Next up: Sunderland vs Everton

Everton don't get to play again until Monday night, when they travel to the Stadium of Light to take on high-flying Sunderland, who have slipped down to 4th place in the Premier League table amongst the group of six teams with five wins each.

There's more talk this week, suggesting that David Moyes will at long last adopt a different approach for Everton's attacking forward play, as the goals really do seem to have dried up.

Moyes appears to be gaining more trust in Merlin Röhl and what he can bring to the table, although with limited minutes on the pitch, he has been unremarkable so far. And the problem Moyes has created by dropping Dwight McNeil and moving Iliman Ndiaye out to the right wing means goals from those two are sorely missing, even though Ndiaye is our leading scorer, with 3 goals.

Charly Alcaraz is another player who appears to at least possess the ability to test the goalkeeper, if not actually score some fine goals. But he too has received the cold Scottish shoulder, expected to perform miracles in the last few minutes of games after finally being instructed to get off the bench just moments before the final whistle.

The attacking players that leaves on the pitch, Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall, both have really poor records in the goal-scoring department, while the proclivities of our two centre-forwards aren't really worth mentioning in this context.

And then there is Tyler Dibling... the poor kid who must be wondering if moving 200 miles north has transported him to a different universe where his highly valued skills don't quite seem to work anymore.

The conundrum for David Moyes in coming up with a team selection, formation, and strategic approach to break down almost impenetrable Premier League defences will be enough to turn his hair grey... Wait a minute!

And on top of this puzzler, with paranoia endemic amongst the Everton fan base who had to suffer the indignity of set-piece humiliation by Micky van de Ven last Saturday at home against Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and their short-armed minnow in goal will now be subjected to a veritable set-piece onslaught.

At least the theory goes that whatever caused us grief in the last match will now dictate our fortunes for the rest of the season. It's understandable how such simplistic logic develops, largely as a knee-jerk reaction to a disappointing loss, but it seems to ignore the quite remarkable statistic that, up until that point, Everton had not conceded a single goal so far this season from a set piece!

Now I'm no football analyst or strategist — I just call it the way I see it, as it's played out on the field. And while there are some similarities that can no doubt be identified in the way the team sets up and the gameplan is executed, every game I watch in the Premier League appears to my simple eye to be unique.

We don't know what's going to happen. Now this kinda flies in the face of the gambling and betting ethos that seems to have taken over football, from Sky TV and their maddening bombardment of gambling adverts, to shirt sponsorship, to pitchside advertising... it's relentless in selling the dream that Joe Public can predict what is going to happen in a football match -- or better still, in six football matches!

But I can assure you with great confidence, you cannot predict what will happen next Monday. Well, a few will get it right... but the vast majority of you won't. And you know what? That's exactly what the bookies know, and that's why they are rolling in money... your money.

But enough of that soap-box proselytising. My point really is that we have not suddenly developed a vulnerability that is now going to sink us without trace. Yes, we will almost certainly concede more goals to set pieces, maybe against Sunderland.... but maybe not.

Maybe some completely different controversy or strategic flaw will grip us next week. We just don't know. It kinda makes a match preview rather difficult to write, or it may just explain why I'm not very good at writing them.

The other reason, of course, is I know next to nothing about the opposition we will face at The Stadium of Light. I didn't even know the name of their manager... Regis Le Bris. No, sorry. Never heard of him. But he must be doing something right. Unless you believe that winning football matches, at least for Everton, seems mostly down to luck — be it good or bad.

I think we'll need some good luck on Monday.

Reader Comments (35)

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Jay Harris 2 Posted 29/10/2025 at 13:54:23

We have had the same problem for years.

Buying players that don't score goals.

Now with Doucoure gone and McNeil off the pace, the only goal threat comes from Alcaraz and Ndiaye, other than the odd defender contribution.

Paul Kossoff 3 Posted 29/10/2025 at 15:43:27

I've said it before, I'll say it again.

Moyes, stop with the experiment of "Beto doesn't work so I'll try Barry" -- repeating the same experiment expecting a different result doesn't work! False nine all the time, have it on your bedside table and it's the last thing you read.

We have a few who are a million times more suited to creating a chance, finding space, beating a defender, and scoring goals than the two Bs.

Try it, Moyes, you really have nothing to lose. And just think, if it doesn't work, you can say, "Look, I told you, Beto and Barry are the answer."

