Everton have seemingly gotten everything wrong since they acquired a new owner in 2016.
Whether it be player transfers and recruitment, the huge fees spent, a lack of clear guidance or an inability to trust the directors of football; this was a club regressing with alarming speed.
However, arguably their biggest issue, and what certainly fed into that failure to establish a long-term plan, was the managerial merry-go-round which has persisted since Roberto Martinez’s departure in May 2016.
Following that fateful decision, no less than seven permanent managers have enjoyed lucrative but ultimately unsuccessful spells in the Goodison Park dugout.
Now, one of those in Sam Allardyce has emerged to offer his thoughts on his former employers.
Sam Allardyce gives his verdict on Everton’s takeover
Speaking live on talkSPORT (15/04, 9:40 am) earlier today, Allardyce, who managed Everton for five and a half months just before Marco Silva’s appointment, offered his verdict on numerous issues surrounding the club.
After all, there are so many to go through.
First starting on tonight’s game against Chelsea, he then moved on to predict the relegation battle, before settling on perhaps the most important facet of the Toffees’ torrid season: the takeover.
He surprisingly gave a rather insightful outlook into 777 Partners’ efforts to acquire Everton, suggesting he had done some reading on the matter given how the Miami-based firm has hardly seen their shortcomings widely published in the mainstream media.
Allardyce noted: ‘Is that takeover going to happen? It certainly needs to be taken over, but how good is the company or the people who are taking the club over? There seems to be a lot of suspicion about the finances on 777, on whether they’re credible or not.’
777 Partners’ takeover drags on
Today was supposed to be a huge day for 777 Partners in their efforts to take over the club.
After all, one report suggested that they were set to engage in ‘crunch’ talks over a loan repayment to MSP, who in turn would have the option to either extend the deadline for their remuneration or convert that sum into equity and leapfrog the American outfit to become owners of Everton.
The silence today has been quite telling, as it likely suggests that George Downing and Andy Bell have likely granted that extension, thus showing their hands regarding ownership.
To take on such a monumental task is not for the faint-hearted, and crucially, requires a near-unlimited pool of money nowadays.
Neither of the organisations in question seems to boast that, but 777 Partners’ unrelenting quest to assume control clearly trumps all in this situation.