Fans Comment
Neil Martin

What a difference a year makes …….
8 May 2005

In Moyes We Trust

Like many Evertonians, in the last few days I’ve been checking teletext and the internet religiously to see if we’ve signed anyone. Pages 302 and 401, on BBC and ITV respectively, are my first port of call in the morning and then it’s on to Sky Sports, ToffeeWeb and other football websites to see who we’ve been linked with overnight.

Why is it that transfer targets from obscure French clubs occur overnight?  Does Moyesy like to work under the cover of night to keep Birmingham and Newcastle in the dark over who he’s after?  Or is it just bullshit journalism by lazy writers who see that Everton have got a few quid to spend this summer and need to fill column inches?  The latter methinks.

Anyway, I’m digressing so back to the point.  These last few weeks have seen us linked with Parker, Forsell, Keane, Bellamy, Cudicini to name but a few.  All top-class players most Evertonians would love to see in the famous royal blue jersey when we play our qualifier for the Champions League in August.  We would never have dreamt last year that we’d be in with a chance of signing Scott Parker would we, never mind being on the verge of entering Europe’s biggest club competition?  These are heady days indeed.

Think back twelve months….. We’d just been spanked 5-1 at Man City and David Moyes subsequently faced the most difficult summer of his managerial career with no money to spend leading to the eventual sale of Wayne Rooney.  (I could insert a comical nickname here, or make reference to his sexual pastimes, but I won’t. He’s just another person that once played for us.)  We were ridiculed by Birmingham for trying to sign Robbie Savage, were linked with the mighty Cyril Chapuis, turned down by Paul Dickov, and had that comical bid for Alan Smith accepted by Leeds.  Let’s face it, the two signings we did make hardly excited us.

But in hindsight what wonderful signings they were who succeeded in helping Everton achieve a footballing miracle. Yes, you read that right, Miracle, no other word for it.

Whilst Man Utd spent £10 million on Wayne Rooney, Arsenal spent £20 million on Reyes, Chelsea spent £24 million on Drogba, and Liverpool spent £14 million on Cisse, we spent £2.5million and subsequently finished in the top four of the best league in the world.

Roll forward to Summer 2005 and these last few days have seen the media, local in particular, go into a bit of frenzy that Forsell has failed a medical, Scott Parker will follow his wallet and go to Newcastle, Bellamy will stay at Celtic etc.  I see all this and my heart sinks a bit as I’m sure it does for other Evertonians, who wait for the Echo to comment and poke fun at our latest transfer dealings.  So a bit of advice if I may……

Don’t dwell on negative thoughts, young Jedi’s.  If Forsell has failed a medical then we simply cannot afford to take a risk on his fitness.  We have money to spend, not money to burn.

Equally if Newcastle end up getting Scott Parker it will only be for money.  Do we really want a footballer who is so ambitious that he would turn down £40,000 per week with Everton and the chance to play in the Champions League, so that he can play in the hilariously degrading Intertoto in July?  Newcastle are a comedy club going nowhere with Souness, Shepherd and Shearer.  (I don’t know who I dislike or love to laugh at more!)

He would be signing for a club with a tactically inept manager that I can only describe as an arsehole of the highest order.  Think an angry Walter Smith without the personality.  Enough said.  Oh and he played for Liverpool.

Have you got the feeling that if Scott Parker meets Moyes and Kenwright before he sees Souness and Shepherd, then he will be in a royal blue shirt next year?  I have.  Much like the Beattie transfer, I would back our chairman and manager to convince anyone to join our club, with their passion, ambition and love of the football club.

Everton, after years of decline and mismanagement, are being run on a sound financial footing, with a wage structure that is extremely healthy in today's over-inflated market.  We’re not being tight or stingy with wages, we are being smart.  If players want more money and don’t want to wear a blue shirt, I don’t want them and we know that Moyes doesn’t either.  You’ve heard of sending them to Coventry?  Send them to Newcastle nowadays.  Or Birmingham.  Grim!  Mid-table mediocrity at best.

This summer is an exciting one for Everton Football Club.  We’re within touching distance of European Football, rubbing shoulders with the cream of the continent and maybe Liverpool if they continue to kiss enough arses and force a rule change.  But that’s a different matter altogether.

Everton will spend money, make big signings and provide high-quality additions to the squad in the coming weeks.  Outside the top three, we are the most attractive proposition in the Premiership.  You’d fancy most players to join us over Newcastle, Birmingham, Villa, Middlesbrough and Tottenham.  Considering where we were this time last year, that is a big step for our great club.

We have the best manager in the league, Champions League football within our grasp and money in the bank. In Moyes we trust.

Neil  Martin

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