It seemed that everything that could have gone wrong yesterday, did go wrong – an injury to Arteta, poor refereeing excused only by a horror tackle on our striker, and a dour performance matching the beginning of the season – this point was brought up by Moyes in the post match conference, his expression surely echoing amongst all Evertonians inside and outside St. James’ Park. In previous seasons, we may have seemed used to it, but considering the rise in form that has seen us challenging 5th place and one step away from an FA Cup trip to Wembley, it just seemed that little more agonising.
Although we had Cahill and Hibbert both out due to suspensions (and by the looks of the challenges lashed out by the Geordies, good thing), we did have Fellaini and Saha back on the bench, albeit that the Belgian hadn’t trained for the past three weeks. Jo was back from being cup-tied the previous week, his inclusion making me feel slightly more optimistic about how the game would transition with the two teenagers playing in midfield. That optimism lasted only 3 minutes, though – Arteta went for an airborne ball and fell awkwardly, leaving him in agony on the turf. It didn’t look good, mainly because it took the medics about 5 minutes to get him off the pitch in a stretcher. Our worst fears have since been confirmed, and Everton’s main talisman is out for the remainder of the season – I just pray that someone steps up to the main creator plate by Saturday’s game versus West Brom.
Despite this, The Blues kept bombarding Steve Harper’s goal with waves of attack, but only with a stopped header and miraculously saved Rodwell strike from a cross to answer for it. Maybe these would have been finished by Cahill. Newcastle’s first chance on goal could have given them a 1-0 advantage, a fine move bypassing the defence leaving Peter Lovenkrands one-on-one with Tim Howard – but, with him being Peter Lovenkrands, he dragged it wide, much to the agony of the big-boned Everton Mints around the stadium.
The game slowed right down and it became end-to-end stuff, before ending up at the feet of the opposing team. The lack of, well, anything, lasted up until the final minute of the half , when Anichebe had his leg stamped on by Nolan – from the normal speed cameras, it looked like Vic had overhit it, yet a close-up of the incident revealed all – a two-footed challenge that echoed the one that has kept Eduardo out for the past year. The kopite Nolan was promptly sent off much to his defence, and although Anichebe eventually got back up, he was subbed off for Fellaini to see off the remaining seven minutes of extra time. Thankfully he only has bruising and may even feature on Saturday, which figures considering that Mikel’s season-ender happened under lesser influence.
Considering that Newcastle had 10 men on the pitch, there was an expectation that Everton may have more chances and maybe even a goal as a result. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. With Newcastle’s ’stop them, no matter what’ tactic functioning well (why was Steven Taylor not even booked?), Everton seemed to run out of ideas – whether it was because there was no Plan C following Arteta’s departure, or because we should have brought Saha on earlier instead of Fellaini, or because there were three defensive midfielders and lack of a wide player (vdMeyde) on the pitch. These were all loud opinions voiced in the T family household, usually between angry sighs and “ffs”.
The fairly depressing (and blood pressure raising) performance by each team then faded out until the final whistle, with Newcastle obviously being the happier team with the one point. Based on the dirtiness of the team, the ignorance of some of the fans and the comments being slinged about by the panel (NOTE: a 50k+ stadium doesn’t make you a “footballing institution” – refer to Everton, Villa, Nott’m Forest), bar Gary Speed and his support for Everton over his other former club, I would enjoy seeing Newcastle fall into the second tier of English football. I apologise to any decent Magpies fan out there, but to see football turned into that mess in the North East, it just angers me.
As for Everton, let’s just hope that the decent Blues side that has graced us with their presence for the last few months are formed once again, and are still as venomous and capable of good football than without our Spaniard. There is nobody better, but can we find the next Mikel Arteta? Over to Gosling and Rodwell…
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i thought the ref had a good game yesterday the decisiomn to send off noolan was spot on
newcastle fan here just wanted to say that i thought your away support was really good, as always there was a good bit of banter between the fans both inside and outside the ground.
there was particular evertonian that took exception when he overheard me moaning about the toons injury situation being worse than evertons after the game, he then went on the most spectacluer funniest rants i have ever heard.
I think its a shame that you want to see newcastle relegated but i know where your coming from i feel a similar thing about spurs. you get sick of hearing the plight of newcastle imagine living in it!!! despite what you think most toon fans arnt millitant, we dont sit outside sjp drinking brown ale shouting keegan, we dont have dillusions of grandure and we know our place and like yourselves if we see our team working hard and putting themsleves about (maybe not to degree that kev nolan did) then gennerally we’ll be happy, but for to long that hasnt been the case…
anyway soz for that little rant, i go back to theorpy tomoz, i personnaly wont be supprised if yous pip arsenal to pst for 5th and i hope yas do.
What about putting up with a despicable Everton outfit for the best part of 20 years. Should we have wanted them to go down for the same reasons? Sounds to me there is still a residual anger that the Toon have been way and above the bluenoses for the best part of 16 years, but they aren’t at the moment so let it lie. Everton, angriest fans in the country?