Barkley to return to full training

Lets hope this late fitness test doesn't constitute as a month out.

Can somebody please tell me what is the delay with Arouna Kone??

If I remember right didn't we hear a promising updating that he may even have made an appearance at the end of last season?

What's happened to him?

Lets hope his comeback goes smoothly.

I thought Seamus had a "slight concussion" weeks ago, I would have expected him to be fit by now... or have I missed something?

Howard
Hibbert Stones Jagielka Baines
Besic Barry
McGeady Naismith Pienaar
Lukaku

Subs: Robles, Distin, Oviedo, Gibson, Osman, Eto'o, Kone.

My only concern would be his ability (at this stage of his career) to cope with 3 matches in 8 days including a 4,000 mile round-trip. The other option RM has is to either push Stones to RB and then pair Distin with Jagielka (not sure you would want that) or play Browning at RB, which is a bigger risk in such a high profile game than Hibbert in my opinion.

I thought Tony Hibbert played well last night. Saying that, he could be exposed for pace on Sunday.

We canÂ’t expect him to play every blue moon and be at it straight away. YouÂ’re right mate, he has been a great one-club servant.

We really need Ross back. Without him and Mirallas, we really look short of ideas and effective direct running. Added to a leaky defence and we have the makings of a troubled team.

I'm hoping that soon we can get everyone back and put out:

Howard
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
McCarthy Besic
Mirallas Barkley Naismith (or Oviedo)
Lukaku

That to me feels like a first team with pace and energy (qualities sorely lacking this season for us). Sadly with Mirallas's injury the earliest we might see it is probably December.

Everton will keep all their young players and move forward to a Premier League win within the next few years you'll see. This is from somebody who backed Ed Miliband for the Labour leadership so what do I know?

So on Sunday, we can expect the likes of Hibbo, Ossie and McGeady to be making a start. But then, we are only playing the Manure and everyone tells me they really are crap.

Howard has looked like a Parks keeper for most of the season.
Seamus and Baines have been doing the hokey cokey trying to catch forwards offside.
Distin and Jagielka have been the laughing stock of the Premier League... and Stones has stunk the place out when he's played right back.

Yet, in a thread supposedly about Barkley, Hibbo is singled out as the weak link... Did you guys see any of our games this season? We all know Tony isn't a "footballer" but, if he starts on Sunday, he'll be the very least of my worries. He's negated the threat of far better players than Di Maria in his time.

He knows as soon as Seamus is fit, he will be sidelined again. but unlike the "internationals" in our defence, the guaranteed starters, he won't be making a show of himself and he won't let us down

I used to think those "It's Hibbert's fault" comments were posted in jest.

He is not and never will be able to play as a footballing centre half, it’s just not in him. I would take Distin over him and I know I will be in the minority but that’s the way I see it.

I know, let's have Browning take the lead against these Man Utd "stars" because he played several minutes against a shite Liverpool side and didn't concede.

We have been wide open all season (5 goals conceded against the world class strike forces of Palace and Leicester) and all you can do is single out a player who wasn't even on the pitch for all those these shameful defensive performances.

If you only saw Hibbert make one good tackle last night then I suggest you go back and watch the other 89 minutes.

Got to hand it to Martinez. Unlike many managers, he never uses injuries as an excuse, because it undermines their replacements. He will shuffle the pack, pick lads who are in a good moment, hammer home the tactics, and we all cross our fingers.

Without Barkley, Coleman and Mirallas we're not likely to scare people yet we still managed to muller the RS in the last 10 minutes the other day. McCarthy will be a big miss but Besic can drop in behind Pienaar and Naismith. Eto'o will probably come in for Pienaar on the 70-minute mark with Ossie and Browning limbering up. There again, with Di Maria on the wing we might trump him with Browning. Indeed we might do a lot of things. Over to you, Roberto – and the best of luck.

Coleman/Hibbert, Stones, Jagielka, Baines
Gibson/McCarthy, Barry
Besic Naismith Oviedo
Lukaku

WonÂ’t happen of course but it would give us defensive solidarity to counteract their obvious attacking talents.

The international break is coming and Eto'o doesn't player for the national team. I'd start Eto'o and Lukaku. I'd play Eto'o on the left side, Lukaku on the right side with Naismith playing behind the 2 of them in the center.

I'd start Besic too... If Everton play to many of their plodding methodical players they could get overrun.

The score against Man United is not likely to be 0-0, 1-0 or 2-1...

Everton have a chance to get something from this game, but they are going to have to score 2, 3, or 4 goals to come home with anything.

