Stoke City vs Everton - Match preview and team news

The way the club is making me feel right now, if this game was played in my back garden, I'd close the curtains!

Whilst we scored 4 at poor Dundee we should have scored at least once against a not much better Bolton. Stoke are another easy mark (on paper) but the usual suspects once again may let us down.

However, these games are just match fitness tests and we just need to get everybody in shape and in sync before the Palace game. After this come three much more testing games.

Tyrique George could be something special the more he sees action but putting the ball in the net is the only thing that matters.

Tom, did you see something more at Bolton from Tyrique than I did?

Didn't see much from Tyrique except a little run that went nowhere.\ r

I'm shocked to be saying I thought Dwight McNeil had a good game.

Branthwaite, Armstrong and Aznou also looked good.

Still desperate for a right-back and striker.

WOW Jack @ 1, How big is your garden, mate? :-)

I know exactly what you mean, my interest has waned and waned, and while Moyes is there, I am not bothered whether they win or lose, to be honest.

I never wanted the negative twat back... the first time was bad enough!

European ambitions with that squad. Ha ha.

Just wondering, Hackney came back for playoffs after a long injury layoff, is he out now with the same injury?

Tenner says George scores

Christy #7, Hackney came in for a desperation 20 minutes at the end of the final playoff game -- after a three-month layoff.

Certainly he couldn't have been anywhere close to fully fit.

Hopefully that's what's happening now.

Everton Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Travers; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Röhl, Armstrong, Iroegbunam, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Beto.

A horrible thought that just flashed through my mind is that this is pretty close at the moment to our best starting XI.

Ndiaye is off to Al Hilal it seems and Gueye is off to Al-Diriyah.

We can add Pickford, Branthwaite, Anzou, Dibling, Hackney, and Garner to that predicted XI (am I missing someone?) leaving us with:

(N.B.: I see Barry/Beto as one)

Travers; Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Branthwaite, Anzou, Mykolenko; Röhl, Armstrong, Iroegbunam, Hackney, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall, Dibling, George; Beto/Barry

The only new face is Hackney.

Here we are with 5 weeks to go until the window closes and yes I am a tad concerned quite frankly. (Nor are TFG doing a good job over at Roma up to now.)

I'm a tad sick and tired of hearing that I should be patient when Saints Daniel-the-Absent and Angus-the-Silent are doing a perfect job of creating the very circumstances that trigger concern: absence, silence, no contact, little seeming respect for us or concern that we need some sort of reassurance.

The 'calm down folks' group - admittedly, very small - have zero knowledge apart from their self-generated ideas based on past windows when TFG were pulling the strings in one of them.

Saints Daniel-the-Absent and Angus-the-Silent have a poor record in the last two windows. But we now, of course, have our new crack recruitment team in place, and what do we have as August looms around the corner? Hackney. Goodness he must have been round-the-clock recruiting.

With a few weeks to go until the big kick-off we have yet to have a single scrap of evidence that this expensively assembled crack recruitment team is on top of things. But let's wait and see as we go deeper into the second half of the window.

I've said before that we would have been better off recruiting one of the three B's recruitment ace who knows very well the areas where we shop than Cox from Manchester Utd whose recruitment strategies are for various reasons on a different plane to ours. We have no chance in the short-term of getting anywhere close to one of the world's biggest clubs. It's reasonable to assume that Cox is shopping in very different stores now.

Let's see how it goes. I'd rather have had Simon Francis who, however, is off to the desert and is busy trying to lure Ndiaye or Lee Dykes than Cox because the match and fit is so much better and will likely remain so for a while.

It's painful looking at that starting 11.

Just reading that Stones is off to Italy. Grealish won't be back. Ndiaye is off to Saudi. I'd expect another run at Branthwaite too.

Our business has been shocking again.

