Five Year Plans

David Moyes seems to like his five year plans. He also seems to like unveiling them after the five years have passed. Let's call it 'retrospective compartmentalising'.

It's a useful little strategy actually, this retrospective compartmentalising lark. It allows you to justify errors of judgement, failure and disappointment by ignoring them in favour of displaying the bigger picture. Some people like to call it 're-writing history', I like to call it retrospective compartmentalising.

Regardless, the two five year plans Moyes has completed at Everton can now be retrospectively compartmentalised as 1: 'Change' and 2: 'Consolidation'.

I have no reason to doubt Moyes' assertion that he starts every season aiming to win the Premier League. However ridiculous that may sound. Nevertheless, history now judges his first five years as the ones that really excited the Goodison faithful, the ones which changed the perception that 'Generation Sky' had of Everton from that of perennial strugglers to one of top six contenders. An era, it is worth reminding ourselves, that was characterised by gung-ho approaches, late comebacks and go-for-broke substitutions.

By comparison, five year plan number 2 has been something of a disappointment. Despite three trips to Wembley, the European qualifications have dried up. So to, mind you, have the coffers. But, the football has become much more predictable and the calibre of players being brought into the club has plateaued.

If I'm reading the signals correctly, it looks as if a contract extension is close to being signed, which means five more years of David Moyes. If dissenting voices are to be kept muffled, he is going to have to break with his tradition and go on record with his intentions and a projected five year plan. More importantly, he is going to have to deliver. It's time for the Blues to push on, to stop hiding behind a lack of investment and start believing in themselves. Moyes himself cannot afford another five years of consolidation, for that would quickly become retrospectively compartmentalised by Evertonians as ten years of stagnation.

No, that would be no good. For Everton, Moyes' reputation and the sanity of the club's fan base, five year plan number 3 simply has to be called 'Silverware'.