Former Arsenal great Paul Merson has slammed Everton manager Marco Silva for the sub-par line up he put out against Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
The Toffees exited the competition on penalties after a 1-1 draw with the Saints in normal time, and Merson was not impressed with he disrespect he felt Silva showed the supporters.
“Everton should give all those fans who showed up to see them go out of the League Cup their money back,” he wrote in the Daily Star. “I nearly fell over when I saw the team the Toffees put out. They were at home to Southampton in a competition they could win. Why rest players?
“They’re not going to win the league, so play your strongest team. What an opportunity for supporters to see a cup run and maybe win some silverware. If I was an Everton fan I’d be absolutely fuming. I’d have gone ballistic.”
OPINION
You can see Merson’s point here. The Carabao Cup is probably the competition that Everton have the best chance of winning this year, but instead of going for it and putting out a strong team the manager saw the tie as an opportunity for him to rest some of his first team stars. The likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Theo Walcott and Richarlison were left out against Mark Hughes’s side, and the Toffees promptly exited the competition. It’s still early in the season so it’s not like Silva has the excuse of tiredness over the busy festive period, for example. He could’ve made a statement by playing his best players against Southampton, instead he was content to give opportunities to fringe players and meekly bow out of a competition they could have won. It’s disappointing for a fanbase that have been devoid of silverware for a long time, and seems like somewhat of a misstep from the Everton boss.