'Glass ceiling' frustrates Neville

, 9 September, 16comments  |  Jump to most recent
Satisfaction with mediocrity at Everton, like finishing seventh but above Liverpool, really rankles with the Everton captain, who feels that if he leaves the club without a medal for winning a trophy, then for him that would be a failure.

He told Steven Tongue of The Independent: "I want to keep playing for as long as I can, at least one more year at the top level if I can. I still have ambitions. For instance, I've always wanted to sample playing abroad, a different culture and different life-experience for all the family. Time's running out, I know, and if the gaffer [David Moyes] comes to me in January and wants me to stay another year then the decision's made for me."

Referring to finishing above Liverpool last season for some Evertonians that appears to be enough, ideally with a derby victory thrown in: "It's something that rankles with me, something I've not bought into at all," he said. "If one team finishes seventh and the other is eighth, you get the bragging rights but with nothing to show for it. Liverpool have been so successful over the years and Everton have to had to swallow it. I totally understand that and I can relate to Evertonians when it comes to derby day, but how great it would be if we actually won a trophy.

"I'm not sure Liverpool have the same outlook. They probably look at the bigger picture, they want to win the League, the FA Cup and the League Cup, and that's the mentality we should have. Last year Kenny Dalglish won the Carling Cup and got the sack, so it shows what the expectations are."

"The cup final defeat was my lowest time at the club," said Neville. "It was when I questioned myself all summer as to whether as captain I was good enough to win something with Everton, because we had probably the best team I've played in here. We'd beaten Liverpool, Villa, Middlesbrough and Man United and it was like being in the big time again, living on the edge with the sort of pressure I love. But the final was just one game too many."

"Finishing fifth or sixth for us is almost like winning the League. Getting into the Champions' League is almost a miracle. So it's an unbelievable achievement to finish in the places that we do."

"The worst bit for me is at the end of the season when we finish fifth or sixth or seventh and there's a real sense of satisfaction round the club. But for me success is winning trophies and medals. Finishing in that position gives me a sense of achievement but there's still an emptiness inside me because we haven't got anything to show for it. If I leave Everton at the end of my time and haven't got a medal then as captain I'd see that for myself as a failure. As I say, finishing fifth is like winning the League and yet it gripes me all summer."

"I've always had long contracts in the past and coming to the last year you can be fearful, but I'm quite excited. The three days I had with the England Under-21s were, well, life-changing. I really got the bug. My strength has always been in professionalism and preparation, and coaching is just an extension of that. It gave me a real insight into what I want to do.

"I've got my A-licence now, I go to games and study methods and read a lot. I've always been into the fitness side, my [twin] sister's a conditioning coach so I tap into that. I'm a long way short of being a coach or manager but I'm trying to learn all aspects of it. I think some managers go into it under-prepared, and I don't want to be one of those."

Quotes or other material sourced from The Independent



Reader Comments (16)

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Mick Davies
1 Posted 09/09/2012 at 15:34:42
Until Moyes ditches the 'don't get beat at all costs' mentality, we will never win a thing. This surely has to be his best chance of winning something, and if it's the League Cup, he will go down in history as the first Everton manager to win it. I would prefer the league title but what an incentive for Moyes that is...
Paul Gladwell
2 Posted 09/09/2012 at 15:41:37
To be fair Mick, its in the paper today we are third in the form table from the start of the year behind City and Utd, but I agree games like the Semi last year he needs a little bit of Harry Redknapp about him to go further.
Si Cooper
3 Posted 09/09/2012 at 16:25:50
"Referring to finishing above Liverpool last season for some Evertonians that appears to be enough, ideally with a derby victory thrown in."

Should have told the interviewer to shove it with this piece of RS propaganda. Seriously, are there any Evertonians for whom that counts as a satisfactory season? Better than nothing perhaps, but never 'enough'!

Kevin Tully
4 Posted 09/09/2012 at 16:53:54
That's the attitude every player AND everyone at Everton FC should have.

If we think a top-half finish is a success, we will never win a trophy again.

Resign yourself to losing because the other side has more money — then you will.

James Stewart
5 Posted 09/09/2012 at 17:13:39
He is right in terms of his outlook on things. The irony is that it's players of his limited quality that will impose that glass ceiling. I admire his professionalism but he is just not good enough for a club in the top 6.
Barry Rathbone
6 Posted 09/09/2012 at 17:20:51
Agree with him particularly about the fans.

