little curly alan ball submitted an update to GrandOldTeam's homepage
Lost
They say, it's the hope that kills you and let's be honest, as Toffees over the past 20 odd years we have had little else in the way of tangible positivity so hope was always our, any port in a storm as it were. Well summer and season 2017-18 to date has not only shattered that illusion it has left me with a feeling of genuine foreboding for the immediate future that I haven't experienced since Walter Smith. It is not yet time for the inquest- I was going to say autopsy but maybe that was a Freudian slip; as we are still to complete the campaign yet questions there will ultimately be. Pointed and specifically directed questions at that although for the interim- with tomorrow the final day of the January transfer window the question is, where tf are we right now as to me, we appear forlorn, lost as a club.
First things first, Koeman. A knee-jerk to the Martinez fallout. Over-promoted and under-skilled. Utterly out of his depth yet they gave him the company bank card and it breaks my heart still, nevertheless as I said on Toffee TV recently, someone still employed at this club, someone senior to Agent Orange oversaw or at least signed off on this squad as being equipped to face all the rigours and challenges of a Premier League campaign and I am afraid, ladies and gentlemen that I need to know whom that was as this, as a project is the most dis-jointed, unbalanced, lacking in some many things in so many areas as to be dereliction of duty, squad in recent memory and considering the outlay that is- to quote my dear nanna Margaret, scandalous. This is not a dig at the players specifically to be honest as you can argue whether they're trying or not yet even with 100% endeavour by all hands we started the season without a recognised centre forward, were-are devoid of pace in central areas, had no width indeed still have no left side at all. For those at the back of the class, all these things represent inherent problems when you're in the business of winning games of football in the EPL.
Allardyce. Ahhhhh, Allardyce, Allardyce, Allardyce... The man whom will never be loved by Toffees yet whom we nevertheless find as our current manager. Let us be candid, none, zero of the fundamental issues we have faced this season were-are down to him, indeed in his method he has aspired to rectify as many as possible during his incumbency. He has brought both Tosun and Walcott and few would argue with either and continues to seek additions, yet his selections and specifically his substitutions continue to baffle me moreover for a man with a back-to-basics reputation we remain, for the most part, shapeless and devoid of collective awareness of what it is that we are attempting to accomplish when we attack the opposition or indeed they attack us, ffs. It is my opinion that even Sam would say that without a marked improvements in performances and results over the period then he is unlikely to still have his space in the car park at the end of the January transfer window 2019, ergo someone on a better contract than myself needs now to be considering whom the replacements might be and not simply reacting like the did with Koeman- and indeed Silva and opting for the flavour of whatever month it is then. I need more, people. Much more all over this club including by the way from ourselves.
I had a conversation with me mate the other day about how the age of social media has or rather is re-defining us as supporters. There is a passage in Reidy's book where he notes that everyone talks about Oxford United or Philip Carter's backing in how they turned it around in 1983-84. Me mucka Reidy said it was neither of those nor indeed other supposed catalysts, the most important factor was that the fans stayed with them. Well I put it to you that should that season have happened this campaign then we would have sacked the Gaffer and be looking to bin 3-4 of that squad. Sometimes, and I would suggest this season specifically, loyalty is a currency and we as Toffees shall get to present ourselves at the window and call MFs to account in the summer although for now we simply must just keep digging deep, as the alternative does not bear contemplation.
The summer buys… Well apart from Jordan Pickford, Wayne and Sigurdsson the rest have been in-and-out and in the case of Klassen and Sandro specifically they have played 12 games including substitute between them. It is not enough. Michael Keane is in then he is out. Vlasic doesn't even get in to get out. It is and has been, a thing so I would suggest that given my point as to Big Sam's prospective tenure it might be an idea not to throw the baby out with the bath water as, in 2017-18 there is no requirement to add further insult to what is already chronic injury. Tactically we require pace and width, at which time either Rooney or Gylfi may begin to find more space in the final third to hit the forward players that we now at least possess yet that we are almost in February and still to be working this out on the hoof as it were, is honestly lamentable.
So there it is. My two-thirds review of the dystopian nightmare that has been our campaign to date. One can only hope that its remainder is negotiated without further ado and we can all get down to the serious business of addressing the issue at hand…. The roof… The roof… The roof is on fire…
To leave you on a personal note, in about a month I shall be celebrating 50 years to the day that I became an active match attending Evertonian. If, for example, you are 20 years old and reading this now just know that it doesn't get any easier nevertheless we would all, all of us be lost without them.
Stay right.
#UTFT
Look after your peoples.
Peace out.
LCAB / @lcabbabeh
