think Dyche had the inclination, because when I managed to speak to him after Rob Halligan, informed me that the team kept getting leaked, he just said that the club was littered with Evertonians, and if the team changed their match-prep, or stopped practicing set-pieces, (this is where he felt, they must be getting their information) it wouldn’t be very professional, if it ended up working against them🤷‍♂️

I have very little confidence in this set-ups ability to land anything. We reek of scambling around until the window shuts.

The squad is full of holes. There is no balance and crucially no goals. Even Doucoure was good for perhaps 5 or 6.

As it stands, we are going to be in deep shit.

Moyes hasn't.

Whilst I have always thought that it’s better to say nothing, than tell lies, I have also always felt that people won’t achieve much in football, unless they are completely 100% invested in trying to achieve great things.

Bramley Moore, is going to be a very cold place in the winter, so my advice to TFG, is that unless you start investing in Everton, then the stadium, might suddenly become too big for us during those cold winter months.

Evertonians are very loyal, but now they haven’t got Bill Kenwright, pulling on their heart-strings, then they are definitely going to be expecting a lot more from our new owners, imo. We will see.