Jamie Carragher claims he felt sympathy for Farhad Moshiri after phone call with Everton CEO

Jamie Carragher has revealed he held a 'cordial conversation' with former Everton chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale after she took exception to comments he made about the Goodsion Park club.

Last year, Carragher wrote that Everton were the 'worst run club' in England, which prompted a call from Barrett-Baxendale at the time. After the chat, he felt as though the hierarchy was operating under persistent concern of fan backlash, relegation and being unable to complete the new stadium.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the now Sky Sports pundit said: “Then chief executive, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, took exception to my comments. It was a cordial conversation in which I held my ground, while Barrett-Baxendale explained the challenges facing the club. My overall impression was of an Everton board working in fear.”

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"By the end of the conversation, my anger and incredulity at how Everton was being run was balanced by a touch of sympathy for [owner Farhad] Moshiri. He cuts a tragic Premier League figure.

"To use a well-known Liverpool phrase, he has ‘had his kecks pulled down’ by the football industry. His intentions when buying Everton were noble, but the evidence suggests he has been used as a cash cow by agents and players. To end up with a wage bill that is 92 percent of the club’s turnover - and having nothing to show for it - proves he has been taken to the cleaners."

Carragher also made sure to note those within the fanbase who have always questioned the involvement of 777. He warned that after surviving the crisis of points deductions, fans may be in for another turbulent period under new ownership.

He said: “There are elements of Everton’s grassroots support who have demanded answers from day one. The fans advisory board keep being told there are confidentiality agreements which prevent further discussion. That sounds like a brush off, to me. The issue is too important for silence.

“To an extent I can understand it if there was a feeling that the on-field issues had to be prioritised until the team was safe. Awful though the situation was, it was recoverable. Credit goes to Sean Dyche and his players for ensuring the points penalty did not lead to championship football.

“Now there may be an element of ‘crisis’ fatigue among hardened fans, who want to enjoy the moment of guaranteeing safety. Deep down, they know the reprieve will be brief if 777 brings as many negative headlines to Everton as owners as they have as bidders.”

Addressing the takeover, Carragher also urged Everton supporters not to be 'bystanders' and to make as much noise about 777 Partners as they have about the points deductions their club have received this season.

"The biggest danger for Everton this season was never the impact of an eight-point deduction or the prospect of relegation," he said. "The greatest threat remains the club ending up in the hands of the wrong owners.

“Those with the club’s best interest at heart need to show the same passion for this subject as they did the points deductions. Not for the first time in Everton’s recent history, it feels like there are too many bystanders waiting for a bandwagon to jump aboard rather than driving it.

“When something looks wrong, feels wrong and smells wrong, it is no use waiting in the hope it will turn out okay in the end.”