Leicester City vs Everton

Don’t know why but I’ll go with a 1.0 win anyway, DCL with it.

UTFT.

Sean Dyche, must be honest and assess, the last few games, and the sloppy passing, poor covering and marking, and lack of care when using the ball offensively and defensively. These aspects of Everton’s play, must be improved tonight.

A million, words and more have been written by Evertonians, and TWrs, the last few weeks, and now it’s time for this squad of players to show what playing for the Everton shirt means.

There’s no excuses, and they must give all for the 97 minutes, and play within belief and composure.

Who ever starts, tonight, defeat is not an option.

UTFTs!

He hasn't played Mina because he hasn't played a lot? Is that, "I did this because I haven't previously done that"?

"They are all good players, it's just a matter of finding the right combination". So any two from five (or is it six, Tarkowski, Coady, Mina, Keane, Godfrey + Holgate) but so far used only three, none with much success.

I must apply that logic the next time Maupay is brought on to save the day albeit there aren't that many who have played more games this season, perhaps not for us, than Simms.

I don't usually like the musical links but a line just entered my head as I typed; "Is there anybody going to listen to my story all about the team who came to play, AAhrr Dyche...".
Getting close to despair.

Actually John there is still hope if Everton get a point.That's how bad a side they are.

They really need to be up for this game.Fortunately they played on Thursday meaning less time a Finch Farm.They get more training playing games than at Finch Farm.

It’s all about concentrating on tonight, and if Dyche sets us up to gain a point, I will be much happier than watching us play open football, because this just exposes our very, very ordinary defenders, imo.

Play compact and tight, win our battles, frustrate Leicester, and then look to score from a set piece or a quick breakaway, and please don’t expose our fragile defence.

No amount of stirring speeches will save us now. It’s up to the manager and players to do their bit and save us from disaster.

Dyche has a choice. Target their weaknesses and go for them, or play to our strengths and try to contain them.

I suspect he'll do the latter. Not necessarily because it's a considered decision, but because it's what he's always done.

I don't imagine this game being much fun and we'll be lucky to get out of it with a point. Which might be enough if Forest and Leeds keep throwing up all over themselves as we hope they do.

3-5-2 please.
UTFT

Obviously 3 points is the preferred result but I’d probably take a point if offered one now. Leicester will be up for it on the bank holiday in front of a home crowd and have way more goals in them than we do. Bookies have them near evens for the win whereas we are 3-1. A point would be a better result for us than them and a defeat for either team would be disastrous.

I’m finding it hard to locate any crumbs of optimism but Leicester have been vulnerable to set pieces this year. If we sit back and look to counter and capitalise on set pieces maybe we could grind out a 1-0? We’re owed a performance after the last few showings.

There are just over 3,000 of us travelling tonight. Another sell out. Respect to all Evertonians. It's remarkable and I don't know another club in these circumstances that could do this. It shows the disconnect between board and supporters because we genuinely care.

Just like those watching from home and abroad.

We are showing up.

Make sure you do.

Ernie 10, wins are the currency, not draws.

For me 3 points is imperative tonight, a draw not good enough

I also think if, God forbid, we lose then we are gone

He’s scored against Leicester twice in two seasons though I believe, so adding him to Onana, Keane, Tarkowski, DCL and Doucoure should give us plenty of threat from set pieces.

On that subject, I was confused why Dyche was leaving Godfrey back when we had corners against Newcastle. Surely the advantage of a CB at RB is extra height and aerial threat? Just bizarre tactics.

Hope tonight we tell Gueye to just stick like glue to Maddison. An old fashioned man mark with that being his only task. Either that or sit him and Onana in front of back four and tell them to stay there ffs. If we leave lines between midfield and defence, they’ll kill us for it. Just like they did at goodison.

I agree with the comments that if we go two in midfield and play an expansive game Maddison ,Teilemans will take control. I don’t think we have much option to play to our squad’s strengths, 451, keep it tight, grab a goal from open play another from a set piece.

We have to face the unpalatable truth, we are the lowest scorers in the four divisions. If we win, it will be brought by a glorious, hard fought battle and a goal from somewhere, anywhere, a Gray worldie , a DCL toe poke, a CB header form a corner, nobody cares as long as it goes in.

