January Transfer Window 2026


It really is insane the lengths the club will go to in refusing to buy fullbacks.

"We don't need fullbacks, we can put a central defender/midfielder/reserve goalkeeper/tea lady in there, it'll be fine"
Especially with moyes system which relies on overlapping full backs to provide width.
 
Get Charlie Adam back in, I hear he’s on mates rates and he’s proper boss on set pieces. He can also prop up the failing, local Uber eats businesses around finch farm and can eat an apple through a fence as a party trick to keep up squad morale.
 
Especially with moyes system which relies on overlapping full backs to provide width.
He was the one who gave Baines his debut! He must know the value of a good fullback, ffs. It does my head in! I genuinely wonder if we'll ever sign a fullback again. (I know we signed Anzou, before some pedant chirps up. I mean a fullback that we will actually play).
 

Get Charlie Adam back in, I hear he’s on mates rates and he’s proper boss on set pieces. He can also prop up the failing, local Uber eats businesses around finch farm and can eat an apple through a fence as a party trick to keep up squad morale.

One clever free kick we took against Liverpool - scored from it, and never tried anything like that again.

Garner/KDH just chip it up to Tarks head whilst Tarks has an MMA fight with somebody.
 
One clever free kick we took against Liverpool - scored from it, and never tried anything like that again.

Garner/KDH just chip it up to Tarks head whilst Tarks has an MMA fight with somebody.
Yeah, it’s disappointing that in a time where set pieces are so important it’s seemingly deemed not important enough for us to work on them. We still pass back to Pickford who smashes it long straight from kick offs ffs!
Is it just Everton in the league that don’t employ a specialist set piece coach?
 

Orel Mangala made his first appearance as a substitute for Lyon on Sunday night, following recovery from that Knee injury he got in the away game at Brighton last January, instantly being linked with a loan move back to Everton, because Lyon have 8 central midfield players.

I would have him back on loan, gives us another option in there.
Don't understand the shouts to have him back. He was genuinely not good. Just shows how unbelievably starved we've been in midfield.
 
Boyland never knows anything. Someone will be along shortly to tell me he got one thing right three summers ago so he is some sort of insider but he's just a lift and cover opinion giver like the rest of them. Every article is 1000 words of empty conjecture. I don't know why anyone would subscribe to the Atlantic, it's the Metro with a fancy font.

To be fair he did confirm we have a 1 year extension option for Mykolenko.

I expect we will trigger that and that we make decisions on him and Anzou in the summer. It may be Anzou takes over next season and we offload Mykolenko in the summer.

I would buy tactically now to instantly improve our first team which would save the summer window.

We need a left back, right back and defensive midfielder. These positions should not cost the Earth and we can find quality.

I have confidence in Barry but I feel Beto will want out so we'll need a backup or experienced striker

We've got Anzou who will probably takeover from Mykolenko at LB.

How much do you think quality RBs and DMs cost?

I do think Beto will be sold to Italy or Saudi and we will sign another CF.
 
What has happened to us at set pieces? No matter how terrible we have been in recent years, we've been pretty solid against set pieces since Martinez's reign (when I genuinely thought we would concede a goal at every single set piece). We were pretty good at defending set pieces during Moyes' first stint, too, unless my mind is playing tricks on me (entirely possible).
The set piece defending was definitely poor...but I think if you look a little further you see that they shouldnt even have existed.

Goal 1: Corner due to fullback badly beaten when he had a 5 yard headstart. Scored off corner that should never have happened.
Goal 2: Tim sells this, should have broken out but Tim just botches an easy ball. Pickford then misses an easy shot, but one he shouldnt have even had to face.
Goal 3: Myko and Tim conspire here to give up an absurd goal. I mostly blame Tim, incredibly lazy, but Myko also goes to no mans land and makes no attempt to do anything.
Goal 4: Corner that comes from fullback being badly beaten. They get off a couple shots and keep going until the goal.

Id suggest 1st and 4th wouldn't have happened with average+ fullbacks. The other two were Tim not making any effort.
 
The set piece defending was definitely poor...but I think if you look a little further you see that they shouldnt even have existed.

Goal 1: Corner due to fullback badly beaten when he had a 5 yard headstart. Scored off corner that should never have happened.
Goal 2: Tim sells this, should have broken out but Tim just botches an easy ball. Pickford then misses an easy shot, but one he shouldnt have even had to face.
Goal 3: Myko and Tim conspire here to give up an absurd goal. I mostly blame Tim, incredibly lazy, but Myko also goes to no mans land and makes no attempt to do anything.
Goal 4: Corner that comes from fullback being badly beaten. They get off a couple shots and keep going until the goal.

Id suggest 1st and 4th wouldn't have happened with average+ fullbacks. The other two were Tim not making any effort.
Don't get me wrong, I've been calling for new fullbacks for years now. Iroegbunam has an opportunity tonight, given all the injuries and suspensions, to show that Newcastle was a one off, although I'm not at all convinced by him.

We still need to do better on set pieces, however.
 

Welcome

Join Grand Old Team to get involved in the Everton discussion. Signing up is quick, easy, and completely free.

Shop

Back
Top