Everton V Birmingham City -3PM Setanta Ireland

The Volt

V

TEAM NEWS

Everton

The Toffees are without Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Joseph Yobo, both away at the African Cup of Nations. Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell could both return from hamstring injuries. Although Birmingham are on top form I feel we'll have too much for them today.

Last Line-Up (v Man City): Howard, Baines, Heitinga, Distin, Neville, Bilyaletdinov, Donovan, Cahill, Pienaar, Fellaini, Saha

Birmingham City

New signing Michel could make his debut for the Blues at Goodison. McLeish has no new injury worries.

Last Line-Up (v Notts Forest); Hart, Carr, Ridgewell, Johnson, Dann, Bowyer, Larsson, Ferguson, Jerome, Benitez, McFadden.

I can see us dominating like we did in the league fixture but they're so solid at the back and they'll always have a chance. I think we'll go through, winning by just the 1 or 2-0 scoreline.

Kess73

3-1 to Everton methinks. They should have too much for the Brummie blues.

Columbia

Rumour flying about that Mikel Arteta will be on the Everton bench.

I would cut off my left testicle for this to be true. And I'd cut off my right one to have him come on for 20 minutes.

I would like to see;

---

Howard

Coleman ---- Heitinga --- Distin ---- Baines

---

Fellaini

Pienaar

---

Neville

---

Donovan

---

Cahill

---

Saha

However, I rather suspect Moyes will play Neville at left-back, leaving us with someone like Osman in the middle.

2-0 to Everton, I hope.

The Volt

Columbia wrote: »

Rumour flying about that Mikel Arteta will be on the Everton bench.

I would cut off my left testicle for this to be true. And I'd cut off my right one to have him come on for 20 minutes.

I would like to see;

---

Howard

Coleman ---- Heitinga --- Distin ---- Baines

---

Fellaini

Pienaar

---

Neville

---

Donovan

---

Cahill

---

Saha

However, I rather suspect Moyes will play Neville at left-back, leaving us with someone like Osman in the middle.

2-0 to Everton, I hope.

Neville at LB? I think you mean RB mate. Neville is our best right back, he has been immense the last two games there. If we are winning with half an hour to go then sure, give Coleman a run out but the back four against City was fantastic and should be kept the same IMO.

Columbia

Voltwad wrote: »

Neville at LB? I think you mean RB mate. Neville is our best right back, he has been immense the last two games there. If we are winning with half an hour to go then sure, give Coleman a run out but the back four against City was fantastic and should be kept the same IMO.

Sorry yes, naturally I meant right back instead of Seamie!

If it aint broke don't fix it, I suppose. But with players coming back from injury I think there are guys out there, especially Bily, who do need a rest.

The Volt

Columbia wrote: »

Sorry yes, naturally I meant right back instead of Seamie!

If it aint broke don't fix it, I suppose. But with players coming back from injury I think there are guys out there, especially Bily, who do need a rest.

Bily does look tired I'll agree. If Osman is fit then he should and probably will leave Bily on the bench, given we're playing Sunderland on Wednesday

Columbia

Arteta confirmed on the bench!

http://evertonfc.com/news/archive/arteta-makes-bench.html

Everton starting 11: Howard, Heitinga, Bilyaletdinov, Saha, Donovan, Distin, Cahill, Neville, Pienaar, Baines, Fellaini.

Subs: Nash, Arteta, Vaughan, Osman, Coleman, Duffy, Baxter.

Unchanged starting 11 it is.

The Volt

Columbia wrote: »

Arteta confirmed on the bench!

http://evertonfc.com/news/archive/arteta-makes-bench.html

Everton starting 11: Howard, Heitinga, Bilyaletdinov, Saha, Donovan, Distin, Cahill, Neville, Pienaar, Baines, Fellaini.

Subs: Nash, Arteta, Vaughan, Osman, Coleman, Duffy, Baxter.

Unchanged starting 11 it is.

Would be very surprised to see Moyes risk him against a dogged City side.

Columbia

Just happy to see him there and involved mate, for him personally and for the club as a whole. It's been a very, very long time

The Volt

Columbia wrote: »

Just happy to see him there and involved mate, for him personally and for the club as a whole. It's been a very, very long time

If he does come on, there'll be some noise made by the Goodison crowd.

"He's the best little spaniard we know!!!"

Columbia

If we're 4-0 down with 5 minutes to go, I'll still be watching just in case he comes on!

Even if it's with 30 seconds of injury time left, he needs to hear what his return means to Goodison. I'm sure he knows anyway, but he needs to hear it!

The Volt

****

All down to Baines wasting that free kick

everdead.ie

Very good goal. Commentator mentioned that carr was having an unusual injury free season so don't be surprised if he gets injured today and is gone for the rest of the season

everdead.ie

2-0 Birmingham a really really good goal

The Volt

This is ****e from us, utter ****e

Columbia

Disappointing from Everton, but I always had a sense we would not hit the same standards against Birmingham as against the class of Arsenal and the money of City.

Birmingham ruthlessly efficient though, Everton have been hitting long balls in at every opportunity, Birmingham have cut them out, chosen their battles, and it's going to be very difficult to score two against them now.

Eire-Dearg

Another Benitez winning comfortably at Goodison.

The Volt

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Another Benitez winning comfortably at Goodison.

No need for a cocky kopite, who knocked you out again?

Anyway we've spent the entire half around their box and done sweet FA with it, they break twice and score twice. Moyesy's got his work cut out, these guys don't concede many.

everdead.ie

Voltwad wrote: »

No need for a cocky kopite, who knocked you out again?

Anyway we've spent the entire half around their box and done sweet FA with it, they break twice and score twice. Moyesy's got his work cut out, these guys don't concede many.

Credit where credit is due tho two very well worked goals and Birmingham are a good team in great form

Columbia

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Another Benitez winning comfortably at Goodison.

Why aren't you watching your own team?

Oh yeah, because you couldn't beat relegation fodder from the Championship over two legs.

everdead.ie

Howard Webb doesn't seem to be having a great game he's giving a lot of small frees but won't make any big ones

The Volt

OSMAN you beaut. Great goal

x in the city

wow, that first half was the worst even ....

non event.

x in the city

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Another Benitez winning comfortably at Goodison.

another successful season for a cocky red...


:rolleyes:

Kirnsy

anyone see senderos' girlfriend....not too bad!

The Volt

All of a sudden Birmingham are first to all the second balls, they're looking good for the win

Columbia

Game over.

Fair play to Birmingham, they took their chances and we didn't.

Thought we were going to get it back in the end, but they are too tight defensively, I hope and expect they'll go far in this competition.

Great to see Arteta back, he got a brilliant reception.

theteal

all everton fans here?

how did fahey get on for the brum? i saw the assist for the first one but did he have much influence on the game?

it seems to be former pat's manager day on setanta so i thought i'd show some interest in a former player. . .

Third_Echelon

Everton should have won that will all the chances they had in the second half...

Saha coming off looked strange. Didn't looked injured to me and he was threatening to score just around the time of his substitution...

Columbia

Think Saha's change might have been precautionary, he was getting ice put on his hamstring immediately after he came off apparently. Hopefully he'll be okay again for midweek, but you do always worry when it's Saha.

Otherwise I think we would have left him on and played 2 strikers rather than sticking with 4-5-1, especially when the 1 isn't great.