Come in Big Dunc – your time is up!
John Jennings has had enough of the misdoings of arch miscreant, Duncan Ferguson

22 March 2004

The Big Man… Dunc and Disorderly… Hero in Blue… Duncan, Duncan Ferguson, Duncan, Duncan Ferguson……

To all those Blues who suffered through another inept away performance (this time against a woeful Leicester City side — but hey, it could be any of our away displays this season) I say: Enough!

Enough of Duncan Ferguson.

He is, quite simply put, an embarrassment to the Royal Blue shirt.  The fact that he has somehow been elevated to be our leader on the field defies belief, logic and common sense.  Saturday’s quite disgraceful performance from Ferguson threatened to undermine a half-decent run of games without defeat, that was slowly but surely dragging the club away from the wrong end of the table.  At the hour when his ‘leadership’ was most required (Everton not at the races; Leicester in the ascendancy) he loses it to an extent that I have rarely witnessed in a top-flight game.

If you examine the evidence, there is simply no case for the defence.  Ferguson was involved in the sort of physical battle and intimidatory tactics that we see so often – on this occasion from a couple of journeymen cast-offs, Dabizas and Freund.  His reaction to this over a period of 5 minutes was that of a madman. 

The first caution appeared to be for fouling Freund and doubtless back-chat.  Referee Barry Knight had a poor game, all were agreed on that, but Ferguson managed to wind the referee up by ignoring his requests for a chat/lecture, thus making the caution inevitable.  Astonishingly, just a minute later, Ferguson used the elbow on Dabizas (may have been Freund again) and got away with it.  Cue an apprehensive murmur from the blue contingent … ‘calm down Dunc’, ‘ take it easy big man, the refs looking for you now’… all to no avail.

The madness of ‘King Dunc’ was complete in the 40th minute.  Exactly why referee Knight decided to reach for his pocket again is unclear – ‘two bookable offences’ was the official line, but Ferguson’s challenge for the ball appeared genuine although Freund did lose the battle.  What followed may well yet end up in front of the FA disciplinary panel.  The red card was brandished and Ferguson, possessed by some sort of uncontrollable demon, tried to throttle the obnoxious Freund. One or two Leicester guys I spoke to afterwards joked that Ferguson could have done them a favour, but joking apart, this represented a low-point for the club I have followed for 40 years.  Just to ensure that an official slamming would be inevitable, Ferguson stalked off gesturing obscenely at the home support — all vestige of sanity long gone.

The incredible drain on resources that this player has been on Everton Football Club is well documented.  £400k per goal.  Work-shy and living off an undeserved reputation that some would have us believe elevated him to the heights of Dean, Lawton, Young, Royle, Latchford, Sharp, Lineker and other notable Everton forwards.  He is not fit to lace their boots.

Yes, I was there for the amazing headed hat-trick against Bolton.  Yes, I was there for the encounters with Man U which terrified Schmeichel.  Yes, I was there for the goals against Liverpool and the look on the Kopites faces.  But no rational Evertonian can turn around and say that this man is worth one more game in an Everton shirt.

Think for one moment of the effect Ferguson’s display on Saturday may have had on The Boy.  Already on the ref's most wanted list, he observes his captain assaulting a fellow professional after being dismissed.  Can it possibly help to calm him down and focus him on the job he does best — scoring goals and terrorising defenders?  No it cannot. 

Some closer to the action than I thought the lad was treated leniently when booked for using his elbow on Heath, the Leicester centre-back.  I couldn’t see, but Wayne’s body-language said ‘guilty’.  At least he showed the maturity to apologise to his opponent and shake his hand.  Following the captain’s example means we lose the lad for Newcastle and Spurs.  Not good news.  He is the only ray of hope in this miserable season.  And we are not out of the woods yet — not by a long way.

The fact that David Moyes sees fit to publicly defend Ferguson leaves me cold.  There is no greater fan of Moyes and his methods than I.  And I do understand the need to adopt the fortress mentality displayed so often by Arséne Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson and not be seen to criticise your players in public.  But this time, Moyes needs to hold his hands up and tell us that Ferguson will be subject (at the very least) to club disciplinary procedures.

That’s at the very least.  I really would like to think that the managerial staff will do the necessary and drop Ferguson for good.  Get shut – now.

Oh, yeah, and give his 40 grand a week to The Boy.

John Jennings

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