Everton vs Bournemouth

This is a very important game! Still a lot of the season ahead, but we need a win. An impressive, never in doubt, slaughter would be nice; but I'll take ugly in a pinch.

Everton need to play as they did in the first 25 minutes of the Lincoln game. Silva was afraid to bring on McCarthy in the Lincoln game and made a mess of midfield. Something will have to change there, since Bournemouth are likely to play a higher defensive line, which has given Everton so many problems of late, with no answers from Silva.

Conversely, they play an open style and have a shambolic defensive record, so we should (hopefully) have an easier time scoring goals than in our last two matches.

I want to see us a link and play like a team give and go pass and move with intelligence and speed.

Watching Baines against Lincoln the other week was a breath of fresh air, give go and deliver.

I can definitely see goals in this game both teams are defensively weak and both have the ability to score. My heart says 3-1 for us; my head says 2-2 draw.

Pickford
Kenny - Keane - Zouma - Digne
Gomes - Gana
Lookman - Bernard - Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

I just think Siggy needs to be dropped or given a rest – he's played a lot of football and recently he hasn't played it too well.

Everton 3-1.

A solid back 4. Passing ability in midfield – Sigurdsson for Gana from the bench if needed. And pace and trickery up front:

Pickford
Coleman Mina Zouma Digne
Gana Gomes Baines
Lookman Richarlison Bernard

Bournemouth have pace going forward in Wilson, Fraser and King. All three appear to be doubts for this one so it could work in our favour. Nevertheless, they will look to hit us on the break.

Our tactics and form at home have been poor, to say the least, and it appears to me we are poorer when, as the home team, the onus is on us to go on the front foot.

I can see this game being another Leicester. More possession, more passes, no creativity and suckered on the break.

Fingers crossed and hope for a draw.

Bench: Stekelenburg, Mina, Baines, Sigurdsson, Davies, Walcott, Tosun.

If we are leading 3-0 with 15 mins to go, try out Baines in the Gomes (quarterback) role.

Either way, my missus is wearing her lucky royal blue top today so I think we will win.

Up the Blues!

Most of all, I don't want us to take the foot off the gas and let them back into it.

Start well and push on, particularly after half time, when we seem to come out half asleep and hand the initiative to the opposition. That certainly must be addressed.

I like Lyndon's team sheet, I too want Lookman to start, be focused and lethal.

Hope he improves...

I am sure everyone at the club would have been well aware that Moshiri would have been looking at being better than 11th. I also thought his comments about "we took a big gamble on Marco" baffling to say the least, nobody held a gun to his head saying he had to sign Silva. You cant knock someone who has pumped £250 million into the club, but maybe we can question his man management, seeing he has already sacked 3 managers in his short time in charge.

What the players will make of the comments or Silva himself I don't know, seeing as Silva signed half the team you would think they would be busting a gut to ease the pressure on the manager. So lets hope we can string together a few wins starting tomorrow.

I just feel we are too flaky defensively and going forward we are too passive with the limited striking options really beginning to hinder us.

I'd personally try out Walcott in the striker's position to see if he can find his form, Bernard on one flank then Lookman in the other with the midfield picking itself.

We can't see another Leicester and Brighton performance and, even last week against a League 2 side, we looked bleak for most of it.

Shit!!! I'm halfway up the M1!!

It will be interesting to see if Calvert-Lewin gets the nod after being hooked at halfway against Lincoln, otherwise we may simply get Richarlison in the role, bringing Bernard on the left and Lookman on the right.

Now we know we still have the possibility of a cup run to keep the interest of players and fans; I hope we see the boys cast off their shackles and play on the front foot for 90 mins rather than the Jekyll-and-Hyde stuff of late.

Walcott has stunk the place out playing on the wing I'd have to agree. That's why I'd try something different with him and give him a central role to see if there's a bit less pressure of having to beat the fullback all the time, something he hasn't done all season on the wing.

I don't think Walcott has been helped by the poor form of our right back either at times and likewise. It's worth remembering though how effective he was when he first signed and we were all championing his signature from Arsenal.

I'd just see how he worked out as striker for a few games starting tomorrow and then away at his old club Southampton next week which he'd be up for.

It's pointless just sticking Calvert-Lewin up there and banging on about 'potential' this and 'potential' that, all I see is a player that's not really strong enough, doesn't make enough intelligent forward runs and frankly rarely threatens a goal, especially with his feet.

