TFG Have Mistaken Stability for Progress. And the Finch Farm Culture Will Defeat Them Too
FAN VIEW
For too long, Everton have had one objective: to stay in the Premier League. Fixing that culture starts in Halewood
I have come to the conclusion that The Friedkin Group have not recognised the strength of the culture at Everton. I have often beaten the well-worn path of listing its norms and their effect on Everton's progress, and how it has defeated repeated managers and anyone who tried to effect change, even myself.
This is the fundamental distinction that TFG have missed: the difference between dysfunction and culture. Roma was dysfunctional: chaotic ownership, financial pressure, fan toxicity, but the football side still had ambition. Everton's problem is different. It is a deeply embedded, passive, defensive culture that has learned to survive by doing just enough and nothing more.
Now, I can already hear the predictable responses: "Negative as usual", "You just hate Moyes", "We finished 13th, not relegated". To those fans, I'd say: I desperately want to be wrong. But I've seen this film before. And pointing out a structural problem isn't negativity, it's the first step to fixing it.
TFG have mistakenly looked at Everton's history. It is history — over thirty years of it; they have seen a problem of lack of stability. But what they have failed to understand is that when there has been managed stability, it has been managed by the culture. What I collectively call 'Finch Farm'. Everton have had one objective, which they have consistently achieved: to stay in the Premier League. The only interest has been the management and maintenance of the little empires throughout the structure of the club. There is no interest in the club progressing into the top six or any cup competition, including Europe.
If, by some turn of fate, they did manage to get into Europe, they would not last long in it anyway. And regulatory wise, due to multi‑club rules, lack of PSR headroom, and current UEFA financial requirements, it is doubtful there is even the will to qualify for Europe. This season there was a collapse, the worst reduction in standards in the Premier League, when it looked possible. That collapse was not a blip. It was a symptom. When European qualification became possible, the culture did what it always does: when off on holiday..
Some will say: "But TFG were ruthless at Roma, they sacked De Rossi. They'll act here too." To which I reply: yes, they acted at Roma after the damage was done, after fan revolt, after the CEO needed police protection. That's not ruthlessness; that's crisis management. And sacking Moyes won't fix Finch Farm. The culture has seen off managers before. It will see off Moyes – and the next one – unless TFG tear down the little empires, not just change the manager.
TFG have been tempered by their rollercoaster experience at Roma, where they went full-on with a data approach. They seem to have missed the point. At Roma, that approach has been successful; Champions League qualification and finances to suit. Yes, it has been chaotic, caused a fan revolt and resulted in abuse, but so what? The club is successful on the pitch. At Roma, the chaos produced results. At Everton, the stability produces nothing but survival.
Another predictable defence: "Moyes isn't stupid – he'll adapt. He'll play the young signings this season." Maybe. But adaptation is not the same as transformation. Moyes is 63. His entire career is built on trusting experience over potential. Changing now would require him to abandon what made him successful. I'll believe it when I see Dibling start five games in a row.
Everton, by contrast, have had an end‑of‑season collapse. They have a weak chief executive who actually employed Moyes and spoke of data‑driven and flat structure, only to veneer it over the existing structures at Everton and allow Moyes, the culture maintainer, to effectively take over control of the football side of the club: selection, transfers, the style of play, and the players that suit, at a costly expense of youth in its maintenance, something he will continue to do this summer.
So confident is Moyes, after the endorsement in mid‑May by the chief executive, that he will be in the USA for the transfer window, confident that his requirements will be fulfilled. We might be lucky and see the Friedkins when they meet Moyes whilst he is over there.
And here comes the final predictable line: "You just want another manager every six months like Chelsea." No. I want a clear, consistent football strategy whether it's data-led or manager-led, and the courage to stick with it. Right now, we have neither. We have Kinnear talking data while handing control to Moyes. That's not a plan. That's a compromise designed to avoid conflict. And compromise with Finch Farm never works.
The Friedkins are in for a shock the coming season when they realise that progress ain't going to happen after Kinnear extends Moyes's contract. To be fair to TFG, they have shown at Roma that they can be ruthless, they sacked De Rossi when results demanded it. They also sacked other managers. The question is whether they recognise Everton's problem early enough. I fear they will not. They will have to get rid of Moyes the following season at great cost, as relegation threatens, and start the fight against the culture that has seen off so many, with demands for huge infrastructure spend and a chaotic path that will make their Roma experience look like a walk in the park, and with a new chief executive necessary.
One last counter to the "TFG are playing a long game" argument: Playing the long game assumes you have the right pieces on the board. If you let the culture maintain control recruitment for two summer windows, you're not playing the long game, you're entrenching the very system you claim to want to change. The long game requires a CEO who can say no to the manager. Kinnear has shown no sign of that.
And, again, here is the hardest truth: sacking Moyes won't fix the culture. That requires a root‑and‑branch rebuild of Finch Farm's little empires. It is going to take years to turn this around and a lot of properly targeted spending.
I'll close with this; I hope I'm wrong: I hope Moyes proves me wrong, wins us a cup, and plays the kids. I hope Kinnear grows a spine and TFG force through a real data model. But I'm not seeing the signs. And ignoring the signs is how we ended up here , thirty years of managed decline. If that makes me "negative", so be it. I prefer to call it remembering.
Reader Responses
Selected thoughts from readers12/06/2026 17:55:48
There is every indication that Moyes stays another year, none that he is being replaced, yet.
So this summer’s business will be the indicator for how we set up next season, so don't expect too much.
Just hope that there is a succession plan to replace the manager some time after christmas, so that this time next year we are looking forward to a constructive squad rebuild.
The Finch Farm conundrum needs a Jeremy Clarkson makeover.
12/06/2026 19:05:56
We simply won’t achieve anything until we change the culture, no matter how many discussions people have about players, managers and money.
I’ve written before about the time I heard the story about our ex-goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, allegedly in conversation with Rafael Benitez, saying that he thought a lot of players were on easy street at Everton, because a lot of them were on champions league wages, without having any of the real pressure to qualify for the champions league.
I hate the culture at Everton. We had a good season until the last month, said the manager, whilst the CEO, was talking about being happily dissatisfied.
12/06/2026 19:31:32
Good article Jerome, highlights the fact that an enormous amount of tissue paper has been used to paper over the cracks to give the impression of solidarity, culture and stability.
An invisible board, along with invisible owners tinker around the edges of change.
Real change, cultural change, has to have visible strength, by its very nature, culture change is the hardest thing to do in any major company because it's the people. It's who we are, it's the Everton way.
Real change has to have real leadership, because it's a massive ask to change mentality, it's not just structure, it's the people. It means getting on board or getting out of the way. It means the loss of good and bad along the way for the greater good. It has to be ruthless in its objective.
Stability is the opposite of change. It's a cop out on responsibility, it's weakness of leadership at the top.
