Andy Gray blasts back as he clashes with Richard Keys over new Everton problem yesterday
Andy Gray blasts back at Richard Keys as they disagree over new Everton ‘problem’ from Saturday
Andy Grady has hit back at Richard Keys’ notion that Everton are destined to avoid relegation from the Premier League, even with their 10-point deduction.
Everton were forced into the relegation zone and level on points with 20th-placed Burnley due to the sanction, that was dished out due to the club breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability guidelines.
The Blues, however, were just one win away from getting back out of the relegation zone. But wins for Luton and Bournemouth on Saturday (25 November) have convinced Goodison icon Gray that it’s not going to be that simple for his former club.
“For me, the big difference now is, I think this Everton team is a good side; they’re not going down,” said Keys, as shown in a video clip on the beIN SPORTS Twitter account on Sunday (26 November).
“I’ll stick my neck out and say that.”
Gray disagreed instantly, saying: “I would have said three days ago that you’re absolutely right.
“Do I think prior to the deduction of 10 points, would I have sat here with you guys and said, ‘we’ll be more than 10 points above relegation’. I probably would, so that means I should think Everton will survive comfortably.”
Keys said: “I don’t see a problem.”
Gray said: “Well, there is a problem because it’s football and teams like Luton, who won yesterday, and Bournemouth, who’ve won back to back league games, suddenly pile the pressure on.
“And what it’s done, it’s made games where you can go into with confidence and belief to keep the pressure back on Everton players to go and win games time and time after time.”
He’s right
A lot of people were probably quite confident that Everton wouldn’t be in a relegation battle this season even with that 10-point deduction.
They were only a few points away from safety when it was issued.
However, Luton’s win over Crystal Palace and Bournemouth’s second win on the bounce suggests that the relegation places are well and truly up for grabs this season.
Burnley almost won against West Ham, or at least almost grabbed a point against them.
Sheffield United were hopeless against Bournemouth and look dead and buried in all honesty. However, as Gray says, this is football and it’s not completely predictable, is it?
Who’d have thought Leicester and Southampton would go down last season? Not many.
Everton are in a bigger mess now than they have ever been but at least they have a very good, trustworthy manager at the helm who’s been in this situation plenty of times in his career and more often than not has come out on top.
