Everton
The Toffees go into this game in better shape than Liverpool, as the form books show that Everton are in better form than their rivals. David Moyes’s team are currently unbeaten in nine Premier League games, as that run was extended last week as Everton overturned Wigan 1-0. Everton are climbing up the table, as they are currently two points away from 8th placed Birmingham.

The game is a massive one for Everton fans, and some of Everton’s players. Leon Osman has been at the club since his youth days and the midfielder has spoken out prior to the game. ” Were playing well and we believe in each other and we’re winning games at the minute. ” We should, as a team, take each game as it comes and go there this time and win the game”, stated Osman. Also the game is undoubtedly a big one for Leighton Baines, as a boyhood Everton fan it’s always a special occasion to play well against your distinct rivals. Baines told BBC Radio Merseyside, ” I don’t think there ever needs to be any added spice to a derby and I don’t think there is any case for revenge”.

The Toffees could welcome back the Nigerian pairing of Joseph Yobo and Yakubu. Both players are back from the African Cup of Nations, and Joseph Yobo is fit again after picking up an injury while playing for Nigeria. Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka are highly doubtful for the game, however there is a bit of good news for Everton, as Jack Rodwell is now fit again.

Key Player – Leighton Baines
Baines is a man on form, and in games like this the left-back needs to perform to his personal best. Big games spark the attention of international managers, and as Wayne Bridge could well drop out of the England national team, because of his rift with John Terry, the 2nd left-back spot could well be handed to Leighton Baines. His delivery needs to be spot on tomorrow lunchtime, as his key weapon could well be crucial on Everton’s behalf.

Liverpool
Liverpool’s current form is certainly been mixed, as last month saw the Reds pick up two wins, three draws and one loss in all competitions. This will definitely be a tough game for Liverpool, as Everton are currently unbeaten in nine league games, plus they are getting a lot of key players back from injury and international duty. However to be fair on Everton’s rivals, they have coped pretty well without the likes of Gerrard, Benayoun and Torres, as they only had a blip of form in the FA Cup competition.

Team news states that Glen Johnson, Philipp Degen and Martin Kelly all of whom are defenders, are likely to miss the derby game through injury. Benayoun and Torres are highly likely to miss out again for Liverpool tomorrow, plus Fabio Aurelio has also picked up a slight injury.

Key Player – Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt has hunted down Everton in the past, as his two penalties gifted Liverpool a win over Everton at Goodison Park in the 07/08 season. With Benayoun and Torres injured, Liverpool will look to the goalscoring predator of Dirk Kuyt for goals. The Holland international has scored nine times this season, and most recently he netted a double against Tottenham. The Everton defence has to be wary of the threat of Dirk Kuyt.

Gav’s Match Prediction – Liverpool 1-2 Everton     

Philippe Senderos was able to make his debut yesterday, as the defender on loan from Arsenal, had a decent game. Senderos has had a tough time with Arsenal, however hopefully from his point of view, he can have a very successful spell with Everton. The Swiss international has been stated as one of the worse defenders in the Premier League, however to be honest you can’t get much worse than former Chelsea player, Winston Bogarde. Senderos adds depth into the squad, as the likes of Jagielka and Yobo are still out injured, from my point of view I wish Phillippe all the best, while at Everton.

On the clean sheet front, Everton’s defence in the 08/09 campaign was the 4th best in the entire Premier League. However with the injury of Phil Jagielka, the departure of Joleon Lescott and the niggling injury’s that Distin and Yobo have suffered, the Toffees haven’t coped very well, as they have to keep rotating the defence. On the other hand with Jagielka back in training, Yobo coming back from an injury which he sustained while playing for Nigeria and Tony Hibbert waiting in the wings, things are definitely looking up for Everton.

Now though it very well seems that Everton can play a fully experienced defence. With the likes of Heitinga, Neville and young Seamus Coleman, all capable of playing at Right-Back, plus Heitinga, Distin, Duffy and now Senderos all but available to play at centre back, the defence is looking bright from Everton’s point of view.

