Defensive gameplan surrenders two vital points

I reckon it will be the flat back 4 of centre backs that has served us so well in recent weeks with Digne again playing in front of Godfrey down the left.

With Richarlison fit from the start (which he wasn't for the Wolves game) Iwobi loses out. Davies plays as Carlo declared yesterday. James and DCL if fit were always going to start, so it was down to a toss of the coin for the remaining berth, Siggy or Gomes.

That's solid enough to get a result for me.

Good back up on the bench. Nice to see Onyango there again, even though he got a brief cameo appearance Sunday for the 1st XI then played for the U-23s Monday v Leicester.

funny watching people fall over themselves to make that into something else.

Anyone got a calculator ?

Tom has a lot of responsibility in what is a big game. Can’t see how it is the most important game of Carlos reign, but big game it is. Let's give Tom a chance to see if he can handle the responsibility mate.

Ancelotti had no choice but to play Tom tonight. Would he have started if Allan and Doucouré were available?

Kieran2. Tosun on his way to Moscow in the ToffeeWeb funded Moskovitch. Bolaise and Besic earning their money this week by doing the driving . Rumours they’ve just broke down in Gdańsk and are having a hot dog and a cup of tea to keep warm.

If Carlo is all for Tom today, so am I.

In terms of the team, a logical selection. It keeps our in form, solid backline in tact against a team dangerous on the attack. We have our 2 most creative assets in the team.

Expect a mix of 4-4-2 and 4-5-1. Rodriguez will sit on the right but float where he wants. Richarlison will play centrally, but float to the right.

Tough game for Davies and Gomes - NDidi and Tielmans is a quality midfield. And Maddison will look for space between them and the defence.

It will be a tight game, we won't be playing flowing attacking football, but can see another 2-0.

The most utter tosh posted by Darren since Carlo arrived.

COYB

This one would piss it.

The man himself said it was a very important game...The last time he said that with any conviction. He was managing abroad.

Could be a very open and entertaining game.

Let's go.

Fuck that. this is how we got here in the first place

Hope we play the four big lads in a back four and I think Ndidi and Tielemans will have plenty to worry about with James.

For all the negative comments on Gomes and Davies at the start - they have both been brilliant. Gomes' long balls have been able to release counter attacks and Davies has done a brilliant job, playing with confidence in front of what has to be the best defensive back four in the league. There is just no getting around Ben Godfrey!

Who would've thought four centre backs would be doing so well?! A lot of raised eyebrows at the start of the season with the late purchase of BG, and although it wasn't the intention to use him as a left back, we would not be in our current position without his contribution across the line.

I'd forgotten just how awful he is.

The pick was saying 'you don't want James picking up the ball on the edge of his own penalty area'.

30 seconds later the ball was in the Leicester net from the wee magician. What a finish. Clean gathering of the poor clearance. A little shuffle of the hips, a drop of the shoulders, an oh-so-delicate shifting of the ball, then WHACK! On his right foot.

Class. Class. Class.

Leicester looked 'pretty' for 10-15 minutes up to our penalty area. The only sniffs they've had are from the free kicks we've given them.

We not playing scintalating football. But we are playing cute football.

Tom Davies again playing very well in midfield. Gomes less so. But Richarlison? Deary me! He has not retained the ball or got past his man ONCE the whole game. Just won a couple of free kicks in the middle of the park.

Iwobi would offer us more and I can see that switch early in the 2nd half.

While we are getting that calculator, can someone add up how many minutes decent football we’ve played since Carlo arrived with his empty suitcases, waiting for daft arsed Farhad to load with cash?

As the great clearout continues we are crying out for more pace in the side.

When we eventually gave it a go we had chances but we made two defensive substitutions to cringe our way to a draw. That is not how I want to see us play under any circumstances.

Fuckin typical, when it matters he can't control a ball. When it's a nothing situation, he's perfectly fine.

I can't believe how disappointing that second half was. We simply sat back until they scored. He even moved Digne back so it was a back 5!!

Still, we looked strong defensively, and but for another howler from Pickford, we’d be celebrating a win now. A good point in the circumstances. Shame we didn’t have Doucoure and Iwobi from the start, we really missed their legs...

I hope Ancelotti realises now he cannot continue with Gomes. He's too slow, and now resorts to fouling continually Davies? Sorry – just not in the same class as some of the Leicester midfield. I like the lad, and he's a trier – end of story.

We were completely overrun first 20 minutes, and most of second half. But I reserve my harshest criticism for that clown Pickford. He needs to be shipped out immediately.

Disappointed we sat back but genuinely felt they wouldn't score, And they shouldn't have.

Just a stronger hand was needed.

Bizarrely, we could have won it but for a dreadful gaffe by Pickford. Any goalkeeper, at any level, would be disappointed in not stopping that.

For all their possession and attempts, they really didn't threaten our goal much. By contrast, we had 3 great opportunities in the final 5 minutes to win it.

Richy's header from the corner. Head it down, it's a goal.
Dom's header the wrong side of the post from Digne's cross.
Gomes' woeful attempt at the far post to do what, exactly, I have no idea.

A win would have really hurt them and boosted us. Not an awful result, but the performance was.

Onwards to the barcodes at the weekend.

Davies did ok but hugely missed Doucoure there to transition defence and attack.

Have to beat Newcastle!

But we didn’t loose, but what a superb goal, for me the best goal of Everton’s season, by a long way. But tonight he barely had the ball. No complaints from me, but I do now think that Olsen deserves a start, as the defence in my view looks calmer. Jordan Pickford made some good saves, but their goal, was a concentration - reaction save, which should have been saved.

Fine margins, but year on year, Everton are better by a long way.

But no more basic GK mistakes, but we’ll have a midfield back soon, and hopefully, Everton can take the piss in winning the Leeds, Manure and at our old ground.

Gomes, in my view can make a decent 30-40 yard pass but for me plays like players whose come out of retirement.

No timing unless there’s no opposition player within 10 yards. Every one looks good.

Still a point is a point, but very frustrating.

Now to wack, the Toon.Everton need a home boost win, and start Iwobi, to be more offensive, and get some goals in, for the GA.

We grabbed a point without Allan and Big D against a top 3 team.

Win one of our two games in-hand and we're Top 4.

See the big picture.

Love to all.

Leicester’s midfield were too good for ours, we never had any control of the game. In the circumstances I thought it was a good point.

This puts the Newcastle match firmly in the spotlight. We have to play and attack a lot better, Doucoure’s back and we will look like a decent side again. 3 points from that match will keep us in the mix.

Still, four points from six against a quality side like Leicester City is a good return. Now we just have to make sure we get all three points against Newcastle this weekend - no excuses there, given their form.

He was lucky to get his place back but he can think about that on the sidelines for a few weeks now as far as I’m concerned.

As for the goal itself, I'm not accepting that he couldn't deal with that shot!

Other goalkeepers in this league are pulling off MotM performances on a weekly basis, and he is supposed to be Englands No.1.

The lack of fans in the ground are keeping this clown at the club.

A pacy winger ie Barnes like is also needed.

Our fully fit first eleven is a match for most but just one absence from it and we have no back up for them. Our bench players ie Davies Gordon Bernard Gomes Sigurdson Kenny don’t make any top 6 squad.

If Newcastle challenge for every ball they will win.

James Maddison
24 years of age

Tom Davies
22 years of age

Tom has played more top flight games than the pair of them.
Not in the same class as Barnes or Maddison.

Can we stop bulling Tom Davies up as a top class midfielder.
All that does is put him under pressure.
Its only one or two stubborn posters doing it. It is one or two too many.
He is not that player yet.

We just gave them the ball in the second half for reasons unknown.

If and if only.. but we need to win our home games but with the team out tonight, this in my view is a good point, against a far superior team.

Iwobi should have started, and for me what Gomes contributes in ant game isn’t worth a carrot. Framing every pass made, it doesn’t cut.

What’s been said before about Gomes stands, if he was a dynamic player, great but he never will be, and he’s high risk, has a killing pass, but can’t tackle and is trying but isn’t the answer.

Well done Tom Davies and, at least United lost.

I’m starting Nirvana’s for the Spurs 5th round match tonight! Lol and all stay safe.

He really is a liability I'm afraid.

As many have said, take a point... but 3 points now a must on Saturday.

They had no Vardy? You’d never know from the commentary.

If we had taken them on I fancy they could have given us a bit of a hiding tonight. They have bags of pace and a very good attacking midfield.

Of course I wanted to see a better performance from us but I will take a point against the best team away from home in the division. We need to have a real go at Newcastle. Bag a few goals and keep trying to find a way of mixing solid defending with a bit more bite up front.

Then Carlo goes all Italian with his ultra defensive tactics in the second half then starts attacking in the last 10 minutes and we create three good chances. Why didn't he let them play like this instead of camping out in our own half once the second half began?

Another black mark, Carlo, with those last 45 minutes. Lucky to get a point, very, very lucky, even if we were handicapped with that midfield. I felt sorry for Davies playing alongside Gomes, but Tom will cop for loads of stick off some fans.

Unlike Pickford I wouldn't have let you slip through my hands tonight!

true - our lack of endeavour handed the initiative to them before we even put a passage of play together. Whilst it's been necessary to sort out our defence (and a good job done there), the rest of it is frequently looking classic Italian, reminds me of 70s AC Milan.

I fear we are seeing a "Style" of play being consolidated here that has attack and speed of forward movement as a secondary aspect, whatever the players and the injuries status.

Our next signing should maybe be a bank-breaker for the world's best 'keeper.

After that we were a match for them despite our weakened MF.

We havent got the mentality to go at teams like Leicester and we should have.

I thought Gomes was way off the pace but does have quality and Richy wasnt in the game until he was switched to the left.

Enough has already been said about Pickford.

I know DCL was feeding off scraps but he wasnt up to his usual standards either.

Exactly. One of the main problems, I believe. Negative mentality and tactics/preparation. Add this to the yet-again overt lesser fitness than almost all opponents we play.

Nice to see Isoniazid coming on for Holgate, last time he was treating tuberculosis in the 1980’s.

Calvert-Lewin, as good as he holds the ball up and steps away from defenders, needs to do far more with his feet.

We still need top players. We want big games like tonight and Spurs in the cup so we need big quality to make the difference.

In the event we got a beauty of a goal from a player on his way back to form who is going to be very dangerous in the second half of the season, but then started the second half in a crazy way that screamed out fir a change. What did we do ? Go even deeper, concede so much ground and yes it took a terrible, terrible, bit of goal keeping but when you stop playing beyond your 18 yard line you are going to concede one way or another or be absurdly lucky not too.

We should have stolen it at the end but it was typical of this game that we didn’t. I just can’t fathom why we have to use that team in that way ? Iwobi was sound when he arrived but too late. Ritchie worked so hard defensively but not too clever going forward and DCL looked so pissed off at the lack of service that I wasn’t surprised to see him mis place that late chance.

Grateful for a point. Disappointed that we think we couldn’t set up to try for the win. Leicester good but hardly Barca for pity’s sake. Three points such a difference. Sigh.

However it does annoy me a little that our game plan involves soaking up the pressure more often than not.

Don't get me wrong I think Ancelotti is immense, I love him and I want him here for the whole of his contract but little things like not making a sub when we might benefit, be proactive instead of reactive, just little things that's all.

I'd give Olsen the Newcastle game, infact I'd just give the fella a prolonged run in the side now if we are talking about signing him full time then let's do it, Pickford has had too many chances at the club, Liverpool didn't waste time bombing Mignolet did they?

Let's face Newcastle and be brave in that one, don't sit back and allow a shit team to get a foothold in the match.

We are not there yet to play a fast expansive game. Still a couple of players to be replaced. For now, defending well is key. Work a few more variants on attacking set-pieces and keep winning ugly. Then I'll see you all in Europe.next year.

We may have to do likewise against City but other than that we should be a little more aggressive and adventurous against the rest of the teams.

Ric has almost completed his conversion into a fullback. Does that mean we get a new winger?

If so, I think it will be the summer before we get any new players, which is a shame. But look forward to a couple of world class players.

Saturday, Everton must get the win, at home, which has become elusive in the EPL, and get some goals to boost the goal average.

There’s some tough games, but they are winnable.. if Sheff Utd can do, it so can Everton, but every game now is massive.

Ruthless and clinical and consistently be professional, is hard to achieve in football, but the Achilles heel, and every team has them, Everton, patch up pretty, well in outfield positions, but I do believe after tonight on merit, Olsen, deserves to start, against the Toon.

In my view he is a morale sapping, confidence destroying,flapping, second rater who always has a game changing howler up his sleeve. Defending a one goal lead is tough enough without him in goal.
Goalkeepers have a certain amount of howlers that they can come back from. Hart and James used up their limit and became fun figures. Jordan has got there sooner than they did.

I don't like the way Carlo operates; never wanted him at the club. About 2 years ago I was calling for us to go and get Brendan Rodgers when he was at Celtic. I got slaughtered on here because Rodgers is a Kopite. Didn’t worry fans when we bought Sheedy, Ablett, Hutchinson, Beardsley did it?

This season due to no fans in stadiums the Top 4 is wide open. We will never get a better chance than right now to claim a spot at the top. Every time there is a chance to push on we blow it. Ancelloti’s tactics and substitutions are a joke. Never mind leaving it too late to bring on the subs but the baffling decisions Carlo makes. Coleman on when we needed a winner WTF??

If we keep throwing points away at home it nullifies the away wins and we just keep treading water. Please Carlo FFS drop Jordan "Dai Davies" Pickford and maybe your Italian approach might work. Keep Pickford in goal we might as well pack in now.

If we are to get anywhere, we cannot continue with Pickford walking straight back into the team, after a cup match.

Show some balls Carlo, bring a top class keeper in, or give Olsen more game time.

I agree we had a patched up midfield, I agree that we allowed Leicester to come at us, I will not accept Pickford deserves the number one spot.

Anyone think I am making Pickford a scapegoat will know I have been calling for Pickford to be taken out of the team for a while, too hyper and a mistake just around the corner at any given time.

