Sports
The unbearable misery of Everton – the Premier League’s bleakest club
Euston station in London is a bleak place at the best of times. Claustrophobic, harshly lit and always overcrowded, nobody wants to be there for longer than is absolutely necessary.
It was thus a fitting venue for a group of Everton fans to harangue their team’s players as they boarded a train back to Merseyside after their 4-0 defeat to Tottenham at the weekend. “F***ing rat” was one of the choicer epithets that could be heard on a clip that went viral at the weekend.
The footage raised conflicting thoughts. On the one hand, it was tough not to agree with the club’s striker Neal Maupay — one of the primary targets for the abuse — when he posted on X: “Imagine another job where it’s normalised to get abuse like this. Hanging around at a train station to scream at men who are trying their best.”
It is only two games into the new season and they are not deliberately trying to lose.
Neal Maupay was the subject of abuse on Saturday (Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)
Yes, the players are paid huge amounts of money, but the numbers on their wage slips are reflections of their athletic and mental abilities relative to the finances of the industry they are in, not a measure of how many swear words you can hurl at them while they are boarding a train. By Monday morning, Everton fan groups were queuing up to condemn the scenes.
On the other hand, there will be plenty of people out there who, maybe in a very small way, identify with those Everton fans. Sometimes you have a lot of rage and frustration and you don’t know what to do with it. Those Everton supporters should not have reacted the way they did, but when you are at the end of a long, expensive and disappointing day, and the sources of that disappointment wander past, it’s easy to see how rage can drown out the better angels of your nature.
The reaction isn’t just about one game either. You could make a strong argument that Everton are the bleakest club in the Premier League — and have been for some time, given all of the problems swirling around them.
We’ll take on-the-pitch stuff to start. They have lost their first two games of the season by an aggregate score of 7-0. It is the first time in their history that they have lost both of their opening games by three or more goals. Only Everton and Southampton are yet to score in this season’s Premier League. Everton have had only two shots on target, which is the lowest in the division, and a much-trumpeted final season at Goodison Park began with a defeat to Brighton that saw the stadium half-empty by the time the final whistle blew.
Goodison Park was largely empty by the time the Brighton game ended (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, despite his run of goals towards the end of last season, continues to be nothing like his best. Beyond him, they have only Maupay and Beto as centre-forward options, albeit Iliman Ndiaye will potentially be threatening from a slightly deeper role. Their full-back options are shallow, they look light in central midfield and they will be praying Jordan Pickford’s error at the weekend is a blip rather than a sign that his capabilities are waning. Saturday’s game against Bournemouth is, absurdly for the third fixture of the season, already looking massive.
But that’s nothing compared to the off-pitch stuff. The sale of Amadou Onana to Aston Villa should set aside any immediate concerns over a third points deduction related to profitability and sustainability rules, but you never know what gremlins lurk in their books.
More of a worry is Everton’s ownership situation. Fans have been protesting the regime of owner Farhard Moshiri for years. It is a relief that they didn’t end up in the hands of 777 — the Miami-based investment firm that The Athletic pointed out in June had been “described as a ‘house of cards’ in one lawsuit and a ‘Ponzi scheme’ in another” (claims 777 denies) — but the mess left by that protracted takeover saga spooked the Friedkin Group, a slightly more reputable potential custodian.
As Matt Slater reported in July, the Friedkins got cold feet because of legal uncertainties surrounding the £200million ($260m at current rates) that former Everton suitor 777 Partners has lent to the club over the past year.
Moreover, even though Dan Friedkin didn’t acquire the club, he still lent them a further £200million to pay a bill from the constructors of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. So the next suitor that comes along not only has to unpick the ball of wool that is their finances, but also has to contend with two sizeable loans to previous prospective owners — loans that will need to be paid back at some point.
They’ve managed to find themselves in a Groucho Club situation: it’s such a mess that anyone you would want to own your club is probably too sensible to go anywhere near them.
Everton fans have been protesting at the running of their club for years (Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Their best hope appears to be John Textor, but even if he manages to divest his stake in Crystal Palace — which, for financial and regulatory reasons, he needs to do to buy Everton — he’s not exactly a knight in shining armour. The most generous description of his record with his other clubs is ‘patchy’: a less generous interpretation is that his clubs tend to end up in varying degrees of chaos.