Jack Convery 4 Posted 29/10/2025 at 16:00:45

Talking of stats analysis

Everton stats for Premier League Refs who have officiated the most EFC games.

Premier League games only.Referee Apps Win% Lose% Draw% Point pg1. Oliver 55 32.7 29.1 38.2 1.362. Taylor 45 42.2 40.0 17.8 1.443. Marriner 38 31.6 42.1 26.3 1.214. Mason 35 51.4 25.7 22.9 1.775. Atkinson 33 33.3 30.3 36.4 1.366. Moss 31 32.3 48.4 19.4 1.167. Friend 31 41.9 22.6 35.5 1.618. Pawson 30 20.0 53.3 26.7 0.879. Attwell 29 37.9 37.9 24.1 1.3810. Probert 23 39.1 34.8 26.1 1.43

Pawson's points per game (less then 1) / lost games percentage (over 50%), stand out for me.I would request Lee Mason officiates all our games from now on. Interesting.

Thomas Bramall refs the game on Monday. He has officiated 2 Premier League games involving Everton. 1 draw (Fulham nil-nil) and one defeat (Wolves 3-nil). He likes dishing out yellows.

I believe we will win by a couple of goals -- go figure. Moyes must change things around and include Charly Alcaraz. Drop Dewsbury-Hall, play Rohl alongside Gueye and move Garner to right-back. Play Jake alongside Keane.

Pickford, Garner, O'Brien, Keane, Mykolenko, Gueye, Rohl, Alcaraz, Ndiaye, Beto, Grealish.

Gaute Lie 5 Posted 29/10/2025 at 16:13:55

I would seriously consider not playing with a recognized striker (leave Beto and Barry on the bench) and play one more midfielder instead. We have midfielders who are more of a goal threats than our strikers.

It has worked for other teams before, and as of now playing our strikers are no good. Anyone else?

Gerry Quinn 6 Posted 29/10/2025 at 16:33:19

Gaute - I would say that we never have played with a recognised striker for quite a while!!!!

Mike Powell 7 Posted 29/10/2025 at 17:32:50

If we play like we did against Spurs, we will lose.

They are flying at the minute, where we just play the same way every week: slow, laboured... Moyes needs to change it.

Try Alcaraz up front, do something different! I won't hold my breath...

Mark Murphy 8 Posted 29/10/2025 at 18:56:56

A lot of people I've spoken with about the Spurs game think we played pretty well, Mike.

Poor defending on those two corners aside, they thought we could've got a point at least there.

Of course VAR intervened to make sure we didn't have a chance of that.

Ian Bennett 9 Posted 29/10/2025 at 19:04:42

Some context. The cost of Spurs squad was €750M to assemble.

Plus they've got Muani and João Palhinha on loan. I am sure they'd cost another £100-120M+.

That's fair money for a squad that did very little.

Kieran Kinsella 10 Posted 29/10/2025 at 19:27:29

Gaute,

I would agree. Stick anyone upfront, Keane, Röhl whoever — just not one of our "strikers".

Sean Kelly 11 Posted 29/10/2025 at 19:44:24

Doing the same thing every week of Barry for Beto and expecting a better or different result is just nuts.

Moyes is a stubborn dinosaur and won't or can't change. Mr Kinnear, have a word, please, coz we are shite the way things are.

Joe McMahon 12 Posted 29/10/2025 at 19:51:13

This one is worrying.

Sunderland will want to thrash Everton — it's Moyes.

Neil Cremin 13 Posted 29/10/2025 at 19:52:30

Gaute

Which midfielders are more a goal threat than our strikers?

Dewsbury-Hall? No, he doesn't shoot.Grealish? No, doesn't shoot.Gana? No, can't shoot!Garner? Maybe.Alcaraz? Maybe.

Have I left anyone out? The only experiment that I think should be considered is Alcaraz as striker with Dewsbury-Hall or McNeil to replace Beto... but then I fear we will have the same problem, no quality ball reaching him.

My thoughts.

Jack Convery 14 Posted 29/10/2025 at 20:01:10

I see Richarlison is leading the line for Spurs tonight. Andrew Cole and Les Ferdinand, saying he didn't score a lot of goals whilst at Everton and it's the same at Spurs. Dickheads - just were do they get these supposed pundits?

Richarlison's record at Everton (who were crap for most of the time he was with us) was: played 152 games, scored 53 goals and had 15 assists. Not too bad in my opinion.

