Talking points in the aftermath of Leeds United vs Everton | OneFootball

A 1-0 loss to newly-promoted Leeds United isn’t how most fans would’ve expected Everton to begin the season.

The result following the performance at Elland Road on Monday night was a brutal reality check for the Toffees. They are far from the level that was envisioned at the beginning of a busy, turbulent summer.

With just a few days remaining before the end of the transfer window, there’s still hope that the club hits the nail on the head and fills pivotal positions on the pitch.

Harsh penalty call, players slotted out of position, and late cameos, here are all the major talking points from Everton’s 1-0 loss to Leeds United:

“Bizarre” penalty called against James Tarkowski

The biggest talking point from Everton’s season-opening misadventure stems from the controversial penalty call against James Tarkowski towards the closing stages of the match.

Charly Alcaraz slipped while trying to turn with the ball in his own half, paving the way for Leeds attackers to threaten Jordan Pickford’s goal. Tarkowski threw himself in the path of Anton Stach’s powerful strike but the referee adjudged the ball to have come off his arm, awarding the hosts a penalty.

Despite Tarkowski’s arm being in a natural position, referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision survived a VAR check and Lukas Nmecha slotted home from 12 yards to score the only goal of the game.

The decision was labelled ‘scandalous’ by pundit Chris Sutton while being defended by Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville. “I’m obviously going to say it’s not a penalty and I believe it’s not a penalty,” said David Moyes.

“I’ve been to see the referee. The referee sort of took nothing to do with it, he thought it was to do with VAR, the decision they’ve made. I don’t know what else I can say.”

The Premier League matchday centre and live commentary believed Tarkowski “leaning” into the ball gave the referee the benefit of the doubt, while the Everton vice-captain told Sky that it was a “bizarre” decision. “I can’t understand it really,” Tarkowski added.

David Moyes’ lineup selection and changes were puzzling

The contentious penalty call should not distract fans from the fact that Everton didn’t deserve to win the match anyway. Their first 45 minutes at Elland Road was one of the most appalling halves of football with the Blues pinned deep into their box.

Injuries to Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko led Moyes to experiment with James Garner at left-back. While Garner provided suitable defensive cover and was able to keep Dan James quiet on his flank, Everton’s buildup suffered because of the changes.

Unable to build from the back or string a few passes together to get out of the intense Leeds press, they had to resort to Jordan Pickford and Tarkowski playing long balls to find Beto. Both the quality of the passes as well as Beto’s attempts to win his duels left a lot to be desired, while the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Alcaraz and Dewsbury-Hall were unable to help the number 9.

As a result, Everton registered just two touches inside the opposition box with no shot on target in the first half.

While the game became more fluid in the second half, primarily due to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall dropping deep to create numerical superiority in their build-up, Everton created little in the way of meaningful chances. Alcaraz registered the Blues’ first shot on target after 75 minutes and Moyes waited until the 70th minute to make any changes in the way of personnel, with Grealish coming on to replace Iroegbunam.

A team without full-backs

The fact that an injury to Vitalii Mykolenko forced such a major shakeup sums up Everton’s transfer window and how much work they have left in the remaining days. While the Toffees did bring in left-back Adam Aznou as an understudy to Mykolenko, Aznou seems too raw and young for the Premier League at this moment.

He looked out of sorts in the friendly against Roma the week before, which led to Moyes playing Garner at left-back.

On the other flank, too, Everton still don’t have a trustworthy natural right-back. Seamus Coleman is injury-riddled and past his prime, while Nathan Patterson is not reliable enough. As a result, central defender Jake O’Brien has been entrusted to play that role under Moyes. While he has done a sufficient job so far, it’s the equivalent of fixing a Band-Aid on a bullet hole. Sooner or later, it will come off.

Right wing remains a problem position for the Toffees

With just over 10 days remaining before the transfer window closes, the fate of Everton’s season hinges upon them nailing this signing. Signing a right winger should’ve been a priority since Day 1, but instead, the club has had to begin the season without one.

While the Toffees have been linked with several quality players like Francisco Conceicao, Johan Bakayoko, Ben Doak, Omari Hutchinson, Abdul Fatawu, Takefusa Kubo and most notably, Tyler Dibling, they have failed to get a deal over the line.

Any Everton XI looks disbalanced without a wide player on the right and the lack of pace and trickery on that flank hurts the side immensely.

It cannot be overstated how imperative it is for Everton to acquire a pacey right winger capable of taking on his full-back before the end of the transfer window.

Thierno Barry deserves a nod

For 85 minutes, David Moyes saw Beto struggling to win aerial balls, to shake off the attention from Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk, and to hold up the ball and have an influence on the game but opted not to do anything about it.

It’s true that the Everton number 9 didn’t get a lot of service either but it was the kind of game where a 6’4” Thierno Barry with quick legs and a physical presence probably could’ve made a difference.

Instead, he only came on for the final 10 minutes. One of the first things he did after coming off the bench was to win an aerial duel and lay off the ball - something Beto failed at repeatedly.

While Barry may be young, he’s certainly no novice. The French striker registered over 2300 minutes for Villarreal in La Liga last season, scoring 11 goals and assisting another four, bettering Beto’s statistics in the same categories.

Reader Comments (102)

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Pat Kelly 2 Posted 19/08/2025 at 14:46:15

13 days to patch up the squad.

Time to start bringing in players who are ready to do more than sit on the bench or learn their trade until they're ready for the Premier League.

It's not an apprenticeship scheme we're running. Nor an old folks home.

Sam Hoare 3 Posted 19/08/2025 at 14:51:31

Last night has got me thinking that a decent 6 might be more important than a right-winger. No point having good wingers if they never get the ball in decent positions.

We really struggled in the middle and though Gana can play better I think Iroegbunam is not yet ready for the Premier League.

How I'd love a play-dictating maestro like Wharton in there alongside Gueye. Garner is okay but not high level. I would love someone like Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart or Agoume. Even Hayden Hackney could help.

James Newcombe 4 Posted 19/08/2025 at 14:56:21

Me too, Sam, we absolutely require a couple of wingers and a versatile full-back.

But we are in desperate need of a midfielder in the Mangala mould (with Doucoure energy) or we'll be getting pumped rather often.

Grealish should be playing at 10. No point in our best player being wasted on the left.

