Everton protect their unbeaten streak against West Ham but the shine has come off in recent weeks

Doucoure, Harrison, Beto were pretty poor, I have to say.

VAR is killing it. Even when you score, you're looking around to see if it's going to be ruled out rather than enjoying the moment.

I was fuming because we had momentum and, had we played 6 minutes as should have been added, we would have created at least another chance.

How he could point to the spot for that Beto incident actually had me wondering if it was pre-conceived, which is ludicrous when thinking logically, but because most of his other decisions favoured the away team, this had me scratching my head.

We can't expect Everton to suddenly start opening teams up when you look at the complete lack of craft in our starting eleven. It was another valuable point, even though I wasn't particularly happy with the way we set up at times today.

Moyes was brought in with one single objective: keep Everton in the Premier League. I think that objective has already been achieved.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves expecting the players to become world beaters; over half the team are Championship standard.

We should give credit to Moyes for getting the points we needed… but there is massive work to be done come the summer.

But that also meant there were no lack of candidates worthy of being withdrawn, although some were more worthy than others, such as Doucoure, Harrison, Beto, Garner and Mykolenko.

That was a game that was there for the winning, together with a valuable 3 points. Because despite our abysmal display, they were as bad, if not worse, and if he hadn't dithered and made those substitutions when he should have, 10 minutes into the second half, we would never have gone behind, and would have run out comfortable winners.

Which was proved when he finally relented his dithering and made the changes that were obvious to everyone in the ground in the final 10 minutes, when we proceeded to camp in their penalty area, and still very nearly took all 3 points, but ran out of time. The sheer frustration… arghhh!!!!!!

They have a bit more quality up top with Kudus, Bowen, Paqueta. We were reminded how ordinary our squad is and a few had an off day.

We all know we need to let a few go and strengthen in the Summer. It's going to be a pivotal few months…

I thought Chermiti and Broja made a huge difference, Alcaraz a lot more effective in his proper position.

Doucoure, Beto and Harrison need to be dropped. Gana and O'Brien joint MotM for me.

Not a particularly good performance at all today. It definitely would be good to get Ndiaye back and move Alcaraz into the centre instead of Doucoure, who was particularly poor today. It's obvious isn't it why Leeds sent Harrison out on loan???

Pickford and O'Brien were my picks as the best from that performance.

But Dithering Dave made an unwelcome reappearance. Lindstrom was ready to come on for a least 5 minutes and there were several opportunities to make the chance. I said to the chap next to me “Moyes will wait until we are a goal behind before changing anything”. And so it proved.

Doucoure and Harrison were having a shocker, the game was passing Alcaraz by, but nothing changed. Let's hope the return of some of the injured players will enable some better football.

Still, 9 games unbeaten, I shouldn't complain. I couldn't have imagined at Christmas that we'd be in this position now.

Problem is, that's hardly a game changing sub, is it? Our bench is not game-changing. So I don't really blame Moyes from making changes when we're still in the game.

Let's not forget – we were fighting relegation when Moyes came in; we're safe”-ish” now but still fighting for our place.

If it's true that Jack Harrison is receiving that same amount of money every single week, £80.000, then we must be absolutely nuts, putting so much time, effort and money into watching our team.

It's beginning to amaze me how football remains so popular!

Thanks to Beto for his flurry of goals but he's such a bad player; hopefully that few-week period may help us unload him. Mykolenko is probably the worst full-back in the league, Doucoure has been a decent servant but needs to go, along with Coleman, Patterson, Keane, Harrison and Lindstrom.

Please… no more charity contracts and also no more expensive crocks like Richarlison! Just because he liked it at Everton, people want him as our marquee signing; Tottenham fans are desperate to see the back of him.

We've got to be a lot more ruthless and savvy with our recruitment moving forward.

His flurry of goals where a godsend, unfortunately for him defenders and goalkeepers have done their homework on him and he's been sussed out pretty quickly.

Thanks, Beto, let Chermiti have some games as he did more in the last 15 than Beto did in 75 minutes. Broja is made of glass and shouldn't be signed so Chermiti should be given his chance.

Harrison, Mykolenko, Lindstrom should be shown the door… and £70 million for Branthwaite on current form would be good business.

