ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Points mean prizes?

People say we're stagnating in this second (an improved stagnation admittedly on the pre-Moyes era) yet we seem to be peaking and can go no further. A few years ago, we made fourth, even though we lost to Liverpool late on in the season, yet this season, it seems out of our reach.

Blame referees (for some shocking decisions); blame Hibbert and Neville (for being crap); blame too small a squad, a non-creative midfield; blame injuries to strikers; blame Shandy Andy if you want.

We have now got 57 points with 6 games to go. I think we can easily achieve 65 points this year, our previous best (in the Premiership) only being 61.

I believe the top 8 or 9 in the Premier League are the best they've been for quite some time, and this is a very good leaugue. We're improving on our best points tally for well over 15 years. This is the best team we've had. Success is not round the corner ? even with money I dont know if we'd get instant success. But the figures are undeniable. Ironically this year though, points won't mean prizes.
Stuart Downey, Liverpool Posted 06/04/2008 at 13:31:20

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Brian Waring
1 Posted 06/04/2008 at 15:01:34

It?s funny really. If we claim 5th spot, we qualify for a Uefa Cup place. But, Spurs have won a trophy, and Portsmouth must be odds on to win the FA Cup. If they do, both Spurs and them qualify for a Uefa Cup place. Even with us finishing above them both, they would have had a more succesful season than us!

Mark Pendleton
2 Posted 06/04/2008 at 15:41:24

You say that Brian, and I know what you mean, but qualifying for Europe via league position is surely a sign of a better season. I consider this season a bigger success than 1995.

Greg Doyle
3 Posted 06/04/2008 at 17:44:34

I don’t get it. What’s your point?

Rob Jones
4 Posted 06/04/2008 at 18:06:55

Basically he's saying finishing 5th with no cup is better than 11th with the Mickey Mouse Cup or 6th with the FA Cup because you?ve got results more consistently than both.

Sean McNally
5 Posted 06/04/2008 at 21:10:00

But the consistency of a cup run surely equals the consistency of the league?!?!

Rob Jones
6 Posted 06/04/2008 at 21:26:05

I can see where you are coming from Sean but the way I see it is that with a cup run you need a bit of luck to get through it and it's only a few games per season, compare that to the full league season of 38 games and you can surely see which one you need consistency and ability for more, don?t forget the over used phrase ?the table doesn?t lie? it?s said for a reason...

Stuart Downey
7 Posted 06/04/2008 at 23:12:05

Someone said, Tottenham have won a cup this year = Europe and Portsmouth are likely to get the other cup and into Europe. Yet although we?re higher in the league, we haven?t won anything this year. 4th would of been like a cup win (still possible).

Tottenham though, have been dire in the league by their own recent standards, a mess created by their board, sacking a decent manager and messing up their team. It has taken a long time to sort out and whether Ramos will have them back again is still to be seen.

Pompey - Lots of money, cup run, but they?re not what I?d call stability, and they?ve got a long way to go to be challenging for fourth.

Everton - We had cup runs, messed up in the odd game, but that's of course what cups are all about, and we were out. However, we?ve got the strongest squad, best manager and we?re back in Europe again next year. I?d much rather be trying to break the top four than winning either cup. We?re climbing the ladder, where as other teams seem to be the ones reaching that peak.

Blair Johnson
8 Posted 06/04/2008 at 23:47:45

We?ve had a TOP season already... if you run through our results the only poor ones are away losses to Reading and Fulham. We?ve also had some poor refereeing calls go against us... Liverpool at home of course and Yak?s ?2nd? against the Hammers... add 10 games in Europe and the semis of the League Cup and we can safely say that a LOT of progress has been made. If we beat Newcastle and Villa and grab a draw at Birmingham we?ll have 67 points... SUPERB!

Tim Keen
9 Posted 07/04/2008 at 10:04:03

Add into the mix we have started to play good football and score good goals, looked like a decent team in Europe and lowered the average age of the team significantly and you’d have to say we have made real progress.
The thing seperating us from 4th is one thing - money. In the winter break we sold McFadden for £5m, Liverpool bought Skertel and Mascherano for a combined £25m.
In the summer they will probably spent another £40m net and we’ll spend £15m net.
Spurs, Newcastle, Villa, Man City and Portsmouth will outspend us too.

John Lloyd
10 Posted 07/04/2008 at 11:08:28

"But the consistency of a cup run surely equals the consistency of the league?!?! "

No, it doesnt. anything can happen in a one off game and to reach a domestic final you will prob only have between 5 & 7 games. so to compare that to a 38 game league season is stupid, sorry, unwise.