Random great Everton goals #7

Marcus Bent - Southampton v Everton
St Mary's, February 6, 2005

Since David Moyes’ arrival as manager, it could be argued that only two centre forwards have really settled successfully for any period of time as the lone spearhead in his 4-5-1 formation, an issue that still blights the team to this day. The first is Yakubu, who for a period was as single-mindedly prolific a front man as the club has had since Gary Lineker. Sadly the evidence of the last year and a half suggests that, occasional flashes of brilliance aside, the physical and mental toil taken by his injury have reduced him to at best a shadow of his former self. The second is the nomadic Marcus Bent. Arriving late and unnoticed for £450,000 in the traumatic summer of 2004 that saw Wayne Rooney’s defection along the M62, Bent, who continues to collect clubs at an impressive rate, appeared to find a home at Goodison. Technically underrated, his selfless running was vital in creating space for the likes of Tim Cahill and Leon Osman, and although his goal return was modest, his contribution to the fourth placed finish the club achieved that year was significant. Sadly that was as good as it got for Bent. With James Beattie having arrived for good money that January and the club enjoying an indifferent, to put it kindly, start to the following campaign, Bent found himself increasingly underemployed and unable to contain his frustration. It was no massive surprise therefore that he left for Charlton in January 2006 for over £2million. Although his stay at Everton was relatively brief – although by his standards possibly worthy of a testimonial – he clearly appreciated his time on Merseyside, recently commenting…

“I can’t find the words to describe how special that club is.....I’d kiss the Everton badge now if I had the shirt – that’s how passionate I am about them. I’ve become a fan having played there.”

This effort was from the 2004-5 season away trip to St Mary’s with the aforementioned Beattie struggling to settle in and the Blues wobbling slightly after the departure of Thomas Gravesen to Real Madrid. The late late goal, in a game that featured Mikel Arteta’s first ever appearance in a blue shirt as a sub, rescued a point in a 2-2 draw and is noteworthy for Harry Redknapp’s priceless reaction, as legs go everywhere in the away end, en route to eventual relegation.

Random great Everton goals #6

Steve Watson - Bolton v Everton
Reebok Stadium, January 28, 2003

The current dip in temperature always excites certain sections of the press. I always get the impression that they can’t wait to fill their pages with pictures of traffic accidents, snowmen and the weather doing what it does in November and December i.e. get cold. What the populations of Russia and Canada, where large sections would regard our winter as a mild spring, must think is anyone’s guess. In the past few years more and more games seem to be being called off for conditions around the ground rather than the state of pitch, probably either to due to the home side having a particularly troublesome injury situation or to stop the inevitable scruffy meff taking a dive outside and trying to sue the club. When they do go ahead, winter games are often an excellent diversion from either shopping for the family, or just being with them (especially Boxing Day), but it doesn’t change the fact that they can be ball-achingly cold at times. This January encounter has largely been erased from my mind by the passage of time save for two memories. The first is the fact that for the ninety minutes sat in the upper tier of the away end, there can have been nowhere colder on earth. Second was this out of character acrobatic effort from perennially sweaty, very occasional centre forward Steve Watson early on, that propelled/shuffled the Blues to an almost instantly forgettable away win. Forgettable bar the cold that is. It actually hurt…

Genius - No5

Of all France’s many great artists of the twentieth century, few people’s work appear to be as frequently visible through postcards and posters as that of the photographer Robert Doisneau. The evident commercial appeal of his work does not detract from its quality though. Along with the likes of Willy Ronis and Edouard Boubat, his perfect captured representations of the varied minutiae of life in Paris in the 1940’s and 1950’s evoke a sense of warmth at an apparent simplicity of life – especially amongst generations of children making their own entertainment - as well as displaying the broad, varied character and elegance of the city’s streets and buildings. Particularly depressing are suggestions that this style of photography is being made increasingly more difficult by the largely hysterical and unfounded concerns surrounding the principle of taking photos of the young. From a personal point of view, Doisneau’s success however lies in the fact that it is his work that is brought instantly to my mind whenever there is a mention of mid twentieth century life in Paris.

