Dixies 60 » Donovan L

Landon Donovan: Why He Had To Say NO

Ed Bottomley — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:51:04 +0000

The players and staff at Everton took about 60 seconds of his debut to understand his value. He’s the kingpin of the American team, the closest thing his country have to a big soccer star, yet he has no ego. That was, perhaps, the biggest thing that struck you about him. You noticed it when he walked into the dressing room and you noticed it after about a minute of his first game for us, away to Arsenal. He was playing on our right. The ball got knocked down the line, Gael Clichy set off on the run and he turned and tracked Clichy, step for step, for 70 yards. At that point the lads said: “You’ll do for us, any day.” He showed exactly the team-oriented spirit we want at Everton, not to mention fantastic speed to stay with Clichy. He came off with cramp after 70 minutes because he’d worked so hard, and afterwards every player patted him on the back.

The above is first hand testimony from David Moyes on why Landon Donovan succeeded at Everton in January 2010, and it also gives us a glimpse into why he won’t be coming back for a repeat performance in the New Year. Whilst most Evertonians were leaping around with joy after our victory at Eastlands, I imagine Landon Donovan was wincing a little. Our lung bursting opening 20 minutes, and the passion that oozed from every pore throughout the game was something that our American pen-pal would have loved to be part of; but it may have also reinforced his belief that his tired body couldn’t keep up with the pace of a midwinter Premier League campaign.

There have been a lot of nasty things said about Landon Donovan since he decided to “forego” his loan move to Everton. Some have said that he lacks the hunger to play in the Premier League, others have called him a bottler; suggesting that he prefers the relative ease of MLS to the Premier League. We should cut this talk short immediately. The reaction to Landon’s “No” is very very similar to the reaction to our annoying run of draws – many simply look at the end product – be it no goals against Wigan or Landon’s rejection – but don’t look at the reason’s behind it.

Landon’s ravenous hunger for football is obvious, just take a look at the ridiculous amount of football he has played without a decent break. He didn’t come because he knew that in his current state he would let us down, he’s watched Seamus Coleman, a man who presses the FFWD button the moment his starts running at defenders and realized that he needs a break. We also need to remember that Landon is juggling the hopes of THREE teams: Team USA, LA Galaxy, and Everton.

From looking at how he plays on the pitch, and what he says off it, this is a man obsessed with “doing the right thing.” As much as it hurts, taking time off is clearly the right thing for Landon Donovan, and that makes it the right thing for us too.

Whilst all eyes are on Landon Donovan (and it’s very important to remember that he has left things open for a return in the future) lets also remember that we can look to the return of another Evertonian, a man who is slight of build but big of heart, who gets needlessly attacked pretty much every game he plays in an Everton shirt but who embodies the Everton spirit just as much as Mr Donovan, one Leon Osman.

Everton and the USA: A match made in heaven.

Ed Bottomley — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:16:55 +0000

Landon Donovan needs to leave the US to further the beautiful game in his country. This may sound counter intuitive but even as his country rides on a post-World Cup high, soccer still only attracts high numbers of fans through TV – and even then it is watching European Leagues – and especially the Premier League – rather than Major League Soccer.

Mike Teevee: Definitely American. Quite possibly a NASL fan.

Donovan then, could become more of a household name in the States by playing abroad rather than staying in Los Angeles. It’s obvious that we still pull at the little man’s heart strings – even his Twitter page still contains a profile picture of him in his #9 Everton shirt. Love child or not, he’s still left a little piece of him on Merseyside – and with Steven Pienaar procrastinating over his contract, and Dan Gosling running away from his – it is no wonder there are lots of longing glances across the pond towards Landon. With most sources dismissing yesterday’s transfer rumblings about Mancini being “interested” in Donovan, coupled with the Californian’s previous comments about not wanting to play for another English club aside from us – makes me think that we could see a Christmas arrival of Landon on Merseyside.

Landon Donovan's Twitter Profile: in our number 9 shirt.

I’ve said it before: Landon Donovan is no Li Tie, a stooge brought in to simply sell shirts in a foreign land through his celebrity, but there is also no doubt that Donovan would raise awareness for Everton in America.

Preki - In his Everton days.

Aside from Donovan, there are a huge amount of US Links to Everton: – John Spencer, Mo Johnson (Colorado Rapids), Dixie Dean (reportedly turned down a hefty offer to play baseball for the New York Giants in 1928) , Steve Sergeant (Detroit Express in NASL) , Jimmy Gabriel (Seattle Sounders and others) , Terry Phelan (played for Charleston Battery) , Preki (and all star MLS player several times, now manager of Toronto FC), Robert Warzycha (played for and now managing Columbus Crew), Alan Ball (Vancouver Whitecaps and Philadelphia Fury) , Peter Beardsley (Vancouver Whitecaps). Also of note are Brian McBride and Joe-Max Moore - and I’m sure I’m forgetting others…

"Wazza" in salmon pink for Everton, before he became manager of Columbus Crew

With this kind of history we should be drawing American fans in droves, and with Landon Donovan still hinting that his flame still burns blue, we could be forging even more links…

