ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Didn`t we do well!

Have you noticed that the papers are full of comments this week from managers about how impossible it is to take on the Sky Four?First it was `Arry, then KK - both of them stating the bleedin` obvious. Or were they?

Maybe I`m a Moyes Apologist or just a simple optimist but it seems only a few weeks ago when I ? and thousands of Evertonians ?firmly believed that we could break the cartel. OK, we`ve fucked up big-time since Fiorentina but for three-quarters of the season we gave the weakest member of the so-called Platinum Club a run for their money ? or rather the money they were able to access.

And that`s the point of this posting. The evidence shows that it is really not true wealth that determines success but the ability of The Four to access and fund massive `borrowings`, whether they be via their owner`s philanthropy in Chelsea`s owner gifting them £750million or the more normal banking arrangements of the other three.

Only in football can a `Table of Richness` be based only on turnover and completely ignore indebtedness. Man Utd.are said to owe £666M with annual interest liabilities of £81M. Once work starts across the park, Liverpool`s figures will hardly look any healthier whilst Arsenal`s challenge has fallen away this year as the massive burden of financing the Emirates build has bitten into the football budget.

So where does that leave `our little old club`?In pretty good shape, I`d say. Still odds on to be top of the Prem`s Second tier and with borrowings probably in the region of a paltry £60M.

So, however morose Redknapp and Keegan are at present, I`d say `Our Man` has shown all is not lost and there`s hope that the order will change ? just you wait and see!
Jack Tanner, Wavertree Posted 07/05/2008 at 12:49:33

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Brian Williams
1 Posted 07/05/2008 at 14:21:14

I bet you £150 million it doesn’t !!!

Mark Griffiths
2 Posted 07/05/2008 at 14:28:50

I have been thinking alot (as I am sure we all have) about Sunday?s game and I keep getting the same feeling that we will win 2-1 with Lescott and then Yakubu scoring, to get their 10th and 20th of the season.

It is probably nothing but just put a tenner on that forecast and if it comes in I will get near on £3k from it! Worth a punt!

Mike Coates
3 Posted 07/05/2008 at 14:47:11

Yak needs 3 more dammit! lol

Mike Coates
4 Posted 07/05/2008 at 14:54:21

Oh and Howard a clean sheet!

Steve Ashton
5 Posted 07/05/2008 at 14:29:04

Don?t think we have done particularly well over the last 3-4 years. We have dropped to 30th on the Delloite rich list - we were 20th in 2005 this is behind West Ham, Man City, Villa, Newcastle and Spurs (based on total revenue).

We were valued at £98.5m and had a value / debt ratio of 30% meaning that our debt must be in the order of £29.55m (seems very low to me).

By way of comparisson West Ham?s value / debt ratio is 23%, Villa?s is 12%, Spurs is 15%, Man City is 63%, Man U is 60%, the RS 65%, Chelsea don?t officially have debt!.

Interestingly Man U made an operating profit of £111m reduced to £285,000 after finance charges.

I personally think it tragic that the club closest to us in financial size is West Ham and they do that with a capacity of 6,000 less.

Last interesting point - best supported team in the world over the last 5 years is Borussia Dortmund with an average attendance of 74,000 yet they don?t figure in the top 20 in terms of total revenue. Shows how important corporate is and how badly we do it.

Keith Glazzard
6 Posted 07/05/2008 at 15:28:23

Speaking of Eurobillions, I read in today’s Guardian that Greek MEP Manolis Mavrommatis has a report to the Eu parliament recommending that football’s TV revenues are shared out equally across football, and not as they are now in favour of the rich get richer clubs. It will probably never happen, of course, but "financial meltdown" is forecast for the EPL if it comes to pass.

Brian Richardson
7 Posted 07/05/2008 at 15:45:20

Nice table of total and net spending since Moyes took over:

CHELSEA---- £373M--------£280M
MAN UTD-------211----------124
LIVERPOOL-----193---------119
SPURS-----------150---------90
NEWCASTLE----105---------50
MAN CITY-------97----------55
ARSENAL--------86----------16
MIDDLESBRO---84----------57
down to
EVERTON--------77----------27

Dave Turner
8 Posted 07/05/2008 at 16:48:38

Brian, the team that stands out from that list is Arsenal - a net spend of just £16M is really incredible for a team that consistantly challenges for the title. It just goes to show what can be done in the transfer market with a little imagination, and it also shows the benefits in bringing young players through as they can be sold on at a later stage to balance the books if necessary.

Stefan Tosev
9 Posted 07/05/2008 at 17:12:38

Dave,

Arsenal havent won anything in the last 4 year, plus they have the pulling power of London and better image than Everton

Michael Hunt
10 Posted 07/05/2008 at 18:23:30

Arsenal 6 years ago were light years ahead of us though. It is therefore not a fair comparison as Arsenal had a massive head start...we are closing on the top though....slowly slowly catchee monkey....I hope!

Mike Kennedy
11 Posted 07/05/2008 at 20:27:08

I wish but unfortunately the top 4 will win out in the end. It's about consistently being able to spend and that is based on receipts. It took Sir Alex 10 or 11 goes at getting a decent goalie after Schmichael (however you fucking spell it) but nobody blinks an eye cos he (Man U) can afford it. We get stuck with Dickie Wright. There?s the difference.

We may crack the top 4 once or twice but the first blunder and we are sunk. The Red shite can buy a bucket load of shite and only one (Torres) needs to shine cos they can afford to keep spending till they get it right.

We need to change the system. End Champs League dominance and the Prem League. Equitable distribution makes for a more exciting league. End of!

Mike Kennedy
12 Posted 07/05/2008 at 20:39:54

Net spend is smoke and mirrors. If you can afford to buy and sell £40m your net spend will be the odd £10m here and there. But if you can only sell big and buy small you may be flattered by the stats. Remember you have to afford the wages too as well as match the players ambitions (to match their egos) etc. etc. etc