And, we're off.....2016/17

[Fish]

Daily Mail?

Update hes left the club and will completee his UEFA Pro Licence elsewhere.

BBC TV lunchtime news actually

 

[Deleted member 18588]

So completely wrong about Chelsea and no mention of Leicester and 6 of the teams mentioned changed their manager, not sure what you based Stoke and Soton on as they had both had 1 good season finishing above Everton.
Don't get me wrong I'm certainly not saying Everton are top 6 material, infact currently we are way short of that and will have to wait and see what Koeman does, I would be happy to see him achieve 7-9 this season as a lot of "normality" in my opionion will be resumed, ie Chelsea/Arsenal and the 2 Manchester clubs fighting it out for top 4, Spurs and LPool will mix it up taking some points of the top 4, West Ham seem to be happy to sell anyone at the right price, Soton are selling again and who knows how they'll start, don't rate Stoke so see Everton behind this lot, long way off 15th. All will depend on who we keep or sell.

15th would certainly be extreme I agree but I really can't see higher than 10th (at the moment) and allowance always has to be made for surprise teams.

Stoke have IMO a very under-rated squad, Soton seem to be a very well organised club and I am afraid I don't see West Ham as a selling club.

But who knows? After all not many would have forecast Chelsea or Leicester doing what they did last season.

 

[Hobbit]

So completely wrong about Chelsea and no mention of Leicester and 6 of the teams mentioned changed their manager, not sure what you based Stoke and Soton on as they had both had 1 good season finishing above Everton.
Don't get me wrong I'm certainly not saying Everton are top 6 material, infact currently we are way short of that and will have to wait and see what Koeman does, I would be happy to see him achieve 7-9 this season as a lot of "normality" in my opionion will be resumed, ie Chelsea/Arsenal and the 2 Manchester clubs fighting it out for top 4, Spurs and LPool will mix it up taking some points of the top 4, West Ham seem to be happy to sell anyone at the right price, Soton are selling again and who knows how they'll start, don't rate Stoke so see Everton behind this lot, long way off 15th. All will depend on who we keep or sell.

That's hindsight Paul. No one expected Chelsea to implode, and Mickie did say, "at the start of the season." I'm surprised where Everton finished because they looked so good for 70-80 mins of pretty much every match. But the numbers don't lie. And its a fine line between 1-0, 1-1, 1-2. Villa lost the plot completely towards the end of the season, but there's plenty of teams that but for the luck of the bounce occasionally could have been fighting relegation, and then its about mindset.

I can't see Everton anywhere near 9th or better unless the new manager can do a Raineri and bring in some discipline to the structure and how they play out the games for 95mins. The top 7, as you have identified, will be pretty much those teams, and maybe Leicester in a honeymoon period.

I'd put Stoke and Everton on a par with West Ham. And then its how the cards fall in some matches as to who finishes above who.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

That's hindsight Paul. No one expected Chelsea to implode, and Mickie did say, "at the start of the season." I'm surprised where Everton finished because they looked so good for 70-80 mins of pretty much every match. But the numbers don't lie. And its a fine line between 1-0, 1-1, 1-2. Villa lost the plot completely towards the end of the season, but there's plenty of teams that but for the luck of the bounce occasionally could have been fighting relegation, and then its about mindset.

I can't see Everton anywhere near 9th or better unless the new manager can do a Raineri and bring in some discipline to the structure and how they play out the games for 95mins. The top 7, as you have identified, will be pretty much those teams, and maybe Leicester in a honeymoon period.

I'd put Stoke and Everton on a par with West Ham. And then its how the cards fall in some matches as to who finishes above who.

Hindsight was my point Brian, at the start of last season we'd only finished outside the top 7 twice in 12 seasons and finished 5th with a points total that would have been top 4 in all but 3 Premier League seasons, the season before with the same players, so how someone could state our squad at the start of last season was at best 10-15 is laughable against the records of Stoke/Soton and West Ham over the same period.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

15th would certainly be extreme I agree but I really can't see higher than 10th (at the moment) and allowance always has to be made for surprise teams.

Stoke have IMO a very under-rated squad, Soton seem to be a very well organised club and I am afraid I don't see West Ham as a selling club.

But who knows? After all not many would have forecast Chelsea or Leicester doing what they did last season.

When a chairman puts a minimum selling price on your best player (Payet) rather than simply saying they are not for sale, imo sends out the wrong message.

Stoke have flattered to deceive for many years and Southampton are selling again and will have to rebuild.

As you say though, who knows and let's just hope it's a good season.

 

[Hobbit]

Hindsight was my point Brian, at the start of last season we'd only finished outside the top 7 twice in 12 seasons and finished 5th with a points total that would have been top 4 in all but 3 Premier League seasons, the season before with the same players, so how someone could state our squad at the start of last season was at best 10-15 is laughable against the records of Stoke/Soton and West Ham over the same period.

I see where you're coming from now. I'd rather look at what clubs are doing and what difference it will make to their position. For me, Stoke have looked like they've been improving incrementally for a few seasons. West Ham, With Bilic, look good, and are well organised like Leicester - maybe punching above their weight as Leicester have. Soton have made good strides in recent years.

Whereas I feel Everton have gone backwards. Forget the league position for a second or two. What improvements has there been to Everton's squad in the last couple of seasons? There's the odd good one come in, e.g. Lukaku.

