Former Everton manager Sam Allardyce has blamed "outside influences" on the club's decision to sack him at the end of the 2017/18 season.
After what was a protracted managerial search following the departure of Ronald Koeman in October 2017, Allardyce was appointed to the role over a month later - taking over after a caretaker spell with David Unsworth at the helm. At the time the Blues found themselves in 13th in the Premier League table, five points above the relegation zone after 14 games of the campaign.
The new boss guided the side to eighth by the end of the term, but was never really accepted by Evertonians and was sacked shortly after the campaign had been brought to a close. Speaking to Kammy and Ben's Proper Football Podcast on BBC Sounds, the former boss described his belief that outside influences had changed Farhad Moshiri's mind on his position after he initially believed he was building a side to go to Everton's new stadium.
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He said: "Of course Everton particularly was one where I came back to stay there, and build the team for the new stadium. And, for the first time, have the sort of money to do it - because Farhad had backed the club financially brilliantly.
"I was just about to start putting the club on the right path because obviously it had lost its direction, especially in the recruitment area, and has continued to do so. That's why it hasn't got the success that the money that had been spent deserved.
"I wanted to bring success back to Everton and bring them to a new era in terms of the players and where they wanted to finish. Try and get the club into the European places to move into what's going to be a fantastic new stadium.
"I just think too many outside influences on Farhad made him change his mind at the end of the season, sadly."
The former Blues manager went on to address the questions around his style of play with the club, claiming that it would have developed further if he was given extra time on the job.
Allardyce believes that Everton were lucky to survive relegation last season, and admitted that he couldn't judge their fortunes for the campaign ahead. However, he does believe that the fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin could certainly be key.
"I never thought I should have left Everton. We finished eighth in my short period of time after I took over in November," he added.
"People were always going on, and always have gone on, with me about the style of football. It was about putting Everton in the right position and then about changing the players for a better style, a more adventurous style.
"Of course they've since gone on to spend a lot of money and it hasn't got any better. In fact, unfortunately for Everton and particularly for Farhad Moshiri, it's not gone at all well.
"Last year they were so close to getting relegated and I think the only way they managed to stay up was the three teams below them being worse. They were pretty fortunate in the end.
"Who knows what'll happen this year. They've sold their striker, so that's a big blow for Frank - how do you replace his goals? Hopefully he'll keep one man fit who didn't keep fit last year and that's Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
"He's the mainstay for Everton on doing anything other than playing in the bottom half of the league next year."
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