Everton vs West Ham United

But I thought he said we'd (only?) be strengthening internally?

"New Year is time to pull together. It Â’s fair to say that it has been far from the best festive period on the pitch for Everton players and Evertonians watching in the stand, but IÂ’d like to wish all Sunday Echo readers a Happy New Year.

"2014 didnÂ’t end well for us but it was still a year of great progress for the Blues and despite our recent struggles thereÂ’s no reason why 2015 canÂ’t be a good one at Goodison either.

"LetÂ’s pull together and help the team out of their sticky patch.

ItÂ’s tough to take but thatÂ’s always been the Everton way."

Mirallas behind the front two, narrow midfield, three fullbacks... plenty of room to bomb on.

Sadly we're lacking both at the moment.

Mr Kenrick, as an aside, I seem to remember many moons ago stating that a good move for OFM would be to take a well earned sabbatical, to go abroad and learn some ways of playing the game differently to that which he was playing at the time.

It sure took a while but at least the penny dropped in the end. Just for curiosity, I'd love to know when it was.

This was the only way he's ever get a plan B.

For those who don't know His team beat Barca last night.

Now what would be the odds on that?

COYB

Finish about 10 but win the FA cup and go to Semi final of the Europa. You heard it here first!

He is looking for a goalie and he needs to. If he has "Lost the dressing room" those players need to put in a few shifts!

Get Irvine back to coach the defence and all will be well, even if we lose tomorrow –which we won't.

There is a separate thread on here about that very victory.

A spawny own goal and a backs to the wall defensive display, led to the victory.

My god he's come on leaps and bounds that fella.

On current form, even a fresh full strength Everton will lose to Man City, so go out there, play with passion, give your all, win a game against medium level Prem team at home, and give Evertonians a tiny bit of pride back that we deserve!!!

Wolfsburg away, arguably our best performance of the season, so what does he do for the next match against Spurs? Changes it. QPR at home; okay, not a great performance, but a comfortable win. So what does he do against Soton? Changes it.

The man is a grade A clown and IÂ’m sick of his stubbornness.

Robles
Stones Jagielka Distin
Coleman Barkley Baines Oviedo
Naismith
Mirallas Lukaku

This is a big of a deal than a nuclear attack.

RM either go to polytechnic with regards to the education of football or leave us and Merseyside alone to get on with the job.

ItÂ’s 40 years since "me dar" first took me to Goodison Park for an FA Cup game against Altringham, and itÂ’s a competition I would love us to win again. A bit early to talk about winning it, but I hope itÂ’s not too late for our famous old ground to get a bit of "its passion" back tomorrow night!

And hundreds of other bullshit, crappy cliches. Football is fucking ridiculous sometimes.

If he thinks it's only the "goalie" we have a problem with...

Then yes mate. God fucking help us!

"If you say to me ’would rather concede one goal and lose the game? or concede five and still have the opportunity to win the game? then it is always about having the opportunity to win the game.

"So the stats I look at are the way we can score goals, the way we can dominate games and the way we can win games.

"We have conceded too many goals because we have made too many individual errors. We are the team with the most individual errors and we have had too many injuries so the amount of rotation we have had to apply in the back four has been too big and sometimes that carries a bit of a bad momentum.

"It is something we need to eradicate. I wouldn’t be too concerned about eradicating that and what I want to see is the team enjoying their football and winning football games.

"If that means winning 5-4 then I’ll take that."

Roberto, the problem is if we continue to ship goals we will continue to fail to win football matches and the players will not be able to enjoy their football! I must admit that my nerves aren’t at all calmed by Roberto’s words.

I think we can win tomorrow, law of averages and all that.

The Shiteh game though....I'm damn pessimistic about. The crowd should be up for it with the sheikh's train set in town. Could be just what we need after the grim fare we were served up over Chrimbo.

IÂ’ve had me Arl Fella on the phone asking me if I fancy popping up his as I donÂ’t have BT Sport to see it but, to be honest if Martinez isnÂ’t gonna take it seriously, then I donÂ’t know if I can be bothered to watch. I hope IÂ’m completely wrong!

We might be forced to play on the break for a change which might well do us a favour.

Come on Roberto, steady yourself, have a look around and do what you have to do. Loads of Evertonians want you to succeed, you know the game, just apply yourself, please Roberto. Play the game "for your own self", and for those of us who want you to succeed. Come on, play the game.

We're hitting this dip right in the middle of the season, the losses have been against very ordinary sides, and it seems to me that Roberto doesn't have a plan to arrest the decline. His recent spin would make even Tony Blair blush.

1) Nolan and that ponytailed peperami upfront for west ham. Nolan will either smash Ross to bits or get him sent off, history points to the former. He might score and if so We will be subjected to that snidey celebration that lools like an audition for a chicken tonight advert.

Meanwhile the hairy sideshow freak will be gleefully throwing elbows about the gaff and generally bullying a defence who look like they have no confidence. See the thing is we are in bad shape, and who are the sort of people who kick a dying dog – kopites. They are prime sticking the boot in candidates and we all know it.

2) Frank Lampard. Jesus H C Christ and his merry elves, does Frank love a goal against us. He just always seems to waddle about being largely ineffectual for 67 or so minutes before somehow (mainly via deflections or scabbery of some description) scoring . News of a season long stay at City you say you need to celebrate you cheeky cockney chubster, why not score against Everton. He will score.

I have gone All Colin G here. Sorry. Rant/nostradamus-esque ramblings over

Press and press players as a team in our own half;
Stop crosses coming in and be more aggressive and physical in our play and tackles;
Get the ball forward more quickly and at times be more direct with the final few passes.