Kenwright getting clapped and the abuse the BU gets tells you all you need to know.

Joe McMahon
7 Posted 09/09/2012 at 20:11:31
Barry (651) - Bang on the nail.

Also even IF (thats a big if as we have never been for sale) we ever get bought, we will also need a new manager. There has been no real change in tactics for over a decade.

Brendan McLaughlin
8 Posted 09/09/2012 at 20:21:56
Barry #651
You don't see the contradiction in that post?
Barry Rathbone
9 Posted 09/09/2012 at 20:52:07
No Brendan I await your analysis with baited breath.
Jimmy Sørheim
10 Posted 09/09/2012 at 22:53:05
Neville should just retire right now, he has no real ability left to play in the Premier League. Why Moyes keeps him around beats me, but everybody knows Moyes has his favourites; no matter how old they are, they still start every game.
Derek Thomas
11 Posted 10/09/2012 at 00:10:40
Me too.

I think Pip has it right: 5th (or 6th... 7th) is NOT the new 1st. Fellaini has seen it as well and knows which side he thinks his bread is buttered on. 18 months or so ago, his Dad seemed to think that Chelsea were / should / might be knocking on his door, but for there to be a seller, willing or not, there first has to be a willing buyer.

These two pieces should be enough, if it were needed, to dampen any optimism.

They may even be giving Moyes food for thought.

Jonathan Tasker
12 Posted 10/09/2012 at 08:25:47
The good news is we probably only need to finish in the top half to be above the other lot this season – well first half of the season anyway!
Tony J Williams
13 Posted 10/09/2012 at 09:01:56
Jimmy he probably keeps him around, as we play better as a team with him in it. He is the captain and makes noises like a captain.

As much as I like Hibbert as a defender, the team plays better when Pip is at right back and getting involved with the games.

John Jeffrey
14 Posted 10/09/2012 at 10:09:02
Tony, I agree with that.
Matt Traynor
15 Posted 10/09/2012 at 12:11:51
Si #634, too often on these pages opinions are spouted that would suggest indeed that, finishing above them and in 7th is acceptable. There are some who seem resigned to our position in the game, with no money and a busted financial model that sees us depending on increases in TV money to increase our turnover. To suggest that the club has been mis-managed off the field whilst others around us have seized the commercial opportunities presented to them is to be labelled a militant / BU-type.

Yes our form has, on the whole, been excellent from the January transfer window, where once again Moyes shuffled his cards despite the crap hand he's constantly dealt. Accepting that there will be blips from time-to-time (like losing to a very good WBA side last time out) I don't think it is churlish to point out the flaws of the the last 2 derby defeats - the surrender at Anfield before the team went onto the pitch, and lack of belief at Wembley. So my 2012 report card is "Done well, room for improvement".

Si Cooper
16 Posted 10/09/2012 at 18:09:04
Matt (#832), there is a difference between accepting the reality of our situation, and being 'satisfied' by it. I don't actually believe that anyone who posts on TW thinks that way, it is just that some try to tone down or deflect criticism of players / management / board. Some get it wrong and may simply appear as unambitious, but none wouldn't be ecstatic if we won the league but lost both derbies on the way.

"I'm not sure Liverpool have the same outlook. They probably look at the bigger picture, they want to win the League, the FA Cup and the League Cup, and that's the mentality we should have. Last year Kenny Dalglish won the Carling Cup and got the sack, so it shows what the expectations are." Don't the Everton players want to win these things, because the fans certainly do? LFC are hardly in a position where they expect to win these things nowadays. Dogleash got sacked for patently over-paying for poor players and making them poorer overall, not just because he didn't win the league (despite the ridiculous hype before the season started).

Get this accusation a lot; that the derby is our 'cup final' and we only care about our position in relation to the RS. Myself, and all my mates who are Evertonians, may love to beat them but we would love to have some tangible success (something that gives us a trophy or qualification for Europe) much more. Finishing third to their second would be much better for us than finishing 6th to their 7th or any variation thereof.

Pip should have said something like "Of course all Evertonians crave real success for their club, and it is insulting to suggest anything else, but the team are the ones who make it happen on the pitch (and the board and the manager are the ones who assemble the team). Until we can provide something more for them to be happy about, then it is not surprising that they enjoy the small 'victories' of winning derbies and finishing higher than the team that share the city."


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