Match Thread Everton Vs Manchester City - Capital One Cup - Semi Final 1st Leg - Wednesday 6th January - 20:00 KO

[Manc]

Think it'll be a really close game tonight, and better quality than the tosh that was on show last night!

I'm weirdly confident about tonight. If we can keep the same intensity that we had in the last half hour or so against Spurs I think we can cause you some real problems.

Besic needs to play, IMO. He's the only player we have fit at the moment (and maybe the only one full stop) who can fully nullify Toure. Silva is top-class (the second best in the Prem behind Aguero, IMO) but he has no real pace - and I trust Barry to be able to keep an eye on him.

It's vital we take a lead to your place - could do with Lukaku being in top form tonight and embarrass your defence!

Intesity is the key to beating us. If you're keen enough to watch our previous games where we've struggled this season you'll notice the opposition teams chasing us down in a Barcelona type fashion. Liverpool being a key example. Because we play Toure in a holding two, we don't have enough legs to counter the intensity and usually get over ran. I couldn't count how many times we've gone 1-0 down this season on both hands - I might have more luck with this counting if I was from Runcorn, mind, but that's a story for another thread.

Going back to our previous games, our success in a handful of them has come from our opposition running their bollocks off for 75 mins and ending up knackered by the end, allowing Toure, who's resembles a man foraging for berries for the first 80 mins or so, to pull his finger out and dominate games, good examples of this in recent weeks are Watford, Seville, Monchengladbach where we've snuck the win in the last few minutes. Arsenal could also be used as an example, despite us losing. Most opposition teams make the substitutes in the wrong places against us, you'd be better off subbing your midfield 3 in the second half and bringing on a 'kicker' to hurt Toure's feelings and make him sit on the floor pretending to be hurt cause he can't be arsed getting back onside from a goal kick.

The only difference is that we have Aguero fully fit and scoring now (which we've missed for 3/4 of the season so far). You've got to think if we get 4 or 5 chances, we're probably going to score 2 or 3 of them, that's how good he is. With Silva, KDB, Toure and Ibe's little brother Sterling 4 or 5 chances would be incredibly low!

I like Lukaku, I think he could score, but my favourite Everton player is Barkley. I know you won't like to hear it, but he just reminds me so much of a young Steven Gerrard. Passionate, Hard working, proper scouser and good technically. He genuinely could go on to be you're best ever player (unless we buy him for £300m in the summer). I love watching him play for England and he's the type of player that will cause us problems in the key CDM area of the pitch.

 

[BlueToff]

Intesity is the key to beating us. If you're keen enough to watch our previous games where we've struggled this season you'll notice the opposition teams chasing us down in a Barcelona type fashion. Liverpool being a key example. Because we play Toure in a holding two, we don't have enough legs to counter the intensity and usually get over ran. I couldn't count how many times we've gone 1-0 down this season on both hands - I might have more luck with this counting if I was from Runcorn, mind, but that's a story for another thread.

Going back to our previous games, our success in a handful of them has come from our opposition running their bollocks off for 75 mins and ending up knackered by the end, allowing Toure, who's resembles a man foraging for berries for the first 80 mins or so, to pull his finger out and dominate games, good examples of this in recent weeks are Watford, Seville, Monchengladbach where we've snuck the win in the last few minutes. Arsenal could also be used as an example, despite us losing. Most opposition teams make the substitutes in the wrong places against us, you'd be better off subbing your midfield 3 in the second half and bringing on a 'kicker' to hurt Toure's feelings and make him sit on the floor pretending to be hurt cause he can't be arsed getting back onside from a goal kick.

The only difference is that we have Aguero fully fit and scoring now (which we've missed for 3/4 of the season so far). You've got to think if we get 4 or 5 chances, we're probably going to score 2 or 3 of them, that's how good he is. With Silva, KDB, Toure and Ibe's little brother Sterling 4 or 5 chances would be incredibly low!

I like Lukaku, I think he could score, but my favourite Everton player is Barkley. I know you won't like to hear it, but he just reminds me so much of a young Steven Gerrard. Passionate, Hard working, proper scouser and good technically. He genuinely could go on to be you're best ever player (unless we buy him for £300m in the summer). I love watching him play for England and he's the type of player that will cause us problems in the key CDM area of the pitch.

Totally agree. This is a game that we could really have done with having McCarthy fit for - as him and Besic are the two 'kickers' so to speak - though both have much more to their game than that.

