Premier League – Matchweek 27

Today there are 3 Premier league games which will have an impact on relegation, Watford v Palace, Burnley v Spurs and Liverpool v Leeds.

Go Haaaaacxk Haack uh Spurs. Got something caught in my throat there, sorry. And come on Crusty Palace (don't really like Steve Parish and can't be bothered to figure out why)

Another penalty to Liverpool. More Penalties in the Premier League era than anyone else. This is why they didn't win the title last year and Burnley, Fulham, Brighton and Everton (yes Everton) won at Anfield. There was no home crowd.

If I'm allowed to say, not a bad service of results as it stands. I will wash my mouth out.

Joe, make that two pens. 3-0.

Outrageous Danny! I'm with you on that.

Oh and I'd like to order a second yellow for Ayling please.

We need to think tactically. Spurs, palace and rs wins help us tonight.

Burnley score from a free-kick.

Another one for the Danny O'Neill YouTube compilation on "How not to defend set-pieces".

You gotta watch this one, Danny. I thought the Spurs defence did everything possible, including marking the man, blocking the run, but it's all about the head and ball meeting perfectly in the space-time continuum.

Burnley eh.

It’s the Everton way we will get at least a draw on Saturday helping them other nomarks but needs must I suppose. Why is it too much too ask we keep that level of intensity ( Leeds ) home and away wether we win or lose. Especially for our second to non away support

Well to me the Burnley game is just who can survive the elements

Did say any toe to toe in a dogfight with Burnley we no chance

On the bright side (if there is one) a Burnley win would drop the barcodes back in the bottom three!

Just incredible how well the pitches stand up to the treatment they get, that would be a mudpit in days yore.

And how did Burnley miss scoring a second?

Pete I think a win for Burnley will still keep them in the bottom 3, 2pts behind Everton with the same number of games and 2pts behind the barcodes with a game in hand

Burnley 2 points behind Newcastle even if they win.

Palace 3-1 up

Oops, my mistake

Is there a link, Michael? I can watch when I get home. I have my clipboard ready.

It's iPads these days, isn't it?

We're in Meatloaf territory here...

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Come on, Spurs, dropping us right in it here.

Palace win 4 ---1

The RS getting the the usual over dose of penalty descisions.

Disgusting the way the EPL officials get taken in every game they play.

How many penalties, have they had in the last month?

Needs must and all that, and Everton’s are priority, and to stay up.

Stating the bleeding obvious here but we better start winning games and quickly!

It's worth noting and I thought about it the other week that the way things were going it may go down to goal difference, and from the bottom 6, Burnley with a GD of -9 has the best

With 15 left and being the most depleted of the clubs down there I think we're in a survivable position. DCL coming into full health and Doucoure back will help us immensely. Once we can play Doucoure and Allan together I suspect we will pick up a couple of unexpected results. Leeds and Brentford look to be fading so if we can turn it around after City and Spurs we'll be okay.

Stockley park motto at the piggery. If in doubt award it

From the bottom 7 teams Brentford have the worst form, then it’s Everton, based on the last 5 games.

Fight to the last game, it’s going to take steel and guts, but perhaps Leeds are / have capitulated, and Brentford as well.

Burnley are in Whats Ben a comfy zone for them for most seasons they spend in the EPL,

Everton to beat Burnley and Watford away to hopefully consolidate good home form at Goodison Park.

Bloody Hell, we still have to go to Turf Moor.

Dale if we are relying on DCL to save us, we are in serious trouble.

The Burnley manager knows how to find a way and if we finish above his side we will be ok.

Burnley are mentally tougher than us, we wouldn't have beaten Tottenham tonight let's be honest.

If we beat on Saturday which in all likelihood will happen given City's arse will be flapping now then we are edging closer and closer to relegation.

Personally I think Burnley and Newcastle will survive, maybe Norwich will even put up a good fight..

It's out of Everton, Brentford, Leeds who fill that other space

Nothing I can see anywhere, Danny @18.

