Today, 27 February 2023, marks the seventh anniversary of Farhad Moshiri’s initial acquisition of 49.9% of Everton’s shares. Seven bewildering years of missed opportunities, appalling recruitment, huge financial losses culminating in a situation today which even Moshiri acknowledges at times with almost existential threats to our future.
The seven years can be summed up succinctly as “leaderless”.
The great ship Everton is floundering. Any management student, practitioner or academic can see it; business owners, the media, football fans and indeed football club executives elsewhere can see it.
We can see it by the vacant director box seats at Goodison Park; we can see it by the lack of accountable, accurate, meaningful communication; we can see it by the actions and performance of the institution that is Everton Football Club.
We can see it from the fact that, at the very time the board and owner need to stand up and be counted, provide direction, acknowledge the difficulties, accept responsibility, and provide problem-solving capabilities, we get the reverse.
“The ultimate measure of a man (person) is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
There is no doubt that, as a football club, we are in crisis – a crisis not created by a lack of resources or a shortage of capital over the years, but by a shortage of leadership.
Moshiri’s seat at Goodison Park has been empty for more than 16 months. The board’s home seats for several weeks since the Southampton game – the scene of a totally peaceful post-match sit-in, inexplicably and irrationally blamed on the instructions of their security teams relating to unproven and unreported, non-specific threats from persons unknown.
However, the empty seats are just a visual representation of a board who, through a lack of their own leadership and that of the club’s now 94% shareholder, through their own actions, have made their positions untenable at Everton, not just at Goodison Park.
They’re untenable because their behaviours (let alone performance over many years) leave them with no authority, integrity or authenticity. No other business would be tolerant of a board of directors who are asked to stay away from their place of work in fear of damaging the core product – our footballing performance and struggle to remain in the Premier League and the likely reaction of fans to their presence.
True leadership demands qualities such as trust, integrity, selflessness, a willingness to listen but – above all else – acuity. Acuity can be defined as the ability to think accurately and clearly, to think about what in a given business situation is best for the company you own, direct or manage.
So what is best for Everton?
In recent months, it has become an accepted wisdom that Everton fans want change. But what does that really mean? Sure, we want a change in performance, we want a winning side that plays attractive football, a group of players that fans can relate to and a club that represents the qualities and characteristics of our club, that we as fans can so readily identify.
However, I believe the call for change goes much further than that. It goes to the heart of performance issues. Yes, we want an owner and a board that are truly competitive at Premier League, European and indeed even global footballing levels. We want an owner who is recognised as being “the model” owner; we want a board that leads the footballing world in a way which is consistent with periods throughout Everton’s history when we did just that.
However, speaking for myself (and hopefully many other Evertonians), I want people whose qualities I can identify with as being worthy of owning and running Everton Football Club.
I no longer want to have to question the motives, the sincerity, the integrity and authenticity of our board and owner. I want us all to be secure in the knowledge that not only are these people adequately skilled to take on the best competitively, but they do so from a position that says their sole interests lie in the betterment of Everton Football Club.
People who can speak with integrity, in the knowledge that because their motives are clear, no-one need question the veracity of what they are saying. People who can speak with authority because they are adequately skilled, adequately experienced and are operating in line with a coherent strategy to return us to the top of the game once more.
Clearly the current board and executive can not deliver against any of the above, hence the demand for change. Change not only in the leadership of the club, but change that brings leadership into the club.
In an ideal world, the current board would recognise the absurdity of their own position and resign in an orderly manner, allowing Moshiri to appoint interim corporate recovery-style management in the short term at least. However, that is not going to happen, is it?
Therefore change has to come from Moshiri. Seven years after taking control, he has to exercise control. Leaving the current board in situ will only continue our accelerating decline.
It is well documented that Moshiri has been seeking investment, to assist in the financing of the final stages of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Equity investment that would allow additional debt financing to complete the stadium for sometime during the 2024-25 season.
This represents an opportunity for change. It represents an opportunity for Farhad Moshiri to put his trust in a new group of people. People who not only have their own capital invested in the club, but who bring expertise, insight, fresh ambition and the qualities of integrity and authenticity (if not authentic, why would they invest?) to the Everton board. People who could assume the leadership roles so sadly and desperately abandoned by Farhad Moshiri and the current board.
New investors, new directors, new executives represent our only hope of reversing the difficulties the club faces. Of course, we still shouldn’t discount the prospect of a complete sale of the club but, given the crystallisation of losses that would arise from that for Moshiri, a partial sale and the prospect of a more favourable valuation in future years seems the most likely outcome.
We, as fans, as the true custodians of the football club, the constant ever-present, beating heart of a great institution, need do much more to maintain pressure on Moshiri to make the changes described above in the shortest possible period of time. We, the club, have been leaderless for many years, but we cannot afford to continue to be so. We all hope (not that hope should be considered a strategy) for Premier League survival, but we must seek the changes above.
