Pilko Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Stick with my five. The next three games are huge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicago_shearer Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 We've got Fulham, Boro and Portsmouth to play at home. We'll survive. If we lose atleast four of our next five, and the Villa game too - that little cluster might need to be nine points minimum. It's gonna be so very f***ing tight. So we go into the last 3 games of the season needing 6 points to survive? No thanks. If you don't mind I think I'd prefer to win a few in the mean time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 If we get 7 points in the next 2 months then we should be safe as in May we have both Boro and Pompey at home which we should win, 7 points in 2 months is very realistic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midds Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Liam Liam O Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. Absolutely spot on Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toonarmy Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. this. we're absolute shit and still better than a handful of teams. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp40 Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Ive gone from 5 to a 4, cos i think its less than half likely, but still not comfortable, thank god for the shit below us, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I don't think it'll happen but all you need is a couple of bad decisions and some bugger doing a "miracle run off the bottom" and it could be nasty - if we could score I'd be happier Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenBartonCentrePartin Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. yup. Well said. I've not budged from 1 either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 not happy with the gap at the moment, we're nailed on to lose 3 of the next 5 and certainly not nailed on to win the other two, although it's possible where we're at in 5 games time will probably tell us what's gonna happen...if we get 6 points out of the 2 "winnable" () games then it'll look significantly brighter, 0 points then it's looking like doom Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
themanupstairs Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I don't think it'll happen but all you need is a couple of bad decisions and some bugger doing a "miracle run off the bottom" and it could be nasty - if we could score I'd be happier got 3 the other week Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. Our record against the top six has so far been good though. Only Arsenal and Liverpool have beaten us. The bigger worry is the points we drop against our rivals, those so called six pointers. Only against West Brom have we really come out on top. Five of our remaining 12 games shall be against the top 5, and I can't see us recrreating positive results, then you've got the added confidence knockdown and our inferior performances in six-pointers as mentioned to worry about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colos Short and Curlies Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Started at 1, staying at one. In we trust (to paraphrase the scousers) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ExiledGeordie Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 There are enough fixtures left for us to get enough points. This weekend against the Trotters is huge a win there would really set us on our. I still fancy us to get something against the likes of Arsenal at home and the final few home fixtures plus some of the away fictures provide enough opportunity. Martins and Viduka plus Owen on his way back is huge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I don't think it'll happen but all you need is a couple of bad decisions and some bugger doing a "miracle run off the bottom" and it could be nasty - if we could score I'd be happier got 3 the other week Before yesterday we'd scored in every single home game. We're the league's eighth top scorers, with Everton scoring just one more and Arsenal five. For all that's gone on, scoring really hasn't been an issue so I've no idea where Rob is coming from. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowen Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Still a 2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. Everton were decimated by injuries in midfield that's why they couldn't win yesterday. Saying that so were we, so fair's fair. Started with a 3 and it still seems a good judgement. We won't go down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leazes.ender Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 7.5 (moving upwards) We're a team that can't break teams down that come to defend at SJP, so winning the Pompey, Fulham and smogs games becomes difficult evidenced in Stoke, Wigan, Bolton games - 5 points. Mancs, Arse and Chelsea at home are there for us to try an exploit teams who come and play football against us. Likely to involve a couple of heavy beatings but maybe Arse there for the taking if we fight them for it. Evidenced in Villa game - 0/3 points Away from home we're likely to get picked off by everyone so maybe looking at sneaking a win somewhere and another draw - 4 points Will 9 keep us up, doubtful and we'll be depending on others. 12 might still be tight though. Yes there are plenty of worse teams but they'll start flighting for it an i'm not sure we can or know how to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midds Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. Our record against the top six has so far been good though. Only Arsenal and Liverpool have beaten us. The bigger worry is the points we drop against our rivals, those so called six pointers. Only against West Brom have we really come out on top. Five of our remaining 12 games shall be against the top 5, and I can't see us recrreating positive results, then you've got the added confidence knockdown and our inferior performances in six-pointers as mentioned to worry about. Would you rather play the best teams in the league or the worst on the run-in? Granted, we've struggled to beat them so far this season but I'd still rather play the shite sides than the best ones. Getting tonked by Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool won't decide if we stay up or not. We need to win another 3 games and pick up a couple of draws and I think we'll do it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I don't think it'll happen but all you need is a couple of bad decisions and some bugger doing a "miracle run off the bottom" and it could be nasty - if we could score I'd be happier got 3 the other week Before yesterday we'd scored in every single home game. We're the league's eighth top scorers, with Everton scoring just one more and Arsenal five. For all that's gone on, scoring really hasn't been an issue so I've no idea where Rob is coming from. And the defence has kept some impressive clean sheets. The problem is that when we score, they score - the slightest step up from the opposition and we capitulate, that's our big problem. If Lovenkrands had scored yesterday, Everton would have too, I've no doubt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElDiablo Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I don't think it'll happen but all you need is a couple of bad decisions and some bugger doing a "miracle run off the bottom" and it could be nasty - if we could score I'd be happier got 3 the other week Before yesterday we'd scored in every single home game. We're the league's eighth top scorers, with Everton scoring just one more and Arsenal five. For all that's gone on, scoring really hasn't been an issue so I've no idea where Rob is coming from. And the defence has kept some impressive clean sheets. The problem is that when we score, they score - the slightest step up from the opposition and we capitulate, that's our big problem. If Lovenkrands had scored yesterday, Everton would have too, I've no doubt. Yeah, wasn't surprised yesterday that we actually looked less likely to concede with 10 than 11 men. We seem to not know what to do at the start of games, whether to defend or attack and that shows up as we usually do neither and get caught out at the back. If we were to play like City under Sven - defensive but looking to break at the first opportunity I think we'd be fine. It's just this uncertainty that fucks us over. