Being top by default??

[Reece]

Since when has the Derby, regardless of either team's form or quality, ever been "easy"?

[Elvoz]

Since when has the Derby, regardless of either team's form or quality, ever been "easy"?

the derby at the pit this year was

[dww]

Yes, we have better players than them and we are playing at home

But we are better away from home for whatever reason (as I believe are they). This is a pretty pointless debate really as the facts of the matter are that while not an easy game as one might label Stoke say it is still a game we have to target to win in order to win the league. It is one of the least worrying of our failures to do this so far this season. The fact that there is a list of them is the problem.

After about 10 games I think the idea of being top by default really looses any meaning. You're top because you have been the best team at picking up points at that stage. There are all sorts of confounding factors and at the end of the season being top at whatever other stage doesn't really count for much. At the end of the season you are only top by default if someone gets docked points for off field reasons or some such.

[Craig_H]

The last time Everton lost a game was back in November.
They hadn't conceded a goal for their last 6 matches.
They have now taken points off ALL of the top 4 teams in the league this season.
It was a local Derby and they were always going to raise their game.

And you think this was going to be an 'easy' game for us?

Honestly not fussed about when they last lost, the fact is they're a midtable side with far inferior players to us and we're supposedly a title contender, playing a midtable side at home. Why couldnt we raise OUR game too?

I think we should've won fairly comfortably. Keep asking me, you'll get the same answer. As it was, we could've easily lost.

[Craig_H]

But we are better away from home for whatever reason (as I believe are they). This is a pretty pointless debate really as the facts of the matter are that while not an easy game as one might label Stoke say it is still a game we have to target to win in order to win the league. It is one of the least worrying of our failures to do this so far this season. The fact that there is a list of them is the problem.

After about 10 games I think the idea of being top by default really looses any meaning. You're top because you have been the best team at picking up points at that stage. There are all sorts of confounding factors and at the end of the season being top at whatever other stage doesn't really count for much. At the end of the season you are only top by default if someone gets docked points for off field reasons or some such.

The bit in bold and the bit in red, i agree with wholeheartedly.

'Easy' was perhaps too flippant a term to use, but it's a game we should win.

[Elvoz]

Honestly not fussed about when they last lost, the fact is they're a midtable side with far inferior players to us and we're supposedly a title contender, playing a midtable side at home. Why couldnt we raise OUR game too?

I think we should've won fairly comfortably. Keep asking me, you'll get the same answer. As it was, we could've easily lost.

next everyone on here will be delighted gettin a point at wigan next week
its about your level of acceptance
but i am not happy with drawing against the blue ****e and anyone who is imo

[Joe King]

The bit in bold and the bit in red, i agree with wholeheartedly.

'Easy' was perhaps too flippant a term to use, but it's a game we should win.

[Craig_H]

To be blunt, there are two things which go hand in hand.

Being a title contender/winner and beating teams like Everton at home (let alone Stoke, Fulham, Hull, West Ham) go hand in hand. If you're a title contender, you generally beat these teams, especially at home. Granted, nothing's ever 100% and you'll get the ODD game where it doesnt happen (Man Utd drew at home to Newcastle, for example). But in the vast majority of cases, title contenders/winners do beat these teams.

If it's ok NOT to beat those teams, then the people who accept it, need to re-address their assessment of us as title contenders.

If you're genuine challengers, you win those games.
If you cant win those games, dont consider yourself genuine challengers.

Cant have it both ways.

[Reece]

but i am not happy with drawing against the blue ****e and anyone who is imo

Please point out where anyone has said they are happy drawing with Everton?

[Craig_H]

Please point out where anyone has said they are happy drawing with Everton?

Plenty of people are implying that, whilst not 'happy' with the result, they're fairly accepting of it, or at the very least, they're not overly UNhappy with it.

On it's own merits, a draw against everton isnt hugely damaging, but in the context of this title race, and having already dropped 8 home points against poor sides prior to this, it was a dreadful result.

If myself, elvoz, JoeKing etc are saying it's a ****e result and others are arguing against us, arent those others implying that it's actually not a bad result?

[Reece]

Plenty of people are implying that, whilst not 'happy' with the result, they're fairly accepting of it, or at the very least, they're not overly UNhappy with it.

On it's own merits, a draw against everton isnt hugely damaging, but in the context of this title race, and having already dropped 8 home points against poor sides prior to this, it was a dreadful result.

If myself, elvoz, JoeKing etc are saying it's a ****e result and others are arguing against us, arent those others implying that it's actually not a bad result?

That's fine, I just get a bit annoyed with people putting words into other poster's mouths. I'm not happy, I'm not accepting, I think we should have won that game, and I think we should have won a lot of the other games we have drawn at home.

I think people end up being defensive because they are sick of hearing the same negative aspect being posted by the same few posters all the time. They really do go on and on about it, and it tends to become a case of spamming the threads with it.

It seems that when ever people try and look for positives rather than dwelling on the above things, they get classed as having low expectations, or having their head in the sand or whatever, by other posters trying to come accross all superior. Don't say that's not the case because it is.

[Elvoz]

Please point out where anyone has said they are happy drawing with Everton?

one or two seem to be settling for it then pal

your a rum lad young reg

[rudedog]

The bit in bold and the bit in red, i agree with wholeheartedly.

'Easy' was perhaps too flippant a term to use, but it's a game we should win.

thanks - I was only arguing that it shouldn't have been classed as an easy game - local derbys rarely are.

[rudedog]

one or two seem to be settling for it then pal

your a rum lad young reg

I haven't settled for it - it was a tough game that we should have won. On another day we would have.

[Elvoz]

I haven't settled for it - it was a tough game that we should have won. On another day we would have.

im not singling you out pal
but all this on another day stuff aint for me
we got what we deserved
i am no manager but surely playing a team with no strikers you try to get at least 2 so they cant hit you back
a 1 goal lead then defending it or at least not really pushing for another was piss poor imo