Everton, “a club about the same size as Leeds United”
Hearing comments like the Leeds slight from outsiders really grinds. It cuts deep into the blue blood that knows this shouldn’t be so
"Everton, a club about the same size as Leeds United"
The lad was not from Liverpool. I was talking football with him and with a straight face, believing he was giving an Evertonian a back handed compliment said, ‘I think Everton are a good club, about the same size as Leeds United’.
‘Leeds United, Leeds United!!’, I kept repeating. I nearly choked. He recognised my disgust at the comparison but couldn’t understand why.
I didn’t have the presence of mind (I blame it on shock!) to regurgitate the history, trophies and everything else that makes Leeds United such an inferior comparison.
I think us older Evertonians are, at least semi-convinced, that we remain a massive club who are relevant to the wider footballing community. My mind still clings to the days we were part of the Big Five. The Mersey Millionaires. Breaking transfer records. Always trophy contenders. I still find it hard to take that we are no longer part of the elite.
It must be hard for the younger Blues who have known no success to fully understand the Everton they know is a completely different animal to the one we knew. The danger is, will there will be an acceptance by them to embrace this turgid mediocrity as their and the future Everton?
It continually shocks me to hear comments like the Leeds slight from outsiders. It really grinds. It cuts deep into the blue blood that knows this shouldn’t be so. But Leeds? A team that consistently yo-yos between promotion and relegation makes this assessment the more painful.
And if I’m being honest, I don’t think The Friedkin Group will be the ones to take the pain away.
Reader Responses
Selected thoughts from readers04/02/2026 19:23:36
Tony, it's not just about 30 years without a trophy though is it? That's just the result, it's how the club was used as a personal toy, abused the shareholders and supporters with an unbelievable arrogance and disrespect, the only winners being the chances, shady moneymen and a certain conman.
The husk of greatness hollowed out by greed has left us relieved, angry but oddly empty. Into that void flew a white knight and his iconic Spitfire with a promise to take us back to where we belong. Big words, but how and when, remain unspoken. The commercial restructuring, jarring at times but life saving nonetheless, had to be done as it will secure the future.
But there is an almost unspoken lack of personal commitment from our new owner when compared to his other senior club, Roma. Here Dan Friedkin has been seen on numerous occasions attending games or functions in stark contrast to Everton. It almost borders on disrespect many would say, but at best its disappointing, are we not worthy?
The absence of leadership, indeed, the absence of passion or pride in that leadership is concerning. It feels all about the money not the game, a worthwhile investment rather than a drive to take us to the top.
It takes many things to be successful in life, passion, drive, vision, commitment, communication and a plan. In honesty Tony, we are not even close, but we know that now, but just what is TFG measure of success may be (is) totally different than ours.
05/02/2026 13:20:40
I take a lot out of that last sentence Christine, because with the new stadium, up and running, then I don’t believe we are anywhere near as far away as we envisage.
I’m not stupid, the current PSR, or whatever they are now called rules, make it a lot harder but, it’s all about our owners and how much they truly want success, because the blue hordes are ready and just need owners with the same drive, determination and will to really succeed.
#really succeeding right now would just be delivering a trophy. That’s what the people need the most.
05/02/2026 18:18:41
In all honesty we are still a long way away from winning any sort of trophy. Given that we hardly had a team at the beginning of this season I think we are doing ok, and although I would have not have brought Jack Grealish to the Club he did bring that little bit of star quality which has been a joy to watch.
Moving on we need to decide on how we are going to play, what system we are going to use and what positions still need to be filled. If we can start next season with a full squad and a clear plan maybe next season we might, hopefully have a chance in one of the cup competitions and possibly a top six finish in the league. That would provide a platform for a new management team to take the team forward.
Sadly even if we can move forward we are way behind the 'New Big Clubs' and it will take sometime and careful management to return us to the top tier.
05/02/2026 20:21:59
David, under Moyes previously we attained the mantel of "best of the rest" and although it would certainly be progress it would not necessarily follow that we would bag a trophy or qualify for European places. In that respect Tony is spot on in saying we need a trophy to establish or confirm to the world but more so ourselves, as a successful team or club.
Here is the rub though, to compete at the highest level, win silverware or break that iron clad ceiling above us, we need not just time but exceptional commercial revenue. The game is so badly rigged against any aspiring team with PSR and now squad revenue ratio caps, that "continual" success is impossible without the ability to buy or keep, the best players. Newcastle a case in point, Chelsea another..
But it's chicken and egg, to get the revenue you need to be successfully winning trophies or competing for them. Just exactly how we square that circle is the puzzle our new owners must solve.
Or do they even try? Long term value could be enhanced with occasional exploits into Europe, as "best of the rest" it would become a new norm. Dan Friedkin would have sat down and asked the question "How far can we go?" And when he bought the club, what is his end game? Why did he buy us? It's clearly not a love affair, not driven with a passion of a supporter, we are not even the No1 club in his portfolio in his own eyes. So what's the plan Dan? What's your timeliness and it's measure of success? Is "Best of the rest" as good as we can expect or do you have a cunning plan Baldrick?
06/02/2026 02:21:02
What exactly does ‘size’ mean? In context, is the comparison to Leeds anything to get upset about?
Leeds is apparently the third largest city in the UK by population but only has one football team, so the potential for that club should be way above where they have largely operated. I don’t know what their home gate averages out at.
Everton, however, have a much greater ‘history’ and we are rightly proud of that.
What makes things tougher for us, and therefore our relative success more admirable (even when it seems dire to those of us who have experienced rampant superiority), is sharing our home city with some other over achievers. We were slumbering when the real money came into the game, and now nobody is allowed to short-cut the system so we can only build incrementally in the main and keep faith that we can really ‘take-off’ some time soon.
06/02/2026 13:02:26
John, the comparison with Leeds doesn't irk me, but I know where you are coming from.
What gets my goat is when people say "Your team is doing well", just because we have had a good mini-run or reached the supposedly dizzy heights for us of ninth.
I remember many, many seasons when we looked down upon ninth with some contempt. But, alas, that was a long time ago and I also have to accept I am now an old man, sometimes an Evertonian Victor Meldrew.
This club desperately needs a trophy, especially as we are in a two-club city, and every time we go out of a cup without breaking sweat, never mind going on a run, I fall into a depressive state for several days.
06/02/2026 17:17:19
Winning a trophy would be welcome but not sufficient. We need to assemble a squad capable of finishing the season high enough to qualify for the top European competition and to do so regularly. That transition cannot be achieved instantly. For many years Everton has flirted with relegation and have only just avoided the drop. An important part of our proud history is having spent only four seasons outside the top division.
We have dispelled the thought of relegation, and that is an improvement for which we should be grateful. European qualification is a must. Top players want to join teams that play international club games. The question we need to address is not artificial comparison with other clubs but are we on track to restore the position we used to occupy.
10/02/2026 17:50:32
I admit I was pretty gobsmacked when I voted in the opinion poll Lyndon has put up. To date 96% don't care how we play as long as we win. Of course winning is important but surely as the song goes, "Everton's the team that plays beautiful football" means or meant something to us? Do the means justify an end?
Managers are often sacked because of the style they play, look at Big Sam, relatively successful in winning games but my God the football! Or conversely look at Martinez, great style but no defence. Both sack because of the football played.
Just 12 people voted to see a better style of football in the future at the club and I think I voted twice! I think I've lost the plot...
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02/02/2026 19:05:45
Thirty years without a trophy, does make Everton Football Club, become irrelevant to most people who don’t support our club.
Be careful what you wish for - honest to fucking god.