COLUMNIST JIM HOURIGAN
Taking Stock on Three Fronts
Comments (8) : Firstly destination Destination Kirkby, and let me say from the outset you are either for or against and thats all that needs to be said the arguments have been done to death! However, the decision would appear to have had a massive impact on the morale and feeling around the club, whether you agree or not about destination Destination Kirkby the very short period between now and the start of the public enquiry has created a sense of uncertainty and unease. Perhaps had there been a 12 or 18 month gap then the club and the supporters could have concentrated on footballing matters and the palpable sense of being in limbo land would not have been felt.
The impact (NOT THE DECISION), seems to have created a very negative feeling around the club that has ripples and tendrils that have been felt everywhere, not least of all in my second area leadership, or should I say lack of. Many will have heard the saying that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well in our case the leadership of the club just seem to have gone.
This is a time for the people at the top to stand up and pin their colours to the mast, to tell us what their vision for the club is and to lead us forward. In times of uncertainty and doubt good leadership does not disappear it stands up to be counted and has the strength of character and belief to tell us which direction the bus is going and also that if we don't like the direction then to get off. Very hard and very dispassionate perhaps but good leadership none the less and perhaps even one that whilst we might disagree fundamentally with, we accept is at least honest. Instead we are left with sound bite statements from an almost non existent chairman, the resignation of the CEO and nothing from anyone else.
Leadership at the poorest level and even if Bill Kenwright is looking for alternative investment the fact of the matter is he is still the chairman and has a moral and business obligation to lead and if that is beyond him then he needs to appoint another to do so. The lack of leadership will not be changed by the signing of Moutinho or anyone else and as the close season has dragged us painfully into the season proper (and the poor start), I am left with an overriding feeling of a ship with no rudder and no direction.
Finally what about the Captain? What can we say about Davd Moyes's position at present? Like many I share the belief that his body language and demeanor are visibly negative and downbeat and the sense of optimism about the future has gone. In many managerial / executive posts that deal with taking things forward and trying to be creative and original, rather than just having to maintain the status quo, there often comes a time when what you want and more importantly how you want to do it, is at odds with the company. This invariably does not occur after a falling out or a calamitous event but creeps up on you and before you know it you are in the wrong place.
The question then is what do you do about it? Staying and attempting to change the company is more often than not a futile exercise but something that most do because the alternative is leaving. I believe Moyes is in that place now. He has made mistakes over the summer in his transfer dealings, to get one wrong (Love) could be described as par for the course, to get 2 wrong (M'Bia) could be described as coincidental but 3 (Moutinho) is poor management, and Moyes must take his share of the blame.
To not have brought midfield recruits in before the first game of the season is rank bad management and I wonder if it is because his heart is no longer in the job, despite what he says in public, and don't forget he has still made no real effort to sign a contract. At the end of the day he knows his job is insecure and his tenure is already one of the longest in the Premiership. He will not come out and say derogatory things because he doesn't want the sack, but what he is saying and how he says it has the air of a man who has come to the parting of the ways.
I think deep down he realises that what he wants to achieve will not now be achieved at Everton, but human nature as it is, being in a job under sufferance for the majority of us is better than being unemployed . Even if he makes 2 or 3 more signings I think that this is the beginning of the end and that he is showing this through his body language. Good leadership would also realise this and act accordingly but as I argued above that is sadly lacking.
So where does that leave us on the 3 fronts? Well, for me in a poor place with the little room for optimism. We won't get relegated ( I hope), but neither do I believe we will challenge domestically or in Europe, not because we have poor players or because we have suddenly become a poor team, but because the club is bereft of confidence and is rudderless. No leadership at the top, a manager who looks like he wants out and a club that is still in limbo land with no discernable future. Not an optimistic view I know but my optimism has been drained daily by the in-fighting about Destination Kirkby, the lack of openness by the club and the dearth of playing staff on the field. Please can we start this season again?
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If he’s fed up then get out & let someone else do the job.
COYB
As Adrian Chiles says on MOTD2 with regularity, it’s the hope hope that gets you in the end. He and We had the hope and it’s now looking more likely a mid table finish than a Euro one (still have hopes though) so if he looks a bit pissed off I don’t blame him.
Also, in times of strife where ever that may be, sometimes you have to allow your ego to synchronise with your super ego. Once that is done and you’re not fighting inside anymore and then you can move on for the better.
