He spoke honestly to those worried about hearing directly from the owner of their company through an interview.
In a London office decorated with Everton memorabilia and history books, Farhad Moshiri tried to calm supporters’ nerves while answering questions from the fan advisory board (FAB).
“We need a striker – we’ll get one,” he said. “We are strengthening the team and I have no doubt that the second half of the season will be stronger. That is our goal and the goal will be achieved.
Seven days later, after the end of the transfer window which once again revealed a lackluster performance at the top of Everton, Moshiri’s assurances appeared to be unfounded. His promise was broken.
A group that is expected to come out strong from January instead of weak in February. Their only business was to sell one of the first team’s best players, Anthony Gordon, again ending a situation that needed to be strengthened before his £ 45 million ($55m).
Everton were the only team in the top flight not to add to their squad as their rivals struggled to avoid relegation.
While director of football Kevin Thelwell and his recruitment team have been inactive until Tuesday’s deadline, some fans have gathered outside Finch Farm training ground in protest. Their banners, placed above the gates, featured Moshiri, chairman Bill Kenwright and chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxedale in clown make-up with the words ‘Liars’ ‘ below.
Many will vent their anger before and after Saturday’s game against Arsenal.
This is the story of a transfer window that started with panic and descended into disaster.
Frank Lampard spoke until he was sick and tired of doing so. Everton need new attackers.
On December 22, he told the club’s official website “we need help”.
“It’s going to be a job to take out the windows,” he said. “It’s going to take a long time and you won’t be able to fix what you want in one window. We have brought some very good players into the club but we need help in the January window.
“We lost Dominic Calvert-Lewin, obviously. Hopefully, that changes but we can see that we can have more options at the top of the pitch. We are looking at that.
As time went on, Lampard’s answers to questions about the January window became more and more. It is not difficult to see behind the scenes, although his actions and Thelwell, the help is more difficult.
The money is tight. Grants for new issuers are loans or loan agreements with an obligation to pay more down the line. That means Everton have often missed out on top goals to teams with the money and resources to do it faster and better. From Matheus Cunha, a Christmas present from the owners of Wolves to Julen Lopetegui, the goal was set.
Winger Dango Ouattara will go to Bournemouth, Hoffenheim’s Georginio Rutter to Leeds. Another target, German forward Kevin Schade, has opted for Brentford. Lampard was delighted when Premier League striker Danny Ings joined West Ham United.
Everton are keen on Danny Ings but he has joined West Ham (Photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
After the 2-0 loss to West Ham, a result that sealed Lampard’s fate, he called Ings “a top player” and a “real team player”. Everton approached Aston Villa to sign the 30-year-old but could offer a loan. West Ham have secured £12million and David Moyes has hinted at what that means after winning at his first club. “I’ve had good support from the board the whole time and I have to say, they’ve really helped,” said the Scot. “Even buying Ings yesterday shows you they want to help and do everything they can.”
There was no help in the side for Lampard. Two days later, he packed his things and discussed a series of decisions for him and his staff that Everton will need to plug their financial backlog as they try to find his successor. sign up new players.
The goals continued to go elsewhere. Chris Wood joined Nottingham Forest and, most tragically, Dutch striker Arnaut Danjuma, who was close to becoming an Everton player inspired Moshiri to love his interview, made the final U-turn to sign for Tottenham Hotspur after Lampard’s departure.
The former manager was crucial in the negotiations but with Lampard gone and his successor uncertain, Villarreal’s change of heart began as Spurs scrapped the deal.
However, there is still time to return and find others who are asking for it.
The lack of hierarchy and confusion over Everton’s managerial position made it very difficult. When it comes to pulling players, Lampard pulls.
The uncertainty of his position in the end added to the desire of some players to sign. Then the uncertainty of his replacement, while Marcelo Bielsa was not well received, added to the problems.
When it comes to Gordon’s transfer to Newcastle, Sunday’s sale ended a week in which Moshiri was heavily involved in negotiations from London, leading with his advisors on the deal. joining the north-east.
In the end, he left a doubt because of the many words of the British-Iranian owner earlier this month.
“All aspects of football activity are not run by the board,” he said. “We have a director of football Kevin Thelwell, who is mainly responsible for training, school development, medical science… all these parts of the football business are run by Kevin Thelwell under the table.”
