Prince Rupert's Tower
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Unconvincing Everton scrape past Watford

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Mason Holgate of Everton celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Everton and Watford at Goodison Park on October 29, 2019 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Mason Holgate of Everton celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Everton and Watford at Goodison Park on October 29, 2019 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /
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After another disappointing Premier League weekend, Everton took on Watford in the Carabao Cup last night and scraped a narrow 2-0 win.

This was a far from convincing effort from Everton and it took a last-minute strike from Richarlison to win it, but at least they got through and now have a cup quarter-final to look forward to.

This game was really important for the Toffees season. Regardless of whether Silva stays, Everton need a good cup run and at least if they did get to Wembley it would represent progress of sorts and give the fans something to look forward to.

The Blues team that took to the field at the start of this game was yet another example of the constant, almost mindless tinkering from Marco Silva.

Once again he set them out in his 4-2-3-1 formation and moved Richarlison from a central position where he has been looking increasingly dangerous and effective, shifting him to the left hand side in place of the injured Bernard.

Then rather than playing Moise Kean in Bernard’s place he put him wide on the right instead of Theo Walcott and brought in Dominic Calvert-Lewin again at centre-forward.

Why drop Walcott and move Richarlison when they have been producing decent performances recently in their respective positions?

And Kean should have played on the left of a front three. Instead he got isolated playing like a right-winger and Richarlison, as always happens when he plays wide, got sucked back into midfield negating his strengths.

It was a match that needed the Blues to put out their best possible side and make that statement of intent. So why tinker with the side again!

Silva also made two changes in defence brought Seamus Coleman back instead of persisting with Djibril Sidibe and he started Mason Holgate alongside Yerry Mina.

Well leaving all that aside, Everton were facing a Watford team that hasn’t won a game in the Premier League and is propping up the table.

So you might have expected that playing at the grand old lady, the Blues would come out all guns blazing and put the struggling Hornets under huge pressure from the first whistle.

But no, of course that wasn’t the case. Everton were sluggish, lacklustre and all-round really poor in a totally forgettable first half.

In the second half thankfully the manager made a few changes. Walcott came on, Calvert-Lewin went off and Cenk Tosun replaced him.

Unfortunately Kean was also hauled off after having had litte opportunity to have a noticeable influence on the game. I know I’ve said this before but when will the lad get a decent chance in this team?

Eventually though the Toffees did improve and finally found a goal with Holgate grabbing his first ever for the club after some good work out wide from Walcott.

But even so the Blues didn’t dominate after scoring and Watford had a few chances late on to find an equaliser.

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Finally Everton broke as Watford pressed desperately and eventually Richarlison cut inside his man and unleashed a pile driver from the edge of the area that sealed the win and Everton’s progress. So a quarter-final to look forward to at least.

But last night’s effort once again simply underlined in my view the reality that the Blues cannot play with any consistency and are not going to make any sustained progress under this manager. What will it take for the board to make a decision!?

Next up Everton take on Tottenham at Goodison Park on Sunday. On this performance, even an out-of-form Spurs will be looking forward to their trip up north.