Everton vs Chelsea: Preview, Predicted Lineups and Where to Watch

However, I still think Moyes is partly to blame with his doggedness in team selection and formation.

Playing your most consistent midfielder at right back should be avoided as this seriously weakens the midfield defensively.

Patterson should play (or now Coleman, who is fit) and what about Aznou, is he that useless he cannot get a game?

Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall have proved themselves but Rohl and George are not yet faves of Moyes although Armstrong and Alcaraz could be used in the remaining games.

All a matter of opinion of course but Chelsea are smarting after 2 home defeats and Everton must beware.

However, they have problems with injuries and Fernandes is unhappy. Maybe an opportunity to bounce back from the late disappointment at Arsenal.

Who'd have thought that we'd be chasing the last Champions League spot in late March? Michael, you must be pinching yourself.

Fuck them up Everton!

I was starting to doze off, but pinching yourself when you're falling asleep is not as easy as it sounds, nor particularly edifying,

So, another massive game in the rip-roaring Premier League. (Corrupt as Fuck!) Yes, and one of Richard Masters's favoured Big Clubs, Chelsea are in town, chastened by PSG hot on the heels of Anthony Gordon softening them up last weekend.

Should be a doozy. Only our manager has a funny way of approaching things. So you might want to hold off on that "race for 5th" stuff just yet, and see what comes down the pike.

Charly Alcaraz back in contention? I'm not so sure about that... but perhaps Moyes will tell us... perhaps he won't. The sly old bugger has decided to keep things close to his chect and even The Bobble can't get a sniff of what's going on.

But one thing we surely can be sure of: seeing bright young talent like Tyler Dibbling or Tyrique George doing a Dowman on Chelsea is just not in the runes.

So we anticipate with bated breath the magic hour of 4:15 pm on Saturday, when all will be revealed. Could we suffer yet again another bout of zombie football at home with the happy clappers cheering our match-defying 30% possession stats?

Can't wait.

If the likes of Dibling, George, Aznou, Alcaraz etc were pulling trees up in training and showing other players how it's done, they would be in the side.

There is one good reason they are not playing: they are not showing the manager and his staff that they deserve a starting place.

Or have the players got together and said "Fuck that for a game of soldiers, we can play"?

Not arsed, just as long as we don't see it re-introduced on Saturday. I think we have gotten perilously close to looking like a football team recently. I could have sworn I saw us trying to win at The Emirates...

I'll take a draw now if we beat the Red Shite in a fortnight's time... 1-1 methinks!

They have shown on a few occasions this season they can play. Just need the shackles taken off.

Now all we need to do is get rid of the dolt managing them.

Safe bet. One isn't at the races and the other cant play vs parent club. Bloody Moyes...

Hopeless at home.

If Tarkowski and Branthwaite aren't available we can be sure Moyes will play Garner at right back. Beto must start.

Edit button working so : the real Blues will beat the pensioners.

I don't believe you, mate. Will check.

But these lot are wobbling, and the manager reminds me of Moss from the IT Crowd.

Let's get that first signature big win at the new stadium.

Admittedly we were desperately unlucky against the Gooners. But will we actually have more possession in our next home game than our visitors? Not a chance.

Dour Davie will have all hands to the pumps as we defend for our lives against a dispirited Chelsea.

We weren't desperately unlucky against Arsenal -- it was simply about mathematics.

Fie the first 60 minutes, we were the better team. After that, they make 5 changes and power speed and any other stat you want changes in their favour and we are hanging on.

Moyes does this every week. Too few changes, and too late, to players who are dipping. Even with cramp, he leaves them on!

This type of Chelsea was the kind that would rock up at Goodison and get well and truly turned belly up and head home with their tails between their legs.

Can we put that kind of performance in at Bramley Moore? Who knows, we haven't really had that kind of occasion yet where one of the big time media Charlie's has been slapped up.

So far we've lost emphatically to Micky Mouse Spurs and Newcastle sides, underperformed and lost to a penalty to Arsenal before Christmas and failed to really get at that United side last month in another narrow loss.

There is still Chelsea, Liverpool and City to come here, I'd wager that to really put a mark on this new home we need to win at least one of that trio, and lets be honest, ALL of them are very beatable this season.

The pattern of the game is dictated by the quality of the players on the pitch. And the arm wrestle of the ball in the key areas. They might be told to get into shape without the ball, but no one is telling them to lose it.

But we arent going to keep possession against the more technical sides (regardless of how much theyve spent) when some of the players arent good enough to do it. If there was no opposition, some would still give it away.