I don't buy the bullshit of stability, change is brutal but success is it's reward.
The current structure of Moyes, Kinnear screams complacency to me, Finch Farm is merely the visible example of a club that's lacking intent and direction.
Change has to be driven, not given. Right now we are a carthorse ambling along a motorway.
13/06/2026 07:57:48
Thanks everyone, genuinely. I expected more "negative as usual" and got thoughtful engagement instead. That's rare.
A quick note on what unites these responses: you all agree something is wrong. Whether it's culture, money, stadium debt, or leadership – we're all pointing at the same malaise. The disagreement is about the cure.
I hope Robert is right and I'm wrong. I'd love to be quoting this piece back at myself in two years as premature pessimism. But I've seen this film before. And the director hasn't changed.
One more thing I didn't spell out in the article – and it's the physical proof of everything I'm arguing.
Finch Farm isn't just a metaphor. The club doesn't own the training ground. It was sold in a sale-and-leaseback deal nearly twenty years ago. Everton are tenants at their own facility. That's why it's been neglected. Why invest millions in a site you don't own?
This wasn't a mistake. It was a survival strategy. Short-term cash to balance the books. Long-term decline baked in.
The "Finch Farm culture" sees the current state – poor facilities, no ownership, no pressure to improve as perfectly fine. Because survival doesn't require elite infrastructure. Survival requires just enough.
I estimate the investment needed to fix Everton's off-pitch infrastructure (training ground, academy, data systems, scouting network) at well over £200 million. That's on top of the stadium. TFG are wealthy, but are they willing to spend that much just to catch up?
And here's the killer question: even if they spend it, will the culture let it work? New buildings don't automatically create new thinking. The little empires will just move into nicer offices.
So yes, Robert, money matters. But money without cultural demolition is just a more expensive version of the same mediocrity.
Finch Farm needs physical demolition as much as cultural. And right now, the club doesn't even own the land to demolish.
Also apologies I reread my article and realised I had mucked up my key line 'when on holiday'.Should read 'went on holiday'.My excuse is I am a Tech Muppet and autocorrect gets me most times.You all are familiar with my view that Summer holidays at Finch Farm begin in Late April and work winds down in January of the same year with Cup exits.
Thank you again for your comments.
13/06/2026 08:14:36
I am thinking next season will be difficult as I imagine the Manager and his staff will simply continue with the same tactics and broadly the same squad that we had last season. So I don't expect any real progress and I think this will result in an angry response from fans. I am not in favour of the Manager continuing and I certainly did not think he should be off on a jolly to the World Cup. It seems to me that if we are to move on there is loads to be done here moving on the players that Moyes clearly doesn't fancy and bringing in some new players he does.
The Club did well last season in negotiating the move to our new stadium, and that was exciting particularly when we signed Grealish who added a bit of welcome stardust. But overall we made no progress on the playing side and the fans reaction following the completion of the final home game gave an indication of our mood and general dissatisfaction. I am unusual in that I care more about the way and style of our play than winning trophies, but sadly the way we are managed we are unlikely to do either well.
I certainly have no wish to see the same boring game plan that the Manager followed for much of last season, we badly need to see some progress. All we know at present is ticket prices have risen, we be playing regularly on Monday nights and transport to and from the Stadium remains difficult. And unless our general play improves on the pitch I cannot see 50,000 fans turning up and remaining silent.
13/06/2026 09:17:41
I think Finch Farm renovation Jerome is a luxury we don't have at the moment. Obviously the whole Club needs to be run well, and professionally. But it seems to me at the moment we've got much bigger fish to fry. Like we had a pretty awful squad last year, we made a host of signings and most of them could't break into said ropey team. there is an argument for saying we need an entirely new back four. Is anyone confident Jarrad will be fit, or that Jake will just seamlessly transfer over to centre back? And then there's replacing Gana, a key member of that ropey team. We'll probably lose Ndiaye, and Grealish may well not come back. And up front, well, we know the problems there. We exited last season in relegation form, and now need a total squad rebuild. But our manager isn't going to be back for a month. the natives are restless, and the club needs a really good start to next season to quell dissent. I'm not sure we're going to get it.
13/06/2026 09:31:43
Jerome, you are spot on by the way, the present arrangement is a compromise. Moyes is just a safe pair of hands to see us through a club overhaul - almost all of which is going on behind the scenes. Next season there will be a new guy in charge who will work in a more joined up fashion with the club. I don’t think that indicates a lack of ambition etc. All it means is that visible progress isn’t happening as fast as fans would like. But in a few years there’s no reason to think we won’t look and behave like a genuine big club:
1. Spending on a par with at least Villa, Newcastle and Spurs - and a good margin ahead of everyone below that.
2. Anywhere between 5 and 15 genuine prospects out on loan at Championship level or top flight league overseas.
3. Loaning our best prospects to other Premier League clubs for development.
4. Trading young players for profit rather than as first team material.
5. A squad full of players capable of playing champions league style football - athletic, technical and mobile.
6. Competing with other Champions League hopefuls for top players each summer.
This is so far removed from what we’ve all experienced of Everton as a Premier league club it’s hard to get your head around.
13/06/2026 14:39:47
Just noticed Kieran McKenna has left Ipswich for a break from football. He must be the likeliest candidate to fill the vacant manager spot at Everton season 27/28.
13/06/2026 18:05:19
D'you think TFG have him on a retainer, Robert?
13/06/2026 18:20:05
David, thanks for the comment.
I think the fanbase is more resilient than people give it credit for. The move to Bramley-Moore Dock, higher ticket prices, transport issues and Monday night football will all test patience, but supporters have carried this club through far worse.IMO survival against the odds in the Premiership. What they will demand, however, is some visible sign of progress. I suspect Moyes will deliver a watchable performance at least one game in three, which may be enough to keep a section of the fanbase onside, but it won't be enough on its own if the broader direction of the club remains unclear.
Kevin also makes a valid point regarding the squad. There are obvious footballing issues that need addressing: the defence, replacing key players, adding quality in attack and managing uncertainty around injuries and departures. Those are real concerns and cannot be ignored.
My argument is that the problems are both structural and cultural. The squad rebuild is necessary, but so is investment in the infrastructure behind it. The training ground, academy pathways, recruitment processes, scouting network and football operations all need attention. What concerns me is that I still don't see a clear statement of intent on how the club plans to address those areas.
Robert's vision of what Everton could become is interesting, and it reflects the model many ambitious clubs are already following. The problem is that competing clubs are not standing still. Stability by itself is no longer enough when rivals are constantly improving their structures, recruitment and player development. Standing still in modern football is effectively moving backwards.
As for the Chief Executive, I remain unconvinced that he has shown the authority required to drive that level of change. I am not even sure if he knows what a progressive flat structure is.Equally, I'm not sure the manager has much interest in leading that sort of transformation either. That's why I keep returning to the same point: changing the manager alone won't solve the deeper issues.
