Everton banter 7

28 Oct 2025 19:18:06
Do any teams actually play 2 strikers together anymore? Would be interesting and I would welcome it back. and since long balls and long throws have come back in fashion this season instead of possession football everyone was trying to play.

would give opposition managers something to think about. Come on DM give it ago against Sunderland can't do any worse. and I'm not saying dyche ball it all the time because we do have some decent players given space will pick a decent pass.

28 Oct 2025 12:47:48
We all seem to agree that playing either Beto or Barry as lone strikers is not the answer. So when playing at home how about playing them both. Madness I know but one thing we do seem to be good at is getting the ball into the box.

So play 4-4-2.
Garner-o'Brien-Keane-Aznou
Ndiaye-KDH-Rohl-Grealish
Barry-Beto
Yes I know it's madness but have to try something different, let's face it the formation we are using right now just isn't working.
Fire away.

28 Oct 2025 13:11:06
I’d be ok with that BMD, at least it would demonstrate a willingness to adopt a plan B.

28 Oct 2025 15:25:31
Agree anything to try something different.

28 Oct 2025 16:02:48
4-3-3

Pickford
Garner O’Brien Keane Aznou
Gueye Rohl Alcaraz
N’Diaye Barry Grealish

Beto won’t score, Barry might not either but he’s young and better on the ball than Beto, so give him games, don’t have anyone else. Let Alcaraz support him, which will give Grealish and N’Diaye more space as teams won’t be able to double up on them as easily. Garner and Aznou will overlap, giving them even more support. Gueye can sit and Rohl can be up and down.

When N’Diaye and Gueye go to AFCON, bring in KDH and Dibling.

If we line up with a 4-2-3-1 with Mykolenko and J’OB at full back against Sunderland, then I’ll lose faith with this manager, because it doesn’t work.

In January, get a striker on loan and try to buy a long term right back. Get rid of Mykolenko, Patterson if you can.

{Ed025's Note - Aznou and Barry are not quite prem ready according to the manager Swan, they are like a 10 Kilo piece of beef on a pilot light mate..

28 Oct 2025 16:25:55
Trouble is that side would very quickly fall into a 4-2-3-1 formation so no change from what we are doing now. The idea was to have two strikers as one doesn’t work. It doesn’t work now it didn’t work with DCL as a lone striker, and never worked with players before them.


In fact if you think about it our most successful period came when we played two strikers in Gray and Sharp.
Now obviously these two aren’t to that standard but as a pair they just might have some success. Don’t try it and you will never know.

{Ed025's Note - i do like the idea of a double act up front DMS, Liverpool had Keegan and Toshack, United had Yorke and Cole, unfortunately we have the modern day...Laurel and Hardy mate..

28 Oct 2025 16:28:15
More like slow cooker Ed mate.

28 Oct 2025 17:08:33
I like the idea and it would be entertaining watching Beto and Barry crashing into each other every five minutes.
Seriously though we do get a lot of balls into the box and having two strikers would double the chances of one of them getting on the end of a cross.


Just maybe not these two eh. How about Ndiaye and Barry or Beto with Dibbling coming in on the right.

29 Oct 2025 13:07:54
That is an insult to Stan and Oliver (two of yhe greatest) For a start Oliver was lighter on his feet.

28 Oct 2025 08:10:04
I actually think have two strikers with we can term as B&B is wholly appropriate for us as even though watching either or both don't relax you their performances so far this season can send you to sleep ?????.

28 Oct 2025 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Thestigno1 has posted a new article entitled, Can Hearts End The Old Firm Dominance?

27 Oct 2025 21:23:06
My best hope now, is that TFG, run out of paychence, recognise their mistake of not saying thank you to Moyes for stearing us clear from the drop, gave him a nice golden hand shake, and said goodbye.
His CV, been manager at Everton, man united and w/ ham and in a 20 plus career has won burger all of any significance, and yes he won the losers cup at w/ ham, but for a 20 year career has nothing to show for it, still not beaten any of the top sides.

