Be a Fan of Another Club for a Day

I hope our manager, his staff and players adopt the same level of positivity as you do. Looking at the Premier League table last night. I also drew some comfort from our goals against tally of 19. As you suggest, our defence is good enough to be in mid-table or even in the Top 8.

Yesterday, I was with some relatives who are Leeds supporters. They are far from confident about their chances of staying up. Apparently, many Leeds supporters who still hanker for Bielsa, worry about their defence and bemoan the lack of discipline.

Having watched them on TV playing Man City, I could see what they meant about their defence. Like us on Monday, in the final minute of a half, they were suckered into throwing too many players forward and were caught on the counter-attack. Indeed, City could easily have scored five or six.

I agree, all the teams halfway and below have much to be concerned about. Crystal Palace look weaker than they did last season. Brentford are comfortable at present but how will they fare without Toney if he is suspended? Leicester look vulnerable without Maddison who has a knee problem.

If we can add a couple of players to improve our attack, we ought to be able to secure the 26 points we need for survival. If, however, we fail to add those players, it will require a major change of tactics by Lampard or his successor to keep us safe.

I just hope we are not reduced again to a battle in the final week to save ourselves.

We are alive. Give the players smelling salts and wake them up. We are 2 games off 10th place.

Goal difference is usually as good a gauge as points at this point in the season. Despite our poor recent run of results, the Bottom 3 and Bournemouth have by far the worst. We are level-pegging on points and goal difference with West Ham.

I don't believe as a West Ham supporter they are going down.

Can we and will we stay up? Of course – on both counts.

I often read over the Have Your Say comments or similar for clubs similarly in our predicament, probably to make myself feel better... which invariably it does. But taking your post literally, let's look at Leeds:-

After last night and a good few posters have Leeds going down unless they ditch Jesse Marsch among other beefs. Here's a couple of comments...

"We would have probably fared better if they could string more than 3 passes together to their own teammates coupled with most of them having the first touch of a baby rhino and also playing 4 statues in defence."

"Only Gnonto looked like the only Leeds player trying to do something."

"Very poor performance."

"January better be good for Leeds. Personally I'm done with Jesse. He says the players are right behind his system, what system is that? Chase the ball, kick the opposition, kick them again, tactically inept. We still have a Championship back 4 and if you've never had a can of Red Bull, then we aren't interested in signing you. If he stays, then January better be good or we are down."

"As good as City are, and I expected us to lose, they weren't at their best tonight and still won easily and should have been by more! Where's the Leeds United plan? An owner who has used us as a cash cow, a coach who is no more than a cheerleader and no investment in the first team = inevitable relegation. Leave now, Radz, you've only ever spent cash invested or player payments. Fans deserve better"

"Hold on a mo… yes outclassed, out thought but FFS, Jesse, make some changes in games earlier.

Roca gave away every time and Koch had a parachute on! Forshaw good pro but day has gone. Make the goddam changes before the club change you, JM!"

"As a Leeds fan, I didn't expect us to get anything out of the game tonight but that was a disappointing display. I'd rather see us lose having a go than lose trying to keep the score down."

There's many more but you get the gist. This (with a few name changes) could easily have been a post-Everton match thread and Christ knows what our threads will look like from Sunday onwards.

However, over half a season to go; get a reasonable striker and provider and there is plenty of reason to believe the only way is upwards.

I live in hope.

If I were a Leeds fan, I would be very concerned. Leeds ship goals like they are going out of fashion and, although they can look good going forward, they seem weaker than last season.

Marsch gave them a new manager bounce but they look very vulnerable to me at the moment. Meslier is a big plus for them, not much else there though.

As for Everton, I agree that a striker and creative midfielder would make a huge difference. I worry about Frank's tactics and subs though.

Another way of looking at it is where we would be now in the table if we had bought a quality replacement for Calvert-Lewin in the summer.

