Michael Ball was unhappy with Everton fans on Saturday.
Speaking to The Liverpool Echo, Michael Ball has criticised Everton fans for booing Morgan Schneiderlin during Saturday’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Goodison Park.
The French midfielder was subjected to widespread heckles on 80 minutes when manager Sam Allardyce introduced him in place of Idrissa Gueye.
The 28-year-old, who cost £24 million last January, hasn’t been a huge success on Merseyside and isn’t the most popular of Toffees players, it has to be said.
And although Ball claims that the jeering was “out of order”, the former Everton star believes that the booing was part for the player and part because of what his arrival meant.
Allardyce’s side were leading 3-0 at the time of his introduction, and Ball believes that the Goodison Park faithful were desperate to see the 63-year-old give £27 million January signing Cenk Tosun a run-out instead of Schneiderlin, who was the last substitution.
“The booing was out of order but that was down to frustration,” he told The Liverpool Echo.
“The fans saw the players warming up and will have wanted a positive substitution and so when Schneiderlin came on it was a combination of not seeing the new striker, of Schneiderlin and not knowing that Gueye had picked up an injury. A lot of fans may have booed not knowing the full facts.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
