Matchday 34 - Everton v Nottingham Forest - „El Fiasco!“ - Sunday, 21st April KO 1:30pm

[garibaldi]

I have to agree with those who've said the first goal will be decisive. If they score first (from a corner obviously), they dig in, get the crowd behind them, kick us off the park and shithouse their way to a win while we huff and puff and complain about the ref. If we score first, their very fragile confidence implodes, the crowd get on their backs and we have some fun exploiting their very dodgy defence (especially if the excellent Branthwaite is out). Keep it cagey for the first 20 minutes then go for the killer goal.

The problem is that even if we do score, we're too soft to hold onto a lead.

 

[JonnoSnr]

There's absolutely no way we're keeping a clean sheet so we're going to have to score at least twice to win.

In my opinion there will be a response from Everton after last night and they'll come out scrapping. They're not very good (nor are we) but could definitely outfight us.

Our best chance is to turn it into a game of football. If we sit back and keep giving away silly fouls eventually they'll score from a set piece.

Everton 1-1 Forest

 

[JonnoSnr]

our midfield should remain as danilo and yates. yates height will be needed against their towering giant onana and danilo is in good form.

The problem is Yates gives away so many free kicks. Against a team like Everton that should destroy us.

 

[Davie]

Only 3 things are certain. We'll concede from a corner, we won't get given a stonewall peno and Murillo is going to bang in a hat-trick.

 

[Matt]

Very interesting to see how Nuno sets us up for this one. Everton will want to put a marker down early, press us high and try to dominate our defensive line with McNeil/Young/Doucoure/Garner/Onana set up in our half to try and pen us back. Do we stick to our 4231, which leaves gaps in front of our full backs which Everton will try to exploit - but in turn, leaving lots of space behind for us to get into?

I can maybe see a 541 formation with Elanga and CHO on the wide flanks to try and exploit the space whilst retaining some defensive shape. That means MGW either has to play as an 8 or misses out though, neither scenario I'm not a huge fan of. Something like:

Sels
Aina Niakhate Murillo Omobamidele Neco
CHO Danilo Dominguez Elanga
Wood

 

[TrickiestTree]

Do we stick to our 4231, which leaves gaps in front of our full backs which Everton will try to exploit

Vs Wolves we had CHO tracking Semedo & playing deeper than Aina for a lot of the game, will probably see the same thing happening if we go ahead. With their wingers & fullbacks lack of pace i'd hope Elanga and CHO can track Coleman/Mykolenko and still threaten in behind

Got a feeling we'll go for:

Sels
Aina Murllo Omo Tavares (though I prefer Neco & Moussa to Tav & Omo)
Danilo Yates (would rather Dominguez but Yates vs Onana would be our best matchup)
Elanga MGW CHO (Elanga nearly played vs Wolves, feel like he was rested for this one)
Wood

Taiwo's had a fresh trim, surprise bench appearance incoming?

 

[PlayedOnGrass]

Sels
Felipe Niakhate Murillo
Williams Dominguez Danilo Tavares
MGW CHO
Wood
​

Overload the middle, press high up the pitch, force Everton into long balls and hope the three at the back can sweep up.

Not a bad call.
I would play Aina for Williams though

 

[Matt]

Vs Wolves we had CHO tracking Semedo & playing deeper than Aina for a lot of the game, will probably see the same thing happening if we go ahead. With their wingers & fullbacks lack of pace i'd hope Elanga and CHO can track Coleman/Mykolenko and still threaten in behind

Got a feeling we'll go for:

Sels
Aina Murllo Omo Tavares (though I prefer Neco & Moussa to Tav & Omo)
Danilo Yates (would rather Dominguez but Yates vs Onana would be our best matchup)
Elanga MGW CHO (Elanga nearly played vs Wolves, feel like he was rested for this one)
Wood

Taiwo's had a fresh trim, surprise bench appearance incoming?

Yes me and the lads I sit with all said the same - it was almost like a back 5 but with Aina at LCB in certain situations. Very interesting from Nuno and you're right, you'd expect CHO and Elanga to have the engine/pace to keep up with their opposite number for the game.

I suspect the key battle will be between Doucoure/Onana/Garner and our midfield three.

