Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Everton will make a late decision on John Stones and Tim Howard, who have both missed the last two matches with respective hamstring and knee injuries.
New signing Oumar Niasse could make his debut if he proves his fitness, but Muhamed Besic is still missing.
West Brom will be without defender Gareth McAuley for two weeks after he injured his hamstring in their FA Cup clash with Peterborough on Wednesday.
Jonny Evans, Craig Dawson and Chris Brunt are all doubtful for the Baggies.
Editor’s Note: Everton have got back to winning ways over the past few weeks with back to back 3-0 wins over Newcastle and Stoke. Those two wins have taken the pressure off of Roberto Martinez as his side now sit 8th and more importantly above their Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
The Toffees have continued to be deadly in attack but more importantly have tightened things up the back with subsequent clean sheets. It just goes to show what a difference being tight at the back can do for aside especially as it doesn’t negate all their attacking endeavour. Maybe the penny has dropped for Roberto Martinez that they need to be disciplined at the back or maybe they’ve just been lucky and come across poor opposition in the past two weeks.
In a week where Everton have been linked with a £200m buyout of the club by American Investors could they finally have the funds to bridge the gap between themselves and the Top 4 to be competing for European Football on a more regular basis. Considering the prices being quoted for Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and John Stones it seems buying that price is quite a bargain as you wouldn’t get much change out of £200m if you were to buy those three.
Everton will look to make it 3 wins on the spin as they play host to a West Brom side who will no doubt feel the effects of being taken to Penalties by Peterborough in the F.A. Cup 4th Round Replay on Wednesday, in a game that West Brom were arguably lucky to get through unscathed.
With Tony Pulis treating the Cup surprisingly with the upmost respect, he may have to ring the changes to try and combat the effects of putting out a weary side against Everton this Afternoon. His West Brom side currently find themselves without a win in 5 matches and 14th in the Premier League. They will just about be safe this season but they can’t afford to take the foot off the gas just yet.
The dilemma facing West Brom as of late is what do they aim to achieve each season, how do they underline success. In the eyes of Chairman Jeremy Peace it seems to be just stay up, now in Tony Pulis they have the perfect Manager to achieve that but that survival and completed objective does come at a price, that price being the standard of Football.
If you were a West Brom fan would you be happy with the Football that Pulis offers up or would you rather a Manager take a risk and live with the consequences of Relegation. The fan may opt for the latter but unfortunately it’s the Chairman who will have the ultimate say and it seems as if the mantra at The Hawthorns is survival at all costs please.
As for matters at Goodison Park Today I reckon Everton’s momentum from the past couple of weeks will put them in good stead as I think they will continue their winning run against a West Brom side who are becoming incredibly difficult to watch and therefore write about as of late. The Baggies to come unstuck against The Toffees.
