 Welcome to Toffy TV, it is the match preview, Fulham vs Everton. Game that Everton really needs to bounce back in after three league defeats and an international break has left it, well, two international breaks have left at a very long time since Everton have won a game of football and that needs to be rectified on Sunday because otherwise it could be a dog. The winter is dark enough for many reasons but you know what, good chance to get three points and if we get three points we're back in the mix. Yeah, it's one of those either or things isn't it, you know, I've seen someone that messaged us and said there's a pivotal game, well, I guess it is in those respects, you know, we win and then everyone's going to be upbeat again, we've got Leeds at Home and Bay and Lea Way, you're looking at those two games then thinking I'll tell you what, if we can play to our best variability in those games as well we could be right back in that top three or four, lose it and then people start looking, oh here we go again mid table obscurity. It's been a long time now I feel since we've been Brighton, you know, when we've been Brighton everything was great, it was goals galore, we were fast flowing football and I think everybody felt really confident after that Brighton game because we had another lan and we had to mix it up with Charles and went off and it didn't really matter, we were still able to score four goals and people felt quite buoyed I think by the way that we're going. And then, since then obviously, the Dabi was always going to be a tough game anyway, but the other three games. Listen, United are brilliant but they've got real quality in the final third, so I guess even that one you could go, it was an either or game, but the two in the middle are the ones that are the kick in the stomach. So I'd answer them fully deserved there when we've got no bones about that, but should they have been able to beat us as comfortably as they did, I don't believe so and certainly Newcastle was really a flat horrible performance, so everything needs a bounce back. I think in all four games, I think for me the opposition just took advantage of our weaknesses more than anything, that right hand side, whether we like it or not is a weakness and that's not saying because Hamas Rodriguez is playing on that side. I mean for two of the games obviously we didn't have James Coleman, so that was a problem and it's potentially looking like we won't have James Coleman for this game. So that's what the manager has to sort of figure out now hasn't he had the first few games and I don't know, listen you're always here, we've been figured out and all that. Well in a way I suppose we have been figured out, we've been figured out because there was a lot of space down that down our right hand side which teams have capitalised on, but also there was a lot of issues with injuries and suspensions and we didn't have a charlatan that's well documented and whichever way we tried to do it, it just didn't work and we couldn't get going and Hamas Rodriguez was definitely carrying an injury and you've got no charlatan on the other side, no one is creating chances for Dom and suddenly you've gone for me in a free scoring team that's conceding a couple of goals to a team that can't score goals but is still conceding goals and that's only going to end up one way isn't it, the feats and that's something we have to sort out and I don't know whether it'll be in any way but it's interesting to see how long Seamus Coleman is outing just before we don't know at the time of recording and whether that will dictate how we go about it if there's going to be any kind of tactical change. You look at the centre backs and you think could we go to 3-5-2 or a variation, I'd say at 3 at the back because if we have to put John Joe Kenney in the right back he'd probably be better being a little bit higher up the pitch. That would just maybe push Hamas Rodriguez maybe a little bit more central. I think the manager's got food for thought but I think what he has to do first no matter what is realised or come to a conclusion of what his best 11 is because I think he knew it but I think he's fallen out with it a little bit, certainly in that centre midfield spot. I think the issues have come because of the players being out obviously with the others and stupidly got themselves into it off in the derby, we can't move away from that fact. Others we've been unlucky otherwise, we've had injuries in the other areas of the pitch which has cost us. I think the midfield isn't right. As I go home I started the season OK, missed that brighting game and I wasn't quite being the same. He came back against Liverpool, was sluggish, didn't play the next game against Southampton then started basically up front in the next game like on the wing. He was back out the team so he hasn't been able to get that. I think he started the season well enough keeping over the ball and the midfield looked to be quite well balanced but it's gone a bit ragged in the last couple of weeks. I think it is a culmination of obviously no ritualising and going back to being Guilfee Sigurd in the last season which is not doing a thing and everything has tried off for them. I think what the manager does have to do is because it is looking, I'd be very surprised if James Coleman plays on Sunday, very surprised. He was carrying a hamstring injury anyway, he should never have gone away with Ireland, he's gone away and got himself injured again. Therefore you're looking at that team and going we were well beaten. We lost last time because we got a draw but we were beaten by United. We need to make some changes, three defeats on the run and Ben Goffrey has got to come in for me and whether I'd be at centre back alongside Holgate and Michael Keane and we play three or whether he goes into the midfield. Because I think the one thing we've noticed in the last few games is the midfield started to look ragged because Alan and Decory are doing probably too much so they're not able to do what they were doing certainly in the first few games. That's come borne out of the fact that Hamers doesn't seem fully fit and obviously James Coleman has been in and out. Like against United they weren't fit, he could tell he wasn't fit. And