EVERTON vs MIDDLESBOROUGH - FULL TIME

It's wonderful to see three important players back for Everton. Tim Howard is back in goal while Everton creative dynamo Mikel Arteta is also back in the team. Also, Stubbsy. the rock of Everton's defence has also return to the first XI.

And would you believe it, Everton has taken the lead with the club's top scorer - our defender Lescott. The players had not given boro the time to settle and with the first corner of the game, Arteta curled the ball beautiful into the path of Yakubu who headed the ball towards goal. The opposing defenders cleared the ball weakly and it made it to the head of Lescott. 1-0.

Boro is not lying down. They have made a couple of forays into the Everton goal-mouth. One of their shots even hit the cross bar. Boro continued to pressure Everton and the host seemed to be soaking it in albeit nervously.

The Toffees are not doing themselves any favour by not scoring the second goal.

The second half was no different. Everton somehow did not looked as confident. But against the run of play, Everton scored once again. Pienaar worked doggedly for the team. It was from his retrieval in Boro's half that sparked the attack. A nice pass from Faddie, led to Pienaar flicking the ball to Arteta. The midfielder danced his way into the opposing penalty area and seemed to scare the wits out of Boro's defence. Arteta then dispatched a mice grounder into the penalty area which saw Pienaar sliding in. 2-0.

Two goals up but the performances of some players seemed wanting. Yakubu for one seemed like a lazy blob lumbering around the opposition's penalty area and waiting for the balls to be fed to his feet. The midfield of Neville and Jag had seen many mis-placed passes. They looked totally off-colour.

Moyes brought on Anichebe for Yakubu and the youngster definitely looked more hungry than the lazy blob. Faddie was also taken out for the team to play a 4-5-1 formation. Not very pretty, but clever to congest the midfield area.

The fianl change was to rest Arteta who has been instrumental in Everton's win, with Cars. Also, Howard has to be thanked for Everton's first clean sheet as well. Arteta gets my vote for Man-of-the-match.

Score: Everton 2-0 Aston Villa
Scorer: Lescott, Pienaar
Assist: Arteta (2)
Subs: Anichebe, Yobo, Cars

EVERTON vs MIDDLESBOROUGH - Preview

Everton has been on poor form recently. With the win against Sheffield Wednesday, it is hoped that the club has turned the corner. Also, it's Boro, and not some difficult clubs such as Liverpool or Chelsea. So the club should make full use of home advantage.

Yakubu will be facing his former club and the opposing fans will not give him an easy time. But there is a high chance that he will score, and also Moyes will most likely play Faddie as he is in rich vein of scoring magnificant goals, and also match winners.

BUT! it all depends if Arteta will be back for the team.

Predictor: Everton 1-0 Middlesborough

SHEFF WED vs EVERTON - FULL TIME

Winnging the league is not possible, and the UEFA cup looks to be in the shambles. But at least we won this League Cup game. Some may say that this is not an important game, but it might actually be a morale booster for Everton. We need to start winning in the league, or else we'll be languishing in mid table.

In this match, both Faddie and Yakubu found the net. Faddie was in rich vein as he scored two goals to put Everton through into the last 16.

Score: Everton 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Scorer: Faddie (2), Yakubu
Assist: Yakubu, Neville, Faddie
Subs: Baines, Neville, Anichebe

Actim Players Ranking: 250907

Everton players in the Top 100.

Lescott: 19th (93) - Best defender (4/9); Second Best Defender (18/9); Third Best Defender (25/9); Best position: 10th
Arteta: 25th (87) - Fifth best midfielder (28/8); Best position: 8th
AJ: 57th (76) - Fifth best striker (4/9); Best position: 22nd
Hibbo: 84th (68) - Fourth best defender (14/8); Best position: 19th
Ossie: 89th (66) - Fifth best midfielder (14/8); best position: 9th


Howard: Nil - 78th (63) - Fifth best goalie (28/8); Third best goalie (4/9); Best position: 42nd
Stubbsy: Nil - 85th (59) - Fifth best defender (21/8), (28/8); Best position: 18th
Neville: Nil - 100th (55) - Best position: 53rd
Anichebe: Nil - 84th (52) - Third best striker (14/8); Best position: 5th
Cars: Nil - Best position: 87th (39)
Yobo: Nil - Best position: 84th

ASTON VILLA vs EVERTON - FULL TIME

Within 15 minutes, Everton was a goal down with Villa's John Carew being the scorer. It came about with a weak clearances by Yobo and Baines, and the goal was conceded. Painful. The midfield has not been able to control the game and without their creative spark in Arteta, they are just a hardworking team without much vision.

