Relegation

[Lanolin]

I am well aware we are garbage, someone needs to tell the over paid losers who pull on a blue shirt that without 100% effort we end up with performance last night

Garbage teams will often try hard but still not win. Because they’re, you know, garbage.

 

[BlueToff]

Yep, exactly. I never went on for the effort or mentality thing but anyone who’s still peddling it even after seeing us win games recently by sheer force of will despite being utterly useless all game is either a wum or an idiot. It’s stressful enough following us at the moment without hearing baseless crap like that all the time.

It's ridiuclous.

There's plenty we can accuse this team of not doing. But what we cannot say they haven't done is put the effort in. It's an easy way out for some people. I know I like my stats etc but I can be balanced - footy doesn't have to be and shouldn't be full Moneyball, effort and spirit etc all plays a part. But it has been there, Everton just don't have much quality at all and it's shown time and time again. Lampard, while I understand his reasons, let the game drift a bit too much the other night, though the frustration is if we'd taken one more 0-0 in any of the 19 other games we'd lost this season we'd be 1 win away from definitive safety.

We may still well be, and the 'effort' will be there again on Sunday. Let's hope the quality is when it counts as it was against Chelsea.

 

[Toff33Blues99]

FFS it's not effort!!!

The effort is there, it's so clear. The quality lacks, that's why we're 16th.

Running harder doesn't make Gray or Gordon make better decisions on the ball.

FFS it is all about effort. They have got results recently in no short part a willingness to put a shift in which was lacking yesterday

 

[peteblue]

Pete, Arsenal were not going to just phone it in against us if they had qualified for CL. It's their last game of the season at home, they'd be looking to go out on a high whatever happened.

Spurs now have the bit between their teeth. Arsenal are at Newcastle on Monday evening, Spurs can be above them by two points by the time that game comes around, and if they do beat Burnley that is good for us as it means Burnley have lost two games in a row heading into that away game at Villa (which is their last home game of the season).

It‘s a moot point now anyway……

 

[blue to the bone]

Bookies don't always get it right.
But we are 1/50 to stay up ..
It will take an awful lot for it to happen

 

[BlueToff]

It‘s a moot point now anyway……

just got to do our bit in the next 2 games.

 

[BlueToff]

FFS it is all about effort. They have got results recently in no short part a willingness to put a shift in which was lacking yesterday

it wasn't though, we just lacked quality. we had the ball, had the chances, didn't finish them off

 

[Ring master]

Bookies don't always get it right.
But we are 1/50 to stay up ..
It will take an awful lot for it to happen

Not sure why its that much, we are far from safe, and it could go badly wrong the weekend

 

[Neiler]

It's ridiuclous.

There's plenty we can accuse this team of not doing. But what we cannot say they haven't done is put the effort in. It's an easy way out for some people. I know I like my stats etc but I can be balanced - footy doesn't have to be and shouldn't be full Moneyball, effort and spirit etc all plays a part. But it has been there, Everton just don't have much quality at all and it's shown time and time again. Lampard, while I understand his reasons, let the game drift a bit too much the other night, though the frustration is if we'd taken one more 0-0 in any of the 19 other games we'd lost this season we'd be 1 win away from definitive safety.

We may still well be, and the 'effort' will be there again on Sunday. Let's hope the quality is when it counts as it was against Chelsea.

Personally I think we have lacked the right mentality at times this season and previous seasons, whatever mentality means, as it’s a bit of a general description. Maybe confidence, fight, leadership or culture is a better description at times over this and previous seasons in big games in whatever shape they fall we‘ve lacked it in whatever challenges we’ve faced.

It’s an aspect I think Frank has improved but i would have been critical of it up to our recent run when we have had clutch games. So fair play to him and the players for getting the house in order. Up until this, there has been a massive disconnect between fans and this group of players to my mind.

 

[Toff33Blues99]

it wasn't though, we just lacked quality. we had the ball, had the chances, didn't finish them off

From the first whistle you could tell this was a v different team from last 2 games in particular. Effort simply wasn't there

 

[Goat]

From the first whistle you could tell this was a v different team from last 2 games in particular. Effort simply wasn't there

Effort was fine, application was lacking.

 

[Curtis]

it wasn't though, we just lacked quality. we had the ball, had the chances, didn't finish them off

I agree I don't think there was a lack of exertion but it wasn't just a deficiency of skill . They have obvious mental impediments as well. you could see they were just terrified of losing the ball so they just passed side to side and backwards. the setup didnt help but the lack of urgency affects the quality of the offense and that definitely iwas nfluenced by an absence of confidence.

 

[davek]

the one frustration I had with his approach yesterday was I think he could have been a bit more proactive without being reckless.

Gordon was useless and in a game like that was having no joy. Iwobi was getting down well down the right and should have just been given that freedom late on, with another body (Dele) thrown on in the centre to give us numbers. It's not a bad point by any means but the three would have been brilliant and there is a bit more pressure than needed now.

We are ultimately in control in the sense we know whatever happens that 4 points will be enough. But it would have been incredible to have that as just two points needed.

I completely endorse the cautious approach. He knows how brittle the confidence of these players are and that they get comfort by not being too adventurous.

We have to score, of course. But we could and should have last night. If Richarlison or Gray take their chances and we make a smash and grab the plaudits would have been doled out left, right and centre. It wasn't to be.

Lampard knows that if we add another couple of points (and most certainly with 3 added) we hand a hell of a job to both Burnley and Leeds.

 

[blue to the bone]

Not sure why its that much, we are far from safe, and it could go badly wrong the weekend

They will calculate it based on the most possible outcomes of all remaining games. For example
Leeds have 2 left 2 wins is the least probable outcome of their 2 games . They will do up all the various permutations and come up with a price . It will be doin by professionals using mathematics. It's not always right. But it's a lot more unbiased then people on a forum panicking too. At 1/50 it would be extremely unlikely that every thing needed would go against us based on their odds.

 

[knowing your history]

From the first whistle you could tell this was a v different team from last 2 games in particular. Effort simply wasn't there

Just hanging on for dear life in second halves can drain a team, you could see from sloppy passing and not getting first to 50/50 balls the team didn't have much energy. Frustrating as Watford were there for the taking but key was getting 4 points from the two aways, just did it the other way round to what most were expecting.

I'm certainly glad Palace at home wasn't played in the midweek after the Chelsea win as think we'd have seen a similar performance and Palace are obviously much better in final third than Watford.

Think the fixtures in terms of order and recovery have worked out pretty well in the run in.