"The only safe ship in a storm is leadership" — Faye Wattleton
We cannot allow Farhad Moshiri to put off the actions he should have started seven years ago. We cannot allow him to leave us leaderless any longer, given the enormous competitive issues the club faces. In the absence of real action by Moshiri – be that changing his now untenable board immediately or confirmation of new part or full ownership with new personnel brought into the business – a much larger proportion of the fanbase has to become active in the demands for change.
To be seeking leadership seven years into Moshiri’s reign is the most damming indictment of his time as Everton shareholder. He substituted the need for leadership with large injections of cash, this strategy failed due to his lack of direction and the absence of the necessary skills and experience of his board members. We cannot wait another day longer for him to make the personnel changes necessary.
The removal of the existential threats he is aware of relies upon it.
Reader Comments (81)
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2 Posted 27/02/2023 at 00:00:26
Answer - NONE!
He's vastly stilted into doing what he's told and, from what's reported, only interested in employing Yes-Men/Women in our club, and he duly does what they tell him.
The pitiful results of this hideous, shameful mindset would be observable to Stevie Wonder, but our Monaco Muppet chooses to blunder on, now screwing OUR club for everything to minimise his self-inflicted massive losses (need a coupe of forwards this season? "Fuck off!")
HIS board provide no answers ever, season after season. Indeed they get worse - visibly.
So, whilst some of we fans fantasise about salvation this season being achieved by Ellis Simms, a recalled Dobbin/Cannon/whomever-else, the empty seats in our directors box show they stay home counting their vast salaries and "expenses", and we fans always pay the price.
Sickening.
3 Posted 27/02/2023 at 00:06:30
Small note: maks->makes in P2 and maybe damnable in the next to last P unless that's some pond variation.
4 Posted 28/02/2023 at 01:51:56
But as for what we can or cannot "allow"... I'm sorry, but that just comes off pointless. Supporters can influence, but they cannot force or require.
5 Posted 28/02/2023 at 03:08:12
Careful. One poster will take exception to that but my lent promise is to mention neither. I've come to accept misery and failure. I went to a past life regression hypnotist this weekend for a laugh post-Everton hoping for some kind of greater purpose, eg, I was reincarnated from Napoleon.
All I got was a vision of a man taking his cow to market in Victorian times and getting stabbed by a butcher. So even before Everton came along, even before this life, I was destined to misery — Moshiri and Kenwright are the perfect souls to keep that going.
6 Posted 28/02/2023 at 05:17:27
I don't want to go overly military, but Leadership requires many of the traits you mention. Integrity, honesty and selfless commitment. Courage and decisiveness.
Strategy and direction as well as clear communication. If people understand where they are going and why, they will execute on the mission and vision.
For me, above most things, it is about taking responsibility and ownership. Not micro-management or interference, but certainly having a finger on the pulse of those you empower and delegate responsibility to.
The opposite is toxic leadership. For example, I want you to get from A to B and I don't care how you do it. A leader has to care. Give people their mission but then understand their plan, step in, coach, advise, adapt and adjust where necessary.
I could talk all day about this stuff.
We all know change is long overdue and has to happen. The absence and accusations at us, the supporters, is shithousery (if that's a word).
I said on another thread, they had best not show up tomorrow night. If they can't be in our presence at Goodison, then they shouldn't be taking corporate hospitality at the Emirates.
Apologies, I ranted a bit at the end. Once again, very good article. Thank you, Paul.
7 Posted 28/02/2023 at 06:37:06
We need a complete new takeover and a whole new boardroom.
Hopefully then the new people know something about how to drive a successful model in football terms and how the fans need to see a positive brave new Everton – not just a modern-day Coventry City.
8 Posted 28/02/2023 at 06:50:46
Kieran, you may have made a Lent promise, but Confession will get it out of you, who you have failed to mention "No names, No pack drill" Darren Hindsight and Harpo Marx, would be my guesses. Oops, have I let two cats out of the same bag?
I really anticipated a win of some sort, no matter how slender, and even if it had been scrappy would have accepted the 3 points gladly. We didn't play that badly but a poor referee and the haunting lack of anyone to score put us to the sword. Hypothetically the reverse result would not have guaranteed our safety but would have gone a long way toward securing it, and above all given us confidence.
9 Posted 28/02/2023 at 06:55:52
I will take issue with one point though, Paul. We the fans, are not the custodians of this club. Never have been.
We are the life support machine. The body and the soul. The reason for the clubs existence But if we were the custodians. I doubt we would ever have found ourselves in this situation.
10 Posted 28/02/2023 at 07:18:19
Its clear now Moshiri only becomes involved if he personally feels the need to get involved. So far it has proven a mixed bag. Operationally, the stadium is magnificent. But the bread and butter job, playing football, is a disaster.
