Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Sunday, 29 March 2009
England 4, someone else 0
England's showing yesterday against Slovakia was exactly what you should be expecting of a team that thinks once again it is in with a shout of winning the World Cup in 2010. A comfortable victory over a side who have a qualifier to play on Wednesday, and needed a 4-0 pounding like a hole in the head, should be expected and should be delivered. Becks got 109, the core players all performed well and Everton had three on the bench. Three-quarters of our best back four in ages.
Whether any of the trio makes it to South Africa next Summer remains to be seen. I think there's a fair shout that either Jags or Lescott will make it as the 4th choice centre-back, particular as both can fill in at full-back. Fabio seems to favour Upson over both and he may also end up taking the lame Ledley King with him just to spite the increasing annoying 'Arry Redknapp. I would.
Whether any of the trio makes it to South Africa next Summer remains to be seen. I think there's a fair shout that either Jags or Lescott will make it as the 4th choice centre-back, particular as both can fill in at full-back. Fabio seems to favour Upson over both and he may also end up taking the lame Ledley King with him just to spite the increasing annoying 'Arry Redknapp. I would.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Block 127
So that is Wembley sorted. 45 minutes on hold from 0800 this morning and I have been rewarded with two tickets in Block 127 at the West End of Wembley Stadium.
Having experienced the booking system through the club and heard the complaints on radio, read about them on the internet, I can understand people's irritation. However you can't satisfy everyone and some people are not going to get their preferred seating option, including me. The main thing is that I'll be there for the match. Supply and demand et cetera. Some folk are not going to get there so I should be grateful I will.
Ticketing for any event these days is a time-consuming, expensive and unfulfilling experience. The punter is robbed blind with unjustifiable charges (in addition to the price of the ticketed event) coming at you from all sides. There's always a totally inappropriate delivery charge which seems to be a random number plucked from thin air and then 20 per cent added, and the ubiquitous 'booking fee' even when you only interacted with Mr Internet for 10 minutes. The mystery charge for the Semi-Final ticket is the cost of postage. Recorded mail. The same mail that is delivered by the same postman each morning, who frequently doesn't actually get the signature requested, and charged for.
Still, given Everton's sparse visits to Wembley in the modern era, I'll cope. I remain of the opinion playing the match on Sunday is ludicrous.
Having experienced the booking system through the club and heard the complaints on radio, read about them on the internet, I can understand people's irritation. However you can't satisfy everyone and some people are not going to get their preferred seating option, including me. The main thing is that I'll be there for the match. Supply and demand et cetera. Some folk are not going to get there so I should be grateful I will.
Ticketing for any event these days is a time-consuming, expensive and unfulfilling experience. The punter is robbed blind with unjustifiable charges (in addition to the price of the ticketed event) coming at you from all sides. There's always a totally inappropriate delivery charge which seems to be a random number plucked from thin air and then 20 per cent added, and the ubiquitous 'booking fee' even when you only interacted with Mr Internet for 10 minutes. The mystery charge for the Semi-Final ticket is the cost of postage. Recorded mail. The same mail that is delivered by the same postman each morning, who frequently doesn't actually get the signature requested, and charged for.
Still, given Everton's sparse visits to Wembley in the modern era, I'll cope. I remain of the opinion playing the match on Sunday is ludicrous.
Sunday, 22 March 2009
End of the run
The lad behind me said "this is the worst view in the worst ground in the Premiership. It's the hardest to get to - and I live here". Turns out he's in the armed forces, exiled from Liverpool and currently residing in the Southsea area. But his comment just about sums up Fratton Park and, due in part to Fratton being certainly one of the hardest grounds to get to (one road in, one road out), I missed the Everton highlight stood along with about 500 others waiting to squeeze through the turnstiles.
Once I did take my position things looked good. Although the two lads down Portsmouth's right flank were making decent inroads into the Everton half, most of Pompey's attacking play was disjointed. Then, from a corner that shouldn't have been given, Everton failed to clear the first ball properly, a second one was dropped into the area from where Glenn Johnson nodded across the box and Crouch piled in over the top of Lescott for the equalizer.
From that moment on, I wasn't overly confident Everton had the wit to break down the Portsmouth back line. I agree with some witnesses that Everton didn't really test Portsmouth, but that said, I thought Sol Campbell managed the threat of Saha and Jo comfortably even if he does look like he just feasts on growth hormones for breakfast. We didn't turn him once or exploit his obvious weakness in his lack of pace.
