“All You Need is Just a Little Patience…”

The 2018 close season has already offered a fresh start and some optimism for Evertonians following the appointment of Marcel Brands and Marco Silva. Now the new management team needs time and backing to effect the big changes needed.

Lyndon Lloyd 31/05/2018 62comments  |  Jump to last

As Evertonians know all too well, this summer was supposed to be one of fine-tuning a rebuilt Everton team and adding the final pieces of quality in order to mount a bona fide challenge for a place in the top four. Instead, less than three weeks after the season ended, it's already been another close season of upheaval. However, from the chaos has emerged what appear to have been purposeful moves to rectify past mistakes and get the club moving forward again.

2017-18 was an eye-opener; a season in which a hugely promising management team was exposed by suspect transfer decisions and bafflingly poor football; Farhad Moshiri's three-year plan designed to squeeze Everton through what he saw as a rapidly-closing window of opportunity was handed a severe setback.

It was also a season in which long-suffering Blues fans were forced to reset their expectations while still not losing sight of the fact that much potential still existed in a badly under-performing and mis-managed squad. Admonished by outsiders for daring to expect more from a hand-picked “Hollywood manager” and then rejecting the abysmal fare served up by his successor, a common refrain aimed at Evertonians was, “what more do you want?” A fresh start and some optimism following the appointment of Marcel Brands and Marco Silva has gone a long way to answering that question for them.

There has unquestionably been a collective impatience among the Everton fanbase but it hasn't been as unreasonable as critical pundits and some neutral observers would have it. This is, after all, a club that was arguably the best team in Europe in 1985, that won four trophies in the mid-1980s and some genuinely believed, before the Heysel ban took hold, could have been at that time in the early stages of the type of dynastic dominance that neighbours Liverpool enjoyed in the 1970s and Manchester United did in the 1990s and 2000s under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Article continues below video content


While the rest of the Toffees' peers from that era, the other six ever-presents in the Premier League and clubs like Manchester City have all made varying degrees of progress in the interim, Everton have struggled season after season to take tangible steps back towards challenging for the top honours again. There is a pent-up hunger for success just waiting to be sated but lately it has, understandably, manifested itself in frustration.

In terms of the restlessness that pervades the Blue populace, it's all about context. Having survived two serious scrapes with relegation in the 1990s, and achieved stability as well as a crack at the Champions League and potentially a sixth FA Cup triumph under David Moyes, the feeling was that the club was ready to take the next step once the Scot exited stage left for Old Trafford in 2013.

What Roberto Martinez achieved in his first season in charge only ratcheted the expectation and the optimism up further. His tenure may have collapsed thereafter but for a few heady months he showed what was possible when the shackles of caution were thrown off: that an Everton side could go toe-to-toe with the best in the division and come very close to breaking Moyes's glass ceiling to the top four.

If the belated arrival of a billionaire in the form of Farhad Moshiri, able to finally provide the financial backing and resources to enable Everton to compete, reignited that fevered expectation, then Ronald Koeman's failure and the demoralising Sam Allardyce interlude that followed threw cold water on it once more. But it hasn't extinguished hope altogether, nor will it have diminished the fans' desire to see this unreliable object of their devotion finally get its act together and reward them for their years of unrequited love.

What Koeman's 16-month spell at Goodison, coupled with seven uncomfortable months under Allardyce has done, however, is shifted the context of Evertonian ambition and expectation once more. If Blues fans dared to dream of a quick transition from under-achievement during Martinez's last two seasons to challenging for the Champions League places under Koeman, backed by a club record-shattering spending spree, the chastening reality check that followed will have brought on an acceptance that these things take time.

And time is what the new management team of Brands and Silva are going to need. That and a heaping of patience from supporters; because, by the new manager's own admission, there is a lot of work ahead at Everton to fix the problems. At the top of the list is addressing an unbalanced squad and a rampant wage bill, shipping out some of the dead wood and scouting the kinds of players who inject the necessary quality that will help the club bridge the gap between themselves and the top six.

It could happen overnight — Leicester City showed that anything is possible, but they also showed how quickly success can fizzle away again if it's not built on sturdy foundations — but it almost certainly won't. More likely, Everton are back near square one as it pertains to the three-year project timeframe that was supposed to have started with Koeman's appointment two years ago but they now have the semblance of a new plan and a hungry head coach working alongside an experienced (albeit untried in the big leagues) technical director.

Progress is now the watchword. If Messers Silva and Brands can demonstrate tangible progress — in terms of more sensible, measured recruitment; fostering rather than alienating youth; getting back to a pleasing style of football and entertainment on the pitch; competing against the top teams rather than lying down in front of them; and in terms of incremental advances in league position — they should get that patience and that time from the bulk of Evertonians.