Barkley coming back is a game changer. We get him back healthy and ready to play, then we start rocketing up the table. His presence and ability will improve our offensive output by giving us a prominent creative player to run at and attack defenses; creating opportunities through the middle for Lukaku, Naismith, etc.

The team will be able to probe defenses much more efficiently and be able to move and switch the ball quickly to catch teams out of position. He will also help us defensively with his energy in closing down opposing players-freeing up McCarthy and Barry to focus on shielding our backline, like they did last season. With Barkley, we certainly beat Leicester, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, and I think he eats the Liverpool midfield for breakfast.

Of course, that would just ramp up the tabloid "Guarantees" that Ross will be on his way to Man City... or Chelsea... or Man Utd... or (fill in the blank) in the summer or even January.

What will be interesting to watch is how long it will take Roberto to throw him back into the fray. I wonder if he is too cautious sometimes, but I'm not at practice or the training room, so I should trust their judgement. Plus you don't want Ross to suffer a setback by coming back too soon.

I would play Eto behind Lukaku. Eto'o is our best player at linking up play and can score plenty as well. If fit, I would welcome Pienaar back to the starting 11.

I would play:

Howard
Browning Stones Jagielka Baines
McGeady Barry Besic Pienaar
Eto'o
Lukaku

You have an opinion. I have an opinion. We don’t agree. Fair enough. But you then suggest that my opinion is ill-informed nonsense. Not only that but you then group in other games that had not been mentioned by me. Your attitude and behaviour is reminiscent of a spoilt little child. Do not make suggestions that are untrue. It just shows you up as a very unimportant little boy.

I watched the whole match, Darren, and I am positive that Stones spent much of the game covering the vacant right back birth. Hibbert was miles out of position, almost playing left back. In fact he was all over the place and not doing a good job. Eto’o was dragged back into the left back slot for their goal. That Darren is my opinion as I said, I am entitled to it. If you do not agree say so and give me a reason to question my opinion instead of making shit up.

Pienaar back into the starting 11 would perk up the left side. Baines has missed him on his side of the field.

For reasons known only to yourself, you came onto a thread about Barkley in order to criticise Hibbert.

Firstly you say Hibert "isn't good enough to in a top six match". Well it may have escaped your notice, but thanks to the appalling performances of the other defenders this season, we're nowhere near top six... Oh and you might want to get your history books and and see which Everton player has played in the most "top six" EPL matches.

Hibbert's well past his best (he wasn't that good to begin with) but when, after two years out, he was asked to step in as cover at Anfield and in Russia, he stood up like a man and has been roundly applauded for it.

Your revelation that he spent most of the game playing near left back will come as a huge surprise to anybody who actually watched that game, but not as much of a surprise as him being responsible for Eto'o being dragged back to left back.

As you say, we are all entitled to an opinion, and in mine, your claim that Hibbert only made one tackle in the whole game is ill-informed nonsense.
You're not reporting back on a game nobody else saw, We were all watching.

A couple of times lately I’ve read interviews with him and expected to hear something about ’’it’s difficult with all the injuries’’.

But I, personally, haven’t heard him use that as an excuse. And that is a rarity these days.

With regard to Barkley, of course we miss him but I believe Mirallas is the bigger loss.

Obviously, I wish both were fit as they make us quite a formidable team (offensively).

You have your opinion, but have not convinced me that it is valid or correct. I watched the match and everyone that I watched it with was of the same opinion. Hibbo has been a great servant to our club, but he is not good enough anymore. If we want to progress we have to improve the quality of the players. I believe that Browning looks so much more composed and aware. Yes, he needs time to improve his overall performance, but he won’t get that sat on the bench behind Hibbo.

Life is all about different perspectives. Why don’t you show some consideration for other people’s perspectives and just agree to disagree if something is not to your liking instead of throwing wild insults!!

As Phil says on another thread, it could be a lot of bluff, and Coleman might be fit tomorrow; but, if not, Hibbert will do for me. If he plays, I expect him to hold his own again, and it's for that reason I hope he wasn't left back in Russia!?

Never saw it myself, but back to the news about Barkley being back in training, Fantastic.

@31, Mine would be the same team as Mark's pretty much. Spot on. I thought it was poor management not to give Browning more action on Thursday after the way he played in the derby.

Why would the same ethos apply to Hibbo? He is past his best and I am sure would be honest enough to admit that he does not posses the same level of talent as Coleman. Comments like yours, Brian, just make you look like an knobhead. I would think that you feel that you are not, so why do you insist on doing it!!!