Leicester City vs Everton

Not many people were sad when Benitez got the sack, because his small squad suffered with injuries and not many people will feel bad if Dyche also gets the sack for the same reason.

Everton are a top level club, in name only, and it’s nothing short of a disgrace the way we have been managed on and off the field for years

Calvert-Lewin
McNeil Ndiaye Harrison
Iroegbunam Mangala
Young Mykolenko O'Brien Dixon
Pickford

Subs: Virginia, Beto, Lindstrom, Armstrong, 5 kids

3 points, easy!

Hope and pray for 3 points however unlikely.

Sean Dyche: “I remember beating Liverpool, everyone was jumping for joy. I wasn't, I went back to my flat and went to sleep.”

Well, Sean, I have watched most of the Everton games since you have been in charge, either in the flesh or on TV, and I almost fall asleep waiting for something good to happen.

And when the game is over, I have many sleepless nights worrying about the next fixture and where Everton will finish in the table.

At least you can claim to be a calm person in the face of adversity, whilst all and sundry connected to Everton are worrying themselves stupid.

Helping you out, man.

Sorry but you haven't got enough keepers on the bench.

Of course Sean is showing that he's a level-headed bloke and not on the same emotional plane as the supporters.

However, as his team quite easily avoided relegation – if we disregard the points deductions – last season, why is he continuing to harp on about how difficult it is for his current team to win football matches? Or doesn't he believe that his team are good enough to compete in the Premier League?

Is he claiming that beating our cousins, meant little in the grand scheme, but at the same token, the long winless run should be accepted as the norm, and anything else is a bonus?

It's always been difficult to manage Everton, it's always had issues, mostly mysterious ones, to the casual observer, but his job is to inspire and motivate, not only the players but the fans too. I'm not at all inspired by aiming for survival in this league, and am becoming less motivated by the game.

I've never been good at blind faith whilst supporting Everton, perhaps I should have been, but given that I'm an old dog, I can't see me learning new tricks in that regard.

Does it matter really who starts? The Foxes will savour this one... sadly.

2-1 home win, methinks, and our misery continues.

Play without fear and don't play within yourselves. Belief.

Make no mistake; no matter the excuses.

With Begovic, G Pickford, Zan-Luk Leban and Fraser Barnsley, we should have enough keepers on the bench to worry Leicester and the fans!!

Obviously we should have done better than we have been doing, but the loss of Branthwaite and Patterson – and the fitness struggles of Mykolenko and Tarkowski mean a usually very dependable defensive unit has been shocking.

Yes, I know Patterson is in and out of favour but, since we didn't buy a right-back or loan him out, presumably he was Plan A for the season.

For the fifth consecutive league game, the opposition (despite being no great shakes) will field a better First XI than us (with a much, much better bench).

It's a game we can certainly win – but we need a bit of luck, and we need to make our own luck too by taking our chances.

If we don't take any points at all, it'll surely be goodbye Dyche and welcome back Moyes.

Dyche is not a good manager and when we lose on Saturday because of his inability to motivate and organise an effective unit, he will blame the "injury crisis" and anyone else who is not called Sean Dyche.

If you want my opinion, you are a rare one; I think Dyche has shut down emotionally and is just looking to fulfill his contractual obligations.

After all the vicious ad hominem commentary, I think it his right to dismiss all else. That is the other side of constantly making someone feel like they are an outsider to the club's fans.

I have more opinions but will leave it at that to extend a discussion if it is wanted.

Move on. And more importantly, we're playing Leicester on Saturday. Let's get that out of the way first.

If Moyes comes back, Danny, he will be on a list with Allardyce, Dyche and Benitez, with regards to being another manager that will split the fan base, although Benitez was out on his own.

If those appointments were bad enough, I don't know how Everton are looking to appoint a manager who never won one away game away from home against any Top 4 team in over 44 games, whilst remembering the game when we played against 10 men at Anfield for about a hour and still lost the game.

I've suggested before that I do not believe anyone at the club is empowered to pay off Dyche and his team nor sign Moyes, nor is there money to do both given Moshiri's purse has been tightly shut for years.

And that is even assuming Moyes (or anyone else of any note) would be open to joining Everton under the circumstances, especially with a possibly imminent change of owner.

