Let's Look at the Big Picture !!!!

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chicoazul said:
Cracking post mate, and there is loads to be positive about, well hopefully.

All these soundbytes in the media from our players are saying the same thing although it could just be a vehicle to get the likes of Pienaar to commit. It would seem we have a fantastic close squad, which is worth a few points within itself.

I'd do that gay pos rep thing but it won't let me, I think I neg repped you when you first come on and was winding up LCAB as I thought you were having a dig at him. I might have blamed someone else too, games the game bra. Sorry about that like x
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Leader's got my back , kid .

( Sorry about the Purple Aki , misunderstanding last week , Duce . )
I had McBillabong on a wind - up , an' couldn't crack on . I often opt for the Long Game , where Ors - Tralia , is concerned .
Can't seem to help meself .

( I love him like . Love winding him up , too , though . )
Slaps own hand , ...
 

little curly alan ball said:
Leader's got my back , kid .

( Sorry about the Purple Aki , misunderstanding last week , Duce . )
I had McBillabong on a wind - up , an' couldn't crack on . I often opt for the Long Game , where Ors - Tralia , is concerned .
Can't seem to help meself .

( I love him like . Love winding him up , too , though . )
Slaps own hand , ...
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You apologise to no one on here lid.

Well, maybe the D/D cats when they want their power kick like.
 
It's a game of two halves.

1st half season: abysmal.
2nd half: best form we have shown under Moyes, culminating in those back to back wins against the top 2, and only a last gasp deflection vs Arsenal depriving us of the hattrick.

Despite finishing lower than last year, we've shown that we have enough about us to be a serious top-4 challenger next season. With a couple of good signings, we're going to be mixing it right at the sharp end ALL of next season. This is a very talented squad that Moyes has put together; I'm hugely optimistic.
 
Good post mate,

Id differ on a few points primarily the players to sell - to be honest i wouldnt sell anyone above Jukebox standard. Yobo has proven hes capable of keeping 20 odd clean sheets a season. Distin with a bit of consistencey in partnership has impressed me of late and seems increaseingly capable. Im a confirmed Yak fan and would start him every time but you should never get rid of quality and Saha is that.

Two points on next season:

A) The team hasnt been solid enough front to back, the old Everton grit and tough to break down simply isnt there and we havent learned to balance our improved creativity against soliditity and this has showen in our goals against colum and the amoutn of chances temas have made against us.

B) We need to develop as a team (manager included) to be able to play against teams who play spoiling tactics and two deep banks of four - although its the ultimate mark of respect and a signal of how far we have come as a footballing side - we simply havent been able to break down teams who try not to get beat, in fact some have beaten us by nicking the odd one against us agains the run of play ( see above).

To many draws and not enough wins beacuse of above!
 

The Holy Trinity said:
Now that the dust has settled after Saturday's dissapointing draw at Stoke and the shouts have died down about the manager's lack of tactical nouse etc I've been thinking about how the season has really panned out.

Setbacks to Arteta, Jagielka, Anichebe. Lescott affair, NO MONEY UNTIL LESCOTT WAS SOLD etc and the 6-1 HOME defeat to Arsenal I don't think its been that bad a season. If we beat Portsmouth on Sunday we end with 61 points which is the amount we finished 4th with in 2004/5 and only TWO points behind last years tally.

When I think back to Derby match at Goodison at the end of November I remember the Trinity (me,LCAB and Source) discussing how the hell we were going to stay out of a relegation fight. We had Spurs and Chelsea fast approaching and did not look capable of winning a match anywhere against anyone.

Tim Howard's 95min penalty save from Jermain Defoe at the end of that Spurs match might have been the turning point in our season as we then drew 3-3 away at Chelsea before drawing with Birmingham and Sunderland then beating Burnley. A 5 match unbeaten run from nowhere !

My point in stating that sequence of results is that if anyone had told us then that we would still be in the race for a European spot going into our 37th match we'd have all taken a limb each of the person offering that opportunity ! Saturday was disappointing but no more so than Wolves, West Ham or Aston Villa. Stoke is a tough place to go and a draw normally isn't that bad a result. In fact if we had won there we'd have been only the 3rd team to do so with Man United and Chelsea the only others who have won there on both trips since Stoke's promotion. However, we struggled to get going and only for a Linesman's flag we'd have probably won again, however, it would not have made any difference as Liverpool will beat Hull this weekend anyway.

After I had read some posts on here slating Moyes or the players I started thinking about next season and realistically what our aims should be. I do believe (although I WILL miss it) that not being in Europe will help us domestically. The top 4 is not that far away and I include catching Arsenal in that. I think if we keep the majority of our players fit and with the addition of some in the summer (more than the three we are aware of) we can be right up there next season. Pienaar is important in all of this and I really hope he stays but if not we must replace him with some pace. I also think Bily will have a good season next year once he has a pre-season behind him.