Given our owner knows little if anything about running the football side, he has left others in charge, in particular Kenwright, to ensure the success on the pitch. This was a man who single handedly ran the club so badly we had few assets when Moshiri came along. For some reason he believed Kenwright was the man to keep the club in the premiership until BMD was finished, for its clear that this is Moshiri's end game.
But Kenwright and co spent money, recruited badly and to cap it all, blamed the fans for our plight.
Mr Moshiri, I don't care how its done, but for the sake of your investment, for the sake of our premiership survival, for the safe of unifying the club and its supporters behind you, get rid of Kenwright, move DBB to a window seat, and do it without anymore hesitation.
Together we can all focus on our current plight, support the team and manager and drive them to safety.
11 Posted 28/02/2023 at 07:23:20
12 Posted 28/02/2023 at 07:28:18
You'd like to think that should we dodge the bullet...or even if we don't for that matter...that a new team at Board Room level should be engaged in June...or sooner, to take us forward in a proper manner - no matter which league we're in.
13 Posted 28/02/2023 at 07:46:59
He wants to run the stadium development - and is good at that.
The footballing side gets handed over to others - and Moshiri feeds his ego by chatting to Jim White periodically.
That's why the MSP deal is attractive to me. It brings in money but also sports business expertise. I think Moshiri, after 4 relegation battles in the last 6 seasons, has finally cottoned on to the fact that it takes more than just the appointment of a "decent" DoF and coach / manager. Club management set the direction for the club and the DoF and coach / manager are accountable for what they deliver within that framework.
14 Posted 28/02/2023 at 08:03:41
Excellent read Paul, and if you could shorten it just a little bit, then it should be given to every National newspaper, imo, because it is written with a total 100% accuracy, imo, mate.
I'd never realized before, but this article has made me see that we have always been leaderless to a large degree, except for the occasional bit of lip service, that comes from the CEO. The January 2022 transfer window, is very telling.
15 Posted 28/02/2023 at 08:27:09
If you give them enough rope they'll do the job themselves. And here we are, empty directors box to go with the empty promises.
16 Posted 28/02/2023 at 08:32:17
The silence is deafening, and my own opinion is that Moshiri, has already given up and wants out, and he's taken a very big gamble on the price, but has gambled massively with our future in doing this?
If we stay up, he's got a much more sellable asset imo, because the money from Richarlison and especially Gordon, must have really eased any pressure coming from the sustainability group?
But if we go down, then it looks like he's completely fucked it, with regards to the price, and this could turn into a nightmare for Everton, in many more ways. He might split up the stadium from the football club, he might do this, he might do that, but one thing is certain, he won't be able to do anything if he keeps this incredibly inept board.
17 Posted 28/02/2023 at 09:03:17
He has used Usmanovs money to bankroll the club and funding of player recruitment (so not his money) the building of the stadium is a seperate entity to Everton Football Club. He will be well aware that he will make money on that stadium once he sells up so he pockets and so to does Kenwright. My personal belief is that I don't believe for one minute Moshiri has put his has hand in his own pocket, so he doesn't lose anything. It's all Usmanovs millions.
Him and Kenwright have total disregard and contempt towards the fanbase as was witnessed in the recent interview - lies, they want to get the stadium over the line and nothing else probably matters to them, thats why I think they will both be gone when the stadium is delivered.
Hope they are gone sooner, but i'm not hopeful.
18 Posted 28/02/2023 at 09:13:12
19 Posted 28/02/2023 at 09:13:45
Well they have more than enough rope mate, but the sad thing is they are taking us through that trapdoor with them. Even in times of yore, Public Hangings hung the alleged guilty only, not the morbid onlookers as well, who had turned up for a day's entertainment, with Sandwiches and a Bottle of Pop ! :-)
20 Posted 28/02/2023 at 09:44:13
21 Posted 28/02/2023 at 10:44:33
At the heart there is one issue. To succeed. We can't succeed until we score goals, that has been lacking for several seasons. Why cannot these people in charge of the club see that..?.
22 Posted 28/02/2023 at 10:49:53
Mike @4 gets it dead right “ we can influence but cannot force or require “That's it,end of!
I think both Don@2 and Kunal@ 17 are both right hinting that Moshiri is just the front man for Usmanov. I can't help thinking he is still pulling the strings in all of this.Moshiri is obviously totally inept as a football owner,and seems ideal as a cover for a dodgy Russian money man,who is still pulling his strings to protect his investment.
I think what I am saying is that despite what we may believe the real decisions are made by a shady Russian oligarch who tells the de facto major shareholder what and when to do It.
