Sheffield Wednesday vs Everton

Holgate is a right-sided player and would replace Keane, not Mina.

It's a pity that we won't be able to watch it, unless there are a few streams, so it will be difficult to assess what is happening, Live Forum should be a source of info from someone possibly at the match.

I wouldn't even hazard a guess at team selection, as recent showings have seen nearly all below par. No excuse, either, Marco. I believe your favourite post match song is:

Don't blame it on the sunshine
Don't blame it on the moonlight
Don't blame it on the good times
Blame it on the boogie!

I'd be shocked if Sidibé doesn't start. Silva's already been talking him up, saying how he's been pushing Coleman hard in training.

Normally this would be a decent opportunity for Baines, but he hasn't played a minute all season and I think Digne's basically indispensable in a must-win game.

Ideally you wouldn't want to overtax Delph, given his injury history, but there's no way we can function without him right now.

I wonder if Silva didn't start Iwobi on Saturday because he was prioritizing him for this match.

Calvert-Lewin actually has a pretty good goalscoring record in this competition, so it would make sense to give him the nod.

Silva doesnt trust Holgate at center back (oh the fucking irony). He seems happier to let the lighthouses continue to be exposed.

Drop Schneiderlin and play Holgate in front of them for fucks sake.

Part of me wants to see the same team as Saturday start to make amends for the crap exhibition the cowards put in

However I think Silva will just tweak things as per Lyndons team

Regardless I would expect the manager to actually instilling some sort of motivation and accept he is the biggest part of our problem the past 12 months

That sounds odd - a chap at Luton once refused to sell me a ticket over the phone because of my accent.

I would write to Everton and ask what database Sheffield Wednesday are referring to, and specifically where you have provided explicit consent for your data to be shared - also send a copy to Sheffield, and mention your concern and plans to engage the information commissioner if you are not satisfied with their response

Or if we loose 3 0 send them a thank you card

Drop Sigurdsson. He is not offering anything and perhaps start with Iwobi, Davies and Delph in a central midfield of three. Bernard and Richarlison out wide with Kean upfront.

The data may be a Sheffield Weds data base. Rob said he attended previous matches, probably as a away supporters, so that is possibly the database they are using, which would show up previous attendances and the away team that was supported.

Obviously there has been a bit kick up about tickets and someone has latched onto away supporters , buying home tickets, so much so that it is in the media.

Rob has got caught up in the crossfire unfortunately. Hope the pentrators regret getting Robs ticket.

I suppose Rob can win both ways now and have not spent a cent.

Pickford
Sidibe Holgate Mina Digne
Davies Delph Bernard
Kean DCL Richie (rotating)

What we're likely to see:

4231, Schneiderlin and Delph, Siggy sideways passing, best goal scorer player in wrong place, a 2-0 lead to SW within first hour against the run of play, at least 1 of which from set piece, frantic 3-1-6 formation to get back in it, penalties, hopefully through

If we could score a few goals it would mask a lot of our problems both defensively and in mid field, last season Sigurdsson and Richarlison's form helped us climb up the table. Where are the goals going to come from this season in the present squad ? Both players are in poor form at the moment and no one else has got a clue where the goal is.
We might get lucky tonight against a lower league team, if we don't we will surely get knocked out. Our two goalscorer's are the only ones who can bail Silva out. He should of insisted on getting a goalscorer in the summer but we never showed any interest in anyone apart from a 19 year old rookie, unforgivable IMO.

Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Blackburn, Portsmouth, Swansea City, Leicester City, Wigan Athletic. All have won major trophies since we last did.

Confidence can not be allowed to fall any further than it has in recent weeks, with no European Football it's imperative that we sustain interest in this competition until the later rounds and have a right crack at winning it.

Change the team, play two strikers, play Iwobi in the middle, put Sigurdsson deeper sitting next to Delph, just try something different to find a blend and balance.

In reality we'll take any baby step of an improvement that comes our way and hope to god City don't go all Watford on us.

The result should be a defeat something around 3-1 or 4-1. I would sign a 1-0 defeat all the time, as I suspect that this team leading by the stupid one can loose against Sheffield by a big margin.

Having said that, I think loosing here could be possitive for our future, because Silva cannot be our manager so loosing, his ending will come sooner rather than later.

Absolutely pathetic post.

I just hope Silva shows us that he's willing to experiment a bit more and maybe try a 433 or even a 4222 and break away from 4231 that seems to be restricting our creativity lately.

