Interesting Start to the Premier League

After three weeks, who would have though that Tottenham Hotspur would be sitting on top of the English Premier League ladder? They have won a perfect three from three and this is their best start to a season since the Double winning side of 1960/61.

Chelsea has also been playing some great soccer and won its opening three games. Manchester City has justified its big spending with a perfect two from two and Arsenal has also managed this.

Manchester City hasn’t put a halt to opening up the purse strings and this week finally signed Everton’s Joleon Lescott. Following the decision of John Terry to stay at Chelsea, Mark Hughes has been after Lescott. Despite the constant rebuffs of David Moyes, City upped their offer and finally Everton agreed.

It has been a horror start for Everton who have lost their opening two matches. Arsenal hammered them 6-1 in the opening game and then Burnley defeated them 1-0. It has two wins as does Sunderland.

The season has also been notable due to the stuttering start of Liverpool. Losses to Tottenham and Aston Villa see them with three points from three games. They are in 10^th spot and already spotting a six point deficit to those on top of the soccer league. Its next game is away to Bolton and it won’t care how ugly it is – it will just want to come away from there with three points.

Manchester United have rebounded from their sluggish start and face Arsenal is an absolutely massive clash. This is easily the match of the weekend and will be huge for both sets of supporters. Arsenal has been sliding under the radar and a win at Old Trafford will change all that. It has been playing some great soccer and it will be looking for some form of revenge after United knocked them out of last year’s Champions League. Arsenal have a midweek Champions League clash against Celtic but should be able to take it easy after a 2-0 win in Scotland in the first leg.

Everton’s match against Wigan will be critical for the Toffees and David Moyes will be looking for them to kickstart their season. They are traditionally slow starters and a win here will ease some of the tension. A loss will exacerbate it many times over.

David Wiseman writes for us. When not doing that he is looking forwards to the Caulfield Cup.

The FA Cup Final: A Three Way Divide

An ideal Wembley, but surely it should be filled with real fans?

The joy of seeing Everton reach the FA Cup Final for the first time in fourteen years still hasn’t worn off, but even in the face of such a great achievement, I still have to marvel at the incredible stupidity of the English FA. Seeing the ticket allocations for the Final on the 30th of May was a sobering moment, as even though I almost certainly can’t attend, marooned in New Zealand as I am, I feel it is only just that the hardcore season ticket holders of both clubs should have the privilege of watching their teams play at Wembley in the final of the world’s most prestigious domestic competition.

However, because the FA have allocated each team just 25,000 tickets each for the Final in May, that is not going to happen. Despite Wembley having a capacity of about 90,000, the FA has decided that only just over half of the supporters in the stadium should have any emotional involvement with the teams on the pitch. The others will be made up of representatives from ‘regional associations’ and basically, old pals of the bigwigs.

I appreciate that this has always happened, and you may allege that I’m only bothered now because Everton are in the final, but that is not the case. It is simply a coincidence that the year I start this blog Everton reach the final and thus I am exposed directly to the FA’s lunacy first time around. The fact is though, most proper football fans will surely agree that the majority of spectators at such a prestigious event should be fans of Everton and Chelsea.

Because, let’s face it, it’s not as if these teams would struggle to fill a stadium even as big as Wembley is. Everton have for years, even while fighting relegation, consistently attracted around 25,000 season ticket holders to Goodison Park, while Chelsea as one of the glamour clubs of the glitzy Premier League must have plenty more than that figure (I don’t have any information on exact numbers – if you do, let me know!).

Everton consistently fill Goodison Park during the regular season, and have for some time been in the throes of a convoluted stumble towards a new, larger stadium. Indeed, in the semi-final last weekend, Everton’s fans easily out sung Manchester United’s (not hard) and left a massive impression on all the watching spectators; it was arguably the loudest crowd the new Wembley has witnessed and that was during a rather turgid semi-final.

Chelsea, as I mentioned, have plenty of support too, and though some may argue that with their huge wealth and glamour many of their hardcore fans may have been priced out of a season ticket at the Bridge and been replaced by more corporate fair-weathers (and they have a point), there is little doubt that Chelsea could find 45,000 fans to fill half of Wembley and I’m sure they’d create a great atmosphere with the vociferous Evertonians.

Instead though, English football’s showpiece Cup Final, that will be screened all around the world to millions and millions of people (hell, it’s even on free TV in New Zealand!) will be attended by a bunch of day-trippers, football fans yes, but football fans who aren’t emotionally invested in the specific match on show. And for me, that is simply not the way the FA Cup Final should be.

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I do respect the job that these people do. I acknowledge that the people who will benefit from the 40,000 tickets that aren’t going to the fans of Everton and Chelsea do do good work in regional football in the UK. They are the people that run the game at grass-roots level, that work tirelessly to organise the lower, less glamorous, echelons of English football. They do deserve a reward, and some perks to their job, as we all do if we work hard and do our job well, but I think that such a generous allocation of FA Cup Final tickets is actually demeaning to the competition as a whole.

A few times over the past couple of years there has been debate about teams demeaning the competition, when Manchester United declined to enter in favour of the Club World Cup, and numerous times when some of the nation’s bigger clubs have fielded weakened teams in the competition. I sympathised with these complaints, and agree that the FA Cup is a big competition, it’s prestigious, and should be taken seriously.

However, when people are criticising teams for not taking it seriously because they do not allow their star players to attend and play in the matches. But then, how seriously are we to take the competition when it is deemed simply a day-trip for the FA’s workforce, a day out for their employees, an end of season work party? Surely a serious competition allows all of it’s teams’ serious fans to attend the matches and support their team, especially when it comes to the final?

In all, I have to say I feel quite disheartened by the FA’s continued insistence on treating this event as a ‘national get-together’ for it’s old pals. The teams involved work really hard to get to the final for a chance of some silverware, and the fans of those teams too will often have completed rigorous tours of the country following their team through the previous rounds to reach this final hurdle. Why should they therefore be defied one last big day out, the biggest day out of all, simply because the FA wants to reward its fellows for their service.

As I said, I cannot seriously hope to attend the Final, unless of course I manage to win the Lottery before the final and can thus afford flights to England and a ticket (which could perhaps be more expensive than the flight, given their rarity). But for my fellow Evertonians and their Chelsea counterparts, I feel severely let-down by the FA’s ticket allocations. Not only does it deprive some of Everton and Chelsea’s fans of one of the biggest events of the season, it also undermines the prestige of the tournament as a whole.

The last time Everton were at Wembley for the FA Cup Final I was five years old but already a season ticket holder alongside my father, brother, uncle and cousin. However, when it came down to it, we could only get two tickets for the Final and so my Uncle and Cousin went to the game and saw us win the beloved old trophy while I had to watch the greatest footballing event in my life so far on TV.

I don’t know if it was the same back then as it is today but I think it was. I think that I missed out on seeing Everton win the Cup at Wembley because of the FA’s idiotic allocation policy. I also think that my idealistic vision of an FA Cup Final is of a rocking Wembley stadium half in blue and half in red (though this year maybe all blue!) with 90,000 passionate fans singing their hearts out for their team. Unfortunately, the day when that ideal becomes a reality is, like so many ideals in today’s world, seemingly a thing of the distant future.

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Once a Blue, always a Red?

Rooney: 100% committed to England... but United?

Fans of Manchester United may be delighted to have read an article on the Sky Sports website today which saw the attacker declare his intention to remain a Red Devil for the remainder of his career. An endearing sentiment I’m sure it was intended to be, but given the player in question, it may be worth considering the true ramifications of the statement before any United fans get carried away with requiting Rooney’s apparently eternal love.

