Match Preview

The Makems, at their so-called (by them) Stadium of Light.

Last year, this game saw Everton at their very best and most unreliable.  Previous wins over Arsenal and Chelsea had left us dreaming of a year spent in the top half (sound familiar?).  We visited Sunderland with the Sky cameras in tow and started as we hoped we'd go on: flowing football, precision passing, carving the Sunderland defence apart, Gemmill down the flank to Danny, cross to Tal, open goal, bury it we scream....  

One Andy Cole moment later and the ball is going for a throw-in, and Tal's hopes of making a mark on the Premiership have ended.  One more scuffed shot was his sum total until he was replaced by Gravesen and we have hardly seen him since — not one to hold a grudge is our Walter!

The game finished 2-0 with Alex Rae scoring after a session of ping-pong and Phillips tucking away a loose ball when Gerrard was wrong-footed from a deflected Quinn shot.

The following game possibly saw the nadir of Walter's tenure with a 5-0 defeat by Man City and then Coventry came to Goodison on Boxing Day where Myhre granted them two Christmas presents and we lost 2-1.

Let's pray that this Christmas does not follow that!  The previous Boxing Day saw one of my favourite days at Goodison in recent years when we beat Sunderland 5-0 so let's hang on to that memory to buoy our hopes.

So,after my views of Christmas past, what of Christmas present?

Sunderland appear a team wracked by internal doubt and on the pitch seem a patchwork of quality players and those destined for the 1st Division.  Reidy has refused to splash the cash big (and I mean "big" by European standards not Everton's recent standards) which has left him with a number of "continental and beyond" stars that haven't managed to gel at all this year.

They sit in 13th place with 20 points which, for a team averaging gates over 50,000 that has finished in the top 8 in the last 2 years, is quite a failing.

Kevin Phillips is, as always, their main threat and a better balanced striker I am yet to see.  A player able to poach, play off a big man's knock-downs, score from 20 yards or race past Wes Brown... he appears to have everything.

Sunderland's failings may simply be due to their reliance on the old war horse, Nial Quinn.

Quinn has been a tremendous servant to Sunderland.  Going there when they were languishing in the 1st Division and seemingly going nowhere, Quinn immediately struck up a great partnership with Phillips that revitalised both Sunderland and himself.  Not only does Quinn win the headers, he puts the ball where it needs to go.  Very rarely would you see Quinn aimlessly flick a ball on, rather it is placed.  Usually, he prefers to push back the defender and then knock the ball back towards his own players thereby cushioning it in front of them with precision.  If Duncan would watch him for a few games he could improve his game immeasurably.  Like Dunc, Quinn was also rather tasty on the deck.

Reidy's biggest failing however has been to not replace Quinn.  He's not the force he was and Phillips is suffering because of it.  Even without Weir (suspended), I fancy Xavier and Stubbs (please make sure you are fit) to look after Quinn and starve Phillips of his supply.

Sunderland's midfield has been bypassed for years — yes I do argue they have played long-ball for the last 5 years — and, as the long ball has failed, their lack of guile and ability has become apparent.  Schwarz is a shadow of the player that Arsenal signed.  Arca flatters but since his first months has rarely supplied.  McAteer - headless.

Gavin McCann is probably their best midfielder and is the one we have to stop as he obviously would love to put on over on Walter.  Surely Walter's worst sale?  He can't even have seen him play and didn't give him a chance despite Kendall's assertion that he was the most complete midfielder he had seen for his age.

Michael Gray is their other quality player and really Nick will need to be at his best to keep him pushed back.  If he can do that, then there should be little penetration from Sunderland and long balls into our box are just what Xavier and Stubbs will want — we even have a keeper who may come and claim a few!

Upfront, well who knows?  There are rumours that Dunc may travel but I would think it would be far more likely that they keep him for the bench against United on Boxing Day.  Which means Pepsi or Watson; the decision may be dependent on Pistone's fitness.

Can we do them?  For some odd reason — call it the remaining alcohol from last night's firm Christmas Party — I think we can.  We have to go there believing we can; if we can keep them quiet in the first half, then there is no reason why we can't nick one in the 2nd.

It must be time for Alexandersson to get scoring — particularly as I have just dropped him from my Fantasy Football team — so I'm going 1-0 and a Happy Christmas to the Blue Boys!

BlueForEver