FAN ARTICLES

Everton v Barcelona

By Matthew Lovekin :  25/01/2011 :  Comments (24) :

Ok, it may seem a bit far stretched considering our current predicament, but we need to re-assess the club as a whole now and start a plan for future progress. Aim low and you will be disappointed, aim high, and even if you fall short, progress at least should have been made.

I feel as though Everton are at a crossroads now and a future plan needs to be put in place both on and off the field. Therefore, here are a few suggestions for Kenwright and Moyes to help to make us into Barcelona.

On the Pitch

i. Pressure

Any club can do this. The thing that amazes me about Barcelona is that they pressurize their opponents, no matter where they are on the pitch. Whether the opponents goalkeeper, full-backs, midfielders or forwards have the ball, Barcelona players chase them, hassle, pressure and get on top of their bootlaces. Whether the ball is 10 yards, 50 yards or 100 yards away from your goal, you chase the opponent until they make a mistake and give the ball away. Watching Barcelona, its incredible how far up the pitch they get the ball back, either through a misplaced hurried pass or from a resulting throw-in.

Everton on Saturday yet again gave away a goal due to the opposition being given plenty of time and space to pick out a cross just outside of our penalty area. This time I think it was Bily that stood 10 yards away from the West Ham player crossing the ball, whereas I can also remember Everton conceding at least two more goals this season where Baines has just stood off an opponent to give him plenty of time and space to let him pick his target in the box.

Guardiola would never allow his players to stand that far back from an opponent in the opposition penalty area, let alone around ours. You don?t need to have £m?s to spend to chase down an opponent, and no team is too good to not be able to do it. Barcelona are the only team in the world that I have seen do this all over the pitch, and they are by far the best team in the world. Coincidence? Regardless of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, you still have to work hard to be successful.

ii. Formation

This is purely down to Moyes (or another manager). Whether its 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, both of these tactics are outdated. In 2004/5, Moyes and Mourinho were the first two managers to bring 4-5-1/4-3-3 to this country. Although different because of the difference of quality of each set of players, both tactics were meant to be the same. Everton finished 4th that season with a squad that were favourites to be relegated and Chelsea comfortably won the league because the opposition didn?t know how to compete against this new tactic.

World Cup 2010 saw the introduction (new to this country anyway!) of the 4-2-3-1 tactic. England failed miserably with their old fashioned 4-4-2, whilst all eight quarter-finalists played with this new formation.

In other words, Moyes or a new manager need to keep up with the times, or even better, ahead of the times, finding a tactic or formation that other clubs don?t know how to play against.

Amazingly, Barcelona are one of very few clubs that play a 4-3-3, and the opposition struggle against it because they are not used to playing against teams with that formation. Chelsea did it for two years in this country and dominated English football until Abramovich stepped in and purchased his mate Shevchenko and ordered Mourinho to play him, therefore demanding Chelsea changed this winning tactic.

There is no reason why Everton can?t play this tactic now. A basic four man defence with two attacking full-backs (if you feel adventurous), a three man midfield (right to left) of Arteta, Fellaini and Rodwell/Cahill. Arteta and Rodwell/Cahill can get forward as much as possible ala Lampard and Essien, which would also accommodate Cahill into his preferred attacking midfielder role. Fellaini and Rodwell are going to be two great box-to-box midfielders with Arteta the playmaker. Although Iniesta and Xavi are two playmakers, two box-to-box midfielders will probably be more suited to the English Premier League.

The two wide forwards is probably the hardest part. This is where you play a luxury player, that if they give the ball away or don?t chase back, they are so far up the pitch and with three central midfielders and a full-back behind them, it doesn?t matter as much compared to a traditional winger. This position would be perfect for Bily. Push Bily further forward where he has the quality and can create and score. Play Bily the same as Messi plays, on the right, cutting in onto his left foot.

The other wide forward could be Gueye which would probably suit him more as well rather than playing as a winger, and looks like a player that can score or create. Jose Baxter can also play this role, similar to Joe Cole at Chelsea or when Barca push Iniesta into a forward role. The main striker is obviously Beckford, mainly through default as being the only striker capable of scoring a goal, but also a striker with pace which is needed.

In other words, David Moyes, try to update your tactics every now and again. It?s been six years since you changed formation, surely we?re due a change in style again.

Off the Pitch

i. Heritage

Everton, like Barcelona are very proud of our history, heritage and the region where we come from. Although not quite the same, the Catalans have a massive say in how their club is run. Barca?s fans (members called socis) elect a President to run their club over a certain number of years. In other words, it?s the fans that choose how the club is run.

This would be difficult to implement in this country given the status quo. Could you really see Kenwright giving up his major shareholding to let the fans decide who runs the club? However, the fans are the one stable thing at any club, they are the core and heartbeat of the club and make it what it is. Therefore, the fans should be allowed a decent voice on the board and when decisions are made. For example, why can?t the fans have a 25% or 50% say on all important matters? Or, there are currently four directors on the Everton board, why can?t a fans group be a fifth director?

