Everton secure comfortable win over Doncaster Rovers

I expect Everton to win tonight. Will Garner and Coleman last the 90 minutes?

I was at that game. A 21 year old Ian Snodin played sweeper for Doncaster and looked a real prospect.

Apologies if this has been mentioned before but there are new rules for the Carabao Cup when it comes to the 3rd round draw. I appreciate that the teams playing in Europe enter the competition in the 3rd tound but wasn't aware of the other changes such as the 2 bowls of teams and 2 stages of the draw as follows:
'The third round draw has been tweaked for this season and here is all you need to know.

Carabao Cup third-round draw: Changes
This season will see the Carabao Cup draw made in two stages.

The first part involves the teams in the Europa League and Champions League.

They will be placed in bowl one, and the other 26 sides are put into bowl two.

Teams in bowl one [Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa] cannot be drawn against each other in the third round.

They are pre-drawn to determine if they'll be at home or away and separated into six different ties.

Then, the first six teams out of the hat in pot two will be drawn to play one of the six European sides.

Chelsea are also in European competition this year, but they are between legs in their qualifying campaign, so can't be included with the other European teams.'

You mean August 30 2023?????

Remember, Beto ........ ?

We might have a little discussion about right-back, but giving SC game time rather than Dixon seems sound to me in this particular game.

Beto, let's be honest, is a weird player - but he can certainly cause problems and it'll be good if he can push his claims for a starting berth ahead of DCL. Good to have some competition.

Early goal to settle the nerves please.

COYB.

But presumably he has picked a team that he thinks will win and there for equipped to deal with Doncaster. Is he suggesting by his actions then that these players are League 2 standard players?

I hope with Garner back, it's 4-3-3.

Depends on how tight things get…

Lindstrøm lightweight, Ndiaye not quite getting into the game.

Penalties to follow…

We're still in this!

Why is The Jam song That's Entertainment in my head?

Nice to see the new boys on the pitch and we should see them in the 2nd half too, given Dyche's aversion to early subs. Hoping for something special out of at least one of them.

Very worrying.

When did we last smash anyone?

As long as Rovers don't bring on someone called Roy, we should be ok

(phew, think I got away with it).

Young getting booed on is not a good look, no matter how much people dislike him. We're up 1-0 for fuck's sake, some of our "supporters" are just determined to be miserable pessimists.

Now we're still in this.

"What's Our Name?"

UTFTs!

Tim is looking better each game, but Lindstrøm looked a bit lightweight. I thought O'Brien looked very composed.

Now for a repeat on Saturday and ill to try and stay off toffeweb beforehand, so as not to spoil my positive thoughts.

Lindstrom showed why he shouldn’t start. Whereas Ndiaye showed why he should

Tim is a terrific addition and Keane & O’Brien looked composed together

Can only improve now as new players bed in, there are some positive signs.

I love Beto but deary me! He has no special awareness at all and seems to be in a constant state of falling over. Is there a striker in the club?

Ndiaye has great feet and low centre of gravity. If we can work on his upper body strength we could have a real player there.

Tim needs experience but has the right attitude. OBrian should force his way in either for JB in 4 days time or Tarks by seasons end.

Take the happiness of it all for now thanks!

I’ve watched Everton since the 80’s, nothing more exciting than seeing the new boys on day one. Dyche held them back but including pre-season they’ve all now more than contributed which bodes well.

COYE

Ps Lyndon if your reading - love the Pod and would love to speak with you

Other posters will say, they knew that after a handful of appearances, but I had hopes he could adapt to English football and justify his fee.

Unfortunately he just has too many deficiencies in his game... I'd still keep him over Maupay though, and I still think he will get 6 or 7 goals this season which is probably the same as DCL would get for us.

We played a bit of on-the-ground football. In the first half that seemed to be an alien concept to a number of players, but they grasped it a little better as the match progressed and the opposition tired.

Ndiaye looks like he may be the player I hoped we had signed, it was a pleasure to see someone running with the ball at speed and trying a few tricks.

I credit Beto for being enthusiastic, but thought he was awful.

