Just saw the goals on Sky...

AFKABartram

Absolutely gutting.

From what i picked up off the radio, sounds like Everton had the first half and we upped a gear second half. Sounded like ZZ and Bent both had great chances.

A kick in the teeth, but quite a few had wrote this one off. In my eyes, we need two wins and a draw out of our last 4 games. Where they come from i don't care, but a win against Sheff U is vital now.

AllLeftFoot

I watched the game in the pub and that seems a pretty fair summary.

We looked a lot better in the second half and ZZ's and Bent's chances were both very good, and even their first came as a result of a needless corner.

Am clinging to the hope that Fulham aren't going to get more than 38 points, but unfortunately both them and Wigan have still got to play Boro...

Oakster

watched the game "live" ( on a 2 hour delay) with my mate an Everton fan

gutted is not the word, but like many i did not expect to get anything from this

it's pretty simple really - 3 wins will suffice, i can't see us getting anything from Liverpool but we can beat Sheff Utd, Blackburn & Spuds - we have a bloody good team. we played well today 7 were Everton's equal for large parts - if we were a poor team i woul dbe giving up hope in this situation, but the present team & the way we play we can beat almost anyone......

it's gonna be a long six days until Saturday :-)

ct_addick

We played well in the 2nd half and deserved a point. Both ZZ and Bent should have put away earlier chances. What can you do. Sheff Utd will come looking for a point next week. They are physical but I think we have the better players. Bloody rollercoaster ride this is. My wife is going to divorce me if this keeps up. Shouting and swearing at the TV when McFadden scored. She doesn't understand being a Yank and all.

AllLeftFoot

Honestly can't see where three wins are going to come from - two and a draw at the best, I would think.

That would be a not-so-grand total of 39, and then it could well come down to goal difference.

seriously_red

Of all the teams just above us one is going to mess up in their last 5 games -getting only one win and a draw. So it's down to us to beat Sheff Utd and either Spuds or Blackburn. A point would have been handy today but i'm glad we weren't 2-1 up conceding a late equalizer as that would have been worse to drop two points. We are good enough and just need some luck to pull this off.

northstandsteve

We switched off twice and conceded 2 goals,harsh but true.

ct_addick

[cite]Posted By: seriously_red[/cite]Of all the teams just above us one is going to mess up in their last 5 games -getting only one win and a draw. So it's down to us to beat Sheff Utd and either Spuds or Blackburn. A point would have been handy today but i'm glad we weren't 2-1 up conceding a late equalizer as that would have been worse to drop two points. We are good enough and just need some luck to pull this off.

Don't understand your thinking here...surely one point would have been better than none ?.....Reading was a winnable game on paper and we were not good enough. To get soemthing today was a big ask. Results have not gone our way this weekend and that cruel goal was a kick in the bollox. I hope we stay up but not looking good. We need 2 wins and we never get anything at Blackburn so where is the other one coming from ?

Oggy Red

Lets all roll over and give up.......



C'mon, prophets of doom, you don't know the future.

We get our heads straight and go for it on Saturday v Sheff Utd. Right?
We only think about Saturday.
We only think about winning.
3 points .

Then we will see where that takes us.

seriously_red

CT - To explain the thinking - we need a couple of wins to survive and probably a draw (depending on goal diff) 38 or 39 will be enough simply because not everyone will win half their games at the bottom - someone will fall over

No-one expected a win today - especially after being so lucky to survive the first half. BUT if we had been 2-1 up with a minute to go it would have been sickening to concede. Blackburn are on a nothing end of season run now - a tad deflated perhaps after losing today and we are taking a good team up there + x thousand fans.

We have to beat Sheff Utd - and when we do we go level / overtake teams - and don't forget they are away at Man Utd on Wednesday who need goals and points to see off Chelsea as well as being on fire - or did anyone miss the Roma game?

Fulham are falling apart. And one more piece of spin - when (if) the ball falls on Darren Bent's right foot he is lethal.

So all in all we will see in the next fortnight whether we are in with a shout - we may need something at home to Spuds and then hopefully we can sit back and await the result of Sheff Utd vs Wigan on the last day.

It is still up to us and we are the form team down there.

Elthamaddick

I watched the game live in the pub yesterday, thought we layed pretty well and certainly had a go, ZZ's chance in the 2nd half was a turning point for me, should've stuck that one away.

Cracking finish by Bent and then we were beaten by a fantastic piece of skill.....

northstandsteve

Bougy dived in if he stands up Mcfadden can't do that.

Chris_from_Sidcup

And for the first, if Carson gives a shout thatcher doesn't need to head the ball out for the corner from which they scored. Both goals were avoidable. Don't know where Pards is getting the 'i'd have been unhappy with a draw so to lose is gutting' analysis, first half i thought we defended well but we didn't do enough to win it. We had a few chances (ZZ, Bent, even Elks poor shot after we equalised) but a draw would've been fairer.
We always knew we needed to beat Sheff Utd so nothing changes and on the BBC predictor i had us to lose at everton anyway. Win both the home games, get a draw or nick a win at blackburn and we're safe i reckon. Come on you reds!

