MFK Ružomberok vs Everton

Atrocious decision. Let's hope he at least doesn't play Calvert-Lewin as our winger again. Not a great start, Ron.

The hope, of course, is that we get an early lead which would kill the tie. Despite my nervousness, we should get through.

I have doubts that we will progress in this competition but probably draw this game 0-0 or go through on away goals rule.

Game 2; and another "must not lose", so I guess we've got to respect the Manager's decision and just get behind the players in the squad.

We should pull it off easily and I hope we get up and at them but, if we couldn't do that at home I think tonight's game could be a bit dour. I can see 0-0 or 1-0 which would get us through okay but unlikely to get the pulses racing, but equally I can see them pulling off a 1-0 win and taking it to pens. Alan thinks maybe a 2-1 win to Ruzo, giving us the away goal advantage, but I can't see them scoring twice frankly.

I hope we've been practising our pens.

Clashes with the England ladies so a bit of media stacking will be called for tonight. Hopefully a good evening all round.

Don't care if it's pretty – all about the result

If we get an early goal the lads will relax and confidence and belief will give us a good game. If not – it may be dire. But we'll win.

It's my birthday today so we've got to win!!

If we play 3 centre-backs, I hope Martina doesn't play as the wing back as that simply isn't his game.

Yes, I want to see the kids, but if they're not ready, they're not ready. The last thing I want to see is kids getting picked just because of their enthusiasm and energy, they have to have everything else as well.

Currently, only Tom Davies, Ademola Lookman and Dom Calvert-Lewin fit that description.

We threw Francis Jeffers in nice and early, look what happened to him?

Sorry for bringing that up but we have to be patient with kids or we burn 'em oot!

We are fortunate to have a manager that has already been stung once in this competition so it's not like we are putting out a 2nd string as a lot of managers might. Stay positive, the quality will come through. I think we will go through either 3-1 or 4-1 on aggregate.

How many other Premier League managers did that? How many academy products will even make the bench for Chelsea, for example, in the coming season?

Stewart, it's called "Last Thursday".

But these are the games some youngsters should be playing in to see what they are made off in competitive games. Davies & Lookman only got a few mins in the last game, but we know they are good at least, and he played Calvert-Lewin as a right winger! Not even a sniff for Kenny. If we had a good or even decent right back then fair enough. But we don't.

AS IF! If he puts the kids in when it's a must win and we lose he would get castrated by most on here. He will go with experience and maybe one young one at a time.

The time to blood the kids is in the Premier League where we can recover if they screw up. If we have aspirations of winning cups we have to put out strong teams because there are no second chances. Maybe if we get to the group stages and have already won the group would be a good time.

I get the opinion that Koeman sees them everyday in training so I suppose I have to defer to the greater exposure of the manager. Maybe he feels he needs the experience of Martina at the moment.

I don't want Kenny loaned out though. We are short at right back. McCarthy! Holgate! So he should get his chances throughout the season.

Nothing has gone really wrong at the moment and half the TW posts have Koeman hanging by the nads! Get real lad.

The transfers he has chosen or the ways they have been used have emphasised the weaknesses, rather than the strengths of the Manager, which where apparent last season. Some of the players on are out transfer list are better than what is available out there or in some cases what we have bought.

We are playing a pub team. Platitudes about their fitness are mealy-mouthed nonsense that distracts from the issue. Koeman has spent a lot of money, this is his team.

Bad selection, formations, substitutions and a general continuance of the poor management and insipid performances of last season will be rightly ripped to shreds on these pages. It is NOT about the result. It is about the manner of the result.

Too optimistic, Tony!

Inspirational stuff, eh?

The opposition have shown themselves to be well organised, very fit, great at breaking up play. Bit of pace up front.

A recipe for more than a few squeaky bums at 9pm if it's still 0-0. Enjoy!