I think that also comes from the Charleston as well, the Charleston is not playing, we know what he gives us attacking wise but defensively he gives us so much as well, I think we've said this on previous shows. When the Charleston is playing on the left, I don't think the midfield very often have to look left because they know that he'll get back and he'll cover naturally, he naturally wants to be involved in the game. It's the difference between someone who goes in and fills in there to have England Charleston, he's been away with Brazil luckily for us, he's played good minutes in both of the games, he's played in the last game out, he played 78 minutes. Hopefully his ankle's okay. Yeah hopefully, he seems in good spirits, he seems in good spirits, he wasn't carried off the pit and he came off in that game. He just limped off didn't he? I think he was a few minutes later, I think he seemed to be in good spirits, we'll find out, I don't want to put it down or anything so. I think he'll be massive for us but it's about finding out what that extra midfielder's going to do and it's what the manager decides that midfielder needs to do, what his role is in the team and I think going back to the Newcastle game, before that game I was looking at someone like a Delf character, you don't want it to be Delf of course. Because you can't count on him, but that role he was playing, playing back with Alan, the double pivot sort of style, protecting rather than having the midfield to protecting and allowing maybe then the core to base forward and be that player, that eight. I'd like to see that and I don't know whether that means this and Alan, Alan's a bloody Delf for the game at the moment as we speak so. Of course. You know what I mean so we can't say to you saying someone, Alan, it could be. It could be. That's the problem isn't it, but you know I know Tom Davis has been out the team at the moment when he came in against Brighton, I thought he'd done a really uncomplicated professional performance and I think that's what it needs in midfield sometimes, especially in a game like this, full on you're looking at and you're thinking right. If we can, if we're solid, if we can have a, get a clean sheet and we should win this game, you know, I think we've got goals in us with the Charleston being back and depending on what hammers we're on, do you guess us levels are. We should have goals in us if we keep a clean sheet. That's what I think that's got to be the main objective and I think you know that mentality that I know we went to, he went to Newcastle with that mentality. Carla was like, stay it, keep it tight, stay in the game and then we should have enough. It didn't work. It went the other way. And I'm not saying we do that a full on or such, but just get the midfield right, get the middle of the park solid, get the protection in front of the back four or back three, whatever you're going to go with and let's play from that. Let's not leave ourselves open and then we're always having to get, you know, score two to win a game. It shouldn't need that and I think that's that base level that some of the teams who at the moment are above us are, you know, capable. I look at that somewhere like Leicester and I know they've, you know, they've got a little bit more about them and I think they've got a much better midfield than us. But you see them in the last game out, they play walls, they get the goal through a penalty and then they get a clean sheet and they win the game and that's the end of it. Keeper pulls off a worthy and that's the end of it. That's what we've got to become capable of doing against teams like Fulham who are, you know, fighting at the bottom, but teams at the top as well. It's no good having this attitude that we'll outscore. You can't do anything with that attitude for me. And especially when times are tough, you've got to dig in and go, we're going to win today, we're going to dig in, we're going to get a clean sheet and we're going to win the game. And I think that's got to be the mentality, surely. I've got to go after them, this is a team, you know, Fulham are a team that have won one game in a Premier League game. You know, albeit it was the last home game, but they beat West Brommerdy Albion who've only just come up on a struggle on themselves. So it's not like they went to Liverpool and beat Liverpool or they went and beat City, but they won the game. You know, they started the season letting goals in, but the last five games, they tightened up. So that's made a little bit, obviously, Scott Parker's trying to get that sort. And that's kind of what we've got to do. If we get it, listen, I'm not going to sit here and go, nil nil is a good result. But if you keep it nil and it ends up nil nil, well at least you've got a point. And maybe I wanted us to run before we could walk, I don't know. It's great seeing flowing football, it's great winning games 4-2. I'd rather win them 4-nil. But there's got to be a point where your base level is enough to get you a point. And then you've got that little bit of magic from maybe a retralis or maybe from Hammers, or maybe it's a set piece from Michael Keane or whoever that wins you the game. And you get the points and you get momentum that way. And there'll be games when teams are open and you can take them apart because you're confident then and you're building. Now at the moment our confidence will be low because we've lost three games. But we've had the break. So you're hoping that they come back and go right back on it today. We're playing full-on, they're third from bottom. We've got this is a game we should win. It's a tough game and it always is a tough game against full-on, particularly Craven Cottage. But it's a game that if we want to be European challenges like we keep telling everyone that's what we're going to be this year and we want to be, these are the games you have to win. Yeah you have to win them. You have to win games like this if you want to be in the European places. The fine, if you win six or seven of these games away from home and then your home games which normally take care of themselves and this season they're a little bit different. But they normally take care of themselves and in the last few years that's been the