A few games out of the team, might give Pickford a kick up the backside, but he certainly does not deserve to be our number one, too many mistakes in the guy.

Up top we’ve turned DCL into a fox in the box. That means he’s no longer laying off balls and running into channels all of which helped Rich. Now Rich either needs to drastically improve his shooting or be less selfish in the final third and look for DCL instead of shooting all the time.

We had 3 great chances to steal it in the last few minutes, again, a more ruthless streak is needed. Gomes had a great opportunity.

Not the worst result ever. My wish before tonight was for 6 points from this game and Newcastle, my realistic hope was for 4, so we are on our way.

Maturity, mentality, and I look back on great keepers, Nev, Jennings, Clements,Shilton, and they got the basics right in most games, whereby Everton’s team, at the moment,, it feels like are walking on broken eggs, in terms of Jordan’s, tempo. Do they know what’s going to happen next, in terms of his distribution?

His kicking in the first half was a liability as well.

How’s the time to rest him, in my view and Southgate, will also make his own mind up, regards England.

Beat the Toon.

It was hard to see if Richarlison is the answer on the right hand side as he was poor today and it seemed we had no attack on the right.

We need Alan and Doucoure back to get a balance back into the team, and even as well as Godfrey is playing Digne is a better support to the attackers.

We are only about 6 points behind the 3rd placed team with 2 games in hand so we are on course for a top 6 and unless we can bring in more quality for the squad a top 4 may beyond us.

Don't worry mate, I don't think anyone can criticise you for "scapegoating" Pickford, he's had too many high profile fuck ups over the last few years, I'm just going to be blunt, he's a poor goalkeeper end of.

At his age he should be improving month by month and year by year, but he's regressed since 2017 and he just doesn't get make me feel confident with him in goal, never truly has and never truly will.

If Olsen isn't up to number One then we have to move for a top class keeper in summer that finally does replace his gaff ridden fella Pickford now is.

In the circumstances I am happy with the draw. We badly missed Doucouré in midfield even though Davies and Gomes stuck to their tasks.

My take, we rode a bit of a storm in the first 15 and then got involved in a very intriguing game of football between 2 very evenly matched sides. James showed a moment of quality; he really is something we haven't seen in a blue shirt for some time.

Second half was very disappointing. Credit to a very good Leicester team but we got overrun in midfield. My previous concerns of a Davies & Gomes partnership sitting too deep on top of the defence and too detached from the forward line came to fruition.

It wasn't about individual players (Davies, Gomes), more the tactics. I accept that many will focus on Pickford and yes it was a mistake, but lets be honest, we were inviting that goal long before we actually conceded. It was inevitable.

I think that in the context of the game, that was a good point against a very good team.

How many games has Allan played since he went off injured against West Ham in late September in that league cup match?

We never seem to have a fully fit squad that's just us, it's just something that by December we as fans fantasise about but it rarely happens.

For those on here who habitually laud Leicester as a 'top team', this is based purely on their league title win in 15/16. Over the 6 seasons prior to the present one where they've been in the PL, their average finishing position is 8th, and average points 55. This compares with our averages over the same period of 10th and 51.

Given that the general consensus amongst Evertonians is that our average performance over that time has been mediocre/shite, then how anyone can laud Leicester is a mystery, unless they actually come from Leicester.

Under Ancelotti, we're better than Leicester, and have taken 4 points playing them this season. It should, and easily could, have been 6 points.

We just didn't use the ball well once we got possession. Rodriguez goal was fantastic, his quality is on a different level. We could have snatched it at the end with 3 great chances but didn't test the keeper.

Gomes was very poor, the game is just too quick got him. I don't think Doucouré will worry too much about starting on Saturday.

As 56 said above. Pickford made 3 mistakes that led to the goal. Olsen deserves a run in the team.

Newcastle game looks pretty important, if we want to stay in contention for a top 6 spot.

You've got the opportunity now Carlo to blood in a potentially new number one and save some pennies in summer, either way it's going to need rectifying before next season.

Having only two strikers available is going to cost us dear again DCL and Richarlison both look knackered at times and like they need a rest, but won't they be getting one, they're both automatically chosen for every game when fit.
With no other decent strikers at the club it's embarrassing, we need four good strikers to choose from and it needs sorting out now, or our dreams of finishing in top six are totally screwed.

Everton will finish in the top six. They do not have the goalkeeper to finish in the top four

Southgate was at the gane. He will be glad that he is coming to the end of watching Pickfords Clangers.

Really got a sickner with Pickford. All the pundits without fail thought Pickford cost Everton the game.

Everton will finish in the top six. They do not have the goalkeeper to finish in the top four

Southgate was at the gane. He will be glad that he is coming to the end of watching Pickfords Clangers.

Really got a sickner with Pickford. All the pundits without fail thought Pickford cost Everton the game.

Everton will finish in the top six. They do not have the goalkeeper to finish in the top four

Southgate was at the gane. He will be glad that he is coming to the end of watching Pickfords Clangers.

Really got a sickner with Pickford. All the pundits without fail thought Pickford cost Everton the game.

Everton will finish in the top six. They do not have the goalkeeper to finish in the top four

Southgate was at the gane. He will be glad that he is coming to the end of watching Pickfords Clangers.

Really got a sickner with Pickford. All the pundits without fail thought Pickford cost Everton the game.

Everton will finish in the top six. They do not have the goalkeeper to finish in the top four

Southgate was at the gane. He will be glad that he is coming to the end of watching Pickfords Clangers.

Really got a sickner with Pickford. All the pundits without fail thought Pickford cost Everton the game.

Everton will finish in the top six. They do not have the goalkeeper to finish in the top four

Southgate was at the gane. He will be glad that he is coming to the end of watching Pickfords Clangers.

Really got a sickner with Pickford. All the pundits without fail thought Pickford cost Everton the game.

Tonight was a massive 6 pointer, which Everton blew, but the Toon, is a must win..

No excuses and to become reliable and sold, bring in Olsen, for a Saturday.

There’s no more room for weakness and spewing good opportunities. Fekkn goal of Everton’s season, ruined by Jordan Pickfords, lack of composure and concentration.

This is the start of the restructure of the first team squad, if all considered Everton, want to compete, at the top, consistently?

Tom Davies was among our better players tonight. His selection was one of the few things the manager got right.
Yet rather than call out the cowardly tactics we all witnessed tonight. we get moronic posts singling one of our youngest players as if HE cost us the game.

NOBODY has ever said Tom Davies is "top class". If he gets support its because he is far better than championship level so many poor judges say he is. Five manages have selected him to play premier league football.

Ancelotti is a frankie Howard. Pure and simple. Time and time again we have seen him try to spoil the game against inferior players.

He may win his personal duel with TGT (although thats far from certain) but that about all he will win.
We had a chance to put ourselves in the mix today. For me it was far and away our biggest game of the season.
Leicester without their talisman lost their brilliant midfielder early in the game. They were there for the taking.
Yet despite a sublime moment of brilliance which put us in the driving seat. Carlo, once again, showed no ambition to go forward. Hi team barely ventured into Leicester half.

I feel sick tonight, not just because we threw away two points, but because every Evertonian could see if we continued to try to soak up Leicester pressure we were going to concede. It was so blatantly obvious to all but Carlo..
1-1 at home against a team who are chasing the same prize as us. they step up and we replace a striker with a full back.

Apologise away for the managers cowardice, .but don't show your ignorance by posting shite about the academy boy in a desperate attempt to deflect from it

Special mention to Tom Davies who is doing a cracking job filling in for Allan. He is doing everything Allan does. Gomes is no Doucoure though. It’s not his game, he simply hasn’t got the legs for English football. How on earth Brands saw fit to spend £30 million on a player that slow is beyond me. He doesn’t have the attributes for English football. With no Iwobi and Doucoure, we were never going to have the legs to have a good go at Leicester, our options other than those who started were Bernard, Sigi etc

Leicester played well because they had Ndidi/Mendy, Tielemans and Maddison pulling the strings, while Barnes and Albrighton were full of endeavour out wide. Barnes was a threat all night, and so was Maddison. Thankfully they had nothing up front without Vardy.

If we’d had Doucoure and maybe Allan fit, I’d have been disappointed if we hadn’t won. In the circumstances, it’s not a bad point. We simply cannot replace Doucoure’s legs in midfield when he’s not there...

If we are to improve Ancelotti and Brands need to bring in more quality to put pressure on the likes of Davis, Gomes, Sigurdsson and Iwobi.

January is looking like another wasted opportunity to improve the squad.

Are people slagging Tom? I think he played really well for the type of cover player we need for where we want to be and with the midfielders we have out. I personally would rather have had Doucoure and Allan in tonight than Davies and Gomes, but considering, they both done well. It just meant we sat deeper.

To your point, that may not necessarily have been the players, but I think players make a difference. But agree, the sitting back and trying to defend a 1 - 0 was dreadful. People can slag the midfield, defence and goalkeeper all they want, but if you sit back like that, you are inviting the inevitable.

But, we are still in a very good league position. League ends in May and we're still on target for were we hoped we could be.

By most accounts Pickford error cost 2 points. He has improved recently but remains a liability

A draw is a reasonable result against a form Leicester team. I don’t see that it suddenly makes Carlo a terrible manager to not win. I think the body of his work this season counts more than one result. Still in the mix up the top and have games in hand.

Hope eternal, but year on year, Everton are in a stronger position, but there’s a long way to go, to getting fluid good attacking football, as a standard, and winning back to back EPL games, over 2 months( as a starting point)

Let’s hope the last days of this transfer window can enhance Everton’s funds, for improving this squad.

Pickford's goal goes down as an error. Yes he would have only seen it late and it was in an awkward position on a wet night, but he should have saved it. He was also a big part of keeping us in the game early. He's still better than the vast majority of keepers in the league with his feet and he was important in the first half.

Thought Tom did a decent job. Not top class but he keeps on showing, tries to get us moving forward, puts everything in.

Richarlison and DCL are very off colour, but I think there are reasonable excuses there. On TV, we don't always see the work they are being asked to do in this system. Is it a big surprise if they don't have that burst of pace when needed?

All up, I couldn't be too critical of anyone. Our style of play was very clear and they played to that style. It nearly worked (again) against a good team.

Goal ratios, from the team lines, and the lack of, makes the next month, tough, but get in City’s face, stop the space, and wack, them, then, all teams, have a chance.

Hearts and Minds.

Before CA arrived we squandered mega-bucks on players who've fallen well short of European qualification in midfield and attack. Having scored this many OG's we're still paying out for inadequate performance in these crucial areas, the players being on mega-contracts that other clubs surely ridicule.

Our dead-pool extends way beyond the likes of Bolasie, Besic, Tosun, Walcott and Delph if Europe is to be achieved.

We have a pragmatic/winner manager. We have a pragmatic/winner DoF. We've never had a pragmatic/winner owner/boardroom.

I wonder where the problem is?

It was literally only Tom Davies in the middle having to defend and try and get on the ball. The only bad play I saw from him was that dreadful shot in the first half but overall a very good game by him.

The teams’ performance was dire. However, effort and desire was there and I just think Ancelotti scared stiff that we will concede goals against the better footballing sides unless he sets us up that way with these players. I suspect he’s right actually as much as I hate watching performances like tonight.

He continuously undermines the efforts of everyone at the club

So tired of this clown

Having said that when it forced us into coming out both Calvert-Lewin and Gomes had chances that really should have been put away.

A few weeks ago somebody asked how good James would be if he also used his right foot as opposed to those trying to overlap but found themselves on the wrong foot, well that was it.

Olsen has to play on Saturday. He's made no mistakes and he'd be my number 1 until the summer. Offload Pickford and make Olsen's deal permanent and get Rui Silva on a free who's been one of the top keepers in La Liga over the last couple of seasons

You mention that 'a few weeks ago somebody asked how good James would be if he also used his right foot etc'

No idea who that was. Was it me? 😀

Today's strike was a good one. No argument

I still maintain he could use it more. I do also apply this lack of two footedness to loads of other players and it frustrates me...I was brought up to use both feet. However, neither were good enough to play at anything more than school and pub football so maybe making sure one of them is perfect and as I think you said before, just use the other one to stand on is the way forward. 😀

I've worked out why Tom Davies makes me angry and frustrated; it's not that he's hopeless, it's that he's ALMOST very good, but somehow just manages to spoil all the good work with a couple of mistakes.

Would we have taken a 1-1 before kick-off? I think if we are honest with ourselves, most of us would have to say: Yes. And remember, Man U lost; Villa lost and Chelsea drew... it could have been a lot worse.

It's halfway through the season and we're a lot nearer the top than the bottom... that'll do for me!

That will be the end of Pickford - if it’s not he will end up costing us more than we paid for him.

On Richarlison - I think the lad is a top player and he never stops trying. I also think that it is a terrible shame that he is not played in his best position which is on the left of DCL. Don’t agree with Carlo on that one.

In truth Leicester were miles better than us but we are very solid at the back with one notable exception and we are very dangerous when we do get in the oppositions box. In the end we could have stolen it had, Richarlison, DCL, or Gomes taken one of those three chances.

Still plenty to look forward to - we would have crumbled and lost that game in the past - there is more character in the team these days.

I also thought Davies had a good, solid game, ridiculous comment by Kevin @ 44.

Overall I was quite pleased with the draw if not too happy with the performance. But Leicester certainly weren’t better in every department. At least not in defence, we were very solid at the back, as usual

So we used Mohamed Ali Tactics and stood toe to toe with Leicester. Inviting them to their best shots ??? You really do have to wonder what people are actually watching.

Ali was a warrior. what I saw tonight was total cowardly spoiling tactics. A team taking an eternity to take free kicks and throw ins in order to break up play. A team who took up the fetal position in order to avoid a beating, A team which simply refused to come out and fight

Mohamed Ali ?????.

Try Joe Bugner

The defence I thought in the main were again doing all that was asked from them, and my admiration for Ben Godfrey continues to grow every match. I feel the 'engine room' was definitely our Achilles Heel with Goldilocks and the Portuguese Powderpuff left to orchestrate play in the middle, although Gomes did improve a tad in the second half.

