Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Well, a lot has happened at Everton since the last time I updated this page.

Marouane Fellaini turned Super Saiyan around November and looked about as good a centre midfielder as any in Europe, only for a shithouse challenge from Liverpool’s Georgios Kyriakos to end his season in February.

Everton played quite well in the season’s first derby at Goodison back in November but still managed to lose 2-0. The return game at Anfield, in which Fellaini was injured by a two-footed lunge that also saw the aforementioned yard dog Kyriakos sent off, was nothing short of a disgrace. Despite Liverpool playing over half the game with ten men, Everton produced a pathetic demonstration of predictable attacking and farcical defending, and were deservedly beaten 1-0.

There have been a few truly fantastic performances though; the most notable being the 2-2 draw away at Arsenal and back to back home wins over Chelsea and Manchester United. However, these were followed by a woeful collapse in Portugal which saw Everton crash out of the Europa League at the hands of Sporting Lisbon.

The performance in Lisbon and defeat at home to Birmingham in the FA Cup third round have been the most frustrating points, as those competitions represented our only chance of turning this season into one of success rather than transition. As it stands Everton will have to keep winning right up until the end just to qualify for next year’s Europa League.

Landon Donovan came and went. The American spent three months on loan from Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy and his pace, work rate and direct running showed David Moyes exactly what this Everton side have been missing since Andy Johnson's departure. It’d be great if we could somehow bring Donovan back permanently in the summer transfer window, but given the club’s awful financial state it seems unlikely.