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Aspirations; inspiration from the Wolves of |Germany
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Some of us still have aspirations for our club to win the title —although it doesn’t seem that many contributors still aspire to this. We are constantly told that we need to be realistic and that we have punched above our weight in that we finished 5th with extra laps of honour all round for getting to the FA Cup Final.
We are constantly told that we don’t have the money that the Sky 4, plus Villa, Man City and Tottenham etc have so we really can’t be expected to do much better than a top-six finish and a jolly boys tour of the lesser lights of Europe. Personally, that sort of attitude makes me sick; we should be aspiring to so much more. I suggest that we need to seek inspiration from what’s just happened over in the German League and raise our aspiration back to the ‘Nil Satis...’ level.
In Germany, in the season just ended, Wolfsburg (Who? — you may ask) have run away with the title ahead of Bayern etc. They had no billionaire backer, didn’t have to spend loads, and have never won anything comparable in their history. Until the early 90s the team were in the 3rd Division. They got into the Bundesliga in 1993 and settled in mid-table. In 1999, they reached a highest ever placing of 6th.
This season, however, the team performed a minor miracle and won the league with a 5-1 thrashing of Werder Bremen on the last day. The Wolves of Wolfsburg had two strikers score more than 20 goals each, with the Brazilian Grafite and Edin Džeko, but when you have a look at the team, they had no big names... basing their success on solid team play and relying on the strikers to do the business. What they did have is high aspirations.
Aspirations make you seek better than what you have, work harder and longer to better yourself and yours. This club with no history aspired to beat the big boys and did so — surely we can aspire to do the same?
Ray Said, Posted 11/07/2009 at 12:02:56
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Everton have won the title every 24 years (plus a few occasions in between): 1891; 1915; 1939; 1963; 1987 .... 2011??? So I see the coming season as Moyes's last attempt to get everything right for an assault on the title the following season!
5th is not the new 1st
NSNO.
ps: Dennis this is more or less the sunspot peak, so now we know why. I am though a bit worried about 21/12/12, shall I buy only half a season ticket?
The self-styled big 4 in England can pay top dollar for class players (probably not Arsenal) and they can keep them happy, even if they’re bench warmers.
No matter how hard our players work, a team of workhorses like Jagielka and Neville (and I am not criticising the players mentioned) is not going to get close to winning the Premier League.
We do have a good mix of craft and artistry, we just don’t have enough of either. And that won’t change anytime soon on our current budget.
Don’t get me wrong — I do think that the team has achieved more than logically can be expected, given the means at its disposal. But, surely we can believe that we have a chance of winning the title. I think Everton can win the title in 2009-10:
IF we get lucky with injuries;
IF the younsters whom everybody is tipping for the future, come good (Rodwell, Fellaini, Vaughan);
IF our strikers have a storming season (2 strikers with 20+ goals each like you said for Wolfsburg);
IF Moyes instills the belief in the team;
IF the senior players keep up the team spirit; and
IF the fans shout their throats out like always.
A lot of IFs, but none of them beyond the realm of possibility... are they?
I’m with you, Ray.
Secondly, a lot of people are being realistic by saying the best we can try to do is 5th.
Sure I think we have a 1% chance of winning the PL, which is better than 0% like Wigan, Stoke, Hull, Burnley, etc, etc, but if you look at it realistically, the top 4 should still finish above us.
As Ajay said above, for that 1% chance to happen, everything must go right like injuries, form, suspensions, etc, then we could do it.
However, with the squad we had when we finished 4th a few seasons ago, we did accomplish that 1% with everything going right, but 4th was the best we could have done then. Now that 1% means we could win the PL.
Everyone keep fingers crossed for the impossible this season!
The Sky 4 are too good, and if one of them were in the Bundesliga, I reckon they’d win that league quite easily.
I do think 4th is a slight slight possibility this season, but I’m waiting for the day to get new investment in. Moyes is a class manager and given the right funds, can transform us again.
Though we have to believe we can finish there. We’ve finished 5th twice so we have to push on now either with a trophy or that 4th place. Minimum I want is a hell of a cup run in Europe and that 5th place... COYB!
Outside Manure and Chelski, who couldn’t we beat? I certainly don't think there are many teams we couldn’t do the double over. When Villa went on that run last season, and if they hadn’t fucked up at the end, they should have got at least 3rd. They did that by winning games 3 points at a time, ie, 20 games with a 60% win rate, 30% draws and 10% loss = 42 points. 20 games with a 90% win rate, 10% loss = 54 points — thats 12 points difference or 4th place. Last season we had a 45% win rate 31% draws, 24% losses.
What’s more, between 1891 & 1915 we failed to win the title but between 1915 & 1939 we won the title an additional 2 times & this sequence is then repeated - between 1939 & 1963 there are no additional wins but between 1963 & 1987 we win the title a further 2 times. You may have noticed that since 1987 we have not won the title again & unless we do so this coming season the sequence will be repeating again with no wins between 1987 & 2011. Spooky, eh?
So, not only do I expect Everton to win the title again in 2011, but between then & our win in 2035 we should also win the title a further 2 times! Start saving your pennies for a big bet next summer, oh yes!
As Andy Dufresne says, "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Michael is around to keep us all in check and damn, don’t he do a good job of it... lol.
IF this time of the year is good for anything it’s good for dreaming, contemplating what could be if we get a good start, IF we build on the run of performances we put together against the top 4 last season, IF Jags comes back a little bit sooner than expected.. IF...
To pre-empt Michael it should be noted that Andy Dufresne is inspired by Ellis Redding telling him that "Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."... Balls to that, who wants to be sane in old age anyway.
IF you can dream — and not make dreams your master;
If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
Then yours is the Premier League and everything that’s in it,
And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son!
I’m sure that’s what Rudyard Kipling had in mind!!!
Poetry session over.. *hick*
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1 Posted 11/07/2009 at 23:14:20
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