Talk about being kicked when you’re down, it seems as though Everton are taking beatings both on and off the pitch right now. Ahead of the last weekend’s Merseyside Derby, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at least conducted a dignified press conference when he declared that he hoped the Blues would stay up in the Premier League but the likes of Jose Enrique and Charlie Austin – apparently the Berkshire-born Queens Park Rangers striker is a Reds fan – have both shown rather less class and claimed it would be “funny” to see them relegated.
It doesn’t end there though as Everton seem to have as few friends among statisticians as they have in VAR’s headquarters at Stockley Park. Not only was the ‘belter’ about Allan’s passing at Anfield – or lack of it – but others have been all too eager to demonstrate how the Blues find themselves in their perilous current predicament despite ‘outspending’ their high-flying neighbours who having already captured this season’s Carabao Cup are still competing for what would be an unprecedented quadruple of major honours.
Sport Bible tweeted out a screenshot of a graphic showing the respective transfer figures and accomplishments of the Merseyside rivals since the summer of 2016 – when owner Farhad Moshiri first came to Everton. Not only did the number crunchers come up with a bigger outlay from the Blues in terms of fees splashed out but their net spend was approximately twice the figure of those across Stanley Park.
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The tragedy for Evertonians when it comes to this team who enter the final month of the season in the relegation zone and regardless of whether they stay up or not, are on course for the lowest equivalent points total in the club’s entire history is that it has been assembled at great expense, there is absolutely no question about that. Mr Moshiri has invested a fortune but the Blues’ recruitment policy has been at best muddled and worst, deeply flawed.
However, all is not what it seems when taking the quoted figures at first glance. Annoyingly, many modern day transfers are for ‘undisclosed fees’ so we can’t always get truly accurate numbers but even when using widely-reported price tags as a guide, there’s something not quite right about the graphic. Everton seem well ahead of Liverpool when it comes to ‘£20million’ signings, with the score recorded as 20-12.
In truth there are only 16 in this bracket but £20million seems to be the going rate for most half-decent Premier League signings these days. What is really telling though are the figures for the real top end of the market though.
When it comes to £40million plus signings – the true elite – Liverpool are said to be ahead 7-3 but just who are this supposed Everton trio? Gylfi Sigurdsson – who hasn’t played for the Blues all season – remains the club’s record signing at £45million.
At the time of Richarlison’s arrival, his fee was reported as being £35million which could potentially increase to £50million depending upon add ons but even if we include the Brazilian, who is the missing third man? Everton’s next most-expensive purchases are Romelu Lukaku and Alex Iwobi who both arrived for £28million with the latter’s fee potentially increasing to £34million, a figure that still keeps him way below the £40million threshold.
You can only imagine that they have included Frank Lampard’s January transfer deadline day signing Dele Alli in there. The England international came from Tottenham Hotspur in a highly-structured deal, initially on a free transfer but with £10million to be paid after 20 appearances.
While famously shrewd negotiator Daniel Levy is never going to give you something for nothing, Dele and Everton are going to have to achieve truly amazing things together if that final bill to Spurs is going to amount to anything close to £40million. Klopp has done a remarkable job at Liverpool improving the players that he has bought and moulding them into an outstanding unit both at home and abroad but he’s also had to pay a pretty penny himself at time to reach such stellar levels.
Top stars are always going to be attracted to teams who are already competing in the Champions League and the big jumps the Reds made in terms of elevating themselves to a side that were capable of challenging for major honours came when they pay world record fees at the time for a defender (Virgil van Dijk) and then goalkeeper (Alisson). Everton have squandered millions undoubtedly but they not need outsiders rubbing salt into the wounds with dodgy accounting.
Whether or not this is an honest mistake or something to push a certain agenda is unclear but as the old saying goes, “there are lies, damned lies and statistics.” However, for these crucial last six matches of the Premier League season though, the only numbers that matter are Lampard’s side scoring more goals than the opposition as they desperately seek the wins required to ensure a first relegation in 71 years is not on the horizon.
