Kevin Campbell highlights biggest issue Everton must solve to avoid Premier League relegation fight
Former Everton striker Kevin Campbell insists the only way his former side will steer clear of relegation danger is by scoring more regularly.
The Toffees struck three times in a 3-1 win at Brentford on Saturday [26 September] to pick up their first win of the Premier League campaign.
Prior to that victory, they had scored in only one of their opening five top-flight matches to find themselves in the bottom three.
With Beto finding his feet and Dominic Calvert-Lewin back from injury, Campbell hopes to see Everton push up the table.
Asked if he believes his old club will be embroiled in another relegation fight, Campbell told Sky Sports News [27 September, 10:25]: “What I want and what will happen are two different things.
“I’d love to see Calvert-Lewin and Beto playing together because it will give them a cutting edge and cause the opposition major headaches.
“The problem with Everton is sometimes they blow hot, sometimes cold – usually cold. They’ve not been clinical enough in front of goal and that’s allowed opponents to go down the other end, score and the game is over.
“I expect Everton to do better this season. I’m not saying they’ll be challenging for the European spots, but I don’t expect them to depend on the final couple of games of the season [to stay up].
“The only way that happens is by having a cutting edge, having Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto fit, and having [Abdoulaye] Doucoure chipping in with 8-10 goals.”
Time to push on
It is incredible what one victory can do for a side’s – and indeed a fanbase’s – confidence.
Everton supporters feared the worst after the 1-0 loss to Arsenal on 17 September as there just did not seem to be any sort of plan.
Two goals from five games was a shocking return and it looked like being another season of utter disappointment.
That may still prove to be the case, but with the performance against Brentford still in the memory, and some nice fixtures coming up, there is real hope of building much-needed momentum.
Calvert-Lewin was back among the goals as a substitute in West London, while Doucoure scored his seventh Premier League goal since the start of March.
Throw the returning Jack Harrison into the mix, and there is no reason why Everton cannot now push on, score more regularly and look to pull further clear of the bottom three.
In other Everton news, Sean Dyche has been praised for a “very, very brave” decision he made against Brentford.