11 Jan 2026 08:21:17
Best post below I have read and sums up me, my son and many others experience around us I suspect:
Watching on TV may be different to seeing it live.
I was convinced that McNeil had been substituted in the second half until I heard his name mentioned.
Having seen him in the rout at Bradford, I have been saying that there is a footballer in Aznou. I'm not convinced he's a full-back, but he offered more in 35 minutes as a winger than Dibling and McNeil have combined all season.
I was pleased to see Patterson again play well. For a little used player, cramp after nearly 2 hours is not a disgrace.
I can not understand criticism of the manager for this one. He played the only team available to him, with the exception of Beto for Barry.
He used the substitutes as he had to. And the 3 powder-puff penalties were not his fault.
Personally, I think any penalty that is not capable of making the net bulge shouldn't happen. Hard and fast and if the keeper guesses right good luck to him.
As has been said, we will get players back in the next few weeks. we may still need to improve at full-back, but today showed that maybe we do not need to panic buy.
If a half-decent striker is available, we definitely need an upgrade on Beto. But I am happy to play what we have and re-assess in June.
But whatever it takes, get the Garner contract signed!
11 Jan 2026 12:58:18
Agree with almost everything you've said, except the bit about Moyes, mate. The issue isn't that his squad is depleted, it's how he uses them. Setting up in the same predictable way every week, even though it's clear our opponents are expecting it and have adapted, and we've not even bothered watching a second of how they play - and then, when it's clearly not working, waiting until way too late to try and change things.
Obviously we're missing key players, but the fact that we can't seem to have more than 30% possession in a game without them shows that the success we had this season was purely down to their individual contributions and nothing to do with Moyes.
Yesterday's starting 11 wasn't ideal, but it genuinely wasn't actually that bad, but playing 7 (SEVEN) passes in the opening 10 minutes and our only gameplan seemingly being: Wait for opponent to give ball away > Pass to fullback > hoof down line to striker who can't win it > repeat - is 100% on DM's shoulders.
11 Jan 2026 16:48:55
So, when the team plays crap it's down to Moyes. When they play well, it's in spite of him?
You said it yourself, we have a lot of players missing through international games, injuries and suspensions. Our 1st eleven is decent, when they are unavailable, it just shows how thin and inadequate those in reserve are.
11 Jan 2026 22:39:35
Right now, bluepotato, yes, exactly. He sets us up terribly, and sometimes the KDH, Grealish or Ndiaye will win a game for us. Sometimes we don't. But the system is awful regardless.
12 Jan 2026 10:26:55
The problem always has been the quality players needed in the squad, I agree with you BP our first 13/14 players are good enough to get us up the table challenging for the top 6/7 th position but not enough for Europe
We haven’t got the depth of quality in the squad that makes the first eleven even better because they know they will not loose their place, that’s why you see the current players not really progressing like they should do
In fairness to Moyes he has always stated that he needed 10 new players in the summer, he also stated that it will take 3 or 4 seasons to make an Everton side that could compete in Europe
My gripe has alway been that in the last 5 years no progress has been made in the youth system to been players through to the first time, something drastically wrong in this setup as we need homegrown talent with the fighting spirit of the City plus it would save the club Millions.