Everton vs West Ham: Player Ratings - Keane and Garner impress in another missed opportunity

Poor showing by most involved, defence-wise shocking tonight, better sides than West Ham would have toasted us tonight.

Attack-wise, inept, slow, ponderous, frustrating, weak.

Take your pick really.

Ndiaye is wasted on the right wing, doesn't get involved enough, then tries to do too much when he does get it and loses it.

And Tarkowski has stunk all season, a really disappointing performance tonight under the lights.

I say give Ndiaye a shot at playing the No 9 role and play to his feet and Dibling out wide right.

I'd play Keane up front with Ndiaye behind him.

Dibling looked good so he can replace Dewsbury-Hall for the Palace game.

I felt very sorry for O'Brien who was given the worst of all jobs. He's a bit hefty lad who is good in physical duels and at jumping and heading. Putting him up against a speedy little winger was the worst possible assignment.

It was clear by 50 minutes that the “give it to Grealish and hope something happens” tactic had been rumbled. Barry should have gone off and the entire attack been rejigged.

Awful match management.

How the hell he could book Tarkowski for his first foul in the game then let a dreadful challenge by Weat Ham go unpunished?

No penalty for a clear arm-out offence. Grealish gets brought down 4 times before Kyle Walker-Peters gets a yellow... and as for the booking that puts Dewsbury-Hall out of our next game -- well, that was beyond belief.

Keane had a good game and scored a beaut but he still deflects own goals and we concede a lot more when he is playing. Not my favourite player.

Ndiaye was poor tonight and didn't help O'Brien who was pushing up when he kept losing possession and allowed them to get a run on Jake.

I normally defend Beto but he was literally like Bambi tonight. I would have taken him off at Half time to spare his blushes.

No matter how good our build up play is we need that clinical finisher with proper movement off the ball.

Average day at the office Davie. Must improve against Palace.

Grealish pushed out on the left was always going to be a 6.

It was just a collective fuck up... not the first -- and certainly not the last.

(Or Coleman even, though it feels like he can barely make it through a match unscathed at this point.)

Ndiaye is probably our only player who will get to double figures so, even when he's quiet, I'd leave him on, maybe just put him back over to the left, or into the 10, possibly the 9.

O'Brien was lucky that Summerville was taken off, he had him on toast all game, Tarkowski another poor performance, you know you're bad when Keane's continually pulling you out the shit.

Far too slow in the build-up, Grealish becomes so obvious when it's not going his way. In order for him to get assists he needs someone to bury a shot from outside the box. Will he ever consider shooting for fuck's sake? Bowen showed him how it's done.

All in all, a poor performance against a bang average team who could easily have folded had we been able to put them to bed first half.

He had turned in lots of solid performances before tonight, and the team's record with him at right-back has been no less than outstanding. He's a good player who just had a bad game. He certainly wasn't the only one.

As for Patterson, every manager he has played for has seen a reason not to give him a go.

I was quite impressed with O'Brien at right-back last season and thought it proved a surprisingly astute move on Moyes's part. However, I feel like it's been trending the wrong direction all season -- for whatever reason, O'Brien is looking more and more like what he is. A centre-back awkwardly playing out of position.

To be fair, it could be as simple as Branthwaite's absence. As decent as Keane has been, Branthwaite's presence just seems to knit everything together at the back.

As for Patterson, everyone seems to forget how promising he looked under Lampard at the start of the 2022-23 season, to the point that many on here were freaking out when he got hurt on international duty. He clearly doesn't appeal to the dour, safety-first types like Dyche and Moyes, which frankly doesn't count for a whole lot in my book.

But you're mistaken about Dyche. He started Patterson the first four games of the 2023 season, and gave him five more starts in a row over the holidays. Both times Patto was returned to the bench.

Another way of saying "safety first" is defending, which apparently Patto cannot do to the satisfaction of any of his managers. Including Steve Clarke of Scotland, who hasn't given him a start in a year and a half.

I have no idea what the problem is, but it's obvious that there is one.

I thought West Ham had virtually run of the middle of the park tonight, Gana was nowhere to be seen, at all, must be one of his worst games in an Everton shirt.

