OPINION
Everton saw their chances of some silverware this season slashed in half on Tuesday night after crashing out of the League Cup on penalties to Premier League rivals Southampton in a match which will have had the Goodison Park faithful tearing their hair out.
The Toffees were second best to the Saints across both the 90 minutes and the eventual shootout, Theo Walcott forced to give the home side some hope wit hhis late equaliser after Danny Ings, on loan from Merseyside rivals Liverpool, gave Mark Hughes’ side the lead.
It means that beyond the miracle of Premier League glory come the end of the season, Everton’s only chance of a trophy lies in the FA Cup – but what can fans take away from Wednesday’s performance?
This is Futbol has picked out three things learned about the Toffees in defeat to the Saints:
Lookman deserves a Premier League start
There were not too many things for the Everton faithful to cheer about on a disappointing night but one player who did stand out for all the right reasons was young forward Ademola Lookman.
Where his teammates might have been lacking in drive and forward thinking, the 20-year-old always looked like he could provide the creative spark needed to get the Toffees the goals they need.
For whatever reason, Lookman has not been trusted by Marco Silva to play a part in the starting XI when it comes to the Premier League, but after this display, where he outshone some of his more experienced teammates, it is quite clear he is deserving of the chance.
Blame lies at Silva’s door
While there are a number of questions which must be asked of the players themselves, the blame for this defeat lies firmly at the door of manager Silva.
His seven changes to the starting line up, which some might say were understandable as he bids to rest his senior stars, evidently disrupted the balance of the team and left his side looking second best behind Southampton.
If he wanted to win, he could have still rotated some of his side, but instead he gambled on wholesale changes and the risk failed to pay off.
Lazy Davies needs to be axed
One man who did survive in the starting XI from the victory over Fulham was midfielder Tom Davies – but quite frankly the Everton faithful would have rather he sat on the sidelines after this woefully lazy display.
His performance was well off the standard expected or required for success, with loose passes, slow decision making and an inability to really impact the game.
He might be a mainstay for Silva, with starts in four of the last five league games, but this outing should seal his fate and see someone else – probably the ever-reliable Idrissa Gana Gueye – take his place.
Much improvement is needed from the youngster if he wants to forge a career at Goodison Park.