A QUICK search on YouTube unearths something that may easily have been missed at Griffin Park on Tuesday evening.
Shortly before the first whistle of Everton’s Carling Cup debacle against Brentford, a supporter brandishing a mobile phone caught sight of the mascots from both teams leaving the field, hand in hand.
However, the eagerness of the home team’s representative to keep a firm grip on his younger counterpart led to the comical sight of the Goodison mascot being dragged along the turf for a few moments before the grown-ups intervened.
Now David Moyes faces a challenge of his own to get Everton back on their feet and haul his charges up the Premier League after they slipped to the bottom of the table at the weekend.
In keeping with a curious season, it didn’t even require a defeat for Moyes’s men to plumb new depths of a worst start to a top-flight campaign in 16 years.
A goalless draw at Fulham, coupled with West Ham United’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur, secured the ignominy of last place and meant Moyes had plenty to ponder as the Everton party boarded the 19.07 train from London Euston back to Merseyside.
At the forefront will be a shortcoming that continues to undermine his team’s efforts – a lack of goals.
It was frustratingly evident at Craven Cottage on Saturday, when Everton could and should have kickstarted their campaign with a first league win of the season against a Fulham side that remain unbeaten in the Premier League.
Make no mistake, this was much, much better than the surrender at home to Newcastle United the previous week and the beating at Brentford.
But when it comes to applying the finishing touch, Everton are still found sorely wanting.
With Louis Saha sidelined, Victor Anichebe recovering from another operation and Jermaine Beckford finding the leap from League One to Premier League increasingly difficult, Yakubu has assumed the role of first-choice striker almost by default.
The Nigerian has been backed by both Moyes and his assistant Steve Round during the past fortnight, the pair no doubt eager for the forward to shake off a summer of uncertainty in which his Goodison future was in the balance. It’s clear Everton need him, and there were signs at the weekend that Yakubu is regaining his appetite, if not his accuracy, one second-half shot after turning away from Brede Hangeland bringing the best out of Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
As against Newcastle the previous week, the forward should have scored in injury time.
After the ball bobbled kindly into his path from Leon Osman, Yakubu pulled an angled shot just wide before a more glaring miss when he weakly poked at Schwarzer having been released by Marouane Fellaini’s neat pass.
Of course, the impact of the serious Achilles injury that sidelined Yakubu for more than nine months shouldn’t be underestimated.
The Nigerian has never been the quickest player but the explosive burst of acceleration that would often make the difference over short distances has not returned, as evidenced when easily beaten by Schwarzer to a through ball from which, two years ago, he would have most likely scored.
Right midfield is also proving a problem position for Moyes.