The article I mentioned features a direct quote from the England striker where he claims, “I don’t want to leave . . . I’ll be here for a long time.” Admirable sentiments indeed from one so young, especially in a day and age where the loyalty of footballers is really being called into question, with most happier to follow the money rather than devote themselves to the cause of a club that they love.

"Always", Wayne?

Unfortunately for United fans and Mr. Rooney, he has a history with this sort of statement, and so his word does not mean very much. Indeed, the last time he made such a claim he did so in far more emphatic fashion, having just rifled home a goal for Everton’s youth team he lifted his shirt to reveal the slogan “Once a blue, always a blue”, in a protest at the way in which Francis “Mr. Big Time” Jeffers had just swaggered out of the club.

Unfortunately, a few years later, there was Wayne “I’m an Evertonian” Rooney holding his boyhood club to ransom and walking out on us to join one of our major north-west rivals. Seems then, that when Wayne Rooney decides to declare his intention to remain with one club forever, we would be wise to take as little notice as possible.

What strikes me as odd though, is Rooney’s decision to make such a claim again. He will never live down his earlier proclamation of loyalty, as it is that as much as anything that left such a sour taste in Evertonian mouths when he walked away from Goodison Park. Surely even Rooney, not famed for his intelligence, is not fool enough to repeat the trick.

However, reading into the timing of the statement a little more, one has to wonder whether it is not in actual fact an attempt to bring the United fans back on side. After all, United are not having the best of times in the Premier League at the moment with a commanding lead having been all but tossed casually away thanks to some rather pedestrian performances, not least from Rooney himself.

That Rooney has then gone on to perform so superbly for England in the two international matches against Slovakia and Ukraine may just have got United fans wondering. Why was Rooney so fired up and so motivated to perform so excellently for England when the only passion he showed for United against Fulham was directed at the referee and then, at the unfortunate corner flag?

No, I think Rooney knew what he was doing with this statement. Knowing that his performances for England were so much more convincing than for United and using the fact that he is the national sides’ talisman again to his advantage, he has professed his love for United so that their fans will go all wobbly at the knees at the thought of having such a wonderful player at their disposal for many years to come, all the while forgetting his indifferent performances in red of late.

But contrary to Rooney’s actual statement, I’m wondering if his heart really is with United after all. There is no doubt that Rooney is a committed player, and has given some really great performances over the years, but these tend to come when he is determined to prove himself to his critics, not when United particulalrly need him to stand up and carry them a little.

This sort of passion, determination and desire is present in his performances for England though, where anyone watching knows that Rooney is busting a gut to help his country win. I can’t help but wonder why such a sight is so rarely seen when Rooney sports the Red Devils’ jersey, and thus must conclude that perhaps Rooney isn’t as committed to their cause as he would have them believe.

Once more, I am not saying Rooney does not play brilliantly and with passion for United. He does, but that is usually only when he has a personal reason to do so, like when he tries desperately to help his new club overcome his boyhood one. But in just the run of the mill Premier League matches when Rooney is not under any specific criticism, I can’t help but feel that he slips down a gear and somewhat cruises along.

No, if I were a United fan looking to take something from this statement from Mr. Rooney, it would not be solace in knowing that Rooney will be gracing the Old Trafford years to come. Instead I would be wondering just why the fiery forward shines so brightly for England but seems a little put out when it comes to playing for United, a club he professes to love.

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Seven Years in the Sun

David Moyes: A ray of sunshine for Evertonian's everywhere.

Time is a peculiar, fluid sort of thing. In saying that I refer to the habit it seems to have of making things seem both distant and recent, both fresh in your mind and yet a predicate to many, many experiences since. What I mean, via means of a more specific example, is that it seems both more and less than seven years since David Moyes took over as manager of Everton Football Club.

It seems only yesterday that I was sitting in my faithful seat at Goodison Park, shivering more with nerves than with the icy, sweeping wind that so frequently pervades the wonderful old stadium, watching as Everton played out a final day of the season battle with Coventry. We survived by the skin of our teeth, on goal difference, at Bolton’s expense.

Those years, the nervous, scrappy years, form the major part of my reminiscence of my time as an Evertonian. Only twenty years young, I wasn’t fortunate enough to witness our glory years in the eighties, and the high point for me, before Moyes, was our 1995 FA Cup final triumph under Joe Royle (best of luck back at Oldham by the way Joe).

And yet, although I remember those days as clearly as if we were still in the heart of a relegation battle, they also seem incredibly distant. Now the thought that Everton could be seriously threatened with relegation from the Premier League seems, wonderfully, a thing of the past. Even at the beginning of this season, when we stuttered into our campaign and languished near the foot of the table for some time, I wasn’t ever really worried. Because in Moyes we trust.

Seven years ago I was thirteen years old. I was living in England, and I’d only been to New Zealand on holiday. I was in Year 8 at school, happily belting a football round the playground. Now I’m twenty years old. In those seven years I have changed almost beyond recognition. I have moved from England to New Zealand, then back to England, then back to New Zealand.

In the past seven years I’ve lived in fourteen different houses/batches/flats/rooms. I’ve attended three different schools, taken two sets of important exams and then completed two years of study towards a university degree. Seven years ago, I had perfect eyesight, now I wear glasses or contact lenses. All of these changes, big or small, have happened to me while David Moyes has been manager of Everton.

And yet it still seems strange to me that Moyes has been at Everton for such a period of time. His reign in charge of the Toffees has been up and down, that’s for sure, though happily it’s been more up than down. Indeed, in comparison to the preceding years it has positive whirlwind of excitement and progress. They say time flies when you’re having fun, and in a way, that’s how it seems.

But similarly, it also seems like it has been a long slow slog. An uphill battle against countless obstacles, but slowly Moyes has dragged Everton steadily back toward the summit of English football – back where we belong. And this more than anything is a testament to the length of time Moyes has dedicated to our club, To the difference he has made to my life, and the lives of thousands of other Everton fans the world over.

From perennial strugglers, Moyes has steadily overseen our transformation. He started slowly, building from the back, quite literally, with his first purchase: Joseph Yobo. But you have to lay the foundations for success and he did that. Bringing in players who would work for him, players who would be the beginning of something. The likes of Phil Neville, established, experienced and reliable, and Tim Cahill, young, untested and hungry.

he took us to safety, then led us into the top six, before another season of struggle. But that was OK, we were realistic and didn’t expect too much. Plus, there was progress. Players like Rooney, Gravesen and Arteta were beginning to grace Goodison. These were players of a quality and flair that we hadn’t seen for some time. But they all had one thing in common. They were good, honest, hard working players. The mark of the manager. And what a manager.

“I am joining the people’s football club. The majority of people you meet on the street[s of Liverpool] are Everton fans.”

- David Moyes, 14.03.2002

Moyes eventually steadied the ship. He led us to the unprecedented territory of a top four Premier League finish. Unprecedented not just for us, but for any club outside the ‘big four’. Back before Moyes, it was the ‘big three’, because Chelsea weren’t so rich. And despite constant trials and setbacks, like the decision that denied us qualification to the Champions League group stages and the penalty shoot out loss to Fiorentina in the last sixteen of the UEFA Cup, Moyes has continued to lead our club forwards.

Over the last seven years, my life has changed considerably, as I’ve detailed. But one of the biggest, most significant changes in that period has been the blooming of Everton Football Club. This sport, and this team in particular is a massive part of my life, and it gives me enormous pleasure to witness us consistently push for European places. For me to admire and enjoy the style of football that we play. For Everton to be a club known throughout Europe again.