27 Oct 2025 21:34:16
Thank Christ someone on this site with a bit of sence who thinks the same as me and every other blue that I watch the game with every week.

27 Oct 2025 23:50:24
And get who?

28 Oct 2025 01:56:48
Who do we replace him with? People saying “get the Bournemouth manager”, it’s so arrogant. Why would he leave them to come here?

I am genuinely terrified to hear some of the suggestions, Ange? Martinez? Rodgers?

28 Oct 2025 04:47:28
Played golf with a season ticket holder yesterday. Doesn’t think Moyes should go. Thinks Everton fans are very hard to please and that the minority peddle their opinions as the obvious view that everyone should agree with. We were all happy with the start we made to the season.

The last few games have not been as good. Any illusions fans had of top 6 with this squad were premature. One window and we have a better squad than we had before. We’ll need a couple more.

28 Oct 2025 05:19:16
Spelling is an indication of judgement!

28 Oct 2025 06:57:33
? Some of the most successful people in the world can't spell, stupid statement.

28 Oct 2025 07:11:16
I am a season ticket holder and Moyes is crap and should have gone at the end of the season. Anyone who thought top 6 with that defence and forward line is nuts. Not getting atleast 2 fullbacks and a decent striker was an absolute joke. By the way no one I know wanted Moyes anywhere near the club.

28 Oct 2025 08:00:42
Two words: West Ham.

28 Oct 2025 09:04:39
Moyes needs to stay definitely, he only needs to fix a few positions, hopefully this will be sorted in the January window, talk of replacing him is ridiculous.

28 Oct 2025 09:25:03
Well, sounds like we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one lads. It would be good to see some variation in tactics, but I’d say we’re watching better football than last season. I’m going to reserve judgement until January where we’ll need to sign a few as others have said.

28 Oct 2025 11:09:55
It’s fine saying we just need to sign a couple of players but when we do we then need to play them. This is the problem we keep playing the same players and expect a different result. While new signings are sitting on the bench why? Moyes says there not ready. Ready for what, the ones he’s playing don’t look bloody ready .

28 Oct 2025 11:57:39
Successful people have others do their releases and lawyers reading word by word contracts Skylark - take it as a compliment I even bothered answering your latest comment.

28 Oct 2025 12:27:23
I don't know why I bothered answering you to be honest.

28 Oct 2025 12:46:16
????.

28 Oct 2025 13:34:47
I think we are better than last season JB but the benchmark isn't really that high mate.

I am by no means calling for Moyes to go because I had this season down as a write-off and was fully aware at how s**** some of the players in this team are.

Pickford, JB, Gueye (age) , Garner, Rohl, Charlie, KDH, Grealish, Ndiaye and Dibling are the only players that should stay/ be in with a shout of the first 11. Everyone else needs to be gutted or demoted to the bench.

We should be a little higher in the table imo with the team that we have, so in that case Moyes is underperforming. That being said he always started the first half of the season slow and always seemed to pick up after Christmas.

The players he has to use are dreadful, so I won't blame Moyes for everything but his setups, his choices of 11, his inability to change the game in approach or personnel are definitely there to be scrutinised.

Moyes is good enough to achieve what we should achieve this season but he isn't good enough to move us forward and over achieve. The game has moved on from the type of manager that he is. You need a plan A, B, C and D to win matches in the PL now. The more footage that is out there on us, the easier we are to play against and to beat.

I would like him to get us to January, see if we can fix some problem positions - both fullbacks, a striker and a no 10 all need attention. Getting 2 or 3 out of the 4 should be achievable if the work to identify has started now. January is notoriously difficult to get players in but if we can't get the top targets, we should be able to move down the list a few times and still improve the shower we have in those positions.