Elthamaddick

[cite]Posted By: northstandsteve[/cite]Bougy dived in if he stands up Mcfadden can't do that.

bit harsh, he didn't go to ground just closed him down....put that one down to a quality bit of skill !!

Al the Addick

looking at Fulhams last 4 games blackburn home, Arseanal away, Liverpool home and Boro away I really can't see them getting more than 3 points from those fixtures which would leave them on 38 so two wins would put us level with probably a better goal difference depending on the margin of their defeats. Still in our own hands "COME ON CHARLTON"

Ledge

[cite]Posted By: Chris_from_Sidcup[/cite]And for the first, if Carson gives a shout thatcher doesn't need to head the ball out for the corner from which they scored. Both goals were avoidable. Don't know where Pards is getting the 'i'd have been unhappy with a draw so to lose is gutting' analysis, first half i thought we defended well but we didn't do enough to win it. We had a few chances (ZZ, Bent, even Elks poor shot after we equalised) but a draw would've been fairer.
We always knew we needed to beat Sheff Utd so nothing changes and on the BBC predictor i had us to lose at everton anyway. Win both the home games, get a draw or nick a win at blackburn and we're safe i reckon. Come on you reds!

Did you not watch the highlights - Carson quite clearly shouted to Thatcher as he had a go at him afterwards - you clearly saw Thatcher mouthing to carson "just fuck off"

razil

I think we have relied on winning home games too much, and tried to not to lose away games. We should have gone for teams like City big time even though it was an away game - The Sun (regretably) summed it up today we should have been trying to win, instead of not lose in the position we are in. The formation he put out clearly shows that intention. Faye IMHO just isnt worth putting on the pitch, we were too flat and relying on basic tactics which are fairly easily countered - i.e. punt the ball up and hope someone gets lucky.

Pards stated his intentions early to play attacking football, 442 and 2 wide men, but as soon he stopped doing that (when we found we could survive) he changed the tactics and we started drawing which in our position is not good enough. Whatever he says now (that we try to win every game) the teamsheet just doesn't truly reflect that intent.

But hey what do I know..

:)

Rothko

The idea that playing 4-4-2 is akin to playing free flowing attacking football is just facile

razil

disagree if you play two wide players as he did to start with, however if you play a flat 442 then yes I agree.

Rothko

You play with what you've got, and to an extent who our playing.

Yesterday we attacked pretty well with the 4-5-1 we were playing, two of the 5 held, 3 went off to attack, and it caused Everton all sorts of problems second half

razil

Has left Romm on the bench consistently for many games. Also would like to see the lightening pace of newcomer Kevin Lisbie alongside Mr Bent.

:)

My point really is that his tactics have changed and its coincided with us drawing more.

Rothko

The tactics have also seen us pick up points where we wouldn't have got them before.

I get the feeling we'll fly into Sheffield United at pace, and try and take em apart West Ham style.

razil

that is true but points arent enough at this stage, some good results over the course of a normal season but right now we need 2 wins..


Every weekend is a huge game, its gonna be a very quiet summer after all this tension!

:D

Sco

Had we lost 2 - 0 to Everton we'd have accepted our lot over a expected result and carried on focusing on the Sheffield United fixture. The gutter is that we threw away a point having equalised in the 89th minute. Get a grip people - the team and the club (and us) needs us up for this Saturday - let's ave it.

Ketman

It's not over till it's over, but it's all about Saturday now, our whole season really does hinge on the next game, gonna be a fantastic atmostphere & a great day. I would be very surprised if it is not just between us & Sheff Utd come the last game.

WSS

[quote][cite]Posted By: Ketman[/cite]It's not over till it's over, but it's all about Saturday now, our whole season really does hinge on the next game, gonna be a fantastic atmostphere & a great day. I would be very surprised if it is not just between us & Sheff Utd come the last game.[/quote]
That would be a disaster unless we are three points clear and have a few goals advantage over them...

Dutch Addick

That McFadden goal was just superb, nothing to do about that. Because it was just after our equalizer it really hurts, but as I said before, we didn't expect anything from this game. According to my BBC predictor a win against sheffield and a draw against Spurs would be enough.

Because we don't know how this will end the excitement is driving you mad, but the whole period from Christmas is just fantastic! I have never been more involved into our games as the last couple of months with screaming and nail biting for the TV or at the Valley, checking the results of the other teams, filling in the BBC predictor tools, etc.

NorthStandUltra

Wigan vs Sheffield United last day of the season, they wouldn't play for a draw would they.........

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: NorthStandUltra[/cite]Wigan vs Sheffield United last day of the season, they wouldn't play for a draw would they.........

Would they? Penalty to one of the sides......and they deliberately miss?
I doubt it.

I'll think you'll find that the home team at least, Sheff Utd, in front of their own fans, would give it their best shot.

_MrDick

[cite]Posted By: NorthStandUltra[/cite]Wigan vs Sheffield United last day of the season, they wouldn't play for a draw would they.........

They'd probably get done for match fixing, wouldn't they?

razil

Is it Yorks vs Lancs though?

:-)