Everton rediscover their set-piece potency to overpower Wolves

A 4-0 win but not one goal from open play or even indirectly resulting from nice football.

The most bizarrely dissatisfying, uninspiring 4-0 win you could wish for!

And damned if we didn't score from a free-kick and then just keep knocking 'em in last night -- five in the net, four of which counted, and all off really nice deliveries, even the own-goals.

I remain convinced that we can't score from open play, that our goals will keep coming from these -- so keep working on 'em!!

With the injuries clearing up and hopefully a striker of quality to put pressure on Calvert-Lewin in Broja, we may just surprise at least one of the next four by getting a result.

Most teams in the Premier League don't like being pressured; if we do that, we can get out of the mess Dyche has put us in with his negative style.

Could have been a lot more. Excellent result.

Branthwaite seems to be carrying an injury and is not 100% fit. Tarkowski is the same. Young is a professional explaining his career.

Mykolenko, a ropey defender, is getting forward with little effect and is a real weakness. Patterson would be better even out of position.

Doucoure is getting forward and looks poor, not tracking back, and giving away the ball.

Calvert-Lewin is doing a job for Dyche and will start. Broja's fitness and Dyche's sub policy will determine his contribution, which looks positive. Beto is destined to last-minute cameos, or bolstering the attack to recover.

Both McNeil and Harrison need to find form. The depth is not there to replace them. Ndiaye is positive, but needs to get to the next level.

Lindstrøm is a fish out of water in Dyche's team of goalscorers with little interplay. Broja might help his game.

Ro!l on the next game and Dyche making something of the above.

I found myself wishing it had been Lindstrøm on the end of those 3 chances at the end rather than Harrison so we could have seen if he is any more clinical.

He seems to very much be a confidence player and a goal would have done him the world of good.

Really encouraged by Broja's cameo, though.

It's a strange one really, in that the team should be lavished with praise, but given that the opposition were poor, and we have tougher opposition ahead in the next few games, we can only ‘knuckle down' and work on the training ground, on a formula that makes us tough to beat, and yet be more creative.

It was Mangala's best game for us. Doucouré needs to look at who he is exactly passing to… and Pickford continues to be wasteful in distribution, but I cannot fault his shot-stopping.

Playing better teams in the next few games will define any progress the team has made, but we won a few tough games last season, and who says we can't pick some points up?

The players got a lot more right than wrong, 4 goals, two disallowed and a clean sheet. Much more than we were expecting.

Positives are another clean sheet, and for me, Broja coming on instantly looking like a player who will offer some zest to what's been a very sterile and weak attack. I'm just sorry he didn't get brought on as soon as we got that 4th goal – give him 20 minutes instead of 10.

We do need a new goalscorer, let's be honest, as well as Calvert-Lewin ran the line tonight, his finishing is woeful.

Anyway, good night all round, a resounding win and it lifts some pressure off the league position for another set of fixtures at least.

Now for the waters to get rougher…

My god, mate – who's crapped in your curry?

Calvert-Lewin was unlucky not to be in the scoresheet but was an instigator in the own-goals.

It's a win, a relief and gives a buffer between us and the Bottom 4.

Doucoure and McNeil. Both looked tired after 10 minutes and neither could pick even a short pass, although the latter played a few nice passes through in the early stages. By comparison, Mangala looked great.

The addition of some genuine quality in midfield (along the lines of Eriksen when he joined Brentford) would see us climb to safety pretty quickly, I reckon.

Dyche is lauding himself for the changes that certainly did make a difference. The changes that many or most of us have seen as obvious and have been calling for, for ages. What do we know, eh?

Saturday is the acid test. Let's hope the confidence from last night transfers to Saturday lunchtime.

I agree that something appears not quite right with Branthwaite. I posted that after the game.

I completely agree that Doucoure is a waste of a shirt but currently, there is no obvious midfield replacement that Dyche would trust, apart, perhaps from moving Young and picking Seamus or Patterson.

At least Ashley can control the ball and occasionally tackle and pick a pass and, to give credit where it is due, has been generally first class of late.

I still think that Dyche and Mrs Doucoure must be very good friends!!

Fair play to the Wolves fans, a good turnout and vocal in their thoughts on VAR, regardless of it benefiting them.

I just wish Dyche would use his squad more; as can be seen, it can change the stale same starting 11 and win points.

As far as I recall, no option on Mangala but there's an option of around £30M for Broja.