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewellander Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I think that the teams with worse goal difference will be at a more severe disadvantage. I don't think we'll be relegated, but I have a feeling that we might get saved by our not-as-bad-as-could-be goal difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sicsfingeredmong Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. And that 6th best team was without it's top midfield creator - Arteta - for more than 80 minutes, and devoid of it's no.1 goal sneak in Cahill. Cahill is one those players who has unnerving habit of breaking a deadlock in a game's closing minutes, especially against an outfield who sets it's stall out to defend. He has often been the so-called man of the moment at Goodison, when a visiting side has looked to hold-out for a draw late on. He would've been a danger man/a threat on the weekend, 2nd half in particular. His movement into the box eventually catches a defensive-minded outfield out. All it takes is a momentary lapse in concentration, for somebody to not pick him up one those runs into the box. And for an outfield who has spent a considerable effort - physically, and mentally ie. positional discipline - that is the time where it's most vulnerable to a Cahill/Scholes type. Our outfield - down do it's defensive approach/mindset after Nolan's sending off - was always going to be capable of limiting Saha and Jo's effectiveness and stood a decent decent chance of holding out without the above mentioned players onboard. Saha isn't quite the player he once was, the athletic ball carrier & shooter who could worry teams outside the box and Jo imo is reliant on an ammunition provider. Jo isn't the a-typical creative/floating Brazilian forward, or somebody comparable to Robinho. Not a player capable of dropping back into the hole, to produce something purely off the dribble. Opportunists - especially off-the-ball - of Cahill's ilk, and those who are willing to drift inside to gamble & create in the so-called hole - of Arteta & Ronaldo's calibre.... and i'll throw Robert in for good measure - are greater threats than an upfront striking tandem, that is against a centrally compressed outfield whose central players are more conscious of providing cover inside the the box while the wide-playing midfielders are prepared to put in a purposeful defense shift/cut-off the angle's to the crossing positions nearer to the bylines. A ten man outfield is more conscious of taking out that particular 'One-two punch', they'll give up the deeper positions as the trade-off. A compressed & deep defending outfield will chew up the deep crossing game all game, as mentioned before it's a fair trade-off for a ten man outfield defending fro it's life, and Everton lacked the keys needed to unlock this defensive trade-off. Be it those keys being just two aforementioned elements. Circumstances played massively in our favour imo, and that was down to who wasn't on the park........ especially after the 7/8 minute mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp40 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I think that the teams with worse goal difference will be at a more severe disadvantage. I don't think we'll be relegated, but I have a feeling that we might get saved by our not-as-bad-as-could-be goal difference. wait till weve played man u, before celebrating our goal difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Libertine Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 1 There's far worse than us in this league. The 6th best team in the country couldn't beat us with a man extra. We'll stay up because there's at least 5 teams worse than us this season. And that 6th best team was without it's top midfield creator - Arteta - for more than 80 minutes, and devoid of it's no.1 goal sneak in Cahill. Cahill is one those players who has unnerving habit of breaking a deadlock in a game's closing minutes, especially against an outfield who sets it's stall out to defend. He has often been the so-called man of the moment at Goodison, when a visiting side has looked to hold-out for a draw late on. He would've been a danger man/a threat on the weekend, 2nd half in particular. His movement into the box eventually catches a defensive-minded outfield out. All it takes is a momentary lapse in concentration, for somebody to not pick him up one those runs into the box. And for an outfield who has spent a considerable effort - physically, and mentally ie. positional discipline - that is the time where it's most vulnerable to a Cahill/Scholes type. Our outfield - down do it's defensive approach/mindset after Nolan's sending off - was always going to be capable of limiting Saha and Jo's effectiveness and stood a decent decent chance of holding out without the above mentioned players onboard. Saha isn't quite the player he once was, the athletic ball carrier & shooter who could worry teams outside the box and Jo imo is reliant on an ammunition provider. Jo isn't the a-typical creative/floating Brazilian forward, or somebody comparable to Robinho. Not a player capable of dropping back into the hole, to produce something purely off the dribble. Opportunists - especially off-the-ball - of Cahill's ilk, and those who are willing to drift inside to gamble & create in the so-called hole - of Arteta & Ronaldo's calibre.... and i'll throw Robert in for good measure - are greater threats than an upfront striking tandem, that is against a centrally compressed outfield whose central players are more conscious of providing cover inside the the box while the wide-playing midfielders are prepared to put in a purposeful defense shift/cut-off the angle's to the crossing positions nearer to the bylines. A ten man outfield is more conscious of taking out that particular 'One-two punch', they'll give up the deeper positions as the trade-off. A compressed & deep defending outfield will chew up the deep crossing game all game, as mentioned before it's a fair trade-off for a ten man outfield defending fro it's life, and Everton lacked the keys needed to unlock this defensive trade-off. Be it those keys being just two aforementioned elements. Circumstances played massively in our favour imo, and that was down to who wasn't on the park........ especially after the 7/8 minute mark. you say all that but how many of our key players were out too? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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