adziom

I don't know if Reina will be that much of a miss for them. A lot of Liverpool fans seem to be quite critical of him this season. But then again, it's anyone's fault but Kenny's isn't it.

It was a red card, Perch over-reacted, the contact was minimal, but there was contact, and headbutting is a red card offence. They can't argue that he didn't headbutt him, so their only grounds for appeal are "It wasn't a red card because Perch over-reacted", which will only get Reina another match for frivolous appeal.

No doubt though that Doni will come in for them and play an absolute blinder in the semi.

Just looking ahead to next season, after we've proved once again that we're capable of challenging for Europe if we turn up all season.

If we can maintain the current squad, ie. sign up Pienaar, Stracqualursi and Drenthe (for a total of around 5 million?), we could go into next season with a very solid squad, and reasonable depth:

Howard, Mucha, Hahnemann

Hibbert, Neville, Baines

Distin, Heitinga, Jagielka, Duffy

Fellaini, Gibson, Rodwell, Barkley, Cahill, Junior(?)

Osman, Pienaar, Drenthe, Gueye, Coleman

Jelavic, Stracqualursi, Anichebe, Vellios

Probably missed a couple of people out, but barring a bit of cover for Howard and Baines, there's no really significant weakness in that squad.

And who knows, if we can get fired up from the start of the season, which I think we can, we could make a very good go of it. It's hard to judge how high we could aim until we see what the likes of Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham do in the transfer market, but I think nearly all the ingredients are there to have a season long battle for the top 6, and depending how things go, even have a pop at the top 4?

Well if Kopites said it

Voted for Fellaini for his part in both goals. Such a calm, strong player with genuine footballing vision and ability.

Can't think of a single player who didn't do their job tonight though

Oh my days, more fucking commercials on again..

Yeah there was three ad breaks between the start of the program at 7.30 and kick off at 8. Ridiculous

Good half, there's one team playing football here and its us. We're lucky that they've had to resort to Kyrgiakos in defence, because he looks so nervous. Everyone is playing well so far. Gueye and Gibson have slipped up slightly a couple of times but they've made up for it with their contribution at other times. We're defending really well, no surprise to see Johnny snuffing everything out at the back, and the attack is working much better with Fellaini getting license to support the front 4, and Jelavic's movement.

COYB

Re Drenthe, he's on compassionate leave, family situation:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/26/david-moyes-everton-sunderland-fa-cup?cat=football&type=article

Sunderland:

Mignolet

Bardsley Turner Kyrgiakos Bridge

Larsson Cattermole Gardner McClean

Sessegnon

Bendtner

There's weaknesses in that defence, let's test them early and exploit them.

I expect we'll line up

Howard

Hibbert Jags/Heits Distin Baines

Felli Gibson

Osman Cahill Gueye

Jelavic

It would be a good way to fit our three first team centre halves into the line up, but we'd need more centre backs if we were to make this our long term system. Distin won't be around/good enough for much longer, which would leave us with just Jags, Johnny and Duffy.

In a few seasons, if we keep most of our squad together I'd happily see a line up of

Howard

XXX - Heitinga - Jagielka - Baines

Felli - Rodwell

Drenthe - Barkley - XXX

Jelavic

With the gaps filled by possible Coleman and Gueye, but if we're serious about the club going places, I personally think we should be looking at players like those 2 as squad players at best.

Admittedly I was unable to see or follow the game but I'm surprised by the underwhelmed reactions of everyone on here.

To win at Swansea is a fantastic result. They're home record is impeccable - they've beaten City and Arsenal at home, off the top of my head and on MOTD I think they said we're only the 3rd team to go there and win this season.

I'd even rate this victory as more impressive than those over Chelsea, Spurs and (maybe) City at home, because Swansea away is just as difficult a game.

Honestly, when I saw the teamsheet without Heitinga tweeted, and then a corrected line up with Neville into midfield for Felli, I was furious. When the boat reached mobile service once more and I saw that we were 2-0 up and Wigan were beating the shite, I was convinced that my football scores app was broken, but what a free kick from Baines.

Credit to Moyes. If everyone else is going to bash him no end every time he gets something wrong, it's only fair if we give him as much credit when he gets it right, and, judging from the match reports, match of the day and the match stats, it looks as if he and the players got it spot on yesterday.

Hopefully we can carry this form through to Tuesday, hopefully we'll see Johnny back in the side (even though Jags apparently had a decent game), and hopefully the deluded Kopites will continue to believe that Dalglish is the man to take them forward, because as long as he is in charge of that club, we have ourselves a free league position each season.

COYB

I think we will lose 2-0, I'm afraid

Well done. I am aware of that. What does that have to do with my post? I didnt ask why the press hype rodwell up. Or were you just stating obvious facts... I have another the grass is green. Please go on

Now now.

The media overhype English youngsters, and English clubs pay ludicrous sums of money for English players. Rodwell has only ever been linked with Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal because the press likes to link English clubs with the English "next big thing"s. You don't hear them saying Real Madrid have tabled a 20 million pound bid for Rodwell.

The only reason people go on about Rodwell being such an asset is because of the media hype from him being English and one good goal against Man Utd. That's why he, and not Fellaini, is the one that appears on the back page of the Sun with a nice £20M next to his picture every July.

