Everton v Fulham

[Silas]

Okay, so let us predict what will happen for this game.  For me to rectify the problems we have been having I would play the following if available.


                         Howard

Hibbert          Jags Heitinga        Baines

                   Fellaini   Neville
Arteta                                         Pienaar

                      Cahill

                        Yakubu


This would hopefully solidify the awful defence and take the pressure off Arteta to be creative through the middle while giving both him and Pienaar license to roam.  I am loathe to put Arteta RM but since his central performances have been so dire a switch to the right side might be what he and we need.  Coleman or Bilya can still come on at any point if Neville can't make 90 minutes allowing Arteta back in the middle.

This team would beat Fulham imo 2-0.  Cahill, Yakubu.

However, I fully expect to see this...

                      Howard

Neville       Jags  Distin          Baines

Osman      Arteta Fellaini       Pienaar

                     Cahill

                        Beckford

This team can probably get a draw.

If Cahill is injured I expect Heitinga to come in and Fellaini to play the Cahill role and we will almost certainly get beat.

[bryan]

I am confident of a 3-1 defeat.  We are woeful currently and outside of the last few visits, Craven has never treated us well.  Add an extra time and penalties loss to a team divisions below us midweek and voila! you have a recipe for disaster.

[GLewis]

Okay, so let us predict what will happen for this game.  For me to rectify the problems we have been having I would play the following if available.


                         Howard

Hibbert          Jags Heitinga        Baines

                   Fellaini   Neville
Arteta                                         Pienaar

                      Cahill

                        Yakubu


This would hopefully solidify the awful defence and take the pressure off Arteta to be creative through the middle while giving both him and Pienaar license to roam.  I am loathe to put Arteta RM but since his central performances have been so dire a switch to the right side might be what he and we need.  Coleman or Bilya can still come on at any point if Neville can't make 90 minutes allowing Arteta back in the middle.

This team would beat Fulham imo 2-0.  Cahill, Yakubu.

However, I fully expect to see this...

                      Howard

Neville       Jags  Distin          Baines

Osman      Arteta Fellaini       Pienaar

                     Cahill

                        Beckford

This team can probably get a draw.

If Cahill is injured I expect Heitinga to come in and Fellaini to play the Cahill role and we will almost certainly get beat.

I agree with your preferred side.

However I don't think that there's anyway that Neville won't be in the middle.

If he feels he has to play Arteta in the middle then I think that Cahill will be the lone front man again.

[Jimmywhack]

I would like us to play

Howard
Hibbert Jagielka Heitinga Baines
Neville Felli
Arteta Cahill Pienaar
Yakubu

Same as your top team I have just noticed although I wouldnt have pienaar and Arteta as out and out wide men and would like to see the 3 (cahill included) very fluid

No chance tho, like you say more than likely will be bottom team

[evertonjoe]

                Howard

Hibbert Heitinga Distin Baines

             Fellaini Neville

Coleman     Cahill        Pienaar
         
                 Yakubu

Wishful thinking and I'm sure that Osman, Arteta and Jagielka will somewhat undeservingly retain their places. I just hope to God that Cahill is fit so we're not subjected to Fellaini up front again. If we do play Fellaini there I fully expect a loss.

If we put my suggested team out I reckon we may well actually keep a clean sheet for once and hopefully Cahill can produce one of his classic away perfomances to get us a 1-0 win.

     

[GLewis]

                Howard

Hibbert Heitinga Distin Baines

             Fellaini Neville

Coleman     Cahill        Pienaar
         
                 Yakubu

Wishful thinking and I'm sure that Osman, Arteta and Jagielka will somewhat undeservingly retain their places. I just hope to God that Cahill is fit so we're not subjected to Fellaini up front again. If we do play Fellaini there I fully expect a loss.

If we put my suggested team out I reckon we may well actually keep a clean sheet for once and hopefully Cahill can produce one of his classic away perfomances to get us a 1-0 win.

     

This seems to be the favoured back "7". I also think that it's pretty likely as it allows Moyes to play Hibbo and Neville.

Obviously Pienaar keeps his spot and Cahill will play, so the remaining spots are upfront or the 3rd CM position if Cahill plays as the striker and RM.


Edit: Sorry, just seen that you've got Distin in. Please don't suggest that again.

