Royal Blue Mersey - Everton vs West Ham: Premier League Matchday 12It's a grand old team to supporthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52544/royal_fav.png2014-11-24T00:38:33+00:00http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/rss/stream/70224342014-11-24T00:38:33+00:002014-11-24T00:38:33+00:00Player Ratings: Everton beat West Ham
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<figcaption>Chris Brunskill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Everton came head to head with inform West Ham United this Saturday and the Blues were looking to get another win on the board.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a> were always going to put up a tough battle, one I'm glad we fought through and overcame. We showed some real bottle on Saturday and I don't condone players pushing and shoving each other but it was great to see the lads sticking up for each other and having a bit of bite and aggression to their play, something I feel we've missed so far this year.</p>
<p><span>Tim Howard</span>- 8 - Tim doesn't do a lot wrong in any games and he didn't against West Ham. He was strong and made a couple of good saves when the game was in the balance. If I'm being slightly critical, I felt his positioning for their goal wasn't what he wanted, he was slightly to advanced when he didn't need to be, but that's being critical. Tim had another strong showing on the whole.</p>
<p><span>Seamus Coleman</span>- 8 - Nothing to complain about with Seamus and there rarely is! He was once again comfortable on the ball and took us forward with Naismith making runs in front of him.</p>
<p><span>Phil Jagielka</span>- 7.5 - Jags had an all round good game but I've marked him down for their goal as I feel when the ball was played into Zarate who scored their goal, Jagielka could have been a lot tighter on his marking, this preventing the shot. However, saying that, he did assist in keeping <span>Andy Carroll</span> quiet all game.</p>
<p><span>Sylvain Distin</span> - 7.5 - again I feel his marking could have been better and a lot tighter. Distin does look like he his coming back into some form though which is a big positive. The French centre back quelled Carroll's aerial threat for the full match and gave him little chance of scoring.</p>
<p><span>Tony Hibbert</span>- 7.5 - Not a bad performance from Hibbert in his out of position showing at left back. Personally, I'd liked to have seen <span>Luke Garbutt</span> over Hibbert, but Tony didn't do much wrong to be fair. Made a couple of crunching tackles and kept his position well.</p>
<p><span>Leon Osman</span>- 8.5 - Ossie has had a few fans grumbling over the last month and I feel with his goal against Lille and a very crucial goal yesterday in his 400th appearance in an <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> shirt. Osman ran his legs off and he was a lot quicker on the ball which is something I've been critical of so far this season. He helped move us forward and covered Gareth Barry's position well.</p>
<p><span><span>James McCarthy</span>- 9 - The instigator isn't a name you'd associate with McCarthy when it comes to clashes between players, however, after yesterday I couldn't think of a more apt name! After a heavy challenge on West Ham's Morgan Amalfitano, he picked himself up of the floor and went on to come face to face with a couple of West Ham players who didn't like his tackle. It's great to see that aggression in him as he comes across as a pretty quiet character but one that gets through his work. Yesterday he contributed excellently and took pressure, that might otherwise have been on Osman.</span></p>
<p><span>Ross Barkley</span>- 7 - Some may think I'm being harsh with scoring Barkley down as a 7, but yesterday might have been one of Ross' worst games in an Everton shirt today. I felt he lost the ball a few to many times and his passing took a dip. I also can't tell you my disappointment and embarrassment as a fan to see Ross throwing himself to the floor having not been touched by <span>Kevin Nolan</span>, we don't need that in our team and he doesn't need that in his game. I'm hoping to see a reaction from Barkley on Thursday.</p>
<p><span>Steven Naismith</span>- 8.5 - A top performance from Naismith. I thought he gave everything and ran all day down his wing. His effort as for a couple of other players, is unquestionable. Although he didn't score on this occasion he created lots of space for Lukaku throughout the match.</p>
<p><span>Kevin Mirallas</span>- 8 - Kevin had a good performance on his return to the side. The Belgian added pace down the left wing which is certainly something we missed against the likes of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a>. He added another dimension to our attack gave opportunities going forward.</p>
