19 Jul 2017 21:44:32
Question for ed025 is he's about? Just after your opinion mate, obviously other reds jump in with yours aswell guys.

Basically I do love the opinion of other fans (especially rivals) and Just wanted to know in regards to next season do you see Everton getting closer to Liverpool in terms of league position and results against them?
In my opinion I don't Think they are a million miles away but feel we do maybe have an upper hand, although I do think Everton will be a very tough team to beat next year I expect them to break into the top 6 and potentially win a trophy, I think Everton fans would be over the moon with that? but to do that I think they may need to break this hoodoo at anfield then they could also break his trophy hoodoo aswell.
For ourselves It may be an ask but I'd love to win a thropy, get inside the top four again (maybe push towards the league) and have a decent run in the champions league that to me would be a perfect season.
Anyway to conclude I think maybe in a couple years Everton and Liverpool may be neck in neck and it would be great for the city if both teams were doing well in my opinion do you agree? Part of me would love it but dread it too!
Anyway cheers for any opinion and have a good night all eds and reds.

{Ed025's Note - i hoping we do dilldog, our squad is definitely improved and its koemans team now as opposed to martinez,s cast off,s, we are not finished yet and i expect at least a couple more will come in, we have in the past been unable to compete financially with the big boys but now it seems those days are behind us and i dont think there is much between our two teams, i also expect liverpool to strengthen and so it will be game on mate..

1.) 19 Jul 2017
19 Jul 2017 22:12:06
If Everton and Liverpool are neck to neck in 2 years then it means Liverpool has not progressed at all! Just like Arsenal and Spurs now!

2.) 19 Jul 2017
19 Jul 2017 22:28:26
Good post.

Credit where credit is due, I'm not just a Liverpool fan but a football fan and it can't be ignored at how well Everton has done this window, fair play to them. Of course it does my head in, in a way. I see people say they wouldn't have them players at Liverpool, but it's not Liverpool is it. Everton identified who THEY wanted and went out and got them and it has improved their squad, there's no doubt about it (apart from Rooney) .

I envisage Everton been 'up there' with the rest of the top teams. As much as it pains me.

Scary thought isn't it? - in this league you have to spend money, without money your nothing, they have done incredible so far least they;ve got who they wanted with no hassle.

Exciting times for you ed25 mate.

3.) 19 Jul 2017
19 Jul 2017 22:43:43
Cheers mate, I do appreciate the reply. Another thing I meant to add was it's also good they're doing this business early as the plays can mould through pre season and what not. either way it's going to be interested times for both clubs. Only looking upwards.

4.) 19 Jul 2017
19 Jul 2017 23:22:53
Personally I think in a couple of seasons Everton will finish in the top 4!

And then with a bit of luck they'll get back into the Premier League through the play-offs. 😏.

5.) 20 Jul 2017
19 Jul 2017 23:54:57
Losing Lukaku will cripple them. If they kept hold of him and added all these players, top four was on.

6.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 00:05:47
A lot has been made of Everton's new spending power but considering they just got 75m for Lukaku they haven't really spent anything on top of that.

7.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 00:13:39
I wouldn't see Everton as a top 6 threat right now though I stand to be corrected and that can only be in how the season pans out. It could be a make or break season for their manager though.

I believe that it is all about how the team / squad gels together and I will be honest I feel if Liverpool were to recruit more than 3 or 4 effectively first team players in one season following Klopp already having had established a decent team spirit, that it couldn't damage more than support an improvement.

I guess I am saying that the more you bring in the more the man management / motivational factor that is required has to kick in and work pretty quickly.

I am not saying that the Everton manager is not capable of generating that gel required but I am saying that with many new players it remains to be seen how effective he can be in that regard. After spending clubs tend to be less tolerant of no quick wins and positive effects of transfers as do fans so I expect early indications to be do or die for the manager. There is expectation and expectation provides pressure!

8.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 00:16:28
Fowler top 4 was never on. Not in a million years. Are you telling me their squad is better than any of Chelsea, Spurs, City, Liverpool, Utd or Arsenal?! Not even close mate. They have some decent players but ultimately are they any better than Southampton, West Ham, West Brom even perhaps Newcastle? No they are not and they are trying to introduce half a team of new players, non of which would get into the starting teams of any of the teams mentioned above. This Everton love in really is ridiculous they are miles away.

9.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 00:25:02
Quality over quantity anytime for me. LFC have tried throwing money at lots of players but under Klopp, there definitely has been a shift towards quality.

