Everton: PAUL RIDEOUT unleashes crisis at Goodison Park as FA Cup returns

Paul Rideout finds it amazing. “They pissed me off the way they played the other night. They were booed and they deserved it.’

It has been almost 28 years since his goal won the FA Cup for Everton against Manchester United – and the club have not won a trophy since. But when the two teams meet in the FA Cup on Friday night, concerns about rideout are the other parallel to 1995: Everton face another relegation battle.

“It’s amazing that this keeps happening,” he said. “Everton are a huge club but they wasted the money. They’ve bought some good players but not the level required and they don’t see the expectations.

Former Everton striker Paul Rideout opens up about the current crisis gripping the club

Tuesday’s 4-1 humiliation at home to Brighton combined with midweek results means Everton travel to Old Trafford to play in the Premier League’s bottom three in the third round.

“I was in that situation, all the way down. It’s an uncomfortable place and there are days when you don’t see a way out. The players’ body language against Brighton bothered me, as did the careless way they conceded goals. Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be such a top centre-forward but the extent of his hunger worries me.

“Everton isn’t a bad crowd and I’ve been booed myself, but if you give them some, show them some fight, that crowd will always give you some love in return. The players have to start working hard for the fans.”

Rideout is based in Phoenix, Arizona where he trains at Real Salt Lake Academy and you can remotely feel his frustration at suffering Everton.

Toffees were humbled by Brighton with other results that dropped them into the bottom three

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The fire in his words is what you would expect from a relative veteran of relegation battles.

Signed for Everton on the eve of Howard Kendall’s first Premier League season, Rideout is a survivor of Mike Walker’s side that miraculously avoided falling on the final day of the 1994 season.

Months later, Everton faced an even worse situation after starting the season without a win in 12 games. The club called for Joe Royle.

“Joe said we were a soft touch, he was the motivator, but his assistant Willie Donachie was the organizer,” Rideout recalls. “They were a great partnership. Willie was excellent, he got us organized from start to finish within a few days. We worked as a group and those who didn’t listen were out. We trusted each other.

“Joe was screaming from the sidelines of the training ground and you wanted his praise because he could make you feel like a million bucks. We were a real working class team.”

Everton and United meet in the third round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford on Friday night

By the time the FA Cup took place that season the revival had begun but the pressure was still felt. “I loved playing in the FA Cup. The shadow of relegation meant losing a league game felt like a nail in your coffin, it was that tense.

“In the cup we could try to let go a bit. We played Bristol City in the third round and won 1-0. After that we beat some top teams as the cup became a great way out and confidence grew.

Rideout worsened a knee ligament injury in the semi-final against Tottenham but had returned to secure Everton’s top-flight status with a goal at Ipswich eleven days before they faced favorites United in the final.

“The goal against Ipswich is probably the more important one for me because it was safe,” stresses Rideout. “That feeling of relief meant we could relax for the final and we went into feeling like we had nothing to lose.”

Rideout (centre right) scored the goal that saw the Toffees win the FA Cup almost 28 years ago

Rideout celebrates the goal that gave Everton their last silverware in 1995

Rideout, 58, now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where he trains at Real Salt Lake Academy

Rideout had scored at his previous Wembley appearances for English schoolboys and believed this could be his day.

“We were under pressure but Anders Limpar had his legs ready to break and then, as he himself will admit, Graham Stuart should have found it but his shot thundered off the bar and looped.

“I still had a lot to do as I had to wait for it to fall off and then get the power to do my header but that was one of my strengths. As I focused on putting it in the gap next to Steve Bruce on the line, Denis Irwin came over to smack me in the face with his forearm. I’ve got a bump on my nose, but it was worth it.’

With safety and the trophy secured, the after-party at the Royal Lancaster Hotel was a memorable one, with Duncan Ferguson in full swing raising his kilt in time to the beat of the DJ, much to the delight of Stuart’s sisters, who had joined in the celebrations.

“That was Duncan. I wish he was at Everton now as he would remind some of them what is required,” says Rideout. “He might be one of the baddest players on the pitch, but the most gracious man off it. I challenged him to score once and he followed me into the dressing room and said, “That’s my goal, you know that’s my friggin’ goal.” I said, “OK Dunc, it’s yours”. He wasn’t a man to mess with.”

Rideout wishes Duncan Ferguson were at Everton to remind players what is required of them

Everton returned to Liverpool for an open-top bus tour and heroes’ reception. That’s something Rideout has always been granted at Goodison.

During his 13-club career, he was part of the Tranmere side that knocked Everton out of the 2001 Cup. He still got a standing ovation. He scored a hat-trick in the next round when Tranmere came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Southampton, another of his former clubs, 4-3.

“John Aldridge was our manager. He was a really cool guy, but at halftime that night he was so angry. He’d banged his head against the wall and started his speech, but I’d already gone out to get on the field. I was embarrassed for the first half and couldn’t wait to make amends. When we got two back Southampton had no answer.

“The FA Cup was good for me. I would also like to do well for this Everton team but they need a bit of what we had, a stronger dressing room that would fight for every moment. I’ve seen Peter Reid say they need more of our ‘war dogs’, I’d say they need six or seven Peter Reids.”

It has been almost 28 years since his goal won the FA Cup for Everton against Manchester United

Rideout is now 58 and looks tanned and groomed. As a US citizen, he enjoys coaching the U15 and 16 in Phoenix. His love for Everton was inherited by son Jordan, also coach at Real Salt Lake.

“He’s 29. His mum bought him a new Everton top for Christmas. We’re seven hours behind the UK here, but when their games are on our house is packed.’

The family will be glued to the TV on Friday night in hopes Everton can evoke the spirit of 1995 and stir up yet another Cup upset.