Tony Cottee drops Everton relegation verdict on talkSPORT – ‘With that new stadium…’
Tony Cottee expects Everton to avoid being drawn into a relegation battle but says it is imperative they retain their Premier League status ahead of the move to Bramley-Moore Dock.
The Toffees saw a five-match unbeaten run in the league come to an end with a 1-0 loss at strugglers Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday (2 November).
That left Sean Dyche’s men four points above the relegation zone ahead of a trip to West Ham this weekend and casting nervous glances at the bottom three.
But former Toffees striker Cottee, speaking live on talkSPORT (5 November, 7.55am), is confident Sean Dyche can steer his side to a midtable finish.
“Let’s not forget they’ve had a little run of form, four or five unbeaten so they did pick up the results,” he said.
“It’s a difficult one for Everton, it’s one of those seasons for Everton that I don’t think a lot’s going to happen, I think they’ll end up between 10th and 15th in the Premier League, if you’re very lucky you might get n FA Cup run.
“They’ve got the new stadium next season they have to be in the Premier League next season with that new stadium.”
Everton need points before December nightmare run
Everton’s form this season has, admittedly, been decidedly mixed and the setback on the South Coast was certainly a disappoint for Dyche, his players and, of course, the Toffees fabulous fanbase.
After a poor start t the campaign, the Blues had turned the corner by picking up nine points in a five-game stretch so to see that end against a side who had previously picked up just a single point through their opening nine games was hugely frustrating.
Especially in the context of what is to come for Everton. With an another international break on the horizon, Dyche’s side only have two more games to play this month – this weekend’s visit to the London Stadium then a home clash with Brentford on 23 November.
There are then seven matches to tackle in December, which includes fixtures with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City, a nightmare run by anyone’s standards.
So, it is absolutely imperative that Everton get a good return from their next two matches to keep some distance between themselves and that bottom three.
In other Everton news, an injury update has been shared on one absent Toffees ace.