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Nice article well researched Lyndon. Building on your point about Juve being an awkward fit, I read Carlo self deprecatingly explaining how the rich folks of Turin never took to the son of southern pig farmers. With his modest working class roots that he is rightly proud of, he should be a good fit on Merseyside as opposed to a yuppie club like Spurs or Chelsea.

Lyndon,

I don't know how you do it. This is such a well written, thoughtful piece which expresses the hopes and frustrations I (and I suspect many other Evertonians) have had and are still having but lack the eloquence to express them as well as this. Watched my first game in the late 50's, I have experienced many highs and unfortunately too many lows since then.

I believe Moshiri really wants to get it right, I believe he is here for the long term and I suspect he is as frustrated as we are that it hasn't gone as well as he hoped. He has spent a lot of money trying to find the leader to create success and he may have finally found the person to make it happen. Everything about Ancelotti makes me feel he is the one to truly take us forward.

His credentials are impeccable and there have been enough signs, for me anyway, that he is making his presence felt. I believe he is not happy with the squad, certainly not with the humiliation in the cup and the capitulation against Newcastle, but like all really good leaders the real anger and criticism is done in private with a more considered message for the outside world. I think he will get the best out of many of the current players for the rest of the season but he already knows that their best is not good enough for where the club aspires to be.

I don't believe he is the 'messiah' and I know he will make mistakes but when I think of some of the names we were being associated with, I still have to pinch myself that we have someone of his calibre leading the way. They say it's the hope that kills you but I feel this time there is something substantial to have hope in.

Thank you again, Lyndon for such a well written piece.

From the Official Site:

“I am an Evertonian,” said Ancelotti.
“The first day I signed I was an Evertonian. I love the feeling the supporters have for the team. They are really passionate about the team. You can see this in the stadium and city. There are lots of Evertonians here and the atmosphere in the city is really nice for me. It is a strength for us to have this kind of connection with the supporters.”

That shows that the guy is humble and respectful of the city, the club and its supporters. He has the humility to watch the Ladies Team practice and offer them tips ahead of the Derby. Plus, he seems to have an excellent relationship with the key people - Moshiri, Brands, Ferguson, and the players. I am really excited to see what Carlo can do for Everton.

As you say, Lyndon, Carlo may be able to get the best out of players like: Davies, Holgate, Kean, Richarlison, Bernard, Iwobi, Mina, Kenny, Beni, Gordon, Calvert-Lewin, Pickford, Gomes, Gbamin. Maybe players low on confidence at the moment - Siggy, Keane, Digne, Delph, Coleman, even Schneiderlin and Walcott - can rediscover their mojo.

Hopefully, Brands will be able to unearth 1-2 gems in the transfer market during the summer, and make the squad stronger, and retire the 'no-hopers' like Niasse, Martina, Bolasie, Besic, Tosun permanently and provide some much needed financial head-room to play in the market. It will take time, but I remain optimistic that Everton will be able to compete with the top teams of the PL in the next couple of seasons.

Best signing the club has made since Howard K Mark 1.

The man oozes class and never looks ruffled. A true Leader in every sense.

I'll not be disappointed if there are no purchases in this Window, because quick fixes have proven to fail.

Time to get behind him and let him begin to rebuild in the summer and accept that there will be bumps along the way.

Lyndon, you really are one of the most thoughtful scribes in football let alone for an Everton website... brilliant stuff!!!

A very enjoyable read. Thank you Lyndon.

From the king of cynics, my good self, what an outstanding article. Superbly written and well researched.

Brilliant article Lyndon, I would love to know how long it took you to 'put together' as such. Ancellotti certainly does have a 'calmness' about him, which is exactly what Everton need right now, on and off the pitch.

I know we keep saying it every year, but the summer transfer window really will be key to the type of team Carlo wants to put on the pitch next season. Unfortunately,the grave recruitment policy of the last few years will continue to hamper our spending plans, and I hope Brands will have a modicum of success in offloading those players who have simply no part of Everton's future, and who might have a little more self respect in wanting regular first team football elsewhere, and not simply 'picking up a wage'.

