Everton

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The issue around the footballing calendar and the demands being placed on players right now is a difficult one.

First, we need to take into consideration the really high demands on the body that go on all-year round with few breaks, especially for international footballers and those in teams competing on multiple fronts.

I know the men's and the women's games are different, but we got exposed to these issues when we went from amateur to professional. There was a lot of loading, a lot of games and the result of that was a higher risk of injury and we have seen a lot of anterior cruciate ligament injuries now in the women's game.

From the fans' side, their point is often that players get paid a lot of money but I think that is irrelevant. That is just the industry players are in and, if you take out the money, they are still human beings.

The governing bodies need to look at who they consult with about changes in the calendar such as World Cups being held in winter and summers where there is just a couple of weeks off before going straight back into it. The changes and fixtures that are put in are there to generate more money, which makes it difficult. As a business, it is about money.

We talk about mental health a lot and you wonder, where is the time to switch off and have that time away from playing? To have that family time which is a deep human need? At some point mentally, if not physically, it will take its toll.

None of us want to see players striking, but players need to be listened to. What do they need to do to make change happen?

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

At Thursday's pre-match news conference, Everton boss Sean Dyche gave an update on the growing list of unavailable players at Goodison Park.

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We asked for your views on the one thing - good or bad - related to Everton that nobody else is talking about but really should be.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Steve: What are the training staff doing each day to make the team so vulnerable to injury? Sean Dyche keeps alluding to their lack of fitness for Premier League demands, but are we hearing the same reasons from all of the other clubs at the bottom of the table?

Peter: Injuries and recovery rates have been hitting us hard for the past three or four seasons now. Previously it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin and now it is Jarrad Branthwaite. They are two key players, without whom the team is seriously weaker. Are our medical team and sports science people doing a good job?

Zak: There are two things worth mentioning here. Firstly the new signings, especially Ndiaye and Iroegbunam, have made all the difference. Secondly Dyche's reliance on his old players, who he has coached before, is to the team's detriment. Michael Keane and Ashley Young are the worst offenders.

Sue: Sorry but I don't think we need Ashley Young. I don't know if it is his confidence or his age, but he's more of a liability than a help in this team.

Graham: The lack of leadership. Neither the owner or the board are making decisions. The manager is too stubborn to change and he needs to go, but there is no one there to make the change. Also, the players are not taking ownership on the pitch.

Dan: I believe what Everton are lacking at present, among many other things, is a leader on the pitch. You can train all you like and have the best plans in place, but who is rallying the troops on the field? Their heads seem to drop very quickly and there are too many abject figures meandering at times. The place has lost a behind-the-scenes bounce.

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Leicester (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is "making progress" in his recovery from injury and is likely to feature in a match for Everton's under-21 side later this week.

• Asked whether Branthwaite being at this stage of his recovery is a boost, Dyche said: "It's a boost if he comes through it, that's the main thing. I don't like talking about players and injuries because you never know. If he comes through this period fit and ready, of course it's a boost because he's a very good player."

• Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Vitaliy Mykolenko could be involved at Leicester after recovering from illness, and James Tarkowski may also be available, but Idrissa Gana Gueye will miss the game because of a family bereavement and Dyche said Seamus Coleman's injury will keep him out for "a bit longer than we hoped".

• He added: "We're hopeful that tomorrow [Friday] we will get a few bodies back so at least we've got a day's preparation before we go to Leicester. It [the number of players unavailable] is a rare reality, but it is still a reality. I've not experienced this many injured and ill in such a short space of time."

• Asked whether he still feels he has the backing of the club's supporters, Dyche said: "It's never something I've overthought. I respect the fans, I make that abundantly clear, the way they've supported me, the team and the club over many years before my time. All I do is work as hard as I can to put a team together to win games. The idea of being hero to zero or zero to hero, it comes and goes very quickly. I try to stay steadfast to what's in front of me and that's the truth of what we're trying to achieve here."

• On Saturday's opponents Leicester: "Just because they've just been promoted, it doesn't mean they're not a good outfit. They've got good players, we've got to go there with the right frame of mind. We've got to remember that we can score goals but obviously we've got to do better with the defensive side of things and find that balance."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Four games played - zero points. Everton have made the worst start from the 96 clubs in Europe's top five leagues.

