Nikica Jelavic makes a first start up front for Everton. Former Toffees striker Louis Saha is on the bench for Spurs, which apparently honours a gentleman's agreement between managers Harry Redknapp and David Moyes that the Frenchman would not start.
If he still can't get into the team after his recent form then I'll be amazed. Yes he does go missing sometimes and that annoys me as much as the next person, but his finishing is pretty damn good. I doubt he'll start though - HR views him as an impact sub at best now.
Shows how much I know... ------------------- Team news is in...Jermain Defoe holds onto his place up front, Ledley King is fit to start and Sandro partners Scott Parker in central midfield. TEAM Friedel; Walker, Kaboul, King, Assou-Ekotto; Modric, Parker, Sandro, Bale; Adebayor, Defoe. SUBS Cudicini, Nelsen, Rose, Kranjcar, Livermore, van der Vaart, Saha.
Away at everton, sandro in for Lennon may be a good thing. Can't really argue with that team and we have options on the bench.
Why not play Bale on the right and give Rose a go on the left instead of taking Modric out of the middle and making him ineffective on the left/right again.
I have a funny feeling we might see Sandro on the right, it looked like that was what he was meant to do against Arsenal.
I predicted a win, but I'm really not happy with that line-up. Two holding players and both Modric and Bale out of position? Not for me. Neville's been brought in to deal with the Welshman, though and he's not playing on that side.
We look a bit lackadaisical - plenty of possession but no control and Everton seem to be targeting our right side where Sandro is looking a bit sleepy. Need to up the pace!!
There are a few out there today who think they only have to turn up. Not good enough - especially after the last couple of weeks.
Could see it coming... Our season has imploded... Once again we are not balanced, very predictable and therefore easy to contain.
Our team's totally unbalanced. There's a massive gap between the two holding players and the strikers, both our wide men are drifting inside and failing to pick up their men when we lose the ball and we've got no creativity. Awful selection.
Modric on the left does not work. He is drifting in all the time and that leaves BAE isolated as well.