<p><span>Romelu Lukaku</span>- 8.5- Rom looked a lot more comfortable yesterday and was relaxed confident. I think the passed few weeks he may having been trying to hard, but he let himself run our attack and got a goal for his efforts.</p>
<p>Samuel Eto'o- Sub - I don't usually make judgments on subs unless they came on in the first half of a game. However, Sammy really added brilliantly to our attack and broke the West Ham defence down with a bit of pace and know how through the middle. He assisted Osman for our winning goal which was testament to his effort when he came on.</p>
<p>Muhamed Besic and <span>Christian Atsu</span> also appeared as late substitutes.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/24/7271817/everton-vs-west-ham-player-ratingsAlex.Fitz.EFC2014-11-22T17:08:02+00:002014-11-22T17:08:02+00:00Osman's goal against West Ham<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/OJLrbPxjiEh/embed/simple" width="480" height="480"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Leon Osman scores to put Everton ahead against West Ham.</p></p></div>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/22/7267761/osmans-goal-against-west-hamCalvin2014-11-22T16:59:13+00:002014-11-22T16:59:13+00:00Everton take three points against West Ham
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<figcaption>Chris Brunskill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Blues take three points against 4th-place Hammers.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> came into the match against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a> with injury concerns and not the strongest of lineups, but were able to take three points off Sam Allardyce's fourth-place club.</p>
<p>Everton dominated possession in the first half, but both teams had their fair share of chances. <span>Carl Jenkinson</span> was a menace on the right side for the Hammers, linking up with <span>Andy Carroll</span> a number of times, but West Ham couldn't find the goal.</p>
<p><span>Romelu Lukaku</span> put the Toffees in the lead in the 25th minute. <span>Steven Naismith</span> headed the ball to <span>Ross Barkley</span>, whose shot was deflected to Lukaku, who then brought it down and coolly slotted it into the back of the net.</p>
<p>Referee Mark Clattenburg, recently infamous for letting his Ed Sheeran fandom get him suspended, lost control of the game towards the end of the first 45 minutes, and had a bad day all around. A <span>James McCarthy</span> foul on <span>Morgan Amalfitano</span> resulted in red card shouts from West Ham, but Clattenburg only gave a yellow. The referee was happy to blow the whistle and send the teams to the dressing rooms for the break.</p>
<p>The question on the minds of Everton supporters at the beginning of the second half was: could Everton keep the lead and avoid second half woes that plagued the early season?</p>
<p>That question was answered in the 56th minute as 50th-minute substitute Mauro Zarate's shot deflected off Phil Jagielka's foot and into Tim Howard's goal to level the score.</p>
<p><span>Kevin Mirallas</span> got a yellow card for a poor tackle, but James Tompkins' dive as he engaged Mirallas in a shoving match after was utterly shameful.</p>
<p>Everton made it 2-1 on a <span>Leon Osman</span> goal. Lukaku got the ball on a breakaway, and was taken down by <span>James Collins</span> as he passed to Samuel Eto'o. The referee's advantage was played allowing Eto'o's cross into Osman, who buried the winner. Osman put in a strong performace throughout the match, and deserved a goal for his day.</p>
<p>Five minutes of stoppage time were added on, but the Blues managed to fight off any West Ham opportunities and come away with the three points.</p>
<p>My Man of the Match is Leon Osman. His sublime pass in the 18th minute and the decisive goal were his highlights. Let us know in the comments if you agree or vote for another player.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/22/7266697/everton-west-ham-instant-reactionSean Yancy2014-11-22T15:37:27+00:002014-11-22T15:37:27+00:00Lukaku's goal against West Ham<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/OJ33FTQUO3A/embed/simple" width="480" height="480"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Romelu Lukaku scores to put Everton 1-0 up against West Ham.</p></p></div>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/22/7267425/lukakus-goal-against-west-hamCalvin2014-11-22T14:06:00+00:002014-11-22T14:06:00+00:00Live Gamethread: Join us for a chat!