Martinez hasn't been great with his subs for the last season and a half now, but he showed how being pro-active works when he brought on Besic and Deulofeu the other day. I imagine both will start, and we will need Barkley and Besic to power our midfield for the first hour or so. It's then how we react to naturally becoming tired (if we can manage the initial intensity in the first place) and still contain Toure.

Barkley has been great this season, and it's ridiculous to see our fans get on his back so much - he's one of the best players we've had hear in a while.

I imagine Clichy will play. An experienced defender so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top there.

Your main threat for me is De Bruyne. If he starts on the left - and I have a sneaky suspicion he will do, as I think Sterling will be on the bench with Navas on the right - then Coleman is gonna have to be on top form.

The key to us winning today will be that intensity and making sure that Lukaku is not isolated up top. We need to get crosses in because I'd back him to win most of the balls in the air against Mangala and Ottamendi.

 

[ItsOKImAPilot]

Does anyone have a link to the game? I cannot find any coverage for it here.

 

[carlos21]

Intesity is the key to beating us. If you're keen enough to watch our previous games where we've struggled this season you'll notice the opposition teams chasing us down in a Barcelona type fashion. Liverpool being a key example. Because we play Toure in a holding two, we don't have enough legs to counter the intensity and usually get over ran. I couldn't count how many times we've gone 1-0 down this season on both hands - I might have more luck with this counting if I was from Runcorn, mind, but that's a story for another thread.

Going back to our previous games, our success in a handful of them has come from our opposition running their bollocks off for 75 mins and ending up knackered by the end, allowing Toure, who's resembles a man foraging for berries for the first 80 mins or so, to pull his finger out and dominate games, good examples of this in recent weeks are Watford, Seville, Monchengladbach where we've snuck the win in the last few minutes. Arsenal could also be used as an example, despite us losing. Most opposition teams make the substitutes in the wrong places against us, you'd be better off subbing your midfield 3 in the second half and bringing on a 'kicker' to hurt Toure's feelings and make him sit on the floor pretending to be hurt cause he can't be arsed getting back onside from a goal kick.

The only difference is that we have Aguero fully fit and scoring now (which we've missed for 3/4 of the season so far). You've got to think if we get 4 or 5 chances, we're probably going to score 2 or 3 of them, that's how good he is. With Silva, KDB, Toure and Ibe's little brother Sterling 4 or 5 chances would be incredibly low!

I like Lukaku, I think he could score, but my favourite Everton player is Barkley. I know you won't like to hear it, but he just reminds me so much of a young Steven Gerrard. Passionate, Hard working, proper scouser and good technically. He genuinely could go on to be you're best ever player (unless we buy him for £300m in the summer). I love watching him play for England and he's the type of player that will cause us problems in the key CDM area of the pitch.

Good luck tonight mate.

 

[ijjysmith]

Does anyone have a link to the game? I cannot find any coverage for it here.

Posting links is frowned upon

 

[vagant59]

What are your thoughts for the final score in tonight's game?
I myself am dreading this match to be honest...

3-1 Everton

 

[Pienaar's gloves]

2-1 Everton IMO, not quite enough to be confident for the second leg.

 

[vagant59]

Apologies, it was said in jest. My point is that 'Sheik Teasing' doesn't bother a single City fan I know. We've sold our soul to the devil and I love it....

Love it

 

[Furey1878]

Does anyone have a link to the game? I cannot find any coverage for it here.

Alas, tis forbidden. However I can provide thee with some other links:

 

[Eggs]

....I just find football and Everton in particular really unpredictable. I simply don't know what to expect tonight, suffice to say we have talent to match any team on the day. If we are still in the tie for the 2nd leg it virtually becomes a one-off match and then you never know. Up the Toffees.

 

[Pienaar's gloves]

I think we could win 3-0 or lose 8-2.

Everton are so exciting at the moment.

**edit:

Scrub 3-0, no way we are keeping a clean sheet.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Hope Sterling doesn't start and that Aguero's knee explodes in the warm up. Actually I don't wish that as I like Sergio, hope he just picks up a mild strain which keeps him out.

No clean sheets here for either side, hope we're able to get a 2 goal cushion, but it's a big ask.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Gutted i can't watch this at work on my phone and will need to DVR it and watch at home about 4 hours after the match ends. I do not think at that point drinking my new magical Chang beer will have any effect on the outcome at that point, but I can only hope

Into these Toffees

 

[Pienaar's gloves]

We should batter them and be real physical, could be a help if we injure them with three games in the next three weeks.

 

[Garrick]

Does anyone have a link to the game? I cannot find any coverage for it here.

The official site has an audio stream that'll show up in the "Match Centre." Otherwise I'm pretty sure Fox Sports has it in the US.