Paul (10), you can be sick and tired all you want at the “be-patient” crowd, of which I am one. But one of the alternatives to what we have now is 3-4 players in whom we’ve overpaid for and aren’t good enough to get us where we want to be in 2-3 years. Every one of us could list the 10-20 players we brought in the past decade who didn’t cut it for one reason or another and whom we should never have brought in in the first place.

What annoys me about all the hate being directed at TFG and our recruitment team is that there is no evidence that they don’t care and/or don’t know what they’re doing. Maybe both of those things are true, but last summer was not good evidence of that being the case, other than that I’m of the mind that Barry was not a good buy and Dibling an overpay. But recall we desperately needed a striker and winger, and there’s still a small chance Barry at his age comes good and a decent chance that Dibling does. But more to the point is that we had to turn over the entire squad last summer, which we did, and had we not shit the bed the last 7 matches, everyone would be happy right now.

Will be qualify for Europe this next season? Maybe not. You could argue probably not. But if we had a healthy starting XI of Pickford, Aznou/Myko, Branthwaite, O’Brien, new RB, George, Garner, KDH, Armstrong/Hackney, Ndiaye/Dibling/new RW, Beto/Barry/new striker — assuming selling Ndiaye and others brings us the money for new RB, new winger, new striker. — well I’m okay with that squad. Others may not be, but it means we keep getting younger and hopefully faster, and maybe just maybe the patience will be worth it.

Time will tell.

Appreciate the thoughtful reply Jonathan.

'But one of the alternatives to what we have now is 3-4 players in whom we’ve overpaid for and aren’t good enough to get us where we want to be in 2-3 years'

Didn't we just put together an expensively assembled crack recruitment team precisely to stop this from happening? It's the recruiters who recruit not us. If Cox and co. are anywhere near as good as some say this should not happen again.

'What annoys me about all the hate being directed at TFG and our recruitment team is that there is no evidence that they don’t care and/or don’t know what they’re doing'.

Erm, I for one have no 'hate' at all for the 'recruitment team', unless this is 'hate': With a few weeks to go until the big kick-off we have yet to have a single scrap of evidence that this expensively assembled crack recruitment team is on top of things".

Not a single drop of hate there. Nor from just about anyone who has the temerity to criticise TFG or their recruiters. Here we are again, if you criticise - pick one - Moyes, TFG, or the crack recruitment team you are 'haters'. 'Negative' is almost as bad. To criticise is not to be 'negative'. It can be helpful, hopeful, and for the best.

You have no evidence that TFG, or the crack recruitment team do know what they are doing apart from the hope that I also share.

'But if we had a healthy starting XI of Pickford, Aznou/Myko, Branthwaite, O’Brien, new RB, George, Garner, KDH, Armstrong/Hackney, Ndiaye/Dibling/new RW, Beto/Barry/new striker — assuming selling Ndiaye and others brings us the money for new RB, new winger, new striker. — well I’m okay with that squad.'

I talked about our squad today, this minute. A track record up to now.

Your September 2 squad does not look that 'healthy' to me and it is based on a fair number of assumptions. Like me, you have hope.

But as I keep on saying: 'But let's wait and see'.

Real 'hate' that.

What happened to "In Moyes We Trust" and UTFT? Remember he came back and saved us when we were on goal difference above the relegation zone, 11 January 2025.

You so-called Everton supporters are so fickle, it's embarrassing.

The feedback or criticism of the TFG recruitment team is, and will be, based on outcomes.

Their knowledge and competence will be demonstrated by results, not their CV. It is the same in any business when executives and senior managers are hired - the recruitment team have been in role for several months now and need to make progress on their targets. The January transfer window saw zero progress so pressure is on.

Projections of potential recruitment spend under SCR range from 125-150 million based on commercial revenue; the headspace is there to sign players to fill positions where we have clear squad weaknesses - a right-back, central midfielder, winger and striker.

Big 5 weeks for the recruitment team to deliver.

No wait and see, time will tell, just be patient, it's a journey, small steps, consolidation, stability or happily dissatisfied. Did I miss any?

