The bloody fixture! 15/16

[bignev23]

This is like when Ferguson or Mourinho start whinging and they look a right tit.

 

[njligernj]

I realize OP framed this by calling it a nightmare but I think discussing the schedule is perfectly valid. The whole "they get paid to play football" line is so reductive it would erase all discussion of football from the planet. The impact on morale of a schedule like this seems completely worthy of discussion.

It could turn out to be positive of course if we get some results. Of course we're nailed on to lose most of the next ten to the lower teams if we somehow won most of this ten. Coupled with the reality of our finances and that we tend to do our bigger purchases later in the window it does concern me that we're so front-loaded with tough games. Of course they get paid to play football so no time to gel and develop chemistry is irrelevant.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

Surely that's the Club/managements fault for us not being prepared/fit, nothing to do with the fixtures really.

It's all excuses... oh we are playing the big boys and we aren't ready...thursday sunday is ruining us...too many games over christmas.

All rubbish the season starts august every year, the team should be ready regardless of opposition.

There's no excuses it just unfortunate that we've got to play 8 of the top 10 from last season in our first 10 games, for any teams early fixtures that would be a tough start and it could have been kinder.

Nobody, concluding Chelsea or City, would like that start to the season.

 

[exiledtoffee]

I think it does actually.

For instance look at last season. Due to poor preparation we weren't conditioned properly to last 90 minutes against the big boys early on, and from being in a comfortable position against Arsenal we let a 2 goal lead slip. The following week the best team in the league turn up and we're still under cooked and although we put up a fight they steam roll us easily. By that point it's obvious to everyone we've not been properly prepared for the season and we've faced two top teams who didn't need to be in top gear to beat us. If we'd had played say teams like Villa or Sunderland would we have had a better chance of beating them while not being at our best or fittest? I reckon we could have got away with it, or at least not took a confidence sapping 6-3 home defeat. Suddenly after 3 games we've gone from being a team with a solid water tight defence, one of the best in the league, to team leaking goals and looking a mess. You can't say that didn't effect how the season began to unravel.

The key to a good season is starting off well and gaining confidence and momentum quickly, a run of Newly promoted team>Southampton>City>Spurs>Chelsea would never be easy but with it coming at the beginning of the season while your trying to find a rhythm and confidence it's a tougher ask. If things don't go well then and the next batch of games consists of Liverpool>Utd>Arsenal we could be looking at a very large gap between us and the top teams before the clocks have turned back. A good start will be vital to how our season pans out and these fixtures don't make it easy in any way for us.

If you could hand pick a sequence of the first 10 games there's no way anyone on here would choose it like this.

I actually don't mind our start, like others have said, you have to play them all twice, but for us our depth is a huge issue against the "bigger" clubs. I think most Evertonians would feel reasonably confident if we could somehow play our first XI for all 38 matches that we could at least give anyone a game, but when injuries / suspensions hit us, we just can't compete with the larger squads, but playing them early I think gives us a better chance. Not saying we will be top 4 at the end of October or anything, but as it stands today, our squad should be settled for the start of the season given the relative minor changes to date (jury still out on RM and pre season preparations, but in reality we should have no excuses to not be playing well from the start this season)

 

[toffeestillidie]

Having time to think it over - far better to play the best before they are in their stride - for example how many games do the top 5 lose after Christmas against the other 15 sides? Not too many is it?

An easier way to look at it is that Chelsea had the league wrapped up by November last year (IMO) as they had played all their tough away games (at United, City, Everton (6-3 win)) and were already well ahead of the pack. If we can emerge with 12 or 13 points we're in a great position for the rest of the season - and if not, well at least it can only get better..

If we can emerge from that with 12-13 points we'll just bottle the easy games later on in the season

 

[Bigmaclad]

Gonna get max points

 

[parksey69]

Depends how long Deulofeu, Pienaar and now maybe Lukaku are out for. I see no goals with them missing. We need these fit and raring to go to stand in any chance of winning those opening ten games. I know Pienaar and Deulofeu don't give you goals directly but they will create majority of chances

 

[LAToffee]

If the transfer window is still a factor (i.e. if we haven't sold Stones or finished our acquisitions), the opening fixtures could be even worse than they look. We are a team that has been susceptible in the past to the disruption protracted transfer sagas. Need to put Stones to bed one way or other as fast as possible. If we get anything over 30 million I think we'll be ok. I'd prefer 40 or for those chavs to go away, but my main priority is to have it sorted. We need to have a good sense of our starting back four before the season starts.

 

[4737carlin]

If the transfer window is still a factor (i.e. if we haven't sold Stones or finished our acquisitions), the opening fixtures could be even worse than they look. We are a team that has been susceptible in the past to the disruption protracted transfer sagas. Need to put Stones to bed one way or other as fast as possible. If we get anything over 30 million I think we'll be ok. I'd prefer 40 or for those chavs to go away, but my main priority is to have it sorted. We need to have a good sense of our starting back four before the season starts.

The season when we started without knowing what was going on with Lescott was a nightmare, but i don't feel as bad about this one. He wanted away and it was us holding it up, this time its Chelsea making all the noise and not so much the player.
I think we know what are starting back 4 is, just a worry for the fans that it might not stay together but ive got a feeling Martinez knows either way already if Stones is going or not.

 

[cduff]

4 min 28 seconds

Cracker!

 

[Ashtonian]

the way i see it, the start of the season is harder for everyone because you need to bed new players in if you are a half decent team and playing one of the promoted teams, they are always a step above their game to try and get the points earning off early before they drop off.

but this works in our favour i think IF we can get out act together. Because playing less top teams after the first 10 games means we can put a run together and quietly stay up there whilst finding form. So when we then start going away to the big teams we can have a bit of confidence. If the top 7 are all beating each other over the season then all we really need to do therefore is win the games we should be winning and turn up against the top teams away and give them a game.

All down to the manager though this year, the buck stops with him.

 

[efcfanwirral]

The season when we started without knowing what was going on with Lescott was a nightmare, but i don't feel as bad about this one. He wanted away and it was us holding it up, this time its Chelsea making all the noise and not so much the player.
I think we know what are starting back 4 is, just a worry for the fans that it might not stay together but ive got a feeling Martinez knows either way already if Stones is going or not.

I agree - my biggest concern though is that we might end up with Hibbert starting at centre back next week!

 

[SingBlue]

Gonna get max points

Shouldn't that be in the transfer rumours thread?

Re the fixtures - it could've been worse. The RS are bleating that theirs is a conspiracy to stop them winning the league, by ensuring their manager is sacked by October etc. etc.

What shocked me last season was we dropped 4 points from the opening 2 fixtures late in each game; got a hiding off eventual Champions at Goodison, and then the confidence was gone from the team. It was like a season-long hangover in the end. Never put a run together all year. I know confidence breeds confidence etc. but I seriously worry for us if we get off to a slow start again.

Enough to turn me to drink. Except I live in a dry country. Everton that.

 

[Jacko93]

I will be amazed if we win 4 from that lot.I predict we beat Watford then it will be all downhill from there especially if we have potentially unsettled players in the line up e.g Stones, Mccarthy and Mirallas. Let's not forget when Moyes played unsettled Lescott we lost 1-6 on the opening day.

Lescott was unsettled because he didn't want to be here and had said before the game, he didn't really want to play. That's the difference.

 

[davek]