LEADING up to last weekend’s semi-final I predicted David Moyes’ starting XI and confidently told anyone who would listen that Everton would make it to their second final in three years.
However confidently I may have sounded, however, there was still that horrible nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach.
We were playing Liverpool, and there was the feeling that they have a hex on us of late.
As it turned out my lack of confidence in my confidence was justified, leading to a result which was as disappointing and as hard to take as any I can remember in a very long time.
The result and the perceived performance has led to predictable questioning of David Moyes’ tactics.
Performances are, of course, always viewed in light of results – and had Everton managed to win 1-0 there would have been very few dissenters.
I watched a terrific match at Stamford Bridge in midweek where John Terry and Gary Cahill performed heroically to maintain a clean sheet against the best team in the world. Subsequent post-match comments and articles hailed Roberto di Matteo’s tactical genius, claiming he plotted the ‘perfect’ strategy which was implemented ‘perfectly’ by his players.
But on another day Barcelona might have won 5-0, having created glorious opportunities almost at will throughout the game.
Had Fabregas, Pedro and Sanchez converted chances then Chelsea’s performance would have been less ‘perfect’ and more ‘shambolic’.
Roberto di Matteo was able to select a team without their best player of late, Ivanovic, plus Torres, Essien, Sturridge and Kalou.
I was able to predict David Moyes’ team with a degree of certainty because he basically had three choices – Neville or Hibbert, two from three at centre-half and one from four on the left.
Blackpool became most people’s second favourite team last year, genuinely adopting a swashbuckling approach to the game. Yes, it was entertaining but they are currently trying to regain their Premier League status through the play-offs.
Swansea are this year’s Blackpool, in the sense that everyone admires them and their manager, but anyone who thinks they play free, open football is sadly mistaken.
Yes, they keep possession well, but are incredibly patient and if you look at their stats, their survival in the Premier League has been built on defence rather than attack.
Fans might throw up freak results such as Blackburn’s win at Manchester United where teams who “have a go” gain reward against bigger clubs. Nonsense.
Blackburn were outplayed by their more illustrious hosts, as Chelsea were in in midweek, riding their luck.
I haven’t seen every Everton game this year, but I’ve seen a lot.
I’ve also seen a lot of West Brom, Wolves, Stoke, Blackburn, Wigan and Swansea – and if I remember rightly they all came to Goodison, defended deep, and made the game hard work to watch.
Yet in all of those games Everton, in spells, produced some sparkling football – as they have of late.
Prior to last Sunday Everton had lost two in 17 – at Anfield where Moyes got his team selection wrong and against Arsenal.
Against Liverpool last Saturday we lost not because we lacked adventure, but because one of our most reliable and consistent players dropped a major rick.
Sylvain Distin’s mistake was enough to cause a collective frailty to set in amongst the Everton ranks, and of course have exactly the opposite effect on Liverpool.
I would hate people to think I am pointing the finger at Distin, because he is and has been a fantastic player for us, but had he or anyone else not made that mistake, which got Liverpool back into the game, Everton would surely have ran out winners and the performance and tactics would not have been questioned.
Such are the fine margins at the top level of sport.
In summary, a reasonable comparison at the moment would be Everton FC and Aston Villa.
Both founder members of the Football League, both with glorious histories.
But have a look at Villa’s net spend, how they play week in week out and where they currently are in the league table – and then think about criticising David Moyes.
