foobiezw

Would I want him: absolutely yes
Chances of him signing with us: absolutely none

I'd be very surprised to find out Distin has been acting up in the dressing room.
 
One of the most consummate professionals over his entire career. Always seemed the type to put his head down and get on with it.
 
That said, never know what goes on behind closed doors...

I'd be very surprised to find out Distin has been acting up in the dressing room.
 
One of the most consummate professionals over his entire career. Always seemed the type to put his head down and get on with it.
 
That said, never know what goes on behind closed doors...

Howard alone made the scoreline far more respectable than it should've been. Great to see he's still got the full 90 mins of concentration after having practically nothing to do in the first half.

Can't agree with that part more. What I love about him is his willingness to keep running and closing down, sniffing out half chances the whole game. Reminds me of the our old mate Timmy Cahill in that regard.

Good to see he's back, Bainsey (bless him) needs someone nipping at his heels to keep him at his best.

I reckon he should be allowed to keep growing it until he has a shocker of a game.
 
A good run of form for the team aside, who wouldn't want to see 'Gandalf' Howard at the end of the season? :D

Here's hoping he stays on in some capacity at the club.
 
Definitely past his prime now, but would be a great example for youngsters coming through the club.

Deserved to lose yes, but what could've happened if the ref was a bit more consistent!!!!

Deserved to lose yes, but what could've happened if the ref was a bit more consistent!!!!

15th August 2013; Norwich City vs. Everton.
 
This week I have joined the forum www.not606.com and asked the Norwich fans what their thoughts are for this weeks game. I've received a few replies and all of them are worth reading, they can be found below along with the questions that I answered.
 
ZOO:
 
Hi,

I'm Zoo from ToffeeTalk.com an football site ran by Evertonians for Evertonians. I'm the author of the Norwich City match-day thread and therefore have decided to sign up to your website to get a feeling of the thoughts over at your end. With it being the opening day of the season, both teams will obviously want to win and tensions will be running high. Hopefully some of you will be able to answer the following questions to see who thinks which team will do what.

1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he a good enough manager for Everton?

2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season?

3 - Where do you think Norwich will finish this season?

4 - In which areas do Everton need to strengthen in your opinion?

5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen?

6 - If you could take 3 players from Everton who would they be?

7 - What are you thoughts on Chris Hughton?

8 - What are your thoughts on Norwich City's signings so far?

9 - Finally, what score will it be on Saturday?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer all of the questions. Away fans are always welcome over at our site so if you fancy having a discussion with us Evertonians you will be more than welcome. (http://www.toffeetalk.com)

Good luck for the season.
 
DH CANARY;
 
1 - Probably the best available at the time in the PL, but perhaps better options were available overseas. Good at getting the most from a limited budget, which I guess makes him a good successor to Moyes.
2 - Top half, but probably not by much

3 - 10th-15th without getting too involved in a relegation battle would be nice, but there's players in the side now who I think could maybe push us into the top 10 if things click.

4 - Perhaps a better striker, and a CB

5 - I think we really need an attacking midfielder who can double as a striker, like Toivonen who we've been linked with. Failing that probably a 4th striker, or a CB.

6 - Baines, Fellaini, Pienaar

7 - Solid if not necessarily spectacular. His style of play was questioned last season, but without a proper target man up front I'm hopeful that will be addressed. Whilst Lambert was always after the quickest route to the top of management (and after what he achieved, I can't hold that against him!), whilst I feel Hughton is more suited to building a club up over a longer period, like Moyes did with yourselves. As there's no quick way for us to become a top 6/7 side, I'm happy with someone prepared to play the long game.

8 - Very impressed, we've spent more money than ever before this summer and smashed our transfer record, but none of our signings look like rash buys, and I think each are value for money.

9 - We'll win 2-1.
 
SUPERMAN WEARS GRANT HOLT PYJAMAS IN BED;
 
1. i'm a big fan of martinez - not because of his work with wigan but because of his work with swansea, transforming them from a run-of-the-mill league one side to an attractive and combative side which kept the momentum he helped build, even after he'd long gone. i think he was the obvious choice for everton in the summer. moyes will be a tough act to follow but martinez has a decent platform to build on and should be able to sprinkle some of his flair into the club.
2. i think everton will finish top 7 - the question is, where in the top 7? probably 7th to be honest!! i can't see them getting into the top four although i expect them to challenge. the main battle will again be against your rivals from anfield for 6th spot but i think a coutinho-inspired liverpool may just pip you.

3. i think norwich will again be mid table. we've finished 12th and then 11th in the last two seasons, so the optimistic amongst us are hoping we go one further and sneak into the top half. we'll probably be anywhere between 15th and 8th but i'll go for 10th.

