Evolution.

[ijjysmith]

One of the best group's in wrestling history.

Evolution: Something about Barkley, Stones, Lukaku getting older each season or something.

Evolution is a Mystery

 

[By god I'm blue]

Bring him home Roberto....Rooney behind Lukaku with Del on the right, Barkley in centre mid with McCarthy once Barry is done...this is nearly a fantasy football XI!

 

[dannyboy]

Have been all season mate.

We've been the best pure footballing team in the country this season. The standard of play from all involved is just spellbinding at times. The self belief these players have is there for all to see. They were gutted to walk off there last night with a point against the most awkward away customers in the division.

Ask any of those Palace players who they'd rather face again, Everton or Liverpool, and they'd run over to Anfield and away from Goodison to avoid a repeat of that last night.

Personnel-wise: yeah, there is a danger we could be partly asset stripped. But for me the most important thing is the system and the attitude. That cant be asset stripped. I have full faith in Martinez even if we do lose one star player to go out and bring in (or through) someone else who fits the criteria for a Martinez Everton set up. In short, I dont see anything but constant evolution under this regime.

But when it's all said and done we find ourselves 9th in the league without a win against anyone in the top half of the league.

Yes we're playing great stuff but we've got to start getting the points to reflect that.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

I honestly hope Everton aren't one of them.

I wouldn't worry we'll never be able to afford him under the current owners and hopefully the next owners have more sense and deeper pockets that enable us to buy players in their prime.

 

[blueblue]

I have always liked Leicester since we pinched Lineker from them. However, I think that even still a top half finish would be a great return for them this season.
They will hit a patch where nothing goes right for them, where everything they do costs them points and they will slide down the table, we have seen this so often down through the seasons, remember Sheff. Utd with Tony Currie in their team and plenty of examples since then.

That is not to downplay what Leicested have done, but in reality, they are almost safe from relegation already and that is their biggest achievement.

 

[davek]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-dann-another-merseyside-winner-a6764196.html

There is a team from Merseyside, which is capable of pressing forcefully, strangulating the challenger’s confidence to the point where they suffocate and pass out.

The team has a robust defence, a sturdy midfield and a threatening striker who is setting new records. Then there is the fast, creative winger whose performance can go some way to justifying the entrance fee.

The team plays in blue not red, they are managed by Roberto Martinez rather than Jürgen Klopp, and though scorelines have been almost as dramatic lately, albeit against lesser opponents, they have quickly made progress quietly, certainly without anything like the commotion of their neighbours.

 

[davek]

But when it's all said and done we find ourselves 9th in the league without a win against anyone in the top half of the league.

Yes we're playing great stuff but we've got to start getting the points to reflect that.

That's seven matches. Dont get hung up on stuff like that.

We're playing great football, and you could as easily turn to these stats: a point off 6th; 7 points off a CL place; in the SFs of a cup.

 

[Zatara]

We need to keep adding to the group of Stones, Barkley, Deulofeu and Lukaku. Galloway may develop into that group and so may others in the u21s.

However as we all know, we lack a keeper, a left midfielder, backup for Lukaku and a centre midfielder.

The next two windows we lose (at least) Hibbert,Oviedo,Osman and Pienaar in the summer and we should move on others who cant get games and buy players for these 4 positions.

We may not get champions league or a cup but the players will see more potential superstars joining and want to be part of the team.

 

[Lanolin]

That's seven matches. Dont get hung up on stuff like that.

We're playing great football, and you could as easily turn to these stats: a point off 6th; 7 points off a CL place; in the SFs of a cup.

I would have thought being 7 points off a CL place after 15 games was a negative stat rather than a positive one to be honest.

 

[dannyboy]

That's seven matches. Dont get hung up on stuff like that.

We're playing great football, and you could as easily turn to these stats: a point off 6th; 7 points off a CL place; in the SFs of a cup.

I agree, that's why it's so crucial we put back to back wins together because we deserve to be up there.

 

[davek]

I would have thought being 7 points off a CL place after 15 games was a negative stat rather than a positive one to be honest.

It depends on what your expectations were at the outset. I've stated from the beginning of the season we need to be looking at a good season as 60+ points and a good cup run.

So my targets are within sight. Having already met the latter, I think we have the potential to make the mid-60 points level (something achieved only twice by Everton in the past 20 years) and to get a cup final spot/cup win.

 

[riddick]

This whole thread is why people are impatient with Martinez. Its not that people want him to fail, its that they KNOW we have something, we just need him to stop fannying about and start making the right subs again and get the defense sorted(which has been said for almost 18months now). He does this, we are, without a doubt, going someplace fantastic.

He made 1 sub yesterday when Kone was completely ineffective in the entire second half. I dont even care if it was Naismith, it would have been somebody fresh.

The team is gelling but they need help.

 

[MikeH72]

They are. They are a sub-mid table outfit playing perfunctory football + Vardy.

To be fair most of their play goes through Mahrez, who is a wonderful little player. The Vardy circus has distracted people from who actually makes them tick, and has given off the illusion that he's actually a top striker

 

[Stephenlloyd]

There'll be plenty of clubs willing to give him whatever wages he wants if he moves on from Utd.

Also when has a footballer having a family ever stopped them from moving?

What clubs are giving him 300k a week
You need to get real

 

[Lanolin]

It depends on what your expectations were at the outset. I've stated from the beginning of the season we need to be looking at a good season as 60+ points and a good cup run.

So my targets are within sight. Having already met the latter, I think we have the potential to make the mid-60 points level (something achieved only twice by Everton in the past 20 years) and to get a cup final spot/cup win.

Your expectations were similar to mine. I don't expect to make top 4, but i do expect us to challenge for it. I think we should be in the mix before we more than likely run out of steam.

I understand where you and many others are coming from in that we're not that far away from what we'd se as a good position, but I just think too many people are only looking at the possibility of improving, and not taking in to account that we might not do that. My concern is that our recent attacking performances may not last forever, with the young players potentially suffering dips in form as the season goes on. I think it's therefore vital that we pick up enough points while we're in form to put us right up there. If we keep throwing away points like we are and then hit a rough patch for a month later in the season, we're looking at another 10/11/12th place finish, which is simply not acceptable as far as i'm concerned.