Optimist =

=EVERTONIAN

Glass half full =

Glass half empty=

What is Martina's game? Judging by last weeks performance, it's certainly not football. Is he a decent golfer who knows a few card games? Maybe he's a bit of a joker and is good for morale? If he plays then I hope he proves us all wrong.

Anyhow, I'm an optimist. I think the lads felt a bit of pressure last week and will relax more away from home. I think Sandro will win this for us. I reckon he's gonna be a star. 0-2 tonight COYB!

Squeaky bum time indeed. Let's hope we get an early goal.

Maybe my sarcasm rankled a bit because I am not good at it (obviously!) but Chris Watts makes an equally good point about morale. If Williams makes a bad pass and they score, or if Cuco scores an own goal and we get through anyway, I am sure that Koeman will deal with it later.

But tonight is about him. You are right, probation is probably over and that is my point. Now, where's that blunt knife...

I think we will win tonight, I am more concerned about the Stoke game; if Kenny isn't getting picked against this team he will not be playing versus Stoke and I hope Martina proves a lot of us wrong. To be honest he wasn't poor last week, but he didn't inspire any confidence either.

Jonjoe, if you don't get your chance at Everton, you will somewhere else and it will be in the Premier League. You should be getting plenty of confidence by the coaches at Finch Farm and maybe you are; doesn't look like it from here.

Looking forward to more from Ramirez and to see Pickford in goal.

Expecting we'll muddle through like last time.

Rather like his other bessie, Stekelenburg, he had long enough to recognise their 'crapness' at their previous clubs before burdening Everton with their wages and inadequacies!

We'll win tonight, though!

I wish I could be as confident as some on here but I will be watching in my incontinence pants to save running to the toilet. The only confidence I have is that I am confident that we all want the same thing.

Koeman said if Jonjoe hadn't have been playing in the Under-20's World Cup, he would have played the last couple of games instead of Holgate, as he thought he offered more offensively. A blind man could have told you that.

So what's suddenly changed this season, with Jonjoe not even in the squad?

The team was one of his better ones, during the time Anichebe actually scored a good haul in the Uefa Cup, I think.

We looked awful during those games as the team hadn't gelled, the tactics were struggling to be imposed and the general miasma that surrounded our starts under Moyes.

We've had a tonne of new signings, who have never played together properly, trying to impose a new 'interchanging' style of attacking play, which please Lord some of you have to say you witnessed the basics of being displayed by the Rooney - Klaassen partnership last week.

All of these things, I'd have thought after years of Moyes, people would have noticed take time to make natural and instinctive. This is the second competitive game of the season, I expect better fitness and a better attempt at what Koeman is asking them to do, against a team that can no longer sit back and defend because if they do, they will be staying at their 4,000-seater stadium whilst we leave it winners, heading to bigger and better things.

It really makes me wonder what people actually think happens when an athlete goes into their off season and they reduce to a lower leave of training to let their body recover from the stresses of a season. Do they think that peak fitness happens instantaneously or something?

Jags in at centre-back? It's bad enough having him on the bench. Jags may be a good guy but he has been on the decline for the past 2 years. Remember Phil Neville!!!!!!

All Jags is doing is keeping a youngster off the bench that might have an effect on the game in the final 10 minutes.

Martina is also a strange one. He was not bad in the first leg but did not inspire confidence. Jonjoe Kenny was excellent last season for the U23s & also for England U20s, but was not very good going up against men in Tanzania. Mason Holgate in the second half in Tanzania was a vast improvement.

Young Jonjoe probably needs another year on loan in the Championship playing regularly. Martina, if he gets selected, will only be keeping the seat warm for Seamus anyway.

Was it not Jags that was partnering Alcaraz when we got hammered in Kiev? Both were diabolical. If we need to play a 3-man defence then it has to be Holgate, Keane & Williams. If a flat back 4 then 2 of those 3. We need to win this game remember.

The Club Captain should not be an automatic choice.

I figured we must have signed him to bring us a bit of pace on the right but he didn't once have the confidence to push it past the defender and try and get into dangerous positions.

