Sam Allardyce Claims New Stadium Can Help Turn Everton into a Champions League Club

Everton manager Sam Allardyce has made an ambitious claim that the club are on course to become top four contenders.

The former England boss says major changes have already happened at the club, per the Mirror, namely plans for a new stadium - which could be the start of bigger and better things on Merseyside.

Despite being under pressure from fans due to his unattractive style of play, Allardyce is excited about what the future has in store for the Toffees and he speaks as though he sees himself being a part of it.

“It’s had major changes," Allardyce said, when asked if the club needs change in order to improve. "It’s got major changes in the ownership, and in terms of where it’s going.

“It is making major changes because it’s going to build a brand new stadium and in building that brand new stadium it builds expectation.

“Expectation builds the one thing you must have when you get to a new stadium when it’s built, which is a winning team.”

Everton's new ground, set to be built on Bramley Moore Dock and be ready sometime after 2022, could be the catalyst for the club to play Champions League football in the future.

“I think, with West Ham, if they had a winning team and was competing with the top six or seven, then certainly for West Ham their stadium wouldn’t matter,” he said.

“A new stadium at Everton is the right thing to do and the right way forward to try to achieve everybody’s desire, particularly the fans.

“With it you give the fans a better chance that this club can then compete in Europe and maybe one day even compete and get in the top four, and into the Champions’ League.

“I think if Everton go to a new stadium competing in the top six or seven or even greater, then it will give more of a chance of getting towards where the fans want to go.”