Everton banter 5

03 Aug 2026 07:24:31
Why is everyone obsessed by stats? Surely it depends on what team you play for and what league you’re in. I mean, a player playing for, say, Celtic, could have great stats. But they are the best team playing in a crap league. So that doesn’t mean he will perform to the same level in an average team in the better league.

For example, Patterson had great stats while at Rangers, but has struggled ever since joining us.
We all watch players every week home and away, and we make our minds up about how good or bad they are based on what we see. I would like to think the club are doing the same, and not just basing it on bloody stats.

03 Aug 2026 08:49:57
I think the club go like this when looking for transfer targets. Eeny meeny miny moe catch a player by the toe.
Well, it does feel like that.

{Ed025's Note - I dont think its that sophisticated Dino..

03 Aug 2026 10:33:31
Patterson only played a few games for Rangers before we signed him. He was never getting a game as James Tavernier was the rightback and captain. Think he played more for Scotland than Rangers.

03 Aug 2026 10:42:02
You've basically described every team in the majority of the leagues worldwide, mate. The game has been stats driven for many years now and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. You see the GPS vests the players wear in preseason, clubs have their own analysts to provide data on all aspects of the game.

It's not just us.

Patterson wasn't really in the first team picture at Rangers and, I think, only played a few games for them.

03 Aug 2026 12:49:39
Spot on, Loyalist.

Patterson played a whopping 13 games for Rangers before we signed him with 1 assist.

03 Aug 2026 13:33:03
Van Dyke was at Celtic & when we were looking for a new CB, who did we sign, Funnes Mori. Both the same price & we picked the donkey..again.

03 Aug 2026 15:55:55
Or Van Dick just ended up at a better team.

02 Aug 2026 18:49:27
I would be interested to hear other people’s thoughts, but from what I’ve seen, Rőhl and Aznou appear to have been Everton’s two best players during pre-season.

02 Aug 2026 19:59:48
From watch I've watched, Rohl has been very energetic and covered a lot of ground. He's not a RB but could be with more work. I would like to see him as an 8 or develop his crossing as a RW. He put in a good cross for Barry's no goal and tracked the ball well for his goal against Hamburg - he also dug it out his feet from a pass behind him to control it and put it in the net.

Aznou has been attacking when he's come on (though spent large parts of the Stoke game running towards our goal with the tactics of sideways or backwards) . I think he's a little naive defensively, but brings more attacking play than Myko.

KDH and Hackney have been solid.

Not set the world on fire but did their jobs mostly. Hackney was caught in possession against Hamburg, which led to a good chance they fluffed up.

George started well against Stoke, but his end product was lacking. Hope he gets more game time.

Graham made a decent cameo and Armstrong looks a good player. Graham's assist for the own goal saw him chase the ball down and whip the ball into a decent place. I doubt Beto would have gotten to it, but the defender did enough to turn it in. I think he looks a little lightweight and needs some time to bulk out or he might get bullied by opposition in Prem games.

02 Aug 2026 18:08:18
Everton agree personal terms with Baris Alper Yilmaz as he decides on Premier League switch, but if this is true no fee agreed with the selling club. Make of this what you will, fellow Evertonians.

02 Aug 2026 20:01:39
Loan to buy?

03 Aug 2026 07:50:28
Just buy the bloke a very good player with an attacking mindset.

02 Aug 2026 16:20:34
The problem I have is we have known from September last year that we need a right back and a proven striker who can score goals and move the club forward or we are toast again this season. Why does it take so long? Surly we could have had these things in place before the end of the season with a list of 3/4 rb targets and 3/4 striker targets and as soon as window is open, you pounce, get the best one out of the 3/4 options and they have weeks of preseason to settle in.

What we do is wait to deadline week when all the good players have already been snapped up and we end up with garbage like Barry. Spurs moved early. Why can’t we? It’s just frustrating because I know we have few weeks left but it feels like we are doing the same wait wait wait and end up with Donkeys. Getting a striker for me is the be all and end all. We do that I don’t care but right back striker is main priority.

{Ed025's Note - its been that way for years Dino...dont ask me why..

02 Aug 2026 19:01:35
Exactly, Dino.

02 Aug 2026 20:03:26
I have come to believe players don't want to play for us. Make of that what you will, but unless we pay stupidly high wages, we might not attract the top talent.

02 Aug 2026 15:47:01
I know it’s a matter of opinion but the thought of a front line of Grealish, Richy and Ndyai with
KDH Norgard, Garner, Hackney in midfield and a back three of O’Brien, Tarks and Branthwaite is quite exciting with strength on the bench as well.
Maybe it’s my age, but I’m that excited, I think a bit of wee came out.
UTFT COYB

02 Aug 2026 17:20:29
It is exciting but very unlikely given Moyes doesn't usually play a back three.

{Ed025's Note - its usually a back 11 .. :)

02 Aug 2026 18:02:14
Definitely age, Big C.

02 Aug 2026 19:09:34
You're lucky it's only a bit!

02 Aug 2026 19:49:46
Tarks should be put down like a severely lame horse. Never had pace but has slowed considerably. Flounders about the pitch in no man's land. Look at the goal yesterday from Hamburg - marking neither player and stood aimlessly in space.

The fall off with him is and will continue to be very steep.

I would if we went in for a decent CB this window. Failing that, I would love it if Moyes had the bollocks to drop him and play JB and O'B.

