Everton forced to postpone Under-21 game due to lack of players
Everton have been forced to call off their upcoming Under-21 fixture against Southampton due to a lack of players to fulfil the game.
The Saints released an official statement on Tuesday afternoon (6 December) stating that the fixture set for Saturday 10 December would have to be rearranged after advice from the Premier League.
Paul Tait’s side will play their game against Colchester United Under-21s on Tuesday evening but the 12pm kick-off on the South Coast will need to find a new date.
The two sides are drawn in the Premier League Cup Group F where the B team of the Saints have won all four matches, scoring 18 goals in the process.
The Toffees, meanwhile, have just one point from three matches which came in a 1-1 draw at home to Birmingham City.
Strange
Unless Frank Lampard is planning to take so many youngsters with him into the first team then it is difficult to see why there is all of a sudden a lack of players in the academy.
With one point from three matches, it isn’t looking like Tait’s team will be advancing to the knockout stage of the competition so why not promote some of the Under-18s and give them a really good test against a top youth side?
The Under-18s don’t have a fixture until 17 December when they take on Leeds United so there can be no excuses of fixture pile-up from the Merseyside club.
The likes of Tom Cannon and Stan Mills could do with every minute of football they can get given the form they have shown this season so this news won’t be helping them.
Hopefully, a rescheduled date can be found quickly and this palaver can be forgotten about because it does not show Everton in the best light, in truth.