Everton’s takeover at the hands of 777 Partners has dragged on for nearly eight months now.
It was back in September when a deal was struck with Farhad Moshiri, for the Miami-based firm to acquire all of his 94% shares and assume full control of the Toffees.
And at the time, ignorance was bliss for the bulk of Evertonians.
To them, it simlpy meant that their much-maligned Iranian owner was on the way out at last, and whoever was responsible for that had earned their instant admiration.
However, since then much more has emerged to convince people to the contrary.
The Esk on 777 Partners and administration
Having made his feelings on 777 Partners well known, finance guru and writer Paul Quinn maintains his derogatory position towards the organisation desperately trying to buy Everton.
However, it feels like in the last two days he has taken that detraction to new levels, supposedly suggesting that their takeover would be a worse outcome than administration for the football club.
And while he sought to refute that claim in a recent article, he arguably just backs it up.
The Esk, as he is more commonly known on X, wrote: ‘I am well aware of the risks and pain (not least to us, the fans) administration would bring, so I do not say it lightly as a comparison to 777 Partners.
‘Not only is it the case that 777 do not have management resources, expertise nor sustainable capital raising capabilities short & long term, a heavily leveraged purchase would negate the the benefits of the new stadium & make us even less competitive in the future. Hence my belief that they should (in the unlikely event of approval) be avoided at all costs.’
Administration will NEVER be the solution for Everton
To me, it is crazy that anybody would suggest administration as a viable option for Everton, no matter your feelings on 777 Partners.
Yes, they may not be the best options as owners. And of course, their financial records and ownership history are patchy.
But to prefer mass redundancies across the entire club instead of that makes no sense, and marks a far riskier move than merely handing over control to the questionable organisation.
After all, how many clubs have actually gone into administration and bounced back to their former glory with speed? Even if Everton were to return to the top after such a setback, it would likely take years and years, with only a miracle likely to stop their decline.
It is easy to forget just how big a club the Toffees are in the grand scheme of English football, and fortunately, there will likely always be suitors keen on getting their hands on such a giant of the game.
So, we must simply wait and see if 777 Partners can stump up the four new conditions they must meet before they are accepted as owners. Should they meet them, then things should be on track for success. If not, there will be alternatives.