Recruitment, Recruitment, Recruitment – The Answer to Our Problems

Generally our most successful signings in playing and financial terms have been players in their early to mid twenties. Our least successful and usually most expensive have been players in their late twenties or older. There are exceptions but overall it is very clear in which direction our transfer strategy should head. Surely it is not beyond the club’s hierarchy to learn the lessons from the last five years and implement a coherent approach to squad building.

We mostly had that during the Moyes years when money was less readily available.

I'd say the majority of us on here are clinging to the slim hope that the delay is due to negotiating with someone inspirational to take us forward yet knowing the depressing reality is that with every passing day, it's more & more likely to be Benitez.

The managerial Merry Go Round has been bad enough, with ridiculous compensations for inefficiency and failures, but also overpaying for mediocre players and giving them longer than normal contracts only compounds the buffoonery.

We hear of Marcel Brands in the absence of a Manager/Coach being allegedly allowed to follow his pursuits of pre-determined targets, which at first sounds good, and makes sense, but what player or his greedy agent is going to sign not knowing who he will playing for/under? That is if they can see past the lucrative Contract offers on show!

Moshiri now just wants to keep us relevant and top half to protect his investment. He'll indulge us with a bit of glamour (eg James) to keep up the big club pretence. But there's no strategy whatsoever (apart from hope & luck) to get us higher up the league

Get rid of the bad apples Farhad, the people incapable of change, remember the enemy is usually within.

Some Recruits have been quite shocked by their inability to change things or not having a impact and have got away at the first opportunity using the simple maxim 'show me your company and I will tell you who you are ', fearing for their careers. Others in the Football Trade would not consider Everton a Career move.

Paul you assume like everyone would that when a organisation is taken over usually because it is underperforming that the new owners will radical change the organisation. But there are occasions when the takeover is a reverse takeover. The Culture of the takeover organisation is allowed to stay the same and the taking over organisation and owner adapt these Cultural Norms. It always perpetuates continually underperformance and huge losses that are ignored at any meeting of such organisations I have ever attended. As you would expect I was out on my ear after raising concerns. ( Great training for ToffeeWeb by the way)

So I am going to once again repeat myself. Everton prior to Moshiri was underperforming and needed to be taken over to provide turn around finance and better management. It is assumed that a successful business or owner of a organisation involved in a takeover has good management ability and good money management skills. But Everton was a reverse takeover.

All that happened at Everton was cash was introduced into the same underperforming organisation. Why was this is the main question? Amongst the reasons that could be are:

They could not purchase Everton under any other terms that accepting the continuing of the status quo. They got their shares at a discount as a result.

They wanted the purchase a Club not getting involved in it's running. Arms length investment.

They wanted to be arms length foreseeing that they would have problems with the Football Authorities and other regulatory authorities if directly involved.

They where completely Luvied by Bill, like the rest of us for too long. Actually Everton may be doing badly, but Bill has done ok.

They see Everton as a long term docklands development and hopefully they bought the Club at the correct discount.

So now we have the typical Everton situation where Moshiri is recruited a Manager to change everything, hopefully getting him a turnaround return on squandered millions. The only different is that he has decided that it is better to have a plan in place before announcing the Manager involves appointment. The other recruitment after that will be trying to keep James Rodriguez on board for his commercial value, hoping he will be suitability impressed by a Managers name he will recognise. As for Directorship they will be dished out like in a offshore companies office, to whatever secretary is available.

The saga of Everton and it's unchanging culture will continue with the long suffering Everton Fan getting more frustated.

The only recruitment of any import surrounds the playing staff. Mosh has been playing catch up since he arrived not helped by the falsehood he was a Mansoor or Abramovich in the making. It has very little (if anything) to do with board members

Success in the prem is almost universally gained by throwing enough high grade shit at the fan in the hope some sticks. City and the rest buy high end players in great number they don't all work out but enough do to maintain their elite position
Every player we buy has to be a hit we lack the finances to buy top end and waste on failed gambles

This has nothing to do with board make up just monies available.

Man Utd are also moving towards that model because they can't compete either. In fact only PSG can compete, hence the superleague debacle to prop up the ailing 'big' clubs.

We're in a weird spot of throwing more money at it than the RS and getting a very poor return.

Living in Australia, we don't get or more to the point no info on Everton FC but one thing that has been circulating around is that Everton are already in trouble with Financial Fair Play and are on the borderline with having to sell players before they can buy players.

