Everton fanbase - how to make a positive contribution to the team's success

[Igrok]

Maybe one empty stadium for starters...

 

[billyblue80]

I wouldn't care about league placing so much if we could see some green shoots and progress. Sadly we go backwards every year, and all we see is gutless players and mismanagement from top to bottom, and it's every season. So what do you expect the fans to do?! Yes the mentality is bad from fans to board to players but it's chicken and egg. If the team doesn't give you something to support they won't get it.

 

[D410]

Another “don’t blame the club blame the fans” thread.

Lock the thread and bin the OP

 

[ToffeeTim]

It doesn't take much to get Evertonians back onside.

The fans argument is a rubbish excuse.

You can't hold a fan accountable for a bad result. It would be like a record company holding a fan responsible for when one of their bands churns out a rubbish second album. It's beyond daft.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

What do you think of chrismpw's post? Something in this or complete rubbish? Is player psychology important and can fans influence that?

Wear earplugs
Sorted

 

[Baines' left foot]

The fans have had the life sucked out of them with false dawns false promises, broken promises and watching our 'peers' move quite considerably ahead of us.I think it's remarkable we still sell out.

Does the negativity effect the performances, I'd wager yes but given the last 24 years it's easy to see why.

Maybe after 24 years of mediocrity we should accept that’s what we are.

 

[Mozza1987]

What do you think of chrismpw's post? Something in this or complete rubbish? Is player psychology important and can fans influence that?

They get paid an absolute fortune mate. Some of them can't even be bothered trying anymore or play to their potential. Think the fans have a right to not be happy when it's a lot of money to continually watch home and away when working hard for their own money especially when the players will be having lavish lifestyles for a job we would all love to do.

 

[davmaher]

Right lads, I want you all in Stanley Park for a series of coordinated fan training sessions. In fifteen minute blocks we will cover the following:-

1) Synchronised Booing
2) Pie eating
3) Abusing the Referee and his assistants
4) Singing practice. Obviously not a whole song just Everton, Everton, Everton, Everton , Everton .... until we get bored and it slows down.
5) Early bus dash
6) Media skills and typing doom and gloom no matter what the result or performance
7) repeat item 1 and add shouts of ‘oh ffs...*insert name’

I think we could also do separate, specialist sessions for the "I said we'd lose/we'll never get anywhere while..insert name.. is at the club" etc.types.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Maybe after 24 years of mediocrity we should accept that’s what we are.

That's what a born loser does.

Mentally strong winners try even harder to do better.

 

[BernieH]

Maybe after 24 years of mediocrity we should accept that’s what we are.

As it stands right now, that is exactly what we are. our pride in our history dictates we strive for bigger and better though. Reaching those goals in the modern game is easier said than done(unless you are a wolves fan as they are taking over in the next 10 years apparently)

 

[Super Kevin sheedy]

It seems that we are in an endless cycle of hire and fire. We hire a manager, expectations are high, inevitably they go through a rough patch (i.e. hovering around mid table) and quickly face uproar and cries for the axe

Expectations are higher than they used to be. Moyes wouldn't have achieved what he did in later years without being given time early on to find his feet. Yes, the money is now there, but the Premier League is tough and it's very difficult to deliver top 6 instantly. Also, it's hard for us to attract a top, top manager. There needs to come a point where we back someone through the peaks and troughs, to incrementally strengthen our position. Perhaps then, in time, we will be able to attract world class

Re the Everton fanbase - there seems to be a somewhat toxic culture. 'Fans' like to go along to games, sit back with no accountability themselves and then happily rip into any perceived shortcomings of the team on the pitch, often with no real thought the the big picture, what's really going on and whether 'carrot' or 'stick' will be most effective

Player psychology is a massive part of football and hugely important. Whether players play with confidence or fear makes the world of difference. Unrealistic fan expectations / trigger happy approach to criticism has the potential to instill fear into the manager and team

I believe the focus needs to be turned on to the fans themselves. The team are training incredibly hard every day in a professional way, driving for 1% gains. But it seems there is massive potential for efficiency gains in the way fans contribute to Everton's success - at least a 50% gain. Fans contribution to positive player psychology could be the difference between an upward spiral and a downward spiral - intelligent support could really have some effect on results, giving players that bit extra when playing at Goodison

I'm not sure exactly how this should be executed, but the Everton fanbase leaders should really consider it. Whoever runs this forum can see all the negative threads on here and the patterns over time of slagging off these expensive and previously successful international players who have been brought to the club. But none of this has any positive effect on results. If fans put more thought into how every action they take can contribute to positive player psychology and in turn results, as the manager and players are doing, this can only help. In this age of social media, the fanbase leaders should be able to reach out more widely to build a strategic and educated approach amongst the fans at large

This would be pioneering as I'm not sure how many other teams are trying to optimise fan contribution at the moment or looking at the correlation between fanbase culture and success. You can certainly see it in international football - where at times smaller nations with great team spirit and lower expectations play with much more confidence and positivity...

Now that Everton has greater resources, an intelligent army of fans behind the team could help unlock the potential...

Can’t believe what I’ve just read, I had to read it again.