We all know some players have off-days, they are human after all, but to have off-weeks and the manager to not recognise the fact, but keep expecting things to be different, is something I can't understand.

Man City have a brilliant squad and almost any permutation of players produce a winning display, but either through injury or otherwise he does (Pep) rotate the team. Okay, a poor comparison to our squad, that may be... but at least try something different.

Mind you, if we could have Dave Thomas and Bob Latchford back, we wouldn't need an 11th player to despatch Bournemouth.

Every dead ball of late into our box and smells fear and nerves as no one takes ownership.

Up front why not give Walcott the chance to show he can be a lethal marksman and hit the spaces. For me we are firing blanks most games and until we get a true striker, and that won't be easy, we will struggle.

I'll take a win by any means. Hopefully we get a good game and some hope to take into the end of this month.

Onto the game: I agree that Woolcott should be tried down the middle, the people saying he's shite, I'd fire back "class vs form".

More controversial: I'd like to see Baines in place of Gana. Do we need a holding mid at home? Baines could play in the Pirlo role. It'll never happen and it's probably too late in the day for him to adapt, but for all Gana's interceptions and breaking the play up, his use of the ball is woeful.

Richarlison is the only choice up top. The rest are utter garbage.

First Sunday game Everton ever played was West Brom at home in the 70s. My dad – a staunch Catholic – refused to let me go. I remember being gutted but seem to remember it was a 0-0 draw? Still, 56,000 (proddies obviously) attended the game.

Has to be Lookman, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison or Lookman, Richarlison, Bernard.

Anyway, glad there was no wasted trip. Saints game IS Saturday – it better be as I'm going (though will be in the Saints section, as I sold my away section ticket to be able to go to the match with my lad who lives in Portsmouth).

How many goals has Calvert-Lewin scored in the league in that same year Walcott has been with us?

I'm not sure reading TW helps as I'll be incredibly disappointed if we don't win and yet I can't help feeling let down already.

So let's turn the page, start a new chapter for this season and go all-out, free-flowing, attacking football. As long as the back 5/6 don't make any silly mistakes, I'm sure we are capable of creating 7 or more good chances; we should be good for an entertaining win.

Walcott is a counter-attacking player which is why he's been poor. But, as the opponent's defence is as bad as ours, it may be a good game to try him centrally to make good quick surging runs into the box.

We just need the support and creativity around him to play that final pass and or draw other defenders out of position.

Calvert-Lewin and Mina to come on as a second-half subs when they are bombarding us with crosses for their height.

It could be 5-2, 3-3, 1-3 but think positively, stay calm and shout your support we can start our winning run to close the gap!

Take a close look tomorrow and see what I mean. I know that the tv pundits are always using graphics, with lines etc superimposed on the screen, it would be good if they could show where a wall should be placed and then refs watching would be keener to get it right.

That's a pet hate of mine, some little shit of a referee mincing 8 little paces before getting his little spray out and, with a flourish, drawing his line before flouncing across the area with a “Look at me” attitude.

The League really should ensure that their rules are adhered to.

As for Latchford, an absolute prince amongst centre-forwards. McKenzie on the bench for a bit of magic, Davie Thomas could drop a cross on a sixpence whilst running at speed down the left. Nostalgia eh?

Truth is, I don't think we necessarily have a better first team or squad than many of the teams around us. Given the money we have spent, this is a failing mainly of the recruitment team, and mainly the previous regime.

Spending £100m on Bolasie, Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson for example.

I believe that Brands has begun to rectify that and the £80m spent on Mina, Richarlison and Digne will turn out to be money better spent. Time will tell.

By the way, Jim @26, I was one of the few who never championed Walcott and still don't rate him. Nor am I a big fan of Sigurdsson.

How many games has Calvert-Lewin played over the last 12 months compared to Walcott by the way?

You'll probably find that, in the last 12 months, Calvert-Lewin has started and played quite a lot of Premier League games and scored 4 League goals since December 2017, not very convincing in my eyes.

A decent goalkeeper should be commanding in the box, and inspire his defence. It is no surprise that, during one of the best spells in our club's history, we had the brilliant Nev Southall in goal.

