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Mike Gaynes
1 Posted 09/05/2022 at 06:35:02
Paul, and to you and the traveling Blues, a 20 out of 10. You and your 3500 singing partners have kept this club up. A historically magnificent performance by our fans.

When you watch the replay of the game tomorrow, you'll swap the ratings for Mina and Coleman -- the bungle was far more Seamus' fault than Yerry's. And Mina's injury apparently occurred on that play, so it's a moment the captain will cringe about for quite a while.

Jerome Shields
2 Posted 09/05/2022 at 07:25:28
As always Paul you give such a genuine reflection of being there and thank you for giving me a flavour of the wonderful Everton support first hand.
Paul Traill
3 Posted 09/05/2022 at 08:00:12
Mike #1. Yes I've seen it since and you're right, the goal was Coleman's error. Thankfully it didn't cost us on the day. Thanks for nice comments.
Tony Abrahams
4 Posted 09/05/2022 at 08:16:03
Really enjoyed that report Paul, and listening to my oldest son (who took Dave’s precious piece of coal😂) he also told me it’s the best away crowd he’s ever been amongst, so a very, very special day for everyone who was lucky enough to be there, and also much respect comrades🙏

“Maybe it took this to make us realize how precious our club is to us” - along with - “For the first time I can probably ever remember, all the supporters are United” are two fine sentences Paul, and both music to my ears!

Evertonians don’t unite very often, but when they do they create an incredible force, and I know this from memory because I’m old enough to remember the mid-eighties, when the despair turned to incredible joy, so quickly.

Nick Page
5 Posted 09/05/2022 at 08:20:36
Kudos to everyone who was there yesterday. Majestic scenes. Commentators were stunned.

Tony - 1985 vs QPR to win the league. Stood on my seat in top balcony with my old man (RIP) cos they opened the gates and the whole crowd was bellowing “Hand it over, hand it over, hand it over, Liverpool”. 4 sides of the ground united is song. Was unbelievable. Still brings a tear to my eye.

Everton aren't we.

Tony Abrahams
6 Posted 09/05/2022 at 08:32:49
Stop it Nick! Seriously everyone remembers Oxford away, but it was the replay at Goodison, when I first noticed how much the crowd was beginning to unite. It started snowing, but looking around the crowd, everyone was smiling like they were on an all-inclusive holiday in Cancun… But the next 18 months were much better than that!
Danny O’Neill
7 Posted 09/05/2022 at 08:41:20
Great read as always Paul. What a one to miss out on! I'll make up for it on Wednesday at Watford.

I already said on Michaels's thread that I think Coleman should have left that to Mina and dropped to cover the potential 2nd ball, but hey, we won.

I haven't seen any updates or reports on the severity, but he had to go off early then that doesn't bode well.

2 more wins and a few favourable results and we could be over the line.

Danny O’Neill
8 Posted 09/05/2022 at 08:47:32
Hand it over, Liverpool. You've just reminded me of Norwich away in 1987 now Nick in terms of memorable away trips!!

Gutted I couldn't be there yesterday. Big night Wednesday.

Steve Hogan
9 Posted 09/05/2022 at 08:49:30
Great report Paul, I watched the match on an American channel who decided to stay on air after the game and just focus on the Everton fans singing 'Spirit of the Blues' after the game.

The commentator couldn't quite believe it.
One serious note on an otherwise joyous day. This revival of fortune has been solely been galvanised by the fans over the last two weeks who decided to 'take matters into their own hands' with an incredible show of support before and after games.

The clubs hierarchy has remained stony silent.

People won't or shouldn't forget that.

Dale Rose
10 Posted 09/05/2022 at 09:10:34
Love these articles, can't get to games anymore they give a real flavour of the day.
Ian Hollingworth
11 Posted 09/05/2022 at 09:51:18
Celebrated late into the night singing spirit of the blues with windows wide open for the benefit of my RS neighbours but paying for it now with a thick head lol
UTFT
Dave Williams
12 Posted 09/05/2022 at 10:12:39
Great article Paul- captures it all really well and how proud to be a blue!
I feel sorry for Iwobi because he should be getting the plaudits today but is overshadowed quite rightly by Pickford performance ( again).
Whaton earth has Frank and his staff done to Alex, Delph and Mykolenko?
Stunning revivals in form!!
Sam Hoare
13 Posted 09/05/2022 at 10:32:15
Thanks Paul. Well done to you and everyone else who was there. What a bunch of supporters!

I think that 4 more points should hopefully suffice given the goal difference and Leeds' matches. If we could beat Watford on wednesday then I might start to sleep a bit sounder for the first time in months.

Derek Taylor
14 Posted 09/05/2022 at 13:48:47
Watched the game on a mate's dodgy gismo and would echo all your comments, Paul. I am old enough to have been around when we went down in '51. I can assure you that that Evertonians' reaction was little more than a feeling of disgust and there was certainly no sign of mass active support like we have seen recently.

To be fair, 'things was hard' in those early post war years and few working class folks had decent bikes let alone cars ! Fireworks were banned apart for a few mild 'catherine wheels' on the 5th of November and there was certainly no outpouring of emotion from the near 50,000 crowd when we lost our last home game against Villa. Failing to score in our last half dozen games, we went down on goal average on only 32points (2 points for a win ) from 42 games. COYB !

Simon Hermansen
15 Posted 09/05/2022 at 14:39:59
Thanks, Paul, a great read, although I think you'er still recovering from the day if you remember taking your seat at 2:45 pm and seeing Ashley Barnes playing for Leicester!
Jay Harris
16 Posted 09/05/2022 at 15:26:15
Great read Paul and great performance by you and all the fans at the game which has been resonating around US TV since. I think we will get some new "YAnks" supporters after the last couple of weeks.

