Everton shareholder Mike Parry claims he is in a “catatonic state” ahead of the visit of Newcastle to Goodison Park on Thursday night.
With the Toffees having dropped to 19th thanks to results elsewhere ahead of kick off the pressure is huge on Sean Dyche’s side to avoid a first-ever relegation from the Premier League.
A win over Eddie Howe’s men, including former Everton winger Anthony Gordon, would lift the club three places up the table and out of the bottom three, and Parry is feeling the heat in the build-up.
Posting on Twitter ahead of the evening game the independent shareholder wrote: “OK FOLKS… I’m in a catatonic state .. I’ve had to abandon work for the day and lie down in a dark room with a wet flannel across my head such is the critical mass of Everton v NUFC tonight.
“Everton has NEVER been out of the top division in my 68 years of life .. Aaaagh”.
It’s not over yet but it is certainly reached the point where every single game that passes makes a huge difference to the club’s future, with time running out on the relegation battle.
With just three points picked up from the previous 15 available a win is long overdue, but it won’t be easy against the team currently third in the league.
Manchester United and Chelsea both left Goodison Park empty-handed last season with the club facing similar danger, and Dyche needs a similar sort of performance to record one of his trademark 1-0 victories.
Abdoulaye Doucouré returning from suspension should make a big difference to the Toffees manager, and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin back in action and both Amadou Onana and Seamus Coleman in contention, the ranks have been boosted.
There will be more than a few Evertonians who are in a similar state as Parry as the game nears, but ultimately all that matters is how they are feeling come the final whistle.
There are just five games left after this one to climb out of danger, so the Toffees need to take anything they can here.
A 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa on their last away trip (15 April) shows Newcastle can be got at, even if their last outing was the 6-1 destruction of Tottenham at St. James’ Park (23 April).
