Everton (A) | Pre-Match Thread

[117 M34]

Just had a look on their forum.
Their fans pretty much unanimously think we will beat them.
I would have thought they would have fancied their chances with them being 2nd.

 

[Ric]

Hello all. Everton fan here, I thought I'd come and give you a Toffee view.

Through a combination of injuries and fixture congestion the squad feels run in to the ground.

Four of our very best players are out in Digne, Allan, Richarlison and James. We also have Delph and Gbamin injured.

DCL is knackered and our rotation option for him is Richarlison (Tosun is nowhere near the required level but I have a sneaky feeling he has to start one of these matches).

You may have noticed DCL hasn't scored for a little while. He is still playing really well but the regular supply isn't there without James and Digne.

We have Godfrey, a young right footed centre half, playing at left back. He is great defensively and can make surging attacking runs in to space - but most of the time with the ball he will turn back inside and pass backwards. This obviously makes a huge difference in our play compared to Digne.

I expect you to win the game as you'll rotate in top quality, which we just can't do in these circumstances, and also have top quality on the bench. So similar to what happened against Man United midweek.

We will line up something like this:

Pickford
Coleman Mina Keane Godfrey
Iwobi Doucoure Davies Bernard
Sigurdsson
DCL

Olsen (GK, Lossl (GK), Kenny, Holgate, Branthwaite, Nkounkou, Gomes, Gordon, Tosun​

Thanks for the insight mate. Definitely looks like a good time to play you with those four players out, but it's never an easy game at Goodison. Good luck for the rest of the season anyway, starting after tomorrow!

 

[TomDixie]

Thanks for the insight mate. Definitely looks like a good time to play you with those four players out, but it's never an easy game at Goodison. Good luck for the rest of the season anyway, starting after tomorrow!

Good luck to you too mate. I think you're the only outfit that can stop that lot retaining the title!

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

Monday 28th December

Everton v
Manchester City

Kickoff: 8:00pm (UK)
Goodison Park, Liverpool, UK

Live TV: AmazonPrime (UK)


Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: Lee Betts, Constantine Hatzidakis
Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh
VAR: Mike Dean
Assistant VAR: Darren Cann

View attachment 7183

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Premier League Stats

Our record against them is relatively pretty good considering they were our ultimate bogey side once. We have even turned the overall head-to-head just about in our favour at least in the PL era.

The last 5 wins out of 5 in the league has certainly helped as well in that regard ...

View attachment 7184


They are the in-form team going into this fixture compared to our start-stop-start form ...

View attachment 7190

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Pre-Match Thoughts

Less than 46 hours to go till the next kick-off now ... I am not sure why we always get this shortest straw every single year ... and scouse seem to get the longest gap between games at this time of the year ... oh well, like Pep would say, "it is what it is" ...

At least Everton also have the same gap ... they have just finished their game at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United (having won 1-0 there, and now second in the table) as we finished here at home against Newcastle. So add a couple of hours journey back for their players before they get in their beds tonight compared to our players ... but that's no advantage whatsoever as we'd be needing that much time to get to them day after tomorrow so it's all even on that count. If anything they have the advantage as they are at home and being in Tier 2 means they will have 2000 home fans in the stadium cheering them on as well.

Jesus and Walker being out for Covid has already reduced our squad options in two key positions. So rotation as far as looking ahead is concerned shouldn't be an issue for this one as the next game (against Chelsea) is six days away for us ... but some rotation might be required given who has played the whole 90 just now ... won't last another 90 day after tomorrow ... Aguero didn't start today to maybe just maybe starts the next one ... other than that KdB and Rodri are possible confirmed starters for this one along with Ederson and the two centre backs.

This will be a tough test of where we are ... this and the next game against Chelsea ... win these two and we are well and truly in control of our own season and the title charge is back on track ... lose or draw in one or both of them and the wobbly start of the season continues ... but it's almost approaching mid-season so not just the start anymore.

C'mon City - let's do this!

Not rocket science to anyone watching our games, but the startling stat between the two sides is chances created and goals scored. With our solid defence, take the chances and we’ll win.

 

[tregyblue61]

My line up is:

25m
40m
65m
50m
60m
30m
25m
No Fee
32m
55m
50m

subs to made up from: bonuses, add-ons, kick backs, brown envelopes all with a light dusting of academy players

 

[MAG]

Good luck to you too mate. I think you're the only outfit that can stop that lot retaining the title!

Common goal for the whole of the premier league except that lot ... so yes, get behind us!

 

[the blue panther]

Hello all. Everton fan here, I thought I'd come and give you a Toffee view.

Through a combination of injuries and fixture congestion the squad feels run in to the ground.

Four of our very best players are out in Digne, Allan, Richarlison and James. We also have Delph and Gbamin injured.

