Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
If the pressure was not on David Unsworth when he stepped into the role of caretaker manager at Everton then it is certainly is now. The former defender at the club has lost three games in a row across all competitions and you get the feeling that he is just keeping the seat warm for a new incumbent during the international break.
Not only that but he goes into this game with his charges now lying second bottom in the table after Bournemouth’s win over Newcastle yesterday, a win would take them to the heady heights of 15th but the last thing they want is to be stuck in the dropzone for the final hiatus of 2017.
Today they play host to a Watford who come here off the back of successive league defeats to both Chelsea and Stoke, the former they were unlucky in which to do so and the latter has to be put down as something of a relative upset in this season’s terms.
Marco Silva’s men also make the long trip to Merseyside without the suspended Troy Deeney, the forward was giving a retrospective three match ban early this week after being charged with violent conduct. This came off the back of his near chokeslam on Welsh international Joe Allen.
The loss of your captain is always a blow but thankfully for Watford they don’t quite have the over reliance on Deeney that they may have had in season’s past and can now look to other players to carry the load, namely the Brazilian forward Richarlison who has chipped in with three goals.
Not only that though but there is also the threat from midfield with top scorer Abdoulaye Doucore managing to get four goals this season from a more deep lying position. It seems to be the case that if this man can get a shot away he will more than likely score so Everton need to mindful of that today.
Everton just look devoid of confidence at the moment among other things and a heavy defeat to Lyon on Thursday would have dome themselves no real further, they are now out of the Europa League and the season is in danger of becoming a right off if they are careful.
Fans of the club were dreaming of the prospect of breaking the top six after now what can only be described as a spending splurge the one thing they did not have in mind was a relegation scrap and if results do not pick up then they are better get ready for a bleak midwinter.
Not only that but defeat for them may well make them a less of an attractive proposition to any prospective manager, namely one Sean Dyche. With Burnley picking up another win on the road yesterday you do have to question whether the Clarets boss would be willing to make the short move from Lancashire to Merseyside.
David Unsworth has made no secret of the fact that he would like the job on a longer term basis but you cannot really justify giving a job to a man who has lost all four of the matches that he has taken charge of, last week they were outfoxed by Leicester and they need to turn in something resembling a performance today.
They need something not for Unsworth but for the players themselves, if they lose today then that result will fester for a fortnight and they need to at least go into the break with something to build on. I think they may just get a draw today, small steps admittedly but that’s all they can do right now.
