West Ham United vs Everton

We're not going to be in a relegation battle this season and the FA Cup is a legitimate shot at silverware and getting back into Europe.

We need our strongest team out there going all out for the win.

Leicester, Burnley and Palace have all shown more resolve and confidence than we have over the course of the league campaign to date. They may not have the quality of our squad but they are confident.

A couple of bad results could see us sucked into a relegation battle if we are not careful. However, I do think that we may be turning a corner and I think that John has jumped the gun a little. This game tonight could not have come at a better time. I think that if we go all out to win, the confidence and focus the win, and having the next round of the cup to look forward to, could give us a massive lift.

We have "showed more than willing" in our last two games, so send out the same side, win the tie and benefit from the victory/momentum.

I do feel for Big Rom, gotta be tough to lose your best mate so young.

We will not be in a relegation fight.... every team has a run of bad results and hopefully we have now seen the back of ours.

Tonight will be interesting to see whether the last two games signs of recovery can be built on and we are indeed turning the corner. All eyes on Upton Park.

Although seemingly Martinez doesn't see it that way.

We are in a relegation battle until we are 10 points clear of the drop – there is no point pretending otherwise. Our results have been dreadful and a return to that form would see us relegated – that is just fact.

Silverware will mean nothing if we go down. Every game now is a must win. Hope are travelling fans are in full voice and have something to cheer about on the way home.

Our injury list is depressing in itself. I hope this Summer that Martinez can do what he should have done last Summer and replace the likes of Distin, Gibson, Pienaar and Alcaraz with younger versions who will be on the pitch more often than in the Physio room.

Win, and it's onwards and upwards. Lose, and it's back to square one, and a dog fight to stay up.

The next draw is a lot easier, so maybe it will be a little extra incentive for the lads to show what they're capable of.

Bollox to that defeatist thinking John, as Lyndon said.

Our next game is in six days. Pick our strongest team and get a confidence boosting win AND progress to the next round to maintain some interest beyond the worrying league situation and the EL.

But I don't agree with Lyndon's rather blithe and blasé claim we won't be in a relegation fight. Kieran @ 5 spells it out well: we ARE in the relegation mix as things currently stand and there is absolutely no wriggle room for complacency on that front.

I'm sorry to sound rude here but piss off mate!

Going out of any cup competition can only be BAD for team confidence.

How about the team of 95? It didn't hurt that relegation haunted team going on a Cup run and errrrmmm... winning it.

Bad attitude to throw a cup match, especially given that it could prove a huge catalyst in our season, it's a huge setback if we go out tonight make no mistake.

This has been a season of so little cheer that the last thing we need is elimination tonight. Faliure to get a victory tonight then it's 1 win in the last 12 matches.

Get out there, do the supporters who have travelled down there proud, and bloody WIN.

Robles
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
Besic Barry
Naismith Barkley Oviedo
Lukaku

Subs: Another GK, Browning, Alcaraz, Garbutt, McGeady, Kone, Eto'o

Keep Mirallas, McCarthy and Gibson working on their fitness.

Let us hope we don't suffer any injuries and nick this one 2-1.

Things are looking better, and having Stones back is good, but I fear another defencive injury could derail our recovery. Martinez failed to strengthen the squad sufficiently in the summer, and now we are cruelly exposed, carrying too much deadwood.

Older players take longer to heal and we have a whole ward full of them. We could do with a defender in the window, as well as a keeper. Let's hope for an injury-free win tonight.

This time round we'll need to stay wide and up the tempo. Baines, Barkley, Oviedo and Garbutt will have to be shuffled. So too Eto'o and Kone, if they are available. Going too narrow with a bunch of No 10s played into their hands and we don't want a repeat.

Whether Lukaku is mentally ready for this one is anyone's guess. We'll just have to wait and see.

Winning matches breeds confidence, and at the moment we have forgotten what it's like to win. We haven't kept a clean sheet for I don't know how long? I can't even remember.