Moshiri has the first and last vote on the issue and he will not want to lumber a possible successor or buyer with yet another 'no mark' manager!

As for this business of "dividing the fanbase", I sort of get it and sort of don't.

I mean, who do we all want? What genuine candidates out there would somehow unite the fanbase? And how long would this unity last with a crap squad, an injury crisis, and no money?

Do I expect Moyes to transform our fortunes? Not really, no. He's a safe but limited manager who was sacked for consistently underperforming the level of investment at West Ham.

But as an interim appointment, he might steady the ship and keep us up this season – which is presumably the main thing, right? And if that doesn't unite the fanbase this season, then what does?

Once we're in the new stadium and have a new owner willing to spend a few quid, then we can think about a proper longer-term appointment. But we're miles off that now.

Also, as I've mentioned a few times, it's probably no coincidence that our last 4 managers were all out of work when we hired them (in fact 5 of our last 6 were out of work, I think). So the chances of us getting someone currently in a management job seems extremely slim. Seeing as though we couldn't afford the c. £10M fee for Tchatchoua (the Verona right-back now likely to join Inter in January) we probably can't afford the compensation.

Do I want Moyes? Not really.

It's just that, other than Potter, there aren't a lot of obvious candidates. I think Potter would get us relegated. Moyes, I think, would just about keep us up.

I don't believe he would (thankfully).

Is it so managers can claim to have no option but to keep their starters on the field of play?

Ring any bells?

The club has little or no money to bring in the kind of player quality that is necessary to become competitive.

The confidence seems to be shot after watching that anaemic display against another South Coast team following the Brighton and Bournemouth debacles.

Is the return of some fit players going to improve results, I hope so but certainly this weekend could be another bad day at the office unless Dyche can improve the defending.

With not much quality, save Branthwaite, to come back, we are in need of a miracle. Who knows?

I hope we don't end up beating Derby's all-time points low total. I can't remember… it may have been 11.

I can only think of Trippier and Branthwaite who have improved under him. That's terrible, my nan would have a better number than that.

Is there someone you have in mind or do you just want anyone who fits the bill of "hungry young manager"? Or something else?

If we get relegated, I think administration will soon follow and there will be an unwanted new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock!

Think wider, Everton, and look to the continent.

"I can only think of Trippier and Branthwaite who have improved under [Dyche]".

Ian, I sense that Branthwaite developed into pretty much what he is now when he was at PSV.

We are far too vulnerable at the back so our defensive game has to be tightened up in midfield giving the opposition less space to play in.

The way things have gone so far a draw against Leicester would be a good result in my book. I would take a 0-0 right now.

Dyche, when he walked through the door, he was banging on about improving the injures, great job: worse than ever! Kids crying off for a flu or stomach bug.

Me, I'd play for Everton with a broken leg if I could. Another indication Dyche and the players are not interested, joke you all are! And you and the Rat Moshiri... Fuck off, another loss again!

Just when I thought that big white post in front of me at Goodison was going for good.

It might be uneasy to watch but we are scoring goals, we need old heads and young legs to pull it off!

1. Lack of tactical acumen. Not using tactics and formation that can suit the players we have;

2. Not making proactive substitutions or correct changes to influence or keep hold of the game we are in;

3. Not trusting younger players enough, especially Dixon and Armstrong. He has played them out of compulsion and not really wanting them;

4. Not working with Thelwell. The signing of Jake O"Brien confused me.

It will be a hard season but I don't want another manager replacing him and failing.

Players should also take the blame. They lack aptitude, fortitude and ability. We have a limited bunch of footballers who have more weak points than strengths.

I still feel Dyche will turn the tide just enough to save us from another relegation. But that should be it and then we should focus on hiring a manager and strengthening the squad that can allow us to compete in top tiers. The club needs a reset.

Believe me, he is in deep shit!

It's way too soon to start panicking, we have only played four games. I agree that our defence is performing poorly with problems with our full backs and it does appear like Branthwaite is badly missed.

We are scoring goals which is a plus but we keep letting them in at our end which is not in the script.