I might upset some people here now but I would offload Joseph Yobo, Sylvain Distin, Louis Saha and James Vaughan for whatever money we could get in and replace them with a left back for cover, centre half and a right winger. I think everywhere else we've got decent cover as I expect Senderos to stay and with Duffy would probably have enough to cover Heitinga and Jags the dream partnership. Coleman and hibbo to put pressure on neville.

Let's accept that things conspired against us and not beating Stoke is not the real reason why we have not qualified for Europe. How we started the season and the injuries as well as the Lescott situation made it a bit of a write off season. The fact that we got ourselves into contention means we must give the manager (Who I DON'T always agree with) and the players some credit. I think we have a really good squad now so let's get behind them and watch us qualify for Champions League with a decent squad this time.

Anyway that's my take on things now I HAVE calmed down !!

Nil Satis ....

THT..

ps.. watched Liverpool v Chelsea.. People think we've got problems ??? Men against boys !!
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Fanstastic post, uncle. I completely agree. (i wish I could rep you but I still can't). Top 4 next season, nailed on.
 
I still think you've provided some good matches this season. I'm a bit sorry for you that you missed out on Europe but here's hoping you won't have a plight at the beginning of next season.

If someone comes up to me and says "Everton, 2009/10 season. First thing that comes to mind?" I will say "doing the double on Citeh". Well done fellas, not an easy task, which shows that the potential really is there.
 

Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian said:
Agreed that Stoke isn't the reason we aren't in Europe next season, that reason lies elsewhere in other games that were thrown away.
I've also said before that Citeh did a job on us at the start of the season with the disruption they caused and managed to take points off us then, more than we managed to take off them in the games between us (they will do the same again next season to the team or even teams that they view as a threat to being in the top 4, or even higher).
They are the players that I would look at offloading as well......
Saha has done nothing since being given a contract but at least we can get a fee for him now that he has 1.
Yobo seems to have nothing to his game that is anything other than belting it as far up the field as he possibly can with reckless abandonment.
Vaughny, time has run out really on his Everton career due to injuries and lack of chances, and I would say that if the lad wanted to go to get regular football then he should be allowed to, although I would also say the same about Big Vic.
Distin, for me he seems to be an instant target for criticism, but he's an experienced head that some players have said is 1 of the most difficult defenders that they have ever played against.

I do hope that Pienaar will stay, but I think he's going to want a very high wage that could mean that other players also get increases due to clauses in their contracts, he's deffo the 1 we could cash in on and I suppose that if it meant that we could bring in the names that have been mentioned then he will be the 1 to go, I can't see Moyes letting him hold him to ransom over his contract... maybe even a last minute of the window job that we have now become famous for (so we can't spend it).

So, hopefully we can get the ones we are after and retain the services of those that we wish, despite the lack of Europa Goblet football and maybe we can look forward to a bit of silverware being lifted in the not so distant future.

One thing is for certain, I'll be back after the summer break in the shadow of the church with the kids, generations 4 & 5(and the odd time 3) of Evertonians cheering on The Royal Blue Jerseys from Goodison Road.

Come On You Blues !!
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Yeah Reidy can't argue. Distin has improved but on a big contract and 32 y/o mate. I wouldn't be in a massive rush to get rid but think with wages and the fact that for me Johnny and Jags are the best pairing it seems to make sense.
 
Toffees_USA said:
with everyone healthy, though, we could have made a serious push for top 4.
when arteta and jags came back, we were in top form. but the early parts of the season doomed us.

hopefully you're right, and we can sell a couple lazy players (saha) and get some people who want to win.
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We can but hope mate.

THT
 
chicoazul said:
Cracking post mate, and there is loads to be positive about, well hopefully.

All these soundbytes in the media from our players are saying the same thing although it could just be a vehicle to get the likes of Pienaar to commit. It would seem we have a fantastic close squad, which is worth a few points within itself.

I'd do that gay pos rep thing but it won't let me, I think I neg repped you when you first come on and was winding up LCAB as I thought you were having a dig at him. I might have blamed someone else too, games the game bra. Sorry about that like x
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No probs Chico its all good mate. You are forgiven !!

THT
 
deathbyropeandglass said:
If we can get the defence sorted back to the level we had 2 seasons ago with Jags and Lescott forming a steady partnership (hopefully Johnny will be that man to step in) then really we are missing 3 things.

A quality right sided midfielder/winger who can bring a decent balance to the side and match up with the rest of our midfield. Thats the easy one.

The last 2 are not gonna be easy. We need a matchwinner who can turn a tricky away day at a struggling team defending for their lives into a win. Someone who can get us a goal out of nothing, either by making the goal and scoring it themselves or playing the inch perfect defence splitting pass for someone esle.

Cause like it or not we don't have anyone who can be relied upon to do that. Apart from Saha but it doesn't look like the right guy at the moment.

1 in mid and one up front and we could win the title.
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Agreed but difficult on limited cash mate. Right midfield is a must unless Vic or Jaoa Silva can do it !!
 

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