THEY’RE all afraid of us now, Reds.
Chelsea might be top of the league, but there’s only one team in the land that they’re all scared of. One team’s name that fans around the country are dreading when flicking through their teams’ fixture lists. Talking to each other over their Christmas dinners about how much they love our manager and how, for the first time in a generation, this team looks like it’s got everything.
I have a vivid memory etched in my mind that, for me, represents the Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United. It was a game in which United were being held to a draw, the lads they were playing working their socks off to control things, putting their manager’s pre-match plans in place, keeping hold of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and all the others. “Not much longer now,” they all think as they look into each other’s eyes and urge each other on. The ball goes out for a throw-in. The referee signals that a substitution is about to be made and all eyes turn towards the bench. The TV camera views the situation from behind the touchline, showing the backs of the players coming on and capturing the faces of the opposition players at the same time.
It was Roy Keane and David Beckham being brought on with minutes to go. The look of absolute dejection and despair on the faces of the opposition at the sight of these two massive lads coming on to the pitch was palpable. The slow realisation that they’ve put everything into this game so far and now have to deal with these two bastards as well. It said everything about United during that era. You think you’ve beaten us? You think you’ve got a draw? You think it’s only 10 minutes to go?
It’s going to be the longest 10 minutes of your entire life.
I said a few months ago the one thing missing from this Liverpool team, that I was waiting to see, was a game in which it was tight and we’re drawing with minutes to go, but we keep playing, keep moving the ball, keep making them follow our runs and stay switched on. A game in which we just wear them out then score in the dying minutes to take the points.
I had the same feeling last night that we all used to have watching those great United sides. More importantly, inside Goodison, thousands of Evertonians were having the exact same feeling. I turned to Ben Johnson on about the 80th minute and commented on how quiet their fans were. It was as if they were all just holding their collective breath, waiting for that moment, that inevitable moment when these Red shite bastards do what they always do. The mad thing is that we don’t always do it. We’ve had more bad luck than good in our last few visits to Goodison, but our Blue brethren have convinced themselves this always happens, so half the battle was won before we started.
When Daniel Sturridge and Emre Can appeared on the touchline in the 82nd minute, the inevitability of what was to come was reflected in the Old Lady showing her considerable age rather than the rocking that she is so infamous for on these nights under the lights. After all, there are only so many nights you can rock before you start getting old.
I was fortunate enough to have a ticket for the game, but less fortunate to be sitting right next to the barrier between our supporters and the home crowd in the Lower Bullens. For those of you who have never been to Goodison, or who have never experienced a gaggle of Evertonians (I’m not sure what you’d call a large group of them, but gaggle seems to be the nicest word I can think of right now) in the same place at the same time, it’s very difficult to explain what they’re like. The one word that comes closest to summing them up is “angry”.
There were a few young lads in their crowd not far from us who were smiling and trying to enjoy themselves, but the environment around them wasn’t having any fun at all. Anger etched on every face. Middle-aged fellas doing Scrappy-Doo impressions being held back by stewards as they threatened to jump the fence and take on 3,000 Liverpool fans. I often think the stewards would be better off telling them to go for it. Just jump the fence, mate. Those last 25 years of working in an office eating pies and cake will have prepared you for having a big fight, don’t worry about it. I actually wanted to have a word with the young lads and urge them to do something else with their time before the anger seeps into their veins and ruins their lives as well. It might be too late for some of the older ones, but the young ones could still be saved.
– Here is The Pink our immediate post-match reaction to the win over Everton, free this week as part of the TAW Christmas Hamper.
When Sturridge and Can came on and, later, when the fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time would be played, the anger had dissipated and been replaced by silence. I commented during the frantic first half-hour of the match that the problem with anger is that it’s really difficult to maintain. I’d urge you to have a go to demonstrate how difficult it is, but it’s not something I want to encourage so we’ll just have to picture it in our heads. Think about the last time you were really, really angry. Not a bit annoyed or pissed off, but really angry. Then think of how much you had to tense every muscle in your body to be that angry and think how hard that would be to do for half an hour. We were knackered last night after celebrating Sadio Mane’s goal for five minutes, so I don’t think I’ve got it in me to maintain the levels of muscle tension that anger requires. Fair play to the Blues for getting to the half-hour mark, I suppose.
