I've asked questions to Evertonians on GrandOldTeam and here are their responses. Thanks to some newbie users for providing some of the questions (they have been credited):
Q1: After a pretty poor start to the season, do you think van Gaal is the right man for Manchester United?
Blue Cheese: Too early to say anything else. He has a proven track record at the highest level, something you lot were bemoaning Moyes for not having. He plays a different system but has bought some big names. I think he will do well in time.
Ashtonian: I don't think he is. His philosophy is not suited to the league and the fact he seems stubborn enough not to change it means it could be a long season. His transfer approach seems a little disjointed as well.
toffeeblue9: Yes. Van Gaal has a great record and I will always remember his Ajax side of around '94 to '96 as being my favourite European club side of all time. He is tactically flexible (see the way his Ajax side played back then and look at his Holland side from the World Cup) and I'm sure given time he'll come good. The unusual decision to not sign any defensively-minded midfielders or any centre backs has to be brought into question though, whether that was his decision or not.
Paul Bernard: The man has a track record of winning honours. He is one of the modern day managers who wants to install a philosophy within the clubs playing methods. He sees the long term vision not just the here and now. Give LVG at least three years, then see what his next step is.
Gwladys Nights: No I don't. United are a massive club and their manager's defining characteristic should be that they are the Manchester United manager. That's not true of Van Gaal, who already had a storied history in the game when he arrived. That's not to say that he'll be a disaster, or that you won't benefit from his pedigree and consequent pulling power (I don't think Di Maria or Falcao would have signed for Moyes), but the 'right man' for Man Utd will be a relatively young manager capable of building a legacy over a decade or more. That's not Van Gaal, who I'd be surprised to see stay beyond three years.
Efcjake: Not enough evidence either way at this point. I would question the fact that he didn't seem to want to prioritize sorting your defence out in the transfer window. I also think flogging Welbeck was a big mistake, loved the club and he calmly played while shunted out on the wing for you and was always capable of doing a job. That whole experiment with 3-5-2 was a disaster in the waiting, I'm sure many of you were happy to see you go back to a back four, your defenders definitely were.
Q2: A common phrase "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" seems like it should be applicable between United and Everton fans, however from the fans I have come across and so on this doesn't really seem the case, so how do you guys see the relationship between United and Everton? (question provided by RyRy11)
Blue Cheese: Not arsed either way, up until last season you were never really on our radar as far as league placings. The Sky Prem era has made it a fairly uneven playing feild as far as finances are concerened so we can't really compete long term at the moment. You can just go out and spunk £60mil on a player, that's a pipe dream for us.
Kiwi: Success breeds expectation. When expectations aren't met tantrums are thrown. You've thrown the same kind of tantrums that we laugh at the RS for. The exposure I see on United through social media just underlines the unreal expectations your nonmatch going fan base has. Wee bit like a 5year old with their favourite toy which got a little crack in it and as such has thrown a complete wally in the supermarket with all and sundry giving it the glare. Moyes also poisoned the relationship by the derisory bids made for Baines and Fellaini. Your match going fans are sound and I'd rather you win than the RS, but your online presence are complete nutcases.
1966efc: The Scouse / Manc rivalry thing started well before there were football clubs. Personally, don't give a f*** one way or another about Utd. but if any competition came down to a Utd or L'pool face off, it would be Utd every time.
toffeeblue9: Good question. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" would have been a great way to describe things until just over a year ago. The Moyes saga ruined that, at least for now. The Baines/Fellaini bids and his comments about us at United press conferences soured things and it's fair to say most blues saw United as the team they most wanted to beat last year (after Liverpool). I'm sure things will calm down again now that you saw sense and got rid of Moyes, but I don't think that's happened yet.
Ihaters: No problem with United, always gonna dislike a club that's constantly winning a bit, its just envy, but since United, Chelsea and Liverp..no wait not them... keep winning the league, and since you got Moyes and gave us 27mil for Fellaini, can't help but like you a lot more.
Gwladys Nights: We played some nice football under Moyes as well. Particularly in his last year but intermittently before that too. I'm indifferent to United. You're not as bad for the game as City or Chelsea and you're not as odious as Liverpool, but that is faint praise indeed. I don't 'like' any football teams other than Everton.