100% certain with a quality target man striker, we win that game on Saturday. Then there's reasonably five or six other points we've missed out on due to this same issue.

This one quality goalscoring target man will see us safe. All the focus should be on this player, the right man will change things up.

Then, if we can get Kudus or Sarr to bring goals and assists from the wing, we start to become a force again. Throw in an attacking midfielder on loan, like Connor Gallagher or similar (Thelwell may surprise us) and we look completely different in terms of goals and threat. Anthony Gordon will come good in this better attacking environment too.

The club should hold off on the Iwobi contract until the summer because I think we should be looking for more end product from our main attacking midfielder, as well as more aggressive, snapping defensive work.

Too right, it's all to play for, Kevin Thelwell, the ball's firmly in your court.

Never give up, the club may have been run by incompetents but the awesome Everton fans will win the day.

I'd like to see somebody who's going to present a real challenge to Calvert-Lewin trying to get his place back... once, if ever, fit.

Already, it sounds like Southampton fans want a change in their manager, despite Nathan Jones only being in charge for two games, three if you count their Carabao Cup game. They have so far lost the two league games he's been in charge for, and by all accounts were lucky to beat Lincoln in that cup game.

They just don't see Nathan Jones, whose previous managerial experience was at Stoke and Luton, as being a Premier League manager.

It is early days and I have said we need to give Lampard the January window before panicking.

The frustrating things for me are his stubborn tactics that are so reliant on two inconsistent wingers. He is never pragmatic enough to try something different.

Bournemouth 4/6
Forest 4/6
Southampton 5/4
Everton 6/4
Wolves 30/17
Leeds 4/1

Those might be nail-biters (although we should be safe by then).

Doesn't matter who the team is, if they are playing against them bastards, I support them. Nuff said! 🎄🎅👮

Of other clubs, I worry for Everton, they don't have a striker when others have three or four, plus they have to play a rejuvenated Man Utd twice, Man City twice, Arsenal twice, and Liverpool at Anfield. They only won at Anfield 2 seasons ago because of no home fans.

Everton's manager also doesn't seem to be able to manage the course of a game, with rigid tactics every time.

It was not even changed after the long break in the season, so as much as I admire your optimism, Rob, and definitely the way you support Everton through thick and thin, I haven't seen a worse or more unfit team than Everton this season.

This means I'm pinning my hopes on better players coming in January or a new manager who is more able than Lampard to get more out of this squad to keep us up.

We really are piss-poor and I doubt very much that there are three teams worse than us who have less fight than Everton. I hope very much that I'm wrong.

I totally agree with every point you made. I've never seen a more unfit team in the Premier League or the Championship than Everton. Moyes had us as one of the fittest but, since then, we have gone downhill.

I watched us get overrun by Wolves for the winner when we had three on one as the breakaway started, one Wolves player in our half up against three. We were all over the place trying to win at the death.

Patterson (who was passed by the eventual goalscorer) looked like he would collapse and throw up, such was his struggle to run at pace. Iwobi ran like he had a 10-pound bag of potatoes in his shorts.

Who will sell or lend us a striker in January? Anyone in the Premier League? I doubt it? Anyone in the Championship? I doubt it. Back to Turkey for another bum, maybe?

I think we are at the moment dead in the water with just the gun dog wading in to mop us up. I'll support Everton no matter where they are, it's just a pity when, if we go down, that bastard Kenwright will still be in charge.

However, for Evertonians, there's always the shadow of our history, of our former greatness and our aspiration to return to that level. When the great players chose Everton as their new club: Alan Ball chose Everton over Liverpool, Alex Scott chose Everton over Spurs. It's a long time ago, but it's there.

I'm old enough to remember us as a top-tier club and Liverpool as our poor neighbours in the old Second Division. I think for teams like Palace or Bournemouth, this now represents their zenith; for us, it's very much our nadir.

So Rob, I think somehow it's worse for us. This may be narcissistic and historic rather than realistic, but it's how I see it.

