Everton vs. Fulham - Saturday, April 27

Here we go again, another déjà vu preview with Fulham getting the chance this weekend to face an Everton squad that must take three points from this match if they want to harbor any hopes of garnering a European spot when the final table is rolled up. Assuming that Citeh is not overtaken for second place the battle for the final two Champion’s League spots heated up nicely last weekend with Arsenal’s win over Fulham, Tottenham’s come from behind victory over Citeh and Liverpool’s last minute equalizer to draw with Chelsea. Unfortunately for Everton those results coupled with their loss to Sunderland have created a five point gap for them to overcome just to manage the Europa League spot in the standings. So when Fulham visit Goodison Park they will encounter a squad teetering on the edge of European qualification and ready to throw all they have against Fulham for a result they cannot afford to let slip away if they want to leapfrog two clubs and jump into a Champions League slot.

When I looked at the fixtures with ten matches to go I marked this match as the least likely of the remaining matches for Fulham to take points from. Traveling to Goodison just seems to be a task that Fulham have historically not been up for. A fresh look at the match today has done little to change my opinion of the likely outcome. Coupling the fact that Everton away has never been a bright prospect for Fulham to pull all three points from with a look at the Toffee’s home form this season a betting man would need exceedingly good odds to lay otherwise useful money on Fulham for the upset. Everton is the Prem’s third best home side on the season and it's their form at Goodison that has kept them in the Champion’s League running this year. Only once this season has a squad managed to turn over Everton on their home pitch and leave Goodison with the victor’s points. A one loss home record is a feat only matched by Manchester City this season to date.

When trended the clubs over five matches I hoped to find that Everton had hit a bit of a dip in their recent home form but since we are Fulham there was no such luck with Everton taking four wins and a draw in their last five home matches while suffering no defeats. In that five match home span the Toffee’s have averaged over two goals a match and conceded less than one. Fulham haven’t been underwhelming in their last five away matches by scraping up six points with a sparkling defensive commitment in which they have allowed less than a goal a match. When I contrast the Toffee’s home form with Fulham’s away form the best I can hope for this weekend is another stellar defensive display from the White’s and a bit of un-Goodison like Fulhamish luck in the goal scoring department to pull out a tight match.

Who will Fulham have to throw the defensive blanket over to stifle the Everton offense? While Everton have no goal scorers who have matched Berbatov’s offensive output this season they have six goal scorers who have matched or bettered Fulham’s second leading scorer on the season. However, what will come as no shock to Fulham fans, the man that is the engine of Everton’s offense is Marouane Fellaini who has tallied eleven times. This is the same Fellaini who since he has joined the blue side of Liverpool has seemed to feed off any opportunity the White’s present him. This is the same Fellaini who dominated large portions of the November match-up at the Cottage and scored both of Everton’s goals en route to a 2-2 draw. If there is one player in the Prem that I could pick off of any other team and sit him in Fulham’s roster I would strongly have to consider yanking the flowing Belgian fro over to the White side if for no other reason than it would mean Fulham would not have to face him twice a season. Although I could probably come up several other good reasons to put the Belgian berserker into a white shirt starting with the fact that he is exactly the type of midfield presence that Fulham is currently missing.

When can’t Fulham afford to fall asleep at the wheel? Well aside from the obvious answer of from kick-off to the final whistle the White’s better be particularly sharp during the final fifteen minutes of the first half. On the season Everton have a plus thirteen goal differential but nine of those thirteen goals have come in the closing fifteen minutes of the first half when the Toffee’s have outscored their opponents fourteen to five. If Fulham hope to walk out of Goodison with any points they cannot afford the defensives lapses that have plagued them this season so if you are superstitious you may want to offer up a few extra COYW's during the close of the first half to help see the squad into halftime.

I will admit though that I don't go into the weekend without some hope. I do hold out a small glimmer for an offensive revival after the Arsenal match where the team moved the ball with purpose and created some excellent scoring chances while making the Gunner's sweat things out to the bitter end. Thanks to Sidwell’s untimely red card and depending on Riether’s condition Jol will almost be forced to use an offensive minded midfield. It is possible we could see a Kaca-Enoh-Karagounis-Emanuelson line that could open up play considerably. If Riether returns to action then one of Kaca or Emanuelson will probably give way as Manolev is pushed up on the right wing. It is possible that in place of the Hatterly coined Martin Jol Sexy Football that we have seen drearily played away from the Cottage we might see some quick counter-attacking football with winger’s flying wide and fast up the Goodison Park sidelines looking for that quick strike which will deliver Everton’s second home loss into the hands of Fulham’s faithful. Ah yes, a man can dream a little dream every once in a while. Wake me when the match starts will you?

