Too little too late: Sanchez denies Everton's rearguard action

Beto is in for the unavailable Broja.

Palmer not scored for 16 games is it? Jackson no goals — I wonder what will happen today?

Should we go at them or defend for 90 minutes? Sheep or lamb time?

McNeil is obviously not fully fit yet - and Alcaraz isn't really a wing / forward and hasn't impressed there.

Tough game ahead - with Chelsea likely to dominate and cause problems with their technical ability, pace and mobility.

Still - we will get our chances. COYB.

What is the matter with the man? Why the fuck does he not like flair players who can change games?

Alcaraz has not been given anything like a proper opportunity to become fully integrated and show what he is I'm sure really capable of.

Whereas I'm sorry but Ndiaye is another who is flattering to deceive.

Only 1 win in 8 matches. That is a very poor record. Prove me wrong, Dithering Dave.

I mean, why not try other players? How the hell are we ever going to find out if they are good enough if they never get a chance to play?

Dwight McNeil has been our best player for ages, he should be back in the team.

I'm absolutely sick of Doucoure and Harrison.

Never like the idea of Pickford being captain, I understand the initial team selection but as things don't work out let's hope we see some early changes.

Doucoure and Patterson sounding like they should take an early bath?

But both Doucoure and Harrison are headless and Beto coming deep is not a good idea. Need changes at half time, if Everton can by luck keep it 1-0.

His follow-through clips Beto and brings him down.

They are giving Chelsea all the space they want between the lines. It may also be why they got such an easy goal, off Beto and away with no bother at all.

Harrison and Doucoure are not having much of a game but then it's difficult to see who is with little idea or support up front and most of our passing seems to lack any crispness whatsoever, the ball almost stopping on arriving at its destination.

Moyes has to do something and all I can think of is playing Ndiaye wider in place of Harrison and bringing Alcaraz on and maybe trying to link Beto and Chermiti up front in place of Doucoure. Mind you, I haven't seen Gana do anything of note.

However, this is contrary to Moyes's DNA, but surely, nothing to really lose and potentially a fair bit to gain. No shots in first half does tend to speak for itself.

Michael #18 Beto touch so poor.

Let's face it, we're losing and unless we start winning the ball we are not going to get anything. Alcaraz on!

Problem is turning the ball over relatively easily and deeply, ball not sticking with the likes of Ndiaye, Harrison and Beto.

Really tough game for Patterson to come back in and have to try forging a brand new partnership with O’Brien.

Need to keep Beto upfield so any turnovers don’t put them in a quick and easy attacking position.

I think McNeil’s chronic lack of pace (and what will be limited fitness) would have been cruelly exposed if he’d started. Give him 20 minutes at least to work some magic.

Just got to keep it tight and give us a chance to make it a game in the last quarter of the game.

Presume Ndiaye has taken a knock.

How did Mykolenko get a foul given against him when their keeper took him out with a reckless follow through?

Wouldn’t trust any of the big broadcaster commentators to give you a nuanced view. One central defender’s distribution has been near faultless and yet only Chalobah got name checked for an ambitious but inadequate long ball.

For fuck's sake, Moyes.

Alcaraz has changed the game for us. Good ball retention and better distribution.

The chavs offered fuck all.

Take the positives and move on.

But Moyes squandered the first half by having them play utter shite with his horrible team selection. He finally put it right, but only after the hour mark and we finally started to play football.

Very very annoying. Just not good enough from Moyes.

Remains to be seen if we can finish top of our mini league of 13th for a few extra million quid. I would prefer to just fast forward the next month and get to the summer rebuild.

Patterson isn't a Premier League right back.

O'Brien and Branthwaite looked pretty good together as do Gana and Garner.

The puzzle is trying to fit Ndiaye, Alcaraz and Doucoure into the same team.

Mykolenko another solid defensive game.

I also thought I was watching Chelsea TV but it was TNT Sports. The media really are pretty clueless with impartially.

Ref was pretty home bias, that little Cucurella has to be the biggest shithouse in the league.

Roll on next week.

I hope Moyes saw something in his substitutions but my first thoughts were that Chelsea must have felt a slight shudder when they saw Young coming on. I couldn't work out how that was going to get us anything.

Perhaps he might have gambled on playing Chermiti with Beto rather than instead of. We did have a couple of chances but still nobody to put them away.

I suppose we are safe from the haunting of relegation but I would like to see Moyes try something more adventurous; on today's performance, we are just making up the numbers.

And finally, where did we get that awful colour kit!
I'd even prefer the washed-out grey look to that.

Hands the opposition the initiative.

I think that was down to a negative set-up by Moyes, another what if...

