Well here we are, a 13th place finish, same as last season and just one more point, not the progress we thought we were making just a few short months ago and I can’t believe I’m feeling let down and disappointed but here we are.
There are some big decisions for The Friedkin Group to consider now, it’s not ended well and there are questions for the recruitment team, the manager and the players to answer. The owners need to decide what they want and what is acceptable as they undoubtedly will assess the season.
And also, of course, another season ends trophy-less, the expectancy was that this one was all about showing some progress, putting in the foundations to build on, in some respects there has been some progress, but David Moyes talked about a “drama-free year” and, yes, it’s good to see the back of the headline laden turmoil of the years prior to his arrival but not getting past first base in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup was deflating and made the chance of ending the 31 year wait for silverware seem further away than ever.
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Alan Myers shares concerns of Everton’s trophy chances
This week I asked a question on social media of Everton fans aged 30 and under how they perceive the club and whether the history of Everton mattered to them. The replies were quite revealing, whilst most respected the glory days and enjoyed the recollections of these from older fans, there was an overwhelming sense that most felt they wouldn’t see a trophy win any time soon.
That was a disgraceful performance from Everton… something has to change! 😤
It’s a sad indictment for a club like Everton, with a huge, passionate fan base and a history of cup successes that there is a malaise among a crucial demographic of the support.
So, the big question is, how do you bring a trophy to Everton Football Club? What is it going to take? How do you change the failure of the past 31 years? What is the missing element at this Club compared to a number of its competitors?
Somehow since 1995 the narrative changed from winners to also-rans and what makes that more frustrating is that in that period there have been some great players at the club, some really good teams put together by good managers and we’ve even seen one of the world’s most successful managers take the helm.
There has been money to spend at times too, it was spent badly, but why can teams like Aston Villa, Newcastle and Crystal Palace all succeed where Everton fall short. People cite the pressure of the history taking a toll on players and managers at the club but there’s certainly similar pressures at the likes of former European champions Villa and they have managed it, even overcoming a relegation in the process.
People talk a lot about culture in football, there’s a saying that ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ I believe there is a lot of truth in that. I also feel at times there has been an all too easy acceptance when the club exits a competition. To be clear, I’m not saying people don’t care or try, because they do, I know that first hand having been part of it on two occasions, however I do feel the club may have fallen into a psychological trap of acceptance when disappointment comes.
It now falls on owners, The Friedkin Group, to change the norm. For me the club needs to rediscover an edge, have an ‘uncomfortable dissatisfaction’ of failure and find an intensity again.
The Friedkins have a big task this summer to resolve Everton concerns
It’s nearly one and a half years since TFG took control of the club, in that time they have changed the manager and overseen the move from Goodison Park to Hill Dickinson Stadium, that’s quite a big change to deal with so they deserve to be cut some slack for that.
Of course they are not to blame for 99.9% of the trophy-less years but it is on them now to change the status quo, their ownership cannot be about anything else but getting the club back winning cups again. Words are meaningless, it’s not about empty platitudes but there is a need to understand how they see their investment, what they want from it.
How do you even sum up that performance? 😡
Utterly woeful from Everton on the final day…
Since their arrival, they have begun a streamlining of the business, something that was needed, that process remains ongoing. They’ve also raised the quality of the club’s commercial activities, helped by the new stadium, they have attracted some stellar names and they should be applauded for that too.
However, they haven’t got everything right, I’ve mentioned the lack of communication, or even attendance at the club before, which I believe is at best discourteous and at worst concerning. I am not suggesting an all singing, dancing parade each match day as I say but an acknowledgment of the fans and an insight into how they see the club moving forward would be welcomed.
There is also the concern of pricing, both at the stadium and ticketing, there is a line to where you can take these and I know a number of supporter groups feel that line is approaching fast and whilst the club remains in the trophy wilderness that will only become more focused.
Whatever the issues, as I say it’s relatively early days and for the most part the club feels stable again and there is a lot to be pleased about but pressure comes on you quickly in football, results will determine how comfortable life is for any ownership, and the last month of this season hasn’t done much to make fans believe things are changing quickly enough. I don’t think any Everton fan truly expects miracles but they do want to see tangible progress and as we reflect at the end of another season there is a fragile willingness to allow the decision makers to make the right decisions during another crucial summer of transfer business.
You cannot choose when it’s the right time to get European football, you cannot choose to accept a season of stability, if the opportunity arises to move forward sooner than expected you have to take it and deal with it and that’s why many fans feel as though it’s been an ultimately disappointing end to the season.
Everton and TFG need to be ready no matter what stage of growth it believes it’s in and the next few months will give an insight into the owner’s intentions.
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