ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Season to be proud of?

I about to say something that maybe against the grain, but I think we have had a really impressive season so far. Unless we mess up 5th spot, I am pretty pleased with how the season as went. There were a few games where I thought we were hopeless. But the fact that we are sitting in 5th, reached a cup semi-final and quater final. I would say well done to the lads.

Of course I want 4th, who wouldn't but I don't have too much complaints. This pre-season is important we need to buy quality midfielders and perhaps another striker and really push on. Another season like this and perhaps the media, pros and fans will see we are making progress.
Trevor Thompson, Croydon Posted 15/04/2008 at 16:37:49

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The season is not finished yet. A few weeks ago someone wrote after the Uefa Cup exit that "our season is over" and he got rightly slammed for it. There are still four games left to play, and our finishing position is still in doubt. Can't we please WAIT unill the season is actually over???

Andy Hudson
1 Posted 15/04/2008 at 17:07:26

I actually agree with Trevor here. Weve had a great season, and even if we finished 6th that would be great progress from other seasons when we’ve fallen away after a good league position the year before. If we come 5th that will be amazing considering the extra games and effort the players have had to put in with our run in Europe and the League Cup. Just remember how much more our rivals have spent then us, yet were still ’best of the rest’ with 4 games to play! We’ll either finish 4th, 5th or 6th. 4th pretty much gone now unless ours and liverpool’s form swaps round, 5th is in the balance. If we lose out to Pompey for 5th just bare in mind they splashed out on Defoe in Jan and that will have been the difference... they could afford to buy a proven scorer, we had to sell a striker cause it was good business.

No matter where we finish this season we have progressed massively and I for one am excited about next season! That doesn’t mean we’ve given up on this one, it just means were reflecting now on how good this season has been and anything from here is just a bonus now.

Keith Glazzard
2 Posted 15/04/2008 at 17:04:09

Let’s hope the season isn’t over, in terms of performances and results. Because the job is so far away from being completed we badly need the available players - and the coach - to produce results.

For the future, let’s hope that DM has noticed that a longer, more successful, season takes its toll. If Gravesen was up to playing a game he could be invaluable at this stage, but he isn’t. We lack of reserve strength. How this problem is to be solved I don’t know, but it has to be addressed.

Chris Jones (Wakefield)
3 Posted 15/04/2008 at 18:13:40

I can well remember many seasons in the Premiership when we’ve anxiously hovered around the wrong en of the table. Now we are frustrated by results on the fringes of CL qualification. Sometimes though it seems fellow fans are more critical now than ever they were 10 years ago.

Football fans are never pleased (regardless of shirt colou). In recent seasons we’ve heard fans call for the heads of SAF, Wenger, Raffa and Grant (who he?). A player/manager/team is only as good as his last game and sometimes I think we fickle fans get the (shite) game we deserve.

I think the lads have done great this year. They can do better. And that’s why I can look forward to future games and seasons and (just occasionally) feel pity for Leeds fans and the like.

We’re doing all right. COYBB.

Andy Callan
4 Posted 15/04/2008 at 18:25:11

Some said in another post that we have been ’magnificant’ this season - won nowt...

Dunno about you men but other than the Fiorentina game I ain’t been entertained much at all...

Chris Jones (Wakefield)
5 Posted 15/04/2008 at 18:25:08

P.S. I have just read that David Noyes has been sacked.

Don’t panic, he was BA director of customer services at Heathrow T5.

Terry Smith
6 Posted 15/04/2008 at 18:27:18

How can you say you havn?t been entertained this season Andy? We have played our best football I have seen since mid-80s with some great results to match i.e 7-1 against Sunderland, 6-1 against Brann

Jason Cooke
7 Posted 15/04/2008 at 21:11:54

What a load of crap
If we had a great season we would be 4th or 3rd. NOW before you start, we have had shit decisions in almost every game and injuries. But the team that goes out on our pitch is not worthy of the NIL SATIS NISI OPTIMUM sorry some of our team are crap. AND I want Moysey to take the decision to tell them they are crap and buy quality. in the 80s we did on a less budget. SO WHY not now.............. I am fed up with shit players saying they love the club . Bollocks! They love the money. bring back the home grown rule.....

Jason Lam
8 Posted 15/04/2008 at 22:37:59

Aren’t we glad that it’s only us fans that are beginning to appreciate what a great season we’ve had, with 4 games to go. Thankfully the players don’t think the season is over and still busting their guts until the summer... model professionals all of them..

