Premier League – Matchweek 35

Wot? No Blackout???

Seems there is a one-off exception to the rule this weekend, with a game that was originally set for Sky Super Sunday but moved back to Saturday in view of Man City's Champions League fixtures, but with the 12:30 timeslot unavailable as that would clash with the Coronation of King Charles III.

And there was I thinking this ridiculous anachronistic blackout was now dead... no chance!

Weird but even with the odd kickoff time it is listed to be shown here in the States.

Darn another 4am start..

Dale,

I thought every Premier League game is shown live in the USA, irrespective of kick-off time?

You're right, Michael, they are, for $4.95 each month. Don't know what Dale is going on about, but that's nearly always the case.

In good news, record TV deal for EFL clubs, although it kicks off in 2024.

Michael,

Every premier game is shown in Canada, we will be 4hrs behind the actual kick-off – for 3pm, I will watch it at 11 am. DAZN had it for the 3 previous seasons and it was purchased by FUBO in the USA for the next 3 seasons.

If the worst thing possible happened and we were relegated, I will cancel FUBO and go back to DAZN who show the English Championship League.

Thanks, Paul @5,

Hopefully that new £935M 5-year deal that Sky have negotiated with the EFL will be of only passing interest to us! It doesn't kick-in until Season 2024-25 but the detail is described by The Echo, with quotes from EFL CEO Trevor Birch, once briefly of this parish:

EFL clubs vote through new TV deal worth £935 million to end 3pm blackout uncertainty

Spoiler alert: They actually retain the Saturday 3 pm blackout.

Free hit for the fat lad today. Lose and it's obviously not his fault, take anything and he's a genius.

And either way he makes about half a million for three weeks' work.

He's nowhere near as stupid as he looks.

I'll be watching though. I don't usually watch anyone but Everton, though I've made a few exceptions for our rivals lately. But you can't deny the guy has an aura about him. The arrogance, the conviction in his ability, the unashamed anti football, the fact he does actually get results at the rubbish end of the table... he's box office if nothing else.

Am I right to assume that we would all take getting to the last day against Bournemouth with our destiny in our own hands.

Robles starts for Leeds. Didn't realise he'd signed for Leeds. Good luck to him vs Man City today. Nothing against him, but hope he concedes at least 6. 😀

Michael 4, they do but I'm deep in the woods and for some reason the wireless signal is weak and cannot produce a decent stream.

Wow, Robles.

If he's the same lamppost he was for us, City could roll up the score.

No Aaronsn no Rodrigo. Just pummel them so when we get a point we jump above on differential.

Not that I'd wish injury on anyone, but I hope once City go 5 up the Leeds players manage to put a few players out for the next couple of weeks.

Chelsea beating Bournemouth.

Wolves ahead.

Wolves one up.

See Leeds playing 4-4-1-1.

Let the flood of goals begin.

Goal city. That's the one we needed

The first of three of four hopefully, what is it about 85% possession? and a good chance every few minutes.

Frank whoopin' Sam's ass...

Love how the media keep going on about Haaland needing 12 goals to level Dixie's record of 63 goals in a top flight season.

No, he needs 25 in 4. There'd be no comparison when Haaland is playing in all sorts of cups.

Ernie - it's 65.

OK, whoopin' it slightly less now.

They exclude the charity shield just because Haaland didn't score in it!

Haaland! Couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo.

Ernie, wouldn't surprise.

Uh huh. Keep going.

So hard to defend against City, no-one holds on to the ball, it is just control and pass… and they go 2-up.

2 now city

"Sacked in the morning", Man City fans singing to Sam.

Has a manager ever been sacked at half-time in his first game?

Tony (27). I think you mean 'Cow's Arse'.

I think he meant 'Barn Door'.

Leeds can't do this. After seasons with Bielsa and Marsch it has receded in their footbal DNA.

Mixing his meatphors…

Lucky Sam took over, could've been 4 by now.

Either, any farm-related item, the big Galoot should have scored.

If this were a night game, they'd turn the floodlights off in the City half to save electricity.

