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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.

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One thing's for certain in this week's blog and that's the fact it won't take me long to reflect on Wednesday night's sleep inducing 90 minutes of football.

Probably (no, definitely!!) the worst game I've witnessed this season, certainly in terms of entertainment value and the lack of quality football on offer. However, my disappointment is only a reflection of the progress we've made over this season. If that game had been played at Ewood Park prior to November we may have been celebrating the point gained..........as it is we're lamenting two points dropped and another opportunity to close the gap on the top four.  

On the credit side, as David Moyes pointed out to us, it's another clean sheet (only Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool have scored against us in the league this year!), there was some sterling defensive work from all involved, and commitment and endeavour were again at the heart of the performance.  And a final word on Wednesday night's game goes to Blackburn........They were doing what they had to do I suppose. Doing what Sam Allardyce was brought in to achieve, i.e. stop teams beating them. It's his job to nullify the opposition and make it as difficult as possible. It may not be pretty but it can be effective (and boring!) so in that sense let's not blame Everton entirely for a mind-numbing stalemate.  

Right........enough of Wednesday at Ewood Park..........I did say it was one that won't live long in the memory and I've just consigned that particular segment of mine to history and one that shall not be recalled.  Time to look forward.......and what a contrast........Sunday and an FA Cup Quarter Final at last, one we've all been waiting for, for years. Let's not blow it now lads!!!

Injuries haven't helped our plight (again!) but every time I look at the potential line ups for Sunday I believe we still have superior quality in our ranks. We must make that quality count, take our chances, and hope that lady luck is also with us. The atmosphere should be electric, spurring us on further to achieve our goal. 

As David Moyes and Phil Neville continually state in their programme notes YOU can make the difference!   It is though around about this time, as the build up to kick off approaches, that the nerves begin to set in and those doubts begin to surface. As fans we do sometimes lose belief and think the worst. Maybe it's more fear than anything else, the fact that it'll be such a stomach churning time if we lose.

After they followed up their victory over West Ham in the fifth round with a win over Liverpool how many of us were muttering under our breath about Boro typically coming into form just at the right time for them and the wrong time for us??  Thankfully Tottenham's destruction of them at White Hart Lane proves that quality can and should prevail.   I know it's the FA Cup and a one off game but my belief isn't about to waver now........I'm heading to Wembley, are YOU with me??