‘Ultimate problem’ - Sam Allardyce’s verdict on Farhad Moshiri and Everton relegation battle

Sam Allardyce believes the ‘ultimate problem’ behind Everton’s plight is because the players have not delivered on the pitch.

The Toffees find themselves two points adrift of safety in their Premier League relegation battle - but have a game in hand on 17th-placed Burnley.

Frank Lampard’s side have six games left to maintain their top-flight status.

Allardyce, who guided Everton to an eighth-place finish while Goodison Park boss between November 2017-May 2018, is in disbelief at the Toffees’ predicament.

And he hopes that ‘fear’ does not take over - otherwise it could lead to the worst.

What’s been said

Speaking to talkSPORT, Allardyce said: “I can’t believe it. I don’t think anybody can.

“I think it’s a constant change of managers and, of course, I suppose the players are the ultimate problem for not delivering on the pitch as everyone expected for the money that’s been spent on them.

“It’s a real position where you hope the fear doesn’t take over and it causes Everton to go down.

“When you’re in this position, irrespective of how good a player they might be, if fear takes over and gets to you, particularly players who haven’t been in that position before - of in fact the manager - you can crack under that pressure.

“I think that it’s massive for the next six games to try to get out of trouble.

“When they play their game in hand, that will be a big message because it could take them back to Burnley again and give them a bit of breathing space, which may be enough.”

‘Can’t really blame Farhad’

Allardyce reckons the full blame cannot be pinned on owner Farhad Moshiri, who’s splashed out more than £500 million on new players since his arrival in 2016.

He added: “I think when you look how many managers have been in charge of such a great club and lasted as long as a season, a season-and-a-half, since Ronald Koeman and then myself.

“From there on, every manager has not really been there long enough to establish himself.

“Every manager has had a struggle because he’s not got the right results and there could be many different factors for that.

“Of course, deep down inside from Everton’s point of view you can’t really blame Farhad because he signed the money, but I suppose everyone has to take a bit of the blame when you’re there at the time.

“But I think it needs to be the players that have come in and haven’t delivered as much as they should have done.

“When you see where they are at the moment, which is unexpected, particularly this year when Rafa [Benitez] took over, they then find themselves in this position.

“It’s a desperate situation for them and I think if they survive, they’ve got to go really deep into trying to get it right from there on.”