Everton:Wolves [R]

[KATref]

Belgium tries to get Fellaini banned for Saturdays Match (http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/10210630/Belgium-urge-FIFA-to-ban-Fellaini)

Yikes, how many more players will we be without? Any updates on Pienaar?

[thetoffees]

it seems to have gone quiet on Pienaar, I guess it is still touch and go, without him we lack creativity in midfield (I can't wait to get him AND Arteta back in the same side!)

We should still have enough to beat Wolves though, they looked poor against Pompey last week.

I think they're a better side from when we last played them in the Premier league but we should win.

Then again I said that before the Stoke game......

[spider_kin]

by all accounts the fifa rule doesn't apply to this situation as that is a sanction against the club's actions, which in this case were not sanction-able. I think we have enough on the bench now - keep in mind heitinger and neil are only cup tied, not PL, and with them back, we have enough of a back line and midfielders/fwds to put out a strong side.*

keep in mind with jo/saha/yak to choose from, we can put cahill in midfield. billy and ossie on the wings with a holding jack r.

here's what I think we could see:

-----------howard
Hibbo-heitinger-distin-baines
-----------rodwell
ossie-----------------billy
-----------cahill
-------jo---------yak

I really hate saying it because he is a true blue, but i want ossie upgraded. he doesn't give as much to our team as we are now expecting from other positions. Hibbo has been doing well and with a great center-d pairing, (as jags/lescott were last season, and distin is looking mighty strong now) he is more free to run up the wing into attack. I really like that about our defense right now... it's almost like we play a 3-5-2 sometimes in that either baines or hibbo can go forward. yes they get back and rodwell has done some great tracking back as well.

anyway. i think these "small" teams (aka not "big4") can be tougher as there are more expectations to win... with the big ones, if we lose well, it's a big 4! they have so much money! of course they have talent! no one beats them! but here, we have a team we "should" beat based on our table position last season. we'll see what comes on saturday :) COYB


*knocks on wood so as to not jinx it*

edit: he can play (http://evertonfc.com/news/archive/fifa-felli-can-play.html)

[thetoffees]

It maybe similar to the Stoke game where they looked to stifle us first, and hope to nick a goal.

We just have to be patient and expect them to have plenty of players back, and not get frustrated and resort to long balls if we don't score early!

The first goal is important, if we get it I'm confident we can go on and win, if they nick it and put 10 men behind the ball it could get tricky

[Rocket]

Anyone watching a feed of this match?

0-0 at the half.

[JasonD]

I'm watching. Not sure when we forgot how to score.

[JasonD]

and we pay the price, should have 3 or 4 goals, instead now we're down

[Rocket]

From the commentary at Eurosport, it sounds like Yakubu is having an off-game.

[JasonD]

Bily!!!!!!!!!!

[Rocket]

Bily!!!!!!!!!!

Really???????? :)

[JasonD]

Cahill fed Jo down the left wing and Jo hit a low hard cross across goal that Bily finished with his right foot.

[JasonD]

Well I guess we'll take a point after being down a goal late. Nice win for Sunderland over the redshite.

[Rocket]

Nice win for Sunderland over the redshite.

That goal off the red beachball was hilarious.

A fitting end to their hopes of becoming EPL champion this season. :)

[Dimuha]

Bilya scored with his right ? Get outta here. :D

[Rocket]

What the hell was Tim Howard thinking on Doyle's goal? :confused:

Why jump up to block a shot, when the shooter's only a yard in front of you?

[thetoffees]

The defence in front of him was equally as poor - Yobo fell asleep once again, he tends to do that sometimes and it is really frustrating!

In the end I was grateful for a point but we should be winning games like this, for some reason (probably the absence of Pienaar and Arteta, who can't come back quickly enough) the team isn't clicking at the moment.

[Dimuha]

How'd Bilya play ( Bilya not Billy ! :D ) ? Heard he distributed the ball well but got knocked off the ball rather easily, which is his big weakness.

[thetoffees]

I thought he did well, with no Pienaar or Arteta much of the creativity went through him. I would like to see him run at the defenders more, he doesn't seem to quite at Premier League pace yet.

But a couple of his passes were top notch - Sheedyesque you could say! Reckon he will be a great signing for us.

[Dimuha]

Thanks man.