COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: West Brom (H)

Blues bomb at home with a display as cold as the weather.

The team was txted through from the club and it revealed that Hibbert would replace Neville, Yak for Saha and the oddest one being Big Vic in on the right of midfield after just one reserve outing.  Seemed a bit of a gamble, that one.  Still, it was only West Brom at home... who hadn?t won here since the 70s and no away win since September, so some game time might be warranted.

The way we started seemed to indicate that we could register three much needed points and when Baines fired in the perfect cross from a free kick that just eluded Distin at the far post and the Big Vic had a cross shot well saved by Carson it looked ever so promising.

After this assured opening flurry, we seemed to forget all about joined-up stuff and pass-and-move was noticeable only by its absence.  The visitors were showing little which in reality was masking our deficiencies but, on 15 mins, they won a corner which was taken in regulation fashion and found our nemesis Scharner striding forward and heading firmly home; who his designated marker was was not clear.  We retaliated in a timid fashion but did gain a few free kicks near the edge of their box, the best of which Arteta brought a good save from Carson.

The visitors attacked when they could and started to realise they had caught the Blues on a very bad day.  Near the half-hour mark Cahill upended a player and Brunt superbly smashed the free kick home with Howard close but helpless.  The faithful were less than pleased and became quite critical of any semblance of a mistake by a player in Blue, which in turn rubbed off on the players and we went through a period of non-football and even less enthusiastic attempts at putting a foot through the ball when within range.

We attacked enough to gain our first corner with three minutes to go to half-time; Baines took it to his best standard and who else but Cahill was on the end of it and the net bulged.  For the first time in a long time, I witnessed many fans not leaving their seats to celebrate which just about summed up the first half non-performance... underlined a few minutes from the break when Baines took our second corner and it went across the goal with no-one busting a gut to convert a tap in, Heitinga being the closest at the far post.

Half-time and harsh words were exchanged as fans bemoaned our lack of just about everything.

No changes at the break and the same 11 but with Big Vic going left and Pienaar right, which was to prove the disaster it seemed to most.

We were flat from the off and the manager had seen enough after no more than 5 mins as he made the decision to haul off Heitinga and Saha for Beckford and the Yak, thus proving he can see beyond the 70 min mark.

This almost brought our equaliser in quick time but Beckford failed to miss the keeper's legs when one-on-one and the effort was cleared from the line.  This miss then culminated in Arteta being sent off when first Jara elbowed Baines as he tried to get on the clearance then the same player dived in on Arteta who foolishly retaliated by stamping down on him which was spotted by the linesman ? yet neither official spotted the offences by Jara even though within yards of the incidents. Another player with sawdust for brains??

This action at last stirred the faithful and they got behind the ten men.  On the hour, the manager swopped a very weary Big Vic for Rodwell.  We responded well and, had Beckford been a better marksman, we may have levelled but he either miss-hit them or wellied them over when well placed.

The visitors made substitutions and No 5 Tchoi was to prove a handful down our right... On 75 mins, he attacked Hibbert and Jags and with both our players going the wrong way he cut inside and curled a pearler beyond Howard.  1-3 DOWN AT HOME(!!!) and Goodison started to empty.

The same player again caused havoc down our right and fed Mullumbo, thus rubbing enough salt in to our wounds to grit all of the city?s streets as he slotted home, got booked for celebrating and then sent off for fouling Pienaar ? he had quite a few minutes of fame and infamy. More fans left, but Beckford still had time to miss horribly with just the keeper to beat, and at the final whistle the few that were left booed.

The walk from the ground was dire as snatches of conversation seemed to indicate we need a new manager and a whole new team! ?variously.  Such was the reaction to a truly horrible performance.

I considered who I might nominate as MotM and it was almost impossible but on reflection I would offer either Cahill, Distin or Pienaar as they were the only players I could think of that put in an acceptable performance ? albeit not great.

Overall, I thought it was one of the most disappointing efforts I have seen since the dark days... but this was worse really because the players out there have such a lot to offer; today, for whatever reason, they just did not gel and made the visitors look rather good when in fact they were no more than enthusiastic... and by the end could not believe their luck in meeting such a disjointed and dispirited Everton team.

I am not one for knee-jerk reactions after such a display, as these things happen in football, and I remain convinced we can and will do much better... but I do have to say that I have had doubts about this season, right from the point when we were told this is the best bunch of players we have had for years and big things were expected.  My reason for doubt was based on the fact that we have no genuine experienced right-side midfield player on the books and no main striker with any sort of form as all are either coming back from serious injury or just injury-prone or just plain inexperienced.  This leads to playing with nine competent players and two ?hope and pray? hopefuls. which must be really difficult when trying to get a pattern of play and player confidence.

I will not apportion blame for this state of affairs as all involved, both upstairs and down, are professionals and know better than me the problems this state of affairs bring.  It?s how they put it right that matters.  In the meantime, I just hope players and manager come together and, in the games up until the first opportunity occurs to address problems, put in better performances than the one witnessed today by over 35,000 committed Blue fans at kick off, and the 5,000 left at the end.

Just a little matter of Chelsea away next.  Over to you, Davy and the lads...  Don?t embarrass us at the Bridge.
UP THE BLUES
 

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