Hull City vs Everton

So much for improving all areas of the club….

We've won diddly for years anyway and surely that back line is our future anyway. Either they'll surprise you and be right up for it… or crap out as per usual.

The problem for Rafa is, if he risks it & we lose, he surely edges even closer to the exit door. A "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, at least partially of his own making, it has to be said.

You would have created panic before they even hit the iceberg and there would have been no survivors.

It imperative that new players, especially younger ones, be given enough time to acclimatize to their surroundings, teammates, coaches tactics and expectations etc. They need to feel comfortable and confident when they play in order to succeed. These full-backs must succeed and we must give them the time they need and be patient as they gain experience in the best, toughest and most physically-demanding football league in the world.

How will we know if players are ready unless we play them in an FA cup game.
Coleman has been slaughtered this year, we have just bought a new full back, why not play him?

You say new signings have to get used to tactics and formations. When full international players are struggling to carry out the managers instructions or understand tactics, when is the right time to blood new expensive signings.

It's a game in a tournament we are not going to win and most likely will not advance very far if we do win tomorrow. If either of our full-backs are not ready for tomorrow than I am fine if they don't play.

However, maybe some game time against a low-level Championship team would do Mykolenko some good. I am not at Finch Farm so I have no idea how ready either new guy is.

My point is that we must do all we can to make sure the new players succeed. They are making a huge jump in their careers and in their personal lives. I am willing to give them the time they need to give them the best chance to come good. Who knows? Maybe Mykolonko won't need very long. I hope so.

"These full-backs must succeed and we must give them the time they need and be patient as they gain experience in the best, toughest and most physically-demanding football league in the world."

But how do they gain experience unless they play? And Hull are near the bottom of the Championship, so why not give them a no-pressure initiation into how the team plays? If they're no good, Rafa can always bring Leighton on at right-back and Seamus on at left-back.

Priority has to be Leicester on Tuesday night, followed by Norwich away.

Both must have had a good idea that a transfer was imminent so would have trained even if on their own, so they would pass the medical and be available from the off.

So maybe introduce him that way with Godfrey behind as orthodox left-back.

5-3-2 or 5-2-2-1 might also work but we generally look hopeless in this formation.

Whatever, we must be prepared for a battle.

No way should we be resting anyone, why? It's time to roll the sleeves up get out there and perform. Play the strongest team, get the win and get some confidence flowing back. This is no time to be conservative, that would cause its own problems. Pick our best available 11.

Get the new boys blooded in, this is a great match to bring them up to speed and to gel them to the team. Get the highly promising young back four playing together, it could be a game-changer for the club.

We need to grab this opportunity to let go of the hesitant, defensive, fear-ridden mindset that has infected the team. This younger team will get onto the front foot and be more willing to attack and take the game to the opponents rather than us be the inevitable supplicants.

It will give the team and Everton FC itself a whole new feel and identity. One with energy, passion, belief and fight. Renewed hope for the future based on young hungry players, who are delighted to be wearing the shirt. It will give the supporters a real lift too if they turn in a great performance.

Pickford
Patterson Godfrey Branthwaite Mykolenko
Allan Doucoure Gomes
Gordon Calvert-Lewin? Gray

If Calvert-Lewin isn't fit enough, then I'd rather have Simms than Rondon.

'It's a game in a tournament we are not going to win and most likely will not advance very far if we do win tomorrow'

That's the spirit!

Appreciate your reasoning and your comments, but in recent years, since we were last in the final, teams like Aston Villa, Hull, Stoke, Wigan, Watford, Portsmouth, Crystal Palace have reached the final.

Only one winner amongst them but it would be great to put the strongest team out and take the competition seriously.

Pickford
Patterson, Keane, Godfrey, Mykolenko
Doucouré, Allan, Gomes
Gordon, Simms, Dobbin

Michael Williams @ various, you say we won't win the cup anyway… we won't win the league so a cup is our only chance of any glory.

I hope he picks both new players and the strongest side possible. If we go out tonight, this sad excuse of a manager has to go. I absolutely despise him and his arrogant attitude, Benitez out!

Tony @19. I totally agree with that side and I'd rather have a dose than Rondon.

Ben Godfrey, from what I have seen, is not a natural centre-back and there must be someone in the academy to challenge Gomes and Allan.

This game seems like a good one to see what the future could hold, to play on the front foot with pace and endeavour.

Interesting team. Ideal for this game.

For the Hull game, I would be very surprised if Benitez went gung-ho and played both new full-backs from the start. Probably, Mykolenko may start at LB and Kenny at RB with Patterson getting some time later if the team is leading.

Tony, I don't think Branthwaite is still ready to play because I did not notice him in the training video put out by the club yesterday (surprisingly, Digne was training normally with the rest of the team!).

Pickford
Kenny Godfrey Keane Mykolenko
Doucoure Gbamin (or Gomes) Allan
Gordon DCL Gray

SUBS: Patterson, Coleman, Holgate, Gomes, Rondon, Dobbin, Simms

Bring back the 4th round and us being one step closer to Wembley.

And Europe.

The arrival of the new lads is bound to help the morale, and Rafa has made it clear that it is his way or the highway.

