The next steps

[Bluestar]

If i'm going to be negative about it, and I am..

Newcastle - No wins in 10 come to goodison... and Win
Fulham - No wins in 10 come to Goodison... and Win
Southampton - No Wins in 8 come to Goodison... and?

Seriously, Monday's game against Southampton is huge for lots of reasons. Ancelotti and the players need to step up and end the bad run. We know we're capable, but we need to control the game, and actually go at them. I watched them against Chelsea and they sit back and soak up the pressure.

Getting in Europe is achievable this season if we sort the home form, which we really need to. Yes we've been great away this year, but we still have Chelsea, Arsenal (where we always struggle) and City to go, plus huge games at direct rivals West Ham and Villa. By contrast Southampton, Burnley, Palace, Spurs, Villa, Sheffield United and Wolves is a really good stretch of home games, and we've got to do what we can.

I've seen enough from the club that the transfer policy is turning the corner. Get CL football we push our targets forward by a year, get EL we can push forward. Players want to play for Carlo, players will want to play with James. Just get in Europe everton.

CL would be an unbelievable achievement this season and I suspect a little too far. We‘ll have to start by beating Southampto.

 

[Goat]

CL would be an unbelievable achievement this season and I suspect a little too far. We‘ll have to start by beating Southampto.

Is this now a MUST WIN game?

Our 45th of the season.

 

[Bluestar]

Is this now a MUST WIN game?

Our 45th of the season.

It is, and we need to play like its the Derby.

 

[Seathestars]

I think Carlo knows, when we’re away we can sit back and defend like Atletico, hit teams on the break, or even just come marauding out in numbers.

When we’re home we’re expected to take the game to the opposition, then they sit back and play us at our own game.
I‘m not sure what the solution is, but Carlo will sort it out no question, he probably needs another 2 or 3 players to get it done.
I reckon in season 22/23 we will be Champions, sniff your Ma lurkers

 

[Rob17896]

Yesterdays result was fabulous. It’s finally broken a spell that has bound us for years. It was done through tenacious defending and purposeful counter attacking. It feels like it should be a springboard.

The next puzzle to solve is how to go into games like that with a less defensively minded mindset. We played two games this week against tough opposition. In both games we had less than thirty percent possession and in both games we went in set up to defend. It worked in one and failed in the other. It also failed against Leicester.

We also have a conundrum to solve against teams like Newcastle and Fulham where we are expected to do well, but didn’t.

How do we take the next step as a club to dominating against lower opposition and matching better teams. What are the missing ingredients?

I like the strong defence approach, we get in the faces of the opposition. We appear not too when facing 'lesser' teams and I would suggest it is more to do with attitude than ability.

 

[Bluestar]

I like the strong defence approach, we get in the faces of the opposition. We appear not too when facing 'lesser' teams and I would suggest it is more to do with attitude than ability.

I think so. We also seem to pass out from the back against those teams and put ourselves into all sorts of trouble.

Given Southamptons loss tonight, they will be right up for it next week. Anything but full commitment fans we will lose again at Goodison.