There is, of course, a good deal of trepidation around Silva's appointment, not least because of the way he has bounced around from club to club as both a player and a manager and his propensity to have his head turned by bigger opportunities elsewhere. He was also critical of some of Watford's recruitment that was carried out above his head by their sporting director so his ability to mesh and coordinate with Brands will be critical.

On the other hand, he is young and ambitious himself; a man-manager with a defined way of playing who made each team he has managed better. He took a backwater club in the form of Estoril to promotion and then the Europa League in less than two seasons; lost just two of 34 games at Sporting while also winning the Portuguese cup; and oversaw a 17-game winning run and a runaway league title in Greece. Meanwhile, the charge that he took Hull down is spurious at best — he gave hope to a team that was, according to almost all historical precedent, doomed.

Importantly, given the breakdown in cohesion and defensive disarray under Koeman, he is, by reputation a genuine “training ground manager” who, like Martinez did, obsesses over details, tactics and opposition weaknesses in a way that his Dutch predecessor didn't. Where Koeman's commitment was questioned — he took two holidays before he'd managed a pre-season game in the summer of 2016 and reports from Finch Farm suggested he was routinely out the door by 4pm — you get the impression that Silva will throw himself into the job and devote long hours to a role that could be the making if him as a top European coach.

Yes, his experience at Watford stands out in his short managerial record as a concern but there is a measure of consolation in the fact that it was Everton he wanted back in November and he has waited seven months to see his desired move to Merseyside come to fruition. In the interim, he has had plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong at Vicarage Road and take a long look at the squad he will be inheriting at Goodison Park.

At the end of the day, there is no foolproof science in knowing who will make a successful coach and manager. Footballing pedigree is a poor judge — Koeman's was 18-carat gold but he couldn't instill a discernible playing style in his Everton team; Wenger, Mourinho, Ferguson, Guardiola… the pantheon of football managerial greats is littered with characters who had unremarkable playing careers. As Mauricio Pochettino, the man who blazed a trail from a middling record at Espanyol through Southampton to Tottenham where he has propelled that club to the heights of which Evertonians currently dream, has shown, past experience isn't always a reliable indicator either.

To these eyes, it almost feels like there isn't much point in being anything other than optimistic and to get behind the new order. Marco Silva has been lauded by many of his former charges, pursued doggedly by Farhad Moshiri and endorsed by Marcel Brands. He will have more resources at his disposal than he did at any of his previous jobs and he will hopefully be bedding into a more settled and professional structure than has been the case at Everton over the past couple of years.

It's time to look forward and put a miserable 2017-18 season behind us — embrace stability, instill our faith in the new management team and give it time to carry out the work ahead.

Follow @EFCLyndon
Share article:

Reader Comments (62)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer


Peter Anthony
1 Posted 01/06/2018 at 01:32:10
Hear, hear, Lyndon. Let's get this show on the road. Come on, you Blue Boys.
Steven Jones
2 Posted 01/06/2018 at 01:47:05
Lovely balanced article and assessment of our journey to date.

I would like to add passion, commitment and vocal support to a little patience.

COYBs!!!

Jamie Crowley
3 Posted 01/06/2018 at 01:59:08
From Lyndon's fingers on the keyboard to God's ears.

And the title says it all: patience.

I truly hope all Evertonians – especially the ones with the most effect in and around your beloved city of Liverpool – give this man as shit-ton of rope.

We simply have to be patient with Marco Silva. This is a project, not a three-month trial. We have a young, hungry, well thought of manager who will need time and patience to grow this Club into what it is capable of.

The beast sleeps no longer. But it may take some time to slowly awake from a long nightmarish slumber.

Patience.

Mike Dolan
4 Posted 01/06/2018 at 03:19:56
Very nice piece of writing, Lyndon.

I have a really good feeling about our next new direction. It seems like Silva was prepped well for his first interviews and seemed to know already that the type of football we all want to see is "entertaining" and without the nervous tic of the ball being constantly passed sideways and backwards.

I wish Silva and Brands only the best for a quick and lasting impact on our club. Listening to Marco's interview, I couldn't help noting that 'important' is now the new 'phenomenal'!

Mike Gaynes
5 Posted 01/06/2018 at 03:36:32
Jamie, patience? On this board?

A "three-month trial" gets Silva through August. Sounds about right.

Some folks here may not be willing to give him even that long.