Fat boy not making much of a difference. He would have needed to park his gravy boat (not the bus) if he wanted a clean sheet today.

And the reality set in

For his sake, I really hope Pep is learning the managerial lessons on display from the opposition bench

Well you know Foden and Haaland want on the scoresheet.

Could easily come down to goal difference between us and Leeds, it’s so tight. Another two or three goals for Man City will be very welcome this half.

Sacking Frank has transformed the season's dynamic. Now half the teams that were neck and neck with us are level on points with Chelsea.

Kiaran, Can you imagine if we get relegated and the football is so bad the camara catches grown men in the stands playing slap hands and rock paper scissors, an embarrassment we will never recover from.

Leeds fans will not respect that Harrison substitution.

Just read this assessment from Andy Hunter. Doesn’t leave a good feeling of our prospects: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/06/everton-sean-dyche-relegation-analysis

Stephen

This paragraph jumped out

"Conor Coady and James Tarkowski were the central defensive partnership in Dyche’s first four games in charge. Everton kept two clean sheets and conceded four goals. Since Michael Keane was introduced at the expense of Coady, however, Everton have kept two clean sheets in 10 games and conceded 20 goals, an average of two per game."

Bloody City sleepwalking the 2nd half against Leeds

That's a pretty dispiriting score from Wolves. I thought they had thrown in the towel pretty much, but no, on their way to beating Villa. Just what we need.

Kevin, I think Wolves were "uncatchable" before today's game. Least of our worries.

Leeds definitely look rejuvenated losing by less than 5

Brent

I think he is inferring he hoped Wolves would be in beach mode when we play them

Ah, of course, Kieran. Sorry, Kevin.

Hope City get stuffed in Europe now. Prats.

Here we go, Sam working his magic!

City pissing about again. Just taking things too easy. Pricks.

City miss a penalty chance and Leeds score

Paul, keep 'em coming.

Got any about the destruction of farms, re-wilding of land, the WEF and the realities of what Reset Charlie is really all about?

Leeds pulled one back because City went into the their arrogant "gods gift to football" mode. So instead of being 3-0 up they are hanging onto a 2-1. Total lack of professionalism just to give Gundawan a hatrick.

Sam delivering a better quality of defeat.

Meanwhile, Frank finds the fire.

Yes it is our own fault we are were we are in the league but I reckon you will see a different Leeds for the last few games.
This result could nail us now.
You won't see this City at Goodison.

Ooh Pep is pissed. Not even a look for Gundogan.

Nice try Phil.

There’s much to be said for hanging on in there even when the opposition are outclassing you. Defend, defend, defend and wait for a chance to break out. It’s what Sam Allardyce’s teams often do.

We can definitely get something off Man City at Goodison if we take our chances, especially if they are resting a few in between the CL games.

Was hoping for 4 or 5-0 here and ended up sweating Leeds didn’t get an unlikely equaliser from a late corner or something.

Phil,

we need the days of Tom Davies back to his dominant best to lead us to another 4-0.

What a difference City's showboating might make. Gutted with that.

Pep looked pretty upset over Haarland not taking the penalty

Thank fuck for that … could have quite easily been a draw there. Still a defeat for Leeds, we just need a win away (just one please !!!!) and beat Bournemouth and I think we’ll be ok

Oh fuck. The team talk on City’s pitch. Dude’s a frraud. There’s no one below him. No one.

As soon as I heard they were messing about with the penalty taker I was worried. 2-0 would have given us the edge on goal difference.

As confidence boosting as a defeat can be for Leeds.

No Sammy Lee with Fat Sam

That was such a horrible second half in so many ways, City didn't look to put Leeds to the sword and unfortunately Pep won't accept two bad performances in a row, plus the Leeds goal difference only suffered a dent rather than a massive hole. We have to get something at Brighton, preferably a streaky last minute win.

I could say that it was a massive benefit for Everton to be playing City between their 2 games against Real but they made 7 changes for today's game. Maybe they can rest their best 11 and still be a league ahead of us. 95% of today's game they were imperious but then showed a human frailty. Do we have hope?

