Everton vs Chelsea

Great week topped off by a positive result in front of our new owners! UTFT.

Hope you're wrong with your projected line-up, the names beginning with D and H almost scream out playing with 9.5 men. I know we have some injuries but, even when we have a full squad, the team selection leaves a lot to be desired.

Chelsea are playing well but often in the last 15 years they've been in good form and Everton have beaten them well at Goodison, and yes there's been a few reverses as well.

The great news this week about the new ownership could be capped off nicely with a win. A Blue Christmas week for Evertonians!

A win tomorrow would take some of the pressure off. 2-1 win.

Hoping for 3 points.

They're probably shit at football, but so are the other two! :-)

Harrison has been awful since we signed him. Doucouré, simply has no quality other than he can run forever. Calvert-Lewin is coasting. Branthwaite not back to his best. Ndiaye needs some assistance.

We always live in hope, another 0-0 would seem like a job well done.

I've heard this guy Watts is electrifying.

Good one Stu!

The next four, Man City jokes aside, are really tough games for us.

Chelsea, City, Forest and Bournemouth away which is a horrible fixture for us at the best of times.

I know we've kept some decent clean sheets lately but getting to Christmas with a embarrassingly modest 3 wins and 14 goals scored is pitiful.

Unfortunately not.

I'm more worried about the Man City game, we always seem to be the team to play, if you have not won for a while, or a player that has a goal less streak in his boots.

I fancy us to get a result v Chelsea and Forest, less confident with the City game

These three games either save Dyche, or he will be on gardening leave, these owners do not mess about.

Up the Toffees.

Doucoure with a goal?

More chance of Nelson getting both his eye and arm back! :-)

A bit of wind assistance… :-)

The team can still be improved by the manager. If Doucoure's form doesn't improve he should be replaced by Ndiaye in the No 10 spot and the problem right flank can be improved by playing Patterson or Seamus there, or even Doucoure in an unorthodox but potentially effective role supporting Dom when we are attacking.

Might be Calvert-Lewin, or Doucoure, or Watts, or Michael Keane, or Oumar Niasse. I don't care, just put the ball in the net, and bring us Blues to life across the world.

But all good runs come to an end sooner or later. Let's hope Chelsea's run ends tomorrow.

Hoping there's a positive atmosphere following the takeover confirmation and we put in a decent performance and take at least a point out of the game.

Chelsea are in fine form though, so I'm not overly optimistic!

I assume Doucoure will be having egg and beans on toast for breakfast then, always puts the wind up me!

I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a great New Year.🎅🎅🎅

It is a different Everton with the Keys to the NNew Stadium and all charges satisfied against Everton FC Ltd except Meto Bank according filings at Company House.Aleast there is the possibility of Professional Management running the Club going forward this time.

The players motivation should improve after latest Everton changes in this past 24 hours.The future is clearer than it has been for years.

I think in Cole Palmer, Chelsea have the current best player around. His ability to create for himself and others has been one of the features of this EPL season. Stop him and you stop a lot of what Chelsea can do. I would normally call or somebody to take him out early, but he is such a smashing player to watch and he offers (for me at least) the only credible obstacle to RS lifting the title. Lets hope Idrissa is right on it today and keeps him quiet. He's capable.

I've waited years to be entertained. I can wait another couple of weeks. Today's result is all that matters

Is there any talk of it being called off?

Keep the players off the grass and they won't be so lethargic and need snacks at half-time.

2-0 to us; UTFT

Any win will be a tight one, and I'll be surprised if we can stop them from scoring.

2-1 to the Toffees, 97th-minute winner from anyone who can direct the ball between the posts and around the keeper.

The windy weather will help us because we keep the ball on the ground so well, not (actually will help as the ball will spend 60% of the game off the pitch).

Come on you Blues! (Toffee Blues of course)

Does this make me a bad supporter? It will in the eyes of some people but I'm just a belligerent Evertonian who doesn't like doing favours for our neighbours, and if our new owners want to learn off anyone, then I'm hoping they are looking over the park!

