RuffRob

Shame we have fook all on the bench today. 120mins might be a tall order and can see us getting tired.

I would be more inclined to want to see changes based on performance as opposed to the score. Would like to think we can dominate them and be creating plenty of decent chances whilst keeping their chances to a minimum. I think like Ancelotti is trying to drum in to them is if you work as hard or harder than the opposition then your quality will take care of its self - and we had better quality than Fulham.

I think what we all want is to see consistency of performance. If you look through the team pretty much everybody is now playing better - look more comfortable and look as if they are enjoying it more. Pickford, Mina, Keane, Gomes, Gylfi, Awobi, DCL and now Davies are all looking much better players than when Ancelotti first arrived. I don't think there has every been a better collection of signings James, Allan, Doucoure and Godfrey - all of them hitting the spot. As people have said Davies still only 22 and now has a much better quality of player around him in both training and in games, I can only see his level of performance improving now he has both a quality manager and players around to learn from, if these don't help him become the best player he can over the next 18months - then it will never happen. Fingers crossed for him.

One of the good things it we have not become overly reliant on James in the team - He definitely does bring a quality to the play and does add goals and creates big chances. However, other players are also stepping up with an improvement in their quality (Davies against Man U - prime example) - maybe just one of the effects of having James at the club - others simply raise their game, buy training and playing with a player of his quality. I do love seeing him on the pitch though!! as he does things that just put a massive grin on your face

To be honest after the Newcastle game - this is the first one where we would expect to go in as favourites. Leeds away was always going to be a battle and playing Man U speaks for itself, a next game a cup tie against Spur so should have been no problem in motivating themselves for spirited and hard working performances. Fulham is the first 'expected to win' game since Newcastle, so it will be interesting to see what team turns up - may feeling is that what happened at Newcastle will have been drummed in to the plays in the lead up to Fulham - No room for any 'lazy' going though the motion performances in my eyes. If the players go in the game with the required fire in their belly to get a results - we win the game (bar it being one of those freak games!), half arsed performances and we get beat again. Looking at general results this season - not putting in the work against so call 'weaker' has been the one major disappointment. This has to change, and any player not putting what is needed in these games has to know their place in the starting line up will go to somebody else. Now we are seeing better form across the whole squad dropping players for poor work rates is now viable - no room for any 'lazy' play. This is what will now make the difference between a top 6 finish or not. Consistently beating the Newcastle and Fulham's. I will ponder on a team selection once the Spurs game is out of the way.

I think if you are buying a keeper at 27 years old - then it's an investment for 10 years or more if you are lucky. If player prices are a bit deflated at the moment (they will ramp up again!!), then maybe not a bad time to invest if the opportunity is there. Might be a good summer to bring in a better keeper - Ancelotti and Brands will know this is an area of the squad that can be improved.

Sounds like he could very well be a level up from Pickford. If Fulham have an option to buy this summer, then he is obviousely available. Read that he is on decent money - £120k a week. PSG didn't want to pay that for a no. 2 keeper, so Fulham paying paying part of his wages as a loan. So not much chance he would follow Fulham in to the Championship.

Alphonse Areola is a keeper I have been quite impressed with from what I have seen of him. They may be some of you have seen more and have a better knowledge than me and be able to tell me I am taking out of my arse. He's a big bloke and has played for some decent clubs - Not sure how Fulham got him on loan with a option to buy to be honest. Only 27 years old so plenty of years left in him - starting to come in to his prime. I Fulham get relegated (which I think they will) then I am not sure he would be wanting to stay, or if they would want to purchase him and pay his wages. Anyway, he is a player who might be up for a move in the summer, Prem and big team experience and a decent age. Most likely affordable and he may well fancy his chances of coming here and battling it out with Pickford to be our No.1. I think he has the potential to probably be better than what we have got at the club now. Anyway, we will get a chance to see him a bit closer at the weekend.

Spurs are defiantly a different team with Kane playing - so shame he was back at the weekend. I also think Spur will be full strength as will want to take every opportunity to get a trophy. So don't see any weakened team being put out. Spurs are not Man City or Utd - so don't think we should be overly 'shy' playing them, but I also think it has suited us being underdogs in games this season - we seem to be doing better against teams who dominate possession against us and we counter. This seems to be the way in a lot of Premiership games - lots of teams winning but without dominating the ball. The problem with Spur's is they also like to counter attack, and have the players to do it. This season home advantage doesn't exist. It will be a tough game, but a winnable game - the impartial bookies have the game on a knife edge with nothing between the teams. Pickford Godfrey Mina Keane Digne Doucoure Gomes James Gylfi Richarlison DCL Nice to have a bit of a selection headache - as I want all three Mina, Keane and Godfrey in the side (but also think Coleman would do a good job). Only reason for putting Godfrey at right back rather than CB is that he would be far better there than either Mina or Keane. Davies doesn't deserve to be dropped after his best performance in a long while but I also really want Gomes and Gylfi to start as they have both been playing well. I would also like Iwobi to play as I don't want to see his good recent form drop away either. If fact I would be happy with most line ups at the moment - What the fucks happening to this team!!!!

