Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

What do you prioritise?

By Kieran   Fitzgerald  ::  03/05/2012   30 Comments (»Last) For a club like ours, we don't seem to be able to consistently compete on all fronts for a full season. A half-decent run in one of the cups and a top-eight to top-ten finish seems to be the best we can manage at present. To some extent, it's the depth of our squad that dictates this. To some degree, there seems to be something lacking in the squad's mental preparation and approach. To some degree, it is down to the manager not being pushy enough and aggressive enough. For me, it's a mix of all three and I don't think that we will be able to fix all three problems over the course of one summer.

What I do think is that, by changing one thing ? the mentality within the management and the squad ? we should be able to push on and seriously challenge on at least one front. When I say this, what I mean is that as a club we are far too nice. Coming second seems to be okay... Okay; a point is a fair result. Many of us will say that this is down to Moyes alone but I don't think so. We don't see one of Philip Neville's slice-you-in-half tackles half often enough. We don't see half the fight in Tim Cahill that we used to. I just think that some of the blame for this niceness has to be laid at the feet of the players as well ? and this is why I think that both management and the squad need to change their mindset.

Look at Man Utd. This must be one of the poorest squads they've had in a long time. Yet people aren't surprised that they're still challenging for the title into May. Sure, the Sky top four haven't been great this season. Sure, with the squad Man City have, they should have won the title by Christmas. But what has stayed constant at Man Utd has been that winning mentality ? that idea that, if you don't finish first, your season's a failure ? and that is what has carried them through this season.

What Everton need to do this summer ? more than anything else, in my opinion ? is bring this mentality into the set-up. I don't think that Moyes will ever fully move away from being that little bit overly cautious. I also don't see us having the finances this summer to bring the squad up to such a level that this, plus a winning mentality, will see us win all before us. This means that, even with a winning mentality, how we approach the season will still be something of a balancing act.

The thing is, though, if we do decide that we need to focus on one thing, what should it be? If we focus on the league and do very well, finishing in the top six, or even to be in with a shout of the top four, it will give the club serious credibility. The league is the bread and butter, the nuts and bolts of what makes up and defines your season. Do well, and you get rewarded, both financially and in terms of your reputation.

Doing well over the course of the full season also gives the fans a huge lift. Each game, especially from the start of March onwards, has the feel of a cup semi-final. Imagine still being in contention for fourth place come the start of April? Nerve-wracking, yes, but also highly enjoyable. Newcastle fans must be on a real high right now. No-one will remember that they did little or nothing in the cup competitions this season either. Imagine how euphoric Newcastle fans felt at the final whistle last night.

With the cup competitions, though, you get something tangible for your efforts. Look at Liverpool this season: poor in the league and hammered for it; fair enough. But they've already won one cup and are through to another final. By the middle of May, they could have finished the season in 7th or 8th place in the league and have two trophies. The squad of players could well have two medals each and be set to play Europa League football next season. Sure, the financial rewards are nowhere near the Champions League but, for a club in our position, it wouldn't hurt and our reputation would still be increased.

Kenny Dagleish is quoted in today's Irish Independent as saying that winning trophies helps your club to generate the next generation of supporters. For six- to eight-year-old kids, finishing 4th or 5th in the league doesn't mean what it does to adults. Everton aren't going to win the Premier League trophy and, if we are to finish in 5th or 6th, we're not going to be attracting young supporters to the club in great numbers. However, seeing a high profile Everton player lift a trophy aloft at Wembley will have a huge impact on kids at that age. After all, outside of family influence, this type of image will dictate what team a kid follows.

For me, if I had to choose, I would pick the league. Apart from the positives I've described above, having a positive vibe around the club for a full season would be invaluable, given the negativity that seems to take over the club for whole tracts of the last number of seasons. Whatever about the fans, the long term staff, as well as the more senior staff must be sick of it.

At a stretch, I'd see how we go in the early rounds of the League Cup. The League Cup does finish in March and if we get to the quarter-finals or the semis without having to make too much of an effort, or be distracted too much from the league, then give it a go. If we go out of the League Cup early, forget about it and switch back to the league. With the FA Cup, the bigger teams are guaranteed most seasons to be in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. This should be enough of a distraction to allow us to capitalize in the league.

I am interested to see what ideas people have on this and what you would like to see us focus on next season. I'd still like to see us win everything but given our resources and recent history, what would you choose?

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