Aston Villa 1-3 Everton. 25th August @ 15.00.

[billycopper]

Second string versus Orient?

_________Mucha
Coleman Duffy Heitinga Garbutt
_____Barkley Junior Osman
___Mirallas Anichebe Naismith

I'd be very surprised if Moyes went for such wholesale changes. Neville and Gibson might struggle with three games in a week. Davey might want to protect Fellaini, Jelavic and Pienaar. And I'm sure he'll want to give game time to Heitinga, Coleman, Junior, Mirallas, Anichebe, Gueye and Naismith. I think he'll more likely go for:

___________Howard
Coleman Heitinga Jagielka Baines
__Mirallas Junior Osman Gueye
________Naismith
_____________Anichebe

We would be lacking in height in the middle though, so maybe the gaffer will stick with Fella.

 

[Allezfan]

Second string versus Orient?

_________Mucha
Coleman Duffy Heitinga Garbutt
_____Barkley Junior Osman
___Mirallas Anichebe Naismith

I'd be very surprised if Moyes went for such wholesale changes. Neville and Gibson might struggle with three games in a week. Davey might want to protect Fellaini, Jelavic and Pienaar. And I'm sure he'll want to give game time to Heitinga, Coleman, Junior, Mirallas, Anichebe, Gueye and Naismith. I think he'll more likely go for:

___________Howard
Coleman Heitinga Jagielka Baines
__Mirallas Junior Osman Gueye
________Naismith
_____________Anichebe

We would be lacking in height in the middle though, so maybe the gaffer will stick with Fella.

Junior but no Barkley, you think? Be surprised by that.

 

[md49vd]

quick note, guess we were all right about cahill and rodwell limiting the club to a certain type of football

 

[billycopper]

Junior but no Barkley, you think? Be surprised by that.

I think Moyes will want to make a minimum of changes. I'm pretty sure that it will be too much to ask Neville to play in midfield and Gibson was nursing an injury on the eve of the season. Junior will start, in my opinion. Moyes will want to give gave time to Mirallas, Naismith and Coleman, who can all play from the right. Barkley might get 20 minutes from the bench.

 

[andy4efc]

If we're gonna make changes for Wednesday, perhaps;

Mucha

Coleman Heitinga Duffy Baines

Naismith Osman Gibson Barkley

Miralles

Anichebe/Vellios

 

[McBain]

quick note, guess we were all right about cahill and rodwell limiting the club to a certain type of football

You Horror!

 

[RFUS]

Did anyone else think Coleman on on 60 minutes killed the momentum of the game? I was expecting Mirallas for Naismith and it kind of went really flat from that moment.

Not for me mate. Coleman put in a few killer crosses and he looked very lively; the very opposite of a momentum killer! If Mirallas had stayed onside he'd have had an assist.

I think their goal was the biggest thing. Howard's positioning and recovery was woeful, and then that gave them a bit of impetus. Additionally we're really not the kind of team that ever really puts teams to the sword when we have a big half time lead. The last big HT lead I can remember was the Wolves 3-0 were Nev and Bily scored screamers, and all the goals in that were in the first half.

 

[Allezfan]

Not for me mate. Coleman put in a few killer crosses and he looked very lively; the very opposite of a momentum killer! If Mirallas had stayed onside he'd have had an assist.

I think their goal was the biggest thing. Howard's positioning and recovery was woeful, and then that gave them a bit of impetus. Additionally we're really not the kind of team that ever really puts teams to the sword when we have a big half time lead. The last big HT lead I can remember was the Wolves 3-0 were Nev and Bily scored screamers, and all the goals in that were in the first half.

Fulham last year being another example. 3-0 up at half time, finished with just the 4.

 

[RFUS]

Fulham last year being another example. 3-0 up at half time, finished with just the 4.

I'll take it like, but our second half performance was disappointing. And to be fair very nearly reckless -- if Baines hadn't blocked Bent's shot after the post rebound we'd have had a horrible last few minutes.

They were gash and down to 10 men, there was no excuse really.

 

[slimspek]

Now that is how football is meant to be played. Spectacular first half! The second half was a stroll in the park, unlucky that we didn't get another goal.

Pienaar was my motm. He was everywhere and was doing everything. Brilliant goal, that was all him. Baines looks back to his old self and Bainaar has never looked better! I thought Jelavic did well, he dragged defenders around the place and was a nuisance to AV. Coleman is looking great. I've never understood the people who write him off. Every time he's come on, even last season, he has looked a better player. You can tell he has been working really hard in training. Naismith is also looking good. Mirallas looked good for his first appearance. He had good movement but I think he needs to bulk up a little. He got out muscled very easily.

 

[Nails]

From the Guardian:

If he can strengthen his squad this week, who knows how long Everton can sustain a challenge to the dominance of the usual quartet. One thing is for sure: on this evidence, Sir Alex Ferguson's dismissal of them after Manchester United's Goodison defeat as a long-ball side ("No, I don't think so," said Moyes) is no more than the sour grapes it appeared to be. On a beautiful Villa Park pitch, some of Everton's passing and movement was outstanding and it would not have flattered them to have won by five or six.

Seems the papers are already pinning us as the "Newcastle" of this season.

 

[RyanGordon]

One of THE best ****ing days. Only Everton can make me this happy, I love you all.

HERE WE GO HERE WE GO HERE WE GO
EVERTON IS THE BEST WE ALL KNOW
WE'RE THE TEAM WE'RE SUPREME NUMBER 1
AND WE LOVE YOU, EVERTON

HERE WE GO HERE WE GO HERE WE GO
SIDE BY SIDE AS WE SING ALONG TOGETHER
E-V-E-R-T-O-N
WE'RE EVERTON AND WE'LL BE EVERTON FOREVER!:dancing:

 

[bluejock]

EVERTON EVERTON
WE'RE FOREVER EVERTON
ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL
EVERTON'S THE TEAM THAT PLAYS BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL

 

[Azzurri]

One of THE best ****ing days. Only Everton can make me this happy, I love you all.

HERE WE GO HERE WE GO HERE WE GO
EVERTON IS THE BEST WE ALL KNOW
WE'RE THE TEAM WE'RE SUPREME NUMBER 1
AND WE LOVE YOU, EVERTON

HERE WE GO HERE WE GO HERE WE GO
SIDE BY SIDE AS WE SING ALONG TOGETHER
E-V-E-R-T-O-N
WE'RE EVERTON AND WE'LL BE EVERTON FOREVER!:dancing:

Hahaha I love it when this is sung at away games. Great chorus of it today.

 

[Blooze]

Baines MOTM for me. The whole team did their tasks well at both ends of the pitch, except I was disappointed at Howard for their goal. We lost shape when Gibson came off, but really, we could and probably should have been more than 3 up by then.
If I was DM I would play Howard at Orient - Mucha is terrible and could cost us against a side playing their Champions League final - it might do Howard good to be reminded what happens if you lose your place.
Villa look like relegation material and 1-3 really did flatter them. Should be 3points at Goodison