Crystal Palace vs Everton

Although Zaha won't be playing this has 2-2 written all over it.

Looks like Zaha has been lied to about letting him leave, no wonder he is furious.

I am thinking we will keep this to 0-0 for the first half , but we have more quality than Palace and we will do just enough in the second half to get a narrow win.

Crystal Palace 0 Everton 1

Moise comes on for the last 20 mins and gets the winner.

Hopefully him, Gbamin and Iwobi will be on the bench to introduce if we need them and begin their assimilation into the team.

I think Lyndon’s teamsheet looks correct and I don’t think it will be a goal fest. I hope we can scrape a 1-0. Mina headerin the second half! Though I’d love DCL to get off the mark. Still think/hope he can get 10-15 goals for us this year.

Only question regards Mina - I thought he was banned for this absolutely ludicrous 'never happen if he was at Sky4' gambling thing?

We are defensively week and with no Zouma or Gana the central area if statue Schnides starts is embarrassing.

Give the new lad Gbamin a start as CDM

Pickford
Coleman Keane Mina Digne

Richarlison Gomes Delph Iwobi

Siggy

Keane
If Delph is injured then go for Davies or Shniederlin next to Gomes

My subs would be:
Lossl
Sidibe
Gbamin
Davis or Shniederlin
DCL
Bernard
Touson or Walcott

Holgate

Hopefully him, Gbamin and Iwobi will be on the bench to introduce if we need them and begin their assimilation into the team.

I think Lyndon’s teamsheet looks correct and I don’t think it will be a goal fest. I hope we can scrape a 1-0. Mina headerin the second half! Though I’d love DCL to get off the mark. Still think/hope he can get 10-15 goals for us this year.

Does Kean start or do we let DCL have 60 min and give Kean the last 30 min?

Link

Palace are a poor side but our lack of goals in preseason is worrying. I expect to dominate but find it hard to get a goal for the win.

I am expecting big games from DCL and Bernard due to the competition they now face for their spots in the starting line up.

It will also be interesting to see how Schneiderlin performs. Silva gave him a good rap in his pre match conference. In fairness towards the end of last season he started to look something like the player he was when he first joined us.

I would go with the predicted team also and we will have a strong bench if needed to make the difference.

Sam while I agree that we shouldn't have too high expectations due to his age and first year I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised with Keans goal tally this year.

If Italian defenders struggle with you despite the little space you have to work with then he will have no problems here. I'll be shocked if he doesn't get at least double figures and anything else is a bonus.

Be interesting to see the starting line-up and hopefully lessons learnt from pre-season, otherwise a stale draw looks a strong possibility. Not overly keen to see Schneiderlin unless he plays like he did at the end of the last campaign.

I'd tell Keane, Mina and Holgate to take this chance while they have 4/5 months. I like all three and feel that it was the organisation and understanding that made us better defensively.

I'd tell Bernard and Siguurdson there's a guy who can't play tomorrow who's fast, direct and created more than them last season, so show me!

I've enjoyed watching people get steamed up about fictitious 'reports' in the media. Now the real thing's back - can't wait!

Being the Devil's Advocate though, it's the smaller teams we have inexplicably struggled against, so I hope that trend is well and truly 'bucked', I did check the spelling after the previous, statement.

I also hope that also, if things don't look as though they are going to plan, Silva recognises this and makes changes from the bench and doesn't leave it till the last 5 minutes or so.

Palace are a big team physically. But without zaha they will rely on penalties and free kicks. They don’t have batshit either this season.

Top half is the likely destination for us this season, just another 'if only' campaign !

Score wise the betting says a draw is the most likely result, with a win for us next and a win for them the least likely.
That's how I see it also, I think there will be three+ goals.

This season VAR might help us a lot. Many experts have been wondering if VAR will be called to help in corner situations when defenders pull the shirts of the attackers so with someone like Mina ( on his good day) he could striker terror into the opponents defence and score a lot of goals.

Last season a lot of new players said they could not believe how much stamina was needed in the premiership and they found themselves tired after 65 mins for that reason I don't think we will start with Kean.

I would start with DCL and get him to attack with a view to be substituted in the 65th min unless he has scored a couple of goals. Since Liverpool were 'gifted' by a ball hitting someones arm every though it was no where or heading towards goal we might see the same thing this season.

