Everton visit Manchester United in training exercise at Carrington
Everton have recently joined Manchester United in a training exercise at the Red Devils’ training ground Carrington, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Frank Lampard took his Toffees squad to Manchester with the intention of undergoing training exercises and a behind-closed-doors friendly which ended 1-1.
The manager had already announced his intention to get some proper minutes in with the World Cup drawing to a close and the Premier League returning soon.
The Echo claim that another behind-closed-doors friendly is expected to happen in the coming days with Everton preparing to face Wolves at Goodison Park on Boxing Day.
The 1-1 draw against United could well be a dress rehearsal for the third round of the FA Cup with the Toffees set to visit Old Trafford on 6 January.
Inside scoop
While the squad got a much-needed run out against very high-calibre opposition, Lampard may have been wise to use that time to get the lowdown on their FA Cup opponents.
Erik Ten Hag has changed a lot at Old Trafford this season and they have already beaten Everton in the Premier League, courtesy of goals from Antony and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The latter is no problem for Lampard anymore after his very public exit from the 20-time English champions but the quality is still there in spades and he has to come up with a way to combat it.
Form dipped towards the end of the initial part of the domestic season which could mean sacrificing the FA Cup to preserve their Premier League status but the manager should think twice about that.
Evertonians crave a trophy or something to make them genuinely proud of the team similar to how they turned things around and stayed up last season.
An FA Cup triumph could be that for many of them, even if it means beating the big boys on the way.