It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

Barkley to Liverpool - cold weather in Hell.

No way would EFC sell him to the red shite! and as Martinez has stated he will not be going out on loan :O)

He may never move but if he does, I can't see the point in going in the next two seasons; development and where Everton may be.

Cheers,
KidA

Terrible tragedy for Liverpool (the city) and Sheffield and England, Europe and the Football World.....never again should we see people caged in like that again......

Yes terrible tragedy indeed but to blame all and sundry except the fans themselves is not on.

Yes there was a cover up but some of those thousands of fans inside the ground that day without tickets should take a long hard look at themselves.

And while we're at it why don't we have a minute silence for the Heysel Stadium victims too ?

Liverpool .... always the victims and never to blame !

I'm with you on that Dil. We seem obsessed with this particular tragedy and blatantly forget many other events where there was a (large) loss of life.

Obviously both on a fishing trip together.

Hey welcome back Stan been worried about you , long time no see and Burnley still flying high !

No fishing trip and I know many others who feel the same.

.... and the Liverpool Chairmans first reaction after Heysel was to blame Chelsea fans !

7 thoughts on “Looking for fans who were at Everton v Norwich; FA Cup semi-final in 1989”



Steve Downes says:

November 24, 2011 at 11:34 am


I was a 15-year-old Norwich City fan, standing on the Holte End at Villa Park with my dad and brother. For most of the match I was terrified, because the end was so overloaded with supporters that I thought something disastrous was going to happen. At one point a big surge ended with me pressed against a crush barrier with a bruised rib. News of what was happening at Hillsborough began to filter through via people’s radios in the first half. The talk of the terrace was that the Liverpool fans had “kicked off”. Then the story began to clear, and it was obvious that some supporters had died. Nobody knew how many, or why. At this stage, if I’m being honest, I remained more concerned about Norwich City, who were putting on their usual FA Cup semi-final no-show. When the final whistle blew, we went back to our bus and the driver told us the grim reality of the Hillsborough disaster. Scores of people were dead. And suddenly the match that I had just watched meant nothing – absolutely nothing. After the initial “it could have been me” reaction (we were similarly squeezed in at the previous match, the FA Cup quarter final at West Ham), I was left with a sick feeling in my stomach, thinking about the awful demise of so many people. The journey home was quiet, as the fans reflected on something that was far more important than football.

Reply




Barry ferguson says:

November 24, 2011 at 6:03 pm


As I got back on the coach to leave villa park I asked people why they were so miserable, it was then I was told there was 50+ dead at hillsborough. I was 15 and sat in shock for the rest of the journey wondering and hoping that my family members and friends were safe. The journey home was a nightmare

Reply




Mike Nicholson says:

November 24, 2011 at 7:54 pm


From an unnamed Everton fan:

I travelled down in a mate’s car, met up with some others in a pub in Perry Barr and had the usual pre-match refreshment, which typically in those days was 6 or 7 pints and a soggy ham batch. Got in the Holte End about 10 to 3, as you do, stood right in the middle of the singing, as I always did at that age (18).

First signs of any trouble was the scoreboard in the far corner stating that the kick off had been delayed at Hillsborough, I think they attributed it to hooliganism (not 100% sure), but it certainly stated trouble of some sort – I remember thinking at the time, ‘them cunts are at it again’.

Anyways on to our game, I was getting involved in the singing and all that, the shouting the team on, etc, but the atmosphere was notably muted. I put it down to the relatively low key nature of the fixture and the fact we were expected to win comfortably.

The scoreboard told us the other semi had been abandoned at half time, again, thought nothing of it, and at no stage of that game did I know there was a disaster unfolding. Pat Nevin scored early in the 2nd half, I celebrated it like all other ‘big’ goals but again the celebrations around weren’t as frenetic as they should have been. Ditto the singing afterwards.

The first I heard about what had happened was on the steps at the back of the Holte End on the way out of the ground off a lad with a transistor radio stuck to his ear. Absolute focus on our own match and probably the pre-match juice meant I didn’t even think about what was happening elsewhere and why the atmosphere was so flat. Can’t remember exactly how many, think it was 15 he said had died on the terraces. At that point, I was absolutely gripped with panic, my mate and I hardly spoke on the way back to the car and we were hearing the death toll rise by eaves dropping fellow blues with radios.

Most Blues there that day knew people at the game. In my case, it was my then girlfriend who I’d been with for 11 months, Kop season ticket holder, always stood right in the middle and she’d had problems there the season previously. Her ma & da didn’t have a house phone so I couldn’t get in touch and obviously no mobiles. The drive back up the motorway listening to news reports with casualties rising by the report, knowing she was bound to have been right in the middle of the ‘trouble’, was horrendous.

The rest is a bit of a blur, I was knackered and getting hungover … me, her arl fella and brother-in-law got to Lime Street and waited for the remaining Sheffield trains to get in, ringing her mates house for any news of her mate’s ma. She wasn’t on any of the trains, but after the last one had got in we heard from her mate’s ma, she was critical in the Northern General Hospital. Her da and me jumped a cab straight up there, 2 things sticking out – the driver took the full fare (we later heard about altruistic drivers who were running people up there gratis; not in my experience) and her arl fella opening the window to wake me up every time I dropped off.

Addendum: The girlfriend slowly made a full recovery after 10 days in a coma, has a family and is good mates with my sister.

Reply




Richard Jeffery says:

November 25, 2011 at 8:27 am


I’m a Norwich fan and was at the other semi final on the day of Hillsborough. I was 18 at the time.

We were running late on the way to the game, had had a few beers and were rushing to get into the ground. We were in the Holte End, then a massive bank of terracing. It was packed but the Police made us go us through a specific entrance and then took us right down to the front where there was more space. If only S Yorks police had been that organised.

We weren’t aware that anything untoward was happening at Hillsborough until half-time. Someone had a radio (pre-mobile phone days) and the Chinese whispers came through the crowd that 4 people had died at Hillsborough and the game had been called off, that was it. We assumed at the time that it was hooliganism, which at that time was a not unlikely happening and there was even some gallows humour about it.

Those of us at Villa Park were probably the only people in the country not aware of what was really happening in Sheffield and as a result both sets of fans were able to concentrate of the game, which was scrappy and unmemorable.

It wasn’t till we got back to our minibus and put the radio on that the full story of what had happened started to emerge and our disappointment at losing was soon forgotten as we sat listening to the developing story on the radio whilst we travelled home.

I look back and don’t think that the Cup final would have taken place that year if it hadn’t have been between Liverpool and Everton, so it was probably for the best that we lost that day.