Ian Wilkins 5 Posted 19/08/2025 at 15:55:10

We’re going to have to spend some money on 2 or 3 quality additions, sorry it will cost us a bit more than the 20-25m bargain bucket. Maybe £35- £40m a piece.Then the quality of 3 more loan additions have to make a difference, maybe the odd free transfer for squad depth. Yes PSR headroom is a factor but boxing clever with things like the sale of the ladies team etc must be on our radar. Otherwise we are going to struggle. Oh to be talking about adding Eze from Palace for £60m….

Frank Crewe 6 Posted 19/08/2025 at 16:06:50

Same old same old. We haven't been ready for the start of a new season for years. This one has proved no exception.As usual we lack a complete squad. Two of our best defenders are injured and we have no backups and our right back is really a centre back. We lack craft in midfield and we have a slow powderpuff attack. Once again we have managed to get ourselves into a transfer standoff with a lower division club. This time it's Dibling. A season ago it was an equally overrated Gnonto. He did nothing last night. I doubt we'd want him now.We can only hope Moyes and Co uses whatever transfer cash they have left wisely in the next two weeks to bolster this squad. Or it's going to be yet another long nail biting slog.

Benjamin Dyke 7 Posted 19/08/2025 at 16:08:25

The penalty was a kick in the teeth but when our xG is 0 for a whole half of football we're clutching at straws to blame the ref solely for our defeat.

The brave new dawn becomes a damp old squid.

Sam Hoare 8 Posted 19/08/2025 at 16:20:31

Yes, James, if we want to transition to a team with more possession (if this is not the plan I’m not quite sure why we bought KDH and Grealish) then we need someone in the middle who can get the ball from defenders and feed the midfield.

As for Grealish it may be that he gets more space and time to operate on the left. I think though his career he’s probably played there as much if not more than at 10. Either way we need to make sure we can get him the ball to feet frequently.

Sean Kelly 9 Posted 19/08/2025 at 16:22:01

We haven't been ready to start a season properly for years now. We never look sharp like any of the top teams. We are cumbersome in every department on the pitch. What the hell do they do at finch Farm. The fact we haven't been ready for the season start may be overlooked when we were scratching for freebees and loans when money was really tight. Moyes, Kinnear and the TFG guys new 6 months ago that we need quality players. if they don't want to come so be it there are plenty more players about and if they are not ready well its bloody well Moyes's job to get them ready. Last night they looked like they never met before. FINALLY, what's the point in paying a guy a 1/4 of a million quid a week only to leave him on the bench for over 70 minutes. This club is a joke. Bringing Moyes back and giving him a huge salary to look like a rabbit in the headlights is nuts. He should have been kicked out when safety was achieved and we should have got a more progressive and hungrier manager to kick on.

Rob Halligan 10 Posted 19/08/2025 at 17:06:36

Anyone who thinks that was a penalty last night needs to book an appointment at their nearest Specsavers. Tarkowski arm is clearly behind his back, so what else is he meant to do, let the ball go past him and hope Pickford saves it? The fact that he moved forward towards the ball is irrelevant, he was simply trying to block the shot with whatever part of his body he could, it was just unfortunate that the ball hit his shoulder. As a comparison, remember Mykolenko last season at Fulham when VAR advised the referee to look again at the pitch side monitor after the ball hit Mkolenkos arm. The referee did not change his mind because he said Mykolenko was moving his arm back to a natural position, or something like that, and therefore deemed it no penalty. I was absolutely shocked that both the referee and the VAR deemed that to be a penalty last night! Had it been down the other end, I’d still have said no penalty, but if it’s given, then of course you’re going to accept it, right or wrong decision.

Having said that, it does not deter from the fact that it was a piss poor performance by us. We probably couldn’t have picked a harder away game than Leeds to kick off the season. As with most promoted teams, they were on a high and their raucous crowd had their team well fired up.

That first half was a painful watch, made worse by the fact that we were right in the corner, and two rows from the front, in the away section. Not the greatest view, but at least we saw most of the action in that first half, when it all seemed to be down our end. From what we could tell their midfield was given the freedom of Elland Road in that first half, and yet despite their almost total domination, there was very little threat on our goal, and we were even saying after about half an hour they had run out of ideas.

So we were denied what would probably have been an undeserved point by a very ridiculous penalty decision. I read on another thread that why would the premier league or the officials last night want to do us out of anything in the first game of the season? Well just think back to when we played Bolton away in the first game in their new stadium, I think it was 1997, and they had a goal ruled out despite the ball clearly crossing the line. First game or last game, every point is important, and who knows, that point we were denied last night could be vital come the end of the season.

Jason Brook 11 Posted 19/08/2025 at 17:22:39

Fair points in the article. It represents what I saw of the match on TV. Penalty aside, it was a very passive performance and seemed as though we wanted to keep it tight and then try nicking it.

We need to play more attacking football and make use of who we have. Grealish must start; if we use Beto, we cannot be pumping the ball long and in the air.

I would rather see Armstrong in the team. Until we get a new right-winger, I would play Patterson there.

I honestly thought we would start stronger this season. Only one game in so I hope that turns out to be the case.

Mike Gaynes 12 Posted 19/08/2025 at 17:38:18

Moyes didn't have his guys ready. Injuries, lineup, penalty call, transfer business, whatever... none of that matters as much as having your team fully prepared to play.

For every game Moyes managed last season, we were ready and we competed. Sometimes not with high quality, but always fiercely and with total commitment. We kicked ass, took names and backed down from nobody.

That didn't happen yesterday. Not at any point in the game or anywhere on the pitch. We were timid and passive in the face of their aggressiveness and intensity. We lost all the 50-50s and backed off when they challenged.

When individual players don't do their jobs, it's on them. But when an entire team fails, that's on the manager.

If Moyes is looking for somebody to blame for yesterday, he need look no farther than his own bathroom mirror. And anything he says about the injuries and the ref and the window is bullshit as far as I'm concerned. All are valid factors -- but none excuse what we just saw.

Kieran Kinsella 13 Posted 19/08/2025 at 17:44:36

Mike,

The thing that puzzled me about Dyche, and Moyes down the years, is their teams always start the seasons badly. Moyes's seems to peak around February. We would suddenly beat the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea around that time and end the season positively. Then come August we look unfit and disorganized again.

