Everton- Europa League Syndrome? My Diagnosis.

I have been recently asked my a number of people, to look and present whether Everton are suffering from having to play Europa League fixtures alongside their regular run of games. So in this piece I will look at how Everton have done in the games in the week following each Europa League game and say whether I think the Continental clashes are affecting their Premier League position.

Thursday September 18th- Everton 4-1 Wolfsburg 

Game 1 after: Sunday September 21st- Everton 2-3 Crystal Palace -Premier League
Game 2 after: Tuesday September 23rd- Swansea 3-0 Everton- Capital One Cup Third Round

Following Everton's first clash in the Europa League against Wolfsburg, they were beaten 3-2 at home by Crystal Palace in the league and then fell to a 3-0 defeat away at Swansea in the League Cup.

Diagnosis: Sick as a Parrot

Thursday October 2nd- Krasnodar 1-1 Everton

Game 1 after: Sunday October 5th- Man Utd 2-1 Everton- Premier League

Although beaten by Manchester United at Old Trafford, I would say this is not a result affected by the Europa League as Everton would not be expected to pick up a result from this fixture usually.

Diagnosis: Healthy

Thursday October 23rd- Lille 0-0 Everton

Game 1 after: Sunday October 26th- Burnley 1-3 Everton-Premier League

A routine Everton win as they easily dispatch Burnley at Turf Moor. However still yet to win in Europe and then again at the weekend.

Diagnosis: Healthy

Thursday November 6th- Everton 3-0 Lille

Game 1 after: Sunday November 9th- Everton 1-1 Sunderland-Premier League

A poor result in the League follows the next Europa League clash as it would seem a tired squad is unable to beat a poor Sunderland side at home. A draw in the League perhaps the price to pay for a good Europe performance.

Diagnosis: Sick as a Parrot

Thursday November 27th- Wolfsburg 0-2 Everton

Game 1 after: Sunday November 30th- Tottenham 2-1 Everton-Premier League
Game 2 after: Wednesday December 3rd- Everton 1-1 Hull- Premier League

A tough result to decipher as Tottenham is always a tough place to travel. However to be challenging like last year, Everton need to be taking points from these games. Then a draw at home against a disappointing Hull side shows that fatigue had to be playing a part.

Diagnosis: Sick as a Parrot

Thursday December 11th- Everton 0-1 Krasnodar

Game 1 after: Monday December 15th- Everton 3-1 QPR-Premier League

A good win at home against QPR would be pleasing for Everton on the face of it. However QPR have been dreadful on their travels and the Europa League game before hand was a disappointing defeat to Krasnodar.

Diagnosis: Sick as a Parrot

Overall Diagnosis: Sick as a Parrot

So as they have been unable to win a Europa League game and the following Premier League game, I have to say that in my opinion, Everton are suffering from Europa League Syndrome. It has meant that the Champions League challenge of last year is a distant memory and now Everton are doomed to fight for mid table mediocrity. Perhaps what is happening to Martinez's men will serve as a warning to teams that if they are unable to bag 4th place then they need to be prepared for a long gruelling competition in the Europa League. But hey, if you go all the way, then top four or not, you're in the Champions League next time.

James

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Sir Jack Hayward

 Last Tuesday a man named Sir Jack Hayward passed way aged 91 in Fort Lauderdale,Florida. While in the West Midlands this was big news ,many of you may be unaware of who this man was and the great work he did and in particular how he saved his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers. In order to both inform you and to pay tribute to a man who was British in every way but did great things abroad, I am going to create a timeline of Sir Jack's life.


14th June 1923- He is born in Wolverhampton, full name- Jack Arnold Hayward. He is educated at Northaw Preparatory School and Stowe School in Buckingham.


1941-46 - Serves as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force during WW2 working around Burma. He is demobilized in 1946. Begins working for his Father's (Sir Charles Hayward) company- Firth Cleveland.


1951- founded the American branch of the company in New York, where he worked for five years before moving to the Bahamas.


1956-Arrives in the Bahamas where he relocates his company. He becomes a Vice-President of The Grand Bahama Port Authority, which helped promote the development of Freeport. Jack took over his father's previous interests in the Bahamas, and continued to play an active role in and around Freeport. He shows his patriotism when he imports 10 red London buses and installs red telephone and post boxes. His other patriotic tendencies include only buying British cars and giving any Royal Navy seamen passing the Bahamas a free dinner at a local restaurant with compliments from "Sir Jack" .


1982- Turns down the offer to own a financially troubled Wolverhampton Wanderers who are of course his boyhood club. The Club is eventually bought by the Bhatti Brothers.


1986- Knighted after many charitable actions including a £1 million pound donation to the South Atlantic Fund to help families affected by the Falklands War.


May 1990- Does now become owner of Wolves for a reported £2.11 million pounds.


1990-2007- Over the next 17 years he is said to of spent over £70 million pounds of his own personal wealth on paying off club debts, finding big money transfers and modernising the wonderful Molineux stadium which I have in fact been lucky enough to have been to. During his time as owner, his sons Jonathan and Rick were both heavily involved in the running of the club. Seven managers were at the helm during his tenure which saw Wolves go from a struggling second division side to eventually spending the 2003-4 season in the Premier League.


