Sliding Doors — Now or Never?

I was initially daunted by the length of your piece but, once I started into it, I found myself nodding in agreement through each of your well-elucidated points.

I think that you have really got to grips with the inept almost indifferent series of managerial bungles and retreats by Moshiri and Kenwright that have brought us to this lamentable state. The waste of money, and consequent missed opportunity to propel us to a new level, sickens me to the stomach.

I also agree with your summation of the disastrous manager appointments, sadly including Frank, who should never have got the job. One thing you are too kind to mention is that his appointment was to a large extent driven by pressure from fans, often the same ones who continue to support him despite the evidence that he was not and is not up to the job. Hope over experience, I guess.

Where I differ slightly is that, whilst I agree Moshiri is very obviously seeking to sell the club when the new stadium is completed, I can only see this as light at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, I have no doubt he will ensure that he is the main beneficiary of the sale, but I must believe that whatever comes next must be better than the demeaning madhouse that he and Bill Kewright have foisted on us. Can't it?????

(Hail to selling Broadhead for a nominal ٟ.5M, where he would've been released for free under previous regimes. More of these, Sir!). Marcel Brands did some of the heavy lifting (e.g. fast-tracking players via the Reserves) beforehand but was heavily compromised by Rhino & other Kenwright entourage. Fortunately, with more Evertonians waking up from Kenwright's BS and the Board's incompetence, Thelwell has been afforded more breathing space to do his job more properly.

Time is not on his side, however. We need to stay in the league after Game 38 to buy extra transfer windows for him to continue rebuilding our club. Thus, I would be happy if my pre-season expectation of a 17th-place finish materialises.

Anything on top of that would be icing on the cake; #Kenwright Out would be one heck of an icing!

I think Moshiri is leaving it more and more to Bill, as he has enough on his plate because his day job as Usmanov's money man has got a lot more complicated in the last 18 months or so.

He (and Usmanov probably as well) fell for Bill's alledged line of... "I'm so close, all I need is more money, I can do the footy stuff (see all the 5th and 6th finishes)'.

You've outlined the way to remove the Un-fab 4(?)

Getting decent replacements is the hard part...

Our (ie, Moshiri's and Lampard's) immediate problem is beating Southampton... which, depending on the result, will, for better or worse, change the game again.

A thoughtful and thought-provoking piece that, Simon. Some comments.

On the appointment, not for the first time, I was nervous and unconvinced about Lampard. I remain so. But I am equally sick of blaming and changing managers.

I agree with your point about the manager and coaches ultimately being responsible for matchday performances. But in the case for the defence, they deal with the resources they are afforded. We have underinvested for too long.

Interesting point with regards to Lampard the player. There are quite a few players who were amongst the best of their generation that struggle to step into management or coaching. It doesn't always translate.

Great players turned managers can't always understand why their players can't do things because to them, it came natural and they didn't have to think about it, so they can't always explain or coach it.

For every Pep, Cruyff or Kendall, there is a Gerrard, Lampard or a Gullit. Then you have Ferguson and Mouhrino. Not particularly great or successful players, but successful managers.

Everton has messed up the DoF model through interference and not letting them do their jobs. If you implement that structure, then let it work; otherwise, don't have it. It feels to me like it was a high level concept that had little substance underneath in terms of delivery, empowerment and execution.

I'm not sure about the comment on Martinez not being backed financially. Wasn't Lukaku our record signing at the point of him signing a 5-year contract? I know we had the song about loans, but I think he was backed in the second season and with not many significant outgoings the other way to balance the books. That came later.

I won't bore everyone. I've mentioned it many times. The degradation of the club has been over decades; about 40 years or more. Our success has always been in short-lived spikes.

I have to challenge you with reference to the Man Utd match. We may have had a wide open midfield, but we did attack and were a split-hair decision away from an equaliser before a soft penalty in the final throes, but were in it until the end. I think it's harsh and the supporters saw something.

I was as disappointed as anyone with the result leaving the ground, but I couldn't knock the effort and performance. Tactics maybe at fault, but the players left it all on the pitch. Rashford, who bagged a brace last night, had a great night. That was the difference as much as the decisions.

To the main theme of your very well written and articulated article. The focus for change has to be on the board and how this club is fundamentally run.

