Everton vs Watford

Negative: we'd never lost to Swansea or Bournemouth until the last few years.

I imagine Flores is a little bitter that he was fired and replaced by Silva only to get his job back after Silva and AN Other were fired. He has a point to prove. Geri has a point to prove too. Luckily like Everton they're both chokers. This may come down to who gets the Heimlich maneuver to clear their wind pipes first.

So many ahem, pundits, have already declared him dead and gone, he has nothing left to lose.

Mine:
Pickford (though honestly I'd rather Lossl)
Sidibe Keane Holgate Digne
Davies Iwobi Gomes
Kean DCL Richarlison

In a proper 4-3-3.

We've had an easy time of it in this cup up to now, but I think tomorrow will be different. This is a real 50/50, they're just as desperate to stay in this cup as we are and they'll be encouraged by how easily we fold under pressure.

They're bottom of the league and need a pick-me-up, is there better time to play EFC?

If Schneid plays I'm sure he'll get himself sent off to avoid the full time boos

Most of us wanted an unchanged team for the recent defeat at Brighton, and apart from the enforced change of Holgate for Mina, Silva obliged accordingly. I couldn't believe how poor Gomes and Davies were in contrast to seven days earlier. So who knows?

There is definitely something not right at Everton with the players, how can such contrasting displays of individual performances be so diverse in a matter of days. They were not alone either, it seems that any malaise seems to affect most of the team rather than an individual having an off-day, which can happen but mass suicide!

A win however will give Silva confirmation bias that he's back on track and in with a chance of winning a trophy, it will prolong the agony I'm afraid and keep him in the job. Under Kenwright Moyes was expected to get beat by the top six, under Moshiri, Silva is expected to lose or draw all premiership away games and keep his job, shocking.

https://m.livesoccertv.com/match/3466873/everton-vs-watford/

Also, if you go to the App store and type in 'potato stream', you can normally download an app which streams lots of games.

We need a bit of a pick-me-up before the Tottenham game and this is ripe to give us some momentum back.

I feel collectively too much is wrong and has been wrong at Everton for a good number of years.

Silva will be hung out to dry, he'll be the only one that gets the sack, not the players (some of whom have failed dismally under THREE different managers now).

Marco has faults, more than a few and I don't think he's going to be the man to take us forward long term and deep down Moshiri has probably started to feel it too, that's why there been no statement to silence the doubters.

If the club felt Silva was 100 percent the right man then why not come out and say

“he's our choice, we wanted him for a year before we got him, we are in the middle of building something and he will most definitely not get the sack during his 3 year contract”.

But the silence from the people at the very top at Everton has been deafening let's be honest, and it's not a convincing reassuring atmosphere for Silva to work in.

I'm not arsed about the players to tell the truth, they perform the same under every manager we get now, they turn up one week, then for the next five weeks they look like they couldn't give a shit, that's going to be the same once Silva leaves the club.

Silva will go if we lose tonight and he'll certainly be gone by the middle of November after more league defeats so it's merely a stay of execution for the man.

The task then though is huge, back to square one before the panicked appointment of Sam Allardyce, what does Moshiri do then?

Another journeyman troubleshooter to guide the club to safety?

Or does he try and move heaven and earth to bring in a man with a winners CV and track record that players should both respect and fear?

Right now we are in easy street, all goes wrong just keep blaming Silva, the players get off relatively scot free as usual.

If these can't play two games a week then these are simply not good enough and can all f off.
Trying to get to the level of the top-6 means playing 60 games a season and not once have a moan about it. Grow some effing balls.

It's football, the idea is to try and win your games.

Christ, watching those rugby lad going at it without all the fuss of your average premier league player makes every single one of our lads look like total mugs.

Just play the bloody game.

Many of our loyal away supporters got drenched en route and back waiting for trains and buses etc, a round trip in many cases of 15-18 hours, and that is how they get repaid?

Andy @ 9, there are very few signs that there will be any broadcasting of 'our match' but there is usually a stream somewhere either on YouTube or some other. I am going to check Nick @13's link later. Thanks Nick hopefully we can get something, just hope they don't let us down.

A lot of Prem sides are playing each other so obviously some are going to go out, although we (team) don't deserve it I still hope to progress, then who knows the draw may be favourable again.

It is worrying though, regarding our League position and the longer the deafening silence goes on, the deeper we go nearer the point of no return.

