Match Day Thread Everton v Southampton 02/01/17 3pm

Yeah I definitely want to get up there before you move mate, I think I spoke to you in PM about it last season? Finances stopped it that time round but like I said above I want to visit all the older grounds that will be going soon. Everton is next on my list. If we both get through maybe even a cup tie this year?

Didn't you say back in the Summer you'd buy all of us a beer who came up?

On a random and longshot note.... Anyone on here driving up tomorrow and want to split costs?

 

We're due one then surely

We were pretty unlucky up there last year iirc.

 

According to the rather useful site: http://www.11v11.com/teams/everton/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Southampton/ it was 19 years ago. 0-2. MLT and Kevin Davies

Vin

 

Kevin Davies providing inspiration to Owen and then Giggs. Christ that is along time without a win there.

 

The players should get a natural lift on this one, doing over their old boss.

Koeman has improved Everton but they are beatable.

Saints have been far too generous this Christmas. Time to get mean again.

Can remember if I made this up or not but I think when I googled which Chinese year it was for 2017 it came up as the year of beating scoucers 3 times in the month of January.

Part 1 of the trilogy. Let's try and keep 11 players on the pitch for the full game and we have a good chance.

 

This must be a great time to play Everton before they spend tens of millions in the January transfer window.

After all we were led to believe Koeman was persuaded to go their as they had more ambition and a transfer kitty of 100m before they sold stones for 50m.

After all that they spent a whole million more than us in the summer, 45m to 44m. They must be ready to splash all that cash now. Unless Koeman really went for personal gain. Surely not.

 

Well the club are always saying never get to excited by the wins and never get too down by the defeats and there will always be bumps in the road and sometimes we have to go back to move forward blah, blah, blah....

With the way things have gone recently we need to improve slowly and gently so I propose that tomorrow the targets are.

1.Four crosses into the box that result in a Southampton player challenging an Everton player for possession (the Southampton players do not neccessarily have to win any of the challenges but they have to cause the Everton defenders a modicum of trouble).
2. Three shots on goal (one from open play and one that forces the goalkeeper to make a reasonable save).
3. At least 50% of Everton's shots on goal not resulting in a goal (in particular the first shot on goal of the game for them).
4. To try to make it a least look like that a one goal lead is precarious and Everton could drop a point (even though we all know the game is already over with half an hour to go).

Then by mid-February we might be ready to go into a game looking to win by a two goal, or more, margin from the starting kick-off.

 

I wonder if puel has thought about telling Forster to save at least 50% of shots?

 

Match day, and unusually for me very little travel involved. I love the blind optimism of football fans that our friend SC so admirably represents! I go with no expectation except a good day out interrupted by a poor and ultimately frustrating football match. It's my usual Goodison experience. Both teams are in a run of poor form, and it is difficult to imagine that everything will suddenly change today. My hopes are that we don't get stuffed and that we score. Modest enough ambitions, so come on Saints.

Just checked. That last time we beat them there was one of a double - we ended the season 12th. The only previous double was 1973-74 when we were relegated. So doing the double over the Blues doesn't bring undreamed of success. Although there are some on here who'd settle for 12th at the end of the season.

 

I missed Puel's press conference yesterday. Did anything happen?

 

See? That blind optimism again. This post presumes that anyone knows; that the listener didn't fall asleep; that Claude strung a coherent sentence or three together or that anyone cares.

I don't want words from Claude, I want actions. I want to see the players go out and play with fire and passion. And remember I'm very pro-Claude!

 

Just remembered Virgil is suspended

 

I hope the ref has a good game.

 

I wouldn't mind if he was crap and awarded us the most ridiculous penalty ever seen in the western world.

 

And to come off his line for 50% of crosses etc?

I have no wish to slate Forster as he has clearly been playing through injury, but goalkeeping has cost us untold points in recent weeks.

 

Is this on sky?

 

No....wouldn't be 3 o'clock if it was. Confusing Christmas season with the 2nd January a Bank Holiday.

 

We are playing AGAIN?! That seems a trifle unfair.

Good job we have a mega fit, highly motivated and confident squad with an inspirational manager.

GO SOUTHAMPTON GO !

 

I'm very pessimistic because we are playing Everton and as it has been noted traditionally we don't do very well up there, including 8-0, 7-1 and 6-1 defeats, and I honestly cannot remember a season when Saints have struggled to score goals - usually we can't keep them out but still manage to score. So I'm pessimistic.

Should Saints win 3-0 today and then go on an eight game unbeaten run then I'll be optimistic.

To me this makes sense as my pessimism is underlined by some facts, likewise any optimism.

It doesn't mean I'm right or wrong either. It doesn't mean that Saints will definitely lose. It is how I feel.

I think it'll be a 3-0 defeat.

 

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2017-01-01/video-press-conference-claude-puel-pre-everton-southampton
See and hear for yourself if you can stay awake long enough.