Experimenting should be confined to pre-season and pre-season only, anything else is totally cheating the fans who pay hard earned money to go and watch the team.

West Ham are playing their strongest team...We need to match and then better them.

Am I the only Evertonian who would take seventeenth to win a cup?

A slow build up from the back will just aid them in stopping us go forward. It sounds like Kev is still not fit which wouldn't be good news. Anyone saying play virtually Saturday's team would be in agreement with Max Maxie, but I'm sorry to say, I

Yes, if possible I'd like to see Oviedo in for McGeady. I think we need all our talent tonight and they need to step on it, if Lukaku can do 30.9 mph, he needs it just outside and then into their box. We don't want to see him having to look for the ball out on the wing like last time out, he needs to be receiving it where it can hurt. If we win this it would be good for everyone's morale, so COYB.

Lyndon, you may choose to believe the club is not facing a relegation battle, but my interpretation of the league table tells me otherwise. A couple poor results in the next 2 league games would do unthinkable damage to the chances of staying up, I think all the ammo should be saved for West Brom and Crystal Palace.

Robles
Browning Stones Jagielka
Coleman Barkley Baines Oviedo
Mirallas Naismith Lukaku

Front three interchanging to bamboozle the enemy when in attack, and Coleman and Oviedo overlapping like crazy.

Great to see 3000+ Evertonians will be there. That could make a big difference... A 2-1 win possibly after extra time.

On the tactical thing, I actually agree with Big Sam. I've spent the last few weeks not knowing what to think about Martinez – obviously wanting him to succeed, but bewildered by the lack of fight in the team amongst other things.

Allardyce is an under-rated manager who often gets judged on his manner rather than his playing style/results. I think we're all agreed a little tactical flexibility – even if it's just short term – wouldn't go amiss.

IMO we need a WIN! ASAP! And a win tonight can be a confidence booster for the difficult league games to come.

I also agree with you wholeheartedly. For Lyndon to ignore the reality of our league position and blithely say we will not be in a relegation battle is a denial that we are already in the relegation mix.

That's why a win tonight can be as equally important as victories over WBA and CP in our next 2 league games. If we are sucked further into the mixer all bets are off, regardless of the quality of our squad against others down there, because our kind of slump in form gathers its own momentum and fear takes over.

A good cup run would be just the thing to get not only the players looking forward again, but also the fans. It certainly didn't serve as a distraction the last time we won it, when the so called 'Dogs of War' were simultaneously digging the club out of the mess Mike the meff Walkered us into.

Just because we're close to the drop zone doesn't mean we should throw away the FA Cup – at the end of the day, if we play like we did against Man City, we won't go down and will finish somewhere midtable.

36 points will be enough to stay up, league-wise we're now just trying to finish as high as possible to get more cash given every place is worth around an extra ٟM. Sad to say such a thing in January but there is no chance of us finishing top 8. The 4 defeats on the trot effectively put an end to that.

We can still focus on the twp cups we are still in.

If fit, we would have seen a settled back four, with Stones & Jagielka in central defence. We would have stuck with McCarthy and Barry as holding midfielders, and the ’tinkering’ would have been up front I feel, with changes to suit the opposition and European games.

Also, you’ve got to have competition for places in the first team. I agree a settled side is the way to go until we are out of the shit, but our central defensive injuries have cost us dearly this season.

What about changing that from "the team of 95" to... errrmmm "the team of 2012-13"?

West Ham are crap and we shouldn't be going in to Moyes Mode bigging up our opponents. Get at them from the whistle and we will blow them away easily... I'm feeling much better than I did a week ago.

A win tonight could completely turn our season around but weÂ’ve forgotten how to win. A defeat and confidence will be shot again.

I hope he doesnÂ’t start messing with the line-up and leaves it pretty much the way it was on Saturday... but you never know with the Spaniard.

Give Barry a rest and shift Barkley more central alongside Besic with Naisy the hole. If we defend well, we win this game tonight.

