Kevin Mirallas: Everton can make Premier League top four

[CahillsCornerFlag]

If we go for fourth and come fifth then great. In all honesty though is be happy with top 6.

Thinking about it though now is the perfect time to get fourth, we won't have lukaku next year barring diving intervention, and next year we're unlikely to have such a beast up front.

 

[EFC Si]

I'm not arguing with you on Martinez. I think he's a breathe of fresh air and he's had my support since arriving. But it's a fantasy to believe he can take essentially the same group of players as last season and break through the PL cartel in his first season in charge.

Get excited/positive by all means, but let's retain a bit of realism as well.

I think we've made some very noticeable changes in terms of personnel. We are a much, much improved team this season

Howard, Coleman, Jags, Distin, Baines, pienaar, Mirallas, Barry, McCarthy, Barkley, Lukaku

Howard, Coleman, Jags, Distin, Baines, Mirallas, pienaar, Gibson, Osman, Fellaini, Jelavic

 

[johnnydawg68]

The thing is the rest of the league isn't that great. It's just as much about how we've improved as how the others haven't really (and in some cases are going backwards).

 

[BoysInBlue]

Lovely words, although I did try to ignore this bit:

"It was a good choice coming here. I wasn't ready to go to a club like Arsenal. What they're doing here is really good and I'm enjoying being part of it. Everton really, really wanted me and did everything they could to get me. I'm really happy here."

Hate hate HATE when our own players outright put other teams than Everton on a pedestal.

'A club like Arsenal'.... IS EVERTON. Arsenal just have loads more money and a bigger, more modern stadium.

The fabric of the 2 clubs is the same, the history - for 115 of the last 135 years anyway - is very similar.

Last season we drew with Arsenal home and away. It's not like we're a little club getting tonked by them (of late).

 

[paulbefc]

Best chance we've ever had.

The fact we're got Lukaku without paying any real money (even if it is just for one year) is frankly hilarious. He's the striker we've always wanted and then some and we've got him in the hungriest mood he'll be in in his whole career, most probably. A lot has fallen perfectly into place this year. Roberto's business in the summer was fantastic and it leaves us with a squad that is massively superior to last year's. Add that to the fact that Barkley is like a free new marquee signing (who like Lukaku is hungry as fook) and Deulofeu who could yet prove to be and last year's squad pales in comparison to the current one.

Last year we had a good XI and no bench. Our bench is now really quite excellent and the first XI has improved just as much. We've proved we can mix it with the best already this season by beating Chelsea to nil without Lukaku.

I'm not saying we should finish in the top 4 - 6th would still be a good effort - but we've got a top 5 squad here imo, with the potential to be top 4. All the signs have been there in the last few games that we're now of that class. Ourselves and the sh*te have closed the gap on the top 5 in the last 12 months quite a bit. The top 7 is going to be difficult to predict for a while yet this season.

I don't buy into the idea that a squad like this HAS to have an abnormally bad dry patch this year either. It's based on literally nothing. We have a squad big enough to deal with players slipping out of form anyway. It's up to Roberto to make sure he gets the best out of this squad and I think he will more and more with every game I see.

 

[SteKelly]

Lovely words, although I did try to ignore this bit:



Hate hate HATE when our own players outright put other teams than Everton on a pedestal.

'A club like Arsenal'.... IS EVERTON. Arsenal just have loads more money and a bigger, more modern stadium.

The fabric of the 2 clubs is the same, the history - for 115 of the last 135 years anyway - is very similar.

Last season we drew with Arsenal home and away. It's not like we're a little club getting tonked by them (of late).

bigger club and better team lad don't forget.

 

[EFC Si]

Lovely words, although I did try to ignore this bit:



Hate hate HATE when our own players outright put other teams than Everton on a pedestal.

'A club like Arsenal'.... IS EVERTON. Arsenal just have loads more money and a bigger, more modern stadium.

The fabric of the 2 clubs is the same, the history - for 115 of the last 135 years anyway - is very similar.

Last season we drew with Arsenal home and away. It's not like we're a little club getting tonked by them (of late).

Well he's certainly not good enough for Arsenal at the minute

 

[deipnosophist]

bit pessimistic mate

There's not a team in the league that we can beat on our day, the challenge is consistency.

...bet you we can beat Sunderland...but otherwise agree (haha)

 

[SerenityNigh]

It's giving this kind of belief to your players that is the difference between winning an FA Cup with Wigan and winning nothing in 11 years with Everton.

Yessireebob

 

[paulbefc]

If we go for fourth and come fifth then great. In all honesty though is be happy with top 6.

Thinking about it though now is the perfect time to get fourth, we won't have lukaku next year barring diving intervention, and next year we're unlikely to have such a beast up front.

It may be the only time. Given that we won't get a fee for losing Romelu, it's going to be so hard to replace him without spending a massive wedge and even then it's hard to get it right with strikers.

Agree with the whole post. To see us really go for it would be refreshing.

 

[jamieni]

To be fair, arsenal have consistently been in the champions league for 10 years and more. As far as mirallas is concerned they are massive. As far as the post-80s generation is concerned we are a recently half decent team. We all know our history however!!

 

[davek]

I think we've made some very noticeable changes in terms of personnel. We are a much, much improved team this season

Howard, Coleman, Jags, Distin, Baines, pienaar, Mirallas, Barry, McCarthy, Barkley, Lukaku

Howard, Coleman, Jags, Distin, Baines, Mirallas, pienaar, Gibson, Osman, Fellaini, Jelavic

Well, that's the recognisable first team that will get a lot of game time, but it isn't the squad or larger first team group that will be used. The likes of Osman and Naismith and even Heitinga will get game time...that's the way this manager operates with a larger use of playing staff than Moyes.

No harm in dreaming, but we need a couple of years to be seriously think about gate crashing that CL place party.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Considering the other clubs, I'm expecting a very tight race for 3-6. Surely somebody will take form and run away (or two teams chase the table top) but I don't yet see much separating the teams. Who do you think are locks to finish top-3?

Arsenal If 4th is their trophy, do they really have aspirations? Ozil is great, but how different is this team than last year? Do they have a striker that makes a difference? I rate them a 50% chance to finish top-3

Chelsea They're obviously lacking a striker and I'm not sure what Mourinho is doing to Mata's head (or, for that matter, any of his fragile eggs) but Mourinho knows how to win and has a talented squad. They'll be there in the end, 75%.

Everton Ahh, plucky little Everton, always punching above their weight. The team that now nobody want to face on their day, 25%

Liverpool I don't like Rodgers but they're better than they've been and they have a striker with a nose for the net (insert biting joke). They should stick around and be a threat, 25%

Manchester City These guys are as talented as anyone, half the time. But I think Pellegrini will figure it out, 75%

Manchester United Have never finished below 3rd in the PL, right? Let's see what Moyes' Boys can accomplish. 50%.

Tottenham They've added tremendous players, but what will they do without Bale and his on-time clinical finish? AVB's delight at a home draw to Chelsea is indicative that he doesn't think they're ready to contend, 25%

Obviously these numbers don't add up (I'm not an oddsmaker, they're not meant to add up). My point is to question openly which teams are preventing Everton from that finish? It's a long march to the top and plenty of league lies before Everton, but I'm not buying the pessimism

 

[SchoolOfScience]

If we go for fourth and come fifth then great. In all honesty though is be happy with top 6.

Thinking about it though now is the perfect time to get fourth, we won't have lukaku next year barring diving intervention, and next year we're unlikely to have such a beast up front.

Maybe Champs Lg would persuade him to stay?

 

[Netromelo]

Don't stop belieeevin'
Hold on to that feeeelin'