By @pbsportswriter
ANDREI KANCHELSKIS has worn many
colours over the years but he is as Blue as they come when it comes to Everton.
In his book “Russian Winters” he writes:
“The one difference with Manchester United was that at Everton, even if the
team wasn’t winning, the fans would still be very loud and emotional.
“Whenever
I come back to Merseyside I am always amazed how many people want photographs
or an autograph. I seem to get a bigger reaction when I go to Liverpool than
when I go to Manchester.”
Scoring twice at Anfield to win a
Mersey derby can do that for you, Andrei.
Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that he
speaks so passionately about his hopes for the future of his old club under new
boss Marco Silva. But it’s still refreshing to hear.
Silva has just been handed a gift by the
Premier League in the shape of an opening round of fixtures that Ronald Koeman
would have killed for.
Kanchelskis is a big fan, and believes
that with the right players, the right start, enough patience from the fan base
and a little bit of luck, Silva could be about to do something special next season.
He will be expecting a fast start with
Everton facing home games against Southampton, Huddersfield and West Ham and
away trips to Wolves and Bournemouth to start the campaign.
But Kanchelskis believes even bigger
things could be just around the corner with a new stadium on the horizon and
Farhad Moshiri pushing for Champions League football.
Kanchelskis told me: “Everton is a good
club with great fans. I remember so many good times there. They need to buy some
good players this summer and they could play in the Champions League.
“Why not? A full stadium every game
will help the players and the atmosphere there is always amazing.
“But it’s normal they are looking to
move to a bigger stadium. They need it. To have 55,000 every week would be good
for Everton. They are a big club.
“Arsenal and West Ham moved to bigger
stadiums. Tottenham are building one too. A lot of teams are making that move.
“I have many great memories of the
place but it is a little bit too old now, Goodison. Everton needs a new stadium
for the Champions League. That’s where they should be.”
A top four finish was the dream last
summer, when Moshiri made a big splash in the transfer market in an effort to break
into the big time only to see it all fall horribly, horribly flat.
But Kanchelskis believes things will be
different this time around, because the club have learned their lesson, removed
those he deems responsible for that failure, and brought in a much better manager.
He said: “Everyone I speak to says he
is a great coach – and I speak to a lot of people! Everton fans must give him
ten games and see what happens.
“He needs some time because he has a
completely different mentality to the last manager.
“I hope he will still be there in five
years’ time and that Everton will be in their new stadium and competing with
the best in Europe on a regular basis.
“What went wrong last year was a
mistake of the management, in my opinion. But it will not happen again. They didn’t
make good signings. But do not blame the owner.
“He has paid big money for a good coach
and they will buy quality players. Hopefully next season they will finish in
the top four.”
ends