Reply




Paul Buller says:

November 29, 2011 at 10:37 am


I was at the Everton v Norwich game, as a Norwich fan – I was 17 at the time. It was very surreal, no one around us knew what had really happened at Hillsborough until the game was over. We knew kick off had been delayed but that was about it. I remember something coming up on the scoreboard at Villa Park, saying ‘Liverpool v Notts Forest, kick off delayed’ several times and we all thought it was probably down to hooligans, as was so common at many football matches back then.

When we got back to the coaches outside Villa Park, people were crying and it was only then that the full picture started to become clear. We sat around for what seemed hours just listening to the radio, in total disbelief.

I also remember suddenly feeling very scared on the way home once we finally got going; I’d just been standing amongst several thousand fans, getting swayed back and forth, up and down, and the realisation that it could have just as easily been us really hit me. I remember thinking just HOW easy it would be for that to happen. It still makes me shudder today. We hadn’t seen any TV pictures, just listened to sports commentators try to describe the scene, which made it somehow weirdly vivid, more so than perhaps it would have been if we were watching it.

Reply




Bob Walne says:

November 29, 2011 at 1:20 pm


I was 15 and travelled to the game on one of Norwich City’s Club Canary coaches with 3 friends. It was a warm day and we were standing on the left hand side of the Holte end terrace. I remember seeing some lads I went to school with but for some reason we didn’t stand with them. We eventually took our place fairly near the front right next to the fence segregating the City and Everton fans.

We stood with a couple of Villa fans and struck up a conversation about football. We spoke about City’s chances which had been dealt a blow with key players Mike Phelan and Robert Fleck not playing.

During the first half, I remember one of them casually saying there was trouble at Hillsborough and there were fans on the pitch. Like a lot of people the immediate assumption was crowd trouble. We later heard the match had been abandoned. The Villa fans spent most of the first half exchanging “banter” with the Everton fans. They left at half time and we never saw them after that.

I can’t honestly remember anything else about the game (other than Norwich were awful and lost) or the events at Hillsborough until we got back on the coach. The radio was on and we heard that 42 people had died. I shivered when I heard that.

On the way home the coach was quiet. What really is there to say when people went to watch a game of football and didn’t come home.

In those days there were no mobile phones but its still unbelievable that we didn’t hear about the events at Hillsborough until after the game.

My mum who was back in Norwich saw the events on TV and for a few minutes was in a terrible panic as the TV coverage didn’t initially make it clear where the tragedy had taken place.

Reply




Robert Daniels says:

December 11, 2011 at 11:15 pm


I was at the match, during the game we heard there had been trouble , and the match was delayed.

We then heard someone was dead, then more than one, five .
By the time the match had finnished it was ten or twenty, my head was spinning, coudnt take in what i was hearing, i,d only been to hilsbourough
once before , the league cup final replay versus aston villa, in 77.

I was 16 years old, when we equalised to take the game into extra time, i thought i wouldnt make it home.
the crowd surged forward and i was picked up off my feet, i came home without my shoes, my mam went mad at me , this was twenty years earlier.

when she heard about the 96 who died , she thanked god it wasnt me 20 years earlier, and appologised for telling me off for loseing my shoes!

Thinling back i believe it was a disaster waiting to happen, penned in like animals……

As we walked back to our coach from villa park , women were running ahead of me , with a look of terror on there faces, i spotted Andy King ,
he was just walking like every other fan , but his face was turned down, i couldnt believe it was him, walking next to us,

Andy i shouted, whats happened at the liverpool game, he turned , tears were streaming down his face, i then became frightened for my friends who were there, its awful he said, there dead , loads of them dead.

My heart skipped a beat , it wasnt about football anymore, people had died, friends had died.

The journey home was terrible, we had just got to the cup final, you would of thought we had been relagated.

Went to anfield early next day, i was overcome with emotion, all these people, had died, at a place were i thought for a moment i would die twenty years earlier,………………….

Left the shirt i wore and scarf,

Went home and cried, they just went to a football match, and didnt come home,

shankley who i loved , even as an everton fan was wrong its not more important…….

But i think he knew that..

Rip 96,

Copa del Rey could be worth watching tonight. Ronaldo missing for Real Madrid, so it's a chance for Gareth Bale to take centre stage.

And he did.

Great winning goal and he could have had two more goals if Benzema had passed to him when he was unmarked in the penalty area.

From My Seat: Crystal Palace (H)
By Ken Buckley 17/04/2014 Comments (18) jump
More recent articles

It's the Hope that Kills You
From My Seat: Crystal Palace (H)
We Are Everton. We Lose Big Games. That's What We Do.
Punchy Palace stun over-confident Blues
Memory Lane – Match 34
Fortune Favours the Persistent
From my seat: Sunderland (A)
Deulofeu magic brings seventh win
We assembled as soon as possible for a 7.45 kick off and the room of nonsense was abuzz with plans for Champions League adventures as we saluted Martinez for having the Midas touch which should ensure another home win. However, as the team was relayed to those without a phone doubts arose.

A team containing three wingers and no McCarthy to complete the defensive shield and provide the solidarity that allows rotation further forward to continue our quest for a CL place in doing what we do best was at best a brave attacking move or a miscalculation when playing a team that had four wins on the bounce, one of which was the scalp of Chelsea.

By the final whistle I think most would agree it was the latter. This notion was reinforced by the fact that on that final whistle there was no booing or dissatisfaction, just fans leaving with little or nothing to say other than private conversations with mates which when put together sort of said manager and players got it wrong and a half-decent Palace side were underestimated, that this game would be put to bed and the bigger threat of Man U on Sunday would be the one to have a full team of tried and tested players in the formation that had got us to this point to battle a big one. If my thoughts are anywhere near right then the players and staff should be ashamed. Get your best team possible out for the game in hand and worry about the next one as it arises.

The walk up was of conversations relating to team selection with most snatches of conversation I heard were of a sceptical nature. But the match-going Blues were out in force and the queue at the Blue Dragon take away was as long as I have seen and the fat van wasn’t doing too badly either.

The players entered the arena and after the mandatory ‘Fair play’ hand-shake both teams lined up in front of the directors box and behind them were a line of 96 Blue and Red scarves in tribute to ‘Those that went the match’ and never came home 25 years ago and are still waiting for justice to be done and seen to be done.

We started well enough and Barkley beat a couple of players in a run into the box but when tackled his fall to the floor did not impress the ref. McGeady twisted and turned then hit one from range that sailed over and wide. We continued in this vein but without looking really dangerous where it mattered. However we did seem on top but when Palace did break they did look sharp and dangerous especially as we seemed not to bother with their attacks and just concentrate on ours.

