Can we break into the big 5?

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We got into it with far less money under Moyes and Martinez. Just a season or two ago West Ham and Southampton were up there whilst Liverpool sat 8th and Chelsea 10th. Don’t buy into the Sky myth of their big 6. How many seasons have those 6 finished 1-6? Not that many. No reason at all we can’t push United and take advantage of any of the others hit bad form.
 
Have we got the finance ? Have we got the code to undo the lock on the door ?
Arsenal look bog average, and I have never seen a team go on such a run with so much luck.....
The only luck we have had Ref wise was on Saturday v Cardiff as the missed pen tackle by Coleman we lost points at Wolves and Bournemouth down to Refs the top six seem to get the refereeing decisions......
Let's see how we are dealt with at Anfield this Sunday?

..finance is important, Joey, but how you spend it is even more important. Let’s not forget, Man City and the Reds threw money at the market for many seasons without turning fortunes on the pitch.

Appointing the right manager and DoF is key.
 
That list is a joke and calling a Top 5 is too. It's just for hits.

It does raise the question though about what is the realistic expectation for Everton in the league this season? Going back a few weeks ago, when we were struggling for points, I said 7th. Mainly on the basis of the transitional nature of the season and the lack of continuity in team building over the previous few transfer window.

I still think 7th is the most realistic position to aim for. United are 1 point behind but have much better depth in their squad. I think talk of catching Arsenal or Chelsea for 5th is fanciful. Arsenal aren't a great team but they are packed with golascorers. They'll win lots of games (some undeservedly) because of that. They's got 28 points off 13 games. Even if they go below 2 points a game for the next 25 games they are going to end up on 70+ points. That's probably what's going to be need for 5th.

We have 22 points after 13 games, and a worse GD. Probably need to get 50 points from the next 25 games to even stand a chance of 5th. I don;t think that's realistic for this squad of players and a manager in his formative months with the squad. I'm sure others will disagree but talk of getting 5th after a few good performances is the opposite end of the spectrum to the people calling for Silva to be sacked after 6 games.
 
Can we break into the big 5?


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But I doubt it will be this season.
 
We got into it with far less money under Moyes and Martinez. Just a season or two ago West Ham and Southampton were up there whilst Liverpool sat 8th and Chelsea 10th. Don’t buy into the Sky myth of their big 6. How many seasons have those 6 finished 1-6? Not that many. No reason at all we can’t push United and take advantage of any of the others hit bad form.

I don't think the Moyes season is comparable to now. City weren't backed by oil money and Spurs weren't the force they were now. The competition is much greater. We got 4th in 2004/05 with 61 points and a negative goal difference. The RS did it the season before with 60 points. It was a great achievement at that time but it can't be compared to the competition now and the performance needed to get 4th. 60 points probably won't even get you 7th this season.

The 2013/14 season under Martinez is probably the best example of where top 5 is achieved. 72 points when there was in theory a competitive top 6 teams. Something similar needed this season.
 

I don't think the Moyes season is comparable to now. City weren't backed by oil money and Spurs weren't the force they were now. The competition is much greater. We got 4th in 2004/05 with 61 points and a negative goal difference. The RS did it the season before with 60 points. It was a great achievement at that time but it can't be compared to the competition now and the performance needed to get 4th. 60 points probably won't even get you 7th this season.

The 2013/14 season under Martinez is probably the best example of where top 5 is achieved. 72 points when there was in theory a competitive top 6 teams. Something similar needed this season.

This is my point though. Ok top 6 might be tough this season but some of these teams have the best managers they’ve had in their prem history with them. There’s easily a scenario that could play out next season where Pochettino and Kane Leave Spurs and they fall away completely or Klopp leaves Liverpool and they’re no longer top 4 material etc. We could be sat there in plcenworh Silva and new players liking a shoe in for top 6.

There’s just no need to buy into the sky super six product. They’re only the top 6 because they’ve been that way for the last season or two, but before that as you said there was competition in and around those places. We need to try and disrupt it as much as possible as it means one team each time losing out on Europe, losing top players, and managers being fired.
 

Barclays, RBS, Lloyds, HSBC, Standard which one do you want to break in to?
Pick the right crew and you might stand a chance.
Keep @MarcelsGoat off the rappels and whatever you do don't pick @peteblue as your wheelman.
Hate the big banks me so i'll be rooting for you, hopefully it doesn't go all Dog Day Afternoon.
 
