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Blue rabble must show more fight to lift gloom

By DOMINIC KING at Goodison Park

FIGHT, fight, fight. It’s a mantra from one of Everton’s most renowned terrace chants, the demand that nothing is left behind in the wearing of a Royal Blue jersey.

Those words came to mind in the 19th minute of the 206th Merseyside derby as a stark reminder. As supporters started streaming for the exits, there was no sign of fight. It was quite the opposite, in fact. Here was a bleak picture of surrender.

Everton are in such a mess because they have excelled in bad business under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri, paying big fees and huge wages for players who don’t have the appetite or desire to defend the honour of those who turn up religiously every week to back them.

Evertonians will give everything for a team that shows spirit and heart but, as we head into 2022, it is difficult to think of a point when there has been such acrimony in the stadium since the days of the late 1990s when they flirted with relegation.

To understand how bad the situation was late on, after Mohamed Salah had scored his second with a super breakaway and Diogo Jota gleefully thrashed in the coup de grace, you only need to look at the Park End again. Long before the final whistle, it was practically empty, a sea of blue seats.

Those who chose to stay, however, were mutinous. The Gwladys Street sang for the board to be sacked, those around the directors’ box aimed their fury at the men in suits, spitting out their fury like a hail of machine gun fire. Nobody was spared.

Evertonians had feared the worst ahead of this latest neighbourhood squabble and as Liverpool threatened to cut loose, it was too much for many to handle. Down the steps of the Park End they scurried, blocking out the taunts of those in red after Liverpool went two goals ahead so early.

No wonder. At that point, there was no contest, just the likelihood of a humiliation.

Liverpool had created seven chances in that period and, really, should have had victory wrapped up.

That opening quarter was an affront to those who had created a bear pit before kick-off, this grand old stadium was shaking with expectation. The reality that emerged as Liverpool kept the ball, goading their opponents with each pass, was horribly sobering. This Everton squad, assembled at great cost over the last five years, is well capable of downing tools at any moment but to have done so against Liverpool would have been the biggest affront of all. When fans want to go home after 20 minutes, it speaks volumes; the disconnect here is huge.

Surprisingly, Everton didn’t shrivel. For 30 minutes, they mustered a response, they began to throw a few punches and landed one when Demarai Gray — a young man who deserves no criticism — pounced to pull one back.

Gray cares. He has shown he can fight, fight, fight with hard running

GONE IN 20 MINUTES ... SUPPORTERS HEAD FOR THE EXIT GATES EARLY

and his determination. At £1.7million, he is the only signing for whom Rafa Benitez has paid money and nothing about the deal to get him from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer was bad business.

His goal, expertly taken, had fans running down the stairs again, only this time it was in celebration. Could Everton really salvage the situation? For a few minutes, as they scampered after loose balls and thundered into tackles, there was a glimmer of hope.

That rapidly faded in the second half and Rafa Benitez, inevitably, will be in the firing line. A run of eight winless games will turn up the heat on him but it needs saying again that he alone is not responsible for this shambles. Everton are a club in disarray. The peril they face is real.

PREMIER LEAGUE

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2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

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