A penny for Kevin Ratcliffe’s thoughts as the most-successful captain in Everton history sat in the row behind the ECHO’s scribes in Goodison Park’s Press Box.
Wearing a baseball cap that gave him a degree of anonymity, one of the men who played a leading role in writing some of the most-glorious chapters in the club’s history cut an understated figure, largely blending into the crowd around him but what he witnessed for prolonged periods of a testing 90 minutes cannot have been easy for someone who has been part of the Blues at their very best.
When this legend speaks you listen and last month when Everton also had consecutive home games, Ratcliffe made a salient point when speaking to the ECHO. He said: “Sometimes the fans can lift the players but on other occasions the players have to lift the fans.” The visit of Leicester City seemed to be one of those times.
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While the previous match at Goodison, an early afternoon kick-off against Manchester United just 62 hours after their deflating 3-2 defeat at Burnley might have seemed for more challenging fixture in terms of lifting a browbeaten fanbase than the visit of the Foxes for a game under the lights after the boost of securing a morale-boosting victory over the Red Devils, for whatever reason, the Blues found it difficult to get going here both on and off the pitch.
Scuppered by conceding an early goal against a team who were not only assured in possession but in no need to hurry either, Frank Lampard’s side for a long time looked uncomfortable when chasing the game. Long-suffering Evertonians who have shouted themselves hoarse in this season of strife at first found it difficult to find their voices on what was another nerve-shredding evening but as this Everton side – like so many of their predecessors have found – if you give your all then the Goodison crowd will respond with vociferous encouragement.
Whether it’s Anthony Gordon beating his man, the likes of Seamus Coleman or Fabian Delph making a firm but fair tackle or Alex Iwobi chasing an opponent down, then the volume levels will be cranked up. There’s no been much to cheer about this season for beleaguered Blues fans but if they can see a player, even one who is having a bad day, who wears his heart on his sleeve and giving the impression that, like them, he cares, they will be met with unwavering support.
Such unity is crucial when the chips are down and Everton have to scrap for each and every point. Lampard himself recognises that and proclaimed in his programme notes: “I can’t wait to play at Goodison again and feel the togetherness between the players and supporters. I’ve fallen in love with the place already, I have so much respect for your feelings about Everton.”
There’s no such thing as a ‘free hit’ when it comes to a Merseyside Derby, even when Liverpool are chasing a quadruple in what could still be the most-successful season in their history while Everton are enduring what to date has been their worst-ever points-per-game campaign, anything secured by the Blues at Anfield would be a huge bonus. When they find themselves back at Goodison a week after the date with their neighbours, that relationship between players and fans will need to be in sync once more.