4. everton throughout the moyes years always seemed to lack a large goal threat. every other part of the side was moulded brilliantly and is very effective. whether kone can provide the 15-20 goals required to take the toffees to the fringe of the top four or even into it is up for debate. i like him but i feel a better calibre of centre forward is required.

5. we aren't desperate for new signings after adding 7 so far this summer, but the general consensus is a creative midfielder link man would be essential if we want to move the club forwards. we haven't been able to fill that role yet but do have players who can cope there. another striker would be nice to give us the four most premier league clubs have and a ball-playing centre half would be a big bonus.

6. i'd certainly take baines - he's a fabulous player, one of my favourites and although he gets high praise for his attacking nous, he's a much better defender than people give him credit for. i'd take jelavic too - didn't have a great year last time out but always gives his all, puts himself about and perhaps a change of scenery would do him good. the third option would be a toss up between john stones and ross barkley - i'll plump for barkley. he could give us the creative spark we need and he's bound to be an england regular within the next 24 months.

7. hughton has divided opinion. some seem miffed that he's taken what was in essence an attack-minded team and turned them into a more pragmatic, cautious side, but there's no denying he's done an excellent job in the transfer market. as far as i'm concerned he was appointed as the long-term manager of the football club with a long-term plan. we were a mishmash of quality across the pitch when lambert left (due to the speed in which we arrived in the premier league from league one) and a lot of work needed to go on behind the scenes to make us more solid. i think hughton has done that and the next year or two will see us begin to morph into a more stable premier league club. that's the plan, anyway!

8. very impressed! ricky van wolfswinkel and gary hooper have claimed the headlines but the capture of leroy fer from fc twente is a particular coup (and you evertonians will know all about him!). elsewhere, martin olsson and javier garrido will compete for the left back slot and nathan redmond is an exciting, enthusiastic winger who could provide a spark after signing for a frankly ludicrously cheap £2m.

9. we've got a surprisingly good record against everton since rejoining the premier league with one win and three draws from our four meetings so far, and i think the smart money would be on a score draw here. i'll go for a cagey 1-1 but as any norwich fan will tell you, opening day sometimes throws up the most baffling score lines imaginable (we lost 5-0 at fulham last year and famously lost 7-1 at home to the mighty colchester united in 2009)!
 
COLK OF THE BARCLAY;
 
1. I've been an admirer of Martinez for a while as he played a lovely style of football at both Swansea and Wigan. He's used to limited resources so Everton will probably be a good fit, though he'll obviously have far more to play with. Only time will tell if he's good enough, I think he will be.
2. I can't remember where I predicted you guys were gunna finish but I think it was around 6th or 7th.

3. Norwich to finish in 9th.

4. I think Everton have a fairly balanced squad. Though perhaps a really high quality player on the right hand side to counter for Baines and Pienaar.

5. Norwich could probably do with a good ball playing CM, someone who can dictate the tempo while we're in possesion.

6. Baines, Fellaini, Pienaar.

7. I didn't enjoy the way we played for much of last season but Hughton got us another year of PL football and it was a hard situation to come into, following Paul Lambert. I'm ready to get behind him for this season, I just hope the football is a bit nicer to watch.

8. Our signings have been outstanding. 2 highly rated strikers in Ricky and Hooper, an equally highly rated midfielder in Fer and one of the brightest England prospects in Redmond. We have also retained the services of Garrido who had a solid season last year and bought Ollsson in who can cover the entire left side. Fibnally, Nash is a decent, experienced GK to provide cover for Bunn and Ruddy. All in all, been very happy. One more signing in the AM area would be nice but I'm happy with what we have got.

9. I've gone for 2-2

Good luck to Everton (Other than on Saturday), Hope you boys have a good season.
 
CARRABUH;
 
1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he a good enough manager for Everton?

I'd rather have him than David Moyes or Chris Hughton, at least the football will be watchable

2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season?

10th

3 - Where do you think Norwich will finish this season?

11th

4 - In which areas do Everton need to strengthen in your opinion?

I'd imagine your midfield.

5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen?

Midfield, very little in terms of passing ability

6 - If you could take 3 players from Everton who would they be?

Delofeu, Mirallas, Fellaini

7 - What are you thoughts on Chris Hughton?

Dreary believer in power, pace and an unimaginative approach to the game, strong focus on the easy things. Very much like David Moyes.

8 - What are your thoughts on Norwich City's signings so far?

Good players at what they do, not at what I personally want them to do, no recognised ball player in any of the midfield signings, strong focus on physical attributes.

