It’s a weird season in that we haven’t played boss for what seems like ages yet were still right in the mix in the league. So what better way to test our credentials than a visit to a table topping Man Utd with a debt to settle from being bummed by Fellaini first game of the season? Is right.
We’re struggling to put any sort of form together. It’s been evident for a while but we’ve had the happy knack of drawing games we’d usually lose so it’s been masked fairly well. We’ve had injuries and with any season there’s ebb and flows but we need to get going again or there’s a real danger it could fade away.
The Villa game was predictable. They upped their game and along with some cringe worthy defending on our behalf they should have taken all three points. It’s a nap that the varicose vein headed Agbonlahor is going to score at Goodison anyway. Fellaini done his thing but it was still very much two points dropped. Ah well, at least we might not have to play them scruffs for a season or two.
A journey down the East Lancs is never too palatable. Were scouse so it’s running the gauntlet for a start. The the scouse accent gradually is replaced by wool monotone urrs and kerrs and the full spectrum of sh*te haircuts before tightening up again on hitting scruffy Manchester. The hour’s drive is not unlike the elevator in the Rockefeller Center (sic) with all the strange images throughout the ages flashing past as you proceed on your travel through time and space.
Manchester itself has always had an edge. Plenty of you on here will recall moody away days to both clubs as a shining beacon of local North West rivalry. It’s a bit more tepid these days thankfully and a wee bit easier when we visit United rather than City.
Trying to choose preference between United and City is like trying to decide whether to have a Magnum or a Feast lolly ice up your arse. Neither is going to be pleasant although if forced you’d probably side with the Magnum as it’s got a smoother surface. The Magnum effectively is Manchester United.
Plus let’s not beat around the bush here: the kopites absolutely detest them and that’s good enough for me. We’re quite happy to build loose alliance with them but only in a snidey way that we can prod them both with a stick from the outside and inflame kopite rage. The deluded folk of Anfield will try their best to mock and call them our second club which is fine but they miss out one vital point – were Everton and we can’t stand anyone other than Everton on the basis that everyone else are indeed bad bad bells.
The cities share a close history and if you take them both in context there’s a lot of similarities between them, both having a strong identified working class and the politics of the respective cities. But it’s much more fun to build perceived hateful rivalries in the eyes of the media as it sells more football packages. Some of them are sound on holiday aren’t they?
United are racing away in the league with a nine point gap over their tittish brothers. Still too early to be declaring the final outcome unless you’re a nobhead bookie paying out early to gain some minty PR.
This gap at the top of the league has been achieved despite them not really hitting their usual heights this season although it certainly helps when you’re supported by the goals of Robin Van Persie. It’s in stark contrast to the massive hole in our arsenal this year with Jelavic misfiring.
The sudden adoration of Van Persie has highlighted something to me as an undercurrent there which is former EFC player Wayne Rooney. He’s been boss for them, and may end up as their greatest goalscorer of all time but he’s not been took fully to their hearts has he? Compare their affection to Rooney to say Giggs, or Scholes or Denis Law. Maybe I’m reading too far into it but the respect is there for Rooney, just not the unconditional love given to their greats. In short: sack them off Wayne lad.
This game is just three days before an away game to Real Madrid so it's probable that United may use the healthy squad available to them. If Van Persie doesn't start then Wellbeck can slot it.
Midfield is likely to be Carrick and Cleverley with Thriller extra Nani on the left and Valencia on the right who's come in for some criticism this season from their own fans, for mainly not being as good as the previous season. A tough audience and no mistake. They've got good options on the bench with the likes of Nagasaki teen heart throb Kagawam the annoyingly squeaky clean Hernandez and the diving little tit Ashley Young.
Ferdinand and Jonny Evans will play centre defence and as good as they are can be a bit short of pace, Evra and Fabio will be the full backs. De Gea, who's making the classic teenage mistake of trying to grow a beard before he's ready, will be in goal for the Mancs. So there you have it, that's the size of what were up against.
Now if this was a couple of years ago we'd resign ourselves to an annoying two or three goal turn over without too much fuss but in the past couple of years we've become a bit of a pain in the arse for them. Last year's reverse fixture was the quite super four all which was then followed up one of the best first games of the season for us in quite some time.
We've found ourself in a bit of a sticky slump performance wise. January came and went without signings for whatever reason, we've got a Manager available on a Bosman right now and in amongst it were plodding on without the early season vigour that we enjoyed.
