Ronald Koeman discussion

[Lanolin]

Honestly, I hope you're right. Any average team that comes to Goodison and tries to take the game to us is fine by me.

We have better players. The majority of the time we will win.

Maybe, i'm not so sure.

I'm not being all doom and gloom, because I agree we have better players. Unfortunately I'm not sure that we have the balance or the attacking threat to worry teams though, and if we go a goal down and the crowd gets restless, I'm not sure we have enough to turn it round. I said it at the time, don't underestimate the difference Lukaku made to just blowing teams away at home last year. We look like we'll really struggle to score a lot of goals and that takes it's toll on players. Go 1-0 down and suddenly the players start wondering whether they've got enough to win the game.

 

[COYBL25]

Look I seen and supported them in in the good years and the bad years - but this is steering us back to the Mike Walker/Smith days nip it in the bud!

Fourth day in a row I've agreed with something if yours.

Could be a record in the making here

 

[willo30]

Maybe, i'm not so sure.

I'm not being all doom and gloom, because I agree we have better players. Unfortunately I'm not sure that we have the balance or the attacking threat to worry teams though, and if we go a goal down and the crowd gets restless, I'm not sure we have enough to turn it round. I said it at the time, don't underestimate the difference Lukaku made to just blowing teams away at home last year. We look like we'll really struggle to score a lot of goals and that takes it's toll on players. Go 1-0 down and suddenly the players start wondering whether they've got enough to win the game.

I suppose you could say this is our test now. Rooney and Sandro 5 games better off from Stoke. Gylfi now fit. DCL should be able to run them ragged. I can see goals here for us.

 

[Lanolin]

Not saying they are impossible but should be seen as bonus points. Also need to take into account bedding in 8 new players at the start of the season when playing them.

What is shocking though is how bad the Martinez last season was. He got 8 points from the games you say which means he only got 36 points against everyone else in 25 games. That is truly dreadful. Can't see us ever being that bad again.

Nor can I, and I genuinely can't see Koeman ever getting to that stage.

I disagree that they're bonus points though. We'll play 12 games against those teams this season, and at the rate we're going that will bring us 3 points. That's just not enough. I've said it before but we will drop points against other teams. Our away record is awful so we'll definitely lose points there, but even at home, we won't beat everyone. We didn't last year and that was with the infamous king of flat track bullying banging them in for fun. We need to stop writing off every game against decent sides, it makes it virtually impossible to finish any higher than 7th.

 

[Yankfootball1]

See where we are later on in the season hey. Good sides like Spurs, Chelsea and United tend to exploit your weaknesses better than others. They caught us at a horrible time. I would be shocked that if by the end of November we are not comfortably in the top 10 with the prospect of a striker joining us and a good second half in the offing.

That's my hope as well. Need a half of a season to get everyone in the same page even if we had bought a new CF. twice as hard now

 

[willo30]

Nor can I, and I genuinely can't see Koeman ever getting to that stage.

I disagree that they're bonus points though. We'll play 12 games against those teams this season, and at the rate we're going that will bring us 3 points. That's just not enough. I've said it before but we will drop points against other teams. Our away record is awful so we'll definitely lose points there, but even at home, we won't beat everyone. We didn't last year and that was with the infamous king of flat track bullying banging them in for fun. We need to stop writing off every game against decent sides, it makes it virtually impossible to finish any higher than 7th.

Maybe bonus was wrong, let's say pleasantly surprised then. Home games I agree we should be getting something and Spurs is my only disappointment this season. The only positive I have at the moment is we have 3 of the toughest away games out of the way whilst we have been poor. I'd have been calling for his head if them games were Stoke, Burnley and Brighton but they weren't so all is not as bad as the table looks.

 

[Yorkie89]

33/1 into 5/2 to get sacked it's got to happen if we don't win our next four games because we are already up pooh creek without a paddle

 

[davids]

I would absolutely love to see the likes of Bournemouth and Burnley come to Goodison and play their high line. It's just not going to happen. Not a chance.

Hope your right,but at the moment we look clueless going forward.And are we talking about the Burnley who won at Chelsea?

 

[Abraders]

Maybe, i'm not so sure.

I'm not being all doom and gloom, because I agree we have better players. Unfortunately I'm not sure that we have the balance or the attacking threat to worry teams though, and if we go a goal down and the crowd gets restless, I'm not sure we have enough to turn it round. I said it at the time, don't underestimate the difference Lukaku made to just blowing teams away at home last year. We look like we'll really struggle to score a lot of goals and that takes it's toll on players. Go 1-0 down and suddenly the players start wondering whether they've got enough to win the game.

Exactly this mate. Without Lukaku blowing teams away and killing games for us at home last season, how many of those games do we end up throwing away?

 

[davids]

Only if they are good enough to hold it. The 4 we have just played are but if the lower teams try it we will beat them easily.

We beat them easily at Goodison last season but this year there is something missing...

 

[willo30]

We beat them easily at Goodison last season but this year there is something missing...

Rom got 13 in 5 games. That leaves 12 in the remaining 33 games. Yes he will be a miss but at times when he wasn't scoring he wasn't offering anything else.

 

[Roger Milla]

How is history repeating itself? When was the last time we had a run of fixtures like the last 4?
If these results had been scattered around the season and we were beating everyone else then we wouldn't see the fume we seeing now.

We've been beaten by 4 sides clearly better than us. The last game gave me hope with the way we played and he is trying different things to get a goal with his late subs at MU but it's not his fault Williams drops a clanger and they also get a dubious penalty.

We play how we played Sunday in the next 3 then 9 points are nailed on. Probably see us in the top 7.

As I alluded to earlier today, i can take being beaten by thise teams if they've earned it but the tactics, team selections and performances have been embarrassing.

 

[jceverton]

This should be quite an outstanding answer, but can you tell in what way Unsworth is progressive?

I wont hold my breath.

This is a good article on Unsworth and his footballing/coaching philosophy http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...d-Unsworth-to-realise-his-England-vision.html

If you watch the way the U21/23 play since Unsworth became involved then you can see with your own eyes.

 

[windymiller]

We've beaten every team that finished below us up to now. Why is it such an issue we can't beat teams clearly better than us and have improved? This has been going on for decades.

In principle I don't disagree but the result in Italy is the one I worry about the most. Atalanta are not a fantastic team, a capable one certainly but they are more similar to Southampton, for example, than Man City or Chelsea, and they hammered us. Maybe we will go on a run, recent performances hardly hint at that but who knows, but not winning an away match in over 8 months is a huge concern and to pretend otherwise is burying our heads in the sand.

 

[Saint Domingo]

This is a good article on Unsworth and his footballing/coaching philosophy http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...d-Unsworth-to-realise-his-England-vision.html

If you watch the way the U21/23 play since Unsworth became involved then you can see with your own eyes.

TBH I know it was an end of season game, against a relegated Norwich, but those 90 mins under Unsy were some of the most refreshing I've seen in a long time from us. McCarthy breaking forward, Dowell Barkley and Davies all looking liberated.