Phil McNulty shares Bill Kenwright ‘mystery’ at Everton as Farhad Moshiri sale needed
Phil McNulty believes it was a “mystery” that “divisive” Everton chairman Bill Kenwright was kept in his role in yet another poor decision taken by majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.
The BBC Sport chief, writing in his live Q&A session (4 September, 11:55am) shares that change is needed at the top and that Everton have been “dysfunctional” for so long which means Moshiri will struggle to sell the club in the long run because of his track record of poor decision-making.
McNulty picked out the Kenwright debacle when the Goodison Park chairman was controversially kept in his role after Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Grant Ingles and Graeme Sharp all left their roles at the club on 12 June [BBC Sport].
Asked by an Everton fan what would be an achievable outcome in order for the club to move forward and how they get there, McNulty said:
“This starts in one place – change at the top. Everton can only move forward with new ownership in place of Farhad Moshiri, who has spent money but simply made too many poor decisions leading Everton to the financial and footballing precipice.
“It was also a mystery to me why such a divisive figure as Bill Kenwright was retained as chairman, thus continuing the huge discontent among fans with matters on and off the pitch.
“The club has been as dysfunctional as I’ve ever known it in 30-plus years of covering Everton affairs.
“The problem is – who will buy Everton? Is there a buyer out there and would Moshiri even sell to the right one given his track record of decision-making?”
Sale incredibly uncertain
This is a crisis that has been created entirely by Moshiri and Kenwright and questions have been asked and will continue to be asked as to whether they are really the right people to take the club forward.
Under both figures, Everton have been associated with dysfunction, turmoil and controversy for so long which has caused the majority of the Toffees support to voice their criticism and raging concerns, and understandably so.
After the MSP Sports Capital investment deal fell through at the start of the campaign [The Athletic, 23 August], it is incredibly uncertain now whether Everton will be undergoing a much-needed sale again in the near future.
McNulty is absolutely right, who will want to buy the club now after a spate of poor decisions by Moshiri which have left Everton in such a sorry financial state and clearly aren’t the attractive sporting force they once were?
Moshiri and Kenwright have sucked all the joy out of Everton football club and the fanbase and it’s so difficult to see how the club moves on, with change at the top so desperately required right now.
With the development of their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium build nearing completion of some sort, it seems as if the club will be entering that new exciting era with the same behind-the-scenes issues with Moshiri and Kenwright still in leadership positions. Worrying.
In other Everton news, the Toffees put their foot down on a potential crucial player exit as Sky Sports reporter Alan Myers shares a transfer update.