Standard Liege ? Rabbits or Lions?
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I have to say I am probably the most nervous I have been before a match for sometime. This game is huge, for the club, player and the fans. Standard are a very good side. They competed very well against Liverpool in both legs of the CL qualifier and there is no doubt in my mind that an unbiased observer would say that they deserved to go through the tie on merit.
What concerns me is which Everton will show up tonight ? the rabbits in the headlights of Villarreal, Dinamo Bucharest and to a lesser degree Metallist Kharkiv, or the lions of Fiorentina?
On the plus side we are a much stronger team mentally with more experience of European football. I think Moyes will keep it tight and play 4-5-1 - with Cahill supporting Yak. Watch out for Dalmat on the opposition side ? he was superb on the break against Liverpool. Let's get behind the boys tonight and hope for the best ? COYB !
Keith Wood,
London Posted 18/09/2008 at 08:27:49
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I'm quietly confident we?ll beat Standard tonight but it's really important that we don't concede tonight and hopefully win by two, maybe three goals. I know that's asking a lot but we're capable of doing it and need to do it really because we don't want to be going to Belgium with anything less because it's going to be a hell of a tough game over there as the RS found out! Another good piece of luck for us would be Standard Liege?s form dipping after being knocked out of the qualifying stages of the CL and taking a knock on effect against us! Us Evertonians know only too well how gettin knocked out at that stage effects your form and plus they?ve lost one of there star players to us as well so fingers crossed it's dented there spirits and we can take advantage of that!!
Playing devil?s advocate here but taking into consideration that going all the way in the Uefa Cup is financially "a drop in the ocean" and that the exposure that winning it wouldn?t benefit us much in attracting foreign players due to the fact that it?s already been well documented that next close season will be even tougher financially to operate in the transfer market anyway.
You have to ask yourself if it would be a major disaster to have one less front to concentrate on, bearing in mind the squad?s not THAT much bigger than last season....and try to win what?s probably a much higher profile competition...the FA Cup! OR put all our efforts into finishing 4th and get into the money NEXT season!
Screw it, give it our best shot I guess.
I prefer to think we can accomplish something, and beat all these 2nd tier clubs and prove a name for ourselves.
To take on the BIG guns next year.
But its not the end of the world if we go out.
Financially worthless or not, this is still very important to Everton as a steeping stone in European football. We are unlikely to be in a Champions league position every season going forward, so we must consolidate our place in the Uefa cup and make ourselves known there before we can ven think about bigger and better things.
Potential new arrivals always want to play in Europe and I doubt they take our domestic cup activity too seriously. Therefore I see our participation in this tournament as being vital to our growth as a club.
Brian Williams, I would love us to get into the group stages of the competition, I would love us to win the whole thing, but if not then i’m of the same opinion as you.
The league to me is the single most important thing for us to concentrate on.
Dalmat and Defour are very good players for Standard, lots of pace and quality.
Mbonkani upfront is one to watch, he’s a pacy, strong striker with skill.
A clean sheet is key, we’ve got to attack but we can’t be going all our for it. We’ve got to be disiplined and strong.
Depending on whether the game ends up on myp2p. I’ll try and commentate for those who can’t watch the game.
I may be tired as, as by then it’ll be 5am here.
Will see.
Brian Williams, Gary Creaney, we have got to go for it! Even the best sides struggle if they start picking and choosing their games. Bolton faced a big backlash from even their own fans after the weakened team they sent out in Europe, and this had a knock-on effect in their league form. If we sent out a weakened team I would be disgusted - this would undo all the hard work and achievement of our excellent season last year. I love following the Blues in Europe, and it also begs the question, what if we played a weakened team in Europe and didn’t finish in the top 6 anyway? What would it achieve then?
Play our strongest team and see where it takes us...
So negative but understand some points, Brian, you really are negative. Playing with confidence is what football is all about. You can?t pick and choose who to beat and who to lose against. Just win every game. Team looks good, Cahill and Osman to start!!! if we get a win tonight, beat Hull on Sunday, we go into derby full of it!
COYB
Lenny: Not negative, just realistic mate!
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1 Posted 18/09/2008 at 14:53:20
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