Everton v Aston Villa Pre Match

[Skerra]

No matter what our lineup is on Saturday, I just hope we can play for the 90 minutes and not just 45

[PaulWinch again]

I think we will lose and questions may be asked of Emery but y'know, we do gotta, like trust the process, remember?

If we lose to Everton, things are going to turn sour quite quickly I think. Two teams in Palace and West Ham after that who we don't have the best records against, either.

It’s not “must” win, but it’s definitely a “we really need to stop the fucking rot” type game. We could really do with a win, but it’s going to be tough. Everton are no good, but they’re a pain in the arse now instead of being pathetically weak.

[Brazilian Villain]

I think we will lose and questions may be asked of Emery but y'know, we do gotta, like trust the process, remember?

If we lose to Everton, things are going to turn sour quite quickly I think. Two teams in Palace and West Ham after that who we don't have the best records against, either.

It’s not “must” win, but it’s definitely a “we really need to stop the fucking rot” type game. We could really do with a win, but it’s going to be tough. Everton are no good, but they’re a pain in the arse now instead of being pathetically weak.

No souring for me. If we do lose, I'll be pissed off at boosting Everton's survival chances rather than losing faith in Emery and what he's trying to do.

However we're currently 40/1 to be relegated, the same odds as we are to finish top 6. The result on Saturday may give a good indication as to how the rest of the season shapes up.

[RamboandBruno]

I think we will lose and questions may be asked of Emery but y'know, we do gotta, like trust the process, remember?

If we lose to Everton, things are going to turn sour quite quickly I think. Two teams in Palace and West Ham after that who we don't have the best records against, either.

It’s not “must” win, but it’s definitely a “we really need to stop the fucking rot” type game. We could really do with a win, but it’s going to be tough. Everton are no good, but they’re a pain in the arse now instead of being pathetically weak.

No souring for me. If we do lose, I'll be pissed off at boosting Everton's survival chances rather than losing faith in Emery and what he's trying to do.

However we're currently 40/1 to be relegated, the same odds as we are to finish top 6. The result on Saturday may give a good indication as to how the rest of the season shapes up.

Agree with this. If we do lose and there is a souring towards Emery it says more about us. Unlike Gerrard i think its clear what Emery is trying to do.

Footy, makes some good points about Saturdays line up being telling, but i think Emery’s hands are tied at the moment with some areas of the pitch, in particular Konsa’s struggles with the passing out from the back.

[Rory]

Yeah, I don't think anybody is seriously questioning Emery.

Gerrard had good will after a positive start and despite a poor end to the season, we gave him the summer, and rightly so. I can only speak from my perspective, but I didn't think he'd start this season so badly.

Emery has a much greater pedigree, but finishing bottom half would be a disappointment. Not so disappointing that I'd begin to question him, but we really need to be finishing top half at the very least every season.

Lots of posters are referencing Brighton, Fulham, Brentford, but let's be realistic, they're just the latest in the tradition of: Burnley, Sheff Utd, Watford, Norwich, Swansea, West Brom, Bournemouth, Hull, Reading, Stoke, Small Heath, Wigan, Bolton, Charlton.

All teams who have outperformed us for a couple of seasons and fallen back. Brighton, Fulham & Brentford will do likewise.

All I expect is that we finish consistently in line with out transfer expenditure & wage bill. If that is only top 10, so be it, but if Etihad FC can expect league trophies on the basis of their obscene investment, I expect us to be ever-presents in the top half of the PL.

That's what we're paying for, and that's what we should be getting.

[RamboandBruno]

Yeah, I don't think anybody is seriously questioning Emery.

Gerrard had good will after a positive start and despite a poor end to the season, we gave him the summer, and rightly so. I can only speak from my perspective, but I didn't think he'd start this season so badly.

Emery has a much greater pedigree, but finishing bottom half would be a disappointment. Not so disappointing that I'd begin to question him, but we really need to be finishing top half at the very least every season.

Lots of posters are referencing Brighton, Fulham, Brentford, but let's be realistic, they're just the latest in the tradition of: Burnley, Sheff Utd, Watford, Norwich, Swansea, West Brom, Bournemouth, Hull, Reading, Stoke, Small Heath, Wigan, Bolton, Charlton.