When the defence is fully fit, some players stand out above the rest, and over recent months two players have caught my eye. Left-back Leighton Baines and centre back Johnny Heitinga.

Baines for one has rightfully been one of the best left-backs in the Premier League this season. He is tremendous at getting back and forward in Everton’s team, plus his set piece taking causes the opposition all kinds of bother. Yesterday he was excellent, as his corner kicks and set pieces troubled Wigan. Also with the likes of Heitinga, Cahill, Fellaini and Saha lurking in the box, Everton are more than likely to score from set pieces than any other Premier League team. With Ashley Cole the first choice left-back for England, it could well turn out to be a battle between Leighton Baines and Wayne Bridge, for a place in the England squad for the 2010 World Cup.

Lastly the player I have been impressed with the most this season is Johnny Heitinga. The Holland international has been in excellent form, as his heading and tackling have been first class. He has turned into one of my favourite Everton players, and with the World cup fast approaching, Heitinga should well be picked for the Holland national side for the 2010 World Cup.

Everton
The Toffees are currently 9th in the Premier League table, and with the way things are going, with the likes of Jagielka, Yakubu and Rodwell waiting to come back from injury, Everton could well hunt down a top six finish. Everton are currently unbeaten in eight league games, however five of those games were draws. Those draws were clearly valuable and impressive from Everton’s point of view, as they picked up deserved draws against Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. Everton really need a win against Wigan, as the month of February will be undoubtedly tough for them, as they start that month with the Merseyside derby game at Anfield, then that game is followed up by ties against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as two Europa League games in the middle of those Premier League Matches.

For tomorrow’s clash between Wigan Athletic, David Moyes could well be without star midfielder Mikel Arteta – again. Arteta suffered a groin strain in training, and he is a doubt for the match. Victor Anichebe is fit again, as he appeared from the substitutes bench, against Sunderland in midweek.  Everton will be without Tony Hibbert, Phil Jagielka, Yakubu, Jack Rodwell and Joseph Yobo for Saturday’s game. With the transfer window still open, Moyes could well sign a new striker, as Yakubu and Saha have proven to be injury prone, aswell as Anichebe.

Key Player – Tim Cahill
Everton could well turn to the presence of Tim Cahill, as the former Millwall man was a huge hit against the Black Cats on Wednesday. Cahill’s heading ability was a cut above the rest, and plus he was able to net his third league goal of the season. Cahill will be Everton’s key man tomorrow afternoon.

Wigan
Wigan currently sit in a mediocre mid table place, as the Lactics are currently on an inconsistent run. Wigan also played on Wednesday night, however they were defeated 2-1 by Blackburn Rovers. Also over the past month, Martinez’s squad were able to progress into the fourth round of the FA Cup, as they hammered Hull 4-1, but the fourth round itself proved to be a difficult task for Wigan, as they were held to a draw by Notts County. In the league however, over the past month Wigan were able to defeat Wolves 2-0, but like I said above they were recently defeated by Blackburn. Wigan could well be without Chris Kirkland and Mario Melchiot.

Key Player – Maynor Figueroa
Maynor Figueroa is a player who has been tracked by other clubs in this January transfer window, however luckily for Wigan the left-back decided to put pen to paper, as he has secured a new deal with the Lancashire club. Figueroa could well have the likes of Landon Donovan and Steven Pienaar, to contend with tomorrow, therefore he has to be in tip top form.

Gav’s Prediction – Wigan 2-3 Everton

Despite their fantastic start to the season, Owen Coyle will not be getting carried away, ala Phil Brown and Hull – even if the Turfmoor faithful are quietly ambitious in their season’s hopes. For David Moyes, whilst this was nowhere near as painful an experience as their opening-day humiliation, it still exposed gaping holes in in their current squad. You can only hope that Everton will benefit from the sale of Joleon Lescott, both in terms of money and squad harmony.

