Everton's First Away Game of the Season

By Simon P
August 20 2005

Everton travel to Bolton on Sunday in their first away game of the season, to the team who beat us on the last day of last season, after European football had been guaranteed and the players had stepped off the gas, it has to be said.

Everton, however, face a different problem at this end of the season. Where we were lucky last season with injuries, this season has started disasterously, and the Blues are without Lee Carsley, Simon Davies, Per Kroldrup, and probably James Beattie.

But, Li Tie has come back from his broken shin like a new signing, and although he says he still feels nervous about his old injury, he can still pass the ball as good as he ever could, and let's face it, he was always a touch shy in the tackle anyway!

David Moyes will be reluctant to switch from his favoured 4-5-1 formation, particularly away from home and with so many key players out, so we can expect to see plenty of effort from Marcus Bent as the lone striker, while Phil Neville bosses his midfield which should include the creative pairing of Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta.

Bolton will be hoping to show off new signing Hidetoshi Nakata to the home fans, and he will no doubt be keen to impress, so let's hope the blues midfield switch on right from the first whistle and give him a "warm" reception into the Premiership.

As with all matches this season, our Chat Room will be open for those who can't make it to the game, and we are also continuing a feature we introduced last season - Player Head 2 Head. This week, the two clubs' Top Scorers for last season, Tim Cahill and El Hadji Diouf.