2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[roy vernon]

Sam was sitting in the stands and the dogs in the street knew he was taking over the following day.

How anybody can say that players who know their new manager is in the stands and is about to take over but they will not be influenced by that is something I will never understand.

The point I was making his that he was not involved with the squad until after the game. Obviously they knew he was to be appointed but, contrary to what Sam likes to infer, he did not talk to the squad before the game not did he pick the team or have any input to tactics.

 

[BornBlue76]

So being doing some thinking... especially after the WBA game.. which maybe cos I couldn’t watch it helped ...

I admit I fumed after the Fulham game and I still think we had a right to question what would cause such a display as it wasn’t our first.. tactics or talent? I went with tactics as I can’t repeat myself much more I believe we have a highly talented side and we have seen how well that can play..

The counter is points on the board. The argument against is lost opportunities and not taking advantage of our unexpected successes..

Playing the way we do means we invite pressure and we have ridden our luck at times to take home the points.
It also means we can’t really dominate any team in the league. As our results show.

BUT my big realization (or acceptance maybe) is that I’m going to have to take the good with the bad.. playing as we do Does mean we can lose to teams not as talented as us.. but it also means we can beat those traditionally we have struggled against... we will also pick up the should have won points along the way (eg WBA).. over the season hopefully it averages out in the top 6...

It doesn’t excuse the truly abhorrent movement and passing our team is capable of piecing together and when I hear Carlos’s points on improving his defensive approach, it doesn’t include passing 5 yards to the opposition. At some point I trust we won’t need 10 passes and a hoof from Pickford to cross the half way line.. I also am sure this is not how Carlo envisages it.

So that‘s it.. I’m at peace with the approach for the balance of the season. It will be what it is.. it might get us to top 4 or it will cost us.. so far so good eh. What I am incredibly grateful for is I believe we can win any game, not that we will but we can. Our recent past we clearly didn’t have it in us to see off many sides.. now we do.. I’ll take that for now.

never been one to pen more than a couple lines here and there and some throw away comments.. don’t worry.. will get back there soon enough

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Spurs slowly getting some steam behind them. With the injuries mounting up hope he can turn water into wine these next 2 league games before the international break where hopefully we can get most back fit.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

It is time for Tuchel to have his first defeat and for Don Carlo to be the one in charge of such a whipping

 

[KaiserEFC]

These people going on about the play style have absolutely zero perspective. This is the first time in years we look forward to getting home from work and watching Everton after about January because we actually have something to play for. The first March for absolutely years where we’re not looking purely to the summer transfer window for some kind of excitement. It’s the first time in years we beat a decent club and don’t expect to get turned over by the crap one we play next.

Some of you deserve David Moyes.

 

[Saint Domingo]

These people going on about the play style have absolutely zero perspective. This is the first time in years we look forward to getting home from work and watching Everton after about January because we actually have something to play for. The first March for absolutely years where we’re not looking purely to the summer transfer window for some kind of excitement. It’s the first time in years we beat a decent club and don’t expect to get turned over by the crap one we play next.

Some of you deserve David Moyes.

Agreed. We’ve all seen the Everton film where players are stroking the ball around nicely at Goodison in the spring sunshine safe in mid table, out of the cups, and dismantling a bottom 13 team, as we foolishly wonder if we can perhaps still make 7th by winning every game only to lose at a top 6 ground (usually Anfield) and the season ends. That’s easy football without any pressure or responsibility and has failed us season after season.

Id much rather be watching us scrapping for every point in a top 4 battle and still in the cup. I don’t care how ugly some think it is, apart from City who is playing nice football? If I watched a highlight reel now from this season it would be one of the best of any recent time.

The back to front goals at Old Trafford from 2 down, the slide rule assists against Liverpool and Southampton, Iwobi against Wolves, any of Digne’s multiple assists we’ve worked down the left flank, all 5 of the Spurs goals, the first half at Fulham. People are acting as though we used to do these things all the time in previous seasons. I remember a time when Everton fans had forgotten what a through ball looked like! We’ve had season after season of having no footballing tactic other than lash it long down the middle, try and get it to the left back to throw a cross in. We’ve had nothing else. Now we barely ever go long from the centrebacks, we’re playing through the lines, and we can attack from the middle or the flanks, and we’re really good at set pieces. Yes we still mess up loads of times and can be sloppy on the ball but it is night and day from watching one of Jags or Ashley Williams just winding up hoof after hoof for our striker to chase into the corner.