The title of this article is ‘Seven Years in the Sun’. I’ve lived in New Zealand, a land traditionally held in regard for it’s sunny climate for only 3 and a half years in total. But since David Moyes took over as manager of Everton, the sun has been shining on our club, and on the club’s supporters. Yes, we’ve had some patches of cloud and the odd bit of rain, but for the most part, David Moyes has brightened up our lives.

So let this article shine as a mark of respect to David Moyes. A mark of thanks to one of the brightest managerial talents in the game. May it spur him on to keep going, to keep building with out club. There are always those naysayers who will turn against him when the going gets tough, but Moyes knows he has the love and support of Everton’s true fans. We are honoured to have him, and we look forward to another seven years in the sun.

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David Moyes is: Mr Motivator

David Moyes: A great motivator, thankfully without the leotard.

Many people reacted with surprise to Jo’s stunning debut in an Everton shirt, as he helped fire the Toffees to a resounding 3-0 win over Bolton, despite coming off the back of a torrid spell at Manchester City. However, it came as no surprise to me that Moyes has instantly managed to get the best out of the young Brazilian. We all knew he had talent, he scored for fun at CSKA Moscow after all, and though City paid over the odds for him, I thought it would be a good long term investment for them.

However, for one reason or another, Jo never really settled at Manchester City. Whether it was the language barrier, the speed of the Premier League or simply his team mates and manager, something didn’t click for him. So in came David Moyes. The Scotsman had tried to sign Jo in the summer on a permanent deal but was priced out by City’s riches, but he was very keen to get his man this time, albeit, only on a loan deal.

It was this more than anything, that made me have faith in Jo’s ability even before the Bolton game. When I saw him play for City against Everton I concluded that he had “as much impact on the game as Everton’s did, [and they were] watching from home with injuries“, but as soon as Moyes went back for a second time to try and sign him, I knew Moyes had seen something he liked. And in Moyes we trust, as the saying at Goodison goes, and with good reason too.

A few years ago, there was a tenacious young Australian player doing pretty well at Millwall, and a few Premier League clubs had a look at him. None made a move though. Perhaps they thought he was nothing more than a Championship player, suited to the rough and tumble of that league but without the finesse necessary to grace the Premiership. David Moyes took a look at the same player and saw that determination and commitment, but he saw much more too.

A few years on and Tim Cahill is one of the best goalscoring midfielders in the Premier League, and he seems to be on the verge of becoming one of the better strikers too. His incessant ability to turn up in the right place at the right time comes as a result of the careful nurturing and encouragement of a boss who had complete faith in his ability, and the motivational skills to make him believe in himself.

Joleon Lescott can be the protagonist of a similar story. Gracing Wolves with some fine performances, he missed their Premier League season with a career threatening injury, and perhaps thought he had missed his shot at the big time. But along came Moyes, he had faith in him, and Lescott hasn’t missed a league game for Everton since he signed, and he has gone from strength to strength as a player, becoming a regular member of Fabio Capello’s England squads and at the moment, is one half of one of the most formidable defencive partnerships in the league, with Phil Jagielka.

Jagielka himself, came from the lower leagues too. Signed from Sheffield United where he had long been held in high esteem and had long been linked with a move up a level, no one had been convinced by him. But once more, Moyes picked him up, took him under his wing and set about turning him into a top class centre back. He gave him the confidence to play his natural game at the top level and he too has been rewarded with England caps, and his progression was confirmed in recent weeks when he kept Fernando Torres, one of the best forwards in world football, securely in his back pocket for over 290 minutes of football in the recent spate of Merseyside derbies.

A common theme seems to be emerging here, and that is of Moyes’ excellent eye for a player, but also, as we’ve seen with Jo, his intriguing skill at getting the best out of them. It is a skill much sought after in a manager. Arsene Wenger is perhaps touted as the ultimate in this regard, with his pièce de résistance being the transformation of Thierry Henry from mediocre winger into a flamboyant and truly world class forward. Harry Redknapp is a man held in similar esteem, he seems to be able to bring together a group of players out of favour at other clubs and turn them into world beaters.

So how does Moyes do it? I believe that his secret lies in creating a team of well balanced players, not simply based on their technical skills, but also on their mental characteristics and temperament. You see, there are no superstars at Everton. Every player who pulls on an Everton shirt with any regularity tend to fit a regular mould. They are determined, committed and hard working people, who are committed to the team and don;t simply play for themselves.

There have been exceptions of course. Many Evertonians were mystified to see Andy Johnson depart in the summer, but I was not. He was a willing runner, but one couldn’t help but feel that Johnson wasn’t in it for the team, He scored goals for Andy Johnson and not for Everton. It just so happened that we payed his salary and so he had to wear our shirt. James McFadden was perhaps, another example. I liked him, but I got the feeling that he and Moyes never clicked, and so I feel that he didn’t fit in with Moyes squad.

Jo on the other hand, seems to fit the bill perfectly. Although he is a Brazilian player, who are usually seen as flair players, and often, quite selfish individual type players, Jo is not. He spent three years at CSKA Moscow, an unfashionable club in Russia, and is noted for his hard work and strong physical presence, aligned with great finishing ability. This work ethic and loyalty make him a great addition to Everton’s ranks, and explain why he has so quickly settled in with his new team mates.

As an Evertonian in recent years it has been a pleasure to watch the bond between the players grow. You can see it in plain view when they are on the pitch, the players are great friends, they get on really well, they understand one another, and they all are 100% committed to the club. This is, as a fan, all I can ask of the players at my club, and it is great to see, especially as it will bring about rewards in terms of the football we play too.

Though for many years in our recent history, when we battled relegation under Walter Smith and some of his predecessors Everton were known as ‘Dogs of War’ and exponents of the long ball game, no one could accuse Moyes team of the same tactics. Yes, we are a strong and committed team, but the football we play is at times, breathtaking. Our midfield is one of the smallest in the league with Arteta, Osman, Pienaar and Cahill all coming in at under 5ft 10in tall. They zip the ball about with great accuracy and speed and look to utilise the overlapping runs of our full backs.

This style of football and the commitment of our players has led to our relative success in recent years, Though we operate on a budget that is minuscule in comparison to the ‘big four’ we have challenged them consistently over the past few years and even broke into the top four of the Premier League on one occasion. All of this success, and our European adventures, are down largely to David Moyes and his excellent motivational skills.

It is he who has brought this side together, with a series of shrewd signings. However, as I mentioned above, a number of clubs looked at the likes of Cahill and Lescott, and could easily have signed them instead of us. However, whether they would have excelled to the same extent under another manager is I believe, questionable. It is Moyes ability to mould a group of players into a cohesive unit and to encourage the players to grow into their talents that have made Everton the team they are today.

With Chelsea having recently sacked the illustrious Phil Scolari, I think it is fairly evident just how important a skill this is to have in the modern game. While Big Phil was an excellent tactician, he doesn’t really have the charisma as a motivator, and I think that is why he failed as manager of Chelsea, and why I was slightly concerned that they may come sniffing around Moyes, until they appointed Guus Hiddink as their interim boss.

Jo’s debut then, aside from being a stunning performance and earning Everton another vital three points in our hunt for a Champions League spot, serves as further evidence to the incredible talent that David Moyes possesses for getting the best out of his players. Whether or not we will be able to afford to sign Jo on a permanent basis at the end of his loan spell is once again, a question that is out of Moyes’ hands. Indeed, with our current financial situation, I think the prospect of that may be bleak.