Tough one to call, goalkeeper and defence had nothing to do in the second half. Thought Hibbert had a good game, Baines was looking to get involved going forward.

Pienaar was poor, misplaced passes, poor delivery, been disappointed with him since the Wigan and Chelsea games. Jelavic seemed to get into good positions but struggled to have a real impact on the game. Same with Drenthe, although the two of them were the victims of the (at least) 4 incorrect offside calls.

Osman, Cahill and Fellaini were playing in an unusual shape. I'm not usually a fan of Felli playing in an advanced role but I thought he looked quite threatening and he linked up the play well at times, so I voted for him. Ossie and TC had very quiet games though

I guess I'm the only one here that thought we didn't play that badly and we deserved something out of that game, and would have got it if the officials knew the offside rule.

I'm not going to stick around for the Moyes bashing for the rest of the night, so y'all have fun!

Are you watching the game? We've outplayed them since we woke up in the 15th minute. We've created as many chances as them in that half, and we've made two chances and a goal, one from a long ball and two from good passing on the deck, which have been wrongly called offside.

Positives are, we can easily score an equaliser here and even win it, just as long as we don't see Neville coming on for Osman at half time. RVP has been anonymous, let's keep it that way and just hope to god that the linesman down the other end knows the offside rule.

I can't remember a worse offside call in my life, no exaggeration.

Leaving arguably the most threatening centre back in the league unmarked? What do you expect.

Now that Jelavic is the number one striker, I'm not convinced over signing Denis up any more. He's a good option but if he's not starting games I don't really see the benefit. His huff and puff attitude has done well when he's started games and worn a defence down, but he's not really an impact player. If we were chasing a game, I'd put more faith in Anichebe or Vellios to come on and snatch a goal than Denis. I can't think of a game where he's come on and made a difference, which is a shame because you can't not like a player who works that hard.

Because Rodwell is English, and Fellaini isn't

Strongest line up available to us with a fully fit squad IMO (although you could also make a case for Rodwell alongside Felli with Ossie off the striker), good to see. Looking forward to kick off now

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11671/7614565/Growing-concern-for-Rodwell

Looks like we'll have to wait until at least next season to see what kind of player he can be at this rate.

Moyes is doing a good job, the job he's been doing for ten years, we're in the top half and in the FA Cup quarter finals with a mediocre squad and no budget. Rodgers and Lambert have got their teams promoted into the Premier League and had a good first season, they've done a good job for two years.

Here's a look at some other sides who have come up and over-achieved in their first year in recent seasons, and who was managing them:

2001-2: Blackburn

Final Position: 10th

Manager: Graeme Souness (Now unemployed after an unsuccessful spell with Newcastle)

2002-3: Man City

Final Position: 9th

Manager: Kevin Keegan (Now unemployed after being sacked by Man City, and later a mediocre spell at Newcastle)

2005-6: West Ham

Final Position: 9th

Manager: Alan Pardew (Was later sacked by West Ham, then Charlton, and then Southampton. Surprisingly has done quite well at Newcastle though)

2005-6: Wigan

Final Position: 10th

Manager: Paul Jewell (Has resigned from at least 3 clubs in his career, including Wigan and Derby)

2006-7: Reading

Final Position: 8th

Manager: Steve Coppell

I could go on but I can't be arsed. My point is, had we replaced Moyes with one of these managers, who have all turned out to be shit, quite frankly, then we would have been calling for Kenwright's head even more than we are now.

How long is it until Rodgers and Lambert become just another Steve Coppell? People complain that Moyes hasn't won a trophy in his time at Everton, but then go on to claim that Rodgers and Lambert should replace him? On what basis? They have the same track record as the managers above, and they're completely unproven at managing a Premier League side for more than 3/4 of a season.

Anyway, back on topic:

Sunderland lost 2-0 at Blackburn tonight, I watched the game, McClean aside, they are a poor team, and we should be easily capable of beating them, even at their ground, even with Cattermole and Sessegnon back in the side, and yes, even if Jagielka was to start, although I sure as hell hope not.

Rodwell needs a spell on the sidelines to get his injuries in check and get himself fully fit. Play Ossie, Felli and Cahill in the middle for now. I think he still has potential, and he's shown as much this season with a good run of form after the derby - not least his impressive international debut, until he got injured again.

I can't see Arsenal failing to score at the moment. Even if we make one half-mistake at the back in the whole match, that's all RVP needs to put it in the onion bag in his current form. At the same time, their defence has been too dodgy to see them coming here and keeping a clean sheet. Hopefully Jelavic can continue to build some confidence with another goal.

Sagna and Gibbs will provide a threat down the flanks, so let's just hope Walcott has an off day, Benayoun gets a run out and Arsenal pick up a few of their trademark niggly injuries and I think we could nick another home win.

I hope Moyes doesn't make another array of changes for this one. Maybe a couple, but the replay isn't until next Tuesday, so if he's going to rest players, he can do so up at Swansea and go for three points tomorrow night. I really think we're capable of being ahead after 60 minutes, so then he can take off the likes of Ossie and Jelavic and keep them fresh for the upcoming games.

That said, I think it'll be 1-1, Jelavic and RVP