Benfica 5 Everton FC 0 - David Prentice's verdict

Everton FC supportersEVERTON'S Europa League adventure is stretching their squad resources to breaking point.So is it worth it?The answer was forcefully delivered on the curving Coca-Cola Stand of the Stadium of Light last night, and in every other nook and cranny of this spectacular footballing stage.Everton and Evertonians love their European football.Six thousand of them crammed into this famous football arena for the most eagerly awaited of their group games, but they were the only ones who performed.It goes without saying they will have found nothing to enjoy from last night's hammering.The only consolation is that the Europa League format means they will have other European opportunities to savour.Everton have had these European meltdowns before.But unlike the Dynamo Bucharest and Fiorentina hammerings, the group format of the Europa Lague means this result, though, humbling is not fatal.But the major concern is the implications it will have on Everton's looming fixture list.There's no doubt Everton lost this on the treatment table.But there was no excuse for some of the wretched defending Everton produced.After their much publicised double figure casualty list, Everton endured one more blow on the eve of kick-off.Leighton Baines' injury made it a full first XI of senior stars either injured or unavailable - and handed a debut to young Irish defender Seamus Coleman.The 21-year-old has only appeared on a senior substitutes' bench once this season - and that only five days ago - yet here was stepping out at one of the most imposing arenas in world football.The parallels with club legend Colin Harvey were obvious.

Source: Liverpool_Echo