BUTT OUT, BIG SAM
I’ll take advice from Moyes but not you, says Silva
MARCo SILVA launched a counter-attack laced with more venom than his side had managed in the final hour of this third-round FA Cup tie after predecessor Sam Allardyce claimed he will not survive as Everton manager playing attractive football.
The Portuguese was hired to deliver a more aesthetically-pleasing style last summer after the club had dispensed with Allardyce, despite him warding off the threat of relegation to secure an eighthplace Premier League finish. Everton’s current points tally of 27 is the same as at this stage last season.
And on the eve of this contest, the former England manager told talkSPoRT: ‘Everton at the moment have to deliver more results. You can talk about playing it out from the back and attractive football, but you will never survive, as Ronald Koeman and Roberto Martinez learned.
‘They played so- called better football than me, but they didn’t survive.’
Silva retorted: ‘oK, maybe if it is David Moyes I would listen, because he did something really important at this club. But in this case it is not important at all.
‘Yes, the FA Cup is really important for us, but not because of that. It is not most important because we didn’t achieve results in the last four or five games and people criticised.
‘What is important is our fans showed just how much it means to them.’
Indeed, Evertonians turned up in their droves to create a 37,900 full house. And they were able to enjoy the mercurial talents of Ademola Lookman after Silva blocked a permanent switch to RB Leipzig in August. Lookman had been deemed surplus to requirements and sent there on loan 12 months ago.
Pre-Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson, he became the first Englishman to score in the Bundesliga since 2005 and wanted to stay in Germany, only for Silva to get his way. of which Lookman said: ‘It was just one of those cases. Football. I wasn’t unhappy. I had no choice but to work hard. It’s my job. I’m happy here.’
Lookman’s looping header and a classy second from Bernard provided a two-goal cushion but Everton needed it as 2016-17 quarter-finalists Lincoln preyed on their achilles heel — zonal marking — to halve the deficit through Michael Bostwick.
‘All week we looked at their weaknesses,’ said midfielder Michael o’Connor. ‘We knew at the back post they weren’t very big. Premier League teams may think, “We’re playing League Two Lincoln here, we’ll just show up, do this and do that”. But we did ourselves proud.’
MAGIC OF THE CUP VERDICT: 4/5
Lincoln still making life difficult two years on from their run to last eight.