Also, if we do manage to bring in Trippier on Friday, and a player who can play both full back positions, it should make Young's role redundant for a large part, when you think that Patterson or Coleman should be ahead of him if Trippier was injured.

That all said, I bet Dyche would still find a way to shoe-horn Young into his side.

It took a little while to get going, only natural considering a new line-up but it was comfortable in the end.

Coleman must have been under 100% but yes I too question why Young was brought on ahead of Dixon.

Young has become a liability and should only be used very sparingly. Holgate must now realize his time is up if he couldn't get into the action.

Indaiye has some flair and Tim is coming along nicely but Harrison flatters to deceive.

Lindstrom may take more time to fit in.

OK:

Beto

Lindstrøm

Chermitti

Coleman

Young

Gueye

Doucoure

Holgate

Maupay

Keane

DCL

Mykolenko

New DOF

We will need to get busy over the next three days - and without a DOF - to ship this shower of shite out of our club and replace them with the players Mike recommended to take their places.

Could either Stonsey or Woaney be a temporary DOF while we get all these deals done and over the line before the window shuts?

We are still turning the ball over cheaply in the middle of the park and PL teams will take advantage of that

Thought O’Brien andI Illman did well.
Lindstrom surprised how poor he was hopefully he’ll bulk up a bit as he seemed easy to play against tonight

Thought big Tim did well.
While he was on the pitch my MOM goes to Garner. Thought he showed energy and effort. Head up all tge time looking for the forward

A win was imperative for us tonight, however, Saturday is as important, if not more

Tim stood out again, O’Brian played well and the team played some decent football after the result was settled. No complaints after a 3-0 win which might give the players some confidence v Bournemouth on Saturday but obviously will be a more difficult opposition than league two Doncaster, nevertheless it was nice to come away from Goodison with smiles on our faces.

I was at the game and you didn't miss anything in the first half.

I thought we must be playing Real Madrid the way we were standing off them, and the amount of times we played the ball back to Pickford, I thought we were attacking the Gwladys Street end.

Overall we were far better the second half. Ndiaye, O'Brien and Iroegbunam have to start on Saturday. I'm undecided about Lindstrøm, he looked lightweight but showed glimpses of his potential and did set up the first goal. It's a disgrace if it's given to McNeill and not Iroegbunam.

James Garner was very poor, but first game back for a while, lets him partially off the hook. Lindstrøm was either below par tonight and too easily knocked off the ball.

Beto tries hard but often looks like his roller boots are on the wrong feet, spending more time on the grass than a hungry horse. Took his goal well but don't think we can rely on him as our main outlet up front against superior opposition !

Roman Dixon, looked good again, as opposed to Ashley Young who was awful and could easily have picked up another yellow in addition to the one he got anyway. Harrison Armstrong looked a good un too.

Jack Harrison again epitomised the Duracell Bunny 'all work with little play' to complement his running. Gana was Gana, okay but showing his age, but a reliable stalwart to call upon.

Saturday will be a much stiffer test but hopefully this game has instilled some self-belief and confidence.

Garner and McNeil were pretty poor and Beto must practice missing the same barn door as Calvert-Lewin.

Good performances from Iroegbunam, Ndiaye and O'Brien.

What, on earth, was the thinking behind bringing Young on?

Confidence, match fitness. Which is worrying.

XI v Bournemouth: Pickford, Young, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykelenko, Gana, Garner, McNeil, Harrison, Doucoure, Beto

Will be very interesting to see what happens with Ndiaye. He's such an obvious selection in a team that has no-one who will run with the ball and commit players.

But he won't defend much.

Over to you, Mr Dyche.

Not seen him play enough to know, but does that mean he is not particularly good at it (some just aren't) or he's just not got the right attitude?

For the amount we pay we must be able to pick up the odd gifted footballer and athletic specimen that is also prepared to do the hard slog, and that type of player has to be Thelwell's target above all else.

Ironman continues to impress and in fairness to Beto he was manhandled all night and the ref largely let them get away with it and, although he missed a nailed-on header and was clumsy on the ball, he certainly occupied their defenders and made space for others.

Jake O'Brien looked solid and Jarradlike with his command in the air and blocked a couple of on target shots.

