Parky

Think for now it's clear he has more time and space as a RB. Ideally in time he'll grow into the mf role. Tricky in the PL for midfielders with all the axe wielding that goes on in.

Like him at RB.

Good to see him get a full 90m.

Guti might be part of the problem in the 433 as he's neither a real outlet anymore or a proper midfielder either. His workrate can't be questioned but a REAL central midfielder would be better suited imo.

It'll be Guardiola. Don't think he'll go there tbh. His expedition force has already arrived. Digging tunnels under Mancini as we speak.

It'll be Guardiola. Don't think he'll go there tbh. His expedition force has already arrived.

It'll be Guardiola.

Rodgers still rambling on about draws mean wins or summink, or we drew but we should have won, or we play to win but draw...Get out!

Over the two games Ajax have been the better side. End of. Mancini will be out soon. Guardiola in?

Mikeeel! Monkheeeeey! Yup sounds identical. Luiz can't hear through all that hair anyway.

There is no way these allegations can be true. Chelsea crying and playing the victim after the Terry fiasco is where my money is.

Uruguay v Argentina games are the masterclass of cheating and in Europe Italy are the kings.

Indeed, the only one making runs was Ba. Maybe they aren't encouraged to move about too much.

Because it's not in Pardew's nature to play a pass and move game. He's come from low profile teams where the long ball is used effectively to punch above their weight similar to Sam Allardyce. He does try and incorporate some passing, but it's mostly just impressive talk. It doesn't look like we practice it on the pitch at all, and under the slightest bit of pressure it's Shola up front and long balls to the big lads. He doesn't really believe in the passing game IMO, and looks unsure how to implement it. It looks to me that players like Cisse and Marveaux are getting stick on here when more than likely the style of football is more suited to the Sholas and Martin O Neill type of players. Agree with all of that. Pardew sticks to what he knows which is percentages. Players moving around or going forward too much and losing position in a passing movement worries him. Our players try as much as possible to hold thier zone and their core position and then reboot. This keeps the team profile solid and hard to score against (that's the theory anyway -MON - Allardyce and Moyes - but he's changed the last couple of seasons). I suspect he's been pawing at statistics too much which often don't tell the full picture. Often 3/4 touches may lead to a goal (like the kick from Krul goal on Sunday) and nobody has to have deserted their positon (Shola just moved in a bit). He looks at mistakes (goals conceded when there is a corner up the other end and the breakaway). Ironically these kinds of stats are the surface of the game but now with prozone and so on they have become the new gloss. Tbf to Pards he's a bit like an unpolished Mourinho who has had his fair shair of very static and defensive formations (remember how Chelsea used to lob it to Drogba a lot?) Just that a lot of Mou's overfocused research (see all his assistants and their number crunching - Clarke etc) is gilded with teams full of stars. P like Mourinho is only interested in winning football. Even now two sprinters wait on the half way line (Benzema and one other) while the whole team defends. P still really wants Carroll as the focus, that should tell you everything.

It wasn't a tackle, he stamped on the back of Distins leg, the ball was well gone by the time he did that. Yeah that's what I meant. Someone needs to teach him a lesson.

Very nasty tackle on the back of Distian calf.

Think turning 36 began to affect his game.

Seeing as the final bid for Debuchy was 6.3m euro apparently. Why find the other 2m for Anita and give up on Debuchy?? None of it makes sense. Anita is a good player from a club with a strong culture but might not be robust enough for the rough and tumble of the PL, especially in midfield. I hope he comes through this difficult period but it will take time for him to adjust as it does all imports.

Let's play some fukin football already!!!!!!

Chelsea in victims payback mode shocka! Shit club top to bottom and some of the most racist support in the country bar Leeds.

Nearly every week something different seems to be going on. There are too many mixed messages and players often look confused and not sure what their actual role is (even in games it changes 2/3 times). Don't think Pards knows how to get good football out of these players. Seems like a big thing to say but he's been in the job long enough. 80% of our performances this year and last have been hit and miss affairs with wonder moments from certain players dictating results. Our attacking ideas are so one dimensional it's laughable. He might have have polished the surface of his image as a manager who works hard and gives a lot of attention to detail and data, but this can't disguise the fact that his overall philosophy still remains direct or "on the front foot" as he calls it. As others have said, this group of players (as they've shown from time to time) are able to deliver far greater things. If it continues like this I can see them getting unhappy (the cultured players can't be enjoing it) and thinking about moving on.

We could be top, but our performances are diabolical. Performances are a true indicator of a player and a team by the way. Everton have had a good start by their standards but the most impressive thing about them isn't their position in the table but their performances which is a marked improvement from say last season and even previous seasons. If we keep playing the way we are, we will not finish in the top 5 or 6. If Everton continue to play like they have been doing, they will have a good chance. No side can continue to play as poorly or as iffy as we are and expect to keep finishing high or keep improving because it won't happen. As it stands last season is looking like a one off and unless we improve our football massively, it will be judged that way come May. One thing I will say, Moyes has shown that an old dog can learn new tricks or that given time (in his case, f***ing lots), a manager can finally get there and get his team there so all is not lost with Pardew. That said, we are only into October, Everton have a long way to go, and Moyes is a far better manager than Pardew anyway. In what ways do you see him as better? Genuine question. Like Pards he used to be quite defensive. When he sees a winning formula, he generally tries to stick with it, same with a player. He's not the best tactically but he sets his sides up to play to their strengths and he has shown over the years he has learned or is willing to change his playing style from the dogs of war type game to a more fluid game we see today, and that has also been shown in the type of players he has went for. All this really on a shoestring budget. He's not a great manager but he is probably the best British manager after Fergie which may not say a lot given the paucity of 'talent' if you like but he's good at what he does, very good and a step or two up from Pardew. I'd imagine Moyes would eventually find the best system/tactics for the players he has at Newcastle and then would stick with it either until it worked or failed and then try again until finally finding that winning formula as is his MO at Everton. In short getting his side and players playing to their strengths. I imagine as an Everton fan this way has been frustrating at times and requires a massive degree of patience but you cannot deny the results. Cheers. I sometimes wonder where they'd be if they hadn't missed out on all that CL cash by falling at the first hurdle. Also of interest is how Harry had no clue how to incorporate Pienaar and went back to two flying wingers. Jelavic is alright but Everton would be one hell of a dangerous packet with one real class forward to deploy week in week out. What I like about Moyes is that although as you say he's a bit dour he's also pragmatic and unconventional when needs arise: Note the re-fashioning of Coleman as a attacking right back/right midfielder when nobody had really heard of him. The way Everton have become a side that can keep the ball from a side that used to tend to go long is a testament to Moyes developing his outlook.

Not a rant at all Tooj. Thought it was well thought through and fair with regard to what all of us can see.

We could be top, but our performances are diabolical. Performances are a true indicator of a player and a team by the way. Everton have had a good start by their standards but the most impressive thing about them isn't their position in the table but their performances which is a marked improvement from say last season and even previous seasons. If we keep playing the way we are, we will not finish in the top 5 or 6. If Everton continue to play like they have been doing, they will have a good chance. No side can continue to play as poorly or as iffy as we are and expect to keep finishing high or keep improving because it won't happen. As it stands last season is looking like a one off and unless we improve our football massively, it will be judged that way come May. One thing I will say, Moyes has shown that an old dog can learn new tricks or that given time (in his case, fucking lots), a manager can finally get there and get his team there so all is not lost with Pardew. That said, we are only into October, Everton have a long way to go, and Moyes is a far better manager than Pardew anyway. In what ways do you see him as better? Genuine question. Like Pards he used to be quite defensive.