Serial Let-Downs

I have big doubts on Siggurson and Iwobi. The former needs to be sold while there is still value in Europe. The latter needs to be used in his best position.

We also need to evaluate if Gomes is the midfield anchor we need? I'm not convinced since the restart. Tidy but toothless.

Gomes is not the player to build a midfield around. He is also weak in defensive duties. Though he blocked the initial shot in the attack that lead to the goal, he was too deep and actually got in the way of a better clearance. If Sigurdsson could be gone the same way as Schniederlin, it would be a blessing. Iowbi is erratic, whilst Davies, who I thought played well, was on a mission to nothing with his poor compatriots in midfield. He was pushed too deep and could not continue the better final third performance we had seen in the previous game.

Though Calvert-Lewin was industrious he never give the appearance that he was going to score or even threaten. Richardson was kicked of the pitch in a cynical Mourinho ploy. Coleman was below par, as was Bernard. Kean is not going to make it, even as a passenger, on present appearances

Keane did a good job on Kane and both Holgate and Mina played well. Digne is not as effective, but did get in some poorly met crosses. Gordon played the best in midfield and Pickford was his normal erratic self.

Ancelotti got the tactics right, but didn't have the players that where up to implementing them. Mourinho tactics where as expected, but Tottenham are scraping the bottom, in a unfathomed fall from grace.

Can't blame the crowd or the managment... it's the players. Maybe they don't want Europe? Maybe they would rather be at home in their mansions, playing Fifa or whatever?

It seems to me that, no matter who the manager is, they cannot be motivated to up their game when it matters most.

They should be fined heavily if they don't perform well. How can a whole team be off? I give up!

Carlo, sack the shower of shite and start again.

Give Holgate (if fit) and Gordon a chance in the centre of midfield on Thursday and give Mina a chance alongside Keane. Play Richarlison out wide and let's give Kean and Calvert-Lewin a try upfront.

Gomes is an excellent passer of the ball, he can hit forty yard passes across the pitch, but rarely does he make a defence-splitting pass. He also lacks the power and stamina needed to be the centre of the midfield.

However, he is streets ahead of the anonymous and ineffectual Sigurdsson, who offers little except in dead ball situations and even then Digne has become the number one choice with Gordon as the backup.

Keane, despite the own goal is playing impressively and Mina looked more solid than he has done this season when he came on.

Tom Davies had a poor game but at least he doesn't hide when things aren't going right, which makes him miles ahead of the other midfielders.

Davies, for all his efforts, is not up to Premier League level. Bernard too lightweight, Iwobi erratic, Sigurdsson looks like he doesn't want to be on the pitch, Gomes is another Barkley, loses the ball and no pace to recover.

Gordon brightened the game up, but is affected by poorer players around him. Rebuild midfield, buy quality and a proven goal scorer for next season.

Looks like this season is a write-off for European football, unless other teams slip up.

We need a midfield upgrade – we've known that all season.

Another point –- once it was obvious they were rotationally fouling Richarlison, our guys should have been all over the ref, a la Peter Reid. Instead, they just let Richie sigh and get up alone. We are just too fucking nice!!

I'm convinced Sigurdsson is the most expensive flop in top-flight football, post war. Everton with this lot are awful and embarrassing.

Moshiri has to take some flack as he allowed Koeman and Walsh to nearly sink us. Calvert-Lewin needs a goal as well.

I don't think there is any need for Carlo to look at Sigurdsson or Iwobi any longer as a blind man can see what they bring to the party at this stage.

I suppose the back four look more solid but we have major problems in the midfield sector.

The contract given to each player is too long and we are being used as a hospice for overated prideless players. Nobody will be leaving because they earn too much at Everton and other clubs are not prepared to pay the wages we pay for heartless mercenaries.

The display last evening was dire by any standard and should not be tolerated. I hope the cardboard cutouts don't even turn up for the game.

Gordon is a really eye catching positive player who, even after a few appearances, reminds me of the young Trevor Steven – we really must get the best out of him as we can't afford to lose another talent.

Gomes is a talented footballer, but is still in the relatively early recovery stages after a horrific injury and has much to offer.

I'm unsure about Davies who is perhaps going to be more of a squad player than a first-teamer – say like Kevin Richardson. He is still young and could yet come good.

Beni Banngime must deserve a chance in the last few fixtures. I'd certainly try to sell on the rest while we can. Sigurdsson, Iwobi and Bernard could all move on but that would leave us without any serious midfield. We need to strengthen this area so badly.

As others have said, Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are a good pair up front, the defence is quite solid and will hopefully be strengthened by return of Kenny and the acquisition of another centre half. It doesn't take too much to spot the weakest area.

Our problems are in midfield and of course the apparently weak mentality which as Neville and posters on here have rightly pointed out has affected us for a very long time now.

