nogs

And sorry, not to look like I'm picking on you, but I can't let that go - Jags has never been especially quick, Distin was rapid, especially so for a 30-plus year old. 

You either have a very short memory or don't understand what makes a top class defender. Jags had two attributes I don't think Keane has from what have seen - leadership and a bloody minded determination to stop the opposition scoring at all costs. He was never the quickest but would mix it physically with anyone and read the game fantastically. He made Lescott, who had much better natural attributes, look world class because of his organisational abilities. Like Lescott, Keane needs his hand holding. He has time to prove me wrong but I just don't see him replacing what Jags has given us over the years. 

You either have a very short memory or don't understand what makes a top class defender. Jags had two attributes I don't think Keane has from what have seen - leadership and a bloody minded determination to stop the opposition scoring at all costs. He was never the quickest but would mix it physically with anyone and read the game fantastically. He made Lescott, who had much better natural attributes, look world class because of his organisational abilities. Like Lescott, Keane needs his hand holding. He has time to prove me wrong but I just don't see him replacing what Jags has given us over the years. 

Football is as much about playing football that people enjoy watching as it is about winning trophies.
 Dislike that as much as you like but very few teams will walk away with a trophy in a season but tens of thousands will turn out every week to revel in the action of their team.  We all hope for a top 4 spot or a cup victory but know that it will be tough to achieve.  The least we could want should be to watch games where we enjoy the football being played, feel excitement from what we see and some hope that we can challenge for those goals.
in the last few months that’s how I’ve felt about our team and the finishing position didn’t really matter to me in the end.  I’d seen exciting positive football with some memorable victories and can look forward to the next season with some hope that there will be many more of those moments.

Keith has it spot on. Man Utd will be looking for a new manager by Christmas, Chelsea will probably start the season with a new one who may be working with a transfer ban and no Hazard. Arsenal have two fantastic strikers and very little else. We've just beaten all three of those teams. Brands gets the recruitment right next season, there is a genuine opportunity to get back in the top 6 next season. 
Or does it not count if three of the big boys underperform?? Ask Leicester fans... 

Keith has it spot on. Man Utd will be looking for a new manager by Christmas, Chelsea will probably start the season with a new one who may be working with a transfer ban and no Hazard. Arsenal have two fantastic strikers and very little else. We've just beaten all three of those teams. Brands gets the recruitment right next season, there is a genuine opportunity to get back in the top 6 next season. 
Or does it not count if three of the big boys underperform?? Ask Leicester fans... 

Keith has it spot on. Man Utd will be looking for a new manager by Christmas, Chelsea will probably start the season with a new one who may be working with a transfer ban and no Hazard. Arsenal have two fantastic strikers and very little else. We've just beaten all three of those teams. Brands gets the recruitment right next season, there is a genuine opportunity to get back in the top 6 next season. 
Or does it not count if three of the big boys underperform?? Ask Leicester fans... 