In contrast, Harry Redknapp and Nuno Santos always seemed to come out of the gates flying, then collapse after Christmas.

Surely for the money these guys earn, they could hire some sports fitness analyst or something to help them tweak things so the players are on a more even fitness trajectory over the season.

I just don't understand as a manager like Moyes or Dyche why year after year you want to be talking relegation battles come September, then hope that in the New Year you've turned the page.

Similarly, I don't know why Redknapp and Santos are happy busting a gut for 4 months then watch their teams slowly slide down the table. There has to be a balance there somewhere?

Brian Wilkinson 14 Posted 19/08/2025 at 17:47:42

Rob ,it was the same guy as VAR – Chris Cavanagh – who said Rodri did not handball it that cost us a late penalty a few seasons back.

How can the same person make such a huge mistake on both accounts, sat in the VAR room.

If Tarkowski was a penalty, which I don't think it was myself due to his arm being tucked in, then how the hell can he say Rodri, who looked liked he was flagging a bus down, with his outstretched arm, be deemed no penalty?

Had it been someone else in VAR, we would have to take it on the chin, but the same person on both occasions stinks to high heavens.

Frank Fearns 15 Posted 19/08/2025 at 17:53:19

Agree with all comments about how poor we were last night. Looked a total shambles. Never prepared for the start of the season.

I don’t think the charade of going to the USA helped. Lot of energy, money and time travelling and would have gelled and learnt more by playing Southport!

It all starts at the top and Everton management seem disorganised and lacking direction. No excuses get your act together Everton and give the supporters what they deserve.

Dave Lynch 16 Posted 19/08/2025 at 17:57:39

Mike @12.

Moyes took over a super fit team... tbf to Dyche, his players were peak fitness, he was just a shit tactician. Moyes has imo let that slide.

Mike Gaynes 17 Posted 19/08/2025 at 18:04:57

Kieran #13, you make an interesting point. We are chronically last out of the gate, like an old racehorse. And for the record, yesterday's result was exactly what I expected, right down to the score, for just that reason.

I'm not sure fitness is the issue, however, for either the fast starters like Nuno or the slow ones like us. (Redknapp was way before my time.) Every club has a fitness team, and sport science has advanced to the point where most of the principles are similar. It's hard to figure.

In our current case, I believe the cause is more mental. Brainfade and Brainthwaite. (Yes, I know I misspelled his name but I'm trying to make a point.) I think young Jarrad is a monumentally important presence back there. His speed and aggression are crucial and contagious. Last season, we looked shite starting the season without him. This season looks like the same.

We will get our stuff together and perform, I'm sure of that. But as usual it'll take us until the first turn to get out of first gear and we'll be ten lengths behind on the backstretch.

Dave #16, I didn't think we looked unfit yesterday, just unprepared mentally. The body language was awful from Minute 1.

Frank #15, I believe the USA trip helped our transfer budget. The revenue we pulled in would have been intended to assist our PSR situation and given us more space to buy players. We'll never know but that's my theory.

Raymond Fox 18 Posted 19/08/2025 at 18:08:48

We knew or should have known we were right up against it in that fixture. They came at us like bats out of hell from the off and forced us on the back foot, especially first half.

Half our defence was on the injured list, besides 80% of our players are only just moderate, expecting them to suddenly play like Top 6 quality players is asking to be disappointed.

That's where we are just now: anywhere from 12th downwards. We will sign more players and we will get much better — I've no doubt about that.

Dave Abrahams 19 Posted 19/08/2025 at 18:17:50

Mike (17),

You surely didn't expect them to play as badly and like they didn't understand where or how they were supposed to play as they did.

It's been a long time since I saw a worse 45 minutes like last night's first half at any stage of the season.

Mike Gaynes 20 Posted 19/08/2025 at 18:36:02

Nope, Dave #19, I didn't. With so many changes, it was bound to be disjointed, so I wasn't expecting a winning performance, but I certainly expected a committed and passionate one.

To see such a diffident Everton was a shock. Worst I'd seen since Spurs last August.

Sean Kearns 21 Posted 19/08/2025 at 18:44:34

Tom Cannon, Ellis Simms and Nathan Broahead were all better than Beto who cost around $30M… What the actual fuck is going on with professional football???

We need an actual elite centre-forward asap… Also, don't we have any right-backs or left-backs in the Academy or U21 teams who can fill in and get a game?

Pep plays bloody Rico Lewis, who's about 18 years old, and others. I just don't understand any of it.

Mike Gaynes 22 Posted 19/08/2025 at 18:56:50

If Tom Cannon, Ellis Simms and Nathan Broadhead were all better than Beto, how come none of them plays in the Premier League or any other top-level league?

How come their combined career total of top-level goals is 1, versus 32 for Beto?

Jay Harris 23 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:04:16

Problem Number 1: Branthwaite is out injured, Keane steps in, and we play 0 yards deeper than with Jarrad.

Problem Number 2: Both our left-backs are injured so we play a right-footed midfield player there with no pace and consequently sit deep.

Problem Number 3: We don't have a goalscorer nor a hold-up player as Beto is neither of these.

Problem Number 4: For some unearthly reason, Pickford has started his "I am the best long pass player in the world" routine and proceeds to kick the ball straight to the opposition with Beto isolated and unable to control the ball.

Problem Number 5: Midfield was a dog's basket of unfamiliar setup and positions such that nobody knew who to give it to or where to play.

Sort it out before Sunday, Everton, or this could turn embarrassing.

Brian Harrison 24 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:06:41

Dave 19

As you know I was pleased with Moyes coming back and against the odds got us to safety very quickly and playing some decent football. But last night was one of the worst performances I have seen for a long time. To be honest I said to my Sons that we havent looked good in our pre season games and thought we lacked a real goal threat. I know people say don't take any notice of pre season games as its about getting players fit, but its also about confidence and other than Port Vale we failed to win any game in pre season.So we have mainly got the same squad as we had last season plus DBH and Grealish whose only had 15 minutes so why have we gone backwards so quickly compared to how we played at the back end of last season.

Robert Tressell 25 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:13:42

Mike # 22, Indeed. We get some quite improbable claims about the quality of our academy graduates on here but these guys being better than Beto?

I also notice Beto's price tag seems to go up every time he has a poor game too. He cost €25.00m which by today's exchange rate is £21.59m. And that was increased because we paid nothing in year one - a very favourable financial deal negotiated by Thelwell.

