Hats off to Everton

[brite blu sky]

i used to avoid watching the Toffees at al costs, but recently i have seen them play Arse, Chelsea, Us and now the rags.

and i have to say in all honesty i am well impressed by them. Today v rags they pretty much played like they did against us ( only the rags gave them a lot more of a game than us ). What seems really key to the way they play apart form the sheer hard work of challenging everything and closing down the space, is that they play with a relative calmness about them that starts at the back. Many many times today the RB or LB or some DM used their skill on the ball to calmly win challenges and then move a couple of yards forward and leave the oppo player behind. Virtually no just hoofin it out of the danger area.

For me this is exactly what we are lacking at present, and it is frustrating that our players have the skill to play much more composed than they are doing. While great teamwork is required to get somewhere on the pitch, it is first and foremost about players gaining space. What they are clearly doing at Everton is having individual players taking responsibility to initially create a momentum and that extra half a yard for themselves by outplaying their man. The fact that they have the confidence in themselves and trust in each other do that against good oppo is impressive.

Simply put as individuals they win the ball and move forward straight away opening up space.

this is a key difference to the way i have seen our players go about their business recently

[Sister of fu]

I am happy that they won today but I'm concerned that they are having one hell of a surge that could see them joining the top 4 party and if I'm honest there in better form than any of the teams challenging. They are now 8th and closing!!

[Fidel Castro]

They've got a great midfield. Good to watch at times and like to get stuck in as well

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I am happy that they won today but I'm concerned that they are having one hell of a surge that could see them joining the top 4 party and if I'm honest there in better form than any of the teams challenging. They are now 8th and closing!!

Agree they are looking a very good TEAM but if they get to 4th place it would need a monumental failure from the teams above them.If they pass us it will be down to our failings more than anything and it just won't happen.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

I am happy that they won today but I'm concerned that they are having one hell of a surge that could see them joining the top 4 party and if I'm honest there in better form than any of the teams challenging. They are now 8th and closing!!

This is my fear as well, with us, Spurs and Liverpool not really running away with 4th and none of us really setting the league on fire with are play recently Everton really could catch up and push for 4th with the form there in.

[brite blu sky]

agrre with the idea they are right now one of the best teams in the league.. and last year they had a solid run in, so they know how to do it. I think like Doug though, we would have to cock it up badly to let them challenge for 4th.

i started the thread though with the idea of making comparisons to the way they play and it is something we could learn from

[btajim]

I've always respected what David Moyes is doing with Everton. There are situations where he's lost players like Rooney and Lescott yet he's got on with it and spent the money very wisely. Pienaar is a personal favorite of mine at the moment.

I don't wear a hat - but i'll nod along to the gesture.

[Mase]

Hats off to Birmingham.

[Beefymcfc]

Imagine where they'd be if we hadn't upset them with the Lescott episode? They might have stumbled a little during that period but they have certainly come on strong in the last couple of months to a point where they are only a couple of wins and a draw away from 4th.

I blame Hughes for this, Hats off to him!

[Ted Hughes]

I've been very critical of Moyes' hoof it & clog style over recent years but they played some decent football as well today, as they have in one or two of their games recentlly. They worked hard & showed an attacking attitude which was missing in our games v rags. They also passed it better than we've done since Christmas. In reality they could have scored more against the ineptitude of Brown & Evans. It shows what could & should have been when the useless liability Brown played against us, had we attacked.

I'm not worried about them catching us though, because if we drop that many points we're buggered anyway so it won't matter.

[BobKowalski]

Done well considering they were awful for months and everyone saying its time for Moyes to go but they were poor against a 10 man Liverpool which in my opinion they bottled. They start getting close to the 4th spot towards the end of the season and they will go the same way as the other teams currently battling it out for 4th and start funking it. As always the team that will win through is the team that is toughest mentally. Villa bottled it last year and Spurs bottled it under Jol and are currently doing so under 'arry. Liverpool are playing like dogshite and getting in enough results to get by with us pretty much the same. Whatever happens it ain't going to be pretty.

[Dingus McDouchey]

i used to avoid watching the Toffees at al costs, but recently i have seen them play Arse, Chelsea, Us and now the rags.

and i have to say in all honesty i am well impressed by them. Today v rags they pretty much played like they did against us ( only the rags gave them a lot more of a game than us ). What seems really key to the way they play apart form the sheer hard work of challenging everything and closing down the space, is that they play with a relative calmness about them that starts at the back. Many many times today the RB or LB or some DM used their skill on the ball to calmly win challenges and then move a couple of yards forward and leave the oppo player behind. Virtually no just hoofin it out of the danger area.

For me this is exactly what we are lacking at present, and it is frustrating that our players have the skill to play much more composed than they are doing. While great teamwork is required to get somewhere on the pitch, it is first and foremost about players gaining space. What they are clearly doing at Everton is having individual players taking responsibility to initially create a momentum and that extra half a yard for themselves by outplaying their man. The fact that they have the confidence in themselves and trust in each other do that against good oppo is impressive.

Simply put as individuals they win the ball and move forward straight away opening up space.

this is a key difference to the way i have seen our players go about their business recently

great post this. couldn't agree more.
one of my most hated teams now though. i hope we stuff them at our place.
glad to see fellaini will be out.

[Buffalo Soldier]

Played excellently today and are in a great run of form.

Would love to see us putting in a big bid for Rodwell in the summer. He's going to be some player.

[King Kev]

I really wish we had played our home game against them at the start of the season when they were shit. The more I see of them the more I think it will be a tough game when we eventually play them.

[Bingo Lewis]

How Everton are different to other teams in the PL is that they have no fear.
United are shit really. worst side they've had that i can remember, but its fear that wins them games. teams are shit scared of them, including us.
They've got the fucking eye of the tiger man, and we fucking need it too.

[BobKowalski]

How Everton are different to other teams in the PL is that they have no fear...

...unless they are playing Liverpool

...or playing Chelsea in the FA Cup final and go 1-0 in the first few minutes and then sit back waiting to get beat

Its easier playing with no fear when there is f**k all riding on the outcome. I'm a f**king master at Texas hold em when I'm using fake money. Real money and I'm a pussy.

The trick is to get a mindset where you can play without fear when everything is riding on the outcome. Then you have Champions.

[Ted Hughes]

How Everton are different to other teams in the PL is that they have no fear.
U***d are shit really. worst side they've had that i can remember, but its fear that wins them games. teams are shit scared of them, including us.
They've got the fucking eye of the tiger man, and we fucking need it too.

They usually are shit scared of the rags though & usually surrender, but today they showed what can be done if you go after the fuckers rather than fearing them.

[9secondlegend]

How Everton are different to other teams in the PL is that they have no fear.
U***d are shit really. worst side they've had that i can remember, but its fear that wins them games. teams are shit scared of them, including us.
They've got the fucking eye of the tiger man, and we fucking need it too.

said it for ages mate
100% agree

[s1ty m]

Not doffing me cap to them. I have a pathological hatred for scousrrs and that pile of shit top the lot.

[blootoof]

Not doffing me cap to them. I have a pathological hatred for scousrrs and that pile of shit top the lot.

^^THIS^^

Scruffy bunch of deluded scouse cunts. I hope that back garden den of theirs collapses on the lot of them one match(hopefully against Spurs)killin the lot.

Moyes escapes but a plank of flyin wood from that shit hole POPS both his eyeballs makin him run in front of an ambulance carrying a lucky scouser .....claret, fire and metal everywhere. They both die.

the end