I can't see us winning till Ipswich and they'll come and have a go at us with the pressure off; Southampton won't be a gimme.

Oh Lordy… still leaving Goodison with a whimper, and once again mass exodus towards the end — another goal you've missed, eh, lads?

Lads, lads… oh shit, they've gone!

They can't wait to leave Goodison at 85 minutes, but will be crying crocodiles on the very last home game, before exiting on 85 minutes!

Got in the car and my daughter said "It's 1-1, Dad, Everton have scored!"

I asked who scored before adding Chermiti, possibly because I can see a bit of talent in this kid, and when she replied O'Brien, I just carried on driving home thinking, that was another poor game.

I've left a few films and plays early in my lifetime but, other than a few away games over the years where I left early because we were shite, getting hammered, and I wanted to get back on the ale, I have found myself leaving more and more home games before they have finished and this is something that I never, ever really used to do.

Football has always been such a massive part of my life but lately I find it can sometimes suck the life out of me.

Dig deep for a big performance against our horrible neighbours, please, Blues.

0-1 with minutes to go and the football not being great is a poor excuse to leave – why go in the first place? It's not like it's going to be an exciting end-to-end game with this squad, is it? It was always going to be a turgid slog today, regardless.. imo.

O'Brien won me a good few pound with that equaliser, so I can excuse him, but he's never a full-back. Maybe in his own position, he will show up better – or convert him to striker, he can belt a ball – and possibly get ourselves another Fred Pickering.

I just saw where Dele Alli came on for Como in the 81st minute, red card in the 91st minute.

I've always gone to watch Everton but it wouldn't bother me not watching them play at the minute, mate.

For years now, I have thought about how emotional the last game at Goodison is going to be, but my thoughts today were different.

People would give their right arm to be there… so maybe I should give my ticket away? Especially because I also don't expect to get much excitement out of our current squad, but I think I'm just disillusioned with the horrible view of the way I see that football is currently evolving.

It's littered with cheating, it's littered with inconsistent officials, and it's littered with a system called VAR, which has slowly begun to suck the life out of me.

Football has never felt more robotic, and sometimes this can feel very draining.

Honestly, it's win win for you.

That's why going to watch League 2 Bromley was so refreshing on Thursday.

On an aside "they" are here in numbers. The red mist has arrived.

I couldn't help myself when earwigging a conversation. They're in a cup final tomorrow and the leader of the group mentioned our new stadium, suggesting it would be sponsored by Kleenex, which, according to him was appropriate as it was bog roll and BMD would smell of a bog.

I asked if they were jealous. No reply.

And they call us bitter!!

Today, they left just before O'Brien's equaliser.

I sit just behind the padded seats and I'm used to seeing them leaving before half-time but I was astonished to see them going downstairs when the penalty was first given – without even knowing the outcome!

They'll probably turn up at Goodison Park for the first game of next season.

Murph 07708 615684

Murph 07708 615684

Mark, if needs must, we'll find somewhere to watch it.

But maybe a couple of supporters who can't be bothered anymore staying until the final whistle might consider giving up their ticket for people like you who travel the length and breadth supporting our club.

Explain what, Danny? It was a direct response to Allen Rodgers's comment about the people who sit around him at #27.

The usual suspects were garbage again. Can't wait to see the back of them.

I never leave until the players do.

Last season, I had a seat in the front row of the Upper Gwladys. Bonus, I thought.

No. My seat was right in front of a post meaning I had to move left and right to watch the match.

I came back for the 2nd half and a lad next to me told me to move along to get a good view. Apparently, the season ticket holder never comes back for the 2nd half!!

e disappears on 42 minutes… and then you don't see him until 3 games later!

He obviously sells his seat and only comes to selective games, but gets bored halfway through!!

Fuckin weird.

And lasted 9 minutes.

Red card for spearing Loftus-Cheek from behind.

In regard to the Lindstrøm substitution, my recollection was he had been ready to come on for several minutes but the ball did not go out of play. Not much a manager can do about that.

West Ham looked a half-decent outfit, on the whole better balanced than two other recent visitors to Goodison, Manchester United and Spurs.

Under Moyes, if we had lost every match, other than the one against Leicester, we would still not be in the Bottom 3.