Dyche will stick to his pragmatic principles, hard to beat with Doucoure getting forward supporting DCL . So I’m not expecting any surprises at all. Some of them are lucky to retain their place and need to up it, the time for excuses has now passed, it’s all or nothing.

Expect to see Dyche set us up ;

Pickford

Coleman Keane Tarkowski Mykolenko

Iwobi Doucoure Gana Onana McNeill

Calvert-Lewin

COYBLUES!

I had a big problem with keep it tight and nick one when we had a better squad with goalscorers. Not this one.

The initial improvement under Dyche was all about playing bigger, stronger players, keeping it tight, conceding less and hoping some players start scoring.

In the absence of Doucoure and Onana, that plan had to be replaced and Dyche has floundered like his predecessors.

We're not playing an in-form team tonight. Their back four is as shockingly vulnerable as ours. Shackle their midfield, break quickly, get crosses into DCL, get the big lads up for set pieces.

We've been given another chance. Time for the players to go out there knowing they can do what's needed.

Alan, I understand your apprehension and I am fuelled with nervous adrenaline several hours before even setting foot on the road.

I hope the players don't approach the match with that approach you mention in their heads.

I won't.

Not with this squad / team.

Anyone who has watched us recently can see it. Other teams can smell it and expose it easily.

Do not play 4-4-2.

I don’t know if the players and manager have the mentality for it, but I do know the fans will do their bit.

Please Everton, 3 points tonight.

If you look at the 11/03/23 when B'mouth beat the RS we were 15th and 2 points above the relegation zone 24 points and -18 GD.
Fast forward 6 games and B'mouth have taken 15 points and we have limped to 27 points and -25 GD. Just goes to show how half arsed we have been.

Can't believe I am using B'mouth as an example, sigh

Pickford
Patterson Mina Coady Godfrey
Onana Garner
Gray Iwobi McNeil
DCL

A win has us favourites to survive, a draw just about keeps us alive but a defeat is an absolute disaster.

How sad that it has come to this. I feel sick in my stomach and it's still 10 hours to kick off. Going to be a long day.

The team must fight and at the same time be careful. Something some teams don't need to worry about.

Dyche must also give them the right tools to do the job.

Strong midfield which means numbers, with Garner in there in my opinion, otherwise we will be chasing shadows.

Come on DCL lad start netting a few!

COYB!

"There's a nice competitive feel to the squad but we can get a lot better and we've got hard games coming up so we need to stay on it."

That idea didn't work out too well for Frank, we beat Palace at Goodison a few weeks later and then went on the run, that has led to where we are today.

Last season's tally of two away wins doesn't supply much confidence in an upturn in fortunes on the road, either, but those victories were at Leicester and Brighton, it would be amazing and very welcome if we could get a repeat of that in our next two games.

Three in central midfield has to be part of the plan and if Onana is one of them he should be instructed to keep his mind fully concentrated on the field and forget the crowd.

They shouldn’t have to be told, but the players should be anyway that they have to play for the whole game not talk, unless they are encouraging each other, pass to each other not the opposition, and look for spaces to receive those passes, no hiding tonight and when chances come, which they will, don’t panic have a bit of calm and nous about it and put in the net.

We can win and we will win this game should be the mantra of every player tonight, don’t worry about our fans there tonight they will be backing every move you make and kicking every ball and making every tackle with you.

Now get out there and get in with it and bring those three points back with you.

I'll be staggered if we win tonight, and staggered if we stay up. A team that cannot score goals will go down, and that's a fact. Looking at stats for recent games and ours are absolutely appalling.

Leicester have won 4 home games all season; 4-0, 2-0, 4-1 and 2-1 last time out against Wolves. Defensively they're worse than us, but have scored almost double the goals we have (44 to our 25).

I can see this being 0-0, or 1-0 to them, but I simply can't find a case for us winning away, or even winning a game again this season.

We won't be down if we lose tonight, but realistically losing tonight and we're finished in my view. We need to win 2, possibly even 3 games to stay up, and given that we've won 6 all season, and 5 of those 6 wins have come by 1 goal, it doesn't make for good reading.