The crosses are flying everywhere except to the Everton's strikers. The players were also not able to get the ball past the tall Villa defenders. No penetration whatsoever. Everton's players were also dragged all over the place by the precise passing of Villa. The midfield looked jittery and they team was losing the ball too easily.

Nothing changed in the second half except the score. From a long pass, Agbonlahor controlled the ball and tucked it nicely under Everton's stand-in keeper Wessels.

The Toffees are really going down the table. Oh boy.

Score: Aston Villa 2-0 Everton
Scorer: Nil
Assist: What do you expect?
Subs: Faddie, Yakubu

ASTON VILLA vs EVERTON - Preview

Can Everton score? Can they also keep a clean sheet? Well, as any decent coach would say, "If you can't score, you can't win", and Everton is not in fiery form in front of goal. What's worse than you can't score is when you can't keep a clean sheet. These two ingredients makes a team drop points, and that's what happening to the Toffees.

The news states that Anichebe will partner AJ, and that Arteta and Howard are still out. So it's hard to see how Everton is going to win. But being a die-hard, impossible is nothing.

Predictor: Aston Villa 1-1 Everton

EVERTON vs METALIST KHARKIV - FULL TIME

DISAPPOINTMENT! Now, it's all uphill. Everton is not dead and buried, but they have made things very difficult for themselves. A draw leaves them with two paths if the Toffees want to win. To win at all cost, or draw with a higher margin than one goal.

It's difficult but not impossible. Anyway, it's just painful.

Score: Everton 1-1 Metalist Kharkiv
Scorer: Lescott
Assist: Faddie
Subs: Jag, Anichebe

EVERTON vs METALIST KHARKIV - Preview

First Europrean game since 2005. Many articles belittle the Russian side, so much so that the game should be a whitewash.

In truth, Everton should go on to the next round and it all depends on how the Toffees play.

Actim Players Ranking: 180907

Everton players in the Top 100.

Lescott: 13th (89) - Best defender (4/9); Second Best Defender (18/9); Best position: 10th
Arteta: 15th (87) - Fifth best midfielder (28/8); Best position: 8th
AJ: 39th (72) - Fifth best striker (4/9); Best position: 22nd
Hibbo: 76th (63) - Fourth best defender (14/8); Best position: 19th
Howard: 78th (63) - Fifth best goalie (28/8); Third best goalie (4/9); Best position: 42nd
Stubbsy: 85th (59) - Fifth best defender (21/8), (28/8); Best position: 18th
Ossie: 94th (57) - Fifth best midfielder (14/8); best position: 9th
Neville: 100th (55) - Best position: 53rd


Anichebe: Nil - 84th (52) - Third best striker (14/8); Best position: 5th
Cars: Nil - Best position: 87th (39)
Yobo: Nil - Best position: 84th

EVERTON vs MANCHESTER UTD - FULL TIME

It was a pretty ding-dong match for the first half. The pace of Manchester Utd's players caused Everton some pain, but there was no clear incision by the opposition. The threat by the opposition players seemed more threatening, coming from Patrice Evra and even Michael Carrick.

How AJ is shaping up seemed like he is not going to score. He is too reliant on Yakubu and both of them seem to be losing out to the Manchester's tall defenders. Faddie and Pienaar should see some action in the second half to unlock the opposition defence.

The second half saw both teams fighting hard once again. Soon, Everton introduced Victor Anichebe and Steven Pienaar, but it still posed to be a tough match. In came Scotland's hero Faddie, and he so mearly put Everton in front. Only to received a sucker-punch when Manchester Utd scored through a corner.

The result was tough on Everton but who say soccer is fair? Also, Everton is still without a cleansheet after six games. Nuff said.

Score: Everton 0-1 Man Utd
Scorer: Nil
Assists: Nil
Subs: Pienaar, Anichebe, Faddie

EVERTON vs MANCHESTER UTD - Preview

This will be a juicy match. The Toffees are at top form, while the return of Loonie Rooney from his foot injury, and Ronaldo from his suspension means that the Reds has just about their full strength.

Revenge is on the cards for Everton when just last season, Everton scored two goals first but still ran out 4-2 losers in the end.

It's also deja vu for Rooney, Howard and Neville as they had competed on both the opposing teams. Rooney, Everton prodigy turned 'devil' will be the most hated person at Goodison Park for not wanting to continue his play there. Deservingly.

There should be some rough house tackle and also, goals. The Toffees should crush them today. Lest we forget!

Predictor: Everton 2-0 Manchester Utd

Aftermath of the International Matches

It's always interesting how people sees the players after an international match. If they played well like how Faddie scored a scorcher against France, the papers will say that he will come back to Everton piping-hot and ready to roll. But if you have not played such as in the case of AJ, then they will say that the win the rub on by England will rub on and therefore, the player will do well.

