Elston Gunnn

Admittedly, your optimism is more uplifting than my pessimism. In terms of jelling, it does seem to me that this dismaying set of long-and-short-term injuries means that whatever team Koeman starts, they will likely still be very new to each other collectively, and so will have to figure out each other's play almost on the pitch as play proceeds. I'll be happy with a point.

Pete0- Koeman said before 2d Split match that Klaassen was out until after international break. Injuries are really limiting Koeman's options for Chelsea. Minor miracle to take a point from this one.

We've gone temporarily from having a surfeit of DMs (Schneiderlin, Gana, Barry, McCarthy, Besic, Davies) to maybe having only Davies available for Chelsea. So, because of Barry's departure, Schneiderlin's red, McCarthy's injury, Gana's knock, and Besic's bad news, we may finally get a chance to see Koeman play a single DM. Weird, weird combination of circumstances for tomorrow. If Besic doesn't play, I hope Koeman will not risk long-term injury to less-than-fit Gana. Hard to guess what tomorrow's starters and formation might be. Maybe ....... Pickford Keane Williams Jagielka Martina Davies Baines Lennon Sigurdsson Mirallas Rooney Subs - DCL, Lookman, Holgate

I think this is our Group E match schedule -- Sept 14 - Atalanta-Everton Sept 28 - Everton-Apollon Oct 19 - Everton-Lyon Nov 2 - Lyon-Everton Nov 23 - Everton-Atalanta Dec 7 - Apollon-Everton Ha, sorry, I see it's posted on the OS. I feel marginally dumber than usual.......

2

Surprised Koeman didn't use 3d sub. Give Sigurdsson or Rooney or even Baines a little rest. Sunday aft comes too soon.

Any moment Lookman could make a great move, but not a good half for him. Give him 10 more minutes, but if he doesn't perk up, I'd like to see Lennon, who would help Martina on defense. Then Mirallas on for either Sigurdsson or DCL by 60 minutes. If we (surprise me and) get a goal, bring on 2 defensive types. Hope Koeman lights into them at halftime.

Koeman said yesterday this run of fixtures will require some rotation, but then he also said he wouln't make many changes. Sounds like only 1, 2 at most. I assume he'll choose between Holgate and Martina, and between Jagielka and Williams. Keane, Baines, Schneiderlin, Gana, and Rooney seem certain. That leaves 3 from Davies, Mirallas, DCL, Sigurdsson, and Lookman. Either Besic or Lennon would be a surprise.

No fair. 12. Drop Pickford and put Besic in goal. Wait, no, Davies, he's our utility guy.

Not sure about Sandro, but if fit, I'd guess Koeman might start him instead of DCL. Or maybe I mean I'd prefer a fit Sandro to replace DCL rather than Mirallas as starter. Anyhow, if fit, I'd think Sandro and Sigurdsson would both play some. Surely Koeman will use all 3 subs, given the very quick time turnaround plus travel to Split. If 4 matches in 11 days is tough, then 3 in just under 7 days, with substantial travel, is even tougher.

I'll guess Koeman will have this starting lineup -- Pickford Martina Keane Williams Baines Schneiderlin Gana Klassen Rooney Mirallas DCL Subs -- Davies and Sigurdsson on, no matter the score

Available in U.S. on WatchESPN/ESPN 3, 3 pm EDT.

If you don't follow Everton from the U.S., this thread won't interest you. But if you live in the U.S., listen up. NBCSN will no longer show every EPL match on TV. This season, of the 380 EPL matches, 250 will be broadcast (NBCSN, CNBC, NBC). The other 130 will now be available only behind a paywall, $50 for the season. Supposedly, all 20 EPL teams will have a minimum of 3 of their matches available only through the new "Premier League Pass." Practically speaking, this means the matches of the Top 6 will still almost all be broadcast over the air. But the rest of the League, good luck. From reading the article linked below, I'll estimate that roughly 10 of our matches will this season be available only streamed via "Premier League Pass." More if we are down to 10th or 12th by Spring, fewer if we're challenging for top 4. Unless you already know about this change, you'll want to read this article carefully. http://worldsoccertalk.com/2017/06/30/premier-league-pass-faq-nbcs-replacement-premier-league-extra-time/

I'd like it to be Bas Dost, but Sporting CP still have a decent chance to get to CL proper (group stage). Worse, he has a silly-money buyout clause, rumoured to be €60m.

I will be very surprised if there's literally "no rotation" whatsoever in the starting lineup over these 4 matches in the next 11 days. I could, yes, see no rotation whatsoever from tonight's match and Monday night's City match. No travel and enough rest. But then things get tricky, because between Monday night and Thursday night, Everton will travel to Croatia for return EL match, and get one fewer rest day. And then the travel back, less rest, and a Sunday afternoon rather than Monday night match following a Thursday EL match. But maybe strategic use of all 3 subs in each of these 4 matches will give just enough rest to almost every starter. Possible, just seems unlikely to me.