 

[YouReds43]

Win!!!

 

[Bob Fossil]

I'd start Yates and Dominguez and bring Danilo on when they're tiring in the second half.

What madness is this?

Danilo has been our best central midfielder by far lately. In fact our only decent cm.

 

[PlayedOnGrass]

Very interesting to see how Nuno sets us up for this one. Everton will want to put a marker down early, press us high and try to dominate our defensive line with McNeil/Young/Doucoure/Garner/Onana set up in our half to try and pen us back. Do we stick to our 4231, which leaves gaps in front of our full backs which Everton will try to exploit - but in turn, leaving lots of space behind for us to get into?

I can maybe see a 541 formation with Elanga and CHO on the wide flanks to try and exploit the space whilst retaining some defensive shape. That means MGW either has to play as an 8 or misses out though, neither scenario I'm not a huge fan of. Something like:

Sels
Aina Niakhate Murillo Omobamidele Neco
CHO Danilo Dominguez Elanga
Wood

No MGW - are you mad

 

[Matt]

No MGW - are you mad

I did say in my post that I’m not a fan of dropping MGW or playing him in the 8

 

[Major Oak Morgan]

really ? they are still 1 point ahead, and their next 3 games are at home, starting with forest. You can't really depend on liverpool or brentford to beat them as pool form has dropped off badly and brentford is also poor.

Yes, but they are at home and are on the back of a 6:0 drubbing. I would say that the greater expectation is placed on them.

 

[RedHelly]

I've just watched highlights of the 6-0 and I think England's number 1 had a mare and could be dropped for our game.
Anyone thinking of putting Felipe in for the game on Sunday is nuts, he's packed in! He was great last season but he's no longer that player.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Felipe is done, he's looked shot in his last few appearances and mentally is demob happy

 

[marshal99]

Yes, but they are at home and are on the back of a 6:0 drubbing. I would say that the greater expectation is placed on them.

i imagine their expectations would be not to lose, same as forest , no more, no less.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Enter The Dragon is frankly one of the greatest movies ever made, and that is a hill I will die on.

 

[Annesleyred]

Paul McCartney is an Everton fan but his song says different.
Bring on the spirit of Ian Storey-Moore from 1967.
3-2 Forest

 

[Cloughie1975]

Paul McCartney is an Everton fan but his song says different.
Bring on the spirit of Ian Storey-Moore from 1967.
3-2 Forest

Or the first day 3-1 win at Goodison in 1977.

 

[sammy the snake]

Na
I’m going for clean sheet for Forest either 0-0 or 0-1
Won from midfield, Everton have zero quality in the midfield for some reason

 

[Collymore!]

When I think back to the 0-0 with Palace, whilst it wasn’t much of a game, we really looked comfortable and assured in mid. Sangare had a decent enough game and looked untroubled, and generally much more solid. Same with a few other games around that time.

I came away from that Palace game thinking that we actually had progressed our style, even if we didn’t score. Not sure really what’s happened to us defensively, obviously injuries, but we just haven’t got back.

 

[Statto]

Felipe is done, he's looked shot in his last few appearances and mentally is demob happy

I'm not sure he'd necessarily be demob happy. His last few appearances (well basically any this season really) have been a bit inconsistent but then by the same token he's hardly played so not had chance to get any match sharpness.

I think his knees are basically shot though (probably from needing to play almost every match last season in the run in when he needed to manage it a bit more) so not too surprising to see and also perhaps see why he might not want to push his body too much because he'll presumably still have issues when he's retired but not have to worry about being a professional athlete after it.

We shouldn't be playing him unless we absolutely have to (such as not enough of Omo, Murillo, Kitty, Boly available) and give him a good send off at the end of the season for his efforts keeping us up last time round.

 

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

He played Bombaata in Conan the Destroyer.

If they were 3 central defenders on offer, Matildas would sign Arnie because he's the biggest name

 

[congo_red_49]

I’m going for clean sheet for Forest

 

[Rockabilly]

I’m looking forward to it, these are really bad even by the standards of a side at the bottom, two wins since early December for them I believe.

If Luton are to somehow stay up it’ll be at Everton’s expense.

Please, please, yes.