I couldn't understand the delay as we were crying out for a change. Not so much Lindstrom, but getting Doucoure out of there.

I'm happy that Broja and Chermiti got some minutes that Moyes can assess them in real matches.

As we're safe from relegation, not a bad idea to test out different formation and players on different roles to see what players we need in coming window.

I'll fly from Brisbane to pick it up – and buy you Guinness all Friday night.

+61four2four58four9two2

Phrases like that spread quickly and give fuel to negativity. He's barely got anything to work with, judge him mid-season next season when he's got his team together. McNeil, Calvert-Lewin and Ndiaye all instantly and greatly improve this team, add a quality right-back, a new striker, and a right winger to that, plus someone to challenge Mykolenko, then let's see what he can do and whether his is slow at making decisions.

Good job so far. We'll be able to pass more qualified judgement next season to see where we are as a squad and a club.

I personally don't like the 'People's Club' tag that he labelled us with. For me, it smacks of 'plucky little Everton'. Maybe that's just me.

Would it have been deserved? Probably not, but how often have we seen that in the Premier League?

Teams will start showing us a bit more respect, we will get more possession, so we will need the quality to do something with it.

Everton have been scrapping to get by for the last 5 years, whilst West Ham have spent good money. Yes, they had good players in Bowen and Kudus, and moved it around with better players, but if you're a West Ham fan, I'd be thinking, Where's this going? How long before those two want out, and they're in for a relegation scrap?

In general, it felt like two teams now safe from relegation going through the motions somewhat. We lacked precision in the final third and, if Beto is not scoring, then his other contributions often don't suffice.

Overall, we struggled to create. Although (interestingly for some) we won the xG battle, just as we did against Wolves, Brentford and Manchester United. Ironically, the last time we had a lower xG than opponents was our win against Palace.

We will almost certainly finish between 13th and 16th and one eye is probably already on the summer. It will be interesting to see how we line up with Ndiaye and McNeil back. I am not sure Alcaraz is at his best out wide and, maybe at full strength, his best offering will be as an impact sub?

I thought West Ham were the better team with the ball and it shows how far we have to go when they are nowhere near the top either.

Got to be happy with our progress since Moyes returned though. O'Brien, Branthwaite, Alcaraz, Ndiaye and Chermiti to build the team around but we have to stop holding on to players who can't pass a football to save their lives.

It's not just you, Danny, I agree with your last paragraph, the whole phrase makes me squirm, it's horribly quaint and patronising too.

It often happens and if the ball won't go out of play, the manager can't do a lot about that.

Having pulled clear, the pressure is off to pull together and it resorts back to doing the job in the knowledge that there is no threat. The objective to stay in the Premier League has been achieved.

Secondly, Moyes's effective tweaks have been analysed to death by the opposition from every angle and now counter measures such as marking up certain plays, putting pressure on the originator of the through-ball, and pressuring plays that are likely to cough up possession, are effectively in play.

Moyes's tactics have remained the same, though slightly with less effort, and now look more Dycheball. Only when he made unexpected substitutions did Everton look on the front foot again.

Moyes's limitations have become apparent, especially his subs in the Man Utd game and even against Liverpool. The Brentford game showed a learned opposition, as did the West Ham game.

Moyes has now got to earn his corn with putting the backroom support into gear and vary his tactics and select to give the opposition more to think about. He also has to get rid of the 'work done' attitude around him and start to incorporate winning speak into to his words.

I would say that most of my Goodison memories are from long ago, so leaving with a whimper is not a massive disappointment for me.

At Christmas, I thought we would probably go to the last Goodison game in big trouble, so I'm happy to avoid that scenario.

Anyway, onwards and upwards we go. We really need to move some bang less-than-average players out and rebuild for a brighter future at the new Everton Stadium.

The modern game is becoming a poor imitation of what football used to be; it's now more about hot dogs and thumping loud music. I'm not surprised some fans leave early, many of the players don't turn up or can't be arsed to make an effort to ‘entertain?' us.

Up The Toffs!

I don't know if that's penalties awarded or scored though? In the last five or six seasons alone, since Salah joined the RS, he has scored 50 penalties, so about 8 or 10 per season.

Quite a staggering stat, although I don't know how true ours is, but I did hear on the radio last weekend that Salah's two against Southampton were Nos 49 and 50.

