Sam Allardyce told Everton’s General Meeting that he is aiming to bring “sustainable success” to the Club.Allardyce was appointed as boss in November and thanked major shareholder Farhad Moshiri and Chairman Bill Kenwright for giving him the “opportunity to manage such a great football club”.
The Everton manager engineered an upturn in form following his arrival, which saw the Toffees climb into the top half of the Premier League table.
Talking on stage after Chief Executive Robert Elstone had outlined the Club’s intent to move into a new home at Bramley Moore Dock in August 2022, Allardyce admitted he feels a responsibility to deliver a “fantastic” team to a new stadium.
And he underlined his delight at Everton completing a deal earlier this month to sign Turkey international striker Cenk Tosun from Besiktas.
“I have to thank the Chairman and Farhad Moshiri for giving me the opportunity to manage such a fantastic football club,” said Allardyce.
“It was difficult to enter a club that was struggling on the field. The club was a victim of its own success from the year before, qualifying for the Europa League.
“The injuries we had and the number of games we played contributed to the position the team was in. "My initial concern was putting the first-team in a position where it could win matches.
“We lay bottom of the league in terms of the goals we were conceding, so that was the first thing we had to put right. The players’ response was excellent.
“The turnaround has given us a bit of stability to move on. Bringing in a striker was a priority and with the backing of everybody at the club we have secured the signing to bring us the goals we need to improve the position we are in.”
Director of Football Steve Walsh spoke alongside Allardyce and revealed Everton had identified Tosun as a potential target last term and continued to track the player.
The Blues watched Tosun star in Champions League matches this term against Monaco and Porto and concluded the 26-year-old had “all the attributes” required to be a hit at Goodison Park.
Allardyce, meanwhile, was similarly delighted to have boosted his backroom staff with the recent additions of goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson and performance director Ryland Morgans.
And the manager hopes his quota of players will soon receive a further boost with defender Seamus Coleman embarking on the latest stage of his comeback from a broken leg.
“Seamus Coleman has just started training, Leighton Baines is a bit longer [away from fitness] than that, we have Yannick back and, hopefully, James McCarthy can continue to improve us,” said Allardyce.
“Martyn first came to work with me on Gary Speed’s recommendation when I joined West Ham and is one of the top goalkeeping coaches in the country.
“Ryland Morgans is a top guru in fitness and nutrition.
“The backroom staff support the first-team staff. And the first-team staff have the opportunity to continue to work for Everton Football Club and grow the team on the field.
“Listening to the fantastic presentations tonight, I have a a responsibility to make sure the team win on the pitch.
“My responsibility is to make the team the best it can be. A big new stadium has to have good team to come into it.
“My short-term job is to stabilise the team, my long-term job is to build a fantastic team to go into that stadium.
“Sustainable success is the name of the game. That is very important for the Football Club going into a new stadium.”
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