Evertons starting formation?

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Normally the starting 11 holds few surprises. It's anyone's guess who will make the lineup versus Blackburn on the opening day of the season. Here's my guess at who I think Moyes will go for:

__________Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
_Pienaar Arteta Neville Gueye
___________Cahill
_________Beckford

Subs: Mucha, Heitinga, Rodwell, Fellaini, Bily, Saha, Vaughan

  • Coleman has been pretty much an ever-present during pre-season, which suggests that he's firmly in the manager's plans.
  • Jagielka and Distin seem to be the first choice pairing at centreback due to one being right-sided and the other left-sided.
  • Gueye is another player who has made his mark over the summer. Moyes started with him on the right against Preston. The experiment backfired and he has played on the left since, meaning that Pienaar is switched to the right instead.
  • Neville and Arteta made an impressive pairing in the friendly at Deepdale.
  • Cahill has demonstrated why he's so indispensible in the last few matches.
  • Beckford offers more running upfront than Saha. He's fitter, more mobile and in better form.
  • Heitinga may get the nod over Distin at centreback. If Jags is struggling with injury, he could slot in there too. I tend to think that he'll be eased back in, since he will have only had one pre-season match to get his sharpness back.
  • Similarly, I don't think the manager will throw Fellaini in either.
  • There may be a lack of variety on the bench if we include Heitinga, Fellaini and Rodwell. That normally doesn't bother the manager though. Was it last season when we had three right backs amongst the subs? It's vital for Jack's development that he is included in the squad.
  • I think that Bily will be a regular replacement for Gueye, whilst both players get up to speed.
  • Saha could come on either as a replacement for Beckford when his rough and ready playing style is shackled by more sophisticated defenders or to partner him.
  • I would imagine that Anichebe would get the nod over Vaughan most of the time. James is fit at the moment and deserves playing time because of his goal-scoring exploits with the reserves.
  • That would exclude Hibbert, Osman, Yakubu, Baxter, Wallace, Yobo and Silva. I think that the youngsters will be in and around the squad. Baxter and Wallace have both made regular appearances from the bench during close season. Hibbo and Yobo have as much chance of being in the squad as out of it. Ossie and the Yak still need to work on their fitness and to force their way into the 18.
  • Moyes has been known for having a settled side during his Goodison tenure. It will be interesting to see how he handles squad rotation and keeping everyone happy.
 
After yesterday's game I think Fellaini will start against Blackburn (which surprises me greatly), Neville will be our starting right back, not sure about RM though - if Anichebe will be ready, than he will play probably, if not - Billy... or Osman.

No chance in hell that Gueye will be a starter at Ewood Park.

And it will be Saha leading the line, although in this case I'm not completely sure, Beckford is looking as a serious competitor.

Not sure why you are comparing Vaughan to Anichebe for a bench spot, two different players at the moment, fighting for two different positions in the team.
 
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Dont think Beckford, Gueye, Felli or Heitinga will start against Blackburn.

Howard

Coleman
Jags
Distin
Baines

Billy
Nev
Arteta
Pienaar

Cahill

Saha
 
stinger said:
After yesterday's game I think Fellaini will start against Blackburn (which surprises me greatly), Neville will be our starting right back, not sure about RM though - if Anichebe will be ready, than he will play probably, if not - Billy... or Osman.

No chance in hell that Gueye will be a starter at Ewood Park.

And it will be Saha leading the line, although in this case I'm not completely sure, Beckford is looking as a serious competitor.

Not sure why you are comparing Vaughan to Anichebe for a bench spot, two different players at the moment, fighting for two different positions in the team.
Click to expand...

Moyes has a tendency to ease players in unless we're desperate. We have a wealth of midfield talent at the moment, which is why I don't think that he'll risk bringing Fella back too soon. Neville may be pushed to fullback to allow us to accommodate as many options as possible in midfield. Judging by the amount of game time that Coleman has been getting however, I think he would be very disappointed if he didn't start against Blackburn.

