CHANT SUMS UP ANGER.
Byline: MARK O'BRIENWELL, then, we're not even out of September yet and the talk is of 'must win' games. Like it or not, tomorrow's clash with Glenn Roeder's side is just that.
We're on the back of a four-match losing streak with a trip to Ipswich and the traditional home bore-fest with Villa coming up - three points against the Hammers are vital.
The men from East London struggled until last week when, inspired by a chap named Don Hutchison, they clicked and hammered Newcastle. With the likes of Hutchison, Sinclair, Di Canio and Kanoute in their line-up they're a side built to attack.
However, we must be positive and take the game to them if we're to get the result we need. And to be fair the Blues did look a lot more positive at Ewood Park where they succumbed to the inevitable Corrado Grabbi goal. Incidentally, someone pointed out that Bosko Balaban hasn't scored for Villa yet - make of that what you will.
Maybe the result would have reflected the improved performance if Duncan Ferguson had successfully converted his penalty.
Walter Smith came in for some stick from the travelling support when he made his standard late double substitution. He obviously thought it was unjustified and predictably Graeme Souness took over the Alex Ferguson role of telling us how lucky we are to have his mate as our manager, but what do they expect? I'm not really a fan of chanting negative stuff during the match - it's all a bit Man City - but then I'm lucky enough to have this platform to air my grievances. The majority of fans who pay good money to follow the team they love don't have that platform. What's more surprising is that it has taken this long to happen.
However, 'You don't know what you're doing' is a chant so bad that we associate it with those doyens of terrace wit across the Pennines. It's almost as bad as 'Shall we sing a song for you?'
Angry e-mails to the club about our current plight have been replied to with a standard response that states that we won't be the only team to succumb to Manchester United and Liverpool this season.
Talk about missing the point; this upsurge in unrest is not simply the result of two or three consecutive defeats.
Evertonians on the whole have been fantastically patient with Walter Smith and the whole regime at the club despite watching some of the worst football and suffering some of the most embarrassing defeats in the club's history.
All people want is some sign that the club has an inkling of what they're doing or some vision of how they can take us forward. However, at the moment, it appears Saturday's embarrassing chant might just be the most apt one there is.
CAPTION(S):
PENALTY MISS: Duncan Ferguson
 Printer friendly
 Cite/link
 Email
 Feedback
| |
| Title Annotation: | Sport |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Daily Post (Liverpool, England) |
| Date: | Sep 28, 2001 |
| Words: | 476 |
| Previous Article: | Strike threat moves closer; Ballot papers ready. |
| Next Article: | THERE'S METHOD IN THIS MADNESS; Fowler vows to respond to Houllier's criticism as fans rally behind striker. |