No goals in first Swiss pre-season run-out

The Everton Twitter puts Mirallas at right-back...

Should see 8 or 9 changes for second half.

We need to be a lot sharper in three weeks time.

Try players from the U23s!!!

I mean do they really have a future here, if not then why are we working preseason plans with them in the side?

Four weeks remain to bring some genuine firepower to this squad; otherwise, it's hard to see too many improvements on last season.

We need more going forward and we knew this last season.

We rely too much on Sigurdsson from midfield to score and Richarlison when he's there.

I know it was a pre-season work-out, plenty of possession as you say but nothing encouraging up front from either half.

We knew from last season that we need more firepower outside of Sigurdsson and Richarlison.

Games against Fulham, Palace, Watford, Brighton, Southampton away are what cost us a higher finish in the end because we didn't possess enough going forward.

Really, we haven't changed the dynamic of the squad enough this summer to really change that and traipsing out the likes of Niasse and Mirallas, well I just don't know what we were meant to glean from that?

Otherwise, not much to report so far...

On a plus side Broadhead looks a useful player.

Gibson was given 45 minutes today but was hardly tested in a one-sided affair. He has many of the attributes to be a top player but the manager will probably be drawing as many conclusions from what he sees in training as he will do from performances in these fairly mundane practice games.

You can't really expect Hornby or Broadhead to be a major part of the first team this season; even if they were, we can't pin our hopes on these lads.

We need firepower, simple as!

Delph would be a strong purchase but we all know that we are missing a front man and need one desperately.

Even with the off-season and no recognised forward they really should have overcome the local Swiss mountain village pub team; poor!

Not rocket science we need a striker, Hornby has the potential in the future, but he certainly needs to learn to look around and not run into blind alleys with his head down, if he wants to make it.

This is no disrespect to any of Niasse, Tosun, Calvert-Lewin, Hornby, Broadhead ect ect but if that bunch are our attacking options next season then we are fooked!!!

Too much expectation on Richarlison and Sigurdsson to hit double figures.

Firstly, a striker will usually need chances to be created for them. Currently we do not create enough. One of the reasons I'm less enamoured with Gomes than some.

Secondly, what sort of striker do you think we can get? If we could get a Harry Kane or Aguero, then yes, I think we'd convert a few more chances and they'd possibly create a few more for themselves. They'd still get far fewer than they did at Spurs or Man City till we solve creative issues.

And, more importantly, we will struggle to find players like that. Nearly every team could do with more goalscorers, the best ones go for big money to Champions League teams. A lot of the ones we could get (Gomez, Haller, Poulsen etc) would be a big risk and may or may not be upgrades on Tosun (who came with big price, good form and a strong scoring record).

It is not a striker that will necessarily improve us. They may help but far more important is the general balance of the team; how much they can create and how well they can defend. We could get Lukaku back and perhaps he'd get 15 goals but I don't think we'd necessarily win more matches/points because he loses the ball so often so many of our moves would break down. It's about the team and the system. Not one player.

Maybe you have forgotten the chances we created at Palace and Fulham last season, and the fact that we should have beaten West Ham by six goals away from home but were unbelievably wasteful, or the fact that we were hanging on against Arsenal at 1-0 when we should have buried them.

Then there was Watford away when a Calvert-Lewin missed an absolute sitter with his head late on.

It seems to me if we had a decent centre-forward in many games last season, we probably would have finished above one of Man Utd or Arsenal.

Ultimately I wish I hadn't watched it at all. We were criminal as a team and hopeless in the final third against a team that would get thrashed by Tranmere.

Deary me I worry where the goals are gonna come from next season. Apart from Sigurdsson and Richarlison, I don't think we have another goalscorer on the books.

Gomes, Baines and Coleman all seemed to be blowing for tugs before half-time so plenty of fitness work to do there.

Did anyone else notice Gomes's frustration when he was subbed?

I thought I would get my Sigurdsson moan in early, if only to counter your criticism of Calvert-Lewin, Jim. Not that I think he will get enough goals for us, but I believe he would be a great foil if we were to play a second striker.

As it stands we know, where the problem area will be next season and can only pray for a miracle and we can sign someone who can score a few goals; otherwise, it will be the same as last season – entirely depending on Richarlison and Sigurdsson for our goals. That won't be nearly enough to move us further up the table.

I'd be happy with Broadhead occupying a slot in the squad as one of four wingers. But only as a back up option in place or Walcott & Lookman.

A proper footballer

Don't watch pre-season games. You're taking them more seriously than the people playing. They're part of fitness training and no more than glorified training sessions, especially these early ones.

Whatever you think today's ‘match' demonstrates, it doesn't.

In Holgate, Calvert-Lewin and Davies we have three potentially great players. Why not enjoy their progress? What pleasure do some folk get from dishing out the phrase "Championship at best"? To get as good as these lads takes talent that is unimaginable to most of us.

Bit of confidence and he's better than stones for me.

No kidding. In a parallel universe this was a Europa cup qualifier and people were saying “professional job done we will wrap it up at Goodison.” In this universe it was a meaningless fitness workout and people are acting like it's a disaster.

Even Calvert-Lewin as a starter is banking him on him adding goals to his other overall game.

