Brilliant Alcaraz header seals fantastic win over Newcastle

From their point of view, this is a bloody tricky game. They'll have looked at our away record, they'll be skittish as hell if it's nil-nil at half-time.

You'd just fancy Beto to grab one and the place will be like a library.

I wouldn't be surprised if he signed him.

Harrison and Lindstrom probably get kept because of their age and possible resale value…

Strange selection.

If he is to be moved on, how about a return to Rangers as makeweight for Igamane, who we have (allegedly) shown interest in ?

Simply provides better cover for back four who by most TW standards is very depleted and inexperienced together.

Alternative of McNeill maybe better going forward but we would be very vulnerable at the back and unlikely to last the game. We do want to win the game even if it is Keane or OBrien header from a set piece or a Beto breakaway goal. We can only win the game if we don’t concede

IMO

When we have the ball he’s usually involved as well, he doesn’t hide. I don’t think it helps playing him on the right when he’s left footed, I also think he’s anxious and feels the crowd being on his back.

I still believe he’s a decent squad player and we should cut him some slack.

TW favourites Alcaraz playing

Doucs not playing

Experience of Young vs defensive frailties of Patterson

What changes do you suggest

In terms of all round play this might be the best I've seen Beto. Gana is everywhere - so deserving of a new contract. I honestly couldn't pick out a poor performer and we've had some good chances. I'm also only hearing our fans from their spot up in the gods.

The pressure will ratchet up a level in the second half but if we can continue to frustrate then there are chances for us here.

It seemed noticeable that we play the ball more along the floor when looking for Beto than we ever do when DC-L plays but we still play that useless corner beyond the far post looking for one of our central defenders to head back across the face of goal.

An entertaining half mostly kept scoreless by good keeping at both ends of the pitch.

Further up the table than when he joined Everton?

(Just like the last time Moyes was here)

Villa’s goalkeeper has been sent off, so it’ll be tough for them to win now.

Ndiaye is such a joy to watch when he goes on his runs, the ball sticks to him like glue and his skill is incredible.

Might still win this, fingers crossed for a good second half - it might get very tense for the barcodes.

There she goes has caught on by the way if you could hear it.

We are having a lot of possession. Sorry, keeping hold of the ball well. That will stop if we put Doucoure on.

This is a cagey game. Everton did just about enough in the first half and Newcastle now are afraid of getting caught out.

Talk about going out on a high.

Superb second half performance.

It’s not a gotcha I’m genuinely interested.

While I hope Harrison has now served his term, his work rate today was incredible. Fair play to him - never shirked in blue for one minute.

Huge performances all over the pitch. Credit to the team off the pitch too.

Onwards and upwards.

Remarkable transformation.

‘But what direction is he taking us’!!!!

Let's hope for a few solid additions to build on this.

Well that’s Doucs gone. Young, I’d have kept tbh. DCL a gonner too. McNeil a squad player at best. His legs have gone.

Three or four new quality players and we’ll be right up there in the mix next season.

Any shift in perspectives as we now conclude the season? 31 points won since his return which doesn’t just make us secure in the PL but also makes us attractive to potential signings.

Vialli was an incredible person. Born into an extremely wealthy family. Despite the privileges that he had available to him, he pursued and achieved excellence through hard work. He was a phenomenal player with some amazing attributes.

The handball shout looked like it should have been a penalty as it struck his hand hardly from point blank range and changed the flight of the ball.

After scoring we sat back and lost momentum when both Alcaraz and Ndiaye, my MotM, were subbed off both looking injured. DC-L with 4 minutes and added time was a strange sub for me but I suppose Moyes felt we needed an outlet up front.

A good finish to the season and now on to the merry-go-round that is the transfer window before moving to the royal blue Mersey.

Also means we finished with 48 points - which was the same as last year before the corrupt FA got involved. We also scored 3 more than last year and conceded 4 less.

Compared to last season's results, David Moyes got 8 more points in the 19 games he was in charge. Do it again Davey and that is top half easy.

Oh a good way to go into the summer with these last few weeks.

A great goal by Alcaraz was well deserved with a terrific header earning the points, he will get the MOTM with that goal but played well and I won’t begrudge him that award but Gana Gueye and Ashley Young had very good games with Pickford making three or four saves that helped in the win.

Could hear our brilliant fans but never got a glimpse of them.

Conor Crooks you have earned a £5 donation to Cancer Research which I will add to my next donation to them— you had great faith in the Blues expecting them to win at Newcastle but it was no fluke could have been bigger and well deserved.

Special mentions to O'Brien, Gana and Alcaraz. All put an immense shift in.

O’Brien and him were immense.

We weren’t on the beach that’s for sure, and I hope that whoever was involved in the latter part of the season that saw us escape the relegation fight has a good holiday.

I genuinely thought we were going down under Dyche. The team seemed aimless, and worse, didn't look like they gave a shit.

Fair play to DM he turned it around, with a couple of astute loan signings (one of whom we barely got to see sadly), so he deserves to lead us into the new dawn that is HD-BMD-Everton Stadium.