What will happen at Leicester is anybody's guess, I have no Idea. A win would take the pressure off the manager and the whole club for that matter, we need some feel-good from somewhere.

The betting is 8/5 Leicester 9/5 Everton & 5/2 the draw.

Play Dixon, forget about Young, Keane has been so poor. If Tarkowski is not fit, play O'Brien, can it be any worse?

Hopefully Harrison's bug will keep him out, and play 3 in midfield with Tim, Garner hopefully okay and Mangala because Gueye is out.

As I keep saying, watching 2 in midfield is putting so much pressure on our back four. If I see the same 4-4-1-1 on Saturday, I give up!

We have two choices: We can keep screaming for him to be removed – knowing no one is listening. Or we can unite and get behind him and the team, despite everything, until a new manager becomes a genuine possibility.

All this barking at the moon will achieve precisely nothing.

Mykolenko is shite, let's just say it is a good job he isn't back home defending Kyiv. Patterson is a balloon, forget him. Coleman is in danger of being remembered as a sick note rather than as the fine player and great servant that he should be remembered for. As for Ashley Young, he is surely the most inaccurately named footballer in the Premier League.

It is unforgivable and a mark of managerial incompetence that two capable full-backs were not brought in during the summer break.

Also, he bangs on about losing players from last season.
I think he may have been on the grarse.

Onana was on the bench for several games last season and all of Dyche's favourites are still here.

Christine, I know you'll be with us.

I think I'll listen to The Whole Of The Moon tonight to put me to sleep!!

I am not surprised Dyche has an injury crisis. After the previous games, it is better the manager takes the heat, would be the attitude.

The Mykolenko comment, poor taste, my friend.

Alan Corken, sorry but that's an awful comment re Mykolenko.

A snidey dickhead comment about Mykolenko, that.

In 2018, 6 October, I was in a hospital in Portugal, just diagnosed with a stroke while on holiday, and the one thing that kept me going was another 2-1 win at Leicester on that Saturday afternoon, it was brought about by a screamer from a guy who did not kick a ball in anger for us in his final season.

No matter who the manager is, support the team from the first kick to the last!

The first thing a team should do is go out to win.

"Okay, boys let's forget the Dyche style, and go out and play football!"

I much enjoy your posts on the player market and transfer dealings, and the insight you have on this, which is why I'm surprised you equate a managerial change with player trading.

The latter made money this summer. The former cannot, at least not likely in our situation. It requires compensation to be paid to the outgoing unless another club tries to poach them. And nobody is poaching Dyche right now.

If we assume, as I do, that Moshiri's instructions are, no net cash outflow, then Dyche is here until he chooses to leave.

My guess is that we will continue to lose and Dyche will go when he thinks any more time here will lose whatever reputation he still believes he has at that point. Likely no later than Xmas. If we still have Moshiri as owner at that point, I think we're down.

It's called 'No More Premier League Money'.

Edit...meanwhile in the face savingly convenient department "Elsewhere in defence, Michael Keane has undergone a scan on an unspecified injury."

What stands out, and it did last season too, is the midfield being overrun at times. They don't have the personnel with speed in that area and consequently are slow to close down the opposing advancing players.

They are always chasing shadows which allows the opposition more time on the ball and to put Everton on the back foot at will.

Until they can get more quality across the midfield, they will continue to struggle.

It would be easy to say that, down the line, Mangala, Garner and others may play better as a tighter unit; we have to suffer more disappointments that could destroy us come the end of the season.

The writing has been on the wall for a few seasons now but the evidence so far this season is far worse than it has ever been that disaster looms.

Another defeat and the top brass have to get rid of Dyche who is only partially to blame but who can do better with this squad, certainly not Moyes.

Comment re Mykolenko tasteless, inappropriate, not funny.

That is funny Alan. Factually wrong: Mykolenko isn't shit, but funny.

Is Branthwaite playing with the Under-21s this weekend a matter of player safety? If so, I have no issue. Do not put him at risk.

Or is it a matter that they don't think he is fit to play at the Premier League level?

If the latter, would an 80% Jarrad be better than what we might have to put out there?

I don't want to risk his health in any way. But if it is not that, but out of concern about performance, I'd put him out there.

I'm not familiar with the Premier League version of an MLB rehab stint.

