Season › 2012-13 › News

Stoke City vs Everton

Lyndon Lloyd , 15 December, 25comments  |  Jump to most recent
Match Preview

The Premier League's draw specialists face off at the Britannia Stadium this weekend as bouyant Everton try to build on Sunday's dramatic finish against Spurs and shatter Stoke City's unbeaten home record.

With eight ties apiece, the Blues and the Potters have drawn more games than anyone else in the Premier League and they're also the last two clubs not to have lost at home this season.

Still not known for their flair or craft, Tony Pulis' side have made themselves incredibly difficult to beat recently and while they've only scored seven at home so far, they've let in just two — easily the best defensive home record in the top flight.

As if to further emphasise their decent form, after 16 games they lie in ninth, just three points behind an Everton team once again being talked about in terms of Champions League qualification. So this will be a difficuilt assignment for the Blues who have struggled at times to break down stubborn opposition defences and haven't beaten Stoke in four years.

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So David Moyes will be under no illusions about the difficulty of this one and he'll have to do it without Kevin Mirallas whom he will surely have removed from his thinking until the New Year at least after he suffered a recurrence of what is becoming a troublesome hamstring problem.

Once more his replacement against Tottenham was Steven Naismith who put in a decent performance and played an instrumental role in Steven Pienaar's equaliser. And the man who provided the assist for the South African, Seamus Coleman, is guaranteed to start at right back again with Tony Hibbert also ruled out with impending calf surgey.

Coleman's attacking pace and unpredictability will be a useful weapon against Pulis' well-drilled back line and it will be incumbent on the likes of him, Pienaar and Leighton Baines to create the chances for Nikica Jelavic and Marouane Fellaini up front.

The Croatian will hopefully still be riding the high of scoring that amazing last-gasp winner on Sunday but he has been starved of consistent service and it's unlikely he will get many against Stoke. He only needed one clear-cut chance against Spurs and the Blues would be more than happy with a 1-0 win this time around, a result that would represent their first clean sheet in 12 games.

Lyndon Lloyd

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Reader Comments (25)

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Ajay Gopal
1 Posted 15/12/2012 at 05:57:42
Everybody is predicting a tough game this one. Given the injuries, the team would probably be:

Jelavic
Fellaini
Pienaar, Osman, Gibson, Naismith
Baines, Distin, Jagielka, Coleman
Howard

SUBS: Velios, Oviedo, Barkley, Heitinga, Duffy, Hitz, Mucha

The list of our injured players reads: Mirallas, Anichebe, Hibbert, Neville

Praying for no more injuries/suspensions. 2-0 to the Blues.

Edwardo Edwardosson
2 Posted 15/12/2012 at 06:21:44
To create width, go three at the back with Jags Distin Heitinga. Coleman and Baines as wingbacks. Pienaar Felli and Gibson in the engine room. Naismith behind Jelavic.
Jamie Barlow
3 Posted 15/12/2012 at 06:31:29
Apparently Stoke have the 5th best defense in Europe.
Phil Sammon
4 Posted 15/12/2012 at 09:58:36
Why on earth would we play 3 at the back?

I think Ajay's team is right although I would like to see Barkley come on and get some game time.

Our midfield contains Pienaar, Osman and Naismith, probably the three weakest shots in the league. At least Barkley can crack a ball when the chance arises.

I shouldn't give Naismith grief, he gets enough on this site. But I notice he is getting a lot of credit for that 5 yard pass to Coleman on Sunday. His initial ball was a 10 yard bullet at Jelavić's face!

Jamie Barlow
5 Posted 15/12/2012 at 10:13:11
"His initial ball was a 10 yard bullet at Jelavics face" Ha ha.

If at first you don't succeed and all that.

Brendan McLaughlin
6 Posted 15/12/2012 at 10:31:37
Jamie #113
They've certainly the best defence in the premier league this season so far and they've only conceded TWO at home! The upside is that they don't score that many either.
Steve Sweeney
7 Posted 15/12/2012 at 10:44:41
WHy not Oviedo on the Left Pienaar on the right, Stoke are always too physical for Osman, he will be totally ineffective today.
Stoke Always bully and Hustle us I would use Fellini alongside Gibson
Rob Edgar
8 Posted 15/12/2012 at 10:38:48
First off, love the site. I've followed it for some time and love the honest comments. I agree with Ajay on the line-up but would like to see Oviedo in place of Naismith for a change as his pace and passing techniques will cause Stoke all sorts of probs.

Secondly, Jelly's one touch efforts are fantastic and a good acquisition for us but as we all know he needs some serious competition up front to stay sharp and we have bollocks all! How about selling Vic and bringing someone else in? That seems to be the consensus on here and gains my support!

Lastly (!), DM appears to be showing an interest in Butland at the moment as big Tim has let in a few wobblers this season but we face competition from the RS for him. Any ideas?

