Everton buoyed by Alcaraz's early return

It’s the much vaunted "rotation policy". One training session and you’re in!

Thanks

The ’big misses’ will be McCarthy and Naismith who although by no means everybody’s favourite seems to make us tick up front.

If ever Ross had the opportunity to celebrate his 21st in style this is it. A fine performance - and a goal - would be the ideal way to mark his ’coming of age. COYB !

Distin has been a great defender for us but can’t play midweek and weekend anymore, he looks shattered.

Alcaraz is a good player if the rest of the defence is performing ok. Our problems at the back stem from too many defenders performing below par (Distin, Baines and Coleman way below their best not to mention Howard)and far too many passes given away to the opposition in dangerous areas.

Having lived in Manchester for 15 years I would be struggling to recommend anywhere very close to the ground.

Your best bet is find a pub in town.Best place is the Northern Quarter where there are loads of decent pubs. Or my favourite place if you fancy a cracking pint is the Marble Arch on Rochdale Road, about a 20 minute brisk walk to the ground.

Steve

Another not match fit player who will have Aguero, Nasri (i hate that little twat) and the rest of Citehs pacy frontline running at him.

In the words of Private Fraser. "Were doooooomed, all dooooomed I tell ya."

I’ll just pretend this fixture never happened actually. In fact I may do that for the whole PL season.

A very average centre-half, give Ty Browning a go, at least he won’t get done for pace.

I stayed away on Wednesday night and I won't watch tomorrow night. Whats going on? Are we really that bad or is football slowly losing its appeal? I thought Martinez was going to be the one but, just like Moyes, he is turning in to a false prophet. Fucking Chrimbo ruined again by my football team, FFS.

Though Alcaraz has my sympathies if he's thrown into this mixer. If Saturday's match unfolds as many expect, he certainly cannot be held accountable for a poor showing considering his complete lack of playing time.

Deary me, I'm already making excuses for them – watched too many of Bobby's post-match interviews, I imagine...

I think though his family's future is secure enough by now. If League 1 players can pull in £20k pw then he must be doing alright.

What the Blue really need is Stones to be available ahead of schedule.

It's a long season, but the number of under-performing Everton players due to World Cup hangovers (Howard), injury (Barkley, Stones, Mirallas, Lukaku's toe, Coleman, McCarthy, Barry, Naismith, Oveido, Kone) have made a promising season a mediocre season at best.

Throw in the fact that Martinez is forced to play (or chooses to play) players like Tony Hibbert out of position and you have an 11th-place team.

I'm not blaming Martinez. His summer purchases of Lukaku, Eto'o and Besic were wise and I'm not one for buying 6-10 players over any summer transfer period (Spurs and Liverpool have proved once again how that's not a formula for success).

Chelsea, with a big squad, roll out virtually the same team every week and nobody plays out of position. At Everton, the squad changes almost every game with new injury concerns. I'm most concerned coming into the packed holiday period that Everton don't have enough impact players coming off the bench. I figure the only game Atsu will start will be the dead rubber Europa League game.

If Oviedo is fit drop Baines. Leave out Barry and play Osman and Besic in midfield. Drop Distin and put Hibbert in.

We need to be honest with ourselves, a point will be a miracle!

Barry not fit; Distin not fit... both should be left out.

Why not eject some realism into your article? For example, "Everton aim to keep inevitable defeat by City to a minimum of 6 goals..."

Are you seriously suggesting we would benefit going down to 10 men?

The anti-Distin stuff is getting ridiculous. The emphasis has changed since the start of the season – then it was anti-Jags.

The one defender I would have in against Man City is Distin. He’s big, strong, fast, good in the air and not to be messed with. Okay, he has made some mistakes but who in the current team hasn’t?

I actually think that we can come away with 3 points from this game. Our problems are nothing to with formations, subs, age, tactics... I feel it is more to do with the mental approach of focus and decision-making. The best teams are working with renowned sports psychologists. Time to step up on this one?

Oh well, at least we're buoyed by Kone's return on Thursday. I wish it could be Christmas every day.

Has RM become so desperate that he will pick half fit players. They weren't fit at the start of the season and they're not fit now.

I don't have a good feeling about tomorrow. I'm not enjoying Roberto's decisions at the moment – I feel he's getting it wrong a bit.

Still ... let's hope against hope against Citeh

COYB!

Hibbert.

Possession football will work if the midfield show and then take the ball forward, committing the opposition to come out; otherwise, they sit back, wait for the bad ball / mistake, then pounce. With no McCarthy and dare I say Naismith, there is little or no energy in the rest to receive the ball and take it forward.

Mirallas wants to run with it or run on to it (McGeady also), Osman plays tippy tappy with no pace, Eto'o wants the ball played into him, Barry and Besic are defensive cover. Pienaar is about the only one we have who looks for a ball and then turns and faces / runs at the opposition. Barkley is still learning the game and doesn't yet know where to go to receive the ball and then when to run at them; he's learning but not yet the finished article.

Jagielka and Distin look poor as a result and the two full backs cannot get forward. Too many times our midfield are standing still and not looking for space. Hazard, Oscar, Cazolla, Sanchez, Nasri, Villa, De Maria, Rooney are always on the move looking for space – our midfield want the back four to somehow create it for them – and they can't .