Season › 2019-20 › News Silva signs off with words of thanks to Everton Thursday, 5 December, 2019 39comments | Jump to most recent Updated Marco Silva has issued a statement thanking Everton for the opportunity they gave him to manage the club after he was relieved of his duties by Farhad Moshiri. Time was called on the Portuguese's tenure at the club following Wednesday evening's 5-2 defeat to Liverpool which was the eighth defeat in 11 Premier League games. Silva described it as an honour to have been the Toffees' manager for 18 months and he thanked the players, staff and board. "It has been a real honour to have managed Everton for the past 18 months and I would like to thank Farhad machinery Bill Kenwright Denise Barrett Baxendale Keith Harris Marcel brands and the entire board for giving me the opportunity to be part of this special club," Silva wrote in a statement released by the League Managers Association. "Thank you to all the Evertonian fans who always live and breathe in the club and show such great passion. "A special thank you to all of the players for their professionalism and the commitment they put into their work every day until the club staff who welcomed me to Finch Farm training ground and made me feel at home. All the best. COYB" A number of Everton's squad have taken to social media in the hours since to thank Silva for his time at Everton. RicharlisonThanks for everything, teacher! Especially for the care and attention that made me grow and become better in every way. I will never forget everything you did for me. I'll always be in the crowd 💪ðŸ¼ðŸ‘🼠Lucas Digne Thank you so much Boss for your advice. You changed the man and the player. All the best in your future challenge. Bernard Thank you teacher for what you did for me. Thank you for all the opportunities and God bless your next step. I'll always be rooting for you and your best! 🙠Article continues below video content Yerry Mina Thank you Mister for everything you taught me as a player and as a person. God bless your way. Anthony Gordon Thanks for all the opportunities and advice you have given me. Good luck, boss 👠André Gomes Always hard when we see someone we appreciate leave. Thank you for everything, Boss! It was incredible to work with you and I'm sure you'll succeed in your next chapter! All the best! 👊 Reader Comments (39) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Derek Knox 1 Posted 06/12/2019 at 00:48:39 If he taught them all so much, why was it not reflected in matches?Or are they just being a tad sycophantic? Dave Lynch 2 Posted 06/12/2019 at 00:51:16 Imagine what they'd say if Big Dunc looses his shit with them. Kieran Kinsella 3 Posted 06/12/2019 at 00:53:46 Be more interested in what Sig and Morgan say. “Haha sucker, I'm still making 100k a week here. Join Ron and Sam on the dole†Steve Ferns 4 Posted 06/12/2019 at 01:07:29 Derek, you wait and see, not a bad word will be said about Silva's coaching. I bet he also keeps his dignity and throws no one under the bus to sell a book or get himself on Sky Sports. He's a very private person and a humble guy. No former player has ever come out and criticised him. Not one in 7 years. Maybe he's been below par at Everton and someone will finally do just that, but I would be surprised.As I have said, I hope it's him. I hope he was the problem. If so, shrewd appointment, and we succeed. If it's not him, and it's something else, then god help us because we are in a cycle we can't break out of and it's going to cost us eventually. Jay Harris 5 Posted 06/12/2019 at 01:50:47 Steve,I sympathise with your point of view and feel sorry for Silva ( he had all the bad luck going with injuries and VAr conspiring against him) but at the end of the day you cannot defend some of his team selections and tactics which were bizarre and inappropriate to say the least.I just hope and pray we get a top calibre replacement who can deal with the board and Brands and tell them straight what we need because a lot of the players are not good enough either. Steve Ferns 6 Posted 06/12/2019 at 02:01:26 Jay, when Vitor Pereira came out of left field, it reminded me of the other Portuguese. One in particular is perfect for us, Leo Jardim. I hope Brands considers him. Europe's best coach in 2017 and could have chosen any job he wanted, his stock has fallen hard since, and mainly due to Monaco selling everyone, and so surely Everton can persuade the manager of France's 17th best side last season, and 14th best this season, to join us. Forget the last 18 months and focus on him being a Champions League Semi-Finalist with Monaco and the only man to stop PSG winning the league since they got the oil money. Marco who? Karl Meighan 7 Posted 06/12/2019 at 04:36:31 These fuckin players have got some front, we got you the sack and thanks for improving us as players, even if we are in the relegation places.Maybe they should be saying thanks for huge wages we have never earned and were gratefull you gave us this chance as very few other well run