Barry,

I just hope Dyche doesn't go with the donkey-think notion that "knowing" the defenders might bestow some kind of advantage upon using Maupay.

We need to win the game.

Dyche will play the mommy's boy Keane on Monday- its a dad /son thing with them two.
Look at the stats Dyche since you dropped Coady. Keane is a clown of a defender and upsets any solidity for any defence- remember he had the cheek to question Southgate dumping him from Ingerland the nugget. Doomed if that twat keeps playing. If Coady had been playing the last 10 games - Everton would be on about 34/35 points now.

Martin 84 of course we still have hope but I think Leeds will get points now and that is one less Team for us to overtake.
AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

Martin,

whoever the players, I doubt that foot-off-the-gas approach will happen again.

Phil, I guess that means both Forest and Leicester then. We aren't catching anyone else.

Er, Leeds still got beat you know. I don't know why everyone is writing off catching them. They got nothing today despite City going easy on them and getting complacent.

I'll start worrying if they win a game. Which they wont as they don't have the ability or the mental strength.

That was a 2-1 battering.

City had 81% possession and 18 shots. Next up for Leeds?

Newcastle.

Don’t believe the Allardyce spin.

Grant, we may still catch/pass any of the 3 - but no-one else realistically.

My previous post assumed Phil's scenario.

Will 92.

Well obviously we wont be catching anyone above those 3. I am talking about people thinking Leeds will pick up points now and feeling everything is rosy for them after today.

Everton need to go above 2 teams to stay up.

Biggest result for us now (besides our own) is Southampton preferably beating, or at least getting something, against Forest.

Grant, I know and agree.

I'm not one of those that thinks Leeds are revitalized, to clarify.

Have to hope Saints still "believe"...

“No Sammy Lee with Fat Sam”

I heard Sammy Lee’s far too busy. He’s already been flown out by HBO to begin filming his role as a Bloater in Season 2 of the Last of Us and he still gets shitloads of work filling in as a stunt-double for Gary Busey.

Henderson singing GSTQ as his fans boo was quite entertaining. I didn’t realise the Norwegians disliked the Windsors.

How did Fabinho escape a booking there? A cynical foul but in front of the Kop.

John (98),

I read yesterday Sammy Lee is on jury service and the judge wouldn't release him.

Kieran @57,

Sounds depressingly familiar to me.

“Dyche may have (bizarrely) declared “I thought Michael Keane was excellent tonight” following the Newcastle drubbing but, for me, he's been as flaky as ever and a deterioration in the teams defensive displays has duly followed.

With Keane in the side we've conceded 18 goals in 9 games. The four games prior, when Coady partnered Tarkowski, we conceded 4.  Clearly, going from conceding an average of 1 goal per game to 2 goals per game cannot be blamed solely on the reintegration of Michael Keane, but nor can it be written off as mere coincidence.”

Link

God knows what the City game is going to do to that ‘average'.

Doucoure getting red would be my choice if I felt as you do. We were in form and it was after that when all other things went shit.

There was enough in the Leicester City performance to get some sustained improvement. Who knows if we will get some luck with that.

Allan @94, win on Monday and we can potentially go above 3 teams as well as potentially being within 2 points of West Ham.

We are not toast yet.

On Liverpool and the National Anthem, it's what they do and always have done. The irony being a large percentage of them at the match will shortly be travelling back to Surrey and Devon.

Says me, a London based Evertonian.

Brent, I've been hyperventilating at recent matches despite my inevitable confidence going into them.

I find myself looking at the floor more often. If you can't see it!!

God, I hope Allardyce chokes, horrible shit.

Even if we go down, I hope we bring them with us.

I heard that Sammy Lee could not reunite with Sam because he is on Jury duty.

Yet another full game and win for Jarrad Branthwaite today for PSV. Seven wins in a row for them now, including the Dutch Cup win last weekend.

He has also helped them to very likely securing a Champions League place, as they look nailed on now to finish 2nd – ahead of Ajax.

