Recently by Thomas Mallows

Another year. Another transfer window. Another scattergun approach from the media.

Desperate to break the story first the press have obviously decided to throw enough transfer tittle tattle onto their back pages with the hope that one will stick, so when the player does make the move they can look all smug.

But even though I know most of these stories are fabricated, it doesn't stop me from feeling anxious when most of them involve Everton players leaving rather than coming in.

Are we really that surprised?

Granted, the total non-performance in Lisbon was a shock, given drubbing of United the previous Saturday, but I had different feeling going into the game at Spurs...

The one thing I have learned from being an Evertonian is to enjoy moments like Saturday when they come along as you never know when they will happen again.

And enjoy it I did, along with 40,000 other Evertonians who revelled in as good an Everton performance we have seen at Goodison in recent years.

The thing is though we all knew the players had it in them, the problem this year has been getting them on the pitch and out of the treatment room.

Yes, it is indeed a full decade since our last win at Anfield. And while that record is not something to be proud of, there are plenty of other teams with longer winless runs at our original home, so why not celebrate that win and see the anniversary as a motivation for a better future.

lets zoom back to the end of the last century, to the 27th September 1999 to be precise, and a Monday night clash with the old enemy.....

That's how I view Everton's start to the season.

After all the talk of lessons learnt and exciting new signings in June, the club were once again left to scramble around for new players around the September deadline day.

Consequently that vital pre-season bedding period, we last enjoyed when Messrs Lescott, Howard and Johnson joined the club in 2007, was sadly missed.