Back to the drawing board

It was that familiar feeling of Evertonian dread, when you can see another morale sapping defeat immediately following another - like when we visited Elland Road in the 90s (or even White Hart Lane for that matter). I just couldn't see us getting the victory

And, unfortunately, Everton matched my low expectations by delivering a first half showing completely at odds with what had occurred eight days previously.

The restored central defensive pairing of Heitinga and Distin was supposed to shore things up after the Lisbon mauling. Instead the pair contrived to gift Spurs the opening goal, with Distin deciding to wander up field and point to another player, seemingly forgetting the England international striker lurking behind him.

For the second the Blues decided to give up on closing players down, allowing Spurs to play nice, neat triangles on the edge of the box and then offer Luka Modric the freedom of London to size up a shot on goal. Granted it was a good finish - but you don't give someone with that ability time and space on the edge of the box.

It could, and perhaps should have been more. Moyes' bold decision to play five attack minded midfielders paid off in spades last week but this time, with no defensive lynchpin (aka Fellaini), Spurs overran the midfield and the Toffees defence looked exposed.

On the right Victor Anichebe looked like a player who hadn't started a game for a year. Attacking wise his contribution was minimal and facing his own goal he struggled to offer and any support to Baines, who struggled deal with the bounding overlapping runs of Gareth Bale all afternoon.

Fair play to Moyes he switched things around at half-time, shoring up the midfield by putting Heitinga in there and bringing Jags back into the back four. All of sudden we got to grips with things in the middle of the park, with Arteta and Pienaar able to face forward and create openings. It still took a touch of fortune to get a goal back, comedy 'keeper Gomes diving out of the way of the ball to allow the Yak to tap home.

The home crowd became nervous and that transmitted to the players, who began giving the ball away. But there still didn't seem to be any decisiveness in our attacks.

Pienaar brought a great save out of Gomes when he intercepted a cross-field pass, but with Everton three on two in the build up to his shot, you can't help but feel a more ruthless side would have ensured the ball was put in the net.

Despite that we should have brought things level though Landon Donovan. The American has done everything right in his brief spell on Merseyside but he will want to forget this game as he somehow put the ball wide from three yards out. I joined Moyes in putting my head in my hands at that moment, I could barely watch the replay.

Some more desperate long balls later and it was all over - an infuriating defeat as we have had all season because it was so avoidable. Sloppy at one end, profligate at the other, the optimism of last week has dissipated in the space of four days.

The season is not over, not by any means. We are well in with a shout of grabbing one of the European spots. But with our last lingering hope of a trophy and a chance of grabbing 4th place now all but extinguished, the season finale will be a lot less exciting than it could have been.