Everton: The £20 million failure was compared to Ronaldo, but now he has been sold
He was signed to take Everton to the top but left as quick as he joined.
In February 2016, it was announced that Farhad Moshiri had bought a majority stake in Everton Football Club.
This was meant to usher in a new era.
Having not won a trophy since the 1995 FA Cup and no league title since 1987, fans hoped that with Moshiri’s backing, there was hope that the glory days may return.
In the club statement via Bleacher Report, Moshiri expressed his eagerness to get started, stating: “I look forward with excitement to working with him to help deliver success for Everton in the future.”
Cut to 2022, and Moshiri currently owns 94% of the football club. A sign that his tenure had been a success? Not exactly.
In fact, the year that it was announced that Moshiri was to inherit such a percentage in the club, was the same year Everton saw their worst finish since 2004.
That was until the following season, where the Toffees did manage to match their worst-ever Premier League finish, landing only one place outside the relegation zone.
With such promise and seemingly so much money to spend on the club, why has it gone wrong for the billionaire?
For many people, the answer lies in recruitment. Pundit Owen Hargreaves summed it up best.
“Recruitment has been a disaster; they’ve spent so much money and they don’t have much to show for it.”
Perhaps no player epitomises this more for Everton, than James Rodriguez
A player that seemed to be destined for the top, by the time he came to Everton it hadn’t quite worked out that way. But the club took a punt, believing he had a lot more left in the tank.
It would turn out to be a costly mistake.
The attacking midfielder was highlighted as someone with massive potential when he moved to Europe as a teenager in 2010.
Joining Portuguese side Porto, James found success immediately as he was part of an invincible league team and Europa League champions. This was then followed up by winning the Taca de Portugal, where the Colombian scored a hat trick.
Arguably, his spell in Portugal was the most prolific of his entire career. The tricky attacker made 108 appearances, making 74 goal contributions and leaving with a litany of trophies.
That was enough to earn a big move in 2013, when money-hungry AS Monaco made a double swoop for Rodriguez and his then-teammate Joao Moutinho for a combined £60m.
It wasn’t a move for the long term though, as the ace was only there for one season. That wasn’t down to poor performances, however. It was down to bigger things ahead.
By this point, Rodriguez’s talent was widely known. But his life would change at the 2014 World Cup.
With the eyes of the world on him, James stole the show.
Despite only reaching the Quarter Finals, the Colombian secured the Golden Boot for his six goals and further two assists.
He was also given the goal of the tournament for an exceptional chest control and volley that crashed the underside of the crossbar and nestled in the back of the net.
In the space of one tournament, James had gone from a player recognised for his talent, to a superstar.
He had caught the attention of the biggest clubs in the world and eventually signed for Real Madrid for £63m
A host of trophies followed. One Spanish Super Cup, two Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, one La Liga and two Champions Leagues.
A trophy haul that any player would be proud of.
Yet, it wasn’t enough.
Despite making 79 goal contributions in 125 games, James hadn’t lived up to his potential. Being stuck behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale may have hampered him.
The turning point seemed to happen when Zinedine Zidane took charge at Los Blancos. James’ game time increased, with people including that likes of Colombia legend Carlos Valderrama claiming that:
“Even if he (Rodriguez) scores three, four or five goals, Zidane won’t put him on. James is a player he does not like.”
Fans were also concerned with the drop in form and game time. One summarised what most fans were feeling during this time when they tweeted “at this stage of last season, James Rodriguez was Madrid’s best player. His fall this season to being behind Lucas, Jese & Isco alarming.”
His managers’ admiration for him was clear. Not long after he joined Everton, Ancelotti was waxing lyrical about his latest addition, saying:
“He’s a great, talented player. He doesn’t miss passes, never loses control of the ball or wastes shots on target. He doesn’t play complicated football, he thinks of football as a simple thing.”
” I think he found the right club for him to show his quality.”
With statements like that, excitement was high to see what James could produce.
