As much as I don’t want to temp fate (with our next round opposition now determined – so don’t have a go) last Saturday’s FA Cup performance suggested to me that Mr Martinez has plugged yet another typical Everton trait that has frustrated Blues for years. Namely the FA Cup Banana Skin exit!

When taking my seat, I was quietly confident we would dispatch QPR with relative ease, which proved the case, with another very accomplished performance from our rapidly growing team. Yet my bezzie who was sat next to me was full of trepidation prior to the kick off, reminding me that our opposition of the day was typical of teams that generally spring a surprise on us!

Just looking at David Moyes’s FA Cup record alone he had a point.

The first full season with Moyes in charge (2002-03) proved the biggest banana skin in my living memory, losing 2-1 to Shrewsbury Town in Round 3. Thankfully I didn’t witness that one personally but I remember sat in my kitchen listening on the radio and thinking the world was ending.

The following season (2003-04) didn’t get much better, losing 2-1 to Fulham away in Round 4. That one I went to and we were ugly at best on the day.

Seasons 2004-05 and 2005-06 were a tad less surprising, losing 0-2 at home to Man Utd (Round 5) and 1-4 at home to Chelsea (Round 4). Frankly at the time I never gave us a chance the second the balls were extracted out of the hopper on both occasions.

When we were drawn against Blackburn Rovers at home in Round 3 (Season 2006-07) I fell into the banana skin trap of expecting a comfortable result. Nope; we went down 1-4 and were shocking. I was furious with Moyes because it appeared to me he had his mind on other objectives – when I was desperate for a cup run.

Did we get one the next season (2007-08)? No we bloody well didn’t! We went out to Oldham losing 0-1 at home in Round 3. A pattern was beginning to immerge!

Thankfully we all managed a couple of trips to the smoke in Season 2008-09 and I will never forget the pandemonium when Jags netted the vital penalty to send us to the FA Cup Final. Moyes was forgiven!

It proved temporarily though as (Season 2009-10) we crashed out at home again, this time in the Round 4 to Birmingham City 1-2 and the following season (2010-11) after having survived 150-minute bombardment at Stamford Bridge with Captain Marvel stroking home the winning penalty we get drawn home to Reading in Round 5 and capitulate in front of 35,000 expectant Evertonians, losing 0-1. Moyes, you beaut!

I’m going to skip past Season 2011-12 as it still fucking hurts...

Last season (2012-13) we all know what happened. I was so confident, I had my semi-final hotel booked. I expected Wigan to roll over and die (Quarter-finals) but little did I know of how incredible tactically our incumbent Manager actually was/is.

Which brings us nicely back to last weekend. Obviously this is only conjecture, but had Moyes been at the helm, I suggest to you that, on the balance of the past facts thus presented, we would have lost that game. But we didn’t because now we have a totally different Club philosophy and RM swept the banana skin promptly to one side for David Moyes to slip on again at home to Swansea!

Happy new era, Blue Boys!

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