I can hold out till the morrow. I'm done for today after chasing the Doberman puppy through the forest!

Joe, it’s a Dogfight, and let’s hope Everton, can believe they can win their battles in the remaining games.

Michael Oliver has got more assists for the Red Shite this season than Jordan Fucking Henderson ...Fact

Leeds are leaking goals for fun now - that’s 16 in the last four. Long May it continue.

And now only 2 points above the drop zone wiith City next, brown stains appearing in the boxies time.

Will 32 points be enough to stay up? because I cant see us getting much more than that looking at the fixtures we have left.

Games against Burnley, N'Castle, Watford, Palace, and Brentford are our best hopes of survival. Write the other games off.

Redshite have a goal diff of +50 now which is four better than City,so in the space of a month they have proceeded to go from 12 points behind to having the title in their own hands if the beat City,and let's face it we all know they will,probably in injury time,and probably from a losing position.
Bloody hell I am almost feeling a bit of mixed loyalties for 5.30pm on Saturday.

I think we will need 35/36 points to stay up. to do that we are going to have to get a couple of unlikely wins on the way.

Double whammy tonight. Satan’s mob at it again and Burnley pick up another win. Unbelievable. Someone hates us

Thomas post 39. That’s why by this stage I was hoping the city game was a free hit. Hate helping them shower but the cards will fall as they may

Who the hell cares about the RS - obviously the Premier League does they want a tight and competitive title race, as do the Sports networks, hence the goal difference aided and abetted by penalty after penalty after penalty, if anything is going to stop me attending football it's the obvious and real bias of the officials. If Everton had have been given half of the legitimate claims this season we might be at least half-a-dozen points better off than we are.

Leeds are in free-fall and I think their manager has already said he can't or rather the less monied clubs can't compete, so I can see him leaving soon, hopefully not too soon as we need the bad run of Leeds to continue as long as possible. Burnley could easily escape due to their manager having previous experience of what's required. Newcastle are less certain to escape but have given themselves a platform to do so. Brentford, Watford and Norwich are the most likely to drop down. Everton have enough if they apply themselves properly in the remaining games and don't lose too many to the other struggling clubs.

Remember that it is a marathon and not a sprint, and just because we haven't set the world alight in the previous part of the season, doesn't mean we can't hit a run of form similar to what we had at the start of the season. I'm not confident about our chances but like hell will I submit to it being a fait acompi, hopeflully Frank and the players are made of rather sterner stuff than some of our supporters.

I reckon five more wins or 15 more points will be enough to stay up. I hope the first comes on Saturday night and is quickly followed by another at Tottenham a week on Monday. For those that say 'no chance' remember how we were supposed to get spanked by that wonderful Leeds team on our own ground just a few weeks ago?

The bad news only is and Brentford have lost 4 of the last five.

The good news is the games in hand we have over those around us especially Leeds and Brentford who are both nosediving towards the bottom.

We must however start to pick up points and use those games in hand to build confidence starting with Man city who are bound to be under pressure.

Don't chase them Michael, make them follow. I just keep walking in the knowledge the Ridgebacks will eventually follow. I suppose that's what Everton do to me!!

Not Premier League, but as good a finish as it was by the United player, poor defending by the Atletico centre back. He's the right side and tight enough but goes to ground too quickly and unnecessarily. Gifts the forward the space and chance when he could have just tracked him and pushed him wide, blocked, or done enough to put him off.

Once again I feel unclean, but Liverpool's result was good for us tonight. Sadly, that's where we are.

Agree with Brent, those are the matches we need to focus on. There are enough points out there to be won and I think 2 of the places are gone already. Leeds and Brentford looking dodgy - look how many games they've played in comparison. To quote my Leeds mates (to the tune of "love will tear us apart"), Leeds are falling apart. 13 goals shipped in 3 games. Characteristic second half season slump that cost them promotion on 2 occasions before they eventually came up.

Knowing Everton, we'll do this the hard way. 2 points from the next 2, into the Quarter Final, then Wolves, Newcastle and Watford. Defining few weeks ahead. I hope the players are up for the fight as much as I / we are.

