Royal Blue Mersey

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

2012-05-16T02:14:12Z

It is funny how each season begins to blur together as an Everton. For most of the past decade, Everton begins the season very slowly. Occasionally they get points of a top club, but far too often points are dropped to teams that will end up in a relegation fight rather than a title fight. Soon the New Year comes around, and the squad finally comes together for a fantastic run of form that leaves fans asking what if. The one season the club started strongly and continued for the entire season we qualified for the Champions League.

Sometimes injuries have played a part in our poor form during the fall, and other times new players have been brought in during the January transfer window to help bolster the squad. But this does not happen every year, and sometimes those players brought in do not perform well. The problem is already at the club, but it seems like most people aren’t willing to recognize it.

This is often the point when many fans would point to the manager as the problem. His tactics or transfer policy would be brought into question, and an undercurrent of resentment would begin. Does Moyes have problems with his tactics, sure. Occasionally he can be too conservative, which is frustrating when he has shown a willingness to go on the attack. The problem is that the players need to be more consistent.

If you look at the difference in tactics between matches in the fall and matches in the spring, there is not a lot of differences. Things will change based on the opponents and players available, but Moyes does not make radical changes once he has seen the ball drop in Times Square. Rather it is the players who need to pick up their play in the fall.

Manager’s cannot force their teams to put in effort, and even the greatest managers have players who do not put in the effort needed, or they have players who just aren’t playing well. The less talent a squad has the more often this happens. Yes, Everton does have talent, but not at the level of Manchester United or Manchester City. If we did then we would be competing for EPL titles year in and year out.

If Everton is going to compete for a Champions League berth, or even have a consistent shot at winning a cup, the entire squad is going to have to become more consistent. Obviously Moyes will need to bring in some more depth, as well as looking for a creative presence in the midfield, but the biggest changes need to occur inside each player. Until then we can keep looking forward to 7^th place finishes, and a sense of what could have been.

Everton vs. Newcastle: Live Game Thread

2012-05-13T13:54:50Z

Starting lineups -

Everton: Howard, Heitinga, Jagielka, Baines, Hibbert, Neville, Osman, Fellaini, Pienaar, Gibson, Jelavic.

Newcastle: Krul, Coloccini, Santon, Williamson, Perch, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Cabaye, Tiote, Cisse, Ba.

Lots at stake, more so for Newcastle than Everton. The Toons need a win, and points dropped by Arsenal and Tottenham to take the third and final Champions' League spot. The Toffees on the other hand are trying to finish ahead of crosstown rivals Liverpool and a win will seal 7th place ahead of the Reds.

It is a dramatic day in the Premiership, with other storylines too - Manchester City need to match or better Manchester United to win the Premier League, while Bolton will be hoping for a win and a Queens Park Rangers loss to avoid relegation. Blackburn and Wolverhampton have already been relegated.

Everton - Newcastle: Q&A with Coming Home Newcastle

2012-05-13T00:18:10Z

Everton welcome Newcastle to Goodison Park tomorrow for the last game of the Premier League season. Royal Blue Mersey carried out a Q&A with the fine folk over at the excellent Newcastle blog Coming Home Newcastle. Stay tuned after the jump to read the Q&A with John, and the link to our responses to the questions on their blog is here.

RBM: No matter what position Newcastle end up in, will the fans consider this season a success? What were your expectations at the beginning of the season?
CHN: Compared to our expectations at the beginning of the season, where we were anticipating a potential relegation dogfight at worst and a push for the Top 10 at best, yes, this has been an amazing season. Beginning the year with 11 games unbeaten set the tone for what would be an incredible Premier League campaign. I’m still a bit disappointed we crashed out of the Cups so early, though given our League performance and the probable push for Europe, it’s understandable. This season has been incredibly, amazingly, sublimely successful, and it has been an incredible time to be a Newcastle fan.
Now, that being said, if the chips fall poorly on Sunday and we end up a point away from Champions League, it’s going to be near impossible not to feel a touch disappointed. While making Europe at all is an achievement that we should celebrate and be thankful for, finding yourself just a draw, or even a goal differential, shy of Europe’s biggest stage still stings. We think Newcastle is absolutely set for Europa, but when the sweet glory of Champions League is so close, of course you’re bound to want just a little more.