Maybe we were thinking it would be just a matter of time until we scored but we got a rude awakening when Bolasie who was giving Coleman a real hard time and would do throughout hit a cross shot that Howard could only parry back out and an ex Arsenal player Chamakh laid the ball invitingly to Puncheon who dispatched with consummate ease. One nil down and a brief roar from the faithful as we restarted. The Palace faithful in a good turnout taunted us with that refrain from the past ‘Champions league – your avin a laff’

Again we set off dominating but at the expense of proper defending and joined up thinking and were almost undone again by that man Bolasie controlled a goal kick with aplomb and doing Coleman again and hitting the post with Howard nowhere but we were able to react and clear. The half wore on and we did have some nice approach work but that final third was Palace territory and we lacked the guile to unlock their resolve. Before the whistle McGeady had another effort clear the bar and the Palace keeper made a great save to thwart the out of sorts Lukaku at the near post.

H/T came and buzz wise on the landings and bars and bogs it was all a bit of a damp squid with the one common thought that changes were required. The manager agreed and replaced Deulofeu with Naismith. Deulofeu had not had the best of halves yet he could have assisted in at least two goals. You see 36,000 Blues know exactly what he is going to do when he has the ball near the by-line he twist and turns, gets to the by-line and hits the ball hard and low across goal. Never anyone to apply a finish in sight—Why? They train together, play together and he always does the same manoeuvre. If we all can see it why not the players?

The half started and within 5mins it got worse when from a dead ball cross the Palace centre-back Dann was given the freedom to head home. What a downer. We continued but in the same vein an Palace were content to mop up our attacks and waste time at any given opportunity, although the crowd howled at the time wasting they were good at it and were happy to frustrate us further.

The hour mark and the manager made a double substitution. McGeady off McCarthy on but the Barry off and Osman on which to this fan did nothing to restore some balance to our team. Barkley may be destined for big things but I don’t see them being from a deep lying centre mid role. He ran and tried hard but throughout got nowhere that looked like leading to the undoing of a resolute defence.

However just after the subs were made we scored when a Mirallas deep cross to the back post was headed back across goal by the excellent Baines and Naismith trundled the ball home. Not great celebrations but the volume did go up as we roared them on for another. We huffed and puffed but we just did not look like a side fighting for a finish that would propel many into Goodison folklore. Osman and the excellent Baines were looking the likeliest to claw something back by way off ingenuity and resolve. Osman almost did it with a clever flick that the keeper sort of kicked away.

The crowd were now quite vocal as they tried to lift the team and we did attack but again with little goalmouth threat. On the seventy minute mark our fate was sealed as Puncheon burst with pace and power and teed up Jerome who had got free of his marker and lashed home into the bottom corner. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was murder just sitting and watching our efforts and thinking on how Palace had been quick and clinical where we had been ponderous and wasteful but with 4mins of normal time left Mirallas was put in and expertly lifted the ball over the keeper to register and keep us and Palace on our toes until the normal time and six minutes of added were played out.

Final whistle and no ‘Grand old team’ played over the speakers today as fans filed out into the night contemplating on what might have been and praying for one of those unexpected quirks of footy to put us back into contention for that CL spot. Mind you more of today’s displays and Europe may be out in any form.

M.o.tM: Stones/ Baines – Stones for sheer class. Baines for showing that desire and will to win that eluded many another player.

Hopefully that’s not season end and the manager can rouse the players to give us a record points total and see where that leaves us table wise. To fold now would be a disaster after such displays to this point. My message to Roberto if I ever had a chance would be with just 5 games to go ‘Play your best team’

Still you just never know in this great imprecise sport how things will pan out so see you Sunday and hope to do the double over Man U.

UP THE BLUES

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Steve O'Malley
827 Posted 17/04/2014 at 05:52:48 You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to work out why we lost tonight.
I'm Roberto's biggest fan but even the best make mistakes and he made one corker tonight. With only 5 games left in the season and you are in a dogfight for a Champions League spot, quite why you wouldn't put your strongest team out is a complete mystery to me and I dare say thousands of others.

I'm not a fan of the Barcelona wonder kid and I think he was very average against Southampton. I was very surprised at him starting. Even more surprised when Naismith who has been in the best form of his time at the club and scoring goals, was left on the bench.

Barkley as a deep lying midfielder in lieu of one of our seasons best performers, McCarthy??? For me the problem wasn't that the team froze on the night it was more about the wrong 11 starting the game.

A magnificent opportunity to put the pressure back on Arsenal and Roberto wasted it.

Rob Young
831 Posted 17/04/2014 at 06:50:22 How poor was Lukaku?
And not for the first time either! He was some player when he just joined us but since his barren run it becomes clear he doesn't offer enough besides his goals.
He just doesn't look like the striker we need. For a big guy you rareley see him go to war, do you?
His touch is generally not the best - which wasn't so much the case early on in his Everton days, was it?
Naismith in his current form offers a lot more. Not the best touch either, but willing to run into space and he can finish. Proper striker goals as well. At least he seems to be giving all he's got every time.

Deulofeu? Same as all season, no end product. Though someone (Lukaku! FFS!) should be getting in position to walk in his crosses accros goals.

This is not a knee jerk reaction. I felt like this about both of them for a while now. Should we try to buy Lukaku? Yes, for 20m max. He does score goals, and you buy potential. He's still a very young lad after all.
But, I believe had Naismith played the same amount of games as Romelu in the striker position he would have matched the big guy's number of goals.

I believe for next season we will have Traore on another season loan. Would make no sense otherwise to have kept him while injured, knowing he would only be available for a couple of games (if, at all) while the other players would be fit again for the run in.

Kone, Traore and Naismith for that position next season. Plus another we might bring in for less money than Lukaku, maybe. No worries if we can't sign the big Belgian.

Anything can happen, look at both results last night. Arsenal can still drop points. It's not over, let's get as many points as possible and see where we'll end up. 70 points + will still be a great achievement and Europa League at least will mean a very satisfying first year under Martinez.

McGeady looked good last night. Osman showed Barkley what is needed by actually wanting the ball in the second half. Stones is some prospect.

Mind you, we should try to sign Yannick Bolasie. He was terrific!

Craig Fletcher
848 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:07:11 I know I'm in the minority here; but when I saw the team news come through before the game, I actually thought that Roberto had it bang on.
The assumption by many was that Palace would sit back; and take the opportunity to counter-attack - which, in the end, is what they did.
However by sitting back and allowing us the possession, we needed a bit more creative flair to try and unlock them - hence why the decision to start with Miralles, Deulofeu, McGeady and Barkley actually made sense. How many of us have wondered why we play two defensive-minded midfielders at home to lower-league opposition?
The benefit of hindsight shows that it didn't work out for us, and I do think we under-estimated just how good Palace could be on the break. If it was Pulis' half-beast half-man squad at Stoke, I do think the result could have been different. This ain't the Mutants, however, and Palace showed they have a lot more skill and flair.
I agree with you Ken with regards to Deulofeu - why no player in blue has latched on that he will always put through the hard low crosses from the byline is beyond me, when we can all see it happening from the stands or the comfort of our living rooms.
Looks like it's all on for this Sunday. Hopefully the lads get this result out of their system. Just remember fellow blues; if our team is something; it's unpredictable - so if the pattern continues; we'll snot "the Chosen One" and his ex-league winners by 3-0.
Phil Walling
852 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:21:16 Like it or not, our season now depends on getting three points on Sunday.
I think Roberto is vain and has been led to believe he has a magic touch. He hasn't, and these daft team selections - like in the FA Cup - expose his weakness. He must realise he just hasn't got the players to play Tinkerman.