Ignorant question font=off.

We'll see what O'Brien can do and hopefully Dixon gets another run out. First team not that depleted…

We've also scored two in each of our last two league games (yes I know we lost) so would hope we can score against Leicester.

We're not playing Inter or Real tomorrow!

Three points hopefully.

Send him home with pay and get the next in line for a manager's job. We don't need to sack him.

I don't think either Thelwell or Chong have much or any influence. In a way, I'm surprised Chong has not resigned because he has a decent-ish infrastructure reputation, yet he is sailing fairly close to the wind on director duties, trading while insolvent. Whilst there are buyers, he could argue reasonably a case. But once there are not, at least not before administration.

As for Moshiri, my own view (which may be wrong) is that he is disinvested from the club and won't put another cent in, either because he has reached a red line, or because he literally has no more money to spare (I'm in the camp that believes his is Usmanov's money and the latter is definitely out).

As such, I think it is more likely that, as things worsen, he will be forced towards a price lowering, as might be the other creditors, hence Friedkin reportedly still in the background.

You could make a case that, on the basis of risk, he might be better spending a bit to decrease the chances of relegation and a bigger shortfall for himself, but I think he now has no appetite for risk whatsoever. Hence our very obvious stasis.

U21 games are way less intense, so if he makes it through 80 minutes of that and he's no issue a couple of days later, he could be deemed bench ready to come on for the last 20 minutes or so, if needed for the next game.

Dyche doesn't like to rush injured players back and seems to prefer a gradual approach, which I'm a big fan of. That's about the only thing I'm a fan of at the moment though. If Young starts against Leicester...

Anything less and the club will have no option but to sack him. There will be mass uproar by the fanbase for failing to win either of the next two games. 1 or 2 possible points from 6 games played is simply not acceptable. The club will have to get a new man in during the international break.

It appears as though it's third time unlucky for Dyche. He pulled some results around the first time after the points deduction and the second time after the Chelsea mauling. I personally think his luck is now out now and that seems to be evident from the load of rabble he comes out with in his pressers.

Wins: Moyes 39% Dyche 28%
Draws: Moyes 26% Dyche 26%
Losses: Moyes 35% Dyche 46%
Points per game: Moyes 1.45 Dyche 1.18
Goals scored per game: Moyes 1.35 Dyche 0.98
Goals conceded per game: Moyes 1.31 Dyche 1.44

That's how grim we are.

Sorry lads, I'll get me coat.

ps: I think our scratch team will surprise us and at least get a point. Coyb.

We'll said, interestingly Jones Knows from Sky has predicted us a 2-1 win for what it's worth. A Mykolenko screamer would be welcome indeed.

Come on, lads, this is the game where our luck changes and we turn it around.

COYB UTFT

I think Coleman was probably Plan A for right back this season, Robert.

Patterson probably didn't go out on loan because he was needed as cover, or maybe he even refused to go out on loan.

I actually don't really get Dyche's dislike of him, if that is indeed the case. Sure, he's made errors but what young player hasn't as he's learned his trade?

Anyway, Roman Dixon for me at right back is an absolute must for this one, we need some pace.

Too much dross and deep rot.

Young and Doucoure… one is a liability, and the other a waste of oxygen, a shirt, and a starting slot!

Sean Dyche said everyone was jumping up and down happy.
Well, everyone I know or I seen at that derby game against Liverpool last season when we beat them 2-0 hands down was.

It doesn't come around often, beating the red shite, so we should savour every moment even though we all know we've been shite for years.

As for going home to your flat and going to bed, well if that is what it means to you to win a derby game, so be it. But to me and thousands of others, it's the greatest feeling in the world.

Let's start the process of turning the tide tomorrow.

Selection of young players feeling their way into a struggling team and playing next to each other would be a gamble, potentially detrimental to their longer-term prospects.

Dixon has impressive pace but his wild tackling the other night partly contributed to the Southampton goal. He was also beaten several times in aerial challenges.

Dixon at full-back is better than Young or playing Garner out of position, which didn't work.

And in all fairness, John, most small full-backs aren't very effective in aerial duels.

