As we approach a new season for the Premier League, the good news is that Everton is currently 9th, just behind Crystal Palace and one place above Fulham. And more to the point, two places above Liverpool.
Sadly, once matches are played, alphabetical order loses its prominence. Sad because I would happily settle for ninth place. Certainly after last season’s brush with relegation.
To say the least it’s not easy supporting EFC. Not that I had any choice – my father saw to that.
His support for Everton was unwavering. The only match he missed was on his wedding day on 16th April, 1938, which was a pity because Everton managed to beat Charlton Athletic, 3 – 0.
In contrast my support has been sporadic over the years, mainly because whenever I go to a match, we invariably lose, to the extent that my friend Ken, a shareholder with Everton, offered to write to the board suggesting that they pay me off not to turn up.
Mind you, Jacqui and I did turn up just three weeks ago to watch Everton play Wigan at their DW stadium, a pre-season friendly.
I must say that knowing that the result had no consequence, I really enjoyed the match. Even though we were leading 1 – 0 after Ashley Young’s first goal for the club, there was none of the usual nail-biting terror, fearing we would concede two goals in added time.
Anyway, as preparation for the new season I have been reading “Inverting the pyramid”, Jonathan Wilson’s book on the history of football tactics. He seems to know what he is writing about, as he writes: “Football is not about players, or at least not just about players; it is about shape and about space, about the intelligent deployment of players, and their movement within that deployment.”
I wish I had read this book when it was published in 2008. Sometimes I find myself in conversation with a fellow spectator who will say “Oh, I see we have switched from 4-2-4 to 4-3-3.” when all I can see is 20 men running around the pitch.
And it’s a fascinating read as to how football tactics have evolved since being planted by English workers in countries around the globe.
Just seven years ago I recall seeing a very large mural in Budapest, celebrating the seminal victory of the Hungarian team over England at Wembley on 25th November 1953, now seen as “the match of the century.”
By all accounts the English were complacent. The FA simply assumed that as the originators of the game, our players were technically and physically superior to their foreign counterparts. It was going to be a walk over.
It was, but the other way around with the Hungarians scoring in the opening minute.
Clearly the rigid English formation was unable to cope with the more fluid Hungarian tactics. Time and again the Hungarian forwards drew English players out of position, allowing the more technically skilled Hungarian players to bypass their markers with ease.
The final score was 6–3. Hungary had no less than 35 shots on goal to England's five and their final goal followed a ten-pass sequence.
Very simply the Hungarian manager Gusztáv Sebes thought about how his team should play, as simple as that. He advocated what he referred to as socialist football, an early version of Total Football, with every player pulling equal weight and able to play in all positions.
And ever since football managers have thought deeply how their team should play, with Pep Guardiola as currently the most successful exponent of creative thinking.
It goes without saying that whatever we do for the Lord – both as individual disciples and together as a church, we need to think. To think deeply about how we should go about it, rather than just do the same as last year.
Each morning I use the prayer diary for Operation Mobilisation, the missionary organisation founded by the late George Verwer to mobilise young people to live and share the Gospel of Jesus. Conservative in its theology, nevertheless it is adventurous and imaginative in its various ministries.
This week for example, we have been asked to pray for “an outbreak of innovative ideas. Creative solutions to problems often lead to unexpected doors opening and new opportunities for the gospel.”
And this morning: “Pray for more creative street evangelists. In some countries evangelists can be very open in their outreach while in other places a more subtle and astute approach is needed.”
Thinking is not easy, especially if tradition is strong and expectations high. Each season is a fresh challenge, and a good football manager cannot simply repeat last season’s approach. Too many variables.
Even more so for Christian ministry. We too need to think imaginatively and creatively for the Lord, whatever he has called us to do. As author Erwin McManus observes: “God has given us an imagination, and our imagination is really the principle tool from which all creativity comes from.”
Lord, help me to think with the mind of Christ.