Middlesbrough Everton 1988 FA Cup

[maccavennie]

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Ultimately, this is what killed off the Everton team of the 80s. Only buying Ian Wilson, a month into the championship defending season, when we could have had the pick of all the talent in the country.

Does anybody remember why this lack of transfer activity happened? Were we skint? Was it Harvey saying we didn't need anyone, or Carter thinking we were fine if we stood still?

I still don't get how we won the title and then didn't strengthen any area at all after winning the title with a threadbare squad as it was, due to injuries.

 

[James Patrick]

We weren't skint by the standards of the day. Looking back I'm wondering if there was a sense internally that because we'd won the title despite a number of injuries to key players who were now all fit that we were more than strong enough to go again.
4th place and LC semi in 87/88 was no disgrace but Arsenal and United were both also getting stronger and we began to get marginalised. With hindsight we should've been more proactive in recruiting top players then from a position of strength. Of the signings kn summer 88 Cottee was a bit of a flat track bully and the others flattered to deceive and were a bit inconsistent. At end of Dec 88 we were actually above Liverpool but by end of season it was them and Arsenal going into that last game for the title. Since then we've moreorless been making up the numbers.

 

[teppic]

Yes, a lot of the narrative is that we fell away because we didn't play in the European Cup. But basically, a creaking side in 1987 didn't have the quality of the day added to it while we were top of the tree.