Michael Brien
9 Posted 16/04/2008 at 07:13:33

Jason - it?s you who is talking crap. Yes we didn?t spend loads of money back in the mid 1980s ?, though the Lineker deal was amongst the biggest fees of that era ? but nobody had mega millions to spend on players in those days. And of course there was no Champions League.

Try and face facts please ? the likes of Man Utd. Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have a massive advantage over the rest of the premier league ? it?s called MONEY. They have far more of it than the other clubs. For goodness sake Andy are you totally clueless!!!!!!!Take a look at how much money those 4 clubs are able to spend on players and then compare it to the amounts spent by the other clubs..

You mention the mid 1980s ? in those days you could name at leat 8 clubs that had a decent chance of winning the title. Next season Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool, the season after that the same ? and after that etc.......

To match those clubs, a club would need to have a transfer budget of approx £60M. And I think that?s a low estimate. I find it funny how some English fans have a go at the SPL and Celtic and Rangers and how the title is effectively between those 2 clubs. At least the Scots have the excuse that it is a smaller country in terms of population and major size cities etc.

The situation in England is down to finances and how the so called "big 4" have made sure that they get richer. The Premier League has only made things worse ? making sure that these 4 clubs prosper at the expense of others.

People like you Jason and Andy need to get real ? the big 4 have a massive advantage. I read on teletext that Southgate is going to be given a "transfer warchest of £20M" ? enough to buy two thirds of Torres!!! How much do you think Moyes will be given? Probably less than a quarter of the budget of Chelsea, Liverpool etc.
You don?t think we have had a fine season? Well you must have a short memory. Some of us can remember when at this time of the season it was the norm for us to be studying the bottom 6 of the table rather than the top 6. Whoever coined the expression "Football Fans are fickle" probably had you two in mind. Get real.

Seamus Murphy
10 Posted 16/04/2008 at 10:42:39

Andy Callan - you have got to be one of the most miserably negative contributers to this forum!! You were only entertained in one game this season?? Well all I can say is that you must not have been to many games. For long stretches of this season we were a pleasure to watch but maybe your memory doesn't go back beyond the last few games.
Michael Brien - well penned.

Trevor Thompson
11 Posted 16/04/2008 at 11:03:00

Ok I have used past tense in my post but I did say unless we finish sixth then I’m pleased with how the season is going? We’ve been up there in the good half of the table still battling for 4th. I’m happy so far at the moment and normally I’m a miserable git when it comes to Everton.

Arthur Jones
12 Posted 16/04/2008 at 13:40:36

At last, someone who?s posted a thread on ToffeeWeb that isn?t all doom and gloom. Well done Trevor, when fully fit we have got a very good team, a squad that needs a few first class additions and a very good manager and we are getting better every season. We have already equaled our record points total in the Prem. We can?t be that bad can we?

David London
13 Posted 16/04/2008 at 14:07:09

Highest point total.Howard close to Big Nevs record.Played in Europe.Finnish 5th.
GOOD SEASON

Andy Callan
14 Posted 16/04/2008 at 14:37:25

Seamus, Michael & Terry - yeah what a great season; 3 entertaining performaces and a semi final in the league cup. ACE.

You lot are just taken in with all the bullshit that surrounds football these days. Money is a factor yeah and we ain?t got any to spend.

That is the difference....

If you are happy scratching around for 5th - 5th FFS, getting knocked out of the FA Cup in the 3rd round by Oldham or reaching the final 32 of Europes 2nd string comp then sobeit. I?m not.

We need money or we are gunna struggle to win anything ever again. Simple as that.

Say what the fuck you like, I know Im right.

Michael Brien
15 Posted 16/04/2008 at 17:30:43

Andy - I just read on the BBC sports website - estimated transfer budget for Chelsea this summer will be £100m. You say money is a factor - a rather important factor in most people’s opinion."You know you are right" you say. I see being modest isn’t one of yourfailings then!!!
I am not happy that 5th place is our main target at the moment. I am not happy - just realistic. The game has changed since our glory days of the mid to late 1980’s.Money is the be all and end all for the so called "big 4".It’s all about being a "global brand" , when you hear the management of Man Utd talk.
Alex Ferguson - heard of him Andy.Well I remember when he was Scotland manager for the 1986 World Cup. Since then though notice how many times he has refused to release players for friendly internationals or moaned about having to do that. Funny that earlier this year he didn’t moan when Man United went to play a friendly in the Middle East - even though it was in the middle of the season!! Double standards from probably the most champagne of all champagne socialists.
Still think money isn’t important then Andy ? Well perhaps you need to join the real world. How many clubs can afford to pay £45m for just 2 players i.e. Anelka and Shevchenko ? Probably only 3 - Man Utd,Arsenal and L’pool. I rest my case.