Everton vs Manchester United

Alcaraz has slotted in well with and understanding with Beto, and the midfield are playing some nice slide-rule passes. Let's keep the run going and get even stronger when the injury list clears up.

But this time I'm feeling slightly more optimistic.

Can't wait to see Beto's stomping celebration. Bring it on!

I've enjoyed listening to them whimper through their miserable season, and to actually be above them in the table is pure joy. Let's stretch the lead to four points.

In particular, it'll be agony for the punk wearing the old Roy Keane shirt who deliberately cracked my ankle at a kickaround in 2004.

It's nice to be looking forward and excited for Everton matches to be honest. The last 4-5 years have just been 7 days of dread between games. It's nice to be buzzing for the match.

Starting to get to the bare bones now but anything is possible with these players and manager, I honestly thought after the effort in the derby, was not expecting 3 points at Palace, but the players fought hard and you could see we were not as fluent, but that was to be expected.

After a week's rest, the players should be once again up for it and I would not rule anything out with the way we are playing.

I think we have done what needed to be done these last few weeks, soldier on until we can get more bodies back in the squad, any more casualties and we might need to put 3 goalies on the bench.

Anyway, let's give it a good go Saturday and see what happens.

Up the Toffees.

Hoping as always for a win, and Alcaraz keeping his well deserved place. Still have to be cautious of a wounded tiger in Man Utd.

I think with the first test event done, it will really start to hit home how few games are left at the Old Lady. I can recall some cracking games against Utd down the years, let's hope for another fitting send-off and a win.

As a lot of people have pointed out if we play the team not the United badge, then we can beat these.

Hope the blue faithfuls are in full voice, rocking the old lady to its core.

The big marker will perhaps be Moyes' decision on Alcaraz or Doucoure at 10. The cautious/pragmatic decision is probably to bring back a rested Doucoure whose running will help us in a match where we'll have less of the ball. Whereas the more confident pick would be Alcaraz whose ability on the ball and future potential is greater than ‘The Duke'. Tough call and it's also possible he plays both with Harrison dropping and Alcaraz moving to the left.

One thing we've not seen in our recent 4 wins and a draw is this team conceding first. But it did seem heads went down for a while when Liverpool scored their second. That fragility/lack of confidence has been a feature of ours for a while, will be interesting to see if Moyes can move us past that.

No-one was more shocked than me when he scored against Leicester. but he'll think he's done enough there, and to take it easy now !

90th minute sub when we are winning hopefully !

Moyes needs to be defensively orientated with a effective high press.Dyche's inverted wingers and low block were taken apart by the gaps left because of a fear of inadequate pace in Everton's defence.

Moyes has increased pace in the defence and has some type of attack were goal scorers can get support.

This is another test for Moyes against a team he has had a poor record in the past.

His points per match record is 0.72.

Hopefully this will be different, and I see no reason to bring back Duke as Alcaraz looks far superior. And Harrison looks much better than he did under Dyche. That isn't saying much, like.

Feed Charly raw meat and remind him that Casemiro is Brazilian!

UTFT

They are a joke. The most sought after manager in Europe has been turned into a snivelling wreck within a few months there. Ratcliffe looks more like a penny pinching British Monty Burns with every passing day! Harry McGuire's return to form is their only boast from the last 8 weeks.

Needless to say I am enjoying this, both our resurgence and their demise. In case you hadn't picked up on the undertone of my post, I hate Utd almost as much as I do the redshite.

I think Beto will notch again and Alcaraz is going to have a great game, a rare goal from a resurgent Harrison (set up by Charlie) to seal a 2-0 win. COYB.

Now we have to beat United and get above them to further increase the confidence this still threadbare squad is building.

I’d have Carlos and Doucoure in the starting line up ahead of Lindstrom or Harrison as Sam(13) suggests ——any improvement in those two is limited imo, but the manager picks the team so he’s the one who decides who plays.

The last game against United just proceeded as I had overall thought it would.They played a set up shop defence AT HOME and Everton looked ok, but basically huffed and puffed, only to get caught out.

I prefer Charly and Lindstrom to Doucoure.They are more play makers and can pass the ball.Something I yearned for under Dyche.As for Harrison I agree, but he is the type of player that Moyes could get a tune out off.

I just discovered your post on the Slot thread and replied to it.

You and I are not always on the same page, which is just fine. Welcome back.

But I can't help but think that the last few games have really woken up the team and support. Goodison should be incredible for this visit. The players' morale should be higher than for ages, while you'd imagine that Utd's players will be as low as they can get.

I'll predict a spiteful 1-0 win. A proper 90s kind of day. Bear pit, compete for everything, Gwladys Street limbs when the winning goal hits the net.

How good would it be to not only have opened up a big gap on the relegation fight, but to also move to to 12th and put a decent wedge between ourselves and the Uniteds of Manchester and West Ham.

I hope you’re still going to have the power to put people right (in your own opinion) Michael, because although it’s not everyone’s preferred way of debating, your absence showed me that you’re input in this manner, helps keep the site more normal and natural imo, mate.

I would also play Doucoure, and although I might not be right, this is definitely the position I’d be playing him (on the right) if I was the Everton manager.

I love width, and also believe that this is where a team needs craft in the modern game but, if you can’t have craft (who offers craft out wide besides N’Diaye) then you need hard bloody running (again imo) and this is the only thing that Doucoure excels at.

Lindstrom is slowly improving but he doesn’t work the fullback hard enough, and this is why I’d start with Harrison and Doucoure out wide, in this game of such varied opinion.

