coachpotato

Isn’t it about time we concentrated on signing some decent back room staff? Players worth millions are worth fuck all when they’re injured or unfit, and we appear to have a bigger problem than most keeping ours fit and injury free, especially after last season when things seemed to improve with the help of that data analytics company who’s name I can’t remember.

Other than the cost of the ground being an issue, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone did come in to buy them. Sleeping Giant doncha know!

I think he has a superiority complex, I think he actually believes he has been instrumental in piloting one of the giants of the game over the last thirty years or so, otherwise, why would you make those ridiculous comments about a famous club asking “what Everton would do?”. Self aggrandising old thespian. I also believe it was he who told Moyes about the Peoples Club bollocks, I’m almost certain Moyes mentioned it when he joined them.

We’ve always been wasteful, even with Mane, Firmino and Salah at their best we missed loads of chances, but we made so many that it was often more than enough to see off most teams. That isn’t the case now though.

Arsenal’s biggest problem might be their manager. Arteta is almost combusting in every game I’ve seen them in this season, and the closer they get to the end of the season, the more the pressure will build, especially on him. His mentor has a history of bottling the big games by over analysing and changing his team around, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Arteta followed suit. Also, if Odegaard gets injured for any length of time, that’ll be massively bad for them, as he makes them tick. City will prioritise the CL but should be able to keep it going in the league given their squad and it’s strength in depth.

When you’re suffering a loss of form as a team, the senior pro’s are the ones that are generally looked at to set examples and make a difference, to produce something that’ll make a difference, that’ll maybe grab a win when it’s not deserved or a draw when a loss is likely. Mo is one of the players but he hasn’t really been at it since Mane left in my opinion. It isn’t the done thing to criticise Mo in some quarters, and given his goal scoring record, that’s easy to understand, but when the going is tough is when you want to see the bit of brilliance from your best players, and we haven’t had that privilege too many times this season unfortunately.

Pitch seemed very wet, hence the players falling, usually when trying to turn, yet the sprinklers were on at halftime.

I think the negativity is more borne of frustration, not just of how this season has gone (which it has, poorly) but also because even though we’ve been up there challenging and winning shiny things, many could see there wasn’t enough investment in keeping the squad at the top. That’s not to say that there hasn’t been any investment, of course there has, but specifically the centre back situation a couple of seasons ago and the current midfield situation, which a lot of fans were calling well before they became issues. As with many on here, I’ve seen us win everything except the Cup Winners Cup and over the decades I’ve had my money’s worth. Fuck me, being in Istanbul was worth every penny I and my family have spent alone. I’ve no doubt top four is within our grasp if we get our shit together, but it has to be said, currently, it’s looking a tad problematic.

Never underestimate the Dark Side.

Arsenal are a good side, but I’d sooner City win it easily as then it would be situation normal, and pretty soon there’d be the realisation that maybe this isn’t good for brand Premier League? How can you have over half of the richest 20 clubs in Europe in your league and the same side wins it easily every season? Even the dullards around the country might start thinking City have an unfair advantage.

That was a refreshing change. Given it was Wolves, we shouldn’t get too carried away, but certainly more like it and great for the young players who were, along with Milner, our better performers. Great goal from Elliot to top it off.

Every club in the UK has, to some degree, always had owners whose money gives, or has given them, advantages over other clubs in buying players, expanding grounds, or any other area where finances matter in football. The clubs used to be owned by, or had directors who were, the richest local business men, now they’re owned by the richest individuals, companies or states worldwide. It’s long been a business and not been a “sport” for decades in the way it has been run, and having bent cunts like Blatter at the very top has meant the corruption has filtered down to where match officials and players are accused of corruption as well. I don’t like it much, but have always felt (naively?) that my club was different and went about participating in a reasonably honourable way, hence the quotes at the bottom of my musings. The ownership of our club has been constantly held to account by a high proportion of our fans, and we can hold our heads up I believe on that score, whereas other clubs fans have accepted their owners without much objection as long as the shiny things were being won or big players being signed, objection only being heard when that hasn’t been the case or the club has been in financial trouble, relatively smaller clubs in the lower leagues are no different, the proportions are however. We are at a point where to compete it seems clear we have to have owners to compete with the other owners in terms of financial might, it’s that or gradually fall behind in terms of winning things, other than those competitions the “big” clubs can’t be bothered with, something we ourselves have done recently, apart from last season. The only way other than that is for the authorities to bring about some form of order where there’s a levelling of the playing field (FFP’ish control, properly implemented) or the clubs themselves self control (ESL’ish control, properly implemented) but across the whole game and not just the clubs who have the biggest budgets. That is very unlikely to happen, given how far the greed train has gone already, so the choice is stark. Whoever owns your club you keep turning up, or you don’t. There was a saying somewhere that Football Will Eat Itself, well the meal is well and truly underway.

Really hope you’re right. Could have a major boost for the rest of the season.

At first I thought Madrid were trying the old “rope-a-dope” trick allowing Barca to have the ball and then hit them on the break, but gradually I realised Barca’s midfield were all over Madrid and their only chance was to get the ball to Vinicius Jr and hope he might do something or find the isolated Benzema, a bit like in the final against us in some ways. Needless to say both sides were giving a really great demonstration of the art of simulation when they were breathed on, but Barca eventually scored 3 times in pretty clinical style, reminding me a bit of us a couple of years ago when our press used to get the ball back high and we sprung the defence to knock the ball in from close range. Ah well, never mind. Glad it’s not Barca we’re playing soon, they’d destroy us, Madrid are still technically excellent, still shithouses, but they aren’t any better than the final and if anything Kroos and Modric weren’t as effective but then, our midfield and defence aren’t either.

Unfortunately for Elliot, he’s playing in a team now that is so different from the team he made his debut and return from injury in. Then, he was assisted by superior play around him, now he’s not and his deficiencies are glaring. He isn’t on his own there of course, and there’s still the chance he can develop into the player we hoped he would, but the situation isn’t helping him at all and his confidence won’t be helped either.

Wouldn’t be surprised in the least if we lost to them. We are the definition of deflated at the moment and there doesn’t appear to be any answer coming from management or the players. We really need the injured players back, as we don’t look as though the cavalry is coming over the ridge anytime soon.

Fosters a siege mentality.

Everton’s new boss after De Tory then. Poch to Chelsea too.

Yep, Spurs drew at Chelsea in a bad tempered game as I recall, that left the door open for Leicester. Bit like this season in terms of nobody had a really consistent run other than Leicester and we were average.

Leicester mk2?

I agree with that, but in Chelsea and City’s cases, they have much more depth in their squads and both played fewer games than we did. Our drop off started before the end of last season in my opinion, which is why we failed to win the two major trophies, particularly in the CL final we weren’t firing on all cylinders, even though we probably deserved to win it. I also think the cumulative efforts from the squad over the last four or five seasons has had a toll. You can only ask players to “go again” so many times.

Although city don’t have a weak squad, it was amusing to see Guardiola put on his heavyweights in the second half and, apart from them bullying the ref at every opportunity and roughing up Southamptons players, having little effect overall. The first time in 16 quarter finals Guardiola has lost one, according to Sly. They hardly had a shot on goal either. Trust us to turn to shit as they do.

Can’t say I’ve seen much of him, but surely if you are loaning players out, it should be with the proviso that the player will get games fairly regularly? Seems like the move to Aberdeen has been positive, and Scottish football is fairly robust in terms of physicality, so augurs we’ll for him to be given a run in the first team at some point? Could save us millions. *gets coat*

Not all the good guys play for us. Sad news.

Repped for the positivity.