Colin Harvey's pre-match report: Everton v Birmingham

Nov 3 2007

BIRMINGHAM don’t have the best of records at Goodison Park, but at least they will arrive buoyed by last week’s win over Wigan.

Their last success at Everton came in November 1957.

Defence

The visitors have looked solid enough down the middle, but have struggled to keep teams out down the flanks.

Franck Queudrue can get caught out of position on occasions, leaving holes between himself and the centre of defence.

In the recent game against Manchester City, it was an area the opposition enjoyed success in by getting at the Birmingham defence down the sides.

Johan Djourou offers them extra cover at the back with his pace.

Midfield

Birmingham have been adopting a 4-5-1 formation and I can’t see that changing this afternoon.

Mehdi Nafti is the one who plays in front of the backline. In particular, his role is to pick up any of the opposition strikers who drop off the defence 10 or 15 yards. So if Everton played, for example, James McFadden up front and he dropped off to link the attack and midfield, he would find himself patrolled by Nafti.

Daniel De Ridder offers more of a forward threat as bright, quick footballer who always looks lively and can get out defenders and put in good crosses.

But it is Olivier Kapo who offers the biggest attacking threat from midfield as his two goals against Wigan showed.

He is very clever on the ball and has quick feet. As a left-footer playing on the left he can put in good crosses, but likes to shuffle the ball from foot to foot to try and confuse the opposition. Everton will need to get close to him in one to one situations, but that is the sort of role Tony Hibbert relishes.

Fabrice Muamba is more of a box-to-box player who will work hard up and down the pitch throughout.

Manager Steve Bruce says he will delay a decision on whether Wilson Palacios plays after the kidnapping of his 15-year-old brother back in his home country of Honduras. The midfielder travels with the squad rather than being left behind, but Bruce will assess whether he is in the right frame of mind for the game. When he has played, Palacios has shown himself to be a neat and tidy footballer.

Sebastian Larsson is another option, who brings a more aggressive, forward-thinking approach to the midfield and who has a decent goal-scoring record.

I think David Moyes may opt to match Birmingham with five also in midfield.

It is certainly a formation that suits Tim Cahill’s game. The breaks from midfield that he makes have provided some valuable goals. But while Cahill does track back, there will be occasions when he leaves holes behind him. However that is not such a problem with a covering player like Lee Carsley or Phil Jagielka to mop up. Leon Osman has also been playing well in a solid formation.

Attack

Cameron Jerome is likely to be asked to fulfil the role of lone front man and it is one he does well.

His game is all about pace and power and likes the ball over the top of the defence to chase onto. It is important Everton do not get too tight so he can spin away from them or leave too much space behind. Given that a five-man midfield means Birmingham will set up to try and suck Everton forward and then hit them on the counter, Jerome’s threat cannot be ignored if he leads the line.

Dangerman

OLIVIER KAPO – an eye for goal and all-round attacking threat make him a player to watch.

Overall verdict

If Everton go about things in the right way, they can continue Birmingham’s miserable record at Goodison.

Colin Harvey was talking to RICHARD WILLIAMSON