Everton enter ‘dawn of a new age’ as club chief sends message of hope and unity

Club CEO Angus Kinnear projected a vision of hope for progress after years of struggle in his latest address to supporters

Everton are entering a new era on and off the pitch
Nine new players were signed, ranging from the headline grabbing loan deal for Jack Grealish to moves for promising younger players like Thierno Barry and Adam Aznou, who should be able to grow with the club’s ambitions – an approach that is essential as Everton attempt to climb the table without falling foul of spending limits.

The work beyond the first team was just as essential, however. After TFG sought to restructure the club’s debts in the months after its takeover was completed in December, providing new stability, attention moved to strengthening a club that had been savaged by the financial problems that characterised the final stages of former owner Farhad Moshiri’s regime.

Nine new players were also signed for Everton Women, who moved into their new home of Goodison Park, star man Jarrad Branthwaite signed a new long term deal amid interest from Champions League clubs, a new leadership team headed by Kinnear started to come together and, of course, the transition to the Liverpool waterfront was completed.
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Kinnear wrote: “The successful opening of Hill Dickinson Stadium is an impressive symbol of a wider club renaissance. I have always believed that a club can only achieve success on the pitch when it is united off it, from boardroom, to staff, to terraces.

“For too long our club has been haunted by ownership instability and the dual spectres of the persistent threat of relegation and regulatory reprisal.

David Moyes celebrates victory over Wolves with his players and Everton supporters at Molineux.

David Moyes celebrates victory over Wolves with his players and Everton supporters at Molineux. Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images
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“This season marks the dawn of a new age for Everton. A stadium that can help us compete financially with the vast majority of the Premier League, a well-financed ownership with bold ambitions and a long-term horizon, and a men’s senior team which has every chance of building on the form it showed at the end of last season – serve to illustrate how bright that new dawn really is.”

That message of positivity has been backed by performances on the pitch. While the transfer overhaul continued deeper into the window than Moyes had hoped, and key areas within the squad have not been addressed, finding a solution to every issue was an unrealistic challenge in one summer.

That was all too clear in the season-opening defeat to Leeds United but Kinnear had previously called for the club’s work to be judged at the end of the window, by which time Tyler Dibling and Merlin Rohl boosted Moyes’ options. Wins over Brighton, Mansfield Town and Wolves followed and the attacking flare Moyes hoped to build created chances for three points to be taken at home to Aston Villa on Saturday, when Kinnear’s words were first shared with supporters.
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The CEO expressed pride that the likes of Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saw Everton as a project they could buy into, while stressing Moyes’ focus on sticking to his desire to be diligent through the window was crucial, as was his commitment to blending players for the present with those of the future.

Of those younger players, and of the club’s hopes of improving over the coming years, Kinnear said: “Their transition will be accelerated under the guidance of David Moyes. His desire to champion young talent remains as strong as ever. David was central to all our recruitment efforts.

“The first into Finch Farm each morning and the last to leave at night, he meticulously assessed every player proposal, data assessment and video review.

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“His passion and commitment for Everton, which began in 2002 with that famous victory over Fulham, is matched only by his vast experience and impressive credentials as a Premier League manager. We are privileged to have a manager who has such a deep love for the club and for Evertonians.”