2022/23 Kevin Thelwell

[Bob Elstone]

Yet to see evidence of this, midfield is a shambles. Gueye shouldn’t have been bought.

It’s miles better than Tom Davies Andre Gomes and doucoure

 

[Bob Elstone]

Get that loon running Chelsea on the phone and ask does he still want Gordon. Snap his hand off for 30m

 

[Papa Shango]

It’s miles better than Tom Davies Andre Gomes and doucoure

On paper it is.

Results wise? Not so far. We can probably judge things a bit better once we have some proper attacking players and a bit of creativity.

 

[DanEFC92]

Midfield is just as crap as it was last season.

Still not offering any help for the defence, as we allow about 30 kin shots every game. And still has no goals in it.

 

[Bob Elstone]

Midfield is just as crap as it was last season.

Still not offering any help for the defence, as we allow about 30 kin shots every game. And still has no goals in it.

Maybe it’s the coaching? Players on paper are better.

 

[Shibbywiggles]

You keep saying this but there is absolutely no evidence of it whatsoever. The midfield creates nothing, can't keep hold of the ball, and allows the opposition to have about 25 shots a game, where is the clear improvement?

I don’t like this shots per game metric because no two shots are equal. A pot shot from 30 yards because our CBs and Gana are tough to go past is not the same as a shot being open on the penalty spot. People talked about Mitrovic have ten shots as being a bad thing, I think they were frustrated at not getting clear chances so resorted to speculative attempts.

The midfield standards have dropped last few games I agree and they don’t create enough but if anyone thinks Gana, Onana and Iwobi are worse than Doucoure, half fit Allan and Gomes with Delph and Davies out injured all the time then I’m baffled.

 

[Lanolin]

I don’t like this shots per game metric because no two shots are equal. A pot shot from 30 yards because our CBs and Gana are tough to go past is not the same as a shot being open on the penalty spot. People talked about Mitrovic have ten shots as being a bad thing, I think they were frustrated at not getting clear chances so resorted to speculative attempts.

The midfield standards have dropped last few games I agree and they don’t create enough but if anyone thinks Gana, Onana and Iwobi are worse than Doucoure, half fit Allan and Gomes with Delph and Davies out injured all the time then I’m baffled.

So you think the midfield is playing so well, that every team we play feels the need to take potshots every time they get a sight of goal, because they just can't get past us? That's quite the take.

On paper the midfield is better. On grass, it hasn't been. I don't really see what's baffling about that. If you were saying 'I think he's signed some good midfielders who are in theory better than what we had' then I'd probably agree, but you consistently say that the midfield is 'clearly improved' or 'sorted' when what we're seeing just doesn't back it up. Performance wise it's not better than it has been in recent years. That's quite astonishing really seeing as how low the base was, but it's true nonetheless.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

So you think the midfield is playing so well, that every team we play feels the need to take potshots every time they get a sight of goal, because they just can't get past us? That's quite the take.

On paper the midfield is better. On grass, it hasn't been. I don't really see what's baffling about that. If you were saying 'I think he's signed some good midfielders who are in theory better than what we had' then I'd probably agree, but you consistently say that the midfield is 'clearly improved' or 'sorted' when what we're seeing just doesn't back it up. Performance wise it's not better than it has been in recent years. That's quite astonishing really seeing as how low the base was, but it's true nonetheless.

Is that Thelwell's fault though? I don't know how you can make the case for that..

 

[Lanolin]

Is that Thelwell's fault though? I don't know how you can make the case for that..

I didn't say it was Thelwell's fault?

 

[Toffe3m4n]

I didn't say it was Thelwell's fault?

Then what's your argument/stance on him considering that this is his thread? unless that's just a general observation..

 

[Shibbywiggles]

So you think the midfield is playing so well, that every team we play feels the need to take potshots every time they get a sight of goal, because they just can't get past us? That's quite the take.

On paper the midfield is better. On grass, it hasn't been. I don't really see what's baffling about that. If you were saying 'I think he's signed some good midfielders who are in theory better than what we had' then I'd probably agree, but you consistently say that the midfield is 'clearly improved' or 'sorted' when what we're seeing just doesn't back it up. Performance wise it's not better than it has been in recent years. That's quite astonishing really seeing as how low the base was, but it's true nonetheless.

Football’s all about opinions so I can’t say you’re wrong but to me, our midfield has performed far better than last year. Not consistently enough obviously and they’ve turned out some shockers but there have been games (palace game obviously) where we’ve bullied the opposition midfield and I can’t remember the last time I saw that from an Everton midfield. I can’t think of one game last season I felt really good about our midfield whereas this season I have. Low bar I know, but I’m talking about improvement not us being a quality outfit.

 

[Lanolin]

Then what's your argument/stance on him considering that this is his thread? unless that's just a general observation..

I don't really have a stance on him. He's only been here for a few months, I don't know exactly what his remit is or how much he had to do with the players who did and didn't sign in the summer, so it's difficult to judge.

My comments related to the idea that firstly the squad and then specifically the midfield are 'clearly improved'. I just don't really see how you can draw that conclusion based on our performances and results this season. As I've already said (in the post you're quoting no less) I can get on board with the idea that we've theoretically improved the midfield but you can't say it's a clear improvement until they actually prove it on the pitch, otherwise we have to say that players like Schneiderlin, Gylfi, Keane, Williams, Klaassen etc were good signings because we thought they'd improve us when we signed them. That just isn't how it works.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

I don't really have a stance on him. He's only been here for a few months, I don't know exactly what his remit is or how much he had to do with the players who did and didn't sign in the summer, so it's difficult to judge.

My comments related to the idea that firstly the squad and then specifically the midfield are 'clearly improved'. I just don't really see how you can draw that conclusion based on our performances and results this season. As I've already said (in the post you're quoting no less) I can get on board with the idea that we've theoretically improved the midfield but you can't say it's a clear improvement until they actually prove it on the pitch, otherwise we have to say that players like Schneiderlin, Gylfi, Keane, Williams, Klaassen etc were good signings because we thought they'd improve us when we signed them. That just isn't how it works.

I guess that's different to the case some others are stating in this thread because it sounds like we're actually somewhat in agreement here. The argument that's being made is that Thelwell should be punted asap after one summer of signing players that, at the very least, improved us on paper (if not quite in practice at times) so it surely shouldn't all fall on him for that. It's reactionary in the extreme IMO.

 

[hktoffee]

He is right.

 

[MikeH72]

Good to see this beak nosed kopite get called out in the media.