Everton have the opportunity to take advantage of their game in hand on their relegation competitors in the bottom three tonight as they host Newcastle United in a clash at Goodison Park.
Frank Lampard is running out of chances to get the Toffees out of trouble when it comes to dropping into the relegation zone, as the side are only safe on goal difference currently, so the result either way tonight could make or break Everton’s season and losing could put them in an even more serious situation than they have already found themselves in.
In terms of selecting his squad, the Everton manager has a lot of pressure to pick a team that can forget about the four consecutive losses behind them and focus on the task at head against Eddie Howe’s in-form Newcastle side, and one player who should be getting into the starting line-up is Brazilian midfielder, Allan.
Allan has been the difference for the team on many occasions in the league campaign so far, with the 32-year-old being part of the team for the full 90 minutes played in every single victory Everton have had this season so far, and offers fantastic attributes in the centre of the pitch that Lampard cannot ignore going into this game.
According to SofaScore, the midfielder has made 2.8 tackles and 1.1 clearances on average per game, has a pass accuracy in his own half of 83% and has been successful in 68% of his dribbles for Everton this season, proving that he is clearly capable of commanding the ball and distributing it accurately when either play is being built, or when he needs to give more cover for the defenders.
What that being said, the £120k-per-week gem was hailed “vital” to his team by commentator Darren Fletcher and a “defender’s dream” by Michael Keane. If the statistics are anything to go by it’s clear as day that the midfielder is capable of having a positive impact and influence on the team when he plays.
Speaking of positivity, Everton are going to need bags of it to achieve the task ahead of them with Howe’s team only losing one of their last five games, and already beating Lampard’s team just over a month ago at St James’ Park.
However, the Toffees boss will be hoping that a home advantage and a point to prove in the Premier League could finally get the side into gear to secure a win.
In other news: Everton dealt fresh injury setback ahead of NUFC, Frank will be frustrated