If we can get to summer in a healthy position 9th-12th, coupled with the new stadium, decent training ground facilities, fanbase etc, we should be able to attract better players and be able to sell them (I hate this term) "project".

We can then try and kick on with a new manager and get into the European spots and have some fun in some obscure countries again.

28 Oct 2025 16:31:59
Another season of transition, a new manager in that did well with what he inherited last season and a vast amount of new players in and some out. What were some of you really expecting? We all knew that this would take a couple of windows to sort yet quite a few seem ready to pull the trigger without a second thought. I think we've been down that road far too many times in the last few years and, at this moment in time, it's stability that we need in order to be able to move forward.
It's no secret that we need at least one, probably two, new forwards as the current two aren't up to scratch. Barry needs time, and games, beto is just beto, absolutely nothing needs to be said that we all don't already know about him.

Get what we can for him in January and utilise the loan market next window. Both full back positions need strengthening too.
For me, the fact that our forwards can't finish their dinner is a massive part of our current woes. I've lost count of the times that they've been in good positions, mainly beto, fluffed their lines and then we find ourselves a goal or two down. Their lack of goals invites pressure and has been our biggest problem this season. Rectify that in the next window and things don't look as bleak.

{Ed025's Note - we know it will take a bit of time to get where we want to BP, im not expecting miracles mate but a little 3 card trick every now and then to mix things up would be nice...oh and make the forwards disappear as well.. :)

29 Oct 2025 17:40:08
If we’d got someone like Woltemade we’d be a different team I think.

27 Oct 2025 09:44:37
Moyes needs to re think a few things now, we can all see that Beto and Barry are not at the level required, it seems pointless just playing them for the safe of it, hoping that they might just come right, for me it's not going to happen and playing them makes us so predictable and easy to play against in the final third
We can all see that Mycolenko is also not the answer, gives the ball away or miss places passes, the attack breaks down when he gets the ball and is definitely no help for GREALISH
Moyes now needs play his best players, he needs to shuffle the pack and find places for
Röhl ( very impressive) Dibling (He was on fire for Southampton, 40milion purchase! He needs games now )

27 Oct 2025 13:38:09
I am a Moyes fan was glad he returned, (I know not everyone is) , but it's very disappointing he doesn't try something different, Beto and Barry just aren't cutting it, the last few games he's switched them around, and failed, same old same old. why not just try something different, put someone in a false number 9 or something, anything but those 2!

{Ed025's Note - my problem with Davey Tomtom is that he is very much a one trick pony for me mate, he only has one way of playing which is to lump it up to the big man up front and with our 2 being useless we dont usually get the second phase ball, teams are doubling upon Jack and Ndiaye and we are a toothless tiger at the moment..

27 Oct 2025 15:11:38
My worry is that Moyes nor any of the senior places failed to spot the fact that we were being targeted on those set pieces by Spurs. A Sunday league team could have cottoned onto that and made the necessary adjustments.

Why was O'Brien on the post when he is the biggest player on the pitch? Would it not have made sense to stick him or Tarkowski in front of Pickford to give him some protection. We all know that commanding the box is the weakest part of his game.

Mykolenko is an absolutely shocking footballer. I can't understand how some fans rate him. He isn't even good at the defensive aspect of the game and everybody knows how poor his attacking side is. It is just as important to get a decent LB in as it is a RB for me.

Tarkowski is not as good as some people make out either. Just because he throws his body in front of shots he gets lauded as some colossus defender. He is slow in body and mind. He ball watches consistently every week and seems to think it is funny, smirking and laughing after Richarlison has just done him and nearly scored a 1 on 1 with Pickford when we are 2 down. Fella is a helmet and is far from captain material for me.

James Garner is fantastic and can play anywhere. I feel sorry for him.

We need to see Rohl get a start in the side now he is fit. Head an shoulders above what we have in the middle in terms of application. Adds size and power and technically is better than what we have.