And thanks, Robert, for mentioning McKenna. That was an interesting development and certainly one worth keeping an eye on.
14/06/2026 14:02:44
Not sure where to post this but thoroughly enjoyed the Brazil v. Morocco game. Morocco showed exactly what I meant above about playing Champions League style football. Very high technical ability teamed with mobility and workrate - and noticeably the full backs being the playmakers and providing penetration down the flanks. By contrast it was Brazil playing like a small club - with stay at home full backs and a ponderous midfield. It is a lesson in assembling a squad that to move on we have to buy a type of player - even if the player proves not to be top class their characteristics still enable you to play champions league style football. Whereas with the likes of Keane (good though he was last season in his own way) and Tarkowski at CB and Mykolenko and O’Brien at full back will only ever allow you to play small club style football. The good news is that there is an absolute wealth of RBs to choose from in particular who can help transform our right flank at least - even if Mykolenko remains first pick at LB.
14/06/2026 22:27:31
Sorry am I reading this right but since when did Finch Farm have poor facilities ?
Serious question.
I know it’s not brand new but I thought it was still pretty state of the art ?
Is it really in need of renovation ?
Granted, it is a few years since I was last there (watching an Academy game) so it may well now be in a state of repair but when you see pictures/videos of the place now it always looks fine to me.
Am I having the wool pulled over my eyes by all that shiny, corporate, official club content ?
Say it isn’t so.
14/06/2026 23:08:09
Jamie#13
When measured against its Premier League peers, Finch Farm lags significantly. Opened in 2007 for a modest £17 million, it has received only a small fraction of the investment lavished on state-of-the-art facilities built in the last decade. Consequently, a 2026 ranking of training grounds placed Everton in 14th position, behind clubs like Ipswich Town and Bournemouth, whose facilities cost many times more to build.
I could give details to back this up,I have done a analysis, including a comparison with other Premier League Clubs, somewhere .
15/06/2026 07:54:37
Morning Jerome, great article - really enjoyed it.
Feel free to post anything from your research but I wasn’t having a pop. I was genuinely interested.
Was £17 million a modest amount in 2007 ? If compared to facilities built over the last ten years then surely they would cost more anyway due to rising costs of everything between then, compared to 2016 and present day.
Who exactly ranks training grounds/facilities ? Must be a nice job that.
As for the little empires you mention - a lot of these are documented in Duncan Ferguson’s autobiography and whilst they are obviously his opinions, after finishing the book I was left feeling that most of these cliques had moved on.
15/06/2026 10:52:47
I think that last paragraph is interesting Jamie, because I think it’s pretty clear that those clicks would have been created during the first David Moyes era.
Remember the footage of Martinez, getting the ice bucket challenge from Jagielka? More than a bucket hey….it was a big fucking bin, that the club captain, had decided to throw over his manager from the window above, and it screamed to me of a club that lacked proper professional authority.
The other side is the nepotism throughout the corridors of finch farm. How many people work there because someone they knew got them a job? Jobs for the boys has always existed, but surely not in an environment that requires 100% total professionalism.
I was at finch farm on Saturday, because my son’s team had a few games there. It actually depresses me, (although this is just my own personal opinion) and when I look around at both the lush green grass and the 4G astroturf pitches, I close my eyes, feel the constant wind (in the middle of June, even) and think to myself, what a ridiculous place to put a training ground.
My own view is that I have always thought that wind - is the enemy of football, so the first thing I always think when I go inside Everton’s training ground is, Where are the windbreaker’s?
No wonder we often struggle to,pass the fucking ball!
15/06/2026 13:44:08
That’s a good set of points Jamie. By finch farm, I was generally thinking that Jerome was really talking more generally about the behind the scenes footballling side of Everton - things like coaching of the first team and various academy teams, scouting, recruitment and player development (and data analytics to support all of this). If cliques and climate are the problems then it should be fairly easy to fix these things. Sack the cliques and install wind breaks. More innovative clubs have transformed themselves with this sort of stuff (none of which is ever overseen by the manager - despite them seeming to take cedit). Even a little club like Nordsjaellend in Denmark is fast becoming a new Ajax in terms of volume and consistency of quality coming through and none of this is an accident. With the right strategy, staff and investment we can make huge strides.
15/06/2026 15:19:15
Wise words & a good read Jerome. Thank you for the article.
I totally agree with you on both Moyes & Finch Farm, a sentiment I am about echo n an artcle I am about to submit for cinsideration.
I've never hiddem my dislik of Moyes. His negative syle got me down first time around, didn't want him back & can never forgive him for his fear of the red cousins & inability to land a trophy, which was criminal.
I sincerrley hope that our Texan owners don't take the easy option. Any ounce of ambition lies elsewhere. Act now & make the change with immediate effect.
The role of any academy is two-fold: produce players that will make money for theclub & concuerently prodoce stars for the future.
Once again, thak you Jerome.
Finch farm ne
15/06/2026 15:19:15
Wise words & a good read Jerome. Thank you for the article.
I totally agree with you on both Moyes & Finch Farm, a sentiment I am about echo n an artcle I am about to submit for cinsideration.
I've never hiddem my dislik of Moyes. His negative syle got me down first time around, didn't want him back & can never forgive him for his fear of the red cousins & inability to land a trophy, which was criminal.
I sincerrley hope that our Texan owners don't take the easy option. Any ounce of ambition lies elsewhere. Act now & make the change with immediate effect.
The role of any academy is two-fold: produce players that will make money for theclub & concuerently prodoce stars for the future.
Once again, thak you Jerome.
Finch farm ne
15/06/2026 15:19:15
Wise words & a good read Jerome. Thank you for the article.
I totally agree with you on both Moyes & Finch Farm, a sentiment I am about echo n an artcle I am about to submit for cinsideration.
I've never hiddem my dislik of Moyes. His negative syle got me down first time around, didn't want him back & can never forgive him for his fear of the red cousins & inability to land a trophy, which was criminal.
I sincerrley hope that our Texan owners don't take the easy option. Any ounce of ambition lies elsewhere. Act now & make the change with immediate effect.
The role of any academy is two-fold: produce players that will make money for theclub & concuerently prodoce stars for the future.
Once again, thak you Jerome.
Finch farm ne
15/06/2026 15:25:52
If you know what' you're doing in professional football the sky is the limit as Bournemouth Brighton and Brentford have shown.
It's also possible to massively underachieve, if your priorities lie elsewhere, Man United being the prime example.
Has anyone seen anything from the Friedkins so far that gives the impression they have any sort of expertise in this area, or that they even give a flying one?
15/06/2026 16:02:58
Jamie#15
It not that I have any time Jamie, but I done it myself in Tabular form ( which I can't transfer to this post )and just to show you if you want to get anything done ask a busy man, I have included who actually owns their training facilities.You can see the difference in progress yourself.
