Everton vs Crystal Palace

We have too much for this crew if we do

When Everton play mostly with Holgate and Godfrey at full back, and Yerry and Keane at centre half, Everton mostly win.

It's also about time, Yerry Mina is made Everton captain because he is the most vocal and supporting Everton player on the pitch.

The way the results have gone / are going for us this weekend, yet again, the opportunity is on the proverbial plate for us.

I know that sounds obvious, but you only have to look at results elsewhere. Yesterday at Stamford Bridge, the Chavs, I don't think anyone would have made money at the bookies, unless they were an avid and slightly mad Baggies fan. Yet they won 5-2, okay they had a player sent off, that can happen in any game, either rightly or wrongly, but I think it was justified in West Brom's favour.

I don't mind West Brom at all, but hate to see Lamburger Gessler drooling on the touchline, while on his 53rd piece of Chewing Gum, as if to say " that was all my genius that! " but they did it and sent a couple of tremors throughout the Premiership.

Getting back to the 'treating it as a Cup Tie', I am not in the least happy, if it turns out that way, to see Gomes as a starter, I think since the injury, and there was evidence of it before it, that he doesn't quite 'cut the mustard' he may have a few minutes here and there. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but like other players he is paid for 90 isn't he?

Hoping for a win, but can't say I'm 100% confident, unless gladly, I'm proved otherwise.

Anyway, I will be uncontrollably happy to see us back on the pitch. It'll be great to see James back doing his thing again, and what an awesome moment if Gbamin does actually make his return. I don't care if he comes on at minute 89, he'll get a standing ovation here.

Completely confident of a win tomorrow. COYFB.

Virginia
Holgate Keane Godfrey Digne
Davies Allan Gomes
James
Richarlison Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Olsen, Coleman, Mina, Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Gbamin, King

I think Lyndon is probably taking that into consideration.

I would play Keane and Mina against their main striker, Benteke. Nullify him in the air and he's got nothing else. Hopefully Godfrey is fit at right back to nullify Zaha also. I'm confident we'll win the game.

As long as we can get the points in the bag, and take each game at a time, that is all we can ask.

I will be more relaxed once our neighbours get knocked out of the Champions League and closes the door for the possible scenario of finishing 4th and dropping into the Europa League.

No more of this playing at home hoodoo. As Carlo once suggested, football is simple, and all the grounds are the same on the pitch. Get stuck in, score some goals, get the points.

There's always one thing you can guarantee, and that's Everton will let you down.
Will Palace at home be another Burnley, Newcastle, Fulham fiasco? We actually got mauled by these teams. An absolute disgrace.

I do hope we see some good football. At home, we have been diabolical. It's like we've forgotten how to play the game – with ridiculous side and backwards passing which has a totally negative effect on our performance.

Prediction: Everton 7 Palace 0 (I've been on the plonk!)

Let's hope that Everton turn up and do the business, win and a clean sheet, but win is the must.

If we don't win tomorrow. Simple as we do not deserve Europe. Time to actually make a statement now Everton.

I think if we start seeing a gap of 5 to 6 points opening up where we are having to chase down the likes of West Ham, Spurs and Liverpool, then I think it's inevitable we can wave goodbye to Europa League qualification.

Time to make it count at the business end of the season.

Not heard anything, Dave. I actually wondered how to fit him in if, as I expect, Carlo wants to bring Keane back in to partner Mina. I erred towards the fact that he took a knock on international duty and that, combined with him being ever-present in recent weeks, might see him get a rest.

To be honest, I really wouldn't be that surprised to see him line up at right-back and be charged with keeping Zaha quiet.

And apart from Doucouré, it looks like everyone's fit. Please Everton, don't do an Everton on us...

Everton v Crystal Palace: match preview

He would have delivered Goldfingers - 'I dont expect you to talk Mr Bond, I expect you to die!' line very well.

This kind of fixture has been our undoing. If the side can play with authority and inject tempo, then we should win comfortably, but a complacency and half-arsed attitude that we have previously seen will confirm the weaknesses in this group. It really is time for them to step up to the plate.

Olsen
Coleman Keane Godfrey Digne
Allan Davies
James Gomes Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

Sigurdsson, Iwobi and King the 3 most likely subs to use. Hopefully to rest them, not chase it.

Don't risk Godfrey against these if he's carying a knock - we need him available for Spurs and Arsenal inside the next couple of weeks. Need a result here today and that team of Lyndon's should be well capable of it. I'm predicting 2-0 tonight.

Will he be seen later?

Chelsea employed the same tactics at home, but where totally unravelled in their last game. Its going to take more than just this tactic against Crystal Palace.

Everton are going to have to have a a good spirit, which has been always a question after a International break.

But, as always, predicting Carlo's team is difficult.

If we are going to push for Europe we need to try and score more goals, we have been pretty awful to watch since our early season form and I hope to be entertained on our quest for European football. Hopefully having James back fully fit will see an improvement.

I have no idea which team will turn up today, will it be the one that knocked Spurs out of the cup or the group that produced the turgid Newcastle performance. On paper win the 2 games in hand and we challenge the top 4, but we have been in a what if mode a lot this season only to be disappointed.