KDH seems to have a brilliant reputation and obviously has talent but I have not been impressed with him since the Wolves game tbh. What is the point in us having a squad if we don't use it. Alcaraz showed in the Palace game that he can affect games. Why not change things up and send a message to the players.

Ndiaye is absolutely quality but teams know to double up on him to nullify him and can do so without any worry because we don't have a fullback that offers an option for him.

Rinse and repeat with Grealish and not having an option overlapping him. Quality player but very predictable in his play. If he isn't going down the line to get a cross in, he cuts back and lays it off to somebody. I would actually like to see him in the 10 where he has the option to play both sides. His first touch is immaculate to get out of tight spaces and we have seen the vision that he has. Getting runs from Ndiaye and a Dibling on the flanks in behind opposition back 4's would give us a new approach.

I don't know about anyone else but I was very bored and emotionless with that game yesterday. A certain inevitability about it. Teams have cottoned on how to play against us, so Moyes really needs to come up with other options in terms of setup or approach.

I am not getting to frustrated by the performances as this season was a write-off in my head anyway, knowing the limitations that we had in the squad. Of course, as any Blue, I want us to finish as high up the table as possible but I think it would actually do us a favour to just miss out on the European spots. That would give us another season without the extra games and time to strengthen it in another window.

27 Oct 2025 16:34:00
BN there’s nothing in your message that I disagree with about the players. But unfortunately for me I do get frustrated watching it. We are still 5 or more players short of a decent team. We brought in 8-9 players and only 2 of them start. Grealish instead of Ndiaye on left and Dewsbury-Hall in the 10 instead of Alcaraz.

Those were probably our best 2 players last season so we have improved in our strongest positions.
It’s unbelievable why we didn’t get in a right back and a left back that is ready to go, we needed to improve on Keane (but didn’t) either.

27 Oct 2025 17:02:26
Ruhl (for Gueye) and kdh. Keane or Tarkowsky benched, Garner RB, o'Brien CB, Alcaraz 10, Dibling Grealish Ndyae. No Beto or Barry.

27 Oct 2025 17:56:41
Would go with that mate, good shout.

27 Oct 2025 18:13:53
I think we’ll need Gueye this season. Encouraged by Rohl though, get him in midfield and get Garner at right back. Step in the right direction.

27 Oct 2025 19:03:32
If you’re going to change then change. Rohl and KDH with a front four of Ndiaye, Grealish Alcaraz and Dibbling. But let them interchange positions, they can all play wide and central. Keep the opposition guessing. And no more hoofball.

{Ed025's Note - amen to that BMD..

27 Oct 2025 19:29:35
Spurs were bang average yesterday and came away with 3 points. we huffed and puffed doing the same thing as we do every game. Loved how many times Mykolenko overlapped Grealish and kudus and porro just let him go knowing Grealish wasn't going to give him the ball. but then the few occasions he does get the ball in advanced positions the attack breaks down. i have never rated Mykolenko. Tarks is way off it this season Garner is all over the place and looks knackered after 70 minutes which is not surprising with the ground he covers.

KDH seems scared to tackle now since them stupid yellows he has received. Not going to mention the forwards. the ref made some weird decisions yesterday aswell against both teams tbf. little free kicks or corners he gave the wrong way. End of the day we wasn't good enough and struggled to hit the target with what we did create.

27 Oct 2025 20:19:08
Good post BlueNose, unfortunately we will see the same team with maybe one change against Sunderland. Moyes is just not going to make major changes. The problem is that Moyes team is so predictable that opposition team Managers have little problem in preparing their team to beat us. Double up on Grealish and Ndiaye and you render us impotent. We have players sitting on the bench who could make a difference but they will remain on the bench or if they are introduced it is way too late in the game to make any impact.


The successful clubs utilize technology to determine the tactics to be used against any particular team, a perfect example being Spurs dead ball tactics against us. For whatever reason we seem to be way behind other clubs in utilizing technology, its just send out the same eleven with the same tactic game ever game and it works well for a while but now we have been found out.

