Stoke v Everton 1st Jan 2014 @ 15:00

[bicycleheader]

You are right, 4 points out of 9 from the matches we have had looks disappointing.

However, it was Sunderland at home that was the bollock dropped. Absolutely no one, saw a defeat at home to bottom of the league coming. Sunderland was an absolute freak result, that happens once every blue moon (going a goal and a man down in the first half).

If we would have beaten Sunderland it would be 7 out of 9 and the result at Stoke today would have looked very solid. But I don't think there is anything to be read into the Sunderland match, it was an absolute anomaly, like City being beaten by Cardiff, like Liverpool being beaten by Hull, Arsenal v Villa, Chelsea beaten by Stoke.

To put today into some context, Liverpool (I mention them because they are a direct rival for fourth), have won only one away match since September (5-0 thumping of Spurs). They are up there because they are battering teams below the top 7 at home. For a team going for top four, todays result was par. Sunderland was a double bogey.

Great post and very true. Todays point was hard-won and a good point. The Sunderland loss was one of those sh*t happens games.

I still think we have not had a single game where we looked bad, and in every game you can see we are a threat.

Theres a certain performance level that we just have not dropped below and I can't see a poor run of form that will drop us out of the top 4 battle.

 

[efcfanwirral]

Having re-watched the penalty a bunch of times now, I seriously cannot fathom what Pennant was thinking. I know I'm not the first to mention this, and perhaps it seems OTT to mention betting syndicates etc but it really looked like Pennant was trying to get booked. Horrific, he fouls Osman the first time, Ossie gets back up so he just takes him down. I'd be appalled if I was a Stoke fan. What was he thinking?

He spent the entire time he was on fouling people. Now I thought at first he'd been told to, as we are a threat with the ball on the floor but against them lot utterly useless when we cross it into the box. Lots of free kicks down our dangerous left side making us launch it into the box and being mopped up easily by their big defenders would be a good tactic to run the clock down.

Then he clearly goes after osman in the box, twice, and gets booked. It does make you wonder if he was trying to...

 

[deipnosophist]

This is the most disappointing aspect of this site. Far too many people disrespecting the opposition teams.

People complain that Everton get disrespected by the media and then in turn disrespect the opposition in a similar manner depending on their form or league position.

Any team can beat any other on any given day. Football isn't played on paper, if it was we'd never be off our Bet Victor accounts.

dead right mate. In the BT discusses top 4 thread, I was called a moaning Minnie by poster for trying to check irrational exuberance being shown by some fans (probably the same ones who meltdown when we don't win).

Let Everton just go about its business in a professional and confident (yet respectful fashion). This comp is a bloody marathon and nothing has been won yet.

 

[deipnosophist]

I respect all the posts here, but I see things as they are.

We have 4 points from a possible 9 and considering who we have played...it is not good enough for any side who may have aspirations of a top 5 place and European football next season.

Still, a long way to go and plenty of time to get back on track.

Our football is a joy and even if we do fall short in May, I am very proud what how we have gone about business

...and City have lost 4 so that is 0 out of a possible 12.

 

[potato]

Far east betting??!!

yeah im sure he managed to convince some rich businessman that he would be starting on the bench and that mark hughes would put him on the pitch with 10 minutes left in which he could definately influence a result that was already predicated 80 minutes beforehand. p.s mr rich businessman, i play mainly on the wing but ill do me best to give away a pen just for you, love you long tim.

 

[efcfanwirral]

yeah im sure he managed to convince some rich businessman that he would be starting on the bench and that mark hughes would put him on the pitch with 10 minutes left in which he could definately influence a result that was already predicated 80 minutes beforehand. p.s mr rich businessman, i play mainly on the wing but ill do me best to give away a pen just for you, love you long tim.

Nothing as blatant as that - him to be booked, certain number of bookings etc

 

[deipnosophist]

Nothing as blatant as that - him to be booked, certain number of bookings etc

yes , one should not underestimate the insidious cancer that is Asian betting syndicates. They are a leprous blight on the sporting world.