Le Manege de Monsieur Barre (1955)



La Baguette Parisienne (1953)



L'Enfer (1952)



Rue Marcellin Berthelot, Choisy le Roi (1945)



Bolides (1956)

Viva Brazil

36 Castle Street
L2 0NR
website



Set in a beautiful building on Castle Street and with the capacity for 160 covers, Viva Brazil was somewhere I'd wanted to go since its recent opening, having greatly enjoyed the concept of rodizio - Brazilian barbeque with table service - at Rodizio Rico in London. After a quick Sagres in the small but perfectly formed bar area, we shown to our table and ordered what transpired to be a superb bottle of Tarquino 2009 Malbec from Mendoza.



The principal of rodizio is simple. Meat carvers or passadors patrol round the restauarnt with any one of fifteen different meats on skewers, cooked on a charcoal barbeque. Provided with a coaster on arrival, one side green with "yes please" written on it and other red with "no thanks", you simply display the green side and summon a passador when you see something you like. He expertly carves pieces until you tell him to stop.



A self service salad bar with a variety of side dishes is available, and among these was a smooth garlic mash and a superb celeriac salad with capers. The undeniable star of the show though is the meat. In the interests of research I managed to sample thirteen of the fifteen meats. Particular highlights were the Picanha com alho (garlic cap of rump), Cordeiro (leg of lamb), Frango com bacon (chicken wrapped in smoked bacon) and Contra filet (sirloin), but there was nothing that disappointed. Given the array and variety of meats available, the idea of pudding was never seriously on the cards and at £22.95 per person (£12.50 at lunch), the rodizio provides excellent value. All in all this is another excellent addition to the increasing number of top quality city centre eateries

Gourmet evening at Lunya

On an interminable day of what seemed like perpetual dark and rain, the prospect of Lunya’s Gourmet evening was a pleasing diversion. Having eaten at the restaurant twice before I was confident that the six course ‘posh peasant food’ Catalan menu, with a paired wine for each dish, would not disappoint and I’m sure the fourteen or so of us attending would confirm it did not.

The meal started with a Lunya Bikini, a traditional toasted sandwich using Joselito ham and Torta de Baros cheese. While the bread was possibly a bit hard for my liking, both the ham and cheese, which was definitely worthy of further investigation, were of superb quality.



The second course was the dish that beforehand I had been most ambivalent about. I had tasted and enjoyed the restaurant’s salt cod cigars on a previous visit, but was not sure if the strong flavour of the fish would work in the Esqueixada (salt cod salad) we were presented with. My fears proved unfounded, as the cod was a pleasant, unobtrusive background flavour in what was a very elegant and fresh salad, the real standout element of which were the superb empeltre olives scattered through it.



Following the salad was what was described as the ‘definitive Spanish fry up’, a migas. This Catalan take contained chorizo, morcilla and a fried quail’s egg. With those constituent parts there was never much chance of me not enjoying it, and sure enough it ticked all my boxes, particularly the morcilla which had the texture and consistency of haggis and a lovely understated smoky flavour that combined well with the mild kick provided by the chorizo.



This combination was also used to good effect in what was my highlight of the meal, the Catalan scouse. Having sampled a teaspoon of this at the Sefton Park Food Festival and waited patiently(ish) for it to appear on the daily menu – I’m assured this will happen soon – I was delighted to see this on the running order and would quite happily have had second and third portions. The addition of a fig, which I had initially been sceptical about, introduced a lovely sweetness that gave the whole course a lift.



The penultimate dish was the only minor disappointment. The combination of lentils and bacon is one I generally enjoy and while there was nothing wildly wrong with what was served, it was slightly underseasoned and watery for me. That said, the treacle cured bacon was very tasty and further evidence of a commitment to excellent ingredients.



Dessert was a pleasingly light ‘Catalan Mess’, as with the scouse enhanced by the presence of fig and with a lovely almond flavour running through it.

