You don’t necessarily need to be extra-special to dismantle Man U’s rickety defence, but Everton were superb in usurping Wayne Rooney & co on Saturday, showing why they’re many people’s second favourite team — with the exception of Liverpool FC loyalists, obviously.
David Moyes is an outstanding manager, and has been proving it for the past six seasons, astutely assimilating keen-to-impress imports and gifted youngsters (such as last weekend’s match-winner Jack Rodwell) with experienced journeymen.
The Toffees, after a ‘sticky’ start to the season (sorry, but some puns are just too predictable to ignore) are now the Premier League’s form team, and but for the injuries that blighted the early part of their campaign they’d be live contenders for a Champions League place. (And credit Moyes for rubbishing the notion of holding play-offs for the final ‘European Cup’ spot.)
Among the delighted Everton supporters are the Waterford branch brethren, including: soccer writer and magazine publisher Paul Elliott; Tom Beglin, brother of former Liverpool full-back Jim; Michael ‘Dixie’ Deegan, manager of the Uluru and Southend United stalwart; Christy Hannigan, lifelong St Joseph’s FC clubman; David Breen, the former Waterford United captain currently playing with Wexford Youths, and Ballysaggart ‘blue’ Pat Bennett, the county senior hurling selector. All are good friends with John Parrott, the 1991 world snooker champion, who they meet up with whenever they’re on Merseyside in mutual adoration of what non-Red Liverpudlians refer to as ‘the people’s club.’
