NOT EVERYBODY BUYS INTO THE Evertonian dream and the “People’s Club” propaganda. Craig Bellamy, for one, was wearied rather than enthused by David Moyes’s talk of becoming a hero to the masses at Goodison Park, but score twice against the old enemy in your first Merseyside derby, as Andrew Johnson did on Saturday, and a love affair with the club’s supporters is guaranteed.
To say that Everton’s fans have been holding out for a hero, as Moyes suggested on Saturday evening, is an understatement. So warped has the club’s tradition of great centre forwards become over the past decade and more that Duncan Ferguson was held in an esteem far beyond anything he achieved in a royal blue shirt, while the one bona fide hero, Wayne Rooney, defected to Manchester United with indecent state. But, finally, they appear, in Johnson, to have found the hero they have craved.
By inflicting an afternoon of untold misery on Liverpool, Johnson sent Everton to the top of the Barclays Premiership table — for a couple of hours at least — and moved to fill a situation that has been vacant for far too long. “I said to him when we were speaking in the summer that they’re longing to grab on to a hero,” Moyes said. “He should feel like king of Goodison Road tonight, that’s for sure. We sold one hero in Duncan and before that there were greats like Dixie Dean and Bob Latchford. He’s got a long way to go before he’ll get close to them, but hopefully the goals will keep coming.”
They will. Johnson described his £8.6 million transfer from Crystal Palace as a “gamble” on Moyes’s part, but, four games and four goals into his Everton career, the sometime England forward looks as close as can be found to a safe bet. His pace and ceaseless running make for a dangerous combination, although admittedly he will not always be granted as much respect — Rafael Benítez called it “fear” — as he was by a Liverpool defence that produced a truly catastrophic performance, which turned what was at times a reasonable team display into a horror show.
Jamie Carragher, returning from injury, did not look fit, but others had less excuse. Sami Hyypia seemed to age ten years over the course of the afternoon, as he was run ragged by Johnson, while Fabio Aurélio lived down to his billing as a full back with little if any defensive instinct. José Manuel Reina compounded his shaky start to the campaign by gifting Johnson’s second goal in stoppage time with an error so crass, shovelling the ball up into the air not once but twice as he struggled with Lee Carsley’s shot, that it was tempting to wonder whether he has fallen victim to the same second-season syndrome that afflicted Jerzy Dudek four years ago.
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There were other disturbing aspects to Liverpool’s performance — not least another below-par game from Xabi Alonso — and Benítez has little time to address the problems, with his team visiting PSV Eindhoven in their opening Champions League match tomorrow before facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Other teams have lacked cohesion in the first weeks of the new season, but, whereas Manchester United and Chelsea have ground out victories, Liverpool, like Arsenal, have dropped points at an alarming rate. Early days, of course, but this does not feel like the start of the long-awaited title challenge.
The scoreline did not reflect the game, with Steven Gerrard hitting the post twice as his team set up camp in the Everton half, but Liverpool were punished for a lack of aggression at the back. Aurélio was caught out in the build-up to the first goal, converted by Tim Cahill in the 24th minute after a straightforward move carved through the Liverpool defence, and Johnson shrugged off tame challenges from Hyypia and, 12 minutes later, Carragher to make it 2-0.
From that moment on, the outcome was never in doubt, particularly once Liverpool were denied a penalty after what looked like a clear handball by Tony Hibbert midway through the second half.
The third goal, not least the manner of it, added insult to injury for Liverpool and cemented Johnson’s place in Evertonian affections. All the while, Bellamy was left kicking his heels, inexplicably left out of the 16-man squad by Benítez, his loss certainly proving to be Johnson’s and Everton’s gain.
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ON THE UP AGAIN
IT HAS BEEN AN up-and-down ride in the Premiership for Everton under David Moyes, but it looks as if the Goodison Park yo-yo is on the way up again. The manager arrived from Preston North End in March 2002 and since then years of optimism and elation have been followed by seasons of chastening mediocrity and battles against relegation.
Following this pattern, the Gwladys Street supporters can look forward to battling for a European place come next spring.
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Everton’s finishing positions
2001-02 Fifteenth in Premiership
2002-03 Seventh
2003-04 Seventeenth
2004-05 Fourth
2005-06 Eleventh
2006-07 Third so far
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BILL EDGAR