The £17 million spent in 2007 is modest in today's terms when you take depreciation into account and only £4 million spent loaned by Liverpool Council since 2007.£17m in 2007 now gets you less than half of what a modern £40m facility can provide.
But the ultimate proof is that Everton for years have had a clause to be able to buyback Finch Farm back for £17 million every five years.Knowley Council will be very strick on any development of Finch Farm.It is in a green belt.Everton didn't want to buy it and even TFG have the same option this year.So have you heard anything, and what does that tell you?
Rank Club Facility
Name Opened
/Refurb Est.
Cost Area (Acres)
Pitches
1 Man City City Football Academy 2014 £200m 80 16
2 Leicester Seagrave 2020 £100m 185 21
3 Tottenham Hotspur Way 2012 £45m 77 15
4 Man Utd Carrington 2025 (Refurb) £60m 108 14
5 Liverpool AXA Training Centre 2020 £50m 22 10+
6 Chelsea Cobham 2007 £20m 140 30
7 Arsenal Sobha Realty Centre 2017 (Refurb) £12m 143 10
8 Aston Villa Bodymoor Heath 2021 £14m 90 12
9 Brighton Amex Elite Performance 2021 (Refurb) £32m 21 13
10 Ipswich Playford Rd / Bent Ln 2026 (Refurb) £40m 43 13
11 Bournemouth Canford Magna 2023 £35m 57 9
12 Wolves Compton Park 2023 (Refurb) £10m 50 11
13 Newcastle Darsley Park 2024 (Refurb) £15m 15 6
14 Everton Finch Farm 2007 £17m 55 10
15 Southampton Staplewood 2014 £40m 27 11
16 Sunderland Academy of Light 2003 £15m 220 15
17 Crystal Palace Copers Cope 2021 £20m 20 8
18 Leeds Utd Thorp Arch 1994 (Ongoing) - - -
Premier League Training Ground Ownership
· Manchester City (1st): Owned (Freehold). The 80-acre City Football Academy is owned by the club and serves as the global HQ for the City Football Group.
· Leicester City (2nd): Owned (Freehold). The 185-acre Seagrave facility was a transformative investment by the Srivaddhanaprabha family.
· Tottenham Hotspur (3rd): Owned (Freehold). The club owns the Hotspur Way site.
· Manchester United (4th): Owned (Freehold). The Carrington complex is owned by the club, with a recent £50m redevelopment.
· Liverpool (5th): Owned (Freehold). The AXA Training Centre is owned by Liverpool FC.
· Chelsea (6th): Owned (Freehold). The Cobham Training Centre is owned by Chelsea FC.
· Arsenal (7th): Owned (Freehold). The club owns the freehold of the Sobha Realty Training Centre.
· Aston Villa (8th): Owned (Freehold). The club owns the freehold of the Bodymoor Heath Training Ground.
· Brighton & Hove Albion (9th): Owned (Freehold). The American Express Elite Football Performance Centre is owned by the club.
· Ipswich Town (10th): Owned (Freehold). The club completed the purchase of the freehold for the Playford Road site from former owner Marcus Evans in 2025, removing a major obstacle.
· AFC Bournemouth (11th): Owned (Freehold). The club purchased the freehold of the Canford Magna site for £3.75m in 2018.
· Wolverhampton Wanderers (12th): Owned (Freehold). The Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground was the club's first owned facility after a forced sale in the late 1980s.
· Newcastle United (13th): Owned (Freehold). The club owns the freehold for Darsley Park.l
· Everton (14th): Leasehold. The club does not own the freehold of Finch Farm, operating on a lease arrangement.
· Southampton (15th): Owned (Freehold). The club purchased the freehold of the Staplewood Campus.
· Sunderland (16th): Owned (Freehold). The Academy of Light was developed by the club's owner and is owned by Sunderland AFC.
· Crystal Palace (17th): Owned (Freehold). The club completed the purchase of the freehold of its Beckenham training ground at auction in 2013.
· Leeds United (18th): Leasehold. The club does not own Thorp Arch, which was sold during a financial crisis in 2004. The club leases the facility, and a buy-back clause has expired.
15/06/2026 16:49:02
A reminder of that wonderful Evertonian, and all the great things he did for our club, when he was alive there Jerome.
Freeholds all the way, except for Everton and Leeds United. I can understand Leeds, who lost everything when they overspent but, Kenwright sold Bellefield, kept the money for other things and decided to rent a new training ground instead.
From owning a training ground, the chairman decided it would be better to pocket the £10/12 million from the sale of Bellefield, and start renting one instead. That absolutely fantastic Evertonian, Kenwright, must have known he wouldn’t be around forever so saddled the club with a debt of £80 million, to rent the new training ground for the next fifty years, and the best thing about it (unbelievable 🤮) was when the Liverpool echo, actually went about praising the club, for what it described as a very innovative deal?
You couldn’t make it up but going back to the culture, and specifically the footballing culture, then if that little club in Denmark, can achieve so much success, why can’t a club of Everton’s stature? Because the club haven’t had anyone with a real desire to achieve great things for years, maybe?
15/06/2026 17:58:05
Kevin, at Roma, I looked at this ages ago so might be somewhat inaccurate - but I am pretty sure they stepped up youth recruitment quite markedly. That is with a view to what Danny describes (a) more prospects for the first team and (b) more players to loan and sell for profit - who might be top championship / lower Prem standard and ergo not good enough.
I also think they have already put in place enhanced scouting and data analytics - above and beyond what we had before. There have been various articles online about this but I’m light on anything specific.
And I know what was meant earlier about the sky is the limit point for Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth - but actually the limit seems to be on a par with the old Moyes glass ceiling. That is because as well run as these clubs are, they just aren’t as rich as half a dozen or so very rich clubs who continue to dominate.
Since we’re a much bigger club than Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton capable of much higher revenue, we should be in a financial position to break that glass ceiling every so often albeit not consistently and even have a tilt at the title every 5 years or so. It will rely on excellent club operations assembling a top class squad every few years - and having a manager well placed to deliver when we do.
15/06/2026 20:15:35
Thanks for the response Jerome.
Really interesting reading but somewhat sobering also.
Will we ever win anything again ? Not under our current manager unfortunately. We will never be relegated either.
So the question for me is what kind of owners are TFG. Are they happy for us to coast along safely and use Bramley Moore as a concert venue, or like me, you, and more and more fans I speak to, will they roll the dice, show some ambition and try to win a trophy with a more ambitious coach ?
15/06/2026 21:40:20
Thanks, Jamie. You've nailed the central question: are TFG happy to coast?
The sobering fact is that the Finch Farm leasehold tells you everything. It was a plan conceived to asset‑strip Everton – sold as the opposite, but that's what it was as Tony rightly points out. Every club ranked above us in training ground standards owns its facility. Everton rents. That's not history, it's a choice repeated for twenty years. The clause exists to buy it for £17m. TFG are so far are silent.