Clubs would go near us as we on a weekly basis produce absolute dross. I suppose there also worried that if and its a big if we actually give the job to somebody who knows a good player when he see's one, which will mean very few of this current squad will be here long term.What amazing standards these players have that they have improved so much under Silva and are able to hold down a place in a relegation threatened team.I would rather if they had to say something that they apologised to the fans who have spent fortunes following them. Ian Jones 8 Posted 06/12/2019 at 07:31:30 Silva may have also 'helped' some of these players settle into a new club, into a new country, and with their personal development. and told them not to read ToffeeWeb.Good luck to him Adrian Evans 9 Posted 06/12/2019 at 08:25:22 How many of these players have got get out clauses if they take us down.????Although I doubt if 30%of them could cope with the championship.Physical,toughness,attitude, passion for the shirt.Win ya battle then play show your quality.Can believe what there saying.The money they earn,comfortable for life and they produce what they have Each player has to do their job, then you get a team performance.It has just been breaking down,but thats a combination of the the managers system,methods and the players.Silva was out of his depth and the players probably knew it.Better they we all dislike the manager and in top four.Ideally everyone loves manager, players.Clough ????Ferguson???You think he was liked???? the boot got slung across the dressing room remember.Ruthless, brutal.If you did wjat he wanted he loved you,why did he get amazing performances.Lets all wake up look at the league table and see what other sides are doing.Arsenalv Brighton Win.Sheffield v Newcastle, Geordies Win.How deep do we get before Moshiri phones Big Sam. Jim Bennings 10 Posted 06/12/2019 at 09:30:39 Players are an embarrassment!Why not just translate it.“Thankyou boss, it wasn't personal but at Everton we don't play for the manager or the club, we get a big fat wage no matter what we do, so to be honest we aren't that arsedâ€I wonder how long it will be before they all decide to down tools under the next incumbent? Lynn Maher 11 Posted 06/12/2019 at 09:44:11 Wow. These players really know how to tug at the old heartstrings. I can see it now, Bill Kenwright (Impressario) will be penning a new show entitled "The Wronged Manager".I won't be going though. I have sat through too many performances under the wrong manager. Daniel A Johnson 12 Posted 06/12/2019 at 09:53:26 You could maybe argue he was too nice with them? Looks to me that there has been too much carrot and not enough stick. Trevor Peers 13 Posted 06/12/2019 at 09:58:29 I just hope Duncan has a few of them by the throat if they don't put a full shift in, maybe Silva was more of a coach than a leader I'm sure he's was a charming guy to be with, just not ruthless enough at all for the premiership. James Marshall 14 Posted 06/12/2019 at 10:16:54 My worry reading all of this from the players, is that they regard our current position as purely bad luck. Rather than appearing to be under-coached and under-performing. John Pickles 15 Posted 06/12/2019 at 12:10:05 I hope our next manager quickly sends nice farewell messages to some of our feint-hearted first team losers. Jay Wood[BRZ] 16 Posted 06/12/2019 at 13:38:57 I don't do Twitter, so don't follow anyone or what they are saying.I know the list of comments and the players who made them is not a definitive one and that more players may have subsequently made similar comments. Anyone know?I ask because it is primarily the Latino players who offered such platitudes to Silva. I'd be curious to know the names of players who haven't posted any comment on Silva's dismissal.It would be equally revealing as those who did so as displayed in the opening post.For example, when Calvert-Lewin was subbed out on Wednesday neither he nor Silva approached each other for a handshake or pat on the shoulder. Quite unusual for Everton players under Silva.Calvert-Lewin continued head down to the near-empty bench (the subs must have been warming up) and gestured with his arm.Clearly not a happy bunny. How many more unhappy bunnies are/were there..? Steve Ferns 17 Posted 06/12/2019 at 14:02:03 Jay, the thing is Silva is not on Instagram or Twitter, at least publicly. This all smacks of "look at me showing my feelings". Then again, the lads listed above are genuine guys. When Silva was sacked by Watford, Richarlison incurred the wrath of the Watford fans for putting a single angry emoji face on Twitter. This time he is wishing his best and saying goodbye. So that's poignant and it's also not lost on Watford fans quick to remind him on Twitter.But to go back to your question, that's the list. Instagram, not Twitter, is the footballers' social media of choice. Even if they have something to say in writing, it's words posted as a photo rather than a message on Twitter.So here's a definitive list:Gueye: All the best for the future #marco silva (with the arm muscle emoji)Bolasie at Sporting but interesting choice of words: Survival of the fittest … only the strong survivePickford - silent since 14-11-19Sidibe - not posted since he joined usMina - see aboveKeane - silent since 7-9-19 (when he posted about England)Holgate - silent since 9-11-19Digne - see aboveBaines - not on social mediaColeman - silent since 1999 or somethingWalcott - silent since 17-11-19Schneiderlin - silent since 10-11-19Sigurdsson - silent since Gomes got injured and barely does social mediaDavies - silent since 9-11-19Delph - silent since 17-11-19 (EitC calendar post)Richarlison - see aboveBernard - see aboveTosun - silent since the day of the derbyCalvert-Lewin - silent since 11-11-19Kean - silent since 20-11-19So mostly radio silent. Maybe it was the late finish and an early night, and messages sent privately to a guy not on social media? Christine Foster 18 Posted 06/12/2019 at 17:37:58 The guy has gone.. he wasn't good enough, but he wasn't an a***hole, so why treat him like one? Wish him the best of luck and move on.. respect him for what he tried to do, but didn't have the ability to deliver. That's why he is gone. If you want to play the blame game then get a list of senior employees and board member of he club, they are all culpable and some more than we know. Silva was the man with the responsibility to deliver.. but the team behind him are just as responsible and are still in place. That's the real issue with the club, not just the front man.. who ever he is. Brent Stephens 19 Posted 06/12/2019 at 17:39:47 Christine #18 - excellent first para. Let's have some grace. Nick White 20 Posted 06/12/2019 at 17:42:03 Christine #18. Excellent post. Stan Schofield 21 Posted 06/12/2019 at 18:11:05 I suppose Silva had to go given the results and the immediate need for better ones. However, the whole episode is very disappointing and frustrating.Like in Martinez' first season, last season we saw tantalising glimpses of what could be with the then squad of players and manager. The Anfield derby was a particular case in point, where we played excellent flowing football, particularly with our midfield outclassing the opponent's. If it hadn't been for that fuckup at the end, it might have been a different story, who knows. And like this season, some of the officiating against Everton was appalling and probably pivotal in affecting the course of a number of games, especially against the top-6 sides. Even the slump that followed the Anfield derby was turned around for the final 10 games, giving hope and expectation for this season.However, following that, this season has obviously been a terrible disappointment. Clearly, a significant portion of it is down to Silva. But another significant portion of it is down to three things that were beyond the control of Silva, namely: The decisions of the Everton board, a repeat of last season's appalling officiating (even worse this season with the VAR shite), and some terrible injuries. All of which will have been big obstacles to establishing any momentum. The point here is, no matter who is appointed as the new manager, he is likely to struggle, because those three things that are beyond his control are unlikely to improve.Many posts on Toffeeweb mention the relative success of Liverpool. In this respect, it should be remembered that not long ago their supporters were also very frustrated, and that when Klopp was appointed he made it clear that the system being used for decisions on the signing of players would have to change in light of some terrible decisions that happened which were beyond the control of his predecessor. It seems that Everton need to take a similarly revised approach and avoid decisions that are likely to frustrate the aims and requirements of the manager. That is an underlying problem with Everton that needs to be sorted if we really want success. David Pearl 22 Posted 06/12/2019 at 18:17:24 5 of the 6 were bought to the club by Silva, that says something... or it does to me. Duncan said his departure was a mixed response. Seems a bit obvious we had a dressing room divided. So now a new boss comes in and hopefully forms a bond. As we know, being paid a few million per year isn't enough. Jim Bennings 23 Posted 06/12/2019 at 19:11:33 Respect to the man.I sincerely hope he gets there in the end as a manager (still young at 42).It just wasn't meant to be with us but then again it's not the first managerial appointment that hasn't worked out for us so there's nothing shameful there on Silva's part.It is a shame it didn't work out, when we initially brought him here I was on the fence but kept an open mind, there were glimpses last season in Autumn and then again in Spring but it wasn't enough in the end.I still think that Pickford error at Anfield last December totally derailed our season at a crucial moment for me, it came when we were starting to really click and I feel to this very day a year on we haven't recovered from