Relegation

[MikeH72]

if that was the case, wouldn't they have made us play those games when we had about 13 players fit?

The fact we have games in hand is about the only positive atm

There’s always a chance you can pick up points in games, but there’s no chance of picking up points when you don’t play. I think they’ve wanted us playing catch up as psychologically it’s a lot harder than having points on the board. We seem to be on the receiving end of quite a few disadvantages out of our control recently and it’s quite odd imo.

 

[BlueToff]

There’s always a chance you can pick up points in games, but there’s no chance of picking up points when you don’t play. I think they’ve wanted us playing catch up as psychologically it’s a lot harder than having points on the board.

Nah not having it mate.

We got one of our games called off cause of COVID, so that's on us. The second Leicester game was rearranged cause of their outbreak.

People keep saying there's been free weeks since then but the other teams also playing catch up have had to play too. And if we'd have played instead you can be sure people would moan about us having to play 3 games a week in the midst of winter and other teams having games in hand etc.

Burnley have had to 'play catch up' and have managed to lose one game in seven - which was against Liverpool.

After tonight I think we'll have at least one game in hand on everyone around us and right now you can bet that Lampard will be absolutely chuffed at that.

Would you rather have given those games in hand to him or Benitez?

 

[MikeH72]

Nah not having it mate.

We got one of our games called off cause of COVID, so that's on us. The second Leicester game was rearranged cause of their outbreak.

People keep saying there's been free weeks since then but the other teams also playing catch up have had to play too. And if we'd have played instead you can be sure people would moan about us having to play 3 games a week in the midst of winter and other teams having games in hand etc.

Burnley have had to 'play catch up' and have managed to lose one game in seven - which was against Liverpool.

Well we were meant to play Newcastle when they were in rotten form and hadn’t signed any new players.

Burnley are Burnley and not us. We know about the psychological frailties of our players. If we enter the bottom 3 then the pressure gets cranked up. You may have faith in them to pick points up in all of our games in hand but unfortunately I don’t.

 

[BlueToff]

Burnley are Burnley and not us. We know about the psychological frailties of our players. If we enter the bottom 3 then the pressure gets cranked up. You may have faith in them to pick points up in all of our games in hand but unfortunately I don’t.

Like I said (have added to my post) you can be certain that Lampard is buoyed by us having games in hand mate. And would you rather have Benitez being in charge for those matches?

 

[ToffeeTim]

Nah not having it mate.

We got one of our games called off cause of COVID, so that's on us. The second Leicester game was rearranged cause of their outbreak.

People keep saying there's been free weeks since then but the other teams also playing catch up have had to play too. And if we'd have played instead you can be sure people would moan about us having to play 3 games a week in the midst of winter and other teams having games in hand etc.

Burnley have had to 'play catch up' and have managed to lose one game in seven - which was against Liverpool.

After tonight I think we'll have at least one game in hand on everyone around us and right now you can bet that Lampard will be absolutely chuffed at that.

Would you rather have given those games in hand to him or Benitez?

I think dropping into the bottom 3 is much worse than having games in hand. The pressure is ramped right up and I don't know how these players react. It's going to happen so we need to make sure we are mentally prepared for it, but I have concerns about it, especially since our next game is a tough away game where we traditionally don't turn up.

We could have played last midweek, or the one before, or next midweek. I don't know why we haven't played when others have.

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Like I said (have added to my post) you can be certain that Lampard is buoyed by us having games in hand mate. And would you rather have Benitez being in charge for those matches?

Personally and I said it the other day. I’d rather play city and spurs away, with some of our best players out or just returning to the team.

Hopefully by the time we play, wolves, palace, Newcastle, Utd, Leicester, Brentford at home Amd Leicester, Burnley, Watford away. We have all our players back, up to speed and match fit bar Mina.

 

[MikeH72]

Like I said (have added to my post) you can be certain that Lampard is buoyed by us having games in hand mate. And would you rather have Benitez being in charge for those matches?

Lampard has been in the job 6 weeks now and we’ve had multiple free weeks to play those games in which other teams have been playing. Why are we on Monday night this week? There’s no reason why our FA Cup game needs to be on Thursday. We are on Monday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Sunday for our next 5 league games, we are constantly being asked to play after all of the other teams in the battle. You might see that as an advantage but I don’t, it adds extra pressure on us knowing that we’ll probably need to win just to keep pace. The way the fixtures have been arranged is suspicious to me.

