Elston Gunnn

Mirallas got a good run-in against an obviously weak Gibraltar, 28 minutes, 3 shots on goal, hit the post once. A lot of attacking talent in that Belgium squad, so I don't expect him to play major minutes against strongest opponents. But if Meunier, Mertens, or Hazard picks up an injury, it wouldn't be shocking to see Mirallas start a match. He has an incentive to play well for Everton. Which we need, badly, badly.

Match was televised in US. McCarthy played ok, a bit gassed by end. He also picked up a nasty cut on his arm, finished match with bandaged arm. Coleman's goal was a strange one, but all credit to Coleman, who beat his defender with a strong run to the goal line, and the kept going once his pass bounced around among defenders. Some luck in the chaos, but he was the most determined to get it into the net.

Ok, fair point about my focus on Barkley. Maybe I just notice his slow-down play because he's something like a "false 10," with a significant amount of our forward play going through him. So if the whole team does it, then that suggests Koeman just doesn't have a squad consistently (or even intermittently?) capable of fluid movement going forward with the ball. Again, your word - "laboured" - seems spot on to me. Not a good look these last 3 matches. Painful.

I just posted on another thread a critical assessment of our "laboured" play. Here's a somewhat more optimistic (or foolish) post. Lots of talk about how we have missed a great opprtunity to stay up in 2d place with poor performances recently, generally premised on the view that we've played mostly weak teams thus far. The general assumption is, "Now we have to face the big boys." But that's not entirely accurate. Following tne break, we have 6 matches in Oct-Nov, of which only 2 are with the big clubs: away to both City and Chelsea. A point at either would be a nice surprise, so I won't count on it. Yet the other 4 are winnable, and 10 from those 12 isn't unreasonable, if we regain our earlier solid form. Take 10 from next 18 possible, and we're at 24 points out of first 13 matches. First half of December does bring ManU, Arsenal, and Liverpool - but all at Goodison. Silly to speculate all the way to 2017, so I'll stop short of that. But if - if - Koeman finds a lineup and system that eliminates our laboured play and injects some spirit and fluidity instead, we could look forward to the January window as an optimistic time to add to a good squad rather than as a desperate time to overhaul a mediocre one. For me, a lot reduces to the most basic of questions: how good are our players? I don't know.

I think nogs has hit on just the right word for our play, at least in our last 3 dismaying matches: "laboured." I'm perhaps overly critical of Barkley, and our laboured play is hardly his fault alone, but as many of you have said, he's no 10. I don't know what his best position is, but generally he slows things down far too often, dribbling too much, strange decisions, shooting when he should pass, passing when he should blast it. Again, I'm probably too critical of his football brain deficiencies, so I'm curious as to whether others share nogs's description of our "laboured" play but have a different analysis of why it's the opposite of fluid.

Ref will be Clattenburg.

Back in the summer window, I asked whether people thought Koeman needed to "tweak" the squad with a few signings, or "overhaul" it with a half-dozen or more signings. Opinions differed, though overall many were less than fully satisfied, culminating with deadline day frustrations. With 4 straight wins and 13 from a possible 15 to begin the season, many of us began expressing not just hopeful expectations but something approaching confidence that Koeman had corrected the Martinez disaster. The last 2 matches have been pretty deflating, to the extent that renewed disagreements now re-emerge over so many players [barkley, Funes Mori, Valencia, Deulofeu, Cleverley, Mirallas, Coleman, McCarthy, Lennon, Kone] that one might say we are back to the issue of "tweak or overhaul." Presumably an overwhelming majority of Everton fans - right now - look to further acquisitions in January. Even if we manage to stay, say, top 6 once the fixtures become more challenging, most - even those on TT who think there's been a stupid overreaction to Norwich City and Bournemouth performances - will demand a new signing or 2 [more??] in January. All of which raises, for me, and I think implicitly for the vast majority on TT, the basic question: how good are our players? If the squad is further "tweaked" in January, good enough to challenge for top 4? Top 6? Only top half, at best?

Just watched Koeman's postgame interview. He referred twice to players not starting match with right attitude. That must have been obvious and maddening to all who watched the match, which I did not. Koeman seemed to say Everton were the better team in second half. Were they? Clearly better team? Changed attitude/energy? "Deserved" a draw but, once again, couldn't finish (and so actually didn't deserve a draw)?

Yes, to my real worry above about energy, concentration, and character, I should have added the obvious: talent.

Delicate position being an Everton fan after these last 2 matches. On the one hand, we support, fiercely so, those who wear the Everton shirt. But ....... My link in US didn't work today, so I listened and read TT. The radio guys were embarrassed by our play. And in posts above I read about a player -- probably several -- who are stealing fans' money with this kind of shoddy play. Or Cleverley being the only player matching Bournemouth's energy. Or poor concentration all around. Or a squad with weak characters. We can't call this a "one-off." At least a two-off of listless, careless play. Do we lack energy, concentration, character? Or is this just a puzzling, very poor 2 matches?

Anybody in US hacing trouble with Live Extra loading onto iPad?