DCL is knackered and our rotation option for him is Richarlison (Tosun is nowhere near the required level but I have a sneaky feeling he has to start one of these matches).

You may have noticed DCL hasn't scored for a little while. He is still playing really well but the regular supply isn't there without James and Digne.

We have Godfrey, a young right footed centre half, playing at left back. He is great defensively and can make surging attacking runs in to space - but most of the time with the ball he will turn back inside and pass backwards. This obviously makes a huge difference in our play compared to Digne.

I expect you to win the game as you'll rotate in top quality, which we just can't do in these circumstances, and also have top quality on the bench. So similar to what happened against Man United midweek.

We will line up something like this:

Pickford
Coleman Mina Keane Godfrey
Iwobi Doucoure Davies Bernard
Sigurdsson
DCL

Olsen (GK, Lossl (GK), Kenny, Holgate, Branthwaite, Nkounkou, Gomes, Gordon, Tosun​

I thought u would have been a bit more confident.
Given the wierd results this season so far, and only 2 days rest between games, any result's possible, so, right now, I'd probably take a point. But, as we've probably got a better chance of catching ur vermin neighbours than you, and depriving them of back to back titles, let's hope ur right with ur assessment.
Ur very welcome to 2nd, 3rd or 4th place, and Europe next season.
Best.

 

[Tevez City]

Maybe Pep should start the same starting Eleven.

Don't change your winning formula.

 

[oddfellows]

TV, we all enjoy the leg up the money gives us so I suppose we have to take it on the chin, at least Everton have the same amount of rest but it would be nice for the red teams to luck out (I know luck plays no part) once in awhile.

Dippers play Sun-Weds-Mon and Rags for Sat-Tues-Fri.

It really stinks.

 

[MAG]

Dippers play Sun-Weds-Mon and Rags for Sat-Tues-Fri.

It really stinks.

It's every year ... last year was even worse ... when they made two teams sweat against us for 90 mins and then got them to play Scouse straight after us with 1/2 days less rest than them.

 

[worsleyweb]

Delph injured - who would have thought.

 

[oddfellows]

Eddy
Cancelo-Dias-Laporte-Ake
Fern-Gundo
Ffs-Foden-Sterling
Torres

 

[MAG]

Delph injured - who would have thought.

Hasn't he been out since the start of the season for them? Long term injury I think ...

 

[Cityinmud]

We always drop off in intensity when we play two close games. I am hoping the players are motivated to give it their all and we have some gap before chelsea game

 

[MAG]

The team I'd like to see start ...

Foden - Aguero - Torres
Bernardo - Ferna - KdB
Ake - Laporte - Stones - Cancelo
Ederson


The team Pep will most probably pick ...

Sterling - Torres - Mahrez
Gundo - Rodri - KdB
Ake - Dias - Stones - Cancelo
Ederson​

Basically the fresh legs we as fans want to see changed in the team are Aguero, Foden, Ferna and Laporte (Dias to be rested) ... while Pep's idea of fresh legs would be Mahrez and that's about it ... oh well, let's hope if he comes in, he has one of those games where he scores a couple and assists another few and that'd be that!

 

[Cityinmud]

The team I'd like to see start ...

Foden - Aguero - Torres
Bernardo - Ferna - KdB
Ake - Laporte - Stones - Cancelo
Ederson


The team Pep will most probably pick ...

Sterling - Torres - Mahrez
Gundo - Rodri - KdB
Ake - Dias - Stones - Cancelo
Ederson​

Basically the fresh legs we as fans want to see changed in the team are Aguero, Foden, Ferna and Laporte (Dias to be rested) ... while Pep's idea of fresh legs would be Mahrez and that's about it ... oh well, let's hope if he comes in, he has one of those games where he scores a couple and assists another few and that'd be that!

Dias can rest after Everton , chelsea and rags game. Stones and dias should start in these important games considering their form. Gundo over Bernardo any day in that position

 

[xgorton]

Hasn't he been out since the start of the season for them? Long term injury I think ...

He came on against Leeds when they got beat at home.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Dias can rest after Everton , chelsea and rags game. Stones and dias should start in these important games considering their form. Gundo over Bernardo any day in that position

Yeah need to go full strength for these next 3 games, we've then got an 'easy' period to play the squad so everyone will hopefully finally be up for it at the dips to overturn the one goal start they'll get.

 

[manimanc]

Huge game this, win and it propels us into the mix nicely with a game in hand. Be a tough match.

 

[chickaroon]

All squads aren't the same size.
The squad submitted by City is 21 players the maximum we can c submit.
There are several clubs who have submitted a squad of 24.
Foden and Torres are not included in our squad as they are U21.

Is there a case for playing Walker right back and playing Cancello in midfield, where he played for much of yesterday's natch. I know we never look good with 3 at the back but against teams that like to play on the break with speedy forwards, we need Walker. Cancello, although still good, is not so assured on the left.