I think the for Everton, like Ed025 says, it's Koeman's squad now, they have spend the money, and now they need to show it through their performance.

10.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 00:57:16
Losing lukaku is a blessing for Everton, glad he has gone United - Everton will play better without him.

11.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 01:17:15
I'd like to see Everton rise again but I don't see how selling your best player and top goal scorer and replacing him with 4/ 5 mid level players closes the gap. It's the same thing Liverpool did when Suarez left and Spurs when Bale left, neither team was better for it.

12.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 03:17:18
If we get Keita and VVD, then the toffees will be too scared to even step onto the pitch in the Merseyside Derby (mark my words) . The game will have been won by us before the match has even begun (like it has since the beginning of time) .

13.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 05:16:11
Leicester's squad was terrible relative to the top 6 and they won the league. So it shows anyone can do it. Yes they had a couple of good players and in a year where the top 6 all exploded! But the point is that it gives hope to everyone in the league about where they might finish.

What is interesting about this post is that if Everton makes top 6, who misses out?!

14.) 20 Jul 2017
19 Jul 2017 22:22:14
I remember we selling Suarez and buying so many. now you guys sold Lukaku and bought so many. Let's see what comes of it.

{Ed025's Note - the difference is that we have bought quality xpert, you bought mediocrity mate..

15.) 20 Jul 2017
19 Jul 2017 23:31:50
Sorry Ed but Everton are nowhere near competing with the big boys. You've not even broken your transfer record in a market where everyone is with each signing they make and have signed players with potential which we know too well is a very tricky business. There is a massive difference between the 2 squads too. You don't have any players anywhere near the quality of Coutinho, Mane, Salah, Firmino, Lallana, Henderson. I'd say the only positions you're better than us is your fullbacks. I really do feel that you will struggle this season and will be around mid table behind Southampton and West Brom and around West Ham and Newcastle. Sorry mate but I just think that's where you are. Expect Koeman to be under massive pressure come the end of the season or even before.

{Ed025's Note - you are of course entitled to your opinion HT even though your logic is flawed, you are bigging up players there who are very overrated imo and if you dont think the likes of keane, pickford, baines, coleman, and gana walk into your team then your red tinted specs need upgrading mate...not to mention klassen and sandro who may also usurp your perrenial under achievers..

16.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 07:01:50
Walk into our team? Most of those - no I don't think so! Some (the full backs in particular, who have been with you a while and were performing better though a few years back now) may offer a challenge, granted, but definitely not walk straight in. I actually think Klopp may have gone full throttle after them (the new ones, who surely would have preferred CL football) should he and the LFC hierarchy thought so also.

Maybe we all have our clubs colours, tinted glasses right?

{Ed025's Note - very much so LKD, logic goes right out the window when it comes to our own mate...but i bet my dad can fight yours.. :)

17.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 07:14:33
I am not knocking Everton by the way. I think they have a decent manager and I think a decent enough squad. I just don't think (and yes that's Just a personal opinion) It is a 2017/ 18 top six squad. Can the manager turn it into one either next season or, more realistically, thereafter - remains to be seen. But if he can then I expect his and the players marketability to then increase rapidly and it all changes then. The bigger clubs struggle to hold on to diamonds - the toffees are not going to outdo them in that regard - it would be waving bye bye to short lived romance.

{Ed025's Note - the thing is LKD that its all relative to the optimism that comes with the start of every new season, im sure that when everton lose their first game that i like most will be asking for the sacking of koeman and for players to be sold and the chairman to resign..its just the nature of the beast mate, like it or not we are all very fickle and thats not going to change anytime soon, but in the end we will always be great and your lot crap otherwise we will all go around wearing them bloody awful half red half blue scarves mate.. :)

18.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 07:15:47
Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Jordan Pickford are good singing, and Pickford would get in are team ed025. but the hardest thing about football is scoring goals. so you do still need to replace Lukaku as Rooney I think is a bit like when we signed Fowler back ok for a squad player but not good enough to score the goals you need to get top 6. but I do see spurs struggling this year playing there home games at Wembley. very big pitch and the way they play like us that is lot of ground to cover so if you get another forward I can see you finishing above spurs.

{Ed025's Note - sandro ramirez grino?...he could be the new improved lukaku mate never mind who else joins the royal blue revolution..

19.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 07:34:35
Lol - good answer Ed! And I can't compete!

But my dad, I will have you know, was a pretty decent fighter when he was alive 20 years ago.

{Ed025's Note - mine has been gone 8 years now and i come from a dynasty of lovers not fighters mate.. :)

20.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 07:52:41
😊👏!

