Conjo

It's a play taken out of the Pardew book of management. Bring the opposition down to your level, lull them into a false sense of security and hope for a bit of luck or magic.

Tosun is also 4th choice striker. You won't find many better 4th choice strikers in the PL. Guess we'll just have to disagree on Keane. First choice for Everton under Ancelotti & Benitez indicates there's something to him. Reckon he'd be able to get into most teams bar the top 3-4.

I don't really get the narrative that Everton has a poor squad. I'd be over the moon if we had Rondon & Tosun as cover for DCL and Richarlison, or Gomes, Delph and Sigurdsson as cover for Allan and Doucoure, or Holgate and Godfrey as cover for Keane and Mina. The only position they are lacking adequate cover behind a strong startin 11 is on the wings imo. Benitez is definitely under performing despite injury problems.

They haven't won in 8 matches, unable to win at home against one of the worst teams in the league despite dominating the match. I can see why a lot of people would be frustrated.

It depends on what points Norwich, Burnley, Leeds, Watford & Brentford picks up in the same games so it's impossible to say whether 3, 4 or 6 points is the minimum. We're 6 points away from safety, hardly a mountain to climb. As long as we gain on 17th place I'm feeling fairly confident we can turn it around second half of the season.

Nobody really knows what realistic targets are. Lamptey and Zinchenko could well be realistic. It all depends on how much the board is willing to invest. I don't think it's a problem attracting players here based on our league position unless we're competing with the top 5-6 teams. Look at the calibre of players Wolves got in '17 while already in the championship as an example.

If Howe is going to continue using a 3-4-3 Lamptey and Zinchenko as wing backs would absolutely amazing.

I feel people say that until he's actually back in the team and remember how fucking shit he is at everything except 1 good sliding tackle every game.

I'd prefer Howe tried Lewis at LB and keeping both Dummett & Ritchie out of the team, fwiw.

Wouldn't be opposed to giving him a chance in a back 3 together with Fernandez & Schar. As a fullback I'd rather stick with Ritchie tbh.

Maybe I should start believing relegation is inevitable as well. If I manage to convince myself of this within a few weeks it'll be great to celebrate the impossible achievement by the end of the season

Agreed, and it's amazingly reactive to say nothings changed just because a team that is better than us in every aspect just out played us when you look at the way we played against Brentford.

Could it possibly be a matter of the team not being used to the new managers system yet, and falling back to default when under adversity? Brentford match was a good indication of how Howe wants us to play, but they are also a team that allows the opposition to play their game as opposed to Arsenal who is more used to dictating the game.

At least we're moving in the right direction. No Clarke or Darlow today. Next match we'll see how it goes without Ritchie and Lascelles.

If Ashley was still here together with Bruce I'd say you have a good point. We looked like winning against Brentford. We got a new competent manager in. We can buy players in January no other team in a relegation fight has ever had the privledge of getting in before. I'm not concerned yet. Especially not a because of a 2-0 loss away to an in form Arsenal.

It's fair to talk about it, but there's a lot of people that are way too reactive and categorically stating relegation is inevitable

At least we'll get to see the team without Ritchie and Lascelles next match. Let's hope they're replaced by Lewis and Fernandez.

We're finishing this match with 10 men if Ritchie stays on in second half.

just came on to ask why that wasn't a pen. Good to see I'm not the only one.

That's how I remember it too. He was out injured when Liverpool bought him as well. He'd be just as injury ridden here as anywhere else. In hindsight it was a really good deal for Newcastle.

That possibly makes our club media puppet the football journalist with most integrity in the world. Imagine asking a question that all fans wants to ask him, and answering truthfully when Jonjo asks him why.

He's featured in 6 games, 1 goal so far this season. He'd be an interesting player to take a gamble on if the price is right. I don't know how he has been utilised by Sheffield U this season, but in the PL he was never used in his best position where he excelled at Genk. At Sheffield he was playing on the right hand side of a midfield 3 with more attacking duties rather than his preferred central defensive midfielder position.

Anything from this game is a bonus imo. Just hope we put up a good fight and cause them problems at the back to gain confidence that we are improving from game to game as the players gets more and more used to Howe's philosophy.

A Laurent Robert special, especially when we were chasing games.

By his own account he has turned down jobs after leaving Bournemouth, so it's not that he hasn't had opportunities. He's just been waiting for the right one to come along.