RBM: Newcastle are definitely the pleasant surprise of the season, and came in from nowhere to finish in the top tier. What does the ownership and management need to do to ensure they remain in the top six and compete for the Premiership title in the coming years?
CHN: Pardew is on the record as saying he has closely monitored the practices of the teams that have “yo-yo’d” once they’ve made it to Europe, such as Stoke, Fulham, and Birmingham, and the cautionary tale of Leeds United still looms large over the Premier League, as we all know. I think the main thing Newcastle needs to do is add depth on the back line. We currently have a decently deep front line and midfield, but when Steven Taylor went down in December, it rocked Newcastle to the core, something we can’t afford to repeat next season when competing in more competitions. I think the current batch of players is poised to have an incredibly successful run of years at Newcastle, and some have even touted as soon-to-be title challengers.
The other we’re going to need to do, and this keeps Newcastle fans awake in cold sweats at night, is hold on to our marquee players. Demba Ba and Cheick Tiote have both been heavily linked to summer transfers, and losing them would shake up Newcastle to perhaps an unrecoverable state. That being said, the Newcastle brass, especially Pardew, have shown that they’re willing to make incredibly tough decisions (see: Carroll, Andy) in order to keep to books in the black and the team at the center of the equation over any individual player. Still, it’d be nice to hold on to our core, though the Toon Army is slowly but surely learning to trust Mike Ashley (score one for the Mayans).

RBM: Does the current squad have the depth up stand up to the rigors of a European campaign as well as the Premiership and two domestic Cups? What are the strengths of the squad, and where are the weak spots?
CHN: I think Newcastle will most likely continue the trend of bucking the Cups to focus on the League, and now Europe. It’s an unfortunate reality that both the Carling and F.A. Cups have lost a huge amount of their significance, but they have proven as excellent competitions for young lads to get a go.
Now, as for the European question: as I mentioned, we’re currently very, very shallow on the back line. While Mike Williamson and James Perch have acted admirably in the stead of starters Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor, they’re not exactly world beaters. Newcastle has stated very loud, public interest in full backs Douglas and Jan Vertonghen, as well as right back Mathieu Debuchy. If those promises are fulfilled, then Newcastle will be in excellent shape for European competitions. As far as our strengths, our midfield has been fantastic this year, and our striker corps is surprisingly deep. Tim Krul has been fantastic in goal. We also have a youth program that is beginning to produce some pretty exciting prospects, and we have the best (and most handsome) manager in the League.

RBM: Alan Pardew has little international managerial experience, and this will be his maiden venture into Europe. Does he have what it takes to pit his wits against the best on the European stage? Do you expect Newcastle to stay true to their style from this season in Europe, or develop a different strategy or two?
CHN: I think Pardew has what it takes to be counting amongst the European brass, though we all recognize there will be probably some pretty extensive growing pains. It’s going to be difficult for him to keep expectations reasonable, especially if we have some early success. Our fanbase had a penchant for getting a little... rabid. I think our initial campaign might not be the most exciting or successful, but the experience will be priceless. My gut tells me Pardew’s focus will remain firmly in the Premiership, so that our bid to Europe isn’t a flash in the pan.
Tactically speaking, I don’t think Pardew is going to do anything too crazy. If we do bring in those aforementioned defensive reinforcements, it may encourage us to play on our heels a bit, especially on the road in countries like Spain and Germany. If we do make Champions League, I certainly wouldn’t bank on us rolling out the 4-3-3 at Camp Nou, though I could be mistaken.

RBM: Newcastle have stuttered a bit in the closing run, the losses to Wigan and City must have been frustrating after an excellent stretch of wins.
CHN: The City was disappointing but the lads played great against a team that looks poised to hoist the trophy, so no shame there. Thankfully, for most of the year we’ve beaten the teams we “were supposed to.” The Wigan loss was much more frustrating, especially given how completely and totally we got spanked. Wigan is an infuriating bunch with their flakey form, and if we had nicked even one measly point out of those six available we might be in a Champions League spot today.

