Sam Allardyce

[the golden visionary]

I’m just pleased we can keep a clean sheet again.

People going on about us being lucky in this run of a few games will be the same ones moaning we never have any luck when things go against us.

Just try and enjoy not getting smashed like we were doing.

Well in Sam.

I'm not sure how its luck if it keeps happenin

 

[Khalekan]

That was an absolute masterclass in the art of defending today.

Granted, we had jack all going forward, but anyone who can't appreciate the organisation and graft put in to produce such a solid defensive display, especially for a set of players who were leaking goals like it was going out of fashion just a few weeks ago, doesn't understand that there's more to the game than just silky skills.

Well in Samuel Allardyce for instilling a bit of pride in the shirt again.

It was fascinating to watch.

When Chelsea had possession around the halfway line I often stopped watching the ball and looked at our defenders, strung out in a line across the pitch, in two cohorts.

It was like a Mexican Wave, or a kaleidoscope.

As Chelsea played the ball to their left, the first bank moved in orderly fashion to counter it, whilst the second bank moved at a slower pace to cover in case they got past the first lot but ready to pivot the other way if the ball was shifted in the opposite direction.

And when it was moved the other way, the Wave went that way as well.

 

[Khalekan]

I'm not sure how its luck if it keeps happenin

It is highly practiced good luck

 

[Deckard2049]

How many points do we have on this unbeaten run?

I wonder how many we could have after the next two games...

With players having been devoid of confidence...

No Left back
No star striker
No real star players

If he can keep going down the Atletico Madrid route then its not exactly laughable to consider him emulating their success.

What do you mean by emulating their success? If you mean being hard to beat, then fair enough. If you mean winning leagues and reaching champions league finals... I reserve the right for you to hopefully throw this in my face in the next ten years, but I don’t see that happening in a million years let alone ten.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

It's still laughable to suggest that Sam - with our resources and his tactics - could take us from no shots on target yesterday to rival the Top Six next season and win a place in the Champions League.

Whether we got a point or not, and no matter who we were playing, that is terrible, even only having 5 attempts all game is terrible.

 

[the golden visionary]

It is highly practiced good luck

I'll have that all day mate. We haven't got a team that can take the game to Chelsea or challenge for the top 6.

May lady luck continue to be our mistress.

I think he's doing a good job

 

[Stanley Parker]

It was fascinating to watch.

When Chelsea had possession around the halfway line I often stopped watching the ball and looked at our defenders, strung out in a line across the pitch, in two cohorts. It was like a Mexican Wave, or a kaleidoscope.

As Chelsea played the ball to their left, the first bank moved in orderly fashion to counter it, whilst the second bank moved at a slower pace to cover in case they got past the first lot but ready to pivot the other way if the ball was shifted in the opposite direction.

And when it was moved the other way, the Wave went that way as well.

You'll find the rest of the season fascinating too.

 

[Khalekan]

I'll have that all day mate. We haven't got a team that can take the game to Chelsea or challenge for the top 6.

May lady luck continue to be our mistress.

I think he's doing a good job

No complaints from me either

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

I'll have that all day mate. We haven't got a team that can take the game to Chelsea or challenge for the top 6.

May lady luck continue to be our mistress.

I think he's doing a good job

The worrying thing is, we've just spent £150m in the Summer on that team.

 

[Deckard2049]

The exercise is to stay in the games against the top sides. Say that Chelsea were winning 1-0 that Keane chance at the end could have gotten a point, if you are losing by 2/3 goals then you have next to zero chance.

On the flip side, I could very easily argue that we salvaged a point at Anfield due to a fortuitous penalty (in the sense Lovren is a moron) and yesterday we were relying solely on set pieces to provide us with any chance of a goal. Make no mistake he was perfectly happy to take a 1-0 loss in these games. And As I said, I’m perfectly happy with a point in these games but some more practiced and decisive threat on the counter would be nice.

I have no agenda but I won’t accept anyone saying that in the two games against the RS and Chelsea we couldn’t have tried to play a bit more football the times we had the ball. It was horrendously “little old Everton” against the mighty “elite” at times to me in those games, and I worry that Sam won’t change that because history tells us he doesn’t care about his “style” or how he’s perceived. Like I said in my original post, pragmastism is absolutely fine, but I expect more in games against the “lesser” opposition. I can’t fault our results, but I am one of those people who does want to be entertained. This is football, not life and death.

Compare the way people are speaking now about Sam to when he was first mooted or to how we spoke about our club in general in the summer- we honestly sound like pure mid to lower table fans now who have very lowly ambitions. His appointment for me continues the “expected losses” garbage from Moshiri earlier on this season. The disrespect Dyche got on here during our managerial search was laughable and now we have the original in charge he’s being hailed as some sort of genius who puts on “masterclasses”.

I will caveat this by saying that when we have a fully fit squad and the transfer window has passed, if there’s a good improvement and his plan was to always build from the back then so be it. I’ll happily be flogged in the streets with an “I love Sam”’shame placard. But history is not on his side.

 

[royalblue66]

Chelski fans chanting Hoof, Hoof. never thought I would hear that chant being levelled at Everton at G P, hope we are able to change things, come the second half of the season.

 

[Sir Alan]

I will allow it until after Jan but we can’t play like that every time a half decent team comes to town or the crowd will quickly turn.

 

[Harryflashman]

I'm not sure how its luck if it keeps happenin

Im sure Gary player would agree .

 

[Deckard2049]

I'll have that all day mate. We haven't got a team that can take the game to Chelsea or challenge for the top 6.

May lady luck continue to be our mistress.

I think he's doing a good job

Take the game to them? You consider stringing a couple of passes on the ground together and a shot on target (wouldn’t that be nice) as us taking the game to Chelsea?

Chelsea have mutilated us in recent years so believe me I’m happy with the result. I just don’t understand how some posters want to remove all context from our performances. We defended really well and as a solid unit from back to front. As an attacking threat we were woeful. And I will not accept that we could not be a little better on the ball in these games, especially at home.

 

[Mickey]

Given his remit he can rightly consider himself an unmitigated success.