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Post by Everton News. on Jun 23, 2020 14:55:31 GMT
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Post by Everton News. on Jun 23, 2020 15:09:56 GMT
Carlo Ancelotti says Everton must count on their “mental, tactical and technical quality” to overcome the twin-tests of Norwich City and potential fatigue following a three-day turnaround on Wednesday.
Everton will be back in action less than 72 hours after resuming their Premier League campaign with a scoreless Merseyside derby on Sunday.
Manager Ancelotti was surprised by Everton's endurance in that game but is conscious his players will be stretched physically at Carrow Road so soon after their weekend effort.
The Italian is nevertheless vowing his side will not want for motivation in East Anglia and remains confident Everton can mount a challenge for European qualification.
Norwich, bottom of the table and six points behind West Ham United in 17th, returned from the coronavirus shutdown against Southampton last Friday.
“In the game [against Liverpool], the team was fantastic on the physical aspect, I was a bit surprised,” said Ancelotti.
“I am also sure it will be more difficult in the next game because we didn’t have a lot of time to rest.
“We have to be focused to repeat the same performance.
“Norwich had two more recovery days.
“But, fortunately, there is not only the physical aspect in football, there is the mental, tactical and technical quality we would like to show tomorrow.
“Our goal is to compete until the end of the season, to try to climb the table, to try to find a position where next season we can play in Europe.
“This is the target.
“It is difficult but the teams in front of us are not so far ahead.”
There is an eight-point gulf between Everton in 12th and sixth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers with 24 points up for grabs in the season’s closing weeks.
Ancelotti will go to Norwich with the same group of players he had available to tackle Liverpool.
The ex-Bayern Munich boss understandably refused to be drawn on his team selection but was happy to expound on Anthony Gordon and Seamus Coleman when asked about the pair.
Teenage forward Gordon was handed his full Everton debut at the weekend while captain Coleman, at the experienced end of the age spectrum, delivered an outstanding derby display to claim man-of-the-match honours.
“The sense of belonging of the players to the Club in general is really important,” said Ancelotti.
“I had experience in Milan [where Ancelotti led AC Milan to Champions League titles in 2003 and 2007] where we built a fantastic team with players from the academy.
“Anthony is a player from the Academy with a good sense of belonging, like Coleman and Tom Davies.
“I chose Anthony not because he is from the Academy or has that sense of belonging but because I thought it was important for the game.
“It is my job to choose the right players to try to prepare well for the game.
“The players have to show quality and character for the shirt they wear.
“Our captain is a fantastic example of this.
“He shows all he has for the Club and shirt that he wears.”
Ancelotti expects to meet a charged-up Norwich side aiming to take advantage of one of their “last opportunities” to make headway in the Canaries’ fight against the drop.
He accepts, however, that Everton’s first behind-closed-doors away fixture – and the attendant protocol around travel and accommodation arrangements – lends a sense of the unknown to the occasion.
“It will be more difficult because the motivation the derby gave to the players is totally different but the focus is to come back to win,” said Ancelotti.
“It will be different [from a standard Premier League game], as it was different to go to the hotel before the game against Liverpool.
“Everything is new. The atmosphere before the game and positions of the dressing rooms.
“We have to accept this and follow the Premier League protocols.
“I want the players to understand we have to play a fantastic game.
“Norwich are in a difficult position but they want to use one of their last opportunities to catch up in the relegation battle.”
Ancelotti was talking at his pre-match media briefing where he was quizzed on Black Lives Matter, the campaign which has been a distinctive feature of football’s return with players taking a knee before kick-off and wearing jerseys with the message on their backs in the opening round of games.
A banner reading White Lives Matter Burnley, flown over the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City played Burnley on Monday, was condemned in the strongest possible terms by Burnley Football Club.
Ancelotti said: “That [banner] is not a reflection of what supporters around the world and in the Premier League are doing for this campaign.
“At Everton we are giving all the support we can for this campaign that we consider really, really important for us and the next generation.
“For the future of the world in which we would like to live.
“I had a big fight last year in Italy about the racist abuse against [Napoli defender Kalidou] Koulibaly.
“I know at Everton when Moise [Kean] came here the Everton supporters made a banner to support him.
“We are trying to do something, that is everyone.
“It is really important.
“In 2020 racist abuse is not acceptable.”
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Post by Everton News. on Jun 24, 2020 16:14:28 GMT
Everton XIHere's your Blues XI for this evening's clash at Norwich: Pickford, Coleman (c), Holgate, Keane, Digne, Iwobi, Davies, Gomes, Bernard, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Stekelenburg, Virginia, Baines, Sigurdsson, Kean, Martina, Branthwaite, Baningime, Gordon.
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Post by Everton News. on Jun 24, 2020 16:16:57 GMT
Bernard replaces Antony Gordon in the only change from Sunday’s Merseyside derby for Everton's encounter with Norwich City on Wednesday.
The Brazilian winger makes his 14th Premier League start of the campaign and is likely to start on the left with Alex Iwobi on the opposite flank.
That pair will play either side of midfield duo Andre Gomes and Tom Davies.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, who have scored a combined 12 goals in 10 Premier League games together under Carlo Anceotti, again form a two-pronged Everton strikeforce.
Captain Seamus Coleman, fresh from a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool, continues at right-back.
Lucas Digne plays on the left of defence and Englishmen Michael Keane and Mason Holgate occupy Everton’s central defensive positions.
Jordan Pickford plays Premier League game 107 on the spin in goal.
Teenager Gordon is joined on a nine-strong bench by fellow attacker Moise Kean and midfielders Gylfi Sigurdsson and Beni Baningime.
Manager Ancelotti includes goalkeepers Maarten Stekelenburg and Joao Virginia among his substitutes, along with the defensive trio of Leighton Baines, Cuco Martina and 17-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite.
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Post by Everton News. on Jun 24, 2020 16:18:48 GMT
TEAM NEWS
Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph and Djibril Sidibe will be unavailable for Wednesday’s Premier League game at Norwich City.
Mina and Delph continue to be sidelined with muscle injuries but are expected to return for next Wednesday’s home game against Leicester City.
Sidibe will miss the Carrow Road clash with a foot problem but Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti says he is hopeful the full-back will return to full training soon.
Theo Walcott is out after undergoing abdominal surgery last week while Jean-Philippe Gbamin is a long-term absentee for Everton having suffered an Achilles injury.
Norwich will be without defenders Grant Hanley, Sam Byram and Christoph Zimmermann for the remainder of the season
Marco Stiepermann is available for the Canaries, however. The midfielder tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago but remained asymptomatic and has since recorded two negative tests.
Everton FC
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