Darren Bent delivers damning ‘massive’ club verdict on Everton live on talkSPORT
talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent has argued that Everton can no longer be considered a “massive” club and said he would not be surprised to see them relegated from the Premier League.
Everton are bottom of the table after failing to collect a point or so much as score a goal in any of their opening three matches.
After going close to two decades without a major trophy, and five seasons since finishing any higher than 10th, Bent believes Everton have lost their previous allure.
Responding to a question by Andy Goldstein, who suggested many would be surprised to see “massive side” Everton in the Championship, Bent said on Wednesday’s [30 August] talkSPORT Drive show: “I’m not sure if they’re massive…
“When does that run out? When was the last time they won any silverware – 1994-95? That’s a long time ago. They’ve not finished in the top 10 since 2018.
“I’m not saying they’re not a big club, but they’re not massive like some people say. The massive clubs are [Manchester] United, Arsenal, Chelsea, [Manchester] City now – these are massive football clubs.
“They’ve been flirting with [relegation] for the past couple of seasons. When you keep flirting with it, people expect you at one stage to go down.”
Delicate subject
There is no denying that Everton are one of the absolute elite English clubs when taking the whole of their existence into the equation.
Indeed, they have 24 major honours to their name – only seven others have won more.
As Bent pointed out, though, the most recent of those successes came in 1995 when winning the FA Cup.
Their most recent league triumph, meanwhile, was in 1986-87.
Defining a “massive” club is a futile subject because there are so many factors to take into consideration.
Ultimately, though, there is no doubt that Everton’s stature is not at the same level it previously was.
The Toffees have finished 17th and 16th in the past two seasons, only avoiding relegation by a couple of points last time out.
If they are to reclaim their status as one of the big boys, they need to turn things around on the field and start challenging for honours once again.
Just how long that will take is anyone’s guess.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are reportedly still in the market for a new winger before the transfer window closes.