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| Kings Dock |
There are numerous reasons and arguments put forward in fanzines as to how and why the present situation has happened, but whatever the reason the club has now reached the state where it needs to sell in order to survive. In the 1960s the club was bankrolled by John (Littlewoods Pools) Moores and tagged the Mersey Millionaires. Just as Mr. John's money was used to plunder lesser clubs for their playing talent, now a similar fate has befallen Everton.
It may be that the crazy finances of the Premier League require each club to be a millionaire's toy. If that is so then we need one out there who has a likeness for the colour Blue, such a saviour is certainly required at Goodison Park.
June 2001
After the tumult of losing two England international players during the summer (for financial overdraft reasons or because they clashed with manager Walter Smith, select the reason you prefer) Everton started the season with a flourish and initially ran with the top runners. But those of us that have watched the Blues for some time suspected that this was an early hiccup and normal service would soon be resumed.
It was, successive Premier league defeats against the reds of Manchester United (who hardly broke sweat) and the hated reds of Liverpool introduced some sense of realism and perspective into the argument. Coupled with these league defeats were the usual early exit from the Worthington cup to a lower division side and a dreadful (but undeserved) defeat away at Blackburn. The latter match was a hint of a turning point. The substitution of two players was greeted with boos and jeers by the travelling Everton fans. (The usual faithful noisy and dedicated regulars).
So the tantalising prospect grows that the fans will start to turn on Walter Smith. Walter has had a good run so far, and definitely been given the benefit of the doubt, with defeats blamed on the players rather than the manager or team selection or game plan.
Most fans would accept that money is dreadfully in short supply but fewer fans would agree that the club is playing to its best potential. As someone once said "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time". If the fans turn on the manager (and the nodding dogs on the Board) then things will change. It is inconceivable that a club with Everton's history will just be allowed to slip from the top flight without the fans complaining vociferously and at the very least provoking some club comment. Perhaps all that is needed to produce the classic English football scenario is a vote of confidence by the chairman. The faction of fans that wants Smith out and the opposing faction that thinks he has done or is doing the best possible in the circumstances are circling and watching. Perhaps this situation is more interesting than the dross the supporters pay to watch through the turn styles.
Patchy, middling, sporadic - that sums up the period up to Christmas. Each false dawn is followed by a slump to mediocrity (or worse). For example West Ham were demolished 5 - 0 and then followed by an incredibly boring 0 - 0 at Ipswich. Then the Big Dipper went up again and Villa were beaten by possibly the best performance thus far ( 3 - 2). But then Newcastle won at Goodison and Everton could not manage to beat Bolton, yielding a draw with the last kick of the match.
Add to this some strange team selections and (by mid November) the loss of both strikers forcing Walter Smith (so he said) to play a full back as a temporary striker.
All this pointed to a lively AGM with the possibility of the Board, the Chairman or the Manager being challenged and some action demanded in the transfer market. But the meeting was a big pussycat, and just rolled over and purred. Their was even the salute of "Our great manager" etc.
So as Christmas arrived, the club is situated mid table, not challenging for any honour - the usual early dismissal from the Worthington Cup to Crystal Palace saw to that - and all that awaits is the FA Cup.
And yet, and yet - having seen most teams in the Premiership, there is not much to fear and not much to beat, so a good run in the spring (which will definitely NOT happen) could easily raise the team to Europe next season. As the fanzine points out, with monotonous regularity, a few more wins instead of the inevitable draws would see Everton at, or near the top of the league.
To be fair to Walter, he has produced some stability in defence, not many goals are let in, but Walter (and Everton) struggle in midfield and are laughable up front. In midfield Graveson is the principal powerhouse and is gaining an increasingly good reputation and has a powerful (not to say screaming) shot. But up front, what the hell can be said. There is a slow striker, a perpetually injured striker and an import who cries out for some service or a regular partner to play off.
