Everton FC: 3 Things That Need to Be Done to Earn a European Spot
Everton FC has finished the 2010- 2011 season in seventh place. The club had a very strong second half to the season after being threatened by relegation for a large part of the beginning of the season.
Fans sit perplexed wondering why one of their best rosters in recent times is not earning a European spot or winning trophies.
What can one of the most historic clubs in England do to get back to the pinnacle of the top flight of England?
Find Investment for Everton
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That English football evolves money has become increasingly evident, with teams such as Manchester City and Chelsea being able to spend virtually whatever they want on some of the best players in the world.
Everton FC is a budget club with a manager that turns over every rock to find the most talented players for bargain prices. This translates to many loan deals, free agents and selling players to buy new players.
Bill Kenwright, the chairman of Everton, has expressed his frustration with finding investors in interviews. He has said that many deals have been close but have fallen through at the last minute.
Everton FC is a club that does more with less. They do not have the debts that many other clubs do and continually finish in the top half of the season. They have great marketability and some investor out there is salivating at the chance to own the club.
Why is it so tough for a deal to be struck?
Hold onto Talent
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Everton FC has been the prey of bigger clubs with more money. The clubs who have large investment see Everton’s situation and know that they cannot turn down large transfer fees or match the salaries they can offer the players.
Everton has sold players in order to buy new players the last few seasons. The biggest example is Joleon Lescott. Manchester City paid 22 Million pounds for the center back. This money then got invested in other players, as Everton then put Lescott's transfer fee directly into the market and got Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, John Heitinga, and Sylvain Distin. This has been how Everton has had to operate in the transfer market because of the lack of investment.
The one thing that the Everton FC organization needs to remember is that the talent that is in place now can win trophies and get a European place. Everton just needs to get cover for the core that is there. When injury problems occur, Everton has to play players out of position and work magic to get the club through the crisis times. A season where the majority of the starting 11 is healthy will earn the club more then just recognition.
Offseason Confidence
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The last few seasons Everton has done the same offseason preparation. They have played lower league competition in England and then toured the United States or Australia.
This is great for the marketability of the club. Everton going on the tours of America and Australia helps build the brand in these countries.
Going to America is a great preparation for the season because the domestic league in America is in season. So Everton is facing in form teams giving them a good challenge.
But the good form that Everton has experienced in the offseason the past two years has not translated to the beginning of the season. The club has had incredibly slow starts the past two seasons, which has forced them to climb out of the hole. They have been able to finish seasons incredibly strong, beating and drawing with teams that are above them on the table.
Maybe the travel forces fatigue in the players, or perhaps the core starting 11 is not getting enough time together during the preseason. Whatever the reason, manager David Moyes has to instill confidence in the team in the offseason and avoid the slow start.
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