Maybe this could have helped Ancelotti change his mind about being here when the new stadium is built?

Liverpool are the historic epitome of getting recruitment right on the pitch before all else. Their base of success derives from Shankly spending little (relatively speaking) but hitting the target time after time.

In the Prem era they started spending big with limited success (again relative to previous regimes) it was only with the recruitment of Klopp with his excellent eye for talent and motivational qualities did the pieces start to fit.

FSG can have credit for ploughing through managers till they got it right but little else.

All your articles make interesting reading and your breakdown highlights the problems that always beset our club. On this occasion I slightly disagree with your assumption that other clubs employ people who may challenge the thoughts of the owner. That Certainly doesnt happen at City or Utd or at Chelsea, which are 3 of our most successful clubs, I don't think you can compare what happens in business to how football clubs are run. I don't know another industry were all the employees are multi millionaires, or another industry that is judged on its performances weekly.

We as a club have only appointed 3 managers since I have been watching that have actually won trophies, and only 2 of those have won a league title. Which basically tells you that our appointing of managers in that time has been woeful. And despite having a billionaire owner his football acumen sadly doesnt match his business acumen. Under his stewardship he has employed a DOF in both Walsh and Brands, which has just added another layer of confusion at the club, were we have a manager and a DOF buying players. The confusion of doing this was highlighted when we brought in King on a short term contract, it was obvious to all given the limited amount of game time he was given, clearly this wasnt Ancelottis choice, so one can only assume it was the DOF who agreed this deal.

The old saying a fool and his money are soon parted aptly fits our owner who is completely out of his depth when it comes to running a successful football club. There are 2 clubs out there who are successful and brilliantly run by their owners, yes its cost them a fortune but you don't get long term success without substantial investment coupled with high quality management. City have backed each of their managers with huge sums of money, but they knew the quality of the manager was top class so spending the money wasnt a gamble. Same at Chelsea I remember when Abramovich took over most of the press reckoned he would be gone inside 5 years little did they know. Again only hires top quality managers and backs them financially, I think the Lamphard appointment was very unusual for Abramovich but he didnt shirk in sacking him after a very short period in time.

So the method is there if you have the finances to back it up, appoint a manager who has a CV of winning multiple titles and then give him all the financial backing he requires.

I do not see how anyone can deny that fact. We may finish mid-table because we have high quality players but they perform only occasionally and spend more time on the treatment tables.

Everton are forever looking for the quick fix - and Moshiri has the cash and the naivety to go for it - again, and again. We expect to appoint a new saviour who will work some magic and put us in the top 5 within months. It does not happen like that. Everton must rebuild from the foundations and that means Finch Farm must produce fitness, commitment and team spirit. Perhaps the problem is that new managers are told they must keep the dinosaurs at FF because they are all heroes. They may well be but they do not motivate this team and they have failed for many years. Sure Carlo can bring in his own backroom but they are window dressing - the serial dysfunction at EFC coaching has continued for years. Perhaps it's best seen in our youth players who come through with high expectations but extraordinarily low commitment.

Whoever gets the manager's job - Moshiri should do them a favour. Clear out the FF stables now. Get the squad professionally fit, get rid of anyone who does not want to be here. We may have a difficult first season rebuilding. But at least we'll be building.

You make very resonating points, which I relate a lot to leadership. Any organisation's success depends on the effectiveness and competence of its leadership and their willingness to see their vision through. If that is understood at all levels, you are more likely to get universal buy in from the work force, which delivers the success. And recruitment is a vital component of that.

Any leader, regardless of ability or style, needs to be surrounded by other good, effective leaders and managers. Not just people who agree with them and are bought into the vision, but people who can also challenge and influence their decision making.

Our owner seems to still be surrounded and influenced by a sentimental old guard or collection of nodding dogs, afraid to challenge him or give him advice when needed.

Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment. In my present company, the VP get's to say which Directors they wish to employ. The Directors have the final say on the Managers without overt Director involvement. The Managers employ the analysts they want with minimal, if any, Director involvement. Because we are all bought into the vision and understand what is needed to realise it. We are trusted and empowered because of the recruitment process.

I know that model doesn't necessarily equate to all businesses and football is unique. But, if you have the right people in place who understand the strategic intent, you can better delegate, empower, cascade and trust the people you trust to execute and implement. Hold them responsible, but let them get on with it, free from interference at multiple levels from an autocratic type of organisation, which inevitably and eventually introduces complexity and confusion.

