Manchester City vs Everton

Sorry, I can only see a thrashing with the players that we have and their current playing level. Please prove me wrong.

I don't think he will start, as Ray says above, the Brighton match on Tuesday will be the one he is targeted at. Especially as the home game against Brighton will be massive for Frank Lampard and Everton.

A starting line-up with Maupay and Cannon at the front would be interesting.

The last match of the year... Give us something, Blues!!!!

I wouldn't be surprised, I’d be bloody amazed!

We need a pressing game, so Tuesday at home and a start against Brighton would be a huge lift. Hopefully his injuries are behind him.

We desperately need Calvert-Lewin on the pitch, we're definitely lacking his physical presence, and even try and play Maupay beside him?

A very sad state of affairs that so many feel that we have no chance tomorrow and the best we can do is avoid a hiding. What's more, this had been the way for so many years against the top teams, Ferguson used to play a second-string team against us back in the day and still come out on top.

Not many good times since we last won some silverware.

I have an anything-could-happen feeling for tomorrow, but... since the probability realistically is maybe 80% that we lose, then why not just go for it a little? The same old same old will deliver nothing.

He got a reply, “It would be good if one of them came out as a fucking footballer at the moment!!”

For tomorrow, use a 4-5-1 with the aim of frustrating City and pinching a goal on the counterattack. If we continue with the 4-3-3, we will be battered.

For some weird reason I haven't got to the bottom of, I appear to be going to the game tomorrow.

As for the Citeh game, I can only see one-way traffic... a comfy home win for them, as our lads don't seem able to win away against anyone these days!

No point bringing him on when we're three-down.

So I looked at the next 2 fixtures from Palace down, and here is my morphine-induced predictions after those fixtures.
Not pleasant reading, but you never know.

Palace 20 pts
Villa 19 pts
Leicester 18 pts
Bournemouth 1 pts
Leeds 16 pts
West Ham 16 pts
Everton 15 pts
Wolves 14 pts
Forest 14 pts
Southampton 13 pts

So any 3 from 9. I think the morphine's wearing off! 😂😂😂
Hopefully 3 pts against Brighton and a fluke draw against City would give us 18 pts!! 😂😂😂

Nurse says there's a spare place in the asylum!!! 😂😂😂

However, it would be good for him to get some proper game time into his rehabilitation so it would probably be good to start him and see how we fair in the match.

If we go a couple of goals down I'd pull him off early to be safe – maybe half time – and give Tom Cannon a proper blooding alongside Maupay and Gray. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

If we are holding our own, leave Dominic on as he could just nick one or set something up and who knows, at 9-1 for the draw or 25-1 for the win, someone might be celebrating tomorrow evening.

Yerry and Dom are the footballing versions of DeLorean.

Obviously, you do know what it really is?

Speedy recovery.

No, I haven't been drinking.

Thank you! 👍

Like I said: we've seen him in worse – and I'm not misogynistic – the fact that it has branding that ties it to the horrible links to betting is the real crime.

Glad he's back in the squad but I would not start him but maybe give him 30 minutes in the second half.

Brighton is a more winnable, more important game and hopefully he can start against them.

Can I suggest your nearest alehouse with a big screen, and ask them to put on The Guns of Navarone?

Safe, far less expensive, and as with the game at Man City, you already know the outcome.

As well as holding players' tits steady, those things also house electronic monitoring devices that transmit and/or store body performance parameters, and track the players.

Ray @ 21 – I second Sean's message. I hope tomorrow's performance at City doesn't set you back. :-o

The situation is dire and that result against Wolves was so bad, it begs the question what is the board doing about it.

It's hard to take when you go up against fellow strugglers, score first and early, then lose all 3 points in the 95th minute.
Such setbacks are indicative of a team ready for the drop.

The next three games will show if they have any mettle left and may just be the turning point for Lampard, who has the team playing like the old time West Ham team but without the strike force.

He hasn't sorted out the midfield which is all over the place at times and must give confidence to any opposition – never mind Man City.

This seems not to be the case now, with the midfield not able to retain possession. It will be more luck than anything if Calvert-Lewin has any impact, if he plays.

Hopefully the midfield will get their ability back and no errors in play occur.

As an Evertonian since 1964, I, like many on TW, have lived through the good times and the bad and very bad times.

I'm not looking to bash Bill Kenwright, I want him out like the majority of Evertonians, but what's he produced? Diddly squat.

He won't go, and another relegation battle appears on the horizon; and this after only 16 games.

