Ancelotti: We're still in the fight for Europe

"Everton's aimless drift continues after 90 abject minutes of directionless football that was somehow enough to earn a point, while also confirming that this season will bear witness to the club's worst home record for a single campaign in its entire 138-year history.

"***** has been clinging desperately to his team's bafflingly superior points return away from home this season but every successive failing at Goodison Park surely puts another nail in his proverbial coffin as the Blues' manager. The paucity of quality in Everton's play will only deepen the fans' concern over the illusory depth in the squad."

I removed the name of the manager to make a point that this could so easily have been written about last night's match. In fact, it was written at this time exactly 5 years ago, when Martinez's team were still "hoping to get into Europe," and the likes of Barry and Jagielka were doing their weekly "We know we have great players, we are behind the manager, yada yada yada," routine as they slipped into 12th place complacently performing the same way they are now. It's just like a constant déjà vu at the club. To be clear, I am not blaming Carlo as we've seen the same core group fail for multiple managers.

There is also this match report from same stage last year:

"If this evening's performance was any indication, the players cannot find the drive within themselves to produce anything more than the lacklustre which leaves you at the final whistle wondering why you bothered tuning in.

"...they ambled their way through the final stages of a contest that was officiated abysmally from start to finish and which deserved its billing as a meaningless end-of-season affair... because in the context of the Blues' season and the now vanished hopes of Europe, that's what it was."

Their manager was pilloried by nearly all Evertonians when he was our manager because of the boring, direct football that Allardyce is notorious for.

Well, the football that this current Everton side is playing is worse than anything played by Allardyce's Everton team.

Does any Evertonian get any pleasure from seeing our defenders (and midfielders) endlessly playing the ball across the back and backwards? I certainly do not. Why is Ancelotti getting off so easy?

Tap dancing on the edge of bullshit right there... the correct phrase was: "This lot couldn't pass water."

It's so sad but we really are a pointless team. We bottle every big game so not really in European shake-up and we are not in the relegation fight.

Millions spent and not a step further forward! Nothing seems to be the answer to the questions posed! Every solution creates more problems!

Players come and go, managers come and go and we are left with nothing!

Am I overreacting? We are 7th or 8th I've stopped looking! Do I allow myself another let-down, hoping for 5 or 6 wins from 8! I think I've finally learnt my lesson! I'll expect nothing and unfortunately probably get it!

The hamster wheel of mediocrity keeps on turning. We were probably saying the same thing about what we need in the summer window too!

No doubt we were talking about shifting the dead wood. We've got so much dead wood now it's a fire hazard, although some is so old (Besic), it's turned into charcoal.

Shame he's not actually charcoal though, as a 75-kg bag is probably worth a few quid.

I'm not sure if Carlo is one to get us there, then his jobs done and somebody will be given the keys to keep us there.

But who? Good question. But I think Carlo is here to make the next step, hence buying James and Allan... but they're getting on.

So, has he got the balls to swallow all of the financial loss his meanderings have caused him (and us) and if he has, has he got the money to allow Carlo to sign three or four players who'll be seeking a top club?

And, per-lease, can someone sign Finch Farm staff whose work is reflected on the pitch by accurate passing, shooting and a sense of adventure?

'The scary part about Europe next season is that the team that finishes 7th goes into the new Europa Conference League which has one team from each of the top listed nations and is then mainly made up of teams who weren't good enough to get through the early qualifying rounds'.

What does getting into Europe actually mean?Could the above explain the attitude of players?

I hope we don't win the fight. Just watched the best game of football I have seen since I can't remember when, the standard is something from a different planet to ours.

I'm making a bold prediction: Chelsea v Dortmund in the final. Chelsea win and nick the Champions League spot off 4th-placed Moyes.

Gueye, always thought he worked hard but was limited, until the last few months of his Everton career, when he went up a few levels, but the man was outstanding tonight, bringing energy, energy and more energy, to a very energetic game!

I'm afraid the inevitable turning over of Madrid by the rs will have them salivating at getting among this PSG side if they meet up.

Even a crap manager like Silva could pull one out the bag every now and then. Hopefully it's against Spurs on Friday, I pity Ancelotti if we get a repeat performance of last night, he'll get slaughtered in the media at some point.

I plan to watch it, but if I'm bored shitless it will be going off, long before the 90 minutes are over, just like last night. Surprise us Carlo and attack !

Carlo's record along with his demeanour have afforded him enormous goodwill. Most have been patient and accepting of the fact that he inherited an average squad that would take time to improve.

