Rafa’s not the issue... it’s those above him who make the decisions from Monaco, not Merseyside
EVERTON and Manchester United are the two clubs dominating the football headlines this weekend.
And it’s basically for the same reason: no direction – no cohesive long-term planning – at the very top of the club.
In short, owners who don’t know or care enough.
Tomorrow night, Everton fans are planning a 27th-minute walk-out in protest at Farhad Moshiri’s ownership – and I really can’t blame them.
The Monaco-based businessman has spent cash at the club, but what has he DELIVERED? Very little, because they’re worse off than before he arrived.
Football is a simple game. Basically, the more you spend on wages, the higher up the league you finish. That has been proven over the past 20 years in the big five leagues across Europe.
Everton were always one of outliers. Under David Moyes, they were around the 10thhighest wage spenders in the Premier League, but consistently finished higher.
Now they are the opposite, spending with the big boys, but finishing in the middle rank. United have always been in the top-two wage spenders over the past decade.
But since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, they’ve not even come close to winning the title.
The question with both clubs is, why? Just look at their hiring policy in the past six years or so, and you have the answer.
Everton have burnt through six managers in that time – eight if you include caretakers.
United have had five managers since Fergie left, seven if you count caretakers.
So, between them, they have had 15 different people in charge in barely seven years.
Who is making these decisions? If you look at the list of managers at both clubs, they veer wildly from one extreme to another.
United had Moyes, but he was criticised for a lack of top-level experience, so they appointed Louis van Gaal. He was criticised for being past his prime, so in came Jose Mourinho.
But Mourinho clearly didn’t fit into the style fans demanded, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived.
And so on, and so on. Same with Everton.
How can the same owner go from Roberto Martinez to Sam Allardyce? That’s perverse. Where the hell is the consistency in those appointments?
And that’s the problem. I’ve been at clubs myself where they react to the failings of the previous manager, by appointing someone the complete opposite.
And you know what happens? One bunch of players suited to one style of play is no longer required, and another, totally different, group of players is brought in.
But these days, you can’t get rid of players that easily.
Everton signed Yannick Bolasie for £25million in 2016 and he left in 2021 after five years at the club.
He made only 32 appearances for them. I’m not singling him out, because there have been so many signings like that at Everton. Double figures easily, in the past six years.
Trawl through the list of players United have signed since Fergie, and you’ll find a similar theme. Each new boss bringing in his own set of players, and each burning through millions with no real results.
The common theme? Owners trying to run their club from a distance seemingly on a whim.
I heard Moshiri has only been to one game at Goodison this season. Yet he is hiring and firing all the managers on emotion, without understanding the fans, or what the club actually means.
We can safely say the same about the Glazers too... and that is a recipe for disaster. Both clubs need to look long, and hard, at their structures from top to bottom.
United have constantly talked about following the Liverpool and Manchester City model of finding and producing young talent, and then developing them within a clearly defined structure and identity.
Yet they keep buying the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo.
And they keep changing to managers with totally different philosophies.
If Ralf Rangnick is the answer, give him total backing to structure the club the way he wants.
He has a track record of developing young talent, and putting a clear imprint and identity on the club as a whole.
Let him do it at Old Trafford, even if it takes five years.
Same at Everton. If Moshiri thinks Rafa Benitez can do what United hope Rangnick can do – developing a club philosophy from top to bottom – then give him the time to do it.
If not, find the right manager and director of football who can.
That’s the answer.
The owner has spent cash at the club, but what has he delivered?
Very little, they’re