THERE’S a famous scene in Planet of the Apes when Charlton Heston realises that the earth he has returned to after his jaunt into space has been destroyed by nuclear war.

“You maniacs!” he cries, and we shouldn’t be too surprised if Landon Donovan does something similar if he eventually decides to come back to Goodison Park on loan.

It’s a big if, clearly, as he keeps fluttering his eyelashes all flirtily while refusing to commit to another spell in the Premier League, but the Everton team that would invite him back certainly bears little resemblance to the barnstorming side that waved him off at the airport back in March.

Most of the personnel remains the same, but something fundamental seems to be missing, as a squad that was thrashing Manchester United and Chelsea in a single week is now struggling for draws against the likes of Blackpool and Bolton and, far worse, being completely dismantled by West Bromwich Albion.

The severity of that last result took everyone by surprise to a certain extent, but the warning signs have been evident for a while.

Theories abound as to why the Blues are struggling at the wrong end of the table, and looking over their shoulders more often than Julian Assange, with poor finishing being pinpointed as a major factor.