No game for a promotion challenger is a free hit. A hard game but not a free hit.

He isnt in a competitive environment and wont be as long as he is playing with and against kids.

I might be wrong but were 2 of Lenihans not part of a red therefore do not count?

Apologies. I dont have a complete knowledge of managers across the world therefore I shouldnt have suggested not even that Lampard is a poor choice, which i didnt say, but that I remain unconvinced on how you can be so certain of Lampard's suitabiity for the Everton job following 2 very average managerial jobs. To be fair, I dont have an Everton supporting friend with an expert opinion on the work of Vitor Pereira so my opinion wouldnt be as valid anyway.

I didn't say that he did. I just think that without having that knowledge, that I don't feel in a position to recommend anyone. I am sure that either from England or abroad, that there are better managers with better CV's available somewhere, compared to Lampard and his average CV. I don't think that they will go down either way.

I don't know whether he will be a success or a failure. A managers playing career does not mean that he will be any more suitable as a manager, so I dismiss that point for one. If questioning from a neutral position a manager with 2 average jobs on his CV is me having something "against Lampard" then deary me. I don't have the depth of knowledge regarding mangers especially across Europe to be in a position to suggest anyone else, I am judging solely on Lampard that I am unconvinced that he warranted such a job based on his CV. I never said that anyone isn't playing for him. He is a big name (as a player) who has just joined so I have no doubt that they are trying their hardest. Ultimately that means diddly squad (nor does what he says in interviews after defeats) until he starts picking up enough points.

You say understands the Prem, now this is the main thing that I dispute for a few reasons: - Is the Premier League a totally different concept to management in other leagues? - Does this definition of an "understanding" include his playing career or just his management career? If it is just management, one and a half years in the Premier League wouldn't make him stand out as an experienced manager who "understands" the league. If it includes him playing in the league 10-20 years ago, what relevance does that have to his management In my book, the job he did at Chelsea was ok, unremarkable, certainly not "very good." This was on the back of getting the job purely on his playing career following an average spell managing Derby. I am not saying that he is going to be a failure or indeed a success at Everton. I just can't fathom why you seem so sure that he is such a good appointment as the "right fit." I wonder if you have followed the media narrative that is based on him being an excellent player in his day and seemingly also a nice enough bloke who has other older family members that have made names for themselves on the media circuit. His opening 4 league games have led to 3 losses and 1 win which is an unremarkable start. He is a new manager, I am sure that they are "playing for him" but that becomes a subjective irrelevance until it results in them picking up points.

Good that 2 other sets of teams around us are playing each other. Can't look past Huddersfield and QPR wins nor can I see us picking up anything away at Fulham. The pressure will be on the 3 consecutive home games, hopefully with Dack back in the squad by then.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/30778/12529778/dele-alli-everton-sign-spurs-midfielder-permanently-in-a-deal-that-could-cost-40m#:~:text=Get Sky Sports-,Dele Alli%3A Everton sign Spurs midfielder permanently in a,that could cost £40m&text=Dele Alli has joined Everton permanently from Tottenham on Deadline,stalling career at Goodison Park. An incentivised deal rising to 40m if certain criteria is met. I don't get why Lampard is the "right fit" based on anything in particular, nor do I have any idea how you can be sure that he will not become a "waste of money" himself.

Playing with and against kids in an uncompetitive environment is a means to an end for a player like Dack, or indeed any senior player. As long as he is getting in minutes without getting injured, that is all that matters. Hopefully he will be back in the squad either at Fulham or for the 3 home games that follow, as we need his ability to sniff out chances and put them away even if it is in cameos initially.

Norwich are gone, nowhere near enough quality and Watford are battling uphill really despite a credible draw yesterday and the appointment of Hodgson who has kept teams up before. Assuming there is one place left, I can see Burnley potentially and annoyingly surviving, I think they have the best manager of all the teams and with Weghorst joining Cornet, they now have goals in their team. Everton could be in big danger. Lampard was a strange appointment with 2 average jobs on his CV (but a big name as a player and a reputation as a media darling) and he was very lucky to get a big transfer budget to be able to demand that Dele Alli was brought in. He seems a busted flush and a waste of money and cant even get in the team. Leeds are also in trouble and I can see Brentford getting really dragged into it. Newcastle will be fine.