Will sacking the board provide a quick fix? No, I am not naive enough to believe that. However long-term it has to be the solution.

Within reason, manager after manager can't be the reason that the club is failing.

Gauging how the fans feel? Unless they only focus on the passionate matchday support and our PR/Marketing department is as bad as I suspect, they are blinkered. ToffeeWeb and other sites may only represent a proportion of the Everton fanbase. But if I were in their shoes, and in this age of internet and data based decisions, I'd be all over it.

Good read that Simon. Thank you.

I could do it myself, start writing about Everton and forget to stop, such is the calamitous way we have been run for years and years, and which is only going to end in one places if we are not careful.

If I was in charge at Everton (the person who made key decisions), I would have spoken to Lampard right after the Brighton game and asked him the question that was on thousands of Evertonians lips.

Do you not know your players, Frank? Do you realize that you can only make your ideology work when you have got enough of the pieces in place? Are you going to change to a system that the players seem to understand? One which makes us harder to beat? Or are you going to persist with something that is not only not working – it is going to send us down?

I'm not sure these questions got asked and he's going to change but I think we all know what needs to be done very quickly if he doesn't change.

You are particularly critical of Lampard and I agree. He constantly changes players' positions and team formations and even when he hits upon a system that seems to be working, changes it for the next game. The clichéd terrace chant “You don't know what you're doing” springs to mind.

I'm not in favour of constantly changing managers, and as Danny says, he can only work with the resources he has, but his record in the last 12 months does not convince me that he has the skills to keep us up.

He should be gone and gone now! I think the only reason he is still here is that this useless Board hasn't a clue who to replace him with.

I don't agree with Danny that we have under-invested, on the contrary we have badly invested millions, and are now reaping the consequences, ie, older players on inflated long-term contracts and little or no sell-on value and leaving us no wiggle room within P&S rules.

All Evertonians know we needed at the very least 2 strikers and a creative midfield player with pace last summer. Wouldn't you expect therefore that our recruitment team would have already drawn up a short list of potential candidates with the right skills profile and be at the right age and cost?

Also they should be actively researching the availability of these players before the transfer window opens?

Yet here we are again, scratching around for loan deals or showing interest in wingers with little goal contributions in their record as the transfer window grinds on when we need an up-the-middle striker who's first instinct is to get in the box and score.

I know all clubs are looking for such players, but I can't help thinking that, for all his history, age and injury problems, maybe Danny Ings could do a job for us for a couple of years? Controversial, I know, but I bet he would get us goals and, let's be realistic, are we in a position to get anyone any better?

We haven't under-invested. We badly invested. From the top down.

A good read and thanks for taking the time to put it together. And a very interesting insert re the influx of money from very Iffy characters. One of whom it looks like Moshiri is friends with!

About the Manager and DoF? I think it's a very dodgy situation... for us. If we show a vocal dissent of the manager and players, what will that do to their morale? Even as professionals, playing in a poisonous atmosphere will affect them and the manager.

If the intention is to force the Board to get a change, what if they can't or won't sack the manager? Would we be able to bring in a manager of such quality who can lead this team and this club out of the mire? Is there any money for a new manager to buy or loan players of good enough quality to make a difference, would they want to come?

I think it is a potential situation that Army planners at Sandhurst would call being "Up Shit Creek without a paddle!"

It is a situation that Kenwright is getting paid millions of £££s a year to resolve? And he has managed to do with resounding failure for decades.

I'd never boo an Everton team. To me, as much as I think the manager isn't up to the quality we need, not supporting them through this next 5 months will hasten the slide into relegation. What effect then, on the future of the club?

There's no shortage of football experience and knowledge in the first team management, I've no real worries there. So I'm on the fence with regard to Frank's ability as a manager; I find it hard to come to a firm conclusion.

He has been hampered so far by injuries to key players and by a limited amount of money to buy players. I fail to see how he could have done things a lot different.

The defence is okay, but we have a team full of players who can't put the ball in the net, that's what is killing us.

Frank's fate is now 100% tied into this Saturday's match against the bottom club. Anything less than a win and I cannot see him surviving beyond Saturday evening.

