Elston Gunnn

Hoping for Norwich and also W Ham to win. Brentford not quite out of our sights just yet, especially as we play them at Goodison. Norwich-Burnley more important, but a Brentford loss might help, too, never know.

Gomes — I’ve supported him consistently, because he’s superb at ball control, usually a dependable passer, sometimes a brilliant passer. But he’s way too slow to defend. I don’t think it’s effort. Opponents run past him, so we’re lucky if he doesn’t pick up a yellow in the first half. He can only play well in the middle 50-60% of the pitch. Especially with Allan out, Gomes cannot play in a 2-man midfield. Has to be 3 in midfield, playing through Gomes as an ACM, but not depending on him to be a DCM. Getting to 35 — Virtually no chance to get to 40, so it’s good news we won’t need to. But it’s bad news we need to get to 35. Biggest matches are away to Watford and Burnley, home to Brentford, Palace, Leicester. If we lose to Burnley and Watford, just can’t see us staying up. If we draw both of those, still very difficult, so we need 4 points from those 2 matches.

Agree that what puzzled McCoist applied to today’s match. Badaids’s hypothetical summary of an opposing manager’s pregame talk was a spot-on answer to McCoist’s puzzlement, based on our opposition’s sense of Everton’s players’ inability to focus and unwillingness to fight for 95 minutes. Too many of our players far too often literally give up as play is happening. They forget how to play hard, and so give up. I know you know this, better and in more concrete detail than I. We’re surely not really disagreeing here.

I think badaids nailed it. J

Hope Mina can stay healthy and team with Branthwaite next season. Mykolenko and Patterson as fullbacks? Godfrey, not sure of him. But Keane and Holgate are not consistently even competent, much less good CHs.

Maybe it’s 4-3-2-1, with either Coleman or Kenny in a 3-man midfield?

It appears that a number of our eligible players are tired or nicked up. Unclear whether Thursday’s exhilarating win will or won’t reinvigorate the healthy players for a super effort before the break. Still, Lampard can play any player who’s healthy, as the next match is 2 weeks away, plenty of time to recuperate. Begovich Coleman Holgate Keane Godfrey Doucouré Gomes Mykolenko Iwobi Richarlison DCL Bench — Gray, Gordon, Townsend, Kenny, Patterson, Rondon, Tosun Play through Gomes, who’s only effective in the middle 50% of the pitch, way too slow to defend consistently, but who sometimes can control play masterfully going forward. Have to hope this is such a match for him. Iwobi and Richarlison will run to exhaustion. Time for DCL to get a goal, lift him for the rest of the season.

Apologies for quoting myself; bad form, undoubtedly. But here it is 12 hours before the Cup match with Palace, and there’s no Matchday thread, nor any comment here. So, as we did, in the event, take fewer than 4 from the Wolves and Newcastle matches, it appears that this thread has died from lack of interest and/or disgust.

Getting to 35 should be the goal, I think. Minor miracle — but also a lovely few seconds of football — got us a crucial 3 tonight. Although all remaining matches are important, away to Burnley and Watford, and home to Brentford are the biggest. Might nick a point home to Palace and/or Leicester.

If we get to 35, we have a decent chance to stay up. That will take 4 wins and a draw from our remaining 12 fixtures. Our best chances seem to be against Newcastle and Brentford at Goodison, and away to Watford and Burnley (our relegation competitors). Maybe we can take a point at home to Palace and Leicester. A point isn’t good enough tonight. Have to beat Newcastle.

Brentford goal! So worst-case scenario now highly unlikely.

An entomological interpretation of our predicament? But wait, aren’t ladybugs ferocious predators? That doesn’t sound like us, Richarlison a possible exception.

I’m hoping for 36. And how pathetic is that? So, I’m watching Brentford-Burnley, and I guess I’m hoping for a draw. That would give Brentford 28 after 29 matches, Burnley 22 after 27. Leeds are 23 after 28 but will likely be 26 tomorrow, as they are home to Norwich. We’re on 22 after 25. Others of you prefer either Brentford or Burnley to win today?

I take your point, which is pessimistic because realistic. My comment about the international break was posted before the catastrophe at Spurs. So now, after Spurs, we all have reason to think the Cup match with Palace is already a lost cause. And to think Lampard’s priority must and will be the crucial upcoming home matches with Wolves and Newcastle. My point originally, in a thread on the FA Cup, was that playing in London on Sunday after a crucial Thursday night home match meant Lampard might be forced into serious squad rotation, complicated by injuries, uncertain recoveries, etc. But the saving grace, I thought — and hope to think again after the Newcastle match — is that since the international break follows the Palace match, Lampard will be free to play the most in-form players, knowing they’ll have time to recover over the break. That we have so many in-hand matches both gives us some hope for survival but makes for an unusually crowded April and May. If we take 6 points from our next 2 matches, or even 4 if that includes beating Newcastle, this thread will take on some renewed interest, and at least some will talk as if we might surprise Palace. If, however, we take anything less than 4 from the next 2, this thread will probably die from lack of interest. Or disgust.

Tough turnaround for the players, too, from a crucial Thurs night home match with Newcastle. Saving grace, maybe, is international break follows Palace match.

Yes, I forgot about Dobbin. Just don’t know which of the other U-23s is next in line. Simms on loan, I think. I’d prefer both Gordon and Gray on bench. Move Gomes up — he’s too slow to be a strong defender anyway, but does have some matches when he controls forward movement— have Allan sit back as DCM, iwobi at LW, put Rondon up front with Tosun. So sort of 4-1-3-2. Hope maybe Allan could rest 2d half, give Doucouré 25-30 minutes?

I’ll guess it will be ..... Begovic Kenny Holgate Branthwaite Mykolenko Allan Gomes Townsend Iwobi Gordon Tosun Bench — Pickford, Coleman, Patterson, Keane, Doucouré, Gray, Richarlison, Rondon

Ah, thanks. I see Lampard has said he’ll wait for “the apology they do when things are wrong,” adding that “it will mean nothing.” https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60542012 So, I’ll ask (Romey or anyone else), will the League actually issue an official apology or statement? I do prefer that the match and especially the VAR referee be officially criticized, as this was an egregious error, not merely a 50/50 call. I wouldn’t expect the League to repeat Lampard’s words — “a professional who cannot do his job right... so incompetent.” Perhaps they’ll acknowledge that this decision will occasion “clarification instructions to our referees,” or some such?

Huh, wait, help. Who are “they”? Got a link?

Don’t know where to post this. If it’s been posted elsewhere, sorry for repeat. Poland won’t play WC qualifier v. Russia. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60536030

Could go to any of 5-6 players — Gordon, Iwobi (!), van de Beek, Coleman, Richarlison, Kenny. Went with Kenny, for what was surely his best match ever for Everton? And at LB!

Or maybe Holgate pairs with Allan at DCM, allowing play through Gomes further forward?

Looks like 3-4-3. Hope it’s not 5 at the back.

This article says we’d be up to 11th right now on 25 points, but VAR has done us in. https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4580290/premier-league-without-var-arsenal-in-champions-league-places-everton-soar-to-safety The article doesn’t mention how our mediocre play has also done us in. Nor, for that matter, injuries and Benitez’s tactics.

The American: What I’m suggesting is that this place is the ... the crummiest, shoddiest, worst-run hotel in the whole of Western Europe. The Major: No! No! I won’t have that!! ......... There's a place in Eastbourne.