Denver Daniels 15 Posted 29/10/2025 at 20:14:41

I'd like to see Alcaraz in for Dewsbury-Hall, who started the season brightly but has regressed attack-wise.

Or even McNeil at Number 10. He can create, score and can switch with Grealish and put crosses into the box, being an actual left winger.

If Beto is going to start, then more channel balls to him as anything round the centre circle seems to be a lost cause. I think the rest pick themselves based on who's available.

Mike Powell 16 Posted 29/10/2025 at 20:17:12

Mark, got to disagree, we were awful against Spurs, and most people I have spoken to have said the same.

We had nothing going forward, we could've been 5 down. We got a bit better second half but not much. I just hope Moyes changes a few things against the Mackems.

Tony Abrahams 17 Posted 29/10/2025 at 20:20:41

David Moyes never had a problem with Pawson and the decisions he made on Sunday.

But, when you look at that chart, then it's obvious that this referee has always had a problem with our club.

Kunal Desai 18 Posted 29/10/2025 at 20:46:40

Sunderland are flying and will be expected to beat Everton; however, it never works out that way.

We do tend to eke out a performance and a win when it's least expected, like last season away at Forest and Newcastle. I have feeling this will be one of those.

Billy Shears 19 Posted 29/10/2025 at 20:52:00

We'll give the Mackems a game alright... but sadly when we go 2-0 down.

Fucking Moyes, same away day Blues I reckon... A 2-0 home win.

Liam Mogan 20 Posted 29/10/2025 at 20:58:25

Set-piece experts Spurs just conceded a poor goal from a set piece.

They must be shocking at them now. Just like Everton.

Billy Shears 21 Posted 29/10/2025 at 21:06:15

My team would be...5-2-1-2...

Pickford Garner O'Brien TarkowskiKeane McNeil

Rohl Dewsbury-Hall

Grealish (in a free role)

AlcarazNdiaye (Strikers)

Never happen like... Moyes will play it safe and we'll lose again!

Mike Gaynes 22 Posted 29/10/2025 at 21:26:01

Billy, I couldn't imagine a "safer" alignment than yours!

Jim Bennings 23 Posted 29/10/2025 at 21:57:39

Richarlison isn't the answer to what we are looking for.

I watched him plough alone up top tonight for Spurs, which is what he'd be doing for us; he can't play as a striker for me regardless of him doing so for Brazil, the club football especially in the Premier League is different.

I'm not particularly looking forward to Monday, I can see only another loss, probably a narrow 1-0 game in my opinion. We'll no doubt show Sunderland too much respect, like we are the newly promoted side and they are seasoned old heads.

I hope we win but I can't see how or where goals come from.

Andy Crooks 24 Posted 29/10/2025 at 22:10:34

Start Barry and stick with him.

He will be a good player and Sunderland is where it will start.

25 Posted 29/10/2025 at 22:22:09

Mike - you're welcome to your opinion and I'm obviously not going to change it but 5 (five) down? Seriously? I wasn't at the game but watched it on a crystal-clear live feed and I can't recall Pickford being that busy apart from the two corners?

And don't forget... we could have been 1-up if Jack Grealish had taken his chance and 1-1 if VAR hadn't stepped in erroneously with a far from clear and obvious intervention.

The people I asked are all match-going regulars who give Moyes and or the team pelters when they deserve it. My question to all of them was “How was the atmosphere at 0-2?” and they all said “Not so bad as we were playing well.”

Personally, I thought we were too slow and predictable and that Charly Alcaraz should've been on from half-time, but we played okay. Still an improvement on last season and still encouraging signs.

What we miss is obvious -- attacking full backs and a competent striker -- but, defending those corners apart, we still matched Spurs for all their talent.

But it's opinions, and the opinions of the people I asked, most of whom post, or have posted, on here differ very much to the ones you've asked.

I think we'll beat Sunderland and that we'll finish 12th-ish.I'd rather we had Iraola in from the start of this season... but we haven't... but we're still better than we were.

Paul Griffiths 26 Posted 30/10/2025 at 02:16:55

Neil Cremin '13:

'Which midfielders are more a goal threat than our strikers?

Dewsbury-Hall? No, he doesn't shoot.Grealish? No, doesn't shoot.Gana? No, can't shoot!Garner? Maybe.Alcaraz? Maybe.

Have I left anyone out?'

Ndiaye?

