Everton Banter

18 Apr 2024 20:55:29
What's everyone's thoughts on the rule of cancelling all fa cup replays as of next season.

I personally think it is a disgrace and shows again the greed and bias towards the top teams and premiership teams in general.

Long gone the romance of the cup, the hard fought lower leaguers battling to get a chance to turn out at some of the countries top stadiums.

For me yet another kick in the teeth for football in general and another widing of the gap, no replays but more than happy to do the money gigs in Dubai American China etc etc in pre season.

18 Apr 2024 19:05:06
The FA and Premier League will be providing an additional £33m for support in the FA cup towards grassroots.

They should of implemented a rule of 'a maximum of 4 or 5 none English players allowed in a match day squad for FA cup games'.

This would of been better for grassroots and top clubs bringing more homegrown youth into the first team picture.

18 Apr 2024 12:17:04
Hopefully we will stay up this season and for the the start of next season would like most of our present Team gone, we need to get of so many poor to average players on mega bucks and scour the lower leagues and have a Team that want to win, our present crowd of Prima Donas can't be arsed had enough of that tripe myself.

18 Apr 2024 15:55:23
And a manager who has more than just plan A and, who gives youth a chance.

18 Apr 2024 17:46:30
Well it looks like we will have new owners as well so I am sure they will want Sean gone.

18 Apr 2024 18:45:46
New owners?

18 Apr 2024 19:06:57
777 not Moshiri.

18 Apr 2024 20:46:47
Massive red flags on 777 GB as pointed out numerous times by Ed02 and various news outlets.

They certainly don't appear to be the answer nor a outfit to be excited about pal.

18 Apr 2024 21:03:43
Nope but then neither is Moshiri fed up to the back teeth with all of this mate, I can see the only way forward and that is to start from scratch bin the lot of em, owner Manager and most of the Team.

18 Apr 2024 22:48:17
Red flags or not, it appears to be moving forward.

18 Apr 2024 08:36:50
Think Dyche will be happy to get a draw against Forest and Luton. Were playing our own mini league now, and out of the six games left only four matter. Let's face it we will get nothing from Liverpool and Arsenal games.
We have Forest, Brentford and Sheff Utd at home. Luton away.
Two wins and two draws would put us on 35 points. Which then means Luton would have to win four of their last five games to draw level with us.
Forest would have to win three of their five to draw level.
In the past I would look at this and be confident of us staying up. But this Forest game is crucial now. Win and we open up a nice gap, lose and I don't think we recover.
That's why I think Dyche will set us up not to lose, and hope to nick a win. So people expecting big changes after the Chelsea battering will be dissapointed again.

18 Apr 2024 09:44:34
Just can't see us beating Forest or Brentford either. I think a few draws against them would probably be enough and beat Sheffield utd. 6 more points.
Unfortunately every football fan and his dog knew to park the bus at Chelsea but he went after them. Crazy. Did he do it to make a point and threw the game? Still think we'll be ok but this should have been much more comfortable at this stage. It's the summer window and next season things need to be changed for.

18 Apr 2024 12:38:10
Tbh I'd be happy with the draws too, we look poor, atleast a draw means they don't gain on us. But I fear forest and Luton will beat us!

18 Apr 2024 13:18:25
Ay up, just a view from the opposition on Sunday. Before Dyche came to you he spent more time at the City Ground than our groundsman, he will know our team inside out, and our mega weakness at free kicks and corners.
We seem to be having a parallel season, points deduction, a player on the books taking a vast amount for doing nothing! . I hope for a win on Sunday, but after that I hope we both stay up, I mean Luton in the premier don't sound right 👍👍.

18 Apr 2024 16:05:58
I would appreciate us winning Trent, then both of us staying up. Put two fingers up to the Premiership along the way.

18 Apr 2024 16:27:18
All changes again though if Luton get a result against brentford. its ok saying if we win or we draw which is fine. I just think we have given up which I'm gutted to say. City hammered them last week but other than that they are fighting to stay up we're as we seem to be going through the motions yet again. COYB 👍.

18 Apr 2024 17:48:46
Anything less than our whole Team fighting will not be acceptable, still reckon we will stay up though beginning with a win on Sun.

{Ed025's Note - i do admire your optimism GB, but i look at the 2 sides and only one of them are capable of scoring for me mate, we could get a 0-0 draw i suppose but without Jarrad it will be difficult..

