benjii

Just saw Promes and Gameiro sharing a bucket at Portswood KFC. It's on. #3pm

FFS.

A shambles like we saw against Arsenal last year will just ruin any positive atmosphere created on Sunday and ramp up the pressure on the BHA game as well. A result against Watford and beat Brighton and suddenly we go into the next game on the back of a good spell of form.

The Brighton game is Wednesday night. There are three completely clear recovery days in between, plus Wednesday. Plenty of recovery time and if we win we are only two rounds away from a semi-final at Wembley. Although we're in the relegation zone, we're only something like six points off ninth place. I say, go for it. By all means rest a few in terms of considering accumulated fatigue and possible suspensions but the attitude that we shouldn't be bothered is to my mind just plain wrong. What's the point of being here supporting Saints? Let's win something. We've seen what happens when you finish near the big boys - you just get picked apart; so let's go for it. A bit of luck and a favourable draw... you never know.

See what Everton's revenue looks like next year once Usmanov's sponsorship money starts coming in. It's also worth noting that we haven't filed accounts covering last season. Our last filed accounts covered up to 30 June 2016. I presume these Deloitte figures must be estimates based on broadcasting deals and publicised sponsorships, along with extrapolations based on previous performance. Some of the less transparent deals which aren't publicised probably aren't taken into account as without detailed audited accounts there's no way of knowing what the details are.

I do. Assuming we can stay-up, which I don't think a cup run will have a negative impact on, then a good cup run could actually make this an enjoyable season.

Yeah, to the clubs above us whose revenue is much bigger.

It's the vicissitudes of broadcasting revenue what done it. Europa League and League Cup run. At the end of the day, our wage bill will be a big whack of revenue (60%+ I expect) and we obviously have other costs so we won't have oodles of money swishing about, although evidently the team is underperforming this year. A rational analysis of the figures won't stop the usual dullards from giving it the "where's the fackin money gone then?!", "asset stripping, mush!".....

Programme about him on 5live now.

I don't think you were persistent enough. You should post more.

Oh yeah, if we lose against Brighton we're favourites to go down.

Lallana

It's too early to worry too much about other results, especially as it is so congested. It's very hard to predict who the final bottom three will be. We have enough games left to get the points that will keep us up.

Good plan. Play Hojbjerg deeper, give Boufal a start in the number ten role. Maybe play Davis or JWP instead of Lemina as he has previously been nursing that knock. Other than that, I would pick our "best" team, other than giving Yoshida some match time if he's fit. Getting Gabbi or Long scoring is more important than giving Obafemi game time.

Good one Virgil.

Agree, he was someone I enjoyed listening to. His voice is easy to conjure up in the mind.

Schneiderlin got relegated from the Championship. He obviously grew a lot as a player afterwards but I wouldn't focus on that. That said, no idea whether he is any good or not!

Yeah, that's how it has always been, which is why the ref made an error. If you kick, with the top of your foot, the back of someone's leg who is running away from you with the ball you will get booked unless you have denied a goal scoring opportunity and then you might get sent off. If they don't have the ball you will get sent off. If it goes beyond a robust trip/knock on the back of the leg and is a studs-up / two footed / dangerous etc. you will get sent off. I'm not saying it's correct but if that red card had stood it would have massively blurred the lines under the current way the laws are applied. There is a case for introducing some sort of "orange" offence perhaps, which brings a sin-bin or some other sanction over and above a yellow, for "cynical" fouls but with the prevalence of shirt pulling and general sly behaviour in the game that would cause all manner of refereeing issues, I expect. Under the current interpretation of the laws, the ref had no business getting the red card out.

I'm sure he'd rather be playing. I've met him and he seems like a decent and sensible guy. He's not flashy or a Billy big-balls and I bet he's gutted over how the last couple of years have gone.

Do you promes?

Exactly correct. Perfectly said.

Can't agree. Stephens is out of his depth. He's not a good enough defender at all.

This is clearly what it was.

Silva is probably better than MPell (a turd in a sock would be) but long-term I wouldn't want him here.

This is precisely the point. The bottom half of the league is rubbish. We can easily climb the table with some decent management.