Surely Sean Dyche cannot drop the new boys for Saturday. We look far more attack-minded with them in and hopefully Seamus is fit for that with Dixon on standby. Even Dyche must realize Ashley Young has now become a 2 yellow card liability in every game.

If so, I'd love to hear their reasons why as this is quite possibly the most mystifying continued selection of a player I've ever seen in in 34 years of going to Goodison!

It's just bizarre.

O'Brien played well enough to stay in, along with Ndiaye, Lindstrøm to a lesser degree, but I will be surprised, even flabbergasted, if Dyche keeps them all in.

Having read reports and comments, much pessimism has turned a little hopeful. Which is a blessed relief.

To address the Mike Price controversy, my observations are that his assessments are generally correct. Thelwell is a complete wage thief and a useless DoF. Who here has a copy of his book? Who knows anyone who has? Who has heard of anyone who has?

The Players. Yes, we know their limitations. On occasions, some reach the dizzy heights of premier league standard. But the constant struggle with relegation year after year after year coupled with failure to recruit a quarter decent player, let alone a few to drag the standard up, has taken its toll.

The manager may be encouraging passing. But as we see, unlike our players, they really aren't up to that. In spurts maybe. But not an entire half. As the enigmatic loved and hated Cloughie once said, "Once that whistle blows, all tactics go out the window." Some of Mr Price's assessments are well wide of the mark.

His lack of solution to the obvious undermines the post.

God knows who will start Saturday. I would leave out Calvert-Lewin, Doucoure, Young and give the main group that started, another bite. Bournemouth have lost their talisman and this can be taken advantage of.

But then, it is Everton.

I think you're looking for a unicorn.

The player who takes on the opposition, scores goals, creates for teammates... while also tracking back, throwing in goal saving challenges and maintaining a disciplined defensive shape doesn't exist.

Even if they did, you'd probably ask them to save their energy to do the thing they're most effective at.

This is my issue with the current selection. We seem to want the chasing, the harrying... and then expect there's enough left to finish clinically. It doesn't happen.

Apparantly it's what's known as “taking one for the team”.
I haven't seen the game so apologies if that's not accurate.

We were only opened up because Young himself miscontrolled the ball with his head and allowed the player to rob the ball off him.

Terrible player but still no excuse for the morons to boo him last night when he came on.

Stop buying rubbish and putting them on very expensive contracts making them liabilities that are impossible to shift.

Paul Ferry's very clever post #59 listed lots of players and, apart from Calvert-Lewin who wants out, none of them are assets.

Lindstrøm doesn't look ready. Beto reminds me of Doucoure from a footballing skills point of view. We overpaid. O'Brien looks to be a good understudy and possibly even replacement for Tarkowski.

The real eye opener was Ndiaye. Okay, this was against low-level opposition, but he has a spark we just don't have in the rest of the team. I think he needs to start in the Doucoure position, and would give us a great deal more penetration and perhaps make Calvert-Lewin look better. We won't beat many Premier League teams without the threat he brings.

You just wrote the job description of James Rodriguez as seen by many. Alas, no one can fulfill that expectation (or demand?) The game against Spurs was just that, chase and harry, like a team of 8-year-olds running every which way, no structure, plan or tactical savvy.

You couldn't actually pinpoint the areas of concern or failure as it was evident in every department.

I think you would be hard-pressed to find any Evertonian who actually wants to see the long past his sell-by date, Ashley Young, in a blue shirt.... but he is.

The question I would like to ask is: Why do people think it's a good idea to continue hammering away at him? Does this destructive element within our fan base think that is in any way helpful?

I'm in accord with those who think Beto has been a very poor buy and may not be up to the required standard but, if Calvert-Lewin moves in the next couple of days (a strong possibility), this is the guy we will be depending on to score or force the goals necessary to stay up. In what way does it help to keep battering away? He needs encouragement. How can it help an already limited player to destroy his confidence?

I read the comments of the admirable Rob on the Euston station thread. He (as always) fiercely defends his club. He and other quite rightly went to some lengths to remind us all that the Kopite behaviour is ten times worse than that of our own few idiots, but my take on it is this: For all their obnoxious gobshitery, their vile chants and loutish behaviour is usually directed at somebody else. Not themselves.

