Everton vs Aston Villa

Neville
Jags
Distin
Baines

Mirallas
Gibson
Osman
Pienaar

Fellaini

Anichebe

That you would rather be in Villa's position than ours?

I'm with Anthony on team selection and totally agree with you Lyndon that Johnnie has been too consistently error prone in recent games he has played.

I would give Mirallas the first half to get us ahead and then bring Jelly on for the second half.

One concern I have is for the state of the pitch and someone like Ossie who is not firm on the ball in 50/50s, however he does have a good scoring record against Villa so lets hope he's wearing the right boots on Saturday.

I think the Gibson return is vital not only for his own contribution, but also for the fact that it removes Neville from midfield. Although Neville is often cited as being an undroppable Moyes favorite, I actually think that he's not a part of even Moyes' preferred starting XI, but he is considered second choice in both the right back and holding midfield position. He's far better suited to doing a solid job covering at right back than in midfield.

I think it's important that in some game soon we get a couple of goals up quickly and starting bossing the match with confidence. Our lack of ability to do that directly hampers the blooding of youngsters (because Moyes is always going to lean conservatively in a close game). More currently, I think the best time for Jelavic to get a scoring touch back is in a situation where the pressure is off. A two or three goal lead by the hour mark, and control of the game, would be the perfect opportunity! (...we can always hope)

We need to take advantage of any possible slip up by Spurs and Chelsea this weekend, particularly with next week seeing both those teams having very winnable home games while we travel to Old Trafford.

Moyes mentioned the pitch on Everton TV today. I got into the ground about an hour before K/O on Wednesday. The sprinklers absolutely soaked the pitch. I can understand getting it 'greasy', but this was ridiculous. The turf was bound to cut up. Really daft management from the ground staff.

I agree we need to get into them and assert superiority early on - but look what happened when we got a 2-0 lead against West Brom! We put our slippers on and made a cup of cocoa.

Ideally, then, a 1-0 lead at half time, keeping us on our toes. Then two goals in the last ten minutes, leaving the last 30 seconds of the match for the players to swan around smugly and for our supporters to actually enjoy watching the game.

Three things make me a little apprehensive though

1) I like the cut of Benteke, he seems to work hard and even in a shite side he scores goals (same as our top scorer, more than Torres etc).

2) Their new signings (Sylla, Dawkins) will be like..um...new signings. I thought we'd tonk Southampton until I heard they'd elbowed their manager. Then I thought 'Bollocks, they'll be running their plums off to impress the new feller" - and they did (don't like any new energy in our opposition - when they're down, I want them down AND out)

3) This is Everton.

Hopefully we just go at them from the start, keep it on the deck, keep possession and repeat the away performance.

That's what SHOULD happen.

If we win 1 - 0 and Jelly scores then I will be well please. Any win will do considering our present form. COYB

I think maybe I should have placed a heavy sarcasm alert on that post.

Eugene

For a funny and erudite guy you have one hell of a pessimistic streak. We will batter them.

I would sooner have the 3 pts right now, yes we should hammer them, but — as it has been mentioned numerous times — this IS Everton... Although I actually think we have some luck going with, or for us for a change, I believe, starting at Man City I think...

But recently in reverse order, WBA hitting the bar at 2 - 1 (At 2 - 2, we could have easily bottled it after being up 2 - 0); Pienaar's goal at Bolton; Saints away, we should have been 4 or 5 goals down at the half; Swansea at home when late on in the game Michu hit the bar; Toon away with them hitting the post whilst we were down 1 - 0, followed by a few glaring misses by them; West Ham & Stoke, we had some luck with us again, whereas early in the season we were all bemoaning our bad luck with Toon (H), Reading & Fulham (A), Norwich & Arsenal (H)....

So let's hope we keep getting the rub of the green in our favour with a win... Yet again, we cannot afford a slip up, we need the 3 pts... end of... COYB!!

Howard
Neville, Jags, Distin, Baines
Gibson, Fellaini (Felli more attacking of the two)
Mirallas, Osman, Pienaar (very fluid)
Anichebe (bull in China shop time!)

That's the team I want. Finally all the pieces starting to come back together. I reckon we're in for a cracker. Money on 3-0 but I think we could absolutely smash them.

We have ultimately achieved 5th position without two key players for 50% of the games. Gibson and Mirallas are absolutely vital to the end-of-season push. Mirallas will be the key to the away games at Old Trafford, Anfield, The Emirates and Stamford Bridge when we will be soaking up pressure and hitting on the counter.

Gibson will ultimately keep Phil Neville out of centre mid given Moyes's support of Osman but we must stop the negativity and criticism of Phil Neville — the stats suggest we are a better TEAM when he plays. As for his limitations, he is a leader, a winner and he respects this club and what we stand for. I'm suggesting that Phil is more used at rb going forward but if he plays centre mid then you know he will never let us down.

We must spread a wave of support throughout Goodison for every home game; no game is a given... take Swansea at home 0 - 0... Yes but even Chelsea with their £100+ millions of attacking players could not break them down so the criticism of the team after that game was unjust given the resources we have.

