Everton

Mike Richards
Fan writer

Which player is flying?: Iliman Ndiaye. When Jack Grealish arrived, there was a bit of a concern with Ndiaye being shifted out to the right-hand side. We need not have worried. With so much attention being on Grealish, it has given Ndiaye more space to exploit, which he has done beautifully.

Which player is floundering?: Dwight McNeil - a downfall that you feel was inevitable, but disappointing nonetheless. Quite simply, his position in the side has never been threatened in the past. He was relied upon for his set-piece delivery and the odd goal-of-the-season contender, but with the added quality in wide areas now, he is almost surplus to requirements.

Tactically I think we... can be quite predictable but effective. Small changes can make a big difference. David Moyes has recently put James Garner at right-back, which has made our formation that more flexible.

I want my manager to give me more... of Thierno Barry because he is the striker that will be at the club for the long term, so must be allowed to develop and progress on the pitch. We are starting to see some positive signs. Long may that continue.

Our fans seem obsessed with... running.

But they should be thinking about... walking. Our improvement and rebirth will be gradual and patience is needed. The club needs to be allowed to breathe.

My expectations for the season were... no thoughts of European football, simply a steady season of progression and a mid-table finish. They were the same before a ball was kicked as they are now.

Score for the season so far: 7/10.

One sentence on how you're feeling right now: I am satisfied with the start to the season and the relative calm around a football club that needs that, more than anything else.

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Everton, Roma and West Ham are keen on signing Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, with the Netherlands international, 24, on the periphery at Old Trafford. (The I - subscription required), external

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Over the past week, we have been asking you to send in the best Premier League XI your club could have put together.

We know football existed before 1992 but as a Leeds United fan asked our experts on the club to name theirs - using the Ask Me Anything form on the Whites - we stuck with their parameters.

Here's BBC Sport's Everton fan writer Mike's effort.

And you can ask us about the Toffees using the Everton Ask Me Anything form at the top of this page or here

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Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney is set to remain with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli despite interest in the 29-year-old Englishman from Tottenham, Everton and West Ham. (Football Insider), external

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We have, roughly, run the numbers and here is the XI your submissions have produced.

It's the Everton defence of David Moyes' dreams with legendary full-backs Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines patrolling the flanks and ball-playing centre-halves Phil Jagielka and John Stones cleaning up in the middle.

In midfield, three spots were clear but Idrissa Gana Gueye just held off the creative challenge of Steven Pienaar for the final berth.

And then upfront, goals and more goals from Wayne Rooney and Romelu Lukaku.

This side would probably have their eye on those Champions League spots.

Image source, Getty Images

Idrissa Gana Gueye believes his Everton and Senegal team-mate Iliman Ndiaye could become the next African Ballon d'Or winner.

"I challenge [Ndiaye] every game, every time we play," the 36-year-old told Everton's Official Matchday Programme. "I'm always speaking to him. He's a good boy, he listens a lot and, yeah, I'm like his... grandbrother!

"I always knew he would be successful here at Everton and, honestly, I don't think he's shown his best yet."

Ndiaye has scored four goals in the Premier League so far this season, which is nearly half of what he managed in his first Everton campaign in 2024-25.

The 25-year-old also registered his first assist at the club this term.

"I train with him every day so I see his quality every day and I can see what he is capable of," Gueye added. "He just needs to believe in himself, keep working hard and have high expectations of himself.

"I told him when he first arrived here that he can be the next African Ballon d'Or winner, because he has the quality, he has the technique, he has the skills and everything. He has a combination, I've never seen it before.

"He's a humble guy. A very, very good guy. He's not shy – he likes to play and joke with everyone. Nobody ever has a problem with him because he is humble and always keeps working hard. You see in those videos even from when he was very young how hard he works and it's because he always wants to be better."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The statistics might say playing at home is an advantage - but what happens when it is not?

So far this season, 53% of Premier League matches have been won by the home team - the highest ever rate in a single campaign.

