Seamus Coleman believes it is vital that Everton learn lessons from the 'stressful' experience of fighting to avoid relegation after speaking of his relief that his side manged to remain in the Premier League.
Everton preserved their Premier League status in their penultimate game of the campaign against Crystal Palace. However, for large parts of the second-half of the season, it looked like the Blues could be playing in the Championship next season.
Following a Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, Frank Lampard’s side slipped into the bottom three. But back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Leicester City gave the Blues a fighting chance of survival.
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And with results elsewhere going in Everton’s favour, the Blues headed into their second to last game of the season with the chance of securing their place in next season’s Premier League.
However, it looked like Everton's fate would go down to the wire when they trailed Palace 2-0 at half-time. But the Blues produced a spirited comeback in the second-half to send Goodison crazy.
Michael Keane started the comeback before Richarlison restored parity with 16 minutes of normal time remaining. Dominic Calvert-Lewin then headed Everton in front with five minutes left to send Goodison wild, with some supporters even invading the pitch.
The game resumed and Everton ensured its stay in the top division would extend to 69 years. And as soon as referee Anthony Taylor blew his whistle for full-time, Goodison erupted again as supporters made their way onto the pitch for a second time.
“Listen, it was relief, massive relief. It’s not what we expected at the start of the season, but with six or seven weeks to go, we had to find a way,” Coleman replied when asked about his side’s battle to avoid relegation.
Ahead of their last three home matches, thousands of Everton supporters arrived early and took to the streets to produce incredible scenes as Lampard and his squad arrived for the game. Banners and flags were on full display, there was constant loud singing and numerous smoke bombs filled the air to create a raucous atmosphere.
Similar scenes had also been witnessed outside Finch Farm ahead of the Blues' two away trips to Leicester and Watford as supporters looked to inspire their side over the line.
“Our supporters really bought into that, the scenes we were going into at Goodison Park, the scenes leaving the training ground,” Coleman said on the backing his side received in the final weeks of the season.
“They played a massive part in maybe letting some people who were at the club and play for the club actually understand how big the football club is and how much it means to the people of that city.
“I think that maybe hit home for some of the players. You can do all the talks you want, but when you see that emotion in the faces of grown men, grown women and children when you leave the training ground singing Everton songs with such passion, if that doesn’t touch something with a group of players, I don’t know what will.
“Listen it was a stressful season, it’s part of the job. It’s not exactly what we wanted at the start of the season, but we found a way and we’ve just got to make sure as a club, as a whole, every single one of us involved in Everton Football Club learns from this.”
