I have no doubt that it is stating the obvious to say that this summer is perhaps the most important summer in the history of our great football club. A whole new regime is needed for us to head into the 2011-12 season or we will be left behind.
Let's go back to 1999 when Bill Kenwright's consortium secured the deal which led to ownership of the club moving from Peter Johnson to effectively Bill Kenwright. After completing the deal, Kenwright said the following:
"Acquiring Peter Johnson's shares is only the first step to restoring a great club to where it belongs ? to where it should be. If you are going to run a successful football club, you need two qualities: you need to be realistic and you need a plan. I'm realistic and I have a plan."
At the time we were in an incredibly stricken financial situation ? around £14 million in debt ? hence our prospects for investment were bleak. Then, like now, we were effectively, for want of a better word, uninvestable. Nothing has changed in 12 years in that regard, things have gotten worse off the pitch.
Since gaining control of the club in 1999, Kenwright has overseen one disaster after another ? NTL, Kings Dock, Destination Kirkby ? as well as overseeing a massive increase in debt. It was Peter Johnson that led us into this financial blackhole but it has been Bill Kenwright that has guided us towards the point of no return. So that leaves me wondering who will be sold off in the summer in order to appease the banks? Because, let's face it, Bill Kenwright has been doing business at Everton that way since day one. Francis Jeffers and Michael Ball were sold to appease the banks in 2001, likewise Wayne Rooney was sold in 2004 so inevitably we must ask who will it be in 2011?
After 12 years of financial neglect and mismanagement under Bill Kenwright's setwardship he still relies on the propaganda of yesteryear ? "I'm an Evertonian!" And, just like that, the wool is pulled over thousands of Evertonians' eyes! In his time as the main force in the Everton boardroom, we have seen our debt spiral to almost £50 million; the club's wage bill has likewise risen to a staggering £54 million (almost 70% of our income); losses are running into the millions, and his relationships with numerous fellow directors who have disagreed with him has soured which leaves me thinking that our chairman is not just an incompetent man but is also an arrogant, one-track-minded one.
It leaves me shaking my head in disbelief when you hear Kenwright or Elstone going on about sensible financial management! How stupid do they think we are? They both seem to think that we're in a good position right now! A couple of months back Elstone said:
"The simple facts are that approaching 85p in every £1 we bring in ends up, one way or another, at our Finch Farm training ground. From young prospects, to scouts, to medical support, to coaches and, of course, to our first team squad, almost £70m, out of our £80m of income ends up there."
So what do we have to show for all that investment which Robert Elstone talks of? Well, that leads me to look at the second part of the problem: David Moyes.
People have talked and talked about David Moyes performing miracles at Everton Football Club. "He works on a shoestring budget," they say. "He gets no money to spend" is another commonly quoted nugget. Seriously though, let's once and for all put this matter to bed: David Moyes has spent money! Whether or not the outgoings on transfer fees has come from money raised from the sale of other players or not, he has still spent money.
For four consecutive seasons, Moyes broke our record transfer fee ? Beattie, Johnson, Yakubu, Fellaini ? spending just over £40 million on four players in the space of 3½ years. It is utter stupid to counter this with the "Well, he's only spending what he brought in!" argument (let's leave that to the shower across the park). Granted I wholly agree that the chairman should be providing extra funds on top of what Moyes has brought in but that's another point. For now, let us just accept that David Moyes has spent money, because he has.
Moyes has been somewhat hit-and-miss in the transfer market: for every Arteta and Cahill there has been a Per Krøldrup, but I do think it would be fair at this point to say that every manager in the Premier League has signed his fair share of duds. However, because of the board's neglect, Moyes is having to use what money he does get (which has been from time to time £20 million from the Lescott deal) very wisely.
On the contrary though, Moyes has been incredibly irresponsible if not stupid. How else do you explain spending £9 million on Bilyaletdinov and not really offering him a run of games in his correct position? £6 million on Heitinga only to play him completely out of position? He even spent £1 million spent on Magaye Gueye only to not use him until he absolutely had to! That's £17 million on three players that are not, it seems, in Moyes's first-team plans.