But the fans still turn up and the Board and Bill Kenwright grind on and on about the happy days over the horizon at the Kings Dock. But what the fans really yearn for is success now!
On March 16 2002, David Moyes was in charge for his first game thus marking the end of the Walter Smith era. Walter's time quietly expired (almost without a whimper) when Everton were beaten in the FA Cup Quarter Final at Middlesborough the previous Sunday. It was a shambolic performance that echoed and mirrored the previous half season with the team playing out of sorts and completely failing to compensate for injuries, strange team selections and weird team tactics and formations. In fact failing in much the same way as they had failed during most of Walter's reign.
It would be fair to say that the Press was almost completely opposed to the replacement. They all, to a man, said that Walter was honourable, had achieved miracles on a shoe string and generally single handedly kept Everton in the top flight. All this might be (and probably was ) true. But what nobody seemed to comment on was that Everton were deadly dull and sterile. Running out for any match with a big win in mind seemed to be completely out of the question. It was a policy of deadly dull defending (and then usually leaking one goal) combined with the vain hope that somehow Everton would score a goal, that did for Walter.
I think, to be fair to Walter, that his tactics and plans would have kept Everton up, but the idea of entertainment and excitement seemed alien; and going to the match was becoming a duty rather than a pleasure. So, after the usual strong season long endorsement, there was a dearth of further endorsement following the FA Quarter Final and Walter was taken on one side and "invited" to leave.
The appointment of Moyes proceeded very smoothly and his appointment was endorsed by the same Board and in the same way that they had endorsed Walter. Such is football.
So the new era is here and the expectant and breathless masses await the miracle.
March 2002
Following David Moyes' tremendous start to his Everton managerial career (3 wins from 4 matches) the spin doctors and other fiction writers engaged in the usual wild speculation and conjecture - "turned the club round", "saved the club from inevitable relegation", "buying spree in the summer - 5, 6 or even 7 players to be replaced", etc., etc.
The truth seems a little more prosaic. Gazza decided (or was advised) that he saw his future elsewhere, and Ginola, Cleland (who?) and latterly Blomqist were not retained, and that was it. It was probable (although it can only be a matter of opinion) that Walter Smith would have ensured Premiership survival, playing the dour, boring football that seemed to be his hallmark but little else has changed. There definitely seemed to be a new attitude in the first few games of Moyes' stewardship, but subsequent games such as the boring 2 - 2 draw at home to Leicester which was preceded by a 6 - 2 walloping away at Newcastle demonstrated the size of Moyes' task
So what of the 2001/2 season?
There were only 2 incidents of note - the defeat by Middlesborough in the FA Cup quarter final and the appointment of Moyes (and it was the first that precipitated the second). It may be that Walter Smith was a financial genius and enabled a bankrupt club to punch above its weight, but he sure produced boring football. Towards the end of his Everton managerial period there was no excitement or pre match anticipation what so ever, and that sums up the vast majority of the season.
So Moyes takes the reins. He says the right things - "the peoples club" (nice one!) and "no longer is Everton a selling club", but the proof of the pudding will be the 2002/3 season.
A neat encapsulation of the bloody mindedness of fate towards Everton was evident in the last home game of the season. It was obvious that the Blues were going to be thrashed at Arsenal (the newly crowned champions) on the last day of the season so the penultimate game, against Blackburn, was chosen as the celebration event - a few balloons, lap of honour, the usual rubbish. Unfortunately Blackburn forgot the script and defeated Everton 1 - 2, so the final lap of honour took pace in front of a few die-hard but grumbling fans with the rest of us on the way home, not quite what was planned.
In addition an ominous straw in the wind seems to be the rapidly diminishing transfer fund. At the end of Walter Smith's period there was talk of a major refinancing package that would release £20 million for transfer dealing. But now, mysteriously, Moyes seems to be talking about (or at least the media are talking about) nearer £10 million. So whatever intentions Moyes has, they will inevitably be tempered by the reality of having only enough money for one or at most two moderate new player(s). Perhaps the demise of the ITV Digital package for 1st division clubs will release a vast reservoir of talent on the market, perhaps not. But whatever happens it seems that Moyes will have to scrabble down in the bargain basement (as Walter did). So if he makes the club play good, exciting football and achieves success with that handicap, he will deserve to become the hero of all True Blues.