 

[BlueToff]

I think dropping into the bottom 3 is much worse than having games in hand. The pressure is ramped right up and I don't know how these players react. It's going to happen so we need to make sure we are mentally prepared for it, but I have concerns about it, especially since our next game is a tough away game where we traditionally don't turn up.

We could have played last midweek, or the one before, or next midweek. I don't know why we haven't played when others have.

But like I said, Tim, with all of our injuries etc, and the fact that some of those games might have gone to Benitez, are we likely to have got points? Really? Wouldn't you rather those games come around when Lampard's a) had more time and b) hopefully got a fully fit squad, rather than being in the mire anyway and not having games in hand? You can't act like it's a sure-fire thing that we'd have got points - it isn't at all is it.

Like I've said, other teams have also had to play catch up and they happen to be the teams we were meant to play. Other teams we're still due to play were involved in European competitions (like Leicester)

 

[BlueToff]

Lampard has been in the job 6 weeks now and we’ve had multiple free weeks to play those games in which other teams have been playing. Why are we on Monday night this week? There’s no reason why our FA Cup game needs to be on Thursday. We are on Monday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Sunday for our next 5 league games, we are constantly being asked to play after all of the other teams in the battle. You might see that as an advantage but I don’t, it adds extra pressure on us knowing that we’ll probably need to win just to keep pace. The way the fixtures have been arranged is suspicious to me.

We couldn't play Leicester over the last few weeks, because they were in the Conference League play-offs. That's two games down straight away.

Newcastle and Burnley happened to be playing teams around them. Burnley played Watford on the weekend of the fourth round of the FA Cup.

This round of the cup has been scheduled to be in midweek all along. It's crap but is what it is. Sky moved the Spurs game to Monday night for MNF.

I don't see it as an advantage but I'm certainly not crying about us having already played more games mate (and likely have been in the same position) and I'm looking at it objectively too.

Also Lampard has not been in the job 6 weeks. He was appointed Jan 31, that's bang on 4 weeks.

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Lampard has been in the job 6 weeks now and we’ve had multiple free weeks to play those games in which other teams have been playing. Why are we on Monday night this week? There’s no reason why our FA Cup game needs to be on Thursday. We are on Monday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Sunday for our next 5 league games, we are constantly being asked to play after all of the other teams in the battle. You might see that as an advantage but I don’t, it adds extra pressure on us knowing that we’ll probably need to win just to keep pace. The way the fixtures have been arranged is suspicious to me.

I disagree, most of teams won’t be winning though. So we can go into these games knowing a win or a point away, will be big result.

Totally different to a tittle race, when these teams will be winning 9 games out of 10

 

[micknick]

My worry is things are conspiring against us a bit. The Newcastle game being rearranged when they were stinking the place out even more than us to after the January transfer window when they had new signings and a real bounce. The penalty decision on Saturday. Key injuries to DCL, Doucoure, Mina and Godfrey.

Bloody hell even a war breaking out that will no doubt affect Mykolenkos capacity to play to his best.

Everton. That.

 

[MikeH72]

I disagree, most of teams won’t be winning though. So we can go into these games knowing a win or a point away, will be big result.

Totally different to a tittle race, when these teams will be winning 9 games out of 10

Fair enough. Funny how people can view the same scenario completely differently isn’t it.

 

[BlueToff]

The likelihood of Everton having played 2 more games, let’s say, over the past 7 weeks would have been 2 more defeats, given the form and injuries to key players.

I’m glad that we’re in a position where we have more games left to get ourselves out of this mess, hopefully, than only having 12 games to do so

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Fair enough. Funny how people can view the same scenario completely differently isn’t it.

Im not saying we’re in a great position.
Just My glass Is half full, Leeds and Brentford in much worse form.

Brentford have 3 games they needed to get points from. Just lost the first. Now they have Norwich away, Burnley home. They then have a really tough 8 games. And finish with leds at home.

We’re still 6th favourites to go down. 11/5 Brentford Is a great price imo

 

[Toffe3m4n]

The likelihood of Everton having played 2 more games, let’s say, over the past 7 weeks would have been 2 more defeats, given the form and injuries to key players.

I’m glad that we’re in a position where we have more games left to get ourselves out of this mess, hopefully, than only having 12 games to do so

Yeah I guess from Lampard's perspective especially he'll feel that he's at least been afforded a little more time to work with the players at FF before some of the upcoming fixtures.