Mental block

[dannyboy]

Goodison is absolutely toxic at times, if you don't think that impacts our players, you don't watch the same games as me.

My annoyance is in writing off players after three games of the season .... and in many cases before they had even kicked a ball. I agree to a certain extent that the players are often set up "not to lose" away, but look at last season ....City away, jammy equaliser late on, Utd a jammier equaliser after time was officially up - we got snotted at Chelsea, when we tried to play football against them and despite being outplayed at Spurs, they ended up with a late winner. can't remember Arsenal, can't think about the RS.

Often our game plan is to only draw or perhaps a low loss, I'd rather the attitude of trying to win, but this lowering of the risk is Koeman and Moyes, Bobby didn't have a clue - all out attack and try to outscore the opposition. We have had opportunities to win away against these higher placed teams, ultimately we have drawn or lost - or had some rank bad decisions against us.

We have signed some very good players this year, taking our team nearer to the higher placed ones, but if anyone thinks it is a one window improvement or bust, then where have they been for the last 30 years? We have improved, we are getting nearer the others, but it will be a step by step approach. When we are against teams with the income streams of Utd and Arsenal, or the state sponsorship of Citeh, pact with the devil of the RS or the real model we should emulate at Spurs, we have to consider how long it has taken the latter to be contenders - and they've still won nowt.

The glass is more than half full for me.

We've improved the squad so it can hopefully handle the rigours of Europa League football. Really not convinced we've moved closer towards the top teams. To do that we need to start signing top players or at least those who have potential to be. Pickford possibly fits that bill, the others don't for me.

You can say Goodison is toxic but our home form was sensational last year so it obviously isn't having a negative impact.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Goodison is absolutely toxic at times, if you don't think that impacts our players, you don't watch the same games as me.

My annoyance is in writing off players after three games of the season .... and in many cases before they had even kicked a ball. I agree to a certain extent that the players are often set up "not to lose" away, but look at last season ....City away, jammy equaliser late on, Utd a jammier equaliser after time was officially up - we got snotted at Chelsea, when we tried to play football against them and despite being outplayed at Spurs, they ended up with a late winner. can't remember Arsenal, can't think about the RS.

Often our game plan is to only draw or perhaps a low loss, I'd rather the attitude of trying to win, but this lowering of the risk is Koeman and Moyes, Bobby didn't have a clue - all out attack and try to outscore the opposition. We have had opportunities to win away against these higher placed teams, ultimately we have drawn or lost - or had some rank bad decisions against us.

We have signed some very good players this year, taking our team nearer to the higher placed ones, but if anyone thinks it is a one window improvement or bust, then where have they been for the last 30 years? We have improved, we are getting nearer the others, but it will be a step by step approach. When we are against teams with the income streams of Utd and Arsenal, or the state sponsorship of Citeh, pact with the devil of the RS or the real model we should emulate at Spurs, we have to consider how long it has taken the latter to be contenders - and they've still won nowt.

The glass is more than half full for me.

When John Terry scored in whatever ridiculous minute it was at Stamford Brudge I started to think we may never win at one of these grounds ever. Palace did the Emirates and Anfield in the same week, we've not won at some of these for decades. In fact the clock is ticking on winning a derby of any kind.

 

[msb]

..everybody will become more optimistic now that we have a very good team.

No mate, they won't.

 

[The_La]

No one is satisfied with mediocrity. I'm not. But at the same time I think sometimes the club needs to be cut some slack. The kind of progress that we need to make does not come overnight. It doesn't seem come in one transfer window either. In fact, it doesn't come in 4 transfer windows. It takes time. It's not as simple as going out and buying shed loads of players in one summer who then go on to instantly, magically combine into an all conquering team for the next decade.

We haven't got the money Chelsea and man city had, but look at their trajectories. They didn't get overnight success. They improved in successive transfer windows until they were good enough to win.

For me, there is very clear and obvious progress being made. But reading on here and on twitter, you'd think we'd gone backwards. We all know we need a target man striker, but we simply haven't yet got the profile to sign a world beater. So we will end up with someone of "in-between" quality for now. Better than what we have (no-one!).
See city - before they had the likes of tevez, aguero, Silva, Dr bruyne - they had Bellamy, wright-phillips, Jo, bojinov.

At Chelsea, before robben, drogba, makelele, it was duff, Mutu, Joe Cole etc.

I dunno. I just think closing the gap to the top 4 is a process that takes time, given that we have finite resources. Much as we don't like it, we are where we are, but we are moving forwards. Don't mistake a lack of instant transformation for stagnation or backwards stepping.

 

[Eggs]

No mate, they won't.

..don't know how you did that.

 

[msb]

When John Terry scored in whatever ridiculous minute it was at Stamford Brudge I started to think we may never win at one of these grounds ever. Palace did the Emirates and Anfield in the same week, we've not won at some of these for decades. In fact the clock is ticking on winning a derby of any kind.

So you want Fat Sam as our manager then? It's a "no" from me, if that's the price for winning at Arsenal and RS.

 

[dannyboy]

No one is satisfied with mediocrity. I'm not. But at the same time I think sometimes the club needs to be cut some slack. The kind of progress that we need to make does not come overnight. It doesn't seem come in one transfer window either. In fact, it doesn't come in 4 transfer windows. It takes time. It's not as simple as going out and buying shed loads of players in one summer who then go on to instantly, magically combine into an all conquering team for the next decade.

We haven't got the money Chelsea and man city had, but look at their trajectories. They didn't get overnight success. They improved in successive transfer windows until they were good enough to win.