I’d build a team around hard runners, because hard running is the only way you can really be aggressive in this modern game, and sprinkle it with a few players, who can also give you a little bit more on the ball.

We haven’t got enough of these types yet, so start with the hard running, and let their enthusiasm feed off the Goodison crowd!

And, Michael, your usual first class preview, long may it continue.

And despite April's fixtures looking challenging on paper, there's no reason we won't pick up more points. Football always serves up the unpredictable.

We won't win them all, but if we keep the momentum going, we can feasibly finish with over 40 points.

Let's just NIKE - Just do it!
2 - 0 to Everton.

Surely Alkaraz, will keep his place? so the only position that I think Doucoure merits a start right now (highly debatable!) is running hard up and down the right side of our midfield.

Then at 4 nil down he put O,Brien and Patterson on, to face the boos at the end, pure shithouse from the Manager, yet the following game when we played Wolves and 4 nil up, neither O,Brien Beto or Patterson got any any minutes from the bench.

We have a better manager and set up play now, that 4 nil defeat was all down to awful set up play and errors at the back.

This Everton team is a lot better now, while even if a wounded tiger, this is nowhere near the Utd teams we have played in the past, forgive me for feeling a little confident for once against these, but if we play like we have,I just do not see any other result than an Everton win.

Just stick Sheedy, Gray and Bracewell on the bench :-)

What a difference, not only to Dyche's pressers but his own from first time around.

Much more upbeat, much more relaxed, and much, much better in handling the questions and the press in general.

Some good news in that Chermiti's back on the grass (his words not mine) as is Patterson.

Also it looks like Ili's injury isn't as bad as first feared and he's expected back sooner than first expected.

Especially the glorious goal that was ruled out against Newcastle, more than warranted an automatic starting place for the following game
but that was never the case.

Yet, the narrative for continuing with Young was.. according to Dyche, «  if your playing well, you should keep your place. That was always the case when I was playing « .
I don’t miss the Porkies!

COYFBB!

Memorable matches against United? The 5 - 0 has been taken. I'm sure quite a few would go for the semi-Final penalty shoot out at Wembley. The amazing comeback from 3-1 down to equalise injury time. So, I'll go for a random one. I can't remember the year, some time in the late 80s but we won 3-2 at Goodison after being 3-0 up. I remember it as I'd been in Widnes for reasons I can't remember, I might have been seeing someone at the time. When I got on the train at Widnes station, I ended up sitting next to three United supporters.

They were okay. How times change. They were not in the slightest bit confident of their chances and told me they go into every season not expecting to win the league. Their last one had been 1967.

They're not looking great right now, and there is a lot going on in the background, but they still have good players.

On paper we should win based on both team's respective form but of course every losing team eventually wins and vice versa so who knows. With a thin squad it is going to be hard for us to maintain our recent run but it is nice to have games that are not do or die.

Brian @47,

I caught the press conference. He's definitely a lot calmer and more relaxed. I liked how he was talking about the mood and the atmosphere amongst the players and the club.

He even had time for a joke at the end when asked about rebuilding in the summer, alluding to players being out of contract and not just at Everton. When quizzed if they would be the types he would go for and who, he came back by saying, well, there are a couple not too far from here!!!

Yes, dour Davey cracking a smile and getting few laughs from the journalists.

Wages make it absolutely unrealistic, but just imagine Salah walking out at Bramley Moore as an Everton player.

If we thought there was meltdown after the derby, I think the dark side would self combust!!

Tony #40, Doucs can often be found on the right touchline anyway, so your idea may not be as outlandish as it seems. But I have zero doubt he will be in the starting 11 (sorry, DK!), because he always is. Whatever he brings is highly valued by every manager he plays for.

It's very much worth noting that last weekend's win at Palace finally snapped the string on my favorite statistical oddity. It's the first time in three years -- since February 12, 2022 -- that Everton won a PL game without Doucoure on the pitch.

Tony Abraham - not for me to argue tactical points you have made as you have shown great perception over the years - but moving the Duke out wide gives us what Harrison gave us when he played there - lots of energy but no guile in an attacking sense. I would keep the team that started the CP game, if nothing else but to give them a bit of continuity confidence.

Doucourie did have a brief stint out wide for Watord, including against us. He will definitely offer cover for our full back, be a more effective competing for the long diagonals and has the power to get beyond the full back for anything played in behind. He is never in this world a winger, but Moyes has a habbit of getting more than one job out of a player. The alternatives are limited.

Good to see you back MK. I don't know how much access you have at the moment, but if you could manage to update the current TW league table. It would be very much appreciated

United have more technical ability and pace and before they lost their confidence could score a few even when playing badly so this is not the easy test some are expecting.

However given they are under pressure and we are on the ups I am hoping for a solid 3 points here.

As regards the Doucs v Alcaraz debate I thought Charly didn't look as fit as he needs to be so I suspect Doucs will get the nod and Charly will come on as sub in the second half.

Lets hope we feed Beto on the floor as Maguire is quite good in the air and He can slot a couple home.

I also see Harrison has been banging them in in training and he is long overdue for a goal.

As regards the other lot we need to keep Fernandes (The Suarez lookalike and act alike) quiet as well as making sure Garnacho doesn't get a run on our defense.

Lindstrom has started to look better in patches but I have still to see a fullback have a really hard game against him, especially physically?

Any spares going please let me know on 07809 510888. Thanks!