Marcel Brands, Everton’s director of football, held face-to-face talks with a group of angry supporters who descended on the club’s training ground looking to confront players in the aftermath of the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Seven fans turned up at Finch Farm on Monday morning as they sought to make their displeasure clear to Carlo Ancelotti’s squad following Sunday’s abject 1-0 reverse to a weakened Liverpool team.
They asked security to bring the players out and, when that request was refused, it was suggested that more fans could be mobilised to turn up at the training complex and stage a blockade, highlighting the toxic nature of the fall-out from the humiliating loss.
It was then that Brands, who was appointed director of football in the summer of 2018, appeared at the gates to the complex and spoke to supporters as he listened to a lengthy list of complaints.
Chief among the supporters’ grievances was the belief that Everton has become a destination for players to earn a big pay cheque without taking on the responsibility for improving the club’s fortunes.
Many of the expensive signings that have not worked out pre-date arrival of Brands and hark back to when Steve Walsh was Everton’s director of football.
Brands took on board the points, which were made in a meeting that lasted around 20-minutes, and said he would relay them to players and staff.
It comes with midfielder Fabian Delph having also been involved in a social media spat on Monday with a supporter who questioned his commitment in the defeat at Anfield.
In a lengthy exchange Delph, signed from Manchester City for £8.5 million in the summer in an attempt to add leadership into Everton’s team, insisted he had given “100 per cent” and rejected the criticism, claiming the players were more upset than the fans.
Indeed, it is understood that several of Everton’s players believe their commitment should not be called into question, despite accepting their collective performance was poor in the second-half at Anfield when a Liverpool side containing a number of teenagers extended their unbeaten home record against their rivals to 21-years.
Liverpool’s own outstanding form as Premier League leaders, and current European and World champions, makes life more difficult for Everton and it is against this backdrop that Ancelotti must now seek to orchestrate a transformation in fortune.
Ancelotti, who has lost his last two matches after winning his first games in charge, has held a meeting about the make-up of his squad with club officials having seen the true extent of the overhaul he must now instigate.
Everton are set to announce record losses — their general meeting is held next Tuesday — and are mindful of the need to comply with Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules. The guidelines allow losses of £105 million over a three-year period.
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