A Trophy or Atrophy?

[Hibbert&Ernie]

A trophy :–noun, plural -phies.
1.
anything taken in war, hunting, competition, etc., especially when preserved as a memento; spoil, prize, or award.
2.
anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, skill, etc.
3.
a carving, painting, or other representation of objects associated with or symbolic of victory or achievement.

Atrophy :-noun, verb, -phied, -phy·ing.
–noun
1.
a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.
2.
degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse: He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought.

It has long been argued that Moyes' tenure at Everton will not be considered a success without that piece of silverwear to crown a moment of glory. Whilst others point to a fourth placed finish and a breathless sojourn in the Champions League qualifiers as a pinnacle. What is really the driving desire behind such discussion and what relevance does it bare to the actual state of Everton Football club and Football in general?
The only facts on offer are the comparisons that can be made throughout the same time and under the same circumstances.
Currently there is a growing media scrum applying pressure to Arsene Wenger as Arsenal have not won a trophy for five years. Before his arrival Arsenal had been a good side but in decline as the George Graham assembled side either aged, retired or sought pastures new. Which leads to the most recent example. Birmingham City (new owners last summer) somehow beat Arsenal in the League Cup final this past season and will be playing Europa League football from the Championship next term as they were relegated from the Premier League, and have subsequently lost their manager to arch rivals Aston Villa. They are now bracing themselves for an almost complete squad overhaul as the vultures swoop for bargains, the bosmans walk, some retire and others have contractual stipulations allowing them to leave should they be relegated for comparative low fees.
Isolated incident? Possibly, they are certainly the first Championship side to take part in the new fangled Europa League, though I do recall Ipswich playing in the Uefa cup under George Burley some years ago.
Another blot in the ointment? Well, Portsmouth had a succession of new owners, and managed to win the FA Cup, that they were relegated and couldn't afford to pay for their European competition licence/insurance meant that they would have been playing in Europe from the comfort of the English leagues second division ('First division' or 'Championship' way back then all of two years ago).
I wonder if a solitary trophy can soothe the consciences of the Birmingham City supports and Portsmouth supporters respectively in light of their luster and then subsequent relegations.
'But these are small clubs', I hear you reply, (obviously apart from Arsenal) could there be a side in a similar turmoil that has a similar footing in English Football history to Evertons History? Well, Chelsea are nouveau riche and skew the picture temporarily, but for all their successes they still havn't bullied their way to the top European Honour. Which brings me nicely to our affable neighbours.
Their fifth top European Honour success was 2005, and they bang on about it still, and rolled that win into an FA cup win in 06. Since then having spent grotesque amounts, they still havn't reached the ambrosia of the much sought Championship they crave, two consortiums of new owners, two seasons running out of the top European competition, three managers in ten months, two which were hounded out by players and fans alike.
The pressure of expectation can drag a support down, the demand by a support for a moment of glory can not just drag a club down, it can sink it.
Ask a Forrest, or Leeds or Derby fan which league they would like to be playing in starting this coming August, and that extends to Sheff Wed, and West ham too.
Financial fair play is about to be rolled out, meaning a club can only spend what it generates. This is an effort by Uefa to level the playing field, but will it work or will the established bigger businesses still be able to financially outmuscle the moderately financially sized like has always been the way?
One thing for sure is that stability in the top flight is the crux of competition at a level with the rest of the best in the English League. That is just common sense, and I am quite happy with the situation currently where the future of my club will not be put at risk for an exceptionally short term gain, especially as the consequences for a mere stutter let alone a full fall can be so dire to a club, especially one that is run on such a shoestring. Hopefully the shoestring rule will apply to a few other sides very soon and then we can see just how badly Everton is purportedly ran as a business.
There are some fun times a lot closer than the horizon, and the atrophy I have spoken about might not apply to just a club or two, it could see an intense rebalance of the established elites.
To finish with a line, I'll borrow from Dylan "The times they are a changin"

 

[icburns]

Well in.

 

[Ihaters]

I think the financial fair play will actually make life more secure for the big teams.. After all who around the world has heard of Wigan.. How many on the other hand have heard of United?

This means the income of the bigger teams will remain massively higher than the smaller teams who simply won't be able to generate revenue in the same ball park as the bigger teams..
The only difference this rule change will make is that there is no longer the hope that a rich owner will come in a help your team balance the playing field.
If your big, you stay big... If your small... you stay small.

 

[davek]

I think the financial fair play will actually make life more secure for the big teams.. After all who around the world has heard of Wigan.. How many on the other hand have heard of United?

