The Friedkin Group secure takeover approval from Premier League

Deal approved.

Just come through off Sky.

Alan Myers @ALANMYERSMEDIA

The Friedkin group' have secured approval from the Premier League to become the new owners of Everton

The US group has been undergoing the regulatory process since agreeing a deal to purchase Farhad Moshiri's shareholding. The takeover is now expected to be finalised next week

A sense of peace and excitement has just hit me.

Surely things can only get better.

Do Farhad and his clique need any spare boxes to clear their desks?

I've got a spare room full right now.

Hold the Backpage.

According to the Bobble... Premier League Approval!!

So it's been announced that it's been approved but will be finalised next week…. Aaarrrggghhh!!!

It's like them silly people who announce they will be getting engaged next May. So they're engaged to get engaged…

Just fucking do it and tell us when it's done!!! The suspense is killing me!

If I was Dyche, I'd start packing now.

Halle...fucking lujha

Mark,

Now reported on Sky.

At last. At long, long last.

I'm in no way religious, but I am on bended knee offering eternal thanks. 40 years of utter decline and decay are ending.

As per usual, it takes mere minutes for the lads and lasses who claim to be surrounded by more enlightened ‘sources' than Levi Roots' ‘Elf on the Shelf' to demonstrate they can't leave well enough alone without trying to prove their nose for the ‘truth' is nob length:

Giulia Bould (who at least has some credibility):

“My understanding right now from sources in the #EFC takeover situation, The Friedkin Group are still to receive final Premier League approval as a key final stage in the process to conclude the takeover at Everton. Nothing to worry about. Approval expected and the deal done straight after.”

RossAftbl (who starts every day with a massive bowl of Scampi Fries in semi-skinned milk):

“Despite reports from
@ALANMYERSMEDIA

@SkySportsNews

@ElBobble
The Premier League haven't had anything to do with the Friedkin takeover at Everton and certainly haven't approved anything. #Everton #EFC”

Just need the Esk to pop up now and say he can guarantee it's nowhere near finalised and Friedkin might be a bit of a prick because he never showed up when he invited him to go for a fucking pint.

John,

The Echo has also poured some cold water on the latest updates:

On Friday Sky Sports reported: "The Friedkin Group have secured approval from the Premier League to become the new owners of Everton, Sky Sports News understands.

"TFG has been undergoing the regulatory process since agreeing a deal to purchase Farhad Moshiri's 94.1 per cent shareholding in the club. The takeover is now expected to be finalised next week."

Sources close to TFG have subsequently told the ECHO that they are still positive about mid-December and they are not expecting the process to drag into 2025, but the Premier League independent oversight panel have not approved yet.

Just have to wait for VAR to decide whether or not approval should be given, should be decided by Easter then.

Call me uneducated, but they've approved, why can't it happen as soon as?

What are the Premier League waiting on now?

Danny,

I suspect that there has to be a formal vote by member clubs to ratify the approval, but who knows?

John Blainz (Blainzy) in a tweet reports:

The necessary approval after a vote of all shareholders that has yet to be done will of course be a formality.

After approval, it has to go to the oversight committee, they just check all things are in order.

That's just a formality. In all honesty it's done.👍

So the takeover is to be completed next week.

One game for Mr Dyche to save himself or to drive himself home for Christmas and to stay there (presumably some huge pile worth millions).

Yes, them saying sod all is fine as far as I'm concerned. I've had a bellyful of 'that's not who we are's.

Just appoint a CEO who knows what he's doing, get in a good manager, and away we go.

Let's hope that this is the start of something really good for the club!

Will it be safe to open a bottle of Malbec tonight?

Good news, although it's quite ironic the PL have an "oversight committee", christ they must be a busy group of people.

Dyche must be gutted he won't be fidgeting away on the sidelines at the last Goodison derby, surely he'll be gone before the rearranged date?

Xmas coming early, lads.

Right, who we signing in January? Mbappe would give Calvert-Lewin proper competition and Kevin de Bruyne is looking for a new challenge. He'll certainly find one playing next to Doucouré in centre-midfield watching Pickford’s missiles flying overhead.

