In this week's Royal Blue column, Chris Beesley compares the excitement of Americans to the sometimes more cautious approach of British Evertonians who have suffered for years
ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley has covered Everton and Liverpool both in the Premier League and abroad since 2005. He cut his teeth in professional sports journalism at the Ellesmere Port Pioneer and then the Welsh edition of the Daily Post, where he also covered Manchester United. Prior to that he worked on the student newspaper Pluto at the University of Central Lancashire, a role in which he first encountered David Moyes. Chris is well-known for his sartorial elegance and the aforementioned Scottish manager once enquired of him at a press conference: "Is that your dad's suit you've got on?" while the tradition continued in 2023 with new Blues boss Sean Dyche complimenting him on his smart appearance.
Travelling the USA for the past 10 days, I have been fortunate to meet Blues from all over the world - from those who have made the long journey from the UK to the many US-based supporters who have leapt at the chance to see their beloved team so close to home.
The excitement at watching Everton up close and personal has been clear for the thousands who can typically only follow David Moyes' team on TV from the other side of the Atlantic, often in the early hours of the morning. The uniqueness of that experience alone has covered for the disappointment some of the performances have inspired. Finding positives appears to have been harder for the visiting fans who have sat through recent years of struggle in the stands of Goodison Park, which is completely understandable.
There has certainly been no shortage in efforts to get the crowds onside during this tour, wherever they are from and whatever is happening on the pitch, though. The stadium announcers at the Premier League Summer series are as high-spirited as they come. US matchday hosts try and whip up the crowds into a frenzy with a huge dollop of top spin that seems to come effortlessly to them, but then we must remember that such is the international prestige of the English top flight these days, it remains a great accolade to get some of their teams on your patch for a pre-season exhibition.
We’ve also been treated to the musical backdrop of the competing clubs’ respective anthems (it’s been somewhat surreal to hear the likes of We’re Forever Everton, Z-Cars, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles and Manchester United’s version of Take Me Home, Country Roads) blaring out on the P.A. systems of first the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and then Chicago’s Soldier Field.
What also raised a chuckle was seeing the lyrics to the former, such as: “We’re the kings of Goodison, we play in royal blue; on the ball the toffeemen will play it sweet for you...” displayed on large screens to help US fans to sing along.
For all the effort that has gone into making these pre-season games fun, with so many Evertonians having travelled to these matches it’s been a great shame so far that the Blues have given them so little to cheer. After all those years of hurt, their supporters are now daring to dream again with the takeover by The Friedkin Group, the return of David Moyes and now the move to the new stadium on the Mersey waterfront.
Yet the frustrations of both the manager and beleaguered Blues either side of the Atlantic Ocean have become increasingly evident as the matchdays have unfolded with the disappointment on the pitch failing to temper the concern over the lack of transfer incomings that are so obviously required.
This is no time to panic, however. As Everton’s most successful Premier League manager told me this week though in an exclusive sit-down interview with the ECHO, for all his understandable railing over the wait for new faces, the 62-year-old remains as passionate and determined as ever when it comes to his desire to revive the Blues’ fortunes.
For all his initial fears that he could tarnish his impressive legacy at the club with a relegation when coming back, the Glaswegian is utterly convinced that he made the correct decision to return and, like his players and the fans alike, is thrilled by the prospect of a bright new dawn by the banks of the Mersey.
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Everton have a unique and incredibly storied history from their 133 years at Goodison Park – which will be rightly celebrated in my book Spirit of the Blues which is published on Monday – but, even if it doesn’t quite feel like that right now, this can still be a summer of big progress. When it comes to rebuilding the squad, all the pieces of business that Moyes has done so far look to be astute.
Retaining Jarrad Branthwaite, who has missed this trip through injury, was a masterstroke and a bigger boost than any potential signing that Everton could have done this window. The cavalry that we all know needs to arrive, still remains over the hill.
The wait is far from ideal, but in Moyes, TFG surely have the best possible leader at the helm to navigate this window, thanks to his astute judgement and experience.
While he appears to be leaning on those around him within the corridors of power to get business done, if the right opportunity presents itself, he will take it and then even the most cynical of British Blues might be able to crack a wry smile, even if they forgo the whooping and hollering we see in these parts.