Here's hoping.

Magnificently crafted piece of work! A calm and considered analysis unaffected by the hysteria of some who allow personalities to influence how they see the club. I can’t argue with any of this.
Well done Lyndon!!

Brilliant article Lyndon. Thanks. A very enlightening read and one that gives this 62 year Blue some genuine hope for the future.

I still can't believe we have managed to entice someone of Ancelotti's quality to Goodison Park. I don't buy the theory that he's only here for the money (the man has more than enough) although it helps. I really think he wants the "project" and his personality convinces me that given time by the club and the fans, he will truly become part of the Everton family and all the wonderful qualities we exude in lorry loads.

Success on the park is the vital ingredient we have missed for so long and I pray for days when my two sons will celebrate in the way I did in the 60's, 70's and 80's.
If this man can't sort out the playing mess we have now then I'm not sure anyone will ever be able to do so. I love the way he has started the job. He is not going to scream blue murder from the rooftops. He will quietly assess what he has to work with, keep us in the Premier League and then start what is - without doubt - a major overhaul of the playing side of the club. The man oozes class and quality and he has the track record to show he is a winner both as a player and coach.
The dark days are behind us guys. It's going to be a massive task and a long journey but we definitely have the right man in the driving seat and I have not felt so optimistic about our great Clubs' future for a long, long time.
Moshiri has made a lot of mistakes in his short time with us but credit him with the fact he has stuck at it and put his money where his mouth is. Credit him especially with the acquisition of Carlo Ancelotti. This signing will prove to be an absolute gem.
COYB!!!

This is a superb read, Lyndon. An extremely well-crafted piece.

I wasn't aware of how some of the talking heads and journos you quoted so ridiculed the club and its supporters, effectively telling us to 'know our place'.

As you rightly say, Evertonians are a very pragmatic breed and understand how far we have fallen down the pecking order. That we are not an easy sell to new managers or players and that to be truly competitive again is no quick fix.

But plenty of us also believed we SHOULD recruit better and do better than we have done since Moshiri arrived.

He has come in for some criticism for the wastefulness on his watch, but you nicely contextualize the mitigating circumstances of each managerial appointment.

Koeman was very much his appointment and it was not unreasonable, together with another appointment he made in Steve Walsh, that he could trust them with his money to go out and buy what was necessary to improve the team.

That proved a misplaced trust. The real blot on Moshiri's copybook is the hiatus between dismissing Koeman 10 games into the season and having no succession plan in place. Eventually appointing Allardyce compounded this all the more.

Reverting back to his primary preferred option in Marco Silva and adding Marcel Brands into the mix, again, he trusted them with his money to improve the team.

Silva was nearly but not quite, Brands has had to be more like a butcher rather than a surgeon in trimming a bloated squad. But for me, he has shown more than enough that he is a well-connected savvy operator.

Following Silva's dismissal, I don't think there was the same hiatus that followed Koeman's sacking. There were some scary names associated with the job, but seemingly, the Gods smiled and the stars aligned for us for once with Ancelotti's exit from Napoli.

I wholeheartedly agree with you that after a number of two-season stints at a number of Europe's Super Nova clubs, Carlo could well thrive on long-term stability at a single club. Thus the four and a half year contract Moshiri gave him.

I share your optimism that for the first time in decades, we could finally be on the path to getting our Everton back.

What an excellent article - really sums it up. I also have a horrible feeling that if the answer to the question posed "Can the Quiet Leader Bring Order to Everton's Chaos?" is a no, then frankly no one can. Which is why everyone should get behind him.

When you consider that Ancelotti went to Napoli in 2018 whilst we appointed Silva, you can't help wondering how much further on the Club might be if we had managed to nab him then.

Lyndon, this could be the doctoral thesis for a Ph.D. in Everton. The depth of thought and historical perspective that you have incorporated into what seems to be about 5000 words is truly impressive. You have elegantly captured both the issues and the hopes that have been raised by Ancelotti's arrival. I would love to know how much time you spent on researching and crafting this piece.