Belgian side Molenbeek were relegated last season, Lyon’s men’s team were in danger of the same in 2023-24 until a superb second half of the campaign and Palace’s progress has been stop-start since his arrival as a shareholder in 2021.
Even the success stories come with an asterisk: Botafogo are second in the Brazilian Serie A, just one point off the top after 24 games, but collapsed spectacularly when well placed in the title race last season. Textor subsequently made a series of match-fixing and corruption allegations that were rejected by the Superior Tribunal de Justica Desportiva, the autonomous legal arm of Brazilian football, funded by the country’s football federation.
Ultimately, if Everton fans were to choose their ideal owner, it wouldn’t be Textor. He just looks preferable to some of those who have kicked the tyres over the past year or so.
Sean Dyche summed it up more succinctly after the defeat to Tottenham: “There’s so much noise and stories every day around Everton and it is tough. It’s not very often about the football.”
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There are some reasons to be cheerful. They also lost their first two matches of the previous two seasons and were ultimately fine. They have an excellent manager who specialises in defying expectations, whose entire career has essentially been one long middle finger to people who have written him off. They have, at the time of writing, managed to keep Jarrad Branthwaite, a genuinely excellent and homegrown (mostly — he signed from Carlisle United when he was 17) defender that plenty of big teams have already been sniffing around and more will do so in the future. All being well they will be in a new, modern, picturesque stadium this time next year.
But those rays of hope are having to work hard to pierce the fog of despair at the moment. If you search ‘Everton dejected’ in the Getty Images database, it comes up with 4,563 results. And not all of them are Pickford.
At the start of the season, The Athletic ran a survey to gauge the hopefulness levels of each Premier League club’s fans. According to that, 76 per cent were more optimistic about the season ahead than pessimistic.
You wonder how different that will be now.
(Top photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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In just his second season at the helm, Curt Cignetti led Indiana to its first national championship.
During the Hoosiers’ title run, Cignetti became known for his demanding coaching style. Indiana opened spring practice Thursday, and incoming transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh got a crash course in what it means to play for Cignetti.
Marsh, who transferred from Michigan State, arrived at practice in gold cleats. After noting Marsh’s productive two-year stint in East Lansing, Cignetti pivoted to the wideout’s footwear.
Nick Marsh (6) of the Michigan State Spartans runs the ball up the field during the first quarter of a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Ford Field Nov. 29, 2025, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
“I didn’t love those gold shoes he came out in today,” Cignetti said. “He learned what getting your a– ripped is all about. I don’t know if that happened to him very often at Michigan State. That was before practice started.”
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Marsh totaled 1,311 receiving yards and nine touchdowns at Michigan State. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover also headlines Indiana’s transfer additions.
An Indiana Hoosiers helmet during a game against the Ball State Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium Aug. 31, 2019, in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Cignetti added that the coaching staff has “more work to do with this group than the first two teams,” noting the group is still learning more about players the team will likely rely on next season.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the second quarter against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship at Hard Rock Stadium Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Indiana went 16-0 en route to a thrilling win over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship in January.
Cignetti framed his callout of Marsh’s cleats as an early message about expectations.
“That was a wake-up call,” Cignetti said of the receiver’s pre-practice cleats. “But he’s really worked hard, done a great job for us.”
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Redondo Union didn’t care that Mira Costa’s volleyball team was ranked No. 1 in California. This was their South Bay rival coming to their gym Thursday night, and anything can happen when a team digs deep and doesn’t fear losing.
The Sea Hawks (14-2) were aggressive from the outset and came away with a 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 victory.
“Chemistry,” setter Tommy Spalding said about the Sea Hawks’ triumph. He’s one of three players headed to MIT, and all three had big matches.
At one point on back-to-back plays, Carter Mirabal had a block and Vaughan Flaherty followed with a kill off an assist from Spalding. Chemistry.
JR Boice, a Long Beach State commit, was delivering kills, and Cash Essert’s serving and all-around play kept Mira Costa’s Mateo Fuerbringer looking frustrated. The Sea Hawks’ focus was on Fuerbringer, who came alive in the fifth set with six kills, but Redondo was able to come back from an 11-9 deficit.
It was only Mira Costa’s second loss in 25 matches. Redondo Union took over first place in the Bay League.
Baseball
Orange Lutheran 3, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian 2: The Lancers advanced to the semifinals of the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., behind a walk-off single in the eighth inning by Andrew Felizzari. Brady Murrietta had tied the score with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh. CJ Weinstein had two doubles for the Lancers.