All teams who have outperformed us for a couple of seasons and fallen back. Brighton, Fulham & Brentford will do likewise.

All I expect is that we finish consistently in line with out transfer expenditure & wage bill. If that is only top 10, so be it, but if Etihad FC can expect league trophies on the basis of their obscene investment, I expect us to be ever-presents in the top half of the PL.

That's what we're paying for, and that's what we should be getting.

I think thats a good assessment Rory. I like to give managers time and wasn’t one of those calling for Gerard’s head early, but it was pretty clear as early as Palace away that the unravelling that had started after the Leeds away win, was never going to end under him.
When Emery was appointed i thought biggest appointment since BFR, but thinking about it, i don’t think we’ve ever appointed a manager with his track record, not in my lifetime anyway. He has to have time, but your right a below top half finish will be disappointing.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think things going sour is massively over the top.

Nobody is about to turn on him after a run of bad results that includes the two best teams in the country.

[Risso]

I think things going sour is massively over the top.

Nobody is about to turn on him after a run of bad results that includes the two best teams in the country.

Not turning sour as turning against Emery, just this bunch of players unable to get out of a slump when things start going badly. We saw it with Smith, we saw it with Gerrard, and we're now not far off seeing it with Emery. Obviously all Emery can do is see what he can get out of them for the rest of the season, but it's looking like we might get sucked back into the relegation battle if they don't pull their socks up quickly.

[Chris Smith]

I think things going sour is massively over the top.

Nobody is about to turn on him after a run of bad results that includes the two best teams in the country.

Not turning sour as turning against Emery, just this bunch of players unable to get out of a slump when things start going badly. We saw it with Smith, we saw it with Gerrard, and we're now not far off seeing it with Emery. Obviously all Emery can do is see what he can get out of them for the rest of the season, but it's looking like we might get sucked back into the relegation battle if they don't pull their socks up quickly.

It seems highly unlikely that we’ll be in a relegation fight, it needs 7 clubs all to improve at the same time over 15 games regardless of what we do. We’ve lost 3 games but 2 of them were against the best two clubs in the country which distorts things and helps create the narrative of a club in trouble.

[Smithy]

I said before the Leicester game that we needed something from that match, or in three games time our form would look very different, and the fans might start getting restless.  Unfortunatley, we didn't, and they have.

Playing the top two in the league on consecutive weekends hasn't helped matters, and kind of distorts our current run of form, but it is becoming increasingly important to get that "feel-good" factor back again.  We are more than capable of beating our next four opponents, who are all below us in the league, but 12 points from four games is probably asking for a bit too much (prove me wrong, Villa, please).  We probably need 9 from 12 to keep our rapidly vanishing European dream alive, but I'd take 7 points from the next four if we see signs of improvement in the performances at the same time.  It would be great to get the first three of those points against Everton, but with their new manager bounce, it's probably the toughest game in this mini run of fixtures.

If we lose, I fear for what this place will be like.  I'm going 2-2.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I think things going sour is massively over the top.

Nobody is about to turn on him after a run of bad results that includes the two best teams in the country.

Yep. Although there’s a difference between fans turning sour and fans asking valid questions about how we lost the last 3 games on the bounce, conceding a bag full of goals in the process, and despite taking the lead in 2 of them.

But I think we’ll win tomorrow anyway.

[Dave]

If we lose, I fear for what this place will be like

Probably pretty grumpy, but I'd imagine it wouldn't break the top hundred forum meltdowns we've had following a bad result.

[SoccerHQ]

The players really shouldn't be chucking the end of season in.

We have loads of winnable matches left. Win 7/8 and we'll be in top half for sure.

Even win on Saturday and we'll be 4 points off Brighton who've been 6th recently.

Dosen't really say much for them if we have similar end to last season when we won 2 of our last 11 games.

Think Emery had it right after Stevenage when he said a few of them didn't seem to have the ambition and are stuck in their comfort zone. Last 15 matches they should be really showing they want to still be here next season under a multiple trophy winning manager.

If we play to our best we'll win tomorrow and also beat Palace and Bournemouth at home so up to them.

[TaxDodger]

Four points from this and Palace at home and all will be fine again.

[Martyn Smith]

I think we'll just edge this one 1-2