The ups and downs of the 12-13 season

So that is it, the end of yet another season with Everton, a season that has had many a twist and turn, though I don’t suppose it’d be Everton if we didn’t have those.
The lows were really low; I hate even thinking about the cup defeats against Leeds and Wigan, let alone putting them down in writing to remind everyone about them. Embarrassed, disgusted and ashamed were just some of the adjectives I used to describe to how I felt after both of those defeats. Wigan was particularly hurtful due to the inept performance we gave and it really took a while for me to get over it. Talk about a massive missed opportunity. I’m still fuming over the defeat at Carrow Road too, bad enough losing like how we did, but losing to a Grant Holt (of all people) goal and then having to endure such a long and tedious coach journey home was really too much for me. Reading away wasn’t a particular high point either, teams who haven’t won in ages or strikers who are on a barren run in front of goal must love seeing us as their next game, as they know they’ve got a brilliant chance of ending their dreadful run. Even Torres scored his first league goal of 2013 on Sunday! Conceding last minute goals against Norwich (twice), Fulham, Newcastle wasn’t pleasant either. The lack of incomings in January was a source of major frustration for us all, ultimately costing us any real hopes we had a sustaining a real challenge of finishing 4th. The new signings that came in on deadline day in 2012 really gave such a lift to the club and the fans and contributed to such a good run of form to that season, but all January 2013 brought us was major disappointment. I know not all fans will agree with this next bit, but for me Moyes leaving, although I expected it, was a bit of a low. As I’ve said previously, I know my history; I know he isn’t our greatest manager. At times, he’s frustrated and angered me beyond belief with his team selections, substitutions and style of play, but when all you can really remember as our managers is Howard Kendall (3rd time around) and Walter Smith, Moyes changed us from perennial relegation candidates to top 6 finishes, he restored my pride in being an Evertonian and gave me the chance to watch players like Cahill, Arteta, Pienaar, Mirallas, Baines & Martyn.

The highs weren’t maybe as high as we’ve had in previous seasons but there were still some memorable moments. United at home on the opening game was just brilliant, if ever an example was needed of how magical Goodison Park on a night match is, then this was it. The Old Lady really did rock than night and the players responded to it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a player totally dominate United, but that night Marouane Fellaini was truly unplayable and Jagielka was unbeatable at the back. Swansea away for the second season in a row was probably up there as my favourite away, it was one of the best performances I’ve seen us give at any time, especially away from home. We just dominated the game and the scoreline was in no way flattering to us. Those last five minutes in the Tottenham game at Goodison were amongst the craziest I’ve ever witnessed. It was literally “limbs everywhere” when Jelavic scored. Beating Newcastle at anytime is always pleasurable but particularly at St James’ Park, even more so after being one down within the first two minutes, the fact that Leighton Baines scored that screamer of a free kick (I will never, ever tire of seeing that goal) also helped a bit. The general performances of Baines all season has been a source of great pride for me, he is easily up there as one my favourite players ever, I’m so pleased that he’s finally being recognised more at international level now as well, as those of us who have watched him for the last few seasons know that he is at least the equal of Ashley Cole, beyond him in my eyes. The re-emergence of Seamus Coleman has been one of the highlights of the season too. He suffered a lot with second season syndrome and fitness issues last season, but this season he really has made that right back slot his own and has caught the eye both defensively and offensively. He is one of the hardest working players in our squad too. I will admit I didn’t know much about Kevin Mirallas when we signed him, but I know I like what I’ve seen so far from him. He must be the most exciting wide man we’ve had since Andrei Kanchelskis. If we can keep him fully fit for the majority of next season, we’ll have one hell of player on our hands.

The other highlights for me were off the field acts. The tribute Everton gave to the Hillsborough families prior to the Newcastle game was something very special. It was such an emotional and fitting tribute, one that all connected with the club quite rightly received deserved praise for. The late, great Alan Ball once said once Everton touches you, nothing will be the same, I think Tim Cahill flying back from New York to say his farewells in an already emotionally charged last home game of the season really proved that. Goodison was again brilliant that day, yes, we said our goodbyes and thank yous to three people who have been so important to us in the last decade or so, but as Moyes quite rightfully said, we showed our support for our club. Managers and players come and go, that’s football, but fans remain loyal and on that Sunday afternoon in the rain just before Mirallas made it 2-0, the fans showed that no one person is bigger than Everton Football Club.

