'Too good to go down.. '
Everton manager David Moyes had the UEFA Champions League in his sights the last time he crossed swords with Jose 'The Special One' Mourinho.
Everton lost 1 - 0 on Merseyside in February 2005 but ample consolation was in store for Everton and Moyes with a fourth place finish and a crack at Europe's elite competition.
The dream was crushed by the Yellow Submarine (Forlan !) followed by an abject Uefa Cup first round humiliation of a 5-1 defeat against Dinamo Bucharest in Romania.
The Premiership table presents an even bleaker picture.
Rock bottom. One win, a highly-fortuitous one, at Bolton. And a victory containing Everton's only league goal of the season.
It is all a world away from last season, when Moyes lost Wayne Rooney, but fashioned a hard-working and successful outfit stripped of their superstar. If Everton survived the loss of Rooney, they have not overcome the loss of Thomas Gravesen to Real Madrid in January.
They have won only six out of 24 league games since Gravesen left for La Liga - but any inquest into their failings runs deeper than the loss of the inspirational Dane.
And Moyes himself, despite being crowned manager of the year for the second time in three years in the summer, cannot escape fierce examination.
Everton have missed the greatest opportunity in their recent history, an opportunity that is unlikely to present itself again, and Moyes must take his share of the blame.
This current failure of the Everton squad could be traced back to their failings in the transfer market. Moyes' £6m capture of James Beattie has so far been an unqualified flop, while the manager dismally failed to address Everton's single most pressing problem in the summer transfer market - a quality striker.
Moyes flirted with Craig Bellamy, Milan Baros, Robbie Keane and David Nugent, while Mikael Forssell failed a medical.
He even announced he had failed in bids for Michael Owen and Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt - with a £10m bid rejected for the Dutchman.
Moyes missed out on top targets Scott Parker and Emre to Newcastle, and the malaise of his performance in the transfer market carried over into the new campaign.
Phil Neville has been a success, but Simon Davies and Nuno Valente have disappointed - while £5m Per Kroldrup and Holland winger Andy van der Meyde still remain injured and a mystery to Everton fans.
When asked about the game against Chelski on Sunday, Moyes gave a terse verdict : "A good game to win." Moyes knows that in reality, any game is currently a good one to win for a club deep in trouble.
Could it really be a descent from Champions League to the Championship in the space of a season?
Everton lost 1 - 0 on Merseyside in February 2005 but ample consolation was in store for Everton and Moyes with a fourth place finish and a crack at Europe's elite competition.
The dream was crushed by the Yellow Submarine (Forlan !) followed by an abject Uefa Cup first round humiliation of a 5-1 defeat against Dinamo Bucharest in Romania.
The Premiership table presents an even bleaker picture.
Rock bottom. One win, a highly-fortuitous one, at Bolton. And a victory containing Everton's only league goal of the season.
It is all a world away from last season, when Moyes lost Wayne Rooney, but fashioned a hard-working and successful outfit stripped of their superstar. If Everton survived the loss of Rooney, they have not overcome the loss of Thomas Gravesen to Real Madrid in January.
They have won only six out of 24 league games since Gravesen left for La Liga - but any inquest into their failings runs deeper than the loss of the inspirational Dane.
And Moyes himself, despite being crowned manager of the year for the second time in three years in the summer, cannot escape fierce examination.
Everton have missed the greatest opportunity in their recent history, an opportunity that is unlikely to present itself again, and Moyes must take his share of the blame.
This current failure of the Everton squad could be traced back to their failings in the transfer market. Moyes' £6m capture of James Beattie has so far been an unqualified flop, while the manager dismally failed to address Everton's single most pressing problem in the summer transfer market - a quality striker.
Moyes flirted with Craig Bellamy, Milan Baros, Robbie Keane and David Nugent, while Mikael Forssell failed a medical.
He even announced he had failed in bids for Michael Owen and Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt - with a £10m bid rejected for the Dutchman.
Moyes missed out on top targets Scott Parker and Emre to Newcastle, and the malaise of his performance in the transfer market carried over into the new campaign.
Phil Neville has been a success, but Simon Davies and Nuno Valente have disappointed - while £5m Per Kroldrup and Holland winger Andy van der Meyde still remain injured and a mystery to Everton fans.
When asked about the game against Chelski on Sunday, Moyes gave a terse verdict : "A good game to win." Moyes knows that in reality, any game is currently a good one to win for a club deep in trouble.
Could it really be a descent from Champions League to the Championship in the space of a season?
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