David Moyes can use ‘toxic’ Simon Jordan observation to Everton advantage
Everton’s future at turn turn of the year looked rather bleak as the Toffees look set to face yet another Premier League relegation scrap.
However, the return of David Moyes to Merseyside has given both supporters and players a lift as they look forward in the hope of Premier League survival this term.
The Scotsman now has three wins from his four games in charge and his side sit six points above the relegation zone.
Simon Jordan makes ‘toxic’ Everton admission
Supporters probably won’t have been surprised to hear Jim White on talkSPORT (6 February) name Goodison Park as one of the grounds with the best atmosphere he has experienced.
However, Simon Jordan was quick to hit back, identifying the negativity of late as he said: “Also, there’s been some difficult times at Goodison Park recently where it hasn’t been jumping – in fact it’s been toxic, it’s been hostile, and they would say because of justified cause.
“It was hostile to the late Bill Kenwright and that board of directors, so much that they couldn’t even go in the bloody stadium.”
Jordan is not wrong when he identifies that the atmosphere in the stadium has been toxic at times this season, which is no surprising when you consider what fans have had to put up with.
Before the takeover of the club by TFG in December, the Blues had faced a number of relegation battles as well as suffering from a points deduction, which left many without hope regarding the future of the club.
David Moyes can use Everton crowd to his advantage
Whether the atmosphere inside the stadium has been positive or negative, one thing that both Jordan and White agreed upon is that the fans were able to make their home stadium an intimidating place for people to attend.
Therefore, the boss has to use this to his advantage in the remainder of the campaign as the Toffees look to save themselves from relegation to the Championship.
With things now looking up on Merseyside, both on and off the pitch, there is no reason for the mood at Goodison not to have improved and Moyes can certainly buy into this.
While the Blues are heading in the right direction now and have seen themselves lifting up the table as a result, there is still plenty of football to be played.
With that in mind, the supporters will certainly have their part to play in cheering the team forward.
Therefore, by switching it around and making the ground an intimidating place to visit for opposition players rather than their own, Goodison could prove to be a fortress in its final months.
It is essential that Everton move to their new stadium as a top-flight side and, while survival is important in its own right, it also means a lot for the long-term future of the club, putting even more pressure on their aims this term.