Efcjake: Being a club from Manchester will earn you few friends from us, and that distinction is only where the dislike begins. For me personally, I actively hope your team does poorly. These last 16 months or so have been a joyous holiday from the times of Fergie where you would assume in August that you lot would walk to the title handing us a few batterings along the way. If we didn't hate you in the 90's, we definitely did when it turned out that you were the ones Rooney was abandoning us for... I might've even preferred he'd gone to Newcastle with their whopper fans. Your songs about scousers are disgusting and boil my blue blood until I'm frothing at the mouth in these games for us to just whack your overpaid nancies everywhere.
Q3: The past fifteen months for both clubs have certainly been interesting. It's now Martinez's second season at the club. How would you compare how you're playing currently to how you were playing this time last season? Anything to be concerned/pleased about?
Boss_Blue: The players that have adapted so well to Martinez style of play have had to raise their game further this season to counter the opposition sussing us out to an extent. Several players (mostly in defence) have been unable to do this as yet so although our attacking threat has improved, we are now leaking goals like a tramps undies.
Billy Dean: Concerned about what's happened to our defence this season. But hopefully that's getting sorted now with Stones and Jags as the CB pair. Barkley has been a big miss. Great going forward but also underrated defensively, his runs with the ball from deep relieve a lot of pressure from the defence as well as start counter attacks. Going forward we still look good though. I love the possession-based style Roberto's brought.
degsy: just as Moyes was inflexible in his views Re Attacking too much and although it is early days yet it remains to be seen if Martinez will be able to moderate his desire to attack all the time... sometimes you need to defend and be able to switch it about when required.
Ashtonian: I think our attacking play has improved but the attacking injuries have mounted up. Defensively we are a worry right now but Stones stepping his game up from last season fill me with promise. Too much emphasis on the players doing their job rather than coaching the defense. Think with Barkley fit this season it would have gone slightly differently.
toffeeblue9: Last season, even when playing poorly, we were able to rely on a very steady defence. This season we've started poorly again. Not helped by injuries to some key players and World Cup-related fitness issues with others, but for some reason a number of our more experienced players have given goals away through basic, individual howlers. You can't really legislate for that, but I'm not overly concerned after just 6 league games. If we've not improved by the time we've got to 12-15 games then I may be more worried.
Paul Bernard: The past 15 months have played out relatively well. After Moyes long reign here its safe to say many of us feared what was next. Some of the fans today grew up only knowing of David Moyes. The transitional period managers talk about was a little sluggish in the beginning, but many of us knew it was potentially the start of something exciting under Roberto. This season has started the same way but bearing in mind we have played Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and soon United, throwing the Europa league games in again a good Wolfsburg side and a tricky away tie at Krasnodar.
JimEFC: He's trying to get them back playing to that same level, but an awful pre-season, a couple of World cup hangovers and a few players not clicking with the system has made it impossible to play with the required intensity so far this season. It will click, and when it does I can see us going on a run in the league and pushing up into the European places.
Please about John Stones, by Christmas he should be well established. Not pleased about the injuries, and how long it takes us to get our players back playing whenever they're hurt.
Efcjake: Our defence is a year older, and a year gone on without Moyes superb defensive detailing. You've seen how Ferdinand went on about the constant defensive drills in training, well that's what helped us be consistently the 3rd-4th best defense in the league over the last few years. Martinez doesn't place the same emphasis on those skills and I think that not going over enough defensive work in preseason has led to this inability to keep a clean sheet. The results and performances have been so-so, attacking-wise we have looked up to it but so many silly individual defensive mistakes keep costing us.
Q4: Verdict on how both clubs have done in the transfer market?
Blue Cheese: Can't complain about us, we held on to the players who got us 5th last year, should have strengthened the defence but on the whole I'm happy. I think LVG has top loaded you with strikers and left you desperately short of quality at the back.
Kiwi: United are very top heavy. Brought in quality up top, but still for mine didn't reinforce sufficiently the areas of weakness that were clearly evident in CM and CB. The lack of those numbers and quality in what really needs to be your core will hurt you. C.
Everton brought in Lukaku and Eto'o upfront to cover the area we truly lacked in the CF area. Besic looks very talented with the ball at feet and has very good defensive positioning albeit rash in the tackle. Can't shoot , but promising for the future in reinforcing an area that has been a weakness in the past. Likewise resigning Barry is useful given the experience he can impart and the role he played last season.