I would agree regarding Gomes but I feel Sigurdsson is somewhat maligned, especially on here. At least he does produce flashes of brilliance and is capable of goals from either open play or set-pieces. Agreed not as often as we would ideally like, but I think Sigurdsson is still carrying the burden of expectations, with the massive fee paid for him (not his fault btw) and the salary included.

I also appreciate he hails from a small Country, but he has successfully captained Iceland on many an occasion, and you don't get that for being crap. Having said all that, Sigurdsson and Gomes in the same team is not a good combination, Brian, and on that I definitely agree.

For many years I haven't been to a match because the negativity of too many angry fans pisses me off.

I thought having less or no fans would take some pressure off the players and allow us to play better football.

Never mind.

Oh, and I have part of the William Tell, 1812 Overture on my front door bell, I think just upto the part where the Lone Ranger beats Tonto to that rock but without the prelude.

Normally, when a manager is getting things right things start to ‘click' but I have to say that is not happening so far. To be fair it is still early days to judge Ancelotti but if I am honest I am still not confident about today's match. I think we will do well to get into Europe but it is by no means certain.

10 cup finals coming up – let's do it!

I agree that Godfrey should be left-back and galloping down the wing creating chances as he did when Digne was out; Digne hasn't really performed since injury.

Also, I agree Mina is best at centre-back. Plus Coleman is a better bet at right-back.

Holgate is also being watched lately by refs ready to send him off!

If Gomes starts, he should be played centrally in a 2. Remember the days when he took control of the game? That's a while back.

Having said all that, we would do better with a back 5, to counter the fact we have no wide players. Fingers crossed no lwobi. And will King start a game before the end of the season?

What should I expect?

You should. It's far more entertaining than watching the match. My son signed me up for the Sky Go App a couple of years ago. Within 15 mins of the end of a game, it has video highlights of the crucial parts of all games. In effect, you can watch MotD in about 17 minutes without all the bollocks spouted by Mr "I Am Wonderful" Shearer and his cronies. However, recent analysis of EFC highlights suggest they struggle to fill their allotted 3 minutes. More a highlight without the S.

So, Thomas, don't worry about missing anything whilst reading the live forum. You can catch up very quickly.

On a more serious note, I do hope that the set up and tactics this evening are positive. Rely on your strengths and play to them. Don't fear the opposition. It is only Crystal Palace after all (Zaha + 10 others) although I do seem to recall Burnley, Fulham, Newcastle etc. I would love to see a team driving forward with confidence and looking to put the game to bed by the hour mark. I would love to see it but still looking for the Easter Bunny.

Subs and selection: No Iwobi Gomes or Sigurdsson please. Too much to ask probably and get out of jail card to carry on picking these slow wasters with Onyango not an option and Nkoukou not trusted.

Moan over. Coyb let's have these.

The machine-gun fire starts with the team selection, hand grenades are launched with every errant pass. Poor crossing is career-ending. Conceding a goal is worthy of death by brain-eating parasites. Conceding two is nuclear devastation. Conceding three is total planet destruction by multiple comet impact. You get the gist. It's all good fun.

If we play quite well and win, then it is all skipping through wildflower summer meadows, singing sweet Evertonian melodies to the dancing butterflies, blissfully carefree in our faded dungarees and gingham shirts. Blue eyes glinting in the virgin light, our blond curls in raptures around our tanned shoulders as we run and run to the waterfall. We strip naked, we dive in off the big rock, and then, for a moment, there's nothing else in the world but pure happiness

Or something like that, or is that just me?

Only one thing can be guaranteed: West Ham will shit the bed. As to who gets the prize, might be us, staggering across the line Roger Bannister style!

Lets embrace the remaining games and enjoy the fact that at the sharp end of the season we still have something to play for.

Or am I too positive for ToffeeWeb?

Olsen
Coleman Keane Godfrey Nkounkou
Richarlison Allan Bernard Digne
Calvert-Lewin King

Start on the front foot and attack 'em... and please keep the back-passes to a bare minimum.

COYB

However there will be more crazy results in the run-in as if there can be any crazier then the Albion/Chelski result at the weekend which I think proves that being in the top four doesn't mean you are unbeatable no matter who you play.

Everton's results against the Barcodes are a prime example.

Would like to think that Everton will beat Palace today but given our season of inconsistency and playing at Goodison I am prepared for anything.

Yes, the Euro places are up for grabs and Carlo should have them motivated but are they good enough to make a big enough challenge over the remaining games.

We may have to be content with the fact that lot's more improvement is necessary and that only some class additions will do it.

You can post into Live Forum with speech recognition software – instead of typing in – so again you don't need to take your eyes off the game.

I'm not clever enough to do that mate. Could ask one of my grandkids to help me out maybe.

Derek @72. Absolutely not because that is the situation we are in. Let's just hope the manager and players are of the same mindset.

James & Mina Scouse Shoot-out

We are not creative enough to be very confident of beating anyone, but we need to throw caution to the winds tonight and at least try to score a few goals for a change.

It will be a crime if our home form prevents us from a top six finish.

Wingbacks?

1. Note the laws of physics don't apply on the forum. Players can be praised to the heavens and a second later will be instructed to do things that are physically impossible, surely painful and possibly still illegal.

2. Don't ever mention fish or you will be swamped with puns for the rest of the game.

3. It's always Hibbo's fault – whatever it is...