European reflections

Everton really have lit-up what's a pretty tawdry competition. UEFA Cup for all it's faults could be the place where David Moyes' Everton came of age....that could be wishful thinking but everything considered last night really does cap a superb European sojurn. There might be fantastic things to come for Everton in the future but that Arteta goal last night was just an awesome, awesome moment....I think it's one that will always stay with me. The place went bonkers, ballistic, bananas it was royal blue bedlam. It's making me smile every time I think about it.

We had a bad night at the office in Florence and then went out on put it right in proper style. We took them to the cleaners last night, they were hanging on by there fingernails. Aside from that dodgy night in Florence that whole European party was ace (but for one silly mistake against Metalist at Goodison we'd have set a record for the longest ever winning streak by an English team in Europe)...the UEFA cup is still shite ( ;) ) but Everton are fucking ace.

It's great to think back over it. Metalist's porky physio getting dogs abuse from the Gwladys, McFadden's goal in the Ukraine, Victor suckering the defender to make it safe. The way he calmed the nerves against Larissa then just looked at the Gwladys as if to say "What was all the fuss about", dealing with Nurnberg's pressure then showing our class, The professional performance Zenit, winning at fortress Alkmaar, taking Brann to the cleaners then picking ourselves up off the floor and battering Fiorentina. 3, possibly 4, Champions League teams know all about Everton now...Let's do it again next season. Amongst the wins there is a sense of how far Everton have come. Ropey & living on their nerves against Metalist & Larissa moving onto calm mature performances against Zenit, Nurmberg and AZ Alkmaar...but there was also proper old style British blood & thunder efforts like Brann & Fiorentina.

You can't really be disappointed in going out on pens to the 4th place Serie A team...Just hope for many more European adventures like that. As I said to a mate of mine "I am bouncing. That's our Everton, the team that used to f*ck up all the time, wallow around lurching from disaster to disaster with the odd false dawn thrown in....our Everton playing like true heroes when it looked like it was beyond them. Everything you want your footy team to be."