Everton vs Aston Villa pre-match thread

[TelfordVilla]

Newcastle easily beat Arsenal last week followed by Man U knocking them out of the cup. Arsenal are bang average at the moment.

[Demitri_C]

Newcastle easily beat Arsenal last week followed by Man U knocking them out of the cup. Arsenal are bang average at the moment.

We are worse than average away from home though.

Anything is possible of course but we will have to be far better than we have been recently if we want to go win there

[Woody17]

We desperately need to beat Everton tonight so that Arsenal on Saturday will be a little bit of a ‘free swing’ as I personally feel we will struggle to get anything down there.
Results were kind to us last night so this is a real opportunity to get back into the mix.
Start strong, start quickly and with intent and they will struggle against us.
An early goal from us will kill it. Duran has to start if available.
We’ve got to go for the jugular from the first second.

[Nii Lamptey]

More worried about tonight than Arsenal on Saturday. Arsenal are under pressure, and I can see us taking all 3 points at the weekend.

MoyesBall tonight is a different story. These 3 away games over the next week will shape our season - 2 premier league wins and we're back in amongst the Champions League fight, and a win in Monaco surely assures us a Top 8 finish.

[ChicagoLion]

if we are seriously wanting to challenge for a CL place which has to be the objective, we need to get at least 4 points from these 2 games.

[Brazilian Villain]

if we are seriously wanting to challenge for a CL place which has to be the objective, we need to get at least 4 points from these 2 games.

Yeah, I was thinking the same earlier.

[brontebilly]

Would be a big decision to drop Watkins at the first opportunity with Duran back available. Sure he's not exactly performed at his best over the past 3 games but he hasn't been bad either. Cracking assist the last day. Match the intensity of Everton and we will win. Worried about Konsa's form and think he will be targeted.

Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne
Rogers, Kamara, Onana, Ramsey
Buendia, Watkins

Likes of Maatsen, Duran, Tielemans, Bailey off bench

[Drummond]

if we are seriously wanting to challenge for a CL place which has to be the objective, we need to get at least 4 points from these 2 games.

Yeah, I was thinking the same earlier.

I'd say 6 brilliant, 4 good, 3 expected, 2 satisfactory and any less disappointing.

[usav]

Be prepared to be disappointed, i.e. default mode.

[eamonn]

On paper, we couldn't be too disappointed with two draws. But a win and a defeat would obviously be better. Anything more very impressive (especially if the win was at Arsenal).

[Astnor]

Would be a big decision to drop Watkins at the first opportunity with Duran back available. Sure he's not exactly performed at his best over the past 3 games but he hasn't been bad either. Cracking assist the last day. Match the intensity of Everton and we will win. Worried about Konsa's form and think he will be targeted.

Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne
Rogers, Kamara, Onana, Ramsey
Buendia, Watkins

Likes of Maatsen, Duran, Tielemans, Bailey off bench

I would go with Tielemans ahead of Buendia, else the same. Not sure what to expect tonight, back to our best or suffering with sloopy defence and early goal against. Effect of Moyes unpredictable too. As a contender for CL place we should win now.

[PaulWinch again]

It is absolutely essential we are proactive in this game. If we get on top and score a couple quickly they’ll buckle. If we start slow and gift them an early goal it’ll be very difficult.

[eamonn]

Moyes's programme notes. A little bit on us, bet he'd love to be our manager:

What a pleasure and privilege it is to once again be able to write, good evening, Evertonians, and welcome to Goodison Park for tonight’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.

Needless to say, Everton Football Club means so much to me, and my family, and I’m delighted to have been trusted with this position again, having spent an unbelievable 11 years together previously.

I always felt deep down that our paths may cross again when I left in 2013 and for it to come to pass now, at such an important time in Everton’s history, feels like an incredible opportunity for myself and for us all to come together and really push forward for the good of Everton – something I know first-hand can be such a powerful thing.

Eleven years is a long time, especially in football terms, and I think I’m coming back to a very different Everton from the one I left. I want to recapture the feeling of togetherness we had – within the building in terms of players and staff, and also the unique bond with our supporters, who make this club so special.

Naturally, I think I’m a different manager from the one who left all those years ago as well. I’m definitely a bit older! And I hope I come back here a bit wiser, armed with more knowledge and more experiences that I can pass on to the players and everyone at the Club. One thing is for sure, I want Everton to be successful and I’ll be doing everything in my power to get us going on the right track again.

What hasn’t changed and won’t change is the values I believe in. I don’t think you can be successful without them. Everyone who plays for Everton must carry those Everton values – they must work hard and show their quality – and we’ll do everything to squeeze everything out of them. Then the most important thing is to be winning games. We need to get results. Not everything goes right in football. It can’t always be that way, but we’ve got to try to make more right than wrong between now and the end of the season.

The conversations I’ve had with the owners so far have been clear and encouraging. Obviously, we’re currently in a position that we need to address as quickly as possible and ultimately ensure we retain our Premier League status while giving Goodison Park a fitting send-off ahead of the move to our incredible new stadium.

While away from the Club, I’ve been looking from a distance at Everton, and the troubles we’ve had in recent years. I must say I think Sean Dyche did a great job to ride a lot of those difficult moments.

The hope now is that we’re seeing clearer blue skies in the distance – but there is plenty of hard work from us as players and staff to do to ensure we get there. We all need to be onboard to build a more positive future and my belief we can have that is genuine.

Tonight we welcome Unai Emery, his players, staff and everyone associated with Aston Villa.

Unai has done superbly well in turning around Villa’s fortunes after taking over a little less than two-and-a-half-years ago. Having guided them to European football, he’s now navigating that notorious transition of balancing more competitions and he is doing so very impressively, with Aston Villa well-placed in both the Premier League and Champions League.

But we must focus on ourselves – and what an opportunity for us under the Goodison lights to take on quality opposition and really take the game on and show what Everton is all about.

I don’t need reminding of how special this place can be on nights like these – some of my favourite memories as a manager have come from them – so let’s all play our part and make sure these last few opportunities to experience Goodison nights are ones to savour.

Enjoy the game.

David

[Tuscans]

 Prince William surprised Aston Villa fans as he popped into a Wetherspoons in Birmingham ahead of Villa’s away game vs Everton tonight.
@hellomag