RBM: Hindsight is 20/20, but the 2 pts in 4 games against Arsenal and Tottenham are coming back to haunt the Toon now. Better performances then would really have put daylight between Newcastle and all three London clubs in the top 6.
CHN: Ugh, the return fixtures for both stung even more. Netting draws early in the season definitely helped build Newcastle’s confidence and poise moving forward. The 5-0 blowout at White Hart Lane definitely brought NUFC down a peg, and it came after a string of all over the place results. At the same time, it seemed to be the impetus that pushed Newcastle towards their incredible run in 2012. More recently, the LAST gasp loss to Arsenal at Emirates was infuriatingly frustrating, and Vermaelen’s goal definitely still haunts Toon fans in their sleep. On a personalized note to Toffees fans, Arteta was absolutely bonkers in that match, all over the pitch and completely dominating Tiote in the midfield. Thanks for selling him to the bad guys...

RBM: Papiss Cisse has been explosive since coming to Tyneside, 13 goals in 13 games. He was the only signing in the transfer window, and there must have been some murmurs among the fanbase. He has easily been the best signing of that window in the entire Premiership, right? (apologies to Jelavic at Everton, who has rejuvenated the club too!).
CHN: Without a doubt. He was easily the best signing of the season. For £10mil, Newcastle appears to have gotten a steal. I remember the signing came without a ton of fanfare or expectations, but Cisse came in and has been incredible since his entrance. The goals against Chelsea and the amazing flip against Swansea stand out as some of Newcastle’s best moments of the year, and more importantly he has rejuvenated a team which seemed to be fading a bit in the mid season. We LOVE Papiss Demba Cisse, and I don’t know if you’ve heard... but he loves the Toon Army as well.

RBM: Who are the young stars in the Newcastle Academy system? Will they be getting any exposure in the seniors side any time soon?
CHN: Two players who have already seen some limited first team action are left wingback Shane Ferguson and wing/fwd Sammy Ameobi. I adore Fergie, who I’m banking on being Gareth Bale Beta Model when he finally breaks out of his shell (ideally in Europe... Bale style). When he has come on, his work rate and pace have been like a bottle of lightning to the Newcastle side. Sammy Ameobi, who has a folk-legend-hero pedigree thanks to older brother Shola, has done well as a flanker, but has been hampered by injury, and it seems sometimes Pardew is struggling to figure out the best way to utilize him. We’ve also have Mehdi Abeid and Haris Vuckic, who have also seen limited, but exciting, first team action.
Coming up from the academy, two names keep the Geordie fans eager with anticipation. Striker J.J. Hooper has turned some heads with his cannon shot and high work rate, and he’ll probably break into the mold next year at some point. We also have Jak Alnwick in goal, who I’d imagine will very soon be taking up the #2 spot behind Tim Krul as Steve Harper and Rob Elliot keep advancing in age. Alnwick might serve as a valuable trade chip in a few years, and we should definitely expect to see him loaned out to prove his mettle soon.

RBM: Newcastle will need to win this weekend at Everton, and hope results go their way in the Arsenal and Tottenham fixtures. What do they need to do for the win? Who should we be watching out for?
CHN: Newcastle will come out guns blazing. Newcastle’s record when the opposition scores first is atrocious, whereas we are incredibly comfortable defending a lead. I would imagine that Pardew is going to employ the 4-3-3 again with Ben Arfa, Cisse, and Ba up top. Expect Cabaye, Tiote, and Jonas to be playing aggressively up the pitch and look for through-balls to the creators up front (especially Cabaye, whose assists have been glorious as of late). Newcastle need to play their game, and not allow Everton to hang around and push through the line. We should be aggressive, quick, and relentless, #Entertainersstyle

RBM: Everton have been dangerous at home, finding their goalscoring touch lately and also having accounted for big names like Chelsea, City and Tottenham. Who scares you? What is your prediction for the score?
CHN: The thing that scares me most isn’t an individual player (with all due respect to Jelavic), but rather a mindset. If Everton comes out guns blazing right back, Newcastle may buckle. The back line can only hold for so long, and Newcastle play so much better when their being aggressive and dictating the tempo on their terms. The Man City game is evidence enough that if NUFC don’t score relatively quickly, it’s only a matter of time before the whole thing falls apart.
I think Newcastle is going to capitalize on the chance to make history, though, and will really pile it on. It’s bold, it’s brash, it’s arrogant... but I’m thinking 5-1 to the Magpies, with a Cisse hat-trick to cap a wonderful season.

