If Everton supporters were hoping Tuesday would be the start of a brighter blue future then they were terribly mistaken.
Everton lurched deeper into turmoil after a remarkable string of events. Even the producers of Dream Team didn't create episodes as far fetched as what transpired.
And yet it all started so positively. Arnaut Danjuma was on the brink of being confirmed as the club’s first signing of the month and Marcelo Bielsa had emerged as the leading contender to replace Frank Lampard, who had been sacked the day before.
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Bielsa was never going to be universally popular with supporters, but at least it appeared like the club had a plan and were sticking to their word of bringing in a manager as fast as possible. However, what transpired next sums up the position Everton find themselves in. First, reports began to emerge claiming that the Blues faced a battle to convince Bielsa to join.
One report claimed that the 67-year-old had told Everton that the team is too slow to play the way he wants and they must prioritise pace in this month’s transfer window if he is to replace Lampard. Another report from Argentina claimed that Bielsa had rejected the chance to join the Blues. That claim is yet to be confirmed by anyone connected to the club.
Then came Danjuma. Although in between that, Sam Allardyce, a hugely controversial figure during his last spell in charge of Everton, had, reportedly, held talks with Farhad Moshiri over a return.
Anyway, back to Danjuma. Just as though as he appeared to be ready to put pen-to-paper at Finch Farm, the news broke he was half way down the M6 and on his way to Tottenham Hotspur.
Whether the subsequent sacking of Lampard prompted a change of heart from the player is unclear. But Tottenham moved swiftly and confirmed the deal on Wednesday afternoon.
The snub was an embarrassing blow for Everton, who are in need of new signings as much as a new manager at the minute.
But if that wasn't enough, then came the news that both Anthony Gordon and Amadou Onana were missing from training. The session was taken by Paul Tait and Leighton Baines.
Although as later reported by the ECHO, both players' absences were expected, the whole situation left supporters wondering what the hell was going on at their club.
Lampard himself can have no complaints over his sacking. Results have simply not been good enough. Although dealt a rough hand in more than one respect, one win in 12 Premier League games is not good enough for any club, let alone Everton Football Club.
But as supporters tucked into their evening meals at home, you couldn’t help but think about Lampard as the chaos unfolded. Just how much, certainly behind-the-scenes, has he been holding things together? And are Everton in an even bigger mess than we all thought?
They are just of the two questions that sprung to mind. Many more would come to mind as the evening progressed.
One of the most respected football writers on Merseyside recently wrote that it was too charitable to describe the Blues as a club in crisis. What came next just further backed up that point.
Everton supporters have long called for communication from Moshiri - and shortly after 8pm last night they got just that. But before that we had a report from the Guardian which claimed the businessman had put the Goodison Park club up for sale for £500m. The report further claimed that Deloitte had been instructed to handle the sale of the club.
However, speaking to the ECHO late on Tuesday night, Moshiri confirmed that he remained committed to Everton and was not looking to cash in.
Speaking to Everton Fan Advisory Chair Jazz Bal, in an interview recorded ahead of Everton’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham United and Lampard’s sacking, Moshiri reiterated his commitment to the club, broke his silence on fan protests and once again explained why he has faith in the club’s board of directors, despite calls from supporters for change at the top.
The 67-year-old also insisted that Everton would sign a striker before the transfer deadline and accepted that their talent spotting 'needed to improve'.
“I thought Blue Monday was bad till we got to Everton Tuesday,” one fan remarked on social media.
Even by the Blues' recent chaotic standards, Tuesday was a remarkable day, and one that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons in years to come.
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