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Who will be the key player for your team in this match?

If he starts in his best position of just behind the striker, Tim Cahill will be Everton’s key player. He has shown his derby prowess in recent years having scored in last season’s Goodison derby, which ended in a 2-0 win
for the Toffees.

If they start, Ross Barkley, Seamus Coleman, Louis Saha and Apostolos Vellios could all be influential in orchestrating a win for the Toffees, but I think defender Phil Jagielka will need to be on top form to keep Liverpool at bay.

Who will be your team’s most dangerous opponent?

Luis Suarez looks a snip at £20m. His technical and finishing abilities have been evident for all to see already this season. Everton will need to keep Suarez quiet should they win this match, but Andy Carroll is a notable mention; he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire thus far but is likely to cause Sylvain Distin problems on Saturday.

Who will be the opposition’s weak link?

The quality of Liverpool’s starting XI has vastly improved since the summer transfer window. Players that would have been deemed a weak link have been sold, whereas the likes of Lucas have improved.

Many Liverpool fans have been on Jordan Henderson’s back recently and so he could be the weak link in their side.

Which player has a point to make in this derby?

Louis Saha. The Frenchman has hardly seen much action this season after a combination of both injury and fitness problems. His Twitter ramblings did not help matters, but the 33-year-old will be determined to start and score against Liverpool.

Most likely player in your team to see red?

Tim Cahill, Phil Neville, and Tony Hibbert have all had derby troubles in the past, but I think Maroune Fellaini will need to be careful if deployed in his defensive midfield role.

Which opposition player will get booed the most by your supporters?

Everton fans don’t share a fondness for the likes of Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher. If they are involved I wouldn’t expect either of them to receive a favourable reception.

Your favourite Merseyside derby memory

The derby success of 2006 brings back good memories. It was Andy Johnson who scored two goals in a 3-0 victory. Liverpool had the better results from derby matches in years before so it was nice to see Everton win for a change.

Your starting XI for the match…

Howard
Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines
Fellaini, Rodwell
Coleman, Cahill, Osman
Saha

Reasoning behind the team

This is the side I feel the Everton manager will go with. As much as I’d like to see the likes of Apostolos Vellios and Roysten Drenthe start, judging by the players’ comments this week it seems much more likely that the experienced ‘tried and tested’ players will start instead. Everton have a near full strength squad so David Moyes will find it tricky to pick his starting XI, but one thing is for sure; Everton must start with at least one natural striker if they have ambitions to win this game.

Some Evertonians will suggest Seamus Coleman has been ineffective recently, rushed back too soon and should be benched or moved to right-back, whereas others will wish for Tim Cahill – without a goal in 2011 – to be dropped in favour of the impressive 19-year-old striker Vellios. However, most importantly for me, I think Moyes should unleash boyhood Evertonian Ross Barkley. He wasn’t involved against Manchester City last week but I think the England Under-21 international has the ability to unlock Liverpool’s defence and be a key player for the Toffees should he start.

It will be difficult to see Jack Rodwell not start against Liverpool, after an impressive performance against Manchester City last week.

In my day to day life I try my best to keep track of absolutely everything Everton. Reading countless news articles, pundit pieces and fan blogs that really are mostly hogwash can get a person down. I mean, how many disappointments have been caused by absolute crap in the media? Would we have been as disappointed about Moutinho if we hadn’t been bombarded with all of the “he’s going to sign, he’s not going to sign” nonsense? How many players in general are we linked with that are rumors just pulled out of the ether.

Now, I know this is the case with most clubs but it tends to grind the gears of Evertonians more as recently we haven’t had real signings to wash that horrible taste out of our mouths. This summer has been a tough one and if I’m honest a large part of that was due to the negativity surrounding the club. We’re in a very similar position to what we were in last summer yet it seems infinitely worse, why?

This time last summer we had the memories of a strong finish to a season with a well oiled team. It seemed like it was going to be the year that we’d push on especially since our star players had been secured to long term deals. The world was our oyster and then as all Evertonians are well aware, we flop. A bitter pill to swallow it was, it felt so sickening that we could fall so far short of our expectations. Here we hit on the crux of the matter, the expectation, this sense of entitlement that I along with many other Evertonians have procured over the last few years of improvement. Come on, we were unbeaten in the UEFA cup in 07-08 bar one poor performance in Italy (with the eventual winners even finishing behind us in the group stages). In 2009 we were the FA cup runners-up and throw into the mix consistently finishing at dizzying heights in the league compared to our drudgery in the 90’s. Looking at this team, we were obviously destined for greatness.

