chicagoblue

Think he's good enough to play for a big handful of prem teams on loan.

Apart from Atsu I don't think there's anything new, so Stones is still out. Gibson and McCarthy probably to be assessed late.

Thought Ledson looked very tidy and always making himself available. McAlleny took the wrong option almost every time in attacking positions. Browning strikes me as an old fashioned RB, sort of Tony Hibbert with muscle. I'm guessing he'll move to the centre. Dowell has a neat first touch and did well several times to find feet with a first time pass in tight areas. Garbutt obviously the pick of the bunch right now though, wouldn't mind seeing him in a few league games, best delivery from corners we've seen all year. The goal looked worse than it was for me. If Robles hadn't attempted the fairy foot save he wouldn't receive half the stick, he did well not to over commit and foul the striker, who then did really well to shape for the far corner which Robles and Pienaar both bought. Pienaar? He may not be completely done, but he's even less useful than Osman now. I can see him being useful to come on for 15 minutes against a team that has parked the bus, nothing else.

From the beeb: "Toffees boss Roberto Martinez makes 10 changes to the side beaten at Manchester City on Saturday. Gareth Barry is the only player retained." What the shit Roberto?

We are going to come good. It will happen. When? How? Who knows. Something will click, the pieces are not that bad. Is it sitting Ross deeper to allow someone else to play in hole? Is it both wingers being wingers and playing well? Is it looks for penetrating through balls instead of crab-walking? Who knows, but we will come good and QPR at home is as good a time as any.

Should be a good match and maybe this time we'll get to see the "new" West Ham

Besic is (was) on 3 as far as I can see.

I don't think it would be a bad idea to play Ross, as he's still making up fitness, but the rest should be very much u21s and others who have been uninvolved. If Barry plays I might break my TV.

Horseshit. Terrible pk decision, Eto'o didn't have a final ball all game. We started and finished with 2 right backs on the field, madness.

This is why people are concerned. It's a numbers game and we're not doing the maths. http://bwinbetting.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Points-after-14-games-compared-to-identical-fixtures-last-season.png

Just watched the OS highlights. We must have been utterly dreadful in the second half. The highlight didn't show a single Everton play between the Hull goal and the final corner kick. Not one. That means we had no attacking play of any note for 30+ minutes at home against the third from bottom team.

On the plus side we'll be going into this with eyes wide open. Won't be any illusions of an easy game. I agree with three "holding" players, so long as McCarthy is fit. Sit him and Barry just in front of the back 4 and let Besic be a mad dog.

Don't think either one is fit to be honest. That was the biggest problem against Spurs, half the team was completely unfit. We're a machine that needs a big majority of the pieces to be in good working order before we start to show quality. After Garbutt's performance in Germany and Baines non performance against Spurs I was quite surprised we didn't rest him yesterday. Also have to agree that our CBs are simply not fit to play this style of football. They have two passing modes 10-15 yards and hoof. At least one CB has to be significantly more comfortable on the ball for use to increase the pace of moving from defence to attack. It looks to me like Distin and Alcaraz are both essentially finished. Jags may still have a role, some games will demand his style, but that leaves us at least two first team players short. That said though, Martinez has known for weeks now that Stones and Alcaraz aren't available, yet we keep trying to play back to front every time and keep coughing up possession cheaply. At least one element of plan B has to be a useful way of getting the ball into midfield without requiring 18 passes between the back 4. We've got pace on the wings and we really don't use it. Simple diagonal and through balls are constantly eschewed for safety first. Put a few balls in behind and get on to them and all of a sudden the opposition can't press like mad and everything opens up. You'd have to think a professional football organization would be aware of these basic ideas but it just hasn't looked that way lately.

Did he really say that? Proud of drawing at home to a team third from bottom with no wins in 5? Fuck me, he must think we're even worse than we know.

How have we only used two substitutions in this game? How have we left Eto'o and Atsu on the bench when clearly we needed to change the attack? Baffling.

Half think this might be the problem. RM being too positive and soft. We're not hard enough, no edge to us except for Besic and we don't finish teams off. We should have put them to the sword in the last 20 minutes of the first half, but instead let them off then slept through the second half.

Oh what the shit!? Just back from my meeting. Fuck off. 1-1 v Hull at home. shocking.

Kev to Rom!

Going to miss the entire game discussing draft legislation. Ouch. I'll need something to lift my spirits so I'm counting on a victory here. 3-1 Blues, and the 1 because of course the jellyfish will score.

Surprised at the lack of pre match banter here. I'm with those who think this is a vital game. December is the first crunch period of the year and if we want to stay competitive we must beat teams like Hull. Already been mentioned, but we've dropped way too many points this season, sure other teams have as well, but if one or two of those go on a run we could very easily be left behind. Injuries and rotation are everything right now and this is where Martinez needs to earn his corn. It's Goodison though, and I expect a reaction after Sunday so I think we'll sneak it, but we're still some ways off from form.

Hull into relegation zone after today's results, they won't lack any motivation. We need to increase the pace of our attacks and need to try and play Rom through once or twice. I'd have Atsu opposite Mirallas with instructions for Atsu to get to the byline and stretch them, while Kev cuts inside. Shame Gibson's not available, Barry could really use the rest, but I'm not sure Besic can do the job by himself.

Had to be between Jags and Barkley. Kev was alright but he's not fit, half the team looked unfit though, and that's probably why we lost it. Jags didn't put a foot wrong though and tried to drive the team on until the last.

We twatted that up

We just put on a clinic in how to shoot yourself in the face. Distin and then Barry, we gifted them both goals, when they had absolutely nothing to go on. Horrendous from a professional point of view. Lukaku hasn't been nearly involved enough and we're not at all incisive going forward. Everything is in front of Spurs, no through balls, no runners.

If I were playing both they'd be reversed. Really don't think I'd be playing two LBs against Spurs though. They need to be got at, defence is very suspect. Pienaar first choice, then even Eto'o or McGeady. Keep their wide players occupied and we'll do well. Can't believe Barry is back in contention, pretty sure that tackle would have shattered my ankle, the man is a machine.