On the flip side, just 26% have been won by the away team - the lowest rate since 2010-11.

However, this has not been the case for all teams.

For some, being on the road has been more favourable. Tottenham are perhaps the most contrasting example having the joint-most points away from home with 13, but the second-worst in front of their own fans with just five points.

In the second part of her chat with BBC Sport, performance psychologist Marie Cartwright explained: "With crowds when playing away from home, there is a reduced scrutiny as a whole for away teams in that those crowds expect the home team to be the ones in charge. The players feel less judged. The pressure is on the other side.

"Another reason could come down to something in psychology I like to call simplification of the task. The team has a better collective identity when they are away.

"The human brain still goes back to the cavemen days. We have to, as a collective, fight for something. We have to protect our name. It goes back to that hunter-gatherer-against-danger mentality.

"When players are in front of a home crowd, there can be a bit of playing up to the individuality.

"I really do believe that collective identity has a strong enough influence because it amplifies the purpose and the belonging - let's belong together, let's be stronger together."

The focus might be on the players' performances being impacted by being home or away, but what about the managers?

Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest make up three of the bottom four for their home records so far this term, and all have changed their manager in recent weeks.

"100% managers and coaches can be affected, and sometimes even more so because there is so much riding on that one person," Cartwright said.

"The decision-making is the main thing. The crowd is chanting - 'take this player off, do this' - and it can lead to rushed decisions, particularly when the noise becomes relentless.

"Then there is the emotional regulation and touchline behaviour. A manager is pacing up and down, mirroring the stress state, and players see that. It can lead to mimicking and players feeling that stress too."

The impact on teams psychologically playing home or away is apparent, so how can they make the most from these different conditions?

"Our brains are wired to think negatively - it's a protection mechanism," Cartwright said.

"So when it comes to performing home and away, those players and managers who deal with it best are those who know how to use the noise and scrutiny and move on quickly from it - an ability to have a reset routine and regulate their emotions in these pressurised situations."

Read more from Marie in part one of her chat around the impact of playing at home here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

"Home advantage gives you an advantage."

It is a quote - among many - attributed to the famous former England manager Sir Bobby Robson - a simple, yet fair reflection of a historical format of football.

For as long as teams have played in leagues, games taking place home and away has been the norm, with the idea that playing at home will be to the benefit of that team.

But what is the impact of playing at your own ground in front of your own fans?

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, performance psychologist Marie Cartwright explained: "Home impact can be viewed in two ways. Sometimes it does have a positive impact, and what happens is there is an elevated motivation.

"What that means is the crowd energy increases adrenaline and that creates a momentum in effort and intensity in the players. It is also a familiar environment for the players, so that means it reduces the cognitive load. They don't have to think as much about anything else other than their play because they know the pitch, they know the routines, they feel settled.

"However, there are a couple of potential negative impacts as well, with the potential intensification in pressure in the home fans, most times, expecting dominance from the home team. That can lead to mistakes from players feeling bigger to them.

"There can then be what we call a threat state. The players might perceive consequences as high, so they feel they might be facing more criticism when they are at home."

While those who watch football know there are more factors than just where the match is being to take into consideration, the statistics do suggest the influence is there.

Since the Premier League started, the home win percentage has outweighed the away win percentage in all bar one season - the Covid-hit 2020-21 campaign in which fans were largely not allowed admission saw a 38% home win rate compared to 40% away win rate.

So how a team handles this additional crowd pressure seems to be a key factor.

"In psychology, there is something called the challenge and threat theory," Cartwright said.

"In reality what that means is a 'challenge state' can push the player into thinking, 'I've got this, I've got the resources to cope with this'. That leads to better decision making and quicker reactions.

"The threat state, on the other hand, players might think the consequences outweigh their ability to cope. In any match context, that can mean they have a narrow sense of focus, the focus is not quite the same, so the play becomes slower because of overthinking."

