Football 2013-2014

[Bobs]

Can't wait for the football to restart again this weekend though!

I hate international weekend, and it's not very often that you can be THIS optimistic being an Evertonian!

[LondonTom]

Going to watch Everton Vs. Chelsea on Saturday, £37

Edited September 12, 2013 by LondonTom

[TheGayTent]

Yeah - unfortunately all the terrace tickets at BMG were sold already

[Bobs]

£37 against Chelsea!!! That's cheap Our cheapest is £52 against Chelsea (minus a fiver if your a member) Even when Everton come down to the Boleyn it's £42!

[LondonTom]

Do you really think Mike Ashley wouldn't charge more if he thought he could get away with it? (Of course, his lack of purchasing would be even more hated by the club so maybe in the long run it saves him money weirdly?)

Prices won't come down until fans stop paying it basically. (Or when the stadiums are so empty, Sky and the foreign TV channels lose interest.)

Edited September 12, 2013 by LondonTom

[kaosmark2]

Mike Ashley ha figured that selling out home tickets is better for the value of the club (sale price and commercially) than an.extra player or fractionally higher income now. Nothing about that decision is for fans benefit

[Bobs]

Can't deny that he isn't a clown, Mike Ashley, but i'm sure he's not the one in charge of ticket pricing!

When a club like Everton brands themselves at 'The Peoples Club', charge £46 for the biggest game of the season behind the goal,

It's frustrating cause it outprices the modern family man (or woman), I'm 21, but if i have a kid in the next couple of years and want to take him to the match... How can i?

Whilst i probably get it better, because i live in the north, but if i wanted to take them to the game, it would cost me £55+ which is just scandalous, i feel for parents in the current climate! I really do.

They say it's not preventable.... but look at the european prices. English football is just a sham.

The way i see it, is £40 for a match ticket, could get me 2-3 quality gig tickets where i know i will enjoy it 100%, i could pay £40 fir a 0-0... value? no.

[kaosmark2]

Mike Ashley makes all the business decisions at the club. He and llambias worked out the profit strategy together which included cheap tickets (relatively). So yeah, he is involved in that.

[eFestivals]

Do Spurs fans have a problem with players with 'Fly Emirates' on their shirts?

[strangetown]

http://shewore.com/2013/09/12/dont-let-clubs-get-away-with-tesco-tactics/

Good article (if the link works). There appears to be a lot of support for the Twentys Plenty campaign.

[pink_triangle]

http://shewore.com/2013/09/12/dont-let-clubs-get-away-with-tesco-tactics/

Good article (if the link works). There appears to be a lot of support for the Twentys Plenty campaign.

[TheGayTent]

It's a terrible article.

It doesn't acknowledge the biggest single factor in how football clubs have managed to get away with the increase in ticket prices.

Demographics - pure and simple.

Why would a business attempt to attract the working class (wo)man with limited disposable income when they can replace them with an alternative that they can sell the same product to at a higher price?

Edited September 13, 2013 by TheGayTent

[pink_triangle]

It's a terrible article.

It doesn't acknowledge the biggest single factor in how football clubs have managed to get away with the increase in ticket prices.

Demographics - pure and simple.

Why would a business attempt to attract the working class (wo)man with limited disposable income when they can replace them with an alternative that they can sell the same product to at a higher price?

[Jackmypie]

City will probably fuck up my bets again. They spend over 100million and they can't even score against stoke. Fuckers.

[pink_triangle]

City will probably fuck up my bets again. They spend over 100million and they can't even score against stoke. Fuckers.

[Bobs]

In Bobby I trust!!

So good to have good attacking football on show again, still a lot of work to do, but thats a good start for Everton!

[kaosmark2]

Delighted by that victory, haven't watched MotD yet but really looking forward to it. Great to see us lineup in 4-3-3 again, it just seems to suit all our players (except Jonas) better. The clips of HBA so far this season look astonishing, and reviews say he's been doing the defensive work. If he can stay injury free we might just manage a top half finish again (still don't expect it though).