Moyes will be able to vary his tactics once he has cleared the deadwood, got his injured players back, and brought in a few better class players.

When he came in, his task was to keep us up. Assuming he has done that, Phase Two has to be getting the injured back – remember, our best attacker has been injured missing several games?

The rest has to wait for summer but criticising Moyes when he is without most of his better players is a tad unfair.

How he fares next season, who knows… but up to now, he has done an incredible job.

Yesterday was a good point in the circumstances and I feel in young Jake, we definitely have a player there. The 2 passes for his goal by Gana and Alcaraz were superb, btw. Let's not forget where we were only a month ago and don't fall into the entitlement trap.

C'mon the Geordies!

I don't need advice off people like Jeff because I've been giving tickets away to people for quite a while now and this was actually the case once again yesterday.

The difference is that my daughter now wants to go to the match and I enjoy spending time with her so, instead of giving away three tickets yesterday, I only gave away one.

Funny we got round by the Gwladys Street and this lad was holding a ticket above his head, so I said to the lad who I was giving a ticket, go and grab that ticket and I will phone your dad, who was in the Wilmslow, and he can have this ticket.

That's what happened, but when I phoned Brian Murray, he said "Thanks but as long as my son is in the ground, I'm not bothered about going in myself, Tony."

I phoned Danny twice, he never answered, and so I went in the ground with an unused ticket. My godson came in the ground and said "Give us that ticket, I've phoned my mate and he's waiting outside." So the ticket still got used.

I look at the inconsistencies, Danny, penalties for Liverpool but not for Everton, and it makes me sick listening to the many different vultures on the gravy train who's opinion doesn't really count, covering for these mute referees, and then I witnessed Athletico Madrid getting cheated right in front of the whole world, and it just makes me sick.

I long for the day “my Everton” can perform like one of George McKane's pre-match posts, but I also long for the day when football is no longer consumed by cheating.

It's refreshing watching football in the lower leagues, Danny, away from the absolute circus of what the Premier League has become.

I'll even be in the Harlech with or without a ticket so handy if you do find yourself with one spare.

And you know me, I may be a wool but I'm still a good blue! Murph 07708 615684

Moyes said he wanted a number of additions in January, followed it up with what had been made available would not improve the squad, save for last-minute Alcaraz. So we fight our way through to the end of the season.

A flurry of life from Beto really helped us, but long term answer… not for me. Similarly Harrison, Doucouré, Lindstrøm. These are very limited players.

Somehow with this squad we've found our way to 34 points with 9 games to go and relative safety. But whilst it's a hard-working and organised group, it isn't going to get you off your seat every few minutes.

We have to accept what we've got just now but expect a very different set-up next season. Say an emotional farewell to Goodison in the remaining games and look forward positively.

I sit next to the home dugouts. If the linesman had spotted the clear offside, the ref spotted the foul on Beto, the play would have been spotted before their goal.

I even commented if he didn't get on soon he'd have to warm up again.

So it wasn't a case of changing it when we went one down; it was a case of the game not stopping.

As for leaving early, I never leave early and never will. No matter how bad we play, I'll stay to the end.

Personal choice, obviously; you pay your money, you can do what you want. You can maybe forgive it if we are a good few goals down but when there is only 1 in it, seems odd you'd risk missing the goal.

People really have short memories: we are disappointed having only drawn to keep a 9-game unbeaten run going.

This small squad is missing some key players: Ndiaye, McNeil for example are key to us. Take the best players out of any team and they struggle; the fact we are still picking up points should be praised.

We certainly weren't firing on all four yesterday but people saying that was Dycheball have very short memories!

The tout situation is out of order. It's too late for the club to do anything about it now, not that they would have done. I've no time for it and it's pretty much made the £35 a season membership subscription null and void, as somehow, tickets get snapped up by travel companies and touts, who sell on at inflated prices.

If I get the chance to go to Goodison again, I'll snap it up. But the memories will live with me for life. I'll travel for the Southampton match regardless, just to be there.

Separate, my sister, who works for Liverpool, had the chance to go to their cup final today. They have put a coach on for staff. She's not really into football and has a mixed household of blue and red. I told her she should go, but she's decided not to. I'm not saying Everton are the reason, but deep down, I was proud of her decision!!

