2 seasons ago we and City were the main protagonists for 4th spot and as we all remember we pipped them. At WHL we beat them 3-0 but last season we played them the first game of the season and we drew 0-0 which was a measure of their improvement. The match even though the first was season defining because we dominated and missed a stack of chances which dogged us from that match to the finish. As we know an away draw was better for them and they went on to finish 3rd and we 5th. The 2 teams were evenly matched and the first game of the season was a good measure of the season to come. What does this have to do with Everton I hear you asking? Well please just think about this before attacking me. Everton's win at WHL a couple of seasons ago was their first since Maggie was PM,that's a long time. Traditionally Everton are a bit of a patsy team for us which we normally beat time after time. They have been rivals a long time. Now under Moyes they normally start badly and improve. If anything changes like if we lose against a team we normally beat and who start badly we will have a bad season. If we draw we will have an average season and if we win marginally then a top 6 is probably on. If on the other hand we win well then I would say a top 4 spot is ours. If a team loses to a team it normally beats then that means that team is in for a fairly torrid time. I would say that the first match of the season for us is again an indicator for the season to come. I blinked a few times when I saw our first match and admit to being a bit worried. I'm hoping for good win. Thanks.
You can't measure the remaining 37 games based on the first game. If I was running a marathon and burst out of the blocks at my top speed, I won't necesarrily win. I see where you're coming from in saying that losing to a team we usually beat is a bad omen, but last season was the tightest the premierships ever been. All the "lesser" teams are improving (us included) and its only going to get more and more difficult to predict results.
It will be the same this season unless we beat Everton well. I know what you're saying Solid but a marathon is a one off whereas football is built up over many years of experience and traditions etc. Many teams get promoted and then go back down again which is often the case. Everton are old adversaries and can be a good measure of how the season will go. Now I would never describe us as a lesser team. That description goes to Wolves,Sunderland and Stoke etc whom we beat hands down but as you say are improving. This season's top 4 will be one hell of a scrap.
I guess "lesser teams" was a poor choice in words. I should have said "all teams other than United, Arsenal and Chelsea".
Everton are a hardworking side with a never say die attitude. Those are the teams that we dont like playing against.Our problem is that we never seem to play as a team and we tend to rely on individual brilliance.If we get a proper strike in and if King and Sandro start then i think we should win.
Yes King I am serious. It's very much like as I said the City game the season before which defined our season. I can say no more than that yet. It's Everton who are old foes whom we normally beat and we MUST beat well to have a good season. I'm sorry if it sounds crazy.
We could beat Everton 6-0 and then lose our next 5 games, still think we would have a good season? or We could lose to Everton 6-0 and then win our next 5 games, still think we would have a bad season?
The City game helped to define our season because we didn't learn anything from it. We struggled to convert our chances, failed to change anything and then continued to struggle. I hope that we've learned something from last year's games against Everton. Their tactics for dealing with Bale were appalling, so I really could do without a repeat of that. Their doubling up on Crouch was ridiculous at times, too. He couldn't have swapped a bunk up with his missus for a free-kick that day.
Everton are notriously bad starters, which is a little strange as they rarely make many changes over the summer but I guess the holidays just take their momentum away. If we don't beat them I expect there will be widespread overreaction from our fans, calling for a multimillion pound spending spree and I'm sure I'll be one of them :-(
If we beat Everton 6-0 we won't lose our next 5 games King and if we lose we won't win our next 5 either. A good win will see us having a very good start to the season and it will continue. I like your last sentence PNP. Ha Ha.
Good time to get that match though. They often lose one or two of their early games, might give us a chance.
But I think Harry is right. At first he said that we are 2 or 3 signings away from challenging and then he said we cannot compete. I say that his first statement is true we are only maybe 2 signings away from competing for the top. King I'm going to stand by my statement of comparing the Everton opener with the City opener of a season before. Let's just see who we sign.
The first 8 games under Ramos didn't set the tone for the season, we finished 1 place off a Euro spot. Sorry mate but your theory is just an observational coincidence.
