Everton at West Ham: Predicted Line-Up | 4-4-effin-2?

A defeat last week seemed like it would spell the end for Frank Lampard’s Everton career. But, for now at least, he’s been given a little time.

But the jeopardy is higher than ever in this game and the loser will likely sack their manager. Heck, even a draw might see both managers ousted – similarly to the end of the 2017/18 season when both Everton and West Ham played out a draw to end the season that saw Sam Allardyce and David Moyes lose their jobs shortly after.

In another twist, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that if Moyes and Lampard were both to lose their jobs, Moyes may wind up back at Goodison Park to try to steer a different team to safety.

But that’s just conjecture.

In the meantime, Frank potentially has one game to save his job. So how will he line-up?

Who’s Out?

No new news on the availability front.

Nathan Patterson, James Garner and Andros Townsend are out, but that’s it.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS WEST HAM

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Begovic, Lonergan,

Defenders: Keane, Mina, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Holgate, Coady, Mykolenko, Coleman, Patterson (INJURED), Vinagre, Welch

Midfielders: Doucoure, Iwobi, Davies, Onana, Gueye, Garner (INJURY), Price

Wingers: Gray, Gordon, Townsend (INJURY), McNeil, Mills

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin, Maupay, Simms

Tactics and Formation

The Blues looked horrendous with a 5-3-2 last week and it would at least be positive for Frank to change that.

Normally that would mean reverting to a 4-3-3. But I have a feeling Frank might throw a curveball in the hope of mixing things up. A 4-4-2 perhaps. A Big Dunc special.

Coleman and Mykolenko are the only real options at full-back, but there might be an opportunity for Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey to come in for Messrs Coady and Tarkowski.

In a 4-4-2, I’d imagine Idrissa Gana Gueye might drop out with Onana and Iwobi expected to take up the slack. Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon on the wings.

Simms and DCL up top.

Yellow kits. Balls in the box. An attack on the senses.

(It’s probably more likely to be a more conventional 4-3-3. But I just have a feeling…)

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 10/10

Seamus Coleman – 10/10

Vitaliy Mykolenko - 10/10

Yerry Mina – 7/10

Ben Godfrey – 7/10

Amadou Onana – 9/10

Alex Iwobi – 8/10

Demarai Gray – 9/10

Anthony Gordon – 7/10

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 9/10

Ellis Simms – 6/10

Bench

Asmir Begovic

Mason Holgate

Conor Coady

James Tarkowski

Ruben Vinagre

Idrissa Gana Gueye

Abdoulaye Doucoure

Dwight McNeil

Neal Maupay