Derek Taylor 26 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:21:07

So after saving us from the humiliation of relegation, Moyes Mark2 feels it's safe to return to his old fashioned KITNAP ( Keep it tight and nick a point) !

If he sticks to this historic tactic, he'll soon need Doddy to return to these columns to help save his job!

Andy Meighan 27 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:33:14

How anyone actually thought Beto was a decent player is beyond me. Absolutely appalling first touch, can't jump for a man of his size, and his hold-up play and all-round game is shocking. Yet people keep on saying he's not getting the service.

If he wasn't getting balls played through to him all game, he still wouldn't get into double figures all season. Yes, he had a purple patch last season, I think it was 5 goals in 8 games… wow, but the lad is a truly shocking footballer and anyone else telling me different is only kidding themselves.

Bill Hawker 28 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:45:14

Still steaming after that penalty call. That call ONLY gets made AGAINST Everton. No chance that's ever called against a "big six" team.

That said, I'm not worried. We get in a right winger or two, and a few more fullbacks, and we have the making of a decent team. Getting them in though is always harder than it needs to be for us. Pay the money for Dibling. Now.

Charles Brewer 29 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:54:09

Derek, judging by last night's display I think you are wrong to suggest we play KITNAP (or equivalent).

I think we are now playing to KITALOI - which is easier to say for a start - and means "Keep It Tight And Let One In".

Kieran Kinsella 30 Posted 19/08/2025 at 19:58:14

Charles

That made me chuckle (sadly) lol

Colin Glassar 31 Posted 19/08/2025 at 20:38:25

I’m still feeling slightly nauseous after watching that shitshow last night. The anti-football we “played” was a regression to the dark days of the Benitez - Lampard - Dyche era. Worrying signs all over the pitch and dug out.

Lee Courtliff 32 Posted 19/08/2025 at 20:40:29

I'm still incredibly pissed off about last night!!

Mike Gaynes 33 Posted 19/08/2025 at 20:40:35

Robert #25, right at the moment Thelwell is in an even worse mood than Moyes!

Are you watching the train wreck at Ibrox?

Joe McMahon 34 Posted 19/08/2025 at 20:50:07

Colin, unfortunately it's that grim. Benitez got us 2 wins in August. Our last August wins.

Christy Ring 35 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:04:11

The first 45min's last night was a total embarrassment, we were better in the 2nd half, which wouldn't be hard, but we were never going to score, and neither would they but for the penalty. Considering the shape of our back four, they weren't the problem, our midfield was completely overrun, Gueye and Tim didn't work, we desperately need another defensive midfielder, Ndiaye can play both wings, but shape wise, where do Grealish, KDH and Alcaraz fit together in the first 11?

Sam Hoare 36 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:09:50

Forest signing Douglas Luiz for £25m; would really have liked him with us. Think last night really showed how badly we need someone in the middle who can find space and move the ball forwards cleverly and even under pressure whilst also winning a few tackles. Good summer Forest are having. To think we finished above them just over a year ago.

Ian Wilkins 37 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:18:09

Yep Forest making us look amateur with their dealings.Also said to be now looking at Kellen Fisher the guy at Norwich that can play both full back positions. Expect him to land there.

Colin Glassar 38 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:26:18

I’m sorry Moyes, kinnear and co., you are going to have to pay over (what many consider) the odds to get the players we need.

Stop messing around try to save a million here and there. We need European football next season. That’s where the money is, not languishing around the bottom of the league season after season.

Mike Gaynes 39 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:31:23

Colin, consider the possibility that our recruitment team isn't trying to save money for the sake of the money itself (Friedkin has plenty), but rather to remain within the strictures of PSR.

The only improvement in Everton's revenue picture since TFG took over has been the sales of Goodison and the women's team. We have no new monies flowing in yet from the new stadium or kit sales. So we're likely operating under a lower ceiling than Forest. They're going to Europe and we're not. Not this year and not next. (Sorry.)

Also, it's not a million here and a million there at this point. On players like Dibbling it's more like £10m.

Christy Ring 40 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:32:37

Sam#36 I thought he was supposed to be Moyes no.1 target, for the last 6 weeks, did we even make a bid. We were totally lacking in that department last night. I find it hard to listen to Moyes saying we've been turned down by lots of targets, Leeds and Sunderland have no problem attracting players?

Dave Lynch 41 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:41:55

Consider that Moyes reputation as a manager is such that nobody with any ambition in football wants to play for him.

Christy Ring 42 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:43:07

Ian #37 Fisher was mentioned over a week ago, as with other targets, why do we leave it on the long finger, instead of making an instant offer, the same with Hackney, turned down Ipswich weeks ago, wanted a Premiership move, linked again, now Palace in the picture? This new recruitment team have me mystified,

Jay Harris 43 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:44:14

Mike maybe if we hadn't wasted time and 27m on Barry millions on 3rd rate Goalies and 15m on a young fullback that's not ready for the Prem we would have enough in the kitty to get the Likes of Hutchison, Dibling, Fellows etc and enough to get the RB from Norwich (Kellen Fisher) that looks really good.

All I know is this so called elite recruitment team is looking anything but and Angus Kinnears silence is deafening.

Colin Glassar 44 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:50:50

The great unknown, Mike, is we don’t know what are PSR limits are. So we are in the dark when it comes to are finances and transfer budget.

It might be lower than we think. Or, it might be higher.

Christy Ring 45 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:52:58

We spent £27m for Barry, young and a big step up to the Premiership, would it not have been a lesser gamble taking Evan Ferguson on loan?

Dale Self 46 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:54:49

I thought the phrase is 'damp squib'.

Anyway, they did look mentally shaken or something of that nature. They seemed forced into something in which they had no faith.

There was no driver of that bus, all passengers. I kept thinking a good tackle or defence splitting pass would wake them up but they were confused and completely lacked confidence at kickoff.

Whereas we may have been expected to attack at Leeds, there may be no such delusion v Brighton. That could be a relief for Moyes.

We have to find a way to dig in against the Gulls without causing post traumatic Dyche disorder. These players cannot withstand more relegation pressure, they may crack.

Davey will need to lay it out to the new players and get some buy-in to an agricultural first phase. I don't see us finding our rhythm in possession, our lack of speed is a ball and chain.