The saving grace for Silva may be a good result tonight followed by a must win against Spurs, otherwise, I can't see his fingernails lasting much longer clutching at both straws and a precipitous cliff edge.

Moan after the game by all means but let's see if Silva can motivate them, or the players motivate themselves tonight and give us something to cheer and keep us going into Sunday.

You are a right!

It would be nice to think the players can actually motivate themselves tonight rather than know if they fail the manager is the one to cop it anyway.

If I'm a footballer (regardless of the completely stupid amount of money I'd be on) then I'd be wanting to win myself silverware and bring a trophy to the club I played for, again regardless of my childhood affinity with them or not.

Too many players these days are more interested in posting on Instagram and fannying about with selfies ect ect.

The game is called football, the objective in football is to win a trophy and do well, why has that somehow become lost in today's modern era?

Firstly, we need a trophy. It's been too long and even the League Cup would go some way to showing players that they can win things at this club. I'd probably be happy enough if we won the LC and ended the season in 10th-14th.

Secondly, we badly need some confidence. And that only comes from winning games. Off the back of West Ham we started the Brighton game well and probably should have been a goal up at half time were it not for needless fouling by Gomes and poor keeping from Pickford. This team is not without hope and a few wins might just turn into a few more.

Thirdly, the manager needs it. And if they players like the manager as much as they claim they need to help him out. If we lose tonight and lose to Spurs then I think that may well be the death knell for Silva's time here. Some might see that as a good thing but I still think he's a decent manager and that at this mid-point of the season we won't find many better out there. Marcelino has been linked and he could be a good stop gap but I don't think many of us want to keep going through managers ad infinitum.

"What we want is to be with him as fast as you can, but it is important for us to have him 100% of his best conditions as well."

If you can make sense of that short quote, you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

Can you imagine a pre match team talk along those lines. Most of the players probably tune out after a few sentences because most of what he's saying is incomprehensible to them. Probably explains why our subs seem to be ignoring him when he's giving them instructions on the touchline before coming on. Hard enough to try and understand him in a relatively quiet dressing room, but with the crowd noise going on in the background they don't really stand a chance.

Can we please have a manager who speaks reasonably understandable English?

And that only took me five minutes to decipher.

Not sure if ESPN+ is available anywhere outside the States, but it's being televised there.

Then we come to the next must win at Brighton
We need that elusive away win especially after going behind
We didn't get the result and we heard all the reasons why. The game is 90 odd minutes not one decision

Now we come to the next must win to get us the elusive silverware

At the weekend we'll get the next must win against one if the so called top six

Then we'll have the next must win against
the equally hapless Southampton. Can you imagine if we lose there?

My ten games in is my cut off point with Silva he should have gone on Saturday

"What did he mean?"
"Er.. Dunno. Anybody get that?"
"Which bit?"
"All of it"
"Hey boss, can you say that again?"
"Which bit?"
"Er.. All of it."
"No time. Out you go, and remember my instructions."
Various groans and mumbled comments.
"What fuckin' instructions?"

Nothing to worry about eh chaps?

After the debacle at Brighton and the VAR controversy, why would we expect a great response against Watford?

I suppose we all live in hope and after the Hammers victory, some thought or hoped the corner was being turned... but somehow I doubt it will ever happen under Silva.

These will be two wounded animals in the same cage tonight, I wouldn't pay too much attention to the bookies on this one.

This is a significant nail in his EFC coffin if he loses tonight, he may well be booed out the ground tonight. The EFC top brass will be taking note of the crowd tonight should it go against us, fans tend to let fly with their feelings more at cup matches.

There are many different reasons to berate Silva, they he speaks ain't one of 'em. A load of old Coljones, in my opinion.

Brian #39 - phenomenal, as somebody once said!

We beat them of course in the 1966 FA Cup final and lo and behold tonight we have the next team we beat in the FA Cup Final in 1984 coming to town.

Is there something in the air for the League Cup this term. Hope so. I'm going for 2-0 (smiley)!

It's frustrating enough watching them of late, but I think listening on the radio or getting feedback whilst on the Live Forum, while not being able to watch is even more frustrating.

Having said that, IPTV is usually a minute behind live broadcast, so many spoiler alerts before they score on my feed, but I don't mind that so much.

The exception instead of the rule unfortunately.

Pickford
Sidibe Keane Holgate Digne.
Gomes Delph Davies.
Iwobi Kean Richarlison.

