Back to where it ends

It's 7,500 days since King Kenny last stood in the Goodison Park dugout, and now he is back and is going to finish his unfinished business.  A derby is always tough and we need to play very well to go home with 3 points.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Kelly
Carragher
Skrtel
Enrique
Kuyt
Adam
Lucas
Downing
Suarez
Carroll

Result 2:0

September Month Report

2W2L and we suffered our first dip of the season.  The month started with 2 defeats at Stoke (undeserved) and Spur (well deserved), and then we rebounded by winning at Brighton and vs Wolves, although not too convincing.  Anyway we are still sitting at 5th place of the table, but the next month will be very challenging with games vs our two fiercest rivals.

Players of the month (1) Suarez 7.18 (2) Lucas 6.88 (3) Enrique 6.83.  Suarez once again lead the team with one fine goal scored vs Wolves.  Lucas have become our Mr Consistency and featured well in all our league games.  And Enrique's crossing has become a great asset to us.

October prediction:
10/1 Everton (a) Derby will be tough and we need a good mentality to win it.
10/15 Manchester United (h) We need to win to close the gap.
10/22 Norwich City (h) Norwich did well in the first 2 months and this will not be a pushover game.
10/25 Stoke City (a) Once again, Britannia Stadium is a difficult place to visit and we need a revenge.
10/29 West Bromwich Albion (a) Playing against Mr Hodgson's team and we need to find a way to break them down.

Match Report 110924 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Back to winning days

2:1 and after two disappointing defeats we are back to winning days.  We did well overall and could be  winnig by a larger margin, but once again we did not take chances and at the end it was only a close win.  Anyway this is still a good win and moved us up to 5th place in the table.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Solid at the back.
Kelly: 7 A good game after the injury.
Carragher: 7 Lead the team with examples.
Skrtel: 7 Solid defending.
Enrique: A superb assist to the winning goal.
Henderson: 7 Not adventurous enough.
Adam: 7 Forced the first goal.
Lucas: 7 Solid defending as usual.
Downing: 7 A good run.
Suarez: 8 Scored a great goal and excellent all round.
Carroll: 7 Was unlucky not to have scored.

Substitutions:
Kuyt: 7 Worked hard as usual.
Gerrard: 7 Have a good shot attempt.

King Kenny: 7 Would be delighted about the result, but there are lots of improvements needed for the team.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: 7 Did well in 2H.

Man of the Match: Suarez.  Another superb goal.

Rebound in the League

After two league defeats we responded well in qualifying for the 4th round in the League Cup, despite not playing too well in the 2H, we are now back to the league playing against the Wolves. We have almost identical results recently, so both teams would like to win this match. Our players will be ready for the challenge. My Team Prediction: Reina Kelly Carragher Skrtel Enrique Adam Lucas Kuyt Gerrard Downing Suarez Result 2:0

Match Report 110921 at Brighton & Hove Albion: A good response

2:1 and this is a nice response after two successive defeats. We played very well in the first half at a difficult place, but it was a mystery that we were only one up (and hit the bar 3 times). At the second hard, Brighton improved a lot, but a fine goal by Kuyt settled the game. At the end we conceded a needless penalty, but in general there is no threat that the match will go to extra time. It is good to see Stevie G has a run of 15 minutes at the end of the game, and we need his inspiration in the coming games. Players Rating: Reina: 7 Solid in general. Kelly: 7 A good come-back game. Carragher: 7 A solid game. Coates: 6.5 Defended well but need to improve on his passing. In general a nice debut start. Robinson: 7 A good game by the young kid. Kuyt: 7 Scored a nice goal to open his account. Spearing: 6.5 A bit indecisive that lead to the penalty conceded. Had a nice shot on goal. Lucas: 7 Did very well. Maxi: 7 A nice assist. Suarez: 7 A nice assist and should have scored a few. Bellamy: 7.5 A nice goal and good all-round performance. Substitutions: Gerrard: 7 A good come-back game. Flanagan: 6.5 Not enough time to impress. King Kenny: 7 Would be delighted about the result, but still need to pay attention to the drop in performance in 2H. Brighton & Hove Albion: 6.5 Really respond well in the second half, and we might see them in the Premier League next season. Man of the Match: Bellamy. A player with heart.

