Everton do enough to progress past Daggers

Could be Pienaar in the centre? I think that was his position prior to us?

Surprising Ossie didn't get a start. And strange one of Galloway or Oviedo RB when Pennington is on the bench.

Our injury lists piles up. Hopefully, it’s only a knock which he can recover quickly from. On the other hand, Pennington gets a chance to show what he can do...

I’m wondering in this case, we’ll see Galloway moved to centre besides Jags, Pennington to the right, and Oviedo to the left...

Only 3 teams won by 2 (incl EFC) and one win by 3 (City).

Good job Blues.

Would have been a good idea to give Rodriguez a longer run-out.

Still.... COYB. The Cup is ours this season.

Glad we are through to the next round, let’s hope the walking wounded get back soon so we can start climbing up the table.

Will Robles keep his place for the next match vs Man City??

I will say I would not mind sending Robles out for a few games to see how he does but I'm not as strong in my feelings that Robles is the answer as most of the folks here are.

I would've loved to've seen Hibbo!

I would've loved to've seen the game actually....

2 - 0 - hooray !

Jags back - hooray ! Pienaar back - hooray ! Oviedo back - hooray ! Pennington gets some game time - hooray ! Gibson isn't bokren - hooray ! Rodriguez exists - hooray !

McGeady out on loan, hooray !

Just need McCarthy, Cleverly and Coleman to pull through now - damn it.

22 games completed: Only four games won by two goals (incl EFC) and one game one by three (City). Sorry about that.

I want Liverpool in the next round and in the League Cup Final as I think we will give them a good seeing to in both and there has not been a better time to do it.

That would go some way to make up for what we owe them for, especially the eighties which still lives with me to this day.

I’m glad you were being a little sarcastic there as I thought you had come over all unnecessary!

Winning this doesn’t make Martinez a genius, just as losing it wouldn't have meant he should be sacked. He should be sacked because of his complete ineptitude, naivety and lack of ability to manage in the Premier League for all of this season and the whole of last season

No complaints from me.

MotM – the cat.

Pleased overall given that we have been the victims of a giant killing in this round not so long ago.

I'll get me coat...

Still job done, a run out for some fringe players, Jags got 90 minutes under his belt and other than the knock to Funes Mori no damage done.

Although I did think Robles got his position wrong and was too slow off his line trying to catch the cat.

Rodriguez hasn't been fully fit for a while by all accounts, hence why he only came on at the end once we were 2-0 up and the game was safe.

RM made all the right selections today, IMO.

Gibson looks like he’s been enjoying the mince pies too much over Christmas. Pienaar looks like he’s missed a lot of football which of course he had but it’s hard to see him being a regular this season even if fit. Mirallas and Lennon didn’t really put Dagenham on the back foot anywhere near enough.

Without the direct running of Deulofeu, it actually had shades of last season’s passing for passing sake at pedestrian pace.

I’d like to see Robles start playing league games, he just seems to know more what he’s doing than Tim Howard, he comes off his line with more assurances.

Besic could and probably has to start at City on Wednesday, but you’d imagine most of the rest will be warming the bench for now.

We could seriously do with another striker. (Anyone know how long Lukaku is out?)

And I think right back becomes a priority now with Coleman’s injury; no to Stones, Jags, Lennon there and Pennington is too raw for the Premier League.

Very nice treatment by the club and both sets of fans of 12 year old Noah, and the two young lads who were getting their Christmas present by being guests for the day.

Rushed himself back to play at the World Cup, and has basically finished his career.

Great goalscorer when fit.

I've just given my brother 4-1 in fivers that Howard is back for the City game. Easy money for me, I think!

Yea yea, but apart from all that crap what do you really think? Robles or Howard ...? .. forget the injuries, game plan, form etc etc.....

Do you think Howard has shot his bolt ?

Everyone else seems to think so.

Don’t be shy, don’t think of the flag ....think EVERTON.

Enjoyed the play of Besic and Galloway; Pennington did well when he came on.

For a minute there, I thought Roberto had posted on here until I saw it was by a Michael Williams!!!

The team did the job it needed to today with a much changed side (see Liverpool for how tough these games can be) and good for some players to get a run out again in case they need to be called on plus a rest for a chunk of the first team.

Only thing I would have changed would be getting McAleny or Rodriguez on a lot earlier (from the start ideally). We need to start seeing if these young strikers can cut it and with the greatest respect we learned absolutely nothing new by playing Kone today, apart from the fact that yes he can score against a lower league outfit, but he’s a VERY poor substitute for Lukaku and really not good enough for Everton at this level. Given the choice between him and Nais as backup striker, I’d go with the Scot 9 times out of 10.

