League Cup Semi-Final Preview: Everton
By dixon9
January 7 2008
Despite being at home for the first leg of this semi-final, a depleted squad with little options for team selection give reason for guarded optimism at most for a favourable outcome. Everton also over reacted during the build up to this game by resting too many players for the weekends shock FA Cup 3rd round exit against Oldham. They are going to be very fresh - we are down to the bare bones.
Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou have all already departed for the ACN although we are able to use Mikel Obi.
The other good news is that Ricardo Carvalho returns after his 3 match ban and Ashley Cole is fit.
Petr Cech is probably 40/60 at most for this game although he may make this weekends brought-forward London derby at home to Spurs.
There haven’t been any incoming players so far in the current transfer window so given that Cuducini, Terry, Malouda, Makelele, Lampard and Shevchenko are all still out due to injury and with the ACN absentees the team should virtually pick itself.
Everton seem prepared to incur the wrath of the South African FA by insisting on picking Steven Pienaar who was required to fly out to the national camp yesterday.
Joseph Yobo will probably make selection although, fortunately for us, the skilful and influential Arteta is suspended.
Tim Howard, Tim Cahill and Phil Neville all return.
Joe Cole:
"Any team losing Drogba, Essien, Kalou and Mikel, it's going to be tough. But the players who we've got here are champing at the bit to play.
"You've got Pizarro to come in, who's a top class striker, and everyone else who has come in has done a good job.
"I'm not going to say it's going to be easy, but it's a great challenge for us and we're up for the challenge.
"We've got a good strong squad still and everyone is raring to go and the atmosphere is good. We've got loads of important games and the lads are really looking forward to it."
Not so sure about the strength of the squad at the moment to be honest Joe! We could have done with Makelele, Malouda or Shevchenko being fit but there you go!
Still, it does give Pizarro an opportunity to show us what he can do. Whilst the Peruvian has played some part this season, he still hasn’t been used in his ideal position as a target man. I’m not too sure why we have been playing him as a second, deep lying striker or even what seems to be a midfield position more recently.
I’d be slightly surprised if we get a result tomorrow evening. The League (or Carling) Cup has been a favourite of mine despite its minor status according to many fans – to get to Wembley again would be nice.
I reckon 4-3-3: Hilario, Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole, Mikel, Ballack, Sidwell, SWP, Pizarro, J Cole.
Prediction? 1-1
Provisional Chelsea squad: Cech, Hilario, Belletti, A Cole, J Cole, Ben-Haim, Alex, Carvalho, Bridge, Ferreira, Sidwell, Sinclair, Sahar, Wright-Phillips, Pizarro, Obi, Ballack.
Provisional Everton squad: Howard, Hibbert, Neville, Stubbs, Lescott, Yobo, Valente, Baines, Gravesen, Cahill, Carsley, McFadden, Johnson, Yakubu, Vaughan, Anichebe, Jagielka, Pienaar, Wessels.
Joe Cole:
"Everton are a brilliant side. They held us to a draw at Stamford Bridge and have a great manager in David Moyes.
"It'll be tough, but we've got to go and win the game on Tuesday. It would be great to go to Goodison Park with any lead. If we did that it would put us in a healthy position."
Phil Neville:
"The FA Cup defeat [to Oldham] was a minor setback, but a lot of Premier League clubs had problems in the third round.
"We don't like losing and this season is not over by a long way. These things happen, we won't dwell on it, we will move on now and try to get to Wembley.
"Chelsea have not lost at home for a long while and Everton don't get to many finals, but my view is that we should go out and prove everyone wrong.
"To be the Everton captain that leads the side out at Wembley would probably be the best thing that has happened in my career.
PIANAAR
.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.