Fantail Breeze

1 minute ago, Shearergol said:

Hayden showing everyone why Willock is starting 

Bloke has barely stood on a football pitch all season, it’s unsurprising he’s incredibly rusty.

Fantastic effort considering we had 10 men for 80+ minutes.

Great defensive performance. Finally the four defenders we need on the pitch were all there.

Lewis, Fernandez, Joelinton were fantastic.

Unfortunate not to win, something to build on though. Although it piles the pressure on the Burnley match, that absolutely is must win now.

Not felt this nervous in a long time pre-match.

1 minute ago, joeyt said:

Derby on fire

They’re so unlucky that the teams just about the drop keep winning

If they keep this form up they’ve still got every chance though, which is mad for the position they’re in.

I was annoyed about the delay in sacking Bruce as I was with the delay in appointing Howe, which has ultimately cost us momentum and points.

The delay in appointing to these key roles can’t affect our business in January, that’s the key point here.

If we sign players in January, as early on as possible, fine. But we cannot be pissing around with transfers. Get one or two in as soon as possible and give much needed strength to the squad.

Even if they are loans to the end of the season just to get us through, I’m not bothered. Survival should be the sole aim right now. 

We’ll struggle to win most PL games with a midfield duo of Willock and Shelvey.

It relies on opposition midfields being completely off the boil, because not many (if any) have a lack of tenacity like us.

There’s a reason most decent midfields are built on at least one good passer/flair player and the other a combative tackler.

I believe it’s the most important part of the pitch.

Hayden should be one of the first names on the teamsheet for this reason. Not because he’s the best player in the world, but the role he fulfils is essential.

1 minute ago, Abacus said:

 

Minor quibble, my memory is that we sort of fluked that championship title since Brighton went on holiday for the last few games, having already been promoted themselves.

 

It certainly never felt as easy as the Hughton promotion. But in either case, it's no easy job to turn around a team in freefall.

 

I actually think Hughton's promotion was better, since there were so many stinking attitudes in the squad he inherited. But then again, maybe he had a better squad to start a rebuild with as well.

We were a Mo Diame fluke away from being in massive trouble with automatic promotion.

Although, as others have said, under Rafa the big moments always seemed to go our way. Only can be down to luck a few times.

10 minutes ago, Wilson said:

20 minutes ago, Thumbheed said:

I dunno how anyone saw Rafa's period with us as anything but positive.

 

 

Idiots basically.

 

I don't get it either.

I haven’t see anyone suggest it wasn’t positive.

4 minutes ago, nufcnick said:

They have plenty of money, FFP stoped them spending in the summer

And will also stop them spending in January.

I don’t understand why Man Utd can’t sign Ronaldo but also challenge to win the league. 

They’ve got one of the expensively assembled squads ever. 

OGS has been fantastic for dampening expectations. That team should be at the top of the table with Chelsea and Man City.

They might not win it, but they should be challenging.

Question for those much more knowledgeable than me about Italian football - what would be a good season for Mourinho with Roma?

Are they expected to finish top four, or title challenge? Or are they rebuilding and anything would be a success?

Just now, joeyt said:

 

That’s what I thought. Pleased I wasn’t going completely mad.

Just now, Inferior Acuña said:

 

He should've flagged. And VAR can't intervene cos no goal. So if you're smart and aware enough and you realize you're offside or there was a foul you should try to win a corner/throw-in or pass back and start a new phase of play.

But that’s what I’m confused about, every other time when the phase of play has ended without a goal attempt, the flag has gone up?

Is it the rule? I thought linesman were still supposed to flag, regardless of what happens.

Plenty of times a shot hasn’t been taken and they’ve flagged when they’ve realised a chance wasn’t going to occur. 

12 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

Based on a poor 6 weeks at an injury-plagued Everton who finished 10th under one of the best managers in history last season? 
 

Real were, off the top of my head, 2 points worse off than Barca when he was sacked. He was hardly shite. And do fill us in about your knowledge of Chinese football; where should he have finished there? 

No. Based on 13 games so far this season where Everton find themselves closer to the relegation zone than Europe.

Based on watching Everton put in some dreadful performances, where the team selected (disregarding players not playing) should be achieving a result.

I’ve already answered the question above regarding Real.

In relation to China, based on the fact they finished in their second lowest ever position in the Super League and were knocked out of the cup earlier than they ever had been.

Like watching two pissed blokes fight at 5am over a kebab.

Lukaku coming on to save my Fantasy Football gameweek.

Had a dream/nightmare last night that they appointed Alex Hurst into the DoF role  

Not sure what is more disturbing, the thought of that happening or the fact I was dreaming about Alex.

2 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

Why is that not the case at Man City or Liverpool then? I think players like playing attacking football and won't down the tools as quickly if they enjoy what they do. 

Not sure. But I don’t know much about what Guardiola and Klopp demand from their players.

I see Rafa and Mourinho as quite restrictive, whereas I assume Klopp and Guardiola encourage more flair and allow a bit more than the former. 

Equally why does Simeone get results with the same demands and style as Rafa/Mourinho?

This is not the entertainment I was hoping for.

If they absolutely shithouse this  

Just now, TRon said:

 

Don't know about him being shite at those places, could easily see him turning things around at Everton if he's given a full season, but I agree with the comparison with Mourinho. I just think the game has moved on and defensive football will only get you so far now. It's not going to win titles. 

I don’t think it’s just necessarily the defensive football, I think most modern players are unwilling to buy into their demands.

Even if they do, it’s only for a short period before they get sick of the level of work demanded.

If results deteriorate they also seem to down tools very quickly.

Just now, HTT II said:

Rafa did a great job OVERALL here man, over 3 seasons. 

I haven’t said anything apart from the fact Rafa did well with us.

But that is one good job in the middle of three crap ones. 

He was great for us but people need to be able to see past that. We don’t need to ferociously defend Rafa at every opportunity.

Fantastic for us, but he looks a shadow of his previous self and nothing to suggest he’ll continue to do well at the top level.

Just now, HTT II said:

He did, you can’t judge him on half a season though, howay it’s Madrid, a basket case of a club. And Mourinho git beat 5-0 once by Barca I think. 

Can you not?

30 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

We were the 7th best side in the league in his last half season in charge

3 minutes ago, HTT II said:

Didn’t he have a huge haul of wins and goals scored before he was sacked at Madrid? 

A “haul of wins and goals scored”, including a 4-0 defeat to Barca and managing to draw 2-2 with Gary Neville’s Valencia.

They were 3rd at the time IIRC and four points adrift, a gap that was looking like increasing further as their form was deteriorating.

Zidane came in and did well though, didn’t he?

Apart from us, he’s been shite. Shite at Everton, shite at Real, shite in China.

We’re clearly the exception, rather than the norm.

A bit like Mourinho, world class manager in his day but their methods are no longer bringing results.