With the Friedkins back in, the Moshiri years might finally be over

With that, it will have to be and end of an era for many people that work at the club, those cosy positions will be replaced over time.

Some of those areas we need to see change over the next twelve months is in public relations together with commercials and marketing/media departments. Two areas where it's been piss poor for decades.

Employees can only perform the tasks asked of them, whether they do a good or bad job is to be judged by those that employ them and how much support they are given to carry out those tasks.

My concerns would surround the paragraph below:

ESPN contributor, Gabriele Marcotti, tweeted that TFG will invest their own money — a lot — but in addition to making "some really poor choices, [communication] is awful and there is a constant turnover in personnel at the club."

I'm not saying that everyone currently working for Everton FC in whatever capacity, are doing a really good job, but hiring and firing for the sake of it, is a path to destruction and doesn't help to improve anything and could stunt the growth of the club in the longer term.

We'll see what transpires, but I don't think we need a night of the long-knives scenario, as most of the people within the club aren't directly responsible for the major financial mess we are in.

Bill Kenwright had his faults but I bet he couldn't believe the antics of Moshiri and Usmanov and the resultant madness of appointing Benitez. The hope has to be new owners can rescue us from the financial disaster of building a new stadium before building a decent team – while building a decent team!!

Better have deep pockets…

Get this gift wrapped up now, please.

But next season, when we kick off in the first game at the new stadium, maybe just maybe we can forgive him?

But will it be fun?

Hard to predict…

As I just posted on the other thread, I believe that whatever TFG's imperfections, the bottom line is performance. Since Friedkin took over Roma, they have finished 7th, 6th, 6th and 6th in Serie A, won a Europa Conference title and made a Europa League final. They're back in Europe this year as well.

Every Everton fan on the planet would take that right now.

I expect The Friedkin Group will make decisions that are cut throat which may mean those employees that are not performing are heading out the exit door.

This club will need to get ruthless over time in order to become a successful corporate business. Jobs for the boys will be long gone. A clean sweep will be much needed at every level.

From a personal perspective, there is a sense of relief more than anything else, relief that finally the years of shonky ownership, years of lies, deceit, failures at every turn, could, finally be over.

Along with it the fear of relegation, administration and above all else, the closure of the chapter of Moshiri and Bill Kenwright.

Should Friedkin get the required approvals, for me it will be the most apt ending to possibly the worst era of our club. The end of so many things, the start of so many more. Hope. A fabulous new home, a fitting farewell to the Old Lady, she did us proud.

I am pleased for every Evertonian, not just the tiny sample here on TW, but those youngsters starting out in their blue kits they have got for Christmas, what a wonderful future they might have.

Lastly, a message to the other side. Your pact with the devil has ended, we are coming for you. This news will start to shift the balance of power away from the red side of the city to the blue once more. We are coming…

https://www.longmanbrewery.com/beers/sleeping-giant/

As the news broke about this deal, the other side of the park was awash with rumours of a Saudi takeover. Okay, it was a single rumour, I didn't read the whole thing but long and short of it was that they would have to sell the Skunks first.

Intriguingly, the Blues haven't been the only Merseyside club linked with a potential shift in ownership. Amid talks to merge LIV Golf with the PGA Tour, suggestions arose anew over Saudi Arabia investing in Liverpool Football Club.

There's not a story on the planet that the other lot can't make about themselves. It's just what they do.

This morning, that much battered sense of pride is slowly seeping through my limbs. I have a little smile on my face. The king is dead, long live the king.

If it's true that disaffection from Brighton fans brought him to tears, he wouldn't last half an hour at Goodison Park!

In all seriousness, though, even if Potter's brand of possession football, almost for possession's sake, was what we Blues wanted (I'm not sure it is), now would not be the time to introduce it.

We need effective football first and quickly to get us out of danger. We can plan for a longer-term future later and, for me, that is with someone other than Sean Dyche in charge.

A bit of hope goes a long way.