The outlook for Everton though is certainly not bleak. With David Moyes at the helm we can look forward to further progress, even if there is no money in place. He has shown the ability to create brilliant players from meagre transfer fees and so even if we lack the spending power of our rivals, Everton will continue to challenge at the right end of the Premier League. Thanks to David Moyes, Everton’s own ‘Mr Motivator’, the future’s bright. The future’s blue.

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Everton FC: The Heart of Liverpool.

The site of Everton's new stadium?

Though Everton’s season on the pitch looks to be shaping up nicely after a shaky start, there still hang some serious clouds on the horizon with regards to the clubs future. The ‘new stadium’ debate is one that has been rumbling along with our club for some time but has really gained some momentum in recent years, with the Kirkby proposal seemingly being the chosen option for the Everton officials.

There is no doubt that Everton do need an improved stadium if they are to continue to progress as a club, to allow for larger crowds and thus greater profit to match their on field ambitions. However, I have serious reservations about the Club moving it’s stadium outside the city limits, as Kirkby would be. I’m sure that those inside the club, those with the power to make decisions, feel that in their heart too, and I think they have perhaps abandoned that hope too easily.

Of course, the obvious problem with a new stadium within the city itself is that there are very few, if any, areas for development within the city that are large enough to allow a football stadium and all that comes with it, to be built. A few years ago, we explored the Kings Dock area and even got as far as having a vote amongst season ticket holders as to whether to leave Goodison and go ahead with the move. However, eventually that prospect fell flat and so we were forced to look elsewhere.

The really grinding thing though, is that there is a location that would be perfect for a new stadium. It’s about a minute from Goodison Park and has plenty of space available for development. I’m talking of course, about Stanley Park. And this was an option that was explored, and a couple of years ago, the club approached the Liverpool council with regards the possibility of using the land to build their new home. The council though, said that it was land that was indispensable as a public park, and would not consent to have it bought up for ‘private’ use.

A few years later though, and Liverpool FC, now also deciding that they need a new stadium, also approach the council about the possibility of a Stanley Park stadium. And surprise, surprise, in February 2003 they were granted permission. The plans are now in the pipeline, and the stadium was due to be completed ready of an August 2012 opening before the economic decline halted its progress.

The fact remains though that the Council has gone back on it’s decision to keep Stanley Park for public use, and given Liverpool permission to build a stadium where Everton were denied. This is downright favouritism towards the ‘more successful’ of the city’s two largest clubs, and to my mind, is downright wrong.

For one thing, Everton are the oldest club in Liverpool. Founded in 1878, fourteen years before Liverpool, we were also the original tenants of Anfield stadium, using it from it’s construction in 1884 until 1892, when we left due to a rent dispute and moved to Goodison Park. The owner of Anfield then founded a new club simply to have some use for his stadium, and thus Liverpool FC was formed.

So Everton FC were the first football team in Liverpool, and we remain the People’s Club of the city, as David Moyes memorably christened us when he took the manager’s job. But he had a point when he said that the man on the streets of Liverpool supports Everton. The people who actually live in the heart of the city are usually Everton supporters, with Liverpool’s support often coming (quite famously) from further afield and even abroad. This trend, of the people of Liverpool supporting Everton is probably due in part to the fact that Everton were established before Liverpool. The local people already had their team, and we all know how allegiances are passed down bloodlines, thus the ancestral people of Liverpool, support Everton.

It seems even more ridiculous then, that the prime location for a new stadium in the centre of Liverpool was given not to Everton, the People’s Club, but to Liverpool. If we move to Kirkby and Liverpool move to Stanley Park, match days in Liverpool could have the bizarre occurrence of Everton fans leaving the city to go to their stadium, while Liverpool fans flood in to the city from around the country to their stadium. Surely it would make more sense for Everton to remain in the city, as both history and the majority of supporters’ location suggests is logical.

Of course, this option seems closed to us now. Liverpool have been given Stanley Park, and so we must accept that, unfair as it may be, we cannot use that space (don’t even mention sharing). I still think though, that we belong in the city. Everton are, as I have discussed, the city’s founding club. We are the People’s club, and so why should the people of the city have to leave it to watch their team play at ‘home’?

Now comes the point in my article where I must consider the plausible options for remaining in the city, and this is unfortunately where I hit a bit of a hurdle. I can’t pretend that there are many, because there aren’t. The club has looked long and hard, but space for a development of this nature is hard to come by in such a busy city.

It is this which will prompt some to call for a shared stadium between Liverpool (despite my annoyance), and in a sense, it is a sensible call. Financially it would make sense and both clubs would have a prime location for ‘their’ stadium. But would it really be ‘their’ stadium? I think not, I think that with a shared stadium, each club would lose a big part of their identity. Goodison Park is a historic old ground, full of grace and character. Of course we will lose it when we move, but we will retain it’s qualities, and we establish a new ground that feels like home, that is our spiritual place. Likewise, Liverpool have their Kop end, and that is something else that could not be shared. How could a stand be ‘the new Kop’ one week and then be full of Toffee’s the next? It would simply destroy any chance we have of transferring our atmosphere from our current grounds, and that is something that should not be sacrificed.

So if sharing is not an option (and it isn’t), and there is no room for new development within the city, surely moving away is our only option. That is certainly what the club seems to have concluded with their Kirkby proposals, but I hesitate to agree. I think that there is a great location within the city that could house a stadium. In fact, I know it could house a stadium, because it already does.

I’m talking of course, about the area enclosed within Goodison Road, Bullens Road and Gwladys Street, where Goodison Park currently resides. Because what we need is a better stadium. It doesn’t have to be completely new, and we don’t have to move. Goodison Park has the central city location that we so desire, and it also has rather good foundations for a stadium. I fail to see then, why we are not seriously looking in to the possibility of updating and improving Goodison Park.

The club say that they have explored this possibility, but I don’t know to what extent they have done so. I have a sneaky suspicion that what most puts them off the redevelopment of Goodison is that it would mean we miss out on a lot of financial help for the improvement of our Stadia. Moving to a new ground would allow Naming Rights to be purchased, as well as the development of some sort of ‘complex’ adjacent to the stadium, which would help fund the build – at Kirkby, it’s a Tesco’s.

Now of course, that’s a handy financial boost. But I for one don’t like all this commercially named stadium bollocks. The Ricoh Arena for christ’s sake?! Ricoh make photocopiers!!! And why does a football ground need to be surrounded by a supermarket or ‘luxury apartments’ or a fitness complex? It doesn’t. That just detracts from the majesty and purity of a football stadium. It is a place where only one thing matters. Everything should be geared towards the football, and what happens on the pitch. They shouldn’t be trying to sell you shit on the way in. This is football dammit!!!

So I would be glad of missing out on those particular annoyances if we were to stay at Goodison and redevelop. Obviously that creates financial problems, but really, we’re in no state to build a stadium even with naming rights and a fancy complex at the moment anyway. We’re broke, and need someone to buy us and invest pretty heavily (but sensibly, none of this ‘Kaka for 100m’ rubbish) and so if we have an investor, why not just spend a bit more on redeveloping Goodison. After all, we won’t have to build from scratch anyway, as I said, it has good stadium foundations!

The only other major obstacle I can see to this plan, is that the redevelopment of Goodsion may make the ground uninhabitable while the work is being completed, and so it may leave us with nowhere to play. I am not much of a builder (understatement of the century), and so I don’t really know the logistics of it all, but perhaps the redevelopment could be done in stages, with simply a reduced capacity while the work is done, or (‘lo and behold) we could share Anfield for a season or two. God I actually shuddered as I typed that.

