Divided We Fall

What more can we do when our passion, intensity and hard-earned cash is rewarded by total incompetence, chumocracy and out-and-out contempt?

The club deserves to go down, the fans don't deserve a club that is so totally mismanaged. We may go down Inshallah but there is nothing we as fans can do now. A loss on Saturday could be the end and a win could be meaningless as West Ham could go down with us.

I said before the Southampton game I had seen death threats on Twitter directed at Bill. I've no doubt there were other threats. It's abhorrent as is actual abuse versus criticism of journos.

But with regard to the "headlock" story, did you read the abuse directed at Evertonians, and moreover people from Liverpool (regardless of their football affiliation) in reaction to the alleged incidents?

I won't list all the diatribes here but suffice to say every nasty cliche about Merseysiders, and much worse, was all over Twitter on Saturday as a result of misleading articles readily published by journalists relying on sources from the club.

I was trying to find more details on the "attack" but every search for "Everton" produced endless abuse directed against "scum" "feral" "chavvy" "work dodging scousers" by people who – like the journalists – were only to happy to readily accept the story without any proper analysis.

I imagine some of those now abusing journalists are the same as those Everton fans who were on the receiving end of this abuse Saturday (which weirdly seemed to mostly come from Geordies and Londoners). It doesn't excuse it but it does show how this type of thing can exacerbate a volatile situation.

It would be nice if the fans could focus on supporting as you said, and criticize reasonably without abuse and threats. It would also be nice if the press vetted stories, and if the powers that be, Moshiri and Kenwright, did their jobs, or find others who can perform better.

Obviously, that didn't happen but she did mention to me that she noticed how the atmosphere changed in the second half... you could feel how angry everyone was.

I'm hoping it was just a bit too early in the season for the kind of support we saw last season and, once we approach the run-in, that kind of support will show itself again.

It just didn't feel like the 'bear pit' on Saturday and, without the fans, this team isn't good enough to stay up. Far too fragile.

I believe the title of your piece is so true, Lyndon, but last Saturday's premeditated sickening debacle just confirmed exactly how Bill Kenwright has operated with completely opposite thoughts (to your title) since he got his very dirty, nepotistic paws into Everton Football Club.

In spite of this, I do pray Kenwright's legacy is partly saved, because of what you write, Lyndon, about how dangerous relegation would be for our club. I ‘was' one of the people who would take relegation to finally be rid of the ‘Kenwright curse' bu,t looking into a few things posted on ToffeeWeb today, I'm not so sure.

My message to Bill Kenwright right now would say, "You got away with dividing us for years but, if you love Everton and you want us to survive, then maybe your resignation might begin to unite us and, god knows, we definitely need uniting ASAP.

The financial side of the club has been neglected for decades. It is a low-income, record loss-making business with players' wages at 96% of income. Moshiri needs investment to complete the ground. Investors would surely want a guarantee of Premier League status to recover their investment plus interest.

He has been looking for investors without success for some time. It is not going to happen with the club in its current position. Neither is the sale of the club. One prospective buyer has walked away this week.

Buyers will wait for the outcome of the relegation battle. If relegation happens, Moshiri will get nowhere near what he wants to recover his investment. Investment and takeover are both dependent on Premier League survival. I really fear for the future of our club.

After last season, you would think everything that could be done would be done.

Lampard should have gone after the Bournemouth fiasco and 2 signings should have been ready to go at the start of the window.

That is why I know this board is useless.

Martin, the club doesn't deserve to go down, but the CEO and Chairman need to be released by Moshiri as soon as possible.

We read of players not wanting to join the club because of the turmoil and our league position. Furthermore, a manager with hands tied behind his back. Throughout it all are the fans, desperate to drive the team to survival. In all of this is the owner, Moshiri, doing nothing.

The truth is elaborated on and shaped to suit a Chairman who can no longer call on media chums to give false praise. His road is at an end. For the love of God, go.

Let's us rebuild with hope, his legacy will be blackened in our history if he stays any longer. Materially, little will change in the short term but psychologically, it will change the culture of the club immediately.