The win at Anfield certainly topped up the goodwill; the awful luck with injuries has kept most of us patient. But...

As a punter with mixed degrees of success but lots of experience, I know what it is like to always find a reason for defeat and to carry on, confident that the dwindling pile of chips will be replenished, luck will change, and my judgement and faith will be vindicated.

Right now, I am once more writing off another abject, fearful dull, turgid shambles for the same reasons I have moved on from the previous rubbish. I still cling to the notion that it is still too early to lose faith.

Also, I really see no alternative to keeping faith. This has just got to work. The fortunes of any club can change for often indefinable reasons. We just need to be ready for it. A bit of the intensity that Martin Mason mentions could kick it all off on Friday. Let's hope it's not Spurs who have it.

Realizing what he said, he then went on to say: "Carlos is a great manager." – 3 Times.

Carragher picked up on this and asked him how the dressing room was?

Am I reading something into this?

I don't think that Everton played aimless, directionless football. Everton were set up to achieve a 0-0 draw, with the possible bonus of nicking extra points. It was a case of a manager setting up a team making the best use of the players available. On the performance produced, this was the right formation and tactics taking into account player inadequacies.

As for your prediction, it's not beyond the realms of possiblity. It would add to Moyes's latent potential myth and make him more of a media martyr than he already is.

A kind of Third Division of a European League. Maybe it might be a good thing. Extra games to bring Everton up to speed. Finch Farm won't like extra work from the Spring onwards.

Unfortunately thats appears to be the plan, so Everton can progress this season. I do think some of the players are taken the piss. I doubt Ancelotti would want them to play as they did. Maybe there is a dressing room issue ref Alan#34. I agree it is hard to watch.

Unfortunately thats appears to be the plan, so Everton can progress this season. I do think some of the players are taken the piss. I doubt Ancelotti would want them to play as they did. Maybe there is a dressing room issue ref Alan#34. I agree it is hard to watch.

Thats probably it

It would be disappointing if there wasn't.

However if there is no reaction then that tells you all you need to know about this group of players.

It has to be defensive tactics anything other is asking for a pasting with the piss poor midfield that we have.

Can anyone give an example of any great attacking team that gets results with a midfield as poor as ours? It doesn't exist so why all the uproar about how we should be attacking and beating teams when the midfield is dreadful.

Do people want to see us get smashed like Southampton because they attack
but have a shit defence or maybe have a style like Fulham and get relegated?

Momentum is massive in sport and currently we don't have any so don't be expecting a repeat on Friday of the 5-4 cup classic that was served up only a short while ago!

I'm made up your other prediction wasn't correct Barry, because it's great to be wrong sometimes isn't it mate!

We, on the other hand, are stuck in a permanent limbo of mid-table mediocrity, never threatened by relegation, never in danger of winning anything. I am not sure which is worse.

With every manager we see the same thing; pedestrian sideways - backwards football, weak and slow players, too many injuries, too much bottling out when we do get in a good position, forever losing to bottom-dwelling teams.

European football my arse.

I remember in 1994 visiting me Celtic supporting cousin and bemoaning our relegation battle. His response was “be thankful, if you're not going to win anything you may as well flirt with danger. The mid table teams like QPR have got nothing to play for.” I thought he was foolish at the time, but there is a logic there ASSUMING every relegation battle is ultimately victorious and kick starts something positive!

You said that with such glee almost as though you didn't understand an Evertonian predicting a fall for the heathen awakes the devil and he rushes to look after his own. But sweet talk them and old nic may slumber on.

An astute person might see the method in my "madness".

And finally how has a club managed to find itself with a squad so bare that we can never fill a bench, we have 2 goalkeepers, and 4-5 kids constantly on the bench - its a level of management which defies belief. Brands and Ancelotti should be on a warning. Why let Simms, Gordon, Walcott, Tosun, Kean, Kenny, go out on loan when we knew we've recruited players who spend most of their time on a treatment table - Delph, Gomes, Rodriquez, Allan, Mina, and poor unlucky Gbamin.

Europe wont be offered to the club in 8-9th position, because I don't see this team or manager improving over the coming 8 games. We will be lucky to win a couple at best.

It's going to be a very interesting summer transfer window because our European position won't bring in the cream, only Carlo's reputation and pulling power might get us one step up the ladder. However I wonder if any decent player will be looking at recent performances on the field and think - "thanks but no thanks".