Transfer statements make bleak reading for Everton fans
Soon after taking over as majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri’s first major decision as the club’s new owner was to sack Martinez and then bring in a replacement in former Holland international star Ronald Koeman who had enjoyed a good period managing Southampton.
It signalled a new mentality perhaps and a determination to get coaches who had a reputation and were higher-profile than previous managers had been.
Along with Koeman came the man who had been behind the scenes in Leicester City’s almost unbelievable title win in 2015-16, Director of Football Steve Walsh.
It was suppsedly the ‘dream team’ but of course this being Everton it didn’t work and two seasons later after massive outlays on a host of often bizarre signings and a huge slump in form, Koeman was gone.
Given that and what’s happened since, maybe having Moshiri take over has been a real double-edged sword for the club.
Since he became majority share-holder in February 2016 Everton have spent an eye-watering £500 million or so on new players. Just repeat that figure – 500 million quid! Well whatever else, Moshiri can’t be criticised for not putting his money where his mouth is!
It’s a staggering outlay and yet it’s delivered nothing on the pitch. The Blues have only made it into Europe once in that time, at the end of Ronald Koeman’s first season in charge. And the team have looked nowhere near winning a trophy or competing for the Champions League in all that time.
The endless managerial merry-go-round from Martinez to Koeman, then Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti and now Benitez has been hugly destablising as each new coach wants to bring in his favourite players and change the tactics and approach.
This has led to huge instability and the club building up a massive squad of mis-matched and unwanted players who are costing the Toffees a fortune in wages.
And the money spent on so many average footballers almost makes you want to cry! Yanick Bolasie, Davy Klaassen, Cenk Tosun, Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi, the list goes on and on.
Meanwhile in the same period Manchester City with their mega-rich owners have gone on to win two more Premier League titles and a host of domestic cups.
Although I think many Evertonians (including me at the time) wanted someone with money to give the club the financial strength to try and compete with all the big spenders like Chelsea, City and United, could it be a case of be careful what you wish for?