Well I didn”t think it was too bad

I wasn't there, but you couldn't fail to notice the noise coming from the Lincoln fans. It was a familiar feeling, down the years we've been rattled by many a lower side being roared on by incredible support.... Are we giving them a helping hand?

I have a theory (that's all it is) that more noise can be created from the Bullens Road than any other part of the ground. I don't mean when it's full of non-chanting Evertonians, I'm talking about when you give up 6 or 7,000 seats to up-for-the-cup visitors who are there to make as much noise as they can. The noise seems to travel across to the Main Stand and bounce straight back into the stadium... and because these fans are surrounding the TV cameras and mics, anyone watching on the telly would be forgiven for thinking we are the away team.

I know, I know, we really shouldn't allow noise from the stands to become a leveller, but there have been too many examples of it down the years to dismiss the theory that we are allowing the oppositions "12th man" to be stronger than he should be. I wonder would it be better to do "a Newcastle" and stick them up in the Top Balcony?

Obviously it would be better to simply get a better team who can make home advantage count, but until we can do that...

Hopefully, Marco persists with Calvert-Lewin – I think he needs a run of games to see him bloom. He has played a part in most of the games that he has started (think goal, disallowed goal, assist). He will have the occasional quiet game, but as long as he is giving his 100% and tiring out the opposition defenders for someone like Lookman to come in and do the damage, that is his job done.

I would go:

Pickford
Kenny Keane Zouma Digne
Gomes Gueye
Bernard Sigurdsson Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

With Walcott, Lookman and Baines coming off the bench.

Darren, I agree with your theory re the Bullens and the noise generated and have thought the same on many occasions. From the other end of the ground, I have been amazed at the way the away support noise resonates when they score.

Ajay – I would give Mr Richarlison a bit of time on the bench, where he could observe how others players somehow manage to stay on their feet and play Leighton on the left instead. I thought Baines was outstanding after not playing all season and, let's face it, he was always better getting forward than he was defending. Maybe he could become his own version of Pienaar?

It's good to read a balanced view.

With expected top temperatures (Deg C) of 39, 32, 35, 41, 41 over the next 5 days here, it is hard to imagine your mates freezing while they were waiting for the pick-up.

Drown 'em out.

When 7,000 visitors are making more noise than 33,000 Blues, the issue isn't the seating arrangements.

1. What a beautiful left foot Baines has – he looked up before he planted that peach of a cross on Lookman's head.

2. How Lookman can leave an opponent behind over the first 5 yards, cut in from the left or right, and shoot with either foot.

3. I have been a Bernard fan from day one but, from what I saw in this game, he is really starting to find his feet. His awareness and ball control is top class. He is my favourite Everton player at the moment.

It is worth listening to what Leighton Baines has to say about him on the Official Site. They say good things come in small parcels.

We deserved to win and there wasn't a lot of danger of Lincoln changing the game. But here is where we disagree: whenever the opposing team get a corner, free-kick or centre in on goal, then my heart goes in my mouth because, even if Pickford is two inches smaller, he definitely should be coming off his line and attacking the ball. I certainly hope he improves on this aspect of his game.

I also didn't think Gomes changed the game to any real extent, we laboured to get out of our own half for a big period in the early part of the second half and he was one of the reasons for that, with passing backwards and sidewards too much.

Anyway Dave, thanks for your report and once again for your support. It never fails to impress me, our long distance travelling fans. Much better than me, just five minutes away from Goodison. I'm going to find it quite hard to get to Bramley-Moore Dock, that will be an extra three or four minutes.

There must be a young striker in the Championship with an eye for goal. Someone who isn't the finished article, but who would bust a gut for us and score his fair share. I'm hoping we can have a punt on someone like this. We definitely need something up front, our front four have struggled for well over a month now...

I like him, he is easy on the eye but he has no pace and goes for the long diagonal pass too often. I would like to see him push further forward and see if he can play the killer pass through the traffic.