Anichebe will keep his place up front for this I reckon. He took his goal well against Villa and is working hard at least causing some sort of pest to the opposition centre backs. Until Jelavic wakes from his slumber then he's not a bad option to have. He'll have Fellaini just behind him who Moyes has been talking up to the press about needing him on top of his form. United, not unlike a lot of clubs, don't like playing against him and he has a happy habit of upping his game against the best of the division. Here's your stage Marouanne.
Darron Gibson returns to his old club one year one after slipping out of the back door with some brutal rips from United fans happy to see the back of him. I wasn't expecting too much but he's been a brilliant fit at Everton and is rightfully one of the first names on our team sheet. I'm not saying that United should be gutted at their loss as they have quality right through their team but it's a bit like necking a bird and jibbing her off at seventeen only to see her turn up a few years later with a boss pair of taegs that you never got to grip.
We know he's got a boss shot on him but we haven't seen it for a while. Ahem. He'll be partnered by Osman in the centre of the park with Pienaar on the left and Mirallas on the right. We're going to need some solid performances to get something out of the game but it's to the likes of Fellaini and Mirallas that we'll be looking for that bit extra, I hope the former has trained well this week.
Defence is hopefully easy enough, it's dependent on putting Neville at right back. I know they've got fast wingers but Neville has experience enough to hopefully at least compete. The alternative is Jagielka at right back and this year's pantomime villain Heitinga in the middle which doesn't give us too many happy endings lately.
The media were getting themselves into a twist this week in the tedious who is England's best left back debate. Obviously Chelsea fans will say Cole and we'll say Baines but who's arsed? Baines is ace for us long may it continue, even if his hair is propelling him into Middle Earth territory. Every week that passes makes him closer to the best left back I've ever seen wear the shirt. Another United old boy Howard completes our line up in goal and we'll need a non [Poor language removed] game from him.
Even though the result last week pissed me off I've been thinking about this game for most of the week. I'm not arsed about secret drone bases uncovered in Saudi Arabia, the political unrest in Tunisia or the truckload of snow about to be dumped in North America. I'm arsed about a boss Everton making me dead happy but turning up and poking the perceived forces of evil in the eye with our aceness.
This is the best EFC team to face the best team of the past two decades in England. But it counts for nothing unless we do what we done last August and turn up prepared to scrap for every ball like it's the last ball on earth.
Juice's going? Great. Get the [Poor language removed] into these Everton.
We’re struggling to put any sort of form together. It’s been evident for a while but we’ve had the happy knack of drawing games we’d usually lose so it’s been masked fairly well. We’ve had injuries and with any season there’s ebb and flows but we need to get going again or there’s a real danger it could fade away.
The Villa game was predictable. They upped their game and along with some cringe worthy defending on our behalf they should have taken all three points. It’s a nap that the varicose vein headed Agbonlahor is going to score at Goodison anyway. Fellaini done his thing but it was still very much two points dropped. Ah well, at least we might not have to play them scruffs for a season or two.
A journey down the East Lancs is never too palatable. Were scouse so it’s running the gauntlet for a start. The the scouse accent gradually is replaced by wool monotone urrs and kerrs and the full spectrum of sh*te haircuts before tightening up again on hitting scruffy Manchester. The hour’s drive is not unlike the elevator in the Rockefeller Center (sic) with all the strange images throughout the ages flashing past as you proceed on your travel through time and space.
Manchester itself has always had an edge. Plenty of you on here will recall moody away days to both clubs as a shining beacon of local North West rivalry. It’s a bit more tepid these days thankfully and a wee bit easier when we visit United rather than City.
Trying to choose preference between United and City is like trying to decide whether to have a Magnum or a Feast lolly ice up your arse. Neither is going to be pleasant although if forced you’d probably side with the Magnum as it’s got a smoother surface. The Magnum effectively is Manchester United.
Plus let’s not beat around the bush here: the kopites absolutely detest them and that’s good enough for me. We’re quite happy to build loose alliance with them but only in a snidey way that we can prod them both with a stick from the outside and inflame kopite rage. The deluded folk of Anfield will try their best to mock and call them our second club which is fine but they miss out one vital point – were Everton and we can’t stand anyone other than Everton on the basis that everyone else are indeed bad bad bells.
The cities share a close history and if you take them both in context there’s a lot of similarities between them, both having a strong identified working class and the politics of the respective cities. But it’s much more fun to build perceived hateful rivalries in the eyes of the media as it sells more football packages. Some of them are sound on holiday aren’t they?
