More lack of clarity over future at Everton as Kenwright stays on board

After another period of confusion, supporters are once again digesting change at Everton, with the announcement that Chairman Bill Kenwright is to stay in post.

This comes after the club had announced a week ago when several others left the board, that Kenwright’s future would be decided within 48 hours, only to conspicously fail to fulfill that self-imposed deadline.

The decision to keep him on still, will perplex and infuriate many Everton fans who think it is well past time for a total restructure of this football club.

How can someone who has come to symbolise for many over the last few months the huge rift that has opened up between Evertonians and the people running the club, continue in post?

After years of gradual and sometimes excellerated decline, both on and off the pitch, the need for a fresh start with new faces and a clear, realistic and long-term football and business strategy to turn things around, is overwhelming.

Despite CEO Denise Barett-Baxendale and two others leaving their posts, Kenwright staying on appears to indicate that Farhad Moshiri is simply not willing or able to make a clean break with that past of frustration and failure.

The owner himself also has now joined the board and appointed three others to make up a new-look group to lead the club, for the time being.

It appears, at least to some commentators, that the decision to retain Kenwright is just for a temporary period after the Blues announced that MSP Capital have now put around £130 million into the club.

That is good news at least and means the new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock will presumably be finished by sometime in 2024, as was promised.

And, the hope has to be that MSP are still working out who they want to join as their investment is widely assumed to be contingent on them getting at least two seats on the board.

Then, we guess there will be further changes and another shake-up, which would then surely see Kenwight finally leave his position as Chairman.

But even if this is what happens – and there’s no guarantee it is – when will that be? And most importantly in the short-term, who is overseeing this summer’s crucial transfer window business?

Of course, it is possible that after these changes, Director of Football Kevin Thelwell will now have a free hand to conduct the Blues business this summer.

That is how it should be and to be honest, although that doesn’t really fill me with much greater confidence, at least he is a football man.

And so there should therefore be a clear line of accountability if this summer turns out to be another one where glaring failures such as the inability to get any forwards in (apart from a total flop in Neal Maupay) are repeated.

That won’t necessarily be of any comfort though should the Toffees repeat the horrendous campaigns of the last two seasons.

Of course that simply cannot be allowed to happen, as if it does, then surely Everton will finally be relegated.

So, once again there is still an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty and confusion at this club and its direction of travel in what is a critical and almost certainly, era-defining summer.