Seasons2021-22Everton News
How Everton’s smart planning has built them a bright future – if they survive relegation
One insider described the “green shoots of recovery” emerging at Finch Farm; there has been a tangible change of direction. In the next three weeks, if they can find a way out of this dark hole at the bottom of the table, they will emerge into a bright future.
Glossing over the potentially dire consequences of years of mismanagement at Everton, this article by Sam Cunningham in the i spins a very positive slant on all things Everton, from "highly respected chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale" to "Kenwright re-mortgaging his house" and the "favourable run-in" that needs to see a lot more points won if Everton are to extend their remarkable run in the English top-flight.
» Read the full article at i News
Reader Comments (36)
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2 Posted 03/05/2022 at 21:53:21
3 Posted 03/05/2022 at 22:00:04
4 Posted 03/05/2022 at 22:06:52
7 Posted 04/05/2022 at 14:01:35
The Permanent Strategic Review has been replaced by Smart Planning.Glad it has gone, but Smart Planning getting through the mess and chaos is a bit hard too swallow.Benitez on half the wages of Ancelotti now is a end to a Expensive mistakes.He spent £1.5 million in total. Finch Farm Campers Club. Is going to rise like a phoenix..More Phoenix Nights than serious progress IMO.
It's going to be the same as usual at Everton. Seat of the pants stuff as usual and Self preservation even if Everton avoid relegation,according to the Everton Insider-The source of this article.
Lampard is going to have to hit the ground running this Summer to be able carry these parasites into next season.
8 Posted 04/05/2022 at 14:05:07
9 Posted 04/05/2022 at 14:44:12
Unlike his tenure at Goodison Park which has been a nightmare.
10 Posted 04/05/2022 at 15:39:27
We beat Chelsea 1-0. Leicester up next. The rest of this utter shite is just noise.
12 Posted 04/05/2022 at 16:03:38
I also see in that piece that Marco Silva used us as a stepping stone to greater things. Now I'm pretty certain that he was out of work until landing the Fulham job, though I stand to be corrected on that one.
Maybe the author was referring to Ronald Koeman landing his dream job at Barcelona, which went tits up.
13 Posted 04/05/2022 at 16:07:13
14 Posted 04/05/2022 at 16:37:04
Looks like we'll be okay then. I'll certainly sleep better tonight.
15 Posted 04/05/2022 at 16:43:23
Warning though, severe Kenwright Myth Alert. The reality is that nobody who posts on here knows what Kenwright did or didn't do with his house as collateral.
16 Posted 05/05/2022 at 18:29:44
There is a difference between 'doing okay' and the reality of being in a relegation dogfight. It was poor internal management and waste of resources over a sustained period that caused it. It is a big stretch to believe those that were responsible will be able to deliver on any parts of their claims in this article, given the suspect reasons given.
You are entitled to your opinion, if you can justify it on the substance of the article, based on suggested 'Smart Planning',
17 Posted 05/05/2022 at 19:03:31
18 Posted 05/05/2022 at 19:32:07
Kenwright himself said he had remortgaged his house to "save" Everton.
His house was only worth £1 million at the time and, surprise, surprise, there was a £20M hole in the club's balance sheet the year after the £20M was put up to buy Peter Johnson out.
That's why there is much mocking of how many lawnmowers are at Finch Farm because Kenwright claimed that the £20M rise in other operating costs was due to lawnmowers etc for Finch Farm.
You always know when Kenwright is lying… he opens his mouth.
19 Posted 05/05/2022 at 19:36:04
20 Posted 06/05/2022 at 05:44:40
My understanding is that Everton cost Johnson £8 million and the £20 million plus got him well out. Kenwright, initially his side kick, was in the position to manoeuvre his way in without putting much of his own money in, if any.
He continued to run Everton the same, eventually running out of road. Then he found Moshiri (the goose with the golden egg); unfortunately Bill's skill set remained unchanged.
21 Posted 06/05/2022 at 08:57:08
22 Posted 06/05/2022 at 09:03:30
23 Posted 06/05/2022 at 09:26:19
24 Posted 06/05/2022 at 10:00:08
He is a Doug Ellis. He is not a man who like's to think he is ever wrong. You can't run a football club in London. It's a hobby for him, really. A corner shop club.
His showbiz superficiality and smoochy connections in which he orbits has seen him left alone in terms of criticism by sports Journalists.
That said - I do think that, should we survive, their are faint hopes of better days.
25 Posted 06/05/2022 at 11:09:20
26 Posted 06/05/2022 at 12:01:26
I was never initially a Kenwright hater. I wouldn't use that phrase now but I want him gone from our club. As I saw at the time he took it on when no-one would touch us. He kept us afloat. But Everton's ambition should not be to stay afloat.