The tone for Everton’s day was set within the first minute. Lethargic ball-watching almost cost Moyes dearly, as Chris McCann weaved past Leighton Baines before putting in a hanging cross, but Martin Paterson’s header crashed into the crossbar. Steven Fletcher was first to the rebound, and his goalbound effort drew a low save from Tim Howard. The Claret fans roared, whilst Everton seemed nervous, tense almost. Once again the delinquent McCann waltzed through and in turn found Paterson, but the nippy striker missed the target. David Moyes appeared to be as uncomfortable as Dean Windass in lycra, and rightly so.

It took thirty minutes for Everton’s first meaningful shot on goal, but Brian Jensen was perfectly positioned to save Jack Rodwell’s weak header. Tony Hibbert’s low cross just evaded Louis Saha at the near post, whilst Rodwell was off target once more. Everton looked to be settling in, and it was Coyle who was getting agitated.

Cue the curse of the commentator. A dangerous cross by Robbie Blake fizzed across the face of the goal, but Steven Fletcher managed to keep the ball in play before teeing up Wade Ellliot, who exquisitely curled the ball into the top corner, albeit via a deflection off Phil Neville’s boot. Only those who were witnessing can describe the aptitude ringing around Turfmoor, electric.

Wade Elliott celebrates his first goal of the season

After the break, with Moyes’ ‘words of wisdom’ still echoing throughout their minds, Everton’s attacking intent was clear to see. But intent is no good unless chances are created, and Burnley’s rugged style easily nullified any thoughts of an Everton equaliser. The quick-thinking McCann saw his attempted lob tipped clear by Howard, before Blake nearly emulated his goal in midweek with a sizzling volley that dragged wide.

And it looked like Burnley’s chances would come back to bite them on the derrierre when referee Phil Dowd awarded them a disputed penalty with just fifteen minutes left. When Tony Hibbert blazed through the Burnley defence, McCann pulled out of a tackle, perhaps in fear of fouling Hibbert, but when Hibbert fell over his own foot  tumbled over, Dowd was convinced there was contact, thus awarding Everton a penalty. Normally, whenever Jensen makes a save, the crowd roar his nickname, ‘Beast’. However, when Louis Saha stepped up confidently, there was no need for chanting, as the Frenchman pulled his shot wide of the post.

Saha almost made amends for his miss with a rasping thirty-yarder, but Jensen watched the ball sail wide in relief. Everton boss Moyes said, ‘Burnley were the better side in the opening 25 minutes. I think, with the confidence they gained from the game in midweek, we expected that. But after that I thought we got back into it and were a bit unfortunate not to get something out of it.’

STRIKER SEARCH – With the lack of Strikers Everton have got, with only Yakubu, Saha and Vaughan to choose from, there have been a number of strikers heavily linked with the club. Michael Owen for one has been linked with a number of clubs including Everton. Hull and Stoke are reportedly interested in the Striker. Another Newcastle player is on the agenda. Obafemi Martins is the other Newcastle striker to be linked with the Toffees. He will be a good signing for Everton if he does decide to move from Newcastle to Merseyside. The former Chelsea striker Eider Gudjohnson has been linked with Everton aswell. However if he does decide to move Fulham, Aston Villa and West Ham are also possible moves for him. Lastly Reading striker Kevin Doyle has been strongly linked with a number of Premiership clubs including Everton.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE RAID – A number of talented Football League player’s have been linked with Everton in June.  Joe Ledley of Cardiff has been lined up as signing for the Toffees. One of the best player’s in the Championship, Ledley has been linked with Everton three times including this month. So he might be a very possible signing. Stephen Hunt of Reading could follow Kevin Doyle to Merseyside in which could well be a double swoop for Everton. Stephen Hunt has been heavily linked with a move to the Premiership but Everton do face stiff competition. Sheffield United Kyle Naughton has also been linked with Everton. The right-back could well give Tony Hibbert competition if David Moyes signs him. Naughton loves getting forward and that what Everton needs. With Naughton on the right and Baines on the left, Everton will be dangerous. Lastly Fabian Delph of Leeds has been linked with a move to Everton. The centre midfielder has impressed a number of Premiership clubs including Everton but many clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United want the youngster aswell.

