Our squalor is an official thing
My second favoruite (after GOT, duh) site on footy wrote up this article today.
They don't write too much on Everton usually, and naturally haven't so this summer either. Instead, we get some attention for our sorry state of affairs:
http://www.football365.com/f365-says/7023227/Does-Dullest-Summer-Belong-To-Everton-
Those of us with access to an e-mail inbox that delivers an almost constant stream of missives from disgruntled Arsenal fans might be fooled into thinking life as a Gooner this summer is the worst of footballing lots.
But this is an Arsenal side on the verge of signing an international striker for £12m and - worst-case scenario - will pocket £50-60m from the sale of two unsettled players this summer. Their place in the Champions League, a recent history of competing for (if not winning) trophies and a competitive pay structure means there will be no shortage of willing replacements. Only the elite would turn down Arsenal.
That doesn't seem too bad, does it?
Imagine instead that your club is only mentioned in the sports pages and on Sky Sports News when you unveil a truly horrendous camouflage-style goalkeeping jersey. Transfer tittle-tattle is reduced to links with Championship players and some bloke who plays for Derry City. Even your most valuable player seems to be attracting only half-assed interest soon swatted aside with a £20m price tag.
Is there any Premier League club more disheartening to follow this summer than Everton? Can anyone get remotely excited about possibly signing Jay Bothroyd on a free transfer? Did anyone get remotely excited about signing Jermaine Beckford on a free transfer?
Too skint even to proffer a downpayment on Charles N'Zogbia, Everton will do bugger all this summer unless someone triggers the sale of Leighton Baines with a big bid. Any Arsenal fans feeling sorry for themselves should do well to look towards the blue half of Merseyside and thank their lucky stars.
Everton aren't the only club yet to blink this summer but fans of other clubs have reason to be optimistic - Fulham have a new manager, Aston Villa have money in the bank, Bolton have a boss with a talent for plucking loan signings out of the bag and Blackburn have - well, Blackburn have the unknown. Sod knows what's going to happen there.
All they have for comfort this summer is laughter at Liverpool for their plans to spend over £40m on the underwhelming triumvirate of Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam. But even that laughter may seem a little empty as they read about Everton's interest in Northern Ireland Under-21 winger James McClean.
Perhaps we're wrong and there's a worse Premier League lot this summer. Let us know...
My second favoruite (after GOT, duh) site on footy wrote up this article today.
They don't write too much on Everton usually, and naturally haven't so this summer either. Instead, we get some attention for our sorry state of affairs:
http://www.football365.com/f365-says/7023227/Does-Dullest-Summer-Belong-To-Everton-
Those of us with access to an e-mail inbox that delivers an almost constant stream of missives from disgruntled Arsenal fans might be fooled into thinking life as a Gooner this summer is the worst of footballing lots.
But this is an Arsenal side on the verge of signing an international striker for £12m and - worst-case scenario - will pocket £50-60m from the sale of two unsettled players this summer. Their place in the Champions League, a recent history of competing for (if not winning) trophies and a competitive pay structure means there will be no shortage of willing replacements. Only the elite would turn down Arsenal.
That doesn't seem too bad, does it?
Imagine instead that your club is only mentioned in the sports pages and on Sky Sports News when you unveil a truly horrendous camouflage-style goalkeeping jersey. Transfer tittle-tattle is reduced to links with Championship players and some bloke who plays for Derry City. Even your most valuable player seems to be attracting only half-assed interest soon swatted aside with a £20m price tag.
Is there any Premier League club more disheartening to follow this summer than Everton? Can anyone get remotely excited about possibly signing Jay Bothroyd on a free transfer? Did anyone get remotely excited about signing Jermaine Beckford on a free transfer?
Too skint even to proffer a downpayment on Charles N'Zogbia, Everton will do bugger all this summer unless someone triggers the sale of Leighton Baines with a big bid. Any Arsenal fans feeling sorry for themselves should do well to look towards the blue half of Merseyside and thank their lucky stars.
Everton aren't the only club yet to blink this summer but fans of other clubs have reason to be optimistic - Fulham have a new manager, Aston Villa have money in the bank, Bolton have a boss with a talent for plucking loan signings out of the bag and Blackburn have - well, Blackburn have the unknown. Sod knows what's going to happen there.
All they have for comfort this summer is laughter at Liverpool for their plans to spend over £40m on the underwhelming triumvirate of Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam. But even that laughter may seem a little empty as they read about Everton's interest in Northern Ireland Under-21 winger James McClean.
Perhaps we're wrong and there's a worse Premier League lot this summer. Let us know...