Dennis @17,

Mbappe has reportedly been seen in an Estate Agents in Formby. Confirmation being sought as we speak.

Change won't happen overnight, but change is coming.

I suppose the flip side Denis, is who we sell, before we can buy. Beto seems to keep getting mentioned. And what will happen with Calvert-Lewin? Will he sit tight and run his contract down or will we be able to cash in on him?

And then the manager situation. Will the new owners stick with Dyche, or make a swift change?

Still, this is positive news. We are stepping into the unknown, but I rather that than what we've endured these past several years and decades.

Positive news… or at least heading in the right direction.

Anything is better than nothing.

Dave - funny, thought I saw him in Toxteth.

Danny, good points. For me there's no point looking at transfers until TFG confirm Dyche's position. Difficult getting players in if they don't know who they'll be playing for. Same goes for the Calvert-Lewin situation.

I think they need to back him or sack him almost immediately, or at least no later than the Bournemouth game, once the Xmas fixtures are done.

It's a tough call, you can argue it either way. I cannot imagine they haven't already made a decision so can see some sort of announcement early, to at least end the debate. Also, it' unfair to Dyche and the team to be left hanging.

Trying to guess by his recent demeanour, I think he knows he's not around for much longer. I could obviously be totally wrong…

Having been caught out by these rumours (on here) before, I will celebrate when it is done (announced by Friedkin and Everton). Not before.

Nothing from the Premier League website at the time of writing, nor anything from anyone other than Sky Sports and they are still pointing at it being done sometime next week.

I'll keep my fingers crossed accordingly.

Well, I'm just glad it is at its final stages. I wonder what negative drivel these supposed pundits are going to write about in the future?

We may now see what The Friedkin Group plans are for Everton as they are genuine business people who will already have a plan on the direction they will want the club to develop.

I should imagine that their first objective will be on a new Chairman and Board of Directors.

As far as Dyche still being the manager, I believe we will find that out quickly as I believe they already have their minds made up on that position, and will not hesitate on a change.

With the level of fixtures coming up, they will be difficult no matter who is in charge, and throwing a new manager into the deep end to start them will either make him or break him.

Dyche is not the manager for the future, but let's not be overly critical about him as he has done a good job to keep us in the Premier League last season. Unfortunately his present tactics are too predictable for other teams' managers to worry about.

Here's to the future and to the club that we all love — a Merry Xmas and definitely a Happy New Year.

The Premier League “independent” oversight panel.

There's an oxymoron if ever I heard one.

Will things become better and more certain now as a result?

PSR means that we won't have the money to buy the skills that we need. Will TFG be willing to pay the severance needed to clean out all of the deadwood?

I say we have moved from one phase of uncertainty to another. Nothing is solved yet.

You're right Martin... nothing has been solved yet.

But we can't go on the way we are, mate, we're a sinking ship and change needs to happen soon; otherwise we'll vanish without a trace from the Premier League.

Joe #15,

It's always ok to open a bottle of Malbec, but it will be all the more enjoyable as a celebration tipple rather than a drown your-sorrows gulp.💙 COYB

I don't expect there is to be much incoming in January. I suspect we are still tight on PSR, especially if we are going to be charged interest on stadium loans of (a figure quoted) £600M. It would be good if some or all of that was capitalised.

Unless of course there are outgoings and it appears that Man City are possibly going to spend their accumulated war chest and have Branthwaite in their sights.

Given Pickford appears to want to stay, he is pretty much our only significant asset. But I think they may have Guehi as their first choice.

Perhaps the biggest priority will be getting a proper CEO on board for the first time in as long as I can remember – unless Friedkin intends to take a hands-on approach to the club's management, in which case, he'll be our de facto CEO.

Hopefully not. Pick that guy carefully and leave it to him to build his team. Then, hopefully having avoided relegation, we'll be well placed to do a much-needed re-build in summer, ideally also lowering our squad's average age by a few years...

