ATF

It's modern football really. They haven't won the league in 16 years. They'd won 5 of their first 16 games before he arrived. Went on a good run initially, then a spell of bad form, but only the champions have registered more points than them in 2026, and their early season form had made the recent end-of-season championship round essentially redundant for them. But you just don't get time to create anything now.

Someone picked him as their specialist subject on Mastermind tonight. I got 8. I know too much about the guy.

Translation: ‘The manager told me [at least three weeks before the end of the window...you can even look back in this very thread] that I wasn't part of his plans and would play with the U23s if I didn't leave. I had a good offer and turned it down because I thought I'd fight for the place that I'd been told I didn't have. And then come the end of the window it turned out that the manager was... telling the truth! He's a bit dopey.

Good start...6 wins from his first 7 games, and the one loss was a game they dominated. Highlight was an away win against the then top-of-the-league PAOK.

Spurs can murder any team who leaves space behind.

I think people are always free to make comments on a manager for his selection, setup and subs. But it seems clear to me that a result like this is not "on him" at this stage. The actual ire seems merited elsewhere, even if you make the case that he too had a poor game.

Deflect attention, focus publicly on the positives, defend the players. It's broadly what you have to do in interviews. He has no real option but to channel some positive focus. Can work on fixing the weaknesses in private.

62 from 27 actually, which is only 2.3 points per game. Get your money on it, my dudes.

Made me laugh

Some of you need to stop visiting other forums. No good can come of it.

It's such a stupid idea and it's pure greed, in different ways, that it's coming in.

I cannot see Rafa ever being interested in a DoF role. He's a coach, pure and simple. When he retires he'll still find a way to do something along those lines.

A manager doesn't get you to overperform xG though. Good keepers and good goalscorers get you to do that.

How many southerner Everton fans are there? Imagine paying attention to that shit.

I think more likely Rafa was in contact with Staveley during and after he left Newcastle and he's mentioned them as knowledgeable, trustworthy people.

The problem with the Conte shout is that the guy lives to win the league and compete for trophies... immediately. He falls out with clubs when that stops being their instant objective or when he feels they're not putting in the same effort to achieve it. Chasing European positions is not what he wants to do. As such, I'm not sure he'd want the job.

Southgate suits being an international manager more than a club manager. The emphases are different. He can instil the right atmosphere with limited time, works with good coaches who compensate for his weaknesses and strikes the right relationship with all the people he needs to. International football is slower and he sets up his team in a balanced and compact way, where they're not going to be too exposed to individual errors. He's proved himself very adept at it and shown more understanding of the qualities needed for an international coach more than any England manager post-Ramsay. Club management is a little different though and he's far from proven at it.

It really was. Now if they could do that at half time too.

He's a systems player if ever I've seen one. He doesn't have the feel or individual quality to impact a game on his own. Needs a clearly defined role. Complete opposite to ASM.

No it will be because they played Wednesday night. Selfish TV scheduling putting them on the lunch time kick off. Additionally, Everton have no depth on the bench with injuries so I think he has more freedom if they need something second half.

Yeah I suspected that. It's why I didn't put anything on it.

Cashed out on the 1-1 at 89 minutes.

I think Steve Bruce will get it. Ashley will just look at who on Jones' coaching staff can do a job.

I do think you can say the back five didn't work for them last night. The thinking was obvious but without Calvert-Lewin they lacked the aerial outball and they were too passive and deep to put the squeeze on Burnley (also without a ball playing centre back against Burnley's press). Part players, part manager for not foreseeing the possible system breakdowns. The change though was very clever - I doubt many were thinking Gomes on for Godfrey and play 4-3-3. Created a 3v2 in midfield on transition, allowed Townsend and Gray to play higher and more inside, and freed Doucoure as well. This stat is telling.

Rafa's gone with the wrong shape like. They've backed off too far, they're playing long balls to Richarlison who isn't a number nine, and they can't get up to press. Without Calvert-Lewin they should have stuck with the back four.