This isn’t about them, though, this is about us. This is about the feeling we should all have after last night that we should carry forward for the next five months. If you weren’t already on board with enjoying this season as a title charge I want to have a word with you. With you specifically. If there’s any noise or other distraction around you right now move to somewhere a bit quieter where you can focus. Tell your husband, wife or boss that you just need a couple of minutes and you’ll finish that report or those dishes later, there’s something important that you need to do first.
I want you to ask yourself why you’re not on board yet. Don’t just dismiss the feeling, actually stop and think about it. Is it because you’re scared that it will happen again, that we’ll come so close and not actually win the league, or is it because you don’t think these lads and this manager are good enough to do it? I can’t imagine it being the latter after last night, so I’m assuming it’s the former. If it is, read that paragraph above about Evertonians again and remember that they weren’t always like this. They used to dream. They used to sing songs of joy about their players and think that they could win trophies. They were half of the biggest footballing city on the planet. And what happened? Slowly, over 21 years, they’ve allowed their dreams to fade. They’ve allowed people like David Moyes to convince them that just beating us, just scrapping around mid-table or just winning loads of throw-ins is all they need to feed their souls. But I’ve seen what that can do. I’ve been inside the beast and I’ve looked into their eyes and I’ve seen the hopelessness and the sadness. As the steward next to me said, in reply to Johno asking “why are they so angry?”, it’s “because it’s the only emotion they’ve got left”.
If you’re not on board with this glorious journey you might as well go and support Everton. We’ll do a fan exchange and I’ll set up a charity to rescue those young lads I saw last night who still had joy in their eyes, despite everything else going on around them. They’d love to be on this side of the fence, so if you’re not up for it you might be better off swapping with them. It’d be better for everyone. But what I really think you should do is give yourself the gift of belief and joy and dreams for Christmas. Forget all the heartbreak of those other years. They only existed to bring us to this point. They served their purpose. They made sure we had a captain who’s had a go at winning the league and has the scars and the experience that you can only collect through being so heart-breakingly close to winning it. They made sure we have a little magician who knows what it takes to score big goals in big games, to win big matches. They made sure that we’ve got the experience we need as supporters, knowing that lining the streets with flags, scarves and banners and lighting the air with red flares does inspire the players, even in these modern, cynical times.
Look at the faces of the players last night as they approached our supporters. Look at the delirium in the faces of those of us who were lucky enough to be there. Close your eyes and feel the warmth course through your veins as you think about watching Danny’s shot hit the post and Sadio anticipate the rebound. Bouncing around your living room or the pub as the ball nestles in the net. That feeling is what this is all about. These moments are what we’re all in it for. This manager, these players, our crowd, these wins. Sturridge coming back from injury ready to win a derby. Little Phil having a winter break ready for the title run-in. Gino Wijnaldum being the hardest lad you’ve ever seen in your life. Ragnar Klavan being the best centre-back in Europe without telling anyone.
Ultimately, only one team can win the league. Why can’t that team be ours? We’ve got something the others don’t have — we’ve got us. We’ve got hopes and dreams and songs about the joys of being a football supporter. We still remember what it’s like to win and we want it more than the others. We will bounce and sing and scream more than them. So what if we don’t win it? We’ll still have had last night. We’ll still have the next five months of hoping and dreaming, of loving being football supporters, of getting away from the worries of life and enjoying ourselves. Of singing “Oh Mane, Mane” over and over and over again while he waves nonchalantly and gives a nod of his head that says he’s got it all under control.
They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, and they’re right. But what they don’t tell you is that even if you have loved and lost, never give up on love. Never give up on hopes and dreams and singing and dancing. Never grow up. Never let what’s happened to most Evertonians happen to you.
Come and join us on the journey. It’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Merry Christmas everyone.
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After the visceral musings of Neil this is simply lovely Paul. Thanks and of course you are right we should never give up on love, even when it’s Bournemouth or Burnley
Nearly in tears here. Come on Red Men get us over that line. Your right Phil, its going to be one hell of a ride!
The collective noun for Evertonians is, of course, a “howl.”
Throw-in to the Redshite? BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Excellent post. Very uplifting. Happy crimbo to you too.
Just a brilliant article – a little history, a little laugh, a little verklempt, and a moment to relive yesterday’s chaos in the Pub half-way around the world from Goodison. Thanks Paul, and thanks TAW.
Great article as usual Paul – lighting up the sky with red flares – perfect!!!