United are racing away in the league with a nine point gap over their tittish brothers. Still too early to be declaring the final outcome unless you’re a nobhead bookie paying out early to gain some minty PR.
This gap at the top of the league has been achieved despite them not really hitting their usual heights this season although it certainly helps when you’re supported by the goals of Robin Van Persie. It’s in stark contrast to the massive hole in our arsenal this year with Jelavic misfiring.
The sudden adoration of Van Persie has highlighted something to me as an undercurrent there which is former EFC player Wayne Rooney. He’s been boss for them, and may end up as their greatest goalscorer of all time but he’s not been took fully to their hearts has he? Compare their affection to Rooney to say Giggs, or Scholes or Denis Law. Maybe I’m reading too far into it but the respect is there for Rooney, just not the unconditional love given to their greats. In short: sack them off Wayne lad.
This game is just three days before an away game to Real Madrid so it's probable that United may use the healthy squad available to them. If Van Persie doesn't start then Wellbeck can slot it.
Midfield is likely to be Carrick and Cleverley with Thriller extra Nani on the left and Valencia on the right who's come in for some criticism this season from their own fans, for mainly not being as good as the previous season. A tough audience and no mistake. They've got good options on the bench with the likes of Nagasaki teen heart throb Kagawam the annoyingly squeaky clean Hernandez and the diving little tit Ashley Young.
Ferdinand and Jonny Evans will play centre defence and as good as they are can be a bit short of pace, Evra and Fabio will be the full backs. De Gea, who's making the classic teenage mistake of trying to grow a beard before he's ready, will be in goal for the Mancs. So there you have it, that's the size of what were up against.
Now if this was a couple of years ago we'd resign ourselves to an annoying two or three goal turn over without too much fuss but in the past couple of years we've become a bit of a pain in the arse for them. Last year's reverse fixture was the quite super four all which was then followed up one of the best first games of the season for us in quite some time.
We've found ourself in a bit of a sticky slump performance wise. January came and went without signings for whatever reason, we've got a Manager available on a Bosman right now and in amongst it were plodding on without the early season vigour that we enjoyed.
Anichebe will keep his place up front for this I reckon. He took his goal well against Villa and is working hard at least causing some sort of pest to the opposition centre backs. Until Jelavic wakes from his slumber then he's not a bad option to have. He'll have Fellaini just behind him who Moyes has been talking up to the press about needing him on top of his form. United, not unlike a lot of clubs, don't like playing against him and he has a happy habit of upping his game against the best of the division. Here's your stage Marouanne.
Darron Gibson returns to his old club one year one after slipping out of the back door with some brutal rips from United fans happy to see the back of him. I wasn't expecting too much but he's been a brilliant fit at Everton and is rightfully one of the first names on our team sheet. I'm not saying that United should be gutted at their loss as they have quality right through their team but it's a bit like necking a bird and jibbing her off at seventeen only to see her turn up a few years later with a boss pair of taegs that you never got to grip.
We know he's got a boss shot on him but we haven't seen it for a while. Ahem. He'll be partnered by Osman in the centre of the park with Pienaar on the left and Mirallas on the right. We're going to need some solid performances to get something out of the game but it's to the likes of Fellaini and Mirallas that we'll be looking for that bit extra, I hope the former has trained well this week.
Defence is hopefully easy enough, it's dependent on putting Neville at right back. I know they've got fast wingers but Neville has experience enough to hopefully at least compete. The alternative is Jagielka at right back and this year's pantomime villain Heitinga in the middle which doesn't give us too many happy endings lately.
The media were getting themselves into a twist this week in the tedious who is England's best left back debate. Obviously Chelsea fans will say Cole and we'll say Baines but who's arsed? Baines is ace for us long may it continue, even if his hair is propelling him into Middle Earth territory. Every week that passes makes him closer to the best left back I've ever seen wear the shirt. Another United old boy Howard completes our line up in goal and we'll need a non [Poor language removed] game from him.
Even though the result last week pissed me off I've been thinking about this game for most of the week. I'm not arsed about secret drone bases uncovered in Saudi Arabia, the political unrest in Tunisia or the truckload of snow about to be dumped in North America. I'm arsed about a boss Everton making me dead happy but turning up and poking the perceived forces of evil in the eye with our aceness.
This is the best EFC team to face the best team of the past two decades in England. But it counts for nothing unless we do what we done last August and turn up prepared to scrap for every ball like it's the last ball on earth.
Juice's going? Great. Get the [Poor language removed] into these Everton.