{Ed025's Note - god i wish you were wrong Mike...but your not..

28 Oct 2025 15:41:32
Key phrase: Dibling 'was' on fire, clue Southampton were very keen to get rid and we obliged with OTT payment for so far a dud.

{Ed025's Note - shall i tell you what the worst word in the world is DMS..potential, we are potentially a good side with potentially top players who could potentially finish in the top 8....now to the FACTS...we have spent a lot of good money on players with potential who have turned out to be flops, Chermiti, Kean, Dibbling, Barry Aznou etc and its killing us mate, its ok to buy potential when you are a top 8 established side but when you are struggling you need finished article im afraid, i would not put our scouting team in charge of making a jelly and yes mistakes can be made where transfers are concerned but we are top class at finding duffers and it cracks me up..

27 Oct 2025 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - PatrikBurgher has posted a new article entitled, Slot Has Failed Tactically With Liverpool In The Premier League

27 Oct 2025 00:39:58
For me barry needs a run team he needs 4 or 5 starts before we judge him. Beto clearly not good enough his first touch is horrendous.

27 Oct 2025 02:31:35
This is true but it won’t happen.

27 Oct 2025 06:58:26
He needs a run into the penalty area first.

27 Oct 2025 09:22:17
Barry should be loaned out, no way is he up to the level required.

27 Oct 2025 21:03:14
I've noticed over the years that if a player don't hit the ground running then they are shipped out ASAP. Yet some players aren't suited to our style or even the league. Moise Kean is good example. Back scoring in a league he is familiar with but again he wasn't given a real chance with us.

Chermiti not given a chance but he looks poor tbf. Also seeing us linked with strikers who score 3 goals a season is very underwhelming. Hopefully once these new backroom staff get feet firmly under the table, then maybe we'll get a decent striker in. Give me another Lukaku anyday over Beto or Barry.

26 Oct 2025 21:27:33
I'm glad David Moyes is happy the way we played, well that's one man's opinion, their are 50,000 others who choose to disagree.

26 Oct 2025 23:08:17
I’ve sat in his seat when I did the tour and you do get a pretty good view. Maybe he’s colour blind?

27 Oct 2025 14:32:00
The amount of good crosses that came in from left and right flanks suggest DM is right up to a point. Our striker (s) should have been on the end of quite a few. We didn't defend corners/ set pieces well at all. Spurs goalie and defenders did excellent. I agree Beto needs a rest, Barry nowhere near good enough for the Prem, needs a spell in our reserves.

Bring Alcaraz and Dibling in. B and B out, Keane or Tarks out. Garner to RB, OBrien to CB, KDH alongside Gueye, Alcaraz 10 or whatever a false 9 is, Dibling, Grealish, Ndaye up front.

26 Oct 2025 21:09:32
Play O'Brien at centre back. Garner at RB. KDH at one of a midfield 2 (with Gana or Rohl) , then a 3 of ndiaye, Alcaraz, Grealish.
All of a sudden you have a full back with a great cross, a deeper lying midfielder that's progressive and looks for a forward pass, and a more natural number 10 who can create and is also an absolute grafter off the ball ?.

26 Oct 2025 23:10:14
Mmm sounds far to logical. Surely it’s better to play lots of players out of position no.

27 Oct 2025 02:43:47
Everyone knows this, but the manager doesn’t. He insists on O’Brien at right back, which worked at first, but people have worked out he’s not an attacking threat and can be doubled up on. Rohl has been getting rave reviews in training and looks good when he plays, but Moyes won’t start him. He was happy to play Garner at left back, but not right back.

Against Sunderland, I will be AMAZED if there is a single change from the starting 11 against Spurs.

Alcaraz would not only support the striker, but he would stop Grealish and Ndiaye being doubled up on by the opposition.

But Moyes doesn’t like him for some reason.