I agree with Sam if we can just get 6 points at least from our next few games we should be confident of staying up.

It would be good to start at Watford if the players arent too tired.

Rob Hooton
17 Posted 09/05/2022 at 15:57:39
Great write up Paul, I imagine there are plenty of hoarse throats today!
The atmosphere looked brilliant and Everton sounded like the home team on my stream, fans were MOTM again for me with Jordan a close second.
John Raftery
18 Posted 09/05/2022 at 16:02:59
The result was great while the support was as brilliant as anything I have seen in over fifty three years of attending away games. Every minute of that second half felt like a minute in a dentist’s chair. We longed for a third goal to ease our nerves but the forwards lacked the composure to take advantage of several quick counterattacks. Thankfully the defence did a fine job defending their box and Pickford again performed superbly as a shot stopper.

Frank was the unification candidate for the job. He has certainly unified the fans and galvanised the players for a relegation battle. We still need a few more points but it is a considerable relief he has learned lessons from those early away defeats. The team is more compact with every player focused on getting behind the ball. Keeping that approach will be essential until such time we can add more quality to the squad.

Brent Stephens
19 Posted 09/05/2022 at 16:12:51
It's interesting the way Iwobi has vastly improved his game of late. And I wonder why. Some people respond to harsh, in-your-face criticism. Some have to be treated more with kid gloves. I wonder if Iwobi is sensitive to criticism, has been on the receiving end of tongue-lashings by previous managers, but is now being handled more sensitively, and responding appropriately?

I don't know. It's just a thought. But if this is the case, it speaks volumes for Lamapard as a (man) manager.

Dale Self
20 Posted 09/05/2022 at 17:06:35
Good stuff Paul. Away supporters are the absolutely the DNA of this club. Lampard deserves credit for finding a system, getting the players to buy in and finding some rotations that work when one goes down. This is enough to go forward and get him a couple of players he needs to install his preferred system and give it a go knowing we've got a small core of players who can get it done the old way. UTFT!!
Mike Gaynes
21 Posted 09/05/2022 at 17:07:12
Brent, I'd be willing to bet Frank simply handed him the keys to the #10 role and said, hey, Alex, here's where I want you, and here's how I used to do it. Just play. Have fun. Try everything.

And then he looked around to the other guys on the practice pitch and said, yo, guys, when you win the ball, pass it to this guy. He will be available.

I'm still buzzing about the defensive effort I saw from Alex. I think in the win over United, or maybe the first Leicester game, he pressured the ball all the way across the backline, left to right. The fullback finally got himself loose and made a 60-yard diagonal pass to the opposite wing. Hair flying in the wind, Iwobi raced all the way back and got back in front of the ball before the winger even had a chance to look up. He did almost the same thing yesterday, and this time got a foot in himself to break up a move.

Frank has made Alex better, and in turn he has made the team better.

Lee Courtliff
22 Posted 09/05/2022 at 17:09:46
Brent #19 They always said Anders Limpar was a player that you had to "love a little" to get the best out of him. Joe Royle certainly did that.

Good report, Paul, glad you enjoyed your day and wish I could have been there myself.

I did laugh when you referred to Leicester's Harvey Barnes as Burnley's Ashley Barnes, mainly because Harvey was actually born here in Burnley back in the '90s when his dad, Paul, played for the Clarets. Bit of trivia.

Jonathan Oppenheimer
23 Posted 09/05/2022 at 19:23:09
Finally got to watch the match late last night — had already seen the highlights but needed to experience the entire match as best I could — and my wife gets home at midnight and asks why I'm so giddy.

“You've gotta see this and listen to the fans. I've never seen anything like it,” I tell her.

“I'm glad it makes you so happy to be a part of this,” she tells me.

It's remarkable the feeling this level of support can generate as it reverberates across the world. Absolutely incredible.

Danny Broderick
24 Posted 10/05/2022 at 08:54:35
A great weekend to be an Evertonian!! We just need to make sure we finish the job now!!

Brent (19), I suspect you are right. He seems to have taken the pressure to create off Iwobi. He’s not playing him on the wing. He’s played him in hard running roles - basically as an advanced centre mid and as a wing back. We’re seeing the benefit of his athleticism now. He’s keeping things simple also. Long may it continue!

Charles Brewer
25 Posted 10/05/2022 at 10:48:52
It's very odd, but some players really seem to bloom with particular managers. DCL under Ancelotti was as good as anyone in England, an on-fire Harry Kane of the time included, but has gone back to "Championship at best" mediocrity this season.

Iwobi was shockingly bad under a succession of managers but has proved to be first class under Lampard. Delph is shaping up to a similar level after a similarly poor few seasons.

Pickford plays in the "lunatics only" position of goalkeeper but appears to have retained the maturity, confidence and outstanding competence he got after Ancelotti dropped him.

Mykolenko - unsurprisingly, given that he'd never played outside Ukraine before - took a few matches to fit in, but is starting to look like a very sound buy and a good replacement for Digne.

As the rest? Frank Lampard brings all the right qualities to get the crowd going - as he has done - has already got several players playing better than ever before for Everton, and I cannot but believe that the dressing room is a much better place than it was a few weeks ago.

Whatever is going on, it seems to be working for now.

On, just one point, I think Paul made up the whole report and wasn't there. He said "[Richarlison] laughed back at the crowd " - Nah! That can't be true!


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