Why the 'Goodison Roar' Is Just as Important to Everton as Finding a New Manager
Sam Allardyce. Sean Dyche. Marco Silva. David Unsworth. Thomas Tuchel. Carlo Ancelotti. Guus Hiddink.
Just seven managers who have been linked with the vacant Everton manager's post since Ronald Koeman was sacked in late October.
As Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright embark on their mission to find the right man to install at the helm of the Blues' first team, all eyes will be on the duo from Evertonians as to just who they select to fill the empty seat in the dugout.
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It might be just as imperative that the club's famous old ground, however, to find its own voice again on a regular basis once more.
There's been countless comments from commentators and pundits alike down the years about the atmospheres generated at Old Trafford, White Hart Lane, Anfield et al, but few are able to match the sheer volume, ferocity and beat pit-esque nature of Goodison Park.
Whether it's a 'top six' club visiting from further afield or a horrendous refereeing performance, Everton's stadium can be as volatile as any other when it chooses to be.
With the Toffees enduring a terrible first three months of the campaign, it's high time that the cauldron inspired character of Goodison roared out across L4.
It's no surprise that the three Premier League matches that Everton have won this term have come when Goodison has been rocked to its very foundations.
A summer filled with optimism and hope helped create a positive mood on the opening day that saw the hosts run out 1-0 winners over Stoke City - prodigal son Wayne Rooney doing the business on his second debut for his boyhood club.
The come-from-behind win over Bournemouth in September, too, drew a feral reaction from the home supporters as their beloved Blues battled back through Oumar Niasse's brace.
That double was built upon by the unrelenting baying mob inside Goodison's creaky-but-romantic stands on Saturday as, for the first time in 23 years, Everton came from 2-0 down in any match to secure all three points with a stunning 3-2 win over Watford.
Whilst tough defeats to Lyon and Arsenal prayed heavy on Everton fans' minds, Goodison did its best to rally their troops when blood was smelled and opposition fear reared its ugly head for spells in those encounters as well.
Both Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman made Goodison Park a fortress in their debut seasons at the helm, and ensured that any visiting side was already quaking in their boots before even taking to the pitch.
Those swashbuckling, winning displays forged a positive relationship with Everton supporters and helped the Toffees register plenty of superb victories - triumphs that made Goodison a torrid time for any travelling contingent.
The Grand Old Lady needs that again, now more than ever, to help turn Everton's fortunes around. True, Everton fans thrive off of their team performing well and winning matches - a symbiotic relationship that helps players and fans alike feed off each other's positivity.
Goodison found its voice last Saturday to help inspire Everton to an unlikely victory. It'll need to do likewise again for the rest of 2017/18, whoever enters the manager's seat.
