2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[Brisan123]

I think Carlo does see this as a longer-term project. You're also right that we do need better players.

Ancelotti's made a fair few mistakes as well though. As other posters have said, we'd all still want Godfrey, Digne, DCL, Richarlison, Allan to be starting (and in the form he's in, we ain't getting a better GK than Pickford realistically) next season.

Well, that's 5 of 10 outfield players we'd be happy to see in the team. It's not totally, totally like we need to rip everything up. And these players have won some big games this season too - so we can't just credit all of that to Ancelotti.

Basically, Carlo's cocked up quite a bit recently, in our home games at least. His set up has been crap, his tactics crap, his changes worse. But, quite a few of the options he has aren't good enough - we know this.

However, they definitely should be good enough to string basic moves and passes together, or run with the ball. None of which we do unless James is fit and firing. So I think the manager does take a fair bit of blame for that too.

Those 5 you named plus James and possibly Pickford are 7 players the majority would be happy to see start
The problem is the other 4 starters are in crucial positions RB CB CM RW and leave us badly exposed
Plus our bench is mainly crap
Carlo needs time and if we are as successful in this summers window as we were last summer we should have a good first 11 and a half decent ( but still not good enough bench )
Just need luck with injuries then

 

[APN_EFC]

Those 5 you named plus James and possibly Pickford are 7 players the majority would be happy to see start
The problem is the other 4 starters are in crucial positions RB CB CM RW and leave us badly exposed
Plus our bench is mainly crap
Carlo needs time and if we are as successful in this summers window as we were last summer we should have a good first 11 and a half decent ( but still not good enough bench )
Just need luck with injuries then

I agree that Carlo has maybe made mistakes - e.g. Gomes, Gylfi & James in the same team, e.g. Delph coming on when we needed Davies, but he knows better. What I do like, especially in his use of Godfrey, Holgate, DCL and Davies - is that it definitely looks like he and Moshiri are being patient. I'm sure part of the plan was Europa League this year, but even if it seems like we have not improved since Koeman, it sounds like and looks like this was a season of watching and learning about the squad, and he's working on a long-term plan, rather than trying to buy and push for sucess straight away in season 1

I know it seems like we're half a team off from success, which seems like a lot, but it's not that bad. James, Allan, Doucoure, Godfrey, when they started together, plus momentum plus good luck all resulted in excellent form & results. Our problem is also that we were exposed when our new signings were not around enough to lift our old, tired, character-less team players.

I just couldn't decide how to feel about those positions
RB - Coleman
CB - Holgate or Keane
CM - Gomes or Gylfi
RW - Iwobi, Bernard

They're all nice, good, professional but ultimately not tough and consistent. It's not nice to want to see the end of 'nice guys' like the ones I've listed but it's just not working. Gylfi and Iwobi I have least patience because they can be better if they tried, and they just needed to learn to run and tackle or work on positions, when cute passes and dribbles are not working for them. These creative players need to somehow find the one thing that they can do even if they're not playing well, and Gylfi and Iwobi are fit and that's why I feel bad when they at least don't use their fitness to help the team

Those 4 positions / 7 players need urgent replacement and I think Gordon and Ellis Simms could be first team squad players, and we buy 5 which is somewhat realistic, but it probably has to be 2 expensive ones, and 3 younger or unknowns

 

[kenada_blue]

I agree that Carlo has maybe made mistakes - e.g. Gomes, Gylfi & James in the same team, e.g. Delph coming on when we needed Davies, but he knows better. What I do like, especially in his use of Godfrey, Holgate, DCL and Davies - is that it definitely looks like he and Moshiri are being patient. I'm sure part of the plan was Europa League this year, but even if it seems like we have not improved since Koeman, it sounds like and looks like this was a season of watching and learning about the squad, and he's working on a long-term plan, rather than trying to buy and push for sucess straight away in season 1

I know it seems like we're half a team off from success, which seems like a lot, but it's not that bad. James, Allan, Doucoure, Godfrey, when they started together, plus momentum plus good luck all resulted in excellent form & results. Our problem is also that we were exposed when our new signings were not around enough to lift our old, tired, character-less team players.

