Whoever you support, the one thing you should always have is ‘hope’, whether it’s a hope your club will get promoted, win a league, avoid relegation etc. My hopes for Everton have long since reduced from winning leagues, which is sad in itself... but I have always had the hope that I could travel with my kids to watch Everton win a trophy at Wembley or in Europe. After Saturday I cannot see that ever happening under the present regime of ownership and management at the club and that is the reason for the gut wrenching feeling I have right now.
Everyone has their views on what is wrong at Everton; here’s my take. The biggest single problem is that there is ZERO pressure on anyone involved with the club from within its own little bubble. The ownership is under no pressure whatsoever as the level of achievement desired by the true owners (Green and Earl) is merely Premier League status. As such, because we have a manager who will almost certainly realise that target, Bill Kenwright, the owners’ front man, is under no pressure whatsoever to improve our present performance.
This lack of ambition by the owners is the first seed of our present problem. They do not support Everton, indeed they support one of our rivals. I believe the lack of funding in January was due to the fact that they did not want to qualify for the Champions League this season, firstly because it would have had a direct impact on the chances of their true team qualifying, and secondly because qualifying would have put much greater pressure on them to provide funds for new players and increased wage levels to retain the current crop.
We then have the manager. Moyes is the best thing since sliced bread for his line manager, Kenwright, as he is able to achieve the owners’ targets without needing a transfer budget. As such, he also is under zero pressure. The Kenwright / Moyes relationship is an embarrassing love-in which is damaging to the club. Indeed whilst Kenwright is Moyes’s boss, the relationship between the pair makes Moyes the dominant party. Kenwright has often spoken of his admiration for ‘the best manager in the world’ and how Moyes ‘can do no wrong’ but this in itself is totally unhealthy for any business.
Moyes has done a remarkable job in transforming the squad he inherited that must have been worth about 10p into the one he has now which I would estimate is probably worth around £75m and to do this with a net spend of almost nil is a fantastic achievement. However, that feat aside, has Moyes’s performance over the last 4-5 seasons been the over-achievement Kenwright, the media and latterly Moyes himself leads us to believe? Personally, I think not.
Whilst we spend little in the transfer market, our wage bill is high. Indeed if you combine annual transfer fees paid with yearly salaries, I believe Everton are 8th highest in the Premier League. So, given that level of investment in the team, is it a drastic over-achievement to have us finishing between 5th – 8th over the last few seasons?
Throw in our appalling cup record under Moyes and this over-achievement myth is put into even starker contrast. Almost every big game we have ever played under Moyes he bottles – Final v Chelsea, semi v Liverpool, Saturday against Wigan, Fiorentina, Villarreal... the list goes on. The only really big game I can remember us winning under Moyes was the semi v Man Utd but, let’s be honest, we drew 0-0 with their reserves that day, hardly had a shot on goal and would have had the usual defeat but for a stonewall penalty not being awarded for a foul on Wellbeck. Despite all this, no pressure is ever put on the manager from his boss.
We then come to the players. Again, where is the pressure? Moyes chooses to have a small squad, in my opinion, because he doesn’t want selection decisions which is a good job because when he has them he generally gets them wrong. He could have a bigger squad with a lower wage bill and keep the annual cost the same but he doesn’t want this. As such, he relies on 14-15 players for the whole season. When injuries are taken into account how many times does one of these 14-15 players actually not play? They have absolutely no pressure on them because, no matter how badly they play, they still get picked, week-in, week-out.
Moyes moans about lack of squad depth and tiredness as the main reason for our current slump but, if this is the case, why has he not played Duffy, Barkley, Vellios, Oviedo, Hitzlsperger etc since Christmas? Could Duffy do any worse than Heitinga? Could Barkley be any worse that Neville or Osman? Could Vellios be any worse than Jelavic?
These players could all have been given game time over the last 2 months, firstly to rest some of the others and secondly to give them the kick up the arse their performances merited. As an example, Osman hasn’t had a decent game in 2013 yet he seems to be the first name on the teamsheet every week, how is this a good thing?
So, in summary, the whole club — owners, chairman, manager, coaching staff and finally players — are under no pressure from anyone. Not from within and certainly not from the media who continue with the Kenwright / Moyes lovefest.
