The rest of the season

[TraffordBlue]

It's not 'if this/if that' though, it's simply saying 'if we hadn't spent £30m on 2 attacking players who haven't got a league goal or assist between them all season, we'd probably be better off than we are.' It seems a pretty sound premise to me like.

Of course it's an entirely hypothetical situation, but as we're not players, managers or chairmen, so is everything we talk about on here. It'd be a pretty dull place if we could only talk about facts and not give our own opinions. I'm not saying that a couple of better signings would definitely 100% absolutely no problem at all have seen us finish above Arsenal, simply that it obviously hasn't helped that some of our signings have literally contributed nothing to the cause. Seriously, nothing. They're not even an option from the bench. It just seems like an obvious fact to me, but fair enough if you disagree.

Finally, Arsenal beating us last season is really, really, not even remotely relevant to the discussion is it? I mean we've failed to beat West Brom twice this season but you'd surely take issue with anyone who claimed we weren't better than them? You wouldn't agree that League One Wigan must be a better side than us because they beat City and we didn't, or that Bournemouth beating Chelsea 3-0 away is proof that they'll finish above them next year? Arsenal are a good side, we've already established that on paper they're better than us. That in no way takes away from the fact that there should have been an opportunity for us to challenge them this season, but we blew it.

Your first 2 paragraphs are fair enough.

However, on this, it's a bit different. They were one off games, whereas Arsenal beat us in the final game last season with 10 men when we had Lukaku and Barkley etc, and this season they have beaten us over 2 games 10-3. I think there is a gulf in quality between the 2 squads which has been shown when we've played them in our last 3 fixtures, and with them finishing 14 points ahead of us last season, and being 11 points ahead this season, with that gap most likely getting significantly bigger come the end of the season.

If we were only slightly behind them in both scenarios, I may be able to see your point a bit more but I think they're a lot further ahead than us than you are giving them credit for. Saying we should have closed the gap is one thing, but suggesting they were there for the taking is another, because there will be an even bigger gap than 14 points at the end of the season when the likes of Aubameyang and Ozil see off the poorer teams in the league whilst we struggle to get wins against the likes of Huddersfield and Swansea away.

 

[Lanolin]

Your first 2 paragraphs are fair enough.

However, on this, it's a bit different. They were one off games, whereas Arsenal beat us in the final game last season with 10 men when we had Lukaku and Barkley etc, and this season they have beaten us over 2 games 10-3. I think there is a gulf in quality between the 2 squads which has been shown when we've played them in our last 3 fixtures, and with them finishing 14 points ahead of us last season, and being 11 points ahead this season, with that gap most likely getting significantly bigger come the end of the season.

If we were only slightly behind them in both scenarios, I may be able to see your point a bit more but I think they're a lot further ahead than us than you are giving them credit for. Saying we should have closed the gap is one thing, but suggesting they were there for the taking is another, because there will be an even bigger gap than 14 points at the end of the season when the likes of Aubameyang and Ozil see off the poorer teams in the league whilst we struggle to get wins against the likes of Huddersfield and Swansea away.

At the risk of repeating myself, do you not think that there’s a chance they may not have beaten us 10-3 on aggregate had we spent £60m on good players rather than the dross we actually got? That is, after all, the whole point of what we’re discussing.

 

[TraffordBlue]

At the risk of repeating myself, do you not think that there’s a chance they may not have beaten us 10-3 on aggregate had we spent £60m on good players rather than the dross we actually got? That is, after all, the whole point of what we’re discussing.

Wouldn't have been 10-3 but I don't think we would have improved on the 3 points we got last season against them, and over the course of the season think their quality and mentality in the other games would have seen them quite comfortably ahead of us again.

Hope we make some better purchases in the summer though so we can try and achieve what you are suggesting.

 

[LiamG]

Claiming we would be 14/16 points better off 'if this/if that' happened is manipulated though isn't it. I can see what you're both saying but every set of supporters could argue the same. If the RS kept Coutinho and added Van Dijk, they could be 2nd with a shot at the title next season. If Arsenal had kept Sanchez and added Aubameyang etc.

I don't think we're too far away from having a decent side ready to close the gap with the right additions but I also think some underestimate how big some of the flaws in our side are. Even with players like Lukaku and Barkley etc last season we still couldn't beat 10 man Arsenal at the Emirates, and finished 14 points behind them in what was a disappointing season for them. You used the words 'ripe for the taking' but I think Arsenal are better than what they appear and they will still be way ahead of the rest of the league at the end of the season.

Apart from the first season or two under Martinez Arsenal could always beat us in 2nd gear. Its laughable to suggest we are close to them.

 

[LiamG]

It's not 'if this/if that' though, it's simply saying 'if we hadn't spent £30m on 2 attacking players who haven't got a league goal or assist between them all season, we'd probably be better off than we are.' It seems a pretty sound premise to me like.

