 Welcome to Toffy TV, I am joined by Callum Snell, this is the match preview, Everton vs Cardiff City, Gooderson Park, 3 o'clock this Saturday, is there a better kick off time than a 3 o'clock on a Saturday, love it. Love it Callum, welcome, haven't seen you for a few weeks but your backs, things are going alright for the Blues at the moment and Cardiff are home at the weekend, one we should be winning. One we should definitely be winning, yeah I feel like it's the way that we've been playing recently. It's definitely a reason to believe that this is definitely the sort of game that we can definitely go on and win. I think when teams like this, these have just come up, they haven't spent a lot of money. Some teams come up and spend a lot like wolves and others try to do it a different way. I think Cardiff have kind of accepted where they are so to speak and Neil Warner trying to do it in a different way. So they've stuck with a lot of the plays they had in the championship and obviously they were very good in the championship. They found it a little bit tougher in the Premier League. So I think they're going to come in, they've won and drawn the last couple of games so they're doing, they've improved a little bit. But I think they're going to come to Gooderson and try to have a game plan of not get beaten and have a lot of men behind the ball or something like that. I think so, yeah. I think that they can definitely have that sort of threat. For sure, they're a side that have come up that maybe haven't spent as much as full on more wolves like you just said. But I definitely think they're a side that I think their fans might be a little bit frustrated in a sense that maybe that sometimes they've got a result that has gone on the way and then the next week it hasn't. So therefore they'll be feeling that they can maybe come to Gooderson and maybe get on, start a bit of a maybe run for themselves and I think they can maybe see it as a good opportunity for them to do that, yeah. Definitely, I mean everything is very, very strong around. You know, we've proved that over the last few years, we've picked that home form back up. But generally we've been stronger around since Bay of Moises days, you know, even under a birth home. I had one season where we were treffled around but the other two, we were going to Coomham at a strong home record and they had a say at Alla Dice. Oh yeah, definitely. I think in these games, first goal is the most important. Massively, I feel like the first goal, we were fortunate enough to get that first goal against Brighton, didn't we? They equalised. Thankfully on the day that we had enough to get over the line. In Cardiff, I think the same applies. I feel like we need to get the first goal and you know, we need to be careful that we don't concede the first one. Because I don't know if they do, they might be one of them size that just sit back and then that might make it difficult for us, yeah. I think what we have to do is we have to try and pull them out into a game because listen, if you're Neil Warner, you're coming to Gooderson and thinking right, let's get everyone behind the ball. Stay in the game, not in sheep. You know, they'll be physical because that's what his teams are, evidently they'll have to be wary of that. And they'll be open to frustrators, but what I think evidently have done well under Marko Silver and certainly improving week by week with is the patience when things aren't going the way it should do. I think too easily, under Ronald Coom and our partners, to be fair, too easily, we'd abandon what we were trying to do if it wasn't going well. Yeah, panic station was setting the real mist to come down, yeah. I think we can't do, I think what we're doing this season is we're trying it and we saw this, this was evident mostly against Crystal Palace, but certainly it was there against Brighton and against Fulham. You know, it wasn't going the way maybe we hoped it would go because obviously you go to a game and they go, well get the early goal and then we'll run away with it. Them games, it didn't really happen, but what evidently did well in them three games was we continued to pass it, we pull them out of position and we were patient and as a fan base we were patient and it resulted in us getting over the line in those games. Yeah, 100%, 100%. I feel like there's a belief in the side from the fans and the fans definitely have that feeling that this side is going to pull up some trees at some point in the game. You mentioned before, it's a good example of the Palace game, had that been last season people would have been like, oh no, we know what's going to happen here, everyone starts getting frustrated, bad vibes start to come from the fans towards the players. But like you mentioned, there's been none of that and there's definitely a belief from the fans and the players that they can, they are going to perform and they are going to meet the fans' expectations at home. Who have you been impressed with so far this season? Cos obviously the manager's brought in six players, we've just seen Gary Mina, he was the last of the new shining to perform. Who's really caught your eye this season? The obvious answer would be Richard Allison, I feel like