Fixtures up till February

[bluestevon]

..i’ll stick to predicting my horse racing but it’s interesting to note that at this stage last season the Reds only had a few more points than we have now and they finished top 4.

From memory mate, they also had a very favourable fixture list over this period as well after a lot of early season tough aways.

One thing I feel certain off, this team is capable of going on a run of wins similar to Martinez first season.

 

[Eggs]

From memory mate, they also had a very favourable fixture list over this period as well after a lot of early season tough aways.

One thing I feel certain off, this team is capable of going on a run of wins similar to Martinez first season.

...it’s looking very promising but we know not to get carried away. I’m encouraged by the intensity I see in the clips of the training sessions, I think that’s a very good sign.

 

[bluestevon]

...it’s looking very promising but we know not to get carried away. I’m encouraged by the intensity I see in the clips of the training sessions, I think that’s a very good sign.

Think it shows the effect of having several individuals in the squad who are not only popular but lead by example in training and in games, Richarlison especially so and Mina/Digne both seem to have brought a change in ethos into the team. Throw in a manager who can then motivate in training and you have a great team spirit.

The stats in pressing, distance covered etc in games where we are highest in the league, for me is very revealing as well.

Makes me have confidence in both the derby and spurs games as well, as our best performances have always been when we really match them on intensity, in prior season's though the legs couldnt do it for 90 minutes... Think koemans first game in charge v spurs when the legs went after 70 minutes, or the derby when McCarthy we t off injured at half time and the Intensity dropped, even Martinez with the 3-3

 

[Eggs]

Think it shows the effect of having several individuals in the squad who are not only popular but lead by example in training and in games, Richarlison especially so and Mina/Digne both seem to have brought a change in ethos into the team. Throw in a manager who can then motivate in training and you have a great team spirit.

The stats in pressing, distance covered etc in games where we are highest in the league, for me is very revealing as well.

Makes me have confidence in both the derby and spurs games as well, as our best performances have always been when we really match them on intensity, in prior season's though the legs couldnt do it for 90 minutes... Think koemans first game in charge v spurs when the legs went after 70 minutes, or the derby when McCarthy we t off injured at half time and the Intensity dropped, even Martinez with the 3-3

...it really is important to continue winning our home games during this spell. I almost felt we had a ‘free hit’ at Chelsea thanks to winning the game before. We have to respect Cardiff but for the first time in ages I’m looking forward to Everton games. We win tomorrow and I won’t be dreading the Derby as I normally do. Win, lose or draw it’ll be a good test of where we are.

 

[bluestevon]

...it really is important to continue winning our home games during this spell. I almost felt we had a ‘free hit’ at Chelsea thanks to winning the game before. We have to respect Cardiff but for the first time in ages I’m looking forward to Everton games. We win tomorrow and I won’t be dreading the Derby as I normally do. Win, lose or draw it’ll be a good test of where we are.

Pretty much mate, win the home games, beat the crap teams away from home, then just take a swing at the harder away games and see if you can land one on them.

 

[Lanolin]

I think this just shows the enormous gulf in quality between the top 6 and the rest of the league (hopefully we can make it more of a top 7). We probably will win a lot of these games and in years gone by it might have been enough to finish in the top 6, but the top 6 are "the top 6" because they win a very high % of these games too. Breaking in will be extremely difficult.

Yeah I was reading yesterday that the top 5 have only lost one game to a team outside the top 5 so far. They'll likely keep that sort of form up all year I reckon, the league is becoming less competitive all the time.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

That's a brilliant 'busy festive period' on paper. Although 3 of the away games are down south at least they aren't 'top 6 oppo' and are very winnable. Should be looking at a decent points return from that.

 

[degsy]

After Cardiff this weekend, the next 12 games (middle third of the season) 'on paper' at least look an amazing chance for a team that now seems like it's got to grips with the new system, to really show that it's not just happy to make up the numbers and finish 7th a mile off the rest.

Nov-
Cardiff (home)

December -
Liverpool (away)
Newcastle (home)
Watford (home)
City (away)
Spurs (home)
Burnley (away)
Brighton (away)

January -
Leicester (home)
Bournemouth (home)
Saints (away)
Huddersfield (away)

February -
Wolves (home)
Watford (away)

Only three games in that fourteen game spell that on current form you wouldn't strongly fancy us to get three points in.

City away looks the toughest - although we have a decent record up there, the Derby is the Derby, but getting them right after they have a midweek must win gives us a great chance and spurs at home is always a tough fixture

Right now though, we are the standout team in the league in the distance we are covering per game, fitness levels such a change over past years, and in a congested period of games that fitness level will be a massive boost.

Kind of been overlooked so far, but of the "top 6" - by Christmas we will have played 5 of those six away and only one at home, means that second half of the season, we will only face a trip away to spurs as a "tough" away day.

ffs lids, one game at a time please.

 

[Saint Domingo]

We’ve won one away game this season. We won three last season. Any away game is a challenge for Everton.

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

Funny how different a fixture list looks, depending on recent form - Put these same 12 fixtures in front of us after getting walloped at home by West Ham and we’d be predicting a relegation battle.

Cardiff looks winnable, but if we don’t win that, the subsequent 11 fixtures take on a different appearance altogether.

 

[bluestevon]

...it really is important to continue winning our home games during this spell. I almost felt we had a ‘free hit’ at Chelsea thanks to winning the game before. We have to respect Cardiff but for the first time in ages I’m looking forward to Everton games. We win tomorrow and I won’t be dreading the Derby as I normally do. Win, lose or draw it’ll be a good test of where we are.

From late February until the end of April we have 5 home games in that period mate, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, United.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

We'll get 21 points from those games. It's not even a prediction.
Yours,

Nostradamus

 

[EverBlue92]

I still think we'll look back on the start of the season and rue all those dropped points.

The problem we have as a club is we never have a full solid season but dips in and out of form.

Turn 2 of those bad results at West Ham, Hudd, Wolves and Bournemouth and we could really be up there with the top 4.

Its all well and good finishing 7th this season but I honestly think this season was our best chance in years of getting a top 4 finish - Spurs aint the same quality as seasons gone by, Arsenal are still weak at the back and Utd are average.

To make up on the points lost we really need to win a few shock games against the top 6 which I cant see other than maybe Arsenal and Utd at home.

 

[Lanolin]

We’ve won one away game this season. We won three last season. Any away game is a challenge for Everton.

And in 3 of those 4 away wins the opposition had someone sent off. We've made positive strides this season, and we look like a pretty decent outfit, but I think people are getting way ahead of themselves. We were effectively the width of a post from the Chelsea game being a Moyes special, and some people are making out like it was a seismic shift of a performance. There's nothing wrong with being hopeful and positive, but let's try and keep a bit of realism here. I just did a quick totting up of what I think we might get from those games and came out without about 22 points. That sort of form will keep us firmly in the realms of 7th, which is fine for me for the moment. I hope people don't start to get frustrated and turn on them if we don't go on the sort of amazing run some seem to be expecting.

 

[bluestevon]

We’ve won one away game this season. We won three last season. Any away game is a challenge for Everton.

With the run of home games we have at one point this season mate, we'll need to start learning how to win away from home