Let´s go down!

I am a Swedish Everton supporter since the mid-eighties.  I do not really remember why, but I do remember that they had a really good team back then.

I have followed the team ever since.  I usually read the match reports and follow the news but now I have had enough and feel that I must say something.

Walter Smith:  I just think he isn't good enough for the Premiership.  He may have won the Scottish League nine times but if you look at that league (the competition is even worse than our domestic one in Sweden), you just can't finish worse than second if you're a manager of either Rangers or Celtic.  You can improvise and change however you want with the team, the only time you know if you have made a bad tactical choice is either when you encounter Celtic (Rangers) or when you meet continental teams.  Just look at Rangers' European tour under Smiths guidance — says it all, really.

Smith's tactic of bringing in Steve Watson as a forward was exactly something like that.  It could have worked well in the Scottish Premiership without anyone noticing the blunder.  However, it will just not do in the English Premiership.  The same with his persistence of playing players out of their usual places, as well as his changes between 3-5-2 (5-3-2??) and 4-4-2.

Please let him go and take in someone else!!

The Players: I am so tired of every year (especially since 1994) see Everton struggle although we know the players are not so bad as the league position.  Just look at the players that have left us and how they have turned out in other Clubs (Gary Speed, McCann, Materazzi, Dacourt, Bakayoko (Perhaps!), Barmby, Jeffers (Ok..) etc.. etc..)

Yeah, Yeah, I know there have been different reasons for departures.  But nevertheless we have had real quality players with us that should have put Everton in a different position.  So this talk about financial crisis does not impress me at all.  But then again, of course you have financial problems if you have players that are good enough for performing in Europe, but you are again and again in a relegation battle.  If that isn't bad business in football, then what is?

The Excuses: So, today (almost New Year's Day) Everton lost again and this time against Charlton at Goodison Park.  The fourth consecutive loss?  What's the excuse this time?  The injuries, like last season?  The finances (although more than 30.000 turn up at the home matches even though we sell the most valuable assets)?  Or the tactics perhaps?

Sorry if I do not have an answer but I am so tired of seeing this great club being so mismanaged.  Let us go down to the Nationwide, sell our best players and focus on the youth team to take us back to the Premiership.  And of course don't forget to change most of the Board of Directors (most of whom just give the impression of talking fancy and being well-dressed anyway) and get a new coach.  If Everton still has over 30,000 at Goodison Park (Kings Dock?) how can the team fail to get back in the Premiership soon?

In Sweden there is an expression when times are bad: "Stålbad" which translated means "steel bath". This means that only the hard times will show which of us that are good enough for the job.  

The only question any Everton supporter have to ask is this one: will I support my Club as much if they go down as if they stay up?  If the answer is Yes, there is nothing to fear...

Best Regards from a Swedish Everton fan 
(No, I do not think Blomqvist is good enough — not yet anyway..)

Thomas Green

©2001 ToffeeWeb, 29 December 2001