Brian Porter
6 Posted 01/06/2018 at 06:16:12
Well said, Lyndon. Whatever anyone's thoughts may be about Silva's appointment, I think the time has come, as you say, for us to show patience, get behind the new managerial team, and... See what happens.
Victor Yu
7 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:09:44
He sounds very much like Martinez if you ask me.
David Barks
8 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:22:42
He sounds nothing like Martinez to me. This is a man that is in a position to prove himself at a critical time in his career. We can be the beneficiaries of that and hopefully we will.

Colin Glassar
9 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:24:30
Let’s sack him them, eh Victor? I’ve always thought Everton managers should be appointed by popular acclaim or by voting on fans forums.

If we don’t like the way the managers looks, speaks, dresses, combs his hair etc...we should be able to vote him out.

Whatever you do Marco (and future Everton managers) don’t read TW. It could be bad for your health.

Mike Gaynes
10 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:27:38
No worries, Colin. Despite the fantasies cherished by many here that the opinions expressed on TW have an impact on the club, Silva won't be reading this board any more than Koeman or Allardyce did.
John Keating
11 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:28:34
I would show patience as well if I knew I was going to get a 3-year deal.

I thought we were trying to cut down on the excessive spending? Haven't we wasted enough money on long-term managerial appointments?

Eddie Dunn
12 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:30:00
I would have opted for Howe but am still happy with this appointment. Now let's get behind him and hope for the best.
Dennis Stevens
13 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:39:22
Nice piece Lyndon, I agree we'll need to be patient but also believe Evertonians will expect to see tangible signs of real change as we go along.

Also: "...and Manchester United did under Sir Alex Ferguson before the Heysel ban took hold." ?? Shouldn't that read: "...and Manchester United did under Sir Alex Ferguson during the 1990s."? As Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford during the ban & won his first piece of silverware there at the end of it, enabling Man Utd to play in & win the European Cup-Winners Cup.

Kelvin Thomas
14 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:43:40
Thank you, Lyndon. I couldn't agree more with your message.

I have been reading many good pieces about Marco Silva recently. Notably Lyndon's piece a few weeks ago.

He's got a lot about him. Past players he has managed rate him very highly.

Steve Ferns
15 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:52:03
Try to find one (former player) who is critical of him, Kelvin. You'd think Troy Deeney (as Silva didn't pick him enough) but no, even he rated him as a coach.

This is where the penny dropped for me that this guy might just be that extra special coach. Maybe this guy has the potential to win everything, he certainly thinks he will, and maybe he can take us to the promised land on his way there.

Kelvin Thomas
16 Posted 01/06/2018 at 07:58:51
I agree, Steve.
Vinny Garstrokes
17 Posted 01/06/2018 at 08:35:49
I thought it was very interesting on TalkSport yesterday morning when Ray Lewington was interviewed by Ali McCoist. He was saying how difficult the transition between the playing styles of Allardyce and De Boer had been for the Crystal Palace players at the start of last season.

Silva & De Boer have very similar playing styles so I just hope his man management skills allows him to get this new ethos over to the squad quickly.

Jamie Evans
18 Posted 01/06/2018 at 08:50:42
Someone please tell me how he sounds like Martinez?

After one interview? Give me a break. And more importantly, give our new manager a break and get behind him.

I remember Martinez's first interview well. He had a cheap Swiss Tony suit on and him and our Chairman were practically necking the gob off each other whilst promising the Champions League.

Marco Silva had some training gear on yesterday, I think, which is a good start in my eyes.

Good luck to our new manager. You know what you have to do.

Tony Everan
19 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:16:08
Good read, Lyndon, thank you.

Targeted and measured recruitment is the line for me.

There have been many failings at the club but the fact that we failed to get a striker in after selling the Premier League's second-highest scorer was the biggest. Playing half a season without a left back a distant but significant second. Thirdly hiring about six No 10s.

Whatever the politics or communication failures at the club were that should never have happened and must never happen again.

Marco Silva will know where we are deficient. Marcel Brands must get the agreed players in efficiently. All the time pruning where required.

The reality is the “recruitment season” starts now, Brands is the main man for this period. Next season will be shaped by Brands' achievements over the next 10 weeks.

Paul Cherrington
20 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:16:20
The hypocrisy of some Everton fans astounds me. The same people who never gave Sam Allardyce any backing or chance to prove himself at all now expect us to give Marco Silva that type of support.

Well, sorry but no. In the same way as many didn't want Allardyce and would never give him a fair shot then I feel the same about Silva.

He wasn't good enough at Hull (where he got them relegated), he wasn't good enough at Watford (where he was sacked only last season) so why is he suddenly good enough for us?

Don't give me excuses about us having better players or being a bigger club or having more money to spend now. If he was good enough he would have done it at Hull or Watford before.