Rob H, well said mate I never understand fans saying they hope we lose, No matter whatever the justification

I understand your feelings though, but please never WISH defeat on us, if he continues to be incompetent as a Manager he will soon be found out on his own merits.

Dave, there will be a fair few blues thinking along the same lines as Cristobal but not saying it (loyal season ticket holding blues).

They are all thinking long term, I myself in the cold light of day think it's time for a change and sadly if tonights result was part of the reason, then that's just the way it is. Though, I would rather still be in that cup after tonight for a new manager to take us further on.

There's a lot of abjectly pissed off fans in this club who have given a life times love and support, not to mention the money given to the club (especially in the modern era), some steam might be blown off once in a while, but at the end of the day we're all marching in the same direction.

Whatever happens I'm pretty confident we can win this. We're creating chances, we're getting the ball into the box - we're just having a hard time hitting the target for whatever reason. I can see this playing out similar to the Lincoln game.

Off topic in the league a neutral view of our prospects is :-
We are 8/11 to finish in the top 10- looks a decent bet to me.
We are 10/11 to finish in the bottom 10.
We are expected to finish 9th according to the odds.
We are 5/1 for a top 6 finish.
We are 25/1 for a top 4 finish and 14/1 to be relegated.

I was in Milton Keynes this morning and getting to work in a canoe would have been safer.

Just worried about chance of postponement before heading up M1

Anthony

07879551102

Anthony.... weather been shit but it's ok now just a light drizzle so should t be any issues.

As far as Everton 's long suffering fans are concerned I believe I am correct in saying that to keep on track to finally win this trophy will be high priority in 2019. Whether they can hold the line tonight or further down the Wembley trail is another matter altogether.

The players need a rocket up their arses, and find a backbone. Because the mentality at the club has gone from "Nil Satis Nisi Optimum" to "accepting mediocrity" Lets just take a cup competition seriously for once.

Team I'd play tonight
Pickford

Sidibe
Holgate
Keane
Digne

Richarlison
Delph
Davies
Iwobi

Kean
DCL

or go with a 4-3-3.

If we're gonna play both Delph and Schneiderlin against a championship side then we deserve what is coming as does Silva.

For once can we just roll our sleeves up, stop being cowards and actually move onwards and upwards.

I think we have to give some credit to the championship in general, it is a drop below the prem, but not a massive one and it's very competitive, Lincoln was a banana skin, Sheff Wed are lethal sheets of black ice.

In our current predicament that they are aware of we have treat this like a derby, because they will.

Of course, owners and chairmen see it as a different objective. For about 90-95% of owners and chairmen, their objective is solely to remain in the premier league. I would like to think we are in the 5-10% who actually want to win something. As the league cup is something we've never won, then it should be top of our priorities, especially as we've won sweet FA since 1995.

Mind in 18 months time I could well see a Mr Rooney being the Everton manager.

My apologies mate, I meant to send that one to Rob Halligan@28.

Big yes to Silva turning things around, but I just can't see it and believe we cannot afford to waist another season. Let's hope he does it!

Having said that, he'll be here atleast until Christmas, there's no one to replace him.

433

Pickford
Sidibe – Holgate – Keane – Digne
Coleman – Davies - Baines
Richarlison – Kean - Iwobi

Coleman and Baines may be defenders but they can both pass and like attacking - can't be any worse then we saw on Saturday

I have never given my opinion on Silva as I did not know much about him apart from his stints at Hull and Watford but I have to say I was expecting so much more, our play is slow, ponderous and so very predictable.

My feeling is that after that pathetic show on Saturday the players will want to put things right and we will squeeze through however I can't see us going far beyond tonight, I am not convinced about Silva and I am certainly not convinced about our recruitment policy... in Brands I don't trust !!

Yes, I am glad in many ways that Moshiri came on board/Board, but when you consider his generosity and the money that has been proliferated both on players and managerial compensations, it could almost make you cry.

As I have said on many occasions, so sorry for repeating myself, it is patently obvious that Moshiri IS NOT a footballing man, so who the hell is ill-advising him both in appointing bad choices in Manager and paying ridiculously over the top in many cases for players?

I do hope for a win tonight as always, and just hope for not only more commitment from whoever is picked. but a discernable game plan. It looks increasingly unlikely that it will be televised by any of the usual Media sources, so hope upon hope that there will be a stream or two (however poor) we can latch on to.

The confusion comes from him saying:
"the result should be a defeat..." I think he means that he 'believes' that we will be defeated, not 'wants' us to be defeated.