The pressure on all concerned is immense. The silence is unforgivable, its effect is destroying the club's ability to recruit, and perform on the pitch.

Somebody, somewhere has to support Moshiri in his removal of this board. Sacking the board without a plan is not an option for him; he has shown little ability to commercially understand a football club, let alone single-handedly run one.

Active replacements should be sought but at the very least, an interim board appointed to manage the current crisis.

One thing has been clear to many of us for so many years: Kenwright will resist and cling on until the bitter end.

Death threats and other such threats towards family members of any of us, not just those in positions of power, isn't welcomed by any right-thinking individual. I'm sure that the club and the authorities could very easily trace those offenders and punish them accordingly.

I have no personal axe to grind with Bill Kenwright and have even argued in his defence with the guy who sits next to me in the Lower Bullens. But I feel now is the time for him to 'retire' if even just for his own health and sanity. Nothing can be gained from him overseeing the remainder of the season.

I was hoping that the protest would be peaceful at the end of the Southampton game. It was inside the ground as well as being powerful. I didn't join in; I was sad rather than angry.

What did surprise me was the chant of "Your not fit to wear the shirt" to the players – they looked shocked and I only pray that it galvanises them into proving the fans wrong and it is not used as an easy cop-out to hide behind lucrative contracts for the rest of the season. The hiding behind a contract is a bigger danger to us than anything the board and media can aim at us in the short term.

"You are also having to explain how a lot of innocent people are getting unnecessary pressure because of the board's inexplicable actions."

It was less an explanation of how (because I think most agree the Board's handling of the messaging and its timing was flawed and inflammatory) and more an appeal for calm and sense because, again, a lot of nasty stuff is being directed at people within the club who aren't the decision-makers.

But I agree on your last point. What did a banner once say? "If you love the club, let go!"

Martin #1,

I can't agree with your last comment. If we are to get out of this situation, there has to be a turning point. We are running out of potential turning points but this is one of the few remaining.

This game looks harder to me than the Southampton or Wolves games but it is winnable and a win would give us hope. Something we desperately need.

I’m not the most articulate, it won’t be hard to pick up my own mistake in one of my above descriptions, and you do deserve a lot of praise, because of the overall message that you are trying to get across.

I hate what these people have done to Everton, but I hate the blame game even more. What’s done is done, it’s how you go about trying to rectify what’s been done, that has always been the most important thing, imo, so don’t worry about getting a tiny bit of criticism Lyndon, because ‘I also know’ you are coming with a MASSIVE EVERTONIAN HEART.

We can’t afford be divided - that’s the biggest message, I’m taking from this eight out of ten piece!!

The one change that you mentioned, Lyndon, of Kenwright relinquishing his position of Chairman to become Club President would be the one short term change Moshiri could make that would appease the supporters somewhat, for now. All the better if the new Chairman comes in & does the job as a competent full-time professional.

Strange that this ban should happen now. There is also a report that any supporter that signs the shareholders' protest form will be looked into. This report is supposed to come from EvertonFC. I wonder if any other supporter clubs have received this ban on tickets.

Yet, we have strung together loss after loss, Man City aside. The board has decided to stick with the manager thus far, and will obviously take no responsibility themselves, so we have an impasse between the hierarchy and the fans and the manager may be collateral damage, but that doesn’t solve the problem.

It’s a conundrum that may only be solved on the pitch in the short term, and even that may be too late.

To get any credibility, to improve results, it is imperative to improve the our attacking options, and given our lack of recruitment in that department so far on this window we are teetering on the brink of implosion.

would like more detail or confirmation re. that report. "Any supporter" would be everyone that signed it!

I find it hard to believe this Dave, but once the blame game starts, then reason definitely goes out of the window. It becomes all about point scoring for many, but with Everton’s precarious position, all this should be put on the back burner, at least until we have had a go at trying to save our season.

If deceitful and divisive leaves us now, maybe we will have a much better chance of survival.

