More Salt in Everton's Wounds

Embattled Everton are facing two more gut-wrenching challenges. It’s true that Bill Kenwwright fell out of favor with the Everton fans in recent years. But a faithful servant of the club for decades he probably deserved better from them. Everton finished seventeenth in the Premier League last season and the season before that. (That’s the last position that escapes what for Everton would be the appalling penalty of relegation). Fans of storied teams falling on hard times are never known for patience!

They’re doing little better this year though Everton horticulturalists often glimpse what they perceive to be the green shoots of renewal. I thought the mercurial Richarlison promised much and DCL has the panache if not the durability of a top quality striker. With that irascible Geordie, Pickford, between the sticks you’d think the defense would go in mortal fear of the underhit back pass or the clearance out of bounds. But Everton’s mediocrity has been unmitigated since the heady days of the wunderkind, Rooney.

I could watch Rooney’s debut Premier League goal a hundred times without tiring of it – the sheer impudence with which he measures the lob that leaves Grobelaar grobelling in the back of his own net! Yes – in the Liverpool derby too! The Everton fans have witnessed greatness – but not for a while – and they had become accustomed to vent their spleen on the honorable and devoted Kenwright. Harried to his death ostensibly from complications following a liver cancer operation you might think he died of a broken heart.

Everton also face the threat of a 12 point deduction for infringing the Financial Fair Play guidelines. And a 12 point deduction would surely consign them to the Championship for the first time since 1950-51. With the new stadium operational in 2024 that would be an unmitigated disaster. Everton certainly have spent freely though their position in the table has never benefited from it. The accusation is that they lost £200 million more than they were allowed to do!

At the weekend Everton faced a West Ham team managed by David Moyes who was Everton’s manager for eleven long years. Happier times!

Jack Harrison was my man of the match. What a prospect for USA and Everton – if he is not snatched away! Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the only goal of the game with a nicely placed shot low to Areola’s right after some nifty passing. But does he flatter only to deceive and can he stay healthy three weeks in a row?!

In a previous post I sketched out the pre-requisites for an Everton renaissance – the new stadium, new leadership (but keep Dyche!) and an injection of cash. They need that cash more now than ever! But Everton fans around the world have to ask themselves ‘For how many more seasons can they avoid the inevitable?!’ Proud of their standing in the top flight for seventy two uninterrupted years, but beset by challenges and misfortunes, those same Everton fans ask themselves “Is the Best Still Good Enough?”

Shout out to Nigel in Toledo, John in Ormskirk and Carrie-Ann in Liverpool.  Go on, cut ’em – they bleed blue!