Do any Evertonians boo the National Anthem? I am a bit confused as they keep saying the "people" of Liverpool have this thing against the Government of the ''70s and '80s...

Gerry -on the subject of booing the anthem, I wonder if it is partly because so many Liverpool fans seem to think that they have an affinity with Ireland (Catholic Republican) or generally are anti-anything that represents the Establishment?

The monarchy are figureheads, so I suppose they could be equated with the government. However, governments change and we did have a Labour government for 13 years from 1997-to 2010.

I suspect that it is a case of virtue-signalling. I did notice that my nearest football stadium, Swansea, were heard singing "You can stick your Coronation up your arse".

The Welsh have been quite luke-warm on the celebrations, just an excuse to have a day in the boozer in my village. I was mixing concrete all day but I did have the radio on.

I wonder about the glory-hunting types of fan, who live all over the place but attach themselves to a notable team.
Do these people think that they can follow Liverpool, for example, because they are socialist in some way?

With a greater percentage of people from Merseyside going to Goodison Park compared to Anfield, does it necessarily follow that Everton have more left-wing voters than Liverpool? Is it the colours of the club that relate to politics?

I think that our neighbours have simply become so vainglorious that they have to have opinions on everything. Their manager has often mentioned his political outlook.
I just think that Evertonians are more respectful.

Thanks, Eddie - here in Scotland it has been relatively quiet in my town - no street parties, very few flags, but appreciating the holiday time!

We never used to boo the national anthem.

I remember the odd heckler at the minute's silence for the Queen Mum, which led to inevitable outbreaks of others telling them to shut up.

Lots of chanting of "Fuck the Tories" at away matches, particularly in London.

We will see.

More concerned with the result.

I looked up the position if teams finish on the same points and goal difference. Seems goals scored is the determining factor.

We are way behind Leicester and Leeds. So we better win some of our games

Gerry,

Here in West Wales, the Union flag is treated with a certain amount of resentment, as Wales has no representation on it. I noted that the numbers in Cardiff were quite poor, but it was fairly drizzly out in East Wales.

Welsh flags fly all the time and especially during Rugby events, or now, even football tournaments. A mate (a farmer) has put up a huge Cross of St George on a flag pole in one of his fields on a couple of occasions. He just couldn't understand why someone would shin up the pole and burn it!

Eddie, you have a point but there is no sectarianism in football in Liverpool. The same percentage of people with Catholic Irish heritage follow Everton. Why don't we behave like they do?

I think it stems from the love in that lot have developed with Celtic and this totally naff "Scouse not English" bollocks! All encouraged by the professional scousers in the media.

Dixie Dean's record will never truly be broken. When Dixie played, there was only the league and the FA Cup to play for. No European games, no League Cup.

From November through to early March, penalty areas were a total mud heap, the ball was leather and soaked up the rain, it had a lace in it which could leave an imprint on the forehead, and weighed probably 5 times as much as today's plastic balls. Sometimes, the ball was not even fully round.

For me, he will always hold the record.

Interesting you say that Eddie. I spent 4 years in Pembrokeshire and they flew the Union Flag alongside the Welsh one in many establishments.

I an increasingly seeing St George's Cross as a London / South East thing. Might just be me. It seems a recently re-established thing. Look back at the footage of the 1966 World Cup Final.

Agree Alan, no religious divide between the two clubs as like in Glasgow.

Why they behave like they do confuses me. As we say, same city, different breed.

Alan 128 totally agree.
I hate the idea that the whole country thinks everyone in this City hates the idea of being English.
I for one don't and find it toe curling when a large section of fans give the opposite impression.
However I don't take oaths to other human beings apart from my family to help and protect them. I do respect the part that some of the Monarchy play (not an extended part) and respect the National Anthem.
Yes I am English and proud to be English the same as Welshmen, Irishmen and Scotsmen are proud to be from their Nations and quite right too.

