Everton: title contenders

[billycopper]

Nice post, billy.

For me, i think the thing we need to improve most on is the quality of our shooting. We mostly seem to lack venom and incisiveness. See the delboy effort and a few tame long-rangers from Ross and co.

Get that part of the game looking much more dangerous, and we can add a good 10 points in our end-of-season total.

Yeah, that's another coaching issue. Deulofeu shoots from too much of a tight angle when he should be passing the ball. Barkley sometimes shoots when he should be passing or carrying the ball closer to goal. And Mirallas too often finds the centre of the goal rather than the corners.

 

[TX Bill]

What blows me away on that bot/sold/net chart is that a quarter of Spurs total realized sales since 1992 came from selling Bale. Wow.

 

[evilwebby]

Safe by New Years'?

 

[deipnosophist]

I think we could have pushed it close last year if we'd invested in January.

Same again this year for me, spend the money we have and we've got a chance. Stand still whilst other teams invest and watch the dream fade away.

agree...whilst Man U were running away with with it (albeit on a lot of scratchy wins), there was a **** fight for a while for the next 3 spots and we were well in the mix

 

[deipnosophist]

I will leave all January fickleness to RM...he seems to know what he's doing (and gets paid for it)

 

[Lien]

Obviously we're not title contenders ffs.

We're genuine top 4 contenders though. Strong ones at that.

Too right.

Finally we have some strength in depth. Decent keeper. Really good defence. Strong midfield and, finally - FINALLY - a striker who simply scores goals.

There's a good chance Heits and Jela might head off in January, so I think a couple of people in might be required. But we're right in with a shout as things stand.

Hope we cope with the regular games over Christmas. No reason we shouldn't.

 

[Hibbo]

Too right.

Finally we have some strength in depth. Decent keeper. Really good defence. Strong midfield and, finally - FINALLY - a striker who simply scores goals.

There's a good chance Heits and Jela might head off in January, so I think a couple of people in might be required. But we're right in with a shout as things stand.

Hope we cope with the regular games over Christmas. No reason we shouldn't.

We said that about Jela too.

 

[ToffeesAndDynamo]

We said that about Jela too.

Lukaku is younger, had one good season before this one, and is certainly better physically. In fact, Lukaku is a physical specimen. Never said THAT about Jela.

 

[lightingman]

Read the thread title and thought i'd accidentally wandered onto RAWK. Title contenders? How a word with yourself. Just like Liverpool, we are nowhere near title contenders. Top 3 will be City, Chelsea + Arsenal (unless they get unlucky with injuries). The rest are a distance behind.

We might be having a superb season and playing some great football but Lukaku, Barry and Deulofeu are not Everton players, they are on loan. Take them out of our season so far and where would we be? Mid table is my guess. Barry is the only player out of those we might sign and he's 32.

Looking at our squad, all the below have to be replaced too,

Distin - 35
Piennar - 31
Osman - 32
Jagielka - 32
Howard - 34

McCarthy was immense last night, Barkley is a serious talent and hopefully a lot to come from Stones.

But this football club and Martinez in particular are going to have to find 4/5 key players in the next year or two with no money (or sell Barkley).

 

[lightingman]

Wouldn't it be nice if the board identified how critical Lukaku would be for us and just got the funds to pull the deal together?

Some of the biggest clubs in Europe will be after Lukaku. I simply cannot imagine a position where Mourinho is thinking that he'll be Chelsea's starting striker next season. Mourniho loved the physical and powerful nature of Drogba and Lukaku has the same physical threat.

But what a difference he makes to the Everton team. Even when he's not scoring or having a particularly good game, he's still scaring the crap out of the defenders.

 

[w00tang]

Who is there to invest in in January? An what position?

 

[graeme2911]

What blows me away on that bot/sold/net chart is that a quarter of Spurs total realized sales since 1992 came from selling Bale. Wow.

Even crazier when you remember Modric (£33m) and Berbatov (£31m) makes up nearly another quarter in the last few years too.

 

[Deloodid]

we should be dreaming about a top 4 finish. but lets get Arsenal Away done and dusted first, then lets have a decent festive period.

 

[Toffeelover]

Title contenders! now that is being a bit fanciful at this stage.

 

[dholliday]

Read the thread title and thought i'd accidentally wandered onto RAWK. Title contenders? How a word with yourself. Just like Liverpool, we are nowhere near title contenders. Top 3 will be City, Chelsea + Arsenal (unless they get unlucky with injuries). The rest are a distance behind.

We might be having a superb season and playing some great football but Lukaku, Barry and Deulofeu are not Everton players, they are on loan. Take them out of our season so far and where would we be? Mid table is my guess. Barry is the only player out of those we might sign and he's 32.

Looking at our squad, all the below have to be replaced too,

Distin - 35
Piennar - 31
Osman - 32
Jagielka - 32
Howard - 34

McCarthy was immense last night, Barkley is a serious talent and hopefully a lot to come from Stones.

But this football club and Martinez in particular are going to have to find 4/5 key players in the next year or two with no money (or sell Barkley).

I agree with your realist approach. But the bask of sunshine the OT win brought us was too much to resist.