The Mail Bag
Sixteen Points in the Baggies
Comments (27)
Just seen that Hull City are joining Stoke City and The Baggies in the Premier League next season. Can they survive ? especially as Sunderland spent £40 million just to stay in the division? Although WBA are the pick of the bunch and the Blues seem to have problems at the Hawthorns, all I can see is a pre-booked 16 points at least, the only flaw being a draw away at WBA.
Of course, Hull City will give two last chances to let the little has-been Barmby facing the wrath of the Street End, assuming he can avoid injuries and another character by-pass operation!
Sadly, the gap is just too large these days and when you see Birmingham and Reading with immediate PL experience dropping out, the furture is not rosy for these three!
Trevor Powell, Posted 24/05/2008 at 18:54:42
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Guy Hastings
2 Posted 24/05/2008 at 21:24:26
2 Posted 24/05/2008 at 21:24:26
Trev - given our league and cup track record against ?minnows? over the past 20 years, I suggest you look up the meaning of ?hubris?.
Adam Cunliffe
3 Posted 24/05/2008 at 21:36:39
3 Posted 24/05/2008 at 21:36:39
Barmby was my first hero.Him and Big Dunk were my idols, for what he did to Evertonians he should rot in hell with Rooney and Xavier.(Not that I’m bitter or anything.)
John Doolan
4 Posted 24/05/2008 at 21:49:11
4 Posted 24/05/2008 at 21:49:11
Delighted to see that Hull went up - its been a long time coming but finally we may now get a chance to let that cowardly little judas know what we think of him.
Think of the worst traitors in our recent history - Speed, Radzinksi, Jeffers - none of them even come close to that little sod. I know its pathetic but today's result put a spring in my step ? I just pray to god the little runt doesnt retire.
Think of the worst traitors in our recent history - Speed, Radzinksi, Jeffers - none of them even come close to that little sod. I know its pathetic but today's result put a spring in my step ? I just pray to god the little runt doesnt retire.
Dean Williamson
5 Posted 24/05/2008 at 23:49:33
5 Posted 24/05/2008 at 23:49:33
Speed was not a traitor.
He was pushed out, He had no choice.
He was pushed out, He had no choice.
John Tebbutt
6 Posted 25/05/2008 at 01:12:06
6 Posted 25/05/2008 at 01:12:06
Who cares. Look what happened to his career.
Nuff said.
Nuff said.
Greg Murphy
7 Posted 25/05/2008 at 01:26:04
7 Posted 25/05/2008 at 01:26:04
Trev:
Go to www.evertonresults.com. Then go to "seasons". Then click 1974/75. Check the final league table. Have a look at where Everton finished. Then have a look at who came bottom. Then have a look at how we got on in both of those games against the team in question. And work out - bearing in mind that it was then just 2pts for a win - what the final table would have looked like had Everton done exactly what you seem to think we’ll do against the sides promoted for next season i.e. whip them out of sight.
Painful, I tell ya: and I can only assume you weren’t around back then otherwise you would well have learned by now (especially just five months after Oldham Athletic pitched up at Goodison) never to count your chickens with Everton.
It’s why we love em. I think.
Go to www.evertonresults.com. Then go to "seasons". Then click 1974/75. Check the final league table. Have a look at where Everton finished. Then have a look at who came bottom. Then have a look at how we got on in both of those games against the team in question. And work out - bearing in mind that it was then just 2pts for a win - what the final table would have looked like had Everton done exactly what you seem to think we’ll do against the sides promoted for next season i.e. whip them out of sight.
Painful, I tell ya: and I can only assume you weren’t around back then otherwise you would well have learned by now (especially just five months after Oldham Athletic pitched up at Goodison) never to count your chickens with Everton.
It’s why we love em. I think.
Will Leaf
8 Posted 25/05/2008 at 01:46:55
8 Posted 25/05/2008 at 01:46:55
More recent than 1975...that 1-0 loss to newly promoted Oxford Utd in 1986 cost us dear...and still rankles. They are, what now, semi-professional?
Never count points this far in advance...or at all with Everton.
Never count points this far in advance...or at all with Everton.
Derek Thomas
9 Posted 25/05/2008 at 06:30:37
9 Posted 25/05/2008 at 06:30:37
The gap is and the gaps are, getting bigger, by gaps I mean the ones between 4th and 5th, which in turn reflects the gap between the EPL and the CCC.
The old old story, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
A quick check of the CCC table and the number of times the promoted sides LOST to run of the mill Championship sides, as we know the table NEVER lies(?) was enough to convince me that baring a miracle or serious meltdown by one of the present EPL teams, it will be a case of hello, goodbye as all 3 go back down.
But I’m sure we will be our usual charitable selves and chip in with a few points towards their quest to beat Derby’s meager total.