As the game was running down for what I expected to be a draw, Pompey threw on Kanu whilst Moyes' pondered introducing Gosling. For some reason, Gosling got his kit off but was then told to sit tight, presumably whilst we defended a corner? From that corner, Kanu did enough to put off Howard and Crouch did the rest leaping over Fellaini who didn't appear to jump. Game over.
Driving home I was struggling to remember the last time Everton got beaten by a team not competing for a top six finish. It looks like the aberrational trip to Wigan in November. Which is an indication of how well the side has done in the last 3 months. The fixture list gets harder now but we're still in decent shape for finishing sixth.
No sign of the loon with the bells this year. Disappointing.
Once I did take my position things looked good. Although the two lads down Portsmouth's right flank were making decent inroads into the Everton half, most of Pompey's attacking play was disjointed. Then, from a corner that shouldn't have been given, Everton failed to clear the first ball properly, a second one was dropped into the area from where Glenn Johnson nodded across the box and Crouch piled in over the top of Lescott for the equalizer.
From that moment on, I wasn't overly confident Everton had the wit to break down the Portsmouth back line. I agree with some witnesses that Everton didn't really test Portsmouth, but that said, I thought Sol Campbell managed the threat of Saha and Jo comfortably even if he does look like he just feasts on growth hormones for breakfast. We didn't turn him once or exploit his obvious weakness in his lack of pace.
As the game was running down for what I expected to be a draw, Pompey threw on Kanu whilst Moyes' pondered introducing Gosling. For some reason, Gosling got his kit off but was then told to sit tight, presumably whilst we defended a corner? From that corner, Kanu did enough to put off Howard and Crouch did the rest leaping over Fellaini who didn't appear to jump. Game over.
Driving home I was struggling to remember the last time Everton got beaten by a team not competing for a top six finish. It looks like the aberrational trip to Wigan in November. Which is an indication of how well the side has done in the last 3 months. The fixture list gets harder now but we're still in decent shape for finishing sixth.
No sign of the loon with the bells this year. Disappointing.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Hall of Fame
A friend of mine told me earlier he's on his way to the Hall of Fame induction of one Duncan Ferguson, late of the Parish of Mallorca I believe. He got into the recent Times Online Top 50 Everton players at a lofty 49 (at least he was ahead of Gravesen). There are many words you could use to describe Ferguson, but the one I'll settle for is enigmatic. It probably best befits Ferguson's on and off-field persona and behaviour. From his arrival on loan from Glasgow Rangers, right through to the 90th minute final match penalty - on the rebound - against West Brom, the man basically transcended the football arena, possibly more so given how rank poor Everton were as a team for most of Ferguson's career at the club.
Even his decision to relocate his family to a Balearic Island post-career is different. It kind of sums the man up. Nothing he ever did was conventional.
For me Duncan Ferguson is a legend for two main reasons. Firstly, he frequently delivered in key matches against the better sides, consequently leading to accusations that he simply 'couldn't be arsed' for the mendacity of Coventry away. Secondly, he played in an era of dross. Outside of the magnificent run to Wembley in 1995, for a chunk of '94 to 2006, we were poor, and I amongst many others often went along to the game waiting to see something of quality from Ferguson. Often we left disappointed, but the odd gem stood out and are remembered far more than the barren periods.
Years from now, it will be Ferguson who is recalled from that period. Obviously Moyes' transformation of the club means we're no longer a 12th place scrapping operation, and we had a brief glimpse of what Wayne Rooney would become, but that aside I can't think of a single player so closely identified with our club during such an underachieving period in the club's history.
Even his decision to relocate his family to a Balearic Island post-career is different. It kind of sums the man up. Nothing he ever did was conventional.
For me Duncan Ferguson is a legend for two main reasons. Firstly, he frequently delivered in key matches against the better sides, consequently leading to accusations that he simply 'couldn't be arsed' for the mendacity of Coventry away. Secondly, he played in an era of dross. Outside of the magnificent run to Wembley in 1995, for a chunk of '94 to 2006, we were poor, and I amongst many others often went along to the game waiting to see something of quality from Ferguson. Often we left disappointed, but the odd gem stood out and are remembered far more than the barren periods.
Years from now, it will be Ferguson who is recalled from that period. Obviously Moyes' transformation of the club means we're no longer a 12th place scrapping operation, and we had a brief glimpse of what Wayne Rooney would become, but that aside I can't think of a single player so closely identified with our club during such an underachieving period in the club's history.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Delilah
Everton took care of a fairly stern challenge from Stoke on Saturday, but I think the 3-1 scoreline is misleading. Once Stoke pegged us back to 2-1 early in the second half, they put together 20 minutes of old-school English football, making a very uncomfortable period until the braided Fellaini finished it minutes from the end.