I just couldn't decide how to feel about those positions
RB - Coleman
CB - Holgate or Keane
CM - Gomes or Gylfi
RW - Iwobi, Bernard

They're all nice, good, professional but ultimately not tough and consistent. It's not nice to want to see the end of 'nice guys' like the ones I've listed but it's just not working. Gylfi and Iwobi I have least patience because they can be better if they tried, and they just needed to learn to run and tackle or work on positions, when cute passes and dribbles are not working for them. These creative players need to somehow find the one thing that they can do even if they're not playing well, and Gylfi and Iwobi are fit and that's why I feel bad when they at least don't use their fitness to help the team

Those 4 positions / 7 players need urgent replacement and I think Gordon and Ellis Simms could be first team squad players, and we buy 5 which is somewhat realistic, but it probably has to be 2 expensive ones, and 3 younger or unknowns

Hard to disagree IMO.

Those areas mentioned are where we need to strengthen. So the shouts of getting a striker, keeper etc is completely irrelevant as they're not important.

Also don't think it's about replacing some of them as we're already threadbare as it is. More upgrading.

4 significant signings does that, one in each, and we'll look a very good outfit.

 

[BlueToff]

Those 5 you named plus James and possibly Pickford are 7 players the majority would be happy to see start
The problem is the other 4 starters are in crucial positions RB CB CM RW and leave us badly exposed
Plus our bench is mainly crap
Carlo needs time and if we are as successful in this summers window as we were last summer we should have a good first 11 and a half decent ( but still not good enough bench )
Just need luck with injuries then

Well there's also Doucoure to throw in, who will be starting next year.

I know we need players - we need four at a minimum and I'd say definitely two of those will be straight into our best team on paper next season (RB, CM).

But come on, we are properly turgid mate. And it's not just all on the players. The football we play is clueless, we have no idea what to do going forward when trying to build from the back, we can't press. It's an issue with the players but you also have to look at the management too.

 

[Groucho]

I have utter faith in him. I also firmly believe that money will be spent on a few players that Carlo and Brands agree on, with probably a few lower ranked ones, a'la Godders.

And quite a few jokers will be looking for another club.

Agree.

If you want rid of Carlo you need your head seeing to.

 

[blueblue]

I don't think anyone will stand for another season of it. Big summer for me but manager isn't the problem in my eyes, he's just the one who takes the fall for the same players that have chased a few out of the door by not turning up 75% of the time.

Of course we will continue without Carlo, hyperbole to think otherwise but the point people are making is, if a manager such as Ancelotti is struggling then what hope does another Marco Silva have.

Another season of what ?

Being closer to the top four than we have in years?

 

[Terrarian]

Another season of what ?

Being closer to the top four than we have in years?

Lethargic performances mate, put the pitchforks down ffs

 

[Azza]

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

"if" Carlo Ancellotti was 60% of the manager that he was I would keep him .....

Tell me another manager in the game who we could get and get James and Allan to join a team like ours?

The reality is our team is awful. So slow it's not even a joke.

 

[blueblue]

Watching the City game last evening it was pointed out that the new owners are there about thirteen years now.

In spite of throwing money at the club on a far greater scale than Moshiri ever could it still has taken time to build a club that now feels it can win the CL.

Money alone helped dominate domestically and then the realisation that unless you have the right manager you are going nowhere.

The arrival of Ancellotti is bigger than the winning or even losing of a game. His arrival is a statement that Everton FC wants to regain it's place as a top club. This season has been a mixed bag and really even though the opportunity to finish in the top four was clearly there for us I simply don't believe we are ready yet for that.

We do need another three or four quality players into the team and that really would give us a huge push. The transfer window this summer will tell us if the owner can provide the funds to make this happen.