May 2002
And so a new season dawns and the expectant crowds await the miracle. This time its very special - 100 years of top flight football - the only club to have achieved such longevity - surely the malign fate could not possibly spoil the day?
To be fair, there was some cause for hope, Manager Moyes had spent fairly wisely during the summer, two relatively unknowns, Li Wei Feng and Li Tie from China, a rising Brazilian star, Juliano Rodrigo and a well regarded African central defender, Joseph Yobo from Nigeria. But the signing that had occupied the headlines (in a summer of little transfer news) was the signing of Richard Wright from Arsenal as a new goalkeeper. All but the goalkeeper were welcomed but there was a groundswell or at least a murmur that the man who ended last season between the sticks, Simonson, was quite adequate (at least compared to his rival, Gerrard)
In true Everton style, Yobo picked up a knock in his first pre season warm up match and was insufficiently recovered for the opening match. But the rising phenomenon, Rooney, at sixteen Everton's second youngest ever player, was promised.
And so the stage was set and the crowd filled Goodison to the brim. A pre match parade of past stars warmed up the crowd, and out trotted the gladiators. The opponents, Spurs, were largely ignored. The first half went largely to plan, Everton scored (Pembridge from an astute pass from Rooney), Li Tie looked a class product (and surprisingly large and solid for someone expecting a stereotypical Chinaman) and all was happy at half time.
Then Spurs in a fit of pique, spoilt the grand plan, they equalised, and even worse, Les Ferdinand was brought on as a sub and scored within a minute. All the old doubts came flooding back and the game went into deja vu. The defence looked a shambles (whereas in the first half they had nothing to do) and new goalkeeper Wright made a dogs dinner of the second goal allowing Ferdinand's speculative shot to trickle under his body. Wither the brave new world?
But all was not lost. A closing minutes equaliser from Radzinski rescued a point.
What can you say? More defensive shambles? Just wait until Yobo is fully fit and playing? Let the team gel? Trust in Moyes? Keep the faith? Yeah Yeah Yeah.
August 2002
Where do we go from here? The Moyes revolution seems to be bearing great fruit at the present time. Mid November finds Everton in the top six and celebrating an unbeaten 6 game win.
How did this come about?
I would point to 3 factors
The defence has stopped leaking goals when pressure is applied. This is attributable to Yobo, who is fast and sure in his touch.
The "Great Rooney" has arrived and shown the world (and I literally mean the world) what he can do.
The team, collectively, appear to have belief in their own destiny.
So the crowd is expectant, the club poised for great things, and so, it being Everton, we start to look for banana skins - and there are plenty.
November 2002
Exit from the Worthington cup was at the hands of Chelsea, and not even the most optimistic Evertonian would suggest that the team's efforts can overcome Chelsea's level of expenditure.
Exit from the FA cup was at the hands of Shrewsbury and no amount of explanation can gloss over that disaster, although Shrewsbury scoring in the last 2 minutes gave Everton precious little chance of a come back.
And despite the sequence over Christmas of drawn games Everton are 6th in the league (5th if the league table is read at the right moment!). Also the magic 40 points has almost been achieved 4 or 5 months early.
So the interim report reads "good progress - but effort needs to be maintained". As has already been mentioned, there does seem to be a new atmosphere around the team and the club. The principal development has been the blossoming of the great "Roonaldo", a truly outstanding player bursting on the scene, and currently being shielded and protected by the manager and the club. Provided that Rooney continues to be nurtured and shielded from the media and not led astray by the extravagant praise and money being heaped upon him, then continued greatness beckons. But this being Everton and Rooney being (just) 17 it is impossible to predict guaranteed success, but already he is a hell of a player.