But he'll learn - and meanwhile WE'll suffer.

Rob Young
855 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:36:23 Craig, I agree with you.
I thought it made sense to add some extra creativity.
Both McGeady and Deulofeu did get their crosses in.
We just seemed to play without a striker.
Craig Fletcher
856 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:35:33 Phil, accusing Roberto of vanity is utterly ridiculous. Naivety, perhaps, but he is a young manager and he will learn.
"led to believe he has a magic touch"? If that was the case Phil, he must be wondering why his magic deserted him long enough to see his team get relegated last year.
Ray Roche
857 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:27:18 Ken, I'm afraid I can't agree with your MOTM being Baines, I thought he had a stinker. At fault for the first goal and he wasted more passes than I've seen him do all season. And if you look back at the third goal, Distin pissing about with the ball and giving away a throw in which started the passage of play which resulted in the goal. If you can't do anything else, just hoof it down field.
My other major moan is this. Why do referees constantly fall for the play acting and gamesmanship which allows teams to slow down a game. Feigning injury and time wasting. I pay good money to see football, not some prick of a goalkeeper dicking about with the ball, meandering from one side of the goal to the other at glacier like speed before he stands waving his fuckin' arms about like a 1955 traffic policeman before wellying the ball downfield. Or lying prostrate like he's been shot by Lee Harvey Oswald's brother in the Main Stand. He was obviously unhurt yet Marriner allows the plank three minutes rest......
Ray Roche
858 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:41:50 I didn't think it would be long before PW slithers out from under his stone to give Martinez some stick. All excited about seeing your lover boy Moyes on Sunday, Phil ? ;-)
Brent Stephens
859 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:41:52 Almost as if Palace new our starting line-up and planned for that - just as Pulis is being accused of by Cardiff in their recent game. EPL now investigating. Apparently somebody at palace mistakenly sent a text about it to the Bolton manager, who alerted Cardiff ! Interesting one to watch in terms of outcome.
Patrick Murphy
861 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:34:13 One of the problems with managing Everton is us the fans - we focus on the wrong things. All the talk for much of the season has been on United and the return of the former boss and if that isn't on the agenda it's the derby games. We as a fan-base should focus on the game at hand. We have this tendency to look at what is coming up rather than on the likes of Palace or the lesser teams. To say I'm upset with both the result and the performance is an understatement; We have once again dropped too many points against the lesser lights of the division and we'll once again pay the price for it.
If McCarthy had a strain then it explains his absence from the starting line-up but surely that is when you put Osman in his place not have three wingers on from the start. Too many of the first-team squad are playing for themselves and that includes Barks who had a shocker albeit in an unfamiliar role in the team. Lukaku blows hot and cold and I still think that Del Boy is vastly over-rated. McGeady has ability but he too lost the ball far too often. Palace looked like the team on the verge of CL and Everton looked like an out of sorts mid-table team. Consistency is the key and until we see this Everton side treat the likes of Palace in the same way as they treat the big boys - we will continue to fall short - which is a real shame because the ability is already there just the mind-set is all wrong at times.
John Ford
864 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:36:58 I get the McCarthy thing but I also get Martinez thinking. We've been held up by supposed lesser opposition before playing the two in front of the defence, so I can see why he went for the change. Unfortunately it disrupted us.
CP were able to exploit the obvious gaps when they broke as we had so many players committed. Credit to them also for the defensive organisation and their fans deserve respect too.

We battered them second half, Lukaku was man marked and you could see every blue shirt straining to find space accross their back line. It was admirable the way we tried to keep playing football as the pressure built. Ossie and Nais made a difference. W kept moving the ball trying to pull their players out of position, trying to create gaps. Ultimately the frustration was painful

Phil W Its nonsense to suggest Martinez cant or shouldlt change his format. Hes been using McGeady/Miralles/Barklay/Deulofeu/Naismith in pretty much rotation over the last couple of months and it has obviously worked. He also uses substitutes effectively.


Mark Palmer
866 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:37:39 I knew it, I knew it, I knew it and nobody would listen. Playing with gay abandon is easy when expectations are limited. Now a wee bit of pressure is added, we've balls it up. I'm always pessimistic anyway but just as I posted the other day, my worry is our season imploding and Man U and Spurs catching us. Now we HAVE to beat both Manc teams. And yes, Lukaku has been exceedingly average recently and if we can't buy him in the summer, I won't lose any sleep - unlike last night and probably all this week until Sunday.

From My Seat: Crystal Palace (H)
By Ken Buckley 17/04/2014 Comments (18) jump
More recent articles

It's the Hope that Kills You
From My Seat: Crystal Palace (H)
We Are Everton. We Lose Big Games. That's What We Do.
Punchy Palace stun over-confident Blues
Memory Lane – Match 34
Fortune Favours the Persistent
From my seat: Sunderland (A)
Deulofeu magic brings seventh win
We assembled as soon as possible for a 7.45 kick off and the room of nonsense was abuzz with plans for Champions League adventures as we saluted Martinez for having the Midas touch which should ensure another home win. However, as the team was relayed to those without a phone doubts arose.

A team containing three wingers and no McCarthy to complete the defensive shield and provide the solidarity that allows rotation further forward to continue our quest for a CL place in doing what we do best was at best a brave attacking move or a miscalculation when playing a team that had four wins on the bounce, one of which was the scalp of Chelsea.

By the final whistle I think most would agree it was the latter. This notion was reinforced by the fact that on that final whistle there was no booing or dissatisfaction, just fans leaving with little or nothing to say other than private conversations with mates which when put together sort of said manager and players got it wrong and a half-decent Palace side were underestimated, that this game would be put to bed and the bigger threat of Man U on Sunday would be the one to have a full team of tried and tested players in the formation that had got us to this point to battle a big one. If my thoughts are anywhere near right then the players and staff should be ashamed. Get your best team possible out for the game in hand and worry about the next one as it arises.

The walk up was of conversations relating to team selection with most snatches of conversation I heard were of a sceptical nature. But the match-going Blues were out in force and the queue at the Blue Dragon take away was as long as I have seen and the fat van wasn’t doing too badly either.