Does anyone have a photo of the same section of the crowd behind Origi to post after Mane’s goal? It would show perfectly how anger inevitably drains into to despair, as Paul describes so well.
Imagine Town when we win the league… Imagine the party…. the carnival…..Imagine
“They’ve allowed people like David Moyes to convince them that just beating us, just scrapping around mid-table or just winning loads of throw-ins is all they need to feed their souls”
Rodgers was doing just that. I remember one superfan telling me I was dreaming when I said “Klopp for Kop” and no way could we attract top managers.
“We are where we are”…. Yep, 2nd.
Pfft, which dickhead said we couldn’t get Klopp. You should name and shame.
FSG got Klopp for Liverpool.
FSG got Klopp for Liverpool till 2022.
TG for Klopp.
TG for FSG.
TG for Liverpool.
I’ve got a feeling he means me, Peter. The language used by the ‘superfan’ sounds suspiciously like the one I used but I not looking for confrontation.
I’m happy to admit I was wrong on this one. I still find it hard to believe we got him and if we went back to the summer of last year I’d still say the same thing. He won’t come to us. He can have his pick of any team in the world. Oh.
I’m more keen to know what constitutes a superfan. I presume the bottom line is ‘passionate’.
No it doesn’t mean passionate,
It’s used by someone to try and belittle someone else for whatever reason,
Keep up the great comments you often post.
I AM A SUPERFAN. And proud of it. :)
I seem to remember someone (I won’t use that ridiculous term) having a right go at our Summer transfer business and intimating that FSG and not Klopp were doing the deals,
We all have skeletons in our closet regarding
Comments made on here, I thought Ricky Lambert was a clever signing ffs!!!
Haha, Rodgers thought Benteke was so don’t feel too bad.
Utterly Wonderful !
Great show youse lot. There was a really telling incident, I don’t know, maybe half hour in or so when we began asserting ourselves and the ball had gone dead for some reason. Lallana had just carried on walking forward on the our left, when McCutthroat just stepped right into his face, chest pumped out looking like a bevvied loon in the wine lodge. Lallana just bounced off him and casually walked back towards our half, big smile on his face, sort of ‘be the mong then, I’ll just fuck you up with footy’. For some reason Coleman then gets in Lallana face but he’s blowing out of his arse so much, he can hardly get his words out and Lallana seems to ask him too repeat what he said, mischievously. Coleman is almost trying to drag his fat tongue out of the way to breathe and has real trouble repeating himself. Lallana just turns and walks away smiling all over his kipper, ‘You’re well fucked up with our fitness’ written on his face.
I saw that. Right pair of mouthy little cretins are Coleman and McCarthy. I love the needle Lallana now has on the pitch.
Crikey, just look at their faces in the Origi photo. They are like a collective Gollum, so twisted and deformed from carrying the anger and rage.
Title or no title, find the joy and celebrate it. Every match, every goal, every 3 points, every Klopp celebration and hug.
Joy is the word. Joy to the red world.
One of the best articles, no matter what happens! Thank Paul and TAW. Please keep em coming.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
Up the Merry Reds!!!
Loved that Paul. Wonderful writing. Tere Sue Gidlof nailed it above.
Imagine…
Liverpool hit the front after beating Chelsea at Anfield, their third loss in a row … their midseason dip.
Liverpool hit the front and no one catches them again.
Dream!
Great article Paul – loved it. Keep them rolling, it’s going to be a massive 2017.
Merry Christmas to everyone at TAW and congratulations for all the awesome work you do.
I was there in the Lower Bullens, I was there in the Lion Tavern before! I’m always there. This season feels like 2013-14; we are good, we are good enough, and the train ride is just brilliant, so much to see, so many emotions to experience.
Great piece Paul; Lion’s pork pies done you good …..
Good stuff Paul as per usual.
Paul,
Excellently and eloquently put mate.
Positivity, optimism and BELIEF reverberates from us as we are reading this right through to the local conversations to the chats among the matchgoers to the queuing at the turnstiles to the taking of seats and the standing and the singing as the match begins and happens. It culminates in collective roars of support and urgency and death-in-a-shirt final efforts as witnessed again and again and pointedly vs BvD and vs Everton and others.