Mike Price 48 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:59:15

Andy #27 Couldn’t agree more. Whoever thought Beto was a footballer, is unfit for purpose, one of the worst buys we’ve ever made and there’s been a multitude. The fact that these charlatans are making an unbelievable living, pretending to be experts at spotting and recruiting elite players is sickening.

When is someone proper going to get hold of this club and stop this utter madness.

Bobby Thomas 49 Posted 19/08/2025 at 21:59:54

I disregarded the Luiz chat ages ago. Never going to happen.

I feel there is an element of us having ideas above our station and we are beginning to pay the price. Some of the links have been completely unrealistic and unachievable. Luiz was one. Delap another.

I expected a pragmatic transfer policy. We have been shite for years and are not an attractive outfit. We need to get realistic and get some players in. We once again seem to be completely disregarding the Championship.

There are holes all over the place. A utility player who can play in front of the back 4 and full back would be extremely useful. Zinchenko perhaps? There's Rico Lewis, however I doubt he'd come here.

If we don't sign a competent and experienced front man who knows the score then it is going to be a very long season, by the way.

Barry - young and raw - is not the signing the club needed at this time. We need an experienced, reliable front man who can perform all the basics of front play. We don't have one. I'm not expecting loads from Barry this season. Same applies to the kid full back.

As it stands, this is shaping up to be a disastrous window.

Denver Daniels 50 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:00:31

Moyes needs to catch a wake up. If you going to start Beto then long balls down the channels suits him better. He can turn those into 50-50's at least. If you asking him to play like DCL then forget it. I watched the highlights of all the other games this weekend and the thing that struck me was the number of chances created by wide players playing on their natural side. We just don't seem to get crosses into the box between the keeper and the defence. Lastly, I thought a handball penalty was about intent? Just because the ball strikes your arm doesn't make it a penalty. I honestly don't know anymore. Palace had a perfectly good goal cancelled out because of some obscure rule that's seemingly never been applied in the history of the game. And of course the beneficiaries were one of the big boys.

Colin Glassar 51 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:08:48

The only valid talking point is Moyes. Is he still up to the job. Does he have the energy, the tactical nouse, the mental acumen, the strategic thinking, the power to self analyse etc….?

You can buy all the players you want but is the man at the helm the man to take this team forward?

Denver Daniels 52 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:23:24

It's way too early to write Moyes off. He's got too much credit in the bank after last season's turnaround. But it was also a stark reminder of the utter shiteness we had to suffer in the 11 years of his previous spell. You have to take the good with the bad I guess.

Rob Dolby 53 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:26:15

Mike 39 If TFG had an eye on psr why would they let us buy 3 players that we didn't need for £70m.

We need a right side and an athletic centre mid to replace Doucoure.

We got baby Beto for £30mKdh for nearly £30mAnd a young left back who on face value doesn't look prem ready.

Our recruitment has been a disaster in this window. The icing on top on the cake is Grealish who is obviously a good footballer but without legs around him this team will make him look very average.

There wasn't a single positive to come out of last night.

Mike Gaynes 54 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:29:36

Colin #51, IMO no, he's not the man to take this team forward. But we are nowhere near ready to move forward. We're still a good two years away from having enough talent, pace and depth to be a true Euro competitor.

But Moyes is definitely the guy to keep us safe and stable until the long process of accumulating quality players is completed.

Christy and Robert... Ferguson? A 20-year-old who can't stay healthy? Must say that's the first time I've seen a guy who has missed 30 games before being old enough to shave described as "less of a gamble" than one who has never been injured. And truly I've not seen nearly as much from Ferguson as I have from Barry in terms of pure talent.

Rob #53, I have never for a moment expected that we would fill all the gaping holes in our squad within one window, or even two. And I'm trying to remind myself that we're building a squad for the future, not just the present. Not stocking up on young talent would be shortsighted in my view. Even if they're not ready to be PL starters right away.

KDH and Grealish are for the present, Barry and Aznou more for the future. We need both kinds.

Andy Crooks 55 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:37:37

He wasn't, isn't and won't be, Colin. However, he's it. Whatever he did last season, and it was bloody good, has gone sour. A few unfortunate changes in personnel can change everything in a team. Moyes excels with journeymen and I think the widely applauded ditching of Doucoure and Harrison has had a damaging effect on the squad.I'm not saying they were anything but average but in my view they played a huge part in the success of the Moyes return last season. They were the epitome of Moyes men.

Raymond Fox 56 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:37:49

As far as buying players is concerned we don't really know what the process is, who picks the players to sign, who decides how much, who has the final say for instance.

If I was a manager no player that I didn't want would come though the door.

If Moyes is having to rely on other peoples judgement of players its a poor process, he's getting well paid regardless of how results go so I suppose he could grin and bear it.

He will want to spend up to the maximum we are allowed to spend though, any manager would.

Ian Bennett 57 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:39:25

Yeah, sack Moyes. That'll help the situation.

Assume a new manager will be able to double up at left back, right back, centre back, defensive midfield, right wing, and will be able to hold the ball up top. They'll also be able to cover the bench as a left back, right back, centre back, multiple midfielders, wingers and strikers. Perhaps they can sort out Ukraine whilst theyre at it. Champions league here we fucking come.

Been a basket case for years. A change of manager is exactly what we need as we head to the last knockings of the transfer window. Be sure to tell the Friedkins, they'll value that type of quality input after one game.

Theres some sensible people that should know better. We are ill prepared for the season with a threadbare squad that has its better players injured or lacking fitness. It was a shit performance, that shouldn't come as surprise after the US tour.

We need to get players in, get the injuries sorted, and get through a bumpy period where results & performances will be sub optimal. This is going to be a shit show until Branthwaite is back in all likelihood. Any new signings will take a period to bed in, and likely to lack fitness.

Tough, but no one said supporting Everton would be easy.

Josh Horne 59 Posted 19/08/2025 at 22:54:30

I'm still trying and failing to unsee that performance last night. My irritation with Moyes is not new territory, but we need him.

He'll do a better job under what appears to be pretty limiting circumstances than anyone else that we might attract.

Hardly the first time one of his teams has performed abjectly, but that doesn't change the facts that he has proven ability as a Premier League manager.

Something is not right with player recruitment and it needs sorting out, we haven't got our priorities right. He has made it perfectly clear how he feels about that but he has got to wind his neck in now and get on with his job as a coach. If he can't, or won't do that he'll be gone soon, and I'm not sure we'll be better for it.

