All we can do...

I have been made very welcome over the past 18-or-so months by members of this web forum, allowing me the freedom to discuss our club not only with a glorious past - but contrary to many journalists' apparent better judgement, a fascinating and intriguing present (though perhaps not always as smooth a rid as we would like ourselves). Still the 4th most successful English football club, despite going from superpower to soap opera and back all-too-often - we remain the butt of many people's jokes AND the envy of many football fans with enough class to appreciate the sport existed before the year 1992.


I'm saying this now because it's very easy to write in depth about something you enjoy, are passionate about and/or has been important to your life for a long time - when the good times are in full swing.

Indeed, this season has provided our club with not just a replacement for (arguably) the most gifted player in our squad, but a mobility and age upgrade in doing so, for a mere £1.7m purchase.  It's also brought further distinctive development in the game of our most improved player of 2020-21 through our #9 maturing as a penalty-taker at Brighton & Leeds.

But like six times already in the [we-know-all-too-well]-era, we find ourselves all-too-uncomfortably close to yet another 'complete clearout and restart from scratch' scenario we most recently found a mightily sour experience in 2017-18.

Without telling any of you anything just to appease, nor blatantly lying in the process, there's a soap opera playing out right now over this festive period; with a central character one of the Top 3 left-backs in the world appearing to be heading through the exit door.


Fascinating. Intriguing.
Well, those are two of many, many words that could describe the past few weeks actions goings-on at Everton FC.

It's extremely worrying whenever one of your team's best players decides that moving on is for the best; but when Fleet Street are sharpening their teeth at our expense, a no more pleasant experience it sure can be for us.

Yet like the departure of James Rodriguez, Lucas Digne's credentials must be replaced very thoroughly.

The question many will feel needs answering is: has Rafa found a like-for-like replacement in Vitaliy Mykolenko - without putting the club's financial position in even more serious peril?

Whilst I have no idea about the Ukraine full-back, speculating about what we should, or at least could do, in the World Cup winner's departure lends much food for thought.  Do we sell, trade, swap, loan; a combination of several of these options, or simply tell the player effectively "you're going nowhere"?

We could discuss the cash sale value figure.
We could fight back at what many sporting 'pundits' will no doubt add as 'our club's latest backward step...'.

What I would like to go into further depth is not only the role he's played in our club's progress since signing in the Summer of 2018, but how his role - and his own contribution to our team's on-pitch successes - should be remembered in positive legacy, and long-term evolution (albeit, in difficult circumstances).


A direct replacement himself in the long-term for Leighton Baines, in quality of attributes and in purpose of play, I strongly believe that Digne character and class in fitting-in with several managers' formation and strategic philosophies and plans.

Silva's 4-2-3-1 continuity of Martinez's & Koeman's, with Richarlison very willing to play a traditional left-wing position ahead, even though the Brazilian is right-footed, but for Digne, lots of licence to provide crosses,  
then Ancelotti's own philosophy of countering opposing threats and our own weaknesses (over our strengths) by nullifying teams and tempering player restrictions - in the name of tailoring formations to the opposition. Something that often involved Digne at left wing-back, with Iwobi right wing-back in support of a right centre-back Seamus Coleman.
Then the 2020-21 season that brought in the 4-3-3 Digne so clearly craved in the responsibility of defending AND delivering high attacking returns... yep, there's lots more that could be said, but stopping there for now,
Benitez has clearly agreed that Ancelotti simply didn't have enough personnel capable of continuing 4-3-3 over the course of a gruelling season and redefined player roles, but allowing players the trust to play their own game within such positions. It meant Digne had to be a defending full-back with limited presence in the opposing half (the midfield instructed to cause mayhem in attack - Doucoure an obvious delight thus far).

In all these changes, Digne has got on with his job on the pitch - like Dominic Calvert-Lewin - with distinction and class, if lower tangible stats to back it up.


So what's changed in HIS view that's led to an effective transfer request for the following January transfer window?

In digressing to the other personnel departure of note this season (asides Rodriguez); what would Digne have made of Marcel Brands walking away from his post, and what should we take away in such departure as a consequence?

Well again, I prefer to look at the positives - and not just the outstanding Summer 2020 window signings.

There has been a very toxic, invisible atmosphere being portrayed by a combination of local and national media coverage over what begun as another well-capitalised generous fixture starting schedule, turning sour when the going started getting tough.

Brands exit could be viewed in many ways.

Certain high-profile professions in the media can be turned into pantomimes, with those claiming its being all made up and others over-egging reality creating circumstances no-one ends up winning in. No prizes for guessing the professions I'm referring to.

The fact that one of the best footballing brains in the world felt inclined to leave - in my view - owes more to the integrity of the man himself, reluctantly sacrificing his position in the best, short-term interests of the club, desperately needing to get the media off our backs, when no easy win-win option was available to anyone at the club. It's a mark of respect that (hopefully) prove to be a wise one - that Benitez is able to get the show back on the road at least 'til the Summer.

Even if by the time we're playing in a stadium with 132% Goodison's capacity, therefore with more instant promotional reference to sell the club to better players and the wider global market, we're still struggling to even qualify for the Europa Conference; the experience of Digne AND Brands both adding considerably to the club's present fortunes for as long as they have/did will be remembered by us for the good times - and force respect from those looking from outside, clearly not wanting to lend us much respect  at all...

'til 2024/25, we may have to accept further managerial quick-fixes, players coming and going, possibly with zero European midweek action for as long as Richarlison remains one of us ON the pitch.  And yes, these articles may again and again be written in repetition of further painful player exits, (possible speculation of Isco's arrival, should the Brazilian winger decide his time is up here before long) an example.


So if Matthew Barry had written the above, he may well have titled the article with the enormously popular ABBA song: Knowing Me, Knowing You.

But whilst massive opportunities at Everton have been missed when available, mainly as a result of funding not being brought in when other clubs gambled on possibly-unsavoury figures being handed full control of the club's future direction, I for one have been impressed, in balancing the wider picture since 2011's FFP (then)-future handcuffing of our progress speed, to with the 2015 arrival of Moshiri - strange as it may appear (when we all so desperately want to slam our feet on that accelerator pedal with almighty force).

In Digne's instance, the article title (lyrics: "All we can do...") a reference to a unique song closing a past decade of brutally-compelling times for those old enough to remember, yet at the same time offering hope to those able to both move forward, trading with both care and conviction. A song linked to be me in another thread on this forum, for all we can do right now, is sit and wait - in hope, if not yet expectation.