BOTH Everton FC and Liverpool FC will be eyeing an Wembley appearance in the FA Cup a little more closely following favourable draws for the fifth round.

Liverpool’s tie against Brighton pits two of my former clubs together. Liverpool played the Seagulls twice in the competition while I was at Anfield and we lost them both.

The first, in 1983, was at home when Phil Neal missed a penalty late on. The second, a year later, came on a gluepot of a pitch at the old Goldstone Ground. Graeme Souness got a hamstring injury early on and we were never really at the races.

Liverpool beat Brighton in the Carling Cup earlier this season, and the thing about Gus Poyet’s side is that they like to knock the ball around, and that means they also let the opposition play.

It wasn’t like that in the 80s, when Steve Foster and Jimmy Case were quite happy to help boot you off the pitch.

Everton also face lower-league opposition. But Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea are all still in the Cup, so from the quarter-finals it will get much harder for the Merseyside clubs.