The Official Everton thread...

[kenny.R400]

It's weird this. Apart from a few glory moments over the last 30 years I've always looked at the then current squad and cringed at how some of the players are paid to pull the blue shirt on.

But, I look at the current squad and although I'm one biased blue bastrad.... if they pull their weight there's not much wrong.

I look at the back four and with Coleman,Jags,Distin and Baines I can't think of a better quartet in the PL. Midfield is not too shabby either. Up front we have a lot of as yet unfullfilled potential.

I admired Moysey but always felt when the big push was needed.......ie get the couple of wins that keep us in the running for 4th, or get the win that takes us to wembley then it goes t1ts up.........with either a run of lack lustre performances or unfathomable team choices.

Maybe, just maybe Martinez can address this........I don't know.

[eatontrifles]

kenny.R400 said:

I look at the back four and with Coleman,Jags,Distin and Baines I can't think of a better quartet in the PL.

I think yo'uve definitely got your blue tinted specs on there.
Coleman is improving but he's still not as good as Tony Hibbert.
Jags is good positionally and can be quick but isn't physically strong enough.
Distin is quick and a good tackler but he makes silly mistakes and is getting on a bit (a lot).
Baines is the pick of the four but he can get caught up the pitch too often, which is no fault of his more to do with our style of play.

kenny.R400 said:

Midfield is not too shabby either.

Assuming our strongest five man midfield;
Osman has great feet and a good pass but is old and can be very lightweight.
Gibson is positionally very good and his distribution is excellent but he makes silly mistakes.
Mirallas is more of a forward. When have you ever seen him make an important tackle?
Fellaini is great and can be unplayable at times, but those times don't come often enough and he disappears in games far too often.
Pienaar is very similar to Osman (no bad thing) but has the same weaknesses. And he falls over far too often.

kenny.R400 said:

Up front we have a lot of as yet unfullfilled potential.

Jelavic has been found out by most of the PL teams. If we can put the right balls into him then he stands a chance.
Anichebe might be powerful but he's slow as hell and his first touch is worse than mine.

kenny.R400 said:

I admired Moysey but always felt when the big push was needed.......ie get the couple of wins that keep us in the running for 4th, or get the win that takes us to wembley then it goes t1ts up.........with either a run of lack lustre performances or unfathomable team choices.

Maybe, just maybe Martinez can address this........I don't know.

Agreed - there always seemed to be something missing from Moyes' big-game setups which ultimately led to disappointment, normally in important cup matches.

[kenny.R400]

" but he's still not as good as Tony Hibbert."

Tony Hibbert for me is a star......up there with Big Dunc....I don't mention it that often as there are some that give me funny looks..legend!!

He's always safe when he's in the team and I'd like to see him around for a while longer.

Having said that when Coleman gets the ball in the oppos final 3rd and then jinks inside it's magic and always a threat!!

[TheHeretic]

Hibbert as a defender is hard to beat. His attacking 'prowess' has improved, and he can actually cross a decent ball now! I think if we could cross Coleman and Hibbert we would have a hell of a defender, one who can attack a la Baines.

[kenny.R400]

The current team and setup somehow remind me of the class of 85, or rather how they started.......not all especially big names but players who individually have gained huge respect within the PL and many of them increasing in value (and being capped) since being at Goodison. There is just something daft missing somewhere, I can't put my finger on it but I reckon a couple of cheap signings of "past their sell by" strikers who we'd never have afforded when they were 27 could be it.......a la Andy Gray.

Be good to see a Berbatov,Drogba etc. waiting in the wings if Vic and Jelevic don't come up with the goods.

[TheHeretic]

Goals. We are missing goals. We need a lethal striker who can put away those chances, a la Jelavic in this first 1/2 season. We make plenty of chances, have a decent defense, our only real issue is scoring. That is where we need to strengthen.

[tdm34]

TheHeretic said:

Goals. We are missing goals. We need a lethal striker who can put away those chances, a la Jelavic in this first 1/2 season. We make plenty of chances, have a decent defense, our only real issue is scoring. That is where we need to strengthen.

This is what the problem is, now how about this for a left field, sort of out there, scary idea?......

Assume Felli is off to Cheslea/Arsenal we get £25m plus BK finds something down the back of the sofa...

With Bainsey being such a good provider, and Coleman getting there as well, we need basically an old fashioned
Center Forward a proper target man if you will......

Cast your eyes towards the smoke via the other side of the park, some of you ain't gonna like this but.......

How about Andy Carroll? he seems to be stalling with West Ham for some reason the asking is about £15m

I'm sorry if this offends but of late AC has played really well for the Hammers. and him with Jelli could be

fookin Epic
.

[markh1973]

kenny.R400 said:

I think Jelevic is the key to what we'll need to spend this season. If he's still wandering around like a scared kid we've got some serious problems. If he's got his head around the job, gets stuck in and performs to his potential then I think a wad of cash will be saved 25+ league goals shouldn't be out of the question with his price tag should it?...............if he doesn't perform early on then a big spend is on the cards.