Moyes is the perfect manager for coasting: safe, no relegation, no Europe, no cup runs that disrupt the concert calendar at Bramley-Moore Dock (something I hadn't thought of). He raises the floor and lowers the ceiling – using Lyndon's superb phrase.
Will TFG roll the dice? At Roma, they only acted when fan revolt forced them. At Everton, the stadium is full, the team is safe, and the fans are grumbling but still renewing. No crisis = no action.
So no, we won't win anything under Moyes. Under TFG? Only if they buy the freehold, announce development plans or announce a alternative, and replace the culture, not just the manager. I see no sign they've started. They've sorted the finances. Now they need to push the football.Thats the real test, as it was for Moshiri.
Coasting is a choice. Every season we choose it, the gap to ambitious clubs grows wider – and those clubs are improving. I hope I'm wrong. But the data says otherwise.
And I am not prepared to tolerate a change from Stability Dave to Austerity Dave.
15/06/2026 22:08:30
Moyes is only here for one more season. And that will be another season where we are very likely to invest modestly compared to the rest of the division - because of the financial mess Moshiri got us into. I don’t think Moyes’ continued presence at the club is any kind of indicator as to our future under the Friedkins. He is not part of that future. He’s just a stop gap. The Friedkins might buy back the training ground, they might not. They’ll judge the commercial merits and demerits alongside the rest of the mess they inherited. The biggest thing by an absolute mile that indicates their ambition is investment in the playing squad. We’ll only have a true sense of that when the post-Moshiri financial constraints finally come off.
16/06/2026 07:15:14
16/06/2026 07:15:14
I agree with Robert's sentiments. His posts are usually thoughtful, balanced and genuine.
My concern is that we may be seeing a Mark II version of a familiar Everton problem. The financial position is being stabilised, much as it appeared to be at the start of the Moshiri era, but the development of the football side risks being left in the hands of a regime that lacks the strength and vision required to drive meaningful change.TFG appears to have a brake on finances, that required the PSR brake in the Moshiri era.
Fortunately, we are no longer dealing with the self-serving, asset-stripping culture that many associated with the Kenwright years. However, there are still concerns. The club appears to have a weak Chief Executive, a manager whose approach is rooted in the past, and a training ground situation that, if not resolved, could be a commercial white elephant, and has been so for some time.
I agree with Robert that Moyes is likely to remain for another season and that the real test of Friedkin's ambition will come when the financial constraints ease. However, there are genuine risks to the Friedkin-Everton project if the football side continues to drift.
Financial repair is only one part of the job. The Friedkins need to get a firm grip on the football operation, modernise the infrastructure and create a structure that can deliver sustained progress rather than simply maintain the status quo.
By the way,austrity Dave out before it even starts.
16/06/2026 09:31:37
How many people believe that the downtrodden Evertonians, will continue to show the same patience that they have shown over the last thirty years if The Silent Friedkin’s, don’t show serious ambition?
Without the fans I doubt that Everton, would still be a premier league club, so if the owners begin to lose the fans, then things might begin to unravel quickly.
We talk about culture, our current culture is one of owners, who don’t appear to actually know that much about a football club, that was once an English institution.
16/06/2026 10:02:50
Being completely honest, I think almost all of the scepticism with the Freidkins stems from them not sacking Moyes. Most of the posts start on one topic but drift into the issue with Moyes. I get it, we aren’t going to win anything or qualify for the Champions League under Moyes next season. Depending on summer business and Branthwaites fitness there’s a chance we can make Europe but it will be very competitive. But the same is true even if we brought in a new manager. The playing squad is still in a mess, we might have to pay Burnley £40m and we’re constrained in spending more than about £150m (which really isn’t very much these days). They possibly don’t see a great deal of benefit spending a chunk of budget to pay off Moyes and buy in a new manager in these circumstances - and boring though it is, they might be right. Especially if the preferred replacements are not (yet) interested or headed elsewhere. Will the fans be impatient? Yes. Will the Friedkins be worried and feel pressured into some public statement of ambition? No. Will it be a relief to get past this season, get a new manager like Kieran McKenna in and ramp up the spending? Yes. And I expect that is broadly the plan.
16/06/2026 10:22:17
Thanks, Tony. The Finch Farm leasehold wasn't a mistake – it was asset stripping dressed up as prudence. Twenty years of renting while everyone else owns. And TFG have the option to buy for £17m but haven't.
Moyes is the perfect manager for that model: Stability Dave today, and possibly Austerity Dave tomorrow. He doesn't deserve credit for not failing; he deserves scrutiny for not trying. He has stuck to his methods against the trend of youth with potential, by not giving them minutes – and even Dewsbury‑Hall playing two consecutive games looks like progress.
The fans are the only reason we're still a Premier League club. If TFG take them for granted, the goodwill that carried this club through thirty years of mediocrity will see the fans turn on them.
I'm not prepared to watch Stability Dave become Austerity Dave. We've already endured enough.
16/06/2026 11:13:24
Sale and leaseback is a pretty common arrangement in the commercial world. There are pros and cons. Given the mess TFG generally inherited I would have thought spending £17m on the option to buy is pretty low down the list of priorities.
I don’t doubt by the way that our former useless owners had their own interests at heart when putting the sale and leaseback in place - but not sure what the huge benefit is of unravelling that now as a priority.
Personally I’d sooner see an overhaul of the coaching staff from the u6s to the u18s - and heavier recruitment into the academy.
On that latter note we seem poised to sign a talented 16 year old striker Kai Hutchison from Dundee United. Hopefully Braiden Graham gets a loan at a decent standard this season and the likes of Loney and Hutchison can step up into his place.
16/06/2026 12:06:14
Robert
my reservations on the Friedkins have been building. At first I was delighted. Billionaires, who know what they are doing, hurray! And then the appointment of Moyes was sensible also, they knew what they were doing.
Since that point, 18 months ago, I've become much more concerned. The appointment of Kinnear, a chap with most of his career bumping along with Leeds. I mean Leeds are a big club, if'I'd been Chief |Exec there for a decade and they'd spent most of it in the champiionship under my stewardship, that's a red flag right there. And we didn't just appoint a mediocre operator, we let him build a kingdom in his image He's made all the key appointments, changing the structure, all of it. On what basis can we say 'relax, this guy knows what he's doing'. He's not even a football man, but has been making football appointments. How would he know who is a good judge of a player, or who is an effective coach.
And then there is their hands off approach, which at this point I just resent. Not a word to the fans since they got here about what their plans are.
But, more worryingly than that, there is their record at Roma. The net spends there over the last five years, a big spend in year one (but still less than we spent last year) and then nothing. And under their stewardship, they took over when Roma were in fifth, and once in that time they've managed to get them in the CL, appointing five managers in the process. These people clearly are learning on the job. compare that to Liverpool, American investors again, but that lot know what they are doing.
