Maresca also seemed impressed with Harrison Murray-Campbell last night.

Josh Acheampong is also naturally a CB, who can play both on the right and left.

6 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Maresca also seemed impressed with Harrison Murray-Campbell last night.

Josh Acheampong is also naturally a CB, who can play both on the right and left.

Granted it was quite low level opposition last night, but Acheampong looked very accomplished at both right back in the first half and then centre back in the second half when Disasi went off and Murray-Campbell came on. Some of Josh's forward surges had my purist side purring ... he seemed to just glide past the Shamrock players 🙂 

11 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Granted it was quite low level opposition last night, but Acheampong looked very accomplished at both right back in the first half and then centre back in the second half when Disasi went off and Murray-Campbell came on. Some of Josh's forward surges had my purist side purring ... he seemed to just glide past the Shamrock players 🙂 

If you are good enough, right?

If he is a better option than Tosin and Disasi to partner Levi, then why not?

Him also being a tall lad helps.

While some have ruled out Alfie Gilchrist over his height I still beleive he could become a very good PL right back.

So no Lavia then. That likely means the caicedo and Enzo pivot remains in place.

I do think we will see Gusto at LB. Maresca has trusted him there before, even ahead of Cucu, and Veiga.

That would mean Disasi at RB, or maybe Josh. Probably Disasi is more likely. 

I don't believe Gust can offer anything like Cucu can, but I am guessing Maresca will ask him to do that job. 

Meaning when we attack we end up with something like this:

 

Sanchez

 

Disasi

Tosin

Colwill

 

Caicedo 

 

Madueke/Neto

Palmer

Enzo

Gusto

Sancho

 

Jackson

Really shouldn't complicate anything. Disasi at RB has always, always been a disaster. 

 

Sanchez

Gusto Tosin Colwill Veiga

Caicedo Enzo

Madueke/Neto Palmer Sancho

Jackson

Yeah I don't want to see it either, and would prefer your line up Sconnie (with Madueke starting, think he will get more joy vs Everton than Neto).

Just have a feeling Gusto will be left back for this game.

We must falter a bit soon, but not this weekend !!

Should be a tough game. Right and left back will be absolutely key. Cucu looks like a massive miss.

I’ll go 1-1 but we could easily win 0-3

10 hours ago, axman2526 said:

So no Lavia then. That likely means the caicedo and Enzo pivot remains in place.

I do think we will see Gusto at LB. Maresca has trusted him there before, even ahead of Cucu, and Veiga.

That would mean Disasi at RB, or maybe Josh. Probably Disasi is more likely. 

I don't believe Gust can offer anything like Cucu can, but I am guessing Maresca will ask him to do that job. 

Meaning when we attack we end up with something like this:

 

Sanchez

 

Disasi

Tosin

Colwill

 

Caicedo 

 

Madueke/Neto

Palmer

Enzo

Gusto

Sancho

 

Jackson

Agree with this. Really disappointed no Lavia - he just can’t get a consistent run of games going. 

Don’t love the defense as think Disasi RB and Gusto left back introduces two out of player positions. One thing Maresca has generally done well is keep it simple with players in their best positions. 

But I agree with you as in the absence of key players he has trusted players, and will see Gusto fill in at LB (and likely why Disasi was withdrawn early). 

Who knows, maybe Disasi, Tosin and Colwill will put up a defensive wall and give us a clean sheet 

Tough fixture. Draw wouldn’t be a bad result. 

10 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Really shouldn't complicate anything. Disasi at RB has always, always been a disaster. 

 

Sanchez

Gusto Tosin Colwill Veiga

Caicedo Enzo

Madueke/Neto Palmer Sancho

Jackson

Yep. Exactly my predicted lineup too

In recent matches this lot have been really tight at the back - apart from when they got turned over at Man U. Conversely they don't score many - apart from when they turned over Wolves (but who hasn't?).

Bodes well for us I reckon - we're a scoring machine.

I reckon we can get a win here.

Everton has frequently been a tough ground for us and typically they are over aggressive and we get nothing from the officials.

Win this though and if Liverpool can only draw we will be dead level on points although they have a game in hand. 

Looking forward to see how Maresca handles this lot. 

 

I won't be really upset with a draw tbh. Well....ish!

I'm more upset that we've lost lavia though 😥

 

I hate all this xG, xGA, etc. Confuses the fk out of me, but bear with me for a sec...

Imho Caicedo, Cucu and Lavia are vital to this team. Even with them fully fit and doing the defensive work on the pitch we have the 10th highest xGA, expected goals against. We have 2 of the 3 missing for this game. 