The most successful teams play possession-based football. Obviously he'd have to sign players who could play that way.

At the moment the current squad's inability to keep the ball is killing us.

Xavi intrigues me… same school as Pep, same ideals and a thinker…

But realistically yes, I'd be okay with Potter. He did well with Brighton.

Why do you mention players?! Surely successful managers have a magic wand to transform players without the need for new signings, a sound recruitment and development system, an expert analysis team and a well-structured, stable support environment?

Potter was a success at Brighton because he inherited all those features. He failed at Chelsea because he found himself out of his depth in an unstable, confused situation.

Once our club has stabilised, having put in place all the building blocks required for success including a settled squad of players recruited for a specific playing system, Potter might be a good appointment. But not until then.

As regards improving the product on the pitch, that will take longer but, with good management both on and off the pitch, we will get there.

I assume that the new owners will want a say on the managerial situation going forward. I suspect that the current manager is under more pressure as a result of the agreement being reached.

I just liked the way Potter transformed Brighton from a defensive set-up under Hughton to a more modern-day possession-based football club on a shoestring budget.

I'd like any of the above named managers. But would they come to Everton?

Would we have got new owners without this stadium — which will be the rock on which the future Everton will be built.

Everton under Friedkin

Basically, they will be cautious spenders – and managers will be expected to deliver against the level of investment.

Mourinho was sacked because he was underperforming their investment. They've since tightened their belt dramatically but not fallen away particularly. However, they haven't kicked on either. They are more or less where they were pre-takeover (possibly a bit below that).

On that basis, I expect they will see Dyche as a very good fit for the time being. He has an excellent track record of over-performing the level of investment. I don't think they'll care at all about the style or quality of the football. At least in the short term. The main thing is keeping us in the top flight.

It is possible that they do something about the manager in summer (or sooner if we get to an emergency) but I doubt very much that Potter will be in their thinking. The idea of Xavi, Low or Tuchel is probably cloud cuckoo land. Not sure why anyone would think they would be remotely interested in managing Everton.

I suspect (hope) they will be more focussed on getting a new right-back of quality (and maybe better cover at left-back). Hopefully that gets lined up for January.

Judging by some of the football we have played in the opening games of the season, we are definitely not one of the three worst teams in the Premier League but Dyche's decision-making, substitutions, style of playe and apparent stubbornness in refusing to change things when Plan A is not working are all extremely hard to tak.

Maybe, if the injury situation improves and he can play the team he wants, we will begin to put some wins together and pull away from the bottom of the table and pressure for his dismissal will subside.

But our squad is paper-thin and any further injuries could plunge us back into a relegation fight again.The problem is that the club does not have much time to make such a crucial decision; leave it too late and the situation may be beyond recovery.

The players also have to take responsibility. MK states that McNeil has created more chances than anyone else in the league so far this season but our strikers have missed a number of good chances that even if 2 or 3 had been taken could have resulted in wins. I recall against both Brighton and Bournemouth we could have scored 4 or 5, so it's not all the manager's fault.

I think the picture will become clearer after the next 5 or 6 games but a decision to stick or bust must be made then.

If a decision is made to replace Dyche, I have absolutely no idea who it should be, although no doubt now TFG will have a finger in the pie somewhere. I don't think he will be in charge after his contract expires next season, at least I hope not. His style of football is outdated and just too turgid for me, but what do I know?

The bottom line is that we must remain in the Premier League this season and open next season in the new ground.

Moshiri threw money at Everton but couldn't turn our fortunes around.

I wouldn't buy Everton; I hope Freidkin is ready for what lies ahead.

Everton have sunk to new lows in my 40 years supporting them, I've never seen it so bad.

Turning this ship around is a titanic task, we need a new DNA, culture... everything.

It's going to be a long road, but at long last we have some positivity ahead, but it's a long journey, as I'm sure Dan is about to find out.