That feeling is gone now, and it seems with most fans there isn’t even a trace of it left. For most of this summer I spent my time thinking about how much we were going to struggle if we didn’t strengthen the squad. This all culminated today when I read the transcript of the Bill Kenwright interview. I subsequently read articles on how Everton were competing to sign Nedum Onuoha and had a miniature epiphany. The club we all love so dearly is quite obviously in the midst of serious financial plight and the medias constant bombardment of transfer rumors does nothing but feed expectation and incite frustration in the supporter base.

There is nothing we as fans can do for our club’s financial situation. What we can do is come together like only Evertonians can. We need to get behind our club with a ferocity that will send shivers up the spine of every Man City mercenary, every Man Utd kid, every Arsenal hothead and every Chelsea OAP. Who should we fear? Should the sight of Aguero coming to Goodison have us quaking in our boots or should we stand firm in our belief that, if Phil Jagielka was able to fit an on form Torres in his back pocket then there’ll be plenty of room for the Premierships newest superstar?

From what I can see, the best way to ensure this club does not scupper has and always will be reaching the Promised Land. It’s getting more and more difficult every year, but the only way for us to push through the financial barrier that we seem to be clinging to for dear life is the cash cow of the Champions League. Now, I know clubs will chant “Champions League, you’re having a laugh” but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s what will save this club. It is probably as likely as Bill winning the Euromillions but how and ever this is what we must strive for. I do know one thing for sure and that is that our team, which is a well settled unit, thrives on our support. If there is any hope of us making the impact we need to make on the league then we as fans need to be 100% behind them.

What is the point in us sitting here disillusioned? We haven’t bought anyone, we’re stagnating etc. We need to show the premiership again why we’re a club that a player of the stature of Landon Donavan can fall in love with after two months. This is the power Everton fans have and why this club is so special to me and to all of you. We need to show everyone why we’re a club that all other clubs hate to travel to. We need fortress Goodison back!

I read an article earlier this week on how Everton need to sell Cahill if they want to achieve anything,. I couldn’t believe it, for me he epitomises the club. For the most part I like to think of Tim Cahill as being an echo of the Everton mentality in general. We are a club who consistently out jump clubs we have no right to with our spending power. Teams should know how to defend against Cahill at this stage, the same as they should know how to defend against us. Our team hasn’t changed the same as Tim’s attitude hasn’t, he still produces and Everton can as well. After all who would ever have believed that Everton would finish in the top four with a team of where Kilbane, Carsely and McFadden were regulars. Is it not possible however improbable that we could do it with players like Fellaini, Saha, Baines and Jagielka?

I know that I have no influence over Everton fans and I’m not trying to preach here, just giving my two cents. I believe that the only course of action for fans now is to turn Goodison Park into the simmering cauldron of passion that it can be come this weekend’s opener. Let’s give QPR the welcome that Fiorentina got. Let’s get behind our team, our manager and our club as only Evertonians can.

Regards

Enda

p.s. If nothing else we can look forward to taking 6 points off the billionaires… again.

Would you like to hear more from Enda? What do you think of this piece? Are you optimistic about the season? Leave your comments below.

Everton should not expect to get a substantial fee should the South African be sold and that would mean that it will be hard to replace a midfielder of his quality. Pienaar is believed to want £60,000 per week and Everton are only prepared to offer him £50,000 per week as Everton has a different valuation of the player.

Steven Pienaar says he could move: “Everton may keep me for the last year of my deal. But they could sell me too. If they decide to sell, and the move is correct for my career, then I’ll consider it. “Hopefully this hasn’t been my last season at Goodison. But in football, who knows?”

Pienaar’s agent says Steven rejected the contract proposed by Everton and suggests that a improved offer must be sorted before the World Cup, despite Pienaar supposedly putting contract talks off until after the tournament. Ivan Modia, Pienaar’s representative, said: “My guess is that if, by the first match of the 2010 World Cup, we have been unable to take Steven an improved offer, then he will assume that Everton’s position is final.