Don't get me wrong, I've got a soft spot for Everton. Their fans, when they've come up to the Riverside, are immense. Loudest by far. But it needs a shake up or that 15th spot is looking a fair call.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Hindsight was my point Brian, at the start of last season we'd only finished outside the top 7 twice in 12 seasons and finished 5th with a points total that would have been top 4 in all but 3 Premier League seasons, the season before with the same players, so how someone could state our squad at the start of last season was at best 10-15 is laughable against the records of Stoke/Soton and West Ham over the same period.

But those other sides were and are taking steps to try and improve. Everton had been stagnating for several seasons.

Of course it may be different this close season but I am expressing an opinion based upon the current Everton squad. My view was the same last season (trust me that is not hindsight) and sadly I was proved right.

I have nothing against your club, in fact I tend to follow their performances quite closely as a dear friend of mine (sadly now departed) was an Evertonian, but at this point in time I do not see much cause for optimism. Better manager but same players!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I see where you're coming from now. I'd rather look at what clubs are doing and what difference it will make to their position. For me, Stoke have looked like they've been improving incrementally for a few seasons. West Ham, With Bilic, look good, and are well organised like Leicester - maybe punching above their weight as Leicester have. Soton have made good strides in recent years.

Whereas I feel Everton have gone backwards. Forget the league position for a second or two. What improvements has there been to Everton's squad in the last couple of seasons? There's the odd good one come in, e.g. Lukaku.

Don't get me wrong, I've got a soft spot for Everton. Their fans, when they've come up to the Riverside, are immense. Loudest by far. But it needs a shake up or that 15th spot is looking a fair call.

Fair points made by you both and Martinez failure to at least maintain if not move forward from him getting 5th in his first season is whats cost him his job.
He spent over 80 mil in the last 2 seasons and brought players like Lennon, Funes Mori, Deulofeu and Niasse, Cleverley on a free, he also bought Lukaku and Kone in his first year.

Add to the above we refused to sell players like Stones and Barkley.

So it's not as if he wasn't given chances for us to move forward, so to say we didn't isn't correct, the club gave him the backing, but he made some dodgy buys.

I genuinely believe it'll be more about who stays rather than who comes in. The current squad is more than good enough to be top 8.

Martinez has us at 5th, 11th and 11th with 2 semi finals as well last season, I'm sure many teams would accept that, but to me, and thankfully the club, it's not good enough.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Always thought Martinez was a charlatan.

However, poorer players tend to get tired towards end of games and that is when their shortcomings are exposed.

At the start of last season I would have said that Man City, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Stoke and Soton were better squads than Everton who, for the reasons I have stated, I would have seen as on a par with West Ham. So 9th or 10th would have been a reasonable expectation.

As yet there does not appear to have been much of an improvement to their squad and, hence, my remark of 10th to 15th.

But early days yet!

I dunno, if you "rate" Everton's team on an individual basis,yes, they are probably around 6-8th, but the same could be said for Spurs.

However, as proved by Leicester and some teams in the Euros, a team can be well more than a sum of it's parts.

I do agree with you on Bobby Martinez though, which is why I didnt want him at Anfield, when we had talks with him.

 

[Tarkus1212]

Sky Sports reporting that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Leicester for Kante, is he the new Makalele? One of the main reasons behind Leicester's success last season IMHO. An excellent signing for Chelsea if true.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Sky Sports reporting that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Leicester for Kante, is he the new Makalele? One of the main reasons behind Leicester's success last season IMHO. An excellent signing for Chelsea if true.

Totally agree, Chelsea will be back amongst it next season, great signing if they pull it off.

 

[Fish]

Sky Sports reporting that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Leicester for Kante, is he the new Makalele? One of the main reasons behind Leicester's success last season IMHO. An excellent signing for Chelsea if true.

Agreed transfer of 32m, just personal terms to be agreed, but looks like a done deal, very pleased with this signing 👍

 

[Blue in Munich]

Sky Sports reporting that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Leicester for Kante, is he the new Makalele? One of the main reasons behind Leicester's success last season IMHO. An excellent signing for Chelsea if true.

Mixed feelings. No doubting his quality and if true it can only improve upon the shambles that was last season, but at the same time disappointed that it appears the Leicester City team that so charmed us last season and restored the romance, and in some ways a degree of morality, to the Premier League may be starting to break up. It would have been interesting to see what they could have achieved as a unit.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Sky Sports reporting that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Leicester for Kante, is he the new Makalele? One of the main reasons behind Leicester's success last season IMHO. An excellent signing for Chelsea if true.

I really didnt want any of our rivals to get him, think he's a great signing.

 

[pbrown7582]

I really didnt want any of our rivals to get him, think he's a great signing.

None of them have :rofl:

 

[One Planer]

Kante to Chelsea.

Rumoured £30M

 

[Fish]

Kante to Chelsea.

Rumoured £30M

Bit late to the party #310 - #313

 

[One Planer]

Bit late to the party #310 - #313

Meh.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Totally agree, Chelsea will be back amongst it next season, great signing if they pull it off.

Chelsea building a decent looking squad for the season and I can see them being right up there for the title. Think they'll do well in CL as well

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Chelsea building a decent looking squad for the season and I can see them being right up there for the title. Think they'll do well in CL as well

I'll take the bite, 10th didn't qualify for CL?