difference with us not getting into the European places is the away form and the away form against teams that we should be beating. What we should be doing better. Yeah, you know what I mean. I mean look at full-on Arsenal went there on month three nil. They won Villa went there on month three nil. They both won, you know, Arsenal will be lowest but they're in that middle section in Villa slightly above us and they think they'll buy a point or whatever. They've gone and beat them, they're Crystal Palace are up, they've went on full-on. So these teams have gone and done it. It's not going to be easy, of course it isn't going to be easy but it's an opportunity Sunday and it's an opportunity to get momentum. And we saw going to Spades day one what momentum can do for you. We went to Tottenham, kept the clean sheet, the only clean sheet we've kept. Won the game and then it was like West Brommer home now, can we beat them? We beat them and then all of a sudden it was Palace away and it was a tricky game. It was like we've got goals in us, we've got hammers, we've got goals, we win this. We won it then back home and all of a sudden we bit the buffers a little bit. You know, even the derby we scored two goals in it. We could have had more. We went to Sheldanto and that was the kick in the private I think, really because we just didn't even look dangerous after the ticket to hit the bar and that was really it. And that's put everyone on a downer. Newcastle we could have got a point in the end, we didn't, it could have gone either way. United we could have got a point the core I asked for opportunities, that might have broke on a different day and we scored when we drew 2-2. So we haven't been destroyed in any of the games. Sheldanto was probably the worst, most convincing defeat, wasn't it really? It was flat and they got the goals and it was easy for them. But Sunday we've got to go and be the aggressors. We've got to be the team and look where they are to take this game. We've had a poor run and that's why I think the make-up of the midfield will be really important I think for Carlham until the weekend. Fulham, they've tightened up, they've brought in a few last-minute deals, obviously had them all luck mum was one of them. But they've certainly tightened up at the back the results. You're more likely to get points on you if you're knocking seed and that's what they've stopped doing massively. It's maybe taken away from what was the natural attacking game. But at least he was quick enough to recognise that you've got to stay in games as long as you can. And it's funny that Fulham took that mentality and we've missed that in a way. I think the first few games of the season, they were wide open and I was thinking, they're just going to get leathered most weeks because they're trying to play that way that they played in the Champions League. We can't always do it. You have to do it from a position of strength, I think Leeds have tried to do it. And they've had varying levels of success, having a great win available, less to beat them 4-1. So there's been those things. Fulham has changed only the predicted line-up. Well, what they used last time, they're talking about what you said, they're the 4-2-3-1 to get players behind the ball. This is how they lined up last time out. Obviously, Adder of Bios, one of those late deals that they brought in. Anthony Robinson, ex-Evon, of course. They've got the two, the double pivots in the middle. And then three, behind Mitrovic, Luchman, Kearney and Codd Overread. And then obviously you've got Mitrovic who's the batter and ram up there. He started the season on the bench Mitrovic, but he's got two goals and he's their leading scorer. Luchman's probably been their most exciting player so far. So, you know, I think Everton will probably line up maybe similar to that, but it is an opportunity. And I think it's really interesting because we've lost as many in the last three as what we had in 14 before that. So for Carlo Ancelotti, I'm hoping that this two-week break has really made them, and he will have done, of course, but it's made them look at things slightly different and think, right, are we going to just keep doing what we've been doing? Are we going to put Sigurdun in midfield and go again with the same three and hope that Retialason's the key to turning it all round? Or are we going to be a little bit more creative and go, well, long term, and by long term, I mean for the full season, is Sigurdun really the answer? Is that what we want in our midfield? Or do we want an athletic other midfield player in this? Someone like Godfrey at the moment, but with the idea that we moved towards Gabaman, if he does become fit and available for us, or do we want to try and have that creativity of that type? Because I think if you did play a Godfrey or even a Hullgate in there, I think it would free up the quarry to do what he did well for Wafford. I think at the minute with the quarry, even though his numbers are fine and he's winning a ball back a lot for us, he's not really in the game doing what he did. We want him to be getting between the boxes, we want him to be getting on to flickhans and knockdowns from Dominic. He's not really doing it, so he's not being able to play his natural game, I don't think. Yeah, obviously Luchman will be the danger man, he'll have something to prove. Something to prove from the last game as well with the penalty miss against West Ham. So that'll be interesting because he's a good player, he's tricky. And you're right, I think there has to be a response from us. It'll be interesting to see where the Gomez is involved because obviously he's had a couple of weeks break. We didn't play the game before that, so it'll be interesting to see what his levels are. But you know, Godfrey played to the under-21s, so did Tom, England under-21s, so did Tom Davis. So it'll be interesting whether they're involved because we've paid the money for Godfrey. I mean, he's not been doing too well again international. He gets sent off and misses the last game for Colombia, it's the sixth one in. So he's got decisions to make, certainly at the back, certainly on the formation. And he's got to get it right and he's got to do what he needs to do. Obviously once the