ToffeeWeb - Season 2010-11

The Mail Bag

Is it any surprise?

Yesterday may well have been one of my lowest points as an Everton supporter. Every year, I, like most Evertonians, approach the new season with huge optimism on the back of a strong finish to the previous one... yet, year on year, in typical Everton fashion, we are disappointed and left wondering ''what if?'' after we narrowly miss out on a top 4 or top 6 finish.

However, whereas normally most Evertonians feel assured of another long run of form later on in the season, guaranteeing a respectable finish, this season, most fans, including myself, have appeared to approach this disappointing start to the season with a more pessimistic view to what was supposed to be, ''our'' season. Why?

Because we've realised where actually not that good. Against Newcastle, we fielded FOUR Championship-standard players in our starting 11 ? Distin, Hibbert, Beckford and Osman. Add to that Heitinga playing out of position in center midfield, is it any surprise we lost yesterday?

I feel a foolish at the least for believing at the start of the season that Everton could show the shite-talking journalists that we really are better than the media darlings, and that we don't ''punch above our weight'' every year. Because, in the end, the press where right afterall. The media darlings are media darlings for a reason: they tend to produce.
Joshua Doherty, Wigan Posted 19/09/2010 at 17:07:25

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Marc Williams
1 Posted 19/09/2010 at 18:14:16

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Don't worry Joshua, we'll be alright when Moyes signs Jay DeMerit on a free!

Chris Sillett
2 Posted 19/09/2010 at 18:10:26

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I never for a moment thought we were capable of a top four finish, a top six - yes, but we simply do not have the squad or the manager to finish above teams like Spurs and Man City. The complete lack of transfer activity during the summer seemingly confirmed this. I suppose it wasn't as absurd as some people claiming we could win the league though...

Brad Eastwood
3 Posted 19/09/2010 at 18:19:37

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Agreed. Heitinga should be playing at the back with Jagielka. He's the only one that passes is out of the back. Look back to last year he kept Tevez, Rooney and Drogba quiet all in about a month. He knows what he's doing he doesn't need the height.

That follows to the next point why have Johnny and Fellaini in the same midfield? Fellaini plays best as holding and picking up from the back floor. Moyes needs to get him playing there again. We should never need two defensive midfielders against Newcastle. They have Barton for god sake. If he needs two defensive midfielders with him then god help us all!

Anthony Hughes
4 Posted 20/09/2010 at 09:15:57

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A couple of weeks ago some people were saying to ignore the table until after 10 games or so as some top sides were down the bottom, I've just had a sneaky look and it's the top 5 is looking decidely familar already.

Alan Clarke
5 Posted 20/09/2010 at 10:24:33

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Where are our next 3 points coming from? Fulham away, we always win there. Birmingham away - they're a push over at home. Liverpool home, we always beat them don't we?

We could and most probably will be looking at heading into November without a win.

Jimmy Hacking
6 Posted 20/09/2010 at 11:00:00

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Didn't Moyes say a couple of years ago that all he ever aims for is safety, and anything extra is a nice bonus? I can't find a link, but im sure he said it on a TV interview. So all we need this season is about 40 points and it'll be "job well done".

Andrew Clare
7 Posted 20/09/2010 at 11:07:16

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Unfortunately without large scale investment this will be our 'lot' every season.
'Moyes has had eight years it is time for him to go'. I say to myself. But what then?
Without very big money we will always be in this situation. Nuff said!

Tony J Williams
8 Posted 20/09/2010 at 12:45:56

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No Jimmy, he said his FIRST aim was safety and them move on from there.

The fact is that no decent manager would want to come to us...and why would he. The summer transfer dealing was effectively what we got for Lucus Neill, so we spent zip, nada, nothing. How can any team expect to move forward when we can't improve the team.

We never improved and lo and behold we have moved backwards.

Dennis Stevens
9 Posted 20/09/2010 at 13:04:15

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Tony, you really shouldn't present your own opinion as "fact". It's quite true any new manager wouldn't have much money to spend unless he generated himself via player sales, but I don't think most managers would consider the concept of having to trade their way to a better squad as an alien concept. What may well attract a decent manager is the chance to manage in the "best league in the world" whilst being well rewarded for their efforts, inheriting a decent squad (certainly much better than the one Moyes found upon his arrival), & a Board that will give them plenty of time even if there isn't much of a transfer kitty. Although I don't expect to see a parting of the ways anytime soon, I don't think we need to be quite so despairing of the quality of potential successors to our current manager.

Trevor Lynes
10 Posted 20/09/2010 at 13:41:46

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We have DM and thats it !! Any new incoming manager would want funds to enable him to choose his own team. Thats why O'Neill left Villa because of the lack of investment and lets face it... he had an awful lot more money than our board give to DM. I'm afraid that part of Davey's new contract and enhanced salary meant toeing the company line and not asking for money for players. He held out for a better contract (Pienaar is only doing much the same).

Ambition is not apparant, just the 40 point target to try to ensure Premier League status... anything further is a bonus!!
Other clubs have improved their squads and I cannot see a really poor team in the Premier League so I think it will be a real dogfight for survival for a number of teams this season... I just hope we dont get ourselves dragged into it!!

Helikaon Bow
11 Posted 20/09/2010 at 14:10:19

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Midtable this season so no relegation...but still its a little dissappointing. As we could sya in Thailand selsig!

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