They knocked it around like a training match and Christ almighty, the sooner Jake O'Brien is relieved of full-back duties. the better -- he was laced all night but it was his overall games as well, just bad. A real nightmare. Why was he left with no cover against pacy wingers?

Beto? A couple of nice layoffs but the truth is neither he nor Barry had any input, effectively left us with 10 men the whole game. That cannot go on.

Good goal from Keane, I have to say it but he has come up with a few gems over the last few seasons. I think I would rather try him up front than Barry or Beto, but I think that might be politically frowned upon because of their cost to the owners?

Alas he is not brilliant defensively, too often caught in the headlights twixt coming or going... or it just hits him and goes in.

Grealish the most fouled player, no protection, yet Tarkowski or Dewsbury Hall, straight in the book.

Last but not least.. our manager. Why wasn't Jake dragged off before they scored and a full-back put on? Why didn't we pull Gana off at half-time because he clearly wasn't doing a job?

Ah sod it... left tired midfielders on the pitch whilst we had Tim and Charly on the bench. Tactically, Moyes persists even when it's clear to all it's not working.

All in all, a very sub-par performance and left with the feeling that we are not getting the best out of what we have, anywhere on the pitch.

I agree about O'Brien, he keeps getting caught up the pitch and can't get back. He's commiting stupid fouls like the one last night when he got roasted again. If that was Patterson he would be getting dogs abuse.

I'm also starting to think that Tarkowski is a problem, he's all blood and thunder and gives it the big hard man routine but fuck me he does some stupid things. Keane has been the better out of the 2 of them so far this season.

This is beginning to look like the last few seasons: struggling to score and struggling to keep a clean sheet... dreadful.

Unfortunately we don't have any reliable replacement to dislodge him out of the position. As we all know, Coleman runs these days like Albert Steptoe and I love Seamus but come on, no way is he putting a run of games together.

Patterson has regressed and for an abundance of managers to overlook him, something isn't right, and we are overlooking him too, he's been made of glass since he's been here so unlikely he'd be reliable to play often anyway.

7 of those players experienced Moyes's negative tactics against Liverpool who were exposed by the tactics in their next game that Moyes should have been playing all game, not in the final minutes.

They then had to listen to Moyes all week and sit and watch him make a complete Horlicks of it against Wolves. Tonight, Moyes got it wrong again and the players know it. Team confidence is at a low ebb and Moyes has left himself with limited options off the bench.

At the of the day, football is the players' trade and they know about what they see. All we are going to hear from Moyes is that we need players in and we are still in the month of September. He contributed to not getting in the players needed and not developing the young players that were brought in.

Most of them probably are thinking Everton was not a good career choice having been put into a team formation that they never played in before in their previous clubs.

I worried this summer that we did not spend our money smartly and have not seen a lot (even when we were winning) to suggest otherwise. The team is poorly balanced with issues at full-back especially evident. We could have got El Hadji-Diouf who looked a threat all night from left-back for the same money we spent on Alcaraz who has barely featured all season.

Grealish is a great player but he is not a great scorer of goals having only scored more than 6 league goals once in his career, meanwhile our top scorer from last season has been moved out of position to a spot that he is less effective from.

And it's all very well saying that O'Brien at right-back has run its course but there are no encouraging alternatives. Meanwhile, Beto seems to have regressed and Barry, whilst it's early days, is struggling to get at all involved.

A disappointing September, let's hope October fares better. Moyes has issues to solve.

Moyes has no other way of playing.

I think we could still get El Hadji-Diouf even now, considering he's about 45 and long retired, lol, but I the lad you mean, looks a good buy for West Ham.

The first things we should have addressed in summer was a right-back for the here and now, the fact the first player we tried to sign was Fulham's Kenny Téte told us we knew that anyway.

We needed two strikers, one experienced that could play here and now, and we should have addressed the serious lack of pace in this team out wide.

We failed, simple as that really.

“What's the point of Everton?”

It must be to make up the numbers and nothing else.

