 Welcome to Toffy TV, here is the match preview editing versus Southampton Gullison Park Thursday teatime kick-off. In a game that has actually become a lot more difficult than it probably looked like on paper, cos Southampton are in very good form and especially away from home they're absolutely brilliant and we've seen at the weekend them beat Man City home as well. I mean, they shouldn't have done that. No, but they did. It doesn't matter what they should have done or not, they did. They defended brilliantly and they are the most transformed team in the Premier League aren't they? Going from losing 9-0 home and you know Man City had the same amount of chances as Leicester did against them. On target or? I think so, which is incredible. He has built a good little unit, a good hard working unit with a goal threat. That's been the biggest thing. He's really, really, really tamed it round. He's just signed a new contract as well. If you were a Southampton fan you'd be looking at that. Not with spending a lot of money, you know, you spent like 20 million on Danny Yng's, they haven't spent loads of money either and as I say, you know, he's doing alright. Got a plan, haven't he? He's stick to the plan. Energetic midfield players, which is, I wonder what that's like to have. And well organised, so it's, you know, we say it a lot of times on here, is that if you get the organisation right, you've got a threat in the final third, you do well in this league because it is, after the top two teams it's pretty poor. The standard, so it doesn't take much to get yourself on an even keel. And both teams really, since Christmas, have done really well. It took us changing the manager. You know, haven't done Conferguson and changing the manager to be able to turn us round. But, you know, Ralph Hasselhurst has done incredible. You know, beat nine in a row. I don't know why we survived, if I'm being honest, because that's pretty embarrassing. But he's come back brilliantly. And Dave, the flat he had a win at Chelsea over Christmas 2-0, which was a great result. He's had some really good results. But to win eight away games is incredible. Top five is something that I've probably seen. For bottom, I mean, obviously we won down there 2-1 and it was Marcus Silver's last victory as the Everton manager. And they were tired that day. Oh, yeah, I was tired that day. Very terrible. But you look at them now, you've got a lot of energy in your field. You press high. Danny Ings has sent a forward. It starts with him. He's not afraid of hard work. And also because of his goal threat, he gives them something. And we've seen in the last few weeks, you know, they've won three out of four games, I think. Especially that Wofford game. You know, they went to Wofford and Wofford had a lot of chances. Southampton took their chances. Clinical. When they went to Norwich, they were exactly the same. They were very, very clinical. They just seemed to have... They built, like you said, from Christmas. They got over that disappointment of losing the Leicester game and then the games that followed were really, really poor. And he's built them back up again. You know, he's obviously doing things the right way. And I suppose that's a demonstration an example of management, isn't it? If you're doing things the right way and you feel like it's going in the right way, you can't be distracted by the results or what happens in the short term. It's what happens in the medium term and the long term. And as I said, he's turned it around massively. And, you know, a win for them would see them go, I think go above us. We have to be honest because in terms of the energy the two sides, you said it yourself. It's worrying. It is worrying because they've got a lot of functional players. And yet, I think I'd rather have the midfield over us. Easily. The midfield, they press high. They work hard. Like you say with the Inks, they've got a real threat up front. They've got, like, Nathan Redman, they can travel with the ball. Chai Adams got his first goal for them with a wonder goal against City at the weekend. And then at the back, they've obviously got Alex McCarthy in goal. He's a very good keeper. So, it's going to be a really tough game. You know, you look at it and go, oh, Saldam's in the room. Yeah, three points. You know, you might have thought a few weeks ago, now you're looking at it and thinking, this is going to be a really tough game for us. Seen Haslchard saying, you know, Saldam, they have a one three games on the run and stuff like that. So, that's something we've got to be wary of. But from an everton perspective, there's got to be, absolutely got to be, a reaction to that sport's performance. Cos it was absolutely terrible. Let's be honest. Yeah. Absolutely terrible. The energy was low and these are not going to allow us to do that. Now they've got a couple of injuries, but so have we. So dialed even out. You know, so it's, we're going to have to be on our metal and it'll be interesting to see what, and see what you can do to change it. Yeah. You know, whether it's personnel, obviously. I don't know this yet, but I'm guessing Mason Holgate's doubtful for the game. He'll be doubtful, won't he? Well, we'll be out, I think. If it was the hamster feeling this hamster thing, not going to risk it a hamster thing in two days later. I don't think