The next success has been the defence. I thought that the initial success was due to Yobo, but his recent suspension did not produce the expected collapse and this was evident in the (usual frenetic) derby match where he was simply not missed and a clean sheet was kept. There seems to be the basis of a sound defence with Weir, Stubbs and Hibbert. However it is hard to have complete faith in goalkeeper Wright. He seems to have good periods, where he dominates the box, and makes you realise what has been missing during the years since Southall retired, and then he has wobbly times where he fails to come out for the ball, or commits schoolboy howlers and everyone knows that continued pressure by the opposition will inevitably lead to a goal.
Up front, the attack has done its job reasonably well. The old dependable Campbell is vital as the only person who can old the ball while the rest of the forwards assemble for an attack (although the recently arrived on loan McBride looks equally capable and a darn site faster and more mobile).
Radzinski's speed can reduce defences to a frazzle but his game definitely lacks the killer punch and when the chips are down, so is Radzinski, usually.
Ferguson (who?) is of course injured and working on yet another come back, Rooney is the great white hope and that's it.
Midfield is still the great weakness. There is no Peter Reid type or any other combative constructive player. Graveson is becoming a ghost of his former self and runs around like a headless chicken for long periods of each game, Carsley, his apparent twin, is an average workhorse, Li Tie lacks aggression, Pembridge has been injured, Gemmell out of favour, and that's it.
So there has been progress, the club is going in the right direction, relegation is simply not a consideration and at the least mid table beckons or, if Mr. Moyes has his way, a European spot is not impossible.
Although there have been to many recent draws, the completion of the double over Blackburn does tend to indicate that he is not completely out of his mind.
Moderately exciting times at the old club.
January 2003
This was a season of great contrast. Until the wheels fell off towards the end of the season, Everton were even contemplating a place in the Champions League, then, subsequently the UEFA cup and, in the end, just pipped on the last day of the season by Blackburn.
At the start of the season most fans would have grabbed at seventh place, but in the end, it seemed disappointing and a bit of an anticlimax, particularly as the season ended with a string of defeats to Arsenal (not unexpected) Manchester United (ditto), Chelsea (also ditto), Liverpool (gut wrenchingly at Goodison) and a couple of shockers at Fulham and Charlton. A victory at any one of these would have seen the season crowned with a European place. But it was not to be. Towards the end of the season, the players seemed drained, and in need of a break. This was particularly noticeable up front where the usual plan of Radzinski playing the first 60 or 70 minutes and then being replaced by Rooney, had to be abandoned once Radzinski finished his season early with a groin strain and Rooney had to play the full 90 minutes.
There were, however, many positive aspects to the season. Obviously the emergence of Rooney was a fantastic event (for club and country) and also up front the pace of Radzinski (if the Rad ever scores the number of goals that his pace suggests is possible, the world had better sit up and take notice). As as has been said previously, all that can be credited to midfield is hard work. There is just no guile or (unfortunately) width. In the defence, Stubbs, Weir, Hibbert, Naysmith, Watson and Yobo coped. (Towards the end of the season Watson and Naysmith were wide midfielders a telling comment re the "proper" midfielders.) In my opinion, the jury is still out on goalkeeper Wright. As with most modern Premiership goalkeepers he has superb reflexes and sometimes looks fantastic when called on to make a reflex save, but his positioning and command of the penalty area are sometimes chaotic. This was demonstrated in the final home game of the season against Manchester United. Wright made some phenomenal leaps and bounds to prevent certain goals from Scholes and Van Nistleroy and then stood on the wrong side of the goal for a Beckham free kick and had to watch it curl into the top corner on the far side of the net. Very very frustrating.
But overall the most positive sign was the will to win instilled into the team by Moyes (recognised as the Manager of the Season by his Premier League Manager peers). As as been said elsewhere, at least each weekend now produces some sense of excitement and anticipation. Very unlike the Walter Smith era.
