BLUE WATCH: Everton must hold their nerve against Fiorentina

Mar 12 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

THERE are obvious similarities in the build-up to tonight’s match and that before the Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea.

Again, after a disappointing first leg Everton are required to put on a big performance at home and turn a deficit around.

However, there are some differences in the way the equation is weighted for this encounter.

Going against David Moyes and his men this time is the fact that his side have more ground to make up and don’t have an away goal. On the other hand, despite their dominance of the first leg, the initial impressions are that Fiorentina are not as good as the Chelsea team who deservedly went to Wembley at Everton’s expense.

Still, the whole evening is finely poised.

A goal for Everton at any point – it doesn’t have to be early – puts the pressure on the Italians and has us right back in the match.

If the Viola score though, the whole European adventure is over there and then for us.

There are going to be nerves then, obviously, from the crowd and the players, but it’s important that the supporters don’t let too much of their edginess transfer itself from the stands to the pitch.

The men out there in royal blue have done us proud this season – at home and abroad they have been a joy to watch and it’s been countless years since Evertonians have been able to make those long, arduous trips home from around the country feeling so positive, so often.

There’s nothing worse than coming home from far-flung corner of the country after a dismal defeat, but thanks to the efforts of the Everton players that empty feeling has rarely been experienced this season. Even an awkward game like Sunday’s saw them send the fans home happy, even if the result was far more pleasing than the performance.

We need to show our appreciation then by pulling together tonight and giving the players our wholehearted backing.

It’s not the occasion to bemoan early errors or castigate the odd wayward pass – it’s the time to simply roar them on and try and intimidate the visitors. It may well prove too steep a hill to climb for Everton – that rare abomination in Florence might have left them too much to do – but at least at the end we want to go home knowing that we all gave it our best.