Justifiable pride: so be sure to remind the Reds... they are on borrowed time

It's been a complete privilege following the side home and away, at Man City I almost cried when the lads came over at the end, was another great display as we dispatched teams that have spent heavily around us last season, with star names in management falling to Moyesy's men and as we fast racked up victories one after the other and even when we had setbacks they were temporary - the resolve of our lads was amazing much like the 2004/2005 season of legend where we defied every Tom-Dick and Harry.

Was it just me or is following the blues this season a joy? Even when we struggled at times for various reasons, the whole philosophy of the club is one of: "well, we will just keep trying and never give up". We had our moments good and bad, but mostly good, and could have been better if our team had just that little bit more strength in depth. That has pretty much been universally accepted by Evertonians, but I guess we all carry forward this and aim to build on it. This is the good thing about our club - we are never ones to sit on our laurels - especially in this Moyes-era. The whole club feels rejuvenated to a point I can only remember in my childhood of the 1980's.

My only wish is for a quick move for Moyes to get his contract sorted for the long term and we can begin preparations in earnest

Before that, we short perhaps give a brief thought to what might of been.
Not so Moyes beats himself up, the players feel down or anyone else.We should only feel PRIDE.

Because one or two interesting FACTS are of interest this season. They may also be of interest to the Reds over the park, you remember: the ones that call us "bitter blues", the ones that have spent hundreds of millions of pounds but looked very ordinary at Goodison without multiple dodgy decisions from a very strange referee. Even away they (with 60+ squad players) faced an Everton side with only one fit striker left in the side and some of our key players with knocks and strains.

A website called www.rightresult.net lists, judges then publishes incorrect key refereeing decisions match by match and then publishes a table with a CORRECTED result.

It may be interesting to point this out to our Red neighbours. In Right Result's estimation Everton FC finished above Liverpool FC, with 22 wins this season to the Reds 20 wins and Everton having 72 points and the Reds 71 points.

So the gap is 11 points? No it would seem - the gap is 1 point in favour of the blues.

We only have to consider Everton have had ONE penalty this season. One can ask where would the Reds be without Steven Gerrard's pirouettes in the box as we saw at Goodison Park?

See the table below, and each decision by Right Result for yourself.

Then let no one from over Stanley Park say they haven't got more than their fair share of refereeing decisions this season, as usual it would seem!
Come to think of it - I can't recall a season when LUCK has not played a disproportionate part for them in a season?

Then comfort yourselves at just how well Everton have played this season under a great manager, by the name of David Moyes - a true Evertonian.

Right Result EPL Team Played W D L F A GD RR Points EPL Points (Left to Right)
1 1 Manchester United 38 29 4 5 88 22 66 91 87
2 3 Arsenal 38 25 11 2 80 32 48 86 83
3 2 Chelsea 38 23 10 5 63 28 35 79 85
4 5 Everton 38 22 6 10 62 32 30 72 65
5 4 Liverpool 38 20 11 7 67 34 33 71 76
6 6 Aston Villa 38 15 10 13 69 55 14 55 60
7 8 Portsmouth 38 15 10 13 48 40 8 55 57
8 7 Blackburn Rovers 38 14 10 14 50 53 -3 52 58
9 9 Manchester City 38 14 9 15 44 55 -11 51 55
10 12 Newcastle United 38 13 10 15 51 67 -16 49 43
11 11 Tottenham Hotspur 38 12 12 14 68 61 7 48 46
12 10 West Ham United 38 12 10 16 44 55 -11 46 49
13 17 Fulham 38 11 10 17 38 57 -19 43 36
14 13 Middlesbrough 38 10 12 16 47 55 -8 42 42
15 16 Bolton Wanderers 38 9 14 15 41 53 -12 41 37
16 15 Sunderland 38 12 5 21 38 63 -25 41 39
17 14 Wigan Athletic 38 10 10 18 37 57 -20 40 40
18 18 Reading 38 9 9 20 44 67 -23 36 36
19 19 Birmingham City 38 8 11 19 45 65 -20 35 35
20 20 Derby County 38 1 8 29 22 95 -73 11 11
© The Right Result 2008

Mark Reid is a lifelong Evertonian and has no connection to www.rightresult.net