On the debit side, there was the failure of the Kings Dock stadium development (and a recognition that Goodison is the team's home for some while yet), the stupid immediate exit from the FA cup via Shrewsbury, the not so stupid (but inevitable) exit from the Worthington Cup via Chelsea and the continuing lack of transfer funds.
But on balance this was definitely a season of progress. No one who was there will ever forget the Rooney goal over the head of Seaman for the winning goal against Arsenal at Goodison, undoubtedly the highlight of the season.May 2003
Everton's opening match in the 2003/4 season was against Arsenal. True to recent form (and fortune) at Highbury, they came away without any points and in a trice "normal service was resumed".
The summer break was a period of great transfer inactivity as far as Everton were concerned. No incoming players arrived and the only activity was the confirmation that Yobo and Li Tie were permanent acquisitions and put on long term contracts. Even the Li Tie transfer was conducted at a snail's pace and seemed to involve haggling about his price (a disagreement of approximately £0.5m - such is life in the Premiership's bargain basement).
To be fair, until late July it was a summer of relatively little activity with only Manchester United causing a few ripples, but then the bombshell that was the Russian billionaire, Abramovich, arrived at Chelsea and spent more money in one month accumulating a "money no object" squad than had been spent by the rest of football combined throughout the summer.
To be fair, this had minimal effect on Everton. They were not usurped in any deals by Chelsea (if you shop at Tesco you aren't too bothered by those that shop at Harrods). However, it was interesting to see the other recent big spenders - Liverpool, Man U, Arsenal anxiously looking over their shoulders and assessing whether the rapidly assembled squad at Stamford Bridge can mount a serious challenge this season.
We shall see.
Meanwhile Everton's task (and David Moyes') is to continue the good work that formed the basis of last season. But even with the maturing Rooney, it seems a bit of an uphill task without some fresh faces, particularly in mid-field.
August 2003
Back to the J D Williams Home Page
One headline that could summarise the pathetic and disappointing season that has just ended is "The storm clouds continue to gather". After a so-so start and a mediocre mid season (nothing like the "new dawn" of David Moyes' first season) the end of the season was catastrophic, and Everton finished fourth bottom. To many fans this seemed suspiciously like a complete collapse of will once the relegation of Leeds, Wolves and Leicester was confirmed. It seemed as obvious as that. For some reason the team packed up physically and mentally and the excitement of last season's "Will they/wont they qualify for Europe" was never a remote possibility. So the progress of Moyes' first season in charge was emphatically not continued. Obviously, the fans, who had continued to buy both season and away tickets in huge numbers wanted to know the reason for the slump, asking questions such as -
The truth is hard to establish (and as ever is a matter of opinion) but seems to contain elements of all the questions.
Are the players not good enough?Are they not trying?
This seems to be of increasing importance with whispers that Moyes "has lost the changing room", the theory being that his continual
moans re under achievement have turned the players against further effort.
Is the Manager picking the wrong team?
Not really, there is so little choice in what is a poor squad, that most fit players have had a reasonable crack of the whip. The exception being Jeffers (another mid season recruit) who just seems not to be on Moyes' wavelength and was released back to Arsenal at the end of the season. To be fair he appeared to be a shadow of the talent that originally left Everton.
Does he know what's gone wrong?
This is difficult to say. The word on the street seems to be that Moyes thinks that many of the team are under performing wastrels and do not put in sufficient effort. This may well be true, but there is a limit of the number of times that the excuse can be used. There is also a huge question as to whether it is prudent for a manager with so few options to alienate the meagre talent at his disposal.
So it is apparent that Everton are at a moment of crisis. There is no money or any likelihood of a benevolent millionaire funding some form of transformation.
The Board's dilemma must be either sticking with Moyes and somehow funding his required revolution (unlikely) or cutting their losses and opting for a less abrasive candidate prepared to work with the current crew (also unlikely). As the Irishman said, "If I was going there I wouldn't start from here".