He was also highly suspect when they nearly scored in the last 10 mins. He should have challenged the cross that led to the chance they should have scored from. Instead he just stood and watched without challenging a free header. He looks shaky and I am as confused as the next fan as to why we signed him.

Clearly cover for right back was not a position we were prepared to spend money on. I just hope Coleman has a speedy recovery.

I take the point about Kenny v Martina but having watched a fair bit of Jonjoe, I don't think his defensive abilities quite match his attacking qualities. Reminds me of an early version Seamus. In any case, my bigger concern is the quality and pace we have up front. Rooney is too slow to play through the middle, I don't see Calvert Lewin as a winger and if Mirallas gets to be a first team choice, I wonder how we can say we have improved as a squad.

Someone on here said he thought Calvert-Lewin lacked pace. Can't see that at all myself, it is one of his big assets. I would be tempted in this game to play a front two of Sandro and Calvert-Lewin, with Rooney operating as attacking midfield and three midfielders behind. Fast counter-attacks will be our likeliest route to goals.

He scored lots of goals, moved on for a big fee and became a full international?

Odd analogy...

As for Jonjoe Kenny, I would like to see him in the squad, but let's just think of the facts for the moment. He is only 20. How old was Coleman before he made a real impact? He was initially used as a winger, he was also sent out on loan to Blackpool, which arguably was the making of him.

Also, how many of the 6 teams that finished above us last season had a 20-year-old untested right back? Maybe they all did, I am not sure. I would be surprised if any did to be honest. Sending him out on loan seems a sensible thing to do. But as said, I'd be happy to see him in the squad.

Far from being anti-youth, I am sure Koeman gave more playing time to youngsters than certainly anyone in the top half of the league at least. Has anyone noticed how many players have been brought in to the youth set-up so far this summer?

Am I the only one who thinks Davies would make a good right back? I remember Snodin went from centre-mid to right-back, but different times and circumstances though.

I reserve judgement on Martina until I have seen him enough times in a blue shirt.

I have to say, I'm not convinced by Koeman. We don't play very attractive football, the pressing game he talks about just doesn't happen either.

For some reason, I just haven't taken to Koeman and cant see us doing anything with him at the helm. He's made some awful decisions – that derby team, Martina, the way he uses Calvert-Lewin.

I'd take Unsworth over him today if I could.

Yes, it may not utilise his talents as much but it would give him more game time as the midfield is rather congested at the moment. But, I can see your point. I think McCarthy is another shout. In modern day football I am not a fan of using centre-backs at right-back, maybe it is just a hangover from the Smith era!

I am hoping he is taking this responsibility on board but judging by his waist line I have my doubts. Very few players can produce at this level unless they are in tip top shape I have been proved wrong in the past and hope to be on this occasion.

Hate to kick a guy when hes down but I have to agree with most of TWebbers that Martina looks like a dreadful player that will be torn apart in the Premier League again maybe he is rusty. I am trusting Koeman on this one and am unsure if he had the final say on the Rooney deal.

Here's hoping for a couple of early goals and a relaxing night!!!

I am hoping he is taking this responsibility on board but judging by his waist line I have my doubts

It's all about opinion, but for me Rooney looks thinner than he has done for years!

As for tonight, I'm hoping we will put this team to the sword. But I'll happily take one-nil.

I hope we put in good and competent performance being in the media eye, and the fans behave and show respect, which I am sure they will.

You're right it is all about perceptions. I know he was never the thinnest but he is carrying bulk, the older you get the harder it is to carry, he looked laboured when actually kicking the ball, ballooned a shot at goal into orbit and his touch on the ball looked to me like somebody who was struggling to just keep pace with the game, It is very early but if you looked at the post match interview last Thursday he had actually turned purple.

