When Did The Rot Set In?

[nsno-chris]

….it was a mad house before but I’m convinced the Benitez appointment turned the club rotten.

I’m actually of a view that Marcel Brands departure, much lauded on here was a key factor in sinking the ship. Brands role in the acquisition of players is open to criticism but I’m convinced he was a thoroughly decent man with the skill of a diplomat to keep the disparate parts of the club together. Popular with players and factions on the Board, he worked WITH various Managers until Benitez refused to even talk with him.

Benitez turned the madhouse into a sinking ship, I believe we’d be ok if he’d not been appointed.

Which is why we were all (apart from some) against his appointment, we knew what he would do

And boy, did he do it - tore through this club like a whirlwind

 

[Tony101]

I blame block head and Walsh they wasted our best chance.

 

[Eggs]

Which is why we were all (apart from some) against his appointment, we knew what he would do

And boy, did he do it - tore through this club like a whirlwind

….he caused conflict in the dressing room (players v players), he caused conflict with staff at FF (staff v staff), he caused conflict at Board level (Board members v Board members) and even pitted fans against fans.

Truly obnoxious man & even more of a hero across the park. Job done.

 

[Verbal Kint]

Honestly and this might seem strange......

When Moyes started blabbering about bringing knives to gunfights.....

In nearer times...... Walsh and Koeman..... Disasters

Silva shouldn't have been sacked, as a fanbase we didn't show enough patience there. We wanted it to come too quickly without a foundation. Since then we have got every decision wrong and I include Ancellotti in that, he got a tune out of these players but wages went astronomical across the board.

 

[bullybeef]

The appointment of Benitez was solely on Moshiri.

It was a terrible appointment for so many reasons.

 

[Abertonian]

….it was a mad house before but I’m convinced the Benitez appointment turned the club rotten.

I’m actually of a view that Marcel Brands departure, much lauded on here was a key factor in sinking the ship. Brands role in the acquisition of players is open to criticism but I’m convinced he was a thoroughly decent man with the skill of a diplomat to keep the disparate parts of the club together. Popular with players and factions on the Board, he worked WITH various Managers until Benitez refused to even talk with him.

Benitez turned the madhouse into a sinking ship, I believe we’d be ok if he’d not been appointed.

I think this appointment led to a seismic shift in all relationships associated with the club. As you said Brands was cast aside who may well have been the only grown up in the room, Bill and Farhad were not in agreement over Benitez (civil war?), he came in and ripped the backroom of the club apart, got rid of James who in all videos I saw of training seemed to be very popular within the squad with most probably looking up to him, rushed players back from injury with bad consequences, and created a huge disconnect between club and supporters.

If he hadn't come in I believe we'd have bobbed about as a mid table club not threatening anyone or anything until BMD was finished and the house got back in order. Instead the house was set on fire.

 

[smileychap]

For me, post-Moyes it was the first window under Koeman.. Why?

1. Moyes we were solid but lacked adventure.
   Martinez had won the cup with Wigan, with enterprising football at times. Good fit? Well he landed Lukaku and we nearly made CL with a tally that would've made CL in following seasons. Some 'zing' for our well-organized zen, and the plan nearly nearly worked.
2. Martinez lost control of defense and midfield over the next 2 seasons.
   Let's face it he's done zilch with Belgium since. Got rid, but 1.5 'OK' seasons out of 3.
3. Koeman, off a successful spell at Saints, looked more moderate, balanced. There was a bounce.
   Then came the cringe-worthy summer of buying some of world's worst no.10s. Who's in charge? the guy from Leicester, Koeman, BK? no-one. We got Sandro, Sigurdsson and Rooney et al for mega bucks in fees and wages. This for me was the point at which strategy went out the window and the 'rot' began. This was the first season I truly wondered what our board was for? We plummeted, and ended up with Big Sam to finish 8th (remember we were still top half!), he was pilloried - I don't know why. Worse for me was it started the quick fix culture of high money for bang avg players like Tosun and an ageing Walcott et al.
4. Marco Silva. OK he's done 'alright' since and did buy Rico. Maybe an 'OK' guy, but it was too soon, squad now overtly much weaker than under Moyes + Rico. I felt his appointment should've gone to a Howe, Dyche or other emerging British manager wanting to build a team. Again, the Board and some fans seemed to think we needed an Emery or other high flying Euro manager. I feel this was a mistake, in what other way have we operated like a European elite in the last 20 years? We're not, and by the way, our money wasn't either. Just old men ripe for a smile, a suit, or even ripped jeans.
5. Enter Carlo Ancelotti... so now we're truly spending our way out of trouble and FFP will come back to haunt us. He wasn't into us, brought some high price tag names not suited to the Prem (James). Precious little from Allan and CA legged it for warmer climes at Real. Covid and getting robbed also weren't for him.
6. By this point, we've a beleaguered squad. Tom Davies has had how many managers? It's OK to fail, Everton just change manager! And just keep us up whoever you are = Rafael Benitez!?
   FL does a good job of connecting with fans, players, respecting the club and keeping us up. He's also not a very good tactician and we're down n out when he exits, albeit somewhat predictably after the unforgiveable Kevin Thelwell and Board offer no attacking talent to replace outgoing Rico and Anthony Gordon.
7. Sean Dyche... there's still games enough to win. I hope Wolves and Bournemouth will be safe and there to beat. We pray that 2 from Forest, Leeds and Leicester stall. Saints gone.