"It can also be called 'red brain or blue brain' - with red brain being the one with fear-based dialogue and internal negative self-talk, while blue brain is the cool, calm and collected one that can handle its emotions.

"What sits in the middle of these is distraction. How a player responds to distraction and filters out the noise, like the crowd, can impact which of these mindsets they move into and ultimately how the team performs."

Read more from Marie in part two of her chat about why teams some teams play better away from home and how it impacts managers - that will be on this page early next week.

Here's another clutch of selections for your best Premier League XI.

See what you make of them.

Thomas: 4-2-3-1. Southall, Hibbert, Stones, Jagielka, Baines, Cahill, Arteta, Ndiaye, Rooney, Pienaar, Ferguson. A team of grafters. Pickford, James, Eto'o, Gueye and Materazzi unlucky to miss out. And if Grealish signs, let's have him off the bench too!

Rob: 4-4-2. Southall, Coleman, Distin, Jagielka, Baines, Kanchelskis, Speed, Barry, Grealish, Rooney, Lukaku. Sublime players in their heyday.

Ian: 4-3-3. Pickford, Coleman, Jagielka, Branthwaite, Baines, Cahill, Arteta, Speed, Kanchelskis, Lukaku, Limpar. Subs from Southall, Lescott, Carsley, Osman, Pienaar, Gravesen, Ndiaye, Rooney and Ferguson. A talented balanced team.

David: 4-4-2. Southall, Coleman, Jagielka, Stones, Baines, Grealish, Arteta, Carsley, Kanchelskis, Rooney, Lukaku. Would have Gascoigne and Barkley as subs. All above would be in prime.

Tom: 4-3-3. Pickford, Baines, Jagielka, Stones, Coleman, Gueye, Arteta, Cahill, Rooney, Lukaku, Ndiaye. Attacking and packed with class.

Chris: 4-4-2: Southall, Coleman, Jagielka, Stones, Baines, Kanchelskis, Arteta, Gueye, Stuart, Rooney, Lukaku. The best goalie in club history, a strong backline, a combative midfield and the two best recent strikers. What's not to like?

George Mills
BBC Sport senior journalist

In a recent addition of the Football Extra newsletter, Roger asked BBC Sport: Players are frequently injured on international duty - such as Chris Wood for New Zealand last season, which may have ultimately cost Nottingham Forest a Champions League place. Are clubs compensated by the country or does insurance cover compensation?'

Since 2012, Fifa's Club Protection Programme has covered the salary of players injured on international duty - although there are some conditions.

Firstly, the player must be out of action for a period of at least 28 consecutive days and the injury must have been sustained during an "accident", which is defined in very boring and legally-specific detail in Fifa's guidelines, though it covers most of the examples you could think of.

The scheme pays the salary of an injured player up to the maximum amount of €7.5m (£6.6m) until they are declared fit to return for their clubs.

Transfermarkt lists Chris Wood as missing 18 days - three games - with the hip injury you mention from last March, suffered on international duty with New Zealand. As he returned inside 28 days, Forest would not have been eligible to claim compensation.

There are a couple of clubs who will currently be beneficiaries of this scheme though, including Newcastle United, whose £55m summer signing Yoane Wissa is yet to make an appearance since suffering a knee injury while playing for DR Congo.

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Giulia Bould
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

Image source, Getty Images

With Everton sitting 13th in the Premier League table, four points off fourth place but five points off the relegation zone after 11 games, I'm sure if David Moyes was a teacher his report card would read: some good work but must do better.

It is four wins, four defeats and three draws.

The manager will be most frustrated with the draws, as two of those games saw Everton go in front, while in the goalless draw with Aston Villa his side were dominant throughout with an XG of 2.17.

However, there lies the story of the Toffees season so far - a lack of goals from their strikers.

Beto has found the back of the net just once in the Premier League so far, while Thierno Barry is still waiting to open his account. In fact, before the Fulham game, Moyes told me that they have to "take responsibility for the roles they play in the team" adding "we hope the goals are going to come".

