Everton vs Lincoln City

Saturday, 5 January, 2019 56comments  |  Jump to most recent
FA Cup 3rd Round Preview

Ademola Lookman could make his first start for a month after recovering from an unspecified knock

Everton's FA Cup campaign kicks off this afternoon against Lincoln City and in the context of a season that has veered off the rails over the last month, it's a match that has taken on extra importance.

The visitors to Goodison Park may be from the lower reaches of the Football League but the Blues' increasingly fragile confidence, combined with the unpredictability of the cup and the pitfalls of too may personnel changes, means that this will be far from a formality for Marco Silva's side.

Silva badly needs a victory to inject some belief back into a group of players that has won just once in the last seven games but on whom a gruelling festive programme had clearly taken its toll by the time Leicester had left Merseyside with all three points on Tuesday.

The manager will undoubtedly make changes for today's tie but home many and where those changes will come remains to be seen.

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At the very least, André Gomes will surely sit out after his tired display against the Foxes which saw him withdrawn after an hour's play of the 1-0 defeat. The Portuguese has started every match since belatedly making his Everton debut after recovering from a hamstring injury and the effects of his first Premier League winter have been unmissable.

He is likely to be replaced by Tom Davies rather than James McCarthy who is medically fit again following his double leg break but lacks match sharpness and strength and probably won't be risked.

Lucas Digne has also been ever-present since being rested for the League Cup defeat to Southampton in September and he, too, could drop back to the bench in favour of Leighton Baines.

Ademola Lookman, meanwhile, is fit again and Silva hinted that he could make his first start since the home draw with Newcastle last month, most likely in place of Theo Walcott who played more minutes over the Christmas period than most and has, in any case, been struggling for form.

In terms of the remainder of the line-up, much will depend on how much faith Silva has in any other replacement players he might field and how bold he dare be with the number of changes he makes given what happened in the Carabao Cup.

This is The Imps' first trip to Goodison since losing to the Toffees over two legs in the second round of the 1993-94 League Cup but they will travel with the confidence that comes from being the clear leaders of League Two.

They have lost just four games all season but regardless of what side Silva puts out, Everton should have too much for them.

Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday, 5th January 2019
Referee:
Last Time: Everton 4 - 2 Lincoln City (Coca Cola Cup 2nd Round, 2nd Leg; no prior FA Cup meeting)

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Kenny, Zouma, Mina, Baines, Gueye, Davies, Sigurdsson, Lookman, Bernard, Tosun

Quotes sourced from Match report page



Reader Comments (56)

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Derek Thomas
1 Posted 05/01/2019 at 07:40:45
Lincoln must fancy this and no doubt their manager will have a plan (shouldnt be too difficult, along the lines of the, get in to them, they don't like it up em variety) and have them wound up for it.

On paper etc etc, well under that piece of paper hides the obvious FA Cup banana skin.

We could find a fish bone and choke on a jelly. (Jello for the yanks)...Everton That.

John Raftery
2 Posted 05/01/2019 at 07:51:08
We had better turn up. That includes our fans. Lincoln will fancy this one as a team accustomed to winning playing a team with a recent habit of losing. The Imps sold their full allocation of 5521 a week before Christmas and have designated the Lower Bullens their ‘Singing Section’.
Jamie Crowley
3 Posted 05/01/2019 at 07:55:22
Jello is truly gross DT.

Regarding this game, and the FA Cup on the whole, we have to give it a run.

Our league position won't turn heads. We're now, thanks to a wonderful (cough-cough) Holiday season, en route to a 10th to 7th place finish.

Please Marco, I understand the need to rotate the players this game after a silly-busy festive season. But if you pull the same shenanigans in the FA Cup as you did the League Cup after this game, I'm going to fly over there and beat you with a blunt object.

Kevin Prytherch
4 Posted 05/01/2019 at 08:03:51
I sincerely hope he plumps for Calvert Lewin instead of Tosun.

As many have pointed out in the past, he has a good record in cup competitions against teams from lower divisions.

If Tosun plays, I can see him lounging about not getting a sniff and getting bullied by their defence. Cue a close 1-0 victory or an upset.

Sam Hoare
5 Posted 05/01/2019 at 08:12:19
Spurs made 8 changes yesterday and absolutely hammered Tranmere. One of the biggest differences between us and top 5 is they have full squads that mean they can make changes without interrupting the system and dipping in quality too much.