it. Soren Moyer 24 Posted 06/12/2019 at 19:45:27 I blame players as much as I blame Silva. Sigurdsson and Schneiderlan are both waste of money. We should have gone for Maddison for half of the price we paid for Siggy to Swansea. Should have gone for Maguire instead of useless Keane. And then there is, Niasse, Iwobi, Delph, Davis and a few more which, imo, are not premier league quality. Even Pickford is not good enough atm. Jim Bennings 25 Posted 06/12/2019 at 20:18:06 SorenI agree with pretty much all of that.Sigurdsson played pretty well last season but even last season his overall impact on games was debatable, at £45 million we paid £20 million more than he was worth.Tosun,Walcott, Schneiderlin, Keane, Pickford all combined to £110 million pound, wow that's an astounding waste of money.We should have paid £75 million we got for Lukaku on Vardy and the £24 we paid for Klaassen on Maddison.Silva came to the club at a hard time on and off the pitch but most of us will agree in his first summer that he made decent signings in Digne, Zouma, Bernard, Richarlison and Mina.I think the summer of this year however left a lot to be desired with the sale of Gueye being so costly, the failure to land Zouma (or a player of similar ilk) and once again for a second summer the failure to buy a proven centre forward.It's sad that Silva never got to work with Gbamin again (assuming he brought him and not Brands) maybe we will never know how it would have worked if he'd have been fit.The loss of form this season also to Digne, Sigurdsson, Keane (who was very good last year with Zouma) has all played a big part in the downfall.The failure to sign Zaha then the panic buy of Iwobi that so far hasn't really worked out too well as his end product isn't great.It's all been the perfect recipe for disaster. Mark Guglielmo 26 Posted 06/12/2019 at 20:25:27 Ahhh, manager that everyone hated gets sacked, issues heartfelt well-wishes to his former club (probably written by someone else), some former players say thanks for the memories, and roundly get crucified.Never change, ToffeeWeb, never change. Jay Wood[BRZ] 27 Posted 06/12/2019 at 20:39:30 Stan @ 21 and Jim @ 23.Between and including the 96th minute loss to Liverpool last December and the 5-2 mauling on Wednesday, Everton played 40 PL games, not counting any cup games.Pickford's result changing howler 12 months ago cannot be viewed as somehow singularly responsible for just how poor in the main we have been under Silva in that time as both of you are implying. In the 3 years Silva has managed in England, his 1st club is midtable in the Championship, his 2nd team is rock bottom of the PL and his 3rd team has just sacked him as they occupy the 3rd relegation spot.Everton's fortunes over the past 12 months have not been determined by a single goalkeeping blunder 40 games ago. Soren Moyer 28 Posted 06/12/2019 at 20:40:20 Agree Jim. And then there is Sandro who can't score no matter who he plays for lol. What a mess this club is in!!! Sad times. Jim Bennings 29 Posted 06/12/2019 at 22:02:38 JayMaybe in theory no but this is Everton Football Club we are talking about, a place where mental fragility runs amok.If you recall prior to that Anfield derby last year, our defence had found a real rhythm and we were playing quite joined up cohesive stuff.I firmly believe if we had got out of that fixture with the deserved 0-0 draw (we might even have won, Gomes sitter in first half and Mina) but we played as well at Anfield that day as I've seen in many a year.To lose so late to such a freak goal, look at the aftermath results?We went on a three month run of disaster performances and results and the latter stage home games in Spring aside, we were never the same. Mike Gaynes 30 Posted 06/12/2019 at 22:20:07 I agree with Christine's opening sentiment. The classy farewell is thoroughly apropos, given that Silva has conducted himself with nothing but class. No histrionics, no public rages or private confrontations (as far as we know), and no blaming of other people for his failures. He appropriately describes managing Everton as an "honour", and he always treated it as such. And we can be quite certain there won't be any "afters" from this man in terms of the kind of disrespect that Moyes and Fat Head showed. May he become a good manager some day, because by every account he's a good man.Jim #23, you've posted that sentiment several times about the Pickford/Anfield moment derailing our season, but I still don't know what you're talking about. It certainly derailed our December, but that was a one-month run of disaster, not three. From Boxing Day to the end of the season was our only good stretch under Silva. How much better do you think we could have been? Jay Wood[BRZ] 31 Posted 06/12/2019 at 22:23:12 Jim @ 29.All your post does is reinforce to me that the manager and the players had more than enough games between the two reference points - 40 games no less, more than an entire season - and only fleetingly bucked the trend of poor