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" The last FA Cup run was just what we needed because in the past we had been pretty poor. The FA Cup is great if you can get a run and last season's has given me a bigger hunger to get there again to try to go one better. Most importantly for me though it was a chance to give our supporters a long awaited day out at Wembley. It was disappointing we didn't win but you have to get there to at least have a chance.
" We have lost to Shrewsbury and Oldham in the past so we know what can happen in this competition. Those defeats stick in my memory and I am sure they stick with the fans too. The victories against Liverpool and Middlesbrough and then the semi-final win against Manchester United last season helped to erase them from my mind but I don't want anymore! I just want to hopefully add some more good memories.
" They are bringing a good number of supporters with them and they are a Club with a really good history. We know it is not going to be easy. They will want to knock us out and enjoy the day. Carlisle have really improved recently and they have got some old stagers in Ian Harte and Graham Kavanagh. They have one or two players who have been in the Premier League and they also have a manager who is hungry to get his team up. It will be a tough game for us.
" If you had a choice you would want to be at home and maybe play a side from a lower league. But we have lost to Shrewsbury and Oldham in the past so we know not to take anything for granted. I take all the competitions seriously. This is why I had an argument earlier this season because we took the League Cup seriously but then we don't get taken seriously by the way they schedule the fixtures. We will of course be taking the FA Cup seriously this season and I hope we continue to do well. "
While former Blues-loanee Leon Osman commented to his club's official website :
" It's a nice one for me. Going there on loan helped start my career off so I've only got fond memories of the place. I was playing here for the Reserves but was told I could go to Carlisle if I wanted too. I went up there, met the staff, the management and the players and fell in love with the place for a short while.
" It's a proper club, so to speak. It's got great roots and a history behind it as well and it was great to be there. It was only three months but it felt like a lot longer because I was enjoying it.
" The memories are still fresh of our FA Cup run last season and they are good. But we want that to happen to this Club every season. We want to go even further this season and win it. Each round is another step though and you have to concentrate on getting over each step as it comes.
" Carlisle will be up for the game. Any Football League club coming to a big Premier League club is a fantastic occasion and a great day and they'll be hoping to be the giant killers of the round. We have to make sure we're strong and avoid a repeat of what happened against Oldham a few years ago. "
Games between Carlisle and Everton have been extremely rare historically over the years with the last game played between the two sides being in October 1975 in the third round of the League Cup. United losing 2-0 at Goodison Park in front of 20,010 spectators, Bob Latchford and Martin Dobson getting the goals that night for the Toffeemen.
The only other match at Goodison came the season before when United were in Division One, the Blues actually did the double over Everton that season and won the away fixture 3-2 as 33,489 fans looked on, Joe Laidlaw with a brace and Les O'Neill the United scorers. Laidlaw from the penalty spot, along with Dennis Martin and Frank Clarke doing the damage for the Cumbrians the afternoon they defeated Everton 3-0 at Brunton Park.
So, only five fixtures between the clubs historically, one in the League Cup, two in Division One, and then the other two at Brunton Park in the FA Cup many moons ago. The most recent a 2-0 defeat for United in the fourth round in February 1968, and the other being as far back as January 1930 at the third round stage, Carlisle losing 4-2 that day with Jimmy McConnell and Willie Watson the United scorers.
The Cumbrians did though play an FA Cup game at Goodison Park in November 1993, Carlisle defeating Knowsley United, a club that folded in 1997, 4-1 in the first round of the competition. That tie saw the Blues take around 4,500 fans to Merseyside to see Ian Arnold with a brace, Simon Davey and David Reeves get the Carlisle goals.
Back to Everton themselves and this season the Toffeemen are in 11th place in the Premier League, their home form reading three wins, five draws and two defeats from ten games played, with 14 goals scored and 15 conceded. Meanwhile in the Europa League they have won two and lost two of their four games played at Goodison Park, defeating both Sigma Olomouc and AEK Athens 4-0 while going down 2-0 to Benfica and 1-0 against BATE Borisov.
Meanwhile in team news for Everton, they are without numerous first-team players tomorrow for varying reasons. Firstly versatile defender or midfielder Phil Jagielka is still absent with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, while attacking midfielder Mikel Arteta has been out since February after doing exactly the same thing to his right knee.
Knees seem to be the big problem at Goodison Park as striker Victor Anichebe has been sidelined for the same length of time as Arteta with his own right knee problem after a horrible tackle by Newcastle's Kevin Nolan at St James' Park nearly broke his leg, Nolan very lucky to avoid longer than a three match ban for the appalling challenge.
Into defence and French centre-half Sylvain Distin has been absent for a month now with a hamstring problem, while fellow defender Joseph Yobo has been out for a similar length of time with his own hamstring injury, but he has still travelled with Nigeria this week to the Africa Cup of Nations which starts in Angola on the 10th of January.
There seem to be common inury problems at Everton at the moment and midfielder Dan Gosling also has a hamstring injury which has seen him sidelined since early December, while upfront 31-year old French sicknote striker Louis Saha is another hamstring absentee.
The only good bit of news for the Toffemen could be that influential midfield duo Tim Cahill and Leon Osman should be available for selection, Australian Cahill playing through a sore ankle, while Osman, who spent a loan spell at Brunton Park in late 2002 has only just returned to action from his own ankle problem.
Finally comes Brazilian striker Jo, who would probably not have played anyway as he is on the comeback trail from a four week long knee injury. But he is definitely unavailable now after being suspended by Toffees boss David Moyes today for returning to South America over the festive period without the permission of the club, Moyes commenting to the official Everton website :
" Jo went without permission to Brazil and he's therefore been suspended from the Club. I am disappointed in him because he's done well for us but it is an internal matter and it has been dealt with that way. There has to be discipline at a Football Club. He left during a busy period for us so he is suspended. It might not be indefinite, I need to see how it is but I feel right now I have to take some action. "
That team news for the home side then leaving their probable squad for tomorrow as follows :
The referee for tomorrow's match is Jonathan Moss from Leeds, and he will be assisted down the lines by John Flynn from Calne in Wiltshire and RAF Sergeant Darren Drysdale who is based at Waddington in Lincolnshire. Meanwhile the fourth official is Russell Booth from Mansfield.