Jaded Everton subside to Cup defeat
So once more Everton have failed to win a big cup game as the Toffees slid out of the Carabao Cup after an 0-2 defeat to Manchester United at Goodison Park.
In truth Everton looked a tired and sluggish side last night and were in the end deservedly beaten by United who were sharper, more fluid and looked dangerous from the off.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti made a number of changes to the side that finished the match against Arsenal on Saturday.
To be honest I don’t know why he did this as the team were on a good run and playing with gritty determination. If he wanted to give a few of them a break why not do that in the next Premier League match against struggling Sheffield United instead?
Tom Davies was dropped despite having had a solid match against Arsenal, a decision I don’t understand as the midfield lacked energy and bite in his absence. Andre Gomes came back into midfield and was a passenger, producing nothing.
The manager also brought Seamus Coleman back and dropped Mason Holgate to the bench. This was also a bit perplexing. Holgate has been very sound filling in at right-back while Coleman looked off the pace, misplacing some passes. Surely too if he was going to do that Holgate would have made more impact in midfield than Gomes?
As always I’m loathe to criticise Ancelotti but I think he should have stuck with his winning eleven at least to start with and then rested a few of them for the trip to Sheffield at the weekend.
On the other hand he was obviously still missing key players with Lucas Digne, Allan and James Rodriguez all out. If they’d been available that would of course have made a big difference.
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The Blues had started the game very slowly and United were quickly into their stride with Bruno Fernanades (who did play after United boss Ole Gunnar Solsksjaer had hinted he might not) as always pulling the strings well in midfield. He always proves to be a real thorn in the side for Everton.
The Blues did get a little better later as the half went on and had a few chances with Gylfi Sigurdsson coming closest to a goal for the home team with a run and shot and a free kick.
The Toffees though were struggling to get any consistent grip on the game and United continued to be, albeit marginally, the better team. But it wasn’t a classic cup tie by any means.
After a stronger finish to the first half the Blues were second best after the break. Not long into the half they also lost Richarlison after a clash with United’s Eric Bailly.
I sincerely hope that the Brazilian isn’t missing for any length of time after this. There just seems no end to the bad luck with injuries.
His departure basically took what little sting there was from Everton’s attacks with Dominic Calvert-Lewin now ploughing a lonely furrow up front.
On came Bernard who contributed little and then Ancelotti decided to take Gomes off and replace him with Davies. The Toffees seemed to be really struggling with tiredness and were maybe hoping to take it to penalties.
But it was the United substitutes who had the biggest impact with Solskjaer able to bring on players of the calibre of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial – two outstanding forwards. Everton simply don’t have that quality and depth.
United finally got the breakthrough when Edison Cavani, arguably their best player on the night, (although he could have been sent off for a sly foul on Yerry Mina), rifled home a superb shot with two minutes left. Then in the usual extended extra-time period, Martial scored as the Blues were caught pressing for an equaliser.
That was it, another chance of silverware is gone and the long, long wait for a trophy continues. I don’t think this club will ever win the League Cup! The Toffees seem as far away as ever from ending that awful trophy drought.
While fatigue, a poor squad and the absence of three genuinely top-class players all had a role in this defeat, I think a mistaken team selection from the manager and the inability of this side to raise it’s game in these big matches were also factors in the outcome.
I don’t what it is but Everton teams just don’t appear to have the psychological strength to get through these games successfully. They seem to freeze and can’t ever find their best form.
United have an expectation of winning silverware while the Blues almost seem to think reaching the quarter’s or semi’s of a tournament is enough. Until they do find that strength and self-belief they will struggle to win anything no matter who’s in the dugout.