Recently by Mark McKenna

GIVEN that there's really only been 45 minutes in the second half against Man United where we've played anything like to the standard we expect, we're pretty fortunate that we're going into this game sat in seventh place and with a chance of making the top six this season.

Any other season, the ineptitude of our performances could've seen us stranded at the bottom. It's been standard protocol before every game this term for manager and players to come out and say "we're now gonna kick-start our season" but the time for talking went a few months ago. Surely the penny's finally dropped.

We go to West Ham today looking for our third win on the trot, but if truth be told, the performances in the last two games were worse than many of the games we've been beaten in this season. However, winning breeds confidence, so there's no reason why we can't go looking for a win at the 'proper' cockneys.

THIS appeared to be billed as the clash of the Premier League's crisis clubs, though I'm sure Tottenham would've been grossly offended at their exclusion from the league's crisis elite.

The one word which screamed out throughout this match was 'confidence'.

We started the game full of purpose and verve taking the game to the Barcodes who were drastically low on confidence and determined to ensure every pass found the stands rather than a team-mate.

After sailing into the lead and cruising, it crossed my mind at one point in the first half that this was like the Sunderland 7-1 game last year.

Oh when when will I learn my lesson?

Just when it seemed like we might actually have been able to enjoy a home game, the self-destruct button that has copyright by Everton Football Club was firmly jammed down and within a minute either side of half-time as fans' heads were back in hands with now the all-too-familiar cry of "what's gone wrong with our defence?".

WE'VE been through the trauma of staring relegation in the face with players considerably less talented than the current crop, yet the mood now is possibly the most despondent many Evertonians have ever been about the club.

Whether it's the board, lack of investment, ground fiasco, manager's contract or performances on the pitch, there really is very little if anything to be proud about at present.

Out of the two competitions that we had any chance of joy in and a dreadful league start which has made European qualification for next season highly unlikely, the consequences of our summer of discontent have now come to fruition.

IF we were facing a striker that was going into this game with three goals in as many league games, we'd be scared of facing a potent threat to our goal.

With our own defenders possessing that record coming to this game, we've got more reason to be worried about the (own) goal-scoring threat of our defenders than anything the Red Sox may throw at us.

We thought that our days of putting in weekly mediocre performances and then upping our game for the derby were left back in the 1990s, however, that's exactly the situation we're hoping for this weekend.

THANKFULLY the mood coming out of the ground was one of relief and joy and writing this is not just an angry tirade at how Alan Wiley has cemented his place with messrs Clattenburg, Collina and Thomas in Evertonian infamy.

Given last season's disallowed goal incident at Blackburn involving Wiley, the only explanation for his actions following the diabolical penalty decision at the Britannia is either he is totally incompetent or he holds a grudge against us. Thankfully his ineptitude mattered not.

It was a massive boost for us just when the team sheet was announced, with something looking remotely like a first team rather than whoever was fit from our under-14s upwards.

NOW don't get me wrong, the vital victory here was very much appreciated and will reduce the current dosage of anti-depressants being used, but any feelings of euphoria quickly subsided at the sight of just how few senior players we had walking off the Hawthorns pitch.

Even if we'd have signed Kaka, Ronaldo and Robinho this summer then we'd still be looking at three points against a side making their first home appearance back in the top flight as an excellent result, so all credit has got to be given to the players for such a hard fought win.