Middlesbrough vs Everton

Tonight is another opportunity that has come at the exactly the right time, if we have reacted in the proper way since Saturday evening. A decent performance and a win tonight will get us back on track. Results went our way on Sunday... so do well tonight and we have not lost that much overall from Saturday. If we have learned nothing, and have failed to react since Saturday, then tonight is going to be horrible. What can be a standard insipid performance from Everton could see almost all of the well-earned recent confidence drain away.

With it being an away game, having injury doubts over Barry and McCarthy, and very tired players in Deulofeu and Kone, I have huge concerns over how tonight will go. I would hope that Martinez is brave and that Mirallas and Lennon replace Deulofeu and Kone. Besic and Cleverley or Gibson in the middle will to some degree also provide adequate replacements for Barry and McCarthy if needed. Maintain the winning shape of the team and look to go forward at every opportunity as we have been doing. Whether Martinez is brave enough or not waits to be seen.

Lyndon, too busy, to read this thread, only had time for the last sentence, which is good enough for me... Please!

I am hoping Besic will start in place of McCarthy.

If Galloway starts, which seems likely, he is going to need some help keeping Downing under control.

One way or another, I think we are going to see quite a few changes to the Bournemouth starting line up.

With injuries and everything my team would be:

Robles
Coleman
Stones
Funes Mori
Baines
Lennon
Gibson
Besic
Mirallas
Barkley
Lukaku

Play 4-5-1 to swamp them in MF and use our pace down the flanks to rip them a new one.

We have to trust trust Gibson and Besic to do a job at some stage.

Let’s hope I’m reading positive upbeat posts in the morning.

Tight game; if we don’t bottle it, we should get a result.

Give me a day at Wembley winning a trophy over 4th place every time.

But, as Blue Bill & the board always remind us, we can’t really compete against these Sky super rich clubs.

For some reason, we have never taken this competition seriously. This season, the supporters are more than keen to go as far as we can but I don’t know if the management feel the same. If they were serious, then – other than injuries – Martinez should play the team he considers our strongest.

I think Howard is becoming a liability; however, Martinez thinks the sun shines out of his backside, so why play Robles? If he thinks Lukaku and Kone are the best pairing, why play Naismith, similarly possibly changing Deulofeu?

Fair enough if things aren’t working but I think we should always play our best team. If professional footballers can’t play the odd two games a week then there’s something far wrong.

Howard won't be playing but I'm sure that won't absolve him of responsibility should we lose!

Tonight, we will have to scrap all over the park, from front to back, because this will not be an easy game. We need our best eleven on the pitch from the off, or we will be chasing the game once more.

I hope Martinez doesn’t make the same mistakes of earlier rounds, picking squad players, and being forced to bring on his stars when the game is drifting away.

Prediction: 0-2, Mirallas and Lukaku.

Coupled with that is the fact that McCarthy is likely to be missing and he is a very effective player for the Blues, so that could have an effect.

Despite these hiccups Everton should be able to put out a side with enough know-how to get a result one way or another. If tiredness and RM’s errors contributed to Saturday’s result, then hopefully a lesson has been learnt.

With Baines, Gibson, Besic and Cleverley all chomping at the bit to re-establish themselves, one would think there will be enough intensity to match whatever Boro bring to the table.

Starting with Barry maybe a good idea as we need someone with that experience to calm things down as Boro will attack from the word go. I guess Osman could do that as well.

Naismith is just what the doctor ordered for such occasions: powerful and illustrious in tackling. It will be a show of pure strength over skills.

Keep the back 4 unchanged, they need some more game-time together and they’re young enough to take this workload. This is not the stage for Baines to come in. Boro will come hard at him.

My XI would be:
Robles;
Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Galloway;
Besic, Osman;
Mirallas, Naismith, Cleverley;
Lukaku.

COYB!

We need to show we are a top Premier League side and dominate this game all over the pitch. Attitude and concentration are key.

Don't know much about 'Boro. Nugent can score goals, the big Greek keeper is hard to beat, Gibson used to partner Stones with the England U21s, Downing has a lethal left foot and midfielder Adam Forshaw is one of our better ex academy lads. The rest are a mystery but they are in the last eight and must be respected.