I noticed the training video showed all the lads applauding each other before their warm-up run yesterday, so perhaps the squad is in better fettle than we think?
As for Digne. I have been as frustrated with him, as he has been with the tactics of late.
Last season, he was no longer taking free kicks, and I wondered if he had an underlying foot problem.
His main contribution has been his assists. Defensively we have always seen him struggle positionally. I can recall Coleman having to switch right across the backline to clear balls while Luca was still jogging back.

Chelsea won't take him - I think he will go abroad.
Onwards and upwards.
Today we could see us turn the proverbial corner.
On the other hand. If we lose, then morale will be shot and I expect Rafa to be removed.
Plenty at stake.

Allan
Doucoure
Gomes (he will play holgate)

Gray
Dobbin (he will play the tree)
Gordon

2 losses in the a couple of days, and he's gone. You cant be losing to bottom of the championship during one win in 12.

Pickford
Patterson Godfrey Keane Mykolenko
Allan Doucoure Gomes
Gordon Simms( or Dobbin) Gray

Hopefully whichever players are sent out, they'll show enough to get through, but my spidey senses say we're in for another roller-coaster match, and the issue will be can we convert the few chances that we are likely to create and more importanlty can we keep a clean-sheet.

Remember when the FA cup used to get us all excited, now it fills quite a lot us with dread.

A risk, yes, but I bet the hunger and desire would be there though and my word have we been missing some of that these past years. Go on Rafa, please!

I like that line-up too!

So - 4-0 this evening, and I don't mind if Hull can grab a consolation.

COYFTs

Kendall came from Preston where he had been a revelation at 17. It took him ages before we started seeing the player we all came to love. Joe Royle, 16 when he was brought in... if they are good enough then they are old enough.

We all have our own theories but it is down to Benitez and, after all, the youngsters and newbies can't be any worse than our first team "stars". If you were training with the first team and watching some of the dross from the sidelines, it's no wonder they clear off if they can't get in this team.

Reckon it's more likely to be:

Pickford
Coleman Holgate Keane Godfrey
Allan Doucouré
Townsend Gordon Gray
Rondon

Townsend will go off after about 70 minutes, 40 minutes after he started struggling with the injury he shouldn't be back playing from. Gomes and Kenny will come on, with one of the new boys added only in the unlikely event we're cruising.

Hope I'm wrong… but one way or the other, Rafa will again frustrate us and puff out his chest knowing the number he's done on Moshiri leaves him safe regardless.

“Your honour and members of the jury, I call on you to find Mr Moshiri guilty as charged of dereliction of duty as owner of Everton Football Club. I call on you to demand that he sell up and leave Everton Football Club as quickly as possible, before the damage he is causing such a great institution becomes terminal.”

Case for the Prosecution

Assuming a new Buyer/Owner came on board, would everything just carry on as is/was, with regard to BMD ? I know we would all (well, nearly all) embrace a Board reshuffle, (about as much use as an Ashtray on a Motorbike) like 'Manna From Heaven' by the Israelites !

The Transfer List made an interesting reminder of just how profligate the Club has been, out of all the Players listed very few have been worth it (in today's crazy World of Fees) notably Pickford, Richarlison, Branthwaite and Mina (when fit) and more recently Demarai Gray and Townsend (free), the rest is made up of donkeys and below par journeymen. I suppose you could argue that, (ignoring the Fee) Sigurdsson until recent events was a decent (ish) player.

It is absolutely a 'must win' game.

For the club. The owner. The team. Individual players. And us, the fans.

Lose this and the manager is deep, DEEP in the do-dah.

As I mentioned above I leave open the possibility that Mykolenko may benefit from a run-out this week, maybe even a start. What more do you want?

What I'm not willing to do is say the new ones must start. If there ready then sure. Why? Because we need to start thinking like a real organization. It's more important to put the development of players over this FA Cup game. Part of helping a player achieve success is putting them in a position to succeed.

Look at the flip-side. What if they are not ready and they start? What if one of them gets chewed up and spit out - costs us a goal? All of a sudden you have a youngster, in a new country and club, low on confidence, That takes even more development time and kid gloves to work back from.

We don't know if the players are ready? We don't know if the new players think they are ready. Let's take the time to develop these players the right way start getting it right. And let us all be patient when they make mistakes, even big ones, because they will.

Play the young lad's
I'd sooner have a 100% Dobbin playing creating havoc up front than Rondon

If we can get Gray and Flash on the ball as much as possible,then we have every chance of getting through this one,I'll still be watching through me fingers though and no doubt Picks will be a busy boy today!

COYB

This playing for a draw, or damage limitation is a very negative, and an extremely dangerous attitude. Winning games does breed confidence, whether it is against top or bottom.

Play the best available starting 11, in their best suited positions, and beat Hull City.

These last 27 years have taught ME that it's Blues like YOU that want jolliness.
I want success.
IF that's unjolly of Me then tough.
Are you really Bill Kenwright ?

From being brought up on 2 title successes and FA Cups I know exactly what I want our football club to be. I also know we need to be united to win games and maybe even win the cup. Thanks for the inference but Billy blue has more money in his kecks than I will ever have. Welcome to the party pal

"These last 27 years have taught ME that it's Blues like YOU that want jolliness."

Is the most laughable thing i've heard in my life!

Also agree about Olise. Very gifted player and no surprise he's now performing for Palace.