The Other Rumours - Three other players’ have been linked with Everton in June and two of them play in the Premier League. So firstly Jermaine Pennant of rivals Liverpool has been linked with Everton. It only means that Pennant will just have to move across Merseyside to Everton. However Pennant has been linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid which is a surprise. Also Micah Richards of Man City has been linked in what could be a swap deal for Jolean Lescott. Richards will be a good replacement as he can play at Right-Back and Centre Back, Centre back being the position where Lescott played much of last season. Lastly Stephane Mbia of Rennes has been linked with a move to England where Everton could be a favoured choice. He has been linked with Everton three times this month, so does that mean Stephane Mbia the Rennes centre midfield will be Everton’s next signing?

Leighton Baines – The Everton right back has been outstanding this season as he has been one of the most consistent players in the team. He has earned himself and England call up this year and he also scored his first goal for Everton against Portsmouth in March. He has played exceptionally well down the left wing for Everton. He made seven assists this season the same amount as Mikel Arteta. He has been outstanding this season and is worth a shout of player of the season.

Phil Jagielka – Phil Jagielka has been a rock at the back for Everton this season and helped them on there way to the Fa Cup final. He scored the winning penalty in the semi final against Manchester United but unfortunate for him he was injured so therefore unable to play in the final. However all through the season, Jagielka has made some important tackles and helped the defence not to conceded goals. He was noticed by the club and was named player of the year and players players of the year for 2008/2009. However do you agree that he is Everton player of the season?

Marouane Fellaini – Fellaini has had a brilliant season after signing from Standard Liege. He has been used as a centre midfielder and a Striker as Yakubu, Saha, Vaughan and Anichebe was ruled out at certain times. He has been strong and has been a good asset to the side. He has a great header as we saw against Manchester United in the Premier League when the side drew 1-1. Hopefully next season is the same for Fellaini. However as the Yak and the others come back from injury Fellaini will probably be used as a centre midfielder rather that a striker next season.

Leon Osman – Leon Osman has had a great season and I feel he is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. He has been at Everton since 2000 and when played, he has given his all into his performances this season. He is Everton through and through and deserves a mention for his brilliant performances this season. He is a great midfield and is player Everton need for his scoring ability and creativity. He scored both goals in the last game of the season against Fulham to secure the Toffees 5th place.

Jack Rodwell – Rodwell has came through the Everton ranks this season, and still only 18 he is already in the England Under 21 squad. He is a star of the future and has played well this season when given the chance. He made his first full appearance at the beginning of the season against Blackburn and scored his first goal against Aston Villa in the Fa Cup. We will see more of Jack Rodwell next season and hopefully he will be given a starting place regularly next season to show us what he’s got. He has been outstanding this season and deserves to have a mention for young player of the season.

Referee: Alan Wiley

Match Report

Where do you start, the game was from a footballing point of view was a classic. Evertonians have lived through much heartache over the years with Liverpool, but to get a goal with two minutes left on the clock, when the reds had time wasted, cheated and moaned their way through 119 minutes of football it was superb.

After Rafa having a pop at us the other week for parking the bus infront of the goal, their star studded line up held on for their lives and were hoping for a repeat of penalties, which they had won numerous cups from in the past. Steven Gerrard went off and the rest off the team looked at each other as if to say ‘what do we do now?’. Then from that point Everton were the team in control. Of note Tim Howard only had one save to make, while Pepe Reina found his goal under siege. It just seemed to get worse for Liverpool and there fans as Lucas seen red. They were down to ten men, a miracle for us.

The blues then stepped it up a gear with Fellaini getting hauled off and being replaced by Dan Gosling. Not long later Pienaar followed, Jack Rodwell being his replacement. Everton were rampant, with Torres looking Liverpool’s only threat, but then again he could not really do anything sat in Jagielka’s pocket.