"The price of greatness is responsibility". Take responsibility Mr Moshiri. Own it. Surround yourself with the right people. Once you have that, delegate and empower those people. Hold them accountable for carrying out your strategic vision. Allow them to do likewise with those they trust and hire. And so it cascades down until we have a situation where at all levels, everyone is working to the strategic direction and intent. Right down to the the tactical level, which here, is the football pitch and the academy. Even though they won't necessarily realise it as they're focussed on playing successful football; the deliverable. But the conditions have been set because of a coherent vision and strategic direction, implemented from top to bottom by trusted people, to enable it to be built from the bottom up.

I don't doubt that Ancelotti departing in the manner he did has sent shock waves through the club and in particular at board room level. However, could this blow now be turned into an opportunity for the owner to restructure the club and recruitment at all levels?

That's ambitious, it sounds like a long-term plan. It would be and should be. But there are always quick wins and tactical things that can be achieved that fit the longer-term vision.

Second apology of my post. That was deep, but the article provoked a lot of thought. I've spared you of comparisons to military operations, so be thankful for that!

It does seem though to be a start as you mean to go on effort and for improvement Mr Moshiri must insist, first privately and if necessary publicly, that Kenwright stands down and then appoint to the Board somebody who will allow Brands and Ryazantsev to do that which needs doing as per Teddy Roosevelt and under the eye of a more dynamic CEO. The departure of the last Manager and the appointment of his replacement seems only to magnify the lack of competent leadership.
And I can't see it improving if it then needs running by some sort of Fan's official representation.

The mindset of club is one that thinks they are still operating and working in the dinosaur age of the 80s.

Look at the culture of the club? It's rotten to the core. Why does Kenwright still have involvement at board level? He should be made a honoury chairman like Doug Ellis was. DBB is a glorified PA. What is Ryazentsev's role?

Moshiri needs to recruit and get it right at the top, clean the club out at board level and bring in those with actual business acumen. Until then, we are mid-table fodder going nowhere.

At some point we've got to be more strategic about our recruitment to deliver quality and numbers - because when injuries hit last season it was back to the side that got Silva sacked. The RS and Leicester have done this very effectively (variation on the Leipzig model) while we outspent them both by some measure over the past 5 years.

Looking at the list of our signings, neither the RS, Leicester nor Leipzig would have touched our them with a barge pole other than Lookman, DCL, Vlasic, Branthwaite, Godfrey, Gbamin, Pickford and Digne - and maybe Gueye, Keane, Mina, Kean.

Buying players outside of this profile is hurting the club big time.

I am caught in 2 minds over Moshiri.

Is he in it to fulfill an ego trip and be the face of a successful football club similar to what Randy Learner tried to do and failed at Villa? Is he out of his depth?

On the other hand is he the front man for USM. With London already awash with Russian money he has targeted the North West as an opportunity wash more Rubles?

Maybe the enormity of the task has hit home. We are a top 10 club paying top 10 wages. The step up to top 6 needs more investment which hasn't been provided. A series of managerial mistakes and not learning from mistakes has cost us as a football club.

Backing Koeman and Allardyce but not backing Ancelotti was baffling.

Employing Ancelotti made the footballing world sit up and take note. A handful of decent signings got us into a great position going into January. We where linked with real Madrid players coming to the ends of their contracts and Juventus players. In the end we got the underwhelming Josh king from the championship. I don't believe for 1 minute that Ancelotti was happy with that. The 'project' had been exposed as a red herring and Carlo was gone at the first opportunity.

On the playing side we are back to square 1. Looking for a new manager and hoping for investment to turn a mediocre squad into a top 6 one.
Laurie at 24. We need much more than 2 signings to improve us.

Off the pitch the wheels are in motion for a £500m stadium to be built with all of the associated contracts and corporate sponsorships waiting to be made.

Another well thought out article. Always a great read.

My biggest concern is that we've been on a knife's edge since Martinez left in terms of either:

A) Breaking into the upper echelon (top six) or
B) Watching it all crumble and become a team fighting for it's Premier League life.

It wasn't long ago that Big Sam came in and, to his credit, steadied the ship and got us back up and running. My fear is that we're much closer to a few years of relegation battles than we are top four/top six battles.

There isn't much difference between the two where we're concerned. So, in that respect, it's at this very moment in time that Moshiri and Brands must get this right or rather than become the next Leicester, we become the next Leeds United or Aston Villa, who, after years of mismanagement, were finally relegated.