{Ed025's Note - not sure about put down BN, but certainly dropped mate.. :)

03 Aug 2026 01:34:15
I thought Tarky was poor all last season and from Christmas onwards he was terrible.

But if you read through his stats, he was one of the best central defenders in EPL.

The stats and my eyes are seeing two completely different things.

But I think he's finished as a decent centre-half in EPL and his lack of pace will cost us even more goals if he is not dropped.

03 Aug 2026 04:08:06
I like Tarks but unfortunately age catches up with us all. Branthwaite & O'Brien have to be our starting centre backs this season.

NSNO UTFT. ? ? ?

02 Aug 2026 15:06:30
Now there's a shock! Bournemouth in the process of signing a right back. Juanlu £11.2 million from Sevilla. 22 capped for Spain. Where were our scouts for the last few weeks, oh yes Scotland and watching the World Cup. Might have the smallest stadium in the Premier League but have bloody good scouts.

02 Aug 2026 16:33:15
Decent signing for them. They've just signed Silva too, who I think will be a great signing.

They really do have a great recruitment team over there.

02 Aug 2026 18:57:07
Who said our Scouts were in Scotland?
This whole 'where are our scouts/what are they doing' is tiresome.

02 Aug 2026 15:01:30
Juanlo to Bournemouth for 13m, good signing that for them, pity we didn't or couldn't get him.

02 Aug 2026 14:35:56
I’m gonna stick my neck out here but I think that Hackney and Norgaard represent excellent pieces of business for us as a club, the latter is a bargain in this market at just £7 million. We have a strong midfield now, especially if we can get Grealish done and over the line. For me though, now a top striker is desperately needed and a decent right back - not the guy from Celtic please….

If we can get in Yilmaz and keep Ndiaye too, then it’s a good window for me. Just remember that Branthwaite is back too which will be like another signing as he is top drawer …. UTT

02 Aug 2026 15:00:09
They do that Elvis very shrewd signings.

02 Aug 2026 12:36:41
I can't understand some of the negativity over Norgaard. He's exactly what we need at the moment and at a bargain price.

If funds are a little tight and we can get rid of Barry, Mykolenko and McNeil we should be able to get a Right Back, a Left Back and a half decent Striker.

{Ed025's Note - well im in SB..

02 Aug 2026 13:40:04
Whoever DM brings in will never be good enough for a few on here. I'm starting to think that some actually want the Team to fail because of their hatred for DM. I can understand opinions, but this is much more than that. We flounder this season and DM gets moved on. All will be well, mate.

02 Aug 2026 14:43:48
To join a previous post I made and to contribute to this one, I have no problem with DM haters. I was a vocal SD hater from the week before he even took the job through to today, when he gets paid by Talksport to waffle incoherent tripe, as it's all fans' right to hate on the choices the club makes.
It's the ones who take the most uninformed views about any story (opinion piece) that clearly are not anything to do with the manager, and bang on like clockwork to beat him.

"The dinner ladies have retired, get DM out, what's he doing to the dinner ladies, it's an outrage." You belittle our intelligence with this onslaught of moronic trash. No marks. I have no problem with anyone we've signed or rumoured to sign so long as they replace and upgrade what we have. Yes, a RB seems to be a big concern, but we have over a month.

02 Aug 2026 15:00:14
GB, you are 100% correct. That's why DM should never have come back. It's an almost impossible situation for him, and it was always going to end in tears. Just another stupid decision by our club. I know too many Blues who, like myself, just don't like DM managing our club.

Not even a cup win would change their minds. I think he would have to win the league and Champions League for them to like him, and not much chance of that happening, GB.

02 Aug 2026 15:03:00
Agree virtually every name that is mentioned is immediately turned down by them, thank goodness it's only two or three.

02 Aug 2026 16:25:01
Really happy with the signings of Hackney and Norgaard (fingers crossed it will be completed) . The latter came out of nowhere, so gives me a bit more faith that they may be working on other signings in the background.

Right back and a striker are a necessity, and hopefully we will see more movement this week. If we got those sorted and keep Ndiaye, it will be a decent (not necessarily excellent) window.

A striker is always a difficult one, as it's hard to find a prolific one for the money we're looking to spend. There's always a chance someone who's struggled at previous clubs will just click in new surroundings, so I'm happy to give whoever comes in a chance.

{Ed025's Note - we have been saying that for the last 3 years Tommo..

02 Aug 2026 18:08:24
If Patterson is never going to be playing, then get rid for crying out loud. If Patts does go, then imo we need 2 right backs. Rohl isn't the answer at either right back or right wing, but looks like another JG due to his versatility.


I feel for O'Brien playing right back, because I think he's bloody brilliant at centre back, but dodgy Tarks is blocking him playing.

03 Aug 2026 17:52:04
He is very good at CB, and even though he tries at right back, he just doesn't have the intelligence a natural RB does. I'd love us to start the season with him and Branthwait, as it could be a great partnership that might last years.

02 Aug 2026 11:47:22
Sorry if this has been mentioned or I am out the loop here.

Yesterday's game I believe both Patterson and Pickford were both on the bench.

So they've both returned to the club following the World Cup break.



But no Ndyiae, so if I am correct, and the other two World Cup players returned and he has not, then that surely that answers a lot of this transfer saga around him leaving.

Or am I fabricating worse case scenarios here ha?

02 Aug 2026 12:20:56
It was George Pickford on the bench, and Scotland got knocked out earlier than Senegal.