What is our biggest problem?

[Bob Elstone]

If you want to achieve something you need two decent players for every position or at least some decent utility players.

the club has a loser mentality just like spurs. How many opportunities do we get and simply bottle it. We couldn’t beat reds reserves.

the midfield isn’t up to it. Davies despite one good game gives the ball away. Gomes is slow. Siggy is like a snail. James despite being the most talented player Everton have had in decades is a nice to have and a liability if the rest of the losers aren’t putting a shift in.

Richarlison has been a disgrace for the entire season. Unless he’s in front of the goal he gives the ball away all the time.

only players who’s turned up and produced on a consistent basis is big mick Keggers, digne, DCL and Godfrey.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Mentality and desire. We play with arrogance mixed with laziness and then are unable to raise our game. No chance we’re as pathetic against City as we were against Fulham/Newcastle/West Ham.

And I suspect a lot of these lads don’t believe they’re good enough to play in Europe, hence why they turn in absolute non performances whenever we can make serious ground up.

Lot of players need shifting and replacing with better ones. Our recruitment does appear to be getting better rather than worse though.

 

[Thomasc]

so 7th flatteres us?

Yep

leagues mental this year though, only saving grace is we haven’t had a battering of anybody like Southampton or Leeds have. Carry on like we are and we will soon get one though.

 

[AsiaAsia82]

I still think certain players turn up for the shop window games and don’t really want to fight it out in the dirge games - I’m afraid it’s like chicken and egg for us - we don’t win anything so the top players won’t come and because we have wannabes they’re never fully engaged so we don’t win anything.

 

[Lanolin]

For me the issue is we don't have a way of playing. In possession there is nothing especially when it comes to getting the ball from defense into attack and out of possession we just drop off and defend deep which for me hardly counts in modern football. Most teams can sit behind the ball in two banks of four and put a shift in to keep teams out here and there. I don't think we need a different way so much as a first way.

This is why I think missing out on Europe would be a real failure this season. Everything we’re doing appears to be with a very short term view, if it doesn’t work and we end up 8th or lower again then frankly it just feels like a waste of a season to me. I can accept (not like) just playing dull, basic, football if we’re using it as a means to an end to get ourselves into Europe and push on from there, but if not i just gave no idea what value it has.

 

[Kurt.]

Our fans

 

[Barnfred 55]

I’ve heard all of these discussed as reasons for our disappointing performances.
After next weekend we head into a run of tough games.
Is it solvable?

Hope and expectation are our biggest problem. The fans anyway. Always has been. Always will be.

What the precise problem with the team is I've no idea and frankly, right at this moment, I'm not sure I even care.

I can see us putting in 2 gutsy performances against City and the RS and getting positive results in both. But the one thing I feel I can cast iron guarantee right now is that they'll do this to us again this season.

 

[MACCA75]

We have no pace to counter attack, we can’t play through the lines or keep possession and without DCL, we can’t play long.

Out of possession we can’t press.

Other than that we are good to go.

 

[dannyboy]

Mentality and desire. We play with arrogance mixed with laziness and then are unable to raise our game. No chance we’re as pathetic against City as we were against Fulham/Newcastle/West Ham.

And I suspect a lot of these lads don’t believe they’re good enough to play in Europe, hence why they turn in absolute non performances whenever we can make serious ground up.

Lot of players need shifting and replacing with better ones. Our recruitment does appear to be getting better rather than worse though.

I don't think there is as much wrong with the mentality as people think. Looking at that game yesterday we were just second best at playing football.

Our midfield can't get a grip of things against the poorer teams, I think that causes the players to panic because they know that shouldn't be the case. Against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs etc the tactic works. We just can't adapt our approach in games like last night. Maybe when Allan is back that'll change.

 

[Egil Olsen]

Our biggest problem if we want to be in the top 4 is money. A good team must have good players.

The other problem for the club is that it has not had a long-term strategy. We have had coaches with different philosophies, and who have bought players who fit their style. The scouting of players has been under all criticism, and we have made a number of strange choices. Paid expensive for low quality. We are now in a transition phase, but we are too impatient.

The hiring of Ancelotti is a sign of that, and the acquisition of players like Allan and JR. We hire an elite coach, but at the same time a coach who is pragmatic. He does not have the players he needs for success, and he is not the type of manager who develops clubs. In a long-term perspective, this is neither financially nor sportingly sustainable.

Buying players like Allan and JR are fine supporter signings, but are in reality ineffective signings. Both players are on their way down in their careers, injury prone, and have expensive salaries. JR is a player who is best when the teams he plays for dominate ball possession, and when these teams need extra creativity to break down the defense. Allan was a beast under Sarri, when he played as a pressure player high in the field. We rarely dominate ball possession, and favor lying deep to defend ourselves. We pay for what they have been, and not for what they are doing in the present.

This money should have been invested in players where the curve is on the rise. They should also have been brought in to a system, where not necessarily all the details were set in stone, but a flexible system that had a specific direction. Then we could build stone by stone. Now I think we have gambled. With the current strategy, we should manage Europe this year in terms of the investments we have made.

But again, when you roll the dice, you might win. We are still in the battle for the top 4, and it is difficult now to criticize the club and Ancelotti.

 

[matty1878]

Yep

leagues mental this year though, only saving grace is we haven’t had a battering of anybody like Southampton or Leeds have. Carry on like we are and we will soon get one though.

ha ha ha ha ok lad

 

[Thomasc]

ha ha ha ha ok lad

I do wonder what you are watching sometimes.

 

[The Binman]

Time and patience is required, time to build a team, time to move away from what we were, we've come a long way since those horrible days in the 90s, and even further back from the wonderful years in the 80s.

You don't go from being pish poor, to amazing overnight. We have to see progress, I think it is being made, but there are many blips, which are concerning. You have to wonder about the mentality of the players. After yesterday's game it was clear Fulham wanted it more, they out worked us, outran us.

 

[Moomin]

The issue is with the midfield.

 

[Gilbert..]

Mentality and desire. We play with arrogance mixed with laziness and then are unable to raise our game. No chance we’re as pathetic against City as we were against Fulham/Newcastle/West Ham.

And I suspect a lot of these lads don’t believe they’re good enough to play in Europe, hence why they turn in absolute non performances whenever we can make serious ground up.

Lot of players need shifting and replacing with better ones. Our recruitment does appear to be getting better rather than worse though.

Mentallity 100%. But its not just the players. Its the fans aswell. Reading match day threads in the build up to games i often just shake my head at the cockiness of some who think we just have to go onto the pitch and its in the bag.
I genuinely think as a club, players and fans, we underestimate teams that come to Goodison with pure ignorance.
Earn the fcking points first then crow about it.