please log in to view this image Saturday 13th August 3pm Premier League Goodison Park We go again. A new start follows a disappointing end to the last campaign, despite it being a positive one overall. We've lost no big names and strengthened a couple of positions that needed it, but made few changes. Victor Wanyama and Vincent Janssen are our only additions, while Alex Pritchard is our only significant departure. Both new players will probably make the match-day squad. In contrast, our hosts have had quite a busy summer. Farhad Moshiri, an Iranian billionaire, bought a 49.9% share in the club last season and has shaken things up. Robert Martinez was dismissed, as a bottom half finish wasn't deemed good enough. Ronald Koeman has taken his place, leaving 6th place Southampton to do so. Several older, established players departed Goodison Park, too. Tony Hibbert, Leon Osman, Steven Pienaar and Tim Howard were all let go. John Stones also went, but for a record fee, costing Man City around £50m. Maarten Stekelenburg, Idrissa Gueye and Ashley Williams have been signed to replace them. Both of our matches last season resulted in fairly disappointing draws. The August meeting at WHL ended without a goal, as Tim Howard won the Man of the Match award. His best save came from a Harry Kane shot, as the youngster went through his early dry spell. Tom Cleverly had the best opportunity for the visitors, before going off with a bad injury. The visit to Goodison in January was another game that saw us ruing missed chances. Early shots from Harry Kane and Ben Davies cannoned off the woodwork, but Everton took the lead. Aaron Lennon came back to haunt us, scoring from a rare break against the run of play. The home side were better after the break, but Dele Alli leveled it up from an Alderweireld ball. We'll be missing a few players for this game, but just how many remains to be seen. Moussa Dembele is suspended, Heung-Min Son is at the Olympics and we have some defensive issues. Jan Vertonghen and Kevin Wimmer missed our pre-season with injuries, so Cameron Carter-Vickers may start. Clinton N'Jie, Nabil Bentaleb and Nacer Chadli haven't been used in friendlies, so they're probably out, too. Everton's main injury worry is Romelu Lukaku. He may miss out with a heel injury. Ashley Williams signed very recently and didn't take part in Swansea's pre-season games, so he may not play, either. They appear to have everyone else available. Line-ups for each team's last friendly game: Spurs: Vorm; Walker, Carter-Vickers, Alderweireld, Rose; Mason, Dier; Lamela, Eriksen, Alli; Kane. Subs: Lloris, McGee, Trippier, Davies, Wimmer, Walkes, Winks, Amos, Carroll, Edwards, Harrison, Janssen. Everton: Stekelenburg; Coleman, Stones, Funes-Mori, Baines; Gueye, Barry; Deulofeu, Barkley, Mirallas; Lukaku. Subs: Robles, Tarashaj, Jagielka, Kone, Lennon, Cleverly, McCarthy, Oviedo, Davies, Holgate. Referee: Martin Atkinson. Not many big questions about the line-up before this one, for me. Wanyama for Dembele is the obvious switch and I think we'll have a predictable XI. Would anyone do anything differently? Any major changes?
Boy have I missed this! Cheers for doing it PNP! Absolutely buzzing for the season start, really optimistic about our chances of having a good year again. Happy with our transfer business, especially as both had full pre-seasons with us, so any extra incomings are just bonuses for me. Everton are going to be a bit of an unknown for this game, they've had a shocking two seasons and have lost a lot of stalwarts but now have a new gaffer and have added a very good CB, Villa's (arguably) best player along with what looks like a talented - albeit overpriced - winger in Bolasie if the deal goes through in time. The fact we're a more settled team than them leads me to believe we should start the better of the two but it's going to be a tough one. Team I'd go for pretty much speaks for itself, especially as Spurs have confirmed Jan is fit and ready: Hugo Walker, Toby, Jan, Rose Dier, Wanyama Lamela, Eriksen, Alli Kane Vorm, Tripps, Davies, Kev (or CCV if Kev not fit), Winks, Onomah, Janssen Mason will likely get selected over Winks but I've been impressed by Winks in pre-season and feel he deserves the squad slot. COYS!
Always a toughie at Boodison Park. But what you have said + the way Spurs played against Inter means I think we are ready to roll and will win.
Could be wrong, but having never even put him onnthe bench til. Iw for a competitive game, I'd be a,azed if Poch starts CCV in a league game. More likely to move Dier if necessary I'd have thought.
If we had Dembele available I could see that happening and us starting with a Wanyama/Dembele pivot - but thanks to The FA that's not going to happen, and the options we have are... i.) Vertonghen in defence (despite his lack of match fitness) with Dier + Wanyama in the pivot ii.) Dier + Wanyama in the pivot with CCV starting in defence iii.) Dier in defence and a pivot of Wanyama + Mason/Carroll/Winks iv.) Davies to start at centre back
I'd say the favourite (as in most likely) would be : iii) Dier, Wanyama, Mason Is Wimmer definitely out btw ?
We have to hit the ground running this season. 3 points from 12 last season was unacceptable and wouldn't have left us with so much work to do towards the squeaky bum end of the season if we'd secured a return of 8+ points. Looking at our immediate rivals, we clearly have the most settled side with the most settled manager. I'd say the same about Arsenal but they'll be playing a makeshift defense for at least the first few weeks of the season, so we trump them too. The big guns have signed broadly, expensively and on occasion impressively - but they will take a while to settle on their strongest line-ups and system. We have to take advantage of it all and get into a rhythm well before Dembele returns to crank it up a notch.
Spot on. There's no doubt the other big clubs have strengthened but they don't have our collective cohesion, as yet. Also, there's a lot of players that have come in from abroad and won't have got to grips with the pace and physicality of the PL. A strong start is a must and can give us a springboard to another title challenge.
Looking forwards to this match. An early chance to improve our tally, in comparison to last season, with a win. Dier, Wanyama should be an impenetrable pivot. I'd still like us to invest in more competition for our '3', to keep the likes of Eriksen and Lamela on their toes. Very glad that Kane has that competition now, plus we have the option to go for an all out attack late in the game with Janssen.
What was the first question that the female journalist asked? How have you improved, was it? Being unable to hear the questions is a bit amateurish, really. Give them a microphone. Pochettino's getting better at these conferences, but his English still needs a little work. Got his points across, I think, but he'll get better with time. He's improved a lot already.
I agree. Therefore this game is even more important than most openers. It's a litmus test of whether we're going to fulfill the promise the squad has. What worries me, for once, is not that we're not ready in some way, shape or form. It's that we look so ready there can be few excuses if things go wrong.
I'm on a different computer this season (sadly not newer!) so don't have the streaming links I used to have. Could someone please post the likely stream locations? There were a few that definitely worked better than others and my old brain just doesn't remember!
I have a different issue from last season. My cable tv provider has lost the rights to broadcast the pl and the new one wants £60 per month just for the football! I am looking for an online site that I can watch on an iPad. Anyone help?
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccerstreams/ That should give you some options. Navixsport normally works quite well, IIRC.
