Bournemouth v Everton

[GrantyBoy78]

Surprises me there is so much talk about performances already, it’s far too early into a new manager’s tenure to judge how we’re playing. It takes months and a few transfer windows to get a cohesive team together. And it’s not like the players he’s working with are his. Half these lot won’t even be here next year. Actually, this team will look completely different in 6 weeks when we’ve made a few signings and players are back from injury. The new players coming in will need time to settle and it might even take until next season before we see the best of them. And the squad is on its arse; Sam essentially said the other day that DCL is shattered and shouldn’t be playing but Niasse is shite.

It’s not like I’m an ardent Allerdyce supporter but anyone who’s played footy at a half decent level (I played for Boston, Hitchin  and Cambridge City #bigtime, I know) knows how hard it is for a club to transition between managers with differing philosophies. Compounded by the change being made, midsession.

I’ll hope for an upturn in performances in the new year but I won’t truly judge him until after he’s brought in his own players and had a preseason. That would be my outlook regardless of whether we had Pulis or Guardiola in charge.

That said, if we’d had Baines, Coleman, a fit Bolasie, Barkley and a proper striker playing against West Brom, the performance would’ve been better, regardless of the manager’s approach.

[GrantyBoy78]

The way we approach games against the top 6 tells us how far away from them we are. We don't even attempt to have a shot on the opposition goal, which for a team generally recognised as the 7th best team in the country is a pretty sad indictment of the quality of our league.

That’s the same for all leagues isn’t it? Never understand when people talk about the poor quality of the Premier League. Even the poorer teams have international players on very good wages. I read an article a little while ago that said 3/4 of players in La Liga players earn less than €15k p/w and clubs like Las Palmas, Elche and Leganes pay their players (on average) €5k p/w. Is that a strong league? If those players were any good surely they’d be over here?

[Gash]

The wages are a reflection on the obscene amount of money floating around the Premier League rather than a gauge of the quality on show. There's some very average players in the Premier League and even the Championship earning money way beyond that of their ability.

[KoemansNumberTens]

The wages are a reflection on the obscene amount of money floating around the Premier League rather than a gauge of the quality on show. There's some very average players in the Premier League and even the Championship earning money way beyond that of their ability.

Exactly. English footballs new found wealth has just seen them spend more on the exact same standard of player

[BlueForYou]

Cannot help what the profession earns, beyond our control - the going rate is the going rate and if they are overpaid, that's their luck, however obscene

If us fans don't like it, we don't have to support them or the game

[KoemansNumberTens]

Cannot help what the profession earns, beyond our control - the going rate is the going rate and if they are overpaid, that's their luck, however obscene

If us fans don't like it, we don't have to support them or the game

I think the point is they are overpaid compared to other leagues not as a profession. So rather than overpaying we should just pay better players from elsewhere the money instead.

Wages and transfer fees in English football are rising.... standards are not

[blue1948]

I think the point is they are overpaid compared to other leagues not as a profession. So rather than overpaying we should just pay better players from elsewhere the money instead.

Wages and transfer fees in English football are rising.... standards are not

I think a lot of the overpaid players are the ones from elsewhere .

[GrantyBoy78]

The wages are a reflection on the obscene amount of money floating around the Premier League rather than a gauge of the quality on show. There's some very average players in the Premier League and even the Championship earning money way beyond that of their ability.

But surely if those ‘very poor players’ could be replaced with ‘good players’ from Spain, on a third of the wages, why wouldn’t teams do it?

[Gash]

But surely if those ‘very poor players’ could be replaced with ‘good players’ from Spain, on a third of the wages, why wouldn’t teams do it?

I said "very average" not poor.

I don't know, you'd need to ask the scouts and managers about that, although if the story you read is true then it is a surprise that the Premier League and Championship isn't awash with Spanish players? All I was saying is players wages doesn't necessarily mean that it's a better quality of league, it just means there's more money to pay better wages.

And I've completely lost track of what any of this has to do with Bournemouth v Everton?

[Lxxx]

I think the league appears less competitive than it used to be because we now have a top 6 whereas previously we had a strong top 2/3 and then the rest. So every week unless top clubs are playing each other we see half a dozen games which resemble attack v defence. So what on one hand is held up as a symbol of the competitiveness at the top of the league appears on the other to show a very poor 2/3 and then the big clubs.

But yeh, we should at least be having a go at Bournemouth and not thinking a point is a good result.

[TheTone]

Another away game in a hectic Xmas period is tough going for any premier league team

Would be happy to come away with a point like

[Sir Stealth]

In the spirit of the season, Oh Yes They Do!

There’s excuses being made about our attack for some reason, ignoring the fact we’re the 8th highest scorers in the league and Bournemouth have only won 2 of their 10 home games all season.

We’re supposed to be one of the form teams in the league, unbeaten since Allardyce came in 6 games ago, if we or the players can’t feel confident right now about an away game to Bournemouth who are 18th in the league without a win in 8 games when can we?

Well can I express that I will be disappointed if we don’t win this one?

I will take an awful performance full of drab football with a 1-0 win

This could make me part of the problem though!

[BlueForYou]

I'll settle for 28 pts going into the new year - draw it is!

[Ross]

Well can I express that I will be disappointed if we don’t win this one?

I will take an awful performance full of drab football with a 1-0 win

This could make me part of the problem though!

Got to be honest Stealth I think we need at least an attacking game plan come what may considering our next 3 games.

If the obvious plan is to win by attacking a poor defence with an awful home record and come away with nothing I’ll be cucumber. But if we go there and mimic the last two awful drab performances we’ve seen it’ll infuriate me because there’s clearly nothing to be concerned over looking at their home record and goalscoring capacities.

Honestly if we don't go for it in this game you might as well set an Everton alarm for the end of January and hope Allardyce gets some bollocks for the West Brom game on the 20th.

[therealdunc]

Do you know we are playing premier league Bournemouth, not non league Bromley?

This talk that somehow if we attack them they will fall apart and we win. That’s not based on any sense of reality.

An ageing Defoe would walk into our team.
They will start the match with the best finisher on the pitch.