Everton vs Crystal Palace

Palace have picked up some form of late and lost to the top two and a last-gasp defeat to Chelsea. If they go one up, that'll be curtains for us.

4-3-3:

Pickford
Holgate Coady Tarkowski Vinagre
Iwobi Onana Garner
Gordon Calvert-Lewin Maupay

Rishi
Schapps
Reese-Mogg
May
Braverman
Patel
Boris
Truss
Kamakwazi
Hunt
Cameron

Manager - Gove

A bunch of clowns who'd probably give us a run for our money.

The footballing version of Boris Johnson.

No left-sided players?

I'm a fan of Mykolenko and he is a very good defender, but, he's offered nothing going forward lately. And even when he makes the overlap we either ignore his run or play the ball directly into his feet so he loses all the momentum of his run!

We're due a win so I'll go 2-1 Everton.

Gordon and Gray on the bench based on their recent performances.

A massive game for us.

Everton could adopt a 3-5-2 to provide more support from midfield:

Pickford
Holgate Tarkowski Coady
Gordon Iwobi Doucoure Onana Mykolenko
Calvert-Lewin Maupay

The back 4 is not a problem and should be kept intact until Patterson returns. The first job of a defender is to stop the opposition from scoring.

McNeil to start and provide the ammunition for Calvert-Lewin to win the game for us.

At present, we have Gray and Gordon playing very wide and are tightly marked so, when they do receive the ball, they are closely marked and quite often the only option for them is to pass back or square.

I also think we should encourage whoever plays on either side of the holding midfield player to play further up-field when we are in possession. Again this will create the ability for close passing between the forwards and the midfield, and allow us to keep possession better than we do now.

The most noticeable difference between us and the good teams is how compact they are going forward, which allows them to get 4 or 5 players in the box. Very often when we attack, we have only 1 player in the opponent's box, which severely limits our options.

The defence picks itself. I really like Gana but the other Garner should start in his place as he is more creative and forward-thinking. Calvert-Lewin must have service and not be isolated.

I await the abuse, but Iwobi to sit out. He has worked really hard but it's all been a bit "pretty" and the end result has been somewhat lacking (one great goal excepted).

One winger playing as such (Gray or McNeil) and one player close to Calvert-Lewin. Potentially Maupay albeit he has been struggling.

Gordon needs a rest and may be more effective off the bench.

A game we have to try to win as opposed to not lose. Be a bit braver, Frank.

Iwobi going running after the ball was helping create space for Newcastle the other night, and although I'm not sure if we have the right personnel to play with wingbacks right now, this currently seems the only system that might tighten us up the spine of our team, whilst helping us gain another forward.

It's all about opinions, I know, but our three midfielders are definitely on different pages right now, and we are getting no joined-up play out wide either because our full-backs are not complementing our wider players (who appear quite rigid) with no overlapping movements at all.

They're energetic scrappers in the midfield, all helping each other out, wouldn't half make a difference, because our midfielders are currently just drifting in and out of the game.

I would bench Gordon, Gray and Gueye and go at them, instead of feeding off scraps and hoping for a goal.

Time to be a bit more attack-minded.

However, with Palace playing down the wings, I think we need to stick with 4-3-3 for this one and give Iwobi a rest to allow a more steely Garner to beef up the midfield. I would also start with Doucoure and bring Onana on second half for Gueye or Doucoure.

Time to make the players start competing for their places.

Let's hope we get 3 points because 4 defeats on the run would put me in a similar mood to last year. Hope the fans can get the atmosphere back.

We played as if we went 4-2-2

Yeah, lets hope Lampard doesn't put it ie that in his pre match team talk.
This match is absolutely just as massive Lyndon, win it and it will restore some badly needed confidence - lose it and it will cause more unrest!

Team wise it's time to be make changes and be more ruthless with underperforming players. There's alternatives, give them a chance.

Pickford
Holgate Coady Tarkowski Mykolenko
Onana Gana Iwobi Garner
Maupay. DCL

Iwobi given licence to attack from midfield

All I am interested in this season is getting results. With the present squad, we should be playing Route One football – we actually have the players to do that.

Pickford
Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko,
Doucoure, Garner, Gana, Onana, Vinagre
Maupay, Calvert-Lewin

And put Rondon on the bench, Frank.