I am hoping he can influence games without having to cover too much ground, my gut (no pun) says that Koeman had no say in this and that Kenwright thought it just too good a story line to pass over. He will cost us £12 million over 2 years; I am going to try to stay dispassionate and judge him on this alone whatever happened in the past will / can have no relevance to how he succeeds or fails with Everton 2017-19

Only time will tell...

I'm with the general consensus about Kenny. Obviously Martina's his guy and you can forgive his defensive lapses it may be first night nerves but he showed little overlapping potential when he had acres of space to run in to.

I must admit, now that he's got money to play with, I'm concerned that our own golden generation will be loaned, sold and generally ignored. Don't forget the great Man Utd side and Barça sides were all built round their youth team.

To quote Donald Trump. Sad

It's too early to tell what impact Rooney will have, I am keeping an open mind and certainly was expecting the second coming. I just don't feel that Koeman would have entertained the move if it was mostly about a good story line, he just doesn't strike me as the sentimental type whatsoever.

We have a lot of new players and the promise of more players to come, so I can see Rooney occupying different roles and he is capable of doing this; only time will tell if he proves to be a good signing on the pitch, we are in agreement here. Off the pitch, I think he does offer a lot of things that the rest of the squad don't have.

It's all about opinions!

Looks like we've just wasted over 𧶀m, when we could just have just got Unsy & the kids in. Stupid, eh?

It was so important that the opposition didn't grab an away goal.

I tend to agree with you. Us fans were demanding Davies to be played long before Koeman put him in. In fact IIRC Koeman only put him in due to an injury crisis. So in reality, he got 'lucky' with Davies due to circumstances.

I can't believe Kenny isn't playing tonight.

I believe the problem is that football is such a cut throat business in England. Managers can't afford to risk their jobs on the gamble of a kid so prefer to rely on the (perhaps less talented) seasoned professional that will guarantee you a 7/10 performance that gamble on a kid who could give you a 10/10 or a 4/10 while developing.

Unfortunately this is standard across the Premier League. An average but experienced player from a foreign league will always be preferred to youth due to the risk of the manager's job.

When Moshiri first took over, the sensible fans knew his first few years would be spent primarily sorting out the business side of the house – we weren't going to do a Man City or Chelski. As such, I felt he missed a golden opportunity to put trust in Unsworth and the kids. If it failed, we could still pump the money in as the business side would be sorted.

The real frustration was his slightly dodgy defending but, more significantly, that he gave us nothing going forward. We have been spoilt by Seamus. But all the calls on here for Jonjoe Kenny are based on his attacking flair and that this is better than Martina and he should be picked over him.

However, the main responsibility of the right-sided defender is to defend and attack is secondary. How would we all feel if Jonjoe made a couple of complete howlers at the back and we lost 2-0 or 2-1? Because maybe, just maybe, the Everton management do not think his defensive qualities are good enough yet. And in such an important game as this, a team talk which says guys we need to draw or win and can't let a goal in, he would not play his normal game (a la Seamus)?

Maybe his experience is not enough to know when to bomb forward and arrive at the back post to score or take on their full back and so he will stick to his defensive requirements only and in this atmosphere perhaps Martina will have greater experience and therefore less chance of a mistake.

I'm not saying he will, based on last week and the Genk friendly, but maybe that is Koeman's thinking.

And I do think it was Seamus's time at Blackpool that made him. He did play left-back against Benfica in 2009 in a Europa League match and was awful as we lost 5-0. Yes, this team are not Benfica, but putting in a guy for his debut on such an important match is maybe not a wise move. But if Jonjoe becomes the next Seamus – fantastic!

For now, in this respect, I'll go along with the judgement of the manager who played more young players than anyone else in the league last season.

If they're good enough, they'll break through, just like Tom Davies.

As someone else mentioned above, surely he's going to spend this season out on loan playing regular first team football in games where the result really matters, without it being in the absolute glare of the Premier League spotlight. For your own sakes I suggest many of you join me in simply accepting that the plan for our youngsters is a longer term one and that we won't see them in blue this season.