I thought the subs could have been made sooner but maybe Moyes was trying to be patient with the same group of players who had brought him good results in the past weeks. I am sure come the summer, with Ndaiye back and a much needed couple of additions in the wide areas, we will see a big improvement.

I think Harrison and Lindstrøm wont have their loans extended, as they have shown nothing to warrant keeping them, and I don't think we will be extending Mangala's loan. I also wouldn't be surprised if Doucoure was let go and, if kept on, would be on massively reduced wages and probably only a squad player.

As the weeks have gone on, I see nothing productive from James Garner that makes me think we can improve if he is a regular starter.

I don't think the experiment in playing Alcarez in Lindstrom's position worked, and he surely needs to start instead of Doucoure in the next game to get the best out of him.

This team next season will need a massive injection of goals and our present front 4 aren't good enough. I thought Chermiti did well when he came on and would like to see how he does if he starts games. Also, with Broja now able to play, he has what's left of the season to prove if it's worth extending his loan.

I've promised my Arsenal tickets to an Arsenal fan, Mark, a lad who lived with me in New Zealand, and has always loved the Toffees, because of the way I used to go on about them all those years ago.

He sent me pictures of him playing football with his son outside Goodison Park last season. He travelled to Everton the day after watching Arsenal in Manchester and ended up going on the stadium tour.

I told him that, when I played at Highbury, I loved it because when I was sitting in the changing rooms before the game, hearing the people talking and shouting outside reminded me of being in the streets outside Goodison.

He told me he had always had a soft spot for Everton because of the passion our fans have got for our club, and when he met me, this was confirmed immediately.

He has told me he might be able to get some in the Arsenal end but, if he can't, he his going to take me up on the offer. But just get the ground, Mark, because you will always get a ticket outside Goodison while Everton continue to be a very mediocre football team.

This obviously doesn't apply to the last match at Goodison, for a match that could be sold 20 times over, even though we are only going to be playing a team that has already been relegated.

I've paid my dues, and as much as I'd like to give you a ticket, Derek, I could also give this ticket to 500 people who I think might also deserve it. But the truth is, I will be going to Goodison, even though one of my favourite ever places, is not going to be going out with the bang that I have always felt she deserves.

It's still March, for Christ's sake, Goodison Road should be full of blue smoke! Goodison should be shaking with passion! Even the Upper Bullens should be shaking… But no, Moyes comes in and ruins all that by getting a load of points and not losing games.

Manager of the Month... Jeez. He's absolutely ruined our usual end-of-season survive-by-a-thread, blue smoke, heart-pausing party!

I'm hoping a Southampton mate of mine will give me his ticket for the last game but he reckons they'll sell out as well!

We are safe so I'm not too concerned about the upcoming tough fixtures. The important thing this season was to stay in the Premier League for the move to the new ground.

I thought that Chermiti looked good when he came on – perhaps 20 minutes too late given Beto's woeful performance. But my MotM, not for the first time in recent weeks, was Gana.

We might be forgetting just how bad things were in the first half of the season when we scored 15 goals in 19.

It's great that expectations are increasing because, well, we're Everton and should have expectations.

But this is a team outperforming its first half-season standard by some distance despite now missing its main striker and main creative player.

A big one next and then it's basically all about the last 4 at home: 2 tough fixtures and 2 easier ones. I just hope we can sign off at Goodison in style.

As they say, Tony "it takes allsorts" and if there's people who want to play the "I'm a better Evertonian than you, because I never leave early" just leave 'em to it.

People pay their money and they can leave when they want as far as I'm concerned because I don't have any idea why they're leaving and it's got fuck all to do with me anyway.

UTFT. DLE!

We got thumped 5-1, the players looked hungover and the travelling blues didn't care, singing throughout in that sun trap of a corner that is the away section.

Tony, I'd take an away ticket for Arsenal. I might even try myself, as they won't have a lot to play for.

I can see Southampton not taking the Upper Bullens section of their allocation. Mind you, once available to Everton supporters, they'll be gone in seconds.

My memory is vague but I'm sure I remember quite a few Evertonians ended up selling their tickets to pay for the day, and ended going on the ale instead of the match.

