Everton Banter Archive January 15 2018

15 Jan 2018 23:01:54
Who remembers Alan Irvine and the partnership with Moyes making Everton so hard to beat. It is no coincidence that West Ham are now only 2 points behind us.

16 Jan 2018 07:19:31
I think the reason they are 2 points behind us is that we don't play football we look like 11 strangers on the pitch who have no idea how to attack oh sorry I'm wrong Sam said we are too attacking and we will now play more boring I really can't wait til sat.

15 Jan 2018 21:01:32
Watching ManU v Stoke and despite them being 2-0 down @ 1/ 2 time Stoke are at least having a go. They've had more shots - on target btw - in the first 45 than we have in countless games. Are you watching Sam, Bill, etc.

15 Jan 2018 21:36:45
Stoke also have 7 fewer points, scored less goals and conceded more goals than we have. Which part should Sam, Bill etc be watching?

15 Jan 2018 21:43:12
I know some supporters weren't happy with appointing big Sam but just imagine the reaction if we'd ended up with Lambert.

15 Jan 2018 21:43:16
That may well be you grumpy git but you're missing the point.

15 Jan 2018 21:52:40
The point you were making is that teams worse off than we are, are at least playing the game to win it.

The point I am about to make is that due to poor squad members we do not have the players to play attacking football.

15 Jan 2018 22:03:48
I can see that pov, but it makes my blood boil when I see other teams at least trying to win while we simply try not to lose.

15 Jan 2018 22:16:20
I hear what you're saying mate, but at the moment we are in a big mess. Sadly it will not be sorted in this window, fingers crossed the summer window will help us.

{Ed0333's Note - Walcott certainly won’t help Grumpy but from what I hear the Turkish fella is a massive plus.

15 Jan 2018 22:19:46
Stoke were worse than us for passing backwards and sideways. They were too slow and had no ideas when on the ball second half.

15 Jan 2018 22:30:18
We have attacking players, problem is there all sitting on the bench.

15 Jan 2018 22:53:30
Tosun does look like he can play Ed0333, also he is not scared to get physical which will be a big plus in the premiership.

I do think there is a place for Walcott, and I feel we need him to stop the rot, But by no means is he the answer to our problems.

{Ed0333's Note - I’ve not seen Tosun play Grumpy but Ed’s 001 assures me he’s handy. Walcott is another expensive mistake in my opinion but you should be used to them by now fella lol. Before I get a truck load of hate from Everton fans let me say at this juncture I’m joshing with you, I think?

15 Jan 2018 23:51:54
It's ok ED0333 I won't be throwing the hate, It's usually me they don't understand lol.

{Ed0333's Note - were just misunderstood fella lol

16 Jan 2018 06:34:50
Grumpy we have Vlasic, Lookman, Bolasie, Sigs all are attacking players yet only 2 start and one of them is out of position.
If we started with a midfield 4 of Lookman, Gana, Sig, Bolasie with DCL and Tosun up top, that is an attacking team, problem is we get stuck Schneids and Rooney who both like to slow the game down and give the opposition time to regroup and attack.
Sam says he doesn't have the players for attacking football, he is full of the brown stuff and just likes to play 10 men behind the ball and hope for the best at the important end by looking at set pieces, which if you don't venture into that half, you ain't getting any.
We have West From at home Saturday and if he starts with 2 defensive midfielers and or Rooney then I for one will have no faith in the man.

16 Jan 2018 08:50:41
Bluegray I'd be happy just playing 2 wingers and not playing Schneiderlin tbh.

15 Jan 2018
New image uploaded to the
Everton Player Sightings page entitled, Im a celebrity

15 Jan 2018 18:01:35
Who thinks Sam will be our Manager at the beginning of 2018/ 19?

15 Jan 2018 18:23:16
My god I can't even start to think what that would be like please please no.

15 Jan 2018 18:37:49
If we win the majority of our remaining games and/ or he at least gets us working as a unit then maybe Robbie. But that's a very big IF. Personally I think Moshiri already has his eyes on a replacement.