I said all summer that I thought Barry and Beto would be enough and it looks like I may have been wrong there. Beto, rather than kicking on, is not reaching his efficacy of last season and Barry looks lost at sea (although it's very early days for him).

To be fair to both, they've had precious little in the way of decent chances carved out for them and though Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish are all good players, they struggled last night to carve out genuine opportunities against a mediocre defence.

Finding top class strikers for affordable fees is probably the hardest thing to do whereas there are a raft of very decent full-backs which is why I'm surprised we did not add significantly to our meagre offerings there.

Hope Röhl is fit as Gueye needs replacing... can't shoot or pass and slowing up now. Seamus should get a start as Jake is looking out of his depth.

Striker-wise ??? Both beyond useless.

Yes, I'd like to see Grealish play central just to see if his energy levels hold out for 90 minutes.

Seems to me he conserves his energy quite a lot throughout the game.

After Tarkowski made his tackle, the referee played advantage for 30 seconds or so. At that stage, the yellow card was just about guaranteed (I said so to my mate at the time) because refs just love to show how smart they are by letting the play flow, but that they haven't forgotten the original offence, and they demonstrate their cleverness with the flourish of the card. The severity of the original offence is largely irrelevant.

It's just another way of referees displaying their ego. The days of a good referee being unnoticed have long gone, I'm afraid.

We are very slow / narrow on the counter attack and ponderous / narrow in possession. Doesn't sound like a recipe for goals.

I'm really pleased still about the signing of Dibling and optimistic about the (let's be honest) low-cost signing of Barry. But it could take another round of signings before we see them start to really perform.

I just don't think the priority areas were addressed properly this summer and the result is an unbalanced, narrow team that will likely put pressure on Moyes's tenure and potentially damage the development of young, talented players that we bought (Alcaraz, Barry, Dibling, Aznou etc).

Of course not everything can be sorted in one window but, if the form of the last month continues, then there will be legitimate questions as to how much we have even improved after our first significant spend in a while.

Or McNeil and Garner as wing-backs?

Interesting dilemma for Moyes.

Walker-Peters was on a yellow card, but the only time Grealish took him on was very late in the game, resulting in two ineffectual crosses, one into the goalie's hands, the other onto the roof of the net.

On a separate note, the stadium is even more splendid under the lights, and I liked the nod to Archibald Leitch. The traffic was chaos though.

We really went into this season without a striker! I have yet to see Barry do something that makes me think he's an okay Premier League player! Not one fucking thing! Beto looks like he could score a few… until he gets the ball! Two left feet and head like a Toblerone!

I kept looking at the bench and thinking who could make a difference? Dibling was the only alternative!

Garner is so important for us now. What a player! No injuries there please! And (imo) it's easy to see why Grealish was allowed to leave Man City. A trifle arrogant in his attitude sometimes!

Huge game against Palace now.

Maybe it will give Moyes the chance to play Grealish or Ndiaye in the Number 10 role and bring in Dibling to play out wide. But I fear he will bring Alcaraz in to replace Dewsbury-Hall, although seeing he was hooked pretty early against Wolves, maybe not.

If Grealish doesn't do it, we have nothing. I'd hoped for 10th but looking more like a bottom-half finish.

You can't appeal a yellow card.

Grealish beginning to look like a one-trick show pony. £50M for him would be a waste.

Barry is out of his depth and clueless.

Röhl has gone AWOL. His injury record already on show.

Aznou has already been dismissed by Moyes and will likely be moved on like Chermiti.

Beto is laughable and continues to embarrass himself and the club.

Dibling will need time to see if he has what it takes. For now, he doesn't look strong enough.

Alcaraz can't get a regular spot.

A long, frustrating season lies ahead.

Quote of the day: Beto looks like he could score a few... until he gets the ball! Tony Cheek sums it up.

We are completely exposed at RB, we haven't got one. All teams will play on this.
No forward contribution from left-back.
No centre midfield cover, and most importantly;
No goals from strikers, who are both poor, and can't play the lone striker role.

We are going to have to find different ways of mixing it up across the front players. Just giving it to Grealish in a slow build-up, or having Ndiaye run down cul-de-sacs, is all too predictable.