I'd love to send Gordon and Gray camping for a couple of weeks... but they're the only realistic options. Maupay is terrible and McNeil is bang average.

Let's not pretend we'll all of a sudden start firing loads of crosses in from the wing if he plays...

I didn't watch enough of Burnley last season to know, but I wonder how McNeil was even getting into position to make these reputed crosses.

Seriously??? If we have to rely on him, how poor are Gray and Gordon?

He is next to useless. Mind you, next to the previously named, I suppose he's in good company.

I'd be worried about Seamus up against Zaha so, for that reason, I'd bring in Holgate. The other lads should be able to marshall Eze.

But midfield I'd try something different, Garner and or Doucouré? The latter is faster than Onana and a better finisher.

Garner, based on snippets, seems more comfortable on the ball so might offer more creatively.

The other night, Wolves had lots of pressure but no goal threat except an unfit striker who kept getting caught offside. Sound familiar? And ultimately Palace made them pay despite not playing brilliantly.

I think we need to throw caution to the wind a bit and go for the win instead of the KITANO.

Let's see what happens when Calvert-Lewin starts playing with him. He thrives on crosses, so hopefully McNeil's “assists” will improve.

If Frank doesn't send the team out to get stuck right into them, be fearless, and treat them as bang average, then he should join Gerrard.

The show at Newcastle was inept with some of our players rolling about like diving cheats. Any player who falls, bangs the ground, raises his arm, in a "I've just suffered a career ending injury", should, instead of having a magic sponge applied, should be fucking tazered.

Tough days for all and for Everton, but a win is must.

And rebuild the faith and belief to win every game.

UTFTs!

Push up only 4 or 5 yards. Cut the bungie that ties Iwobi to Gana, use it to tie Gana to the goalpost so that it stops him going more than 5 yards into their half... If he won't listen, drop him.

Play 4-1-3-2.

in the multi-faceted complexity of discussion that is modern-day football, the obvious is so often bypassed.

Oh for a simple battle, of seeing the team just go out and mix it up a bit without fear.

To your point, I remember one game where Pele was kicked to High Heaven and stretchered off. But, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he came back on and scored a scissor-kick winner.

Then Sylvester Stallone saved a penalty and he wasn't even a footballer. These lot need to toughen up.

We will get more chances against the teams we play over the coming games and we will score a few goals. We are harder to score against and we don't cave in when we go behind anymore.

I really believe we have enough to keep our nostrils above the sea of shit this season.

That was last season when we played these at Goodison Park, but totally agree the same attitude and commitment is needed today – as if our survival, and Lampard's, depended on it!

We do need to change because Zaha, and the other very talented kid, Eze, will just drift into the space that currently exists in the middle of our team, and this will cause problems. They both possess skill and pace, so you wouldn't want them running at our defenders with the ball at their feet.

Gordon and Gray are too similar, they simply put thier heads down in possession and don't have the gumption or ability to score very often or look up and cross the ball when the situation is screaming out for it.

I've never been one for picking the team but it's pretty obvious we lack creativity in midfield and the way Frank sets the forward line up is not going to be enough to get the goals we need. It's a conundrum he needs to sort out, starting today, otherwise it could cost him his job.

Kieran, I'd love to know how many takes it took to get that penalty save from Rocky!! Isn't he an Evertonian?

A less dramatic and more modest win than the corresponding fixture last season will do nicely.

They have Olise as well who is very gifted. We cannot afford another directionless performance or we will be soundly beaten. I hope to see a transformation today from manager and team.

The current team that is so derided would beat both the 60s and 80s teams convincingly. School of science and Howard's Way.

The game has progressed,
everything about the current game is better. Pitches, players, tactics, ability, speed, technique, physio, diet, fitness etc etc. The rules have made for better technical footballers rather than getting kicked up in the air.

Kieran 36. Most enjoyable post I have read on here this week. That could have been written for the Viz, Fantastic.

Nearly time for the game. Fingers crossed that we compete and start creating some chances. Can't beat a 3pm kick off.

Coyb.

I can only guess you are not old enough to have seen the 60s or the 80s team, otherwise I don't think you would have made the statement that this current side would beat both of those sides. You rightly say a lot has changed over the years but in your list of things that have improved you listed ability, I don't believe for one minute the players playing now have more ability in fact I would say in the main they are less talented.