This means the income of the bigger teams will remain massively higher than the smaller teams who simply won't be able to generate revenue in the same ball park as the bigger teams..
The only difference this rule change will make is that there is no longer the hope that a rich owner will come in a help your team balance the playing field.
If your big, you stay big... If your small... you stay small.

Regarding takeovers under the new rules: I suppose there is a case to be made that, if spending is limited by revenue generation, it may encourage non-billionaire, but very rich men, into the ownership of football clubs (maybe in the shape of consortiums)...people who'd be under too much pressure to get success in the current climate of spend big to get immediate success. Such people might have a variety of motives for involvement - personal/status, business (expanding their profile) - not necessarily a trophy laden future as successful owners.

I dont see the UEFA legislation putting an end to takeovers, not at all. It will, though, as you say, create a self perptuating elite of clubs able to generate revenue from their 'global brand', and the new system will be just as unfair as the old way of operating.

 

[Dublintoff]

Good original post.

Agree with davek really. Takeovers will still happen at maybe a more low key level, and thus there will be no overnight success, but rather a more gradual(sp) improvement. However i do believe Everton is big enough worldwide to stay on the coat tails of the money clubs if we do see a change of owner, but we all know the problems there.

 

[Allezfan]

Oh, aye. Mid table finishes are the real silverware these days.

Bollocks, lad.

 

[Number_25]

We need something in the trophy cabinet to show progress.

 

[chicoazul]

Nice post lid.

 

[efcforever]

the new financial rules will still leave us in about the same position we are in now because we won't be able to generate the revenue of Man Utd, City, Arsenal, Chelsea unless we ever get a new stadium.

 

[Hibbert&Ernie]

the new financial rules will still leave us in about the same position we are in now because we won't be able to generate the revenue of Man Utd, City, Arsenal, Chelsea unless we ever get a new stadium.

That is part of the 'rub'. Amongst others there is a side rather close to us that require a new stadium as well, and the accountants out there know one stadium working every weekend throughout the season makes better financial sense than two stadia working for half a season each.
Great that 'Haters' mentioned Wigan as they survive exactly because Whelan has a Rugby Super League side operating out of the home of his Prem sides stadia (and vice versa) and due to the salary cap in Rugby I strongly suspect the Rugby element partly subsidises the Football side.
Personally I am hoping the 25 man squad rule plus the Uefa financial rules will skew the current climate and make financial thuggery that much more difficult, and when possible, much more beneficial to the selling club.
Besides the massive stadia problem solution hint I have dropped (and I am all to aware of how unpopular it is) I would like to see a seismic shift at Everton regarding youth policy, in that, it is expanded and a bigger pot of finance available for both scouting, signing and training a larger pool of youth so that, just maybe, we might be blessed with a 'golden generation' of our own that all come through together within a year or two of each other and know each others games and each other off the pitch so that acclimatization at senior level is much less pronounced and that they are all used to winning - together - with seasons of experience and simply make the step up so that the pressure on new and massive signings isn't what it currently seems to be.

 

[Tom Mc EFC]

We will win the league next season. You heard it here first.

 

[Allezfan]

We will win the league next season. You heard it here first.

You know, for all I like to think as myself as realistic and well informed and I know that there's no chance, deep down I still honestly believe we will. I just can't help it.

 

[kenada_blue]

Another "at least we are not Leeds etc" argument?

I've mentioned before...look at the league and fa cup winners for the past decade and you'll see, the team that has spent has won. The only thing that went wrong for pompy etc was their over-reach and poor finance management.

Now, that won't change with the new rules. The big clubs will get the big players and the smaller clubs will scrap for everything else between themselves.

As for us...weve never over reached financially and therefore haven't won anything. What we have done is kept the machine rolling. It's also why Moyes will never win anything with us and how things are.

This may change in the future...but and success will not be with this board or even with Moyes.

 

[ODM]

Seeing all the FM links in the transfer threads these last few days, and then this meant I had to mention that Everton are 1 game ahead of City, 3 points up and 1 game left of the season on my current career game in Portugal.

Great fore-shadowing!

 

[ODM]

Another "at least we are not Leeds etc" argument?

I've mentioned before...look at the league and fa cup winners for the past decade and you'll see, the team that has spent has won. The only thing that went wrong for pompy etc was their over-reach and poor finance management.

Now, that won't change with the new rules. The big clubs will get the big players and the smaller clubs will scrap for everything else between themselves.

As for us...weve never over reached financially and therefore haven't won anything. What we have done is kept the machine rolling. It's also why Moyes will never win anything with us and how things are.

This may change in the future...but and success will not be with this board or even with Moyes.

I think this is a bit doom&gloom as we had a good cup run just the odd year ago, saying we will never win anything with the status of the national cups and the Europa League is, to me, pessimistic to say the least.