This season has picked up slightly in contrast to how it started. We are finally climbing the league and still have a run in Europe to go. However, it is disgusting that we got knocked out of the cup to Birmingfuckingham of all teams.
Its scary that we can dominate Arsenal at the Emirates for long moments of the game and Manchester City, a team who have spent so much money on quality players, off the field for the full 90. A poster summed it up perfectly in saying that we're probably one world class signing off being a top 4 side.
Which brings me to a point I have to make. Watching us play against Manchester City last week - it created the buzz I felt when we were in top form last season (with Mikky and Jags in the team), it made me reminisce about the exact Everton which people here on everton forums, back then, said was 1 signing off being a top 4 side.
I know its early to make predictions, but fuck it, I believe that with a decent pre season, and with luck with injuries, next season could be unbelievable. My fear is that the likes of Louis Saha and Steven Pienaar, the ones attributing to this season's comeback, may be tempted elsewhere. Now that we're out of the cup, this is now a more realistic possibility.
Lescott wasn't world class. But his transfer, his attitude, and everything about the fiasco knocked us off to a bad start. Furthermore, we were playing Phil Neville at center half, and had no replacements immediately lined up. From there, we went on a road of downward spiral. It also didn't help that we weren't arsed, which was probably complimented by a poor pre season in the United States.
All I know, is that if we somehow make last week's form against Manchester City that of consistent, and if we can keep Pienaar and Saha, along with having a great pre season, we'll be unbelievable.
But we said that last season, we pondered about the same shit, and it all got fucked up at the start of the season to our disappointment.
We have an excellent side, and while I see us play so well sometimes... For some reason, in the back of my mind, I know it will all be fucked up come summer. The facts don't lie. And the scary thing is, its not just one player being linked with a move away this time - its multiple pivotal players. And this time, we most likely WON'T have Europe, and we all know, we definately don't have money.