Beating Palace 3-0 back in October is our only win by more than one goal. This is why we'll go down.

There has to be a change of mentality as well as our defence, I cannot see Godfrey, Keane or Tarkowski. Put in Seamus or Patterson, Mina and even Coady.. Keane is a liability, there has to be a different mindset.. we can do this, get behind the team.. believe...because everyone is writing us off..I'm now. Stand up and be counted. We are needed.

This is a tough, tough game tonight, with Vardy back as well, they have players all over the pitch that, if they click, can cause us some serious damage.

Not looking forward to this game one bit, no matter how positive I try to think.

We need our wing men to actually beat a man and put some crosses in, it’ll help us to try and win some set pieces at the same time.

I missed the first 50 minutes against Newcastle, but a friend told me that we should have scored a few goals in the first half? This gives me hope that we can create the chances, desperately need to start putting some away.

If Coleman isn’t fit I don’t want to see Holgate or Godfrey at right back, I’ll be spitting feathers if I see either of them there as both have been disastrous. Paterson can’t be worse than either of them.

Nervous as hell, trying to keep busy so that kick off comes sooner.

Of course we can win tonight, but it's going to take a huge amount of good fortune, rather than the good play of the team that would see us return home with all the points, that in itself is a sad indictment of this current squad, the last odds I saw was that Everton were 11-4 to win tonight, far from generous odds given our inability to score and a defence that gives away so many easy goals so often.

Tough night ahead me thinks

A loss tonight is just more of the same and hope will evaporate in my household despite survival theoretically being possible, but then so is alien life.

💙💙💙💪💪💪

I think tonight’s match may be about which team freezes least. Bearing that in mind the argument for bringing back Conor Coady to provide leadership on the field is strengthened especially if Seamus is unable to start.

They're equally as terrified of losing, and there's a fair amount of disdain for us as a club/supporters. Lots of them slating 'Spirit of the Blues' too.

It reads very much like this thread to be honest. They're all saying if they score first we'll crumble - and they're not wrong!

Leicester will pass to Maddison and then to Barnes, this will be on repeat, This is the danger. They have nothing else apart from long balls up to Vardy and Tielemans long range shooting. If we press Soumare he will make mistakes.

Leicester City – possible starting lineup:

Iversen; Castagne, Faes, Soyuncu, Kristiansen; Tielemans, Soumare, Maddison; Tete, Daka, Barnes

Everton – possible starting lineup:

Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Gueye, Onana, Doucoure, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin

If I was forced to bet on tonight's game, I don't think I would bet on us winning though, but who knows? We can only hope and you never know – we may get a pleasant surprise for a change.

If we were to lose, that's definitely not the end of it, anything can happen yet. Leeds and Forest have plenty of very difficult fixtures to come.

I think we need to go 3-5-2 as Mark suggested earlier, but I would go with Iwobi in the middle, we need him and Garner fizzing around Maddison.

If ever we needed to finally step up and turn up in a game. please have a great night everyone. I really hope Dyche does not sleepwalk us into the abyss.

Pickford
Coleman Tarkowski Mina Mykolenko
Patterson Gray Doucouré Gueye McNeil
Calvert-Lewin

I'd play Patterson in front of Coleman, who isn't bad at getting crosses into the box.

Then they find out they are the scapegoats from managers that were hired to fix things not use the squad as an excuse for one manager’s failure after another.

NOW, you players wear that kit with pride and play your hearts out for US!

Ok that’s an embellishment but it isn’t far off.

Their keyboard managers bricking it over set pieces, our aerial threat (an argument for Mina to start?) and conceding free kicks. They've got our right back weakness sussed and convinced the team that scores first will run out winners - and expecting Gray to score a worldy.

Apparently Dyche has never won at the King Power. Time to change that.

So there is where we did well bringing in Eto'o, James and Delph. You can blame individual players and insult their efforts but do take a good look at how their best-intended efforts may have been undermined.

But hey, they make so much more than us, none of that should matter, right?

They have talented players but far too much of it is wasted because of the lack of scoring players.