West Ham will put balls into the box which is something we have to do more of. If Lukaku finds himself in and around the six-yard box he will increase his goal ratio ten fold.

A 1-0 will suffice, COYB.

6 points from the next two league games, which I genuinely believe we will get, and things start to look a little brighter. Add in the addition of Marshall, Del Boy and a central defender and we will start to look a lot more solid again.

Jim @16 I concur with your comments

Joe @18.... I will take your hatred at losing a throw-in and raise you... I hate losing the toss!

Oh... I would be tempted at Defoe as well ... I know he's 32 but, as a genuine out-and-out finisher, there's not many better. A snip at ١ million.

Cutting it close, don't you think? 40 is much more a sensible aspiration and 43 would always see us safe – barring freak results, that is.

Coleman Stones Jagielka Garbutt/Oviedo
Barkley Besic Baines
Mirallas
Eto'o Lukaku.

"He should just play his bestest fitest team and we will win."

We won't get relegated, people have been overreacting massively lately. There are plenty of teams shitter than us in the division and we'll easily finish in the top 10, no sweat.

All this talk of relegation is bollocks. Yes we're only 3 points off the bottom three, but it simply won't happen. Not a chance in hell.

The secret, however, is playing to your handicap every year!

If so, that will be 'phenomenal'.

West Ham are punching above their weight this season. We have a much better squad than them. With the right team selection and tactics I'm confident we should beat them.

Like the set up of your team. I appreciate that you mentioned that at some point you would like to see the team set up that way, but assume you would see a role for McCarthy and Besic somewhere

Just shows how hard it is to accommodate all the players when fit.

Who would be a manager

:)

We will get a roasting at West Ham - did you see Big Sam's face after the draw? Smiling like a Cheshire Cat. More revenue and into the 4th round following the replay. Tony Pulis will be too smart for Martinez, and a victory for the Baggies is guaranteed.

Despite the disappointment following these two defeats, there is a chink of light at the end of this tunnel of horrors we've endured this season: Roberto Martinez has to get the sack.

I've never heard of the ref... anyone know what's he like?

We could lose tonight and have a howler against the Baggies.

We could still lose two or three more and then be in the relegation mire, then going out to Young Boys after 2-2 at their place and 1-0 down in the 98th minute at Goodison ...

And Naismith (The New Inchy) intercepts a back pass rounds the goalkeeper, slots home and we are through ....we go undefeated the rest of the year and win the Europa League and into the Champions League ....

Then win the Premier league the next season ...

All results possible ....

Howard and Alex all went through the mire and potential sacking and came out winning Championships against the tide ... they had a football philosophy and vision that surpassed the others ...

Ever the optimist, me ...

Go all out for a win. Winning breeds winning. Our season needs this change of momentum we seem to be on the cusp of.

With McCarthy maybe still missing and Mirallas, it will be a tough ask for them to beat the Hammers, especially with that aerial threat of Carroll and Co. The back four without a dominant aerial player is very suspect at the moment and you can be sure the Hammers will be slinging lots of high crosses in.

It is up to the midfielders to cut down this supply and also the corners if possible. A big ask I know but now is the time to stand up and be counted.

I'm more with John on tonight's game; don't forget we have to play the Europa games as well, more games = more injuries.

Some keep bringing up Martinez getting Wigan relegated; yes he did, but it was the same season they won the FA Cup! There was a very good chance that they would have stayed up but for being involved in every round of the cup.

The probability is that we won't get relegated, but it's far from a certainty; what we don't want is another draw and a couple of long term injuries to our key players.

I said I'd lay 100-1 that we wouldn't be relegated 2 or 3 weeks ago but I'm not that positive now. The Premier League should be our 1st, 2nd and last priority; going far in the other 2 comps. is a risk, lets hope it doesn't end in tears!

