Everton vs Aston Villa

For me Delphi's a bad bad influence on the squad, fit or unfit and his body language at Arsenal for me summed him up, as a person and player, he thinks he's above it all and doesn't give a crap about Everton.

Tom Davies must start and hopefully Isaac Price can get a place on the bench, as he and the other youngsters in contention for the first team do care and put a shift in.

Delph if he starts could prove me wrong and I'll eat double slices of humble pie and give credit if due.

But some how I doubt it.

No excuses and I fear Villas attack and hopefully Tom playing alongside Allan can help stop the feeds into the Villa attack.

For me start as last week but Tom Davies starts in place of Gomes.

Six big games, all cup finals. Finish off the season the way they began it.

We should, and I believe we will, be winning this game. Clean sheet and 2 goals from somewhere. 2-0

By the law of averages he should be due for a brace at least.

The above doesn't make sense. Everton are six points behind Chelsea so how could they then be 11 points behind after the Chelsea match ? Am I missing something?

The word intensity applies again. All teams who come to Goodison ; rich, poor, good or bad know they can get something, at least a draw, if they bring all the intensity they can muster to the game.

Our midfield has buckled when teams have outdone us for energy and intensity, our supposed classier players have been nullified by it time after time at Goodison. I mean can anyone honestly say that we have been unlucky at home ?

So tonight the key will be matching the intensity that Aston Villa will undoubtedly try to impose. Our success in that will be down to either how the team is set up or wether we can reproduce the rejuvenated last home performance against Tottenham.

Pickford
Coleman Holgate Godfrey Digne
Davies Allan Gomes
James DCL Richarlison

That looks a strong team, always concerned about Gomes but I think he has shown some incremental improvement , and much prefer him to Delph.

If Sigurdsson can get the right delivery on the edge of the area he might get lucky with one of his shots. The overall objective will be to grind out a result and hopefully nick a goal. What I would give for a upgrade in Everton's set piece play to something like before Xmas.

Everton are going to need the right motivation or spirit as Ancelotti calls it. If they come out and give one of those inept performances they are capable off, I may break the TV throwing something at it.

IMO Delph is the linkman to nowhere. Davies rather than Delph please.

Why is he having problems with his dental alignment/arrangement?

Not the most inspiring team as per Lyndon's projected eleven, but as Kunal and Kim have said, surely Tom Davies has shown enough to merit a place, as the best of a 'limited choice' pool of available players.

Missing Jack Grealish, has clearly affected Villa's potency of late, and he is clearly missed by them, but by the same token, they are not to be seen, or treated as an easy 3 points. Our Home Form inexplicably has been very poor, with virtually the same personnel who have performed a lot better away, the game before. I know there are no crowds, which thankfully has highlighted how important the fans actually are. Still doesn't explain why we should be verging on crap/really disappointing against teams we should be beating though.

COYB

The Villa supporting wife is continuously reminding me of my sceptical raised eyebrow when they splashed £33m on an unproven player in the summer.

I should know better. I constantly bang the drum about proven Premier League experience not being important.

I anticipate a end to end game with plenty of goals.

Coming to the game, if Carlo starts Delph for this one, I will truly lose it and gladly join the COB! The back 5 was solid against Arsenal, so why tinker with it? I like Tony‘s team, but Carlo will fancy Siggy over Gomes for sure.

4-2-3-1

Pickford
Coleman Holgate Godfrey Digne
Allan Davies
James Siggy Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

SUBs: Olsen, Mina, Keane, Nkounkou, Gomes, Delph, Bernard, Iwobi, King

I was also for some reason there for the Littlewood's (League) Cup match when Gary Stevens snapped him in half, effectively ending his career.

Awful tackle, awful injury. I guess that and the fact we were all chanting "die you barsteward die" as he was carried off left him with a bitter taste. He most certainly has no affection for Everton!

I'll watch tonight and pretend there's no Europa qualification possible.

We won't be playing next season with the same squad. Especially if we qualify for Europe.

European footy is all that matters now.