Robert Martinez and Mike Walker Mk II. We will be languishing around the bottom 3 come Christmas and he will be out of the door. Mind you at you at least you will all have had some of the entertaining football you are obsessed with as we lose each game 4-3 or 3-2. Results matter not how pretty you look while getting them.

Jim Potter
21 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:42:49
Everything I've read (so far) strongly suggests that Silva is an extremely hard working, player friendly, intuitive coach who plays an attractive style of football whilst knowing how to defend.

I think it bodes well when so many of his ex-players are suggesting that he will be a 'great fit' at Everton.

Get rid of the dead wood.

Bring in hard working, skilled and determined newbies, whilst offering the talented youth a chance.

Make Seamus captain.

Show respect, commitment and passion for our club; try and develop us into the best we can be – and you'll be loved Marco.

The optimism vibe is beginning to quiver.

COYB. 😀

Don Alexander
22 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:45:25
I'm very hopeful that the pair of them, Brands and Silva, can blend together to better football and results.

I just hope those of us who seem to make a point of expressing deep reservations on anyone before they're even appointed will allow them three transfer windows before getting on their case because I have a feeling there's more than a few at Finch Farm who are quite beyond being improved by even the best coaching unfortunately.

Kelvin Thomas
23 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:50:25
Jim; I couldn't agree more.

It could well be the right time to make Seamus captain.

Jags club captain!

Aidan Wade
24 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:52:05
Silva out! we haven't won anything since he's been in charge.

I am crying out for a manager with the right balance of pragmatism and ambition – who will make sure the defence is drilled and prepared but have a plan to do more than simply nullify the opposition.

He should also be flexible enough to change approach to suit the circumstances – recognise when plan A is bust and adjust. I hope Silva will be that manager.

David Midgley
25 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:55:30
The phoney war is over and the real thing is starting.

It's no good going over Marco's pluses and minuses. We have who we have. I don't care whether he gets 'Everton' or not. He's here to manage the team not wallow in nostalgia. Kites don't fly with yesterday's wind.

However, he comes across a passionate man so Bally's Everton magic will touch him eventually.

Having endured the experience of the last two managers, we, like Icarus, have come crashing down to earth for daring to fly too close to the sun. I like to think I am a realist and pragmatic. I will still, however, have my Everton hopes and dreams.

I would be pleased if he puts a balanced side out on the pitch. That they are fit enough to play and last for more than 90 minutes. That they have some urgency about them, not headless chickens. That their passing triangles move the ball forward not backwards or sideways and that when an Everton player passes the ball it goes to another Everton player. That he gets some neck supports for them so their heads don't keep dropping. That our younger players and those out on loan can see that they will have opportunities here. That more talented players will see us as a place to progress and that this is the place to be.

I want the world to see that the Phoenix is rising once again. I want a lot more for my club and team but I'm trying to be realistic.

There's nothing more to say or do, let the games begin.

Adam Scott
26 Posted 01/06/2018 at 09:56:40
Great article, Lyndon.

Jaime 18 hits the nail on the head. I am totally unsure why Victor sees shades of Martinez. Apart from an Iberian name and an unremarkable playing career, I see no similarities at all.

I think and hope this is a turning point. The Watford debacle has seen his stock drop, but I have confidence. At the time, I questioned why a guy of his reputation went there anyway. Palace were an infinitely better option of he wanted to jump straight back in.

Like Steve Ferns has pointed out, this guy is lauded by players and peers. His work in Portugal and Greece really deserved him a better gig than Hull. What he did when he got there was nothing short of remarkable. To get them to 34 points on the back of losing key players, replacing them with the likes of Matkovic and Niasse, speaks volumes. A coach who wants to make his name at Everton. He will get my total support and time.

Ajay Gopal
27 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:01:02
Good and sensible article, as always, Lyndon. My first choice was Eddie Howe, but Steve Ferns (in many forums) has converted me and I look forward to the coming season with (my customary) optimism. I agree that we as fans need to be patient and set our expectations to realistic levels.

My own expectations for next season:

1. Finish in the Top 7 with a point difference of not more than 6-8 points from the 6th place team.
2. Have a positive Goal Difference (this for me is a real indication of progress).
3. Beat Liverpool in one of the derbies
4. Beat one of last season's Top 6 at their ground
5. See the nucleus of a young dynamic team emerging with a signature playing style and a good team ethic
6. Get into the semi-finals of one of the Cups
7. Don't get beaten by more than 3 goals in any match
8. Get down the average age of the starting XI to 26 or less.

Who knows, I might be pleasantly surprised?

