Sibdane

Hibbo must be thinking 'wtf even Howard scores before me'

Hahaha

Mates,

Just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas from the States. Glad I was able to go into it with an Everton win to make the holidays even better.

Once again,

Happy Christmas!

American Football is more financially balanced than the football leagues of the world. Each team has a salary cap and can therefore only spend so much. If you look at the Miami Dolphins, they are poor this season...but that doesn't necessarily mean bad ownership. The Colts were 11-5(I think) last season and now they are 1-13(first season with less than 10 losses in about 9-10 years). There is a lot more parity in the NFL then there is in the EPL. In a few years, Miami will probably win their division and make it far in the play-offs... very cyclical.

Admittedly, I don't really know much about the owner though. There are bad ones -- Just saying that recent performances aren't necessarily correlated with poor ownership.

For me, he was a decent acquisition last time around, and played great in some matches, and so so in others. I'm glad he is returning, as it's 'another' first 11 body in our squad, and another option for Moyes. I have a sneaky feeling that he is here with a view to stay, and not just on loan.

I think Donovan would love to stay full-time, but the MLS wouldn't be willing to sell him. He's a marketing gold-mine over here because of his heroics with the national team. If they would've known that Clint Dempsey was going to be such a good player, they probably wouldn't have sold him to Fulham. However, I also think Dempsey was at the end of his contract.

Regardless, I'm very excited about Donovan coming back on loan. Donovan thrives on confidence. The Everton fans said goodbye to him in a way that left a very positive feeling, and I believe he'll come back with that same feeling, thus allowing him to thrive. Time to bust out the Donovan-Everton Jersey.

I always think about this past World Cup where the USA was playing Slovenia. We went down 2-0 but managed to fight back to 2-2. We had a third goal disallowed because of a bogus foul call. If the ref had replay then he would have seen that there was no foul. Subsequently, it forced the US to have to play for the win in the next game when a draw would have sufficed if we have gotten that win. Basically, our players were winded from having to play comeback footy. Fortunately, the US won the next game and moved out of its group.

Btw, why is Norwich's voting tally in "for" so low in comparison to the rest of the league? Any correlations?

What positions am i hoping for? well weve sold 3 strikers and 2 creative mids in the last year, kind of goes without saying

I put three(including Donny Boy). Hopefully a striker and a creative mid. I feel our midfield has some decent depth, but I think we could really use a playmaker.

Drenthe, though I thought Saha was decent, too. Stracq looked very promising. I was happy to see him come on a little bit earlier than usual -- showed some good strength and won some headers right away.

I think at the moment, the table is still a bit misleading... it flatters a few teams (City being one) and it gives a bad impression of others (Everton for example) BUT it's a fairly decent 'ballpark' indication at the moment. I think the +/- 4 places is about right.

 

To me, Everton are still one of the teams nobody wants to play. Capable of beating anyone, and anybody who comes away from a game with Everton with a point (or more) will feel pretty happy.

Although I say that, I do think a great deal of that 'fear' is based on past performance and a reputation for hard work / dogged performances.

 

I'm not sure about Drenthe. Part of me keeps feeling he only looks decent because he's in a side that's not really looking very threatening up front, and so anybody prepared to go forward with enthusiasm, and a bit of ability looks good!). I do agree though, that that's a real positive thing for Everton - more of it required please!

 

Norwich's goal today was hard to blame on anybody really. Just one of those 'jammy' goals that squeezed through (although you could argue he shouldn't have been able to turn and get a shot in).

 

 

Norwich are not a bad team - but truth be told there not 'bad' teams in this league. Only Bolton are looking shocking and they can play well when they have confidence.

 

I'm more worried about next season for Everton... that the ownership won't be resolved, players will get frustrated (and poached) and you'll slip back even further (into genuine 'worry zone'). That's why I think something has to happen ASAP in the boardroom, or some money found for Mr Moyes. That top 6-8 is looking harder and harder for Everton, and I'm not at all confident you're up to it this year, and look (from the outside) to be going the same way as Villa - another great club having to settle for mid table for a few years.(1)

 

Perhaps I'm being a pessimist. After all, it's the DNA of a City fan!.... but still, for me, this current Everton team are not really of the standard Everton traditionally commands.

 

I'm convinced with (say) 20 - 30 million(2), Moyes could secure a fairly decent team for the next 3-4 years (and make damn sure Everton stay in the Prem). It's a crying shame he's not going to get anywhere near that, and in all likelihood will be asked to let even more players go (Rodwell, Baines?) in the summer. I know 20-30 million sounds a lot, but it's not when compared with the money other clubs are spending.

 

I think Everton and Moyes luck is running out.

 

p.s. by 'luck' I don't mean you've been lucky so far per se, I just mean that you can't keep going forever without spending and replacing the talent you keep losing. Sooner or later it will catch up with you, it just has to.

Let's just hope you can get new owners with a good attitude (and not a Venky's !)... Then Everton can get back in the mix at the top where they belong.

1. This is what worries me as well.

2. The lack of this is what causes my worry.

I believe Everton should be performing better than they currently are. When I look at the last few seasons, they have been plagued by slow starts that blossom into great, almost storytelling endings. I worry what if our form doesn't pick up and we finish in say, the spot we are in now. Yes, we are not relegated but we lose even more funds to buy players (much less keep players).

