Everton Football Club 26 Years Of Underachieving
By Nathan Williams
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| Jan Kruger/Getty Images |
It’s a constant debate amongst English football fans: Who is the biggest sleeping giant in England?
Everton? Aston Villa? West Ham? Newcastle? Nottingham Forest? Leeds?
It’s a debate with no answer but one club has underachieved more than any in recent times whilst constantly playing at the highest level. Everton.
Despite not being a glorified club like near rivals Liverpool and Manchester United, The Toffees still boast an impressive and decorated history including: nine first division titles, five FA Cups, nine charity shields and a UEFA European Cup Winners’ Cup. However, a trophy hasn’t been brought back to Goodison for 26 years, in which time city rivals Liverpool have won 15 trophies despite massively underachieving themselves. So what has been the major cause for the 26-year trophy drought at Everton.
1995/96
The Final Trophy
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| Match winner Vinny Samways celebrates with the Charity Shield (Liverpool echo) |
The 1995/96 season was the most recent season that Everton won silverware. Following their 1995 FA Cup victory over Manchester United, The Toffees were awarded a place in the final of the Charity Shield alongside Premier League Champions Blackburn Rovers. This was Everton’s first Charity Shield final since 1987 and one they won 1-0 courtesy of a Vinny Samways' strike 12 minutes into the second half.
The rest of the season was largely positive for Joe Royle’s men finishing sixth in the table, an agonising two points off the European places. The Toffees were knocked out of both the FA Cup and the League Cup by lower league opposition via replays, losing against Port Vale and Millwall in the fourth and second round respectively.
Everton would also bow out of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in the second round following a 1-0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Dutch side Feyenoord.
1996-1999
A Poor End to a Successful Century
The late 90’s were rather dire at Goodison Park with seasons consisting of mid-table mediocracy and relegation fights.
The Premier League
The 1996/97 Premier League season contained little for Everton fans to get excited about with lots of off the pitch disappointments. Last seasons top scorer Andrei Kanchelskis departed to Italian club Fiorentina, furthermore manager Joe Royle resigned in March. This twinned with a poor end to the season (two wins in their final thirteen games) saw The Toffees finish 15th only two points clear of relegation.
However, things got even worse in Merseyside with the 1997/98 season nothing short of a disaster with club legend Howard Kendall only just managing Everton to Premier League safety. Aside from three wins on the spin in December 1997-January 1998 (against Bolton Wanderers, Crystal Palace and Chelsea) The Toffees never gathered any consistency and even went seven games without scoring a goal from open play from November to December. Fortunately, a 1-1 draw at home to Coventry City on final day was enough for Howard Kendall’s men to survive on goal difference at the expense of Bolton. Kendall would resign at the end of the season and be replaced by Walter Smith who would stay at the helm until 2002.
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| Everton fans celebrate Premier League survival in 1998 photo by John Giles - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images |
The final full Premier League season in the 20th century was a relatively stress free one for The Toffees with Walter Smith’s men finishing in 14th place, ten points clear of the relegation zone.
FA Cup
The 1996/97 FA cup saw Everton crash out in the fourth round with a 3-2 home loss to First Division (Championship) outfit Bradford City.
Unlike the previous season Everton’s FA Cup defeat was more disappointing than it was embarrassing. Walter Smith’s men got knocked out in the third round by a Newcastle United side that would go onto finishing runners-up in the Premier League later that season; with the tie finishing 1-0 to The Magpies.
In 1998/99 Everton would again be knocked out by the Geordies for the second consecutive season, with a 4-1 loss at St James Park.
League Cup
Everton were left humiliated in the 1996/97 League Cup, with The Toffees getting knocked out by second division (League One) side York City. Following a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, the two sides contested in a second leg at Bootham Crescent with The Minstermen running out 3-2 winners on the night.
In 1997/98 it would be another early exit for Everton with a 4-1 thrashing away at fellow Premier League side Coventry.
The following season Everton would be knocked out in the fourth round in heart-breaking fashion. Following a 1-1 draw with soon to be First Division Champions Sunderland a penalty shootout was played out at Goodison Park. Unfortunately for Everton it would be The Black Cats that would be victorious following a poor penalty from young Ivorian Ibrahima Bakayoko that was easily saved.
David Moyes and the Resurrection
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| David Moyes when appointed in 2002 (Image: Daily Mirror) |
Following a mediocre start to the 21st century Everton appointed Scotsman and former Preston North End boss David Moyes as manager in March 2002 following the dismissal of Walter Smith; who was unable to repeat the success he’d achieved at Glasgow Rangers. Moyes would manage Everton to four wins before the season’s close, with The Toffees finishing the 2001/02 season 15th in the table six points clear of the drop. Despite never bringing a trophy to Goodison Park, Moyes regalvanised the imagination and the belief of Everton faithful, whilst creating some special memories.
Moyes’ first season in charge was a massive improvement with The Toffees flirting with the European places and eventually finishing 7th in the table. The 2002/03 season also saw the introduction to teenage wonderkid Wayne Rooney as he scored that goal against Arsenal. The only real dampener on the season was a 2-1 cup humiliation at the hands of Third Division (League Two) minnows Shrewsbury Town.
However, this league positivity wasn’t carried into the next season with The Toffees finishing one place and six points above the relegation zone in a poor campaign mirrored by lacklustre cup runs. Moyes would stay at Goodison until the end of 2012/13 season where he would depart to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United. Prior to this The Toffees would enjoy many high league placings finishing: 4th,11th,6th,5th,5th,8th,7th,7th and 6th. In fact, 2004/05 was Everton’s highest league finish since 1987/88, which they also finished fourth place in.