We can then move on to whether or not Martina is good enough on his own merits, rather than having Kenny there as a comparison. For this, I suggest we need to give him more than the one display last week. Only five to ten games in will a judgement really be fair.

He was the best player as they won the U23 Premier League 2 title. He was arguably England's best player as they won the U20 World Cup only a few weeks ago. But he has barely played him, despite Jonjoe looking good in the two halves of games he has played so far.

Imagine if we had signed the Venezuelan U20 world cup finalist right back, we'd be clamouring for him to be straight in the first team. What's the difference? We have a player that everyone in the Youth team setup says is ready. The fans all want to see him. We are playing a side who would get beat by Marine. Why the hell are we not playing Kenny? Why is he not even on the plane?

What is it with Koeman and kids? This smacks of his refusal to play Davies for 6 months last season. Hopefully something happens to give Kenny his shot, like Davies, and he grabs it with both hands. Not that I want to wish injury on anyone.

On an aside, anyone ever hear about Zirkzee again?

I hope the lad has a good season on loan, which is exactly what we should be doing with Kenny.

I think Pennington did well in the League Cup games, despite being forced to play as a right back and to get forward and put crosses in.

If Kenny played and did absolutely shite, he'd still have played better than Martina did last week.

"There seems to be a general consensus that most of our youth players are better than established Premier League players." Not at all. I, with few others, only wanted Kenny to be involved over a no-mark third-rate shite right back in Martina. Unless you're asking Koeman as he has a new favourite by the looks of it.

Kenny deserves a chance based on his performances. Martina doesn't. Oh and Martina is hardly established as he was third choice at Southampton. I don't think that's too much to ask. I really question Koeman's judgement if he continues playing Martina.

And we haven't spent £200m in fees. Not even £100m yet this summer.

Ciaran, it is fanciful to think it is about the performance and not the result. Unfortunately, it is the result that matters to Koeman and his hierarchy. That's because it's the result that keeps us in Europe, the Premier League etc.

Fans passing through the turnstile do not have the power they once did as they now provide a very small part of the clubs income. The money on offer from TV deals means that it will take a very brave manager to blood many youngsters at once. Something Everton are actually very good at.

I think we have the highest number of teenage scorers in the Premier League (possibly on par with Arsenal – who seemed to have dispensed with youth and buy in now).

Pickford
Martina Keane Williams Baines
Gana Schneiderlin Klaassen
Calvert-Lewin Sandro Rooney

I would rather see Calvert-Lewin only used as a target man but Koeman doesn't really deviate.

But we are playing a Div 2 standard side, at best. I would argue this is the perfect time to play him, just as much as the home tie was as well as was the Genk friendly. Instead, you'd rather see Martina play?

As that wise old sage Alan Hansen once said you will never win anything with kids – especially those who have grown up at the club.

I admire Koeman's policy of fucking off young local talented players Kenny, Dowell, Barkley to buy Dutch players who couldn't get into Southampton's team. Apparently we are chasing another defender who is Dutch as well, surprise. At least he brought Rooney home, FFS!

If Moshiri Is the hard-headed leader he claims to be, then – unless Koeman delivers a marked improvement on the points total and a trip to at least one semi-final this season – he should be fucked off. He is richly rewarded and financially supported in the transfer market; time to deliver and cut out the excuses.

The amount of negativity just before an important game is beyond belief.

People are making an issue about a kid who has played 2 top level games not being picked for this game.

FFS, lads – get behind the team and the manager and give them a chance instead of carping like spoiled kids on Football Manager's amateur hour.

I disagree. I don't think there was as many people wanting Pennington to get an opportunity as there is with Kenny.

For me, Pennington was already behind Browning, Holgate and Galloway in the picking order of centre-backs.

Kenny has put in some great (and consistent) performances and is IMHO our first choice youth right-back (despite Holgate getting opportunities there). Pennington was never (again in my opinion) first choice youth centre-back.