Coming up to the third season now since we lost our regular goal scorer, we have to get a striker in, cannot go into the new season with those forwards.

We could use a more clinical striker but mainly it's about the team as a whole, and we need more goals/creativity from all over.

We have some of the best young players in the country so let's give them a fighting chance!

I agree if the gate connection. I really like Holgate.

But then again, its just another excuse for these naysayers – why do we have so many, anyway? – to knock our team and say we're clearly doomed!!

I mean, ffs, come on lads, some of these same 'happy' posters could only bring themselves to say how lucky we were and how could all so easily have been different even after we'd just thrashed Burnley 5-1 on Boxing Day!!!

I'm just surprised there wasn't a penalty shoot-out as we certainly need the practice.

Interesting that Lookman, who apparently travelled with the squad never got a sniff, neither did The Turkish pancake tosser, I was under the impression that apart from one goalkeeper (Stek) they would all get a run out. No Beni either.

We scored 22 this time last season... which didn't do us much good once the season started. I am expecting Gueye and Lookman to be sold and the 㿭m or so proceeds will finance a striker and a centre-back.

Pleased for Gueye getting to the AFCON final but not great for our prep to have our best player unavailable for the whole pre-season essentially. That is assuming he is still ours by end of transfer window!

Gomes and Delph will have cost around £30 million, so that will leave around £80 Million, (maybe less?) for 3 more top players, and will also show that Everton FC, now seem to have a major plan in place, to take our club forward?

Some people will argue that selling Gueye, is not much of a plan, whilst others will argue that if you don't speculate, you will never accumulate, so either way, these next couple of weeks are going to be massive, and all before a ball has really been kicked in anger!

It's hard to quantify but the difference to how the players play in them, to a Premier League game is absolutely huge. That may seem a stupid obvious statement but the difference in performance when only giving 80% in a preseason friendly is massive and CAN make good players look absolutely shit!

These games are REALLY nothing to do with performance and, in truth, we probably shouldn't watch 'em if we can't accept the game'll bear no resemblance whatsoever to a real one.

Yeh, they can be frustrating to watch but I for one don't want any player knocking their pan in too early and getting an injury that may keep 'em out for the first few weeks of the season.

These players (most of 'em) are like F1 cars. 1% too much of something and they're fucked for the race.

Everton are crying out for a class striker and if they don't get one then it will be another lacklustre season.

Whilst Gueye has been excellent the club has to be run as a business and 㿔m for a 30-year-old would be hard to turn down especially after the loss on Klaassen and expected loss on Bolasie.

The Echo ran an article near the end of last season comparing a 'chances created' metric for him and Erickson. They were about even. Same as his last season with Swansea when he racked up assists (with an ageing but high-quality striker in Llorente playing up top).

Problem is, when Sigurdsson puts it on a plate, our players invariably fluff their lines (I'm looking at you, Walcott). Additionally, he often (usually at least once or twice a game) puts in a great through-ball except our players are not on the same wavelength and are not anticipating the ball.

It's blindingly obvious to me that he's a vital player for us, irrespective of who we get to play centre-forward. He gets the goals that Cahill got and – despite assertions to the contrary – is far, far more creative. Thankfully we have some intelligent players in the squad now who showed real signs of gelling the last 10+ games. Dominic Calvert-Lewin improved hugely. If he can continue this upward trajectory and (vitally) add goals he could develop into a top forward. Still a big "if" admittedly but I liked what I saw last season.

Also we were one of the best teams in the league the last 3 months of last season. I fail to see how, even if we end up with the same attacking options that we will suddenly not be able to win games. Think this nonsense is coming from the same posters who were predicting we'd be lucky to cobble together a couple of draws from our remaining fixtures, starting from the Cardiff game. People have short memories and often learn nothing.

Mirallas popping up at right-back was surprising, to say the least... although he moved up when Williams went off injured.

Holgate looked very comfortable to me, always looking for the ball. I think he could well challenge Mina if we don't get Zouma.

It was also good to see McCarthy back. I wouldn't dismiss him yet and he deserves a chance as long as he's fit.

Poor Lössl in goal had nothing to do for his 45 minutes, neither did Pickford later.

Sorry to say none of the young lads really stood out for me, apart perhaps from Williams. To be fair though, you have to take the circumstance of the game into consideration.

In general, we were solid if not spectacular but this is only our second game after the summer break so no panic from me.

Finally, a word for Marco Silva. There were a few of us hanging around after the match and he showed his appreciation for us by posing for a few photos and shaking hands. He comes across to me as being a really decent guy and I think he'll get us going this season.

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I can understand a slightly heavy hand by the Eds during the season, but a little latitude during close season would be welcome. (Bet it was Michael!).

Hi Pete, # 88. Yeah, it seems all the posts on the cricket world cup final have been scrubbed.

“With the amount of training we're doing it's not about being fresh and ready for the games it's about the training we're doing to make sure we're preparing and loading up the muscles and being able to cope with the season ahead.”

I remembered our conversation, along with John Rafferty, about cricket last year when Mike Gaynes came over, and you knew a lot about the game, that'swhy I was interested in your opinion.

Never mind we might have a natter about it in the future.