I'm sure this will be reciprocated by a few Southampton fans, unless those unconfirmed rumours about it being a night match end up being true.

Surely this works better Saturday at 3pm?

A new manager (or old) will get some response initially and Moyes did but, with the injuries, it's hard to put out your best team.

They will need to show more intensity with the next 5 tough games.

Speaking to Everton's media channel, Moyes explained that he didn't really get the best out of Alcaraz's position.

“Well, we thought it might suit because of the way West Ham might possibly line up and we didn't want to get outnumbered in midfield,” the 61-year-old said.

“I think in some ways it did (work) but in other ways, I didn't really get the best out of maybe Charly and his position. I thought as well, you know, Doucs didn't have much space to run in behind in the first half, especially."

It's understood Alcaraz has a £15M clause in his loan deal that will be activated if he starts 6 or more games.

Based on that, I think he will stay below 6 starts, so they can opt out of the clause if he picks a bad injury. That's not to say they don't rate him, it's just they need that flexibility to back out of the deal if needed.

He's honest enough to say he tried something different, and it didn't work.

As they say out here — No Worries!

I'm for Goodison under the lights. There's something magic about it. Ask anyone who attended the Bayern Munich match and, more recently, Crystal Palace.

There is something special about night games. The atmosphere and I love seeing the club crest lit up in Royal Blue as you approach the stadium or are watching on the tele with the aerial shots.

We can still have all the celebrations, it just makes it a late night. Book a hotel, or, if you are able, stay with family and friends.

The Dell, I always remember that odd looking two-tiered structure behind one of the goals. The upper tier was terracing too!!! It looked dangerous!!

Not true, a quick Google search shows 34 Premier League penalties in his whole Liverpool career, still a lot.

Ignoring the fact that certain players feel entitled to go down when they get touched in the box — sometimes referred to as diving or cheating 😀 — it has to be remembered that generally the more attack-minded teams are likely to find themselves in the penalty area on more occasions, so possibly gaining more penalties.

Moyes hit the nail on the head when he commented on our lack of quality. It's all very well complementing the players for effort but we just don't have the quality. It's not one or two… it's six or seven.

Tony, I think I know where you are coming from: watching Everton hurts. Despite a few players and kinder words, the last 20 years have drained my soul.

I want this season over, a fresh start, and a team that makes me smile. Football at Premier League level is full of contradiction, referees, VAR, teams, inequity and inequality. It's hard to watch, when you have seen quality, to accept where we are and how we play now. It's a long road back, made worse by a league I have come to despise.

Football is a contact sport that penalises contact that is over-dramatized and ignores the blatant and obvious.

My heart loves Everton with every sinew but I am angry, ashamed and hurt by the ridicule and injustice deemed suitable by some.

I want to feel pride again, I want to see quality players in a blue shirt. I want to know we can win.

But our unwavering support for what we love never went away and never will. Whether they deserve us is questionable, but we keep believing that our Everton will come back.

I just wish top-flight football hadn't morphed into the beast it has become.

I still love going to watch Everton and always will, but I get equal enjoyment watching lower-league football.

First half, we attacked quite well down our right; 2nd half, we didn't go down the right nearly as much.

Doucoure played a little deeper, Alcaraz was ineffective on the left, and Beto was left without any support.

I haven't seen the penalty back but at the time it looked a soft one.

The 2nd half was played at testimonial pace with West Ham looking to hit us on the break. How did Soucek get that much time and space to score?

A draw was about right. Shame Alcaraz scuffed his chance near the end. I also didn't understand why the ref blew up 2 minutes early.

I don't recall seeing this ref before, he didn't let the game flow and was generally pretty average.

Hopefully Moyes has seen enough of Lindstrom and Harrison to send them packing.

I thought Chermiti looked like he has put on some muscle and wanted to impact the game, he had 2 or 3 shots on goal in the short time he was on the pitch.

I would also send Broja back to Chelsea, the lad unfortunately is injury-prone.

4 games left at Goodison. The Southampton game is a Sunday 4 pm kick-off which again is shite for the fans.

I have missed around half the games myself this season as my lad plays on Saturdays. But like you I always make sure that my Season Ticket gets used.

Yesterday, it was a 5-year-old who has never been before. He'd get more enjoyment than me anyway!

