Match Preview
They don't come much more crunchier than this one! The
second game of the new Moyes era is massive. A true
six-pointer, with Derby one of the few starting to show some
fight down at the bottom of the Premiership.
Everton's away from has been atrocious up until now.
On away stats alone, Walter Smith has taken us to the bottom
of the league.
After his first week in charge, with morning and afternoon
training sessions re-established in an effort to get some
fitness (and hopefully some passing ability) back into the
squad David Moyes has inherited.
Some suggest that Moyes will select the same starting 11
from last week, even though he may have more choices available
to him, with a number of the walking wounded said to be on the
mend.
Only Mark Pembridge is still injured although Gary Naysmith
suffered a reaction to his ankle after training and will not
be risked. Kevin Campbell is back in the squad, and
could play a part following a week of rumours that had him
departing to either Aston Villa or Charlton.
The important thing will be to pick players who can start
playing more as a team, with a little bit of tactical
organization and purpose ahead of the game. David Moyes
has already talked of getting them working together better,
but a week may be too soon for the results of his methods to
start bearing fruit.
Another win would of course be a fabulous result, and with
Moyes in charge, you can feel once again that there is a
desire to win; there is the possibility once again that
Everton can win. But it will be extremely hard; Everton's
goal-shy front line is still basically the same.
A draw is the "safe" result; a loss is simply
unthinkable.
Everton fans around the world may have the opportunity to
watch this one live, delayed, or with extended highlights,
giving them a great chance to savour the new mood of optimism
that David Moyes has brought with him.
Well, what do you say about that?
by Nick Pennick
I live just 20 minutes' walk from Pride Park and, in spite of working this
morning, there was never any chance I was missing the game. I live and work in
Derby, so I've been winding Derby fans up all week. I had promised every Derby
fan I know a battling defeat for their boys, by 1 goal to nil. Now, I got the
margin right but I never imagined it would be a seven-goal thriller...
Into the ground for 2:00pm, Jo, my wife, told me she had never heard
the Evertonians so loud. We looked more professional
in the warm-up than I ever saw us under Walter Smith. Maybe he did all his hard work
in the week and felt nothing extra was needed 'when Saturday comes'...
Moyes, on
the other hand, got involved and all the players seemed to respond to his
presence. Not bad for someone young enough to be playing for us under Walter's
regime?
After the warm-up, just enough time for a pint and back to our seats in time
to cheer the lads out onto the pitch. Again, the travelling fans were as vocal
as I can ever remember them. And the new club song is apparently "We are
the People's Club" � nice one, David Moyes!
We looked shaky at periods in
the first 45, but we still looked better than Derby. Clearly evident was the
'work ethic' Moyes promised us. Carsley went of early following a clash and was
replaced by Niclas Alexandersson. There were flashes of flair from several
individuals, Blomquist and Alexandersson notably getting involved. They never
looked like converting a chance though. Mind you, neither did Derby.
I was a bit
concerned about Simmo's communication with Weir and Stubbs on more than one
occasion, but we got away with it. Then on 37 minutes, cometh the hour, cometh
the Rhino. Ball... chance... buried! The boo-boys were cheering, and Davie-lad
showed us all what that goal meant to him. Great to see him back in the back
four as he is no midfielder.
Well, the first half was a solid battling performance and David Unsworth, god
love him, had given us a deserved lead to take in to half time. A second pint of lager quickly disappear and back up for the second half.
Ian MacDonald
was in front of me and had been, shall we say, critical of the boys at times.
I
said we should expect more of the same second half. What little I know eh?
1-0 at half time quickly became 2-0, as Stubbs buried a free kick. The fans
were going nuts. Stubbsy's name echoed out around the stand we were in.
We
barely had time to catch us breath and then Nic bagged the third. It was to be a blue day
in Derby and a rout was on the cards.
Nic had been better so far in one game
than he ever had under Walter � with the possible exception of his first
pre-season before Archie 'coached' his talent away? Then Derby pulled one back
� a shot rifled to Simmo's left. He stood no chance. It kind of took the wind out
of Everton's sails, and Derby pressed on harder than they had all game.
We were
defending dangerously at times, but getting away with it. Derby continued to
press, when we broke. Duncan found his way to the box and pounced on a chance,
created brilliantly by work from Niclas Alexandersson. Ian Mac's shirt came off and
3,000
blues went off their tits! The Dunc and Rhino show had done it again!!!
4-1, and about 20 minutes to play. 'We want 5' was all the Everton fans were
interested in singing. Then a scramble in the box saw Stubbs flattened, and
Derby scored. Everton 4, Derby 2.
Stubbs was down for a long time, and I was
worried about him. He didn't look fit to continue. Not long after, his fitness
told as Davie Weir was left one-on-one with Lee Morris. Weir tried an Andy Gray-esque
clearance, but Morris beat him to the ball. Weir never regained his ground and
it was Everton 4, Derby 3.
The next 10 minutes was a blur, with chances at each
end. Then the fourth official offered us 5 more minutes to hold on. Needless to
say, we did.
Club captain Super Kev appeared for half an hour, but struggled to
keep up with the pace. But you could see he was trying. Which made the comments
from somewhere behind me all the more disappointing. I can honestly say it's the
first time I've heard 'fans' make comments like these: "lazy nigger"
and "shite black bastard".
I apologize for not editing these, but I'm
telling it like I heard it. Stuff like this is just not acceptable and, whilst
we've heard nothing from the club for some time, I hope they're still
investigating. Frankly how anyone could slate him for being 'shite' when he
scored a perfectly legitimate fifth goal (in all eyes except the eyes of the
ref) which made it 5-3 and game over I do not know.
So, Moyes has started well; Everton are responding, and several players are
rejuvenated (Dunc, Unsworth, Nic, Jesper - in fact you could almost say they all
looked better). Here's to it continuing for a long time. We ARE stopping up.
Europe? Well, let's just stop up first, yeah?
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