General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill says there is no offer currently on the table for the Blues, despite interest from a US-backed consortium, and that owner Marcus Evans’s stance remains unchanged.

Asked about the link at a lunchtime press conference, O’Neill said: “There’s been a lot of speculation in the media. Marcus’s stance hasn’t changed. He’s not actively looking to sell the football club.

“As he’s always said and it’s been well publicised, if there was an offer on the table from anyone that was interested in taking the football club over and they were going to provide significant investment and move the club forward, then he would always look at that and look at what’s in the best interests of the football club.

“His stance hasn’t changed on that, so at the moment that’s exactly where we’re at with it.”

Questioned directly on whether an offer is currently there, he said: “I think, as I said before, at the moment, the conversations aren’t there. There isn’t an offer on the table but he will always look at an offer if it is on the table.”

Asked whether he is confident that Evans will still be in charge at the end of the season, he added: “I am confident. Marcus is [as] driven [as] ever, I’ve spoken to him a few times over the last few days.

“He wants to get the football club back to where it should be and we all know that that’s going to be a difficult job over the next three or four months in particular, but that’s not unachievable.

“When you look at the squad and the games that are coming up, we’re in a good position, so everything’s there. He’s definitely focused and his ambitions are still there to try and get the club promoted this season.”

Asked clarify his comment that there is no offer offer on the table, he reiterated: “That is correct.”

And similarly that the appointment of a new manager is purely down to Evans and not a prospective new owner, he said: “That’s correct.”

Photo: TWTD

dirtydingusmagee added 14:48 - Mar 1 thats pissed on the party
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buzbyblue added 14:50 - Mar 1 Oh dear the wheels are falling off now 😢
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coolcat added 14:51 - Mar 1 That's what I thought it would be. Driven by social media, gained legs and taken on a life form of its own.
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Belgiumblue added 14:52 - Mar 1 It was important to change manager but I feel it was just as important to get rid of evans. Nothing is going to change under Evans
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Gcon added 14:53 - Mar 1 Absolutely gutted, if that's the case. A new manager is a temporary solution, but it's just papering over the cracks. For a real resurrection, we need new ownership. The last 14 years have been a total disaster for this club. As they say, theres no smoke without fire, there must be something in these rumours.
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blueconscience added 14:53 - Mar 1 Well, If the takeover doesn't happen, I will continue not to spend any money relating to ITFC
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Belgiumblue added 14:55 - Mar 1 Lambert probably told Evans to Sell Up and Evans Replied by Sacking Him
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MonkeyAlan added 14:57 - Mar 1 I've been telling you all morning there was nothing in it, it's way off. All l got was abuse. They only muttered a few bits about possibilities. There is nothing more than that. I just get called out for being negative. I was trying to tell people not to get their hopes up. Because it isn't happening.
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BromleyBloo added 15:01 - Mar 1 It's more important to get rid of Evans - totally inept in all respects and his recent comments just show the same appalling attitude and lack of awareness about anything and everything. Perfectly balanced - arrogant and ignorant in equal measure. Just go for God's sake!!!
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blueconscience added 15:01 - Mar 1 All managers will fail under Evans. God help the next employee should this be true!!!
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Belgiumblue added 15:02 - Mar 1 Don't be surprised if Season Ticket Sales gets announced this week, then 2 weeks later they say there was a buyer but the deal fell through, but thanks for all the Season Tickets.............
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Sparky85 added 15:02 - Mar 1 With all due respect Lee, you wouldn't know if there was
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OsborneOneNil added 15:04 - Mar 1 Wait and see........
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Coastalblue added 15:04 - Mar 1 Nothing said there means there is no takeover about to happen.
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stiff_talking added 15:05 - Mar 1 He would not say that Evans would be here by end of the season.
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90z added 15:05 - Mar 1 There won't be offers on the table if you dont put the club up for sale! Evans is deluded! All his managers he has brought in havnt done a great job, Mick done well with what he had to deal with and kept us competitive with boring to watch football for a long time! This club will continue to decline if there is no major funds to rebuild! Who's really going to want to manage here under this ownership ! What a mess this really is !

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Pencilpete added 15:06 - Mar 1 If Lee O'Neill says it then it must be true ! Don't panic - once a sale has been agreed then its normal procedure to enter into a non disclosure agreement - which means nobody admits anything until it's a done deal. When asked directly Evans / O'Neill can either admit it and break the agreement or deny it ... thats all they CAN do .... remember we've not heard anything from the Americans either !!! Just sit tight - i'm very confident this will still happen !... all these people with all their sources can't all be wrong :)

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PositivelyPortman added 15:07 - Mar 1 This bloke just says what he's told to. He'll be gone by the weekend too is my guess.
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chrice added 15:08 - Mar 1 There is absolutely no way O'Neill could sit in that press conference and say "Yes everything you've seen is true. It'll probably be done in the next couple of weeks." No smoke without fire.
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oldegold added 15:15 - Mar 1 With Evans we will go nowhere..the quicker he is out the club, the better. Investment investment investment...something that he has patently not done and will never do. He treats the fans like pariahs..no communication and no empathy at all. In these last few weeks there has been no comment from him, just denial in the last 24 hours. Not good enough and the club is dying around him...

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ArnieM added 15:17 - Mar 1 Evans playing hard ball with consortium?
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BluedanW added 15:22 - Mar 1 Lee O'Neil is in the same shoes as Lambert. If the take-over happens he will be one of the first to go.
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blues1 added 15:26 - Mar 1 90z. What are you on about? Offers are made for football clubs all the time. They dont have to be on the market for that to happen. Evans has rejected 2 offers in the past already.
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terryf added 15:30 - Mar 1 Evans has unfortunately not invested in the Team which is why we have declined as a Club season after season. I think Paul Cook would be a good Manager and can remember his Portsmouth Team playing us off the park when they were just a second division side. However the Team needs sensible investment year on year to progress and I think we'll only get that with a new owner.

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tractorlad01 added 15:31 - Mar 1 I don't see why everyone's making a fuss. They're obviously not going to talk about anything publicly at the moment.
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