blogs

About the author

Radio City's Alan Irwin

Posts: 61

Alan Irwin is the Voice of Everton for Liverpool's Radio City 96.7. An experienced radio journalist, Alan commentates on all of the Blues' matches and is well placed to provide insightful blogs on the progress of the team.

View articles

It's been a while since I've been able to write a 'feel good' blog. Amazing what two games in a week does for you.

Okay, so Wednesday night was by no means a sensational performance but it is, after all, the result that matters at the end of the day.

In fact, on reflection, our second half performance against Manchester United deserved more than the solitary point it yielded, while Wednesday's display at Bolton was probably a game neither side could claim to have done enough to win. But that just about sums up football.

The word after the United game was that we must build on the platform created. Well, three points at Bolton has taken care of the initial building block, and with the foundations now firmly in place Fulham can be added to the mix on Saturday.

If ever there's a game that's going to provide us with our first home win of the season then this is it. Fulham's away record over the last few years is dreadful and victory is a must. Come 3pm on Saturday our position in the table will look an awful lot healthier and talk will suddenly turn to chasing a European place once again. How quickly the picture can alter!

However, it has to be said that we were never a poor side and, with generally the same players turning out as last season, it was surely just down to a lack of confidence - as has been stated before in this blog.

Now that we've also kept our first clean sheet of the season this will enhance belief in our own ability. Tim Howard and his defenders must be delighted (even if it was only against a very poor Bolton side). I'm expecting a second successive one on Saturday. And no, I'm not subscribing to the thinking that Andy Johnson will return to haunt us.

The turnaround in form (albeit still brief - but once we dispose of Fulham, West Ham and Middlesbrough this will be confirmed!) hasn't, of course, happened overnight.

David Moyes' early season briefings to the media pack clearly focused on his lack of available players, in the main through injury, and partly due to our inactivity in the summer transfer market. It appears he was spot on. We now have virtually a fully fit squad and a £15m player who's beginning to find his feet (not to mention a head for goals).

Strange how the manager knows best, eh?