Our Everton jury have returned to have their say ahead of the Premier League game against Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night
Iliman Ndiaye, James Garner, Idrissa Gueye and Jake O'Brien during Everton's defeat to Bournemouth
Iliman Ndiaye, James Garner, Idrissa Gueye and Jake O'Brien during Everton's defeat to Bournemouth(Image: (Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images))
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Everton return to Premier League action on Monday night when they welcome Manchester United to Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Blues were without a game at the weekend after they were knocked out of the FA Cup last month.
David Moyes’ side currently sit eighth in the Premier League table. However, they were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth last time out.
But with Monday’s game in mind, our Everton jury have returned to have their say.
Paul McParlan
It seemed strange not having a nighttime game at Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend, but that was down to Everton not being involved in the FA Cup. Our record in the domestic cups this season has been simply awful: a limp exit away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup and the laughable loss on penalties to Sunderland in the FA Cup.
I don’t understand why we don’t make more of an effort in these tournaments; they are still our only realistic chance of winning something! Nevertheless, to use that old football cliché, it allows us to concentrate on the league.
We still have a definite chance of qualifying for either a Europa or Conference League place, so with only 12 games of the season left, there is everything to play for. Everton appear to be in a mid-table mini-league of six clubs, ranging from Brentford in 7th to Fulham in 12th, challenging for those places. Everton currently lie in 8th, three points above Fulham and with our fate still in our own hands.
Our home form, which has been distinctively underwhelming in 2026, could well be the key to qualification. Everton play Manchester United in yet another nighttime league kick off on the banks of the Mersey. This is a game that is tailor-made for a classic David Moyes performance and a chance to do our first league double over them since 2013/2014.
Manager David Moyes looks on during the match between Everton and Bournemouth at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 10 February 2026
Manager David Moyes looks on during the match between Everton and Bournemouth at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 10 February 2026(Image: Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/SmartFrame)
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Under Michael Carrick, United have hit form recently and will be favourites for this encounter. This is the type of fixture where fans will not be expecting Everton to be on the front foot and will tolerate the team playing defensively to get a result. It will also be a chance for the new stadium to come alive at night against one of our bitterest rivals and rekindle the feisty frenzy and fanatical fervour of those dark bear-pit evenings at Goodison.
David Moyes has some decisions to make as well. Does he now bring in Nathan Patterson at right back for the suspended Jake O’Brien? How does he ensure that we don’t allow Bruno Fernandes to control the game? At times, our midfield has been too easily overrun in recent weeks, and we have been exposed far too often on the flanks.
Our failure to deal with balls into the box has cost us. We have conceded 10 goals from crosses this season; only West Ham have a worse record than us in the league. We haven’t scored more than one goal in any of our last six league games and that is another concern for supporters. Neither Barry nor Beto have been consistent enough.
We have waited far too long into 2026 for a home win and a performance to give supporters something to cheer about. Everton have one sole focus now: to get a European place. It is an opportunity not to be missed.
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Mark McParlan
I’ve enjoyed the week break, to be honest. On Saturday I went to watch Marine win 5-0 in the National League – with another Everton-less Saturday approaching, I’ll always implore our fans to support their other local teams in Liverpool and the surrounding areas.
In the meantime, I couldn’t help but note Sunderland progressing past a struggling Oxford United in the fourth round and now drawing the winner of Port Vale v Bristol City in the fifth. That should have been us!
Are many match-going Evertonians truly looking forward to Monday? Recent outings have just been so miserable. Another dark, freezing night in a stadium still crying out for more specific Everton touches and branding.
It’s just so frustrating that our home form is costing us that place in Europe at the moment – and we still have both Manchester clubs, Liverpool, and Chelsea to come. We have the same away points tally as Man City but a home form five and six points worse than Leeds or Brighton.
Jarrad Branthwaite during the match between Everton and Leeds United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on January 26, 2026
Jarrad Branthwaite during the match between Everton and Leeds United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on January 26, 2026(Image: Emma Simpson/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
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To an extent it’s understandable. A stadium move is like a house move – it genuinely takes time for existing players to get used to the new pitch and the layout and for fans to get used to the change and their new neighbours.
Most teams struggle when they move – there are well-known examples such as Arsenal moving from Highbury. And the bottom line is that the style of Moyes mark II clearly just suits playing games away better.
On Monday, let’s have players in their proper positions. Nathan Patterson should start at right-back with Jake O’Brien’s suspension. We’ve a plethora of central midfielders now, so Moyes needs to find his best combination.
He has seven at his disposal: James Garner, Idrissa Gueye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Charly Alcaraz, Harrison Armstrong, Merlin Rohl and Tim Iroegbunam. But if things aren’t working, let’s be ready with proactive changes – we have a bench now.
For our part, let’s make it a nightmare for United. We are the fanbase that almost single-handedly kept our struggling side in the Premier League, where every other set of fans would have failed.
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