Without his millions / billions we would already be a struggling championship club. At best a relegation zone team managed by Sam A, Pulis or perhaps Unsy and Dunc who are learning on the job.

Without money, we sell and struggle to recruit. Bill is still in control or sells us to a dastardly profit orientated owner who invests nothing and puts us back up for sale.

We have no plans for the uncertain future and dreaming of the next Rooney, to sell and see little investment.

We may be rudderless but we are a float with the promised lands in sight. Thee captain maybe have abandoned ship but our motley crew are made of stern stuff.

There's no turning back, onwards and upwards.

Many Toffees make it pretty clear that bad luck/hoodoo/conspiracy is to them the problem bedevilling our club whilst only a relatively few see actual humans as the cause of all human misbehaviour. To say misbehaviour, knowing, reckless or neglectful, has been rife for decades in Everton's boardroom is a gigantic understatement.

And yet the chief culprit is newly minted way beyond his previous significant fortune as a result of having unearthed our absent gullible owner, he's still chairman in what Monaco's finest scrivener terms "an enhanced role", he's put Lil' Miss Dynamite on the board (no doubt, he might say, despite fierce competition from The Cat's Protection charity), he's infested the club with unproven, largely broken ex-players in a bid to try to live off their alleged "legendary" status and show what a great bloke he is by being so charitable whilst they might learn or not, at low cost, to become moderate coaches.

Jeez, our "leaders" personify the adage "There's none so blind as those who will not see."

Still, maybe the Mosh, having already lost £half a billion or whatever, will take losing half the match-going revenue as and when FSW is appointed pretty much in his stride too, and blame bad luck/hoodoo/conspiracy yet again.

I remember Keith Harris describing Everton as the most dysfunctional board he has ever worked with and I am sure Carlo felt the same by the end of last season.

The club has the "feelgood" factor but there is no substance behind it so it quickly gets found out.

Even Brands has not shown his worth despite a lot of goodwill in his direction.

We seriously lack football people like Les Reed previously Southampton and Kevin Thelwell of Wolves.

It is interesting that we baulked at Nuno because he wanted to bring his own team in and push Duncan to one side and yet want Benitez because he is so accepting and Brands can "work with him" and we can retain Dunc.

Personally in that scenario we need to give the job to big Dunc and help him with someone like Joe Royle babysitting him.

This is a major watershed for Moshiri and the club. If he gets it wrong it could be D-day. If we get it right it could be the turning point we have craved for so long.

Getting rid of black Bill and replacing him with a football man and hiring someone other than Benitez would be a first step in a new direction.

We're here now and I would think that the fanbase has made itself and its state of mind well known to the owners/mgt and they would appreciate being able to get past Carlo without protests. Seems like this should work out if we can put some pressure on Moshiri for some articulation of long term goals that result in observable moves that make sense. With the money he has contributed he deserves some patience but he needs to lead through times like these if he is going to set up that kind of board structure and management.

Oh I almost forgot a couple of Will Rogers quotes:

"Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there."

There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.

Have a look at the webpages on the club site about Ryazentsev and Miss Dynamite, probably like me you'll come to the conclusion that Ryazentsev is the business (CEO) behind our club and will also deliver the new stadium. Miss Dynamite is there to provide a Scouse presence, smile, attach herself to various charities and good caused while masking what Ryazentsev is doing.

The words I'm looking for to describe Miss Dynamite activities are schmooze and obfuscate?

Compare their employment histories and from my reckoning it's Ryazentsev who's running the club when Moshiri is not there.

Apart from that, the more I think about Paul’s article the more I am convinced that Moshiri, and it seems Usmanov have to start making some tough decisions.

Paul’s last quote:

“If you hire only those people you understand, the company will never get people better than you are. Always remember that you often find outstanding people among those you don’t particularly like.”

Very subtle Paul.

I read somewhere that Usmanov had stated the club needed an “impulse” from the top down. I think that impulse is on its way.

#53 Laurie, that last quote works at so many levels with Everton

Kenwright is Current Everton Culture Protector in Chief.

And whatever we think about the strategy, Moshiri clearly has one. And the objective of that strategy is not Champions League football and silverware. That's the fans' objective.

Moshiri's objective revolves around the stadium. And while the stadium is on the cards and being built, Everton will adopt a poor value but low risk recruitment strategy. That means foregoing any chance of footballing success unless achieved through extraordinary management and / or luck.