If I'm not hallucinating or being swept along by some Q Anon conspiracy theory then the only hope we've got is that Usmanov accidentally falls out of one of Putins windows
23 Posted 28/02/2023 at 11:18:16
In my opinion he also lacks two other traits - humility and credibility. The ability to admit failures, to learn from mistakes - instead of the rinse and repeat cycle of sacking managers/DoFs.
History tells us he simply cannot be believed. He makes us out to be fools and cannot be trusted. His position is therefore untenable.
24 Posted 28/02/2023 at 11:20:50
Jeez, he must have some really wide windows then ! :-)
25 Posted 28/02/2023 at 11:36:01
26 Posted 28/02/2023 at 11:50:38
Owner Tony Bloom is a pivotal figure. The 52-year-old has a lifelong association with Brighton, with his grandfather Harry the club's vice-chairman in the 1970s.
Bloom injected finance to allow Amex Stadium to be completed and, in the club's latest accounts to 30 June 2021, has provided interest-free loans amounting to £337m.
Beyond that, according to chief executive Paul Barber, he sets the tone for how the entire club operates.
"It is the chairman's vision," says Barber. "It is my job to organise the club, motivate the staff and bring that vision to life.
"Where we are now has come through a combination of planning, resilience and having a sense of where we want to get to and how we are going to get there.
"We try and plan for situations other clubs might get rocked by. The aim is to come out of the other side in at least as strong a position as we went into it and ideally better."
The approach has seen Brighton develop a reputation for being one of the top flight's most uncompromising negotiators.
27 Posted 28/02/2023 at 12:38:33
Just as, say, Morrisons will look at immediate peers - they will also look at what M&S and Aldi do well too.
These days I'm not even sure who our immediate peers are. Presently maybe Aston Villa. I don't think anyone other than ardent Everton fans would say we're actually competing with, say, Spurs and Newcastle let alone the RS, City, Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal.
If we don't start paying better attention to the likes of Brighton, our immediate peers might quickly be Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland.
In our incompetent attempt to break the top 4 we've now had 4 relegation battles in the past 6 seasons.
28 Posted 28/02/2023 at 12:43:17
29 Posted 28/02/2023 at 14:06:38
It's just nonsense the aims of this club are up there with the likes of Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool; a board change without tons of money will do nothing to reach those goals.
Sorry, I forgot – we will be able to emulate Brighton!!
Moshiri hasn't abandoned ship – he was never on board! Who in their right mind thinks he has either the will or capacity to turn into Horatius on the bridge?
We are in the hands of Dyche: either he creates a miracle or we're down. No suits in the stands are going to alter that fact one iota and longer term the only answer is Moshiri sells to big money. It's that simple.
Stop with this board delusion.
30 Posted 28/02/2023 at 14:22:37
They are there somewhere, self serving people always are, but we need these unqualified and inept people out of our club, because they have simply never had a genuine thought out plan. (What about the stadium, I know!)
New owners with a genuine plan, will put Everton back amongst the elite imo. Obviously not near the very top, unless we get very rich owners, but a plan is just as important as money, and a lot more important than having the wrong people involved, even if they've got loads of money to waste, imo.
31 Posted 28/02/2023 at 14:26:09
Of course you are absolutely correct, only the possibility of Everton Football Club attracting the sort of investment that the likes of Chelsea, City, Newcastle et al now have will our club have any chance of joining the 'elite'.
However, I don't think that is what the protestors are asking for, at least in the short to mid term. The fans just want to know that the people in charge are doing their level best to facilitate some progress, and at the moment, mid-table would be seen as progress.
I'm hoping that behind the silence from the people at the top at Goodison in recent weeks, that there is something brewing which might help the club to stabilise and move forward, albeit slowly.
The idea that the silence has no other motive than to protect the board and owner from criticism, is frightening at least it is to me. As Peter Cook and Dudley Moore once remarked "is this any way to run a *($*$*$ ballroom?"
The fact that we are in a very similar situation to last season, some would argue we are in a far worse position, shows that the owner and or board, don't have a clue, but the last seven years have been some of the most tortuous in our Everton watching lifetimes.
The link below, is a new site set up by @watchedtoffee, where he intends to remind folks of the missteps that the club has taken over the years, he's blatantly got an axe to grind about the Chairman and he's never hidden that. However, it does seem that the club has been living a groundhog day nightmare for nearly as long as we've been in the Premier League.
32 Posted 28/02/2023 at 14:58:01
For the last couple of months, why agreeing with those saying sack the board, I have stated that the major problem was Moshiri.
He is the outright owner who placed incompetent people in charge, starting with the Board and I believe he was responsible for appointments of the earlier managers.
What is happening at Everton FC is like a disease starting from the inside that just feels uncomfortable until breaking out and needing major surgery.
My own personal involvements with owners and management is in the mining industry, and at 2 of the mines where production was nowhere on target, the owners spent very little time in replacing the people at the mine site who where responsible for production.