Full support. 💙

Again this is our only outside chance of a trophy and let's get real, it is an outside chance.

Lose this and he's history.

However, our tactical genius will likely reward Sigurdsson for his impression of the Invisible Man last Saturday and bring in Schneiderlin to add much-needed stability (ie, sideways passing) in midfield. So we are more likely to revert to moving at the speed of treacle in Alaska.

For me, this fixture is now meaningless because, if we don't get at least 6 more points on the board by December, then relegation beckons. It would be just like us to dither and finally sack Silva at the end of November. We will then instruct/expect Unsworth to get 15 points from our December fixtures. Piece of cake.

Notwithstanding all the above I'm still hoping for a miraculous win with Calvert-Lewin and Iwobi given the opportunity to develop what could be a useful partnership.

PS. Like others, I can't make out what Silva's saying either. The Portuguese Stanley Unwin's instructions must be completely unintelligible to most of our players except for maybe the odd word like 'sideways', 'slow' and 'wide' being understood.

The longest period in Everton's history without a trophy does kind of make us all desperate. It's hard to admit that our club is a shambles and has been for decades. Even if (and that's a big if) Everton win this trophy, Liverpool will do the Premier League and Champions League double.

He isn't, based on his tenure, going on a 10-game winning run. His time is up, please put him and us out of this current misery and into a new one!

I thought Davies was ok on Saturday, doing enough to keep his place. The same cannot be said about Sigurdsson.

The worrying aspect about tonight is that, if the starting eleven is poor, there will be few options on the bench to rescue the situation.

Apologies for being negative, over 40 years of supporting this club is taking its toll.

Hi Dave [25] I'm not long back from the chemist's after picking up another prescription, I've passed a self enforced fitness test, so Josh and I will be occupying our usual seats in the Park End. I hope I'm not coming across as a 'grumpy old man' but so many posts are [if you'll excuse my feeble attempt at humour] positively negative.

Hi Jim [26] forgive me if I'm adding years to your age,but I have a feeling that you're of my generation, or not far removed from it. I agree that no matter what today's players earn, self pride should demand that they give 100% to the cause, nobody can guarantee a top class performance, but effort is essential.

Today, however, the match IS in their listing. Perhaps my ToffeeWeb friends may want to give it a go. (This may be common knowledge already!)

To me he has 2 choices: go for the win, and that gives an outside chance of winning the Carabao Cup to get into Europe, or with a hard game coming up at the weekend, will he rest most of the usual premier game players and play some of the usual substitutes and young fringe players, and concentrate on the weekend game.

Trying to guess his team selection is pretty difficult, as most of his decisions are usually the opposite to what most supporters think. Tonight, it will be either congratulations, or another nail in his coffin

Similarly, there are 28 league games left to play, which means 84 further points up for grabs, i.e. 94 points for the season up for grabs. This should be the aim. We need to dispense with feeling sorry for ourselves, and just try to win each game as it comes along, regardless of how previous games have gone. The quality is there, we just need to apply some mental discipline to make that quality bear fruit.

His performance Saturday was lost in the VAR, our now standard capitulation and the pall of apathy enveloping the club.

Pickford has had a poor season, the first couple of games he deffo was good. Some excellent 1-v-1 saves but the free-kick thing is an issue.

Can he set a wall up properly? Why is he consistently beaten with efforts on ‘his side'? He always seems to step towards his wall before the strike, if the lad puts it top bin then hands up. Otherwise, keep it out of your side. The distribution is still very erratic too. The punches he made were lamentable.

Clearly a player down on form and confidence, give him a break, Marco.

I'd imagine something like:

Pickford,
Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Baines
Delph, Davies, Digne
Walcott, Calvert-Lewin, Iwobi

1 - We win tonight, getting Silva a temporary reprieve
2 - We get a winnable quarter-final draw
3 - We lose to Spurs at the weekend
4 - We lose to an improved Southampton (I do rate their manager, and think he might possibly be a decent fit for us despite the evidence at St Mary's)
5 - Silva departs
6 - Someone (?) takes the reins
7 - We win our last-16 match in the League Cup
8 - Sods law comes in to play - We get Liverpool in the semi-final...

Even if we lose tonight, I still think Silva will get the next couple of games but the end of the plank must be looking frighteningly close to Marco. As someone (Jim B I think?) said above, there is no vocal support from the top and that says a lot.

