Friedkin’s proposed takeover gives Everton hope – an emotion they had forgotten existed
It has been a while since Everton have had hope. Not the occasional green shoot of recovery, but tangible, viable hope.
Tellingly, you probably have to go back to the early days of Farhad Moshiri's tenure for the last time supporters could look forward with any real sense of optimism.
Make no mistake, the last few years in particular at Goodison have been bleak.
The Anglo-Iranian billionaire arrived in 2016 with big dreams and bold plans but has presided over Everton's decline — steady at first, then much sharper and more dramatic in recent years.
Financial mismanagement has caught up, profit and sustainability rules (PSR) issues have bitten and relegation battles have become the norm.
Even significant wins, like the one in the Merseyside derby last season when they comfortably beat Liverpool 2-0, have been tempered by existential fears. Keeping heads above water is a relief but little else. After a while it all becomes draining.
Whenever it has looked like Everton were gearing up to pull clear of trouble, they have lapsed themselves or been dragged back in by factors seemingly out of their control.
MSP Sports Capital's proposed minority shareholding came and went. 777 Partners' controversial takeover played out over six months and never looked likely to happen. News that The Friedkin Group had pulled out of exclusive talks with Moshiri this summer, citing concerns over some of Everton's debt, was another gut-wrenching blow.
The cycle of negative news has been exhausting. For fans, players and staff, as manager Sean Dyche has often admitted. For journalists, even.
Football is meant to be a form of escapism for supporters; a place where they can forget about the challenges of their everyday lives. Everton's woes have only made things worse.
Most don't want to have to obsess over ownership or PSR compliance. Yet in the last few years they have had to. The future of their club has been at stake.
In truth, it has not always been easy to see a clear way out for Everton, especially given the complex web of creditors, all of whom needed to be satisfied, and 777's legal woes.
At times, the goal internally has been simply to survive. To keep the lights on and retain Premier League status, despite a meagre budget.
What we have seen is stasis right at the top of the club. An inability to meet all of the challenges they have faced.
Leadership is by far the most important strand in football. The clubs who punch above their weight, like Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford , do so because of the steady, astute direction at the top.
Everton have been effectively rudderless for two years as Moshiri has sought a way out. Absent owner, makeshift board for 15 months — much longer than anticipated — and no money. People, like interim CEO Colin Chong, ushered into near-impossible roles.
But finally there is some light on the horizon.
Monday's news of an agreement between Friedkin and Moshiri is the boost everyone associated with Everton has needed. Craved, even. It could end up being the pivotal moment in the club's modern history, provided the final hurdle — regulatory approval — is cleared.
For all his flaws, Moshiri deserves credit in ensuring this outcome. While his tenure overall has been disastrous, he has kept the new stadium project at Bramley-Moore Dock going, making the club more attractive to investors.
He has also, crucially, accepted terms that are significantly better for the club than himself.
He will receive a relatively small sum by takeover standards for his shares — lower than rival bidder John Textor's offer — with the focus instead on freeing the club from the pressure of crippling short-term, high-interest debt. Should this deal be approved, Everton's debt burden will be significantly reduced on day one.
Friedkin's prospective arrival will be welcomed with open arms internally. Textor's very public pursuit of the club was a red flag to many.
Friedkin has problems at Roma right now, but he has a track record in business and a history of investment at his clubs. That is a good start.
Meetings between his representatives and key club figures were understood to have been positive, and there was belief that a positive way forward could be forged collectively. Most saw Friedkin as the only viable option for Everton and Moshiri to his credit, agreed.
Even 12 months ago, during the 777 saga, Everton did not look set for a resolution like this.
The feeling at Goodison in recent years has been that they have needed fresh finance and impetus to give the club a fighting chance. All footballing areas have suffered from a lack of investment in recent years, and there is much to do if they are to return to past glories.
But the reaction to Monday's news has lifted everyone. Crucially it gives staff and fans belief that things can change. That Everton can get out of the hole they have been in.
It is not, as the saying erroneously goes, the hope that kills you. It is the absence of it that does that.
The times where there are few, if any positives, to cling onto. When you witness the slow, steady decline of the club you love.
Monday's news, at the very least, offers the possibility that those days will now be a thing of the past for Everton.
(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/)
