Everton hard luck story continues but Blues must do all they can to change script
Despite a strong and determined defensive effort on Saturday afternoon the Toffees were beaten at Manchester City with another disputed decision hurting them.
The weekend's match was another frustrating game for Everton in a campaign that has been full of them in what has probably been the most chaotic, controversial and difficult season that any Premier League club has faced.
There has there been a financial crisis overshadowing everything that ultimately led to an investigation by the League and then an independent commission which found the Blues guilty and imposed a record ten point penalty in November.
That followed a proposed takeover by a US investment group 777 Partners that posed as many questions as it potentially solved and certainly didn't provide a clear-cut solution to the club's problems. And we are still awaiting news as to whether the takeover will be allowed to go ahead.
On top of this have been a controversial and questionable serious of referring and officiating decisions, especially concerning the use of VAR, which have cost the Toffees dear on the pitch.
There have been so many occasions where decisions have been made that have raised serious issues about the standard of officiating in the Premier League.
For example the decision of the referee in the Merseyside derby to send off an Everton player for two yellow cards and then fail to do so with a Liverpool player for two similar offences.
Then there are the numerous penalty claims that have been denied - for the only Premier League team without a spot-kick so far this season - and the marginal calls in games that constantly seem to go the other way, as they seemed to again on Saturday.
All this creates a tremendous sense of frustration that Everton are having to run up a down escalator while having both their legs tied together!
But in spite of all this adversity, the Blues manager and players have to simply concentrate on winning football games and give themselves the best possible chance of avoiding the drop at the end of the season.
To be fair to both the boss and his charges, so far they have shown an admirable capacity to block out all the distractions and focus. Of course that needs to continue.
However, I am increasingly concerned that results are not coming from these effort and that unless Everton can find a way to start scoring more goals again it may still prove to be too late.