A Day to Remember, A Year to Forget

When the fixture list showed a rare Dec 31st home fixture against West Ham, I had several months to prepare my explanations to the wife why it should take precedence over a wedding taking place the same afternoon. "We've come all the way over from the US - I'm sure they'll understand if I'm a little late", "I really miss the football and anyhow, she's your friend not mine." and perhaps the weakest of all, "Games against the Hammers are always exciting." etc.. etc.. In the end I think the dirty look from the bride suggested she was not too impressed but in my own twisted mind, the fact that we won backs up my decision to go along and miss the ceremony.

It was a funny game to be honest, full of chances and could easily have produced another six goal plus thriller. For the first half-hour we were dire, as bad as I've seen us all season. The fact that we were 1-o up after 21 minutes was nothing less than miraculous, and the exasperations of the fans suggested the majority knew it was an injustice against a bright young Hammers side. The goal was the result of our only succession of passes in the game thus far - a ball from the Herminator to Darren Bent, and an early low cross evaded the hapless Christian Dailly and presented Bartlett with an unmissable opportunity. It neatly showed the virtues of playing two forwards (it would happen again in the second half) but came wholly against the run of play. Indeed until Rommedahl began to get involved and produce a series of runs and shots in the last fifteen minutes of the half, we seemed to lack shape and ideas, with the midfield unable to take any players out of the game, and thus forced to resort to hopeful punts forward.

Thankfully the second half was much better, beautifully exemplified in our second goal, a real beauty of a team goal, and emphatically finished by the impressive Bent. There aren't many better sights in the game than a centre-forward attacking and powering home a cross. Indeed, as Curbs intimated in his press conference, Bent has impressed in multiple ways, but it is the range of 'types of goals' he scores which should, in my view, cement him a place in Germany this summer.

After the second goal, the nerves finally lifted and the belief returned and we began to look like the side which we thought we had four games into the season. It was a welcome sight, seeing full-backs reaching the byline, the midfield winning the ball and using it intelligently, and finally unless my eyes deceived me, Lisbie nearly scored at the end. A third goal would have been harsh on West Ham who were missing several key players, and competed well throughout.

The real test now is whether Curbs can find a way of bottling that second-half performance and injecting the belief it should have generated back into the players, particularly with another vital game tomorrow. A clean sheet was most welcome obviously, and Fortune deserves plaudits for a second solid performance and he seemed to boost the Herminator's confidence too, who also had a strong game.

The return of Murphy and/or Smertin would be welcomed at Goodison because whilst a Holland/Kishishev pairing never lacks for effort, it certainly lacks for quality. Similarly the jury remains firmly out on Hughes whose attributes are difficult to decipher right now. It was reassuring to see Rommedahl remained in Curbishley's plans, and whilst he was a menace whenever he got the ball, it surprises me how reluctant he is to put his head down and really test a defender's pace, preferring to cut inside or stop and seek a pass. Admittedly Konchesky is no slouch, but given that Rommedahl lacks 'tricks' it's seems strange how rarely he uses his one god-given gift. Finally Bartlett had one of his best games for a while, and there were clearly signs that a partnership with Bent could be fruitful given the right service.

So a disappointing calendar year ends on a high note, and with the transfer window now open, fans will be fully expecting plenty of movement both in and out. I'm surprised by the rumours about us targeting keepers since this is not an obvious weak area, particularly with Mhyre's impressive performances. Instead a young striker, left-back, defensive wide midfielder and centre-back should be top of Curbs' priority list.

Happy New Year!