Marco Silva, on the eve of his second season as the Everton manager, identified where he was seeking improvement. “We must do better in the two cups,” he said. “Our aim is to do something special in both cups.” He must target the extraordinary to end Everton’s abysmal record in the League Cup.
A full house is expected on Wednesday night for Everton’s visit to Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup second round. The visitors sold out their allocation of 1,800 and, while the appetite for a first trophy since 1995 is insatiable among Evertonians, they are acutely aware of the reasons the tie has been chosen for live TV.
Lincoln are a substantial part of the attraction, naturally. Their cup pedigree is well-established under the superb management of Danny Cowley and his brother Nicky, with 2017 producing a historic run to the FA Cup quarter-finals by what was then a non‑league team and last year delivering victory in the EFL Trophy. Lincoln’s rise from the National League to League One warrants the exposure and the £100,000 the live broadcast will bring.
Then there is Everton’s record in the League Cup in all its guises. It is consistently woeful, a major factor in the club enduring the longest trophy drought in its history and another lure for the TV cameras at Sincil Bank.
Twenty-three clubs have won a competition that is now into its 60th year including Swindon, Luton and Oxford United. Everton have reached the final twice and lost twice, to Aston Villa after a second replay in 1977 and to the eight-times winners Liverpool after a replay in 1984. The League Cup has brought more humiliation than hope in the 35 years since the club’s last final appearance.
Everton have suffered nine second‑round exits since the inception of the League Cup. That roll call of dishonour includes three consecutive second-round defeats to lower-league opposition under Walter Smith and two under Joe Royle. The third round has witnessed 14 defeats, with eight of those in the past 14 seasons. And since that last final in 1984 Everton have suffered more knockouts by teams in the third tier than they have made semi-final appearances. Brentford, Bristol Rovers, Oxford and York were the four third-tier victors, while three semi-finals in the past 35 years have brought defeat by Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Silva is correct. He will need “something special” to break new ground with Everton in the Carabao Cup.
“It is really tough,” the manager said of a trophy drought that will have lasted 25 years by the end of this season. “I understand it is tough for our fans and for some more than others. It is good to see we have so many young people as Everton fans but it is really tough for those who are older because they grew up seeing Everton challenge for titles and there is a big gap between the last one and where we are now. It is a tough situation for them.
“I don’t like to talk in these situations about spending a lot of money because other clubs also spend a big amount. It is not just Everton spending big amounts, even if this season was completely different to the last, because we lost important players and the money coming in for these important players was big. But I agree we have to create a good squad and a good XI that can win every match. We have to play with full ambition and prove we are able to challenge. I would like it to become natural for our players to play decisive matches. That’s the personality and character I want. I think we missed that in some moments last season.”
Silva made seven changes to his starting lineup for last season’s third-round tie against Southampton. It was unnecessary rotation of a team without European football and a decision that contributed to another early exit, this time on penalties.
It was also a painful wake-up call to his new club’s longing for silverware, a hunger that increased with defeat in the FA Cup at Millwall. “I knew about it before and after that game against Southampton I was sure about it,” he said. “I don’t know if desperate is the right word but I know the fans have a big, big desire to see Everton challenging for titles and to win something but we have to go day by day.”
There will be changes at Sincil Bank with Everton in need of a cutting edge and missing the £22.5m signing Jean-Philippe Gbamin, out for six to eight weeks with a thigh injury. Silva has not dismissed the possibility of the midfielder needing surgery. Moise Kean, Alex Iwobi, the fit-again Fabian Delph and Leighton Baines are under consideration to start.