I'd have put my mortgage on there being some kind of rumour about Liverpool FC around the time this news broke about Everton.

It's what they do, Slot's debut in the opening game against Ipswich was the 12:30 kick-off and, although he had never managed them before, he still made a little quip about the team finding it hard to get going when they get the early kick-off.

I expect that Liverpool will be sold to someone with a lot of money in the not-too-distant future but Liverpudlians won't have enjoyed this news yesterday, and that's why you will have heard that little rumour imo.

My own view about football is that it reflects life itself, and my own view about life is that, if you want to make the most of it, then concentrate on yourself. Let's hope so!

However, they have off-loaded one manager already this season after only 5 games and that does not bode well long-term in my view.

“What we do in life echoes in Eternity”

I hope St Peter is a Juventus fan.
KAGS

I'm not sure why anyone would want him. He had a worse win rate than Dyche and Benitez.

Yes, it's been a disaster.

But one thing I will always say in his defense:

He got us a new stadium...

Yes, it was financial suicide. Yes, the path was strewn with terrible results, stress, angst, etc. But!

In the end he's the reason and the driving force behind BMD. And in the end that will prove vitally important for Everton Football Club.

So rip the fella, but for me I'll always balance the nightmare of the past three to four years of looking into the abyss with the fact that we're going to be in a state-of-the-art, fuck-off nice stadium for the rest of my lifetime.

And that is, without debate, a damn, damn good thing.

Good luck to him. Good bye as well to be sure, but thanks for minimally seeing that rocky road through to BMD Moshri. Without him, we'd be slapping our 105th coat of paint on Goodison struggling to find revenue from gameday.

If we said we were on the verge of signing Messi, you can bet that a few hours later, they would be saying they were on the verge of signing Ronaldo!!

Agreed, this is the opportunity (a debt free, sound financial footing and shiny new stadium) to re-set the narrative, both in terms of the mentality (ie, the expectations of and demand for success on the pitch) as well in terms of how Everton is perceived by the outsider.

No more reference to the 'The People's Club' please. An (entirely understandable) attempt at a charm offensive line trotted out by a new manager at a 2002 press conference shouldn't have defined the club thereafter.

Let's give less consideration to being 'liked'. I'd much rather opposition fans hated Everton than the present mocking indifference.

First and foremost, we're a football club whose primary aim, and obligation to its fans is to win football matches.

Secondly, we're a business. Think like one.

With respect to Friedkin, he will want to make the club viable and sustainable. He will do.

If they are the shrewd business types, then seeing that Thelwell will know what's needed in the short term to improve us, he should know right now what he could do with a bigger budget.

A bit like know knowing you'd like a Porche but can only afford an Astra.

He's earned a chance in my opinion.

There's a lot that needs fixing, and it's crucial that the move to the new stadium is a success and moves the club forwards.

With cautious optimism, Friedkin looks to be a significant step up in class of ownership.

And if this is truly the end of the ‘Moshiri Years', then thank the lord, we have suffered enough.

Just thinking about some of the things that have happened at our club over the last few years, it's almost unbelievable that we still exist as pretty much every major decision made was wrong.

Surely the new stadium cannot be allowed to fail, so perhaps one day the outgoing owner may get some credit, but probably not a statue.

But it literally couldn't be worse than the last few years, although I think Thelwell has actually done a great job shifting a lot of dead wood and bringing in smart young signings.

At the end of the day, injury free, we are a mid-table outfit. The "sinking ship" brigade has been a bit OTT after decent performances. Yes, Dyche has shot himself in the foot with some dismal game management but there's a decent look about a lot of players.

We just need to get the full-backs sorted and we could see quite a quick upward trajectory. But without ambitious investors, it will just be wasted.

Christine @ 9, you are right – all those who were looking forward to our demise, and there are many of them in my opinion, will be rattled at the news. What's our name?

As far as the team is concerned, we know we need a few players but the current squad has changed my view of them recently. I think they are capable of playing decent football.

