Outspoken pundit Robbie Savage believes that Everton can get relegated this season, sighting Leeds United as the perfect example of a big club who failed to maintain their Premier League status.
The Yorkshire dropped down to the second-tier of English football during the 2003-04 season despite possessing players such as Mark Viduka, Ian Harte, Alan Smith and Paul Robinson in the first-team.
Leeds hit rock bottom when they were later relegated to League One but they have slowly managed to bounce back and they find themselves as genuine promotion contenders this season.
The Toffees have endured a terrible start to the Premier League campaign, only picking up two wins in ten matches and scoring a total of seven goals in the process.
The Merseyside club are currently in 17th position in the league table, without a permanent manager and they suffered a huge blow in midweek after being eliminated from the Europa League in the group stages.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mirror, Savage is convinced that Everton could follow in Leeds’ footsteps if they fail to pick up results and sort out their managerial situation.
“Whether it’s Sam Allardyce or Sean Dyche who comes to the rescue – and I believe it will be one or the other – don’t fall for the spin about Everton being too good to go down,” he wrote.
“If clubs as big as Leeds, Aston Villa and Newcastle can fall off the gravy train, don’t assume it can’t happen to the Toffees too.
“And if the supporters turn up their noses at Big Sam or Dyche because they want to see prettier football, just one look at the Premier League table should be a reality check.
“But make no mistake: whoever takes over, Everton are not just in the bottom three by accident.
“They are in the bottom three because they are not very good.”
OPINION
Savage is spot on in his assessment of the Merseyside club. The Premier League has been full of surprises over the years with Leicester City beating the odds to clinch the title in 2016 so it is highly plausible to believe that the Toffees could go down this season. Many believed that Chelsea might have been on their way down during the 2015-16 campaign if Jose Mourinho was still in charge, as it appeared that he had completely lost the dressing room with the club hovering just above the relegation zone. Of course, Leeds’ situation at the top was completely different but looking at the crop of players at their disposal, it’s incredible that they finished in 19th place in 2004.