I didn't SAY we would fade I said it was one of a few possible options
And as we are actually 5th we can't afford to fade one iota
Short version; It's our to lose
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I didn't SAY we would fade I said it was one of a few possible options
And as we are actually 5th we can't afford to fade one iota
Short version; It's our to lose
Over the last 10 seasons, the lowest number of points achieved by the team who finished 4th was Liverpool with 60 points, followed a season later by our 2004/05 campaign where we netted 61 points. Since then the number has floated closer to 70, the precise average being 68 points for 4th place.
Now the important thing to think about is that while we're slightly off the pace when you look at the average over the 10 seasons, this is a particularly close league this year, with most teams outside of the top 2 having less than you would expect at this point in the season. This should mean that the 4th place team will require closer to the 60 figure recorded by Liverpool, than the high 60s numbers of recent years.
In other words, with a current total of 33 points from 19 matches, matching our first half of the season form would give us a very good chance indeed of finishing 4th come the end of the the fixture list.
It's on ?
Now the important thing to think about is that while we're slightly off the pace when you look at the average over the 10 seasons, this is a particularly close league this year, with most teams outside of the top 2 having less than you would expect at this point in the season. This should mean that the 4th place team will require closer to the 60 figure recorded by Liverpool, than the high 60s numbers of recent years.
In other words, with a current total of 33 points from 19 matches, matching our first half of the season form would give us a very good chance indeed of finishing 4th come the end of the the fixture list.
It's on ?
SpeedEFC
Player Valuation: £8m
Good read and all of it is pretty much spot on, though one thing you're forgetting that I reckon is going to be absolutely crucial is how we do in the FA cup. It's no coincidence that we do well in the 2nd half of the season since I think it is linked to us being in cup competitions that makes the players play better. If we pull off a good cup run that will put the wind in our sails and I can see that being the catalyst to the form we will need if we want a champions league spot. God, imagine if we managed to win the FA cup after going into the final with 4th long being secured, I doubt that feeling could be topped without winning the league or champions league.
It all depends on how long Gibson and Mirallas are out for.
It also depends on bringing in a good central midfielder and possibly a decent striker or general attacking player on loan.
I think it's worth a cheeky phone call to Landon Donovan, given the situation. He'd help us out immensely given the situation we're in. It's a shame it won't happen.
It also depends on bringing in a good central midfielder and possibly a decent striker or general attacking player on loan.
I think it's worth a cheeky phone call to Landon Donovan, given the situation. He'd help us out immensely given the situation we're in. It's a shame it won't happen.
Nice one Speed lid. I thought of the FA Cup and it would be ace to win a trophy but do you think doing that and not finishing fourth would be enough to keep Fellaini or make Moyes sign up? They want Champions League from their comments.
I'd prefer a cup like just for the kicks and to get the monkey off our back.
I'd prefer a cup like just for the kicks and to get the monkey off our back.
CahillsCornerFlag
Player Valuation: £70m
Cynics would argue that its because after such poor starts we've nothing to lose, and therefore play better as a result. Our recent history, especially under Moyes, has proven us to be consistent bottlers.
Would absolutely love fourth place. We need those European nights again at Goodison.
SpeedEFC
Player Valuation: £8m
Personally I'd prefer the cup to be honest too, even though it is clear for all to see that the CL is the mother of all cash cows at the end of the day it's not guaranteed and I'm not too big a fan of treating success in football by how good your balance sheet and profit and loss account is. As for whether it would be enough for Moyes and Fellaini I reckon it would be enough to keep Moyes on for another season or two if we did win the FA cup though I doubt Fellaini would stick around.
End of the day though if Fellaini did go we're going to get at least £25m and probably more like £30m-£35m which, granted Moyes is still here, would help us out more than if he stayed. I'm not saying that I want the big man to go because I've always rated him and he's becoming our talisman much like Cahill was but I don't like him being played off the striker, I much prefer a quick and tricky player playing there and I think that would help us play better football if we had a player like that there. I sincerely doubt we'll see all of the Fellaini money but if we say that Fellaini goes for £30m and the board keep £10m for themselves; with that £20m Moyes could buy a player in the mould of Van der Vaart or Mirallas to go behind the striker, another CM like Gibson and a CB and to be honest I think Moyes would still have change left over for another quality player from that £20m.