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<p>It's game time.. but who's fit enough to play?!</p> <p>The complicated fitness situation at Finch Farm means Roberto Martinez will be juggling players and formations again as Everton host West Ham United today. Seamus Coleman, Leighton Baines, Kevin Mirallas, Steven Pienaar, James McCarthy, and Darron Gibson are all late decisions to see if they can play. Meanwhile, we do know that Gareth Barry, Bryan Oviedo, John Stones, Arouna Kone and Antolin Alcaraz are definitely out. That's eleven players on the injury report, and the Blues roster was never that deep to begin with.</p>
<p>West Ham meanwhile have their fair share of players who might be on the fence of the fitness test too, with key players Winston Reid, Diafra Sakho, Stewart Downing and Enner Valencia all picking up knocks in international fixtures.</p>
<p>The Hammers are currently in fourth place after a flying start to the season, and under Sam Allardyce in his fourth season with the club are playing some pretty, attacking football. Everton meanwhile have been very inconsistent and are in tenth, but just four points behind. Parity in the Premier League this season has meant that really all spots are out there for the taking, and the Blues just need to string together a few wins to solidify their position among the top of the pack.</p>
<p>Everton starting XI - Howard, Coleman, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, McCarthy, Osman, Barkley, Mirallas, Naismith, Lukaku.</p>
<p>Everton subs - Robles, Eto’o, Besic, Atsu, Browning, Garbutt, Ledson.</p>
<p>West Ham starting XI - Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Jenkinson, Collins, Nolan, Tomkins, Noble, Amalfitano, Cole, Carroll.</p>
<p>West Ham subs - Jarvis, Zarate, Vaz Te, O’Brien, Demel, Jaaskelainen, Lletget</p>
<p>Join us in the comments section for a chat!</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/22/7267121/everton-vs-west-ham-live-gamethread-premier-leagueCalvin2014-11-21T16:01:00+00:002014-11-21T16:01:00+00:00Hammers Head to Goodison: Match Preview
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<img alt="Everton's success on Saturday may hinge on the health of James McCarthy." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CF1J0GX13MZ07h3Y6U-1zLcwkdw=/0x52:3000x2052/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44199248/458227290.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Everton's success on Saturday may hinge on the health of James McCarthy. | Chris Brunskill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The bruised Toffees return to league play against the fourth-place Hammers, looking to get the domestic campaign back on track.</p> <p>November 22, 2014 - 3:00 p.m. GMT, 10:00 a.m. EST</p>
<p>TV Info - <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/1207112/everton-vs-west-ham-united/">Live Soccer TV</a></p>
<p>If pundits had been told at the start of the season that a November matchup between <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Everton</a> and <a href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">West Ham United</a> would be a matchup of teams at fourth and tenth in the table, they would not have thought much of it.</p>
<p>But if you told them it would be between the 4th place Hammers and 10th place Toffees, they probably would have laughed at you.</p>
<p>Still, that's where things stand just past the quarter-season mark. West Ham comes to Goodison Park on Saturday in a Champions League position, while Everton sits barely in the top half of the table.</p>
<h4>Team News</h4>
<p>Sean Yancy touched on this <a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/20/7254867/everton-injury-west-ham-baines">in a post on Thursday</a> -- <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Everton's</a> injury list is not getting any shorter. <span>Seamus Coleman</span> appears to be available after appearing for the Republic of Ireland over the international break, but <span>Leighton Baines</span>, <span>James McCarthy</span>, <span>Kevin Mirallas</span>, <span>Darron Gibson</span>, and <span>Steven Pienaar</span> are all questionable.</p>
<p><span>Gareth Barry</span> will likely be out, and <span>Bryan Oviedo</span>, <span>John Stones</span>, Arouna Kone, and Antolin Alcaraz are still long-term injury absentees.</p>
<h4>The Opposition</h4>
<p>Sam Allardyce's shrewd moves in the last two years have propelled the Hammers to a stellar start to the season. This offseason, he added <span>Diafra Sakho</span> (6 goals), <span>Enner Valencia</span> (3 goals), <span>Aaron Cresswell</span> (who has started all 11 league matches) and <span>Alex Song</span> (on loan from Barcelona), after adding <span>Stewart Downing</span> (2 goals and 4 assists) and <span>Morgan Amalfitano</span> before last season.</p>