The Rice Lane supporters club ban is true and came on the same mobile phone.

Look, this anguish about the portrayal of some of our fans is pure kopite behaviour it's on the verge of their Heysel rationale ie it was a result of a dodgy wall rather than rampaging fans. Indignation about fans being exposed has supplanted commentary on the perilous form of the team - it's ludicrous.

We have just as many ne'er do wells as any club and wackjobs going after club personnel in a threatening manner should be exposed not excused with weasel words.

Without money (and bereft of Usmanov we clearly have none) there is nothing of any substance the club can do. It's a roll of the dice whether we stay up regardless of who's in charge and how many threats club personnel receive.

If that's true about the Rice Lane supporters - shocking. Touting... sure.

The Chair of The Everton Shareholders Association states this unequivocably on YouTube (it's on "Across The Park" podcast) that Bill has almost no eyesight.

I'm so sorry to hear that Bill. Genuinely, I am… But.
Seeing as that is the truth, then PLEASE BILL, step back and look after yourself, and do it immediately.… PLEASE.

Sadly, Our once fine club has turned to lies upon its supporters.

There was NO headlock. DBB never said that. She did not.

When our Board are reduced by their own actions into spouting vile lies & deceit against Evertonians then the final proof is evident that many suspected lies and deceits must have real substance.

How does he walk? With confidence like a normal sighted person? Or cautiously like a toddler? Does he get assistance getting up and down the steps to his seat in the director's box?

I've had a few blind friends over the years and one of my current good friends is clinically blind, it's easy to spot if you know.

Unfortunately you won't be able to check it out at any of the remaining home games, but maybe there's some recent video of him around?

Would explain the good times quote though if he really can't see how shite the team are playing?

I do beleive he has an illness though. When it was originally brought up it was posted what it is. I looked it up (can't remember what it was though) but remember it was one of the glandular conditions, of which there are many.

Not life-threatening, but not nice to have and no way to cure it, just keep taking the drugs.

So you're right, if he is poorly then he should give up the struggle but being the egotist that he is I'm sure he's hanging on until a stand is named after him at BMD and there's a statue of him outside proclaiming him as the savour of Everton.

You are so spot on with Kenwright & DBB, in terms of staying behind amidst increasing abuses from Evertonians: they really crave to be identified as one of the "architects" of BMD, don't they?

There is nothing we can do other than keep putting daily pressure on the board to leave &/or make instant & dramatic changes.

"the policy of maintaining control over one's subordinates or opponents by encouraging dissent between them, thereby preventing them from uniting in oppositionon".

It is really sad it came to this and it's hard to see how they, the club, under its current leadership structure can repair the relationship with the supporters. I went through all of the posts and if they are now still pursuing ways to target fans' groups (if some of the rumours are to be substantiated), then they are ignorant and inflaming and already inflammatory situation.

I'm not naive. Changing the board tomorrow won't address the immediate issue of pulling us back from the cliff edge with failing brakes. We need to do a handbrake turn and focus on the here and now. That is down to the manager and players we have at our disposal. I can't contemplate relegation. It would absolutely break my heart.

But come the summer or maybe even after a few wins over the next month or so and victory at Anfield, the change at the top has to happen. It should have happened years ago, but we are here.

Moshiri is detached and doesn't want to be involved in the day-to-day. I could tolerate that. His problem, in my repeated opinion, resides with the people he left in control of running the club and spending his money. As soon as he took over, he should have installed his own team and.

Ultimately responsible? Of course and he is obviously looking for the exit door / ejector seat.

On Bill. He is 77 years old. If he was as big an Evertonian as he claims, he would have done the honourable thing years ago. I wish no ill on any human being or animal. For the sake of your health Bill, and Everton, just let it go Bill.

Morning rambling. Good read Lyndon.

In a crowd of 40,000, there is no club in the country that won't have a miniscule number of bone heads who will take to verbal abuse; and even fewer who would use physical abuse.

Those two have lit the Blue touchpaper and I don't think the response of the rest of the those at the match, and those at home, have done anything but rightly rise up in protest at the potential destruction of our club.

