Everton Football: A Top Five Club?

Or the best of the worst?

Everyone seems to be heaping glory on Manager David Moyes and Chairman Bill Kenwright for the fantastic success exhibited by Everton FC this season. FA Cup finalists, fifth in the League. Everything headed in the right direction.

Oh, really?

We do acknowledge that Everton had to beat Liverpool in the quarters and Man Utd in the semis (but only through a penalty shoot out) before reaching Chelsea in the final at Wembley two weeks ago. And Saha and Everton went into the record books for the fastest FA  Cup goal ever (surpassing, amusingly, Chelsea‘s Robert DiMatteo by 18 seconds).

City rivals continue to tame Moyes' men

But we think the story ends there. Does anyone really believe Everton can challenge the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd next season? Can anyone who is not an Everton fan name more than two Everton players? Is Tim Cahill really in the same class as Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard.  Is Jolean Lescott really in the same class as Rio Ferdinand or John Terry?  And, for that matter, is David Moyes in the same class as Sir Alex Ferguson or Rafa Benitez (though he is probably in the same class as Avram Grant)?

No way Jose.

The Premier League plays some of the best football in the world.  But the difference between the top four and everyone else is – how do we say this politely? – gigantic.  Of course, during the season an Everton or a Villa or even a Hull will knock over one of the Big Four.  But when May rolls around, as the marathon nears its end, the Big Four are, well, the Big Four.  They have the technique, the strategy and the depth of squad to be there year after year.

This is pretty much the way it has always been for the almost two decades that the Premier League has been around. There are the top clubs (originally three, but now four with Roman’s Chelsea in the mix) which may in the future include Man City and maybe even Portsmouth if their proposed deal goes through.

The Toffees have no problem dancing with the lower placed teams

Then there are the middle clubs fighting for a place in Europe: Villa, Everton, Spurs and one or two others.

And then there are the clubs in the bottom half of the table fighting for survival.

This dichotomy has not resulted because of Roman Abramovich, or Messrs Hicks and Gillette, or the Glazers. This is the way it has been for years and years. And, in fact, the new money in the game has made things more competitive (but not competitive enough as Man Utd just keeps on continuing its winning ways).

And going back to Everton. Did you watch the FA Cup? After that Saha goal, they had nothing on to show for. Nothing.  No defense. No offense.  No shape.  No energy. No fight. Nothing. The loss was respectable and not embarrassing only because Chelsea were having a bit of an off day.

Normal play will resume come August.