<p>After two disappointing seasons at <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a>, Downing is enjoying a resurgence with the East London club. Allardyce has put Downing in a no. 10 role behind strikers Sakho and Valencia, and the 30-year-old Downing has profited greatly from the move.</p>
<p>Downing's fine form earned him an England call-up, but unfortunately for him, he picked up a knee injury against Scotland, and is a doubt for the match on Saturday. Sakho also picked up an injury over the international break, and is a doubt as well.</p>
<p>Sakho's injury could open the door for Andy Carroll's first start of the season.</p>
<p>On the other side of the pitch, <span>Winston Reid</span> leads a defense that has conceded 14 goals in 11 league matches.</p>
<h4>What to Watch For</h4>
<p>With the availability of five players up in the air, this is a tough match to predict much about.</p>
<p>The midfield will be where Everton would normally look to dominate a team that plays with two strikers and a diamond midfield, but with no Barry and perhaps no McCarthy as well, that plan loses its luster quickly.</p>
<p>A central midfield pairing of McCarthy/Besic or McCarthy/Gibson (if Gibson is healthy) would still be feasible, but if the top healthy pairing is Besic/Gibson, <span>Roberto Martinez</span> may opt to go with only one holding midfielder, and play with both <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> and Samuel Eto'o up front.</p>
<p>Ideally though, Everton will still have enough healthy options to try to win the numbers game in the midfield. If McCarthy can play and Everton can control the midfield, it will hopefully open up opportunities for <span>Ross Barkley</span> to make plays in the space allotted by a four-man West Ham midfield.</p>
<p>Defensively, Everton must be prepared to deal with the pace of Valencia and the strength of Carroll/Sakho. Phil Jagielka has revived his season over the course of the last month, and will be up for the challenge. <span>Sylvain Distin</span>, on the other hand, could be in for trouble, as his lessening pace and strength have been noticeable at times this season. If Baines cannot play, the only option is to play <span>Luke Garbutt</span> at left-back, which is far from ideal as well.</p>
<p>Whoever ends up playing as the holding midfielder(s) will have to be on his/their game to help deal with the threat of the two strikers.</p>
<p>With West Ham on the road and missing its top playmaker, the Hammers will probably look to play direct, testing the Everton center backs in the air early and often.</p>
<h4>The Final Word</h4>
<p>Injuries may ultimately tell the final story in this one.</p>
<p>How does Martinez run his midfield with so many question marks? How does Big Sam line up the Hammers with both his leading goal scorer and assist man injured? Will Andy Carroll revive the ghosts of FA Cups past?</p>
<p>It is tough to say. What can be said is this: with matches at Tottenham and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> coming up before the holiday period, Everton needs 3 points from its home matches if the club wants to push its way out of the jumble at the middle of the table.</p>
<p>If that move does not start happening soon, the teams in the top six could start putting distance between themselves and the Toffees.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/21/7257259/everton-v-west-ham-united-match-preview-premier-leagueAdam.Braun2014-11-20T17:51:30+00:002014-11-20T17:51:30+00:00Everton Injury Update
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<figcaption>Nigel Roddis/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The boss gives an update on Leighton Baines and more.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> manager <span>Roberto Martinez</span> gave an injury update in his <a href="http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2014/11/20/boss-baines-touch-and-go" target="_blank">press conference</a> Thursday morning. He had good news for Evertonians, revealing that <span>Leighton Baines</span>, who was injured on international duty with England, could recover and play on Saturday against West Ham:</p>
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<p>"We're checking Leighton on a daily basis, he's someone who heals really quickly and at the moment it's difficult to know if he's going to be involved on Saturday or not - it's going to be touch and go."</p>
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<p><span>Darron Gibson</span> was another injury victim during the international break, but will be assessed ahead of Saturday's match at Goodison Park. Martinez on Gibson:</p>