15 Jan 2018 19:06:18
Yeh me too I think Sam will be replaced regardless.

15 Jan 2018 21:51:15
Moshri! Are you kidding. Straight after opening his gob (yet again) 'We have the new fab 4' that lot slaughter us. To be honest some of the backroom/ higher echelon appointments have been baffling and that to a laymen, God knows what those that actually know football think. There is no way Mr Walsh for a start should be DoF.

15 Jan 2018 16:18:48
I know we shocking and we are Ok worried Bout our future under Sam but it could be so much worse. We could be stoke fans. Paul Lambert hahaha. He's got an awful track record even the stoke fans don't want him.

{Ed025's Note - i think we should wait and see where we end up with sam before we start giving other clubs stick about their manager geoff..

15 Jan 2018 16:30:51
Yeah, good point ed. I'll keep my mouth shut hahaha.

{Ed025's Note - dont do that geoff you are a valued contributor mate..

15 Jan 2018 16:32:16
Do you think O'Neill would have turned us down too? Why go for an interview if you claim to be obliged to a gentlemen's agreement? Ego fluffed?

15 Jan 2018 16:53:53
I agree with you Ed Geoff should keep posting, excellent contributor.
(broke out in a sweat then, praising folk is so difficult for me)

{Ed025's Note - i know that grumpy...lol

15 Jan 2018 17:43:13
I don't like sam but you are right Ed, (had to happen some time lol) think he will keep us up, but i am warming up to little sammy,

15 Jan 2018 14:37:22
Another awful performance
Now he says we should be more boring.
Just let that sink in.

15 Jan 2018 15:02:52
Pauly, it’s a terrible thought I agree. But we’re not out of the woods yet. Needs must unfortunately and we need to get points still. SA will continue to do what he does best and even though in the back of my mind I can’t help thinking this covers over the need to play attacking football which is a big question mark in SA’s tactics, it is what is needed right now.

I’ll just keep my suspicions until after the window closes to see if he can play the football we all want to see.

15 Jan 2018 15:14:01
Who ever thought he was a good appointment. Laughing stock.

15 Jan 2018 15:43:58
Sorry but he has never played the type of football we all wanna see.
We now look worse than before he took over and were back to conceding 4.
No shots on target is an absolute debacle and hard to swallow stat.
1 shot on target in 4 games is unheard of.
How can anyone even attempt to defend him after these stats?
Wait until the window closes before judging him?
He bought tosun and isolated him.
Gylfi is still being played out of position and lookman still doesn't get a sniff.
So tell me what has he actually changed?
Out the cup at the first hurdle and now we are seeing the teams below us having an upturn.
Now the fans who travel all over the country watching the blues are now saying they will not bother anymore (a large section of them) .
Awful decision and shows the lack of direction amd leadership at our great club.

15 Jan 2018 17:29:31
I cannot understand those that argue that the only two options are reckless attack or all out defence.

To survive we need 4 wins. How is that possible without at least a few shorts on target?

15 Jan 2018 19:59:28
Chill Pauly I actually agree with you. sheesh! I just would rather see if he can deliver good football after the window once he has balanced the side (his words) . Like you I rather suspect not. But being an optimistic blue I live in hope.

15 Jan 2018 09:49:47
People are asking questions about who chooses which players to sign and who is in charge etc. People also blaming the current manager. I know I haave banged on and on too much about replacing players like we had under Moyes. But here are some statistics that backup what I have annoyed everyone by repeating. My point being that under Moyes we had players who scored in most positions whereas over the last 4 seasons we have signed players without goals and assists within them in all positions. Baines, Coleman, Pienaar, Osman, Arteta, Gravesson, Carsley, Billy, Donovan, Naismith, Barkley, Saha, Fellaini, Jelly, AJ, Cahill, Mirallas, Anichebe and others during that period had at least 5 goals a season in them. I will now list our current players without a league goal this season: Holgate, Kenny, Keane, Shneids, Vlasic, Lennon, Davies, Besic, Baningeme, Klaasen, Bolasie, Ramirez, McCarthy. There are also a few with just 1 or 2 goals: Williams and Gueye. That is 15 players with only one or two goals! Whilst you can make any statistic work in your favour, I think it is pretty obvious that none of those players will make many assists nor score more than a couple a season. Wheras, the players from 4 years ago all had a handful of goals. Lukaku and Barkley's goals glossed over the signing of this bunch of non creative players by providing the bulk of goals and assists. But now they are gone we need a big bunch of creative players for our squad. What we have now is bang average when compared even to the likes of Arsenal. never mind Man City and dare I say Liverpool! I will add that without Rooneys goals we would be in deep trouble. We have just done our 4th consecutive game without registering a shot on target. That equals the premier league worst record. There is no quick fix and Allardyces tactics are not to blame. The signing of non creative players is to blame. Even the likes of WBA, West Ham, Burnley, Bournmouth, Stoke have creative goalscorers in their squads. we do not. the stats show this.

