Match Preview
The Everton bandwagon just keeps rolling on. The doubts
that crept in after the bore draw at Blackburn were more or less
dispelled by another three points against Manchester City on Boxing
Day that kept their neighbours United at arms length for another
week and preserved the Blues' proud third place position.
Next up are Charlton Athletic, a team who spent millions in the
summer in the expectation that they would be occupying the kind of
position Everton currently enjoy. Alan Curbishley's team had
trouble gelling earlier in the season but there have been signs in
recent weeks that they had begun to get their act together with
three wins and a draw in their last four outings.
David Moyes's side are going to need all the resilience they have
shown away from home so far this season as they face tricky
back-to-back matches in London. Furthermore, four of their
next five matches are away from Goodison and the Blues will play at
home just once between now and when these two sides meet again on
Merseyside on 22 January 2005.
The problems associated with having a small squad are just
starting to appear for Moyes at a time when he will be thinking
about adding to his team in the January transfer window. Leon
Osman missed the win over City with a knee injury and will be rated
as doubtful for this one as well.
Thomas Gravesen took a knock on Boxing Day but was removed from
the fray more to protect his disciplinary record than through any
health concerns. He is, however, rated as a doubt along with
Marcus Bent, who suffered from that nasty-looking stamp on the ankle
by Christian Negouai. Although perhaps harsh in the context of
the typical Gerrard-esque two-footed lunge that only seems to earn a
yellow and a scowl from the referee, a red card was the right
message to send on Saturday for a foul that could so easily have
resulted in much more serious damage to our leading scorer!
Assuming those clear up quickly, Moyes may well name an unchanged
team at The Valley as the Blues aim to extend their current run of
seven games without defeat. They have enjoyed success here in
the past with two wins in the Premiership and will be hoping to halt
the Addicks' recent revival in its tracks while hoping that Chelsea,
Arsenal and United all slip up away from home...
Lyndon Lloyd
Matchday Stats
This will be the 48th meeting
between Everton and Charlton Athletic in all competitions, and the
24th at Charlton. This match will be the 11th meeting in the
Premier League and the 6th at The Valley.
Everton's full record against
Charlton Athletic is:
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Premier
League |
10 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
15 |
12 |
Division
One |
30 |
11 |
7 |
12 |
43 |
49 |
Division
Two |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
1 |
FA
Cup |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
4 |
League
Cup |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Full
Members Cup |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
TOTALS: |
47 |
21 |
10 |
16 |
83 |
68 |
Our record away to Charlton is:
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Premier
League |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
Division
One |
15 |
5 |
1 |
9 |
17 |
30 |
Divison
Two |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
FA
Cup |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
TOTALS: |
23 |
9 |
3 |
11 |
35 |
40 |
The last match between the sides
was on 17 January this year when Charlton won 1-0 at Goodison Park.
The last match between the sides at The Valley was earlier that
season, on 26 August when goals from Wayne Rooney and Steve Watson
secured a 2-2 draw.
The only Everton hat-trick against
Charlton was by Bill Dean on 7 February 1931, when Everton won 7-0
at The Valley in only the second meeting between the sides.
The most common victory for
Everton is 2-1 which has happened 7 times in Everton's 21 victories.
Charltons most common victory is 1-0, which has happened 4 times
in their 16 victories. The most common draw between the teams is
2-2, which has occurred 5 times in the 10 draws between the sides.
Everton's record for 28 December
is:
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Premier
League |
7 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
13 |
Division
One |
18 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
34 |
36 |
Division
Two |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TOTALS: |
26 |
10 |
7 |
9 |
42 |
49 |
This is the first time the sides
have met on this day. The last match on this day was in 2003
when a Wayne Rooney goal secured a vital 1-0 victory over Birmingham
City at Goodison Park.
Jason Danskin was born on this day
in 1967 in Winsford. After signing professional forms in July
1985, Jason made just 1 appearance for Everton against Luton Town in
May 1985, two months before turning professional. In March
1987, Jason was sold to Mansfield Town.
Milestones
that can be reached in this game:
- If Kevin
Kilbane plays in the match, this will be his 50th appearance for
Everton in the league
Steve Flanagan

Report
Poor game between two ordinary teams. Charlton were very, very
average today but then so were we. The first half was
dismal. It had 0-0 written all over it for most of the match.
4-5-1 v 4-5-1 led to both midfields cancelling each other out.
For Everton, Gravesen (again) looked the only one capable of
creating anything. Bent worked hard before he went off and
until the first goal I thought the back four looked pretty solid.
Cahill was wasted on the wing. He can't beat people and
he's most effective arriving late in the box, but take away his
goals and you don't get much else from him. Yobo didn't do
much wrong, but then again he didn't do much at all. With Yobo
in midfield, the balance looked all wrong and we were devoid of
ideas, save for punting it in Bent's general direction and hoping
he'd beat the defender to it (which, to his huge credit, he often
did).
We gradually improved second half though and looked the more
likely side to go on and win it. However, it was a huge
mistake to bring Ferguson on. To get the best out of Ferguson,
you need wingers getting crosses in and we just didn't have anything
down the flanks today.
It all fell apart when Bent was taken off, having run himself
into the ground. Until he arrived at least Bent was a willing
runner, but once he'd gone our outlet up front disappeared. We
badly missed his movement up front and it was a clear warning of
what will happen if we don't get an adequate replacement in January.
The goals that followed were very poor. The first was reminiscent
of Fowler's on Boxing Day in that we cleared the first ball from a
corner but failed to deal with the follow up and El Karkouri nodded
in from close range.
Ferguson then elbowed Hreidarsson and off he went, caught banged
to rights; his sending off was unforgivable. We'd just
conceded, but there was still time to get back into the game until
his moment of stupidity. Back to goal, man behind him, but
under no real pressure and Ferguson decides to elbow the defender in
the face, in full view of the ref. Straight red and no
complaints from anyone. Cheers Duncan.
For those people who think he should be given a one-year
contract, forget it. 1-0 down, chasing the game and our only
striker decides to get himself sent off. Well done, Dunc.
He's not worth it, he's a liability and he let the team down badly
today. A nice three game breather now awaits for him,
when he can count the 70,000 he'll earn in that time at his
leisure.
The second goal came when Dickie Wright, who had made two
excellent saves since coming on for Martyn just before half time,
came for and missed a corner and Hreidarsson bundled it in at the
back post. Ho hum.
Man of the match by some distance was Bent whose work rate was
phenomenal. A honourable mention too for Hibbert who, having
been skinned by Jerome Thomas early on, came back well and produced
another excellent display. He is one of the best tacklers
around at the moment.
Disappointing day but if nothing else, it showed that we can't
expect to keep on progressing on such limited resources.
Jamie Andrews

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