The window has come and gone, we have got a good young player in, we didn't really expect any major players in before and since then we have Gibbo and Mirallas back, have a great chance to put a gap between us and 6th if we beat Villa; if Jelavic can somehow recapture some form imagine the points we will pick up....

We all love the blue boys... let's prove it. Stop wasting our energies on the board as ultimately we cannot affect that but what we can affect is those 11 men who cross the white line for us every week and deserve and need us to drive them on.

COYB.

I almost certainly wasn't born that way, therefore my pessimism is likely to be a (normal and natural) learned response to certain repeated events.

I'll leave it to you to figure out what some of those repeated events might be.

(clue: "Get it fucking clear Everton, get the fu.....OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!")

I hope he plays them both. One has been plying his trade in Ligue 2 in France and the other played his last game in the MLS last season.

The rest of the team picks itself really. Lets get right behind Anichebe guys, he's a different player when the crowd are behind him.

Like: "Where am I? Who am I playing for today? Who am I? Why am I playing so badly? Why are my team mates all teenagers? Why are the blue-clad opposition so imperious in possession and deadly in front of goal? Is there any chance I can cancel this marriage of convenience on the basis of non-consummation?" That sort of thing.

We should win today, if we don't it is not the end of our CL aspirations but it would be a big dent as we still have to play away from home the four sides around us in the league table. They will probably be the games that decide our final position

I took into consideration the fact that we have already lost to Reading once this season (so the onus is on us to win the return fixture), and also the idea that when we meet Fulham at the end of April, they will possibly be fighting relegation.

If our boys play to their best we should take it but if they're complacent it could well be like the first half vs Southampton.

If you play Jags at right back then it takes something out of the middle and Heitinga's form this season has been very poor. On balance I'd go with Neville at right back and keeps Jags/Distin together.

He should have the option to push on and even go two up top later in the game pairing Anichebe with Jelavic to bolster both their egos, I agree with Anthony's starting eleven then kick on and a crushing victory rather than switching off with a one or two goal lead, Villa are woeful defending set pieces in their own area.

When was the last time you saw Phil Neville 'ripped to shreds' playing at right back?

Well Neville actually found himself in a RB position against West Brom. He backed off and backed off and allowed their lad get from the touch line to the edge of our 6 yard box.

I take your point though, I probably am being harsh. I also can't tolerate those aimless bloody clips down the line that he does EVERY time he gets the ball at RB.

On paper we should be looking at 4 or 5 goals today.
However, I think Villa will be tough to break down as they'll come for a draw.

Villa were crap first half against Newcastle but rallied with a change in formation to 4 at the back second half. They've also signed some French defender in the transfer window and he's allegedly built like a brick shit house.

Hopefully, a clean sheet for Tim Howard with Mirrallas and Anichebe on the scoresheet for us.

Come on Blue Boys.

Indulge me, in the last twelve months how many teams have rolled us over bringing their bad run of form to an end?

This has draw written all over it: 0-0.

No place for complacency but I would expect a win by a couple of goals here. Am going to go against the grain and say we should start with Jelavic up front. He had a break in the last game and hopefully will be able to regain his shooting boots against one of the worst teams (on current form) in the league.

With Gibson and Mirralas back, we should hhave more control in the middle and Mirralas will provide Jelavic iwth help up top. Anicheb may be playing better but he is no where the striker that Jelavic (on form) is. Really need Jelavic back on form ASAP after the pathetic transfer window.

I said it with a bit of exaggeration. It does always feel like we seem to always end bad form with a loss or draw for other clubs though.
QPR, Reading and Wigan come to mind.

"Reading" - thats your best shot out of the 24 games the blues have played this season.

Did you go? Because Reading did not roll Everton. Everton took the lead, missed two sitters should have had a penalty and then came out in the 2nd half looking to carry on. Reading got a corner, Coleman lost his marker and their boy scored. We continued looking for the winner with something like 28 to 30 shots at goal. They got a penatly on their 3rd (repeat 3rd) attack at our goal and basically nicked the gamed.

So, there you have it, Reading did not roll Everton. Neville did not even play so how he gets shite for not even turning up probably sums up this thread.

No team has rolled Everton this season, not one. With or without Neville, with or without Nai-fucking-smith. I will say that Chelsea gave us a slap for not putting them to bed after we dominated the first half, but then again thats what you get from the European Champions.

If you want slag off the blues, go to a game, form an opinion and then let rip but don't pull a team, out of the bag of three teams that have beat Everton, and hope you get lucky.

I understand the sentiment, that feeling you should really be beating a time is accompanied by the little voice in the back of your head saying ' we going to fuck it up, just watch'. That's being a football fan. However the facts just don't back up your pessimism.

Goodison has been a difficult place for teams to come to for a long time now and most come away with nothing. The last year in all competitions is P21 W13 D6 L2. The two by the way were Arsenal and Chelsea in extra time. So keep the faith, the odds say you will be celebrating three points tonight..........., but then again!!