I agree that DCL should start. He’s quicker and stronger than Tosun and has more chance of doing well in this match and becoming a useful player for us in the future. Other than that I think Lyndons team looks good to me. I hope Bernard and Lookman have good games.

Neil Copeland
6 Posted 05/01/2019 at 08:25:42
Jamie #3, sabmve yourself the airfare, I will have hot there before you along with a few thousand others I should think!

Come on Marco no pissing about with this one, it is a must win game for lots of reasons.

Neil Copeland
7 Posted 05/01/2019 at 08:26:36
Sorry should read “save” and “got”
Dave Williams
8 Posted 05/01/2019 at 08:33:06
Sam- agree with your team. I am on the West Country Blues supporters club coach and full of trepidation- this has “ cup upset” written all over it. I got in at 1am from picking up my daughter from a nightclub in Exeter and the alarm went at 6 so I need a good game to keep me awake!
Anyone around for a pre match beer?
Jim Bennings
9 Posted 05/01/2019 at 08:45:44
We surely can’t fail in this one?

These are the types of games where most of our players look amazing in (no disrespect to Lincoln at all) but the Premier League is a million miles away from League 2.

If we can’t win this one then we have got problems.

Christopher Morris
10 Posted 05/01/2019 at 08:54:59
This has to be the priority now, it will breed positivity, a high-scoring win and bring some life back to Goodison Park. That '95 FA Cup win brought a superb atmosphere around the club, the Quarter-final vs Newcastle at home as an example.

Tosun or Calvert-Lewin, the manager needs to decide and stick with them today and for the next 6/7 games. Personally, I'd go with Tosun; two of our shots on target on that dire New Year's Day came from him. Zouma is the most solid centre-half, him and one other. Finally, Walcott has to be dropped now, dire recently.

In a nutshell, best team each week, with one game per week, and gain some consistency. COYB.

Martin Nicholls
11 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:05:09
Jim#9 - I'm struggling to recall a game of this "type" in which any, let alone most of our players looked amazing! This in fact is the type of game that we typically struggle in and in which our players look anything but amazing.
Jim Bennings
12 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:23:51
Martin

Usually against the likes of Rotherham or Sunderland (Cup last year) or teams of that kind of ilk our players look lethal and DCL looks like the next Ronaldo.

Billy Roberts
14 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:32:59
I agree with Jim Benings, if we fail to win this game the repercussions are not worth thinking about.
The gulf in leagues should be enough for a Premier league team to have some friggin pride about themselves and the club, in reality we should only need a few individuals having an excellent game to make the difference, have them firing on all cylinders and it SHOULD !! Be comprehensive, see Tottenham. Good luck to all Blues (kids starved of glory especially)going the game it will be a lively atmosphere so let's hope we match them on and off the pitch as the FA cup still has the capacity to make memorable days.
Paul Birmingham
15 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:39:23
Agree Jim, today failure to win this game at home, is not an option.

Hell will rise today if we lose. No doubt Lincoln will be set up to do a job and my fear is we may get bullied and we may not be able to handle them.

Also fitness wise, it will be interesting to see the tempo, of this game through out.

MS, please pick the strongest team today, no tinkering.

Paul Setter
16 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:51:18
Dave #8 nice to see a another fellow West Country blue.
Michael Connelly
17 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:51:59
DCL is a good finisher with his head, but is powder-puff with his feet. Tosun has a far better shot on him. I'd plump for Cenk today.
Frank Sheppard
18 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:54:42
We need the players to turn up today and put in a real shift. I wonder if they are motivated for this one, or would rather be “rested” ? I worry that a lacklustre display could turn Goodison quiet and septic.
Eddie Dunn
19 Posted 05/01/2019 at 09:58:05
I would play DCL, his speed and strength will be important against this sort of opposition.
Watched the Tranmere -Spurs game on TV last night and Delle-Alli bossed the midfield, but will any of our lads have the confidence to pull the strings?
This game is a potential banana skin.
High-flying lower league sides are always dangerous and with a vocal support for them, we must not give them a sniff.
We should just outplay them, but I fear we will need an easy start and score first.
If they get lucky and take the lead, imagine the atmosphere at Goodison .
I have little confidence that our assemblage of mercenaries have the spunk for the fight.
Therefore we really have to put out the fire before it starts.
John Boswell
20 Posted 05/01/2019 at 10:07:15
My brother in law has a season ticket at Burnley and he took me along to their cup match against Lincoln last season, which the visitors won 0-1 with a very physical performance.
Having watched Watford get a draw at Goodison last month, with a similar approach, albeit with more quality our boys will need to be on their game today.
A good cup run will be great for the club and us supporters, 2-0, coyb.
Darren Hind
21 Posted 05/01/2019 at 10:09:14
I'd love DCL to score the winner when the shite come to the old lady.


