It’s the most-important week of Everton’s season…again. Almost a year to the day that they played another bottom of the table side, Norwich City, the Blues will face another side propping up the Premier League when Southampton come to Goodison Park next Saturday.
Some 12 months ago, the Canaries were on a wretched run having lost their previous six Premier League games and having not scored a goal in the competition since November. Against Everton though, they netted twice in less than two minutes and although substitute Richarlison reduced arrears at Carrow Road on the hour-mark, the Blues were beaten 2-1.
The following day, Rafael Benitez was sacked having won just one of his last 13 Premier League matches in charge, a run that included nine defeats and would later be described by chairman Bill Kenwright as “unacceptably disappointing.” The Spaniard, who of course had been in charge of local rivals Liverpool for six years between 2004-10, had arguably been the most-controversial appointment in the history of the most-passionate city in English football but ultimately it was results, not his previous employment across Stanley Park that cost him his job.
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By the same token, Frank Lampard’s fate is controlled by those same parameters that shape every football manager’s destiny. The current Blues boss has won just one of his last 12 games, a run that has now seen his side knocked out of both domestic cup competitions as well as drop into the Premier League’s bottom three.
Everton have picked up just 15 points from 18 matches which puts them on course for the lowest equivalent points score in the club’s history and a first relegation in 72 years. Across these 18 fixtures so far they have scored a mere 14 goals.
Their final two fixtures before the World Cup break saw Bournemouth defeat them twice in the space of four days over an aggregate score of 7-1. Out of their last 11 games, the Cherries have lost the other nine, including a 4-2 thumping at home to Championship Burnley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
Since resuming action on Boxing Day, Everton have given Wolverhampton Wanderers – who were bottom when they played them – their only Premier League win since October 15 and Brighton & Hove Albion a second consecutive victory at Goodison Park after trying since 1913 to get a first. Too often in recent times if an opposition team has needed a timely pick-me-up, the Blues have been all-too-obliging in handing them one.
This simply cannot be the case again against Southampton, a team who, eerily like Norwich City last year, have lost their last six Premier League fixtures before facing Everton. Wolves was supposedly a ‘must not lose’ for the Blues but they were beaten anyway so facing a club they have recorded their joint most Premier League home victories over (16, along with West Ham United at Goodison Park), this surely has to be a ‘must win.’
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