Stoke Preview

 

 

Everton return to the Green Green Grass Of Home tomorrow having taken their unbeaten sequence to four at White Heart Lane last weekend.

 

Following a wretched start, the Toffees look to have turned the corner, having negotiated a tricky run of fixtures without defeat, we now embark on three very potentially winnable games, starting with tomorrow’s visitors Stoke.

 

But, this is Everton, and  having fluffed our lines against the likes of Blackburn, Wolves and Newcastle, only to then take all three points against the infinitely more dangerous Birmingham and Liverpool and not lose at Spurs, it would be typical of Everton not to turn up tomorrow and hand the game to the visitors, it’s what we do, It’s Not Unusual.

 

However, with Mike Arteta likely to return to the starting line-up, Yakubu beginning to resemble the player he was prior to his lengthy lay off and Seamus Coleman giving us a genuine option down the right, things finally look to be slotting into place. All we need now is for Distin to get injured so Moyes will stop playing Heitinga in midfield. To be fair to Distin, he has has showed glimpses of quality recently, but the Purple Akie lookalike always appears to have a Titus Bramble moment in him and Heitinga, on last season’s form looks the far better bet to every Evertonian apart from David Moyes.

 

So that’s Everton, what will the team from the Britannia bring to Goodison tomorrow. Presumably they will try to keep matters tight, use the pace and directness of Etherington and Pennant, if fit, down the wings and the hustle and bustle of Jones up front. Add the threat of Rory Delap’s throw-ins and the defence will certainly have their work cut out.

 

Tony Pulis, who would not look out of place on a Crimewatch most wanted appeal, has assembled a decent side who, for all their rough and tumble attributes, can mix it up a bit and play some nice football at times. In short, exactly the type of team who have caused us problems this season.

But for all Stoke’s  bluster, Everton are the better  side with better players and had the unwanted luxury of not playing League Cup football this week – whereas Stoke huffed and puffed for two hours.

 

All things considered, everything is set up perfectly for the Toffees to  record their third win of the season – and they will do if the players apply themselves as they did in the last home outing. Do that and we will not have to endure too many renditions of the Tom Jones’ classic, Delilah, which is sung by Stoke fans for reasons I cannot be bothered explaining.

 

Three points and the climb up the table will see the blue half of Merseyside experience almost Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings. We won’t exactly be Burning Down the House but at least we will Keep On Smiling.

 

Now, if anyone can shoehorn The Young New Mexican Puppetteer into the match report, they are a better man than me.

Grab68