Darren Bent delivers damning verdict on ‘appalling’ Everton situation live on talkSPORT
Darren Bent is “sick and tired” of seeing Everton constantly embroiled in relegation battles and has hit out at the “appalling” recruitment record at Goodison Park.
The Toffees are bottom of the Premier League after following up a 1-0 defeat to Fulham on the opening weekend with a thumping 4-0 loss at Aston Villa last week.
Former Tottenham and Villa striker Bent believes the only way Everton will break the cycle is by making better signings.
“You get sick and tired of seeing it every season – 16th, 17th, 20th currently,” he said on the talkSPORT Drive show.
“Every single season, I’m sick and tired of seeing Everton fight relegation, fight relegation, fight relegation.
“At some stage, you’ve got to have a go. You want to see clubs have a go every season. What annoys me is there are a lot smaller clubs who come up to the Premier League and do much better than them. Everton just stay still.
“They’ve got to find a way of progressing. Recruitment has been appalling. Their league form has been appalling. I don’t know what Everton have become in recent years.”
Same old
Bent has a point.
Everton only retained their top-flight status on the final day of last season with a narrow win over Bournemouth, seeing them finish one place and two points above the relegation zone.
They finished two places above the dropzone the season before, meanwhile, with lessons clearly not being learned.
The same is true this year, as the Toffees are desperately scrambling for another forward or two ahead of the transfer window closing on 1 September.
As things stand, Everton have paid a transfer fee for just one player this summer – untested Portuguese Youssef Chermiti – with Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma joining on loan, while Ashley Young was brought in on a free transfer.
For all the talk of their interest in Southampton’s Che Adams and Udinese striker Beto, Everton arguably need to get deals over the line for both if they are to avoid a repeat of the past two campaigns.
After riding their luck for so long, Everton may not be quite so lucky this time around if the early stage of the season is anything to go by.
In other Everton news, Sean Dyche has provided an update on the Toffees’ transfer situation ahead of facing Wolves.