Maybe we will be fine against Everton, 🤷‍♂️, but I still believe we need backup in that area as well as a cb and gk in the transfer window. Especially for caicedo and lavia. Not that worried about left back (veiga, Gusto, Acheampong, even Vale (iirc) or Colwill if really stuck).

 

Could be anything from 2-2 to 1-3...!

 

1 hour ago, Simplymo said:

I won't be really upset with a draw tbh. Well....ish!

I'm more upset that we've lost lavia though 😥

 

I hate all this xG, xGA, etc. Confuses the fk out of me, but bear with me for a sec...

Imho Caicedo, Cucu and Lavia are vital to this team. Even with them fully fit and doing the defensive work on the pitch we have the 10th highest xGA, expected goals against. We have 2 of the 3 missing for this game. 

Maybe we will be fine against Everton, 🤷‍♂️, but I still believe we need backup in that area as well as a cb and gk in the transfer window. Especially for caicedo and lavia. Not that worried about left back (veiga, Gusto, Acheampong, even Vale (iirc) or Colwill if really stuck).

 

Could be anything from 2-2 to 1-3...!

 

Yeah against a side like Everton you really want Cucurella and Lavia available. Is a blow they are not.

If Villa can hold on (leading 2-0 with 10 minutes left) a win tomorrow would put us 10 points above City after 17 games. Who had that possibility in their pre-season predictions? 

47 minutes ago, BS66 said:

If Villa can hold on (leading 2-0 with 10 minutes left) a win tomorrow would put us 10 points above City after 17 games. Who had that possibility in their pre-season predictions? 

If anybody did it probably came with us also being 10 points clear at the top.

Tough ask tomorrow though. Everton run a tight ship. Don't let in many, don't score many.

So 0-0 or 4-4 then lol.

If Gusto plays right back I think Palmer will go back towards the left side he played earlier in the season allowing Gusto to mirror Cucu’s game in forward positions

5 hours ago, Simplymo said:

I won't be really upset with a draw tbh. Well....ish!

I'm more upset that we've lost lavia though 😥

 

I hate all this xG, xGA, etc. Confuses the fk out of me, but bear with me for a sec...

Imho Caicedo, Cucu and Lavia are vital to this team. Even with them fully fit and doing the defensive work on the pitch we have the 10th highest xGA, expected goals against. We have 2 of the 3 missing for this game. 

Maybe we will be fine against Everton, 🤷‍♂️, but I still believe we need backup in that area as well as a cb and gk in the transfer window. Especially for caicedo and lavia. Not that worried about left back (veiga, Gusto, Acheampong, even Vale (iirc) or Colwill if really stuck).

 

Could be anything from 2-2 to 1-3...!

 

Tomorrow will tell us a lot about whether we are in the title race or not. Top teams cope without their best players and get the job done.

Can we beat a very physical Everton without Fofana, Cucu and Lavia? I’m hopeful but not so sure.

Could be a game that make the eyes bleed.

 

I just hope our players are protected. Only one game plan from Everton here. 

3 hours ago, BS66 said:

If Villa can hold on (leading 2-0 with 10 minutes left) a win tomorrow would put us 10 points above City after 17 games. Who had that possibility in their pre-season predictions? 

I thought City would finish 4th this season as I thought they’d drop off but I didn’t think we’d be 2nd and thought we’d finish 5th or 6th

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I just hope our players are protected. Only one game plan from Everton here. 

Does any side get protection there. Even Liverpool had VDV seriously injured there.

2 hours ago, 19seventyone said:

Tomorrow will tell us a lot about whether we are in the title race or not. Top teams cope without their best players and get the job done.

Can we beat a very physical Everton without Fofana, Cucu and Lavia? I’m hopeful but not so sure.

Could be a game that make the eyes bleed.

 

Spot on it will. Remember Blackburn kicking the sh*t out of us on our way to Jose's first title?

Our team is mostly young players with little experience though, it will be a real trial by fire/combat.

Chris Kavanagh the ref.

 

So Everton are getting a pen then?

Doubts over Braithwaite and McNeil for them.

Just as we heard doubts over Lavia. Let's see if their doubts make it. We know Matescas policey. No risks over player fitness.

Everton have kept 4 clean sheets in the last 5 games. Only their 4-0 surrender at OT blotting the copy book.

Given 39 year old Ashley Young is their right back we really need a big performance from Sancho/Neto, whoever ends up on our left side.

Final point for the night, another reason I think Gusto starts at LB is to deal with Dwight McNeil cutting in. Maresca used this same tactic vs Liverpool and Salah.