The group who oversee the oversight committee have to be vetted by the Oversight Compliance Body.

Then it's just a simple matter of the Quality Assurance and Legal Checking Departments who will finally send it to the Bureau for Assessment for pre finalisation procedures to be presented to the Authorisation Group and it will all be done.

At least that's what happened when I bought my chip shop.

Here's hoping that there is a bright future ahead of us and in the interim TFG have a chance to assess the whole of the management team, including the Director of Football. Whether they stick or twist is up to them.

Our priority is obviously to stay in the Premier League, see this season through, and plan for next season in the new stadium.

Even Paul Quinn is happy, for fuck's sake!

I wouldn't get your hopes up for signings coming in January.

Maybe a full-back or a wide-right player; anyway, it's always a notoriously bad window to make signings.

I just hope they get rid of all the nepotism and jobs for the boys culture. We don’t need Evertonian coaches, managers or kit-men. We don’t need ex players in those positions either; big Dunc, Unworth, Baines; it just goes on and on. Let’s break away from charity contracts like Coleman’s, get rid of the nostalgia and become a professional outfit who hires best in class on merit.

HUZZAH!!!

Loading up the blue candles on the Menorah right now.

Not lighting 'em yet, but they're loaded.

Well, those who doubted Dave A and others because of Kenwright's widow will hopefully now be proved wrong on all aspects of Dave's information.

With thanks to the divine Mrs A.

Not even on Auntie's footy page.

I see Alan Myers references Jenny Seagrove with regard to a slight delay in the takeover.

Small thanks to Jenny Seagrove for the slight delay.

The job facing TFG is immense, a total rebuild that can only be done over a number of years, not weeks or months. It would be unrealistic to expect 30 years of inbred culture to suddenly change overnight. This is going to have to be a root and branch removal without killing the tree.

Utmost priority is putting in the team on and off the pitch to make the right leadership calls commercially and football-wise. This team will have to have a view on what they deem realistic success, achievable goals in set time frames.

It's a path back to allow us to compete with the best, qualify for Europe, and put our name back up with the best of English football.

PSR and its replacement have ensured that money alone will not buy us the quality needed, but smart buys will. As Eddie Howe has found out, it's a case of two steps forward, one step back in the pursuit of trophies.

The 4 or 5 clubs with significant revenues (Man City has just recorded revenues of a record £715M) will distort any token gesture to a level playing field, the Premier League pulling up the financial drawbridge behind them to ensure they are the global marketing flagship for football.

So, welcome TFG, relief abounds, but the road ahead is shrouded in uncertainty and clarity and vision will be required. How that is achieved will be the bread and butter of ToffeeWeb for years to come!

I know this doesn't mean that we will suddenly be a good team, but this is very positive.

There's a lot of blather in the Premier Legue 'Bible' but it boils down to this:

Where the Board of the Premier League makes any determination regarding a proposed change of Control, that determination shall be subject to review by the Independent Oversight Panel.

They have a week to do the review and reach a decision.

And the sting in the tail – just to add to our perennial PSR worries:

Any Club that is subject to a proposed change of Control in accordance with this Section F (Owners' and Directors' Test) must reimburse the League for its legal and other costs incurred by the League (as well as the costs of the Independent Oversight Panel) in relation to that proposed change of Control. Those costs must be paid within 28 days following confirmation by the League as to the determination of the Independent Oversight Panel.

Joe@19

Always safe to open a bottle of red, Joe.

Here's hoping for a professionally run football club by sound business-minded people.

Cheers!

Hmm… The red Echo disputing Sky, saying approval has not yet been granted.

I've been joyous about changes in ownership before. I've seen other clubs' fans celebrate changes in owner before.

It's obviously a positive step given the limbo we've been in, but I'll be reserving judgement.

And The Friedkin Group has a massive job on its hands. A change in owner doesn't stop us being a basket-case of a club... yet.

Still not a single word on the BBC footy pages. But Chelsea are the best team in the league, says Frank.