unless it was cramped. So the will have to be changed, but Anthony Gordon impressed. You know, and I'd like to see, in this, I'd like to see everything bring push to Charles and wide right and throw Keane through the middle and go for it. Because we're going to have to force them on to the back foot. If we shift back like we did against Leicester, that's not how everything want to play. We have to inject something into it, don't we? And if that means to Charles and playing out wide and Moise Keane and Shobie, Anthony Gordon starts the game, we have to be positive. We're playing at home and we have to be positive. And we have to come up with solutions to the problem we've got. And the problem we've got is we've got such a static midfield that we have to look how we can build around that. And, you know, if a Wobie's out, he's out. Obviously, Holgate, yet he mean it can come in. But we have to come up with a solution. I don't know. We haven't seen a Benny Benninga me yet and we don't know whether he is good enough. We don't know where he's at the level. I'd like to see him at least get on for 20 minutes in a game. And just listen, we've got five games left now to the end of the season. We're not going to get into the Europa League. Even if we'd beaten Spares, I didn't believe we'd get into the Europa League. I just think there were too many teams between us and those places. And obviously, listen, we want to finish the season as strong as we can. We don't want to drop points. But we also have to be mindful of what happens after that. There's only going to be a small window of six weeks at the most between the end of this season and the beginning of the new one. And I wouldn't mind just seeing a Benny Benninga me. Even if it was 20 minutes, I'd see what his energy is like on the pitch. See if he can get round the pitch. See if he throws a couple of tackles in. See if he's just got the ability to get round. Because at the moment I don't see a sentiment feel capable of that. So if he's not good enough, he's not good enough. But I've seen plenty of players who are not good enough. But you insert their energy into a game. And suddenly it elevates. Who's to say Benny Benninga me going on? You know, doesn't elevate Andre Gomez's performance or even Guilfee Ziggins' performance or Tom Davis' performance to just be able to do something a little bit different because they're not chasing me on the pitch. Did you play Davis and Gomez? Sorry, Davis and Benninga me in the middle. I mean, let's be honest. Tom Davis now has played 100 Premier League games. Participating 100 Premier League games. If he's not... This has had his captain in the club. If he's not experienced enough to be able to lead a midfield, then he never will. He'll be up again. I mean Sunday they play 4-4-2, don't they? Another team. So we should be able to match up quite easily. They've got Ings and Adams up front in midfield. They've got Rameo and Prars. That's who they went with at the weekend. We know that Prars is someone who's dangerous off free kicks. We know that. So be careful with giving free kicks away. Rameo breaks stuff up, but he's not the quickest. So Tom Davis could go up against him. Be a battle of who's the slowest. But someone like Benninga me, because Prars does like to get forward, then Benninga me would be... I'm not saying this is what he'll do, because I think Gomez will play with the yardless and probably should get him, but Benninga me would have a bit more discipline then. We know that Tom Davis likes to play forward. Play the ball forward. So you'd have the discipline of Benninga me. I think we just need something different. We need to be able to ask questions of them. It's not home games. We've just drawn with the champions. One of three teams this season to take points off Liverpool. We then beat Leicester who were third at home. So I'm not worried about Southampton. I'm not saying that's not me disrespecting them, but what I mean is it's a home game and I expect Everton to win home games. And this is a team who are below us. And therefore as good of formers they're in and as good as they're away formers, being I expect Everton to be able to beat these. And we should be looking to go for the jugular in these final three home games. I just think we have to be more... we have to be more positive. We have to approach the game and maybe you'll bring Siddi being on the right. I don't know. Gordon has to start. He can start on the left and Siddi be can start on the right. Maybe. I don't know. We have to be more positive. We have to be prepared to have a goad. I'm not going to let the game in the first 20 minutes. We started on the front foot, having a go at them, pushing them back, not letting them get out. And from that we got a goal and then got a penalty from that. Throwing a ball into the right area. We can't... we can't sit back and allow Southampton who will be very comfortable coming to go to them because of their record or away guns. They won't fear coming to go to them whatsoever. Exactly. They won't fear it. One fear at all. They will be looking out of thinking, we beat these, we go above them and suddenly we've got a chance of finishing the top half and that's a brilliant, brilliant season. So it's what our fear factor is, is the issue. And I've heard it all before and I keep hearing it about players playing