What a Bottom Finish Could Mean for Everton F.C.

This Liverpool club is a very storied English franchise.  Everton has competed among the best of England for 108 straight years, and have won nine League Championships along the way.  

Although Everton have recently been known for being a high middle table team, early this season they have flirted near the bottom three of the EPL table on more than one occasion.  

With only six wins in 17 fixtures this season, Everton has not necessarily been under-performing, but certainly are not over performing as they have in recent years.   For a team packed full of potential stars, this year is a big year for Everton, one that may hold big changes for this club going forward.

While this article will discuss the worst case scenarios, every EPL fan (Everton fan or not) are secretly and silently wishing that Everton finish this season strong and are Premier League workhorses for years to come.   

Loss of David Moyes

David Moyes is a quality manager, who definitely pulls the best out of every player under his squad.  Working with extremely limited transfer funds, Moyes is always facing the impossible challenge of competing with a budget.  While teams like QPR, Manchester City and Chelsea,  can open their wallets to purchase any player who owns a pair of boots, Moyes always has to be creative to find bargains, loans and free players to complete his squad.  

The amount Moyes has been able to derive from his young and very average squad year in and year out is incredible when you look at the names on paper; however, will a failed season with Everton mark Moyes end?  Certainly on a personal level Moyes would enjoy winning titles, competing for championships and the freedom of a larger transfer budget.  A bigger team needing to fill a coaching void would not hesitate to sign this skipper if he were to make himself available.  

Loss of Talented Youth

Everton is a very exciting team to watch because of their developing youth.  Players like Jack Rodwell and Leighton Baines  are both tipped to be the next English stars in their positions.  Both of these players are emerging this season and beginning to perform week after week.  As Everton fans are aware with the Wayne Rooney transfer in 2004, top 4 clubs will be swooping in for these players (if they have not attempted already) luring these future stars with big salaries and offering them European football at the highest level.  A failure this season could mark the end of each of their tenure at Goodison Park, this would be a detrimental loss to Everton.  

Loss of Valuable Veterans

Another reason why a bottom finish could be detrimental to Everton F.C. is the fact that like their talented youth, their solid veterans may be pulled out of Liverpool to join title challenging, trophy winning sides.  Players like Tim Howard, John, Heitinga, Phil Jagielka, Tim Cahill and Marouane Felliani are all capable players who could easily step in on almost any Premiership side.  The idea of European football, higher wages and winning trophies may be enough to lure any one of these players from the Everton side on any given transfer window, if Everton has a poor finish, this could make their decision to leave that much easier.  

Relegation

Of course the absolute worst case scenario for this 2011-12 season would be a relegated Everton side.  Although Everton has recently earned points to climb to 10th in the league, they are still only 7 points out of bottom three.  As we have seen recently with Newcastle United and West Ham United`s relegation, recently promoted teams have been hanging on to earn another year in the Barclay`s Premier League.  Although Everton look to be headed in the opposite direction of relegation, the idea of Everton in the npower Championship is unimaginable but not impossible.  If it were to happen, likely all of the points on the prior slides would come to fruition.  But as I said before, nobody wants that to happen to the Toffees.     

Conclusion

Although Everton will likely avoid relegation this season, they will still have a difficult time to compete without adequate transfer budgets.  With the late loss of Arteta this summer, it is clear that players are much more likely to be moving out of Goodison Park than in.  

Moyes and his boys need a boost to strengthen up the squad.  This team could be comparable to Tottenham Hotspur if the right one or two star players were to be added.