7th Annual Everton End of Season Awards

2012-05-11T22:45:24Z

On a damp, windy Thursday night in the iconic St George's Hall in the middle of Liverpool City Centre, Everton Football Club hosted its 7th Annual End of Season Awards. Sponsors, Commercial Partners, Executive Lounge Members and supporters who could dig deep enough into their pockets joined Chairman Bill Kenwright, some of the Directors, Chief Exec (and my mate) Robert Elstone, Manager David Moyes, his back room staff and most importantly the first team squad to celebrate and reflect on what has been another up and down season for this club of ours. And I was there to take it all in.

The event was presented by excellent co-hosts and Sky Sports News presenters Jim White and Natalie Sawyer, who began by welcoming guests to the room before introducing the first team who entered the room in two lines, splitting into two and making their way around the outside of the fabulous main hall, but disappointingly not to Z-Cars, but rather some tune blown out by the massive pipe organ. And then a special entrance following the passing of his 10th anniversary in charge of Everton for Manager David Moyes, who took his seat on table one with his family and the chairman, chief exec and a few directors.

Various videos were shown summing up different stages of the season. Victor's goal away to West Brom and his equaliser against Wigan, Darron Gibson's goal against City, Tim Howards saves at various games, Tony Hibbert snapping Charlie "best dead ball specialist in the world" Adam, Jelavic's goal at Wembley and Steven Pienaar's equaliser at Old Trafford, amongst others.

Ipads were placed in the middle of each table (50 of them), installed on which were auction items for you to bid on silently, from Leighton Baines' & Johnny Heitinga's boots, Marouane Fellaini's, Sylvain Distin's and Nikica Jelavic's shirts, to a VIP Box for 10 people to John Bishop live at the Echo Arena, Mohammed Ali's signed boxing glove and a Lady Gaga Guitar!! I passed.

There was a bucket of Chang on each table too, which was free. Again, I passed! Bottle of Bulmer's please waiter.

On to the awards. The 2012 Everton Giant was announced as Brian Labone, a "one club man and proper Evertonian." Brian's wife collected the award on his behalf and explained how "Everton was everything to Brian, but he would be wondering what all the fuss was about." A very fitting accolade.

Dinner was then served, and as Bill Kenwright entered the room, late, some clown on the table next to ours told him he was "lucky he was still standing." He was piped down, the idiot.

The fan of the year was awarded to Sarah McNabb, a lady who cares for her mother in between looking after herself and watching the blues. She delayed an operation on her knee because it was her dream to go to Wembley, and Everton got her there. A great achievement.

Dinner was served and then on with proceedings.

The Everton Ladies' Player of the Season was awarded to goalkeeper and England International Rachel Brown. Tim Cahill presented the award but before hand said "the Everton Ladies' player of the year is Phil...... na Rachel Brown." Rachel expressed her confusion at receiving the award given that it was voted on on the second half of last season. The Women's Premier League is now a Summer league and as such is only a few games old. However, knowing Rachel I'm sure she is well deserving of the award and will go on to have another good season for the blues.

Then came the auction, with a 5 a side game at Finch Farm managed by 2 Everton legends fetching £3000 for Everton in the Community as well as £1500 for a signed Wayne Rooney England shirt, and a similar sum for a signed Lionel Messi Barcelona shirt. There was also a raffle for various prizes including 2 season tickets, a signed David Moyes training top, a £500 watch, an iPad 2 and other things. Amazingly, the iPad 2 was won by boxer Tony Bellew and the David Moyes top by a member of his backroom staff, who received a bit of stick from the players for his win and also raised a smile from the manager himself.

On to the business end of the awards and the Academy Player of the Season presented by Alan Irvine and Neil Dewsnip was given to Hallam Hope, a young striker who has England honours and a very promising future.

The Reserve Team Player of the Season was given to young defender Adam Forshaw by Reserve team coach Alan Stubbs. Adam explained to host Natalie Sawyer how he had fully recovered from a broken jaw to finish the season well.

