Saturday: a mere footnote to our history
All Englishmen know of Agincourt, of Crecy and Trafalgar, battles which are engraved on our hearts. These victories, achieved against overwhelming odds, inspire us even today and at the time were the bricks which built our nation to a greatness unsurpassed in the annals of history. Contained within each of these shuddering encounters are vignettes of sadness, piquant tales of valiant toil which ended in death or setback, but which did not detract from the brilliant colour of the eventual victory. That one of King Henry’s closest companions and greatest warriors Edward duke of York died at Agincourt is now a long forgotten footnote, that England lost perhaps its greatest ever commander and leader of men, Admiral Lord Nelson, at Trafalgar is of course not forgotten, but despite this heartbreaking loss the bigger picture then was that a victory had been achieved which secured our nation from invasion for a century. So we move from the sublime to the ridiculous; one scrappy game, lost by a single scrambled goal, does not define our season, does not deflect our strategy, it may deflate us, but it does not devalue nor diminish the huge strides our club has taken in recent years. David Moyes is right, it is the big picture that counts. And the big picture is that we are gradually improving in every position; that our talented squad is finally getting back to fitness; that Saha has signed a new contract; that Mikel Arteta got a lung-bursting fifty minutes of action under his belt; that Johnny Heitinga gets better and better with every game and that his partnership with Phil Jagielka is mouth watering in prospect; that young players like Fellaini, Coleman, Rodwell, Duffy, Gosling and Bilyaletdinov are emerging from the chrysalis of youth.
So put Saturday’s defeat in context, do not forget it, but put it behind you. A scratch in a skirmish is not a battle surrendered nor a war lost. Look forward to Wednesday when we face Chelsea and look ahead to next week as our European campaign resumes when we face Sporting Lisbon at Goodison (see Club announcement below). Wipe away those tears of anger, look forward to a season still laden with promise and a future of triumphs unimagined.
EVERTON XI (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville ©, Distin, Heitinga, Baines; Fellaini (Arteta39), Osman (Yakubu 71), Donovan, Pienaar; Cahill; Saha (Anichebe 71)
Subs not used: Nash, Bilyaletdidov, Coleman, Senderos
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina; Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Agger, Insua; Lucas, Mascherano; Kyut (Skrtel 90), Gerrard ©, Rodriguez (Aurelio 90); Ngog (Babel 62)
Subs not used: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Riera, Degen,
Referee: Martin Atkinson Gate: 44,316
OFFICIAL CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT
Tickets for our next European clash are now on general sale.
Everton entertain Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon at Goodison Park on Tuesday, 16 February, looking to get a positive first leg result in their quest for a place in the last 16.
The game is a 5.45pm kick off, with Liverpool also playing at home that week and Uefa ruling that the match couldn’t clash with Champions League games.
Tickets have been reduced in price and can be bought via the usual outlets: online at evertonfc.com, by calling 0871 663 1878 or by visiting the Park End Box Office.
Adult tickets are priced at £26, with OAP tickets at £19 and juniors at just £10.
Because of the early kick off time, Club officials are urging fans attending the game to get to Goodison as early as possible to avoid any potential traffic or travel issues.
