There's an old saying in all sports that after a defeat the first three days are the worst. There's an even older saying that victory has a hundred fathers, while defeat is an orphan.
It's inevitable the first reactions will be knee-jerk blame-seeking, and that the whingers and whiners will come creeping out of the woodwork to find someone to pin the guilt on. People who hide away during a good run suddenly reappear to spit at everyone and everything.
You see it at every club after every defeat, all over Facebook and Twitter and websites. It's this player, it's that player, it's the whole team, it's too defensive, it's too attacking naive, it's the manager, it's the owner, it's the specialist coaches, it's the body language, it's the diet, it's the referee. The moaning excuses are endless.
Meanwhile each club has to deal with the day to day reality. For instance Tottenham have to deal with a semi final 5-1 caning.
So how do Everton and the players deal with ACTUAL CIRCUMSTANCES (not wishful thinking) for what's left of the season? In theory there are still league placings to play for at £1 million per place, and there's the small matter of personal professional pride.
How will they lift themselves after a terrible second half display that threw the semi final away? Will they be able to lift the fans as well as themselves?
We'll soon know. We play Man United on Sunday. If they can't get up for that one then they can't get up for anything. Wigan Athletic of all teams have shown the way. It's time for the players to show some courage and put away the white flag they hoisted last Saturday.
If they don't, the long term reaction may be catastrophic in more than one way....
What do you think?
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