He is now between a rock and a hard place because he told the players that we would be building a top 4 side gradually and he now feels he has let them and the supporters down.
He IS a man of principle unlike Bullshit Billy and therefore is wearing his guilt around his demeanour and he cant decide whether to go or stay out of misguided loyalty.
He is not the greatest manager as a lot of people have posted over the years but nobody can criticise his achievements and his principled approach to life and I fear we will not get a manager more suited to the club and supporters.
So I urge all Evertonians please dont turn on the man now when he’s down save that anger and frustration for so called "Blue Bill" who has run the upstairs operation like a pantomine from day 1.
How do Liverpool sign 10 players? How can they get an 19-year-old today from Brazil who doesn?t need a work permit?? What the hell is going on???
I don?t want to be a doom and gloom merchant but, if we had too small a sqaud last year (Moyes?s words), we?ve now got an even smaller one, so I would pull out the Uefa and FA cups now before we are embarrassed too much!!
Was this our reward for winning last years ’ How many defenders can you play in one team challenge ’ ?
I think David Moyes is a thoroughly disillusioned man. I believe that he thought he had got us to where we had a realistic chance of cementing a top six place and that, with the signings he wanted, we might even be fighting realistically for the 4th spot.
Now, whatever has happened in the Summer, has seen an end to those dreams. I can understand those who say "Get a grip, you’re paid to manage," but my own view is that he is dispirited and all his body language is showing that he’s finding great difficulty in motivating himself, let alone the players.
I think there is something seriously wrong with our club, whether thats due to the stadium, the credit crunch, lousy negotiating, who knows.
To not get all of our transfer targets is fully understandable, no club is likely to get them all, well accept maybe for Chelsea.
To not get some of our targets is fair enough, there’s a lot of competition out there.
But not to get ONE of our targets!! well that is bloody farcical, or would be if it wasn’t so serious. Mind you, there’s just on five hours to go, so I might be well out, with M’Bia and Moutinho both coming in tonight.
We’ve all seen the Kenwright interview where he talks about the mouth watering array of talent that Moyes had laid before him. Now it sounds like Mr Micawber, not the Chairman of Everton Football Club (unfortunately they may be one and the same!)
I come home tonight to find that Man City have been taken over by one of the richest men in the world!! and its only a couple of weeks ago that Shinnawatra said he may have to sell!
Forn crying out loud Mr Kenwright, you’ve supposed to have been looking, what was it "24/7" for investment. Although, for all I know they may have looked at us and said "F*** that for a game of soldiers!"
It’s not so much "Band of Brothers" now, I fear its "Band of Hope."
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1 Posted 01/09/2008 at 09:53:25
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Wyness & Kenright’s failings were not a surprise, though the depth of the Chairmans ineptitude is shocking.
His complete lack of day to day ’Hands on’ knowledge, directionless ramblings and failure to ’Lead from the front’ highlighted by his ’Don’t ask me I’m only a fan’ comments were frightening.
The most disappointing for me though has been Moyes. I rate Davey & think he has on balance done a very good job but I do see his weaknesses and they have this summer conspired against him. This was definitely been made worse by the failure to appoint a replacement assistant manager quickly. The lack of a trusted deputy to share the burden tell him when he’s going wrong is invaluable to strong managers.
The main problem is that he has started to believe his ’ Own press’ and has consequently lost sight of the realities of his & our clubs situation. He has quite rightly received much praise for his efforts, most tellingly from his peers i.e the other league managers.The press and other football fans have picked up on this and sung his praises without picking up on his faults that many of us closer to the club have seen.
I for one certainly don’t think that his record on transfer dealings is anywhere near as amazing as many on this site seem to think. He has had some notable successes but overall it’s mixed and we’ve had more than our fair share of real shockers.
His man management skills are also somewhat limited and indeed he has admitted to this himself and tried to adapt his style. Unfortunnately this summer I believe he’s resorted to type & lost the dressing room again.
He also does not react quickly enough to events off or on the field & this inflexibility is now causing us problems.
I hope Elsom, Kenright & especially Moyes do step back and take stock of where we are.
We need cool heads, leadership & flexibiltity ( a plan B & C would be a start ) or risk throwing away all that has been gained in recents seasons.
I for one am not holding my breath though as rather than ’ Taking stock on 3 fronts’ I fear our club will be ’TAKING THE PISS ON ALL FRONTS’ for the forseeable future !