Everton vs Fulham: The always dreaded trip to Merseyside

It seems like beating a dead horse recalling Fulham’s record when travelling to Merseyside.  Overcoming that record is their next step in their quest to secure a finish as high in the table as possible, and generate as much revenue for the summer window as possible.  The Goodison faithful are having a fantastic season, one that unfortunately may seal David Moyes future away from Everton after his enviable work making the Toffees consistent contenders for the top 7 and even now pushing for top 4.

It will be a battle for table position this time around, with both teams looking to improve on the 2-2 draw back at Craven Cottage in the reverse fixture from November.  It seems Everton’s Champions League push this season is just a little too far out of reach, but nonetheless the effort was nothing but commendable, and means Moyes’ bunch have finished top 7 all but 1 year dating back to the 2006/2007 season, that 1 was an 8th place finish.  Fulham are a step behind in terms of consistency, and are looking to secure top 10 for the 4th time in 5 years, although it’s an uphill battle as the Whites are in 11th, 2 points behind Swansea and West Ham with 4 to play, and Swansea holding a game in hand.

State of Fulham:

The Whites have hit a real rough patch recently as this streaky season comes to a close.  That’s not too shocking considering the tough schedule through April, but trips to Newcastle and Aston Villa netted just 1 total point, and Fulham couldn’t even muster a single goal at the Cottage against Arsenal or Chelsea, losing a combined 4-0.  In fact, a Fulham player hasn’t found the back of the net since the 3 against QPR back on April Fools Day, which put the Cottagers at 39 points and all but ruled out relegation, giving merit to those who question their motivation once survival was secure.

Don’t expect the points to come flying out of Goodison Park, as Fulham’s struggles there are well documented.  At some point they will buck the trend, but for now it’s 0 league wins at Goodison since Fulham returned to the Premier League in 2001, and they’ve only grabbed 4 points from the 24 league fixtures ever played by the two sides at Everton’s fortress.  4 points, that’s at least a little promising, right? Nope. The last of those 4 points came way back in 1959; it’s been a whole lot of nothing since then.  The only two times Fulham have ever won at Goodison were in the FA Cup fifth round in 1948 and 1975.

Now that that’s out of the way, we turn to the squad.  Obviously Steve Sidwell has put his feet up for the season, having been banned for 7 of the final 8 matches thanks to two consecutive straight reds.  Martin Jol had a discussion with the midfielder, saying it’s his style but he can’t continue to hurt the team with his actions.  Emmanuel Frimpong will return to the selection pool after sitting against his parent club Arsenal due to loan restrictions.  Damien Duff has also returned to full fitness, although Sascha Riether is still having ankle issues, so Stanislav Manolev will most likely continue filling in. As usual, Mahamadou Diarra, Ashkan Dejagah, and Simon Davies are all out the rest of the season and therefore will not make the trip.

State of Everton:

It’s been a bit of a rough go for the Toffees recently as well.  They were in a fierce competition for the final Champions League spot or even fifth, something which in and of itself should be commended.  However just 1 point out of a crucial 0-0 draw with Arsenal and a subsequent loss to Sunderland has seen their prospects become quite faint.  Like Fulham, their defense has performed well as of late, but the goalscoring has dried up a bit.  There’s been nothing in the net in the last 2, although they did get 4 total by QPR and Spurs.

Also in the back of every Everton fan’s mind is their manager.  David Moyes has turned 50 this week, and has taken Everton to new heights with little funds relative to those just above them in the table.  It’s not about fleeting success at Goodison, it’s about a model of consistency with slow growth, something many Premier League clubs can be both envious of and look to emulate.  However, Moyes’s contract is up at the end of this season, and there is much talk of his desire to move up a step.  There is no doubt that he would achieve major success with Everton eventually, with the club continuing to make strides, but how long that would take is anyone’s guess.  If he desires more immediate success as he continues to age, the answer may lie outside Merseyside.  Much of that may depend on how Everton finish the season, giving these final four matches much more significance.  If they allow arch-rivals Liverpool to catch them on the table, down 5 with 4 to go, he may consider other options much more heavily, especially with Phil Neville already having said he’ll do just that.

As far as their squad is concerned, Phil Jagielka (gash) and Darron Gibson (thigh strain) will both need to pass fitness tests in order to play, but Moyes says there is a chance that happens.  Tony Hibbert also could possibly play for the first time in a while, giving the Toffees the possibility of a full bill of health.

Stats of the Match:

- Fulham have not recorded a win from a losing position all season, and just 5 points all year from losing positions, so the first goal will be crucial.

- Everton have only lost one of their last 21 Premier League matches at Goodison (2-1 vs Chelsea in December).

- Last year, Fulham were 6 points and 2 places ahead of where they are now at the same time.

- Everton have lost just 6 matches all year – better than all but the two Manchester clubs.

- Kevin Mirallas has a 73% shot accuracy rate from 57 shots this season, highest in the Everton squad, according to the EA Sports Player Performance Index.

Prediction:

As I said earlier, Fulham will buck the trend at some point.  However, it won’t be tomorrow.  The squad is too weak and in too poor form at the moment to provide much of a challenge.  The goalscoring is something of a mystery and Martin Jol has plenty of holes to fill in the summer.  I see a comfortable 2-0 win for Everton to keep their home form in tip top shape and move slightly closer to making a push for 5th.