The rot and quick fixes began after Koeman. But the people responsible for that BK and Mosh. As hideous and cancerous an impact in the sense of elite Sporting performance as you can imagine. The only redeeming feature for them which would still give both some credibility is Everton FC exit their tenure with a new stadium that we own and don't rent.

EFC may begin that experience in the Championship where a few seasons of flushing out the cancer in our board and squad may be needed. But I believe EFC will fill BD and with the right Board and Mgt will be Premier League in 2-3 seasons even should the worst happen now.

 

[Daytripper]

Around 1990.

 

[Lawrence]

The ROT started with Hysel and our best team having their heads turned and some internationals even going into Scottish Football. It was accentuated by a guy called Dr David Marsh he was a Littlewoods man and a tennis fanatic, his role to get the Moores family out of Everton with the best possible financial outcome "asset strip". Then comes the big one, gunfight at the OK coral. Hamper Man V Failed Actor. Johnson had reasonable wealth, but not enough, Boys Pen had stories of Uncle Cyril. Boys Pen eventually won and the club became a mirror image of himself, small time and skint. Moshri? Who brought him In? Who claimed to be his football mentor? Lunatics such as Carlin either work for The Echo or have been turned by Boys Pen. The rot has never been stopped. Look at the stadium? Look at comparable clubs? Its Sheffield Wednesday/Sunderland glaring at us. This has not ended yet.

 

[Chewbacca]

Heysel

 

[Sharpies volley]

When the club meekly accepted the European ban in 1985 for a crime that had absolutely nothing to do with us whatsoever.

Could you imagine Manchester City accepting a ban from next season's Champions League for something that did not involve them? There would be court cases left, right, and centre.

Instead, Carter and Co caved in and abandoned their duty to protect the club's interests.

Yeah, we won another league 2 years later, but the seeds were planted: not so much of decline, but of a culture that deferred to others, accepted "our lot", and, most importantly, "knew our place."

Spot on mate.

 

[Abertonian]

The only redeeming feature for them which would still give both some credibility is Everton FC exit their tenure with a new stadium that we own and don't rent.

I think it will be a miracle if we end up owning that stadium the way things are going.

 

[Eggs]

He was appointed because we were not ok, had we been ok we could of attracted a better manager, add to Moshiri refusing to take advice on bringing in a unpopular manager you might have a point but the club was rotten before then, this moment just highlighted it

…like most of your posts on football, that’s absolute tosh. We will never forget your weird ‘adoration’ for Benitez.

 

[PrekisCrossBarlow!]

This all started when Dixie Dean trod on a cooking apple and turned his ankle midway through 1934/35. The club's physical trainer made him do 10,000 hops on it every day for a week carrying an 85kg backpack, to 'strengthen it back up'. He was never quite the same again, and the club never really recovered.

 

[4737carlin]

…like most of your posts on football, that’s absolute tosh. We all recall your weird ‘love’ for Benitez.

Very childish of you eggs, but I expect nothing less from the rubbish you post, as for posts about football, lets remember when you had Godfrey down as a top player....... also thanks for pointing out I support the clubs manager, saved me having to do it