Former Premier League owner Simon Jordan is critical of Neal Maupay but believes the Sean Dyche factor will see Everton stave off the threat of relegation at the expense of Leeds United, speaking to talkSPORT (27 February, 12.50pm).
What a difference a week makes.
Just seven days prior, Seamus Coleman channelled his inner-Maicon and had Goodison Park rocking as Everton appeared to move one giant step towards survival while shoving Leeds’ face deeper into the mud.
One week later, Leeds and Everton swapped positions again; the former moving out of the drop zone after a hard-fought triumph over Southampton while the latter became the latest victim of Ollie Watkins’ late-season resurgence.
Everton, and the much-maligned Maupay, drew a blank at home to Aston Villa. They have scored only two goals from open play since October.
Jordan, however, believes Dyche’s time-honoured ability to eke out ugly wins via set-pieces and diligent, dogged defending could be the difference between success and failure for an Everton side who haven’t been absent from the top-flight since the 1950s.
Who will survive? Everton or Leeds United?
“Maupay doesn’t give them enough. But I think Dyche has the organisational skills to win games 1-0,” Jordan says.
“It doesn’t really matter at the moment (how Everton score). They have got to nick games and close games off. We keep making the case for Everton because of Sean Dyche.”
On a weekend of drama at the bottom end of the Premier League, West Ham turned on the style with a Jarrod Bowen-inspired 4-0 thumping of Nottingham Forest. Bournemouth, Southampton and Leicester City, meanwhile, sank further into the mire.
But Jordan feels that Leeds are still the most likely to join The Cherries and The Saints in the bottom three come May.
“West Ham were markedly better, (Declan) Rice was markedly better. Bowen was good, Paqueta. They were all at it,” Jordan adds; arguing that Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Crystal Palace have enough to escape the drop.
“So who is it going to be? It has to be Leeds and Everton (battling it out). My gut feeling is Leeds United.”
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