Anyway back to todays game, lets hope that we get the all important 3 points. I thought it was interesting in Franks press conference yesterday, he stressed the need to get players in and around DCL and I definitely think that needs to happen. Far to many games this season our striker has looked isolated. I think Palace are a decent side and they have some good attacking players in Zaha, Eze and Eloise, so we will have to make sure we defend well and limit their goal scoring chances.

Its a home game and Frank needs to be more bold and play more on the front foot I think he needs to take a chance and stick Garner in there.

Lets get the ball in their box for a change, I don't care how we do it theres always a chance of a goal when its bouncing about in there.

Pickford
Holgate Coady Tarkowski
Davies Garner Gana Doucoure Vinagre
Iwobi DCL

This XI has enough solidity as well as creativity to cause Crystal Palace a lot of problems. With Gray, McNeill, Maupay, Gordon, Onana available to come off the bench to try and change things.

Lampard has to try something different and put some pressure on the Crystal Palace goal early on, otherwise I can foresee the Goodison Park crowd getting restless.

Dixie is the club legend arguably the best goal scorer in the football league, Would he score 60 goals in the current league?

Would like to see Garner get a chance from the start, maybe for Onana who is very raw and so much football in quick succession for a young lad, new to the league could take its toll.

Doucoure also can provide something different, with directness and pace in the middle - but his biggest weakness is passing, and that has been our achilles heel these last few games.

We need to be able to get hold of the ball, and keep hold of it for sustained periods of time and dominate the game.

Maybe go to 4-4-2 with Iwobi on the right to support Coleman/Holgate against Zaha. McNeil on the left to provide the crosses, and Maupay and DCL up top with Gana and Garner in the middle.

or 3-5-2, with Iwobi as wing-back, Doucoure, Garner and Gana in the middle and Maupay/Grey and DCL up top.

If we continue with 4-3-3, there has to be a change. I wonder is Maupay can pay as an inside-forward, while not the quickest, has is good on the ball. And then one of McNeil/Gordon/Grey on the other flank. With Gana, Garner, Iwobi in the middle.

Changing system is difficult ask when such a short space between games, so I expect Lampard will continue with 4-3-3.

Regardless of our sentiments for Lampard, he will be under enormous pressure if the next 2 or 3 results are bad. I agree that the defence is much better but, if we can't score goals, we aren't going to win games.

A striker is essential in the January window.

A class player like Dean would've obviously been as fit as the modern footballer and I'm sure he'd be a big threat. Obviously the offside rule was bit ropey them days... but class is class.

I am really hoping that Frank does change things today and we show more attacking intent than we have in many games this season. I am sure if clubs with probably inferior squads than ours, like Fulham, Brentford and Brighton, can manage more wins than us, then we have to be doing something wrong.

We can have that debate later and I'll get my often used scratched record out to bore you and many others!!!

I was just responding to another fan's comment about the present state of football, because Everton fans have more faith in transfers of players from clubs (no matter how far away) than concentrating on homegrown players from Everton.

It's matchday. I don't want to go off on one of my rants.

One thing you can rely on from Doucoure – he'll get up and down the pitch all day and he is physical. We aren't going to win games with guile in midfield – that's why he is my pick over Iwobi.

Rob, I wish Vernon and Young were starting up top for us today. 😉

My team would be 3-5-2 even though I hate the system, but needs must. Pickford, Coady, Tarkowski, Holgate if fit or Coleman, wing backs Iwobi and McNeil, Gana, Garner & Onana, Maupay and Calvert-Lewin.

Reasons: Coleman gives us very little going forward and Miko has been poor. Although I don't want to move Iwobi he can do a job there, McNeil as everyone is saying can provide the crosses. Garner looks comfortable on the ball, and if Onana continues with his Bambi On Ice impression, replace him with Doucouré, but either way he'd be the furthest forward of the 3.

In an ideal world, Maupay would be 3rd or 4th choice striker, but we are where we are. But he can't lead the line on his own, he's a feed off the knock-downs, run into space type striker.

Put Gray and Gordon on the bench, because they've been awful. A couple of weeks ago on the forum, I stated that Gordon was playing with a titty lip since the transfer window, much to the bewilderment of our American cousins, and I'll stand by that assessment as the drop-off in his performances since he was denied the 'dream move' is startling.

