Firstly, thanks from Monsieur Salut to his noble deputy, Malcolm Dawson, for his sterling efforts to keep the site afloat in troubled waters.
I have a borrowed laptop. The French keyboard is driving me mad as is the absence of all manner of things I seemed able to do on my newish but frozen Mac (newish but under a guarantee I need to travel 1,000km to invoke).
Malcolm is going way past the call of unpaid duty to get everything posted but is also having to cope with all the fiddly, twiddly bits of this site’s dashboard that still baffle me from time to time. So please be understanding if a posting or use of images is afflicted by gremlins.
As if this were not bad enough, there has been a deluge of high-minded nonsense from down Essex (and maybe N London) way as Spurs supporters, indignant at Sunderland’s failure to e-mail three points in advance or stand back and let their side win without a whimper, have vented their rage. Read about the game at Martin’s Musings – the manager’s customary post-match e-mail – and in Pete Sixsmith’s superb analysis. Take a look at the comments, too, if you wish, and join the debate.
Then guess tomorrow’s score at Goodison.
See the Everton ‘Who are you?’. Our questions answered by the man from Blue Kipper.
And the other rollover? Well, no one got 0-0 for SAFC v Spurs so I will carry forward the prize – a Martin O’Neill ”Team of all Talents” mug (NB Tottenham fans; the slogan continues ”work in progress”) – and make it a pair of mugs for Everton v Sunderland. The design will be modified accordingly if a non-SAFC supporter wins.
Usual rules apply: first to post the correct scoreline wins, subject to M Salut’s decision being final. Entries valid for the time posted even if held for moderation.
Ha’way the Lads. Or Allez les Mecs …
So the team that we decided we couldn’t beat lost 2-1 at home to Norwich. Anyone happy with the way the great Martin O’Neill set us up to play an awful Tottenham at home now? If you set out to play like that with no belief or ambition what happens? Well I think we all saw that at Everton.
This is a different argument to the one you used before. Your previous point was that the Spurs gane was boring. I argue that it wasn’t.
The Everton game is a different kettle of fish and was a poor performance by anyone’s standards.
Interestingly, even ‘Appy ‘Arry thinks he may have set his team up wrong against Norwich. Not the same as they were at the SSOL. “It was too open from our point of view. We played 4-4-2 today but to be honest I think it leaves us a bit open. It’s an attacking system but we’ve looked stronger recently when we’ve played 4-3-3. I just felt I’d give it a go with the two wide men and two front men but it was a bit disappointing the way we played. One or two didn’t look quite right today.”
MON has turned our season around – let’s not forget that.
Quite agree Eric. If it was just Barnes and Benno I’d be satisfied as I think they do a good job and I espêcially love Benno’s enthusiasm for the club. But the add-ons should be something modern technology can handle when the service comes at a price
As I posted on Sixer’s Sevens the radio coverage is not really up to scratch. If it were free then no complaints. But I pay to listen. I know it’s only £3.99 per month via SAFC TV but it sounds like it’s coming from the snug of the nearest boozer to the ground, all background noises and constant interuptions. Sort it out or risk losing listeners – Real Radio a la Coops and the Lord Rowell was so much better.
So no winners, except Everton. Until I gave up at 3-0, I was listening to the same Scouse irritant, but in an internet cafe in St Tropez. 8.50 euros to hear him shouting ”gerrin” three times.
I will repeat the rollover, probably without further incentive, for the Wolves game.
Got to agree with the comments about the Scouser- had it in my earphones all afternoon. I wonder why we didn’t change things around a bit like Moyes?
Still onwards and upwards.
I didn’t either but what was that team non-selection? I couldn’t bring myself to listen to it at all after seeing it.
I watched the whole game, on TV, and can confirm that we were not good (understatement).
What I could not understand was why following MON’s statement that he intended giving other players a chance but he still played a “semi-fit” Cattermole.
This is NOT a pop at the player, who I think has been tremendous, recently, but rather a go at the manager.
OK, I do not see the players, everyday in training but one thing that I could see (in the first three games against EFC this season) was that we lacked height (with a physical presence) in the middle of the park, to counter Fellaini.
Surely, Meyler could have deputised for Catts, on this occasion, and solved that recurring problem?
Didn’t see that coming. Did anyone else listen to Barnes and Benno? I had to turn it off, that Scouser was doing my head in.
The Lads appear intent on stopping anyone winning a mug. Three down and hopeless by the sound of it
Yet another “iffy” result, fashioned by the desire of M.S. to hang on to his drinking vessels!
I can see the headline now!
“Bent result fashioned by mugs!”
When will the Premier League begin their investigations?
I won’t hold my breath!
Mints 1 SAFC 3 an open, attacking and entertaining encounter with just a hint of defensive capability.
I’d actually settle for a point from this as well, but you can’t please everybody!
Toffees 0:2 The Lads
“I’m sure this is supposed to be about entertaining and trying to win.”
Sky have a lot to answer for with regard to their constant use of the word “entertainment”, when talking about the Premier League.
As Alan Durban once said “if you want entertainment, go to a circus”!
The game is about amassing as many points as possible and if it is pleasing on the eye and “entertaining” then so much the better.
However, neither is a pre requisite that is more important than the ultimate aim.
Regarding today’s game Everton 0 Sunderland 1 – I don’t know which way Eric meant his 0-1 to be interpreted, so maybe, I’m not the first with that prediction..
We can have a mug each Phil.
I can’t see M.S. agreeing to that so I will go out on a limb (BIG time) – Everton 1 SAFC 3.
Tottenham are third because of early season form. Over the last 10 games they would be in the bottom 6. We were at home and showed no ambition. Let’s cite the 11 corners as attacking intent. Many of them were when a Tottenham player headed out the previous corner. If we are happy playing that way at home against a team who were there for the taking, then that is a very sad indictment. I can’t believe people are saying ‘we comfortably cancelled out a team who are third’ as if that is a great achievement. We cancelled them out because we had 11 players behind the ball almost all the time. They conceded 5 at Arsenal who were awful at the time; they outplayed Man U and still let in 3. What did we do – put 11 behind the ball when we are totally safe in the table. I’m sure this is supposed to be about entertaining and trying to win. Who are we going to cancel out next? Surely it was a great opportunity to go at a top side and see how good we are. No – let’s cancel them out. Booooooring
proud that you parked the bus at home???
no wonder the magpies are the top team in the north east.
And yesterday showed why the Gunners are the top team in Norf Laandan.
Another draw but 1-1 this time.
2-1 to SAFC.
Embarrassing? We comfortably cancelled out the side that is standing third in the Premier League. We used our players well and they never posed a threat all afternoon. Good ‘ol ‘Arry would have loved us to have a go at them and then they would pick us off.
I thought he used his tactical brain well and made sure that we did not lose. Let’s see what we do at Everton and at home to Wolves and Bolton.
Are we getting the first signs of an O’Neill backlash?
0-1.
Sorry, but we were embarrassing yesterday. We were up against a team with 5 points from 6 games, short of confidence and bottling it in the race for 4th. And what did we do? We told ourselves they are brilliant and we had no chance of beating them unless we defended for 80 minutes and then tried to sneak a goal. Well that’s garbage. They haven’t won away for ages and if we had scored an early goal they could have fallen apart. O’Neill got his tactics hopelessly wrong and we showed no ambition – embarrassing.
Did you watch the same game as me yesterday? Our players gave 100% commitment, they had several chances and though like Spurs, they never really threatened the goalie, that was down to decent defending rather than a lack of ambition. We had 11 corners. Does that not indicate an attacking intent?
Were you watching the team in October? Now that was embarrassing.