2025/26 Jack Grealish

[Neiler]

If our downfall is not resigning someone (on ridiculous wages) who's not a natural 10 to play in the 10 role, then we may as well call it quits. We’ve purchased enough players who can play in the 10 I.e. Grealish, Alcaraz, kdh. Ndiaye, even rohl played in the 10 for Freiburg, to adequately replace Doucoure. I just thank god the club didn’t offer him the wages he wanted.

I wouldn't call Doucore a 10 or played that role myself mate.

We will miss him for sure, i think we already are, midfield is going to be a weak area for us this year despite the investment we've been forced to make since his leaving us. I disagree and i think people will cotton onto it as games pass by, we've left our selves short in midfield.

Im hoping Rohl hits the ground running - we need him to.

Ultimately we move on, he decided to leave the club even if we wanted him to stay - which is telling.

 

[COYBL25]

Are you assuming that everyone who wanted Dyche out also didn’t want Grealish? I think there’s a clear difference between fans who want us to bring in top talent, and those who’d have been content with keeping players like Doucoure or even Harrison.

Let’s be honest, if the so-called messiah was still in charge, there’s no way Grealish would be an Everton player right now.

Non of the players we’ve signed would be Everton players, as they wouldn’t have come if Dyche was the manager

 

[Neiler]

Sorry mate, Doucoure wouldn't be getting many minutes this season with the players we have signed. Nothing can be taken from the Leeds game were 3 of those players didn't start and we were missing half of our defence.

Wouldn't disagree with that mate, he wouldn't be a definite starter, but hed have a role for sure and id be fine with that - its like McNeill he was a very important player last season, this season he will struggle for mins - thats means we;ve gotten stronger the last year - i think that should be our aim.

Again as i say we missed him against Leeds, the squad was caught, we were over run in midfield and we missed him - his role was missed in the squad! Agreed!

Personally feel we've left ourselves short in the engine room.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

The issue is that a midfield 5 of

Garner Gana

Ndiaye KDH Grealish


Just simply doesn’t have enough pace to affect the game when they don’t have the ball. It’s why opposition teams can have large spells of dominance over us. It was concerning watching Mansfield boss us on our own turf for 10 mins before the end of the first half.

If we can get Dibling into the lineup somewhere that will help, equally if Rohl comes in also there’s more pace to cover the ground but it might be a while before Moyes changes anything.

Doucoure was terrible on the ball and I’m glad we got rid of him but I’m not sure his off the ball work has been replaced. One of the few times I’ve seen us recently not being outpaced and bullied by opposition teams was when Doucoure and Onana were in the same midfield with Garner. They both covered so much ground at pace that we could hit other teams and force turnovers high up the pitch. We’ve got less chance of doing that now so will end up winning the ball closer to our own goal and have to play our way out.

That's partly down to not having Branthewaite. Whenever Keane plays we play deeper. I also remember us being dominated in loads of games involving Doucoure so that's complete revisionism.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Wouldn't disagree with that mate, he wouldn't be a definite starter, but hed have a role for sure and id be fine with that - its like McNeill he was a very important player last season, this season he will struggle for mins - thats means we;ve gotten stronger the last year - i think that should be our aim.

Again as i say we missed him against Leeds, the squad was caught, we were over run in midfield and we missed him - his role was missed in the squad! Agreed!

Personally feel we've left ourselves short in the engine room.

We probably missed Jack Harrison and Ashley Young against Leeds too.

 

[LostLegend]

For once I think all this media hype is a good thing.
If he keeps up these types of performances, not only is it better for us as a team, but it means opposition teams are going to dedicate more of their tactical preparation in stopping him. They're already doubling up players marking him as it is.

He's more than experienced and talented to deal with that and it gives our other attacking players, specifically N'Diaye, more space to operate (and potentially Dibling) in the attacking 3rd of the pitch.

And giving N'Diaye more space is essentially open season for BLAMMO'S

 

[Saint Domingo]

That's partly down to not having Branthewaite. Whenever Keane plays we play deeper. I also remember us being dominated in loads of games involving Doucoure so that's complete revisionism.

