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I’m not a protester and never have been.

I’m not affiliated to a supporters’ group or represented by the ever-increasing number of social media accounts.

But then I’m not a staunch defender of the current custodians of Everton FC either.

Simply put, I’m a worried Evertonian. A fan who genuinely fears that my great club - the fourth most successful in English football - will never again compete at the very top.

For me, it’s not a case of putting a foot in the pro or anti-board camp. I don’t pretend to be an expert where the ins and outs of running a football club is concerned.

But what the current unrest, planes and all, does signal is that the time has come for answers to some very pertinent questions.

The time has come for the powers-that-be to communicate with what could quickly become a divided and warring fanbase.

What exactly is the long-term plan for Everton? How are we going to smash through the glass ceiling that has been hovering above our heads for so long?

It’s hard to understand after sixteen years, despite having the “best salesman” for the club in chairman Bill Kenwright, how the amount of investment has totalled exactly the same number of trophies lifted in that time. Zero.

Are we truly for sale?

Are we truly for sale? Is the price too high? What is turning investors or potential buyers away, or not at the very least bringing them to the door?

After two failed stadium moves, what makes the latest efforts to relocate any different? The track record does not suggest that we should be bracing ourselves for an emotional send-off to a dated Goodison Park any time soon.

These are legitimate questions that require addressing, now more than ever. Fans want to know exactly where Everton are heading because it feels like we’ve been stuck in the same rut for so long.

There’s also a real sense of deja vu that another Everton transfer window is being overshadowed by the possible departure of a big name player - this time in the shape of the superb John Stones.

The current stance from the club is pleasing and I sincerely hope we resist all bids tabled for the young centre by the current Premier League champions.

However, the inevitable issue we face is how do we satisfy the long-terms ambitions of a player of his calibre?

LOOK: Everton's win over Southampton in pictures

We need big name signings

To pinch a phrase from Roberto, we have some phenomenal young talent. A side with bags of potential that can be devastating when it all clicks together - Southampton a case in point.

But we need big name signings that consistently make an impact to complement that and take us forward. We need strength in depth.

There seems to be a view among pundits and national sports writers in the wake of the unrest that Everton fans should be happy with top eight finishes and greet it as success in the modern era.

For me that’s simply existing. It really is time to change that viewpoint, time to show that Everton are truly ambitious.

Time to break the glass ceiling.

How are the board going to help Roberto to do that? It’s time for answers.