You've tried that line before Stephen - "In Moyes we trust?"

Who the fuck has ever uttered those lines apart from you?

If you want to start up an appreciation club for Moyes, then enroll your dog so you are not on your own.

The game will end in a boring 0-0. Saved you 90 minutes of your life.

Cheers PH mate.

In Hewey We Trust.

Chelsea are signing Danny Welbeck, and in talks with Jordan Henderson,if that was Everton signing them two,this site would go into meltdown

Mike, could you imagine.

Steve (16) Steve if that dog could speak he’d tell Stephen not to bother!

Mike 19 at least it would give us something to go into meltdown about.

Presently I’m underwhelmed by the total lack of activity by our crack recruiting team or will they give us the biggest surprise of our lives!!

Paul @10,13
Careful what you say Paul!
If you persist in talking sense, you are in danger of being barred from this site or at the very least being accused of talking twaddle!

Stephen 14 - I'm with you. In Moyesia We Trust - and have to as he is our current manager. I am convinced that at the end of this window we will have a strong young and progressive squad.

We have 3 new perms signed - £50M+ Still five weeks to go. I'm confident we will get another 5 signings in and exit three or four.

The second half of the window is under way and I have faith in the "Recruitment Team" and the data analytics company we have acquired.

The squad is much younger and more progressive than 12-18 months ago - remember the attacking force of Jack Harrison, Jesper Lindstrom, Chermitti, Broja - anyone?

We want our Ritchie back!!! He gives it all for the shirt and he would absolutely embarrass Thierno Barry… a Jazza & Jake center back pairing with Ritchie up front might change our entire outlook. We weren’t awful last season but just need to be a bit more youthful all round and clinical up top. Hoping to see Braiden Graham get some game time…. I’m not a fan of goalies being captains, and Jordan is a bit off his head anyway.. who would be our captain if Tarky takes a back seat? I’d give it to Jarrad, the best left sided center half in the league when he’s on it.

It's Branthwaite Sean.

Richie is the type we need in the sense that he can play on either wing and be both a goal threat, bring the fight and chase back.

We know the risk maybe injuries but could be worth a punt - if our top targets don't land.

If we have a proper threat on either wing and down the middle - it will make a huge difference. Goals down the sides are crucial too - as we got 18 down the midldle last season, which is not too shabby.

Its going to be a case of our next best options if targets are lost to say a Champions League outfit.

I hardly think games against Dundee reserves Bolton and Stoke are of any benefit, yes we know its about getting players fit but shouldn't it also be about testing yourselves against similar opposition to what you will be up against in the Premier league. Its doubtful Garner will start and it will be interesting to see if Hayden gets any pre season game time. Looks like Ndaiye wont be here and possibly no Grealish so 2 of our regular front 3 wont start the season. We have yet to sign a striker and still no right back. We have supposedly put together a brilliant recruitment team but at present they don't seem to be recruiting. We are playing kids in the first couple of friendlies but most will never see Premier league football this coming season, and I just hope we don't end up with Beto and Barry sharing the main striking role.We all thought we had done well when TFG took over but they bought the stadium not the club, I cant believe someone could spend the money they spent on buying the club and not even bother to come and look around and could I suggest share their thoughts with the fee paying customers. I bet they visit every Toyota showroom they open.
Maybe seeing as they play in the Dunhill golf tournament in Scotland in October every year, he may pop in his private get and fly down to visit.

A pint of what you have been drinking please Steve!

St Dan the absent has seen the stadium….. he’s flown past it in his fancy jet on route to his favourite love child, Roma.

That is a funny (to me) question that Sean, about who will be our captain, because someone has just sent me a WhatsApp of the 1966 cup final, and something dawned on me when Brian Labone, went up to pick up the cup.

1966 - 1984 & 1995, all have a couple of things in common. Three Everton captains - all picking up the FA Cup, and all three of them were central defenders.

