Homepage Update: Early Days

[GrandOldTeam]

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Early Days

There is some discouraged Evertonians right now.

Agree with this fella, Evertonians? pic.twitter.com/01WQ1nZT3N

— Tony Scott (@Tony_Scott11) September 9, 2017​

Some very discouraged Evertonians - with even some calling to see the back of Ronald Koeman...

Today's Everton fancam is in here.
Here's a taster of what it's like.https://t.co/8gA8WCTxWW pic.twitter.com/xWyuiWmgoi

— Tony Scott (@Tony_Scott11) September 9, 2017​

Against a backdrop of early optimism, a string of below-par performances, off field shenanigans with headlines around Rooney, Barkley and Mirallas and the transfer window closing without the prerequisite signing of a striker have left some Evertonian's feeling pretty despondent.

Even Ronald Koeman himself seems a little downtrodden about his club's prosperity.

Speaking after being taught a footballing lesson from Spurs, Koeman spoke about unrealistic expectations and how top six for Everton remains a challenge.

Not the comments you want from a manager who has just spent billions. *cue argument over exact amount and NET spend*

[caption id="attachment_8714" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Koeman: "I know how it works in football. If you sign some players they are losing a bit being realistic. Everyone is talking Everton top six but if you know the qualities of the players in the top six it is a challenge".[/caption]

Common 'shouts' from fans on GrandOldTeam and beyond bemoan the consequence of failing to bring in an "out and out", top quality striker.

[caption id="attachment_10287" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Niasse to the rescue?[/caption]

Others point to a lack of pace throughout the side and there's discussion around whether there's room to accommodate both Rooney and Sigurdsson in the same side. The futures of Kevin Mirallas and Ross Barkley continues to bubble away, with some pointing to Koeman having paid the price for pissing on the chips of almost everyone at Valencia.

[caption id="attachment_4474" align="aligncenter" width="1250"] Ronald Koeman has publicly condemned Kevin Mirallas' "attitude"[/caption]

Others are simply left wondering "What's the plan?" as Everton appear to turn up every week with a different setup, and play almost as though on a whim.

It's easy to point at problems, but of course it's a little more difficult to find solutions and that's why I'm not going to try and offer any. Ronald Koeman's earns his £6m+ a year to do just that, while I'm sat here in my boxies on a Sunday evening typing an article on GrandOldTeam.

What I will endeavour to do, is try and conjure up three plausible explanations towards why Everton look so jaded - with the hope it'll hold a mirror up to some of the more voracious Evertonian's questioning Ronald Koeman.
Number of signings.


[caption id="attachment_10003" align="alignright" width="246"] Ronald Koeman overhauled his side in the summer.[/caption]

On Saturday, in Pickford, Martina, Keane, Klaassen, Rooney, Sigurdsson and Ramirez - Everton started with SEVEN summer signings - contrast that with Spurs, with just one new arrival in their starting eleven.

Is it any wonder Everton look so fractured? We're not far off a team of strangers.

Everton were in a league of their own last season - sat in 7th, 15 points clear of 8th and 8 away from 6th.

We needed to make big changes to have any hope of competing with the teams above us.

We've made a lot of those changes and the new lads need time, and opportunity to perform before being so readily, and conclusive written off.

You don't give a manager the autonomy to make such sweeping changes and then look to change it after four league games, more so considering the opponents in those games;


Opening Fixtures.


"Every team plays the same teams the same amount of times" "You have to play every one twice..."

Still, Everton's start to the Premier League is eye-watering...

Stoke (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (A)
Spurs (H)

With Man Utd (A) up next - results wise, could we have realistically expected much more? Performance wise is another question...

[caption id="attachment_10195" align="aligncenter" width="1250"] A late Raheem Sterling's volley salvaged a point for 10-man Manchester City as Everton were denied victory[/caption]

Not to mention the sprinkling of Europa games presenting it's own challenge on top of trying to blend together a new team.

Although it is defeatist - all considered, it feels as though we need to "get through" a difficult period, and look to build some momentum in the Europa League and League cup, before successive league games against Bournemouth, Burnley and Brighton. A team growing in familiarity, with some positive results in succession could really see us kick on.
Striker


There's no skirting around this - not bringing in another striker was a considerable failing from Everton's board.

Not Ronald Koeman.

We've brought in the likes of Sigurdsson and Rooney, and without doing a disservice to Sandro who is an unknown quantity, have no target man.



As in previous windows, Koeman was left talking up the desperate need for a striker only to be left with egg on his face - in previous windows it resulted in a last second desperate loan move for Enner Valencia, and now bringing Oumar Niasse back into the first team fold.

We've known Lukaku was leaving for some time but completely failed to even try and r̶e̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ - mitigate the loss - how many more transfer windows is Farhad Moshiri going to allow the team he has in place to not meet the public requirements of the manager?

I'll conclude then with a question.

What is the minimum expectation, both league and cup performance of an Everton manager of which failure to achieve should cause dismissal.

Keep that in mind, and see where we are in January at the earliest. Not now.

 

[orly]

Others are simply left wondering "What's the plan?" as Everton appear to turn up every week with a different setup, and play almost as though on a whim.

