Kevin, two points, mate:

1) I agree with every point you make.
2) You're a jinx.

Excellent post, Kevin. Like me you see a total lack of ambition. Where we differ is in the solution. Kenwright is going nowhere, Moyes might. In my view the only possible advancement is to take a chance on a new coach.

If you think they parked the bus then it simply goes to show that the view from inside the ground is sometimes misleading.

They played us off the park at times..

Andy the lack of ambition is the Board. Change them not the Manager. Club has been going slowly backwards for twenty five years just like Walton , the area the club is situated in. But it does not have to be this way. New owners are the answer. It's not fuck off Bill, it's fuck off Phil, you slimy, tax dodging, spurs fan! Get that mongrel out and the the club will stop being strangled.

Karl you are right about it not being just down to BK, he cannot make any decision on his own, there are 3 major shareholders and I assume although he would have the casting vote on situations, he could easily be vetoed by the other 2 and probably by Green as well as he seems to have a grip on the purse strings albeit by surreptitious means.

On another note, what's the odds that Jelavic will be at one of the top 4 clubs next season, I can see Arsenal being more than interested in him - on last season's form obviously.

I think you would get great odds at the moment Patrick, given his substandard form this year, but to say that he is suited to their game more than ours would be an understatement.

Ciaran, appreciate your raison d'etre is to be negative but to play someone off the park you have to actually play football of something approaching an attractive nature. I was in the ground - and unsure how that can be considered misleading as you see absolutely everything that goes on, not what the camera chooses to show you - and Sunderland did anything but play us off the park. There were two teams out there yesterday playing poor football, but the only way we were ever going to lose the game was via an individual error - of which there were plenty - and that is what undid us.

Played us off the park? Ha ha. They strung a few passes together a few times that's all.

I wouldn't expect anything more off someone who thinks Stoke are a good footballing team.

Ciaran, I watched the game live on TV and I have to say that at no stage in the game did Sunderland play us off the park.

I was Kevin, worried about the new manager syndrome. First home game and big crowd and that was all the Sunderland team had going for them, passion.

However what has been shown over this season is that we lack a Suarez or Van Persie. Also a Cazorla who can open up defences. Unfortunately this is us top 6 or 7 with no chance of getting higher. Defeatist? You bet your arse and right now it is all we have. The club is rotten to the core, a lying chairman, an apologetic manager and senior players who turn up when they please.

I don't know whether it is last night's scotch taking it's toll or the realism of the club's position but right now I have lost all my fight.

Good piece Kev especially the "one paced" point we very seldom flow effortlessly ironically Sunderland in the FA cup last year exemplifies what might be possible.

It's all well and good structured by the numbers play as long as the opposition are of the same mindset it gets us 7th but get an opponent up for it and we noticeably struggle. It's why liverpool continually turn us over and the likes of Leeds and Wigan results happen.

Time for new blood in the managers chair otherwise it'll be groundhog day every season.

IMHO the board are more delusional than lacking ambition. Prior to the financial Tsunami of 2007, a friend of mine had a thriving business that he'd built up from scratch and was obviously proud of his achievement. Then disaster struck: income dried up, orders last etc left him chasing his tail for 4 years.

Now what he should've done is realise the gravity of the situation and that it wasn't getting better anytime soon and cut and run. Instead, he clung onto his baby waiting or something to turn up, and it was only at the 11th hour he put it up for sale at a totally unrealistic price; however, he was declared bankrupt and walked away with nothing.

Sound familiar? We have a board that do not have the means to act like a Premier League club with any ambition, and must realise the awfulness of the predicament, and rather than wait like Mr Macawber for something to turn up, should pass it on to another person or group who have the wherewithal (and of course the finance) to move the club forward.

The harsh reality is they probably won't get anywhere near the asking price, but that's capitalism for ya.

The owners will sell when it suits them, it's no use dreaming of Arabian or Russian petro-dollars, they have put too many obstacles in place. It's not just the asking price, there are many other conditions attached to the sale, which may be removed when circumstances dictate.

We need to ask ourselves one question - are the financial returns in the Premier League going to start diminishing anytime soon?

The bubble is not bursting, it's expanding, we are not even near saturation point. The World Cup is coming to Qatar, and our Board realise more than any of us there could be massive returns down the line. It costs them nothing to remain in control, they can literally go to the match like the rest of us, and just wait until the Sky cheque lands every season. As far as I can see, there is no strategy in place to move the club from where we are just now, unless an enabling partner is willing to pay for a new ground - brilliant eh?

They would walk away if someone made a ridiculous offer, but there are not many stupid billionaires about.

At half time yesterday, I posted that Everton just played at walking pace and did not show the same spirit in their play as against Arsenal so I was not surprised with the final score.

As for D Moyes, I believe he realises that, under this board's lack of investment in the club, he can not take this club any higher. My thoughts are he has let it be known that he is available and is waiting to hear from a club that will back his ambitions with cash.

For all his critics, make no mistake the man is a good coach. For those people who want him replaced, you will have to realise that, whoever comes in, he will have to do a complete rebuild of the team because a couple of the better players will be sold and there are at least 4-5 of the present team who are not good enough, plus he will have to improve the bench.

I must say, I am looking forward to Billy's new search for a manager on the BBC in the summer, called Anyone Will Do.

Totally agree with sentiment towards the Board. They have moved the club backward instead of forward at a time when the Premier League is awash with money and opportunity.

As for yesterday, I felt we had most of the game but were totally toothless up front. Only Fellaini came out with a modicum of credit. The rest wouldn't have got a game for Tranmere on yesterday's contribution.