The playing squad has changed completely yet this weak mentality persists. Quite where it comes from I don't know (it's nothing to do with the directors of the club) and Carlo has to introduce some players with attitude to inject some real bite and fighting spirit. Young Gordon showed some last night and now has to be the time to see if Baningime can reproduce the form he showed when he was given a run a couple of years ago.

The midfield was woeful. I thought Tom did okay, moving forward looking for a positive pass and beating his man on a number of occasions in the second half.

Gomes is a shadow of the player he was when he was looking one of the best in the league in the middle of last season. His injury can be used to excuse some sluggishness but he can only be effective with a player next to him who can consistently win and then control possession. We don't create space up front because we pass sideways or backwards and this means that our strikers get very little quality service.

Sigurdsson was appalling and he and Iwobi were both guilty of chickening out of tackles. I think Iwobi has ability but I can't abide players who back out of tackles. Sigurdsson is poor. I can't believe that he is still described as a dead ball specialist. Since he joined us he has specialised in not scoring a goal from the multitude of set pieces he has taken! Is this down to a lack of practice? It is surely a skill which stays with you for good if you continually practice it?

We started last night with three passengers in our midfield and the much-praised manager then brings on the tiny Bernard against a physically strong side like Spurs – why?? He does not play well away from home for a start and surely a midfield of Tom and Beni flanked by Gordon and Richarlison playing behind a front two of Calvert-Lewin and Moise Kean would at least have had a bit more bite? Spurs will hardly have shuddered seeing Bernard being introduced?

Mina was always looking forward and I thought brought the ball out of defence well.

We won't get Europa League now and we haven't got a squad capable of playing in it anyway.

Carlo needs to look at Adeniran, Branthwaite and Beni before the season ends and then ship out as much of the deadwood as possible (how many years have we all been saying that??). Gordon has shown that he is ready to play and maybe there are a couple of others.

Utterly depressing!!

Not being facetious, Lyndon, I just think they put in a typical Everton away from home performance, and during the lockdown, I was surprised to read Pickford, saying how important it was for the players to play at Goodison, even without the crowd.

I thought it was a bit bizarre considering there are no fans inside the stadium. I still find it bizarre because I'd love to know why Everton lose so much aggression whenever they play away from home?

Joe 12 – spot on analysis – these guys are letting down even an average team and ensuring the continuance of mediocrity or lower is the norm.

Between them the midfield pair don't tackles, don't intercept, don't create and don't score. Hardly a recipe for success. Yet they are two of our most senior and best payed players, both on over £100k per week. People keep saying that Gomes will be much better with the right partner but shouldn't one of best payed and supposedly most talented footballers be able to lead the team in some capacity on his own?

Of course last night was poor across the board and the likes of Bernard and Iwobi need to do alot better. Calvert-Lewin also needs to match his enthusiam with some better technique, too much of his hold-up play was ineffectual last night.

The match thread was full of ire and people saying we need a whole new team. It's not going to happen. We cannot keep buying 4-5+ first team players every summer. Brands has already said it will be 2-3 this year and the onus is on Ancelotti to get a better tune out of what we have.

The defense looks better. Those 3 new players need to bring legs and energy in midfield, pace out wide and some more goals. If it's true that Gbamin will be ready for new season that would be a big boost. Oh for some dynamism in the middle!

2 very tough games now against a rejuvanated Southampton and a very effective Wolves. We looked tired and uninspired yesterday. We'll have to find a spark from somewhere or this optimistic Europa challenge could quickly turn into a slide to 15th-16th which may make attracting top talents even harder than it already is.

The core problem we have is Gomes and Sigurdsson and before he departed Schneiderlin, cannot get around the pitch. Sigurdsson is not and never has been a central midfielder. Playing him there is a case of make do and mend. Gomes could do a job there if he had a Gana Gueye alongside him doing his running. Finding such a player must surely be the top priority in the next few weeks. I suspect buying a completely revamped midfield is probably out of the question.

The only highlight for me was the challenge by Gomes on Son, clearly intended, even if Son wasn't hurt, though you wouldn't think so by the grimace on his face as he went down.

It is far too soon to be blaming Ancellotti given that none of the players are his signings. He has done the basics of tightening us up at the back but he has inherited nothing in midfield.

Gomes is having to play every minute of every game because there is nothing else. He is coming back from a serious career-threatening injury but he is the only one I’d retain from the current midfield crop.

Sigurdsson is a lost cause.

Davies huffs and puffs but isn’t good enough for what we want to be. He wouldn’t be getting games in any of Liverpool, City, United, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, Leicester or Wolves.

Gbamin - who knows but we can’t wait for ever for him to be fit.

Iwobi - not good enough for a poor Arsenal but we somehow paid £30m plus for him.

Bernard - what’s the point?

Put Delph on the shelf.

There were more than a few daft pundits not so long ago saying Sigurdsson was a genius. Now finally the penny seems to have dropped. He is almost completely useless. Unfortunately on such high wages it is likely he will still be with us next season.