Very shrewd individuals.

 

[chicoazul]

GrandOldTeam submitted an update to GrandOldTeam's homepage

Early Days

There is some discouraged Evertonian's right now.

​

Some very discouraged Evertonians - with even some calling to see the back of Ronald Koeman...

​

Against a backdrop of early optimism, a string of below-par performances, off field shenanigans with headlines around Rooney, Barkley and Mirallas and the transfer window closing without the prerequisite signing of a striker have left some Evertonian's feeling pretty despondent.

Even Ronald Koeman himself seems a little downtrodden about his club's prosperity.

Speaking after being taught a footballing lesson from Spurs, Koeman spoke about unrealistic expectations and how top six for Everton remains a challenge.

Not the comments you want from a manager who has just spent billions. *cue argument over exact amount and NET spend*

[caption id="attachment_8714" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Koeman: "I know how it works in football. If you sign some players they are losing a bit being realistic. Everyone is talking Everton top six but if you know the qualities of the players in the top six it is a challenge".[/caption]

Common 'shouts' from fans on GrandOldTeam and beyond bemoan the consequence of failing to bring in an "out and out", top quality striker.

[caption id="attachment_10287" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Niasse to the rescue?[/caption]

Others point to a lack of pace throughout the side and there's discussion around whether there's room to accommodate both Rooney and Sigurdsson in the same side. The futures of Kevin Mirallas and Ross Barkley continues to bubble away, with some pointing to Koeman having paid the price for pissing on the chips of almost everyone at Valencia.

[caption id="attachment_4474" align="aligncenter" width="1250"] Ronald Koeman has publicly condemned Kevin Mirallas' "attitude"[/caption]

Others are simply left wondering "What's the plan?" as Everton appear to turn up every week with a different setup, and play almost as though on a whim.

It's easy to point at problems, but of course it's a little more difficult to find solutions and that's why I'm not going to try and offer any. Ronald Koeman's earns his £6m+ a year to do just that, while I'm sat here in my boxies on a Sunday evening typing an article on GrandOldTeam.

What I will endeavour to do, is try and conjure up three plausible explanations towards why Everton look so jaded - with the hope it'll hold a mirror up to some of the more voracious Evertonian's questioning Ronald Koeman.
Number of signings.


[caption id="attachment_10003" align="alignright" width="246"] Ronald Koeman overhauled his side in the summer.[/caption]

On Saturday, in Pickford, Martina, Keane, Klaassen, Rooney, Sigurdsson and Ramirez - Everton started with SEVEN summer signings - contrast that with Spurs, with just one new arrival in their starting eleven.

Is it any wonder Everton look so fractured? We're not far off a team of strangers.

Everton were in a league of their own last season - sat in 7th, 15 points clear of 8th and 8 away from 6th.

We needed to make big changes to have any hope of competing with the teams above us.

We've made a lot of those changes and the new lads need time, and opportunity to perform before being so readily, and conclusive written off.

You don't give a manager the autonomy to make such sweeping changes and then look to change it after four league games, more so considering the opponents in those games;


Opening Fixtures.


"Every team plays the same teams the same amount of times" "You have to play every one twice..."

Still, Everton's start to the Premier League is eye-watering...

Stoke (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (A)
Spurs (H)

With Man Utd (A) up next - results wise, could we have realistically expected much more? Performance wise is another question...

[caption id="attachment_10195" align="aligncenter" width="1250"] A late Raheem Sterling's volley salvaged a point for 10-man Manchester City as Everton were denied victory[/caption]

Not to mention the sprinkling of Europa games presenting it's own challenge on top of trying to blend together a new team.

Although it is defeatist - all considered, it feels as though we need to "get through" a difficult period, and look to build some momentum in the Europa League and League cup, before successive league games against Bournemouth, Burnley and Brighton. A team growing in familiarity, with some positive results in succession could really see us kick on.
Striker


There's no skirting around this - not bringing in another striker was a considerable failing from Everton's board.

Not Ronald Koeman.

We've brought in the likes of Sigurdsson and Rooney, and without doing a disservice to Sandro who is an unknown quantity, have no target man.



As in previous windows, Koeman was left talking up the desperate need for a striker only to be left with egg on his face - in previous windows it resulted in a last second desperate loan move for Enner Valencia, and now bringing Oumar Niasse back into the first team fold.

We've known Lukaku was leaving for some time but completely failed to even try and r̶e̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ - mitigate the loss - how many more transfer windows is Farhad Moshiri going to allow the team he has in place to not meet the public requirements of the manager?

I'll conclude then with a question.

What is the minimum expectation, both league and cup performance of an Everton manager of which failure to achieve should cause dismissal.

Keep that in mind, and see where we are in January at the earliest. Not now.

He's just moved us up 4 places in a season finishing in May. We're in Sep with 2 defeats in 8. We've got half a team of new players to gel in and been given the opening league fixtures from hell.

Where have all of your heads gone? Turn the Apprentice off as it's doing you no good.

Haway the blues.

 

[ashwuk76]

Time is needed here and patience. Look at spurs when they replaced bale with a load of new players. They are pretty good now right? Yes it will take a bit of time but it will happen.