Chelsea have quality but no finish, no bottle either. We should have been more positive from the off... Damn, this feels like déjà vu!

Harsh, as I thought the Manager tried to give the starting line up a chance, realized it was not effective so changed it; that's the sign of a good Manager. Dyche wouldn't have changed anything until the 80th minute.

Moyes will have learned a lot from the changes.

Sanchez denied us with two great saves. We gave Chelsea with all their big money signings and depth a real scare. We're not far off it with a a few good signings.

For fuck's sake, change it up!! 😡😡

This is a squad riddled with very very average players, yet Moyes still persists with Harrison, Doucoure and others who do not affect the game at all.

I've cut Moyes some slack since he came back but, if he continues to play Harrison and Doucoure, I'll scream — the pair of them are shocking.

Yes, Doucoure got a late winner against Forest… big deal — but we need to start getting ruthless and stop offering the likes of him a new contract albeit, on reduced terms.

Doesn't this sentimental shit show of a club ever learn?

I said on the live forum that Hammers fans disliked him for the very same type of performance.

Why does he do it?... we had nothing to lose by taking the game to them from the off.

Very frustrated as Chelsea are shite at the moment, he really does himself no favours at times.

Need to find goals from somewhere. Maybe Moyes doesn't like Alcaraz because he makes the other players look awful.

He hasn't got it, never had and never will.

Apart from that, no matter how much these pundits drool over Chelsea, they don't look a Top 6 side.

And an away win against 3rd-placed Forest…

At least Moyes didn’t pick Keane and gave the Patterson-O’Brien-Branthwaite set-up a chance to bed in. The centre backs looked good and Patterson showed some good potential despite a couple of bad moments against a tricky opponent.

Now that the run of fixtures against the top 5 is done, Moyes has to change the outlook.

We should be picking: Pickford; Patterson, O’Brien, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Iroegbunam; McNeil, Alcaraz, N’Diaye; Beto.

All of them are our players, contracted next season (except Alcaraz, who we should be buying) and the younger options for the future. Gana, Doucoure and Young have their qualities but none should be part of the rebuild, not even Gana.

Why wasn't that a penalty against Mykolenko. The keeper never caught the ball and he basically just flattened him.

I was wondering about that too. But the referee may have seen what I saw and what you apparently didn't: Sanchez did catch the ball but his impact with Mykolenko a split-second later caused him to lose his grip and fumble then drop the ball.

Still seemed like an unwarranted assault on one of our players. Penalty all day long.

No credit being given to a very talented and athletic Chelsea team who are still working on finding consistency but are getting it together generally.

I would like Alcaraz to start and play with Ndiaye to see if they can spark off each other.

I thought this was a difficult situation for Patterson to get his first start in ages (two completely new defensive partnerships needing to come together simultaneously). Some mistakes but only one that was really bad. Young wasn’t really tested too often (but absolutely left for dead on one occasion) as we seemed to be rattling their composure in other parts of the pitch.

I thought Mykolenko had a good game. Garner’s dead ball delivery was major disappointment but I thought his work elsewhere was solid.

Yes MK, Sanchez played ball first but Myko didn’t foul him in any way, shape or form. Ridiculous he was the one penalised.

Agreed, Alcaraz was good second half though, would have been interesting to see him in tandem with Ndiaye.

Perhaps Moyes should be a bit more adventurous, especially with us being safe, he should be using these games to experiment with formations.

Branthwaite and O'Brien look like a decent pairing, and Branthwaite in particular continues to show exceptional poise on and off the ball. I thought Garner was neat and tidy and moved the ball well, even if his set pieces were poor.

Patterson, Beto and Chermiti are just not good enough and need to be moved on this summer if we want to be competing in the top half of the Premier League.

What was clear is that we need a new right-back: Patterson has been given many chances and is just not Premier League standard. Young outplayed him and he is 39 years of age.

We need to end Harrison's loan deal. Again, not good enough. Beto is not a Premier League player, he cannot control a ball to save his life and is so slow and lumbering.

We need to make sure we sign Alcarez and I thought Chermiti did okay when he came on. Still need another striker.

On a separate note I thought Pickford and Branthwaite were excellent today and, without the mistake from Beto, we would have had a draw as Chelsea did not create much.

Especially with Doucouré staying on when he was the worst player on the pitch by a country mile! 🤔

I was with my cousin sat with him and Chelsea supporters.

I'll gather my thoughts. As always, I like a cooling off period.

I said before the match, with almost nothing to play for, go and play with freedom.

No chance. An average game between two average teams.

He's played Patterson, O'Brien, Alcaraz has had 45 minutes, so has Ndiaye, McNeil and Chermiti 25 minutes each.

