Oldham replay moved to Tuesday

(not saying we'll lose, simply interested in the reason/s for your confidence).

I've always hated the idea of predicting the results, which is odd because my old man was a racing/betting addict. Maybe a case of teenage rebellion there? But surely it could go either way?

Gutted it's been moved to Tuesday as I'm now out; have to have a sneaky look at the phone.

In the words of the X-files 'I want to believe'

I wouldn't say that we'll "smash" them but I am fairly confident that we will win. But if I were an Oldham fan I'd be pissed off with my team. If they can raise their game, not once, against the Shite, but also against us, then why are they 4th from bottom of League One? They MUST have more in their locker than they are showing in the day to day world of League One otherwise they'd be in a play-off place, at least judging by the way they have performed in their last two Cup games. I know teams from lower leagues like to put on a show against top sides but to do it twice makes you think that they could do a lot more to improve their position in their own league. Whether or not they can come to Goodison and do it all again remains to be seen. I hope not....

"If they can raise their game, not once, against the Shite, but also against us, then why are they 4th from bottom of League One? They MUST have more in their locker than they are showing in the day to day world of League One otherwise they'd be in a play-off place, at least judging by the way they have performed in their last two Cup games"

An interesting observation and one that was more stridently pointed out in the 70s by former Millwall player Eamon Dunphy in his entertaining book (diary) 'Only A Game'.

In his opinion, such players were 'cheats'.

If I remember correctly, he was talking about some lower league team had beaten (then top team) Leeds and how everyone was happy as Leeds were a 'team of cheats'.

In Dunphy's opinion, it was not Leeds who were cheats but the lower league team - his reasoning being that if you could could raise your game for one week, to beat Leeds, on all the other weeks you were cheating.

True Dunphy (particularly in his pundit role on RTE) often looks to be controversial but there is an undeniable a logic to it.

It's certainly more interesting than anything that has or ever will be uttered by Shearer.

As for the replay, if we don't keep hold of the ball, or rather if we continue to give it away in the manner we have been recently, I think we'll lose.

If we have the ball and we keep it, we'll win.

To lose this game, KNOWING as we do what their 'plan' will be (ie: flinging as many high balls as they can at an overactive pituitary gland) will be a disgrace.

That said, I think we will win, but it won't be the walk in the park that Cheltenham was. No, at Everton we like to do things the hard way, so will be surprised if we win by more than a goal.

With regards to Oldham next Tuesday, if the team can't lift their game for the FA Cup with a real possibility of playing at Wembley at least once then they are seriously lacking. I have known many Everton teams with only a fraction of the ability of this current Everton side and they always believed they could beat anyone in the FA Cup even if at times that was a little delusional. I hope Goodison is up for it as much as if they were playing under the lights against United or Liverpool.

Forget the Moyes situation and get behind the team, it might be our best chance to win a trophy for some time.

Brendan McLaughlin: what makes you think that the board is bending over for Moyes? My personal theory is that the board is expecting Moyes to take a pay-cut; something Moyes will be unwilling to do. I find it absolutely ridiculous that an advocate of hoofball earns more money than the likes Joachim Löw and Antonio Conte. Offer him the same amount as Pardew is getting at Newcastle; if he does not like it, he can go back to Preston, Glasgow, or whereever he wants.

COYB!