“Remember this date, because the good times are coming back to Goodison Park.”
It is not something many would pronounce with any great confidence on Wednesday night. But then those words were said on March 16, 2002. It proved one of the better predictions made at Everton.
Twenty-seven seconds into David Moyes’ reign as manager, David Unsworth, a defender deployed in midfield, scored. Fulham were beaten. Everton duly surged to safety.
“That was a great day,” Unsworth said. “I remember David's first [training] session, a great session, and he got a perfect start. He did a wonderful job.”
When Moyes and Unsworth reconvene on Wednesday night, it is with relegation forming a backdrop again. So, too, the start to managerial spells, which have not begun as well as Moyes’ 11-year odyssey at Goodison Park.
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The Scot has had two games at West Ham United, winning neither. The caretaker, and former West Ham player, Unsworth has had seven in charge of Everton, losing five.
They have conceded nine goals in the last two which, to put it another way, is as many goals as they let in in January, February and March put together. “It has been tough,” Unsworth said, in an understatement. “As a proud Everton man, I am hurting.”
He has been found wanting. Moyes has not flourished anywhere since leaving Everton. A reunion may get everyone involved dreaming of happier days, but it is a pivotal occasion.
Unsworth branded it a “must-win game”. It also offers an opportunity to capitalise on each other’s ineptitude. Strikers Andy Carroll and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who have one league goal between them, can savour the thought of defences who have conceded a combined 54 league goals, and vice versa.
It says something about the chaos at Everton that they appear in a greater crisis. Injuries to Leighton Baines and Michael Keane deprive them of their only eligible senior left-back and the man who ought to be their best defender. Oumar Niasse’s suspension for diving denies them the services of their unlikely top scorer.
"I have sympathy for Everton and David Unsworth,” Moyes said on Monday. His old club’s renewed interest in the former West Ham manager Sam Allardyce, who could be appointed this week, seems a sign of panic. He seems an expensive insurance policy against the drop.
Without referring directly to the 63-year-old Allardyce, Unsworth underlined a belief a manager is not a panacea to all Everton’s problems. He cited a need for character and experience.
The returns from injury of Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Yannick Bolasie and Ross Barkley, all about two weeks away from comebacks, cannot come soon enough. Those who have played have capitulated against Udinese and Southampton.
“We need men and we need mental toughness,” the caretaker manager said. “Those players who haven't got the bottle to take on the fight need to be honest and come forward. We need proven Premier League players, quickly and in early January.”
They lost Romelu Lukaku and if Everton have missed the £75 million (Dh366m) striker all season, which has been exacerbated by their failure to replace him, it could be particularly apparent on Wednesday night. He was a guarantee of goals against West Ham.
Instead, the attention switches to another who decamped to Old Trafford. Moyes got a guard of honour in his final game at Goodison as Everton manager, a reception that made tears fill his eyes.
Eleven months later, the abiding image was of the grim reaper in the crowd in a dismal defeat that proved his last game as United manager. Last season, his Sunderland side subsided meekly. Relegation duly followed.
Now, with Moyes’ current and former clubs the division’s two great underachievers, it is a growing threat.
Honeymoonish
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if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now