For a wine novice it was nice to have the choices explained in an unfussy, concise and clear way by Ian Clarke, and his selections were excellent, particularly the Segrel Ambar Albarino that accompanied the Esqueixada and the utterly lovely Vallemayor Gran Reserva, paired with the lentils, which was comfortably my favourite glass of the evening. It also would be remiss not to mention our food guide, whose name I’m sure was Enrique (damn my feeble memory), who was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly.

Overall it was a very informal, relaxed and enjoyable evening that hopefully, going by what was said on the evening, will become a regular fixture with the emphasis on a different area in Spain on each occasion.

5 great Rolling Stones cover versions

Although often derided, I personally enjoy a good cover version. Unless it's Louise Nurding's 'Stuck in the Middle With You. Or Scouting for Girls' 'Common People'. Or Scouting for Girls' 'Don't Stop Believing'. Or Scou... Well, you get the picture. With a back catalogue as massive as Vernon Kaye's lack of self awareness, the Stones have always been ripe for a cover version. These five are particularly good; two underground soul icons, one overground soul icon (accompanied by abusive husband), one man everyone thinks they can impersonate and a forgotten-but-still-going-and-actually-they-were-quite-good British act of the early 2000's.

Merry Clayton - Gimme Shelter



Thelma Houston - Jumpin' Jack Flash




David Bowie - Let's Spend the Night Together



Ike & Tina Turner - Honky Tonk Woman



Turin Brakes - Moonlight Mile

Random great Everton goals #5

Manuel Fernandes – Everton v Manchester United
Goodison, April 28th, 2007

Of all David Moyes’ acquisitions since his appointment as manager, only the talents of maybe Marouane Fellaini (initially) and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov have divided Evertonians to the extent that Manuel Fernandes did during his two loan spells at the club. To his advocates he was a skilful, creative force who, having arrived at a young age, would only improve. To his detractors he was a luxury item who too often refused to marry his talent with the industry of a Pienaar or Arteta. Whatever the truth, his slightly nomadic career to date tends to suggest that he is a player needing to settle down somewhere and play regularly in order to fulfil his potential. One glimpse of his undeniable ability came in this emotional game, the first to follow the untimely death of Alan Ball. Unfortunately for the Blues, although it was a strike deserving to win any game it merely paved the way for Everton to turn a 2-0 lead into a 2-4 defeat and for Iain Turner (horribly culpable for United’s first goal) to do irreparable damage to his Goodison career.

Random great Everton goals #4

Graeme Sharp - Sheffield Wednesday v Everton
Hillsborough, January 27th 1988

In a week when current striking options seem to diminish by the day; Saha and Anichebe lost to injury, Vaughan out on loan and Yakubu missing believed hungry, it seems appropriate to use another Graeme Sharp effort as reminder of what a consistent Everton goalscorer looks like. This gloriously subtle effort came in the third replay (that’s right kids, in the days before figure congestion was invented) of an FA Cup tie, all three previous ties having finished 1-1, the first two replays also going to extra time. The Blues clearly had got bored of the sight of the Owls and were 5-0 up at half time, winning by the same scoreline. This was goal number three.

L’Ambassade d’Auvergne

22 rue de Grenier St-Lazare, 3rd Arrondissement, Paris
website

Arriving after a day’s cultural nourishment at the beautifully tranquil Musee Rodin, I had been looking forward, having read reviews, to a hearty meal at this celebration of central French Auvergne cooking in the Le Marais district. First impressions were positive, the interior was cosy with exposed wooden beams and a warm welcome from the maitre d’.











On studying the menu I quickly decided, as did Catherine, to start with the generally recommended warm puy lentils, cooked in goose fat and served with bacon. These came in a large bowl with the emphasis that we should help ourselves.



Although not the most appealing-looking of dishes, it was beautifully executed and very comforting. This comforting, homely theme continued with the main course. Again there was harmony in our selection, both of us choosing the magret de canard served with aligot, cheesy whipped mashed potatoes, which our waiter was able to stretch on a spoon from the pan like mozzarella.



