Elliott Cuff

Sat 15 May 2021 11:53, UK

Leeds United chief executive Angus Kinnear claims that his aim is to see the club come to emulate the success of Everton in the Premier League.

The Toffees haven’t won a major trophy since they claimed FA Cup success in 1995, however they have been able to maintain a relatively steady position in the league.

The Blues are one of just six clubs to have never been relegated from the top flight since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United making up the rest of that exclusive list.

Leeds gained promotion to the Premier League last season after 16 campaigns outside of the top flight, and they’ve comfortably met their primary survival target this season.

Now Kinnear has admitted on The Phil Hay Show that his aim is to target league stability, with Everton considered to be a blueprint example for the Whites to follow.

Kinnear said: “It [Leeds’ Premier League return] feels successful because although we had a stretch objective of delivering, we have delivered. The primary one is just to stay up, and while we’ve done so brilliantly it’s easy to forget that most teams go down within two seasons.

“What we need to do with Leeds is to build a platform where that can never happen again, and there are teams who can do that, like Everton.

“You know, outside of the top six Everton have never really been threatened with relegation, and because of our fanbase, the passion of the supporters and the city we’re in, we have a platform to build a commercial foundation that should elevate us over time from ever having to be in that relegation battle.

“If we can do that we can plan with confidence every season, that’s the vision and we’ve taken an important step this season towards doing it.”

Surprising but not unwarranted praise

The simple concept of Everton being praised for consistently achieving very little in the Premier League does seem alien, but Kinnear makes a solid point.

Though the Blues haven’t won any significant silverware in almost three decades, they have always been able to ensure that their long-term future remains safe from financial and footballing ruin.

Aston Villa were formerly in a similar position to Everton but difficulties on and off the pitch led them to relegation, essentially destroying most of the hard work they had done in the past. Everton meanwhile have been able to avoid such a scenario.

Leeds United are a giant club who have spent far too long outside of the top flight, and it’s rewarding for their passionate fan base to have Premier League football back on offer, especially ahead of next season when Elland Road will take in fans once more.

But Everton certainly are a club to be looked at, even if they don’t appear so on paper. Not every club can win silverware each and every season, and the Blues have always fought to remain ahead of the rest.

In other Everton news, a Sky Sports pundit blasted this out of control Blues player in the draw against Villa.

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