15 Jan 2018 10:17:00
I get what you are saying and I believe you have a point, but there's no need to start bringing the likes of Baningime's lack of goals into it when he's only played 3 games and is a defensive midfielder.

Of those players you listed Baningime, Vlasic, Klaassen, Sandro and Keane have only played a handful of games (not that I'm saying they are all goal machines) . Davies, Kenny and Holgate are young lads, Schneiderlin is poor. Of all those listed only Bolasie should be scoring more goals (I suggest that 2-3 per season for McCarthy would suffice if he played a full season but he's always injured) .

I think that the major issue is that we are not performing to the level of Moyes' Everton, or even Bobby's worst season for that matter.

If the players were playing well and we find a winning formula amongst them, then you can look at it like this: Rooney will probably score at least 15 this season with a few assists, we know Sigurdsson is capable of 10 goals and 10 assists as he did better than that last season at Swansea. Lookman can probably get 5 with a run in the team. We still have Coleman, Niasse has already got 7 and Tosun is yet to be tested. By my reckoning we only need someone like Walcott to weigh in with a few and we will be okay.

15 Jan 2018 10:44:55
I knew I would get picked up by including Baningime. and Lookman for that matter. but we also had kids in Moyes time who added a few. Vaughn, Anichebe. and yes I do accept he has only had a few games and may do well. I just listed the lists as they were to make an overall point. I also said at the time that it scared me how we would be when Lukaku left. some thought I was just going on and on about Osman and Pienaar. I also accept that Walcott would be a good addition. but our problemnow is that when a squad needs overhauling, it takes time to gel. We have just had a load of signings and we need more in my view. I don't see Rooney longer than this and maybe next season. so there is our main threat gone again. we really are nearer the bottom than the top. It will also take 3 or 4 seasons to get to the top 6 in my view. The one positive is that we are at last loading the squad with youth. With some good signings we will also have some good youth coming through.

15 Jan 2018 11:12:49
Lets also take into consideration the change information DM played a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 with at least 4 attack minded Mid/ Fwd players we currently play with 3 at most. DM also had full backs that could attack and chip in with a few goals assists both are currently injured. The fact that the players we have are under performing doesn't help either.

15 Jan 2018 11:23:26
Id like to accept that really this season is almost a right off now in terms if positions and performances (even though we are basically only half way through) , but if we cam get maybe 2 or 3 first team signings in January (which I know can be tricky) , but then we'd have helped somewhat more come the start off next season than we did this.

15 Jan 2018 12:12:23
To be honest, I think we sometimes watch through blue tinted glasses. The players I see are poor to average. Thsquad is poor to average. I didn't really know Klaasen and Schneids but from what I have seen so far neither are better than Cleverly/ Barry/ McCarthy. Besic is poor. Gueye is good at what he does. but offensively is poor. As are all our midfielders Sig aside. He is the one player who can shoot and score. with Rooney of course. The rest. average at best. Keane seems poor and Williams is at the end now. As are Coleman, Baines and Jags. We are exactly where I thought we would be. what I hadnt bargained for was a policy of signing 4 or 5 average number 10s. and no left back nor forwards until Tosun. We will need to replace Rooney, Niasse, Coleman, Jags and Baines as well as back up for certain positions. This is a lot of change and will take 18 months for players to bed in. I expect us to be mid table at best for the next 3 seasons.

