The Falling Giants
A new low for Walter Smith's Everton

10 March 2002

Everton, without a doubt, are the biggest embarrassment in the whole of football in the United Kingdom after witnessing a game that was the last straw for me.

Whenever I talk to supporters from different clubs, they just laugh and cringe at the thought of being an Evertonian.  Statements such as 'going down' and 'You are garbage' break my heart — especially coming from Tottenham, Villa and even Charlton supporters that have never had the sort of success and class that we have seen throughout the years.

I was in The County pub on Sunday afternoon, watching a match that could have been something to sing about, the game was Middlesbrough v Everton, FA Cup quarter final 2002, and after a few pints my mind was focused.  After half-an-hour of the game, my mind was more focused on my dinner as I have never watched such a load of heartless, gutless and woeful players to wear a blue shirt.

My heart goes out to the brilliant away support we get, and the Middlesbrough game was a prime example.  How they put up with chants of 'Gazza what's the score'?' and laughs and cheers of embarrassment from a side that gets about 7,000 supporters turning up for an FA Cup game against Manchester United and with players of the calibre such as Ince, Stamp, Boskic and Nemeth... our very loyal and patient support deserves so much better.

I listened to a radio interview after the game in which Walter Smith was at a press conference, giving his thoughts on the game.  The dreaded word 'disappointed' arose nearly ten times again and this man makes me so angry.  I used to defend him and back him but now it look's like he could not give a damn and never comments on our furious and gutted fan base.

The media tend to back Smith to the hilt, claiming he has had no money to spend and is in an impossible situation.  RUBBISH!!!  The man has had loads to spend even though he has had to sell too, and the majority of those signings have been awful to say the least.

Whenever a newspaper praises Smith, I just shrug my shoulders and look at sides like Charlton who have had buttons to spend yet manage to buy decent players who try hard and want to play well for their excellent manager Alan Curbishley.  What has Smith brought us?  

• Nyarko, a waste of space and should never have come to the club as the we had an excellent player in Don Hutchison, who only wanted a few more quid to see himself through the next few years; we ended up giving a 36-year-old striker in Mark Hughes more money.  What a shambles!!  
   
• Bakayoko, who is not even worth making a comment on even though Wally probably bought him after watching the lad on a video a couple of times and bringing back the so called legend Duncan Ferguson, who has never been a legend in my eyes.

He brought a certain Paul Gascoigne to Goodison and another shocker in Pistone, who is the biggest waste of money of them all.  Gazza is way past his best and the Italian Pistone hasn't got the heart or mentality to make it as a Premiership player, never mind an Everton fans favourite.

At the end of the day, Everton are either going down this season or next season.  The only thing keeping Mr Smith at Goodison is the fact that the club cannot afford to pay him off, now how embarrassing is that eh?

Shaun Cox

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