I suspect it wouldn't be as high as you would think as for much of our winning run, Brereton and Khadra were the 2 forwards, with Buckley as the false 9.

It turned out to be good logic. Suppose Johnson was the natural replacement for Rothwell and was outstanding. I havent seen much if any criticism of him, what has been said? Very good today, does need to provide more in terms of goals/assists though but so much energy.

Agreed although very difficult for the sort of fee and presumably wages that Markanday cost.

Really good performance today and to be honest a one nil win flattered QPR. Mowbray got his tactics and subs spot on and it was really pleasing to get an overdue win. Khadra can be so wasteful and needs to improve his end product, but so pleased for him to score the winner. The thing about him compared to Dolan and Gallagher was that he was posing far more of a threat to begin with, he was getting in great positions, something the other 2 need to work on. Dolan did really lead by example from the front and was shattered at the end and is always a threat. Johnson was also very impressive, as was Van Hecke. A good team performance really.

Totally agree on the Vale point but why is it down to Mowbray's arrogance that we didn't sign a striker in January? I do think that we should have got one and I was disappointed that we didn't but I am under no illusions that with a minimal budget, it was a very tough task to bring in a striker that could improve us. We spent around 700k, 500k was on a young player with no first team experience for us to mould who unfortunately got injured. The other 200k was for an attacking player due to the desperation of his club to get a fee. Its not much, perhaps there are loans we could have got but it isn't as clear cut as many make out.

There is a growing push it seems for Vale to play. We are desperate and maybe it is worth a go but for perspective, he scored 1 in 10 this season in non league. I get that he can score against kids but it would be a huge ask. And this nonsense about hating Nyambe keeps cropping up. 9 times out of 10 he starts.

His best form came as a false 9 in the exact same position as he is playing now. He is playing shit now and should be dropped, but lets not re create history.

@Mercer is this you? Rothwell out for at least 2 games?

Do you agree that automatic promotion hopes are gone?

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Based on their goalscoring records and our recent attacking displays, you are easily pleased.

Brereton was clearly in the right position hence the 20 goals. How is pressing suited to a deeper role? Surely its best high up when as we have seen on a number of occasions this season can lead to us creating chances very quickly once we win the ball. Totally agree on his shooting, prior to the last month he did add to the attack with his passing although aside from the ball for the Brereton goal when he strayed offside v West Brom, even that has gone off the boil. Hence why he should be dropped.

I do think that people are underplaying or forgetting his high standard to which he played whilst as a false 9 throughout our winning run. He started the season well as the most advanced of a midfield 3 but his performances improved when he went as a false 9 and our form skyrocketed us up the table. His main 2 strengths are his ability to win possession back and his ability to play a through ball in behind a defence, both of which do suit that false 9 role, or at least a role as an attacking midfielder. Im not convinced how he would adapt to play deeper, he played there away at Hull (granted next to Rothwell which isnt the most balanced duo) and was totally ineffective. The problem is that his main weakness is his inability to score goals or strike a ball and it really must improve for him to be properly effective. If everyone was fit, for me he would probably be a sub in the main simply because Dack is in a different league to him.

To clarify, I have been very critical of his performances lately and he certainly needs dropping. I was just saying in general that he has always played further up really, that is where he impressed up until a month or so ago. His pressing was also coupled with us carrying a goal threat mainly through Brereton with Buckley often slipping him through. To play him deeper would very much be asking him to do something he has never proven to be able to do, it would be a new position for him. Im not convinced that he would dictate games and to be honest we arent a team that suits dictating games anyway, I wouldnt drop Travis or Rothwell for him to try him there.