Absent injuries to at least a couple of our DCMs, Barry will play only occasionally, mostly as late sub when we are protecting lead. So he will understandably be tempted to move elsewhere on, say, a 2-year contract. I think he would still help us win a few matches, so I hope he stays. I wouldn't criticize if he looks elsewhere for one last opportunity at first-team football.

Here's an excellent commentary on Trump and Trumpism. I commend to your particular attention the third paragraph, beginning with "But then....." http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/13/why-trump-cant-say-the-obvious-215481 Trump is a sociopath, extreme narcissist, pathological liar, cheat, blusterer, and incurious ignoramus. He ran a fascist - or if you prefer, "near-fascist," campaign. His immediate response to events in Charlottesville, penned by one of his "white nationalist" enablers, was an obvious dog-whistle to that large part of his reactionary populist base that yearns to turn history back, and backwards. I quote Matt here because a key question about Trump and his base is why the vast majority of them - among tens of millions of supporters - have yet to be express even tentative embarrassment at the prominence among Trump's advisers and spokesmen of white nationalists such as Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Sebastian Gorka. I have before in this thread raised the awkward question of Trump's supporters, and their patriotic responsibilities. It's one thing to say that tens of millions of them reluctantly voted for Trump as the lesser evil to Clinton. It's quite another for them to stay silent when the man they voted for demonstrates, almost literally every day and in multiple ways, his total unfitness for the office of U.S. president. It's not just Trump who, as Jeff Greenfield says in his article, "is completely disconnected from any understanding of the American political tradition." It's tens of millions of Trump's enablers, his still-loyal base, who are equally disconnected.

Imported this comment from MJB in the Man City thread. In general I agree with MJB's point here, at least as it applies to these upcoming specific EL and EPL ties. My purpose in starting this thread is to think strategically about Koeman's challenge in keeping his best players fresh over a crowded match schedule coming up: 4 matches in 11 days. Thurs 17 Hajduk Split Mon 21 night @ City Thurs 24 @ Hajduk Split Sun 27 afternoon @ Chelsea For me, the least important, and the one I would be shocked if we take a point from, is Chelsea away, I assume (the obvious) that Koeman will start his strongest side this Thursday night, factoring in player-choices that fit his game-plan for Hajduk Split's strengths and weaknesses. But then, unless we smash Hajduk Split something like 4-0 or 5-0, I assume Koeman will have to think about which players to rest against City, in order to again start the best lineup to get the needed result in the return match with Hajduk Split. So, I expect this Thursday to see essentially the same 14 players who played against Stoke. Maybe Lookman or Holgate. But against City, we might see McCarthy. Maybe Barry (unless he's traded) or Besic. Maybe, dare I say probably, Barkley if he's still here. Holgate and Lookman. Players who log lots of minutes in the 3 Hajduk Split and City matches surely will have to be rested against Chelsea, which follows the second Hajduk Split match much more quickly (Sunday afternoon) than does the City match (Monday night) after the first Hajduk Split match. Maybe Sigurdsson, Lookman, Barkley, and Besic will sneak us past 9-man Chelsea......

My original hypothetical situation disappears if we progress to the EL group stage, so that's an easy win-win as far as I'm concerned. I hope - I assume we almost all hope - we progress deeply into the several extra competitions, in which case we need a deep squad, definitely including Lookman. Maybe, probably, Koeman has already decided that Lookman stays, as your reference to "pace" is important.

My concern is that In the absence of deep runs in the EL, FA and League cups, Lookman won't get enough playing time. The only one of those competitions we'll either still be in or will have been eliminated from by the close of the transfer window is the EL. I want to see him share time in all competitions - and probably in virtually every match - with Mirallas. If that's Koeman's plan, then by all means he should not be loaned out, even for just a half-season. I hope and think Lookman has a bright future with us. He needs to play regularly, some minutes every match he's healhy.

If we progress through to the EL group stage, we should keep him. If not, we should consider a loan out until January.

I better watch highlights, too, because I thought Barry clumsily clipped the Sevilla player just inside the box. Penalty for me, but I'll check the replay.

On other threads several of you have said we should not be playing 2 DCMs against Stoke. I agree, so for me that leaves Schneiderlin or probably Gana on the bench. I think Koeman should pair Davies with either Schneiderlin or Gana for the Stoke match, as Davies has enough energy to both get forward and help the (single) DCM when Stoke "attack." Klassen did not look good today. He has to help with precise passing, but today he gave rhe ball away too often. I guess there's some talk of Lookman going out on loan, but he can help off the bench, and starting some. I prefer Jagielka paired with Keane.

Autoincorrect got you. I'm sure you typed: "Amazing. We are wholly crap."

Today, second half, surely. DCM or LCH. McCarthy injured? To be sold or loaned?