Sam Allardyce has referred to the atmosphere at Everton as toxic, pointing to the high number of players they have as a reason.
Big Sam took over the Everton job from Ronald Koeman in the middle of last season, guiding the club to safety after a rocky start to the campaign under the Dutchman.
The former Toffees manager claims the size of the squad is a “big problem”, creating divisions among those who are part of the first team and those who are not.
“There are a huge amount of players there on the staff, which actually causes you a problem on a daily basis because you don’t know what to do with them,” he told Sky Sports News.
“I would say for the U23s and the first team, probably around the 50 mark. There’s a lot of those players bought from the clubs down below. It’s very difficult to manage the U23s and cope with all those players on a daily basis.
“Effectively you have to section them off – and that creates a conflict. You get your squad of 22, 23, and there’s eight or nine who you say, ‘you’ve got to go over there’. That’s a big problem. We moved quite a lot out in the January window, getting them out on loan, just to ease that problem.
“To have a better feel around the training ground. Because when it’s like that it can get a bit toxic.
“We all know the mood of the dressing room is very important for you.”