When you saw the fixture list....

[tadao]

Just be forthright with the fans. It's a meaningless competition due to us being in Europe. We don't have the squad for it - we don't even have a legitimate striker.

Keep them fresh for important games. We have no pace or balance - so we have to try and make that up with energy and technique through a long season. Don't make it longer than it has to be.

If the fans see a reserve or youth team named, they'll know the score.

Unless fans think that bridging the gap in the league is too tough and they'd rather win a cup?

 

[Tubey]

Unless fans think that bridging the gap in the league is too tough and they'd rather win a cup?

Which is fine, but in that case go for Europa and FA. I very much doubt we can compete on four fronts. I doubt we can compete on one actually, but definitely not four.

 

[tadao]

Which is fine, but in that case go for Europa and FA. I very much doubt we can compete on four fronts. I doubt we can compete on one actually, but definitely not four.

Although, the league cup (Carabao??), might be easier to win and finishes earlier than the others?
We're grasping at straws aren't we?

 

[Khalekan]

Like people said results wise not the worst but definitely around the very minimum expected. Performance wise far far worse than expected. It's extremely difficult to see everton finish top 7 at this point let alone challenge top 4.

In the two seasons Martinez finished 11th twice I thought we played some great football those seasons but just looked tactically inept. On the evidence so far this season is going to be far far worse in both league position and performance.
I remember on our bad run before home to arsenal last season the general consensus was that the football was poor and the results were poor. This season could be much more of that but for the foreseeable future.

As everton fans this season is going to be a lot of low scoring games, poor football. Frustration trying to break teams down.

This team will do well to finish top half

I think this is quite possibly the least optimistic Ive felt about everton for many a season and it should be the most.

Great post, JJ

Here is my theory.

Fans will put up with bad football if it is winning football.

They will tolerate losing football if it is good football.

What they will not put up with is bad, losing football.

And to echo the words of most people whom have been posting here recently, it is not the results which are depressing me right now......it is the abject, supine nature of our play the the last two and a half league games.

 

[Khalekan]

Exactly where I thought.

Expected us to beat Stoke, and then get 1 or 2 draws. At best I could probably see 7 points. A win against Stoke, 1 draw and possibly beat Spurs with it being a home game.

As a club we should just forfeit the Chelsea and Man United games every season because the mentality our players have, and have had since the Premier League era began, has been nothing short of a disgrace and an embarrassment. You've got Burnley going to Stamford Bridge and getting a 3-2 win there, Swansea did the same at Anfield last season and yet season after season we turn up at those grounds and we quite literally do not stand a chance.

We can be playing against 10 men for over 45 minutes, we can be leading in to the 98th minute, and Everton Football Club will simply not get a victory at Anfield, Stamford Bridge or the Emirates and barring the Oviedo winner, Old Trafford too. And our winless record at Spurs and Man City increases year on year too.

For me, the season starts after next week when we have that defeat out of the way.

Isn't that just the most depressing commentary on our current state?

We are all pretty much resigned to the season starting the week after next

 

[chrismpw]

Great post, JJ

Here is my theory.

Fans will put up with bad football if it is winning football.

They will tolerate losing football if it is good football.

What they will not put up with is bad, losing football.

And to echo the words of most people whom have been posting here recently, it is not the results which are depressing me right now......it is the abject, supine nature of our play the the last two and a half league games.

Yeah, supine.
That's the unexpected part for me. We had a head start over the other teams and had to play competitive games before them. I was hoping we'd at least be fitter and faster than the others come season start.

Wakey wakey Everton!

 

[Lanolin]

Which is fine, but in that case go for Europa and FA. I very much doubt we can compete on four fronts. I doubt we can compete on one actually, but definitely not four.

Although, the league cup (Carabao??), might be easier to win and finishes earlier than the others?
We're grasping at straws aren't we?

I would definitely make a big effort in the League Cup. Yes we all know it's a poor relation, but we need a trophy. Just something to put a smile on people's faces and get that 22 year monkey off our back before it gets to a genuinely ridiculous stage.

A run in the Europa would be great but realistically I just can't see us winning that. We're way short of the teams who've won it in recent years in my opinion, so it's difficult to imagine us getting that far.

In relation to the OP, I expected somewhere between 4 and 7 points so we're in the same ballpark in terms of points. Not even in the same continent in terms of performances though.

 

[Eggs]

...I'm old enough to never predict the outcome of football matches, especially where my team are concerned. I had no points target, I just wanted to see a team playing well, creating chances and carrying a threat. If we have that, results will follow. I'm still waiting.

 

[Nymzee]

I thought we'd beat Stoke, draw with Spurs and lose to Chelsea & City.

So we're bang on points-wise.

 

[Brendan Janus]

All I can say is, thank Christ there are a few worse teams than us in this Premier League !!

 

[Scolari]

Home to the top 6 = 1 point
Away to the top 6 = 0 points
Home to the rest = 3 points
Away to the rest = 1 point

That would give us 58 points and result in a 7th place finish (based on last years table).

This should be the minimum requirement for the season IMO.

By that reckoning we are exactly where we should be, with a point gained at City and a point lost at home to Spurs.

 

[formerly manx toffee]

I would be very happy with a draw with Utd. We need two wins after that though

 

[formerly manx toffee]

Home to the top 6 = 1 point
Away to the top 6 = 0 points
Home to the rest = 3 points
Away to the rest = 1 point

That would give us 58 points and result in a 7th place finish (based on last years table).

This should be the minimum requirement for the season IMO.

By that reckoning we are exactly where we should be, with a point gained at City and a point lost at home to Spurs.

Pretty much how I view it

 

[Black Belt Jones]

We had two solid months plus last season of really bad football - Oct and Nov, won 1 game (and that was only against West Ham at home), and 7th place was still a stroll. So shouts of struggling to finish top half sound hugely alarmist IMHO. Some of the players will become boss and good things will happen.
OTOH so what we finish seventh - In terms of building on last season and displacing one of the top 6 then yeah that does look like a pipedream at this stage.

 

[Khalekan]

Home to the top 6 = 1 point
Away to the top 6 = 0 points
Home to the rest = 3 points
Away to the rest = 1 point

That would give us 58 points and result in a 7th place finish (based on last years table).

This should be the minimum requirement for the season IMO.

By that reckoning we are exactly where we should be, with a point gained at City and a point lost at home to Spurs.

What is this.....the RAWK Alternative League Table where the cultists disregard actual results and base the table on what the par for any particular game is