Proud fans desperate for new energy
THE SONG they sang relentlessly captured the tone of the night. High up in the East Stand, and in a huge chunk of its middle tier, 9,000 Evertonians kept on hollering about ‘The Spirit of the Blues’.
It has been part of the Everton lexicon for five decades now but it has had a huge surge in popularity in recent times. The words are emotive and illustrate the pride this group of fans have in their team. Things have been challenging for Frank Lampard, so much so it is a case of when, rather than if, he is removed from his role as manager. But there was never going to be anything other than goodwill towards him at Old Trafford from Evertonians, who are sick to the back teeth of off-field affairs.
So they roared themselves hoarse, refusing to lie down and accept their fate in Manchester, even when
Antony, a winger whose approach can comfortably be described as ostentatious, put United ahead within three minutes. Lampard and his players need every bit of assistance that is possible right now and for a considerable chunk of this evening they were dogged, determined and desperate not to submerge.
A prerequisite for Evertonians is to see running and hard work. They also want to see it in other areas of the club but that has not been happening on the watch of Farhad Moshiri, where bluster and blunder is never far away.
On the eve of this tie, Moshiri received an open letter from a group of fan organisations and websites to make clear that enough is enough.
Things were taken a step further, too, by the Liverpool Echo who carried a forceful commentary alongside a front page that carried a screaming headline that said: ‘Silence is not an option’. Everton is crying out for energy and reinvigoration. The idea Moshiri has that chopping and changing managers will unlock the key to success is utter twaddle. Given the way Everton were beaten by Brighton, it would have been easy for them to fall asunder but, like the travelling fans, they showed oodles of spirit and frustrated United. It enabled you to draw one firm conclusion.
The vast majority of players are with Lampard. He has made mistakes, of course, his tactics haven’t always worked, but he has had one transfer window and lost his best player last summer.
He needs help, not being shown the door. If Moshiri has anything about him, he will listen and understand what is required. The worry is that old habits will die hard — and Everton will remain stuck on square one.