I’m no monarchist and I find it hard to reconcile spending vast sums of public money on yesterday’s grotesque spectacle of wealth when we have kids starving and record numbers of food banks but… the ironic thing is that the shite are very epitome of the establishment in terms of English football, a money-making monolith that has infiltrated and polluted every single media outlets to gain favourable coverage and subsequent on-pitch advantage at every turn, a set of fans, the vast majority of whom have no prior connection or affinity to the city of Liverpool, who have somehow convinced themselves that they are the anti-establishment club and that they are ‘scouse not English’ when in fact a sizeable proportion of them are actually neither scouse nor English. Now there’s nothing wrong with not being scouse or English per se, but as you travel back to the comfort of the Home Counties or on your plane back to Oslo, after your day trip to Anfield where you’ve spend £250 for your ticket and another £200 on tat in the club shop, sang the words to the songs from the sheets that are handed out with the words on, stop pretending that you are anything other than a customer that has been suckered in and conned by the brand.

Chris...is that true about the song sheets across the park ? I thought it was an urban myth.

Data shows the majority of match goers at Anfield don’t have a Merseyside postcode - so not arsed in the slightest what anyone thinks in relation to the city and it’s relationship with the monarchy

The majority of Liverpool fans that I know couldn’t possibly boo the national anthem or boo the king at Anfield because they never go there, although they all say they used to go there many years ago.

Probably a bit late with this comment but I hadn't realised til l yesterday, Joel Robles once of this parish, played for Leeds. He looked decent v.City but I hope he has a couple of howlers left in him !

Damn. I’m finding myself not capable of liking Arsenal. Thought I could get behind them like the alternative they were in the Wenger days. However, even with Arteta something about them bothers me more than Newcastle right now.

Ahh, maybe some kind of ‘keep the Shite out of CL’ is the angle. Confusing because I have always disliked Newcastle even before Ashley.

That was a shit no call by Cavanaugh

0-1 Arse. Odegaard from outside the D.

Looks like Gordon is gonna be an expensive flop version of Chris Wood for Newcastle, just a shame they can waste millions and get away with it as the Media fawns over Eddie Howe.

Pope saved 3 sure goals to keep Newcastle in it. Some tempers flaring. Worth a watch.

Poor. A. Shearer going nuts with the studio ref over the penalty claim. I thought it was a good call by VAR hit the players top of his leg and he was pulling his arm away.

Bill, it’s strange, Shearer’s reaction. To me it looked like it clearly ricocheted of the players thigh onto his arm. Even if it had hit the defender’s arm first he had it next to his body and was trying to get it out of the way. It would have been very harsh.

I missed the thigh deflection, thanks. Cavanaugh is still shit though. I thought his leaning and arm away from the body would have been incriminating without the deflection.

Result should keep Newcastle on their toes next week against Leeds.

Anthony Gordon lol. Never a 40m player.

Wanted Newcastle to win to keep Arsenal more points behind City when they play us / but it is nice to see the miserable faces on the loosers

Handbags time. Oooh don’t push me you bitch!

Good to see the Saudis lose. They must be the dirtiest team in the prem right now.

Tony (145), that’s the way I was looking at the result,with Newcastle still needing points to stay in the top four and keeping those three points out of Leeds hands.

How ordinary did the Arsenal make the barcodes look in the 2nd half? Still it means they have to be on it when they play Leeds.

Time for the Blues to produce the surprise result of the weekend tomorrow v Brighton. COYBs.

Dave #135,

Do any of Liverpool's match-going fans actually live in the city these days?

I recall a news article from a few years ago reporting that only around 5,000 of their season ticket holders had ‘L' postcodes compared with about 25,000 of Everton's.

I wonder if that number has fallen further?

Dave, yes, keeps them honest now, even though they are behind Arsenal technically, they have the power and a few goals in them to beat Leeds.

Biggest worry after today is that one of their dirty bastards, Burns, Batman, Joelinton etc will get sent off. They won't get the same soft touch as the ref gave them today at home.

Just watched the National League playoffs. Two fantastic games. Better than anything the Premier League can offer.