Stu Gre 60 Posted 20/08/2025 at 07:18:27

Whilst I don't think we need Moyes Josh (far from it, I think he should have gone at the end of the season with his head held high) it would be foolish to sack him now and put any new manager under immediate pressure to overhaul the shit Moyes will leave. Plus if that new manager fails there will be calls for the "Moyesiah" to return. Hiding to nothing.

We won't be relegated under DM, but I'm likely to step away from watching and listening to the abject shit show that this season will be for us under the man who singlehandedly took all aspiration away from a large group of fans and, guess what, he's doing it again.

Rob Hooton 61 Posted 20/08/2025 at 07:36:24

A noticeable thing for me was that, including Garner at LB, we had 6 midfielders on the pitch but no midfield to speak of!

Fingers crossed Mykolenko is fit this weekend and we get some decent signings in, it was a depressing performance but only one game and things can change quickly in football.

Ian Bennett 62 Posted 20/08/2025 at 07:38:59

Exactly Andy.

No sane club is going to sack a manager after 6 months, with the record Moyes enjoyed. 4 league defeats last season, the Friedkins arent getting to say goodbye for £10m plus after one defeat/poor display, that turned on a decision that everyone with any brains knows wasn't a penalty.

Carragher & t bag might have backed the decision, but they like Sky are just playing to the script of a plucky promotion side winning the opening fixture. That decision would not occur in 80-90% of the time, and spit boy would be doing his nut if it was against his precious red shite and they lost.

We need players, and we need them quickly. The irritation is the links have been quiet for days, and we are likely to be picking up others strong rejects or unproven kids.

Vardy, Bissouma, that ilk of player could arrive if we are lucky. Are they good enough to go where the fan base wants to be? Nope.

Recruitment has been a known issue since last April. The plan to address it hasnt been good enough.

Going after good players, and being told no, they needed to up the strategy. Like every club that's made that transition from shitness to great, it needed some over payment at the beginning- like city, like Chelsea etc. I know Moshiri could be acused of that. But the strategy was flawed by signing players that had no shelf life, and no jeopardy of not improving.

Having your price and prudency is all when and good. But if weve money in the bank in November, bottom of the league and in dire trouble, it'll count for precious little.

It's about time the Friedkins were called out. Get them to explain why they have failed to recruit. I notice Roma don't have any issues

We have signed two reseve keepers, kept a player we had on loan two players Moyes refused to start and a young LB who may or may not be injured.

I've heard people wait until the end of the window, what and just throw the first few games. We have winnable games at the start a good start sets the tone and build confidence.

Ian Wilkins 64 Posted 20/08/2025 at 08:17:53

The Summer exodus of players, with many contracts ending, was known about a long way out.For most of us it was seen as an opportunity, freeing the club of some high wage contracts, some ageing players, some deadwood. An opportunity to rebuild, fresh faces, new impetus. Yes it may not have all been achieved in one transfer window, but certainly good progress expected. Where exactly is the progress? What remotely was the plan? For the life of me I can’t see one. The next 10 days or so are critical, but based on the randomness of what I’ve seen so far, I’ve no confidence of plugging significant gaps. TFG are surely going to want answers for the failure to plan properly or are they at the route of the problem? TFG have done a lot of financially and commercially sound things, much needed things, putting Everton on a much sounder footing. All that is undermined however if you can’t follow it through with progress on the pitch. You go on a highly publicised tour of the States but deliver a shit show. You open a brand spanking new stadium but put out a disjointed poor team. In terms of football operations our structure and operational team appear second rate, in truth something of a mess. In the short term we need some quick fixes in the next 12 days. In the longer term I don’t see this debacle being repeated.

Robert Tressell 66 Posted 20/08/2025 at 08:38:17

Unfortunately the closure of the window after initial rounds of games is a stupid system.

It’s not stupid to seek out value by waiting till the end of the window to confirm deals.

TFG are not just building a squad for this season. We won’t / can’t peak this season - that was always impossible.

If they get the right flank sorted and one or two others in it could still be a really good window. We just have to cross fingers.

Les Callan 68 Posted 20/08/2025 at 09:08:28

Well the headline says “ Everton’s talent going to waste under Moyes’ miserable tactics “. That’s the crux of it. As I say it’s spot on.

Alan McGuffog 69 Posted 20/08/2025 at 09:13:16

Absolute total horseshit Les. Since when did he have tactics?

Peter Mitchell 70 Posted 20/08/2025 at 09:26:41

Loving the debate, folks! My take is that it is far too early to panic after one match. The truth is, we haven't won a match in August in 4 years and with the team/squad we had available a win was pretty unlikely against a newly-promoted team away from home first up. In the event, I genuinely thought we would get a draw, until the officials decided otherwise. Was the performance acceptable? Absolutely not in the first half. Ironically, we lose the game in the second half when we were much better! Let's hope for at least an RB and an RW before the window closes - if we get that done, I think we will be fine.

John Williams 71 Posted 20/08/2025 at 09:41:44

I also believe Zinchenko could be a good buy, can play left back and midfield, the type of player we need now, not an 18/19 year old who may turn out to be good in 2 or 3 years time.The problem being, will he come to Everton or stay down South ?Also do we have the money to buy him ?

James Newcombe 72 Posted 20/08/2025 at 09:50:57

With all the contracts running out, a new recruitment team (who haven’t all arrived yet), and the ludicrous inflation of the market; this was never going to get sorted out in one window. Let’s see what happens. Can’t believe people are writing off the manager and Barry one game in.

Jake FitzGerald 73 Posted 20/08/2025 at 10:11:28

James#72 Normally I’d be with you in the glass half full camp, and criticism of Barry is ludicrous - he’ll come good for us, but I fear that Moyes managed to evaporate much of the goodwill he banked for getting us out of last seasons hole - both by that crazy-arsed line-up the other night and his refusal to pitch Grealish and Barry straight into the mix. I’m hoping the other night will have given all them a massive kick up the arse, but if not….

Raymond Fox 74 Posted 20/08/2025 at 10:21:57

A lot of teams will struggle at Leeds, I get we didn't play well but the injuries disjointed us badly.

We were unfortunate not to get a draw in the end so it was not a disasterous display.

