Small Time Mentality

[Saint Domingo]

We're not accepting mediocrity, we're just mediocre.

Quite a few were happy with mediocrity last season, this season and even for another few seasons more when it was blatantly obvious that Martinez was not fit for the job. Over entitled Geordie FIFA playing football manager beauts was the phrase bandied about if I remember.

 

[AndyC]

This x 1000

The media didn't put City where they are today.

Nor Chelsea.

It was the big cash influx plus the accumulation of trophies.

You have to make yourself relevant.

Hence we need to make the statement of intent with aiming for Jose.
Joey Barton was spot on last night speaking on Talksport when he said aim for the best and if unsuccessful, move on to the next best.

 

[Deggo]

Here on GOT and social media I keep seeing fans happy to accept mediocrity.

Poor results are accepted, sub-standard players praised and now we are looking for a manager championship names are being touted for the job.

Kenwright and Moyes have caused over a decade worth of brain washing. Some fans, all media and rival fans view us as plucky little Everton and place us in line with Stoke.

How do we undo it? How do we start challenging for silverware and respect again and get our fans to be optimistic and stop applauding dross?

The other lot across the park despite not being a top club anymore still demand some kind of respect from media and other clubs. Why don't we?

We can start by not accepting players at the club who clearly aren't worthy.........

 

[catcherintherye]

There are a couple of things that have happened at once. Mismanagement of Everton off the field has been going on for a number of years. That has seen a decline in spending power and in turn a decline in player performances. The Kenwright "era" sort of bucked the trend in that regard. We found a niche for ourselves as the "plucky underdogs". I think it sad well with our largely working class fanbase who looked on scornfully at the wealth around them.

This attitude has fallen down towards the fans as well. Seeing ourselves as a big club is a starting point and recognising the limitations of Kenwright lack of business savvy would be a starting point. It always amazed me that he managed to convince everyone, including a large portion of our fans nobody would be interested in Everton. Excuses such as "not in London" became "not the biggest club in a city" to "Not in Manchester" to "Not had a new ground". They were all excuses for him to hang onto his train set for that bit longer. Clubs like City, Chelsea, West Ham, Birmingham all attracted investment while we were left standing.

The sad part is fans swallowed it. They swallowed the idea we weren't as big as the clubs mentioned above. When that happened we shouldn't be surprised that the media, made up of quite hateful people would kick at us.

I do think the Moshiri investment changes that. There's little doubt in my mind Bill still thinks he can have a role to play. I may have granted him that, but given how I've seen him act over the last 2 months I hope he gets booted out of the club in the summer and never welcomed back onto the board. I think Moshiri will start to think big and market Everton as it should be.

We as fans have a role to play in this too. Not just in sniping on the internet and mocking other clubs but in changing the narrative of how we view ourselves (as plucky underdogs).

 

[Hibbertinho]

We need a piece of silverware - fair points all round but I believe that this, coupled with reasonable league performance, will change the mentality within the club and it's serial bottlers.

It won't change much for the media/other fans... but I think the stultifying wait for success/seeing us fall short time and time again has made some of our fan-base accept mediocrity.

Like one poster said somewhere on here... I am barely old enough to remember '95. I probably cried when we celebrated.

The most I remember celebrating is the United semi, our goals in the Fiorentina 2nd leg, and us avoiding relegation at Bolton's expense... you can know your history all you want but that is what I have in my living memory of our ONCE-GREAT FUBBALCLUB.

 

[toffee matt]

We're not accepting mediocrity, we're just mediocre.

The magnificent seventh DVD's and ovations for Moyes and Martinez suggest otherwise

We need to think big as a fan base again. The Martinez protests were a good start

 

[Saint Domingo]

It all starts with fan expectation. Liverpool fans whilst clearly not quite normal expect a title challenge every single season even though it was nearly as long ago as our last one. We think that it's deluded though and have some fans lecturing others on why top ten is what we should expect otherwise you're over entitled.

 

[Saaby]

The media player a big part in this. Moshiri will understand what it requires to be successful

 

[deipnosophist]

Quite a few were happy with mediocrity last season, this season and even for another few seasons more when it was blatantly obvious that Martinez was not fit for the job. Over entitled Geordie FIFA playing football manager beauts was the phrase bandied about if I remember.

pfft


*sigh*

 

[matty1878]

It starts at the top mate and work it,s way down.
Winners breed winners.