We can nitpick about no goals from open play and certain players being substandard but the main thing was to get 3 points. Everything else was a long way down in priority. The win will hopefully give the whole squad a lift going into the tough Xmas period games.

The flattering scoreline wipes out the horror show from the last game from a goal difference perspective and we've got a healthy 5-point gap to the drop zone again. Averaging a point a game, which will easily keep us up (albeit not expecting many more points in the next 3-4 games).

A lot more of us can rest easy going into the derby, with slightly less pressure to get points. I was however amazed how poor Wolves were tbh, given the importance of the game but I'll take a 4-0 win any day!

One thing I would say as criticism, however, is we've got a load of games in a very short space. We were 3-0 up after 49 minutes but Dyche made the first sub only after 73 mins, ie, as soon as we went 4-0 up. That really shows how lacking in confidence he was for us to see the game out 3-0 up.

He should have taken some players off earlier to give them a rest. The derby's a 12:30 kick-off n Saturday. 3 of the 4 subs were made with less than 10 mins to go even though we were 4-0 up after 72 mins. Only McNeil got any kind of a real breather.

So conservative… I guess the scars of Bournemouth and Villa still linger.

Thanks, that's a pity.

I think Broja's will probably be too much, though I was impressed with what I saw last night.

We don’t have much cash ourselves but you never know once TFG come in.

Indeed mate.

I do quite like the idea of trying players on loan with a view to permanent deals at the end of their loan spells if possible.

There is an incentive for players to earn a contract.

We can only hope that he's had a good night's sleep!

Doucource does not pass the ball, he flicks the ball. His game consists of running box to box and when he runs out of road, he flicks the ball in the direction of Everton players. There may happen to be one around.

He does have a shot, so he is pushed forward as one of Dyche's team of scorers. But that puts him out of the picture for tracking back, something that his flicks did anyway. Ancelotti kept him deeper.

On the money. Some people you just can't please, it's unbelievable.

Plus, I thought Armstrong looked ready when he came on. Broja also looked good.

Those 3 points are very welcome and, when the midfield is strengthened by the return of Iroegbunam and Garner, we will see less of Doucoure but still be left with Mylolenko. Broja and Chermiti could further Dyche's options upfront and possibly a couple of additions in January – and maybe a couple of loanees going to where they came from if it's allowed.

I was thinking of the other poor performer Harrison in the above post!

Grind out a couple of good results against the primadonna's and keep the ball rolling.

It's going to be tough but (Dyche, pay attention) don't just sit back and cave in under pressure. Get up the pitch and deliver the ball to a blue in the box.

This result for me in no way absolves Dyche – he still needs to go as we've been here before.

We could and should have scored more from open play though, especially when Broja came on. Let's hope he can start some games soon and prove that he is worth buying.

We have options, and I hope with the upcoming games the likes of Patterson, O'Brien and Armstrong will get more of a look-in when Dyche rotates. The first XI can't start all these games.

Garner and Iroegbunam unfortunately are still at least a couple of weeks away.

A goal or two from open play would be a godsend and I'm still trying to sort my telly out from when Harrison's second shot took my TV aerial out.

I've had a stinking cold all week which I daresay hasn't helped!

Of course I'm relieved and happy we won a game and some goals went in.

But just look at how we get those goals. It's beyond agricultural, it makes for appalling viewing both for us long-suffering blues and fans of other teams watching or playing us.

You might say the views of outsiders don't matter, but the fact of the matter is football, with its 24/7 coverage, hyped up commentary and social media presence, is now an entertainment as well as a results industry.

Everton do not entertain under Dyche at all. Watch the goals scored by Villa or Leicester this week, to name but two examples – they come from entertaining, flowing football which inspires you, makes you sit up and take notice.

In my view, this matters because, when this interminable takeover finally goes through, and we're all thinking woohoo more progressive manager incoming, maybe even better players as we finally leave behind the financial mire, my fear will be that many potential managing and playing candidates will take one look at recent 'highlights', social media chatter, the (accurate) portrayal and perception of Everton as a dismal, no-dimensional, hoofing team and prefer to go elsewhere.

Harrison Armstrong barely touched the ball when he came on?!?

I hope he comes good but are you guilty of a bit of ‘youth system bias'?

What exactly did he do other than play very safe passes against a poor team already 4-0 down?