Not just for obvious reasons, but it will be hilarious watching Jim Bennings try to pretend he is happy when the guy he has singled out for criticism on an almost daily basis, puts paid to the ambitions of a manager he has spent the entire season fawning all over

Chris Gould
22 Posted 05/01/2019 at 10:09:46
Paul #15,
What is our strongest team? I have absolutely no idea, and I'm not convinced Silva does either.
Also, sometimes your strongest team on paper is not going to give you the best performance on any given day. As we've seen over the Xmas period, many players have struggled with fatigue and are likely to be playing through minor knocks and strains. Gomes has undoubtedly been troubled by fatigue. He has been giving everything, but his tank appears empty.

All teams are forced to rotate through this busy period, but we have been forced to play players who are clearly not at their best because we don't have strength in depth.
Teams such as Spurs, City, Liverpool etc could play their 2nd team for an entire season and be comfortably in the top half of the table. Our 2nd team would get relegated in embarrassing fashion.
When attempting to rotate over the Xmas period we suffered a drop in standards, so instead we played players struggling with fatigue and also suffered a drop in standards.
Other clubs were able to deal with the busy schedule better than us. The difference in standard between our first eleven and second eleven is far too much, and Silva's inexperience at dealing with such a schedule may have been a contributing factor.
I think we will see performances pick up over the coming weeks, with players able to regain their optimum levels of fitness and without the need to rotate.

John Keating
23 Posted 05/01/2019 at 10:24:11
Agree with Lyndons line up. My only concern being Siggi.
He’s another one suffering from this apparent fatigue going through the Club

What about the fatigue we’re suffering from watching this shite?

I’ve read some posts supporting this fatigue theory and just wonder how long it takes the professional player with all the support they have to overcome it?
Seems to me they’ve had it since the Huddersfield game-if not before

Derek Thomas
24 Posted 05/01/2019 at 10:28:35
I remember the game at Southport, even with a more or less full team, that was playing some of the best football ever seen at Goodison before or since, we still 'had to fight for the right to party' and managed a 0-1 win.
Derek Taylor
25 Posted 05/01/2019 at 10:39:02
I predict Silva will go for very much a 'reserve team' approach.My prediction is, therefore :-

Stek; Coleman, Jagielka, Mina, Baines; Sneids, Davies; Calvert - Lewin, Siggurtson, Lookman; Tosun


Not a bad line-up against a team at Lincoln's level but gawd help him if they don't win !

Jim Bennings
26 Posted 05/01/2019 at 10:43:58
Darren

Grow up mate!

I’d love to see DCL score the winner in EVERY game let alone the derby.

He had the perfect chance in the last minute in April against the Shite but was wearing his inflatable slippers as usual.

Mal van Schaick
27 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:04:24
I think that this will be a good benchmark test for the manager and his staff to select the correct players, formation and tactics, to see us through comfortably and give us some confidence.
On paper we have the players, but as we all know this is the FA cup and some shocks do happen.
Spurs did their job correctly last night to get into the hat for the 4th round, let’s hope we do the same.
Dave Williams
28 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:05:55
I am reading the Ronny Goodlass book on the coach and just read the bit about pre season training on Southport beach. Do that and you’d surely love to play as often as you can! The players these days may run more but don’t get the physical battering they did back then and whilst it may be my age here I think the modern players are too soft!
Anthony Murphy
29 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:06:48
Think we will see Baines, Jags and possibly Macca today. Some experienced heads out there to get the job done. We’ll win today as losing isn’t an option and Silva will know this. To add to the positive vibe here, I expect Wolves to beat the shite tomorrow too.
Martin Faulkner
30 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:07:50
I'd hope he goes with something like:
Pickford
Kenny Keane Mina Baines
Gana
Gomes Bernard
Lookman Tosun Richarlison