Poorly advised or poor attitude? You decide, but all he's good for at the moment is diving, getting booked, and doing Cryuff turns spinning out of play. The two of them are a liability at present.

Play 4-4-2 with Calvert-Lewin and Maupay upfront, we're playing Palace at home not Man City. Just looking at the Palace squad, why isn't Doucoure suspended, he got his 5th yellow against Wolves?

I read in The Guardian that, since we won on Boxing Day 2020 (when we went to 2nd in the Premier League under Ancelotti), we have scored just 70 goals in 72 games.

Lampard must find a way to resolve this, but the problem is one of his making, it is something he has inherited. Ancelotti was suffering with this at the end of his last season, Benitez couldn't resolve it, Ferguson as interim couldn't, and now Lampard is struggling.

Basically, since James's fitness curtailed his involvement, we have been desperate at creating opportunities for our attackers.

Take away the anomolies that are players like Haaland and Benzema, most good strikers need 3/4 chances to score a goal. A good strike rate, for most good strikers, is 1 goal in 3 games.

So essentially, they need 2 goalscoring chances created every game to score 1 in 3. As it stands, Everton strikers get 1 chance every 3 games. And we have only one at any time on the pitch.

Gordon, Grey and McNeil really need to step up and offer more in an attacking sense. But on top of that, the biggest problem is chance creation.

We just don't create. The main reason for this is when we have the ball, we rush our passes, and give the ball away. The inability to put together a sequence of play, patient, with 5+ passes is stark. This has been a problem for years.

Only when we had James in full flight, where he would often receive the ball from defence or Allan, he would pass and recieve the ball back, pass to Digne, and Digne would cross to Richarlison or Calvert-Lewin and a goal would come out of it, did we ever look like we had a plan with possession of the ball.

Now our players look devoid of a plan. Get the ball and run with it, hope to find some space and try to pass only for the teammate to not be on the same wavelength, or for the pass to be rushed/poorly executed and the ball lost.

The loss of Patterson has also been huge. He helped open up the pitch with his overlapping and runs down the right. Without the attacking full-back, we are constantly pushed inside where it is crowded when we have the ball and too easily pressed.

Mykolenko just doesn't offer than on the left, and Coleman on the right is just, unfortunately, too slow and past his sell-by date.

4-3-3 really depends on marauding full-backs, and dynamic inside forwards. Without them, it's too narrow, too predictable, too easy to defend.

Okay, sorry, stupid idea.

It's simple, pacey and doesn't require cerebral thinking from limited players. We'll win more than we lose following the Wimbledon / Liverpool playbook.

Maybe just tweak with the front 3, more of a 1-2 with two of the midfield 3 getting up to create a 3-2 when in attack. I think “4 lines” is what's needed rather than a very rigid 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 that we seem stuck to.

Pickford
Coleman Coady Tarkowski Mykolenko
Garner Gana Onana
Iwobi
Maupay Calvert-Lewin

I was recently awarded best coach in 40 years at a club I coached in the early 90s but I reckon, from reading your post, you would beat me hands down these days.

You make a thorough analysis. Good on ya mate!

One thing I think is missing is the striker - soulmate pairing in our team. I'd like to see if Calvert-Lewin and Maupay can work together like Kane and Son at Spurs.

Otherwise, I'd likely sell Calvert-Lewin and buy a couple of more basic, ruthless strikers and see what works. Calvert-Lewin has a finesse but doesn't have the rugged ruthlessness IMO.

Once Richarlison was sold, I was hoping Calvert-Lewin would go too. We need at least 2 strikers working unselfishly together. Remember the days of Pickering & Co??

If he doesn't get sacked pre-Christmas, he might get some confidence back and call them out again, just like he did before the Man Utd game.

I also don't think it's automatically the job of a manager to address what pundits say either.

All about the attitude and spirit - still a problematic element in my opinion. This, and being let off the leash a bit with the right tactics.

I don't care who is playing just come on blues. Spirit and here we go.

See you all on the other side.

Frank chose the option to call it out, but his mistake was to do it only after he felt safe. He's now shown the media that they can get to him, so he now must stand up to such speculation and call out the media, along the lines of I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon.

Show some confidence in yourself and your team Frank. Or haven't you got it?