7th, 17th, 4th, 11th, 6th, 5th, 5th, 8th, 7th, 7th

[Muggins]

I'm a firm believer that Moyes knew we were light in the first half of the season, but Bill said there's no money. Moyes then basically said "fine, watch what happens..." and played 7 defensive players game after game hoofing it about. All the fans could see was Moyes benching Barkley and us playing ****e football. It was horrible, and I'm talking seriously bad. People couldn't be arsed going the game to watch the rubbish we were playing and attendances dropped massively. At this point moyes came out and said that he fully understood why no one was buying tickets.

Bill was then saved by calling in or begging for a favour in America, at which point Landon arrived. Bill knew his game was up and we HAD to land some more players, at which point Gibson and Pienaar were brought in, and by pure luck and timing with the Rangers fiasco, we swooped for their star striker at a discounted rate.

When I think to the last game of the season when we absolutely battered Newcastle, Goodison was a different place. Some of the footy we played was out of this world and worth every penny of the £37 match ticket. A far far cry from the woeful clueless football we were playing in the first half of the season.

Of course this is all speculation and I have no evidence of this whatsoever other than my own meandering opinion.

Wear sunscreen.

 

[njligernj]

I know it's the summer but we don't have to this again do we? I might prefer unfounded transfer speculation. Has anyone mentioned Neymar yet?

Basically we are no better off than his first season 7th place. 10years on, still 7th after reaching the highs of 4th and being on the coat tails of really challenging the big 4's dominance we have fallen back off again. Money talks and we are whispering.

You could argue 7th now is better than a 7th then (there is far more competition for the spaces with teams like Chelsea and the RS, who were in the top four years back, outside of it this year) but there are lots of people who will make snide 7th place trophy comments so best left alone.

 

[formerly manx toffee]

Put it into context.

Here's our positions every year during the good times.

8th, 7th, 7th, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 4th, 8th, 6th.

And since Harvey left.

9th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 15th, 6th, 15th, 17th, 14th, 13th, 16th, 15th.

Then Moyes took over and we've had.

7th, 17th, 4th, 11th, 6th, 5th, 5th, 8th, 7th, 7th.

but what about the 10 years before that...?

 

[EFC NY]

Moyes has achieved, on average, more than our spending would indicate. Hard to say he has done a bad job given this. I can respect arguments that he hasn't been great, but its hard to argue he hasn't been good.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

Who knows?

There are loads of managers out there. Literally tens of thousands. Someone could have done a better job, or they may not have. We will never know will we?

Well yeah this basically.

 

[Allezfan]

but what about the 10 years before that...?

No point going back too far. The point is Moyes has stabilised the club at midtable. We're better then we were during the disastrous 90s but we're not up to the highes we were under Kendall's first run.

Whether you think that's a good job or not depends largely on how much you think the situation with the board is restricting us.

 

[micknick]

Whether you think that's a good job or not depends largely on how much you think the situation with the board is restricting us.

Personally think people are blind if they dont see that its the board and the financial position and not Moyes that means we cant kick on.

People get fed up with blaming the lack of funds so turn on Moyes and seem to think we should be competing with teams like Man City, Chelsea, Man United when they are spunking 10's of millions all over the show and we buy Darron Gibson for £500k.

 

[Brennan]

Personally think people are blind if they dont see that its the board and the financial position and not Moyes that means we cant kick on.

People get fed up with blaming the lack of funds so turn on Moyes and seem to think we should be competing with teams like Man City, Chelsea, Man United when they are spunking 10's of millions all over the show and we buy Darron Gibson for £500k.

Not being crap for the first 4 months of the season would help, and that's certainly to do with Moyes.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

He does a brilliant job assembling a quality squad worth far more than what it actually costs due to his skill in the transfer market.

He does an average job getting the best out of that squad due to his lack of winning mentality and tactical nous.

 

[VaguelyBrown]

Steve Bruce. He'd get us back up there. We'd be banging 'em in lads.

 

[nigelcoyb]

Depending on what financial stat you like he's either God in a kilt or plain ordinary joe keeping us where finances dictate.

If you believe money dictates everything and ends justify the means, existence in the EPL becomes a goal in itself.

As obnoxious as I find the idea of turning into the Coventry, Southampton, Charlton of yesteryear it's what we are, most young fans accept it - I simply can't.

 

[formerly manx toffee]

In the 31 years quoted we finished in the top 6 ten times. Roughly a third of the time.

In the Moyes years we have finished in the top 6 four times, about 40% of the time.

If you are happy with top 6 then he has done a good job given the environment he is working in. If top 5 is your aim then moyes is 30% against a little under 20% of the whole. If top 4 then Moyes 10% over just better than 10%.

Numbers change if you exclude Moyes from overall or exclude the doldrums, but effectively he is at the top end consistently for me.

 

[The Equaliser]

Personally think people are blind if they dont see that its the board and the financial position and not Moyes that means we cant kick on.

People get fed up with blaming the lack of funds so turn on Moyes and seem to think we should be competing with teams like Man City, Chelsea, Man United when they are spunking 10's of millions all over the show and we buy Darron Gibson for £500k.

This x 1m...


...with the addendum that we should be doing better in derbies whatever the financial position.

 

[TyphooToffee]

I honestly think the coming season will be our best since our 4th finish. Imagine if we'd had Peanut and Jelly from the start of last season. Just prey the transfer happens and there are no injuries at the Euros!

 

[roydo]

He's still won [Poor language removed] all though.

Being realistic, most Eberton managers have won [Poor language removed] all. In my 47 years, only 3 have won anything, Catt, (probably the richest club at the time), HK, (total quality), and Big Joe, (a fluke result if we are honest). Not diminishing anything in the past, but the world has moved on, and on balance, I reckon DM has done ok. Not what we would like at times, but ok.