I was sceptical about his appointment as were most on ToffeeWeb, but we generally are an optimistic lot and there were some pretty convincing arguments being made in his favour. I figured that possibly more homework other than a mere look at his record might have been done and retained some optimism. Since then, besides a couple of positive blips, the signs have been pretty pessimistic. The next few weeks are a mountain I do not believe Silva can climb...

I will be very surprised if Silva is still our manager at Xmas. We need to have an alternative in place as soon as we can to give them the best chance of resurrecting something from this season with most of the tough games to come.

I didn't realize we were playing Spurs at the weekend. Silva and Pochettino looking like the Brothers Grimm with their glum faces on the sideline feeling like the whole world is against them. Gosh, it will be like a wake.

Where do you want me to drop him? I'll personally drive him to the highest point.

I agree, there is zero point in bringing in backup goalkeepers if they are nowhere near the level of challenging for a place in the first team especially when the “Number 1” loses form.

I think Pickford's head has been all over the place ever since that World Cup last year, hyped up as national hero, has inflated his ego.

However the most worrying a thing I notice about him is how low his overall concentration is, he's like a circus jester that can't keep still and finds it funny.

He's starting to resemble Tim Howard in his last two years here, and this feels now more than just a temporary loss of form. I think someone needs to get a hold of him and tell him to sort himself out ASAP.

I have being saying that Pickford is a liability for years. Ever since his first season when he clattered into the beleaguered Ashley Williams and the ToffeWebbers blamed Williams for not having eyes in the back of his head. Since then I have been proved right.

Pickford is a good shot stopper but his lack of command of the goalmouth areas is causing panic with our defenders, his tendency to rush out and blame everybody else when there is a shot at goal, his tendency to resort to rushing out and launching a long ball upfield when he does hold the ball and finally on kick out which have a high risk of going out over the sideline. Even his punch back into play was schoolboy stuff.

The other issue is that this doesn't help a fragile Michael Keane. I would suggest that when Mina returns his defensive partner should be Holgate.

I agree with the comments on Sigurdsson, Schneiderlin and Gomes in that Everton's biggest problem is the speed of passing as well as the tendency to lose confidence away from home, especially in the depths of Winter, where all the silky skills are overcome by raw hard work, which is absent with many of our players.

I was interrupted mid-post, and having just returned to my laptop, I find that you've answered my question indirectly.

It just about worked when we had Gana's pace and energy and an unbelievable amount of ball winning (I still can't believe there were those who didn't rate him!) but now our middle is slow and ponderous at the best of times.

Put Iwobi back in the middle with Richie on the wing. Kean or more likely Calvert-Lewin up top.

Some might find it a distraction, an inconvenience, for me it is the chance of Silverware.

I have no doubt Goodison will be up for this, big turn out expected by the supporters, so let's all just put aside any ill-feeling until after the game.

Anyone wanting a loss tonight, feel free to donate your final ticket to me, should we advance to the final.

This is a game that can land you a trophy. I do not care what other sides are still in it, a win, a generous tie next round and what better chance of ending 24 trophy-less years.

Get behind the team tonight. I will be at the match and hope the team delivers tonight.

Onwards and upwards Evertonians.

I don't know what will happen tonight. Watford should be better placed than they are. I think quality wise Silva could make up to 5 changes and not weaken us too much.

I hope he gives Lössl a go, and Baines too, who must be getting cobwebs. Personally l would keep a Sidibe in and give him a proper run of games:

Lössl
Sidibe Keane Holgate Baines
Schneiderlin
Sigurdsson Delph
Iwobi
Kean Walcott

I really want us to play more compact 4-4-2 diamond with attacking full-backs. I'd like to see what Sigurdsson can do from deeper as both he and Delph, and Schneiderlin for that matter can all play forward passes to the speed ahead of them. Then again Richarlison would want to do well tonight and DCL scored on the weekend so will probably start too. Who knows, l don't.

Pretty disappointing if we get knocked out tonight.

Does that not look a decent bet?
There's my tenner

It would be great if we gave them a real battering. I remember in 95, we hammered Norwich 5-0. That was an Everton team with problems and few goals in it. There is hope.

Derek @47, you're welcome! If you are going to watch instead of listen, may I also suggest taking anti-anxiety meds before the match?

Although Watford are at the bottom they have not lost in 3 games now which is more than you can say for us. They have tightened up enormously and got to Wembley last year so it will not be an easy game.

It is a pity Bernard is unavailable as he would have been ideal to open up their defence.

