The most spoton article on football I have read in as long as I can

About time someone has the clarity of vision to get it just right:

www.soccernet.espn.go.com-columns-story?id=343182&root=england&cc=5739

ARSENAL: 2 EVERTON: 0 Gloating is not a character trait that anyone relishes, but Soccernet's Insider has been waiting for this moment and cannot resist the chance to revisit a subject so close to his heart.

Regular readers of this column may recall an article penned at Craven Cottage back in April, an afternoon when Everton covered themselves in ignominy with a hapless performance against Fulham. 'Not In Our Name' was the title of pbuttage that sparked something of a revolution among Toffees fans who could barely comprehend what they read.

It was a moment when David Moyes' 'heroic' side were closing in on a top four finish, a Champions League place we were told a the time. With most observers hailing Everton's unlikely run of results as a 'romantic tale', it was somewhat controversial to go against the tide of euphoria by suggesting the Premiership would be better off if Moyes' men fell at the last.

'Before Everton fans get carried away with the idea of Bayern Munich and Barcelona coming to Goodison Park next season, they should consider a more probable scenario,' was the opening offering of this offensive script.

'While Toffees fans appear to be under the impression that they have a divine right to be playing Champions League football after finishing more than 30 points behind the Premiership leaders, the truth is they are a long way from claiming their place among the game's elite.'

The feature went on to outline the reasons why Everton finishing fourth would be bad for English football. Suggesting their feeble squad and negative tactics would be a bad advert for the Premiership and that they would basically make a fool of themselves in the Champions League qualifiers inspired a hail of abuse from bitter Scousers.

Soccernet's editor received dozens of emails demanding an apology for this outrageous slur, the feature was posted on Everton message boards, with the search to identify the man behind the mask of The Insider becoming something of a mission for those who swear loyalty to the blue shirt.

A few months on, and the words in that article have been harrowingly hammered home. I was right and you lot were wrong is the easy thing to say in response to those angry Scousers, but the truth is Everton's fluke fourth place finish was a sign of what lay ahead in this rapidly declining Premiership.

That Everton, Bolton and Middlesbrough are representing English football in European competition is proof that negative, long ball football is the route to success and the desperately disappointing start to this new season confirms the 'romantic' stories of last term have inspired a more deep rooted problem in the game.

Villarreal exposed Everton as little more than Champions League frauds, while their 5-1 thumping at the hands of Dinamo Bucharest in the UEFA Cup last week was confirmation that you can get lucky over a 38 game season. As predicted, they have been a pathetic embarrbuttment for English football on their return to European football and as they rolled into Highbury for this Premiership mismatch, their pride was about to take another dent.

The tactical genius who goes by the name of Moyes proved himself to be as ambitious as ever as he loaded his side with a striker who rarely scores, a five man midfield designed solely to keep the score down and a defence under order to fire the ball as far up the field as possible at every opportunity.

Playing with a lone striker is one thing, but when that man is the less than prolific Marcus Bent, you have a right to be worried. With ten men behind the ball every time Arsenal crossed the half-way line, this was another case of a Premiership manager playing for a 0-0 draw at all costs, though they were not even good enough to keep their hopes of a glorious draw alive for more than 26 minutes.

An early shot from Bent inspired wild excitement among the Everton fans, but it was a false dawn as by half-time, Sol Campbell had finished the game as a contest by heading two goals past a flaky defence.

Even without the injured Thierry Henry, Arsenal were able to use this game as little more than a glorified training session as while Everton have the fortune of playing in the same league as the Gunners, they may as well have been a non-league outfit merely here to enjoy their night out.

TonyMarshall-Empics Robin Van Persie - a bit better than Marcus Bent and Duncan Ferguson.

When Phil Neville and Matteo Ferrari had an on-pitch argument 10 minutes before the break, their miserable night was complete. Second best in every challenge, this was a side that looked beaten from the off and on this evidence, you fear for their very existence in this league.

There were a few moments of attacking intent and as Bent found himself in an off-side position after 19 minutes, he must have feared the worst. You wondered whether Moyes would revolt against his lonesome front man. What was he doing! Fine that man a week's wages. The Everton flat back 11 was well set until that point!

Moyes' solution to his problem was to throw Duncan Ferguson into the fray, a player who we are told epitomises the spirit of this club. Well, his arrival ensured a few London pigeons would be under threat as Everton opted for Plan B - launch the ball as high as possible and try and hit the 'big Scot'.

In Robin van Persie, Arsenal had a forward with more ability in his little finger than Bent or Ferguson boasts in their entire bodies and his performance may be a turning point for the young Dutchman at Highbury. Sent off here in the Champions League last week, his polished display in this game was impressive. He looks more like his compatriot Dennis Bergkamp with each pbutting week, there can be no greater compliment than that.

Freddie Ljungberg crashed an effort against the bar 20 minutes from time, but by this point Everton looked happy to keep the score down to just two. Still playing with eight or nine defenders until the closing moments, Moyes could hardly offer an excuse for his side's ineptitude as he confronted the press.

'We stopped them playing, stopped them creating too many chances, so that was something we can take from the game,' said Moyes, providing this article with the sort of quote that could not have been more apt if it were made up. 'After the week we had, Arsenal were probably the worst team we could have played as they are so dangerous going forward.

'The frustrating aspect of the evening was that we let ourselves down on the basics. We gave them too many free kicks in dangerous areas and defended poorly as we tried to keep them out.'

Thanks for that inspired buttessment Moyesie. He went on: 'I never accept defeat, so I won't stand here now and say I'm happy that it was only 2-0, but I can take something from the second half showing. We asked the players to stand up and be counted and they did that for us, so we will move on and try to get a positive result from our next game.'

Arsene Wenger appeared bemused by Everton's lack of ambition, but negative tactics are not something the Arsenal manager understands. 'Everton didn't want to attack us in the second half,' he said in a quizzical Gallic voice, but Arsene is clearly missing the point of their tactical mastery.

Quite what Moyes was trying to accomplish here at Highbury is anyone's guess, but if 0-0 was the dream result then his team were desperately short of what they needed to batter the Premiership's reputation into submission once again.

Everton were woeful and if they finish fourth this season, I will walk naked from London to Liverpool next May. I'm confident my dignity will not come under too much threat.

Oh by the way Everton fans, direct all your complaints to last time.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Robin van Persie Wenger may have substituted his Dutch youngster mid-way through the second half, but his range of pbutting and attacking threat was impressive.

FOOD WATCH: One of my chicken wings was a little red in the middle so if food contagioning kicks in, the Soccernet lawyer will be issuing a writ.

PRESS BOX GOSSIP: Van Persie is set to be cleared of the rape charges he is facing in Holland, according to prominent members of the press pack.

INSIDER IDENTITY: For those Everton fans intent on outing Soccernet's mystery man, he is a blonde haired, blue eyed chap of Irish parentage. No names here just in case!

EVERTON VERDICT: When you finish a game thinking a 2-0 defeat is a decent result, trouble lies ahead. There is enough rubbish in this league to ensure Everton finish out of the bottom three, but that will be of little consolation to the Goodison Park faithful who must be contemplating a long miserable season.

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