Tony Hibbert's 3rd leg
Banned as requested
Don't get me wrong, experiencing the brand of football we played during the 2013/14 season and the results it produced was exhilarating and refreshing.
In various football discussions since I have often brought up the season as if it were a stand out success, but then I realised the achievements rather summed up a mentality that when I think about it, isn't progressive.
Perhaps it is pessimism, but I think it says a lot that our stand out season since our Champions league season over ten years ago only produced a 5th placed finish, our record premier league points total aside.
And then I look at other teams who surprisingly knocked on the door of the champions league places. Newcastle of 2011/12 finished 5th, 4 points of 4th. Many pointer toward the manger's achievements, good football and exciting prospects (Sound familiar?). The following year they finished 16th. This is a situation we could have been in had it not been for Lukaku's goals in 2014/15 and 15/16. Then Southampton had a good season finishing 6th last year, just 3 points adrift of 4th.
In reality, the 2013/14 season means nothing. We both didn't achieve anything of worth or use it as a platform to progress, and to cling onto the season as some sort of entitlement, something I have been guilty of, is misguided. No denying our home performances against the top teams were superb, but a 1-0 win against a United side who finished way off the pace still showed we had a problem getting to the next level, especially going to other difficult grounds and getting wins.
In a peculiar way, the same squad and personnel who were a large part of that season are now the ones that are holding us back. For me, the potential of the squad is another thing that has been over hyped. The players have done nothing since to suggest they are of the same quality they were back in 2013/14, whilst our main competitors have improved far greater than we have.
For me, the way Tottenham have gone about there resurgence is akin to what I would have liked to have seen us do. Only when you are consistently challenging for the top 4 and then break into it can you be considered title challengers.
What do you think? Was our 2013/14 season really that good? Or was it a fine example of Everton failing to capitalise on the possibility of better things?
In various football discussions since I have often brought up the season as if it were a stand out success, but then I realised the achievements rather summed up a mentality that when I think about it, isn't progressive.
Perhaps it is pessimism, but I think it says a lot that our stand out season since our Champions league season over ten years ago only produced a 5th placed finish, our record premier league points total aside.
And then I look at other teams who surprisingly knocked on the door of the champions league places. Newcastle of 2011/12 finished 5th, 4 points of 4th. Many pointer toward the manger's achievements, good football and exciting prospects (Sound familiar?). The following year they finished 16th. This is a situation we could have been in had it not been for Lukaku's goals in 2014/15 and 15/16. Then Southampton had a good season finishing 6th last year, just 3 points adrift of 4th.
In reality, the 2013/14 season means nothing. We both didn't achieve anything of worth or use it as a platform to progress, and to cling onto the season as some sort of entitlement, something I have been guilty of, is misguided. No denying our home performances against the top teams were superb, but a 1-0 win against a United side who finished way off the pace still showed we had a problem getting to the next level, especially going to other difficult grounds and getting wins.
In a peculiar way, the same squad and personnel who were a large part of that season are now the ones that are holding us back. For me, the potential of the squad is another thing that has been over hyped. The players have done nothing since to suggest they are of the same quality they were back in 2013/14, whilst our main competitors have improved far greater than we have.
For me, the way Tottenham have gone about there resurgence is akin to what I would have liked to have seen us do. Only when you are consistently challenging for the top 4 and then break into it can you be considered title challengers.
What do you think? Was our 2013/14 season really that good? Or was it a fine example of Everton failing to capitalise on the possibility of better things?
