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I regularly exchange views, thoughts, opinions, facts, rumours and the like with many blues, more notably a relative of mine who is working in Ireland and regularly contacts me to discuss the goings on at Everton, but also many of my followers on Twitter. Personally, I dont read the papers very much. I do, however, glance at the websites every morning before work to get up to date with the speculation surrounding our club.
This morning was about the 14th morning where I have woken up, checked the website and found absolutely nothing to get excited about. And it frustrated me. So much so that after much scanning, to read that we are now in pole position to sign Neil Taylor from Swansea City as cover for Leighton Baines, when we have the best left back at youth level in the country in Luke Garbutt waiting to step up and provide such cover, the "he can play left mid too lad" argument is one which I instantly dismiss. So can Magaye Gueye by the way, but thats not my point.
In the height of my frustration, I decided to send an email to Mr Elstone and ask him to address a few points. Have a look:
Dear Mr Elstone
I am emailing you to voice my frustrations as I know you will read my email, treat it seriously and respond accordingly.There are a number of issues which myself and fellow blues feel somewhat aggravated by since the season ended. Indeed, a number of Evertonians have decided against renewing their season tickets based on these issues. Therefore, I am writing for clarification not only for myself, but for the blues who I talk to on a daily basis via various methods including a website I write for - www.royalbluemersey.com - and hopefully those within my reach who have decided not to join me in supporting our club for the coming season by renewing their membership and get them to reconsider.Most obviously, the complete lack of transfer activity with the current first team playing staff. This is what the summer is all about for the fans, the rumours, the outgoings and more importantly the incomings to build on the current squad as we look to push on and exceed the manager's expectations of a top 7 place, as realistic as the expectation may be. Every day we wake up and before we go to work for the day we read the "Transfer Gossip" columns in the newspapers. I have to say, the fact that the Everton name has only appeared for clubs potentially bidding to sign Jack Rodwell and Leighton Baines, plus the interest shown in Jay Bothroyd is not the standard we have come to expect at Everton Football Club. Whilst I appreciate that the club do not want to shoot ourselves in the foot like we did with Mohammed Sissoko all them years ago and only announce a deal once it is complete, it would be nice to receive some communication from yourself, board members, first team staff etc. with regards to any activity. Even a simple statement such as "we are talking to a couple of clubs about targets, but we don't want to name them or say any more until we have something set in stone" would suffice. Yet we hear nothing. Are the rumours that the boss must sell to buy true? If so, why isn't it happening?? Very good "free" transfer targets who every Evertonian knows would add to the current playing squad are slipping through the Everton net purely through lack of activity. Only today do we hear Seb Larsson is signing for Sunderland for nothing. Sunderland, I ask you?! Even Wolverhampton Wanderers are spending £5million on Jamie O'Hara, again another very good player, yet we read we are unable to afford a £4.5million "down payment" to secure the excellent Charles N'Zogbia from Wigan Athletic. Whether this is factual is up for debate, again due to the lack of communication between the club and the people.The manager has regularly spoken about the good relationship with the Chairman. He has also spoken about how special the club is and how loyal he intends to remain to this club. He recently publicly stated he had no intention of resigning, especially to join the likes of Aston Villa, and he should be commended for stating his position. I couldnt have blamed him if he had walked away from the club after nine long years, but he remained loyal to the cause. It's about time the board rewarded this loyalty and allowed both him and the club to step up and achieve what we both should be achieving.Secondly, the statement that the banks have asked for £10million this summer as part of the refinancing package which took place some time ago. Is this true? If so, does this impact on the budget available to the manager to improve the current squad? If it does, then why wasn't this accounted for when refinancing the club? Slack management in my opinion, if indeed true.We see recent investment in clubs who hold no comparable stature to ours, most notably Manchester City, a club in Division Two not so long ago who are now in the promised land of the Champions League through pure investment. Then there is Aston Villa, arguably of similar stature who spend £20million on a striker. Sunderland, spending top dollar to land a good calibre of player and our neighbours across the park who created a proportion of their own money in the sale of Fernando Torres, granted, but then took a huge chunk of this money in one swoop by singing Andy Carroll. Yet they still spend. My point - is the board actually actively seeking investment, or is this a lie? Again, the truth of the matter is up for debate as actions definitely speak louder than words.Whilst I personally believe that there has to be a fine line drawn between income and expenditure and I also wonder what would happen to Manchester City should their owners decide to sell up, some form of investment other than a bank loan or overdraft which hinders progress would be nice to hear of.I hope to receive some honest answers, regardless of when I do receive them. If there is no answer to any of my points please say so. I will be posting this email onto our website for supporters of our club to read and debate.Finally, I must emphasise that communication with the supporters is key. The people supporting the "people's club" are being kept in the dark, and the swing in mood and attitude towards the club and more specifically the board is gathering pace. Prove the doubters wrong, Mr Elstone, and follow up what you honourably did at the recent supporters' meeting when answering the points raised by Keep Everton In Our City by answering the points raised in this email so that I may pass your message on to the thousands of blues who regularly read our website.I thank you for your time