Choppy waters ahead in 2009

After all, we struggled to find a top class midfielder in the summer, with £15million burning a hole in Moyes’s pocket, so who on earth could we buy now to take the place of our most talented performer, especially as Arsene Wenger is rumoured to value him at around £12m?

It really doesn’t bear thinking about.

Off the field, it seems as if Everton’s acting CEO Robert Elstone has made a real effort to engage with the fans, especially compared to his widely unpopular predecessor.

The proposed ground move and the continuing inquiry will always be a divisive issue though, although in some ways the credit crunch and the impending recession may have tipped the balance slightly in favour of Everton and Tesco.

By giving their blessing to several proposed banking takeovers that in normal times would have fallen foul of Monopolies and Mergers rules, the government have already shown that they are willing to ignore certain regulations during desperate times.

In that sort of climate then, will they be willing to turn away a big investment like the proposed retail development in Kirkby because it contravenes local planning laws?

Sticking with all things monetary, after Amanda Staveley’s bold statements about new investment in Everton, everything seems to have gone quiet on that front, and the wider economic problems could certainly have an impact there.

It does seem to be a widely held belief in some quarters that new money could come into the club should the new stadium be given the go-ahead, but it’s often difficult to work out how much of that is based on real knowledge and how much is just propaganda to try and sell to the fans a project that is far from universally popular.

So, despite the fact that the first team are in fine form, we can’t help but approach 2009 with a certain amount of trepidation given the number of big issues that still need resolving. Is it ever any different though?

Happy New Year.