 

[4737carlin]

I still think we have not had a single game where we looked bad, and in every game you can see we are a threat.

True this mate, maybe Palace? i only listened to that thou on the radio but it didnt sound great.

Stoke is one hard place to get a result, a real ****hole that helps them, like the Dell perhaps did for Soton years ago. Just like us they have only lost once at home this season and had 7 against, not many teams are going to go there and take the piss

 

[Lockie]

Barcelona would be embarrased with that stat.

So?

And it's "embarrassed".

But seriously, that's a really stupid point. We're not Barcelona.

 

[Lifelong-Toffee]

No easy teams in this league this year but losing to bottom of the table Sunderland after was perhaps a freak result, and Stoke away is hard (so the saying goes), and it was hard. Yes only Norwich have won there this season so in context, a 1-1 was fine. Add to that the two crossbar shots and on another day with more luck it could have been pretty comfortable.
But - I can't help thinking that we need to improve on how we deal with teams who park the bus.
My point is can this passing, passing dare I say it 'death by football' (irony intended) approach always work against teams in the bottom half who are going to increasingly see us with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, United etc and will park the bus against us. I honestly think we're better than Liverpool, pound for pound, but Suarez has a touch of magic that can create something against teams who park the bus. The RS and Rodgers seem now to have given up their 'death by football' pretensions from last year, and it's working better for them. I'm not saying we should stop playing attractive football at all - just worried about how we can deal with teams who park the bus. The 0-0 against Palace was another where we 'should' have won, really.

I think the last paragraph in the Guardian match report is pretty fair.
"The home side put themselves under so much pressure it was almost inevitable they would crack before the end, yet without Pennant's indiscretion they might have held out. Everton could have no complaints about sharing the points. Faced with a rookie goalkeeper for the whole of the second half they barely tested his shot-saving ability."

 

[Hibbo]

That's a lot of bus parking.

 

[ilikecheese]

That's that then...Cheese I hope you're happy now...Baines was shyte again...I think you are the chop...you chop. ..

Hi there Yeldah.

Took the pen well I thought...Baines was NOT the problem in that game mate, wasn't his best, but he wasn't sh1te either.

Stones had a darn good game today, guess Jags should be worried about regaining his place based on your short sighted approach to handling players...Alcaraz done well too, so Distin can probably consider fooking off too.

Happy New Year you beaut

 

[Yeldah]

Hi there Yeldah.

Took the pen well I thought...Baines was NOT the problem in that game mate, wasn't his best, but he wasn't sh1te either.

Stones had a darn good game today, guess Jags should be worried about regaining his place based on your short sighted approach to handling players...Alcaraz done well too, so Distin can probably consider fooking off too.

Happy New Year you beaut

Hi Cheese; good to see you coming over to my way of thinking...Stones and Alcatraz in, Jags and the Milkman out...sell them both in the window, I say...b)

Compliments of the Season to you and yours as well...onwards and upwards and hoping that Bobby pulls off another coup in the Window...

 

[TyphooToffee]

Stoke's next league game is home against the RS. Interesting.

 

[Ashtonian]

I have always had a saying, when the fixture lists come out for the coming season you write off the boxing day and new years day games straight away. If you gain any points from them fantastic, if you drop points then you hope the game before 26th and inbetween them you win, which is what we did.

The reason for this is simply because half the players cannot be arsed playing these games. As much as we can paint them to be model professionals i am sure enough players have a little drink and enjoy themselves on christmas and new year. Therefore if they play badly the next day, you can factor that in, plus the general bad weather.

I remember a couple of seasons ago i was watching the new year West Brom game, which we won 1-0. Now the game was generally seen as boring, although i thought we had done well away from home. But what stuck out for me was how much the players on both teams really didn't look bothered to be playing, probably due to hangovers and/or the terrible conditions. So the way i see it, a tough away point when the squad is stretched and we beat ourselves on boxing day are not a complete disaster and the wins before each game keep us on track in my opinion. Next step is to win the next 3 league games and next 7 home games and see where we are by the end of that.