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Match Thread Everton v Crystal Palace - Match Report and MotM Poll

Everton Man of the Match

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    398
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Will be interesting to see how you go about this. We're safe now so you'd think we'd have a go more but I'm 99% sure Roy will park a fat bus again so it's down to you to break us down. From what I've seen you can be a bit hot/cold against low blocks so I doubt Sky are looking forward to showing this...

9 games left until salvation, let's get it over with
 
cpfc1905 said:
Will be interesting to see how you go about this. We're safe now so you'd think we'd have a go more but I'm 99% sure Roy will park a fat bus again so it's down to you to break us down. From what I've seen you can be a bit hot/cold against low blocks so I doubt Sky are looking forward to showing this...

9 games left until salvation, let's get it over with
Click to expand...
We are the low block haha
 

Don't like this match up we aren't playing well against teams that are solid and pick us off on the break when are at home. But I hope Carlo has been working on something and James makes the difference
 
4737carlin said:
Any up dates on the keeper? Taking it Pickford is still out, so will Joao be playing?
Click to expand...
Olsen has been a sub the 3 games for Sweden the last week, if that means he is fit or he was just named as a sub to make numbers up i dont know as they had another keeper on the bench as well, but Olsen has not played a minute since the Fulham game Feb 14th after been out the squad since the Derby the week later
 
Depending on the injury situation this is how I would line up.

Olsen
Holgate Mina Godfrey
Coleman Allan Davies Digne
James
Calvert-Lewin Richarlison

Virginia Keane Nkounkou Onyango Gomes Sigurdsson Iwobi Bernard King

I would bring Sigurdsson on for James after 65 and King would replace Calvert-Lewin. If Godfrey and Davies don't make it Keane and Gomes come in. I'm hoping Coleman and Holgate can do similar job on Zaha that they did on Mane. Mina should cancel out Benteke and if we can manage that hopefully the front 3 will have too much for the Palace defence.
 

Some Of The Roy Hodgson Press Conference​


Injury update​

The players who played internationally seem to be ok, Kouyate we haven't seen but we believe he's fine.
We're only likely to recover Tyrick Mitchell from those missing - but we're still assessing Nathaniel Clyne.

Batshuayi​

They're often asked by journalists what's gone wrong - praise national team and not club.
We know what he can do, I'm pleased he's doing well for them and I hope and believe he can do well for us in the next nine games.

New contract talks?​

No, I'm not interested in having that discussion yet, I'm focused on the games ahead of me. When the time is right we'll discuss it.
When will it be right ?.
I'll keep that to myself. Every week I get the same question and give the same answer and will continue to do so until there is an announcement.

Townsend effects​

It doesn't seem to have be having an effect in training.
As far as I'm concerned these matters will be sorted out by the club in due time.

Less pressure, more expansive now?​

I think we can play with a bit less pressure - in particular games against Fulham and West Brom were really high pressure in terms of securing your place.
I don't really know what you mean by expansive. We're going to keep on putting a team out trying to win the game, knowing what we expect from the team and the players to come out with a result.
We'll be aided by the return of Zaha and Schlupp. That will be very useful for us.

Thoughts on Everton​

Good team, playing well, recruited very well. All boils down to how well we can perform. We performed well at home, lost to a very controversial penalty which ended up changing the handball interpretation.
Good team, very well managed and coached. All we can do is prepare the best we can.

How was international break?​

Yeah, training as usual. Missed a fair number, but gives you an opportunity to work with the players who aren't necessarily playing every week and also the younger players in the under-23s that you see but don't get a good chance to work with.
I've been very happy with both of those situations - the chance to work in a bit more detail and see what these Under-23s can do in a somewhat more intensive environment.

Plenty of goals for Palace players during the break​

You're always pleased when players that go away score goals. Eze's was very important, disappointed that didn't lead to a victory.
Michy and Christian waited patiently for a chance, but it was nice to see them getting the chance and chipping in with goals which is always good for confidence. Delighted for them.
I'll have to try and cheer up Eze when he gets back because I'm sure he'll be bitterly disappointed.

Big cuddles for Eze?​

It would be nice to, but I don't think it's a good idea at this time in the coronavirus outbreak. But I'm pleased that I'm vaccinated so I'm quite comfortable these days.

Different team from last time at Everton?​

It will be, Carlo's working with them and improving them all the time.
He's also improved the team, brought in players that have strengthened the team. We know it's going to be a very tough game, but unfortunately most are in the Premier League these days.
I don't think I've ever taken a team to Everton and thought this will be easy.
Our aim is to make them suffer too so the anxiety I feel on the touchline will be matched by Carlo.

Easy to switch off about table position?​

I don't think it's ever going to be a choice to switch off. Have to respect those 38 games and treat them the same.
It can never be a question of we're safe now, we can relax and take it easy. Certainly we can't do that - 37 points is still nowhere near enough to relax. If we do get to that total where we could be safe, I still wouldn't expect players to relax. They should be aware that every PL game they notch on their belt is something worth happening.

