Match Report

Gutless. Spineless. Witless. Hapless. Choose your adjective. Everton's long-suffering fans have witnessed some pathetic performances at Anfield in recent years but this one, against a Liverpool team featuring nine changes and stuffed with inexperienced kids, takes the biscuit.

Everton turned in a second-half display so bereft of fight, quality, spirit and urgency that it left you wishing half the players could all be thrown out the club tomorrow. Sadly, as the imminent financial accounts will show, the club is counting the significant cost of almost four years of horrendously expensive and just plain horrendous recruitment that will no doubt ensure that Carlo Ancelotti will need all of the four-and-a-half years of his contract to fix it.

The second 45 minutes in particular was indescribably bad from a group of players who, you felt, couldn't get much worse than some of the dross they have served up already this season but whether through fatigue or a simple sense of the futility that has embodied this fixture for Everton for two decades, they appeared to just give up.

No doubt due to the knock the veteran picked up against at Manchester City on New Year's Day, Fabian Delph was only named among the substitutes but in his stead, Ancelotti might as well not have fielded a midfield at all given the black hole that existed there for much of this contest.

Against such youthful opposition, Gylfi Sigurdsson — has a player ever suffered such a precipitous drop-off in production and form from one season to the next? — and Morgan Schneiderlin should have bossed this game from start to finish; instead, they turned in two of their worst performances in an Everton jersey which, based on everything that has gone on already this season, is quite something. Both are on massive six-figures-per-week salaries but neither are deserving of another minute in an Everton jersey. Sadly, though, unless there will be incoming personnel this month, the manager will have little option.

They were deployed in the most important area of the pitch but they weren't alone in their ineptitude, their lack of strength, passion and effectiveness. Djibril Sidibé, first as a wing back and then as full-back after the equally terrible Seamus Coleman had been withdrawn, was shocking for 90 minutes. His compatriot on the other flank, Lucas Digne, a pale shadow of the player who was deservedly named player of the season last year, wasn't much better.

The remainder of a jittery defence that looked scared of its own shadow in front of Jordan Pickford and his awful distribution embarrassed itself trying to play through Klopp's high press and was frequently forced to whack it aimlessly long or give possession away by giving to the duo in midfield who either weren't showing for the ball or who proved similarly incapable of consistently finding a blue shirt with a pass.

For so much of this increasingly dejecting match, the team full of kids was the one playing with all the composure while the one with four players 30 or older and stuffed with internationals was struggling just to do the basics. And it was a reliance on the basic, later abandoned, that had served them so well in the first half hour of the game, one which they looked capable of winning, either through a moment of superior quality or simply attrition.

One of Sigurdsson's only meaningful contributions, a sublime ball into the box for Theo Walcott, set up Everton's first chance, a low drive from around the penalty spot from Dominic Calvert-Lewin that was perhaps too accurate in that he put it down the middle and Adrian was able to save with his feet.

Then, after Calvert-Lewin had been fouled in a dangerous area, Holgate latched onto a whipped free-kick from Sigurdsson but he planted a free header straight at the goalkeeper.

Everton's strategy of going direct and bypassing midfield was proving productive at times and they picked Walcott out down the right flank in the 27th minute where the winger was able to the ball back from the byline for Richarlison but he, too, was denied by Adrian's foot.

Four minutes after that, Walcott came within an inch or so of connecting with Calvert-Lewin but his cross was just too far ahead for the striker's diving header to connect and steer goal-wards.

Apart from Yerry Mina's glancing header off a corner and a Calvert-Lewin effort from the edge of the area that he dragged wide with Sidibé calling for it in space to his right, the Blues didn't really threaten for the remainder of the first half. But with Liverpool failing to unduly trouble Pickford, it felt as though it was only a matter of time before Ancelotti's men made the breakthrough.

The very early stages of the second period followed the pattern of the first and Sidibé's neat chested layoff from a corner to Schneiderlin gave the French midfielder an opportunity to find the target but he swept his shot disappointingly over the crossbar.

Then the tide started turning and Everton gradually disappeared from the contest. Neco Williams tested Pickford with a powerful drive and Pickford was forced to push a bouncing, speculative effort from Divock Origi before Curtis Jones produced the moment of magic that the match had been sorely missing, particularly from those in blue jerseys.

The 18-year-old collected Origi's pass after good hold-up play by the Belgian and he sized up a shot from the edge of the area that he curled over Pickford's despairing fingertips and in off the underside of the bar.

The effect on Everton, with all the experience in its ranks playing in front 8,000 expectant supporters, was utterly demoralising because Ancelotti's men appeared to lose all belief and any remaining ability to string together a series of passes.

Bernard came on for Walcott, whose promising first-half display had been ruined by a truly abysmal second, and offered a couple of flourishes, Moise Kean, introduced for Coleman in the 63rd minute, ran around like a headless chicken for the last half hour before despatching a sliced stoppage-time volley into the Kop, and Delph was thrown on in a vain attempt to add some nous in the middle but none of the manager's substitutions made much of an impact.

