Charlie Nicholas has predicted that Everton manager Marco Silva will be one game away from a crisis after the Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Sunday.
The Sky Sports pundit thinks that Everton will lose on the south coast and says he’s “still not convinced” by them despite a win against Wolves last time out.
Writing in his column on Sky Sports, Nicholas said, “We are looking at goals for both teams.
“In reality, Bournemouth are strong at home and I am still not convinced with Everton. Marco Silva is always two bad results away from a crisis.
“Normally, Everton start cold but they have started alright, although they have to win these football matches if we are to see an improvement.
“Callum Wilson, Josh King and Ryan Fraser will all be fresh after the international break, so I will be going for a Bournemouth win here.”
Everton struggling
It might seem counterintuitive to call a team struggling when they’re sitting in sixth place in the league, but Everton haven’t had the most convincing start to the season.
They drew with Crystal Palace, squeaked past a poor Watford side at home, lost to Villa and conceded the first goal in the EFL cup game against Lincoln.
They came back to win that game but conceded two goals against League One opposition.
Getting three points against Wolves is never easy but the defence was suspect again, conceding another two goals and relying on a late goal from Richarlison to seal the win.
Bournemouth have only won one game this season, against Aston Villa, and had to go through a penalty shootout to get past Forest Green in the EFL Cup.
A defeat would definitely set alarm bells ringing at Everton.
Head-to-head
Everton won at home and drew away last season, and Bournemouth have only ever beaten Everton twice.
This one could come down to Everton’s defence and all eyes will be on Michael Keane on Sunday, after the centre-back made a big mistake in England’s 5-3 win against Kosovo.
He’ll need to be sharp to keep out the trio namechecked by Nicholas – Callum Wilson, Josh King and Ryan Fraser.