Back from the Everton (H) game

[RoyalBlue]

One again, hundreds of our fans leave with 5 mins to go. WTF! Just unbelievable. (Saw a dozen or so leave with 10 minutes to go!)

They were probably Everton supporters giving up on their team soon after we took the lead!

The lack of our own self-belief was evidenced by the fact that no one dared sing 'How sh*t you must be, we're winning a game'!

[facaldaqui]

theres a whole thread of them on morrison, saying it was pointless keeping himn here, and tabbs been slagged all season, even when he plays well, even after yesterday, & on this thread

A lot of the more negative people have overlooked something that happens when a team gets promoted--and I mentioned the possibility a while ago--which is that some players progress up to the next level. Stephen Hunt did this last time: who would have thought this seemingly limited, bit-part playing bustler would turn into a premier player? We had all thought Convey or Little would be the wingers who made it. The beauty of this phenomenon is that it can't be predicted.

So far, this time, the signs are that Tabb and Morrison are, quite unexpectedly, becoming premier players. On yesterday's evidence, I now have hopes--and I never thought I would be saying this--that this might happen also with Hal Robson-Kanu. He's progressing very fast.

It is no longer fair to say that we are a championship team. Players such as Shorey, Pogrebnyak, and Roberts are proven premier players. Most of us think McCarthy is premier standard, too. If a few other players make the step up, then we are no longer a championship-standard side--we are a premier-standard side with championship players still in certain positions, some of whom might be replaced in the window to strengthen the side further.

[Royal Rother]

Spot on, which is why I detest knee-jerk reactions, conclusions, suppositions - football is not played by bloody computers. Form and confidence ebb and flow for individuals and indeed teams as a whole, and players develop and improve at different stages of their careers.

FIFA and other such fantasy games have a helluva lot to answer for.

[RoyalBlue]

Spot on, which is why I detest knee-jerk reactions, conclusions, suppositions - football is not played by bloody computers. Form and confidence ebb and flow for individuals and indeed teams as a whole, and players develop and improve at different stages of their careers.

FIFA and other such fantasy games have a helluva lot to answer for.

Given the age of quite a few contributors on here, I doubt FIFA and other such fantasy games have anything to do with the views they express. Far more likely to be views formed from decades of watching the game live.

[winchester_royal]

One again, hundreds of our fans leave with 5 mins to go. WTF! Just unbelievable. (Saw a dozen or so leave with 10 minutes to go!)

That has always been the case though. The stadium is in the worst possible place for 24000 fans to get away from. We do well to keep it to just a couple of hundred that go early.

always get up at the whistle, always home 3/4 of an hour later


really no excuse imo


people can do what they want, they pay their money, but dont use rubbish excuses

Depends where you live and your method of transport though brendy. The difference for me in journey time between leaving at the end or 5 minutes early is almost an hour and a half these days. Normally I'll stay to the end, but if I have somewhere to be on Saturday evening then I may not have a choice. This will be the case with quite a few fans who come from afar.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Fair enough if people have to mission it a long way home but sometimes when the game is on a knife edge I just don't know how people can go.

If some of us didn't have to walk round the entire stadium upon exiting that would be nice & save time too. I expect a few people in the East Stand leave early for that reason.

[Alphonzo The Zombie]

ferrrr werrr, aerrr laerrr, gerrr therrr ferrr ierrrr

Errverrrterrr, therrrr, werrr errrr berrr errr merrr ferrr cerrr

[Avon Royal]

To be fair, the traffic out of the stadium car park seems a lot better this season. Normally flowing by 5.20ish as opposed to 5.45ish last year. I only tend to leave early for midweek games now, as it changes the DATE that will get back to Brizzle.

[melonhead]

Just noticed we have only lost 1 league game in 7.

Just noticed we have only won 1 league game in 13. Long long way to go yet.

glass half full Vs glass half empty

[melonhead]

Real life affirming moment at the final whistle, all the better for being so totally improbable at half time.

I can't understand the "I'd rather we were in the championship" naval gazers, there's no result we could get in the championship that would feel better than that.

7-6 vs cardiff injury time winner after they were 6 nil up at half time?

[melonhead]

I was fascinated by the way we got back into the game yesterday. One factor, I think, is that, having been men against boys in the first half, Everton came out in the second half and underestimated us. But secondly, I gradually noticed in the second half that Tabb and Legs were starting to get some joy. I began to watch Fellaini and Pienaar in particular and I realised that they were getting worn down by the fact that Tabb and Ledge wouldn't leave them alone, like hyenas pestering gnus. Our boys won a psychological battle there and depleted their spirit.