I wonder how much of Pickfords irratic play coincidece with the rest of the Everton generally being sloppy and in poor form. Before this season, Pickford was not the only player rightly being lambasted by the fans for poor form. Perhps his confidence and quality will pick up in line with what we are now seeing with the rest of the squad. As people have been saying a lot is about what is going on in your head. The mentality of what is expected is now much different at Everton. Attitudes and expectations within the the team are changing.

I think the premiership average is nearer 6ft 3, so 2 inches shorter is actually quite a bit smaller that average keeper, it probably makes him one of the shortest keeper. Is there a shorter first choice keeper than Pickford in the Prem? So physically, he is at an immediate disadvantage.

I think you are right about his high, I also think he is a few inches to short to ever be 'great' keeper.

Very difficult to truley assess Olsen after only a few games between the sticks, and it is a little random how he is coming in to games. I think its a little harsh to fully judge a player (keeper or outfeild) until they have a decent time to settle in at new club, area or even country and also have a decent run of games in the team at the very least. Olsen is not going to be on the sams wavelength as the Everton defence yet. How match sharp is he? Olsen is also a no. 2, so he is not going to be 'great' keeper, just an OK keeper. Not sure of what sort of 'quailty' we should be expecting.

Keeper has to be the toughest position to get right. Top keepers now cost a fortune and even then you can't be 100%. I would so like Pickford to be come more consistent and reliable. No keeper will ever be mistake free. Becasue what has preceeded with Pickford now, is it inevitable that now every error or slight mistake will simply be over analised. Even if he cut errors down to a 'normal' or acceptable level, is he now simply damned. Even the very best will make mistakes.

At the moment we have three very good and in form CB's after two starting places - Ancelotti is having to rota them a bit now - because none of them deserve dropping. So in CB terms it's going to be difficult for Holgate to find a regular starting place as a CB. If he does get a chance through a few injuries - he would need to perform consistently well to muscle in with the three we are currently rotating. Great to have four solid CB's as well as another young prospect on loan - I would say very much our strongest area on the pitch. The fact we can actually rely on these four to form a very decent complete back line is a massive bonus. I think Godfrey is now going to grow in to our No.1 CB - speed is a natural commodity that you either have or don't. Couple that with his ability and his attitude - he has everything needed to be a world class CB. You can just tell now good Godfrey has even come as a bit of a surprise to Ancelotti. He was a decent fee - so kudos to who identified him as a target at the end of the summer transfer window, as £20M on a young CB wasn't something I was expecting.

I think at times in that game we played like a team who had already been well beaten by united twice this season. Gave them maybe a little to much respect at times. To me Ancelotti' tactics and team set up where pretty spot on. As in parts of the game (first 24 min of the 1st half and first 15min of the 2nd half) we gave them no end of problems in their half of the pitch. But after united scored we seemed to forget all the good stuff we had been doing and just a nervousness about our play. I am not going to go on about individuals, as it wasn't really 'singular' errors that stood out. There goals came from sustained pressure, a bit of quality and even a bit of fortune. I keep bagging the drum about us still being a team in the first phase of transition under Ancelotti. The first 20 games of this season are so far removed from what was happening last season. I was impressed how we dug in and came back twice. Some people say we don't deserve a point, but I think we did. The Gx in the game was 1.49 utd and 1.5 everton. So with both a even Gx and a 3-3 scoreline a point looks about right.

Thought Davies had a cracking game. He made that first goal, and was typical of his play today. That early first goal in the second half was the catalyst.

We were dead and buried at the stroke of half time, so great result coming back twice.

Last second equaliser, feels as good as a win.

Get coleman on

Davies has been good tonight

Game is lost as it is, so we have no choice now only to go positive - can this team do it? Lets see how we can react. An early second half goal can shift momentum, as we have seen.

What is so maddening, from the first 20mins you can see we are set up perfect to counter in the channel, and it was working. Then just stopped doing it!!! Ancelotti will be going nuts!!!

sometimes you just have to take you hat off to quality.

What is so maddening, from the first 20mins you can see we are set up perfect to counter in the channel, and it was working. Then just stopped doing it!!! Ancelotti will be going nuts!!!