You qualify for the Champions League, and the income gives you a greater likelihood of future successes.
If you win the FA Cup, you qualify for a sub-par European competition that screws up your fixture list for the following season and it hampers your overall progress.
I wouldn't shed too many tear if we lost to Cheltenham. It's modern football; it's all about the Champions League. People will go dewy eyed over the FA Cup or, God forbid, the League Cup, but they don't matter in the slightest.
The FA/League Cup is for the bottom half of the Premier League and the tiers below that. It's not the slightest bit relevant for a club with serious ambitions of having proper success.
If you win the FA Cup, you qualify for a sub-par European competition that screws up your fixture list for the following season and it hampers your overall progress.
I wouldn't shed too many tear if we lost to Cheltenham. It's modern football; it's all about the Champions League. People will go dewy eyed over the FA Cup or, God forbid, the League Cup, but they don't matter in the slightest.
The FA/League Cup is for the bottom half of the Premier League and the tiers below that. It's not the slightest bit relevant for a club with serious ambitions of having proper success.
What maybe at the back of Fellaini's mind is that he can have it both ways
We can finish 4th, get turfed out like before and there's still time left in the window for him to do a runner
We can finish 4th, get turfed out like before and there's still time left in the window for him to do a runner
Royal Blue Jersey
Player Valuation: £35m
This post made me feel sick. Tell that to the thousands of blues who went to Wembley, Villarreal, Kharkiv, Nuremberg, Alkmaar, Brann and had a great time.
That's exactly what I am doing on a forum board. Cup competitions other than the Champions League mean nothing to a clubs development. Ask Portsmouth.
Where did those games get us in the scheme of things? Did we clear our debt? Did we build a team capable of further success?
The highlighted game - Villarreal - was the only game that truly mattered out of that bunch. If we'd have won that, then I firmly believe you'd be looking at a very different honours list for Everton over the last seven years.
The Europa League doesn't really matter, but it's "better than nothing" I suppose. If we qualify for the Europa League next year, and we give it a go, I'd be advocating playing youth teams exclusively in the domestic cups, as they really would mean absolutely nothing.
evertony
Player Valuation: £50m
Football is cyclical, so it's not a matter of if, but when.
It may well take a massive structural change ( new owner, restructuring of major competitions etc) to bring it about, or God-willing it may break the modern football mould and be initiated by a team being built and evolving bit by bit under a very influential manager like Moyes....like a classic building slowly being rebuilt to former glories. But it will happen. Having an illustrious history leaves genes of success which just need to grow and multiply. Teams without that see stability in the EPL as their pinnacle and that's fine, that's their level like Stoke, Newcastle and West Ham.....but we have been at the top table, and the place is still stem and the chair still warm, but margins are fine, very fine.
Great original post as usual and some cracking debate......oh, it's a Grand Old Team....
It may well take a massive structural change ( new owner, restructuring of major competitions etc) to bring it about, or God-willing it may break the modern football mould and be initiated by a team being built and evolving bit by bit under a very influential manager like Moyes....like a classic building slowly being rebuilt to former glories. But it will happen. Having an illustrious history leaves genes of success which just need to grow and multiply. Teams without that see stability in the EPL as their pinnacle and that's fine, that's their level like Stoke, Newcastle and West Ham.....but we have been at the top table, and the place is still stem and the chair still warm, but margins are fine, very fine.
Great original post as usual and some cracking debate......oh, it's a Grand Old Team....
toffeeben15
Player Valuation: £8m
Champions leagues the one we want because of our finacial sitution . The fa cup/ europa league bring in nothing for money they only provide glory for the fans thats fine if we had the money of newcastle or villa but we havent so we wont go any further if we got them . Also demostrated by newcastle that europa league will **** up the squad . Mirallas and gibson wont handle it
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