May 2004
The 2004 summer was awful. The sunny weather arrived late and was sporadic, the rain fell incessantly making the farmers complain bitterly, and even sales of ice cream were reported as "disappointing". In amongst this doom and gloom there were Everton fans complaining bitterly about the collapse of the team at the end of last season with the razor thin escape from relegation. The ownership of the club was questioned (not so much who owned the place but why wasn't there any money for significant transfers?) and the media put Everton at the top of, or very near to the top of the relegation list for season 2004/5.
Then came Euro 2004 and the international flowering of a football genius. Rooney was seen as the star of the tournament and the world was at his feet. And he was a Blue. Perhaps things weren't so bad after all.
So the summer passed with essentially one subject dominating the Everton horizon. How much money could be found to allow Manager Moyes to buy sufficiently talented players to
Was it possible for Everton to sink any further?
Well, yes. The frantic search for funds by Kenwright were unsuccessful and the transfer deadline passed with Moyes signing only 3 bargain basement players. The club even managed to botch the auction/transfer of Rooney (between Newcastle and MUFC) such that the £27m fee (rumoured by the very disgruntled fans to be partially caused by Bank overdraft pressure) arrived from MUFC too near the deadline to permit any incoming significant dealing.
In all this political manoeuvring and team disruption, Moyes played a considerable calming influence, providing press comments absolutely along the party line - "Yes we must do all we can to keep Wayne" and "We must all pull together to ensure continuing Premiership football". Absolute anodyne comments and almost ignored in the media frenzy surrounding Rooney's transfer to a club seen as being a more suitable home for him.
And so the first game arrived and Arsenal came to Goodison, calmly took Everton to pieces, scored 4 goals and fulfilled the media prediction that Everton were 1st division bound.
Then something strange happened, the following Saturday Everton went away to Crystal Palace and won, then they beat West Brom, Manchester City, Middlesborough and Portsmouth and drew at Old Trafford. Suddenly things looked slightly different. Instead of being third bottom (or worse) they were third top and even six points clear of Liverpool. What the hell had happened? Had the players not read the script? At this rate Moyes will not need a transfer budget.
So at the time of writing a threadbare squad is performing well above its supposed capability and actually playing some decent(ish) football. The fans are enjoying it while it lasts, but normal service will be resumed shortly, I fear.(The incoming investment is still not definite, so when normal service does resume it is questionable that Moyes will have funds for the January transfer window.)
Its a funny old game.
In a nutshell, after a thrashing by Arsenal in the opening game of the season, Everton "bonded", went from strength to strength up to Christmas, then wobbled, exited from the FA cup, subsequently rallied, and managed to claim 4th place in the table and therefore entry into next season's Champions League.
The quicker you say it, the better it sounds - imagine, finishing ahead of everyone except Chelsea, Arsenal and Man U!
Its a funny old game.
The truth is, of course, a bit more prosaic. Everton were a pretty good model of consistency up to Christmas and thoroughly deserved their position near the top. The team was built around 5 in midfield with Marcus Bent (a summer bargain basement purchase) as the lone striker. As to whether this formation was a spark of genius by David Moyes or simply the only structure available to him is a moot point. But it certainly worked (and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Moyes should be congratulated that the 4 - 5 - 1 formation has been copied elsewhere in the Premier League) but it is no exaggeration to say that although the wound of Rooney's transfer was still very tender the steady accumulation of points was a hell of a welcome relief.
So via a prodigious work rate from a rock solid back four (with Stubbs outstanding in the middle), equal effort from midfield (with Carsley breaking up opposition attacks and Graveson pushing forward) and, up front, Bent running till he dropped, Everton became the surprise package of the season, although, to be fair, apart from the usual candidates the rest of the Premier League were extremely ordinary.
