Fans Comment
Steve Green

The view from across the pond
05/04/04

I've noticed, however, that I've enjoyed far more weekends this season than I have in recent campaigns. And that's despite the recent slump that has prompted so much bickering between two camps of Everton supporters -- the one that decries the apparent wasting of a Champions League spot that's apparently crucial to the club's future and the one that takes a "bigger picture" view.

Maybe it's because I live in London, Ontario, Canada, that I tend to fall into the latter category when all is said and done -- despite what my wife might think, especially recently. I can't go to the shrine that is Goodison to see the lads play; I have to hope for TV coverage over here and soak up everything I can on the Internet, including this excellent site. It doesn't mean I'm any less a supporter or that I'm any less pissed off at those from the Dark Side who seem to think a Champions League spot is theirs by birthright and who right now are cackling with glee at our apparent demise.

That said, I couldn't help but notice what seems to be the now-obligatory subtle (or not) dig at the "don't worry, be happy" camp in the last two sentences of your West Brom match report. I suspect the angst isn't coming so much from where our final destination will be in the table so much as the route we're taking to get there.

Suppose for a moment if we wind up in ninth place. The fact we were second at one point and in a Champions League spot for so long would, of course, be viewed as a disappointment but it shouldn't be viewed as a failure. If we'd been solidly in ninth place all season, it would be rightly heralded by Evertonians everywhere as a massive improvement and a sign the club was headed in the right direction.

Given what has happened with this club in recent years, and especially last summer, Evertonians would have jumped at the chance to be in this position right now had it been offered in August. Anyone who says otherwise isn't being completely honest.

Like a starving man led to an all-you-can-eat buffet, we Evertonians can't resist the temptation to gorge ourselves on the possibilities of playing the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Juventus next season. But like that starving man, we risk the dangers of eating too much, too fast and making ourselves sick. Leeds and Ipswich both got massive cases of indigestion after lofty Premiership finishes and won't be eating at the grownups' table for a while. Well, Leeds won’t be, anyway.

The simple truth is we've been fooling ourselves. Everton doesn't have the squad right now that can seriously compete in the Champions League and that fact has hopefully been laid bare by our recent form. If we don’t have the legs for a 38-game EPL season and the requisite 4-6 domestic cup games, we certainly won’t have them for any extra fixtures arising from a European campaign.

David Moyes has proven to be, in my eyes, anyway, a shrewd manager of money and player alike. He's made the occasional blunder -- who hasn't? -- but he's worked a miracle on a shoestring budget, certainly not with the millions that have been wasted on the other side of Stanley Park.

Everton could make make the Champions League this year, but unless the club made the lucrative group stages, it would likely overextend its finances bringing in a raft of players capable of keeping us there and suffer massively if they failed. Or we could miss Europe altogether and allow Moyes to keep building with his rumoured 12-million-pound transfer kitty until he has a team capable of challenging for Europe on a consistent basis -- and allowing me and my wife to enjoy a lot more weekend afternoons between August and May.

I know which option I'd choose.

Steve  Green

[Steve, could you contact the Webmaster if you see this message? We deleted your e-mail address and have another Canadian Blue who wants to get in touch.]

A nice, measured piece there, Steve, and, yes, you are probably correct in your assessment that we are more ticked off because of the fact that we are throwing away fourth place rather than we would be had the Blues been hanging around just below the European places all season. No matter which way you slice it, it is desperately disappointing — at least as far as we are concerned — that we are flagging so badly at the crucial time, and while we will be happy with 5th or 6th place given our pre-season prospects, it still doesn't remove the fact that 4th was ours for the taking.

On the question of our readiness for the Champions League, surely no one believes we would be able to compete, but as shallow and naive as it may sound, I'm looking entirely at the financial picture. Even if we make the group stages and get roundly whipped by all and sundry, we will still collect millions more than if we were make significant progress in the UEFA Cup. It is the latter competition that is the real drain on resources without the big financial compensation to make it worthwhile. — Lyndon Lloyd

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