Everton's Fixtures in the Checkatrade Trophy confirmed

Now where’s Victor crying out for Davies to play because it’s his level!!!!

I'm not sure how this is supposed to work but it seems that we have to field a team comprised of half U23s and half U21s? Might as well have a Cup competition with those knocked out of the League (Carabao?) Cup at the first round.

There's a good 5/6 first team players, who won't actually get a Premier League game unless we have a concentrated injury crisis. So why not let them play? It'd be nice to take this trophy seriously and give these lads some silverware. Winning breeds winning.

Really?

Sounds like an award for the best player agent.

If you drop it at the presentation, does that make it the Bounced Checkatrade Trophy?

Ah, well, I suppose it's a better name than the Filipino Water Buffalo Energy Drink League Cup.

True but assuming Coleman is back and in the side, why not give the lad a run out on Wednesday night between his bench-warming duties on the Saturdays?

I wouldn't risk Jonjoe Kenny with our luck right now. He'll be needed.

I laughed when I found out what a Carabao was -- does the trophy have horns and a tail? -- and I gotta laugh again at this one. Can't wait for the acceptance speech for the legendary Checkatrade.

Reminds me of the race driver a couple of years ago who won the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. Did a TV interview holding the trophy, or rather he tried... couldn't get through it without cracking up.

Plus something is lost in translation as 'check' means to re-examine.

In English, 'cheque' is what you refer to as 'check' in 'Merican.

Phil, interesting coincidence on the names, but a carabao is a water buffalo. National animal of the Philippines. (Don't ask me how I know this, I just do.) The energy drink that sponsors the Cup uses it as a symbol.

Funny coz in a way it follows the continental idea of having fully fledged B-teams playing in the lower leagues, which has been touted as a way for the top clubs to bridge the gapping chasm between 'development' footie and the Real Thing in the Premier League.

He also floated the idea of inserting a division between Leagues 1 & 2 that would consist of Premier League ‘B' sides at first, then I believe the plan was to allow natural promotion and relegation. The lower league clubs didn't like it, but this situation with the Checkatrade Trophy is the compromise that resulted.

I wonder if there is some kind of way round this. Could Everton, or an indirectly associated company, invest in a lower league or conference side and use it as a feeder club? The fact that no-one has done this yet suggests it is extremely problematic as it seems exactly the kind of thing Man City and Chelsea would have liked to help with their ‘player hoarding' policies.

As Steve says, it would be very good for Everton to have a second squad of young players playing regular, competitive football where the people in the stadium care passionately about the result. However, English football has no tradition of this, and a strong tradition of ‘minor' clubs with small but passionately loyal fanbases.

I think this Checkatrade Trophy situation is still seen by the FA as a kind of ‘trial' or ‘first step' toward a ‘B' team system, but I don't think it is going well if the aim is to introduce them into the league system.

So it's no wonder fans don't turn up too, all they'll likely see is an understrength Everton, maybe some promising youngsters if they are lucky.

I don't quite get your point, Phill (#24) — how can all three midweek fixtures be compromised by an International break?

You may not be saying this exactly but, in the context of what Mike is saying, Everton (and all the other 16 Category A Development teams) playing understrength sides (ie, not their first teams) is intrinsic to the set-up of the competition. The age restrictions seem appropriate for giving younger players on the fringe a real taste of fully competitive play in amongst a mix of older players.

Perhaps the dice are loaded, however, by the Development sides always playing away? I think Mike nailed the real problem: novelty vs tradition. Fans and lower league clubs just don't like it.

Last season, the aim was to avoid that (I'm not sure if they managed it) and I haven't checked the schedule next month but I'm sure only one of them could be.

The first game is now next Tuesday in Bradford.