Truly bizarre manager, I love him for all he’s done for the club, but he’s the master at wasting opportunities.

27 Oct 2025 09:24:43
Keane has do nothing wrong, Mykolenko is the problem.

27 Oct 2025 09:33:57
He needs to switch Ndiaye and Grealish during the game too to mix it up a bit. Grealish can’t shoot that well so is better off concentrating on crosses and passes into the box, and Ndiaye can cut in from the left and have a crack at goal like he used to do.

27 Oct 2025 17:06:15
Didn't see Toffee's post (obviously very astute) . Never seen Grealish on the right Comet and not to confident of him in the middle.

26 Oct 2025 19:19:21
Lost count of the amount of times our centre backs had the ball looked up and nobody was moving. The two wide players were being doubled up on so there was room in the middle, we just had nobody to make the most of it.
We actually lack any pace in midfield with Garner and Gana. KDH has stated before that he is better playing deeper, he is certainly not a ten.

Alcaraz is one of the few midfielders we have who goes forward with any pace and he's sitting on the bench?
Moyes needs to start thinking about how he is going to change this. Simply doing the same thing over and over again isn't working.

26 Oct 2025 19:40:47
Agree Alcaraz should play, even as a striker maybe.

26 Oct 2025 20:34:17
The whole place is starting to stink of Moyes and his clan with a touch of kenwright to it all
We are very very predictable.
We should have had a fresh start in our new stadium, can't see us getting anything out of the next three games , TFG will not dither unlike Moyes,
Terrible decision to bri g him back.

26 Oct 2025 20:52:24
Ffs skylark
Even if it was just to keep us up last season DM has earned his corn!

26 Oct 2025 20:56:46
Problem with Alcaraz is he does have pace, so Moyes can only see him as a wide player.

In the 10, he won’t drop as deep as KDH, but he will go upfront at times and run beyond the striker.

As for him upfront, let’s just please stop, square pegs in round holes again.

26 Oct 2025 21:07:54
Move Garner to RB, Obrien for Keane, KDH/ Rohl alongside Gueye, Alcaraz 10.

26 Oct 2025 21:37:42
Gonna say this: We’re six off the drop and have just lost to a top four side.

We all know we need some firepower up top. Two months to go until Jan and I cannot see this not being addressed by the owners then.

Until then we will be around mid-table and have good days and bad.

At least we’re not going down this year.

Its frustrating that this is where we are, but I’m at least a little happier than I have been for a good few years. Even if it is flat and pretty frustrating. We’re trying to undo years of mismanagement.

Moyes’ll see us ok, but I can’t see him starting with anyone other than Beto, or Barry up top until then.

I’ll stick my tin-hat on now and wait for the pelters.

26 Oct 2025 23:17:21
Any day now we will have the knife to a gun fight quote. Spurs are not a good side, we simply didn’t show enough attacking spirit, and our defending was comical at best.
Is that our measure now not getting relegated is a success?

26 Oct 2025 23:43:44
Was saying to a mate yesterday, progress for us is gradual incremental improvements until we really can get the squad we krave. We had been abysmal since 2017 slowly slowly shaping ourselves but its still going to take time and we will have good and bad days.
I don't think the owners are expecting instant success.

27 Oct 2025 07:27:36
No way am I saying we’re happy with the way things are, but I am saying that we need to give it a few more windows before we can start to see something like a decent squad (with depth) that can compete towards the top of the table.

To say Spurs are not a decent side when they are the holders of a European trophy, are playing in the CL and are also 3rd in the PL is not a realistic assessment of their squad. They have Solanke, Kulesevski and Maddison to come back into their front line as well.

27 Oct 2025 15:27:57
That Spurs team yesterday were bang average. Difference was they had a manager who came with a plan. Shut down Grealish and Ndiaye and make the most of set pieces.
We have a manager who has one way of playing and if that doesn't work, well he will try it again and again anyway.

{Ed025's Note - im with you Brass..