FAN ARTICLES

What does success look like to you?

By Steven Scaffardi :  30/06/2011 :  Comments (18) :

So for what it's worth, here is my thoughts on our current situation, or plight, however you want to look at it.

What does success look like to an Evertonian these days? I started supporting Everton in the late 80s, although I was probably too young to really appreciate that golden era. In fact, the day I knew I was a True Blue was when I bawled my eyes out after the FA Cup Final defeat in 1989. Everton was now in my blood, but unfortunately what followed throughout the 90s was excoriating at times, to say the least.

But, and I think this is a big but, at least back in those days you actually went into a season believing that this could be your year, rather than the probably somewhat deluded belief that, in our current state, we have the potential to be a top four team.

I can still remember the likes of Crystal Palace being promoted and finishing in the dizzy heights of third, and the likes of Norwich challenging for the league title. Football was a much simpler place back then ? everyone started each season on a much more level playing field.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and the injection of the Sky money, and we now have a very different landscape as we all know. So I ask again ? what does success look like to an Evertonian in the modern game?

It saddens me to read through some of the comments on this site sometimes, because I can tell that each and every one of you are just as passionate about this club as the next man. But I also think that sometimes that can cloud your judgement on footballing matters relating to our beloved club.

As much as it pains me, fighting for a Europa League spot is what success looks like to me. Having a decent cup run is what success looks like to me. Beating a couple of the top four teams along the way is what success looks like to me.

It sickens me to my stomach to even write that down, but the truth is, without that investment that we all know we desperately need, that is success for Everton FC in the modern game. We are not alone ? everyone outside the billionaires boys club is in the same boat.

If that hasn?t made you irate enough, then maybe this will. Transfers. For argument's sake, the players we know that are going ? Yobu and Yak ? get sold. At most, David Moyes has £10m to spend. Then money bags City come along and ? if you believe everything you read ? they offer us a deal worth £20m for Baines plus a player from the likes of Bellamy, SWP, or Bridge... Take it.

Why? Because if Baines is as good as we all think he is then he will probably go sooner or later. We can?t offer him Champions League football and we can?t compete with the top clubs on wages. Take the money, take two or three players as part of the deal, re-invest into the squad, and start building again. It is what Sir Alex Ferguson has done at Manchester United for years (granted on a much bigger and grander scale!).

Now let me really annoy people by saying why don?t we ask for all three of the players mentioned above plus cash? We would have a left-back replacement for Baines in Bridge, plus we would have two attack-minded players with pace and a bit of flair ? something we desperately need. One player gone and three new squad players in ? our first XI is weakened somewhat, but our squad is stronger. And we all know we have suffered from having a small squad over the last couple of seasons.

Ok, so I know I am living in a bit of a Football Manager wonderland here, but the point I am trying to make is this: We are not in a position to turn our noses up at players who are decent Premier League and international footballers. Need I remind anyone that last year we were reduced to signing a League One player on a free transfer as our answer to our striker crisis?

Nor are we in a position to keep the likes of Baines and Fellaini happy forever. Whether it is ambition or greed, they will have their heads turned by one of the two, if not both, at some point.

This is the sad state of affairs we are in, and until we have investment ? whether it be a Russian billionaire, or even someone who can just put us on par with the spending power of Wolves and Stoke ? we might have to keep our eyes on the short-term options before we can ever consider the long-term option.

Now I throw myself to the wolves?

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