As for us? Well, with Barry out and Kone hopefully rested, the hole in front of the left fullback should have a smaller circumference but we will be weaker in the air. Much weaker.

Anyway, I'm banking on Martinez getting this one right. Bringing on Gibson with six seconds remaining was one of the most bewildering decisions of all time but surely he'll sort out a way to beat 'Boro.

If he gets this wrong and we go out, I’ll blow a gasket again, these are lower opposition and we are better in all departments.

Play your best team and get through to the semi-final; nothing else will be acceptable, Roberto.

ps: Best team does not include Howard.

You took the words right out of my mouth. I feel the same way and couldn’t agree more.

Lads, get with the agenda.

I've now seen the light - the same one that shines inside Roberto's mind. It's all about performance. The results are secondary.
Everything is incredible in this world.
Join us. It's phenomenal, an amazing moment.

(Three away wins tonight ... a scabby one will do for us but my nerves won't be able to stand penalties. Most of all, I'm looking forward to the post-match words of wisdom from our leader.)

Come on the Toffees.

Far too often, hopes have been raised by good displays then dashed by the exact opposite, making it impossible to predict how we will react in any given situation, or how certain players will perform. I can see the tie going to Extra Time.

I have never been a Martinez fan and think his tactics have at times been bizarre; his treatment of Mirallas has been a disgrace... and, like many Evertonians, I don’t think he is up to getting us back where we should be.

Just hope that dropping a two-goal lead on Saturday doesn’t affect us like it did against Arsenal last season.

COYB!

It's eleven against eleven regardless of home or away. Personally I think we will do the job comfortably after the expected early bluster from the home side.

I’m neither confident nor over-optimistic but I hope the players realise that this game means a great deal to the supporters and they put in a decent shift tonight.

Fucking hate watching via the dodgy internet stream!

We will be very focused after Bournmouth.

4-1 the Blues.

Adding to that mess, Gibson’s money bought him out of a few months ago to his injury record, I've got to believe Gibson’s gone. Roberto’s use of him as a mannequin on Saturday pretty much clinched it for me.

I can’t see letting him go for free in the Summer. If he’s healthy in the January window, Roberto can make a few bucks selling him. He IS talented. Someone will want him. Naismith too?

An in-form 'Boro team that will be probably back in the Premier League next season and when you consider it will be a cold blustery night up there in Teeside, I can’t see our team up for the challenge! On occasions such as tonight, a team needs to dig in and get a result; a leader on the pitch and a "dogs of war" mentality... I am afraid this Everton does not have it!
3-1 Boro.

I was disappointed we didn’t make a positive, attacking change on Saturday. Mirallas should have come on. Barkley is well known for his lack of defensive work.

This will be a hard-fought game. I predict we’ll take our time and try to control the first 15 mins with counter-attacks throughout. The problem is, Boro will be savy to it and mark Deulofeu and Barry out.

We’re good enough to win handsomely. Hoping Mirallas bags a couple

Boro are a great side and I’ve watched them on several occasions, but unless our gaffer let’s us down with too many changes and/or poor substitutions, I can’t really understand your negativity, because they are beatable . Each their own I guess. COYB !!!

Any slight injuries will be exaggerated on a cold winters night away at Boro. Better to rest him now than a Stones scenario that would see him out for weeks.

Del and Mcca should be rested. Everyone else needs to play and prove a point that they are as upset as us fans about Saturday's result.

Unfortunately a "Big Club", Manchester City, is playing at the same time as our Boys. So, you know how that goes.

On a 'bad weather' note, Colin, one of the worst displays by us was against Leeds in this competition on a cold wet and windy night when they kicked us out, we just weren't up for it, and it showed.

Has everyone looked at the "ToffeeWeb as the voice of the fans in Soccer Manager 2016" thread?

A real feather in the ToffeeWeb cap.

I’d also throw Baines in from the start to give a moral boost and something going forward on the over-lap. The mid-field is a tricky one.but I’d give Gibson and Besic the nod. Like Naismith, I think Besic is a player that’s never going to be top level. But, on a night like tonight we need to bring it down to their level. Less flicky-tricky and more graft and aggression. Lennon gets in as well.