This is just an example of strength at the top, and this is what is lacking at Everton FC,strength at the top brings success in the end product.
This now brings the question, How do we get the owner to understand this and take action ? There have been numerous articles, meetings with Moshiri, peaceful crowd reactions ? so there must be enough observations for an owner even if he does not attend, that Everton F.C. is being run poorer than what we used to call YO,YO, clubs,up and down fighting against relegation that Everton are slowly becoming.
Does not Moshiri realize that Everton F.C has always been recognized before he took over as one of the longest members of the old first division and premier league, and under his ownership are becoming a laughing stock, relegation bound
Surly before he has had businesses that were failing and he has made changes to improve them, or does he want the reputation of owning a long standing institution and be fully responsible for ruining it.
33 Posted 28/02/2023 at 15:00:30
- genuinely compete in the cup competitions
- get into the Europa League and genuinely compete to win it
Titles and Champions League is a step too far, fair enough, but I would enjoy European nights, good football and cup runs. I would certainly enjoy it more than crap football, record low goalscoring and relegation worries.
Indeed if we get to that happy position without money, then someone might well invest.
It's worth pointing out also that the RS cannot compete financially with City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Man Utd. They don't even attempt to. They have done an upscale version of Brighton to get where they are. So none of us should hold our nose at behaving like a little club. Some of these little clubs have a lot to teach us.
34 Posted 28/02/2023 at 15:10:55
35 Posted 28/02/2023 at 15:22:33
36 Posted 28/02/2023 at 15:24:03
All Moshiri needs to do is get rid of Bill & Ben the fucking flowerpot (wo)men and be done. The other two are irrelevant completely.
Push the button Farhad and we all look to the future. It's very simple
37 Posted 28/02/2023 at 15:54:52
Moshiri or should I say Moshiri the puppet, has proved to be more incompetent than Kenwright ever was. This doesn't say a lot for his master either. None of it makes sense with two billionaires watching a tosspot playwright waste their money and yet do little about it.
Liverpool deserve this kind of bad luck, not us !
I believe there is some kind of power struggle going on and Moshiri cannot change the board or buy out BKs remaining shares. BK is getting in the way of a sale and is clinging on for dear life so he has a say in the naming of the new stadium or at least some parts of it. This thought scares me.
If we stay up this will be seen as a new ‘ Good Time ‘ for BK and also give hope to Moshiri of hanging in there for a bigger sale further down the line.
The club is in a total mess and relegation may be the only way to get rid of them all quickly.
Maybe the board did get some things right when the allowed the purchase of so many championship level players.
38 Posted 28/02/2023 at 16:03:20
#4 Mike, I do understand our limitations but we have to keep pressure on the board, on Moshiri because frankly if it wasn't for the supporters there's very few others pressing for change.
#16 Tony, relegation is an umitigated disaster if it happens. I don't want to go there unless I have to but it would be ruinous for the club
#26 Barry, you are totally correct. Look at Brighton, look at Brentford and genuinely weep when compared to the lack of strategic thinking and even poorer execution by Everton
#29 strange conclusions that you draw mate. The owner & directors are directly reponsible for the mess we are in. Wirhout change there is no hope of resolution. Change doesn't guarantee resolution, but no change can only push us further down.
#32 Bill, I totally agree, thank you. I believe Moshiri understands most of the issues but remains very reluctant to make those changes we demand. Whilst not quickly or decisive enough yet his POV has changed since January.
39 Posted 28/02/2023 at 16:39:32
We'll have to hope that Everton are the modern-day equivalent of John "Babbacombe" Lee... 'the man they couldn't hang'.
40 Posted 28/02/2023 at 16:47:11
I would think it is the owner and Board of Director's responsibility to set aims the club.
I get the point about Chelsea, City and potentially now Newcastle, although I wonder if they will not be as free as the former two where? That's a question.
And we did spend a lot of money. We just didn't spend it wisely because it was given to kids in a sweet shop with no restrictions who didn't govern the spending.
Imagine Levy? No I can't. He wouldn't have sanctioned have of what our board has approved or what successive managers and DoFs have spent, depending on who we believe is calling the decisions. Damned if I know.
I've got to start focussing on tomorrow evening.
41 Posted 28/02/2023 at 16:50:06
42 Posted 28/02/2023 at 17:21:51
We've sold every goal threat that we've had in recent years. If dcl hadn't been such a Crook, he'd have gone as well.
43 Posted 28/02/2023 at 17:23:48
Change will no doubt come after relegation and I have no doubt it will be finally forced by Moshiri on the fuckwits we presently have.
The World's Greatest Evertonian will be there until he's carried out. He will look at remaining in place to see us back up and will no doubt see that as his legacy.
Lil Miss D will just do whatever Bill says.
As for the shithouse that is Sharpe... say no more.
