FanView: Sam Allardyce Needs Everton Friends Not Foes as Fallout Over Fan Survey Continues

Sam Allardyce seems to be hell-bent on alienating as many departments within Everton Football Club as he possibly can.

The Toffees boss has already rounded upon sections of the fanbase for their negative viewpoints of his tactics and ability to win matches, and had already taken the media department to task earlier in the year over the length of Gylfi Sigurdsson's injury absence.

Now, the 63-year-old has hit out at the club's marketing team over the fan survey that was sent out to season ticket holders and club members on Tuesday as he looked to circle the wagons around his tenure at Goodison Park.

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Speaking to the press on Thursday, Allardyce remarked: "The director of marketing and communications has clearly slipped up. Our department has not been asked what we think of this survey, even though I believe the survey has been recently passed out before.

"I think from my point of view it was a big mistake, I think it's allowed you to write some beautiful headlines on that situation.

"But the actual question was what do you think of the manager, the players and the staff - and obviously our director of marketing is clearly not a great understander of football and how football works.

"He must have thought it was the right thing to do but clearly everybody else hasn't and certainly my department, and even the chairman I spoke to last night."

Allardyce has claimed that chairman Bill Kenwright personally apologised to him over the survey, and his comments have only helped to fan the flames over the controversial questionnaire in the 24 hours since.

And yet Everton's marketing director - Richard Kenyon - is a well respected Blue and wouldn't do anything to cause harm to the club he loves, if you listen to those who know him well.

So where does it leave Allardyce as speculation continues to mount over his future on Merseyside?

Well the ex-England boss is doing little to build bridges with many areas of the club, and it is unclear if he will actually be in charge next term.

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Yes, the media furore caused by the survey won't have helped to shorten the growing divide between Everton and its fans either, and Allardyce does have a right to question if the question about his stewardship was the right one to ask.

But given that the survey is one that is sent out at the end of each season to gauge fan opinion on where the club can improve, it smacks of a man desperate to remain in charge of one of England's finest institutions.

He would do well to stop alienating everyone he can if he wishes to remain in the dugout.