The duck was nicely pink and the creaminess of the potato compensated for the lack of a sauce. Although filling nicely, the reputation of the restaurant’s chocolate mousse encouraged Catherine to order it for dessert, while in the interests of diversity I elected to try the blueberry tart with ice cream.



The tart was delicate, full of flavour and a nice light way to finish a meal. ‘Light’ would be the last word used to describe the mousse which, as with the starter, was left on the table in a huge serving dish, with instruction to Catherine to take as much as she wanted. Rich and moreish, it was the sort of dish that Masterchef’s Greg Wallace would no doubt declare his interest in burying his jowly face into. Overall what the food lacked in elegance it more than made up for in rustic charm. A bit of stodge is sometimes no bad thing…

Random great Everton goals #3

Andy Johnson - Everton v Arsenal
Goodison, March 18th 2007

There is something intrinsically beautiful about a last minute winner, of snatching two points when you have probably mentally settled for just one. A few spring to mind from Goodison matches of recent years; Tomasz Radzinski's screamer in a 2-1 win against Southampton and a midweek Leon Osman effort against Portsmouth among them. This Andy Johnson goal came on a Sunday afternoon in the midst of a horrendous hailstorm that had started some fifteen minutes earlier, much to the dismay of various gloved Arsenal players who could not wait for the game to end. Leaving the ground the hail stopped and the sun shone. As it always does on the righteous denizens of the Old Lady....

Blue Blood - Edward Conlon

A review written for the excellent Everton fansite When Skies are Grey, comfortably the best written and most entertaining site for those of a Goodison-based persuasion.

Random great Everton goals #2

James McFadden - Everton v Charlton Athletic
Goodison, April 15th 2007

Signed from Motherwell as part of a hectic transfer deadline day that also saw Nigel Martyn, Kevin Kilbane and Francis ‘Franny’ Jeffers arrive at the club, James McFadden made an immediate impact with eye catching displays in the League Cup against Stockport and a 4-0 hammering of an awful Leeds sides. However his early promise never materialised into much more than occasional flashes of brilliance, more often than not mixed in with large helpings of frustrating mediocrity. Possibly lacking just the added yard or so of pace that would have given him the burst he needed to get away from defenders, it was no surprise that David Moyes accepted the generous £5m offer made by Birmingham in January 2009. Coming across in media articles as a thoroughly decent individual, the Scot will probably be most fondly remembered for this stunning winning goal, straight after Darren Bent’s equaliser and deep into injury time, which provided a wounding blow to Charlton’s survival hopes and helped Everton toward their final 6th place position.

Random great Everton goals #1

Graeme Sharp – Everton v Tottenham Hotspur
Goodison, January 30th 1982

Although naturally pessimistic and cynical, even I am optimistic looking ahead to the forthcoming season. With a squad containing as many talented individuals as we’ve had for a good few years and boosted by Mikel Arteta’s contract extension, I can’t wait for Saturday’s opener at Ewood Park. When we will no doubt not show up and dip 2-0. In my current good humour then, it’s time for a (probably short) series of great Everton goals from across the ages, that maybe meant little in the grand scheme of the club’s history, but are in their own right little gems

In its own way as good as his far more famous strike at Anfield a couple of years later, this particular effort came in a 1-1 draw. One of the first real indications of Sharp’s talent and promise.

Genius - No4

Growing up in the mid 80’s there were a rich variety of personalities with differing attributes for the aspiring young goalkeeper to study; Peter Shilton, Jean Marie Pfaff, Bruce Grobbelaar, Harold Schumacher, Pat Jennings and the USSR’s unflappably cool Rinat Dasaev among them. For me, as much as my style actually resembled Liverpool’s aforementioned Zimbabwean on a bad day, there was only one true shining light to follow: Neville Southall. Among the many bargains picked up by Howard Kendall while assembling his great squad of 1984-87, the £150,000 paid to Bury for the Welshman’s services in 1981 must rank as one of the great pieces of business in Everton’s history.