Teams like RS, Manure and City have the big money to lure the best strikers and that's why they are top teams.

RS have been piling in the goals again and hardly surprising when they have Jota, Nunez, Diaz, Salah not to mention Firminho along with Ghakpo. Who do we have DCL and Maupay (don't laugh).

Seriously though we have really struggled since Richarlison left and he wasn't that terrific when he went but that's when the apathy set in regarding re-enforcements by the board who have been totally inept at dealing with this problem hence this terrible predicament we are in.

With all the financing pouring in for the new stadium it's ironic the personnel on the field is so bereft of ideas and struggling to get goals.

I fear it will be more of the same today.

Now it’s my understanding that we employ a sports psychologist at Finch Farm & it’s something that’s been bugging me for some time. Because it’s quite apparent that there are, & have been for some time, fundamental psychological issues at play.

In a previous existence I had cause to study psychology, part of which included psychological profiling, and believe me our club is full of interesting case studies. But keeping to the point, there are 2 players in particular who’ve had there fair share of amateur analysis in these pages, DCL & Michael Keane.

I will focus on Keane in this instance, because he’s come back into focus of late, after initially being reintroduced reasonably successfully. However, this is not a direct comparison of Keane & Coady’s individual performances. Because neither would get into a world XI. But more their impact on the players around them.

I watched with interest, Coady’s impact on the performances of young Patterson in particular. The kid came on in leaps & bounds initially, under Coady’s tutelage. He was effectively being talked through games, being constantly encouraged, coaxed & praised.

This was also true with Coady’s effect on others, even Godfrey on the other flank. Coady, Tarkowski & Pickford, clearly became a unit. Hi-fiving each other after blocks, saves, etc. Pickford became less erratic and more assured. In fact this seemed to spread throughout the defence, & the team as a whole started to look more composed & assured.

Now fast forward to the reintroduction of Keane, and I wouldn’t argue that Coady’s individual performances had dropped off & warranted action. But the difference in young Patterson was immediate & stark, even before his injury. Because Keane is singularly focussed on holding his own game together & subsequently rarely interacts with his teammates. Consequently the “unit” mentality quickly disappeared. Ultimately being replaced by the blind panic defending that we’d become accustomed & bit-by-bit seeping into the rest of our play.

Now all our ill’s aren’t down to one man, (other than Mr Kenwright that is) that would be ludicrous to suggest. But what we have here is two very different personalities in a very key position. One is extremely positive, highly confident & talkative, (I’ve heard him referred to as the gobby scouser) which brings with it a positivity & confidence to the collective as a whole. Whereas the other is introspective, silent & with a fragile confidence, which brings with it negativity & nervousness to the collective.

I think the majority of us will recognise something similar from our own workplaces. The impact both positive & negative personalities can have on the workplace is profound & in a team environment it’s not always the individual performance of one member of the team that’s important, its what else they bring to the team & the impact they have on the performance of the team as a whole.

In summary, there’s not a whole lot to choose in the individual performances of Keane, Coady & Mina, as they’re all prone to “gaffs”, But both Coady & Mina bring a positivity to the collective, which is what we need right now, and because of his constant talking & encouragement of others, (particularly if Seamus fails his fitness test & young Patterson is thrown into the fray) my vote goes to Coady. But whoever it is, we need to get behind them 100% 👍COYB 💙

They have been hammered and told their not up to it on a weekly basis which doesnt engender confidence.

I've no doubt that they will give their best tonight but we are 3/1 underdogs, who scores first is going to be massive.

Even a draw wouldnt be the end of the world.

That allows them to get 3 pacey, lively forwards (from Barnes, Tete, Iheanacho, Daka and Vardy) on the pitch ahead of Maddison and Tielemans who are both obviously high quality players.

In fact the Leicester First XI generally looks good quality and well balanced. Let's be honest, they are better than us player for player by some margin.

It's also curious that their goal difference (-13) is much better than the other genuine relegation candidates by more than 10 goals which suggests they aren't terrible defensively either.

It seems like for them things just aren't coming together as a team this season. A lot of that is down to Rodgers getting in a bad mood and dragging the team down with it (I suspect he felt he should have been handed either the Man Utd or Chelsea jobs).

