A Rallying Call

Make no mistake about it; Bournemouth will exact the greatest of pleasure in being the team that send us down. Of the three relegation fixtures this is not the easiest.
I despise Bournemouth, they epitomise the kind of spiv outfit that has proliferated in recent years. They see themselves as our replacements in the top flight and would be quite happy to see us go into administration, let alone the championship. They always seem to have uncanny energy levels that go unquestioned, and they are known for a having a sizable proportion of their squad devoted to the RS...
They will see us a scalp.
So, quite apart from staying up I want to rub their smug south coast faces in a miserable defeat that will ruin their close season. They turned us over twice within five days back in November and we need revenge for that.
I want to make their fans, team, bench and anyone else connected with the club to feel that as soon as the game kicks off that they would rather be cowering in their own festering, fly blown hovels in some long forgotten ditch in Dorset. I want to see them weeping for home and make them ashamed to face their own supporters. I want them frightened to get off their coach. And equally frightened to get back on it.
A desire as great as mine to beat them, and staying up would take of itself.
I don't need a rallying call.

Well said, Tony. This is it. The last chance. Every Blue in the world will be there in spirit with the team and the Blues in the stands. Bring it on!

Well said, Tony, we need every ounce of positivity.

We all have our thoughts on our current state and status, but for now Sunday is all that matters.

Your favourite song, “We shall not be moved”, has always been a Cup battle anthem, but I hope we hear it against Bournemouth. All our effort, one more time, from every supporter.

Tony, I've been saying since Saturday that Bournemouth will be absolutely shitting a brick about Sunday. They will want to get in, get the game played, and get out.

They won't be interested in beating us. They won't want to take throw-ins, corners, or whatever, for fear of the abuse they will get from the fans. It will be that hostile when they have the ball that they will treat it like a hot potato.

I guess they would willingly take a one -or two-goal defeat, and not bother turning up.

Good man, Tony. A great rallying call. That positivity and confidence needs to transfer to the players on Sunday.

I hope you're correct Rob, but at times like this, I genuinely never ever think about the opposition, because I believe that when it's in your own hands, you can't ask for anything more than this.

I understand how poor we have been, and on the whole, it's definitely been our worst season since we escaped with a final day draw against Coventry, but we have definitely improved under Dyche, and it's at times like this, that I believe we should be looking for as much positivity as humanly possible.

Be calm, and keep marching forwards because after all we are EVERTON FC.

Right on Tony! Right the fuck on

Great stuff Tony, We will beckon all the fighting spirits of Everton players past, all those who have graced the Goodison turf. Beckon all the passion from the best support in the land and raise the spirits of Evertonians who will be with us from beyond the grave and create an unstoppable force. As one, The Players, the manager and the fans. We fight for it and we will bring home the win whatever it takes. COYBLUES !!! let's get this done.

This should be our rallying call for Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzugjI0G2vM

Let's hope the players have your spirit, Tony, we can do
our part and only hope that they turn up for us.

Tony,

You're correct that given the performances we've witnessed this season (in fact, the last couple of seasons) it's amazing we're not dead and buried already.

The severe lack of goals, or even a goal threat for long periods. The defensive fragility. Midfielders who pass the ball with all the poise and control of the female Kryptonian from Superman 2 punting a cosmonaut off the moon. The lack of transfer window reinforcements. The sort of luck that means you can never bring yourself to start celebrating a goal without a moments pause first to check if it's going to be pulled up by VAR. Players getting injured with such regularity you wonder if they've been fitted with those exploding collars from the Running Man and the perimeter for detonation is down on the pitch.

We've been truly awful, haven't we. Just 7 wins and 33 goals from 37 games. No wonder we're in such shit but strangely we're not sunk yet.

I remember a while back, last game of the season when Beckford scored that mad goal against Chelsea, running the length of the pitch with the ball bouncing off him all over the shop but somehow staying in front of him the whole way like he was a fucking human Bolo bat. The announcer in the ground went ballistic, “GOAL SCORER FOR EVERTON…AND GETTING INTO DOUBLE-FIGURES FOR THE SEASON…”, and I found myself thinking ‘'Give over, has it come to this? Going crazy over a striker slotting 10 goals in a season like it's some great feat? Don't be so daft”. Now we've got 3 strikers who have failed to notch even half that figure between them.

If we had a forward who had actually delivered…something…and managed to reach that reasonably modest milestone this season we would surely be safe and the fella would be hailed a hero. In fact, if either Maupay or Sims could just double their tally by scoring on Sunday they could go down in folklore straightaway by ending the season on two. That's something to hold on to I suppose? Surely, that's got to serve as motivation for any pro with a pulse?

It's that lack of goals that has me worried the most though. I keep having to remind myself we scored five just the other week…this Everton side scored five goals in one game…but the memory of Michael Keane being pushed up front while a striker stayed sat on the bench pushes it aside like some subliminal image designed to make your sweat glands go full flabby geordie.

When we've been in these sort of dog fights previously I've always felt, for some unfathomable reason, we'd find a way out of it no matter how dire the situation seemed. This time, I truly don't know. It's flip a coin stuff and, fuck me, do I not like that feeling. So, please, if people can pass along some positivity I'll gladly try and soak that shit up like a sponge.

Rob H's post about the atmosphere proving too red hot for Bournemouth to handle and their bricking it as a result has already started the first flicker. At this rate, in a few days, I could have the air of confidence of Orville the Duck after Keith Harris has told him “you can” a hundred times, just minus the hairy hand up the arse.