The side most weeks contains the following:-

Barry, Beto, Mcneil, Gana, Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Keane, Obrien, Dibling, Rohl

None of them are good enough on the ball, to retain possession under a press. The opposition knows it, and thats why we give the ball away. That's why most are here after a 5 year hunger march. That's why none of the big clubs, with big wages and transfer fees want these players. Theyre all players over looked by the big 6. Middle table rejects.

We all want more pace in the side, more technical ability, and more clinicalness. Guess what, so does everyone else, and why it costs chasing the few players that have it.

The constant moaning about this and that, misses the fucking point. This group of players can only produce up to X. And as Chelsea & Newcastle found out, when better players are on the pitch and it clicks, theres fuck all you can do about it.

Serious chsnge will only happen after the next 2 summer transfer windows. And that assumes we can attract that quality of player, rather than hoping on potential.

I'm trying to remember players with genuine pace Moyes has signed in his two terms at Everton...

But pace, id say

Andy Johnson
Donovan was quick and he wanted to keep hom
Jagielka and Distin were quick
Baines was no slouch
Mirallas
Stones, Yobo
Kudus, Bowen quick enough
Fenandes

A lot of plodders, don't get me wrong. But you find one like Arteta, Pienaar with skill and serious pace, and they aren't coming to Everton.

He wanted Bale at Man Utd. That’s pace and the money to pay for it. But the lad wanted Madrid.

None of the rest of the Everton players mentioned had genuine pace.

Beto before Barry, whom I thought was awful in his 20 minute cameo last week. Everybody had worked their socks off, he came on and skipped around aimlessly.

We've no idea if either Branthwaite or Tarkowski are available, nor can we trust any words until the team sheet. If either are fit I'd guess they'll play but O'Brien and Keane played well together.

It's just the right back impact, and Garner is playing well there but wasting a good midfield player.

If we are still wasting time in this Summers window sniffing round the Tete's when we should have 3 or 4 realistic right back targets then I'll despair…

Phil Jagielka was identified as the fastest player in the Premier League during the 2014-15 season, clocking a top speed of 35.99 km/h (22.36 mph) against Leicester City, according to EA Sports tracking data. The Everton defender held this record at the time, ahead of players like Raheem Sterling.

He was quick John. He was quickest at the club for ages.

I was thinking more along the lines of forwards, wingers and attacking midfielders.

This team fell into Moyes's lap. Ten of the players selected for the last three matches were here before he was.

What we are now seeing is these players relaxing knowing the owners haven’t deserted them and they will still be getting paid Premier League wages for a club that hasn't gone bust.

Maybe if we didn't bring in this "Dolt" manager, we could have had a guy who would have spent the £170M Moyes has spent on players who would be playing and improving on what he inherited?

Let's hope we beat the cheats on Saturday, they won't like that.

Going back to the Newcastle game, as soon as they equalised, out they come: “This is Moyes’s fault, he should’ve done this, he should’ve done that…”

A couple of minutes later, we got the winner, and they all disappeared, It was like “Hello, anyone out there?”

Try having a day off. Yes, he is not perfect… but he is the best we have had for years

A Ramsey was someone he missed out on.

He dodged a bullet in Bellamy. He was quick, had an edge to him, a good player. But not without his injury problems. A marmite player.

Do you genuinely believe fans who don't rate Moyes "wont like" a win on Saturday?

Have you noticed how Beto, Keane, Garner, O'Brien all look like different players in the last year? What's that, luck?

Our star player, the one Moyes bought for a bargain £25M, he sings the manager's praises from the rooftops. What's that about?

This 'coward' has the luck of the devil, no?

You seem to be suggesting though that he took over a good team. I think most people know that is poppycock.

The threat hanging over the players wasn't that the books were in a state, it was that we were in danger of being relegated. Moyes made that go away within weeks, nothing to do with Friedkin.

Your foolish boast, trying to claim that Moyes had assembled this team, has been proven totally false. Instead of apologising for trying to kid people who know better than you, you come back with further drivel.

Beto is not just being criticised here -- he is being ridiculed by fans up and down the country.

Keane was an international long before Moyes got here -- although he will never reach those heights again while playing for him.

O'Brien has spent the season being unfairly criticised because he has been forced to play a role which is totally alien to him.

Garner, our best midfield player, has been repeatedly ill-used...

And you credit your hero for their improvement??? I wonder how they would have got on playing for somebody who knew what to do with them?

Moyes inherited a squad full to the brim of international players. Yes, as a team, they had been bashed from pillar to post. The whole club had -- in case you didn't notice.

New ownership lifted many a cloud. You say that Friedkin had nothing to do with that... but, if you believe we would have made progress under the guidance of Moshiri and his absent board, you will be in a minority of one.