And, phew, Pep is 'fine' despite pressures affecting sleep and diet.

“Jobs for the boys… big Dunc, Unsworth, Baines; it just goes on and on.”

Evertonian managers and coaches aren't the reason the club has found itself near the arse-end of the Premier League for large parts of the last decade though, are they?

Baines is doing a good job with the Under-18s by all accounts. Getting them playing actual joined-up football rather than TyrannoSeanus style stuff you can't sit through without shaking your head. They just beat the red shite, followed that up with a 7-0 victory in the FA Youth Cup. Why is it automatically presumed that there must be multitudes out there better equipped by mere virtue of the fact that they never played for Everton?

Ronald Koeman, Erwin Koeman, Steve Walsh, Sam Allardyce, Sammy Lee, Craig Shakespeare, Marco Silva, João Pedro Sousa, Louis Boa Morte, Marcel Brands, Carlo Ancelotti, Davide Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Thelwell, Dyche, Stoney, Woany. None had ever previously plied their trade for the club before being brought in to add their own personal bit of tinsel to a behemoth turd of biblical proportions.

Yet the overriding lesson to be taken onboard by any new owner from all of this is… don't hire any Evertonians?

Chuck in Jeffers and John Ebbrell so the immense, ‘never-ending' list can at least occupy all the fingers on one non-inbred hand. Who else has there been in anything resembling recent memory?

Let's name and shame the rotten lot of them, since it's recruiting ex-players in positions of extremely limited power that helped lead this club to near ruination.

I'll get us started: Mr Testicles, that walking scrotum with a cartoon face and weirdly short calf socks? Secundo Castillo.

The nerve. Brazen nepotism run rampant when we could have been recruiting a real ball bag.

Nothing reported yet from any US news source.

I would expect ESPN or Rory from the New York Times to be first.

Chuffed to bits that the Moshiri - Kenwright curse might finally be lifting.

Mike Price @38:

'We don't need ex-players in those positions either; big Dunc, Unsworth, Baines; it just goes on and on'.

What the fuck is Baines doing on this list?

'It just goes on and on': well, name a dozen more, then … and we're not talking hospitality.

Some media outlets are probably waiting for it to be finally rubber-stamped before they give it any definitive coverage.

Until I see Dan Friedkin standing in Goodison with an Everton scarf – I don't believe it!

A friend said to me the other day Friedkin could come to his senses yet!

Oliver @ 54,

Probably the same friend who told you the new stadium would never get built.

I very nearly put his in as a rumour mill story.

In fact, I think I'll change it to that until we get official notification, which now looks like being next Friday perhaps?

Merry Christmas, Evertonia!

John Daley, always my favourite commentator, come back more frequently please.

Apparently the Jenny Seagrove story has its roots in the fact that a shareholders meeting which will be necessary to approve the deal, requires 14 days notice unless 95% of shareholders agree to waive that.

Moshiri has 94.1% (I think)... so, if Jenny is on board, he makes the cut.

The email that was circulated does seem to have been pretty much on the money.

“Paul” “Ferry”…”just keep quoting”…

I'm sure you know better than most of us!

Jesus! The Under-18s team win 7-0 and people hang their hat on it! Let's give Bainsey a go at managing the first team, what could go wrong! This is the cancer at our club… no other elite team falls for this sentimental bullshit.

All the non-Evertonian clowns that have underperformed were unfit for purpose or arrived at the wrong time. They were rubbish because they weren't Evertonians… or maybe, they were just rubbish.

Mike @60,

You do realise you were the only one making the case that a playing career at the club was of any significance whatsoever?

But don't let that stop you doubling down by claiming that ‘sentimentality' run rampant, as evinced by the employment of three ex-players as coaches (two of whom had/have no involvement with the first-team in their normal day-to-day roles) has been “the cancer at our club”.