So the present managerial appointment is not as critical as many make out. Anyone of any calibre will have Everton in the top 10 and competing for best of the rest 6th or 7th place. There's no ambition beyond that for the immediate future.

However, I think Brands sticks it out because there is genuine ambition post BMD. He is therefore tasked not with overseeing the (dire) recruitment strategy but with the scouting network and academy. He's already made much progress here. Being optimistic we could have quite a few talented academy players knocking on the first team door in three years. It's not a class of 92 but it's a start. And it should help considerably in building a high quality competitive squad without the riches of Chelsea and City.

The immediate aim is to stay in the fight and maybe just so happen to get that bit of luck or fortune that projects us forward a little quicker. We have to remember, although it shouldn't have come to that, we could have qualified for Europe on the last day of the season. One game away.

But I agree, the long-term vision is Bramley Moore Dock and beyond, not necessarily what we do at Goodison next season.

This is Management and Recruitment the Everton way. . Brands will be at the announcement with a XXXXXL Everton Shirt with Benitez's name on it, with Kopites everywhere swearing at the TV.

Enjoy.

If it’s true that the Saudi’s, are close to purchasing Newcastle, then I expect them to spend, spend, spend, but give me good sensible management, over what has presided over Everton, since Moshiri came on board, and once we’ve got a proper structure in place, then maybe we might just be able to move forward.

Whilst I have never had any inclination to think there has been any kind of power struggle at Everton, I do feel that to many people have been in their positions for way to long, and because I believe familiarity brings contempt, this is what I’d be really looking to change at finch/farm, and feel this would be the best way to revolutionize Everton football club, if Robert is correct and we are going to tighten the purse-strings until Bramley Moore dock is finished.

In the meantime, I don't necessarily expect us to tighten up on the spending. I generally expect us to have a net spend of about £60m this summer, getting to about £100m or so gross if we can sell Kean for c. £40m. There's no chance of a big clear out to bolster the kitty further.

£100m or so is enough for the RB and RW that Laurie notes will correct (though by no means perfect) the first XI. It'll also buy a little bit more depth. But it's not going to materially change our footballing fortunes. We'll end summer with something like the 6th or 7th or even 8th best team.

So I can just imagine when we are trying to sign new players, “Now listen (insert name), the objective is simple, we have no intention of trying to win a cup, or qualify for Europe, we just want to survive in the Premier League until we have built our new stadium.”

“How do you feel about that?” says Moshiri / Kenwright / and or Brands to prospective signing, as the door is slammed shut as player and agent leave the building!!

Great strategy that!

Like some, I have gradually started to accept (not like) the idea of him being in charge. He wouldn’t be in my top six list of preferred managers but he is a cold, ruthless, results orientated manager.

I thought koeman might be the man to break the cuddly warm Everton mould but he never seemed interested in the “project” so if Benitez is tasked in turning us into a lean, mean, killing machine I hope he has the mandate to shake things up big time starting with Mr Blobby and his old boys network at the club.

I’m all for tradition and values and history etc… but in the modern game that doesn’t win you games. There is far too much complacency at Everton far too many sinecures. If Usmanov wants Rafa to start a revolution than “everyone to the barricades”!!! Viva la revolucion!!

My guess (hope? - there I go again), is that he has a strategic vision based on Bramley Moore Dock and the new Stadium. In the meantime, try to get some short-term gain on the pitch with a trophy or European qualification, but in the main, tread water in the top half of the Premier League.

I feel dirty for saying that, but the more I think, the more it seems to fit with what he's doing.

The alternative is that he has no idea what he wants other than to build a shiny new stadium and stay in the top flight. I personally doubt that as he's a successful businessman who will want to succeed. He is slowly putting the building blocks in place, but slower than us supporters want or hoped for.

But he's not a football man, so going back to the theme, needs to surround himself with the right people to advise him and also, implement his strategy. To date, he's made mistakes in his appointments, but I guess he's thinking the long game whereas we think week to week.

"The team is a relatively easy fix - right back and right winger".

Whilst those 2 positions would improve us. We have deficiencies across the entire midfield and lack pace almost everywhere. We also need competition for the strikers. When was the last time we had a proper left mid?

If we buy just those 2 players expect another finish between 10th and 7th.

11 years ago, I spent two days working at a newly-enriched North West England football club. I was told first-hand they were modelling their community programme on Everton's (I think that's behind Kenwright's self-congratulatory quote).