Then the pre-scripted madness happened! The Howard Kendall Award was presented by Chief Executive Robert Elstone and Manager David Moyes, the former explaining how this person has done everything in his power for the club, backing the manager in signing players when and where possible, wanting nothing but the best for the club in line with the club's motto....... The winner of the Howard Kendall Award was Chariman Bill Kenwright. Upon receiving the award from David Moyes, Bill began to well up. And then when Moyes praised his Chairman to the highest hilt for his honesty, integrity and passion for the club, Bill had to turn away to wipe his tears. An absolute PR stunt if ever I've seen one!

Then came what is in my opinion the Players' Player of the Season, which was presented by captain Phil Neville and Assistant Manager Steve Round, who explained why he agreed with my opinion that to be voted the best player by your peers is extremely rewarding and testament to the effort you put in, the dedication to the cause and your ability as a professional footballer. The winner, and a very popular one at that, Sylvain Distin. Sylvain explained that at Everton "you cant hide here, the lads praise you when you're good and let you know when you are crap, they see you working every day, so this is a great honour for me."

Jim White explained that the house would come down at the sight of the next two guests to present the award for Goal of the season. And it did. As Graeme Sharp and Duncan Ferguson walked on to the stage.

Graeme explained how great a club it was, especially in the successful times of the 80's and how honoured he was to play for the club. Jim White asked Duncan what makes the club so special and his response was simple and received rapturous applause. "It's the fans, I love them, and I'm sure the feelings mutual, it's them, it's all about them, this club is special to play for because of them."

Goal of the Season, as voted for by the people present in the room, including the players and the manager, was a choice between Leighton Baines' free kick away at Swansea, Darron Gibson's winner v Man City and Phil Neville's left foot strike against West Brom in the Carling Cup. The winner, by one vote, was a popular one. Captain Phil Neville approached the stage to recieve his award, to boos from Marouane Fellaini, and declined to say some words!

The Young Player of the Year, presented by Tim Howard, was awarded to Apostolis Vellios. Tolis eloquently thanked his family, coaches, staff and team mates for helping him to win this award.

The Chairman came back on stage to present his Blueblood Award, or "Trueblood Award" as he called it. The Chairman explained at how much of a shock his award was, how emotional he was at receiving it, and how it takes a big heart to be an Evertonian, which he had. Agreed. He praised the miracle that is David Moyes and the job that he does year in year out. Agreed. He said he gets little but he gets everything. Agreed. He said that he would love to have hundreds of millions of pounds and would give it all to the manager to help him get the club to the top. Agreed. He then praised the players individually. The best goalkeeper in the world. The three best centre halves in the Premier League. Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman, who sum up what the club is about. One of the best midfielders in the world in Marouane Fellaini. He compared Tim Cahill to his idol, Dave Hickson, by saying Mr Hickson said he would "break every bone in my body playing for every club I ever played for, but I'd die for Everton" and how Tim Cahill had the same attitude. He praised Darron Gibson's impact, wishing him a long, successful career with us. He praised Denis for running none stop and giving 110%. All agreed. "Young Victor" received praise too. Erm.....

"What about Bainesy Bill?!" At a crucial time, when the best left back in the country is being linked with a move down the East Lancs, Bill forgot praise for Bainesy. "Oh yeah, the best left back in world football, Bainesy. By the way, I thought yours was goal of the season"

Bill then let the room in on something which you don't normally hear. When explaining how good David Moyes is, he used the examples of David Weir and Duncan Ferguson returning to the club to learn from him. "They won't mind me telling you this, but this highlights how much the club affects people, and how highly the manager is regarded. Davey and Duncan wouldn't take a salary from the club when they came back. They refused to. I'm glad to report though that we've managed to persuade them to take expenses!"

What happened next was a little embarrassing. No, it was a lot! Bill, emotional, begged Steven Pienaar to stay with the club, saying this was where he belonged and how we all loved him. Agreed, but begging?!?! Surely just offer him what he's asking for, as we should (and maybe did) last year? And then, he went onto the media, and how certain sections of the media portray people in football in a certain way, but how Alan Myers of Sky Sports had always supported the club and him. And then this: "Now this guy stood next to me, I don't really know him too well, but when I have spoken to him and also seen him on the telly, he only has good things to say about the club, so thank you Jim Smith. Never a bad word said about the club, Jim Smith of Sky, thank you."

