Everton v Wolves: Blues must maintain positive vibes
On Sunday Everton welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Goodison Park as the Premier League returns after the midweek interlude of the League Cup.
It’s really important that Everton maintain the positive attitude and feelings that have been generated by that entertaining win at Lincoln City on Tuesday.
Wolves are probably the favourite side for those pundits looking at the teams pushing to break into the rarefied environment of the top six, a group of clubs, which includes the Toffees.
Like Everton, the Midlands club are one of the originals and founder members of the Football League way back in 1888.
But today in the multinational world of English football, they are also now managed by a Portuguese coach. He’s one though who unlike Marco Silva, has gained an almost universally positive reputation in his relatively short time in the Premier League.
As for Silva, he is looking for revenge over his compatriot on Sunday, after Wolves comprehensively turned over the Blues at Goodison Park last season.
Sunday’s opponents have the dubious distraction of the Europa League this campaign. So far it doesn’t seem to have really adversely affected them, although they are still looking for their first win of the season and are playing tonight which could leave them with a hangover.
Wolves are a side who combine a solid defensive consistency with some genuinely quality attacking individuals.
They are a dangerous team, especially on the counter attack, that can produce some really exciting and dynamic football. So this game, despite being at home, is a difficult one for the Toffees.
Everton need to carry over the good vibes that Tuesday night’s win has generated. As I mentioned in my match report, that was a game away to lower league opposition so of course it was a different calibre of opposition to the more testing environment of the Premier League.
However, the Blues did produce some fine football and crucially scored more than one goal! In addition the contributions of Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean and Fabian Delph in particular, were certainly positive.
After a very low-key start to the season, the Toffees need the impetus, energy and quality of those new players.
Looking at the likely Blues starting eleven, defensively it is to be assumed that Yerry Mina and Seamus Coleman will come back in for Mason Holgate and Djibril Sidibe respectively.
Midfield is less certain. Will Delph get a start alongside Morgan Schniederlin or will Andre Gomes resume his partnership with the Frenchman?
I hope that Delph is given a chance in the centre of the pitch to play alongside Schniederlin again with Gomes or Gylfi Sigurdsson pushed forward.
Although strangely Silva doesn’t seem to want to play him in central midfield, (even though that’s his best position), Delph can offer a bit more creativity as well as additional defensive protection.
Up front it is a similarly fluid picture. I’ve argued that long-term Everton should look at moving to a 4-3-3 type system.
But it seems that at least for the present, Silva is committed to playing his two in the middle and a ‘diamond’ or three behind a lone centre-forward.
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That means that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will return to lead the line. So if that’s the case, then he must produce a bit more threat in front of goal.
One player who really should be given a place and a start on Sunday is Iwobi. The Nigerian international looked very good on Tuesday and offers a really direct and forceful attacking option that the Blues need.
Well whatever actual formation and players Silva picks, need to produce a strong performance so that Everton can return to winning ways at home.