I'm all for fans coming on to post-match threads, or criticising players in time honored tradition in the pub after the match, but this growing trend of battering them during the game or worse, before a ball is even kicked?

Booing a player who is representing our club onto the pitch? Please somebody. Anybody! Explain to me. What the fuck is all that about?

It's basically emotion, gone wrong. Without emotion, few would spend their money watching the dross we serve up week after week. The rational thing would be to support another team.

However... he is a striker, strikers are paid to score; he did.

Agree with the assessment on Ndiaye. His addition to the squad leaves me thinking that there was another option that Dyche wanted the club to pursue but the club chose Ndiaye and he is not Dyche's type of player at all.

That can be the only explanation as to why he hasn't been part of his plans in the Premier League so far…

Maybe January! Although I have never been an advocate of players, or managers, returning to any club really they rarely pan out or emulate their first stint. I do believe though it may well be different in Richarlison's case, but would Dyche be able to get the best out of him?

Dave @80, well said. As long as the players are on the pitch and giving their all during a match, we are supposed to help them gain confidence and in return they'll be even more up for it. Yes, it's special times in this condition the club is in, then the more so we need this from the fans.

I don't see the comparison with Beto though, as he actually offers something to the team. No matter how limited that contribution may be.

Unlike Young who, as far as I can see, offers zero to the team yet is still selected at the expense of others who could actually develop and give something to this club in the future.

Even when the crowd were baying for blood at Brentford and Norwich during the final days of the Benitez regime, but that was more aimed at the then-manager rather than the players. I'm glad on both occasions there were a lot of stewards and Police stood in front of us as that could easily have gotten out of hand such was the anger.

I'm glad we won but the football is horrible, ugly to watch. Dinosaur football.

So I don't see anything to be upset about last night.

Yes we can play better, the football isn't going to win any sexy prizes and could of been more than 3.

Beto is a bit of a mystery. He put himself about, he seems to get more chances than Calvert-Lewin, admitted this is not the Premier League.

I think because of his limited playing time he's rushing and snatching at things. A run in the team may just calm him down. He took his goal well, but could've had a hat-trick on the night.

Iroegbunam was good in the middle, Ndiaye got better in second half and looked the most positive. I thought Lindstrøm looked out of place on the wing. Watching him off the ball he wasn't looking to get in behind, is he better central?

I don't think Bournemouth will be scared after this, but it's something to build on.

The reviews on Lindstrom's previous seasons are that he is tremendously creative in the center of the park and essentially nonproductive on the wing -- to me he looked slow and diffident out there. The one time he was able to get into the middle with space, he laid on a lovely ball for Tim's shot. Dyche needs to find space for him there, not out on the touchline.

Ndiaye is a lot of fun to watch and his confidence is massive. He is careless with the ball -- his first six touches went to Doncaster players, and a better opponent would have exacted a price for that -- but he clearly brings qualities that Duke cannot, and his finish was elegant.

Tim is dazzling me. He turns on the ball better than anybody I've seen in a blue shirt in recent years besides James Rodriguez. He has a lot to learn about defensive positioning, but his tackling is outstanding. To get him plus £50M in rough exchange for Onana is sheer brilliance from Thelwell.

And Jake O'Brien showed terrific pace and tremendous self-possession. Another excellent pickup, although once Branthwaite returns I suspect we will see little of him this season.

Admittedly he is a tryer, can disrupt a back four, but that's about as far as it goes. On the other points, I have always failed to understand, especially with Dyche, why certain players are bought because they have certain strengths, and are most comfortable in a certain position. Then he proceeds to play them in a different role!

My other observation regarding ToffeeWeb, when we win, maybe not a resounding one, but a win nevertheless, without scintillating football, but a welcome one. There are very few posts on the subject. My question is, are most TW'ers only happy when they are moaning, after a defeat? :-)

Some are even moaning over a win last night, mate.

