bluejock
Boss coat aficionado
Och aye the noo, it's a braw bricht moonlit nicht the nicht.
After a jolly day out at the beach against Morecambe, next up on the pre-season agenda, a trip to Tannadice to face the World Famous Dundee United. The city of jute, jam, journalism and teenage pregnancy is the destination as Everton step up preparations for next season.
United finished fourth in the SPL last season after suffering and Everton style start to the season that had some calling for manager Peter Houston's sacking. With the papers saying Houstie had one game to save his job, a 4-0 spanking of Dunfermline meant the knives were put back in the drawers. In truth, last season was a huge transitional period for the side, with many of the side that had won the Scottish Cup in 2010 moving on, including Craig Conway, Prince Buaben, Morgaro Gomis, Mickael Kovacevic, David Robertson, and David Goodwillie.
The team Everton will face on Wednesday will most likely set up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation as Houston prefers to play with two out and out wingers, with a lot of the play going down the flanks. Keep an eye out for a boy called Gary Mackay-Steven, a pacy winger with a good cross, an eye for goal and a propensity for pulling off ridiculous tricks like this. Captain Jon Daly netted 18 league goals last season and will likely be partnered in attack by the promising Johnny Russell. At the back, recent signing Brian Maclean will partner Irishman Gavin Gunning and in midfield, foetus looking Willo Flood and perma tanned John Rankin, scorer of the infamous "squiggler" against Celtic a few years back will likely start.
United are the only British team to hold a 100% record in competitive matches against Barcelon, having beaten them four times out of four in the club's glory days of the 1980's, a period that saw them win their only league championship to date. The title was sealed with a win at Dens Park, home of rivals Dundee, on the last day of the season. Imagine us doing that against the Pinkies? The 80's also saw two memorable European runs, reaching the European Cup semis in 1984 before losing to Roma. A 2-0 lead from the first leg was overturned by a 3-0 win for the Italians who later admitted to bribing the referee to ensure the played in the final at their own stadium. They also reached the final of the Uefa Cup in 1987, losing to IFK Gothenburg 2-1 on aggregate.
As for Everton, I would expect a similar strength line up to the Morecambe game at the weekend, I'm not sure those involved in Internation games over the summer are back yet although we might get a first look at Steven Naismith in the Everton blue. By all accounts the lad Junior played really well on Saturday so it would be good to see him given some more game time. Young Mateusz Taudal will likely be given a sterner test than the one he faced just. Good save though from that Bently fella, is right young Mat. No room for sentimentality in football. Whaddya mean let him score?
Anyone going to the match, the best places to go for a pre match pint are The Centenary bar and The Clep, both situated on Clepington Road, a two minute walk from the ground. Anyone heading into twon afterwards, Fat Sam's nightclub is cheap midweek and is almost always filled with dirties. If you can't get a ride on a night out in Dundee, you might as well pack your boaby up and send it back to the hospital for storage. The town centre is 10 minutes from the ground by taxi or roughly a 20-25 minute walk through the delightful Hilltown area.
Insert own deep fried heroin joke here at your liberty.
Seeing as I'm not going now, I hope it's a 2-2 draw.
[video=youtube;D_kNwsui1JY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_kNwsui1JY&feature=player_detailpage[/video]