I do agree that this is a Div 2 Standard team that we are playing against, but if Kenny were to drop the ball or not be up to standard, would you still see him starting our first game of the season against a tough Stoke side?

Surely Martina will be starting that game, and given his lack of time at the club, these are the sort of games he should be playing in order to gel with his teammates, and get up to speed.

Not an ideal situation for either player I guess, Kenny has looked good against the standard of opposition he has currently faced; and yes, unless you throw some game time to these younger players, we will never know if they are up to it or not, but surely that is what the loan system is for?

Let's just hope that we can hold it altogether with whoever holds down that position until a fully fit Coleman can come back and reclaim.

The above was based on quick counter-attacking so I went with pace where possible but also it left me thinking that we are clearly short on the right until Bolasie comes back (and I even prefer him on the left!).

An alternative with 3 at the back (trying anything to get Martina out of the line-up) and going 3-4-3, with Lennon and Baines able to drop back and cover the flanks if needed:

Pickford
Holgate Keane Williams
Lennon Schneiderlin Klaassen Baines
Sandro Rooney Lookman

For either, Gueye could be swapped with Schneiderlin.

Anyway, COYB – 2-0 tonight!

How many youth players have broken through at Chelsea since John Terry? Zero. If John Terry was aged 19 or 20 today, how likely is it that he'd be given a chance? Low/probably zero.

If the Sky money holds firm, expect to see few youngsters breaking through at most Premier League teams. Every now and again, a Rashford or a Tom Davies will break through... but they'll be rare exceptions – most won't get the chance.

Link

Enjoy!

Take it for granted Jay, that we are all behind the team in every game they play; we also want the manager to be a success as that makes Everton successful.

Jay, and I stress again, it is not about a kid; Kenny is 20 years of age, it is a football game we want him to play in. He is not going to fight a war, even though he would be well old enough to fight in one.

I will try to refrain as it's early in the season but let's just hope he doesn't have a performance that could crash the TW Servers!!

Pickford,
Martina, Keane, Williams, Baines
Davies, Schneiderlin, Klaassen
Rooney, Calvert-Lewin, Sandro

Please play the young lad in his correct position! Not beyond the wit of man is it?

No need to play both Gana & Schneiderlin – it smacks of a defensive mindset against a bunch of farmers.

Round pegs, Ron lad, rounds pegs...

Yet this thread is dominated by singling out the weakest link – we all know who! How's about talking up our other players? Rather than focusing on the negative?

Let's hear some positive posts about Pickford, Sandro amongst others? Let's be positive, ay?

I'll take Dave's comments on board as I understand he's watched the Under-23s and Jonjoe and fair play to him for that but others just seem to be jumping on the bandwagon.

If Koeman has a player injured, and chooses to take a punt on a youngster, in what sense is that lucky? I mean unless he just picked a player totally at random It seems to me he made a decision that Tom was ready, and was vindicated by Tom's performances.

If Koeman had picked Mattheus Hewelt by random, played him at centre half and watched him score a hat trick in the Anfield derby on his debut, I would consider that 'lucky'. Otherwise it's just good decision making from the manager.

Also had me thinking would Yarmolenko be a better bet than Sigurdsson – a year younger and still banging them in. Would not cost anything like 㿞m.

Rozemberok's Uefa co-efficient is about the same as Derry City's and Sligo Rovers', which gives you an idea of the size of the task facing us tonight!!!!!

If he can just "calm down" a bit and add a smidgen of composure, I think we have a top player on our hands.

Its more likely to balls up our League campaign than be of benefit. Yes there's definitely two ways of looking at the competition and many will disagree, but for me there's more negatives involved than advantages playing in it if we are hell bent on a high League finish. Risk of injuries to key players, traveling time and disruption to League campaign being some drawbacks.

We should turn the opposition over tonight, we are going to field our best team and will out class them no problem.

Can we lay off the over the top criticism of Martina, he wasn't great but he wasn't that bad either.

Started reading ToffeeWeb to get some informed opinion on my loved Blues. Have enjoyed some great features from the members, and some much missed optimism.

Having had time to look over the opinions on here today, I feel like giving up.

However he is meant to be a defender and having watched that last week, what bothers me is what the likes of Hazard, de Bruyne, Coutinho, Sane, Pedro and a few others might do to him.

I had to smile when I read Stephen's post at 113 seeing Yarmolenko being suggested again. Had forgotten all about him.

Amen.

All I meant was his hand was forced. He had no other option but to play one of the kids! It could just have easily have been Liam Walsh that got the opportunity (if he had not also been injured at that time).

It was either play Davies or put Jags into midfield. So okay... I'll give him credit for picking Davies over Jags. His hand was forced with the youngsters!

https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html

We now know which clubs got knocked out of the 3rd Qualifying Round of the Champions League. It took place last night.

In the 3rd Qualifying Round of the Champions League, there were 8 clubs with a higher seeding than ours who got knocked out so we are down to 19th out of 22 so still a seeded team. Kiev are seeded 2. We cannot play a seeded team.

We will play one of the unseeded teams - if we get through.

We need to keep our eye on the 11 teams playing tonight who could go out and are above us in the seeding. PSV are 1-0 down having lost at home, Gent are 1-1 from their home leg, Krasnodar are only 2-1 up and the same for Bordeaux before their away legs and Sparta Prague lost 2-0 away. So we are likely to be more highly seeded.

Our concern will be that at the moment we are the last seeded team in pot 2 for the group stages. There are 4 teams coming in straight to the group stage with a better rating and 12 with worse. There are also 10 teams from the Champions League 4th round. There are 7 teams who have a higher rating than us (plus one match where both teams have a higher rating) and if one of them loses, we go to pot 3. Of course if one of the 5 teams in the previous paragraph lose, then we can afford 2 to lose and so on depending on the numbers who lose to a lower seeded team in the CL 4th round. I would quite happily give up a place in pot 3 if it meant Liverpool had gone into pot 1.

Now just relax and enjoy the game.

He is a squad player, capable of playing across the back four and midfield (we are advised) and he may well prove to be a very solid professional. He is still settling in and probably like most of the squad not yet fully fit. He is being selected by Koeman he is not selecting himself.

Jonjoe is immensely popular with Evertonians, rightly so. He is a fantastic prospect and like most of us, I feel his time will come this season. perhaps sooner than later I hope. However, subject to the manager's selection criteria he will be introduced when he feels the time is right, or possibly sooner in emergency circumstances.

With the hectic high-pressure start, perhaps Ron wants experience and youth to be available, and Martina needs the playing time? Meanwhile we need to wind down the negative aggression and let the games unfold.

Cuco is entitled to a decent respectful Everton welcome at least, and to be given a chance to show his worth. If he doesn't fit the bill, he will be found out soon enough.

COYB

It is like some posters are willing Martina and Koeman to fail so they can say "I told you so".

I would have liked to see Kenny in and Williams out, but at least there's no Martina and Davies has been given a start.

Get into them blues – don't take 30 minutes to wake up and concede the initiative.

Let is be us that grabs a quick goal for a change and then just close the game out – like a top, professional (so-called) Premier League side should do.

A lot riding on this result tonight, so play like you mean business from the kick-off and impose your class. No more of this ridiculous European inferiority strategy.

Davies is a very positive selection but clearly says waaay too much about our options at right-back. Square peg & that, but he's good enough.

Still shudders at playing Gana & Morgan in the same team. But Klaassen running on is good.

Koeman forced himself into width albeit from wingbacks.

BTW the co-efficient is made up of a country number plus a club number so we get the 14-15 season performance plus the English number.

So as Slovakia is a lousy league and Ruzomberok have never been in Europe, that is why their ranking is low. Celtic's is high from a lousy league and being in there every year and winning the odd game.