9 - Finally, what score will it be on Saturday?

1-2 Everton
 
BILLY NCFC;
 
 
1 Great long term appointment think he'll do well, bring a lot out of the players coming through the academy as well as securing some good low cost deals. Read a bit about the foundations he's put in place for training facilities at wigan and he sounds like he really gets involved with the club which can only be a good thing as you seem to produce some good youngsters. Saw Mcaleny play for brentford the other day and he looked promising.

2 I think he'll take a bit of time to settle in so might not be as high a finish as under moyes of recent years so going to say 11th.

3 13th

4 Don't rate heitinga and distin ageing so a top centre back to partner jagielka is where i'd go, assuming you keep rest of your players.

5 Someone to play in the hole just behind the striker to add a few goals and creativity. I'm a massive hoolahan fan easily my favourite player from the last 4 years really gets me out of my seat, but he is lacking goals and we need him to chip in more ideally.

6 Barkley, Mirallas, Baines

7 I like him, just wish he had more faith sometimes. Seemed hesitant to trust players last season despite them finishing 12th the year before. Sometimes a bit restrictive to natural attacking movement and the team looks to break shackles that he implemented. Think in the long term he is making us a more solid and secure football club as the lambert style was unsustainable, it was havoc at times. I think his real test is coming though, keeping us progressing whilst hopefully beginning to bring through some of our talented under 18 squad and getting them cup/ loan football.

8 Sure you'll agree; leroy fer looks more than handy. Hopefully isn't used in the number 10 role, although he has just been given that squad number and plays deeper as a box to box midfielder with a bit of freedom, but time will tell. Some very promising signs from redmond as well, not seen much of RVW though but exciting from what people say. Overall happy I think he knows talent when he sees it and knows what he wants, so shouldn't have wasted too much.

9

2-1 everton, we've got too lucky against you in recent years so I think you'll get the win you've deserved previously finally. *********************************** So, that is week one's edition of Talking to the Enemy. I hope you've all enjoyed it. I'd like to give a big shout-out to the forum that responded to me - WWW.NOT606.COM who all seem like a decent bunch. If anyone wants a chat with some Norwich fans I'd head over there. Seeing as there are no takers at all for next week (or any others) I'll do the WBA game too.

This weekend it's the turn of the Baggies! I hope you all enjoy this week's edition. Feedback is appreciated . All answers come from a very helpful forum (recommended to us by my good friend Rubecula) www.westbrom.com
 
************************
 
Zoo:
Hi, I'm Zoo from toffeetalk.com and run a feature on the site where I ask the opposition fans what they think about Everton and the game that will be played at the weekend. This forum was recommended to me by one of the members on our site - Rubecula. I'd really appreciate it if you could take a minute of your time to answer the following questions and add to our feature. 1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton? 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer all of the questions. Away fans are always welcome over at our site so if you fancy having a discussion with us Evertonians you will be more than welcome. (http://www.toffeetalk.com) Good luck for the season. ******************** tucka9: 1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton? I think he's a good manager but still got a lot to prove at a bigger club like yourselves, think he will take time to change the style of your football but believe he was a good appointment. 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? I think you will finish your usual 7th or 8th 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? If we can bring in a couple of wingers and add pace to our team we should finish around mid table 10th-12th and I'd be happy with that. 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? I can't think of any positives if I'm honest, plenty of negatives though, we lacked so much pace in our team, players looked like they had never played together and also tactics and formation needs addressing. 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? We need a couple of pacey attack minded wingers and maybe a centre midfielder as we're a bit light in that area if anything happens to Mulumbu or Yacob. 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? I'd take Baines as I think he's 1 of the best full backs in the prem, Jagielka who I've rated ever since you signed him and should be an England regular and id like Miralles as I think he's your most creative player, looks a real talent. 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? I think he's a very good coach who's still learning his trade as a number 1 in the prem, just hope we stick with him if we have a bad patch early on. 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? Anelka, everyone knows how talented he is and he's looked a class above in pre-season think he will be a great signing. Lugano, don't know much about him but he has a great pedigree being an international captain so I guess only time will tell and Vydra, looked a real talent last year in the championship and scored goals for fun, think he will turn out to be a great signing. 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? I can't see us being as bad as last week but I still think you might have a bit too much for us so I'm going 2-1 Everton, Miralles and Jelavic for you, Morrison for us.  
AlbionBest:
 