Not sure what has happened to Richie he is certainly not the player we are used to seeing, and his frustration with himself is clear to see. Any chain is only as good as it's component parts, and one weak link is bad enough, but two? Digne was a bit disappointing considering he was relieved of the defensive part of his normal role. DCL was pretty much starved of any service so can't be criticised too much.

Hopefully next match, which looks on the Barcodes' form to be a formality but nevertheless no match should be taken as a given. Look at Sheffield United at Manure last night. The midfield needs to be bolstered and hopefully the 'Duke' will be straight back in. The expectancy of a Gbamin return looks tantamount to Horatio Nelson's eye turning up.

I hope we have some sort of a mini foray into the Transfer Market as regards incomings, as although we have numbers, or quantity, we are desperately short on quality, as has been exemplified with a couple of enforced absences last night. It is expected that a few will go, in addition to those who have already been loaned out. Even if it is just one in, it should freshen things up, which on last night's showing is definitely needed.

Yes, forgot to mention Richie. Guilty of a lot of silly fouls stuck out for me last night. His sulking can usually being explained as giving a shit, some players are like that. Recently it is starting to look as cutting a frustrated figure.

Brilliant and sublime goal by James Rodriguez.
We gotta enjoy him while it lasts, as we really don't know how long he will stay with the team; it won't be an 'age' thing, because from the way he plays, age is not going slow him down (how much slower can he really play, haha) or take away anything else from his game.

Hopefully, we can build around him and win something real soon.

It's a pity that we couldn't capitalize on the slip-up by Man Utd. But we're still in it. 4 points for this week, would be decent, all things considered.

Look, we are at least 10 pts better than last season, with almost same squad except james,(Duke & Allan...who didnt play.) We are less than 2 transfer windows(I don't consider overpriced January desperado window)...Give this team more time...we have good solid young defensive lads coming up...few more recruitments to midfield and attacks...we might get back to our glorious 80s. yeah...I would like to dream on that. COYB

Why not just post "we lacked adventure" it would cover just about everything you have said after every game we haven't won

We get it and contrary to your belief, most agree with you. We are not all delighted with the cautious approach. However, unlike you, most of us are prepared to be patient and give Carlo time to instill a bit of structure, before progressing to a more expansive game.

Carlo has years of poor management to unravel. The patient was very sick and the medicine isn't very pleasant.

You're just going to have to Pinch your nose and swallow.

We really should set up to at least carry a threat on the counter when we're defending deep though. Listening to it last night we barely laid a glove on them in the second half before the equaliser.

Here's hoping for a nice routine win at the weekend.

The style and flair can follow on when the squad evolves into Carlos own.
Until then I am happy with the progress.

We could’ve won - we didn’t and I’m disappointed and as many on here thought we went too negative - but in the end that’s the way it goes sometimes on the night. The league leaders lost at home to the bottom club last night - its football.
But I remain optimistic. Allan back will be a massive boost and I personally think he would’ve made the difference last night between a draw and a win.

That's Jordan's game. Cycle the ball quickly and be an extra pair of ball playing feet in defence. I've seen nothing to indicate Olsen can do that - in fact I've seen plenty to indicate that he can't.

In the first half Pickford did it extremely well. In the second half we went genuinely defensive - and it's nowhere near as good.

He made a mistake. Came through a crowd, saw it late, wet pitch... all reasonable excuses but he'll be more disappointed than anyone and knows he should have saved it.

We just faced one of the in form teams in the league. They had plenty of the ball. And most on here are arguing that we should have won. Does that not suggest that the tactics and selection were actually pretty good?

Or shall we sit here blaming Pickford's error, DCL's miss, or that time we didn't like that thing that Davies did... like they were their only contributions to a decent team performance.

This is only effective if you apply the K.O. punch at the end to actually Win.

We applied ours...rather fortuitously, if brilliantly - too early.

What we did was sit back like Dopes...by accident or design.

This 'design' bit being the key question

Was it?
A) An ingrained Italian defensive mindset.
B) Poor on field performances, plus a 1 man Rodriguez Mid Field.
C) Lack of decent options on the bench
D) Rotation for up coming games.
E) Lack of another forward to cover Richarlson or DCL
D) All the above in some percentage or other.

Net result - 2 pts lost and, even allowing for an Arkwright-esque musing along the lines of..."Lord, its been a fer-funny old league, I mean look at Sher-Sheffield united" as he carries our top 4 aspirations back into the shop...probably for the rest of the season.
Ger-Granville, fetch yer cloth!

For a team of so much alleged talent, it felt that we were a bottom 3 team who had parked the bus struggling to hold on to the precious 1 goal lead.

As a fan, it was infuriating to watch. But I guess football is a results business now... As Jose says on his gambling ads.

If we have reached the position of being frightened of Leicester then we may as well shut the club down. It's over.

More conundrums, stick with that back four and he’s going to need more direct pace out wide, or change his fullbacks, and begin to expose Keane and Mina, who both played very well last night, and showed the desire that’s needed, by putting their bodies on the line, to protect the calamitous Pickford.

6. Tactics. I can understand the defensive gameplan, but we didn't have the guile to suck them in and hit them on the break, too often slow and way too deep with no threat. On one hand I can understand that effectively we had a pre Ancelotti team out there and they where crap then and they still are but you have to attack to win games and we are not doing enough of that, probably Ancelotti is pragmatic to understand he is not interested in playing expansive football with key players out, knowing full well how poor we can be. But the balance is badly askew, with absences and key players out of form. I think this one is Ancelottis error, we dropped off, let them have the field and chickened out..
7. Siggy... I just cannot see a future for him at the club. He is a good footballer but his fit for this team is questionable, I understand we are limited on the bench but despite the occasional flare of quality his impact on a game is too often marginal.
8. Digne, I think he has been sacrificed on the altar of too many center halves on the pitch, his contribution is very good going forward and we need him getting that ball into DCL, but Coleman is struggling on the other side and I think Ancelotti knows this, so an unbalanced team shoehorning a fullback into an attacking position.
Lastly, Pickford.. in fairness he did see it late, got a hand to it and tried to turn it around the post, but it wasn't a great strike of power and he should have dealt with it. We would have won ugly had it not gone in, but in life you eventually have no place to hide if mistakes and unfortunate occurrences keep happening.. He is not a bad keeper, but his consistency has been his downfall and I think he is heading for the door.. not sure Olsen is good enough either but for the sake of the team its time for a change.

I look forward to seeing a stronger pairing in midfield, playing the way we did at the start of the season. Ancelotti has to change things around and put mmore emphasis on control of the middle of the park and building forward play. Too often we are playing balls back or sideways...someone has to take responsibility.

No wonder we never win a derby.

Also extremely concerned Carlo has a blind spot regarding Pickford picking him when every man and his dog can see he is (and always will be) an accident waiting to happen.

He must be terrific fun in the changing room and at Finch Farm or he sends flowers and chocs to Carlo's wife. It certainly isn't because he's a top keeper

Winning 5 or 6 nil on Saturday won’t erase that sorry performance.

With Allan and Doucoure back, and with Iwobi playing well on the right, Rodriguez number 10 and Richarlison on the left, we can match most teams. With 3 of those 5 missing last night, we obviously couldn’t.

One of the reasons that fans were turned off Moyes was his negative tactics. "Knife to a gunfight". Most fans didn't want him back. I was one of them. I wanted Moyes out after about 5 years before he actually left.

I expect Everton to attack and try to win every game we play in. That is a red line for me. I will never accept parking the bus tactics particularly at home. I will call it out every time it happens and make no apologies for doing so.

Leicester were without Vardy. Take Maddison and Barnes out and they are nothing special. We have players that could have attacked them and caused them problems.

Taking off our lone forward with 5 mins to play and replacing him with a full back was an outrage. Totally unacceptable.

People say it's the Italian way. It's not the Everton way. These are the worst tactics I've seen at Goodison and I go back to the mid 70s.

When the fans are allowed back the Club will be charging circa £45 to watch that. If it was played in my back garden I'd draw the curtains.

As for who I would prefer as Manager... I don't know. Someone that plays attacking attractive football. Not an old Italian dinosaur who has a huge yellow stripe down his back and has been sacked from his last 3 jobs.

But I do think that as well as Pickford we have other problems to solve and our front 2 have been pretty poor for weeks, and were again woeful last night. For whatever reason Richarlisons form has dropped off dramatically over the last 7/8 weeks. I don't know if its just a blip thats lasting a bit to long or is there some other reason? Then we have DCL who has improved massively over the last 12 months, and while he is very effective on crosses into the box, yet outside the box he has little impact on the game. I know he is still young and still learning, but I have never seen him turn a defender or very rarely does he beat a man, so he is very reliant on others to create his goals. I don't think as yet he has scored from outside the box.
So therein lies a massive problem for Carlo, as at present the front 2 aren't good enough to get us into a Champions league spot.

I also question whether we can continue to use Holgate as a right back, last night Barnes went past him with ease and when he got on the ball he either passed it back to Mina or Pickford. Surely the long term plan would be better suited to Godfrey being converted to right back as Seamus cant go on forever. The good thing is our back 4 bye and large has been our strength this year with both Mina and Keane being as good a pairing as there is in the Premier league, I didnt think I would write that 18 months ago.

So Doucoure will be back for the Newcastle game and I would imagine Iwobi will start, and obviously we cant adopt those tactics we used last night. We need to be aggresive from the start and play on the front foot.
The big plus from last night was obviously James, who not only scored a wonderful goal, but he ran and tackled more than any game he has previously. I think the fitter he gets the more he gets used to the Premier league the better he will get. He reminds me a little of David Silva although small never gets hustled off the ball by bigger opponents, very rarely loses possession and you know when he passes a ball 99% of the time it will reach a team mate, something the rest of our squad should learn from.

The difference in how we're set up to play now compared to the start of the season is heart-breaking. Remember the joy of those first five games and the attacking intent we showed? Almost entirely gone now. Sure, the defence needed tightening up but why the balance has shifted quite so much is a mystery to me. It's all very well saying we have a good defence now and just need to beef up the midfield and strike force in the summer. That's half a season away! No, its gone too far, this is not how Everton should be playing.

If we had won, you can imagine all the comments about a brilliant Italian style manager win, (not KITAP1 of course).

That reminds me, Moysey’s doing a great job isn’t he? Relevance? Well we could all recognise our past opinions may not always have been based on considered evidence, but rather emotive prejudice in some instances.

The emotional posts are reminiscent of the washouse.

Frankie Howard this, shitbag that.

When you consider what Carlo has done after only one window, and compare this season with last year, it baffles me that people are complaining.

Leicester put us under a tremendous amount of pressure, too much for my liking, and I agree, we could have been a bit more adventurous, but we defended very well, and probably had the best three, yes three, chances to win the game, with headers from Richarlison, DCL, and the fluffed chance by Gomes. Whereas, can anyone recall a chance for Leicester where you could say "yeah he should have scored there"?.

The likes of you, Ian, Jonathan Tasker, and I hate to say it, but Darren Hind, you can criticise Ancelotti as much as you like, that's your opinion and I accept that, but believe me, he's here for the duration, and under him we stand the best chance in a long time of finally winning something.

Richarlison or DCL head in one of their chances and Pickford manages to keep his concentration for an entire game (asking a lot, I know) and we're celebrating the tactical acumen of Carlo this morning.

We defended well last night. We still give far too many free-kicks away in dangerous areas but we never seem to learn our lessons on that one, whoever the manager is. We rode our luck a few times with Maddison hitting our defensive wall at least twice. We also gave the ball away far too cheaply and just invited pressure.

I don't like negative tactics, either. I want to see the football we saw in the opening few weeks. However, we weren't happy when we were losing 2-3 to Leicester at home under Martinez when we were trying to be an all guns-blazing out-and-out attacking side. I guess we need to find the right balance but it's worth remembering that out of yesterday's team, James and Godfrey are the only players who weren't part of an under-performing Marco Silva side that would have probably lost yesterday and would be sitting in mid-table currently.

We need Allan and Doucoure back and we need more options up front. I'll judge Ancelotti when he's cleared out the players that aren't good enough.

I expect us to beat Newcastle and keep us up the top end of the table. I'm not optimistic with the games in hand given they're against Man City and Villa away. I'd settle for where we are though given how poor we were against Newcastle and Southampton and it all looked like collapsing.

1. January 2020
2. Summer 2020
3. January 2021.

Digne is a full back, and not a winger. He needs to link with a winger, use the overlap. When he's the sole winger, he is too isolated. He's not a winger that will dribble with the ball, and as thus our left side was ineffective at providing an outlet to counter attack effectively.

With Holgate on the right, there no no attacking full back, and Richarlison was also isolated and off form. So both our right side and left we're ineffective as attacking weapons.

This limited us greatly to playing centrally, without a real ball winner. Gomes and Davies did alright, but Tielmans and Ndidi bettered them and not surprisingly so.

The defence was solid, but gave away too many free kicks, but managed to generally hold Leicester off and they have few clear cut chances.

Pickford royally effed up. Yes, there were many players blocking his vision giving him less time to judge the movement of the ball - us being so deep and so many behind the ball contributed to this. However, this is not an isolated case. Pickford clearly has trouble with judging relatively simple long range grass cutters.

So disappointing and almost a good win despite a poor performance. Good enough? No, of course not. Reason to sack Ancelotti or condemn him? No. If we could swap our full backs (from.yesterday) for Leicester's, we would. If we could swap our central midfielders.for theirs, we would. If we could swap our wingers for theirs, we probably would. So we were playing a superior team, a team that has solid recruitment for 5+ years. Ancelotti has had one summer window. And in the league we've gotten 4 points from Leicester, so not a bad result.

Now, if we fail to beat a woeful Newcastle, then it is something to be angry about.

We're still on track for a top-6 finish, with a chance for something more, so lots to play for.

Wise words. As a 'lifer' match-goer you know full well one of the highlights of the week is the anticipation then the actual attendance of a live game at Goodison.