To all those going to be at Goodison driving the team on with everything you've got, I hope you have a great day. A draining one no doubt, but where else would you rather be?

I'm going to be forced to watch it at home and I've already had to get my apologies in in advance and warn the other half to forgo any foolish notion of getting the baby to sleep while the game is on, as the squirming, shouting and screaming will be nothing compared to that coming from the other room on Sunday.

Link

Hopefully, the wailing will be all his though.

Sorry son, but you'll understand when you're older.

John #11

Well said. I too fear the game. We don't seem to have done well in must win matches. And yet we have beaten Arsenal and Brighton….bizarre….

Until of course you realise we had DCL play in both of those matches.

We seem to have this incredible knack of being extremely vulnerable when we are attacking!!! The amount of goals we've conceded on the break is maddening. Happened again at Wolves.

I hope Rob #4 is right that Bournemouth won't fancy it. But, BUT wouldn't you (or anyone) WANT to spoil the party in those circumstances? I know I would. They have nothing to lose and so can play the match, give everything, enjoy it and chill whatever the result knowing they've had a brilliant season. I fear that makes them dangerous.

(However, if they're clever they'll give us the match knowing next season we'll be one of their rivals and we'll probably be turd again next season).

I would LOVE to be positive but this club has let me down so many times:

Losing the 86 final
Getting walloped by Palace in the Zds final
Losing to Liverpool in the FA cup semi after taking the lead
Losing to Chelsea in the FA cup final
Losing pretty much every Anfield derby including allowing Stevie G a hattrick and EVEN losing to their stupid 18 year old team (that was an awful low)
Losing on pens to Fiorentina

Honestly, you name it and I've felt the disappointment: waking up at 04.00 on holiday to watch Man City beat us 1-0 with a Danny Mills screamer (before they got the money)

Pretty much every match we play at Old Trafford
Pretty much every match we play at Arsenal
Pretty much every match we play at Spurs
Pretty much every match we play at Chelsea

Obviously there's been the occasional fun moment: beating Utd at OT once.
Beating Spurs with the DCL header.
Winning the cup in 1995.

But honestly, it's all been such a fking let down season after season

Even when Bobby brown shoes threatened to take us into the Champs Lge we subsequently threw it away.

You'll have to forgive me if I insulate myself from hope on Sunday….I will be a wreck if we go down.

I already cried when Yerry Mina equalised
And I've already had sleeplessness nights this week.

Obviously I'm desperate to win and the fact a draw (or even a defeat!) may be enough gives me hope. And if we had DCL I'd have hope.

But I guess I can have blind optimism eh?

COYB!!

I think we are all caught up in a mixture of emotions and thoughts that range from the “ We can do this “ positivity to the extreme “ we're gonna fuck this up “ ultra negativity.
Que sera, sera would seem just about fitting for our true thoughts but let's all imagine for just one second that we are Leeds or Leicester fans. Horrible thought on its own without the relegation threat but I'm guessing they are both thinking of defeats on Sunday and have more or less given up.
Given the form and shit show running of our club we should be where Southampton are right now but we're not and the past few games have shown we can fight and have put ourselves in a great position to stay up.
Dyche is hamstrung by injuries but we are not playing City or United so let's be in the “ We can do this “ positivity camp and drive this team to victory on Sunday.
COYB

Wish we could have the same team that played against Brighton, losing DCL is a huge loss as he has made a difference. He must be gutted to miss out on Sunday, Patterson as well. We have to stay positive and get the win, will be praying that we can stay up. Just need one last push and also come on West Ham and Spurs just both get draws on Sunday just in case!

Fuck me Tim, say what you mean. Can't disagree with you though.

This latest news about DCL and Patterson just sums up as dismal a season as we have ever witnessed in recent memory.

If, and I sincerely hope not that things get messed up on Sunday then they have no excuses as we have been without these two players for long periods anyway.

If Everton cannot get a win against the likes of Bournemouth in 3 attempts then they are indeed worthy of the drop.

Obviously we would all love an early goal like the Brighton game but if we have to wait until the last minute it doesn't matter as long as it's the winner.

Prepare for another nail biter.

Well said that man.

Whatever happens during the game on Sunday - as Tina Turner sang "Let's Stay Together". RIP Tina.

Rob 4. I'd love to share your optimism. But I don't honestly trust this team to win tomorrow.

Looking back over the many years of struggle and the Wimbledon, Coventry and Palace games, there's a nagging horrible feeling that's saying "Sorry, pal, your luck is about to run out."

Out of the 3 sets of fans, Leeds and Leicester would die to be in our position.

It's now up to this group of players (minus our so-called talisman) to produce.

Unfortunately I don't look at our forward players with any hope. I hope to god and wow, haven't I prayed that I'm wrong and they don't let us down?

I've been saying for ages, I hope it doesn't go to the last game, whereas my brothers and plenty I know echo what Tony has said considering how poor we've been.

Andy (18),

I understand your feelings perfectly, Andy. After such a really pathetic season, it really is a blessing that we still are in with a very good chance of staying up on the last day of the season.

I'm glad we got Sean Dyche in as manager, not everyone's choice I know, but if Frank had stayed, we'd have known our sad fate a couple of weeks ago in my opinion.

So here we are today – 4th from bottom. I think we will be 4th from bottom after today's game even with a makeshift team we get there. Our nerves will be shattered and torn but we will be happy.