The bottom line is we have a squad that is good without being quite good enough.

Then, when you think of Colwill, Chalobah, Palmer, Neto, Jackson, Madueke, Lavia, Cucurella each bought for upwards of £30, 40, 50 million, then you start appreciating that we at least gave them a game, and with some luck, we might have even nicked a draw.

I am normally critical of Moyes's tactics and selections, but today he couldn't have done much better, given the resources at his disposal. There were at least 2 incidents in the Chelsea penalty box that should have merited closer inspection by VAR, but surprise! It didn't happen.

Major rebuilding needed next season, several areas need strengthening. I believe we have a good defensive base. Midfield needs massive reinforcements and we need to get lucky with a talismanic attacking signing who could help propel us up the table.

Disappointed with the result, but this game's outcome was a massive motivation for one team, and not so much for the other, and the result reflected it.

The club may as well start announcing from next week which out-of-contract players will be leaving and those staying.

Alcaraz was running into space when Mykolenko had the ball. Instead of giving the ball to Alcaraz, he played it safe, it happens time and time again.

You can see why he plays Doucoure. Not an ounce of skill, you could see the header he missed and the pass into the box but Moyes thinks he's safe. Shit but safe.

Just read Chermiti is not good enough. For fuck's sake, give him a chance behind the front man. That's not going to happen with Moyes's safe football.

But the man right in front of Moyes, who he couldn't miss, Harrison was absolutely diabolical!

Could he not play Ndiaye and Alcaraz together, especially when we needed a goal? I'm totally perplexed.

I'd say that we are getting better and, despite the massive gap in resources, we may be able to get through the ceiling by going out to win games like this. Chelsea are a good side though and it was a decent performance from Everton.

Reflecting on specific faults for the goal, in my view, it was a combination of Jordan “firing” his clearance straight at Beto, who we all know can't control a ball to hold it up.

So an inevitable turnover, and although Jordan can't be blamed for not stopping the shot, he has stopped better shots, and in fact I think one of them was in this game.

Regarding the withdrawal of Ndiaye, he's not really been on it since he returned from his injury lay-off, but, with so many other candidates who have been quite frankly rank, it's odd that Ndiaye was first to be hooked, given his ability to turn things?

Which raises the spectre of the close-season clear-out. Because the length of the list of candidates is quite frankly frightening, on the basis it includes more going than staying, which in my view should include the likes of Doucouré, Patterson, Mykolenko, Harrison, Keane, Beto, McNiel, to name but a few.

Looking at Chelsea today, and the massive money they've wasted, they were very ordinary, and extremely nervous, and there for the taking, if Moyes picked a more attacking line-up.

But we desperately need a striker, Beto hasn't got a first touch, and Chermiti isn't a No 9 — more suited to two upfront.

We never learn, do we!!!

The race for 13th is on.

God, it depresses me typing that.

We need clarity if possible from the top, as well as a good clear out!

Fair enough regarding Beto and the goal but anyone with an ounce sense, never mind the captain, wouldn't have aimed the ball at Beto. Then it looked like he was blaming somebody else for the goal instead of having a good look at himself.

But, as another poster remarked, we all see the game differently and Calamity gets on my bleedin' nerves at the best of times.

He needs time to show what he can do, surely; Harrison and Doucouré are given a chance every week with scant reward. If the bar is set at 'working hard', then I fear we are in for more of the same in the next season or two.

I like Alcaraz. He's not fully cooked yet but he adds energy and something different when he comes on. He should start next week.

Overall, I think the subs helped but Mr Moyes has a lot to ponder in the weeks ahead.

Our goalie, whose job is to protect our goal, effectively 'achieved' a 'pre-pre assist' for Chelsea's goal!

He knows Beto's strengths and weaknesses. So to ping a fast pass to his feet, with opposition right on him, is a very poor decision indeed.

Hopefully he will have a think and learn from his mistake.

Defensively we have been sound but, when you don't score, then you are always vulnerable to defeat.

Given that we conceded 14 goals in our first four games, all credit must go to the defenders for keeping us up.

Whilst we really never expected much from these last half-a-dozen games, it was good to get some points – particularly the win against Forest.

We can now concentrate on the remainder of the season and finishing well although we desperately need improvements up front for next season.

A bit like the City game. We made a much, much better side look really ordinary. Just got edged out by the extra quality.

If we can give Moyes some decent quality in a few more positions (especially our abysmal right flank) then we can win games like that next season.

Nothing up top, nothing in the middle.

Beto absolute useless. Lost it so many times with a first touch akin to a Sunday league player.

Playing for draws again against the upper echelon.

Nothing changes after a bright beginning. Get use to it!!