Denied that at the moment, many gather on the Live Forum on match day. I don't begrudge anyone for doing so. Many also have fun and are very playful on there, enjoying the bonhomie.

But in the main, it drips with the negativity you list. Imagine being surrounded by that constant negativity in the stadium whilst trying to follow the game. It would do yer 'ead in.

For this reason I don't go anywhere near it whilst the game is on. I've said before, IMO you simply cannot fully concentrate and follow the game closely if simultaneously reading, posting and engaging with others on the Live Forum. You miss a lot of the actual football by doing so.

Avoid the stress George. Take your own counsel and don't go anywhere near the Live Forum during a game. You'll be happier for it.

Flog of Holgate on the basis he's not Roberto Carlos? FFS he's a relatively young guy who's rarely given a consistent run in one position, but when he was last season we had Carlo having to publicly state that he's an Everton player and the transfer speculation about him going to City for 40million could go to hell.

Sorry, but that's just a poor imitation of the two other provocateurs (Mr Hind and Mr Marsh)

I would not even bother about the crazy January window

All overhyped pricy players if available

With Everton financial situation, you should know it is not easy to do any transfer in January...So seriously Carlo only had one full window and he got 3 in that window. Why can't have a bit more of patience on Carlo from you is beyond me

In the scheme of things 1-1 is a good point. Finally this Carlo has had 3 transfer windows is totL bollix, window 1 he was here a couple of weeks. Window 2 James, Allan, Duke,Godfrey, Olzen.window 3 no one is spending big and EFC are on the cusp of breaching FFP. also look at our last winter window 50 mill on 2 duds. Critism were necessary but be realistic ffs

I paid £15 to go into the Sistine Chapel. And £4 to use the lift to the viewing tower above the Vatican.
Thought that was wizzing at its finest. 😁

The thing is, we were shorn of our first choice centre midfield pairing and that’s where the game was ceded last night. We didn’t get a hold of the midfield because we didn’t have the players available who were capable of doing so.

Despite Ancelloti being a “clueless coward” or the “Italian Allardyce” or whatever other catchphrase the merchants of doom want to throw at him, he knew that he didn’t have the players available to him to take the game to Leicester or the pace to cope with their midfield so he had a game plan to eek out a win and, but for a minute of madness from the goalkeeper, it nearly worked.

Leicester, for all their possession, created very little in the way of clear cut chances. Indeed, but for some poor finishing of our own, we could have scored the winner late on.

I’ll take Ancelloti’s pragmatism and ability to eek out results over the FIFA Fanboys who want us to go gung-ho and stand toe to toe against technically better and quicker teams. Those who don’t appreciate what he’s doing sound a bit like Klopp when he bemoans opposition
teams for not playing open and expansive football against them.

Onyango on Everton debut

Small on Everton debut

A 17 and a 16-year-old. Wide-eyes teenagers totally made up on making their debuts.

Lovely, uplifting videos.

Pickford appears at fault. I'll be honest I haven't seen an angle to show how much traffic was in his line of sight.

Big picture we are moving forward.

Leicester aren't a better team. It was embarrassing watching last night. It was clear that the Commentator Ian Darke was astonished at out tactics.

Ancelotti stated after the game on TV that the tactics were deliberate.

Unacceptable way to play football particularly at home. Against Leicester. Not Real Madrid. Not Barca or Man City. Leicester. Shameful.

Plus how does a team with top 6 or even top 4 aspiration go through a whole season without a regular option at right back? There are two in the squad and neither are up to the job for different reasons.

Well, I will try to be as objective as possible, and probably fail miserably!

It was not an entertaining game from an Everton point of view. Too many players seemed a little off it last night, and I think injuries and suspensions have had an impact. Calvert-Lewin I believe has just come back from a hamstring injury, and it showed. He was not his usual industrious self. Iwobi has just come back from injury too, so might not have been fit to play 90 minutes. We had our 2 central midfielders out, and it showed. Davies did a good job, as I thought he was a little exposed in the fact that he was the only 'tackling' midfielder, although, before he tired, James seemed to put himself about a lot last night. Gomes can be really effective with lots of legs around him, which he didn't have last night, but showed both his plus points (some great passes) and negatives too. So, as many predicted, we were overrun in midfield.

Digne looks like he is still finding his feet after what was a very quick recovery from injury. As a left winger/midfielder, he probably doesn't have to make as many long surging runs as he would from left back, and it might be part of getting him back up to speed by playing him in a less intensive role, with the very solidly defensively sound Godfrey behind him.

Now, in defence of Ancelotti, and I am an Everton fan, not an Ancelotti fan - though I like his dignity when compared to other premier league managers.

The team last night was made up of - 3 Koeman signings, 4 Silva signings, 1 Martinez signing, 2 Ancelotti signings, 1 homegrown player, 3 subs - 1 Moyes/1 Koeman/1 Silva signing.

So, 14 players, 2 signed by Ancelotti, the 2 signed by Ancelotti played very well, one scoring a worldly.

Now, he took over a team that was in real decline, and he has been hindered by ffp and the previous managers' spendthrift approach, thus limiting both the amount of players he can sign and the quality that he can sign. Everton have to shift a lot of unwanted players, who nobody wants, so when saying he has had 3 windows, or 1, you also have to take into account whether he has actually got any money to spend before other players are moved on.

He is relatively new to the job, joined mid-season, has had one truncated pre-season with the team, during a pandemic!

Yes, last night was really unentertaining, but it shows how expectations have grown. Leicester have the best away record in the league, we played rubbish for a lot of the game, though I thought the defence and Davies were excellent at defending, and still managed a 1-1 draw, which bar a goal keeping error and a number of missed chances at the end of the game, could have easily been a victory.

Did I think Leicester were worthy of 3 points on that display - yes. Did they get them - no! That had something to do with a much improved defence, a defence that has improved immeasurably under Ancelotti's watch.

''Schools will not return until the march of the apes. ''

[March 8th]

I do think that he is playing far too deep in helping out the fullbacks. It's not realistic to ask him to chase back then race down the other end and score. The lad puts in an unbelievable shift every game. He is sacrificing his own game for the good of the team. Ideally he would be playing higher up the pitch letting the midfielders do the chasing.

If we had a bit more strength in depth we could rest DCL and Richarleson more often. The fact is both don't look as sharp as they did at the start of the season and nobody is pushing them for their shirt.

Newcastle won't be easy on the eye on Saturday. They will come for a draw or a smash and grab like they did last time.
I wouldnt be surprised to see Digne at left back and Godfrey moved to right back.

There's a lot of people angry with Carlo's tactics.

I understand the desire to want to see "pretty football." Hell, I've said before on these pages one of my favorite teams to watch in recent times was Ian Holloway's Blackpool! They just played beautiful stuff no matter their level of talent.

And they were relegated.

If we'd have played any other way than the way we did yesterday, we'd have lost 5-1. The Crowley-Holloway approach to the game [as I like to call it], while preferable in every way, can't be implemented without the right players, else you lose!

Again, the strength of this team is in its defenders. If Carlo recognizes we're playing a team who will literally overrun us if we attempt open, expansive football, and he set up defensively and looks to take our chances when they present themselves, is that not the most pragmatic way presently?

Of course it is.

The play will improve under Carlo over time. Right now he's logically and intelligently playing to his strengths. And the results show that.

And to say the play is dire is absolute horseshit. Go back and watch a "Silva always down the sides of the pitch" game, or worse yet a one shot Fat Sam game. To say our play is boring and crap is shortsighted in the extreme.

Want for more and want for improvement, but here's an idea:

Applaud Carlo for understanding his team, intelligently playing to its strengths, and where he has us in the table.

My glass is half full. In fact, it's 3/4 full. Try drinking a little sunshine before you moan.

The goalkeeper is on his own, a forward, midfielder or a defender make a mistake someone else covers for him no problem, keeper makes a mistake a goal is scored major problem.
Ancelotti now has a major problem with his keeper, a brilliant difficult shop stopper who's making basic goalkeeping errors that is loosing points..

As supporters we have seen Olsen in a handful of games and he seems to be ok, what we don't see is him everyday in training and how he performs and if he ever makes any mistakes. Ancelotti watches the players and relies on his coaches reports daily, and picks the team with the players he believes are the best suited for the upcoming game.

I f he continues to play Pickford there must be something about Olsen he does not trust, if he picks Olsen then I believe he has shown Pickford that he is not willing to use him in the future and he should be put up for sale.

There is no sentiment in football and Ancelotti has stated what he is aiming for this season, and I don't think he the type of sentimental person to play a player he likes if he is performing poorly.

The only thing that Pickford brings that Olsen does not use, is the defending from the back and his distribution. Olsen has not been given enough time or games yet to prove he is error free but we definitely need better than we have, even if it means someone else in the transfer window.
We cant keep using an unreliable keeper, but if he is dropped we cant criticize his replacement if he makes mistakes as he is all we have.

Touch wood, ears OK but I've been turning on subtitles for years for all sorts of things - some of the best comedy you can see, beyond what anyone could deliberately invent. There are even geographic cock-up "Styles" from different areas of the globe. Wish I could remember them all.

Maybe I should have done it last night...

If you could swap Castagne for Holgate (as a right back), you would.

If you could swap Justin for Godfrey (as a left back), you probably would.

If you could swap Ndidi for Davies, you would.

If you could swap Tielmans for Gomes, you would.

If you could swap Barnes for Digne (as a left winger), you would.

So of the Leicester team, only Maddison for James, Perez for DCL and Albrighton for Richarlison and the 2 centre backs would you stick with the Everton players - and even then there is debate: Fofana is excellent, Albrighton as a right winger is very good and arguably better than Richarlison who is better from the left.

Leicester's subs in Under, Mendy, and Soyancu are all players who would compete for a place in our first team.

Sometimes we have to accept the opposition team can be good even of they aren't Man City, Real Madrid, or Barcelona.

Fans on here are saying there is too much moaning about last nights performance, I think, speaking for myself, we are not moaning about defending, because most of us realise that we would be doing o lot of that due to the weakness of the midfield available, it was the ultra defensive tactics that were used, camping out in our own half for most of the game, I didn’t see it as organised defending but parking the bus with hardly any thought to attacking, until the last few minutes when we had three chances to snatch, what would have been a very undeserved win, why wait that long to make changes, and that is not the first time Carlo has done this.

I could add that the praise showered on the team and the performance over a very poor Sheffield Wed. team was over the top in my opinion, so why take umbrage when some of us have a go at what we thought was a bad performance last night.

Previous managers got critised for no plan B, Martinez, Koeman, Allardyce and Silva played in one particular style with no alternative approach. Even Klipperty has no second plan when gengepress fails, so I am grateful that Carlo has multiple ways of playing with what ever resources he has available 😀

Why did we feel so frightened of this footballing superpower yesterday on our own ground?

Thomas (257), yes Thomas as you say “ wizzing at it’s finest, as it is in most religious places, but everything is relative so why didn’t you jib in, as you said recently “ Evertonians are the best jibbers in the world” and Jesus would have understood, didn’t he have a go at the money changers in the temple!!!

So to say: Leicester deserved the win I think is wrong.

How many chances did Leicester actually create? How many clear cut chances? How often did they split our defence open? I can't remember.

They got a flukey equaliser. They dominated possession. But our defence was superior to their attack. And when brought into the game, our attack caused more damage to their defence.

So Leicester were not robbed. Not in the slightest

I did.

The fee paid was for the missus. She refused to bunk in.

They've got more money than me :-)

Before I start, let's think back twenty four hours to the West Brom v man city game, and in particular city's second goal, when despite an offside flag being raised, the goal was allowed to stand because there was no offside, yet the West Brom players stopped expecting the whistle to blow. The golden rule being Always play on until you hear a whistle!!

This brings me to my point about Pickford. During my playing days as a goalie, I was always told not to take any chances with shots that you think might be on target or going wide, in other words if in doubt then safety first and push the ball behind for a corner. That's assuming of course, that you cannot hold on to the ball in the first place. It's very easy as a goalie to "lose your bearings" when faced with such a situation as Pickford was, and also once committed to the dive he had commit to the save. Pickford may have thought the ball "could have been on target" and therefore took no chances. Something else which I noticed on MOTD last night, but not in the actual game itself, nor can I find on the highlights on the official club website, is that there seemed to be a player coming in at the back post, it may have been Maddison, who may have had a simple tap in if Pickford hadn't touched the ball behind for the corner. So, basically Pickford was taking no chances, and pushed the ball behind for the corner.

Which brings me to the goal itself, and as I said, was totally unacceptable by Pickford! He may have been unsighted, but it was a feeble attempt to push the ball behind for another corner, if indeed, that's what he was trying to do?

Don't get me wrong Davies can step in, Delph, Bernard, Sigurdsson can step in and do a job against a majority of the PL teams, but not aaginst City, Utd, LIverpool, Leicester, Spurs, Arsenal. Our lads haven't got the pace, the physicality, the ball retention, positioning skills to compete.

Ancelotti knows this and when he loses 2 or 3 of his key midfield lads and James he knows he can only set up defensively and play for a break away, a set piece. He's still a couple short in midfield and another good forward before he can go head to head against the Top 6 teams, goal for goal.

Its not necessary pretty to watch, but is very effective when you can defend as well as we do at the moment, keeper apart. We are not going to attract the neutrals to watch (in fact I live in the South of England and by the end of the game most of my non Everton mates had What's App'ed me to say they switched off after 60 minutes, or had turne dover to watch Utd lose).

I think we've got another 1/2 season of this, with the hope European football of some type is won and we can go ahead and recruit with players wanting to join us. Fail in European ambitions and we could lose a few lads and have to start again. Its imperative for Ancelotti to obtain European football for next season.

He is like a cat on a hot tin roof, hopping around, let us be honest, he has saved us in a couple of games, Spurs away one of them, but he has made a lot of mistakes, that he has got away with, due to Everton scoring again and winning the matches.

Me personally it seems to be more of in his head, than ability, he just seems to lose that focus, that for me is what needs working on.

That is why I would give Olsen a run of games, at the moment, he has his Manager telling him he will deffo start the next game, take the guy out of a few games, get someone in to try and work with Pickford.