It didn't take long for some to start on the "Grealish is crap" routine; only a couple of weeks ago, he was the bees knees.

As a fan base, we can be so, so fickle. Is it any wonder we can't attract the top players?

I realise everyone is entitled to an opinion, but be realistic as to where we are, it's going to take time to get to where we want to be, but, we will.

I agree regarding Beto and Barry.

A lot of the players would be better if football was Moyes's aim, but his aim is containment and little football.

If you take the Garner - Keane goal out, you have Dycheball Mk ll.

Tarkowski aged last half of last season and will cost us lots of points if he continues to start when Branthwaite is fit.

We need to try Ndiaye as a Number 10 vs Palace; he cuts inside anyway, let him roam free and run at centre-backs, and give Dibling a full game wide.

People having a go at Jack Grealish... for fuck's sake, he's pure class! Although I'd love to see him try a shot or two when he cuts inside... but his passing and keeping hold of the ball getting us up the pitch are second to none.

I love O'Brien but he's ran his course at right-back. He's a great pro and a future centre-back with us. Why can't we get a bloody right-back?

We got some good players in this summer and definitely a better side now but right-back and striker were the most important positions. The two up front are as much use as a chocolate fire guard -- Keane is better than both of them.

We are a million miles away from the Dyche dirge and it's a good sign that people's expectations are raised, but get a fucking grip, people. Yes, we've still got problems that need addressing but it's all not going to change in one window.

It's laughable that people are digging out Grealish, Pat#40 "beginning to look like a one-trick show pony", he's the best show pony we've had for years. Take a look at what he actually does, he draws 2, sometimes 3 players to him which makes acres of space for others, then he pretty much always plays the right pass at the right weight to free those players.

But what's the point, he'll do something good on Sunday and he'll be a hero again. You can't win on here.

Similar to the RS, they have to have a player sitting in front of the back four or they get exposed.

I have no wish to criticize the player who is played out of the position he has created throughout his career, but this is strictly on the extremely poor recruitment management.

Everton's defense reminds me of a bucket of water with a hole in it. You go to a tap and fill it, and by the time you get to the fire, it is empty.

If the supporters at the club can see the problem, why hasn't the management?

Beto has been abysmal, Barry not too far behind.

Finally playing O'Brien at right-back has been sussed out. Other teams will see last night's game and play on this

Maybe a different approach up top Ndiaye in his preferred left wing, Dibling on the right and Grealish up front.
I suppose Alcaraz will come in, unfortunately, for Dewsbury-Hall.

"Christ on a bike...nwe are a million miles away from the Dyche dirge and it's a good sign that people's expectations are raised but get a fucking grip people!"

Rennie, last season, Dyche had lost the plot and it took to late September before we got a first win. Dyche had performed miracles the season before but this was him at a low ebb.

Despite this, after 8 games we had 8 points and went out in the 3rd round of the cup (but played well only losing on penalties to a relegation threatened side).

Luckily for us and Moyes that Palace don't have the strongest depth and are traveling to Kiev before we play them, then we go to the Man City ground.

I would suggest we aren't a million miles away despite the quality Moyes has been afforded and the low bar you have set for him.

These new tablets I'm on are brilliant

On the players, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner and Dewsbury-Hall were our best players. O'Brien was in trouble but he was really let down by Ndiaye who contributed nothing, lost the ball from attacking positions, and immediately put O'Brien under pressure, being caught so far upfield supporting the attack.

As for Beto vs Barry, for me, it is Beto all day long; the problem is that, with any player, we should be playing to their strengths. Beto's strength is his physicality and his incredible turn of pace. Yet we failed to play through balls for him.

Instead we reverted to Plan A: Pass it out to Grealish, who will tease the full-backs, hopefully get a foul, or maybe even a decent cross or lay off to set somebody up for a shot on target.

Unfortunately, any manager worth his salt will know the play and make provisions to minimise the damage. Crowd out the space.

Our problem was last night everything was too slow and too predictable. Plan A... and when Plan A didn't work, repeat Plan A. We should have tried a Plan B of trying to release Beto into space between the full-backs and centre-backs.

