AlbanyNYToffee

Now I know how a hamster feels and I can certainly sympathize. How long are we going to keep doing this? The issues at the club are in two key areas. The leadership and the players. Brands and Rafa are/will be sacrificial lambs. We've been leaking goals for damn near a decade now because our CBs are shit. Keane is a goddamn f***ing parking cone. If I see one more f***ing stat lauding his clearance rate I'm going to vomit. It's not anything he does well the other team is just allowed so many opportunities to cross the ball a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut. Martinez, Koeman and Marco are all decent enough managers, certainly not as bad as we've made them out to be. The only time we haven't conceded regularly is Fat Sam and the end of Carlo - where we all pissed and moaned about the football. Our defense is shit and until we sign a truly great CB that will continue to be the case. 

None of us truly know what's going on between Digne and Rafa. Rafa may have been justified in dropping him. However what he did yesterday is horrible management. If Digne is available to play he has to start. If you're not going to start him don't put him on the teamsheet. There is simply no middle ground whatsoever when you march out a back 5 and play JJK. Then you leave Godfrey out there at LB when we're chasing a goal. Absolutely ridiculous decisions. Not to mention throwing Rondon on. I was fine with signing him as there was a chance he still had something and it cost us nothing other than some wages. He clearly has nothing left. Simms or Dobbin would have offered slightly more than nothing. They would have at least been able to run and try to force Brighton to lose their shape. I've been in Rafa's camp since the beginning but yesterday was brutal. Going back to the top the problem is any manager with any common sense knows not to touch us. Graham Potter would be awesome but he knows better than to come here, as do all the others with any potential apparently. 

Here's hoping to a cup run. 

Wtf is wrong with me? Why am I so excited to get disappointed? COYB. Let’s start 2022 with 3 points and set the tone for the rest of the season. 

As a yank seen quite a bit of him in MLS and for national team - great signing for West Brom and think he’ll help them in a big way. However he seems to me like a ‘tweener’ - he’ll score 20 in the championship but struggle in the premier league. I could see him constantly being on a promotion chaser, similar to Dwight Gayle for a while until he stayed at Newcastle and can’t get a game. Hopefully I’m wrong, he’s amazing and signs for Everton in 2 years. 

Can someone confirm if this is the first time we have officially signed someone on the opening day of a transfer window? It feels so damn good to have a target and get it done with urgency. 

Everton 2 - 2 Brighton

Doucoure

They should be without vardy Maddison ihenacho ndidi and amartey. Will make a draw more painful. 

1 hour ago, Bailey said:

Watch him end up as player of the tournament! 

That would be fantastic. Might actually be able to sell him in that case. 

Iwobi called up to AFCON. I have never wanted a tournament played so badly. Thank you Nigeria. 

10 minutes ago, dunlopp9987 said:

So if the Brighton game goes ahead, it will be 2 1/2 weeks since we've played. Obviously glad we're able to get more time to rest some of our injured, but I really worry how that time off will affect our play

Surely it can't get any worse?

Just a reminder that when he goes and does well that doesn't mean we should have kept him and he could have done the same for us. If it's Chelsea they play attacking football with wing backs - absolutely perfect for him. Not every good player is going to succeed everywhere he goes, and sometimes a change of scenery is the only way forward. We saw the best of Digne and it was brilliant but we aren't likely to see it again for many reasons. Get what we can and wish him the absolute best. 

This might get me banned from TT but here it goes. I'd desperately like us to sign AWB from Utd and I think if we can get Barkley on loan, those 2 along with Mykolenko could really improve things for us the rest of the way. 

That we have to play this game because we (finally) gave our kids some minutes is hilarious, criminal, ironic...everything really. 

What is the penalty for breaching FFP? If it's just a European ban who cares...we're not good enough anyway. 

4 hours ago, Wiggytop said:

6 sounds OK about, but 12 out from a threadbare squad is optimistic, and 6 of those 12 played on Thursday, dream on my friend

Absolutely! It’s totally a dream because nobody wants our crap. We’re still in bind with FFP so we need as many out as possible and we’re not threadbare in size we’re threadbare in talent. Get them out and play Onyango, Dobbin, Whittaker etc. for a game or two if we’re ever this injured again.

Well apparently instead of letting it wait until the end of the window we've made our first signing two weeks before the window opens. Absolutely love that. But most/all of us recognize we're still a hot mess. Going to approach this as realistically as possible: if we can only sign one more player in January hoping for a RB. In the summer we need to replace Allan, Townsend and Mina. Branthwaite and Gordon are looking like great cover for injuries. I'd prefer to never see Holgate, Delph, Gylfi, Iwobi wear the shirt again.  Don't have a problem with Kenny, Keane, Digne, Gbamin, Cenk other than them not being good enough so they can all go as well. 

End goal:
GK - Pickford with JVirginia as depth
RB - new starter with Coleman as depth and Kenny sold
CB - new starter and Godfrey with oft-injured Mina and Branthwaite as depth and Keane/Holgate sold
LB - Vitaliy with Niels as depth and Digne sold
CM - Doucoure and new starter with Davies and Gomes as depth and Allan, Gbamin, Delph, Gylfi gone. Need one depth signing as well
W - Gray and new starter with Townsend and Gordon as depth and Iwobi sold for christs fucking sake
ST - Richarlison and DCL with new ST depth and Dobbin as depth and Cenk/Simms/Rondon sold

Summary:
In - RB, CB, CM, CM, W, ST
Out - Kenny, Keane, Holgate, Digne, Allan, Gbamin, Delph, Gylfi, Iwobi, Cenk, Simms, Rondon

Literally the only source (fabrizio romano) I trust before an offical club announcement says it's on. Welcome to the club Vitaliy. Now we just need a RB, CB, CM and W capable of starting and depth at DM, CM, W, ST. Gosh we're a mess. 

I'm 100% serious. Can we start a gofundme to pay Iwobi's remaining wages and send him to purgatory? I never want to see him in our shirt again. 

Chelsea 0 - 0 Everton

none

1 hour ago, Aidan said:

If Holgate starts I'm setting myself on fire.

Palace 1 - 2 Everton

Doucoure

Went to bed last night watching the highlights for the 100th time. As a maniac myself I fully appreciate Rafa's demeanor and reaction to the winner, and I can't help but wonder what on earth would Dunc have done had he been in charge? We might be talking about a dead ball boy this morning. 

Gomes is an absolute ghost. 

Holgate lost on Arsenal's goal. He's at sea forcing everyone else out of shape. Appalling defending. 

Everton 1 - 0 Arsenal

Doucoure