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Everton need to add some “nastiness” to their game if they're to fulfil their potential reckons former Blues midfielder Lee Carsley.

Roberto Martinez's men are a two-legged Capital Cup semi-final away from a trip to Wembley but the formidable task of overcoming Manchester City must be achieved first.

Despite playing some pretty football at times and dominating opponents for long periods, Everton are stuck in mid-table having failed to win back-to-back Premier League games all season.

Carsley said: “I just think we're a nice team now. We're good to watch and we win some, we lose some.

“I don't think that we've quite got that nastiness that we need.

“The current team is a lot better than the Everton side that I played in, they're far more talented, but I'm not sure if their mentality is as strong.

“That comes with age and a lot of our side were more experienced but there's no doubting the ability in this side, it's probably the strongest Premier League squad that we've had.

“I really hope they can win something and I've still got ambitions for them to qualify for Europe and pushing on in that respect.

“If they do fulfil their potential then they'll be a Champions League team, never mind a Europa League team.”

With a hugely-talented spine of Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and John Stones, Carsley believes the current Everton team will be determined to secure their Blues legacy by lifting silverware.

He said: “They will definitely want to be remembered for winning a trophy. It's something that I'm sure is always at the back of their minds.

“When you go to the training ground I know that Roberto has put a lot of pictures of the former players and glory days on the walls and you're surrounded by it daily.

“They'll be determined to win some silverware.”

You're only a legend if you win something

Having finished his own six-year Goodison career empty-handed, a lack of trophies is something that still rankles with Carsley.

He said: “That's why when I do supporters evenings now or corporate functions and get described as an Everton 'legend', I dismiss it.

“No player at Everton who played in my era or anyone in the 21 century can be in that legend bracket because we didn't win anything.

“I put every single player in that category because until you win something, you can't be a legend.

“Some of those runs in cup competitions were great and qualifying for the Champions League but it's the former players who have the medals to back themselves up who can claim legendary status.

“There's Duncan Ferguson and Kevin Sheedy still at the club, the likes of Peter Reid and the greats like Joe Royle and the late Howard Kendall.

“We played for the club but they're the people who put the club on the map and took it to another level.”

You don't lose games like Stoke

Carsley believes there is still a significant element of naivety in how Everton play at times, as exemplified with their display in the 4-3 home defeat to Stoke City having been 3-2 ahead with just 10 minutes remaining.

He said: “The mental side of things is down to the individual. Once the lads cross the white line it's down to them. The more experienced members of the group need to lead by example.

“Take the Stoke game for example. The worst result there should have been that you draw the game.

“You definitely don't lose games like that, especially when you've got back into a good position.

“The worst-case scenario is that you take a point from the game.”

He added: “I don't even necessarily think it's a case of when you're winning 1-0 stick the ball in the corner.

“You've got to flip that switch in your head when you're in a good position and say 'right, you track your runners and you stop the person who you're playing against playing.

“You play percentage football which means if you've got the chance to pass forward into the box then that's what you do.

“I don't mean play it into the channels and get everyone up the pitch, it's making sure that you're doing the basics really well.

“The team have shown in the past that they can do that so there's no reason why they can't do it again.

“The most underrated attribute in football is confidence and with confidence comes results and I'm sure that the manager and his coaching staff have been talking about that.”

Blues have the nous if they apply themselves

Carsley does not believe that such game intelligence is beyond this crop of players though.

He said: “I think we've shown that canniness in the past. There's a lot of know-how in the side with Gareth Barry, James McCarthy, John Stones, Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku and Tim Howard.

“These are all experienced Premier League players now. They just need to play with that belief they can do it.

“I believe they can, I've really enjoyed watching Everton play this season even though the results of late have been a bit frustrating.

“That's one of the things about supporting a team, you take the rough with the smooth.”

Carsley added: “You don't mind somebody smashing it in the top corner from 25 yards but when it's a scrappy one and you think you could have done a bit better, it's frustrating.

“We've shown in the past that we've got the nous to see out games, to win with a bit of style when you're able to but also to win ugly when needed.

“We need to get that consistency of doing it week in, week out.”

City slickers

Previous Everton manager David Moyes enjoyed an excellent record against Manchester City and in his final four seasons at Goodison he won six of the eight encounters against them, losing only once.

However, despite beating City with Wigan Athletic in the 2013 FA Cup final, his successor Martinez is yet to taste victory against them as Blues boss, having lost four of their five encounters to date.

When it comes to trying to topple Manuel Pellegrini's men on this occasion, Carsley is calling for an energetic display.

He said: “At home we've got to be as fast and as furious as we can be, trying to be up tempo and really go for it.

“Away from home you've got to be compact and organised which we can be and maybe play a little bit more on the counter-attack which we're capable of doing.

“We've got the pace to do that and have a lot of options.

“If we sit back in both legs then I think it will be a couple of long old nights for us.”

New Year, new start

Carsley is currently recharging his batteries ahead of a new challenge after leaving Brentford last month.

The 41-year-old had been in charge of the London club's Development Squad but was appointed caretaker boss of the first team on September 28.

Despite an impressive tenure which saw him named Manager of the Month for the Championship in October, he insisted he did not want the post on a long-term basis and left the club after new head coach Dean Smith's arrival.

Carsley said: “I finished at Brentford a couple of weeks ago and I'll be starting again in the New Year.

“I've got nothing planned at the minute but I'll keep an eye out on what's going on in the game.

“I've had a lot of things to think about over the last few months with having a spell as head coach at Brentford so I want to make sure that next time I go back to it I'm able to take all that on board and use that experience to benefit my next club.”