The precise circumstances vary wildly, but the pattern holds true. These are teams that all claim proud, rich histories, that could, in some instances, once consider themselves superpowers. Thanks to either bad timing or bad choices, they found themselves locked out as the era of the superclubs began around the turn of the century.

At the same time as their former peers were leaving them behind, the world of soccer was changing behind them. The fact that they had large stadiums, huge fan bases and (relatively) weighty trophy cabinets no longer guaranteed them the right to consider themselves “big” clubs. Everyone relied on television money now. In England and Germany, that leveled the playing field. Elsewhere, it tilted it against them.

Smaller clubs started to rise, teams they would once have considered pawns. Bournemouth and RB Leipzig and Sassuolo and Eibar did not have to worry about cherishing a gilded past; they were free to carve out a new path, to take risks, to do things differently, to write on a fresh page. Suddenly, they had the money to do it. First they drew level. And then, as the fallen giants were standing still, they roared past.

What has happened to Everton is typical of this caste of clubs. The weight of history makes innovation burdensome. The pressure from the fans to succeed — not to play some decent soccer and finish 12th, but as they used to, when they won trophies — creates a febrile, tense environment. The bar for failure is lower when the expectations are higher. Changes are made, quickly, without thinking. So are mistakes.

For a while, it does not matter: They can sail along in mid-table, cosseted by their past, insulated by a lingering sense of superiority. At some point, though, there is one mistake too many. The number of clubs lining up to overtake reaches a critical mass. The fall accelerates. Zaragoza is in Spain’s second tier. Hamburg went down for the first time ever last year. Kaiserslautern is in the third division now.

Will the same happen to Everton, a team that has never been relegated from the Premier League? Not necessarily. Perhaps it will drag itself clear of the relegation battle in the coming months. Perhaps its next manager will be the one to halt the decline.