EXCLUSIVE; ‘Make us the finest club in the world,’ says Everton’s Neville Southall, drawing comparisons to Aston Villa.
Everton takeover news: The former goalkeeper shared his thoughts on the club’s current acquisition by the Friedkin Group.
Neville Southall, a former Everton goalkeeper, has cautioned Dan Friedkin to match the club’s ambition before taking over.
Everton may have finally put an end to their takeover crisis, as the American investor, who also owns Roma, has agreed to buy Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% holding. The transaction requires Premier League permission, which may take up to two months.
Fans are thrilled at the news, but they will be cautious of history repeating itself. Moshiri joined the club in 2016 with the promise of providing financial support to help drive the club ahead, but they ended up spending over £500 million on players only to see the team fall backwards, and Southall has expressed similar concerns.
In an interview with the Liverpool Echo, Southall offered a stern warning to the group over the potential takeover. “It’s the finest club in the world; we simply need people to join who share our aim and help the squad. Since we decided that finishing 10th was acceptable, the club has gone downhill from there. The ambition vanished, and it has never returned.
“We need to ensure that the ambition returns and that we live up to our slogan. Whoever takes over must have the drive to deliver and make us the finest club in the world – if not, they are not the right person for the job.”
After battling relegation for three seasons in a row, the focus will be on propelling the club back into top-half and European contention, and Everton’s stature is undoubtedly conducive to achieving so. Take Aston Villa as an example. They were in the Championship as recently as the 2018/19 season, finished in the top four last season, and earned European football the year before.
While nothing is done quickly, they may grow their team over several seasons and usher in a new era in their new stadium. This means that two or three years from now, we may witness a completely different squad, manager, and club.
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