Ian Burns
28 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:19:29
Well written, Lyndon – your articles always seem to grasp the nettle with regards to all matters EFC and its fans' fears, hopes etc.

Patience is most definitely the key and I'm sure Silva will be granted such, as long as we can get a sight of the direction he and Brands are taking us. We will need to see in the short term, a little more courage, attacking intent and signs that some of those who didn't turn up for the last manager at least showing up for this one.

Optimism with a dose of patience is the order of the day.

Kevin Tully
29 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:21:14
I said that Moshiri deserved to lose every last penny of his vast fortune if he didn't have the plums to completely overhaul the club and the boardroom structure this summer. Well, we cannot accuse the man of not acting out these changes that were so desperately required.

It's reported that Rooney was on anything between £150k to £180k a week, because some soppy bastard wanted to 'bring our boy home' and atone for flogging him 13 years ago to the first buyer who could save his empire from crumbling. That's three first-team players' wages, for someone who is clearly finished at this level. Bill has always been professional at one thing, spending other people's money. I'm pleased to see Moshiri has cut that little fairy-tale short. Another plus.

Then we come to the DoF, he's held Walsh to account. The worst thing to ever happen to this club. Over £250M since his arrival, and we've ended up with a decent goalie. What a colossal fuck-up he was. He wouldn't even get his old job back as a PE teacher after the mess he left here.

I am optimistic, because Moshiri could have hung on to Sam Allardyce. It's cost a lot of money to get rid of our last three managers, so fair play to the man. He's leading this club from the front at last.

Martin Reppion
30 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:23:07
Ajay (#27).

What are you doing posting on this forum? You are in the wrong place.

Balanced, realistic targets? A reasoned approach? Go away you fool. Most on here will hound you out like the softie, tree hugging, herbal tea drinking liberal you clearly are.

But well said. Couldn't have put it better myself.

David Ellis
31 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:28:05
Dennis Stevens at #13

Also: "... and Manchester United did under Sir Alex Ferguson before the Heysel ban took hold." ?? Shouldn't that read: "... and Manchester United did under Sir Alex Ferguson during the 1990s."?

No. Read it again. The reference to the timing of Heysel was its impact on us – not the Mancs.

James Flynn
32 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:28:07
I think we'll find out how good a coach he is right quick. Can't see another massive squad turn-over like last season. Brands and Silva will need a good look at what we currently have before making significant moves. At least I hope that's what this next season will be.

As long as we're playing good football come October and November, I can accept 2019-20 as the season we look for a move upward.

Brian Denton
33 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:35:55
Lyndon, we weren't 'arguably' the top European team in 1985. It was unarguable, and indeed voted as such by respected European magazines.

I can remember in 1985 Shadow Chancellor Roy Hattersley taking the piss out of Tory Chancellor Geoffrey Howe in the House of Commons:
"The Chancellor is strutting around as if the UK were the Everton of world economies, whereas we are more like Stoke City" or words to that effect.

Rob Dolby
34 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:39:07
@25 Love the kite-flying analogy.

Let's hope for kinder opening fixtures than last season so that he can build up some brownie points.

The gap between us and 6th needs to be closed. Chelsea and Arsenal also have big summers ahead of them, both could easily slip down the league.

We all know our issues on the pitch, unbalanced squad not enough goals or even quality players in certain positions. I don't think those issues can be corrected without transfers.

We need an efficient transfer window focused on quality. Keep Jim White out of the picture until the deals are done last summers dealing made us look like right mugs.

I do feel optimistic about the appointment given the alternative was Big Sam for another year. His team's like to attack with energy so let's hope for more of the same.

Watford were good to watch early last season though they did look dodgy at the back. Our home game against them was my game of the season drama until the last kick.

Steve Carse
35 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:43:19
Vinny (#17), 'Silva and De Boer have similar playing styles'? I hope not, and fortunately I can't see how you make that conclusion.

Silva likes his sides to play the ball forward when at all possible. He gets his sides to pass the ball ahead of the receiver so as to build up forward momentum.

De Boer, on the other hand, plays things very slow and methodically. His style was so dour, boring, and ineffective that he was told very early on in his short tenure that he'd have to change his methods and style.

Jerome Shields
36 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:49:52
As you say, Lyndon, it is best to be optimistic. Patience is very necessary. If Everton are doing things right, we are at the beginning of a 5-year plan. Brands and Silva are both in place and attending to business.

We are not waiting on them coming off there extended holiday (like Koeman), away at the World Cup (like Martinez) or sorting out things from a poolside, not as hot as Dubai, as Big Sam would have done over the Summer with another year of his contract to run.

