Everton FC 0 Newcastle United 1: Greg O’Keeffe sees the Blues fail to call the Toon

IT WAS difficult to see what was more damaged at Goodison on Saturday.The air of invincibility which had developed about the Old Lady, courtesy of a 14-game unbeaten run or Everton's aspirations of achieving something special this season.There is only so long you can chalk off stuttering performances like this as early season sluggishness, always on the cusp of being replaced with a successful surge.That might be the pattern Everton's recent seasons have fallen into, but this campaign was supposed to start a new format. This time around was supposed to be about consistency from the start. A strong opening, supplemented by a good cup run, and a real chance of doing something when the points start to matter most after Christmas.Instead we've witnessed the poorest start to a season since Mike Walker's disastrous cameo in Everton history.True, Everton have been far superior and yet unrewarded in two of the five games which have passed without victory.But against promoted Newcastle United they got what they deserved, precisely nothing.The faithful had prayed for that dramatic comeback against Manchester United to act as a watershed. It should have been.But perhaps that last-gasp draw over Alex Ferguson's team papered over lingering cracks.A bright opening half hour, coupled with those pulsating last few minutes do not amount to a convincing overall picture.And Newcastle were determined from the offset to prevent Everton from enjoying the space to pass that the Red Devils occasionally gifted them.

Source: Liverpool_Echo