Everton v. Charlton 01.22.05 [R]

[sarabella]

Another must-win for us. We lost 2-0 not even a month ago but I think we can beat them, as long as Wright keeps it together. We looked decent without Gravs in midfield, and perhaps Beattie will be closer to being fit.

No tv this time. I'll be listening from the official site, so I'll be happy to keep everyone up-to-date on the happenings at Goodison.

Go Toffees!

[yasik19]

Another must-win for us. We lost 2-0 not even a month ago but I think we can beat them, as long as Wright keeps it together. We looked decent without Gravs in midfield, and perhaps Beattie will be closer to being fit.

No tv this time. I'll be listening from the official site, so I'll be happy to keep everyone up-to-date on the happenings at Goodison.

Go Toffees!

Hasn't it only been one game since you lost Gravesen?

[sarabella]

Yes, we tied Boro without him. Should be an interesting few weeks to see if we can really handle it without him. I'm not sure that we can.

[yasik19]

Yes, we tied Boro without him. Should be an interesting few weeks to see if we can really handle it without him. I'm not sure that we can.


The reason i was asking is you said that Everton is doing well w/out Gravesen, almost like you already played half a season w/out him, so i thought i'd be mr.smarty pants and point that out. However, imo, and first of all, let me just say that your team is doing absolutely fantastic. I do think it will be a lot harder now w/out Gravs, but i believe Moyes is a good enough coach to handle it. That said, i hope you finish 3rd or 4h in the league and make CL and then play Real next year and beat them, so Gravesen would look like a fool.

[Rocket]

The reason i was asking is you said that Everton is doing well w/out Gravesen, almost like you already played half a season w/out him, so i thought i'd be mr.smarty pants and point that out. However, imo, and first of all, let me just say that your team is doing absolutely fantastic. I do think it will be a lot harder now w/out Gravs, but i believe Moyes is a good enough coach to handle it. That said, i hope you finish 3rd or 4h in the league and make CL and then play Real next year and beat them, so Gravesen would look like a fool.
I think you're overestimating Gravesen's importance to Everton.

Here's how Everton did while Gravesen was a Toffee:

2000-01: 16th
2001-02: 15th
2002-03: 7th
2003-04: 17th
2004-05: currently 4th

[sarabella]

The reason i was asking is you said that Everton is doing well w/out Gravesen, almost like you already played half a season w/out him, so i thought i'd be mr.smarty pants and point that out. However, imo, and first of all, let me just say that your team is doing absolutely fantastic. I do think it will be a lot harder now w/out Gravs, but i believe Moyes is a good enough coach to handle it. That said, i hope you finish 3rd or 4h in the league and make CL and then play Real next year and beat them, so Gravesen would look like a fool.
Now those are some lofty goals. First, Champions League is going to be damn near impossible for us. Our first major injury of the season (Martyn) is costing us and, honestly, I believe that Gravs was the heart and soul of this team. Moysie will do his best, and he's a terrific coach, but I don't see us finishing 3rd or 4th.

IF we can pick up a few more players in the next 10 days, we MIGHT have a shot at qualifiying for UEFA. I know I'm being pessimistic, but this was a team that was supposed to be relegated before the season started and we just lost our best player. We have greatly exceeded everyone's expectations, but how long can we really keep it up? I'm a realist.

[Rocket]

I'm a realist.
I think you're being too pessimistic, Sara.

The 6th place team gets a UEFA Cup spot if the League Cup winner qualifies for the Champions League, and right now that looks very likely since Chelsea, ManUtd, Liverpool are League Cup semifinalists.

So to get knocked out of Europe next year, we'd probably need either Charlton (10 points behind) or Spurs (11 points behind) to overtake us. Not too likely, I'd say.

As for the Champion's League, the bookies give Liverpool a 50% chance at getting 4th place and us a 30% chance. Those seem like reasonable guestimates to me, so saying that making the CL will be "damn near impossible for us" is a bit of an exageration, IMHO. :)

[sarabella]

I'd be soooooo happy to finish above the Shite. Maybe I am being too pessimistic. My pessimism has kept us in the top 4 most of the season. :D

[sarabella]

Yobo's back on the bench since Ossie is fit again. No other changes to the lineup.

Wright in goal
Pistone Stubbs Weir Hibbert on defense
Cahill Osman Carsley Kilbane in midfield
Bent Beattie up front

[sarabella]

hehe, I love these announcers.

"With a win today, Everton can open up a 10-point gap against the... uh... erm... neighbors across the park."

You know he was thinking what we all were. The Red Shite. :D

[sarabella]

Ohhhhh.... We almost scored off a corner. Weir's header cleared off the goal line. Should have been a goal!

That's really the first action of the game. We aren't playing bad, though, so that's a good sign.

[sarabella]

Frustrating game. We haven't had much possession and the atmosphere is flat. We haven't really given them anything to cheer about though. I believe Weir's header is the only shot on goal. Beattie might have gotten close once, but my audio cut out.

[sarabella]

Bent sends a header over the crossbar. Gosh this is a snoozer. C'mon boys! Let's get it together!

[sarabella]

Pistone nearly puts it in the net off a corner, but it was superbly blocked by a defender. Stubbs sends the rebound into the park end. That was a real chance for us.

Our set pieces have looked surprisingly good this game. I thought they would have fallen to crap without Gravs.

hehe, the announcers just joked that if that one had gone in, perhaps Real had taken Carsley instead of Gravesen by mistake. Carsley's handling of the set pieces have been really well placed.

[sarabella]

Stoppage time - Matt Holland puts Charlton in front by beating Wright in the top left corner. Nothing he could do about that one.

[sarabella]

HT 1-0 Charlton

A disappointing first half. I hope Davey can fire these guys up, or we're screwed.

[sarabella]

Big Dunc replaces Bent at the start of the second half. Interesting move, considering that elbow he delivered in the last game against Charlton.

[sarabella]

OMFG! Osman feeds a great ball to Beattie, who hits the INSIDE of the post and it bounces back out. Of all the frickin luck...

[sarabella]

Carsley? What is UP with him this game? He's been spectacular. Hey Dave_M, we need your avatar back! :D

[sarabella]

Yobo on for Pistone. God this game sucks. 3 minutes to go. Why can't we beat London teams???