Going into our season I'd have said probably the only area of concern is the back up RB position to cover Coleman. However the CB partnership seemed to fall apart overnight with a barrage of uncharacteristic errors and poor defending. We haven't been as bad at the back as the numbers suggest, however our errors have been punished and ruthlessly at that, causing us to drop points in a frustrating manner.
Paul Bernard: Robert and LVG have had different issues to contend with in the market. The financial gap is still evident for all to see. Im shocked LVG hasnt brought in a big name centre back, but Di Maria and Herrera with the late captures of Blind and Rojo seem to be decent business.
Everton needed a striker and a deep midfield player, coupled with a central midfield engine, comparisons to Carsley and Gravesen if you will. Keeping Barry and Lukaku were key to roberto's plans, McCarthy is a bargain at £13 million and Eto'o just adds that bit of class we all want to see.
JimEFC: Eto'o was a great move. Atsu a bit meh - we'll see but can't see him doing much for us this year, same as Deulofeu last season. Lukaku was too much money if he doesn't start repaying it soon, but he's an important player in how we play, I just want him to start scoring so people stop criticising him; I don't think he's doing that badly.
Di Maria could be player of the year (although Diego Costa seems to have it in the bag at the moment). Rojo and Blind are great signings and just need a bit of time. Herrera looks very good. Welbeck to Arsenal could haunt you if you end up pushing Arsenal in the league table. Not replacing Vidic was unbelievable.
Ihaters: Great, we've both bought players beyond our level, United of course a big club, but not really done much for a few years got some astounding players, Everton got Etoo and Lukaku... lol. What? really? ..yep.. + others. Think we've done great on both side.
Gwladys Nights: United's summer has left you looking like a Championship Manager 2 scenario. You have four or five attacking players who would walk into 99% of sides in the world, but will struggle to put out an adequate back 4 every week for the forseeable future. Very difficult to appraise that.
I think Martinez did great in the summer. Lukaku isn't firing yet but he's a long term investment, and it was refreshing to see Everton just spend the money needed to get their top target. Retaining Barry was very important after last season. I'm very encouraged from what I've seen of Besic and Eto'o so far. Not seen enough of Atsu to judge him yet.
PaulieMc: We did what we wanted, we got Lukaku and Barry and signed a few players to beef up the numbers. Can't complain really, though I do wonder where the rest of our transfer money went.
You lot have been weird in your transfer dealing. Absolute world class attacking but no one for your woeful defence. You've but loads of boss chefs but no ingredients to cook the food with. I do like the look of that Daley Blind though.
Q5: Where do you think both Manchester United and Everton will finish in the league this season?
Blue Cheese: Both teams between 4th-7th again
NYCBlue57: Y'all in CL and us in EL again. Probably 4th and 6th all things going well.
Boss_Blue: Of the teams you would expect to finish in the top seven only City, Chelsea and Arsenal have performed anywhere close to expectations. Based on that and the fact the rest of us have been dog turd then anywhere between fourth and seventh is currently up for grabs for any of us.
Ashtonian: Personally united between 3-5.
Everton 4-7.
JimEFC: 5th and 6th (with a chance of 4th & 5th) if Southampton don't last the distance. Spurs won't be able to resist messing with the squad in January and will go backwards from there. The RS are deluded if they think they're getting anywhere near top 4 this season.
Q6: Are you concerned that you have an away game in Russia on Thursday and then play us on Sunday? (question provided by Herrera)
Blue Cheese: No, we wanted European football and we have it. OT is a difficult game regardless. Obviously a massive trip isn't ideal but that's Europe.
Boss_Blue: Not really, I'm more concerned with Miralles and Coleman being sidelined as it dulls our attack and we lose a certain amount of balance at the back.
Ashtonian: A little bit, it has been an incredible week for us fixture wise, somehting that wouldnt have happened if we were tottenham. But we hhave to think we will win every game so a rested team tonight and throw the big players in on sunday and we can recover afterwards.
toffeeblue9: Definitely. Worst game we could have wished for prior to the trip to Old Trafford. We may play some fringe players at Krasnodar, but we're already struggling with injuries to key players (Barkley, Coleman, Pienaar, Mirallas, McCarthy) so squad could easily get very stretched over the next few days
Paul Bernard: A little concerned because of the travel time, it seems like the journey to Krasnodar will be a bigger factor than the fatigue from the actual game itself. Old Trafford away has always been a tough fixture for Everton, im sure Bobby Martinez will make the guys believe three points is there for the taking if we have the legs.
