This Year

[little curly alan ball]

I've got to say we have the weaponry.

If Saha had been on his game he could have had a couple, but saying that so should have Ebanks-Blake.

Billy is brand new to this league and it will take him awhile for his type of game to settle, but you cant not notice his delivery. He's got a wicked pass on him.

For me we drew today because of Moyes tactics. We go into every game with Plan A firmly on the whiteboard. You can't play the same game against every side. You can't play 5 midfielders and 1 striker against a 'weaker' team. You have to back your attack and fuel it, rather than stifle it. You can't grind a result against teams like this without bending them over and smacking their bottoms. They get disheartened with early goals and momentum and then you steer that baby home. You don't set the stall out to defend at home against the Wolves of the world.

We can't look on the draw as anything other than a tactical failure.

Amen , my brother . It was the wrong side from the off - 2 home games in a row-, and it took 3 - wasted - subs to rectify it . Saha , when interested , can hold his own in this league , but I honestly can't see him striking up a patnership with Yak , as he just hasn't got the mobility .
To my mind at least .

 

[TyphooToffee]

I'm sitting here trying to rid my mind of the tangent upon which the " meet-up " thread has currently jettisoned off on , and was thinking about our side this year .
We're a decent way in now , not quite a quarter but getting there .
Anyway , me point is , despite the fact that , I believe most would concur , we are a better SQUAD since huge fod' , however , I do not believe we are a better SIDE . At least right now , and I'd wager , this season generally .
Heitinga , Bily , Distin and Johnny will help us , but the loss of Piennar has illustrated how important that whole Bainsey , Elephant Man , Peanut triumverate were as regards our attacking potential .
Billy has ability , but does not look to get behind the full back , preferring to launch balls from much deeper , as he feels able .
However , this leaves Bainsey unable to get to the by - line without 2 or 3 big arse defenders in his way .It is a problem .


It's not just the absentees either , this , oh , and Heitinga may be a boss , Phil Neville type in the big games , but surely not at home anymore against the likes of Wolves .
Our strikers are now going to have to form a relationship , or - ships , literlally , on the run .
A further point is , that this league has moved on .No longer are the likes of Wolves , Stoke , etc going to be anyone's patsy's . Everyone is much of a muchness , with the difference a matter of degrees .
In addition , our current standing will probably dictate that we are unlikely to reach the heights of last year .
In honesty , with what I've seen so far , I'd say , we'll finish about 7th / 8th and perhaps have a EUFA run , with a view to settling down next year .
Pessimism , but honest pessimism .
What say you ???

I'd say you're just about spot on

 

[Neiler]

As always you have to look at the dynamic of the league in the praticular season. I dont think we are going to see anyone win the league by 80 + points this season. We have already seen Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool etc drop points - they al look shakey at the back.

As has been said we have seen the likes Stoke, Wolves, Burnley etc be competitive. Its a much more difficult league with any club able to take points of anyone else really. Add to the mix Spurs, Villa, City who are all showing uncharicteristic consistencey and Sunderland who up untill this point have won games were we have drawn for me this season is going to be the most difficult and unpredictable in a long long time form the top 8 down.

What the team lacks at the moment is its creative threat and the guile of leadership. Just as at this point last season we are to one dimensiol and predictable this was seen yesterday and against Stoke, cross after cross followed by long ball the imagination has been taken out of our team with the loss of Arteta and Pienaar. Our drive and tenacity seems lessoned too and it shows you exactly what Neville and Jags bring to the team. Really we couldnt have lost more key players then we have. There is very little imagination to our style of play at present and no vairence to the type of chancers we are trying to create - we are predictabel. On thursday McCarthey told the media exacly how we would play and we did - we have little choice at present.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves though make no mistake with one or two players coming back in weeks we can be a force and we are capable of turning these draws into wins quite easily. If we can stay in touch with City, Villa, Spurs, and Sunderland by Christmas i beleive we will push on. There is a great oppurtunity in the league this year for a CL berth i cant see Liverpool getting, there should be no reason when poeple come back in the next few weeks why we cant be competitive for it - there are still a lot of games to go and points to play for. We are unbeaten in seven - which is a foundation for consistency that not many teams are showing - thats us not our best its there to be built on. If we can stay 5 -6 points behind Spurs and Villa untill the start of Dec ill be happy.

The squad is definitely stronger, in fact it could be quite close to completion - all thats needed is maybe two players with similar instincts to Arteta and Pienaar (easy to say isnt it) to offer us a creative outlet and varinence to just knocking in crosses and long balls which we do when the creative component of the team is out. Some intense coaching work needs to be done with our defence and DM midfeild, every team we have played this season have made chances against us.

Its frightening how much Stoke and Wolves remind me of Everton and our style of play about four years ago - other teams have learned there lessons of us.

So to summerise we should expect europa but we should also be competitive for the CL.

 

[Goat]

I think your the only Everton fan in the world who still thinks we can make a CL spot.

 

[Neiler]

I think your the only Everton fan in the world who still thinks we can make a CL spot.

Competitive mate - its a big if - but i think thats where we should be setting our sights really, given what we have in terms of expierence and quality all fit - and importantly IMO fresh at that time of the year.

We're two wins and a draw of it with a game in hand on a few - three wins of it at the end of last season - why admit defeat when our best players are coming back and so many points to play for.

 

[little curly alan ball]

Neiler , I take your point , mate . However , hand on heart , I can't see us being in contention around Xmas , . Spurs , e.g., are already 7 points , I think , ahead , with us having already played Stoke / Wolves / Wigan / Blackburn at home , and Burnley and Pompey away .
I stand by the fact that this will be a settling down season . Even with Jags and Mikel back , they'll take a month or two to resume normal service . That'll be Feb' , and that doesn't leave us much to work with .
Eufa would be nice though .