I've said it before, Pickford is too short, and now he's making regular howlers. He'll soon be discarded as England's manager.
I've been watching the progress of Burnley since Tom Heaton has reappeared between the posts. They've won the last 3 games. It is little wonder that the England manager was at Turf Moor today to watch Heaton.

The thing is, Silva hasn't got the bollocks to drop him.

53,509 was the crowd, or so the wonderful Evertonresults.com tells me, and I've no reason to doubt it.

Lapsed Catholic in my case; no way was an hour in church keeping me from the match!

Mark #23 – sorry mate!

Up the Blues

This could well be a turning point for Silva so I expect a win tomorrow. But this is Everton so anything could happen.

Time to worry about Champions League and such once we are safely installed at Bramley-Moore Dock. Relax!

As for tomorrow... COYBs.

We have no excuse tomorrow. Tiredness cannot be an issue. We have a full complement of players and we have had plenty of together time to prepare.

IMO this is a watershed game for Silva:-

Lose and he loses the support and good will he has generated.
Win and those green shoots may start to flower again.

Nothing less than 3 points and let's have the 12th man instead of the library!!

COYB

Not so good, but in fact those appearances involved 748 minutes of game time, ie, about 8 full match equivalents.

Also, he spent most of that time on the left wing, or playing for a team struggling under Koeman and Allardyce.

I think that is not a bad return, considering he is just starting his career and is not yet physically mature. I say give him a long run as centre-forward. We aren't going to win anything this season anyway.

Blue suits you, surely?

All the teams are in the same boat playing the same number of games and trying to cope with injuries etc... and of course the biggest moneybags with the biggest pool of class players to call on.

VAR will help stop a lot of whining next season and it couldn't come a moment too soon in my book. Even today I see offsides not called and goals being scored and other offsides being called preventing a probable score.

Since they have had the officials wired up and a fourth official being introduced, I cannot for the life of me see where it has improved the game. They still can't see the obvious even when they are staring right at it.

Players are still pushing, shoving, shirt pulling and standing deliberately on opponents feet and much of it in the box and going unpunished.

Next season should make a lot of players think twice about penalty-box infringements.

Ray and Eddie, I have the same pet peeve about refs not giving the full 10, but I stopped pacing it off about 20 years ago. I just run to the correct spot and point, and spray if I have it. When a player wants me to pace it off, I tell him I've been doing this since before his father was born and I know how far 10 yards is, so fuck off. (Actually I don't say that last part out loud, but they get the message anyway.)

The same goes for a moving ball, the spot of the foul, ten yards etc. Only when a team is truly disadvantaged should you apply the foul.

Whilst many apply the letter of the law, a good official will balance flow with control.

I heard on radio, (didn't see a report?) that Moshri came out and publicly stated he wasn't happy with our league position.

We need to win. Watford above us isn't acceptable.

We have a bloke, in his late twenties, who is a semi-pro rugby scrum-half. He plays outside with us in the summer. He has a throw-in like a guided missile, but one of the lads noticed that he spins the ball and one hand leads slightly before the other as he releases, giving it even more power. Is this legit? We are sure it isn't.

Of course, this is more than just restarting a game and is a veritable weapon.

And for god's sake don't play Yerry the liability; Zouma and Keane all the way!

There are instances in my opinion when a team gains an advantage through a foul throw bring taken quickly. Whereas normally legitimately taken throw-ins are a bit of a lottery and not much of an advantage. Perhaps it may be better to replace throw-ins with something else?

I scored that way once in a Cup quarterfinal. We had an Italian guy who was a howitzer on throw-ins. I subbed in just as he was loading one up at their end. I sprinted all the way into the penalty area, waving my arms like a semaphore guy on a destroyer. He hit me on the dead run eight yards out and I headed it through the keeper's hands.

Fouls are nearly, for me at least, not so much how physical they are (cos that's the easy bit, right?), but what opportunity has been taken away from the contact? Or indeed, has the contact impeded anyone at all?

I think the limited nature, often binary, of the punishment in football deters referees from striking the right balance.

I think eventually the sin bin will come and the 2nd yellow bins you, a 3rd gets you a cumulative red. The penalties available don't deter players from committing fouls at all imo. Since when is a footballer bothered about picking up a yellow?

It takes a poleaxing to pick up a 2nd yellow. Collateral damage. When the rules hurt the collective, we'll see teams police themselves and less ire at the referee.