Lyndon, yes, it is an awful situation that every Evertonian is faced with; and how do we react (or should we react at all!)
Whoever, leaked the "news that the Chairman and CEO have faced physical and verbal abuse, to such and extent that they are advised to stay away from the ground, has done untold harm to the club and it's supporters, and equally importantly, to all the decent staff who work for the club,
Can we stop the abuse? I doubt it. Someone sitting at a computer or using a phone, can spread their vile, malicious hatred at the touch of a button. Whoever was shouting "Your not fit to wear the shirt" at the match, are showing their frustration; but have no idea whatsoever, what damage they are causing to the players Morale. Nor do they care They want to shout it without thought of the consequences.

But, that is the action of a tiny minority; and the attack on a players car was about half a dozen by the look of it. Awful, mindless, destructive and harmful to what everyone else who is currently protesting at how the club is being run.

To see ten thousand, or more, signatures petitioning Moshiri to act, is a really fantastic response to the inertia that seems to have gripped the Board of this club.

It's awful to see Evertonians abused by so called civilised people in the media, and social media, but it isn't a surprise.

Tony Abrahams has, a few times, suggested that we should reach out to the team, via a few good blokes and let them know we'll support them through thick and thin. It's a good idea. They, and the manager are the only ones who can save this club, by winning and drawing.

Finally, if their is any truth that anyone who has signed the Shareholders Petition, will be looked into ( I hope that is a load of twaddle) but if it's true, then that will inflame the supporters even more. It's like the actions of the Stasi!

If they use the club scouts to gather intel on the fans we should be safe

Surely it was poor management if the meeting did not take place. If it did and Gordon was there what does this say about him? Who is responsible for this debacle

Change at the top of the club is not going to happen before the end of the current season. As in 1998-1999 a change of ownership will take at best several months to arrange. We must hope when that change happens we are not jumping from the frying pan into the fire with a new owner worse than their predecessor.

A bureaucracy with the aim of preserving itself and keeping going. That is the culture that exists today and fans identify it at all levels as a direct clash with the performance culture they have craved for so long.

They cannot be bluffed that everything is okay, being well informed and treated as matchday nuisances, because they are organised and can maintain pressure over sustained periods, with media support based on honest and genuine endeavour and belief.

Unity is a given now, as the fans are 'all together now', have the unity of purpose to effect change on the Club, which desperately needs change, more than the hangers-on who desperately cling to power.

Make no mistake, there will be eruptions for the Club from top to bottom and the owner and beyond. We are all looking at the murky depths of mismanagement, but may be able to effect change and give enough support to avoid the even more murky depths of relegation, in Everton's particular case, which will happen if we did nothing at all.

I think that talking about it is one thing, making judgments at high speed once you’re on the field is another. I don’t suppose Gordon thought he was going to give away a foul. In that split second he wrongly judged he could make a tackle. We slag off Iwobi for not tackling now we slag off Gordon for doing so when it goes wrong

Tactically Lampard seems limited and timid, the same players are picked irrespective of their recent form. A central striker who thrives on crosses and quick ball is deprived of such service by his selections and in recent weeks only Pickford, Onana and Gray in flashes have looked worthy of their place in a Premier League outfit.

Nor does Lampard seem to be motivating the players as he managed to do at the end of the last season with a great deal of help from the Goodison faithful.However, as I keep saying this seems to be true of all the managers in the last ten years, including Ancelotti.

Unless Everton can get some tactical know-how, some inspiration and some spirit, they will go down. Does the world care if Everton go down? I'm afraid the answer is not particularly. Half the Premiership is in a relegation battle and it's dog eat dog. Leicester is my nearest club and folk round here are too worried about the Foxes to reflect on the Toffees eminent history.

I haven't through my avid watching of Everton on tv (only the Palace game, a rare triumph, have I managed to see live) seen a worse team.

