Everton travel to West Ham United today in a huge match at the bottom of the Premier League table.
Everton slipped to second from bottom after a devastating 2-1 home loss to basement boys Southampton last Saturday. But both sides are joined on 15 points by third-from-bottom West Ham, whose own poor form continued with a 1-0 loss at Wolves last time out.
With pressure on both Blues boss Frank Lampard and his opposite number David Moyes, neither side can afford to lose this afternoon. A draw wouldn't be the end of the world, but really, after a truly dispiriting week, Everton need the three points.
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But how should Lampard go about getting them? Our writers have their say on which team the West Ham old boys should pick...
Joe Thomas - Bring in Vinagre and Doucoure
Little splits West Ham from Everton, from their season as a whole to their recent form. This is a game between two clubs and two managers in desperate need of a win but who simply cannot buy one. That being said, David Moyes’ ability to bring in Danny Ings, who Frank Lampard clearly fancied, does highlight one area where the clubs are clearly separated.
Ings’ goalscoring record against Everton - including one already this season - is just one of the factors that has me feeling uneasy heading into this game. I just can’t help but feel West Ham have enough quality to pull away from trouble at some point. Hopefully that doesn’t start today but with the threat they have the potential to pose I would approach this contest in the same way Everton went into the two Manchester away days - with five at the back and two up top.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin remains Everton’s biggest goal threat and Demarai Gray has been one of very few positives since the World Cup. I’m tempted to change the midfield and bring in Abdoulaye Doucoure for Idrissa Gueye. Doucoure’s cameo at Old Trafford was chaotic but his energy did bring life to the midfield. He takes his place alongside Alex Iwobi and Amadou Onana, who I thought was very good against Southampton.
The defence is an interesting topic. If Ruben Vinagre is to ever get an opportunity it feels now might be the time on the left. And Yerry Mina comes into consideration in the middle. I’m reluctant to break up Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, though, and think Ben Godfrey’s pace is required alongside them. If things go wrong today there is a fortnight to then work on new partnerships and new ideas at Finch Farm.
My team (5-3-2): Pickford; Coleman, Coady, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Vinagre; Onana, Doucoure, Iwobi; Gray, Calvert-Lewin.
Chris Beesley - Godfrey to left-back and McNeil back in
Hopefully Amadou Onana's first goal in English football last weekend can somehow prove to be one positive at least from the calamitous 2-1 defeat to Southampton as Everton threw away a half-time lead to lose to a team bottom of the Premier League for the second time in three home matches. The Blues now of course go to the other club currently in the drop zone as they face West Ham United with reports that a defeat for the Londoners could see David Moyes lose his job.
Despite public reassurances from owner Farhad Moshiri, Frank Lampard will be aware that his own recent record is as bad as the sequence that saw his predecessor Rafael Benitez sacked and pressure on his own position will only intensify further if they lose again this weekend.
I've reverted to a flat-back four for this game to try and get an additional attacking player on the pitch and that means Ben Godfrey switching from a central defensive trio to left-back. The former Norwich City player has often looked at his most dynamic as a full-back given that the position helps him to showcase his athleticism while Vitalii Mykolenko has been struggling of late and switched off for James Ward-Prowse's equaliser just seconds after the restart last time out.
I'd also bring Dwight McNeil into the fold in the hope that he can somehow start providing a supply line of crosses for target man Dominic Calvert-Lewin because Everton's wingers haven't been doing that and he might also offer more discipline defensively than Anthony Gordon, who gave away a petulant free kick that led to the Saints' winning goal a week ago after coming off the bench.
My team (4-3-3): Pickford; Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Godfrey; Gueye, Onana, Iwobi; McNeil, Gray, Calvert-Lewin.
Matt Jones - One 'Everton dad' should sit out
No new signings this week means Everton will complete their January fixtures with the same group of players that started the month.
And even though the team have lost to sides bottom of the table twice since the World Cup restart, there really isn't much room to manoeuvre for under-pressure manager Frank Lampard.
A back five still feels like the best way to go, especially away from home. With Conor Coady struggling in recent weeks I would be tempted to try Yerry Mina at the heart of the back three, although his inclusion does come with a huge injury caution - the rest of the backline remains the same.
As does the rest of the side, if we're being brutally honest. A trio of Alex Iwobi, Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana looks Everton's best bet in midfield despite their obvious problems, with Tom Davies out of favour and James Garner still only just back in training.
Up top, Lampard will be looking for Demarai Gray to conjure some more magic on the road and for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to make more progress after his long layoff.
My team (5-3-2): Pickford; Coleman, Godfrey, Mina, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Onana, Gueye, Iwobi; Gray, Calvert-Lewin.
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