My point is though, that I don’t see any major, major problems with the prospect of redeveloping Goodison, and the fact that it would keep us in the city, and let us remain at our beloved Goodison Park, are enormous plus points in its favour. If anyone else can shed any light on other stumbling blocks that I may have missed, please do so, but at the moment, I see it as an entirely plausible (and favourable) option.

At the end of the day, I think it would simply be a tragedy if Everton were to leave Liverpool itself. While Liverpool, have more history in their trophy cabinet, it is we who have more history in the city. We have been here longer, it is where we belong, and it is where our fans live and work. The heartbeat of the club and it’s fans are in tandem, from the heart of Liverpool itself. I think it is absolutely sickening the way we have been treated by Liverpool council, but I think the club should do absolutely everything in its power to prevent us leaving the city. Taking Everton out of Liverpool would be like ripping my heart out of my chest. It just shouldn’t be done.

By Adam Howard.
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An Evertonian Tactical Analysis: 4-4-2 vs. 4-5-1

Hello everyone, hope you’re all well. My blog this week will be a tactical examination of perhaps the two most popular formations in the Premier League, with a particular focus on how they are utilised by Everton FC. Most people woulds say that the classic 4-4-2 formation is a more attacking formation than the traditionally more reserved 4-5-1, but I intend to show that in fact, if combined with the right combination of players, 4-5-1 allows the team a lot more attacking freedom and could therefore be considered the more adventurous of the two.

To begin with then, let’s have a look at the two formations in their most basic form:

On the Left: 4-4-2; On the Right: 4-5-1.

Traditionally the 4-4-2 formation is considered the more attacking largely because it simply employs more strikers. And this would be an astute observation if the formation was utilised in that simple sense. But the thing is that today the game of football is so fluid and so fast that in fact, the 4-5-1 formation usually does not resemble the above diagram at all. It is this flexibility that is the key to the formation, and as long as you have players disciplined enough to play to a system, it can be very effective.

Looking at the 4-4-2 formation though, you can see that there really isn’t a great deal of flexibility to it. The two strikers are your most potent weapons, the midfield are there to provide for them and protect the defence, and that’s about it. It doesn’t give particular freedom to wingers, because their absence would leave the central midfielders and defence heavily exposed. One way to tinker with it would be to push one of the central midfielders forward to play ‘in the hole’ but that usually means that the other would have to drop back to protect the defence in what is known as the diamond formation.

The key to utilising the 4-4-2 to it’s full potential lies, basically, with having a truly top class strike partnership. While the midfield can get forward and help out, they do not have a hugely free role and are contained within quite a rigid structure because if they are caught out of position there is no cover for the defence. That means that the strikers will get good service from relatively deep, but from there must capitalise on it for themselves.

That led to the development of the traditional ‘little and large’ strike partnerships that became very popular as 4-4-2 became the most popular formation and are still fairly popular today, with Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe at Portsmouth until recently being a good example. This means that the ball can be played up to the target man who can hold the ball up or flick it on to his strike partner. The other option is for the ball to be played over the top for the smaller, speedier striker who can then either go for goal or put the ball into the box for the target man to attack.

Up to a point this can work very well, especially against the ‘old school English’ sort of defenders. For much of the nineties the Premier League was home to many of these sort of centre halves, big, strong and good in the tackle, they lacked any real pace and relied on reasonable positional awareness to keep the quicker strikers in check. Against these defenders the 4-4-2 was effective in that the target man could challenge the big defenders in the air and if he won the ball, the speedy striker who was playing off him was often away, as the defenders had been drawn in to the original aerial battle.

However, the game in this decade is evolving. It has become a much bigger business and so the majority of players are becoming more complete athletes. When Tony Adams was at the top of his game he was an alcoholic, and thus his body was not in ideal condition physically. Yet he was one of the best defenders of his time, and could handle most players. Now though, footballers are honed athletes, at the peak of fitness and physically and mentally prepared for every demand the game will throw at them.

With this development defenders have gotten faster and more versatile. No longer are they just big strong guys who can make a good tackle and bully the little strikers around. Because that just wouldn’t work anymore. Now defenders can be just as fast and agile as the strikers, and the strikers are just as strong and committed as the defenders. And with this development, the effectiveness of the 4-4-2 formation has waned. Now that there are fewer physical differences between defenders and attackers, there is less room to exploit them.

So managers have more and more been forced to turn to a new formation, to try and find new ways to threaten the opposition goal, and the solution it seems, has been the 4-5-1 formation. And the manager who has arguably utilised it most effectively is David Moyes at Everton. But it is not the basic old 4-5-1 formation that we saw above. Indeed, in trying to create a diagram with which to demonstrate it to you, I couldn’t come up with one defining way to represent it, simply because the midfield is so undefined. Instead then, I’ve got a few diagrams for you.

Just a few examples of the ways in which 4-5-1 can be utilised.

As you can see in these diagrams, this 4-5-1 formation allows almost endless fluidity through the midfield. Using Everton’s probable line up against Liverpool on Monday, you can see that the flexibility of the midfield is key to Everton’s chances. Victor Anichebe will likely fill a lone target man role, but by no means will he be isolated. The diagram on the left should demonstrate how we will line up when Liverpool have the ball. We are a tireless side and the four players across the middle of the park, when not in possession will revert to this holding line to keep Liverpool’s midfield at bay.

Phil Neville acts as a sort of safety net should the wall in front of him be breached and then there is the four defenders to get through. If we keep our discipline and work rate, it is a very stubborn defensive formation, and the effectiveness of it is demonstrated by the fact that we have not conceded a goal in our last six games.

It is impressive then, how easily such a solid formation can be transformed into an attacking one. You see in the middle diagram how Tim Cahill has pushed up to be playing off the shoulder of Anichebe, almost as a second striker. Expect Cahill to push forward into this role as soon as we have the ball, and as the arrows indicate, the other midfield players (bar Neville) will also have license to push forward too. In a way this middle formation will create something resembling the traditional 4-4-2, with Cahill forming something of a partnership with Anichebe. However, it is much more difficult to deal with, because rather than being deployed as an out and out striker, Cahill is free to pop up wherever he pleases and so it will be difficult for the opposition to track him. Should he be marked by defenders or midfielders? That sort of confusion is what Cahill makes a living off.

In the third diagram, the one on the right, you can see how the wingers Osman and Pienaar have pushed right forward too. The diagram shows Arteta having retreated to next to Neville but in reality he is not really so withdrawn. Instead he will simply be sitting a touch deeper, perhaps midway inside the opponents half and acting as a sort of lynch-pin for the attack. The wingers give him options on either side, as do the forward runs of the full backs, while Cahill can also drop off a little to provide a link in to Anichebe. This is the sort of formation that Everton will adopt when holding controlled and extended possession as they probe against a resilient defence.

And while there is still only Victor Anichebe deployed as a recognised striker, the fact is that in this formation there is a real goal threat presented by Cahill, Arteta, Pienaar and Osman as well. Compare this to the traditional 4-4-2 where only the two strikers pose a real goal threat and you can see just why the 4-5-1 allows a greater attacking threat. This can be demonstrated quite effectively by the comparative diagrams below.

Red arrows represent balls playable to potential goalscorers.

This diagram then (in all it’s pixelated glory) is meant to be a visual illustrator of the greater goal-scoring threat provided by the 4-5-1 formation compared to the 4-4-2. The red arrows are intended to represent the passes playable to players who are free to score goals in each formation. In the 4-4-2 (on the left) you can see that the only players with enough attacking license to get goals are the front two, and so the service to them is often very direct and predictable, which make it easier to defend against.