21.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 08:07:46
So you are hanging your hat on Sandro Ramirez ed? Like I said mid table. He's a kid who's had one season in la Liga and scored 14 goals. I'd say he's about as good as Solanke who will struggle to get in our match day squad. You've just proved my point.

{Ed025's Note - sandro scored his goals against the likes of barca and real madrid though HT, solanke was playing for chelsea reserves against the likes of coventry and luton...massive difference mate..

22.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 08:22:29
Most important is how they Everton Identified thier targets, got them in early and implemented a plan. For me that speaks volume.

23.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 08:59:22
Who they played against has little relevance Ed but he also scored against the likes of Granada who are about as good as Coventry and Luton. We will see but I'm expecting another Luis Alberto, talented player but not top 6 quality. You simply can't compare him to Firmino, Mane, Coutinho etc. As for Keane, Klaasen and Pickford! 😂 Keep dreaming!

{Ed025's Note - time will tell HT but you may just be surprised mate..

24.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 09:03:07
In short Ed the only 2 players you have that could 'walk' into our side are baines and Coleman and we'll have to see about Coleman after his injury (which I was gutted about BTW nobody deserves that) .

25.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 09:08:55
Happy Tappy, Leicesters squad wasn't better then any of the teams you mentioned mate and they went and won the league.

There's no 'Everton love' it's a little respect for what they have accomplished that's all mate.

Hounsred - they have spent more then 75mil.

26.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 09:14:32
Teabag, I agree with most of your post but to say without money you are nothing in the premier league is a bit overboard don't you think? Look at Leicester.

27.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 09:15:17
The spending was just the lukaku money. Where's the fellani money haha.

No improvement.

Few changes here and there but same old.

Walsh fails under pressure. Better when no-one knows who he is. Apart from professionals in the game who respect him.

Lcfc after title win. Blew money. got money again blew it. Think he's better being shrewd.

Everyone of your signings is just an ok player some for stupid money.

Keane. Average. Klassen is utter tosh. Pickford is just young and English so deemed a good buy. Sig is average. Sandra apparently is good. Bowler average. I think your just happy you have spent money. Like us after Suarez. It will end in tears and koeman gone by Feb. Sorry bud.

Lost 25 goals a season. Swapped Barkley for someone who not much better. Added a midfielder to an already bloated position. Keane is he any better than jags? Sandra. I remember when we signed aspas came with about the same reputation and off a similar season.

Nowhere near us in afraid. Not because where much better just that your recruitment has been so poor.

Honeymoon period for first 6 games then it will level out to simply missing lukaku.

Better to face reality now than to dream of anything better than finishing 6th to 10th.

28.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 09:22:04
It's that Sandro lad who I think's going to be decent.

29.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 11:38:15
Those mocking Evertons signings need to think carefully about how they've gone about their business and who they have brought in.

First of all the comparisons with us make no sense - Suarez, before he left, was an absolute monster. Giving everything week in, week out, phenomenal work rate, creating goals from nothing, etc etc he was an enigma. Lukaku was not that. When he could be bothered he was a force to be reckoned with but how many times did he simply drift through games barely breaking a sweat? And let's not forget a lot of his goals were created for him by those around him. True you need someone to finish chances, and he is very good at that, but his influence on the team was far less than Suarez's on ours.

As for Evertons signings? Sandro is a snip for the price they paid. Will he score as many as Lukaku? Perhaps not, but he will get goals and he will fit in well. You also have the young Ademola Lookman who looks a real prospect with pace to burn - another player who will grow. I think it's clear that Everton have adopted a clear policy with regards to transfer and are implementing it quietly and efficiently. I think top 4 might be a stretch as everyone is strengthening this summer and not just with minor additions but they will cause problems - I don't think Lukaku is going to weaken them much: and to get 75million for the lazy git? Impressive negotiating skills, never worth that much in my opinion - especially when Morata goes for 60.

In short I'm quite worried by our local neighbours this season - they're building something long term and, unless we get our acts together, we could be adding them to the list of teams we're competing with for Europe.

30.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 12:50:32
Joes treble - I can't argue with that mate. Having said that, how many times does such a season like that happen? it's very rare mate, the majority of the time it's the 'top teams' up there who have spent the dosh.

31.) 20 Jul 2017
20 Jul 2017 17:55:25
Teabag, you are absolutely right mate. although Leicester was a major exception they proved that it's not about marquee individuals but more a case of togetherness and belief.