Several important points here. Most I agree with, maybe a couple of disagreements, or clarifications. 1. Outfought - Yes, seems that way. Really unacceptable to be outfought - or out-strategized?? - by a Championship reserve squad. Given the result, hard not to think Norwich wanted it more, and that our missed chances resulted from missing concentration. You just want to scream and cuss. As many of us probably did. A Championship reserve squad...... 2. Wrong changes by Koeman - Funes Mori at LB seemed bizarre when announced, and foolish in the event. Don't think we can be too critical of Deulofeu as a "change," since he's a sometime-starter anyway, and can play exciting football. If he failed this time, it was his failure, not Koeman's. I expect Deulofeu to be in and out of the starting lineup, and to both impress and disappoint as the season goes on. Cleverley - well, several posted that he had a fine first half, and my impression was the radio guys said he was our best player in first half. Second half, less impressive, apparently. Lennon - I was happy he got the start, but it was a lost opportunity for him, so I assume he won't play much, except if injuries to wingers pile up. 3. Galloway out on loan to WBrom. 4. Can we actually say, based on this admittedly dismaying result, that our squad players aren't good enough? I wouldn't be appalled to see Funes Mori in at some point for an injured Jagielka or Williams. But no more LB, please. I'm disappointed Koeman didn't play Oviedo at LB, though I realize some on TT don't think he's adequate even as a squad player. Cleverley - he played well enough, if mostly only in first half, that I think he's adequate as a squad player. He can fill in at a couple lf positions with energy, but he won't be consistently excellent anywhere. Lennon - see paragraph 2. 5. Momentum - yes, big concern. We'll know at end of Bournemouth match. A loss or dull draw will be dispiriting in the extreme, and will incline us toward blaming the Cup screw-up for screwing us up. A spirited win will incline us toward seeing the Cup as a minor, presumably temporary, blip on our road to top 4.

I was happy with our lineup, believed those starters should and would win, especially against a Championship team with far more changes from their previous match, a whole new lineup. But I was very surprised to see Funes Mori at LB. My first thought was 3 at the back (Holgate, Williams, Funes Mori), with Coleman and, uh, Cleverley at wings, and, uh......... Strange, FM, at LB.

Barkley's a big problem in this regard. If we judge by how he plays, he prefers tricky-dribbles past at least 3 opponents over scoring goals. That can't be literally true, but it's how he plays, more often than not. Koeman referred to this once early in the season (might have been pre-season), so I'd guess today's performance by Ross will not sit well with the manager. I can't claim Barkley was the only "reluctant" today, but he apparently passed up several obvious opportunities. Too frustrating.

Radio says Alex Neil made 10 changes from the weekend. Were they kidding?

4th time now ...... Barkley over-dribbles, over and over. Blecchhh.

Radio guys say Cleverley and Gana playing well, but Barkley and Deulofeu, no. Lennon seems a non- factor.

Radio says Barkley had great shot opportunity, didn't take it, over-dribbled. Blast it, Ross, please.

The close-together matches with Norwich and Bournemouth present the usual issue of how many changes to make. I think brisbaneblue probably represents the general view on TT about the Norwich starting lineup: a few changes, not too many. But TP1878 and MJB also represent what surely must be the unanimous opinion that Bournemouth and Palace represent opportunites to stay in second, maybe even grab first. So for me it's difficult to speculate about Norwich lineup options without acknowledging the issue of the relative importance of the League Cup and our sudden move up the table. Maybe there's little to be concerned about, as it's so early in the season that no first-choice player would have any problem playing 3 matches in 8 days. And the lineup I prefer for Norwich [earlier post in this thread] admittedly involves radical changes. Still, I'd like to see those players get a start, think they should/probably would beat Norwich, and -- right now, given this season's excellent beginning -- strongly prioritize Bournemouth over Norwich. I do recognize that a loss to Norwich might conceivably be a momentum-stopper, so that's a strike against my preference for lots of new starters Tuesday. But I think our bench is now solid, and should be able to beat Norwich. I'm willing to take that chance. By all means, if using a radically changed lineup on Tuesday, bring on 3 first-teamers in second half, if behind.

I'd guess Robles, Funes Mori, Oviedo, Cleverley, and Valencia all start. Possibly Kone and Davies, too. Maybe wholesale changes, which I prefer. Even this team ...... Robles Holgate Williams Funes Mori Oviedo Davies Cleverley Deulofeu Kone Lennon Valencia ........ should be able to win. Mirallas and Barkley early in second half, if necessary. Probably too drastic, but with our excellent start, Bournemouth is the strong priority.

I gladly accept your friendly amendment, though I'm skeptical that Bournemouth can take even a point at tne Etihad.

Halftime of the Chelsea-Liverpool match finds us in second place. But I prefer Chelsea recover and get a draw, pushing us temporarily back to third. We should be in second by tomorrow evening. Should.

Yesterday epitomised Bad Barkley, as opposed to Good Barkley. He was at times (over) energetic and at other times outrageously lazy. His energy is so often wasted because he seems to lack good pitch-sense: where teammates and opponents are and will be a few seconds later. So, too regularly he runs hard, but just aimlessly. Even when he runs fast, without the ball, he's behind the flow of play. As to laziness, 3 times yesterday he waited on a pass directly to him, only to have an alert defender step in front to steal the pass. I admit to being furious when I see any player doing this, and especially when they do this more than once (a season........). I am one who thinks Barkley still suffers from a poor football brain, which is usually exhibited as over-dribbling, essentially refusing to shoot in favor of just one more clever move. I have played with people who had little or no sense of other players and spaces on the pitch, field, court. I'm inclined to think Barkley's aimless running is also football-brain related, as poor pitch sense must surely exemplify this problem. I prefer that he not start this Saturday, and I rather doubt that he will. But should Koeman decide Barkley's removal at halftime Monday evening was a sufficient warning, well, I wouldn't think it nearly as outrageous as Barkley's performance against Sunderland. Koeman's decision is probably a close call. Nothing close about calling out Ross for what happened Monday.

After the opening day draw with Spurs, I posted that we needed to have 13-14 points from our first 7 matches, given their relative ease. I'd now be disappointed to have only 14 after the Palace match. I might even be disappointed with "only" 17 by then. First or second on 19 doesn't seem absolutely crazy right now, does it?

Get to 4-0, 2d place in the table.