play has gone on the pitch, it's down to them. But you know, it's a game we've got to win, as far as I'm concerned. If he continued with what he's done so far, so 4-3-3, if you want to call it that, and say that he's fit and that he's fit and Alan's fit. So he's got that complement of players and he goes with Gomez, tries him again in there because Guilfey hasn't really done anything. Who would you play at right back? Because let's be honest, she ain't going to play. So would you go with Kenny or would you give Goffrey another go at right back? Because he's only played one game. Goffrey's not a right back. This is the problem. He's not a right back. So you'd go with Kenny? I probably would. The need of Kenny's not, I've said it for a very long time, Kenny's not the answer. He's not the future. Holgate might be an actually. I'd rather have Holgate at right back and Goffrey centre back. Because I think that would fit, I think Holgate can play it. It's not what he wants to play, but I think he can play it. It's doing a job at the moment. But John Joseph, John Joseph, John Joseph right back, whether he did or not, and he's decided to keep, I'm not sure he wanted to keep him at the club, but he's at the club and he's the back up right back. Sometimes you live by the sword, die by the sword. There's been a very little mentions, could Tom Davis play right back? I'm not so sure about that anymore because I don't think he's the natural fit, the way we want someone bummer up there. Defensively, I think he'd be alright as long as he's not trying to travel out from right back. But no one's the solution. But unfortunately, Seamus, he should... I might have to tell him he should retire from Ireland, but listen, I think... From a fan's perspective, I think he should retire from Ireland. I watched Ireland last night. They're absolutely awful. There's nothing he can offer them that they need going forward. That was at 27. But at the same time, he'd say, well, this is the time when they need me most. So what can you do? You can't say. No, that's the way it is. I think you're right with Kenny if we played the 3-5-2 higher, then obviously I wouldn't be putting Ben Godfrey there to play that because I think John Jones actually is better in that role. I just don't think he's got the pace to get up and down regularly, constantly. So the team selection will be a key thing for this. For those of you that hate this stats part, because it's normally not great reading, then thank you for watching. For those of you sticking with it, Fulham of 1, their last meeting with Everton, ending a run of 10 games with R1 against us. Didn't realise it was that long. Beaters 2 nil, Scott Parker's first game as my manager. Everton had only failed to score in one of the last nine games with Fulham. That was the last time we met. Of all the Premier League fixes that have been played on more than 10 occasions, Fulham Everton has seen the highest percentage of home wins, 82% have been won by the home side. Everton won the last two Premier League games in London, which was as many as they won in the previous 26, which is not great. Fulham after conceding 10 goals in their opening three games, they've now conceded a five in the last five, which again further evidence that Scott Parker's kind of tightened it up. Everton have lost the last three Premier League matches as many as they had in the previous 14. The trophy's last lost four in a row in October last year under Marco Silva. Fulham are the only team yet to score in the opening of 15 minutes, but they've also conceded the most in that opening of 15 minutes. Everton have conceded twice in each of their last five Premier League games. The last time they conceded in six was back in October 2008. Everton, Guilffy Sigarton has a hand in five goals and his last five Premier League appearances against Fulham. Four goals and a sixth, two of them coming in braces. And since he joined Everton in 2018, we're winless without Richard, listening eight games. We all need that anyway, didn't we? So, yeah, I mean, there's a mix back there, isn't it? But certainly. Ultimately, none of it means anything. It doesn't mean a thing. I've seen this with Carlo Anziolti, and it's kind of what we were saying the other day. We can look back as fans and go, oh, God, all these games that I've gone on. But even the thing that we've lost three on the run doesn't really mean anything because those games are gone now, aren't they? It's about coming out on Sunday at 12 o'clock and going, right? We're eight for the points today and doing running three brick walls so to speak for each other. Battling and getting a win so that you can start to feel good about the team again, because like we said, if you have a good start, you'll end up staying in that position. So now, where as a matter of fact, if we had started in differently, we'd probably be 10 to 11. If we can get a win Sunday then, I think it just consolidates where we are and will build the confidence moving forward. But it's a big game. It is a big game. No, if we win, it's a good platform going forward now because, let's be honest, now is a huge part of the season. You're going to have... So you're getting like half the season now in one big chunk. You know, we've got Christmas December, December's huge. There's a lot of not only big games, but games coming thick and fast. I think this is the start of nine games in 42 days, I think, for heaven. So we've got to be ready and the selections have got to be right because he's going to need all of those players as well. And that means maybe not playing players who are not fit either and not rushing people back if that's the case. We'll see what happens. We need three points just to get a smile back on our faces. The same now. I'm not underestimating this game whatsoever because you can see with Fulham that they've got better defensively. So obviously they're working every day and striving to get better and that's always a big thing always, isn't it? That you're trying to stay in there. There you go. Let us know your thoughts in the comments on this one. Are you confident that everything can get the three points? Or are you a little bit worried and whatever comes with that? 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