Former Everton and England boss Sam Allardyce admits that the Toffees could “crack under pressure” in their quest to avoid relegation for the first time since the 1950/51 season.
Frank Lampard’s side dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season on Sunday after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the Merseyside derby to Liverpool at Anfield.
It was the first time Everton fell into the Premier League relegation zone since losing 5-2 to Liverpool in December 2019.
With just six games of their season to go, Everton find themselves two points off safety, although they do have a game in hand on 17th placed Burnley, who have won each of their last two matches against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Allardyce, who managed the Toffees for 26 games between November 2017 and May 2018, is concerned that Everton may crack under the pressure of being in the midst of a Premier League relegation fight and fears that former Chelsea and England star Lampard may struggle with the fear of not beating the drop.
“I can't believe it, I don't think anybody can,” Allardyce told talkSPORT about Everton’s demise into the relegation fight. “Of course the years have rolled by since I were there and unfortunately it seems to have got worse and not got better.
“I think the constant change of managers [is to blame] and of course in the end players are the ultimate problem for not delivering on the pitch as well as everyone expected for the money that's been spent on them.
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“It's in a real position now where you hope the fear doesn't take over and it causes Everton to go down, because when they're in this position, irrespective of how good a player they might be, if the fear takes over and gets to you, particularly players that haven't been in that position before or sometimes the manager, you can crack under that pressure.
“I think it's massive the next six games or so to try and get out of trouble and when they play their game in hand, that will be a big message on what they do when they get their game in hand, because it will take them past Burnley again and give them a little bit of breathing space, which may be enough.”
Since arriving in place of Rafa Benitez as Everton’s boss in January, the Toffees have picked up just ten points from a possible 36 from their 12 league games. In that time, only Watford (eight) and Norwich City (five) have gained less points in that time. All ten of Lampard’s league points as Everton boss have come at Goodison Park.
Of Everton’s final six games of the season, three of them come on home soil, with all of those being against London clubs. They play host to Lampard’s former side Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, as well as meetings with Brentford and Crystal Palace.
Lampard’s side’s final three away games of the campaign come against Leicester City, Watford and a final day trip to Arsenal, who have ambitions of finishing in the Champions League places.
Everton, alongside Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, are one of only six clubs to have stayed in the Premier League since it’s formation in 1992. However, they are at risk at falling out of that category this summer.