Q7: Thoughts on the Europa League, in with a chance, or detracting from progression in the league what with your relatively small squad? (question provided by DatIrishFella)
Blue Cheese: If I look at the teams who have been in finals of this comp over the years we have a good a chance as any but it's not an easy comp to win. I don't think it will hinder league i think that's a myth.
NYCBlue57: I'm glad we're in it and believe we have a shot at winning it if we survive the group stage. We have to be in Europe every year from here on out. It'll force us to build a proper 23-man squad.
Boss_Blue: We have a slightly larger squad than we have been used to in the past so I see no reason why we shouldn't go for it. Most fans would bite your hand off for a Europa League win but a drop in league position.
Kiwi: We're probably one of the best teams in the cup at this stage, and with Goodison Nights and the attacking impetus our squad possesses I think we can go all the way (this of course assumes we maintain a reasonable level of defensive solidarity that we've seen glimpses of but not consistently this season).
Ashtonian: Think we could win it this year. Win it as much as about 10 other teams but still there is that hope lol seriously we can have a good run here, if we can beat teams like wolfsburg at home we could do it against most teams at home and in a 2 legged competition that gives us an advantage
toffeeblue9: We've been out of Europe for a few years and the fans, I would suggest, want us to take this seriously. It seems to be a very English thing to downplay The Europa League. The likes of the Spanish etc all seem to take it seriously, so not sure why we don't. Anyway, happily Martinez seems to be on our side with this. It may stretch the squad a bit and we may even see our league placing suffer a little bit (still think we'll be in the top 7 though), the squad is actually the biggest it has ever been though in terms of senior players. We've tried to resource for it and we'd all love a good European run, don't see why we shouldn't take it seriously.
JimEFC: We have to try and win it. We need a run in it so we're seeded better for the next time we qualify too. We have a chance but there's going to be some very good teams dropping out of the CL this year (Ajax, City, Galatasaray, Leverkusen...etc.) so who knows.
The quality in our group is ridiculously high for the Europa League, so if we can win that group we should have a lot of confidence. Just praying we don't get our neighbours in the knockouts.
I'd accept 10th place in the league if we win the Europa.
Q8: Thoughts on Rooney 10 years on. Is he the player you thought he would become when he was still a youngster there? Has he exceeded expectations, or perhaps not quite hit the heights you thought he would? Would you have him back if he were to leave United in his twilight years? (question provided by Relfy)
Blue Cheese: Done alright for himself hasn't he. I think he could have been better than he even has been, I think a lot of his flair was taken out of his game when Ronaldo was there, however he's still one of the best English players ever.
Boss_Blue: Rooney has won countless silverware and put in some genuinely fantastic performances for United over the years. Despite this I can't help but feel disappointed in him. The raw player we had promised to be a talent of such ridiculous arrogance and swagger that it makes you wonder how much of this Ferguson sacrificed in him to fit him into your side. The ship has sailed on him coming back to Goodison.
Billy Dean: Not the player I thought he would be when he left. I think the way he developed physically took something away from the player he was at 18. Much less mobile. Whether I'd take him back would depend on price and what kind of condition he's in.
Kiwi: Rooney prior to leaving Everton had the potential to be a world class player at his very finger tips. However under Ferguson he was often sacrificed for the good of the team and played out of position, and was expected to run his bollocks off. He lost some of that ridiculous flair and ability as I result I think. Rooney has been a very good and some might say great player, but he could have been England's greatest player in a long long time and an all time great. He didn't get there though. I'd still take him back now, but as time moves on it seems as though his legs are going, and his time if there was such a time to rejoin us is quickly ending.
Ashtonian: Rooney has not become the player he should have been. Ferguson shoe horned him onto a different position and developed too many parts of his game. He should have been developed as an exciting unpredictable striker and not had to worry about controlling the midfield until he was older. A victim of the tevez/ronaldo situation.
Personally i would have him back if he could do a job for reletively low wages compared to what he has now. I hold no personal grudge against him, he left to be succesful and has been, i dont think he would have dragged us to cups by himself and would have been sold eventually.
