“He has been a consistent performer since I came to this club, but at 29 I can fully understand him wanting to go somewhere else if he thinks he can be the main player”.
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Three draws in games they either had enough or did enough to have won tell the story of why Everton sit ninth coming into week 16 rather than in fifth, on Manchester United’s shoulders and knocking on the door of the top four.
Key Player: Romelu Lukaku – Impossible to ignore the in-form Belgian striker as he continues to deliver for Everton.
Only goal difference keeps the promoted club out of the bottom three, leaving little margin for error when Roberto Martinez’s men come to Carrow Road for Saturday’s televised lunchtime encounter.
The good news is that while the top flight remains so unpredictable, with no side other than surprise leaders Leicester really showing any kind of consistency, there is opportunity for a team that can string together a run of victories.
Saturday afternoon’s hosts claimed a respectable point at home to Arsenal in their last game at Carrow Road, and they could have possibly have gone on to win it, but a 2-0 loss at the hands of fellow newly-promoted side Watford has dented confidence somewhat. A win could see them move above Chelsea into 14th place.
“We know we should have more points from our games so far but the line between success and failure in this league is paper thin”.
The visitors may give a first start of the season to Leighton Baines, but are likely to still be without James McCarthy, who has missed the last two games through injury.
This price looks even more attractive when one accounts for the fact that these sides have drawn five of their last seven matches, including the League Cup tie played at Goodison Park earlier this season, which was decided on penalties. He now has seven in his last seven and looks unstoppable.
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Baines has made two substitute appearances after almost seven months out following two operations on his ankle. But I’ll approach it in the same way I do every game, whether it was Everton or another team. All three have their tails up at the moment and if they’re on their game then Everton should be able to score the goals needed to put them in a position to win this one.