As for Barry, as I said in the Live Forum, he has no presence and reminds me more of Moise Kean; I'm not sure if he will make the grade.

One positive from last night is that I did think Dibling did fit in well and could well start the next game.

He just can't manage a game in progress, predictable line up, and yet again substitutions far too late.

Nuno, after 45 minutes of his first West Ham game, changed their approach and targeted weak areas; if anyone was going to win, it certainly wasn't the hopeless home team.

Points dropped at home to out-of-form Villa, at home to out-of-form West Ham, and out of the cup to out-of-form Wolves.

It's pathetic. I never wanted him back, negative and too old school.

I think you are you over-hyping what Grealish does when he gets the ball. He draws two or three men which makes acres of space for others, then he pretty much plays the right pass at the right weight to free those players.

Well, last night, he lost the ball as many times as he did something with it, seldom making that perfect pass you are talking about. He slows Everton down, he hugs the wing all the time instead of moving about and making space to receive a pass. It works both ways, there is no way you could say he had a good game last night.

Manager rating 4 at best with those tactics. Buck up.

I was one who was totally against Keane being given another contract, too error-prone. He has done well, though, and he now looks like one of the better decisions made over the Summer.

We've otherwise repeated previous mistakes of signing players who do not improve the team, or can even be accommodated within it, whilst neglecting positions that we really did need to strengthen in.

I agree on both points you make. If Patterson is not getting picked at right-back now, then he never will be.

What I find interesting is, on a really high profile opening weekend of the league when our game was televised vs Leeds Moyes was asked a question about what if anything had stood out for him during the opening weekend of fixtures up until that point.

Moyes remarked on one thing and it was to criticise the officiating and decisions being made by officials.

When he did so, I instantly felt that this would be awfully received by Premier League officials and their ranks. Suffice to say we were done over by an officiating decision that evening and Moyes criticised them again.

Criticised them once more after the derby and now they're having a go again.

Surely Moyes is aware of unconscious bias and how this can definitely manifest within human beings officiating decisive moments in high stakes football matches.

I get why he continues to criticise them, because it gives excuses that point away from his shortcomings.

Although the dodgy penalty at Leeds, the similar one yesterday that could've been given for us but wasn't, and the booking at Liverpool as well as the lack of added time … were all unfair -- they weren't the reasons why we lost two and drew one of those games. There were other reasons.

The club must not allow him to continually bash referees and officiating. It's a cheap and moany look and it does not in any way, shape or form help our cause.

Has the game become even more bent than we ever thought? These twats are getting handsomely paid plus whatever goes in the alleged brown envelopes.

In Moyes's defence he is not the only manager to criticise the evil shits either. Something should be and needs to be done, but there is little chance of that happening, is there?

But we keep sticking to Plan A. Give the ball to Jack, Jack holds it up and draws players to him and releases to another but, by the time the ball is released, the opposition has the penalty area crowded, giving few chances of getting a shot away on target.

Plan A is playing to Grealish's strengths; Plan B should be playing to Beto's strengths. I have not identified any strengths of Barry yet. No pace, no physicality, no positional sense... but he must have something to say he did well in Italy.

We need to vary the attack, which was not happening last night, and Nuno was able to identify where we left ourselves exposed -- namely O'Brien moving too far up field and Ndiaye not supporting when losing the ball.

I fucken hope not because I don't think the new place has currently got the minerals, as our West Ham friends would say.

Anyway, if Palace come at us maybe we'll get some joy in behind, but like us all, I would like to see our team get the upper hand and keep it.

We live in hope but not expectation.

I'm not sure if you're a wind-up merchant or not, but Beto with pace and guile is beyond a joke. He's the worst striker in the Premier League and we've been sucker punched with his signing as well as Barry's.

People on here still think Mykolenko is fit for purpose and Coleman was worth another contract... no wonder we get served utter dross, it's because we've been beaten down and have insanely low standards.

Jack a great player at moment but not a team. Big lumps up front or tall kids. Ideas went years ago.

Us? Even here we wish for a big No 9 but the game has changed.

Moyes? Umm... I like him but I think the game has left him behind.