Subs
Stek, Keane, Dowell, DCL, Mccarthy, Davies, Niasse

Clive Rogers
31 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:08:35
DCL has been really poor recently. Against Newcastle he was hardly in the game especially 2nd half. Don’t tell me it was the service I expect him to go get the ball. What is worrying is he had a shocker against Burnley when the rest of the team played well and scored five. He was subbed after an hour, dropped and told he had to do more.
He has made 63 appearances since his first game in 2016 and is 22 in March. He is running out of time and chances.
Brian Harrison
32 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:09:06
I am sure Marco Silva will make changes for today's game, our run of 4 games in 10 days means he needs fresh legs today. I expect Baines,Davies and Lookman to start today, and I wouldnt be surprised if Steklenberg gets a run out. I would hope Bernard and Lookman play wide with DCL leading the line, I really hope Lookman has a game that will make it impossible for Marco Silva to leave him out of the bournemouth game. I know he hasnt set the world alight yet this season but I believe he is a talent, and I am hoping he shows that ability today. Likewise with Bernard a talented footballer who is getting used to the intensity of the Premier league, I would hope he will also have a big impact today given that Lincoln wont play at the same pace as most Premier league games are played at. But they will be physical and competitive so we will have to match their effort and let our ability show through.
Mike Allison
33 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:18:11
This is our season now. Sure, we could still come 7th and qualify for Europe, we could also get sucked into the relegation battle, but we’re neither good enough nor bad enough for those in my opinion.

We need to play a full strength team in our best formation, no messing around. Anything else will be a second big strike against Silva for me (the first was the selection of a back 3 vs Man City). At the start of the season, Silva pointed to injuries and the inability to pick a settled team as a reason for inconsistency. Now he is choosing not only to be inconsistent in team selection, but he is also changing the formation regularly. This makes it very difficult for the players. A manager’s job is to give his players the best chance of success, and his decisions are not doing that at the moment.

Finally, we need to be prepared to be more direct. This may apply less today, but Premier League teams press, and we need to be able to make them think twice about that. At the moment, opponents’ pressing is better than our passing, but we don’t seem willing to make them have to adapt.

James Marshall
34 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:32:43
As ever I have no idea which Everton is going to turn up - much like every week you could stick a pin in any score you like for this one. We could just as easily thrash them as lose or draw the game, and play like absolute donkeys.

From world beaters to panel beaters in the blink of an eye.

Grant Rorrison
35 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:38:12
How we do in the competition will probably make my mind up about Marco Silva. We need to take it seriously and try and win the thing. Go out in one of the opening rounds with a weak team and a whimper and I don't see the point of the guy.
Ernie Baywood
36 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:46:18
It's all well and good asking for a strong team, but I wouldn't back our current first XI against Lincoln. They look shattered and that's probably fair given they've had the toughest run of any team over the festive period.

I'm usually one of those who can't understand middling teams (let's face it) resting players for cup games - their only chance of any success. But in our case I think it makes sense.

Assuming they're all fit, I'd go:

Pickford
Kenny
Mina
Jags
Baines
McCarthy
Schneiderlin
Lookman
Bernard
Davies
DCL - needs a goal and has been rested

And if they can't beat Lincoln then we know we have some serious depth issues to go with our first XI problems.

Frank Sheppard
37 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:49:17
Looking forward very much to seeing Baines get 90 minutes today. Legend.
Marcus Taylor
38 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:55:36
This is the last Everton team to win an FA Cup tie (vs Chelsea in March 2016)

Robles, Coleman, Baines, Jagielka, Funes Mori, McCarthy, Barry, Lennon, Barkley, Cleverley, Lukaku

Subs: Howard, Stones, Koné, Niasse, Besic, Deulofeu, Osman

Of that side; 11 have been sold, 1 has retired, 1 is out on loan, 4 are peripheral squad member, with only 1 current first team regular - Coleman. We've also sacked 3 managers since then and spent over £300,000,000 on players.

A decent FA Cup run is long overdue!


Colin Glassar
39 Posted 05/01/2019 at 11:59:37
I’ve completely lost interest in this bunch of underachieving cowards. I’d play the ressies and sod the rest:

Stek
Kenny
Keane
Mina
Baines
Lookman
McCarthy
Davies
Dowell
Niasse
Tosun

I wouldn’t put anyone on the bench as an act of public humiliation.

Mike Kehoe
40 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:02:30
This could be a very difficult game. They will set up to frustrate and counter and have a quick strong forward in Akinde that could be dangerous if not treated as a serious threat: so no Jags or Stekelenburg. We need the season to last beyond tea time.
Justin Doone
41 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:05:13
I'd love to win it but I don't think this is our year. We are not solid enough in defence or consistent enough throughout.