Everton also need to be firm to other clubs when it comes to our other players, such as Arteta, that they are not for sale. By saying no – a firm no, the club can get on with their own business of transfers to improve the squad and new contracts for our existing players rather than conducting endless negotiations and wasting time with other clubs out trying to pinch our best players.

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However, he looked a bit out of his depth. Lacking in ability he was not, possibly just first match nerves. He was terrier like yet didn’t seem to do much. You couldn’t fault his enthusiasm. Nor can you fault his palpable commitment. His celebrations after certain goals have been that similar to mine and yours.

The 26-year-old was moved to centre back following the departure of Lescott and injury to Distin. He partnered many a player including Lucas Neill. But it were to be the pairing of Johnny and Distin that proved the most solid after the tumultuous affair that surrounded Lescott’s departure.

He’s played over two thirds of the league games this season and cemented his position in the side albeit in a weakened squad. And since Fellaini’s absence I feel that he is capable to step up and play a more forward, more technical role than required when he was utilised at centre half.

He can head, he can pass, he has a hammer of a shot on him and most of all he’s determined to get stuck in. What else do you want from your man in front of the back four? The Dutchman can play a forty yard pass with such nonchalance you would have thought it an innate skill.

In the game against spurs we were given a sight of what Heitinga had to offer as a defensive midfielder and I was nothing but impressed. He broke up promising attacks and retained possession looking composed on the ball. He ran his socks off to chase anything that looked threatening. We caught a glimpse of his shot as a fairly average effort by his standards was held by Gomes. The Dutchman whipped in an awesome cross that Jagielka couldn’t capitalize on. All round the park he just did the business.

Fellaini is out for six months, and to be honest he may not be able to get his place back if John does as well I feel he can do. Well I’m praying he can as if he can’t who else will Moyes turn to, the world beater that is Phil Neville…

It’s been a decade since we last beat the current league leaders. A decade of misery in travelling to Stamford Bridge, in watching a team that has transformed from that like the current Liverpool side (Europe every year but nothing special) to a team that are title contenders due to a Russian’s personal fortune easily overturn any team we put out.

After Malouda put Chelsea in front I like most others thought it was going to be another one of those Chelsea fixtures. It was a horrific goal to concede. No one challenged Drogba, no one challenged Malouda. It was just a route one hoof ball that the back four backed away from, no one willing to take responsibility for getting it under control. However, from my biased perspective I felt that that’s all Chelsea had to offer. They didn’t play a flowing game after we drew level. We were the ones that looked in control, that looked like we should be top of the league. At half time after Saha’s good and bad moments I felt the game had gone. The penalty was woeful and I could only see Chelsea getting better after the interval. The miss however appeared to be a blessing in disguise. After Louis put us ahead we were under constant pressure for the last twenty minutes. Imagine 45 minutes of that… We would have crumbled.

So bring on Sporting we thought. The Portuguese outfit are currently fourth in their rather weak league and are having a shocker of a season by their standards.

Before the game we were informed of the damage inflicted by the greasy Greek Kyrgiakos on Fellaini. 6 months sidelined, the former only having a three match ban. An absolute disgrace. It also begged the question when will we have a fully fit and fully settled Arteta and Fellaini in the side? Fellaini was just finding his feet before that fateful day at St James’ Park and now with the Spaniard coming back Fellaini gets crocked. They both compliment each other from what we’ve seen and I hope they do get a good run together in the centre of what is becoming a formidable midfield.

Anyway, Sporting Lisbon, or ’supporting lesbians’ as my extremely witty best mate called them (he did indeed get his coat) turned up to Goodison park. they were taught a lesson and a half. The first period yielded a well worked Steven Pienaar goal after an audacious back heel by Tim Cahill. The second half was bossed by us blues until the lapse in concentration at the end saw Sylvan Distin sent off (I was talking about blessings in disguise earlier, we’ll wait and see!). Sporting now have a say in a tie that they should have been all but dumped out of. Disappointing we all know, but if we don’t lose, we are through.

It doesn’t exactly get easier. Up next is Manchester United. Rooney can’t stop scoring, nor can any team that plays against the reds, except it seems to always be in their own net. It’s not looking good. Hopefully Phil Neville doesn’t forget which colour shirt he is wearing again…

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For the past decade or so there has been huge debate over a new Everton stadium, whether that’s through the Kings Dock, Kirkby, on the Goodison site or elsewhere. The issue has seen some great optimism, great disappointment and controversy. Over the coming days a decision on Destination Kirkby will be made, but what are the options open to Everton, and are they really that viable?

