Match Day Thread WBA v Saints. Saturday 3rd Feb 3pm.

I don’t really mind where the points come from, although if we take them off relegation rivals that is a bonus. Newcastle and Stoke are must-wins in the remaining games,

 

An excellent point, that isn't made enough.

Split our remaining 12 fixtures into two halves of six. Getting points on the board in the first six (an absolute minimum of seven, I would suggest, but ideally more) doesn't just help us in terms of a much tougher looking final six, but it potentially lowers the actual survival target because we've denied points to some of the sides around us.

 

Yep...without me referring to the fixtures I'd also add that it can be advantageous to play teams higher up the league in the run in. The most difficult games may be versus those teams scrapping relegation!

 

It is funny how the relegation positions have changed over the course of this season. Both Swansea and Crystal Palace have looked doomed at particular stages and now you would argue that the same is the case with WBA. I think that Huddersfield will struggle to get out of the bottom three but I am not sure about Stoke. I don't think that we are by any means out of the woods but I think there are worse teams than us in the mix.

 

I was never convinced that Palace were doomed. They were just going through a bad trot, with their best player injured and the majority of the season still to play. All of us have gone through a bad trot this season, it's just that Palace's was from the very start of the season, so was visible to everyone. They didn't have points on the board to help mask the bad run.

 

I think that means Lemina was better than the entire Everton team yesterday?

 

New thread up. You can't get more minimalistic than this one...

 

I’d like some of whatever Adam’s on!

 

With Palace and Newcastle drawing, we've effectively gained 2 points over both of them, even if we have dropped a place to 15th

 

Fans are bonkers. Half the Everton forums are talking about relegation!

 

Now wouldn’t that be nice?

 

They need a touch of realism. They are on 31 points and a lot of teams are below them. How catastrophic would their season have to be for them not to get the requisite number of points and for all those teams below them to do better.

 

Very hard to be objective about your own team's prospects or performances though.

 

Strangely I think sometimes fans are harder on their team than they deserve....probably because we want them to be better. I don't really think our performances have always been as bad as some fans say....you can lose a game without being the worst team to ever step on the pitch and a player can make mistakes without doing it deliberately and not caring.

 

I agree, though in fairness to the fans I can understand much of the frustration as we are not in the real know of what is going on with the players and how much that affects selection tactics etc. What appears obvious to us may not be the real story. I know it's not a popular thing to say but the more I actually listen to MP the more I warm to him and I feel in the games I've watched recently the players are with him. I do feel he takes the responsibility of his job very seriously and yesterday will help to lighten the mood all round. Thanks to all our fans who paid out the money, spent the time and encouraged the team at The Hawthorns, they played their part and those of us who can only get to home games 'owe' them a vote of thanks in my view!

 

Bookies Watch ! - they now have 7 teams ahead of us in the relegation queue !

 

How many games is that now with us unbeaten ? Need to stop conceding from headers from dead ball situations. Man marking doesn`t seem to always work for us - but now`s not the time to tinker and try zonal marking , I suppose.

 

I'm on my 6th thread.....