Relegation

[dannyboy]

We arent playing like a side that stinks of relegation, individual mistakes and small margins of error are our downfall currently.

In most games you can pinpoint 1 or 2 things, well normally goals, that have been the factor in our defeats.

It really is the perfect storm.

VAR, injuries to key players, mistakes, a manager with the tactical sense of a tesco carrier bag and we are deep, deep in the crap.

West Ham had quite a lot of good players in 02/03 and went down. Probably the last example of a team that was half decent getting relegated but it can happen.

My biggest worry is how difficult we make it to win a football match. I can count only one game where we've looked comfortable this season. Even against Lincoln in the cup we struggled. It's not a good trait to have.

 

[dannyboy]

I agree
Don't panic. We are luckily in a year of Newcastle Villa and West Ham struggling and 2 out of Southampton, Norwich and Watford will go this year. I'm sure we can scrape another 5 wins and 5 draws from the next 24 matches (wow that almost sounds difficult) . but whatever, we surely can manage that!? I think when we are in a relegation scrap players like Tosun, Davies, Mina, Coleman will all fight hard and we'll get through.

Funny you say that about those players. I'd say 3 out of the 4 are the reason why we'd be in a relegation scrap in the first place.

 

[Goat]

West Ham had quite a lot of good players in 02/03 and went down. Probably the last example of a team that was half decent getting relegated but it can happen.

My biggest worry is how difficult we make it to win a football match. I can count only one game where we've looked comfortable this season. Even against Lincoln in the cup we struggled. It's not a good trait to have.

Indeed, we make hard work of every game we play.

After the initial joy of Ricos goal yesterday I know that we all spent the rest of the game just waiting for the inevitable comeback.

The players heads drop so easy, none of them play with passion, with joy and that comes from the manager for me.

 

[Huyton Layne]

Think December decides our season. If we can get points from the decent clubs in the division that'll raise confidence. Right now I don't see us getting a point until boxing day and that means we'll probably be 18th or 19th at new year.

 

[Thomasc]

Won't be relegated.

There are worse teams in the league. Fully expect some sort of form to come eventually, under another manager probably.

hmmmm yes but if there’s only 2 worse then we are still up crap street.

 

[Berenger]

They're really not.

To borrow your theme they ARE commenting on performances on the pitch, points total and getting turned over by others we believe shouldn't been turning us over - Norwich at home being a recent example. Try reading what people are actually saying rather than indulging in an entirely bogus broad brushstroke.

This is ironic. In trying to counter my argument you provide a case in point: out of all the games we've played, you suggest Norwich as the summary example!

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

xG gets a lot of stick on here (and with some justification) but it’s somewhat interesting that if you put the table together using that metric, we “should” be 7th rather than 17th.

Now obviously woulda shoulda coulda, but it does somewhat imply that there’s a LOT of short term negative variance (what some people call “bad luck”) involved in our current situation.

The problem is that a full season is really nowhere near enough for such variance to even out (despite the popular “it all evens out over the season” shout). Maybe it does in something like baseball where they play like 180 games in a season, but not in football.

this means we need to do something to force a change, andmost often, changing the manager is the quickest, cheapest way to do that.

oh, and so far as that xG-based table goes, no prizes for guessing who is currently the most points (13) ahead of where they “should” be...

 

[everton1953]

Too early to be crapping yourselves about relegation.

 

[mrb85]

With the run of games to come, we'll be perhaps in the relegation zone proper by Christmas (and can be on Weds I think) and into the New Year.

If we fail to stabilise and put a decent run together no later than early January, then we are in a critical situation.

As it is we will probably be looking over our shoulders for most of the season now at best and that is a horrible feeling. I don't want to have to keep tabs with how Norwich, Watford etc are doing.

No we won't -- we'll be looking upwards to see whether we can climb up to 19th.

 

[Foxes Fan]

I don't think you were that bad yesterday and at times I thought you were going to double your lead. Definitely not the worse side we've played this season. You always come and seem to give it a go which is why, I think, it's usually a good game when we play you.

Not that those comments count for much and indeed you find yourselves in a relegation battle but I do hope you stay up. Never really minded Everton.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

xG gets a lot of stick on here (and with some justification) but it’s somewhat interesting that if you put the table together using that metric, we “should” be 7th rather than 17th.

Now obviously woulda shoulda coulda, but it does somewhat imply that there’s a LOT of short term negative variance (what some people call “bad luck”) involved in our current situation.

The problem is that a full season is really nowhere near enough for such variance to even out (despite the popular “it all evens out over the season” shout). Maybe it does in something like baseball where they play like 180 games in a season, but not in football.

this means we need to do something to force a change, andmost often, changing the manager is the quickest, cheapest way to do that.

oh, and so far as that xG-based table goes, no prizes for guessing who is currently the most points (13) ahead of where they “should” be...

I agree with a lot of this. It's an indicator that if things even out we should get to a point where we are safe. We really have had some horrible luck, but the one thing that xG really doesn't take into account is the complete lack of finishing ability from anyone we have other than perhaps Richy.

It's a serious problem. We've created enough to have scored more goals this season which in and of itself would have us 2 or 3 points up the table.

We can't finish though. It's been woeful.

And there is no guarantee that will change.

xG also doesn't measure heart, and from that perspective I'd argue we are definitely in the bottom 3 of the league

 

[Dharma]

Think December decides our season. If we can get points from the decent clubs in the division that'll raise confidence. Right now I don't see us getting a point until boxing day and that means we'll probably be 18th or 19th at new year.

We need 20+ points by the end of the year, seems to be the concensus, or we go down.

Very difficult to see where they will come from.

 

[Billysgingham.]

I don't think you were that bad yesterday and at times I thought you were going to double your lead. Definitely not the worse side we've played this season. You always come and seem to give it a go which is why, I think, it's usually a good game when we play you.

Not that those comments count for much and indeed you find yourselves in a relegation battle but I do hope you stay up. Never really minded Everton.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

Koff you headpatting beaut.

 

[Bluerover]

The players heads drop so easy, none of them play with passion, with joy and that comes from the manager for me.

MG we have been like that for over three decades now.

It sickens me tbh the wet tissue strength of character that Everton teams have.

1995 was a brief moment of sheer joy but remember that Joe's main priority on appointment was to put a spine into the team and make sure we survived in the league - May 94 still gives me nightmares.

Sadly I am not hopeful that the situation is going to change at EFC for the foreseeable...

 

[DaChunk]

Siggy might be the most mentally weak player i've seen play for Everton. Barkley had an ego the size of Bramley Moore compared to Siggy and a fair few others in this team. For that reason I'm genuinely concerned we lack the guts for a dog fight and could go down.