In the end, Thelwell did not agree to Gordon’s purchase, nor did he say how much he would pay.
But he must continue with a great effort to avoid the final performance in one of the best transfer windows in the club’s history.
With Gordon gone, came the chaotic end of the window.
The last few days have seen Everton looking for replacements, but ended up empty-handed.
Gordon was introduced to Newcastle fans after his move from Everton (Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
In all fairness, Gordon would have been bought earlier in the window with the money recovered. But the advice did not fall on deaf ears. Other companies have seen them come and expanded their research applications accordingly.
The Everton loanee also did not appear to be in a position to recoup the money in full. In particular, they have turned to finding loans, loans with options or rights and structured activities. Such is their unfortunate position in the table, that most of the selling points only apply if alive.
One of the only exceptions to the rule was the absence of Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher. The midfielder, who was previously welcomed by Lampard, has already shown that he does not want a change. Key figures in the hierarchy saw the move as a no-brainer but questions about a big-money deal were made unexpectedly, the news leaked and Everton were left in the dark. Surprisingly, the midfield at that time was not considered a major factor in the interior.
As with the previous windows, it was not easy for those based in Merseyside to manage events elsewhere. Moshiri spent two weeks in London trying to sort out the chaos at the club. All his going to the truth, however, was something else. The delay in announcing Lampard’s departure came as staff tried to figure out what was happening in the capital. Most people first heard about Lampard’s departure through media reports, not internal conversations. At critical times in the window, they are left in the dark.
Moshiri discussed the procedures in his interview with the FAB weeks ago.
“The director of football or the manager will give the name of a player and then when both are signed, a document will be sent to the manager and me,” he said. “When the boss signs, I sign.”
That is not the case with new signings or managers. The summer looked like a step in the right direction, with Thelwell’s signing party done with negotiating deals, but the restrictions were further damaged in January.
The lack of alignment hampered Everton’s last attempt to correct the situation and the final days of the window were wasted.
In a breather, Everton have inquired about Gallagher and his Chelsea team-mate Hakim Ziyech. They were struck by the signing of 20-year-old Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, who has been on their radar since his youth days in Denmark, by Southampton. An inquiry was made for Beto of Udinese but the price of the Serie A club was prohibitive. They looked at the acquisition of Michy Batshuayi and Jean-Philippe Mateta and saw a loan with the right to sell for Watford’s Ismaila Sarr rebuffed.
Gallagher does not want to move to Everton – especially after the departure of Lampard (Photo: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)
On the eve of the deadline, the officials decided on the moves for Thorgan Hazard, Viktor Gyokeres and Union Berlin’s Sheraldo Becker. Iliman Ndiaye is happy to stay at Sheffield United. Reports in Italy have revealed that Everton have dropped a loan move for Olivier Giroud. The idea of signing Anthony Elanga – a top loanee at the start of the window – has been resurfaced but they have left until other clubs find replacements.
Lucas Joao, the Reading striker who has scored five goals in 22 appearances this season, has been reported by the media but is not expected to be an improvement on what Everton already has. Joao’s move from Sheffield Wednesday to Reading in 2019 has been linked by media reports including Kia Joorabchian’s Sports Invest UK team.
New manager Sean Dyche stayed at Finch Farm until 9.40pm but left as hopes of deals were dashed. Thelwell and club secretary Dave Harrison stayed behind, but the 11pm deadline passed without any updates.
Everton have unfortunately fallen at the wrong time. They came back and some got stronger.
It remains to be seen if they will look to free agents to fill the gaps for the time being.
They continue to be heavily linked with Ghana’s Andre Ayew, but Goodison sources have rejected suggestions of a move. It says a lot about the balance of power at Everton and the first obstacle in the game of football remains artistic. This is the level of confusion and uncertainty that occurred during the Moshiri era.
The fact that various mistakes are being made, even when employees come and go, shows that the problems run deep.
It is difficult to understand how a 33-year-old Ayew, who was last seen plying his trade in the Qatari league, suited their youth and hunger. However this is the only market Everton have until the summer at first.
The fall started from a solid January window. Failure to strengthen in the midst of a relegation battle should be seen for what it is: a failure to act. He left feeling that new manager Dyche had been thrown overboard without an oar.
People, meanwhile, resent what they see as promises.
But it’s Everton now. And this is another window that shows the reason for their problem.
(Top photo: Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