17 Apr 2024 15:13:54
I'm
Struggling to find where or who in our squad is going to take the game on Sunday as we don't have anyone who can control a ball never mind a match!
I'm honestly dreading it and if/ when we loose I think that's it and we won't be coming back up for a long time either
P##s poor all down to our owner and board they have basically sucked the life out of our once great club
My poor 6 and 8 year old boys having to be put through this shower week in week out it's them I feel sorry for more.

{Ed025's Note - i was fortunate to see some of the great Everton sides Fj, i feel really sorry for the younger generations that have only seen the decline of this once great club mate..

17 Apr 2024 20:32:25
I was only a baby in the 80s so my last decent memory was 95 the 2 lads I’ve got have got a long wait I tell you poor gets.

{Ed025's Note - you missed the boat Fj, im lucky enough to have seen the great sides mate, which makes it even harder when i see this bunch of crabs mate..

18 Apr 2024 03:43:50
I can reliably go back as far as Latchford, Lyons and King. I remember Gordon Lee looking like an undertaker to me as a kid.
Oh those mid 80's were something special. Imagine having that midfield now.

18 Apr 2024 07:51:42
I remember the 70s teams, big bob hitting 30 league goals in 1 season, we beat Chelsea 6-0 last game of the season, we beat Leicester 5-1 away from home, very exciting team, Dave Thomas on the wing supplying the ammo for big Bob. Unfortunately we just couldn't hit the top, Liverpool were too good!

17 Apr 2024 13:05:41
Hello all,

I’ve waited for the dust to settle a bit on Monday’s car crash before saying anything.

I was in Cambridge that night watching Stewart Lee, which was so funny I nearly pee’d.

I then checked the score after the show and really had the p*ss taken out of me!

What’s strange is that I am actually hopeful that we will make amends for Monday by beating Forest at the weekend. In truth though its the hope that is killing me at the minute!

{Ed025's Note - im glad you never seen the comedy at the bridge on monday Benny, i dont know how anyone can be optimistic about the Forest game though mate, for me they are a lot better team than us..

17 Apr 2024 13:16:54
Think the players owe us a performance ed 025 tbh mate us fans pay to travel home and away but seems to me that last 4 years between April and may we need to make an atmosphere at goodison to cross us over the line when its the players responsibility to go out and put in a performance not saying were going to win every week but the way team sets up and dyche am not to optimistic staying up am afraid.

{Ed025's Note - if anyone can drag us over the line Andy its the supporters like yourself mate, to be honest this club and set of players dont deserve you imo, but if the best most passionate fans in the land cant save us...maybe we dont deserve saving..

17 Apr 2024 14:02:47
Very true Ed, the core supporters are fantastic and a credit to the club, I also can't see how people think we beat Forest, Brentford or Luton with our set up and severe lack of mobility.

Easy to say but think the 1st Goal is critical, we don't get it we lose

Can't see anything other than defeats V Arsenal and the reds.

Hopefully but not confident on the Sheff Utd game.

Said for months this season has not felt the same for a lot of reasons, we severely lack energy and a spark on the pitch, not sure our great supporters can drag us over the line on this occasion and if not the club deserves everything that comes it's way, they have us themselves and us supporters down time and time again.

{Ed025's Note - very true Mocker, i would love to be wrong mate but as you say there is definite lack of energy and belief in this team, add to that the lack of leadership and direction it makes it a really difficult task to try and rescue this season...if not impossible..

17 Apr 2024 15:24:51
Of course still very much in our hands but the increased off field problems and pessimistic future view as sucked hope out of most of us.

Richy and Gordan had that zest and sparkle about them to at least get us up the pitch and close down whilst connecting with the fans especially at home. None of that this season, all very pedestrian.

Dyches biggest problem for me this season he just ain't freshened it up and not even give the fans something to grasp and cheer like a young lad chucked in, know it's hard but we need something to feed off.

At the point in last 2 seasons I was reasonably confident of 1 or 2 big performances keeping us up, don't get that vibe at all this.

Even IF we do stay up, going to be very much the same next couple seasons minimum, a reset is very much needed, I know relegation would cripple us but perhaps what could spark us as a club.

Something tho does say in back of my head the financial stuff will get sorted in a positive manner, not sure how or who and probably just blind hope and faith but all am hanging onto at the moment, hard to imagine and think football would allow a founding member to just crumble in this manner.

