Everton suffered defeat at Anfield.
Everton suffered a narrow loss to Liverpool on Sunday, conceding a ‘freak’ goal in the 96th minute.
Last season they drew 1-1 at Anfield, and their 1-0 defeat prompted BeIN Sports host Richard Keys to ask if Everton have actually gone backwards.
Keys asked: “Everton had a really good go there, but Big Sam took a team to Anfield last year, not as good as that one, and got a point.
“Who’s right and who’s wrong?”
Keys’ question was answered by pundit Andy Gray, who played for Everton between 1983 and 1985.
Gray responded, giving credit to both former boss Allardyce and current manager Marco Silva, but added that he wondered what would have happened if Everton had stuck with the former England boss.
Gray said: “Sam didn’t have the quality of players last year, that Marco Silva’s got this year. No way.
“Mina wasn’t there, Digne wasn’t there, Andre Gomes, Richarlison. They are better this team, than the one Sam had.
“Sam went with a plan to frustrate them and did a fabulous job and Calvert-Lewin got the penalty and Wayne Rooney score it, and they got a 1-1.
“But we don’t know where Sam would have evolved to, if he had been allowed to continue. I’d like to think he would have got the same kind of money Silva’s got and could have taken Silva on.
“Marco Silva’s lucky. He took over Everton and in fairness to him he’s integrated the players quickly, it’s not easy to do that. I thought there was a lot of good to be taken from that performance.”
Everton currently sit in sixth place, level on points with Manchester United, with a superior goal difference.
Last season Allardyce led Everton to an eighth placed finish, despite taking over with the side languishing at the wrong end of the table.
Despite the creditable finish, Everton fans were glad to see the back of Allardyce and his tactics, and there might not be a single one right now who would swap Marco Silva to get him back.
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