One of the first decisions TFG made when they took over was to replace the DoF with a leadership team of 4 specialists. James Smith, specifically responsible for recruitment, doesn’t join the Club until September, which has made a difficult window even harder. #EFC

That Leeds/Newcastle game was as dire as ours was there, the only difference being a dodgy penalty decision. I’d have preferred both sides getting beat but you can’t have everything.

The time to judge the success, or otherwise, of the transfer window was always going to be when it closed. Considering we went into it with a new, and under resourced, leadership team in place. we’ve come out of it in good shape, and didn’t write off the August games. #EFC

At the same time as the ECB gave away the height of summer to the franchise circus, South Africa were playing 3 ODI’s against Australia and getting themselves prepared for this tour. The ECB needs the revenue from England games but continue to take legacy fans for granted.

Everton games aside, that EFL Bromley vs Gillingham game on Sky Sports was the most enjoyable I’ve watched all season, despite the dodgy penalty. International breaks are a nonsense but it does give an opportunity to showcase lower league football. #properfootball

It’s only taken 3 ODI’s but in a dead rubber England Cricket have finally worked out how to pace an innings across 50 overs. Anyone would think they may have needed to put in a little more preparation for the series. Who’d a thought it? #ENGvsSA

The way Villa set up was testimony to the attacking threat we possessed. With a natural, more instinctive, goal scorer in the side we’d have won that game comfortably, We’ll continue to create chances but need to find a way to be more clinical in front of goal. #EFC

Table topper and probable Championship decider. Go well the ‘Rey Surrey Cricket

What a game of cricket! Unlucky Surrey Cricket but well played Nottinghamshire CCC the best side to visit the Oval in a long time. That’s effectively the Title decided and a superb advert for the much maligned County Championship. The best format by some considerable distance.

Played at the margins of the season, forced to endure the crazy Kookaburra experiment, whilst the ECB seek to shrink the number of games and yet the County Championship remains the flagship format of English cricket and the lifeblood of the Test side. Long may it continue.

The 2nd half was as good as the 1st half was bad. Could have easily folded but dug in and the shape, composure and commitment was so much better. Playing two creative wide men is all well and good but you need a CF that can lead the line otherwise it’s a zero sum game. #EFC

Playing 3 mins stoppage time and booking KDH for taking a quick free kick isn’t why #EFC lost, but it has a cumulative impact on the momentum and flow of the game in favour of one team. It’s also paradoxical to prevent the game restarting quickly but not adding that time on.

Bad enough to go out of the one competition we had the best chance of winning with such a whimper but it was all so self inflicted. The shape was dreadful and the squad players who came in did nothing to enhance their prospects against a side whose fans had given up on. #EFC

When I saw the starting line up, despite 7 changes, I thought it was still good enough to win the game against a side bottom of the table that had made 9 changes. The 1st half was as disjointed as it was in pre-season, no shape, no cohesion, no commitment, no leadership. #EFC

I’m really not sure Moyes going full ‘mea culpa’ in his press conference would have solved anything. He knows as well as anyone that he screwed up with that line up, placing too much faith in players who simply hadn’t had enough minutes all season and they played as such. #EFC

Last day of the County Championship, props to Yorkshire with nothing to play for they skittle Durham for 85 to save Hampshire and relegate Durham. We don’t need gimmicks and play offs, just a competent ECB that protects and nurtures the best format in cricket. #propercricket

A progressively deteriorating performance which highlighted the squad shortcomings. Ineffective striker options and a CH struggling at RB. Teams doubling up to stifle Grealish should free up space for others which we don’t exploit and continue to look disjointed. #EFC

Can’t knock the effort and commitment in the 2nd half but they could have already been out of sight. The momentum shift came when Pino didn’t retreat at the free kick, it got the crowd going, gave us some momentum and we capitalised on them tiring after playing Thursday. #EFC

In light of the latest 777 news let’s not forget when the Russian money dried up, Moshiri couldn’t wait to get out and would have happily sold the Club to these shysters. I’ve no truck with revisionists who see the Stadium as some sort of pay back for 8 years of gross misconduct.

2 poorly defended set pieces and a dodgy VAR decision summed up the defeat but it’s glaringly obvious, for all the individual talent of our wide players, we’re playing without a target man and it’s very difficult to win games without a recognised goal scorer. #EFC