However we should beat Lincoln, should on paper, but that's the beauty of the FA Cup, you never can tell.

I think we need to keep Ric and Gomes fresh so I'd rest them and it's a great opportunity to see if Mina can be the commanding centre back he should be against lesser opposition and for Lookman to start wide left. I think this is where he played for Liepzig and can be most effective.

I'd keep the rest pretty much the same from the weekend if all fit. Dowell has been loaned out so I hope he and the other loanees are able to play plenty of football including the FA Cup.

John Raftery
42 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:08:18
After the last two displays Silva has little option but to make a few changes. Nobody has a clue what our strongest team is at present, including the manager himself. Whoever plays will need to be up for a battle.

While we have beaten lower league opposition in recent seasons, those teams such as Sunderland, Rotherham, Yeovil and Dagenham & Redbridge, were all struggling for form in their leagues. Lincoln are the best team in their league and come to Goodison Park with the confidence which comes from winning.

John Keating
43 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:14:20
Seeing that Lincoln have played more games than I just happen to notice there are no fatigue excuses coming out of their camp
Could it be that their lads although earning a fraction of our wasters just want to play footy?
John Hammond
44 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:28:04
Well done to McCarthy for making the squad and he's halfway to showing me up when I stated he'll never play for us again. Still think he won't, but what do I know.

I think Tosun should get a start. He looked relatively lively when he came on against Leicester and did more in those 20 minutes than DCL did in the whole match.

I don't think we'll have any problems today. 3-0

Paul Tran
45 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:46:28
Of course we should win; whenever I say that about a cup tie like this, I always think of that January day in 1974 when we struggled against the mighty Altrincham, equalising with a penalty.

Confidence-boosting win, or bile-inducing struggle? Gonna be an interesting afternoon.

Kevin Prytherch
46 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:52:10
For anyone interested
It’s currently 0-0 in Mason Holgate (right back) vs Callum Connelly (centre mid)
Steavey Buckley
47 Posted 05/01/2019 at 12:55:06
What will really buoy Everton are a few new acquisitions, whether bought or on loan, as the current squad appears not to be good enough.
Derek Knox
48 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:11:36
John @44, I must admit you must have better eyesight than I do, observing that Tosun looked lively for 20 minutes, I thought he was posing for a Still-Life painting or Madame Tussauds!
Dave Williams
49 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:18:15
I suspect they will be far too physical for Tosun. DC-L better bet today( and every day come to think of it)!
Tony Abrahams
50 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:18:28
My Goodison debut that game Paul, and I expect another fight today, after reading John’s post @20.

We haven’t won a fa cup tie, for over two seasons, but we really need a run in the competition this season, more than ever.

Mark Murphy
51 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:19:12
Colin do you mean an empty bench or simply no “first teamers” on it?

I’d go for:
Stek
Coleman, Zouma, Mina, Baines
Davies, Gana, McCarthy
Lookman, DCL, Bernard.

Tosun on for DCL at half time if DCL isn’t working and Gomes on last 30 for McCarthy as he tires.

James Hughes
52 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:25:31
If the Glassar fella is pissed off with this team then it shows what shite we are. Never really seen Colin slagging the team before,
Mr G. call the samaritans -press option 3- dedicated to EFC :)
Tony Abrahams
53 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:27:24
I also hope Tosun doesn't play against these big bruisers. I would actually prefer to see Niasse bow out with a bang today.

I would have met you Dave @8, but I can't get away from my house until about 2:15 mate, so I just hope you enjoy your day.

Dave Abrahams
55 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:35:52
I hope McCarthy gets a game but I don't think you can have him, Baines and Jagielka all starting together, they have hardly played for months.

I hope Silva picks a very strong team, we don't play again until next Sunday, when Solanke could make his debut for Bournemouth.

Derek Taylor
56 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:48:19
I had originally planned to decide on my attendance this afternoon once the team selection was made public. However, Mrs T has persuaded me to study holiday sites with her as I've been putting it off over the break.

I've told her I'll go anywhere as long as it's before this crap season ends. Like Colin, I've had enough.

Dave Williams
57 Posted 05/01/2019 at 13:52:17
Thanks anyway Tony- sipping nice hot tea at the church and saying a prayer!!
Enjoy the game!
John Hammond
58 Posted 05/01/2019 at 15:21:52
Derek, he's been relatively lively! He had 4 shots compared to Calvert-Lewin who had 1 in those 90 mins.

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