This. We need a total clean sweep

 

[TraffordBlue]

You think Liverpool are a big club? Big clubs win titles... big-ish clubs finish top 4. Mediocre teams finish 5th-10th.

I agree we are worse than mediocre currently.

They clearly are. A massive club and one of the biggest in world football. We're a big club who hasn't done much in the past 30 years. We're probably about the 7th or 8th most significant club in the Premier League era, way behind Spurs and even further behind the RS, City, United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

 

[ProZ]

From Southampton forum -

Personally I think this is one of those **** stiring rumours that someone leaks in the hope of creating some havoc. The question is why?
If it is Everton then its pretty funny. They are not above us in the food chain. That said it could be a case of their owners trying to appease the fans. It shows ambition and will make the fans happy. Right up until they appoint someone like Hughes or Mclaren.

Thought it belongs in this thread. Their fans seem to have alot of salt and vingar against us.

 

[Saint Domingo]

They clearly are. A massive club and one of the biggest in world football. We're a big club who hasn't done much in the past 30 years. We're probably about the 7th or 8th most significant club in the Premier League era, way behind Spurs and even further behind the RS, City, United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Nowhere near. Barca Madrid Bayern United are in a bracket of their own. I wouldn't even put Liverpool in the next bracket down.

 

[Jacob]

We have to be realistic and Liverpool are still one of the biggest names in world football. Their past has seen to that whether we like it or not, and in the PL era there has still been a gulf between us. We may be a great club with a proud history but we're way behind them. 5 European Cups (one being in 2005), a CL final in 2007, UEFA Cup winners since 2000, another European final this year, League Cup Final this year.

It's not even close. They haven't lost a derby at Anfield since 1999 and at Goodison since 2010. Every time they come up against us in a big game they smash us. Semi Finals, Finals, when both are in European contention or whether we're just mediocre.

I find it a bit odd that anyone could even question why the RS still command respect and we don't. Up until that West Brom game where we came from 0-2 down to win 3-2, we hadn't been on the right end of a "thriller" since the Wimbledon game in 1994. The RS have about 3 or 4 a season, usually storing them up against sides like Dortmund or AC Milan in European Quarter Finals or later. Our best European adventure in the PL era ended up in defeat to Fiorentina before we even reached the last 8.

I want us to be ambitious and go for a manager who can make us compete with them in the league and in the derby. And I want us to be able to have a realistic chance of a trophy. When we're in a Semi Final, we don't whimper out like Chelsea in 2008, Liverpool in 2012, United this year. Realistically, it's looking like De Boer and Koeman are serious contenders which i'm happy about.

Expecting Mourinho to even consider us is laughable. He's one of, if not the biggest, mangerial name in world football. That puts him at clubs like Real Madrid, not Everton.

I hate that horrible Benitezesque "small time" tag like in the thread's title. Ive seen our club win the league twice so maybe Im a lot luckier than most. Im also probably luckier than some in that I take twitter etc with a pinch of salt....they were all lighting a ciggy in the afterglow cos of some of our football under Martinez's first term - it is what it is. I certainly don't however have a forensic jealousy of the RS over their "past". I was never cowed by them as a teenager when they had the Indian sign on us and we were average....Im an Evertonian and never wanted to be a Kopite. Who cares about the "gulf between us"....neither of us has won the Premiership...theyve won more trophies and at a higher level....they've also spent and peed up the wall megamillions we've never had as well. The whole of the country soon cottoned onto the vomit inducing media over the RS in their "we go again...oh no we don't" collapse with Rodgers and ultimately enjoyed laughing at them. Theyre on the up with Jurgen Klopp....and hes done well given the same personnel and will do even better with his own recruits Im sure. However, I'll never wear a hair shirt over them and their achievements...stuff them. Were a sleeping giant of a club...a lion lead by donkeys... but never small. Harry Catterick's "welcome to the big time, son" to Howie Kendall when he signed will be to the fore again Im sure. Whats our name ?.

 

[Verbal Kint]

Ray Wilkins was asked earlier if Koeman should leave Soton for Everton, his answer kind of surprised me, he reckoned it would be a step down with all he has built at Soton, he probably has a point in regards league position this year but to hear that coming from a bloke who played against Everton when we dominated was surprising.

Hate the way we are looked upon by the media, safe to say this summer is the most important off season we have ever had. The wrong appointment now and we will probably never return to the upper echelons.