On a personal note, the season will be remembered as the one that I finally achieved my ambition of attending all the games we played, all 45 of them. Having missed games in previous seasons due to lack of accessible transport or due to my brother’s work shifts, I never actually thought I’d ever do it (a special and massive thank you to Lynne, Colin and Eddie for helping me achieve my ever present record). Other very random things I will remember from the 12-13 season is me refusing to go to near to Leighton Baines to get a photo with him in case I injured him ahead of the derby, finally going for a drink with my mates in the Brick, meeting one of my first Everton heroes in Joe Parkinson, getting to meet a lot of mad, crazy but boss Evertonians, still managing to go all girly when I met my first love, Duncan Ferguson, again, hitting a drunk Leon Osman at the end of season awards evening, to be fair to Ossie, he didn’t seem to mind, I doubt he’d even remember I did it and most embarrassingly of all making a total idiot of myself in front of Phil Jagielka by declaring my love for him and not being able to spell my name to him!!

Who knows what this summer is going to bring for us, it is going to be one of the biggest and most important close seasons we’ve had for many a year, all I do know is, that come August the 17th I will be ready to take my seat on the best rollercoaster going, the rollercoaster that is Everton!

Just don't even dare, Everton!!

All week I've been telling my Evertonian mates not to look too far ahead of themselves, that we need to take one game at a time but I can see why they are looking ahead though. Why wouldn’t we, this is such a massive chance for us to progress, not just the quarter finals, but to at least the semi final and another Wembley trip. However, I am having to stop myself from thinking like that as that is like tempting fate. This is Everton after all, how many times have they let us down in the past?  I'm definitely once bitten, twice shy when it comes to Everton and cup games. I really do dislike the things!

I came out of Boundary Park last Saturday night quite angry (and with a headache thanks to my proximity to the Oldham fan with that bloody stupid drum!). Angry at the ending to the game, obviously and also at the performance against a lower league club who are on a poor run of form and have no manager. After taking the lead so early in the second half, I was hoping we had weathered the Oldham storm and we'd push on to see out the tie comfortably, but as has been the case in recent weeks, our performance was too bitty, too hit and miss and not what was needed in such a banana skin of a cup game. You could deny Oldham their equaliser really. They were always going to go for it as the game approached its end; they had nothing to lose in going for it. We should have expected that and been more prepared for the onslaught. They did go for it and got their reward for doing so. Fair play to them for that.

Some of my anger was later directed to Phil Dowd, who failed to spot Lee Croft's blocking off of Tim Howard, but to blame the referee as a reason for us not hanging onto the lead is a poor excuse. We need to look at ourselves, leaving Baines with a two on one which lead to the successive corners which ultimately resulted in the goal was poor. Duffy who had only been on the pitch at matter of seconds should not really have been put on marking their danger man, Matt Smith. For me that should have been Distin or Fellaini's job to mark him. Our general performance throughout the game was sluggish and although we did well to get ourselves in the lead after falling behind relatively early on, we never looked like we'd ever go on to dominate the game from that point, which is what we really should be doing against lower league sides. Oldham’s equaliser was on the cards from about the 80^th minute.

So now we move onto Tuesday's replay. I’d like to think that the players know the massive chance we have got here, and will come out with a positive attitude and take the game to Oldham right from the off, which is something we failed to do at Boundary Park. If the likes of Pienaar, Mirallas, Fellaini and Jelavic can play like we know they can, that surely will be enough to get us past this plucky League One team? Hopefully Seamus Coleman will be fit enough to play too, as he'll help to speed up our attacks down our right flank, which at times were quite pedestrian on Saturday and we will have learnt a way to deal more successfully with Matt Smith's physical presence. But as I said before, I've been bitten before by Everton in cup competitions, ironically Oldham was one of those teams who have bit us. It just cannot happen again! The incentive of a home quarter final against Wigan has got to mean something to the players and the manager too; it certainly does to the fans. Hence the excitement from so many of us. We know that we've given such a favourable draw, with the exception of getting Barnsley or Blackburn; we couldn't have picked a better potential quarter final opponent for us. I'd be devastated and fuming if we didn't take this chance.

Who knows, with the uncertainty regarding his contract, this maybe Moyes' last chance to win something with us, so I'm hoping he and the players realise this and give us fans the opportunity of at least one Wembley trip this year. I honestly don’t think we’ll get a better chance of at least getting to the final and who knows maybe ending our 18 year trophy drought.

So please, please, please Everton, do not give ITV their headline story of a cup shock on Tuesday, they had that in the fourth round. Play from first whistle to the last, get Goodison rocking like only it can in a night match and give me the chance to join some of our other fans in dreaming of Wembley.