he's definitely has the potential to be a really special player for us but for me, I feel like the defence deserves a really big mention this season, particularly players like Michael Keane and for me, Lucas Dean. I feel like the consistency of that player is something that shouldn't be overlooked, I feel like he's playing really well at the minute and the defence, the back four looks very strong and the fact that we have the options to switch it about and even when we have switched it about it looks like still a solid back line. I think that's something that maybe quite a few people don't appreciate as much how great it is to have such a strong defence as opposed to what we've had in previous years so that's what's impressed me. You've got a bit of a Lucas Dean going on there, not quite as sure to this. No, not quite as sure but I do mix it up now. What would you do this weekend with the defence? Cos obviously you've just mentioned Michael Keane, Michael's been fantastic form this season, playing really well back in England squad as well over the international break. Cair Truman and him had formed a really good partnership and then obviously Cair Truman couldn't play against Chelsea and yet he came into the side and we had a clean sheet against, I think it was the first time Chelsea hadn't scored so that in itself is a big thing and I think OK Jordan's had to make a couple of big saves on the day which he'd expect. Other than that they've not really caused us too many problems so what would you do? What if you were Michael Silver? Do you break that partnership back up and put Zuma back in or do you just leave Mina and go to Zuma? Last time out the lads performed well. This is going to be where it's going to start becoming really interesting to think about. Obviously last weekend we saw Gary Mina get his first 90 minutes and to say he impressed was an understatement he was really good. I think it's a case of who gets it over Zuma and Mina in my opinion. I feel like Keane's just playing so well at the minute he's consistent. He's been at the club a full year prior to the other two so I feel like maybe that gives other players a bit of a safety net playing alongside someone like Michael Keane. For me I think Gary Mina might just edge it for me only because the fee that was spent on him I feel like you can't just spend the best part of 30 million on a defender and not play him and also there's the whole debate about Zuma being on a loan whether you want to keep him in the side or not for that amount of time but to answer your question it's got to be Mina and Keane for me personally. I think it's right to think you're right with the transfer fee. Not so much just because we spent the money but we spent that money for a reason. We spent that money because we've seen a lad who we think can be the heart of our defence and be a key player for us. Michael Keane's been exceptional this season getting better and better and that's great for us. Keane Zuma has been really impressive but he is only on loan but the biggest thing for me to keep them together won't be the last time out because I would say it's unfortunate for Zuma because obviously everything being equally deployed at Chelsea, Mina wouldn't have come in there, Mina would have still been sat on the bench because they were playing well Keane and Zuma. I clean sheet against one of the best sides in the country. You've got to leave it in and you have to say to Zuma, they've got to sheet and it's your job now to win it back and that means being ready. That means if I need to switch the three at the back you've come in alongside them or it means every day in training you show me why you should be backing the team and then you say to Keane and Mina it's your sheet to lose. You're playing well, it's your sheet to lose. I've got a lad here who's a French international. He hasn't just been in the squad but he was in the previous one. He's a French international here and he wants your place and go and do it and I think if we can do that all over the squad that's why we're where we are now. And that's something we haven't had for a while and that's something that I think was so made up with at the minute. You've got a whole back line there that are all internationals. And then you've even got the backup ones like if it is going to be the backup at Zuma. You've even got a French centre half coming on. It's something that's so good and as you mentioned then about if we can get that all over the pitch and I think we are getting that all over the pitch. If we play as like McCarthy and Adlin who maybe aren't in the pitch at the minute, if they can come in it'll be some challenge to get Gomez and Ghana out of the team at the minute but like you mentioned it's definitely exciting to have them options. Definitely. What have you made of Andre Gomez cos since you were last in he's gone into the side? Yeah last time I was in he was just starting to come into the team but I think from what we've seen of him he's definitely a cut from another cloth isn't he? He's just this composure on the ball, his passing, his vision, everything that he's doing at the minute just makes you want to sign him on a permanent deal. I think Evan would be stupid not to knock on