With Walter Smith surely now receiving the last rites as Everton Manager, Colm Kavanagh focuses on the culpability of the Everton Board
RUNNING ON EMPTY
Fig
Many years ago, as a child, I picked up a book from the local library. I forget the title of the book but it was a story about a man who owned an orchard. He gathered all his apples, at harvest, and placed them in a wooden barrel for storage. He noticed one apple was bruised, a bad apple, but decided against throwing it out — after all, he could hide it and sell it on.
When he returned sometime later, he found to his horror that one bad apple had spread and now he possessed a barrelful of rotten apples. Worthless?
If ever the above was to be transported to the stages in the West End of London, I'm certain it would have "Z Cars" for a soundtrack! We have become that rotten barrel of apples.
If Walter Smith and Archie Knox find themselves out of employment today, tomorrow or sometime later this week, do we honestly think that they'll take with them the never-ending problems that beset our once proud Club? Of course they won't.
It has been said time and time again that the malaise at Everton runs much deeper than a manager and his assistant long since bereft of any invention at the School of Science. Surely the last throw of the dice was squandering the petty cash to swell the coffers of a Gallic troubadour's bank account. Be gone Monsieur Ginola, au revoir.
It's galling (sic) to think that this fella has donned the Royal Blue jersey, not given a shit, and been paid handsomely for the privilege! Don't tell me football's got its head firmly screwed on. I think the last screw fell out with the advent of the Premiership a decade back.
But what now for our ailing managerial duo whose wealth of knowledge in the game is now being put to the test? Four years at the helm of Everton Football Club — have we seen progress being made on the pitch? If you have, then please enlighten this Blue for I see nothing but turmoil and a collection of eleven players who are introduced to each other at kick off. There is no cohesion with a Smith 'n' Knox side, none whatsoever.
The most recent capitulation, at the Riverside against Middlesbrough, I think finally opened the eyes of many who had stood firm behind the manager. A managerial merry-go-round can never be constructive but there comes a time when you're left with no alternative. If we're forced to take one step backwards in order to move forward then so be it.
Sadly, I think we failed to take that step backwards last year when the alarm bells began to grow louder and louder:
Sir John Moores would have ended it there and then. Would Sir John have been labelled a knee-jerker for taking decisive action then? Or would he have sat idly by and hoped for an upturn in fortune, never to come our way?
I take great pride from the fact that Everton Football Club — our Club — has a history second to none. Take whatever crap on the chin, Blues, and then enlighten the poor souls who bait you. We've spent more seasons in the top flight than any other. We've won more games than any other side in the top flight. Scored more goals and, the Man Above permitting, we'll begin next season in the top flight and therefore become the first club to play one hundred years in the top division.
It may indeed be straw-clutching but at the same time it's a history we shouldn't just ignore. Yes, we are as bad as the Leicester City's of this world at present and it's a feeling that eats away at your insides all twenty four hours of the day but, without a little spirit and pride for the remainder of the season, we shall become nothing — one of the also-rans there to make up the numbers. Do we just sit idly by and watch the so-called School of Science disappear down the plughole? I hope not.
That dreaded moment has arrived, Bill. Time to call ashore your good buddy Walter. Time to thank him for his services and free the poor man from his prolonged agony. A death by a thousand cuts I think was a reference made some weeks back. That reference applies equally to the manager as it does to our Club. There are no winners when it comes to this — but it must be done. Otherwise the consequences are too painful to consider.
Think we'd bounce back up straight away do you? Parachute payment aside, we'd have to further trim the wage bill. How easy do you reckon it'd be to sell some of the players currently at Everton? We're hitting the buffers at the wrong time. More and more clubs are slowly becoming more wary of how they spend what little cash they have.
With that in mind, I cannot see a queue of clubs fighting for the signature of a fit or unfit Duncan Ferguson. Nothing personal, Big Fella, but an example, if ever there was, of a player being handsomely paid for little in return. Whether it happens this year or next, we've got to avoid filling the gaps with players — nay, mercenaries, like David Ginola — and opt for youth. We simply cannot afford to carry on living way beyond our means.
Another valid point was made sometime back by a very well-known Evertonian — about the Catch-22 scenario a certain Mr Kenwright found himself in. In order to finance the deal removing EFC from the grasp of a certain Mr Johnson, he had to sustain his private business, down in London. Rightly or wrongly, I fear Mr Kenwright's been guilty of misplaced trust in various bedfellows on our Board. We may live in an era where cloning sheep is a bizarre reality but for Bill Kenwright he cannot (yet!) be in two places at the one time.
Questions must be asked of various Board members who hide in the shadows leaving both Kenwright and Smith to face the flak. What do you do, Mr Carter? What do you do Mr Tamlin? Mr Woods? Mr Gregg? Mr Abercromby? You are the custodians of a (still) great football institution. You have been placed in a privileged position whereby you are responsible for the well being of the Club.
Walter Smith and Archie Knox may well have failed on the pitch but a far greater failure is taking place before our very eyes. A well-oiled machine from top to bottom Everton Football Club it is not. The head table offers nothing by way of firm leadership and that has filtered down. It contributes greatly to our current perilous position in the Premiership. Our fellow strugglers have identified us as the one to get. The prey is ready. The vultures circle overhead. What do we do? Lie there and accept our fate or do we see a little pride and passion coming out of Goodison Park, ready for the battle ahead?
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum. Please? If only for the next nine games at least...
11 March 2002