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What?s Changed?

I?ve not posted on here in a while, what with having just done my exams it?s hard to find time to write a decent article. I?m supposed to be revising now for a test but I can?t. I?ve had a shit day at college and it?s because of one simple reason: Everton Football Club.

I?m sure you?re all the same as me. When Everton loose, it puts me on a downer for the next few days at least; but what?s changed recently is that I don?t get disappointed ? just fucking angry. And that?s what hurts the most.

This is the best team sheet I?ve ever seen as an Evertonian. We have a choice of two international goalkeepers in Mucha and Howard, we have two international centre halves in Jagielka and Heitinga, the most talented midfielder not to get in Spain?s World Cup winning squad, and a supposedly proven goal scorer in Yakubu up front.

Not only this but we don?t have any injury problems to major players and there was no transfer ordeals with any of our best players leaving. Yet Moyes still persists in the 4-5-1 formation that does not work without Cahill and he still plays Osman on the right over a Russian international winger that cost us £10 million ? money that we can hardly afford to waste on a player that warms the bench.

Last night, me and my Dad were listening to City FM around the kitchen table with my Mum in the front room. And it struck me that this really was a return to the old days. When good ol? Walter was in charge, that was our Saturday afternoon; turn the radio on at 3, listen to Everton loose, turn it off at 5, then have a good old cry on my Dad?s shoulder as to why Everton were rubbish and how we shouldn?t have let Nick Barmby leave. Not much has changed at all really apart from I don?t cry to my dad anymore I just rant to my girlfriend instead.

Grahame Sharp mentioned in his commentary last night about a game against Bristol Rovers ten years ago that we lost in the League Cup and I couldn?t help but reminisce, if that?s the right word, about the old days. And I came to the conclusion that we're not much further on.

Yes, we no longer have to worry every season about avoiding relegation... but, on the other hand, Walter never did get us relegated, though he did try his best. We now have a manager who, very much like Smith, has an immediate objective of not to loose. No team has ever or will ever be successful simply by avoiding defeat. Everton as a football club are better than that and, whenever I see us playing 4-5-1 against anyone but the top 3, my heart sinks because you know that we just won?t go out and attack.

I hate to say this but, under David Moyes?s management, this will never change. As a team, it seems we peaked with the Cup Final defeat against Chelsea. Ever since, we?ve just gone steadily backwards; but, this season, teams are catching us up and going beyond us... and, as they continue to progress at the same rate, we go backwards ? it's going to get to the point that we?ll be stuck in mid table.

But what?s really pissed me off is that we can no longer rely on keeping a clean sheet whenever we're not playing quite so well up front. Recently, we?ve been so poor defensively and that?s completely unacceptable considering that?s supposed to be Moyes?s strongest point. We have Distin, who is playing shite at the minute, keeping out a Dutch international who himself has been off this campaign. All-in-all, only Jagielka is holding steady at the back and that is the one area where we should never be struggling in.

So yeah, that?s it really. Rant over. But, if it doesn?t change and change fast, we?ll be struggling to finish in the top half this season, and that?s the worst part of it. Because if we finish there once, I doubt we?ll make it back to the position we were in a few seasons ago.

Maybe Moyes?s time is up; maybe he?ll get us out of this mess..., but one thing is for sure: last night reminded me of a time I thought our club had been through and successfully come out the other side... Maybe not.

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