 

:clap:

Thanks for the preview. I harbor no illusion of taking points at Goodison. The last victory was in the mid 1970s in the cup and doesn't the league drought stretch back to the 1950s?

COYW

 

Great preview Barry!! What's the saying? Death, taxes, and losing at Goodison? Here is a number that sucks; 438. As in 438 minutes since Fulham has scored from the run of play. No fooling' it's been since April 1st since Berba scored in the 22nd minute v the HaHa's. They have tallied two own goals (the 3rd QPR goal, and at Villa) in the meantime, but just want to see someone in a Fulham kit to find the back of the net. More than likely we will have to wait another 90+ minutes until Reading shows up at The Cottage, but crazier things have happened I suppose.

 

Plus they just lost 1-nil to Sunderland, albeit at the Stadium Of Light. They're due for a good effort. Us? Some shots on goal would be nice.

 

Belgian Berserker, well done. Good preview Barry.

This is an easy one to call. We'll lose 2-0 and it will be a frustrating watch. Every time we've had a match at home where we've attacked with pace and purpose, we've followed it up on the road with possession based, ineffective MJSF. I have a lot of respect for Moyes and Everton. Whether they have anything to play for or not, they rarely fail to show up, especially at home, and I expect this w/e to be no different.

For us, each place in the table is worth roughly 750k, but aside from that there's little to be gained or lost at this point. In all honesty, I don't even care if we win from here on out as long as Jol uses this opportunity to give some players auditions, particularly younger guys like Kaca and Frei. I'd even like to see him give some of the academy kids (Mesca, Grimmer, Dembele v2.0, etc) some pitch time if he thinks they're up to it.

 

thanks fore the preview Barry. I think Fulham maintain the intensity from last week (10 player intensity) and pull out a point. Why not.

 

This will be live now on FSP. Last time I checked it Wigan v Spurs had Plus and Chelski and Swans had FSC.

I will be down in ATL with my Everton friend at Fado's hoping for some Fulhamish positive karma

 

Team news: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013 ... uad-sheets

"Fulham, meanwhile, occupy a comfortable position in midtable having not won any of their last four games and travel to a ground where they have never been victorious in the league. A change of fortune seems unlikely."

 

WIgan Athletic's draw means we are mathematically safe by my calaculation, as neither they nor Aston Villa can overtake us in the table. That is a small mercy after today's performance, a questionable descriptor itself, which was as vapid as the Operation Goodison announcement on the Tannoy is loud and predictable.

 

Another yawner from the Whites as we are now up to 495 minutes w/o a goal. At this point I'm resigning myself to hoping Jol will provide some scant reason for optimism for next season. As we stand now, his departure is the only thing that would give me that.

As for the match, I can't find anything better to sum it up than what Terri provided in the chat.....womp womp Fulham.

 

Can I ask a question? If we're pretty much safe, why are we still playing this awful, cynical, boring style? We've got nothing to lose, so why not give the players a chance to go out there and run? 495 minutes without a goal (thanks for doing the math Matt, so I didn't have to). Pitiful.

Now I'm assuming this is Jol and his tactics, and not that the players just don't care (which may be a far more distressing conclusion).

In any event, I know we're safe, but we haven't been this dreadful to watch in a long time. We're not going to win at Anfield or at Swansea. So that leaves next week home to lowly Reading. If we don't win that...well...I don't even want to go there.

 

I caught bits and pieces of the match before my drive to Indy this morning and all I can say is Kate's team being ip 3 to 1 at half is making me feel better.

 

This pretty much sums up my current thoughts regarding Martin Jol Sexy Football. Abyssmal, dire and an apparent lack of ambition also come to mind.

And Ruiz was too slow on the ball yesterday - it seems natural that he could play in the hole off Berbatov, but it doesn't seem to be working. :doh:

With respect to this season, it's been a downer for me. Whether it is the meager capitulations in the cups or the recent horrible run of form, it's been a "meh..." kind of year. MJSF, high fashion!

On the upside, Fulham will still be in the Prem next season and tomorrow's another day.

COYW

 

For the love of Gawd don't put yourself through HD, will make you wonder why we ain't joining the Haha's and Reading.

 

Thanks Joe I just got back from Indy and I was debating if I should watch the parts I missed.