I am of course talking about David Moyes’s move to Manchester United. After 11 long years in charge of Everton, he has finally jumped ship to a job that he has been tipped for for years.
No-one can begrudge him. The man has done a magnificent job at Goodison Park, transforming us from relegation favourites to a team that was consistently finishing in the top eight, always challenging at the right end of the league table.
He has done so with a shoe-string budget, but he has always found a way around the financial constraints. The reputation he has developed for getting value for money and the very best out of his players is probably one of the reasons United were drawn to him.
Just think of the players that have come to the club in the Moyes era, and that we have been entertained by. Tim Cahill is perhaps the obvious one, the icon of his generation. Mikel Arteta was probably the best player he ever signed, but you could go on and on naming off footballers that he brought to Goodison as a rock and transformed into a diamond.
The sad fact is that he has had to sell the majority of those players however, such is the precarious financial situation at the club. That is precisely why I feel no anger toward him for leaving us. He has reached a glass roof in terms of where he can take us, and is now seizing a once in a 26 year opportunity.
Yes he has his flaws, but who doesn’t? For myself, the man has been in charge of Everton for as long as I can remember. When he took over in March 2001, I was just six years old. I wore the shirt, sure, but I didn’t have a whole lot of an idea of what was going on.
Throughout my journey through adolescence and reaching the stage where I finally understood football, he has been our manager. I saw other clubs sack their managers after two defeats on the bounce, but we stayed sensible. We knew what we were doing.
Now however, Everton Football Club has been plunged into a new era of uncertainty. As one Evertonian on Twitter put it excellently recently, having just divorced our wife of ten years we are after a fling with a sexy foreigner.
Finding the right man will be a challenge, and it’s something that I don’t have a whole lot of confidence in the board in. Some of the names that have been bandied around these past few days have been horrendous. Alex McLeish, Alan Curbishley, Mark Hughes… It quite simply doesn’t bear thinking about.
Personally, I want the club to do everything in their power to bring Michael Laudrup to Goodison. I feel that he is the best candidate out there, and he is a realistic target. Prying him away from Swansea will not be easy of course, but having paid Moyes wages of £4 million per year we should have some disposable funds. He also has a good knowledge of the Spanish league, and we could use the Fellaini money (there will be Fellaini money) to bring a few of them to the club.
Other names that have been mentioned include Roberto Martinez and Vitor Pereira. I don’t really know enough about the latter to pass reasonable judgement, although he is an ambitious young manager in the mould of Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas, currently in charge of FC Porto and doing well.
With regards to Martinez, I’m unsure. He is better than a lot of the names I have heard recently, although he doesn’t quite have the pedigree I had hoped for. I would rather him than the likes of Neil Lennon, however.
Finally, a plead to those who want Duncan Ferguson or even Phil Neville to assume control of our beloved club – stop right there. Neither has anywhere near the calibre, experience or general know-how to manage a top football team.
And ladies and gentleman, for all the self-deprecating humour we employ, that is precisely what we are. Everton Football Club is still a premier job. We have a history to be incredibly proud of, a playing squad that others envy and consistently battle for European places in what is the toughest, tightest and most even league in world football.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum – let’s hope our beloved board take this mantra into account when handing over the reins of the club to our next manager.
Reader Comments (36)
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2 Posted 09/05/2013 at 20:30:13
3 Posted 09/05/2013 at 20:31:16
4 Posted 09/05/2013 at 20:49:39
Laudrup would be the man for me and we should do all we can to get him. The rest of the 'candidates' scare me to death, Martinez, Lennon, Neville, Hughes etc
It's time for blue Bill to prove us all wrong and show us he does know what he is doing!
Watch this space...
5 Posted 09/05/2013 at 21:15:29
That would require fans admitting he did such a thing - so not a fucking chance.
6 Posted 09/05/2013 at 21:48:54
We're a sleeping giant. The media don't seem to have a clue about the potential size of our club but most of us do. With that knowledge comes a degree of pride and Moyes' behaviour is not befitting of a great club that gave him his chance. For me, he has proven himself to be every bit as mercenary as Lescott and Rooney and because of that doesn't deserve a round of applause. He should get a slow hand clap at best and after that the booing should be relentless unless punctuated with chants of 'sack the board'.
He has lied to the fans and strung the club along. He is no hero of EFC.
