The same old, same old that has us competing for a CL position, still, we will I think see changes.

If he goes 'same old, same old' and wins then he'll be castigated for not giving youth a chance. if he goes with youth and loses then he'll probably be ran out of Goodison by some people. Why do people never learn?

Look what happened at Leeds, look what happened to the RS at Oldham, look at any embarrassing exit in our recent cup history, look at Arsenal's trophy drought. If you play your kids you will lose.

These teams are not full of pub players – they are professional outfits that clubs like Norwich, Southampton and Swansea have shown can live with Premier League opposition. Get them fired up on their own boggy pitch and the balance swings in their favour.

A young CB who is used to the green carpets of Finch Farm is not going to do better against their mountain of a forward than Distin with all his experience. With 4th possible but looking unlikely, the FA Cup should be a priority for us, it should ALWAYS be a priority for us.

We have a week between the games so I see no reason to rest a team that is playing week-in, week-out anyway. If we lose, all the momentum is gone so resting players will have no effect, confidence will be shattered. Win and watch a bit of that mental fatigue melt away.

We are well out of the running for a CL position Nick! We have still got to play away at Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool, & Man City at home. There is no way we will claw back 6 points on Tottenham with a fixture list like that...

I hope and think Moyes will send out a full strength team at Oldham. The time has come for Jelavic to come back in. If we can beat them, then that will hopefully send us into the Norwich game with a bit of confidence.

The next 3 games are massive. If we can beat Oldham, and get at least 4 points against Norwich and Reading (hopefully 6), we will be in much better shape for a top 6 finish and we will be into the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

To be honest James, it is a massive call who he will play at centre back if Distin is not fit. Oldham's big, physical striker murdered Liverpool in the last round, and we all know Heitinga is lightweight against such players. I am just hoping Distin is fit...

Oviedo, Hitzlsperger and Jelavic for Osman, Pienaar and Anichebe.

The latter of the two replaced will have a fortnight's rest and we won't have to hear any excuses.

Haul Baines and Fellaini off if and when the tie is won.

It will be the same 11 as OT unless Distin is fit again, then Heitinga out. He will not give youth a chance until we are out of everything - meaning no chance of 6th place in League (7th will not get Europa place as Swansea & Bradford in League Cup Final and one of those 2 will get it) and out of FA Cup .

Leeds away still haunts him when his kids let him down big time.

ALWAYS ALWAYS play our best team in every single game.

We are not blessed with a squad good enough to blood a full team of youngsters. Maybe a midfielder but the defence needs to be experienced if we have any real hope of winning a trophy. What happened at Leeds just proved the point: drop in 4-5 changes and we will suffer

We should be able to glide past Oldham no danger whatever squad he plays I would go for -

Howard
Oviedo, Stones, Jags, Baines
Mirallas, Hitzlsperger, Pienaar
Fellaini
Jelavic, Vellios

Let's take the game to them for once and attack and battle from the off something that has been lacking recently. Strict orders for Jelavic to stay up front and make runs.

A strong team as long as there is no Neville or Heitinga then I am happy. Wouldn't mind seeing Oviedo and maybe Duffy getting some time.

Not the time for leaving our best players out. Play best 11, rest them in league game that follows.

We should go all out for the cup as 4th is beyond us.

Stones to come in at full back. Distin back in the middle. Move Fellaini back to def midfield with Ossie making way for two up top with Jelly and another.

My team would be
Howard
Stones
Distin
Jags
Baines
Gibson
Fellaini
Mirallas
Pienaar
Jelavic
Vic (if fit) or Velios.

Maybe play Oviedo if Pienaars little legs are tired.

We should have enough going forward to be able to play Fellaini further back and help with defending against the lad that mullered Liverpool.

Matt Smith, the big striker who ran riot against Liverpool is out injured.

We should beat Oldham easily to be honest but, with Moyes in charge, you never know how much his negative defeatist mindset rubs off on the players. You can imagine his pre-match team talk...

"Keep it tight, boys, this Oldham side beat the other lot 3 - 1... ye know this is a tricky tie. Oldham are in a false league position... blah blah blah." — The only way we can lose is if Dour Dave wishes it upon us.

As for winning the cup outright, we have no chance whatsoever. We have seen in recent years how we bottle it with safety-first hoofball in the big games. Last Sunday was a prime example of it. The final in 09 v Chelsea and last years semi-final against the RS another.

Plenty of big guns left as well. Please don't try and convince yourselves we can ever win a thing with Moyes as manager. Moyes is a loser of the highest order and he will never change.

