Seasons » 2015-16 » Everton News
Barnsley vs Everton
49 Comments Capital One Cup Second Round Preview
How curious is the hand of fate that Everton should be facing Barnsley when they kick off their League Cup campaign. The Tykes have been prominent in the Toffees' recent history with two of their homegrown defenders completing transfers to Goodison Park and while Mason Holgate could make a quick return to his former stomping ground, big question marks hang over the appearance of John Stones following his decision yesterday to hand in a transfer request.
What would have been a glorious homecoming for one of the Yorkshire club's best graduates will either not happen at all or it will take place under a swarm of headlines and the glare of media attention. That choice will fall to Roberto Martinez as he and the Everton hierarchy presumably weigh up how to handle the 21-year-old's request to be allowed to leave before Tuesday's transfer deadline.
Assuming Stones's mind has been made up for some time and he has been biding his time to see if Everton would bow to one of Chelsea's three bids to date for his services, he has been remarkably composed in his three appearances so far this season and has betrayed few effects of the attention it has garnered or the dilemma he has been facing.
Whether he will still be in the right frame of mind to play in this second-round tie is another matter but Martinez, having waited until the last week of the window to sign a replacement for one of Antolin Alcaraz and Sylvain Distin, finds himself worryingly short of options at the back.
Phil Jagielka is the only other senior centre half at the club and Brendan Galloway, a more than capable deputy on the evidence thus far, is almost certain to be ruled out with the knee injury that forced him off against Manchester City on Sunday. That leaves Tyias Browning and Holgate as the remaining choices if the manager doesn't consider dropping Gareth Barry to centre half.
Thankfully, with Bryan Oviedo lined up to make his first start since February, Martinez has a natural replacement for Galloway at left back but the rest of his team selection will, by his own admission, allow some of the players who haven't featured much thus far to get some game time. That is likely to mean opportunities for players like Leon Osman, Gerard Deulofeu and, perhaps, Arouna Kone, Kevin Mirallas and Conor McAleny. There are also likely to be places for some of the U21s squad on the substitute's bench as Martinez balances squad-rotation with the need to progress in one of the two most likely routes to silverware this season.
A sizeable chunk of the Evertonian fanbase will be uncomfortable with anything other than a strong line-up this evening, however. Putting maximum focus on winning a trophy – and, in particular, a competition that Everton have never won – has become a priority for many supporters.
Indeed, it's a competition that has been unkind, even painful, to the Blues in its 55-year history and not since winning away at Hull six years ago has an Everton side won an away tie in the League Cup. A match against a League One side should be routine for a Premier League side, however – only one top-flight team was beaten in last night's fixtures – so let's hope it will be the Toffees and not the Tykes making the trip to Reading next month in the third round.
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Full coverage: ToffeeWeb Match Report
Reader Comments (49)
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2 Posted 26/08/2015 at 07:04:07
Barnsley 0-3 Everton
Deulofeu '31
Mirallas '45
Mirallas' 68
Robles
Coleman
Browning
Jagielka
Oviedo
Deulofeu
McCarthy
Besic
Mirallas (Osman '78)
Barkley (McAleny '61)
Kone (Naismith '72)
Feel free to get cracking on that match report, Lyndon.
5 Posted 26/08/2015 at 07:38:35
Miralles subbed (and for Osman?!) before he had the chance to complete his hat trick?
Martinez out !!!! :)
7 Posted 26/08/2015 at 09:14:56
We have all had a massive kick in the plums before the game has even started, give us a bit of respite by winning this match.
Everton forever, Kenwright you are leaving a terrible legacy to your name, which already stinks to a lot of Everton fans.
8 Posted 26/08/2015 at 09:17:49
9 Posted 26/08/2015 at 09:18:02
Rubles; Browning, Holgate, Jagielka, Oviedo; Mirallas, Osman, Naismith, Deulofeu/McGeady; McAleney should be more than able to take us through. If not, we are in real trouble as the season gets underway proper.
11 Posted 26/08/2015 at 09:25:28
12 Posted 26/08/2015 at 09:34:05
13 Posted 26/08/2015 at 09:34:15
Everton will play some back-ups but one would think they are good enough to win this but how many times have we said that.
Barnsley won't be easy as many lower clubs see this as a revenue trail and many a lower club has done well in this competition.
14 Posted 26/08/2015 at 09:42:42
16 Posted 26/08/2015 at 10:19:14
It's not a case of weakening the team, but giving players important game time early in the season. Martinez failed to get this right last year and it cost us really badly.
I'd go:
Robles; Coleman, Stones/Browning, Jagielka, Oviedo; Besic, Cleverley; Deulofeu, Barkley, Mirallas; Lukaku.
