"sixth, seventh or eighth the best Everton can do"

[Brennan]

Best way to answer that:



Sums it up perfectly. At the last count, at least five people have answered it.

Here's a thought - if you took 2012 as a calendar year and used that as a league table, Everton would have finished 3rd I believe... So why does that not happen for an "actual" league campaign, given that the only difference between the two would be expectation levels at certain points in the season?

Pretty simple really.

We brought several players in in January which boosted the morale of the squad. Then we had a nice summer break for the small squad to recover, followed by more transfers.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

I'd love to know how much difference Leroy would've made. Based on past evidence, it would've been significant.

 

[bignev23]

Pretty simple really.

We brought several players in in January which boosted the morale of the squad. Then we had a nice summer break for the small squad to recover, followed by more transfers.

Could well be the correct answer.

 

[D410]

Ummm no I am not.........I did not say anything about 'consistently beating teams with much higher budgets'. However, based on the quality of our players, including our bench, In comparison we should be performing much better against many teams (not all) with larger and lower financial maneuverability. We can loose all our games to Spurs, Arse, Chelsea ect and still be challenging for fourth.

My main gripe is with those who think we should be happy where we are as our 'budget' justifies that we should be in a much lower position. IMO The quality and depth of our squad suggests that we should be challenging more strongly for a high league and Cup positions

then your gripe is with the board because they set the expectations based on our yearly operating plan and it,s not aligned with your expectations.

 

[nigelcoyb]

Actually, to make it even more crystal clear:

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896...ed-top-everton-fourth-liverpool-in-the-bottom




"Totally unrealistic", "deluded", "insane" to suggest that Everton can challenge the top four, yet there you go - over the space of a year, we did.

You're killing them mate agree with every word every post - well said - I'd paint you green but can't because of stalkers banging red on me every post.

 

[bignev23]

Well ijjy I like you too. You are on my most respected members list ...... that is quite an accolade!

 

[Carlito]

Pretty simple really.

We brought several players in in January which boosted the morale of the squad. Then we had a nice summer break for the small squad to recover, followed by more transfers.

And yet a lot of Blues still believe that it wouldn't be worth replacing Kenwright with anyone other than an oil tycoon.

If anything, the twelve months of 'challenging' show what's possible at Everton with even modest investment in the playing squad.

 

[Tubey]

Pretty simple really.

We brought several players in in January which boosted the morale of the squad. Then we had a nice summer break for the small squad to recover, followed by more transfers.

Fair answers in terms of being contributing factors but far too simplistic to be the be all, end all as to why a side can switch from being all stars to no-hopers at the mid-point of two very different seasons.

And it goes back even further than that - the difference being this year is that we've had a great start to a season instead of a great finish, which allows the calendar year comparison. Prior to that, bad starts had become something of a running joke of course.

I haven't seen anything to suggest why Moyes shouldn't be able to put it all together and manage an Everton side to a consistent season - nothing other than his personal limitations as a boss when expectations rise during an actual season. And, to be completely fair, the blame also obviously rests with the players, who tumble like a stack of cards whenever asked to something remotely important on the pitch.

And yet a lot of Blues still believe that it wouldn't be worth replacing Kenwright with anyone other than an oil tycoon.

If anything, the twelve months of 'challenging' show what's possible at Everton with even modest investment in the playing squad.

Just to be clear again, I detest the charlatan Bill Kenwright more than anyone. Criticism of Moyes doesn't mean I'm defending him. He's a cancer on the club.

Completely agree with the bold bit, except I think Moyes wouldn't do as well with massive funds as many would think - his tactical issues wouldn't go away with money thrown at him. It'd just lessen the obviousness of them.

 

[Timak]

Fair answers in terms of being contributing factors but far too simplistic to be the be all, end all as to why a side can switch from being all stars to no-hopers at the mid-point of two very different seasons.

And it goes back even further than that - the difference being this year is that we've had a great start to a season instead of a great finish, which allows the calendar year comparison. Prior to that, bad starts had become something of a running joke of course.

