reality check

[GwladysBlue]

We took our average signing age up in the hope it would bring us instant success but it has backfired and now we’ve got an old, average squad.

 

[Egil Olsen]

Well technically yes. But I suppose it's about how much we would want to progress this season.

No, you can not just take a snapshot and say that this is the level of Everton. Then I can counter-argue to say that Everton's level is number 1. None of the arguments are correct. Instead, we can look at our results over a longer period, and then you see that we are around 6-11 in the PL. If we include economic variables in the equation, I would assume we end up between 5-7 in the PL.

 

[TippEverton]

And to put the cap on it, I bet we draw the RS in the 3rd. Round draw.

I just don't see anything in terms of the league for me to get excited about, it's the hope that kills you, but the stand out dates for me now are the 23rd December and the hope that we can beat United, and that third round draw, and hopefully it's favourable.

Even if they go our way, it'll still probably only prolong the inevitable agony.

But the cup competitions are huge for us this season, we're not doing anything of note in the league.

 

[miami]

Can't see us doing much in the cups either tbh.

 

[JelavicBrate2]

Weve had 30 years of reality checks. I'd like the reality to change at some point.

We are the most predictable team in English football. Not been relegated in about 60 years thankfully and far too good always to go down. But nowhere near good enough to ever actually challenge in the top 6 or so or to win something.

Genuinely don't see the point of us at the minute. We exist to plod along doing absolutely nothing of note. If we get into a good position, we take two steps back. Nothing will ever change.

I don't think a lot of people appreciate how hard it is to be an Everton fan, at least fans of other clubs. Look at Martinez's last season we still got to 2 semi finals and could of easily got to 2 finals. Typical we miss a penalty against United and lose in the last minute, then we let City get back in the game in the flukiest way possible. We haven't got to a final since 2009, typical we were missing Jags, Arteta and a few other players who would have helped us win.

Palace beat Liverpool 3 times in a row at Anfield , other clubs such as West Ham and Southampton have gone there and outclassed them, we haven't beaten them there in more than 20 years and haven't beaten them at home since 2010. Personally I think there is a middle ground, we shouldn't expect to finish in the top 4 and win trophies every season, but we shouldn't accept just laying down in big games at we always seem to do.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I don't think a lot of people appreciate how hard it is to be an Everton fan, at least fans of other clubs. Look at Martinez's last season we still got to 2 semi finals and could of easily got to 2 finals. Typical we miss a penalty against United and lose in the last minute, then we let City get back in the game in the flukiest way possible. We haven't got to a final since 2009, typical we were missing Jags, Arteta and a few other players who would have helped us win.

Palace beat Liverpool 3 times in a row at Anfield , other clubs such as West Ham and Southampton have gone there and outclassed them, we haven't beaten them there in more than 20 years and haven't beaten them at home since 2010. Personally I think there is a middle ground, we shouldn't expect to finish in the top 4 and win trophies every season, but we shouldn't accept just laying down in big games at we always seem to do.

Nothing will improve until people at the club stop viewing failure as success. Patience is required with the manager for as long as necessary but we need a complete mentality overhaul. 7th 8th 9th etc is failure and doesn't make us any less irrelevant than we already are. Players need to be fully aware of whats expected the minute they come in the door. At the minute we're the ideal destination of you are a mediocre midtable or relegated player looking a big pay rise.

I'm just really bored with us and wish I could pack it in. We are so predictable. Win and go 3rd today, but no we get outplayed and outworked at home. One step forward means two back are coming very soon. We are permanently broken as a club.

 

[TippEverton]

Can't see us doing much in the cups either tbh.

In all likelihood you're probably right, but they're one off affairs, there has to be some degree of hope in cup competitions.

 

[miami]

A complete overhaul from top to bottom of the club is needed. A new coaching ethos is required. Very few of the present squad would stay. Most need binned. A lot of big time Charlies who believe in their own hype are content at taking a huge wage whilst being happy to be middle to bottom tier mediocrities.

