Elston Gunnn

I mentioned this yesterday in the Leeds thread, but it’s still puzzling me, and this seems the perfect thread to ask again: why weren’t we in the away kit yesterday? All dark, to contrast with the all white of Leeds. Too often, it seems, we play in our “4th kit,” a sort of copy of Chelsea’s all blue. Bleccchhhh. So, those of you who purchase away jerseys, wouldn’t you like to see the team actually wear that strip when obviously appropriate? For that matter, for those of you who are sentient beings, same question.

Unless Keane has an excellent 2d half, surely he’ll be dropped next match.

Why are we not in our away strip? All dark, obvious contrast to all white. I don’t like this Chelsea-like 4th kit.

Hooray for Shukes in his tent. Not bad by Rafa. And the players.

Keep that up all season. We’ll tell you what happened, and you can take credit for all the Everton goals you missed.

Richarlison has made several excellent crosses.

I just wouldn’t expect that from Doucouré!

I’m keeping this uppermost in mind, from the first kick of second half.

Think I heard some boos.

Our passing still a problem, some embarrassing giveaways.

Awful mistake by Keane. Just horrendous.

Good cross by Gray, encouraging.

Coleman’s 300th match in the Everton shirt. Class act all the way, every year.

Good strike by Allan.

Update on US tv for this Saturday’s match with Southampton — A different site, email from Peacock Premium, says Everton match is on NBCSN, 10 am EDT. So, a little confusion, but presumably it’s at 10 on either NBCSN or USA Network.

Here’s a useful guide to NBC/NBCSN telecasts in the US through early November. https://worldsoccertalk.com/2021/08/09/nbc-reveals-details-of-its-final-season-of-premier-league-coverage-under-current-tv-deal/ Note that this Saturday’s Everton-Southampton match will be on USA Network.

Wasn’t it his excellent pass that led to our PK?

Absolutely agree re Twellman and Lalas. I know there is a fair amount of criticism on TT of some longstanding and more recent British commentators, some of whom are perceived as anti-Everton. But I guess I don’t pick up on that as much as you over there do. I so much prefer all — every one of them — to Moreno, Twellman, Lalas.

Gomes best Everton player second half. Good control, nice passes. Apologies for the match analyst, ESPN’s Alejandro Moreno. He does offer some good analysis, but his tone is consistently smug, negative. Hard to listen to. He rightly caught a lot of criticism in US for his negativity during ESPN’s coverage of EUROs. ...... And just as I compliment Gomes, he gives the ball away.......

I concede this is a good point. Our season was so injury-plagued that the legs were often missing, thus exposing James’s defensive weakness. But there is this fundamental debate about just how detrimental are James’s defensive deficiencies, and SteveO and Bailey debate it here. I’m inclined to side with SteveO, but maybe there would be a TT consensus on Bailey’s “chip in” standard?

No, no, that would be the softest of reds. At most a yellow, and possibly just an obvious foul. I once posted a brilliant analysis of why we should start a particular set of lads. Alas, I listed 12 players, for which I was laughed off the pitch. Though some conceded that we had a better chance of taking a point with the 12.

Doucouré?

Ha, no I don’t expect an Iwobi miracle. But I definitely hope James is not our RW. Need some pacey winger in the transfer market. If we do not secure a new, real RW this summer, and if the squad is mostly unchanged, I’d prefer a 3-4-1-2 with Digne and Coleman as wingbacks, 2 strikers, with James as controlling 10. Still time, as the transfer window runs through August, but things seem especially unsettled, as we need to sell several players, add a couple, and cope with Richarlison’s late arrival. Whatever the several squad issues, my view is that James can be an effective 10, but that’s the only position he can play effectively. (Unless he was never healthy or in shape last season, and that’s the single reason he was useless defensively.)

I hope Benitez installs James as our 10. Even when nominally the RW, he wants to move inside to use his superb left foot. Playing him as RW seriously weakens our defense on the right side. He’s neither physically nor tactically inclined to defend much at all. He’ll amble back to cover some space when the opponent has a corner, but otherwise he’s mentally and physically lethargic on defense. Need an Iwobi miracle or an energetic RW from the transfer market. James is an offensive savant and a defensive pillock. Adore him for what he can do, brilliantly. Accept, and curse him sotto voce, for what he can’t or won’t do.

I get NBCSN as part of my mid-priced (?) package from DirecTV. Haven’t actually thought about it in 7-8 years, as I’ve simply gotten used to watching lots of EPL on the single American provider of EPL. I’m genuinely curious as to what you find unimpressive about NBCSN. If it’s their overall programming, I agree. But I only watch their EPL programming. I’ve paid a bit extra the last 2 EPL seasons, as many matches have moved from NBCSN to Peacock. However, having said all that, the important issues for most American football fans of the EPL are several: (1) What exactly will happen at end of 2021 when NBCSN is no more? (2) The short-term answer seems to be that for Spring 2022, EPL matches will be shown on USA Network and Peacock. Then, (3) the much bigger issue is who will win the next — 2022-23 season and 5-10 years beyond — contract in US for EPL? And (4) as subset of this long-term issue is whether EPL matches will increasingly move to some streaming platform. An obvious possibility would be something like ESPN+.