Gwladys Nights: When he came off the bench to score a Champions League hat-trick against Fenerbache (was it?) on his United debut I felt sick to my stomach. I thought we'd just sold the new Pelé. Ten years on he hasn't quite hit those heights but there's no shame in that. He's the best English player certainly since Scholes, arguably since Shearer and possibly since Gascoigne.
He seems like a proper little nobhead though. I would have him back in his twilight years but I doubt I'd feel a particular affection towards him. Seeing him play for United has always felt like living in a parallel universe where the Allies lost the war. It was horrible to see him taken from us so early and it was hard to think about football with any romance for a long time afterwards, especially as he seemed to drive the transfer himself in the end. What might have been.
Q9: What would be your starting 11 if you had to pick an Everton team from 2000-2014? (question provided by waza7111)
Blue Cheese: Martyn, Coleman, Lescott, Jagielka, Baines, Mirallas, McCarthy, Barkley, Pienaar, Rooney, Lukaku.
Boss_Blue: Based on peak form for us then: Martyn, Coleman, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Piennar, Arteta, McCarthy, Mirallas, Cahill, Rooney.
Kiwi: Martyn; Coleman, Jags, Distin, Baines; McCarthy, Arteta, Barry; Rooney, Lukaku, Mirallas
Ashtonian: Martyn; Coleman, Lescott, Jags, Baines; Mirallas, Carsley, Kilbane (i liked him); Arteta, Cahill; Yakubu (rooney didnt make too big an impact)
PaulieMc: Martyn; Coleman, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines; Mirallas, Arteta, McCarthy, Pienaar; Cahill; Lukaku
FTY: Christ. Erm.
Martyn; Coleman, Jagielka (2009 version), Heitinga (2012 version), Baines; Arteta (2007), McCarthy; Mirallas, Cahill, Pienaar (2010); Yakubu (2007)
Q10: Which XI would you like to see your club field against us?
Boss_Blue: Miralles is definitely out as is Barkley so: Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines; Barry, McCarthy, Besic; Naismith, Eto'o, Lukaku.
Kiwi: Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Stones, Baines; Barry, McCarthy; Barkley; Eto'o, Lukaku, Mirallas.
However given that Mirallas, Barkley and possibly Distin, Coleman and McCarthy are out, we'll see
Howard; Browning, Jags, Stones, Baines; Barry, Besic, Gibson; Naismith; Eto'o/McGeady, Lukaku
I reckon with a flooded midfield of 3 with Naismith playing as a false 9 and Eto'o/McGeady and Lukaku offering interplay cutting in from the wings.
Ihaters: Howard; Baines, Jagielka, Stones, Coleman; Barry, McCarthy; Pienaar, Barkley, Mirallas; Lukaku
Etoo, Atsu and Besic from the bench.
It won't be though, injuries mean at least Naismith for Barkley, McGeady for Pienaar, just please not Hibbert for Coleman. Ty Browning may play if Colemans still out though and that's positive, he looks good.
Efcjake: Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines; McCarthy, Barry; Naismith, McGeady; Eto'o, Lukaku
FTY: Howard; Coleman, Jags, Stones, Baines; Barry; Besic, McCarthy; Naismith; Eto'o, Lukaku
Q11: Finally, your predictions for the match?
Kiwi: 2-1 to Everton. Best of luck
Ashtonian: 2-1 win. Think it will be tough defensively for united but they will come at us hard. We can score throughout the team and if we can hold together like vs wolsburg we could expose your weak defense.
toffeeblue9: United win. Probably 3-1 or something like that. I'd like to think that Jagielka goal last week might be a turning point for us, but I'm not ready to get that optimistic yet. Add that to the toll the Russia trip may take and I think we'll be in for a tough game. That United defence is there to be got at if we're brave enough, but don't think we'll have the legs or personnel available to pull it off.
JimEFC: Man Utd 2-3 Everton.
Could be a lot of goals, and we could win it, but it might have come too soon for us this season. Plus that Russia game might mean we can only hope for a draw. No idea how it will go to be honest!
Gwladys Nights: 3-1 to United. I think the game will go quite as the derby did but you'll have the strikers to punish us. We never fail to score these days and your defence is suspect, so I can see Naismith or maybe Eto'o off the bench getting a consolation.
