Fulham v Everton preview

HT Fulham 0:0 Everton




Cahill is back in the starting line-up and Coleman starts at right midfield [Neville right back],see the bottom of this post. The pic. to the left/above was just taken at the Fulham stadium [Craven Cottage]. It's the fullest I've ever seen a Fulham stand!

Yet another must-win game lies ahead, a further chance to kick start our season, after our worst start to a campaign since '94.

David Moyes has admitted in an interview with the Liverpool Daily Post [LDP] that Everton must improve on the physical side of their game if they are to turn their poor form around.

We have picked up just 2 from 15 possible points in our first 5 Premier League games and are already out of the competition that we had the best chance of winning, the Carling Cup at the hands of 3rd Division minnows, Brentford.

Moyes thinks we're not showing the sort of fight that has helped make us such formidable opponents lately. Neville admits that we'll have to go back to basics to dig ourselves out of their early season rot. He told BBC Radio Merseyside:

“It’s not a happy place at the moment; we felt we really climbed a mountain with our performances last season. Let’s forget last season as we’re second from bottom. We’ve started the season bad again and we need to give ourselves a kick up the backside very quickly. Let’s play winning football again and get back to basics."

A win at Fulham today could be essential if we're to improve on last season's 8th place finish.

Moyes told the LDP:

"The biggest concern for me is that we have lost our competitive edge in the last few games. The one thing you could never do was beat Everton up. If you wanted a scrap against us, then we'd be standing there waiting for you, not a problem. I've told them that I've been disappointed with the physical side of their game. Especially against Newcastle, I don't think we've competed as well as we can. Maybe we will have to sacrifice a little of the playing style we have got to get better results. But the players we've got here, we can't suddenly go and shell the ball forward, take long bombs into the box. I don't think I've got that style of player. We've evolved since I first took over, we don't have that style. We play football, we pass the ball around and we are creative going towards the 18 yard box. We have moved forward to where we are now. The Mikel Artetas, the Steven Pienaars, the Leon Osmans, we are in a different stage of our development now, and it is certainly not so simple as stopping playing a certain style and switching to another."

It's yet another shit or bust day, will it be another negative 4-5-1 line up throughout? Is Coleman the answer for the right side of midfield dilemma? Anything can happen in the next couple of hours.

Top scorer, Cahill starts as he has recovered from his knee trouble. Arteta, Pienaar and Howard return after not starting v Brentford.

Coleman keeps his place and replaces injured Hibbert.

Yakubu starts in attack. Beckford is a sub as are Mucha, Bily, Gueye, Osman, Barkley and Heitinga.

Anichebe remains sidelined for at least another month after undergoing knee surgery, whilst Saha is still out injured with a problem affecting his calf which began during the Villa game.

Match prediction:

Fulham 1:2 Everton