[evertonjoe]

This seems to be the favoured back "7". I also think that it's pretty likely as it allows Moyes to play Hibbo and Neville.

Obviously Pienaar keeps his spot and Cahill will play, so the remaining spots are upfront or the 3rd CM position if Cahill plays as the striker and RM.


Edit: Sorry, just seen that you've got Distin in. Please don't suggest that again.

I was very tempted to go with Jagielka and Heitinga at the back but we kept most of our cleansheets when we palyed with Distin and Heitinga with Fellaini protecting them last season so I am just hoping it works again.

In a perfect world I'd also have Arteta in the place of Neville but his form doesn't really warrant selection at the moment and I think he might benefit from realising he's not an automatic starter and that his perforrmances must improve.

As for the srtiker it has to be Yakubu for me if only becuase he is more involved with all round play than Beckford and if a strikers not scoring (and obviously neither of them are) then it's the all round game that has to be taken into consideration.

[DannyR]

---------------------------Howard----------------------------------
Hibbert       Jags        Heitinga                 Baines

Bilya        Cahill            Arteta                 Peinaar

                Beckford              Saha


Subs: Mucha,Fellaini,Osman,Distin,Neville,Gueye,Barkley

[cantoffee]

I'd like to see a few players dropped, but it's hard to decide who.

I'd go with:

Hibbert Jags Heitinga Baines
              Fellaini
               Arteta
Coleman                Pienaar
               Cahill
                Yak

Really hope Anichebe is fit sometime soon, but he'll now need time to get back up to speed and match fit unfortunately. I'd like to have dropped Arteta and Jags but no Rodwell or Yobo prevent that from happening, not to mention I feel Jags isn't far away from having a good run of form, he just needs a defender beside him that doesn't breed panic throughout the team.

I accept that individually Distin has probably been better than Jags this year (bar Man U), but we look nervous as a team every time someone attacks us and I think that's in part due to his indecision and the outrageous mistakes he makes. Can't believe he's rated above Yobo, oh well, too late to change that now.

[Thom]

----------------Howard---------
Hibbert--Jagielka--Distin--Baines
Osman--Neville--Arteta---Pienaar
---------------Fellaini---------
-----------Beckford-------

Bench: Mucha, Coleman, Heitinga, Gueye, Yakubu, Barkley,Baxter

Another rubbish 1-0 defeat.

[blueToffee]

I was very tempted to go with Jagielka and Heitinga at the back but we kept most of our cleansheets when we palyed with Distin and Heitinga with Fellaini protecting them last season so I am just hoping it works again.

In a perfect world I'd also have Arteta in the place of Neville but his form doesn't really warrant selection at the moment and I think he might benefit from realising he's not an automatic starter and that his perforrmances must improve.

As for the srtiker it has to be Yakubu for me if only becuase he is more involved with all round play than Beckford and if a strikers not scoring (and obviously neither of them are) then it's the all round game that has to be taken into consideration.

I have to agree on the Jags thing. Currently he is playing like our worst CB. Distin was woeful against Man Utd but Jags has been suspect pretty much every game.

Heitinga deserves his chance at CB, Jags deserves to be on the bench. Its not popular but if we want to foster competition then every player has to know they can be dropped.

We should try Heitinga and Distin at the back on Saturday. And if that doesn't work and Distin goofs again then try Heitinga and Jags.

I'd definitely go with what you were suggesting though...

     

 Howard

Hibbert Heitinga Distin Baines

Fellaini Neville

Coleman     Cahill        Pienaar
         
Yakubu

[philly]

Hibbert Jags Heitinga Baines
              Fellaini
               Arteta
Coleman                Pienaar
               Cahill
                Yak

Really hope Anichebe is fit sometime soon

This.

[brap2]

wouldn't it be boss if we went barca-style 4-3-3

howard
hibbert heitinga jags baines
arteta fellaini billy
gueye yakubu pienaar

[cantoffee]

wouldn't it be boss if we went barca-style 4-3-3

howard
hibbert heitinga jags baines
arteta fellaini billy
gueye yakubu pienaar

Not with Bily in the team, if Cahill is fit he has to play, looks most likely to score right now.

[cad]

Not that I disagree, but it shows the shite we're in when Anichebe is much nominated as the missing link.

1-0