Agree with most of the comments about the midfield, Vinny Sideways comes to mind. Sad when Gary Neville makes so much sense, I'm sure Carlo would love to lay into them, but he's not going to dig them out on TV.

Sigurdsson is a mystery. I read loads of comments about him plodding around and not doing much, yet he has consistently been in the top 10 stats for distance covered during matches season after season. 2018-19 for instance he was the 6th best in the league. Maybe he's a ghost and we just don't see that distance travelled?

As for Iwobi, the lad needs a rocket up his arse. The whole match was epitomised by one moment in the first half when a poor defensive clearance fell to Iwobi, centre-left about 15 yards into the Spurs half, no Spurs player directly in-front of him and the defence out of shape. 3 passes later the ball is with Pickford. He should be driving forward, taking advantage, but he always looks like a teenager who's mum has just found his porno stash under his bed. If he turns in on himself any more he'll disappear up his own arse.

I did want to see that trio, but I wanted to see them narrower. Iwobi looked like he didn’t know where to be or what to do and I think the injury excuse was just an excuse.

Young Anthony Gordon was the sole bright spot on a dismal performance. I think if Carlo had gone with the 442 diamond and Gordon from the start, then maybe it might have been a bit better.

It’s only a maybe though, because Gylfi Sigurdsson is atrocious. He has mastered the art of running around like a headless chicken and looking like he’s putting a shift in, but doing nothing. He didn’t even make a tackle. In fact the most tackles was made by Gordon and he only played 45 minutes.

Sure, Spurs set about Richarlison and kicked him off the ball and reduced his effectiveness. Calvert-Lewin looks back to his form before his purple patch, and has offered little goal threat since the restart.

I thought Coleman did alright, but the tactic was designed for Sidibe, not for him. He could have done with playing a bit deeper.

People might know I’m a big fan of Gomes, and I still am. That was one of his worst performances and he needs to improve. It’s like he’s got no confidence in hitting the quick long passes as our players cannot control the ball or take it in their stride.

We’ve nothing to play for but pride now. I expect nothing from the last few games as we already played like we were on our holidays. Players like Sigurdsson are not unduly worried as they know they’ll still get their £120,000 per week.

This game really stresses the need for a central midfielder above all else. We need a right midfielder and a centre back too. But if we get the central midfielder right, we could delay the other signings. By that I mean, I don’t want any half measures. If it takes all our transfer funds, then we get the central midfielder only.

A tad harsh on Davies. He covers a lot of ground. He tries. He gets stuck in. OK, limited effectiveness, but he does try. Having said that, we do need triers who are also consistently effective.

From the match I thought Gordon was great and Davies continues to try. This is also the first game where Moise Keane actually did a decent job, if he can carry on with that and gain some confidence then I'd be happy.

Coleman's finished. No other summary even comes close. I was calling for him to be captain seven years ago but far out I don't think I've ever been more wrong.

There's more issues that have been mentioned at length already, but I think Coleman and Davies perfectly bookend the problems that Everton have had for well over a decade now.

I see Beni Baningime is still being pushed forwards for a starting berth. I wonder if any of his fan club have seen him since Sam Allardyce left? He’s played for three managers since (Silva, Cook (Wigan), and Ancelotti) but has played only one game. Surely, all three of these guys can’t be wrong, and purposely holding the young man back, especially with our woeful midfield crying out for youthful energy and pace. It’s time to forget about Beni Baningime. Hopefully, he can re-emerge and surprise us all. But let’s stop pushing him forwards as if he’s a badly treated player, when the reality is likely to be that he’s just not good enough, even for Wigan.

I'd be happy for him to retain his place on his showings so far.

In the Summer, if Gbamin is still a no show then we need some more pace and trickery in the team. We just seem to have no movement going foward at times.

You might be right, that Beni won't make it, but he did play the U23 games earlier this (calendar) year (Arsenal, Chelsea, Derby...) and if I remember correctly stood out above the others in midfield.

Four games since lockdown. Defensively sound in all four. Conceded two goals, both deflections. That's good. All four games could have had different results, fine margins and all that.

We have been pretty dull to watch, which is in my view down to the midfield. Davies is willing and needs an on-field mentor that he's never had. Siggy has lost what zip he had and is being picked in the hope that he recaptured what he once had. Iwobi works hard, but looks like he doesn t know what he's meant to be doing. Bernard is skilful, but lightweight. Gomes doesn't impose himself on games enough.

Problem is, we launch it, the forwards might win it, but who's bursting forward from behind them? When the team is under the cosh, who gathers the troops and sorts things out?

I've always said this squad is like a set of jigsaw pieces from different boxes. Carlo's organised the defence. and that's it. In midfield, we need better pieces.

All the focus this summer should be on buying at least one centre midfielder who can link the other parts of the team and impose himself on games. Someone similar to Fernandes, who at Utd is the perfect illustration of what we need. Someone Davies can learn from.