Then came Christmas and the mid season transfer window. On the debit side Graveson was sold to Real Madrid (for a reported £2m) and Moyes was able to spend some of the Rooney transfer money that had arrived too late to be spent before the close season transfer window closed in August. So in came James Beattie (from Southampton) and Mikel Arteta (from Rangers via a brief spell at Real Sociedad). But the spell had been broken. The spark that had been evident pre Christmas was sadly lacking chiefly in midfield where the absence of mad dog Graveson was calamitous. Although Beattie was hailed (by the club) as the new saviour, he looked sadly unfit and correspondingly slow. And of course if he played up front with Bent then the whole team formation had to be disrupted, whereas if he played as the lone striker without Bent then it was immediately obvious that he could not forage on his own. Anyway, just as he seemed to be bedding in he was sent off for nutting Gallas in the Goodison Chelsea match and the rumours re a waste of £6m continued to grow. As far as Arteta was concerned he did a Beattie in reverse and after a slow cautious start became a bit of a favourite in midfield where, although a bit lightweight, he introduced a bit of the guile that had been sadly lacking since Graveson's departure.
Whilst all this was taking place on the pitch there were masses of rumours re additional funding from various sources particularly the far east (still awaited!) although the fans adopted a far more reasonable "we'll believe it when we see it" view and left the press to speculate on the influx of money (which anyway couldn't be spent until the season had ended).
It is greatly to the team's and David Moyes' credit that through all this rumoured funds inflow and (far more importantly, the loss of form) everyone just kept their heads down and worked away at (sometimes fairly scrappy) single goal wins that just about retained 4th place.
So the season meandered to an end. Towards the end Everton managed a creditable win against Man U (to offset a humiliation by Arsenal in the last week of the season) and the other teams competing for 4th place (Liverpool, Bolton and just possibly Middlesborough) fell away and so the precious Champions League spot was clinched.
In summary it was a bit of a curate's egg of a season. Moyes' hard work ethic produced fantastic results at times with the club punching well above their weight, but when hard work was insufficient the sky fell in - Arsenal beat Everton 3 times in the season (twice in the league and once in the league cup), Manchester United swatted an inept Everton out of the FA cup (with Rooney swaggering round the pitch at Goodison to remind the club what might have been) and Liverpool tore into Everton at Anfield and outclassed them. So it is quite possible to argue that Everton are in the Champions League because of other teams failures but equally it is possible to argue that in transforming a team from dead cert relegation candidate into 4th spot makes David Moyes undoubtedly the Manager of the Year and, as many fans have said, "Who needs Rooney?".
The interesting conjecture is, with 6 of the current players out of contract (and not all of them offered new terms), some money to spend (with a potential honey pot from the Champions League) and a rumour (yet again!) of new potential investors - just what team will we see next season? I can hardly wait.
June 2005
By the end of September (six weeks into the new season), Everton were bottom of the Premier League, out of the Champions League and out of the UEFA cup. Thus a season that during the summer break had beckoned most enticingly plunged immediately into crisis and chaos. During the summer David Moyes had a clear out and rid himself of Alan Stubbs, Steve Watson and initially Alexandro Pistone (although the latter subsequently accepted a new contract when he failed to find a club in his native Italy). Duncan Ferguson the old crowd favourite was retained on a contract that was presumably favourable to both himself and the club. Thus the squad was presumably being moulded into a group of players that Moyes wanted and thought capable of holding their own in the coming European campaign.
Therefore, shorn of excuses (and the supporters were aware that the club was one of the close season's moderate, if not big, spenders) Moyes had little explanation for the abysmal state of play.
There appeared to be three factors evident in the regrettable state of affairs.
But whatever the reason the impression is that as far as a lot of the fans are concerned Mr Moyes could be on borrowed time if the situation does not improve very soon. Its one thing to drag along the bottom of the Premiership when a manager is desperately fighting relegation after just taking over but it is very different when a season of huge achievement is followed by a clearout, fresh recruitment and an immediate failure.
Watch this space.