Pickford

Colman Keane Mina Digne

Gbamin (Delphi 80). Gomes

Siggy

Richarlison Bernard (Tosun)

DCL (kean 65)

Given they're all new and most signed very late in the window, we can't really expect much from any of them for the first few weeks as they get used to their new surroundings. So I guess for August at least the starting line up will be very similar to what we had last year and will predominantly be last years players.

All teams will be a bit rusty and settling in new players so it's hard to call the results. First and foremost we need to avoid losing and hopefully start the campaign with a win. We're generally crap in away games, especially in London, so a win at CP would be a massive boost and the newbies will have an extra week to settle in before Watford at home (where I do expect 3 points).

As mentioned, probably no Zaha for Palace so can't ask for a better time to play them. We played 6 away games in London last year and failed to score in 4 of them so hoping we can improve on this (last year at CP was 0-0).

Baines coming back from injury might just make the bench but Delph obviously out.

As for the result, I guess 2-1 for us, with Richarlison scoring one of them.

Schneiderlin playing is a bit frustrating, but Gbamin only recently joined and his season ended late due to AFCON, so no rush.

So expect Lydon's lineup to be correct.

With a bench of :Lossl, Sibide, Holgate or Gibson, Gbamin, Walcott, Kean

Confident of a steady 2-0 win.

The only problem being we created two gilt edged chances waiting to be tucked away but they both fell to DCL, hence the 0-0 score line.

I hope to see more exciting 433.

Pickford
Coleman Keane Mina Digne
Gomes Gbamin Sigurdsson
Richarlison Kean Bernard

Unfortunately I think it will be too soon for Kean to start but would hope he at least gets a run out for the last 20-30 mins.

Palace are no pushovers though and Roy will have them up for this. But got to think it’s a great opportunity for us with them losing Wan Bassaka and Zaha unlikely to feature.

Frank and anyone else: Delph (or Delphi) as submitted is fucking injured so he is not available to come on after 80 minutes.

Sorry, guys, off to the dentist, toothache.

Remembering we have no Gana, who covered for him on so many occasions, and even made him look okay in some games. Just say he played okay tomorrow, then he went to Turkey/Outer Mongolia/Moon personnel change would have to be made anyway so can't see the point.

I know JP Gbamin has only been with us a week, but he has obviously trained or had some pre-season with Monaco, if he's (Silva) that worried why not start with Tom Davies and then bring JP on for the last 30 mins or so!

we will win this no problem. Richarlison and Digne for the goals is my prediction. 2-0.

And with the positive feeling around the club, and the negative one around Palace (Hodgeson complained at the lack of inward movement, until finally signing our crocked midfielder, the world beaters that are cardiff's spanish guy, and jordan ayew). If we get an early goal, we could batter them.

I fully expect to see him on 65 or 70 minutes as a sub.

2-1 Blues.

Shame as Palace without Zaha are fairly toothless. Now they will be able to counter attack us and be one of the first teams to try running at out new CB partnership without Gueye to protect them.

COYB!

What? None of our three kits for this season is acceptable? How on earth can we have three new kits and have to use one from last season?

If we have Gomes, Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson in the middle tomorrow that will surely be one of the slowest midfield trios in the league and quite susceptible to the counter. Hopefully Delph gets fit and Gbamin gets adjusted asap.

Whilst you are picking up on spelling errors, could you please not put your name in capitals. I can only picture you SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF YOUR VOICE.

Mind you being the Devil's Advocate I like the white kit, and we seem to play better in that number.

You'll see the difference in the early games this season, in the form of much greater opponent possession in front of our backline. We saw it when he missed games last year... opponents just coasted through our midfield at times.

Either that or he actually is screaming with the pain in his tooth.

He's the worst referee in the premier league!!

Rob #69, even worse than the Twin Lee Blimps, Mason and Probert?

Worse even than Pawson?

The midfield needs to step up collectively and do the work he used to do. It's hard work, not impossible work. If the boys work hard then we won't notice he's missing, except that when Gbamin wins the ball he will carry it forwards himself and hit a few nice passes.

Unless the complaints about his decision-making holds true, and then we have another Barkley situation on our hands!

Till he is settled in the team though I’m worried we will be vulnerable with Gomes, Davies and Schneiderlin all lacking that burst of pace to make quick adjustments.

The likes of Richarlison and Kean do not retain the ball very well so it will be interesting to see how Silva sets us up to defend against counters.