in front of Godderson or being in an empty. If our players can't play at Godderson and be fearless, then there's massive problems because that's one of my problems from the unlike ones. They look terrified in an empty stadium and that has to be one of the things that is just, you know, you've got to match that for a start, you've got to match the fact that Southampton's going to come and I'm going to be one bit bothered because they're not going to be. They've got nothing to lose. No, of course they're not, and they shouldn't be. They're on a great run, why should they be bothered about Everton? You know, we're not playing, it's not like we're playing brilliantly. So there's no fear factor, it's just a game. It's a fifth, we said this, we said this the other night, or last week, all the games are 50-50 and this is another 50-50 game. Everton could quite easily win 3-0, there's lose 3-0. So for Everton, it's about, I think the problem Everton had on Monday against Spears was too passive as a team. Every player is too passive, there's no character, there's no one to drive and stuff on, there's no one calling each other out. The midfield, Sigurdans pulling out of tackles cos he doesn't want to get it. Gomez is too passive at the moment. Davies is just one who, you know, we've seen Hallgate have got injured making the tackle, but he, you know, we've wrapped Loke Elso into the box cos he felt he needed to put a tackle in. Got himself injured in it, of course, and my field didn't put a tackle in like that all night. Tom Davies tries to do that to his credit, he's probably the only one. Everywhere over the pitch with two paps, Barnard comes on, it's a little flicks, he's got no rhythm going at the moment. You know, a Wobie too passive. When there's a Wobie going clatterin' into anybody, never. Any of that, he can go clatterin' into anybody and put them out of it. They don't. You've got to be in games like this when you've got a team who will pressure because that's what his game is. And getting your face, you've got to stand up and get back in their face. Evern have got better players than Southampton? My field, they haven't, but everywhere else they have. But it means nothing. If Southampton have got their team framework right and they've got the energy and they've got the goal threat up front, it means nothing whether we've got better players or we haven't, doesn't mean a thing because it's about following a game plan. And somehow we've got to create an energy that we didn't show against Spears. We've got to create a rhythm and a way. Before the lockdown we had a way of play, a rhythm. We looked like we had a chance in every game, bad at Chelsea game, and Chelsea performance was terrible. And we looked. But think like United at home, we had them on the back but we could have beat them. Arsenal away, we threw the game away. We got B32, we should have won the game. Palace, we just overcome them. They come over, these are danger. We went to Westam and batted them and should have won. We batted them but second half we were all over. We went up Waffford and gave them a two go. We had a good way of playing a rhythm. And since the lockdown we've come back and we haven't played well but we've amassed seven points out of nine going to Spears. That was our way of performance. I think what has to happen is we have to I don't sound stupid but try and make sure we take the lead. And then I think it really lacks a bit. Then our shape then can can help and take over. Because I think obviously in two of the three games two games we've won, we've took the lead. And that's been an important factor in it. Being able to get back into shape I don't think I think one big problem with this team although I know at Waffford we did win I think one big problem with this team is the options we've got don't really allow to find how do you create chances how do you get yourself back in it without like you said before a random piece of your brilliance from one player which we've seen from the Charleston and things but who else can do that who else has got the ability you can come off the bench and no one has proved that they can do that so it would be really important that we don't go behind in this game it's stupid as that sounds but that is a major factor in it that we've had. One in three years we've come back to win see that start the other day with like against Sparser and we've been behind there are half time, no win in 40 odd games so it's just nonsense probably more than that it's absolutely ridiculous and the manager said after the defeat it's about a mentality change and it is a mentality to Gary Neville you know you were telling me the stuff Neville was saying it's all spot on this is a big game against someone who is close to us point twice so it's a case of beating them it's all very well beating Leicester and drawing them but this is another one, this is a test again a test of character can we go out and put a distance between these games we go to Wolves on Sunday and that will be a different kettle of fish again another tough game this one is a home game a game we should win because I think at home everything should win but these are a very dangerous and good side confident side so we have to go out and knuckle down we have to go and win the battle on the pitch and get chances for the challenge and get chances