My personal view is that this is the biggest game of the season for us so far. A good cup win hopefully may rejuvenate spirits and give us fresh impetus and a renewed push for the holy grail of 4th place. Given results this last week-end I admit this is unlikely but not impossible. Even so renewed endeavour would help a top 6 finish more likely. Lose however and the resulting lack of confidence etc could lead to a slide to mid table mediocrity and The Redshite overtaking us. So my view is that field strongest team available and I sincerely hope Distin is available. If Distin were not available I would myself give Duffy a chance or even play Stones rather than Heitinga at centre back. I know the lad up front gave The Shite a battering but surelyDuffy or Stones would be up for it with a chance to make an impression.

The FA Cup would be nice to win, playing in the champions league would be far better. But playing in the Europa cup would be the equivalent of going from a wedding to a wake.

Stones is cup tied...

Overlooked that,Bobby.So it looks like Pip will start at Oldham as Hibbert and Coleman are injured.
Someone at work has just pointed out that only 16 different players have started Premier games for us this season and,of those,Hibbert and Hitzlesperger have made four starts each and Oviedo only one.Effectively,then,Moyes has chosen from 13 players and then complains they are tired?Stale more like from lack of competition.
He must surely include a couple of fresh faces in the Cuo-tie!

Dennis #718, the manager who is constantly being criticised for his square pegs policy now has fans advising him to play an untried right back at centre half.

Whatever next?

Everton will beat Oldham, I am confident of that, but unless Arsenal Chelsea, Man City, and Man Utd are knocked out, we will not win the cup.

When it comes to the big game, either Moyes bottles it or we just are not good enough.

Win 4 FA Cup games on the bounce and we have a proper trophy and guaranteed European football.

Sending out anything but our strongest side will be beyond dumb.

Re the PL, I agree with the bookies - that we will not finish higher than 6th (and with City to play at home and Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea away, imo we'll be doing well to keep W.Brom and Swansea at bay).

Could well see Fellaini dropping back to combat their lug of a centre forward. Maybe Jelly and anichebe starting? Or dare I say Naismith who doos seem to win a large amount of headers strangely...

Basically, his strongest team.

A strong 11 at the weekend is a must for me!

Lower league teams are stronger than ever and there seams to be more an more upsets these days.

The only notable change I would make would be Duffy for Heitinger, that's presuming Distin is not fit.

Duffy has had first team experience before and done well in my opinion. At the minute he would be a better choice for me simply because he would be eager to impress and by all accounts he has been in good form for the U21's.

Duffy can no longer be classed as a youngster anymore either?
He is as ready as he will ever be for a first team start and with Distin injured and Heitinger in shocking form surely now is his time to shine?

If not then we have seriously got to question whether Moyes fancies him?? and if it would be better for him to move on to further his career?

My team for Saturday

Howard

Neville
Jags
Duffy
Baines

Mirallas
Gibson
Osman
Fellaini
Pienaar

Jelavic

Hopefully getting the job done with time to spare to give the likes of Baines, Pienaar and Osman an early dart but this is Everton and somehow I don't see it being that straight forward.

I do expect a win tho!

I am sure Moyes will pick a strong side.

Either way, I don't think oldham will prove too much of an obstacle - I watched the win against liverpool, and in my opinion, they were very lucky - they got absolutely battered in the last 30 minutes, and all the the cliche "alamo" references were spot on. It just so happened that they got bodies in the way and the goals never came, but on another day liverpool could have had 6.

Personally, I'd like to see Duffy start (in place of Heitinga), and I'd also start Jelavic with anichibe up front. Probably won't happen though. The only change I would expect is someone coming in for Neville, as it may be an opportunity to give him a rest, two games in 6 days might just be too much.

Wouldn't expect wholesale changes but a couple of fringe players (likes of Oviedo, Vellios and Hitzlsperger) must be worthy of an opportunity to rest some key players.

Have the bench packed to be used in an emergency.

It took him ten games to realize jelly couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo before he dropped him. Same will probably happen with regards to johnny and his defence mishaps.

So, same team next week then.

My team for Saturday:

Howard
Jagielka Duffy Distin Baines
Fellaini Gibson
Pienaar Mirallas Oviedo
McAleny

Bench: Mucha, Jelavic, Anichebe, Osman, Heitinga, Hitzlsperger, Neville.

Steve #747 Why not try Stones at CB you say he is untried but he played regularly for Barnsley in the Championship so should be able to cope against a poor League 1 team and if not then we shouldn't have bought him. Do you really think we could put more faith in Heitenga?

The team should include Distin and Gibson however I would rest these for the league.

