Mike Walker

Gladystweet · December 30, 2017

Groucho said:
True but Walker was far worse

I had high hopes for Walker. I remember training mid week when Norwich were playing Bayern and watching it in the pub, thinking, this fella is the business. Shows how much I know.
Wasn't that about the time Z cars got binned as well? Could be wrong. Swindon at home, and all looked well, then the wheels well and truly fell off.

Togger Blue · December 30, 2017

Gladystweet said:
I had high hopes for Walker. I remember training mid week when Norwich were playing Bayern and watching it in the pub, thinking, this fella is the business. Shows how much I know.
Wasn't that about the time Z cars got binned as well? Could be wrong. Swindon at home, and all looked well, then the wheels well and truly fell off.

Almost certain Z Cars was binned in favour of Bad Moon Rising by CCR - an extremely bad choice in football terms given the lyrics & EFC history * John Fogerty is a top music bloke & CCR were a decent band, not their fault!

Gladystweet · December 30, 2017

Togger Blue said:
Almost certain Z Cars was binned in favour of Bad Moon Rising by CCR - an extremely bad choice in football terms given the lyrics & EFC history * John Fogerty is a top music bloke & CCR were a decent band, not their fault!

Didn't we have some weird space age music as well as they walked out? cant remember the name of the music.

Strange times indeed they were.

Wayno · December 30, 2017

I was at a reserve game years and years ago in an Everton top, (Everton weren’t playing) there was about 35 people there and Ian Walker was in goal. He let in a goal and I can only describe it as being genuinely on purpose, it was ridiculous.

When the half time whistle went , the players all trudged off, I was perhaps a bit cheeky but I shouted “Ian, where were you for that goal lad?”

He proceeded to call me an “lEverton [Poor language removed]” ask me why I was even at the game and tell me I could meet him after the game if I had something to say to him.

I was 12

Kev The Rat · December 30, 2017

Daveysgingerlovechild said:
Big Nevs autobiography makes for interesting reading on the topic. Nev paints a picture of a manager trying to play a style poorly suited to the league/ squad of players. He was also considered a cocky, lazy flash git who didn't get the 'work ethos' of the club and senior players. Essentially he commanded little respect in the dressing room.

The Snodin and Ward books paint him in an even worse light.

Jeff Jones · December 30, 2017

Erm,.. didn't we go and pinch him when Norwich were taking it apart and they were, quite rightly, unhappy
with us? Didn't go well for us and maybe it was poetic justice.

royalblue66 · December 30, 2017

Wayno said:
I was at a reserve game years and years ago in an Everton top, (Everton weren’t playing) there was about 35 people there and Ian Walker was in goal. He let in a goal and I can only describe it as being genuinely on purpose, it was ridiculous.

When the half time whistle went , the players all trudged off, I was perhaps a bit cheeky but I shouted “Ian, where were you for that goal lad?”

He proceeded to call me an “lEverton [Poor language removed]” ask me why I was even at the game and tell me I could meet him after the game if I had something to say to him.

I was 12

Remember Ian Walker playing at GP, just after his arl fella was sacked. the Goodison faithful singing Eye Aye Addio your Dad's on the Dole.

Toffeelover · December 30, 2017

Why has this bit of awful history been raised? Nothing better to do, Moomin?

daza_1973 · December 30, 2017

Jeff Jones said:
Erm,.. didn't we go and pinch him when Norwich were taking it apart and they were, quite rightly, unhappy
with us? Didn't go well for us and maybe it was poetic justice.

I suspect the seeds of BBC punit Chris Sutton's obvious distain for us were sown at that time too.

blue62 · December 30, 2017

Black Belt Jones said:
His disappearance does indicate that, but how do you explain his performance with Norwich? Total mystery that I don't think anyone has the answer to. Walker's appointment was reasonable at the time - don't recall anyone turning cartwheels but it wasn't like we'd appointed Paul Ince or someone like that, it was seen as a pretty bold pick of a promising manager that might or might not work out.

Once he was in the dugout it was like an imposter had taken the reins. You hear the term competition winner bandied about for players like Niasse, but they're nowhere near the levels of ineptitude that Walker displayed. It was like we were being managed by Mick from the Coach and Horses, surreal how far out of his depth he was.

I think only Walker could fully explain what happened. For me, I think all the stars aligned perfectly at Norwich, he was successful without knowing why and when a big job came along at Everton he had to take it but once in the hot seat he crumbled. Whatever the truth, his performance at Everton reverberated quickly around the game as he was found out, must've been a shattering personal experience.

Daveysgingerlovechild · December 30, 2017

Kev The Rat said:
The Snodin and Ward books paint him in an even worse light.

Really? I've not read those. What did they say?

Eggs · December 30, 2017

Wayno said:
I was at a reserve game years and years ago in an Everton top, (Everton weren’t playing) there was about 35 people there and Ian Walker was in goal. He let in a goal and I can only describe it as being genuinely on purpose, it was ridiculous.

When the half time whistle went , the players all trudged off, I was perhaps a bit cheeky but I shouted “Ian, where were you for that goal lad?”

He proceeded to call me an “lEverton [Poor language removed]” ask me why I was even at the game and tell me I could meet him after the game if I had something to say to him.

I was 12

...should’ve phoned Yewtree.

Kev The Rat · December 30, 2017

Daveysgingerlovechild said:
Really? I've not read those. What did they say?

Snods mentioned that he was openly laughed at by the players when they went on holiday for his tight speedos on the beach, that he offered no input at all at half time in the Wimbledon escape. He also mentioned that Waggy told him to gtf during other half time team talks.

Ward said he openly abused him in his office.

There’s more but can’t remember the details.

Bob Latchford · December 30, 2017

Moomin said:
Remember when he was brought in as manager of Everton??? The excitement after seeing his Norwich team challenge for the league.

I always remember some woman on BBC news saying " He will awaken the sleeping giant of Everton " I can only assume this women was banished from the galaxy for being so wrong.

We expected great things from the Walker appointment and it never happened. It took us close to the edge but brought about the appointment of Royle and our last trophy.

So today, we will likely be appointing Big Sam in a cloud of disapproval from quite a few fans who are expecting the worst before he has been given a chance. Think back to Walker and the high hope we had, it never worked out. This appointment might work, it might not. Before Sam is here we are Everton, and after he is long gone we will still be Everton.

This is a wake up call for some fans who expected immediate sucess 18 months ago when Moshiri came in. They ran amok on social media " Billionaires lad " and thought we would act like Chelsea/Man City and buy immediate success.

We started off by acting like Chelsea fans saying random players should throw transfer requests in to join us. Acted like City fans because we now had money we could do what we want and look down at other clubs and see them as inferior.

This instant gratification of demeaning other clubs has turned us into acting like Geordies and becoming deluded in the standings of the current game. We are not what some of you people think, you need to pull that head out of the sand and wake up.

Todays appointment and how we are acting will be the completion of the transformation to being full Geordie.

Don't look at it as the worst thing ever, but see it as a turning point in Everton and your own persona. We can blame Kenwright, Moshiri and Koeman but if you want to blame someone take a look in the mirror and make that change.