A short holiday maybe, we are not that bad.

The main thing is that there is an atmosphere conducive to preparing a squad for next season and we have a well directed transfer window.

Most important of all – Good Luck to Everton.


Danny Broderick
37 Posted 01/06/2018 at 10:58:08
“Wenger, Mourinho, Ferguson, Guardiola… the pantheon of football managerial greats is littered with characters who had unremarkable playing careers.”

Lyndon, surely Guardiola doesn’t belong on this list?! He played for Barcelona nearly 300 times, he played for Spain 47 times, he won the European Cup, La Liga 4 times! Oh, and he was captain of Barcelona also!

Apart from that, good article!

Scott Hall
38 Posted 01/06/2018 at 11:41:42
Love the Guns n' Roses reference in the headline Lyndon. Is it possible the first thing that was said to Marco Silva as he walked through the doors at Finch Farm was...

Welcome to the jungle.

Tony Sullivan
39 Posted 01/06/2018 at 12:07:26
John Keating (#11), if you don't invest in your main man what would that say about the appointment/confidence etc?

Alternatively if you worked in the volatile football management/coaching arena, were you can be summarily sacked after 6 poor results, I think you might want the security/continuity of at least a 3-year deal.

When you have impatient shotgun owners (not too mention the fans), this is the inevitable result.

Dave Abrahams
40 Posted 01/06/2018 at 12:18:57
David Midgley (25), great post, if Silva works like that then some good times, maybe very good times, are waiting for us long-suffering bluenoses.
Jamie Crowley
41 Posted 01/06/2018 at 12:55:17
A successful season for me would entail:

1. A brand of football I can watch without throwing up

2. Finishing above any one of the following: Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal

And point 2 for me is important. Arsenal will be in transition, Chelsea is frankly a bit of a mess, and I'm praying Pochettino upsets the Spurs applecart and leaves for Real Madrid. We need to penetrate these media favorites / top 6. If we don't, the footballing world will keep telling us we're delusional and belong with Leicester, West Ham and Burnley.

And that is annoying as hell.

Dermot Byrne
42 Posted 01/06/2018 at 13:06:27
I have rambled on about how I think the plan for Moshiri all links to the new stadium. Lyndon is quite right about Moshiri seeing a narrowing window of opportunity imho.

So first part of plan, Koeman and Walsh failed badly. To be honest I never expected that pair to be so poor. Neither, I suspect, did Farhad or many on TW.

I think this sharp businessman learned that the club needed bigger organisational changes after those two as well as a second go at changes in coaching. Good business people learn from experience.

The change in powerbase is crucial and I think the first person Silva thanked being Farhad and not BK speaks volumes.

I think the "sweet old Everton with a long history is over and expect some tough company management and coaching.

When we hopefully move to new stadium some will be sad but I recall the thrill of our groundbreaking new Main Stand at Goodison. In those days we took risk.

I think we may be about to take planned risks again and I love, just love that.

Vacancy: Long running soap based in Manchester. Older nice-man character who campaigns for retention of cobbled streets. Former actors particularly welcome.

COYB

James Hughes
43 Posted 01/06/2018 at 13:22:50
Jamie, hopefully Chelsea will get in a bigger mess as time goes by. It is being reported Abramovich has withdrawn his visa application. If he loses interest, it could be turmoil.
Liam Reilly
44 Posted 01/06/2018 at 13:59:00
It's Hughie Green time to take advantage of some upheaval in the top 6 clubs and get in the mix:

Arsenal– new Manager with big shoes to fill and they're not a patient lot in West London

Spurs/Liverpool – be surprised if Madrid don't go for Pochettino or Klippity; which will hopefully unsettle them both

Chelsea – Can't imagine Roman is the kind of guy to take his visa refusal lying down; will be an interesting watch. They won't be cheap if he decides to sell and that could hinder their involvement in the transfer market

United – Mourinho is already complaining about his transfer budget and distancing himself from his players after the FA Cup Final. Not a heavenly match, that one.

Opportunity Knocks!

Mike Gaynes
45 Posted 01/06/2018 at 14:12:13
Ajay (#27), that's a good, conservative list.

I wonder, however, whether most fans would be truly satisfied by some of those items.

Andrew Ellams
46 Posted 01/06/2018 at 15:12:40
Mike @ 45 whilst of course I'd love to see Silva lead the team in a blaze of glory this season I think Ajay's plan is quite good. It's progression and would set up a platform to keep improving.
John Keating
47 Posted 01/06/2018 at 15:17:43
Tony (#38),
Firstly I have to admit Martinez, Koeman, Allardyce and Silva have all underwhelmed me.