It could well be that 35 or even 34 is enough for safety this year so my 36 was already adding an extra point or two as a buffer. Bottom sides have been shittier in recent seasons so the bar for safety has been lower than the proverbial '40 points' for a few years... In fact, only once in the last 5 years would 40 points have been needed to avoid the drop. In 2010, 31 points would have been enough!

Anything is possible but I would be amazed if 36 points wasn't enough to stay up – obviously we want to get more than that. It was just to show that we would have to continue our shite Xmas form for the next few months to be in trouble.

Nevertheless, the West Brom game is HUGE!

Unless we win the league, our only other aim should be to survive?

Rather not qualify for Europe either, as we don't need the distraction and should only focus on the Premier League.

So, basically you want us to play for places 6-17th every season? Great.

We have not been relegated in the 61 seasons in the top division, can we please try to see if there's some fun to be had in one of the cup competitions and maybe take a little bit of a risk sometimes?

I remember it well and thought it was great fun when we did win the FA Cup. Didn't you?

He's a decent LB who's home grown, a lot of Premier League clubs will be sniffing around so as to get a decent young home grown talent in their squad. I'm surprised there isn't a peep on the OS re a new contract for him.

And then climb the table in the process. Here's hoping.

I'm not saying we will be relegated but, if we overstretch ourselves and/or get long-term injuries, we certainly increase the chances that it could happen! Simple.

The league is priority but we should be aiming to play our strongest team every game. But the last thing I would want to see us do is win the FA Cup at the expense of our Premier League status. I would rather be patient and suffer midtable mediocrity, until the Premier League implodes when all the billionaires do one out the game and the teams in debt go bankrupt, rather than have one moment of ecstasy and then face an eternity in the abyss of the lower leagues.

Hmmm... accusing others of selective memory, eh Raymond?

Let's not recall the nailed-on penalty for Swansea when Alcaraz dived and handled the ball like Big Nev or Gordon West in their prime. A drab 0-0 home draw could easily have been yet another defeat ...

Or the clear foul by Barry in the first 3 minutes at Hull which should have been a penalty and possible booking for Barry. As he collected a yellow card in that game on 65 minutes, he could have been sent off for a second yellow before Alcaraz actually was in that game.

But, using (and paraphrasing) your own words: "Nobody wants to talk about the injustice of the incidents, if what should have happened, did happen, we could be sitting EVEN MORE PRECARIOUSLY in the League now."

All 'what ifs' and hypotheticals of course... but I thought, if you can play the game, so can I.

Doesn’t his contract run out at the end of the season? The last thing we need is another GoslingGate.

Although I don’t agree with the "Baines shithouse" comment the other day from another poster, I do agree with the basic point that Garbutt should be getting game time and would be my first choice at left back for a few reasons:

1) His dead-ball delivery is better;
2) He looks just as good going forward with the ball;
3) Positionally, he holds the line well and is as good at defending;
4) He needs an incentive to sign a new contract and game time would certainly help.

I just hope someone can convince him that he will get more games or that he will be first choice very soon... otherwise, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him wearing red next season.

Winning breeds winning.

Fair points you have brought up, but Max mentioned the 4 straight defeats, I'm merely saying that within those 4 defeats were the Stoke and Newcastle games.

If I'm going to bend the facts, I'm going to bend them Everton's way!

Looking forward to another freezing away day in stinking East London tonight - I don't think I've ever been there when it's been anything but freezing. I just hope I don't see any blues getting laid out tonight like last time I was there. Shithole the Boleyn.

Raymond, Jay, OK, mention the Hull and Swansea games where we might have...should have... had a red card, but in addition to the Stoke and Newcastle games don't forget the very dodgy penalty against City or the two red cards they deserved. It's supposed to equal itself out over a season... don't think so. Mourhino is still bleating about a throw in or something they should have had in October and guess what? Referees will be falling over themselves to make it up to Jose for the rest of the season.

Perhaps many of the negative thinkers haven't experienced just what happens to a club that wins the cup.