On the right hand side though, all you can see is a mass of red arrows. What that means then, is that there are simply a lot of options when playing the 4-5-1. The striker Anichebe, is of course a goal threat, as is Cahill who in his elevated position is playing off Anichebe and so can hover in and around the edge of the box, a constant menace to defenders. But the you also have Osman and Pienaar on either flank who can get wide and get balls played into the box. You might think that would take them out of the goalscoring stakes, but in fact when the ball is on one wing, the other can then tuck in and attack the back post, and Osman particularly is great at popping up at the back post, and Pienaar has notched a few from that position too.

Finally the last real threat on goal comes from Arteta. Although he is the deepest lying of the ‘attacking midfielders’ he can often be found sitting on the edge of the opposition box and so is able to pounce on any balls half cleared (not to mention blasting in free-kicks from a reasonable distance!) with his good long range shooting. In this sense then, you really start to get the impression that the 4-5-1 is a much more effective attacking formation for Everton to play.

I hesitate to say that it is the better formation in general though, because I believe that in the end it comes down to the players involved, and thus formation is relative. We played 4-4-2 earlier in the season, when Louis Saha and Yakubu were fit, but it never really worked for us. The two strikers, though both very good forwards, were not compatible when combined in this formation. They didn;t have enough variation between them, both prefer the ball into feet, to turn and attack the defenders. If the 4-4-2 is to work, you need a good, balanced strike partnership, as Crouch and Defoe demonstrated at Portsmouth.

It was perhaps a blessing in disguise then when Louis Saha did get injured again. Although we then lost Yakubu and Anichebe as well and found ourselves without a recognised striker, it has at least forced us to revert to the 4-5-1 formation. I think that before this season, even David Moyes may not have fully appreciated the value of this formation. I think before now he simply played 4-5-1 because that is what suited our squad. We had a wealth of good midfielders but weren’t exactly blessed in the striking department. However, with the upturn in form since we reverted back to the 4-51, Moyes will surely have realised that it is the key to our good performances.

He has shown this awareness too by bringing Mikel Arteta back into the centre of midfield. When we were playing 4-4-2 he was played wide, with Fellaini and Cahill as the more combative central partnership, and this was OK, because his delivery into the two strikers from wide is second to none. However, with a more cultured and less direct approach demanded by the 4-5-1 formation, Arteta is the perfect player to fill the central role. He is the type of player who can anchor attacks, who the ball can come back to time and time again. He will spread the ball wide, and if there are no further options can always happily have it back, because he is so comfortable in possession.

Moyes then has demonstrated the point I have been making. He has recognised that in the end, the players at your disposal are key to the formation that you play, as demonstrated by Arteta’s new role. This tactical awareness is one of the things that makes Moyes such a great manager. Aside from being a great motivator and therefore getting the most effort out of the players, he knows how to achieve the same thing tactically, how to shuffle his pack to get maximum performance from the players at his disposal.

In these upcoming weeks Everton have a run of very tough fixtures. Two away games at Liverpool this week are followed by a home clash with Arsenal and then a trip to Old Trafford to face the Champions. This run of fixtures will provide a huge test for the squad and really test Moyes’ side. However, I have every confidence that we will cause a couple of upsets in there somewhere, largely down to the commitment of the players and the effectiveness of their work as a unit, thanks to the 4-5-1 formation.

In devising a system that makes us both incredibly solid and tough to break down and rather potent in attack with the possibility of goals coming from throughout the midfield, Moyes has created a beautifully balanced team that functions very well as a unit. In the games against the ‘big four’, those teams packed with such talent that the clubs operating in the ‘real world’ can’t afford, it is important to make sure that every player on the pitch is making an impact. I think Moyes has achieved this, and therefore I think we have a real chance of beating the ‘big four’ teams in our upcoming matches.

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Everton vs. Liverpool: A rivalry explained.

Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt tries to kill Everton's Phil Neville.

With the draw for the FA Cup 4th Round pitching my club Everton against our greatest rivals Liverpool and therefore meaning that we will face them twice in a week, I decided that it might be wise to try and explain just why there is such a passionate rivalry between the two clubs. Most clubs have close rivals, some get on but most don’t. However, it is often hard for people to understand the rivalries of other clubs from the outside. There is something innately instinctive about such rivalries.

Obviously that means that my explanation of ‘our’ rivalry may be hard to define of course, and naturally, telling it so much from one side will mean that you will get only one side of the story. I will try to be fair and unbiased though, and I hope it sheds some light on this particularly fiery aspect of fandom. I for one find the obsessions and habits of football fans quite interesting, to be so committed to something over which we have so little control makes little sense, but that’s football for you.

One last qualification before we get going properly too. I am only 19 years old, and so the greater part of the rivalry between the clubs developed before my time. I know some parts of it, but in many ways, what follows will be an explanation of the modern rivalry between Everton and Liverpool. So without further ado, let’s begin.

The obvious starting point of the competitive spirit between the two clubs comes from their close proximity. It is natural that when two teams compete so against each other and in such intimate locations that a competitive rivalry will develop. The fans will know each other, loyalties will divide friends and even families and so the bragging rights hold a lot of sway in such a tight-knit community. However, rivalries like this can often be friendly. Yes they are competitive, but when it comes down to it, they get along, and will stick together should an ‘outsider’ emerge.

This is no longer the case between Everton and Liverpool. While I hear it may have been the case to begin with, relations between fans are now very much strained. For me, as far as I’m aware, this more hateful rivalry began to develop in the mid 80’s.  The two clubs had dominated English football for the whole of the 80’s leading up to the 84/85 season. Liverpool had admittedly been more successful than us, but we were in the ascendancy and won the title that season. Naturally with both clubs so strong there was an extra edge to the rivalry, but that was set to increase as events unfolded on May 29th 1985.

In what has become known as the Heysel Stadium Disaster thirty nine people were killed after rioting between Liverpool and Juventus fans in Italy at the European Cup Final. There had been a heated atmosphere between the two sets of fans all through the lead up to the game on the day, and this was fuelled as the two sets of fans began to throw missiles at each other. Tensions were building and eventually a section of the Liverpool fans charged across the chicken-wire fence and ‘no-mans land’ to bodily attack their Italian counterparts.

Evidently that was more than the Italians had bargained for, and they retreated in the only direction they could; in the direction of the corner flag. As the congestion built up and people began to be crushed, some began climbing the concrete stadium wall to get out and relieve the pressure, but the wall then collapsed, killing 39 people and injuring about six hundred more. After this tragic event, and due to the mindless violence of the Liverpool fans that caused it, English clubs were banned indefinitely from European competition.

Aside from the tragic consequences that occurred directly from the disaster itself, the Heysel disaster also had a large impact on English football as a whole, and Everton in particular. The prospect of a lack of European competition for English clubs meant that many of the best players at the top English clubs were no longer content to play in England. They, understandably, wanted to compete at the highest level, and so there was something of an exodus to European teams who were still allowed to compete in UEFA tournaments.

This obviously affected a large number of teams, but in particular, Everton were hit hard. We had just won the league title and finally looked to have overtaken Liverpool as the best side in England and even in Europe. Liverpool had dominated European Competition for the last few years, and Everton, having finally overcome their rivals, looked set to take over their crown. But of course, with no European competition to challenge for, the majority of the clubs best players, and their manager Howard Kendell, left the club, and we fell from grace rapidly in the years that followed.

So in a way, Everton were denied what looked set to be a great era for them, when they would have dominated Europe in the way that Liverpool had done for so long. It was Liverpool’s fans in their violent actions in Italy that cost Everton this chance at glory. It is a fall from grace from which we have never quite recovered too, which was also aided by another key moment in our modern history.

