Manchester United vs Everton

But fatigue?

I've been up since 5:30am, will work until this afternoon before catching a flight to Manchester and get home as early as I can tomorrow morning.

Fatigue?

I'm probably being too simplistic, but that touched a nerve.

No other club would be so reliant on a striker that can't play games of football anymore, and I sympathize with his injury, I really do, but we just bury our heads in the sand at this club, don't we?

They don't know the meaning of hard work.

Last season I played in the UK was 1973-74 as a semi pro, I played 60 games and worked as a plumber, never mind training as well. I then came to Australia and trained and played in 40 degree heat… ‘fatigue’ — what is that???

Ponces!

Whilst I would never, in a million years, under any circumstances want us to lose a game… I fear we'll sneak through tonight, then on another utterly false wave of unfounded optimism get beat by both Southampton and West Ham to leave us dead bottom as the window closes and too far adrift to get back out.

The predicted line-up is depressingly obvious. The fatigue excuses Danny highlights are too depressingly familiar and indicative of our club's approach.

Any self-respecting manager would drop nearly every single player from the last game, and not fuck over the 21-year-old kid we just took out of a team he was flying in.

Pointless suggestion with this Meat and Two veg muppet manager, but IF it were me:

Begovic
Holgate Mina Tarkowski Godfrey
Price Onana Doucoure
Mills Simms Gray

"Depressingly obvious”. Absolutely. On current form and given that Man Utd"s players are better than ours all over the pitch, they should win.

It is no disgrace to lose to the better team provided that your performance has been the best you can possibly give. So 5 at the back yes. Coleman obviously not least for his commitment and leadership. Mina for his " nastiness" too perhaps.

But in front of them? Leave out most of the usual suspects. They don't deserve to play. Price was one of the first subs on Tuesday so start him. Get Onana playing where he is most effective. Only Gray deserves to remain.

If Calvert-Lewin is not starting, then it must be Simms or Cannon but don't leave them isolated. If we are going to lose, then do so battling to the end. Give us something to cheer and get behind.

Who knows? From the edge of the precipice may just emerge some unexpected seeds of hope.

I absolutely hate playing a team who are on a losing run, like Southampton are, because we all know what will happen! Just like when we come up against a striker who is waiting for his first goal of the season at a new club.

It's as though we bend over backwards to accommodate them, we just can't help ourselves.

Anyway, onto tonight and it's obviously got to be 5 at the back and play for a counter or set-piece. Come on Blues!!

Everton is a disease

Lee, 100% agree.

With players out injured, it is time to blood some more youngsters as they cannot possibly do any worse than what we have seen this season.

We are getting more and more ''sick note'' players.
Patterson again, Calvert-Lewin and Mina after finally getting Godfrey back. What a mess!

Nothing up front to trouble any team, let alone Man Utd.

Anything down the transfer pipeline? (I guess not...)

'Fatigue' – my backside. In the two games, he made a total of 12 passes and 4 clearances... he has an average on target shooting accuracy of 22%, no assists, no crosses and one tackle.

Obviously not up to speed, only played 70 minutes and 83 minutes respectively. More than that, he is obviously missing a pair as well... he has just had a 6 week lay-off to get fit.

Drop him Frank.

Tonight's inevitable defeat will have no bearing on Lampard's future. It's not a game the hierarchy would expect us to win. I doubt there's any games left anyone expects us to win.

Defeat against Southampton may be the final straw. A win or a draw might string out the inevitable a bit longer. The so-called Board is clueless and the owner is in the wind.

We were at the match, and I said to my husband "They most probably won't have to wash his kit, because I don't think he even broke into a sweat."

I usually think you are a bit harsh concerning Calvert-Lewin but not this time. To be doubtful due to fatigue after 2 hours of action is pathetic and hopefully that didn't come from the player himself.

Whilst the outcome tonight doesn't really matter given our Premier League placing, it is vitally important to restore a bit of respect. I was given a very nice EFC hoodie at Christmas by my daughter which I have not yet worn as I am embarrassed to be seen out in it!

We need to pick a team which will fight like hell rather than give up at the first sign of trouble, like we did against Brighton. Leaving Godfrey out was a bad decision but Frank is entitled to feel very let down by his players, who were just pitiful and an embarrassment to themselves, the club and its marvellous supporters.

Throwing a load of youngsters in tonight would be reckless albeit so tempting but Price and Simms have to be worth a start – Price to see if he is up to it and Simms to see if he can be a goal threat at this level.

Gana has been disappointing and reminds me of his failings first time around. Coady has dropped off a bit lately and Coleman's return may add a bit of stability.

Pickford
Coleman Godfrey Mina Tarkowski Mykolenko
Price Onana Iwobi
Simms Gray

Oh, and after seeing the highlights, it looks like Chelsea will be looking for a keeper.

The real and present danger to our Premier League status demands action now from Mr Moshiri, to give the new manager some time. He'll need it to initially get the players organised, then get two or three players in to fit his system.

Match fitness and general fitness, though linked, are not the same thing. Players need to have a run of games to build up their sharpness of both mind and body for the game.

For this reason, I would start with Calvert-Lewin and, if he is still blowing at half-time bring on Simms. If Maupay is the answer, then somebody is asking the wrong question.

You have to give managers a chance, but you can't carry on with the run of results we have had lately. Lampard has been here a year now and had a decent number of games to prove himself so can't complain too much if he does get the chop.

I'm at Heathrow waiting for my flight to Manchester.

