There have been many false dawns in the Everton takeover saga over the last 18 months. Enough to probably make every Evertonian, and neutral in fairness, stop reading this article right here, but I enjoin you to read on.
The sun could well be just days away from rising once again around the Merseyside club as The Friedkin Group (TFG) close in on a completion of the process of acquiring Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1 per cent stake in the club.
The fanbase have experienced all manner of emotions since MSP agreed a period of exclusivity with Moshiri back in May 2023.
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Highlights from the match between Everton and Wolves in the Premier League
So much has happened between then and where we are today that there should be little doubt they have ridden the proverbial rollercoaster; at times wallowing in the light-headedness of the, ‘we’re going to win the lot’ proclamations, to reaching the point of desperation and questioning the club’s very existence.
Of course, the reality is somewhere in the middle of those extreme views and the light at the end of the tunnel is nearing at a controlled speed.
There is a stark difference to how TFG have gone about their business in the drawn out and complex process of buying a Premier League club compared to what preceded them – especially with the often unique nature of Everton Football Club, with its financial issues, problems on the pitch and wonderful reality of a new stadium in an iconic location.
TFG have worked relentlessly and diligently over a number of months, quietly and professionally with no noise, no promises of utopia or briefings of such.
They have maintained a level-headed approach to a drama which needed that in spades.
So what can we expect from the Texas-based billionaires when, as expected, they take the reins in the next week or so?
My understanding is that the message will be one of them looking to strike a balance between a long-term vision and an exciting new plan, and keeping the absolute focus on the remaining months of the current season, one in which much work is still to be done.
What TFG don’t need is a relegation battle. It goes without saying that losing their Premier League status would put those future plans back somewhat.
Everyone knows results are everything in football, and all parties will be acutely aware that they have to improve.
I don’t see a flag-waving, hooting-tooting entrance, or much talk of ‘what we’re gonna do’ statements.
More likely a swan-like elegance, calm on the surface whilst furious peddling under the water and a ‘get to work’ attitude with a full focus on the immediate job in hand.
I suspect transfer business will be looked at for January and they will have an understanding as to what is needed as Sean Dyche navigates what looks like a difficult month or so, fixture-wise.
I don’t see any immediate change of manager either.
I expect the group’s executives to assess the situation fully before making any major decisions. They have very much distanced themselves from any kind of involvement in the decision making at the club during the takeover process – rightly so, it’s a policy they have stuck to vehemently.
Farhad Moshiri’s time as majority shareholder is ending
However, as everyone knows, results are everything in football, and all parties will be acutely aware that they have to improve for the aforementioned reasons.
Finally, what of Moshiri? He has worked hard to get this deal over the line.
This deal will leave the club in a better place, certainly from the one he acquired, than many forecasters suggested, thanks to his decision to turn his loans into equity and his tenacious endurance to get the new stadium built in the face of huge challenges – some of them not appreciated by many.
This will be his legacy. He will admit to making mistakes, of course – and there have been mistakes.
The club’s league position over a number of years tells us that. But if all goes as expected, Everton can look to a brighter future ahead and he will have played his part in that.