To answer the original question, yes, Everton might be able to crack the top six:
1.) The main issue is about us, Everton. As some have stated above, we were collectively optimistic going into Koeman's second season. That didn't turn out so well. The big question: Does the finish to this season suggest Silva's system is beginning to click or a run of luckier than usual results? Secondly, on this point, can Everton find a right back, striker, and cover for Gylfi at the 10? Does Brands decide to roll the dice on DCL at striker? Can Brands find the Digne and Benards again this summer? If we can't sign Zouma, can Mina stay healthy for 30 minutes? And if Mina can stay healthy, can he be as good as Zouma?
2.) United are an absolute mess. They'll splash a lot of cash this summer, but I don't think their management has any idea what they are doing so those dollars may not be well spent. I think they can be passed in the table, assuming their transfer policy is as incompetent as it has been over recent years.
3.) Chelsea might get hit with a transfer ban. Hazard is likely going out and he has been one of the best, if not the best, player in the EPL over the past several seasons. That's not easily replaceable. I don't know exactly how they replace that and even though I love Christian Pulisic (I'm American), he ain't it.
4.) Spurs, who I hope play the best game of their collective lives on June 1st, are due for a dip. Their main guys play a lot of minutes and managers are a genius until they aren't. As someone stated above, Klopp left Dortmund in the middle of a season when Dortmund were in the relegation zone. Could we see a similar drop-off from Spurs? I seriously doubt it, but crazier stuff has happened.
5.) Arsenal: Still can't defend but I'd expect they do something in the transfer market to address it. Auba turns 30 next month and pacey strikers don't typically age well. Oh and he wore out his welcome at Dortmund by missing practice and generally being a dipshit. Also, are we sure Emery is a decent manager? (He probably is)
6.) Maybe Liverpool slips a bit. I can't see how Real Madrid doesn't come after Salah, but what do I know. They seemed to get every lucky break this year save the Stones goal line clearance. Don't see City slipping at all and in fact, they might even strengthen their side in an attempt to win a quad. 
Wolves, Watford, and Leicester will all be thinking the same thing though.

This, all day long. It wasn't just those three results, it was our home form for the last five matches after losing to City. Two points dropped, no goals conceded, playing Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd, playing good, progressive football. 
I dont get how see how anyone can't see genuine promise in that. I don't get how anyone can accuse players/manager of not caring after putting a run together like that, especially on the back of a terrible run of form. Imo that takes real guts and determination. 

This, all day long. It wasn't just those three results, it was our home form for the last five matches after losing to City. Two points dropped, no goals conceded, playing Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd, playing good, progressive football. 
I dont get how see how anyone can't see genuine promise in that. I don't get how anyone can accuse players/manager of not caring after putting a run together like that, especially on the back of a terrible run of form. Imo that takes real guts and determination. 

In our life time Pete (or at least since we were teenagers) we have been lucky to get one win against these sides a season. The odd 1-0 win over United, or Arsenal, or the occasional derby win. But they always seemed to be scrappy wins, where the players had to put everything into them to win them, they were good but we beat them by hard work rather than talent. 
The attention on these wins was because they were back to back home victories, not just one offs dotted around a couple of years. It was every other week. But there wasn’t just hard work and grit like in the Moyes days, we beat these teams while showing quality at the same time. I know you think the other teams were poor, so what if they were, we were good too. We worked harder and showed more quality, and didn’t concede a goal. 
The reason the wins against these sides in the past were so good was because we always hoped they would be the glimmer of hope that the side would push on and progress, but more often that not we didn’t. This time we went out at Goodison and won again, if you can’t see the glimmer of hope from this I don’t think you have a positive bone in your body.
The rest of the Evertonians on the planet loved these games, they made us relevant again and gave us hope. For you, they seemed to just give you reasons to blame the other teams for being shit rather than to enjoy watching your own team win. 
You couldn’t enjoy the victories against Chelsea, Arsenal or United, you were too upset about Fulham and Palace. As poor as those results were, you need to enjoy the good times. 

Our of interest Pete how old were you in 2002? Am I right in guessing pretty young? Might it not be the case that the reason why you were able to enjoy a shite Everton team draw 0-0 with ten-man Leeds, but don't get the same buzz watching us beat Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea now, is because you've changed, not because this current team lacks passion? 
I have loads of great memories of Goodison from the 90s when I lived close enough to go to matches regularly. I loved it, still do when I can get over. But fuck me I saw some rubbish Everton teams. The biggest criticism I could throw at us last season was that at times we played like one of them relegation near-miss seasons, or how it was under Smith again. Just dour, hapless, clueless football. Say what you like, but we would never have got the results we've had this last three months last season, under Koeman or Allardyce. We've turned a corner and we will see progress again next season. 