Barcelona's door definitely but like you said whether we can get him or not. I think for the time being maybe cross that bridge when we come to it but I've been overly impressed with him I really have. Especially with Ghana's but I think he's up to Ghana's game as well a bit. Definitely. I think that can be nothing but good to decide them two in the midfield at the minute. I think they're just playing so well and we can definitely see it in the games. I think you're right with the Ghana situation because he can just concentrate on doing what he does best which is nicking the ball and just being busy getting the tackles in. I think when him and Snidlin play together there's an onus on both of them to be more footballers than Neanna. I don't think they're good enough for that. Ghana was trying to do too many things at once wasn't he but now he's got Gomez next to him. He feels that he's got that freedom to do what he was doing when he first came into the side when he first signed him and that's when we get the most out of him and that's what we're seeing at the minute. Yeah and then you've got obviously Gomez alongside him. Guilffy as well, Guilffy Sigarton's gone up another level this season. Just less pressure on them I think. I think like Sigarton's not having to worry about maybe filling in some holes in the midfield as well. You can concentrate on his game and what made him such a success at Swansea. So we take a big domino effect in the side at the minute. Everyone's just playing well. Since he's come in Sigarton now Everton players being involved in more goals than him. We've got nine goals and five assists since we signed him so it shows how key he's been for us. Sure he's got to be sort of like close to what he did for all the last season already hasn't he? Definitely. I mean I just think, I think we're seeing a player in Sigarton and hopefully he's fit. We obviously be seeing him with the protective boots on off the Chelsea but early indications are there's a good chance he's going to make it. Which is great because we want to keep, and Gomez, we want to keep that side together. We want to keep this team going. It's like the old cliche isn't it? Don't change the winning side. That's it. I suppose the other area up for contention at the moment amongst Evertonians is whether Adam Ola Luchman comes in for Theo Walcott. Now we know that Mola was sent home early from the 21s with that he took a knocking train and so hopefully he's going to be fit. We'll know more obviously at Marko Silver's press conference on Friday but should Luchman be fit, ready for selection. Do you leave Walcott in or would you bring Luchman in for this one? Now when that we've got a lot of games coming up I think we play something like eight times in December so we've got a lot of games in that four week period. It's an interesting one definitely. I think we've been saying it for a couple of weeks now. I feel like if you are going to throw Luchman in now's the good time to do it at home three o'clock Saturday goodness and park against Cardiff. I feel like if you're going to do it now because if you leave it a week later to the Derby and it doesn't do as well. I think the fear is there from becoming the scapegoat a little bit and I don't want that for him. I feel like if you are going to throw him in, throw him in in this game because I feel like Walcott never take away from him much of a good player Theo Walcott is. But I feel like if you are going to make that change I think it has to be this weekend providing he's fit of course. But if I was silver I think I would maybe because I feel like Walcott's had a few chances now. He's sort of survived and he's always been the 11th. Like I say if you are going to play him I think now's the time to do it. And that freshens you up again doesn't it? That gives Theo a little bit of bite I want to get back in that. And it gives Luchman a little pat on the back because he started the season not great. You know what you didn't see? Luchman was going on one of the year. He looked like he was sulking but just over the last six weeks attitude totally different. Making more of it and impacting games that he's coming on in. He's established himself as the first sulk now which I think is a key thing. Definitely. It's a big step. Before I didn't know whether he was there everywhere. He didn't know what was happening but now he's consistently there which is a good first step if he is going to eventually become a first team player. That's it isn't it. And we see in his ability when he comes on against Chelsea. All be it it was in few and far between. The one when he went past the third and with the little nutmeg and he just ran out of pitch you're thinking. He's got that ability in tight places to take the ball now. It's an interest in one to see what Marko does if he is fit this weekend. Just looking ahead obviously if we can get past these will be tough. He's scored a ramfield. I think Calum Patterson has got three in his last four for them. If they win the game it will be the first consecutive top flight games they've won since the 50s. So there's a lot of things up for grabs. But obviously the heavy failures I think were looked at on the one football app before. There was a sample