Michael Keane believes a combination of Everton’s confidence and their game in hand gives them the 'strongest hand' when it comes to the sides fighting to avoid relegation.
Richarlison’s second-half strike secured the Blues a huge three points against Chelsea at Goodison Park last time out. The win moved Everton two points behind Leeds United.
The victory came on the same weekend that Leeds were beaten at home to Manchester City and Burnley battled back to beat Watford. The two sides sit directly above the Blues in the Premier League table.
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Next up for Keane’s side is a trip to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon before they face Watford at Vicarage Road on Wednesday night. And Keane has promised Everton supporters that next season will be different should his side avoid the drop.
He said: “Of the three teams, we are holding the strongest hand. Yes, we’re 18th right now and psychologically want to climb out of the bottom three as soon as possible.
“But we have the extra game to play, so it is in our hands, and we are full of confidence and belief after beating a quality side in Chelsea.
“Our away form has been a long way short of what is expected at this club. We are running out of time to address it but have two games in quick succession to improve the overall picture, with a match at Watford coming three days after Leicester.
“The recent away performances have been better, we have been tighter defensively and more threatening going forward. But the key to achieving the results we need is finding a way to replicate the intensity, togetherness and quality from our home games.
“Leicester play good football and have some excellent players, especially going forward. They kept the ball very well in the first half when we played them at Goodison a couple of weeks ago.
“But we improved after half-time and came back strongly. The idea this weekend is to get on top of them from the start. We’ve adjusted our mindsets to fit the current situation.
“You never want to have to get used to a position near the bottom, but it is important to prepare mentally and manage the pressure. We’ve tweaked our approach on the field, to focus purely on getting results.
“The manager’s favoured style is to pass from the back but we have to do everything we can to stay in the league.
“That means avoiding unnecessary risks in possession and getting our quality attacking players on the ball in the final third. If we get through and survive, next season will be very different.”
Richarlison and Jordan Pickford were Everton’s heroes last Sunday against Thomas Tuchel’s side with the latter producing two world-class saves to ensure his side picked up all three points. And Keane has been quick to praise the pair as well moving to thank fans for the their support in recent weeks.
“Richarlison and Jordan Pickford attracted the majority of headlines after Chelsea. The saves from Jordan had all the ingredients to be called world-class,” he told evertonfc.com.
“They were outstanding in their own right, but to produce them when we were protecting a lead, in a game of that magnitude, tells you about his quality.
“Richie is a massive player for us. He is unpredictable for defenders because of his ability to go either way and capable of scoring every type of goal.
“Above all, his work ethic is second to none. They were both vital to a victory that was a result of the whole club coming together.
“The fans made a huge difference and we will be grateful for whatever they can do over the next couple of weeks. If we stick together, we have a very good chance of keeping our club in the Premier League.”