On Saturday, the Toffees face a monumental match against Leicester, who were relegated at Everton's expense two seasons ago.

Manager Sean Dyche faces the media at 13:30 BST - will he be asked about his position? Is the pressure piling up on hi?.

The former Burnley boss said after Tuesday's Carabao Cup defeat on penalties by Southampton that he had only 12 fit first-team players to choose from.

Will that number be boosted for this weekend's crunch game? And is star centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite any closer to returning?

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It is messy at Everton right now. I can't remember the last time a Sean Dyche side has conceded the amount of goals and lost games in the manner that they have in recent matches so something is not right at the moment.

I played at Everton for a long time and I know their fan base is unbelievable, but there will be pressure from fans at the moment and many thinking that Dyche is the problem and he needs to get out.

But, at times like this, players also need to take responsibility. When you have been up in games like they have and then lost in the way they have, players need to take on-field decisions, manage these games and be able to see them out, to take control of situations.

Dyche certainly is under a lot of pressure now and the difficulty with Everton is that they have been in a relegation battle for the past few seasons and when you have been down at the bottom and there hasn't really been any change or injection of new signings to help get out of that spell, it is hard to see a different direction.

I had a similar experience when I was at Everton where we just went on a long run of games where we just couldn't win. It didn't matter what we did, what we tried to change, something just wasn't clicking and you really can start to get dragged down with that situation.

It is difficult to overcome, even if you're playing well. Just like when you are on a winning streak and everything comes naturally. Everton are in the opposite of that right now and in a bit of a rut. It might just take one result to shift that momentum.

But with the situation at the club right now, I'm not sure how much of that will change until a takeover happens. When you also consider they are moving to the new stadium, they will not want to be playing there in the Championship.

There is work to be done, but we are only four games into the season and Dyche will be approaching it with a 'let's not panic' attitude.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Everton are already in a strange place. Then again, they have been in a variety of strange places over the past few seasons.

On the face of it they are plummeting out of control after losing their first four league games while shipping 13 goals. On the other hand, one loss against Brighton was mostly down to having 10 men, and they were 2-0l up against both Bournemouth at home and Aston Villa away, before capitulating.

They aren't as bad as the results suggest and Sean Dyche hasn't suddenly lost the ability to set up a team, but the waters are getting choppy. There is also something lurking below the surface that could sink them if they are not careful.

Losing a two-goal lead could be considered unlucky, losing another careless. If it happens again then it is a habit edging towards a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Right now, the team is in danger of actually starting to lose confidence when they go ahead, instead of gaining belief from scoring.

A run of defeats is one thing, but snatching those defeats from the jaws of victory can destroy a team. Everton need a win, even if they play terribly and sneak it with a deflected own goal, but it needs to happen fairly fast.

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Everton sit bottom of the Premier League, conceding three or more goals in all four of their top-flight matches.

A convincing victory over Doncaster in the Carabao Cup provided some promise, but Tuesday's third-round defeat by fellow strugglers Southampton ended hopes of a run in that competition.

But what is the one thing nobody is talking about but should be - good or bad?

Tell us here, external

Mike Hughes
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

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Just when Everton supporters were thinking things could not get any worse, their team is knocked out of the Carabao Cup at Goodison Park in a penalty shootout for the second year in a row.

A home tie against Southampton offered a glimpse of potential and possibilities further down the line, but once again that prospect was forced to wither on the vine in cruel circumstances.

It is difficult to find a shaft of light amid the gloom that surrounds Everton right now. That does not mean it does not exist - it is just harder to locate.

Once again, glorious goalscoring opportunities were spurned. Jesper Lindstrom alone missed two fantastic chances when racing clear of the Saints' backline.

Finding the required sharpness in front of goal needs not only hours in training, but also confidence from deep within to make the most of the good things that come your way.

Creating chances has never been particularly problematic for this Everton team. Converting them has been and continues to be a cause for concern.

What has allowed the Blues to prosper under Sean Dyche is a defence almost as watertight as it is possible to be for a side battling to avoid relegation.

However, that solidity has gone AWOL this season, at least in the Premier League. And if you look for the reasons, they are really not that hard to find.

Their best defender is yet to kick a ball and they have had a full-blown full-backs crisis that looks difficult to solve without recourse to bringing in an out-of-contract defender.

