Welcome to this week’s Talking the Blues Podcast, when after the World Cup break we return to all matters Everton. A classic 6 pointer on Boxing Day, what could be better or worse?
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I have to admit that I watched most of the World Cup despite my (and most sane peoples) misgivings and found I enjoyed the football. Now we’re back with the Premiership & normal service resumed. It was a relief to watch football without any of the frustration that we experience watching Everton. My Eldest son commented to my missus, that when I’m watching Footie on the television & effing & blinding it must be an Everton game on.
Sums it up perfectly. I think we all fear the worst now, unless as you say we can sign another Kevin Campbell type player and perform another Great escape, I don’t think even if we were to go down that the Board would go, I’d expect a Trump like attitude from BK of “I’m staying as I alone can fix this”. Its like Groundhog day watching the Blues these last years.
I could visibly see the expression of doom and hopelessness etched on the faces of fellow blues trailing out of the Upper Bullens on Monday.
In over fifty years of supporting Everton, I have never felt so much hopelessness around the stadium. It seems we are, or in some cases already have, resigned ourselves to relegation and Championship football. Whatever faith we had in the team, coaching staff and board, has now dissipated to such a level, as to be almost fictional. My drive down the East Lancs and back home to Bradford, was one not just of resigned indignation at the performance on the pitch. But moreover, of seething anger at the abject mismanagement of our club.
Denise Barrett-Baxendale’s insipid column in the matchday program, truly held a candle to the melancholy that surrounds the club. Its content was high on platitudes, but lacking in any specifics. Marketing Agency speak, a land of imitations – where honesty, direction and accountability do not exist. She might as well have written “Let’s play the same tune, whilst the ship is sinking…”
It shows there’s no introspection at board level, simply because they’ve become acclimatised to their own incompetence. Scrutiny of their own performance is such an anathema, that they’ve boxed themselves into the same familiar corner. A corner where the only possible action is to sack another manager, without regard for creating the very circumstances that led to his dismissal. You would be hard pressed to find as many Ostrich in Knowsley Safari Park as we have on our board.
We have an absentee major shareholder, who let’s face facts. Isn’t a true businessman, but is merely a conduit for dodgy Russian money. He hasn’t in anyway severed his ties with Alisher Usmanov. But has merely performed an accountant’s sleight of hand, to make it appear so.
Our narcissistic chairman has shown no business acumen or leadership qualities in all the years of his association with club and the board. But has instead consistently lied to supporters on range of issues throughout his tenure. (Rooney transfer, Kings Dock Stadium, Chris Samuelson Investment) the list goes on.
Our CEO is out of her depth and clearly unqualified to lead a major sporting organisation. She has sadly been put in the most unenviable position by the chairman and the major shareholder. Whilst she has a number of key business skills and is an Evertonian to the core, she has no experience in leading a major sporting organisation. And it is an indictment of the poor judgment of the major shareholder and chairman to put her into a position where she doesn’t have the required skill set. I don’t blame her for the mess that the club is in, I recognise that her position is sadly a symptom of the club’s slow demise.
Walking down Priory Road, you couldn’t escape the talk of relegation and reset. Fans were putting forward the notion that the club’s relegation would in some way, allow us to sweep aside an incompetent, corrupt and narcissistic board. Personally, I think relegation would indelibly tarnish the club’s status, both in financial and footballing terms. I also fear we will never return to the Premier League.
Through years of chronic, and quite frankly farcical mismanagement at board level. We have, sadly, reached our moment of greatest peril. Relegation is simply not an option; the re-set needs to come now. And it will only come with the sale of the club, and the formation of a new and competent board of directors. The removal of Frank Lampard and the hope of some positive momentum from a new manager, may allay our relegation fears. But the stay of execution will be brief. The same continuation of ownership and board of directors will inevitably bring us back to this familiar fretful state.
To answer the question “what have they been working on at Finch Farm for the last 6 weeks?”
– plainly it was that damned embarrassing post-goal dance routine that George (correctly) ridiculed. Sadly No evidence of any football work being done. Frank looks like a man who has had enough.
A hard listen guys! But thought you absolutely nailed the current status of our Club. With regard to the Russian roulette analogy, I’ll try and be positive and give us 2 bullets in the 6 barrel chamber. A 33% percent chance of Premiership survival. Given the seriousness of our current position, that ‘prepared’ dance routine when we score one early goal tells me a lot about 1) the frivolous nature of some of our players 2) The Cosy Club culture where it’s allowed to go on. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but it seems that it’s all a bit of a laugh. Depressing.
hey guys, longtime listener, first time commentator here – do you really think Bill Kenright worries as you do about Everton? Do you think dizzy Miss Lambchops, looking in the mirror whilest putting on layers of her make up thinks, oops what are we doing with Everton? Do you really think Mister Moshi gives a damn other than about where’s his next million’s coming from?
You must be mad watching and talking about a football team like this – haven’t you got families to care for and spend time with? You have to get agrip lads before you go insane. Youre all suckered into the insanity that is footy and its not worth it, theres more worthwhile stuff outthere. Stop giving them your energy cos theyre laughing at you. Why don’t you ever talk about the comments on this website thing theres good stuff here – just asking – good luck