results.That strongly suggests to me your randomly chosen moment of Jordan's howler as being the catalyst of it all going wrong, rather than have had a happy parallel universe ending if he hadn't screwed up, could easily be substituted with an equally catastrophic moment - and alas, there has plenty to choose from in the last 12 months - in many a game. The equivalent of the Pickford howler was seen by many a different player across 12 months and 40 games.It's an exceedingly fanciful theory that doesn't stand up to inspection IMO. Stan Schofield 32 Posted 06/12/2019 at 22:56:55 Jay@27: I didn't say that the goalkeeping error determined what happened subsequently. I implied that the goalkeeping error could have been a significant factor amongst other significant factors. Hence the phrase "it might have been a different story. Who knows."You may recall as well as I do that we had a lot of discussion at the time about our demise in form following that error, including the possible mental effects of it in conjunction with other frustrating effects such as biased officiating. I believe that what I've said @21 at least partly tries to reflect that discussion. Eddie Dunn 33 Posted 06/12/2019 at 23:11:45 Christine, well said. I have been critical of Marco for a while now but I always wanted him to prove Steve Ferns right and turn it round. I still like the guy. He is classy.Those players above that thanked their boss for his help are actually some of our better performers. Richarlison, Digne, Gomes, and Bernard. Naturally those guys were ones that he had an affinity with; nowt wrong with that. It is normal that the boss would be closer to some more than others.As a footnote, as much as I was annoyed by the Groundhog Day subs and baffling selections and tactics, if it wasn't for just the VAR injustices, he would still be in a job and, if it wasn't for some serious bad luck, he would be hoping to get top six. He still would have annoyed me, but I could live with that. Small margins etc. It will be interesting to see if Duncan can get this group of players to do better. Finally, it is a good thing that we are playing a good team in Chelsea and not the likes of Norwich in this fixture. Everyone should be up for it (as they should be for any game) and we know we need to be on our mettle to succeed.But a positive result would send out a message to the league and to potential suitors that we are a place in which good things might be just around the corner.Remember Naismith's perfect hattrick? Kieran Kinsella 34 Posted 06/12/2019 at 23:16:14 Media allege that Michael Keane laid into Silva for being "two-faced" the day of his sacking. Supposedly he was Mr Nice Guy: "we win together, we lose together" in the dressing room but in his presser slammed the team. Seems like an odd story. I can't imagine him saying "Job well done, lads" after the game. Maybe he didn't feel the need to rant as he knew the game was up. Anyway, it's a mildly titillating rumour. Karl Meighan 35 Posted 07/12/2019 at 09:39:44 Regardless if a manager can come in and repair a dressing room that we don't even know is broken. People seem to be forgetting one thing "these players are not good enough" I don't know how to write it in lattin as some seem to be forgetting this. Silva didn't play and even with his tactics if the players are quality, strong and and able to lead they can put alot of the problems on the pitch right. Did Silva tell them what players to pick up and how to pass a ball. Karl Meighan 36 Posted 07/12/2019 at 09:54:40 Ian@8 he may well have done, personally I would much rather them concentrate on what the Club pays them to do, play football and maybe to a standard that doesn't have us fighting a relegation battle. Jack Convery 37 Posted 07/12/2019 at 11:24:56 Silva always comes across as a genuine human being and the words from the players seem to back that up. It may be that he would make a great assistant to a hard as nails manager. I wish him well and whoever takes over to run this shambles of a football club. Karen Mason 38 Posted 07/12/2019 at 11:57:21 Eddie at #33. Great post.Silva, unlike the 2 previous managers has firstly, never disrespected the fans and wanted to keep them happy. (Even if the results failed to do that.) And secondly, never disrespected our club. No comments from him like from Allardyce after he left. He has always conducted himself with dignity and in a professional way. Even his statement after the sacking is class. So, on a personal level, we have nothing to criticize him for. I for one, wish him every success going forward and hope that he lands at the right club. Equally, I live in hope that we land the right Manager in his place. Have just seen the starting line up chosen by Big Dunc and it does not look good. But hey-ho, I'm just a fan and not a Manager. Jerome Shields 39 Posted 09/12/2019 at 21:49:55 Good Luck Marco in your future career. You never know you might end up as Manager of Portugal. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads