December to Remember - So Far

Well it's been a little while now but my goodness what a month December has been so far for the Toffees. Six goals in three games, zero conceded and we're out of the relegation zone in less than a month after getting slapped with a ten point deduction for breaching PSR. There was an initial wobble from the Blues when Manchester United came to town but since then, Sean Dyche's Royal Blue Army have been a force to be reckoned with and the results have been pretty significant. We have brushed aside teams we were not fancied to beat, Newcastle United with their Saudi blood money and Chelsea with their splurging American muscle.

I have to be honest, however, I have regained my confidence in Everton Football Club this season. They might not play pretty football but it's ugly but effective, like an executioner's axe. Having said that, the twenty-nine pass streak before killing the game off against Newcastle United for the third goal was special and something we can look forward to seeing, once Dyche has the right people in the team that can do that effectively; we are not Manchester City and cannot suffocate teams with dominant possession until we crack them like an egg under a hydraulic press.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is not yet back to his old, free-scoring form, but he is a presence up front for Everton and his movement and hold up play has provided opportunities for others. His diagonal run to take Lascelles away from Dwight McNeill for the first goal after somehow fluffing a few chances himself did not go unnoticed by yours truly. It was also Calvert-Lewin who was directly involved with the opening goal against Chelsea with his bravery to challenge for the ball against the onrushing goalkeeper which ended with the ball ricocheting free to Doucoure for the Malian international to finish.

Another player I have been impressed with is Vitaly Mykolenko. With everything this young man has had to endure since arriving on Merseyside on and off the pitch, he has been the model professional and shown his dedication to the team. It might have taken him a little while to get used to the Premier League but now that he's up to speed he's practically irreplaceable. Strong in the tackle, with a never-say-die attitude, Myko is probably my most improved player in recent seasons. He's magic you know.

I'm so pleased for Beto and Lewis Dobbin to get their first goals at Goodison Park in the last two games with goals of real quality. Beto's strength and presence of mind to finish with goalkeeper and two defenders in his way, one of which he brushed aside like he was a child is such a pleasure to watch because the big man chases everything and fights like his life depends on it. Dobbin's goal was one of the sweetest struck shots I've seen since Jack Harrison's heavenly half-volley against Bournemouth.

Away from the pitch, I have to give credit to Amazon for once, for their coverage of our protests during the Newcastle United game. They did not shy away from showing the supporters up close, holding the green cards which read "Protecting the few, not the many", their comments on the subject were also pretty neutral and factual which was a refreshing touch. It seemed as though Sky Sports and the Premier League were desperate to talk about anything else entirely in the days and weeks after the unjust sanction was imposed on us. MPs continue to fight our case with the league as well as Greater Manchester Major Andy Burnham.

One thing I would like to see mentioned more, however, is the vile chants  from away fans aimed at fans of both Merseyside clubs, especially at this time of year. I'm all for banter between fans and using whatever ammunition is available to you to get one over on opposition fans, but the "Feed The Scousers" chant is in incredibly poor taste to say the least and outright ignorant. It's been well documented enough times just how much Liverpool has been affected by government policy and how hard the city has been hit by job losses and quality of living over the years. I have family myself who were forced to leave the city and head south to find work as their opportunities were reduced to nothing in Liverpool. Others were not so lucky and I am always appreciative of the fact. There has been a few occasions in the very recent past where certain clubs have called for the banning of chants by other fans targeting certain things, Chelsea having the "rent boy" chant banned as homophobic, Manchester United wanting any mention of the Munich disaster to be banned and Liverpool wanting other fans to stop chanting about Hillsborough. Why then is it still okay for other fans to poke at Merseyside for a stereotype that went out of fashion some time ago now?

It was even more disappointing to hear such chanting coming from Newcastle United fans, who like the city of Liverpool, also saw it's fair share of hardship in the past fifty years. They should know better, since they have, in the past, seen themselves as something like kindred spirits to scousers, given their similar struggles.

To get back to the action for the last little bit here, bring on Burnley on Saturday, bring on Fulham on the nineteenth and the others for the rest of the month. We'll fight the lot until the effort kills us because we know they never will.

WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!