1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton? Big test for him. Always felt he was overrated and a bit of a media darling even though he took Wigan down. Will struggle to match Moyes' record for you. 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? 8-9th 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? 10-12th 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? Very few positives apart from the fact that we can only get better and we had two more weeks to bring some width and pace to the side. Vydra looked lively in just a few minutes as sub. Negatives were numerous - we seemed to lack energy and knowhow going forward - again, we need width and pace! 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? Two wingers and a creative central midfielder. 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? Baines and Fellaini obviously (though they might not be with you for much longer!) and also like the look of Pienaar whenever he plays against us. 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? I think he cleverly rode into last season on the coat tails of the good work and habits of Hodgson BUT, since Christmas, has lost his way and needs to get back on track over the next 5-6 games otherwise I doubt he will be here much longer - our form in 2013 has been relegation form. 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? Anelka looked class pre season but got little service on Saturday so we need to play to his strengths; Vydra seems to have something about him and could surprise everyone this season once he gets used to the Prem level; Lugano I've not seen play but has really top pedigree as the captain of Uraguay. Er, that's all so far..................... 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? The team need to bounce back from Saturday's dire performance and I think an away game will suite them better at the moment so 2-2 draw.  
zac:
 
1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton?
I think he is a good manager in the making but i feel he probably still has alot of learning to do. Ive always enjoyed watching his teams play and I'm sure in the long run it will be a good appointment for Everton. 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? I'm pretty sure you will be occupying one of 6th/7th/8th. 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? Its hard to say until the window has closed but at the moment id take around 15th place, hopefully we can sign a couple players and my optimism may improve. 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? I think alot will agree when i say that there was not many positives to take from the game last weekend. The only thing i can possibly think as a positive is Vydra looked lively when he came on and i thought our right back Billy Jones had a good game but apart from that not much else really. The negatives were plain for anyone to see, we lacked pace. We played centre midfielders on the wing which just about sums it up really. No service to the strikers at all. 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? As brought up in the last post i think (and many others by the sound of it) that we need 2 wingers. It looks like Scott Sinclair should be a WBA player this week but its been dragging on a while. 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? The first one id take is Leighton Baines as he is in my opinion, the best left back in the country. His set pieces are unreal and he's just generally a very good player. The next would be the obvious Fellaini. I think to most teams he is pretty much unplayable due to his height and skill and i think hes a very clever player. How versatile he is aswell would come in handy for any team. The last would be Kevin Mirallas. I saw him alot before he moved to Everton and i knew he'd be a cracking signing which i would quite happily welcome here at WBA. 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? I think he had a very good first season and i really do like the guy. We will see how good of a manager he is in this second season but he is still transitioning from a Coach to a Manager. Like someone else said, i just hope if we have a bad patch that we stick with him. 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? I was quite excited from when i heard we were signing Nicolas Anelka as when i was young, he was the type of player you could only dream of playing at my team. I think he will be a good signing eventually but we just need to get used to the fact he isnt Romelu Lukaku and he isn't going to chase every ball down and have blistering pace. Matej Vydra looked good in the championship and had a decent bit of pace so hopefully he can be good and Lugano i haven't really saw alot of but you dont get over 80 caps and captain your country if your no good. Overall it seems we are planning for the short term when i would rather us look past this season than just plan for this year. 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? I think you will be too strong for us and i expect a 2-0 Everton win. Good luck for the season.  
wbasoprano:
 
1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton?
His teams always seem to play good football and he seems like a decent chap. Good enough for Everton? I guess results, and time, will tell. 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? I think 7th, ahead of the also-rans but some way behind the teams challenging for the title. 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? Somewhere between 12th and 15th, depending on who we bring in before the deadline. I hope we finish top half or at least safely away from the relegation zone though. 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? Negatives: Real lack of width and creativity going forward, strange team selections and formation, far too many long balls... Positives: Not many but the lad Vydra looked sharp when he came on for a short time. 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? The wings definitely if we don't strengthen there then the chairman! 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? Jagielka, rated him since his Sheff. U days. Baines, best left back in the country. Fellaini, powerhouse in midfield and decent goal record, plus his ridiculous hair. 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? Unsure about him to be honest. I hope he does well but he could be looking for a new job by Christmas if things don't change. We've been on a rotten run since the end of November. 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? Popov was here last year, okay left-back. Lugano has a great cv but he hasn't played much for a couple of years. Anelka could be a masterstroke, could be a waste of space. Vydra, could be a very important player for us later on in the season. Hopefully there will be two or three more coming in and Odemwingie going far far away. 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? Hmm... 3-1 to you  
BHBaggie:
 