As an aside: really important win and excellent to put a team to the sword so emphatically. Shame for Dom not to get his goal. Excellent to see Broja come on and make an impact. The inverse of his introduction was Jack Harrison who was as woeful as Broja was productive. Those weren't difficult chances.

Young superb and Mangala is a calming influence.

Hope you get better soon.

Wolves are wide open hence why they concede but score goals. Gary O'Neil is a young coach who will have to tighten up or lose his job.

Tarkowski's disallowed goal was a shambles for football and refereeing in general. If that's a foul or even offside, then every corner and free kick will have to be a foul.

Arsenal v West Ham at the weekend. Near post man gets barged in the back, Gabriel has an easy header goal given. It happens at every corner.

The ref at one point checked for a penalty to Wolves after a free kick!

It's only a matter of time before adverts are screened for the TV viewers in-between VAR claims. The game has gone, as Wolves fans sang 'This isn't football anymore"

Special mention to the Wolves fans, I think they are the best away support to come to Goodison for a long time. Singing for their team, gallows humour, anti-VAR and no anti-Scouse songs. I wish them all the best.

Roll on Saturday, same team but sit deeper and play on the counter, we can't play open against Liverpool.

Playing safe passes is exactly what we wanted him to do at that stage of proceedings.

Agree with everything else you say.

How can you have mixed emotions?

We won 4-0 should have been 6 or 7, kept a clean sheet, beat a relegation rival, moved 5 points clear of the relegation zone.

Mate, for the love of god.

Danny will be able to list more teams' supporters than me.

As Mike (2) says, let's make the most of them.

One-nil or six-nil it didn't matter, superb team goals or a mix of fortunate oggy's and direct-free kicks, it didn't matter, it won't matter in the next few fixtures either, as Everton need to put as many points on the board as is possible given the quality of the opposition.

Of course over the season, we'd all like to see better football from our team, but we should welcome any points we gain, regardless of how they are won.

McNeil may not be the greatest footballer we've seen, but his delivery can be devastating when he's on it, and there's few others in the team that can deliver the ball as well as he can. I noticed last night that there was a greater urgency to get the ball into the box and that reaped rewards in the final reckoning.

As for VAR, it's a ridiculous addition to the professional game, fans are left scratching their heads wondering what on earth is being scrutinised, it takes all the joy away from the fans as they're always wondering if the ball crossing the line, will actually result in a goal.

Arsenal have been praised all season for blocking off defenders and making space for one of their attacking players to head the ball into the net, but it seems that's not allowed if your club doesn't reside in North London.

Wolves were a shambles defensively and, a bit like the Mancs on Saturday, we were absolutely gifted some goals.

Doucouré is still all over the place, he looks like Fellaini after a few ales. He's come up with some vital goals but he's so far off it at the moment he doesn't deserve a place in the team.

But hey, before someone says stop whinging after a 4-0 win... UPFT!

Ndiaye and McNeil are 2 very good players to build a team around. They bring skill and ability as well as energy and positive attacking play.

On the subs, Lindstrom and Harrison offer nothing in an attacking sense. No control, poor decision making and lose the ball too cheaply.

Armstrong is way off being ready. I don't like players needlessly diving into tackles and to get booked so quickly tells me he's got a lot to learn.

Broja appears to be a lot of fans' prospective saviour. He brings the ability to hold the ball up or run with the ball which is a massive positive.

But I'm not so sure. He's lazy and didn't seem interested in getting back onside after playing the ball. I'm unsure if his attitude matches his ability but the next few weeks and months may provide the answer if he can stay fit.

Shows how average Dom and Beto are as strikers.

I know that the current situation with our club/ team has brought about frustration and negativity amongst us, which is completely understandable; I count myself in that grouping.

But the scoring of four goals for, rather than against, and the resulting 3 points, regardless of the style of play that brought it about, has got to count for something, if only as a little glimmer of hope yet again.

We have all bemoaned the tactics, the refs, the VAR, the luck (or lack of it) with the bounce of the ball, the fact that we only won 'cos they were worse scenario…

Let's just take our good breaks as and when they come, collect the 1 point or 3 points until such time as this club can regenerate and start being the club we want it to be. We are not settling for mediocrity, we're doing our damn best to work with it !!! COYB

What I'm saying is we should be converting these open play opportunities. I'm grateful (especially so these days) for every goal we chalk up, wherever they come from (bear in mind that the record books will show we scored two goals last night and two were own goals, and I do concede those were harsh not to be attributed to Dom).