Mike (152),

I know a few genuine fellas who go to the game and a few who have passed away who went, plenty who just couldn't afford to go once Sky came in and the prices of tickets went right up, a couple who physically couldn't get to the game but we're not allowed to pass their season tickets on to their grandsons at the time of renewal.

The pubs though were full of red-shirted fans(?) of all ages cheering their(?) team on. One of my mates used to say to me “There's not many Everton fans in the pubs when Everton play and they are on TV” I said “I know – they are at Goodison Park watching the game live.”

I said to another armchair supporter that he should be entitled to a Wembley Cup Final ticket because he hadn't missed a Liverpool game on TV for the last 20 years. I think he agreed with me… never got the irony of my remark. He wore a Liverpool shirt watching the game but only in the house, he knew he would have got plenty of stick if he ever wore it in the pub!!

On booing the National Anthem, I'm indifferent on the Royalty, but I thought "You bunch of dickheads."

The rest of the country watching will be saying "There you go, it's them scouse gits again!"

Dave@155,

I went to Conway and Llandudno last week with Mrs M, and there is one thing for the Wrexham/LA- Hollywood takeover, it was good to see plenty of kids in Wrexham shirts. I said to my other half, "12 months ago, it would have been a sea of kids advertising Standard Chartered."

I always thought it crass when you saw babies and toddlers with Carlsberg splashed in their fronts. At least the Blues has some class as Chang wasn't on any junior kits.

Dave Abrahams, I have it two-fold. Having to mix with London based "lifelong" reds who have never been to Liverpool let alone Lucifer's Playground. That coming from a London based Evertonian.

Then my self inflicted pain of going to the Arkles after my trips to Goodison and listening to the self gratifying praise from people who probably never venture too far from that place to watch their supposed club. As well as it being an attraction for away supporters.

I could get myself into trouble, but I can hold my own.

I will steal Rob Halligan's phrase. Despite what has happened or might happen, I would rather live with our history than have theirs.

Brighton tomorrow. We can be out of the bottom 3 and have control in our own hands again.

United getting beat cue RS top 4.

Raymond, I remember going to the pictures in town, when I was a kid, and you had to stand up for the national anthem when it was played. If your parents didn't give you a smack, for not standing, then some complete stranger would.

How times have changed.

Paul, 154,

I watched the Notts C. one and it was incredible.

This season feels like its going to end the worst ever, hope I'm wrong.

Mike @152,

I was out recently with my mates of 60-odd years, half are RS. They followed the RS home and away including all their European games since the '60s. None of them, not one, have been a game for a few seasons! Just can't get tickets

Remember years ago tickets were really a one-off, you just went the match and squashed in. Totally different now of course. Unfortunately, my mates are all now TV supporters.

We need a Man Utd win so West Ham Utd would still be on 34 when facing Leeds!

Kevin, yup like you say you know who gonna sneak 4th CL spot, after many pens to assist along the way. The season just gets better, still we have had all our good times.

Most blatant handball WHU

De Gea = Dr Jekyll and Mr Shite!

Yes, Joe, they've had the usual help on the way for sure.

To be honest, the reality has struck that we'll never be great again in my lifetime (I'm 63) but at least I have seen the good times which a lot of us haven't.

Oh well if we get relegated and the RS miss out on CL it'll have all been worth it?

I don't give a flying one, whether they sing the national anthem, whether they travel half the world to visit for home games or whether they sit in the pub wearing replica kits, or indeed where they finish in the league I dislike them with a passion but not as much as I care about what happens to Everton. That's the only thing that occupies my mind at the minute, everything else is irrelevant.

United are poor today, playing like a team that is expecting another change of manager?

United are basically what Liverpool were in the mid-1990s.

Living off the name that was a decade earlier.

I reckon in 24 hours we'll pretty much know our fate with 3 vital games tomorrow. A win here puts West Ham safe which means it's then 3 out of 5. Yikes!

It dawns on me really that we could effectively be all but relegated by this time next week if results go against us.

We could quite expectedly lose to Brighton and Man City while you wouldn't be shocked to see Forest win one and Leicester also.