Based on all of these managers and what actually happened – apart from Silva of course – is that we have spent millions on paying each of them off. Money that could have been better spent elsewhere.

Silvas past history indicates his future may be similar to his predecessors.

I hope like all Evertonians that Silva is the real deal and he produces the goods we all crave for.

Silva's ToffeeWeb agent, Steve Ferns, tells us that we will see Silva's attributes almost immediately, before Christmas I think he said.

That being the case and the fact it appears he has been after this job since the Club initially approached him last season you would imagine he is well versed on our weaknesses and strengths. Plus the reported conversations he has had with Brands indicates he has arrived more or less up to speed.

Why would he need further support/confidence from the Club? He has been courted for 6 months !

We were told by the many experts that Tuchel and Emery wouldn't come to us as they were at a different level. Well it seems both these two superstars were only given 2-year deals but we give our second-level boy a 3-year contract.

If he was so determined to come here he should have been given a 2-year deal with 1-year options, in my opinion.

Once bitten, not trice bitten, twice shy.

Lyndon Lloyd
Editorial Team
48 Posted 01/06/2018 at 16:54:17
Dennis (13), David (31) said it for me – I was referring to the Heysel ban's effect on Everton – but upon reading it back it was badly worded so I've edited it for clarity.
Paul Birmingham
49 Posted 01/06/2018 at 17:20:31
All 100% behind the new management and coaching staff.

I hope the training will show in better endurance and stamina on the pitch as in my view the last few years we look knackered after 30 mins and the top 6 can do intense press and fast flowing simple football for most of the 90 plus injury time.

It would be nice to see some flowing football next season, as last season, was dire..

Promise and hope and hopefully some magic, and good times ahead for EFC.

Matthew Williams
50 Posted 01/06/2018 at 17:52:37
Sadly I am out of patience... 23 years and counting!

It could all be solved so simply as well, but Moshiri just can't see it... sigh.

On a brighter note... thankfully Big Sham has gone. We might see some decent footy for a change.

Derek Knox
51 Posted 01/06/2018 at 20:10:18
Looking ahead, when Marco and Marcel decide on their transfer targets, it would be interesting if any involve Watford players. I can imagine the reception at Watford, they will protract any potential deal as well as inflate the price.

It looks increasingly likely in speculation, that he would like Carvalho from Sporting, but I can't see him leaving for anything short of £25M.

Let's hope he can rebuild a team for next season but he will have to reduce the current numbers drastically; let's also hope there are a few gems in there too.

Anthony A Hughes
52 Posted 01/06/2018 at 22:35:33
Silva may be a good coach but the man is going to need some quality additions to the first team let alone the squad as a whole. The squads in the top 6 are filled with better players than we have and no matter how good a coach he is he will have to become a turd polisher supreme to get a tune out of what we have.
Jack Convery
53 Posted 01/06/2018 at 22:40:18
Give me a lucky general anytime – do you feel lucky, Marco? I really hope you do as the time is right for EFC to get it right. Go to it and watch the Evertonians follow your team, our team back to where we belong.

Oh, and by the way, that is not a place at the top table, it's the bloody chair at the top of the table – bloodied by all the victims we will tear apart in getting there, including the media. Let's not forget how we have been treated by the so-called pundits and journos. When we are back on top, just tell them all to go do one – that's me being polite, by the way.

Great read as always, Lyndon.

Lev Vellene
54 Posted 01/06/2018 at 23:42:31
Wow, I never realized the Echo was THAT bad! I think they've suppressed every (even very moderate) reply to offensive RS posts about Unsy/Brands that I've read during this afternoon/evening! Now that comment section is mostly RS trolls not being contradicted...

I just now went back to have another look, and so many totally decent posts were just gone...

Oh well, never any bookmark for The Sun, and I'll keep the Echo for the headlines, but not for honesty!

Laurie Hartley
55 Posted 01/06/2018 at 00:21:42
Kevin Tulley (#29),

Farhad Moshiri could indeed have kept Sam Allardyce on as the safe option but he didn't and I too respect him for that. He obviously thinks Marco Silva is the real deal and has backed his own judgement with more money.

Jack Convery (#53) – good post – and Lev Vellene (#54) – My dad (God rest his soul) told me in the 60s that "they" didn't like us. I have come to realise over the years he was 100% right.

There is only one way to silence them and that is on the football pitch – and when we do... do it again. That is why Goodison needs to get behind our new manager.

Looking forward to the new season with hope.

Up the Blues!

