Tim Howard tells US TV that Everton will be in relegation battle until final day after Arsenal thrashing, fans have job to do
Everton will be in a relegation battle until the final day and the fans now have a job to do to help keep them up, according to Tim Howard.
After an encouraging first-half at the Emirates on Wednesday night was thrown away just before the break Sean Dyche’s side fell to a demoralising 4-0 defeat to the league-leaders, and former Toffees goalkeeper Howard expects a relegation battle all the way until the final day.
The American, who made 414 appearances for Everton, highlighted the fans’ role in dragging Frank Lampard’s side over the line last season and believes they will have to provide a repeat performance now.
Speaking live on the USA Network after the game on Wednesday night (1 March, 9.43pm) the long-time Goodison favourite said: “It’s difficult for Everton, there are no goals in this team… As a club this is going to be a very long 13-game stretch for Everton.
“They’re going to be down in the bottom three, there or thereabouts all the way up until the end.
“Home [form] is going to be important. We saw last year those home fans galvanised that run to stay up. They’re going to have to do it again.”
True
There’s no getting away from the facts and for well over a year now Everton have been a shadow of their best side when playing away from home.
It shows what a difference the fanbase’s support makes in quantities only possible on Merseyside, and with two wins from three at home under Sean Dyche but two defeats without a goal on the road that pattern is continuing.
A huge amount wasn’t expected against Arsenal in the capital, but having put up a strong fight for 40 minutes it was depressing to see that good work thrown away with mistakes just before half time and the fight drain away after the interval.
To the surprise of nobody who has been paying attention to Everton in the past year, goalscoring is going to be a problem for the remainder of the season.
Passionate backing of the home support might be enough to lift the likes of Seamus Coleman to fire one in from an unlikely position, as he did in the victory over Leeds United, but it seems all the more unlikely away from Goodison Park.
Dyche has brought a lift, despite what it feels like off the back of a 4-0 thrashing, but the margins are going to be extremely fine without an ability to find the net on a regular basis.
So it is going to go down to the wire, and arguably the one strength this club has in comparison to the rest of the league, the fans, has to be used to an advantage wherever possible.
It shouldn’t come down to the supporters to make up for a shortfall in quality thanks to ongoing mismanagement by the Everton hierarchy, but that looks like it might be the difference between the Premier League and the Championship now.