Square pegs are what we have whilst Kenwright fails to deliver so let's at least put a little excitement in there and players like Stones who will play out of their skins.

Relying on Fellaini has been Everton's main weakness. The other players just don't contribute enough attacking wise. Another powerful midfield player in place of Osman who can get into attacking positions like Fellaini would have provided more options and potentially more goals.

I would make minimal changes but Heitinga must NOT play.

I see it as an ideal opportunity for Duffy to get in and show us what he can do and I would also play big Vic and Jelly up front as it will probably be a long ball game.

I also have some doubts about Ossie and the potential physicality of this game so would consider Oviedo to play alongside Gibson, Fellaini and Pienaar.

Give Mirallas a break unless we need him for the last 15.

Play our strongest eleven... what is our strong side right now? Kind of hard to judge who should play or not. All we know is that we don't know if Duffy, Barkley, Vellios or McAleny can make any difference to our first team.

That is Moyes's fault: if they had some games, we could judge them on then the team would be much easier to pick, instead we have no clue where any of them are form wise, and that is a real shame!!!!

At this point I think it will be a game of luck and chance, much like the Bolton game. It comes down to who is the fittest for the game, Moyes has no idea how fit any of his youngsters are so he will not dare to play them. The only two players from U-21 that should be included are Duffy and McAleny, based on what they have done recently, those are the only ones I know who are in good form.

The game will be lost in defence if Heitinga plays, he is in the worst shape I have ever seen him and he drags the team down because of it. Every player needs to carry his own weight, Heitinga currently can not carry himself so others have to do it for him.

I think Moyes has painted himself into a corner with his refusal to play his best 3 or 4 youngsters. Now is too late to take a chance, and Moyes will be forced into doing what he is currently doing, only playing the same 13.

God, please help Moyes see the light!!!!!!!

I am not going to pick a team for the Oldham game as that is Moyes's job; however, I will point out that out of the last 5 goals we have conceded four have come from the left side of the Everton defence so surely that will be considered when picking the team and the tactics to be used in the game.

Fantastic how being beaten by a better team on the day now transposes to losing because Moyes bottled out. It is beyond rational belief.

A good point is made above on the use of Fellaini. I also believe that Everton will be a far better side if Fellaini is played in his natural position as a defensive midfielder. He distorts the team when he plays forward as other big men have in the past because given the hoofball option to a big man a lot will take it as the easy way out. He is also easy meat for good defences

Dennis 816, how many games did he play at centre back for Barnsley? I know that he played at RB for them but CB? As for only having square pegs, what's Duffy?

Am I the only one confused here about player availability because there are different views on here about various players. Firstly my impression was Distin pulled out of the last game because he felt unwell, not due to any injury. Therefore, unless he has picked up some kind of SARS bug surely he will be available for this game.

Also is Stones cup-tied or not? If he is why are some considering him to start as that will lead to us getting thrown out of competition anyway. Finally someone randomly said their big lump centre forward Matt Smith is injured. Is that true?

Depending on answers to above will surely influence team we play.

It is sad to see Heits. playing well below par as has Jela for some time.
Both have had a big impact before this season and Jela's goal drought coupled with the Miralles injuries have really put us back.
Somehow Everton are still in the hunt thanks to other teams results with last weekend's being the exception but not unexpected.
However, Heits. after his winner against Bolton has really looked shaky in the back four and confidence seems to be the problem.
Moyes feels he has to play him as he is probably getting a big wage and is experienced enough to play out of it but in the back four makes it very risky unlike a forward.
Moyes doesn't seem to rate Duffy ready yet but he doesn't give him much of an opportunity unlike some players who are underperforming of late.
Hopefully Distin will be ready for Saturday.

"It took him ten games to realize jelly couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo before he dropped him. Same will probably happen with regards to johnny and his defence mishaps." - Did you miss Sunday then? He wasn't playing until Distin fell ill in the warm up.

Martin Mason (861): I fully agree. Fellaini is no Duncan Ferguson.

Could draft Barkley straight into the first team it would lift us all I really don't want to see the same predictable 11 start.

6pm kick off on Saturday I think. Is the game televised?

Yes, Kieran — ITV 1.

The only change will be Jelavic for Anichebe, who apparently has a knock. You can speculate all you like... but the likes of Hitzlsperger, Oviedo, Vellios and even Barkley haven't got an earthly of starting. In fact, Alex Young has more of a chance of starting than Vellios.

If I'm wrong, Ill eat the largest slice of humble pie ever but somehow I don't think I will be. This is Moyes, lads, remember!