Apologies for the rather grim nature of this post, it isn't what you need in the first week of January. But I have detected by reading forums and talking to other fans that they are at the end of their tether with the board's inactivity with regards investment.
After yet another dismally predictable defeat and David Moyes trotting out the same tired lines about us having no money for re-enforcements, a ground-swell of support is developing among the fans to push for change at board room level.
Considering the job he has done under testing circumstances the fans are prepared to back Moyes for now. After all who could do much better if Jermaine Beckford is your only major signing over the summer.
Instead some supporters are looking to Bill Kenwright, the chairman, and demanding answers.
Kenwright rescued the club from the clutches of Peter Johnson, who was effectively hounded out by the fans in 1998 after a series of unpopular decisions that nearly bankrupted the club.
Everyone gives credit to Kenwright for that, but it seems he has lived on the 'at least he isn't Johnson' mantle for too long.
In his10 years as chairman he had overseen two botched new stadium projects, two promises of outside funds that never materialized (the first, a proposed media deal with cable firm NTL, coming after the club had already spent the expected money in advance, which pushed it to the brink of administration) and a continued, fruitless "24-7" search for investment.
The result is that a team like Stoke (no offence intended) who have only been in the Premier League for two years, can spend £8million on a striker while we are forced to take freebies from League One.
I appreciate that rich owners like the ones at City don't grow on trees, and that a number of owners have caused more damage to clubs than improved them. But that shouldn't be an excuse of apathy and in-action. We don't necessarily need a billionaire, just reasonable spending on players each summer instead of nothing - Moyes has shown he can operate on a tight budget, but he and I doubt anyone else can survive in this division on no budget at all.
If we just keep things as they are we will end up relegated. Look at the table, it is determined by how much money has been spent - hence the likes of City and Spurs piercing the top four, Liverpool's slide down the league and Sunderland (with a £25millon strike force don’t forget) pushing for a European spot.
Blackpool are an exception to the rule but they have only been in the division six months, lets see how they are doing another 12 months down the line.
Moyes can't perform miracles for long and to be honest looks like a man weary of trotting out the same old excuses and dealing with one arm behind his back. Sooner or later he will call it a day and who can blame him.
But if/when he does, then we are really screwed.
The problem that I and 95% of fans suffer from is lack of information and knowledge of how football clubs are run. We don't know the ins and outs, how many offers of investment have actually been made and whether things will get worse before they get better.
But we know something must be done to arrest the slide, and those more knowledgeable to such things are beginning to take action. I doubt it will take the form of a protest; we are wise enough to know that will only put pressure on the players and make things worse. But that nagging doubt that we hit a glass ceiling after the Cup Final in 2009 is now gnawing at many supporters heads.
That should have been the springboard for progress, if Moyes had been given some funds that summer we could have really pushed on. Instead is has become the latest in a long line of missed opportunities under Kenwright’s watch.
Kenwright says he loves the club and has the best interest of the club at heart. I genuinely believe him, but he needs to show it by handing the reigns of the club to someone else and quick before we slide deeper into mediocrity.*
*As said a bit grim, but something that needs to be addressed, for more info check out this exellent blog post by evertonian Colin Fitz on the Toffeeweb website. A real interesting read from someone privvy to far more information than I am:
http://www.toffeeweb.com/season/10-11/comment/fan/16215.html
Oh and happy New Year!