As for Baines, the time out seems to have recharged his batteries; he was magnificent. I would keep him in defence and put Digne wide left. Pop Richarlison on the bench and let him consider his pathetic cheating. Well done, you boys travelling so far.

I don't recall too many chances Lincoln created in the second half. Pickford had next to nothing to do in the second half, and as far as I can remember, the closest they came to scoring was when Richarlison cleared a header over to give a corner away. Was that even going in? There was always that worry though, that one mistake could lead to an equaliser, which thankfully didn't happen.

I do agree with Dave A about Pickford though. He's 6'-1" and should be dominating his penalty area, and certainly his 6-yard box. Along with a leap of say, two feet, and the length of his arm from shoulder to fingertips, say well over two feet, it means his hands could be touching over 10 feet in the air. Well tall enough to catch or punch a ball away.

He should be going through everyone to claim the ball, as almost invariably, he will be awarded a free-kick due to being blocked off. We see it all the time, the slightest touch on a goalkeeper and a free-kick is awarded to him.

'He must have been born in a foreign country, commanding a fee north of 㿅M and wages in six figures. Oh, and have an agent demanding to act for both parties.'

Otherwise Brands won't look at him!

I also think your view of the match and individual players is pretty much spot on. Let's hope the cups you presented to Moshiri and Kenwright aren't the only cups they will get their hands on in the coming months and years.

With regard to the fact that we are constantly outsung by away supporters. Away supporters are a slightly different breed to those season ticket "go to home matches only" types (I'm one by the way) and in that they go to away games with the intent of letting their voices be heard, having a good day out, and trying (very easily at Goodison) to outsing the home supporters.

All the away support join in and sing together, and usually have several, if not many, songs and chants to do. Compare that with the 30 odd thousand home supporters in Goodison. Our away support (while at home) won't all be in the same area of the ground but spread around different parts, so diluting their effectiveness in making any sort of effective noise.

Also there seems to be an alarming lack of songs and chants that we actually have. Lastly, it seems to take a hell of a lot to get the Goodison crowd going these days anyway.

Given that Richarlison is one of our only two consistent goal scorers, leaving him out is probably not realistic but he needs to get his act together forthwith. I fully agree with your assessment of Sigurdsson. He is a luxury but he is our other scorer and as such we can hardly do without him at present.

But like you, I struggle to imagine a lineup that makes sense here. What alignment would make that feasible? And who would sit to make room for Bainesy?

You're right, neither Richarlison or Sigurdsson can be left out.

Like you, I also think Calvert-Lewin had great potential and wish Marco would give him an extended run to see what he can do.

I think I am on another of a trek going from North Wales but it pales in comparison to that of you guys way down there in the deep South West.

It is definitely worth a try.

Calvert-Lewin is approaching 70 appearances for EFC and is 22 in March. How long are we expected to wait?

Compare him with Michael Owen at the World Cup at 17 and Rooney at a similar age. He is running out of time.

In some games, we could play a diamond formation with Gueye deep, Baines left, Gomes right and Sigurdsson forward, with Richarlison and Lookman up front.

Back four of Kenny, Keane, Zouma and Digne.

IMO, that would make us much tighter defensively and still produce the goals.

I recall Sir Alf in his latter days playing what was described as the "Hot Dog" shape with three rows and wide passing.

It was thought quite revolutionary when Don Revie's Leeds went for an "Acorn Shape" but abandoned it after a few games citing ageing midfielders for its lack of success. Something to ponder on for Marco, I say?

The point I was making was with regard to home games and home supporters singing/chanting only, as the point I was commenting on was somebody else's about away support at Goodison. I know there are plenty sung at our away games but you don't hear 'em getting belted out stadium-wide at Goodison, do you?

