“He can do anything with the ball” - Vitalii Mykolenko praises Iliman Ndiaye

No other Premier League club was interested, so he moved to Marseille because he'd already played for them (?).

He didn't do well there, so he was a bit of a risk when we did come back in for him. £15M. Bargain.

I just wish he had the ball at his feet more often. Maybe, just maybe, Moyes will give him a summer of training at the #10 slot to see if he can fill the role. It's my hunch that he can.

Definitely one of the best ball players in the Premier League, such quick feet, great ability and awareness, he scores goals, creates chances, occupies multiple defenders, so comfy on the ball and easy on the eye...

Give him a new long contract, pay the guy, there's nobody better...

I think he's playing better now he's back playing on the left because the distance between the full-backs on either side is shorter, plus he has got Dewsbury-Hall coming left to play with him, but I'd love to see Ilima, having a go at number ten, if we could improve our wide positions.

It all boils down to the system: some people think it's fine, others think it's a little bit too rigid, whilst others think it's way too rigid at times.

We are doing better, and what I'm saying is not meant to be a negative. Hopefully we get into the Champions League and get the money to make us more competitive!

The barrier is the quality. Don't be kidded it is anything else. It isn't.

All the more reason to keep Grealish. Quality is crucial.

He's got barely any assists.

A player who entertains. He can play anywhere along the line.

Joy to watch even if it doesn't always end in triumph.

Programmes like MotD often limit their highlights to passages of play that have real impact on the eventual result so I think plenty of fans are not getting the full picture. I'd find that less disappointing if I thought scouts from rivals relied on MotD coverage of our games.

Are there any football ‘magazine' programmes these days that celebrate the ‘showboating' element of the game? If there are, I'd be very surprised if Ndiaye wasn't regularly featured.

Dewsbury-Hall is bright as a button. And if you had a striker with his technique, it would cost a pretty penny. We need more like him.

Dibling technically was up there. I can see why they've gone for him. There's no doubt he is a footballer. The calls for Aznou are way off.

I could go on for hours. But instead, I'd say to those who post, watch the warm-up pre-game.

What is the reason, Ian?

Imagine if he had a left-back of Baines's quality to link with... I honestly think two full-backs of quality and a big upgrade up front transforms this team.

They will never be a group of players that are the Harlem Globetrotters. They find creating and finishing to be more of a challenge. It is why they keep it tight, stay in the game, and try to score a few goals when opportunities arise.

Some things come off, but a lot doesn't. I am not going to repeat the Wayne Rooney quote when he joined the first team. But you get the drift.

I am always struck by how poor the finishing is before the game. Yesterday reminded me of that. Compare that to a top side coming to town. Watch what they can do. You can see why it is a game of cat and mouse, and why we have to play the more negative part.

This isn't player bashing, or Moyes bashing. It is just someone who watched something for an hour or so yesterday and someone who gets in an hour before kick-off to watch the warm-up.

They're all top level footballers. The top of their profession. But there are levels and there are scenarios where things go out the window. A slip, a set piece, a momentary lapse.

Do successful, trophy-winning teams play the same system or formation as us?

Your post implies we play 4-2-3-1 because we don't have good players?

I've mentioned quality of players, and agreed that the system does count.

"It implies the system of the current and past managers is played for a reason, mate."

Must have been a different Ian Bennet

I expect that he will be taken by one of the bigger clubs -- Manchester City would be my guess. The money from his sale would be huge -- somewhere in the range of £60-70M would be my estimate. That will fund the permanent transfers of Grealish, Rohl and Tyrique George.

I feel that, if McNeil continues to show his worth to Moyes, he will get a new contract and stay with Everton, which I would be happy with. So, with Grealish, McNeil, Alcaraz, George, and Dibling, I believe we would be well covered in the attacking areas.

We will need a top striker, and expect that one of Beto or Barry will be sold and Moyes will bring in someone like Parrott -- or maybe Richarlison even.

Overall, while losing Ndiaye will be a setback for us, if Moyes and Kinnear play it well, we should not be significantly weakened by his departure. In fact, it could be a step towards strengthening the squad.

Are there teams successful with 4-2-3-1? The answer is Yes. Man City have played that for years.

Two totally separate issues.

Thank you for the clarification.

‘I expect that he will be taken by one of the bigger clubs -- Manchester City would be my guess. The money from his sale would be huge -- somewhere in the range of £60-70M would be my estimate. That will fund the permanent transfers of Grealish, Rohl and Tyrique George. … Overall, while losing Ndiaye will be a setback for us, if Moyes and Kinnear play it well, we should not be significantly weakened by his departure. In fact, it could be a step towards strengthening the squad.'

Erm, Ajay, the three players who we will buy with the Ndiaye money are already with us. In your scenario, we lose our best player and keep three that we already have. That is not ‘a step towards strengthening the squad'. Quite the reverse, in fact, we would be in a far weaker position.

And although all 3 are Everton players this season, they have hardly seen significant playing time.

As for "bigger clubs"? Yes, the vultures will be circling and every player has his price; however, I don't see Moyes sanctioning this, and he will have the final say.

I hope Ndiaye's contract is improved as he deserves it. It's the sign of how well Everton are doing when so many of our players are being touted for moves by cheap journos; the days when we were a feeder club are gone.

It's going to be such an exciting summer!

If they don't give him a new contract, he will be gone.