Journalist shocked by ‘troubling’ Everton form, Bournemouth clash chance to ‘stop the rot’
Everton must “stop the rot” of frequent home defeats with their upcoming welcoming of Bournemouth to Goodison Park, according to Joe Thomas.
The Liverpool Echo journalist wrote (5 October) that the Toffees have brought their poor home form into the new season which has made the start of the campaign tough.
Everton have not picked up a single point in four home games this season and have managed just one goal, but the Cherries’ visit to Merseyside on Saturday (7 October) offers them a good chance to break the cycle.
Thomas wrote: “It has been a troubling start to the campaign for Everton, the home form of particular concern. Four defeats from four at Goodison have undermined hopes of progress, particularly with three of them against teams still in the bottom half of the table despite the three points obtained in L4.
“The issue is not new. The Blues lost 10 games in front of their own fans last season – several against relegation rivals, two of which were against Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have also been among the celebrating victors in the early stages of this campaign.
“It is an issue that if it continues will only make this season more difficult – with the upcoming visit of Bournemouth on Saturday a valuable opportunity to stop the rot.”
Challenging
Most expected the Toffees to secure a rare three points when Luton Town came to visit Goodison Park. However, the home curse remained as Rod Edwards’ men took out Everton with a 2-1 win.
The only silver lining for Sean Dyche was that his side secured their first home goal of the season courtesy of a Dominic Calvert-Lewin consolation goal in the first half. Toffees fans have struggled to pick positives from most of their games this season, but a return to scoring ways, even if it proved pointless, is a big plus.
Bournemouth came into the new season looking strong. A productive transfer window under new boss Andoni Iraola left the South Coast side’s fanbase feeling quite optimistic. However, despite a tough run of fixtures to contend with, the Cherries languish even below the Toffees in 19th place and three points.
The upcoming Goodison clash between the clubs may have repercussions for the relegation battle, even this early in the season. Considering the home form, Iraola will fancy this fixture as a chance to bounce back from their 4-0 thrashing against Arsenal, but Dyche’s side have been slowly but surely improving in front of goal since the start of the campaign.
The last home fixture Everton won was against the Cherries on the final day of last season, a crucial result that kept the club in the Premier League.
The same worries and problems have made themselves known this season, however, and a big win will be vital for both sides.
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