1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton?
I don't rate him one bit to be honest, I genuinely think he's been lucky not to get Wigan relegated before he actually did. I don't think he's good enough for Everton at all but with the job Daved Moyes did I'm not sure who could match that let alone improve on it. 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? Under Martinez I reckon you will slip down the table a little. Still a relatively comfortable mid table finish for you between 8th and 12th. 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? Difficult to say really. As things stand it will be a much tougher season with other clubs strengthening their side while we are weaker just for losing Lukaku after his loan. Of course there is a chance for us to get a couple of players in that could really help add a different dimension to our game but I think we will finish bottom half around 14th. 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? Absolutely no positives for us. Referee was poor but we clearly deserved to lose the game, the manager got his tactics wrong but he hasn't been helped by the powers that be who haven't added enough quality to the side. 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? We are severely lacking width and some pace and I don't see us being able to replace the goals we have lost with Lukaku going back to Chelsea and Peter Odemwingie being a bell end. 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka and Kevin Mirallas. 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? Had a great first season with us even though the second half of it our form dipped severely. At times he's got tactics very wrong but every manager does, this season he's had the chance to have his own pre-season programme and not something set up by the previous manager. Its going to be interesting to see how he gets on this season but its always going to be extremely difficult to get anywhere near our 8th place finish last term. 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? Nothing to really get us too excited. Anelka could be decent but I'm more excited about the prospect of Vydra. Not seen enough of Lugano to comment but he has plenty of experience so hopefully he can push Olsson and McAuley for their places. 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? 3-1 home win.  
albion07:
 
1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton?
Very much admire with the way he tries to play football and he had some fantastic results with Wigan such as winning the FA Cup ( The 3-0 against you was a masterclass) However while his principles are enviable I think he should have kept them up last season. 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? If you keep Fellaini and Baines and perhaps get another winger then you should finish 7th, the gap is narrowing between you and many mid table teams however. 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? Again I think our final position massively depends on our remaining transfer business, add two wingers and well be comfortably mid table. If we don't buy correctly then we could be in for a long season. 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? Positives: We only lost to a last minute dodgy penalty despite playing terribly. Southampton had perhaps one or two meaningful shots on target. Negatives: A direct and jarring example of what strong transfer business can do - Wanyama completely dominated the midfield and Lovren nullified our admittedly weak attack. No pace, no width and an inability to retain the ball for any meaningful period. 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? We badly need width and back up in centre midfield. Scott Sinclair should sign soon which will certainly help. 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? Distin - Despite being 35 the guy is still an absolute rock can't help but admire him. Mirralas - Very gifted and exciting technical player. Baines - Very unlucky to be behind Cole in the England team . 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? A promising coach still learning his trade and working under difficult conditions. We had a very good season last year despite our poor form after Christmas. As a club have a recent record of poor form around that time and it is undeniable this is partly due to our transfer business - we carry a very small squad and typically do next to no business in January, thus our chairman must shoulder some of the blame for this. 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? Anelka - Very good pre season but was very isolated on saturday , however am hopeful he will get goals. Vydra - Much needed pace and is evidently talented. Lugano - Not entirely sure where he fits in but should provide centre back cover and will be needed in the more psychical games. 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? Can't see any thing other than a fairly straightforward victory for you - 2-0 ( Hopefully Fellaini and Baines are unsettled and we may have a chance haha ) wbamitch: 1 - How do you rate Roberto Martinez? Is he good enough for Everton? You can't argue that he gets his team playing football and he likes to play the right way, Everton under Moyes were not renown for that but I certainly didn't put you in the same bracket as the likes of Stoke. I think he could be very effective for you and I think you will enjoy plenty of games at Goodison and with the quality of players you have are certainly capable of making strides forward but I think your tendency to concede will also be higher. You may be able to outscore some teams but I think you will definitely be more open at the back. Big step up for him, like Clarke its a really defining season. 2 - Where do you think Everton will finish this season? Hopefully above Liverpool and I wouldn't mind seeing you in Europe, unfortunately I'm predicting 8th, I don't see much consistency for you. 3 - Where do you think WBA will finish this season? Certainly a worrying opening day, I believe we do have enough quality of players to avoid relegation comfortably as I feel there are worse teams, they need competition to motivate them though, I feel like a stellar run at some point of the season will keep us out of trouble. Between 11th and 14th. 4 - You started with a defeat against Southampton (like us), what were the positives and negatives from the game? Negatives were style of play, no flair or drive. Players out of position, no sign of going for the win urgently from either manager or player in what would have been a highlighter fixture to get three points certainly. Positives........... This is tough, I suppose we never looked under too much threat of conceding, that was probably down to Southampton lacking a little bit aswell, your quality of players can definitely cause a lot more problems. There is really not anything positive to pick out what we can look forward to seeing more of through the season 5 - In which areas do you need to strengthen before deadline day? Width. Im sure its being mentioned already, I believe we need at least a further two options. Ideally we can get those two in and a striker with pace also, although Vyrdra did show a little bit of potential Saturday. Firstly two wingers is imperative. An extra body in centre mid who could also strongly push the regular starters coul be useful to improve their performances. 6 - If you could take any 3 players from Everton who would they be? There are quite a few but highlighting our needs at the moment I would say your creativity in midfield. Steven Piennar, Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas. 7 - What are your thoughts on Steve Clarke? [b Overall last season was a great achievement for us, the 2nd part of the season was very concerning and its a big test for him to prove the fans wrong who say it was purely the momentum from Hodgson that got us that great start. Does seem to make glaringly obvious poor tactical decisions such as formation, usage of substitutions, he won't be the first or last for that though. [/b] 8 - What are your thoughts on your new signings so far? Extremely underwhelming when you compare our business to our nearby challengers, even the promoted teams are trying to spend money and improve their squad, don't think we have done that. The squad is weaker than last season which is not something you need in this very competitive league. Need some fresh young pace talent, Anelka followed by Lugano after was disappointing to sign two 30+. Have to give them all a chance though. 9 - Finally, what will the score be this Saturday? 2-0 Home win.

