Gerard Deulofeu shares ‘very tough’ Everton relegation prediction
Former Everton attacker Gerard Deulofeu has opened up on his time at the club whilst sharing his verdict on the Blues’ current relegation battle.
The Udinese winger believes Frank Lampard has the quality to turn things around at Goodison Park as the Toffees sit uncomfortably in 17th, just four points off the dropzone.
He told Liverpool Echo: “I have videos on my phone from that match, of the Evertonians singing my song and how they lived my goal. I said after my first season with Everton that the club was in my heart and the same was true after the second period.
“The ambition and the atmosphere were the same when I came back. You have good memories of a place if you were happy there and all my memories of Everton are amazing.
“It [this season] is a tough period, but I think Everton have a top manager and some quality players and will change the situation. And I hope I am correct because I am an Evertonian.”
Speaking about when he first joined the club under Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, he added: “I didn’t speak English too well but being part of that dressing room, with big players, and feeling the experience, I grew up and started to play with the same passion they had. Playing in the Premier League and at a full Goodison was incredible and my overall impact was good.
“Roberto Martinez gave me the chance to have my first season in the Premier League and it was amazing for my education. Roberto held me back because he didn’t want to put pressure on me, sometimes I was angry but he gave me the patience to grow step by step.”
Dying breed
The good memories that Deulofeu refers to are long gone. Everton made a huge mistake getting rid of Martinez which is easy to say in hindsight having seen their gargantuan decline since his departure.
The squad the Spaniard was a part of were seemingly the last group of Blues players that cared about the badge they are playing for with the those who play now simply embarrassing at times.
Calling himself an “Evertonian” tells you everything you need to know, his heart was with the club whilst he was playing and it still is.
Hopefully, he is correct in his assessment of Lampard and the players because it would be a disaster if the Toffees were relegated for the first time in their long and illustrious history.
Their win against Manchester United on Saturday [April 9] was exactly what they needed after the horror show against Burnley.
The players have to build on that win and string together a run of gaining points from now until the end of the season to ensure survival.
In other Everton news, View: the fans will love Vitaliy Mykolenko’s passionate reaction against Manchester United.
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