As part of the build-up to today’s FA Cup final, TheChelseaBlog ran a few questions by Tom from Post Match Pint – “the drinking man’s football blog” – to get an Everton supporter’s perspective on stuff like Chelsea’s best player, Everton’s player of the year as well as a prediction for the game.
Which Chelsea player would you most like to see in your squad and why?
Hmmm a tough one – you have so many great players! I would probably say Michael Essien. He is the driving force in your midfield and the perfect all-round footballer. He is exactly what we are lacking at the moment.
Good choice but which one of our players do you think could cause you the most problems today?
I’m going to cheat a bit and say the front trio of Anelka, Drogba and Malouda. Anelka has just bagged 18 league goals and he is a former red to boot! Drogba is always a handful while Malouda is in the best form since he signed for you.
Fair shout. Who’s your favourite Everton player of all time then?
Most fans of my generation will say one man –Duncan Ferguson. Most of the Everton sides I watched growing up were pretty terrible but Dunc was the one player that stood out. Plus he had a handy knack of scoring against Liverpool! I have to admit though several members of the current squad like Cahill and Arteta are pushing Dunc close.
Any player who scores against Liverpool has to be a favourite eh? So who do you reckon has been Everton’s best player this season?
Phil Jagielka has been immense. He deservedly won the clubs player of the year award a few weeks ago; it is such a shame that he will miss the final. Arteta and Phil Neville have also upped their game this season
And what about Chelsea’s best player this season?
It is probably a toss up between Anelka and Lampard but if I had to choose I would go for Lampard. He has proved he is one of the best midfielders in the country. When things weren’t going so well under Scolari he never hid away, instead he stood up to be counted and carried the team forward – like in the Stoke game at Stamford Bridge when he grabbed the last minute winner.
David Moyes has done a great job at Everton, why do you think he hasn’t converted that into trophies so far though?
Money, simple as.
Moyes has had to do things the hard way and slowly build the team up year on year. He can only really afford to buy one ‘big’ player each year. Plus the ‘big four’ dominance has made it hard for any team to win something let alone a side on such a low budget as Everton.
However I think Moyes’ slow and steady approach has benefited us because it has largely been the same bunch of players year in year out with just one or two quality additions. That has bred a strong team spirit that has carried us through this year.
What do you think Everton should be realistically hoping for next season?
I think we can have another crack at Europe again. We enjoyed the run in the UEFA Cup a couple of years ago and were unlucky to go out on pens against Fiorentina. I was gutted when we went out early this year but given our small squad I think it was a blessing in disguise. I think we can have a real go at it next year.
In the league we should try as hard as possible to achieve fourth place. But like everything it all depends on money, especially as all the teams around us, Spurs, Villa, City, will all spend big in the summer.
Would you fancy being one of football’s ‘super rich’ clubs?
Half of me says yes, but then I look at the state of City and the other half says no. I take great pride in the fact that we have achieved so much without having to sell out. I think many clubs cast envious glances at the team Moyes as built and the close relationship with Bill Kenwright – who is an Evertonian himself of course.
But I know Moyes can’t perform miracles forever and we will have to invest heavily at some stage if we want to consistently win things. I am just praying there is a super-rich Evertonian out there rather than another random Arab billionaire.
Despite it being Liverpool’s year again they finished trophy-less and had their famous ‘18’ equalled by United. Does the thought of a more successful end to the season than them make you want the cup more than ever?
It will be great to put the Reds in our shadow for once; we have been casting envious glances across the park for too long. We have had to put up with a lot of stick from Red mates over the years so to claim a trophy would give us ample chance to give them some stick back.
But in all honestly we want to win it for ourselves rather than to just get one over Liverpool. We have been put through the mill by this club over the past 15 years so feel we deserve our day in the sun. I just hope the lads can go all the way.
Finally, give us your prediction for today’s game.
My head says Chelsea, my heart says Everton.
We have shown we can be more than a match against the ‘big four’ season but if we want to win today we will still have to keep things tight. If we do it may not result in a classic but we could sneak a 1-0 win with a goal from Tim Cahill.
Cheers for that Tom, enjoy your day at Wembley – not too much though obviously!
Blue is the colour