Because if they had then this weak-kneed, lily-livered claptrap that they seem to spout would disappear.

Winning games of every flavour turns a squad into a force to be reckoned with.

See, that's where you're wrong, Raymond. But your presumptuous doesn't surprise me.

I have not called for Roberto's head. I have stated on here more than once, I want him to succeed. Because if HE is successful, then by default, so is Everton.

So ... I am not anti-Martinez. But I am DEFINITELY pro-Everton. And I am not alone on TW at being concerned at events and our poor performances this season that sees us very much in the relegation mix.

Similarly, you are not alone on here in bending the facts NOT in favour of Everton, as you claim, but as a barely concealed defence of your pro-Martinez stance.

Now clearly there are people on here radically pro or contra Martinez. I don't consider myself one of them. But IMO the more extreme pro camp have to increasingly jump through hoops to justify their blind support for Roberto, whilst the more radical contra clique have plenty of bullets to fire, based on hard facts and statistics.

Let me throw in another uncomfortable 'what if'... Lukaku's goal in the 2-1 home win over the Hammers in the league was offside. Added to the early miscarriages of justice for our opponents I mentioned that you wish to ignore, that should be minus 3 points in your game of hypotheticals, putting us on 19 points with Hull and QPR who currently occupy 2 of the three relegation spots.

Doesn't make happy reading, does it?

Hope you enjoy the night and we can get a win, hope it's not another draw though!

I'm still shaking my head about it... lose the game? Bollocks — Come on, you Blue Boys!

Not that I think we have any chance of prevailing or seeing out past 90 mins. Despite our last two games which have provided late equalizers, I get very nervous if we are not out of sight by 70 mins. We seem to have the double whammy of poor fitness and lack of nous to close out games under Roberto.

An early goal suits us to the ground, because we actually look decent playing a counterattack game with Barkley and Lukaku.

Fingers crossed

It's frightening to think how our club's stock has fallen so far so quickly. Scatting around for points in the lower reaches. Oh, for a comfortable seventhish – we didn't know when we were well off!

However, a good win tonight followed by further Cup progress would lighten the gloom no end... Or so they say at Wigan!

So a draw means 15 mins each way and then penalties? I hate them penalty shoot-outs.

I'm worried about corners both ends of pitch. Apart from that, we can hurt them as much as they can hurt us.

This is our fundamental problem. The players do not want to receive the ball there and it leads to goals being conceded. I personally believe that some of the players are now refusing to play these kind of kamikaze passes and we are intermittently playing better for it. Unfortunately this is not how Martinez wants them to play.

Everyone on here can see that we are making mistakes when playing out from the back and passing it sideways. Our players aren't going to suddenly get better at it. If Martinez gets his way then we will quickly go back to losing; if some of the players continue to ignore his tactics, then we have a chance of moving up the table.

On a plus note, every time Besic made a mistake, he didn't let his head go down. He just got on with it and covered every blade of grass. He never stopped running and has incredible self-belief. If he continues in the team, then his work ethic will hopefully rub off on everyone else.

Well done to everyone who has travelled tonight. Up the Blues.

Ray (#87) has come up with more examples of how we have been hard done by, I dare say there's more on both sides of the fence.

The reasons for our slump in the League is not as straight forward as 'pin it all on the manager' although he will ultimately carry the can.

Anyway, we are way off-thread, mate, let's call it a day.

We would also be looking at a massive confidence boost on the back of a really shit run, we haven't quite turned the corner yet with more poor mistakes which luckily haven't been punished as much as our Christmas games did.

He looks very impressive every time I have seen him play, yet even when Baines is injured or needs a rest he seldom gets a chance.

I agree with all those above that if this kid not handled the right way and leaves after his contract runs down it will be a real disgrace.

You started the game of hypotheticals.

I am not indulging in a game of 'tit-for-tat' examples to attack the manager.