Respond

After 2 defeats the focus is shifted to the League Cup, and Brighton is our next opponent. They are doing well in the Championship, sitting at 3rd place and unbeaten at home, so they will be ready to entertain the mighty Reds. And we of course need to be in full gear if we want to proceed. My Team Prediction: Reina Flanagan Carragher Coates Robinson Kuyt Gerrard Lucas Downing Bellamy Carroll Result 2:0

Match Report 110918 at Tottenham Hotspur: Tactical mistake

0:4 and it was a very poor result, probably caused by the tactical mistake that King Kenny has made. With Kelly and Johnson both injured, it was up to Skrtel to handle Bale, and in truth, he failed to do so. What's more. King Kenny try to go gung-ho and left Kuyt out of the starting 11, making us overrun by Bale. And together with some unfair treatment by the balloon ball referee, we were two men down and there was no way of return. We definitely need to learn a lesson and pick up as soon as possible. Players Rating: Reina: 6 Helpless for 3 of the goals but was responsible for the 3rd goal conceded. Skrtel: 5 Two clumsy and stupid mistake and he had an early bath. Carragher: 6 Could be better to put Carra on the right. Agger: 6 Once again injured... Enrique: 6.5 One of the better player. Henderson: 6 A quiet performance. Adam: 4 A bit harsh for the second yellow, but no complaint... Lucas: 6.5 Solid in the middle. Downing: 6 Played OK. Suarez: 6 Need to control temper at times. Carroll: 5.5 Disappointing. Substitutions: Coates: 6 Did OK on his debut and show some pace. Spearing: 6 Provided some steal in the midfield. Bellamy: 6 Not yet providing any real threat to the team. King Kenny: 5 A questionable lineup and need to regroup quickly. Tottenham Hotspur: 8 Credits have to given to them for playing so well. Would be our main thread for the race for 4th place. Men of the Match: Enrique/Lucas. We need more players like them.

North London double

After a disappointing defeat at Stoke, we are facing another tough away game at Tottenham. And this is a crucial game in the race for fourth place. Spurs have rested most of the players in the midweek Europa game, so they should be fresh in facing us. We need to be playing really well if we want to bring three points home. My Team Prediction: Reina Kelly Carragher Agger Enrique Adam Lucas Kuyt Henderson Downing Suarez Result 2:0

Match Report 110910 at Stoke City: We deserve more

0:1 and the result is disappointing. As King Kenny has rightly pointed out, we were denied a few clear cut penalties. Yet the wastage of our strikers are also to blame, as we have created so many chances but failed to take any of them. Anyway, if we play like this day-in, day-out, we will win more games for sure. Players Rating: Reina: 6.5 Can't do much about the penalty. Skrtel: 6.5 Did OK on the right back position. Carragher: 6 Hate to say that, but age is now coming to him... Agger: 7 Solid at the back. Enrique: 7 Another nice display. Henderson: 7 Should have scored the equalizer. Adam: 7 Solid display. Lucas: 7 Did well in breaking down the opponents. Downing: 7 Another impressive performance. Kuyt: 6.5 Run hard as usual. Suarez: 7.5 Very lively as usual. Substitutions: Bellamy: 7 Very lively performance. Carroll: 6 Failed to make an impact. Johnson: 6 Sorry to see him injured again. King Kenny: 6.5 Should have react quicker after trailing behind. Stoke City: 6.5 A bit lucky to win the game, but credits have to be given to their defense. Man of the Match: Suarez. Just tireless...

Physical Challenge

Britannia Stadium is a very tough place to visit and we only managed 2 draws and 1 defeats in our previous three visits. Nevertheless, the currently team is stronger and King Kenny will be more adventurous and try to get another three points there. It will be a tough physical challenge, and we will be ready for it. My Team Prediction: Reina Johnson Carragher Agger Enrique Kuyt Lucas Adam Henderson Downing Suarez Result 2:0