Just 11 games to play, and only three points in it - Everton are in their biggest relegation fight in almost 20 years and far from certain to avoid the fate the fans cannot abide the thought of.
An awful lot might be riding on the late three points picked up against Newcastle in their last Premier League outing, but even the optimism earned there has since been wiped out by a dismal FA Cup hammering to Crystal Palace. The big factor in the Toffees’ favour right now, aside from being the team just the right side of the relegation zone, is the fact they have two games in hand.