The players entered the arena and after the mandatory ‘Fair play’ hand-shake both teams lined up in front of the directors box and behind them were a line of 96 Blue and Red scarves in tribute to ‘Those that went the match’ and never came home 25 years ago and are still waiting for justice to be done and seen to be done.

We started well enough and Barkley beat a couple of players in a run into the box but when tackled his fall to the floor did not impress the ref. McGeady twisted and turned then hit one from range that sailed over and wide. We continued in this vein but without looking really dangerous where it mattered. However we did seem on top but when Palace did break they did look sharp and dangerous especially as we seemed not to bother with their attacks and just concentrate on ours.

Maybe we were thinking it would be just a matter of time until we scored but we got a rude awakening when Bolasie who was giving Coleman a real hard time and would do throughout hit a cross shot that Howard could only parry back out and an ex Arsenal player Chamakh laid the ball invitingly to Puncheon who dispatched with consummate ease. One nil down and a brief roar from the faithful as we restarted. The Palace faithful in a good turnout taunted us with that refrain from the past ‘Champions league – your avin a laff’

Again we set off dominating but at the expense of proper defending and joined up thinking and were almost undone again by that man Bolasie controlled a goal kick with aplomb and doing Coleman again and hitting the post with Howard nowhere but we were able to react and clear. The half wore on and we did have some nice approach work but that final third was Palace territory and we lacked the guile to unlock their resolve. Before the whistle McGeady had another effort clear the bar and the Palace keeper made a great save to thwart the out of sorts Lukaku at the near post.

H/T came and buzz wise on the landings and bars and bogs it was all a bit of a damp squid with the one common thought that changes were required. The manager agreed and replaced Deulofeu with Naismith. Deulofeu had not had the best of halves yet he could have assisted in at least two goals. You see 36,000 Blues know exactly what he is going to do when he has the ball near the by-line he twist and turns, gets to the by-line and hits the ball hard and low across goal. Never anyone to apply a finish in sight—Why? They train together, play together and he always does the same manoeuvre. If we all can see it why not the players?

The half started and within 5mins it got worse when from a dead ball cross the Palace centre-back Dann was given the freedom to head home. What a downer. We continued but in the same vein an Palace were content to mop up our attacks and waste time at any given opportunity, although the crowd howled at the time wasting they were good at it and were happy to frustrate us further.

The hour mark and the manager made a double substitution. McGeady off McCarthy on but the Barry off and Osman on which to this fan did nothing to restore some balance to our team. Barkley may be destined for big things but I don’t see them being from a deep lying centre mid role. He ran and tried hard but throughout got nowhere that looked like leading to the undoing of a resolute defence.

However just after the subs were made we scored when a Mirallas deep cross to the back post was headed back across goal by the excellent Baines and Naismith trundled the ball home. Not great celebrations but the volume did go up as we roared them on for another. We huffed and puffed but we just did not look like a side fighting for a finish that would propel many into Goodison folklore. Osman and the excellent Baines were looking the likeliest to claw something back by way off ingenuity and resolve. Osman almost did it with a clever flick that the keeper sort of kicked away.

The crowd were now quite vocal as they tried to lift the team and we did attack but again with little goalmouth threat. On the seventy minute mark our fate was sealed as Puncheon burst with pace and power and teed up Jerome who had got free of his marker and lashed home into the bottom corner. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was murder just sitting and watching our efforts and thinking on how Palace had been quick and clinical where we had been ponderous and wasteful but with 4mins of normal time left Mirallas was put in and expertly lifted the ball over the keeper to register and keep us and Palace on our toes until the normal time and six minutes of added were played out.

Final whistle and no ‘Grand old team’ played over the speakers today as fans filed out into the night contemplating on what might have been and praying for one of those unexpected quirks of footy to put us back into contention for that CL spot. Mind you more of today’s displays and Europe may be out in any form.

M.o.tM: Stones/ Baines – Stones for sheer class. Baines for showing that desire and will to win that eluded many another player.

Hopefully that’s not season end and the manager can rouse the players to give us a record points total and see where that leaves us table wise. To fold now would be a disaster after such displays to this point. My message to Roberto if I ever had a chance would be with just 5 games to go ‘Play your best team’

Still you just never know in this great imprecise sport how things will pan out so see you Sunday and hope to do the double over Man U.

UP THE BLUES

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Steve O'Malley
827 Posted 17/04/2014 at 05:52:48 You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to work out why we lost tonight.
I'm Roberto's biggest fan but even the best make mistakes and he made one corker tonight. With only 5 games left in the season and you are in a dogfight for a Champions League spot, quite why you wouldn't put your strongest team out is a complete mystery to me and I dare say thousands of others.

I'm not a fan of the Barcelona wonder kid and I think he was very average against Southampton. I was very surprised at him starting. Even more surprised when Naismith who has been in the best form of his time at the club and scoring goals, was left on the bench.

Barkley as a deep lying midfielder in lieu of one of our seasons best performers, McCarthy??? For me the problem wasn't that the team froze on the night it was more about the wrong 11 starting the game.

A magnificent opportunity to put the pressure back on Arsenal and Roberto wasted it.

Rob Young
831 Posted 17/04/2014 at 06:50:22 How poor was Lukaku?
And not for the first time either! He was some player when he just joined us but since his barren run it becomes clear he doesn't offer enough besides his goals.
He just doesn't look like the striker we need. For a big guy you rareley see him go to war, do you?
His touch is generally not the best - which wasn't so much the case early on in his Everton days, was it?
Naismith in his current form offers a lot more. Not the best touch either, but willing to run into space and he can finish. Proper striker goals as well. At least he seems to be giving all he's got every time.

Deulofeu? Same as all season, no end product. Though someone (Lukaku! FFS!) should be getting in position to walk in his crosses accros goals.

This is not a knee jerk reaction. I felt like this about both of them for a while now. Should we try to buy Lukaku? Yes, for 20m max. He does score goals, and you buy potential. He's still a very young lad after all.
But, I believe had Naismith played the same amount of games as Romelu in the striker position he would have matched the big guy's number of goals.

I believe for next season we will have Traore on another season loan. Would make no sense otherwise to have kept him while injured, knowing he would only be available for a couple of games (if, at all) while the other players would be fit again for the run in.

Kone, Traore and Naismith for that position next season. Plus another we might bring in for less money than Lukaku, maybe. No worries if we can't sign the big Belgian.

Anything can happen, look at both results last night. Arsenal can still drop points. It's not over, let's get as many points as possible and see where we'll end up. 70 points + will still be a great achievement and Europa League at least will mean a very satisfying first year under Martinez.

McGeady looked good last night. Osman showed Barkley what is needed by actually wanting the ball in the second half. Stones is some prospect.

Mind you, we should try to sign Yannick Bolasie. He was terrific!

