Kever10
Player Valuation: £15m
I've got my mind set on Europe. Not my heart, my mind. And there is a big difference.
And as one of the city's most favourite sons once famously said...
But it's gonna take money. A whole lotta spendin' money. It's gonna take plenty of money. To do it right, child.
Under the current regime, by which I mean manager in tandem with the much maligned DOF, we have spent modestly. More than others, yes, but much less than the people we are hoping to emulate. The RS are fond of telling us that Gylfi the ghost cost us more than both Mane and Salah. Well, conversely, all of Carlos 7 signings have cost us less than their Goalkeeper.
Hamstrung by the spending that went before, and still attempting to shift the players and wages that are quite literally slowing us down, we were left with a situation that needed addressing without leaving us much room to manoeuvre.
It was obvious to all that the biggest weakness in the squad Carlo inherited was in Midfield. In a squad that was severely lacking, it was an area that was particularly poor. No pace, no guile, no dynamism, no drive, no energy, no leadership, no creativity, no bite, no soul. So it was no surprise to anyone that the area he chose to address most urgently was in replacing 3/4s of the starting midfield. The theory being that the others would have to make do for rotation and backup.
We added 3 massive improvements, that much is undeniable. It has literally been a toss up between them who has been MOTM in practically all of the games they have been available. Yet we have rarely been able to call on them all to play at the same time.
Some would cynically say that this was to be expected. They are older, perhaps more injury prone. But few if any would've been able to forsee the lengths to which they would miss. The most pragmatic of planners could not have forseen each of them missing more than 3 months of the season each, often overlapping. That in a season that has been more congested than most, not only would that leave us with the remnants of what came before, but that half of them would also be missing for large chunks as well, resulting in certain players who would not make the bench if all was right and well, starting and finishing the majority of our games.
Which brings us back to George.
It's gonna take time. A whole lot of precious time. It's gonna take patience and time. To do it right.
Anyone expecting us to transform the dross we had before to champions elect in the time Carlo has had here is deluded.
Carlo has alluded to it himself. Early on when people expected our fantastic start to maybe see us push for the title, it was Carlo who managed expectations and said the target was not the league, nor the Top 4, but the Europa. Maybe he was playing mind games. Or maybe he knew that what he had was not capable of the gigantic leap so soon. He has spoken regularly of the longer term project that he signed on for. To build a team for years to come.
For the time being, we are having to make do, while the improvements made where to bring in quality that was sorely missing. To paper over the cracks so to speak.
What he has been able to do in this short time, is show us that with a bit of time, and with a few tweeks and improvements, we can compete with anyone on our day.
In the past, I've had my heart set on Europe. And many times, it hasn't happened, for one reason or another. Last day goals that denied us. Dodgy refs coming out of retirement to do UEFA's bidding. Baffling results in winnable games. Poor end of season form. Other teams resurgent form. Unfortunate injuries. Running out of steam.
Let's face it. We've seen it all before.
But we are headed in the right direction.
And this time I know it's real. The feelin' that I feel. I know if I put my mind to it
I know that I really can do it
There are plenty of positives if you choose to look for them, instead of dwelling on the past and what might have been.
We have people in charge who are actually backing us with real money.
We have planning permission on a stadium, which should be and will be a huge step forward that we have desperately needed for close to half a century.
We have one of the best managers in world football, who actually wants to be here and can convince players like James Rodriguez to join him.
And yet still, people are childishly stamping their feet because it hasn't happened yet, in what is currently 1 interupted half season, and 1 currently unfinished season. After a while, it is just draining.
I know it's hard. Being an Everton fan and being positive is often paradoxical. But at some point, you have to wonder with the posistive things we do have, what is the point in being so negative about everything?
Many people don't know this, but that song by George Harrison is actually a cover version. It was originally recorded in the 60s by James Ray. And he actually had an additional verse that George chose to leave out.
Everywhere I go you know, Bad luck follows me. Every time I fall in love, I’m left in misery.
Maybe it's time we all took a leaf out of George's book and leave out the negativity too, and instead set our minds on the possibilities.
I've got my mind set on Europe. Not my heart. It should be an objective, not a dream. And if it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world. We regroup, and we go again. Football, as has been proven this past year beyond any doubt, carries on regardless. Relentless. Sometimes, a change in outlook can be all it takes. Determination over romanticism. Respect the plan, and have some Patience. It's gonna take time to do it right.
