Arsenal: Almunia, Hoyte, Djourou, Senderos, Karbassiyoon, Pennant, Edu, Flamini, Smith, Lupoli, Van Persie. Subs: Cregg, Fowler, Jordan, Larsson, Owusu-Abeyie I wonder how this group of 2nd stringers would do on their own in the Premiership. Mid-table perhaps?
Bollocks, hate to sound pessimistic, but i believe this is the start of the slip off Cloud 9 and back to the normal Everton.
Don't get too pessimistic. You lost to Chelsea and Arsenal. No fault there. Cloud 9 is not necessarily top 3, but maybe, more realistically, top 6. Lots of teams are playing worse than you guys...
I'd rather concentrate on finishing in the top 6, to be honest. The Carling Cup doesn't mean anything. Europe will let us keep Gravs and bring in more revenue. And despite our recent losses, I think top 6 is possible barring some major catastrophe.
It probably won't happen, let's be realistic here, i've been an Everton fan for 13 years i think i know
As most share brokers say in their disclaimer: "The past is not a guide to the future!" So cheers up eh
How do teams qualify for UEFA anyway? Where does Everton have to finish in the Premier Leage to have a chance at UEFA?
1st - 4th -> Champion's League 5th + FA cup & League Cup winners-> UEFA Cup 6th and 7th -> Intertoto Cup (although England never sends teams to this ... I don't know why, just send your reserve squad for goodness sake)
that's true it's worth remembering tho that if a club wins either the FA or League cup AND qualifies for the Champions League/UEFA by virtue of their league positioning, then the catchment for UEFA cup qualification will drop down the league a further place. soo...if Arsenal/Chelsea finish 1st/2nd in some order and each win a cup, a team finishing as low as 7th will be guaranteed UEFA Cup football next season. considering Chelsea in particular are choosing to put out strong teams in the League Cup, this can only be good news for Everton. I'm not bothered about going out of the League Cup to be honest, I'd rather have 3 points at the weekend. with a squad the size of ours, we can't realistically mount a challenge on several fronts, tho it's nice to dream.