Craig Fletcher
848 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:07:11 I know I'm in the minority here; but when I saw the team news come through before the game, I actually thought that Roberto had it bang on.
The assumption by many was that Palace would sit back; and take the opportunity to counter-attack - which, in the end, is what they did.
However by sitting back and allowing us the possession, we needed a bit more creative flair to try and unlock them - hence why the decision to start with Miralles, Deulofeu, McGeady and Barkley actually made sense. How many of us have wondered why we play two defensive-minded midfielders at home to lower-league opposition?
The benefit of hindsight shows that it didn't work out for us, and I do think we under-estimated just how good Palace could be on the break. If it was Pulis' half-beast half-man squad at Stoke, I do think the result could have been different. This ain't the Mutants, however, and Palace showed they have a lot more skill and flair.
I agree with you Ken with regards to Deulofeu - why no player in blue has latched on that he will always put through the hard low crosses from the byline is beyond me, when we can all see it happening from the stands or the comfort of our living rooms.
Looks like it's all on for this Sunday. Hopefully the lads get this result out of their system. Just remember fellow blues; if our team is something; it's unpredictable - so if the pattern continues; we'll snot "the Chosen One" and his ex-league winners by 3-0.
Phil Walling
852 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:21:16 Like it or not, our season now depends on getting three points on Sunday.
I think Roberto is vain and has been led to believe he has a magic touch. He hasn't, and these daft team selections - like in the FA Cup - expose his weakness. He must realise he just hasn't got the players to play Tinkerman.

But he'll learn - and meanwhile WE'll suffer.

Rob Young
855 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:36:23 Craig, I agree with you.
I thought it made sense to add some extra creativity.
Both McGeady and Deulofeu did get their crosses in.
We just seemed to play without a striker.
Craig Fletcher
856 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:35:33 Phil, accusing Roberto of vanity is utterly ridiculous. Naivety, perhaps, but he is a young manager and he will learn.
"led to believe he has a magic touch"? If that was the case Phil, he must be wondering why his magic deserted him long enough to see his team get relegated last year.
Ray Roche
857 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:27:18 Ken, I'm afraid I can't agree with your MOTM being Baines, I thought he had a stinker. At fault for the first goal and he wasted more passes than I've seen him do all season. And if you look back at the third goal, Distin pissing about with the ball and giving away a throw in which started the passage of play which resulted in the goal. If you can't do anything else, just hoof it down field.
My other major moan is this. Why do referees constantly fall for the play acting and gamesmanship which allows teams to slow down a game. Feigning injury and time wasting. I pay good money to see football, not some prick of a goalkeeper dicking about with the ball, meandering from one side of the goal to the other at glacier like speed before he stands waving his fuckin' arms about like a 1955 traffic policeman before wellying the ball downfield. Or lying prostrate like he's been shot by Lee Harvey Oswald's brother in the Main Stand. He was obviously unhurt yet Marriner allows the plank three minutes rest......
Ray Roche
858 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:41:50 I didn't think it would be long before PW slithers out from under his stone to give Martinez some stick. All excited about seeing your lover boy Moyes on Sunday, Phil ? ;-)
Brent Stephens
859 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:41:52 Almost as if Palace new our starting line-up and planned for that - just as Pulis is being accused of by Cardiff in their recent game. EPL now investigating. Apparently somebody at palace mistakenly sent a text about it to the Bolton manager, who alerted Cardiff ! Interesting one to watch in terms of outcome.
Patrick Murphy
861 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:34:13 One of the problems with managing Everton is us the fans - we focus on the wrong things. All the talk for much of the season has been on United and the return of the former boss and if that isn't on the agenda it's the derby games. We as a fan-base should focus on the game at hand. We have this tendency to look at what is coming up rather than on the likes of Palace or the lesser teams. To say I'm upset with both the result and the performance is an understatement; We have once again dropped too many points against the lesser lights of the division and we'll once again pay the price for it.
If McCarthy had a strain then it explains his absence from the starting line-up but surely that is when you put Osman in his place not have three wingers on from the start. Too many of the first-team squad are playing for themselves and that includes Barks who had a shocker albeit in an unfamiliar role in the team. Lukaku blows hot and cold and I still think that Del Boy is vastly over-rated. McGeady has ability but he too lost the ball far too often. Palace looked like the team on the verge of CL and Everton looked like an out of sorts mid-table team. Consistency is the key and until we see this Everton side treat the likes of Palace in the same way as they treat the big boys - we will continue to fall short - which is a real shame because the ability is already there just the mind-set is all wrong at times.
John Ford
864 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:36:58 I get the McCarthy thing but I also get Martinez thinking. We've been held up by supposed lesser opposition before playing the two in front of the defence, so I can see why he went for the change. Unfortunately it disrupted us.
CP were able to exploit the obvious gaps when they broke as we had so many players committed. Credit to them also for the defensive organisation and their fans deserve respect too.

We battered them second half, Lukaku was man marked and you could see every blue shirt straining to find space accross their back line. It was admirable the way we tried to keep playing football as the pressure built. Ossie and Nais made a difference. W kept moving the ball trying to pull their players out of position, trying to create gaps. Ultimately the frustration was painful

Phil W Its nonsense to suggest Martinez cant or shouldlt change his format. Hes been using McGeady/Miralles/Barklay/Deulofeu/Naismith in pretty much rotation over the last couple of months and it has obviously worked. He also uses substitutes effectively.


Mark Palmer
866 Posted 17/04/2014 at 08:37:39 I knew it, I knew it, I knew it and nobody would listen. Playing with gay abandon is easy when expectations are limited. Now a wee bit of pressure is added, we've balls it up. I'm always pessimistic anyway but just as I posted the other day, my worry is our season imploding and Man U and Spurs catching us. Now we HAVE to beat both Manc teams. And yes, Lukaku has been exceedingly average recently and if we can't buy him in the summer, I won't lose any sleep - unlike last night and probably all this week until Sunday.

Heard it all now , Cardiff trying to get the Palace game made null and void.

Just when you thought our season couldn't become anymore of a joke !

Everton v Manchester United: David Moyes should prepare for a raw reception at Goodison Park

The hostility David Moyes will receive on Sunday dates back to the day he announced he was leaving Everton for Manchester United





Manchester United plan sweeping summer overhaul of squad as Moyes re-asserts his authority in face of plane protest

David Moyes will be returning to Goodison Park with Manchester United for the first time since leaving Everton Photo: PA








By Chris Bascombe

10:28AM BST 18 Apr 2014

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The only guarantee David Moyes can be sure of when he makes his return to Goodison Park on Sunday is, unlike last time, there will be no guard of honour.


Being Everton’s manager must seem a lifetime ago for Manchester United’s boss. The standing ovation greeting his farewell performance, universal approval for ten years of sterling service and a lap of the pitch as the Evertonians said thank you and good luck.