Everton are eyeing up a potential move for Chicago Fire striker Jhon Duran in the January transfer window.

At just 19 years of age, Duran is one of the rising stars in the game, having scored eight goals and supplied a further six assists in 28 games for Chicago Fire in this year's MLS.

Everton are ‘looking at' Duran in January, adding that Frank Lampard is now ‘pushing hard' to bring in a new striker.

He also broke into the Colombia national team in September and has three caps for his country as a teenager.

Journalist Simon Philips said: “There's a few names they've been looking at. The only one that really stands out and I have had solid information on lately is Jhon Duran.

“Everton are there and are one of the clubs that are looking at him. But there are other names and Lampard is pushing hard now to bring a new striker in during January.”

Apparently he's a bit of a wild boy, and Rio has talked about him. He's got good reflexes and is hungry like the wolf.🎅🎄👮

So far you've posted twice on this thread, with a grand total of two lines. You said elsewhere on the forum the other day that you were 95% certain that we are going down this season, so naturally that means any one of Wolves, Forest or Southampton are going to climb out of the bottom three.

So come on, pretend for a few minutes that you are a fan of one of these clubs, and explain to us all why you think they will survive? Try not to use anything that's already been said though, or your flawed logic that we've already lost to the likes of Wolves or Bournemouth etc, because you know what I'll come back with.

As to your post #16, at the moment there are three teams worse than us. The league table, after all, doesn't lie. We have a far superior goal difference to all three, and would you believe it, more points, so yes, at the moment there are three teams worse.

If the second half of the season pans out exactly the same as the first, then odds are the Bottom 3 will remain there. Wolves may put up a fight, but I don't hold out much hope for Forest or Southampton.

We do have transfer market uncertainty which could jockey the teams around us as well as the injuries that I'll bet are more frequent in the last half of the season.

Additionally, we've seen the team occasionally put in a performance that makes us say 'where the hell has that been' and 'more please'. Then, inevitably we've been hit by an injury-prone Calvert-Lewin or some other minor catastrophe.

I know, 'Waaaa', this is the Premier League and no-one feels sorry for Everton – not even their own fans. We do still have enough character to weather this storm but the disconnect between our defence and how we attack (read: fail to) is a major concern.

I think at some point we will find our way to a simple system where we can regain our footing for a final run. Paul Tran's point on this in the other thread was spot on, the more I think about it.

I agree with you in part but I think that we have been mediocre for so long now that most people think of us as a Palace, Bournemouth, West Ham type of club now. It's been a long time since we have been contenders.

When you look at Sunderland with their great support and stadium and where they are now, it could easily happen to us. We are historically bigger than these clubs but that counts for nothing if you are not performing.

I would probably agree with what you say. For years now, our expectation levels have been dropping to such an extent that our objective at the start of the season is to be in the Premier League at the start of the next season.

I doubt we are going to be seeing the Premier League trophy paraded around the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock anytime in the near future, but surely an FA Cup or Carabao Cup victory parade shouldn't be ruled out?

We are still, at present, fourth highest winners in terms of nine league titles, we have FA Cups and a European title in the trophy cabinet, and have only spent four seasons outside the top flight.

I know all this does not give us a divine right to remain in the Premier League, but surely our expectations should be greater than the likes of Palace, West Ham etc, instead of nervously facing a relegation battle each season.

If we go down, we go down, I will always be Blue.

I can't pretend that I support another club and say why they will stay up. I can only say why I think we will probably go down (hope I'm wrong).

First, we don't score goals – the main reason you win games, and yes we may well go out and buy a couple of new strikers in January that could make a difference.

We look very unfit as a squad and have since Moyes left. Lampard is totally out of his depth, we have won only 9 games in the 35 games he's managed, that would see us relegated. He has no in-game management and his subs are late and predictable.

