Jamie Carragher has doubled down on his claim that Everton are the "worst run club" in English football, insisting that Goodison Park chiefs have proven him right thanks to their woeful January transfer window.
Fans were forced to watch a disastrous deadline day unfold on Tuesday, as the Toffees ended the month without signing a single player - despite being second-bottom of the Premier League at the halfway stage. Having sold homegrown star Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for a cool £40million, Everton attempted to bring in a striker at the eleventh hour but failed in various pursuits.
The club's well-documented struggles have left new manager Sean Dyche having to make do with the relegated-threatened squad which he inherited following his appointment on Monday, as well as Carragher feeling vindicated. Shortly after confirming the sacking of Frank Lampard, a week prior to Dyche's arrival, the ex- Liverpool defender took aim at the rudderless Toffees.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher declared: "I said on this programme six to 12 months ago Everton are the worst run club in the country, and it wasn't a flippant remark - I believed it. "I'm not saying that as an ex-Liverpool player, I'm saying that as an ex-Everton fan.
"When I made that comment Everton got in touch with me and I actually admired it. Almost on the front foot trying to defend their club, and I thought okay, fair enough, you say some things in the media and people come back at you, but I didn't think I was wrong then, and I'm not wrong when I say it now."
10 days later, the former England international - who started out in Everton's academy - reaffirmed his feelings in his column for the Telegraph. "Everton are an absolute mess. Every time it looks like they have sunk to their lowest point, they somehow find a way to showcase another level of ineptitude," Carraghed stated.
"I called them the worst run club in the country on Monday Night Football. Some people disagreed. I have been proven right. We can all accept the club was hampered by financial restraints and the fact Everton are an unattractive destination at the moment, but forget the fact they had no new faces on the morning of February 1.
"It was staggering they had no deals in place by January 1, when the side was already in deep trouble and Frank Lampard was on borrowed time. What was going on between September 1 and the opening of the transfer window? Why was [majority owner Farhad] Moshiri promising a new striker if no guarantee could be made?
"Was [director of football Kevin] Thelwell working with his hands tied behind his back, or is he simply another misjudged appointment, unable to get deals over the line? There will be no hiding place when the fans gather at Goodison Park on Saturday demanding answers."
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The Liverpool legend isn't likely to be wrong again either, with Everton set to host league leaders Arsenal in Saturday's early kick-off amid a toxic atmosphere and planned protests at Goodison Park. The match will mark Dyche's first game in charge and the incoming Toffees boss, returning to management for the first time since being sacked by Burnley last April, knows exactly what he's up against.
"We're ready to work and ready to give [the fans] what they want," Dyche, 51, told club media. "That starts with sweat on the shirt, effort and getting back to some of the basic principles of what Everton Football Club has stood for a long time. We want to bring back a good feeling. We need the fans, we need unity and we need everyone aligned. That starts with us as staff and players."