Shared Stadium

Possibly the most controversial suggestion that has been made, and a suggestion that simply won’t go away, is the suggestion that Everton and Liverpool share a stadium, apparently a move that would benefit both clubs.

Having two major clubs investing in the stadium would cut the costs down for each club, as would the fact that Warren Bradley would then consider using public money for the scheme. There would also be a great potential for sponsorship deals, especially naming rights, which would very likely generate more money than if the clubs did it separately. Of course in Italy the two Milan teams share a stadium, as do Roma and Lazio, and all of those are successful clubs. So basically both clubs would get to share a world class stadium and the city would have a fantastic sporting venue, sounds great. However nothing is ever that simple.

Before a spade is put into the ground a stadium design and costing plan has be made, and compromises would have to be reached. Liverpool and their corporate international fanbase would want as many seats as possible and scores and scores of corporate boxes to satisfy their wealthier fans. Everton on the other hand have a local working class fanbase who simply want a decent seat and a stadium of 50000 would rarely be filled. The needs of the two clubs go together like chalk and cheese, Everton would not want to pay half for a 60000 or 70000 seater stadium, that would more often than not have over 10000 seats empty, nor would they pay for corporate facilities far greater than Everton could fill, likewise Liverpool would not take out their corporate facilities and knock 20000 off the capacity to suit Everton’s needs. Of course Liverpool could agree to pay more for the added facilities, but would they be happy to have an equal stake if they paid more? And if not, would Everton be happy giving Liverpool a controlling stake in the stadium? The issues of design are far greater than the colour of the seats as some have suggested.

Even if the ground was ever to be built there would then be problems with splitting of revenues. Naming rights for example could cause problems, Liverpool would no doubt claim it is their increased exposure that would account for most of the naming rights money, and would demand a greater share. The non-matchday facilities, in particular the corporate suites, would also be a source of disagreement, one club would most likely suggest that it is them who is attracting wedding bookings or conferences for example, a simple 50/50 split would be very difficult to agree on. If stadium revenue was as simple as the money made on matchdays being given to the relevant club then great, but it isn’t, it’s far more complex than that.

And of course there’s the benchmark, the often quoted examples of how two big clubs can share a ground, Inter and AC. In Italy no club owns their own ground, they’re all rented from local authorities, so the culture regarding stadiums is very different, and of course both clubs are now desperate for their independence, as are Roma and Lazio. And to compare Everton and Liverpool to AC and Inter is to show a lack of understanding in the rivalries, in Milan the clubs are split between middle class and working class, in Manchester it’s East and West, in Glasgow it’s protestant and catholic, these divides can not be blurred by a shared stadium, but when the split is not set in stone, when the divide is in the same households, between people from the same backgrounds with histories that at times have overlapped, then this rivalry can become far more blurred and can be far more fragile if the two sides shared a stadium and lost the visual element of their identity, their own grounds.

A New Everton Stadium

Of course we can forget about those over the park and go it alone. The problem however is funding. At the Kings Dock Everton effectively gave up huge chunks of the stadium to other investors, with other people owning the rights to the concerts for example, whilst at Kirkby the club has used a basic design and gained reductions in cost due to receiving use of the land at below market cost amongst other things as Everton at the moment are unable to fund a stadium alone. So even if we did go it alone with Liverpool, some form of partner would most likely be needed to in some way subsidise the funding.

Unfortunately we’re not like Arsenal who have raised £172.4million from the sale of property on Highbury so far, with only 2/3 of the apartments being sold, so they could potentially see £240million from the sale of Highbury by the time all property is sold, they can also boast £100million in matchday revenue due to 60000 sell outs and huge numbers of corporate boxes and a £100million naming rights deal. Everton on the other hand will be lucky to get £15million for Goodison, would struggle to sell 47000 tickets and will never get near the Arsenal demand for corporate boxes, whilst a naming rights deal would be nearer the £30million mark than £100million. So the funding limitations are quite significant.

