Middlesborough vs Everton

[Mick 1995]

I don't think that we should forget that some of our best recent form has been with 3 at the back. I'm not convinced any of our centre halves  (maybe Williams aside, if he's with the right partner) is good enough to play in a two, whereas the three provides extra coverage and compliments the likes of Holgate and Funes Mori more. Also we gained control of the Bournemouth game by switching to three at the back, and away to Boro, I think he's more likely to go with the back three.

I was looking at all the opinions and thinking about how hard it is to dissuade supporters to move from tried and tested.
Moyes broke us away from wanting 442 and we all accepted dropping a striker for a midfielder.

But the same seems to be happening again. People have this 451/4231 in their heads and can't quite make the leap away from it. All positing varients on a theme.

[Jimmywhack]

I just think he came out and said he likes 3 at the back when teams play 2 up top, I thought Boro played 1 up top so went with the back four

Plus, if Schneiderlin sits in between the 2 cb's like he did at Stoke its kinda a 3

[sam of the south]

I don't think that we should forget that some of our best recent form has been with 3 at the back. I'm not convinced any of our centre halves  (maybe Williams aside, if he's with the right partner) is good enough to play in a two, whereas the three provides extra coverage and compliments the likes of Holgate and Funes Mori more. Also we gained control of the Bournemouth game by switching to three at the back, and away to Boro, I think he's more likely to go with the back three.

Yeah, I definitely think this is the case right now, until we hopefully upgrade our CB's in the summer.

However, we did have a firm grip on the Bournemouth game with the xmas tree, until we started shitting ourselves, and yes the three at the back switch came at just the right time.

I think maybe start the same (4-3-2-1) and be prepared to switch to three cb's if the going gets tough.

[blargins]

Boro are due to concede at hatful. Hope it's us that does it to them.

[Evertonian in NC]

Funes Mori and Williams can play solidly together in a 4 setup, perhaps they were just rusty last week.  And we can trust Schneiderlin/Gana to range back.

[Cozzie]

Boro may have not conceded many but they literally can't score to save a beaver in a kettle.

You would like to think only 2 goals realistically needed to win here.

[Confucius]

Boro may have not conceded many but they literally can't score to save a beaver in a kettle.

You would like to think only 2 goals realistically needed to win here.

We will dray 4-4

[sam of the south]

We will dray 4-4

I love that track by MC Squirrel, 'Forgot About Dray'

It really is the nuts 🔥🙌

[BlueBeagle]

Boro may have not conceded many but they literally can't score to save a beaver in a kettle.

You had to fucking say it didn't you

Bet they've got a striker who hasn't scored in about 8 months as well

[Cozzie]

You had to fucking say it didn't you

Bet they've got a striker who hasn't scored in about 8 months as well

Yup. But we need to break out of this cycle. The top clubs never think this way. Our bad luck against out of form players has to end soon.

On a high at the moment and generally think this will be an easy afternoons work.

[TheRam]

Genuinely isn't a chance these are scoring more than one against us.

It's all about how many we score because they are a very good unit at the back.

I'm hoping this game just goes to form and we get a nice win.

Liverpool have Spurs as the late game so could be a massive weekend.

[Paddockoldie]

You had to fucking say it didn't you

Bet they've got a striker who hasn't scored in about 8 months as well

I've noticed quite a few times that when a team hasn't won or a player hasnt scored for x amount of time they end up doing it against us..    I think we'll beat these easily but I've thought that a few times and we've lost. We are Everton after all.

[Evertonian in NC]

We are all buzzing and dreaming, and a trip to Boro seems a proper place for dreams to die in a scoreless draw.

[charlatan]

2-0 to us.  Can't wait, 1st away in donkeys

[Goaljira]

I've got a really ominous feeling about tomorrow.  Maybe not the result, but something else.