Your Everton XI

[RyanGordon]

Howard (USA no. 1)
Neville (Experienced captain - leader)
Heitinga (1st choice dutch CB with experience - no prisoners)
Distin (Yet another experienced CB with so much pace and strength)
Baines (By far the best left back in the country, one of the best itw)
Coleman (His future is RB, but he is the Irish Messi on the wing with pace to burn)
Fellaini (One of the top DMs in the world, a beast & still developing!)
Barkley ( Unbelievable talent, 17!!)
Drenthe (Just what we needed, skill, pace, delivery and goals from the wing!)
Cahill (Always pop up with goals and effort never in question)
Saha (He's aging, but when fit, he scores. Simple as)

This is just my opinion, which remember, we all have a right to. I know everyone else will probably prefer Jagielka to Heitinga, but we haven't been tight at the back and Jagielka's form has dropped immensely. However he is an English international, so I will be proved wrong no doubt!

Just goes to show, despite Mikky leaving, it really isn't that bad as I have tried to justify in the brackets. Plus we have the likes of Jags, Osman, Rodwell, Bily, Gueye & Starcqualursi who will all play a huge part in the next 8 months or so.

Please reply with your preferred starting lineup

 

[billycopper]

__________Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
_______Neville Fellaini
__Drenthe Osman Barkley
__________Straq

Cahill interchangeable with Osman, Saha with Straq.

 

[faddy the blue]

Give Jagielka some time. The form dips every now and then. It pisses me off how we've turned against him already. Heitinga and Jagielka partnership will be ace, I'm telling you.

__________Howard

__Coleman__jags__heitinga__baines

____________Fellaini__Rodwell____________

___Barkley____Billy/Osman/cahill_________Drenthe

_______________Straq/Saha

 

[Gwladys Nights]

Faint heart never won fair lady. I'd like to see us throw caution to the wind a bit and try some new things.

--------------Howard-------------
Coleman--Heitinga-Jagielka--Baines
Gueye----Fellaini--Barkley--Drenthe
-------Stracqualursi-Saha---------

Could possibly be swayed by an argument for Osman to be used as a poor man's Pienaar down the left to facilitate Baines's runs, in which case I'd have Royston cutting in from the right and Gueye on the bench. The rest of it I'm settled on.

__________Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
_______Neville Fellaini
__Drenthe Osman Barkley
__________Straq

Cahill interchangeable with Osman, Saha with Straq.

Weirdo you lad.

 

[best little spaniard]

Howard
Neville-Jagielka-Distin-Baines
Fellaini-Osman
Coleman-Barkley/Cahill-Drenthe
Straqualursi​

To a certain degree, you can mess about with the positions of Barkley and Osman. Barkley could play deeper, or whatever

Wasn't sure about up front. I have a feeling about this Stracq guy. Saha is probably more quality, but I reckon Stracq could do really well for us, and work better as part of a system

 

[Brennan]

The alignment tool, use it lads. Anyway:

Howard
Neville Distin Heitinga Baines
Coleman Fellaini Osman Drenthe
Denis Saha​

 

[tommye]

Howard
Hibbo Jags Distin Baines
Felli
Coleman Barkley Drenthe
Saha/Timmy Straq

 

[Tubey]

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Gueye Fellaini Rodwell Drenthe
Osman
Saha​

 

[Gwladys Nights]

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Gueye Fellaini Rodwell Drenthe
Osman
Saha​

No place for Barkley?

 

[Goat]

Howard
Coleman - Jags - Distin - Baines
Fellaini
Barkley - Rodwell - Drenthe
Cahill
Denis​

 

[Tubey]

No place for Barkley?

Impact player off the bench this year, I don't see the need in destroying him by classing him as indispensable off the back of a bad leg injury.

Only three competitive games so far! I'd rather give Rodwell and Fellaini the shot at a good solid partnership in the middle, freeing up the free role for Osman which he excelled in towards the end of last season.

Similarly, Stracqualursi shouldn't be rushed in. Impact player again for me, or first choice if/when Saha is injured.

Drenthe, on the other hand, has played at a good level in Europe and slots right in. He and Gueye on the right are not the best defensively of course, and neither is Coleman, which again necessitates the need for two more defensive/strong central midfielders to cover the runs of the full-backs.

It's a 4-5-1, yes, but it'd be one with actual wingers and pace, with movement in the final third (Osmans movement is underrated).

Add to that, we have Heitinga and Cahill as options too. Against the bigger teams, I'd have Neville right back and Coleman right wing so we drop 5 yards back, but unfortunately under Moyes it will happen against Yeovil nevermind Man Utd as Neville is undroppable.

We have a very decent first team squad of 15 or so players; picking a good eleven isn't difficult. The problem is when two or three injuries occur.

 

[best little spaniard]

Howard
Coleman - Jags - Distin - Baines
Fellaini
Barkley - Rodwell - Drenthe
Cahill
Denis​

Central 3 of Rodwell, Fellaini and Cahill?

Ouch

 

[Goat]

And at which point has Gueye looked better than Barkley?

Not quite sure why people rave about Gueye, he has the potential to be a good player, but theres a lot of things he needs to address in his game, meanwhile Barkley already plays like a seasoned Pro.

 

[Goat]

Central 3 of Rodwell, Fellaini and Cahill?

Ouch

In an ideal World Arteta or Moutinho would play in the Central Role, but this isnt an ideal World, its an Everton squad.

I did debate maybe sticking Billy instead of Rodwell or Cahill, but has the lad got the heart for it?

 

[TX Tiburon]

Howard
Heitinga Jagielka Distin
Coleman Baines
Fellaini
Barkley Drenthe
Bilya
Saha

Giving Bily a run of game to see if this his his position. Otherwise Cahill/Osman.