At the moment, he knows he can make mistake after mistake and still be selected.

As an ex-keeper I would be interested in your overall take on Pickford.

Mine, for what it is worth, is he can be a 9/10 one week and a 6/10 the next. I would prefer a keeper who is 8/10 every week.

No I don't agree with an overall out-rite defensive display, what I agreed with was Ancelotti's tactics with the players he had at his disposal. With Alan and Doucoure missing against a proven best away form team in the league he was forced into a more defensive play, and I think he was let down more by his attackers than his defense.

I don't disagree with your opinion, but the one thing I agree with, is this is a result proven league and you have to use the best players at your disposal to get a result. Ancelotti is not everyone's favorite but he is doing what he is paid for and that is getting results.
No 2 teams are the same, and tactics, styles and quality of players differ, and its the managers job to play against these teams accordingly.

As you have read my report I was extremely critical of the keepers error.

I want to throw my PC when I hear people whine that Carlo has no option but to repeatedly set out to spoil the games... It’s drivel. There is ALWAYS an option.

He could have kept Kean. He could have given Simms a shot. He could have used young Gordon more often. Bernard, Iwobi ,Sigurdsson and Gordon do not have to be left out...

It’s a choice to set out to ruin a game... A conscious decision. No manager has to play two defensjj inve midfielders in any game – let alone all of them. No manager ever has to have so many men scampering to get behind the ball. No manager ever has ever HAD to leave a solitary forward in miserable isolation for long periods... THEY CHOOSE TO DO IT!!!

I could accept the argument that these players are not good enough to compete with the top five... But have you seen the cut of the rest of the teams in the Premier League?... And here's the best bit... You don't have to leave these pages to see that many of those who play defensive rolls are hammered for not being good enough either... they're Championship players.

Argue all you want about people like Tom Davies being a "Championship player"...But don't dare tell me there were no other options – there was about 100m quids worth of options.

The simple fact is; Carlo Fantastico has consistently and deliberately chosen players who he believes can spoil a game, over players who may affect it in a more positive way. Players who will get behind the ball, over players who may get ahead of it. He'd rather have a substandard player spoiling the game than an inconsistent forward who doesn't know how to defend.

Casho

Jam tomorrow? You're having a laugh lad. This leopard is in his sixties and he wont be changing his spots because you tapped your heels three times and wished it so. What you see is what you will continue to get.

There is a very clear difference between defending well and defending in numbers. Carlo must think he has won the lottery coming to a club with so many fans who don't know what it is.

But, for some reason, he seems to lack concentration, seems weak at crosses which I don't understand because, with a leap and arms stretched, his hands are well above any attacker and should be able to catch a ball comfortably.

I was told to jump for a ball with one knee bent, as a protection from an incoming attacker, but I can't recall Pickford doing this, but I may be wrong.

The last 2 years, he's lacked competition so feels his position is pretty safe. I would give him a break for half-a-dozen games or so, and let him work on any deficiencies he has. It could and probably would, do him the world of good.

It's amazing though, how so many managers keep on picking Pickford, particularly Gareth Southgate, so he must have something about him.

On the knee advice mate. Ray Clemence was the first I remember doing that. He did it with his studs though. Players challenging for the crosses with him soon learned.

Theoretically, you always have 6 players available to defend and theoretically there are always 4 forward with the 2 midfielders supporting so it is a perfect blend. Now I say defensive, they still have to be the link with the forwards. Germany's 2010 team revolutionised it and used it to great effect which eventually led them to World Cup success.

But as I've repeatedly said, you pick a formation based on the players you have, not make players fit the formation you want to play. Last night we played with what we had and most done alright. Against a very good Leicester side. Lets not be disrespectful to them.

Before last night I predicted Gomes and Davies. My fear was not how much effort those players would put in or how well they would play. It was that there would be too much of a gap between them and the forwards. From my seat, that's what I saw.

So many of us don't know the difference in defensive tactics.

We can only strive to learn from those posters on TW who do understand the difference.

You're thinking Leicester 1985, not 2021.

It's not like we took a knife to a gunfight against Manchester City circa 2011. Manchester City, who are those upstarts. If we're scared of them we might as well end it now.

Fran (282) see my answer to Bill above:: but on the match overall only one team was trying to win and it wasn’t Everton, I still think Leicester were robbed and would have been worthy winners, but you say either and I’ll say either a different way!.,

Thomas (283) your missus will go to Heaven, you’ll go to Purgatory, see you there!!

She deserves to.

I don't. I will keep you a speck

And I know it's all about opinions, and of course we all see players differently, but many on here were of the opinion that Holgate could have done a good job in midfield in the absence of our first choices. Now, this doesn't make him the best midfielder in the world, I know, and I'm definitely not saying that he's the best right back in the world, or even a great right back, but for a centre half in his early 20s who can displace the club captain or be offered up as a decent alternative in central midfield ahead of some experienced and established internationals doesn't make him a shit footballer who needs selling off.

We could have set up with Gordon or Bernard on the left, Digne behind him.

With Coleman on the right and a just back to fitness Iwobi in front of him.

We could have attacked with freedom and focussed on flair.

That probably would have resulted in us getting ripped to.shreds however.

However you cannot ignore two things. The statistics and the evidence of your own eyes. He simply makes too many unforced errors to be a top goalkeeper. He may make plenty of decent saves, he undoubtedly at times has good reflexes but a goalkeeper should inspire confidence. If you can honestly say you are not always worried there is a howler possible at any time then I may have a bridge to sell to you.

He needs replacing and that should start on Saturday.

I will nail my colours to the mast. With what was available, I was 100% happy with the team the manager picked last night. And because of the lack of legs in midfield, I have no problem with the manager playing a defensive midfield to contain Leicester’s superior midfield.

I will further state that Ancelotti himself was a top class midfielder. If there’s one area of the pitch he knows, it’s midfield, and his first moves this summer were to bring in 2 top class centre mids. I suspect that’s once he has shifted some of the deadwood he inherited (Bernard, Gomes, Sigurdsson, Bolasie, Besic etc), further reinforcements will be brought in to provide back up in midfield that is not lightweight. Tom Davies aside, we have no backup of note to Allan and Doucoure.

It must have obviously been for the money, because it definitely wouldn’t have been for the squad he was inheriting, although having a go at restoring Everton to former glories must have been tempting, especially because of how long it’s been since they last won a trophy.

I thought Ancellotti should have freshened us up before Leicester scored, but more importantly, I think our squad needs freshening up offensively before the window shuts next week.

This is the third transfer window he’s had now for goodness sake, surely he should have signed a few more players by now!

Yes, we all know that the team setup is always his choice, because he’s the manager and so he makes the choices. But he appears to be making choices aimed at maximising the chances of at best winning games and at worst drawing them, i.e. not losing. That will probably necessitate playing dour football, but it also involves playing excellent entertaining football. That’s the evidence before our eyes this season: a spectrum from dour to scintillating. Now I think that’s called having options, a flexible approach depending on injuries and the opposition. The approach appears to be working in that we have become harder to beat whilst demonstrating an ability to play scintillating football.

You are deluded if you think the manager should be playing the perennial underperformers every week. Instead of last night’s team, should he be picking Sigurdsson in key games? Or Bernard? Or Gordon? Or you like to mention Kean?

Face facts - they have all produced jack shit for Everton. I’ll spare Gordon, he’s only a kid and should go out on loan somewhere. He’s simply not ready. Most of the creative players Carlo inherited were and are shit. You cannot criticise him for preferring workhorses when the creative players he inherited are so poor.

I am a supporter of Ancelotti in general, but yesterday he got things wrong, not necessarilly on who should play but tactics were at fault, I think his defensive strategy was played incorrecctly to the point of forcing Everton to play in their own end for most of the game.Unfortunately we do this FAR too often against stronger teams.

I watched the whole game twice, a glutton for punishment. I am a big supporter of Calvert Lewin but,at times, he also has to take on a different role along with whoever else is considered as a forward player. When the opposing goalie throws the ball out to a back or central defender we back off them and allow them to get to at least the half way line before even challenging them. It is so obvious that we then spend most of the game in our own end.

Having played all full back positions it is always most difficult when tiger like forwards approach the full backs as CLOSELY and AGGRESSIVELY as possible. CL and others just jog around giving whoever has the ball plenty of space and time. On the other hand our fullbacks were hastled and chased all around and often forced to boot the ball up the field. Yes far far too often

I agree that good players help any system but yesterday apart from a bit of genius we played right into the hands of very caable opponents. We did not need to do so.We just let them come over the half way line so easily. RIDICULOUS !!! We should not do this against any team. It is not defensive play it is "STUPID" play

The "logic" of the dissenters is just to mention any random name, preferably some completely unproven youngster and imply that there would have been a better outcome -- based on that poster's supposed special insights. So for example something like this:

"So-called, sycophant, woollyback- looking charlatans on here, don't have a clue what goes on at Finch Farm whereas I have a secret tunnel from my garden shed that leads directly to the academy from where I use my audio enabled periscope to track every word of genius that drips off David Unsworth's tongue. Having seen what I and only I have through my peeping device, we would have won last night by 100-0 if young Broadhead had played and I can't believe the muppets at the club let young homegrown baby boy Charsley walk away at only 26 years old. Why do we continue to waste money on golden boot winners when we have a secret army of young guns who if we're not careful will go onto to become Div 2 or non-league legends., making us look like mugs. Anyone who says different than me is deluded."

And in fact because we got overrun in midfield we simply couldn’t get a grip of the game. But then I guess that might require you to admit Gomes and Davies are not top 4 calibre.

But, when our improved first choices are not available, we are back to last season. Having improved the first 11, the next stage is to improve the depth. That was our problem last night and second half in particular, Leicester simply dominated midfield.

I don’t know if Olsen is the answer, but Pickford is like a cat on a hot tin roof, and it’s why I agree with you when you said he should be stood down for the next few games at least.

If Olsen plays Saturday and makes a mistake I’m sure loads would slaughter him, and also have a go at the manager for not sticking with Pickford, but something is wrong with our keeper, and I’m not sure it can be fixed until he learns to relax, which should help his concentration levels massively, and is something every good keeper needs?

Don't Tell Donald He's Not Re-elected Today

Rudolph the Leaky Lawyer

We've got two goalies on the fucking bench FFS. Whats it going to take ?

Offer 100m quids worth of alternatives, or offer different tactics as another alternative and you get somebody trying to deflect from the point by making the ridiculous claim that you offered the weakest alternative as the "answer"

Honestly.I often wonder whether those making these feeble excuses for the anti football we endure are representing the case for the prosecution, or the defence.

Claims that we would be ripped to shreads if we played a more expansive game are worthless. These claims are made by people who know that there is no chance of that theory being put to the test while carlo is in charge.
How can anybody say with any confidence that we would not have fared better if we had not aggressively attacked a depleted Leicester team last night ? That total unwillingness to come out and try is simply not what I expect from an Everton team.
Keep telling yourselves that we cant win playing aggressive attacking football, so shouldnt try.

Enjoy the fact that we may be playing Big Sam style, but Carlo is better at it and he will get more points.

Enjoy the 4-5 place improvement in the table from Silva's time. You may as well, because you will never get to enjoy football the way it was invented to be played Not while this fellas in charge

I've just said on Lydon's report, we are obsessed with shot stoppers and the spectacular.

We have lost sight of the fact the keeper is the 5th defender. Off the line early to cut out danger, command the area and defence.

The save is the last resort just as the tackle is for the defender.

Spot on. It seems much easier to throw stones and use various players as a stick to beat the manager with, than offering what team they would have picked last night. I guess it’s much easier to demolish than construct!

I’m not anti Carlo, think we’ve got a good manager, but like all managers he makes mistakes, and he’s made a few in certain games, in my opinion last night was one of them, and we were lucky to come out of the game with a point.

Have you got a cup of soap powder I can borrer gerl

I for one am glad to hear that. Depending on your interpretation of "invented" date. I was never a fan of chasing a decapitated head as part of a mob through an ancient citadel, nor did I like the era when you were allowed to pick up the ball like those jokes from Rugby loved to do.

I completely agree about subs. I was crying out for subs from about 60 minutes, Gomes was spent and Richarlison was having one of his frustrating nights. The midfield was being overrun. I wanted Iwobi on, but honestly, aside from Iwobi, who could have come on? Bernard? Sigurdsson? Gordon? None of them would have wrestled control of the midfield from Leicester.

I believe Ancelotti was happy to defend deep yesterday and counter attack. With the midfield we had, it would have been suicide to have opened us up. I’m not delighted with the way we played last night, but I’m pragmatic about it. I haven’t heard any other viable alternative yet...

I agree with Bobby. realistically we don't need all those subs as we can only use three anyway. So if you've a couple of defenders, couple of mids, couple of attackers. So why not not use one of the unneeded spots to have an extra goalie in the event of a crisis?

I'm not a fan of Sigurdsson or Iwobi (although he has improved in certain games) but, when Carlo made the subs, we did attack more, created chances, and we were in no more danger of conceding than we were before.

Didn't he think we could improve or didn't he think of making the changes before he did? Or maybe, just maybe, Duncan whispered some advice in his ear!!!

I honestly don’t think there was any big tactical shift last night. We were set up to defend deep and counter attack. We managed a few more counter attacks second half as Leicester pushed forward...

The subs made were to shuffle the pack really. Maybe we had better balance with Digne at left back and Godfrey at right back? They certainly gave us a bit more attacking threat. But for me, the subs were for fresh legs, nothing more. We didn’t have any reliable options on the bench to change our attacking formation...

A dinosaur football manager, making Everton play dinosaur football, or maybe a man trying his best to win, with the players at his disposal?

Maybe it is cowardly football? But I'd disagree because I saw a lot of fight last night, and I saw our defenders relishing putting their bodies on the line.

Maybe a much better description would be unimaginative football but, for the first time in years, at least we've got players who are working really hard for their team.