This positivity aka ‘this is our year’ (as Bitters and Manures deride us with) has led us to NEVER accept we won’t be Champions. NEVER accept we are 2nd best- even if the Table says otherwise. NEVER accept we cannot do it-26 years turning to 27- so bloody what…. it’ll make it 27 times more powerful when it happens. 27 times greater than a consecutive title can offer.
I absolutely believe this year will be our year because it IS our year. And as you say- don’t let anyone wait till May. Live the rollercoaster now. TAW is giving us an incredible opportunity to pour out our highs, lows, tears of joy and heartbreak together. Together. That’s a magnification platform of gigantic influence. I love the contrasting comments between Bournemouth/Hammers games and this one. Always pure. Always decent. Always honest. Living it together, dying together, resurrecting together. No other club fans can understand us- but they are all bloody jealous of us who can revel in victory and defeat because we understand our bigger picture. We understand football is more than money, titles and marquee signings. Look at the smoky, fog like image of Lovren with the outstretched hands breathing joy to the mucky boys celebrating Mane’s goal and it says it all (photo of 2016 surely?)
As you say Paul, let us not wait till May nor even for special games like Monday to experience what it means to be a Red supporter and proudly raise our voices. Raise them now with hope in our hearts. Live and love every goddamn moment, and let everyone know- This Year IS Our Year.
A self confessed Toffee here guys. Firstly I enjoyed the article, as always some provocative and interesting content. I thought you might like an Evertonian perspective on the evening, though I’m not sure I’ll be able to be suitably angry for you!
I thought Liverpool played very well. It was a mature performance, primarily because you looked to play in a different style to what you generally do but secondly because the way you played fitted perfectly the gameplan that was necessary to win the game.
I should qualify this by saying this is a poor Everton team. We are in an undoubtedly false position with results outranking performances. At the end of last season we collapsed, outside of Aston Villa we were as bad as anyone. That being said, we have managed to be competitive at home this season. None out of Manchester United, Spurs or Arsenal have left with a win. While I’m sure you will understandably say “it was only Everton” I wouldn’t rank it in a “must win” category for league winners. It is a bit better than that.
Everton were clearly going to pressure Liverpool. This is what poorer teams do to better teams. We had also had our best performance of the season the week before against Arsenal who wilted under the pressure. This is understandable from Koeman, it was the only way we would have a chance to beat Liverpool. I understand the argument that this is an extension of a perceived bitterness. That’s not my take on it, for me it’s an extension from having a poorer team and over a historical period less resources to spend on said team. If Everton want to get closer to Liverpool that is what needs to be improved.
Liverpool didn’t wilt though. After about 25-30 minutes you began to break the press and switch the play well. That turned the tide and McCarthy coming off accelerated that change of momentum. The entirety of the 2nd half we went into our shells and defended while hoping to keep you out. Could we have gone for it more? Maybe. Was there sufficient fitness in the players too? Doubtful. Would Everton have got anything from the game trying to attack Liverpool? I highly doubt it.
Much of the pressing in the first half, for my money was ok. It was within the laws and spirit of the game. Liverpool may not like it, but I felt Gueye & McCarthy executed a high pressure game. What was not acceptable was Barkley’s challenge on Henderson. This was a cowardly tackle and I have no idea what he was thinking. Enormous credit to Jordan Henderson for downplaying the incident, if it was me I wouldn’t have done so.
Henderson was enormously impressive last night. It would have been easy to react to the tackle, have a mass brawl and allow the game to descend into a chaos of fighting and free kicks. It may have made him feel better to seek retribution. However what he knew, was that the game plan that was required was not matching Everton like for like, but keeping the tempo and atmosphere within the ground calm and focussing on your objectives. Namely, move the ball quickly and sometimes a bit longer to avoid the press. It was a real captains performance from Henderson, and should silence some of the doubts on him that may have existed within your own fanbase.
The goal came late. Some may say it was unlucky. That’s certainly not my take on it. Liverpool deserved to win. Everton showed very little intent to get forward. The two teams are a long way apart. Part of that is quality of players, part of that is the time the manager has had with each squad. As for Liverpool, it’s a huge win for you guys. It felt like the McCallister goal and the momentum you got from that as a result. You are right in the mis with Chelsea, especially if a side find a way that can be used to break the formation that has looked unflinching so far.
I’m not sure if I fit the paradigm of none angry Evertonian ready for conversion. Like the rest of us I get angry. The point of course is what lessons are learnt from the anger and whether you stay in a perpetual state of anger. I would have to decline your offer of conversion, kind though it is. As we all know, you can’t change your football team.
