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West Bromwich Albion vs Everton

Match Preview

Everton's staggered readiness for 2016-17 gets its second examination this weekend with the team's first away game and a trip to The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion.

Another week fitter under the gruelling training regimen implemented by Jan Kluitenburg under the instruction of Ronald Koeman, the Blues could also be two players stronger depending on whether the manager elects to hand both Ashley Williams and Yannick Bolasie their debuts.

Both are likely to be included in the squad but with Williams perhaps borderline in terms of full fitness following his belated return from the European Championships, he might have to be content with the bench.

Bolasie, though, having had the benefit of a full pre-season at Crystal Palace, could face the Baggies for the second week running after coming on as a second-half substitute against West Brom for what would be his last appearance for the Eagles.

Fitness is only part of the equation for Koeman, however. Just as Roberto Martinez's first few weeks at Finch Farm involved ingraining his new charges with a new way of playing, so his successor is instilling a different style to the one that eventually proved counter-productive under the Catalan.

“It's difficult,” Koeman said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “It's not only about the physical state of the players, it's also about our philosophy and how we like to play… with more pressing from the front and sometimes playing direct football.

“Of course we like to keep the ball but sometimes the easiest way to create is [through] direct play and if you can change that in the game that's an extra quality for the team but we need time and that's normal.”

After drawing 1-1 on his first visit as Everton boss, Martinez oversaw victories at The Hawthorns in the next two seasons but thanks to his side's infamous defensive vulnerabilities playing out from the back and from set-pieces, they had to come back from 2-0 down for the first time in the Premier League era since that game against Wimbledon 21 years previously.

Koeman acknowledged the Baggies' renowned strengths under Tony Pulis as being reasons why it won't be an easy ride on Saturday. It could be a physical game with the potential for referee Neil Swarbrick to have a busy afternoon and if you fancy having a flutter on just how exercised his notebook and pencil will be, take a look at cardtips.co.uk

“I know from my experiences that it's a very tough opponent,” he admitted. “Maybe one the strongest in terms of direct football, physical strength, very strong defensive organisation and maybe the one of the best teams at set-plays and that's a really nice challenge for us.”

Whether that need for defensive solidity will tip him towards starting Williams — with Seamus Coleman expected to be out for another fortnight, it would almost certainly be at the expense of Mason Holgate — remains to be seen but the manager will be hoping that it's his team's strengths at the other end that win him the game. Romelu Lukaku is expected to play a part after returning to training yesterday for the first time after sustaining a gash to his heel.

It was the Belgian's heroics in combination with Gerard Deulofeu that won all three points in this fixture last season and, having missed out last weekend against Tottenham, he will hopefully be raring to go. Should both he and Bolasie start, however, it will have interesting ramifications for the rest of the line-up from an attacking standpoint — another formation with a back three would mean both Deulofeu and Kevin Mirallas making way, assuming Ross Barkley keeps his place.

The rest of the side is likely to remain unchanged, with James McCarthy expected to continue in the right-wingback role with which he was tasked against Spurs.

Despite getting the new campaign off to a win last weekend, Pulis has been candid in assessment of his team's prospects this season, saying that West Brom need to sign almost half a team before the transfer deadline. Saido Berahino's future continues to rumble on but in Salomon Rondon he has a dangerous striker that Everton will need to keep shackled.

They lack quality in midfield, however, and, as such, will likely rely on their aerial prowess from crosses and dead-ball situations, an Achilles heel for the Blues over the last couple of seasons but one hopefully shored up by the new regime.

With Koeman's own squad-building efforts still not complete and the players still not where he wants them to be physically, Everton are still a work in progress heading into the second game of 2016-17. However, having obtained a decent result last weekend against a side tipped for the top four again this season, if the boss can steer them to a victory this weekend despite not being at full strength, it will bode very well for when they are firing on all cylinders.

Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Last time: West Brom 2 - 3 Everton

Predicted Line-up: Stekelenburg, Holgate, Jagielka, Funes Mori, McCarthy, Barry, Gueye, Baines, Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku

Full details: ToffeeWeb match page

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