It means Everton are often vulnerable in wide areas, and also having to do without the pace and defensive acumen of Jarrad Branthwaite. Not many teams would cope with these sorts of difficulties all at once.

Because the team has become more exposed at the back, more defensive diligence is needed in midfield.

Tim Iroegbunam has shown some really good signs, but Dyche is possibly yet to find the right combination in the middle of the park to bring the best out of him. There were indications against Southampton that Orel Mangala could be that man.

Dyche will hope Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Garner and Vitaliy Mykolenko all recover from illness in time for Saturday’s crucial encounter at Leicester.

Whatever the starting XI is, they have to find the right balance of structure that allows them to continue to create but also regain the dogged defensive determination that served them so well in recent seasons.

Listen to Total Sport Merseyside from 18:00 on weeknights and find details here of live Everton match commentaries on BBC Radio Merseyside

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Everton's deadline-day signing Orel Mangala has said the team has "a positive mentality" and aim to take that into Saturday's game at Leicester.

The Belgian midfielder made his full debut for the club on Tuesday as the Blues exited the Carabao Cup, losing 6-5 to Southampton on penalties at Goodison Park.

Speaking to the club's official website, external after his second appearance for Everton, Mangala said: “We fought very hard. We've been unlucky with the chances we’ve had, but there are still positives to take from the game.

"It was definitely a nice feeling to be at home in front our fans for the first time, but it was unfortunate we weren't able to get the win.

"I need some more games to get to my top level, but it felt good to be on the pitch.

"The mentality of the team is positive right now and we want to take this into Saturday's game against Leicester."

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We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Carabao Cup game between Everton and Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Mike: Another dismal performance from Everton. Why does Sean Dyche persist with reliance on breakaways? Why take off your centre-forward to bring on Ashley Young when you are not defending a lead? No shape or substance and it made Southampton look like the home side. Dyche must go!

Gerard: How low can we go? It's the sheer certainty that we are going to play awful, non-league style football against every team we come up against... and then lose. All hope is gone.

Michael: We had 25% possession at home in one of the only realistic competitions we could win... I really don't know what the plan is? For me, it's time for someone else to take charge and get back to playing football and restore some confidence. It's Dyche's tactics so, for me, time is up.

Ed: Speechless. It just gets worse. I genuinely think Dyche wants the sack. The substitution of Young for Beto is ludicrous and then the inevitable - Young missed the penalty! Why not bring Jordan Pickford on for the penalties? How do we give Southampton 75% possession at home? The club is a total mess. Maybe the worst run club ever. But Dyche has to go - David Moyes in.

Southampton fans

Ross: Moving the ball was brilliant to watch and it looked like we had so much fight. The mistakes need to stop but everyone makes them. Tyler Dibling was absolutely class when he came on.

Ian: Poor overall. We need to stop playing out from the back every time. Let the forwards find a little space and play a long ball at times. Might not come off but keeps opponent guessing and makes us less predictable. Need to do something or we're likely to lose Dibling to a big side. Need to use the pace of the front players to get in behind.

Isaac: A win is a win, but a turgid performance that has left me no hope for the rest of the season. If I was an Everton fan, I would be feeling the same.

Darren: Again, we had the ball and we were facing our own goal many times. Better teams will take advantage of this. Yes, our talent shows when pressing, but as soon as we are on the back foot, we look like a League One team. Even when we are trying to create the perfect shot, we need to start taking chances more if we want to stay in the league. On to Ipswich now.

Everton see England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as one of their most important players and have no plans to replace the 30-year-old with Newcastle's fellow England international Nick Pope, 32. (Teamtalk), external

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

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Sean Dyche spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside after Everton's Carabao Cup loss to Southampton: "We've created enough to win the match but we haven't taken the chances and come out on the wrong side of penalties.

"I thought the team played well, we created chances and we looked mostly solid defensively. Some young players did very well so there's positives out of that.

"I'm pleased with a lot of the performances because we patched together a team. We had three go down with illness this morning so we had one morning to organise the team."

On Orel Mangala's full debut: "He did fine. You can see that he's rusty and not fully fit, but he did fine."

