Everton manager Frank Lampard has told his players to “expect the worst” from their relegation opponents, arguing that despite two key victories, they must rest.
With a win over Leicester on Sunday, the Toffees moved out of the relegation zone and into 16th position, one point ahead of both Burnley and Leeds with a game in hand.
Everton head to Watford, who have already been demoted, on Wednesday, but Lampard has emphasised that they must not underestimate their opponents or assume they have already completed the task.
At his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, the former Chelsea manager said, “The only message is that we have to go now and finish the job, which is a tough one.”
“We must prepare for the worse. Everyone else may win, but we have complete control over ourselves, thus there is no way we can relax. That is the most important message.
“Our greatest concern would be to underestimate it because Watford has been demoted. Every Premier League match is perilous, especially when played away from home. It becomes deadly the moment you think you’ve cracked it.”
Everton’s win against Leicester on Sunday was their first in the Premier League on the road since August, but Frank Lampard wants to see more consistency with two more away games to come.
He said, “It’s a step forward.” “Getting one result does not imply that you will seek out more. You have to understand why we got the result: the team was united at all times, fought for every opportunity, and defended extremely well.
“That’s what brings you strong outcomes away from home, and doing it consistently is the tough part.”
Everton will almost certainly be without centre-back Yerry Mina until the last day of the season, after the Colombian was forced out with a calf injury against Leicester.
Everton Remaining Schedules
Everton’s remaining fixtures for 2021/2022 are as follows:
Wed, May 11
Everton v Watford
Sun, May 15
Brentford v Everton
Thu, May 19
Crystal Palace v Everton
Frank Lampard may need to look for a new job if Everton relegates.