Not the easily led loon at the top who previously spent his days in Smithers-like servitude to a warmonger's mate.
Not the luvvie limpet who couldn't let go even as the curtain came down.
Not the 8 first-team managers brought in to flail around since Moyes packed his mingebag.
Not the Director of Football with a PE teacher past who claimed to have been the main reason Leicester City won the league but came across more like The Equalizer's mildly confused elder brother (Woodward, not Washington).
Not the hundreds of millions wasted on piss-poor players.
Not the lack of any discernible long-term plan.

Nah, none of that poxy, inconsequential shite.

A few ex-players employed in fairly limited roles you don't think they were fully deserving of though? Now we're getting somewhere. They're “the cancer”, they're the disease — but unlike in Cobra, Sylvester Stallone isn't the cure. After all, he once wore an Everton scarf in the stands while spitting out tea, and such previous affiliation surely means he has to take his share of the blame as well.

"Come along now, Leighton. For believing what you do… that you could possibly contribute something at youth-team level after having once worn the club shirt… we confer upon you a rare gift, these days. What? No. No. Well, I suppose you could consider it kind of a testimonial":

Link

Lest we forget, when Big Dunc was previously our (interim) manager, we won a game, and quite a few were calling for him to be made permanent.

He then went to the mighty Forest Green Rovers, won 5 points from 54 and stewarded them to relegation, followed up by Inverness Caledonian Thistle with whom he won a few more games but still oversaw another relegation.

Sure playing for Everton does not preclude you from being a halfway decent manager, but it is right we should be very wary. What next, a call for Wayne Rooney? If Teary Bill was still here, you couldn't discount it.

John #61, it sure is fun when you drop in!

To most of us, that same most of us not being given to referencing presumably ultra-witty movies as a means to put down fellow Toffees' opinions, the consensus is that Kenwright's indulgence of former players in any and every role has been a massive negative in our progression, for decades. None of his chosen ones have achieved diddly squat outside of (now rented) Finch Farm, and none of them did anything more whilst sucking up to him, their paymaster.

Leighton Baines, for all I know ,may be doing really well with our kids. If so, well done… but so what in the big scheme of things this – next season, and the season after that, and the season after that and so on?

Extolling as a shining light our coach to adolescent boys is a measure of how far we supporters have been forced to plunge in seeking a mere grain of optimism for our today and tomorrow, for decades past.

But way too many didn't need forcing at all of course – they stated their faith on ToffeeWeb in Kenwright... for many years... to his personal benefit and our club's huge demise as a direct consequence.

“Kenwright's indulgence of former players in any and every role has been a massive negative in our progression for decades.”

Any and every role, eh? There have been five ex-players (that's five – not all employed at the same time by the way and four of whom were employed specifically to work with kids) named thus far. Please reel off the rest of the names of this veritable army of ex-Everton players that have been polluting the prospects of first-team success with piss and vinegar by performing their (non-pivotal) roles. For they are legion.

(Ian Snodin being given the gig to commentate on games while gnawing on corned beef buns doesn't count as it can't possibly be claimed to have any bearing on the club continually scraping the bottom of the league, or falling foul of financial regulations due to irresponsible spunking of transfer funds. Bit like Baines being in charge of the Under-18s…)

“But so what in the big scheme of things this – next season, and the season after that, and the season after that and so on?”

Link

It is possible for an ex-Everton player to be successful as a manager, for example, Joe Royle. Also, our current manager will be pitting his wits against one tomorrow. And how could I forget Harry Catterick, and Howard Kendall?

Nevertheless I think the club needs a complete change of direction and I am hoping that is what will happen when the new owners take the reins. Having said that, from what I have read, Baines deserves to be kept in place based on merit.

The one thing that won't change and never will, is the loyalty of the fan base and I hope the new owners are smart enough to take advantage of that.

I think it's useful to understand something about the culture of the club you're managing. That, though, doesn't preclude anyone without Everton history – we have had managers 'get' the club before. It's a leadership skill to go along with tactical acumen.

I'm still hopeful that the next guy will be someone who has successfully delivered to a similar plan to that which we want to implement over next 2 or 3 years. I don't care if most of us have never heard of them.

Not the biggest name, not the biggest Evertonian. Just someone with an appropriate recent track record.