They is a lot going on in this world which far out weighs our importance but as so many fans of football is a way of taking yasen away from all the negativity, not good for you when it starts to make thinks worse.

We as a club will survive 1 way or another, wether that's in the top flight is another matter, we have dined at the top table before and we will again. 🙏💙. Keep the faith and ya sanity. Only a game as the missus keeps saying 😒.

17 Apr 2024 18:18:58
I currently don’t see us as being better than anyone in the league and I include Sheffield in that.
Can’t see any points on the horizon unfortunately and that means we’re down.

17 Apr 2024 18:49:30
Keep the faith Chalkie we will stay up.

17 Apr 2024 10:53:44
Just been having a wonder at players we have been heavily linked with in the past and players we refused to bid what clubs valued them at.
Luiz Diaz - Rafa didn't think he was worth the punt and put a stop to a transfer to Everton.

Conor Gallagher - £45m bid was ready to submit from Lampard but never actually materialised.

Mykhaylo Mudryk - had a €30m bid rejected and we refused to go any higher, was sold to Chelsea for €88m a year later.

Muhammad Kudus - had a £15m bid accepted and was close to being sealed, we took too long and then Ajax pulled out because of the sale of Antony to Man Utd.

Viktor Gyokeres - bid £17.5m but refused to match Coventry Cities valuation of £20m, he eventually left for Sporting for £18.5m plus addons.

.

We then waste money on transfers like Maupay, Beto, Rondon, Townsend, McNeil, Vinagre, Young.

What an absolute disgrace this club is.

17 Apr 2024 11:34:10
No idea how close we were to any of those targets, but they'd certainly have improved our current squad.

17 Apr 2024 17:41:24
How many of those names were rumours or actually true? The lad from Coventry didn't want to come to us, he wanted to go to Sporting and play European football. We could have bid 50m and he still wouldn't have come. Don't think having a go at the club for not doing deals that could be based on rumour is right tbh. Not when there are plenty of other reasons, that we know to be factual, out there. Sh*t football, no game plan, lack of use of subs, wrong formation, wrong team selection etc. I'd have a pop over any of them before alleged transfers that never materialised.

17 Apr 2024 07:39:06
{Ed's Note - Tumbleweed! has posted a new article entitled, Player Assessment At Manchester United

16 Apr 2024 11:40:18
Well I'm still gutted by that display last night and have read, and listened to a load of podcasts.

Everyone is asking for SD to be sacked but I personally can't see them doing it due to the sacking cost and no-one in their right mind will take us on. So we are left with him until the end of the season.

I've also thought about formations and personally don't think we should change that either because if it was a 352 we'd probably have Keane playing (God forbid) and our wing backs would probably be Myko and Young. One is crap at going forward but can defend and the other is too old, too slow, can't defend and can't go forward. So what do we do?

I'd stay with the formation and play Myko, Branthwaite, Tarks and Godfrey (just for pace alone) , then Gueye, Doucoure in a middle 2, with Danjuma (left) , Harrison right, leaving Gomez as a number 10 and Lewin upfront.

To be fair to SD the whole team are rubbish and it's difficult to pick players but Mcneil needs dropping as he offers nothing at the mo and may be the kick up the arse he needs.

Really worried for Saturday and was before last night horror show.

What do you think team wise?

16 Apr 2024 13:04:49
You're correct about Mcneil's form but having read what the lad is going through at home and still playing for the shirt (he works hard for the team) it takes amazing courage and in this wretched season for me he is already our player of the season and deserves all the encouragement we can give, well done Dwight, stay strong mate.

16 Apr 2024 13:32:16
I'll never call a player out for effort if they're giving it 100%, McNeill does appear to try hard for the club. Great sympathy for anyone going through what he is, but he's part of a bigger problem, the players we've recruited simply aren't good enough. Fans are wondering why we're not playing expansive attacking football, it's because we don't have the players to do so. When we go down, which of our players will be snapped up by Premier League clubs? Two or Three?
Dyche is doing what he does, granted, not as well as he was at the start of the season. Anyone that watched yesterday can be in no doubt that we are in big trouble. We cannot change the squad (yet) but we can, and must, change the manager.