Calls to sack koeman are ludicrous. Who exactly would we get to replace him?? Do we really want to turn into one of these teams who sack a manager or two a season?!?

 

[4737carlin]

Good to see a picture of Niasse in the article, for that alone its a good piece

 

[CerberusFX]

I thought it didn't happen at the game, i thought season ticket holders were more patient than onliners.

 

[Milk]

FWIW. I think @GrandOldTeam hits the nail on the head ..... integrating a large number of new players takes time. Seems to me that every team that goes out & buys over 5 players struggles in the beginning - some terminally (think Sunderland).

What bothers me most, is the singular lack of pace & quick attacking

 

[Stuartisitc1878]

FWIW. I think @GrandOldTeam hits the nail on the head ..... integrating a large number of new players takes time. Seems to me that every team that goes out & buys over 5 players struggles in the beginning - some terminally (think Sunderland).

What bothers me most, is the singular lack of pace & quick attacking

agreed. Losing Coleman has essentually killed off any threat from our right side which is why Koeman's hesitation to play Kenny is even more baffling.

 

[Goat]

These opening games were only ever going to be brutal, sure we could have at least turned up for them all, but sadly we have what I expected. Not even Batigol in his prime could have saved us the last 2 games. The entire squad is out of form, they all look off the pace, my mantra sadly is get United out the way and then our season starts.

 

[sageyefc]

Can't disagree with them two gentleman in them videos



Other than when he calls him dany klassen, but I'll give him a pass on that

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think the questions are more of those above Koeman rather than Koeman himself. They made a cracking start to the transfer window but then it petered out quite badly and we look short in a number of areas. Koeman's the public face, but given we have a director of football, surely he should be outlining the long-term strategy of the club more?

 

[chicoazul]

I think the questions are more of those above Koeman rather than Koeman himself. They made a cracking start to the transfer window but then it petered out quite badly and we look short in a number of areas. Koeman's the public face, but given we have a director of football, surely he should be outlining the long-term strategy of the club more?

He's accountable to the fans more than the executive board?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

He's accountable to the fans more than the executive board?

I wouldn't say he's accountable to the fans in that no club staff are really accountable to the fans, but the end of the window was chaotic in that you had Koeman saying we needed strikers, defenders etc. and we didn't get them. Of course, deals can fall through for all number of reasons, but for me the whole point of a director of football is to provide long-term strategy and continuity so that things don't get torn up with each new manager. In that sense, he should be as much of a public face as Koeman, especially around transfer time when that's really his bread and butter.

 

[chicoazul]

I wouldn't say he's accountable to the fans in that no club staff are really accountable to the fans, but the end of the window was chaotic in that you had Koeman saying we needed strikers, defenders etc. and we didn't get them. Of course, deals can fall through for all number of reasons, but for me the whole point of a director of football is to provide long-term strategy and continuity so that things don't get torn up with each new manager. In that sense, he should be as much of a public face as Koeman, especially around transfer time when that's really his bread and butter.

He's been a director for one year and was employed for long term strategy (youth acquisition and development, high yield transfers) of which he's just one year into. This is in one of the most well funded and competitive industries around. His CV and past (and relative) experience suggest he's qualified for the job. In his first year the team moved up four places in the league and the U23s won the league v competitors that vastly outspent Everton.

And here we are scrutinising, overly, barely after the end of that first year?

As customers, not board members, not significant shareholders. Is our self entitlement and narcissism that grand and our self awareness that low?

Patience is a virtue in business which you understand as good as anyone on here.

 

[windymiller]

He's been a director for one year and was employed for long term strategy (youth acquisition and development, high yield transfers) of which he's just one year into. This is in one of the most well funded and competitive industries around. His CV and past (and relative) experience suggest he's qualified for the job. In his first year the team moved up four places in the league and the U23s won the league v competitors that vastly outspent Everton.

And here we are scrutinising, overly, barely after the end of that first year?

As customers, not board members, not significant shareholders. Is our self entitlement and narcissism that grand and our self awareness that low?

Patience is a virtue in business which you understand as good as anyone on here.

The bit in bold is where I take exception. Yes, to the board we are customers. Maybe to the broader non-match going public a football match is no different to a Justin Bieber concert, a trip to the cinema or a dodgy cheeseburger from a late night takeaway but I think the majority of fans consider our support of the team as something more than a cold commercial transaction for a leisure activity. Normal market circumstances don't apply to football. How else can you explain fans trudging out every week to watch Marine, Chester FC, Tranmere or, indeed, Everton when the quality of the product declines or the weather makes the activity a chore rather than a pleasure. Owners, chairmen or majority shareholders, in many fans opinions, are custodians of a football club rather than a proprietor or the promoter of an event. As such, the foundations on which these institutions are based, the fans, are the ultimate arbiters of "success" and that can be defined in many ways. It is true that ticket and merchandising revenues are less of a component of our income when compared with a decade ago, but dedicated supporters make up as substantial a base for TV subscriptions as the casual viewer does. If we are indeed customers then the board should be concerned about our dissatisfaction because, no matter how uneducated we might be, by hook or by crook we provide the revenue to the club.