 

[brieverton]

Ancelotti Ready For Tougher Everton Stance

Latest news from Everton Football Club

www.evertonfc.com

Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to take a tougher line with his players to erase the type of slow start that cost Everton dear against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Manager Ancelotti confessed he’d expected his side to pick up where they left off in a professional display to win at Arsenal the previous week.
The Italian was deeply frustrated, then, to suffer another home setback, which saw Everton’s top-six chances recede.
There remains time to make up ground, nonetheless, and Ancelotti is confident of having James Rodriguez back for Sunday’s visit to West Ham United.
The influential James was withdrawn from the team to face Villa as a precaution after being bothered by a calf issue in the warm-up.
Ancelotti wasn’t willing to hide behind that blow, conceding Everton fell short of his expectations at Goodison Park.
“It is difficult to say why [performance was below par], it was the same team that played with strong attitude at Arsenal,” Ancelotti told evertontv.
“The momentum was good, the training was good.


“It seemed the players were focused but not tonight [Saturday], they were not focused and, maybe, I need to push more on that aspect to have the players more ready when the game starts.
“James didn’t have a big problem but we didn’t want to take a risk.
“He could maybe do better [improve overall performance] and we had individual mistakes but it was a team mistake in this game.”
James “is going to play the next game”, confirmed Ancelotti, who had complimentary words for Jordan Pickford, following a fabulous performance from the goalkeeper, and scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who reached 20 goals for the campaign.
“Jordan did his job – maybe some performances were good,” said Ancelotti.
“What was not good was the teamwork and the team performance.
“Dominic scored a goal but was not happy because we lost.
“This is the attitude we have to show, it doesn’t matter if you score a goal.
“The performance was not good and we lost an opportunity to stay in the fight [for European qualification], with more possibility.
“Now we have less possibility but, fortunately, we are still in the fight.”
That fight continues in east London at the weekend, when Everton can close the gap on fifth-placed West Ham to three points.
Tottenham Hotspur in sixth, the final Europa League qualifying spot, hold a four-point advantage over Everton but have played a game more.

​

Ancelotti was irked by his team missing the chance to get right on those teams’ shoulders, then, particularly as this was another opportunity passed up at Goodison.
They have two home games remaining – against Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers – and the objective is to win both, while sustaining the tremendous away form that has seen Everton win 10 games and counting on the road.
“This team was up and down,” added Ancelotti.
“We had good performances and fantastic results away.
“At home, maybe we are more comfortable and miss a little bit of concentration and a little bit of focus.
“I am frustrated because the game [against Villa] was not good, we didn’t start well, we didn’t show the attitude and spirit this kind of game needed.
“It was a vital game, an important game for us to keep fighting for Europe and we lost this opportunity.
“Fortunately for us, it is not the last opportunity, we have five more opportunities.
“But we have to show a different attitude at the beginning.
“At the beginning we conceded a lot of opportunities because we didn’t have balance, we missed easy passes and lost a lot of duels.
“Honestly, I am frustrated.”

It's quite something when the official site goes ahead and puts that out.
Normally like all others, it is just a bastion of cliché.

There is something fundamentally wrong with the attitude of some of our players, it has persisted for years and under different managers. It goes beyond disinterest and laziness in my opinion, there is some culture at the club that seems to allow it to thrive.

A "get tough" approach is fine, but for some players, in addition to Ancelotti, I'd seek to sit them down with Denise and Brands present as well, and just try to get to the heart of whats going on. The immediate issue with that is that it may be even Brands and others who are contributing indirectly, to a culture where there seems to be little accountability for consistent poor attitude and performance. But short of that I don't see what else can be done.

 

[catcherintherye]

It's quite something when the official site goes ahead and puts that out.
Normally like all others, it is just a bastion of cliché.

There is something fundamentally wrong with the attitude of some of our players, it has persisted for years and under different managers. It goes beyond disinterest and laziness in my opinion, there is some culture at the club that seems to allow it to thrive.

A "get tough" approach is fine, but for some players, in addition to Ancelotti, I'd seek to sit them down with Denise and Brands present as well, and just try to get to the heart of whats going on. The immediate issue with that is that it may be even Brands and others who are contributing indirectly, to a culture where there seems to be little accountability for consistent poor attitude and performance. But short of that I don't see what else can be done.

