Crystal Palace vs Everton

For the Palace game we have to keep the back 4 in place. Beyond that just need to battle and hope we can win it! Love to get back to Wembley but this time actually see us win!

I just hope and pray that a lot of the long awaited feel good factor, and unity amongst the players, after the final whistle on Thursday prevails. Of course Palace will want it as much as we do, and having home advantage will give them that extra edge. Our away form, for whatever reason has to change dramatically if we are to progress.

We don't have a lot to choose from for Allan's replacement, but I suppose Gomes, of whom I have been one of his biggest critics, is the one of few choices. Being the Devil's Advocate, I thought he did well after his introduction on Thursday night late on, but can he reproduce that for ninety minutes with no stupid challenges or rash mistakes ?

COYB We need this 💙💙💙

Christy #3, that would be great, but to the best of my knowledge, there's no way to physically get him back to England -- no planes flying between Russia and the UK, and the borders are closed so he couldn't even drive it if he wanted. He'd have to be smuggled out by the British Embassy in a very, very large diplomatic pouch.

Simon #7, I've seen Gomes turn in a great 90 minutes. Trouble is, they're spread out over half a season.

Got to be a solid three in the middle, but who? I can only see Townsend, and hope he finds some of the drive that's deserted him lately. Or, how about a worrying reprisal of past midfield "Roles" for Holgate? No, I'm not serious.

Palace have mostly cut out their fairly regular tendency to a flat, lifeless performance under Vierra. Could use one tomorrow.

Hard to call but I feel we have a fair chance.

I'm so sorry. I've read about situations like yours. Mostly in the grocery checkout line.

I still like the pouch idea, though.

I find it very hard to have much trust in the guy nowadays.

Townsend isn't the tackler that Holgate is, but he's defensively savvy, and unlike Holgate he knows what to do with the ball once he wins it. Townsend can actually start counterattacks, even under pressure. Holgate would just give the ball away.

That said, we are short on options and I bet the staff have considered it. Plus, will Branthwaite be ready?

We can survive but we sure will have to fight hard for it, no slices of luck for us!

So I'm up for Patterson too. Or perhaps Godfrey on the right and Mykolenko on the left.

But we don't have him. No direct replacement, but a shame Lewis Warrington is on loan. I'm not one to throw young players in at the deep end, but I really want to see him closer to the first team sooner rather than later. But we don't have him either.

Let's see what the manager conjures up for tomorrow to get us to Wembley.

I thought your early season prediction of us at Wembley was outlandish but we are almost there. Having picked a bad year to get back into attending league games regularly you're due some good fortune so hopefully your prophecy will be fulfilled

The other thing I dislike is because the FA needed the money for the new Wembley stadium the semi finals are played there which gives the London teams and supporters an advantage.
They should revert back to a neutral venue, example if Everton or Liverpool were playing Chelsea play at Wolves or Villa ground.Even out the distance the teams and supporters have to travel, This would make a trip to Wembley for a final more exiting.

I live in Crystal Palace, and I'd LOVE to support the blues tomorrow.

If anyone has a ticket and can't make it... let me know. Thanks, Jon

I'm remembering 95. We'd been in real trouble, sacked a manager, still weren't safe as we were embarking on a cup run.

Also remember us beating Newcastle at home in a night game. Was that a Friday night? Why did we play on a Friday? Come to think of it, why did we just play on a Thursday?

Joe Royle kept saying the cup was a good distraction from the pressure of fighting against relegation.

Injuries did hit our small squad. But we all know how that season ended.

Maybe. Or maybe it's just too many games and this will be after the Lord Mayor's show.

Tomorrow it will be all about how our midfield performs, particularly Gomes, Palace will be all over him like a rash in possession. Frank will be drilling him about being alert and moving the ball faster. How will it be set up ?, Doucoure in front of the defence with Iwobi and Gomes either side in 451/433.

Begovic
Coleman Holgate Keane Godfrey
Iwobi Doucoure Gomes
Gordon DCL Richarlison

Forest at 10/1 could pay dividends, not just with it being our neighbours, but the City ground tough place to go, when the fans are up for it, left there many a Time with my tail between my legs, I Can see Forest pushing the shite all the way,unfortunately var is in operation for the game.

Anyway back to Everton, I can see us Nicking this one, will not be easy, but all the same a little more confident than a couple of weeks ago, just have to hope and prey we do not get cheated out of the game.

The semi final draw takes place before the Forest tie, Robbie Fowler doing the draw, may as well let Klopp do the draw.

We can only hope that Lampard has found some magic formula to prevent them from dwelling on how well they did on Thursday and thus inspire them to give value for money tomorrow.

We hear the revered Chairman gave a Churchillian speech prior to the Newcy game and stressed how important the FA Cup is to Club finances and their futures. How can they possibly let him down?

No decent time to recover and perhaps Palace, will be over confident.