Instead, it was a Klopp change, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who forced the last save of the game in the 74th minute, shooting low towards Pickford's near post but the England international was equal to it.

Ultimately, Everton's failure to put a single effort on target in the final hour of the match was a damning indictment of the performance and the players who plumbed new depths of awfulness in a season that will almost certainly be defined by it if things don't change markedly over the remainder of another lost season.

Just four games into a tenure he may already be regretting, Ancelotti will have had his eyes opened to the problems that exist in this squad and the amount of work that will be required to turn it around. So early in his reign, this one wasn't on the manager; this was squarely on a group of players who have largely escaped the worst of the criticism and allowed Marco Silva to carry the can but now have nowhere left to hide. They were handed a route into the fourth round and they bottled it. Put frankly, they were a disgrace to the shirt and the badge.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

A month after going down to the defeat that proved to be the final nail in the proverbial coffin of Marco Silva's tenure, Everton are back at Anfield in the FA Cup.

The Blues were carved open by an under-strength reds side on 4th December and beaten 5-2, a result that was the catalyst for change that ushered in the Carlo Ancelotti era and the Italian has the task of becoming the first manager to beat Liverpool on their own turf this season.

Ancelotti goes for Sidibe, Sigurdsson and Schneiderlin in midfield, dropping Davies.

Meanwhile, NINE changes for Liverpool... but of course that man Origi plays. Elliot only 16 years of age.

Liverpool kicked off, with Everton playing in odd-looking blue socksDigne fired in a ferocious centre from his own throw-in but Sidibe failed to attack the ball and could not control it.

Tremendous ball over the Liverpool Defence, Walcott and Calvert-Lewin both fired straight at Adria when it looked easier to score. Milner went down and needed a lot of treatment before being taken off for

Everton needed to defend, the game developing into a lively tussle, Calvert-Lewin getting taken out by Phillips. But Sigurdsson put it perfectly onto Holgate's head, perfect position, and he heads it straight at Adrian, the ball then all the way up the other end for an Liverpool corner that needed resolute defending.

Calvert-Lewin did brilliantly to bring down Pickford's long clearance bu Sifebe let the second ball roll out of play behind. Everton were playing the long ball frequently, but not with the required finish.

Lllalana was given space to shot but wildly over. Richarlison collapsed after being tackled from behind, then Sigurdsson was also fouled from behind but Jon Moss was letting the game play, as they say. Elliot won a corner for Liverpool, that was headed away by Mina.

Everton put themselves under pressure, repeatedly giving the ball back to the red shirts as Liverpool pressed with more continuity and determination, winning yet another corner, played deep and driven wide by Williams.

Yet again fine play with Walcott setting up Richarlison for him to surely score but no, he firs it yet again at Adrian. What is wrong with the Everton strikers? The ball comes back across for him but this time he's too far behind the all.

Llalana once again is invited to shoot at the top corner but it sailed away to the left. Richarlison dawdled on the ball and was easily dispossessed but Evertppn got it back and Walcott launched a fine cross for a Calvert-Lewin diving header but he was two inc=hes too far behind the ball!

Holgate had to be very strong with Jones behind him, and another shot from Jones this time dragged wide of the Everton goal. Then a wicked cross from Origi, just far enough away from Minamiono with Elliot hanging on the far post.

An Adrian clearance was stolen and Walcot put in a great ball that Lallana headed behind just outside his post. The corner was glance behind by a defender, the second corner from the other side likewise glancing this time of Mina, who got up to an incredible height. Calvert-LewinGets another glorious chance but fires wide.

Origi danced and jinked, firing a frightening shot that Pickford saves brilliantly, and Everton almost break from the corner, but the ball was drawn like a magnet to Gomez and not Walcott running beyond him.

More Liverpool corners, both defended, Everton reasonably convincing in rearguard action so far, but the script of their astounding profligacy upfront usually has only one plot-line.

Into added time, and Everton looked to win a corner, but it was ruled behind off a blue shirt. Walcot and Richarlison got close but contrived to lose the ball back in was glanced away from Calvert-Lewin.

Everton restarted with a hopeless hoof into touch. Not auspicious. BBut they got possession amongst a swarm of red defenders and won an early corner, Sigurdsson ball falling to Schneiderlin who lashes it over the bar.

A poor foul by Digne gave away a dangerous set-piece but nothing came of it. Liverpool were gegen-pressing, pinning Everton in their own half, Williams lashing a swerving shot at Pickford. Lallana agoes down under pressure from Richarlison, and a dangerous set-piece, but it bounces out for a corner off Calvert-Lewin.

Mina almost got Everton in trouble, playing it from the back<. But they worked it up to win a corner that Mina again made contact with but to no effect, and Everton were again under pressure from a series of set-pieces at the other end, all defended away.

Delph and Kean were readied for the fray, Sigurdsson and Coleman but not before Liverpool had won yet another corner and extended period of pressure, Ancelotti responding by overloading the attack in time-honoured fashion of one Marco Siva.

