It seems everybody has decided we can get nowhere on the pitch under David Moyes. It's true that results and performances are not particularly good, but we have to remember we have a small squad and key players are either injured or out of form.
Everybody seemingly thinks he can't buy or utilise good players, but this is the case at every Club. All transfers are a gamble for a number of reasons and the so called Big Four (keep on calling them that and that's the way it will stay — a self-fulfilling prophecy) no doubt expected big things of Djemba Djemba, Kleberson, Reyes (£20M), Jeffers, Morientes, Cisse, Diouf, Diaow, Wright Phillips, Veron (twice!), etc, etc, but it never happened for them did it?
Moyes has generally bought well: quality over quantity. If players were machines or like parts of a car it would all be very simple, but then as in Formula One, the winner would usually be the driver of the best car. It's what makes football an art and not an exact science.
Under Moyes, the underlying trend is up. We peak and nosedive, but we are going higher. Currently we are in a bit of a dip. You have to be patient - 15 years of steady decline can't be put right instantly anymore. Some people are saying, 'look at Portsmouth, why not us?' The reality is a mere 4 points difference and Harry Redknapp is enjoying a season similar to ours two years ago. Don't expect them to be a permanent fixture in the Top 6 for the next 10 years. Harry certainly doesn't.
Off the pitch, it's all doom and gloom too. Yes, we are about to leave Goodison. Yes, it is sad. There is a special atmosphere both inside and outside Goodison and I possibly notice it even more, not being a local and not going to every game. However, rather than waste your energy on this, why not concentrate your efforts on getting the new stadium designed the way we want it.
Ensure we get a voice in its design, facilities etc. We want the bear-pit atmosphere so get the seats close to the pitch, get blue crosses on white balcony walls, get 2/3 tier stands to emulate Goodison, get a Street End style section where the atmosphere emanates from etc, etc. This will be a massive opportunity which cannot be squandered.
Technically, it's in Knowsley for now. Boundaries have been redrawn many a time and there is a proposal to do so again so this may be an irrelevant argument. Huyton is also in Knowsley, I believe, and has produced the likes of Peter Reid, Steven Gerrard, Tony Hibbert, George Telfer, Joey Barton — all of whom are known to the outside world as 'Scousers'. Is this actually not the case? Do they have to be from only 9 of Liverpool's umpteen postcodes to qualify? I may not be from Liverpool, but I find that bizarre.
The other point here is that Liverpool City Council have done naff all for Everton FC over the years, even putting in parking restrictions round Goodison, and yet were quite happy to let Liverpool FC do as they please in Stanley Park. Until recently, outsiders like myself were always struck by the number of roadsigns directing you to Liverpool FC and the lack of them directing you to Everton FC. It's little things like that which make you wonder why some people are so keen to spare the blushes of the City Council who have basically shot themselves in the foot.
To conclude, there are numerous studies by numerous eggheads that prove almost conclusively that negative people achieve less, that under achievement makes them more negative and so the vicious circle goes on. Ask yourselves, 'Do I enjoy ranting on? Does it make me happy or miserable?' There is just no point in it.
There are lots of positives at Everton, all of which were being cheerfully mentioned on this website only a couple of months ago. We all have to suffer the frustrations of football and it's almost an addictive illness we could do without. However, we're hooked, so try and enjoy the ride. Positive thinking brings positive results. Moyes and Kenwright are are best options for now. Encourage them — you might just be surprised at what happens!
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