16 Apr 2024 14:50:18
Reflecting on games earlier in the season TB, there were much better performances, footballing and results wise, something has radically changed both from a managers/ coaches and players perspective.
The way Dyche sets up, typified again last night, is tactically clueless. To set up with effectively only two in midfield, one of which imo is a luxury whose workrate and application leaves a lot to be desired, resulted in being totally over run by a Chelsea midfield of four combative players with energy and pace ably supplemented by fullbacks who run passed both McNeil and Young as if they weren’t there.
This resulted in our back four being pulled out of position and quite honestly Chelsea looked like scoring every time they attacked. Their superiority was supported by Pickford who has never controlled the six yard area but now fails to catch any shot directly at him and resorts to pushing the ball out into dangerous positions.
We need to control the midfield to ensure we never suffer another abysmal performance and in this respect I would play Garner, right side, with Gana, Onana and Gomes, playing either Harrison or Danjuma as support for hopefully a fit DCL.

{Ed025's Note - yeah that was very weak last night Fancy, it looks to me as though the players are not buying in to this negative approach of Dycheball mate...and why would they, i also agree on Pickford who makes the odd decent save but then he presents the forwards with a second chance by parrying the ball back into the middle of the fray which then gets put in the back of the net, i cant think of one player who had even a half decent game myself..

16 Apr 2024 15:06:14
Sometimes I wonder if I am watching a different match to everyone else?

16 Apr 2024 16:03:09
You thought we played well Brass?

16 Apr 2024 16:20:27
No I thought we were bloody awful, I didn't see anyone giving anywhere near 100%. And as for McNeil his performances of late have been very poor. Now if this is as a result of what's going on in his personal life then the manager should take him out of the team.
We don't need him or Young in the team as neither are wingers. I mean when was the last time you saw either of them beat a man.
Play two up top and get Gomes in behind, at least he can pass a ball.

16 Apr 2024 17:03:59
Pickford has been playing some kind of sweeper keeper for half a season now and I've wondered why no commentators have ever picked up on it. He actually was man of the season for the first 25 games. Some unbelievable saves. He's been told to do that sweeper nonsense and he has a big ego on him and gets cocky. He was found out but he is far from a problem for us. I'd not have any problem selling him either as I think any top flight keeper is good enough with a decent defence but I'm not going to throw him under the bus for 1.5 cock ups last night. All keepers get embarrassed a few times in their career. If their keeper did that, none of our players would have scored, it'll rolled out for a throw in.

16 Apr 2024 17:10:07
3-4-1-2 for me.

Pickford

Godfrey Tark Jared

Harrison
Gueye
Gomes
Mykolenko

Garner

Beto
DCL.

16 Apr 2024 23:37:08
I'd swap Gomes and Garner around BlueNose.

17 Apr 2024 07:41:36
Agree Gomes has to be behind the front two.

17 Apr 2024 18:58:43
Personally think Garner should be there due to having better mobility than Gomes. When I’ve seen him play there in the past he can thread in tight spaces as well and is definitely more of a goal threat. Gomes far too slow on the ball for me to play No. 10 and is nowhere near agile enough.

For me playing Gomes deeper plays to his strengths. He can collect the ball off the defenders with more time and give us some composure in the middle of the park, choosing when to slow the game down for us or play forward fast.

16 Apr 2024 11:34:04
If we survive and I get the feeling we won't unless we start looking like we're fighting. I think Dyche will go. Although I wouldn't mind graham Potter, I think we need Harry Potter to fix this mess!

16 Apr 2024 17:05:47
What's this constant Potter dreaming? He isn't coming to us. If he blew out Wham how the heck is he coming here? I think we need to do a Bournemouth and get us a European up and comer with a lot to prove.

16 Apr 2024 18:19:48
How about get Bournemouths :)

{Ed025's Note - i do like Iraola Woburn, but they are really on the up and also have great owners mate...so why would he want to join a club in disarray like ours knowing he would have a very weak squad and no money to spend?..

16 Apr 2024 19:40:01
I was joking Ed, jeez you really are stressed out mate. Have another large brandy, works for me.

{Ed025's Note - sorry Woburn all my fun has been washed down the drain mate, my smiles are now frowns and im as funny a Michael McIntyre now mate.. :)

16 Apr 2024 09:36:59
See Deli Ali is off the television pundit team. He's pulled a muscle in his tongue apparently and will miss the rest of the seasons shows.

16 Apr 2024 13:08:15
Good effort Woburn lol.