Like not getting a couple of strikers in, like leaving Frank in charge those few weeks too long I think not changing the board, together, will be our undoing this season
44 Posted 28/02/2023 at 18:01:39
Ian,
if it isn't, then it somehow has manifest exactly as if it was. Almost the whole basis of the trouble we are in, is and has been for a long time, the inability to score goals - and the club has steadfastly not addressed it.
45 Posted 28/02/2023 at 18:21:36
46 Posted 28/02/2023 at 18:26:23
47 Posted 28/02/2023 at 18:50:10
48 Posted 28/02/2023 at 19:01:49
I agree, Moshiri should have taken ownership, okay, he did, but didn't really nor responsibility. He should have brought in his own team.
To the point of the thread, those in charge have ran away and left us, the manager and the team to it as well as throwing mud at us.
I was going to use a different term, but I pick enough of that up on the park walking the dogs.
Try this one. I know it t's the Daily Mail.
There are some stark comments presumably from insiders. Then there are some nauseating ones.
But worth a read.
49 Posted 28/02/2023 at 19:05:38
You replied to my post saying "a board change without tons of money will do nothing to reach those goals" with this gem:
"ð—ªð—¶ð—¿ð—µð—¼ð˜‚ð˜ ð—°ð—µð—®ð—»ð—´ð—² ð˜ð—µð—²ð—¿ð—² ð—¶ð˜€ ð—»ð—¼ ð—µð—¼ð—½ð—² ð—¼ð—³ ð—¿ð—²ð˜€ð—¼ð—¹ð˜‚ð˜ð—¶ð—¼ð—»."
I do hope you're ok.
50 Posted 28/02/2023 at 19:31:47
Yes I have read the article listed watchedtoffee, and as usual it is just explaining the problem that we all are aware of, B.K.
But my article puts the blame firmly on Moshiri for hiring him and allowing him to continue as the chairman of a yes sir board.
51 Posted 28/02/2023 at 19:37:21
52 Posted 28/02/2023 at 19:56:53
We have an owner who hasn't a clue about football or even given a credible explanation as to why he bought the club. His first love is making money for Usmanov.
We have an out of depth chief exec promoted to keep the status quo.
A perfect example of how not to run a club.
If we don't go down this year we will go down the next with these clowns in charge.
We still have a fighting chance of staying up this year. Fans are at the end of their tether. We have peaceful protests every home game, If we get cut adrift at the bottom I don't think the protests will be very peaceful.
Change is needed but we have known that since the kings dock fiasco. Our only hope is Moshiri sells up and Kenwright gets removed from his position.
Relegation will kill the club, look at Sunderland and Derby county. There is no sign of their return to the prem.
Last week the EFL released their annual results. 192m turnover for the entire EFL. Wolves turnover was 194m. That is scale of what the club are facing If we go down. Does anyone think that we have a contingency plan if the worst happens?
53 Posted 28/02/2023 at 20:11:30
Why do they not acknowledge that a number of serious mistakes have been made for which they apologise to the fans who continue to sell out our games and pump hard earned money into the club.
It really is poor!
54 Posted 28/02/2023 at 20:12:57
The Premier league is becoming the domain of the rich oil states and Americans, and it makes it almost impossible for any other owners to compete. The one good thing to come out of the Usmanov/Moshiri ownership is the building of an impressive new stadium. This will undoubtedly be the one asset that will help Moshiri reduce his losses when he eventually sells. Obviously being a Premier league club would increase the saleability of Everton, and it would increase the price that Moshiri could sell the club for.
But should we be relegated then that opens a whole new set of problems for Moshiri. While 1 or 2 players may be attractive to Premier league clubs, the majority of our players would struggle to get into most Premier league squads. At present 96% of our income is spent on wages, and although we will get a parachute payment if we go down we will still be left with some very high earning players. Also we will have Delle Ali back in the summer on his £100,000 plus a week wages, cant think of any club in todays Championship paying any player anything like that sum of money. But we have a lot of this squad with time still left on their contracts, and seeing we don't have any clauses to allow us to reduce their wages should we go down, I have no idea how we would not be in serious financial difficulty if relegation happens. Even a new owner will still be faced with the same problems, and he wouldn't be allowed to spend his way out of the mess.
55 Posted 28/02/2023 at 20:13:52
Very sad days in the history of the club. The man Kenwright is a complete parasite.
I watched an article on Lou Macari recently, and what he's been through (his son commiting suicide) and his charity for homeless people is the complete polar opposite of what Kenwright is. Lou is kind, considerate and puts others before himself.
56 Posted 28/02/2023 at 20:28:08
57 Posted 28/02/2023 at 21:07:52
But the immediate problem is Everton's performance, which Dyche has improved getting 6 points that would have not been got under Frank.He has learned from the performance at Anfield and players that did underperform did improve .He has learn't more from the Villa game as well.So he can work on changes and improve the performance of some players.
