Fans Comment
Eddie O'Neill

The Monkey on our back.
26 March 2005

I really hope this is printed on your site, because it contains a message I would love to get across to ALL Evertonians Worldwide.  The message is, let's get rid of this 'WE MUST BE BETTER THAN LIVERPOOL' monkey that's sitting on all our shoulders.

Sure, we all love the feeling of beating the reds when it happens; that's natural.  But as far as I can see over the years it has now become an obsession, a preoccupation.... an inferiority complex.  We have lost sight of the big picture, namely.... What's best for Everton FC.

It very often appears to me that it matters less what happens in the long run, so long as we... BEAT THE REDS.... FINISH ABOVE THE REDS... etc, etc.  I believe there are Evertonians out there who would not really mind seeing us drop to the Championship, so long as Liverpool finished beneath us.  All this must stop.

This 'complex' has, over the years, spread through the whole club from the tea ladies to the players.  Take last weekend for example.  I never heard so much negative talk after a defeat in my entire football following years.  The game before that we played at home to Blackburn..... and lost 1-0.  The response?... not a sausage of complaint.

Now, if we had beaten Liverpool, we would have been 7 points clear of them now, [Er... make that 10 points, surely — Ed.] and it would seem to be a fantastic lead to have, and we would all be so happy.  But we lost.  However, if we had beaten Blackburn we would also have been 7 points clear now.  See what I mean about the big picture?

This monkey must go.  When did you ever see an Everton side really beat Liverpool with ease?  Me, never.  Yet they seen to do it to us far to often.  It's as if they can smell the fear in us...... the fear of losing.... to them.... Liverpool.  When it comes to games against Liverpool, our lads seem to get 'brain freeze'; they can't pass the ball, they can't control the ball, they can't play as a unit, they get nose bleeds in front of goal (their's and our's).  Now please don't miss my point here; I'm not slaggling off our current players, or former players either.  My point is that we the fans have created this MUST-WIN thing when playing Liverpool.  It has now become an obsession, and no player can play with that pressure on them. No player.

I know many of you out there will not agree with me on this issue, but I really do believe it is a cancer in our club.  Let's cure it now.  What the hell if we don't beat them?  I for one will not care about last weeks result if we do go on to make it to Europe this season.  This to me is the bigger picture.

Let's get rid of the 'Monkey' — Obsession... Complex..... whatever you wish to call it — now.  Make a promise to yourself now, that you will never let it happen to you again.  That feeling that starts somewhere in your brain and makes it's way down to the pit of your belly the nearer it gets to matchday..... derby day.  So look at the name Liverpool... Liverpool.... Liverpool... Liverpool... go on don't be scared... Liverpool.... Liverpool.  Get used to it as just been another name of another football club.  Get rid of it NOW!  This very second, and just sit back, watch and enjoy our great club on it's journey back to where it belongs.

Eddie  O Neill

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