18 Jul 2018 12:41:40
It's patently obvious that many outside Everton - especially players and agents (and certainly other fans and pundits! ) - regard the club as a mid-table side because we haven't genuinely challenged for (let alone won! ) trophies or qualified for the Champions League for years.
The fact that we have the financial banking of Farhad Moshiri and a new management team in Brands and Silva might enthuse many Evertonians, but we are still seen by the rest of the world as not being challengers to the top-six.
So, players (especially under advice from astute agents) will only come here if the wages are way above what's offered elsewhere AND they will surely want to use Everton as a "stepping stone" to eventually move to a club at the "next level".
Players like Sandro chose us, so it seems, for the big wages, while players like Lukaku clearly chose to leave and move up a level. While we may well now struggle to move on the high-earners (like Sandro and Klaassen) , we have been successful in getting big transfer fees for the likes of Lukaku and Stones.
It will probably take Brands and Silva a few seasons (and transfer windows) to establish the club as a preferred choice for the better players, so until then I guess we'll have to accept that the coming and going of players will be driven purely by what the club is prepared to pay (wages and transfer fees for new signings) and by negotiating the best possible transfer fees for players who want to move on.
Even so, we still want the club to show ambition and intent - albeit that we the fans, should imho temper our hopes and expectations with patience and realism. If we start playing entertaining, attacking, winning football - and start performing like we are genuine challengers - then I'll be content to enjoy how things develop.
18 Jul 2018 14:29:32
I suppose it’s what do you call a mid table side now, as I would say anywhere from 7th - 17th seems to be called that these days from 6th upwards your mentioned as top 4.
18 Jul 2018 14:34:54
Very fair summary there Bobby.
18 Jul 2018 17:09:09
As a fan for over 40 years, I can confirm our club is 100% a mid table club. It's a fact. Anyone who argues against is so deluded they need to be sectioned.
The money man has come but 15 years too late. He's come and it's exciting (relatively) but its only put us on a par with all the other mid table clubs.
It's a long road to 4th. And I don't mean a fluke year where everything falls in our lap and everyone of the usual suspects has a stinker. I mean it's a long road to be considered a favourite with the bookies, football fans and players, that brand Everton are an expected top 4 candidate.
I hope we get there. But that Columbian wacko isn't far wrong. for now.
18 Jul 2018 18:58:58
Myteams has hit the nail on the head. It has taken Spuds about 8 years of continual investment on players and stadium in order to get where they are. Added to which they have been fortunate with Kane. Perhaps if we had invested to the same degree, Rooney would have stayed with us and we would have added to his quality. As it happens we have had a succession of very good players who have come in young and been sold on for profit to be re-invested. some wisely and some not so wisely. Stones, Fellaini, Arteta and more recently Lukau have all been bought and sold for major profit. Rooney also balanced the books at his time. One of my ongoing gripes has been how we have not done well with signings since Moyes left. Lukaku aside we have had a succession of players come and go and at a loss rather than profit. I am not praising Moyes here. more stating how as a club we have lost our ability to spot a star in the making (Pickford aside it seems) Yes there may be others coming through. DCL Lookman etc but none of them are currently making huge names as yet (Pickford aside) . We are a club striving to achieve top 6 and maybe even top 4. When I started supporting Everton we were striving to win the league, win the FA cup and with a European competition. We are a million miles away from that right now.
18 Jul 2018 19:25:58
We’ve had ups and downs throughout our history, but the years since the highs of the mid-1980s have been indicative of the lack of leadership and boldness at board level.
The European ban was particularly devastating, but we’ve had plenty of time to recover from that.
However, from being one of the “big five†instigating the Premier League, we’ve not progressed as other clubs clearly have.
We may now have the financial backing of Farhad Moshiri, but the other clubs are also well-financed, so to attempt to reach the top six (let alone top four) is harder than its ever been. The clubs that are in the Champions League have the income (from that competition and the corresponding Premier League prize money (from finishing in the CL places) and the commercial/ matchday revenue that their on-field success generates.
I also hope that we get there under Brands and Silva - especially as the new stadium at BMD surely needs to be hosting a winning Everton.