Moyes currently has a staff and squad of players which, as I discussed above, take just under three quarters of our total income. I can't pretend to know just how much each player earns but I'm guessing that several of our first team players in no way shape or form justify the salaries they earn. Louis Saha for instance is not my cup of tea in general but I'm fairly sure he will be one of the top earners at the club and he pays us back with spending more time on the examination table than on the pitch. Likewise I admire Phil Neville's professionalism as much as the next man but how much money is that professionalism costing us?
Finally, and this is something I would love to know the answer to: how much is Victor Anichebe earning after he signed his new deal not long back? Anichebe for me is one of the worst "footballers" I have ever seen in an Everton shirt! A centre forward with 7 goals in 86 appearances who is clearly detested by a number of fans and who cannot even use his imposing build to put in a bit of effort to make up for his clear lack of ability. Yet Victor Anichebe, for all his lack of effort and lack of ability, signed a new 4½-year deal worth a reported £30,000 per week with us several months back! It's decisions like that which leave me shaking my head in disbelief. Whoever makes these decisions is making a major contribution to the debt problems the club is already fighting. If it is David Moyes then it is nail number one in his coffin for me.
One major issue we're having at present is the bizarre situation regarding the size of the squad and the number of players out on loan. We have Jermaine Beckford left as our only recognised first team striker right now ? Anichebe is an non entity as far as I'm concerned ? yet we have Vaughan and Yakubu out on loan. Why? Is it Kenwright forcing Moyes or is Moyes happy to let the squad numbers dwindle?
We're short of cover in a number of areas yet, for whatever reason, we're letting players go without replacing them. I did not understand, for example, letting Lucas Neill go last year. If I remember rightly, Moyes spoke of how we were getting a profit of £750,000 for a player who cost us nothing - likewise the whole Pienaar debacle was explained away in much the same manner. Lucas Neill came out and said he didn't want to leave but Everton wanted to sell him. It's these decisions that make wonder what's going on? Is this Kenwright's mismanagement once more or is it down to Moyes? Either way, is that what we've come to? Scraping around for what is by today's standards miniscule amounts of money to pay off debts!?
On the field, I find David Moyes incredibly frustrating much of the time; I find him tactically inept and utterly one-dimensional. When Moyes's one way of playing football doesn't work ? his beloved 4-5-1 ? we're screwed. He is either unwilling or unable to change things around. It is only when his hand is forced that we see something a little different.
A manager that is unable to adapt his way of playing can never be a success. His 4-5-1 formation is heavily reliant upon us facing a team that will open up. If we face a team which defends and hits us on the break, then we usually lose. Moyes's mentality is such that we are completely unable to create chances and break a team down. David Moyes is all about backs to the wall, let's get a result. Rarely does a David Moyes team go out, outplay and beat a team ? yet that is what football should be all about.
Likewise, his persistence in playing people out of position has had me scratching my head for a number of years now. We have needed a truly class act in the box for years now and he's never adequately filled that role; the same thing can be said about our need for an out-and-out wide man who can beat a defender, as well a creative midfielder!
This draws me to my final point about Moyes. Tim Howard is for me absolutely abysmal! I see him as far and away one of the worst goalkeepers in the Premier League. I do not want to go into discussing him completely because he warrants an article all of his own. Howard has cost us a number of ties in Europe in the last few seasons as well as domestic matches, including, one could argue the FA Cup Final in 2009, yet Moyes has stuck with him. I really do not get this at all.
A top class goalkeeper should be the starting point of any good side. Look what Birmingham did when they had Joe Hart on loan last season compared to them having Ben Foster this season; likewise, look at the number of clean sheets Nigel Martyn kept for us then look at the amount of goals that Tim Howard lets slip. Suddenly, the 1-0 victories with Nigel Martyn turn into 1-1 draws with Howard... or worse. He is a poor goalkeeper and the fact that Moyes does not see this only strengthens my belief that in certain areas he is clueless.
I asked earlier what do we have to show for all the investment in wages and so on and the answer is simple: we were FA Cup Runners Up in 2009. That is reality. People always defend David Moyes with league positions and European qualifications but please do not insult the great history of our football club by telling me that is success ? it isn't!
What is needed is a revolution on and off the pitch over this summer in order for us to build a better future for Everton Football Club. All these Bernie Mullin rumours last week just reinforced for me how much and how great a change is required off and on the field. Kenwright and Moyes are a double act doing nothing but damage to our football club and both need to go this summer if we ever want to be successful again.
