Its been really hard to get excited about this season so far and despite seeing in the turn of the year we are still waiting for it to take off. My last instalment saw us starting to build momentum towards a decent run, which came crashing down following a lacklustre performance against a struggling Bolton Wanderers side.

The always torturous Christmas period has been relatively kind to the Toffees as Everton’s annual second half of the season resurgence appears to have started. Eight points from a possible 12 is a decent return for a team which has struggled to find consistency, four games undefeated going into a home encounter with Bolton Wanderers is surely the momentum we need to extend that run further, starting with the Trotters before a nice break in the league programme for the FA Cup.

Where do I start? This will be both the easiest and hardest thing I will write this year. On Sunday 27th November 2011, a wife lost a husband, children lost a father, football lost a gentleman and Evertonians lost a Blue. Even as I write this I’m still overwhelmed with emotion and welling up at the tragic passing of Gary Speed.

Apologies for the length of time since my last blog, I managed to fracture my wrist whist partaking in a spot of Togger. My father’s words of condolence were damning: "If you didn't have bad luck you'd have no luck at all". Which is also quite an apt summary of Everton so far this autumn.

We find ourselves halfway through the month of death in Everton’s Footballing calendar and the Toffees are yet to receive a single point for their efforts. In the same three fixtures last season against Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, a very respectable 7 points were acquired and I’m sure David Moyes would have liked to have picked up at least 1 from the possible 9 on offer.

Following an exhilarating and somewhat gut wrenching last 25 minutes of the120 played in the eventual victory against West Bromwich Albion last Wednesday, Everton's hopes of taking a buoyed squad and fan base down the M62 to Manchester City at the weekend were greatly enhanced.

It's amazing what can happen over a couple of weeks in Football, it truly is a funny old game. Rewind back to the start of September, there was a dark grey cloud lurking around Goodison Park and a storm of uncertainty was brewing. Our main play maker had just departed, along with him we lost two strikers and most of our press coverage centred around the goings on everywhere except the field of play.

Followers on Twitter and contributors to forums may remember my concerns about Mikel Arteta's future at Everton a couple of weeks earlier, after Cesc Fabregas' prolonged yet inevitable departure from the Emirates to Camp Nou. Often described as a Wenger type player my only doubt about the Frenchman's pursuit of Everton's most creative player was that maybe his age may be of a concern, as it would mean breaking a tried tested recruitment policy spanning 16 years.

Following a week of social disorder and reorder throughout the country, the nation could turn its attentions back to the sporting calendar and the last two teams out of the traps could begin their adventure into the 2011\12 Premier League.

After a three month break the Premier League returns this weekend. Well, it does if the unjustified heinous actions of a few does not lead to the cancellation of games up and down the country as the police are required for duty elsewhere, of course.

I for one, would suggest that restoration of the security of the country far outweighs the anticipation of a football season starting. Many matches have already fallen foul to the madness of the last few days, including England's international against Holland, only time will tell if the powers that be decide whether the opening weekend will go ahead as scheduled.