Source: Liverpool_Echo
Kevin Ratcliffe believes Everton FC have learned FA Cup giant-killing lessons
IT WAS a game David Moyes and the Everton players involved will probably never forget - for all the wrong reasons.[LNB]Everton's FA Cup third round humbling by Shrewsbury Town in 2003 was arguably one of the competition's shock results of the Noughties.[LNB]The Toffees being bungled out of the cup by a side 80 places below them in the lower reaches of the then Third Division, came after they were outplayed for long periods at Gay Meadow.[LNB]The biggest irony of the day was that the victorious minnows' manager was Everton's most successful captain - Kevin Ratcliffe.[LNB]Unsurprisingly Ratcliffe still harbours fond if slightly mixed memories of the tie, but predicts a similar giant killing is unlikely when the Blues take on Carlisle United at Goodison Park tomorrow.[LNB]He said: 'It's different this time because it's at Goodison Park. The biggest advantage a team like Carlisle could have hoped for was to get a home draw and make Everton go to them.[LNB]'When we played them at Gay Meadow I wouldn't have changed the venue even if I could have switched it to Goodison. Funnily enough we had played Everton in that pre-season and I felt we had caused them a few problems.[LNB]'Then when the day actually arrived for the tie, I honestly had a feeling we could do something. I saw the Everton team-sheet and it wasn't as strong as the side we had played in pre-season.[LNB]'The Gay Meadow pitch was bobbly and not conducive to slick football, so I wasn't too worried about Wayne Rooney dropping deep. He was only 16 at the time anyway.[LNB]'If anything I was concerned about Thomasz Radzinski's pace and balls being played over the top to him.[LNB]'But generally there wasn't too much to frighten us. In the second half Everton were forced to regroup and make some changes to chase the game, and then we scored a cracking free kick.