Of course we don't know what the future might bring but a US-based consortium helmed by Mullin could be the answer we've been longing for. I would like to think that, following Kenwright's departure, Moyes would also leave... either way, one of them has to go first. Who would we go for to replace Moyes? I'm sure we all have our own views; personally there is only one man for me: André Villas Boas. If that is a little too fantasy football then I'd like to see a European coach come in. Johan Neeskens would be the man for me or perhaps even a younger coach like Luis Enrique from Barcelona. Somebody with a clear effective system of playing football who can deliver us the one thing we crave: real success.
Looking back it's clear that Kenwright sold us a lie in 1999; he was neither realistic nor did he have a plan. It's also thanks to him that the future is gravely uncertain for us at present. It's impossible to know just what is to come but the one thing I am sure of is that Kenwright must not be allowed to sell us another lie and that he and Moyes cannot be the future for Everton Football Club.
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
Granted, I wholly agree that the chairman should be providing extra funds on top of what Moyes has brought in... but that's another point. For now, let us just accept that David Moyes has spent money, because he has."Well aren't you confused? Can we use the net spend argument or not?As for "Moyes Out", it's a minority opinion. Opinions on Kenwright? Nobody knows.
I will give you credit for highlighting Moyes's baffling use of (or lack of) players like Bily et al. But stating the obvious about those key positions... c'mon, the going rates for those players cost as much as our debts.
Beattie was a good striker and I was excited by his arrival but his strengths were attacking crosses and high balls at angles. During his time here, I don't remember any wing play suitable to getting the best from him and he ended up trying to bluster through the middle.
Andy Johnson was extremely quick and able to burst on to through-balls to the edge of the box, behind the defence, so we resorted to pumping high balls to the wing to him. Yakubu did well but mostly through his own work. He was strong and was able to burst through defences but, just as he was returning to form, we gave him to Leicester for the season.
Now we have Beckford, who is similar to Johnson with pace and, although raw, I think he will come good. He needs the through-ball behind the defence but who do we have who delivers that? Arteta? He should but he doesn't. Neither did Pienaar strangely and I can only assume that the players are not being coached to do this? It's just not a tactic we use... why?
On the whole, though, I think Moyes has done the job better than Kenwright could have imagined and kept Bill out of the firing line. Yes, we are sometimes dour and predictable and, worse in my eyes, completely lacking in daring or ambition against the better teams when we have nothing to lose by going at them, but I honestly believe that with any other manager (within reason ? ie not Mourinho, SAF etc) we would have gone down by now under this regime.
It beggars belief how Kenwright can sleep at night knowing what he's done, and continues to do. The only saving grace is that we have got David Moyes as our manager and long may that continue.KENWRIGHT OUT !
I hate the loan system, it encourages boards to lower their wage bill... BUT it stops transfer funds coming in!! It is the cause of squad weakening when inevitable injuries occur, and there is no provision to bring players in once the legal period has expired. Clubs like ours (lamentably) are walking a tightrope and one day they will fall off.
We have come perilously close at least twice in the past years and this year we are in a better position to escape the drop due to having the minimum point requirement, but it's been another 'brinkmanship' debacle. Liam is correct... it is a shameful situation for a club of our size and history. We cannot attract top players nowadays and we are making legends of journeymen.
DM let the cat out of the bag when he said that he feared the game with Villa because of the number of players unavailable... I reckon he breathed a huge sigh of relief when Jags got the 'dodgy' penalty and rescued a point.
The bench was disgraceful with a bunch of unknowns filling pews... and this is not the first time. We actually STARTED one season with a CRECHE on the bench. I am becoming really disillusioned with Everton's so called ambition....
Money has totally changed football, whether we like it or not. Those that don't like it banded together and started their own clubs: AFC Wimbledon, FC United... those that can't leave their beloved clubs stick with it and seem to bemoan the changes.
You don't have to like or agree with anything that BK does but, unless you or a group of people can get the money together to buy the club, or buy enough shares to have a voice, then I'm not sure what you can do to change things? All the gold and green scarves in the world haven't changed anything down the M62. It shows the supporters care... but that's about it.
I still haven't got over the fact that in the summer of 2005 we brought in Phil Neville, Simon Davies and Per Krøldrup as a way of consolidating our fantastic 4th placed season. We actually did pretty well against Semi-Finalists Villarreal considering the gulf in quality.