Anyone who hasn't should definitely click on the link you provided to Rory Smith's piece in the New York Times. He's a terrific writer -- his December article on the aftermath of Bury's demise was heartbreakingly lovely -- and his perspective on Everton as a potential fallen legend like Hamburg and Lazio and Villa is worth pondering.

Superb work, my friend. Thank you.

Many thanks for such a well researched, and intriguing article Lyndon. The links have been a revelation to read too. Poor little EFC hey?

Regards the question titled in the article; "Can the Quiet Leader Bring Order to Everton's Chaos?"

Well, being a pragmatic Blue since 74/75 and a fan of the great Dutch teams of that era, I'd genuinely be delighted for a return to the top table, with an elegant blend of silk and steel football we were once famed for.

However, in answer to the question, I think that Carletto is the best hope we have had since Howard K's magnificent sides of the 80s. As others have mentioned, I think that Brands is going to be absolutely key to any recovery and reconstruction of the club. Unfortunately I think that there are several obstacles to the club elevating its position within the PL.

#1. The board; it is too tightly controlled by the Chairman, and his handpicked CEO. The Financial director has obviously been negligent, no not poor, but negligent in his duties, by allowing the club to become so hard up against the PL's Profit and Sustainability rule (FFP), without reining in the expenditure that the board had authorised. The only board member currently, who hasn't made glaring errors or displays of emotional decision making rather than considering the business aspects of the club/business, is Marcel Brands.

#2. The owner; Mr. Moshiri, obviously bought his club, from outside the 'Sky top 6'. Everton would probably have been in a handful of other clubs E.g. Villa, NUFC, Sunderland, Sheff. Weds and Leeds. However, I expect that the ultimate reason he chose EFC, is due to the clubs history, the size of the ground and the level of support. Also, unlike the other cubs, it was in the PL, and or didn't have a dysfunctional ownership. I.e. EFC would be fairly easy to take control of.

Yet, the problem was, although Mr. Moshiri is a football fan, he probably doesn't have the inside knowledge of how to run a football club (as it is very different to a normal business) and the man he leaned on, Blue Bill, is eminently responsible for the internal infrastructure problems within the club.

Then, instead of taking a broom, and making a clean sweep of the existing staff QED Man City, and replacing them with trusted appointees, he tried to make the existing model fit his 'vision' for the club. Not a smart idea in business. The following problems re over-spending on players, and a high, quick turnover of managers is a symptom of not having made such a plan for the club.

In Mr. Moshiri's defence, he has got the BMD Stadium to the planning approval level, and he has not been afraid to invest (No matter how unwisely), in the club.

#3 The academy; Until this Elephant in the room is addressed, then instead of being a boon to the club, providing players able to progress and fit in with the first team; and to provide players who are good enough to sell to Championship or foreign clubs for profit. It will be an expensive millstone round the financial and playing staff neck of the club. An academy has to produce or it is basically a waste of finances. I would be very interested in someone working out how much is spent on the academy p.a. as opposed to how much finance is generated by it? (Paul the Esk, or Steve Ferns :D )

On the point of the academy, I would think that it could be prudent for the club moving forward, to buy Finch Farm of the council. Which I feel would be something that is essential for future stability, once the BMD Stadium is built.

#4. Increasing Revenue; Everton have not made enough of an attempt, in my opinion, to increase their additional revenue streams other than from the TV/Broadcast revenue, ticket sales, and domestic merchandising (The international attempts and fanatics has basically failed!). The level of sponsorship is also too low when compared to other clubs from the 'middle' of the table.

In order to become a genuine 'European team', where we compete in the EEL or ECL year on year, we have to generate more income from elsewhere. Yet the club, as far as I know, doesn't have a Commercial Director appointed? Nor, looking at the board, or owner, does the club possess an expert in this area.

If the revenue, or income of the club is not significantly increased, then the status of the club, in harsh reality cannot grow either. It is essential that the club increases revenue, and in the meantime, it has to discard any unnecessary expenditure that is surplus to requirement. This includes playing staff, junior and middle management roles, support and coaching staff, rent and maintenance costs, 3rd party costs (I.e. cleaning and catering etc) and finally the board. I was shocked at how much the boards salary has increased, whilst the financial and playing performances at the club have become parlous! It is genuinely scandalous that they feel they can reward themselves with huge raises for failure! In the private sector, they would be held to account and in all probability dismissed.