To be fair I think stoke had the second best defensive record in the league last season, so its not a huge shock.

[pink_triangle]

I'm pretty sure they didn't last season. Arsenal definitely did, but they probably did in other recent years.

[kaosmark2]

Yes, just checked and I must be confusing seasons. They were still the best defensive record of anyone outside the top 7 which suggests they should be pretty solid/

[pink_triangle]

Typical comment from someone on the BBC rolling commentary of Soton V West Ham

"If anyone can name a more promising left-back in the world than Shaw I would be very impressed"

It could be argued its just an isolated comments but we all know if he has a few good games, it will be repeated throughout the media. I feel sorry for these players being pushed in the "potentially best in the world" category when at present they aren't anything more than solid premiership players.

[kaosmark2]

Yeah, I'm not at all surprised about that. I'd say Jordi Alba myself. Only 24, yet shown plenty of skill both going forward and defensively already. The key word that makes it a pointless discussion though is 'promising' because that kind of rules out players who are already at the top even if they could improve further.

[Bobs]

Yeah, they always have been. I don't think you can expect anyone to score away at Stoke.

That Everton result is really impressive though. I know Mourinho focuses on an insane home record and then ticking off points away from home, but I'm still very surprised Everton got the victory.

Merseyside teams are the only ones not to have lost yet, and after the hammering Arsenal got in the media off the back of the Villa defeat they're now topping the table. Lots of interesting shocks and twists already!

[kaosmark2]

To be honest at 5pm when the lineup was announced, i would of been more surprised than any if we won, cause Naismith is hopeless, but the lad had an absolute blinder, dont think he's ever played aswell in his life! Needed some class in the midfield to add to class of Barkley and Mirallas, then we have quite a decent team, arguably we were terribly unlucky not to win our previous three league games, but that's all if's and buts.

For what it's worth, i didn't think Chelsea were bad, on another day they could of scored 4-5!

Well as for the title race, i'm stumped. I don't think Arsenal will have legs, and i can't see Spurs gelling, United well, it's United but with Moyes? really?

City and Chelsea have both surprised me so far, so tricky1

[pink_triangle]

I've never rated Naismith. Very surprised he did the business. Contribute more than that header then?

Title race wise, I think it's Chelsea/Arsenal/City. Chelsea may have dropped 5 points already, but away to Everton and Man U aren't easy games for anyone. City have done worse with that loss against Cardiff, and I think they're more likely to have an awful run in them, but they've still got a heck of a squad. Arsenal's latest injury news puts a downer on their chances, but they're the only big team without a change in manager, and they've added a proven world-class player while the others have just added potential/depth.

Stats so far, Liverpool have grinded out 1-0 every game, but I can't see that lasting another 24 hours, let alone the rest of the season. I think they've got more chance than Spurs right now sheerly because of points in the bag and good vibes can be self-fulfilling, but to seriously consider them would be crazy IMO.

My money's still with Chelsea.

[kaosmark2]

Not a bad start from you lot, I bet if someone had offered you the same points as the 2 Manchester clubs and Chelsea after 4 games you would have snapped their hands off. Your noisy neighbours look in big trouble with their fixture list, I can see how PDC could be the right man to come to a club and quickly turn it around, however I am not sure he is a man who can turn around a bad run of results when he is at the club.

As for the title race, my view remains that people are underestimating man utd. At 7 points they are equal to what they got in comparative games (Swapping Palace for QPR for comparisons sake) last season. While I can see them dropping points to some of the top sides, I can see them being ruthless against the rest. They are still my favourites for the league which is as much about other teams weaknesses as Man utds strengths. Im finding it hard to justify city, they look just as lethargic as last season to me. While they have bought some good players, they are all of the level of players at what I would call secondary clubs looking to get a step up, I cant help thinking they needed a bigger signing like Ozil to shake things up a bit.