Anthony Murphy
56 Posted 02/06/2018 at 00:57:35
Lev, I long for a Blue boycott of the Echo. It’s bias is laughable. Aside from that, it’s obsession with the local plastic gangster scene is just plain embarrassing. The standard of journalism is that of a few 6th formers been given the school newsletter gig.
James Power
57 Posted 02/06/2018 at 07:42:59
Brian (#33) and Lyndon, wait for it: we were voted Uefa World Team of the Year. Imagine you have read Howard Kendall's biography, there is a photo of him in there collecting the trophy. Some of the younger members of my team couldn't believe it!
Hugh Jenkins
58 Posted 02/06/2018 at 07:54:50
Lyndon - you have the gift of words. So many have praised your writing, before and now, and I bow at the same altar.

Everton reminds me of the ancient alchemists and more recently apothecaries. The disease is identified, the cure is sought, you mix your folk knowledge of herbs and remedies in a pestle or crucible and mix and /or heat until the elixir flows and hopefully it cures the illness. If it fails, you clear out your vessel and start again.

I think this is exactly what Mr Moshri is doing. Hopefully, having cleared out his crucible this summer and having filled it with Brands and Silva, the winning formula is found and we can feed it to EFC, returning EFC to the health it enjoyed in the mid 1980s.

From there, the patient will go from strength to strength, to be become the biggest, strongest and most robust patient ever – seeing as patience is the theme of your article.

Mike Keating
59 Posted 02/06/2018 at 14:13:51
Lyndon's article provides a neat link to this piece by Andy Hunter which sums up what Silva has in his in-tray:

Marco Silva’s in-tray: what is lying in wait for Everton’s new manager

Rick Tarleton
60 Posted 02/06/2018 at 20:55:04
A sane, balanced article and we must indeed show patience.

I'm not quite sure where Silva's high standing comes from. In England he revived Hull City, but not enough to save them from relegation and as for his sojourn with Watford perhaps we'd better draw a veil over that. However, let's give him the support and hope he can begin the process of making us look like a top six team in a season or two and possibly a top four team in the long-run.

It depends a lot on who he can bring in, but equally depends on who of our dead wood he can send on their way. Let us hope he is our best manager since Kendall Mark 1, because frankly all who succeeded Kendall after his first spell have been at best disappointing and at worst appalling.

Darren Hind
61 Posted 03/06/2018 at 10:07:47
Another very well-written article, Lyndon, but you – not for the first time when a new manager has been appointed – expect too much from the fans, I think.

Patience is not something the new regime will get. They may be new, but many Evertonians ran out of patience a long time ago. You will of course know this. You are unquestionably right to call for it, but you ain't going to get it.

If we didn't know what Koeman was bringing, we very quickly found out and, after the disappointment of seeing Martinez get himself all tangled up in his own philosophy, I found myself calling for Koeman to be removed about a year before he was actually sacked.

Those calling for a manager to be removed are generally perceived as negative, but I swear, I can't think of anything more negative than supporting and persevering with something/someone which is clearly not working.

Allardyce was different; we knew what we were getting and the lack of patience was, in my view, born out of frustration at the board's lack of imagination.

Silva wouldn't have been my choice, I said so before his appointment, so I can't deny it now, but I do feel a sense of excitement now he is here. As the Irish say about horses who are untried in a particular grade – He could be anything.

The patience you are calling for will depend on the expectation of the individual. Those who expect us to climb 3-4 places will have their patience stretched if we aren't up with the leading pack early doors.

As someone who believes we need to get to the next level before we can think of getting to the "next level", I don't believe the big boys need worry about our points haul come the end of the season.

My expectations are that we will see a club heading in the right direction with a coach who fancies himself, a team which will be pleasing to watch, playing with cohesion and passion... confirming ourselves as seventh best without doing any of the above will simply leave me cold.

Leaving aside the points haul, the very least I expect to see will be signs that we are improving our image as a club by wanting to win football matches again, against everyone, and I am putting all my support behind this new team to achieve this.

Patience? Being as I set the bar relatively low, I feel I am entitled to be less patient than those who set it high. If I don't see an improvement on recent performances and attitude, I'll be screaming the fucking house down long before the kids are buying pumpkins and wearing witches hats.

Matthew Williams
62 Posted 04/06/2018 at 15:04:08
Following on to Ajay's post (#27).

My remit for the new season is...

1. Win a derby... with style.
2. Don't get twatted... in any game.
3. The lads give everything, show a will to win, and bust a fucking bollock in just six games & bag us that Trophy! ... yer know the one we throw every season, that the RedShite have won eight times... I repeat, 8 fucking times!!!!

Then and only then... it begins, Blues.

Realistic, achievable aims first!


Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

» Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.


About these ads


, placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' });