05 Feb 2017 13:15:10
We are coming to the end of the first year under FM's investment. During this 12 months we have seen a lot of change, both on and off the pitch, which has certainly lifted the fan base. It seems a million miles away from the RM days when we were struggling to hit the heights of the top ten, when the manager lost his dressing room and the onus on scoring more than the other team often left us conceding more than we scored. We seemed to be in free fall with no plan B to get us out of trouble. Their was no, or little, discipline. Players knew they would be selected despite being out of form.
FM seen this and forced the board into a change of manager and, ultimately, direction. Koeman was brought in and had a great start, despite not being able to assess his squad in time to sign players to improve the first team. The players took a while to settle into the new mans style, even the bright start was punctuated with individual mistakes as they tried to escape the 'Martinez philosophy. ' The derby defeat just before Xmas was a turning point for the team, something seemed to click with the players and they bought into what RK wants to see from them on the pitch.
We bought well in the last window and got rid of fringe players who were not good enough, in the managers opinion, to move us forward. In one fell swoop he has jettisoned those who are taking a monthly wage for doing very little work, some from the Moyes era and some from Roberto's tenure. There are a few who will leave next window, with thanks for their service, but we have to believe that their replacements will strengthen the squad even more and help push us on to tackling the top four in the league. It is refreshing to have a manager who is not afraid to make changes to the formation during the game, to make a sub at HT when things are not going too well.
We have a man on the board who has bought into the club values and wants to deliver success to the fans. A man who's vision includes a new, shiny stadium on the water front. A man who has the balls, and cash, to make that dream become reality.
In a nutshell, Moshiri has changed the landscape for EFC in the short time he has been with us. He has given us hope when we could only see despair, he has given us belief when a few had lost faith. FM has given us back our beloved Everton FC, a club which belongs at the top. A club with a proud history but, more importantly, a club which now has hope and a bright future. We are no longer a sleeping giant of the English league, FM has stopped us hitting the snooze button and got us back on our feet. It's been a good 12 months :)

{Ed025's Note - great post spud..

1.) 05 Feb 2017
05 Feb 2017 19:11:24
Very well said mate, excellent post. Never been so optimistic in my 30 years as a supporter.

A lot of credit for this has to go to BK who could have sold the club years earlier to the wrong person / people and we could have gone the way of Leeds, Birmingham and Portsmouth. Instead he held out to find someone I never thought he would - a rich investor who shared his passion, morals and, seemingly now, his love of the club.

{Ed025's Note - im with you there windsor..

2.) 05 Feb 2017
05 Feb 2017 19:12:26
cheers ed.

{Ed025's Note - well deserved spud mate..

3.) 05 Feb 2017
05 Feb 2017 21:45:36
Cheers WB, I'm definitely grateful to BK for everything he has done to keep the club afloat and get the right investor in to move us forward. I know he gets a bit of stick off sections of the fans but he really has put his neck on the line for EFC over the years. I wouldn't fancy being in his position, damned if he does and damned if he doesn't it seems!
Things are coming together slowly but, like you, I don't remember being this optimistic about the future of the club since the 80's!