Alan Whittle
Player Valuation: £70m
"I don't care if Monday's blue,
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too,
Thursday, I don't care about you,
It's Friday, I'm in love.
Yeh,well YOU may love Fridays you QPR supporting clank, but there are a few of us muffler and flat cap wearing traditionalists that think Fridays are for fish and Saturdays at 3.00pm are for football.
Travelling across the country at all hours on any day of the week to watch your team may be just the way of things these days, but I don't have to like it and the genius who thought that doing it on a Friday night would be no problem was a money grabbing self aggrandising berk.
Yes, Chairman Mao, a journey of a thousand miles may start with but a single step but that step shouldn't be taken where the A23 meets the South Circular on a Friday afternoon otherwise your gaff would still be in the hands of revisionist lackeys and capitalist running dogs.
Meh,
Everton v Palace. This can't go on. The results I mean. Desperate measures are usually called for to avoid Palace sneaking off with something, at least in recent times. (see above). Soviet fighters attacking the Palace convoy in Walton Road would not be unexpected.
I am not a fan of these games but the one pictured above is my absolute favourite. 10 January 1998 in the midst of an horrendous Palace season my youngest lad (ten at the time) was the Everton mascot at Selhurst. Very different in those days, much more informal. Sat in the dressing room with the players and staff pre game, all of whom made my lad feel like a king. Led the team out with the late, great Gary Speed and in those days you still had a kick in before the game started which the players made sure he was fully involved in. Palace 1 Everton 3, remains the only time in 48 years I have walked away from a home defeat at Selhurst with a big grin on my face.
Palace seem to have recovered a bit of form but in reality have beaten a nervous Middlesbrough and woeful Stoke and Sunderland. Yannick is missed for his excitement. His notional replacement Townsend has done ok but the squad has been depleted with injuries. Likely to be missing will be skipper Scott Dann who generally likes a goal at Goodison and the back central pairing will probably be Delaney and Tompkins. These behind new keeper, France No.2 Steve Mandanda who already looks the best keeper we've had since Martyn. (cue dropped cross at Lukaku's feet ). Ward and ex kopite Kelly at full back. Cabaye and Macarthur in central midfield flanked by Townsend and (probably) Zaha. Puncheon behind Benteke up top.
Benteke is the difference for us. Not just his goals but his hold up play is bringing others into the game more often and with greater effect.
There are a few "Pardew out" threads on our forums but they have quietened down a bit with recent form. The way the Premier League is constructed these days 8th place would likely get him the Freedom of the City of Croydon and 16th would get him death threats - such is the irrational and all consuming futility of the the game we all love.
Koeman seems to have shaken your boys up a bit. Delofeu, Mirallas, Bolasie, Lukaku would frighten any defence. You don't seem to be missing Stones. As ever, I hope you do really well ( from Saturday onwards).
COYP.