Look at all the crap we've had to put up with employing ex-players in the past.

Joe Royle, Colin Harvey, Howard Kendall.

"What did ex-players ever do for us?" to misquote Monty Python.

And that Arteta can fuck right off, don't even answer his call.

I see Laurie at 66 beat me to it. Joe Mercer didn't turn out too bad a manager being an ex-Everton player either.

Not sure why we're arguing history in a thread about new ownership. Ownership that includes no Evertonians as far as we know.

TFG will give no credence – none – to whether someone they are considering for employment once played for Everton. They won't give a damn.

If Baines is retained, it will be because of what he is doing now with the U18s – not for anything he ever did at left-back. Or because he "gets" the club.

Our best hope is that the Friedkins establish new traditions… not get stuck in any of the old ones.

Didn't today's opponents take a punt on an ex-player who, until then, had experience only as an assistant manager?

Are Arsenal not an elite club?

Great news, I just hope they have a complete root-and-branch investigation into all the ills on and off the pitch.

It is clear with so many out of contract that incoming players will be needed. That clears wages from the club, but creates issues around the need to get bodies through the door rather than hungry, technical players with good characters. It's going to need the highest of skills to sort, and why a Dan Ashworth being linked provides some hope.

The off-the-pitch issues need sorting from the naming rights, to new board and management team, to the end of issues that come through the younger age groups.

There needs to be acceptance that academy football is miles off the lower leagues, and something bold like Moyes talked about or a foreign feeder club is the only way I see to put young footballers in the right environment to grow playing real football.

I don't think we have ever won anything without an ex-player as manager.

John Daley lays bare the facts. I don't think he could provide any further proof. We must have spent a billion quid on alternatives and we have only sank lower and lower.

I just think it's a pity that we forgot who we are for long enough to ensure that there are no longer any players who won trophies for this club who could step in to take over at the helm.

Mike @69. I couldn't agree more with you.

Our club has had an insular mindset for far too long and we can't keep being plucky underdogs against the big boys, or relying on past glories.

Why should we still be singing "We don't care what the Red Shite say"? It smacks of an inferiority complex; IMO, it's ran it's course.

By all means keep old boys on for stadium tours, fan and community engagement. But, for us to be successful, we need a complete reset with actual winners, people who are professional and have the tools for the job.

Our storied history will always be there, and we rightly have pride in that, but, as we've seen with Kenwright, being consumed with misty-eyed nostalgia doesn't win us jack shit.

Time to move on and evolve, I hope this happens with TFG.

They did, Mark, but that former player had been an assistant manager for 3 years under the most successful manager in England.

He had earned professional respect, a strong coaching reputation and five or six winners medals. He had a sufficient reputation to be considered for the job even if he hadn't played for the team.

No such alumnus of Everton has proven himself remotely so qualified.

My personal opinion: ex-players as managers is a bygone era.

Leighton Baines seems to be doing a good job with the development teams, but it would be a massive step up at this stage of his coaching career.

It's time to move on. The takeover gives us an opportunity to change and move forward. Both manager and culture throughout the club.

The new owners will have their own ideas and will no doubt have been working in the background.

Nearly there.

How about Leighton Baines as coach with Moyes as DOF?

Brendan #58,

Thanks for that information. It does explain the said e.mail.

Paul The Esk says: 'The approval granted by the Premier League for the Friedkin takeover means that the financial plans which have been part of the proposed takeover have been agreed and accepted. This will include settlement of A-CAP/777 debt and recapitalisation of the club.'

This seems to be a pretty tall order to have achieved unless The Friedkin Group, though appearing to withdraw their offer, were working on the USA side to sort out the A-CAP/777 settlement.

I am beginning to think that Moshiri's loan to share conversion leak was to put pressure on the Premier League rather than The Friedkin Group.

I hope the approval can be ratified soon.

Mark @76… No!

Plenty of teams do very well with managers who have never played for them. We need a different outlook.

