Paul Merson drops new Everton relegation verdict as Bournemouth prediction made
Paul Merson has predicted a defeat for Everton against Bournemouth that he thinks will put the Toffees in a lot of trouble in their attempt to fight relegation.
The Toffees’ 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest left them with just one win in their last 10 and just three all season with the Merseysiders just two points above the Premier League drop zone.
Their upcoming encounter with seventh-placed Bournemouth provides them with a chance to rectify that although Merson, via his predictions made on sportskeeda (2 January), anticipates a heavy defeat for the Toffees with the Cherries forecasted to win 3-0.
Merson acknowledged the “commendable” results against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City but predicted that Bournemouth will win Saturday’s encounter “quite comfortably” and put Everton in trouble.
He said: “I worry for Everton. They got a draw against Chelsea but I thought they were poor. They are not a team that’s set up to win games. When you are in the relegation battle, draws don’t do any good. In a way, you are better off winning one and losing the next game because that’s more points!
“The fact that Everton managed to walk away with a point against the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City is commendable. But they went and lost to Nottingham Forest and must be careful since teams like Ipswich Town and Wolves are starting to pick up more points.
“I have a feeling that Bournemouth will win this game quite comfortably and put Everton in a lot of trouble in the race to avoid relegation.”
Everton defeat would pile more pressure on Sean Dyche
Given the underwhelming season at hand, Dyche can count his lucky stars that he is still in a job on Merseyside with much of their regression down to his own wrongdoings.
His inability to captivate an attacking side has hindered the Toffees’ ability to win football matches, as simple as that.
While Everton have looked like a solid defensive unit, much like that of Burnley under Dyche’s stewardship, they have looked devoid of ideas and confidence when it comes to the final third with moments of individual quality relied upon far too often.
Iliman Ndiaye has been the standout performer at Goodison Park this season but an overreliance on his quality isn’t sustainable and teams will know that if you can keep him out of the game, you can keep Everton out of the game and that must change.
An away encounter against Bournemouth isn’t the easiest fixture at the best of times but with the Cherries thriving under Andoni Iraola, the clash on 4 January will be even harder than usual.
In other Everton news, Dyche reacted to the controversy surrounding one Toffees star.
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