It was never going to be a straight forward run in to the end of the season.There will be may twists and turns.
58 Posted 28/02/2023 at 21:19:10
For Everton at present, relegation would be the final nail in the coffin; we would struggle to ever get back. I would love to know 100% what the cost of the new stadium will impact on the ability of the club to purchase players now and in the future.
59 Posted 28/02/2023 at 21:59:52
If Everton stay up, then surely there's no rationale for retaining a board that has over time brought the club to its knees and caused a rift that can't be healed with Everton supporters.
As a business, Moshiri must be looking at the potential of his investment and as it stands arguably just potential.
The momentum gained by the construction of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in all aspects looks outstanding based on the development of the site and the very precise engineering to get to this stage and to complete one of, if not the finest stadium in the UK.
But the toxic clouds this board has created must surely be the dead weight of ineffectiveness which could undermine achieving close to the maximum potential for Everton when the new stadium is completed.
Of course the ideal constants are for Everton to be in the Premier League for the start of 24-25 season, but to have a new board, a board that will work and earn their salaries rather than just be passive part-time passengers watching from a distance and out of sight and generally out of mind.
I think this era of Moshiri is now the vital phase in Everton's history and in view of its standing and survival. I'm no businessman but surely Moshiri will have to become ruthless very soon with his board and reset the mandate for the business and football operation in EFC.
Now for Arsenal.
UTFTs!
60 Posted 28/02/2023 at 22:19:29
Are you saying that the major shareholder with about 94% of the shares in Everton is unable to get a Chairman with less than 2% to step down? In most organizations, a Chairman can be removed by the shareholders.
61 Posted 28/02/2023 at 23:01:08
62 Posted 28/02/2023 at 23:51:21
Full exposure, investigation and sanction could maybe easily completely destroy the house of Everton (and various other major clubs?).
All speculation admittedly, but if you know any Glasgow Rangers fans, as I do, hardly any of them had the slightest inkling at the time of the depths to which their, ahem, "management" plunged them - namely a three-division relegation and liquidation of their existent club.
Over ten years later they're still not back at the level they used to be with their sole competitor team, Celtic.
I realise I can't evidence my speculation but I and many others ponder just why Moshiri will not remove Kenwright from the club.
Of course Bill might just possess a photo of Mosh blowing Usmanov on his yacht in preparation to appointing one of our managers!
Who, but those two, knows though?
63 Posted 01/03/2023 at 00:25:57
We went in and brought energy and money to it but were always scuppered by these guys clinging onto power so they did everything to divide and rule or disseminate or lie.
The business was an abject failure.
This is exactly what happened when Moshiri allowed BK and his draconian business practices to remain in place. There should have been a new regime but instead the Moshiri money just enabled BK to keep indulging his ego.
64 Posted 01/03/2023 at 05:23:31
Bill #32, no, Moshiri has never operated a failing business, but he has also never operated a business remotely like Everton. His ventures have all been closely-held, management-concentrated, resource-intensive companies with insular management practices (largely under Usmanov's aegis) and zero public accountability. He simply has no experience with this kind of thing.
65 Posted 01/03/2023 at 07:01:05
Go back to the days when he first came in and you see him tell all and anyone that he was keeping Bill Kenwright to run the football club, that he was a 5% owner, the amount of time he was going to allocate to the club leaving Kenwright to run it.
That turned out well didn't it?
Like a company going for Chapter 5 in the US, the same team that stuffed up so badly, never personally invested, sold every asset they could, was given a shed load of money and allowed to go for it.
There was a track record of failure completely ignored by Moshiri, to his literal cost.
By which time it was too late, hail Mary appointments in Allardyce and Ancelotti could not disguise the fact that the core of this once great club was hollow, eaten away by opportunist directors and friends of the board. That chickens have only just came home to roost is testament to the few players, the fans and to a few managers who failed ultimately but unsurprisingly.
Today we have a manager who needs to lead his players like a regiment at Rorkes drift. Undermanned and depleted by way of any substance and quality, totally outnumbered we are expected to fail.
Shamelessly, the Board of Directors have deserted the ship, taking sanctuary in the ranks of opponents hospitality seats to watch.
There is no defence anymore. There is only solutions that Moshiri must find and take. For without doing so, his plans, his investment and our future survival lies in tatters, the fault of two men, but only one has the power to fix it.
66 Posted 01/03/2023 at 08:13:07
The takeover parties have to impose their culture on the company they takeover, replacing the existing culture which lead them to be taken over in the first place. This is a necessary commercial fact
What you describe is what is happened at Everton and is continuing to happen. I worked for a company in my younger days that was successful, It took over it's main revival and allowed the Culture of that company to dominate it's own, keeping Managers and appointing them to key positions in the amalgamated company. £40 million in turnover was lost in the next 5 years.I left within one year.
