Everton are once again expected to be embroiled in a relegation dogfight this season, if their start is anything to go by.
However, it’s worth remembering just how poor their results were last campaign, and yet safety was a commodity gained well before the final game of the 2023/24 term.There is therefore cause for optimism amidst all the chaos, and shockingly, it’s Graeme Souness who has sought it out on this occasion.
Graeme Souness issues Everton relegation prediction
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Liverpool captain sought to rate Everton’s chances of survival after a dire start to the new campaign.
Losing their opening three matches in the Premier League, and currently propping up the table, many are already fearing the wors whilst Souness has called for calm.He told Simon Jordan: ‘They are in trouble and I feel for Sean Dyche. He is having to motivate a team that got their goals and they were sitting in a place they want to be, and then the roof collapsed on them.
‘He is fighting fires all over the place, trying to keep the players’ heads up. Some of those players in the dressing room maybe don’t have the strongest characters and will use the other things that are going on at that football club as an excuse not to perform. But you know, they will be all right.
‘Last year if you hadn’t taken the points off, they would have been sitting pretty. Everton are a fabulous football club in a mad footballing city like Liverpool, so I wish them well. I hope and I believe they will turn it around and will be fine.’
Everton have started this Premier League season just like the last
Although fears after such a poor start are valid, it’s worth outlining the similarities that have already emerged between this and last season.
After all, despite a horrendous opening five matches in the league this time last year, they ended up finishing the campaign 14 points clear of the bottom three; and that was with an eight-point deduction as well.
Their opening-day defeat to Chelsea in 2023 was similar to the one against Brighton and Hove Albion just last month, where they were arguably the better side, created far more chances at first, but just failed to put the ball in the net.They were punished for this profligacy.
Then, came the trip to Tottenham Hotspur, which was always going to be a tough task, but the 4-0 scoreline marked an exact copy of the result when they visited Villa Park in the second game of last season.Then, another home game saw them dominate Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth, but again fail to win.
The signs are overwhelmingly positive, even if the results aren’t, and all it takes is one victory to propel this confidence-reliant team up the table again.