Everton's American returns from the light to darkness

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:06:52 +0000

So Landon Donovan, our footballing pen pal, has returned to LA. The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles – a distant football colony – with Tom Cruise watching and David Beckham hobbling must be a far cry from the Old Lady Goodison Park. A move back to Everton is possible, and we should push for it as much as we can. Whereas Beckham was brought to the US as a footballing missionary to garner attention for MLS, exporting Donovan will focus foreign eyes on Merseyside. We shouldn’t underestimate just how much of a star we have on our hands either; when Everton signed Lie Tie and Li Weifeng millions tuned in to watch the Toffees. Sadly, those two players, a magnet for Chinese fans, weren’t capable of impressing on the pitch. Donovan though, patently is a level above our former Chinese duo, and he is a huge star Stateside. Look inside the first page of this month’s Rolling Stone Magazine and you are hit with a Gatorade advert, a simple sepia picture of Landon Donovan flicking the ball up in the air, and his name isn’t anywhere. Just like David Beckham – Donovan needs no introduction to an American audience. Stroll around any Midwest city and you will occasionally spot the livery of “Big Four” shirts popping out from the crowd. Expect to see Everton shirts too in the coming months and years. Pushing football alongside Baseball, the NFL, and Baskeball in the American sporting consciousness is an almost impossible task. Pushing an English football team though, is less hard – and we couldn’t have chosen a better player. Most pundits on the American side of the pond feel that Donovan’s talent was outgrowing MLS – and a huge number of fans feel that he needs to go abroad to grow. Donovan’s ten week stint at Goodison, laced with strong performances, has simply strengthened that argument. Any American interest in Donovan instantly becomes an interest in Everton. It is hard to want Donovan to succeed and divorce that from wanting Everton to do well too. It makes little sense seeing Donovan back in the MLS after he did so well against some of the world’s best, in LA he’s a gastronome forced to dine at McDonald’s every day, in the UK he is with kindred spirits; a feral Mowgli brought out of the jungle back to where he belongs. A neat parallel can be drawn with the NBA, which is similar to the Premier League, both are Meccas for their respective sports – where all aspiring players want to get to. Tony Parker – basketballer, Parisian, mate of Thierry Henry, and husband of the gorgeous actress Eva Longoria – plays in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs. He plays in the NBA because it is the peak of his profession, playing in Paris would be counter-intuitive. The same goes for Donovan, who seemed genuinely touched by the passion of the Everton fans, and was a more than capable performer in the Premier League. Donovan’s return to California will bring him nice weather and his friends, but although sunny, professionally speaking California is a dark corner of the sport. Donovan is now a member of the Everton diaspora, and he’s welcome back whenever he wants. Moyes was right to treat the loan deal with respect – he was stung by Mark Hughes’ behaviour, prising Lescott from us like a bigger child in the schoolyard, and he didn’t want to treat LA Galaxy with that same disrespect. What Moyes has done though is give Donovan a taste of the big time, success is moorish, and the competitive streak in Donvan will be pining for Merseyside. It may not just be the prohibitive sum that MLS reportedly want for Landon that kills any deal for Everton, David Beckham’s injury means that Donovan is now wearing the crown of MLS’ star player again… The sun never sets on Moyes’ Everton empire, like most Premier League teams we have players from all corners of the world – Donovan will bump into some in South Africa – and hopefully at Goodison next season.

Landon Donovan: A Superior American

Ed Bottomley — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:33:31 +0000

It started in the smog filled queue of cars outside the Taco Bell drive thru somewhere in suburban Detroit – an area as flat and grey as a politburo suit. My mum was over visiting and she’d been nursing a chip on her shoulder about the US for decades.

After rattling off a list of problems that she had with Detroit – and the US in general – she wrapped her argument off with a final claim:

“They think they are so superior at everything.”

That sentence uttered by my mum, seeps into the cracks that cover the beautiful game. It’s thought by Moyes and his boys as they walk under the “This is Anfield” sign – its on the tip of sharp tongues in the US – flicking invective David Beckham’s way. It’s also how a lot of people felt when Landon Donovan came to Merseyside. He hadn’t made the grade in Germany, word spread that he was a Californian Graeme Hick – a flat track bully. How wrong we were. Donovan hit the ground running as soon as he got here but Saturday’s game against Man Utd was one of his quieter moments. He will have again been impressed by Goodison, and by our results this month. Many doubted us after the beginning to our season; victories against Chelsea, Man Utd, Man City, and Sporting Lisbon represent a renewal of vows for these fans.

When Sepp Blatter talks people listen. Partly because he is the head of FIFA. Mainly because his mouth is a purveyor of fine tripe. In terms of moronic soundbites he is an unholy mix of the Duke of Edinburgh and Russel Brand – committing verbal pratfalls with every breath. His latest proclamation was that John Terry would be “applauded” in Latin countries for having a mistress. Gab Marcotti rightfully savaged Blatter, but the old FIFA duffer may have stumbled over something. Unlike many other countries, we do have a problem with mistresses. Everton fans have already fallen in love with Landon Donovan and we cannot comprehend having to share him with someone else.

We’re so used to monotone grunts in football, but Landon had us at hello, he had us with his gummy smile and his player of the month award, and hopefully we have captured his heart too. It has all the promise of a long term relationship, he is everything Evertonians want in a player – fiercely committed, skilled, intelligent – and hopefully we are everything he could want – singing him to success.

Welcome to Hotel Everton, Landon. You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave.