Sigurdsson should be involved against Manchester City

78' Sigurdsson enters.

90+4' The game finishes 2-1 Everton after Gylfi scored two free-kicks.

OK, I'll come down to earth now.

Personally I think the whole team from back to front (including the much maligned Martina who put in a load of quality passes and offered a ready outlet down the right flank) put in a decent shift and were perhaps unlucky to not come away 3/4 up.

City will obviously be a totally different game, we're going to be defending a lot and hitting on the counter. We'll need Gueye and Schneiderlein to be 'on' it and our forward players of Klaessen, Rooney and Sandro (if fit) to make the most of opportunities that come their way - hoping Lookman gets another run out - he's still an unknown quantity and City's defence is a work in progress.

However, we are likely to be weak on the flanks and narrow. Given how De Byrne likes to attack and cut in through the flanks, that's an area of concern.

If Sandro is fit, I'd like to see him, Rooney and Klaassen in a front three, and a midfield three of Gueye, Schneiderlin, and Davies.

I'd like to see Jagielka in place of Williams, or even Holgate partnering Keane. That will be a good blend of youth and experience.

However, I think we will be very difficult to beat and the pressing game is showing signs of fruition as over the last couple of games we have harried the opposition into giving the ball away in dangerous positions leading to chances.

Everton have had some good results at Man City and it would be great to get something there again. Keane has been terrific so far and Pickford has shown his class at vital times on the few occasions he has been called upon. I suspect the Man City game will be a game that Pickford could prove to be Everton's saviour.

But the very poor way they handled transfers with us in the past has made it easy to motivate Everton.

We are further in front fitness wise, and have a decent record. Win if Koeman is positive, it occupies Citeh and they are poor at the back. Set up 3-5-2 and they will kill us, simply too defensive.

Simple.

Alderwierald refusing to sign a new contract (got 2 years left) due to money.
Offer Ross in part exchange and give him the wage he is looking for?
Top class centre half

Two big games these Split and Man City games. We should try and get out of sight in the first half against Split and do the opposite in the Man City game. Keeping it tight in the first half, frustrate them, and grab the winner in the second. Pace will be important factor in those halves. Koeman needs to rotate the squad well here: one defensive midfielder in Split game and two in Man City game, maybe even three.

There is also better chance of winning Europa League if we take it seriously. We will be 5th favorites to win it behind Arsenal, Milan, Villarreal and one of the English teams that will drop off the from the Champions League – most likely Spurs (pot 3 and Wembley) or Liverpool (pot 3 or 4 and Martinez-esque defending).

I thought Klaassen was fine v Split, crucial in both goals and was disappointed to see him subbed when you could see he was getting his mojo back.

Gylfi on as a sub and to score the winner.

Give him a 10-15 cameo appearance and then maybe 45-55 minutes against the Croatians. We don't want him pulling a hammy now do we?

I imagine him playing eventually on the right of a front three. Something like this:

Pickford
Martina Keane Jagielka Baines
Gueye Scheneiderlin Klaassen
Siggurdsson Rooney Sandro

An organised team that hard to break down though a little short on pace and width for my liking though Lookman and Mirallas can provide that if needed.

Not a single'worldy' in the side so unless we 'do a Leicester'(unlikely) we shall get what we are due -perhaps 'a better' seventh. Betya !

The other comment from the Guardian that stuck, was that although his right foot is first choice his left foot is excellent too. Apparent he's scored several free kicks using it.

Interesting times to be Evertonians.

Klaassen was slightly better against a poor team, but has not come to terms with English football yet. He was pulled early 2nd half as he was losing possession too often. It is early days for him, but I believe he will be a good player given time.

Mirallas never made one cross all game, preferring to cut inside every time, which was soon realised by Split. He is just not a winger and there is no way he will start against Man City.

On the evidence of our first few games, I cannot see how the manager will be able to leave Davies out of the starting eleven for much longer. I know he believes the lad is not strong enough yet but he's the best talent in the team by a mile,Rooney aside.

As mad as playing DCL as a right wing back or Pennington for his first game of the season vs the red shite? Koeman likes his surprises!

You're quite right about the top 6. Leicester won the league by a country mile and Koeman took Southampton to 6th twice. It's not set in stone.

Most of last years top 6 have issues currently(as do we up front). Spurs have just bought a centre half and may buy more players, but we'll see. Chelsea seem to have their issues, as do RS, especially defensively. Arsenal are Arsenal and our closest rivals. There are vulnerabilities there. Apart from The Manchester clubs there are issues

I think it is entirely possible we will get more points, and concede less goals. Scoring as many may be the critical issue.

I bet their fan sites are fuller of DH clones than ToffeeWeb

Anyway, cameo 20 minutes on Monday against the other Manchester lot.

To me, it's much more doubtful that the mass will make up those points than the top six will fade away.

So it's the same '7th bollocks' for me. And not a failure by any means !

Pickford
Martina
Keane
Williams
Baines
Schneiderlin
Gana
Sigurdsson
Lookman
Klaassen
Rooney.

Then for Thursday, change Klaassen and Sigurdsson for Davies and Sandro.

"The types of players we got just in this window, are better than all the players Moyes got in his entire managerial time here."

Really? They may prove to be, but I'll reserve judgement on whether all or some of them are better than the likes of Baines, Arteta, Pienaar and Cahill (among others) - all Moyes' signings, their accumulative fees less than half the cost of, for example, Keane or Pickford.

The match on Thursday is everything, in my opinion. Winning and getting into the Europa League proper is huge proposition for Everton. And, dare I say, might draw a higher caliber players/striker to join Everton now because of the attraction of both PL and International play this coming season.

We took no points off the RS or Chelski, 1 off Spurs, 2 off Man U, 3 off Arsenal and 4 off Citteh. Against the top 6 we took 10 out of a possible 36 points. If we came out even against them, i.e. 18 out of 36, coupled with the 4 wins I mentioned above, then that's 20 extra points. It's not hard to see that it might be possible.

Same with Arteta, with the delay in him signing being reported as being because of the complex tax situation, when leaving Spain to go to England? I personally thought Moyes, only had enough money for only one signing and was waiting for either Scott Parker, or Emre, who both went to Newcastle. Both good players by the way, but would they have been as good for Everton, as Arteta was?

Back to Monday, and I hate it when people pick teams, but the one Bobby picked @50, looked really good, so good I actually thought he'd picked 12 players and had to count them again! Just not sure about Rooney, up-front though, because I actually prefer him playing between the lines?

Maybe we will play without a recognised striker, and look to break quick? either way things are looking up because it's a long time since an Everton squad had real options, I just hope we haven't finished our spending just yet.

And for every one of those, he brought in three or four that were cack. Factor into it the fact that Moyes had 11 years to get it right. The only stand-out player there is Baines. To a good scout finding gems, fees aren't the biggest factor; especially when you consider Moyes's complete and utter failure to bring in top players at Man Utd with their massive income behind him.

Compared to what we have now, and will have in the next few years, Moyes's record was poor everywhere he's been. He wanted to bring in Sigurdsson 6 years ago when he was an unheard of player. Failed at that too.