What would be a good position for Palace?​

Well, number one but that's not realistic.
Realistic would be somewhere between 14 and 10. This year we've been further away than most from the relegation zone but previously we've gone on runs where we could be lifted from 17 to 12 or something like that.
But some of our fixtures have been moved, that will be difficult. We'll get as many points as we can, as long as it's away from relegation I'll be happy.

Three week gap - chance to reflect on the season so far?​

I suppose it could have done, but I haven't chosen to use the time that way - it's been working with the players, making sure the training sessions are fit for purpose and making certain we're ready for the games ahead.
I'm not unhappy with 37 points from 29 games, but keeping players fit will be important. I'm hoping the strong will remain intact enough to keep cracking on.

Wickham​

He was in the squad last time we played - the 20 man squad. But of course to get into the team he's got to really improve his fitness, he knows that. And he knows at centre forward we have serious options.
One area we don't feel stretched is the forward positions. In that respect his task is harder, but good to see him get minutes under his belt and even nicer to see him score goals as well.

Boothroyd comments​

Yeah, I do [have sympathy]. You'd like to be in the situation where you can use any player that qualifies - it's nothing new.
It's not a question of perception, it's quite strange for them. They play qualifiers under the radar, nobody starts rejoicing victory. Then tournaments come round and it's interesting and it's not always easy.
Unfortunately you can't say it's impossible because no job is. Perhaps the expectations are, but that's true of any job with England. The scrutiny and expectations won't always be as fair and as just as you'd like them to be.


Better if Under-21s were allowed to have best players available?​

It's a very difficult question and a big debate during my time in charge.
I'm not convinced that having a winning team at younger level will take through a winning mentality to the senior side unless they all make it and that's rarely the case.

Sterling, Rashford, Foden - so many cases of players jumping past the Under-21s.
Do we want to win Under-21s or senior? You'll answer both, but if some compromise has to be made and we need the younger players to make the main team stronger, I think most people would agree.

All the ones who've come forward and are playing regularly, you could say we're succeeding with the Under-21s because so many are making the jump.
The winning habits - they're getting that every week with their club teams. It's not as if no-one's working on their desire or thought process when it comes to winning.

Maybe there's got to be a debate about what we want from the Under-21s. To win these tournaments, we may have to give them the very best players, not robbing them for the senior team. But I'm afraid if I was national team manager, I'd want the best players in my team - not in the youth team.

Will you be able to relax and map your future?​

Well I can do that any time, while I'm in this job which is an important one, I much prefer to use my energy and focus on the games rather than what I'd want to do, which I can do at any time.

How difficult is it to manage for 1000 games like Mourinho​

His 1000 are far more worthy than mine. A lot of mine were played in leagues nowhere as difficult as the PL. Every one of those save some early ones have been at the very highest level - what he's done is quite incredible.
I'm happy to have the longevity, but I wouldn't for one minute put the games I've had in relation to his. 1000 at his level is quite incredible.

He can keep going as long as he likes. He's fit, relatively young, doesn't seem to have lost any of the qualities that we saw those years ago running up and down the touchline at Old Trafford.
How long are you prepared to put up with the goldfish bowl, the slings and arrows that come your way. If he's prepared to, he could manager longer than me.

Goldfish bowl​

I've had plenty of spells as well. A fairly decent number of my 45 years have been spent in pretty murky goldfish bowl, I was just lucky that my start had some pretty fresh water and not a lot of other goldfish.

Mourinho's hunger still there​

I'm pretty sure it is, but only one person can answer that and it's Jose.
I just wish him well in whatever he decides to do in the next few years of his career.

England squad - tough choices​

You do have lots of times when you don't feel comfortable because of the decisions you have to make. Sometimes it's to players who have done a good job for you during a qualifying campaign.

Blocking out the clamour can be a little bit easier. Principles and how you want the squad to play - you're so aware of that that it's not so much the clamour to include someone, it's how you're going to balance the number of players in positions, to what extent you can take players who are very good teammates, travellers to balance the part of the team. That's a very big decision.

I didn't follow advice at Switzerland. They said: 23 players - if we get to four games it'll be a miracle. All of whom are desperate to go and will be excited as a four-year-old on Christmas. You know what your team is - who you're planning to use. That means an awful lot of guys who have to train every day that won't get a game and have to come to terms with that. Yes they've got the kudos, but they don't play. And they get questions and often don't answer in a team-friendly way.

Balancing in that respect - 20 outfielders. You've got to choose 16 or 17 you really think about, then the other three can be who are going to be useful for the group even though they're not playing. They are rare birds - a player prepared to make that degree of self-sacrifice.

I tried to work on that respect. But two I regret for Switzerland that deserved it a lot more for what they would have brought to the squad.

Having to leave out even bigger name players​

I know quite a few of the England squad, I could vouch and talk about them. But there's about 10 or so that I don't. Gareth and Steve won't have the difficulty of making that decision if that's the way they want to go, but the choice is much bigger with an England team than it was with the Swiss, and that's increased exponentially.
It makes that decision of Gareth that bit harder. He'll do a good job of it.
 

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