And finally there is their dead hand global branding. Digital IDs everywhere, prices going up hand over fist, paying for this paying for that, and not one visit from them. I can't say I'm enthused.
16/06/2026 12:13:25
They could have paid for the training ground out of the dividend money they took out of the club, Robert and immediately given themselves a better book price.
Oh dear I’m sounding like a man who thinks he knows about business, but going back to those windbreakers, it genuinely baffles me that Everton, have probably had at least eight managers since finch farm, was first used and none of them have thought that it’s been too windy.
16/06/2026 12:48:12
In the first six years of Fenway’s ownership of the RS they finished 6th, 8th, 7th, 2nd, 6th and 8th. That was poor compared with the 5 years prior to the takeover. Klopp finished 8th in his first season and then 4th twice before the RS finally won a Covid assisted title 10 years after the Fenway takeover.
Nothing happened quickly.
Arteta oversaw two consecutive 8th place finishes - then 5th - before establishing Arsenal as City’s main rival before finally winning a title 7 years later.
In both cases, the owners have put in place extensive data driven recruitment and development analytics, upgraded the academy, engaged in player trading for profit and also spent vast sums to get where they are. They have also been patient.
Obviously at Everton the problem is that we’ve had to be patient for nearly 40 years.
But the only way to shortcut patience - as Blackburn, Chelsea and City have shown - is to materially outspend everyone else. Clearly we can’t and won’t do that.
It would be nice if TFG turned up and made the right noises about ambition. But Moshiri used to talk about ambition on talkSPORT and it was utter bollocks. It means nothing until you can see what the squad looks like when the transfer window closes and the results start to happen.
16/06/2026 13:05:47
some good points there Robert. Yes, it didn't happen overnight. And I'm not saying I was expecting instant improvement. What I am saying is the moves they've made so far concern me. If they prove me wrong, if Angus has indeed put together a shrewd bunch of recruiters who will be targeting some key talent this summer, I'll tip my hat.
It's also the Roma scenario that does concern me. they've been there five years, and only this summer shown improvement, the rest has been staggering from cock up to cock up. And they've not invested much at all. If we compare Fenway to the Friedkins, I don't think our chaps emerge well at all. I note your point about the league finishes, but Liverpool to my eyes at least have been in good hands from the moment they took over. they made two very solid managerial appointments within that five years, Rodgers and then Klopp. I see lots of talk about how other teams success has been 'data driven'. I don't think though a computer program is ever going to bring success, it's people who make the decisions, and if they are organised and use modern tech so much the better, but it's the hiring strategy that gets you there in my view. And Liverpool have an excellent record of getting that right, TFG not so much.
16/06/2026 15:08:38
Just to show you all how sad I am I did a analysis of TFG data driven progress some months ago.I have broken it down so as not the overwhelm you all.
Under The Friedkin Group, Everton’s approach to technology has been evolution rather than transformation. On the football side, they have retained the basic legacy systems already in place and simply overlaid Insight, a recruitment and analytics platform, on top of them. This creates a hybrid model where old tools remain in use but are now supplemented by a more modern analytical layer. On the administrative side, they have not implemented the enterprise-wide systems that delivered significant cost savings elsewhere in their organisation, instead keeping basic systems in place. The overall approach is pragmatic rather than revolutionary: preserve what works, add new tools where they can help, and avoid costly, disruptive overhauls. This is not yet a fully data-driven transformation, and data appears to be used as an enhancement rather than as a core driver of strategy.
This is what makes me question if Kinnear knows what a Flat structure is.
17/06/2026 00:11:32
Jerome, that last point is really worth making. In my opinion and experience flat structures almost always fail. They may be good in time of crisis but not where dynamic change is required. To be at the top of a flat structure you need to exactly how everything works and what's required to improve. There is rarely complete buy in front managers as in the end, nothing is their decision and consequently they take no responsibility for decisions imposed on them from a less experienced exec in their area of expertise.
The result is fragmentation and no ownership.
Far better to get good experience in selected areas and trust them to deliver. They have both responsibility and ownership. It called trusting a team.
17/06/2026 07:19:02
Christine my view on Flat structures is driven by my son who three years ago was lead Software Engineer in Glasgow where there was a Product Manager( who hadn't a Clue I now realise), a Scrum Manager and a team of Apprentice Programmers and Accounts & Personnel,all in a huge building. 30plus staff in all.
In Sydney three years later there is him Lead Engineer Back and Front, a Product Manager and Front End Engineer who does Customer Services, accounts and Personnel.They are all highly proactive and build in checks on their own work. The rest, all passive jobs, are done by Al.All on three rented desks in a building.The turnover is Similar to Glasgow as is the services provided.
You are right the Flat Structure that Kinnear is talking about is failing, for the very reasons you outlined, because of a existing Culture.Thank you for your Professional insight.
Years ago the Head of a Business Consultancy told me. To effect change you had to knock the existing Culture on the head and impose the Culture of change or the taking over party. A waste of time otherwise and very costly if you don't.
The view of the Head of Strategic Technology in Houston worrying said, that one has to consider the existing Culture, before introducing technological change( I have his name and exact quote somewhere).What I have outlined on my Post#38 suggests that is what TFG are doing,and what they are getting is what you outlined.
17/06/2026 09:56:01
My reading of this thread so far is that many posters see these things as key priorities:
1. Everton to exercise the £17m option to buy on Finch Farm.
2. Windbreak installation at Finch Farm.
3. TFG to turn up at games and make public statements of ambition.
4. Replace the flat structure overseen by Kinnear, with various different operational divisions each overseen by a specialist football man (or woman).
5. Sack and replace any legacy staff responsible for cultural problems (ie nepotism, self interest and lack of ambition).
6. Implement a more extensive technology overhaul - beyond just an upgrade.
7. (Impliedly at least) sack Moyes and replace him with a better manager.
These seem to be considered the key priority measures which will pave the way for the quickest route to success.
Is that broadly right?
I get the impression that the Friedkins see the priority as increasing commercial revenue globally - which then gives us more freedom with the wage bill and transfer kitty. How does that fit into all of this?
17/06/2026 10:28:00
Robert#41
You should have written a article then I wouldn't have had to write one.You are exactly right.
It is a very complex question you have asked.Would have to think about that one.
17/06/2026 11:32:42
I think your excellent article has flushed these points out Jerome. It is all very thought provoking.
Having been let down so badly and so often by owners throughout the Premier League era - I do get the scepticism. It’s hard to dare believe this could be the start of a new dawn for the club.
Since I don’t know enough about what is really going on at the club, I am broadly content to wait and see what our summer business looks like and how the squad compares with the competition by the end of the window. That’s the big one for me.
We’ve already secure Rohl on a permanent deal (effective from 1 July) and I’m always encouraged by investment in young British talent (like Hutchison) but obviously there’s a long way to go.