The old old story, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
A quick check of the CCC table and the number of times the promoted sides LOST to run of the mill Championship sides, as we know the table NEVER lies(?) was enough to convince me that baring a miracle or serious meltdown by one of the present EPL teams, it will be a case of hello, goodbye as all 3 go back down.
But I’m sure we will be our usual charitable selves and chip in with a few points towards their quest to beat Derby’s meager total.
Tony Part
10 Posted 25/05/2008 at 08:19:34
10 Posted 25/05/2008 at 08:19:34
Dont tar Gary Speed's career with that of Jeffers.
One is a fantastic professional and was pushed out of Everton and yet was still decent enough not to name names years after. The other, Jeffers, is a petulant little shit both on and off the field apparently and couldn't wait to put two fingers up to us, even tried to leave three months after he broke into our first team.
One is a fantastic professional and was pushed out of Everton and yet was still decent enough not to name names years after. The other, Jeffers, is a petulant little shit both on and off the field apparently and couldn't wait to put two fingers up to us, even tried to leave three months after he broke into our first team.
Michael Hunt
11 Posted 25/05/2008 at 08:53:10
11 Posted 25/05/2008 at 08:53:10
As ever of late, the 3 coming up are favourites to go back down. I think the Baggies will stay up though; with a class striking addition they may even do a Reading and get top half on first season back where they belong (founder members, proper Club, play the right way, more trophies than Chelsea - (not Chelski) etc.)
Tony, well said and I agree re Speedo, he gets a rough deal from (fellow) Blues. Sold for the cash after alledged shameful drinking of his boss was exposed. Jeffers?s character was not up to scratch, think his ability went to his head and he became a bit of a ?diva?. After we only scraped past Derby this year, we?re hardly well placed to predict stuffing the new boys are we?
Steve Pendleton
12 Posted 25/05/2008 at 09:00:49
12 Posted 25/05/2008 at 09:00:49
Getting a bit ahead of yourself there Trevor. The way it is right now we may be looking for draws as we don?t know if we can field a team with some midfielders in it yet.
Let's just wait and see what the makeup of our squad looks like first before we can make any predictions.
Love your enthusiasm though.
Let's just wait and see what the makeup of our squad looks like first before we can make any predictions.
Love your enthusiasm though.
Mike Hughes
13 Posted 25/05/2008 at 10:30:51
13 Posted 25/05/2008 at 10:30:51
I agree with the posts above but just to be repetitive.....and off the top of my head......West Brom ’68 ...Carlisle...’70s...Grimsby ’85... Tranmere.... Shrewsbury... Oldham... not to mentioned the 2 points dropped in the run-in against West Ham at home (a fixture which has reaped the most premiership points for EFC, I believe). Pianful......but all part of being a Blue and apparently "character-building".
Tony Williams
14 Posted 25/05/2008 at 10:48:54
14 Posted 25/05/2008 at 10:48:54
As Jimmy Greaves and St John once said, "It?s a funny old game"
We lost to Reading this season after a Uefa Cup game and it was probably one of our worst performances, we lost to Fulham (we always do I suppose).
There are so many "easy" 3 point games that can turn on a decision or a scuffed shot. Yes on paper we should realistically get 18 points from those fixtures but I would bet a hefty wedge that we won?t
And hopefully we might get better luck/performances against the Sky 4 this term.
We lost to Reading this season after a Uefa Cup game and it was probably one of our worst performances, we lost to Fulham (we always do I suppose).
There are so many "easy" 3 point games that can turn on a decision or a scuffed shot. Yes on paper we should realistically get 18 points from those fixtures but I would bet a hefty wedge that we won?t
And hopefully we might get better luck/performances against the Sky 4 this term.
Dean King
15 Posted 25/05/2008 at 10:59:51
15 Posted 25/05/2008 at 10:59:51
What you seem to be forgetting is that 17 other teams will be expecting to get maximum points from these fixtures, so comparatively, we will be no better off even if we do win them all.
Jim Slade
16 Posted 25/05/2008 at 11:05:56
16 Posted 25/05/2008 at 11:05:56
Counting chickens before they hatch!
Counting points before a game is played?
Not very smart and if you are an Everton fan with a memory you would know not to take any game as a sure 3 points. There is nothing wrong with being confident but there is a fine line between that and arrogance, Let's hope your prediction is true Trevor. But let's not take anything for granted, like the red shites do.
Counting points before a game is played?
Not very smart and if you are an Everton fan with a memory you would know not to take any game as a sure 3 points. There is nothing wrong with being confident but there is a fine line between that and arrogance, Let's hope your prediction is true Trevor. But let's not take anything for granted, like the red shites do.