We live rent free in their heads. They go on about how irrelevant we are yet they're obsessed with us.

I hate Newcastle and their cretinous fans but I hope they work it right up them later. Absolutely vile club with vile pub going fans.

As for yesterday, one to forget. If I have to witness that Harrison and Doucoure putting in shit performance after shit performance, I swear I'll scream!!! Them two, along with Beto Lindstrøm and Mykolenko, have to be let go at the end of the season, then a big summer ahead of us.

Maybe I misunderstood what I was told, and that it is 50 penalties Salah has scored in total….. Pemier League, Europe and domestic cups. Still a lot though.

I'm sure the kid will have had a special day because Goodison Park has always been a special place, although I genuinely believe it's been cursed by possibly the greatest (none) player ever associated with Everton Football Club.

Stuck with Moyes – stuck with Moyes Man Utd, playing football the negative way, the gleeful Evertonians sang, as we finally ended our Old Trafford hoo-doo.

But luckily for some, The Moysiah is going to be leading us into a brand new stadium. But that tactic of Beto dropping back to leave us without an outlet whilst under pressure was my biggest thought when trying to analyse yesterday's game

According to one site, it looks like Liverpool have had something like 50 / 51 penalties awarded in the Premier League alone since Salah joined them in 2017. I've no idea who converted the ones they scored.

I'm back in around 3 weeks and hoping to get a few games in before the end, especially one last one at Goodison where I saw my first game in the 1950s and 3 subsequent league titles.

We are a really well supported club though and demand for tickets is pretty astronomical now. I'm made up with how well they have done recently though and that it's just the start of a journey to good things.

I appreciate that it will be a tough journey given where we're at now. Best wishes, Danny, Mark, anybody else I've met away, and all Blues everywhere.

I agree with your point about Beto dropping deeper. When we were getting the ball ahead of him he looked much better in his runs, much more dangerous and those runs of his allowed Doucouré to follow up to make the second forward.

A productive tactic, especially in the derby, seems to have been dropped for no good reason I can see.

It made for a pretty stale game.

I thought O'Brien was very good again and he got my MotM.

Speedy skilful wide players are a vital transfer need. We seem to have acquired another batch of Number 10s (I include Lindstrom in that, he's not a wide right player, and Ndiaye and certainly Charly are wasted there). I don't think McNeil and Harrison are anybody's idea of a solution.

Chermiti is a tease. We only see him for a handful of minutes between injuries and he leaves you wanting more. Hopefully we will get it. Broja will I think be a good centre-forward if he can stay fit… but not with us.

I hope Jarrad gets his mojo back. He is not the same player this season. Maybe that means we keep him as people don't offer us silly money.

You know who you are so once again, thank you thank you and thank you!

I love Evertonians me!

Against teams who have a effective midfield trio as West Ham done ( and Moye s is well aware if) dropping back to defend just gives them space. West Ham did their home by pushing Beto and Doucoure deep.

The age old problem with Everton is when they are pushed deep the defensive line goes too deep, because of the fear of lack of pace.This gives even more space for the opposition to play and build.

Moyes has to be able to adjust tactics timely.He also has to have the players motivated and trained to do so.Quality is a cop out in this case. When Anchelotti talked about quality his tactics were up to speed.When Moyes and Dyche talk about quality their tactics aren't.

The match can only be played on Sunday or Monday because of the FA cup. If they move it to Monday night out will be an 8pm kick off. Means the match won't be finishing until before 10, you've then got the lap of honour at end plus people wanting to stay etc. So what after 11 when we get out, that's before you then have to get home. Plus the build up to the game too, public transport will be missed if it's that late, get a hotel...ok yea that's feasible for every single fan

Having it as a night game is the worst possible thing. I've seen loads of comments about fans travelling up for the weekend, even without tickets to say goodbye. It should be a day long celebration not an afterthought on a Monday night. The overwhelming majority of fans I've seen comment do not want this.

People always find a way. You see plenty of supporters with young children at away matches in the likes of London with evening kick-offs.

As it stands, I'm the category of travelling up regardless as to whether I have a ticket or not. I'm fortunate in that I have family I can stay with.

I still don't understand why the club didn't consider having the match on the screens at the new stadium. Not for everyone, but it would still have allowed more to feel part of it.