I've been to hundreds of away games in the UK and abroad; I just don't go to them any more and haven't for some years for my own reasons. :-)

Bramley-Moore Dock – special section for season ticket holders who go to away games. All the manics (meant in the nicest way) in the same area to treat the home games like away games and sing their hearts out.

And Dave, I'd have a word with the daughter – nights before the game she is home by 10 or pays for a taxi.

https://www.skysports.com/transfer/news/11096/11603164/whats-gone-wrong-at-everton-problems-facing-marco-silva

At a similar age, Kane was a long way from the Premier League and Spurs first team, out on loan to League One Leyton Orient, Millwall and Leicester in the Championship, and soon-to-be-relegated Norwich in the Premier League.

He was not a regular pick, even in the lower leagues, and certainly not as prolific a goal scorer as he is now.

At international level, whereas Dom (just turned 20) contributed throughout the U-20 World Cup in 2017, memorably scoring the winning goal, in Kane's first two international tournaments, he flopped.

In the 2015 UEFA U-21 final Kane (aged 22) made no impression whatsoever. It was the same again in 2016 in the UEFA finals in France (aged 23).

Now Kane is right up there with one of the best strikers in the world, no question.

But given their relative histories, Clive's comparison of the two is a frivolous one.

It is way too premature to be writing off Calvert-Lewin just yet.

We desperately need a goalscorer to give the team, fans and management more confidence and belief

Calvert-Lewin is okay and has potential but what is his potential? He never looks particularly dangerous, ie, smashing 4 or 5 shots goalwards and just missing the target. He never strikes the ball well and misses lots of sitters (particularly against Liverpool – witness last season at home for example and previous season's header at Anfield when we were 2-0 down). He never looks particularly dangerous

A goalscorer that could have given us the lead at Arsenal or Old Trafford – a goal threat... just imagine!

That's what we need more than anything

Kase – Emily is my 19-year-old who has discovered nightclubs (nothing to approach Ruperts, Cabin, Babalou, Beachcomber or Leighton Court from my heyday) but she is also starting to show an interest in EFC so my fingers are crossed.

Phil – hope you are well and must hook up for a game.

Dave and others – I take your point re Jordan but I do wonder if Marco has told him to stay put and let Mina etc attack crosses? Southall wasn't a great catcher of crosses but would punch and take the striker out at the same time and you are right that at 6'-1" in with arms extended he should be able to punch most stuff clear.

Bill – shame you weren't around on Saturday as I could have done with a beer!

Looking forward to Sunday – surely three points??

As far as the game went, I totally agree with you. I never thought we were in danger of actually losing the game, we were pretty comfortable bar the last 20 mins of the first half. Job done, into the next round thank you very much.

As far as the level of noise and songs in Goodison Park for the home fans, well you have to look at the opposition for a start. With all due respect, I'm not sure many Evertonians got too excited about the tie whereas Lincoln meeting a top level team at their ground, well sure they would be excited and determined to have a great day and sing their hearts out. Unfortunately in the modern game it takes a lot for home crowds to get too excited about a game that isn't a so-called big game.

This issue is not confined to Everton. It happens at most clubs. Arsenal is always a morgue no matter what, The RS is quiet unless they play big games, same as Man Utd and Man City. It's just modern football. Away is a different matter. You all band together and even in modern football, you still have the feeling of us against them mentality so you make a lot of noise and sing your hearts out all game. We see it all the time with away fans at Goodison Park. That's why you going away will always be better than home games, despite all the issues of travelling and cost. <:P>When we come out of this bad patch we're going through, and we will, I'm quite sure that Goodison Park will be noisy for the games against Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

I spent four nights most weeks at Ruperts, The Cabin and Leighton and for a change we'd do the Babalou, Beachcomber, Samantha's Playground or, if we wanted to impress a new girlfriend, we'd go to Southport for Toad Hall.

Those were great clubs with fantastic music and great DJs like Vince Tracey, Terry Lennaine and Lee Scott.
Happy days indeed!