A really important point I think you make is about the protests against the totally incompetent board and even worse Chairman. It has to be post-match as the manager (whoever it may be) and players need all the support they can get before and during games.

Thelwell is not blameless. I honestly think we'd be much closer to mid-table if we had bought a more direct replacement striker for Calvert-Lewin. Even now Calvert-Lewin is still off the pace.

Even a journeyman striker like Ings or Weghorst signed instead of the unnecessary (for what we needed) signings of Maupay and McNeil would have seen us quite a few points better off.

Fair points. I too think that playing in a poisonous atmosphere is not going to help the team and I would never boo an Everton team.

The points you make about the difficulty of bringing in a capable manager and suitable players are also valid, but I still think that persevering with a manager who to me has demonstrated that he is not up to the job, is a recipe for disaster.

Raymond @10,

You're right – there's no shortage of football experience and knowledge in the management team, but unfortunately that does not necessarily translate into a good football manager.

They knew in the summer we were short of players who could put the ball in the net and what have they done about it? Good management that!

If we win, then applaud the team, but still sing the anti-Kenwright songs; if we lose, full-on boos against everything.

KENWRIGHT OUT

I've said it before... the only way Kenwright and his cronies will go is if the club is sold.

How many times have we heard that Barrett-Baxendale is taking a new job and Kenwright is not well... etc?

Kenwright will continue from a distance and remain in control of the club. I honestly think he doesn't give a shit about protests or opinions – he cares for himself, not the fans or the club.

He will have banners removed and his media luvvies will defend him to the hilt.

We have reached a point in time where just about all the supporters posting, media in general, ex-players in particular, pundits, Uncle Tom Cobley and all, have looked at the players we have, the situation we are in and the prospects for a relegation fight would not appear good.

Kenwright will be wondering what to do… sack the manager and try to redirect blame? Back the manager and buy 3 or more players?

A rock and a hard place because getting rid of Lampard and his backroom staff is likely to be very expensive, impacting on time for any new manager in this transfer window and money of bringing someone new in. There is no doubt we need better quality than what we have to get out of this mess.

If another manager comes in and it still goes pear-shaped and we get relegated, Kenwright and Co are finished and the club's ongoing prospects are stuffed.

One assumes, Simon, that another manager will get a tune out of what he inherits – good luck with that. Barring our keeper, who may yet be sold, we have sold or got rid of all the top-quality players we had, which wasn't much but Richarlison, Sigurdsson, James, Digne and replaced them with Gordon, Gana, Patterson (injured), Maupay, McNeil.

Put simply the aquarium we had prior to Benetiz was struggling, but after he was shown the door, we are left with wannabes and, in the words of Roy Keane, some really bad, bad players.

That's the task Lampard has and he is struggling to get anything resembling a tune from what's left. We have fallen that far.

If the board were sacked tomorrow, it would be a massive psychological step for the club, for fans and the manager. It's unlikely to make everyone happy, I would say a 20% chance?

To sack Lampard would be seen as incompetence of the board – yet another manager... a laughing stock of a club – it would leave the team in a bad place, never mind who you would think would or could get a tune playing long enough for survival.

No, Lampard isn't the best, but neither are the players; nearly half-way through the transfer window and nothing from our chief negotiator. That's not the manager's fault.

Normally, Lampard would not have expected to survive this run, but things aren't normal. It's the board's fault that the resources aren't there; it's both the board's and Lampard's fault that we cannot get the players we have performing.

The board caused the mess Lampard is trying unsuccessfully to put right; we can't lose a board and a manager, I doubt we would win again all season. Lose a board and keep the manager? The best of bad options but he has the fans' support – that is vital in the scheme of things.

Most likely scenario? Nothing will happen. Neither will go. 3 players brought in and we struggle to stay up... only then would Lampard go.

Remember though that Moshiri needs survival to guarantee investment or a sale price. When it got scary, big Sam was called in. That's the big unknown, Moshiri has all the cards...

Our so-called DoFs have been a dead loss, I don't think we know exactly what the hell they do.

Who actually is involved with the buying of players? Who has the final say? It's another black hole.

What I will say in defence is that it's easier said than done to find good enough players for where we want to be in the Premier League, that are also willing to sign for us.

We have managed to find a few over recent times but not nearly enough.

