2009-2010

Stamford Bridge: The Scene of the Climb?

December 14, 2009

It was wonderfully described as “The Scene of the Climb” ; Everton’s barrel-scraping win against Oxford in the Milk Cup in 1984 that injected us with confidence, restored belief in Howard Kendall, and led to an utter turnaround in our fortunes. Could our unbelievable 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge do the same? Chelsea Everton match reaction on Sky Two points from three games isn’t the form we are used to, but those two points in the last two league games will mean a lot more than that to the players. Against Spurs, we had a back four entirely made up of full backs; we were playing Scrabble armed with...

Spurs can't handle hot Coleman

December 7, 2009

EVERTON 2 (Saha 77, Cahill 85) – TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (Defoe 46, Dawson 58) Ref: Andre Mariner. Gate: 34,003. After about 15 minutes an injured Joseph Yobo was substituted and a young, virtually unknown, Irishman called Seamus Coleman with number 31 on his shirt trotted into the right back position and pushed Lucas Neill across to centre back to leave Everton’s back four looking like a weak bridge hand, containing, as it did, three right backs. Shoulders dropped and in their hearts few on the pitch, or in the crowd, can have doubted that Spurs, already looking threatenening, were going to be trouble. A few minutes later, Coleman saw...

Toffees' tank finally on empty

November 26, 2009

HULL CITY 3 – EVERTON 2 . Gate: 24,685. Ref: Martin Atkinson. When you’re down fortune deserts you, and so it was last night with the Tigers three up inside half an hour. Dollops of luck and comedy were liberally spread around the KC with Zayette and Yobo competing for the title of master of ceremonies. All three of Hull’s strikes would, on another night, have been safely dealt with. However we do not want to gloss over the cold truth that Everton’s first half performance, was poor, let’s just hope it proves to be the nadir of...

OUTPLAYED

November 21, 2009

MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (Fletcher 35, Carrick 67, Valencia 76) – EVERTON 0 Gate: 75,169. Ref: Steve Bennett. Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to hold your hand up and admit to being beaten by a better side. Old Trafford, Manchester, Saturday 21st November 2009 was one of those occasions. Completely outclassed in midfield during the first half we were lucky to go in at half time trailing by just one goal. Despite nominally having the numerical advantage by playing five across the middle to United’s four, their four in the shape of Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia and the ageless Giggs, were simply more skilful and just passed their way through us...

KING LOUIS & DAN-THE-MAN SINK THE HAMMERS

November 8, 2009

WEST HAM UNITED 1 – EVERTON 2 Gate: 32,466. Ref: Alan Wiley. As expected, David Moyes started with a 4-5-1 formation. Louis Saha and Johnny Heitinga came in for Yakubu and the suspended Bilyaletdinov. A big surprise for anyone who saw Hibbert’s poor performance against Benfica was that he retained his place. We assume Lucas Neill is not fully fit or David Moyes is trying to preserve Hibbert’s shaky confidence, rather like a driver encouraged to get back behind the wheel after a nasty car crash. Robert Green made his 100th consecutive appearance for the Hammers while Spector and Zavon Hines –...

BILYALETDINOV: NOT A RIDDLE, NOR WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY

November 1, 2009

EVERTON 1 (Bilyaletdinov 45+1) – ASTON VILLA 1 (Carew 46) Gate: 36,648 Ref: Lee Probert Guest of honour and Everton legend Dave Hickson will have felt at home watching this game, which was in many ways like a throwback to an earlier era. Hard fought, inelegant, dour, and a fair result in which two dismissals, late on in the game, were the main talking point. Bilyaletdinov’s straight red for a studs-up two footed challenge on Petrov was at first sight a touch harsh, but in the cold light of a slow-motion replay was revealed as a correct call by referee Lee Probert. He now misses three league games; West...

JUTKIEWICZ SAVES MOTHERWELL

October 28, 2009

3-1 down at St Mirren with just 20 minutes left Motherwell looked to be heading to defeat last Saturday, that is until loanee striker Lucas Jutkiewicz scored twice. His first an angled drive from 12 yards, his second a volley following a chest down. Everton ‘keeper John Ruddy is also impressing the Fir Park faithful during his loan spell; he’s kept 5 clean sheets in the opening 9 league fixtures and saved a penalty against Steaua Bucharest during Motherwell’s short-lived Europa league campaign.

THURSDAY FIVE – SUNDAY THREE – TUESDAY TWO…………

October 28, 2009

A string of three tough away fixtures in six days during which we have conceded ten goals and shorn by injuries of ALL our creative players – Pienaar, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Osman (yes, we characterise him as ‘creative’); three top notch defenders – Baines, Yobo, Jageilka and our midfield ball-winner Neville we at least put up a fight at White Hart Lane last night. Moyes is, quite rightly, so incensed by this fixture pile up that he couldn’t trust himself in front of the press last night….and the journey home will have been quiet. A tough test awaits at Goodison on Saturday in the shape of Martin O’Neills’ Villa. Youngster...

Benfica 5-0 Everton: In Defence Of Our Non-Existent Defence

October 25, 2009

By Ed Bottomley

Benfica 5-0 Everton: In Defence Of Our Non-Existent Defence

“Those English kids, want to play the blues so bad, and they play the blues so bad”. So said (musical) Blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II, and it’s a fitting summation of Thursday’s game where the Stadium of Light bathed our callow English blues in the glare of professional European football. Our youngsters – Coleman, Gosling, Rodwell, Baxter, even Fellaini – may have wanted to play well for the blues, but collectively they were out of their depth.

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