Other Matches - Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th August, 2018

[Stan]

Fulham 1-0 after 4 mins. Seri with the goal.

[Stan]

just seen Seri's goal. Quality strike.

[RandoEFC+]

Fulham now leading 3-1 with Mitrovic scoring twice in three minutes. Three shots on target, three goals against Hart.

[Stan]

Burnley suffering from Europa League syndrome.

[RandoEFC+]

Don't reckon they'll go down but reckon Burnley will be bottom six.

[Stan]

4-2 Fulham! Hopefully they hold on.

[Stan]

Seri's hit today... 

 

[RandoEFC+]

Joe Hart's like fuck off I'm trying to save my tattered goalkeeping career here mate.

[Dan+]

Burnley have had an absolutely shocking start.

[Burning Gold]

Just seen Maguire's goal for the first time. From the excitement on here, I was expecting something much better than a shot that obviously took a deflection and then was allowed to trickle in due to a very poor piece of goalkeeping.

[RandoEFC+]

4 minutes ago, Burning Gold said:

Just seen Maguire's goal for the first time. From the excitement on here, I was expecting something much better than a shot that obviously took a deflection and then was allowed to trickle in due to a very poor piece of goalkeeping.

If Van Dijk had scored that goal then you lot would have awarded him this year's Ballon D'Or already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Burning Gold]

3 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

If Van Dijk had scored that goal then you lot would have awarded him this year's Ballon D'Or already.

If van Dijk had scored it, he'd quite rightly be embarrassed to even claim it

[RandoEFC+]

1 minute ago, Burning Gold said:

If van Dijk had scored it, he'd quite rightly be embarrassed to even claim it

If he's not embarrassed by that weird facial hair of his, or his behaviour at Southampton when a club (can't remember who) were tapping him up, then I doubt he'd be embarrassed by that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Burning Gold]

3 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

If he's not embarrassed by that weird facial hair of his, or his behaviour at Southampton when a club (can't remember who) were tapping him up, then I doubt he'd be embarrassed by that.

I'm sure he's embarrassed by the ugliness at Southampton, but he's past that now that he's joined a proper club that does things the right way.

[Dan+]

It's clearly Maguire's goal. How can anyone seriously think otherwise?

[Stan]

9 hours ago, Burning Gold said:

Just seen Maguire's goal for the first time. From the excitement on here, I was expecting something much better than a shot that obviously took a deflection and then was allowed to trickle in due to a very poor piece of goalkeeping.

Forgive our excitement at scoring a winner in the last minute from a centre back from 25 yards out. A centre back that never scores like that and is totally unexpected. Next time I'll sit in my seat, not celebrate, and ignore we picked up 3 points. Sorry. 

[Burning Gold]

11 hours ago, Dan said:

It's clearly Maguire's goal. How can anyone seriously think otherwise?

Who said it wasn't?

[Dave]

I don't think enough attention is being paid to just how poor West Ham have been under Pellegrini. Listening to the quality Jonathan Pearce was quick to jump down the throat of the Arsenal defence, but there was no where near the level of intensity and scrutiny towards this dismal West Ham side. Arsenal have it pretty cushty for the next seven games so it's a great opportunity for Emery now to figure out his best teams going forwards.

I must confess, I did feel slightly dirty picking Richarlison in Fantasy Football after my criticism of the fee. So i got what I deserved. However, there is no escaping the fact here that Everton are the victims of abysmal English officiating that allow shit rag teams to stay in this division. Whilst Richarlison's conduct was unreasonable, why is nobody taking the time to find out what was said to make him behave like that? Then there was the ridiculously soft penalty for Bournemouth, then nothing for Everton when Cenk Tosun was manhandled by a player completely our of his depth. Every other week this seems to happen on teams like Bournemouth's favour.

I remember when Hojberg arrived to Southampton and everybody was talking how he's destined to go on and play for a top six club. Even if he does go on and win various trophies elsewhere by improving dramatically, that dive will never leave him. Honestly, what was he thinking when already on a yellow?! On a side note, what a man Harry Maguire is. Destined to become a hero to Leicester fans this season. It's taking time but they seem to slowly buying in to Puel's approach.

I think we saw the two worst teams in the divison when Cardiff faced off against Huddersfield. Ideally of the two
I would want Huddersfield to bottom because at least Cardiff made efforts to score. What let them was poor service. With Harry Arter every game you're guaranteed a late tackle that makes you think "he's lucky not to get a yellow" and a shot from 25 yards out that is embarrassing to watch.

Im surprised Fulham clicked as well as they did against Burnley. Seri is going to be a massive player for them this season, and they have some great quality ahead of him. This defence could really benefit from Alfie Mawson's leadership qualities though.

