It’s been a productive weekend for Everton, largely because with the international break being on, the Toffees couldn’t let their fans down with a fifth consecutive defeat in the Premier League.
A four-game losing slump currently sees the Merseyside club in the pits of the league table with seven points after eight matches, and the pressure for manager Marco Silva is beginning to reach a bursting point.
A defeat this weekend against West Ham could realistically see the former Watford boss dismissed from Everton after just over a season in the hot seat, yet some supporters remain confident in the Toffees getting the job done over the Hammers, including club legend Duncan Ferguson.
In an interview with The Liverpool Echo that could be masqueraded as a rallying cry for the Everton players and supporters, the former centre-forward said: “We’ve got to stick together. It’s been a tough time with our start to the season. We’ve just got to make sure we can turn it around, I really believe that. I think we will prove that on Saturday.”
If there’s one player who has the power and gravitas to pull together a group of players devoid of confidence as well as a heavily fractured fan base at Everton, it’s Ferguson, and the team that currently find themselves in 18th in the league table should seriously use the first-team coach’s words as motivation for West Ham.
After a frantic summer that saw Silva bring in over £100m worth of new players as figures from Transfermarkt show, many supporters would have expected Everton to have started the season in a better fashion than what we have seen this, which is what makes Saturday so important for the club.
Not only is Silva’s job on the line, with defeat to the Hammers almost certainly dooming the Portuguese manager to the exit door on Merseyside, but the reputation and prospects of Everton this season are on the line.
Players and supporters must take Ferguson’s words completely on board heading into the weekend, as he is an icon who knows what it is like to represent the badge with honour and respect and to give it all for the club no matter the circumstances.