The solution? Well, all I know is that Carletto can not do this on his own, even with the backing and support of Marcel Brands. There is much to change at the club until EFC can become a genuine European team. Yet, with Carletto here, and whilst he and Brands can have direct access to Mr. Moshiri, then hopefully the football side of the club performances will improve. Much as has been seen over the last 6-7 weeks now.

What does need to change in my view, is the make up of the board, it needs at least a Director of Engagement, and a Commercial Director, personally, I'd look at swapping Sacha R for a new Financial Director as he has failed in his role thus far. I also do not think that the Chair and the CEO are fit for purpose; and if I had any influence with Mr. Moshiri, I'd employ a Company troubleshooter to come in like a Sir John Harvey Jones for example, allied with a genuine commercial football guru to assess where the club is top-heavy, under-staffed, where the dead wood is, the cliques, and how to increase productivity on and off the field, with a sustainable model. Even bringing onboard a number of non-exec Directors with the relevant football and commercial expertise as John Haines and Paul the Esk have suggested would surely help the club develop?

Another simple idea, would be to have a pre-season tour of the USA, supported by our international USA ambassador Tim Howard, followed by an Australian tour with Tim cahill in his ambassador role. It would be ideal warm weather training, it gets the players away from FF for a change, and it would/could/should promote interest in the club in those market areas..? Just a thought.

I genuinely believe that Caretto is here for the challenge and the long-haul, but it must be realised by all, that the club is where it is, not purely because of the players or the previous managers; there is something endemically wrong in how the club is governed. Until that changes, I don't think the club's trajectory will change.

Have faith, but trust no-one. :)

Let's hope for a great result tomorrow.

Fantastic piece. And you can add one Mark Ogden at ESPN to the list of condescending skeptics in the media. He wrote a piece before we landed Ancelotti titled "Everton Need a Reality Check," in which he basically said Moyes was the best we could do and we should be damn thankful if he'd take the job.

I saved this to read just before the Watford game. It’s really got me in the mood. Brilliant stuff. Actually, Lyndon, it might just be the most stirring piece you’ve ever written. I want to go to war for Carlo now!

Simon @ 16.

Take a look at the following club site page 'Our People'.

Link

It gives a very comprehensive list of just who is employed at Everton with detailed blogs on many and in some cases how many staff work under them.

I think it may surprise, even shock you.

The positions you ask for already exist. The competence and effectiveness of each is a great unknown.

Lyndon, you only have to look at the previous comments on here to understand what an exquisite piece you've pulled together here, it's really helped fill some time for me on this train journey! Thank you. Outstanding.

For rhe umpteenth time, Lyndon, I've thought about writing a piece and you've come up with a fabulous article on the same topic!

Very easy for many to forget that Ancelotti got these top jobs because he'd proven himself at a lower level. It'll be interesting to see whether his methods have evolved or become outdated.

A terrific article, certainly one of the best that I have read about Everton, and also some thoughtful and reasonable comments.

We were lucky that Carletto became available while we were looking for a new manager and Farhad was bold enough to grasp the opportunity.

I read Ancelotti's first book" The beautiful games of an ordinary genius" and he comes across as a warm guy with a great sense of humor. I am confident that he will make Everton great again.

Brilliant read Lyndon...for once all above posts are positive so hats off to you...

Helpfully us 60 plus fans who have enjoyed the highs of being chapions and winng silverware will bearound long enough to see us back up were we belong..

I look forward to seeing the blue half of the city going head to head with the reds without dread or fear...

Carlo is most definitely the man to take us there. He won't fail us but the club could fail him...

Thanks again for a fantastic read...

I really enjoyed reading your article Lyndon - absolutely terrific.

What is Everton? I am not quite sure but I am sure of one thing. Such is its potency, once Carlo Ancelotti taps right into it, the rest of the football world had better watch out.

A really top article. Well done, Lyndon.