By the end of March we'll be smoking cigars. Only I don't smoke. I'll take a Vino.

Everton don't want to leave it to others to decide their destiny.

Results elsewhere have gone our way but Burnley suddenly are playing better although Watford, Norwich, Leeds and Brentford are in tailspins.

We have a few games in hand although nobody expects a miracle against Man City. They had a shock against inconsistent Spurs and are likely to bounce back to the irrepressible team they are against us.

I don't see the point of rushing Doucouré back against City as it won't make any difference to the result.

We need to pick up points against the teams around us to really make things safe.

It's been a horrendous season so far, thanks mainly to injuries, and it will be ugly for the remainder but should end up okay under Lampard's guidance.

Latest odds:

Norwich City @ 1/14.
Watford @ 1/3.
Burnley @ 4/6.
Newcastle United @ 11/4.
Leeds United @ 3/1.
Brentford @ 16/5.
Everton @ 4/1.

Barry #43,

"Hopeflully Frank and the players are made of rather sterner stuff than some of our supporters."
If only, mate, if only. Best supporters in the land… shite players.

We need to bounce back quickly from last week's defeat at the Saints and, although it's Man City up next, we really need a good performance with a draw at least.

Not sure how Frank Lampard is going to line them up but something has to change to give this team a chance. Central defence is crucial and I would drop Michael Keane because he's a nightmare for us.

Danny @46.

Smoking cigars may be stretching it a bit. Maybe a slim hope (Panatella) of getting to Wembley but stranger things have happened. Are you up Saturday for the game?

No ticket for Saturday, Brian, and as it happens, I wouldn't have made it. All set for Tottenham away.

Still annoyed about the Cup match. Not just people like myself, but the Boreham Wood supporters. Biggest game of their lives and the wise powers that be set the fixture.

I get that all are "victims" of this with all 5th Round fixtures being evening midweek kick-offs. As well as ours, picks of the bunch are Tottenham having to travel to Middlesborough and Norwich having to travel to Liverpool.

Why? No consideration for supporters whatsoever.

Danny you rightly disagreed when I said I would accept a point before the Leeds game, would you accept a point on Saturday if offered it now?

You have to love Spurs, they lose four of the last five, of course the one they won had to help our neighbours and they did nothing to help our cause last night. They will probably help Leeds out of their slump on Saturday.

Norwich, Watford plus one of Brentford, Leeds, us, Newcastle or Burnley.

A point against City right now Christopher? I'll give you that hand back that I just snapped off if we meet!!

Tottenham seem inconsistent; in fact they have now lost 4 out of the last 5. I'm going for them to get a win out of their system against Leeds to pave the way for us to get something next Monday at the Lane (turned 90 degrees).

2 points from the next 2 games would be ideal. Into the Quarters and then an important run with points we can win available.

Despite both Leeds and Watford losing, it doesn't seem to have lifted many posters on here with many still believing we are going down.

As Dale @48 posted, those who make money from gambling, ie, the bookmakers, have 6 other clubs more likely than us to go down, and I think they are spot on.

Most have played more games than us and most have won fewer games than us. Plus I wouldn't swap our manager and coaches with any of those clubs around us.

By the time we play Man City some of those below us will have played again, which may make the situation better or worse than it is now. But I don't believe we will be anywhere near relegation when we get to the end of the season.

Also, for the first time all season, we are getting close to having the whole squad apart from Mina fit to play; that will make a big difference. Also, I think Frank might start Dele Alli on Saturday in midfield with Allan and Doucouré, also hoping Demarai Gray is fit to start – his pace on the break will worry City.

I also think Villa are not out of the equation as far as relegation goes either, so if our last 2 home games are anything to go by, and the first night game at Goodison for Frank to sample, I feel quite confident about City on Saturday.

I actually think City not getting Kane will hurt them this season, as Grealish hasn't added hardly any goals – and same goes for Foden. I fear Liverpool's front 3 far more than I fear City's.

