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FAN ARTICLES

Crystal Ball Time Again

By Mike Oates :  05/09/2010 :  Comments (14) :
Well, we?ve all written and read ad infinitum about the Blues' start to the season, with the overriding opinion being that we are a wide man short, a class forward short, and that we have too many centre midfielders than we know what to do with, but we are at least playing decent football.

Now I?m a believer that we will come good, but what I don?t know is when. The 'how' will be simple enough in that we will scrape a good 2-3 wins together, one probably deserved and the other a last-minute fluke, and then another deserved. I can?t see us taking anyone apart just yet, the players haven?t got that confidence and swagger you need to put 5 or 6 past anyone, West Ham included. This will happen, but probably after 6-7 games on the trot with no setbacks.

So, looking ahead, when are we likely to get that run of 2-3 wins? For the life of me, I can't see a repeat of last year?s 3-1 win against Man Utd this weekend. Last year we came upon Utd after 5 wins from the previous 7 games and were in sparkling form (except for our normal derby-game slip up). As we all know, we are not in that rich vein of form. A deserved or unlucky draw against Man Utd with a least a continuation of our football credentials will probably do me fine.

After Man Utd, we have a run of Newcastle (H), Fulham (A), Birmingham (A), then Liverpool (H) and Spurs (A). I?m afraid I don?t see a 3-win sequence there at all. Both Fulham and Birmingham have proved difficult for us in recent times, and well anything can happen with Liverpool and Spurs.

I can still see us languishing in the bottom half of the table at the end of October... but then I start to see a possible light at the end of the tunnel, we play six games ? Stoke (H), Blackpool (A), Bolton (H), Arsenal (H), Sunderland (A), West Brom (H). I can see us possibly putting that run together which should push us up into the Top 6-7 ready for a challenging Chelsea (A) fixture ? a real test of our credentials. If we come away from this little lot with 15 pts or so then we should have the belief in ourselves to deliver a sustainable challenge for a Top 6 place at least and hopefully better if the likes of Spurs, City and hopefully Liverpool become stretched with European games.

What would scupper this crystal balling of mine would be a real hiding from Man Utd on Saturday ? you know, another Arsenal from last year. This would prove to be absolutely fatal in getting any run together this side of Xmas and ultimately leave us with a mid-table battle for most of this season with only a hope of another late surge to get a Europa place. A big loss can only demonstrate that the real belief the players and staff had in themselves pre-season was totally flawed.

I know all games are crucial at the moment but a game against Man Utd at Goodison is a cruel fixture, probably only slightly better than Man Utd away. As always, we?ve given ourselves a mountain to climb, particularly with not beating both Wolves and Villa. But hey that?s Everton for you.

Reader Comments (14)

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Tony McNulty
1 Posted 06/09/2010 at 08:13:29
Mike,

You say it?s a cruel fixture for us. Look at it from their point of view. Following the NotW splash, I can?t imagine the Fat Boy is relishing that his next Premier League game is at Goodison. He?ll be sensitive to the crowd; I sense a rush of blood to the head. (I?ll leave to your imaginations.) The whole saga may well have an unsettling effect on his teammates.
Martin Hughes
2 Posted 06/09/2010 at 09:42:04
I remember a couple of season's ago the memory of Fellani's equaliser and Nevilles cruncing tackle on Ronaldo, it set the scene and tone for a rip-roaring season!.

MORE OF THE SAME PLEASE!

In Moyes we trust ? come on you blues!!

Also 4-4-2 with Yak and Saha upfront.
Ian McDowell
3 Posted 06/09/2010 at 11:56:01
Last season, we played Man Utd just after they had a Champions League away game at Milan, I think, and they usually do badly away after those games ? even Sir Alex has made the point a few times.

The fixtures after that I'm not too concerned about: Liverpool at home, anything can happen; and Spurs will have Champions League games coming up.

