I certainly think Everton
are in terms of a ‘top-4’ finish at least this season.
Spent
very well so far.
A new, young, English keeper; a young,
English central defender, 2 creative, goal-scoring midfielders, a young,
promising, Spanish striker and a new-old-boy,
secondary striker in the form of Wayne Rooney
are just some of the additions The Toffees have made in the last few
weeks…additions, that is, to a
more-than-decent squad of players already. Decent
manager at the helm too.
Can anyone seriously rule these out from
finishing in the top-4? Perhaps even giving some teams a run for their millions
for the title?
Well I never decide my league-finishing
predictions until after the summer transfer window closes (blog-posting
coming soon on that / no point yet as teams still have chances to be weakened
whilst others strengthen) but I will have to give
serious consideration about our Monday night’s opponents finishing higher than
last season’s 7th place; especially if their new signings ‘gel
quickly’ and it all ‘clicks’ nicely into place.
And looking at tomorrow night; couple all
of that with the fact that the Merseyside Blues often hang a bogey sign over us
and it all makes for one hell of a scrap for points in the last of the Premier League games of the “weekend” (Monday - 8:00pm
KO BST).
v
Everton
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome
(Number correct from starting line-up in the last game: 10/11).
3-5-1-1:
____________________Aguero____________________
_____________________Jesus____________________
____________________Ederson___________________
Ederson to continue in net; Nicholas, Vinny
& John in front of him.
The only player I got wrong last time,
which was a shock exclusion for me, I’m sure will get his place back to face
The Toffees - Yaya sitting in front of the 3 central defenders and flanked, I
think, by Danilo & Kyle in the left & right-wing-back positions.
Same quartet (same predicted starting 11
from last weekend in fact) of further attacking players in David, Kevin,
Gabriel & Sergio.
Claudio as reserve keeper; Eliaquim finding
himself as back-up defender on the side (who’d have thought that a few months
back?). Fernandinho to step down to the bench and likely to be joined by fellow
central midfielder, Phil. Three attacking optional changes then in the form of
Leroy, Bernardo & Raheem.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted)
line-up?
I have to say, after
initial doubts, that I’m starting to like the look of it and, so…yes. However, equally I hope that if we need to change things we do so as early as we
can / need to; by bringing on at least one of our expensive, attacking players for
a defender on ‘home soil’.
Result? Well
I’ve quite rightly heaped praise aplenty on our opponents in today’s
blog-posting and I do also often have that slightly nervy edge
whenever we have to face ‘em.
But I’m glad we’re playing them now WHILE
they’re building their new-look team and their many new signings are all still ‘settling
in’…and I’m equally glad that Everton were forced to play last Thursday in the Europa League and
again this-coming Thursday in the same competition / return leg.
We’re at home; our first home game of the
season and with a squad packed-full of terrific talent and very few injuries. All
things considered – and there is a lot to
contemplate there - I’m going for a home win and, therefore, 6 points from
6 ‘on the board’.
Last
season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…
Prediction:
Win
Result:
Draw
Importance match notice – get there early & travel light!
MCFC have often requested
that attending fan get to the turnstile at
least 1 hour before KO, especially in the last season or two
following increase terrorist attacks. However, this latest issuing of that same
request for the Everton game (and likely to be every game this season at least)
comes with extra guidance.
-
GATE 7 at the
Etihad will no longer be in use for any home football matches.
-
Turnstile
access will be limited to ‘just your one’! Seriously…check your Season Card(s)
and you’ll see that the choice of two spirals for access have been reduced to
just yer one.
-
Bag size
restrictions have been introduced – a bag cannot now be larger than 16.5 x 12 x
6.5 inches and there will be a ‘bag-drop zone’ for those bags deemed too large
to be taken inside!
-
In general,
security will be ‘rammed up’ for tomorrow tonight’s game and, most likely, until further
notice.
Personally,
I’ve already told friends who I’m attending with that I intend to get there
1-hour, 15-minutes before KO; get in, grab a beer or two, hang over the wall and see how things go
/ what carnage will take place (I feel sorry for those who are working far away
and can’t get to the ground until around 7:30 / 7:45m)!
I usually
take a rucksack too, which is now too large going off those dimensions
stipulated by the club. Even a smaller one that I’ve found is ‘pushing it’ a
little and so I’m gonna go ‘empty handed’ tomorrow night and see just what is
and isn’t getting through…
Jonny
&…Larry?
Any football fan or pundit who could foresee
a possible link between Manchester City and ex-Manyoo
player and lifelong Manyoo fan, Jonny Evans,
is either a liar-liar,
bum’s on fire or a football-studying genius!
More than just ‘a link’; as I type this we
have made – and have had refused – an £18M bid for the West Bromwich Albion Captain and are, apparently, lining up an improved £25M approach.
However, the Baggies seem to be suggesting that it would take something even
closer to £30M for the 29-½ year-old…and that they don't want / need to sell one of
their best players.
 |
| Are you Manyoo, you? |
Well I certainly didn’t see it coming
but it didn’t take me long to see what huge sense it would make to land the
61-cap, Northern Ireland international. And I said so in a text to a friend
& fellow Blue last Friday, sighting that Jonny can…
-
Play as a partner in a central
‘back 2’
-
Play ‘left of a 3’
-
Cover comfortably-enough at
left-back (has done before)
-
‘Step up’ and cover as a
defensive midfielder (has done before)
…and has bags of experience in all
competitions, where he’s a multi-medal winner.
If (when?) Kompany gets injured or just needs a rest; this fella would be the
perfect addition to ‘babysit’ the likes of Stones, Otamendi (& Mangala?).
That’s one “possible”…but here’s another
one who has “just signed”.
Larry is the name…well it’s better than
calling him by his full name of, Tobi Olarenwaju Ayobami Kayode. Who?
Exactly…and another one loaned straight out to Girona FC for the season; a club City are looking to-almost-half-purchase (just
less than 50%) with Pep’s Brother, Pere,
hoping to do likewise.
As one City fan put it the other week on
one of the many fan forums out there, after we purchased and then loaned Douglas Luiz to the same Spanish club; it all smells
just a little bit like nepotism going on. And we’ve probably peed off
Newcastle United in the process too, as it
was reported they were ready to purchase the 24-year old Nigerian forward for
this season’s Premier League campaign.
 |
| Oh, I'm going straight out over there... |
I suppose we’ve seen this before with FC Twente and a number of Chinese & Australian
clubs; not to forget New York City too of
course.
And this Girona one does seem a
little more promising with, as I say,
rumours that we’ll almost own 50% of the newly promoted La Liga Club. Sprinkle the Spanish, top-division side with a
number of City-owned players on loan and those who ‘shine’ might get a crack at
the first team back in Manchester and for those that don’t? At least they will
have had valuable experience at a very good level of football and will be a ‘sellable
asset’ at least.
Enjoy
the game…and hopefully result!
