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I've just returned home from a two week holiday in which I had the pleasure in reading Sharpy. What a cracking read, I found, obviously, the chapters on the 80's glory years particularly interesting.
I?m 28 so I really started following the blues around 89-90 season and the free fall in quality that followed always baffled me. In Grahams book he talked in detail about the reasons why this happened and he seemed to put it down to us signing players that were not Everton quality for example Tony Cottee, Pat Nevin, Neil McDonald etc they are players that had skills, to be honest they were some of my favourite players as an 11 year old, but as many of you will know they didn?t work for the team 100% as players such as Steven, Heath, Reid and the likes.
This got me on to thinking about the current Everton team and the loss of a player like Carsley and the lack of transfer activity. I personally feel that the present Everton side although they are not all of the quality of Kevin Sheedy they seem to have the passion and desire to win that an Everton player needs to have to be successful.
Hopefully Davie Moyes is holding out to sign some players of this ilk??.or am I being over positive?!
Adam Wilkinson, Posted 17/07/2008 at 18:36:35
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I personally thought Cottee was a good player for us. He was great in and around the 6 yard box and always full of running from what i remember. I am 35 now, so maybe the grey matter is lying to me!!?
People like McDonald, Atteveld, Ebbrell et al those players that came in the aftermath of winning the title again in 87, they weren?t of the quality. You also have to remember the quality of the manager, plus the opposition, were also strengthening well, and they had better players coming through the ranks, Arse, Man U them over there all had better players coming through their youth policy also that massive club Man City had a great youth team at the start of the 90?s when we were in free fall, good job they didn?t put them to good use, or we could be even further behind.
But getting back to the point, I absolutely loved Sheedy he was one of my, and still is, favourate players, fabulous, shame he was blighted with injuries. Of the current crop, we are missing somethign in midfield, and we haven?t yet got the strikers clicking like Sharpy and inchy did, plus the players who could come into the team, like Richardson who could really just step in like they had always been there, we don?t have that strength at the moment. Whether Moyes is going to be allowed through funding, youth etc to build up on what he has before moving on remains to be seen. That of course depends if Bill can find a buyer who would be willing to shell out a few peas to let the garden grow....so to speak...!
People like McDonald, Atteveld, Ebbrell et al those players that came in the aftermath of winning the title again in 87, they weren?t of the quality. You also have to remember the quality of the manager, plus the opposition, were also strengthening well, and they had better players coming through the ranks, Arse, Man U them over there all had better players coming through their youth policy also that massive club Man City had a great youth team at the start of the 90?s when we were in free fall, good job they didn?t put them to good use, or we could be even further behind.
But getting back to the point, I absolutely loved Sheedy he was one of my, and still is, favourate players, fabulous, shame he was blighted with injuries. Of the current crop, we are missing somethign in midfield, and we haven?t yet got the strikers clicking like Sharpy and inchy did, plus the players who could come into the team, like Richardson who could really just step in like they had always been there, we don?t have that strength at the moment. Whether Moyes is going to be allowed through funding, youth etc to build up on what he has before moving on remains to be seen. That of course depends if Bill can find a buyer who would be willing to shell out a few peas to let the garden grow....so to speak...!
I actually thought that Sharpy?s book was pretty ordinary as autobiographies go.
There was nothing we didn?t already know in it. He was very conservative with what he had to say and didn?t reveal anything particularly fascinating.
Colin Harvey?s is much better.
Away from Everton books, Micky Quinn?s (gobshite I know) is hilarious and gives you an insight into some of the true goings on behing the scenes. Brian Clough?s is also brilliant. Roy Keanes is good as well.
Sorry I didn?t want to turn my post in to a review of books but I was really disappointed with Sharpy?s. Anyone agree/disagree?
There was nothing we didn?t already know in it. He was very conservative with what he had to say and didn?t reveal anything particularly fascinating.
Colin Harvey?s is much better.
Away from Everton books, Micky Quinn?s (gobshite I know) is hilarious and gives you an insight into some of the true goings on behing the scenes. Brian Clough?s is also brilliant. Roy Keanes is good as well.
Sorry I didn?t want to turn my post in to a review of books but I was really disappointed with Sharpy?s. Anyone agree/disagree?
I’ve read the book too and unfortunately I think Sharpy comes out of it looking a bit of a whinger. He never got over his mate Andy Gray leaving and it sounds like he just wanted the 84-85 season to last forever (as we all did I suppose) and slags off everything afterwards. He has a pop at Colin Harvey’s signings of Cottee, McDonald, Nevin and McCall, saying they were hardly big names, conveniently forgetting that with the arguable exceptions of Gray and Bracewell not a single member of the 84/85 team was a well-recognised player. Cottee was hot property and a record buy, I thought McCall was excellent for us and Nevin and McDonald were understandable purchases.
We all wish it had worked out differently with later teams, and there were also some really poor players, but when Sharpy compares Sheedy to Ian Wilson for instance, he’s forgetting that no-one thought that a RS reserve with no right-foot, speed, head or tackling ability would become such a legend.
Kendall’s alchemy was a miraculous one off unfortunately.
We all wish it had worked out differently with later teams, and there were also some really poor players, but when Sharpy compares Sheedy to Ian Wilson for instance, he’s forgetting that no-one thought that a RS reserve with no right-foot, speed, head or tackling ability would become such a legend.
Kendall’s alchemy was a miraculous one off unfortunately.
The secret to the 80s team was quite simple really. You work your socks off to stop the opposition having time on the ball (something Moyes teams does well) then you get it out wide as quick as possible to two quality creative players (something Moyes teams only do sporadically, and we dont have a decent left winger/midfielder). Sheedy was my favourite player aswell but he was a lazy bastard, however you didnt care because could he do things with the ball that Ried and Bracewell could not.