Walcott got behind and showed just how useless he can be with an absolutely criminal ball beyond three blue shirts in the middle. Digne tries=d from the other side but ran the ball out. A pot shot from Origi form 35 yards almost fooled Pickford, parried for a corner.

Then, some classy play from Liverpool Origi setting up Jones for a fantastic curler that beat Pickford all hands down and bounced down off the bottom of the bar to crush all Everton hearts. It just had to happen.

OC was next to skip through and almost score at the near post but Pickford scrambled it away. It needed a massive response from Everton but instead, it was Liverpool who continued to press the Blues back until Everton won an increasingly rare corner, dropped-kicked by Schneiderlin high over the bar for a drop goal in rugby. Just a shocking lack of technique.

Liverpool were happily toying with Everton now, the Blues reduced to ball-watching as the Reds literally ran rings around them. On TV, the cameras panned away to an empty vacant Goodison Park, bizarrely bathed in light but nobody home. Meanwhile, back at Anfield, Liverpool continued to pile forward and take potshots at Pickford's goal.

Everton clearly had nothing left at this point, playing the ball back to Pickford rather than forward toward the Liverpool goal. And when they did, Richarlison was offside. Bernard's poor pass to Digne goes harmlessly out of play.

Sidibe at least get a decent cross but Kean tried to volley it acrobatically far too high, well over the ball. The game played itself out with Everton offering absolutely nothing in the second half.

Scorer: Jones (71')

Liverpool: Adrian; Milner (9' Larouci), Gomez, Phillips, Williams; Lallana, Chirivella, Jones (79' Brewster), Elliott; Minamino (70' Oxlade-Chamberlain), Origi.
Subs not Used: Kelleher, Mane, Henderson, Hoever.

Everton: Pickford; Mina, Holgate, Coleman (63' Kean), Digne [Y:58']; Sigurdsson (63' Delph), Schneiderlin, Sidibe, Walcott (78' Bernard); Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs not Used: Stekelenberg, Baines, Keane, Davies.

Referee: Jon Moss

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

A month after going down to the defeat that proved to be the final nail in the proverbial coffin of Marco Silva's tenure, Everton are back at Anfield in the FA Cup.

The Blues were carved open by an under-strength reds side on 4th December and beaten 5-2, a result that was the catalyst for change that ushered in the Carlo Ancelotti era and the Italian has the task of becoming the first manager to beat Liverpool on their own turf this season.

Ancelotti has already masterminded one victory over Jà¼rgen Klopp's side, a 2-0 win as Napoli boss in the Champions League in September, and he is also the only manager to have stopped the reds from winning at home so far this season. He says that Everton have to rise to the occasion to beat the league leaders and is hopeful his team can put on a “perfect” display.

"Everyone knows how Liverpool play,” Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference. “It's fantastic [on the] counter-attack, in transition, recovering the ball. You have to [have] a perfect game to beat them. You cannot defend for 90 minutes. We have to play our football.”

Asked how to beat Jà¼rgen Klopp's juggernaut, Ancelotti said: “Just score more goals. Jurgen is my friend. I had the luck to beat him last season (with Napoli), also. We were able to do a great performance. That is what you have to do. Normal is not enough.”

Everton will have Morgan Schneiderlin available after the Frenchman recovered from a calf strain. He was believed to have been passed fit for the trip to Manchester City on New Year's Day but didn't make the squad but could be included this time.

Bernard will be assessed after picking up a heavy knock prior to kick-off at the Etihad Stadium in a collision with Yerry Mina while Fabian Delph is a doubt after picking up a knee problem in the defeat to City. A scan on the midfielder's knee revealed no significant damage, however, and it is hoped he can play.

Klopp, meanwhile, will be without midfielder Naby Keita who picked up a groin problem on New Year's Day but the German could field Takumi Minamino in a line-up that may again feature a number of changes as a result of the reds' hectic fixture calendar.

While Everton's league record against Liverpool has been a source of frustration for Blues fans over the past couple of decades, they also have a mixed record in the FA Cup that dates back to two painful defeats at Wembley in the 1980s and a 2-1 reverse in the 2012 semi-final.

The defeat they suffered under Sam Allardyce two years ago was their first in the cup at Anfield, however, and they were also victorious in dramatic circumstances in the replay following that famous 4-4 draw in 1991 and Dan Gosling's extra-time winner in 2009.

The drama and uniqueness of a one-off cup derby should hopefully provide the impetus for Everton to go out and give Liverpool a game under the tutelage of their new boss, even with the injuries and fatigue that are currently blighting the squad.

Kick-off: 4.01pm, Sunday 5 January, 2019
Referee: Jon Moss
Last Time: Liverpool 2 - 1 Everton

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Mina, Holgate, Digne, Delph, Schneiderlin, Bernard, Richarlison, Walcott, Calvert-Lewin

Lyndon Lloyd

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