I don't think we will see a change of manager at least until the deal is approved by the FA and Premier League, but if we do change manager, Potter would definitely not be my pick. If I had a choice, I would go for the South American Marcel Gallardo.

Although I have long got over my bitterness towards the red mob.

If Dych wants to keep his job, he has to change his mindset. However, I don't think he can… Either way, I hope The Friedkin Group have ideas to bring a new menu to the table. A feast of new and exciting players to put us back at the top.

Reading between the lines, I think you're about the same age as me and have a similarly bizarre reason for being obsessed with the club since childhood even though neither of us our locals. But I'm sure neither of us thought Kenwright's triumphant unveiling of a billionaire would end this way eh?

Have to agree with you on Potter. Seems like a nice man but on the possession for possession's sake argument, I foolishly watched a replay of the 1989 Cup Final a few years ago.

And here we were after Rush did what he always did and out-did McCall's best efforts, slowing making sideways 5-yard passes without (as Roberto Martinez would ironically say, considering his performances) possession without progression. Just passing for passing sake until the clock ran down and we lost.

So I agree, Potter with a game plan involving 900 passes to get Maupay 5 shots on goal, only one of which might be on target, is not the way to go.

Likewise, I'm assuming rumors of Southgate are just media buzz. Presumably, FFP rules are a problem for Friediin also in which case I'd stick with the fellow in role who's shown he can polish a turd.

I am not on board with the Dyche Out crew... last season would have been a welcome relief of a mid-table finish other than the deductions. A poor start to this season but we could easily be on 4, 5 or 6 points. We have been in front in 3 games and got mowed down in all of them... that is unlikely to be a long term issue.

Potter is not the answer to any question being asked. His record at Brighton is very much overstated (De Zerbi had much more impact). Moyes is in my opinion a better, more experienced, manager than Dyche but not enough to break the golden rule of never going back.

I would be happy to see where we are at by the November international break. I think we will be comfortably lower mid-table, playing a mix of decent and awful football, bewildered by some of the manager's tactics and subs (universal fan reaction) and excited that the new owners are in place and we can get back to enjoying the transition to the new stadium.

The Russian and his tool saw big money in the development of that part of the city. The first part of which was the new stadium.

It all going tits up has left us with a new stadium that gives us a future in which we can compete.

Renewed hope and pride will be in our fans as they walk up Regent Road on match days and, the best bit, complete fucking awe on the faces of visiting fans.

When we do eventually change manager, let's be sure to appoint one with character and great people skills as well as knowing how to bring a football team together.

The boardroom was deserted last year. The people who Kenwright brought in to run Finch Farm have all long since gone. Kenwright himself has gone. Six managers, two DoFs, I don't think getting rid of the tea lady and the fella who has worked the turnstile for 20 years will make a difference.

The clear-out from the glass ceiling period has, to all intents and purposes already happened. When Moshiri rides off into the sunset, the only relevant remnant of that period that I can think of, will be Seamus and we none of us want him gone... except maybe upstairs – Fuck me, I'm already starting it again lol.

TFG may just be in the right place at the right time. Dyche and his team will probably be relieved of their firefighting duties but staff-wise , this is as close to a blank canvas as I can remember.

We make plenty of chances in games he thinks we can win, whether home or away, and when we play a side obviously better than us, we try to sit in and hit on the break.

We played great football against Bournemouth, good stuff in the first half against Leicester City, but we keep missing chances to sew games up, like we did last season.

Maybe Broja will help, and we have 2 great wide attacking players now and a future England captain coming back soon at the back.

Better players mean better results. We will be fine and Dyche deserves the chance to see where he can take us.

Everton have complex layers of management in most departments, as I found on investigation two years ago. Barrett-Baxendale created a raft of roles and titles. Even Thewell created 33 new positions, according to Barrett-Baxendale just before she left with her huge payout.

The wages percentage is one of the highest in the Premier League, as is Directors renumeration.