Sunderland had control of that game for long periods of time, especially in the second half... to make the definitive statement that 'they parked the bus'.. is wrong and appears to be a thinly veiled justification for the defeat.

Jamie,

You can disagree with my assertion that Stoke offer more than a long ball game... but using it as some sort of big stick to suggest I'm some sort of idiot is frankly lazy, and idiotic.

ps:
I agree with the rest of well-framed article... However, I'm not sure it needed to be premised on a defence of yesterday's result.

Imagine how the Sunderland chairman and fans feel, after all the money they've spent on players in the last few years.

I'm sure Moyes would of worked wonders with that sort money. Here we still are though, stuck in stagnation!

Hey, Ciaran,

Far from making any "thinly veiled justification for the defeat," I did state that "far too many (of our players) simply not cutting the mustard," yesterday; but at no point did I personally think we were being out-played.

Sky Sports had us at a quite specific 63.6% possession, whereas the BBC oddly claims we only had 50%. How two professional broadcasting corporations can arrive at two very different conclusions, I have no idea!

My 'parking the bus,' reference relates to John O'Shea repeatedly screaming at his defence to push forward, as Sunderland were dropping deeper & deeper to protect their lead, but I agree, we certainly didn't deserve to win.

On a plus point, looks like Suarez will miss the Derby..

Fair enough, Mr Hudson.

Oddly we did play a very high line all match...

Kevin Hudson. 02/04/2013. Blue Union Thread.

"An ineffectual talking-shop who had their fifteen minutes, but were largely ignored."

Kevin Hudson. Yesterday.

"Whilst I don't actively support the Blue Union, they have at least shone a national spotlight on a narrative familiar to us all."

Make your mind up.

Colin,

They were largely ignored, but they have at least shone a spotlight on a narrative familiar to us all.

I recall SkySports ran with them for a day; so what do you want me to do...add the word: 'briefly,'..?!

Good post Kevin, well written. Think this sentence weighs it all up really " I just can't see managerial talent alone advancing us further up the ladder". very true, nor can I. Doesnt really matter who replaces Moyes, without the money , this is as good as it gets folks!
All these years I have wanted him out, and now the time is getting near I am starting to get the wobblys.

Say there is 3 options here, which would you pick?
1) Moyes, with current situation.
2) Moyes with new owners and money to spend.
3) New manager with new owners and money to spend.
I have always wondered how good we would be if Moyes had solid financial backing...we may never find out!

I'd take number 3 Tony, even if Moyes bought Messi, Bale and Ronaldo he'd have them all tracking back and out of position. Even if you gave him £5billion to spend every year he'd never win anything anyway.

I want to see what a new man can bring, but if he messes up don't be suprised if all of the Doddists begin chiming "I told you so".

Option two for me, Tony. Moyes has an excellent record in the transfer market.

£5B and no trophies........yeah right. Lets give the guy the same money as the teams around us and then lets judge him.

Well written report Kevin. Just doesn't say much. Of any use at all.

So, the board have "overseen" the most consistent league placings, in a generation. Fair enough. How did they achieve this? Bill's half-time chats? Maybe Woods massages. Probably Earl giving the manager advice in the "boot room" (can't believe I just typed that fuckin' phrase)?
They certainly haven't opened their substantial wallets, or used their mythical business acumen to increase our revenue.

Using the word "briefly", might have made that statement less contradictory, but the post still says nothing new.

What I gained from your post, is that Everton have prospered, despite the boards financial inactivity, due to Moyes.

Exactly what the Blue Union have said.

More in common than you think.

How many Evertonians would have believed when returning from Norwich in May 1987 on a gloriously sunny evening that Man U fans would witness their team holding aloft the trophy 13 times in 26 years or 1 out of every 2 years, whilst we would be nowhere competing for it never mind winning it.

I suppose those of us of a certain age can cling to the memories but for the younger generation it must be dis-heartening never to have witnessed an Everton team ending the season as English Champions. Unfortunately , for all of us, we are no closer now than we have been for the past couple of decades and it could be argued that the gap is so wide that it may never happen again – a frightening thought.

I think for the older generation there is the memory of our great teams and they probably demand a higher quality of football, played in the right way, whilst the younger generations memories are dominated by the struggles we had in the first decade of the PL and what they see now is an improvement -in league placings at least - in comparison to those days.

For those of an even older generation this year sees the 50th anniversary of our first post-war championship team from 1962-63 and I believe that Everton FC are going to pay homage to them this coming Saturday.

Colin,

I'm flattered that you over-analysed my piece, even if you found it not to be "of any use at all."

It wasn't CSI, or a Euripides play, or a even a piercing stab at a Grand Unifying Theory, it was (essentially) a complaint about the teams performance, and of our ability to compete with the moneyed set.

I can assure you that any "contradiction," you took from the article is entirely a product of your own imagination.

Tony #058, you forgot the most likely option

4. New manager, same owners, no money, no hope.

Over-analysed? You're having a laugh Kevin. Over-skimmed (or something), maybe.

Patrick - to continue that theme, how many merseyside fans would have thought that another championship wouldn't arrive over the next three decades or so after 89/90, given the previous 30 years?

Gents what makes me smile, ultimately with a large fuking slice of realisation is that too many of evertonians post on here statements akin to 'although I don't fully agree with the blue union' or ' I agree kenwright isn't the man for the job' or 'i don't agree with the actions of the board'.

do something - don't sit idle - get involved - help save our club.

History remembers the few not the many. NSNO

FOOTBALL NOT GREED