Quite what any of this means for our tactics, personnel and formation I'm not sure. Under Dyche, we've looked best when we get the ball forward early with the likes of Gray and Doucoure getting into the box in support.

Let's hope we see plenty of that again tonight as it should pay dividends.

Mina is the best CB at the club with a touch of class on the rare occasions he is fully fit, but is rusty and could well get caught cold because of it. Like you though, I'd twist and go for Coady for his mental strength which will be needed, I still think it's a marginal decsion.

But seriously how has it been allowed to happen that we have 3 players from the same relegated team only last season, and their bloody manager!

Win or Lose the club heads of in two very different directions.

Crossing everything for the win I'm so fucking nervous/anxious.

Just play and give me a result before I head to Brighton.

Pickford,

Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski. Mykolenko

Gana, Garner

Gray, Doucoure, McNeill

DCL.

If fit, Coleman for Patterson. If I see Godfrey and / or Keane on the teamsheet I give up, I really do.

Leicester could only draw with Leeds, so please Everton, show off your gonads and have a go.

As a side topic what is your view on the fact that Doucoure received a three game ban for stroking the face of Kane, while a Liverpool player got away with a kick to the head of a Tottenham defender, receiving a yellow card and no ban.

I've been told that retired referee Halsey is quoted as saying that when he was in charge of games he was told, "If you're not sure of a decision, err in the direction of the 'Big Club', that's where the money is." As Jimmy Greaves is credited with saying, it appears that it is indeed a "Funny Old Game"

It's always good to read posters pointing out why we are in with a chance of a win. But then the match starts.

"Mina is out of contract in a few weeks and given he is injury prone, can I suggest he may not be showing much in training to persuade Dyche to pick him. And maybe Dyche himself doubts whether he would really risk himself physically in such a scenario."

The same thing may apply to Coady and Davies.

You are pouring petrol on the flames.

He pats a player on the face. Silly but hardly a cardinal sin.

That lot can seemingly do what they want and get away with it. Klopp last night with the fourth official.

Good to see you at the last one in the Harlech. See you at the next one.

Give Josh my number and I'll get him a half time drink.

0796 600 7546

There's no way in hell Dyche is going with 3/5 at the back, so why not try Mina and Keane together for the last few games? Mina surely wants to be in the window and, apart from injuries, has been the best defender consistently when played.

I do take the point about Patterson being better with Coady there though too. Given we are conceding like a sieve, perhaps even Mina and Coady in a two.

These Leicester players will be up for this at home but, just like Everton at home, they will be nervous as fuck. We have to start fast and shut the crowd up – it's payback time.

If Gray is fit, he has to come back in and I would play Simms up front with Calvert-Lewin and start launching balls in there.

No matter who is on the pitch, every one of them has to play like their lives depend on it within the laws of the game, the players must do the talking on the pitch and realise the enormity of tonight's game. How many chances do they want!

Tonight, when the final whistle blows, Evertonians everywhere will be full of despair or hope – everything crossed it is the latter.

I believe we can win if go for it.

UTFT - COYB.

I would like to see us beef up the midfield and force as many free kicks and corners as we can.

Hopefully Coleman is fit but, if I see Godfrey or Maupay anywhere near this team, I will give up on Dyche.

Let's hope whoever plays has belief and determination as no game has ever carried more significance in recent times.

I don't think a draw is a disaster tonight. This is huge for Leicester too, so for me,not losing is the minimum requirement.

I hope Calvert-Lewin finds the net and gets a confidence boost. My other hope is that we keep a cool head and don't press the panic button too early.

Tarkowski always has a mistake in him but I think he gets away with it as he's gobby and usually starts shouting at other players.

Mason standing there chewing gum, or Keane looking like he's going to cry, Williams with his head under his shirt etc seem to draw more ire than the angry ex Burnley man.

It’s got to be a sign, we’re going to win 2-1 and Calvert-Lewin is going to score.

We have to stay tight the first 30 minutes, hope we can snatch one then hold on for grim life.

1 2 I might buy...2 1 not so much

Be there.

Spirit. Forever.

Fuck the board. This is about us.