More importantly though, I always have some sympathy with being the underdog. Some relish of that. Being working class and of lefty leaning persuasion leads you to the conclusion that there is much romance in being the underdog, even if you are knowingly aware of the contradictory essence of this. Life is nothing but struggle and competition against those who are richer and more successful than you. Win lose or draw I wouldn’t change it. It’s character building, or some cliché like that!
Well played anyway. I’m not sure how the comment will be met. I’ll happily reply to any comments. You played very well and the conduct of Henderson was top draw, far more than Barkley deserved. You look good to go on a strong run to me. As for us? A crucial January awaits!
Well said and a fair assessment Andrew. I think McCarthy and Coleman were the Derbymen of the 1st half- not thuggish, Derby’ish – like we were of old and Stevie and Jamie of recent. Tough but fair. But Barkley was a thug, like Mori last year, and Henderson saved his arse, true.
It was a different toughness from Liverpool- you’re right- it was delivered through the ball instead of into the balls like days of old. This’d be Klopp’s influence- vent anger through play, not fists. You hurt with a tackle for an hour or a day- you feel a defeat for a year.
You have lesser resources?… your squad is a lot stronger than you and others claim. Good backs. Good midfielders. Good forward options. It’s the fitness and use of these resources that’s lacking. That plus the lack of expectation to win all before ye. As Paul says above- as a club you’ve accepted your lot and this permeates through the team and crowd so you’ll raise your game for the ‘biggies’ but drop off in the others. Select wins but no progress. Klopp could have bought big this summer- he’d have the support on a £100m outlay deficit- but instead he had a £17m surplus. Used the same players others moaned about a year ago, got rid of many more, then bought 7 (6 really) for £67m with £50m back from sales. He didn’t buy a Left Back. He made one. Didn’t buy outright strikers. He made scorers from forwards. I could go on… but the point is the expectations of the club and the desire to achieve them. That’s where I believe Everton are falling short but Liverpool keep striving to match and overachieve. Happy is he who asks little of life- for he shall not be disappointed. We ask for more and won’t stop until we get it. You expect, and so achieve, less.
(Do us a favour and raise your bloody game against Chelsea and don’t roll over like you did vs City in ’14.)
HI Peter, thanks for your thoughtful reply mate. I suppose we will have to agree to disagree a little on your first point. I think Gerrard and Carragher were certainly no stranger to some horror tackles. Neither as you have said have been Mori, Fellaini, Suarez, Mirallas, Barkley etc. The sad part in all of this is that these tackles end careers. I’ve met a lot of both fans who hold up the red card count in the derby match as a badge of honor. I can’t say I get that. It just means both clubs get hampered by injuries and suspensions. I think both clubs fans have to call their own players out on it, as I’ve tried to do with Ross.
Liverpool showed a resilience. I think the high press game would have suited Everton as it would have made the game frenetic. I hoped Liverpool would go that route. Being able to play with the control you did is a really important skill, and for that reason as opposed to the standard of your opposition it is a fantastic win.
I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree on the standard of Everton currently. For me it’s a very unbalanced squad (in terms of positions, but also ages, lots at either end of their career and not enough in the middle). We also have a glut of players who have been told they are phenomenal and are inconsistent and not fit enough. They can have the rare moment of magic but lack consistency. I can see why if people watch us on MOTD they’d probably think we were a lot better than we are. Watching us most weeks I can assure you we have a lot of rebuilding to do.
I’m not sure as fans we’ve accepted our lot. Our budget is a fraction of the top teams in the division. I totted up the cost for each sides 14 lads who played, and yours was around 3 times higher. We are undoubtedly the underdogs in the game. I think what some toffees have done is cherished this role as underdog as opposed to start to look at the question of how we can rebuild off the field. I understand our lot currently, but recognise this shouldn’t be and isn’t the historical tradition of where Everton should be. Thankfully we have an owner now who is trying to address these issues, which is a positive.
There’s no doubt Klopp has done some fantastic business in the summer. I remember seeing Neil write that getting people out was critical this summer. It was a typically poignant point. You sold very well and you can see the freshness it has given. We need to move a lot on as well!