This is my point though. Ok top 6 might be tough this season but some of these teams have the best managers they’ve had in their prem history with them. There’s easily a scenario that could play out next season where Pochettino and Kane Leave Spurs and they fall away completely or Klopp leaves Liverpool and they’re no longer top 4 material etc. We could be sat there in plcenworh Silva and new players liking a shoe in for top 6.

There’s just no need to buy into the sky super six product. They’re only the top 6 because they’ve been that way for the last season or two, but before that as you said there was competition in and around those places. We need to try and disrupt it as much as possible as it means one team each time losing out on Europe, losing top players, and managers being fired.

It's not really buying into the SKY Top 6 on my behalf. For me it's the fact there are 6 teams who have proved capable of getting 70+ points. Everton aren't one of these yet. Maybe this season 70 point or more is attainable.

Now not all of those 6 teams are going to get 70 points every season. These teams will peak and trough for varying reasons. But generally I'd say it's a fair assumption that at least 3, probably 4 and maybe even 5 will get +70 points over the next few seasons. It'll be different teams each season. United were decent last year. They've fallen off a cliff this season. The RS, Spurs, Aresnal or Chelsea may have a poor season next year. I wouldn't bet on United coming back and getting +70 points next season.

I personally think the thoughts of the RS or Spurs performances falling off a cliff with one or 2 key individuals leaving is probably not going to happen. I think they may have poorer seasons but both (along with Arsenal, Chelsea, United and City) have the resources and infrastructure to come bounce back from a poor season or 2. They are always going to be a threat for the Top6 positions in the league.

We shouldn't not aim to break into that Top 6, Top 5 or Top 4. Tottenham have done it by building over a 8-10 year period with a cohesive plan. There's been literally no cohesive plan for Everton over the last 3 to 4 seasons. We've veered from one manager with one style of football to another manager with a different style. Recruitment has been all over the place. It's going to take time to improve and start having a squad capable of putting regular 70+ point season on the board.

People will see the above as defeatist. As dampening down expectations. As accepting our place outside those top 6 positions. It's not. It's being realistic of where we are at. Earlier in the season I was critical of supporters calling for Silva's head. It's not exactly the same, but some are losing their heads after a few decent wins. I'll all for momentum and optimism but one of the worst characteristics of our fanbase is the over reaction after a small set back or our innate ability to start talking ourselves up above and beyond what we can achieve after a few wins.

Let's sit back and enjoy the ride. There should be absolutely no pressure on Silva or Brands this season. It should be a 3-4 year plan to turn things around. The challenge of getting a Top 5 place is significant for just 1 season. The challenge to do it consistently is even greater. Like I said previously, what Spurs have done is what we should aspire to. Good managers, cohesive plan with good recruitment. Build. Season upon season.
 
Quite a simple one this. We will not break top 5 until we start beating the top 5. Those games really are 6 pointers. A great example is Arsenal. We win thay game instead of losing and we are a point ahead of them rather than 5 points behind. We would also be 7 points ahead of united rather than the one if we'd beat them. These games really are the difference to breaking top 5 or not.
 
I don't think the Moyes season is comparable to now. City weren't backed by oil money and Spurs weren't the force they were now. The competition is much greater. We got 4th in 2004/05 with 61 points and a negative goal difference. The RS did it the season before with 60 points. It was a great achievement at that time but it can't be compared to the competition now and the performance needed to get 4th. 60 points probably won't even get you 7th this season.

The 2013/14 season under Martinez is probably the best example of where top 5 is achieved. 72 points when there was in theory a competitive top 6 teams. Something similar needed this season.

Was a weird season 2004/5, we finish 4th with a negative goal difference, and losing 13 games with 7 draws. if you look at the 4th place finishes since we finished 4th they are:

2005/6 season 67 pts
2006/7 68 pts
2007/8 76 pts
2008/9 72 pts
2009/10 70 pts
2010/11 68 pts
2011/12 69 pts
2012/13 73 pts
2013/14 79 pts
2014/15 70 pts
2015/16 66 pts
2016/17 76 pts
2017/18 75 pts.
 

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