Elston Gunnn

Pretty irritating, though.

Good one. Even if we assume that RM was referring to next week's break, the key to this specimen of Roberto-speak is "in contention." Might still be several stages to go once the player achieves "contention."

Seems as if yes, this is what RM meant. The Guardian article I linked above left out the key sentence, here provided by the Mirror: "I don't think that Sylvain at his age would benefit from getting changed, warming up and coming on." http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/everton-call-sylvain-distin-against-4566867 So it looks as if Distin either starts or isn't on the team sheet at all. Presumably he starts tomorrow eve.

Help. I need someone -- or maybe 4 or 5 of you, as long as all of you agree with each other [little joke there.....] -- to translate this Roberto-talk about Distin. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/nov/02/everton-roberto-martinez-garry-monk-swansea Scroll down to next-to-final paragraph. Specifically, what does RM mean when he says: "He is not someone I want to use on the bench at the age of 36. But he is a very important player for us."

Everton 3-1 Swansea Eto'o

Don't know whether words such as "astounding" and "unbelievable achievement" are hyperbole, but that's the way this writer assesses the stats. http://www.espnfc.us/blog/tactics-and-analysis/67/post/2118187/leighton-baines-astounding-offensive-exploits-have-been-overlooked

Burnley 1-3 Everton Naismith

I'll guess it'll be -- ........................... Howard .......................... Coleman .... Alcaraz .... Jagielka .... Baines .............. McCarthy ........... Gibson ............. Atsu ................. Naismith ............... Osman .......................... Lukaku ............................ Subs used 2d half -- if behind, Barkley, Eto'o, Pienaar/McGeady; if ahead, Besic, P/McG

The lineup visual on the official Everton site must surely be inaccurate in multiple ways. http://www.evertonfc.com/fixtures/2010-to-2019/2014-2015/europa-league/lille-vs-everton/match (Click lineups.) If as inaccurate as I assume, it's a little dismaying that the official club site looks so foolish here. Baines as RB, Distin LB, Hibbert CH, Besic LM, McGeady paired with Eto'o as strikers. All 4 defenders are incorrectly placed.

For Americans with DirecTV -- If you have to miss the game live, it will be replayed twice tomorrow. DirecTV is having a free week of FoxSoccerPlus (ch. 621), which will show replay tomorrow at 5-7 pm, EDT. Also replayed Thursday eve on FoxSports2 (ch. 618) at 8-10 pm, EDT. Hope it's worth watching several times.

I may be incorrect in assuming Barkley isn't just yet ready for the full 90. But if this assumption is reasonable, who's the replacement at ACM on 70-80 minutes? No Osman, no Naismith, so...... Did I notice McGeady playing some centrally for Ireland? Eto'o? Besic or Gibson moving up? Pienaar moving inside? Barkley for 90? Help.

http://www.nsno.co.uk/everton-news/2014/10/baines-blows-competition-away/ I'd be interested in seeing an update of these sorts of stats every 5 matches or so.

Everton 3-1 Villa Naismith

Although I realize news of possible, if unlikely, returns by Coleman, McCarthy, and Barkley is more important, did we know Pienaar had been injured? (Or is that just a given this season, sort of Pienaar's default status?) And if Pienaar does't make it, are McGeady and Atsu the only wingers? Oviedo available?

Man U 2-2 Everton Lukaku

I saw a fair portion of second half, and agree that Wolfsburg were far superior, should have won going away. Lille looked disorganized at times. Wolfsburg confident, then had to escape with a draw on wonder goal.

For any Americans out there who missed the game and have access to FoxSports 2. Game is being shown right now, 8-10 EDT. Last 30 minutes enjoyable, first 60 not.

Surprised to see neither Wanderson nor Joaozinho in Krasnodar starting 11.

