Hmmm..

Double that.

I predict we will win the Premier League, if we we win each of our remaining games. I base this on 88 points being enough to win the title, historically. Where are your calculations?

I think your formula needs looking at, Mike, to include no fit strikers and no money to spend.

I?d happily settle for 6th and it?s definitely a realistic target. If you look, the top four and Aston Villa are getting good results consistently, but apart from them, who else are going to challenge Everton for 6th place?

Last season, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Man City were all pushing hard and getting good results, but these teams don?t seem to be doing quite as well at the moment. As for Hull, realistically they won?t finish in the top six, because they don?t have the quality to remain there all season.

We need a good performance against Chelsea and then pick up three points against Middlesbrough and Sunderland and that will probably put us into 6th. Then it?s up to us to hold on to that spot for the rest of the year by building a gap between ourselves and the teams below us (similar to last season). However, I feel that we could be benefited this year by not having midweek European games in-between league fixtures. It must be noted, though, that we need a striker to get the goals!

While I don?t have a problem with people "predicting" or "projecting" (it?s just a bit of fun), I find I am more and more burned by Evertonians who, in the name of "realism", believe that 4th or 5th are acceptable for Everton Football Club. (I know Mr Oates didn?t express an opinion but I suspect there are many Evertonians who will look at his projection and feel that that would be just fine... My proof?? The near euphoria among sections of the support that has greeted 4th and 5th place finishes in recent seasons). Reading Andy Gray say that 5th place would be an "unbelievable achievement" makes me want to spit. From "mine?s a treble" to 5th is the best we can expect???? That?s just sad........

Yes, I know all the "no money so we can?t compete" arguments (I do not subscribe to them), the scaling back of expectations following the miserable nineties, but surely we will never achieve anything of note again until we start aiming higher???? Shouldn?t we as proud Evertonians be more demanding of our club our team and ourselves? Shouldn?t we really be saying "4th yeh..... we want to see silverware"?

There really needs to be an all round attitude adjustment, starting with the team, the club, all the way through to the supporters. As for realism....what has that got to do with sporting achievement??? What about willpower and the need to WIN????????

If you don?t like the place you?re starting from, find another one. When you?ve found it, come back and tell the rest of us where it is and we?ll come and join you.

The PL is going to do some very cruel things this season, and if we are well out of that ? given the summer shambles ? I?ll be happy enough. Some good home wins and Europe next season still sounds good compared to a relegation battle.

And we need strikers to score goals? Perhaps not...

Hmmm indeed. I lost it a bit, Mike, when you said that your prediction was based on the fact that we would "virtually win all our remaining home games".... So obviously not a prediction based on what has happened in the past then!

And sorry to "burn" you Paul, but I for one will be absolutely thrilled if at the end of the season we finish fifth and get into Europe. For one thing, this will mean that we finished above Villa or (quite possibly) Arsenal. For another, it will mean that we have (again) finished above half a dozen teams who have consistently spent much more than us over the past several seasons. I think that counts as an achievement.

With only 7 points between us and the bottom 3, dreaming of Europe is premature, especially with us not having a recognised reliable striker. I don?t expect us to be embroiled in the relegation battle but, this season, nothing would surprise me. I hope DM pushes BK for the cash to ensure we have a striker for the rest of the season. We may get away without one for a few weeks , but for 5 months unlikely.

I don?t expect us to be embroiled in the relegation battle, but this season nothing would surprise me. Following the summer of inactivity, we would be most foolish to rely on what we have got and just hope to get by.

We won't break the top 4. But I do strongly believe we could've done if we had backing like Villa have, and I do think they will go close to the end of the season... still possible to win the league. We were a strong team with great togetherness last year and instead of strengthening the squad we stripped it and added a few last minute... still undecided if they will be any better than what we let go.

Our away performances have been good this year and if we could start winning at home then why not have a push for the top 6? But we will have to add to the squad in the next window with quality. But, like all fellow blues, we all know the only quality we get from Everton in the next window will be Billy Bullshit smoke screen... WATCH THIS SPACE!

I take Neil Pearse?s point about finishing fourth this season ? I just don?t think that is what we should be aiming for at the start of every season; I think we should aim higher.

What I don?t accept is using the fact of teams spending more than us as a ready made excuse for on-field performances and a lack of ambition. That only goes so far; equally important is what seems to be the mindset inside the club ? and certainly among many supporters ? that we are "punching above our weight". Maybe I?m too old, too ornery and have too many good memories of Everton winning trophies to ever accept that as an excuse.

I will go for 1-1 with our customary late goal coming from Fellaini in the last minute.

In the money spent table, I believe we are 12th over the last few seasons, while our average league position is a lot higher. After our poor start, and now the lack of the Yak as well as the other strikers, we will struggle to win games, especially as our once frugal defence is leaking goals.

If we can get the Celtic misfit or Obinna plus a DECENT striker or two, top 4 is realistic; if not, we could be as low as 10th given the tightness of the table.

