Allardyce accepts apology but says ‘I want to know my future’

Sam Allardyce wants clarity on his Everton future from majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri after receiving an apology from chairman Bill Kenwright for the marketing error encouraging fans to mark his reign out of 10.

The Everton manager confronted the issue of the questionnaire at his weekly press conference yesterday, initially making his own statement rather then inviting questions. He then encouraged Moshiri to end the uncertainty as to who will be in charge beyond the end of this season.

Asked directly if he wished Moshiri would make a statement to state he would be in charge, Allardyce said: “I’m not going to tell you what I would do but I would agree with what you say, yes.”

The manager said he had not spoken to board members about their intentions. “I don’t think it is my position. I leave them to make their mind up about what they do and what they don’t want to do,” he said. “His [Moshiri’s] life is hugely busy in terms of what he does in the dayto-day running of a massive, multibillion pound company. The direction from him has to come from the people he chooses below him and who he chooses to work with at the football club.”

Allardyce accepted that the

Poll position: Sam Allardyce said the questionnaire sent out to fans was ‘a big mistake’ vacuum has created uncertainty. “If there is no clarity then you have to speculate on that. It builds the pressure, but I’m not the boss. I’m the boss of the team and I make the football decisions with the rest of the staff but only the other boys [the board] can decide if, or when, they want to come out and say what they want to say.”

Earlier, Allardyce handled the controversy surrounding the questionnaire with a sparky humour. The survey, sent by email to season ticket-holders and club members earlier this week, requested a rating between zero and 10 for the performance of the manager and his coaching staff.

“The survey? The director of marketing and communications has clearly slipped up,” said Allardyce. “From my point of view it was a big mistake.

“I think it has allowed you to write some beautiful headlines. Our director of marketing does not have a great understanding of how football works because he is into marketing. He must have thought it was the right thing, but everyone else hasn’t – even the chairman.”

When asked if he had received an apology from Kenwright, Allardyce replied: “From the chairman, yes. Like me, he didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”

Allardyce was asked what mark he would give himself. “P--- off,” he replied, in good humour, before adding: ‘Eleven!’”