When the latter goes to Norwich, we desperately need some striking options/cover... which returns me to the point about giving young lads a chance today.

I don't think Howard has shot his bolt as he can still stop a shot with just about anyone in the EPL. However, the fans at Goodison are in the process of running him out of town and it's hard for any 'keeper to come back from that.

I agree with everyone that Howard's six-yard box play is too weak. I believe the real problem with Everton's defense is they allow more shots on goal than all but two or three teams. Same for crosses allowed.

Give Robles 10 or 15 league games and I'd be surprised if he fares any better the way we play.

The aim was to give some returning players game time, keep the others free of injury and win. Success. I can’t understand why Martinez was so reluctant to use his attacking options on the bench.

If you want to pick holes in it, go ahead, but really, if you still want to complain even when we win 2-0 and take the above into consideration, I would suggest you'll never be happy!

Have you heard of context? We played a few players in their first game coming back from injury and some squad players. If we kept the 8 starters from the City game that we did not play then maybe I would not be happy.

We won 2-0 away. The only team to do better in the 3rd (not counting the Man Utd as I don’t know the result) was Man City’s 3-0 win. That’s why a lot of people are happy. It’s win and move on. Not play all your best players when you don’t have to, win 6-0, look like Barca, and move on.

I wonder how some people ever find happiness in their lives.

Martinez can prove me wrong anytime he wants to by winning ten points out of twelve in a month, like the players did in April 2015 to rescue us from a real threat of relegation after deciding, as they said to the media at the time, to revert to "the old Everton way".

But what am I thinking of, ten points in a month? Martinez can’t even achieve two wins in a row.

We have just won two in a row.

Now Martinez is in charge, some people like him, some people don't like him.

Anyone see a pattern emerging?

One thing that has really stuck out for me is that teams in the lower leagues seem to have no problem consistently swinging dead balls into dangerous positions. Regardless of division, they've all got a good corner taker.

So why can't an Everton player do it?

Yes we won and yes we are in the next round. But have recent performances lowered expectations so much?

Didn’t see the game but the stats tell a story 73% possession and they had one shot on target.

Job done. In the hat.

We beat Man City 2-1 the other day as well.

Reasons to be cheerful, 1....2........3?

I think the cat running on the pitch was the best entertainment!

Let's enjoy them while we can.

Jags, Pienaar, Oviedo, Pennington, Galloway, Gibson, given a run out; clean sheet, no twitchy moments for a change for us Blues.

Even our great team of the eighties, on the way to winning the cup in 84, had to take a replay to mighty Gillingham.

So a two-nil win is not to be sniffed at. We are in the hat, players got a run out, players rested for the upcoming tougher games, so although it was not the goalfest most wanted, we are through without breaking sweat.

My 10- and 7-year-old boys are still wetting themselves. Truly hilarious. He was actually talking sense about us at the time, but I couldn’t concentrate on a word he said afterwards.

The Premier League, is where the money is, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we no longer have replays in the FA Cup, in the not too distant future. All for change, but they have already ruined this greatest of competitions to me.

In the not too distant past, the Third Round of the FA Cup (all played on one day), was one of the best fixture lists of the whole football calendar, and was looked forward to by everybody.

Even the Capital Cup now, because of its positioning in the season, has a sharper profile than the FA Cup which gets lost in the rush towards the PL title and the Champions League final.

I thought when the screen said thank you to the 1,800 supporters that Dagenham had brought, I thought "I hope your manager and team feel ashamed at not even attempting to give you anything to cheer."

"I thought he had great style and movement. He's a young cat who'll make mistakes. I don't want to put any pressure on him, but he reminds me of Cecil the lion."

Bobby to the Reporters.

He may be stronger with his left but he is also pretty good with his right. He is also better able to deal with wingers who cut inside, a common practice today.

He will close down better than Coleman because, even with my walking stick, I can close down better than Coleman. When he attacks he will be very dangerous when cutting inside.

If you had labelled Galloway "totally left-footed", I would have nodded in agreement; but you shouldn’t do it to someone you’ve only watched with partial vision.

This is a very skilful player with a big heart and the will to win. I am hoping we see more of him in this season – we should get right behind this lad.

I think most teams would miss Coleman, but as a short term replacement Oviedo will do for me. He hasn’t played much football lately, which could work against him, but on the plus side, he’s got the heart of a lion, which is something we’re going to definitely need in the next few games, against tougher opposition.