Season 21-22 Opinion Columns
Column & Opinion Articles
Contributions from our editorial team and featured columnists.
O Guerreiro
Lyndon Lloyd
Committed and loyal, talented and misunderstood outside of Goodison Park, Richarlison has cemented himself in the hearts of Evertonians, especially this season when he rose to the fore as the warrior who scored many of the goals that assured the Blues' Premier League safety16/06/2022
The Perfect Storm
Lyndon Lloyd
Starting with the ill-advised appointment of Rafael Benitez, a confluence of factors almost dragged this grand old club out of the top flight before Everton's terrific fans stepped in. A review of season 2021-22.27/05/2022
This Just isn't Football
Lyndon Lloyd
The spirit of the game is being eroded by meddling and incompetence amid poor implementation of supposed “technological advancements”02/03/2022
Look Ahead with Hope but Keep a Wary Eye on the Past
Lyndon Lloyd
"All’s well that ends well" might be premature but Everton certainly finished the winter window on an upbeat note. It would be naïve to simply sweep under the carpet the events of the past few weeks but some comfort should be taken from the fact that the hierarchy finally appear to be listening01/02/2022
A More Calculated Risk
Lyndon Lloyd
Picking managers is a fiendishly difficult task in the high-pressure, high-stakes environment of Europe’s top leagues. Sometimes you just need to assess the risks and go with the candidate that gives you the best chance of succeeding. Farhad Moshiri and the Board have done that with Frank Lampard, a man who will add youth and fresh ideas after six demoralising months at Goodison Park31/01/2022
Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part IV – Moshiri's Mire
Lyndon Lloyd
As he approaches the sixth anniversary of his first investment in Everton, Farhad Moshiri finds his grandiose Everton project on track in terms of the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock but in considerable disarray on the pitch. His ambitions face multiple challenges after a series of failed managerial appointments and massive waste on unsuccessful signings but none of them are insurmountable with an incremental, considered plan of action. In the radio silence from the Monaco-based billionaire, however, it's impossible to know if that's likely to happen20/01/2022
Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part III — The Incurable Romantic
Lyndon Lloyd
Reports that Everton have made Roberto Martinez their first choice to succeed Rafael Benitez are crystallising the debate around Bill Kenwright, the long-time Everton Chairman who has made a habit of mining the Blues' past to resolve current problems17/01/2022
The End of an Error
Lyndon Lloyd
As many predicted, Farhad Moshiri lost his high-stakes gamble with the appointment of Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard's removal arguably came too late but at least it's done.16/01/2022
Full Circle
Lyndon Lloyd
The departure of Marcel Brands takes Everton away from the Director of Football model and back to the all-encompassing, hands-on manager with oversight of scouting and full control over player recruitment strategy. Given the control Rafael Benitez likes to have in that regard, it's likely to be a permanent reversion for as long as the Spaniard remains in charge.06/12/2021
Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part II — The Enigma of Brands
Lyndon Lloyd
Amid calls for sweeping change from the top to the bottom of Everton Football Club, Marcel Brands is as much persona non grata as anyone else among the hierarchy but the exact nature of his brief and the extent of his culpability in bringing about the mess at the club is more than a little opaque.03/12/2021
Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part I — The Backfiring Gamble
Lyndon Lloyd
At a club increasingly bereft of direction, Rafael Benitez is not the biggest problem but he is rapidly becoming the most urgent.02/12/2021
Adios to the Part-Time Magician
Lyndon Lloyd
Detached and intangible, James Rodriguez was a fleeting part of Everton history and, perhaps, the last spasm of excess from a regime that seems to have put itself on a more pragmatic footing22/09/2021
James: He's Here. He's Ours. Let's Make it Work
Lyndon Lloyd
Circumstances have contrived to keep Everton and James Rodriguez together for another few months at least. Amid reports and rumour of non-plussed manager and disengaged star, all parties need to come together to ensure that this most gifted of players has a role in the team this season10/09/2021
The Chickens Come Home to Roost
Lyndon Lloyd
The profligacy of the Moshiri years has slammed into the harsh realities of an imposed financial straitjacket from the outside and the need to fund a new stadium, resulting in a summer of unusually strict austerity01/09/2021
On a Hiding to Nothing? 2021-22 Season Preview
Lyndon Lloyd
In many ways, a merely competent first season could be enough for Rafael Benitez to match Carlo Ancelotti's 10th-place finish; a better-than-hoped performance from the Spaniard would yield improvement. But with none of the much-needed quality additions materialising this summer, it's hard to see Everton troubling the top six places in 2021-2211/08/2021
The Luxury
Lyndon Lloyd
James Rodriguez is one of the best players of his generation; a Rolls Royce of a player at a club blighted by so much mediocrity in the modern era. Sadly, he looks to be a luxury Everton can no longer afford.09/08/2021
The Number One
Lyndon Lloyd
Jordan Pickford has come in for criticism at Everton for his past mistakes and apparent lack of focus and it wasn't that long ago that many were doubting his role as first-choice keeper. Fast forward past the hysterical media reaction to his part in the Van Dijk incident to today and you have a player who appears to have matured tremendously in the harshest of spotlights03/08/2021
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