How did Everton out-perform Aston Villa?
Rickmeister: A simple one for me....they have more mental toughness than we have. When the going gets tough Everton players will put up a fight, whereas we will often just cave in. We, arguably, have "better" players but we have no leadership.
You also have to give Moyes lots of credit for some superb buys and his willingness (albeit sometimes through injuries) to blood their promising youngsters, which is something that we have been too scared to do even though changes were needed.
returnofthemac: I think Everton have definitely bettered us this season. Moyes may have had longer to build his squad but unlike MON some of his purchases were from lower leagues...Lescott(Wolves) Jagielka(Sheff Utd) Cahill(Millwall) Pienaar (couldn't get a game with Borussia Dortmund) even Mikel Arteta was cheaper than Zat Knight, maybe his scouting policy is better than ours. But I still firmly believe if MON gets it right with 4/5 major signings then we can compete
SpookyUK: Just look at the way they took apart Fulham at the Cottage, when we were steamrollered by them a couple weeks previous. I also think they have been pretty consistent at home (after the first 3 months of the season), and dispatched the teams that we were unable to break down.
They also havn't had a proper 'bad run' this season in the way we have. They play as far more of a unit, score more goals from midfield, are more generally organised than us, have better tactics, have a 'proper' creative player in Arteta, have adapted better to losing key players, and imo have a much better playform for progression next season. They will be buying to try and compete with the top four, where as we will be buying just to compete with them.
Someone said on the BBC that we are a Newcastle waiting to happen next year, and I wouldn't rule that out if we don't replace Laurson with a proven international Centre back (forget Hangeland, he won't leave Fulham for us, and if he goes anywhere it will be for Arsenal), and replace Barry if he goes.
If we lose Young and he doesnt get replaced with Quality then I think we should be happy if we finish outside the bottom six.
The thought of Cuellar and Knight as first choice just gives me spasms, and with the loyalty that MON shows certain people, you'd be a fool to rule it out!. I argue with those who say you couldn't have seen the loss of Laurson coming, cos for me, it was inevitable, and I feel that MON should have had a constant plan to replace him....I spose this summer will be the proof.
Everton have a better manager too, somple as.....one example, in Jan, they needed a back up striker who can fill a gap, so they just got the job done, in comes Jo, and does a comparetantly good job for them at low cost. We buy a guy we don't need, where our need was blatantly elsewhere. Everyone with a brain knows MON is no tactician, and the transfer policy is wack, so what exactly is there to say about him in comparison to Moyes????
Finally, looking at the head to head this season I disagree with those saying we have been better just because of the results. They outplayed us both times at their place (with us somehow beating them 3-2 in the league I accept), but they spanked us in the cup, and we were very lucky imo to scrape a point at home thanks to a free kick and dodgy pen.
In summary, I don't think like many, that we have to look to get the people in to compete with the big four this Summer, I think first and foremost we should make sure we have the personnel to keep us in the divison (centre back, replace lost key players), and if we get that platform together, then we can go from there.
MON has a record of getting people in in area's we don't particulalry need them, and leaving gaping holes elsewhere. If he does that again this window, then you can kiss goodbye any chance of progress next season imo......
It feels good to clear your chest, even if it may not make you popular lol!
Ex-midlander2: MON's clueless & when he has the audacity to come out & say he has entertained the fans this season he is talking utter tosh.
The only claret & blue entertainers this season have been Burnley, West Ham & Scunthorpe.
Burnley played with great flair, each player looked comfortable on the ball & they have also rubbished the theory that clubs require big squads to succeed.
It wasn't just a flash in the pan neither because they have humiliated premier league sides in both cups & came within minutes of deservedly beating Spurs in the league cup semi final.
I can only see a grim future under MON and another wasted season especially with Petrov virtually assured of his place in midfield.
