Jamie Carragher has sent a message to Everton fans amid what he has described as "understandable" frustrations, amid renewed protests outside the club's stadium.
With a number of supporters opposed to the prospective appointment of Vitor Pereira as Everton manager, fans have been gathering outside Goodison Park in protest against the ownership, with graffiti protesting Pereira's arrival visible before any appointment has been made.
Banners with slogans including "sack the board" and "we want our club back" were on show, with owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright both called out by name, while Portuguese coach Pereira felt the need to speak out in response to the goings-on.
Now, former Liverpool captain Carragher - who grew up supporting the Toffees - has given his own two cents on the situation facing the blue half of Merseyside.
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Fans had previously spoken out in opposition to former manager Rafa Benitez, who was dismissed earlier in January after a poor run of form, and the now-departed sporting director Marcel Brands.
The club are languishing in the bottom half of the table, having spent big since Moshiri took over in 2016 and having cycled through several managers with limited success.
Carragher empathised with those who have taken issue with the owner, but attempted to put things into context in his message to the fans.
"Understandable frustration from the fans, but let’s be honest, no one wants to go for Moshiri because he is funding the stadium," Carragher tweeted.
"Moshiri/ [business partner Alisher] Usmanov have made all the mad decisions of the last 5 yrs. Kenwright’s mistakes were not having enough [money] & picking the wrong Billionaire."
When asked about the "wrong billionaire" claim, the pundit said "It’s proved to be yes but there certainly wasn’t a big queue of them!"
Former Porto and Shanghai SIPG manager Pereira has already had two interviews with Moshiri, but the graffiti outside Goodison Park suggested supporters would prefer the owner to appoint Frank Lampard.
Lampard has been out of work since being dismissed by Chelsea in January 2021, while Pereira's most recent spell at Fenerbahce ended with him being sacked shortly before Christmas.
Rather than staying silent and awaiting Moshiri's decision, though, Pereira has taken the step of making a public statement regarding the protests.
“Of course. This is the first time in my career I have seen this kind of thing, I’ve never had these comments about me," the 53-year-old said.
“I think these critics are not directed at me. It is the environment now as the club is not in a good position and the supporters are passionate – and this passion is the power of the club.
“They don’t know me, my work or me as a person or my CV. I don’t take it as a personal attack. I work in a lot of countries, different clubs, at different levels, and we got several titles but before you start work you don’t know the person and you cannot judge.
“But I understand the feelings of the supporters because, in the last few years, the club didn’t get good results and it is normal they are not happy.”
