Everton players told of expectations by Frank Lampard
Everton manager Frank Lampard has reaffirmed what the expectations of his squad are ahead of their vital Premier League clash against Newcastle.
The Toffees are awkwardly hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference with 12 games left to play but their opponents tomorrow evening have catapulted themselves out of danger in recent weeks.
Appointing Eddie Howe has had much more of an effect at St James’Park than Lampard’s arrival at Goodison Park has achieved but the boss still expects his side to fight together to maintain their Premier League status.
“Tomorrow we’re expecting everyone together fighting,” he said in his pre-match press conference, as quoted by the Independent.
“Every game is so important, there are 12 of them left and they’re massive. At Goodison, we want to be together. I want the players to start well, we have to engage the fans and when we do that together we’re a force.”
Do or die
With every single game that passes Everton by, the bums get that little bit squeakier around Goodison Park and the restlessness is growing on Merseyside.
For all the excitement of beating Leeds in Lampard’s first home league game as Toffees manager, it has been replaced with anxiety and the fear of relegation that has quickly grown among even the most optimistic of supporters.
Most worryingly for Everton, Watford and Burnley have begun to pick up valuable points and both can go beyond the Toffees as it stands with victory in their next games.
Even rock-bottom Norwich have looked a stern opposition for the majority of the Premier League recently and the trends all seem to point towards Championship football being on display at Goodison next season unless a turnaround happens immediately.
In other Everton news, one of the club’s scouts has revealed all about the recruitment process on Merseyside and his own experiences travelling the world watching football, what a life eh?
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