Its a given that we need reinforcements with 2 or 3 class players among them, whether that will happen is anybodys guess. How much have we left to buy players, do we have any idea?

I think we will be good enough when things are sorted, although I doubt we will be seeing any glory.

James Newcombe 75 Posted 20/08/2025 at 10:25:25

Jake, sometimes at night I wish I could forget the managers that followed Moyes 1.0. I mean there were a lot of them! West Ham are on their second and he won’t be there long. We’ll be all right.

Clive Rogers 76 Posted 20/08/2025 at 10:27:00

John, 71, Zinchenko should not be too expensive as he is 29 in December and is not getting in the Arsenal team. Sounds like he is going to Fenerbahce for £8.5m though. Could have done worse.

Mal van Schaick 77 Posted 20/08/2025 at 10:29:32

I think that Everton as a team are so unbalanced with players playing out of position and on their wrong foot, so when I watched the Leeds game it became evident that players where losing the ball, passes were going astray and in all, it made the performance look poor.

As soon as the recruitment is sorted out and Moyes picks a team with players playing in their correct positions, then I think that performances will improve and we will look more balanced and the players will be happier with that.

Garner is a right footed player and should never again be asked to play left full back. O’brien is a natural centre back and he should be playing in that role, not right full back. I hate this business of playing right and left footed players on opposite wings, they always cut in and use their correct foot to pass or cross.

Play players in their natural positions and stop tinkering, even to the point of bringing youth into the team.

James Marshall 78 Posted 20/08/2025 at 10:36:14

This site has now become thread after thread of the same thing with a different title. Regurgitating the same conversation over and over again.

Can we not just move on to something else now?

What's the point of raking over the same thing repeatedly other than to generate site traffic? These are all effectively just clickbait threads.

I'll sum it up for you.

It was a penalty. We were awful. We need more players. Injuries cost us. Everyone hates the manager. We lost. Next.

Eddie Dunn 80 Posted 20/08/2025 at 10:59:28

I was worried about us starting at the new stadium and, after witnessing that shitshow, I am very concerned.

The squad is thin, and just a couple of injuries have left us completely unbalanced. Even more worrying is our inability to create chances and get shots on goal.

Moyes sits on his hands and was content on Monday to see the game out. A point was all he targetted and our lack of intent reflected the mission.

We could be three games in on zero points before Moyes fills his roster.

Andrew Ellams 81 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:08:08

Peter @ 70, I don't think the result on Monday is the biggest issue in people's minds. To put such an unbalanced side out that gave such a shambolic performance for the first game of the season has a lot of alarm bells ringing and so it should.

They have 12 days to sort out something they've had 10 weeks to do.

Danny O'Neill 82 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:09:52

I was thinking that James. We now have 3 post-Leeds threads running where everyone is saying the same things. Time to move onto Brighton at home.

James Marshall 83 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:13:57

Perhaps we could talk about potential defensive reinforcements? Here's a few names:

Tyrell Malacia, Man Utd, plays left back, can also play right back. Barely played for Utd, could be available/useful.

Ben Chilwell, unwanted at Chelsea.

Zinchenko - rarely gets a game at Arsenal.

Davide Calabria, AC Milan, plays right back, was out on loan last season, surplus to requirements at Milan.

Lucas Vasquez, Real Madrid, another right back/wingback. Tons of experience, 34 but still decent. Good cover in the Ashley Young mould.

Javier Manquillo, Celta Vigo, right back and ex RS, Sunderland and Newcastle. At 31 not too old and again, offers good cover.

The last 3 are all free agents by the way.

Neil Lawson 85 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:19:43

James. Surely loan options are available for at least one of them. The reality now is that everyone knows we are desperate for a right back and right winger so the price is always going to be inflated. Loan must be the way to go.Another talking point is why we paid so much for a left back who is not considered adequate even for the bench ?

James Marshall 86 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:23:48

Neil - yeah loans or free agents. Lucas Vazquez is a quality player at right back. Years of experience at Madrid and looking for a club.

Ashley Young was a success for us in the main in my view and Vazquez would be similar. We should be offering him a contract ASAP. He's fit as a fiddle training himself and actively seeking a contract.

I see zero downsides to this sort of deal.

Peter Mitchell 87 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:37:31

Andrew@81 - I get that, but nevertheless I still think that people are getting too worked up over a what was admittedly a (very) poor performance, at least for the first 45 mins. I agree that we need to get on and recruit some more players in key positions, but I have no doubt that we will before the window "slams shut". I also have no doubt that we will improve in future matches - we almost never start well and let's face it, it could hardly get worse (could it?).

Tony Abrahams 88 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:38:56

Moyes seems to be suffering from the same type of mentality that affected Dyche at the beginning of last season, imo.

I can understand the club breaking Dyche, but with new owners and a brand new ground, I would assume that David, should be a lot happier?

He’s been backed, I keep hearing. But I do wonder if he’s feeling the same way?

My own view is that he’s been backed enough to just keep us relevant, but definitely not enough to move us forward.

The window hasn’t closed yet and we should hopefully do quite a bit more business, but when I read people talking about other clubs, being in the same boat, my only thoughts are that the only team that matters to me is Everton.

I used to feel embarrassed driving past Goodison, when Kenwright was our owner and we had a big banner across the back of the park end roof, saying… NIL SATIS NISI OPTIMUM.

nil satis nisi optimum, has a particular meaning in Latin, but this is something that sadly no longer applies to our once great football club, and they will just continue to be very hollow words, until we get people inside our club who want to make us great again.

Jack Convery 89 Posted 20/08/2025 at 11:40:14

I reckon, the transfer team are waiting for teams, to either drop their prices, as the window closes or see who is released, on the 2nd September. Moyes wants Dibling and TFG are playing hardball with the Saints in a game of who blinks 1st. Apart from KIng, KDH and Alcaraz, all the others are seen as players to develop, Barry included. I understand the Barry purchase but why sign Aznou, when we needed someone to cover Myko now. Myko is out of contract next summer. It will be interesting to see if we offer him a new contact.

As regards the current squad, I do hope there's not a them and us situation. Also I do wonder how many of the oldies, were miffed to see Doucoure and Young go, whilst Keane and Coleman agreed new contracts. Two players who were bit part players last season, when the team got their act together and moved up the table. Somethings wrong, as they certainly didn't play as a team on Monday night.

