COMMENT: Today. Right now. Everton at Goodison Park is the best ticket in football.
Yes, it was against Sunderland and Aston Villa. But ten goals in two games at Goodison - and created in such breathtaking fashion - has to make Everton the most exciting 'emerging' team in Europe.
But can Toffees fans allow themselves to simply enjoy what they're seeing?
After the 4-0 rout of Villa on Saturday, talk on Merseyside has been dominated not by the thrilling fashion of the result, but how long Roberto Martinez can keep this young team together.
Martinez, himself, appeared struck down by the pessimism, admitting they could again lose Gerard Deulofeu to Barcelona courtesy of a buy-back clause.
But why would 'Gerry' want to leave? Indeed, for all the brash claims of Mino Raiola, Romelu Lukaku's outspoken agent, why would the Belgian want to quit? The pair of 'em are playing the best football of their careers. They're actually playing with a smile on their face. They've seen Everton scrap and scrape with Chelsea over John Stones and come out winners. They must sense Martinez is building something at Goodison Park.
Lukaku is 22. Deulofeu 21. Stones? Also 21. As is Ross Barkley. This is a once in a generation chance for these lads. You can see they're bouncing off eachother. Driving eachother on. If Martinez has discussed a three-year plan with them, it'd be madness to chuck it all in for a bigger club. There's enough time for that.
Would Deulofeu really return to Barca? If they do buy him back, he will have to stay for the first 12 months. The Catalans can't re-sign Deulofeu, realise there's no place for him and send him away on-loan. Deulofeu has already gone through that once. Under Martinez, he's reaching his potential. Moving to Everton has also done his international prospects no harm. He was made Spain U21 captain this month. Unlike with Stones, the final decision will rest with the player. But it's difficult to imagine he would abandon Everton a second time.
The focus on the Premier League's latest TV deal has been about the increased spending power of the likes of Everton and the threat they present to bigger Bundesliga and Ligue Une clubs. However, it also gives the same clubs greater scope to keep hold of their best young players.
Martinez can offer his young tearaways gold-plated, guaranteed first team football. And Robert Elstone, the club's CEO, can also now offer them the type of wages that only the very elite in Europe - and even that group is diminishing - can provide. At 21 or 22, for the football Everton is playing, in front of a sold-out Goodison, and on wages the likes of Philipp Lahm, the Bayern Munich captain, are now openly resenting - the choice surely is a no-brainer - no matter what agents are whispering in their ear.
At the heart of all this is Martinez. Rebuilding Deulofeu's game is no lone achievement. Though it's significant that the Spaniard's emergence has coincided with Everton's thrilling football over the past month.
Leighton Baines' absence has become merely an afterthought thanks to Brendan Galloway's introduction. Tempted away from MK Dons, the 19 year-old has looked Premier League readymade.
Mason Holgate has tread the same path as Stones, joining Everton from Barnsley over the summer. And Matty Foulds has just agreed to join in January from Bury, despite the interest of Manchester United after trials.
There's also been the introduction of Tyias Browning. The defender was first brought through by Alan Stubbs, before David Unsworth, the current U21 coach, took over. Unsworth rates Browning the best defensive talent at the club. And Martinez has had no hesitation handing the Liverpool lad his chance this season.
There is something about Everton. Across Europe, clubs of similar size would love to bottle the culture at Finch Farm.
Stones could've kicked up a fuss after being denied his move to Chelsea last summer. He even slapped in a transfer demand. It really could've all unraveled. Instead, the defender has actually taken his game to a new level. Phil Neville, Kevin Ratcliffe, Gerard Pique... they're all climbing over eachother to sing his praises. At another club, under a different manager, the situation could easily have deteriorated very quickly.
Baines' refusal to follow David Moyes to Manchester United is now legend. Seamus Coleman could easily have done the same. And all that carry on with James McCarthy over the summer was put to bed with a new five-year deal in August.
It was a feisty AGM this week at the Philharmonic Hall. But when are such general meetings anything else? Elstone described some questions from shareholders as "disgraceful". And it's no secret Everton have struggled to find that new investor, or owner, smaller clubs have had no problem attracting.
But it can be argued, while the likes of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth are in the process of adding fresh investment, they're not Everton. They're not the size of Everton. Nor are they in as good a shape as Everton. The situation is baffling and shareholders have the responsibility to hold Elstone's feet to the fire.
But on the pitch, when looking around the Premier League, knowing what Southampton have gone through, never mind Aston Villa - and what awaits Leicester City...? Everton are well placed to defy the cynics and keep this exciting, young team together.
Blues fans just need to learn to enjoy it!
INJURY TIME
Ryan Ledson. They've found another one at Everton.
After joining Shaun Derry's Cambridge United on-loan, Ledson made his debut in defeat to Accrington Stanley and walked away with the man-of-the-match award.
Last year, the midfielder captained England to victory in the U17 European Championships - the same tournament Ross Barkley won with England in 2010.
Ledson has been with Everton all his life - since five years of age - and made his debut in the Europa League last season.
At Cambridge, it will be his first chance of regular senior football and after a five-star debut, it's clear he's one to watch for Everton (and England) fans.