We lack speed, especially in transition, and we lack quality finishing, if we could address that in one window we would be transformed...

But in the real world, with PSR, we are looking down the back of the sofa...

Unless a huge sponsorship can be set in place soon... sighs...

Then they scored and it changed to "Stay in it till half-time".

The question for me is whether he can strengthen the team in the right places this summer.

Did you really think that??

And why have our set pieces gone to pot?

And that was reflected by the continuous groans around where I was sat.

We have it a go later on, but not an easy on the eye spectacle. Maybe because I wasn't with the Evertonians.

He is not what is required for the next level, ie, mid- to upper-table.

Hold on …. I've just seen Elvis alive in McDonald's.

They were fine. My cousin done his usual and explained that I was, well, his cousin and I'm alright!!

Even the stewards were smiling at me and the bar staff asked me if I was from Liverpool. I think I have a soft South Liverpool accent, but apparently you can't hide it!! So much for me going undercover.

As I said to you, Mark, my Chelsea connections can get me two tickets for Chelsea v Liverpool next week. I'll give them to my son's girlfriend. Her family are all Chelsea supporters. The same contacts are getting me one for Fulham away, again with the home supporters.

Glutton for punishment, but I don't care where I sit as long as I can watch Everton.

Pickford fires a ball at our centre-forward who's got a first touch like a divvy and is absolutely bladdered at 2 o'clock in the Grafton… the ball bounces off him as per fuckin usual, and people blame the keeper for that?

This is a centre-forward who earns thousands doing something he loves but who couldn't kill a ball instantaneously to save his life.

I want someone on here right now to name someone who could replace him — the best keeper we've had since the Big man himself. You couldn't because he's the best keeper we've had in years and has given us great service.

Didn't see anyone praising the saves he made today, they won't will they because the goal was his fault apparently. Do me a fucking favour.

I'm embarrassed that a club like us has a mediocrity like Beto as our #1 "striker". He was hopeless, helpless, and hapless in all aspects of his "game" today and even had a hand in their goal. Perhaps one day he will prove me wrong. That would be nice. Chermiti did not look like an answer.

I'm still on the side of Moyes but there are worrying signs now of the reasons why I wanted him out a dozen or so years ago. I don't know if Ndiaye was injured or not but I'm getting sick and tired now of the Ndiaye - Alcaraz sub. Would it be too revolutionary to keep them both on?

What did you lot think of Patterson and O'Brien?

Beto is indeed limited, had his pocket picked for the goal – but did have a chance of the match that Sanchez saved well.

Hope we see a performance next week. No excuses, best 11 on the pitch please.

Much as I've not been Calvert-Lewin's biggest fan, he looks our best striker at getting his head on the ball, holds it up and controls it better than the other strikers we have. So, if he signs elsewhere, we need try and get a top-quality striker in.

At least Keane was kept well away today, Moyes learned last week; he moved O'Brien to centre-back and Patterson on the right.

He made changes second half so we will see next week if he starts McNeil and Alcaraz. I would not be surprised if Young starts next week, maybe Coleman might even get a sniff. I just have a feeling Patterson will not start.

Common sense says start with both Alcaraz and McNeil and, if fit, I would throw Calvert-Lewin in.

We will find out next week if Moyes rings the changes before judging myself.

Mykolenko is one of the worst fullbacks I've ever seen; Patterson is poor; Coleman shouldn't have been given a contract for this season; Young should retire but he's had a decent season for us.

Chermiti doesn't look suited to this league; Broja and Calvert-Lewin aren't good enough and should be gone anyway.

Doucoure, Harrison and Lindstrom aren't good enough and should be moved on.

I'm just so relieved we're not sweating on a relegation fight. There's a lot of squad reshaping required to prevent another big struggle next season.

Surprise, surprise – one pass later and the ball is in our net. He has saved us many times, including a couple of great saves today, but today is why the likes of City or Chelsea don't make a move for him.

Moyes and whoever the new Thelwell is better have some players lined up. Ones that can score a goal and run quickly.

Gana Gueye will be a massive miss. I think Doucoure will be offered a new deal. I want us to keep Alcaraz but get rid of Lindstrom, Harrison, Young, Patterson, Keane, Calvert-Lewin and Broja.

Also a bit worrying when 2 people on loan and will return to their parent clubs in 4 games time should be "moved on". I wonder, by us or the team who actually own their contract?

Don't we all love ToffeeWeb.

And yes, this is one season too many for Seamus. However, for his dressing room passionate speeches he has probably gained us 5 points despite only starting 2 games. And it now makes it easier to give him a coaching role rather than try to entice him back from a lower league club.

What does that mean ?