Luke Dunn
17 Posted 25/05/2008 at 11:55:26
17 Posted 25/05/2008 at 11:55:26
Please do not tempt fate, I know we are expected to grab these points, but we must show a little respect here. Thought Hull played some entertaining stuff yesterday.
Mike Williams
18 Posted 25/05/2008 at 11:55:32
18 Posted 25/05/2008 at 11:55:32
Doesn?t it also mean a guaranteed 16 points for every team down to about 6th this year?
John Green
19 Posted 25/05/2008 at 15:26:01
19 Posted 25/05/2008 at 15:26:01
Don?t be too quick to jump on Speed?s back. As one comment mentioned about drinking, I was at a sportsman's dinner few years back and a question was asked of Sharpy about this episode; he was very quick in his defence of Gary Speed and about how it was out of order the stick he got/gets, that he was a boyhood blue but a proper professional and what happened at that time was not his fault, and credit to the man that he never took the opportunity to air the dirty linen in public. Think sometimes we are too quick to slag a player off without knowing the facts, Rooney yeh defo, Barmby most definitely but Speed?? Don't think so.... and maybe one day it will all come out. just think about the amount of years we could have had him for save for a very bad period in our club's history!!!
Mark Griffiths
20 Posted 25/05/2008 at 15:46:54
20 Posted 25/05/2008 at 15:46:54
Totally agree about Gary Speed, he was pushed out, he had no choice!
He is a model pro, a massive Everton fan and on a biased point comes from down the road from where I come from.
In fact, if I was to pick a Premier League team since it began in 1992, Speedy would be in my team, along with Bergkamp and Kanchelskis to name but a few.
He is a model pro, a massive Everton fan and on a biased point comes from down the road from where I come from.
In fact, if I was to pick a Premier League team since it began in 1992, Speedy would be in my team, along with Bergkamp and Kanchelskis to name but a few.
Paul Murphy
21 Posted 26/05/2008 at 02:58:28
21 Posted 26/05/2008 at 02:58:28
I seriously think people are underestimating Stoke, my girlfriend is a season ticket holder at the Britannia and I have been to see them about 9 times this season and I think they will suprise a few people. They are not too disimilar to Bolton with their long balls and set plays. I would, however be dissapointed if we didn?t take 6 points from them.
Mike Robinson
22 Posted 26/05/2008 at 11:40:33
22 Posted 26/05/2008 at 11:40:33
I wouldn?t take anything for granted after we managed to make the most rubbish team in Premier League history look actually half-decent.
Adam Wightman
23 Posted 26/05/2008 at 13:18:28
23 Posted 26/05/2008 at 13:18:28
Especially if you are playing them in the run-in. I mean look at Fulham and Brum vs us this season. I see Trevor?s point with this article as finishing 5th and 6th the past two seasons breeds confidence but when you follow Everton we all know you have to excpect the unexpected!
It's so funny I was just thinking about posting an article asking why Gary Speed really left. Does anyone know? All I can remember was it was agreed he would never discuss it.....
It's so funny I was just thinking about posting an article asking why Gary Speed really left. Does anyone know? All I can remember was it was agreed he would never discuss it.....
Anthony Horabin
24 Posted 27/05/2008 at 08:04:21
24 Posted 27/05/2008 at 08:04:21
So much negativity. We sholuld be beating these teams home and away everytime. I hope the team are more positive than you lot.
Liam Reilly
25 Posted 27/05/2008 at 08:36:08
25 Posted 27/05/2008 at 08:36:08
Totally agree that Gary Speed gets a lot of undeserved stick. They guy is a true blue and was told to leave. To place him alongside those shit’s; Rooney, Jeffers and that twat Barmby, is just nonsense.
When his playing career is finally over, I reckon we might finally hear the real truth behind his departure.
When his playing career is finally over, I reckon we might finally hear the real truth behind his departure.
Richard Harris
26 Posted 27/05/2008 at 09:51:50
26 Posted 27/05/2008 at 09:51:50
While we have extensive experience of not taking any result for granted as the dead certs always seem to come back to bite us, at least we have moved away from looking at whether the three promoted teams are better than us and if fourth from bottom is achieveable.
Gavin Harris
27 Posted 28/05/2008 at 11:38:47
27 Posted 28/05/2008 at 11:38:47
Speed is a true blue and has even brought his kids up as blues. Hopefully the truth will come out in the future.
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1 Posted 24/05/2008 at 21:20:26
You still havent graduated from the true blue fan school have you. When supporting Everton for the last 28 years, you learn not to presume anything.
On our day we are a match for any team, but off our day we end up with egg on face like we did this year against Reading and Oldham in the cup.
Little things like Barmby unsettle me, he may well be in his swansong season but the little shit will probably pop up with a goal against us..........