Admittedly Pienaar has only recently become available, but Gueye has featured heavily in pre-season and been one of our most lively players. I think it was LCAB who said that the coaching staff have been shocked at how well he's intergrated and that he's already progressed much quicker than expected. We've admitted that the right side is a problem area. It wouldn't surprise me if Moyes used the same personnel in the league encounter as he has done in the friendlies and used Pienaar on the right with Gueye on the left.

Again, after having played and contributed much more than Saha during the close season, I think that Beckford would feel a little aggreived if he found himself on the bench for the season's opener.

Vaughan and Anichebe are both forwards, with the main difference being that Anichebe can also operate as a wide player. We need variety amongst the substitutes to cover for all eventualities and to give the manager options. He's likely to opt for a goalkeeper, a specialised defender, a defensive midfielder, a creative midfielder, a wide player and two forward players. If Bily is the wide player to rotate with Gueye, then Anichebe has an advantage over Vaughan for one of the attacking berths in that he can be deployed either upfront or outwide.
 
My team if everyone fit would be

howard

coleman jags distin baines

vic shrek arteta johnny stevie p

saha

subs. mucha neville cahill beckford rodwell osman bily
 
I think it will be a 4-2-1-3, ala this:

Howard
Neville (Coleman) Jags, Heitinga, Baines
--------Fellaini---------Rodwell
----------------Arteta
Bily----------Saha---------Pienaar
 
As I said, that's only my guess at what the manager will go for. If none of us can predict the lineup, what chance do opposition managers have?!!
 

Assuming everyone stays, I'm expecting:


Howard
Neville Jags Distin Baines
Bily Arteta Heitinga Pienaar
Cahill
Saha

Felli won't be fit to start, and I couldn't see him playing without Neville.
 
billycopper said:
Moyes has a tendency to ease players in unless we're desperate. We have a wealth of midfield talent at the moment, which is why I don't think that he'll risk bringing Fella back too soon. Neville may be pushed to fullback to allow us to accommodate as many options as possible in midfield. Judging by the amount of game time that Coleman has been getting however, I think he would be very disappointed if he didn't start against Blackburn.

Admittedly Pienaar has only recently become available, but Gueye has featured heavily in pre-season and been one of our most lively players. I think it was LCAB who said that the coaching staff have been shocked at how well he's intergrated and that he's already progressed much quicker than expected. We've admitted that the right side is a problem area. It wouldn't surprise me if Moyes used the same personnel in the league encounter as he has done in the friendlies and used Pienaar on the right with Gueye on the left.

Again, after having played and contributed much more than Saha during the close season, I think that Beckford would feel a little aggreived if he found himself on the bench for the season's opener.

Vaughan and Anichebe are both forwards, with the main difference being that Anichebe can also operate as a wide player. We need variety amongst the substitutes to cover for all eventualities and to give the manager options. He's likely to opt for a goalkeeper, a specialised defender, a defensive midfielder, a creative midfielder, a wide player and two forward players. If Bily is the wide player to rotate with Gueye, then Anichebe has an advantage over Vaughan for one of the attacking berths in that he can be deployed either upfront or outwide.
Click to expand...
1. Moyes also has a history to not wait using player who were coming back from long term injuries, see last season examples of Arteta and Jagielka, playing much more games in first weeks after being back, than expected.
We are going to play at Ewood Park against a very physical Blackburn team - Heitinga probably won't be ready, so Fellaini will have to help central defenders in the air, your starting XI is very small, not a chance it will happen.

2. As good as Gueye looks, he first should be concern to find himself on the bench in PL games, to think he will start at Ewood Park is just shockingly naive.

3. Beckford contributing more than Saha during pre-season is quite arguable, with Saha looking sharp as ever along with his experience, I don't see him being dropped for Beckford.

4. Anichebe is a wide player, who at emergency could operate as forward now. Saha will start, so there's no reason to have both Beckford and Vaughan on the bench, as they are quite similar, and as you pointed out, we will need a variety to give manager options. If Anichebe will play against Wolfsburg he will have a quite big chance to be featured against Blackburn, even as a starter.

We will beat Blackburn if we will be as big as they are, and at the same time much better in passing the ball. If we will start with a smaller line-up, there's always a risk of being dominated physically, which would allow Blackburn to neutralize our technical advantage.
 
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