 

[chrismpw]

Interesting that you agree with the sentiment

The question is whether this is actually a BIG point??

We are hiring and firing managers but is there actually an equally important piece of work that could be done / an opportunity to somehow improve fanbase culture and expectations and the effect on the team

I see a team like Wolves punching above it's weight. I haven't looked into it but a wonder if a more positive club / fan culture has something to do with this

I think it's a major factor and if we want to see success as fans we need to be disciplined and be part if it.

The same group of players now being hesitant, hopeless and booed were playing some pretty slick skilful and solid football just a couple of months back. The SAME players. The difference is confidence.

First that freak goal in the derby, then a drop in form, then the boos. It's a vicious circle.

I know some will say that they're paid enough, they should man up, they're professional etc.but at the end of it all they're just humans and they have average human mental frailties.

As an experiment, get a thousand lads to dress in red, go into anfield and start booing and jeering each week. Let's see how that effects the team.

 

[Kever10]

The fans have had the life sucked out of them with false dawns false promises, broken promises and watching our 'peers' move quite considerably ahead of us.I think it's remarkable we still sell out.

Does the negativity effect the performances, I'd wager yes but given the last 24 years it's easy to see why.

Nah, the fans turned on Martinez before Christmas in season 2, despite the results of the 1st season, and juggling the added EL schedule. There was absolutely no leeway granted, and it had a massive effect on the teams performance. The bad blood carried over into the 3rd season, because the core of the fans had already made their mind up (some before we even got him, because he "Got Wigan Relegated") and were already waiting for the slip in form to get the knives out again. Any half decent result was apparently in spite of him and every mistake was because he wasn't good enough.

3 years, 4 managers, 6 transfer windows, and over £300m later (more then treble what Martinez had in his entire stay), are we any better off? I'd say weve gone backwards.

Martinez had his flaws, he naively trusted some sub standard players to play a more technical style, he was stubborn in his beliefs and loyal to players who had no qualms pushing him under a bus, and he was positive to a fault (something I actually believe shouldn't have been the negative others believed it to be), but he had a style of play, a vision of what he wanted, and for a short time, he got everyone, players and fans alike, to actually believe in Everton again.

By the time he left, the bridge was well and truly burned, and there was no salvaging the relationship, not without alienating a huge percentage of the fanbase and basically starting again with the squad, so him leaving was inevitable.

I'm aware it's not a popular opinion, but with a clean slate and someone like Brands to focus on finding players, I'd take him back tomorrow.

 

[Legend Barry Horne]

I think it's a major factor and if we want to see success as fans we need to be disciplined and be part if it.

The same group of players now being hesitant, hopeless and booed were playing some pretty slick skilful and solid football just a couple of months back. The SAME players. The difference is confidence.

First that freak goal in the derby, then a drop in form, then the boos. It's a vicious circle.

I know some will say that they're paid enough, they should man up, they're professional etc.but at the end of it all they're just humans and they have average human mental frailties.

As an experiment, get a thousand lads to dress in red, go into anfield and start booing and jeering each week. Let's see how that effects the team.

Exactly - confidence has to be a big part of it

But then, if you look at the other posts on this thread it seems that a good number of fans are not seeing that

But what's the answer? How can fans actually help to boost the team's confidence?

 

[BernieH]

Nah, the fans turned on Martinez before Christmas in season 2, despite the results of the 1st season, and juggling the added EL schedule. There was absolutely no leeway granted, and it had a massive effect on the teams performance. The bad blood carried over into the 3rd season, because the core of the fans had already made their mind up (some before we even got him, because he "Got Wigan Relegated") and were already waiting for the slip in form to get the knives out again. Any half decent result was apparently in spite of him and every mistake was because he wasn't good enough.

3 years, 4 managers, 6 transfer windows, and over £300m later (more then treble what Martinez had in his entire stay), are we any better off? I'd say weve gone backwards.

Martinez had his flaws, he naively trusted some sub standard players to play a more technical style, he was stubborn in his beliefs and loyal to players who had no qualms pushing him under a bus, and he was positive to a fault (something I actually believe shouldn't have been the negative others believed it to be), but he had a style of play, a vision of what he wanted, and for a short time, he got everyone, players and fans alike, to actually believe in Everton again.

By the time he left, the bridge was well and truly burned, and there was no salvaging the relationship, not without alienating a huge percentage of the fanbase and basically starting again with the squad, so him leaving was inevitable.

I'm aware it's not a popular opinion, but with a clean slate and someone like Brands to focus on finding players, I'd take him back tomorrow.

We go backwards because we hire managers used to fighting relegation, we need a winner, someone who know how to win consistently, someone who can shift this constant air of doom and gloom. No idea who because we have become a basket case and we are stuck in no mans land. People are fed up of shelling out hard earned coin and not even being entertained. Forget results, fans go to be entertained and they get bored to death instead.

I always said under the previous clowns,at least lose giving it a go, we just love a tummy tickle.

Martinez only had himse;f to blame, he had the blueprint in his first season but was terrible, absolutely terrible for seasons 2and 3, he wouldn't have been sacked had he replicated his first season would he.