WHATEVER your opinion on the whole move to Kirkby, and your subsequent delight or dismay at the government’s decision to call the scheme in for a public enquiry, the decision raises a lot of questions about Everton’s future direction.
The board were clearly hoping beyond hope to get a favourable decision and the fact that they haven’t is obviously going to hit them for six. Their terse statement in immediate aftermath of the announcement said that they are still firmly committed to the move, but it seems that matters may well be out of their hands now.
Keith Wyness famously said there was “No plan B”, but it seems unthinkable that Bill Kenwright and his colleagues haven’t made some provisions for this outcome. It’s anyone’s guess though just what the ramifications will be. Until the announcement about the calling in of Destination Kirkby it had been a week of very few surprises. Andy Johnson still hasn’t moved to Fulham, David Moyes hasn’t walked out, Everton is for sale – but no more than it’s ever been – and the acting chief executive, Robert Elstone, thinks that the move is a good idea.
The only thing out of the ordinary had been Bill Kenwright’s sudden willingness to talk to the press despite being remarkably quiet for most of the summer. Perhaps the exit of Keith Wyness has meant that the Everton chairman has seen the need to step up and reassure fans.
To give him his due, the things that Kenwright has said about the club being for sale are pretty consistent with what his message has always been.
Like any club, or any business for that matter, of course Everton are for sale to the right bidder. In most cases that is the one who offers enough money, although Kenwright has also always insisted that as an Evertonian he would be reluctant to sell to anyone who he thought never had the club’s long-term future at heart. Some scoff at this and regard it as a convenient caveat that the theatre impresario uses to hang onto power at Goodison, but you only have to look around the Premier League – and not very far, for that matter – to see numerous examples of takeovers that have happened amidst a lot of publicity and brash talk, only to start to turn sour in a relatively short space of time.
He also sought to play down rumours that Moyes is on the verge of leaving, which is kind of reassuring, but in all honesty most fans would probably agree that actions would speak far louder than words at this point. Nothing short of a couple of decent signings, at least, is going to be required to put supporters’ minds at ease regarding the club’s future and the prospects for the immediate season ahead.
We keep hearing conflicting reports about the state of various potential transfers, but the only one that seems to look definite is a cut-price move for Johnson to Fulham. No doubt the Cottagers can smell the desperation at Everton and are, understandably, using that to get renegotiate a better deal for themselves. It almost goes without saying that the sides we are looking to buy players from will do likewise in the hope of profiteering from any panic. In some ways though we can only hope that is in fact what Rennes and Sporting Lisbon are trying to do when they say that Stephan M’Bia and Joao Moutinho are now staying put.
Let’s really hope that we are not making all these same points this time next week.