I saw that and thought the same mate. The OS rarely carries anything like that, and in truth Ancelotti has not been as forthright as that very often before. I actually thought Ancelotti looked fed up after that game. It's to be welcomed. I was worried about Pickford's comments after the game where he said something akin to "we will have to try our best I suppose" and I remember being alarmed at the casual nature of it. This is much better from Ancelotti.

The concern is we see a repeat of last season, where we just completely tail away. That could happen and we could end up 9th or 10th. I really don't want the players thinking it's party time. There are 4 very winnable games to me, and City on the last day who's focus will not be completely on that game. It's as good a run in as you could hope for.

I think there's a bigger narrative here too though, and that is what do we do when the players essentially repeat the same patterns? If some more aren't moved on, and the manager seriously backed, we will repeat this pattern in perpetuity. Whatever happens now, we have let needless points slip, and it does feel the time we need to back the manager and renevate the squad further in the summer.

I know there are the usual doom and gloom merchants saying no money, but in honesty, with no FFP and a depressed market we have a unique opportunity. We could probably add 6 or 7 strong players for not an awful lot of money. We have seen with his strongest team, the manager can go and get results with the best, but he needs more reliable footballers.

 

[Lanolin]

I saw that and thought the same mate. The OS rarely carries anything like that, and in truth Ancelotti has not been as forthright as that very often before. I actually thought Ancelotti looked fed up after that game. It's to be welcomed. I was worried about Pickford's comments after the game where he said something akin to "we will have to try our best I suppose" and I remember being alarmed at the casual nature of it. This is much better from Ancelotti.

The concern is we see a repeat of last season, where we just completely tail away. That could happen and we could end up 9th or 10th. I really don't want the players thinking it's party time. There are 4 very winnable games to me, and City on the last day who's focus will not be completely on that game. It's as good a run in as you could hope for.

I think there's a bigger narrative here too though, and that is what do we do when the players essentially repeat the same patterns? If some more aren't moved on, and the manager seriously backed, we will repeat this pattern in perpetuity. Whatever happens now, we have let needless points slip, and it does feel the time we need to back the manager and renevate the squad further in the summer.

I know there are the usual doom and gloom merchants saying no money, but in honesty, with no FFP and a depressed market we have a unique opportunity. We could probably add 6 or 7 strong players for not an awful lot of money. We have seen with his strongest team, the manager can go and get results with the best, but he needs more reliable footballers.

I've repeatedly said Ancelotti's job should be in question at all, but if that happened I think you would have to ask serious questions. We can all talk til the cows come home about the players having a bad attitude but if they go into holiday mode twice in two years on the manager's watch, then you really have to ask whether the manager is doing enough. I've said all season that 6th would be excellent and anything lower than 8th would be a disappointment. The same still applies. The season can still be a success, or it can be an out and out failure, we need to find some wins from somewhere to make sure it's at least an acceptable return.

 

[blueblue]

Lethargic performances mate, put the pitchforks down ffs

No pitchfork.

But, I simply don't agree with the criticism.

I am as aware of the poor and disappointing performances as anyone. We have probably lost half a dozen games at Goodison that we should not have lost, but we are not good enough for the top four, I don't want us to be there until we are good enough to stay there.

The team is neither good enough or the squad strong enough in my opinion to play in the CL.

However, I do realise that developing a club and a team takes time and you are probably talking a term of four seasons rather than one.

What I have seen is a manager who can get results and a manager who has kept us on the periphery of the top four all season with a team that really could not afford an injury or a suspension.

 

[Terrarian]

No pitchfork.

But, I simply don't agree with the criticism.

I am as aware of the poor and disappointing performances as anyone. We have probably lost half a dozen games at Goodison that we should not have lost, but we are not good enough for the top four, I don't want us to be there until we are good enough to stay there.

The team is neither good enough or the squad strong enough in my opinion to play in the CL.

However, I do realise that developing a club and a team takes time and you are probably talking a term of four seasons rather than one.

What I have seen is a manager who can get results and a manager who has kept us on the periphery of the top four all season with a team that really could not afford an injury or a suspension.

You don't agree that the players have half arsed games and not turned up in a good portion of them. Ok mate. Agree to disagree here.