Michael Ball - Why Ronald Koeman MUST take the FA Cup seriously on SaturdayEverton columnist looks ahead to Leicester City clash as he hails Blues' response to derby defeatRonald Koeman must take the FA Cup seriously this weekend.
The Dutchman has come to Everton to win trophies, and the expectations of supporters has increased during the last 12 months.
We twice came close last year, reaching the semi-finals of both the League Cup and FA Cup, and that's give fans a real taste.
They want a trip to Wembley. And with us out of the EFL Cup and not challenging for the title, the FA Cup is our final chance to give supporters a big day out.
That's why I hope Koeman starts with a pretty strong team against Leicester City on Saturday at Goodison.
I'm not too sure how Leicester are going to approach it. They'll be distracted by their lowly position in the Premier League, but they may see this is a chance to gain some momentum.
When Koeman utilised his squad in the EFL Cup against Norwich City earlier this season it backfired badly.
The Blues boss was let down by his players. And in the wake of that defeat, our confidence really dropped and we struggled to win a game for weeks afterwards.
We don't want that to happen again.
We won three good points against Southampton at the weekend and we've already beaten Leicester in the last fortnight.
Don't forget, they are still the champions, and it's always a notable scalp to take.
A good run in the FA Cup will also be important in helping bring in new signings, if not in January then certainly in the summer.
Christmas and New Year is always a pivotal period of any campaign, and we have to be happy with the manner in which we have responded following defeat in the derby.
Seven points from nine is always a good return, especially given that included tricky away games at Leicester City and Hull City in quick succession.
The EFL Cup tie against Norwich City in September was a low point of the campaign for Everton
And if you look at the last five games, you'd have taken the tally of 10 points from 15 – although personally I'd have taken a defeat to Arsenal if it meant beating Liverpool!
Even when we were disappointing at Hull, we fought back, stuck at it and got something from the game.
Similarly against Southampton, we weren't at our best but we got the job done. There wasn't really much going on for most of the game, and in that respect it was a typical festive performance.
Players are tired and even the crowd appeared a little subdued.
At this stage of the year, though, you want the points ahead of the performances. We're building confidence, and after that poor run throughout autumn, we're now top of our mini-league.
It's disappointing that we aren't nearer the top six. For me, that is gone now. The teams above us are all getting into their stride, and nine points is a big gap to make up.
We have to think long term. If we finish seventh, then that can only help attract players capable of pushing us up into that top six.
It's therefore massively important that we don't allow the gap to grow too big. We have to at least attempt to keep track with them.
I'd like us to start setting little targets and goals, such as improving our goal difference and increasing our number of clean sheets.
It's just left for me to wish all Evertonians a happy New Year. Let's hope we have a good 2017 and a successful one – fingers crossed!
Cruel luck for Calvert-LewinIt wasn't that long ago Ronald Koeman was being berated for not giving youth a chance.
On Monday, though, he became the first manager this season to name two teenagers in a Premier League starting line-up.
Maybe he has been listening to what people have been telling him, most notably David Unsworth.
Unsy and others will have been saying Tom Davies and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were ready for their first-team chance, not least as senior professionals had been given an opportunity and failed to impress.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was looking lively before his injury against Southampton on Monday
I felt sorry for Calvert-Lewin. He already looked lively and had shown some good touches and was someone to play alongside Romelu Lukaku before he went off injured.
Despite the injury, the young striker will surely take confidence from the fact he was trusted to start the game.
Against Hull, he came on towards the end and caused them problems, not least with his header that was close to being the winner.
Hopefully the lad won't be out for too long. He has shown promise.
Barkley's starting to matureRoss Barkley was in an unusual situation on Monday.
With Tom Davies being handed a start, Ross was no longer the youngster in midfield.
And I think that helped him.
I've been talking all season about handing Ross more responsibility. He got that by being handed the captaincy for the EFL Cup win over Yeovil back in August.
But then came the setback with England and then having to deal with Ronald Koeman going public with certain comments.
It's been a difficult season for him, but I was pretty pleased with his reaction against Southampton.
He took it upon himself to help Davies through the game and took the pressure off the teenager, particularly in the second half when Ross's performance level noticeably improved.
For me, that was proof he is maturing as a player.
Get it done early!So it's January – and the start of what could be the most important month of Everton's season.
With the transfer window now open, it's crucial we get our business – and we surely must be doing a fair bit of that – done early.
Idrissa Gueye has now gone for the month and will be a big miss. For that reason, we need players who are going to come in straight away.
Morgan Schneiderlin is one target, but I'd be concerned he may not be able to hit the ground running. He hasn't played a lot of football with Manchester United of late.
That would be my only worry, as he's a good player and would certainly bolster the squad.
Hopefully he can become the first of many in the coming weeks.
Michael Ball / Liv Echo