17/06/2026 13:10:47
If one looks at TFG business model, they have consolidated all the commercial activities and financial structures centrally under Pursuit Sports, this gives then a huge advantage in consolidating all commercial structures under one umbrella. Economies of financial scale. Maximize their leverage in the US markets commercially and generate huge cash flows from 24/7 use of real estate to generate money through concerts, other sports etc.
Operationally it's a different matter, with local management to manage running the team, almost hands off unless the financial flow is threatened significantly. (Like relegation)
The trade off is how much they have to put back in to keep generating the cash flow. It will be a managed budget with the likes of gradual improvement but no splurged of cash.
All in all we've been saved but don't hold your breath expecting large transfers or cash outlays. They won't sell us either, we are to valuable to the corporate model.
17/06/2026 14:19:39
Robert #43
The article was largely based on questions asked on other threads and really developed with the comments on it, where other views took it forward.
To answer your question #41 imo TFG see commercial revenue as the key to unlocking the wage bill and transfer kitty as you pointed out. And they're not wrong, more money helps. But they're treating revenue as the cause of success, when in reality it's the effect.
Brighton and Brentford didn't become successful because they had huge commercial revenue. They became successful because they built a footballing system, recruitment, data, coaching, culture, that produced results. The revenue followed.
TFG have it backwards. They're focused on increasing commercial revenue first, and trusting that the football will follow. But the football won't follow unless the culture changes. And the culture won't change while Finch Farm is rented, Moyes is the system, and Kinnear talks about stability while the league moves on.
The irony is that the fans understand this better than the owners. We've seen it all before., over 30 years in alot of cases.We know that stability without ambition is just slow decline.
TFG have sorted the finances. Now they need to sort the football. And the football won't be sorted until Finch Farm is owned,or a Training facility is owned the culture is rebuilt, ( Tony's point on how Finch Farm was concieved as a Asset when it wasn't, and never will be is important, he is right in trying to change the landscape), the culture is rebuilt and the manager is replaced with someone who fits a modern system.
Commercial revenue is a tool, not a strategy. The strategy has to be football first. Everything else follows.All Evertonians have learn't that the hard way, TFG haven't yet.
Actually Christine #44 is right in her more concise analysis and how It will unfold in reality.I would have had to have thought alot longer to come up with that.
17/06/2026 14:45:19
Last paragraph@45 Jerome, I am enjoying the sunshine and wish that Christine would have kept it to herself mate!
They aren’t going to sell us but they are probably going to try and make us respectable…. It’s not just the sun that sometimes tires me.
17/06/2026 16:47:39
I’ve got a slightly different perspective on this.
In my view, none of Brentford, Brighton or Bournemouth have had any success.
I know what you mean of course - for them ‘success’ probably is operating as a best of the rest type club and playing some decent football. But their version of success is essentially the same thing as our infuriating Moyes glass ceiling.
Whatever the case, you’re right - they’ve achieved this (at least initially) through brilliant club operations (and not managers like Frank and Potter who got found out elsewhere). They have all spent pretty big too - certainly consistently more than us over the past 5 years. Our fans would scream incompetence at Hurzeler for how little he’s delivered despite that investment and support.
What the three Bs clubs haven’t done is match the rich 6 to 8 in spending - which is largely why (despite their brilliance) they remain pegged back to the old Moyes glass ceiling.
In other cases, money really has been the catalyst - not business ops - eg.Blackburn, Chelsea and City. The latter two have only belatedly put in place excellent business ops after having spent with abandon for many years first. Forest and West Ham more recently have gone for it with the spending but lack the business ops of the three Bs clubs and have struggled despite the spending (and also have idiot owners).
The RS and Arsenal are probably the model to follow. They were in very decent shape already but had to upgrade their commercial revenue and business ops together in order to spend big and keep toe to toe (and exceed) bigger spenders like City, Chelsea and United.
Since we’re some distance behind their starting point it will take some time.
We know that TFG can’t spent much this window due to financial rules -and the possible £40m payment to Burnley may well impact too.
However, hopefully in future years alongside enhanced business ops (all the good stuff earlier in the thread) we also see some decent investment too (ie well above that of the three Bs and comparable to rich 6 to 8 clubs at least much of the time )- otherwise it is very likely we’ll struggle to do more than the three Bs clubs have done / what Moyes previously did.
17/06/2026 18:53:31
Robert - can you send that list to TFG as soon as possible please.
17/06/2026 19:12:57
Robert#47
You're right that money is the ultimate catalyst ; City, Chelsea, Blackburn all prove that. But money without a system is just waste. Moshiri spent £750m and got nowhere because the culture and structure were broken.
The Three Bs haven't won trophies, I agree. But they've built sustainable operations that maximise their resources. Everton, with a much bigger platform, should at least match their operational excellence while we build the financial firepower to compete with the rich clubs.
The problem is we can't spend big this summer, PSR and the Burnley payment see to that. So we have to outthink, develop, and trade. That requires a system, not a manager, not a CEO, not a transfer window. Finch Farm, the academy, recruitment, data, that's the system.
Commercial revenue follows football success, not the other way around. Build the platform first, then the money can do its work. Right now, the platform is cracked.
Tony #45.
Unfortunately Christine is right,so enjoy the Sun and you like myself are going to continue being a Evertonian ( suffer on),until TFG have no choice but to pivot, which will come sooner than they expect.
17/06/2026 20:32:04
Chicken or egg. Which comes first, fame or money? Maximize the real estate, make it a money making machine, build a generation based financial empire in the entertainment sector across multiple sports which crossover events and concerts. It's empire building, it's all about the money, it's all about wealth. It's the American corporate philosophy.
Hang on, we are ALSO a football club, to generate continual high cash flow we need to be successful, our vision of success is winning, trophies, league standing, visibility, acknowledgement of status as a top European club. Is that TFGs vision too?
Earlier I asked what TFG had as their end game and I think I worked it out, We are part of a private cash generating portfolio of a family empire, our stand alone, individual status as a football club has been blended into a financial strategy of the entertainment group. In terms we understand, Dan Friedkin cares about Everton Football Club as much as he does his pension fund, if he has one.
He may acknowledge us, the fans, as being passionate, but that's not his bag, he isn't emotional about the club, he wants us as winners because of the money, We see the money as an enabler of winning.
There is a marriage but on different terms. But I think the above is bang on the money. Literally.
18/06/2026 06:07:34
Christine's corporate logic analysis is spot on. But here's the reality that logic can't account for: the football is heading in the wrong direction. Kinnear, Moyes, and the culture that supports them are a holding pattern. And holding patterns eventually run out of fuel.
The warning signs are there. Other clubs are pushing – Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford. They're improving their squads, systems, facilities. We're standing still. Other clubs are winning cups. We're out of both competitions early, as always. The squad is ageing and thin. Keane extended. Tarkowski extended last season.Gana still needed. No reliable striker. No pace. Moyes is stale. Predictable tactics. Predictable subs. No trust in youth. Kinnear is absent. No visible football strategy. Just sound bites about "stability."