May 2007- He sells the club to Steve Morgan for a nominal fee of just £10 on the condition that Morgan would invest £30 million pounds in the club. He remained a life president and was inducted into the Wolves Hall of Fame.


13th January 2015- Dies aged 91.


Sir Jack Hayward was an example of a man who had great wealth but also had a heart. He joins a list of rare owners including Dave Whelan and Steve Gibson who have saved their boyhood clubs but for him to then sell the club for just £10 with the guarantee of more money being put into the club is truly a selfless act. It is clear that "Union Jack" was a proud and patriotic man. An avid lover of Cricket and a man that would always indulge in afternoon tea at 4pm no matter where in the world he was,I would say in fact perhaps Jack could be described as Winston Churchill-esque. But there is one thing that is in no doubt, he was a charitable and kind man. He had the kind of relationship with Wolves fans that is missing from today's game. The Abramoviches of this world see clubs as a business opportunity, but to Sir Jack Wolves was so much more. Simply put , there was a spot in Jack's heart that was and forever will be, Orange.

Sir Jack at Molineux

RIP Sir Jack

James

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Suggestions

In a bid to increase my interaction with you (the reader), I want to make it known that from now on my posts will be mainly suggestion based with a few ideas of my own occasionally.This means i need ideas from you guys, so if you have a suggestion either leave a comment on here , Facebook or Twitter or tell me in person and (as long as its a sensible idea) I will add it to my current backlog of posts.

As for my next post, I'm going to write a piece dedicated to a recently deceased chairman who rescued a club from financial death. I expect to have this post up by Friday night. I hope it will prove to be an informative piece that is a fitting tribute to a truly great man.

James

Most Expensive Starting Eleven Of New Years Day

As you may know, New Years Day saw all 20 Premier League teams in action on what was a great day of Football. However I found myself wondering if how expensive each teams starting eleven was, correlated to a teams position in the league. So I have created this list (which took ages) to see which team had the most expensive starting eleven and how their ranking on this list matched up to their league position. Enjoy!

N.B. All prices are in pounds sterling and are approximations. Academy Player means the player was brought up through the clubs youth system and m = million.

20th- Burnley with a starting eleven costing £6.8m :

Heaton-Free

Trippier-0.2m

Keane-Loan

Shackell-1.1m

Mee- Free

Boyd-3m

Jones-Free

Marney-0.5m

Arfield- Free

Ings-1m

Barnes-1m

19th- Leicester City with a starting eleven costing £8.3m

Hamer-Free

Simpson-2.2m

Wasilewski-Free

Morgan-1m

De Laet-1.1m

Mahrez-0.4m

James-1.1m

Drinkwater-0.8m

Hammond-Free

Schlupp-Free (Academy Player)

Vardy-1.7m

18th- Crystal Palace with a starting eleven costing £17.6m

Speroni-0.8m

Mariappa- 3m

Dann-1.6m

Delaney-Free

Kelly-1.5m

Ward-0.4m

Puncheon-1.8m

McArthur-7m

Ledley-1m

Bolasie-0.5m

Zaha-Loan

17th- West Brom with a starting eleven costing £17.9m

Foster-4.4m

Wisdom-Loan

McAuley-Free

Lescott- Free

Baird-Free

Morrison-2.2m

Mulumbu-0.2m

Dorrans-0.2m

Sessegnon- 7.9m

Brunt-3m

Berahino- Free (Academy Player)

16th- Swansea with a starting eleven costing £18m

Fabianski-Free

Rangel- 0.1m

Fernandez-8m

Williams-0.4m

Taylor-0.1m

Britton-Free

Ki-6m

Dyer-0.5m

Sigurdsson-Free (P/Ex)

Routledge-2.9m

Gomis-Free

15th- QPR with a starting eleven costing £25m

Green-Free

Isla-Loan

Dunne-Free

Caulker-8m

Hill-Free

Vargas-Loan

Henry-1m

Barton-Free

Fer-8m

Zamora-4m

Austin-4m

14th- Aston Villa with a starting eleven costing £25.6m

Guzan-0.6m

Hutton-3m

Okore-4m

Vlaar- 3.2m

Cissokho-2.2m

Bacuna-0.9m

Sanchez-4.7m

Cleverley-Loan

Weimann- Free (Academy Player)

Benteke-7m

Agbonglahor-Free (Academy Player)

13th- Newcastle with a starting eleven costing £29.8m

Alnwick-Free (Academy Player)

Janmaat-5m

Taylor-Free (Academy Player)

Coloccini-10.3m

Dummett-Free (Academy Player)

Tiote-3.5m

Colback-Free

Perez-1.5m

Sissoko-1.8m

Gouffran-1.7m

Riviere-6m

12th- Everton with a starting eleven costing £30.7m

Joel- 3.5m

Alcaraz- Free

Jagielka- 5.2m

Barry- Free

Coleman- Free

Besic- 4m

Barkley- Free (Academy Player)