Yes, Jim, I agree, if we don't win tomorrow, I can't see the other results all going our way again.

Three out of five regardless. West Ham won't be going down.

West Ham were always in a false position, presumably because of the European football

That is a seriously bad result. Not only are they all but safe but they’ll have their feet up against Leeds and Sam will smell blood. Disaster.

They play Leicester last game away as well.

West Ham deserved to win, they outfought and outplayed Man Utd with Rice running the midfield and United's three central midfielders very disappointing with the Brazilian the most ineffective of the three but staying on.

Only in the last 10 minutes did they look like sneaking a draw but even then West Ham looked dangerous on the break.

Jesus, just switched on the tv and the coronation concert is on. They are playing the devil's song. They infest everything.

Positives are Leicester play Liverpool at home.

You can look at it both ways - Moyes will not want to lose to Fat Sam and West Ham were always in a false position, they'll be playing with more confidence now too, still fancy the Hammers to win.

I was always more worried about Newcastle at Leeds but that Arsenal result is good, Newcastle have to get a result now.

I fancy us away at Wolves, my Wolves fan mate says they will be on the beach now.

John, why would Moyes give two shites about beating Allardyce's team?

And even if he did, the eleven on the pitch won't.

West Ham have a chance to finish 3 places higher,; £3 million pounds. They will care.

Thirty-six Premier League fixtures to play and half of those will directly affect which teams may be relegated this season.

Of course it's up to Everton to try and win as many points as possible, starting tomorrow. I don't remember it being so intense last season for so long, nor in the previous campaigns where we have struggled to stay up.

Perhaps that's just a lapse of memory on my part, or maybe a recognition that this is the most vulnerable we have been to losing our place in the top-flight, during my time of watching.

Bill, why would players on fixed contracts care about the club getting £3m extra?

They’ve had a very long, hard season. They’ll be mathematically safe (probably) when they play Leeds.

https://youtu.be/UTGq8YERH5E

If you want to go back in time then there is this. I remembered, closest we ever came to regulation.

Chris @179

Just a dress rehearsal for next weekend's Eurovision song contest. I'd be amazed if there isn't at least one rendition of the dirge being sung by everybody involved.

Besides which, it's an unwritten rule that whatever the occasion, whomever it involves, the dark side have to be front and centre of any cultural event that happens anywhere in the world.

Shane,

For fuck's sake, try and look for the positives… players and teams don't want to lose; sometimes they play better when there's less at stake, they can be more relaxed and express themselves.

Players' values are based on their data and stats; just because you're desperate doesn't mean you'll have more desire and determination.

Bill @186,

I don't believe that any of us who were around at the time could forget that day, as it happens today being the 29th anniversary of it.

Even during the closing stages of that season, we always seemed to have a 'belief' that we would somehow survive; a little less so in 1998, and last season we seemed to get the results at the most opportune times, apart from the wobble at Burnley and away to Watford.

This season, at least so far, we haven't felt as if we would automatically escape, and being so bad for two seasons on the bounce is a pretty rare occurrence even for Everton, which is perhaps why that confidence to escape is more brittle than on previous occasions.

And then there were 5.

Chris @179,

I hope everyone was booing!

John this isn't a forum on wellness.

I'm assessing West Ham's likely motivation levels when they come to play Leeds and I think they'll be low. And I'd forgotten that they're still in Europe when I gave my view.

Not sure I buy the “They'll have feet up” stuff personally.

The other angle is they are a group of good footballers in a false position because of Europe. They may relax and just play.

Barry @189,

Good spot Anniversary. Maybe an omen for tomorrow!

Shane, being an Evertonian has no resemblance to wellness. Following this team brings me nothing but distress, anxiety and depression.

I suppose, to quote Gary's words, I also don't buy this "They'll have their feet up" bollocks that may have applied years ago but not in today's footie.

If I recall, didn't Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea have nothing to play for when they beat Bolton that kept us up?

Kevin, correct but Gianluca was a different kind of professional than most footballers these days. Such a shame he passed away so young also.

