blueforyou wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2023 7:51 pm
Highly unlikely that any of the bottom three will reach 30 points at the end of the season, more likely 20, 25 max
We could be safe by the year's end!
Let's just hope we don't get that 12 point deduction. If we can avoid any drastic punishment, then I think we should comfortably secure our PL status for another season.
I don't think we'll get a 12 point deduction but if we do looking at the bottom three we'll still finish more than 12 points ahead of them. We're already 8 ahead of Luton, 9 ahead of Sheffield Utd and 10 ahead of Burnley. That's massive gaps for clubs averaging half a point or less per game after 12 games. Even if we do get the 12 point deduction there's a good chance we're already 12 clear of them by the time it happens.
First season where we stayed up on the Palace match, I felt like that was fair enough. Norwich and Watford were miles off whilst you didn't look at Burnley and think that they should be staying up either.
We got unbelievably lucky last season. If Leeds, Leicester or even Southampton had made sensible decisions in terms of their manager position then we'd be in the championship this season and we truly should have been relegated last season.
Feel like we've had a lucky escape and hopefully building something to move away from those sort of relegation battles. Our first XI currently is a premier league standard football team even if it's not a brilliant one. I do think Dyche is the man to do, I just think he'll taste a lot of people's patience along the way.
I know Dyche has gone on a fair bit about effort, commitment etc., being important to Evertonians - and getting criticised for it at times - but it is a fact. We also like some decent footy too, and listening to his interview after Palace he did mention we were poor playing through the lines etc and need to improve so there is hope there could be some decent footy to come. There have been glimpses in some games.
Thinking back to Howard’s 80’s teams, they could be direct as fuck at times..
My hope is that he’s started from scratch and as we are getting better at the basics and confidence increases, we may see him start to add more to our game. I’m ok with it now though, especially given the last two years.
He’s growing on me a bit too I guess, albeit slowly. Bar was set pretty fucking low though with him following Lampard and Benitez
There's another thing that I noticed is no longer mentioned, despite people regularly complaining about it for years: that we are soft, we are pushovers.
We seem to have stopped allowing ourselves to be bullied. Granted, that's not exactly a footballing achievement but I 100% believe it comes from the manager.
Dyche is one of the most underrated managers in the league, just the same as Lampard was one of the most overrated. Not sure if it stems from his gravel voice, or if it’s because Burnley aren’t fashionable, or because the football he had to play at Burnley was a bit more direct.
Either way, what he has done with Everton this season can be counted as some real meaningful progress in all areas.
The squad has a better balance, the players on the pitch are all playing with confidence and know their roles, tactically we are switched on, and we aren’t a soft touch any more.
At this stage of our recovery, it’s as good as I could have hoped for, and all credit to Dyche (with a little to Thelwell as well).