[Danny]

38 minutes ago, The Palace Fan said:

I don't think enough attention is being paid to just how poor West Ham have been under Pellegrini. Listening to the quality Jonathan Pearce was quick to jump down the throat of the Arsenal defence, but there was no where near the level of intensity and scrutiny towards this dismal West Ham side. Arsenal have it pretty cushty for the next seven games so it's a great opportunity for Emery now to figure out his best teams going forwards.

I must confess, I did feel slightly dirty picking Richarlison in Fantasy Football after my criticism of the fee. So i got what I deserved. However, there is no escaping the fact here that Everton are the victims of abysmal English officiating that allow shit rag teams to stay in this division. Whilst Richarlison's conduct was unreasonable, why is nobody taking the time to find out what was said to make him behave like that? Then there was the ridiculously soft penalty for Bournemouth, then nothing for Everton when Cenk Tosun was manhandled by a player completely our of his depth. Every other week this seems to happen on teams like Bournemouth's favour.

I remember when Hojberg arrived to Southampton and everybody was talking how he's destined to go on and play for a top six club. Even if he does go on and win various trophies elsewhere by improving dramatically, that dive will never leave him. Honestly, what was he thinking when already on a yellow?! On a side note, what a man Harry Maguire is. Destined to become a hero to Leicester fans this season. It's taking time but they seem to slowly buying in to Puel's approach.

I think we saw the two worst teams in the divison when Cardiff faced off against Huddersfield. Ideally of the two
I would want Huddersfield to bottom because at least Cardiff made efforts to score. What let them was poor service. With Harry Arter every game you're guaranteed a late tackle that makes you think "he's lucky not to get a yellow" and a shot from 25 yards out that is embarrassing to watch.

Im surprised Fulham clicked as well as they did against Burnley. Seri is going to be a massive player for them this season, and they have some great quality ahead of him. This defence could really benefit from Alfie Mawson's leadership qualities though.

West Ham have been shit for a while now though, mix that with a new manager and new signings and I think it's going to be expected.

Their attacking line up can be class and I think they'll come good eventually, but then again they could just stay on the same path they're on now.

[RandoEFC+]

8 hours ago, The Palace Fan said:

I must confess, I did feel slightly dirty picking Richarlison in Fantasy Football after my criticism of the fee. So i got what I deserved. However, there is no escaping the fact here that Everton are the victims of abysmal English officiating that allow shit rag teams to stay in this division. Whilst Richarlison's conduct was unreasonable, why is nobody taking the time to find out what was said to make him behave like that? Then there was the ridiculously soft penalty for Bournemouth, then nothing for Everton when Cenk Tosun was manhandled by a player completely our of his depth. Every other week this seems to happen on teams like Bournemouth's favour.

I'm glad someone that's not as biased as me feels this way. Watford are similar and after they played you this weekend I'm sure this had no bearing on your assessment of Bournemouth .

For me, Bournemouth play an almost cynical type of kick and rush football. Solid defence with a load of fast midfielders and strikers that link up with simple passes. There's not much philosophy or flair about what they do and I personally don't like it, but it has proven to be effective. Eventually they'll get sussed out though.

What troubles me more is the reaction to the Richarlison and Smith incident. Richarlison was foolish and naive, but he's a 21 year old lad who let his emotions get the better of him a little bit and he's been slated up and down the country in match reports. I'm not saying he shouldn't be criticised as he knows he's almost certainly getting his marching orders for that and he's let his team mates and our club down, but his offence there was a human reaction that can happen to anyone if they're being wound up by an opponent which he clearly was.

Take Smith though, there was some justice in the second half as he was somewhat harshly sent off himself, but I haven't heard a word against him regarding the Richarlison incident. It's totally cynical play and the prime example of what has turned football from a competitive sport to almost a soap opera, where tricking opponents in situations like that, deceiving referees, putting your leg in the right place to make sure you get a penalty and play acting, is rewarded over skill, determination and actually trying to compete, actually trying to stay on your feet and score a fucking legitimate goal instead of screaming on your way to the floor to try and get a penalty for your team and or a red card for your opponent.

10 years ago, if that incident had occurred, everyone would have laughed at Smith and called for a ban for trying to deceive the referee. Even worse, if the roles were reversed and the young Brazilian had over reacted to try and get the English defender sent off, people would have been screaming about the gamesmanship these young South American players are bringing to the Premier League and ruining our sport. Nowadays, it's become so accepted that if the roles were reversed now, the shithousery and acting has become so accepted that that double standard wouldn't even exist and if the roles were reversed, people would be calling Smith rash and naive and not criticising Richarlison at all.

I'm depressed about how football has changed in my lifetime and I'm only 25. I dread to think how our senior fans on here think about it and wonder whether or not I'll still be able to watch even Everton games when football goes full soap opera in another 20 years.

TL;DR - it's really depressing that Richarlison gets slated up and down the country for being a 21 year old who slightly lost his temper in the middle of a game but nobody even  bothers to mention or criticise the blatant cynical behaviour by Adam Smith to wind him up and trick him into getting sent off because that behaviour has just become accepted in the modern game now.