Kipper on Nuno Valente

What a shit game to start this malarkey. Word is Moyesy had calls from all sorts of agents and had a choice of 4 left backs to bring to Goodison during the last few days of the Summer transfer window, including Michael Ball. He picked Jorge Nuno Valente. Nuno is a European Cup Winner and Portuguese International. So he is obviously no mug. He is knocking on now so he's not as fast as he used to be. That's if he was fast in the first place. I don't know. One thing I do know is he likes to play football. He likes to pass the ball out of defence. He has very seldom given the ball away in the few games he's been with us. He did a few times today though.

He was up against Sibiereski today and City were using the height of the winger in the same way we use Kilbane when we have a couple of short arse's up front. He coped ok with the big fella. He through a few good tackles in. He got caught out of position a few times when he joined in the attack, only to see the ball given away by Marcus Bent. He was goosed then for pace and couldn't get back. In the second half, he was up against Croft. The substitute is an old fashioned winger and gave Nuno a different problem. He came off 50/50 in this getting in a few tackles to stop the young lad, but also got skinned a few times. His best attribute is he can whip in a great cross pace, but he only had a couple of chances to use it today.

Jogger on James McFadden

Since Jimmy Mac burst onto the scene he looked the business in his first two games against Stockport and Leeds. But after that initial promise I haven’t seen anything and I mean anything that makes me think he is going to make it as a Premiership player.

Today he looked sluggish and I can’t remember him having one shot. One particular instance early in the second half saw him outpaced by City’s centre half Distin after a lovely through ball from Tiny Tim. He runs like Shaggy from a Scooby Do cartoon when being chased by a fucking madman with a scary mask on. He had a yard start on Distin and there was no way he was going to get there before him.

I haven’t seen any defender being out done by him for a long time.The play breaks down so often when the ball comes Jimmy's way. I hope he proves me wrong I can’t see him playing much longer for Everton.

Moyesy says: "I am definitely concerned because we are trying everything we can. We are trying different combinations and giving everybody an opportunity. We played 4-4-2 today to try and get some goals. We got a goal in midweek and I hoped we could carry that on in the game today. In the first half we were a bit more solid and a bit harder to break down. But when you're not scoring two and three goals and playing flowing football there's always going to be a problem if you lose a goal.

I thought it was a poor game and it didn't look as though anybody was going to win it until a wonder strike turned it. Manchester City were possibly a bit better than us but not much better. We want to win some games because we know we have to move away from where we are. We've got difficult games and I thought that today was a real chance for us to win but it wasn't to be."

* 11.15am kick-off on a Sunday. The earliest ever in the history of the Premiership. Unforgivable.

* Some of our fans missed the first 15 minutes of the game, due to traffic problems. Jammy bastards.

Everton are still without long term casualties Nace, Pisto and James Vaughan. This game has come too soon for Harry Hill, Andy Pandy and PK who could all be ready for the Spurs game in a fortnight. Now certainly out is Tony Hibbert still struggling with a Knee injury sustained in the Dinamo game. Our Tater cannot be considered for the City game under the seven-day ruling for players who have lapsed out of consciousness. Simon Davies will have a fitness test to see if he has recovered from injury.

The formation Everton plays depends on if Moyesy sticks with the 442 or goes back to 451. Matteo Ferrari did enough to keep his place. Ossie may replace Arteta. Big Dunc may end up back on the bench after his exploits against Dinamo. Biffa has another 20 minutes under his belt and will be involved some part of the game. Youngsters midfielder Lawrence Wilson and forward Victor Anichebe are added to the squad.

Tim Cahill says: "Last season's game at Manchester City has got mixed memories for me with what happened. But those times are over now and it is time to look forward to what we have got to do at the minute. It is not looking very good for us at the minute but one result can turn that around for us."

Phil Neville says: "At that time some footballers would still be in bed."

Zinedine Killa says: "Last season the game at Manchester City kick-started our season and probably kick-started things. It gave us the belief to go away from home and get victories. We would take any win at the moment. We have just got to keep believing in ourselves and hopefully it will turn for us. We have got a lot of experience in the team, as have the players we have brought in. I hope that is going to count for us. We have always had mental strength here. I am sure the new lads can tap into that and if we keep believing in ourselves and what we are good at the form and the results will turn.

You don't want this run to drag on for too long and for us to start focusing on what could have been. You need to make it count, beginning this Sunday against City. Kilbane insists the players have heeded the lessons from the recent league outings - including last week's disappointing 1-0 home reverse to newly-promoted Wigan Athletic. At times we have played some good football. Silly mistakes have cost us, we have not been switched on a certain times and at this level you get caught out. Against Wigan on Saturday that was the case. Now we have got to get back to basics, we have just got to look after our own jobs, make sure we do our own jobs right and then think about the team later on. Against Wigan it was disappointing we couldn't capitalise on the pressure and chances we had. We have got two away games now, with Tottenham following City. We just have to believe in ourselves because they are tough places to go."

Ossie says: "There have been times all season when we have had 45, 60 minutes of really good pressure and we have been unlucky not to get a goal so we need to keep believing in ourselves and that it will come good and the goals will come. In the first half against Wigan we played well. But for whatever reason - poor finishing, a lack of luck - it didn't happen. We didn't perform in the second half so we have got to make that 45 minute performance lasts through the whole game."

Everton from: Martyn, Weir, Yobo, Ferrari, Valente, Osman, Neville, Cahill, McFadden, Kilbane, Ferguson, Bent, Wright, Hughes, Li Tie, Beattie, Wilson, Anichebe, Davies.

Kipper's Everton XI To Start: Martyn, Ferrari, Yobo, Weir, Valente, Osman, Cahill, Neville, McFadden, Kilbane, Bent.

Lavo's Bet: £10 on Cahill for First Goal (7/1).

Andy Cole and Robbie Fowler may be fit to start for City. Ex-Everton player, Richard Dunne will be in the heart of the shittee defence.

City manager Stuart Pearce watched the Dinamo games and says: "Everton did extremely well. There was a great tempo to the game. They didn't look like a side at the bottom of the Premiership. They are in a false position. Everton played with confidence and will be in the top half come the end of the season. With the Premiership being so tight, they haven't had the rub of the green in certain games.

They have a fantastic manager in David. He’s young and up-and-coming and where do you get better? The fans will realise that if they take stock, but the nature of football now is one minute you’re doing well, the next you get a defeat and people’s opinions change quickly.” (01/10/05)

Alan Irvine says: "It is always a tough place to go and they have had a good start to the season, although they have now had a couple of defeats. Stuart has got them playing in a very well organised and competitive way. Just as last year, it will be a tough game. But it is the kind of game that we can win and if it can provide the same kind of springboard for us it would be terrific.

We will go there and make sure we are organised, working hard and hopefully we will do what we haven't done very often this season and that is take the lead. When we have done it we have won the game so I hope we are able to do that. It will give everybody a lift to be in front again rather than trying to claw something back. There have been some things that have been pleasing but at this level you need to win games and in order to do that you need to score goals. We haven't created enough chances and we certainly haven't taken enough of the chances we have created. If we can keep believing in what we are doing and keep the players' belief as high as possible we have a good chance of turning things around." (01/10/05)

Last Season @ City