Tom Blackett reports on Everton’s battle to stay in the Premier League…
IT’S been another turbulent season for Everton and their coveted topflight status remains in jeopardy, but there are reasons to believe Sean Dyche can lead the Toffees to safety.
When Frank Lampard was sacked after defeat to West Ham in January, the Merseysiders were staring down the barrel. It left them 19th in the table – just above bottom side Southampton on goal difference – with a paltry 15 points from 20 matches.
The only positive was that a whole bunch of other clubs were also struggling to string results together, meaning Everton, on the crest of a slump, were only two points from safety.
But it wasn’t just on the pitch where the Toffees had problems. There had been widespread and vocal protests from fans against the board, and supporters staged a sit-in demonstration after the loss to Southampton.
Everton’s board of directors missed that game because of what the club claimed was a “real and credible threat to their safety”.
It all left the impression of a club on its knees. Appointing the right manager to try to fix things on the pitch in the short-term was going to be crucial – and, thankfully for Evertonians, the board at least got that right by plumping for former Burnley boss Dyche.
In a backs-to-the-wall situation, you want someone to galvanise the troops and get them to show some heart and passion. Right from his very first game in charge – a shock 1-0 home win against Premier League leaders Arsenal – it was clear that Dyche was going to have an impact.
Instead of being a soft touch, the Toffees hardened up. At the time of writing, they’d picked up 12 points in 11 games under the 51-year-old to rise to 17th in the table, albeit only out of the relegation zone on goal difference with seven games left.
Still, no supporter on the blue half of Merseyside can say that their team aren’t playing for the shirt now. There have been some memorable moments, too. The long-serving Seamus Coleman provided one of them by beating Leeds keeper Illan Meslier to score from an improbable angle against Leeds. It lifted the roof of Goodison Park and, more importantly, proved to be the only goal of the game. Three precious points were in the bag.
Young striker Ellis Simms coolly struck a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Chelsea, while centre-back Michael Keane provided another unforgettable highlight when he strode forward and smashed a 25-yard drive into the top corner to earn a last-gasp point against Tottenham.
That 1-1 draw against the north Londoners was another game in which the Toffees showed their new-found fighting spirit. Reduced to ten men when midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure was sent off for rashly pushing Harry Kane in the face off the ball just before the hour, Everton dug deep when Kane gave the visitors the lead from the spot. When Tot-tenham sub Lucas Moura was also sent off for a nasty challenge on Keane late on, it gave the hosts a lift – and Keane’s wonder goal bagged a deserved point and sent Goodison wild.
For those who remember some of the great Everton sides of the past, it’s sad to see them scrabbling around to avoid relegation. Yet you have to live in the here and now, and the truth is the Toffees are in a battle to stay in the Premier League.
Recent defeats to Manchester United (2-0 away) and Fulham (3-1 home) have stalled their momentum, but there are going to be plenty of twists and turns to come with almost half the division still in danger.
Everton will hope to have their place secure by the time Bournemouth visit Merseyside for the final game of the season at the end of May. It could be a bit nervy otherwise.
