Evertonians might think they’ve got things tough with the team’s current home form having gone six games without a win at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but back in 1999, things were much worse.

“Famine to feast for five-star Blues” proclaimed the ECHO headline as what was remarkable about this game was not just the thrashing inflicted on Middlesbrough on the night pf February 17, but what had come before it. Goodison Park had never endured such a sorry goal drought as the first dozen Premier League matches of Walter Smith’s reign.

With Everton’s most-successful manager Howard Kendall’s third spell coming to an end the previous summer after just one season in which the club had only avoided relegation on goal difference, Smith was snapped up from under the noses of Sheffield Wednesday to try and revive the Blues fortunes. Graeme Souness’ former assistant manager at Rangers, Smith had taken the reins at Ibrox when his boss succeeded fellow Scot Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool.

Smith enjoyed great success north of the border, presiding over...