Baines-6m

Naismith-Free

Kone-6m

Mirallas- 6m

11th- Stoke with a starting eleven costing £31.3m

Begovic-3.2m

Cameron-1.8m

Shawcross- 2m

Muniesa- Free

Pieters- 3m

Walters- 3.3m

N’Zonzi-3m

Whelan- 0.6m

Arnautovic- 3.4m

Crouch- 11m

Diouf- Free

10th- Hull with a starting eleven costing £36.3m

McGregor-1.8m

Chester-0.3m

Bruce-Free

Davies- 2.3m

Robertson-2.9m

Elmohamady- 2m

Meyler-1.5m

Livermore- 8m

Ramirez-Loan

Hernandez- 10m

Jelavic- 7.5m

9th- Sunderland with a starting eleven costing £39.5m

Pantilimon-Free

Vergini-Loan

O’Shea-4m

Brown-1m

Jones-Free

Rodwell-10m

Buckley-2.5m

Larsson-Free

Gomez-Free

Johnson-10m

Wickham-12m

8th- West Ham with a starting eleven costing £41.3m

Adrian-Free

Jenkinson-Loan

Collins-2.5m

Reid-1.3m

Cresswell-4m

Song-Loan

Amalfitano-1m

Kouyate-7m

Downing-6m

Sakho-4.5m

Carroll-15m

7th- Spurs with a starting eleven costing £54.3m

Lloris-11.8m

Walker-5m

Fazio-8m

Vertonghen-10m

Rose-1m

Bentaleb- Free (Academy Player)

Mason-Free (Academy Player)

Townsend-Free (Academy Player)

Eriksen-11.5m

Chadli-7m

Kane- Free (Academy Player) 

6th- Southampton with a starting eleven costing £59.4m

Forster-10m

Alderweireld- Loan

Fonte-1.2m

Gardos-6m

Bertrand-Loan

Davis-0.8m

Wanyama-12.5m

Ward-Prowse-Free (Academy Player)

Mane-10m

Tadic-10.9m

Pelle-8m

5th- Liverpool with a starting eleven costing £109.2m

Mignolet-9m

Can-9.7m

Toure- Free

Sakho- 15m

Henderson- 20m

Gerrard-Free (Academy Player)

Lucas-5m

Moreno-12m

Coutinho-8.5m

Sterling-5m

Lallana- 25m

4th- Arsenal with a starting eleven costing £113m

Szczesny-Free (Academy Player)

Debuchy-10m

Mertesacker-8m

Koscielny-10m

Gibbs-Free (Academy Player)

Chambers-16m

Coquelin-Free (Academy Player)

Oxlade-Chamberlain-15m

Cazorla-15m

Rosicky-7m

Sanchez-32m

3rd- Man City with a starting eleven costing £194m

Caballero-4.4m

Zabaleta-6.5m

Demichelis-4.2m

Mangala-32m

Clichy-7m

Toure-24m

Fernandinho-30m

Navas-14.9m

Silva-24m

Nasri- 25m

Jovetic- 22m

2nd- Chelsea with a starting eleven costing £200.4m

Courtois-7.9m

Ivanovic-9m

Cahill-7m

Terry-Free (Academy Player)

Azpilicueta-6.5m

Fabregas-30m

Matic-21m

Willian-30m

Oscar-25m

Hazard- 32m

Costa-32m

1st- Man Utd with a starting eleven costing £200.5m

De Gea- 17.8m

Evans- Free (Academy Player)

Smalling- 10m

Jones-17m

Mata- 37.1m

Shaw-27m

Carrick-18.6m

Rooney-27m

Young-16m

Falcao- Loan- 6m Loan Fee

Van Persie-24m

So there you have it, Man Utd had the most expensive starting eleven in the Barclays Premier League on New Years Day. However they were unable to beat Stoke who rank in at 11th on the list. Chelsea who are 2nd on this list were beaten by Spurs ,who are 7th, in a 5-3 classic at White Hart Lane. Below is how each team's ranking on this list compares to their league form:

Team	Positon in First Eleven Cost Table	Position in Premier League
Burnley	20th	19th
Leicester City	19th	20th
Crystal Palace	18th	18th
West Brom	17th	17th
Swansea	16th	9th
QPR	15th	16th
Aston Villa	14th	12th
Newcastle	13th	10th
Everton	12th	13th
Stoke	11th	11th
Hull	10th	15th
Sunderland	9th	14th
West Ham	8th	7th
Spurs	7th	5th
Southampton	6th	4th
Liverpool	5th	8th
Arsenal	4th	6th
Man City	3rd	2nd
Chelsea	2nd	1st
Man Utd	1st	3rd

So it seems that there is a correlation between the cost of your squad and your league finish. With more expensive teams doing better on average than teams with a less costly first eleven. However Arsenal and Liverpool seem to be overpaying for their league positions with Swansea seeming to have found some bargains. Stoke, West Brom and Crystal Palace are the only 3 teams with the same position in both tables.

Happy 2015!

James