To all or any of the Blues who live in the sanctity of outside L4, I can get why the RS and what they achieve means very little.

We have even been compared as relevant as Espanol to Barca. I will have to keep reminding myself of that when the bunting is out in force in May for another trophy parade that at least we survive (god willing).

Who would be a blue if you had the choice? Nahhh... wouldn't change it for the world. On the March with Frankie's army

Danny @46,

Yea, 'chasing' was the wrong word. It's trying to decide to stay put where you last saw her, 15-30-45 minutes ago, or walk 1-2-3 km back to the car, hoping she will emerge from the forest and go the right way to catch you up. Training to a whistle next before we look into shock collars!

I didn't see Man Utd vs Atletico Madrid, sorry, and can't find it on Sky. The goal I'd like your opinion on was scored by Mee of Burnley to defeat Spurs.

Brian @56, I just can't understand your preoccupation with them.

Fuck 'em. That is the only reasonable response I can contemplate. I hate them completely. I hate watching them, I hate talking about them.

Worst of all, I absolutely hate reading about them on this website. For fuck's sake... it's an Everton website. Can't we please have this be a little sanctuary for those of us who have been so mentally scarred by them?

Michael. I hear ya 💙

I see Conte is not happy with Daniel Levy, Conte said "If you gave Rafael Nadal a fork and expected him to win Wimbledon, what's going to happen".

I can't see this relationship lasting beyond this season, obviously feels as if he wasn't backed in the January window.

As an aside, I hope that we again show our class against City, by giving a huge welcome to Mykolenko and also Zinchenko. Who knows what must be going on with their families, friends etc. So stand and show what we are made of.

We've lost too many games to those in and around the bottom. Gotta hope beyond hope that doesn't bite us on the arse later. The lack of fight and desire under Benitez was truly shocking. Putting the fact he should never have been appointed to one side, he should've been dispensed with as soon as the (predictable) dressing room unrest appeared.

City want to win on Saturday as much as we do, which is not good news. A draw will be a great result for us and I would take it now, a win would be gold.

A point a game and 15 points will see us safe I feel, we should be capable of that surely!

What usually happens is some good results when you don't expect them and losses when we think we should win.

There’s only one way to get over being mentally scarred, and that’s why I want those bastards at Wembley in April

The first of 2 trips Tony

I have a similar problem with a few urban fox dens right now Michael. I often have to trudge back on myself several hundred metres to remind him who is walking who.

I'll have a look at the Burnley goal today.

Brian, you should try my family gatherings in L24, where I am usually in the minority of my gloating cousins!!

Worse still, taking stick in my local west London pubs! I find that even more unpalatable!

If I'm to die a happy man, it's got to be after I've witnessed the same pain on their faces, Danny, but because I'm an Evertonian, I'd be too busy celebrating to be worried about anyone else!

Wolves should be 2 up; poor miss.

Burnley may be making a fight back but the conditions made the game against Spurs a lottery.

Rangers about to show Dortmund the gate in the Europa League. If anybody wants to know why Patterson wasn't playing much at Rangers, it's obvious today. Right-back Tavernier has both Rangers goals and is the best player on the pitch.

Our old friend Lundstram is in the lineup for Rangers.

Yeah that is Tavernier's team... not surprising Patterson could not get time.

And studs up Tony!

Michael, late to the response.

I had a look at the Burnley goal. Sometimes you just have to give credit to the delivery and the quality of the header.

However!!

The Burnley number 9 (don't know his name), does a really good off the ball job. It's sometimes what you do off the ball that creates the chance. He occupies the 2 central defender. Bullies the one to his right and leaves the other in no-man's land.

And that leaves the scorer a free run on the right back, who quite honestly was all over the place. Facing his own goal, half hearted jump and got beaten way too easy. The very least you can ask is that even if you don't win the header, just do enough to put the player off.

Just watched the RS penalty awarded at Anfield to open the scoring against Leeds. How was that penalty decision any different to the one that we were denied a few days earlier? The two instances were almost identical.