This week as everyone will be aware we're playing away against Cardiff City, the team that managed to pull off a shock result at the weekend by defeating the blue side of Manchester 3-2. Full of confidence and with some bright talent in the ranks are they are force to be reckoned with? I joined up to www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk to find out.

Zoo: Hey there, I'm Zoo, an Evertonian this year I've decided to run a feature that asks the opposing fans each week what they think of us and how they think the game will go. If you have a moment of your time it would be great if you could answer the following questions so that I can share your thoughts with our members.

Due to there being an over-whelming response from the fans (which is brilliant) I've had to pick out answers from different members to stop this week's feature from becoming too long. If anyone fancies having a chat with them before the game then I'd recommend you head over there, I've only been doing this feature for 3 games but they're the best people I've come across.

Q1: First off, great win against Manchester City! I myself loved the game and was really impressed with you. What are your thoughts on the City win?

Daniel Bryan: Unbeliveable, I thought we'd get at most a draw, throughout the week I said we'd get something but when I saw the line up I was annoyed and felt it would be mauling for us, instead we were rewarded for brilliant tactics and stuck to our game plan, I was really proud of how we conducted ourselves, we matched them man for man, so many of their stars were kept under wraps by our stars. The atmosphere was something else.

Tonteg Bluebird: I was crying at the final whistle. The years of growing up with kids back in school laughing at me supporting "rubbish" Cardiff City sprung to mind. I never thought I would ever see us beat the most expensively assembled team in the Premiership full of world class players. It meant everything to me, all my previous 25 seasons of pain and despair made that moment feel so special.

DandoCCFC: ncredible. Expected us to score but not to win. When I got to the ground on the day I thought we actually have a major chance to pinch this when I saw the line up. I was annoyed with Connolly still being chosen along with Hudson being dropped but I managed to trust MM but could see them having a bad day again. The atmosphere was just electric most of the time and Man City were sloppy on times and at 0-0 half time you could see us maybe pushing them more. But the goals coming all over the place and the celebrations were crazy. A historic day and I won't forget it for a long time.

Q2: Now that you've settled down, what are your thoughts on the change from being 'blue' to 'red'? Have any of you come to embrace the idea?

Taff on the Mersey: Its torn the fanbase in two, simple as that. Our success ON the pitch I feel has acted as a filler, but cracks are still there. Personally I believed we were too late in beginning protest towards the owner over the rebrand, but at the same time I understand the majority of the fans mindset at time, we were on our knees and he grabbed us by the balls and basically said "im gonna invest 100 million and save your club but im changing you to red, cos I can" When Swansea were dominating Welsh football and getting verbal blow jobs from every pundit from here to Pluto, it was just all too easy to shut up and let it all happen. The hardcore will detest me saying that and say im wrong, but the proof is there. We are Red. My biggest fear is a new generation of fan will come through and only know us as the boys in Red.

JamesC: There are differing opinions on this everywhere. The majority have taken it on the cheek because of how much they love the club, others have embraced it like the second coming. I am of the former. We appreciate how much Tan has done for us, but the way he went about this rebrand was very poor indeed.

Tony Blue Williams: I don't like the rebrand but I like the idea of no Cardiff City even less. When you are a club who are £60m in debt and someone offers £100m and the resources to get the club into the Premier League in exchange for a rebrand, then quite frankly you would have been barmy not to accept and despite what some others have said, the vast majority of our fan base had the common sense to accept it rather than make a Kamikaze stand against it.

