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2012

Everyone talks about how Everton are a 'half-season' team, generally coming good in the 2nd half of recent seasons after a typically poor start. Many would see this season as a bucking of that trend and a reversal of fortunes with a better beginning to 2012-13.

With all that considered, surely by that logic our results for the calendar year 2012 must have been impressive then eh? Well after having a quick review of our record in all comps for that timeframe, it reads like this:

Played 49
Won 22
Drew 18
Lost 9

Whilst the stats seem impressive with only 9 defeats in an entire year, a more accurate reflection lies in winning less than half and drawing almost as many games. This is Everton in a nutshell, difficult to beat, but ultimately unable to convert any kind of dominance without any killer instinct.

How often have we thrown away 3pts and drawn matches we absolutely should've won? This has often been said to be because of Moyes, his stubborn tactics and dour, rigid attitude towards games. And it's a point that's hard to argue against. When was the last time we properly hammered a team? Or when you can honestly say we put a game out of sight?

Away at Villa and Swansea were without doubt our best this season – but even Swansea had plenty of chances that day (Howard MotM?). And then there was the spell of league games last season when we scored 4 in three consecutive games against Sunderland, Man Utd and Fulham. But even that run was straddled by THAT FA Cup semi-final defeat.

On the flip side, our results so far this year over 13 games has a W6 D4 L3, which reads quite similarly to those of last year. The same potential with the same outcome – close but no cigar. And that's the way it's always gonna be if we continue with DM. We are standing on the edge right now, we'll never know what we can become unless we take that leap.

In the meantime following yet another rallying call, we face the current champions at Goodison Park next and a run of very tough league games to end the campaign. Of course anything is possible but deep down we all having that sinking feeling.
COYB.

Conor Waters, Phuket, Thailand Posted 14/03/2013 at 07:02:09

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Paul David
089 Posted 14/03/2013 at 14:30:32

The knock on affect of starting the season well and ending it poorly (I expect) won't be seen untill next season.

In the past, ending the season well has raised hope but now with season tickets on sale at a time when a lot of fans have had enough we could well see attendances drop below 30,000 on more than one occasion.

Dennis Stevens
096 Posted 14/03/2013 at 14:43:00

To try & equate the perceived good form of 2012 to a league season I totted up the results of the last 19 league matches of last season together with the first 19 matches of this season. Over those 38 matches Everton won 16, drew 17 & lost 5 matches - yielding a total of 65 points. So this sort of confirms it was one of the better periods for Everton under Moyes, as it is as good as his highest points total for a league programme over the last ten seasons. However, that points total in any of those ten seasons would generally result in a 5th place finish, on occasion 6th, with only RS & ourselves sneaking 4th with less. All of which kind of confirms what we all know - as things stand CL is out of our reach & whilst with Moyes at the helm we seem safe from relegation, may enjoy the odd cup run & challenge for Europe sometimes, occasionally even qualify - that's it. No CL, no silverware, no further progress.

Gavin Ramejkis
240 Posted 14/03/2013 at 21:40:50

And this is the rub with Gollum, he sets out not to lose and plays a long odds game, skim the surface and he only loses so many games, break the surface and he draws too many games but eh it's not a loss is it? Dig deeper with your brain in gear and think, 18 draws is just 18 points, if instead he had won just half of those games and lost the others he would have 27 points not 18, his loss stats rise but his points gained rises too.

Steve Jones
244 Posted 14/03/2013 at 21:52:51

We have never invested in a decent striker. Most of those wins were last season and due to an in form Jelavic, Now he's off the boil, more draws, less wins, sums it up.

Lack of January investment, specifically a striker, has screwed us, and signalled the break up of the current team.

John Campbell
290 Posted 14/03/2013 at 22:59:45

Give young Conor a chance, surely he deserves it!?

Dennis Stevens
309 Posted 15/03/2013 at 00:13:21

Steve, I don't think you can put it all down to Jelavic. The last 19 league matches last season produced the following results : W8 D8 L3 - & the first 19 league matches this season were : W8 D9 L2.

Roman Sidey
318 Posted 15/03/2013 at 04:35:08

Steve, it's a good point, but we can't just replace our top striker every 12 months, sending each one we have down the pecking order every time. Something has to give in the coaching and in the tactics. How many of our strikers have obviously been better when they've had a mate up front with them? Saha even came out and said he doesn't like playing alone.

Derek Thomas
406 Posted 15/03/2013 at 11:55:55

Short version; done the Moyes way KITAP1 is a viable prem strategy, but the best you will get is 65pts which 1 season in 11, 'may' get you 4th in a poor prem year, with the wind behind you, going downhill.

Boring

It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it.

If I have to make do with the coveted ( by some ) 7th place trophy then lets fall short not with a whimper but a bang.

Football is a business I here you say, net spend etc blah blah

A business yes, but it is in the entertainment sector

Moyes however is not

Taxi

Paul Ellam
453 Posted 15/03/2013 at 13:30:06

So basically we need a cutting edge to turn those draws into wins. Which is why I have said for ages that we need to bring in at least 1 top striker. Most of those clubs above have at least 3, Fergie likes to have 4, we have 2 at best.

I'm not talking the likes of Negredo who are way beyond our price range but why not (if we sell Fellaini/Baines or get to use the new TV cash) go for those who are in form and cost a bit less – the likes of Petersen, Vossen, Pelle, Szalai, Soriano, Mbokani or maybe loan in Lukaku or Van Wolfswinkel if we can't afford them?

I know we will all have our favourite choices but we DO need to put the chances we create away more and need to give Jelavic and Anichebe help.

Phil Roberts
537 Posted 15/03/2013 at 18:41:54

Fine theory - crap stats.

Problem was a lot of the fixtures we played in the 2nd half of the 2011-12 season were the ones we played in the first half of the 2012-13 season.

so playing Fulham at home twice is going to give you a better set of stats than Spurs away twice.

We were never as good as 65 points of 38 fixtures - 38 fixtures being 19 teams home and away.

Dennis Stevens
805 Posted 16/03/2013 at 14:50:22

2007/8 Phil - we finished 5th on ...... 65points! Which is kind of the point - even when we think we are having a good half season, the dreams of CL are still somewhat misplaced - at our best under Moyes we would usually finish 5th. Only twice in the last ten seasons have teams finished higher than 5th with less than 65 points - we did it with 61 in 2004/5 & RS did it the season before on 60 points, & since then we've also had a season where 65 points would only get you 6th place.

Would a different approach have a positive effect? Do we draw too many games? Will anything change while Moyes remains in charge?

By the way, Phil - in your statement of the bleedin' obvious you forgot to mention that with relegation & promotion at the season's end then the make up of the league had also changed!

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