Thierno, the name was often given to male children with the hope that they would bring the qualities of scholarship, leadership and authority.

Well so far, it ain't working.. and I ain't holding my breath.

Our problem is that Ndiaye and Alcaraz cannot play on the right; we've tried it now for 6 games... time to change tactics.

I was worried in the summer, posting that I thought Moyes had stated his priority was a right-winger and right-back and he got neither. Now we have three or four players for the same position and only one person for that right-winger.

That is Dibling. He played very well when he came on. I was surprised when Dibling was fouled and the opposition player was not booked since it was so close to their box, and yet, minutes later, Dewsbury-Hall was booked when the other player sold the ref a dummy dive.

We have slowed the game down by going right up to their goal line and it negates any possibility of a run by Ndiaye, Beto or Barry and also takes Garner's through passes out of the equation. So either give the ball to Grealish near the half-way line -- this will cause several opposition players to come forward to mark him and ask him to pass the ball quicker -- or play Ndiaye in the centre instead of Beto or Barry.

However for the next game we now have no choice because of Dewsbury-Hall's suspension. My team for the next game (subs)

Pickford
O'Brien Tarkowaski Keane or Branthwaite Mykolenko
Garner Ndiaye (Gana) Röhl* or McNeil
Dibling Beto Grealish

* If available

This looks a bit strange but Gana is not as good as Ndiaye at shooting from the edge of the box and he had a handful of chances to shoot but did not have the confidence to do so.

This selection would give the full-backs support and chances for Ndiaye to score.

Sitting in a coffee shop, last morning of holiday in Noosa, before we fly back to work in Melbourne. It is beyond her as to why I am depressing myself reading all these comments.

“You love wallowing in it all, don't you?!”

Actually, I don't and I love seeing us win but those tablets would really help.

And I've been saying we should play Keane up top for about 3 years now.

Not winding up.

From what I saw on Monday, although the squad has improved, our way of playing is so slow and predictable.

My argument is, while we are stuck with this squad until January, we must try and get the best out of them. Moyes did that when he came in last season but I can't say the same this season. We have no variation in the final third.

We are too one-dimensional, hence my arguement to try and use Beto's pace to try and get opportunities. From my recall, he only had one ball to run onto on Monday whereas most of the rest of the attacks came through Grealish with similar outcomes. No goals.

But Beto doesn't have any pace, he's a clumsy, ungainly runner with no ability to control the ball and no skill!

Behind all of them are two attributes players must have to make it work: speed of thought and speed of play.#

1. Speed of attack. Pace puts defenders on their back foot and they struggle to cope. Be it a winger, a full-back, midfielder... attack in numbers at searing pace.

2. The long ball is useless unless a centre-forward can win it or genuinely compete for it. But either way, said centre-forward must have a partner close by to win the knock-down, knock-on, or second ball. Without this alongside, a long ball is utterly useless. This is the main reason we have become a strikers graveyard.

3. Set piece. Shots at goal. We don't. Corners are hit and hope. Decide who takes free kicks; if in range, shoot and follow up. If a cross, then deliver, no short free kicks that end up back with a Pickford punt.

4. Pressure, movement, no statues. Confusion and movement create opportunities.

Yes, it's a simple game that depends on doing the basics well. We have long forgotten that.

I feel sorry for the referee because nearly every single player is out to deceive him. It's time that tougher penalties were brought in for players who are out to cheat their fellow professionals.

It won't be easy; certain clubs will always receive preferential treatment, but I think, for the sake of the beautiful game, it's time for the authorities to try and implement change.

O'Brien has been good but was found out and Coleman should have come on. Grealish was poor and needs to pass more or shoot, even take on in the box and get brought down. He seems to relish having everyone around him and then nothing happens.

It was apparent after 60 minutes that many of the midfield were tired... why, I don't know. This was the time to bring fresh legs on, maybe move Garner to left back and bring Alcaraz on.

Constantly changing Beto for Barry and vice versa is a sign of madness, trying the same thing expecting a different outcome. Maybe move Keane up to centre forward and move O'Brien to centre back, although Keane has been our best defender. It may be time to give one of the young lads a chance.

