Materazzi looks back on his spell with Everton

I thought Steve Bickerton's report (remember him?) was particularly animated. The whole match was littered with refereeing errors, and Marco really got shafted.

The second goal by Super Kev was especially nice to see again. The determination to finish at close quarters under almost blanket defending.

Game sounds really exciting... maybe it was hearing a real crowd!

I'm pleased Dave Watson got the retaliation in first on Huckerby the previous season.

I wonder if pass completion % was a big thing back then? Players seem more interested in this than actually winning a game!

Marco Materazzi was very unlucky with that red. Huckerby should've got an Oscar for that dive!

Everton seemed like home for both but that a familiar tale, taking in strays who need rehabilitation.

I can barely remember a game that happened a month ago but I remember that vividly. Terrible dive by Huckerby. If Pires, Ginola etc had done that...

Materazzi was a fine centre half. A bit raw back then but had a very good career, of course picking up a World Cup winners medal. Dacourt was also a good signing that same year (I think). A shame we only hung on to both for a year.

Funny thing too: both Bilic and Materazzi were portrayed as World Cup villains for dastardly deeds against France in getting Laurent Blanc sent off (Bilic, fake head butt dive in 98 semi-final) and Materazzi (actual headbutt from Zidane in 2006).

I thought the 2006 World Cup final summed up Materazzi perfectly, his brilliance and his dark side, he was a hero but also a villain, always somehow at the centre of attention though.

Shoot and Match were the go-to for transfer rumours back then. They were never true, although after about 6 years of transfer exclusives, Pat Nevin did join Everton.

I was up in the North-East at the time and got to see him first hand at Newcastle. I was deeply underwhelmed. He got two yellows and both could have been red. He couldn't stay on his feet, every challenge was on a knife-edge. He was all over the place.

Materazzi was so similar, just zero discipline and thought everything could be done with brut force. Of course, the charismatic force of personality was there but actually I never rated either because both lacked judgment.

Fast forward 20 years later and their reincarnation appeared; Funes Mori. Lots of personality but ultimately an over physical defender who lacked a brain.

All three in retrospect benefited from their personality but, laid bare, I'm not sure they were very good?!

I have had a profound dislike for Rush because of it. He joined Newcastle and got the winner at the Gwladys Street end in the FA Cup I think. Listen closely I'm the one behind the goal giving him dog's abuse. Some along the lines of ‘yer big red-nosed twat' and so on.

Absolutely abhor him.

From a kid, I used to spend every single day thinking about which players we could sign to improve. As a 13-year-old I even considered writing a letter to Howard Kendall (2nd time round) on what players could sign lol. I thought every Evertonian did that but judging by some responses on TW to player links I'm not sure that is the case at least not to the same level.

I actually had high hopes that summer, as I'm sure most Evertonian's did when we bought Materazzi, Dacourt, Collins and Unsworth. Was pretty gutted when the bottom fell out of it when we had to sell Dunc etc cos Peter Johnson lost a load of money on his failed oven chip venture.

I could then add you to my list of World's Funniest Epitaphs, which includes "Here Lies an Atheist: All Dressed Up and No Place to Go", "We Finally Found a Place to Park in Georgetown", "Damn It's Dark Down Here", and Mel Blanc's tombstone, "That's All Folks!"

Sam & Gavin. I'm delighted to have found you. Both as tragically sad as I am.

You're absolutely right. I forgot about Fumes Mori but he was cut from the same cloth. Yeah, I was excited about Bilic too even though he was bizarrely signed in that period “between managers”. He pissed me off after missing all year at Everton then playing for Croatia. Then he retired at Everton and suddenly came back at Hadjuk Split!

On Rush, yeah I hated him. As a man, I always preferred John Aldridge though I met his Dad once and he spent an hour lamenting the fact his son was never as good as “Rushie”.

I DID write Howard Kendall II a letter urging him to sign Tony Philliskirk from Bolton and Czech Republic player Ivan Hazel. Howard, wisely, didn't follow my advice or personally reply but someone at Everton sent me a signed photo of Kevin Ratcliffe, and weirdly a photo copy of an autographed picture of Graeme Sharp. That was the end of my scouting career.

Steve – Yes, Bakayoko sounded decent at the time. Wasn't he meant to be the next George Weah?! – lol!

I remember the season had started when we bought him cos I remember reading the newspaper when I was back at university. He was useless. I think I saw his first goal at Goodison against Saints.

Next season, he joined us. I remember telling all the kopites he was going to win us the league. Oh how they laughed! Oh how I cried! Still hurts now!

I was at that game too, behind the goal. When he scored, there was a loud cheer followed by what seemed like an even louder shout from an old guy of “About bloody time!”

Bakayoko was kind of a smaller Paulo Wanchope only Wanchope's mazy seemingly uncontrolled runs resulted in goals.

Over 10 years ago, I met Rush in Singapore, and asked him if he was aware of the interest in him at the time, and he said he was. I then asked the hypothetical question if Lee had signed both, would he have struck up a good partnership with Sharpy?

His reply was short. "You can never tell." He paused. "But we'd have won everything".