Zoo

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!

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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

That to me looks like the sorting hat from Harry Potter.

Fuck me, Manchester United v Liverpool in the next round too!

Fellaini should be scoring free headers like that.

@Tonka - Kone has fantastic effort but just doesn't seem to be able to find the net. He looks a lot like Torres, does everything right but can't score.

Confirmed: Gareth Bale is having a medical with Real Madrid.
 

I'm with you on that Brett. Even when we went 1-0 down we looked threatening. If we were still under Moyes it would have taken him until the 89th minute to realise we were losing and would resort to Johnny Heitinga as an 'attacking-option' to save the game.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Re-ignites the Heitinga/Bolton argument .

You must admit it fellow blue boys... It doesnt fell as annoying going behind with Matinez as it did with Moyes... Thats cause in the back of your minds you still appreciate the attrective football... Just think of it as one big jigsaw... He's only just counted the pieces to make sure there all there.... Soon we will have the finished article.....IN RM WE TRUST!!!!

I've been jealous of City for some time because they have videos like this for every game and training session. I too hope it becomes a regular thing.
 
If it's one thing that pisses me off though it's the sad bastards with those cut-out face masks..

----------JOEL---------
HIBBERT-STONES-JAGIELKA-OVIEDO
---------HEITINGA-------
NAISMITH-BARKLEY-OSMAN
---------DEULOFEU------
---------KONE-------------
 
Edit: Failing that he could put Oveido at LM and play 3 at the back.

Confirmed: Gareth Bale is having a medical with Real Madrid.
 

That to me looks like the sorting hat from Harry Potter.

Is it just me that thinks that the liver-bird is a big no? It's been the symbol of Liverpool FC for as long as I can remember and just wouldn't look right on the Everton badge. The main focal point of our badge should be the tower.

Confirmed: Gareth Bale is having a medical with Real Madrid.
 

Confirmed: Gareth Bale is having a medical with Real Madrid.
 

I would say the schools are back next week but it seems to be the old boys causing all the fuss!!!

Agreed, he could have been so much more. He should have done what Dempsey did and spend his best years in a top league and come back to settle down in the US.
 
Got a lot of respect for him though, always wish him well.

I like this design.

Top man! I'm liking you already!

:I surrender: .

winner by a country mile

Famous stock car racer in the US....
 

danger fourpence

that's the first thing you think of...i think of many things when i hear liverpool fc

Agreed, he could have been so much more. He should have done what Dempsey did and spend his best years in a top league and come back to settle down in the US.
 
Got a lot of respect for him though, always wish him well.