Tom can be Silva lining at Everton

LEON OSMAN’S tongue was firmly in his cheek, but his quip summed up Marco Silva’s tricky position.

The former Blues midfielder joked the fans would not be happy with Silva if Everton beat Manchester City to help Liverpool in the title race.

“Marco Silva will be in more trouble if he wins the game from Evertonians,” said Osman.

Yet after collecting just 11 points since the start of December going into last night’s game, Silva desperately needed a win.

Everton supremo Farhad Moshiri insists he still believes in Silva’s Blue revolution, claiming it was vital everyone held their nerve.

His one caveat is that Silva must work with the club’s young talent, having seen little return on the near-£300million he has splashed out these last couple of years.

Everton do have young players with potential and none more so than Tom Davies (above).

There is a touch of Alan Ball about Davies, who became Everton’s youngest captain earlier this season aged just 20 years and 60 days, because of his prodigious work rate.

Davies skippered Everton again as Silva made five changes, starting with £150m worth of talent on his bench, and the midfielder led by example as he sprinted to block Aymeric Laporte’s clearance.

Everton vastly improved on Saturday’s anaemic display against Wolves and were more like their tigerish best. But their defensive frailties remain and Laporte headed home from a free-kick before Gabriel Jesus sealed City’s win at the death.

So Silva still has much to do – but at least Davies gives him hope.