ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Mid-Summer Madness

As ever with the Blues, you never know when to celebrate or commisserate. Lineker WC86, Rooney in Portugal, Champions League position only to see Liverpool win the Comp and get in by the back door and now this summer of stagnation. Most of us have seen it all before, yet we somehow convince ourselves that everything will be OK and carry on regardless.

This time, though, I sense we are at a very important crossroads of all things Blue. Bill Kenwright wants the Tesco deal, of that I have little doubt, and if he feels that we the supporters are going to veto that particular dream of his, there is no way he is going to push the boat out on the transfer front.

David Moyes is a loyal and trusted Manager and he also knows that if it goes pear-shaped for his team, this coming season, his days will be numbered and he will seek pastures new. Fans of all persuasions ? i.e. for and against Moyes/Kenwright ? are rightly concerned about where Everton will be in five years time, financially , positionally and geograghically.

Nobody knows the answers to any of these questions least of all me, however, those that run the club had better come up with answers pretty soon or we may well end up like Leeds United. At least Leeds fans have the memories of a long European run and a few seasons in the higher echelons of the PL, what have us Blues had in return for our hard-earned?

Our policy baffles me because it lacks foresight and vision, we don't have to buy every Tom Dick and Harry but we do have to compete for the players that the Manager wants. They say a weeks a long time in politics, well this summer seems like an eternity to me and the sooner the boys start playing competitive football again the better. It won't make the problems dissapear but at least we will have something tangible to focus on.
John Partick McFarlane, Lancs Posted 13/07/2007 at 23:10:00

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Eric Myles
1 Posted 14/07/2007 at 06:13:59

John, by your comment "At least Leeds fans have the memories of a long European run and a few seasons in the higher echelons of the PL, what have us Blues had in return for our hard-earned?" I can only assume that you are a young Blue?

I started suppoerting Everton in the early 60’s and have a lot more mememories of how successful Everton have been compared to Leeds and I’d much rather be in the positon we are in today than them.

Dave Park
2 Posted 14/07/2007 at 09:39:39

All this doom and gloom is really starting to get on my nerves. Every forum is full of them. We have a squad of players, who were good enough to get sixth place last season, that hasn’t changed. Yes, he has let people go, but they were crap and should never have been allowed to put the blue shirt on. Yes, he hasn’t signed as many new faces as we would have liked but, another way to look at it, is that we do have a number of good youngsters coming through. Can you win anything with youngsters, just ask a certain Alan Hanson. Give the negativity a rest, there is still plenty to feel optimistic about and besides there is still just over a month and half left of the window.

John Patrick McFarlane
3 Posted 14/07/2007 at 12:08:11

Dave, I think you miss my point entirely. I happen to believe we do have a decent squad, however, an injury here and a suspension there and we won’t achieve the improvement we would all like to see. Despite our finishing position last season, most Blues would acknowledge that top 4 aside it was a very poor league. If we stand still and many of our rivals who finished below us add significant numbers, then our players will have to give even more than they already have to maintain a top half position. How happy would you be to cover 3 jobs at a wage well below the going rate for your industry and be expected to improve your employers profits?

Dave Park
4 Posted 14/07/2007 at 17:44:45

I apologise John, I wasn’t having a go at your article specifically. I had just finished my daily roundup of all things Everton and was really frustrated. This seems to be the easiest forum to reply to, yours seemed the most appropriate topic and I haven’t worked out how to start a new thread yet. I do actually agree with most of your points and, like all evertonians, would dearly love us to sign quality players every year, (it doesn’t help that the RS have started splashing out). I agree about the monkeys and peanuts analogy aswell. However, you did say ’...don’t have to buy every Tom Dick and Harry but we do have to compete for the players that the Manager wants.’ How do we know who the manager wants? There should only be a handful of people who do know this information. I, personally, am not too concerned about the players who have moved clubs so far, I don’t think any of them would have improved us as a team (maybe Reo Coker). I was always of a ’glass half full theory’ when it came to Everton, but lately I have been feeling optimistic. I feel we are going in the right direction and we will continue to do so but not at the pace everyone is expecting, the hare and the tortoise spring to mind. Its frustrating, I grant you, but I firmly believe it will pay off. Again I apologise, it was not aimed at you specifically.