A year on from announcing he was replacing Sir Alex Ferguson, Moyes will feel trepidation where once there was only appreciation. At best his reception will be mixed when he leads United to his former home, and at worst there will be a repeat of the hostility he experienced when Everton won at Old Trafford last December.


“You’re getting sacked in the morning,” the visiting fans sang.


Moyes was genuinely hurt and bewildered by the venom, many attributing this to the fickleness of the fans’ enthusiasm to burn today what they loved yesterday.


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Whether such acrimony is judged unfair, it is slightly more nuanced than this. Although temporarily delayed when Moyes announced his departure, it was inevitable there would be a reaction eventually due to the unconventional manner of his exit.

To trace the origins of rancour from a section of Evertonians you need only recall the day Moyes confirmed he was heading to Old Trafford.

On the surface it seemed a classy and dignified way to leave a club, but others felt it was a damaging representation not of how admirably Moyes had performed at Goodison Park but how their club tolerated subservience to his long-term, personal ambition for too long.

Some felt Everton had been played, Moyes’s expired contract – meaning there would be no compensation package from ‘the world’s biggest club’ – just happened to coincide with Ferguson’s departure. That was either extremely fortunate or strategic timing depending on how conspiratorial your outlook. Either way, Everton seemed to be under obligation to be docile in the face of United’s succession plans.

It was unnerving even for those Evertonians with short memories, as if they had done their bit to prepare the apprentice for the big league, help pack his bags and then wave him down the road with a triumphant send-off and proud smile. Evertonians are entitled to think their club bigger than that.

When Ferguson moved to Manchester United in 1986, Everton were on the verge of securing their second league title in two years. The idea of one day meekly stepping aside when United pursued their players or manager was anathema.

Some wondered if Moyes should have been allowed to stay in charge for Everton’s remaining fixtures, chairman Bill Kenwright determining it was the tasteful, more sophisticated thing to do. Moyes was allowed to run down his contract, officially ending his duties on July 1. Bizarrely, he was able to ready his desk at United’s training ground, pictured at Carrington and holding meetings with his new club’s senior players while on the Everton payroll.

His backroom staff joined him following discussions about whether it would actually cost Everton money to end their contracts so they could join United.

No sooner was Moyes in place he was making it clear he’d like to sign two of his former club’s most prized assets, last summer's chase for Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini eventually taking the Belgian to Old Trafford. Regardless of how poor he has been, he was a different beast in Everton blue.

Then followed an incendiary statement.

“I know if I was the Everton manager and Sir Alex had come asking for Baines and Fellaini, I would have found it very difficult to keep them,” said Moyes.

“I always felt the right thing to do was what was right for the players.”

Moyes might have left two months earlier, but this patronising remark was the real moment of separation.

The comment brought into clearer focus divisions within Everton’s fanbase when he was manager.

On the whole it is felt Moyes achieved all that was possible given his resources, perennially stuck on the fringe of the top four because of lack of investment. Plenty of others felt this too simplistic. They said Moyes took Everton where their wage bill said they should be and tripped at key moments – primarily against the top four clubs – because he lacked the invention to go beyond grinding out results. There was sadness when Moyes left, but no dejection, many within the club invigorated by the fresh air.

Roberto Martinez’s more upbeat demeanour has transformed the mood. He might finish in a similar position to Moyes’ Everton teams, but he will have won more Premier League points in his first season than his predecessor ever managed, doing so with a more attractive brand of football.

“The school of science is back,” says the banner on the Gwladys St.


Moyes 2012-13





Martinez 2013-14


1.45
Goals per game
1.62

45.0
Shots on target %
48.4

416.2
Average passes per game
476.3

79.4
Pass completion %
83.4

12.9
Long pass %
12.2

26.0
Average crosses per game
23.1

1.05
Average goals conceded per game
1.0

446
Fouls
334



Moyes’s more rigid style was endured out of perceived necessity, the idea being you need cash to be creative, but now the question is asked if it really had to be so circumspect for so long?

Martinez has made people consider if rather than overachieve with limited funds in ten years at Goodison Park, the latter period of Moyes’s reign was preventing the club from evolving to the next level.

The truth, as ever, lies somewhere in between.

To describe Moyes’ Everton teams as merely ‘functional’ is a misrepresentation. He took over in vastly different circumstances to Martinez and it can not be ignored the current top four challenge is built on foundations the Scot left behind.

Tim Howard, Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman and Kevin Mirallas were Moyes purchases.

John Stones, the elegant teenage centre-back who will be an England international sooner rather than later, was Moyes’ last signing, the £3 million he paid Barnsley the finest of leaving gifts. What Everton lost in compensation to United, they regain with the value of the assets he left behind.

Moyes earns his place in Everton history as the bridge between an era when the Merseysiders’ were fighting for Premier League survival to being firmly re-established in the top six with the potential to go higher.

As a Manchester United manager seeking the victory to deny Everton a Champions League place, he can and should expect a certain amount of resentment in the away dug-out.

When the game ends, he will deserve the same level of appreciation of 12 months ago as the coach who dedicated every working hour to driving Everton forward. It just might take a little longer, a bit more water passing under that bridge, before anyone is comfortable standing in line to demonstrate such gratitude again.

Happy Easter all !....anyway : cannot believe Chelsea being beaten at home...terrible... (I thought she was pregnant).....I never get it right now ....

You can't believe it - try supporting them !!!

12 games we've played before CL ties - and we've lost 6 of them, drawn 3 - terrible

and most peoples theory is that its the game after that you suffer

From My Seat: Man Utd (H)
By Ken Buckley 20/04/2014 Comments (2) jump
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From My Seat: Man Utd (H)
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Revenge is So, So Sweet!
It's the Hope that Kills You
From My Seat: Crystal Palace (H)
We Are Everton. We Lose Big Games. That's What We Do.
Memory Lane – Match 35
Punchy Palace stun over-confident Blues
Sunday soon came around after Wednesday and playing Man U at home certainly concentrated minds. The result v Palace was put down to manager error and the team as relayed by social media seemed to suggest lessons had been learned. All around L4, Blue was the colour and Moyes chants were the sound.

Our room of nonsense soon filled to overflowing as the atmosphere reflected the atmosphere every time we entertain the Mancs but this time with the added edge of our falling out with one David Moyes and that edge was cutting to say the least. Even before entering the ground I heard a new one to me. It went along the lines of ‘Stuck with Moyes Man Utd, Stuck with Moyes playing football in a negative way’

Every now and then we pick up little gems in our very own theatre of dreams and the fella who is mates with one of our mainphysio’s said all the lads were fit and raring to go and very upbeat. Scepticism is also our middle name after years of tips and tall tales but today the display certainly backed his statement up. It was bedlam as fans left for the ground and the walk up was a treat for those of a musical disposition. Goodison Road was chocca and you could not tell who was queuing at outlets and who was making their way to turnstiles. Groups of fans marched singing anti-Moyes songs whilst heading for the street end. It reminded me of how this club really need some success so that again we can see these scenes as common place as we did in those glorious sixties and eighties.

