For those of you too busy to watch TV, there has been a recent addition to Freeview and Satellite. Channel 4 Plus One, which shows the same thing only an hour later. This isn’t a new concept but I’ve come to realise it’s possible to get very confused and watch things after and before they happen and then again. For example, the Hollyoaks aficionado can watch yesterday’s episode, then tomorrow’s, then today’s, then tomorrow’s again, all in the space of two hours. If they really wanted to.

I say this because Saturday felt a bit like Groundhog Day. Something I’ve never seen before but then kind of have, too many times. Think Istanbul, West Ham (“the greatest FA Cup final ever”) and much much more. Glitches in the matrix, Beyonce singing in the corner, whatever it was, Saturday was another of these occasions and it wasn’t nice.

It all started so well. Sunshine, comical own goal, best midfield in the world clearly disjointed, chances being missed…then. Everyone in the ground could see what Hibbert’s mistake would lead to, I’ve complimented Steven Gerrard in the past so won’t contradict my praise now, other than to say he looked well below par and unlike him I wasn’t surprised he was taken off. But then Leiva looked a good player, and after all the chances I thought he would have a say one way or the other. There was also a horrible sense of foreboding when Kuyt made that challenge. Similarly Phil Neville was talking before the match about getting sent off and scoring own goals in derby matches so that came as no surprise either.

What I hadn’t anticipated though was the Liverpool fans’ efforts. Tesco carrier bags, banners saying ‘Just Go’ and ‘Goodison Riddance’. All this for a visit to the small club they are supposed not to care about. Seeing Carragher and Benitez celebrating at the end showed what it meant to them. By all means, go forth and prosper but you’ll need to play much better and have even more luck to win something. And, you’ll have to be cleverer and a bit more compassionate than singing Elephant Man chants about a man of the match who was scarred in a childhood accident.

Despite all this I left the ground with a smile on my face. I’m so proud to be an Evertonian and no doubt Reds will feel the same, but as I replied to the insensitive friend who texted me after the game, Liverpool fans should be embarrassed to rely so heavily on Lady Luck, dodgy refereeing decisions and penalties. I’m much happier being a down-on-their-luck Blue, and experiencing all the problems that brings with it. When we win it really means something and we do it properly. I really hope this article inspires some banter and criticism from strangely-monikered observers in the comments box as that just underlines my point.

With the first of the UEFA league matches coming up so soon after, we might not be distressed for long. Larissa are a test yes, especially after beating Blackburn in the qualifiers. Yakubu looked a little more up for it and important players are coming back to fitness so I expect my next article to be a bit more upbeat. Mention of Rovers makes me think, I’ve kind of neglected the region’s other teams for a while sorry, they’re doing ok, scoring lots of goals, I like their forward line and they don’t seem to have the dirty tag that has dogged them in recent seasons. Wigan are clearly struggling though, and Marcus Bent can never be Emile Heskey, so I fear for them.

Lower down, Preston are struggling, Blackpool are faring slightly better, Carlisle are going from strength to strength under their new manager John Ward, and Morecambe are coping well in mid-table security, as things stand.

Back to Merseyside, however. As the city celebrates its 800th year, its history is being celebrated, and is littered with turning points, events which could have led to much different outcomes. The Capital of Culture year is sure to be another one. The Big Dig carries on relentlessly like a monster, the Turner Prize has arrived to lukewarm acclaim (my highlight of the private view was passing Alan Hansen on the stairs and not making a drunken comment).

In terms of football, this dialectic story (changes occurring over time) is the case too. The favourite argument of a colleague is to mock the “if it wasn’t for Heysel” cry which, like it or not, does have some truth in it, not just for Everton but for Liverpool and other British clubs. The funny thing about this argument when it rears its ugly head is that others laugh along as if they understand but they clearly don’t and if the tables were turned they wouldn’t be so vocal. I learned a long time ago to accept this and try to smile about it.

Brian Labone once made a famous quote about one Evertonian being worth twenty Liverpudlians. Some of my best friends being Shanks devotees make this a questionable statement but the fact remains I honestly think we are the better people for the challenges we face and the disappointments we endure. You may scoff, Clattenberg may do his utmost to test us, but when our day comes it will mean much more.

But I’m really not being bitter. I enjoyed Saturday’s match and was quite pleased with the outcome. Even now I can look back on events and laugh. Even if I’ve seen it all before and will probably see it many times again. Because, for personal reasons, I’m happy to let them win the battles, however unfairly they might do it, because I just know we will win the war. And not just on the pitch.

Now, where did I put the remote?