SO, Denis the menace strikes again for Everton FC.

Stracqualursi is fast becoming a cult figure among Everton supporters. He puts himself about and people appreciate that he is totally 100% committed.

Of course, all footballers should be 100% committed, but I could name a few Premier League players who, away from home, aren’t necessarily so.

Stracqualursi is not the most skilful player on the planet, but he’s won fans over with his willingness to chuck his body on the line for the good of the club.

He’s had to bide his time, but buying into the Everton ethos has helped him take his chance. And he fully deserved his goal on Saturday.

Everton’s performance in beating Chelsea was the best in the Premier League over the weekend.

With Manchester City having been downed in their previous home game, I’d like to know where those haranguing David Moyes and Bill Kenwright have disappeared to.

That’s football, though. In the bad times you need the fans, and in the good times the fans will be there anyway.

Results since Everton’s recent transfer dealings have shown if you give Moyes some backing, then he produces. But that’s nothing new.

Steven Pienaar took only five minutes to make his mark at Goodison again, and it’s obvious that he looks much more at home at Everton than he ever did at Tottenham Hotspur.

Pienaar is a good player, and he simply wants to play. The same could be said for Darron Gibson and Stracqualursi, and Moyes is getting more from all three players.

Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Blackpool will be the last appearance for Landon Donovan before his return to LA Galaxy.

Donovan has done well once again. He’s the type of player a manager doesn’t need to talk much to, the type of player who knows what to do and how to provide it.

THE FA CUP has acquired a bit more sheen this season.

Perhaps it is being talked up a little bit more because of the defeats for Manchester City and United.

Suddenly, a lot of teams believe they have a real chance of winning the competition, and Everton and Liverpool are among that group.

Tottenham will be distracted by their Premier League title challenge while both Arsenal and Chelsea are still in the Champions League.

It could be Merseyside’s time to win the Cup, particularly if they keep being given home draws. They’ll both be expecting to progress at the weekend.