It was the same story after the FA Cup Final season and a fifth placed finish ? don't think it was until Lescott was sold that we invested anything into the squad which was riddled with injuries.And once again, last year, after finishing the season so strongly, the most that Moyes could spend was £1 million on a French-U21 player. I don't really understand how you can insist Moyes has had money to spend when it is quite clear he has operated on a shoe string budget compared to other (currently less) successful clubs.
The only other time I saw him put through he "scored"! Wasn't his fault the linesman was a kopite!And John, I agree with Krøldrup and VDM but in my honest opinion Beattie and Bilya were both good players misused by Moyes. Bilya could still come good given a choice and, having seen him several times, I think there is a good player in there just waiting for the chance to prove it. I just hope he hasn't given up following his treatment by Moyes.
I absolutely agree that signing class acts in any department costs money that we don't have but Moyes has not even filled the positions we are craving out for with good, committed, hard working players who are decent. For a wide man, I would have been looking at somebody like Matthew Etherington (cost for Stoke ? £2M). He'd have done a job for us out wide. Even proven top-quality players in the top flight would have cost the equivalent to Bily ? Stewart Downing cost Villa £10M, Adam Johnson cost City £7M. Even somebody on loan like that Cleverley at Wigan.
In the centre of midfield there are loads of creative midfielders we could have gone for. The point I am making is that, if you know you are not going to have much to spend, then spend it wisely. There are decent options out there that will not cripple you financially, Moyes has done it before.
I know it is all a matter of opinion ? I think Howard is suspect; some agree with me, some don't. I think Moyes isn't so great; some agree, some don't ? and I happen to think we should aim big when we go for our next manager; some think this is unrealistic. I don't think I'm living in cloud cuckoo land to suggest we could attract a top European coach, if we had a decent board and decent investment, I really don't. Why shouldn't we target the best? Are we not worthy of being managed by Luis Enrique? Should we just stick with Championship level managers? If so, Paul Lambert, Brendan Rogers and Sean O'Driscoll are all decent prospects. Personally though I'd aim higher.
Re Moyes, I think it's safe to say nobody at Manchester United wants him to replace SAF, and as for the LMA Manager of the Year statement - "In 9 years he has won manager of the year 3 times" ? this is the same award won twice by Steve Coppell as well as having been won by George Burley, Alan Curbishley, Danny Wilson and Frank Clark ? what a great bunch of managers they are!!! Obviously Moyes winning that award three times must mean he's the best... Please do rip my argument to shreds though, I look forward to hearing more of your logic.
Clubs with more to offer in terms of wages and challenging for trophies can often attract quality players for smaller fees, à la Johnson, plus he was still a bit of a punt and you have used hindsight (his good form since signing) to say we should've bought him back then. Maybe he wouldn't have wanted to come to EFC? Maybe he would? Who knows.
As for Downing £10m was highway robbery in my mind, moderately talented, extremely one-footed and hasn't exactly dazzled at Villa.By the way, most would agree that Howard can be "suspect" at times and could definitely command his area better but "absolutely abysmal" and "far and away one of the worst goalkeepers in the Premier League"? That's hyperbole IMO and I have to disagreee with it.
Finally, I don't think Tim Howard is a great goalkeeper but there aren't many around. The Bolton goalie whose name I won't try to spell has been, in my view, the must under-rated player in the last ten years. I'd certainly take Howard ahead of what Arsenal have.
One more thing is that our league position is all Moyes's fault. You may say 7th is not bad but, as far I am concerned, with better team selection and tactics when we were at full strength, we could have had 12 more points and a chance of Europe. However I believe Moyes is at his best when we are in our current position of a depleted squad and just playing to do the best we can under the circumstances.
Before you criticise someone you really ought to understand what you are criticising. David Moyes looks for players that he thinks are undervalued and buys them, sometimes he gets it wrong like Bily, but most of the time he gets it right, and we get good long term players (Arteta) or a quick profit (Neill).
In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
» Log in now
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.
About these ads
Get rid of these ads and support ToffeeWeb
Bet on Everton and get a deposit bonus with bet365 at TheFreeBetGuide.com
* Everton deducted 8 pts; †Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breachView full table
We use cookies to enhance your experience on ToffeeWeb and to enable certain features. By using the website you are consenting to our use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.