Sir John Moores was a great British businessman who built the Littlewoods business empire and made his family one of the richest in Britain. He was also though, a devout Evertonian and had a couple of stints as chairman of his beloved club, investing some of his fortune in the club along the way. However, as he grew older and fell ill, he withdrew from the business world and left the managing of his business empire to his family.

Unfortunately, David Moores committed the greatest sin in football. Raised in a family of Evertonians he switched allegiances to, of all clubs, our great rivals Liverpool, and selling his share in Everton, ploughed a great deal of money into the club on the red half of Merseyside. This left Everton in a financially vulnerable position (which we retain to this day) while Liverpool were quite rich. Obviously money is not everything in football, but it just so happened that this occurred at a time of crossroads in English football – namely, the induction of the Premier League.

This was the point at which football as a business really took off, and started along the path to becoming the money making machine it is today. It was when the game and the clubs within it became much richer, but also, as is often the way, the clubs who were already in a better financial position tended to profit more from the sudden influx of cash. Thus the likes of Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and now Liverpool who were financially secure were setup ready to become big players in this brand new and exciting league, and thus profited early from the money that came in.

That left Everton fans with a very bitter taste in our mouths. Obviously David Moores had every right to do what he did with his money, but having been benefactors of our club for such a long time, and being the nephew of John Moores, our long time chairmen and devout Evertonian, we felt that his loyalties should lie with us. If that had have been the case, it would have been us benefiting from his riches, and us taking advantage of the economic boom that football experienced as the Premier League era began.

Essentially what that means is that Everton were again denied a shot at greatness by their rivals, who profited in their place this time. And in many ways, this is the basis of the rivalry. Everton worked incredibly hard to build up a great team in the 80’s, playing football produced from ‘The School of Science’ and eventually rising to challenge Liverpool, only to see them undo our hard work before it had really paid off. Then again, we were denied the chance to profit hugely from the Premier League boom, and instead Liverpool have ridden the gravy train to their recent success.

This probably sounds like we are bitter that they have been more successful than us, but i don not think that’s the case. I think it is more that we feel we have had a bit of rough luck over the years, whereas they have had a lot of good fortune. But more than that, the two clubs also stand for the differing backgrounds of the fans of both clubs, and this is what makes they rivalry so passionate. Obviously here I will make some generalisations, and I ask your forgiveness, but it is impossible not to when discussing a club’s fan base.

When David Moyes was appointed as Everton’s manager eight years ago, he made an immediate impression in his first press conference, when he declared that Everton were The People’s Club of Liverpool. He said that the man on the street in Liverpool supports Everton, and he hit the nail on the head, and gave the club a new nickname in the process. It is true though, that by and large, the working classes of Liverpool support Everton.

Liverpool have a famously foreign fan base, with their supporters often coming from not just outside of Liverpool but also outside of England itself. On the other hand, the majority of those who are regulars at Goodison Park have grown up in the mazey streets around the grand old ground, or in the surrounding City and it’s suburbs. In a way, this difference is key to showing the difference between the two sides. Everton’s fans are hard working and long suffering, while Liverpool’s tend to be more elite, prawn-sandwich eating corporate types, to make use of popular stereotypes. Or course, not all of them are, but far more than one would expect, and that is key.

This difference in class (to the extent that British society retains it’s class system) is symptomatic of the resentment between the two sets of fans. The upper classes traditionally regard those below them with scorn and feel superior, while the lower classes resent the wealth and arrogance of those above them, especially as they work so hard themselves simply to survive. As you can see, these societal relations are almost exactly those reflected in the fortunes and relationship between Everton and Liverpool. Everton are very much characteristic of the downtrodden but resilient underdog, while Liverpool appear very much as the swanning, haughty aristocrat, and this is bound to bring tension.

Everton feel that we are deserving of the sort of fame, wealth and prestige that Liverpool seem t be attributed the world over. Founder members of the football league and the Premier League and the first English club to clock up 100 seasons in the top flight of English football. We have had some success too, but when looking at football on Merseyside, a neutral will always regard Liverpool as the ‘bigger’ club, due to their bigger honours list. But were it not for Liverpool and the various incidents discussed above, it might be we who were the ‘bigger’ club. Our fans, long suffering as we struggled to re-build deserve success and recognition. We have suffered for it and it will be all the greater when it comes.

This rivalry will rear it’s head again next week when Everton face Liverpool at Anfield twice in a week, in FA Cup and Premier League matches. The recent games between the two sides have furthered the angst between the two clubs, with Liverpool having dominated in the results department, but having been incredibly fortunate with various refereeing decisions and other key happenings. Penalties awarded against us, red cards given to us and not them have been regarded as typical of the blatant bias that English football seems to have to all those clubs in the ‘big four’.

Such favouritism to the ‘big boys’ naturally riles us Evertonians as we see ourselves very much as their equal on history and passion and feel that we should be treated as such. Therefore, one may expect the upcoming derby games to be heated and passionate affairs, as they always are. So for the neutral watching these games, when you watch them or see the result, remember, there is more than the result riding in this game. More than a place in the FA Cup 5th round or three Premier League points. This match is representative of a societal struggle, the clash between the working class and the upper class.

People argue that there are no more class divides in English society, but that is simply not the case. They are certainly less distinct and the middle class has swollen considerably, but there is certainly still a divide there. The clearest representation of this divide is football, which is so often representative of the society to which it belongs. When the class divides truly have been demolished and all are equal, there will be no more rivalries. Everton and Liverpool will co-exist peacefully and be treated fairly and equally, and the derby matches will simply be the culmination of a friendly local competitive spirit.

The upcoming matches will not be that though. The rivalry between our clubs, and the divide between the fans, is still as ferocious and passionate as it has ever been. The matches will reflect that, and for once wouldn’t it be nice if the underdogs truly overcame their more celebrated rivalries. If you have ever felt that oppression, the lack of recognition or simply the patronising arrogance of those who believed themselves your betters, lend Everton your support against Liverpool. We are the People’s Club, and we represent the People. Everton’s success is symbolic of the people’s success, and we have waited for it for too long.

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Sometimes, the league table does lie.

Hello everyone, first things first, an introduction. I am the writer of the football blog They Think It’s All Over… and Abayomi has kindly asked me to write weekly blogs on this site. I am a huge Evertonian and so my blogs will focus on football happenings on the blue half of Merseyside, and I do try and write fairly and without bias, but as you will all know, sometimes one’s heart can get the better of you, so I apologise in advance in case that happens. I hope you enjoy reading what I have to say, please leave comments and visit me at my site if you do!

To business then, and I intend today to put forth an argument in contradiction of one of football’s great old sayings, that ‘the league table doesn’t lie’. If we are thinking entirely literally, to challenge it seems insanity itself. The league table displays the stats of each team in accordance with how they have performed that season, it doesn’t make them up, and so it doesn’t lie. However, if one considers the league table to be an indicator of which teams are the best, I believe that, on occasion, it can be found to be fallacious.

The point of this argument and the relation it holds to my club, Everton, is that I firmly believe that Everton are a better team than Aston Villa. Villa currently occupy the fifth spot (but will perhaps move back to fourth once they play Hull City later today) while Everton are in sixth. Thus many would argue that Aston Villa are, at present, superior to Everton as a team. This is probably the view of the media too, who have been quick to praise Martin O’Neill’s men this season, as they have indeed put in some impressive displays.

