A Tale of Two City Rivals

Across Stanley Park, Everton supporters can only envy wealth at their neighbour’s disposal. The Toffees have been pleading poverty for some years now and have been powerless to avoid selling some big name players including, most recently, the talismanic Mikel Arteta. Many hopes are now pinned on the young shoulders of Ross Barkley to fill the void left by the Spaniard. However, his precocious talents have already brought speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea or, like Wayne Rooney before him, Manchester United. Everton may need to become evermore reliant on their brilliant youth system unless they can prevent being seen as a selling club.

Everton’s other key asset is manager David Moyes. This season, he will celebrate a decade in charge during which he has established his reputation as one of the best in the business. Despite the lack of spending power, the canny Scot has kept the club competitive and the team capable of beating anyone when at their best. With more financial clout, it’s widely felt that Moyes could have Everton challenging for trophies on a regular basis. The board are openly looking for new investors and a move to a new stadium in the hope of giving the club new impetus. For the time being, the Goodison Park outfit seem to be stuck in a mid-table rut.

25 years ago, Everton v Liverpool would not only been a highly-charged derby game but a top of the table clash too. Today, the Premier League table indicates that another city just down the M62 may be about to become the new empire of English football…

This article was written by Paul Gould and is courtesy of our partner website thisisfutbol.com. Read the latest news and blogs about European Football at TiF. – ed

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