Q3: What are your thoughts on Malky McKay? Is he the man to keep you in the Premier League?

Bakedalasker: Last season and not long ago I would have said no. Still not sure about him but started to believe he could keep us in the premier.

blueheaven: Very good young Manager who has brought a real work ethic and team spirit to our club coupled with an excellent training and fitness regime he his still learning and tactically can be a little naive at times but he masterminded the win over Man City and will undoubtably go on to manage a top 6 Club

AfricanBluebird: Great manager and is learning all the time. Our football under Malky hasn't always been great but the discipline, fitness and commitment of the players (which comes from the manager) has seen us through. I would say his ambition is bigger than the fans... in that the Man City result probably surprised him less than the footballing world including the fans. He has also embraced and implemented the necessary technology that top clubs and players are now using.

Q4: What are your thoughts on Roberto Martinez?

bakerbluebird: Personally, I only dislike him because of what him, Trundle & Tate done after a cup game where they displayed a Welsh flag with the words 'f**k Off Cardiff' on... Such a pathetic thing to do. Putting that aside, he is ok as a manager. Nothing special and probably won't bring any success to Everton.

castleblue: Saint Bob is first and foremost a Jack Bastard but like Malky Mackay is one of the best young managers around. Given time I'm sure he will get Everton playing some top entertaining football.

Tonteg Bluebird: Aside from the fact he was an ex Swansea manager, Roberto is one of the best young managers in the game. He is respectful, honest, diplomatic and gets his teams playing the correct way. My only concern with Roberto is he has never really managed to keep his teams defensively tight and with Everton's lack of goal scoring strikers last season, I think it could be a big problem. I notice you've conceded 2 at home to Norwich already and I really don't think you would have done that with Moyes. Roberto is a good guy mind and I wish him all the best with you.

Q5: Where do you think you will finish this season?

ozzy31: 14th

Zabier: In all truth, 17th. Our work ethic and professional attitude is too strong to see us relegated. I think Crystal Palace, Stoke, Sunderland and Newcastle all have bigger problems than us. I'd even tip Hull to avoid relegation if they can keep going. I would say there's about 8-9 teams that could realistically go down this year though.

arri potta: 16th


Q6: Where do you think Everton will finish this season?

citybluechris - 11th

Gareth Wilts - 10th

JBCCFC1927 - 7th-9th

Q7: If you could take any three players from Everton who would they be and why?

Bluebird_LR: Coleman - Young, exciting full back who loves to get forward, Fellaini - Big threat at set pieces, but also a brilliant footballer, Baines - Again another full back who loves to get forward, good penalty and free kick taker

Daniel Bryan: Leighton Baines - quality consistent Left Back, tracked by some top clubs, good attacking full back and brilliant at set pieces, Phil Jagielka - quality captain, has come over leaps and bounds to come to where he is today, proves that even though he was bought from a relegated Premier League side he quickly turned into a quality center back, Gerard Deulofeu - Quality winger, I'd have loved him here, highly rated and Martinez has done well to bring him in on a limited budget
.
Valley Lad - Barkley,Baines & Fellaini, we'd qualify for Champions League!

Q8: In which areas do you need to improve before the transfer window shuts?

Bluebird Carwyn: Personally I feel we need a new winger to have pace and energy out wide.

Zabier: I would say we still need another centre back and right back. Turner and Connolly aren't consistent enough. We need a winger and hopefully that will come in Montero or someone similar. I would also not begrudge us getting another striker to add depth. Not sure Maynard has it in him to be a Premier League striker whilst Campbell and Cornelius remain unproven at this level.

Daniel Bryan: Left back - we need more cover as we only have an eighteen year old to call upon if our first team LB is injured, a CAM - someone to cover Kim Bo-Kyung although our striker Mason could fill into that role, A Winger - we are crying out for a bit of pace and creativity in our team but we also need this winger to have a defensive side to their game. A ST - I still feel we need a proven goalscorer, so we don't have to rely on the other strikers if they have their offdays

Q9: Who at Everton are you worried about seeing on Saturday and who should we fear?

JamesC: Baines is the player who worries me mostly, but Barkley has had a fantastic start to his PL campaign, and looks dangerous, then of course there's Jelavic and Fellaini. There is a lot of quality in your squad to be worried about, it's just we are all still on a high at the moment... Man City have a lot of quality too!

You guys should fear Kim and Frazier at the moment, they look dangerous and clinical for us at the moment, and I believe that will be the case all season, and they'll only grow better and better each week.