I will be happy as a sandboy if we are clear of the drop due just to set plays and own goals but we have to start converting from open play.

Do that and we are well up the table and out of trouble.

I think we will be fine, even if we only get 5 more points in December which we will, then we will still be 5 points above the relegation zone imo before I’m cracking open the New Year Bubbly.

It's funny how the naysayers go quiet when Everton win. They were ranting and raving after the United game and then carrying on before this one. Where do they go to when their hopes are dashed by an Everton victory? Back under their rocks and into the dark muttering 'Dyche out' in some kind of possessed mantra, waiting to spring up again like poisonous snakes in time for the next game?

I don't think we're gonna see Patterson at right-back any time soon as suggested earlier. Or O'Brien anywhere, unless there's an injury crisis. I think Patterson must be third choice right-back when Coleman's fit so, as another poster said, Dyche must really hate him!

We have to stick with three in central midfield, hopefully that lesson's been learned, but I would love to see Garner or Iroegbunam in place of Doucoure. But again, I wouldn't bet on it.

I'm not particularly complaining anymore, it is what it is. Dyche will live or die by these decisions, as the manager they are his decisions to make ultimately, whatever we think.

As long as we get points on the board, I can live with it for now.

COYB.

I just wonder, transposing Man Utd for Chelsea, the result last night before we play Liverpool at Goodison Park… can history repeat itself?

I agree with other posters that Doucoure looked way off the pace. I'd like to see Garner back in the centre of our midfield. Calvert-Lewin looked more up for it but he still spends too much time for me out near the touchline.

Fair play to Ashley Young who performed well, again.

I've been enthused by cameo players in the past only for them to turn out to be awful (Moise Kean, for example) but Broja looked mobile and looked like he'd provide a good outlet for us.

I haven't played since Covid and am 50 now but I reckon, out of 100 attempts from where Harrison was on his two "efforts", I'm pretty confident I wouldn't put the ball where he did, once.

There's no craft, is there? Just put your foot through it and hope. The difference there is that a good player gets two goals. In this case, it didn't matter but too many of our players blow chances like that in the tight games.

Wolves are the worst team I have seen at Goodison this season and we deservedly put them to the sword but those now defending Dyche on the back of this are living in a dangerous alternate reality where, if we lose, the players are crap, and if we win, it's because of Dyche.

It was refreshing to sit in the Park End and not have the away support spout the normal anti-Scouse bile.

The difference was in the delivery. We've been wasting corners and free kicks by driving them low into the first man (Young and Lindstrom) or sailing them high into the keeper's hands (McNeil).

Yesterday, almost every delivery was in the right area.

Small margins are massive but every single manager we have had during the last 10 years have all neglected doing this.

This season has been awful and the sleepless nights started earlier this time around.

I really don't care how we score, set pieces or otherwise… let's face it, theyve been in short supply, so 4 were more than welcome, and to be fair, 8-0 wouldn't have flattered us.

Credit where credit is due though, we were excellent 2nd half. I think when we went 2 up in the Bournemouth and Villa games came to mind, but once the 3rd went in, the floodgates should have opened, but VAR once again saw to that, coupled with Harrison's 2 howlers.

Onto them now. 5 conceded in their last 2 away games, bodes well, but they do have major firepower.

I am not a Dyche fan but replacing him right now I'm not sure would solve the team problems. Our defence is pretty good in my view, and defensively the midfield buzzed around and won balls very well.

But scoring goals from open play requires midfielders who can quickly control the ball, see a pass, and play it with the right pace and accuracy. We don't have anyone like that. Also, quality midfielders make runs behind defences expecting a pass.

That we don't have players like that must be down to Thelwell. Maybe Dyche is partly to blame, I don't know. So if we can acquire some quality midfielders and we still don't improve, by all means sack Dyche. I'm not sure any manager can create a good team out of that midfield.

Or players injured or sent off trying to retrieve a situation that just simply shouldn't happen.

Many a goal has been scored by a man on the near post as well of course.

Looks about 5 times the player Calvert-Lewin is, and maybe 50 times the player Beto is.

The main difference was the corners were very badly defended by the Wolves defence and goalkeeper.

You are right about the poor corners and free-kicks taken by Lindstrøm in particular, but there was still no variation in the way the corners were taken vs Wolves and vs every other team this season.