Just a thought: why don't we bring Duncan Ferguson in to coach Beto and Barry how to win a ball, hold it up, and pass it off? Indeed... how to head a ball and finish.

It is scandalous that Dewsbury-Hall is suspended for literally nothing.

Agree to disagree about pace but agree on rest.

Frank and Christine, great positive constructive posts.

Both are pretty quick for a big forward with the fastest forward in the league so far being Mbuemo at 36.36 km/h — just beating out Dan James and Minteh.

If the decision is found to be wrong, then it needs reversing and the player cleared and the ref fined; it's been going on too long — it's beyond a joke.

They already introduced a retrospective punishment for players deceiving the ref many seasons ago, with the only culprit found guilty being our own Niasse, when he was actually fouled!

Our strikers are clearly very limited; no great pace, so through balls or balls over the top are not so effective. They are not great headers of the ball despite their height, they don't look like scoring from outside the box and their hold-up play is, shall we say, a bit limited.

The best hope is that, like calvert-Lewin, if you played the right balls into the box, they have the positional sense to get on the end of them. Whether they then have the skills to get it in the net is also moot, especially Beto.

On the other hand, there have been few chances to find out, and I think a big reason is the lack of attacking quality with our full-backs. All this is a big reason why I'd like to see Ndiaye as a striker, especially given he is apparently our fastest player, albeit this isn't saying much. He might be a better fit for the way we can play.

Hopefully we can fix the full-back problem in January but I'm not convinced. It is depressing to think the one full-back we did sign is someone who Moyes does not regard as being close to ready for the Premier League.

Personally, I didn't think we had the luxury in that position of waiting until he is sufficiently beefed up... but we are where we are. So I think we're in for a tough season; I certainly can't see top half as some do.

Plus, I'm not too sure that either of those two in the middle might just be a waste of playing wingers. Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

But, if we played both Beto and Barry, then may be it would limit where they can run to making them hold position unless they interchange at times, and who knows... it might mean they can concentrate on hitting the target.

But what idiot decided to let Ashley Young leave?

I think Ndiaye is a viable option upfront (Grealish a lot less so) and I don't think it changes the system massively. I'd say he's currently our best chance for a goal, even from wide, so that suggests he has an eye for goal and might get more as a striker. He's quick (at least relative to everyone else) so maybe Jimmy can thread some through balls. He'd probably end up drifting wide from time to time, so that means you'd want late runs from midfield, Dewsbury-Hall and maybe Jimmy Garner. But it's all do-able.

For me, the alternative is to persevere with a striker deployment that just doesn't work. I recall Robert T feels Beto will still chip in with 12 goals this season. I struggle to see a 1 in 3 striker in him. If we stay with that option, then I think we have to bite the bullet and give Barry a serious run in the side. He's had some time to adapt now, he is not a 'promising youngster' anymore, these should be his best years, and it would be handy to discover if they are good enough for us.

But I actually could let that go if he looked like he gave a shit. Look at how Ndiaye chases back and wins lost causes. Beto is just lazy and doesn't deserve the shirt. He doesn't bully defenders and sometimes he looks like he's playing on roller skates.

To my mind, he's an impact sub and we build a team without him. Come on Moysey, get tough!!

What game were you watching on Monday?

Ndiaye's lack of chasing back after we lost the ball was the reason O'Brien was so exposed, which eventually resulted in their goal.

To be fair though the Prem. is a difficult place to get results and there are no walkovers which is proved each week.

I think we are heading for 15th give and take a place.

I’m sure a West Ham player, was also charged before this just seemingly fell away, which was a complete cop-out, by the authorities imo.

I remember Timmy Cahill, going down at Fulham, after running down the wing and the Fulham fans, were all screaming he dived. Cahill got up wagging his finger, as if to say it wasn’t really in his vocabulary, (he hadn’t dived, just one of those were he was running too quick and went over the top of the incoming tackle) and I thought to myself, that a lot of players, must be worried about suddenly being called a diver and a cheat, but the next thing we knew, was that the law was changed before it had a chance of being successful.

That’s what I thought at the time all those years ago anyway!