We are constantly told Everton are a well run club but at the same time the comparisons we are given are Leeds and Portsmouth – how is that a fair comparison? Being better than them hardly makes you well run does it! As long as this lack of pressure ensues we will get nowhere as, when cliques form, which is effectively what Everton FC is, there can never be any recriminations as everyone is looking after eachothers’ backs. No criticism means no improvement and that is where we are now.
Not so long ago, in the midst of The Blue Union challenging the current regime, Kenwright was shown on the screen during a game and this was met with the majority of our fans applauding. As such, any pressure that was placed on Kenwright by the Blue Union was effectively released by this reaction. I have neither supported or dismissed the Blue Union in the past. I believe they are a set of Everton supporters who want the best for our club, so why should I have a problem with that?
Saturday should have brought our problems into stark contrast for almost all of us but the big question is: Do we, the fans, want to do anything about it? Given the lack of pressure from within and from the media, the only people that can pressurise the current set up is us, the fans.
Do we want improvement? Do we want to see our team win something again? Or do we want to settle for the top 10 and a quarter final defeat to Wigan Athletic being an ‘outstanding achievement for a club like Everton’?
The choice is ours; we are the only ones that can force any change.
Reader Comments (24)
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2 Posted 13/03/2013 at 15:00:25
"The choice is ours; we are the only ones that can force any change." - No we're not, all we can do is stay away and cause the club to lose money, which ultimately gives the board a stronger case to not buy new players. We can boo to our hearts content but ultimately it is Billy Bullshitter's and the board's choice, not ours.
3 Posted 13/03/2013 at 15:25:18
Also, I never said Moyes was a wanker, just that he's not the over-achiever everyone seems to make him out to be.
4 Posted 13/03/2013 at 16:33:32
We do need hope as football supporters. My 6-year -old grandson still thinks we won the FA Cup semi against the RS last season as his Mum picked him up when we were still leading.
I hope we get change soon so that there is some hope for the future. I think Mike Elbey is right and that hope lies in our (the fans') hands!
5 Posted 13/03/2013 at 16:11:26
Moyes endures not to win but to protect - the phrase "better the devil you know" was never more deserved because he is fireproof.
Instead of the club grasping the nettle and confirming the managerial situation allowing prep for next season the pantomime continues. It's piss poor management from top to bottom virtually guaranteeing panic in the summer.
All because Moyes is waiting to see if Chelsea etc come in - indefensible.
6 Posted 13/03/2013 at 17:00:48
Although we know what Moyes is and the arrogance he's showing. What I want to know is how BK is not under any real pressure after his statement:
"David will decide in his own time, if he decides to stay we will do everthing possible to make it happen!"
I struggle to believe he made that statement? If he stays for another 5 years, that's a potential 16 fucking years with Moyes and 64 attempts at winning away at the sky clubs with no success, 32 attempts at winning a domestic cup with no success and whatever debacles await in europe?
How is Kenwright getting away with it?
7 Posted 13/03/2013 at 17:46:15
It would be interesting to see what would happen if he did get a Man U, Chelsea job, because he would be under pressure from day one, from the owner, board and fans.
8 Posted 13/03/2013 at 20:43:42
9 Posted 13/03/2013 at 22:46:29
But for me the more interesting and relevant question is why is it that Moyes is under no pressure from "probably the majority of fans"?
10 Posted 13/03/2013 at 22:44:51
Moyes is in the fairly unique position of dictating to the club whether he leaves or signs an even more lucrative contract. My own opinion is that he should go now, not tomorrow or next week. In the words of Oscar Wilde, 'If your going for gods sake GO!
After 11 years of him serving up utter negative shite he has the utter gall to hold the club to ransom. Blue Bill brags about his Everton credentials yet if he held the club in any kind of regard the only choice Moyes would face is whether to take the high or low road.
11 Posted 14/03/2013 at 00:49:45
12 Posted 14/03/2013 at 12:56:05
It sad to see, that no matter how many facts you give to people, they will turn their noses up, and when the fat from the frying pan hits the fire..the first thing they mutter is..don't tell me "i told you so!"
It amazes me the ignorance of some people, is it better to sit back and do nothing, or is it time to actually do "something" like repeatedly demonstrate to get the whole lot out. I am not talking violence or anything of that nature. What I am saying is make life for the ginger nut and the rest of the scooby doo gang a living hell.
Staying away only shows disrespect for the club you love. The club needs your help in a very big way.
