Can Everton repeat eighties revival?

News this week that a film is being planned about the revival of Everton in the mid-eighties, had me wondering whether there are any similarities with the Blues’ current situation and if an improvement of that kind might be possible again.

The great revival of 1984 is written into Everton folklore. And for Evertonians of my generation it’s becoming an almost surreal period of success given how inconsistent and underachieving the team has been for more than a quarter of a century.

For so long Blues fans had watched with envy and frustration as Liverpool swept all before them, winning title after title as well as European honours and it seemed like a nightmare that would never end!

Then I remember well that amazing three and a half years from January ’84 to May ’87 when Everton seemingly rose from the dead and went on to contest for the title and every cup on offer.

The players that defined that vintage era; Neville Southall, Derek Mountfield, Kevin Ratcliffe, Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy, Graeme Sharp and Andy Gray are legends for all-time.

The only fly in the ointment was the ban after the 1985 European Cup final tragedy on English clubs participation in European competition. That hurt Everton more than any other club and led eventually to the breakup of that great side.

First Gary Linker left after just a single season in 1986, Howard Kendall also departed for Spain a year later just after winning a second league title in three years. And others like Trevor Steven and Gary Stevens followed as they sought European football.

Football though isn’t just about history and tradition and the future is what really matters. But it was a time of terrific success when the city of Liverpool could legitimately lay claim to having the two best teams in Europe.

So are there any parallels with the Toffees’ situation now?

Well as we all know Everton have been underachieving for a number of seasons and have gone through a succession of managers in the failed attempt to revive the club’s fortunes.

That was certainly true of the late seventies and early eighties. And while Liverpool haven’t been dominating as they were then, there are ominous signs they are becoming a force again.

Everton also have a young manager who has been given the strongest backing from his chairman, just like Kendall was before the great turn-around. In fact I would say that Philip Carter is one of the unsung reason’s for the Toffees revival at that time.

He provided great stability and leadership and consistently backed Kendall even when nearly everyone was calling for his head. Keeping his nerve meant that Kendall was given the time to turn around a listing ship and bring trophies and glory back to Goodison Park.

I have said before now I’m really not sure about whether Marco Silva is the right manager now, but I would love to be proved wrong if it meant the Blues achieved anything like the success of the eighties!

Again then as now the Toffees had a team of young, talented but frustratingly inconsistent players and some older heads around them. At that time future legends like Sharp were already at the club when Kendall joined in 1981.

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Critically Kendall bought in several players with strong characters to provide crucial leadership on the pitch. Reid and Gray in particular provided great motivational qualities and energy, inspiring others to lift their game.

That seems to be something Everton are missing at the moment. Maybe one or two of the current players will step up or Silva can bring in further reinforcements who have that leadership quality.

The historic change in fortunes began with two cup runs to Wembley in 1984 and a victory in the second of them, the FA Cup final against Watford. So if history can repeat itself, maybe Everton to win the Cup in 2020…?