The players look lost during games, we can't pass the ball to each other have no movement and no midfielder runners. If you think we will stay up, excellent I really hope you're right,

For some strange reason, I've always had a soft spot for them. This may go back to seeing Fred Pickering score a hat-trick against them in a 6-1 win on his debut.

I was in amongst their supporters alone as an 11-year-old when they beat us 3-2 in the FA Cup quarter-final in 1967, and they treated me well, despite my blue and white scarf.

The draw there in 1986 that probably prevented us winning the league was a bad day, but it wasn't their fault; we missed our chances.

So, I was pleased to see them promoted. I like Steve Cooper, their manager, and thought it was great that, when there was speculation about him being sacked, the club responded by extending his contract.

They signed a shed-load of players in the summer. That must have made it very tricky for Cooper to assess and assimilate them, but it will provide a big squad as the season progresses.

So, as a fan for the day, I am anxious about the current league position but believe Cooper will have enough about him to get the team above the Bottom 3.

Tomorrow, when I'm an Evertonian again, I hope that is all nonsense! All the best, Rob.

What is lacking, I suggest, is tactical awareness and direction – both on and off the pitch. As a consequence, players waste energy making pointless runs to little or no effect.

Thanks for getting our minds thinking outside the box. I'm going right outside and wish we could be an Everton of the 80s for just one or two days a week. Not much to ask but we could start on Saturday and do to City what we used to do.

Just dreaming… or am I? There could be a performance in that team that lost on Monday just to prove there is a pulse.

We've appointed a manager with significant experience and some success on his CV and we're already experiencing the managerial bounce by winning away at one of the relegation favourites.

Naw... doesn't help one bit, Rob!

And I couldn't imagine being a supporter of any other team –not for one minute, because I'm not arsed about anyone else. I watch Everton and have done regularly for 50-odd years.

I will say this, though: I hope they don't put me through what they did last season. Because I don't think I'll cope.

It is a striker or two we need but we also need two attacking goalscoring midfielders. Because our current lot couldn't provide the ammo for said strikers.

Hope you are well, by the way.

I watch the passing at times and it’s awful and I put that down to the pace we are playing at. From the off,we should be closing down and winning battles.

Unless our approach to matches changes mentality and physically, we are done. Bringing more players in will make little difference until the above changes.

At this level, with the science behind measuring fitness and coaches, it's insane to believe these players are not primed to go. Season after season, it looks hard work for the lads. Under Moyes, the quality was limited but energy and fitness could not be questioned.

Reality is mid-table I dream about! I couldn't care less about other clubs! Finishing above the Bottom 3 clubs is all I care about!

And the black cat from the Wolves game of a few seasons ago will be in a box in Kenwright's office and nobody will know if it's dead or alive – much like our chances of staying up... or keeping Lampard!

Unfortunately, the football is giving me nightmares. I said to Danny via WhatsApp that I woke up in the middle of the night after the Wolves game in a cold sweat.

Could have been the ale, I suppose, but at the moment it's not good for your health following Everton. I'll still be there tomorrow though, ready to go again!

Last time out it was the Half Moon and Spoons. A couple of yards down the street is the Blind Beggar. Historical Pub.

Focus will be on supporting the team tomorrow, as always.

I'm glad I know fans of loads of other teams. Gives you a sense of perspective and helps you realise that most, if not all, fans are hardened moaners!

The Premier League is wide open.

It's a very unassuming pub, Brian. I went out of curiosity once. You wouldn't even know it was famous. But they do have one of those police crime scene white markings on the floor of a victim that you see on films.

On a serious note, what struck me is that it is in Bethnal Green, which in someways would remind many of somewhere like County Road. Only it is in the shadow of the City (London) if you look to the right as you leave. Talk about stark contrasts within a few miles of each other.

I hope to get over in February or definitely when Mike Gaynes is coming. Be good to catch up again. By that time, we should be safe mid-table and heading towards Wembley!