They are a very energetic team, and I pray and hope that if Gomes plays, he plays like his football career depends on this game. Every player tomorrow must give 100%, no less.

No stupid free kick give always in the kill zones, by any Everton players, and Everton have a fighting chance.

But I'm sure that there's a positive twist tomorrow and a trip to Wembley, next month.

Ernie @35, a good example of why the FA Cup and Wembley is not a distraction. It can actually be a morale booster and lift the club. 1984 anyone? The cup runs gave us momentum and belief that had an impact on our league form, not the other way around.

I get the modern game, but at the same time can't get my head around the tinkering because it is a cup match and not a league match. Momentum; consistency; belief and winning mentality in every match you play.

Kieran, I have to keep believing I will see them lift a trophy again. And I do believe.

I have a great photo of the 3 O'Neill brothers and my son outside Wembley in 2009. For both the Semi Final and the Final, I gave up my ticket to my son to have his moment. He got it in the Semi Final, sadly not the final. I watched in a pub near the stadium nearby on both occasions sharing the joy of the semi final and the disappointment of the final.

My son comes home soon and I hope to have another family shoot down Wembley Way. And he will have his moment.

Keep the momentum of Thursday going Everton; it will carry on into the league. Winning breeds winning. Caution breeds caution.

We could then bring on Gomes as an impact sun with 30 minutes to go. I don't think he has the legs for any longer. Maybe also swap Seamus for Jonjoe Kenny.

Who will play the anchor role is anyone's guess but, if they can show the same resilience as they did against the Barcodes, they will have shot at it.

Palace can be indifferent but they did well against Man City and, if Coleman, Kenny or anyone else can keep Zaha quiet, then who knows?

It would be nice to progress but the top teams are still in it and the priority of course is to win the games in hand in the Premier League.

The problem with Gomes as an “impact sub” is the first word as “impact” makes me think of an asteroid or cruise missile. He is more of a custard pie.

My worry is with the officials – will they be kind to us for a change?

There was a one-armed referee back in the 1950s – I think his name was Arthur Luty – who was very fair and well respected by both players and crowds. If only we had refs like him nowadays...

I trust they are not going to try and funnel everyone through their usual entrance for away fans. Especially with it being a breakfast kick-off.

Begovic; Patterson, Keane, Godfrey, Mykolenko: Townsend, Holgate, Doucouré, Gordon; Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.

(Where is Branthwaite? I don't trust Gomes and Doucoure partnership regards going back.) I don't remember if Patterson was ill but, if not, I believe Coleman should be given a rest and make the bench of course.

Our priority 100% is the Premier League so time to clear up the mess he inherited for Lampard.

Palace will be fresh and at home and we've lost Allan (that red card was as beautiful as I remember the other day, simple amazing and worth it) and we played two nights ago an amazing and long game.
COYB!

Thanks for giving your perspective. I like to hear tales from the veterans like yourself, Dave and John. It was an elderly school chaplain who brainwashed myself and my classmates into supporting Everton with his tales of watching Dixie Dean in the 1930s.

Good point. Usually at Palace I've sat as a fifth columnist among the home fans but they pack the away fans in that little section with the rickety roof. Selhurst Park must be the most dilapidated stadium in the EPL

Can you imagine if they'd been playing the other night? I guess they'd have been puzzled as to what exactly a red card is, lol.

I would put Godfrey in midfield and Mykolenko a left-back.

Begovic,
Kenny, Holgate, Keane, Mykolenko
Gordon, Doucoure, Godfrey, Richarlison
Iwobi,
Rondon

Difficult challenge this one but it is the FA Cup – anything can happen.

Up the Blues!!!

It's a pity because IMO his long-range passing is very good but he is just too slow for the Premier League where you will get no time to dwell on the ball.

Does anyone know what this illness is that a lot of the players seem to be catching, or is it just euphemismitis, also known as dropsy, which I think is being a bit wet.

Plus, imagine the mood lift if we went into the international break with a crucial league win and a cup semi-final place under our belts.

UTFT!

I don't know why there is a reluctance to play him, from a Manager who is known to be not afraid to use youngsters when necessary.

The running that Seamus has been doing recently surely he can't recover with such a short turnaround? Besides the recovery from Seamus, he is showing signs of age when all-out running is the order of the day.

A big shout to all the lads going down today, I truly admire your unstinting loyalty, three games in seven days! I could only manage two, and am still recovering. Give a big cheer for TW and bring back a whiff of the Cup.

If any young fans deserve this, ours do. COYB.

My reference (#61) to Patterson does not say, and never meant to, that he should play midfield. He's a right-back and that is where I intended him to play and give Coleman a rest albeit there's a two-week international rest after this game, well, for some.

Otherwise I agree, use players in their usual positions, form and injuries permitting, unless you consider wingbacks as midfield, which is easily done if they are used with three central defenders rather than just overlapping when the occasion arises.

