[Archived] Everton vs Rovers

[Rovermatt]

Easily the kind of game in which we will find ourselves 2 down within 15 minutes. In spite of their frequent pleas of poverty and their significant injury list, Everton have a group of players vastly superior to our own. Not hopeful about this at all.

[Ralfinho]

Id love to see Kalinic & Rochina thrown on for the Everton match. Moyes will be doing his homework on us (not much to do really) and he will be guessing RSC will be the lone striker so throwing those 2 young boys on will possibly catch them off guard and under prepared and as a result we could get something from it, then again they might be rubbish, but who knows unless its tried

[RIML]

Can't see anything other than a draw in this game. We have to be careful of their good players: Arteta, Cahill and the microphone (Felliani). They are all in midfield so we should match them with 3 central mids, PJ, JJ, SN and go with MO, JH, NK as the front 3. Who knows maybe we can sneak a win.

Arteta has an hamstring injury and Fellaini is out for the rest of the season. Cahill is expected to return on Saturday but might not be fit to start.

[philipl]

Great preview Claire. Also remember a Rovers 3-0 win at Goodison in the '90s including an absolute screamer from 30 yards by Jason Wilcox. I think there was also a 1-0 with Shearer getting the only goal.

Anyway, anything other than a defeat will be a big bonus. Everton might be short on goal scorers but if they take the form they showed at Wolves into this game we could get a right thumping.

[MarkBRFC]

If we approach the game like we did against Arsenal then we could get a result here, i think 0-0 or 1-0 Rovers.

[RIML]

Everton have only lost three at home all season but draws against Wolves, Wigan, Birmingham and Villa and losses to Newcastle and West Brom suggest we have every chance of getting something from this game.

Saying that I'm not getting my hopes up too much, you just never know what team will turn up these days

[broadsword]

We always get a result unless it's called off, I think.

Not going to predict a score, it's totally impossible.

[herbergeehh]

Liverpool is winning, which could be good news for us. This is a must-win game for Everton, and it's a game where I think we should keep the 5 in midfield. We will get a point here, I can feel it.

[Roversi]

No idea why but i think we could win here, always a bit of optimism when we play the toffes, even with ince in charge we beat them twice 3-2 and 1-0. the 1-0 in fact was Olsson's first goal for the club and assisted by fowler. Yep i think we could get somthing here, Everton at the start of the season were as dodgey as Thaksin Shinawatra's corruption bill, but they are on a decent bit of form recently. they like to keep the ball and dictate the play in midfield so packing a 5 man midfield will be benifital to us. Barring all doubts are fit i'd play this.

Robinson

Salgado

Givet

Samba

Nelsen

Holiett

Olsson

J.Jones

P.Jones

Dunn

Kalinic / Cruz

[Iceman]

Robbo

Salgado Nelsen Samba Givet

P Jones

Hoilett J Jones Olsson

Rochina

Santa Cruz

[dazmaz]

I find it funny people seem to think Givet will play. Kean wont (and rightly so) have him near the squad until the contract dispute is sorted.

[rebelmswar]

Id love to see Kalinic & Rochina thrown on for the Everton match. Moyes will be doing his homework on us (not much to do really) and he will be guessing RSC will be the lone striker so throwing those 2 young boys on will possibly catch them off guard and under prepared and as a result we could get something from it, then again they might be rubbish, but who knows unless its tried

Do you want to win the game?

Surprise is all well and good but let's not surprise them with further, and much more telling, proof of managerial ineptitude.

[mattyc2422]

I'm on the Rochina train. Start him in front of Kalinic*.

*I seriously doubt either of these things will happen.

[martmitch]

agree if we can approach the game same as vs arsenal and not get anyone sent off this time we will maybe have a chance of nicking something, my gut feeling says everton will be too good for us and wont be trying to tippy-tappy walk it in every time like arsenal

where is kalanic? rocky needs to be benched, di santo looked more threatening

[Tom]

Rochina has given Kean a decsion to make, but I imagine he'll stick with RSC.

