Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has written to supporters, asking for patience in a “difficult season” and reaffirming his commitment to the club cause.
The Toffees sit 16th in the Premier League table with three defeats in their last four games and just one league win since September, which culminated in the sacking of Rafa Benitez as manager at the start of the week.
Add in a questionable recruitment strategy, the departure of director of football Marcel Brands, the sale of fan favourite Lucas Digne and defeat to then-bottom club Norwich City and it has been a thoroughly testing period for the Goodison Park faithful, leading to Moshiri explaining the ongoing process to find a new head coach and reassuring fans that he wouldn’t be withdrawing any financial support.
Indeed, he has given the club’s balance sheet a boost by way of converting a £100 million loan into equity through an additional purchase of shares, which Moshiri labels “a clear demonstration of my commitment” and which “greatly strengthens the balance sheet”.
“I understand the frustration felt by everybody who loves Everton because of our inconsistent form in recent seasons, despite significant investment in the playing squad,” his letter continued.
“The money that has been spent since 2016, not just on the playing squad but also on key projects including our new stadium, demonstrates my commitment to Everton.”
Specifically regarding the manager search, Moshiri insisted it would be an appointment which fit the ethos of the club going forward:
“The strategic football review that is currently ongoing will ensure we have the best model in place moving forward. I am working closely with the Chairman and the Board as part of that strategic review - and I can assure you the recruitment process for a new manager is aligned to that. It is vital we appoint a manager who fits the structure we are putting in place and so, whilst we are keen to make an appointment as quickly as possible, we will work together to ensure it is the right candidate to deliver the success we all crave.”
Moshiri also backed the board in its current form, hailing finance director Grant Ingles and “the recent addition of the footballing expertise provided by a true Everton legend in Graeme Sharp”, who joined recently as a non-executive director to aid in football-related decisions. He is also the club’s players’ life president. Bill Kenwright, former owner and now chairman of Everton, was also noted by Moshiri as “an expert in player trading negotiations” who played a central role in this month’s arrivals of Vitaliy Mykolenko, Nathan Patterson and the on-loan Anwar El Ghazi.
In the shorter term, Everton have placed Duncan Ferguson in temporary charge of the first team.
The former striker was described as “fiercely passionate” and “remarkable” by Moshiri, who asked the fans to continue supporting the board’s ambitions and underlined the long-term nature of their mapped road to success, which includes the forthcoming new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. He also revealed a Fan Advisory Board would be put in place, with representation on the club’s own board to ensure supporters’ concerns are heard.
Everton’s next game is against Aston Villa on Saturday, when Steven Gerrard - the former captain of Benitez at Liverpool - brings his side to Goodison Park, with the hosts looking for a first league victory since 6 December.
