Marco Silva says Everton’s transformation from last’s season poor campaign won’t be an overnight one as he and Marcel Brands laid out their vision for the club's future.

Silva, sat alongside Everton’s newly appointed Director of Football Brands at Finch Farm, was meeting the media for the first time during a joint introductory press conference.

The duo spoke about a litany of things including transfers - both in and out, their vision for the club, their assessment of the current squad and how they get Everton fans back onside after last season.

Yet, Silva was keen to point out that he understands the job he is undertaking and that he understands what the Blues faithful wants from their team.

Speaking at Finch Farm, the 40-year-old Portuguese boss said: “It’s easy to understand the culture of the club, the identity as well. I know what our fans expect, I know what they want to see in every game from our team - big commitment, big attitude.”

The former Watford boss acknowledged the fact that Everton fans can be quite demanding and that they are eager for success.

He is keen to be the man to deliver them that success.

Yet, it’s a process and the best way to begin the club’s rebuild is to restore the damaged relationship between players and fans.

Silva stated: “The first thing in the next step is to make our fans proud of our team - this is really important for me. We need to build a strong connection between the team and the fans.

“I know, from my last two games here, there is a fantastic atmosphere [at the stadium] and the fans push the team on.”

The Portuguese coach continued to express his understanding of the situation at the club.

He told the media: “They are demanding and it’s easy to understand why. Demanding fans reflects on how big is the club - I felt that. We need to build but we need to give them some good feelings as well.

"I’m sure if they feel we are doing everything in every single match that they will be proud of our team.”

Ambitious goals yet small steps

Both Silva and Brands have already expressed their feelings about taking over their respected roles at the club.

Their relationship is key in helping get Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri’s highly ambitious project back on track after a year in the wilderness.

Speaking about the ambition he has for the club, both on and off the pitch, Silva stated: “It’s a big project. It’s a big challenge for us as a technical staff as well. The club has a fantastic approach, they’ve shown how big the project is.

“It’s a huge club, with a huge history behind us and the football, everything at the end, what is important, is the results but we have to do something more - develop the club, develop the players - get better every day.

"This is our goal.”

Silva was also quizzed about his own personal ambitions and if he is in it for the long-haul at Everton or if he will look to move away at the first sign of a potential move up the ladder if a ‘bigger’ club comes calling.

He responded: “Of course, I need to prove every day that I want to stay here and I want to be here because it’s something higher than I’ve had in the past two years. Every time I’ve heard, 'Everton wants to make the next step’.”

“We know what is the next step but we cannot change in one month, we need time but we’ll need to start with results too from the first moment.

“I know what the fans expect from our team and we are ready to prove, every day, what we want.”

No comparisons

Whether or not Silva gets off to a good start at his new club is yet to be seen. The Premier League fixtures for next season are still yet to be released.

However, that won’t stop ongoing comparisons between Everton’s last campaign and their upcoming one.

Silva didn’t want to be drawn to making his own comparisons between what is clearly two very differing styles.

“I don't want to compare nothing [to last season]. It’s easy to understand how my teams play and how it’s been in the past,” Silva responded to that line of questioning.

“Now, is the moment, to prove again here in a big challenge for us. To win a match, you need to create chances, you need to score and to have a clean sheet - if you can.”

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About the author
Connor Bennett
Everton editor for VAVEL UK - contributing since 2015. Premier League accredited journalist. Journalism graduate from Liverpool. Writing about Football, eSports and the NFL. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: ConnorBennett14