Quote ="KineticRR"Everton fan here who can speak on the whole relegation and sacking saga...
By the way, I actually went to the home game vs Saints over the last game vs Crystal Palace, so it was ALMOST worth it. I am a Season Ticket holder for Everton and Wire so I saw the change in the culture from club to fans...
For months we saw our Team (Everton) playing some utterly garbage football, week in week out. Poor squad selections, negative formations, complete inability to defend from set-pieces. Lampard comes in and we get 2 solid results, plus decent looking performances. Even competing with Man City for 85 minutes... Which was our equivalent to the Wire game vs Saints. BUT, we still let in numerous goals from set-pieces which cost us big games. So results-wise, it wasn't that different.
If anyone heard Sean Dyche's comment about Everton, saying "I don't think these guys know how to win", that's exactly what it felt like to me. And that's exactly where Wire are now... We can take whatever lead we like but we have the overwhelming feeling that we are about to mess it up.
After 5 weeks under Lampard, the football had to be reverted to a Sam Allardyce style, so we didn't look any better then we did under Benitez. And I don't think Wire would look any better with a new coach right now either, and Everton still lost big games and looked shocking under Lampard at times. BUT, the difference was home games. As Everton fans, we had the collective feeling that Goodison was going to be our fortress and our players will get 100% from us and we expect 100% effort in return. As soon as we conceded a goal, we remained quiet as expected but as the cheering from opposition wore off, the crowd got back on side with the players, because they needed us. They'd been humiliated all season, so they needed us backing them, to get their heads focused on the fight.
And that's what the Warrington players need too. We only have 2 home games left, but we have got to be fully onside with the players, including during bad performances. Whoever has the drum needs to be going for close to 80 minutes. We need the South Stand making noise constantly, and we have to get behind the players when they make a mistake, concede a try, or lose the lead. We might only need 4 points to stay up, and the best way for that to happen is to do everything that we can to get ourselves those wins at home. Even if that doesn't happen, they need to know that we're still with them when playing away.
The Halliwell Jones Stadium has got to become a fortress. We must get behind the players for everything. Even after mistakes, they need to know that we are still there for them.
For Everton, the performances were hard to watch, but for the sake of our club, we had to change our attitude from the booing and shouting. It had to be done. Wherever you stand on Powell, that doesn't matter. It wasn't even about Lampard anymore. It was just about showing the players that their fans believed in them.
I know money is tight for everyone right now, but if you can afford to go to the last home games, please do. We need attendance, we need noise, and we need positivity. Criticism is understandable, which Everton players got online, but at the games, we're there until the end.
"Wire till I die" has never been so important.'"
Not an Everton fan, but do you think the atmosphere at Goodison would’ve been what it was towards the end of the season had Rafa Benitez still been in charge? Or would the discontent and the frustrations on the terraces towards the manager, the board and team, which was ongoing for sometime, still have been evident?
