PL Round 24 - Tuesday 8th February, 2022

[OrangeKhrush]

Dropped points to Burnley is probably in line with United in 22

[Stan]

Just now, LFCMadLad said:

In theory, yes, they are in a relegation battle because the table shows they are close to the relegation zone.

They won't go down though.

I said they probably won't. But @JoshBRFC suggested they weren't in a relegation scrap. I think they are

[Dr. Gonzo]

4 minutes ago, RondónEFC said:

Who are you trying to convince. 

You? 

[Dan+]

They're definitely in it. That's now 10 consecutive losses against sides outside the top 6.

[RandoEFC+]

One thing not in our favour is that Burnley, Watford, Newcastle, Brentford and Leeds still get to play Everton and we don't. I personally don't think that's very fair.

[JoshBRFC+]

12 minutes ago, Stan said:

They probably won't. But you can't deny they're in a relegation battle now given the form, defeat today, and points difference between them and 18th?

Naaaaaah they're not in a relegation battle, IMO  .

They've only just gone past the half way point in the season, this time in 10-15 games they'll be closer to the top half than the relegation zone.

[Dan+]

10 minutes ago, RondónEFC said:

One thing not in our favour is that Burnley, Watford, Newcastle, Brentford and Leeds still get to play Everton and we don't. I personally don't think that's very fair.

You've got us twice mind.

[RandoEFC+]

We are currently in a relegation battle, but the new manager has had two games, we beat a Premier League side on Saturday and lost to one tonight. These players have it in them when they can put together a half-decent offering. If we can get 4-5 wins and a couple of draws we'll be fine and we have the ability in the squad. Mentally we look piss-weak and going to St James's Park midweek when Newcastle themselves are desperate for a win, is a worst nightmare for us.

I didn't watch the game, but I'm going off the people who I usually listen to on social media and stuff, sounds like we were very bad tonight, but I do think that things will be different at Goodison. There was an even more toxic than usual atmosphere there for the first half of the season because of the managerial situation, the ill feeling toward the board and the absolutely turgid style of play. Now there's a manager the fans can actually get behind and a more attacking and possession based style of play on offer, we should actually have a home advantage again.

I'd be a lot more worried if we'd churned out another horrible 2-1 defeat or something to Brentford on Saturday but people are overlooking that result in their analysis of how much bad shape we're in. You also have to temper the use of "4 points in X games" or whatever it is. The previous manager was a tangible factor in that run of form and he isn't a factor anymore. You can't totally discount it as the players are a common denominator and there is no evidence on whether the new guy will make a positive or negative difference but we'll find out soon.

These players do have it in them, this is at least a mid table squad and we should see an upward trajectory as the players get more used to the formation and the new signings start to find their feet. And hopefully when the injury situation stabilises. Again tonight we missed Mykolenko, Doucoure, Godfrey, Calvert-Lewin and then lost Gray and Mina in the first half. It would be statistically incredible for us to continue being shafted this hard with injuries for the remainder of the season having already had Mina, Doucoure, Davies, Delph, Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin missing for long stretches of the first half of the season, amongst others.

The drop isn't impossible but I'm not too worried about it just yet.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

44 minutes ago, JoshBRFC said:

People are so reactive and dramatic aren't they. Ohhhh you guys.........

 

 

 

I'll give anyone whatever odds they want for a bet with me that Everton will not go down  .

This win for Newcastle has been coming.

$10 at 50 to 1?

[6666]

Hearing it was a MOTM performance from Zouma. Good for him and a good decision from Moyes.

[Lucas]

19 minutes ago, 6666 said:

Hearing it was a MOTM performance from Zouma. Good for him and a good decision from Moyes.

[Bluewolf]

Maguire is about as much use as a ladder in the desert... I really do hate that fucker, so glad he is having a shit time of it... 

[JoshBRFC+]

1 hour ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

$10 at 50 to 1?

Okay okay paying out 500 is a bit much  but I’ll give you….. 10/1. More than double than that what you’d get at the bookies  .

 

[Devil-Dick Willie]

I was actually being generous, you said any number and I chose not to bankrupt you haha. 

If Everton lose to Leeds, you're on!

[Dan+]

1 hour ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

$10 at 50 to 1?

Aye let me get on this!

[Honey Honey]

Massive win.

