Nothing but the Best, is it Good Enough?

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, a motto that seems to be losing its meaning by the day…

Four Latin words that any Evertonian could translate.

For most, it’s as far as their affiliation with Latin goes. A phrase that means nothing to many but everything to anyone associated with the royal blue.

It’s what our club demands, it’s on show all around the stadium, on the club crest, programme, shirts…

Basically, it’s everywhere as a reminder to what Everton F.C. aspires to.

But the standards it demands are falling, drifting away on a breeze across a Mersey where a bright new future is allegedly waiting to be built.

Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri came out with a statement in the past week, addressing his support for Ronald Koeman… I for one like that.

It’s what he also said that has bemused the fans.

The Iranian money man referred to the miserable home defeat against Burnley as the “only unexpected loss” of the season to date.

That’s grim reading for supporters of a club that’s meant to be full of ambition. It also appears to relegate NSNO to an obsolete term.

Implying games against Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester United, as well as mid table Italian side Atalanta, if that is what the statement is implying, were irrelevant.

Clashes that fans would’ve spent hundreds upon hundreds of pounds to attend… when the hierarchy at the club already ‘knew’ the outcome, apparently.

It goes back to the days of David ‘knife to a gunfight’ Moyes, days that Everton looked to leave behind due to the injection of Moshiri’s millions.

But words like this from the top create a loser’s mentality.

A mentality that can quickly work itself right to the heart of the players.
It may also be a strong reason why the Toffees have been deprived of silverware for what will be at the minimum 23 years.

Or even a vital component why no Everton side have won away at Chelsea since 1994, or at Arsenal in 21 years, no Anfield victory this millennium and a degrading nine and seven year wait for positive results away at Spurs or Manchester City.

Go in to a showdown thinking the worse and the job is already all but done. Defeatist attitude will be certain demise. Now thanks to Moshiri the players have an excuse. What an own goal.

Farhad is the man for the future.

And hopefully this is a blip in what has been a so far successful time in his pulling the strings at Goodison.

But it is a bizarre statement that increased dark clouds over what has already been an uninspiring start to the campaign.

And knowing first-hand the fickle-nature of Evertonians (sorry people, I’m guilty of it too, it’s true!) he will want to watch what he is saying.

Perhaps someone should sit Farhad down and remind him of what this great club stands for.

The people who now run the club may not yet have bought into it, but they need to understand as far as the fans are concerned nothing but the best is truly good enough at Everton…

Up the Toffees