The big man, the boss; Big Sam

[formerKHL]

So, what is the crisis if we stay up (more than likely) and he goes with a payoff in May? Nobody as far as I know has predicted he would take us into the distant future. Koeman and/or Unsworth might have done worse. The board had to act and did. This season is irrecoverable, so steady the ship, and go again next season with or without my friend Sam depending on our shape and form in the last 3 months of the season.

There's a manager in there somewhere.......

[blueToffee]

Allardyce: Everton cannot play Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson together because they are to slow to accommodate each other,,there both very good talents but covering ground is not heir strengh...wtf he clearly doesnt watch siggs much then 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jan/21/sam-allardyce-everton-wayne-rooney-gylfi-sigurdsson-too-slow-play-together

I think people can say, perhaps quite rightly, that those two players can sort of work together. They are both talented players. Also, clearly Sigurdsson does put a shift in. So does Rooney in his own way, perhaps he even runs around too much at times. I suppose if I was being kind to Allardyce I'd say it isn't a distance covered thing so much as a speed thing. Not that we play a pressing game mind you, but neither of them are types to be really zipping around or receiving a ball and bursting forward with pace.

To broaden it out though, it's not whether these two can work in a better way (yes, they can), the bigger question is roll back to the summer window and would we buy them again? Personally, while both have contributed more than most this season, I don't think they're what we needed at the time or particularly need now. Again, that's kinda harsh as they're both been successful in games this season but I think the transfer policy was wrong from the get go and the results are there to be seen in each game.

[cantoffee]

Honestly we have enough pace now for the game we play. We don't press high up the pitch and we won't with Allardyce in charge so I'm not sure what he is talking about.

Both cover more than enough distance in a match and I wouldn't be surprised if Sig has covered more distance than any other player in the team this year.

If we play the right way the players we have in attacking positions are fine as we can always go with 2 out and out wingers in Bolasie and Walcott or move Sig outside depending on the opponent.

I do think that not having a left back who can get up the pitch makes us easier to defend against but that shouldn't mean we carry zero attacking threat.

First we just needed a new striker, then a new winger, now a new left back, a new CM. So many excuses for not being able to get competent players to play even mediocre football. It's pathetic.

[Rodenplav64]

Yes I know.

But if it’s with a manager that everyone is behind (because the end idea is appealing) then there more patience with a “poor” draw.

But this is especially so in comparison to other clubs and therefore the atmosphere is worse / more hostile which makes the next game more difficult etc.

I genuinely don't think there is any appetite for 1-0 wins since Moyes went and certainly since Moshiri started splashing the cash . I think the fans expect to see a better product now that the Manager ( supposedly ) has better tools to work with . There is certainly no real appetite for Allardyce as he was completely the wrong type of appointment for most fans . No one will be bothered in the slightest if he goes after the WHU game . I don't think too many would be arsed if he went now .

[Lxxx]

I think people can say, perhaps quite rightly, that those two players can sort of work together. They are both talented players. Also, clearly Sigurdsson does put a shift in. So does Rooney in his own way, perhaps he even runs around too much at times. I suppose if I was being kind to Allardyce I'd say it isn't a distance covered thing so much as a speed thing. Not that we play a pressing game mind you, but neither of them are types to be really zipping around or receiving a ball and bursting forward with pace.

To broaden it out though, it's not whether these two can work in a better way (yes, they can), the bigger question is roll back to the summer window and would we buy them again? Personally, while both have contributed more than most this season, I don't think they're what we needed at the time or particularly need now. Again, that's kinda harsh as they're both been successful in games this season but I think the transfer policy was wrong from the get go and the results are there to be seen in each game.

I can understand why we signed both players though. Rooney was always going to come back and I think that was nailed on from more than just a footballing perspective, rightly or wrongly.
We knew Barkley wasn't signing another contract so was likely leaving in the summer, which was leaving us short in that area. Yes we overpaid for Sig and Barkley turned down a £35m move in the same window, which left us seriously out of pocket on those two deals and which was unfortunate.
It was the Klaassan signing that really screwed it up. That was £25m which could have been put to much better use elsewhere, £35m if you count Vlasic who again plays in the same position and has been kicking his heels.

Just really poor all round really, which seems to be typical Everton at the moment.

