Everton: Sky Sports pundit reacts after Ian Wright destroys board in ‘cowardice’ blast
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
The Everton board should be at the club’s games “no matter what” according to Kevin Campbell, after Ian Wright hammered the self-imposed exile of the hierarchy as “cowardice” after the escape from relegation.
The board haven’t attended games at Goodison Park since claims of threats to their safety surrounding the loss to Southampton on 14 January, which Wright furiously termed “throwing the fans under the bus” on his Wrighty’s House podcast (29 May, 15m 25s) following the final-day victory over Bournemouth.
While former Toffees captain Campbell hasn’t gone in as strongly as his fellow ex-Arsenal striker, he too has bemoaned the failure of the board to take responsibility for the problems and the club and called for change.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News the Sky Sports pundit said: “I think if you’re the board you’ve got to turn up no matter what.
“Wrighty can say what Wrighty wants to say, I’ll have my own words for it. Maybe they were told to stay away, I don’t know.
“But if you’re the board of Everton Football Club you can’t just be there in the good times, you’ve got to be there when the chips are down.
“Yeah you’re going to get some stick, but that’s all part and parcel of football. Let’s be honest, you’re going to be judged by what you’re doing at the football club.
“If you’re not doing well there’s going to be flack flying around. If it was any other business you’d be getting a visit from the owner.
“I know the owner’s in the same kind of category and football’s a little bit different. But it’s not [really], it’s the same.
“The fans are going to react if you’re not getting it right and Everton haven’t been getting it right upstairs, and that then trickles down to the football side.
“So something’s got to give. Something’s got to change.”
The chorus of voices putting pressure on the current Everton hierarchy continues to grow, and after a second-straight escape late in the day it feels like a response is coming this summer.
Relegation would be a disaster, but barely escaping twice is certainly not success, so those who have presided over it have to be accountable for that.
Two managers have been sacked in the past two seasons but board members have remained in place, much to the chagrin of the supporters, so eyes are on Farhad Moshiri, and possibly MSP Sports Capital, over what action may be taken.