Of course it's an entirely hypothetical situation, but as we're not players, managers or chairmen, so is everything we talk about on here. It'd be a pretty dull place if we could only talk about facts and not give our own opinions. I'm not saying that a couple of better signings would definitely 100% absolutely no problem at all have seen us finish above Arsenal, simply that it obviously hasn't helped that some of our signings have literally contributed nothing to the cause. Seriously, nothing. They're not even an option from the bench. It just seems like an obvious fact to me, but fair enough if you disagree.

Finally, Arsenal beating us last season is really, really, not even remotely relevant to the discussion is it? I mean we've failed to beat West Brom twice this season but you'd surely take issue with anyone who claimed we weren't better than them? You wouldn't agree that League One Wigan must be a better side than us because they beat City and we didn't, or that Bournemouth beating Chelsea 3-0 away is proof that they'll finish above them next year? Arsenal are a good side, we've already established that on paper they're better than us. That in no way takes away from the fact that there should have been an opportunity for us to challenge them this season, but we blew it.

There's a difference between being closer and close enough to challenge.

Our best player is an Arsenal reject. To challenge them we would literally need a brand new squad. They are better in every position and have a far superior bench.

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

I suggest that after one more win we play:
Steklenburg
JJK, Holgate, Feeney, Garbutt
Beningame, Davies,Klassen
Vlassic, Tosun, DCL

Send the others on holiday early and tell them to come back when we have something to play for again.

 

[davids]

We've waited over 20 years already. What would be another 5.

Plus 5 years to see us win a cup would require year on year improvement. At the moment we are going backwards.

But then your not one of the baying mob.Lose a few games, and most on here are calling for the managers head.

 

[LiamG]

But then your not one of the baying mob.Lose a few games, and most on here are calling for the managers head.

I didn't need to wait for 5 games before I wanted Koeman gone.

Form is temporary. Class is permanent. I can accept players and managers going on bad runs but if they are rubbish they are rubbish.

 

[billyblue80]

Is this guy meant to be funny ?

 

[LEONARD]

I make no predictions for the rest of the season, aside from the derby at Goodison in April.

Backs to the wall for 90 minutes, as they absolutely batter us.

By a miracle we hang on, but Salah makes a run into the box, in the 3rd minute of time added on, only to be chopped down by Martina.

Milner steps up, and calmly slots in the pen.

Cue, red flares in the lower Bullens.

Post match interview, and F.S. say's he's 'really proud of the players and his 100% record against the red's'.

 

[LiamG]

Totally agree.

I've said before that some players who people want to say aren't good enough now could look a whole lot better with the right players around them and when asked to do the right things. I've been critical of Keane this season, but to be fair to the lad he looked a whole lot better with Coleman next to him for a game and a half than he has all season. I think Gana, Davies Sigurdsson etc would all look much better players if we could get our hands on a new Arteta type player who could run the midfield, and virtually any half decent left back would add a balance which has been missing from the side for months.

We don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater, we just need to identify the right players (and hopefully manager) to improve us as a unit.

If we are looking for a Arteta type midfielder we couldn't do much better than Denis Suarez.

He will leave Barca in the summer although not sure he would come here but we should at least ask.

 

[PeregrineT]

There are only 2 things we should be doing for the rest of the season:

1. Trying to get 7th
2. Play the players we expect to be here next year, so they have time to fit together and hit the ground running.

Everything else is moot. 7th and europe still has a big draw to transfer targets, and we dont want a repeat of what happened this year with a bunch of new players who cant play together. We need to find out now if Tosun can be our main striker next season, if Holgate and Keane can develop into consistent starters, etc, etc.

 

[SerenityNigh]

I sense that many of us would like the season to be over so we can start thinking to the future (hopefully with a new manager), but what positives can we look to get from the rest of the season? Can we blood some youngsters? Get some confidence into the squad?

The youngsters who need blooding in are: DCL, Vlasic, Davies, J Williams, Kenny, Baningame, and Holgate. Might as well throw Davy in that mix, to see what he's got. Fortunately, Dowell and Lookman are getting first team experience elsewhere, although whether that profits Everton remains to be seen.

But the only person who needs blooding in, in my eyes, is the next manager.

*Maybe the next DOF as well

 

[tadpole]

For me the rest of the season is all about which players are prepared to stand up and be counted. I don't see us as being at any real risk of going down. But there is a real risk that the tail end of the season could get even uglier than what we've seen already, with a string of shabby defeats. That's what will happen, unless we show the same pride and fight as you'd expect from an Everton team. So I wouldn't be throwing youngsters in for the sake of it. I'd be taking a good hard look at a few squad players and letting them know that decisions will be made in the summer based partly on what they show in the coming weeks.

 

[Khalekan]

Is this guy meant to be funny ?

lol


Well, he made me laugh anyway Billy lol