There is even serious suggestion that Aston Villa may do the unthinkable and break the monopoly of the ‘big four’ on the Champions League places this season, probably at Arsenal’s expense. And I must concede, Villa have had a blinding season so far. Picking up points against most of the ‘big four’ and looking very impressive in beating the lower sides too, they certainly are a forced to be reckoned with. But I don’t think they’re better than Everton.

You see, Everton haven’t had a very good season so far. We haven’t really got into our stride form-wise, and our best players especially have taken a long time to get going – they are now starting to, but so far, the likes of Mikel Arteta and Joleon Lescott have been below par, as was Yakubu, before he got injured.

And there’s another point, injuries. Now one cannot make excuses and I am not trying to do so, there is no gurantee that we would have fared any better without the injury troubles we’ve had. But I think it is fair to think it entirely likely that if we had had slightly better luck with injuries, we may have fared a tad better so far this term. I mean, what team wouldn’t suffer with injuries to the likes of Cahill, Arteta and Yakubu? As well as others to Pienaar, Osman, Anichebe, Vaughan, Valente and more at other times? There has not been a single game this season when Moyes has not been forced to name a teenager amongst his substitutes, and while we have some great young talent (boy, do we!), it can leave you short of experienced options, which are important.

But aside from a lack of form and troubles with injury, it was the start of the season that really struck us down. We had a very unsettled summer. Huge frustration in the transfer market led to the season beginning without any major signings and then in the last few hours we payed a hell of a lot for a big Belgian fella’ with funny hair. Don’t get me wrong, Fellaini has done well since he joined, but it wasn’t the Summer we all pictured after last season’s fifth place finish.

But then, we are not a club who has ever had a lot of money to spend. Moyes spent fifteen million (ish) on Fellaini and pretty much bugger all else on the others, and that has probably done us for the season. But aside from financial stringencies (which in the current economic climate are looking more and more sensible as time goes on) we had the other upsets of a manager hesitant to sign a new contract and a stadium move that was flickering on and off more than a bloody strobe light.

Moyes’ indecision over whether to put pen to paper on his contract was bemusing. He stated a number of times that everything was essentially in place and so we were just thinking ‘well just sign the damned thing then’. But it rumbled on and on and it got to the point where I actually thought that the best young manager in the country (go on, challenge that statement) might leave our club. Whether it was a lack of transfer funds or just a genuine patch of cold feet we may never know, but certainly, since he signed, we have gone uphill quite quickly. A bit of stability goes a long way at a football club.

The other thing was the ground move. I for one am hesitant to leave Goodison, especially for somewhere outside the city, but it seems the club are keen and we ‘need’ to so they pushed on. Unfortunately it all seems to have gone tits up and has left a rather bitter atmosphere around the club. None of this should affect the players really, because as long as they have a pitch to play on, that should be enough, but somehow in football, if there is unrest at a club at all, it does tend to filter through and have an effect on the playing staff.

All in all then, things were looking a bit grim. And then we had a very dodgy start to the season, and as we were holding our heads in our hands thinking things couldn’t get any worse, we went out of Europe. For me, that was a big thing. We got a really tough draw against Standard Liege, incredibly tough compared to the other English clubs, especially considering we were the top English qualifier and Man City snuck in because they ‘play fair’ (what a load of nonsense that is, just by the way).

We gave Liege a run for their money, but fair play to them, those Belgians are a top side and deserve to be in the UEFA Cup group stages as much as we do, which is a lot. Either way, the competition was going to lose a good team and we were it in the end. And that was disappointing for the club. We had such a great run in it last season, losing only on penalties to Fiorentina after having beaten the eventual champions Zenit St. Petersburg relatively comfortably in the group stages. To then find ourselves with no hope of repeating the adventure gave the club a huge dent to morale.

And we have a history in that department. A few years ago, after we finished fourth (yes, it HAS been done before, thank you very much) and qualified for the Champions League, we were all set for a rollicking good time in Europe when we crashed out. Drawn against (another toughy) Villareal we were unfortunate to be knocked out after Duncan Fergson had a goal calamitously ruled out in what was, without doubt, the worst decision in the career of the world’s best ever referee, old beady eyes himself, Pierre Luigi Collina.

Bounced into the UEFA Cup we then fell at the first hurdle against Dynamo Bucaresti (I think, but don’t quote me on it) and found ourselves not in Europe at all, despite our magnificent fourth place finish. That then had the added knock on effect of causing the players to lose morale almost completely and have a very stuttery first half of the season, almost like we have this time around, after again going out in the first round of the UEFA Cup.

So there we go, a (not so) brief summary of the various things that may have impacted on our season in a negative way so far. I say again, these are not excuses. There is no guarantee that things would have happened differently under different circumstances and many of them were our own doing, or at least avoidable, but I think it is fair to say that all of them, to some extent, may have hindered our progress through this season’s Premier League campaign.

And so we return, eventually but inevitably, to the reason behind this whole article. Because Villa haven;t had any of these problems really. They’ve had a few injuries, but who doesn’t? And it’s been nothing on the scale of what we have suffered. Their best players (indeed most of their players) have not been struggling for form. Gaby Agbonlahor have set the League alight and even earned the privilege of being mentioned in the same breath as ridiculous and doubtlessly career ruining moves to some of Europe’s top clubs in the English press.

They don’t have any particular financial worries either. Indeed, their foreign owner is probably the sort of foreign owner that Carlsberg would profess to provide (that is; the best foreign owner in the world). He does not lavish them with money and it’s good friend, pressure, but he provides for them what they need, and has the sensible nature to not mess around with affairs that are beyond his expertise. That meant that Villa had a good little summer, bringing in a few players to add good strength in depth to an already promising squad, without upsetting the apple cart by splashing out massively, as say, Tottenham did.

A much more accommodating draw in the UEFA Cup first round meant that they didn’t have much trouble getting into the competition proper and avoided the sort of blow to morale that has affected my club. All in all then, Villa’s path through this season has been altogether smoother than Everton’s rather bumpy one. Which suggests, to me, that the league table does, on occasion, lie.

I’m not saying categorically that Aston Villa are worse than Everton. Nor am I denying that on current form, Villa are superior to my beloved Toffees. But what I will contest is the assertions made by certain elements of the English media that Villa are the most worthy and most likely challengers to England’s ‘big four’. For one thing, people easily forget that we did in fact break the monopoly a few seasons ago. And for another, I think we are just as likely to do it again, as Villa are to do it.

Because if one takes away all the factors that I discussed above, Everton’s season would perhaps have panned out slightly differently. Because although we have had a poor start to the season form wise, we are still in sixth position. We are still only three points (maybe six by tonight) behind Villa themselves. We are still very much in touch for the European places. Imagine then, if our season had been as smooth as Villa’s. We could be well up there with the likes of Chelsea and Man Utd as well as that other Merseyside club. You know the ones I mean.

So for people to jump to the conclusion that Villa are the best team outside the ‘big four’ is to make a mistake I think. It is to do us a bit of an injustice. Because yes, they have been great, and yes, they hold their current position on merit, but, the league table doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. Everton’s season has been blighted by disturbances and they are not reflected in the table, nor should they be. But I think the table may read differently if they had not occurred.

So before jumping on the Villa bandwagon, I say, give it some time. Let the road run it’s course. We have had our fair share of bumps and hopefully will not suffer too many more. Villa may have a few around the corner, and the true test will be if they can stand up to them as well and as successfully as Everton have so far. Villa and Everton are two very, very strong teams and I think they will push the ‘big four’ all the way. Let us wait and see the final league table before we make our final judgements though, because that table is one that doesn’t often lie, I will grant you that much.

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