Everton forward Richarlison has offered an honest assessment of his own recent form ahead of his international commitments with Brazil and has lifted the lid on the impact Rafael Benitez's sacking had on the squad.
The Toffees are enduring a rotten campaign, with Sunday's 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup quarter-final another nadir for the team.
In the Premier League, they sit in 17th position and look set to be embroiled in a relegation battle up until the end of the season. Thursday's win against Newcastle United has Frank Lampard's team three points clear of the relegation zone with two games in hand on Watford in 17th.
While some abject defensive performances have contributed to Everton's plight, in attack the Toffees have struggled lately too. They've scored just three goals in their last seven matches, two of which game against non-league Boreham Wood.
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Richarlison has also looked short of his best and his last goal in the Premier League came in January against Norwich, which was Benitez's final game in charge. Despite that barren run, the Everton forward has said he is happy with his own form and has commented on the team's ongoing struggles.
"After my injury, which was a little serious, I came back fine," he said at a press conference on Monday, per Globo Esporte (h/t Sport Witness ). "I come in a good sequence, even with the team not getting the wins. It was because of this good sequence that I returned to the national team. We have 13 games in the Premier League and the team will evolve.
"The coach’s sacking affected the group, we lost three or four important players in the squad, the players who were injured too. So that affected the group a lot, but I continued my focus, working hard, that’s why I returned to the Selecao."
Brazil have two World Cup qualifiers during the break, as they play Chile on Thursday and Bolivia next Wednesday.