Michael, was hurting sorry can't change caps at present.

Mike, thank you. I am a capital fellow in Cardiff stewarding Glamorgan v Essex.

Derek, you are correct, incredibly he is a red and only 200 miles from Anfield (sorry about that spelling Marc)👍

Let's make a statement tomorrow. Pickford; Coleman Keane Mina Digne; Gomes Gbamin; Sigurdsson. Iwobi Kean Richarlison. Bernard and Calvert-Lewin if we are on top or Schneiderlin to tighten up.

Have a good season lads; keep up the banter. 😎

In the intense atmosphere of the Premier League, it is a bit frustrating that it may be a month before the newcomers are up and running but it is what it is. Like several posters, I expect to see Kean come off the bench. I also think he will score, and win a penalty, that I hope Sigurdsson isn't allowed to take.

Can't see Palace giving us anything new to worry about unless something goes pear-shaped early on screwing up the best-laid plans.

Richarlison should be well-rested and rarin' to go so it's a question of the discipline to play a compact, tight game to take the home crowd out of it. Zaha may not start and the others, Ayew and Benteke, are average at best. Townsend is dangerous but only in spurts... but anyway, no matter which wing he opts for, Seamus and Digne are quite capable of taking care of him.

Not sure who is the official penalty taker for us?

I am not sure either but I sure as Hell hope Mirallas doesn't run onto the pitch and grab the ball to try and take it. Digne sounds like a good shout to me.

Let's hit the ground running, as I am a strong believer that wins breed confidence, as long as complacency is not allowed to creep in.

Subs: Kean, Tosun, Walcott, Schneiderlin, Sidibé, Holgate, Lossl

Always a tough game away at palace.

Be nice to absolutely destroy these tomorrow and make a statement to the rest of the league that we mean business.

Pretty much the same team that done so well last season towards the end. Gueye was out for a while if I remember injured and we didn't miss him too much. But agree he has been our best player pretty much since he arrived.

I rate Mina too he just needs to stay fit and injury free.

C. Palace (a) 0-0 D
Watford (h) 2-2 D
Villa (a) n/a
Wolves (h) 1-3 L
Bournemouth (a) 2-2 D
Sheff Utd (h) n/a
Man City (h) 0-2 L
Burnley (a) 5-1 W
West Ham (h) 1-3 L
Brighton (a) 0-1 L

Whilst a very winnable set of fixtures takes us up to November when we play Spurs at home, it's worth noting that we only beat one of those sides last season!

Another way to look at it though, is if we can win those games that we should have won last season but failed to do so, then we can build on our 54 point haul of last season. My goal for Everton would be to beat 65 points. By beating Watford, Wolves, and West Ham at home, we would have 7 more points than last season, whilst reversing the defeat away to Brighton would give us 10 most points than last season and so we'd have secured 10 of those 11 extra points we needed by November. This would mean that we could really push on for the top 6.

I'd argue to crack Top 6, three points is the minimum.

We simply have to beat these teams home and away.

Will we? No. It never works out that way. But for every team we drop points to, we need to make up for it, with points against the Top 8 or so teams.

This is what truly good teams do. They win the games they are supposed to. And we're in desperate need this season to get off to a good start.

We had some easy games early days last season, and we didn't get maximum points. It hurt us in the end.

The bar has to be higher this season. We need to go into games like Palace and expect and demand three points. Games against the likes of Wolves, Leicester, West Ham, and Watford, we need to think the same, but understand a point on the road is a good point against those teams.

Dropping points to Newcastle, Palace, et al on the road is still, for me, unacceptable. If we're half as good as we think we can be this season, we need to be ruthless and bury these teams.

No excuses. Expect and demand results for me.

It's year two of Silva's regime. We have to give him three years. But plodding along under 60 points for me isn't good enough. And that starts and ends with road games against the bottom half of the league.

Everton's problems have been down, in part, to a lack of focus over the years. Disappearing on the road to Fulham, shitting the bed when they travel to Southhampton, etc. It's ridiculous a Club like Everton can switch off and accept a "bad day at the office" like that.

This is where Silva earns his corn. No more shite games at Millwall. No more garbage at Watford. We're going to lose games. Lose them against the teams that should beat us, not the teams that aspire to join our "Big Club" status. Get the players focused, and if they don't perform, they should be out the next game for a hungrier player who won't accept losing to inferior opposition.

