87 Minutes

Thanks, as ever for the support, but I missed hearing about the trains. I hope that getting busy with Everton again helps a little with your awful loss (lovely touch with your gran).

I couldn't help thinking about the magnificent blue Dave (Williams) and what he said about the coach back to the South-West after the Brighton match.

Dear Sheedy, what must that coach been like on Saturday night? Thanks for your great support Dave and the other 70 or so — is it? — on the double-decker.

COYB

Nothing but the utmost respect for the West Country Blues. I've met a few of them and had a nice message from Ian. I think I travel a lot, they fill a coach up for every home game and that is one hell of a journey.

We need to get Michael K on that coach. I believe he resides in that part of the country. It would be great to meet him. And that's genuine. I would like to meet Michael face to face to thank him for everything and the effort he puts into this website. And then talk about Everton.

Why were the stewards “kind” for letting you in? Did you not have a ticket?

“Sat in front of the Bournemouth fans”? Were you on the pitch? You mean you had a Bournemouth ticket?

Anyway, sounds like you were close to the pitch? Could you hear any players conversations after the first? I was watching on a dodgy feed and, when their first went in, the change in attitude was palpable.

Someone on the live forum said, at 2-2, “I've never been so gutted” and I actually thought “Give it a minute, mate”! … I knew we were doomed from their first.

I'm now firmly in the Dyche Out camp. Those first 87 minutes showed what this team can do. The next 10 showed what Dyche can do. It's soul-sucking shite.

On a positive note, Ndiaye reminded me of Davey Thomas. He'll be good for us. Tim Iroegbunam was also a bright light until he faded alarmingly at the end. I hope his early enthusiasm isn't coached out of him.

Once we get Branthwaite back and we have a good look at O'Brien and Mangala in the team, I reckon we'll have a better idea of where we are. Or rather where we could be, as I no longer trust Dyche to do anything other than play the usual team and line-up that have, in my opinion, actually underperformed.

A better manager would have us comfortable, not scrapping by the skin of our teeth and surrendering like this. And No — I'm not talking Davey Moyes!

Hope to see you soon, Danny. Look after yourself, lad. UTFT

Agree, sad to say, with your remarks on Dyche, Mark. I wish it were otherwise and I will praise him when praise is due, But he's going nowhere, Mark, until the end of the season or when we get a new owner, whichever one comes first.

Seems his advice was totally ignored!

Off to bed now after good amounts of dry white and feck, it's my birthday, the day WW2 broke out and Cromwell won his 2 major battles and died on the same day.

I'm catching you up, Rob!

Cheer up, sunshine, there will be better days I have no doubt!

Rob, I had a French feed where the commentators clearly showed Pickford remonstrating after the goal... shame I couldn't hear what was said!

Paul, Happy Birthday! A few glasses of Australian white will dull anything, even the paintwork on your car!

But, as ever, in debt to you for advice and all things Everton, and the best guidance on paint-strippers. I really don't like Shiraz, and, like you, I felt Danny's pain, in large part because this might be the least effusive of all his match-posts.

Christine, your match report when you go home from that little sliver of the Pacific will be special, You and Dave Abrahams must meet up.

I didn't see the game. However, given the general consensus that several of the team were out on their feet by 80 minutes, I was wondering what, if anything, the senior players were doing to alert the bench that changes were needed?

This should really be the captain's job — but no reason why other senior players cannot take the initiative. If your neighbour is correct and this was happening but Dyche and his 2 stooges ignored it, then even more worrying.

It was only last night that I saw the Dyche post-match interview. Reminded me of watching former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells blaming everyone but herself. I'm sure the players were impressed.

I couldn't get to the game so listened on the club commentary. Back up for Palace after a week in the sun.

What a let down — I was literally dancing around the lounge after the second goal went in (ours, that is) and what happened then was so like West Ham a few years ago when we were coasting: Lukaku missed a penalty and then on came our first sight of Niasse. 2-0 became 2-3!

I might bring myself to watch the whole match after my round of golf but certainly Nidaye sounded electric, Calvert-Lewin excellent, and Iroegbunam too. We've already seen Tim Iroegbunam tires around the 70-minute mark and we had the perfect sub in Garner.

I won't bang on about it as it's all been said — bad day at the office for Dyche or a sign that it's falling apart? I go for the former but expect our defence to tighten up from now on. Why O'Brien doesn't play is a mystery as Keane is always prone to errors or just disengaging under pressure.

Hope Danny has cheered up from his very subdued account of the day and hope you had a good birthday, Paul.

No crap here about “I'm done with Everton”. I've put up with these days since 1963 and you learn to take it on the chin, dust yourself down and get on with it.

Real fans don't quit — ask the 70-odd West Country Blues who suffered the 6-hour journey home!

Onward!!

I celebrated my own birthday a couple of weeks back, on the first matchday of the season, hoping for presents but not surprised to find "nil points" to be honest.