Oh well, here's to tomorrow and Tuesday, 🤞 2 or 4 points; morphine just kicked in again... 😂😂😂 Hopefully 3 points or even 2 points... COYB

If he plays tomorrow, he doesn't score; if he's benched, he doesn't score; if he stays away, he doesn't score.

0-4 and I'm being generous to us.

The real problem is going to be at the back. I think we'll have to drop off and maybe man-mark De Bruyne.

Best advice I've had all year.

We need a CF on 1 January. Get Lucas Moura on loan for the rest of the season.

IMO, our only chance to nick any points will be based on having a really solid midfield and fast forwards who can score on the break – and therein lies the problem.

I would drop McNeill, Maupay and play Coleman just behind Patterson, who is good at breaking forward and is direct. My lineup – not that Frank will pay any attention to it – would be:

Pickford
Coleman Coady Tarkowski Mykolenko
Patterson Onana Gana Iwobi
Gordon Gray

If he is actually fit tomorrow, use him; the rainy day may never come that you're saving him for.

I like it. He's got to be told to not worry about it, just keep shooting. Getting into the final third and just getting a shot on goal is needed to get back smoothly against City.

We may not get through midfield often but just having a go outside the box or not is better than a turnover while Frank has Onana offensively committed.

Not sure about pairing Gray with Maupay but really – why the fuck not give Maupay something finally to play around? Do it Tony's way and just run them as best we can, get into them and get the damn second balls occasionally and maybe we'll have something to play for after 25 minutes.

It's risky and they could get done on the break but we can go to the low-block mentality after we're two or three behind if that's how it goes.

We occasionally get one over on City when everyone least expects it. Invoke the Cahill days and take them out with some honest tackles. Make them fight for it.

As always, hoping for a result but, after Monday's display, I can't see anything other than a game of 'hide and seek'. We'll try to hide but they will seek us out.

Hopefully Pep saw Monday as well and decides to give Scott Carson and maybe some of the cleaning staff a run out.

A feather duster showdown.

Can't afford injuries or a mauling. Hobson's choice...

Pack every defender, all seven, on the goal line and 3 defensive midfielders in front of them; hope for the best and move on.

We talking about signing a £20M striker from Coventry when we have one of own playing and scoring for Sunderland now? This guy Simms seems to score everywhere he goes but is never given a chance with us.

Surely given his recent form, we should bring him back and even take a punt on his partner Stewart – they're both back from injury and both scoring!

But knowing us, there's another royal fuck-up on its way.

COYB — close out this year as we mean to start 2023.

UTFT!

(Haaland – put down that calculator, son.)

After 40 years of this, and actually being there to see us win stuff and compete vs now, I've honestly never been more disillusioned with EFC (and its myriad of problems).

I just want them to give 100%, bit of fire in the belly, and get stuck in. It's not rocket science, Frank – just have a go for fuck's sake. After all, God loves a trier. UTFT.

What is in interesting is what happens after; if it's a complete mauling, Frank's last nail could be the Brighton game.

In supporting the team to survival – and in backing a manager who I think may yet be a success with the club – we will not be excusing the arseholes on the Board; we will be honouring Everton — something which cannot be bought or sold.

Fuck everyone else, let's concentrate on us.

Attack them hard and fast with pace on the counter. Make them think about throwing too many forward. Select mostly on pace…

Pickford
Patterson Godfrey Tarkowski Mykolenko
Gordon Iwobi Onana Gana Gray
Cannon

UTFT!

The good old geriatric and avuncular Arsenal man came to look down his nose at me yesterday. He said, "Well, Arsenal are doing well."

I just gave him a look and realized how often this creep will come in for a pile-on at just the wrong time and ends up eating his words. I think he sensed his future peril.

We will get a couple of unexpected results so let's just hang in there without losing all the enamel on our teeth.

Or for the perfect double against the odds, Everton 28/1 and Leicester City 10/1.

Don't be surprised if the Leicester one comes in, Liverpool always seem to slip up against lower teams.

I cannot believe you have included Godfrey over Coady??

Calvert-Lewin definitely needs some
match fitness if he is going to be any use to us and so I would definitely start him with the view of giving him 60 minutes at most.

Starting cold against Brighton does not sound like a wise idea to me. At least with some game time against City there is more of a chance he will be better prepared for Brighton.

I would like to see what Calvert-Lewin and Cannon could do up front. Both have good speed. I think playing Maupay from the off is a waste of time as he just does not have any pace to get behind the defence.

I think Iwobi, Onana and Gana will play in midfield and I was wondering, if Gordon cannot play there, if we go with playing Price?

So I would try 4-4-2 so we don't get overrun in midfield and not leave Calvert-Lewin totally isolated and a spectator. I am of the opinion that going and parking the bus will not work and we ultimately learn nothing from using this pointless tactic.

