Everton v Pompey

Pompey make a break from routine this afternoon, we kick off at 3, we're not on the box and its not against any European finalists!

Pompey get a chance to shift some of the gloom away from the City, we have a 100% record so far, played 2 last 2, scored none. Not great reading, but both games were against the 2 teams you would expect to be sitting at the top of the tree come May.

Even though it is still August, no-one wants to look at the table and see their team rock bottom, and Everton is the team who represent the next hurdle in our quest for points.

Everton have been busy in the transfer market of late, but Louis Saha is definitely not available, while Lars Jacobsen and Segundo Castillo are hoping for clearance to play. The thorn that is Tim Cahill is out with an injured foot, while Pienaar and Hibbert are also going to have to watch from the stands.
Everton tend to go with 1 upfront these days, that man is no other than Yakubu, an old favourite from Fratton and a man with a 2 in 2 ratio already. If Moyes decides to go with 2 up top, then James Vaughan is waiting impatiently in the wings.

A man in form, he generally scores in flurries, and is a muscular and pacy handful for our defence.

Defoe is the main worry for Pompey, he has been struggling with a virus all week and may struggle to make the line-up. This however gives Redknapp the opportunity to either revert to the 4-5-1 formation that served us so well last year, or usher in an eager Ben Sahar for his first action of the season.
Jerome Thomas has a back injury, how serious it is we do not know, but I reckon he will make the bench.
Traore (no, not that one) will get a chance on the left again after an impressive debut against Utd at Fratton.
Will Distin be left-back again? I reckon he might, Redknapp has a thing for big centre-backs playing full-back, Hreidarsson is evidence of that, so he may well fill in there again.

Big expectations from the big man, but no goals so far, he may well be going it alone today, a goal or two will certainly not go amiss.

Our record at Goodison isn't the greatest, 3-1 last March was just another in a line of defeats on Merseyside, and if we lose this one it will be our worst ever start to a Premiership season!

Rick Buckler (drums)

I've got an inkling for a performance this afternoon, Everton both score and conceed, so far we can't score and conceed!But all things come to an end, and I will stick my neck out and go for a 3-2 Pompey win in a game bound for Football1st's game of the day! Am I wrong? Place your predictions here.

Week off next week, then a return to Fratton with Middlesborough.

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