However, "hope" might not be enough and you would imagine Moyes will be scouring the globe for someone who can get him the goal tally he needs to push for the European places in the January window.

Someone who is getting an 'A' for performances is Iliman Ndiaye, who is on four goals and one assist. He has been first-class for Everton again this season and is, understandably, attracting attention from club's across Europe.

But as The Friedkin Group have shown already with Jarrad Branthwaite, they won't be forced into selling their star man. With PSR no longer an issue, I don't see the Senegal winger leaving in the new year.

While Jack Grealish has been an instant hit with fans and there have been some impressive performances from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, there has to be mentions for two players who have improved considerably.

Michael Keane was perhaps an underwhelming signing in the summer when it was announced he had agreed to stay for a ninth season. The defender told me he hadn't extended his contract to sit on the bench and would work hard to find a starting place - and he has shown his worth in Branthwaite's absence. He has even scored twice this season.

James Garner has also become Moyes' most reliable player. The 24-year-old has played central midfield, left-back, right-back and even right-wing so far. His performances have been so impressive that Moyes now says he is someone who should be in the England squad due to his versatility.

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Everton fan Patric Ridge speaks to BBC Radio Merseyside about defender Michael Keane: "If Jarrad Branthwaite were to come back into the team after the international break, David Moyes would have a big decision on his hands.

"You can tell Keane is a bit of a leader within the group. He's been around the club so long that he knows what's expected of him and he is delivering."

Ridge struggled to decide who he would choose between James Tarkowski and Keane to theoretically play alongside Branthwaite, if he were to come back for the next game.

He added: "Keane on form, but I think Tarkowski and Branthwaite are a really good partnership.

"I think Keane's up there as one of the best finishers at the club."

Get more Everton audio from BBC Radio Merseyside here

A fresh episode of The Wayne Rooney Show has landed and there's a raging debate on who should be on the plane for England to next summer's World Cup.

As part of the conversation, the panel dive into the form of Ollie Watkins and the credentials of Jack Grealish and Danny Welbeck.

"I'm surprised Watkins is not in this squad," says Rooney. "We have an opportunity where we don't need to see Harry Kane - give him a rest. This is where the manager should be saying - 'you are not with us, go and have a rest'."

Emile Heskey joins the podcast this week and there's also a nugget on Rooney setting a somewhat different example for a young Theo Walcott while on England duty.

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Everton, Brentford and Leeds are chasing Celtic's Daizen Maeda, 28, with the Japan forward keen on a January move from Scotland. (Teamtalk), external

English midfielder James Garner, 24, says he has "heard nothing" and there have been no talks with Everton about extending his contract, which runs out next summer. (FourFourTwo), external

Finally, Roma want to sign Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee on loan from Manchester United in January but face competition from Everton, West Ham, Juventus and PSV Eindhoven. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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We wanted your suggestions for Everton all-time best Premier League XI.

And you delivered!

Here's a first bunch:

Peter: 4-4-2. Howard, Coleman, Stones, Lescott, Baines, Kanchelskis, Speed, Carsley, Richarlison, Lukaku, Rooney. They all performed to a high level consistently during their time with Everton. I think there's a bit of everything in that side: pace, aggression, tenacity, intelligence, precision and ruthlessness!

Dave: 4-2-3-1. Southall, Baines, Branthwaite, Stones, Coleman, Arteta, Cahill, Speed, Grealish, Ndiaye, Lukaku. That is a proper Everton team!

Sam: 4-2-4. Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Jagielka, Baines, Arteta, Cahill, Kancheiskis, Pienaar, Lukaku, Campbell. Fantastic defence, creative midfield, pace in abundance and lots of goals.

Jack: 4-5-1. Pickford, Coleman, Tartowski, Stones, Baines, Ndiaye, Cahill, Barry, Gueye, Grealish, Lukaku.