I am exposing the folly of your position of CONTINUALLY justifying and excusing losses as unjust due to calls going against us when the performances over the 90 minutes did not merit victories, or even draws for Everton.

Your penultimate sentence is typical of those who will defend Roberto and resolutely absolve him of all blame. It is not the default position of any fair minded observer of Everton to 'pin it all on the manager,' but he must DEFINITELY carry the can as he ultimately determines transfer policy, contract renewals, training regimes, tactics and team selection. And there is plenty of evidence that, to varying degrees, he has failed badly on all counts this season.

And of course your final sentence is interesting on 2 levels:

1) it is YOU who the raised (again!) the hypotheticals in THIS thread finding justification for defeats. Once opened, a thread takes on its own life and there can be many strands to it. So ...

2) please don't hid behind the 'we are way off thread' excuse and 'let's call it a day.' I read that as short hand for 'I lack any coherent counter argument to the salient points you make, so ... I'll run and hide.'

Now, time to prepare for the game. I hope we win it within the 90 minutes ... how could you not know the rules of the competition that one way or another there will be a result tonight..?

Tony, you might want to ask Wigan fans about what might (might, not must) happen to a club that wins the cup, before calling people for weak knee'd, lily livered claptrap.

If winning the cup has such a hazardous effect on a clubs chances of staying in the top tier, then why has relegation only ever gone hand in hand with hoisting that famous old trophy the once?

Having said that, I think we are only talking about a situation when a club is in a relegation battle and still in the cup, which isn't the case for all cup winners. I honestly don't know how many clubs have been in that situation, and of those how many went down (Man Utd at one point?).

subs.Griffiths, Oviedo, Kone, Mirallas, Garbutt, Alcaraz, McAleny

According to the Official Site

Come on!!

We need to be careful not to give away too many corners and free kicks - as they will lob it into Carroll and Tomkins who might have a field day...

Similar opportunity for Joel to dominate and be a hero..

Come on you blues

We need to be careful not to give away too many corners and free kicks - as they will lob it into Carroll and Tomkins who might have a field day...

Similar opportunity for Joel to dominate and be a hero..

Come on you blues

Would have liked to have seen Oviedo in place of McGeady but as long as we win who cares.

COYB.

Correct, a good cup run has often lifted league form and lifted teams out of relegation places.

I know what you mean, but he is young and learning very fast and has given fewer fouls away recently and could become a top defensive mid IMO. As you say, his weakness at present is in the last third of the pitch.

If you disagree, tough, oh and don't start getting personal, its usually a sign of a weak position.

But there is this continual clamour for either Oviedo. Garbutt or Baines to fill the left winger role. I find this completely hypocritical. Yes all 3 players are excellent with their left foot, they would give natural balance and all attack minded defenders so I can see the argument.

However Coleman in my opinion is our best attacking defender and when he was tried both under Moyes and Martinez as a right winger he wasn't good enough in that position to play the role. It is one thing coming from deep but when you are continually faced with an opponent whose sole purpose is to stop you its much more difficult and you need either trickery or raw pace to make an impact. Neither of the 3 lefties possess those attributes.

I think Dellboy is a priority this window as if we don't sort this problem area with Atsu not good enough and Pienaar unfit and past it anyway , we will continue to have to rely on McGeady and Mirallas otherwise we will continue to put square pegs in round holes like with Naismith tonight.

I am really concerned with the Garbutt situation also and I believe the board may have to make a tough call and cash in on Baines, not just to strengthen other areas but also as I feel Garbutt wont commit while he has Baines in front of him let alone strong competition from Garbutt.

I hope you don't begrudge me exposing flabby opinion built on false premises.

Your original post I responded to has the base (false) premise that it is only Everton that has suffered poor referring decisions.

I dismantled that premise which you acknowledged in your post 83 - 'fair points you make' adding that you bent the 'facts' in favour of Everton. So - sorry! I did win that wee discussion, even though you wish to deny it.

And please, show me where I get personal. That is a deceit on your part.