Unless someone with more money than sense comes along and becomes the first foreign investor to pay for a new stadium in the Premierleague era, then the club has the choice between effectively giving up equity in its stadium or making the design as basic and cost effective as possible.

Redeveloping Goodison

I’d imagine most people would prefer this option. The obvious benefits would be that there would be minimal disruption to the match day routines of fans and although it would have to change appearance beyond recognition, and maybe even have to be moved slightly, it would still in some way be the same Goodison Park to many fans and the Park End could probably be expanded with minimal disruption.

However if we’re talking about a complete redevelopment then significant costs come in to play. Without funding from the sale of Goodison and naming rights, though sportsdirect.com@ Goodison Park has a bit of a ring to it, then there would be less funding available for any redevelopment. If we want to remove all the obstructed views and improve corporate hospitality and other facilities in the stadium to bring it up to 21st century standards then a simple lick of paint and a new roof wouldn’t be enough. The three remaining stands would, I believe, have to be demolished, or at least most of the stand would have to be, to remove all obstructed views and bring facilities to modern standards. I also believe that the property around Goodison would have to be bought up, even if we could rebuild Goodison on the current blueprint, because I don’t believe any planning inspector would allow such a large scale development to happen literally two feet away from someone’s front door. It would undoubtedly be very costly, lengthy and in parts complex, but then again what price would put on the chance to stay at Goodison?

To be honest after reading through this to spell check it (I don’t trust the paperclip) I realised that I’m a negative **** so I’m sure that someone with more rose tinted glasses than me may take offence or try and rip it apart, so feel free.

Kenwright has always said that any money on transfers will go straight back into Moyes hand. And since Everton reportedly bid around £13m for Gago and somewhere around that mark for Defour, there must of already been a reasonable amount of money available to the Everton gaffer.

So, in theory there should be about £40M assuming Moyes gets all the Lescott money. Don’t kill me if thats wrong, but that’s what you would expect. Moyes has said he wants to add four new faces, and it’ll be with that money. Now that works out £10M a player. That might not be enough money still for quality players, and I personally don’t know how he’s going to get these players in anyway, but anyway lets take a look at his plans.

Everton will need a first choice, and backup central defender when Lescott leaves the club. Where are we going to find a left sided left footed central defender who is as good if not better as Lescott anyway? For backup, you could say Steven Taylor of Newcastle United would be a good acquisition.

For me, that’s already two players we need. Now, our right back area is weak in most views (and probably David Moyes’) and as we rely on them in our 4-5-1 ‘hoof to Fellaini and win the second ball’ formation I feel a new first choice right back would be needed. So that’s, 3 players right?

Then lets move to the midfield, the move for Banega has been called in other ways nonsense by the player, his agent and Valencia. But, why get work permit for him? Seems strange we’d get a work permit for a player if we’re not going to get him! If that’s true that’s pathetic.

IF the deal for the talented deep lying playmaker comes true, arguably we will need another central midfielder. You could say it’s the ‘Essien’ type player that we need – someone who can defend, and attack – the engine room. I feel Moyes might want to bring in two midfielders.

Finally, this for me is a weak point. We have no right sided wingers (of left wingers mind you). Leon Osman, a player who I like, is not a natural ‘winger’. He’s lightweight and has no pace. I do think he is decent in the middle of the park where he can get onto the ball but out wide he doesn’t look great. We need another Kanchelskis.

Everton have a good first team, but not a great ’squad’. You could easily say we need left back cover and left wing cover too. I think these areas will go unnoticed. What if Baines gets injured – his that young lad Bidwell going to cope at left back? Doubt it. 

I’m not sure if Moyes is serious in saying he only needs four signings, and how he’s even going to get them. Shandy, Nuno and Jacobsen left. Right back, left back, right winger. And we had a tiny squad before they left! We could be playing 60+ games this season. I just hope he can bring players in. The most important must be a center half, right back, center midfielder and right winger. I wouldn’t be surprised if we sign some more players on loan and a couple of massive signings…

I could go on about transfers, and I hope I’ve been only saying what everyone is thinking. Watch this space, although you might have to wait till 11.59pm sitting refreshing our Forums thread list to see if we’ve signed someone yet.

Lescott will now surely join Manchester City in the coming days and Everton will need to get a replacement in with only one fit centre-back left at the club, Richard Dunne could be included in a player plus cash deal with City.