The Now-Irrelevant 2024/25 Relegation Battle (Without Everton!)

[chippy1722]

We got 1 point from the first 5 games last season, had a 10+ game winless run in the middle, got deducted 8 points and stayed up by 10+ points. There’s a long way to go.

How dare you be so positive, you will ruin the dreams of the people on here who’ve been wishing us to go down for the last three seasons, just to be proved right.

 

[chippy1722]

Can’t shake the feeling we go down in our last season at Goodison.

We can’t score and our shipping goals for fun. Dire combination.

Two games against teams who are much better, we will manage to get points against the other poor teams.

 

[larbert toffee]

We got 1 point from the first 5 games last season, had a 10+ game winless run in the middle, got deducted 8 points and stayed up by 10+ points. There’s a long way to go.

The voice of reason

 

[Blue peter]

We got 1 point from the first 5 games last season, had a 10+ game winless run in the middle, got deducted 8 points and stayed up by 10+ points. There’s a long way to go.

For me it’s not about whether we go down or not (it may get to the point where it is about that but that’s not yet) - it is where is the optimism about the team selections and playing style improving, tactics and in game management. If the first two games is anything to go by, I have no optimism this will improve.

 

[ah11984]

Already supporting 4 teams a week from next weekend - the toffees and whoever’s playing Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton.

 

[welshtoffee]

Can’t shake the feeling we go down in our last season at Goodison.

We can’t score and our shipping goals for fun. Dire combination.

Very early days yet but I have the same feeling , we look abysmal and totally clueless all over the team.

 

[Alan Whittle]

Seen a few Palace fans really quite concerned after their first two games. Many suggesting that they're looking too light as things stand.

I reckon they'll be alright personally, probably dip back into the market in the coming week as well. Thoughts @Alan Whittle ?

A combination of things has led to a very poor start;

1. Olise, Andersen, Ayew all sold, all excellent, experienced PL players and good professionals.
2. The Henderson / Johnstone farrago. Glasner wants Henderson because he is better with his feet. True, but Johnstone is much better with his hands FFS. The defence look much more assured with Johnstone behind them.
3. We have bought in some talented but inexperienced players; Kamada, Riad and the more experienced Sarr. The first two look like they will probably come good but are a bit wobbly at the moment. Sarr will be OK if he keeps his head on straight.
4. Glasnerball; Last season the opposition were WTF? How do we combat this? Brentford and WHU had worked us out and all the goals they scored came the same way. (No, I won't tell you what it is )
5. Lack of goals; Edouard is hopeless, all we have is Mateta who looks tired after his Olympic exploits with France. We desperately need a goal scorer.
6. Eze; Looks out of place in the Glasner system, it's almost like he has been told, don't worry, just go out and do your stuff, everyone else will do the rest. That works when Eze is on it but his decision making has gone badly wrong, he is hanging on to the ball too long and losing it and taking too long to get his shots off. We need to find a way of incorporating our most creative player.
7. We are down to the last week of the window and everyone knows we're desperate. Parish will not deviate from the model, which has proved successful in the past and kept the club debt free and on an even keel after two administrations this century. But the gap between the competitive clubs and the rest is getting bigger and when you look at what Forest and Fulham are spending that's two more we can't compete with. Very frustrating but not (yet) expecting to go down.

 

[Davideeyore]

As someone else said, looks grim now. As others point out it's a similar start to last season. On Dyche's side, this is true. In his favour last season he did make the idea of relegation seem a bit nonsensical. Bit like those imaginary fans that Dyche thinks we're going for Europe this season. However my irk is that you'd expect Dyche to take us on a bit he's not whatsoever he's gone backwards. He'll probably keep his job and get results like last season so we won't be threatened with relegation. In terms of the bloke being sacked it's almost the safest job in the country he went 4 months without a win last season after the initial poor start. Still, it's not acceptable for me. Not for Everton to be like this.

 

[NSNO1878EFC]

For me it’s not about whether we go down or not (it may get to the point where it is about that but that’s not yet) - it is where is the optimism about the team selections and playing style improving, tactics and in game management. If the first two games is anything to go by, I have no optimism this will improve.

