Chelsea v Everton. 11th Feb at 19.45.

[Khalekan]

I see us picking up 35 points in our remaining games. That will put us on 62 points...and in the top 10.
We have Leicester at home next...I expect a 4-0 drubbing of them

I admire your optimism, deip.......but where the heck are we going to find four goals from....

 

[Deco]

Well, he did that once. I will counter that flawed observation with a factual one -- he received the ball down the left wing with 10 minutes to go and we had a 4 on 4 situation. He proceeded to pump the ball straight into Cech's hands.

Hazard had a couple of shots straight at Howard in similar situations, does that make him dreadful?

Lukaku was our best player tonight.

 

[deipnosophist]

Definitely, Naismith is an important player but he looks worn out and it's effecting our attack.

Lukaku can't do everything on his own, but even then he almost managed to tonight. Apart from Hazard he was the best player on the pitch IMO.

I agree mate, Naismith is critical to the way we play. And I also agree that he ran himself into the ground tonight. But unfortunately, no-one else in our squad possesses his dual skill sets of creativity and graft. Still the first name on the team sheet for me.

 

[sd_1992]

Funny how people see things differently. Bobby has restored my faith completely. He has got us playing defensively sound football coupled with incisive and pacey counter-attack. I thought we were dead unlucky tonight as Chelsea were not the better side despite their wage bill.
Hopefully, after all the criticism he has taken (and I put my hand up here), Bobby doesn't look to greener fields (although when Barca come knocking, I can understand his maybe looking to leave)

I don't necessarily think it is what is going on on the pitch, but his management of the squad is becoming so very very frustrating, our last two wins have come in the last two games we played with 2 wingers, dropping a keeper in great form, allowing the dressing room to be fractured early in the season, these are all the managers responsibility.

The squad is capable of so much if it is managed correctly and it just isn't at the moment, and whilst there has been an upturn in results with Stones coming back, but there is absolutely no indication that he has any intention of getting the First XI (never mind the squad) back into shape which is immensely disappointing. I hope he can do it I really do as last season was the best season at Everton in a LONG time.

 

[marty mcfly]

Eight or ninth would be difficult but possibly achievable, being eleven and seven points behind respectively. Tenth to twelfth is a fair prediction.

Personally, the whole we will win the 'Europa League' is a pipe dream. There are far too many good teams compared to our current state.

Right now I would purely take survival and some signs that this season is merely a blip, rather than more deep rooted problems.

If Chelsea can win the Champions League playing park the bus football we can do the same thing in the Europa League. We did beat Wolfsburg home and away and they are flying in the Bundesliga.

 

[Wat Tyler]

Not slagging off Jagielka either because he was quality tonight but when this was all kicking off he's 5 yards away waiting like a good lad to speak to the ref personally lol it made me chuckle anyway when every other player was in there. Jags is the last in line of showing etiquette as a footballer

It's not funny though mate because it confirms the suspicion he is a weak captain.

 

[SH1958]

I love how people still think we got battered in that first leg. FFS we went 3-0 up then sat off, got the kettle on, had a cuppa while they came at us a bit and had a few shots. Then we brushed ourselves down, Mirallas fancied himself a goal so he casually got one, then they scored a worldie free kick last minute.

Some people are really weird.

Wolfsburg had about 30 shots & Timmy Tourette’s made about a dozen saves

 

[marty mcfly]

Certainly, but in that situation I can see why he punched as opposed to catching.

But it was a poor punch. He's too small.

 

[deipnosophist]

I don't necessarily think it is what is going on on the pitch, but his management of the squad is becoming so very very frustrating, our last two wins have come in the last two games we played with 2 wingers, dropping a keeper in great form, allowing the dressing room to be fractured early in the season, these are all the managers responsibility.

The squad is capable of so much if it is managed correctly and it just isn't at the moment, and whilst there has been an upturn in results with Stones coming back, but there is absolutely no indication that he has any intention of getting the First XI (never mind the squad) back into shape which is immensely disappointing. I hope he can do it I really do as last season was the best season at Everton in a LONG time.

you raise salient points. I think Bobby did drop the ball in the summer. I suggest he won't this summer.

 

[maccavennie]

It's not funny though mate because it confirms the suspicion he is a weak captain.

I thought we had confirmed that a while ago mate? Don't think it is anything new unless you weren't around for the West Brom game on here? He was tying his shoelaces whilst Mirallas was in a strop for the pen. Played well tonight and tbh none of that team except McCarthy are captain material unfortunately.

 

[SH1958]

I still can't get over that Lukaku chance. How have we not scored there? He'll be kicking himself for ages after that.

He will probably miss kicking himself

 

[Hangleton]

Osman's back soon. That's Naisey on the bench then. We can play 7 defenders Osman Lukaku and a winger.

 

[marty mcfly]

Wolfsburg had about 30 shots & Timmy Tourette’s made about a dozen saves

They where all from distance. They rarely got behind us.

 

[Fearthainn]

Wow, a picture paints a thousand words.

What's funny is the ref will probably get away with saying he didn't see it.

 

[deipnosophist]

Wolfsburg had about 30 shots & Timmy Tourette’s made about a dozen saves

Wolfsburg could not live with us...too much power and pace . I think the EL will easily be won by one of the English teams. The PL has too much power and pace for most continental teams to counter. And Wolfsburg is a case in point. One of the best German teams got battered by one of the best English teams.
The only way we wont be winning the EL, or getting to the final, is if we meet Spurs or Liverpool on the way there