As for the new manager, who gives a fuck. A clueless board, a dilapidated stadium, an ageing 1st team who will be looking at the exits, limited budget, embarrassing chairman, a supporters group in it for themselves, a cartoon badge dictated to us by a clothing company, tight fisted owners, a cringe worthy media profile, managers who have disrespected our club seriously throwing their hat in the ring, 18 years without a trophy and the tail wagging the dog very publicly for months.
I'm utterly ashamed of this fucking club today.
7 Posted 09/05/2013 at 21:53:45
not a single away victory to the sky 4 or 5 and precious few against any team above mid table.
I have watched years of his mind numbing negativity, yelled abuse at his timing and selection of subs and screamed in frustration at his mealy mouthed excuses for bad results that were everyone's fault but not once were his.
It has been an embarrassment to see him instructing his aging players on how and where to take throw ins and when to move forward or retreat. Is that not the kind of basic stuff they cover on the training ground.
His knife to a gun fight was a sure way of demoralising fans and players alike.
I think back to the number of times we were on the verge of greatness only for him to throw the towel in with his tactics and team selection.
Davy knows what side his bread is buttered and not once offered even the tiniest criticism of his multimillionaire pay masters.
I guess Benitez, my choice of a replacement has no chance simply because he voiced disapproval of Gillet and Hicks. Blue Bill and his cronies would avoid those kind of shenanigans at all cost..
What they want is someone who pockets their thirty pieces of silver and keeps his mouth shut.
9 Posted 09/05/2013 at 22:40:37
No new blood then? Did I just imagine Jelavic, Gibson, Mirallas and Coleman waltzing into the first team then in the past year? Is it a sky 4 or is it a sky 5? Which one is it, I don't htink there's any permutation of 5 teams that Moyes hasn't won away at - he's done the Eithad and WHL. Consideirng we've hovered around 6th/7th and that you consider there to be a top 4/5 that he doesn't win against then it doesn't leave many other teams that can be above midtable does it? Any team of note you can think of in the league that is outside of your magical 4 Moyes has won away at and not just a few times. Newcastle, Villa, West Ham, Swansea all in this one season - aren't they teams that usually occupy/ are occupying midtable slots?
He was so embarassing during a match wasn't he, instructing his players - so cringeworthy and embarassing that the biggest club in the world had a look at it and decided to make him their manager. Maybe they haven't looked at what he got upto in 12 years of football matches.
Your choice of Benitez says everything - yes he stuck it to Gillete and Hicks as he piledrived them out of the champions league on the back of his own stubborness and then he also launched loads of snide broadsides at us as well. He's also mind numbingly negative and makes stupid substitutions. He's just had better teams than Moyes and is pehraps a bit better at it.
10 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:15:54
If Moyes had just tried to win three of the 15 games we have drawn – 15! we would be in the top four, six points better off, but had we lost those same three games we would be no worse off in our position in the table!
He has been the worst communicator of all managers we have had, and only hear his views after his Friday afternoon Press Conference. Even tonight he has still not issued a single word to the Everton fans to explain his leaving and the circumstances behind it. Good riddance for me!
I will be surprised if he lasts more than 12 months at Man Utd.
11 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:30:54
12 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:33:53
I normally disagree with what you two post but I agree with the above.
This has been so dodgy that it pours scorn on the Moyes rage with the Lescott situation.
I have lost a lot of respect, not for him going there but for how it was done.
13 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:41:35
"Its not what he said...it's more the way he said it" Moyes will get a tremendous send off...no-one will notice Barry with his back turned.
14 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:47:42
15 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:56:44
You miss my point - not happy with how this has come about but I will never begrudge what Moyesy did.
Andrew
16 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:55:57
Personally I can't stand him. I would like to be proud of the next manager of our football club, not absolutely despise him from the start with only a very faint glimmer of hope that I might warm to him over time if he wins us the league.
17 Posted 09/05/2013 at 23:53:46
What is it nowadays where people (football supporters) have to slag off people simply for moving on?
DM has been a loyal servant of the club for 11 years (yep he's been made a millionaire and maybe it's just jealousy because supporters cannot come to terms with the stupid salaries) but I for one think it's right and proper to say thanks "in the conventional way".
For those of you (Barry, TimPeter, Ross etc) surely this will be the best day of the season for you - so why not show a bit of good grace?