I hope we play well and, if we do, I'll be happy because actually getting entertained, would be more than enough for me today, especially after the unadulterated shite we have been watching lately… But, if I'm being totally honest, I'd sooner get my Christmas present on Boxing Day.

Exactly, Rob, and that's why I'd sooner those Liverpudlians carried on cursing us behind our backs!

Sorry, I don't know Watt his plans are!

I completely understand your sentiments but we are in such a precarious position; points for us are more important than stopping our neighbour's aspirations.

I think Chelsea are in great form and will be very difficult to beat but, if we are to succeed, we will need a bit of the old Joe Royle Dogs of War attitude. I fear Dyche will have 10 men behind the ball defending for our lives.

Yes, it worked at Arsenal but, prior to our game, they were struggling to score from open play, while Chelsea are free scoring at present.

I watched the second half of Chelsea last week and thought they were very fortunate to beat Brentford, but have Everton got enough in their ranks to play an open game against such offensively fluid opponents?

Staying in the game by keeping it tight and trying to win the battles that stop Chelsea playing so fluidly will definitely engage the crowd. If Everton are going to get anything out of today's game, we are going to need the crowd.

A team playing at home should always have the crowd, so let's hope this becomes part of our new beginning!

Won't be pretty, it never is under Dyche, but I've got a feeling we will do this. A draw would be a decent result but I've got a feeling a Branthwaite header wins it for us.

At least that snidey bastard Cucarella isn't playing, one repulsive human being that.

On a day like today, it has to be a given that the supporters will be right behind the team from the off.

I can see a horrible 1-0 win for Everton.

The Arsenal goalkeeper went off with a foil blanket around him.

It will be a difficult game, against a Chelsea team very much in form. COYB.

Dyche has to set up defensively, if we try to play them at their game, it's asking to get beat.

I just hope we can get something out of the game; I have a feeling we might.

It should be a very happy occasion, so let's just hope it isn't spoiled by another abject performance with a lack of offensive ideas.

Thanks to my fellow TW'ers, you've all kept me going through what has been a difficult 2024 for the Johnston household.

Special thoughts for Danny O'Neill too, this must be a difficult time for him.

Merry Christmas to you all, hoping you all have a happy, safe & prosperous 2025. UTFT's !!!!!

A lot to be said for watching from the comfort of your own home.

Their capacity for campness is never far away – "Ooo! it's a bit cold here. hope the train home isn't late" and consequently they play half-arsed allowing us a few unexpected wins.

I guess it all depends on their attitude: if they play, we get beat; if not, we have a chance.

One player does not make a team but I applauded Palmer when he was substituted after scoring four goals. That was one of the best individual performances I have seen.

I don't think there's any worry of that under Sean Dyche to be honest lol.

We play most home games as though we are the Hare and Hound in the FA Cup away to Manchester United.

More like a limp Rabbit and a Three-Legged Dog going forward. :-)

A bench with Virginia, Begovic, and one to really get them thinking, another Pickford then Coleman, Dixon, Patterson, Young and Mykolenko (no, you can't have too many).

If they get mean and refuse to let Broja play then Keane in his much-admired centre-forward role.

Failing this, then the usual no change from last week eh, Mr Dyche.

Score? Quite possibly but not likely us.

Last week I said we'd get done 4-0 by Arsenal so my predictions are usually way off, thus we won't lose to nil. You're welcome.

In my opinion, given what has been served up to them for many seasons now, our fan base have been unbelievable and shown a level of support and patience that simply cannot be matched.

Two seasons ago we survived on the last day thanks to a 1 - 0 home win, however, we would have been well and truly sunk before a ball was kicked on that famous day only for the incredible support shown in the proceeding 37 games.

Today marks Matchday 1 on what can truly be described as the post-Kenwright era. That sounds good to me!

But that could be because I've just done the Xmas food shop and have started on the stockpile of booze. UTFT