Every dept I worked with (no footballers/coaches) told me they were under severe pressure to achieve increased financial/professional targets. Their suppliers were ramping up prices because of the 'new money'. Some clearly embraced the change, some were clearly worried. It was made very clear that it was happening and it was going to work.

That's the 'impulse' that I feel hadn't happened at Everton yet.

Money on its own is helpful, but needs to be backed up by the recruitment of purposeful management that changes a sleepwalking culture to one that demands hard work and achievement.

Nothing will change at Everton until the culture is changed.

Those who reflect the old culture need to move on as they will be threatened by the change and will try to obstruct it. Moshiri is a tax exile so can only spend a limited number of days in the UK, hence he needs to delegate. His biggest mistake - huge - been to leave Kenwright in place as he epitomises the old cultural norms. That is not an anti-Bill agenda, it is just how a business changes after a takeover.

Rob - I don’t want to go off topic on Paul’s thread so maybe I will submit my thoughts about improving the team in a “talking points post”.

Given Paul's post contained some quality quotes, here's one from Sun Tzu that I think suggests he was an Evertonian before Everton existed:

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat".

The two have to go hand in glove. If you have a strategy but no means of implementing the tactics, you might get the odd win over time but long term, you're plodding along with nothing more than grand visions and big talk. Conversely if you have no strategy, you will may win a short term victory and make some noise in doing so, but eventually you will come a cropper. Kind of sums Everton of the last 30 years up. No strategy and subsequently, questionable tactics in various guises along the way. Some tactical highlights and memorable moments, but few and far between in the bigger strategic sense, and ultimately, no trophies.

Everton need a strategy. Perhaps we have that with the stadium plans and vision, which high level, should be to be challenging for the title and regularly qualifying for European competition.

What we seem to lack is the right team around Moshiri to recruit the right people to implement the tactics that will build and eventually deliver on the strategy.

I haven't even had a drink yet and I'm philosophising early on a Saturday! Trying to save myself for Denmark v Wales!! Hopefully I'll last until Italy v Austria.

Another way to put it is this: do you think Villa have a chance of top 4 next season? Because we're very close in terms of squad quality.

There are some very clever people posting on ToffeeWeb - I am not one of them but if I feel strongly enough about something this forum provides me with a platform to vent. One of the things that I do feel very strongly about is that somewhere in the region of 4 or 5 hundred million quid has been spent with little or nothing to show for it. Whose watch did that happen on?

My impression is that not many ToffeeWebbers want Moshiri and Usmanov to go. Kenwright is a different matter.

As far as Benitez is concerned I think most of us have got over the initial shock and will back him (and therefore the people who appointed him).

I'm still amazed that despite pouring millions into the club, Moshiri has largely left a treading water at best business alone.

Don't give me the "get over him being a Red" crap. If this were Brendan Rogers, I'd be on board. Hungry, exciting football, fits the mould for his recruiting of young players (the only way of sustaining the club even medium term), and even proven results - not made CL? give me a pair of 5th places and FA Cup win, I'd bite yer freaking hand off.

Rafa Benitez is another yesterday man, like much of our recruitment of managers and even players, and his football is dull - I never understood why Reds loved him so much. Had those two cup final pen shootouts gone against would they still have loved him?

Hollywood - or whatever this is - does not win football games, Mr Moshiri. How the Fuck have you not noticed that yet?

We have already got a few decent players and a few good players, we just need a few more in key positions and a manager who can then mould his squad into a good team.

Belief has got to be the key, and finding a couple of players with the right determination is usually a good way to start.

If we dust ourselves down and dry our eyes, we are still in the same situation as we were, regardless of Ancelotti. We have a decent team and last summer's signings improved us. A team that very nearly qualified for Europe. But a thin squad. The next step, regardless of manager is to have a similar transfer window. In my opinion, that is to bring in a couple of experienced heads and a couple of young players with potential, just as we did last year.

Hopefully (that word again), this is what the DoF is charged with doing and it almost becomes irrelevant who the manager is as they just coach the players and first team.

If we get another 4 or 5 in and offload a couple that have been clinging on as much as I have as a supporter, all of a sudden, Everton 2021-22 looks very different from Everton summer of 2020 as that will have been 8 - 10 new players in and quite a few out the door.

Blind faith is taking over me again. I'm looking up, not down. I'm going to Europe with Everton in season 22-23.

I always live in hope with Everton, but we need to get in a new manager now and start getting ready to work, because hard work is everything, and it’s definitely the route Everton need to be taking, more than any other now.