[Lxxx]

Honestly we have enough pace now for the game we play. We don't press high up the pitch and we won't with Allardyce in charge so I'm not sure what he is talking about.

Both cover more than enough distance in a match and I wouldn't be surprised if Sig has covered more distance than any other player in the team this year.

If we play the right way the players we have in attacking positions are fine as we can always go with 2 out and out wingers in Bolasie and Walcott or move Sig outside depending on the opponent.

I do think that not having a left back who can get up the pitch makes us easier to defend against but that shouldn't mean we carry zero attacking threat.

First we just needed a new striker, then a new winger, now a new left back, a new CM. So many excuses for not being able to get competent players to play even mediocre football. It's pathetic.

Mad. We bought 7 players in the summer, 2 so far in the window and we need at minimum a left back and another central midfielder. So 11 players, a brand new team, for a side that finished 7th last year. Absolute bonkers this club has become.

[GLewis]

I can understand why we signed both players though. Rooney was always going to come back and I think that was nailed on from more than just a footballing perspective, rightly or wrongly.
We knew Barkley wasn't signing another contract so was likely leaving in the summer, which was leaving us short in that area. Yes we overpaid for Sig and Barkley turned down a £35m move in the same window, which left us seriously out of pocket on those two deals and which was unfortunate.
It was the Klaassan signing that really screwed it up. That was £25m which could have been put to much better use elsewhere, £35m if you count Vlasic who again plays in the same position and has been kicking his heels.

Just really poor all round really, which seems to be typical Everton at the moment.

At least Vlasic is more of a link player.

The other 3 are goal scoring 10s. An area which needed improving as Barkley wasn’t strong here but we lost Barkley’s edge of the box play etc.

[blueToffee]

I can understand why we signed both players though. Rooney was always going to come back and I think that was nailed on from more than just a footballing perspective, rightly or wrongly.
We knew Barkley wasn't signing another contract so was likely leaving in the summer, which was leaving us short in that area. Yes we overpaid for Sig and Barkley turned down a £35m move in the same window, which left us seriously out of pocket on those two deals and which was unfortunate.
It was the Klaassan signing that really screwed it up. That was £25m which could have been put to much better use elsewhere, £35m if you count Vlasic who again plays in the same position and has been kicking his heels.

Just really poor all round really, which seems to be typical Everton at the moment.

You're right, the Klaassen deal wasn't the best and probably as it stands, the worst decision of the 3. The Vlasic situation remains a bit odd too.

I dunno, the Rooney deal remains to me the height of hubris of the summer dealings. That we can get better out of him than Man United. I suppose, in of itself any one of these transfers if they happened in isolation were ok. Rooney, Sigurdsson, Klaassen, it wouldn't have mattered if the rest of the recruitment was right.

Where to from here though? Yes these players could play better together, but will they ever get even close to what we need..? I'm really doubtful that they do.

I still think this ends much like the misspent Bale money Spurs brought in, with all but 1 or 2 players we've signed remaining from this summer. I think in Spurs' case they were left with Eriksen and Lamela(?) and the latter is probably only still there because of his injuries. I just hope we find our own Pochettino who gets it right.

[Macca77]

Discussing Allardyce on talksport now

[gizzblue]

Discussing Allardyce on talksport now

Without listening they won't use attacking ,masterclass, innovative, genius or trustworthy anywhere in that .

[sirblue57]

Discussing Allardyce on talksport now

In work...any positive.....never mind..

[sirblue57]

Without listening they won't use attacking ,masterclass, innovative, genius or trustworthy anywhere in that .

Probably struggle to use the word football...

[Evertonian in NC]

Discussing Allardyce on talksport now

Just a guess "known shit manager is still a bit shit, who'd have thunk it?"

[bogie]

Most people have commented on our lack of pace in the team and how certain players slow us down so it’s hard to knock him on that.

Interesting that he’s made these thoughts public though because there’s bound to be a few games between now and the end of the season that he’s going to play them at the same time. Maybe it’s just an indirect way of telling Rooney he’s going to be mostly on the bench from now on.

might both have in there deals that if fit they play 90% of are games and he wants to try and sort that out making it public that he is seeing they cant both play ever game together

[gizzblue]

Probably going to be his excuse when he decides yet another defensive player is needed to add to the six or seven he normally play now...drop yet another attacker. Woooo