Sounds to me like disgruntled lazy-arsed players whispering. It would also explain our shit form: some of them aren't playing for him - again. I'm glad that the manager dwells on defeats and our players should motivate themselves in any event.

This might all be nonsense from the press but stealthy player power seems to me to have become a bit of a theme at our place down the years. It needs facing down.

In case we lost with a line-up like that, it would be a managerial suicide for Silva.

Pickford
Sidibe Holgate Mina Digne
Davies Delph Iwobi
Richarlison Kean Gordon

Don't think it's likely but would love to see Anthony Gordon get a start. Having a new youth player always injects some buzz into a game. Also think that having a midfield 3 with a bit more energy and potential to ball carry would help get us a bit more direct; at the moment there always seems to the obligatory pass backwards or to the fullback.

The rest of the year will become a washout for us Blues with only the sacking of Silva a high point of it.

Also, I still don't think changing manager will move the club forward any quicker than the chance things will improve by sticking with him. Not saying Marco is going be the man to deliver but in my mind (for what it's worth), the odds of improvement are better stacked giving him more time than just changing manager again.

He must surely question the wisdom (or obvious lack of it) in retrospect when doing some arithmetic, plus in the long term it does in some ways it makes him (Moshiri) look like a fool or a Simple Simon. (sorry again guys)

If that was me, I know it's difficult to put yourself in someone else's shoes, but I'd be fuming.

Thank you for your comments. That is exactly what I was trying to say.

I agree with you, but I think we should try again with Moyes, at least till the end of the season.

Then, depending of the results and style of play, We should go for a quality manager like Bielsa, ten Hag or even Wegner.

Nevertheless, personally, in no circumstance, would I ever wish for or expect a defeat in any game for Everton. And that includes even if a victory hands t'other lot a trophy. I always want Everton to win. ALWAYS.

Tonight's game, it goes without saying, now has huge importance because of how the season has played out thus far.

I wasn't alone in the summer in hoping that a high priority of our recruitment of new players would be that they were 'winners' with a bit of nark about them who absolutely hate losing.

On evidence to date, that has not been the case. Not even Delph who you would think best fits that profile has shown anything near the levels of narkiness required. Calling your own players out as 'fecking shite' one minute then conceding an own goal the next doesn't count.

Nor does Silva, it appears, have the ability to instil sheer cussedness into the team as evidenced by the disturbing (and growing) number of games Everton has failed to win a game from a losing position on his watch.

The bewildering thing is this team, both in the final third of last season and even in spells this season, has shown it can play as many Blues want to see us play: pressing high and fiercely; moving the ball forward quickly; good interchange and movement in the forward line that bewilders the opposition.

But it's all too sporadic. It may last for 15-20 minutes then fizzles out. It totally evaporates when we concede. We had some great powerplay moments v both Watford and Wolves. For the opening 20 minutes against Villa, we played as if we only had to breathe to win it. We had good starts to both halves away to Bournemouth. We started well against the Blades.

This to me is more a mental thing than a physical or tactical thing (although tactically, there are things that Silva could do differently).

Sam Allardyce was not the first Everton manager to question this aspect of Everton's players and spoke of getting in a sports psychologist. Quite frankly, given the advances of modern day football, I was surprised to learn with that statement that Everton didn't already have one on the payroll. Even now, I don't know if we have. But I suggest we could definitely benefit from one.

It looks unlikely that there will be a match stream for this one tonight, so it looks like a case of following radio and text commentary where possible.

We fans, the club, the players and most definitely the manager need a win tonight and to advance in this competition.

Anything less and the noose begins to tighten around Silva's neck.

Trying to be fair, the only match we deserved to win during the season was Palace away. Against Watford and Wolves we were extremely lucky. The 3 defeats were very well deserved. Villa, Bournemouth and Sheffield those 3 team together worth less than Everton. So that mean simply that our manager is a fraud and show our players lack of commitment.

Oh well. Looks like a radio game.

I can't even contemplate losing this game. Especially after Silva has called for a response to the shite on the weekend. Possibly ugly times ahead. Again.

Fingers crossed.

Expect Ariel bombardment from Wednesday to test the center backs from the off.

Like you say it is surprising, with it being another potential well greased banana skin on an oily patch, you would have thought they would relish that. There are 8 Carabou Cup games tonight of which Portsmouth (ugh) is the only one on TV.

Like you say the radio, I suppose is better than nothing, but there is always the Live Forum, and usually someone comes up with a decent link, if not, it's usually good banter as you are well aware of. Cheers JaC Dude!