 

[Death]

We are 3 points ahead of the rs with two games in hand. And we aren't even thinking about that we are looking to break the top four. Like ye told me that the start the season id imagine we would be high as a kite at that prospect. But we have bigger fish to fry.

Thanks Carlo.

To think people are very unhappy with the season. This thread needs scientific examination.

 

[Magus]

Can't say I have ever enjoyed winning ugly. I have spent far too many hours at Goodison watching uninspired or sloppy football. The most successful teams are also usually the most exciting and best to watch: not purely from a purist viewpoint, speed and power provide a great spectacle too. The adrenaline rush of being competitive is one thing, but I would much rather we did it by playing attractive football too.

 

[Death]

View attachment 120270

Currently the 2nd best record in our history, but hey, who cares, we want ENTERTAINMENT.

Yeah but come on mate. Not a great measurement. We've only been around for nearly 150 years. Not the longest history in world football you'd have to think .

 

[PSB1]

This thread needs scientific examination.

Or burning.

 

[Death]

He'd bring Maldini here. Sick pick.

I think if we can finish 4th,5th or 6th players will raise an eyebrow and see something special is happening. And with Carlo pulling power we could probably snag players away from the rs if the rs keep up thier trajectory.

 

[Death]

Or burning.

Burned with a bunson burner by a scientist.

 

[Death]

Like we are beating most of the top six home and away. Its magical. A monkey off our backs from years and years and and years . But Fulham and Newcastle though.

Kopites wouldn't even argue that against you. Its just plain daft.

 

[wandyr79]

We beat West Ham 4:0 as I remember and even though Samuel was at the game he had zero input on proceedings. I thought Koeman was an appalling Everton manager, but, he was not such a sleazy character. Sam Allardyce has had an aura of corruption following him around for years, and, he is an incredibly dislikable character. He is, if you will, the exact opposite of the culture of Everton Football Club. We are a club that have always been well respected by our peers and that is why the appointment of Allardyce was so ill advised.

It is for those reasons that he gets so much more ‘fume’ directed towards him than Koeman. Even if Allardyce had come here and shown real promise, which he didn’t, he would have still been a stain on this club.

On that note, my girlfriend was reading the Neville Southall book (she knows nothing about football but was interested in the mental health aspects of the book), I had to confirm a few names, etc. and the relevance. When she came to Allardyce's name, she said "Was that the fat angry man that I didn't like, that was shown during the Everton game". Just wanted to confirm that you are spot on with the highlighted part

I also think that people just want to forget Koeman rather than get angry or dwell on his period as manager.

Ancelotti is a better man, never mind manager, than both of those combined plus infinity.

 

[B17BLG]

I am a huge Carlo supporter me. I think he has the tactical awareness that allows him to pick a style of play that doesn't over fatigue our squad, play within the limitations of the injuries we are suffering at any time and be competitive against the side we are playing. I think this is essentially base camp until he came inject more of his own players into the squad and open up a bit on the footballing side.

I don't know about anybody else though, but is anyone else getting the feeling of what he is doing is being slightly de-valued by the fact we have Leicester and West Ham also challenging for top 4 and some of the other traditional top 6 floundering in mid table (* hi lurkers!). Like it is almost expected we would be challenging given its a bit of a weird season. I don't really know how to communicate what I'm trying to say here without sounding negative, because it couldn't be further from the truth. I'm 31, was 5 year old when we last won something so I am very excited this season.

It is just that nagging thought of, will normal service resume next year when a bit of normality returns or is this a genuine run for a re-order of the top 6 or even the top of the table becoming more openly competitive.

Either way, I am no longer watching our big games from behind the sofa and when we are 1-0 with 10 mins to go, have the confidence, just as Carlo does, that we'll see the game out and probably create chances on the counter.