Everton FC: Alan Myers Comes Back In To The Everton Fold

Everton Announce Alan Myers Will replace Paul Tyrrell As Communications Director

The New Man

Lifelong Evertonian, former club press officer and current Sky Sports North West Bureau Chief, Alan Myers, has been unveiled as the new Everton FC Director of Communications. 

As is the norm these days, Alan broke the news first through social media as he expressed his joy at his return to the club on his Twitter timeline. 

Myers was also quick to grasp the nettle that is the abomination of a new badge, as he told the official Everton website:
 
"There is lots of work to undertake in the short, medium and long term and one of my first priorities will be to work with our fanbase directly on the 2014/15 Club Crest. 

"As our fans know, our Chief Executive has said that the next crest will be developed by Evertonians for Evertonians and I am confident we will be able to achieve that goal together.”

The club's management have split the Everton fanbase on many issues over the last decade and more, however, the almost total rejection of the new club logo by Everton supporters, may well have gone someway to healing those fractures. 

The fury surrounding the new badge (and possibly the new, as yet officially to be released new 2013-14 kit) is however only the tip of a very big iceberg when it comes to Everton and 'communication' with supporters. 

Yes, there has been a lot of talk about 'openness and transparency,' but talk is all it has been.  Fellow Evertonians will rightly expect the new Director of Communications to immediately tackle that particular issue.

While Everton have announced Alan will take up his post in August, Evertonians everywhere will expect the die hard Blue to follow the example of the clubs former manager David Moyes, who, despite being under contract, was not averse to a bit of moonlighting for his new taskmasters at Manchester United. We are sure Sky won't mind Alan!

In other news, we haven't sold or signed anyone yet.

The Moyes Dilemma: Stick or Twist?

With David Moyes' contract situation at Everton yet to be resolved, and off-field ownership drama dominating the immediate future of the club, will the Scottish manager decide to stick or twist? What are the chances of him remaining at Goodison?

Approaching 11 years in charge at Goodison Park, David Moyes has yet to face the greatest dilemma of his managerial career. The question is one of loyalty versus personal ambition, risk against surety, control opposed to cash.

When, in the spring of 2002, the virtually unknown David Moyes, a young, raw, steely-eyed Scot, accepted an offer to take the hot-seat at Goodison Park, very few if any could have envisaged his rise to one of the most respected managers in the Premier League and beyond.

His stock has risen, it has never been higher, and with a contract yet to be signed, David Moyes could walk away from Everton Football Club this summer as a free agent.

In his time in charge at Everton, Moyes has spent a derisory £2.42m net a season. This paltry amount is made even more incredible given not only the astronomical amounts of money expeded by his peers but also his Premier League record of achievement since 2002. On this relative shoestring budget, Moyes has driven Everton to eight top 10 Premier League finishes, including two 5th places and his greatest achievement to date, breaking the glass ceiling of the 'top four' in 2004-05.

Whilst a large number of Evertonians accurately point to the chronic lack of financial support from Chairman Bill Kenwright and his board of directors, who openly admit they are unable to deliver anything more, Moyes himself has been loath to criticize his paymasters.

Currently, Moyes' Everton find themselves in 6th place, 6 points behind Tottenham in 4th and despite a trend bucking strong start to the season, supporters are once again finding themselves pointing towards the paucity of financial backing in the January transfer window that would allow Moyes, and his team, a real shot at the promised land of Champions League football.

What Moyes has received from his Chairman, and what certainly has to be a key factor in his reticence to complain about the lack of clout afforded him in the transfer market, is full, unequivocal backing in the running of football matters at the club. The state-of-the-art training facility, Finch Farm, whilst not actually owned by Everton Football Club, has the meticulous David Moyes' fingerprints all over it.

Moyes has the say on transfer targets, renewing of player contracts, pre-season schedules and tours and the last word on the myriad of day-to-day decisions taken at the 4th most successful club in English football history. And there, in a nutshell, is the difficulty he will have to face when considering his next move.

David Moyes has cultivated an iron-willed, no-nonsense reputation, founded on authority and dignity. Attributes that would surely clash with cash rich, high profile personalities running football clubs on impulse.

Arguably, there is no other comparable or bigger football club in Europe where Moyes could expect to have so much power, such complete control over footballing matters than he does at Everton. Yet, in this modern age of money-talks football, Premier League and European titles can no longer be won with a sprinkling of talent, copious amounts of hard work and painstaking diligence alone.

And it is these sort of titles, the undeniably ambitious Moyes must be looking to add to his managerial CV. Within the next few months, Moyes has a huge decision to make, a choice that will not only have professional and personal consequences for himself but also far reaching ramifications for Everton Football Club, the club that gave him his big break and for an owner he has become publically loyal to. However, if Bill Kenwright's decade long, 24/7 search for investment continues to flounder, Moyes' hand may well be forced.

After nigh on 11 highly impressive but ultimately trophy-less seasons, there can surely be no room for sentiment for a man seemingly as driven and fiercely ambitious as David Moyes and unless the club quickly find themselves able
to compete financially with their rivals, there can inevitably be no big titles, no real glory for Moyes at Everton.

Loyalty or ambition? Surety or risk?

David Moyes must decide whether to stick or twist. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Evertonians wait with baited breath.

Moyes Stats:

Everton: Games 503 W 211 D 135 L 157 Win % 41.95

Premier League Finishes (full season):

2002-03: 7th
2003-04: 17th
2004-05: 4th
2005-06: 11th
2006-07: 6th
2007-08: 5th
2008-09: 5th
2009-10: 8th
2010-11: 7th
2011-12: 7th

[caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="500"] David Moyes: Time To Move On?[/caption]