And as one of the city's most favourite sons once famously said...
But it's gonna take money. A whole lotta spendin' money. It's gonna take plenty of money. To do it right, child.
Under the current regime, by which I mean manager in tandem with the much maligned DOF, we have spent modestly. More than others, yes, but much less than the people we are hoping to emulate. The RS are fond of telling us that Gylfi the ghost cost us more than both Mane and Salah. Well, conversely, all of Carlos 7 signings have cost us less than their Goalkeeper.
Hamstrung by the spending that went before, and still attempting to shift the players and wages that are quite literally slowing us down, we were left with a situation that needed addressing without leaving us much room to manoeuvre.
It was obvious to all that the biggest weakness in the squad Carlo inherited was in Midfield. In a squad that was severely lacking, it was an area that was particularly poor. No pace, no guile, no dynamism, no drive, no energy, no leadership, no creativity, no bite, no soul. So it was no surprise to anyone that the area he chose to address most urgently was in replacing 3/4s of the starting midfield. The theory being that the others would have to make do for rotation and backup.
We added 3 massive improvements, that much is undeniable. It has literally been a toss up between them who has been MOTM in practically all of the games they have been available. Yet we have rarely been able to call on them all to play at the same time.
Some would cynically say that this was to be expected. They are older, perhaps more injury prone. But few if any would've been able to forsee the lengths to which they would miss. The most pragmatic of planners could not have forseen each of them missing more than 3 months of the season each, often overlapping. That in a season that has been more congested than most, not only would that leave us with the remnants of what came before, but that half of them would also be missing for large chunks as well, resulting in certain players who would not make the bench if all was right and well, starting and finishing the majority of our games.
Which brings us back to George.
It's gonna take time. A whole lot of precious time. It's gonna take patience and time. To do it right.
Anyone expecting us to transform the dross we had before to champions elect in the time Carlo has had here is deluded.
Carlo has alluded to it himself. Early on when people expected our fantastic start to maybe see us push for the title, it was Carlo who managed expectations and said the target was not the league, nor the Top 4, but the Europa. Maybe he was playing mind games. Or maybe he knew that what he had was not capable of the gigantic leap so soon. He has spoken regularly of the longer term project that he signed on for. To build a team for years to come.
For the time being, we are having to make do, while the improvements made where to bring in quality that was sorely missing. To paper over the cracks so to speak.
What he has been able to do in this short time, is show us that with a bit of time, and with a few tweeks and improvements, we can compete with anyone on our day.
In the past, I've had my heart set on Europe. And many times, it hasn't happened, for one reason or another. Last day goals that denied us. Dodgy refs coming out of retirement to do UEFA's bidding. Baffling results in winnable games. Poor end of season form. Other teams resurgent form. Unfortunate injuries. Running out of steam.
Let's face it. We've seen it all before.
But we are headed in the right direction.
And this time I know it's real. The feelin' that I feel. I know if I put my mind to it
I know that I really can do it
There are plenty of positives if you choose to look for them, instead of dwelling on the past and what might have been.
We have people in charge who are actually backing us with real money.
We have planning permission on a stadium, which should be and will be a huge step forward that we have desperately needed for close to half a century.
We have one of the best managers in world football, who actually wants to be here and can convince players like James Rodriguez to join him.
And yet still, people are childishly stamping their feet because it hasn't happened yet, in what is currently 1 interupted half season, and 1 currently unfinished season. After a while, it is just draining.
I know it's hard. Being an Everton fan and being positive is often paradoxical. But at some point, you have to wonder with the posistive things we do have, what is the point in being so negative about everything?
Many people don't know this, but that song by George Harrison is actually a cover version. It was originally recorded in the 60s by James Ray. And he actually had an additional verse that George chose to leave out.
Everywhere I go you know, Bad luck follows me. Every time I fall in love, I’m left in misery.
Maybe it's time we all took a leaf out of George's book and leave out the negativity too, and instead set our minds on the possibilities.
I've got my mind set on Europe. Not my heart. It should be an objective, not a dream. And if it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world. We regroup, and we go again. Football, as has been proven this past year beyond any doubt, carries on regardless. Relentless. Sometimes, a change in outlook can be all it takes. Determination over romanticism. Respect the plan, and have some Patience. It's gonna take time to do it right.
