A view from my seat

This shot with the couple consoling each other was taken around 10 minutes from the end of the game last night.  Flipped-up empty seats show most people had departed.

As the final whistle went, Mykolenko was the only player to come over to acknowledge what was left of the travelling support. Coleman followed from the bench and dragged some of us colleagues with him while Mykolenko spoke with one of the Chelsea players. Do they need a left back?  We may yet have one for sale – Premier League experience, improves each year. A visibly upset Tarkowski was apologising on TV later.  I appreciated his presence.

The worst defeat for 19 years, but the previous one was healthily overshadowed by Champions League qualification a few days earlier.  I was there for that one, too. This was far, far worse.  At the end of the Arsenal game, a furious Moyes sent the Everton team back to the Everton fans and then followed them and that game was one Everton played badly in the haze of a hangover.  

Last night was different in every respect and it was obviously terrible. From the second minute to the first goal, we were actually not too bad.  A little frenetic for these 10 minutes and Beto could – perhaps should – have scored.  Everton then conceded a soft goal, and heads went down.  

Dyche disappeared back into his doorman’s suit. The game was lost; Chelsea knew it, Everton knew it, the crowd knew it, the manager knew it, so the remaining 80 minutes had a strange predictability.  No great surprise when Chelsea fans in the pub after the game told us Everton were the worst team they’d played. 

What next?  Dyche almost certainly won’t be sacked – despite a worse record than Lampard, Benitez or Allardyce.  His team can’t score goals – only Sheffield Utd have scored fewer - and the only thing going for them till last night was an ability to defend, but now they’ve lost that reputation.  They don’t win games; expecting three victories in the next six is wishful thinking and the last win over Burnley was hardly convincing.

Down to bare bones on Saturday.  Patterson’s injury looked serious, and we must hope Branthwaite went off as a precaution when the game was lost.  Calvert-Lewinis out.  TV punditry provided evidence that Dele is still around, yet he may not even have a squad number.

We will probably struggle on to survive this season before losing players to the transfer market and heading into yet another relegation battle next season. Relegation this year would be worse.

We all know the club is in a real mess, but – like the couple in the photo – we’ll be there when those responsible for the crimes have all left the scene.  Most of us probably accept that the first game in the sparkly new stadium is likely to be in the Championship. 

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