I'm not sure of what other people think but I am fed up with the comments from some players, and the manager, of we have to do this and we have to do that. Talk is cheap, bloody well get out their, and show you are an ambitious premier team and show you are proud to wear the Everton shirt.

I think our main problem has been scoring goals in the first 20 minutes after which we run out of ideas and motivation.

Hopefully against a championship side with other ideas on their mind we might bag a few tonight.

Thought it might be an opportunity to see what Gordon can do at this level and surely Tom Davies is due a run out.

We do lack creativity, but I don't see a player in the squad able to provide it regularly, up to now only Digne, Sigurdsson and Richarlison have provided assists this season.

Trevor Peers @ 79, hope you don't mind my quoting you but "It's got to the stage with Silva that no matter what permutations of players he plays, we still have the same weaknesses of not scoring goals and dodgy defending." 4 words Nail, Bang, Head, On!

I have been reading various articles about some of our players being extolled by National Team Mates and Manager (Siggy for one), and Jonjoe Kenny (on loan Schalke) fast becoming a crowd favourite, while over here would not be played by Silva.

Who to me, is the common denominator in all of this, good players don't suddenly become rubbish, running round like headless ducks in a short space of time, so it has to be something else. Answer on a plain postcard please?

We're playing midfield options 3 & 4. Cut Silva SOME slack as they're trying to clean up 5 years worth of crap while simultaneously building a competitive team for the long-term. People who complain about Kean should consider following a different sport entirely.

Finally, Gylfi shouldn't be starting at all. He scores on penalties or long-range shots which are a total crapshoot. Meanwhile what does he do that means he's an instant start? He's 30 and can be a sub. He's the reason were stuck with this garbage 4-2-3-1 because he can't play anywhere but as that deep lying 2nd striker. Take him out and the formation & strategy choices increase exponentially.

There is obviously some disharmony in the club and there is one person still there surrounded by his acolytes who is the common denominator in our mediocrity.

Four different managers have tried and failed so they are obviously being undermined by somebody although the choice of second rate managers who are mealymouthed does not help.

There performances are not down to one player and as the Iceland manager said (not the one on County Road) Siggy is being let down by his fellow MF players.

The MF setup is not right and has not been since Gana left and Gbamin got injured.

Unlike some other posters I believe Siggy could work in a 4-3-3 as long as it is balanced. Nobody covers more distance in a game and he is not the one to blame contrary to popular opinion.

I think Silva has looked at the missed transfers, the injuries and thought I wanna play 4-3-3 but cannot see how.

Well to evolve you have to play it and deal with the growing pains. Even put players with lesser ability but the right traits to increase the overall blend and balance of the team.

For example Holgate is not as good as Mina or Keane. However his positive traits pace and covering will get more out of the other centre backs as a combination.

Sigurdsson is a problem but not because he specifically is terrible but there's no one who blends with him. The best I've seen him is with Iwobi and Kean. Interchanges on the floor down the left and middle.

These are combinations Silva needs to see and pick the traits not the overall best XI footballers at the club.

For me this is how it pans out.

Pickford
Digne
Holgate
Mina
Sidibe
Delph
Davies
Sigurdsson (Gomes if fit)
Iwobi
Kean
Richarlison

An energetic side, with high full back forcing the front three to play the width of the box, the outer players as inside forwards.
If that ball comes out you have Sigurdsson/Gomes deeper to control and put it back in with numbers in the box.
The crosses have to be on the floor or cut back.
Stop crossing in the air, Kean has no chance, on the deck is the way forward.

Silva needs to simplify his message. I'm not holding my breath though. I fully expect the same formation and favorites to start.

Since the owners only actually care about staying in the Premier League, I'm guessing that we won't see a full strength team tonight

Almost glad there isn't a stream to increase the mental torture in prospect.

However, miracles do sometimes happen and hopefully one or two of our youngsters will get to play and our forwards will have a bit of luck.

My biggest hope is that our long suffering away fans get something to cheer about tonight, even if it's only Walcott not coming on.
COYB (fingers crossed) EFC on penalties.

One humble pie I do not mind eating if it does not happen.

Well he has - maybe he's reading this thread?

Decent looking team that - hope Tom takes his chance and DCL gets a couple!

The back five is what I wanted to see. Drop Keane and give Holgate a chance with Mina. Fingers cross Holgate and Davies can play well as id like to see those two have a run in the side.

Im hoping for an early goal and a comfortable win for the blues.