The Great Pretenders

The purchase of Niasse, many of us believed done by BBS, via UTube.

And it makes you wonder, with all the relative riches EFC, have wasted on average players these last 3 years at best.

It’s as if Everton buy all the tickets at the Football Tombola, thinking that they’ll get the best prize, in terms of the best players.

Alas in football, transfer dealing is a skill, and this window took the wheels off the bus, before the season started, with no proven striker, CB to replace Zouma, and an energetic midfielder who covers the pitch.

Lack of shape, tempo etc etc.. and we are in the crap house again.

Time to fight, but I don’t see this squad with enough stomach for a long fight.

But as they say, it’s a funny old game.

One day perhaps..

Sometimes I think we are signing players that have good football quality at face value, but lack the other human qualities that underpin a ''winner'' and a team player.

A lot of the players we have signed either see us as a cash cow to maintain or improve their previous bloated wage for another 5 years. Or alternatively see us as a part-time job where achieving anything is just too much and a futile effort because of the Sky Six's resources.

There's not the required commitment to their fellow player, or to the club. many players view us as a stopover, not a destination. As a result are never fully signed up to the cause. Even if it is for 2 or 3 years , it's the wrong mentality.

The biggest thing of all is the bond as a team. Knowing and understanding teammates and their idiosyncrasies on the pitch. Knowing each others runs and their natures. Everton under HK in the 80's was a perfect example of it. Everyone knew their roles, and everyone knew everyone elses roles.

At the moment it is just complete confusion on the pitch, 11 strangers wearing the same kit.

We sign good players, some very good, but not top notch players. We used to have top notch players, especially in the 60s when we were world class. But that was a long time ago.

I think we all recognise Everton's waffle about how great the club is, how Everton can talk the talk but not walk the walk. That's why the quality of EFC is not up to the quality of its loyal supporters.

This situation won't change, probably cannot change, unless and until we spend really big money on top players and coaches. Until that happens, anticipate a steady supply of what has become traditional Everton bullshit.

If Everton could play football as fully as it can waffle, we'd be winning every trophy available.

He was very forward thinking obviously. Hey it's his anecdote I am not going to second guess him. lol

I suspect, that team we have, is the best team AVAILABLE. The very best players [Tier 1] are only going to play for teams who are regularly in the CL; the 2nd Tier, will put up with regular Europa League games. If you have neither of those to offer, then the top 2 tiers are out of reach.

You are then down to Tier 3; i.e. promising youth [KEAN, DCL/RICHARLISON] or those who are good, but have been overlooked/discarded by other clubs [SIGURDSSON/GOMES/DELPH] or 'home-grown' juniors [DAVIES, ANTHONY GORDON etc.].

Looked at in that limited way, we are doing things more or less right.

A couple of random points: We could not [realistically] stop Idrissa Gueye leaving; I believe Chelsea WERE going to sell Kurt Zouma to us, until David Luiz left [which NOBODY saw coming!]. Ole G-S said the other day, that MUFC hadn't signed a striker in the last window 'because there was no-one of the right quality available'. If Man U couldn't find a 'good enough' striker, it should be no surprise, that we couldn't either.

So, Kieran, I don't disagree with your main point it's just that it only addresses half the question... and it could be said, it's not the important half!