As things stand, I think we'll win more than lose, but we won't be making real progress until we get that midfielder.

There is some hope, and that comes in the form of 17 year old giant, Tyler Onyango. He could be a talent, but despite his height, he needs to fill out and beef up.

However, as unlikely as it may seem from the League table that we’ll still make the Europa League, the fixture list says otherwise. Nine points should be demanded and expected from our home games, leaving two big away games at direct rivals (neither of whom play in London!). This means that those of you trying to protect yourselves by abandoning all hope need to wait for one more bad result before you can legitimately do so.

My question is: are we more likely to get results with Beni in the side? I think he has to be given a go anyway, even with the season just about alive, because he can’t be any less creative or energetic than those currently playing instead of him.

Thanks to Walsh we still are paying Sandro his £75 - £100,000 per week and Onyekuro never even saw Finch Farm. Please Farhad ditch your DOF policy it has cost you in excess of £250 million and this team is still languishing in the bottom half of the league. Anthony Gordon is miles better than Bernard or Iwobi or Walcott, not to mention our back from another loan Bolasie.
Ancelotti has been left with 2 slow midfield players in Sigurdsson and Gomes, so is it any wonder nothing is being created as they are normally at least 20 yards away from our strikers. I have read many of the posts saying we need a midfielder player who can tackle and get round the pitch, we had the best at that in the Premier league in Gueye and Brands sanctioned him going to PSG. And before anybody says we couldnt keep hold of him as he wanted to go to PSG, yes we could he still had 2 years left on his contract. Gomes played his best football with Gueye alongside him because with Gueyes engine he could get back and cover on his own.

Does anybody really believe that Brands should be in charge of future transfers. And if they do then what was the point of appointing Ancelotti if he is just here to coach what our DOF buys, and we now know is record in buying players isn't great.

I just hope that Farhad backs Ancelotti in the market because we need at least 4 quality players. 2 central midfield and 2 attacking players.

As for Ancelotti, if you read his book (and I haven't!) i'm told he says he does not get that involved in transfers. He has suggestions and ideas but prefers a DOF type to take charge. He is very much a coach primarily though of course he'll be communicating with Brands about what he needs (a central midfielder who can run for starters).

Steve, I, too, liked Evans. This suggests you don't rate Beni as highly as the other two, but, like Dave (#45) I still want him to get some starts now.

"There is some hope, and that comes in the form of 17 year old giant, Tyler Onyango. He could be a talent, but despite his height, he needs to fill out and beef up".

Yes! Impressive size and engine. After his introduction to the U23s and what seemed like regular game time, he then seemed to be on the bench somewhat more - maybe to "protect" him? Was he carrying a niggle?

It truly is shameful

Won 2 (At United under Moyes and City )
Drew 20
Lost 38
Played 60
Points 26
For 46
Against 118

Our club is seriously a disease

442 gives us the classic two banks of 4 and a good defensive shape. Sigurdsson, Gomes and Davies are all playing their part defensively - but the system thwarts them offensively because it exposes what they are bad at, especially collectively.

These are not bad players as such. Gomes in particular is / can be a really good player.

But he really needs a partner who can allow him to function effectively in a 442.

So if we want to stop wasting money then maybe we should stop chopping and changing every 5 minutes?

Anthony Gordon - 3 (45 mins)
Tom Davies - 3 (77 mins)
Andre Gomes - 2 (90 mins)
Alex Iwobi - 1 (45 mins)
Gylfi Sigurdsson - 0 (67 mins)

#EFC

That’s right guys, we had Gomes and Sigurdsson in centre mid for the majority of that match, and between them they made 2 tackles. Sigurdsson, our record signing and one of our top earners, didn’t make a single tackle. This is criminal. In an away match against one of our rivals for European football. They were not playing well, we should have been chomping at the bit. We just turned up and rolled over.

There’s no hiding place for midfielders in a 4-4-2. And we can clearly see that most of our midfield are one trick ponies. Sigurdsson is like a 36 year old David Beckham. No longer able to contribute but he can take a set piece.

I’m disgusted by Iwobi, Gomes and Sigurdsson. At least Davies ran his socks off, put in some tackles and kept trying to get on the ball. It must have been a nightmare for him playing in midfield with the other 3. Carlo should drop the 3 of them on Saturday and send out a clear message. This will not be tolerated. I don’t care who plays ahead of them. Personally, I’d have Holgate and Davies in centre mid, maybe with Gordon and Richarlison on the flanks, and Kean and DCL up front.

But let’s make it abundantly clear. We don’t want shirkers playing for us. Last night’s performance from those 3 was unacceptable and they need to be made to understand that.

His performance last night was not his worst, as you describe, but rather quite typical of how he has performed for us.

I wasn't alone in the match day thread to be bemused as to why Tom Davies was withdrawn rather than Andre, as Tom was the best of our midfielders last night.