Ditto Onana in his position despite his appalling form and apparent bewilderment, and further ditto Gordon who is one of us and hugely gifted.

Going even wilder, I think Maupay is going to come good as a finisher and effective forward presence, and I'm also backing McNeil who has great talent if only he can be persuaded to believe it. These are, mostly, very young players with their careers ahead of them.

Finally, I'm going to say that Calvert-Lewin's recent difficulties will prove a benefit for him and us. He's too physically majestic to be a crock despite his injuries and despite my scepticism. Perhaps the best leap I've ever seen in football and with many other skills (and, yes, weaknesses).

Stick with them all. Why should they not remain ours and form the basis of a renaissance?

Oh, and James Garner, whose loss has been damaging but who is another with enormous potential and who has the entire look of a born Everton player.

This is not the time to roll over. If Calvert-Lewin is fit, he should start – end of story. If he is fit and doesn't start, that's us waiving the white flag.

I wonder if Frank has ever heard of the Dogs of War? My starting 11 would be:-

Pickford,
Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko
Gordon, Gana, Godfrey, Onana, Gray
Calvert-Lewin.

I would put Godfrey on Haaland and tell him to stick to him like glue.

If they put in an honest shift and leave everything they have on the pitch, who knows what will happen? Frank needs to put his gameplan into action and demand a performance from this squad.

They are looking for leadership and now it's time for Frank to step up. Prove me and others wrong Frank. The support base is there now, just give us something to support.

Gordon and Iwobi need to show why they deserve a new contract and Maupey needs to show why we signed them.
It can be done.

Regardless of the result tomorrow, if those mentioned above can rise to the occasion, it's then up to us supporters to demand at least an 8/10 performance for the rest of the season.

That will earn us survival. Anything else I don't want to think about.

I got sucked into the booing but quickly realised we were the difference last season...

So, unless we want to be back where we were (no sleep and constant worry), we need to get behind the team... win, lose or draw.

I can't see another way out with this squad of players.

Forest and Wolves were the games to get behind the team. We needed 6 points from those and picked up just 1.

Can I please have some of whatever you're on, mate?

Obviously you got it from Danny O. You two just about have me believing again.

Here's a question: If we get a mauling by Man City, then lose to Brighton, and Lampard goes, who would take over short term and who would back them?

Now Ferguson has gone, I can't see Leighton Baines & Co being up to the task of saving us, even in the short term.

I've quoted Marshall Foch on here before, naturally, but here he is again:

"My centre is yielding. My right is retreating. Situation excellent. I am attacking."

Good advice, probably, for life; good advice, certainly, for footy. Force of will is what we need, right through our beloved Club.

I agree but, like last season, I feel things are slipping and can't see us getting out of it unless the crowd changes.

It was two easy goals for Brentford, while West Ham offered next to nothing. If nothing else, we have a pretty decent defence, much better than any of the teams around us.

A striker or two next month, coupled with our defence, and we will pull away from the bottom.

Okay, Brentford won there a few weeks back with 25% possession but they have finishers.

We keep signing players who cannot get into regular starting elevens and they play one or two good games here and then show why they were not starters. Townsend, Gray, Maupay, Iwobi... and what about Walcott.

Okay, Iwobi has improved this season but Gana is not what he was and Onana seems to be under a cloud also.

It will be a rearguard action tomorrow but, once they concede, the floodgates are likely to open. I hope I am wrong but there is nothing to suggest this team has any resilience.

I was just reading about how much money the Russian Oligarchs have lost since the sanctions started. Although Usmanov wasn't in the top four, it was saying that the likes of Abromovich have lost around 50% of their net wealth.

So, even though they are still seriously wealthy individuals, they will all be very, very worried, about their finances, and also aware that most things they do will currently be under a much larger spotlight.

Nothing wrong with buying players who aren't starters at their present clubs. Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry and Coutinho all fell into that category and did okay. Pienaar, Arteta, Howard, Neville and Saha likewise.

A few of Brentford's team are cast-offs too.

Let's face it, Gray and Townsend were tremendous signings given the price – and we'd have certainly have been relegated last season without them.

The price, age and career trajectory need to be taken into account but other (usually) richer clubs' reserves are often an excellent place to go shopping.

Dixie might have some competition. Especially if he bags about 4 or 5 tomorrow.

Trying to be "glass half-full" might be difficult but here's hoping we silence City and come away with a shock win. (Another one in Manchester next week too please!)

Things are much more positive when you've had a whisky.

Looking for a positive response and to play for the shirt, and to prove a point for themselves as a squad tomorrow, that they can play football and play well.

