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So where are we going to finish?


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I realize I will never see Everton win another league championship in this lifetime, and while some of the kids on these pages may well get that opportunity, until the club receives a major cash injection or takeover from some rich billionaire type, any talk of winning the league (again) seems stuck in fantasy. While only recently club sides such as MCFC and plastics have arrived from nowhere to take the biggest prize in domestic football (you could add Blackburn into it) teams such as Leeds directly before it, achieved the biggest success without need of rich takeovers or crazy money and simply putting together a good side although Wilkinson was hardly ever a great manager. Times change though, and soccer has moved on so much from that time, and while we can't win the league any time soon, at least to be regularly challenging again (as with Moyes before) after so many years away, the club has done well to become recognized once again after the failures of before. I don't want the club to be run by foreign ownership like so many others today, but money is tight, and if we really are going to compete once more, some would argue that is the path to follow. For the last time on this thread, it won't be champions league placings, but a UEFA cup place at best, and somewhere in between a 5th and 8th place finish. That's not really much better off than David Moyes often achieved, but at least with him now departed and a new name in, we can approach success on other fronts. The best time for this is of course end of season so we can see what we actually have ourselves, as it's too early to be making proper judgments, but quietly confident for the remainder of the campaign that we can see a decent end of season.

 

Depressing and defeatist post.....and you can bet your life the players wouldn't agree with it. We're currently a point better off than we were at this stage in 04/05 when we stuttered and stumbled for the rest of the season and still finished 4th. The players believe in the manager and they believe in each other. Nobody has outplayed us this season, certainly not City and we're unfortunate to have as few points as we have. Impetus and confidence is everything and we have them in abundance; good players will want to join us and success breeds success. There's absolutely no reason at all why we can't get top four this year, earn the money that that would result in and keep on improving.....it's in another thread on here but being part of something exciting and unique is far better for the right sort of player than sitting on the bench and earning the odd tarnished second hand medal isn't it (ask Lescott)?

 

Exciting times.....I'm loving it!

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I figure we'll win about 10 of our 17 games and draw 4 of the others. that gives us 34 more points and finishes us on 75pts.

 

That would give us 3rd or 4th place by my reckoning.

 

The important thing could be who we lose those 3 games to. I'd rather we lost to Sunderland (or any other bottom half team!) than to Spurs/Liverpool/Man Utd or the top 3 sides. Those points taken off them could be vital.

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It all depends on the things you can't account for... We have already lost Baines, Barkley, Jags, Distin, Gerry to injuries and up till now been ok. We really need to ensure we can get these guys back to full fitness asap and prepare for the big push.

 

Take some of our creative strength out and replace with an Osman or a Naismith a we are less potent. You can't really account for the guile that we have when you have a fit Barkley or Gerry playing.

 

If Liverpool lose Suarez and Sturridge again then I see them drawing or losing a few games, if they keep those 2 fit then they have a chance of 4th. The top 5 teams are picking up the points they need to at the moment which makes it extremely tough and will no doubt see the highest 4th placed points at the end of the season. Its going to be a battle.

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I admit i underestimated what we would do under the new manager and im pleased so far. Long may it continue.

 

A few concerns as too how we would cope with a Champions League campaign if we do qualify, given that 3 of our important players at the moment are loan players, and it's still an aging squad, it would be a huge summer window for the club.

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I figure we'll win about 10 of our 17 games and draw 4 of the others. that gives us 34 more points and finishes us on 75pts.

 

That would give us 3rd or 4th place by my reckoning.

 

The important thing could be who we lose those 3 games to. I'd rather we lost to Sunderland (or any other bottom half team!) than to Spurs/Liverpool/Man Utd or the top 3 sides. Those points taken off them could be vital.

 

I just pro rated our point increase of 5 over the same number of games last season and factored in the favourable run in... I actually estimate 75 points will be our finishing total if we get the same level of results and performance from here on in.

 

How 75 points will place us is anyones guess, I think it will be enough for 4th pushing 3rd maybe, but the top 5 are blitzing the games they nheed to win.

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Heh heh.....had a look back through this thread, with Skybet currently agreeing with my "seventh at worst" by offering us at 1/33 in their "without the big six" market I was feeling a little smug B)).

 

 

 

 

Oops Si :lol:.

 

 

 

:doh:

 

 

 

B) some more.

 

Heh heh.....had a look back through this thread, with Skybet currently agreeing with my "seventh at worst" by offering us at 1/33 in their "without the big six" market I was feeling a little smug B)).

 

 

 

 

Oops Si :lol:.

 

 

 

:doh:

 

 

 

B) some more.

 

Okay I'll humbly eat my words.

 

I'm glad he proved me wrong.

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I think the outcome of the derby might well make the difference between 4th or 5th. Also whether or not another striker comes in this month

 

We could be first 10 points clear and still wouldnt win the derby.

 

But then again I was the one who said Barkley would never make it!

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If/when we win tomorrow, the league table will look very interesting.

 

1) Leading group - Three teams are within two points of one another at the top: City, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

2) Chasing group - Five points behind would be the three teams vying for the other European spots: Everton, Liverpool, and Spurs

3) Struggling group - Six points behind them would be three more teams: United, Newcastle, and Southampton

 

Then there's a sizable point gap to the remaining 11 teams - the relegation huddle - which are all within six points of one another.

 

Has this set the tone for the rest of the season, or can a team hop from one group to the other? Against all evidence, I confess, I still think that Chelsea will struggle to remain in the leading group Further down the table, many think that United will have a good run, join the chasing group, and swipe the final CL spot - and they could build some momentum with three easy games coming up. Spurs, of course, have a reputation for falling back at the end of the season, so maybe United and Spurs will swap groups.

 

The key for Everton right now is to make it through the end of February (including games against Liverpool, Spurs, and Chelsea) without falling from the chasing group (and I really hope that Deulofeu and Barkley are back in time for those games).. If we can manage that, we have a genuine chance of sprinting to catch the leading group.

Edited by Cornish Steve
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Personally I think we are nailed on for 5th. We're better than United and Spurs IMO. Kopites have Suarez and theres the difference.

 

I think last night highlights our problem. It was the same with Moyes last season. Drawing just doesnt do you any good. If you draw a couple of games you get 2 points. If you win 1 lose 1 you get 3 points.

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