Ruthlessness. That's what I want from Silva this year.

And that starts tomorrow. Nothing but three points is acceptable.

Why? Because we're a better freaking team than they are!

65 points was only good enough for 7th last season, but I think Man Utd will struggle to repeat 66 points, and so 65 would be enough for 6th, and probably even 5th, as I think Lampard's Chelsea might struggle. I'm also not convinced by Arsenal.

Chelsea only need to drop 7 points on last season to get down to 65 and Arsenal 5. I think the mid section of the league is stronger than ever and so 65 would be enough. You should be able to get Champions League football with 70 points as well, but one step at a time.

The above side played really well towards the end of last season, I can see us starting this way with the options of a few of the new lads off the bench.

A long season ahead to blood the new boys.

0-2 to the Blues.

With no Wan-Bissaka and Zaha likely missing, they are there for the taking.

Yes, it was amazing we won the League in 1987 with the likes of Kevin Langley in Midfield but other fill-in players such as Paul Power and Alan Harper really stepped up and performed superbly for us that season.

That is now history and, looking to the current situation, I am hugely concerned about the lack of pace in the centre-back position. Keane and Mina cannot run and have poor instantaneous speed. The Zouma loss coupled with the loss of Gana Gueye is making me very anxious and my worry is that players such as Digne and Richarlison will not stick around very long in a team that ships goals and is not moving forward.

A tall and pacey CB was for me the absolute top priority this Summer and in that regard Brands and Silva have failed to deliver. Hopefully, Palace will not quite have enough to exploit our weakness and Gbamin will hit the ground running and will start to prove exactly why he was brought in. Fingers crossed, we really do need to take something from this game.

The Little fellas had us all up since 5 o'clock.

COYB

We are weaker at the heart of our defence. We are weaker in the heart of our midfield which will be Gomes and Schneiderlin today and we have still not signed a proven goal scorer since Lukaku left, I really hope Kean proves to be that player but I would put money on Calvert Lewin starting today, who knows, maybe today will be on of those 1 every 9 games that he actually scores !

As much as I’d like to see this through my blue tinted glasses I don’t see much more than 8th or 9th place this season and really can’t understand all this talk of top 6, we have not signed players that will get us in the top 6, we have done the usual 20 million pound outlay that keeps us treading water, very disappointing

TEN.

And you were expecting "20-25" goals???

Plus assists and pens?

Please share whatever you're smoking, because your fantasies are technicolor spectaculars.

I would have been pleased if we had signed him, but it's hardly "criminal" that Palace wouldn't go along. And your expectations of what he would have done are simply extra-terrestrial.

I think loosing Gana might be a blessing in disguise. He won the ball back (and this is the stupid bit) often too high up the pitch while it was still congested in that area.
We were not good enough to work our way out of the congestion in a way that would create a goal scoring chance so more often than not we had to recycle the ball backwards and allow their defence to retreat and get set.

Letting teams come onto us 5 yards or so more will open up more space in behind to counter and abuse the obvious pace and power we now have in the side.

PS: because of this I think Iwobi will displace the Bernard. Bernard is more guile and intricacies to Iwobis pace and power.

On a different note..had a dream last night that Everton beat Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield. 3 nil up at half time. Liverpool scored 2 late goals to set up a nervy finish. Who knows what this season brings

None of this, let them bed in, let them develop as team and think on their feet and possibly be stronger for it. Best of luck blues, let's have an opening game of the season win for a change.

Have a great time today. I haven’t got a grandson yet, still waiting.

Anyway, One game at a time. We are better all over the park so let’s get the win today and keep that momentum.

COYB

Let's hope for a decent three points to kick start this campaign. Travelling up from Kent for my first game for awhile (with a very good RS mate who got the tickets) so a few bevvies up at Lon' Bridge then off to the game. Hope to see at least 20mins or so of Kean, Gbamin etc but probably something pretty close to Lyndon's 11, and hope also the RS will be behind us on GD tomorrow!

Cheers all - have a good one.

He is worth nowhere near the reported price. I'm glad we didn't sign him for anything north of 40mill.

If you overpay for a player there is almost an obligation to play them... the Sigurdsson effect.

Iwobi is a better signing.. great potential and once he has his rough edges sanded down we will have a great talent on our hands.

Speak later at 16:55 when we have 2-2’d. It’s always bloody 2-2. Everton that.