Jim WHITE of Sky explained he would pass on Bill's thanks the next time he seen Jim Smith, but Bill carried on oblivious to the gaff he had just made, and explained how the winner of his "Trueblood" Award is "one of the best captains we've had" and how "at 3-1 down at Man U, he was clapping his hands driving everyone on, and it worked." Phil Neville gratefully received his award and then told a little tale.

"When I signed for this wonderful club 7 years ago I only thought I would be here for one season, two tops. But the effort, passion and dedication of the people around you keeps you going and I've been lucky to have 7 great years here. When I first joined, the gaffer came to my house to ask me to sign. And on my first day I walked into the old training ground at Bellefield and the first person I saw was Jimmy Martin. Jimmy is a fine example of what this club is all about. And Jimmy came up to me and said "Alright Lad? Listen, we dont have dickheads at this club, ok?" and hes right. You have to work hard here and care about what you are representing." He then thanked the Chairman for the award and the supporters for their backing.

And on to the final award of the evening. Player of the Season as voted for by the fans on evertonfc.com. A fitting winner was announced as John Heitinga and the Dutch centre back walked onto the stage to a standing ovation. Jim White asked him about Holland's hopes for winning the Euros in the summer and Heitinga said "When I play I only play to win, so yes." And when quizzed about what it means to him to put on the blue shirt of Everton he said "It's a special feeling." Then when asked why the club is so special and why he loved the club he explained "It feels like family."

A fitting way to end the awards presentations.

Jim Smith, I mean White, invited the whole squad to come on stage to allow the fans in the room to show their appreciation for their efforts this season. And finally, Z-Cars erupted loud and proud. The players were on stage for a few minutes before making their exit for training this morning. At the end of proceedings, I told Jim how harshly he had been treated at Derby County, how sacking him was the wrong decision and how I hoped he was back in the game soon. Both presenters were very approachable and were only happy to have a chat and pose for photos.

All in all an excellent evening and highly recommended to anyone able to go. You never know, you may also witness the Chairman in a comedy gold moment!

What do you think? Tell me below

Follow me on Twitter and have a look at my timeline for comments from the awards - @DarrenMelling

Everton Academy Awards 2011-12

2012-05-09T17:00:40Z

Everton had its annual Academy Awards last night in a ceremony at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall attended by the city's Lord Mayor Frank Prendergast, Everton Life President Sir Philip Carter and Everton Vice Life President Keith Tamlin among others. Also on hand were senior team players Victor Anichebe, Shane Duffy, Conor McAleny and star of the night, Ross Barkley.

Barkley received the top prize, the Keith Tamlin Award, for displaying excellence, attitude and application during his tenure at the youth academy. There is little to be said about Barkley that Toffee fans don't already know, it just remains to be seen when manager David Moyes will give him another extended run with the senior squad. He is seen here receiving the award from honorary Academy President Keith Tamlin, who the award is named after.

via www.evertonfc.com

In other awards, Conor Grant was named the Under-18 Player of the Season - the local-born left winger finally made his breakthrough this year and played a few games for Alan Stubbs' reserves. Grant just turned 17 last month and could be headed for a very bright future within the Everton system. He received his trophy from legendary striker Duncan Ferguson.

via www.evertonfc.com

The Goal of the Year prize was hotly contested with five nominees, with Welsh Under-17 captain Gethin Jones getting the nod for his headed goal which finished off a flowing move where no less than nine outfield players were involved in the buildup. Jones received his award from Everton Life President Sir Philip Carter and his Under-18 coach Kevin Sheedy.

via www.evertonfc.com

Everton vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

2012-05-06T11:27:39Z

Wolverhampton Wanderers close out the home portion of the season with a game against Everton, having already been relegated and playing for pride. The seventh-placed Toffees on the their part are out of contention for European football and only have finishing ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool as their motivation for their second-last game of the season.