A comfortable 2-0 home win I think with us dropping to 17th and being in the drop zone by the time we plya City

[USABlue]

I hope we can sneak something from this. Looking at our competition around us many of them play each other over the next few weeks which mean some of the teams around us HAVE to pick up points. Can't see us getting much form this one though. More frayed nerves.

[davulsukur]

Nice preview, although its clear that from the Q&A no one outside Rovers pays us any particular attention, as they all rate Pedersen.

Tough game, normally a draw would be a decent result but with our situation we need a win.

[joey_big_nose]

Personally I think Rochina will start Saturday. Cruz, Benjani and Roberts have all been poor and are not scoring. Rochina is - albeit in the reserves - and to be frank goals are what matter at the moment, plus Kean will be keen to show that he has picked a player and get a bit of credit from the Ewood faithful and Venky's. On top of that he has shown with Hoilett, Hanley and Olsson he is not shy of playing the young guys.

As for Givet it seems Kean wants to play him, but it is Gael who is stalling. Hopefully things will be sorted.

--------------------Cruz

Olsson--------Rochina------Hoilett

---------Jones---------Jones

Givet----Nelsen-----Samba----Salgado

-----------------Robinson

Subs:- Bunn, Hanley, Dunn, Pedersen, Emerton, Roberts, Benjani/Kalinic

If Givet is still out then drop Olsson to LB and Pedersen comes in at left midfield.

Also wondering if Ramm will make the bench soon - we desperately need cover for Salgado, and he has been performing well.

[Hughesy]

Nelsen a big doubt for saturday....Samba, RSC & Hoilett all expected to pass fit.

Id start Rochina on the bench and give him 30-45 mins in the 2nd half.

[Hasta]

Somewhere along the line we are going to have to surprise ourselves and win a game that we are not expected to.

Keeping in mind we never win at West Ham and we don't want to be going to the last game of the season then I'd start looking at every other game bar United as a potential 3 points.

We've won our fair share of games at Goodison. John Stead once scored the winner when we were being haunted by relegation before. I'd chuck Rochina in from the start.

[Majiball]

--------------------Cruz

Olsson--------Rochina------Hoilett

---------Jones---------Jones

Givet----Nelsen-----Samba----Salgado

-----------------Robinson

If we were to play like that again as we started that way on Saturday then I'd swap Hoillet for Rochina and play Diouf on the right. Baines has been everton best player this season so Hoillet for me stands a good chance of being well marked. But Evertons belly is weak at present so play Junior there as his pace and industry should mean RSC gets a partner most of the time.

[LeChuck]

--------------------Cruz

Olsson--------Rochina------Hoilett

---------Jones---------Jones

Givet----Nelsen-----Samba----Salgado

-----------------Robinson

Looks far too open to me, I don't think we'd see the ball against Everton's midfield. Rochina wouldn't offer much defensively in that position so we'd effectively be 4-4-2. Plus Givet won't play. If we want to try an unknown quantity with Rochina then I'd change it to...

-------------------------Cruz

---Rochina---------------------------Hoilett

-----------Pedersen-------Jones

----------------------Jones

Olsson----Nelsen-----Samba----Salgado

--------------------Robinson

Rochina and Hoilett could be given good license to roam from their positions without having a great deal of defensive responsibility with a solid three behind them.

[braddock]

Somewhere along the line we are going to have to surprise ourselves and win a game that we are not expected to.

Keeping in mind we never win at West Ham and we don't want to be going to the last game of the season then I'd start looking at every other game bar United as a potential 3 points.

United may have won the league by then and be concentrating on two cup finals. Just saying.

[savage8]

----------------------Cruz

---Hoilett---------------------------Rochina /M Diouf

-----------Dunn-------Emerton

---------------------Jones

Olsson----Jones-----Samba----Salgado

--------------------Robinson

If Nelly is inured....

I think we looked alot more secure with P Jones at CB, although we would miss his physical presence in Midfield.

Play Hoilett on the left, I think he's wasted on the right (even though he was still our most dangerous player/only dangerous player).

I think we can win.

[Derby Blue]

United may have won the league by then and be concentrating on two cup finals. Just saying.

Hopefully they'll have won the fa cup and the league by then and just have the champions league final left. 'Maybe' resting a few but Fergie will want a win whatever has happened.