Match Thread POSTPONED: Everton v Manchester City - Preview only

[Verbal Kint]

Pickford
Coleman
Holgate
Keane
Godfrey
Davies
Gomez
Bernard
Gordon
Tosun
Iwobi

Mina, DCL, Siggy, Doucoure need rested before they pick up and injury.

Won't be the team, we probably won't have a shot but City won't either haha.

 

[Verbal Kint]

Every team over the last month that had slotted into the 2nd position has been talked as as been in a title race. Except the current one.

Hhmmmm

I think they might be right

 

[TheBigIguana]

I think they might be right

If you thought Spurs were in it 3 weeks ago we are now. Not having a second game vs City a couple weeks from now isn't the worst thing for us. Schedule eases up after January.

 

[Deleted member 43796]

Carlo mentioned that there'd be no time to prepare for the next game and that some rotation could well be in order, so I've gone for:

-----------------Olsen-------------------
Coleman Keane Branthwaite Godfrey
-----Doucouré--Davies--Gomes-------
--Bernard------Tosun-------Gordon----

-Olsen fairly certain to come in given the recent chopping and changing at GK.
-Coleman and Keane fresh having not played a full 90 this evening, could *maybe* see him trust Branthwaite there given how he's impressed when called upon; unsure whether he trusts Nkounkou defensively (especially up against City) so can imagine him persisting with Godfrey (or even putting Kenny in there).
-Davies a shoo-in given his performance tonight and that he was subbed midway through the second half, Doucouré simply pivotal to our play so can't think of anyone else to replace him despite his fatigue; unsure on this but Gomes is fresher than Sigurdsson so can see him getting the nod (although Sig seems to recover very quickly).
-Bernard looked bright when he came on, Gordon didn't pull up any trees but still fresh, DCL may be protected for fear of injury (with a 20-minute cameo if it's still close in the 2nd half)

We go again, defend resolutely, keep it tight throughout and scrape a narrow win...

 

[Tel001]

I’d take a point now tbh

 

[bebo86]

I think we can win, honestly

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Every team over the last month that had slotted into the 2nd position has been talked as as been in a title race. Except the current one.

Hhmmmm

It is okay, we are the underdogs and hopefully we will surprise everyone by winning the race

 

[UptheTofees]

City should beat us. We are limping to matches

But we are playing so well defensively and City have a tendency to drop points that they shouldn't.

F it. Make it 5 in a row.

Do the citizens in

 

[johnnydawg68]

I disagree this is a free hit. I get that thinking, but we're at home, and we have a chance to lay down a marker and separate ourselves a bit from a side that will be coming all year long. We have to start thinking of ourselves as contenders for Champions League at a minimum. If we get through 2020 in 2nd without any of our injured players, we have to start looking up. This is where I've always wanted us to be. As of Dec. 26th, we're in a title race people like it or not. We may not be there at the end, but it's a little different being 2nd on Boxing Day than 1st in October.

NSNO and all that. UTFT!

 

[TheBigIguana]

City should beat us. We are limping to matches

But we are playing so well defensively and City have a tendency to drop points that they shouldn't.

F it. Make it 5 in a row.

Do the citizens in

Question for me is can we spawn a goal against them? If we do we've got a reasonable shot at 1-1 or even 1-0 to us. But I highly doubt we are getting 2 so the defending has to be there.

 

[johnnydawg68]

94-0 to the blues

This is the kind of reasoned thinking we could do more of. I'm with you.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Question for me is can we spawn a goal against them? If we do we've got a reasonable shot at 1-1 or even 1-0 to us. But I highly doubt we are getting 2 so the defending has to be there.

Luckily it has been. Ironically Man City have been stout defensively, and struggling to score at their usual pace, so this should be a 1 goal game if there is a winner. Keep it tight, and be the ones who take the chance.

 

[UptheTofees]

Wouldn't mind a point here

 

[TheBigIguana]

Luckily it has been. Ironically Man City have been stout defensively, and struggling to score at their usual pace, so this should be a 1 goal game if there is a winner. Keep it tight, and be the ones who take the chance.

For all the crap Pep gets he's got the best defensive side in the league to this point. What would be bad is going behind early because City are just keeping the ball and killing games off once the get ahead now.

 

[johnnydawg68]

For all the crap Pep gets he's got the best defensive side in the league to this point. What would be bad is going behind early because City are just keeping the ball and killing games off once the get ahead now.

Agree. But they don't have the same ability to take 1 goal and make it 3-4-5 they used to. So it's going to be tight. Our defending is just as good lately. So it's there for us to take.