Alex: 4–4-2. Pickford, Unsworth, Distin, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Reid, Gravesen, Arteta, Gueye, Rooney, Lukaku. This team has a great mix of flair, grit and brawn.

*Reid played in the Premier League for Manchester City, not Everton. But as he's a club legend Alex, we will let you have him just this once!

Everton's Iliman Ndiaye talks to BBC Newsbeat's Abu Bakar Yasin about his football journey.

READ MORE: From Rising Ballers to the Prem: Ndiaye's unusual run to the top

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Some of you have been in touch using our Ask Me Anything about Everton form.

You can find that at the top of this page or here.

One reader asked whether Everton can keep Iliman Ndiaye or if he were to leave, if he would get the chance required at another club.

It would be a surprise if Ndiaye was not attracting admiring glances from elsewhere. He was Everton's best, and most creative, outfield player last season and has been in this campaign as well. Just look at the goal he scored at Sunderland.

There have been stories suggesting Inter Milan and Tottenham might be interested, but Everton manager David Moyes has pointed out Ndiaye has three-and-a-half years left on his contract and has no intention of selling.

The key point here is that since the arrival of The Friedkin Group as new owners, Everton are no longer the selling club they have had to be in the past, when they had severe financial problems.

The billionaire ownership group are under no financial pressure to sell anyone. Indeed, Everton are now in the business of retaining their best players on long contracts, as proved by new deals for England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

They will be well aware of Ndiaye's value and his contract situation so selling him will not be on the agenda.

Ndiaye has been a revelation since arriving at Everton in an £18m deal from Marseille in July 2024. If Everton were to sell – and the reality is quite the opposite – they would make a huge profit. The club has made many bad deals in recent years, but Ndiaye now looks like a bargain.

Yet with no need to make that profit or ease financial pressure, a new deal is the greater likelihood.

Would he get the same chance elsewhere? That is an unknown but he has the talent to flourish at the highest level – and Everton want that to be with them.

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Five Premier League stadiums will host fixtures during Euro 2028.

Uefa have selected nine venues across the four host nations - England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland - to stage the 24-team tournament.

Manchester City's Etihad Stadium will host England's opening group game should Thomas Tuchel's side qualify for the competition directly.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Villa Park, Hill Dickinson Stadium and St James' Park are the other Premier League grounds that will be used across the 51 matches overall.

The last-16 games will take place at each host stadium except Wembley, with England set to play at Newcastle United's St James' Park if they win their group, or Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium if they finish second.

Image source, Getty Images

The Blue Room's David Downie says he has yet to be fully convinced by Everton's start to 2025-26, despite positivity on Merseyside.

David Moyes' side are 13th in the Premier League with four wins and four defeats in their opening 11 games.

"I feel we are in a level par situation right now," Downie told BBC Radio Merseyside. "It's a bit of a mixed bag. I am not sure that Moyes knows his best XI yet.

"It takes Moyes a long time to realise that he does need to make substitutions in a game and that is the most irritating thing for most of us [fans].

"I think he [Moyes] has a side that can do a hell of a lot more damage."

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It's international break so let's have a bit of fun to pass the time.

Now we know football existed before 1992 but for the purposes of this little exercise, keep it Premier League please.

So tell us, who would be in your dream Everton Premier League XI?

The debate starts here.

Send your suggestions

Sin bins? Bonus points? Two goals if you score from distance?

Imagine a world in which you could reinvent football.

It's a dream, of course. Just a bit of fun. But stick with us.

What if you had the power to change any of the game's laws and potentially bring to an end countless hours of discussion about handball, offside, video assistant referees, or anything else you want to?

Some of BBC Sport's familiar football faces have offered their own potential rule changes.

Watch them above or read more here

Everton, Fulham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are monitoring Arsenal full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly's situation after England boss Thomas Tuchel said the 19-year-old needs more minutes to be considered for his squad. (Caught Offside), external

The Blues also want to sign a new striker in the January transfer window, with Netherlands and Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, high on their list of possible targets. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column here

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