Not many players score 25+ league goals in a season and unless a miracle rediscovering of form happens Jelavic isn't going to be anywhere near that.

He only cost you £5m so if Martinez could even get him to the position where he comes off the bench and scores 10 a season that would help you out.

Martinez does need to find you a striker who is capable of getting 18+ goals a season. Thing is there are a number of other clubs also looking for that same striker (Spurs for example).

[kenny.R400]

"scores 10 a season that would help you out."

I agree to a point Mark.....but the guy's a dedicated striker with a decent transfer price on his head, so with the best will in the world I'd expect more from him, as should any PL manager.............Tim Cahill was scoring a regular 10 a season before Moyes latched on to it and made him our main stiker..........as the rest weren't up to it.

Hate to say it but we miss him in the air, as we do the likes of Dunc...........what the bloke said above about Andy Carroll..............dislike the guy but if he came to the club and netted 20 he'd be a hero.

We've had the big guys up front but with no service.............now we've got the service but we've got no big guys up front (in big I mean good in the air and fearless).

[Blue62]

kenny.R400 said:

The current team and setup somehow remind me of the class of 85, or rather how they started.......not all especially big names but players who individually have gained huge respect within the PL and many of them increasing in value (and being capped) since being at Goodison. There is just something daft missing somewhere, I can't put my finger on it but I reckon a couple of cheap signings of "past their sell by" strikers who we'd never have afforded when they were 27 could be it.......a la Andy Gray.

Be good to see a Berbatov,Drogba etc. waiting in the wings if Vic and Jelevic don't come up with the goods.

I can't agree with you there Kenny, regardless of the quality of Reid, Bracewell and Steven, we had the best goalie in the world at the time, he was the difference IMHO. We can talk all night about the qualities of our current sqaud versus that team, but one position is forever big Nev's, the best there's ever been.

[TheHeretic]

Blue62 said:

I can't agree with you there Kenny, regardless of the quality of Reid, Bracewell and Steven, we had the best goalie in the world at the time, he was the difference IMHO. We can talk all night about the qualities of our current sqaud versus that team, but one position is forever big Nev's, the best there's ever been.

Well, we agree on that. Nev defied physics week in and week out. Even when he was the size of a small moon in 95 he made outstanding saves. THE Everton legend for me.

[hilly10]

Got to agree Nev The best ever

[kenny.R400]

Nev was the best ever. Even none blues admit that. Feckin' immense

[hilly10]

I was also privileged to have seen the holy trinity. my god were they good

[eatontrifles]

What are our thoughts on whether we need a new keeper?

[TheHeretic]

eatontrifles said:

What are our thoughts on whether we need a new keeper?

We need competition for Tim.

[TTmonkey]

Norwich v Everton Sat 17 Aug 15:00

Everton v West Brom Sat 24 Aug 15:00

Cardiff v Everton Sat 31 Aug 15:00

Everton v Chelsea Sat 14 Sep 15:00


West Ham v Everton Sat 21 Sep 15:00

Everton v Newcastle Sat 28 Sep 15:00

Man City v Everton Sat 5 Oct 15:00

Everton v Hull Sat 19 Oct 15:00

Aston Villa v Everton Sat 26 Oct 15:00

Everton v Tottenham Sat 2 Nov 15:00

Crystal Palace v Everton Sat 9 Nov 15:00

Everton v Liverpool Sat 23 Nov 15:00

Everton v Stoke Sat 30 Nov 15:00

Man Utd v Everton Tue 3 Dec 19:45

Arsenal v Everton Sat 7 Dec 15:00

Everton v Fulham Sat 14 Dec 15:00

Swansea v Everton Sat 21 Dec 15:00

Everton v Sunderland Thu 26 Dec 15:00

Everton v Southampton Sat 28 Dec 15:00

Stoke v Everton Wed 1 Jan 15:00

Everton v Norwich Sat 11 Jan 15:00

West Brom v Everton Sat 18 Jan 15:00

Liverpool v Everton Tue 28 Jan 20:00

Everton v Aston Villa Sat 1 Feb 15:00

Tottenham v Everton Sat 8 Feb 15:00

Everton v Crystal Palace Wed 12 Feb 19:45

Chelsea v Everton Sat 22 Feb 15:00
March 2014

Everton v West Ham Sat 1 Mar 15:00

Newcastle v Everton Sat 8 Mar 15:00

Everton v Cardiff Sat 15 Mar 15:00

Everton v Swansea Sat 22 Mar 15:00

Fulham v Everton Sat 29 Mar 15:00

Everton v Arsenal Sat 5 Apr 15:00

Sunderland v Everton Sat 12 Apr 15:00

Everton v Man Utd Sat 19 Apr 15:00

Southampton v Everton Sat 26 Apr 15:00

Everton v Man City Sat 3 May 15:00

Hull v Everton Sun 11 May 15:00

[TheHeretic]

Good spread. When will the TV companies start messing with the dates?

[TTmonkey]

Dec & Jan look good for points.


As does the start of the season. We'll be top in September.



[Then remembers who is new manager]


We'll be relegated by mid April.

[TheHeretic]

That's the spirit.