Everton are a ‘poor man’s Chelsea’

This  seasons FA Cup final pits Chelsea against their biggest imitators in the Premier League, Everton, according to Tony Cascarino in the Times. And he predicts that the Londoners' class will make the difference in a dull match,

Cascarino's analysis makes pretty damning reading for Evertonians, and hardly leaves neutrals licking their lips in anticipation.

"Everton are a poor man's Chelsea," he declares. He outlines the qualities the two teams share - both are "dogged, hard-working, organised, horrible to play against" but lacking pace.

He then takes his stilleto to Everton. "David Moyes's team don't have as much individual quality," he begins. "For example, Louis Saha's a less effective version of Nicolas Anelka, Tim Cahill is an inferior equivalent of Frank Lampard.

"Chelsea have stars, Everton have players Moyes has recruited from the Coca-Cola Championship who have fitted in superbly to his system but probably wouldn't be as good at other Barclays Premier League clubs."

He then warns anyone hoping to erase the disappointment of the Champions League final with a typically rumbustious English cup final not to get their hopes up. "I don't see it being a great game, though... We'd all love to see an entertaining Final but it's not in Everton's interests to open the game up. They're better off making it a dogged afternoon and hoping to nick a goal on a set piece or trying their luck in a shoot-out."

But in the end Cascarino believes Chelsea's quality will tell and Guus Hiddink will leave Chelsea with an FA Cup win under his belt. ·