With Everton currently languishing in 17th place and a small section of their fans planning a protest tomorrow, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re a club in crisis.
Not so sure about that myself.
Sure, they need investment if they’re to progress beyond the upper echelons of midtable, but a quick peak down their squad list reveals a Premier League side packed with quality.
Jagielka, Baines, Rodwell, Fellaini, Cahill, Osman – these are all proven performers and players most clubs would welcome with open arms.
The first three names on the above list all performed admirably for England too during the break, further emphasising the point that it’s a folly to suggest the Toffees are anything but a responsibly governed and well managed club.
Rant over.
Suffice to say, I won’t be taking them lightly then despite the fact they’ve already been turned over 3 times at Goodison Park this season and sit a point below us in the table, albeit having played a game less.
The 3-0 tonking they dished out to us at Molineux back in April still smarts though, so it would be nice to gain a measure of revenge for that humiliating afternoon of football.
The Team
There will almost certainly be at least one change to the side that started against Wigan a fortnight back. Adlene Guedioura struggled badly in his 45 minutes, so I think there’s a place up for grabs. It’s just a quesiton of who gets it. This is the eleven I think we’ll see:
So that’s Milijas in for Guedioura as the only change, with Edwards reverting to the right-side of midfield. The reason I think Mick will do this is to keep us more compact and difficult to breakdown.
There is of course the option of playing Edwards through the middle and bringing Jarvis in to play out wide, but I don’t think we’ll see that tomorrow. Fletch is also fit again thankfully but I’d expect Doyle to keep his place as the lone striker.
Prediction League
The majority correctly predicted a win against Wigan.
34 in total got the outcome spot-on but only 6 said 3-1 and picked up the maximum 3 points on offer.
So congratulations to Carl, Kowloon Wolf, Hamlet, Liam, wolverine and (cough) me!
I’m hoping for a solid performance tomorrow and if we can produce that, I don’t see a reason we can’t get a result.
I’ll go for 1-1 for the third consecutive season.
if you’re heading up north, have a great time and get right behind the lads.
Up The Wolves!
1-1 draw. Good enough.
Anybody who knows if Milijas traveled with Serbia to South America? He didn’t play against Honduras or Mexico anyway. I don’t believe that he will start against Everton, but what do I know? 😆
I believe it will be a close shave, though, and hopefully we can come up on top. that first goal, as usual!
Think a draw is the most likely result and I’ll go 2-2 Wolves to get back into it after going 2 down in the first half.
Well i`m going, as I did last year when MM cocked up his tactics with Ward a complete passenger in midfield. Only improved when big G. went off with lovechild reverting to left back, and when Guidiera came on to help Henry in midfield, we got a decent point.
Comes back to picking the right side as Everton don`t score many goals, I`m going for a 2-1 win as it may well be a boring score draw but we need points, and my beloved wife is a toffees fan and its about time we berat them in a premiership game. Need Jarvis` pace rather than Mijas for me.
I’m gonna be boring and plump for 1-1.
Im going to hope for a 1-1…Fletcher from the bench in the second half to level things up. I think the pace of Jarvis is needed for this one…
Being optimistic, I’ll say 2-1 wolves.
Definitely do able.
Everton v Ireland?
Interesting to see if the Irish team are up to playing tomorrow, or are they gonna come out with the “I’m tired, and not up to it” excuse?
Hopefully they will be buoyed by the qualification for Poland, and raring to go.
We’ll see.
I’m not hoping for a lucky 1 – 1 draw, I’m expecting a win.
Everton cannot score for toffee (get it?? ha ha ), and we are due an away win.
The Wigan result got the “ending other teams bad runs monkey” off our back, so bollocks to it, Everton 0 Wolves 3.
FOMM
boar drawer 0-0
i think both teams will cancel each other out. 0-0 but tbh i’ll take that!
I think we’ll see jarvo picked ahead of milijas, his defensive ability is greater and he has the pace to cause problems. not that we’ll ever attempt a counter attack without stopping just after the halfway line and allowing the opposition defence to regroup…
I think we’ll nick this one with a late goal and a nervy finish, I’ll say 2-1. Fletch off the bench with the winner.
Optimistic
Everton 0 – Wolves 2
Edwards & O’Hara
1-1
They’re struggling, but they are at home, so I think Everton will salvage at least a point. And I’ll take a point away from home every time.
I think 2-1 wolves
You’ve changed the blog layout.
What’s that all about???
It needed updating.
I won’t bore you with the details or technicalities of it all, but for the purposes of keeping the blog up and running we had to modify the setup somewhat.
I hope you’ll agree I’ve been sympathetic to the original layout and design.
I think you may have logged on as I was sorting various bits and bobs out. If something looks weird, hit ‘refresh’ and it will probably resolve the issue.
We can do ’em but I’ll be cautious this week
1-1
2-1 win. Sod it, I’m going all optimistic this week after my menu of beefburgers.
I feel positive about this game – Everton 1 – 4 Wolves
My mates a toffee fan, and he seems to think they will beat us. I have a bad feeling that they will too. Too much class in the Everton team, them to win 2-1. Fletcher off the bench to get ours, but not enough class in our team to force the deserved equalizer in the last ten minutes or so.
A 2-1 defeat, I’m afraid… Even if Everton are 17th right now, they are most definitely not a relegation team! I do believe we can get something out of this, however!
(p.s. I love the new blog layout!)
Nice preview. As an everton fan I think you can get joy down our right side – 80% of the goals we’ve shipped this season have come down here and Hunt has a decent goalscoring record against us having scored for reading and hull against us in the past. I’ve done a preview myself looking at wolves strengths and weaknesses and how I would see us approaching the game tactically….link is here http://theexecutionersbong.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/everton-v-wolves-tactical-preview/
Always interesting to hear the other side’s view! 🙂
Except when it involves the shit from down the road….but that pre supposes they have a fan who can read and write!!
