Man Utd 0-1 Everton. 4th Dec @ 19.45.

[TheFinnFan]

In a sense the result is almost secondary, Jags.

We believe we can go there and win.

When did we last feel so bullish abiut a trip to Old Trafford?

A year ago a week in which we faced successive away trips to United and Arsenal with five days would have had us biting our nails.

Now we can't wait to see our new, progressive blue boys get out there and go toe to toe with them.

Yes, we may lose tonight.....but the times they are a' changing, as a certain Mr. Zimmerman once said

POST OF THE WEEK.

 

[steken1]

I'd buzz me tits off if big Rom, Dela and Jimmy Mac all slotted and Bob said after it 'He never signed them' hahaha, Koff rusty ring.

 

[Blue for you]

we never win there, can RM change this? fcuking hope so...

 

[Big Fat Sam]

So what are we expecting from United tonight in terms of starting XI?

Rooney - RVP
Kagawa - Cleverley - Fellaini - Valencia
Evra - Vidic - Evans - Smalling/Rafael
De Gea
​

That's still a very, very strong team. However it does have weaknesses, namely at centre back and right back, as well as central midfield. This game is made for Barry, McCarthy, Mirallas and Lukaku.

 

[Januzaj>Barkley]

So what are we expecting from United tonight in terms of starting XI?

Rooney - RVP
Kagawa - Cleverley - Fellaini - Valencia
Evra - Vidic - Evans - Smalling/Rafael
De Gea
​

That's still a very, very strong team. However it does have weaknesses, namely at centre back and right back, as well as central midfield. This game is made for Barry, McCarthy, Mirallas and Lukaku.

Valencia hasn't had a rest in god knows.

Hopefully -

Rooney
Januzaj - Kagawa - Nani
Giggs - Fellaini
Evra - Evans - Vidic - Rafael

*Van Persie to come on when were comfortable.

 

[allen]

Van Persie to come on when were comfortable.

Ho, ho ho! Merry Christmas to you, too.

 

[Petit]

So what are we expecting from United tonight in terms of starting XI?

Rooney - RVP
Kagawa - Cleverley - Fellaini - Valencia
Evra - Vidic - Evans - Smalling/Rafael
De Gea
​

That's still a very, very strong team. However it does have weaknesses, namely at centre back and right back, as well as central midfield. This game is made for Barry, McCarthy, Mirallas and Lukaku.

Don´t really see how we´ll cope with those two over 90 minutes. Very few teams do.

 

[allen]

Don´t really see how we´ll cope with those two over 90 minutes. Very few teams do.

We've scored seven in two games. We may not need to cope with them for 90 minutes.

 

[1966efc]

Rafael poses an attacking threat as well as being a better defender than his replacement. Hope he's still injured.

A good performance but poor result won't do much for me (or, more importantly, the league placing). Sick of "moral victories" ... want a victory that brings three points.

 

[Coach]

Rafael poses an attacking threat as well as being a better defender than his replacement. Hope he's still injured.

A good performance but poor result won't do much for me (or, more importantly, the league placing). Sick of "moral victories" ... want a victory that brings three points.

Tell that to Martinez who feels the same way as Khalekan above......

Roberto Martínez has set Everton a target of 71 points to secure Champions League qualification.The Spanish manager says his club will need to be in a position to take an average of 1.94 points from each of the final 11 games of the season to meet their objective working in the hope that, by then, they will have accumulated around 50 points.

Martínez takes his side to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night claiming he would rather attack, play well and lose than be negative, play poorly and win.

“To get into the Champions League, I can guarantee what you need to do is get an average of 1.94 points from the last 11 games,” said Martínez. “That is what we are working towards – getting into that position. Winning at Old Trafford or not is not going to affect being in that position.

"You need to be in a position where you can get around 70 points. If we get 71 points we will be in the Champions League. It doesn’t matter if we are 10th or 15th now. That’s the way it happens.”
Asked to explain why playing well and losing would mean more than winning ugly, he said: “I want to play well, be the better side and win.

"But, if I had to settle for one of those choices, it would be playing well, being the better side and losing, 100 per cent, because this game is about us being able to perform at Old Trafford and being able to show ourselves that we can compete with teams away from home eye-to-eye.
“Sometimes the result in is the lap of the gods, it can be a bad decision from a referee or a piece of magic from a player. We need to have a substance to our performance so we can take ourselves on to the next level. It’s about the long term.”

Martínez has been cautious about his side’s expectations in his debut season, but he is becoming more receptive to the idea that it is possible to finish in the top four. He said: “What we have got is a very good mixture of experienced players who know the game and what to expect and they give you that safe outlook in your performance and then we have these young, brave arrogant footballers who are facing the unknown.
“When you have that mixture that pushes you to compete against anyone.

"I do feel we have that raw talent. We are embracing that very good experience and that makes our squad a very tough squad to play against.”

 

[Snoka]

RVP has many skills. Among them the discipline "Dramatic theatrical diving". So be careful in the penalty area dear Defense of Everton.

 

[GwladysBlue]

Supposed to be doing Dissertation work, instead I'm on here and RedCafe desperately hoping for news that RvP is injured.

 

[pablo315]

I just want to see Barkley go over to Moyes after he scores the winner, shake his hand and be lip read saying 'do you think I am ready yet boss?'

 

[allanefc1]

Regardless of the whole Moyes thing this is a game where it can show what level we are at. It's the first time in a long while you can say that we have a real chance of coming away with a win, and if we parform well and get the win we are in a good position coming into the Arsenal game where we can afford a loss, not to say it's going to happen. I believe the next two games will make or break our season they are that important. COYB!

 

[Khalekan]

Tell that to Martinez who feels the same way as Khalekan above......

That article is pure poetry.

I love his reading his views on the game.

Back in 1983 Howard's nascent mid 80s team went to OT for an F.A. Cup tie.

We weren't expected to win but as always, hope springs eternal with Evertonians.

United were going well at the time, though the Fergie golden era was still a long way off.

On the pitch EFC put on a sparkling performance. Totally outplayed them.

A young Sharpy led the line and Rats and Matk Higgins were masterful at the back.

Alan Irvine ran them ragged on the right wing.

We didn't create a lot of chances but they created even fewer and with time running out, a replay at Goodison appeared inevitable.

Then from out the blue Framk Stapleton rose to head a winner at the Stretford End.

We were devastated.....but immensely proud of our young team on the way home.

Because we saw something that day.

We say the emergence of the team which would actually win the Cup a year later.....and take the league title and a European trophy the year after that.

We lost at OT that day but the portends were good and we were on an upward curve.

I think that is the point Roberto is making and I concur completely.

You have a plan and you watch as it pans out....you will have setbacks on the way but with a bit of belief and no little ability, you can make it in the end.

Sure, any team can go anywhere and fluke a result.....only to revert to normal the following week.

But if we play tonight the way we have played in the last two games I will feel equally as confident going to Arsenal on Sunday as I do about tonight's game.....even if we are beaten.

Because the belief is there now....and that belief comes not from goimg to places like OT and scraping a victory, it comes from outplaying them over 90 minutes.

Viva Roberto.....