Do we want to be a top top club or do we not? The rotten, complacent, apathetic core needs ripped out of the club. Forget all the off field targets the club has set, the football side of things needs fixed first.

Stop buying slow, ancient, crablike, cowardly players who may have had the odd decent game in 20 and who have been talked up in the past by useless ex-player pundits who preach their own false narratives when in reality don't have a clue what they're talking about. How many times over the years did we hear pundits say Siggy was a creative player or scneiderlan was a great defensive midfielder when it's been obvious for anyone they were not? Our club has been suckered into buying useless guff on the back of pundits and supposed football people waxing lyrical about players such as siggy, schneiderlan, walcott, delph, iwobi etc......

We need hungry, intense, able, quick, brave players throughput the club, not players who are joining us in retirement mode. Scout for dynamic, young, hungry players from the lower leagues and develop our own players who have high standards from day one.

The recruitment over the last 15 years has been pathetic. Root and branch change at the club is needed and the old boys network needs removed. Im sick to death of settling for mediocrity at this club. Or Maybe there's too much money in the game to expect players to have a winning mentality when they can collect 100 grand a week for being the bang average cowardly players that they are.

Shower of sh#t the lot of em today, bar allan.

 

[The binman chronicles]

In all likelihood you're probably right, but they're one off affairs, there has to be some degree of hope in cup competitions.

Without Digne it is going to be hard. Hopefully we get a few easy draws in the early rounds of the FA cup. I think with the full team out we can match anyone but any small deviations and that will be that. I just wonder how many games will we play this season with every first teamer available.

 

[Toast]

Out worked by Newcastle, Southampton and Leeds, not outclassed, out worked.

Lucky it’s empty grounds.

 

[hallamblue]

Out worked by Newcastle, Southampton and Leeds, not outclassed, out worked.

Lucky it’s empty grounds.

I'm not sure it's outworked as much as they are quicker than us, we really do lack pace. Now one of our few pacy players is out for 3 months it will be worse. We need to buy faster players in January, a quick right back and a fast right forward so James can play in behind DCL.

 

[riddick]

Out worked by Newcastle, Southampton and Leeds, not outclassed, out worked.

Lucky it’s empty grounds.

And, yet, for years the supporters were blamed for genuinely caring. "It's the Park End" or wherever the area of the ground was who made our players weak.

I mean, we have a manager who has swim everything, we have a Galactico who has won everything, we bought a player Napoli turned down a €80m bid for a year ago. There has to be SOMETHING that makes us uniquely crap

 

[Bkk Andy]

6th, 7th or even 8th isn't a big deal given where we have been except that our big signings last summer were 29, 29 and 27. We just don't have time to build given that choice

We took our average signing age up in the hope it would bring us instant success but it has backfired and now we’ve got an old, average squad.

That's the concern; if this goes wrong it's a very expensive mistake. There won't be much resale value and I don't see many of those players wanting to stay if Carlo was to leave.

 

[Melba Toast]

I think this is the moment in the season that happens pretty much every season when I realise we are what we are and there’s no point in hoping for anything more. The Last time I didn’t have this moment was Martinez’s 1st season.

Oh well. still lots of games to go, but it’s becoming pretty obvious very quickly that we’re on our way to finishing 8-12 again.

 

[NathDogg]

I suppose this is a reality check for some, but we all need to be honest with ourselves- we are currently a mid to bottom half team with this squad, mostly full of lightweight, overpaid, Lilly livered cowards who at the first sign of us doing anything half decent, fall to absolute bits, and have done so time and again for us.

This shame is this is an abnormal season, where anything is possible due to the inconsistency across all teams - if we had found any type of consistency of performance I think anything was possible, but we have been our usual consistently inconsistent selves, and not made the most of it. Still loads of the league to play for, but I'm just not sure we can do much with the bulk of the gash in the squad.

We really need to go for the league and fa cup also - be boss to win one.

Big positives for me are the signings of Allan, Hamez, Doucs, Godfrey and Nkounkou - get a few more windows of those types of transfers and we will do fine.

Carlo and brands need time to fix the mess they were left.