Tonteg Bluebird: I am worried your Baines/Pienaar combo down your left will tear us apart. The centre midfield battle will be interesting. I am also wary of Sheamus Coleman down the other side and the different problems you will give us as a whole really. Man City were pass, pass, pass, trying to play through us without really getting at us one on one. I think Everton will be more direct and you will give us completely different problems to Man City.

Zabier: The form of Ross Barkley is concerning but obviously the familiar faces of Fellaini, Jagielka and Baines will undoubtedly have an impact on the game. I'm always wary about dangerous players such as Jelavic, Mirallas and Pienaar as well. I think the way Kimbo and Medel are playing, Everton will want to watch them. Caulker is also a class act and it looks like Whittingham isn't being mesmerized by the step up to the Premier League.

Q10: Lastly, what will the score be?

KBK-13: 2-1 Cardiff

Taff on the Mersey: If we carry the momentum from the Citeh game, then why not a 1-0 win, but realistically this will be a totally different prospect again...id bite your hand off for a point
.
Bluebird Carwyn: Its going to be open game, Cardiff are going to be very confident after beating Man City. i am going for a 2-2!

****************

So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed reading the third installment of my Talking To The Enemy feature. If you haven't already you can read the views of the Norwich & West Brom fans earlier in the thread or if you want to read the full views of the Cardiff City fans (which I recommend you do) then click the link below.

I'd just like to say thanks to the opposition fans this week, they were brilliant. They've got a lot of respect from me and I can only apologise for the great responses that I had to cut out.


FULL ARTICLE CAN BE SEEN @ http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=121861

This week's Talking To the Enemy is somewhat watered down because of the lack of responses I was given to work with. After signing up with two Chelsea forums only one gave me permission to post (as the other had a rule which meant that an admin had to validate my account) and on that one I only received one reply. I can only apologise for the poor standard this week but I can only do what I can with the tools I am given.
 
Special thanks to Sidzeret from India who was the only Chelsea fan to respond:
 
Zoo: Hey there, I'm Zoo, an Evertonian in peace from ToffeeTalk.com and this year I've decided to run a feature that asks the opposing fans each week what they think of us and how they think the game will go. If you have a moment of your time it would be great if you could answer the following questions so that I can share your thoughts with our members.
 
 

1 - First of all, the most obvious one. What are you thoughts about Jose Mourinho coming back?
2 - How satisfied are you with your season so far?
3 - Romelu Lukaku has just signed for us on a season long loan deal, is this a good signing for us? What are your feelings on the matter?
3 - What are your thoughts on Roberto Martinez? Is he the man to take us forward?
4 - Where do you think you will finish this season?
5 - Where do you think we will finish this season?
7 - What score will it be on Saturday?

Thanks in advance to all who take part, I've got quite a soft spot for Chelsea so I wish you all the best with the rest of the season (apart from Saturday) and if you ever feel like popping onto an Evertonian board we welcome all away fans regardless of who they support!
 
Sidzeret:
 
1-Ecstatic to say the least. The attitude he brings to the side is amazing. IMO he can win the PL with just the players we loaned out.:-P



2-Lukaku is a master striker in the making. He adds a much needed finesse to the Evertonian strike force. Hope he becomes an immediate starter for the side. Deulafeu, Barkley and Lukaku can be very lethal up front and can make a good partnership. Kinda disappointed he wasn't staying with us though.

3- Martinez is probably one of the best young managers in the PL(Fuck U, AVB) and the way he managed Wigan in the FA Cup last year was excellent. That cup tie against Everton was a class apart. He made David Moyes look like....well, David Moyes.

Having worked with Wigan on such a low budget makes him perfect for the Everton job. He is definately the right man for the job and i can see a trophy coming.

4- I'm confident of finishing as top dogs after the initial matches. City may more valuable players, but having Mourinho in the dugout makes all he difference.


5- No.6 looks the likely pos after seeing Liv'pool play so well early on. Apart the top 4 and Tott'nm and Liverpool, i don't see anybody challenging you. With Martinez, Everton can do well in the FA Cup as well. A Chelsea- Everton final. Maybe?

6- Chelsea win 2-1. Mata and Luiz are likely starters and Willian could make his debut. Hard to bea that;-)

Fellaini for the goals. Saw some good passing and flicks going on this evening as well.
 
Honourable mention to Anichebe. By far the best game I've seen him play in an Everton shirt even disregarding his goal.

Couldn't have said it better myself. The team can't even buy a clean sheet (let alone anything else) atm, and Heitinga seems to be part of the issue. Undoubtedly he has immense quality on his day, but its been a long time since I've thought he wasn't a liability at CB compared to Jagielka or Distin.