Ifs, buts and Maybes

[chicagoblue]

Well good enough. It’s in our hands. 

[Shukes]

Well we need a win at Goodison. 
If there’s anywhere we can do it, it’s fitting it’s there.

[Sibdane]

Newcastle should've had that in the bag, but I'll take a draw. Up to us now. 

[Goodison Glory]

If that castagne shot had gone in, it would have summed our season up perfectly. 

The way I felt during that match…not sure I’m gonna survive on Sunday. Nerve wracking is not the word.

[Matt]

77% possession, hit the woodwork 3 times... Leicester will be buoyed by that.

So I'm going to join in; it's in our hands. 

[Newty82]

2 minutes ago, Matt said:

Can you lot give some fucking context for those not able to watch

Basically, at about 80mins, Newcastle had had 20plus shots and dominating. Leicester had had 0 shots and only 1 touch in Newcastles pen box.

Then...with 5mins to go, Leicester ramp it right up and go all out war at Newcastle.

Newcastle decide its OK, we only need a point so just sit back.

[Goodison Glory]

Seems all 3 relegation sides dealing with some possible injuries.

Us: DCL, Myko, 

Leeds: Bamford & Rodrigo

Leicester: Evans, Ndidi?

[Goodison Glory]

Cmon moysie….we need you one more time. 

[StevO]

Simple task on Sunday. Win. Forget any other result, just win. 

[Wiggytop]

Just now, StevO said:

Simple task on Sunday. Win. Forget any other result, just win. 

And it’s absolutely possible, I think mentally it’s better than knowing a point would be enough and not turning up.

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

8 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

I’ll take that. In our hands. 

I think that’s the bit that scares me the most!

[plaidharper]

Our aggregate score with Bournemouth this season 1 -7...  I might need to wear a heart monitor for this last one.

[Newty82]

3 minutes ago, Goodison Glory said:

Cmon moysie….we need you one more time. 

No. We need ourselves! It's all on us this one. No ifs or buts.

There's been a mad number of NASA standard equations in here recently.

It's simple. We need to win.

And we will. That Goodison crowd will be immense. Bournemouth won't want to touch the ball.

[Goodison Glory]

4 minutes ago, Newty82 said:

No. We need ourselves! It's all on us this one. No ifs or buts.

There's been a mad number of NASA standard equations in here recently.

It's simple. We need to win.

And we will. That Goodison crowd will be immense. Bournemouth won't want to touch the ball.

Agreed, but we’ve let ourselves down so often that we can be both behind the team, have a positive outlook AND wish for some help from somewhere else along the way. Both things can be true.

[London Blue]

[Hafnia]

Dyche is not the type of manager who I want to “just need a point”.

If a draw will do then goodison could be a stagnant, cagey affair where we give Bournemouth the ball.  If we need a win, the crowd will be vicious and baying for everything. 

[RuffRob]

Well thank fuck its in our hands as all three teams have very winnable home games. 

Its going to be a very nervy Sunday.

 

[Gwlad]

For the umpteenth time I have reread match reports of final day of season 94 and 98. Here we go again, and support our team. 

[Cornish Steve]

Frankly, if we can’t beat Bournemouth at home, with a madly supportive crowd, and with our opponents having nothing riding on the game, we deserve to be relegated. But we’ll win. It’ll be nerve-wracking, but we will win. 

[badaids]

4 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

Frankly, if we can’t beat Bournemouth at home, with a madly supportive crowd, and with our opponents having nothing riding on the game, we deserve to be relegated. But we’ll win. It’ll be nerve-wracking, but we will win. 

I agree with you 100% on the first bit, and am shiting it for the second.

[Matt]

1 hour ago, RPG said:

Yes, and no. Whilst our mentality is definitely better than it was, I think there is still much room for further improvement. If we are drawing and hear that Leicester have gone a goal up or, God forbid, we go a goal down, I am not sure what the reaction will be from our players.

For this reason, I think it is important that not only do we score first, but that we score early before Leicester might go a goal up. If Leicester learn that we are winning while they are drawing, it will be demoralising for them. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.

My heart can't stand the stress of a 99th minute winner.

I know what the reaction will be from our crowd, that'll feed the players. 

[Romey 1878]

To be honest, I'd rather us know we need to win to make sure of survival rather than knowing a point could be enough.

Subconsciously they wouldn't push as much and we'd be stuck between having a go and protecting the draw. That could be very dangerous.

We can do this. We will do this.

[Hafnia]

37 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

To be honest, I'd rather us know we need to win to make sure of survival rather than knowing a point could be enough.

Subconsciously they wouldn't push as much and we'd be stuck between having a go and protecting the draw. That could be very dangerous.

We can do this. We will do this.

That’s my view. A draw being enough is dangerous, imagine being level, 3 minutes remaining and Leicester are throwing 11 men up for corners looking for a winner -  dyche would be playing for the point and it could bite us on the arse.

a draw is no different to a loss for us. Absolutely no benefit, yes we obviously going to need to stay in the game but playing for a draw is not an option now. 

[Hafnia]

So what do I think will happen?  I think spurs beat Leeds, I think West Ham will beat Leicester cos Leicester have to win and can’t set up like last night. 
 

I hope/think we will beat Bournemouth, their players will have their holidays booked for next week, flying out to Dubai etc - do they really want to go into 50/50 tackles and spend the offseason having physio and working to get fit? But our players have to make them think “fuck this, we’ve done our job, these players & fans are relentless and make us run all day in hot conditions”

[Hafnia]

9 minutes ago, RPG said:

I agree but it will be interesting to see the game plan. Do we go all out for an early goal or play it safe for an hour or so and go for the win in the last 30 minutes?

The game plan should be - every single ball is contested with maximum intensity, we chase, we close, we show for a pass, we run twice as hard as Bournemouth and mentally let them know that they are in for a long afternoon.
 

If on a hot day with nothing to play for,  against a team who is fighting for their lives bornemouth outperform us then I will be angry beyond comprehension 

[Formby]

47 minutes ago, RPG said:

I agree but it will be interesting to see the game plan. Do we go all out for an early goal or play it safe for an hour or so and go for the win in the last 30 minutes?

I don't think the play it safe approach is going to work - we need to think of it as a cup final and play accordingly. Play all out for an early goal, then all out for a second and third.

[Matt]

40 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

The game plan should be - every single ball is contested with maximum intensity, we chase, we close, we show for a pass, we run twice as hard as Bournemouth and mentally let them know that they are in for a long afternoon.
 

If on a hot day with nothing to play for,  against a team who is fighting for their lives bornemouth outperform us then I will be angry beyond comprehension 

Even I won't really be able to debate with you, I'll be livid too. Assuming you don't go for 1 player

 

[Romey 1878]

I've managed to remain quite calm throughout this hell but my stomach is in fucking knots right now.

Put it this way, I won't have any trouble being able to go the toilet for the next 5 days.

[Goodison Glory]

My only worry is the DCL factor: I'd feel more confident of us being on the front foot with him available.

someone needs to step up. 
 

[Hafnia]

gonna have to do it without Dom