The one that really bugs me is the shielding of a ball with no intention to play it to the point of actually barging a player so he can't get to it..

This used to be obstruction and was given when I was playing (albeit some years ago).

Now you are our Dermot Gallagher (no offence intended even though I hate referees) – what is the current advice for obstruction?

Jay #84, yep that's another one that bugs me as well.

Huge pressure on everyone so if it doesn't go our way, I feel a new / different striking option is a must. Wonder what damage Yerry could do up front? Desperate times.

At least Mina might do that! The result is we don't move a team around, the defence tires less and we aren't as effective in the latter stages of games.

A strand I think is evident in games where we cannot break a team down. However; Bournemouth are a different type of side; I have few worries about it. Open, attack-oriented, and soft at the back. There will be enough space for us to open them up.

But I share your concern; after tomorrow, only Burnley at home is a more comfortable-looking fixture. Wolves then 5 of the big 6 at home might leave us winless.

Asking this team to do it on the road, albeit at mediocre opponents, is a big ask. I think, unless the cup gives us extra succour, 13th or 14th is our likely finishing spot.

To answer your question, I cannot recall the last time I called obstruction, or saw it called. I haven't seen it at the professional level in at least ten years, maybe longer. It was never common, but now it has disappeared completely. I have no idea why.

Alan J, 10 yards and 9 meters are virtually the same distance. The laws of footy don't recognize meters – everything is in yards.

I'll bow to your superior knowledge regarding bondage trousers. 😉

Why is a regulation size international pitch 105 by 68 metres instead of yards like everything else? This has always confused me.

(Maybe you could all email the club recommending me; imagine the power of a load of emails from fans!! We are the People's Club after all... ;-)

I'm pretty confident of a win today and the way Bournemouth have been playing gives more confidence. I think Mina has his positives but, whilst we have Zouma, then surely he is a definite with Keane!?

Bernard has to play for me and I would play him centrally and leave Sigurdsson on the bench:

Pickford
Coleman Keane Zouma Digne
Gana Gomes
Lookman Bernard Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

Good luck! 😉

Thanks pal

Somebody posting that we will finish 13th or 14th and someone suggesting that they are worried... go and have a word with yourselves. We are not that great but seriously, you think we're that bad? Must be watching different games to me this season.

I'm looking forward to today and expect a decent win. 2-0 to the Blues.
COYB

Yeah... right. 😁

I think the idea of Bernard on the right is a good one as I don't think Lookman offers the link play he does with the fullback and I trust Digne to create something on his own more than our right backs at the moment.

I wonder if Silva will agree...

That ridiculous action of standing legs wide apart, and arms too, to prevent an attacker getting near the ball, while shepherding it out of play, pisses me right off.

I think the attacker should be able to step back and plant a deft kick in the cojones of the player guilty of obstruction!

So it is quite easy to see if a full 10 yards has been adhered to, and also judging the range from which a shot may have been taken.
Not easy to see at the game itself of course, but often very clear on tv, which sadly is where I watch most games from these days.

For me, Lookman has to start but I also want Bernard on from the off. Therefore, I suspect Richarlison will be at nine and Calvert-Lewin on the bench.

Decisions to be made in defence too, with Baines good display last week and which centre-half to drop. I would bench Mina and as well as Baines did, I feel Digne will get the nod.

I don't think it is nailed-on that Sigurdsson will start. We may see Bernard start in the No 10 position today.

Massive game today, even if we win we will still be a point behind West Ham and Leicester, draw or lose and all that optimism we had in the first few games will evaporate very quickly.

Let's hope that we get all 3 points with a decent performance, despite what team Marco Silva picks they need to show the confidence that was there earlier in the season. A clean sheet would also be most welcome as they are as rare as hen's teeth this season, also means if you can't keep clean sheets you have to score 2 to win any game.

Jobs for the boys, nice convenient position so he doesn't have far to travel, maybe avoid having to spit at anyone.

Disgraceful and ridiculous decision from Sky, but then again we shouldn't be surprised with the continual Liverpool bias from Sky. I'm seriously considering cancelling my subscription.

That's the worry, isn't it? One thing we do have form for is giving a helping hand to teams or strikers who are in poor form.

I think we'll win today though. Can we keep a clean sheet?

Surprise, surprise, Tottenham v Man Utd.

You gave the tea leaves a good look this morning!