Often dishevelled in appearance and (going by the accounts of those who played in front of him) a constant, moaning presence, he was the one player of their own that Evertonians could claim to be, without accusation of bias, a leading contender for the best in his position in the world. Not overwhelmingly physically imposing in the manner of a David James, his reflexes, athleticism and sheer presence more than compensated to drain centre forwards of belief and made the goal seem five-a-side size.

Just as Kevin Brock’s woefully short backpass is seen as the turning point for Kendall’s struggling young side in the 1983-4 season – culminating in FA Cup success – so Southall’s save from a point blank Mark Falco header at White Hart Lane (at around 3m20 on the video), toward the end of a top of the table clash with Spurs which sealed a 2-1 victory, gave the team the final decisive kick for home and a first title in fifteen years. Football Writers Player of the Year at the conclusion of that season, it is a measure of the confidence he instilled amongst Evertonians that an injury sustained on international duty at Landsdowne Road is often seen as the crucial factor in the team ultimately ending the 1985-6 season potless, despite the perfectly adequate job done by replacement Bobby Mimms.

Eventually appearing 751 times for the club, he is rightly held up as a true Everton ‘legend’ at a time when the term is used far too loosely. Indeed it is probably only his notoriously abrasive, perfectionist personality that has stopped him being employed at a high level as a manager or coach. Although it was probably the characteristic that drove him to the top in the first place. Loved by anyone of a Blue persuasion and, due perhaps to Wales’ failure to qualify for a World Cup and the club’s lower media profile, underappreciated in wider circles, he remains my first and dominant footballing idol.

Great Summer Records #4

The Coral - 1000 Years
I've seen The Coral live a few times, most memorably headlining a gig involving The Libertines, The Thrills and The Zutons amongst others in a massive tent in New Brighton back in 2003. The sonic vibrancy of their shows has never for me transferred itself to record, bar a handful of exceptions, 'Dreaming of You' and 'Goodbye' among them. Nevertheless, it's always worth hearing what they're up to as there is always something different and interesting. Their new single, '1000 Years' is an instantaneous cracker; maybe more mellow than much of what has gone before, with a dreamy West Coast style to the lyrics and harmonies combined with a fuzzy, distorted feel. The best thing I've heard this year.

"A new day has begun
Now that you're standing in the warmth of the sun"

Vineria San Telmo

Paseo de Catalina de Ribera 4, 41004 Sevilla
www.vineriasantelmo.com

Having sought guidance from Trip Advisor and the excellent Sevilla Tapas blog about the best places to go for tapas, the name of Vineria San Telmo loomed large. With a table booked (unnecessarily as it turned out) we turned up full of expectation. We were not to be disappointed.











It was decided that 5 tapas per couple and a large plate to be shared between everyone was reasonable and it turned out to be just about right. To start with, Catherine and I enjoyed Argentinian chorizo full of flavour and a sublime beef carpaccio.



This was followed by an aubergine, goat cheese, tomato and salmon tower and a crab pastel, which provided some level of disagreement.



The general consensus around the table was that the crab pastel was a bit disappointing taste-wise, although as a lone voice I found it soft, creamy and very moreish, altogether subtle rather than bland. The tower was ordered by both parties and while it was considered a success, it was suggested the goat cheese slightly overpowered everything else. There may have been an element of truth to this, but as someone addicted to the stuff my natural bias would not allow me to agree! The other small dish we got was the Argentinian beef with mustard sauce, which my normal excitement when confronted with such a dish meant I started eating instantaneously and forgot to take a picture. Delicate, beautifully cooked and enhanced by the mustard. A triumph. For my money, the only slightly disappointing element of the whole meal was the large dish of fried chicken with potatoes and mustard.











There was absolutely nothing wrong with the chicken at all and it was more than edible, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the heights of the other offerings and for me only just rose above the level of KFC. Nonetheless, the positive reviews I had read for Vineria San Telmo were more than merited and, as with the majority of the places we ate at during our stay, it provided superb value.