Thought in the first half the build up play was lacking but in the second Allan Saint Maximin turned up for the win. We could have so easily won 4 in a row now.

Trippier and Targett were very good. Willock is weird, played well only once we were winning. Chris Wood is a bit of a nothing player at the minute. Needs a goal.

 

Also is Pickford scatty every game, spoofing the ball as he gets rattled or is it just every time he plays at St James' Park? It certainly felt like at the start of the game he was trying to make it all about him and play the pantomime act.

[Honey Honey]

10 hours ago, 6666 said:

Everton have a game in hand but Newcastle are only a point behind them now after today's game. Considering Newcastle were terrible the first half of the season, that really is surprising.

Here's how

 

[Stan]

 

[RandoEFC+]

2 hours ago, Honey Honey said:

Also is Pickford scatty every game, spoofing the ball as he gets rattled or is it just every time he plays at St James' Park? It certainly felt like at the start of the game he was trying to make it all about him and play the pantomime act.

He isn't like that every game, but it's a part of his character that he can't help get involved with the pantomime-type stuff. He has pretty much ironed that out at most games. Sometimes it can be a good thing, like Liverpool away last season, obviously the stadium was empty but there was a lot of narrative swirling around following the Van Dijk incident earlier in the season and he had a brilliant game. You can also point to the penalty shootouts for England where he has become the centre of attention and pulled it out of the bag, so it can go either way. It seems that whenever it's Newcastle away, though, it always goes the wrong way. I didn't see the whole game but I did see the clip where Pickford yeeted a clearance straight up into the air and then Branthwaite took a swipe at it on the way down and it spun out for a corner. A very clear hallmark of a rattled team.

I don't think that will happen to us many more times this season because not every midweek do you go to an opponent who need to win as badly as Newcastle did last night, with the added atmosphere of it being a night match. We just need to make sure we do the same to other teams when they come to Goodison to balance things out. We've got it in us, we managed to do it to Arsenal even under the previous manager. 

[Waylander]

Burnley's equaliser yesterday was a beauty, new boy Weghorst turns two defenders in the middle and feeds Rodriguez for a clever finish.

Now Rodriguez never plays much and has a penchant for scoring the odd cracker, Weghorst looks a good signing.

Newcastle, watched some of this at 1-1 to 2-1, Trippier looked very good and Maximin working hard and also Wood providing knock-downs. Richarlison was making good runs. Match looked close.

Checked back in to see Trippier score that free-kick and Everton looked second best, mentally given up.

For me Newcastle will stay up.

Everton, Frank has work to do, can't be judged yet on a cup match and away match yet needs a win soon

 

 

[Lucas]

The only thing that surprised me was why Lampard didn't opt for Calvert-Lewin as his last sub when Newcastle went 2-1 up?

If he's fit enough for the bench, you'd assume he was fit to come on. If he wasn't, why was he on the bench anyway? 

I know Lampard brought on Van de Beek, nothing against his performance, but I found it a bit weird 2-1 down and you don't turn to your top striker.

[MUFC]

Looking at the Burnley game and Boro game. Both games we created enough in the first half to kill the game. Second half of games we looked fucked. Fitness is a real issue with this side. 

[Reluctant Striker]

I think if Everton ever do go down, it will be quite spectacular & slightly Villa style. 19th or 20th & some distance adrift. I do think they have too many good players who will want it enough to pull away this season.

If Newcastle pull off staying up, I guess it may be bad news for many sides with top half aspirations.

[RandoEFC+]

7 hours ago, Lucas said:

The only thing that surprised me was why Lampard didn't opt for Calvert-Lewin as his last sub when Newcastle went 2-1 up?

If he's fit enough for the bench, you'd assume he was fit to come on. If he wasn't, why was he on the bench anyway? 

I know Lampard brought on Van de Beek, nothing against his performance, but I found it a bit weird 2-1 down and you don't turn to your top striker.

He might not be fully fit yet. He already had a recurrence of his original long term injury then it was a new knee injury that ruled him out of the last game just 3 days earlier. A price worth paying if we get him back properly on Saturday for the rest of the season.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

On 09/02/2022 at 11:04, JoshBRFC said:

Okay okay paying out 500 is a bit much  but I’ll give you….. 10/1. More than double than that what you’d get at the bookies  .

 

So you gonna bank transfer me my $100? And was that in pounds or Euros?