Everton fail to 'change story' in front of potential owners

Josh Wander, along with Steven Pasko and Don Dransfield from 777 Partners, were present at Goodison Park last Saturday.

The potential future proprietors of Everton witnessed firsthand a recurring event at Goodison Park during Saturday's match.

Josh Wander, Steven Pasko, and Don Dransfield, who are the co-founders and chief executive of 777 Partners, recently went to their first ever Toffees' game since the investment group from Miami signed an agreement to acquire Farhad Moshiri's 94% stake in the club on 15 September.

Similar to the loyal fans at home who witnessed their team triumph in the previous two matches on foreign turf, the threesome were reportedly feeling both nervous and enthusiastic about experiencing Everton play. Nevertheless, they departed the stadium with resounding jeers echoing in their ears.

Luton Town arrived in Merseyside with a streak of five games without a win and were predicted to drop back down to the Championship division. However, they surprised everyone by winning the game 2-1.

The outcome of the game was humiliating for the team members and their leader, Sean Dyche. He will most likely be closely examined once again as his team takes on Bournemouth, who are also struggling in the league, in their upcoming game on Saturday.

Dyche expressed his disappointment with the outcome, stating that it was quite obvious. He mentioned that the performance was lackluster and repetitive.

We were in control for most of the game, but unfortunately some bad goals were scored against us and we missed some opportunities to score ourselves. I have repeatedly emphasized the need to alter the pattern, and it's up to us to make it happen. Our prospects were excellent for today's match.

This platform provides a starting point to alter the narrative, which has become increasingly complex over the past two years, amidst all the commotion and distractions - unfortunately, we failed to seize it.

This is not meant to diminish Luton's efforts - they have dedicatedly followed the steps that newcomer teams take in the division.

777 Adopts Hands-on Approach

From the moment 777 made an initial investment in La Liga squad, Sevilla, in 2018, they went on to establish a group of soccer teams across the globe. The list includes other teams like Genoa, Standard Liege, and Vasco de Gama.

Purchasing Everton would be a major acquisition for them, as it involves taking over a club whose fans are dissatisfied and have not experienced a victory since 1995.

For a while now, fans of Everton have been unhappy about the apparent shortage of communication from the current leadership. The consultancy group 777 has plans to alter this perception by adopting an active and involved approach, even before the agreement is officially approved.

A few weeks ago, Dransfield had a meeting with Dyche, who is the boss, and Thelwell, who is the director of football, at the training ground of Finch Farm belonging to the club. Meanwhile, Wander has been engaging with fans and well-known supporters by speaking to them.

777 is prioritizing the involvement and attentive listening to everyone involved with the club. They have acknowledged the passion and strong desire for success that the stakeholders possess, and aim to work towards satisfying their expectations.

The acquisition is currently in the process of being approved by the Premier League, Football Association (FA), and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If all the assessments are successfully completed, then the transaction should be finalized before the holiday season.

The typical duration for the procedures is roughly 3 months from the moment an agreement is made to the finalization of the process. BBC Sport has learned that 777 is "optimistic" that the approval process will be successfully concluded.

When inquired by BBC Sport about his satisfaction with the game, Wander, a member of the European Club Association (ECA) board, responded by saying he enjoyed it "apart from the outcome". Sources suggest that if the deal is confirmed, he may accept a position in the boardroom at Everton.

"A Killer Edge: A Must-Have"

Everton hasn't been able to win any of their four games played at home this season. They lost against Fulham, Wolves, Arsenal, and most recently, against Luton unexpectedly. The team had an anticipated goals (xG) rating of 2.9.

After winning impressively against Brentford and Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup and scoring five goals, there seemed to be a strong sense of self-assurance among the team. However, the Blues reverted back to their usual ways, only managing to score once out of 23 shots against the Luton Town football team.

Dyche highlighted a persistent weakness in the team, which hasn't managed to win three consecutive matches in over two years, dating back to the beginning of Rafael Benitez's brief tenure.

Dyche disclosed that he held a discussion with 777, proposing the likelihood of them acquiring ownership. This event took place 10 days ago. Their primary objective during the meeting was to gather insight from us regarding our perspectives, assessments, and opinions about the club's current status and areas that require improvement.

I talked to them about it and I aim to always tell the truth. It's our responsibility to transform the narrative. Today, we saw yet another example of this. We had a lot of purpose and created great opportunities, but we must work on our ability to finish strongly.

For the past two years, we have witnessed a recurring pattern - a satisfactory display of football, an attempt to score a goal, failure to score, conceding a goal, and ultimately losing the game. To become a successful football team, we need a stronger mindset to tackle the unpleasant tasks and put in the necessary effort. This approach involves doing the hard yards and not shying away from the grueling aspects of the game.

We need to emphasize to the players that every single aspect of the game is important, even the unattractive ones. However, we sometimes struggle with this concept. While our performances against Brentford and Villa were solid, we need to improve our ability to score goals and defend properly. At the moment, we are only doing an average job in these areas.

Being content with the situation won't lead you anywhere. Simply saying "everything will be fine" won't make it happen. You need to constantly put in effort to make sure things are actually going well.