By the way, you don't often see any goalies these days raking their studs from the centre of the goal from the goal line down to the six yard line. This was usually done to give them an indication of where the centre of the goal is, and therefore help them in such scenarios that Pickford had last night. Mind you, goal areas are never bare these days so I doubt you could rake a line in the grass.

Sorry, but you are deluding yourself. We are not playing Champions League football next season. You need to venture into the opposition half far more often than we do to achieve that.

It could be argued (not by me) that if you can get Champions League football by ruining games, that the end would justify the means. But you are an Evertonian and, as such, you know better than most what you are left with when you play negative football and achieve nothing.

Booby Mallon,

I spoke about the Leicester manager?? Nice try.

Keiran Kinsella,

Side splitting; I haven’t laughed so much since you told us you had a long established soft spot for Sheffield Wednesday... because a West Ham player caught the ball when our goalkeeper was down.

I agree that I also sensed it was coming. But imagine if he had subbed a few on right before Pickford's gaffe. People would be saying "We should have left it as it was."

What team would you have picked last night? What would you have done differently?

I have to laugh at the usual contributors calling this dinosaur football, not the Everton way and on and on and on. Let's be honest, apart from a season or so in the early ‘60s and ‘70s, 4 or so years in the ‘80s, what is this Everton Way? People talk as if we've had some sort of different way to everyone else. Fantasy land I'm afraid.

The haters will hate regardless. One or two are more crafty and cover both bases so they'll never be wrong. We could win the league and they'd still moan. We never won it the Everton Way.

The defence were great but we may have seen the limitations of playing 4 centre backs. No outlet from the fullbacks. Our midfield 2 didn't play badly and both put a shift in, but were overwhelmed. It would have been different with Doucoure and Allan in the team.

A good point in my book. If people want to play down and disrespect this current Leicester team that is their view, but we have taken 4 points from them this season and are very much in touch with them and the top 6 / top 4.

We were exploited by Leicester, mainly because they had better faster players in midfield. However we also played right into their hands far more than we needed to. I was satisfied with one point, but only because we didn't even deserve the one.

One word; fickle.

In my time, and you have more experience than me, we know that one match doesn't make a season. That's cup football and knock out competition mentality.

The league is about where you are at the end of it. How many teams have ever won the league, qualified for Europe or just done well by winning every single game? Most teams throughout history, even champions, have lost and drawn a few along the way and not been at their best all the time.

Listening to some on here you would honestly think we had been well beaten last night.

He'd definitely include the attacking duo of Tom Davies and Anthony Gordon who've combined for one assist in their last 77 appearances combined. And no doubt Big Dunc as the manager because remember he was a better choice for the job as he picked up four points in Dec 2019 against Arsenal and Chelsea whereas Carlo, same time, same place one year later only picked up SIX from the same two games. Dunc also being of that Everton vintage of old where we played champagne football with dazzlers like Joe Parkinson and Barry Horne doing their Harlem Globetrotters routine under the purely attack minded Joe Royle. As someone points out, you can't get into the CL if you don't go in the other teams half as much as we do as you'll never score enough goals. Which is why right now we are on course to score 61/62 goals this season which is. . . more than City scored and qualified in the recent past, the same as Utd qualified with, one less than Chelsea needed two years ago but disregard those statistics behind the curtain.

I suppose it’s about the most important position for any footballer Rob, and I think it’s Pickford’s “starting position” which tends to have him flapping at to many crosses?

That ball that Barnes put in was brilliant, but if Jordan was a bit more relaxed/aware, he would have known that cross had beaten everyone and was going out for a goal kick imo, but I suppose football has always been easy from the sidelines!

Brendan, some can moan for a whole bloody season! Even from before the season starts.

Interesting game at WHL.

Any incident can be analysed and you can take a view one way or another. For me it’s just the number of times we are having the conversation. He makes too many ‘mistakes’ to be considered a top keeper.

The stats bear it out and I’m still to meet a supporter willing to say they feel confident with him between the sticks

James' goal last night. I enjoyed that. He anticipated, picked up the lose ball, made space for the shot and then demonstrated quality with his right foot (not his natural or strongest mind).

You owe nobody an apology Mate. Not with your record

There are hypocrites on here who have slaughtered previous managers now acting with moral indignation at the slightest hint of criticism of this one, Dont be fooled by their amnesia or by their unquestioning support of this manager. They will turn on him at the drop of a hat.

Stand your ground fella. Dont apologise. and dont be shouted down by them.

After 65 years, You've earned your right to voice your concerns and disillusionment.

I've seen Everton win honours in the years 1984, 1985, 1987 & 1995, and the first thing that comes to mind is that all those teams could scrap.

The Everton Way is to fight and to believe, it was in the years I've just mentioned anyway.

Maybe that's not being kind to Kendall's great team of the eighties, although I'm sure it's the first thing those players would tell us, along with “we could also play as well”.

Don’t let facts get in the way of a good argument 🤣🤣

63 points now from 38 league games for Ancelotti. But yes, he’s a dinosaur. Has been. Only here for the money. Etc etc

Your dad will have told you a thousand times as you grew up. But once more, ask him about the whackers we have had over the years.

"Spurs are piss poor, Brent, and nothing to fear in the cup. Their defending is atrocious."

Isn't that what we were saying about Man Utd before the cup game? Also, don't forget we play United just 48 hours before Spurs. They have a bigger squad than us and more options. I hope we do them over Amokachi style but I'm anxious about it.

I think it applies to goalkeeping as much as any other position Rob, (possibly more?) although I’ve only played in goal in 5-asides or training though, mate. I look at a good goalkeeper, and also judge him by the saves he doesn’t have to make, and Pickford falls really short in this department for me, because he rarely goes and takes command?

Question: Has it ever stopped raining in England this month? I’m surprised at how well the pitches look.

You mention that he doesn't command which is correct, as he is rarely seen commanding his penalty area and just about puts himself about in his 6-yard box. As I said, a few games out will do him the world of good.

I thought Ancelotti got the tactics right imo, against Leicester.

Before and after injury, he’s nowhere near what we need. Time to be ruthless with these one-game-in-four losers. They epitomise Everton and I hate it.

You ask the right question. Is the player good enough to be in a top 4 squad?

My take we currently have Coleman, Digne, Keane, Mina, Holgate, Godfrey, Doucoure, Allan, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin, James

I might be convinced about Olsen, Gordon, Nkounkou and Iwobi.

We are still 6 players from a truly competitive squad...

The reason why some of us are so annoyed about last night is that we bottled it again when it had real meaning for our season. We do it time after time, shivering in dread when any big moment arrives, forever seeking out excuses for why now is not our time.

Like Sean O'Hanlon, I've very nearly seen enough of it. No bravery, no heart, no enduring style. It's been that way for far, far too long and I see precious few signs that we are going to change. I think cowardice is the right word, I'm afraid. We flinch whenever it counts.

The only time you apologise is if you personally abuse someone or step over a line.

I have apologised in recent weeks to certain vocal fellow posters who I don't always agree with because I acknowledged that I was probably out of order.

I doubt they would acknowledge it conversely but that matters not as I respect their view. Humility is a two-way thing.

Back to football. I accept views, but struggle to see why some seem to zoom in on the negatives. We are right in the mix for European qualification, Isn't that where we wanted to be?

Some people simply want Ancelotti to fail. And before I get an emotional outcry of "How dare you accuse me of wanting Everton to lose / that's unacceptable", you've nailed your flag to the mast and don't want Ancelotti as manager. That's clear.

That opinion doesn't want Everton to lose or fail but it definitely wants Ancelotti to. So we can have Duncan as boss man with Unsy and the kids storming to glory.

That's an entitled view but so is the counter.

You hit the nail on the head, he played Davies and Gomes as two defensive midfielders, which they’re not, because he had no-one else, with Allan and Doucouré missing, and Delph who's always missing, what else could Carlo do?

You suggested playing attacking midfielders? Imagine starting Iwobi and Sigurdsson instead... we'd have been hammered.

But to my scratched record point. We have taken 4 points from a very strong Leicester side who dominated the midfield last night, where games are won and lost.

We are in the mix for where we wanted to be at the business end of the season with key players to come back.

Big stakes and every game is massive, and let's see which Goalie, starts on Saturday.

Hopefully Allan will be getting close to come back, and some games at our old ground, United, and Leeds to contend.

Defining phase for getting into the good place for the final furlongs of this season.

His view is the only view that matters!!! He will never respond to a question merely supply bluster and discredit someone else’s opinion. I disagreed with him weeks ago and in his defence his cavalry came riding over the hill. Casho saying Darren was right even though Darren never provided an alternative to counter my opinion, merely sabre-rattling the ‘Carlo is shite’ brigade.

We currently have a once in a generation world class manager who has the ability to garner points inspite of a collection of 4 dysfunctional managers footballing philosophies.

I prefer to review any manager’s performance in the round over the course of a full season. Come the end of the season, I will critise or acclaim based on our league position.

Finally, harking back to how football should be played, Darren H, Pep, Morinho and Klipperty have very different styles yet all have been successful. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king!!! I will let you all decide who aspires to be king of ToffeeWeb.

I’m thinking about it and that’s how Liverpool play every game, like when they just lost to Burnley. So what’s your point?

With an attacking mindset, there is more chance of winning a trophy. Win or lose, an attacking mindset leads to more exciting play. We could even beat the other lot.

The difference between me and you is very stark. I am honest with myself about my opinion. I make no bones about the fact that I don't want Ancelotti as our manager, never did... and him playing pug ugly football trying to get top six doesn't do anything to change that. Your relentless excuses won't change it either.

You make out you are balanced, but you are relentless in your pursuit of criticism of Ancelotti and you are relentless with your excuses for his spoiling tactics.

I criticsed Moyes for playing ugly football. I criticised Koeman for it. I criticised big Sam and Silva for it too... and whether you like it or not, I will criticise this fella for it as well.

Outside my family, I hold two things very dear. I want to see my team try to win and I want to see them playing bold adventurous football. Not really much to ask for. We didn't do either against Leicester. We played a coward's game. That makes me fucking angry and I point the finger firmly in the direction of the guy who repeatedly refuses to come out and play. You don't like that? Tough.

You will not (as you claim) get any emotional outcry from me. I don't care enough about your foolish accusations

I'm not just anti-Ancelotti. I'm anti-shithouse football... no matter who is responsible. That's my view point and I won't be changing it.

You need to peddle your appolgies, excuses and your accusations some place else. I ain't buying.

And to the argument of Tom Davies on this thread and every other thread, I'll preface this by saying he certainly didn't play poorly in this match, but what does he actually do? He's a central midfielder who doesn't score, doesn't create, doesn't tackle, doesn't dominate his opposition and rarely passes the ball forwards. What, I ask again, does he do?

When has that ever happened?

That is an absolute joke and we shouldn't put up with this shit.

At least Davies tries and doesn't simply stand around waving his arms in a poor windmill imitation.

Given the choices in midfield, who would you have played in place of Davies?

I do agree though, the difference between you and I is very stark. But I'm good with that. I value different opinion. I often agree with you on occasion as I do about last night's performance, particularly the second half.

I think you are the only person on this site even more invested than I am in your wish to see the back of Sigurdsson. I wouldn't want to be in a pub with us two the night he signs a new contract! :)

Another thing I noticed about the midweek fixtures was the amount of away wins, with only one team, Burnley, winning at home.

If all you can tell me is that Davies tries, then thanks for nothing, I think you and my mother would get along really well.

For the record, I'm not very fond of Sigurddson either, but at least with the shot from outside the box that Davies had in the first half the Icelandic may have hit the target.

Yes, absolutely defeatist attitude at the moment, but that attitude will change with each new player that comes in by Monday, come on Everton give Carlo some ammunition he’s running out of bullets with each passing day.

Will versus skill? I’ve said I’m a purist, but something I’d never underestimate, is an opponent’s will.

I also agree, we sometimes forget that the opponent is out to win too. Some very focussed on Leicester's unfashionable name. Very good team as their current and recent league standing suggests.

When we played them at King Power, we looked a class higher, but we don’t extrapolate from that. Similarly, try not to extrapolate from your perception based on their winning the league a few years ago.

We have a Plan A, and a Plan B, and a Plan C, etc., depending on injuries and the opposition. Some of those Plans will be shite to watch, but if that is the cost of not losing, for the ultimate purpose of gaining points, moving forward, and consolidating improvements on the basis of which the more entertaining Plans will become more frequent, that’s fine by me.

I don't think that Ancelotti wants to play this way, but maybe he thinks without both Allan and Doucoure if we play a more open game we will leave ourselves to open against the better teams. Most teams that Ancelotti has managed have played good attacking football so unlike Allardyce I don't think this is Ancelottis preferred style of play, but until he can improve the squad still further we may not be as attractive as he and we want us to be.

I agree with Tony in post 412 that Zaha would be a great addition, but sadly I think that ship has sailed.

I think its also worth mentioning that the times we have won the league in the last 60 years we were backed by John Moores, who I would argue gave Catterick a bigger spend advantage over our rivals than Abramovich gave Chelsea or Kaldoun has given City. And Kendall also benefitted from the back of John Moores. But know we cant financially compete with the ones who are normally at the top of the league. Also because Koeman was allowed to throw money away we are now constrained by the FFP rules.

So as much as I am sure Ancelotti would love to bring in players this window and in the summer, I think at best we may bring in a loan squad player at best. So Ancelotti has shown his sound judgement and unlike koeman and others all of his buys look good from Olsen, Godfrey, Doucoure, Allan and the wondefully gifted James. So I think that gives us confidence that Ancelotti knows what he is doing but it might take a bit longer than he and us would like.

Its no suprise Michael Keane and Yerry Mina have hit their best form since they came here because they are sitting deep.

Ask them to play the high line Silva and and all these entertainment managers like to play and they'll look like mugs.

Ask Calvert Lewin to link play with his feet and dribble past his man, he'll look a mug too.
Why do you think the manager told him to stay up front.

2 of the slowest passers of the ball (even on top form) we had in midfield against Leicester and they hardly got near Maddison.

Neither player was poor but they were far from excellent as one put it and nowhere near the level of Ndidi nevermind Maddison.

