For Everton, frustration mounts in watching foes spend big

, 2 September, 15comments  |  Jump to most recent
Andy Glockner highlights the Blues' perennial dilemma posed by the monied elite's ability to continually out-spend them in the chase for fourth place.

» Read the full article at Sports Illustrated



Reader Comments (15)

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Jack Cross
1 Posted 02/09/2014 at 22:58:48
Unfortunately that's what we at Everton have to come to terms with until we have a major take over. We can't go on dreaming about what we could do with money that we haven't got, and might never have. We are nearly there, I'd say. And we have as good of a squad as many.

The problem is our depth, getting injuries and not adequate cover (Europe). But we will have to cope. I think 4th place is a big ask this season although we have strengthened our team of last season. Last season we simply threw 4th place away and it was there for the taking. But all the top four have invested heavily and I think it showed against Chelsea, that this season 4th place wont be as easy to hold, especially if we make the mistakes against lesser teams of last season.

I think if we finish 6th we'll of had a good season, a good run in Europe and if we could add some silverware from league cup or FA cup well that would do me just fine. But to do anything, we will have to sort our defence out very, very quickly because Jags and Dis look ragged.

So let's hope Roberto, has something up his sleeve, because attacking passing football is fabulous to watch, but we not going to get very far if our defence is like a sieve.

Mark Andersson
2 Posted 02/09/2014 at 23:38:32
How can two professional athletes look jagged after just 3 games.
Patrick Murphy
3 Posted 02/09/2014 at 23:39:59
If we don't manage to match or better last season's points tally I dearly hope that we can add a trophy as this will help to keep the momentum going a failure to finish in the top 8 and no trophy will set RM's project back a bit.
Jack Cross
4 Posted 02/09/2014 at 23:49:25
Mark Andersson. I don't no Mark, but they both look like they need a long rest to me.
Jack Cross
5 Posted 03/09/2014 at 00:14:34
Maybe it's to do with the training Mark. I remember when Distin first came in under Moyes, he said that every day after training he had to have a nap. But after several weeks he felt fitter than he had ever felt.

All the team look out of sorts to me, just some to different degrees to others. So whatever method Roberto is using it don't seem to be working does it?

Ant Dwyer
6 Posted 03/09/2014 at 01:34:45
Jack, you sound pretty spot on to me, mate! Not entirely sure on our training or pre-season but I think it’s fair to say it has not worked accordingly.

As for the spending situation, I’m never convinced by anything about us so, in some ways, I was pretty happy with the money spent and the fact we lost no-one, even though we should probably have had even more to spend after previous sales along with TV revenue etc.

One thing that always worry a me is the thought of losing one/some of our better assets; we spent more than normal, does that mean we have thrown a bit of extra into it to seal top 4? If so, does it mean that, if we fail to get into the top 4, we will lose a major player?

Always a worry as a blue!!

Jim Bennings
7 Posted 03/09/2014 at 17:34:25
Perhaps we really need to prioritize the Cups this year and try and finally end this long wait for silverware??

At the end of the day, hand in heart there is not much hope in terms of us getting 4th, We don’t have a big enough, quality enough squad.

Its all well and good banging on about our great midfield options but are they really top 4 material?

Can the likes of Atsu, McGeady, Besic make the right matchwinning decisions on a game by game basis?
Is Pienaar past it? Probably.
We know Osman is.

Barry and McCarthy are good holding players but offer nothing going forwards.
What will Barkley react like after his injury?

Can Lukaku score 20 goals?
Can Eto’o stay fit?

We don’t have enough options in defence.
We don’t have adequate cover for Howard if he loses form again or injury hits.

All in all maybe Moyes would have been more fondly remembered at Everton if he had won a trophy?
A trophy winning manager and the players of that team go down in history.
Moyes was always a very good nearly man, always nearly but not quite.

I’d love to see Martinez with a trophy in his hands come February or May.

Now that would be fitting to that big mural standing proudly on the Main Stand.

Patrick Murphy
8 Posted 03/09/2014 at 17:57:18
The only priority that any Everton manager should have is to try and win the next game in the fixture list. Any picking and choosing generally leads to lack of focus and a slap in the face. Number one priority is to win enough games to stay in the division, as soon as that is achieved we can start to think about what is important to the club.
Colin Glassar
9 Posted 03/09/2014 at 18:00:57
I think a health warning should be put on some threads e.g. This is not for people who are inclined to suffer from bouts of depression.
Harold Matthews
10 Posted 03/09/2014 at 18:09:44
Colin. I was thinking exactly the same thing. Happy days.
Jim Bennings
11 Posted 03/09/2014 at 18:33:54
Bloody heck Patrick, I thought you were going to go all David Moyes on us then, about the magical 40 points mark.

I do agree though wholeheartedly, we should look no further than the next match and go out to win every match and every possible competition that Everton Football Club is involved in.

Murdo Laing
12 Posted 03/09/2014 at 20:17:45
I guess we were all a bit despondent this time last season when we drew the first three games and then showed real tenacity in beating Chelsea, and subsequently, we then went on an unbeaten run?

In fairness to David Moyes, he worked so hard to embed the "bunker" mentality, where players were conditioned not to worry about big names in the opposition ranks, and whilst we were rarely feted for our exciting play, equally rarely were we intimidated by the opposition, home or away.

We may have lost 5% of that mentality, but arguably we’ve gained 10% in terms of renewed self belief and, I believe, greater capacity to win away from home and in an bold, stylish fashion? Time will tell.

Roberto has signed well, but he needs luck with avoiding injuries, and he and the coaching team need to get the conditioning right so the team can perform under the yoke of having to play twice a week. Personally, I think the Chelsea defeat – and, more importantly, the manner of the defeat, will prove a watershed. That is the standard we need to aim for; we have had our wake-up call.

Peter Barnes
13 Posted 04/09/2014 at 06:17:26

Well we find ourselves 3 weeks into the season and half the team look pretty unfit and simply not ready to start the season to me. Who should we hold accountable for that.
MIke McLean
14 Posted 04/09/2014 at 07:40:15
@ #14 - Peter, if they are unfit,perhaps partly on the players themselves. Can any athlete wholly devolve responsibility for his fitness to his coach?

Derek Knox
15 Posted 04/09/2014 at 07:34:11
Colin / Harold

I have just returned, fully medicated with every anti-depressant under the sun, and ready to carry on the good work at TW.

Generally, we are fickle as fans, but some are more fickle than others (parody on George Orwell’s parody Animal Farm) I can of course sympathise, and understand the concerns to a degree.

I think what most fans want, is overnight success, which, as we all know very rarely occurs in football, unless there is a take-over by billionaires. Which, to be honest, and I have often thought about this, is not fair in many ways, because it is just buying success and not really earning it.

When we think back only just over a year really, how far we have come under Roberto, people like Eto’o Lukaku etc. wanted to come and play for us and not just motivated by the lure of the filthy lucre.

Being the Devil’s Advocate though, I would have definitely liked a Centre Back in this window, but as that has not happened we will have to roll our sleeves up and socks down (a la Dave Thomas) and just get on with it.


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