You are always front and center moaning that Moyes is taking a lot of stick on ToffeeWeb. Believe me, he wouldn't take half the stick he gets if people weren't moved to refute the most ridiculous undeserved gushings you and a few others want to afford him.

BTW : This -- "I don't think any team sets out to give the ball away, or not enjoy possession"

I didn't think anyone could have gone to Goodison or BMD last season or this would even think about making such a claim. The big boot to an isolated striker is designed to gain territory -- not to enjoy possession.

Luckily, the players have recently made an absolute mockery of the claim that they were not capable of anything other than mindless zombie football.

That's the word I would use, Ian. I love to see a player who hates defeat. Too many of them come off the pitch smiling after a defeat nowadays.

Then I'll watch the game. My prediction: the recently created workers collective republic, heroically liberated from the shackles of management, aka Everton 2 - Chelsea 1. Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye to score.

We have a midfield of Dewsbury-Hall, Gana and Garner, have been watching Grealish and Ndiaye on the wings. Not a clogger in sight.

Yes, the home form has been disappointing, for a variety of reasons. But I have no doubt Moyes will sort this. His strength was always the home form, he'll fix it. Maybe not right away via a magic wand, but it will get fixed.

You've consistently given dog's abuse, Darren, to a manager who took over a team that had scored two goals in ten games and led them calmly to safety, and who since he got here has the best away record in the whole league.

But you seem to have very little patience, and this is after watching a decade of disaster. I can only put it down to an enmity you have for him from his previous tenure. Which is a shame; that was over 20 years ago. He's learnt from his mistakes, so should we.

There has been a change in the last three games. The big boot has been replaced by a more measured approach. There can only be three reasons for that as far as I can see.

A) The boos rang in Moyes's ears long and painfully and he decided to stop what he has done for 20 years.

B) The players have just said collectively "Fuck this. We are being made to look third rate here. Let's just show everybody we can play."

C) Moyes decided to change the habits of a lifetime and ignored those who were applauding the big boot and saying we didn't have players to play - You

I don't really care how it came about but, if mindless hoofball returns this season, people can draw their own conclusions. I'm sure the players hate it, so I know who I will be pointing the finger at if it does.

Just thought of a "D".... maybe Dour Davy realised what people had been telling him all along and these players can play after all.

Would that be best at never beating the big boys, best at making excuses? Or just the best at never winning anything?

Watching their manager giving his last-minute substitute instructions the other night, with his team 8-2 down, then you do wonder if his players have already stopped listening to him?

Unless you consider Newcastle Utd (11th), Man Utd (10th place when we beat them) as big boys?

Historically, Man Utd are a big club of course.

Give us a few reasons, Kevin.

And Newcastle, backed by a sovereign wealth fund estimated at around £600B -- are small fry? I'd definitely rate them higher than 111th myself.

Where did I say that, Phillip?

Also, we've got no attacking full-backs, and most thoughtful attacking goes through the full-backs these days.

It's a shame Davey didn't realise we needed two full-backs when he was spending the substantial transfer budget.

Is beating them at home is the same as say, Fulham or Bournemouth?

I can't get a pair of Bill Grundy's to fit over.

Dont understand that sorry.

You have a mangled syntax as well, Phillip?

Having watched Everton for over 65 years, I think I can safely say the football is a big improvement over the previous few years. We 're not anywhere near where we should be but I'll take where we are for now.

You might have been better creosoting the fence today, just in case it pisses down tomorrow, mate!

Everton had some of the weakest passing stats of any side in the league post-Ancelotti. That includes a progressive passing manager in Lampard.

From what I can see, most passing metrics have improved under Moyes. From bottom 3 in passes, pass completion, possession %, through balls, final-third passes, etc.

To illustrate the point, most long balls in the Premier League:-

25-26 - 8th
24-25 - 1st
23-24 - 1st
22-23 - 2nd

Despite missing Branthwaite for much of that time, a player who can bring the ball out of defence rather than just hoof it, and Pickford, who can pass long with a fair amount of accuracy, the stats have improved.

It's in the driveway if you want to pop by and pick it up.

A sign of success. See you in 4 hours.

But I doubt there is an Evertonian alive who would need stats to understand the futility of banging a long ball up to Beto and Barry.

Unfortunately it took Mr Brightside a year to figure it out.

Better late than never, I suppose.

It's a very long shot, but not impossible. It could happen dependent on Aston Villa winning the Europa League and Liverpool winning the Champions League with finishing out of the Top 4 in the Premier League, say 5th & 6th.

We have a good chance of getting European football of some kind. Every point will count though, starting with Chelsea...