I dont think anyone on here believes we’ll be pushing third place or even expecting us to break into the top six Palfy. 
I think a lot of us have seen a team start to show signs of identity, of a higher work rate, of creating chances, flashes of flair and imagination and its left us feeling positive. 
We’ve all seen so many years of negativity at this club. Relegation battles, selling players to keep the banks happy, Mike Walker 🤮, that now the club are aiming high. 
I though after January I’d probably not see a home win again this season. Then we beat these teams, didn’t concede a goal, attacked them. Really attacked them. Not the old 1-0 wins Moyes used to get, a lot of us moaned that we didn’t put four past Arsenal. I’ve seen them put six on us. It was a nice complaint to have. 
We’ve got stadium plans around the corner, we have money to spend, we’ve got some good players and a manager who is starting to look like he knows what he’s doing, Brands who looks very good, Suntan Bob has gone, the kids have retained the u23 league.
There are a lot of things to be positive about Everton. We aren’t going to win the league, we more than likely aren’t going to get in the top four yet. But there aren’t too many negatives are there? 
I can’t wait for next season. 

Yet even with these problems, 3 of them get to Euro finals. 
I get what your saying, we’re such a lucky team that teams only ever have problems on and off field when playing us. 
I mean it would be daft to say that our set up limits these teams and stops them playing. 
Yet when were beaten, it’s the opposite isn’t it PeteO, it’s because we were at full strength but the other team just tried harder. 
Lets be straight here. You see the team in a different way than the majority, and that’s fine. Your down on the team and club at the moment and look for negatives.
Im a pretty positive guy and will always look for the positives. You can see in my posts I’m a glass half full type. 
What we need to accept, mainly you 😉 is that yours, or mine, or any others opinions are just that PeteO, opinions. Your trying your best to prove them as facts, while ignoring actual facts.
The most glaring example is this not creating chances comment you keep going on about. Yet in one match we created more chances than Sam did in his whole tenure. That wasn’t something is fans made up, but a factual stat put out by the ssp team. And this is where I struggle to understand where your coming from sometimes.

Hmm, the two god awful draws Allardyce oversaw versus West Brom, or the final day defeat at West Ham, versus smashing Man Utd, beating Arsenal and Chelsea at home and giving the other lot a genuine run for their money, twice, in a season they broke their record points tally... I think we can a now accept that the only reason we're still debating this is one member who's determined to try to convince everyone else that black is white! 

Hmm, the two god awful draws Allardyce oversaw versus West Brom, or the final day defeat at West Ham, versus smashing Man Utd, beating Arsenal and Chelsea at home and giving the other lot a genuine run for their money, twice, in a season they broke their record points tally... I think we can a now accept that the only reason we're still debating this is one member who's determined to try to convince everyone else that black is white! 

Hmm, the two god awful draws Allardyce oversaw versus West Brom, or the final day defeat at West Ham, versus smashing Man Utd, beating Arsenal and Chelsea at home and giving the other lot a genuine run for their money, twice, in a season they broke their record points tally... I think we can a now accept that the only reason we're still debating this is one member who's determined to try to convince everyone else that black is white! 

Hmm, the two god awful draws Allardyce oversaw versus West Brom, or the final day defeat at West Ham, versus smashing Man Utd, beating Arsenal and Chelsea at home and giving the other lot a genuine run for their money, twice, in a season they broke their record points tally... I think we can a now accept that the only reason we're still debating this is one member who's determined to try to convince everyone else that black is white! 

Hmm, the two god awful draws Allardyce oversaw versus West Brom, or the final day defeat at West Ham, versus smashing Man Utd, beating Arsenal and Chelsea at home and giving the other lot a genuine run for their money, twice, in a season they broke their record points tally... I think we can a now accept that the only reason we're still debating this is one member who's determined to try to convince everyone else that black is white! 