The guys who administer Evertonresults.com have managed to link some footage of various clips of games, for those who enjoy some nostalgia, this is for you.

Everton video highlights

Yes Joe top man and sadly missed.

John #195,

Couldn't disagree more – this club, this site make me feel younger by the day and by some distance. UTFT!

Colin #160, it's still like that in Thailand.

David #129,

Dixie will always hold the record 'cos he scored 60 goals in the First Division and Haaland is 25 goals behind with 4 games to play!

If the Sky generation want to count goals scored in competitions that didn't exist in Dixie's time then they are not comparing apples.

And if they want to call it "in all competitions" then count ALL competitions and Dixie has 75 including international games in that season and the Charity Shield and FA Cup.

Barry, great link to the video highlights. What struck me from the list is the number of games that were televised that we've lost!

Barry Hesketh, I was up till 2am watching those links!

A lot of memories activated from my childhood, especially seeing for the first time the footage from the Panathinaikos game in Greece, which I actually attended with my dad. A great adventure for a kid, although with the wrong outcome. Story of [most of] my Everton life.

Barry (198) Great viewing Barry if a bit heavy on the eyes, I was at a few of those games and was interested in the game at Charlton 1955 because it was that game along with another one that were the first highlights of games shown on the BBC on a Saturday night.

I also wanted to see the end of that game because I had ran onto the pitch, they never showed it, to ask Sam Bartram, the Charlton ‘keeper, for the dollar ( 25p) he owed me, I had gone into his sports shop earlier that day and had a bet with him that Everton would win, when I asked him for my money he told me to fuck off, lovely talking like that to an adorable young Scouse boy like me!

There’s plenty more games I will have a look at, thanks very much Barry.

Dave #205 "I had ran onto the pitch, they never showed it, to ask Sam Bartram, the Charlton ‘keeper, for the dollar ( 25p) he owed me2.

So you were a tight wad even as a kid, Dave!

Brent (206), No Brent I was only an apprentice tight wad at that age, but fair’s fair if Everton had lost, and we were near the bottom of the league, I would have paid Sam, he was the tight wad on this occasion.

Fulham 1 up get in there Willan

Well well well. A little luck. Fulham 1-0 on a ridiculous free-kick from 35-40 yards out.

Good start from Fulham this, they're all over Leicester

Goalie mom against us, then does that.

2-0

2-0!!

Come on Fulham - just need another 11 goals here

C’mon you Cottagers. A few more will do.

Fulham trying coast it with an hour still to go.

All these teams at the bottom are so shit, 1 win might be enough from the last 4 games.

Leicester’s last 3 games - Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), WHU (H).

3-0

Leicester are shite. They aren't offering much resistance here

3-0 to Fulham

Well that should do the trick

What greater motivation do you now have, Everton?

James very true but we have taken 1 point off them this season. Story of Everton that!

Agree James but I fear the Leeds bounce.

Shane, The "Leeds bounce" is their manager's stomach.

4!!

Thank you, Marco Silva!

Thank God Brighton aren't as dangerous as Fulham.

Marco doing is a favour.

Need Frank to do us a favour next week against Forest and then Moyes to do us a double favour against Leeds and Leicester. Oh, and Artea to also do us a favour against Forest too. And boyhood Evertonian Eddie Howe to do us a double favour against Leeds and Leicester too.

Once a blue, always a blue.

Leicester could tie this 4-4

Kieran... coming true?

They just missed another pen

Those damned water bottles.

5/2 Fulham easing up

Leicester could yet tie it 5-5

They could win, Kieran, but they won't.

5-3

Give me a sedate 1-0 win at Brighton after this.

Well, Brent, it certainly wasn't sedate!

Now come on Southampton.

Awonyni's finish... just brilliant.

This game might be almost as much fun as ours!

Saints back in it after being 2 down against the run of play.

I’ve been looking forward to this tie. Now I can watch it and fully engage it without tripping out aboit Everton

Cmon City!

Rodri with the first decent shot. Almost a header in the box after a corner Looks like each manager’s strategy plays into the other’s.