Tony. Totally corrupt twats in a van with their autograph book at the ready for the speccy prick and Co. Nothing new.

Spurs 3-0 up on Leeds after half an hour. All good for us so far this weekend.

Bielsa's knees are in better shape than the team. Fingers crossed we stay up in spite of our form or mentality.

Word of warning was it 17 years it took Leeds to get back up. Forest still trying.

Really need our England striker to start acting like one.

Ooh, some boos at half-time at Elland Road. Hopefully thay don't get anything in 2nd half and continue the implosion.

Leeds in freefall! 2-16 in their last three and a half matches if I can add up right.

Maybe Leeds should get that meat head (Allardyce) out of retirement to firefight for them.

As a very good York-based Leeds fanatic of mine sings (I think they all do), to the tune of "Love will tear us apart":

Leeds are falling apart (again). They coined it during the seasons they were doing well in the Championship but had a terrible second half season run in and fell of the rails.

Apparently symptomatic of the Bielsa reign both throughout seasons and during matches in general. Start well then fade badly; dramatically almost.

Dale (77), I'm happy, for obvious reasons, that Leeds are losing... but not over the moon because we play Spurs next week at Spurs.

Danny, what Leeds need are a few more asthmatics like our neighbours across the park, that would solve their exhaustion problems.

I'm surprised the RS haven't employed Dr Michele Ferrari yet as their head of medical services.

Fair enough Dave 81. It is a bit difficult to have to kick Leeds and look the other way for Spurs but how it is. Maybe Spurs coasting will soften them up for that first 20 minutes when we need something on the board.

Newcastle now playing against 10-man Brentford. Not good for us.

But Palace up against Burnley which is good for us.

Looked to me like the Brentford player was trying to put his foot down so he'd be in position to block the Newcastle player but clumsily did it and VAR slow motion of a foot coming down always looks bad.

4th from bottom at the moment

Brent (84). Is it that bad. If Brentford lose, they are 3 points ahead but we'll have 5 games in hand.

I'd say Newcastle have got the bit between their teeth now, Brent, whilst Brentford are the complete opposite. So maybe the Geordies winning today might not be such a bad thing as it would have been a few weeks ago?

Depends how you look at it.

As it stands, 4 games in hand on Brentford and we play them at Goodison soon.

3 games in hand on Leeds. They have a negative goal difference that only Norwich can beat and are in freefall.

Game in hand on Burnley and 2 in hand on the bottom 2. We play Watford next month.

2 games in hand on Newcastle who we also have to play at Goodison.

And dare I say, a game in hand on faltering Villa, that would take us to within 2 points.

Positivity and a point today blue boys 💙

I'd prefer Brentford to win. Would take them 5 points above us but with Everton having 4 games in hand. Newcastle winning today puts them 3 points above us before we play City (all square on games played at the end of today).

Good take, Danny. Brentford and Leeds are helping.

Barcodes winning

Newcastle 1 up

When any of the teams around us play each other I'd prefer to see a draw: 2 points shared is better for us than 3 points for one or the other, imo.

Newcastle 2 up

Ellis Simms just put Hearts ahead with another goal!!

Burnley drawing with Palcace if this stays the same they will be 1pt behind us with a better g/d

Man Utd huffin and puffin but so far just nuffin.

Mention for Southampton and Hassenhuttl.

Speaks volumes for perseverance and consistency regardless of having seeming dark moments.

We need to stop knee-jerking over a few results.

After the Leicester result a couple of years back, they were seemingly rock bottom, but the board stuck with the plan. Because they had one. Hopefully this time we do too.

Stop the merry-go-round and stick with something, Everton. See it through, even through the dips. Be stratetgic and forward-thinking, not reactive to a bad result or two.

So the jammy Devil's Spawn claim their first trophy of the season! (Penalties of course.)

Old Nick conspires again.

They had to win on penalties, they get enough practice in the league.

