Tonight’s game at Goodison is one of those ‘must win’ games. For Everton, to cut Liverpool’s five point lead in the battle for fourth spot and for us, to regain some credibility after Monday’s woeful performance at home. With Drogba (injured) and Lampard (family illness) already missing, Grant, in his (alleged) infinite footballing wisdom chose to rest the likes of Ashley Cole, Carvalho, and Makelele, with even Joe Cole benched for the first half against Wigan. Now, whilst I appreciate he may have had one eye on tonight’s game, believing it to be the most difficult fixture of the two, his vigilance in trying to protect his key players has turned around and bit him squarely on the arse. What is the point in having fresh, rested players who now have nothing to play for?

Anyway, as resigned as we are, we can but hope Grant will want to keep the gap with Utd down to a respectable level. Of course, he’s come out with the now predictable pre-match drivel “it’s very difficult to play at Goodison Park, they are a good team and it’s never easy to play them”, but what’s he actually planning to do about it? Stick to the 4-3-3 that’s been about as effective for us this season as a krooklock on Merseyside?

 We know they’re no walkover and once again there’ll be a certain ex-red in the ranks not looking to do us any favours. The Toffees skipper, is aware of Everton’s lack of points earned from top-four opposition this season, although remains hopeful they could snatch fourth spot, saying “What we need to do, though, is raise our game three or four gears from what it has been recently if we want to get anything.” Reassuring to hear they’ll be pushing ahead in fifth gear while we’re tootling along in first then. Meanwhile, our own skipper appears unusually tight-lipped in the pre-match build up for this one, with Chelsea gagging all and sundry in an effort to withdraw pre and post-match cooperation with Sky as they continue to sulk about fixture changes.

Of course, it’s less than ideal having to play again tonight having clearly given our all against Wigan on Monday, but with footballers being such highly overpaid athletes these days, are we really saying they can’t cope with a bit of fixture congestion? I have to say I’m with Moyes on this one, who very rightly points out “we were not expecting to play on a Thursday night and I am sure Chelsea weren’t either. Neither club were very keen on it, but we are paid handsomely by Sky so we have to accept it”. It’s a shame that while Grant has mumbled and moaned about the effect this would have on our title chances, he has overlooked the real victims here, unlike Moyes, who says “As a supporter, I would not be buying a ticket in such circumstances. We have lots of supporters who travel over from Ireland and they will have booked flights and bought tickets. Now they have suddenly been told that has all changed. I feel the clubs have a responsibility to say, no, we will not do this. We have supporters to answer to”.  Well said that man!

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