I'll tell you what's not right and here's the blunt reality. Despite having a brilliant business man as a new major shareholder, despite having a globally recognised manager, despite having "the most influential man in the PL" in our DoF, the cold, hard facts are that we are not as attractive a club as we the fans think we are - yet.
After 25 years of stagnation and relative deterioration we've a huge amount of catch up to do. Despite the promises of our new management team, and the prospects for our future, until we achieve things on the pitch and off it we won't attract the very highest level of players because in footballing terms (which ultimately is what players are interested in) we're also rans - a great club with a great history, but not currently at the highest levels of the game.
We thought, I thought, we could sell a good enough pitch to make some of the very best want to come to us, be part of the project, but the sad truth is that a professional footballer's career is short, and they will only deal in the now, not the future.
I've no doubt we'll make it back to the highest levels, but I'm a fan and can wait, a professional footballer has options and can have jam today, not just tomorrow.
Great post mate. There will be a lot of posts tomorrow and a lot of anger especially if we don't ring in some faces tomorrow. I'll probably write some critical pieces. It shouldn't extend to you or any other posters though. In the same way people's anger at martinez shouldn't be used against people like Davek, he has an opinion but isn't the cause.
This window hasn't gone to plan. I think you hit the nail on the head when you say it's been hard for us to sell Everton. When you boil it down we are a club who hasn't won a trophy for over 20 years.
If there was one criticism of this window I'd say we've been to slow to adapt to that reality. That our money and ambition alone without much to back it up hasn't been as easy to sell. If we can finish top 6 next season it should be a lot easier. I think though, we have probably not reacted quickly enough.
I do also think we are moving through the stages of change slowly. I would say we are still in transition to be the club Moshiri wants us to be. Rightly or wrongly he hasn't looked to clear out all of the old guard. Many see that as a bad thing. Yet would people have really wanted Unsworth, Fergusan, the youth academy staff, the sense of identity to the city being thrown away? Deep down I think most people were quite happy to have a slower transition but are far less happy when bits we don't want have to be kept on. I do think though, elements of the old guard and practices of not closing deals haven't helped.
Longer term all anyone can reasonably ask for is that lessons are learnt and improved next time. Sometimes in business a deal doesn't go your way, despite you doing not an awful lot wrong. The key is not to keep repeating the same mistakes while still remaining true to yourself.
Moshiri seems like someone who entrusts people with responsibility and will act accordingly when they don't deliver. I would imagine some of the bungled approach won't be repeated. Money will be available at future windows and we will again strive to get business closed earlier.
I do think the mythical 2nd investor who may come will make a big difference. As will Walsh bedding in, our climb up the league and also a potential appointment of David Dein (Arsenal fans still don't think they've recovered from losing him).
Criticism should follow if we don't secure some key targets tomorrow. Im not massively alarmed with the net spend stuff as I think we can all see it's not "sell to by" it just happens to be the two figures correlate. I think we've probably missed a good opportunity having sold Stones to move our wage bill up but as suggested above, the long term plan didn't play out as we thought. Either way I still think that was sensible business all round.
My concern is the transfer strategy has looked slightly muddled and we don't close deals effectively. Hopefully with everyone in their roles for January and more movement in the boardroom both can be rectified going forward. There is an inevitability about it.
I would finally say people can and should be critical but this doesn't automatically mean Moshiri is awful or been shown up. There's progress being made all over the club that as yet hasn't been matched on player recruitment. I'm confident it will catch up. Lets hope any criticism is measured and also doesn't fall down to pinpointing individual posters whatever their viewpoint. With the greatest will in the world, however strongly you feel in any direction it is really not supporters on a forum who have caused any problems. We are just commentators.