Yeah we obviously were but look who is around him, Harrison McNeil Gana Garner plus the slowest back 4 in the league. The cumulative pace in the team isn’t high enough to challenge opposition teams who can play higher lines and win 50 50s against us.

Doucoure was very useful off the ball but just absolutely tragic on it. In Moyes’ first tenure we had the opposite problems of having multiple schemers in possession in Arteta Osman Pienaar Baines but absorb no pace so they turned up at Stamford Bridge or Anfield and would get bullied by faster stronger taller players routinely.

I’d much rather us have technical players that can’t run over athletes who can’t control a ball but if we want to truly challenge at the top we need players who have both.

 

[Neiler]

The issue is that a midfield 5 of

Garner Gana

Ndiaye KDH Grealish


Just simply doesn’t have enough pace to affect the game when they don’t have the ball. It’s why opposition teams can have large spells of dominance over us. It was concerning watching Mansfield boss us on our own turf for 10 mins before the end of the first half.

If we can get Dibling into the lineup somewhere that will help, equally if Rohl comes in also there’s more pace to cover the ground but it might be a while before Moyes changes anything.

Doucoure was terrible on the ball and I’m glad we got rid of him but I’m not sure his off the ball work has been replaced. One of the few times I’ve seen us recently not being outpaced and bullied by opposition teams was when Doucoure and Onana were in the same midfield with Garner. They both covered so much ground at pace that we could hit other teams and force turnovers high up the pitch. We’ve got less chance of doing that now so will end up winning the ball closer to our own goal and have to play our way out.

Not sure its the pace myself mate. And we wont miss Docuoure from a technical nor creative point of view - we will miss him for what he enables, is presence and as you say off the ball work is going to be missed terribly, in some games Idrissa and Garner aren't going to be enough as a midfield two and if one goes down injured or suspended then we are really stretched.

Were we will miss Doucore is in the shape he enables, us to fo 3 in midfield, his presence, work rate and off the ball. He wasn't very technically talented but he was an enabler and that was influential and impactful - it created that great contradiction when it came to him.

I think we've been found wanting at midfield if im honest mate. I hope Rohl may be the answer and he could be - ive never watched him - but hes clearly the tall, Athletic, physical presence with legs Moyes likes like Fellaini and Soucek and ear mared the Docoure replacement.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Yeah we obviously were but look who is around him, Harrison McNeil Gana Garner plus the slowest back 4 in the league. The cumulative pace in the team isn’t high enough to challenge opposition teams who can play higher lines and win 50 50s against us.

Doucoure was very useful off the ball but just absolutely tragic on it. In Moyes’ first tenure we had the opposite problems of having multiple schemers in possession in Arteta Osman Pienaar Baines but absorb no pace so they turned up at Stamford Bridge or Anfield and would get bullied by faster stronger taller players routinely.

I’d much rather us have technical players that can’t run over athletes who can’t control a ball but if we want to truly challenge at the top we need players who have both.

Garner is extremely quick. Rolz is massive and quick so hopefully he ticks that box.

 

[Neiler]

We probably missed Jack Harrison and Ashley Young against Leeds too.

One of them finished on the winning side TBF.

 

[ElGato]

Are you quite well mate.

Not really. Work sending me loopy

You?

 

[efcste97]

I wouldn't call Doucore a 10 or played that role myself mate.

We will miss him for sure, i think we already are, midfield is going to be a weak area for us this year despite the investment we've been forced to make since his leaving us. I disagree and i think people will cotton onto it as games pass by, we've left our selves short in midfield.

Im hoping Rohl hits the ground running - we need him to.

Ultimately we move on, he decided to leave the club even if we wanted him to stay - which is telling.