It could even be a money making idea. All fans that want to have a say in the running of the club pay £100 for an annual subscription (they will receive benefits like 10% off merchandise, etc, etc). If 50,000 fans registered, that makes £5m per year.

All ?Evertonian? players should also be encouraged to play for Everton. Similar to Barca chasing Fabregas and re-signing Pique. Everton have signed Baines and Jagielka over the last few years and they have been two of our most committed players, probably because they love the club as much as the fans do. Once a blue, always a blue has become an unofficial motto. Tim Cahill is now an adopted blue and we should pull out all the stops to sign another adoptee Landon Donovan. A first-team of Evertonians would be excellent. It?s not just Barcelona in Spain that try to sign ?their own? but Athletic Bilbao have mostly Basque players in their squad.

ii. Youth Academy

Most players have a love for their club when they come through the youth set-up. Everton have always been very good at bringing through youngsters and even more money and effort should be placed in this area. It?s easy to say Barcelona are the best team in the world when they have the best players, but out of their starting XI, eight players have come through their La Masia academy. Pique might have been re-signed but as mentioned Everton have re-signed Baines and Jagielka. Messi also went to Barcelona at a very young age but Everton have also signed players like Luke Garbutt when very young and then nurtured them and also Seamus Coleman when slightly older. Therefore, both clubs are not too dissimilar, but a bigger emphasis and more money needs to be placed on bringing through a lot more youngsters like Rodwell, Vaughan, Anichebe, Osman and Hibbert.

This should also free up more money so when a big name signing is required like a Dani Alves or David Villa, then there should be money in the transfer kitty, but the emphasis should be on youth.

The youth set-up should be run in exactly the same way as the first-team and reserves, i.e. pressuring the opponent and playing in a 4-3-3 formation. Therefore when a good 16 or 17 year-old progresses into the first-team, it is run similar to the way they are used to and they don?t have to learn how to play differently in a new formation. Pedro at Barcelona slotted seeminglessly into their first-team from the youth team and became a world class player almost immediately.

In the 30 years since La Masia's inauguration, more than 500 youngsters have left their homes and families to stay at the academy. About half of them were from Catalonia. Of those 500, about 10 percent made it into the first team. The academy is one of the most expensive in Europe, operating at a cost of £5 million a year. The main cost is the dormitory. The minimum age for the youth program is six years. Each year, more than 1,000 boys from the ages of six to eight try out for admittance. The best 200 are selected. The club employs a system in which 15 scouts are deployed in Catalonia, 15 in the rest of Spain and 10 scattered throughout the world. Merseyside is nowhere near the size of Catalonia, but if Everton could produce one player a year to go into the first-team, then it will be worth it.

iii. Finances

Ok, Barcelona may not be the best financially run club in the world, given that the club is roughly £375m in debt, but Everton still need to be run properly and compliant with the new UEFA laws. Everton?s last published accounts (2009) saw a turnover of almost £80m (broadcasting £50m, gate receipts £22m and sponsorship £6m), but wages took 62% of this with the wage bill matching what we received from broadcasting. I feel the wage bill should have a maximum of 50% of the turnover. We should keep to this and other budgets to stop the club going into (more) debt. If a player wants to hold the club to ransom, like Pienaar, then show them the exit door. There is however, plenty of room still available to try to balance the books. Other expenses on Everton?s accounts are £1m for the maintenance of the stadium and £4m interest charges (debt repayment?). Therefore, where is the other £21m, listed as ?other operating costs??

With a first-team squad of 30 players, we should still be able to afford a £40m (50% of £80m) yearly wage bill if spent carefully. For example if (top earner) player 1 receives £40k per week, player 2 £39k p/w, player 3 £38k p/w ?.. player 29 £11k p/w, player 30 £10k p/w then this will add up to £775k p/w or £40m per season. This is only an idea and I?m sure the 30th player on the current squad list (Turner, Mustafi, Wallace or Agard?) are all on a lot less than £10k p/w, meaning more wages are available for the higher earners.

Everton?s finances are currently a joke. There is no money for transfers, the wages are taking over the club and the club at best will just stand still with no available money. If Everton can reduce the wage bill by that extra 12%, that?s another £10m into the bank account each season or otherwise known as a transfer kitty to buy players! Everton should have strict financial budgets in place (percentage wise) based on the previous year?s turnover.

Conclusion

These ideas are just a few basic steps to put Everton in the right direction. Now I don?t expect Everton to change into Barcelona any time soon. However, a future plan needs to be put into place to improve the structure of our club and move it forward. The best role model for this is Barcelona who play the game in the correct manner, encourage youngsters to come through the ranks, are run properly and ultimately win games.

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