FINALLY the lurgey has subsided, the hangover has gone and I’m just starting to feel human again after the Fiorentina trip.
For many reasons it was disappointing, but clearly the result was the main culprit. We just didn’t turn up, maybe slightly over-awed by the occasion and definitely not ambitious enough initially, and now after last week the rest is history....
It’s been too long since I last blogged so I won’t blather on about Florence too much. Tim Howard came out of it with credit, erm, and that was about it.
Suffice to say we all got tickets one way or another, the Italians were generally unwelcoming and their police regrettably opted for intimidation instead of a more sensible approach.
It didn’t help that the local paper seemed to carry a front-page story about hordes of Scouse hooligans coming on the rampage.
But amid the rain, misery and frustrating searches for places willing to sell us over-priced ale we had some good laughs.
Too good, in my case, particularly on the last night which saw me and Tony Scott somehow getting loads of free and throat-tearingly strong shots from the Danish barmaid (Absinthe is on my list of suspects).
It meant I missed our flight from Pisa to Glasgow the next morning, and subsequently had to fork out for a new flight to East Midlands later that day.
But then, apart from frustration at my own stupidity, I experienced another reason I’m proud to be a blue.
Solo, penniless (thanks to Royal Bank of Scotland for freezing my cash card) and facing the prospect of a train back from Nottingham to Lime Street, ETA God Knows.....
Until a group of lads I didn't know from Adam stepped in and offered a lift. Instead of the slow train from hell, I was home in under two hours and Tony Smith even dropped me off outside mine and refused to take petrol money.
It’s generosity like that which makes me proud (not to mention grateful) to be a blue.
Briefly, back on Evertonian pride, I can’t post this entry without mentioning the cauldron of noise the fans created at Goodison on Wednesday for our brave, skilful and ultimately unsuccessful Uefa cup second leg tie.
The damage had been done in Florence, and you knew we’d lose on penalties, but the players redeemed themselves with a collective performance which was the polar opposite of what they turned in at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
With the experience this European campaign has given the club, I’m positive for our next foray on the continent; whether it’s the Uefa cup again or it’s sexier older sister.
Back to the Premier League and our last - and toughest - holy grail. Make no mistake we made finishing fourth doubly hard by losing to a weak but spirited Fulham side on Sunday.
Although we looked leg-weary and mentally tired (did Arteta, of all people, find a blue shirt all day?) I’m not keen on the ‘tired’ excuse.
Liverpool played away in Europe in mid-week too but still managed to beat Reading.
This was an opportunity missed, even if it did seem on the cards for us to come away from West London empty handed.
If we can scrape together a fit strikeforce against West Ham, we should be entitled to a very different Everton performance.
The players need to be psychologically strong now, put aside the Uefa exertion and Liverpool’s point gap, and get back to winning ways.
Simply, we've got to get back to beating the beatable teams, starting with the underachieving Hammers.
Here’s some pics of Florence and me, Tony Scott, Paddy, Frank and Co variously getting drunk and getting lost looking for the Hotel Castri.
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john mc wrote...
looks like you had a great time despite the hurdles put in your way see you at west ham
Posted by: john mc | March 18, 2008 5:47 PM