Funny how things turn out after 38 matches as nothing is guaranteed in life and especially sport. Everton are one club that at the beginning of the 2021/22 season you would have thought mid table at worst, but never down in the bottom 3. History tells us that no team is safe and poor decisions can drag you down.
Mathematically this is still not a foregone conclusion as miracles can happen, but if I was a betting man I would say they are done. I said this 2 months ago that they looked like the obvious choice along with Norwich and one other which we know is Watford now.
Everton as a club were formed way back in 1887 and have tasted relegation twice in 1929/30 and 1950/51. This is not bad considering this is over 135 years of competitive football as bigger clubs have fared far worse than this. Manchester United have been relegated 5 times during their clubs history so no club is safe as it can happen.
I have to admit I was worried for Everton when they decided on Frank Lampard as their manager and was wondering what they were all smoking. Another manager in the running for the role was Solskjaer and they couldn't have had two worse candidates lined up. Look what Newcastle have accomplished with a decent well organsied manager in Eddie Howe. Newcastle at the time were in serious trouble and they went for someone with experience.
When a new manager takes over a struggling team their is normally a honeymoon period as players tend to respond more somehow. Frank's first 10 matches in charge they won 3 and lost 7 which is not fantastic and things never kicked on and improved.
Everton should never have hired Lampard in the first place and should have rather secured their season by hiring a manager who is used to the dogfights of survival. Why do you think Sam Allardyce or Roy Hodgson always have employment with clubs at the bottom of the table as that is where they thrive.
Being a manager is not only about tactics but more of a people person with skills that can bring the best out of individuals. The best coaches are the ones that can see problems and find a way to fix them in their own way. There is no text books on this and this is all down to life experiences and how you solve problems by subtle changes and installing confidence in the players.
Everton have 6 matches left and looking at their run in they will need a lot of luck to pull this one out the bag. Watford and Leicester look like their best bet for a win and possibly squeezing a draw out 1 or 2 of the remaining fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal, Palace and Brentford.
Unfortunately for Everton is the likes of Burnley and Leeds have recently changed managers and are in a proper honeymoon period which as already stated is what normally happens. This is about who wants it the most and not about how you play as it is the result that matters. My money is still on Everton to be relegated along with Watford and Norwich.