Or in 5 years time, no matter what we the fans says, will matter anymore, because we will end up in administration you can guaratee it. The sky tv money is irrelevant, our business model is flawed, and the people who should have fixed this serious flaw, have done nothing. These people have then financial acumen to do something, each of them in their own ways are millionaires...and they are shareholders at spurs.
When are these fans going to wake up and realize it's not in this board's interest for us to improve?? Ask yourself this. You support another club, and you are a board member of a direct competitor, would you give the competitor cash to over take your supported club, the one where you have monies tied up?..i don't think so. It's business.
Everyone talks about agent Johnson, but this regime is a thousand times worse. what an achievement to be beaten when it matters every single season..look at the smile on big fat billy's face, regardless if we have just been hammered at home or away.
Thanks to the corrie fat one, he has split the fan base right down the middle..so you and I can do nothing about it..don't worry, if we allow this rot to set in, in just a couple of years we won't have a club to worry about, it's not some sort of sick joke..its financial fact..where will we get the money to compete from?..the championship won't provide it and the sky money isn't enough or won't be
13 Posted 14/03/2013 at 13:25:12
You will see 9 men behind the ball, & Jelavic stranded on his own in their half ( except for corners, when he will be defending)
The message will be "Whatever you do today, we do not lose this game"
He will be looking to restore HIS reputation, after it took a hammering last week. If we mange to get anything it will be from a set piece. Draw at best.
14 Posted 14/03/2013 at 13:50:01
16 Posted 14/03/2013 at 14:39:43
Moyes's time has passed, we should move him out as soon as and look to move on. As has been stated on numerous threads the squad is ageing and the manager has no will to play any younger players. I have a feeling it will be the same players on Saturday, with the 1 change to appease the fans, and the most defensive/backs to the wall shite we have ever seen.
18 Posted 14/03/2013 at 21:12:56
19 Posted 14/03/2013 at 21:22:42
20 Posted 14/03/2013 at 22:31:01
EVERTONIAN'S ARE NOW GETTING THE CLUB THEY DESERVE
Their apathy will kill our Club!!
21 Posted 14/03/2013 at 22:36:10
Once the shit hits the fan, they'll all be looking for the Blue Union to sort it out.
22 Posted 14/03/2013 at 22:36:16
23 Posted 14/03/2013 at 22:43:06
24 Posted 15/03/2013 at 00:29:54
And if Earl, Granchester, Green etc don't think its worthwhile investing in EFC, in order to move the club on, why would any other investor?
The thing I'd ask our board if I was a billionaire and they were telling me it's a great opportunity, would be: "Why don't you do it then!?!"
The truth is, you can buy Forest, Leeds, Reading, and Southampton for £40 mil and get them to top ten and make the same money. That's why they've been bought and we haven't.
And because we signed up to the extra FFP Premier League rules, we can't even spend millions if a rich benefactor comes in. So, by supporting these new rule changes, Kenwright has blocked any mad Russians and Arabs from potentially coming in and turning us into the new Man City or Chelsea.
And when you hear fans saying £10 mil for Arteta or £12 mil for Rodwell is good deal. And I'd sell Fellaini for £30 mil blah blah just remember that's why we've got Neville CM and why we can never win a cup or finish fourth!!!
ps: Pienaar playing left side is a joke. I'll give anyone a hundred quid, if they tell me when he's ripped a full back and whipped a great cross in with his left peg, that we scored from. Jelavic thrives on early balls yet we set up to play 4 one-two's before putting a cross in. Play Pienaar behind striker, and move Fellaini to CM... Simples!!
Where would EFC have been the last few if years if Moyes had to pick every player in their first choice position and told them to go out and do what their best at, rather than starting 4 players in their second best position every game? Certainly not lower in the League and we might have won a cup if we really went for it.
25 Posted 15/03/2013 at 23:33:02
26 Posted 16/03/2013 at 02:08:07
You can give me the hundred Quid when I'm over in Liverpool in July.
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1 Posted 13/03/2013 at 14:32:13
When I was 10 in 1984, I went to Wembley and watched the Rat lift the FA Cup, the team on the cusp of glory, and the heady heights of 1985 just around the corner.
What could I tell my 10-year-old after the gutless capitulation against Wigan? He and I know we are in this for the long haul, our support goes without question, but a future without hope is becoming soul destroying.