There are just over 25 days before the last game of the season, against Man City. I find it unbelievable that a date has not been set. What do both clubs feel about this and should they be doing something about it? I think the Premier League officials must be held accountable for this inexplicable lack of information. Or is this yet another unacceptable example of how Sky Sports and BT Sport control the Premier League? I can't believe that they will ask both teams to play in the week leading up to the last match. How is that fair? So come on, Premier League – pull your friggin' finger out and set a date!!!

The owner has a stadium to build at £500M, we're in the middle of a global recession, I wouldn't at all be surprised if we only see one or two new faces in the summer and another tough season.

I've been wrong before, Moshiri might splash the cash, but I believe the Europa League will be a burden we don't need.

Villa not a one man team, but they can be a very decent team with Grealish. I don't think they can without him.

We may not be troubling the edge of our seats, but we win this one all day long

European football very much part of the "project" (hate that term by the way). Nice interview with Carlo on the YouTube channel this week where he refers to the stadium. Other notable comments from him where relating to Inzahgi. When we talk about DCL not being great outside the box, listen to what Ancelotti says about Inzahgi. That aside, Crosby beach gets the nod over Venice's Lido and there is now a restaurant in Parma I need to check out!!

Very Shakespearean love it

Finishing above that lot will also almost definitely keep them out of Europe unless Uefa come up with yet another dirty fix. I can't help but feel we've thrown away a magnificent opportunity to overturn the status quo this season.

If Delph starts, I'm switching off and won't watch until he goes off injured, hopefully about 7 minutes in.

Here's hoping we are all shocked by a return to the form and performances of early in the season.

COYB. 4-1.

I have just read some comments from Ancellotti blaming Iwobi's shiteness (my word, not Carlo's) on the performance of the rest of the team. Hmmmm...

Gone is the day, it seems, when a good player always turned in a performance whatever the circumstances. Ben Godfrey is an apt example but perhaps he is the only consistent shining light and needs to be moved on lest he bucks the team ethic: "If one shite, all shite."

Nail on head on the stupidity of the ESL:

'This match is a perfect example of why competition is the lifeblood of football. We are eighth but the possibility for Europe is there and the intention is to fight until the last day.

'Without this incentive, the game wouldn't be so important and, in that situation, it is tough to have the same intensity and concentration.

'In the Premier League, every opponent is difficult, all the teams have different qualities and the ambition to win matches.

'If there is no chance to achieve something more than survival, the motivation would be low and the competitive element would suffer.

'This is why the 12 clubs wanting a European Super League made a bad mistake.

'It is unacceptable to have a competition with no sporting merit and this idea could only happen when there is no consultation with the managers and players and supporters.'

He goes on to say:

'At Everton, you can feel the emotion and love of the supporters, how they are really close to the team and the Club.

'Everton is a club with class, I think, and the Owner and Chairman and Board listen to the voice of the fans.'

He gets it.

Hope Carlo doesn't repeat that mistake by all means. We have good availability of players so hope he gets it right.
COYB!

And speaking of hallucinogens, here's the Sun a couple of hours ago:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/14808898/philippe-coutinho-everton-barcelona-transfer-liverpool/

Any thoughts on how real this is?

Any thoughts on whether we should want it to be real?

I resent the inference to my use of hallucinogens.

When I posted that, I had just enjoyed a lovely cup of Earl Grey and a couple of Brownies my son had sent me from an excellent coffee shop he's found while he's working in Amsterdam.

They're delicious but I can't fathom why eating them makes me feel so bloody hungry!

Not sure the Carlo type of player anyway. But we need a serious winger in our squad. Too many playmakers already.

Raphinha of Leeds would be great as well.

CARLO IL MAGNIFICO!!

Coutinho hasn't justified his mega-fee and the pressure there may have damaged his confidence and game a bit. But there's no doubt he's a hugely talented player. What interests me is that Mr Ancelotti is a player whisperer. He could get a player such as Coutinho in and get him playing well and also enjoying his football. If he could do that, and you can't rule it out , it could be a fantastic signing for the club.

I agree with Jay @ 66 in his last sentence. This type of attacking midfielder is a bigger priority to move the club forward.

Yes on Raphinha. UTFT!!!