18 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:02:37
19 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:07:12
Conventional!?
I can not think of a less conventional situation.
The manager of Manchester Utd selects the Everton side and everyone gives him a lovely cheer - surreal!
Hope you're still applauding two weeks later when he's tapped up Baines and Fellaini and whoever else he fancies
20 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:23:29
The point I am making is the fact that we (footie fans) seem incapable of giving anyone a send off cos they've left the tribe when, in any other arena a send off would be the norm.
And you're right this is not a conventional or normal situation. A manager of 26 years is being replaced by one of 11 years from our Club - quite unheard of in the modern game and, IMO, EFC and it's supporters should recognise that. I actually believe that the vast majority of the match going crowd will do just that.
21 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:33:23
22 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:31:16
It is football and plainly NOT 'any other arena'.
You add "I actually believe that the vast majority of the match going crowd will do just that"
So do I and imo, that is part of the problem.
He is United's manager and with two games left, our concentration and focus should be 100% on Everton beating West Ham.
We KNOW the Moyes circus will prevent this.
He simply shouldn't be there or be making any decisions relating to Everton FC.
Those that want to wish him well could have sent him a nice letter or waited until the visit of his team, Manchester United, next year.
23 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:30:29
I mean what's ToffeeWeb gonna be like when you don't have Moyes to slag off? It might actually become a whole lot more troubling than Moyes and his faults when we get someone who tries to 'attack' more and sees us lose the first 5 games as he gets to grips with the sow's ear he has been given. And that's without worrying about what the new manager uncovers about the black hole that is our finances.
What we had with Moyes was safe expectation of a top half finish with the realistic possibility of a cup or European place. Historically that's actually not bad for us in Prem era even if it's ultimately unfulfilling as we all want glory. But without the safety that came with some of his caution and pragmatism we are really in the crap. I think we'll learn what a good coach he was when the new man starts to dismantle his approach.
What's in your heads boys! If I got the best job offer in history I would take it! I would also try and buy players I knew.
24 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:47:19
25 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:45:59
26 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:51:01
27 Posted 10/05/2013 at 00:49:09
If you'd be happy to put DM on "gardening leave" for the last 6 weeks of his tenure then for me (as I have said) that is a sad indictment on what we do nowadays - which is to vilify our ex players (and managers)
Now I admit to being a DM supporter but I honestly believe that a great collective show of support for DM on Sunday would absolutely put our great club up there with the best.
Why do we feel the need to snarl and snipe?
28 Posted 10/05/2013 at 01:08:13
What does any of that ACTUALLY mean?
How does that help EVERTON FC beat West Ham?
Sorry but this is just Private Godfrey be nice vicar waffle.
We'll be 'up there with the best' when we adopt a winning mentality.
And snarling and sniping didn't do Fergie any harm.
29 Posted 10/05/2013 at 01:19:14
I'm talking about the football club as opposed to trite factions trying to score points around the departure of DM.
We are bigger than DM – let's show that and give him a great send off. Are you up for that, can you deal with that?
30 Posted 10/05/2013 at 01:29:15
31 Posted 10/05/2013 at 01:34:24
32 Posted 10/05/2013 at 03:56:27
33 Posted 10/05/2013 at 11:21:49
The Nearly Man has left the Nearly Club.
NSNO
34 Posted 10/05/2013 at 11:55:50
35 Posted 10/05/2013 at 12:11:39
Suppose we started to make noises about Martinez? The cry then would be that Everton are in the wrong for causing a distraction to Wigan prior to the Cup Final. It would seem that Global Brand FC can get away with anything, integrity doesn't seem to matter. Oh and biggest club in the world - bollocks - compare how many times thay have won the Champions League/European Cup with Real Madrid. I wish Moyes well, but it would be very interesting to see how he copes with real pressure. Even if we had been at the wrong end of the table we all know Kenwright would back him - lets see how he copes when OT is getting impatient.
36 Posted 10/05/2013 at 13:41:17
Better out there.
37 Posted 10/05/2013 at 13:40:04
913
I really can't believe what I'm reading here.
Second rate arseholes cheer when their manager leaves for a big club.
You might have a small club mentality but don't expect the rest of us to go along with it.
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1 Posted 09/05/2013 at 19:00:22