However, it's not, and whilst there's still chance of Nottm Forest and Southampton being part of the last 4 too, I think we need to go with ‘sensible graft' and try and sneak a KITAP1 and players who know each other:

Begovic
Coleman Keane Holgate Godfrey
Gordon Gomes Doucoure Iwobi Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

My hope is that Calvert-Lewin can pop one in and change everything.

He's consistently been asked to play as part of an overrun “2” which just doesn't suit his game at all. Not without an absolute destroyer beside him, and the last one of those we sold to PSG years ago.

For me he's another one who's better on the front foot and with cover behind to catch the mistakes. I'd like to see Doucoure asked to sit (simply because we don't have another option) and see Gomes and Iwobi get up and knit 1-2's with Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin around the box. Don't see anything in Dele or Van de Beek yet to say either are better options, and not available today either.

Palace are staying in the hotel I'm in. Don't worry lads, I set fire alarms off at 03:00 and 04:00, Veirera was fuming.

COYB

His first, if I recall correctly, was an absolute peach. Long ball from right midfield, he took it down and finished with the outside of his right foot. I liked Daniel.

Kieran (54) that elderly school chaplain might have been in the Upper Bullens Road stand when I was a very young boy, I came out of the Boys pen and sneaked into the stands at three-quarter time and the dozens of priests in that stand amazed me, I thought I was back in The Friary church at ten o'clock mass!!

Good luck to the team and all those fabulous fans, Everton ones, at the game today, my ten pence worth on the team Rondon up-front with Dominic on the bench.

In midfield it's Gallagher which will destroy us and I just can't see any combination or single player dealing with his energy and pace, even if we had a full squad.

It's a grind today with a very very large piece of luck to keep it down to a 1 goal loss, and even more luck to nick it.

Palace have been an extremely good team since January.

Did anyone else notice that we only improved against Newcastle (and indeed scored) after the sending off and we were forced into a more compact 4-4-1 formation?

Not for me, go and win the cup, football is about winning things, if we go down then so be it, would still like to take the fa cup with us.

On the other hand we have Richarlison tweeting this:

Link

On the semi final location thing earlier, I too believe in neutral locations. Highbury & Villa Park x 2 are up there with my greatest memories.

That said I won't be complaining next month if we get to Wembley. Ticket or no ticket I'm going for the day out.

Anyway back to today, I think Frank gave a clue in his press conference were this might be a game were we arent as open and a little more defensive or as Frank called it compact. I see a 4-5-1 system today, maybe the only good thing is it will give DCL another run out, lets hope he can stay injury free for the rest of the season.

I think Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist were the first to call out Dele for turning up to training in his Rolls Royce, but Rednapp also criticized Delle for the same thing. He still believes Delle is a top player and cant understand why there has been such a dramatic fall in his form. How crazy that 3 of our players are cup tied Delle, DVdB and El Ghazi all would have benefitted from a start today.

Danny you are absolutely spot on including that tweet from Richarlison who has always been fully committed to the club. I have seen over the years his inter action with fans that you may not have seen living outside the City. I have seen on numerous times were coming out of training he has given young lads his boots. There was also a young boy who videowed himself walking past Richarlisons house and Richarlison waving to him, then to the boys surprise he comes out of the house and gives the boy his signed shirt.

Yes sometimes he goes down a little easy for me but I can never remember any game he didnt give 100% I don't think you could say the same for many in this squad.

As for Dele couldn't give a toss what car he drives when or where, would be nice if he could do a bit on the pitch though

Gomes is OK if left to play untackled and unpressurised.His right front pass on the left wing is alway a petulant hit and hope.He does this repeatedly.

The ball that Colman recovered and passed to goal scoring Iowbi, came from such a poor pass.He does it so often it is his trade mark.

Also defending deep he is sure to foul.Guaranteed.

Begovic,
Paterson ( Coleman 55), Holgate, Keane, Mykolenko (Kenny 50)
Gordon, Doucoure, Godfrey, Richarlison
Iwobi,
Dobbin (DCL 45)

The FA cup is the ideal opportunity for unknowns to stake their claim to a place in the first team. I would give Dobbin a chance. You have 45 minutes to impress me play well, score you have a starting position next game. His speed and youthfulness will tire the Palace defence and when (if) subbed the defence will be more tired creating better opportunities for DCL.

As for Iwobi I don't know why he got MotM midweek, yes he scored but his passes were awful his closing down was really poor, he stayed so far off the opposition they were able to choose their passes not hurried into passing. maybe that goal will inspire him.

He really is an awful player but if he scores the winner today then long may his awfulness last.

He seems genuinely attached to the club and fans.

I'm not naive enough to think he's here forever but if and when he does, I believe it will be a career move or the club selling for an offer they can't refuse. I doubt you'll get any "noise" from him.

Anyway, for now, he here and ours, to help us to Wembley and stay in the top flight.