Two number five’s and a number 4. Give Jarod the number four shirt and the captaincy immediately!

Paul, 13, apologies for lumping you in with the “haters.” What I meant was there’s so much hysteria online — what else is the internet for? — and much if it ends up in hater (or worse) territory.

I will be the first to criticize TFG and Angus and co. if this window is a failure. But the reality, I think, is that no matter what we do within reason will be seen by many as a failure, or at least insufficient. Or maybe that’s just because no one knows how much money we have to spend to stay within the rules.

If we knew we had £100 million left to spend, it would be easier to criticize. We all know the positions of need. But buy the Moise Keans, Lookmans, Vlasic types, people will complain, even if they look smart in hindsight. Overpay for a Gbamin, Barry or Beto, Cenk Tosun, Davy Klaasen, and it’s a disaster and poor recruitment to most. Finding the gems like Jarrad, the cast-offs like Ndiaye and KDH and Garner, none of it is simple. And having multiple positions of need makes it even harder.

Let’s all just agree we need a right back and if we don’t get one, even if they turn out to be the next Nathan Patterson, then we are indeed a complete joke.

A lot of negativity here and probably some of it is deserved but I am sure there is movement behind the scenes but we are not in on it.


Blame is already being apportioned to all and sundry before the season has kicked off.

Moving some players out to get some cash may be what it takes to bring in some quality talent where we need it.

No matter what it will all come down to Moyes and how his tactics utilize the young talent that he has at his disposal.

The board have kept him on so I suppose it's all down to the results in the first 5 or six games to see whether he will be persevered with.

We have a team of
Pickford
Röhl O'Brien Branthwaite Anzou
Hackney Garner
Armstong KDH George
Barry-Beto

Subs: Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Dibling, Graham, Beto-Barry, 2xGK, (N'diaye/Grealish)
So who is not good enough - apart from the 17 goal a season striker.
And if we get a new RB, who is Röhl going to replace??

Maybe the recruitment team isn't doing a bad job. We moan like mad, but who needs to be replaced from that team??

You can say what you like about the recruitment team and TFG but it is absolutely criminal that we have identified the need for RB for years and we still don't have one for preseason.

Any top c;ub would have had someone lined up before the end of the season.

And like all of us they have seen the embarrassment of Bambi and Beton floundering around the pitch for the last 12 months.

I am sure a lot of Blues would have had Richy and Wan Bissake in before now with further additions to Full back and forwards before the season starts and binned Patterson, McNeill, Keane and Alcaraz.

Thelwell on his own was more effective than this bunch.

Phil#33 In all honesty Rohl is not a fullback, and no balance in midfield, who’s playing on the right?

Phill 33. I'll give you £50 if that's the team that starts the season..
We know, tarks will play, myko will play,
Garner may be injured,
Barry & beto never start together.

David, that wasn't the question. You are not a politician by any chance? Answering a question you prefer to the one being asked.

Who would you replace in that team?

Christy, I agree re Röhl (but neither was Ian Snodin or James Garner) and re nobody on the right. OK, so get in a RB and who of the other 6 does Röhl replace. And if we have nobody on the right (N'diaye??), where does Armstrong fit? Given Garner (25 contracted to 06/30), KDH (27:06/30), Hackney (24:06/31), Röhl (24:06/29) then he is going have to wait a long time to replace one of these or sit on the bench.

And I realise I forgot Tim Iroegnunam in the original mail - sorry Tim.

Lots of moaning about what we haven't got but not a lot of how we fit all the current squad into the team and apart from Myko and McNeil who to sell.

The squad could be the worst in the premier league, not included the three that have come up, have to wait and see how they do.Besides Branthwaite and Pickford not one of that squad get into a top ten side,

And there was me Mike thinking it was just the manager that was the worst in the Premier League.
Doesn't say much for KDH and Garner or the exciting Tyrique George. And as for Hackney and Jake O'Brien well we may as well sell them as quick as we can.
Glad none of the top 10 want N'diaye.