The Board is certainly responsible for what I can only describe as a managed decline of the club, selling our better quality players and replacing them with mediocrity at best.

Lampard himself was only appointed at the end of the January window in what some describe as a panic reaction with nothing on his CV to suggest he could solve the club's problem which were already obvious then. So we find ourselves in a stick or twist situation with either outcome being something of a lottery.

I think your conclusion as to the most likely scenario is spot on. Moshiri is a money man, not a football fan. That will determine which way he jumps, if at all. Sliding into the Championship is going to massively affect the value of the club and therefore his investment so I would expect him to take some action, but what that will be or if it will be enough is the big question.

Let's hope it will be for the club's and supporters' sakes.

It's like Christine has said, we're in a terrible dilemma and it is a terrible time to be in such a dilemma; and the club is in such a dire situation.

It seems to me that the club is in the grip of a set of circumstances that could lead to relegation, and even worse, Kenwright staying as chairman and even worse again, a group of sharks picking off the club through Moshiri just wanting to be rid of the burden.

All the scenarios that Christine has pointed out can become a perfect storm for EFC.

I think Christine has it right. If the club listen to us and sack Frank, then who do we get and, if we go down, the board would say they did what we asked.

Another factor is Moshiri and what is his favoured solution. A load of if's there! Whatever happens in the next few months, will likely decide the outcome for him.

My thought is that we'd be best doing a re-run of the last season. Whether enough of us have the heart to do that is debatable, maybe very debatable! But is the least worst option.

Showing our anger at Kenwright's self-seeking stewardship is, I think the other valid way of pointing the spotlight on this devious man and the main cause of Everton's demise.

Maybe, we'll get in a couple of players who know where the goal is and will help us out of the Bottom 3. At the beginning of this season, I had a desire to see us get out of the Bottom 3 and stay away from it; and look where we are!

I'll be going to this meeting tonight, and I'm only expecting a "There there" and pat on the head, sort of meeting; we'll see.

I don't see any other way but support this time while showering Kenwright with the disdain and anger at his selfish, greedy antics for near 30 years.

The club is nothing without the fantastic support; those who buy tickets and all the merchandise would have nothing to cheer on without the money men.

The relationship between the two is obviously fractured to the point that an unravelling might be imperative.

Lampard needs to be replaced. He will get us relegated if he continues with the expansive 2 wingers and not packing the midfield or defence.

I do think Cole has improved Mykolenko. Patterson is still finding his feet at this level.

With the record of Moshiri and Kenwright, I have no confidence in them bringing in a successful manager.

Even when they did bring in Silva, Brands and Ancelotti they hung them all out to dry after getting their fingers burned by Koeman.

Silva was let down with not replacing Zouma and Gana. He was unlucky with the purchase of Gbamin.

If Brands was only involved with 20% of transfer dealings, that in itself defies logic.

Ancelotti needed backing in January and ended up with an overweight Josh King. The man is the best in the business but not a miracle worker. No wonder he walked.

All easy to point out in hindsight but the facts are Kenwright and Moshiri, even if they did 100% want the best for the club, have proven their incompetence time after time. We won't win anything with those two in charge.

When (and not if) Frank gets the sack, don't expect Kenwright or Moshiri to have a moment of inspiration and bring in the next Wenger or Ferguson. More likely we will be calling for the next manager's head in a little over 12 months time.

How then does he set us up? Does he eventually see sense, play 442 and win ugly or carry on with his ridiculous tinkering? Maybe he's already wealthy enough to not give a shit. Now there's a scary thought.

Now, whether he or Thelwell have the go-ahead to buy at least a goalscorer, he'll have to re-jig the team as best he can to a) make it hard to beat, and b) be of sufficient threat going forward to put the fear into the opposition.

It's certainly not going to help him if we set up like we did against Brighton. Certainly I'd like to see two banks of four for them to stay united and close the gaps and ensure they stay closed. Let Southampton come on to us, then release the two forwards. Use Gray and Gordon as fast breakaway attackers, supporting each other as each attacks.

Personally, I'd forget about crosses unless it's free kicks or corners. Just use the speed of these two with the support of a midfielder or two as the game unfolds. But midfield's primary duty is to defend our defence.

If that doesn't sound too Irish!