I was thinking about positives to take last night. In fact, the Man City/Madrid game somewhat mirrored the end of our game against Newcastle. Man City took the lead when they were particularly under pressure, with 3 minutes to go, but managed to hold on barely 60 seconds, and then conceded at the death a couple of minutes later. I'm in no way comparing Newcastle to Madrid (although we're not as good as City, either) but it gave me some comfort that we didn't lose, the first time I'd felt graeful for the point since the game ended. (Yes yes, we weren't playing away at the Bernabeu e.t.c e.t.c but just bear with me, my mind, like God's, must work in mysterious ways)
It got me thinking: how can I best manufacture some positive thinking from that tiny ray of light through the dark cracks that run through my blackened soul? I've never been grateful for a point at home if it is the result of throwing away all 3. So I, and some of the rest of you I suspect, need to look a bit further and examine our previous starts to the campaign.
05/06
Everton 0-2 Man Utd
Bolton 0-1 Everton
Fulham 1-0 Everton
Everton 0-1 Portsmouth
Arsenal 2-0 Everton
3pts, -5 goal difference, 19th place
06/07
Everton 2-1 Watford
Blackburn 1-1 Everton
Spurs 0-2 Everton
Everton 3-0 Liverpool
Everton 2-2 Wigan
11pts, +6 goal difference, 4th place
This was definitely one of our best starts. We faltered in November instead, with W1, D1, L4
07/08
Everton 2-1 Wigan
Spurs 1-3 Everton
Reading 1-0 Everton
Everton 1-1 Blackburn
Bolton 1-2 Everton
10 pts, +3 goal difference, 3rd place
This is probably my favourite season under
Moyes. Played some great stuff consistently, and had a fairly strong start, although did lose to Newcastle, Liverpool, Villa, Man Utd after this - Yakubu failed to score after Bolton for awhile, and it took a last minute winner (or two) to beat Birmingham and kick start our season off.
08/09
Everton 2-3 Blackburn
West Brom 1-2 Everton
Everton 0-3 Portsmouth
Stoke 2-3 Everton
Hull 2-2 Everton
7pts, -2 goal difference, 9th place
The Blackburn game still haunts me. Arteta single-handedly ran the show but we lost to a last minute goal in Paul Ince's first game. I think in the years that follow, the bad runs really start. Either way, the fantastic win at West Brom (Jose Baxter's debut) aside we were poor, and continued to be poor in the games that followed.
09/10
Everton 1-6 Arsenal
Burnely 1-0 Everton
Everton 2-1 Wigan
Fulham 2-1 Everton
Everton 3-0 Blackburn
6pts, -3 goal difference, 13th place
Don't think anyone needs reminding about the opening day hammering we took off Arsenal. After this we recovered really well, but injuries set in and once Benfica thumped us, we went on another losing streak.
10/11
Blackburn 1-0 Everton
Everton 1-1 Wolves
Villa 1-0 Everton
Everton 3-3 Man Utd
Everton 0-1 Newcastle
2pts, -3 goal difference, 19th place
The games against Blackburn and Villa were the most one-sided games in a losing side's favour I've probably ever seen, especially the Villa game, although that hoodoo is renowned. This start was characterised by good performances, but inability to pick up points: again, aside from Ben Arfa's screamer, we dominated the Newcastle game. I think we were unlucky.
11/12
Everton 0-1 QPR
Blackburn 0-1 Everton
Everton 2-2 Aston Villa
Everton 3-1 Wigan
Man City 2-0 Everton
7pts, 0 goal difference, 10th place
Arteta leaving dealt a huge and cruel blow to our morale and our creative abilities. We seriously stalled and did so for a long time after that, all the way up until the introduction of Strac, Jela and the re-introduction of Pienaar. This was a deeper problem, beyond form: we lacked quality. We'd had a disastrous window, and the problem was a lack of creativity and firepower.
12/13
Everton 1-0 Man Utd
Villa 1-3 Everton
West Brom 2-0 Everton
Everton 2-2 Newcastle
Swansea ?-? Everton
7pts, +2 goal difference, 7th place
I think there's a number of conclusions to be drawn:
firstly that
Moyes is right, we do need to wait for 10-15 games to be played and then judge, as our 'famous early faltering' actually comes after the first 4 or 5 games, or it continues on from them. This, of course, being a fairly ominous sign given that we're only 4 games in and the potential to derail looms large,
secondly that in other seasons we've had disheartening European games to be played, the poor draw at home to Metalist, the terrible showing against Liege, the destruction by Benfica. These have also added to dented confidence which contribute to poor starts.
Transfer window activity has a big impact. Lescott's transfer made us implode, a lack of signings in other seasons were compounded by an injury crisis (the Blackburn-at-home defeat, in which we had about 6 defenders on the pitch) and later, merely a lack of cutting edge (defeats at Villa, Blackburn, at home to Newcastle).
So what positives can be drawn from this season?
Firstly, although I always see being in Europe as a positive, those games nearly always come too early for us. We end up blowing our European chance, the thing that we've worked all season before to qualify for, and it leaves the squad feeling rather down. After Villarreal/Dynamo Bucharest and Standard Liege we were horrific, while contrast that with our absolutely amazing away win in Metalist: we went on a long unbeaten run after that.
Secondly, we have made positive signings (Pienaar and Mirallas especially) so that the transfer window malaise has not beset us.
Thirdly, sort of following on from that point, we signed Jelvavic in January to solve the painful lack of cutting edge that we've had over recent seasons, when Moyes had built a terrific midfield but with Yakubu injured and Saha aged, no-one to get on the end of their good play. Now we have a natural finisher and we don't squander as many chances.
In other seasons we'd either performed horribly or been horribly unlucky, and, the referring nonsense against Newcastle aside, we haven't been either this season: we've played exceptionally well for most of the time, taken our chances well, and picked up points we've desrved to. Even though we were defensively frail and shockingly unlucky against Newcastle, at least we still picked up a point: in prior seasons we would have failed to muster a response, we would have wilted after their equaliser, and we inevitably would have lost. I think the major difference is, we know how to win games. If we can cut out individual defensive errors (Howard and Distin have not covered themselves in any glory) we will be on the right path to have an excellent season.
Onwards and upwards, blues!