Andre has been nowhere near as consistent or reliable as we require for someone in his position.

Now if he could be relied on to play as he did in his 30 minute cameo performance v Arsenal following his speedy recover from the dreadful injry sustained v Spurs, he would immediately resolve one of our midfield problems.

You've probably already seen it, but here's a link to Andre's every touch in that game:

Andre Gomes Every Touch v Arsenal

It is maddingly good. Maddingly because this shows the level he can play at. Not afraid to receive the ball with his back to or facing the opposition, even in tight situations. The strength and skill to break free of his markers. A wonderful range of perfectly weighted and directed long and short passes. His 3 right to left long diagonal passes in particular completing turning and exposing the opposition defence.

He's got the lot. But again last night he displayed none of that. It was summed up in the 2nd half when he was in acres of space on the left and in a good position to play a killer ball into the Spurs' penalty area...and it was dreadfully executed, overhit way in front of our forwards, sailing harmlessly out for a goal kick.

Now he can be partly excused because of course he is coming back from injury. But let's acknowledge also, like all the players, since the lockdown he had a further 3 months recovery time on top of his return to playing.

I do find it interesting that since the Arsenal game Ancelotti has started and played him for every minute of the 6 games apart from the final 8 minutes v United when he was subbed out on 82 minutes. The only midfield player Carlo has not rotated.

I would suggest his form hasn't merited that he remained on the pitch in all those games, so maybe - just maybe - Ancelotti sees something in him, or is desperate for him to succeed, and is giving him the minutes now in this runt end of an abnormal season to then benefit from this conditioning whenever the new season gets under way.

But I have to say, unless Andre does step up, he is another one in our brittle midfield that needs to be upgraded.

For a quick comparison, last night was Tom Davies' 100 PL game for Everton. For all his supposed limitations he has 5 goals and 4 assists.

Andre has played 42 times in the PL for us and has contributed just 1 goal and 1 assist. For the creative force he is meant to be, that's simply not enough.

I suppose we have to be grateful that Moyes was United manager for a short stint otherwise our last victory at Old Trafford would have been 1992.

But Arsenal 1996 and Liverpool 1999 is absolutely discraceful!

Another point, none of us are highly paid football geniuses. But I remember when we signed Gomez and Bernard. The concern voiced by many on here was end product, e.g. assists and goals. Neither of them had anywhere near enough elsewhere to suggest they'd solve our creative issues. So why the Hell did we buy them? We already lacked punch so we added more pretty but ineffective players. To compound things, neither one can tackle. So if you can't tackle, don't score, don't get assists, then how can you call yourself a midfielder?

He has 1 goal and 1 assist in around 40 appearances for us. He does not often run with the ball and his stats for progressing it forwards are very mediocre. He is one of the most dribbled past midfielders in the league and has the worst tackle success in the whole league! Not a great combination there.

I’ve no doubt he’s capable of better but if he’s not showing it more often then he’s a real passenger in the crucial middle of this team.

Ancelloti clearly has faith in him, as do many on here, but he needs to start repaying it.

Premier League teams now have the measure of Gomes. In all their tactical strategies Gomes will be a targeted weakness, as Richarlison is a targeted threat.

He is two slow, can be pushed deep, will lose the ball if put under pressure and does not have the pace to carry the ball or go past a opposing player. He will get even slower next season. His only asset is his pass completion ability, but many are backwards. His better forward passes are link passes, where he is unchallenged. Defensively he is a liability in the penalty area or just outside it. Often he defends too deep for his position as a midfielder. He occupied a space between three Everton defenders , against Tottenham causing the confusion that lead to the goal. Should have never been there.

If Sigurdsson goes , Gomes is in danger of being the player to most likely fill his boots in the Everton fans opinions.

If you add Walcott, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Davies, Bernard, Delph and Iwobi’s contribution at Everton:

Appearances - 404

Goals - 39

Assists - 26

This lot form our midfield every week. From all of them, we get one goal every 10 games. And 1 assist every 16 games. We’ve already established they are not tackling. What the fuck do they do??!!

Our defence is doing ok, and DCL and Richarlison are forming a good partnership up front. But we are getting pretty much nothing from all the midfielders at the club! I’m so angry, primarily with Iwobi, Sigurdsson and Gomes it has to be said after last night.

Great responses from Paul at #44 and Sam at #65, particularly Sam's comments on Gomes. As I've repeatedly said here (starting from the day he arrived), the expectations of Gomes have always been too high -- having watched him many times for Barca, he is exactly the player Sam describes. Sometimes better, sometimes worse, sometimes momentarily brilliant on the ball, undoubtedly impacted by the injury... but never, ever an imposing figure on a game. He is not a top-quality midfielder and never will be.

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Just a selection of midfield reinforcements who are within reach. We need at least one, possibly two. Depends a bit on whether Gbamin makes a miracle recovery and / or whether the CB signing could fill in in midfield too (eg Todibo).