God I am. As I am every year before first kick off.

58 and still going on 10.

C-O-Y-B!

I think you are right, Gueye in such a situation having won the ball was prone to taking the chance of a long inaccurate pass. I also think that with PSG he will have problems with this. Hope I am wrong.

I wouldn't be surprised if they just cancel each other out, first game of the season, they won't want to lose, a point away is good result even when in full flow later on in the season.

With players not to sure of themselves or their team mates around them, most will rely on the physical side rather than flair.

Two different opinions, but I really hope yours is the correct one.

At the end of the day, these companies want your money but are sometimes restricted by Licensing Laws within the Country. I can't guarantee it will work but it has for me often in the UK for viewing 'restricted channels'. Only get the Trial or minimum subscription (1 month VPN) $9.99/month in case it doesn't work then get the Bi-Annual-cheaper about $3.50/month.

Hope that helps, let us know if it does, it may help other TW'ers too!

The £60m is also about the absolute max I would have paid only if we were his first choice club (and not the Gooners). And that's in an already inflated market.

Had we have paid £80m+ he would have demanded £200k pw and said "I'm an £80m player pay me!".

We dodged the bullet on that one, but now I'm nervous our DOF and manager don't really know what they're doing. If they were using Zaha as leverage on other players, well done, but if they were serious?

Glad some have it working. How did you pay in Canadian $’s??

I thought it was only "clear and obvious" situations that would be reviewed.

As a backer fo VAR, I have to say that goal chalked off is ridiculous. Should have stood all day long!

Offside by the hair in his armpit!

Imagine that happening at Goodison after we take the lead against the RS? I don't want to be over-dramatic, but I was taking the piss out of people on here who were saying it would stop them going to the match, and for the first time I'm not sure I disagree.

As our club had worst record of bad decisions against us last season I am a big supporter of it.

It will organically change and find its proper place in overturning absolutely shitty calls / no-calls.

That call in the West Ham - City game is an example of when VAR should NOT intervene.

There will be growing pains. But stopping the robberies that occur and can actually mean the difference between a team staying up or going down is well, well worth it.

The growing pains will be severe at points when VAR "over-reaches".

Odds are we'd be watching the opener together this morning in America.

COYB

Pretty much as expected.

DCL

Bernard Sigurdsson Richarlison

Schneiderlin Gomes

Digne mina Keane Coleman

Pickford

Subs: Lossl, Holgate, Gbamin, Davies, Walcott, Tosun, Keane

Zaha on the bench. Schneiderlin as expected and no other surprises. Strong bench!

Everton XI v Palace: Pickford, Coleman (c), Mina, Keane, Digne, Schneiderlin, Gomes, Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Lössl, Holgate, Gbamin, Davies, Walcott, Tosun, Kean.

Surprised he's on the bench. Would love to see him subbed in and just go through the motions, barely trying.

Which actually provides an argument why we are fortunate we didn't sign him! ;0)

Then again am nervous whenever we play

How is it a "small town" mentality to have Kean on the bench? Surely if he is so good, a small town mentality would be to play him as number ten with the tactic that everyone has to give him the ball

See that is the "small town" mentality from Palace as opposed to what Gary was trying to suggest. Zaha is throwing a tantrum and sulking but "he is still our best player so if all else fails we will chuck him on and everyone just get the ball to him."

Also, we don't risk early injury to them in the first manic 20 mins of a new season.

Small club mentality my arse.

24 Tim Howard
18 Phil Neville
4 Joseph Yobo
5 Joleon Lescott
19 Nuno Valente
10 Mikel Arteta
26 Jack Rodwell
6 Phil Jagielka
3 Leighton Baines
21 Leon Osman
22 Yakubu Aiyegbeni

Subs
12 Iain Turner
27 Lukas Jutkiewicz
32 Dan Gosling
35 Kieran Agard
36 John Paul Kissock
37 Jose Baxter
38 James Wallace

Think you just scored for Palace

Delph is injured, Iwobi is not eligible, Sidibe has not trained with us yet.

That bench however is god awful!

Our attacking 4 have been poor. Hopefully we can get Moise Kean on the for the last 20-30 minutes.

Really insightful comments from Gary and Tony. Kean has trained less than 5 times in months. As for Gbamin, I’d have started him but let’s see how he does. Schneiderlin has played well so far.