Switching my focus to the team and the travelling blue army.

Michael (29) - I’ll admit that I had to google him, but will keep an eye out for the Chesterfield result.

Danny - completely agree regarding the fatigue, but tbh I expect DCL to start tonight. Safe travels to you and all Blues heading to Old Trafford.

Does anyone know what our allocation is tonight? Must be 10k plus surely??

The only thing I see as being meaningless is the new stadium in the championship.

Begovic
Coleman
Tark
Godfrey
Coady
Myko
Iwobi
Price
Onana
Maupay
Simms

Hoping against hope that we pull off a surprise but not expecting same.

I think it could have been closer to 15,000 if allocated.

God forbid we achieve a level of competitiveness and success again.

Send me home happy blues as the family are increasingly shaking their heads in despair at me.

Thanks to Brian Murrary and Tony for keeping me sane with their chats.

Here we go as the saying goes

By the way I hope we win tonight for those marvellous fans making that journey, 9,000 plus, amazing! How many other clubs would take that many after the pathetic, putrid performances we have witnessed recently and for most of this season.

Frank by any measure has failed miserably and my only rationale in keeping him is he is a nice guy and relates to the supporters and on that basis I would think about making him coach and bringing in a Joe Royle type general manager to guide him but then I think why flog a horse thats been dead since he came with some ridiculous team selections and very naive tactics So I guess we wait until the weekend and see whether Moshiri flies in or not.

If he plays Maupay today, he deserves the sack for that alone.

I reckon if we turn up tonight we can keep the score below 5 at least

The players can go into the game relaxed and you just never know in a cup game, the extra allocation for the away fans can make a huge difference tonight.

Now in regards to Calvert-Lewin, the way I see it is he is nowhere near fit, but with the transfer window open, playing him and recalling Simms looks like we are better off, in the forward department, seems like we are trying to get loans in, but my own personal opinion, if the transfer window was not open, I feel we would be giving Calvert-Lewin a bit longer to get up to speed, seems like desperation to me.

Anyway fingers crossed for tonight, I am feeling a little bit more confident, than I would be if it was a league game, where utd would be playing their strongest 11.

Give me a shout if you're at West Ham.

This formation has never worked for us and is a ridiculous formation.

We rode our luck at City using this system, that's all.

Do you not remember '95 when we were much deeper in relegation trouble in the last season (ever?) where 4 teams were being relegated? Joe Royle said that he always believed the Cups could be used to build confidence and momentum, which would galvanise the League campaign.

Jesus Christ, I'd certainly take that. A win tonight and we go into the Southampton game with an incredible atmosphere at Goodison...just like we did against Newcastle a few days after we'd beaten Spurs in the semi-final in '95.

And we won 2-0 with Amokachi scoring both, for those of you who are too young to remember.

Funny thing about that Bori game was we’d shown sporadic bursts of form beforehand and there was reason to think we could grind out a result. I don’t have that sense this time

I know we got an unlikely draw at City but this is a cup game so defending is pointless. We have to try to win and of course we just don't do that.

I hope I am wrong of course but being hopelessly optimistic for the sake of it seems futile. A heavy defeat seems a likely outcome tonight.

I also cannot see us avoiding relegation. We probably need 8 wins from 20 games. 7 of those games are against the Sky 6. Of the remaining 13 games several are away from home and we haven't won many of those for years, apart from with Carlo! No chance of 8 wins however much I hope and cross my fingers.

Sorry to the super optimists but thats how it looks to me.

Let's show some bottle and try and make our own luck.

What was it HK said at halftime before Inchy famously pounced?

'Listen to them out there, do it for them'.

I know this is a unlikely scenario but a great performance and a win tonight could be an unexpected turning point for Frank Lampard. Mr Moshiri would be much more minded to let him take on Southampton, which if we win tonight would be very winnable too. Then we get some momentum going.

I too hope a couple of the younger lads are given a start, it’s an opportunity for them to stake a claim and prove they can do it on the big stage.

COYBLUES!

Like him or not, we're definitely going to need him. He's probably the only chance we've got of staying up

Update. Now read elsewhere on the site that he might have been recalled with a view to selling him.

Your victory for Everton tonight scenario leading to a result against Southampton and producing a momentum that will lead us to climb the table is optimistic in the extreme.

However your hope that a couple of the younger lads are given a start tonight is even more delusional!

We're going to get battered. (Last time I posted that, we drew with City)

UTFT.

He will wear an original Dixie style True Blue shirt.
Pantomime Dame Lace frilled Knickerbockers.
Blue camel hair stocking sox n suspenders.

With two copies of the pink echo as shinnee's.

His boyz pen 2 men ticket stub collection stapled to his wrists so he can sweat his "blue blood"* (spoiler alert - its actually red, like the club he has made us a laughing stock at).

The script is written ladies and gentleman.
Let the story unfold .
(Like our top flight residency)

They finally had him doing well and then let Richarlison go.

With no replacement for him and then with Townsend a long term absentee they turned to Gordon who shone for one or two games but has gone backward and Maupay (who was never forward to go backward) the season has become a disaster so far.
Gray and Gana are inconsistent and along with the out of favor Doucoure
and the reckless Onana the support from midfield has been woeful.

Only Iwobe has shown any real form but even he of late looks out of sorts.

They don't appear to have been doing any homework for new players prior to Jan. 1st. so I don't expect any new blood coming in that can make an impact for this club at this time.

The board are a disgrace to this once fine club.