Trophy Dream Still Alive For Everton

The League Cup represents an opportunity for Everton to claim silverware for the first time since 1995 and the competition which represents the best chance of ending that drought.

I’m a strong advocate of playing your strongest team in all cup competitions and Everton nearly payed the price in the 2nd round against Barnsley by playing a fairly weakened team with Pennington and McGeady having to be brought of at half-time to be replaced by Barkley and Deulofeu who went on to win the game for the blues.

Against Reading however, Martinez opted to play a much stronger team, this time starting with Barkley and Deulofeu, however playing a system that was completely alien to the team and one which in the first half didn’t work at all. Away games in any cup competitions are always hard to win and a manager has to be pragmatic enough to realise that and adjust his team accordingly. When the team was announced, Evertonians seemed excited at the attacking possibilities on show, however regard has to come for where that left us defensively, and that was extremely vulnerable to the counter attack. The first goal saw a cross from the right back position where Aaron Lennon was playing to the far post left back position where a centre back was playing. Both players looked caught out by their positioning.

However, in the second half Martinez made the very sensible move of taking off Kone and replacing him with the calm, wise, experienced Gareth Barry. On the face of it, replacing a striker with a defensive midfielder when you’re behind would seem odd but it doesn’t matter how many attacking players you have on the pitch if the system isn’t working. It allowed McCarthy and especially Barkley to move further forward and influence the game.

In the end it was two of Everton’s precocious talents that won the game with the magic they posses. Firstly Barkley showed again how wonderfully two footed he is with a left foot volley before Deulofeu scored a free-kick which swerved away from the poor Al Habsi.

In Martinez’ first season it seemed everything he touched turned to gold and every decision he made which sometimes baffled, came off. He seems to be getting that magic touch back. Bringing Kone on vs Watford, radical changes at half-time vs Barnsley, the Naismith substitution vs Chelsea and the Barry change vs Reading all show the superb in-game management that wowed Evertonians in his first season.

As said, the League Cup is Everton’s best chance for glory and it was hugely encouraging to see Martinez take it seriously with only Robles a weak link in the team. We’ve had two very difficult matches away vs lower league opposition, but getting through is always the be all and end all in any cup competition. We’re in the hat for the next draw and still have hopes of a Wembley appearance. The league cup is a shorter format than the FA Cup and now we’re only one win away from the quarter finals, which would be a step in the unknown for Everton in the last eight seasons.

I’ve never understood why the League Cup isn’t taken seriously, the whole point of sport is to win and be successful, Everton haven’t been successful in anything for 20 years and a wining the League Cup would be getting that monkey off our back, winning a trophy and gaining entry into Europe. Hopefully gone are the days of throwing away a competition with poor team selections and we can now give ourselves the best possible chance. I, like all Evertonians, am desperate for a trophy. It may not rank with our 9 league titles and 5 FA Cup’s, but finally getting our hands on a League Cup would mean we’re able to finally add another trophy to our rich history.