Manager Marco Silva is determined to find a way to solve Everton’s problems on the pitch even though his future at the club hangs in the balance.
A 2-0 home defeat to bottom side Norwich made it six losses in nine league matches and leaves the Toffees just four points above the relegation zone.
Factor in the forthcoming month from hell – with Liverpool, Leicester (twice), Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City all to face in their next nine matches – and Silva’s position is precarious.
He was not helped by a large number of Everton fans joining the away supporters in a chorus of “sacked in the morning” towards the end of the game, which was decided by goals from Todd Cantwell and Dennis Srbeny – the Canaries’ first on the road in 10 hours and 20 minutes of league football.
Majority owner Farhad Moshiri has already sacked Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce since assuming control of the club in February 2016.
“I respect all the reaction,” said Silva after hearing the crowd calling for him to go, with one fan loudly shouting “He’s gotta go Bill” across the Main Stand to chairman Bill Kenwright.
“But we have the confidence and we have to keep working hard to change because we came from good results before (three wins and a draw in the last five matches in all competitions).
“We are trying to look for some consistency as a team and the last few results we did that but we didn’t have the right performance to get the points.
“We have to keep working hard and avoid the type of mistakes we made this.
“If something goes against us in the game we have to show enough quality and be calm enough to take the right decisions.
“It is just myself and the players on the pitch who can solve that.
“My job is to analyse why this has happened again. I am concerned about what has happened on the pitch and what I can control is the situation and show my players why these things happened.”
Norwich’s climb off the foot of the table was almost reduced to a footnote with doubts circling about Silva’s future.
But having registered their first league win since beating Manchester City in September, boss Daniel Farke believes it could be a turning point.
“The first 12 games were disappointing in terms of points, not performances,” said the German.
“The main part of the season starts now and the main part of the season is when the table is made.
“When you come away from Everton with a clean-sheet win it is good for the mood.
“If I’m honest we deserve a bit of luck. It is good for the confidence.
“We are far away from competing for the Premier League title but if we repeat this performance on a weekly basis we have a chance of repeating a sensation at the end of the season.”