Listen to the full interview here

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

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Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

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Six Premier League teams are in Carabao Cup third-round action on Tuesday:

• Brentford v Leyton Orient - 19: 45

• Everton v Southampton - 19:45

• Preston v Fulham - 19:45

• QPR v Crystal Palace - 19:45

• Manchester United v Barnsley - 20:00 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra)

All kick-off times BST

Follow all the action live

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Bloomberg journalist David Hellier says reports US billionaire Dan Friedkin has revived his interest in buying Everton "makes a lot of sense".

Friedkin - who also owns Roma - ended a month-long period of exclusivity talks in July amid concerns about the level of debt and last week Crystal Palace shareholder John Textor was described by Everton as making "progress" in his deal to buy the club.

But, Bloomberg reported on Monday night, external that there was another twist in the ownership saga as the Friedkin group prepare to return and rival Textor.

"I think it's really possible," Hellier told BBC Radio Merseyside

"We've been hearing for a few days that there has been preliminary talks going on and we had that confirmed last night by our sources.

"I wouldn't speculate on how serious it is but there are talks going on. It makes a lot of sense for him, he wanted it before.

"It's such a complicated situation with so many lenses that I can understand why he had cold feet but there's nothing that makes you want something more than someone else wanting it. Textor's camp are saying they're getting quite close to an agreement. I think that spurred The Friedkin Group back into action.

"I've also felt they're so interlinked with Everton with the loan that they made that they're always going to be around it. Maybe it gets to a point where you think 'maybe it's better if we're in control, then our loan is more secure'.

"Textor's camp have been talking quite a lot to the Friedkin camp because of that loan but I spoke to the Textor camp last night and they said they have not been told for sure that Friedkin is back in. It would not go down well with his camp."

Listen in full on BBC Sounds

Everton boss Sean Dyche is considering a shock move for 32-year-old Newcastle United and England goalkeeper Nick Pope to replace Jordan Pickford. (Mirror), external

John Textor wants to speed up the sale of his shares in Crystal Palace as he aims to accelerate his purchase of Everton. (Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Former Everton winger Ronny Goodlass spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside after the Blues let a two-goal lead slip for the second consecutive game in a row in defeat at Aston Villa.

Goodlass said: "Something's massively wrong, mentality-wise.

"It's not just the last two games, it's happened for a long time now. We leak too many goals."

Speaking about Everton scoring first, Goodlass said: "We quietened the crowd. It's been the quietest I've ever heard at Villa. And when we got that second goal, that's something you'll always do as a team and as a manager: silence the crowd.

"We had 3,000 Evertonians singing their heads off and you think 'right, just be compact. Don't let them score. Don't let them get back in the game'."

It took Villa less than 10 minutes to get one goal back.

"Confidence is being drained out," added Goodlass.

And while considering how impactful the loss of Jarrad Branthwaite to injury has been, he said: "Other players should step to the fore. Roll your sleeves up, battle. Don't make it easy for them.

"Sometimes we don't look like a football team."

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Sean Dyche has confirmed he will make changes to his Everton line-up for Tuesday's Carabao Cup tie at home to Southampton (19:45 BST).

Both sides are yet to pick up any points from their opening four Premier League games and Dyche says changes will be made because cup games "are not as important as the Premier League".

Speaking to the club's official website, external, Dyche said: "There will be changes. We will get players minutes who do need match time back out there.

"The physical aspect of having three games in a week affects how we work this week, so the approach has to be slightly different to anything hugely physical because of the demand on the players those games will bring, especially because we are down in numbers in certain areas.

"I’ve spoken about it before, with all due respect to the cups because they are important but they're not as important as the Premier League, the Premier League is vital.

"We are going to have to play certain players, who we maybe wouldn’t have wanted to play in a totally ideal scenario, because they need the minutes and we need them back and challenging for us."

Deadline day signing Orel Mangala is one player who could come into the side with Dyche saying "he's an international footballer so we want him to use that experience to our advantage".

Dyche has also confirmed he will not be rushed into starting Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson - after both returned to full training last week.

"Fast-tracking players, in my experience, doesn't end well, so we want to fast-track them but cleverly fast-track them – not just push them through games programmes they're not capable of," Dyche added.

"They need to come into the side when they're fit, properly fit, because you can't deliver performances in the Premier League unless you're properly fit. I've experienced enough to know when you've short-tracked people into the team, they find it very difficult to find their form."