ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Excellent and Jammy!

Last week i wrote about our luck changing and proof of that came today with that 'soft' UEFA Cup draw. It is not exactly a dawdle but if we can't qualify out of that section we have no right to be there!

Are we turning into Liverpool ?.............is our luck changing ?.............it's about time frankly !

The two furthest away sides in the group must come to us while we face very short trips to two really nice places ahead of away games on the Sundays at Chelsea and Man U where most logical thinkers would expect us to lose anyway.

Larissa at home is followed by the 'easiest ' away trip we have in the Premier for the rest of 2007 - Derby and the Zenit game at Goodison is followed by Fulham at home - a game we have always won since they came back to the Premier.

All we need to complete this picture of better luck is a really crappy winner next Saturday. Things are getting better !
Glen Strachan, Oaxaca , Mexico Posted 09/10/2007 at 14:53:09

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Billy Piper
1 Posted 09/10/2007 at 15:43:55

I’m going on to buy a bike when I’m over in Germany.
I’ve heard so much about the Nuremberg Raleigh I reckon they must be something special !

Shaun brennan
2 Posted 09/10/2007 at 15:47:11

don’t go underestimating your opponents.

Remeber Metalist Kharkiv.

glen strachan
3 Posted 09/10/2007 at 15:48:15

Shaun

I think the All Blacks showed us all about that on Saturday but seriously if we can’t qualify as one of two from that section we should pack it up.

I’ve already said that I am not fond of this competition but I am delighted that we can get a bit of European experience without say having to travil to Larissa or Zenit.

What is your point about Metallist ?

We made every mistake in the book for three hours and still beat them !

Better to be lucky than good and now WE’RE LUCKY !

Nick Entwistle
4 Posted 09/10/2007 at 15:53:47

Another good bike over there is the Raleigh Book Burner...

Paddock Boy
5 Posted 09/10/2007 at 15:59:40

Yes, we should have no complaints about the draw. I was holding on to make sure that we didn’t get an away trip to Zenit St Petersburg (our toughest opponents based on current form) before commenting, and thankfully we’ve got them at home.

Whilst my heart obviously won’t automatically accept defeat at Chelsea and Man Utd, my head understands your logic, and it was something I hadn’t picked up on immediately.

It’s definitely not a case of under-estimating the opposition (no need to talk about the recent Rugby upsets - as everyone remembers some Everton howlers from recent years). It’s just being realistic about the good chance we have to proceed. With 3 out of 5 going through, we can honestly say if we don’t make it through, we don’t deserve to. Our fate is in our hands - Here’s to joining the big boys after the group stage in 2008, but Moyes and the lads need to raise their game a touch more (Blackburn and Newcastle can testify what two of these teams can do if we don’t!). COYBs

Richard Parker
6 Posted 09/10/2007 at 16:23:00

Lads, Zenith, Nurnburg & AZ are all good sides. Lets not count our chickens before we see the carrot at the end of the tunnel.

Blue boy
7 Posted 09/10/2007 at 16:26:57

Think we have an excellent chance of progressing. I notice that AZ ground only holds 17,000, could be a scrum for tickets. Does anyone know how they will be distributed?

Also, we really need to become a bit more European savvy if we are to progress. No good missing 2 penalties in the next stages, we will be really punished if we do?

James Thorley
8 Posted 09/10/2007 at 17:15:58

Booked my flights to Nuremberg already! Can’t wait.

Emil
9 Posted 09/10/2007 at 17:14:10

draw has worked out well yes, very good the closer teams are the home draws. Zenit will be tough though, Nuremberg are having a bad start to the season as are AZ. We will be fine. But be good to try and win group, so we avoid playing someone like Byern or a CL 3rd placed team in the 1st knock out game.
Also good point with the matches we have in the league to follow the games - we should certainly still beat Derby and Fulham, about the only 2 fixtures DM cannot use the "Euro hangover" excuse for not beating!

Anto Meehan
10 Posted 09/10/2007 at 18:00:47

Quick note, top 3 teams in group qualify! On current quality you’d have to expect Zenith Alkmaar and ourselves to go through. Already have my flights booked to franfurt and bussing it down to nuremburg. This is my first away european game, can anyone give some tips on the best place to purchase tickets for this?? I live in Dublin.
Thanks!!

Can’t wait for this, hopefully somebody will post the best place to meet up with other evertonians before game! NSNO

Tim Lowe
11 Posted 09/10/2007 at 19:21:10

Anto

Can you let me know the details for the coach from frankfurt to nurnburg. Cheers

Erik Dols
12 Posted 09/10/2007 at 20:11:31

Az has never lost a home match in any European competition - and they played quite a lot of them, reached the semis of uefa two years ago and the quarter finals last year. They’ve beaten teams like the Rangers and the barcodes in recent years. If we get one point there, we should consider ourselves lucky.

Zenith are top of the league in Russia.

Nürnberg is a very opportunistic side, match could go either way.

The Larissa game we should win.

I don’t agree it was a lucky draw, will be very very hard to go through in this group.

Tony Miller
13 Posted 09/10/2007 at 20:26:44

No easy matches however we cannot complain about this group. Most of the teams we have drawn other than Zenit who are flying in the Russian league are struggling in their leagues at the moment.

We play the Russians at home which helps saying this is a hard draw is still right but looking at who we could have drawn we have done well. this is a group we can get out of without luck but as long as we are not unlucky, if that makes sense?

Anto Meehan
14 Posted 09/10/2007 at 20:35:23

Tim,

I’ve flown into Frankfurt before and they have a rail link and bus service to all parts of Germany. I’ve got the coach to heidelberg before which is around the same distance and it took about an 1 and a half hours. Can’t see any problems whatsoever connecting to nuremberg! German efficiency and all that ;)

Ged
15 Posted 09/10/2007 at 23:38:58

Be careful using Ryanair into Frankfurt, the airport they fly into is a regional one that is 75 miles from the city of Frankfurt itself.

At least the beer’s sound.

Ant Gird
16 Posted 09/10/2007 at 21:31:34

All the teams in our group aren't doing very well currently, besides Zenit of Russia. Current league positions (league size in brackets):

Larissa - 9th (16)
AZ - 12th (18)
Nurnberg - 17th (18)
Zenit - 1st (16)

It's still early days in these leagues, besides Zenit who have played 26 games. Stats according to www.soccervista.com

KenDoddsDadsDogsDead
17 Posted 10/10/2007 at 15:14:54

Another bit of jamminess?

Don’t know if anyone else noticed, but we also got away with not having to play on Match Day 3 (29th November) which could have meant getting back from a far-flung outpost to face Portsmouth away the following weekend...
Well, we all know how Stubbsy and Neville need their kip!