Jim White and Alex Crook debate Everton points total needed to avoid relegation live on talkSPORT
Alex Crook and Jim White have debated that 35 points should be enough for Everton or any of their rivals to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
The Toffees’ survival hopes were given a minor boost as direct rivals Leeds United were thrashed for a second consecutive week and lost 6-1 to Liverpool on Monday night (17 April).
With seven games of the season remaining, Sean Dyche’s side currently sit on 27 points and only remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (Tuesday, 18 April), Crook admitted that 35 points should be enough for any team to avoid Premier League relegation this season, with White adding that Leeds’ dire run of form will have boosted hopes within the Toffees fanbase.
“You start to look at how many points you may need to be safe in the Premier League, and I think it could be as few as 35,” Crook said.
“I think if you get 35 points, Southampton won’t get anywhere near that, they probably won’t even get 30, Forest have got a horrendous run-in and won’t get 35 points and I’m not sure Everton will either by the way, and maybe Leeds.”
“I mean if you’re a fan of Everton or Forest or Leicester, you look at Leeds last night and say thank god they’re in there and they’re conceding left, right and centre,” White replied.
“That must buoy up the fans of Everton, Forest and Leicester.”
Crunch time
Everton are now well and truly entering the crunch period of the Premier League season.
After weeks of slowly building under Dyche, it is time for them to step up and start delivering the goods.
Consecutive defeats to Manchester United and Fulham weren’t exactly what the doctor ordered, but they do still have a number of favourable fixtures in their run-in.
Next up for the Toffees is a trip to Crystal Palace, while matches against relegation rivals Leicester City and Bournemouth also await within the last seven games of the season.
These have to be the matches that Dyche and his team pinpoint in their calendars as crucial encounters.
If Everton can pick up two wins from these three crucial fixtures, they will be just one point off Crook and Whites’ magical total of 34 points, and they would still remain hopeful of picking up the odd point elsewhere.
The bounce back from last weekend’s poor performance needs to come as soon as possible, and there would be no better way to reignite survival hopes with three points against Roy Hodgson’s in-form Eagles side.