Sean Dyche plays the harrying and chasing long-ball game exhausting the strikers and constantly giving possession back to the opposition.

It's very unsophisticated and hard to watch. It's certainly not the type of football that gets the best out of the players.

I think Dyche has lost his grip – his game management and substitutions have been awful so far this season. It's definitely a time for a change – although it's unlikely to happen until we have a new owner.

He is easily our best fit right-back. Is this too hard for Dyche to see?

Young has stopped going forward as his legs have gone and he knows he can't get back.

Come on, mate, he would rather play Dixon of Dock Green, and (Old) Young than risk being proved wrong and trusting the younger fitter players.

I have a feeling that, lose this one, and his days are severely numbered.

Surely to God he will see this before we lose another one.

I had to think about that one!

If he is to stay in a job, then I suspect he will depend on such results again. Our next 7 matches involve 6 against teams in the Bottom 8. If he can repeat our form of last season, then there is a decent chance we will be 12th or thereabouts by mid-November. If he cannot, then he will be under pressure –hopefully as we are getting more clarity about a new owner.

I keep saying that we earned 48 points last season, however, the manager seems to believe that, due to losing Onana and Branthwaite's continued absence due to injury, it has undermined his team's ability to get anywhere near that total this time around.

Most of the players who departed in the previous window were 'surplus' to requirements in Dyche's first-team squad, and, apart from Onana, very rarely featured during last season.

Dyche is usually a 1 point per game manager over a 38-game season; that may be enough to stay up but, if we have another long winless run, it's going to be touch and go. That run last season will continue to nag at even the most optimistic fan, and it's not as if Dyche doesn't have form for this type of run either.

As always, we live in hope and we'll see where we stand in six games time.

The team is simply "Broken"... 2-1 to Leicester.

At the minute, we are dire with Dycheball – it hasn't paid off and it's never likely to. I'm more concerned with this season than the last 3 despite survival; why do we have to put up with this garbage every season, every game?

I'll be relieved if we get into the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock still in the Premier League but it may prove a bigger ask than ever with the crap football dino Dyche serves up.

Fingers crossed for a win tomorrow.

Dyche was bought in to save us from relegation and he has achieved it. He achieved it last season even though we had a farcical 8-point deduction, without which we would have ended up 12th.

Of course this season has been awful but 4 league games is a small sample. If we're still awful and bottom after 10 games, then Dyche will (hopefully) be sacked. But he did a good job last season even if the football was dour and there seems a lot of revisionism on here.

Any other club would have booted him out by now. This charity case club just keeps on giving on and off the pitch. If he selects Young again, then he really is taking the piss.

Most of the credit for the past few seasons is down to the supporters, especially those 3,000 or so turning up in every far-flung place on the map.

A win is a must tomorrow – for us the supporters, not Dyche. As far as I'm concerned, he can do one – along with Dour Davey.

Doucoure in the pivot is an absolute liability. Not many other players are as ruthless as Doucoure in front of goal. He should be in the team but right behind Calvert-Lewin and nowhere else. Otherwise, get him off.

He plays shit football, he runs the players into the ground, he refers to the supporters as 'they'. He's an awful manager that will always be in relegation scrap playing pub football from the 70s.

He continues to play his favourites, has an appalling record in actually developing players and is clueless in changing a game.

Yes, he scored some points last season, but jesus it's 5 wins in the calendar year, and 4 of those were against some pretty poor opposition we have to be putting away.

He's an overpaid pub landlord that limits what talent we have. Get rid & quick.

Tomorrow, defeat is not an option, and like last week I fancy Everton to win. The players have got to take ownership on the park and the manager and his team must instil belief and steel into this squad.

The perspective tomorrow tea time will hopefully be more positive. The takeover saga will hopefully be concluded on a big positive soon, with no strings attached deals.

But tomorrow's game is massive for Everton and let's hope Everton win. UTFTs!

Tarkowski is a leader if fit. I hope Mangala is if he plays. This is time for characters and fight.

We just about have enough players fit for this game so let's go out and give it a go.

Dixon must play!

However, I do believe one could be possible… but only if he picks the right combination. No Young, Keane, Harrison (worker but headless chicken) and Doucoure (what a waste of a shirt number). Even if he were to get a hat-trick, my feelings wouldn't change about him.