For me, there is very clear and obvious progress being made. But reading on here and on twitter, you'd think we'd gone backwards. We all know we need a target man striker, but we simply haven't yet got the profile to sign a world beater. So we will end up with someone of "in-between" quality for now. Better than what we have (no-one!).
See city - before they had the likes of tevez, aguero, Silva, Dr bruyne - they had Bellamy, wright-phillips, Jo, bojinov.

At Chelsea, before robben, drogba, makelele, it was duff, Mutu, Joe Cole etc.

I dunno. I just think closing the gap to the top 4 is a process that takes time, given that we have finite resources. Much as we don't like it, we are where we are, but we are moving forwards. Don't mistake a lack of instant transformation for stagnation or backwards stepping.

Where are we getting the money from for the next level players though?

 

[Saint Domingo]

So you want Fat Sam as our manager then? It's a "no" from me, if that's the price for winning at Arsenal and RS.

Doesn't have to be either or. I just find it odd that every other team in the league is capable of winning at these grounds us we can't win at any of them.

 

[Lanolin]

No one is satisfied with mediocrity. I'm not. But at the same time I think sometimes the club needs to be cut some slack. The kind of progress that we need to make does not come overnight. It doesn't seem come in one transfer window either. In fact, it doesn't come in 4 transfer windows. It takes time. It's not as simple as going out and buying shed loads of players in one summer who then go on to instantly, magically combine into an all conquering team for the next decade.

We haven't got the money Chelsea and man city had, but look at their trajectories. They didn't get overnight success. They improved in successive transfer windows until they were good enough to win.

For me, there is very clear and obvious progress being made. But reading on here and on twitter, you'd think we'd gone backwards. We all know we need a target man striker, but we simply haven't yet got the profile to sign a world beater. So we will end up with someone of "in-between" quality for now. Better than what we have (no-one!).
See city - before they had the likes of tevez, aguero, Silva, Dr bruyne - they had Bellamy, wright-phillips, Jo, bojinov.

At Chelsea, before robben, drogba, makelele, it was duff, Mutu, Joe Cole etc.

I dunno. I just think closing the gap to the top 4 is a process that takes time, given that we have finite resources. Much as we don't like it, we are where we are, but we are moving forwards. Don't mistake a lack of instant transformation for stagnation or backwards stepping.

So you're calling out others for being negative because you think they're satisfied with being midtable but at the same time saying don't expect the team to be getting better any time soon? I'm getting mixed messages here.

At the moment there is a very real argument that we have gone backwards from last year. We've sold our best player, may be selling another of our better players and have lost a further one for the vast majority of the season. Some key players are older and appear to be creaking. We've made some good signings and that shouldn't be forgotten, but it certainly isn't obvious to me that we've moved forwards this year. Maybe after a few more games I'll change my mind, maybe we'll pull a couple of signings out of the bag to put a different slant on it, but right at this moment I'm not seeing the huge strides of progress that some others are.

 

[The_La]

No mixed messages at all. I'm saying there's gradual progress and those saying that we are going backwards need to chill out.

And yes, we've sold our best player, but I think we're stronger in several areas and no worse in others.

 

[efcforever]

Doesn't have to be either or. I just find it odd that every other team in the league is capable of winning at these grounds us we can't win at any of them.

Been thinking about this myself and it is a bit odd that almost every other team causes an upset away to one of the top clubs eventually. I have a theory that because we are considered better than the bottom 12 that we are never taken lightly whereas the likes of Palace or Burnley might be...just a theory.

 

[Groucho]

some people are only happy when they can moan

Human nature mate.

But yeah that does my head in.

 

[streeky]

Kenwright, Moyes and Neville created this culture of 'plucky old Everton'.

We are not plucky, we are not punching above our weight; we are Everton FC, the Mersey Millionaires... we do our scouting in World Cup finals (Alan Ball) and nothing but the best is good enough.

Last win at Anfield was in the last Millenium, one win at Old Trafford since 1992. Haven't won at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League (I think). 2 derbies every year we lie down and die... it disgusts me. I thought Moshiri and Koeman would change that mentality - but this "begging bowl" attempt to get a striker in is absolutely pathetic. koff Everton

Bang on, we can take the defeats, but for god sake find us a manager who is prepared to give the top 6 a game, instead of trying to stay in the game and nick a set piece.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

Been thinking about this myself and it is a bit odd that almost every other team causes an upset away to one of the top clubs eventually. I have a theory that because we are considered better than the bottom 12 that we are never taken lightly whereas the likes of Palace or Burnley might be...just a theory.

I started rationalizing it like that a while back.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

Seen this mentioned quite a lot when it comes to the team, especially in big matches.

But I wonder if it applies to the fans as well? Just reading some of the constant negativity - feels like some people are only happy when they can moan about the club and don't know how to get behind the team and be positive.

People seem to have settled on Everton being a has-been, also-ran club.

There needs to be some collective head-pulling from collective arses.

I feel that the reaction to the Chelsea match was a bit overly negative.Considering that it is only late August it is a bit much to be saying this player and that player is going to be a flop for us, when they have only just landed in the door.But if people feel there is issues affecting the team and it's performances, then they are going to highlight them and bring such issues to the attention of people here.I feel myself that it's a bit early to be drawing definite conclusions on how the season will go and whether this signing and that signing will be a success or not.But they may as well shut this site down if all of us are off the same mindset and have the same opinions.We may as well turn GOT into a cheerleading squad instead!I am a big supporter and fan of Koeman and i fully believe in his vision for this club.But some people don't and some people feel that the football is a bit negative, and those people are well entitled to express those opinions.