2 weeks back the manager made a comment about doing what is necessary to win games and without saying theres not a great deal of skill in the side, its quite obvious unless you are blind.

Maybe 5 or 6 Everton players are guaranteed to play for a top side in my opinion and I can't believe any of you will find many more?

Without kidding yourself, ask yourself who would get in the United side? They hardly entertain and they have double the talent we have.

Top 6 form.

I’m not blaming Carlo, Brands or anyone else if no players come in, I’m just stating the bleedin’ obvious in case on or two don’t realise that stick or twist can make a difference, a big difference for the present, again I understand we are quite patient waiting for the future.

Whether we beat them in December or not, or whether the top of the league is more congested than usual doesn't take away from the fact that they are one of the better teams in the league right now.

https://www.footballfancast.com/everton-fc-news/andre-gomes-shone-leicester-ancelotti-doucoure-pickford-rodriguez-review

A lot done, more to do.

I think it's quite clear that this season our strength (apart from those first 4 games where the entire league seemed to score 5 goals a game) has been in playing tight, defensive football and using the attacking prowess of a few players to score on the break.

We haven't won games with scrappy goals, most have been very well worked goals, highly entertaining and with great levels of skill.

But we don't have the players to continually dominate possession and continually press teams.

Ancelotti has played to our strengths, especially considering our small.squad and high level of injuries.

He's done so effectively.

You can see that the players are playing to a plan that has been coached. The goals demonstrate that. And the defence does too.

I await a couple of dynamic midfielders and forward with pace before expecting the more free flowing football. It sometimes isn't pretty right now but making the most of available resources is a sign of a good manager. A Maddison and Harvey Barnes would transform our side.

Careful.
I posted the same about the low line defending.
I was told I was giving stick unnecessarily.
I wasn't.
Keane and Mina sit deep, its the only way the manager can use them. They are doing well.

If they push up high they get done for pace.

The low defensive line in turn means the gap between the back four and midfield is to big. Knock on affect is the isolation DCL finds himself in.

When Godfrey and another quick centre half yet to arrive start we can push higher and tighten the space in between the lines.

Until that happens we have no choice but to play as we are.

Its going ok.

Any chance you can jump on the first one to arrive

The following teams all opened up and attacked Leicester in numbers in thier home games this season

City - twatted 2-5

Arsenal- 0-1

Leeds - 1-4

Spurs 0-2

Hasnt got a fucking clue Ancelotti.

He should have went all guns blazing

Carlo is playing the hand he has been dealt.

What about West Ham at home? Second half at Fulham? ( Yes I know we won... but due to comedy missed pen).

I wonder how long the fans will put up with this dreadful football. They must be happy with 7th.

I suspect whilst CL remains an option they’ll fucking lap it up.

He was dealt Kean who is scoring for fun and let him go. He was dealt Tosun who scores when played for longer than 5 mins as a sub. He was dealt Bolasie who is the only midfielder who can run at people with the ball ( not the best but better than Bernard).

He didn't have to play Davies at RWB nor Iwobi at LWB in one game.

He plays the hand he wants to play. His mindset is Defence and try to nick something. Even at home. Moyes got chased for doing it away.

Fill yer boots Ian.

You see there is a chance and although you may ultimately be proved right, stating with certainty that there isn’t is clearly ludicrous.

But then again no more ludicrous than bigging up a front 3 of Kean, Tosun, and Bolasie who have managed the grand total of 13 goals in 109 appearances between them.

If you can honestly point to any occasion in these three Everton players careers where the did anything to suggest they should get a starting berth. I suspect I’ll be waiting some time.

Ancelotti inherited something decent players and some chaff. The three you are discussing fall into the latter category.

So who do you buy, and how much do you spend, who when you are negotiating for him you tell him he is just a backup to DCL.
It is hard and expensive to bring in quality players in, if they are just a squad player used for injuries. The only position I believe we need and is worth spending the money on is at right back. There may be quality players out there for transfer, but are they better than we have, or is it worth spending the money for a squad player ? Or will it be better to wait until the summer transfer window to bring in players and continue in this transfer window to try to get players not required out.?

I’m not sure right back is a priority currently. We have Coleman, Kenny and both Holgate and Gordon can play there.

I think we need another central midfield player. I’d go for Neves or Ward Prowse but I’m sure there are other non PL options

We definitely need options who can play in a front three. I’d still be keen on Zaha, he’s strong quick and has an eye for goal.

I don’t think however we are going to see much incoming until the summer unless Tosun goes and a back up will be needed

Getting drawn into 'we need a striker' transfer desperation is what led to Everton spending nigh on 50million on Walcott and Tosun just 3 years ago.

January is a window that sees clubs generally buy unwanted players, or whoever an agent is touting. The fees are generally inflated, and it takes away from the summer budget where the money can be focussed on principal targets.

Those shouting 'we need a striker' - who exactly? Cause anyone we get will probably need settling in time anyway. So unless it's a loan of someone in the ilk of Dzeko, an experienced pro who'll settle quickly, I don't really see the point.

I have gone on about getting players in now, January, I’ll be very surprised if two good signings don’t come in by then.

As clear as daylight mate.
He can only work with what he has and utilise that into gaining points.
Thats working ok to date.

The screaming and wailing is way over the top.
The unbridled emotion in one post this morning had me thinking of posting a link to Marjorie Proops to help them.

We all know who wants those players that shine. We all know they take your best if you are a threat and sneaking from beneath them.

We have all seen our board sell asset after asset over the last 20 years while we bought cast offs from Arsenal and Man U.

These same people talking utter shite now are the ones who thought Man U sold us a Gem in Schniederlin.

When you embarrassingly have to explain that sort of thing doesn't happen, they still don't learn then have the cheek to use the dinosaur phrase.

Unreal patheticness. Could have give Simms a go is the funniest thing I have ever read on here.

Why not just support the reserves if you want half of them in the team?

Apart from the very top teams (and we are nowhere near), if you play expansive and attack, you open yourself up at the back. When you have the players available to to do, it works, but as you say, the results are more likely to be in the 4-2 category or certainly win but concede.

When you go more solid and defensive, you won't score as many.

Stating the blindingly obvious but the manager is managing his resources as he has been all season. We may not always like what is served up, but the league position is proving positive.

He also said that he and Ancelotti discussed in Jan and Feb who they wanted to bring in the following summer. He went on to say that they started talking to possible targets back in Feb, so come the opening of the summer window they could move quickly to get the players they wanted. So I guess thats what they will do again, and if they do bring anyone in then it will only be a loan player. Even if they offload Bernard and Tosun, seeing they have had little playing time of late its not as if we will miss them. Neither are good enough to start a game, so if they go use the money in the summer when you will get more choice and better value for money.

As I have said in a previous post that if you look at all the teams Ancelotti has managed they have bye and large played attacking attractive football, but maybe without Allan and Doucoure his options are limited so has played more defensive. I am sure after the summer window we will see a much improved squad with a lot more attacking intent. Thats provided the FFP doesnt limit his choices, all his buys so far I have been impressed with, and I think given the money he will bring in the right quality we need to chalenge for a Champions league place.

I think we got a bonus in getting Godfrey in, which I personally though was unexpected. That sees us fine for where we are in terms or centre backs.

I think we need a right back to replace Seamus (Kenny sadly isn't good enough). I think we need a right sided midfielder and then obviously back up / compliment to the forward line.

Gradual progress. That is the path we are on as this manager builds his own squad. In the interim he is making do with what he inherited, although as I said, he quickly addressed the priority of midfield last summer.

Looking at the amount of transfers I don't think any dof's are busy

Ian thinks that Chelsea, Arsenal & Villa will finish above us. I personally don't know who will or won't. I just think we have a chance of top 6 and we are still very much in touch with that.

HaHaHaHaHaHaHa

And if you think that’s horseshit you have no vision, are happy for Everton to finish 7th. Cowards the lot of you *

*may contain exaggeration for ironic effect

Hahahaha

Ancelotti is, imo, the best manager we've appointed since Joe Royle, & arguably the best since Kendall Mk I. Mind you, the bar's been set quite low for the last couple of decades! I fully expect him to deliver silverware & European competition.

If the Manager is happy with one goal and then parks the bus to defend it surrending possession and shots at our keeper ( or indeed when it's nil nil) then we won't win sufficient games to qualify for Europe.

If we have attacking possession and creating chances throughout the game then we will win games.

How many other Prem Managers park the Bus at home to Leicester and West Ham??. Ian Darke and Rodgers were surprised at how we played. After the game Rodgers said that Everton showed them tremendous respect with the way the team was set up.

There's not much difference between the two teams. DCL/Rodriguez and Barnes/Maddison.

I know I'm in a minority now but the blind irrational support for a Manager playing terrible football will gradually disappear as the honeymoon period ends and the fans realise the Emperor is naked.

Thanks for your "polite" post. Mine was an attempt at humour having regard to the Manager's park the bus tactics. It seems you would be happy with the site being an Ancelotti love in. I wonder how many posts you did criticising Allardyce or Silva?? Please let us know.

Unlike Martin I have no problems with you having a viewpoint, in this case that Ancelotti is a clueless, tactically naive unadventurous charlatan who is leading us down the road to ruin.

It’s absolutely your right to hold such an opinion and enthusiastically make your case. I say power to your elbow and ignore these fans that consider your musings those of a lunatic.

If ever he takes over a struggling team and turns them into the best team Europe like Howard did you may have a case,

Sorry mate, but Howard built his team from top to bottom. Carlo has never done anything like that in his life

Thanks for that... however I'm sure your tongue was firmly in your cheek!!

I concur

I had also no problem with Carlo adopting similar tactics with Arsenal Chelsea and the corresponding fixture and I would argue that in getting ten points from those four games he is well and truly vindicated. The bullshit from Ian Edwards, Darren Hind or myself is irrelevant and how all three like the game to be played is totally mute. However adapting similar tactics against West Ham, Rotherham and Sheffield United is really not excusable nor tactically defendable.

On this occasion I am in agreement with Dave A that this game plan needed a counter attacking threat. In answer to Danny B Carlo could have played the same eleven but had Digne at left full and moved either Holgate or Godfrey to a holding midfield role. Then you get Ricky alongside Dominic with James in behind and you defend with seven.

The really frustrating aspect for me is that those who are so desperate to applaud these totally ultra conservative tactics are the very same posters who are absolutely hammering Dominic and Ricky on this thread. Do they not see that our Brazilian is not only not being employed as a forward, he is not even a winger but a right midfielder who is doubling up as a wing back. He is offering nothing going forward because he is working to the coaches instructions, game after game, and is understandably being frustrated and struggling for forward momentum.

Likewise Dominic is being slated for not being Thierry Henry. Fucking unbelievable. These guys are losing confidence because they aren't getting the service they did earlier in the season because of the tactics continually being deployed. Then we have some saying that fucking Mark Albrighton is better than our samba star and that Digne wouldn't get a game at Leicester.

I have now come to the conclusion that we should all chip in to get a statue erected for Marco Silva. Carlo can only work with Doucoure Godfrey Allan James and that every player in our squad now and the three who have left since are all absolutely fucking useless so him getting eighth with all this rubbish must be the achievement of the century and must even eclipse our opponents achievement in winning the league.

What the fuck is it with you two ?

To listen to you two, anyone would think football as a game to be enjoyed, A battle of skill and guile. . an unrehearsed live entertainment

Your wrong. Its a game to be endured, a game to spoil...and when the life is completely sucked out of it, All the positive people clap

That’s a straw man if I’ve ever seen one and I should know 😉

Good post, i'm having that.

For a team of this stature 6th I and 26 points behind the league winners is rock bottom.

Keep criticising by all means, but I prefer to look at it differently and think it’s been the best way to play in a lot of our games, because it suits our present central defenders who are both much improved because they are not getting exposed in behind.

I’d criticise the manager for not bringing on fresh legs earlier the other night, and as much as Pickford was at fault, I still think Leicester would have scored at some stage because of the pressure they were putting us under, and because we were getting completely overrun, when it was obvious we needed more pace and energy to get us back a foothold into the game.

While you are on the internet, look at the players he inherited

"Too Cavalier" hahahahah

If only Lyndon or Michael would fix it so the rest of us didn't have to engage with him...

He also said the tactics were far from being based on 'backs-to-the-wall', but rather choked the opposition whilst picking them off on the counter.

Hey-ho. On we go.

Time for more Randy Rainbow.

A Very Stable Genius

"Tony Ancelotti succeeded Saachis immortals and Capellos invincibles. They were hardly down on their heels"

No. He didnt.

Saachi left 4 years before Carlo took over.

Capello left 2 and a half years before Carlo took over.

There were two managers in between Cappello and Carlo.

I think you may have me confused with other posters. I’m more than happy with the progress under Carlo. While I think top 4 is a possibility this year I’m suspecting not but with the right recruitment in the summer I’m confident it’s a realistic prospect next year.

I was just pointing out Carlo hardly took over a busted flush at Milan, true he improved them from the previous few years and his achievements should be lauded.

Howard took a team without a trophy for a decade and created a side so good it ended a prolonged period of RS domination.

I’d still say Ancelotti wins out because he has been successful on multiple occasions with different sides. But as an Evertonian he has a lot to do to be considered in the same orbit as Howard

I’d say Kendall wasn’t going anywhere without Colin Harvey, and other than his success at Everton, did he win another trophy elsewhere?

I loved his first spell as Everton’s manager, but I still haven’t forgiven him for dragging Gary Stevens off after his mistake against Liverpool at Wembley!

Most football managers win zilch, so it’s a very rewarding job for being a failure. I think it’s dead easy to criticise and not give credit, just because a man is lucky enough to be managing one of the so called elite clubs, because this alone doesn’t guarantee success. Success is something that has to be earned.

When you look at the players he inherited also look at the finishing position the same players achieved the season before.
A full 26 points behind the winners.
He improved them that much they turned the 26 point deficit into win ing the league two years later.

He DID NOT inherit a team of Invincibles or immortals.
He inherited a poor side.

