Two Steps Forward and One Back

Everton played a tough game mid-week they were run ragged, stuffed, and finally beaten by Benfica 7 nil on aggregate, Everton's heaviest defeat in Europe. They have a number of players on the injury list and are so lacking in first team quality they have to field two nineteen year olds' and have two 17 year olds' on the bench. They are also haemorrhaging goals; apart from the Benfica rout, they conceded 3 against Bolton and they dropped 2 to spurs. They are in somewhat of a mini crisis having not made a very good start to the season either.And to top it all the only real goal threat they have is Saha - who goes off

On the contrary we on the other hand have our tails up. Two good draws although the Sunderland one felt like a loss, conversely the Arsenal game felt like a win. However the icing on the cake for us was a stirring, siege mentality, emphatic win over an in-form Villa, the lads were brilliant. We are buoyant, morale is creeping back into the players, no into the team; if ever there was a good time to take on the Toffees at The Boleyn Ground it had to be now, it just had to be.

What does Zola do?


He reverts to 4-3-3, drops Noble - who played a blinder Wednesday night - and starts Jimenez in front of Diamanti. The result? All huff and puff from us, predictable passing ball-to-feet in our own half with no penetration at all. Upshot? We go two nil down at home to the first and almost only two chances Everton get and finish the game by losing at home again 1-2

Words fail me…