Everton Fan View: Why Man United's EFL Cup win could be great news for Everton

Wanting Manchester United to win is something that doesn’t really sit well with an Evertonian, but it was the necessary evil needed to stop Southampton qualifying for the Europa League, which they would have done if they had won the League Cup on Sunday.

While I hope that Everton go on a run and finish higher than their current sitting, by far our most likely finishing point will be 7th place. We have finished 7th before and not qualified for Europe, but this season should almost certainly allow for the 7th placed club to qualify.

The only teams that can stop it happening now is if Middlesbrough, Millwall, Huddersfield Town or Lincoln City win the FA Cup. That is very unlikely and the decision to not allow the losing FA Cup finalist to qualify plays into our hands. These rules have often worked against Everton, so it would be nice to benefit from them for a change.

The Europa League is hugely important for me for a few reasons. Of course it’s inferior to the Champions League but it has gifted some of the most memorable away days in the last thirty years. Even the matches at home are special, Goodison Park under the lights on a European night, I’d much rather be going to that than sat at home watching the likes of Southampton or West Ham fumble their way to an exit.

It’s also important for the players. While most crave the bright lights of the Champions League, the Europa League provides a good substitute and shows that the club would be moving in the right direction. We want to keep showing to our current players and prospective ones that we are improving and a good project to buy into. Morgan Schneiderlin bought into it, and more players would if European football is involved.

It’s also another trophy to go for. This season we started off in three competitions, and regardless of Leicester’s freak season, only two of those are realistic. Increasing the number of potential trophies by one vastly increases our chances of ending our trophy drought, and it’s definitely a winnable trophy for any good team that takes it seriously. Winning it is now another route into the Champions League, which is another huge incentive for a club like Everton in such a competitive league.

Atletico Madrid showed how the competition can be a springboard to greater things, as are Sevilla after their three wins in a row. Both clubs have now moved beyond the competition but showed what rewards are on offer if it’s won. If Everton want to increase their brand and reputation, you have to be in Europe.

Finishing 7th is not a certainty, West Brom are just behind us and we’re not too far from the teams in front. The reality is though that Man United’s win vastly improved our chances of being in a European competition next season. You never know, if we do finish 7th and go from strength to strength off the back of it, maybe we’ll look back and thank Zlatan Imbrahimovic . . . or maybe the assistant referee who wrongly disallowed Manolo Gabbiadini’s goal.