Wolves haven't won at home in the calendar year 2012, a stretch of nine games, and even the sacking of manager Mick McCarthy had done little to revitalize to the team with thirteen games left to go. Interim manager Terry Connor remains winless and would dearly love to change that statistic, especially with the chance that his temporary position might be made permanent playing next season in the League Championship. Captain Karl Henry earlier this week urged his team to attempt to end their atrocious run of form at Molineux in support of the caretaker boss.

Everton manager David Moyes meanwhile came to the defence of his backline stating that they had been unfairly targeted for blame earlier on in the season when the team was playing poorly as a whole. Since the transfer window though, the return of Steven Pienaar and the introduction of Nikica Jelavic in the strikeforce has completely revitalized Everton as an attacking team, and the goals have been flowing aplenty after long stretches of futility in front of the posts in the beginning of the season.

Team News -

Victor Anichebe's latest setback means he will be missing from the lineup once again, while captain Phil Neville and midfielder Darron Gibson could both be facing late fitness tests after picking up minor injuries. Leighton Baines remains out with a long term injury while Jack Rodwell's season is over after he he had a relapse of his thigh problem.

For Wolves, goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, defender Jody Craddock and midfielder Jamie O'Hara will all miss the game while defenders Sebastian Bassong and Kevin Foley, and winger Matt Jarvis will have fitness tests before the game.

Keys To The Game -

For Everton Moyes will have to decide whether he wants to use Phil Neville as anchor in the midfield alongside Darron Gibson which will allow Marouane Fellaini license to roam and press deep in support of Jelavic. Pienaar on the left and Leom Osman on the right will be charged with making the runs and feeding Jelavic. Should the injuries to Neville and Gibson prevent them from playing, then we might end up seeing Ross Barkley playing some solid minutes for the first time since early autumn.

While a few of the senior players on the Wolves squad have spoken out in favor of Connor, the performances on the pitch have been miserable and continue to be so thirteen games into his tenure. His side has shown much more fortitude when playing away with a couple of stirring fightbacks to hold Swansea City 4-4 and a scoreless draw with Sunderland before that. Their 4-4-1-1 is similar to Everton's with David Edwards playing behind Steven Fletcher in front, and Michael Kightly, Henry, David Davis and Jarvis strung out across the midfield.

Match Facts -

Everton are unbeaten in their last five games against Wolves, winning 2-1 at Goodison earlier this season.
Leon Osman scored his first Everton goal on debut against the Wolves at Molineux, eight years ago.
34% of Everton's goals have come in the last fifteen minutes of the game, a Premiership high.
Wolves have lost nine straight at home; Sunderland hold the record with ten losses (Between Jan '03 and Aug '05)
The Wolves are the only team to have not scored in the opening fifteen minutes of the game this year.
Wolves have conceded 18% of their goals in the first fifteen minutes, a League high.

Wolverhampton v Everton: Live GameThread

2012-05-06T07:29:17Z

Snoozefest

uhh, I mean... COYB!

The secret behind our annual early-season swoon?

2012-05-02T12:39:00Z

I just read a very interesting article by Jen Chang at SI.com regarding the use of analytics to prepare for matches. Everton's extensive use of analytics might not be news to some fans of the Blues, but I had no idea how vital it was to Moyes' game strategy planning.

We have seen many times across many sports that the effective use of analytics can give one team an advantage over its opponent by being better prepared to anticipate their strategies and tactics, most famously in baseball with Bill James' Sabermetrics. I'm wondering, though, if this isn't a contributory part of the reason the Toffees have typically started so slowly and then come on strong at the end of the season under Moyes.

Certainly, there is a limited set of data from which to draw early in the season, which could theoretically give a less accurate prediction of teams' tendencies (especially since rosters tend to change significantly in the offseason), leading to the use of less effective tactics in a match environment. Conversely, as the season marches on, the sample size grows ever larger, which would presumably provide a much more accurate prediction of a given team's tendencies.

I'm not faulting Moyes or Everton for using analytics at all... quite the opposite, in fact. If this is his secret behind "doing more with less," I think it's a magnificent use of technology to get more out of the game, and I'd love to know if more players besides just Landon Donovan and Tim Howard have been extensively using the information available to their advantage. Now, if we could just figure out how to make it through the first 10 or 15 weeks of lean data... then we'd really be on to something!