Survival is not a strategy. It's a reaction. And when you're reacting, you're always one bad run away from the drop zone.
Christine is right about the corporate logic. But TFG's corporate logic assumes that the football will take care of itself. It won't.
We are not Roma. We are Everton. And Everton's culture of low ambition is not a safety net – it's a trap. It keeps us safe until it doesn't. And then the fall is harder.
TFG need to recognise that the football is heading in the wrong direction. Kinnear is not the right CEO for a football club. Moyes is not the right manager for a club that needs to build a system. The culture is not the solution – it's the problem.
If they don't pivot soon, the asset they're so keen to protect will start looking like it is losing value. This is going to be obvious in the coming season – and then TFG are going to be forced to pivot into crisis management mode. Sometimes the only way to learn is the hard way. And Evertonians have long experience of that.
18/06/2026 06:28:27
Christine/Jerome, for me, corporate ligic and the footballing side of thins can be mutuallybeneficial.
It's easier, quicker and cheaper to develop non football revenue streams right now. The new modern stadium allows for that. In the short term, it's a good way for the club to raise much needed funds that can then be invested in the footballing side of the business.
I'll answer your points with a couple of questions. Will the money raised from concerts etc be directly, and immediately put into the footballing side? If astute done, then this raises more revenue, that can be used for several purposes. Will the revenue be used to directly down the club's debts, placing it on a more sound financial footing? The less worry about debt, and psr/squad ratio rules, the more financial focus can be placed on the footballing side of things.
Or is it an immediate return on the owner's investment?
I suppose it depends on how the owner's plan is going to address the myriad of issues, both on and off the pitch, that the club came with. Are we just a cash cow, or are we an asset to be fully developed in every way? Time will tell.
18/06/2026 11:50:30
I think a lot of comments / perspectives stem from a kind of PTSD associated with Moyes and Kenwright first time around and possibly a disgust at the modern game being so commercialised and money driven.
To be honest, if I had bought Everton in the same circumstances as TFG - my aim would have been something like Champions League qualification within 5 years, Europe within 3 years and hitting the domestic cups hard in the meantime.
The recruitment strategy would match that - building a squad designed to peak season 29/30. Hence younger players with high potential / room for improvement who can occupy a position for 5 to 10 years and form a core part of a stable, quality squad.
As an owner (not a fan) I wouldn’t see any urgency in sacking Moyes - it’s additional cost, additional risk and a limited pool of obviously better replacements (eg see Thomas Frank at Spurs last season).
Might it hinder a drive for Europe? Yes possibly but Moyes has got clubs in Europe before so I wouldn’t see him as the main barrier next season at least.
I would see the bigger barrier by far as being spending constraints. Yes, there is some truth in the phrase it’s not what you spend it’s how you spend - but that’s only true to a point. If you are being outspent - as last season - by 14 other clubs the constraints really hurt. Even more so when so many of the clubs we’re in competition with have excellent recruitment and development teams that have been in place for many years. With even an average kitty we could have had two £25m full backs last season. Of course it matters. It matters very much indeed.
Is that accepting mediocrity? Again as a club owner I would say absolutely no - because last season and this season coming would just be part of a transitional period as the club gets back on its feet after a horrendous period of sustained austerity and mismanagement.
If fans complained that this takes fans / the club for granted I’d say (as an owner) we can get the team as best of the rest in shorter order if that’s what you want - but unless we build properly then that’s our ceiling. So do you the fans want short term top end mediocrity - or can you hang on a bit longer for something much more meaningful?
Because Champions League runs (and trophies) swell the coffers for the owners and deliver something better back to the fans.
18/06/2026 22:45:04
John#52 makes a fair case. Rollings and Kenyon have talked up the stadium's commercial potential, and they've confirmed every penny from sponsors gets reinvested. A net spend of £50m-£100m is planned. Nelson Dock is another potential revenue stream, with Colin Chong confirming active negotiations for a "sports-led redevelopment" to protect the new asset. Fair enough, but buying Nelson Dock doesn't necessarily generate cash for the football side directly—it's about protecting the stadium.
Robert#52 I push back on the "no money" line. Moshiri spent £750m, and even recently TFG found £44m for a dividend payout (funded by selling the women's team). The money was there, it just got side-tracked. The "Three Bs" have built sustainable systems with similar resources, so it's not a money problem, it's a culture problem.
Which brings us to Finch Farm. Paul the Esk has consistently flagged the leasehold as a structural issue,which I just found out today and I have made the same point. TFG may have sorted the finances, but unless they address the fragmented football operations and the manager's influence on recruitment, substantial reinvestment could just turn "Stability Dave" into "Austerity Dave."
Buying the Finch Farm freehold—or better, a new site or even a hybrid / Finch Farm, would show real ambition. The rest, Nelson Dock included, is just real estate that may or may not feed back into football development.
So John has the spending plans, Robert has the structural critique. Both are grounded. The real question is whether TFG treat this summer as a spending exercise or a chance to rebuild the football infrastructure from the ground up. That's what we'll have to wait and see.There are two possible constraints PSR and how the money available is spent
19/06/2026 05:08:59
Danny#20
Your point regarding the Academy is important.I think it is second fiddle at the moment and has over the years been the real loser due to Culture Inertia.It has been a tankerous disgrace how those young lads have been treated, especially those that have been loaned out to reduce the overspent on non producing wages/ jobs for the boys( some ex players) and forgotten about as had been the complaint of some of the Clubs they have been sent to.A proper dedicated facility , even Finch Farm after the shit has been cleaned out as part of a hybrid model, would really help with the correct culture and true integration into the drive and investment on the football side.
Thanks all for your comments.
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12/06/2026 14:33:43
I seem to be consistently unpopular on fans forums when I talk of our demise in terms of our relative wealth (or more accurately how skint we’ve been for the very large part of the Premier League era). I not sure why since it’s plain as day this has had a huge impact on our fortunes on the pitch compared to those with money). I suspect it’s seen as giving Moyes etc too easy a get-out for his failure to win trophies etc.
To put it into context though, someone in another site established the fee we paid for Kanchelskis would equate to £125m in today’s money. The mismanagement under Kenwright and Moshiri has been devastating and it’s astonishing really we’ve survived as a Premier League club at all. No other club has managed that. We are a massive outlier. A lot of credit goes to the support of incredible fans in that respect - despite being so badly let down.
But there are signs of encouragement now. It took Sunderland’s new owners 5 years to get them from utter obscurity to Europe. The sky should be the limit for where TFG (with wealth and apparent sanity) could take us in 5 years of ownership. I fully expect Champions League qualification and a trophy in that period. Next season, not so much. Largely down to money.