New Year, New Everton?
The view from one of Everton's younger fans

1 January 2002

As we enter the year 2002, once again the club we love is in a situation that could make you cry.

Everton were the first club to be formed on Merseyside, unfortunately we are second in anything else that counts.  Our arch rivals are better than us.  Let's face the facts.  Anybody who doesn't think so needs to face the very, very harsh reality faced by Everton supporters.

This underlying fact was brought home to me in its raw form when I watched Sports Personality of the Year and Liverpool won Team of the Year; and when I watched Sky Sports' coverage of this afternoon's fixtures and, of all people, Alan Mullally said that Liverpool's (dare I say it) success would be too much to swallow for some Evertonians.  I agree.

Yet he also said that we were the worst team he has seen all season.  He based that after only watching us play Fulham, where we lost 2-0.  Well, Alan, I have watched Everton a few times this season and, frankly, you are wrong.  Had he only seen Everton v Derby, he would have said Derby were the worst team he has seen this season.  I guess his 'expertise' in football only stretches so far...

I'm not saying that we are a good team.  Far from it — in fact, at the moment, we have a team envied only by teams of Runcorn's standard!.  I fail to see how some of the players in our current squad play even when our squad is fit, despite that being an irregular occurrence.  I really cannot see what Walter Smith sees in the likes of David Unsworth, for example.  I live in Widnes so I quite often go to watch Everton reserves.  We have some good young players in there.  Kevin McLeod should be making more first team appearances than he does.  As too should Tony Hibbert and several other younger players.

However, despite Smith's lack of faith in our youth players, I am one of the people who feel that Walter should stay as our manager.  I also think that perhaps Kenwright should go.  Yes, he is Everton through and through, but he does not have the cash nor has he taken his head out of the sand and realised that we would rather stay at Goodison and have our board concentrating on removing us from our demise, than go to Kings Dock and be hosting Division 1 football.  Yet, once again, we find ourselves in the position of wondering who the hell would want to buy into a club that is £20 million in debt and has a first-team squad full of crocks and First Division nope-hopers.  We need a miracle at the moment.  If I were to win on the lottery, I would give money to Everton.  Yet odds of 14 million to one aren't too good... I hope, though, that I wouldn't be the only Evertonian who would do that.

I just hope that something drastic happens soon; however, I hope that it doesn't involve Walter Smith going to Scotland, but somebody like Al Fayed at Fulham investing money into the club.  Despite the fact that I will probably never be proved right or wrong, I would love to see Smith in charge of us when he had some money to spend.  Last year (2001) he spent just £4.75 million.  Even Portsmouth and Crystal Place have spent more than that.  I think that the next 12 months of Everton's life will be very interesting.

I think we will stay up; mid-table finish as long as people are off the treatment table (which isn't looking too good at the moment).  And let's face it, if we did finish mid-table, would that be bad?  Ok, in relation to Everton's long-term history, yes; but at the moment I think mine and everybody else's hearts could do with a mid-table finish — just so long as we aren't fighting that relegation battle on the final day of the season (at Arsenal!), something that has become an unwelcomely frequent occurrence.

Here's to 2002 a significant year for Evertonians, I think.

Luke Ashton (15), Widnes

©2001 ToffeeWeb, 1 January 2002