From My Seat: Norwich (H)

The game today at times was not that great but the pleasing thing is with all the changes made over the last few games the overall standards are being maintained.

Having said that, I think where we are in terms of style and results is amazing considering our resources vis-a-vis our nearest competitors. I hope that our players get back from injury quickly especially for the Derby. If we are at our strongest – with Barkley, Deulofeu, Jags, Distin, Baines, Coleman, McCarthy, Barry, Lukaku, Mirallas, Pienaar, etc, we could blast the RS out of Anfield.

I also recall that being a feature of last season, and why, in all of the draws that we mustered, the feeling was "coulda, shoulda, woulda" rather than "phew" for the majority of them.

This can't be just an Everton thing surely? I don't watch enough of other teams or lurk on their boards to know if they feel they aren't converting enough of the chances they created. The commentators were saying "Norwich deserved a goal" but that was all their effort merited. I thought some of our approach play deserved better – 3-1 or 4-1 wouldn't have been a surprise – but 2-0 was a popular scoreline this weekend.

Reminds me of Holland, Spain, Barcelona on different days. On a good day, they run riot, hitting 5-6 goals easy. On a normal day, they will hit maybe 2-3 goals, maybe concede 1. Of course, then you have the horrible day when the ball just doesn't want to go in, you let in an easy goal and just go on onslaught mode with no returns.

I feel our 1-0 loss to Sunderland is comparable to the 1-0 loss of Spain to Swiss in 2010. Of course, minus the glitter and shine of the spotlight.

I didn't see anything in Naismith that makes me think he is a Premier League player, Heitinga looking composed and refreshed and somewhat fitter. Stones was a target of RM when at Wigan so I can see why he is so highly rated.

The future looks bright and to think the vast majority of the squad was assembled by DM, it's just a pity he didn't have them playing with such style and class. Okayy, what time's my flight back home?

We seemed quite vulnerable at the back throughout - I can see why Stones is going to be a great player - he has very good touch. But his decision making was a bit off at times (not surprising given his lack of experience) and that was unsettling. But he's going to be a cracking player in the next year or two - and he's pretty good now.

I have stated for a long time it was the media that turned us into David Moyes Football Club, having pundits actual predict relegation come May after the Messiah (haha) had left us.

On to the here and now... It was a good first half performance yesterday and I am very happy with the win but like a lot of fans, I wish we could be a tad more ruthless in games where it's blatantly obvious that we are head and shoulders above our opponent.

I feel we lack a top quality goal poacher. I love Lukaku but he does seem to be missing chances that you would want him to stick away at the minute, for a start that header he missed looked a lot worse on Match of the Day than during the game from the Gwladys.

The big big test as we know comes on January 28 at the Devils Den. Watching them again today, it is obvious that we can hurt them at the back providing our attacking players are on their game but we need to make sure that we are tight, I hate to admit it but they look more incisive going forward than us, well when you have Suarez that's going to be the case..

Hate the build up to derbies, especially the ones where I expect us to get a result, so many years under Moyes having high hopes yet going to Anfield and barely registering a shot.

Should be different this time....Should'nt it?

Need to watch them on the break though, they move it fast and direct. Teeth scares me the most.

Besides which we have a couple of week-ends before that game let's hope we get results in those games before we start worrying about what may or may not happen at the home of the Dark Side.

Peter, unless RM practices misinformation, delboy is out. RB might be in depending on what we hear. Even with full strength they still pose a threat.

Patrick, after this week, zero expectations. I have no faith in the refereeing community. ManC, rs and if I remember correctly MU and spurns also suspicious. It's not the rare occasion anymore. We'll have to wait to see if these decisions come back and hurt them later.

So many times under spineless arse Moyes we went to Anfield and faced a shite Liverpool team which at times included the likes of David Ngog, Jay Spearing, Salif Diao and the woefully over rated Raul Meirelles to name but a few, plus how many times under Moyes did we go there when they had a man sent off in the first half?

It is just so annoying that now we have got a manager who we know wants to go there and give them the same bloody nose that they got at Goodison (they were mighty relieved to get out with that late equalizer), is going to be facing the best attacking Liverpool team over the last 20 years, with key players like Barkley and Delboy missing.

I know for a fact that even if Martinez had managed an Everton team within the last four seasons, we would have attempted to win there more. Moyes totally negative shite and atrocious Anfield record should never have been allowed to go on so long, the players always seemed overjoyed to hold them to a 0-0 without having hardly any attempts at goal.

It is sad that Martinez has been deprived of Barkley, as well as the Deulofeu injury, but at least we have been getting used to playing without him for a short period of time now.

I wonder what team Martinez will select for that Stevenage game because we can bet our bottom dollar Ratboy won't play at Bournemouth for them. I don't want us to be careless in the cup tie but at the same time I don't want to end up losing Lukaku or Coleman, or another important player on a twat of a pitch three days before the derby.

I thought we were the better team last time we played them and, even without young Ross, I'm not concerned about them, only about 3 points, which is the same points as against West Brom.

"Physically we have less skill, pace & strength."

Sorry, Stephen, that's bollocks. Pienaar, Mirallas, Osman, Coleman, Oviedo and Baines are as skillful as any of their players. Barry's passing is exceptional and Mirallas, Coleman and, for defenders, Distin and Jags have plenty of pace.

As for strength, Distin, Jags, McCarthy & Stones are a handful for any Prem player to contend with. Take Ratboy and Sturridge out of their side and they are decidedly average.

If we play on Skirtl and we don't have Mr Magoo or Stevie Wonder for a ref — i.e. someone who can see his constant fouling in the box — we can get a result.

Suarez always seems to score against us too, so I can hardly get off on the fact that his record against top sides is not great.
The simple fact is Liverpool don't have a great record against the sides in the top half of the table but they DO have a great record against us, almost a psychological stranglehold over us that Martinez is going to have to try and break free from.

It all started when that fuck McAllister scored that free kick at Goodison from a ridiculous distance thanks to Paul Gerrard moving like an overfed cow and, ever since then, mostly down to Moyes years of "let's fear what they have spent", it's always been the same.

I am not sure I would say we have players that are all as skillful as every one of theirs. Again the fact remains, you usually win big games because you have a world class match winner and they have that in Ratboy, he is more likely to score a goal out of nothing than Lukaku on the evidence we have seen: it's not pessimistic, it's reality.

The Goodison derby really summed up what we need to do to get a result, we played great that day but still let them twats escape with a point and somehow score 3 goals here.

However, if Suarez got injured my confidence would certainly rocket up no end. Lets see what happens.

Man for man we are as good as them - even without Barkley. Suarez is dangerous but he can't win it by himself, and we have multiple threats - Lukaku, Osman, Pienaar, Coleman, Mirallas, Baines......