Anthony Jaras
9 Posted 15/12/2012 at 10:22:04
Phil Sammon - "Our midfield contains Pienaar, Osman and Naismith, probably the three weakest shots in the league."

Really Phil? Really? A few reminders at how hard these three 'weaklings' can hit a ball pal.

Osman v Larissa
http://youtu.be/ki7O0nZscXg

Pienaar v Villa
http://youtu.be/ILx2ePtqmVg

Naismith (first goal of the video)
http://youtu.be/enWjWocOY2w

Phil Sammon
10 Posted 15/12/2012 at 11:14:03
Anthony

Yes mate, really.

I could upload a YouTube video of Janes McFadden that makes him look better than Messi. If you watch these players on a regular basis then you simply cannot deny that their shooting is generally abysmal.

Jim Knightley
11 Posted 15/12/2012 at 11:38:12
Phil, it is a bit of a hard comment to qualify...there are plenty of weak shots in this league.

Also..you couldn't upload a video of Mcfadden looking better than Messi :D unless the viewer had never seen Messi player. Christopher Nolan couldn't manage that.

And Edwardo...you can't just change formation willy nilly. Formation changes take practice...and game time. This is the Premier League, not Sunday League. City have been training for a 3-5-2 formation change for some time, and swap to 3-5-2 on occasions in certain matches...and they still have not mastered it tactically (See Micah Richard's comments and the general level of performance playing 3-5-2, and the 10-15min drop off they encounter every time they change to it during a match).

A draw would be a very good result today. We must not let them score first (irrespective of our trend in overturning results...they will make it so hard for us to break them down with a goal lead).

Peter Cummings
12 Posted 15/12/2012 at 12:13:21
This will be a real test for Fellaini's self-discipline as he will be a target for Pulis's 'hit men' not noted for their skilful approach to the game. A red card would put the kibosh on any chance of CL qualification. Another draw would be acceptable today
Anthony Jaras
13 Posted 15/12/2012 at 13:13:57
Phil, I've watched Osman every week since his debut and I personally think he's got a decent dig on him.

Same with Pienaar.

As for Naismith, it's early days but his goals and performances at Rangers suggest he too can crack a ball.

I think your assessment is very exaggerated to he honest.

Phil Sammon
14 Posted 15/12/2012 at 13:35:07
Are you kidding me?!

Osman has scored some great goals but a good 90% of his shots struggle to reach the goal line. I'm a big fan of Ossie and Pienaar but I don't see how you can argue on this one.

Paul Dark
15 Posted 15/12/2012 at 13:30:48
I hope I'm wrong but Osman will be even more ineffectual than usual - when confronted by the thugs which are Stoke. I just hope we come away with something and NO injuries (especially in midfield).

They're (another PL) ugly team with ugly tactics.

Jack Wilkinson
16 Posted 15/12/2012 at 13:52:51
Anthony all 3 of those midfielders really do have generally weak shot power. Granted, occasionally they will catch one right, but then again the same could be said for most professional footballers.

More worryingly, all three are particularly weak physically. I think they were a big reason for being overpowered in many of the games we have dropped point in this season - particularly in the second halves of games like Reading and Norwich. Stoke are about as physical as they get and I think the likes of Pienaar, Osman and Naismith will struggle to overcome this.

Ray Roche
17 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:15:10
Todays team.
Everton: Howard, Coleman, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Gibson, Naismith, Fellaini, Osman, Pienaar, Jelavic. Subs: Mucha, Heitinga, Vellios, Barkley, Duffy, Gueye, Hitzlsperger.
Ken Crowther
18 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:10:13
Phil Sammon: if you're "a big fan of Ossie and Pienaar" I hope you don't ever post about a player you don't like!
Phil Sammon
19 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:26:37
Ken

I'm a big fan but I can see their shortcomings.

Chris James
20 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:33:43
Hmm, what's the story with Oviedo? Obvious wide option who's looked good whenever he's played and doesn't even get on the bench today!
Anthony Jaras
21 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:38:50
He is on the bench isn't he?
Everton: Howard, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Naismith, Osman, Gibson, Pienaar, Fellaini, Jelavic. Subs: Mucha, Heitinga, Oviedo, Hitzlsperger, Barkley, Vellios, Duffy.
Anthony Jaras
22 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:50:09
Official site has stated that it is Oviedo and that the initial mention of Gueye was an error...a mix up in the tunnel.
Anthony Jaras
23 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:51:13
Tim Howard makes his 200th consecutive Premier League appearance.

Well done Tim.

Jim Knightley
24 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:51:12
With respect to the statements concerning 'the lightweight' players, they are all a bit pointless anyway...who exactly will we replace them with? We could replace Osman with Hitzlsperger, but that would make us weaker generally, and who would come in for Naismith? and for Pienaar? Oviedo is hardly a man mountain.

Will be very very tough today, and we will have to be at our best.

Andrew Gilbert
25 Posted 15/12/2012 at 14:58:40
http://www.toffeeweb.com/comment/live/

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