for them and also they showed on Sunday they go one little up they can be resilient as well it's going to be a tough game and I think what we need to see is try and put a bet a few issues that we showed Monday night what would you go with him in the field? I dream thinking of him I don't care, I couldn't care less who would you partner with him, Gomez? I'd probably leave Gomez just because I'd like to see what Gomez would be like with a bit of energy around him I think he's always looked better with energy whether it be Ghana whether it be obviously Ghana was the partnership but Tom looked like he was a little bit but then it's where Tom can rise to it even when the one game he played with Gabamon early on in the season it's what he looked like he was a little bit more about him I've said it loads of times I just feel like when he plays with someone around him he was slow he doesn't want to go anyway he's got no confidence to move forward and as anyone who wants to find a word will know that I'm I'm not sitting here like oh he's brilliant anything I do have my issues with him but I think at least you throw a beningame in if the manager thought especially when Monday, Thursday, Sunday if the manager decided he was just going to go let's just see what he's got I think Gomez has got the experience to get a beningame through a game whereas I think Guilfe looks after himself in games and I don't think and I don't think a Guilfe sigits him would and I certainly wouldn't be dropping if I was going to drop one Gomez or Guilfe sigits so I think Guilfe sigits I think Gomez could get a beningame through a game listen the manager sees him more than me sees him in training I just see a kid who's on the bench and just think oh my god look at this he's playing Premier League games and he's played under 23 games and he's played Game for Wigan I know he got injured I just think it's now or never for him if he's not going to get a game now and listen he might be absolutely garbage for all I know every time I've seen him I never ever thought to myself he looks after himself he was industrious he's got a round of pitch and I never ever thought he looked after himself he's also got experience of playing in games he's also got experience of playing in closed in empty stadiums and if you put him on and listen just do the defence of sight track, be busy in that midfield get it in passing then he can be industrious then if it doesn't work he might be crap but what I've seen so far is there's no high bar of stuff in midfield at the moment so he would be one and I'd be looking at that definitely because we can't go with Shiggerton and Gomez and I think he is he should like the only people have mentioned Dennis had an area he is no way an area he needs a loan to see whether he can develop he's not fair to the material he's got five games left and I'd just be tempted to just go go on, get in there can you imagine if it was Anthony Gordon and Tom Davis in our midfield but at least you'd have three lads and I'd have a go for you whether or not the good enough is a different thing I don't think there's any question Marks over Gordon and Davis is up in Barners you know but I just you had three academies gratu just before we finished do you think there might be a change in mentality because we did lose the space game because he might think now we've been a manager of the players he would look at the result in a couple of days he might look at the top he might go we're not getting it out of the league do you think that could factor into it I mean we need to finish his eyes we can, every place is two million quid and that's important to us with FFP and we're trying to move people on but I don't look at Ben Inge at me like a risk I don't look at him and go that's a big risk playing him I really don't, he's played before and in these kind of games why not, it's not like you've just said before it's not as if there's a high bar it's not as if our midfields are brilliant or you want to drop him to give him it isn't, the midfield it could be any of them they're all shocking I think a lot of our fans would just like to see Ben Inge and me, just to see if he's got anything to bar him it was not good enough, we'll know the only way how do we know Anthony Gordon is a good player, it can do it because the lad's been giving a go and he doesn't look out of place and you never know a player there's something in training the manager might have just thought why are we trying to get a European player to need the experience but listen there's not enough in there anyway let us know your thoughts in the comments on this game are you confident after watching the last couple of performances by Saffant and the last couple of performances by Evans are you confident we can get something out of this game let us know your thoughts in the comments give this video subscribe if you haven't already also if you want to join us over on Patreon where we do daily live videos that you can join in on and also get the likes of the match preview before it goes on Youtube the link is in the description patreon.com forward slash toffee tv efc dead simple, dead simple go and check that out as well link is in the description also if you are buying any of the new Everton gear there's also a link in the description for 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