Into the ground and from the first bar of Z-Cars the ‘Goodison Roar’ was heard and set the scene for the rest of the afternoon. Don’t know who won the toss but we were attacking the Park End. The way Man U started belied the fact that by the end the Blues would have a relatively easy win to celebrate and Moyes’s rough ride from the off would get no better as soon it became clear Martinez had a game plan that could have been garnered from some of our defeats rather than successes as we were happy to allow Utd the ball but only up to a point and then we funnelled, pounced and broke up their play and countered quickly.

From the antics of Moyes and Neville from time to time racing out to bawl instructions from the technical area they too had noticed. Martinez meanwhile ignored such antics and stood imperious resplendent in brown shoes as overseer in chief as his charges, although behind on possession, were by far the more dangerous side and this was demonstrated when a Lukaku knockdown found the ever willing Naismith with the whole goal to shoot at but he rather hurried the shot and the ball found row N in the Park End.

It was a great atmosphere but only to a point as the fans although boisterous and loud seemed to be waiting for us to get our noses in front before really letting rip. We came close when a Naismith shot hit a Utd defender in the box and an appeal from our players and an almighty ‘Hand Ball’ cry from the terraces left our Ref Clattenberg to wave such appeals away.

As the half hour mark approached the possession and pretty play from Utd was easy on the eye until 20yds from goal then our Rottweiler middle line and defenders rendered them impotent. Then on the half hour another good joined up break got Lukaku in and his goal-bound shot was clearly handled and even as reluctant as all refs are in giving pens Clattenberg really had no choice. Up stepped Baines and all the delaying tactics were redundant as our ace penalty taker strode forth waited for the keeper to guess and go and hit it down the middle. 1-0 thank you very much and the Blue army celebrated in some style all around the ground.

Fifteen minutes to the break and the last thing we wanted was to leak one and bring them back into the game. It could be argued that Utd went for us and players had to be vigilant and fans patient as we mopped up their efforts and continued to break at pace and unsettle their rearguard. Although they attacked I always felt we were in control of that and indeed welcomed them coming forward so that we could hit hard and fast the other way.

From such a scenario just two minutes shy of the break the ever dangerous Coleman was involved as he sped past defenders, found Mirallas who was also having a good game and he cut in from the right and hit one just inside the far post leaving De Gea beaten. The joy was unbridled and Moyes was not seen until the half time whistle went.

H/T and everyone upbeat yet in many a conversation the match v Palace was brought up in a sort of ‘What If’ way

The players appeared for second half along with the fourth official with his electronic board to announce that Distin had been replaced by Alcaraz. Many a ‘Phew’ was heard as Distin had played well and his pace was always welcome as well as Utd still had the speedy Welbeck to enter the fray if they so wished. We need not have worried as we seemed to sense we had the measure of the team of ‘The chosen one’ as long as we stayed focused. To this end many a player shone and none more than McCarthy with his non- stop running and aggressive fights for the ball one of which saw the ‘Croxteth kid’ give him a kick that needed lengthy attention, no free kick though, so on we went with Coleman scaring the hell out of them with his pacey bursts and link ups with Mirallas who was definitely having one of his very good games.

Such was the occasion the time was racing by and all looking good for the Blues with Howard rarely troubled if at all and the swift breaks looking goal-worthy with every sortie forward. Naismith almost made it a perfect 4-0 when first from a great run from Coleman and an intelligent cross from Mirallas saw him fire over as he raced in. Then not long after he made room for himself and from the edge of the box curled one to the far post with pace that De Gea did well to push for a corner from a fine diving save.

On 70 minutes Barkley, who had got through a tremendous amount of work without being eye-catching but invaluable to the team, was replaced by Osman. He gave us an injection of craft and guile and experience yet it was he who gave the underworked Howard a job to do late on when his pass back to Baines was woefully short, a bit like that cock up with Howard that saw Sunderland beat us on Boxing day. Him conceding possession saw Rooney played in and Howard did well to react with speed and block at Rooney’s feet and away for a corner which was wasted.

We cheered that. In fact we would cheer anything at that moment. That was the end of their pathetic efforts for today and the clock ticked down and on the 90. 4 more were added. More of the same and we ended the match in cruise control. It may well be recorded that Utd had the lion’s share of possession but it was Everton who had the tactics and the will to see them through that led to a pretty straight-forward victory that in some ways reminded me of the Ali rope-a-dope fights. We sucked them in, saw them off and hit them hard.

Beating Utd has happened before and with some back to the walls and a little luck descriptions but this season beating them home and away and to nil (Agg. Score 3-0) should fend off any hard luck stories from even the most biased of onlookers.

For those interested in such things many an anthem was sung out including ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ and all with venomous conviction. There was no need to sing ‘You’re not singing any more’ to the Mancs as they had already left or were sulking.

M.O.tM. – So many to choose but for me it was McCarthy, only just, but I will stick with it.

The walk back for the inquest was all light-hearted and jolly yet a definite undercurrent of ‘That bloody Palace result’ but hey we are still one point behind the Gunners and this is football which is almost unpredictable so you just never know and doesn’t that result today almost seal our passage to one Euro competition. Let’s just get as many points as we can and the league table will tell us how well we have done over 38 games.

This will be as good a season we have had for many a year and should be celebrated as such. Yet, it could turn out to be a most disappointing one after threatening so much so let’s hope for three more wins and then hope even harder—you never know.

Southampton next and with all personnel fit let’s hope our manager is as cute as he was today with the tactics.

UP THE BLUES

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Mike Gaynes
824 Posted 20/04/2014 at 23:07:25 No game is complete without Ken's literary account. The perfect end to a victorious day.
Patrick Murphy
832 Posted 20/04/2014 at 23:45:20 Nice report once again Ken and I believe with the proper investment in the Summer we could do as well again next season. But no reflection on your report by the way I am getting mightily sick of the BBC et al pointing out how all our better players are players that David Moyes bought to the club, wasn't that what we paid the guy so much money to do? Or was the dour one doing us a favour by being here for so long?
I also read a report or blog in one of the newspapers where Ian Ross was supposed to have slagged OFM by stating that he rejected a list of players who according to Ross would have made quite a team.

Bill Kenwright this is your last chance mate - give Roberto the necessary funding so that he can add to the squad, if you can't then get out of the way as we now have a team and a manager who understand what the fans want and we want more of the same next season.