15-01-2015, 19:41
Difficult to believe it's only been a year since that Monday night in January when Everton visited the Hawthorns as the first opponents for new boss Pepe Mel. After a decade's worth of turmoil in twelve months, we're once again facing the Toffees on a Monday night, this time at Goodison Park, in the hope that we can extend our unbeaten run under new boss Tony Pulis and find some kind of stability coming into the most vital phase of the relegation battle.
Of course, with Saido's court case due, no transfer activity apparent and some hyperactive hokey-cokey going on with the backroom staff, stability may yet be a way away. So, just the three points for now, then?
![[Image: Everton_v_Arsenal_Everton_s_Romelu_Lukaku_cel_31.jpg]](http://s18.postimg.org/po9rhlivd/Everton_v_Arsenal_Everton_s_Romelu_Lukaku_cel_31.jpg)
It's been a surprising fall from grace for Everton this season. After years of being just one piece short of the full jigsaw, it seemed they'd finally completed the puzzle in the latter days of David Moyes' reign, and that Roberto Martinez was the ideal successor to consolidate their top six position and perhaps deliver that elusive cup win. However, the top six now looks just as distant as the hopes for silverware; Everton have somehow let themselves slip into the upper reaches of the relegation battle, and though they should have the quality to steer themselves through troubled waters in the long run, there are more than a few worried faces around Goodison these days. With their last win coming ten days before Christmas, goals a rarity both home and away, and easily in the bottom three of the form table, there's probably no better time to be playing the Toffees.
However, if there's one thing the match against Hull showed us, it's that our own problems won't be vanishing overnight. Tony Pulis can instil a more professional and resilient mentality in the players, but without new signings, we'll still be struggling along without the necessary pace and creativity to cause teams problems when they've got men behind the ball. With Saido still having a near-monopoly on goalscoring, things could get very bleak very quickly if we lose him for any reason.
For that reason, I think this'll be another cautious one. Neither team will want to concede first. Martinez has recently tried a more direct style in the hope of causing the opposition problems, as playing out from the back was making Everton too predictable and costing them goals when pressed high up the pitch; Pulis should drill our boys to defend against this and hit on the counter. As in September when he ruthlessly punished an early Olsson mistake, Lukaku will be the major threat to worry about; he's having a poor season by the high standards he's set, but he remains a quality striker on his day.
Keep that clean sheet and we'll be coming away with one point, maybe all three. It may not be pretty, but right now, it's what we need.
As YouTube maintains their baffling copyright ban on my video of the great 4-1 win at Goodison in November 2010, this is as good as it gets with classic match footage this time. What we'd give to have Williams Martinez back again, eh? Nah, maybe not...
Of course, with Saido's court case due, no transfer activity apparent and some hyperactive hokey-cokey going on with the backroom staff, stability may yet be a way away. So, just the three points for now, then?
After a thorough investigation, Merseyside Police insist there's no evidence whatsoever of LSD in the Goodison tap water.
It's been a surprising fall from grace for Everton this season. After years of being just one piece short of the full jigsaw, it seemed they'd finally completed the puzzle in the latter days of David Moyes' reign, and that Roberto Martinez was the ideal successor to consolidate their top six position and perhaps deliver that elusive cup win. However, the top six now looks just as distant as the hopes for silverware; Everton have somehow let themselves slip into the upper reaches of the relegation battle, and though they should have the quality to steer themselves through troubled waters in the long run, there are more than a few worried faces around Goodison these days. With their last win coming ten days before Christmas, goals a rarity both home and away, and easily in the bottom three of the form table, there's probably no better time to be playing the Toffees.
However, if there's one thing the match against Hull showed us, it's that our own problems won't be vanishing overnight. Tony Pulis can instil a more professional and resilient mentality in the players, but without new signings, we'll still be struggling along without the necessary pace and creativity to cause teams problems when they've got men behind the ball. With Saido still having a near-monopoly on goalscoring, things could get very bleak very quickly if we lose him for any reason.
For that reason, I think this'll be another cautious one. Neither team will want to concede first. Martinez has recently tried a more direct style in the hope of causing the opposition problems, as playing out from the back was making Everton too predictable and costing them goals when pressed high up the pitch; Pulis should drill our boys to defend against this and hit on the counter. As in September when he ruthlessly punished an early Olsson mistake, Lukaku will be the major threat to worry about; he's having a poor season by the high standards he's set, but he remains a quality striker on his day.
Keep that clean sheet and we'll be coming away with one point, maybe all three. It may not be pretty, but right now, it's what we need.
Classic Match
Everton 2-2 West Bromwich Albion
FA Premier League: 7th May 2006
As YouTube maintains their baffling copyright ban on my video of the great 4-1 win at Goodison in November 2010, this is as good as it gets with classic match footage this time. What we'd give to have Williams Martinez back again, eh? Nah, maybe not...