Extra time loomed. Osman hit the post, Tim Cahill went close. The clock ticked down, penalties were on the horizon until the ball landed at Dan’s feet. A shimmy here, a shimmy there and his shot curled past Pepe Reina in the Park End net. Cue Bedlam. It took a deflection but he was the one that was going to claim the goal and live in the Everton books for ever as the ‘derby hero’ . Wiley piped up with his whistle to minutes later and Goodison roared. We had beat Liverpool! Knocked them out of the cup. They will tell us that the premiership means everything to them but the look on Carragher’s face at the final whistle tells a completely different story! Tonight it’s the evertonians that go home the happy ones!

Anyway, I’ve decided to blog about this because I went to the Arsenal game last night and decided that I think Tim is a true gentleman in the way he puts himself on the line for the club. He dosent moan, demand high wages, demand to leave the club, etc, he just gets on with his job – a job he does superbly.

The goal he scored against the worst Arsenal side I have seen – probably ever – was truly stunning. Okay, well maybe not stunning, but it was very good anyway. I have got to admit though, I was finding myself biting my nails after seeing Timmy go down injured.

Tim is a true legend in my eyes. I mean, £1m for Cahill? or 1.5 was it? Well, whatever it was, what a bargain! Tim has got to be Moyes best signing right? Money wise anyway!

Finally, I would just like to comment on the striking issue, please can you bring someone in soon David! We have got a great squad, but we need more cover upfront until the Yak returns.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, UP THE BLUES AND BRING ON LIVERPOOL!

Mr. Toffee.

In my recent post, I mentioned how Yakubu dosen’t do enough for me, and is Cahill reallly a striker, etc. However, I didn’t mention how I feel we’ve developed the strong ethos, and never-say-die-attitude. One answer. David Moyes.

Since David Moyes signed his contract extension the players have responded on the pitch. Before David signed the deal, we were conceding goals. And I mean, a lot of goals.

So, as Big Sam, Harry Redknapp and David Moyes prove – a good manager.. changes the club and players.

Well, a fairly short post this evening everyone, but, see you next time.

Mr. Toffee.

Although every Evertonian will probably see Tim Cahill as an attacking or central midfielder – which I also see Tim as – why doesn’t David Moyes try Cahill upfront more regularly? Cahill runs his socks off out there and never gives up, something Yakubu preferes not to do. Of course, Yakubu is more prolific in front of goal, and is more of a recognised striker, but if an offer came in for Yakubu right now, I would take it. I don’t see Yakubu as a team player. He just joggs around looking for fouls.

Maroune Felliani has also impressed me recently. He has been supporting Cahill upfront and getting back too! He never gives up. Although he gets a yellow card every game – literally! – I see him as an ideal future prospect for the blues. His tackling ability isn’t great, but he’s quality in the air, and has already proven what he can do. Moyes’ should definitely hang on to this talent.

Moving on, young Victor Anichebe- before his injury – impressed me. In a few years time I see Victor as a key player for a team either in the Premiership or the Championship, or maybe even abroad. In my opinion, Victor shows strength, stamina, persistence and most of all spirit to his game. He never gives up. I’m sure everybody who has seen Victor play agrees when he plays to the best of his ability, he tops Yakubu and Saha on some performances. Many people think its Victor or James Vaughan. For me, its Victor.

Michael Owen - looks certain to move away from Newcastle.

Finally, Michael Owen has been linked with a transfer to Goodison. Although it looks almost certain that Owen will move away from Newcastle you can count Michael coming to Everton.. out. Why? Wages for a start. Owen is reportably on £120,000 a week at Newcastle, and even if Owen was to take a wage cut, Everton could still not afford half his wages. Anyway, Aston Villa and Manchester City would probably be Owen’s first choice I spose. Other stories indicating Everton with moves to people are really inaccurate. Moyes has already stated he doesn’t think money is available.

Until next time, goodbye.

Mr. Toffee