Silva admits pressure at Everton remains the same despite comments from owner

Everton manager Marco Silva insists he is not under greater pressure after majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri publicly declared this season as “not good enough”.

The billionaire, who has ploughed £250million into the club in the last three years, expressed his dissatisfaction with the current campaign at the club’s general meeting on Tuesday.

Despite Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright giving their full backing to Silva, it was made clear expectations had not been met with the Toffees on the same number of points (27) as 12 months ago in the early months of Sam Allardyce’s short-lived reign.

Asked whether Moshiri’s comments had heaped extra pressure on him, Silva said: “No. When you take out the headlines you take out of context these type of words.

“Of course with our owner and chairman we are talking every week, we don’t need a general meeting to contact each other.

“I know their opinion and they know my opinion. I spoke (to Moshiri) before (the meeting) and I told him what our goal is for the second round (of the season).

“It is clear we have to do better than what we did in the first round.

“He gave us big support like he has always given, he is a supportive owner like the chairman also.

“I want more and they want more, it is part of football. It reflects what we want to build and achieve in the future.

“The project is to build a club with the capacity to be stronger step-by-step and can be ready to challenge for these type of ambitions.”

After a run of just one win in eight Premier League matches, there is added scrutiny to get a result at home to Bournemouth on Sunday.

Everton have been linked with a move for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi after the Belgium international had his loan at Valencia cut short.

However, Silva, who has resorted to playing winger Richarlison as a lone frontman at times this season, played down the link.

“We are aware of the market, we know what’s happened, but it is not something which is a priority for us,” said the Portuguese.

“Because we spent some money last summer it is not easy spending big, big money in all the markets.

“For us to do something in this moment it would mean another player would leave the club and it is not something in our mind.

“If you do something it is because something has happened in our squad.”