Our real test will come in our forthcoming fixtures and see how the team performs.

This may be an unpopular comment but if Beto or Calvert-Lewin missed the chance that Charly missed at the end to win the game, I could imagine the derisory comments they would get.

I sit in the family enclosure and there are quite a few in there who are not happy, you see a lot of empty seats or different faces on a night game as they are too late for a lot of kids.

I just think the club majorly screwed up, they requested this weekend meaning it could be moved. If they had left it to the last game of the season it would have been guaranteed an afternoon and everyone could have plans in place already.

Either way it's going to be emotional, it really hit home this weekend 5 left now 4.

But - it's got to be Sunday 4pm surely? Then it's still a stand-alone game so will be on the telly in the Harlech (for us unlucky bastards, Danny) and will suit both sets of fans* including the families.

*My mate the Saints fan reckons they are very keen to attend the last ever game at Goodison Park as well – it's historic for them as well as us.

It was the same with West Ham.

I checked the Arsenal website yesterday on the off-chance of getting one of theirs. I could have had one for their match yesterday against Chelsea or Fulham, who they play before us. But their allocation at Goodison is already sold out.

I don't think it would be a great surprise if Everton get a few more points from those April games than a lot of fans think. Not so much from Everton's present form but Arsenal, Chelsea seem to be struggling, the Liverpool game is a derby where anything can happen, and Liverpool – although top of the league – have struggled against Southampton and Wolves at home.

They were played off the field yesterday in a cup final; mind you, Everton haven't played well since they came back from their holiday in the sun and they have another long rest before they play in the derby game — these rests don't seem to do them much good.

I think the Fulham, Forest and Newcastle games could be tougher and they are all away.

How we are supposed to win games with 2 wingers who Thelwell and Dyche brought in, who don't score and don't get any assists?

We are having to play our possible 3rd choice striker who somehow Moyes has got performing at his maximum, and a Number 10 who can't control or pass with any accuracy. Prior to Saturday, he has had very little chance to change things.

I also think it was a very shrewd move to send Armstrong to Derby, where he seems to be flourishing; it can only benefit him and us next season. We certainly lack a Bruno Fernandes type of creative player and, while he is out of our league, that is an area I am sure Moyes will be looking at.

So, given the lack of quality mainly in forward areas, for us to be almost guaranteed Premier League football next season, Moyes deserves a lot of credit.

To my mind, that's when Dyche lost the players. He asked what we and the board expect him to do with such a poor squad. If I'd been in that poor squad, I would have told him to fuck off and use his master class to do his job with the resources he had and stop blaming anyone but himself.

I'm pleased that Moyes has turned things around but I wish he'd praise the players rather than do them down.

Jerome, we'll pick up points next month, starting at Anfield.

I'm not a fan of these breaks due to how the fixtures have fallen, it will have been 18 days without a game. Then it's straight in to try and influence the title race, playing Liverpool and Arsenal in the space of 4 days.

Hoping for a all firing Everton after a break has always been a small town outside wishful thinking.

The squad needed the break.

We were massively down on numbers with a fair chunk in the injury bay, and we just couldn't handle another 2 or 3 injuries to key players. Non of us know how many are playing with injuries either.

It might be different now, but ex players always commented that they rarely played 100% fit.

The drop off is more that the players know their safe in my view. With little to play for, they will ease off. We've seen it all before.

The players should be beginning to enjoy playing without any real pressure on them for the first time in years but, I suppose this doesn’t really happen for players with limitations, players who have to play at full throttle, if they’re to be able to compete at this level?

The squad needs an influx of quality, a few better players who can help drag a few of the others, to up their game, and this is why we are facing such an important window imo.

The poor darlings are in one competition since January and challenging for nothing, survival having been achieved.Medical Services have more couches than any other Premier League Club.

To be at the right level, at this stage they should be full on till the end of the season so as to be in the right condition for the Summer and the start of next season.Otherwise the preseason and start of next season will be the usual mediocre. The points cushion can slip pretty fast. Even Liverpool will not win the Premiership by 13 points.

As Tony says it says alot about the past running of the Club, particularly the ex player comments.

Danny#98

I agree regarding the Merseyside Derby..