Everton (H) 12/1 Build-Up & Match Thread

[sycophantia]

Ha, cool.

It’s not that I don’t rate him, just never seen him do anything of note (few minutes v Spurs, Chelsea, granted).

If he wasn’t from Stafford, there’s absolutely no way that our fans’ patience would have held out this long for him.

I just find it weird when people say “I’d start MGW”......when it’s based on absolutely nothing.

Hope he turns out to be a superstar though - same as anyone that plays for us.

'start MGW' is based on his performances for Swansea which have been excellent, not a big sample of course but enough to show the kid still has talent

 

[Paul]

I don't think anyone has disputed the lad has talent, that is public knowledge, what is being questioned is why people are considering him a viable goal threat, unless the thought is he's going to be in the right place at the right time, not being argumentative just trying to fathom the logic.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yeah, I think anyone expecting him to suddenly develop Gerrard/Lampard style numbers in front of goal is seeing something that isn't there. He never scored that many in the 23s.

I think *if* we play a #10 (we didn't on Friday) and *if* Podence is unavailable (as he is for probably the rest of this month) then he would be the best available fit from what we've got for that role. Although even then, he's not got much actual experience of playing there even in Academy football, it's more that we never signed anyone to explicitly play that position as we didn't use one (Podence can obviously play multiple roles).

If we want a #10 - and it's a role that's been gradually drifting out of top end football over the last 5-6 years, it seems - then we can go and get one. Probably in the summer now though.

 

[Tony Towner]

It's difficult to explain it properly but if you saw the game you'll know in his best performance (imo) against Chelsea he played a sort of inter changing role with Jota and Raul, sometimes as a 10 and sometimes as a false 9. Not sure he's played there for us since in the PL

 

[Tredman]

It's difficult to explain it properly but if you saw the game you'll know in his best performance (imo) against Chelsea he played a sort of inter changing role with Jota and Raul, sometimes as a 10 and sometimes as a false 9. Not sure he's played there for us since in the PL

He was superb in that game, I think he nominally played right winger, but with freedom to play where there was space.

I’d swap him with Moutinho and play him in a CM 3 with Donk and Neves.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I've thought for a while that if he fulfils his potential, it'll be in a deeper CM role that Mousa Dembélé developed into over time (remember Fulham originally bought him as a striker/wide man).

I don't see him being a peak Özil providing assist after assist after assist, or someone knocking in double figures every season like Dele Alli before he lost it. And if you don't have the numbers, #10 is not a position that's of particular use these days.

 

[Johnny75]

I've thought for a while that if he fulfils his potential, it'll be in a deeper CM role that Mousa Dembélé developed into over time (remember Fulham originally bought him as a striker/wide man).

I don't see him being a peak Özil providing assist after assist after assist, or someone knocking in double figures every season like Dele Alli before he lost it. And if you don't have the numbers, #10 is not a position that's of particular use these days.

I think he does have goals in him and a deeper 10 role would be where I see him at his best and think he could be very similar to Dele.

I disagree on the modern 10 and think teams do play that way. Havertz played a lot in that position and it is his best by. Mount is the same and Arsenal have started to use one more.

Unless you have to class wide forwards a 10 is a must.

 

[Premier Quality]

He’s got the ability to play where Donk plays to an extent - central to right hand side, box to box. He’s got the stamina and the mobility, plus he has the techinique to give us more going forward than Donk, but on the negative side, he’s not as good an outlet in the air, and not as good defensively.

im looking forward to seeing what he does. He’s still only 20 as well, lots of development in him.

 

[Jinky]

Can understand the clamor for both MGW and Cutrone to start, but I think we all know Nuno well enough to assume he won't start them both against Everton. I reckon MGW will be used off the bench to begin with.

This is my guess:

Neto-Cutrone-Traore
Moutinho-Neves-Donk
RAN-Saiss-Coady-Nelson
Rui​

 

[sycophantia]

Can understand the clamor for both MGW and Cutrone to start, but I think we all know Nuno well enough to assume he won't start them both against Everton. I reckon MGW will be used off the bench to begin with.

This is my guess:

Neto-Cutrone-Traore
Moutinho-Neves-Donk
RAN-Saiss-Coady-Nelson
Rui​

Think thats probably our strongest team atm, although I wouldn't mind MGW in for Joao if he needs a rest and Nuno is going with a 10 in the future.

 

[The Bear]

I think he'll go to a back three against these purely for an extra body to guard against DCL and Richarlison.

Rui

Coady - Saiss - Kilman

Semedo - Donk - Neves - RAN

Traore - Cutrone - Neto

 

[Throbber3]

I think he'll go to a back three against these purely for an extra body to guard against DCL and Richarlison.

Rui

Coady - Saiss - Kilman

Semedo - Donk - Neves - RAN

Traore - Cutrone - Neto

With the resources currently available , that would be my choice too.

 

[Deano]

Last time we played a back 3 of Kilman Coady and Saiss we looked anything but solid in fact we gave up 2 free headers in the box in the space of 5 minutes.

4 at the back please

 

[Tredman]

Last time we started 3 at the back they looked very solid.

 

[YoungWolf]

Yeah I would stick with the back four. I do worry about Semedo v Richarlison aerially mind you, so we need to be a bit quicker to stop crosses in this situation. If we can do that AND dominate the middle of the pitch possession wise, we have a good chance I think. Everton are a strange side, so hopefully we catch them on an off day

 

[Jinky]

Last time we played a back 3 of Kilman Coady and Saiss we looked anything but solid in fact we gave up 2 free headers in the box in the space of 5 minutes.

4 at the back please

Agreed. I think it's got to the point now where we need teams to worry about us & our threat, rather than the other way around.

 

[Deano]

Last time we started 3 at the back they looked very solid.

I didn't say last time we started 3 at the back...

I was referring to the Brighton game. We looked all over the place when we went to it in the second half.

 

[YoungWolf]

I didn't say last time we started 3 at the back...

I was referring to the Brighton game. We looked all over the place when we went to it in the second half.

We were already a mess at the back in that game though, plus it was just a bad move by Nuno regardless in that situation.

If we did start with a back three, I'd not worry about us being solid. I just agree with Jinky that we should look to take the game to them.

 

[Deano]

We were already a mess at the back in that game though, plus it was just a bad move by Nuno regardless in that situation.

If we did start with a back three, I'd not worry about us being solid. I just agree with Jinky that we should look to take the game to them.

Agreed but the idea of bringing on an extra CB is surely to make us more solid and it didn't work. In fact it had the opposite effect if anything.

At the moment we don't have any players fit that look comfortable at RCB apart from Dendoncker and we need him in midfield.

 

[Tredman]

I didn't say last time we started 3 at the back...

I was referring to the Brighton game. We looked all over the place when we went to it in the second half.

I was pointing out that judging a system based on a hastily constructed mid-second half rework, while simultaneously going ultra-defensive, is hardly a fair comparison.