ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Time to Win

Trying to look forward and not back is hard this season. The fact of the matter is we are probably playing as good as anyone in the Premier League right now (the top teams are very much under performing). But no-one seems to notice our top performances because we have very little to show for it.

Since the Liverpool game... which I think we should have at least drawn, we have upped our game and only recorded 8 from a possible 18 points. Converting 3 of the 4 draws (not Chelsea, though we might have there) and drawing LIverpool would give us 7 more points right now and we would be 30 pts and a shot at taking on the top six again.

We aren't in this position because we can't finish teams off. We can't beat teams we should beat on the day. We can't WIN. Some of the posters on here have turned against The Editor because he thinks we should win. If no one has noticed even more so this season teams have shown... any team in this league can beat anyone on their day.

The fact of the matter is it doesn't matter who you're beating in this league... it matters that you beat them. A draw is only a good result if you are outplayed and come away with one point, it doesn't matter who the other team is. Winning should always be the goal... and putting teams away needs to start now.

Everton need points... and when you outplay 5 teams and only come away with 7 points.... something is wrong. It's time to start converting... But that should have been happening for over a month now.
Joey Brown, Los Angeles, CA, USA Posted 09/01/2010 at 20:38:58

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Michael Kenrick

Good way of putting it, Joey

Dan Brierley
1 Posted 10/01/2010 at 15:43:09

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Joey, you are right. However, it is stating the obvious a little though. I don’t think anybody associated with EFC wants us to draw. You could see the disappointment in the players' faces at the end, they weren’t exactly thrilled with a point.

I do not think anything is wrong, apart from the fact we do not have a top striker on the pitch, who can convert chances. We are creating, but not converting. The reason behind this, is that those playing upfront, have not had a regular run in the team, and are not fully match fit. I think it's going to come in the end, and someone will start building their confidence and putting their chances away.

Compared to where we were a few months ago, I don't think anybody can deny we are going the right way. This is why some people find it hard to criticise, and think it's unfair given the circumstances.

Andy Morden
2 Posted 10/01/2010 at 16:50:19

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I find it terribly ironic that one of the form teams in the Prem, Birmingham, are playing godawful football yet grinding out results on the back of being resilient (arguably they are doing what we did in 2004/5/6). We are just begining to put together a bit of form and play better (but not brilliant) football yet don’t seem to get the results our displays deserved. If we aren’t keeping clean sheets like we used to, then we defo need to punish teams when we get opportunities...

Ian Tunstead
3 Posted 10/01/2010 at 17:33:55

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Its only a matter of time before we turn the draws into wins. In fact we won the last 2 games before Arsenal.

Nick Dommett
4 Posted 10/01/2010 at 18:25:02

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Compared to the beginning of the season what we are playing now is great. One of the problems is of course failing to find the back of the net after some good approach work.

However it is at the back we are in trouble. While Heitiga has finally started proving his value, I just don’t think Neill is good enough to be his partner. While we are all hoping for Jags to come back and sort it out, it aint going to happen anytime soon. If we found that CB (or if Distan/ Yobo stops being injured/ shite), then along with having Neville at RB to help organize things, you’d have a decent defensively which can still contribute to joined up football.

Answers on a postcard to who that should be though...

Peter Bourke
5 Posted 10/01/2010 at 21:20:20

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Not a bad post, Joey, although I think Dan Brierley has summed it up nicely in response.
I think you are way off the mark with your comment re; "Some of the posters on here have turned against The Editor because he thinks we should win."
That's not why some people have turned against the editor Joey and you know it. You musn’t have read the post and responses properly. Everyone wants Everton to win and I don’t know anyone who is happy not winning.

Keith Glazzard
6 Posted 10/01/2010 at 21:18:56

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We started playing football again after half-time at Hull. Some of the draws have been 2 points lost games, but importantly, some have been 1 point gained. What is great and frustrating at the same time is that we dropped 2 points away to Arsenal.

I think Neill is doing a good job and improving, but if we needed cover for him at this stage, Duffy could step up right now, and Mustafi is a good prospect.

Phil Roberts
7 Posted 10/01/2010 at 21:43:30

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"If no one has noticed even more so this season teams have shown... any team in this league can beat anyone on their day."

So a team that has been in the top 6 for 4 of the last 5 seasons — but decimated by injuries — is also one of those teams that can be beaten by anyone on their day.

While those in the Sky/BBC studio may be concentrating on their favoured 4 (or seven if you include Spurs, Villa and City) - the other 19 managers (well 18 because one is a classless prat) in this league will be looking at games against Everton and thinking this is one of those tougher ones and most of the time thinking, at least we got a point or wasn’t it fantastic we nicked 3, we didn’t expect that.

Yes, we all on ToffeeWeb are distressed we don’t win all 38 games and play wonderful attacking football to take them all apart and win with a minimum of 3-0 as we get to 114 points. But we need to remember that when we do fall short (and that includes thrashing Brum, S’land 1-1), then only rarely will the other team have said, "Well we expected that because it was crappy Everton". 8 or 9 times out of 10 they will say, "That was better than we expected". We are not that bad a team and we are getting better and starting to play like we supporters know we can.

On the Times match report, a Gooner fan was so pleased that we are about to play United and other teams in the top half as they know we will beat a few, draw with some and possibly not lose to any as we are now back to the sort of team that — let's repeat it — finished in the top 6 for 4 of the last 5 years.

And now cue the moaners about not kicking on from there and Bill not investing the money... yawn!

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