Ancelotti has been here long enough to be aware of the players he puts on the team sheet who, to put it mildly, are unfit, lazy no desire excuses for professional footballers and benched, replaced by young players from the under 23's or the youth teams who will show pride in the shirt and badge that they are privileged to wear.

Brands as director of football has no excuses as he is responsible for finding the type of player the manager wants so between them they have to come up with positive results as at the moment the future is looking pretty bleak.

The game against Tottenham showed the difference in attitudes of the 2 managers 1 who had his team fired up enough to get the players arguing with each other, and the other one not being able to get his players to show any fight. Not many teams will sit back and let their star striker get kicked and fouled constantly without standing up for him, it is called teamwork ethics.

I was born in 1940 started supporting Everton after playing at Goodison Park in 1952 and after reading the history of Everton from the Dr France collection of what this club represents, I thought who the hell will want to read the history of Everton in the 2000's.

You need young people to carry on the tradition of Everton but at the same time you need history to encourage them.
If ever this club needed a kick up the backside to turn it around it is now,, starting at the next game.
Ancelotti may be a top class manager but it has to be proved not read about, so prove it, and let these players know that their performances are unacceptable of a player wearing an Everton shirt.

The club will have an army of scouts out there (by the way, have a read of The Nowhere Men, the hidden world of scouts. Highly recommended) and a list of players probably 10 times the amount on your list. But ultimately, every single transfer is a gamble, regardless of the price tag.

I would fully expect the midfield to have a new look come the new season. Gomes may become a quarterback style player with someone next to him chasing every player just to give him the ball and use it.

Everton get bullied and have no fighters or leaders on the pitch.

The mental and psychological side of the club is set in stone and they accept defeat in the 50:50 challenges, second balls, and don’t have the confidence for slick offensive interchanges on the park.. How can you win a football match playing so slow, and we must be the easiest team to set up against, due to being so slow.

Find a Gana type player, fight and guts, and a leader on the pitch. Until then this team won’t progress, back down to getting the basics consistent, heart, desire, belief, motivation etc.

Let’s hope the team is fired up for Soton and Wolves.

Buendia would be a great addition to the squad giving us better strength in depth in midfield. Aarons would be an ideal signing to challenge Seamus and take over at right back. Both young and on the up, would be fired up coming to us.

We need another Peter Reid and Andy Gray in this team. Tough, hard, men Not the bunch of pansies with their fancy hairdo’s and Nancy headbands. They’re all shite imo. I do Rate Gomes though.

I wouldn’t give Brands another penny of the clubs money to waste.

Richarlison and Digne have been decent buys the rest have been shocking.

We can't shed the "knife to a gun fight", "plucky Everton tag". It's okay to lose against the "big" clubs and Jagielka being caught with an arm around Barkley telling him not to worry as "they" aren't booing you Ross. Weak, acceptance & loser mentality.

How I watch Howard's Way with nostalgic despair when I hear Peter Reid & Kevin Ratcliffe recalling being constant flies in each others ears ("you going to show up today or what"?). Grahame Sharp's recount of a Colin Harvey dressing room dress down. Colin Harvey's own opinion of his winning standards and expectations. Neville Southall's shrugging off of "that"save at Tottenham that arguably paved the way for the title win; "I'm a goalkeeper, I'd have been disappointed if I didn't save it".

Excuse my accuracy in the "quotes" above as I couldn't be arsed researching so went off contextual recollection of many a drink influenced viewing.

We need a clear out, I agree. I appreciate that times are different, however that 80s team were not household names as they embarked on their path of brief glory, but neither were the current Leicester team with a league title and likely Champions League qualification in the bag. Liverpool right now are good but a large part of that is down to belief and mentality, not just sheer ability.

We need is a complete mentality & psychological transplant throughout the club, not just new playing staff.

Relax, pour a glass of wine Danny!!

What we do have is, Iwobi. I won’t even go there as he’s not worth my ire. Sigurdsson who’s past his best. Tom Davies who will never achieve his best. Bernard who’s too weak for this league and the near mythical figure that is Baningime who, I think, once played a game a few years ago and looked half decent.

That, my friends, is our MF. A pile of mediocre shite who would struggle in league one never mind the championship. If this lot, along with Walcott aren’t shipped out pronto we will never be able to compete.

That's how you can be as skillful a passer as Gomes is... and produce exactly one assist in 42 Prem appearances.

Iwobi and Barnard were hopeless last night, and Bernard's free kick was embarrassing. He isn't much of a physical specimen but you'd expect him to be able to get the ball over the wall of players.

The Everton players who are given midfield roles this season all work hard enough but lack that incisiveness to create chances.
Siggy is past his sell by date as regards his scoring prowess but maybe young Gordon given starts for the rest of the games can make a starting position his own.
There is also Bangemin Benny who maybe should get a start but I suppose while Everton still have a chance of 7th place Carlo will stick with the usual suspects.