Didn’t watch any of that game Pete, but went into a pub in town when I heard a roar, and watched them disallow Lukaku’s goal, when it’s clear he was onside, bar possibly his left hand.

The game is getting decided by officials who have got all the technology in the world and are still making wrong decisions. It absolutely stinks.

I will never understand how you can be ruled 'offside' because of the position on your hand.

A player can't touch the ball with their hand, so the hand being in front of the last defender does not give the attacker an advantage.

Offside was created to stop goal hanging, not to disallow goals here, there and everywhere.

The rule should change. Offside should be about the position of your feet, and only your feet. No offsides for bent knees, shoulders, and fingernails.

Lukaku's goal should have stood, simple as! The only part of his body that was “offside”, was his lower arm and hand, and as Fran says, you cannot score with your lower arm or hand.

Seems also you can't give a penalty away with your lower arm either, although that all depends on who the penalty is against!

Could you imagine them being the first club ever to win all four trophies and us going down? All of a sudden, World War 3 doesn't sound so daunting.

Rob :)

Thomas - that is almost Shankly-esque on the importance of football.

It’s bad enough when they win a league game for me Thomas, but the bigger issue is what I mentioned before, and how Everton also got robbed yesterday.

Didn’t they supposedly say the rules were going to be changed to suit the attacking player? And why they done away with the indirect free kick law, instead of giving a penalty for everything, I’ll never know. (We would have definitely got an indirect free kick yesterday!)

It’s as if football prefers controversy, but I’m not sure that this is the right way forward in the long term?

Tony, very good points, well presented.

The match is no longer with the v p p use of VAR, and seemingly VAR, managers at Stockley Park, on the smoke, the way it was, pre VAR.

There’s mileage in the way Rugby has real time in life translation of descisions on the fouls, penalties etc.. And dodgy signals etc. And realistic reviews and it’s accountable.

VAR is not auditable to supporters, via what goes at Stockley Poxy Park, so how can any one know the decision making criteria?

I’ve never played Rugby but the codes and ethics of the use of VAR, are all pitch related it seems.

In the EPL, the shit house referees don’t even have a standard process of what to do.

Throw in the prejudice of the likes of a Friend, Mariner, Riley, yesterday and co, it’s no better than the Sunday League scrap and more offs, off the pitch than on the pitch.

How the crap house officials get away with such ridiculous decisions, every week, is bringing the game to a joke.

Everton’s season to date, and no excuse for poor performances, but has been riddled with cast iron decisions going against Everton.

Hopefully soon starting this week Everton will get some descisions, that make the difference, and make them, count.

The real time of the season is running fast. Must wins that in my view, are Watford, Burnley, away, Skunks, Brentford, Wolves, Manure at home, and any more are welcome.

Very tough couple of months ahead but Frank and his team, can do it, because they do care about Everton Football Club, and Evertonians.

“Whats Our Name?”

So the others won the Carabou Cup on penalties. Now that 24 Carat Bell End Klopp is saying "I think we will call this The People's Cup".

How very dare he, or is he trying to rub it in/wind us up again? :-)

Derek, I’m surprised you’ve even listened to him or read what he says. Every time I see his ugly grid on the TV I immediately turn it over and never read anything about that club either in a newspaper or any website.

Derek@250: Like Rob said, I don’t know why you bother. Couple of seasons ago when the RS won the league, I received messages from some reds, basically focusing on Everton and telling me how empty the ‘Blueshite’ trophy cabinet has been.

I just ignored it, it happens a lot with them, this innate inability to just enjoy their moment and focus just on themselves without making snide comments about others. It’s just a different culture, one that’s not sporting and gracious, but unpleasant and a bit sad. Banter is one thing, but it’s not banter, it’s deeper than that. We seem, for a midtable club, to get under their skin very easily, in a way that they don’t get under ours.

It’s inevitable that some odd remarks would be made, and it’s not worth seeking them out. Just ignore it all and focus only on Everton.