The game was largely forgettable, but the 3000 Stoke fans deserve massive credit for selling out their section, all showing up and putting together 90 minutes of 'back in the day' chants, sing-songs and behaviour that turned the clock back. I appreciate Stoke have been out of the top flight since the mid-80s, and that could go somewhere to explaining the style of football they play, but there must be more to it. I can't recall a larger police presence than the one surrounding that corner of the Bullens Road Stand, inside or out, nor the systematic piling in of the coppers to eject Stoke fans at regular intervals until they finally became becalmed once Lescott tapped us 2-0 up after 25 or so minutes.
Up until then, the Goodison faithful had been treated to a cacophony of noise and some decent banter with the Park End Blues. Although slightly quieter between Everton's second and the Stoke goal from Shawcross, things livened up for the remainder of the game. The excitement that greeted every Delap throw-in was priceless.
Outside of the visits of the 'big four' sides, Sunderland's travelling support usually provide the best show at Goodison, but for me in 08/09 campaign, the boys from the Potteries take the award for Best Travelling Fans.
The game was largely forgettable, but the 3000 Stoke fans deserve massive credit for selling out their section, all showing up and putting together 90 minutes of 'back in the day' chants, sing-songs and behaviour that turned the clock back. I appreciate Stoke have been out of the top flight since the mid-80s, and that could go somewhere to explaining the style of football they play, but there must be more to it. I can't recall a larger police presence than the one surrounding that corner of the Bullens Road Stand, inside or out, nor the systematic piling in of the coppers to eject Stoke fans at regular intervals until they finally became becalmed once Lescott tapped us 2-0 up after 25 or so minutes.
Up until then, the Goodison faithful had been treated to a cacophony of noise and some decent banter with the Park End Blues. Although slightly quieter between Everton's second and the Stoke goal from Shawcross, things livened up for the remainder of the game. The excitement that greeted every Delap throw-in was priceless.
Outside of the visits of the 'big four' sides, Sunderland's travelling support usually provide the best show at Goodison, but for me in 08/09 campaign, the boys from the Potteries take the award for Best Travelling Fans.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Semi-Final dates
Whether it is the FA, ITV, Setanta or the Met Police, who made the decision on scheduling the forthcoming FA Cup Semi-Finals at Wembley, take a bow. Take a very big bow.
With respect to Hull, in all likelihood, Arsenal will be playing Chelsea in one match, Everton up against Manchester United in the other. Two northern clubs, two London clubs. Acknowledging that the FA has to fund Wembley and television's input in wanting both matches to be broadcast on different days, I've no issue with splitting the games across the weekend. But to then decide that you'll play the 'local' London derby on the Saturday, and the North-West version on the Sunday evening at 4pm, is plain crackers. Whatever those witty opposition fans say, the bulk of United's travelling support will be from the North-West and not Devon or South Wales. Even more of Everton's support will be drawn from that corner of England. So given the appalling state of our network rail infrastructure, you're looking at potentially some 60,000 people travelling back north via the M40, M1 and M6 on a Sunday night. And you just know the Highways Agency will have some major roadworks scheduled on the M6 that night don't you?
So, all-in-all, a very good call. The television directors have long since shown their lack of respect for the football fan who actually goes to watch a match live, but I would have thought that the police of all those involved would have preferred being able to get the Northern half of the draw out of the way on Saturday. Playing on the Saturday would have seen people stagger their journeys to the capital across the weekend for example.
Roll on extra-time and penalties.
With respect to Hull, in all likelihood, Arsenal will be playing Chelsea in one match, Everton up against Manchester United in the other. Two northern clubs, two London clubs. Acknowledging that the FA has to fund Wembley and television's input in wanting both matches to be broadcast on different days, I've no issue with splitting the games across the weekend. But to then decide that you'll play the 'local' London derby on the Saturday, and the North-West version on the Sunday evening at 4pm, is plain crackers. Whatever those witty opposition fans say, the bulk of United's travelling support will be from the North-West and not Devon or South Wales. Even more of Everton's support will be drawn from that corner of England. So given the appalling state of our network rail infrastructure, you're looking at potentially some 60,000 people travelling back north via the M40, M1 and M6 on a Sunday night. And you just know the Highways Agency will have some major roadworks scheduled on the M6 that night don't you?
So, all-in-all, a very good call. The television directors have long since shown their lack of respect for the football fan who actually goes to watch a match live, but I would have thought that the police of all those involved would have preferred being able to get the Northern half of the draw out of the way on Saturday. Playing on the Saturday would have seen people stagger their journeys to the capital across the weekend for example.
Roll on extra-time and penalties.
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