Elston Gunnn

Saw part of the match. Liverpool dominated possession and shots, but couldn't get the winner. Rested some key players: none of Skrtel, Milner, Sturridge, Henderson, Leiva even on bench. I was surprised that Coutinho came on in second half. Frustrated players and fans. Sad.

Yes.

Agree. Add Barkley and Mirallas, too. Whichever 3 of those 5 are on the pitch, they should be covering the box for Deulofeu's crosses. Over and over and over.

Agree, an important observation. Unless the camera angle was misleading, he looked pretty close to the defender on several crosses, including the two goals, and suddenly lifted the ball over the defender, but with power. Most wingers, I think, have to have more space, and take more time. Deulofeu just snapped (?) those perfectly paced and placed crosses almost without warning. I don't recall seeing this technique much.

His football brain farted.

Get it to Deulofeu. Over and over and over.

Get the ball to Deulofeu. Over and over.

I'd roll the dice. Sub Lennon in for Browning, McGeady in for Lukaku, move Naismith up front. Play 3-3-3-1. Lennon attacking down right with Deulofeu. McGeady at LM. Bring on either Gibson or Kone at 70 minutes if still behind.

Konoplyanka thinks Rom is perfect for the EPL. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/28/yevhen-konoplyanka-premier-league-sevilla

RM is surely spot on that "The best way to measure the quality of the squad is consistency in performances." Really good teams are good enough to very good to excellent week in, week out, with rare exceptions. I think -- though more objective observers than are likely to be found on TT might disagree -- that if we ever get all players healthy [meaning only occasional minor injuries and no long-term injuries for several players at same time], we have the talent and just enough depth to challenge this season for 4th. That's perhaps a stretch. Is it? And are there many objective observers out there? Any? After all, every pundit I heard over here on American tv was smugly confident that, "Of course Stones will move to Chelsea, we all know that. Self-deceived Everton fans think Martinez is serious about retaining Stones, but that's not the real world in the EPL." Thus, I wonder whether pundits pay all that much careful, knowledgeable attention to teams other than the Rich Five plus Spurs. So, suspicious that the pundits to whose blatherings I have foolishly paid attention are actually intelligently informed about Everton, I'm left, well, with you. Sad, I know. When -- if -- Everton have a consistently healthy squad, do we have enough talent and depth to play consistently good-enough-to-very-good-to-excellent, and challenge this season for - let's be modest - fourth?

I guess every Everton fan should hope Deulofeu regularly starts, sometimes LW, sometimes RW, plays very well, exciting moves and excellent crosses, but just below Barcelona's otherworldly standards.

The Echo article could be a little more specific re Barcelona's buy-back options, which apparently include a 9m (£6.64m) option at the end of the 2015-16 season, and a 12m (£8.85m) option at the end of the 2016-17 season. http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/transfers/everton-to-sign-barcelonas-gerard-deulofeu-for-e6m-on-a-3-year-deal-sport/ So Roberto may not fret that Deulofeu may not be here long-term, but I do, a little. This is an issue that Roberto will be asked about regularly if Deulofeu plays exciting football. I don't know, maybe no matter how creative his footballing, Deulofeu won't rise to Barcelona's standards.

Scant news on our many injuries, short and long term. Have heard nothing at all re Besic, but Gibson was on bench for Reading. McCarthy probably starts, but I hope Gibson at least plays 20-30 minutes second half. I guess maybe RM will provide some sort of injury update in his pre-match press conference (Friday?), first to say something about Stones and then from that a little about others.

I fear that Stones was pulled from the Reading match not merely as a precaution, so I don't expect to see him, and don't "want" to see him unless he's fully healed. I think maybe Coleman will return, that McCarthy needs a little rest, and Kone and Lukaku need a message, which I hope RM will be inclined to send right now. More than happy to see Lukaku on at 60 minutes, but not from the beginning. Maybe this, a sort of 4-2-1-3. ....................................... Howard ..................................... Coleman ......... Jagielka ........ Funes Mori ....... Galloway ................. Gibson ............................... Barry .................. ........................................ Barkley ................................... Lennon ......................... Naismith ..................... Deulofeu Bench -- Robles, Browning, McCarthy, Osman, McGeady (!), Kone, Lukaku

Friendly amendment - it's the week beginning Oct. 26, so I'm guessing Tues 27 or Wed 28.

Radio: "Lennon has been smashing. Very disciplined."

Radio: "Reading are very much on the front foot."

Radio: "Just hasn't been Rom's night."

Radio: "Barry has been tremendous since he came on."

Radio: "They're willing to shoot. We want to walk it in."

For those of you who have video - the rest of us welcome your many comments. Please and thank you.

Wonderful. Stones injured.

Agree. All I have is radio feed, and they sound very critical, especially of Kone's passive play. Not happy with Lukaku, either. They want Naismith on for energy, which they imply neither Kone nor Lukaku are providing.

A few good tidbits here, including some comments from RM on finding bargains in South American football, and on Leandro's slightly delayed development because of his father's insistence that he focus on university. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/21/everton-roberto-martinez-leandro-rodriguez

Without intending to discuss all of Lukaku's possible strengths and weaknesses, I do agree with hafnia on this specific issue, which is one of my pet peeves about strikers generally. (My pet peeve about defenders is their stupid overuse of the backpass to the GK. Not that you asked.). So, am I wise to agree with hafnia [full stop: "FFS, Elston, are you nuts?!?!] that Lukaku is a dismayingly consistent offender for being lazy in getting back onside? And, if lazy he is, does it also show in his tendency to run offside even when he's looking straight down the line of defenders? Or are both of these sins just what "all strikers do"? Help: (1) me, (2) Rom, (3) hafnia. In that order.