I came back to New Zealand 4 years ago to try to avoid Covid because apparently I'm at risk... My doctor (who is a scouser and was in the next practice over from mine in Vauxhall) is a red.

I saw him today and we spent the whole appointment arguing about football. His final words as I went out the door were "Thanks for coming in, so nice to chat to someone from home!" I think he felt better after the appointment than I did..

I have promised to shout Dave and Tony a few glasses when I get over, although in fairness, I might have a job paying for anything, such is their hospitality. Somewhere on this site we should have posters profiles, not that I am worth looking at, but putting a name to a face is always a good thing, I think!

Bramley-Moore Dock is special to me, it's in my neck of the woods, the line of dockers in or thereabouts included many of my family in years gone by. So it will be coming home.

Characteristically, You bring a simple honesty. You qualify your points by pointing out you are using the benefit of hindsight. A breath of fresh air

I heard nothing like the deafening outrage I've since witnessed over substitutions at the time they were actually made. Beto was very warmly received as he came on and the two players who came off left the field to thunderous applause. Now, it would appear that everybody knew for a fact that we were going to implode.

I simply cannot give any credence to the countless claims that it was obvious our players were gone. If an Everton player isn't running on desire alone come the closing stages of a Premier League game, I want to know why. If they are completely spent and cannot function. they should flag it up.

Total exhaustion should be treated like an injury. A passenger is a passenger. I don't know for sure, but I believe the Bournemouth players who scored the first two goals had also been on the pitch from the start too. Desire.

It seems bizarre that people refused to believe our players took their foot off the gas. They have actually admitted it. How much evidence do we need?

By taking their foot off the gas, our players were opening a can of worms and as we all saw. They simply couldn't get the lid back on.

Dyche ...Groan.

You're right about him losing a fair portion of the fanbase, of course you are. You only have to read some of the threads on here to see that.

In truth, I abandoned other threads because I felt a lot of absolute made-up drivel has been posted by some. It's pointless. They are only fueling each other's anger. The more measured truthful criticism has a far greater impact.

I think he is rattled. What has always appeared to be confidence and self-belief is beginning to look more like arrogance and brittle bravado. He certainly doesn't do humility or contrition.

I thought decent results at Leicester and Villa may have swung things back in his favour but, listening to the sheer volume of unrest, I think he may already be past the point of no return with many an Evertonian. He isn't taking too kindly to this criticism. He sounds every bit as angry as his critics and he is the one with the microphone.

This is going to get ugly… or uglier.

It was around 87 minutes that I was about to text a friend to watch Match of the Day because we were so good. Better than I'd seen them play for; well I can't remember when.

For 87 minutes, they weren't the Everton I currently know. They were someone else. Someone I liked.

Iroegbunam showed cunning, moves and potential I never saw in Onana. I'm definitely in Dave A's camp on our former player.

Ndiaye was special, and I thought Harrison and McNeil were very good too. The pressing and purpose of attack exciting. Great goals by Keane and Calvert-Lewin. Oh how I wish Seamus would have put that sitter away.

87 minutes of joy. 87 minutes of smile. Then came minute 88… And then 89 and then the rest. Gutted, heartache, despair. The emotional change in those next 10 minutes was indescribable.

Bad substitutions compared to Bournemouth's excellent strategic changes rendered defeat and humiliation.

But Danny, if lessons are learned, then those first 87 minutes give me hope. Sing on Danny.

I'm sort of glad you missed the match, Dave. That journey home would have been epic for all the wrong reasons. I feel sorry for your mates.

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

With the defensive frailties we have witnessed over the first three games we can hardly expect to keep Villa at bay but we have to start getting a point or points sometime so why not start at Villa Park.

We have to be the most optimistic fans in the Premier League.

"I think he is rattled. What has always appeared to be confidence and self-belief is beginning to look more like arrogance and brittle bravado. He certainly doesn't do humility or contrition."

Will someone hit the TW gong please? This is where we are at. I actually have some belief he will make good but he is injured emotionally. Some will be snickering but we are hurting ourselves if we make him a villain in the narrative. He certainly deserves better but his rough exterior might make it difficult. Let's hope some stellar performances put us in a place where some healing is possible.

And happy birthday, Paul.

Great to meet and travel to Goodison with you.

The return to Liverpool City centre didn't happen as we had planned but I was well looked after by Michael Abrahams (Tony's brother) who took me for a pint and then sorted a taxi for me back to my hotel.

Hope to see you again, Danny, if I can (cough Tony) come up with a ticket (cough Abrahams).

You wouldn't have wanted to have seen a grown man cry at the end (one of many sadly) anyway. Take care, glad you met, Danny.

Mr Ferry, happy (?th) birthday, hope you enjoyed it, mate, but not the result obviously!

Brendan, glad you had good company, which made up for the result, that you could do nothing about.