John Daley lays down a lot of facts that it wasn't just Evertonians who presided over our reckless demise. But the biggest thing I take out of the last 10 years is how very unprofessional Everton Football Club have become.

You could argue that we were professional on the playing side of the club when Moyes managed Everton and the club first became littered with a lot of ex-players, but maybe this was a sensible move because everyone knew the club was hamstrung for finances, so the sensible thing to do was bring in people who love the club.

The Moshiri era has been an unmitigated disaster with regards professionalism though, especially when you consider the man who couldn't stop giving gave every single new manager a ready-made first-team coach.

I think a lot of people have heard rumours about Finch Farm being a very toxic place during the last so many years, but that's all they are – rumours.

We did see how very toxic our very inept board of directors became once people began to voice their disapproval, though. My own view is that this would have been replicated on a daily basis inside Finch Farm, because a lot of the old guard (not all, I'm sure) wouldn't have seen eye to eye with the new.

Joe

A different outlook to the one that brought us no end of success and made us one of footballs elite ?
or a different outlook to the one which has brought us nothing but misery for the past 30 years (with the exception of 1995 when we reverted to the first outlook) ?

I don't get why we have so many people who want to diss the only thing to have brought us success in favour of something that has only ever brought us abject misery.

I don't see any candidates from the current list of ex-players, but to rule out somebody because the played for us, simply because Kenwright employed a handful of junior coaches, is utterly absurd

Hopefully soon and leave the past in the past, and Everton can build a solid foundation to get back to being a real force in the EPL.

It will take time and patience, but a great Christmas boost, if it happens this or next week.
UTFTs!

Colin, the one I wanted unfortunately is now manager of Leicester. De Zerbi is on a job and also Thomas Frank, who I really would like.

Apart from Arteta, no other ex Everton player has been successful in management since Big Joe.

Agreed Joe

There is no ex-player at the moment.

I will take a keen interest in Carsley's progress and everything I'm hearing about Baines is that he wouldn't even be interested in managing the team. I'd like to think he will make a top class coach in the future though and he coaches here other than elsewhere.

Tony Abrahams #79 (and the venerable John Daley prior) - you both raise some interesting issues.

I personally believe Everton have been mis-managed since before the Premier League era, certainly since the late great Sir John Moores stepped down.

Times, and the sport, were obvious different, but despite Everton being part of the original breakaway-five they didn't plan for the transition at all. They were a £5m business back then (maybe a tad less), but whilst others prepared for the move to a new dawn, with increased revenues and planned to capitalise on it, Everton sat back.

I worked there from 1989-91 on most match days as a silver service waiter in the main lounge (nepo-baby - got the job as my mother, auntie and others in the wider family worked there).

One game I met Sir John, who was wheelchair-bound at that stage. I think he died a couple of years later, but was already in his early 90s. I'd heard so many stories from my father about him, and he told this awestruck teenager (after establishing my footballing allegiance) that his football administrative career ended on a high - awarding the Littlewoods Cup Trophy in 1987 )

During the Peter Johnson era, the feeling I got was they were out of their depth as the game developed at a rate of knots around them. PJ had his Park Foods business, Clfford Finch had NightFreight, and all got distracted by externalities.

During this period the club stagnated in the boardroom. The Chinese have a saying - the fish rots from the head. By the time BK (may he RIP but I am no fan) took over in 2004 the rot had truly set in, and we had lost so much ground I think it was impossible to turn around unless there was a Man City-esque takeover - which he blocked allegedly.

PSR has essentially made it impossible for that to happen now. I just listened to a Newcastle fan crying on Radio 5 about it. Essentially all they can hope for is being the "best of the rest" - which I think was the last trophy we won.

Atrophy (rather than a trophy) is all the younger generation has witnessed. Hopefully TFG and BMD will herald in a new dawn.

But we've been here before.

For me seeing Ferguson and Unsworth in matching Everton tracksuits wheeled out at Finch Farm to meet Bentez, arranged by Barret- Baxendale said it all.That was not about Football on the Pitch.It was light years away from it.