Thinking aloud here, as I really don't have any clear sense of how RM will approach tonight and Sunday matches. It's difficult for me to think about tonight's team sheet separate from the ManU match, as this seems a classic example of the cliched "dreaded Thurs-Sun Europa League" problem. Long distance trip, followed by early game, away match to traditional power. I suppose the good news is that ManU's defense is not a strength, and Rooney is .... umm ...... Rooney. Bad news is that 2 weeks back, what should have been a not-dreadful first Thurs-Sun -- home EL match followed by home match against an "easy" opponent -- turned dreadful. So, how will RM arrange the team tonight and Sunday? Mirallas's bad injury, on top of Coleman's knock, Pienaar/Kone's long-term absence, McCarthy's surprise knock, Distin's ongoing something -- all these injuries drastically limit RM's options. It now strikes me as unlikely that RM will set out mostly different elevens tonight and Sunday. I guess -- and it is a guess -- RM will play his "essential" players 180 (or close) minutes in these two matches. Baines, Jagielka, Stones, Naismith, Lukaku, who else? Does Besic become essential, as Barry surely can't play 180, nor Gibson? How many minutes can Oviedo provide over the two matches? Doesn't Osman have to feature heavily in one of the matches, or as sub in both? Eto'o as starter in one, sub in the other? I'm now assuming we won't see Coleman, Pienaar, or Kone, possibly McCarthy, until after the international break. Maybe the next few days won't prove dreadful, but our squad is just sufficient for multiple competitions when healthy. In the face of all these injuries, securing points from both matches is a major challenge.

Yes, as for RM there's medically fit, training fit, ball-training fit, cameo-fit, fully game-fit. January?

Interesting. I assumed they'd fly there Wed eve. But if this isn't one of those proverbial "long trips to southeast Europe," what is? Panathinaikos? Trabzonspor? Is it all an urban legend?

Wingers now appear to be McGeady, Atsu, Pienaar, Oviedo, last 2 after upcoming international break. Surely RM sees that Naismith's best spot is CM, so won't slot him out wide. Osman out there only in absolute desperation. Long absence of Mirallas might incline RM to keep Lukaku out on right, but I wonder whether that experiment has run its course. Don't we need Lukaku up top?

I appreciate - seriously - your knowledge and analysis of Krasnodar. As I said, it appears that ours is the proverbial group of death in this season's EL. I doubt RM's selection will match my preference, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the dilemma. I don't agree that Gibson isn't good enough, but agree that Osman, for all his experience and clever passing, is often a liability. I've mixed impressions of Alcaraz, but will guess he'll play. Gibson, too. Just don't see how RM can play all his first-choicers on Thursday, given long trip and big Sunday. Again, all the injuries and now-uncertainty about Coleman, Kone, Oviedo, even Distin - it's unsettling. And the upcoming international "break" isn't a break for many of our first-choicers.

If Krasnodar are this solid, then our Europa group would seem easily the strongest. Although the Europa League is nowhere near as prestigious as Champions League, the competition in our group is a major test. As for Thursday's match ...... ...... I agree with Btay that RM's strategy here is tricky, and that extends all the way to which players to exempt from the team sheet altogether, sparing them the debilitating trip. I'd prefer he leave Baines, Barry, McCarthy, Stones, Jagielka, Coleman, Pienaar, Lukaku home. Robles Browning Alcarez Distin Garbutt/Oviedo Gibson Besic Atsu Osman© McGeady Eto'o I'd like to see Oviedo sub as LM for some minutes. If necessary, McGeady could shift to RM or even CM. Also hope Kone is finally ready to come on for 20 minutes. If Distin, Kone, Oviedo are not quite match-fit, we're undermanned. But if they're ready to go, I would welcome their inclusion. I fully concede that the 11 I suggest above is not our strongest. Yet Distin, Alcarez, Atsu, Osman, Gibson, Kone/Oviedo-when-healthy -- all these must play some matches. I would understand if one (or more) of you respond, "Yes, mate, but not all this lot in the same match." Obviously, the injuries to Barkley, Mirallas, Pienaar, Coleman, Kone, and Oviedo have badly cut into squad depth, so this first (far) away match in the EL will test RM's squad strategy.

Liverpool 3-3 Everton Mirallas