I would hope that Gibson can drive us forward with good diagonals to Lennon - Coleman & Mirallas - Baines

Robles
Coleman
Stones
Funes Mori
Baines
Lennon
Besic
Gibson
Mirallas
Naismith
Lukaku

Subs:
Howard
Galloway
Barkley
Kone
Cleverley

Robles
Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines,
Besic, Gibson, Cleverley
Lennon, Lukaku, Mirallas

I fear Lukaku and Barkley will pick up injuries soon if they are not rested but we're desperately short up front so Lukaku has to play.

As Evertonians we know that we have a very fragile defence, a dodgy keeper, no fight and no leadership on the pitch.So as an Evertonian I admit that I am worried because you never know what you are going to get but I bet the Boro fans are just as worried.

Personally I’d like to see an old fashioned 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 but given it’s been a while since we’ve played this way, would they be able to?

Robles;
Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines;
Deulofeu, Gibson, Cleverley Mirallas;
Barkley
Lukaku

Have Besic, Osman, Lennon on the bench as MF back up depending on how the game is going, Kone as back up for Rom.

Doubt this will be the line up though as I can see Lennon starting, no idea who RM will play at CM but think he’ll stick to a 4-2-3-1 formation with two of Besic, Cleverley, Gibson, Osman in the middle.

Whatever the line up, we simply cannot lose this!

I expect to see Lennon from the start and Nais or Mirallas will have to hope to get the nod on the left. Martinez has plenty of options in midfield if the knocks are too serious on Mac and Barry. I wonder if we will see a will to win it from the start, or a bid to stay in it until it is time to let loose our weapons?

You can never tell with Roberto.

Ta, lads and lasses!

Mirallas will hopefully start and a real point to prove. He must be itching to show what he can do as Del boy has stolen a real march on him.
I'd be surprised not to see Naismith also in the starting 11, but hopefully not too many changes.

If both McCarthy and Barry are out; I'd like to see Barkley play from deep along with a defensive minded player because its important to be able to move the ball forward quickly from the back.

Trevor (#47), if that’s true I say hurray for Roberto. I know Besic is a favorite of many here, but he’s not one of mine. A midfielder who can’t shoot or even get into the box is not what we need in this game.

We seem to operate on a type of bipolar scale: Barcelona moments on the one hand, followed by a tactical naivety and underperformance which would frankly shame the Fleetwood ale-house over-80s reserves.

Nevertheless I think we will win. Catch up with the usual suspects on the live feed.

The manager – for all his shortcomings – has managed to pull off the 'big one' with little Wigan so its puny sibling trophy should be within his capability. Shouldn't it?

If I see it, we will win.

Nah I’ve got 6 lagers sitting in the fridge with my name on, just to dull the senses.

I hope Mirallas plays a team game today. He looks like he has a goal in him but that seems to be the only thing he tries to do. He's going to have to link-up with Lukaku as well as try to score. His penalty kick debacle last year left me gutted and I have a problem trusting him since. We may need his selfishness during this game but not all the time.

Baines will probably only play a half or as his last action was 45 minutes with the U-21. He'll probably split with Galloway.

This could be tough with possibly 4 "new" midfielders playing at one time.

We’re better than this crew and the blue army will give us tremendous backing – of course

Keep the faith, guys.

Aside from Barry and McCarthy out and Delo and Kone looking spent just three days ago. Baines, Cleverley and Besic are all coming off injury and may be healthy but I don’t think they are match fit yet. Besic only played 45 minutes at the Euro qualifier and Baines only 45 in the last U-21 game. Cleverley has not played a match in months.

Not only will Roberto have to sub due to the flow of the game. He may have to sub for the likes of our returning players. For example, I would be surprised if Ross is up for 90. Maybe the same for Besic and possibly Cleverly. Plus Delo always looks like he needs to come out at the end.

We need to scruff this game early.

Osman gets a game so that means either Barkley or Cleverley are out wide. Both are central players and hopeless wingers.

Evidently Barry's shin whack is better, but no way he makes 90 IMO. Sorry to see Bainesy isn't ready to go yet... but happy for Ossie. He'll keep things steady.

"Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka has warned over-confidence could be the greatest threat to his side's chances of securing another top-flight scalp in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night."

Over-confidence? Give me a break.