size of 5,000 votes at the moment and it's 89% for an evident victory. So that's worth and obviously the odds, the bookies odds are heavy favourites. Looking ahead after this obviously we've got Liverpool which will take care of itself. Down we've got Newcastle and Wafford at home so if you're looking at a block of four fixtures we've got Cardiff, Newcastle, Wafford and obviously Liverpool are in there. Three of our next four games are at Gouldersen. So for me looking at that we've got to be looking at nine points haven't we? We've got to be at the very least. I think we spoke off camera before didn't we about how this is sort of a test in terms of OK Everton have got so far since however we've started playing in this season. Now we've reached the stage now where we've been presented with Cardiff City at home. Do we continue on this good run we're on or do we do an Everton? I think that will be interesting to see but if we come out of this with a four on it everyone's tails going to be up going to the game next week. Like you mentioned I don't think anyone can say that this won't be a big test because it will be Cardiff have a lot to play for in terms of survival. When I've watched them they've never seemed like pushovers. They do seem like they have something to fight for. Definitely so but like you mentioned in terms of the bigger picture you spot on in terms of it's definitely a chance for us to pick up some big points going into the Christmas period definitely. If we could do that and people will probably have a go with me for just saying nine out of twelve but I'm just taking the Liverpool game out of that for a moment because these are home games and these are games that we have to... If we're going to try and finish as high as we can we have to be winning these kind of games and if we could take at least nine points from the next twelve then I think it sets us up perfectly for the turn of the year. We've got a couple of big games then we've got City away in Spades at home but then again after that we've got Brighton, Burnley, Leicester. So you know there's a lot of points over these next kind of eight weeks where if everything can do all right points wise we're going to be right in the mix. We're going to be right in the mix over this 100% Europe's fully there as a play for of course in the coming weeks. Talk of the FA Cup will start to emerge again and you know it all plays into this big massive confidence that the side can take forward which they've been showing and I feel like you know if we can definitely pick up a loader because like last few years we maybe haven't had the best sort of Christmas periods have we? It's not been great but definitely you know these two particular games against Newcastle and Watford under the lights you know we get that sort of Christmasy vibe at Godderson I feel like we can definitely start picking up a lot of points and you know that's just going to be nothing but exciting going into the new year with everything still to play for. Oh definitely and we would if we were to win those games we would be right in the mix because obviously at the weekend there's a couple of interesting games you know Everton if results go the way they can Everton and Everton win Everton will be in the top six on Saturday night so that's another big boost I think for the club, for the fans. Being the top six in November after the last few years we've had I think it's a massive achievement it's a massive credit to everything that's happening in the club. Yeah and we're moving forward aren't we? Predicting for the game. I never really do this but I'm going to do it today and put you on the spot. I think it'll be 4-1, 4-1 Everton. I think we'll do a big win, I think we'll do a big win and I think we might just get that this weekend. I'm going to go 3-1, sorry Cardiff. I think it'll be a tough game, I'm going to go 3-1. I think they'll score, I do think they'll score but I'm going to go for a 3-1 Everton victory because I feel like we're playing very very well and the other, sorry this is the last point I'm going to make before we finish. Coming off the international break, this is a big test for us. Can we pick it up? Because there's no international football now till the end of February so we really are knocked through right to the end of February. It's a frustration with the Nations League and everything that's been going on but again if everything can come out of it and just continue with the good form I feel like we're definitely on to something new. This time now it's worked out well for us because if we end up with Sigarton and Gomez about 5th of Saturday then normally they'd have been outlastly changed. So it might have worked out alright for the change. It's nothing but good, nothing but good. So me and Callum are going for an Everton victory. Let us know what you think. Cardiff fans if you're watching this, apologies. I hope after Saturday you'll have a really good season but after Saturday 5 o'clock. So big thanks for Callum for joining me. Let us know in the comments section below if you think we will beat Cardiff City at the weekend. If you haven't subscribed please do so and if you want more videos get over and join us on Patreon. Catch you soon on Toffy TV.