After a great start to the season both in terms of results and performances, the last few weeks have seen the wheels starting to seize up a little with the effects of injuries, terrible refereeing decisions, and a little sloppy defending ensuring that we’ve been drawing games we should be looking to win and dropping 4 or 6 points in the process.
The encouraging thing is that said wheels have not fallen off, despite the adversity and even 2-0 down in a derby game our confidence has remained intact and we’ve maintained a policy of playing attacking football and have largely dominated possession and chances (aside from the period of going down to 10 men at QPR) and looked to win the game.
Ultimately though it’s points that win prizes, not effort or intent, and, at the end of the season, we need to have more than Spurs, Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool if we’re going to snatch the 4th place (which I believe is within our capabilities) and neatly enough I believe it’s the next 4 games that are going to provide the real telling indication of our chances in doing that.
Firstly we should have the majority (if not all) of our first choice squad back fit (pending news from Mirallas).
Home games against struggling Sunderland and Norwich and matches away to Reading and Fulham are exactly the fixtures where we need to push home our superiority and I think anything less than 9 points here would suggest that we’re not yet ready to step up and start lowering expectations towards a Europa League slot.
Equally, notching 10 (or preferably a full compliment of 12), will be enough to propel us back to top 4 and give the squad and club the momentum it needs to launch into the ensuing 3 game battle (Arsenal, Man City, Spurs) and busy Xmas period with confidence in tact.
Personally, I think the derby match has actually set us up for that run, both in terms of the result (saving a point after a bad start and surviving a last-minute scare) but more crucially the fearless performance — regardless of what you think of Moyes or the players you can’t say that they bottled it today or went out to do anything other than win the match.
So COYB — let’s get down to the Cottage and give Fulham a footballing lesson. I’ll be there cheering you on!
Reader Comments (2)
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2 Posted 29/10/2012 at 11:34:55
I watched the Chelsea Man U game yesterday, and Chelsea is a prime example of the change in formation, as they have three wonderful talented players behind Torres with two holding mids, which leaves Cole and Ivanovic(?) isolated, and I think if we played them with a fully fit team we would get lots of joy from our left and with the way Miralles has settled in, our right.
So I’m with Chris that if (and it’s a big if) we can remain relatively injury/suspension free we could push on.
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1 Posted 28/10/2012 at 23:26:05
With next season seeing a major increase in TV revenues, every side is far more competitive than in most previous seasons.
I've always thought that, if you play well most of the time, then the results will follow. Whilst it would be nice to believe we can make a good effort to get into Europe, I feel that we will come up short. At least we should enjoy the more attacking style that has been prevalent this year from the Blues.
Our main Achilles Heel is the strength of the squad as it will be this more than anything which will hijack our ambitions.
I can't remember a season where every team top to bottom has major defensive frailties, I don't know for sure but I bet there have been fewer clean sheets in the Premier League this season than at the same stage in previous years.
On a brighter note, we are above our loveable neighbours and with a good chance of ending the season in that position. Considering how much money they have spent in the past 12-18 months, surely that has to be considered an achievement of sorts.
Carry on playing the football, Everton, and you never know, it may just be possible to make it a very fruitful season...