Brentford v Everton

I know I shouldn't but I feel really optimistic now.... what a difference a few goals & 3 points makes to the soul.

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:

Yankthattoffee wrote:Don't any of you start claiming that you're great optimists.
Did any of you predict a EFC win on this week's tipster? No you did not.
I claim optimist of the week award.
It's amazing what a single win can do for your weekend.

Sef had a 0-2 win, so you lose Yank

Just me and sef?
We're forming our own group to take over- 999.

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:I know I shouldn't but I feel really optimistic now.... what a difference a few goals & 3 points makes to the soul.

Yeah, it makes such a difference just knowing  that we can win a game more than 1-0 and backs to the wall. As much as everyone likes to give Dyche stick for his post match comments it’s hard not to agree with him. We’re a good team in a lot of aspects but we have some weaknesses (we still conceded a soft goal) and struggle to do the good stuff for the full 90.

Yesterday we kept doing the good stuff even after going behind. Second half in particular was excellent. Brentford were poor, but so were Fulham, Wolves and Sheffield United and we couldn’t make it count against them.

Dropping Patterson for Mykolenko and moving young right has proved a good move. Myk has been pretty solid (although he was at fault for the goal) even against Saka the other week. I think Patterson will be a great player but he switched off twice this season and it’s cost us two key goals. This is the kind of stuff Dyche is paid for.

Brentford missing a lot of players as well, but they really miss Raya.

Tonteau wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:I know I shouldn't but I feel really optimistic now.... what a difference a few goals & 3 points makes to the soul.

Yeah, it makes such a difference just knowing  that we can win a game more than 1-0 and backs to the wall. As much as everyone likes to give Dyche stick for his post match comments it’s hard not to agree with him. We’re a good team in a lot of aspects but we have some weaknesses (we still conceded a soft goal) and struggle to do the good stuff for the full 90.

Yesterday we kept doing the good stuff even after going behind. Second half in particular was excellent. Brentford were poor, but so were Fulham, Wolves and Sheffield United and we couldn’t make it count against them.

Dropping Patterson for Mykolenko and moving young right has proved a good move. Myk has been pretty solid (although he was at fault for the goal) even against Saka the other week. I think Patterson will be a great player but he switched off twice this season and it’s cost us two key goals. This is the kind of stuff Dyche is paid for.

I think qualified optimism, after a performance and a result like that, is not only understandable but is to be encouraged. Evertonians have spent enough time over the last couple of years commenting on how devoid of hope we feel. I think we need to offset that fear and dread and feeling of hopelessness with some positivity as soon as the opportunity presents itself, for our mental health as much as anything. So while it's important not to get carried away with a single win, we should absolutely enjoy the feeling and embrace the idea that, maybe, we've got the tools to stay up this season, ideally with a little bit of comfort, i.e. not leaving it until the final day.

These next two home games are now key, of course. We need to follow up the win with some solid, encouraging performances at GP, where I believe we've lost 7 of our last 8? We all know what GP can be like when times are dark but also, we know what it's like when the crowd is onside as well. Give them something to cheer - god knows the regulars deserve it - and just keep building, performance after performance. Consistency is now the key word.

My lad asked me yesterday if I'd take four points from the Luton and Bournemouth games. I said probably, yes. I want 6 points and I think we have a good chance of getting them. But my answer was I think a reflection of me trying to hold any optimism in check, just a little. It is only one win, but we remain "not very good" until consistent performances and results demonstrate otherwise.

The biggest psychological impact from a win is that we don't dread the following game. I'm now sort of looking forward to it. That's a weird feeling for an Evertonian these days.

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Tonteau wrote:

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:I know I shouldn't but I feel really optimistic now.... what a difference a few goals & 3 points makes to the soul.

Yeah, it makes such a difference just knowing  that we can win a game more than 1-0 and backs to the wall. As much as everyone likes to give Dyche stick for his post match comments it’s hard not to agree with him. We’re a good team in a lot of aspects but we have some weaknesses (we still conceded a soft goal) and struggle to do the good stuff for the full 90.

Yesterday we kept doing the good stuff even after going behind. Second half in particular was excellent. Brentford were poor, but so were Fulham, Wolves and Sheffield United and we couldn’t make it count against them.

Dropping Patterson for Mykolenko and moving young right has proved a good move. Myk has been pretty solid (although he was at fault for the goal) even against Saka the other week. I think Patterson will be a great player but he switched off twice this season and it’s cost us two key goals. This is the kind of stuff Dyche is paid for.

I think qualified optimism, after a performance and a result like that, is not only understandable but is to be encouraged. Evertonians have spent enough time over the last couple of years commenting on how devoid of hope we feel. I think we need to offset that fear and dread and feeling of hopelessness with some positivity as soon as the opportunity presents itself, for our mental health as much as anything. So while it's important not to get carried away with a single win, we should absolutely enjoy the feeling and embrace the idea that, maybe, we've got the tools to stay up this season, ideally with a little bit of comfort, i.e. not leaving it until the final day.

These next two home games are now key, of course. We need to follow up the win with some solid, encouraging performances at GP, where I believe we've lost 7 of our last 8? We all know what GP can be like when times are dark but also, we know what it's like when the crowd is onside as well. Give them something to cheer - god knows the regulars deserve it - and just keep building, performance after performance. Consistency is now the key word.

My lad asked me yesterday if I'd take four points from the Luton and Bournemouth games. I said probably, yes. I want 6 points and I think we have a good chance of getting them. But my answer was I think a reflection of me trying to hold any optimism in check, just a little. It is only one win, but we remain "not very good" until consistent performances and results demonstrate otherwise.

The biggest psychological impact from a win is that we don't dread the following game. I'm now sort of looking forward to it. That's a weird feeling for an Evertonian these days.

Correction, 6 of our last 7 (just checked). The Bournemouth win was the exception. Prior to that, our last win at GP was over six months ago, mid-March, against Brentford funnily enough.

Behind the scenes vid...

One thing I noticed at the time and then forgot about, was how the Brentford lad tried to get the ball back from Pickford immediately after equalising, with an hour of the game still to go. As though they'd just drawn level against some League Two team in the cup. Cheeky fucker.

I watched this in a bar called The Harp in San Diego.

I can go back if I am a good luck charm if we could have a whip round?

They won against Villa too when I was flying from Chicago to New York.