Neville Southall sends blunt warning to Friedkin Group and Sean Dyche after Everton takeover deal

Neville Southall called on Everton's new owners to restore the club's ambition after Farhad Moshiri agreed to sell his stake. Everton announced the agreement of the sale of Mr Moshiri’s 94.1% stake in the club to the Friedkin Group on Monday (September 23).

The Friedkin Group, who are the owners of Italian side AS Roma, came back in for the Blues after previously ending talks in July following a period of exclusivity. Mr Moshiri took control of Everton in 2016 and his period at the helm has been tumultuous, with the Blues facing a succession of relegation battles.

Southall, who played 751 times for Everton and is one of the club's most celebrated players, spoke to the ECHO at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on Monday (September 23). Speaking hours after the agreement between Mr Moshiri and the Friedkin Group was sealed, he called for a culture change at the club under the new owners.

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He told the ECHO: "It's the best club in the world, we just need people to come in who match that ambition and improve the team" and added: "Since we made that decision that finishing 10th was ok, the club has gone downhill from there. The ambition went and it has never come back.

"We need to make sure that the ambition comes back and we actually live up to our mantra.

"Once the ambition went, this is where we are now. Whoever takes over must have the ambition to deliver and make us the best club in the world - and if it's not, then it's the wrong person to come in."

Southall praised Sean Dyche and believes that he will be able to turn the club's fortunes around this season. Everton are yet to win in the Premier League this season and sit 19th in the table, but Southall thinks the Toffees will be able to find form.

The legendary goalkeeper said: "It's really difficult - I feel sorry for Sean Dyche, I think he's tried to build a house on quicksand and never knows what he can plan, never knows what the future holds.

"To be fair to him, I think he's done a great job. Unfortunately when survival mode finishes at the end of the season, everyone expects it to be a level playing field after that.

"Once you've brought in new players, it takes time to settle. He's changed the style slightly, so they're going forward more, he's trying to be strong at the back.

"All you've got to do is get that bit right in the balance and I'm sure it will be alright."

He added: "We are where we are - a work in progress. Sometimes it's going to go well, but sometimes it won't.

"I'm confident that whatever happens we will probably finish in a decent position - I think it's a few years before the fruits of everyone's labour comes through."

However, Southall urged the manager to think about how he speaks about Everton's fanbase. He said: "I think he needs to be careful with what he says about the fans.

"There are no better people in the world than our fans. If this football club was anywhere else in the world, we'd be having 10,000 people coming to games, but we have full houses because we have fantastic supporters."

Having spent 17 years at Goodison Park, Southall said he will miss the ground when Everton move to a new home at Bramley-Moore Dock next season. However, he described the new stadium as "fantastic" and hopes the club will have a team to match it.

He said: "Goodison is romantic and it's fantastic - it's a lovely place in my memory. Realistically, if you don't move on then you stand still. A club like Everton can't afford to stand still.

"We've done it the Everton way and we've got a fantastic stadium, but the team doesn't match the stadium. If we'd done it the right way round, then someone would have built us a stadium. But the ambition has gone from the club."