So I'm just imagining Doucoure attempt to play in a attacking midfield role am I? He actually didn't play further forward, I was imagining things? He was lying when he said “”To be honest, this is not my position — I’m not a No 10. I’m a No 8 or can play in a two. It worked well but it was more of an emergency thing.” FYI I didn't mind Doucoure in a deeper role at all.

What was telling to me was that he wanted a raise on top of his already inflated wages. If the club were truly desperate, they’d have caved and given him what he wanted-the same goes for DCL. Thankfully, we’re not that kind of club anymore. We can move on from a player: make them a fair offer, sure, like with Keane, but we don’t give in to ridiculous wage demands for overall average players.

 

[Neiler]

So I'm just imagining Doucoure attempt to play in a attacking midfield role am I? He actually didn't play further forward, I was imagining things? He was lying when he said “”To be honest, this is not my position — I’m not a No 10. I’m a No 8 or can play in a two. It worked well but it was more of an emergency thing.” FYI I didn't mind Doucoure in a deeper role at all.

What was telling to me was that he wanted a raise on top of his already inflated wages. If the club were truly desperate, they’d have caved and given him what he wanted-the same goes for DCL. Thankfully, we’re not that kind of club anymore. We can move on from a player: make them a fair offer, sure, like with Keane, but we don’t give in to ridiculous wage demands for overall average players.

Its was more of an 8 and half role mate, hed occupy the place behind the striker offensively and try and arrive in the box to get on the end of something, lead the press on the break down and sit in midfield to make it 3 without the ball, thats not a 10 role in my mind. key to it all he had the legs to do it and enabled the shape both offensively and defensively.

I wouldn't have kept him on his existing terms for sure and id have no issue with the club putting a value on him and offering what presumably was a lower contract, as i said above id be hoping to build over players like him, DCL and McNeill in the short term - but that doesn't mean they dont or wouldn't have had a role here and offered value and we wont miss them, in some games i think we will, particularly when we are under the Kosh.

I think we are still light in midfield.

 

[ElGato]

Wouldn't disagree with that mate, he wouldn't be a definite starter, but hed have a role for sure and id be fine with that - its like McNeill he was a very important player last season, this season he will struggle for mins - thats means we;ve gotten stronger the last year - i think that should be our aim.

Again as i say we missed him against Leeds, the squad was caught, we were over run in midfield and we missed him - his role was missed in the squad! Agreed!

Personally feel we've left ourselves short in the engine room.

Leeds have largely equipped themselves with 6ft plus whoppers in the middle of the park (centre backs, centre midfielders, centre forwards) who like to charge around and bump into people. Combined with the Elland Road atmos under lights, first game of a new premier league season, and a lenient referee, was kryptonite to our new brand of dimunitive and technically gifted centre midfielders, and we got bullied.

We definitely missed Doucoure then, and will coming up against teams who deploy a similar approach. Need a bit more physicality and also height at times to win the first and second balls. I think that's why we were in for Soucek and why we signed Roehl.

Tbh I think with Tim, Garner and Roehl we've probably got a 3 we could play in the middle of the park that can deal with the physical demands of the more direct teams, whilst also being technically astute enough so that we can keep playing our way (progress the ball on the ground through the thirds). However I would like one more of that profile (slightly surprised we binned of Armstrong, who is a tall fella and looks physically capable)

 

[efcste97]

Its was more of an 8 and half role mate, hed occupy the pace behind the striker offensively and try and arrive in the box, lead the press ona break down and sit in midfield to make it 3 without the ball, thats not a 10 role in my mind.

I wouldn't have kept him on his existing terms for sure and id have no issue with the club putting a value on him and offering what presumably was a lower contract, as i said above id be hoping to build over players like him, DCL and McNeill in the short term - but that doesn't mean they dont or wouldn't have had a role here and offered value and we wont miss them, in some games i think we will, particularly when we are under the Kosh.

I think we are still light in midfield.

Disagree I thought he was more of a 10, like he literally said himself he’s a 8 who plays in a 2, not a 10. Modern day ‘10s’ have to press etc.

We’re short of a 6 still, I think rohl will play more as a 8