I believe the players we have are able to put us in a good 7-10 position, but the lack of depth is really a killer. Obviously, I'm beating a dead horse, but we really need a buy-out if we are looking to turn the club around. That, or just a set of amazing youth players that are ready to live up to their potential in the very near future. All in all, I think we will finish strong. Davey has that end-of-season magic.

Not happy about the result, but I'm not angry. I had a sickly feeling that it would be a loss. I'm glad I was wrong.

Maybe McA and Straca should be the top two from now on, when we play with two of course.

Lol. Hibbert. Nice attempt though

Drenthe really is going for the winner.

yes!!! Nice little touch by Osman!!

Jesus Christ....

...Is who need to score goals.

I've always been a fan. Decent pace and has a lot of time to grow. Not sure if we really need him though considering we have Neville and Hibbo, and that there is talk that Coleman is the expected RB of the future...

I think you're right Steve.. I've just noticed it is $250 + $100 annual for the upkeep of the app.

 

The link I gave for IPB app is for US iTunes store. I can't find the one on the UK store. Do you have the link?

WOW. Didn't realize it costs that much! I'll check out the links above. Thanks, guys

I'm not sure how possible this is, or if this has already been mentioned... but how possible would it be to make an Iphone/blackberry app for TT? I think you could charge .99 to 1.99? I know it would take some programming, but I think it would be a great way to bring some revenue to TT.

Just a thought.

I see he prefers to play right so he can cut in a shoot/take on the fullback. If he was a better shot then I'd say play him there. However, the left side needs him since we don't have too many options. His pace has already determined that he's a winger for me.

You'll need to stop tickling it's tummy.

 

Big forums are fine, but if you want folk to read your posts, you need something a little less competitive. Sometimes by the time you press submit, the conversation has changed on busy forums, and your post appears out of context. Having said that, on slower forums, people read your thoughts days after you offered them, and by then, your opinions may have changed, or you may have forgotten what you were thinking when you wrote it.

Finding a happy medium is the secret I think, but you'll find the time zone here awkward, as it's 2am as I write. There is a large American contingency on GOT I think, but it can be a bit of a popularity contest on there.

Yeah, the timezone is a bit of a stumble. I think I've found that I run into the most forum members around 6-7 pm my time. Only problem is I have the most time to write when I'm sitting in the office at around 10-11. Ah well. I already feel at home here, so I'll just stick with it. I'm not trying to be in a contest with other Americans either. It's easier to win when there are fewer of us.

So we were a kind of 'last resort' then?

Definitely. Still feel cheated, too.

Actually, I didn't join for a few weeks. I browsed TT and a few others through that time. I mainly hung out as "anonymous" in the Rumourama section -- Transfer season is my favorite time of year... and it comes twice!

Tonk, I might have to disappoint you here mate.

As much as we'd all love to keep arguing about it, we've all agreed to let things go for the sake of the forum.

 

I think you'll find I didn't actually quote you in any of my posts, and the Mississippi thing was no big deal (I could have said China), but hey ho.

 

Do I dislike you? Well, not yet, but there's time for everything I guess. Don't think I'm going to lick your ear though if I 'do' like you. I'll do anything for love, but I won't do that.

 

As for tact, I wouldn't hold your breath. I don't do tact too well I'm afraid, but I'm learning. This is my nice side btw. Can't you just smell the fresh air and Daffodils?

Seeing as Mississippi is a fairly less common place to mention than China, I could only feel singled out.

...but fair enough. I don't expect anything from you, except to be fair with my comments. Then again, I realize you don't have to be.

All is good, mate.

That was humour for me tonk!

I laughed quite a bit. I'm always a fan of comic relief.

To get back on subject, I agree with the initial post. I went to a few Toffee forums before joining this one. My research told me that this forum seemed the friendliest and most open-minded.

Ban the apologists!!!

 

I don't see that as being a bad fan, i think it's a NORMAL fan. Knocking your own club doesn't mean you're less of a fan. Knocking the manager doesn't mean you don't respect him.

 

Yes. Yep. Yeah. Yessir. THANK YOU. And no, I'm not patronizing you.

I agree 100%.

 

Personally I don't like foreign fans calling for my local teams manager to step down(1), be it on this forum or any other. If they want to discuss every other aspect, that's fine with me. If you don't like my stance on foreign fans, tough. It's 'my' opinion. Perhaps you want to discuss our economy, or even have a vote in our local election too(2).

 

Edit: Just to clarify Tonka, there are only so many times a member can have a go at me for the same comment(3), and only so many times I can discuss the related comment, so with respect, having it brought up every time another member mentions it gets a bit stale. Time to move on now, and let the forum return to the harmony it was, before we all fell out over Moyes. All the best.

1. Never asked him to step down. Get your shit together. I respect that you may not like me because I'm foreign, but if you're going to dislike me, make sure it's for the reasons you say.

2. Really? Very childish analogy.

3. Nah, I live in a different time-zone. If you're going to say something that is personal with me, you're going to hear from me, even if it is after everyone else has said the same thing.

To quote Newton: "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy."

Wait, am I allowed to quote him? He is from England...