In just a few hours we will be kicking off our second home league match against Wolves. This will be the best opposition we have faced this season and a difficult game. Last year they gave us a hiding at Goodison and we will need to be at our best this season to avoid a repeat.
There will be changes from the team that put us into the next round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday at Lincoln. Yerry Mina will come back in for Mason Holgate at the back. The big Colombian has been the best performer in the back line this season and another good performance today is required against the dangerous Mexican striker Raul Jimenez.
Seamus Coleman is also likely to return in place of Djbril Sidibe in the right full back position. Sidibe done his chances of replacing Coleman on the right flank no harm on Wednesday. I just feel that with such a tough game and with the man from Donegal being Club Captain his place is safe for now. The presence of the World Cup winning full back on the sidelines will hopefully push Coleman into a good run of form.
The rest of the defensive line select’s itself. Lucas Digne again showed what a class act he is against Lincoln whilst Keane put in a decent performance also and is miles ahead of Holgate as a defender. The excellent Jordan Pickford picks himself. The England No1 has an impressive record of late in the Premier League especially at home. He has saved all 14 shots at him dating back to the last goal he conceded at Goodison against ironically, Wolves on the 2nd of February this year.
The centre of midfield poses a difficult choice for the Portuguese boss with the return to fitness of Fabian Delph. The experienced ex Manchester City midfielder played well midweek and may be in the manager’s thoughts today. Andre Gomes and Morgan Schneiderlin are the other two in competition for the midfield role. Gomes was very poor against Villa and Schneiderlin has not exactly set the world alight this season. I would go with Gomes and Delph with the Premier League winner sitting allowing the ex Barcelona man to push forward and join the attack.
The 3 in front of the midfield is also an equation that requires solving today. Richarlison will very likely start alongside the Iceman Gylfi Sigurdsson. Whilst neither have got going yet a goal each in midweek may spur them on to produce the form and performances of last season. The left wing position will either be filled by Bernard or new signing Alex Iwobi. Personally I would choose the Nigerian international as he seems to be our most exciting attacker at present. He is positive each time he receives the ball and has one thing on his mind which is to create or score goals. Bernard has not done a lot wrong in fact he has scored our only league goal this season. I just feel Iwobi gives us a little bit more going forward.
The last position to be filled is the striker role.
The 3 players in contention are Moise Kean, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun. Whilst Kean is likely to be the man to fill the position in the future, there are some doubts to if he is totally settled into the English game yet. He has produced moments of brilliance and looks to be an excellent young player, but may take a couple more weeks to bed fully into the squad and Premier League.
With that in mind I would consider starting £28 million man Tosun; I still feel there is a half decent player in there and when he first came to Everton he scored a couple of goals and looked a real threat. His assist for Iwobi’s goal on Wednesday was brilliant when some players may of went for goal in that position. He is hungry to prove himself at Everton and is similar to Lewin in the fact he will run all day and work hard. The Turk just offers more of a goal threat for me.
Whatever the first 11 we should have options from the bench today should we require them. Let’s hope the starting eleven gets the job done and we don’t need a moment of magic from any of the subs.
Lastly today Goodison needs to be the bearpit it has been since last year’s Merseyside derby. If the atmosphere is poor usually the performance on the pitch suffers. I cannot wait to be in the ground when the Siren goes off today and from that moment hopefully it will be an uncomfortable day for the Wolves players. The fans have as much of a part to play as the players.
COYB
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