777 Partners founder Josh Wander issues ‘ominous’ three-word verdict on Everton loss v Luton Town
Prospective Everton buyer Josh Wander has issued an “ominous” verdict following the club’s 2-1 defeat to Luton Town, according to Chris Beesley.
Writing in the Liverpool Echo (1 October), the journalist pointed to a moment after the Goodison Park defeat when Wander, the co-founder of 777 Partners, shared his response to the loss after witnessing his first live Everton game.
The Toffees suffered a reality check against the newly-promoted Luton on Saturday (30 September) after their recent boost in form.
Beesley wrote: “Wander did make the effort to garner favour with Evertonians by sporting a royal blue tie as he took his place in the stands next to director of football Kevin Thelwell.
“When asked when leaving whether he had enjoyed his first Goodison Park experience, Wander replied: ‘Except the result,’ but even that had an ominous ring to it.”
First impressions
Wander would have likely been excited to witness his potential new club live in the flesh. A home clash against relegation battlers Luton Town, even amid Everton’s wobbly form, would have been the best chance of seeing three points won.
Sadly, this was not the case as a poor defensive performance was rewarded with a surprise defeat. BBC Sport reporter Shamoon Hafez caught Wander as he headed off the pitch after full-time to catch his reaction, with Wander clearly not too pleased with what he saw.
777’s habit of buying up struggling sides clearly shows that Wander is under no false impression about the state of the club at the moment. Should his prospective takeover bid be approved, he will be a busy man if he wants to bring the Toffees back to where they once were.
The defeat to Luton has dampened any emerging optimism for the season. Hard-earned wins against Brentford in the Premier League and Aston Villa in the League Cup hinted at an Everton that was now fulfilling its full potential, but Tom Lockyear’s and Carlton Morris’ first-half strikes were enough to bring the Toffees back to earth.
Wander will hope his next visit to Goodison Park will be a more successful one.
In other Everton news, a Sky Sports pundit has singled out one “brilliant” Toffees man for what he did against Luton.