Interesting stats regarding Gomes assists. It therefore appears that Gomes main attribute is as a unchallenged link player.

Steve Ferns also highlighted that at times Davies appeared to be right back, which I did wonder about during the game. It could be that Gomes was playing that deep that Davies had to track back to maintain the link with his midfield partner Gomes. Ancelotti would have wanted Davies to be attacking the final third, as he had done in the second half in the previous game.

The only reason Gomes would be so deep is to try and get on the ball, having been pressurised in midfield and not able to get the ball as a result.

It is easy to criticise Carlo after that debacle but the man hardly has a squad to choose from let alone decent players.

Do you think any other Premiership club with ambition would be playing Tom Davies and Anthony Gordon so regularly. Take a look at the subs bench that should tell you all you need to know about the paucity of this squad.

The players don't even have to try they know they will keep their place.

The only Chelsea midfielder who slowed it down was Ross Barkley. You can take the boy out of Everton, but you cannot take Everton out of the boy. He was replaced by the much more direct and speedier Loftus Cheek.

The Everton players hold onto the ball way too long, slow it down and move it to their preferred (and often only) options, sideways and backwards. We will never win games or entertain playing like this.

Richarlison is not a forward. He loses nearly every ball with his back to goal, unable to hold off defenders. He needs to start deeper and to be able to run at players, which is his strength.

Danny Ings would be a great addition as a forward. I would also love to have Dwight McNeil and David Brooks at the club. I would also take Eric Lamela if was surplus at Spurs. We need movement, creativity and fight in the team.

United spent 85m on Pogba and a kings ransom on Hernandes, Chelsea got Pulisic, The RS got Mane and Salah and for the bench Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Minimouae and Shaquiri.

We spent over 200m on Bolasie, Sandro, Tosun, Walcott, Sigurdsson, Iwobi and Kean none of whom would make a top six squad let alone the team.

If we had spent that 200m on 2 or 3 players would we be better off. You bet we would but the recruitment process which still involves Kenwright in the decision making is still a shambles.

Nathan Ake is a left footed CB. Do you rate him?

Colin #111, definitely, he controls the ball and passes it better than anyone we have. He just doesn't actually produce any results from those moments of elegance.

Personally Davies, Gordon & Kean get as many minutes as possible. They get to make as many mistakes as possible and learn at the same time.

I would like to a proper change up for Southampton. 3-5-2. The three centre backs protect each other. Digne and Sidibé at wing back, to start them further up the pitch. Gordon, Davies and Banngime in the middle, DCL and Kean up front.

Richarlison needs time out he got kicked to shit Monday night, and plays every minute too! Sigurdsson & Gomes have had enough chances and offer nothing in a 4-4-2 they have no defensive qualities. They are not the future in any form. The others might be, in these circumstances that should be upper most in the managers thoughts.

Carlo won’t get right every time and a deserves to carry the can but I will equally sing his praises when he gets it right.

He knows where he needs to strengthen and he knows which players should be able to put a shift in but with 3 games a week and no crowd motivation it is hard to know until they are out there on the pitch.

Im sure like me you would like to leave half of them at the training ground never mind the dressing room but weve just got to get this dreadful season out of the way tell ourselves that Europe was a dream too far and thank god we werent in the relegation dogfight.

I have supreme confidence that Carlo is the right man maybe a few years late but he will get us back among the big boys soon.

Baningime may get a chance but we can’t expect much of him. This is a player who struggled to get onto the Wigan bench last year (though he did have injury issues).

Unspectacular as Delph has been I think he’d be our best bet centrally if he were able to stay fit. Having neither him nor Gbamin has been a real loss. Could Iwobi be tried in the middle, he works hard and whilst not rapid has more mobility than Gomes/Siggy. Or, if recovered, do you move Holgate into midfield?

It’s a shame we don’t have a few more youngsters ready to contribute. This time next year I think Gordon will be a first team regular and the likes of Gibson, Branthwaite, Simms and maybe Onyango and Dobbin might be ready to contribute minutes.

Maybe some will say that it proves everything because he can’t get a look in, but he’s the only one out of our three forwards, who makes proper genuine centre-forward runs imo, and it’s obvious Iwobi, and Sigurdson, are nothing more than square pegs in round holes when played out wide, with neither offering any forward movement, pace or a genuine goal threat?

Play Mina with Keane, play Holgate if fit with Davies, play Gordon and Richarlison, out wide and Lewin and Kean up front.

I hate naming teams, but I’m fed up watching Everton play without real purpose and aggression, with certain players hiding, or maybe I’m wrong? maybe going through the motions with a complete lack of desire is a better description? Either way It’s just not what football is about.

It’s down to Brands, the Manager and the Board, to sort previous misgivings on signings out. We’ve wasted a lot of money on mediocre players. I hope we have learned our lesson, But we cannot continue to pick other teams trash players up and dress them up as decent players when they are clearly not. Or else, we may be heading for next seasons trap door.

I don't think we'll see Holgate in midfield as it almost gives the message that he's not good enough for centre-back. I'm sure he could do a job, but I don't think that's Carlo's style.

I'm sure more would have been made of that if we hadn't conceded 2 injury time goals with Pickford standing behind the goal line for the equaliser.

Our priority must be to find MEN who know how to play football and don’t chicken out of tackles.

John is spot on for me.

You look at Chelsea for example. Mason Mount was given the keys to the car. He made tons of mistakes, but played through them. Pulisic (Baby Jesus) didn’t impress. Calls of overpaying and American-not-good-enough abounded. Frank stuck with him and now he looks like a world-beater. That Abraham kid is going throug a tough time. They aren’t throwing him out, they’re letting Giroud get more minutes while they work with a very talented youngster.

As an aside, us Americans, often having our opinions ignored or dismissed, could have told you how special Pulisic is. I digress.

The core of our team is good, and it is young. Very young. If we have any aspirations of improving, we actually need to commit to that core through sickness and health, poverty or wealth, till death do us part.

It’s time to make the jump to the youth. Carlo still had aspirations of top 7 so he was playing some of the older guys. That’ ain’t happening now.

I’m with Sir John 100% on the lineup and the approach. We have 5 games left, and I’d ride those kids the entire way until they drop dead of exhaustion.

Virginia
Coleman. Keane. Holgate. Digne
Rich. Davies. Gomes. Gordon
Kean. DCL

Win or lose who gives a fuck any more. Get those kids the experience they need. Then buy a quality, quality CM and see where it all goes from there.

We are just overpaying for players.

Why in the world do you pay 40 million for Gilfy Sigurdsson. Why? Especially when you had Ross Barkley?

We’ve spent some terrible money - just terrible - on players who are going to be past their prime, or don’t really help us that much.

Siggy, Theo, Iwobe (25 million!!!), etc.

I honestly believe we need to start to do what Brands has done, aside from Iwobe. Buy young, buy cheap. But the very best up and comers around the world and in the Championship and pay only 10 million or less. If you go big, go seriously big and pay 60-70 million for a proven player if you can afford it.

This mid-range, 25 to 40 million expenditure is getting us above average to average veterans and breaking the bank. It’s stupid.

We have overpaid, we have scouted and bought with little imagination. We have tried to improve by signing players who reached their ceiling at Swansea, Palace or Fenerbache or players who were on the way down after a big club. Recruitment is not rocket science but we failed in the basics.

Chelsea are reported to be paying £90 million for a player we've never heard of and don't blink an eyelid. The top clubs which we are no longer a member of, have spent much more than £45 Millon which is our record spend on players who have failed miserably. They are able to live with it and move on to the next player. That's why we remain mediocre, the only solution was to get Usmanov on board, but for some reason it hasn't happened, typical of Everton, another missed opportunity, gone.

For what we've paid, we are left with a side struggling to keep pace with Burnley, Palace and Sheff Utd. It would be nice to have a sugar daddy like Usmanov to buy the circa 5 first teamers we probably need but it is not essential.

And regardless of how we rate them, the likes of Bolasie (27m in old money) don't contribute to the team at all for whatever reason. See also Klaasen who fits the same bill.

Although the amount was smaller The one I still don’t get is Delph. Injury-prone and on the fringes of City’s squad. A relatively expensive down-grade On James McArthey.

Onyekuru was the weirdest.

Since Davies was 11 years old (half his life), all he's known is Everton Football Club. I love this club, but the last 11 years hasn't exactly been school of science stuff.

100 Premier League games for the same club and people are still unsure about your role or best position? Sorry, next.

Apologies for my rubbish attempt at humour, but I am in total agreement with you on that summer. What a shambles of a transfer "strategy" that we are still paying for.

It is going to take Ancelotti a while to sort things out.

Where's the character, the winning mindset, in the players we've paid big money for?

Where's the midfielder who can dig in and run the game? Where are the midfielders with a track record of assists and goals?

Some of these expensive players may have worked if Koeman/Walsh had actually bought the striker and centre mid we needed, but they failed.

The one player who was a proper old pro who done it all and had nous (Barry) we let go. Christ knows why.

It's who/what we don't buy. That's what Carlo has to change.

Wasn't he about 90?

So that's what a dog's breakfast consists of - I bet that's the last occasion that Moshiri allows anybody at Everton to use his credit card without his permission.

Holgate is out anyway, so Gomes should partner Davies, but please put Richarlison on the wing!

He's moved to a foreign country at a very young age so will inevitably take time to settle. Let's pass on judgement for now until we see more of Moise Keane, which hopefully we will next season.

Oh for a midfielder like Gareth Barry, if only we had Ancelotti when he was about. All the midfield players mentioned are not fit to clean his boots, except Gueye.