Moshiri in my opinion is a Offshore Investment package coordinator, he has never run a business.In Everton's case there was two related investments the Club and a Docklands development.
The Club with Financial reorganisation and the introduction of Funds was left to be run bu the existing Management and the Docklands Development and related develop was to be run separately and financed seperately.He was sold the pup that we were all sold by Kenwright that Everton only needed funds. The running of the Club was subject to sgreement.Moshiri reluctantly got involved when it became obvious that the existing management where not up to the job and his money wss going South.The existing Management have scuppered these attempts. Because of the agreement he could not get rid of them.He is now attempting to bring in more Professional Management, via new investors.The existing Management represented by the Board is not even bothering to turn up at the home ground on match day, they are probably resisting Moshiri's recent attempts to change the Management.In the meantime the Docklands and related investments are on track for substantial profits.
But the problem is that Everton have to avoid relegation..It maybe that relegation is a way for Kenwright to gain control of Everton on the cheap.
Before anyone attacks me,I know this is really fucked up.
67 Posted 01/03/2023 at 08:37:43
"Of course Bill might just possess a photo of Mosh blowing Usmanov on his yacht in preparation to appointing one of our managers!"
A tongue in cheek (😊) comment no doubt but probably as believable as some of the other suggestions put forward on ToffeeWeb as to why Moshiri let Blue Bill remain as Chair.
68 Posted 01/03/2023 at 10:00:09
The intelligent protester is largely being unheard. The owner and friends in the media are given the opportunity to focus on a few gobby fools. Imagining and making accusations which stretch credibility to breaking point.
Apparently the managers and DOF's who squandered all the money are completely blameless and its "utterly pointless to discuss their teams and systems"...But its ok to hammer away for years and years at the junior coaches at Finch Farm in what has been admitted as blind ignorance..
If Kenwright does read ToffeeWeb. His face must light up when he sees certain posters (see 62).
While more Knowledgeable posters know the truth is damning enough. Their intelligent and measured protests are constantly undermined by crackpot conspiracy theories peddled by the seriously ill-informed.
I can almost hear the delighted ridicule the friends of Kenwright and Moshiri would greet nonsense like this with - " Hahaha. They're now claiming they are the next Glasgow Rangers "
"Of course I cant evidence my speculation"....Well I never.
This board is now at the end of the plank they have forced themselves into walking. With a few factual nudges from the informed protester, they will end up in the water.
The last thing we need is for a tiny minority of ill-informed shouties continually offering them get-out-of-jail cards by tarring every Evertonian with the crazy brush.
69 Posted 01/03/2023 at 10:09:44
I repeatedly say we can't repeatedly keep just blaming managers. I stand by that.
It is systematic failure throughout the club at all levels.
But in my opinion, it starts at the top. They set the direction. They set the objectives. They set the goals.
They should be setting people up for success at all levels. Not to fail and be fall guys to protect their positions.
70 Posted 01/03/2023 at 10:34:43
71 Posted 01/03/2023 at 12:36:33
72 Posted 01/03/2023 at 13:12:20
I think Putin might turn out to be Everton's destroyer. We're still standing though he started the war with Ukraine which cocked up all Mr Usmanov's plans for Everton. Usmanov would have got rid of the chairman, one way or the other, only for that bleedin' Russian.
73 Posted 01/03/2023 at 18:24:49
Just in case you haven't noticed, I've lambasted Kenwright for years on TW.
And as for your assertion that Kenwright will use what I opine as a "get-out-of-jail" card, well, that's you being even more delusional of than ever.
Anything to enable a personal attack on a fellow Toffee's opinion though - 'tis the mark of a "Hind".
74 Posted 01/03/2023 at 18:49:34
They've got this.
75 Posted 02/03/2023 at 01:12:06
76 Posted 02/03/2023 at 10:52:51
77 Posted 02/03/2023 at 11:06:36
Our standing in the city will be a joke, we will be laughed at and derided by the other half for infinity and beyond.
I already know of 3 parties being organised under the guise of "Everton going down parties".
It will be the fans who swallow the bitterest pill and will suffer the psychological stress and humility.
78 Posted 02/03/2023 at 15:23:54
Top corner volley there. I don't think anybody imagined that Moshiri's ownership would put us where it has. The lack of leadership has perhaps been even more damaging than the money issues.
And we need investors who can bring both.
79 Posted 02/03/2023 at 20:45:04
80 Posted 02/03/2023 at 20:53:35
81 Posted 02/03/2023 at 21:24:15
We will all be travelling to Nottingham on Sunday.
Leaving at half time? Blue blood? He needs to cut me in half. Then he would see what Royal Blue blood means.
I'm probably still a bit emotional, so give me a pass.
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1 Posted 27/02/2023 at 23:40:15