Carlo Ancelotti says 'every day is fantastic' as Everton manager but needs patience
Wednesday 15 January 2020 20:11, UK
Carlo Ancelotti says “every day is fantastic” as Everton manager but insists patience will be required as the club strives to realise their “big ambition”.
The Italian took over at Goodison Park on a four-and-a-half-year deal just before Christmas and has enjoyed a largely positive start to life on Merseyside, winning three of his four Premier League games but falling to defeat to a much-changed Liverpool side in the FA Cup at Anfield.
Speaking at Everton's Annual General Meeting on Tuesday the former Real Madrid, AC Milan and Chelsea boss said he was delighted by the welcome he had received at the club.
"Every day is fantastic. It was fantastic the first day when I was at Goodison Park, it's still fantastic and so thank you very much to everyone," he said at the club's AGM.
"It's a new experience for me to be here, I have never been in a meeting like this but it's very interesting to see how all of you love this club so it's really exciting for me to be here. I think that I've found a fantastic club with fantastic history, with fantastic tradition and I've found also a fantastic family and this is really important for me. It's a really exciting moment for me."
He added: "I try to do my best every time. Honestly, I love my job. I love to do my job at the best of my possibility. I really like to have a straight relationship with the club, a straight relationship with my players and a straight relationship with all the supporters of this club."
Everton confirmed at their AGM that losses had increased by £98.8m on the previous season, most of that being down to increased investment in their playing squad, with Ancelotti taking over following the sacking of Marco Silva after a poor run of results.
Chief executive Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale said that despite those losses, the Toffees remain keen to establish themselves as an elite club challenging at the very top of domestic and European competitions.
Ancelotti shares that vision but admits it will take time and has pleaded for patience from the supporters and everyone around the club as he looks to turn Everton's fortunes around.
"The fact that I found a lot of good things, the passion of the supporters, a fantastic training facility - one of the best training facilities that I've ever seen - so there are a lot of conditions that allow me to say we can have big ambition," he said.
"Of course, we have to stay all together, it will not be easy, it will take time, we have to be patient.
"I think that the connection that the supporter has to have with the players, with the team, is really, really important.
"We have to improve this with a better quality of football and to show the spirit of the team during games, we show a sense of belonging of the players, and the supporters have to be there because it's very important that Goodison Park has to be our house, our home, where our players can show all their best quality and, at the same time, Goodison Park has to be a difficult place where the opponent comes to play."
Kenwright's pride in Ancelotti appointment
Everton chairman Bill Kenwright also lavished praise on Ancelotti and spoke of his pride at the blossoming relationship between the club and the 60-year-old.
"He was knocked out by his first arrival at Goodison Park. Getting off the plane and what Denise, because this is what she's like, had prepared for him and looked after him," he said at the AGM.
"But he phoned me after the next game and said 'I've never experienced anything like that walking on to a football pitch'. And I said 'that's what they're like, they'll give you everything they can'.
"He is the best man you could meet. He is terrific as a guy and I'm so proud that he's joined our football club. And I'm more than proud that he already loves our football club."