14-15 - 3 out of 15
15-16 - 4
16-17 - 4
17-18 - 7, finished 7th
18-19 - 1
19-20 - 5
20-21 - 1
21-22 - 1
22-23 - 3
23-24 - 1

Looks to me as if the recruitment, pre-season games and fitness is way off. You start poorly and it puts you hugely under pressure for a difficult season.

The money I get, but the fitness and game preparation looks dreadful.

Tthere are always far more posts following a defeat than following a victory.

Beto is a threat and a danger. But he can't be left isolated.

It's the same as much as most Everton strikers of the last 30 years.

Unless you have a player who is absolutely exceptional as a counter-attacking and line front man – such as Lukaku – the lone striker will never be prolific.

Alternatively Calvert-Lewin has exceptional aerial ability and good hold-up play. Therefore you can develop an attack by punting long balls to him and getting him to hold it which he will do successfully quite a few times in a game.

His best period for goals was when he had attacking players such as James Rodriguez in and around him.

If we isolate Beto and just get him chasing lost causes then he will effectively be feeding off his own scraps and massively under pressure to finish the limited chances created by his team mates.

His finishing ability is not ruthless enough for him to play this role and score loads of goals. He and Calvert-Lewin together would be some threat because I think he would feed well off the space Calvert-Lewin would create by attracting defenders into a duel.

Compare the speed and high numbers on the Spurs match thread (as the 3,000 were heading home and the keyboard-folk were tucking into dinner) with yesterday mate. It's like fecking night and day. And then for more fun, see if any of the biggest gobs in the hour or two after Spurs posted after yesterday's win.

We all know that top-flight footy is stuffed with structural inequities but, while hardly being the biggest things of all, this league cup draw is breathtakingly blatant.

As Mike Gaynes says, he gets fouls because he has presence, his first thought is to engage the defender, get in front, he needs game time, I'd say.

But we've got to get bodies around him, because it's going to bounce off him a lot of the time.

After being one of the better players last Saturday, surely Dixon should have been the swap for Coleman, even though Dixon came on later.

I think these who have been calling for Ndiaye and O'Brien saw the improvement with those two starting and Beto will always miss a few, fall over his feet, and frustrate fans, but he never gives up and normally pops up for a goal.

I would continue with Beto, give him more game time and work on his techniques of lifting his head up and looking for players to lay the ball off to.

At least we resembled a team last night, regardless of opposition, but I have a feeling unless Tarkowski is not fit, both O'Brien and Ndiaye will be dropped with Doucoure coming back in. Pints on me after the game if Ashley Young does not get on the pitch at some point.

Brian. Ashley Young will start. Just you watch.

As Christine points out, there are sometimes virtuoso players who can be considered exempt from their fair share of the defensive stuff, but then you need compensatory ultra-industrious workhorses taking up the slack.

My overall point was that the sort of money we pay (transfers and wages), astronomic though it seems, still isn't quite enough to net us any guaranteed true top level all-rounders, but with some luck we might occasionally snag the genuine article.

You appear convinced we haven't lucked out with Ndiaye and I was wondering what had convinced you.

Paul Swan (76), you are referring to the sending off against Brighton, not the situation for the booking he got yesterday, which I believe the commentators ‘excuse' was for.

Colin Malone – “ You can only play to the manager's tactics.”

Brian Clough – "Once that whistle blows, all tactics go out the window."

Time for a ToffeeWeb poll?

Given the choice between an attacker who can't defend, or a defender who can't attack, I believe Dyche will pick the latter every time. In every position.

Playing Ndiaye is very obvious to me. In a team of defenders and midfielders (including a striker who is effectively played as our first line of defence) we need someone to want the ball and give the opposition just something to think about.

It's a disgrace if it's given to McNeil and not Iroegbunam.

I know what you men. I thought it was obviously Tim Iroegbunam's goal – and if had deflected in off a defender– then guess what? Yes, it would be Tim Iroegbunam's goal.

But that big guy Dwight McNeil (nb: not O'Neil) was the one in the line of the original strike and it was his foot that deflected the shot past the goalie and into the other side of the net that he was not covering.

So just another of those quirky things about football. It's one thing if a defender does it; quite another if an attacker does exactly the same thing. It would give you a sore head if you think about too much.