Tom Davies has earned another runout and so has Calvert-Lewin and Holgate. I also believe we need 2 up top so I would bring Moise Kean in alongside Richarlison for 3 forwards that offer different strengths.

I can see a case for Delph and believe Gomes would be overrun with the pace of the game so would go for a midfield of Sigurdsson (better in the tackle than Iwobi but close), Davies and Delph.

Sidibe deserves to continue but I believe "Moments" will choose Seamus.

Im assuming Mina is not fit but if he is would partner him with Holgate and slot Digne in at left-back.

This is a must win game (aren't they all or should be) and will be tough so we need a strong side.

COYB

Mark at 3 – that's the exact team I would have picked. Want to see a Kean brace tonight and feel it in the bones!

"Light of my life - where have you gone?
Love's true flame dies without the warmth of your sun
Here comes a blue train rolling
Across my heart it crawls
The rain still falling down
Another day scares me"

We'll let Silva decide on which one, but quite simply there's no point in picking his usual 4-2-3-1 with 2 holding midfielders, just simply go out and attack with the strongest team, get a decent lead and then bring the subs on!!

To echo Brian @69 (I think) yes we are. We all rejoice, and we all suffer together but I have to assume we all want our Club to do well.

Is it 7:45 (3:45 for me) yet?

COYB

Lossl
Sidibe Keane Holgate Baines
Davies Delph Baningime
Kean Iwobi Richarlison

I want the mid-field to considerably stiffen up, and I think Delph, Davies and Beni Baningime would provide the right combination of experience, youthful exuberance, energy and resilience to take the battle to the opposition.

Subs: Pickford, Coleman, Digne, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Calvert-Lewin, Gordon

Nice to read a positive post. Anyone that doesn't want a win tonight can't be a proper blue in my eyes.
I would love us to finally win the lowly league cup, as football wise I've had nothing to celebrate in my entire adult life! I was 11 in 95. Not quite the same.
I've had to adopt F1 and rugby, but nothing is like Everton!

Unlucky. In my life we've won a trophy on average once every 8.4 years. Problem is, there was a point in time when my lifetime trophy average was once every 2.5 years.

Please no Sigurdsson.

As for the calls for Lossl that many have made, as much as I'm down on Pickford like others, I can't imagine his 1st game being in another must-win, this time in a tourney that may go to penalties.

You want to start him vs. Spurs, I'm fine with that.

Midfield - Iwobi, Davies and Delph - Gomes can't hack 2 games in a few days.
Attack - Richarlison, DCL, Kean. I'd stick Gordon on the bench - we need someone on Bernard's absence and he has been banging on the door - time to give him a chance.

If Mina is fit, him in for Keane. If not, get Gibson in there.

We have to win this game, but I still feel a 'what's the point' - Silva will never win anything with Everton - and why get our hope up only to get spanked in the semi or final.

Not sure I agree. I remember during the world cup, there were various passages of play when refs did the same thing then after what seemed like an age, they stopped play and called it back. My issue with that is, imagine the uproar if a ref misses a handball for a pen at one end, then the other team go right down the other end and score. One minute you're celebrating, the next second your goal is scratched off and you've conceded a pen.

Personally, I think the technology isn't there yet and it takes too long for refs on video to make decisions during game play. If anything, limit replays to when the ball goes out of play as you have some time to play with before the game resumes.

Kieran @97 interesting you brought up the World Cup as they employed the same disastrous tactic we've seen on display in the EPL. VAR can't work if it's not used properly. Ah well, someday, England, someday!

COYB, take it to Watford tonight.

The problem would be though, when does the ref blow versus not blow. e.g. he sees what looks like a diabolical foul and blows. Replay shows it was an optical illusion and no contact. If he doesn't blow, and their is a real injury, he is allowing the player to lay waiting in need of possibly urgent treatment.

One example though of how VAR could create chaos would be the 1998 world cup. Sol Campbell scores, England players run off to celebrate, the BBC are still showing replays while the ref quietly disallows it and Argentina play on with half the England team celebrating at the corner flag. Argentina immediately scored. The replays showed Campbell's goal should have stood. If they had VAR and called play back, then presumably we scratch off the Argey goal? It would have been sweet justice after the 86 game but I imagine there would have been a riot.

It is actually worse now than before. Less time is now spent reflecting on a great pass, tackle, save or goal and now all we talk about is VAR.

I would love for it to be binned altogether.

Enjoy the game John.