PL place target for the rest of the season

[thevorpalblade]

I've changed my vote.

I want Sam to prove he's not average.
To prove he was the right man for our national side.
And, more importantly, to prove he's the right man for Everton.

To infinity and beyond... Top 7 here we come.
Europe here we come.

(Even if it's the Europa)

 

[Eggs]

Top 10 would be great considering the start we have had, however when you consider that we are currently 9 points below 7th place which is basically 3 wins, it isn't inconceivable for 7th being a target amazingly. Very tough that of course but possible nonetheless. Lets see what you are made of Sam.

...3 wins is a lot when you’ve only had 4 all season and the teams above us won’t be standing still. Before West Ham I said we needed 4 wins before January to keep our heads above water. Some responded that they couldn’t see us getting that many.

Amazing the difference a game makes. I’d still like to see us put a run of decent performances together before getting carried away. Just imagine if we get beat by Huddersfield.

 

[bluestevon]

I would think any Manager who allows Rooney to sit back and hold the ball should be canned at half. We have a slow, aging backline. Team are going to go right after them. Our midfield gives up a bazillion fouls. Takes one ref to call the game like they did at Crystal Palace for us to have a ton of free kicks, which we clearly cannot defend with our personnel. Although our tactics in the back on set pieces are just horrendous.

Mate we have had three managers in a row who have routinely allowed the opposition to play it's own game against us and ignore the blindingly obvious tactically.

Pardew is tactically inept and always has been, Howe is too much of an idealist to change the way he plays, both those will allow Rooney to sit with time on the ball in a deeper role

Not thinking we are gonna start rolling over everyone - far from it, but we won't know our state of play until after the next two games really, and the dervy game for me will be crucial in what this season turns into, or should i say how we react to what i think will be a heavy loss

 

[BlueToff]

If you think back to Martinez's first season we played better but actually were quite open defensively and would outscore opponents, or they would just squander chances. I definitely recall thinking that about our matches towards the end of the season (bar the Arsenal game). You make your own luck with hard work, and funnily enough, when we've actually been positive and grafted, we get something out the game. I know we are crap and doing the basics wrong- hence stocky Sam being employed by the club. For once though a bit of belief in the team and encouragement may work wonders. It has to- there's not much left bar Sams defensive drilling. For me, I've reached rock bottom and I've ran out of negativity. Doesn't help that these night shifts are from hell!!

I don't think Sam will be negative though.

There's a difference between negativity and pragmatism.

Sam has said it's now about settling the players down and individually setting each one of them tactics. For all the stuff about him being a long ball coach etc - which he is - he's also very forward thinking when it comes to utilising sports science, and really buys into the theory of 'marginal gains'.

As he said, the target is to get the club out of where it is now. And ultimately that is within one bad result of the bottom four places.

That could very easily change in the space of a week, and we could be sitting 9th - albeit as I keep saying, that still doesn't mean we won't get dragged back in.

I'm not enthused about the appointment, and hugely disappointed we didn't take one of the plethora of options to avoid it getting to this stage, but ultimately this is probably what we need right now.

 

[BlueToff]

Well all you bed wetters surely just want anything above the bottom 3? I mean that's why you wanted Sam.... Even tho we weren't in it and two wins from the ten is how it is and could of Been without him.

I wouldn't say anybody 'wanted' Sam, Matty.

The club have let it drag on so long that he became our only viable option.

Had things gone the other way the other night - Pickford not pulling off a brilliant save and Rooney not scoring a wondergoal in the space of 5 minutes to kill the game, I think there's a very good chance we'd have ended up drawing that match at best.

As it is we got what should prove to be a real confidence-boosting win and an all-round much better performance than we've had to endure for the last few months.

It doesn't change the fact that we're still very much entrenched in the scrap and we need more than just a few wins to get us out of it.

 

[TraffordBlue]

I wouldn't say anybody 'wanted' Sam, Matty.

The club have let it drag on so long that he became our only viable option.

Had things gone the other way the other night - Pickford not pulling off a brilliant save and Rooney not scoring a wondergoal in the space of 5 minutes to kill the game, I think there's a very good chance we'd have ended up drawing that match at best.

As it is we got what should prove to be a real confidence-boosting win and an all-round much better performance than we've had to endure for the last few months.

It doesn't change the fact that we're still very much entrenched in the scrap and we need more than just a few wins to get us out of it.