Derek Powell 90 Posted 20/08/2025 at 12:00:57

Makes me think do they want Moyes spending the money or are they actively looking for his long term replacement they are quick enough changing managers at roma could be me with me conspiracy head on

Tony Abrahams 91 Posted 20/08/2025 at 12:02:04

It’s like when Everton signed Moise Keane, at a time when what the manager really needed was to find an experienced defender, with pace, to replace the departing Kurt Zouma.

Buying Barry, for later and leaving the club with only Beto, to lead the line, is a backwards move imo, because if we don’t improve our strikers, we are going to continue to struggle to score goals, and if we continue to struggle to score goals, we simply aren’t going to be able to move forward.

Alan J Thompson 92 Posted 20/08/2025 at 12:10:12

We can rattle on forever about who we should or shouldn't sign next but none of it will change the result of this game.

Injuries to and lack of full backs didn't help and I expected that seeing how we've bought more additions to midfield than any other part of the team, with the possible exception of goalkeeper or goalkeeping coaches, I expected to see a better performance from that part of the side but none of them seemed to know where they were supposed to be never mind the others in midfield, and that has to be down to Moyes. It didn't matter how well or not Beto played as we never looked like mounting any sort of effective attack or build up.

Then the true villains in the piece. Somebody in the Premier League management or refereeing body needs to quickly sort out what is or isn't handball or if there is even any allowance for "ball to hand" and to see some consistent interpretation and application.

And then the man who seems to be getting very little criticism, Tarkowski. Quite often he falls back too far hence his blocking stats and I'd more prefer that he was nearer the man shooting than being the last man between forward and goalkeeper as he seemed to be. Most keepers dislike anybody getting too far back and too far away from the man with the ball, they just become an obstruction and if Tarkowski had been nearer the shooter he may not have done or as it was the shot looked as though Pickford would have dealt with quite easily as it seemed to be going straight to him in the middle of the goal rather than for any top or bottom corner.

David Bromwell 93 Posted 20/08/2025 at 12:16:52

My big worry as we enter the last few days of the transfer window is that there appears to have been little structure or planning to our recruitment to date, and to make matters worst David Moyes seems to air his worries openly on a daily basis. We are clearly Not in a good shape, and surely the Manager himself has to take at least some of the responsibility for the situation.

Ok we have brought in a number of new players but critically the areas that needed addressing, RB, left sided defensive cover, defensive midfielder, and right sided forward all remain unfixed. Yet we now seem to have, two young players who have been bought for the future, two attacking midfielders, in Dewsbury Hall and Alcaraz who both want to play in the same position and Grealish who in our circumstances has to be an unnecessary luxury particularly if he is to play on the left hand side where we already have two players fighting for a first team place.

I appreciate money may be limited but in our circumstances surely every new player that comes in has to be ready to play in the first team and in a position where we currently have no cover.

There was no doubt the team was unbalanced and those on show were all over the place, any break we did get stopped with the ball being played backwards.

I know we see ourselves as football Managers and have our own solutions and there is nothing wrong with that.

What I saw was tactical tweaks needing to be made, After around the 60 minute mark, I would have made a minimum triple change, I would have brought Harrison Armstrong on for Iroegbunam, Grealish for Alcaraz but played Grealish as a number 10, and put McNeil out on the left, I would have give it 10 mins and then look to put Barry on for Beto. That was the way I saw it but sure more options and changes for different personel will be popular with other posters.

I think we can all agree that at the very least, we should have made a triple substitution, sooner rather than later.

Finally Tony in regards to Barry, That is why a couple of weeks ago I suggested getting Vardy in for 12 Months, to help Barry improve his game, we could use Vardy sparingly, but his experiance and knack of sniffing a goal out would certainly improve our forward squad and give us the option to send Chermiti out onloan.

I know I will get pelted with too old, one last pay Day football journey man the lot, but I think Everton will get more out of Vardy, than the player himself and will be a useful squad member at no risk or transfer fee.

Hate situation but below link fair assessment of what once "our" game and, for us and all nationally.

Strikes me we understand and forgive those who served us. Even badly.

Dignity we have I reckon...once 24 hrs have passed since we won, drew or ambled around as at Leeds.

"Not us that"

Agree but game with petulant little boys spouting good quotes they would need a God (agent) to write for them.

"But Mummy...!!!!", he cried. "I want (insert list here).

Prob with tech for this old man. Will try and post link in a sec.

Raymond Fox 97 Posted 20/08/2025 at 12:45:45

I was miffed as you put it Jack @ 89 when Doucoure wasn't resigned, while he wasn't great he was a very good squad player. It came down to money in the end no doubt.

Moyes is the same manager as when we were getting some outstanding results when he took over. Talk of getting rid of him after one loss away from home is gormless.

Plenty players from last season have left and we are now lacking replacements, who's to blame for that situation? As I posted earlier we don't know for sure who has the final decision on who is bought and for how much. I know from experience too many people making decisions about the same thing can paralyze the process.

Nick Page 101 Posted 20/08/2025 at 13:57:39

Exactly, Sean. Lots of clubs “not in Europe” buying decent players.

Everton need bodies in first and foremost…. good coaching set-up and tactics. Then trade up the assets. Only Everton make this exceedingly difficult.

Until I see tangible evidence to the contrary, I'm still of the opinion it's a comfy boys club run by members for members. Please prove me wrong, Everton.

Christy Ring 103 Posted 20/08/2025 at 14:32:57

Our defence was totally unbalanced and no shape against Leeds, I get that, but after watching the game, our defence wasn't the problem, our midfield were totally 2nd best, Gueye and Tim didn't work, Alcaraz is definitely not a right winger, he should have been off before the slip, and Armstrong should have replaced Tim. The most worrying fact is that our new fullback and Barry are players for the future, so who's replacing the injury prone Mykolenko, and who's our striker going to be, because Beto was embarrassing on Monday night, and thankfully there new striker wasn't playing, our former no.1 striker?Even today's gossip, Luiz to Forest and they're now interested in the Norwich fullback, we were linked with, Palace in for Dibling and Leeds signing a right winger from Milan, oh yeah and we're still 'looking' at the same players as we have looked at 3 weeks ago? Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't it help if we actually tried to do a deal and buy players, no more haggling, take a look at who Leeds and Sunderland have signed?