The facts are we've gone backwards since Moyes left. Martinez was a massive disappointment after a fabulous first season, Koeman an absolute disaster after a strong second half to his first season. We really need to hope that pattern doesn't continue, otherwise we're facing the start of another cycle, another three, four years away from where we want to be. Top 6/Europe this season could have been another false dawn. Silva has seen the size of the job in hand, he's faced the backlash from the fans when we play shite, he's stuck to his principles and made another pretty bleak season end with some promise. There is serious work to do with the squad as we have nowhere near enough depth in quality, but with the best youth system in the country at present and a DoF who has shown already he can be pretty shrewd about how he deals for top talent, I'm confident Silva will have us make a real tilt at the top 6 next season. 

The facts are we've gone backwards since Moyes left. Martinez was a massive disappointment after a fabulous first season, Koeman an absolute disaster after a strong second half to his first season. We really need to hope that pattern doesn't continue, otherwise we're facing the start of another cycle, another three, four years away from where we want to be. Top 6/Europe this season could have been another false dawn. Silva has seen the size of the job in hand, he's faced the backlash from the fans when we play shite, he's stuck to his principles and made another pretty bleak season end with some promise. There is serious work to do with the squad as we have nowhere near enough depth in quality, but with the best youth system in the country at present and a DoF who has shown already he can be pretty shrewd about how he deals for top talent, I'm confident Silva will have us make a real tilt at the top 6 next season. 

The facts are we've gone backwards since Moyes left. Martinez was a massive disappointment after a fabulous first season, Koeman an absolute disaster after a strong second half to his first season. We really need to hope that pattern doesn't continue, otherwise we're facing the start of another cycle, another three, four years away from where we want to be. Top 6/Europe this season could have been another false dawn. Silva has seen the size of the job in hand, he's faced the backlash from the fans when we play shite, he's stuck to his principles and made another pretty bleak season end with some promise. There is serious work to do with the squad as we have nowhere near enough depth in quality, but with the best youth system in the country at present and a DoF who has shown already he can be pretty shrewd about how he deals for top talent, I'm confident Silva will have us make a real tilt at the top 6 next season. 

The facts are we've gone backwards since Moyes left. Martinez was a massive disappointment after a fabulous first season, Koeman an absolute disaster after a strong second half to his first season. We really need to hope that pattern doesn't continue, otherwise we're facing the start of another cycle, another three, four years away from where we want to be. Top 6/Europe this season could have been another false dawn. Silva has seen the size of the job in hand, he's faced the backlash from the fans when we play shite, he's stuck to his principles and made another pretty bleak season end with some promise. There is serious work to do with the squad as we have nowhere near enough depth in quality, but with the best youth system in the country at present and a DoF who has shown already he can be pretty shrewd about how he deals for top talent, I'm confident Silva will have us make a real tilt at the top 6 next season. 

The facts are we've gone backwards since Moyes left. Martinez was a massive disappointment after a fabulous first season, Koeman an absolute disaster after a strong second half to his first season. We really need to hope that pattern doesn't continue, otherwise we're facing the start of another cycle, another three, four years away from where we want to be. Top 6/Europe this season could have been another false dawn. Silva has seen the size of the job in hand, he's faced the backlash from the fans when we play shite, he's stuck to his principles and made another pretty bleak season end with some promise. There is serious work to do with the squad as we have nowhere near enough depth in quality, but with the best youth system in the country at present and a DoF who has shown already he can be pretty shrewd about how he deals for top talent, I'm confident Silva will have us make a real tilt at the top 6 next season. 

The facts are we've gone backwards since Moyes left. Martinez was a massive disappointment after a fabulous first season, Koeman an absolute disaster after a strong second half to his first season. We really need to hope that pattern doesn't continue, otherwise we're facing the start of another cycle, another three, four years away from where we want to be. Top 6/Europe this season could have been another false dawn. Silva has seen the size of the job in hand, he's faced the backlash from the fans when we play shite, he's stuck to his principles and made another pretty bleak season end with some promise. There is serious work to do with the squad as we have nowhere near enough depth in quality, but with the best youth system in the country at present and a DoF who has shown already he can be pretty shrewd about how he deals for top talent, I'm confident Silva will have us make a real tilt at the top 6 next season.