The early nineties

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All of the above but it was basically poor signings coupled with the lack of team spirit. Also Kendall mark 2 started assembling a team of dwarves who couldn't cope physically with the long ball teams like Oldham Sheff Utd Wimbledon Palace etc. Lost a ridiculous amount of pooints to teams like that as only Watson was over 6 foot.
Lack of ambition throughout the club as a whole was the main factor.
 
Heysel was the beginning, as Kendall and the players that bogged off to Scotland would've stayed.

As much of a blow as that was, it is wrong to blame it all on Heysel, but I think that it accounts for 50% of it at least.

Yes some sgnings were poor, but then some were good - Beardsley, Cottee, and I thought Pat Nevin was ok, and Neville was still very good. Keown and Watson at the back too.

Ultimately, a combination of Heysel and mismanagement off the pitch in my opinion.
 
Groucho said:
Heysel was the beginning, as Kendall and the players that bogged off to Scotland would've stayed.

As much of a blow as that was, it is wrong to blame it all on Heysel, but I think that it accounts for 50% of it at least.

Yes some sgnings were poor, but then some were good - Beardsley, Cottee, and I thought Pat Nevin was ok, and Neville was still very good. Keown and Watson at the back too.

Ultimately, a combination of Heysel and mismanagement off the pitch in my opinion.
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I agree. I think being forced to rebuild early as players and management left to find European football didn't help. It was the period when Arsenal and Man U re-emerged as major contenders as well. I think the international reputation of these clubs and Liverpool FC allowed them to attract players and investment that other clubs could not. The other successful clubs (in terms of league position) immediately prior to Heysel were teams like West Ham and Watford. They also suffered from the change in circumstances that occurred so suddenly...
 

Whilst it was undoubtedly a rubbish time from the highs we'd experienced in the 80s, when you look at the situation today, only 6 clubs remain in the premier league who have not been relegated. Yes we 'missed' the premier league, but so did Leeds, Newcastle, Villa, Forest, big clubs who have declined irreversibly almost. The only clubs who didn't 'miss' the premier league were United and Arsenal, they were both fortunate to have their best ever managers at the helm as well. Liverpool haven't won't a league since, Spurs have barely won anything. City and Chelsea have bludgeoned their way to the top now on incredible spending but that has only come 10 and 20 years respectively after the prem started.

The key to success normally remains investment allied with top playing and managerial talent. Had the prem started in 83 and there was no European ban would we have 'missed' it? We'd probably be one of the biggest clubs in it now with numerous titles and commercial revenues off the back of this. Instead United had Ferguson and the class of 92 at the perfect moment with a board who saw the benefits of speculating to accumulate on the stability of Ferguson.

So I think we largely get a bad rap for the 90s, we brushed with relegation and was saved probably only by a bit of residual big club magic, but that is a date that bestowed every single other premier league club except 5 with more cash than everyone else.
 
Groucho said:
Heysel was the beginning, as Kendall and the players that bogged off to Scotland would've stayed.

As much of a blow as that was, it is wrong to blame it all on Heysel, but I think that it accounts for 50% of it at least.

Yes some sgnings were poor, but then some were good - Beardsley, Cottee, and I thought Pat Nevin was ok, and Neville was still very good. Keown and Watson at the back too.

Ultimately, a combination of Heysel and mismanagement off the pitch in my opinion.
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Keown getting sold and the wastrel that was MoJo coming in with the funds from that deal was the top hat for me Groucho:(
 

Dario Terracotta said:
Unfortunately however much we account blame to the other lot due to the European ban following Heysel,our board and management in my opinion let us fans down badly,we began thinking " small time" the year after we won our last title we started aquiring players below the "top level"McDonald,McCall,Nevin,yes Cottee was a record deal however he never totally convinced me,meanwhile the other lot went out and got Barnes,Beardsley,Houghton etc,the old guard who remained(we lost Stevens and Steven to Glasgow Rangers) from the glory days became frustrated at the lack of ambition and quality we were bringing in and it basically became a degenerative process that almost ended with an apocalypse that fateful May day in 1994.
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To be fair,the were all incredibly highly rated when we bought them.I remember that summer well,I was convinced we would walk the league!

But yes,with hindsight they were all a disapointment to varying degrees together with Ian Snodin we bought the previous season.Just didn't live up to the hype.
 
zzebra said:
To be fair,the were all incredibly highly rated when we bought them.I remember that summer well,I was convinced we would walk the league!

But yes,with hindsight they were all a disapointment to varying degrees together with Ian Snodin we bought the previous season.Just didn't live up to the hype.
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Snods actually turned out a better right back for us than central midfielder I thought.
 
Dario Terracotta said:
Unfortunately however much we account blame to the other lot due to the European ban following Heysel,our board and management in my opinion let us fans down badly,we began thinking " small time" the year after we won our last title we started aquiring players below the "top level"McDonald,McCall,Nevin,yes Cottee was a record deal however he never totally convinced me,meanwhile the other lot went out and got Barnes,Beardsley,Houghton etc,the old guard who remained(we lost Stevens and Steven to Glasgow Rangers) from the glory days became frustrated at the lack of ambition and quality we were bringing in and it basically became a degenerative process that almost ended with an apocalypse that fateful May day in 1994.
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I agree with all of that dario but I'd also say we kept hold of once great players when they were over the hill. Sharp Ratcliffe and Sheedy spring to mind. Sometching we've been guilty ofor ever since. Hopefully Koeman is changing that way of thinking
 
Dario Terracotta said:
Snods actually turned out a better right back for us than central midfielder I thought.
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Yes I agree.

It was just that when we bought him from Leeds he was billed as a young,tough tackling,central midfield powerhouse in the mould of Reid and Souness who turned the RS down in favour of us.In reality he was just a raw Yorkshire lad.

But yes he was a great right back.It was a shame his Everton career was blighted by injuries.
 

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