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<p>"He hasn't been able to train yet because his knee suffered a little bit in [the Republic of Ireland's] game against Scotland."</p>
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<p><span>Seamus Coleman</span>, <span>James McCarthy</span>, <span>Kevin Mirallas</span>, and <span>Steven Pienaar</span> will also be assessed before taking to the pitch against the Hammers. Coleman did get playing time with the Republic of Ireland in a loss to Steven Naismith's Scotland. Here's what the Blues' manager said about his chances of playing Saturday:</p>
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<p>"Seamus Coleman played with five stitches against Scotland, so we just need to check the wound."</p>
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<p>Antolin Alcaraz, <span>Gareth Barry</span>, Arouna Kone, <span>Bryan Oviedo</span>, and <span>John Stones</span> remain injured and will not play against West Ham.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/20/7254867/everton-injury-west-ham-bainesSean Yancy2014-11-20T14:38:43+00:002014-11-20T14:38:43+00:00Blogger Q&A: RBM chat with Iron Views
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<figcaption>Baines scoring one of his two free-kick goals against the Hammers last season. | Ian Walton/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Blues take on Hammers this Saturday. </p> <p><a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/" target="_blank">Royal Blue Mersey</a> had the pleasure of chatting with <a href="http://www.ironviews.com/author/stuart-plant/" target="_blank">Stuart</a> from <a href="http://www.ironviews.com/" target="_blank">Iron Views</a>, a hugely popular and widely followed <a href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">West Ham United</a> blog. This is what he had to say ahead of his side's trip to <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Everton</a> this weekend.</p>
<p><b>RBM - This season is one of parity in the Premier League. What were your expectations going into the season, and how have they changed now?</b><br><br>Going into the season, I thought we'd be nailed on Top 10 - I haste to add that's not being arrogant, it was just in regards to our acquisitions over the Summer (even before adding <span>Alex Song</span> late on). <br>I didn't want to get carried away after a few games of us playing well, but being fourth after 11 games is an indication of how well we've started. Especially when you consider the only game we deserved to lose was against <a href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Southampton</a>. <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a>, <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tottenham Hotspur</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/hull-city" class="sbn-auto-link">Hull City</a> and <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Aston Villa</a> got lucky in different circumstances. <br>I doubt we'll finish near where we are right now, but I do hope that us and some other clubs can take advantage of the way this season is panning out. Southampton seem the most realistic candidate, but the more that break into the top six this season the more it'll release the grip the 'big boys' have over the league. That, can only be good for the <i>whole </i>league, right?</p>
<p><b>RBM - <span>Sam Allardyce</span> is in his fourth season at the Hammers. How do the fans feel about him now, given that he's had some previous controversy about playing "attractive football"?</b><br><br>I recently wrote <a href="http://www.ironviews.com/dear-mr-allardyce/" target="_blank">an article</a> accounting for his time with us thus far. The Championship I don't scrutinise too much as we just needed to get back into the Premier League at the first try. He did that, job done. First season back - just keep us up, anything else is a bonus. Job done, again. The second season was the one where he let himself, the board and the fans down. Everything was worse, partly down to a truly horrific window in which we didn't cover for the long-term-injured <span>Andy Carroll</span>. <br>Even now there's some who don't want him past this season regardless of how well we do. That, is his own fault in part - but also the ignorance of some fans. <br>The football itself has evolved from the quality of players brought into a decent squad. The thing which has seen us be even more expansive though was the Hull game. We had set up with three up top, expecting Hull to play a back three as they'd been doing regularly at that point. They changed it at the last minute - so Sam decided to switch the formation to a midfield Diamond. We've used the same formation since, and it has worked tremendously on the whole.</p>