I fear that today we will lose to West Ham, they have one or two players who seem to have more to offer than our lot, but playing away at the moment seems to be better than playing at home and the West Ham crowd are possibly as toxic as our fans about their ownership and mismanagement, so if the game progresses and West Ham don't score or concede a goal perhaps the atmosphere will work in our favour.

I'm clutching at the proverbial straws, but straws are all we've got.

COYB.

I know the protest was peaceful and they've been at pains to call for it to be nothing else.

But whilst we may be outraged with the board, we cannot deny the actions of a small group of fans which is horrendous. The aggression aimed at individuals, both board members and players, as witnessed on camera, is shocking, ugly and indefensible and doing untold damage.

The spotlight is on us and the media are rubbing their hands together in glee as they can't wait to discredit us — it only takes a few mindless thugs.

It isn't so very long ago that players would come across fans regularly and would be reminded of a poor display in person.

Of course now, these men are generally cossetted and move in circles out of access to your average kid living in Kirkdale.

Ditto the Board.

Personally, I didn't see anything too worrying from those incidents. No one was physically hurt.

People in the public eye have to ensure their own safety.

What irks me is that the club have tried to use these incidents to deflect from the criticisms of their role.

I would suggest that if the players, manager and board/owner met fans more regularly(not in corporate boxes or lounges) but in properly arranged small meetings at a hotel or community centre, then they would get a real understanding of the frustrations and aspirations of the ordinary fan.

I imagine that on a normal matchday, the Chairman and players meet well-off locals who are star-struck and just happy to meet their idols.

Then they go home to their mansions and think all is well with the happy masses.

The distain towards even the shareholders(not having an AGM with questions from the floor) gives an idea of the general attitude to the fans.

Portraying us as toxic working class oiks to be avoided, will merely increase the divide between Us and Them.

Kenwright has failed for over 25 years and is still there.

Cosy FC, hopeless romantic, living in the past is not what this club needs.

I agree.

Such protest is as long as when Football began.No of the incidents where beyond anything I have ever witnessed or seen.Because the protest has been genuine the Media are falling in behind the Supporters.The Club has been shown to be the perpetuators of fake news.Going forward the Club has continued with it's High Risk strategy ,unsubstantiated by the Police , whilst the Fan United are continuing to support the team and continuing with peaceful protest.

Those that work for Football Clubs also know they will be subject to praise or not ,by the many fans who attend and watch games by other means.

There has been rumour (so, unfounded) that a lot of these 'so called threats' weren't even from Everton Supporters but by some anarchists hoping to stir up the simmering cauldron and throw an accelerant on the fire as well. Of course Journalists haven't missed the opportunity to report and exaggerate these issues to further tarnish the name of Everton at a time when we need even more unity and togetherness.

One sad fact in life, that people will more readily accept 'bad news' (whether true or not) than focus on the good and the factual aspect. In Moshiri's Interview with NSNOW which must have been some time ago because Jazz Bal has left that support group, not that they seemed to reflect the general fan view anyway, there are so many untruths and discrepancies. I wouldn't trust him to do anything that was best for Everton. To say that Kenwright was a highly respected figure in World Football was an absolute joke.

Everton have the personnel to get out of this mess but it will need a different approach from what Lampard was pursuing.

I had thought for a few seasons that Everton lacked the strength in midfield, both on the ball and off the ball. Marking and tackling was poor for the most part and creativity was lacking.

When Richarlison was fit and in the team, he was a threat because he is a natural finisher and Calvert-Lewin was a decent target man, especially in the air.

This helped Everton get by in recent seasons but too many other weaknesses have cropped up over the last 12 months which Lampard has been unable to deal with.

Iwobi has been a different player this season but he, like the others, has slipped into the doldrums somewhat.

The midfield frailties have consequently left their mark and put a big burden on the ''defense'' and sadly they have not been able to stem the flow.

Oddly enough, the only good performance over the last three months was against Man City, so why not against other lesser teams, one might ask?

We shall see if a new guy, Bielsa or Dyche, can bring some stability to the side and it would be nice to start against the Gunners and if not, certainly against Leeds.