See 509

Ciarán McGlone and Paul A Smith both hit the nail on the head. As indeed does Jay Wood.

Off the top of my head

Maldini
Costacurta
Serghinio
Roque Jr

Gattuso
Albertino
Pirlo
Rui Costa

Schevcheko
Inzaghi
Moreno

Fuck me they were on the bones of their arse. Don’t get me wrong someone has to get such stellar players to perform and Carlo undoubtedly did but don’t rewrite history mate

Mike and Bernie winters

I seem to be arguing with both sides of the argument. A position I’m always comfortable with

And what do the negative people do?

I didnt rewrite history. You did.

"Tony Ancelotti succeeded Saachis immortals and Capellos invincibles."

Repeat.
Saachi left four years before Ancelottis first day in the job.

Capello left 2 and a half years before Ancelottis first day.

Milan had two full time managers and two caretaker managers in between Capello and Ancelotti.

Your post at 497
Factually, a mile out.

They vent their spleen in these hallowed halls

And never has a spleen been so vented. And vented. And vented.

I was making the point that Milan were not a failing team,, they had of course had a few bad years hence the management turnover.

You claimed he ‘inherited a poor side’. I’ve just shown you 11 world class players he inherited. He did a good job turning those players into a great side bit let’s not kid ourselves he turned swine into pearls

As long as we don't lose I don't give a Fuck as to how we win, and if we can't win them make sure we don't lose. I'm sorry Ian Edwards, and Darren, but Ancelotti is a serial winner, he knows how to set up teams to win, and if things start going tits up, he knows how not to lose. The teams he's won trophies with down the years have been the top teams in their own country, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich and AC Milan. He even walked into the job at Chelsea when they were ruling the roost in the premier league. All of a sudden he gets the Everton job, a club with great history and tradition, but unfortunately won Fuck all for a few years now. Basically he has to re-build the squad from top to bottom, and at the moment I'd say he's doing a great job of it. Darren, you keep on harping on that Ancelotti is a coward, and one of two agree with you, but believe me, he's nowhere being a coward. You don't win the amount of trophies he's won by being a coward. All the clubs I mentioned earlier on had great squads, all he had to do was get them playing the way he wanted them to play, with a little tweak here and there to his playing squad. He comes to Everton, and it's not a little tweak required, but a full blown overhaul of the playing squad.

Forget last winter's transfer window that Ian Edwards keeps harping on about, he barely had his foot in the door. Potential transfers are looked at months in advance, not the ten days he had before it opened, or the four weeks to consider anyone before it ended. The summer window was an excellent one as far as I'm concerned. This window has probably been the quietest on record, but we shall wait and see.

Sadly, football is no longer a sport, but a business. The first objective of the majority of clubs is to still be in the premier league at the end of the season. I'm not saying we fall into that category of clubs, I would hope our expectations are a little higher than that, but down the last few years it feels like it. We finally get a manager who has been a serial winner everywhere he goes, so I expect, nay demand, that he is given the time to 're-build this squad the way he wants it to be until it is capable of challenging for the top honour, that of being premier league champions. And if that means being defensive in certain games but still grinding out results, then so be it. I'd rather see us win 1-0 and spend a lot of the game defending, albeit your nerves are shredded to bits after it, then see us go gung-ho and lose 5-4 but be praised for being involved in an entertaining game.

No doubt there will be plenty of flaws picked out in this post, but honestly, I couldn't give a fuck. I go to the match, or for the last ten months, watch it on TV, to watch and hope my team win, and I don't give a rats arse how they do it!!

You want onions with that guvnor.
😂😂😂😂

The issue is that to do so we will have to mirror the first half results. Already we have lost two points to Leicester. Would you be confident of winning at Stamford Bridge or the Emirates now?

When we have to do so much work without the ball and the goals and assists dry up from our talismen it isn't easy to flick the switch. That chance that fell to Dominic would have been gobbled up early on. The cream typically rises in the second half of the season and while no one is upset with our position now some of us feel that the smash and grab is unsustainable in the long run. Chelsea and Arsenal were naive to our threat, they arrogantly thought they were superior and those marginal games went our way. West Ham and now Leicester were better prepared for our aerial threat and others will have taken note.

As for Leeds at home. I defy anyone to explain the team selection, formation and tactics. Ancelotti seriously dropped the ball in that game.

Quality retort. You do realise ‘getting fucked off’ as a CEO is a very lucrative business 😂

Any views on the quality of the 01 Milan squad. Any of those 11 players you wouldn’t want in our current squad? That Maldini could be a bit dodgy and I never rated Schevchenko

I don't give a fuck whether your right or wrong. That. My old china plate, was passion... I really felt like I was sitting in the alehouse with you.

Glad I'm not like. I've heard youre a built like a brick shit house

(i know this because I got caught selling stale hot dog buns and lost my CEOSHIP as a result)

I only ever got sacked once, and it was amazingly lucrative but I had worked for them for 20 years, not sure it was for fabrications or mistruths but on reflection I did play the corporate game for a long time and there’s lots of stuff I did in my younger years that I wouldn’t do now.

But let’s stop waffling, having seen the payers Carlo inherited would you consider that a poor side?

Off the top of my head 🙃

Good players.
Why do you reckon they finished 26 points behind the champs the season before he took over?

Half bat burgers for you on your next visit.
Please bring your own napkin

So why should we be any different, or is your bar set so high that you demand we should be beating everyone out of sight?

Poor management I’m guesiing. I’m not denying Carlo can motivate and improve a team. But let’s not kid ourselves he inherited poor players, he quite patently didnt

Compare it to the side Howard had versus Birmingham in 1981. I was there we beat them 3-1, I was there in the Paddock, Different gravy my man

I have to say, the more I read through this thread the more excited I actually get about our boys. And you can feel that excitement oozing through the thread. There really is something going on this season and I'm going into each game with more eager anticipation than I have for many a season. God how I miss being at the games this season, home and away.

You can't turn these things on and off to order. If we crawl against Leicester on our own turf (because we have injuries etc), we'll crawl against the next opponent who presents a significant risk. Courage and daring need to be bred in the bone.

Regarding the gravy.

You couldnt send your mans contact details could you?

I'm branching out

Impossible to compare Howard and Carlo; totally different eras. Kendall worked in a time when you could recruit a dustman and turn him into a world class goalie. He didn't have to deal with wall-to-wall TV coverage, mega million stars, and all that. But what he did at Everton was remarkable.

As for Carlo, there are plenty of people who've had top jobs but the mugs quickly get found out: Andre Villa Boas, Clarence Seedorf, David Moyes, etc Big clubs aren't like WBA and Palace recycling the usual suspects Pulis, Hughes, Sam. So the fact Carlo keeps getting big jobs, is reflective of his unusual level of success.

Nice try but did Carlo inherit a world class squad or not?

I mean that’s what we were discussing

Agree with your general point.

I think the term " if you wasnt an Evertonian" influenced mine, and I think, Tonys opinion.

Howard Kendall give me my best days as a Blue mate.
And for that I thank him

Its not the initial discussion.

I will leave it there if you don't mind.
Becoming a touch effete.

Against Arsenal and Chelsea we looked dangerous with every ball that went into their box. You could see that Leicester worked on set pieces as we didn't pose a threat til late on. If that wasn't apparent to you we will agree to differ. Against West Ham the same.

I will still be your mucker if you forward the gravy mans contact sil vous plait

As to being in the alehouse, maybe one day we can meet up. I seem to remember us playing Chelsea away one midweek, and you told me you would be in some working men's club near Stamford bridge. When me and my mate got there, we couldn't find you, not that I knew what you looked like!!! As it turned out, you later told me you didn't go to the club!!

I can do effete. However you can’t deny the squad Carlo inherited.

Come on man you said he inherited a poor side and I’ve shown you 11 world class players he inherited.

Do you have an actual position on that or do you want to continue diverting ?

I’m fine either way

But the perils of nostalgia and sentiment. I was away in the Army at that time and was home and went to watch us play Sheffield Wednesday at home with my best mate Dave (RIP). Despite us doing okay that season, he warned me that we were not great to watch. We were not great to watch under Royle. Some may love the dogs of war, I did not personally.

Ancelotti has left us with one forward. He has let Kean go without getting a replacement. I bow to no one in saying Bolasie can run at Defenders and is far, far better player than Bernard who is absolutely dreadful. Who would have been a better sub to try and win the game with 10 to go v Leicester. Bolasie or Coleman.

Then again Ancelotti was more interested in getting one point rather than trying for three.

Rodriguez you could float back into the 61-63 and 68-70 sides; he's like a ghost.

As is customary, I prefer not to utter too loudly what I think the side is capable of because we've a long history of hoping for a lot and receiving very little. I think the table is pretty accurate though. Points per game, we're a top 4 side at the moment and, mathematically speaking, not far off top spot.

I do think Liverpool's class will bring them home with a wet sail and the top 2 will be Man City and Leicester. I think we're a better side than Tottenham and West Ham's position won't last. I think we should really see anything less than 4th as a missed opportunity and anything less than 5th as a total cock-up.

The "Kendall must go" leaflet distributors.

I bet now they are in denial and preach about Howard is the best manager we ever had. He is to date.

I loved the dogs of war initially because Limpar apart they lacked talent but made up for it with heart. The problem was when we added more quality, Royle always seemed to revert to type and go direct even after footballing masterclasses like Speed, Barmby and Kanch over Soton.

The poor lad has grown up watching some dross, so I am finally pleased he had something to be proud of. Manager and players. If that makes me an apologist, then I am an apologist and excuser.

Any decent team needs a blend of ability, commitment, fitness and desire. You are not successful without having a blend of all of those attributes.

I think we are in a good place. For the first time in years, when we do play not so good, we still dig out results and earn points.

We have a lot to improve on but we are getting points from games that in recent seasons we woudn't have done. I'd like to praise the manager for that but that would be paramount to being an apologist.

I always thought we were very direct and played a classic 4-4-2, which worked at the time. All about getting it to the flanks and crosses into the box.

Not necessarily joined up football. Just get it forward quickly and use the flanks to effect.

They were mighty effective but attractive? I don't think so. That's why I was so pissed off with Silva whose performance against the shite at Anfield brought back beautiful memories.

Danny - Rodriguez is the purest Everton talent I've seen since Young and has the same ethereal quality. Rooney is the best Everton player I have ever seen but Rodriguez may be/become the most sublime.

I also love watching Allan.

I think that is an indication of the quality of player we have introduced to the team and the club.

Prior to that I spoke about Sheedy and Reid!!

I'm contradicting myself as usual because I've called for us to be like Atletico Madrid and was one of the tiny fraction who wanted to retain Allardyce, but what I (and all of us, I believe) want to see, in the end, is an Everton of artists.

It might be an Everton which exists only in the mind but I pray that it's just sleeping and will awaken.

I see that Harry Kane is going to be out for several weeks due to injuries on both ankles sustained in the game against the RS last night. The first injury resulting in a terrible challenge by that dirty RS player Alcantara. Is there now going to be a witch hunt against him the same way there was against Richarlison following his challenge on Alcantara in the derby, Waaaaaaayyyyy back in October which some media outlets still rage on about. I've scoured every media outlet today, but cannot see any witch hunt against the dirty RS bastard.

Ah well, maybe tomorrow!!

And it's all so unfair.

Fucking gruesome gobshite hypocrites.

And all you really perceive is a team lauded and described by and adjective that ends in ibles or...ables.

Ancelotti is doing, mostly doing, the '1 bad win' bit.
He's spent the whole of the wages and transfer fees budget on 3 mid fielders...some statto can tell me just how many times they've played together and just how many games they've won.

If Brands can add Tosun, Bernard, plus others to the departed Bolasie, then we might get somebody else in.
Then there's more 'IF's about Injuries, inconsistant form...both ours and others, suspensions, VAR, etc.

I would say, on the TW Swing-o-Meter, 7th, 8th, might (rightly or wrongly) be classed as poor...6th; Neutral. 5th; close, good effort, but no cigar. 4th; will be like a F1 podium. 3rd? - give over.

Yes, the match isn't over before it has begun just as the season doesn't end until May.

Many either pre-judge or knee jerk because of a bad spell. I get natural frustration, we all get that, but come on, see the bigger picture.

Of course mate, your family will all enjoy 50% discount.

A warning though.
In the present climate we have had to introduce a corkage fee.

You bring your own wine, we charge a nicker to borrow the corkscrew.

I will have a word with Guiseppe about the smoking.
We nicked him from a pizza cart in Rome (doubled his wages and a flat in town).
He was allowed to smoke there.
The poor box is a step up from the blind sock we deployed for years. Let you know how it goes.

*any chance you could leave a review on Tripadvisor

Gyp will be relieved.
He trained in the finest culinary spots of Rome railway station.
He would be devastated to be accused of lowering his standards.

If it helps

We have a special on this week.
Curried hamburgers.
Your secretary is welcome, as a small gesture of gratitude, to dine buckshee if she would like to partake.

Gyp is on his way home for his accordion.

Its spot on and exactly what the reaction should be in balance.

You have beaten the deadline for reservations by 10 minutes.
I was about to let yours go.
Big demand at the moment.

I didn't serve a 5 year apprenticeship as Stan Waters fried egg man to be messed about by customers.

How could anyone not be mates with you Dave😁
Enjoy the game mate

If you had the ability to read and digest. You will know my views on our manager are diametrically opposed to your "Agent Provocateur"

I didnt believe he was right but I knew for a fact YOU were wrong.
There are few things more abhorant than racism. False accusation is one of them. You implied that IE÷ DH's criticism could be construed as racist
It was a nasty nasty insinuation which had no place in the debate. I Responded to you because I am aware of both the absurdity and the irony of your insinuation.
I know you backtracked by claiming you were not making an accusation, but merely stating thst it "could be construed" as racism but I saw that as you wanting to introduce the notion without having the courage to follow it through. Otherwise why raise it ? Nobody else ever has

I understand debate and the desire to score a point. I felt your post failed to do that. It simply left a nasty taste in the mouth.
You may want to consider the possibility that this was the reason your questions were ignored.