The aim is to survive until the ownership and financial situation at the club is stable. I’ll be more optimistic once all that is sorted.

 

[Gilbert..]

We got 1 point from the first 5 games last season, had a 10+ game winless run in the middle, got deducted 8 points and stayed up by 10+ points. There’s a long way to go.

There is a big difference between the starts of last year and this. We were at least competitive and creating chances. Remember dyche and the XG after every game. He's not singing that tune now.
Remember the 4 nil tonking at vila at the start of the season. Who was at the back? Michael keane. Two tonkings in the first two games this season. Who's at the back? Yep. Why has the club spent nearly 20m on a centre half and we're still playing a player who almost guarentees goals flying in at an alarming rate when he starts.

I wasnt to worried at the start of last season as the players at least looked up for it. Dyches comments yest that he smelt the players didnt fancy it is a huge alarm bell going off. Its the 2nd game of the season and they look half arsed.
Im seeing very little comparison in attitude to the start of this and last season. The nature of the losses are very very different.

 

[Blue peter]

The aim is to survive until the ownership and financial situation at the club is stable. I’ll be more optimistic once all that is sorted.

That shouldn’t be the aim, we were above that last year at 48 points. The aim should be to maintain or gain more points if possible (even if only by a few points) and develop style of play which presumably from an attacking perspective the new players were brought into do. We have to start looking up and not down or over our shoulders. It’s the football of fear.

 

[NathDogg]

Let’s see where we are after 10 games, not looking very good I will admit, the players and managers body language and comments have been poor. Tactically we look very limited

Dyche he needs to let the new boys off the leash, including O’Brien, and get branthwaite back in the team, as the same old garbage haven’t changed their spots over the last few seasons.

Massive 2 games already next week - we have to win both imo. Mad pressure we’ve put on ourselves so soon into the season.

 

[Toffeepot]

A combination of things has led to a very poor start;

1. Olise, Andersen, Ayew all sold, all excellent, experienced PL players and good professionals.
2. The Henderson / Johnstone farrago. Glasner wants Henderson because he is better with his feet. True, but Johnstone is much better with his hands FFS. The defence look much more assured with Johnstone behind them.
3. We have bought in some talented but inexperienced players; Kamada, Riad and the more experienced Sarr. The first two look like they will probably come good but are a bit wobbly at the moment. Sarr will be OK if he keeps his head on straight.
4. Glasnerball; Last season the opposition were WTF? How do we combat this? Brentford and WHU had worked us out and all the goals they scored came the same way. (No, I won't tell you what it is )
5. Lack of goals; Edouard is hopeless, all we have is Mateta who looks tired after his Olympic exploits with France. We desperately need a goal scorer.
6. Eze; Looks out of place in the Glasner system, it's almost like he has been told, don't worry, just go out and do your stuff, everyone else will do the rest. That works when Eze is on it but his decision making has gone badly wrong, he is hanging on to the ball too long and losing it and taking too long to get his shots off. We need to find a way of incorporating our most creative player.
7. We are down to the last week of the window and everyone knows we're desperate. Parish will not deviate from the model, which has proved successful in the past and kept the club debt free and on an even keel after two administrations this century. But the gap between the competitive clubs and the rest is getting bigger and when you look at what Forest and Fulham are spending that's two more we can't compete with. Very frustrating but not (yet) expecting to go down.

All good points from someone more in the know than me but I can't help thinking the Eze shout is a bit harsh though. He was very unlucky not to score in both games. Eduoard holding his run a couple of centimetres and he had an assist too. He did score against Brentford. If that wasn't wrongfully ruled out by the refs own admission I doubt Brentford would've got a foothold in the game. Didn't watch yesterday other than highlights but heard it was disappointing alright. Presumably Eduoard and Mateta both starting will be an exception rather than the rule? I can't see ye anywhere near relegation this year despite losing such key players

 

[efcste97]

We'll know after Bournemouth how bad we really are. If we can't put in a performance vs them at home then I'll be worried.

 

[Wat Tyler]

We'll know after Bournemouth how bad we really are. If we can't put in a performance vs them at home then I'll be worried.

Prepare to be worried.