Stan, if you ever read the Red Echo comments, the RS go on about our trophy cabinet being empty. Do they not realise that every time any team wins a trophy, they are also given a replica to keep.

By the same logic, you could say before yesterday, the RS trophy cabinet was empty because they didn’t win anything last season. Yes, they have replicas, same as us and everyone else.

Rob: Good point, never really thought of it that way.

When they start shit, and it’s always them who start it, there’s loads of stuff to shut them up, and you know you’ve shut them up when all they can eventually muster is “Fuck off Bluenose”.

I enjoy reminding them of it taking 30 years to win the PL, whilst Utd have done it 13 times, Chelsea and City 5 each, etc. When van Dijk was injured, they went on about Pickford so much that eventually I started taking the piss, and there’s loads of material, not about the injury itself, but about the ridiculous response from them and certain parts of the media to it.

Their constant failure to win or lose graciously means that it’s not just us who laugh at them, but other clubs’ supporters as well. The very fact that we’re generally midtable, yet they can’t stop going on about us, is itself a source of taking the piss out of them.

Just read a really interesting piece and it was about the wealth clubs in Europe have gained from sales of players from their academies who were there between their 15th and 21st Birthday. The list is from 2015 up to now and the totals are in Euros. The top 10 are as follows.

Benfica €379M
Real Madrid €330M
Monaco €285M
Ajax €283M
Olympic Lyonnais €270M
Bayer Leverkusen €213M
Atalanta €211M
Chelsea €210M
Sporting Lisbon €209M
Liverpool €171M

I have to say I was surprised that Chelsea were not nearer the top of the list and I was equally surprised that Real Madrid were 2nd on the list. But there were clubs in the top ten who I would never have guessed would have been so high in the list.

Kavanagh is back on duty tonite, I believe, for Burnley vs Leicester. Expect him to have his own vendetta if he has the chance. Why has he not been suspended?

Burnley v Leicester tonight.

Never guess who the ref is? Yes, Chris Kavanagh. Fucking Unbelievable.

Really need Leicester to do us a favour tonight.

Looks like we'll be in the bottom 3 tonight.

Burnley holding out for a draw at the moment. Not good for us. Bottom three beckons.

And Burnley go behind to Leicester.

Let's hope they can see this out!

Maddison our best player tonight.

Brian @ 116 - yes, surprising indeed.

Barnes is a great player, when he is actually on form.

Well, that gives Burnley a black eye from Varney.

Thank you, Leicester City.

Yay! Brenda is okay for now.

Thank fuck for that tonight!

Arsenal and Chelsea up next for Watford and Burnley. If they do their jobs and we can get something at Spurs against the odds, it could be a good weekend for a change.

Despite a winning coach and set-up, this team is still probably piss poor in the mentality stakes for now, Stay out the Bottom 3 because I'm not sure we can even handle all that glare what goes with it. Spurs rely on two players and are far from water-tight at the back.

Got to hand it to Vardy, he still knows how to make a difference and score goals. Hoped we'd move for him a few years ago instead of wasting the Lukaku money.

We won't go down. Not even close.

We now have games-in-hand on everyone around us - multiple games-in-hand, in fact, with the exception of Burnley. You can't say we don't control our own fate here.

Bill,

The same as we done with our games in hand last season?

Ooh, well played Bill vs Bill. I was laying low wondering if someone was going to say that.

Yeah, nice one, Bill 1 & 2. I'll enjoy Thursday a lot more now.

Bill,

I just said we control our own fate, I didn't say we'd necessarily control it for the better. :-)

You've retaken the initiative on the thread there, Bill, good job. ; )

Dale - it's like a game of chess, always thinking three posts ahead.

I'm learning from you all the time, Bill, good stuff.

Apropos of nothing; 3 or 4 seasons ago, people were saying... Vardy is too old and Maddison wasn't worth a gamble at £17M.

Yet Iwobi, Gomes and probably Alli (I just don't like him, never did; and I hope he scores the goal(s) that keep us up) were seemingly worth £100M... this is why we are where we are.