15 Jan 2018 12:20:54
I agree with all of you. I think the additions of a few hungry players. Walcott, maybe someone like Batshuayi, and a left back who can do a job now but will be a genuine successor to Baines in a year or two, and we will feel a lot more positive. I also think that, providing we can obtain safety we should look at giving our talented youngsters as much game time as possible. This will mean in a couple of years, providing most of them have fulfilled their massive potential, we could have a really good squad of players.

15 Jan 2018 13:05:49
Good post Degsy. For productivity we need to get the ball and keep it, once we can keep it, we can attack. When we attack, we will have shots on target, once we get a decent number of shots on target we will get goals and with those goals will come assists.
Koeman alluded to the fact the team needed productivity in the summer and bought players to resolve that.

Sams job is to take the players he has and find a way to play football with them. He can add some this month and HOPEFULLY things will improve. But I'm not buying the argument i hear a lot on here and that is the majority of the squad is not good enough.

I've seen quality from Rooney, Siggy, Kenny, Holgate and Gana.
On their day i've seen Lookman, Davies and Bolasie be unplayable.
Williams and Holgate have looked unbeatable in half a dozen matches this season. Mccarthy is showing glimpses of his best even though he is not fully fit. Pickfords distribution is spot on as long as he isn't asked to kick it 60yds every time.
Add to that Vlasic, Klassen and Sandro and i think we have enough quality for Sam to field a team that can compete week in week out with productivity. he just needs to find the right balance. Oh and a LB.

One thing for sure though, is if we play with too many defensive minded players or, too many players out of position the productivity will never come especially against teams outside the top 6.

15 Jan 2018 14:12:00
degsyp very surprised you think Coleman is past it baring in mind his form before his injury.

15 Jan 2018 14:14:20
Well SA has basically admitted that he came out of defend at all costs mode too early so expect plenty more boring football. Right now whether we had Moyes team or the current one we will still be playing the football being served up now. I just hope we can nick a goal a game to benefit the clean sheets that the team will be all set out to achieve.

I’m not Pro SA at all but I have stated that he needs this window to prove he’s not just a relegation fighter specialist. Time will tell.

15 Jan 2018 16:28:40
Good posts Degsy and Smit.

15 Jan 2018 17:37:21
Just to be clear I was not writing off Coleman just yet. but when he has made a full recovery he will be in the latter days of topflight football. Hopefully he will be back soon. He is already 29 tho. so not many more seasons even when he gets back.

16 Jan 2018 05:21:35
Regarding Coleman, depending how much pace he has lost (he may make a full recovery) he's probably got 2-3 years at top level so no need to panic just yet. We have the perfect replacement in Kenny, he only needs a year or two.

15 Jan 2018 09:15:22
Anyone know what Luke Garnett is doing?

15 Jan 2018 09:36:44
being ignored it seems what baffles me is even if he isn't seen as a long term player for us surely he is a better option than Martina.

15 Jan 2018 12:39:26
My grans a better option than Martina.

{Ed025's Note - tell her to bring her boots for the west brom game woburn..

15 Jan 2018 13:35:54
They are waiting until the end of the window to see if there aren’t any better options in the market. If nothing comes in then it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s registered then.

15 Jan 2018 16:09:02
we have 400 no 10s registered, drop one and get him registered.

15 Jan 2018 07:12:46
I wonder if Sam is off when we reach 40 points and that's why we are loosing lately he is just getting as long as he can out of it 😂😂just a bit of fun blues.

15 Jan 2018 08:48:37
You will have Ed001 calling us paranoid again with comments like that. I keep saying we are not paranoid. we are sure they are out to get us. Paranoid is only when you believe it but you are wrong. Reality is when they really ARE after you!

15 Jan 2018 05:09:15
Personally I think we need to forget about the style of play we have at the moment points are more important that style of play unless people would be happy with an attacking style and relegation I would rather get the points to safeguard our prem status and start again next year and I would rather finish 8th than 7th even if it were possible as I don't think starting so early again next season would do us any favours.