The one thing that worries me at the moment is the lack of goals, and the fact we don't look like scoring.
Jimmy Hacking
4 Posted 06/09/2010 at 12:13:36
Here are my predictions for Sept/Oct:

Man Utd 0-1

Newcastle 1-1
Brentford 1-0 (wahey!)
Fulham 1-2

Birmingham 0-0
Liverpool 0-1 (unlucky to lose though!)
Spurs 1-2
Stoke 1-1

Played 10 W0 D4 L6 points 4

COYB, In Moyes we trust, etc.
David Thomas
5 Posted 06/09/2010 at 12:46:38
That's it, Jimmy, nice positive attitude.
Jay Harris
6 Posted 06/09/2010 at 14:21:33
I've already done this one to death but my real concern is that we [cannot] keep a clean sheet. Our defending has been abysmal since Lescott went.

I know supporters go on about Moyes's obsession with defense but the main problem is the whole team sit too deep and do not play far enough up the field.

So I hope at the very least we will keep a clean sheet against Man U.
Tony Hughes
7 Posted 06/09/2010 at 15:13:07
Mike, so the loss of 2 home points against United will do you just fine? Well my expectations are higher than that! And you reckon we could be in the bottom 4 by the end of October? Then we will go on a 3- or 4-game winning run that will propel us to the top 6? Er... just one problem with that, Mike! Will the 12 teams above us stop playing and give us the chance to catch up?? IMWT (bollocks)!!
Brian Waring
9 Posted 06/09/2010 at 16:51:12
So the season starts in October hey?
I thought we were tiltle contenders, or bang on top 4???
Mike Oates
10 Posted 06/09/2010 at 17:35:56
Tony #7:

Never said 4th from bottom. Just in the bottom half ? hoping for about 11/12th ready to propel us into top half. And no, the teams above us won't just lie down but I expect us at sometime to beat the middle group teams.

And last point, Tony, try to trim your expectations to something reasonable. We don't go from a team in 8th place to suddenly being expected to beat all and sundry and particularly the Utds of this world. If we win, that's great, but a draw would at least be some positive for this season to date.
Mike Elbey
11 Posted 06/09/2010 at 18:34:49
I always believe a fair way of assessing a season is to compare points for points against the same sides from the previous season, exchanging the 3 relegated sides for those promoted.

We all hoped to at least push for top 4 this year ? that would mean us adding at least 10 points to last seasons tally.

At the moment we are minus 4 from the games played compared to last season and we are going into a game that many are saying a point would be a good result. In isolation, I agree... but, when you consider that last season we got 3 points from this fixture and we are already minus 4, then I believe it is imperative to our season that we win on Saturday.
David Hallwood
12 Posted 06/09/2010 at 19:13:03
Mike if you would've looked into your crystal ball last December, you would've seen Arsenal, RS, Man U Chelsea, Citteh, what chance would Gypsy Rose Lea given us with those fixtures. To quote every manager in the world "Let's take each game as it comes".
Ciarán McGlone
13 Posted 06/09/2010 at 21:38:14
Your first mistake is categorising any tranche of games as easy...

Unfortunately, easy games are a thing of the past in the Premier League ? for all but the best of teams.

We have problems that could mean that we could lose any game; however, we also the capacity to win any given game...

Inconsistency is probably going to be our overwhelming characteristic this season ? at least until we sort the glaring problems out. When will tat happen? I'll not be holding my breath.
Liu Weixian
14 Posted 07/09/2010 at 15:49:19
My predictions:

Man Utd 1-2

Newcastle 2-1
Brentford 1-0
Fulham 1-1

Birmingham 1-1
Liverpool 0-2
Spurs 1-1
Stoke 1-0

12 points from 24.



Chris Hannon
15 Posted 07/09/2010 at 19:13:40
Man Utd 1-1
Newcastle 3-0
Brentford 2-1
Fulham 0-0
Birmingham 0-1
Liverpool 2-0
Spurs 2-1
Stoke 1-1.

Not a problem! Games like Man Utd and good performances tend to see a change in our form and luck recently! Positivity is the key! Coybs

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