Do the above and we will batter West Ham tonight.

Instead we will start off very bright with intense play with no break through and then after fade away and struggle. A bit like his feeble training sessions on a Friday!!

One thing that troubles me is Seamus this season. He was so excellent last year but his touch and confidence seem to have deserted him. We badly need him back to his best because he scares the shite out of teams.

Hate making comparisons with our neighbours across the park but they were in a similar situation to us not so long ago. They dug out a 1-0 win at Burnley, beat Swansea and are now being tipped for a top 4 position.

Time for Roberto to start harnessing some good from these "negative dynamics"! (A quote from his press conference!)

Robles
Stones, Jagielka, Distin
Coleman, Besic, Baines, Oviedo
Barkley
Mirallas, Lukaku
Subs; GK, Garbutt, Browning, Eto'o, Kone, McGeady, Barry.

More pace at the outside centrebacks with added height for the aerial bombardment, holding midfield full of bite and Baines's quality passing, width with cover; Barkley with license to roam; up front, a threat short and in behind; and a bench that can accommodate a change of formation.

I wan't to see some pride for the shirt tonight. I don't buy this 'it's only the cup' rubbish. You should put out your best team to win every game... does Bobby know what this is though?

Run and pass the ball right up to their box, mind now to give them time to get at least 9 men back, then pass it about for a while. Easy on the shooting, because shooting is for other teams, we win games differently. And under no circumstances is the to be a clean sheet, because if there is it means the defenders have not been getting forward enough.

NOW, Show them our confidence and our dominance, by getting the ball into a red hot shooting position and then send it back to our keeper – that'll show them whose boss!

How this will all end, no-one can tell. I urge everyone to remember that Everton FC is the most important aspect of all this; should the actions of a few put at risk the affinity between Everton and its fans, then those few should be removed forthwith.

Looking forward (perhaps next season), how about this for a team:
Butland (got to buy him)
Coleman
Garbutt
Stones
Browning
Mirallas
Besic
McCarthy
Oviedo
Barkley
Lukaku

Good, isn't it? Let's hope the "few" don't ruin it.

Not sure we can go all the way and win the cup but this game is about the here and now and turning things round. Then we can start thinking about Wembley...

The Prem. has to be our no1 priority given where we are now, + City next.
Great shame, but we must get some pts in the league.
We were 60/1 to be relegated 2 weeks ago and I was rash enough to say I'd lay 100/1, well were now only 22/1!
Do we really want a long run in the Cup, and don't forget the Europa!
If we had 30pts and were comfortably placed ok, but were not.

The players have in general have been found lacking in quality or over the hill this season, with Mirallas and Baines perhaps the best of a poor bunch.
The team is crying out for a quality centre back, attacking midfielder and winger, with the midfield position being the most urgent.
Without those players we will continue to struggle big time.

Oh, and throw in a stinking rich Russian/Arab.

Plenty of pressing, closing down and tackling. Make sure that corners reach the penalty spot or even the backpost, hit the target from freekicks and follow in, make the keeper work from shots and clear our lines quickly when our goalie has the ball, and put pressure on their defence and get the crowd going. Its not hard.....is it?

Usual fare tonight, then?

Sadly suspect that Barry is likely to feature in the actual line-up, despite all evidence to the contrary that he deserves to..

With this "pivotal" game at Goodison with the world watching live there is no chance he'll lets kids play, he'll choose his safest team and hope they click. He cant trust Stones as being fit, and he'll ensure Barry sits in front of back 4.

I only care about tonight if it helps to being about an upturn in our league fortunes.

Whatever happens, relegation cannot happen.

COYB!

We might even consider going 4-4-2 in the league to stem the tide of goals, maybe even 5-3-2. It is not in our interest to be involved in 7-goal thrillers at the moment. We need some 0-0s and 1-0s - dreadful as that sounds to say. Relegation must precede all other thoughts. Martinez claims to understand our pride, our dignity and our history: he cannot be allowed to take us down.

Does anyone have loggin details for BT Sport and would kindly share with myself so I can enjoy the game this evening.

Many Thanks / Diolch yn fawr.

Didn't the Irons get tonked 5-0 by Forest when fielding a weakened team in last years cup? Big Sam will rest a few again I reckon, but that doesn't count for shit with us lately.

Robles
Coleman Jags Stones Baines
Mirallas Besic Barklay Oviedo
Naismith
Lukaku

Swop McCarthy for Naismith when fit with Barklay going into his role . Stick with this side and get some continuity.
Today is the day the team better man up !

Mid table , FA cup winners and Europa semi finalists. There's a DVD to be made out of this season yet!! Come on !!!

1-0...I hope...

http://shadygiz.blogspot.co.uk

Wiziwig is off air, gutted

4-2+2-1-1?

COYB!

And to be fair, pricewise, the Club has got it right this time: 㿀 and 㾶 for season ticket holders and ٣ for under-16s being the charges, I would have thought would attract a lot more...

Even more ironic if those empty seats reflect folk who got off their backsides and went to Lille and Wolfsburg in great numbers. No need to guess too what happens if we get to a semi final — enter the thousands who couldn't make it the Tuesday in January.

I'm not saying 'never protest' but I am saying 'channel the energy into something the players can respond to' And if you are hesitating on buying a ticket, go for it and then throw your heart and soul into the game, something you would then be able to comment on, positively or negatively, after the game.

Finally, if there's one thing we still owe Roberto after the season he gave us last time, it's the benefit of the doubt... or at least an element of it. Nil satis nisi optimum.

Besic beastly. Lukaku's best game of the season (winning headers, ball control excellent, shots at goal, running harder).