17 Posted 26/08/2015 at 10:30:30
18 Posted 26/08/2015 at 11:34:14
20 Posted 26/08/2015 at 12:38:04
21 Posted 26/08/2015 at 12:54:40
Coleman Browning Jags Oviedo
Besic Cleverley
Deulofeu Barkley Mirallas
Lukaku
3 games into a season is not the time for wholesale changes. We should be taking the cups seriously this season and pick sides as such.
22 Posted 26/08/2015 at 12:57:04
There can be none of Roberto ''shielding him from the media spotlight''.
23 Posted 26/08/2015 at 13:06:00
24 Posted 26/08/2015 at 13:07:23
25 Posted 26/08/2015 at 13:15:53
I've got:
Mirallas with the equaliser '68
& Hibbert (late sub) with the winner '90+5
26 Posted 26/08/2015 at 13:18:03
27 Posted 26/08/2015 at 13:41:45
Best XI and get it won.
Storm clouds looming very large on the horizon if we p*ss about with the team and go out.
29 Posted 26/08/2015 at 14:18:46
Do you play a player who wants out and have the fans on his back with every touch, or does Bobby drop him, then get slated by us by saying he's on his way.
Love Bobby or dislike him, whatever he does tonight in regards to Stones will be wrong, play him half will slate him, drop him and remainder will say dropped he is on his way Everton have took the money.
30 Posted 26/08/2015 at 14:31:57
Watford were the only EPL club to go out yesterday. All the rags will be itching to dig one more foot of Everton's grave. Losing Stones, losing to Stones' old club, losing our GODDAMN MINDS!
Robles
Seamus - Ty - Jags - OviBaby
Barry
Besic Cleverly
DelBoy Osman
Lukaku
Bench: TH, Kev, Kone, McCarthy, McAleny, Henen, Holgate, STONES
31 Posted 26/08/2015 at 14:32:00
32 Posted 26/08/2015 at 14:37:58
Not nowadays, we know we are only in the league to make up numbers. It would be a short season if it was only the 6 teams that the media want!!
Go for it tonight – what have we got to lose?
33 Posted 26/08/2015 at 15:09:40
34 Posted 26/08/2015 at 15:28:22
Robles
Coleman
Browning
Jags
Oviedo
Besic
Barkley
(As per QPR)
Delboy
Osman
Mirallas
Kone
Pennington or Holgate on the Bench to come on for Jags if we are 3 up 20mins to go.
35 Posted 26/08/2015 at 15:33:39
36 Posted 26/08/2015 at 15:38:20
37 Posted 26/08/2015 at 15:51:26
38 Posted 26/08/2015 at 16:34:57
39 Posted 26/08/2015 at 16:36:14
www.cricfree.sx
and click on skysports 1 on the left of the site.
40 Posted 26/08/2015 at 16:45:55
41 Posted 26/08/2015 at 16:56:21
Robles
Coleman
Browning
Jags
Oviedo
Besic
Barry
Delboy
Naismith
Miralles
Kone
42 Posted 26/08/2015 at 16:57:06
43 Posted 26/08/2015 at 17:01:02
44 Posted 26/08/2015 at 17:06:00
45 Posted 26/08/2015 at 17:30:48
46 Posted 26/08/2015 at 17:38:39
47 Posted 26/08/2015 at 17:47:59
Robles
Coleman
Oviedo
Browning
Barry - can we really risk Jags getting injured?
Besic
Osman
Del
Mcaleny
Mirallas
Naismith
48 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:03:51
The people who pick Barry in the team – is it because you think he is still good enough or is it because you think Martinez just wont drop him?
49 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:05:54
50 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:15:09
3-0 nil tonight Barry Hatrick !!!
51 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:33:25
52 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:35:23
53 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:38:05
Robles
Coleman
Browning
Stones
Oviedo
Del
Macca
Barkley
Besic
Mirallas
Kone
55 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:42:21
Coleman
Jagielka
Stones
Oviedo
Besic
Cleverley
Mirallas
Barkley
Deulofeu
Kone
Strong team. There was a player for Newcastle last night. Seen him before in France. Thauvin looked quality when I saw him over there and he was for Newcastle last night. Don't understand why we weren't in for him.
56 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:44:34
58 Posted 26/08/2015 at 18:51:34
Highlights channel 5, 11 o clock tonight lads.
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1 Posted 26/08/2015 at 06:53:30
I'd also opt for Browning along side Jags, he put in a very solid shift at Leeds pre season and on that showing, this game should not be too much for him, he has the pace, strength and height and deserves his chance