La Raza

Avenida Isabel la Católica 2, 41013 Sevilla
www.grupolaraza.com

Following a two and half hour drive from a villa near Periana, which had been the first leg of the holiday, the happy group of four; myself, Catherine, brother Rob and his girlfriend Jenny, arrived at the excellent Hotel Becquer in Seville on a Saturday lunchtime with the temperature high and all eager to sample the cuisine of Europe's hottest city. I had booked us a table at La Raza, set by the greenery of the Maria Luisa Park, a few minutes walk from the Old Town. Although the main focus of our stay was to be tapas (more of which to come in a future blog), we elected to eat from the à la carte menu in the attractive and airy conservatory area, the only minor quibble being that respite from the heat did not come as quickly as it might have done due to an only partly-functioning spray fan.



Nonetheless, once a beer arrived we were cooler and happier and were soon given a lovely caramelised goat cheese on toast to accompany a perusal of the menu.












While Catherine and Jenny elected to share a plate of king prawns in a peanut batter with houmous for their starter, Rob and I both chose the gazpacho, done to a recipe that had been served at the restaurant since 1960 and featuring basil oil and shellfish. It would be fair to say that neither of us were 100% certain of the choice but as one of the signature dishes we felt it was appropriate.











Our decision was proved correct as it was the dictionary definition of fresh, full of flavour and actually felt like we were putting something healthy inside us, a sensation that, despite the excellence of nearly everything else we ate in the city, it would be difficult to say we encountered much. The king prawns were also fresh and tasty, the only complaint from the girls was that, having been advised by our very friendly waitress to share due to the size of the portion, they felt they could have managed one each.

For main course Catherine and I shared squid cooked in its own ink with rice and served with aioli, a dish we had previously enjoyed in Valencia, while Rob and Jenny both went for sirloin steak.



It's difficult to make our dish look overly appealing, but the taste more than compensated. There was a richness enhanced by the creamy garlic quality of the mayonnaise and with plenty of squid ensured that - to no great surprise - I was able to manage second helpings. I was also able to sample the steak which was soft, flavourful and a hit with the other two. With the starters averaging out at around €9-10 and mains averaging at €20, prices were more than reasonable, especially when washed down with a couple of bottles of competitively priced Barbadillo wine.

Unable to manage pudding, we staggered back to the hotel with the sane pair - Catherine and Jenny - electing to siesta before the evening. Those with less sense trawled the streets looking to watch the Argentina v Germany quarter final, eventually ending up in of all things a German bar with no air conditioning and packed with sweaty Germans loudly extolling the virtues of Lukas Podolski. Bizarre (and hot) does not do it justice.

Great Summer Records #3

The Beach Boys - Breakaway
Yes 'Wouldn't It be Nice'. Yes 'California Girls'. But this typically optimistic and gorgeous effort is often overlooked when the band are discussed. To be listened to whilst sat on the edge of a pool with feet in the water and a bottle of something cold in the hand.

"And I can breakaway to the better life
Where the shackles never hold me down
I'm gonna make a way for each happy day
As my life turns around"



And, as a bonus, the band live on The David Frost Show:

Great Summer Records #2

The Divine Comedy - Love What You Do
Neil Hannon has adopted a Jarvis Cocker-esque position on the fringes of popular culture, occasionally dipping his toes in, but generally happy out of the direct glare and making his own kind of music. Although the output has not always been to my taste, this offering, although perhaps not classically a ''summer record'' in terms of subject manner, shimmers gloriously around the chorus, releasing sunshine as it goes.

Great Summer Records #1

The Thrills - Big Sur
Gravel-voiced Irish LA-wanabees The Thrills' appeal seemed to wane very quickly but the first album was at the time a very refreshing, retro throwback to, dare I say it, a (probably mythologised) 'more innocent age'. I could have picked four or five records from 'So Much For The City', but purely for the lovely haze present through the video, it's this one.