The 2007/08 was a very successful one in the blue half of Merseyside, but still there was no silverware to show for it. The Toffees would reach the Last 16 of the UEFA Cup (Europa League) where they were knocked out on penalties by Fiorentina. Moyes’ men just missed out on a League Cup final losing in the semi-final 3-1 on aggregate to Chelsea.
Wembley Heartbreak
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| Everton players console themselves after the 2009 FA Cup final. Photo by Nick Potts - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images |
The 2008/09 season was the closest Everton have ever come to lifting a trophy since they last did so in 1995. Following victories over: Macclesfield Town, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough; The Toffees found themselves in an FA Cup semi-final against reigning Premier League champions Manchester United. It would be Everton that would win at Everton thanks to a 4-2 penalty shootout victory following a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes.
David Moyes’ men would go up against Chelsea in a final that got off to the best possible start for The Toffees. Frenchman Louis Saha got Everton off to a flying start netting after less than 30 seconds (the fastest ever FA Cup final goal).
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| Saha wheels away in a celebration following his early opener (The Athletic) |
Chelsea would level the score 20 minutes with later with Didier Drogba heading home past Tim Howard from a Florent Malouda cross. And then with just over 15 minutes on the clock Chelsea would steal the lead thanks to a stunning 25-yard strike from future Everton boss Frank Lampard.
The game would finish 2-1 and Everton would return to Merseyside emptyhanded.
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| Chelsea celebrate FA Cup victory (Liverpool echo) |
2015-Present
Midtable Madness and Manager Merry-Go-Rounds
From June 1997 to May 2013 Everton had three different managers (albeit Moyes lasted a lot longer in the hotseat than Kendall and Smith). From June 2016 to present day The Toffees have had six permanent managers.
Ronald Koeman
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| Koeman upon appointment at Goodison Park (Premier League) |
Following a second successful two years at Southampton former Barcelona and Holland defender Koeman was appointed in the summer of 2016. Initially things got off to a good start with Koeman leading The Toffees to the Europa League (they would go on to get knocked out in the Group Stage).
Things soon went to pot for Koeman and the Dutchman saw himself sacked in October with The Toffees sitting in the relegation zone.
Sam Allardyce
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| Allardyce had a 100% win rate as England manager prior to his Everton appointment (Sky Sports) |
It took Everton over a month to replace Koeman but they eventually found their man, appointing former Bolton, Blackburn and West Ham boss Allardyce. Things got off to a positive start under Big Man with the experienced manager spearheading Everton to a seven-game unbeaten streak and an 8th placed finish. Despite positive results for The Toffees, Allardyce faced constant criticism for his “dated” style of play, and left the club at the end of the 2018/19 season after six months in charge.
Marco Silva
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| Silva had previously managed twice in the Premier League (Guernsey Press) |
On the 31st of May 2018 Everton appointed former Hull City and Watford boss Marco Silva as Allardyce’s successor. Silva’s first season in charge at Goodison Park went relatively smoothly with The Toffees finishing 8th for the second consecutive season.
However, Silva couldn’t build on this and Everton’s start to the 2019/20 season was nothing short of a disaster with The Toffees looking at a relegation fight. Silva would eventually get the boot in early December 2019 following a 5-2 thrashing at Liverpool that left Silva’s men 18th in the Premier League.
Carlo Ancelotti
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| Ancelotti with his September 2020 manager of the month award |
Four days before Christmas Evertonians would be treated with an early gift with the impressive appointment of serial winner Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian would guide Everton safely into midtable with a 12th place finish.
Prior to his first full season in charge the Italian made a number of eye-catching signings to bolster The Toffees ranks, including: Allan from Napoli, James Rodríguez from Real Madrid, Abdoulaye Doucouré from Watford and Ben Godfrey from Norwich City.
The 2020/21 campaign got off to a flyer for Ancelotti’s men who won all four of their first matches before holding Merseyside rivals Liverpool to a 2-2 draw. This momentum would eventually fizzle out with the Blues finishing 10th. The club would reach the Quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, before losing to Manchester City and Manchester United respectively.
However, Ancelotti’s most impressive feat in the season was guiding The Toffees to their first win at Anfield since 1999, with goals from Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson enough to beat Liverpool 2-0.
At the end of the season Ancelotti would leave Goodison Park to take the reins at Spanish champions Real Madrid for the second time in his career. The decision looks to have paid off with the Italian guiding the Spaniards to Champions League glory this season, coincidentally beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final.
Rafa Benítez
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| Benítez won Liverpool the Champions League in 2005 (Getty Images) |
In June, Everton found their replacement, controversially appointing former Liverpool manager Rafa Benítez. As well as Liverpool, Benítez also had Premier League experience during his time in charge of Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Despite opposition to the appointment from Everton fans, the season started brightly for Benítez’s men who lost only one of their first seven matches. However, this positivity wouldn’t last with The Toffees going on to win just one of their next 12 matches under Benítez. This dismal run included a 2-5 hammering at home to a Watford side that would go on to get relegated and a 1-4 Merseyside Derby humiliation at home to Liverpool. Benítez was sacked following a 2-1 defeat away at bottom of the league Norwich.
Frank Lampard
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| Lampard managed Everton to safety in 2021/22 (Everton) |
15 days after the sacking of Benítez, Everton finally announced the Spaniard’s replacement, appointing former Derby County and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard. The former England international’s start to life as Everton manager was a poor one, with The Toffees losing seven of their first nine games under Lampard.
Despite fears of relegation Lampard managed to guide Everton to Premier League safety with a game to spare following a dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
As time goes on Everton’s chances of winning a trophy are becoming smaller and smaller. Is Lampard really the right man for the job? And with the Premier League looking tougher than ever next season will The Toffees be able to keep their Premier League status or will it be a first season in the second tier of English football since 1953/54.
By Nathan Williams
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