As for the Chelsea game, I can give no guarantees there fella! The only team we routinely underperform for is you lot, so you’ll probably have 3 points at Anfield to look forward too as well!
All the best, Andrew.
Hi Andrew
Greats posts, probably a more damning assessment than I’d give if I was trying my hardest to be nasty. Without trying to be antagonistic, as I think it’s good you have added your honest thoughts without rivalry coming into it, but something you touched on above reminded me of a thought I had at that match. I thought the Everton players looked like right porkers. How can Premier league players being holding extra pounds in this day and age? I think a better fitness coach would be a good place to start. Whether Klopp’s fitness regime will be proven to be good come April and May remains to be seen but I think we’ve seen the benefits of it this season so far.
Thanks Robin. I think there is an issue with the fitness of Everton players. It’s not something Martinez viewed as important. You see a lad like Deulofeu, and he will beat a man and put a good ball in, but once he’s done that he is often keeling over tired. At his age he needs to be doing that 10/15/20 times a game.
The story goes that Martinez fell out with the physio and the fitness team, which was widely regarded as one of the best. Willie Donachie left and lots of the players kept him on privately which is telling.
Suffice to say it does take some time to be able to rebuild those fitness levels. You’ve probably seen with your own team, it’s taken a year or 9 months for Klopp to get the players where he wants them, and you were starting from a higher base than what Koeman inherited. Kluttenberg who they got in has a good reputation, and lets put it this way, there were no problems with Southampton players fitness last season.
In all honesty mate, and I don’t mean this disrespectfully but you have picked up on something that most people at the match see. Martinez though a nice man lived in a his own little world and couldn’t spot what most of us could see. As I’ve said though, with something like fitness there isn’t a switch that can be flicked on and off, and I do think it will take at least a year to get the team where Koeman wants it to be.
Oh right, that’s all quite interesting then. To be honest mate, much as I didn’t want Martinez to succeed for obvious reasons one half of me did. I like the man. He played for my hometown team, Chester, but left to take the Swansea managers job. I thought he was a nice man too and I don’t like many Premiership managers.
I expected a lot more from Deulofeu this season. I think he’s been disappointing. I put him in my fantasy team before the season started. I thought injury free he’d do well. I despise him now because he’s one of the ones which got me off to a bad start that I haven’t really recovered from, haha. Expected more from Barkley too. He’s been a bit hit and miss too. Another one I despise after what he did to Henderson. I’ve spent so long defending Henderson that he’s become like a favourite player although at my age I shouldn’t have one and Barkley disappointed me a bit. I’ve always had a bit of respect for him. I mean, he’s not the first to do that in a derby from either side but I was shocked.
Koeman’s a good manager. I’m sure in time he’ll get Everton doing well. The problem is he’ll find it hard to break into the top 6 anytime soon.
Andrew, thanks for your reply and good to see you Sash and Robin with salient points.
Re Gerrard and Carra, I was actually saying these boys were like our Derby players of old and yours of present- tough, hard and sometimes career threatening tacklers- but LFC ones were able to immediately refocus on the job.
Current squad plays Klopps way- control the game first and play to ball-passing strengths, avoiding injuries and cards in the process with total focus on winning, not fighting.
Relative to your squad however, I do disagree- they are decent but it’s the manager who makes the quality players look good. Klopp’s squad had no marquee players and were written off right up to October. The general consensus was they were ordinary barring maybe PC and DS and even ‘disastrous’ in certain areas. Klaven is a great case in point- what a turnaround they’ve done with him 1 game..ok, I know…but…)
But then, at Dortmund, the ‘ordinary’ squad consensus was the same until Klopp made the breakthrough. Now they’re all supposed to be world class. What puzzles me is that Koenan did well with a depleted squad at Southampton and bought cheap but well, yet doesn’t seem to have the same inner drive at Everton. Raneiri used a decent squad and got them fit and focused, without marquees too..and fitness really showed after 20 minutes and especially the last 15 on Monday night.
I think Everton will always continue to pedal away in the middle until the FANS change the managers. Liverpool fans do, privately. Quietly. By saying nothing during the endgames, the managers and Board knows the fans want a change. The fans want to win and still we won’t accept being also-rans.
You had Moyes and thanked him fgs for staying in the PL! We’d have stayed shtumm by his second season and he’d be gone. If Everton want to get back challenging instead of bitter’ing, it has to come from the terraces; the change of attitude. Until then it’ll always be as it is.