What made you think that Phil?

Not a clue really. Perhaps reading all the posters here on a site devoted to the greatest club in the world who are more knowledgeable than all the other experts.

What experts would they be, Phil?

Which of our cherished management team do you class as experts?

Phil (33): We have a team of Pickford Röhl O'Brien Branthwaite Anzou Hackney Garner Armstong KDH George Barry-Beto … So who is not good enough - apart from the 17 goal a season striker.

Nearly all of them just played in a dreadful performance at Stoke today. That XI would struggle to finish 15th next season. Who on earth would even begin to be satisfied with a window with one genuinely new addition?

‘And if we get a new RB, who is Röhl going to replace??’

Is this the most hilarious reason/excuse we have heard so far for not getting a new right-back: where would poor merlin play if we got one?

‘Maybe the recruitment team isn't doing a bad job. We moan like mad, but who needs to be replaced from that team??’

One of the more misconceived statements that I have read on here in a very long while.

Who on earth judges a recruitment team on the basis of doing little or nothing? Who would ever judge the need for new players by the starting XI we might be able to put out? What happens if say four of them pick up bad injuries?

The rationale for transfers-in is not who needs to be replaced (in an existing team: transferred players is a different sort of situation, needless to say) but who needs to be added.

Jay 34 - I don't think it makes a jot of difference who the director of football is.

The footballing world isn't in a rush to buy Patterson, McNeil, Alcaraz or Keane. They might be squad fillers on deadline day, but no one is going to use their initial transfer spend on bringing those in.

Same on Richarlison. The price of Richarlison is going down by the day. No one is going to pay what Spurs are asking for him now, when you can get the price down considerably on deadline when they need to get rid.

The transfer domino effect is still to happen. Most transfers occur after the big clubs have bought what they want, and the trickle effect occurs thereafter.

Jonathan - 31 - really appreciate that and I also think that I was being over-sensitive.

I agree with just about everything you say.

You would like to think that this new recruitment team would not need to resort to last-minute panic buying. If we do, there will be a lot of heat and some of it will be deserved.

We can but hope and keep fingers crossed.

Ian,

What happens if another club comes in for the players on our list before the price comes down?

The owners shopping in the bargain bucket you reckon?

I'm not a hater nor am I usually negative but I'm getting desperate now for a sound bite, a quote, a brief comment even, from the club to give us hope for anything other than another meaningless, making up the numbers, season.

The silence is deafening.

It will depend, John. It will depend on how attractive the other club is, how much cash we can put down initially, what interest they've received on any players marked for exit, and what the priority of the signing is, ie, midfielder vs right-back.

Ultimately, if the budget is short, there isn't a lot you can do. £60M of remaining budget isn't going far on the 5 or 6 players we need.

Weve been linked with some pricey players in Doue, Lewis and Spence, and then a cheaper option in Norton-Cuffy and Jacob Murphy. I suspect there is a Plan A with selling Ndiaye and there is a Plan B if we can't.

I'd expect Moyes is waiting it out to buy the best that he can. He missed out on targets last year with that approach, as they wouldn't come to a club like Everton.

It is a challenge. I want him to buy the best he can. Making do, usually just adds to deadwood in 3 years time.

My point Ian.

Clubs are not going to "let's wait for Everton"
If they are looking to sell a player they will sell him at the earliest opportunity to anyone who offers the asking price.
We all know Ndiyae is going, we need to get proactive or we end up signing our 4th or 5th choice.

Ndiaye will be gone by this time next week.

The key is what happens next.

I am sure they will, John. But then again, most clubs already have a competent right-back, so I doubt that what we are after is a priority for them.

Lewis, Spence, Wan-Bissaka, and Norton-Cuffy are probably bench players for most of the Top 10.

An upgrade in hope to our solution at right-back, Ian.

A few were saying a few weeks back on TW, there wasn't a right-back available for us to sign anywhere in Europe.

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