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The “Everton problem”


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Interesting (and lengthy) article on how European football is “broken beyond repair.”  Of special interest is a key section called “the Everton problem.”  Many on TT hope qualifying for even the lesser Europa League might signal our aspirations to sign good players and soon qualify for CL.  The author of this article warns that for clubs like Everton, “there are too many ceilings to smash through, with so many layers of money on top.”

I think all of you will recognize the trends identified in this article.  Maybe it’s overwrought. See what you think.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/champions-league-superclubs-liverpool-man-utd-barcelona-real-madrid-a9330431.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab

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But even the mighty Real Madrid did not used to win like this. Together with Barcelona, their percentage of wins by three goals or more has jumped from 20.5% in the 90s, to a staggering 37.8% now.

Just goes to show La Liga is a joke of a league. 

Only way to combat it would be to stop/limit players from transferring in the same league. To ban or put a cap on the top teams from buying from the lower teams. Teams like Celtic buy players to stop others from growing rather than to improve themselves. 

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5 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

This is written by the same man that said we needed a reality check because Moyes was the best we could do... so I reckon I'll ignore anything he has to say, thanks.

You’re welcome.

As to the substance of his interesting/compelling/controversial article — “Toffee Talk: For the Thinking Evertonian” —  his highlighting of Everton as symbolic of a broken system might well prove an interesting test case over the next couple of seasons.  For one would perhaps not have predicted that Ancelotti would accept an offer to take over here.  So the next step will be to see whether Everton will inch up the table this season.  After that, will Ancelotti be able to entice to Finch Farm and Bramley-Moore maybe 2-4 really high quality players this summer?  Will the stars align so that Everton, fancying itself a “big club,” actually becomes one, and stays one for awhile?

It seems to me the author has identified enough examples and evidence — statistical and anecdotal — to suggest that yes, European football may be perilously close to “broken.”  But even if broken, the vast hundreds of millions of fans will reluctantly and with a shrug of resignation accept the system, still passionately supporting their club, praying weekly for a good performance from their heroes, praying to be promoted, and praying fervently most of all not to move down the table toward the dreaded relegation zone.

If the Ancelotti era fails to revive past Everton glories, we’ll cuss, blast this player and that, resign ourselves to “Everton that,” and pray things are better next season.  And if, mirabile dictu, the Ancelotti era delivers a renewed “big club,” we’ll have reason to believe European football, however corrupted, isn’t fully broken.  Heck, if we achieve perennial top 5 in the EPL, we could even claim to have saved European football.

The Everton Problem?  I’ll pray for the Everton Solution.  

 

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if there is anyone who could break the trophy drought it is Ancelotti.  He is known for winning everywhere.  He is like mourinho in that way.  I have no reason to believe that won't be the case here.  he knows how badly the club and fans want a win.  he also knows how badly we want europe.  the 2 go hand in hand.  i think the Liverpool loss will give him a renewed vigor towards the cups next year and if we make Europa i would think we could have a shot there too.  "the everton problem" is in good hands currently.

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On 14/02/2020 at 01:51, pete0 said:

But even the mighty Real Madrid did not used to win like this. Together with Barcelona, their percentage of wins by three goals or more has jumped from 20.5% in the 90s, to a staggering 37.8% now.

Just goes to show La Liga is a joke of a league. 

Only way to combat it would be to stop/limit players from transferring in the same league. To ban or put a cap on the top teams from buying from the lower teams. Teams like Celtic buy players to stop others from growing rather than to improve themselves. 

Good point Chelsea tried that as well. 

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5 hours ago, TallPaul1878 said:

They’ve been using the threat of the super league for 20 years now,” one high-level source says. “Every time there is a discussion about revenue distribution, they put it on the table.”

They can go then. We all know this is just a hollow threat. If the top clubs want to break away and form an eternal Champions League then let them do so and expel them from domestic competition. Hopefully all European leagues follow suit and continue to play the game as they should, organising their own European competitions with each other.

It is the domestic competition that validates their claim of being a super club. Losing that would just make them Harlem Globetrotters.

It really is time to call their bluff and it is no surprise that it is Daniel Levy who is at the forefront of all this.

I agree, it’s not about the supporters anymore the days when we and our money mattered are long gone. 

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On 15/02/2020 at 08:35, TallPaul1878 said:

So long as clubs keep operating as businesses and so long as the leagues still allow money and the way it is distributed to affect the game as it does then the game has a bleak future.

Bubbles burst without warning, just as empires collapse at their perceived peaks. It is due to the arrogance of their leaders to believe everything is as good as it has ever been.

So long as the elite clubs are allowed to hoover up all of the young talent and also the largest share of broadcasting revenues then they will obviously create monopolies. We are already seeing teams going broke and eventually we will come to a point when the big clubs simply have nobody left to play against.

What does this all mean for a club like Everton? Well probably, if we fail to establish ourselves as an elite club, we will end up as one of the preferred punching bags of the elites. Think of the journeyman boxers who make a career out of getting beaten up by the champions on their way to a title fight.

Thanks for playing lads, thanks for keeping up the appearance that this is still a genuine sport.

Things do change but it takes time, over here at least. Spurs knocked and knocked on the door and now they are expected top 4 (well before this season) and Utd aren't.  

Chelsea and Arsenal are on the fringes again now and Leicester have joined the top (ish) table, albeit not consistently. 

Smaller teams still have to work harder and that is the difference. It takes a lot more work for Leicester to be there and stay there than it will for Utd to get back there because of the money behind them. Again it goes back to the real value in FFP which IMO should punish debts like the Glazers at Utd than it should like a well run club like Leicester.

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