And if LFC take the Title- you won’t see us for dust….then what’ll be the mood and attitude of the blues?…Horrific I’d imagine.
Hi Andrew, Peter,
Andrew, for the record, I’ve no animosity with you or Everton fans in general. Perhaps I’m far away most of the time to not have to be, unlike the Scum fans and Plastics whom I take every opportunity to shut up when I can. I think you made some good points and brave of you to come on here to post your thoughts, though you have the right to do whatever.
To Peter’s points, we Reds also have seen those dark days, and have reacted accordingly that makes us look pathetic, making the team and manager look pathetic.
As Peter eloquently put it – “Happy is he who asks little of life- for he shall not be disappointed. We ask for more and won’t stop until we get it. You expect, and so achieve, less.”
We asked, so why don’t you guys? Hey it’s Christmas time after all, so go on then. :)
Happy Holidays to you both.
HI Sash. You are welcome and I read and enjoy the website a lot. It’s a really grown up football discussion and hoped my input as an Evertonian may have provided a different take which people have responded to so that’s great.
I think you make a good point on rivalry. John Gibbons wrote a cracking article on this, that in a bizarre way Everton help ground Liverpool in the City they are from. You are right though, there is often rivalry as your life is made miserable by other fans if your team loses to them.
I grew up 300 miles away from Liverpool and the two most supported teams were firstly Manchester United and secondly Liverpool. I always disliked Liverpool but as a kid it was always United I’d have special hatred for. Through the 90’s and 00’s we never beat them, and I can assure you school was a miserable experience outnumbered 50 to 1 in that context. My Everton schoolbag was even urinated on after the 95 Cup Final! I could never really relate to the idea of Evertonians and United being close. As you get older you appreciate the relationship for most Evertonians who live in the city is different as there is a different experience.
I suppose my point is it’s understandable many reds outside of the city don’t hate Everton, and I’ve never really hated Liverpool in quite the same way. I remember there was a hard lad at my school a few years older than me, who’s dad was a scouser and he looked out for me, which was appreciated, as Monday mornings after Everton playing your lot or more often United were never much fun! As I said I always appreciated that. When I speak to LFC fans who’ve left the city like my family did we generally get along very well and have a lot in common.
As for your main question I think there is something in it about having high expectations. More than Moyes the owner Kenwright has managed to lower a lot of fans expectations. He’s out of his depth and found a niche for himself as quite a nice man who people pity. When that’s what your owner says a lot of Evertonians have gone along with that.
As the article says, anger is an understandable but (if prolonged) fruitless pursuit. I think over the last 30 years working class communities have come to fetishize the idea of being the underdog and ultimately losing. From the miners strike, to the dockers etc there’s a real heroic pessimism. The City of Liverpool fought and ultimately most against Thatcher and a lot of Evertonians have a similar outlook. That’s just my viewpoint anyway.
As with ordinary people, Everton fans have to start from a position that we are not defined by being an underdog. Our history isn’t in keeping with that tradition. Can you imagine Dixie Dean, Pickering, Lawton, Ball etc going along with that? It’s an invention from consecutive boards to take the pressure off themselves. I hope with the new Ownership this will change, and I am quietly confident.
I won’t go on but think I’ve mansplained enough! Happy Christmas to you too and keep up the good work!
Chugga Chugga, chugga chugga, GINiiiiiiiiiii
Lad is an absolute steam train
Lovely piece. On the bitters, met one at Aintree races recently. Easily the most angry man I’ve ever met. So much so that I genuinely thought he might have a coronary or something. When you hate your rivals more than you love your own club you truly are in a dark place.
Loved the tenor of the rest of the piece, but the message needs to reach a wider audience than us Wrappers. Make it your mission to covert/persuade/cojole or bully someone near you in the ground to divest themselves of the “we’ll never win it again” mentality at every opportunity.
Having a crowd that believes it can won’t guarantee you’ll win it. But having a crowd that doesn’t believe will guarantee you won’t.
That was a fantastically written piece. I’m a season ticket holder but couldn’t get hold of a ticket for Monday. The bile emanating from the blues was palpable even on my TV.
I’ve been to most post ’75 derbies but I honestly think the evertonians should be issued with a ‘love’ pill when they pass through the turnstiles.
That anger only eats from the inside out.
Once again, well done for writing such an emotive article.