A good team is made up of a players with a variety of different attributes. People ask why dont good coaches make good managers, well in my opinion its because they dont know how to combine different types of players into a good unit. Colin Harvey never bought a really bad player (well perhaps Ian Wilson and Niel McDonald were a bit average) but they never worked as a team (Cottee and Nevin the prime examples) and thats why he failed.
Cottee would score two in one match then none for the next 4, whilst Nevin (whom i always liked watching at chelsea) did not suit our team, he was more useless defensively than sheedy! McDondald was just slow (which was a problem as we played offside alot) and McCall just used to run around alot, he never had the composure to keep the ball for a few seconds.
Ill stop now as im getting all bitter and twisted thinking back...
A good team is made up of a players with a variety of different attributes. People ask why dont good coaches make good managers, well in my opinion its because they dont know how to combine different types of players into a good unit. Colin Harvey never bought a really bad player (well perhaps Ian Wilson and Niel McDonald were a bit average) but they never worked as a team (Cottee and Nevin the prime examples) and thats why he failed.
Cottee would score two in one match then none for the next 4, whilst Nevin (whom i always liked watching at chelsea) did not suit our team, he was more useless defensively than sheedy! McDondald was just slow (which was a problem as we played offside alot) and McCall just used to run around alot, he never had the composure to keep the ball for a few seconds.
Ill stop now as im getting all bitter and twisted thinking back...
Chris,
I have good memories of that era and think that McCall was not excellent for us. He ran a lot and dived into tackles randomly. his touch and distribution where below average. He was soon found out and spent a lot of his everton career on the bench. the 2 goals in the cup final which a lot of people remember dont represent the real McCal. He clearly wasn’t as good as the people he replaced and soon found himself shown to the exit.
I have good memories of that era and think that McCall was not excellent for us. He ran a lot and dived into tackles randomly. his touch and distribution where below average. He was soon found out and spent a lot of his everton career on the bench. the 2 goals in the cup final which a lot of people remember dont represent the real McCal. He clearly wasn’t as good as the people he replaced and soon found himself shown to the exit.
Sharpy was a great player - although I felt that he spent the too much time whinging at refs and not enough time scoring as his career progressed after 1987.
His definition of a good Everton player in the book seemed to be whether that person was happy to go out on the lash with Sharpy et al.
Mccall, though a bit too much of a headless chciken,- was a decent player whilst Nevin was a fave of mine. Unfortunately he got crocked early in his EFC career by Stuart Pearce and by the time he was back to full form and fitness the team was struggling and Kendall came along and effectively edned his Everton career.
Cottee was a good goalscorer though he seemed to save hos best form for whenever his contract was up for renewal!
His definition of a good Everton player in the book seemed to be whether that person was happy to go out on the lash with Sharpy et al.
Mccall, though a bit too much of a headless chciken,- was a decent player whilst Nevin was a fave of mine. Unfortunately he got crocked early in his EFC career by Stuart Pearce and by the time he was back to full form and fitness the team was struggling and Kendall came along and effectively edned his Everton career.
Cottee was a good goalscorer though he seemed to save hos best form for whenever his contract was up for renewal!
M J
I’m well aware that McCall spent most of his time at Everton on the bench, and it’s obvious that he wasn’t as good as the people he replaced (who has been as good as Reid and Bracewell in the last 23 years ?), but I don’t know why you assume that his goals in the 89 cup final are the reason I rated him.
As has been said elsewhere on this strong, the players around him at the time gave no support in ball-winning, so he had to run around like the proverbial fly. Carsley’s distribution wasn’t his strong point but he still did a brilliant job for us, and I think McCall did very well at Rangers, proving that we were wrong to only play him sporadically and then sell him.
I’m well aware that McCall spent most of his time at Everton on the bench, and it’s obvious that he wasn’t as good as the people he replaced (who has been as good as Reid and Bracewell in the last 23 years ?), but I don’t know why you assume that his goals in the 89 cup final are the reason I rated him.
As has been said elsewhere on this strong, the players around him at the time gave no support in ball-winning, so he had to run around like the proverbial fly. Carsley’s distribution wasn’t his strong point but he still did a brilliant job for us, and I think McCall did very well at Rangers, proving that we were wrong to only play him sporadically and then sell him.
C D Nice post, but with respect with McCall playing well at Rangers, anyone can play well for Rangers!!!!!
McCall came and was given his chance he wasn’t good enough, thats why he was often on the bench, he thrived at rangers as did Gordon Durie which to me is no indicator of class.
I totally agree with Brian above about Sharpy's book. The Echo previewed it and said what a fantastic book it was, ?a must for Evertonians? etc. I rushed out and bought it and thought it was pretty disappointing and over-hyped.
Saying that, Sharpy still is one of my favourite ever Everton players so I suppose he can be forgiven!!
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1 Posted 18/07/2008 at 07:49:23
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I also thought Graeme?s comments about Cottee and Beagrie were quite revealing. I liked both players - but they could both be very frustrating. Beagrie had great skill, as good as any winger on his day, but man the guy would too often insist on beating the defender twice !!! Instead of just concentrating on beating the defender and putting in a good cross for our strikers , he seemed too often to want to do something too clever. Saying that he did score one of my favourite Everton goals - at Goodison in December 1991 vs West Ham. I just wish he not tried to be too clever - he could and should have been a regular international player.
I think Sharpy?s comments about Tony Cottee appear pretty accurate. He seemed to take defeat okay as long as he scored - wheras Sharp,Gray & Co would be down if we lost even if they had personally done well.