Yes, hmm. Are you Statto, Mike, or is it all just good old speculation?

I think 6th is probably around about right. And taking into account a crap start (for reasons previously discussed) and the loss of our entire forward line, that would be both respectable and a disappointment.

We have ridden our luck this season, so I won?t dwell on the Villa result, which was unjust and will probably have a big impact on our final position. However...

I don?t regard Villa as highly as others do. Their offensive game is almost entirely down to the pace of 2 players. They are still catching teams out, surprisingly, but I think that will change over the season. Man for man Everton have a better team and I believe that our fate is now entirely in our own hands.

Despite the absence of the Yak (for all he?s done this season!) and James Vaughan (must have stepped on 100 black cats), if we hold up in attack then we have the ability to beat most teams. I really really don?t want to tempt fate, but we now seem to be playing some football and getting back our compactness and togetherness. We need to go on a run (easily said).

We also need to win at Villa Park and on that, and Arsenal at Goodison, might a successful season hinge. All players are key, but in this pursuit, Arteta, Pienaar, Jagielka and Fellaini are especially key. If Fellaini can stop getting booked, and Arteta carry on this rich vein of form & commitment, then we can probably rely on Jags & Pienaar to give all.

I also feel that playing Baines at LB is an important move. In away games particularly, his pace & width give us great options. Why Moyes continues to ignore him is just bizarre. Lescott is never fully comfortable at LB, especially defending.

So I believe 5th and even 4th is there for the taking. It?s in our hands. It needs wins against Villa & Arsenal, and a continuation of our solid run. And one last thing, it also needs an avoidance of the almost annual collapse in the final quarter of the season under Moyes. Our record in the last 9 or 10 games under DM is awful. If that happens again then 6th is as good as it gets.

What a load of shite. If everything was that predictable, we'd all be winning the fixed odds every week.

Man for man Everton have a better team than Villa?!

That?s a pretty bold statement for a team with Phil Nevile.

Some positions are debatable, but how you?d dislodge Young, Gabby, Barry, Laursen, L Young, Friedel I don?t know. Even Davies, Petrov and Sidwell would be pushing it purely on consistency.

Out of your boys, I?d take 3 players. Lescott, Yak and Arteta who I rate highly. Last 2 still wouldn?t be guaranteed a game though... Lescott would easily get in over Shorey though!

I agree Villa has no plan B though, if Young and Agbonlahor get injured. Having said that, people thought we?d fade if John Carew got injured when in fact we?ve got better results since. So maybe we?re already on Plan B.

Plan C is another matter though as watching our reserves in Europe did not make me feel too confident!

Matt Sweet, I think you need to watch a few of our matches from this season before you praise Lescott so highly and mock Pip!
Lescott makes one horrific mistake every game in comparison to Pip who doesn’t set the world alight but since "that tackle" against Man U has been solid and has even realised what colour shirt we play in and started passing appropriately.
It is always interesting to hear another fans opinion though.

Back on subject though I think we will finish 5th... everyone else seems to have forgotten Saha who isn’t injured long term?

Hi Matt, interesting post.

I think Villa & Everton are very finely matched. I would give us the edge though on variety, football and squad (even though ours isn’t massive).

As regards Phil Neville, well, he’s had an excellent season on all fronts. He’s also a really good leader & always conducts himself excellently. Even his detractors have wisened up.

As for the rest: wouldn’t swap Tim Howard for anyone, and I mean anyone. Friedel is a top keeper, but Howard is as good as and has 10 years on him.

Leighton Baines has few peers, perhaps Cole, Evra & Clichy. And defensively overall, despite some aberrations this season, we are usually strong. Jagielka is simply fabulous. Villa do score goals, but they concede a lot too.

As for Agbonlahor & Young, both good players but Agbonlahur in particular seems to have phases of scoring & not scoring, often lengthy. Young is talented & fast, faire dinkum.

As a unit, and playing to their optimum, I’ll take Everton (as you’d expect). But it’s all about opinions. Villa were lucky at Goodison and very lucky against West Ham. Time, as ever, will tell. 9 pts is a fair gap at Christmas, but it could be down to 3 by thew new year.

Smelly Christmas anyway :-)

I had a play on the BBC’s result predictor last night and I had us finishing 6th also, on 58 points. My table had Villa finishing 3rd, the shite 4th and Arsenal 5th. A 10 point gap between us and Arsenal and a 8 point gap between us and 7th place. The way we’ve been playing this season, I’d have that!

Oh Chelsea win the league by 3 points.

Everton vs. Chelsea tonight - does anyone know where it might be available to watch on the web?
Cheers in advance, Jon

Found a stream now - thanks.

Any stream advice?

http://www.justin.tv/luxe5 - not great quality tho

http://footballlivechannels.blogspot.com/ - good quality but you have to put up with Mcmanaman and Tim Sherwood writing us off

Thanks chaps, much appreciated

http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch4.html

Good quality

Password 5000