He has more than outstayed his welcome. Moyes was a perfect match as the two of them beat down the expectation of a generation of fans and allowed the club to stand still. And that is exactly what we've done, which is akin to walking backwards.
Like all, I am terrified of the position we are in right now. But it won't always be like this if we rid the club of the people who can't manage a club that wants to challenge for the title and trophies.
We haven't had that in 30 plus years. I'm sorry. Comfortable in 7th might seem appealing right now and we'd probably all take it, but it's not where I want Everton to be. To do that, we need change and that is not being venomous about Kenwright, just identifying him as the consistent over a period of standing still, lowering expectation and getting to the point we are at now even though he found a billionaire.
27 Posted 06/05/2022 at 13:28:49
28 Posted 06/05/2022 at 14:31:39
Within 2 years it was in a negative liability position despite income from palyer sales meaning we had to sell Rooney and our training grounds at Bellefield and Netherfield as well as mortgaging Goodison so rather than saving Everton football club he nearly took us down.
29 Posted 06/05/2022 at 14:35:45
30 Posted 06/05/2022 at 14:48:16
31 Posted 06/05/2022 at 16:02:36
32 Posted 06/05/2022 at 16:15:09
The reason we find ourselves where we are now is down to many people not just Kenwright or Moshiri. We have employed 'experts' to find suitable players who have made very poor choices, they are the main cuprits for me.
Lets get real though, the Premier League has a hell of a glass ceiling, unless you are in the European Cup the very best players don't want to play for you. Then you have Arab money increasingly coming into the game, it will be interesting to see what happens at Newcastle next season.
Whats not in dispute is that we should be finishing higher up the League when we have spent £500m on players and managers
33 Posted 06/05/2022 at 16:36:34
I don't recall the books I've read by David France, James Corbett, Mark Platt or David Prentice quoting BK on this. Chris Feeley of this board once posted an article called "Mr Kenwright -- In Quotes" that went into harsh detail on things he actually said that didn't turn out to be true, but he didn't mention that particular comment.
Not trying to be contentious or skeptical here. I just want to know.
34 Posted 06/05/2022 at 16:57:59
Btw, I was in Azda Crawley Car Park today waiting for my wife and listening to Classic FM as you do. I had the windows open humming and singing along and then on Came Men Of Harlech. I was bellowing out in accompaniment especially on the Everton chant. What was it?
35 Posted 06/05/2022 at 17:12:30
I really hate to talk a lot about BK because it doesn't get me any points at all but I have to defend the guy from some of the crap that comes his way.
Possibly the best approach to take on BK quotes from Evertonians is that whatever they report that he said he didn't actually say it. "The KD money has been ringfenced? The most famous? He never said it at any time, what he said was that if the money was forthcoming that it would be ring fenced. It never was.
36 Posted 06/05/2022 at 18:06:46
The obnoxious supine crawler who wrote this article should have read Steve Hogans recent article on TW and the positive feedback it received before he labelled Barrett “highly respected”. I knew there was a reason I dont read the i.
37 Posted 06/05/2022 at 19:09:08
Mile I don't have the references now but if you go back into the press archives I'm sure you will see a quote from Kenwright saying he had to remortgage his house.
These stories don't just come from nowhere to badmouth the man.
Anyone who doubts his tendency to lie needs to check out the interview with Blue Union that was recorded.
38 Posted 06/05/2022 at 19:12:34
I felt guilty making these claims from memory so here is a link showing that very statement:
https://peoplesgroup.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/the-blue-unions-meeting-with-bill-kenwright/
39 Posted 06/05/2022 at 20:55:38
I wasn't debating your belief that he'd said something along those lines -- you've been posting on the Kenwright debate for many years and you know your stuff -- but believe me I used all my professional search engine skills (I'm a media guy) to check press accounts, and came up empty.
The link you provide delivers a paraphrase from a conversation... "as an example explained that hes the only blue to mortgage his house and has borrowed £10m."
Wow. It's a very big leap from that -- a paraphrase, not a quote -- to the assertions that he claimed to have remortgaged his home to save Everton, provide transfer funds for Moyes or support the groundskeeping at Finch Farm.
I do understand the claims don't come from "nowhere" but I also understand the years-long processes of extrapolation and exaggeration that take a kernel of truth and grow it into a legend. From Paul Revere to the Alamo to the current Trumpian hysteria sweeping America, there are many examples of pushing a point of view by taking a few words and sprinkling them with a truckload of... fertilizer.
I'd sure like to see an actual quote from the guy.
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1 Posted 03/05/2022 at 21:48:16