I say that whether you play well or not boils down to how consistent a player is. If Faddie continues to be consistent in his performance, he would have been a natural choice in Moyes's first XI.

AJ seems to be suffering the Beats syndrome. He can't seem to be able to score. Not even when Israel had been deflated by three English goals. AJ was not even a threat. In the previous league match, AJ can sure assist, but where's his scoring touch? Even Lescott scored in the game, but not an attacker?

To be frank though, it will be sooner rather than later that AJ scores. He is always dangerous and he always had chances. Now it's just to make it count.

Conspiracy Theory

The last time when Everton played Manchester United, Howard was supposedly left out of the squad because there was some pre-contractual agreement. But that was denied by both clubs. Now, when we are about to face the club in Manchester once again, Howard has a broken finger. Geesh! What a coincidence!

I hope that he will prove the Toffee fans wrong and show that he is willing to face Manchester United like a man.

International Games

A couple of Everton players were up for their games. Faddie coming from the bench, scored the final goal for Scotland over Lithuania.

AJ and Neville came on as subs in England's game against Israel, while Cars played the entire 90 minutes in Ireland's draw against Slovakia.

So really, none of Everton's players played in the losing team. What's more important, none of them are injured and will be fully fit to face Manchester United.

Timmy Making News

So Timmy is out injured, but somehow, made the news when a woman charged him for sexual assault. What is happening here Timmy?

Actim Players Ranking: 040907

Everton players in the Top 100.

Arteta: 8th (86) - Fifth best midfielder (28/8); Best position: 8th
Lescott: 10th (78) - Best defender (4/9); Best position: 10th
AJ: 22nd (68) - Fifth best striker (4/9); Best position: 22nd
Howard: 42nd (63) - Fifth best goalie (28/8); Third best goalie (4/9); Best position: 42nd
Stubbsy: 51st (59) - Fifth best defender (21/8), (28/8); Best position: 18th
Hibbo: 65th (56) - Fourth best defender (14/8); Best position: 19th
Ossie: 81st (52) - Fifth best midfielder (14/8); best position: 9th
Anichebe: 84th (52) - Third best striker (14/8); Best position: 5th
Neville: 97th (49) - Best position: 53rd


Cars: Nil: Best position: 87th (39)
Yobo: Nil - Best position: 84th

Lescott Hard Work Pays Off

After his sterling performances and with a goal scoring tally higher than AJ's, Lescott really deserve the call-up to the England squad.

Moyes mentioned that he is still not a finished product, and his overlapping play is still not as strong. But I guess he can only get better.

BOLTON vs EVERTON - FULL TIME

This looks like one of the strongest line-up that Everton has put forward. Moyes has brought in four new signings into his first XI - Yakubu, Pienaar, Baines and Jag.

With more talents being brought into the side, Arteta seems to have an easier time now as the responsiblities does not fall solely on him now. He seems to be very comfortable with the ball, and even have the energy to chase the ball down.

It has also been a long time since AJ had a strong partner in the shape of Yakubu. Built like a bull, he don't seem to be the hardworking sort of player that Everton is made out to be.

Pienaar on the other hand, looks industrious. Running, passing and even terrorising the defence from the right flank. He looked like a good support for the strikers. Fernandes who?

Jag has put in headers both in attack and in defence. But Baines, though playing well, is having a torrid time with Diouf.

Everton seems able to counter-attack with pace and through one of this counter, that Everton scored through Yakubu.

Second half saw Bolton fighting back. Everton had problems clearing those high crossing away from their goal area, and in one of those instance, Anelka got hold of the ball and volleyed it into the net.

Moyes freshened up the side by bringing Ossie, Gravesen, Anichebe.

Gravesen marshalled the field well, and Ossie had a open chance to score but bungled it. It had to be Lescott who score that late, late goal.

Score: Bolton 1-2 Everton
Scorer: Yakubu, Lescott
Assists: Johnson, Gravesen
Subs: Ossie, Gravesen, Anichebe

BOLTON vs EVERTON - Preview

The transfer window has closed and now it's time to buckle down and do the deed.

On Bolton's side, they have fanciful Anelka, irritant Diouf, and evergreen Gary Speed. They do not play as violent as Blackburn but they are still a good side even though they are on the wrong side of the Premiership table.

I believe that if Yakubu starts to prove his goal scoring tally is of real stuff, Everton should see itself going up, and maybe he should show us why he cost us so much by performing in this match.

Predictor: Bolton 1-1 Everton