{Ed001's Note - do you not think you would have more points if you had actually tried venturing out of your own half? You have lost the last 4 games in a row, how would making an attempt to win them have been any worse than rolling over meekly for Spurs to give you a kicking, for instance?}

15 Jan 2018 05:39:19
Correct ed best form of defence is attack.

15 Jan 2018 07:36:40
Yesterday a team with a not so good defence beat the run away league leaders by attacking them, this team conceded 3 goals and won the game because they scored 4, don't mean to sound patronising but its simple, if you score more than your opponent you win the game, we can't win games by sitting deeper than the cutlery on the titanic, we need to start with a midfield of attacking players and actually play 2 up top and go at teams, if we concede so be it, we are conceding now anyways and offering nothing at the other end, so what have we got to lose?

{Ed001's Note - I like that comparison to the cutlery mate, made me chuckle that one.}

15 Jan 2018 07:42:10
Have to agree with Ed001 and Eddy. You can't win games if you don't try. We need to grow some and at least have a go at teams instead of sitting back and hoping we don't concede. Sam needs to pick the best players and play them in their correct positions. He can't moan about a lack of pace when he leaves players with that pace on the bench. No other team in the league fears playing us at the moment and I don't blame them. We are clueless toothless and quite honestly it's embarrassing to watch.

15 Jan 2018 08:09:56
Got to have a sense of humour Ed001 especially as I'm an Evertonian.

{Ed001's Note - good point. Though I think a few months more of Allardyce will be enough to test that to breaking point, if he doesn't stop being so negative. I really thought he would see this as an opportunity to show he can play pretty football too.}

15 Jan 2018 08:11:13
Conventional wisdom says 40 pts is safe. On that basis we have 15 games to garner 13 pts. That's 4 wins and a draw or 3 wins and 4 draws or even 2 wins and 7 draws. I would be anxious about the 2 wins option as it smacks of a defensive set up and the ability of those tactics to return something from 9/ 15 games worries me. The least nerve wracking route is 4 wins 1 draw. For that you need a positive result from only 5/ 15 games. Surely not too much to ask if we actually try to win.

15 Jan 2018 10:40:32
Everyone can see it. Most could foresee it. Ed01 is spot on. And was spot on when B. S. was in talks to take the helm. This is a knee jerk reaction.
Yes the club were naive in the summer. First ever time being able to afford to play with the big agents and get on sky sports daily.
I know the diehards hated RK for his love of Barcelona and they didn't like his arrogance. But he wouldn't stand for this tripe were getting served up at the moment.
I think Moshiri must be looking at the back of Bills head and contemplating pushing him down one of the stands. Bill compromised the club as too SW by pushing for B. S. Moshiri la, go get us a modern manager in the summer pal.
Hopefully a few of the G's who post here in the B. S. appreciation club can stop their embarrassing support of this dinosaur. #givemebackmyclub.

15 Jan 2018 13:07:08
Bluegray87 what you say is true but tell me what team ever won with the philosophy we'll score more than you?

No one that I can think of. One game you single out there. Liverpool won the battle but are going to lose the war. Before that game Man City had 14 goals against this season!

That's why they are going to win the premiership. That game was a blip for Man City. One which they can well afford because they are defensively sound. Despite losing that one game. No one else can afford to have that blip like Man City can.

They are defensively sound which will mean they will win competitions. Just like any other team that wins trophies. Main reason Mourinho won so much is because his teams know how to defend.

Liverpool are a very good attacking team. No doubt about it but they won't win anything until they sort their defense out. If they do that they will be a force to be reckoned with.

15 Jan 2018 13:25:34
Suggesting Farhad murder poor old Bill is a bit OTT MyTeam, especially in such a public arena 😂😂.

15 Jan 2018 14:22:31
Pains me to say NBTB but Liverpool are only probably a decent keeper away from being serious title contenders and yesterday was not a one blip they have been scoring for fun and pressured the city back line into mistakes, we could never do that as we don't have men in the opposition half!
I want to see us attack and if we concede so be it at least go out on your sword.
City are not as good defensively as they are made out to be and have shown that the last 3 games.

15 Jan 2018 15:18:04
Ok he needs to fiddle a few more quid from his Russian mate and buy Bill out.

15 Jan 2018 21:11:26
Hey Bluegray87. Fair enough. It was City I was referring with the blip. 14 goals conceded before the game. They are sound defensively.