Motty was saying last week that Everton could finish top four, but I rule this out now that I've seen cracks in the mentality of the likes of Pienaar, Jelavic, and the much vaunted Fellaini. Never-say-die is not just a cliché for us: it won us that game.

[winchester_royal]

Fair enough if people have to mission it a long way home but sometimes when the game is on a knife edge I just don't know how people can go.

Agreed, I could never leave a game like the one yesterday early, but not all of the 24,200 fans will be as passionate about football/RFC as those who frequent this forum..

[melonhead]

That has always been the case though. The stadium is in the worst possible place for 24000 fans to get away from. We do well to keep it to just a couple of hundred that go early.

always get up at the whistle, always home 3/4 of an hour later


really no excuse imo


people can do what they want, they pay their money, but dont use rubbish excuses

Depends where you live and your method of transport though brendy. The difference for me in journey time between leaving at the end or 5 minutes early is almost an hour and a half these days. Normally I'll stay to the end, but if I have somewhere to be on Saturday evening then I may not have a choice. This will be the case with quite a few fans who come from afar.

hence why i said, you can do what you want, ill not criticise, just dont bother with the shit excuses.

i climb over the seats and get out straight away while the rest queue on the aisles, and if i need to leave on time ill go down and find an empty seat near the front/aisle and get out as soon as the whistle blows.


and my 3/4 of an hour after the whistle applies to bus, or car
you just have to be sensible about where you park,+ how you exit the ground, and which way you drive
imo

[melonhead]

To be fair, the traffic out of the stadium car park seems a lot better this season. Normally flowing by 5.20ish as opposed to 5.45ish last year. I only tend to leave early for midweek games now, as it changes the DATE that will get back to Brizzle.

number 1 way to get home in quick time = not to park at the stadium

[melonhead]

anyway- a good game, decent 2nd half performance, and a gr8 result

didnt think we were totally awful first half, apart from their goal which was daft, and a few silly passes to the opposition.
they had some chances, but so did we, and we managed to get some decent crosses in etc.

2nd half was a proper reading game. in their faces, never gave them a moment.
constant threat going forward, and constant harrying when they had it which led to fellaini and pienaar looking half as good as wed let them look in the first half.

great stuff all over but as others have said, shorey, feds, morrison, tabb, HRK, and ALF did very well.

feds- 8 - could still command his box more(at all) but kept us in it
shorey - 8 so composed, so solid
gorkss - 6 poor for the goal, but didnt know where it had landed, occasionally shaky- simulation from their playersaved him conceding a penalty. but did alot of good stuff too.
morrison - 9 MOM immense, new favourite player
ledge-7did well, kept fellaini relatively quiet most of the time
tabb - 8 usual tabb stuff. gr8
HRK-8did well, kept going at them, and beat his man a few times, and got good ball into the box
jobi-6 worked very hard, but achieved little going forward
roberts-7very strong, very wily
ALF-8 2 goals, and dangerous/clever

[winchester_royal]

people can do what they want, they pay their money, but dont use rubbish excuses

Depends where you live and your method of transport though brendy. The difference for me in journey time between leaving at the end or 5 minutes early is almost an hour and a half these days. Normally I'll stay to the end, but if I have somewhere to be on Saturday evening then I may not have a choice. This will be the case with quite a few fans who come from afar.

hence why i said, you can do what you want, ill not criticise, just dont bother with the shit excuses.

i climb over the seats and get out straight away while the rest queue on the aisles, and if i need to leave on time ill go down and find an empty seat near the front/aisle and get out as soon as the whistle blows.


and my 3/4 of an hour after the whistle applies to bus, or car
you just have to be sensible about where you park,+ how you exit the ground, and which way you drive
imo[/quote]

It's not a 'shit' excuse imo though..

[melonhead]

id rather you just said oxf*rd off, ill leave when i like.
but its up to you


plus im not saying yours was shit- having somewhere to go and not havinga choice is pretty valid.

theres no way all the rest of the people are going to pressing prior arrangements though

[winchester_royal]

Just to be clear...I didn't leave early. And like the rest of you I was muttering obscenities under my breath at those who were leaving with 2 minutes to go...

Not sure why I'm explaining myself to you though, I'll go whenever I damn well please you fruit headed mong

[NattMiles]

Hate having to sit for a penalty, people behind go flipping mental if I stand...

[urzmikep]

Not sure if anyone's posted this link already, but a very interesting analysis from Everton on how and why we won the 2nd half and what they did wrong..............


http://theexecutionersbong.wordpress.co ... -collapse/