FOWB
1-0 to the visitors. Milijas scores a screamer.
This will be a sure win. 2-0 wolves!
I don’t like change! In seriousness the new layout looks good.
You missed Drenthe and Saha (fit?) off that list. I think we can sneak a result tomorrow. 1-1 for the third year running.
I am hoping to secure a point-think a defeat is unthinkable-we are still precariously placed. I see we are thinking big again with loan players being mooted and Keogh and Mendez-Laing up to leaving. Moxey is saying we “may” splash some cash-but he doesn’t want to raise expectations-its double dutch to me.
2-2-draw.
Why can’t we play Doyle instead of Milijas in midfield and Fletcher as a striker?
I have a bad feeling about this one – Everton 2-1 Wolves.
Thomas first of all like the new format looks the business.
I think this one will be a tough one to call,on paper it looks like a draw,but Everton are in a
false position i think they have some quality players plus home advantage so i’m going for
1-0 Everton.It pains me to write.
I was going to go for a narrow 1-0 win for Wolves, only because that’s the result that I want. So I asked the Mrs, who knows nothing about football and she said Everton 2-1 Wolves.
So this weeks prediction is Everton 2-1 Wolves. I hope she’s wrong!!!
From now on I’ll be using the Wife’s predictions! What do I know about football? Nowt!
Everton 2 – Wolves 0. Normal transmission is resumed.
Great update.
Hamlet thinks we will lose 2-1 & I think we will win 2-0.
He will be right and I shall be disappointed and wishing for MM’s head on a platter while he will be the voice of reason, having predicted a loss in the first place…
We must surely be due a flukey win…..
LOL! Somehow this has made me more optimistic about the game! Maybe our scores will merge – Wolves to win 3-2!
I’ll keep my 2-1 loss prediction though! 😛
An absolute goal-fest without rhyme or reason. Everton 3-4 Wolves. £35 well spent.
I think this one will be dependent on the starting formation. With Fletch back fit the temptation will be there to go 4-4-2. In my opinion, that would be a big mistake, and I could see us losing by a few. If we can keep it tight with a 4-5-1 with Hunt and Jarvis as attacking outlets I could see a 1-1 or even a sneaky 1-2. I reckon Jarvis will be more likely to start than Milijas, Tom. Difficult to choose between Doyle and Fletch upfront, however.
I’ll predict 1-1.
P.S. Like the new layout.
I’m afraid I think we’re going to lose this one and it’ll be 2 – 0.
Is Jarvis injured? If not then I think he will play and Edwards will be in the middle. I can’t see Milijas playing.
Credit to you for the new layout too mate! It’s really clean and sharp!
I can see us losing this one, 2-1.
Everton 1-0 Wolves. We’ll fight hard but just come up short.
I am going for 1 – 1.
I think he will pick
Jarvis, Edwards, Henry, O Hara, Hunt
Doyle
Super Sub Fletcher.
Does any one know when Zubar and Foley are due back. Better option than Stearmn?
If MM goes for 4 4 2 it would be an entertaining match and i would like to see him do it because it is a game we could win if we played the same as our first two matches.
UTW.
I think Foley would get in the team if he were fit.
Everton 1 Wolves 1
O’Hara to grab another goal.
UTW
Wolves win 1-0.
Can’t see Milijas starting, although I feel he should be in a 451.
Lose this one, Wolves will. Strong players Everton have. A 2-1 scoreline I foresee. Hmmm…
falling down the prediction league as i havent been on for a while so i need to win myself 3 points. Im gonna go for a 1-0 win to Everton. I think although they dont score many goals 1 will be enough and they will have to much quality for us
2-0 defeat. MM getting it wrong again.
Liking the new design guys, but the font is a little small on the posts.
Wolves to win 1-0. Early goal and a nervy final 20 mins when everton throw everything at us.
Wayne to keep us in the game with a dozen spectacular saves.
Everton 2.0 wolves. Only one win on merseyside during our prem years. Wigan would have beat us with a decent centre forward
UTW Stourbridge!
We deserved to beat Wigan.
On balance you’re right we did. But… Still horrified at how many times they carved up open at the back. Fear the worst for today, and think Roger Johnson is turning into the elephant in the room!
RJ is starting to get better IMO, but I still shudder when I think of how Swansea scored their first goal!
Fletcher is a sub in the game according to the BBC site – guess McCarthy wants to ease him back into it.
Milijas is there instead of Guedioura
George would make an excellent lumberjack. He’s not a very good football player.
Everton fan here. It ended up being a tight game and the 1-1 bore draw prediction was the most likely outcome.
Then Cahill knackered Stearman and his replacement, Elokobi, quite frankly was the difference between the teams. As one comment noted, Everton cannot score, but today we had a helping hand and we mugged you near the death.
Best of luck for the rest of the season.
We couldn’t score either…whether it was just because we were defensive or otherwise, Everton had a lot more shots on goal than we did!
Would have really liked the draw though – it seemed to be heading that way!
According to E&S our “Revival” has stuttered, Am I on another planet or are they?-1 shot on target-supporters deserve more. Not more hapless management with a nervous clipboard offering nothing. Come on-get rid and start again.
Squad is woefully short-only good thing is the unfortunate injury to Stears which will mean a change-but no Mick not George.
Playing a waiting game will get us relegated-can’t see any players who could make a real impact will come to play for MM.
TIME TO GO NOTHING HAS CHANGED. We’ll go into Sunderland game needing a win-like Wigan-except they have got better players. End of Rant.