If anyone fancies a chuckle they should go and look at some of the recent posts on Grand Old Team Especially the new manager thread. Everton fans suggesting Mourinho and justifying why Potter would choose to leave Brighton - apparently they are in a “different stratosphere” to Brighton and this is the current peak for Brighton.
Well they're probably not far wrong on that front. Without serious investment, Brighton are very unlikely to improve much beyond their current position of 9th. Whether this season or in future seasons. The financial might of the big boys ensures that there's a ceiling which is incredibly hard to break through. I don't think it's farfetched to suggest, for example, that Brighton are more likely to be relegated in the next three years than qualify for the CL in that time. Not that this is necessarily justification for going to Everton, mind you.
But that statement is not far off being true for Everton either. Their claims imply that their peak is substantially higher than Brighton’s. But with the league the way it is at the moment it really isn’t. There are the traditional big 6 and soon Newcastle with unlimited resources So Everton’s average peak is likely to be 8th. Not much different than Brighton albeit them and Villa should, in theory, have an easier time regularly reaching it
Indeed. As I say, I don't think it's justification for moving to Everton. Just saying that they're probably right with that particular point about Brighton. Potter's stock could hardly be any higher right now, but it won't be like that forever. Take Eddie for example; when he had Bmouth in the top half, he was being linked to much bigger clubs. But he stayed, got relegated, and suddenly he wasn't such hot property any more. Potter is in a position now to reject Everton's advances, but there is probably only so long he can afford to stay at Brighton. If Southgate was to leave after the World Cup, Potter could find himself as the stand out favourite.
Even Ralph gets a mention. Their self-entitled fanbase wouldn't wait the year Potter would need to sort out their squad. As to losing 9-0 a couple of times, no doubt tolerated with typical scouser patience I expect. Poisoned Chalice.
Rafa to Everton has to be one of the worst appointments in PL history. Akin to us appointing Redknapp all those years ago. Funny to watch them implode
I was not surprised to see Rafa given the boot . Everton have been a strange club in the 2000s. I always equate them to the ECM record label which I loved in the 1980s and seemed to produce records which defined the jazz of the time. Since the 2000s, they have really lost their way with many of the "house" names distinctly belonging to the past. From time to time, they manage to get major talent who have performed wonders on other labels to make records for them but you find these CDs to be disappointing in comparison with what they had formally produced. You still get some records on ECM which are excellent but this is now the excpeption rather than the rule. For me, this is exactly the same with Everton. You know that if they signed VvD or Salah, they would automatically become rubbish! Signing for Everton nowadays feels like the beginning of a slippery slope downwards. They are only a "big club" if you are feeling nostalgic. It is a club which ultimately crushes careers as opposed to boosting them. It is quite interesting how the bottom half of the Premier League is now playing out. I totally agree about Graham Potter and can see the attraction for Everton but would he really want to go there? there is only one direction Everton will be travelling this season. If he went anywhere in the future, it would be to a team like Villa, Leeds or even a PL Newcastle if they stay up. I would loathe to see him fail at Everton and think he deserves much better - that would include staying at Brighton! The comparisons with Howe are well made. Going to Newcastle will shatter his reputation too. Assuing 38 points will get you safety, I think they ned something like 1.4 points a match. Simply put, this is not going to happen as they do not win enough games. Come May, Howe will have relegated two clubs. Like Everton, they should be doing better but it does make you wonder whether certain clubs like Villa, Newcastle or Everton are toxic for careers. The ECM comparison stands for Everton. When they won the league in the mid 1980s, that was one of the best football teams I have seen and recall them taking us apart at The Dell at the time. You cannot envisage those kind of glory days ever returning. I am now wondering if we are going to see the same thing happen at Man Utd. Every season I think they will click but no one seems to be able to repair them. I think football has moved on too far now for them to catch up in the immediate future. I don't think clubs can talk about being "potential big six" clubs as effectively only City, Liverpool and Chelsea are capable of winning the title. It is a pipe dream for everyone else.
The football structure at Man United appears to be the problem. By all accounts they told Ragnick there would be funds. He has identified a player he knows in a position the desperately need and been told “No” Apparently Solskjaer also wanted a DM as well and they signed Ronaldo instead I still think there is enough of an established gap, notably in resources for the “big 6” even if only 3 can really win. Look at how much Arsenal spend with almost no sales in summer. And still linked to a 60m striker. Having not offloaded a 300k a week one… West Ham are knocking on the door but that may not last especially if Bowen gets taken. Rice might as well but they have probably priced him out effectively unless he forces something So there is a clear gap
Completely inevitable since they are blaming covid and their last cancelled game was Saturday. The window isn’t long enough Their backlog is going to be silly.
You forgot to add “1 point behind Newcastle who completed all their fixtures, bar the one against Burnley, that was due to be played 22/05/22”.
The delaying of fixtures will ultimately cost Burnley. There will be a massive fixture pile up for them and whilst they are stuck at the bottom of the table, they will have less chance of recruiting. They need to get out there and win games.
It doesn't help that they are selling their fit players really when fit player numbers matter Ah Burnley! My mum has stopped talking about this season already and is talking about the championship rebuild.
It's a damned good thing they've gotten bounced from the cups already; means that they'll merely need to play a match per day for the final two months, rather than having double-headers.