Paul McParlan - We need David Moyes to deliver!
Despite the uplift in optimism among Evertonians after the stunning display at Brighton and Hove Albion, most Blues accepted that winning against Manchester City was going to be difficult.
Everton played well for 35 minutes, arguably far better than Real Madrid did on Wednesday, but conceding two goals in two minutes ended the contest. After City went three up, there was only one topic of discussion: would our goal difference still be better than Leeds United’s at the end? Fortunately, it was. A small crumb of comfort.
Everton’s away form has improved recently, with only one defeat in the last six games, and that needs to continue at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. The mathematical calculations are simple: win the final two games, and we stay up no matter what other teams do!
A victory at Molineux, combined with losses for Leeds United and Leicester City, would actually see Everton safe from the drop by Monday night! A defeat and victories for our two rivals will see us back in the relegation zone, playing catch-up and no longer masters of our own fate.
Most Evertonians will be praying that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit for this crucial fixture; his mere presence seems to give the whole team a boost. James Garner is improving every game, and his precision passes could be crucial here in creating opportunities for Everton to score.
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If Vitali Mykolenko is still unavailable, then perhaps reverting to a back three with Dwight McNeil as a wingback might be the solution. Everton’s travelling support will be even more vociferous than usual and will make it feel like a home game.
The consequences of a defeat are unthinkable. David Moyes, the former Goodison boss, could yet play a role in determining Everton’s fate. He fielded a much-changed side, which lost easily to Brentford last week.
West Ham United are at home to Leeds United on Saturday and play their final game away to Leicester City. If the Hammers can win both matches, that would be a massive boost to our hopes.
Or, with his team selection, he could hand over the points that keep both clubs up at Everton’s expense! Come on, David, you know where your loyalties lie here—you owe us. Win those games!
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Three points at Molineux would be brilliant, but I think most Blues have accepted that the last-day decider against Bournemouth is inevitable. Here we go again!
Luke Davies - The elephant in the room
Not much is to be said about the Manchester City performance; of course it was disappointing for the Blues, but in reality, what did we expect to get from the game?
Totally outclassed on the day, it’s best to move on quickly. Last weekend’s results were relatively kind to Everton, leaving them one point above Leeds United and two above Leicester City, respectively.
It was rather strange hoping for a Liverpool win on Monday night, I must say. Moving forward, Everton take on Wolves this week, a team ‘on the beach," you could argue, with patchy form of late. Everton have arguably played better away from home since the appointment of Dyche, and I certainly feel more confident watching us.
The elephant in the room is once again Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who went off at half- time. You could argue that this was precautionary in a game that was all but over. Fingers crossed, I suppose.
Hopefully, he can pull through to the end of the season. Regarding the Wolves game, in terms of selection, I would leave it unchanged, barring potentially replacing James Garner with Amadou Onana.
It is hard to change a team that won 5-1 away at Brighton recently; can you really criticise the performance against Manchester City? I know I can’t.
One thing I would say about selection is my desire to see Demarai Gray utilised more. I can’t help but think he is our one player with some trickery that can get you a goal from nowhere or create a chance. However, I can see his reasons for continually playing Alex Iwobi, who does offer some more defensive cover.
Maybe a cameo from the bench would be best for Gray, depending on the state of the game, of course. A point could really be a decent result; however, I’d rather things be decided by the Bournemouth game, and I think all Evertonians could after this season.
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