0-1 win for us if Sean picks the right team and tactics.

Just a 0:0 and a point would be a welcome return to stop the rot.

Heart says our luck has to change eventually and the good from the last few games will prevail and we'll get the win.
Head says that it's going to be another 5- or 6-goal mash-up with Dyche's selection flying by the seats of their pants.

Hopefully the travelling Blues get something to cheer about.
If we can't at the very least compete with this Leicester side, then we are in big trouble.

Can't wait for the dreaded Dyche's starting line-up. UTFT!

Good luck blue boys, wherever you are.

How can it be that barely a month into the season we have a dozen players injured?

Fingers crossed we can get first points on the board here.

We must ride the latest storms, on and off the park, as Evertonians unite and believe and dream and hope. The better times will happen, hopefully before this Chrimbo.

Hopefully today there will be Everton Blue skies smiling down on Evertonians this day! UTFTs!

In 57 years of supporting Everton, there have been two constants:

1) Countless players are constantly injured. The new owners should investigate this. Something is badly wrong.

2) We have always been crap away from home. Someone will have the figures.

I can only find 10 first-team squad players missing vs Southampton:

Patterson
Tarkowski
Calvert-Lewin (s)
Mykolenko
Broja
Coleman
Gueye (b)
Chermiti
Branthwaite
Garner (s)

Not all injured; some sick (s) or bereaved (b), so that's only 7 injured at most. Keane could perhaps be added now but, if you do that, you'd have to remove Patterson, Tarkowski, Calvert-Lewin, Mykolenko and Branthwaite from the list.

You'd have to add in Dele Alli, plus Stan Mills, Coby Ebere, Sean McAllister and perhaps Liam Higgins from the U21s to get to 12 injured players… but the last two were compassionate contract holdovers from the summer as they recovered (what a lovely club we are), with Higgins now gone and McAllister to follow, if he has not gone already.

So, er... fake news.

Going to be a long night here! COYB!

Not sure but I think Coby Ebere has gone, maybe to a Spanish club in the lower leagues but I might have dreamt that!

Anyway no matter how many injuries, illnesses etc the game v Leicester City will go ahead so good luck to the eleven to sixteen who are fit.

I hope they bring a smile to those brilliant fans travelling to the game, those who get up in the middle of the night in foreign lands, and to the rest of us glued to the box wishing and adding cheers, that no one else can hear, for a well deserved, or otherwise, win today. COYFBB'S!

Is Dixon injured? I can't see why he is not being picked to start.

To you and all our travelling fans, have a safe trip, let's get this recovery going. COYB

Re, Coby Ebere. I hope you're mistaken unless it's a good loan move for the lad.

I'm sure I read an article about him in April when he was scoring for fun. Then nothing, can't find any news about him at all.

I had high hopes he would kick on, but after 56 years following Everton, I should know by now it's the hope that kills you!

I hope we win and stop all of these stupid David Moyes rumours. COYB's.

There's no point speculating a starting XI. As for the score, seems 2-3 against is favourite. I wonder what the odds on a third 2-0 lead turning tits up are?

Who will make the first cock-up? Anyone from 11 really. I keep saying we can win and we lose. So I am predicting a loss by a couple of goals, a penalty and VAR controversy.
COYB

Yes, I've tried to find his whereabouts but can't find anything about where he is now and no mention of him being transferred so maybe I did dream that!

Far too early to panic, lads. I still want Dyche rep!aced at season's end, and a new set-up for the new stadium.

Acoording to TransferMarkt, Coby Ebere is recorded as being in the Everton U21s and has signed a 1-year contract until 2025. There is no record as yet of the 2024-25 season stats. He played 12 games in varying levels, in 2023-24, scoring 11 with one assist.

Garner at full-back got pulled all over the place last time out and as a wingback he offered little or no tracking back to help his full-back. Is it centre midfield because there's no Tim Iroegbunam?

Line-up feels a bit odd, no Mykolrnko either… is he still sick? Leaving two recognised defenders on the pitch while a central pairing that has leaked like a wet paper bag is inviting trouble.

Just a few odd-looking decisions by Dyche, hope it works...