I'll be retiring to the east wing early tonight.

There is nothing more banal and misleading on here than the trite 'anti-Moyes brigade'. To remind you Mike, a brigade is a large military unit. I do not see a large unit of posters on here who are in any way 'anti-Moyes'.

Of course, oh so sensitive souls as your good self Mike do not understand the very significant and yawning differences between criticising someone or something and actually actively being 'anti' said someone or something.

The worst offender on this is someone - e.g. you Mike - who deliberately and excitedly conflates earned criticism with wholesale assessments of someone or something.

I mentioned errors. Yet more here Devvers and this does show how sadly you have programmed yourself. The Mike in question is not our dear MG but Mike Powell.

Yet again. You got to let it go, [no need for the comma] PD, [needed a new sentence here] it’s not healthy.

Can't wait for your next big error Devs and do make sure to pop onto the Gueye/Ndiaye thread and have the balls to reply when you are found out (again).

But feel free to fully enlighten me on exactly how many times Moyes has won at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool Spurs etc?

But let's just ignore those stats eh? Concentrate on games he has won this season. Not the amount of thrashings we have had with Dour Davie in charge over his, far too many, years at the helm

"Yet again. You got to let it go, [no need for the comma] PD, [needed a new sentence here] it’s not healthy."

The first comma is fine as he's directly addressing you. The second comma depends on the formality of the message, but personally I'd go for a full-stops too.

I've got some tarmac left over from an earlier job - I'll be round later with our lads Sean and Paddy.

Just £50… Cash only offer.

Chelsea have some very good players but they are like any team on a losing streak confidence drains and if we can get an early lead that will only increase their lack of confidence.

Hopefully they don't let us all down.

If Branthwaite and Tarkowski are out, it means James Garner will play right-back. I think he plays the position very well...
but he is our best midfielder by a mile.

Two candidates for skipper next season: James and Jarrad.

I think you're wrong about Garner being better than Dewsbury-Hall but everyone sees things differently, so I'll let you off this time.

It looks a wide open game to me and I'm hopeful we can get something, the odds men have made it:- Everton 5/2, Chelsea 11/10 and 5/2 a draw, so they're fancying Chelsea slightly.

I can't disagree with that prediction very much but, in a tight game, I think we can get something. Fingers crossed.

The odds strongly suggest a Chelsea win.

Not sure what other matches are on but I would guess that 5/2 is pehaps the most generous price #76 for a home win this weekend and 11/10 the shortest odds for an away win.

Hopefully the bookies will be proven wrong.

Dewsbury-Hall is a good player but I rate Garner as having a better all-round game. All opinions, as you say, mate

I swore a while ago that I would never back Everton again because I am a proper Hillman Minx, but on two occasions this season I have noted you putting up odds that were to good to ignore Villa and Newcastle.

I know we lost last time out, but we went to the home of the runaway leaders and played some great football. I'm hoping that even in defeat, our players are beginning to realise they can go toe to toe with any team in this league. Confidence is everything in football and our players must surely be growing in confidence after the last three games.

I wont push my luck by going for the Harry Catterick. I'll quit while I'm ahead (for a change), but by offering 5/2. I think the bookies are being uncharacteristically generous.

I think, by now you should be used to tumbleweed floating by after you post.

Everton around 9/2 Chelsea around 3/1

During the 5 years, we spent zero pounds on our squad, Chelsea spent £1B.

Newcastle and Villa are big clubs by anyone's standards. As for the so-called “big six”; say Arsenal, Chelsea, United, City, Liverpool and laughably Spurs, he's beaten all of them except Liverpool. And he's won a European trophy.

Happy to help.

Hoping for the strongest team but whoever makes it onto the pitch will need to work hard and keep switched on, and no one should be considered unconquerable this season. I don’t think Newcastle are ‘a big club by anyone’s standards’.

Looks like perfect weather for a game. Ramadan is over so everyone should be at full power.

Come on you blossoming Blues!

Re Moyes's record away v teams Annika mentioned, I think the question was how many games has he won "At".

Big incentive to go 3 points behind them with the derby coming up.

I never felt more like singing the Blues….

Come On, Everton -- make it so!!!

Have you finished tarmaccing my driveway, btw?

Moyes also won the Second Division in 1999-2000. Let's not ignore 50% of his career trophies as a manager.

But of course it hasn't all been glory. He has never won away at Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal, and his victory at Old Trafford was his only win in 77 league games away to one of those 4 clubs.

Also happy to help.

When did he beat Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City away?

I couldn't find any driveways on your estate,

If either of you need any more basic history about Everton, just let me know.