“What's Our Name?”

UTFTs!

No way are they a decent Championship team. Successive relegations on the cards.

Who is Jerry Yates?

Recently, various TWers have touted him as a viable answer to our goal-scoring problems with one or two even pondering whether he's akin to Jamie Vardy when he was at non-league Fleetwood Town years ago (Blackpool and Fleetwood are neighbouring towns).

Back then, Vardy had blistering pace and menace and a fabulous scoring ratio, but a dubious mode of off-field personal behaviour. That now fabulously wealthy cretin, Steve Walsh was allegedly in charge of recruiting at Leicester (and that was way wide of the truth to anyone but Moshiri and Kenwright who ruinously signed him on for us) and authorised Vardy's signing on but it took Vardy a season or so, under Nigel Pearson's direct daily control, to develop to first team contention.

Jerry Yates is a journeyman pro aged 26. Only since joining journeyman Blackpool has he knocked in just a few exciting goals, but nothing startling. He's Maupay-like in stature and has a lack of startling pace, vigour , and aggression.

I know it's boring to some but when the fuck will Evertonian Jerry Yates, and his like, fans forcefully object to the inept owner and boardroom who've reduced us to this?

Cheers for the info. I wondered cause when I typed his name in Google the predictive text filled out “Jerry Yates obituary” which didn't sound encouraging.

Just the other day one of the clickbait sites had a typo and an article billed as “Everton to gamble on 120 year striker.” So nothing should surprise me I suppose with Blue Bill running the show.

I thought he was Bill's old mate off Corrie, the window cleaner.

Oops – that was Eddie Yeats.

The only forward we currently have with a nous for goal is Gray and he is inconsistent over 90 minutes.

In midfield, Doucouré is the only one I would back to score any goals but his form has gone right off since his injury.

I don't know who is available but we need goalscorers in the Richy mould and neither or youth nor the current squad can oblige.

Sadly passed now, but if still alive could probably have done a job for us. :-)

I can see him up against Haaland, Jordan is as brave as they come and he will give the big fella the St Virgil treatment and that will put the shits up them. He loves the big games, he is more focused and will galvanise the the rest of the team to raise thier game.

The rest is up to Frank to make sure every player knows what his role is and anticipate where the ball is and where the open spaces are. It’s a simple game really, anyway, good luck and don't be afraid, Come On You Blues!

Too often these days, our incompetent negotiating panel seemingly goes in trying to convince the club receiving of our money to accept more than what they expected.

Trevor Steven, Peter Reid, that bin man from Llandudno. The reserve player who couldn't get a game for Liverpool. I won't name him. Tim Cahill.

Even that lot spotted that dislikable fullback playing for Hull having come through the Scottish league, who now has a Premier League title, Champions League and FA Cup amongst other medals to his name.

Anyway. It's matchday. To Rob @79 and all those travelling, best wishes. I'll focus on the team today. To those of us nervously pacing up and down, I'm with you. Regardless, let's get behind the team today.

We can do the politics tomorrow and Monday before Tuesday comes.

And then almost 10,000 will march to Old Trafford on Friday. If that can't inspire and get a reaction, I don't know what can. There should be no requirement for a team talk.

Heart attack for a moment. Thought you were predicting the final score. :-)

As long as they put up a fight and stop the backward passing when near the City area, I will be happy.

City have better players and a better coach, we can't match or outdo that but we can run harder, work harder and kick harder.

But... here's what our lads have that no City players has today. The chance to be a hero. No matter what any of the talented players have, anything they do today will be expected, then forgotten.

The chance to be a legend doesn't come many times for most players. It's waiting for one of our lads today.
Seize the day, Everton!!!

I can honestly say I have never heard of odds that big for a Premier League game. Shows what the odds-makers think of us.

I know our chances are slim, but a fiver gets you £140.

I'll have a pint less today and have a go...

This one is a free shot, nobody expects us to get anything out of this game.

Prediction futile and any attempt would be a complete guess. Sadly likely to lose on paper but you never know with Everton.

As ever, I always want to see a performance, a bit of cohesion and bravery. We cannot offer more yet but effort and "standing up" is always possible. Let's get to it!

I am watching Wolves and now find myself negatively wishing ill luck on all the lower-half teams, because the possibility of three worse teams than us is all that will save us.

Sorry to be so bleak, the whole house has flu.

But you never know.

As for today, I'm in Eddie's camp. I know football throws up the unexpected but surely not that unexpected. At this point, I'm reminded of John Cleese's famous quote from Clockwise:

“It's not the despair. I can stand the despair. It's the hope.”