When one looks at the commercial development outside the stadium development, it is non-existent and has poor end product.

I recall recently reading the views of a manager who pointed out some of the differences between working at some of the elite clubs and not-so-successful clubs. One of the differences he highlighted was the quality and professionalism of some of the departments within those clubs, eg, Sports Science & fitness.

I suspect Friedkin will (hopefully) conduct an in-depth assessment of the Club and improve the standards within the separate depts making the Club thoroughly professional throughout.

Your view is the same as mine. Put a bureaucrat like Denise Barrett-Baxendale in charge and you get a bloated structure and lack of accountability.

I worked for an American corporation for 35 years and I saw several rounds of downsizing. I felt sorry for the small number of competent people who were axed but it was good for the remaining employees in the long run as the company remained competitive.

Wasn't that supposed to be a nuts-and-bolts assessment?

Personally, I think we need a new CEO who understands football and the way it works in the UK. Not that Chong needs binning – it's just that his inexperience of that position is the first point of improvement.

IMO we need a BMD team whose only purpose is to exploit all the opportunities the new stadium affords us. If we sort out the management of the club and the financial issues, the rest will follow.

Like the Brighton model, we don't need a Potter – just a well-run club.

Anyone who has worked in the Corporate world has experienced the failings of such structures and knows where the problems lie and are aware where the solutions. I agree with all of your posts.

As I said about 2 years ago, I decided to find evidence for my posts, having been asked by fellow posters. What I found on the football side was a sophisticated structure, probably the remnants of the School of Science.

What stood out was parental-type appointments, all with qualifications. The admin side was equally sophisticated, but less substantive, with a autocratic focus and patronage dependent.

I do believe that the remnants of the School of Science have kept Everton in the Premier League, along with a fan base brought up on it, which other clubs involved in relegation dogfights falter when up against it — the 'big club' that Everton always is.

The underlying problem at Everton is a culture allowed and encouraged to built up of self-preservation, which is a parasite that has grown round an effective football structure.

I expect The Friedkin Group to bring in performance targets and accountability with an underlying focus on quality by service level agreements.
Of course management changes will be necessary and the hard-nosed awareness and wherewithal to implement. I expect huge resistance to such changes.

I once worked for a corporation who where a textbook example of scientific management. I then worked for one that had developed along quality management principles, but some managers were not convinced.

As I was leaving, the latter took over the former corporation... What amazingly ensued was a reverse takeover with the farmers culture and declining effectiveness allowed to become dominant with disastrous results. A loss of £40M in turnover.

So cultural change at Everton will be difficult and protracted. It is important to realise that Everton was sold because it was a declining and ineffective organisation.

I'm hopeful that TFG comes to understand Everton and its fan base quickly and that there is at least some communication between the two going forward.

Stability and slow but incremental growth is what Everton has lacked since Moshiri took over and Kenwright stuck around.

Hopefully TFG brings that to the table.

If you believe that Moshiri is different than Kenwright was, then you are wearing rose tinted glasses. Kenwright had him under his thumb, right from the start somehow, and Moshiri as a result did and continued to do things the Kenwright way in many respects, so they were as bad as each other in my view.

The fact that Moshiri had two masters (Kenwright and Usmanov) must have been difficult for him but that doesn't excuse him for the shockingly poor way in which he ran our club.

In that respect, the fact that we have new owners on the horizon can't come soon enough.

I think you have hit the nail on the head and described the sort of problems that will be faced by TFG. Getting over those problems won't be easy but it must be done.

There will be tantrums thrown and tears shed but the problems have been building ever since the School of Science era, which for us older supporters, is just yesterday, it seems. The good old days.

I do hope that the fabulous Everton supporters realise that this process is not going to be over in a day and will be patient and understanding with those people having to do the job and not make a fuss as that will only hinder the process.

I, and everyone else, I imagine, look forward to the day when the Everton ship is on an even keel in calmer waters.