Fulham away 13 Sep

[thetoffees]

The Premier League is back! After a long international break the EPL returns and a chance for Everton to build on that last gasp win over Wigan.

Will the new boys play? After our first win away over The Cottagers in donkeys years can we do it again?

I predict an entertaining 2-2 draw With Saha and Cahill on target for the Toffees

[Jondi10]

This will be a tough game but a good game to watch. Both teams have started off the season a bit sour but have good squads. I'd love to see a 3-0 win but I'm thinking it'll be more like 2-1. I'm really hoping to see Billy get a proper debut and Heitinga at least getting 30-40 mins.

[spider_kin]

I'm very nervous. I hate saying it, I do, but this is one tough tough game, just the mental aspect... winning there last time for the first in how long? "was it just a fluke???" It will be interesting to see what the 2 weeks off has done for us, even tho billy and JH were away for int'l duty.

I'm not sure what line up we'll see... Knowing Moyes likes to stick with what and who he knows I'll go with this (and i'll count them 3 times before posting ;))

------------Howard-------------
Hibbo--Distin---Yobo---Baines
------------P.Nev--------------
Ossie-----Screech-----Peanut
------------Tiny-------------
---------- Saha-------------

I'd like to see screech benched again tho, add rodwell in there instead. put in JH and Billy bet 60-70th mins so long as we are either winning like crazy, or losing. if we are doing well but just hanging on, subs might not go in our favour, but then again they might. maybe hang on till after the 75th. Also would REALLY like to see Gosling get some play time soon. so if you have the above line up, take out screech, put billy in and move peanut to the middle, take hibbo off for JH, and then put Danny-boy in for Ossie. :) But then what about Jo? he's been doing really well for us... how about that then, i've too many choices to try and fit in :D imagine that! what an amazing headache!

Having said all that, esp. the moyes sticks to what he knows part, he has seemed annoyed at some of our players recently and publicly said a fight for their spots will only help, so maybe he shakes it up and throws our three new boys in from the go.

------------Howard-------------
JohnnyH--Distin---Yobo---Baines
------------P.Nev--------------
Ossie-----Peanut-----Billy
------------Tiny-------------
---------- Saha-------------


pity mikel had his set back, but only a couple extra weeks are added to the timeline... still looking fwd to him! and not just cos he looks great ;-)

[Slater582]

------------Howard-------------
Hibbo--Distin---Yobo---Baines
------------P.Nev--------------
Ossie-----Screech-----Peanut
------------Tiny-------------
---------- Saha-------------


Almost. Rodwell rather than Fellaini, Jo in for the injured Saha.

Subs: Nash, Heitinga, Bilyaletdinov, Vaughan, Gosling, Yakubu, Fellaini.

[KATref]

Way to go Timmy! 1-0 to the good guys!

[KATref]

How did that Etuhu not get any kind of card for that challenge on Neville???:mad:

Heitinga in, PNev stretchered off.

[JasonD]

We look awful in the 2nd half. I was hoping to see Heitinga on for Hibbert but then he had to come on for neville. Maybe Bilyaletdinov on for Hibbert later and move Heitinga back? Maybe Fellaini for Cahill?

[JasonD]

Terrible from Baines, how can you let him go to the middle like that?

[Tony Dellbird]

Terrible from Baines, how can you let him go to the middle like that?

And Yobo, Yobo got dragged way out left and well out of position.

What a shit game in general. How did Murphy stay on the field?

[Onyewu Power Station]

at least our bench looked good

[spider_kin]

we had a better looking 6-a-side team on our bench than our starting line up... :(

i don't even know where to begin. I saw so many "good" things by individuals and absolutely nothing cohesive as a team. :( ********ing depressing.

[Jondi10]

The Baines-Peanut link up wasn't up to it's standards today but I will take the positives out of today. Cahill looked to get back into his normal form today and I like that he has no problem going in and out of being a lone striker. Fellaini pulled out a good preformance coming off the bench and made a big difference in the game. Jo had some good touches on the ball and held the ball up really well. I'm glad Yak got a bit of time and did put some good pressure on the ball. The back line had a couple of slip ups but they can't be perfect 100% of the time.

The only gripe I have is the introduction of Heitinga. I would have rather brought Billy into the game. It would have put a bit risky with the formation though. I did say I wanted to see Heitinga but I think he got too much time with the amount of time he's spent with the team.

[thetoffees]

Frustrating day all round.

All the hard work in the first half completely thrown away in the second - we still have this mentality that one goal is enough and that we should always hold on to what we've got.

It stems form Moyes early days at Everton when we had a limited but hard-working team and we used to nick 1-0 wins every week.

But now we have better attacking players and should go in for the kill when we have the advantage.

[arkanian215]

How did that Etuhu not get any kind of card for that challenge on Neville???:mad:

Heitinga in, PNev stretchered off.
etuhu's challenge was fine. it was a 50-50 ball. they both went in hard for it. neville just got the worst of it. no biggie.

[arkanian215]

We kept fulham frustrated for a good part of the first half and took their home support out of it. there were moments where we could only hear our own chants.
that said our pressure fell off, especially when the skip was stretchered off. heitinga looked slow and peanut needed help. i liked the way rodwell played. the only reason it wasn't worse was because dempsey kept us in it. if he didnt take all those shots we wouldve been down a lot more. thank you selfish dempsey.

[soccer krazy]

Neville facing a lenghty lay-off
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/e/everton/8255217.stm

[Tony Dellbird]

etuhu's challenge was fine. it was a 50-50 ball. they both went in hard for it. neville just got the worst of it. no biggie.

It wasn't fine, he was studs up. Neville went around the ball and Etuhu went dead straight. Difference between Neville missing and Etuhu, you're just going to get Neville's laces with the power he has in his leg, Etuhu, you get his body weight and some studs. Cheers.

[thetoffees]

It says here (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2009/09/15/everton-fc-to-be-without-phil-neville-for-a-lengthy-period-after-knee-ligament-damage-92534-24689063/) they reckon he will be out till after Christmas!

gutted,

I know he isn't one of our most skilful players but as a leader he is very important, plus his versatility comes in handy.

I thought he had all our bad luck injury wise last year but obviously not. In the last ten months we have lost our best defender, midfielder, striker and now our captain to serious injury,

someone doesn't like us...............

[Tony Dellbird]

It says here (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2009/09/15/everton-fc-to-be-without-phil-neville-for-a-lengthy-period-after-knee-ligament-damage-92534-24689063/) they reckon he will be out till after Christmas!

gutted,

I know he isn't one of our most skilful players but as a leader he is very important, plus his versatility comes in handy.

I thought he had all our bad luck injury wise last year but obviously not. In the last ten months we have lost our best defender, midfielder, striker and now our captain to serious injury,

someone doesn't like us...............

I'm more worried about Yobo he was poor in this game. A midfield of Heitinga and Rodwell makes me happy, they're both similar players, shift the ball round well. I know what you mean about Neville, what he brings in morale, leadership and heart is unrivalled.

[JediMindTricks]

gutted to see neville out.