Agree. We have a loss at Anfield to come after Saturday, and during the rest of December we have 3 away games which if our away form doesn't change, will be another 3 without a win and we also have Chelsea at home. Some getting ahead of themselves with the "we're only a few points off the top 10, we've panicked" comments ignoring the shambolic displays we have put in recently. I'll wait and judge after December and the thing is, the Allardyce haters will have been proven wrong to an extent if we do get a positive set of results as it will have been him who has overseen the change in form.

One win against an abysmal and spineless West Ham side and suddenly everything is fine in some peoples view and our horrendous defence will return to normal and stop leaking goals. There is only one way that will change and that is if Big Sam sorts them out.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Agree. We have a loss at Anfield to come after Saturday, and during the rest of December we have 3 away games which if our away form doesn't change, will be another 3 without a win and we also have Chelsea at home. Some getting ahead of themselves with the "we're only a few points off the top 10, we've panicked" comments ignoring the shambolic displays we have put in recently. I'll wait and judge after December and the thing is, the Allardyce haters will have been proven wrong to an extent if we do get a positive set of results as it will have been him who has overseen the change in form.

One win against an abysmal and spineless West Ham side and suddenly everything is fine in some peoples view and our horrendous defence will return to normal and stop leaking goals. There is only one way that will change and that is if Big Sam sorts them out.

Agree with this mate, think some fans are taking our nightmare season literally - ie it's something you wake up from that didn't actually happen. Sadly it did - we have been, and still are, a footballing catastrophe until results prove otherwise.
It's true that the league is full of dross, so it's not completely crazy to project a surge into the top half, but I'd say it's unlikely. Think we'll see a more haphazard climb out of the mire with some wallopings still to come, and I don't just mean from the likes of City or Utd. Our defense is mince and that won't be fixed overnight.

 

[Carlito]

Staying out of danger with that set of players would be an achievement.

 

[bluestevon]

...3 wins is a lot when you’ve only had 4 all season and the teams above us won’t be standing still. Before West Ham I said we needed 4 wins before January to keep our heads above water. Some responded that they couldn’t see us getting that many.

Amazing the difference a game makes. I’d still like to see us put a run of decent performances together before getting carried away. Just imagine if we get beat by Huddersfield.

Worst away side in the league IMO - even including us mate are Huddersfield, Haven't scored since the opening day of the season, only one draw since then, and lately have shipped 4 and 5 in losses

 

[DualityNSNO]

Worst away side in the league IMO - even including us mate are Huddersfield, Haven't scored since the opening day of the season, only one draw since then, and lately have shipped 4 and 5 in losses

Huddersfield will win then.

Everton, that.

 

[Eggs]

Worst away side in the league IMO - even including us mate are Huddersfield, Haven't scored since the opening day of the season, only one draw since then, and lately have shipped 4 and 5 in losses

..kiss of death, Matey. I think Arsenal took time breaking them down before the flood gates opened. I never get my hopes up with Everton but it’s possibly the game you would choose for your first one.

 

[Neiler]

I think we have an outside chance of Europoe, not being funny but look who is up there Burnley, Watford and Leicester, its an ask but not impossible 11 points in it and those sides are capable of all dropping points and posititions.

 

[Lmc2016]

8th is pretty realistic top 7 too far off now

 

[Eggs]

...just checked relegation odds, generally ranging from 7-1 to 12-1 with main bookmakers. Be interesting how that changes (one way or the other) in the next month. I think it’s a market plenty of Reds will have been playing in recent weeks. Seriously hope they’ve done their dough.

 

[Yarrgh]

Grrrrr. I think our beloved media have already wrote their "Big Sam saves the day again" stories, so move along, nothing to see with Everton for a while.

I just read this:

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...league-10-things-to-look-out-for-this-weekend

From point 9 in the above link.

Following the appointments at West Ham, Everton and West Brom, Stoke and Swansea are the only two clubs in the bottom five of the Premier League not to have changed their managers this season

13th and clear of danger by 5 points from 3 absolute basket case clubs as I type this. Absolute drivel. Does no one pay attention to us (rhetorical question, we ain't one of the Sky 6)? I can see our manager dialling it in now with no pressure, as this team "escapes" relegation in the corrective writings and reports from the media. Will Moshiri and Kenwright and Walsh and the rest of the Clampetts in charge challenge this? No way, they've saved the day by getting El Gordo in.

I do hope I am proven wrong.