I haven't seen anything to suggest why Moyes shouldn't be able to put it all together and manage an Everton side to a consistent season - nothing other than his personal limitations as a boss when expectations rise during an actual season. And, to be completely fair, the blame also obviously rests with the players, who tumble like a stack of cards whenever asked to something remotely important on the pitch.
.

A small squad.

A small squad.

A small squad.

I've repeated it 3 times in this one post so that I don't have to engage in any longer debate with you whilst you dodge the question.

Everton are capable of putting together a good run of form. However when players are injured or out of form we do not have sufficient players to replace them in the squad.

The teams who finish above us have options from the bench. If it is 0-0 after 70 minutes they send on a £20m winger or a £15m striker.

The ONLY teams to finish above us more than once in the last 6 years have vastly bigger squads - like 10 first team players on £100k a week bigger.

It isn't rocket science.

 

[bluebottle]

A small squad.

A small squad.

A small squad.

I've repeated it 3 times in this one post so that I don't have to engage in any longer debate with you whilst you dodge the question.

Everton are capable of putting together a good run of form. However when players are injured or out of form we do not have sufficient players to replace them in the squad.

The teams who finish above us have options from the bench. If it is 0-0 after 70 minutes they send on a £20m winger or a £15m striker.

The ONLY teams to finish above us more than once in the last 6 years have vastly bigger squads - like 10 first team players on £100k a week bigger.

It isn't rocket science.

Although i agree with pretty much all youre saying, Newcastle can't be that much more wealthy can they?

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

A small squad.

A small squad.

A small squad.

I've repeated it 3 times in this one post so that I don't have to engage in any longer debate with you whilst you dodge the question.

Everton are capable of putting together a good run of form. However when players are injured or out of form we do not have sufficient players to replace them in the squad.

The teams who finish above us have options from the bench. If it is 0-0 after 70 minutes they send on a £20m winger or a £15m striker.

The ONLY teams to finish above us more than once in the last 6 years have vastly bigger squads - like 10 first team players on £100k a week bigger.

It isn't rocket science.

So our league position has nothing to do with any limitations Moyes has as a manager then? Its all purely monetary?

 

[Brennan]

So our league position has nothing to do with any limitations Moyes has as a manager then? Its all purely monetary?

Moyes' limitations tactically are not holding us back from pushing on, they're just not.

Mourinho wouldn't be able to get a team whose backup winger is Naismith to the top 4 consistently. Never mind Phil Neville as back up in midfield.

 

[Tubey]

A small squad.

A small squad.

A small squad.

I've repeated it 3 times in this one post so that I don't have to engage in any longer debate with you whilst you dodge the question.

Everton are capable of putting together a good run of form. However when players are injured or out of form we do not have sufficient players to replace them in the squad.

The teams who finish above us have options from the bench. If it is 0-0 after 70 minutes they send on a £20m winger or a £15m striker.

The ONLY teams to finish above us more than once in the last 6 years have vastly bigger squads - like 10 first team players on £100k a week bigger.

It isn't rocket science.

So let me get this straight - we can go through a calendar year with a full transfer window slap bang in the middle where sides regularly outspend us, and finish statistically 4th, yet for some reason it's an absolute absurdity to suggest we could challenge for 4th through a regular season?

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Moyes' limitations tactically are not holding us back from pushing on, they're just not.

Mourinho wouldn't be able to get a team whose backup winger is Naismith to the top 4 consistently. Never mind Phil Neville as back up in midfield.

I think he makes some mistakes consistently with certain players, whether its positions or instructions. He obviously does an awful lot right, but I don't think it'd take him much to rectify the mistakes he consistently makes.

 

[TomDixie]

So let me get this straight - we can go through a calendar year with a full transfer window slap bang in the middle where sides regularly outspend us, and finish statistically 4th, yet for some reason it's an absolute absurdity to suggest we could challenge for 4th through a regular season?

To sustain a challenge throughout a full season, without the 3 month break in the middle, is much more difficult.

Especially when during that January your rivals can go out and buy news players to keep going.

It's simple really for me.