<p><b>RBM - West Ham has long been known as 'The Academy of Football'. What does the youth setup look like? Are there any players that will be breaking into the senior side soon?</b><br><br>It's in a strange state at the moment. Recently our Development coach has left, if rumours are to be believed, on quite bad terms. The legend that is Tony Carr has been given more of a back-set role in the Academy now (considering his age, it was to be expected sooner or later) and replaced him with a new Head of Academy. If he can replicate half the good work that Tony Carr has done, things will be fine.<br>There are a lot of very talented youngsters at the moment, a lot of whom are playing in the age bracket above them too (U18's in the U21's, etc) so that bodes well in that respect. As we speak our U21's have beaten PSV in the Youth International Cup. With a 15yo captaining the side (see below) it shows how well we're doing in that respect.<br>The most prominent of which have been on the bench already this season/been courted quite publicly by <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal</a>, Manchester United and <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a>. Reece Oxford, 15, has already been dubbed the next Rio from the Academy. We have high hopes he'll sign a professional contract but as he isn't on one he can move for less than a bag of peanuts. A bit older and more likely to break through soon we have another young CB in Reece Burke, and young natural-goalscorer Elliot Lee (Son of Rob Lee) who have both been on the subs bench this season. <br>It gets progressively harder for young players to break through regardless of what club they're at though, something which hopefully can be lessened by the breaking up of the top four/six this season.</p>
<p><b>RBM - Who would you say are the best players on the squad so far? Are you expecting lots of activity in the January <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors" class="sbn-auto-link">transfer window</a>?</b><br><br>Stewart Downing has been a revelation since being moved inside to the tip of the diamond this season. <span>Diafra Sakho</span> was immense to come from being 'that random guy who scored goals in Ligue 2' to scoring in his first consecutive 6 games for the Club. Song has a way of swaggering about the pitch and making <i>everything </i>look ten times easier than it should be. <br>All of those are 'obvious' answers though, whilst they've all been outstanding, I would have to go with Aaron Cresswell. He joined after being voted into the PFA Championship Team of the Year, on a small fee and with huge potential. He has made the old cliche of finding the transition to the Premier League look utter tosh! On current form, he has made the fee Manchester United paid for <span>Luke Shaw</span> look even stupider than it already looked.</p>
<p><b>RBM - The Irons have been pretty good at home, but a middling side when not playing at Upton Park. What changes when they are away?</b><br><br> Funnily enough, we're statistically better Away, having only lost once Away rather than twice at Home. That loss away from Upton Park was also the game we should have at least drawn at Old Trafford! <br>Our possession is 50% Away, rather than 45% at Home. We rack up more shots on target Away, and we concede more shots on target at Home. It's a peculiar one, as each season we switch from being better Away to better at Home, this season we seem to have a good medium between the two.</p>
<p><b>RBM - Finally, </b><span><b>a score prediction from you for Saturday? Which players (on either side) do you think will have a good game? </b><br><br>I'd love a win, especially after such a long international break, but you're somewhat a bogey team, especially at Goodison, for us. <br>I do though, feel we could get a win - but I think it'll ultimately be a score draw at best for us.<br>For you, <span>Leighton Baines</span> is always a dead cert to score against us. I don't think I've ever seen one player score two free-kicks like that in one game. Unbelievable! Others for you who could trouble us are <span>Steven Naismith</span> as he has been in brilliant form this season, <span>Leon Osman</span> who also loves a goal against us and <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> is always a handful regardless of his form.<br>For us, Song will be important for us to get anything from the game. I have a feeling <span>Enner Valencia</span> will have a big game in him. Carroll from the bench (as shown vs Villa) could prove critical to swing the game if needs be.</span></p>
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<p>Our thanks to Stuart again for taking the time to speak with us, here's looking forward to a great game on Saturday.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/11/20/7253809/everton-vs-west-ham-blogger-q-a-with-iron-viewsCalvin