Ajay Gopal 27 Posted 30/10/2025 at 07:02:43

I believe Alcaraz can cause more problems to the defenders than Beto or Barry presently. And he did score a great headed goal at Newcastle last season that won us the game.

He could develop into a fast, mobile striker if given game time in that position to get used to the crosses or through-balls from Grealish and Ndiaye. And I would compensate for the loss of Beto's or Barry's physicality by playing Röhl just behind Alcaraz.

4-3-3:

Pickford O'Brien Tarkowski Keane MykolenkoGarner Röhl GueyeNdiaye Alcaraz Grealish

Sean O'Hanlon 28 Posted 30/10/2025 at 08:20:54

We're back to Moyes's intransigence, his lack of analysis into why the team is losing, and his complete failure to acknowledge that the inclusion of Beto is becoming ridiculous. His only reply is, "Look at his work ethic".

Mr Moyes, work ethic does not score you goals! Try something different up front, for God's sake! How many more games are we going to lose before he realises this?

Unfortunately, Pickford's major weakness, no dominance in the air, is back again. Yes, he is a great shot-stopper, but teams know this weakness, and when they exploit it, he'll lose us at least half-a-dozen games a season.

With today's big forwards, a goalie must be big and powerful, so forwards are afraid to go up against, in case they get twatted! Sadly, Pickford is a kitten in the box.

I'm sorry but Moyes will takes us nowhere. As I've said before, just 2 pathetic trophies in over 27 years to his name! I'm afraid we'll get twatted on Monday night.

Jim Bennings 29 Posted 30/10/2025 at 08:48:51

Moyes was brought in to steady the ship initially after we went on a truly horrendous run of results before last Christmas, let's get that right.

He was never brought in to be the long-term solution. I believe Moyes himself admitted as much when he took over when some reporters were asking him about the team he managed to build between 2007 and 2012, as he said he won't be getting 5 years here this time to reach that stage.

We are now a club where patience has not rewarded us. We've been told to be patient for 30 years but it has yielded little or no rewards.

Look at last night again, the clubs competing for a place in the Quarter-Finals of the League Cup: once again, no Everton at the party. Last night would have been 52,000 at home to Chelsea... more missed revenue, more missed opportunity.

We need to start being a "here and now" club.

Steve Stannard 30 Posted 30/10/2025 at 09:13:58

Agree with the comments regarding try something different up front. Forget playing Beto — his workrate is good; the rest useless. Barry — people are saying he is only young... yes, he is only 23 but not a child and people not realising Charly Alcaraz is 22... No one saying he's only young.

Charly is very talented but Dithering Dave plays him wide; he's a Number 10 but has the ability to play as a striker, so play him up front, as a false 9 even, give him a run with Ndiaye also in his favourite position at Number 10.

James Garner is a super pro but I think he would better serve us at right-back, make the position his own. Rohl looks tidy and must start vs Sunderland.

Dewsbury-Hall is not a Number 10 but a good central midfielder, he can even play the holding roll too with crisp neat passing and energy and replace the once brilliant Gana.

But we all know Dithering Dave will stick to his tried, tested and useless formula with Beto up front.

Barry has ability and with being new to the country, the Premier League etc, he has time on his side. I'm not buying the age thing though, as I said, he's 23 — lots of younger players doing great at a younger age: Ekitke, Woltemade spring to mind — same age... but time will help him and hopefully he will settle in his new surroundings.

But from what I'm seeing, bad body language and average ability at the moment don't bode well. I hope he proves me wrong.

Mike Keating 32 Posted 30/10/2025 at 10:49:25

Joe @ 12

Wondered why you made the comment about Sunderland supporters and Moyes.

This reminded me of the bad blood between them:

Why David Moyes will get no sympathy from Sunderland fans when West Ham axe falls

Ron Sear 33 Posted 30/10/2025 at 11:06:48

Sunderland next, no strikers and a failing defence!

Is it in any way possible to be even a teeny little bit optimistic if you are an Everton supporter?

Ian Bennett 34 Posted 30/10/2025 at 12:13:11

Sean, and how many have we won over the last 27 years?

Sean Mitchell 35 Posted 30/10/2025 at 14:33:08

We’ve already lost 4 league games.

Something has to change on the pitch. It simply isn’t working. 2 class players in Grealish and Ndiaye. Most teams would kill to have those pair. Fuck all up top to supply to.

Changes are needed. Fast.