Thomas

YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

Anichebe on, we'll score. WE'LL SCORE!

Stronger, faster and more creative.

Poop.

Well this has turned into shit.

Well that was against the run of play. Good save Howard.

Tell me when it kicks off on Setanta so I know how far behind my stream is...

Yeah I like the way Blackburn work too, for similar reasons. It's Santa Cruz and McCarthey upfront, then Derbyshire to come off the bench to score a couple.... only to be ruled offside!

4-0 Johnson, Arteta, Hibbert, Osman.

Friedel

Emerton Samba Ooooojer Warnock

Bentley Dunn Savage Pederson

McCarthey SantaCruz

tis a really good team, gonna be tough.

No reason. He was at fault for the goal against Reading, so that's the only thing I can think of. Just shows how strong our backline is I guess. We're gonna win 2-0. Johnson and Osman.

Maybe some pleasing news to Blackburn fans, we've dropped Lescott.

Howard

Hibbert Yobo Stubbs Baines

Arteta Neville Carsley Osman

Johnson McFadden

Wessels, Lescott, Jagielka, Pienaar, Anichebe.

Game being streamed on Sopcast for those that don't have Setanta. It's a few mins behind though.

Damn, was gonna bet on Bolton beating Reading.

And Jonty should just be disqualified, because he's a sick bastard for walking around naked the other night.

I thought we were talking about Beckham and Owen?

Jonty. Might as well...

Nope.

EVERTON manager David Moyes must plan for tomorrow’s visit of Blackburn without record signing Aiyegbini Yakubu.

The Blues are waiting on results of a work permit application for the Nigerian international. But because the player fell out with his national coach and has figured in only five of his country’s last 13 matches, he does not meet the necessary criteria.

That means the initial application will be rejected and the Blues will have to appeal, a hearing likely to be heard next week.

Given that Yakubu has been playing in this country for five years the Blues are hoping for a favourable outcome, but not in time for him to feature tomorrow.

One of the quirks of the work permit system is that Yakubu could carry on playing for Middlesbrough without censure, but permits cannot be transferred between employers.

Yakubu’s international career suffered when he refused to go the African Nations Cup finals in January 2006 as a result of a fall-out with his international coach.

That saw his international appearance record slide below the Department of Employment’s requisite figure.

The Blues, however, were hoping for a successful resolution of the Manuel Fernandes saga today, giving Moyes at least one new face to select from tomorrow.

Leighton Baines has also declared his fitness and will be in the squad for the visit of Blackburn.

Victor Anichebe missed training yesterday, but is expected to resume today, while Leon Osman has also failed to train all week after picking up a knock at Reading.

Stephen Pienaar is standing-by for his full debut, while Andy Johnson is expected to be fit after pulling out of the England squad in midweek with fluid on the knee.

The Blues still have tickets available for tomorrow’s 5.15pm kick-off. They are available from the ticket office up until kick-off time.

The point is that Owen already has proved he can find the space in all situations. Just needs to get a run without injury and I think he'll be back to one of the best there is.

We need to hurry up and sign Yakubu and Fernandes. Hurry hurry hurry.

Like I said before, Owen and Rooney will struggle to win headers against decent teams. Owen's main strength was his pace which complimented his movement, but in his last two spells of fitness that pace seems to have all but gone. Put Owen and Rooney up front and try to ping crosses into them and I guarantee they'll be muscled out.

Beckham, for me, is pointless when you're playing with strikers like Owen and Smith or Owen and Rooney. They're never going to win any headers, which basically means that the majority of what Beckham (supposedly) brings to the team is pointless. The only player that's ever going to actually win headers on a regular basis is Crouch, and even then you're relying on those around him to get to the knockdowns.

Clapham is a decent left back, best left wing back i've seen, could of easily made it in to the England squad anytime between 00-02 for Ipswich, but because he played for Ipswich, it was the left backs of Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool etc.

Same as Marcus Stewart top English goalscorer yet didn't even get picked for a Squad, kinda the same as Darren Bent last year, why do England not want to play their top goal scorer? Beyond me.

Good signing for Leeds though.

Too many people strolling about. Too narrow.

And I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows how good David James is. I remember when I used to get slaughtered for saying he's good.

Everton have completed their fourth signing of the summer, drafting in experienced German goalkeeper Stefan Wessels.

The 28-year-old keeper arrives at Goodison on a free after leaving FC Cologne.

evertonfc.com

woo

Must admit Lehmann does a great job of adding entertainment to the premiership. Cannot wait until Chelsea play Arsenal this season and the next antics between him and Drogba!

Seriously though you would expect him to be dropped for the next game after that clanger. Why he didn't parry it rather than go for a catch is beyond me.

Nay sure, can't remember. But a free kick for dissent is definitely indirect.