Venice (Fla.) 12, Harvard-Westlake 0: The Wolverines were limited to three hits at the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C.
Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.) 3, St. John Bosco 2: The Braves suffered their first defeat in North Carolina. Jack Champlin threw five innings and also had two RBIs.
Chatsworth 6, Taft 3: Tony Del Rio Nava threw six innings and had two RBIs in the West Valley League win.
Granada Hills 4, El Camino Real 3: A two-run single by Nicholas Penaranda in the seventh inning keyed a three-run inning for the Highlanders in their West Valley League upset. JJ Saffie had three hits for ECR.
Cleveland 4, Birmingham 3: The Cavaliers pushed across a run in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie in the West Valley League win. Joshua Pearlstein finished with three hits, including a home run.
Sun Valley Poly 4, San Fernando 2: Fabian Bravo gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Parrots, who are tied with Sylmar for first place in the Valley Mission League. Ray Pelayo struck out eight for San Fernando.
Verdugo Hills 15, Kennedy 1: Cutlor Fannon had two doubles and four RBIs in the five-inning win. Anthony Velasquez added two singles and four RBIs.
Westlake 9, Agoura 4: Jaxson Neckien hit a three-run home run to power the Warriors.
Thousand Oaks 7, Calabasas 5: Gavin Berigan, Jeff Adams and Cru Hopkins each had two hits for the Lancers.
Oaks Christian 11, Newbury Park 2: Dane Disney contributed three hits in the Marmonte League win. Carson Sheffer had two doubles and three RBIs.
Santa Monica 12, Simi Valley 4: Ryan Breslo and Johnny Recendez had two RBIs and a triple for Santa Monica. Ravi Chernack had three RBIs.
Dana Hills 7, Corona Santiago 0: Gavin Giese finished with eight strikeouts over six innings and gave up one hit for Dana Hills.
Softball
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Sierra Canyon 0: Kelsey Luderer contributed three hits and two RBIs while freshman Ainsley Jenkins threw five scoreless innings.
Chaminade 15, Louisville 2: Norah Pettersen had two hits and four RBIs.
Carson 10, San Pedro 0: Atiana Rodriguez finished with three hits, including a double and triple, and three RBIs.
Huntington Beach 6, El Modena 2: Willow Kellen had three hits for the Oilers.
Murrieta Mesa 15, Chaparral 0: It’s a 16-0 start for the Rams. Tatum Wolff hit two home runs.
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The fiancée of Buffalo Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin received a roaring welcome home in her first appearance of the season Wednesday night, months after undergoing a lifesaving transplant after she suffered heart failure during a vacation in France.
Carolina Matovac, 25, was shown on the jumbotron during Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins. Fans cheered as she waved, and Dahlin, who was also shown on the screen in a split, cracked a smile at the crowd’s reaction.
Carolina Matovac and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres pose on the red carpet at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Feb. 1, 2024. (Nicole Osborne/NHLI via Getty Images)
“Welcome home to Carolina Matovac, the fiancée of our captain Rasmus Dahlin,” the arena announcer said. “She is back with us, attending her first game of the season. The Sabrehood loves you, Carolina.”
In an open letter to fans in September, Dahlin shared that Matovac had been feeling ill for several days during their trip, which led to her experiencing “major heart failure.”
“Fortunately, she received CPR on multiple occasions, and up to a couple of hours at a time to keep her alive, which ultimately saved her life. Without her receiving lifesaving CPR, the result would have been unimaginable. It is hard to even think about the worst-case scenario,” he wrote at the time.
Rasmus Dahlin (of the Buffalo Sabres prepares for a faceoff during a game against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 9, 2025. (Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
Matovac remained on life support for weeks before receiving the transplant in France.
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In January, Matovac revealed she was pregnant when her heart failed, adding that her unborn child was the reason she went to the hospital initially.
“You will always hold a special place in our hearts as our first baby, even though we never had the chance to meet. Our love for you is endless,” she wrote in a post on Instagram on what was supposed to be her due date.
“Though you didn’t get to experience this world, you played a vital role in ensuring that I could continue to be a part of it.”
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin follows the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on April 1, 2025. (Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images)
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Despite taking some time to be with Matovac as she recovered in their native Sweden, Dahlin is second on the team with 65 points, and the Sabres are on the cusp of ending an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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