Unbelievable

[Lancasterclaret]

I'm happy, but I'm happy knowing that me just existing annoys people like Brexit

I think we are going to need 40 points as well

[KRBFC]

I think we need 40 and 40 may even drop. Everton will certainly pick up they are fighting now. Beat today but they are scrapping.

Where are Everton getting points from? Chelsea at home, Arsenal away are 2 of their fixtures. Everton have lost like 8 away games in a row.

[Dark Cloud]

I think we need 40 and 40 may even drop. Everton will certainly pick up they are fighting now. Beat today but they are scrapping.

Nobody has needed (the mythical) 40 in ages, so I'd be quite happy that 2 wins and a draw will be enough for us from here (38). Here's hoping!

[ClaretAL]

At the moment however Pace's call is working. I'm happy to say that, and hope my fears that it was too great a risk or would assure relegation are wrong. If we still go down, it reverts to a bad decision. If we survive, good decision. If we keep winning home, drawing away, you'd fancy we survive, so after 3 games without Dyche, it looks like a good decision. i hope it continues to be one.

How can it be a bad decision if we go down? Surely your not trying to say that under Dyche we would have had the same results, despite playing an attacking pass on the floor based football rather than hoof in to channels and defend for your lives style football?

[BabylonClaret]

I think we need 40 and 40 may even drop. Everton will certainly pick up they are fighting now. Beat today but they are scrapping.

I don't think we will need 40 but it will be higher than most of us thought say at Christmas. It will be 37/38. To get that Everton need 1.5 per game - they will do well to get that. Sadly Leeds oy need 5 and I think they can win at leat one so p ly meed a couple more

[tiger76]

I think we need 40 and 40 may even drop. Everton will certainly pick up they are fighting now. Beat today but they are scrapping.

No way 40 points will drop, that would mean Everton have to win 4 of their last 6, despite their spirited display in the derby today they ain't winning 4 more games, and if they do achieve those victories then good luck to them, but I honestly can't see it.

[BabylonClaret]

How can it be a bad decision if we go down? Surely your not trying to say that under Dyche we would have had the same results, despite playing an attacking pass on the floor based football rather than hoof in to channels and defend for your lives style football?

Keepers still don't need to do a lot of work in two of the games. What's been good is the way we have maintained tightness at the back whilst trying to get forward - it's been more like how we were 2 or 3 seasons ago. There's a lot of effort going in though which is credit to the team

[Elizabeth]

The transformation in Brownhill's game could come under the description of Unbelievable. He was magnificent today.
I hope considering all the criticism he's had this season he gets the recognition of a thread.

[spt_claret]

How can it be a bad decision if we go down? Surely your not trying to say that under Dyche we would have had the same results, despite playing an attacking pass on the floor based football rather than hoof in to channels and defend for your lives style football?

We literally cannot know what would have happened if we hadn't changed manager. It's a false history that didn't happen, and ultimately as others have pointed out (myself included)- there's plenty of other problems that have got us into this mess, chief amongst them under-investment since summer 2020. Do I think it's likely that if we go down now, we would still have gone down under Dyche? I genuinely don't know because for the reasons I said I always had these 2 games as ones we could win. I probably lean towards yes so far- because we couldn't really have done more so far, can't do more than win.

But I don't believe that if we stay up it's a good decision but if we go down we can default say it's not a bad decision- because we cannot know if we would still have gone down, but when you actively take action and a consequence occurs you have to bear some credit and responsibility for that consequence. It's the logic of almost every trolley problem in philosophy, except here we're working with an as-yet unknown endpoint of the trolley with multiple moments the track could divert (each match). You can only get away with no responsibility for the bad outcome, if we keep getting results but it's just not enough because Everton & Leeds get more- if that happens then yes, even if relegated you can't call it a bad decision because it achieved all we could really hope for, it just wasn't enough. In that scenario, even with relegation it was the good call.

If we go down- it's entirely possible, perhaps even probable, we would still have gone down under Dyche. But it can't be discounted that we can't know for sure. Same as how if we stay up- Pace gets full credit for the call, even if we can't know if we'd have ground out results under Dyche's method and stayed up- we have form for doing this under Dyche in previous seasons, but given this season's performances it was being left incredibly late if so. And right now I'm calling it a good decision because right now it's leading to results.

[Guitargeorge]

It took us 22 games to get two wins, we have equalled that in four days!

[claretandy]

I think we need 40 and 40 may even drop. Everton will certainly pick up they are fighting now. Beat today but they are scrapping.

No chance, show me where Leeds or Everton get 40 points.

[alboclaret]

No chance, show me where Leeds or Everton get 40 points.

I think its possible. Funny things happen at this time of year.

[ElectroClaret]

A team with 40 drop?
Rubbish.

[alboclaret]

Chelsea, like utd but om a lesser scale are quite unreliable to do the job. Hope they do mind.

Been a fantastic week. Let's hope it to carries us further and over the line.

[spt_claret]

I think we need 40 and 40 may even drop. Everton will certainly pick up they are fighting now. Beat today but they are scrapping.

If we need 40 and still drop there was never any hope. If we get 40 points and get relegated I'll very willingly say that regardless of relegation the sacking was the right decision and gave us the best chance we could have.

[BabylonClaret]

Chelsea, like utd but om a lesser scale are quite unreliable to do the job. Hope they do mind.

Been a fantastic week. Let's hope it to carries us further and over the line.

That's true - they are all over the place (like Leicester as well) but I think their away form is very good isn't it?

It could be close though:

Chelsea H
Leicester A
Watford A
Brentford H
Palace H
Arsenal A

There's points to be had from those - Leicester Palace and Brentford are not "hard" matches (especially at home) and Watford are abject at their gaff. They could easily yield 7 or 8 points which oust them on 36 with two more (admittedly really tough ) fixtures to get to 38/39. Although If I were an Everton fan I would be v worried about needing something at the Emirates with their away form

[alboclaret]

If we need 40 and still drop there was never any hope. If we get 40 points and get relegated I'll very willingly say that regardless of relegation the sacking was the right decision and gave us the best chance we could have.

Yeah. I not saying it will happen. I just feel there is a chance that it will go close to that with just the sheer size of club Everton are surely the have to pull something out before the end. Hopefully not.
I just don't see it being 38 that stays up.

[nil_desperandum]

No way 40 points will drop, that would mean Everton have to win 4 of their last 6, despite their spirited display in the derby today they ain't winning 4 more games, and if they do achieve those victories then good luck to them, but I honestly can't see it.

Everton are pretty decent at home, so could easily pick up at least 6 points there (Brentford and Palace for starters), and are probably favourites to win at Watford, Just throw in another draw and that takes them to 39, and who knows which Arsenal will turn up on the last day of the season. Those people writing them off could be in for a nasty shock.
Unless we get to 40 points I think we are very vulnerable.