Everton v Bolton Preview: Kevin Davies Has Eyes on England Call-up

Posted Wednesday, November 10, 2010 by sportinglife.aol.co.uk

PREMIER LEAGUE: GOODISON PARK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010. KICK-OFF: 2000 GMT

David Moyes may still consider himself to be part of a breed of young Scottish managers but the arrival of Owen Coyle on the scene will put that into context for the Everton coach.

While Coyle may claim his Bolton side are a long way adrift of the Blues in financial terms, his long-term target has to be emulating what Moyes has achieved at Goodison Park, with regular top-half finishes and aspirations for more.

That may be ambitious but there has been little in the early weeks of the campaign to suggest that Coyle's first eleven is capable of dreaming of such levels, while Everton have left Moyes with a feeling of frustration on a regular basis.

This may hardly be the headline act in a busy midweek programme but victories would do wonders for both, with Bolton, currently lying fifth, looking to maintain their wonderful start and Everton having the opportunity to move a point above Coyle's side.

Far from the days when Bolton would have come to battle and Everton were similarly dogged, an attractive spectacle would not be a surprise.

Coyle certainly knows his way around Goodison Park, having scored for Bolton in 1994 to take the then-Championship side into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Key Match-up: Phil Jagielka v Kevin Davies. England colleagues at last, this should be some tussle and with an England squad to select for the France game next week, Fabio Capello will be taking note. Davies has hardly let his standards slip since his call-up but may need another big performance to hold off the challenge of Andy Carroll.

Form Guide: Everton are unbeaten in six matches since their 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle in mid-September but are still smarting from a 2-2 draw against Blackpool at the weekend. In the longer term, they have only lost three times in their last 22 games. Bolton have suffered just one defeat in seven but have not won in their last nine visits to Merseyside. Having struggled against relegation last season, they have lost just once in five matches on their travels this term.

Odds: Everton 4/6 Bolton 9/2 Draw 5/2

EVERTON:
That defeat to Hatem Ben Arfa's memorable strike in September remains Everton's only home loss of the season but having suffered an early 1-1 draw to Wolves in August, Moyes will not want another opportunity to pass by.

His team remain as solid as always -- only Chelsea have conceded fewer goals -- but have perhaps lacked the swagger that we started to take for granted from them in the final weeks of last season.

The continuing fine form of Tim Cahill, who has scored five goals this season, Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar means Moyes' side always have the chance of cutting loose if his strikers find their touch in front of goal.

Moyes certainly feels that the visit of Bolton will be an open encounter and is well aware of the threat posed by Davies, having played against the striker himself in the past.

He said: "Bolton do play a bit more under Owen but they still do what they are good at. They have got Kevin Davies who they still use and if you analyse what they do then a lot still revolves around him.

"He is an experienced player and has been around a little while. I think I might have even played against him when he was at Chesterfield.

"He is a difficult opponent and everyone knows about him and his style, but he continues to do it and over the years he has proved himself a really good centre forward.

"I think Bolton play in a positive way. Again that is not a surprise -- I think that is Owen's style and I would expect them to come and have a go at us but it is not going to affect our style and the way in which we approach the game."

Strategy: The interesting thing about Bolton's resurgence is that they have managed a fine start to the season without a clean sheet since the opening day of the season. That suggests that if Everton are able to keep Bolton's strikers quiet one goal could be enough to get them a victory. They will look for plenty of width and the way Seamus Coleman is used will give an indication on Moyes' plans. If at right back, Moyes is clearly looking to attack and if he starts in midfield, it shows the Scot is wary of Bolton's pace on the flanks.

Injury update: Marouane Fellaini returns to the Everton squad after sustaining a hamstring problem on international duty last month but the game comes too soon for striker Victor Anichebe (knee) whileLeon Osman is still out with an ankle problem.

BOLTON:
Coyle's feet remain firmly on the ground but with just two defeats in the Premier League heading into November, there is much to celebrate for the Reebok Stadium side.

Just a run down their list of 11 fixtures demonstrates how impressive they have been, with only those losses - 4-1 at Arsenal and 1-0 against Liverpool -- the only negative results of the campaign so far.

All the talk at the weekend was of Spurs but even the two late goals that Bolton conceded could not mask the resounding nature of the 4-2 victory over the conquerors of Inter Milan.

Although they have not kept a clean sheet in the league since the opening day of the season, there is a new-found solidity to go with the positive style they are employing.

Coyle maintains that attitude will not change, even on his travels and he told the club's website: "My players know that whenever we play, whether it be home or away, then I want them to be positive.

"We don't go anywhere just to sit in and hope for a draw, we go to win matches. We accept that at times you have to dig deep and defend well because of the quality of the opposition but we can be prepared and look to take the game to Everton whenever we can.

"They had a slow start last season but picked themselves up and in the second half of the campaign they were the outstanding team in the league and they have been playing well again in recent weeks."

Strategy: Eight of Bolton's players have started all 11 Premier League matches and their style, a flowing 4-4-2, will be the same at Goodison Park. The big decision is whether to stick with the more versatile Matt Taylor, who has impressed in his return to the side, or recall Martin Petrov for the match. But otherwise, Davies and Johan Elmander will look to hold the ball up and hassle Everton's centre backs.

Stuart Holden and Fabrice Muamba have developed a balanced partnership in central midfield and Chung-Yong Lee offers unpredictability on the right.

Injury update: Coyle has had few injury problems this season and Sean Davis, Joey O'Brien, Ricardo Gardner and Jlloyd Samuel remain on the sidelines.