Everton handed relegation ‘get out of jail free card’ already – Sky Sports pundit
Everton have been handed a “get out of jail free card” this season because the promoted sides are struggling so badly, according to Tim Sherwood.
The former Tottenham boss said live on Sky Sports Soccer Special on 26 September, as per Liverpool World, that the likes of the Toffees and Nottingham Forest will likely be able to avoid relegation danger because the newest sides in the division don’t have enough “quality” even if they replaced their managers.
Following Everton’s 3-1 win at Brentford last weekend the promoted trio of Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United now make up the bottom three with just a point each.
Sherwood said: “If you are an Everton this year, it is a get out of jail free card.
“I believe Nottingham Forest are capable of staying up, I don’t think anybody questions whether they can stay up. With the teams struggling down there at the moment, you can change the manager all you want, it is the players and the amount of quality.”
Early days
Sherwood may actually be right but there is such a long way to go, and so much can change between now and the end of the season, that Everton can hardly relax.
Until their previous fixture they were also on a single point in the league, and while they have the experience in the top flight and a team which really should have picked up at least two more wins already, it felt like another battle against the drop was inevitable until very recently.
It’s been Sean Dyche whose job has started coming in for questioning rather than the promoted clubs’ bosses, although there doesn’t appear to be much scope for a change until the takeover is sorted one way or another.
And 777 Partners are thought to be happy with the manager and Kevin Thelwell’s performance so far anyway so if a couple more results are picked up then both should be safe for the foreseeable future.
The prospect of a change of ownership, despite questions being raised about the prospective new regime already, and a campaign with reduced relegation danger, would be a huge bonus for an Everton fanbase that have been put through it by this club over recent years.
If Dominic Calvert-Lewin can stay fit then the chances of that are far higher, after the striker made a goalscoring return to the side at Brentford.
In other Everton news, the Toffees want to sign a new international defender who is on the move with a deal being explored already for the January window.