Let's hope somehow he gets some backing in the market without having to sell some of the prospects - the squad needs a major overhaul.

You could have understood the team relaxing after securing safety given what many of them have gone through over the last few years, but the standards never slipped.

Culture is massive. That feels like the biggest improvement Moyes has brought. That was hugely impressive today and gives us a bit of hope that we're going in the right direction. It's been a while since I've felt like that.

Season Awards:

Most Passionate Player. - Jordan Pickford
Most Improved Player - Mykolenko
Most Underrated Player - James Garner
Most Valuable Player - Idrissa Gana Guey*
Most Likely To Succeed - Jared Branthwaite
Most Talented Player - Illian Ndiaye
Most Likeable Player - Beto
Most Frustrating Player - Jack Harrison

And

Surprise Package (at least to me). David Moyes esq. Take a bow sir. I was wrong about you.

*Player of the Season.

Sorry, I mean I've tried to hold back but, fuck me — what a dreadful miss... double miss.

Only the goalkeeper to avoid. And he hits it straight at Pope, for fuck's sake.

Pope parries it back to him… surely now… just put it in the net!

Nope! Over she goes. Un-fucking-believable!!! Get him gone.

Also need to remember that as well as Young, Doucoure, Virginia and Begovic leaving, Holgate's contract is up and so he officially leaves and let us not forget that the obnoxious Neal Maupay finally leaves the club and we get paid for getting rid of him.

And given his messed up 1 on 1 today, then does that knock another £10k a week off the offer to DCL?

Great hope to take into preseason.

UTFTs!

If they see a piece of crap play from our multi-millionaires… they ignore it or put a nice gloss on it with some fanciful excuse.

If I see a piece of crap play from our multi-millionaires, I call it out — no messing.

The only way this club might ever be great again is if standards across the board — but especially standards of play on the field, where it really, really matters — are drastically, and I mean drastically improved… well, I think even you can probably figure out the rest.

I'll say this, if he was auditioning to stay in the last two games, Keane showed really well.

Hats off to Moyes for getting them motivated today. Scott @44, I absolutely did not want him back and I'm happy to admit he has proved me 100% wrong.

Well done Moyes. Great 3 points with a threadbare squad.

It’s like you really enjoy moaning.

Probably Everton was the right club for you to choose. You’d have been fucked in the 80s 😂

Must get Gana to extend his contract, Alcaraz a must.

Alcaraz has to replace Doucoure in that role. Keane and young are worth another year IMHO. And we have to keep hold of Gana even giving him Doucoure's wages!

Great way to end the season.

Utft.

I think a few like Michael Keane now leave with head reasonably high. He’s not been too bad when called upon this season and bailed us out a bit too. But no need to be sentimental. Lots of players out there with much more mobility than Keane so we should move on.

A few early signings would be a good lift this important summer. Let’s see what TFG are made of. COYB

And thanks to Michael @69 for trying to spoil the mood. And “even you could probably figure out…” @75 - just unpleasant and unnecessary.

Anyway, I’m off for the summer - see you next season, TWers, enjoy the close season!

I did say have a small bet on us at 8.5/1 plus because we had a better chance than that.
Did I think we would win, no not really, everything appeared to be against us. They were desperate to win and we weren't, we had important players missing and playing on their patch to boot.

So what about who we retain and who we don't now!
I think we still need 2 to 4 quality players for next season and that will do us fine.

Sean @ 82,
Where is Croagh Park

In the gentlemen’s club where I watched the game, there was plenty of money going on to an “Everton/Palace to win” double bet. I was dubious pre-match, then was hoping they would all cash in after 80 minutes. Unfortunately, most people seemed to be caught up in the moment, losing sight of the ability of the rs to urinate on chips.

As one of those who was initially dubious about the re-appointment of David Moyes, I congratulate him on what he has done since his return to the club.

A thought for Kevin Thelwell who whilst having to deal with a negative net spend bought in Ndiaye, O’Brien, Alcaraz and Beto (all brilliant today) with almost no money spent on any of them up front.

I'm not sure what the truth of it is but I cannot believe we have offered DCL a new contract. At the start of the season people were vitriolically attacking us for our views on him, and the season has panned out the same as most others more injury and more pretending to be a capable premier league footballer. Thank you Dominic for your effort over the last number of years but don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Today was great however, a committed performance where I for one didn't see one coming. A big summer rebuild required with probably 7-8 new faces incoming.

Onwards and upwards Toffees.

You also get an awful lot wrong Mr. Molloy, don't you?

Credit to Moyes, and the biggest thing that I don’t think the powers that be will be totally aware of (unless they’re educated by some clever football people, who have got Everton’s best interest at heart) is that after years of negativity surrounding our football club, the fans have began to unite, and the players have started to play without pressure for the first time since the crowd, was allowed back into the stadium after covid.

A big summer awaits, so if the manager is given some money and can get the recruitment right, then anything is possible next season, for a club like Everton.

Our fans are absolutely desperate for success so hopefully the Friedkin’s, can get behind the manager, because he has brought a lot of momentum, into the squad.